《Age of Adventure》 Chapter 1 THE IDEA VEGA CORP A tall handsome man is looking at the skies from the view of his office. With hands behind his back he look calm and noble. From his features he is an Asian man. With black hair and brown eyes he looked like a typical Asian male if you discount the fact that he is unusually tall for an Asian which is 6''7. He was old yet his back was straight. He has wrinkle on his face but that only added the prestigious air around him. He looked down and he saw people. Hundreds of people, rushing in the morning all seems to have their eyes looking at their phones. ''There is not excitement. No sense of adventure in this world'' he mused. Sanding behind him holding a document labeled Projects he seems to be waiting for him to speak. He sighed "Is it done?" He ask without turning his back, still looking down at the people rushing and running "Yes, Sir. All systems are functioning normally. The AI is efficient as ever. Among new users there are no complaints. Our Head of Program truly outdid himself this time." "Good. Very good" He nodded in satisfaction and there is a smile in his face. For a while there is only silence. He seems to be contemplating something. ''Julia'' he whispered. ''If only you could see this'' he thought to himself. Gulping in anxiety the subordinate then cautiously ask "Is there anything else President?" "No, you can go" The man looking down finally broke from his contemplation "Thank you, Sir" The subordinates quickly make himself scarce and release a relived breath when he has get out from the President Office. Sweats were already forming on his forehead because of his nervousness. It''s not that their President is a monster boss but his presence was too big making a low level subordinate like him to feel pressured. Of course the man in question did not know this. He returned back to see the view outside from my office. ''The same, monotonous world'' he said to himself. In this luxurious office this man was the man that is the head of this large corporation. He is the president of probably the richest company in the world right now. About 10 years ago, he and his current Head of Program Design, Matsuo Sugihara embarked on a journey to create a new world and they succeeded. Now with the recent success of the technology they developed, their company skyrocketed to fame and wealth. Overnight they became the most influential corporation in the world. What they created was a virtual reality application. The man sighed as he could still remember the difficulty during the initial stage of creation. ''Thankfully, with Keiko help we scored many contracts with the military'' he said smiling a bit thinking of his secretary. He was never that business minded. (Turns out they really like our system because they can train their soldiers more effectively without risk) and I was able to achieve my dream. But that was not the only thing they used their newfound technology. They created a game. The game has been launched for three months already starting from Japan to other countries in Asia and now we''re already expanding towards European countries. However, this game they created is not only a game. No, it''s not just a game. He created this game with a purpose. As he felt his heart beating he shrug the pain that he is feeling. Looking at the young people below he sighed ''I don''t have many years to live.'' ''I''m already this old.'' The reason he created this game is because I want to see players that like adventures, have ingenuity, strengths and all the things they could achieve. It''s not a game. It was never a game. It''s a simulation. A second chance for some. A place where they can be whoever they want to be. A world where adventure will find the players. You can''t sit it out. You can''t hide. You must fight. Ce''st la vie. But, there might even a chance for him to be something else. Smiling like only he knows what that means he avert his gaze from looking down. While looking down in the street the view is quite spectacular. But it was not exciting as when you sitting at the top. A frog that wanted to fly in the white skies. He is no longer a frog that was trapped in a dark well but a great bird that soars in the sky. And dying? It was not something he would accept willingly. ''It''s just another wall I have to overcome'' To be as high as he is today. ''What I have sacrificed. What I have gained. The pain. The love. The scars. With all of that I keep moving forward. Death?'' and he smirked Did you think death can deter me? He said laughing as his eyes looked at the skies. Turning back, looking at the document of his masterpiece and his last chance he laughed joyously as he imagine the scene he will saw now. "HAHAHA, will you all show me?'' ''The Greatest Adventure.'' he whispered **************************** ************************* Somewhere I just checked my email. Looking at the rejection letter, it stings a bit. ''Haish'' I could not help but sighed. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. All of my work applications are rejected. This is getting frustrating. My name is Daniel. A high school graduate. I flunked college and I don''t have a lot of money which explains my current predicament. And my savings are running out. Before long I had to eat only the bare minimum. At first I just held back one semester to take care of my mom, but after too long absence and my mother needing money for the treatment I used the money for my mother. But like people said bad things always come in pairs. Who said that anyway? My father died, leaving me with mom. I tried to search for a job, and I thought it''s going to be easy but reality sucks. Without certification, or any acknowledgement even though you know how to do the job, you still can''t apply. Idiotic. It has been a month without any work. Without a job this will become an issue that affects my mother health. And that is a serious issue. Rubbing my forehead in frustration I could not help but lean back on my chair. Another popup ads appears showing the promo vids of Brave World. ''You think I have time to play games?'' I could not help but ask my computer when I just sighed as I close down the browser and exhaled my breath. It didn''t work. I thought it would at least relax my heart or something but clearly it didn''t work. My phone then rang. Lazily taking the phone I saw from the screen the name of the caller. ''Michael'' I said before sighing again. It seems recently all I do is sigh. Michael is a friend of mine and help me a lot in many things. There is not many I could call my friend but Michael is the few I could proudly admit as my friend. "Hello, Mike" I immediately greeted him "Hello. So, how did it go?'' "Still nothing. What are you doing?" "I''m playing Brave World." He said. My eyebrows creased. That game is popping a lot this days. "That''s the VRMMORPG, right?" I asked. "Right" Brave World is the first of its kind. A virtual reality game. After it''s launched 6 months ago, it became a worldwide phenomenon. The company that made it the Vega Corp became an international organization overnight. And the President, Takenaka Takashi become an instant powerhouse in the economic circle with ties to many powerful people. Daniel might be a college dropout but that doesn''t mean he is stupid. To play the game you have to buy the capsule the size of a single sized bed though they do have other sizes to accommodate the people with bigger physique which is more expensive. "Oh, that''s ok then" "No, no, Daniel, let''s meet, okay?" "You don''t have to, Mike" "You''re my friend. Let''s go to the usual place." Combing my black messy hair into a manageable mess, and spraying myself with some deodorant I was ready to go. Waiting outside the caf¨¦ we always frequent I look at my phone pretending to be reading something. 15 minutes later he came. Joyfully greeting me by instantly hugging me I could only smile. His hug is tight and with his height of 6''6 which is only an inch taller than me, sometimes I look like his younger brother. Michael is one of my closest friends. To be honest, I don''t have many friends. I have quite the personality so not many can stand me. "Let''s go in. It''s my treat" That was the first thing he says. And he says it so naturally. He knows I''m in a tough spot and he knows I sometimes have a high pride but for some reason he always knows how to deal with me. Thank God. I don''t have much money this month. After taking a seat on the back, our usual spot, we talked. About our lives, about what TV drams we see this week, and he was careful not to tocu the issues about my mother. Then I talked about my frustration about not having a job and Mike started speaking about his adventures in BW. "¡­..and you know, this guy got a Rare item. He sold it in the auction and he got almost 10 thousand dollars." "Wait.. what!" I almost spurted out the tea in my mouth. "Yes, that''s true.'' Mike said nonchalantly. My heart started racing by then ''There are some people like that. Pro gamers. Some people just want to enjoy the game but there are also people who use it to make money.'' Mike then explained "Is that so?'' An idea came to my mind. An idea that was risky and may not have a chance of being anything, but still. On the way back to my house, I think why not. *************************************** *************************** Looking at the walls, it looked like a wall in detective TV series when the detective is hunting some serial murderer. My walls are filled with information about BW. After hearing Mike story, I''m interested to play BW. Though it''s primarily because I want to make money. A pro gamer. You don''t need qualification. All you need is ingenuity and your smarts. Even though, I didn''t graduate from any college, I did play a lot of games in the past. And to be honest, I''m pretty good at it. After doing extensive research I found that what you do and the state of your body could affect your stats in BW. So starting from that information, I signed up in many martial art classes. I learned taekwondo, jujitsu, karate and few others martial arts. Though all I learns is a few basic but what important is I got the basic down like grappling, deflecting, punching, kicking and basic body training. It was not like I was signing up to become some martial artist prodigy. Most of martial arts classes blooms after the emergence of BW with many people began setting up gyms, martial arts classes to meet the demands of gamers who wanted to familiarize themselves with basic combat to aid them in the game. I used the money from my father life insurance to pay for all these classes. I have already determined what I want to be. A warrior. With possible advancement to Paladin or Knight, I can get stronger faster, which means I could join Clans and go on raids. For the next 4 months I''m going to prepare myself. ******************************************** ***************************** JAPAN TOKYO IMPERIAL HOTEL The flashes of cameras and the sound of finger tapping on the keypad of laptops could fill the large hall. Hundreds of people are focusing on an elegant woman standing there on the stage as she was answering a question. "BW is controlled and maintained by seven AI we created. When you first enter there won''t be an instruction how to play the game. You must forge your own path.'' She said before smiling and then opening her arms in an embracing manner and said ''After all its motto is "Be Anything" The reporters quickly jotted down their article wanting to not miss the deadlines. Next question? She asked as hundreds of reporters held up their hands. She chose people from Nihon Television as a woman quickly ask "Vice President Kitagawa, I hear you cannot choose your gender?" "Yes, that''s true. It just enhances the player experience towards the virtual reality.'' She said though her face was stony as ever. Then she almost smirked before she calms herself down. That was because she knows the real reason why people could not choose their gender. It was a childish reason. But Takashi has always been childish. ''It''s because Takashi was once fooled by a guy pretending to be woman when he was playing online game, during his teenage years. He wanted to date the girl only then finding out he was a muscly dude. We still laugh about that story till this day. Old times, old times'' ''Next question'' as she chooses another reporter from Fuji TV. "What about the capsule Vice President Kitagawa?" Another reporter asked. Many reporters are also curios of this point. Keiko responded by saying "The capsule could also give benefit to the players. It linked directly to the brain nerves. To put it in simple terms, if you work out in the VR it will also give the benefit like you''re exercising in the real world. Hence the many equipment attached to the body. But the effect will not be so obvious. After all, if it''s applied fully fatigue of the players will also be affected right. The motor function will remember what you do in the VR. " ''Which is why the military is so eager to get their hands on the program'' though she did not blurt this out ''Final question'' she said as she picked a Caucasian man on the front row. "For the final question, what is the objective of the game?" A reporter from the Times asked After a brief silence, Keiko looked to the crowd and said with a smile "To show the greatest adventure this world has ever seen" With that exclamation, the studio applauded. "This is what you want right, Takashi?'' she whispered under her breath With this interview by so many media station, the number of players will definitely increase. And maybe then, Takashi objectives could be fulfilled. ''I hope you know what you are doing, Takashi'' she thought to herself before ending the conference and return back to the company. As she rides back to the company, someone called him. Looking at her phone and knowing who is calling her she frowned. She didn''t like dealing with the triads but this particular jobs require their specialties. Answering the phone, she nodded a few times before her face turns grave ''I understand. Keep searching for her'' ******************************************************************* The stories of AOA revamped. With many details and question addressed and will surpass the previous AOA. There will be a lot of changes past the 60 chapter mark. ************************************************************************ Chapter 2 A NEW ADVENTURE Finally after 4 months of preparations, I''m ready. I guess this is it. Studying and researching the game system and learning various things will probably be an advantage. Though I did not put much hope in that. After all, this system is cutting edge technology and the forums about the games are still developing so many of the things that will happen now¡­I need to experience it myself. All preparations are finished. It was the beginning. Thinking of my mother, I balled my fist and whispers ''I will succeed'' I pray this earnest hope deep inside my heart. I push the blue button as the capsule opened up. I bought this capsule using the leftovers from my father life insurance. And using some of my savings. Of course there is still some savings left for the next few months. Though I have to starve myself with packed or canned food. Slowly lying down in the capsule, the capsule flash blue as it detects me entering it as the capsule slowly closed down. Then like it was scanning me white lights flash over all over my body from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet. Then I put this cuff that measures my heartbeat wrapping it on my hand. Then pushing the purple button a notification appears in front of me. Connect To Brave World Yes No "Yes" I said and the notification disappears from view. ************************************************************************* [Our system determined that you are an unregistered users. Do you want to create an account?] The first sounds that Daniel heard was a feminine voice. Kind of sounded like the receptionist lady in the hotel or in a company. It sounded professional and elegant. He looked around but quickly realized he is in dark space of nothingness. All he can see are stars and galaxies brightly shining and beautiful. It was like he was in a realistic planetarium. This is the activation process, he realized. "Yes" [-Select the name of your avatar-] "Aero" [-There are many races in BW. Here you could see a list of---] "Human" He said without hesitation. He has researched this a lot before going in. And he has already decided what he wanted to be. [You can change your appearance or---] "The way I am" [-Your account has been activated. Your stats and-----] "Skip" [-Select a city and Kingd---] "Citadel of Vanbourg, Vanheim Kingdom" [-Welcome to---] "Skip" By now he practically could not wait anymore. Daniel already knows what the system is going to say. He has already researched this so many times. So he made quick decisions. 50 dollar monthly bill for the game was a big expense. He has bet many things on this. So he could not fail. And he must catch up with the people who had a ten months head start from him. That is a high wall to overcome. But he knows he had no choice. So, the only thing he could do it bet all of it in this game. If he found himself unable to achieve his objective then the only thing he could do is give up. And he didn''t like giving up. And then a light covered him as he disappears from that space. ***************** ************** ************ ********* ************* In Brave World there are 24 Kingdoms that have been explored and thousands of villages available. With a flash of light Aero appeared in the Citadel. Daniel choses Vanheim as it had positive reviews in the forums. When he open his eyes he saw buildings with medieval designs, people bustling through the city with variety of clothes and attires, countless users running around, calling other people and selling things on the corner of the streets, and all of it was almost too real. He couldn''t believe that this is just a game. "Oh my God. Unbelievable" He muttered as his eyes take all of this in. ''Truly amazing. No wonder many people are hooked on this game.'' He said as he look at his left and right. He look at the skies and it was like the blue skies of Earth. If not he knows his body is in his capsule at his house he would think that he was transported into another world. ''Focus'' he suddenly said to himself. He tried to adjust to his avatar body. ''Everything felt alright.'' He said as he moves his arms his fingers stretching his legs and doing all sorts of movements like chopping the air and punching. After a couple of minutes, his senses began to adapt. A newcomer like him is confined to the settlement in Kingdom they chose for a month in the game. A month is equal to one week in the real world. He already formulated a plan. ''Information about this kingdom'' He reads that it is important to know the kingdom where you are from. From now, he would be a citizen of Vanheim. And where do you go when you want to gain information in a world without internet? Library of course. His first step was heading to the library. After asking a few users they quickly guide him to one of the library near the citadel. A common library in the city, it was free admittance with only a few books. It had the basics of course. He started reading books about the history of this world. Reading the books Daniel could not help but be amazed. ''They sure worked hard to create this many backstory information'' Daniel wondered. He also has another reason why he wanted to read. He wants to increase his intelligence. Intellect or INT makes it easier to raise proficiencies in a lot of areas. This is the conclusion he made after making the research on gamers forums and the videos from Virtual Media Station the leading content provider for all Brave World related stuff. After about half a day Daniel was smiling as he increased his INT by 2. ''Next my constitution. If what I read is not wrong¡­then there is a training hall around here.'' After a few minutes of wandering and bumping into people on the streets, he arrived at the training hall. Standing as tall as two story building, the training hall has the symbol of a muscly hand holding a sword on top of the building. The first moment he entered, he could see it was empty. Correction, there was a young person who was about to leave. He smiles as he passes me sweats filled his forehead. It was like an encouraging smile. So, I''m not the only one. Aero nodded. After all it''s not like he is the only one that is preparing himself to enter this game. There must be others. For people who wanted to be a warrior this training hall training must not be missed. Of course if one is to decide to become a mage then they should go to the Magus Academy or the Magic Association Towers. Aero look at the instructor and greet him The instructor only harrumph. He pointed his finger to the practice sword and pointed to the dummy. ''Not a talkative person huh?'' Aero mused as he took the practice swords and began hitting the target dummy. [-Strength Increased By 1 Point (1 STR)] After 4 hours finally Aero STR stat has risen. He wanted to jump in excitement when he remembers her was pathetically weak and could not compare to other yet. Yet, he felt a sense of achievement. Sweat filled his forehead. The instructor looking at him from the back, looks at him with a gleam of approval in his eyes. Aero did not notice this. After taking a break for a while, taking the practice sword again, he keep hitting the practice dummy. After another 5 hours, his stat rose again. This time Aero could not even shows his excitement as he felt tired. Sweat was practically flowing down from his body wetting the practice mat below his training area. Then after getting the fatigued notice, he put down his swords and took a short break to eat. He then checks his status CHARACTER NAME Aero ALIGNMENT Neutral LEVEL 1 PROFESSION None TITLE None REPUTATION 0 FAME 0 HEALTH 100 MANA 10 STRENGTH 12 AGILITY 10 STAMINA 10 ATTACK 4 DEFENSE 0 MAGIC RESISTANCE FIRE 0% WATER 0% EARTH 0% WIND 0% "Not bad, I guess. Need to train more." **************** **************** ***************** *********** For three weeks in the game Aero has trained himself in the training hall. He rarely went out of the training hall unless to buy bread. He logged in on a daily basis, except for sleeping hours. Because of this his stats have risen in remarkable pace. -Strength Increased By 1 Point (1 STR)- -Strength Increased By 1 Point (1 STR)- -Strength Increased By 1 Point (1 STR)- -Attack Increased By 1 Point (1 ATK)- [New Stat: Fighting Spirit] FIGHTING SPIRIT Can temporarily increase your strength or paralyze weaker monsters by looking in their eyes. I think my grinding here for stat is quite enough. Looking at my own trembling hands, nodding to myself I said ''Yup, that''s enough for today'' "Instructor Van, I have finished the course." I said to the instructor who was looking at me from behind. Flashing a friendly smile the instructor nodded acknowledging my efforts. "Oh, Aero you finished it. Good. Very good." He said as he approached me and throws the white towel to me. I grabbed it and wipes my sweat on my face. My friendship with the instructor has reached max. Every day when I was training I would always greeted him before each training session. One thing I made sure to take note of was that Interaction with NPC is important. Now my next step is to do a quest. Any games have quest and this is after all RPG based so it surely have quest. But the reason I am seeking quest right now is because I need money and food. The supplies that the Temple gave are almost running out. And eating stale bread and unappetizing porridge wouldn''t cut it anymore. There is also the fact I won''t be getting stronger just by hitting practice dummy. I also have the thought to learn cooking. Surely that would help in my later journey. Looking at Van, putting away the weapons I approached him. From what I read in forums, the most common way to get a quest is to ask an NPC. Of course there is also special quest that is triggered when meeting a certain specific condition or forced quest when you enter certain questline or area. Looking at Van, I know if there is someone that could give me a good quest in my beginner level, Van is the only one that could do it. After all my affinity with him is max. So mustering my courage I ask "Van do you know where I can get a job to make some money?" Van look at me and then rubbing his chin he then said hesitantly "Well, there is one job." I could not hide my excitement "What is it?'' I said excitedly "Helping at the library" He said looking at my face. He might think I would be disappointed but I''m not. Quest are not that easy to be triggered. You have to either famous enough, or strong enough, or intelligent enough to get many quest but for people as weak as him right now, even this simple quest is good enough. "I''ll take it" I accepted the offer. "Alright. If you''re going to take it, do your job earnestly." Van said nodding his head. JOB RECOMMENDATION Recommendation to a job in the library by Instructor Van. For every 1 hour working there, you will be given 3 silver Difficulty level: G Quest Requirements : Close friendship with instructor Acknowledged by the instructor "Thank you Van. I will not disappoint you" [-You Accepted The Quest!-] "Take this silvers as a gift for your hard work in this training hall." Van said as he pushed some silver to my hand. He handed me 2 silvers. I nodded and said thank you and exited the training hall with a happy expression ''My first quest'' I said excitedly. In Brave World 1 silver is equivalent to 100 copper, 100 silvers to 1 gold.1 bread in Vanheim Kingdom is 10 copper. He just handed me 2 silvers which mean 200 coppers. I don''t need to worry about starving for a while. Great. *************************************************************** SOMEWHERE IN JAPAN In a white lab, a person is reading something from his electronic pad. Looking at the test result of the previous test, he sighed. ''Not yet. I need more'' he do not have time. If he has time¡­.he could built anything his mind could think of. If she is here¡­.then my workload will lessen he sighed as he throws the document to the table and walk away. Under the white neon lights of the lab, written in the centerpiece of that document is Project Icarus *********************************************************************** Sorry about the table. The table could not be transferred. It formatted my stats table so you all have to do with this. Chapter 3 THE MYSTERIOUS BOOK I stepped out of the training hall and started looking for the town map in the city center. What greeted me was people. Users filled the area and shouts filed the street like it was some common market. I once again marvel at this sight "We need a healer" someone shouted as I walk on the paved streets. "Anyone wants to join us!" "I need a thief to join us" shouted someone who was really shady with black tight attire and shadows swirling on his feet. I walk to the center square which is even more crowded with people. The center square is full with players asking people to join them. After the first time I came to this game, I guess this is the first time I see so many people. All the people he sees are wearing armor or robe and some wears a more unconventional clothing. Some are even half naked. Looking at the center square board, I smile as I approached it with excitement. ************************************************************************* After finding the map he started to copy the map by tracing it on the paper he bought before. The library was nearby so it will save time Aero thought to himself. Running he went past the central square and enter the North Ward as he could see the large building towering over the many small building near it. ''The Grand Library'' Aero muttered under his breath. Looking at it, it looked more like a large church with glass windows and exquisite craftsmanship and statues of the Seven Gods on its pillars. Called the Grand Library of Reval, it is one of the four grand libraries in Vanheim Kingdom. Built with exquisite craftsmanship and superior stones, it shows the ruler of this kingdom cares about its people. The moment he entered he quickly understood why it''s called the Grand Library. ''Whoa'' Aero said unconsciously. With 90ft tall it is already a grand building. On the ceiling was frescoes of works of arts reminiscing the artwork from reality. As Aero look at the second floor and the third floor he once again in awe. From top to bottom, it is filled with books for every shelf. It took him a moment to get back to himself. Then he was tapped in the shoulder by a woman which startles him. The woman seems mature maybe around 25 to 30 years of age. She was slim and wears a half moon spectacle. She is about five feet three. "Hello. What are you doing here? Did you come to borrow books? Or return one?'' She is a fast talker Aero thought to himself as he quickly tries to replies her question. "Hello.'' First greet her politely Aero reminded himself. ''No, no. I heard there is a job here. Instructor Van from the training hall sent me here" "A job? Yes, yes. I remember telling Van." She said as she tilt her head on her left side for a while before nodding. ''Unexpectedly an airhead'' Aero keep this thought to himself. "Right." "Oh! Van sent you. He must trust you a lot." I realized the woman was smiling sheepishly. "I guess its fine then. My name is Valeria. I''m the Head Librarian. Today I need to check and store some books. "I can help you with that" Aero quickly offer. Being proactive is a good trait to getting a quest he remembered what he reads in the forum Valeria nodded clearly approving Aero enthusiasm. "Alright then.'' She then pointed to the boxes near the table on the shelf as she orders ''You need to bring these boxes to the seventh floor. Oh, and don''t forget to examine the books up there. Who knows maybe somebody left their books.'' She said before sighing. ''I just hope that Old man didn''t forget his book again." Valeria then said "What Old man?" Aero asked. Maybe there is another quest there. Is this a chain quest? Aero though to himself before his hope was dashed. "Nothing" that was her answer. Aero face stilled but quickly he resumes his friendly smiles and nodded obediently "Can you do it?" "Of course, Miss Valeria." Aero replies enthusiastically. Tting QUEST COMPLETED JOB RECOMMENDATION You have got the job. You start working today. Complete the errand that Head Librarian Valeria has ordered. Reward: Return to the instructor to claim it Tting BOOK RESEARCH Valeria needs help in storing the books on the highest floor. Examine the books. Who knows what you could find. Requirement: Complete the JOB RECOMMENDATION quest first before this quest could be completed. Aero smiles as he saw the notification ''Alright. Now I''m getting fired up'' *********** ************** *********** **************** ************** A young man could be seen running from the bottom of the library to the seventh floor of the library. Some mage that looks at the boy could not understand what they boy is doing and only shakes their head pitying the fool. After all when he was a rookie he never had any quest to help the Head Librarian. Of course they didn''t know that to get this quest one has to have max affinity with the Instructor of the training hall. Some warriors that passed through the training hall must have also get this quest but unfortunately many of them turns the instructor quest down. After all, a work in the library does not conform with a warrior style and many players also believe that it was test looking at the hesitant face of the instructor. They all choose either to decline the quest or not finished the quest and returns back. And it was true in a way. The people the instructor acknowledged all have the potential to become a great warrior so he was hesitant to send them to the library to do menial jobs. If Aero had decline the quest he would get a chance to learn one skill from the instructor. But he did not decline not because he was stupid but because he has no money in the game world. In desperation and urgency Aero just accepted the quest happily. ''What kind of class that person must have to get such a lousy quest?'' The mage asked his friend. The other mage looking at the fool keep walking up and down carrying boxes just shrugged. ''Why do you care? Let''s go out and hunt if you have time to waste time on such nonsense.'' They went out the Library laughing thinking of the fool. Meanwhile it has been 3 hours for Aero since he started doing the errand. Still there is a lot more boxes in need to be removed. -Stamina Increased By 1 Point (1 STA)- -Stamina Increased By 1 Point (1 STA)- At least he could improve his stats, he consolingly thought to himself. After another 2 hours there''s only one box remaining. "Finally, the last book" He said with a slight panting on his breath When he reached the 7th floor with the last box a status window appeared. New Stat: Endurance ENDURANCE Enables you to retain your stamina longer. Passive skill. Will rise when you take damage or when you overexert yourself. +Increase your defense by 2 At last his job is finished. Taking a breath he survey the floor. ''There is something about chain quest here right?'' Aero thought to himself before he started walking around the shelf and tables, looking for any clues. Then he started examining the books on the shelf but there is nothing that indicates a chain quest or anything. Aero sighed as he walked to another table as his feet stumble onto something. Looking downward, he saw a thick book sprawled on the floor. He crouched and pick up the book. Looking at the golden embossed title of the book Aero clearly saw there is something special about this book. ''The History of The Rise and Fall of Alva Empire'' he said as he reads the title. Slowly, Aero opens the books and read the pages. It''s the story of the First Emperor of Brave World that rules all the four corners of the land of this continent. The First Emperor Alva Delon united the warring tribe of the land and created a great vast Empire. He ruled with an iron fist but at the same time effectively setting up many foundation for the others that will come after him. After fifteen long years on the throne, he died. Fifteen years after his death, rebellion started all over his empire and his successor was an incapable ruler as the throne of his Empire fell to Alain The Wise. Emperor Alain the Wise ruled the empire with love and was caring to its people. His empire lasted for a 1000 years until the bickering nobles seceded from the Empire and lead to the current state of Kingdoms and Federations. At least that is what Aero got from his cursory reading of the book. It tells the story of the rise of the warring tribe and the conquest by the First Emperor and the rebellion by Alain at the end of Delon dynasty. Tting QUEST COMPLETED BOOK RESEARCH You have helped Head Librarian Valeria in moving the books. You found a book that is not library property. Report this to Valeria. Reward: Return to Head Librarian Valeria to claim it Aero checked the book again and noticed that at the last page of the book it has an initial. "N.C. Sage of Trethelm Lake." "Whatever" Aero said as he picked up the book as he descend down the stairs. He is sure this book will lead him to another quest. Coming down the stairs he went to the office of the Head Librarian and reported to Valeria. Looking at the golden embossed letter Valeria sighed in exasperation. Then she shakes her head. "That Old Man never learns. What Sage? More like a forgetful Grandpa" she said before launching into a tirade. The whole time Aero was waiting. Valeria finally noticed Aero was waiting for her. "Here''s your reward." She handed Aero two gold. Aero could not believe his luck before he calms himself down and thought to himself ''Wait. This is too much for only moving books.'' Then it struck him. As he has thought. This must lead to some chained quest. Usually in games, a chain quest will be given automatically but maybe here you have to ask for it and seek it for yourself. "How do I return this book? I''m busy" Valeria has already ignored Aero and is looking at the book on her table. "Ms. Valeria, how about entrusting me to return the book?" Aero quickly offer. Valeria look at Aero with her eyebrows moves upwards as she nodded. "It''s true, I''m busy.And you are sent to help me by Van. I think I can trust the people he sent. Alright, I''ll entrust it to you." Tting THE RECLUSIVE SAGE The Sage of Trethelm Lake has left one of his books in the library. Head Librarian Valeria is busy so she entrusted this task of returning the book to you. The Sage is eccentric. It''s better to gather information. Go to the Artisan Institute to get some information Difficulty Level: E "Thank you Aero. Meet up with Paul at the Artisan Institute. He will tell you about that Old Man" "Of course, Miss Valeria." Aero said as he exited the room with the book. Outside the room he could not cover his smile. ''Two quest in one day. Maybe I''m quite genius in playing games.'' He said to himself as he whistles in happiness. Exiting the grand Library, he walk towards the central square and after looking at the map of the city, he quickly went to the direction of the Artisan Institute. **************************************************************** Chapter 4 THE SAGE "Danon, where is my book!" An old voice shouted his voice echoes inside the small house. An old man is rummaging around his room searching for a book. Then a young man rush to the stairs and climb to the second floor as he opens the door into the room of the old man and ask. "What book?" "That book. My family book" The old man said. The young man sighed for a while before thinking in his heart This old man keep forgetting his stuff nowadays "Don''t you think you left it somewhere?" he offer a suggestion. Though he suspect this is the truth. "Left it!" Hearing that the old man felt appalled like he could never forget. But then as he contemplates he remember something and his face turns red because of embarrassment as he nodded in shock. ''For Zeus sake. I must have left it in the library." "Should I go retrieve it Teacher?" The young man nodded as he is ready to go to the Library again. "No, don''t" The Old man said calmly. He sighed as he sits back down on his rocking chair. ''Maybe it''s destined.'' He said as he gestures the young man to leave him alone. Sitting on his rocking chair he thought of something. ''My teacher the previous Sage and also my father once told me something. Everything is destined.'' The old man came from the descendant of Lizhu Gerard. Lizhu Gerard was a famous strategist during The Hegemony War. The Vilajeri Continent right now is separated with each other but his ancestor once helped Alain the Wise take the continent from Alva descendants. Yet, his name is not remembered. Jealousy and envy of the nobles for him drove him to retire and spending his life in obscurity. What fate! If the book is to return, it will return. If it''s not, let others gain benefit by it. ***************** ********************** *********************** THE ARTISAN INSTITUTE It was busy and colorful. That is the feeling Aero got when he enter the Artisan Institute. Many painting are hang on the walls and if Aero did not see wrong he saw a painting that moves. There are also a lot of users wearing creative clothes. It reminds him of this street where people plays guitar and busking. The feeling is almost the same. Many people who choose manufacturing or production class type congregate here. ''This is also a chance for me to learn production skills.'' He thought to himself as he greets a few people in the lobby. Many of them were friendly and flash a smile ''It will certainly help me in my journey. I can cook with the meat of the monsters I killed, repair my own weapon, and create my own clothes.'' He mused It will certainly help me save money. I guess in this world I''m also a cheapskate. The first few hours I made friends with the people in the Institute. Mostly they are NPCs. It is easier to befriend them and befriending other users would not help too much since this is beginner area. Then after Aero relationship with the NPC reached a certain level, he asked them to teach him any skills they have. Through this experience Aero realizes the people in the Artisan Institute is really friendly whether it be the user or the NPC. You have learned Handicraft skill You have learned Tailoring skill You have learned Blacksmithing skill You have learned Repair skill You have learned Cooking skill Then after learning the skills, he began to ask around for Paul. After talking and a round of persuading, Aero finally found him. Aero found him among the sculptor group that was happily conversing with each other. They seems to be admiring a statue in the second floor. Paul was a blonde middle age man with slender physique and feminine appearance. He wears a green beret and his clothes were work of art in which it reminds Aero of Picasso famous work with uneven shapes as its motif. His voice is also elegant and with his face Aero knows that this Paul would be term a beautiful man even in the standard of his world. From Aero findings he found that this Paul is not some small fry in the Artisan Institute. Which makes him even curios of this Head Librarian Valeria who seems to know Instructor Van who is a warrior and now Paul who is an Artisan. Paul is Secretary to the Dean Of Artisan Institute an influential person in the Artisan Institute. "Excuse me.'' Aero said as he approached Paul when they have finished conversing. Paul looked towards him unethusiastically and Aero said ''Mister are you the Secretary to the Dean, Mister Paul?" Paul nodded calmly as he replied "Yes" Aero nodded before he began his quest ************************************************************************* I explained everything to him, and I emphasized that this is a task from Valeria and wished to get some information about the Sage. Hearing Valeria name the uninterested Paul was suddenly burning with enthusiasm. Then he started answering question "Well, there is one thing. Before you could meet him you have to answer his question. It is usually a riddle. If you cannot answer, he will never meet you again. He has quite the pride. He''s always going on about how he came from a family of important people.'' Paul said "Thank you for your help" "Don''t mention it. Just remember to report that I help you to Valeria, boy" TTing. That sound of notification sounded again as I am filled with smiles. I was full of anticipation of the next quest. It must be a bit better than before and the reward would also double right. THE RECLUSIVE SAGE (02) You have met Secretary to the Dean Of Artisan Institute Paul. He has told you about the Sage and the Sage quirk. Go and try to return the book. Remember if you could not solve his question this quest will be deemed a failure Difficulty Level: D Warning: If you are unable to solve the riddle, the quest will be forfeited and you can never come to the Manor of Trethelm Lake again ''Wait.'' I unconsciously muttered "What!!" I screamed which startles Paul who was about to leave. He looked at me with puzzlement before going away. I was panting in anxiety. ''Oh this is serious. What if I fail the riddle?'' If I fail, I may lose not only the quest and great rewards. Not to mention I''m still level 1. But then I calm myself down. There doesn''t seem to be too many penalties. The quest would certainly give much experience. It''s a risk but also an opportunity ''I better log out first and read a few books of riddles before going back in.'' That is what I thought as I went outside the Artisan Institute and log off. The moment I log off I wash my face on the bathroom and brush my teeth. Looking at my face on the mirror it was not a pretty sight. ''I will succeed. If I try hard, surely a path will open'' ************************************************************************* Chapter 5 THE RIDDLE ETV3 Broadcasting Station Program of Director Office Inside the meeting room the atmosphere was gloomy. Many people is looking down at their table like there was something interesting looking at the table. Standing on the end side of the table is a chubby middle aged man with a thick beard and thick eyebrows. He was not chubby in that harmless cute way but chubby in the kind of way a butcher of a butcher shop chubby. His look was intimidating enough and as he slams his hand on the table a few minutes ago, none of his subordinates dares to look at the man especially when he is angry. This is their Program Director Quentin Huxley. "What are we going to do?'' he pointed his finger to his subordinates. He was angry because he kept getting screamed at by the management to raise their ratings. He has already advises his subordinate to take a risk with new programs but all of that seems to fall on deaf ears which precipitated this angry reaction. ''Our ratings are bad, and our new content doesn''t hold the audience interest. The only things people seems to be watching this day, is all about Brave World. Why aren''t anyone exploring that avenue! HUH!'' Then he pointed his trembling finger at a woman and the woman was startled to be singled out. ''Well, you''re the Production Director! Sarah! Say something!''Sarah could only drop her head down. In a way she also had a fault in this. She did not think it would be such a craze that it could even affect television programs. Even mainstream media has slowly being affected by the massive popularity of the game. ''Well, he''s right,'' Sarah thought. Since that game was launched about eight month ago it exploded into popularity. Even she herself is a player. She enters the game to find out what attracts people to play the game. And she got the answer. The realism that the game projected is truly out of this world. It was like the real thing. The buildings, the scent, the atmosphere. To say it is a game would be an insult to Brave World. It was a new world. You can have adventures. You can sightsee. You can also just laze around in that world. Go fishing. Climb the mountains. Find friends. Wreak havoc. The creation of that world exceeds your own expectation. There''s always an adventure waiting, a new thing to explore, a new experience to be found. "Why don''t we broadcast adventure of Brave World to the audience?" One of the PD suggested. Quentin glares at the PD and that person quieted down. "VMS already did that remember?" Quentin said in that sarcastic tone of his. Then, Sarah had an idea. She remember that while she was adventuring she sometime encounter some players who dazzles her with either their prowess or ingenuity. Most of mainstream media right now is focusing on the Brave World agme mechanics and tips for beginners which is almost like a documentary program. The idea that sparks in Sarah mind right now, she knows, sooner or later many other media would also follow suit. Since it is a simple idea. Personality or persona. That what TV series cultivates. So, why couldn''t they do the same with Brave World? Brave World has already provided the narrative. They, the media only need to prepare the stage. She held up her hand and Quentin said ''Speak!'' Sarah did not shrink down this time as she present her ideas in the room. "VMS broadcast the adventure of noteworthy people in a documentary style like a gameplay of old console game and spout tips for beginners. Usually this player is already at the top of their game. They also just show when they fight which is probably helpful for learning stuff but there is nothing to entertaining about it. There''s nothing exciting, or nothing that the other players don''t already know. Let''s create a legend, Sir. They are many strong people in Brave World. But we don''t need powerful players. We must not forget that the game is supposed to entertain. We need a player that is interesting. Someone that makes people want to root for. Player that can attract other players to watch his adventure. That kind of player¡­.we can make him a star. Our star" Everybody was silent. They all pondered Sarah words. It is simple. But no one has executed it yet. There is a slight smile on the Director face. This is what he wants. He wants people to take risk. Not all the time¡­but when it matters. After thinking for a while the Director said "Hmm¡­ Alright, it seems like a good idea. Then you and colleagues could go ahead with this plan. I approve" "Thank you, Sir" Sarah said exhaling relieved breath. Then the Director ended the meeting and Sarah went to work. When Sarah broke the story to her colleagues, they began collecting information about any interesting player that has that star quality. For people who work in the entertainment industry, they have discerning eyes to know if a person could become a star. ''Next week, I''m going to log in to BW. Who knows, maybe I will find someone like that?'' she thought to herself laughing. ''Like it would be that easy'' she retorted at her own thoughts. ********************** ************************ ****************** After a couple of hours of resting, eating some convenience store food, taking a shower and reading books, I logged back in. I''m ready. Trethelm Lake and the Artisan Institute is not that far, so I quickly found my way there. I thought to rent a carriage but thinking that I might fail this quest and waste my hard earned gold and silver I did not rent. Even though I found my way there, that doesn''t mean it is an easy journey. There is a swamp and a thick forest. Thankfully I did not encounter any monster. Then like out of a fairytale book, I arrived at a wide area of land with a large white building standing there with mystifying mist around it. ''Whoa'' I exclaimed as I look at the building. It''s a big white manor just beside the lake. It was simplistic in design that gives the feeling that the owner of this manor is a person that does not care about fame or fortune. I look around the manor and notice something. There is no guard around the manor. Usually important NPCs have guard guarding their house. I slowly walk to the manor front door. Hesitating for a while I started knocking the dragon knocker on the front door. "Knock, Knock" "Knock, Knock" "Yes, who''s there?" A voice sounded out from inside the manor. The door creaked as it slowly opens. Opening the door was a young man with a white robe that is stained by mud. I also smell some herbs from him. By looking at him, I realized he''s an elf. With long silver hair and sharp pointy ears, there is no doubt that he is an elf. "Excuse me; is this the House of the Sage?" I cautiously asked. "Yes. Why?" The elf answer. "I came to return his book" I explained as I brought out the book from a knapsack I bought from a peddler on the central square. The elf look at the book and nodded. He then look at the second floor and sighed. "My name is Danon. I''m the Sage disciple." He introduces himself. He held out his hand and I shake it. "Now, can I meet him?" I asked. The elf look at me and the book but then he sighed again. "It is unfortunate, but my teacher doesn''t meet with people unless they solved his riddle." I already know this. "Then allow me to try in answering it" I said. I hope all that reading would me. I truly pray that it would help. "Huh, alright then. The riddle is this.'' And he began speaking the riddle "What we caught, "We threw away" "What we didn''t catch" "We keep" "What did we keep?" This¡­ This.. I read this before. It is Greek. Yes, Greek. But about who? About what? And then I remember as I smile. Homer. Yes. Homer. His death. "It''s lice" I said confidently. Reading¡­it does help I reminded myself. "Ack..'' It was a reaction that the elf exhibited. He clearly did not thought I would be answer it. Could it be no one answer this question before? When it is that easy? You only need to research a bit before going here. What Aero didn''t know no one has ever triggered this quest before. And Homer actually died without solving this riddle. For the people of Brave World this riddle would stump them. Earth had the advantage of history and time behind them and as a modern person Aero could get this kind of knowledge as easy as the tap of a finger. For people of this continent they still lived in the medieval era. ''That''s.. that''s correct." The elf stutter as he announced it The elf was also astonished. "Can I meet him now?" "I''m sorry... but no" "What do you mean? I already answered your riddle" "Sorry, actually there are three riddles." I''m beginning to get angry. "I didn''t think you could answer the first riddle, so I didn''t say about the other two riddles. People always get it wrong the first time" I could not help but snorted then said "Fine then. Give me the other two riddles" The elf eyes was full of excitement. It has been a long time since anyone could answer his teacher riddles. "The second riddle is this" "There is a house" One enters it blind" And comes out seeing" ''What is it?'' This time it''s easy. Without even pausing second and hesitating I answer "A school" The shock on the elf face is evident before he laughed in satisfaction "HAHAHA..Right again. You are a great scholar'' the elf misunderstand my profession and I am not incline to correct him so I just nodded. ''The third riddle'' I said and the elf nodded "Then I will give you the third riddle." ''There is a priest, a warrior and a king, sailing in the vast sea. Every day the ship meets obstacle and disaster. Thunderstorms raged the sea, the winds howled and roared. The crew was afraid. Believing there is someone who is bringing this bad luck, the captain declares that one of their three guests needs to be thrown out to be the sacrifice to the Sea God. Hearing this, the King pleads "When I return, I will give you lands and riches you could never imagine.'' The Priest on the other hand, said "Throwing me will only incur the wrath of the Gods" The Warrior threatened, ''I swear that anyone who tries to throw me out will die before me." The favor of the Gods, Strength without equal and riches beyond imagination. Where do you think power resides?'' Where does power resides? This time it is story format question. After thinking for a while he finally got the answer. This is a trick question. Smiling, he said "I have my answer!" What will he said, Danon contemplated. Choosing any one the choices will reveal what kind of man he is. Choosing the king, means all he cares about is money and glory. Choosing the Priest, means he is a pious person. But usually it is the most pious that can turn into cruelty. Zealots could do anything under the name of their Gods. After all a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victim may be the most oppressive. If he chooses the Warrior means he regarded strength as the thing that would solve his problem. That kind of man tends to become stubborn and dismissive of other people. None of them is people that his teacher wanted to meet "What is your answer?" "Power resides where people believes it resides. It''s a trick. Where people believe power reside it is that thing that will drive him.'' But I was not finished. ''Desire is not bad. It drives people. Desire without bound now that is dangerous. For people with a heart their desire is constrained. Thus power resides in their sincere heart. No riches, or strength or other people belief could shake his determination. For a heartless person they seek power to further their ambitions which always lead to the path of ruins." "Wha..This is unexpected.'' The elf said. What is more unexpected was the thoughts of this man at the end. It is perfectly in line with his teacher creed.It is wise but also grounded in the real world. He nodded before continuing his word ''But that too can also be considered as answer. You may meet my teacher. He would be delighted to find someone who solved his riddles." Aero then entered the manor guided by Danon and was asked to wait in the guest room. Finally, I''m in. ******************************************************************* Chapter 6 MEETING AT THE LAKE Today, I wanted to rest all day in my bed. With age come tiredness. Then somebody knocked upon my door. Surely just another noble trying to ask for advice. Or it might be that young girl Valeria. That is what I thought at first. Probably George again. I''m unable to help him and I am too ashamed to see him if he ask again. So I sent my disciple. I look on from the second floor room through the glass windows. It was not a noble or George. It was someone else Apparently an adventurer wants to meet me. Truly this young man could not measure his ability. Even Kings can''t meet me. Well, after Danon ask my question, surely he will go away. Usually people give ridiculous answer, so I try to listen to the conversation. Even though I am old I too used to adventure the land when I was young. To eavesdrop on some conversation especially a conversation that is not far, is easy for me. "Lice" He got the first question correct. It shocked me. This couldn''t be. Many scholars come every day in the past but they never could answer it, always stuck at that that question. That''s why they stopped coming. Yet this young man could answer it and he answers it confidently at that. This is puzzling and my interest is piqued. ''Maybe he''s lucky.'' I said to myself consolingly I said to myself. Surely, the second question he will get stuck and- but before I could finish that thought¡­ He answered it with ease. By now I was completely flustered. I look down and observe the young lad carefully. Tall and dignified possessing a scholarly aura, he issomeone that could even piqued his interest. This man is no ordinary adventurer. I inched my ear closer waiting for his answer of the third riddle. His answer will tell me the kind of person he is. "Power resides where people believe it reside." And if that is not enough he continued ''Where people believe power reside it is that thing that will drive him. Desire is not bad. It drives people. Desire without bound now that is dangerous. For people with a heart their desire is constrained. Thus power resides in their sincere heart. No riches, or strength or other people belief could shake his determination. For a heartless person they seek power to further their ambitions which always lead to the path of ruins." I couldn''t contain my laughter. This man is a genius. Also what interest me more is his words. It aligns nicely with what I am thinking. As the descendant of Lizhu Gerard he detest those who actively seek out their desires but he also understand that humans without desires is no longer human. Lizhu Gerard is not a God, he has desires and needs. But boundless desires and boundless greed, this, his ancestor do not possess. Good people are maligned by those that are evil and full of greed. ''Even until the end, I couldn''t figure him out.'' I said clearly I am awed with the young man Perhaps? If it''s him? Can he do it? My father always says to know the worth of a person, give them a test. If he is worthy, I will give that to him. What good will it do me now, now that I am old and withered. That heirloom should be inherited by the young generation. Feeling happy, Nicolas Flamel, Sage of Trethelm Lake stepped outside his room. *********************** **************************** *********** Aero sits on the wooden chair as he waits for Danon to call on his teacher.Aero look around and saw many paintings mostly of mountains and nature. The manor was large but the design was simplistic. Main structure of the manor was made of oak timbers, and the foundation is of white stone. Everything was expensive. How such a reclusive Sage could has so many gold that he could build this house is beyond Aero. The room was also spacious and the way things are designs and the intricate carvings on the pillars of lions and dragons gives this simplicity of design a touch of nobility. It was then the door of the Hall opened and Danon announced. ''The Sage has come inside the room.'' Aero quickly get up and speak his greetings ''Pleased to meet you." "Let us sit first'' The Sage said and Aero take a seat. ''My name is Aero'' "Yes, I know. What is your purpose coming here?" The Sage asked. He was quiet straightforward. "I come to return this book to you" As Aero said this he once again shows him the book and put it on the side table beside his chair. "Oh, thank you" As the Sage traces the golden embossed letters on the front of the book. He then took the book. Ting! QUEST COMPLETED THE RECLUSIVE SAGE (02) You have solved the riddle successfully and delivered the book to the Sage. Reward : Friendship with the Sage rises to maximum : Gratitude from Valeria the Head Librarian You have leveled up! You have leveled up! You have leveled up! Wisdom rises by 30 +30 WIS Intellect rises by 30 +30 INT Reputation rises by 300 Fame rises by 50 Jackpot. 3 level up and rise in stats. ''Like I thought. Not abandoning this quest was really the right decision'' he thought to himself. He cover his mouth as he tries to cover up the fact he is about to smirk in satisfaction. He did not even kill one monster but he already leveled up. Quest are really the way to grow in this game. His fame also increased and my reputation increased to a whopping 300 points. Probably no one ever found this quest. "Now that my task is finished, I will return to the library to report this." Aero said as he wanted to return and maybe find more quest Aero was already getting up from his seat when the Sage suddenly stop him "No, wait I have something to ask of you!" His voice sounded urgent "Yes?" What''s this? Sounds like another quest. "You have proved your wisdom and intellect to me, but I wanted to test you with something else. If you pass this test I will give you something valuable" Hmm¡­. This is unexpected. Treasure. That sound good. But still, maybe the quest is difficult. "What kind of test?" "Easy for your caliber" Should I take it? He says it''s easy. Thinking about it most of the quest he got is easy. After all this is the beginner area. There shouldn''t be any hard or impossible quest here right? "Well, if you believe in me, then I would like to accept." Aero said politely Ting KILL THE FIREWOLF The Sage trusted your capability and saw that you have potential. The Sage of Trethelm Lake has given you a test. You need to exterminate the Firewolf in the special area behind the Manor. Difficulty level: B Restriction: Must not use your own weapons, magic or physical attack to kill the Firewolf Reward : Increased fame and reputation : The Book of Lizhu Gerard : The Heirloom ************************************************************************* My face turned dark the moment I read the description of the quest. What the hell, Old Man!! I''m not going to do this. With this kind of restriction how can I solve the quest? If I could at least use my swords, I would train and after that kill the Firewolf. Quickly Aero tries to take back his word saying humbly "I think you have overestimated my abilities. Maybe, I''m not the right person for your test" -The quest cannot be declined - Forced quest! Why did I have this misfortune? Arghhh!!! "You can. I believe you can" The Sage said beaming a proud smile. It was like he truly believed I could solve it. Danon who was beside the Sage also nodded in agreement. What the hell is wrong with this people? Aero thought to himself. The only thing he could say was "I''ll try my best" Then he exited the manor. Only then he shows a dejected expression. He wanted to curse his bad luck. He should have vamoose the moment he finished the quest instead of being greedy. Now before he goes any further, he better check what happens if I fail. Condition on failing: Friendship with the Sage decrease : Fame will decrease by 50 : All stats will decrease by +10 "That, this¡­. Ahhhh!!" Aero wanted to rip his hair in frustration. Resigned to his fate, Aero started checking out the Firewolf cave behind the manor. He approached the cave slowly and cautiously Seeing there is nothing he grows a pair and check the cave. After 1 hour spent on examining the cave, he went out of the Lake area and went gathering information. He ask the NPCs he knows and players. He then found out that normal Firewolf is level 10. That dejected expression on his face could not be any obvious. ''That Old Sage wanted to kill me. I''m sure of it!'' Aero was venting as he kick a pebble on the road. The Firewolf is level 10. That is 6 levels higher than him. Not to mention he couldn''t kill it the conventional way. He could hire people, but with little money who would want to help him. After thinking and thinking, Aero came to a realization. He went to the Artisan Institute again and there he listen to Paul about the background of the Sage. It is said he was the descendant of Lizhu Gerard. A famed strategist during the Hegemony War. It was then another revelation revealed itself to Aero. The Sage is the descendant of a famed strategist. This must means that this quest can be solved by using strategy and that was the intention of the Sage. It aligns perfectly with the descendant of a strategist to give this kind of quest. ''I refuse to believe that I couldn''t solve this.'' Aero decided to log out for a while and gather more information. ******************** ************************ ******************** IN THE HOSPITAL The walls are always white. She didn''t like it. She hated it. Sometime she could hear coughs nearby. She knows that the room near her is a grandma surrounded by her grandchildren as they pat their grandmas back gently. When she was taking her morning walk she encountered the scene when she was about to return to her room. Looking at the scene she felt warm. Ding dong. The sound of announcement could be heard in the distance. She looks at the walls and the ceiling again. Hospital. She never like it. The walls are white¡­.always white. It looks so somber with all the whites. Maybe that''s the point she guesses. Then suddenly a nurse entered. It''s the nurse that always work on this level. Her name is Jessica and she was cheerful. Smiling Jessica looks at her and said ''Miss Julia, your son is here.'' Jessica then escorted a young man in. And Julia smiles bitterly. She nodded as the boy enters. He had a black hair like his father but his features were like hers. HE was tall about 6''5 and he has that mature charm of a guy. Considering that he is her son, she might be a little biased. Even before the nurse could tell her, she knows her son was coming. She smell the lily. "Daniel, you came" she said weakly Standing near the door was her son with bouquet of lily. Her favorite flowers. Daniel slowly walk and sit on the chair near the bed, holding her hands and rubs it. "Mom, how are you feeling? Better?" Daniel looking at his mother face, pale and devoid of colors were worried. "I''m fine. Stop worrying about me." She said as she hold his hand and squeeze it like reassuring her son that she is fine. Daniel look around to search a vase to store the flowers when Jessica said "Daniel, let me take that. I will put it in the vase" Daniel shakes his head. "It''s okay Jess .I''ll put it myself." My son then step out of my room with Nurse Jessica. Every time I see Daniel, I have always felt guilty. Because of me he had to quit college. Because of me he had to work at such a young age. I heard from Jessica that he was fired from his last job because he lied about his qualification. If "that" didn''t happen, he would probably have a normal life. My son is a genius. At least that''s what his tutor used to say. After my husband died, our life turned upside down. Then I got sick with this damned disease. My son used the family savings for my treatment. The insurance money is also about to run out. Before we never talked much. After all tragedies that happened to our family, I could finally see my son personality. My son is a warm person. He''s a nice kid. I just never realized it. Slowly as she was reminded of all this, hot tears poured down from her eyes. Droplets of tears slowly falls to the sheet. Creak. And Daniel enter and was shocked to see his mother was crying. Looking puzzled, he walked to his mother bed and hold her hand. He ask "Mom, why are you crying?" he said slowly and gently. From the tone of his voice, he is also trembling. Wiping her tears, she said with a smile on her face "Just thinking about stuff" I could not stop the tears from falling. And Daniel hugged her. ''We''ll get through this. Like always'' he said and it sounded like a promise. I just nodded. ******************** ********************** ************** ********* LIBRARY He come again. I muttered under my breath. Looking at that person, I am surely puzzled. My name is Nadia. I''m a librarian. Since not many people come to the library these days, I can usually remember the people who came here. Since there is not many. For this couple of weeks, I started observing this boy. At first when we first met, he was asking me about books on martial arts. That was a few months ago. And he come almost every weeks to borrow a few books. Today after a long time he came again. "What is it today, Daniel?" I asked when he came to see me at the booth. He was rubbing his chin like he was thinking of something or maybe considering something when he said that same line "I''m going to borrow some books. Where is History section?" After about two hours of examining the books in the library he finally came to reception desk. My tabletop was filled with history books sprawled all around it as I was slowly typing the registry for borrowers. I creased my eyebrows looking at his selection. He is squire a weird kid. Thirty Six Strategies, Han Xin Stratagem During the Chu-Han Contention, Sui-Tang Dynasty War, The Roman Conquest, Napoleon Campaign, Fall of Constantinople, and a whole lot more of other books just like this. Is he a history buff or something? I thought to myself. I always wondered why he is always reading this kind of book. His selection is always weird. It''s almost like he''s doing research. But I know he is not a college boy. After all the nearest college is hundreds of miles from this little town out of nowhere. So, why all this books? ''Whatever'' I finally thought as I give up on satisfying my curiosity. "Ok, then give me your card like always" I ask as he impatiently fished out his card from his wallet and almost pushing the card on me. "Here" After that, the boy quickly took the books with a joyful expression on his face and got out of the library. ''What a weird boy.'' I thought to myself. ********************** ************************ **************** Closing the books Daniel exhaled a deep breath. His eyes are clear right now. And there is a smile on his face. A smile of triumph. After reading the books, Daniel has already formulated a plan. A way to kill all the Firewolf without lifting his finger. ''It''s time to try it. I have confidence it would work'' Daniel also check the forums to ascertain a few facts and he is 70 percent sure his plan would work. ''I guess I could log in now and try.'' He wash his face first and eat a few snack to replenish his exhaustion and then like always he went to his cramped room and laid down inside his capsule and push the on button. He logged in. '' I''m in'' Returning to Brave World he quickly went to Main Square. He could see many players trying to recruit other players to their party like always. Magician and healers are in high demand as people always wanted them inside a party useful for supports and buffs. But that''s not the kind of class he wants to execute his plans. He needs a different class. From the discussion he reads on the forums, only this certain class could fulfill his desired plans. Yes, he wants to recruit people just like the many people here in the Main Square "I need a Druid for my plan to work" A new class among players, Druid has the power to control nature and changed terrains to suit their need. But because the invocation of spell is long it is deemed worthless if a group went hunting. There is also the drawback of their weak body So not many players want a Druid in their group. But Druid also has its strength. Able to control nature elements, it can help a group tremendously if fighting a lot of enemies and if the team protect their Druids effectively Aero is sure they could hunt way better. But that also means the group needs to protect the Druid and for some warriors that emphasizes speed of hunting they might overlook the advantages of Druids. After four hours of watching and observing the many Druids in the square putting up sign or hollering for request in a group, Aero finally set his sights on someone. ''I guess she would do. She also seems easy to talk to. And na?ve. Just the way I like it'' He found a girl that seems dejected because nobody wants to party with her. To be honest, not many want to party with a Druid which had Aero at an advantage as he could chose many Druid that is sulking on the Main Square. He even heard people cursing the Druid profession. Only idiots would curse that profession Aero thought to himself. Just because you don''t know how to utilize Druids advantages don''t go blaming the class itself. He walked towards that Druid as one thought enter Aero mind. The perfect candidate. "Hello" He greeted as he come in front of that woman. The woman was 5''6, slim and look slightly mature. She wears the Druid robe filled with Celtic like symbols. She has short blonde hair with a bob haircut. Her eyes were bright hazel and she look cute when she is flustered. "Wha... Yes, hello" she stutter in shock before replying. Aero then quickly ask "Are you in a party?" "No, I¡­nobody wants to party with me." She said as her shoulders slouched down looking dispirited. I almost pity her. She also looks pretty. Eh? What I''m thinking about? Pull yourself together, Daniel. "Do you want to form a party with me?" Aero asked. "I''m a Druid." She declared. She must think I would not want to have a Druid in my party. How many times did this girl get rejected to have so low esteem? "That''s fine." Aero said. "Really? Really!?" "Yes" Aero nodded She looks happy as she did a half skip. Aero almost chuckles but he managed to endure it. "Then let me introduce myself. My name is Sarah." She said as she held out her hand "Oh, yes. My name is Aero. We shook hands and then I told her that I''m doing a quest (but I didn''t tell her about the Firewolf) and I need her help. She was eager to help. I also told her that the place we are going is a cave near Trethelm Lake. "I didn''t know there''s a cave there" she said looking excited. Of course not. It was specially spawned for my quest. "There is. Let''s go then." She nodded her head. We started walking. **************** ***************** *************** *********** To reach the cave they had to go through the forest and the swamp. Since Aero already knows the route, the journey is faster this time. He also uses other trial and it was a shortcut as it bypasses the white manor and instead went straight to the back of the Manor where the cave is situated. Talking about trivial things as they journey together to the cave, Aero learns a few things about Sarah. After a while, they reached the cave. The cave was large and the entrance of the cave was seven feet tall and the inside was dark. Not too far away around the distance of a kilometers or so there is a lake. Many fishes jumps from the lake like tempting fisherman to catch them. It was then Sarah learns about the truth and how deep in shit she is. The moment she heard the howling of the wolves from inside the cave she knew she step on a big poop. "Wait. I''m level 3.This is a Firewolf cave right?" She can hear the howling from outside. And even she can see the wolf hiding in the darkness of the cave is glowing with fire. She knows this creature. Firewolf. It was not a high level monster for people who are powerful but for a rookie like her that is only level 3 how could she kill a level ten monster? Looking at Aero, Sarah pleadingly said. "We''re going to die fighting them. Why don''t we hunt horned rabbit or Winged Bat?" Aero looked at Sarah and shook his head as he smiles. "Who said anything about fighting them?'' This time Sarah looked bewildered. "Then, what the hell are we doing here?" He just kept his silence. What is this guy trying to do? "I need your help" he started. As he was also cautious of the cave as though he fears the wolves inside those cave would charge out. "My help?" He nodded as he then explains "I need you to raise the Earth and create a dam. A solid Earth Wall. A small dam in front of the cave entrance. The entrance must be closed off." "But, why?" Sarah asked not understanding. Sarah after all is a newbie in this game. The only reason she played this game is for research purposes. "Can you do it?" Aero asked. Yes, I can. But.." "Just do it." He said before turning away then sit on top of a boulder near the lake around the cave and began sewing clothes. Sarah was flustered before looking dumbfounded. A few seconds later she just sighed and decide to trust her teammates. Then she slowly started raising the Earth around her while Aero still just sits near the lake and sews clothes. ''Is he raising his stats?'' Sarah thought to herself. For about an hour this was their routine. When she is tired she would stop for a while then she continued. It took an hour to raise the dam. Sarah level and mana is low which makes it very long for invocation of spells. "I''m done" Aero went to check the mini dam and nodded in satisfaction Good. Now for the next step he said as he pointed to the lake. "Now that''s settled raise the water to flood that dam. Use the lake as your water source" And then an understanding dawn on Sarah. Could the Firewolf be dealt like this? He really did think this through. I got the rough idea of what he is trying to do. But will it work? So, once again Sarah toils while this time Aero was picking a few herbs around the bushes of this cave. "I''m done" Sarah gasped for air the moment she is done. She was kneeling on the ground, her knees were full of mud and her clean boots now muddled with mud and grass. Using that much magic power really exhausted her. Druids are given a bonus of magical points that is more than even magicians receive. But because of the long invocation time, not many choose this class. She didn''t know it when she first chose this class. But to change it, she felt it to be too troublesome. Then, that guy stood up and smiles triumphantly. "This will work. It has to. If this world is a simulation, then logic must also play a role" He looked at me and said "Create a trail from the dam to the entrance and then let the water flood the cave." ''There is a reason why they are called Fire wolves. That''s because they are fire. Fire in the shape of wolf.'' And he smirked. Sarah felt a chill seeing that smile but she just nodded and then after a few minutes of rest she creates the trail and then Aero got up and execute his plan. There is about 50 fire wolves in the cave. When the entrance of the lake was opened and water poured down to flood the caves, the only thing Sarah could hear was the wolf howling in anger before that howling turns to whimpering and then there was no sound. Sarah was shocked at this scene. You can even do this? A new understanding dawn on Sarah mind. She must treat this virtual reality like the real world. Like Aero said, some logic does applies. Aero learned something very important that day. It is exactly like real world. The logic applies. He also learned there are many ways to win. That was to use your brain instead of charging straight on. Then notification windows pooped up in front of Aero. You have leveled up! You have leveled up! You have leveled up! You have leveled up! Instantly, Aero leveled up to level 22. Judging by Sarah face, she leveled up to. Tting QUEST COMPLETE KILL THE FIREWOLF You have fulfilled the Sage of Trethelm Lake request. The special area behind the Manor has now been destroyed per accordance of the quest. You have managed to exterminate the Firewolf by not using your own weapons, magic or physical attack to kill the Firewolf. Instead you have managed to see the hidden intention of the Sage to make use of strategy to defeat your enemy. Affinity with scholars increased. Affinity with wise men increased. Easier to influence statesmen and scholars. Reward: Increase fame by 1000 : For other rewards, report your progress to the Sage. Looking at the notification windows Aero chuckles in happiness. Now he just needs to collect the other rewards. Suddenly the Sage doesn''t seem that hateful to him now. Then looking at the still dazed Sarah Aero said "Sarah, thank you for your help. Really appreciate it" She looked shocked. Aero need to go and meet the Sage, but before he go he need to say something to her. "Um.. I don''t know how to say this, but you seem to be without any confidence toward the class you have chosen. But if today proves anything, it is that it''s not about the class you choose, but how you use it. Druids have potential to become important in Brave World." It''s not like me to console someone. But I don''t want to see her face like that again. It reminds me of a bitter memory. A memory I want to forget. "Oh, and please if you can, don''t mention this method toward other players. I fear then, that they will only use Druid for such purpose. And, it''s not guaranteed it will work every time. A Firewolf is weak that is why water can kill them. I would not guaranteed the same thing would happen with the Firewolf outside the city. They might be stronger." "Yes. Alright. You''re right" Sarah said still in a daze as she looked at the popping notification windows. "Alright, then. I need to go. Bye" Aero started walking as he waved his hand goodbye "Wait! Um.'' Aero halted his step. ''Thank you for saying that" He only nodded "Oh... yeah. It''s alright" This time Aero started walking faster and soon his silhouette could no longer be seen. Sarah was curious. Who is that guy? And she felt very grateful that she could learn something new. Not the class you choose, but how you use it huh. From level 3 to level 24 in 4 hours. She never thought that this could be achieved. ''Wait?'' ''It seems like I forgot something. His contact! I should have asked him to put me in his friend list. Argghh!'' She yelled in frustration before sighing regretfully. Looking at the direction where Aero has disappeared she muttered under her breath ''I hope I meet him again.'' ****************************************************************** Chapter 7 THE GRAND STRATEGIS Aero arrived again in front of the white manor. After making sure he has make himself presentable, he knock the dragon knocker in front of the Manor. Knock,Knock. The sound of knocking echoes inside the large manor. The Sage who was sipping tea, got up and quickly went to the door. Beside him was Danon standing there like a loyal retainer. The elf was also smiling. ''He has made you proud. I''ve seen it. It was perfect.'' The door opened and the Sage welcomed Aero proudly. ************************************************************************ "Sage Nicolas, I have accomplished your test." I said humbly standing there on the hall. I hope this could score some points with the Sage. The Sage smiles and nodded. "Yes, I know. Danon has told me of your deeds. How brilliant of you to use the lake water" So, Danon followed me. No wonder I felt someone was watching me. "As promised! Here you go." The Sage said as he brought out a bag. The Sage then handed Aero a book, a sword, a beautiful elegant white robe, a feather fan and a bow. Tting QUEST COMPLETED KILL THE FIREWOLF You have passed the Sage of Trethelm Lake test and the Sage is proud of you. You receive the Sage family treasures. You have received the other rewards from the Sage of Trethelm Lake. Wisdom rises by 50 Intellect rises by 50 Luck rises by 10 You have leveled up! You have leveled up! This is a good reap. I thought as I look at the notification. I leveled up and at the same time my stats rose. It was worth researching all that book and gathering information from the player forums. Even though I played to gain money for my mother treatment, this feeling of accomplishment, I really wish that I could just enjoy this game and just play it. And truth be told, the objective of me playing the game is not even fulfilled now. But you don''t always get what you want. The world and my father taught me that .Just when I thought that it''s over, suddenly Class Change! You can convert to a Secret Class, Grand Strategist. If you accept it, you can learn exclusive skills for the class that are withheld from primary class. Do you want to convert to Grand Strategist? A secret class! I frowned for a while. ''Hmm'' I muttered as the Sage and Danon look at me expectantly. Judging from the way I started the quest, I expected something like this might happen. From what I read chain quest could lead to some secret class. It is still in debate. Some said that the famous player Zeus is also a secret class player. Secret class has its pros and cons. My plan in the beginning was to become warrior or knight, but I also entertained the idea of being a thief. Warrior advantages lies in their explosive strength and could challenges many quest line since there are many quest for warriors while Knights could offer their services to the many NPC lords of the Kingdoms. Thief¡­could stela stuff. And what I want is stuff. But I also had to pay attention to my agility stats But after doing this quest, I feel that this secret class can help me get more money than being a warrior. Actually, before when he logged out and was searching information about the Sage of Trethelm Lake, he found something interesting. Especially for the name of Lizhu Gerard who is an ancestor of the Sage. In the background story of the Vilajeri Continent, Lizhu Gerard was a man with massive influence during his time. In the era of the hegemony War there is a famous saying. Without Lizhu, there is no Alain. He was respected by his rivals, feared by his enemies. But because he could not stand the Empress behavior, he left the court and told people to not bother him. Since then he disappeared from the public views secluding himself in some remote corners of the world. This highlighted a few things to me. And what it highlighted fills me with anticipation. Being a strategist means becoming entangled with people of importance. Wouldn''t it be better to have connection with important people? He''s not aiming to become the strongest like Zeus or the other many players that started this game way before him He need stop play this game suing his brain since he could not vie with the people in the beginning with only determination. He wants money. Important people give great quests and great rewards. Even though this means he will change his plan, but life itself is change. "I accept the offer" The Sage and Danon nodded as he patted my shoulder proudly. I only smile. The moment he finished patting my shoulder a white light shone on me. You have learned Demonic Devil Energy Drain You have learned Divine Sword Technique You have learned Sacred Sword Finger Skill You have learned Disguise Skill You have learned Roar Skill You have learned Killing Intent You have learned Analyze New Stat: Elegance New Stat: Language New Stat: Grace This entire message started appearing in succession.It is only to be expected with a class change. Now my status would be modified to tries to fit the secret class change. After this I''m going to check its effect. I have to check my status window to see how much I progressed after doing this quest. Right now with the energy bubbling inside of me, I know I could meet the Firewolf before and cut them down easily. For now I better thank the sage.Taking the sword, the fan and the other stuff into my knapsack I thank the Sage. The Sage accepted it with dignified expression like he had pass down his teachings. I couldn''t stop smiling. Truly this is what you call a secret class. I got so many skills just by changing class. "Thank you for believing in me" I said I perform a slight bow. "No, No. don''t be so unfamiliar with me. Call me Nicolas. We could be considered related by fate'' Nicolas was not joking about this. Young man guided the era, this has always been the case. For old things like him, he should have retired and pass down his teachings. "Oh, then thank you Nicolas" I said as I walk to the door. Then The Sage said. "Before you go, I have a favor to ask of you. If you can come two weeks from now, would you listen to my request?'' If it''s 2 weeks from now, I can train first and raise my stats. I contemplated it for a hwole before I nodded. I smell a quest. "Alright. I will come here" ************************************************************************* Little did Aero realized that he is starting a chain of events that would affect the game in its entirety. The reason Aero got the secret class, is not because no one ever found it, or luck but because before it didn''t exist. The requirement of the Secret Class Grand Strategist was another secret class activation which is the Demigod. That secret class has already been activated so Aero could trigger the Grand Strategist secret class quest. And the moment Aero activated the Grand Strategist class change; another secret class requirement is fulfilled. A secret class that will shake all the Seven religious orders in BW. ************************************************************************* After Aero return to the city to buy supplies, he started checking his skill window. He went under a shadow of a large tree and sit down before opening his stat windows. He then checks his skill. He first check the Demonic Devil Energy Drain. Looking at the description he could guess the skill usage. Demonic Devil Energy Drain [1] Beginner Able to drain life force from monsters and replenish your health. With high luck, you can drain a lot of monster HP. Mana Consumption : 50 MP(will increase when the proficiency increase) It''s quite a powerful technique. Divine Sword Technique [1] Beginner One of Lizhu Gerard techniques. Lizhu Gerard learned many styles of attack that are foreign for this continent emphasizing the internal energy and self-reflection. This technique is rarely seen in Vilajeri Continent. Mana Consumption : 300 MP(will increase when the proficiency increase) : Increase attack power to 40 points Sacred Sword Finger [1] Beginner Can shoot out invisible force of energy from your finger. Highly concentrated energy that is focused at one point this skill is deadly, lethal and emphasize swiftness. One of Lizhu Gerard Sword Art. Mana Consumption : 500 MP (will increase when the proficiency increase) : Increase attack power to 100 Disguise [1] Beginner Able to disguise to be a monster that you have encountered or defeated. As the proficiency increase you can learn to disguise to other things. Restriction: Must defeated the monster that you want to disguise. Helps if you can focus the feature of the thing you wanted to disguise. The other skills were self-explanatory. Roar helps morale while Analyze could be used to analyze weakness. Now, I''m going to check my items that I got from the Sage. Slowly rummaging my bag I brought out the sword. After analyzing the sword, I was utterly shocked. Sword of Mars ( SEALED) Durability : ????Damage : 2000 One of Lizhu Gerard treasures. Gifted by Poseidon, the God of the Sea. Its attack power is very powerful. Equip: +40 STA : +100 VIT : +100 AGI Requirements: Granted the Great Strategist class It is sealed. And even in its sealed state its damage is 2000. This is¡­a bug isn''t it? With this kind of damage I could level many rookie players easily. I wonder what rank this weapon is. In Brave World item are divided by Ranks. Weak, Strong, Hero, Rare, Unique, Legendary and Godly. The next item is the robe. The White Robe (HERO) Durability:1000 Defense : 700 One of Lizhu Gerard treasures robe during the Hegemony War. Equip: +200 MANA : +500 HP : +100 AGI Requirements: Granted the Great Strategist class Storm Fan ( SEALED) Durability:3000 A fan that Lizhu Gerard stole from Princess of Wind Valley to surpass the Fire Mountain. One of his treasures. In its unsealed state it could summon winds and storms, calm the seas and change the weather. Equip: +200 leadership : +300 HP : +300 MANA Effect: Increase morale by +300 Increase ally stats by +30 Increase ally stamina by +40 Increase ally health by +100 Requirements: Granted the Great Strategist class Another sealed items. But looking at the description this is really OP items. Who the hell is this Lizhu Gerard. None of his items are normal. The only normal one is his white robe. On the other hand I could not identify the book because I lack the necessary intellect. I''m going to equip the Sword of Mars and the White robe The fan I will only equip when I''m in party. The bow has to be stored first. After I learn Archery skill, maybe then I will equip it. I quickly equipped Sword of Mars and the White robe.I looked at myself. It makes me looked dignified and scholarly. Then I excitedly checked my status. CHARACTER NAME Aero ALIGNMENT Neutral LEVEL 22 PROFESSION Grand Strategist TITLE None REPUTATION 300 FAME 150 ELEGANCE 0 HEALTH 2200+600 MANA 220+200 WILLPOWER 10 STRENGTH 65 AGILITY 15+200 HONOUR 0 STAMINA 54+40 WISDOM 90 INTELLECT 94+100 ENDURANCE 20 LUCK 15 CHARISMA 70 LANGUAGE 0 GRACE 0 LEADERSHIP 0 ATTACK 6 DEFENSE 2 MAGIC RESISTANCE FIRE 0% WATER 0% EARTH 0% WIND 0% + All stats are added 20 points in battle + Intellect is added extra 100 points + Enables equipping items for the secret class + Decrease mana consumption for Divine sword technique + Easier to raise proficiency in any area. + Affinity with scholars increased. + Affinity with wise men increased + Easier to influence statesmen and scholars. I never thought I could have this kind of luck. But looking at my status window I realize my stats are not that impressive. It is because of my items that I am confident I need to go hunt monster and improve myself. I guess these two weeks I need to do some grinding. And I need help. Thinking for a whiledecided I need to join a party. It will not only help me clear caves and dungeons easier, I also need them for something else. After all I did not intend to play this game solo. At least not when he is this weak. But he also did not want to be taken advantages off. He heard stories of newbies and weak players being ripped off and robbed because they are too weak. So I decided that before I prowls around searching for a hunt party, I would solo the cave for level 20 monsters. I believes I can do it with the legendary items he got. ''Alright. I need to start now.'' I got up and began running towards outside the central square heading to the forest. ***************************** ******************** ********************** The Vanheim Kingdom is ruled by King George Vermont Vanheim. He lives in the Vanheim castle. A lot of people called Vanheim a prosperous Kingdom but in reality it has many problems. In the East, is Nairhell the Orc grassland threatening the eastern border. North of Vanheim is the kingdom of Vetten, an old enemy since the time of Vhagar Asgaro and Veva Triumvirate. And even though the neighboring countries which is Niovar is not hostile, but if they ever get the chance, they will invade Vanheim. Pack of wolves surrounded this kingdom. One mistake and this kingdom could fall at any moment. It is thankful that this Kingdom is not a sheep and there are still many heroes and great generals that guarded the border. King George was sitting on his throne looking sullen. He throws another report to the ground. He then sighed. "I am surrounded by stubborn fools. Half of them don''t know the truth, the other half don''t dare tell me, while the other half is blind" King George knows his kingdom needed reform, but he lacks the personal power to push through with his reform. His authority is always undermined by the nobles. His kingdom is vast, but it is precisely because of that reason, it is such a nightmare to defend. He also heard whispers from his spy that the Bradheim family is trying to start a rebellion. In whatever direction he struck be it the nobles or the military he would leave himself vulnerable. He is not old, but he is not young either. His blonde hair and clear blue eyes are no longer like when he was in his youth. It is no longer clear but is clouded. With power comes responsibility and with that responsibility he could no longer be the na?ve idealist youth he used to be. While his eyes were no longer clear like when he was in his youth, he also gain something. The disposition of a king. His presence radiated dignity and majesty. While he was contemplating the many problems of his kingdom in his throne room, a messenger came. "Your Highness, the Sage has come requesting audience" The announcer announced as he waited for the king response. George contemplated this matter as he is feeling puzzled The Sage? It''s weird. No matter how many times I came to his mansion before he never got out to meet me. Why now? "Let him wait in the guest room. I will be there shortly" The announcer nodded and relay the King word to the Sage. The Sage waited in the guest room as he was being served with high quality tea. Five minutes later the King meets the Sage in the guest room. George dismissed his attendants and sit on one of the seat inside the guest room. "Nicolas, why do you come here today?'' George asked. But he was not enthusiastic or welcoming but he was not hostile either. The title Sage is not freely given. Those that were given such title are all wise men and should be respected. As such even George shows respect. But that doesn''t mean he have to swallow every rejection. He is bitter at the Sage. ''Before I invited you to come to the court and you refused. I came asking advice, yet you turned me away. So why do you come here if not to mock me?" Still feeling bitter from the last time he tried to meet the Sage, the King started his questions with accusatory tone. The Sage smiles bitterly. He had anticipated this reaction. He knows what he did wound the kingly pride of George. He might not be Vanheim courtiers or officials but he is a citizen of Vanheim. He still consume earthly food, how could he run away from worldly matters? So, he replied calmly "No, Your Majesty. There seems to be a misunderstanding. This lowly subject did not accept Your Majesty offer because I''m not a man that can hurdle through the intrigue that is in the court. I turn you away because I know what troubles you, yet I do not know to solve it and was embarrassed to see Your Majesty again. But today I came bearing good news. I know someone who can probably solve Your Majesty problem." Hearing this George expression brightened "Truly?" As his tone go up in anticipation "Yes, Your Majesty." The Sage replied nodding his head. "So, where is he?" George asked as he looks around the room, half expecting someone to enter the room at any moment. The Sage smiles mysteriously "Your Majesty he is not here yet. In two weeks I will introduce you to him." George now clam down with the Sage words, dispel his worried thoughts and offer the Sage to stay for a while to discuss a few things with him. After that the Sage and the Kings started talking about other matters relating to the Kingdoms and the world, big matters of the world. Aero did not know that he would encountered one of the monarch of the Vilajeri continent. Like he expected, being a Grand Strategist offer him access to get to know powerful people. But what Aero didn''t expect that he would meet the King so early at the game. It had already been months in the game but that is still a short time for someone to be qualified to meet the King of their Kingdom. But thanks to the connection of the Sage, he will now start utilizing the secret class he got from the system to help King George. This is his start to fame. ************************* ********************** ************* Daniel story is truly beginning now Chapter 8 BEARS Looking at his status windows he smirk. After a few days of hunting Aero level has reached 39.He has also managed to raise his proficiency in his production skills. His cooking has reached intermediate level. He also realized it''s easier for him to raise proficiency probably because of the Grand Strategist bonus. He has also learned Archery skill and Sword Mastery. He learns Archery skill from the Archery range from an NPC instructor and Sword Mastery from Van The highest stat he has right now is his intellect and wisdom. He also has familiarized himself with the Sword technique. Lizhu Gerard. The more he practices his sword skills, the more Aero find himself asking himself what kind of man this Lizhu Gerard is to create such OP skills. He finally realized how powerful the technique he possesses is. The level 30 monsters had never overwhelmed him to the point he would almost die. After constantly evading the attack of the monster he met, he gained a skill which is the Alleviating Body technique. It enables him to jump high and evades attack faster. It was useful when he had to fight monster that likes to jump onto a tree or fast creatures. The skill gives a boost of 10 point to his agility. Now he returns back to the Central Square again. Hunting party. This is his objective right now. Like before, his MO is the same. He observes the players that want to form a party. After a few minutes he found a group that he kind of interested with. He was intrigued by this band of people. Clearly they are about to go hunting. It is obvious by the way they dress and armor that covered their bodies. Then Aero decide he will approach them to ask them to join him. He slowly walked towards them and then he greeted them politely "Hello" "Yes, hello'' The guy who reply Aero greeting is a young person with an average height and have a green spiky hair. Contrary to Aero first impression of him, he is quite friendly. He was talking joyfully with his group of friend when I interrupted them. The other looks at me intently. "It seems you are preparing to go hunting. Can I join?'' Aero asked "Well. Yes, of course" He replied without even hesitating. He shook Aero hand and hugged him. He really is friendly. He doesn''t even know my name. Is he that trusting or an idiot? "D, wait a minute, we don''t know anything about that guy" Interrupt a girl. She had a red hair and her face was pale white. To be more accurate, she looked cute. She was slender and standing at the height of almost six feet she looked like a model or something. But that is not what shocked Aero. ''She really looked like that girl'' Aero thought to himself. "What level are you?'' The girl asked. Aero just sighed and reply "39" he answers. ''We''re going to hunt in a level 50 dungeons so¡­." She let the words hang. I''m not welcomed here. Not to mentioned she was giving me the eye. I did not expect this. And there was something about her that bothers me. "Ok, I get it. It''s ok" Aero slowly start walking away. As he was walking on, he could hear from a distance, "Why did you do that? We shook hands and everything." "He could slow us down" Now I''m angry. I searched for a party that could assist me and not slow me down, but that girl thinks I''m the one that is going to slow them down? I''m not usually a petty person but there''s something about that girl that pisses me of. I''m going to teach them a lesson. ************************* ********************** ****************** Dan and his friends have been preparing for a week to fight the Bears. The last time they fought the Bears they died at the 4th floor. Now after changing their weapons they want to challenge it again. All of their members are in the range of level 40. Yesterday some of them reached level 42.They are all friends in real life. Amy is a healer, Raina is an archer and he is a warrior. It was a typical combination in RPG games. After making sure their gears have ben repaired and their condition is at the most optimal condition they quickly march on to the cave. After climbing a few hills and waded through a mud swamp they finally reached the cave. The entrance like always look eerie with claw marks lining up the entrance wall. There are also a few skeletons of people lining up the entrance. NPCs when they died in this game do not disappear into a white light like players. When they die, they leave their bodies. The management of the game said it was to maintain a realistic feel. Dan was ready. ''Gang, are we ready?'' he asked as he looks at his teammates. Amy nodded, Raina helpd up her bow and nodded. "Ok, we''re going in'' Taking a deep breath Dan started walking to the entrance. Then from the bush behind, there was a sound. Everyone unsheathed their weapons. Raina aim her arrows to the bushes. The atmosphere was intense. Amy was holding her staff ready to buff her teammates. What emerged from the bush was a man. With an elegant white robe and a shining red sword, he was standing there not too far away from Dan. His long black hair gently being caressed by the wind. His blue eyes looked clear. ''He-'' Dan was about to greet when Amy shakes her head. Without a word he strode past us and entered the cave. ''It''s the guy we rejected in the morning.'' Raina said. Amy just nodded. ''Idiot.'' She said. ''We need to warn him'' Dan said. "If that guy wants to die, let him" Dan look at Amy and shakes his head. She is always like that. But Dan knew once you got to know her, she has a nice heart. Only she really didn''t know how to show it. "Let''s follow him" Raina said as she slowly walked into the entrance. "Yes, if he needs our help, let''s help him.'' Dan said Then Dan group entered. Dan was practically running to warn the guy to stop when they suddenly halted their steps almost immediately after seeing what is in front of them ''Take formation!'' Dan shouted. Raina quickly prepares her bows and Amy staff is glowing ready to heal any of her teammates. What they saw was 10 grizzly bear waiting for them. With high attack and devastating blow, it''s a monster that is quite formidable. Not to mention their physique is intimidating enough to render someone paralyzed with fear. ''I don''t want to get clawed by this beast again. Let''s do our best!'' Dan shouted to his teammates and the other nodded looking serious. They started taking their position and at the ready when something unexpected and probably the craziest thing Dan has ever seen since he started playing Brave World happened in front of him The guy standing 200 yards from the bear with only Level 39 started charging. He exploded in speed as the ground near his feet lurch upwards. His red sword flashed dangerously and in a single slash he decapitated the first bear head as its head rolled off the ground as the body slowly falls down. Then it began. Without saying anything, he rushed to the other bears. It was carnage. The other bear surged forward. The guy started to jump around and ended in the shoulder of the bear. He was nimble and elegant. Wearing a white robe and a red sword he look at ease in this battle like he was merely strolling through a peaceful park. The bear tried to claw him. But the guy quickly dodged it and using his backhand, he severed its paw with one perfectly angled slash. ''HAHAHA'' he laughed as his laugh reverberated inside the cave. The bears grew even more furious. Then he started slashing and stabbing the other four bears with extreme speed and precision. Using the momentum he jumped left and right while stabbing the bear. He was slippery like an eel as he move around the barrage of attack by the bears effortlessly. He was almost like a machine. Dodge, roll, slash, stab, dodge, roll, slash and stab. In a span of 5 minutes all 10 of the grizzly bears were killed leaving all of them with incomplete remains. He looked toward Dan group and he smirk. Then he looked at Amy and chuckles. Like he was mocking her. Dan group was shocked but Amy was infuriated. It was clear that guy was mocking them. ''I need to be faster'' Dan could hear the man whispering to himself. Then quickly moving like nothing happened he descended to the second floor. He was practically dashing to descend to the second floor. Raina was slack jawed. Amy looked like she ate something bad. He just left all the loot. Dan and his group picked it up. After that moment passed, Amy said "What are you waiting for?" "What?" "We need to kill bears too. That''s the reason we''re here right. Do you want to let that guy kill all the bears here?" Dan realized Amy was angry. It''s understandable. They came here after preparing for a week and for some guy to just come and kill the monsters they had so much difficulty killing, that leaves a bitter taste. It''s not like there is ownership of cave and dungeons, at least not yet. Leo Clan in Asgaro Kingdom and Zeus clan in Veva Kingdom monopolized the dungeons and only let their clan members to hunt in the dungeons under their control. Vanheim has clans but there is no clan in Vanheim that is as big as Zeus or Leo. Which is why dungeons and cave in Vanheim is the bets place to grow according to many forums leading to positive review of the kingdom by many players. Newbies also depends on the forums which is why many newbies nowadays choose Vanheim as their starting kingdom. ''We follow him'' Dan decided as they chased the guy. They descended until the fourth floor but not once, they met him. He was too fast. Every time they descended a floor the only thing that proved he was ahead was a mountain of monster corpses he left behind. The smell is nauseating. Who thought that Brave World created such a realistic world that even our nose could smell in this game. In the first floor there were 10 bears. The second floor had 20 and so on. This cave has 10 floors. In the last floor is the Boss monster. Whoever that guy is he just mowed about a 100 of those bears. That amount of monster and he soloed them all. By now Amy face was truly lacking any color. Dan knows not to say anything that could further her frustration. They only stores the loots and as Amy anger is at the breaking point they keep rushing to catch up to that person. They finally met him in the 6th floor. Amy was fuming with anger while Raina was wary. After all the guy might be a pro gamer. All the loot he has left behind Dan and his group carry it in their bags to avoid others from taking it. But seeing the horror in the first floor Dan doubt anyone would want to descend. And the other floors look like a painting of hell, if Hell were a place that is filled with bears internal organs and heads. When a player kills a monster in a cave or dungeons it takes two days for the monster to respawn. If you clear the dungeon it will take five days to respawn. Looking at that white robe figure from afar, Dan group was cautious in approaching He was resting in a tent and is bandaging himself. He also made fire and meal seemingly roasting something on open fire. While waiting for the food to finish cooking he was repairing some old sword. Dan hesitated to approach him but then like always, Amy, the hothead yelled at him "WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING AT?" ********************** ************************ *********************** After killing all that bears I was really tired. My body is also full of wounds. I didn''t stop killing them at all as I rushed through floors and like a madman slashing all the way down. Now, I''m waiting for Dan group to catch up to me. This is pretty petty of me. But now that I started I don''t want to do it half assed. Not to mention the EXP that the bears give me was quite good. There is also the fact that as I keep fighting my proficiency with my technique is slowly rising. Using the Divine Sword technique combined with the Sword of Mars create a pretty deadly slashing attack. They are really slow. Seeing them carry my loot made me relieved. I actually forgot about the loot. I was so engrossed in the fighting I almost forgot. Then I went back only to watch them carry it. By using Detect Presence I realized they were following me. So I used them as my carriage bag. My anger also started to dissipate. I don''t know why I acted that way. I''m not usually easily provoked. I then realized something. "Is it because she looks like her?" Thinking about it they do have the same red hair and that girl Amy really look similar to "that" girl. ''Touched by fire'' I unconsciously muttered. Is that it? Daniel doesn''t want to admit it. He wanted to forget about that. About that girl and about his father. About everything that happened that day. "I''m an idiot!" Daniel admonished himself I should stop now. It''s not like I want to make enemies. I will wait for them here. For now I will just try to raise my proficiency in repairing, tailoring, cooking and Bandage skill. After an hour they finally arrived. Wonder what took them so long. I realized Dan was looking at me. I was just about to greet him but then I heard a yell. "WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING AT?" I smirked. Even her temper the same. My previous intention to reconcile with this group is almost forgotten Looking at her I could not help but to tease. "Well, as you can see, I''m bandaging myself and cooking. Oh, and please return my loot. Don''t want some people just take it after all my effort." "Oh really? Do you think I''m blind! Are you trying to prove something!? That we should have accepted you in the beginning or something" Well, I did want to prove something but I''m not going to admit it to this brute woman. "I was walking around this area and I saw your group. I thought I could try this cave to see whether it''s really that hard as you say it is. Turns out it''s not that big of a deal" "YOU¡­..YOU¡­.You are a jerk!" she shouts stomping her feet cutely I almost smiled. I thought she''s going to call me something much worse than that. "I was a gentleman. I waited for your group here so that we could clear this dungeon together. It must be hard making all those preparations. I may be able to solo the first few floors, but after this there are many more bears and maybe there are other type of monsters here. I can''t defeat them all." Dan looked receptive to the idea. Raina was nodding. Amy, on the other hand She said, "You are no gentleman!" "I guess I''m not, "Aero answered airily. "But, you, Miss, are not a lady either." Just when she was about to yell at me again, Dan stopped her. "That''s enough Amy. I''m sorry. She is a little short tempered" "Yes, I could see that.'' As my gaze lingered and smirk which almost provoked her again. ''So how about it? Want to fight together?" I asked Dan "I''m down with that idea. Raina, how about you?" Dan asked the archer. She nodded. Amy is still glaring at me. What is her problem with me? "Quit baring your fangs at me. If we''re going to fight together, cooperation is important." "I''m not going to fight together with you!" "Is that so? Then don''t blame me when I stomp on your corpse after being clawed by the bear." ''YOU!" she pointed her finger in indignation when Dan come in front of her and look at me and Amy pleadingly and said "Ok.. Ok that''s enough don''t you think?" Then after being calmed down by Dan, she stopped glaring at me. She used the method of ignoring me completely. That''s fine by me. After that we made short work of the seventh and eighth floor. Combined with the healer healing abilities and two warriors we destroyed every obstacle in our way. They misunderstand my class as a warrior. Raina also utilizes her archery brilliantly sniping vital weakness. Though I realized sometimes Amy did not heal me. But I just ignored that. Not worth it to fight with her again. I acted like a child before. I have no problem talking with Dan and Raina. I guess they will do. I prefer solo adventure rather than partying with other people. But there are things you could not do alone. That''s the first reason I need them. Secondly, I need people to help me with the request that the Sage will ask of me. If it''s like last time at least I can use their swords. People always have their uses. You just need to find what they can be used for. There is no person that could not be used. While I was thinking, Raina said "We''re here Aero." The final floor was empty. But Detect Presence sensed there is a monster in front of us so I quickly informed them. We set up our formation. Then from the darkness, we see a large silhouette. Then came the shaking sounds. Dan gulped. Amy hold her staff tighter. Raina like always loaded her bow and concentrate her mind. Then we see what it was. It is a gigantic bear of almost 12 feet. I quickly used Roar. My roar buff my teammates as they looked at me with appreciation and take their positions. ''Dan, hold him off. Raina step back and attack form a distance. Amy, heal any members. Save your Grand Healing at the last moment.'' I also stepped back when the bear started slapping the ground with its massive paw. It leaves a huge handprint on the ground as dust flew everywhere. Then I used Analyze to pinpoint his weakness. My eyes flashed and it shows blind spot of the bear. I dashed forward trusting my sword and my speed Combining Divine Sword technique with Analyze is a lethal combination. The slashes become flurry of wind gales that barrage onto the bear blind spot. Every time I attacked it became a critical hit. Amy kept healing from a safe distance. Raina is at the back shooting arrows at the bears feet and weak spot. Using my lightness skill I jumped around the bears so that his attention is focused on me. Then a notification window sounded You have learned Taunt [1]Beginner Your effort to taunt this monster has granted you this skill. This skill helps you to attract monster to attack you. While the monster is affected by this, their defense will decrease by 10%. Dan on the other hand is attacking him from behind making him confused. With my flurry of attacks and Dan strength we make quite the tag team. Finally, there is a challenge. Another bear come charging forward with a leap. And the bear attack hit. Before I know it I was clawed. ''Shit, that hurts'' I noticed a fair amount of pain that came from that strike. Thankfully my defense and HP is sufficient to handle this kind of attack. I quickly leapt backward, my feet glides through the soil like a kite as I narrowly missed another striking attacks by the bears. Now, I will counterattack. I grip my sword tight and push my feet upwards. ''HYARGH!'' I screamed as I jumped as high as I could and lunged my sword forward to the Bear eye. With a stabbing motion, the eye exploded into mushy stuff, maimed by my stabbing power. The Bear roars in pain as it tries to swat me away. The Bear was spurting a lot of blood from the hole that used to be its eye. ''HAHAHA!'' I could not help but laugh looking at the Bear misery. The Bear try to strike me again, but this time learning from my previous mistake, instead of making a big movement, I just sidestepped narrowly missing the attack only by a few inches. Looking at Dan I nodded, He moves backward from the bear as I quickly I leapt to the Bear shoulder. ''Sacred Sword Finger!'' I yelled as my finger pointed towards the bear. My finger release a sharp white energy with the shape of a sword Using Sacred Sword finger skill, a force shot out of my finger and pierced the bear arm, leaving a hole on its shoulder. Dan smiles from afar as Raina sent a flaming arrow on the bear arms to agitate the injuries. The bear was growling in pain Quickly using the advantage we had I struck at its head, with a rotating stabbing motion as my red sword drilled the bear head. My face was splattered with the gigantic bear''s blood. At the back, Dan was taking the opportunity I created as he quickly use his strongest attack to cut off the bear''s leg. Unable to move and at its final breath, I slashed its neck. DON! As the bear body hit the ground, we all exhale a deep breath of relief. Finally we have cleared the dungeon. In my journey in the cave I rose to level 54. That was a great improvement and increase many of my stats. The loot for the Gigantic Bear was given to me. I gave the other items that I got from previous floor. With my Analyze skill, I identified a few of Rare and Unique item rank weapons and shield. I will auction it on the forum or the net when I return. Then the time for us to part has come. "Are you going to the city, Dan?" I asked, looking at the grinning face of his. He seems to still be reveling in the feeling of victory. "Yes, we need to resupply. We also want to sell the stuff that we got" Dan replies as he got up after finished sorting his loot. "Then before you go let''s become friends." I offer Becoming friends means you can send message and chat. It also makes it easier to arrange party the next time. It''s basically the same as the chatting window. We then started exchanging contact info. The only one I didn''t exchange contact with is Amy. It seems her animosity towards me didn''t disappear at all. After that I told Dan, I may need his help in a week about a quest. He happily said that he will help me. Raina also agreed. Amy just grunted. I chuckles a bit. After saying their farewell, I got outside of the cave and logged out to auction his stuff. ''Finally, I hope this can make money. Powerful players might not need this. But newbie players would surely wanted to get their hands on some of the item I got today'' I said as I logged off from Brave World. Returning home, I went outside the capsule and then quickly sync my Brave World account and then log in to the forum and quickly auction off my loots. ''Hope somebody would but it. I also put reasonable price.'' Hoping like this I waited. ********************************************************************* Chapter 9 RISE TO PROMINENCE I am still looking at the page. After clicking confirm the items description with images lined up in the e-store. I nodded in satisfaction. ''This is good enough I guess'' I said to myself I already put the items that I got from clearing the cave in the auction site. I put about 10 items in the auction sites. The other I will use it for strengthening my character. I also check a few places that said they want part time workers nearby. Since I do not know whether I would be successful sing the game as a means for money, it is always good to have a second plan. I already sent my application letter. I was resting in the living room looking at the ceiling fan when that girl face once again comes to my mind. Amy. She really didn''t like me. I don''t know why it bother me so much. Dan looks close with her. I shake my head and tries to get the image and my question about her disappear. ''I better eat something. This must be because I am hungry'' I said to myself as I got up and went to the kitchen to whip something up. After eating and taking a shower I call Michael. "What are you doing, tonight? Want to go out?" I asked. There was some noise in Mike surrounding which makes it hard for me to talk But he heard it perfectly. "I thought I want to strengthen my character, but if it''s you asking, let''s go out" I didn''t tell Michael I was playing Brave World. After all, at the beginning I was still weak. I don''t want to burden him and he does not play the game for the same reason I play the game. His character in the game is a Builder. Brave World has a lot of class type that is unusual for an RPG game. Builder is a class that, as the name says a builder. They can build tent, houses, and buildings. Every class has their own respective quest that is unique to their class. A warrior quest is usually about hunting monster but if for example the Builder classes its quest maybe about building a house or a place to rest. Michael also told me something amazing. When he returns to the real world, the things that he can build in Brave World he can also build in the real world. I heard of this before. Before Vega Corporation creates the game they have many contracts with governments and research institute. One research states that virtual reality can be used as an educational program that could help motor function. Some study reported that they also used it as therapy to people who have low motor function. That same study showed that the patient motor function increased after a month using the virtual reality program. "Ok, let''s meet at the usual place." ******************************************************************** Standing on the secluded corner of the shop which was designated as "their spot" Mike looked flustered as he almost shouted with his high pitch voice of shock. "WHAT! You met someone who looks like her? Where?" Mike was really curios looking at me like he is impatient to know what happens next. He reminds me of those drama addicts. "Somewhere" I replied as cool as possible. Mike chuckles. "So, what did you do?" He asked. ''I act mature'' I said and there is a smile creeping on Mike face. ''Be honest'' he said. I put my hands in a gesture of surrender and fess up. "I acted like a child" Mike nodded knowing how Daniel really is. He did not say anything as his smile is gone and there is concern on his face. "....." There was silence for a while as Mike tries to form the sentence and give me an advice. ''You know it''s not her right?" he suddenly said after finishing his coffee. I look at Mike eyes and drop down my head before replying "...I know. I just ¡­I don''t know. Seeing that same face. And with that temper, it''s almost li-" Mike did not even let me finish my sentence when he cut me off. "It''s not her, Daniel. Do you remember the last time you thought you see her? You were raving like a mad man. You told me to stop you if you ever in the same situation again .I don''t want you to have a breakdown again." There was silence. I took a sip of my tea as Mike bite his donuts. "I still think it was my fault" I said. Mike shakes his head as he said "It''s not. You know it''s not" Another moment of silence. Then I nodded. "Thank you, Michael." Mike smiles as he pats my shoulder and grinning he said "What are friends for?" ************************************************************************* Opening my eyes like usual I take a shower, eat some omelet rice and then went jogging for a few laps on a park nearby. Returning to my small home I went to my capsule and like usual, log in to my account. Looking at the forest area, I slowly walk once again across the swamp area and arrived at the white manor. ''I wonder what he wants to ask my help for?'' I muttered to myself. Anyway, I wouldn''t know unless I ask wouldn''t I? I knock the door and like always Danon opened the door. ''Nice to meet you again, Danon'' ''Likewise'' the elf replied smiling. I was escorted to the guest room and sit down onto the exquisitely carved wooden chair for a while as I wait for the Sage to be informed. When will it be my turn to live such an enviable life in this game? I wondered. Danon offered tea but I''m not in the mod. Just a few minutes later and I could hear the rushing steps of someone from the second floor. The closed door opens as the Sage appears. As a sign of respect I got up and bow as I said "Nicolas, I''m here." The Sage nodded smiling as he approached me and took my hand like he was greeting an old friend. "Ah, you have come, Aero. Do you want some tea?" I shakes my head and he nodded "It''s alright. I would like to know what your request is for me." The Sage nodded understanding that my character is straightforward. ''Please sit down as I told you'' The Sage said. I sit down and then the Sage started telling me about the situation of the kingdom, the palace and many internal things of the world. I was already shocked at this point of the topic of the conversation. But my shock did not end there. He would like me to help the King solve his problem. I was hiding my anxiety the more and more I heard his explanation but I didn''t let the anxiety shows on my face. The Sage must believe me a whole lot to tell me about the problem of a monarch that ruled this kingdom and this also proves my intuition that choosing this class will get me access to important people. But I ask myself¡­.can I solve it. I balled my fist and nodded to myself. ''I must believe I can solve it. Hesitating will not bring me anywhere'' Ting. RISE TO PROMINENCE The Sage of Trethelm Lake has asked you a favor to help the King of Vanheim. If you could help the King you will be looked favorably by the King and his loyal servant. You can also ask help from Vanheim Kingdom in the future if you succeed. Meet the King and help him Reward : Fame increase : Reputation increase : Contribution points : Gold 30,000 Difficulty level: A Aero looked and almost gasped. He could already this kind of quest? And an A level quest at that? There are six levels of contribution towards a Kingdom that has been publicized. Peasant, Baron, Lords, Noblemen, Hero and Savior. When your contribution towards a kingdom increase, the kingdoms in the Vilajeri Continent will look at you differently. They will give you good quest; they can also at times offer themselves to help you in your quest and opposing kingdoms might even give you a hard time. There are pros and cons to increase your contribution towards your kingdoms but there is a lot more pros than con. Aero also can buy things more cheaply from merchants approved by the kingdoms if his contribution is high. But to raise your contribution points isn''t easy. There is usually a quest. Either saving a kidnapped princess, solving a political problem, backing a noble endeavors or joining a war. There are only few players that reach Hero level contribution. The one that Aero has heard is Zeus the Supreme Commander of Zeus Clan. As Aero look at the quest windows he realized something. This time I can choose to decline or accept. Aero sit down, calming himself first before making any rash decision and try to remember from the book that he has read if there is anything that could help solve the problem of the king. After contemplating for a while, Aero believes he can solve this. His rise of prominence will begin here, he thought to himself. "I accept" And the Sage smiles contently ************************************************************************* There is a large building in New York. Hundreds of people go in and go out every seconds of that buildings. It belongs to the King Corporation The King Corporation, one of the nine most influential corporation in the world. On the 45th floor a man is seen reading many reports from the holographic report inside his office. Looking at the data he creased his eyebrows. He was sitting on his chair as he sighed looking at the information he got. He squeeze his forehead trying to alleviate the pain in his head area. The man was young tall and handsome with short blonde hair and green eyes. Wearing branded clothes from head to toe, he looked elegant and dignified. He is Alexander King the heir to the King business empire. He was reviewing the data about the Vega Corp. ''There is something suspicious about the company'' Alexander King muttered to himself. The more he reads about Vega the more he felt something was wrong. He just couldn''t pinpoint what is wrong. But his instinct has never failed him. ''I have to investigate this.'' The Vega Corp rises up so suddenly shocking all business insiders emerging as the most influential and wealthiest group in just a few months. That was shocking and nothing short of miracle. But most importantly the King Corp had to deal with the loss of revenues now that the military has switched many of their contract with that of Vega Corp. ''Vega Corp. What are you hiding?'' Alexander asked to himself as his hand swipes across many of the holographic records as one articles interest him It was a photo of three men and a woman. Two of the man inside the photo Alexander recognize. It was Matsuo Sugihara and President Takeshi. But it was a woman that was putting his hand on the shoulders of Takeshi and Matsuo that he was curious about. Looking at the name tag of the woman, he read the name ''Julia. Who''s that?'' Then forgetting it from his mind, he calls his assistant as he orders a lot of things. Most of it involves the agenda of the shareholders for this year and at the same time he told his assistant to call upon the Concierge. He wanted to be introduced to the Wolf. The Concierge was a crime lord whose main trade is information. And the Wolf was the most famous tracker in the underworld. He wanted to find someone as his mind once again preoccupied with that mysterious photo. After finishing his order he stand there inside his office looking down at the people coming and going inside the King buildings from his high rise office as he saw the potential of humanity to rise above themselves and be better. ''The drive to be mythic drive us to tomorrow'' he muttered inaudibly. Meanwhile. Somewhere in space, a huge meteor from outside the Milky Way galaxy is heading towards Earth. *********************************************************************** Chapter 10 GET OUT! Now is the time to call Dan and his party. This time, I got to control myself not to be anxious and weird around Amy. I open my phone and press the number. -Initiating Call- The phone rings for a while before the call connected. "Dan, where are you?" I immediately ask not bothering with greeting. "I''m in Derka." He replied panting. Derka is one of the seven states in Vanheim Kingdom. Every state is controlled by a noble as a vassal of Vanheim Kingdom. Derka is in northwest of Vanheim state which is controlled by King George. Thankfully he is in Vanheim which makes my next request easier. Then I ask "Can you help me with my quest?" He then replied enthusiastically "Well, of course." But then there was a bit of silence before Dan ask hesitantly ''Uh¡­and can I bring Amy?" I was also silent for a while before saying "Yeah, you can bring her. It''s not like she''s my enemy. I promise I will show my best behavior if she shows hers." Dan chuckles on the other line of the phone. "Oh, and I would like to introduce you to someone else. She''s really amazing. She could definitely help." Another person? To be honest I prefer only the people that I met to be part of this quest. But Dan insist, so-- "Ok, I guess." Then I give him my location and tell them to meet me there. ***************************************************************** I was waiting for them nearby the swamp area on the direction to the white manor. Since I know it will take some time, I did not waste my time as I honed my other skills like tailoring and blacksmithing. After 5 hours of waiting finally they arrived looking happy. Amy face distorted to a cold appearance after she saw me. With a humph gesture she stuck her nose high and trying as best as she can not to acknowledge me. To me it looks cute. It is like a child throwing a tantrum. But instead of three there is a fourth person inside their group. Dan did mention he is bringing a new face but what shocked me I recognized the face. The new face also was shocked seeing me. With a short light brown hair and hazel eyes that shone brightly she looked a little more energetic than when Aero first met her. She also wears an elegant robe and walk confidently. Her staffs also seems brand new. It might channel her abilities more effectively. "Sarah, is that you?" Aero asked as Sarah walks a faster and reach Aero. They hugged each other as greeting and she smiles. Aero also smiles. It is rare he meets an acquaintance. Without her help, Aero will not get the Grand Strategist class. "You two know each other?" Dan asked clearly shocked with this development. "Yeah, I met him when I was helping him with something." Sarah replied as she pats my shoulders, happy to see me again She remembers. I thought I was the only one. She must have trained hard after our last meeting to be acknowledged by Dan. After all it is obvious that she seems stronger and more confident than before. "You didn''t tell "that" to anyone right?" I leaned in to her ears and whispers "No, I didn''t" she whispered back and I chuckles. At least she is a loyal person. That alone is a merit. "So is she the one you want to introduce to me?" I asked Dan. "Yes" Dan said feeling relived that Aero did not seem averse to the idea. I smile at Sarah as Sarah chuckles ''What? You''re not going to reject me right?'' Aero chuckles and shakes his head. "She''s in" I said to Dan. ''Good'' Dan replied I looked around and I realized Amy was at the back watching us. She was pouting. ''That''s cute'' I whisper under my breath. After that I explained to them about the quest. I told them about the Sage request and the difficulty of the quest. They were shocked after listening to the full story. They thought it was a C or D difficulty but to take an A difficulty level quest at our current level is crazy in their opinion. But my opinion is different. An A level difficulty level will affect the Kingdom. All of them must think that we need to fight and wage war but I believe there is another way more effective. The group all think the solution is to send various force of players and NPC Knights and Paladin to suppress these threats, which means the King must issue quest and in turn use the Kingdom treasury. Even if they won, the Kingdom might be facing economy issue after that. And they know how hard an A difficulty level is. Leo Clan is one of the most prolific clan in Brave World yet even they still could not capture Fort Regar in the Kingdom of Redat. But because Aero insist he can solve it, they believe him. Dan has seen his ability before. Raina acknowledge that Aero inspire confidence while Amy while pouting of course is not so petty that she would disregard the fact that Aero clearly is stronger and smarter than her in this game and fowling him would give them the most benefit if they succeed. Sarah is the one that trust him the most. Why? That''s because she once see him demonstrate his wit and intelligence in winning a battle with the least force and loss. If he were able to create that miracle again, Sarah would be very impressed. Sarah has found a candidate. The main protagonist of her new TV shows. That''s what she felt and believe. She will make him a star. She thought to herself as Aero was explaining to them the steps that needs to be taken later. ************************************************************************* They all entered the white manor. Aero explains that he will brings his companion to the Palace to meet the King. The Sage agreed. Danon was tasked to look after the manor. Waiting for a bit inside the manor, Dan talk to the Sage and realizes the Sage has many knowledge about the Vilajeri continent and even trigger a quest about finding some lost map. Dan promise Aero that he will complete the quest after he finished helping him. Not long after a carriage prepared by the Palace arrived at the manor. Thankfully the carriage was large and everyone fit inside it. With that came the summons and edict from the King summoning the Sage and his companion to the Palace. Aero and his companion all entered the carriage and they travel inside the carriage feeling like an important person in the kingdom. With the Lion crest carved into the front of the carriage everywhere the carriage pass the people give way. "What do you think the palace would look like?" ask Amy towards Raina. Aero was just silent and sometimes steal a glance at Amy. The wind blows her hair and looking at her face Aero felt something beating. His heart raced as he avert his gaze. "Maybe a medieval design castle "answered Raina coolly. Amy pouted before Raina pinched Amy cheek. ''Don''t be cheeky'' Raina said smiling. And Amy quiet down. ''I could not even joke around with you.'' Raina just chuckles. A few hours later they arrived at the palace ground. Looking at it from outside, the palace looked majestic, large and imposing. But there is a certain aura that doesn''t feel comfortable. As Aero step down from the carriage and look at the Palace, he knew this is his first step towards his tomorrow. He hopes he could succeed. He didn''t want to stumble in his first step. He only hopes he is capable enough to help the King. After the Sage informed their arrival, they walked inside the Palace. The palace was beautiful in every way. The walls were adorned with beautiful piece of art. The ceiling has the painting of the Seven Celestial creating the world. Exquisite craftsmanship has a trace in every furniture. It is truly was a sight. But while others were looking at the art with fondness, Aero seems uneasy with all the art in there. "Why the sour face? Afraid of pictures?" mocked Amy. Aero answered with a cold tone. "I don''t like arts. Or gallery of arts. Any gallery to be honest" It reminded Aero of a painful memory. At that time, Amy saw it. But she thought she was mistaken. He''s too young to have that kind of face. What she saw was a face of utmost sorrow and longing. And Amy would not admit this, but her heart skips a beat. ******************************************************************** They were waiting for the King to come as they were sipping the tea. Aero knows this is a game but by god, even the taste was replicated. It was like Aero is really drinking tea in reality. Not to mention the tea itself is good. They were directed to the guest room after they met the Royal Guards. ''What do you think the King would look like?'' Dan asked Aero. Aero shrugged. He never even met the King how should he knows. They spent their time waiting talking about their adventures when suddenly a crier announced the arrival of the King. Aero quickly straighten himself up and his other companions also did the same. The door opens and revealed a proud king. With muscular physique that shows a robust disposition the king looked like the epitome of a warrior king. His hair is blonde and he has piercing blue eyes. The King is not young but he was not old either. Yet, the King carries himself like an old man nearing the end of his prime. Aero notices this because for such a king he looked weary, almost like an old man carrying a big burden on his shoulders. Aero introduces himself first. "My name is Aero, Your Grace" Aero said this while putting his hands on his heart. He learned this from the etiquette book in the Sage place. Not only had he learned the etiquette he also raise a lot of intellect and wisdom reading that book. Can you imagine? 15 books about etiquette alone. "I''ve heard about you from Nicolas." The King said as he takes a seat. Then looking at the Sage sitting not far away from Aero he nodded. The King was clearly pleased looking at Aero. He looked scholarly and intelligent. The Sage will not pick the wrong talent to be recommended to me. "So if you have come here, you must have a solution for my problem" The King declares. Aero closes his eyes and hopes the solution that he thinks of could really help the King. After reviewing what he already knows of this kingdom he has the confidence that it might work. There was never a one hundred percent plan that would never fails. There is always some changes and variables. A strategist worth is measured on how will he tackle those variables and adapt accordingly. "I do, Your Grace" Aero replies "What is the solution?" The King asked clearly interested in the bold declaration of this young man before him. This problem has plaques him so much, yet this young man declares boldly that he could solve His worries. While he will not underestimate this young man he will also not just accept things blindly showing the sagacious trait of this particular ruler. It is for this reason the Sage could maintain a good relationship with the King even though they are subject and superior. "First before I reveal you my solution, I would like to ask the people in the room what the best way to solve the problem is.'' Aero asked. The reason why he asked because he wanted to increase his prestige in front of the King, to instill the confidence of the King towards him after the solution of others prove insufficient. After all the others do not know the true problem of this Kingdom so Aero had no worries that the other could solve this problem before him. Sarah put her hands up. "Sarah. What do you think we should do?" "I think we should ask the adventurers and the people of Vanheim to volunteer to the Royal Army and then we can suppress the threats all over the borders" It was a simplistic approach but the King was not pleased. Aero knows why. Because the threats of the Kingdom are not only those that can be seen but also those that could not be seen mainly internal problems of the Kingdom. "I think we should send people to negotiate with the nobles to focus on the greater good of the realm and stop bickering" offer the Sage. The Sage winked at Aero and Aero gratefully nodded. He knows the Sage knows what he is trying to do and he just play along. The Sage ideas are also good but the Sage disregard the fact that people are greedy creatures. Not all people are gentleman and virtuous person like the Sage being able to disregard fame, fortune and power. If they were all like the Sage why would the King had such a headache with the nobles families? Aero laughed. A good hearty laugh. Then he stands up and walked towards Amy and said "Royal Army? Maybe you can suppress the invading forces but how can you suppress the nobles in the Kingdom. The King is not the only one who has army. The other nobles also have an army. Raise an army, and believe me those nobles would raise their own armies in retaliation. Why would they raise their armies you might ask? Because they will sense the opportunities to gain more power if they threatened the King. They will not displace the King but they will make a show of force forcing the King to always live under their thumbs. A powerful kingdom needs a powerful King!'' he said and his voice echoed inside the guest room. Even the King felt jolted in shock. ''A powerful kingdom needs a powerful King!'' The King murmured and just like that the clouds inside his mind disappeared like he was enlightened. Amy did not like being berated in front of other people so she said ''Then we negotiate. They must see reason and knows a weak King will also means a weak Kingdom.'' ''Negotiate? If the nobles could think about the greater good of the realm then the King wouldn''t be in this mess in the first place. Even if somehow one of you suggest that we round up all the nobles that have treasonous intention, what you''re going to do? Execute all of them?" Then Aero coughed and began talking "A ruler who observes rite would command respect, a righteous ruler would be held in esteem, a ruler who honors his promise would be honored by his people. That''s the way to rule a country. Government by punishment would result in more violence and backlash." All the people in the room could not help but nodded their head listening to Aero. The Sage especially beamed with pride. This is the same school of thoughts of his Teacher and he was satisfied knowing that the heirloom of his family could be used by such a person. Looking at the King Aero look straight at his eyes. Normally this would be considered a disrespect but the King could see the determination in the young boy eyes and like he was infected by that same determination the King also understand that this young boy has staked everything in this. With that the King heart feel warm. Even now, as the court abandoned him, there is still some that will follow him. Feeling such emotions fills the King with great satisfaction and relief. "I have a plan Your Grace, but I only have one condition. You must follow my advice without fail! If you could abide by this one instruction of mine, the Kingdom will be yours and you could rule the world" This word was bold and outrageous. Isn''t he saying in a way, that if the King follows the strategy laid out by this young man he would gain the world? Which means the strategist is saying that he is able to scheme against the world and serve the world to him. It was arrogant and preposterous. He was about to reprimand the young man before him before the King remember a saying Without Lizhu, there is no Alain. Lizhu was also young when Alain went to him and persuade him to embark in his conquest The King believes that Nicolas, his old tutor will not sent him someone incompetent. He decides to trust this adventurer. ''HAHAHA'' the King laughed. ''Fine, what do I have to lose?'' He said as he got up from his seat and stretch out his hand to shake Aero hands. Aero smiles and shake the King hand. ''What is the first step of your plan?'' The King asked after that. Smirking Aero replies. "I want you to get out of the Palace'' hearing this word the entire room felt into shock. Did Aero just ask the King to leave the Palace like he was chasing him out? The Sage was pale in his face while Aero companion was choked looking at the King face turning complicated. Even the King was stunned. Only Aero was smiling relaxingly. ************************************************************************* Chapter 11 THE CURTAINS ARE RAISED Zing Right now even a droplet of water falling down from the eaves of the ceiling, one could hear it. All the people inside the room changed their face color. All of them pale in fright except Aero. The room was stunned and silence fills the room before the King said with his tone slowly heightened. ''I''m sorry. What did you say, Aero?'' It was a question but no one could mistake the coldness in the King question. But Aero was not fazed at all or rattled. He smiled. Instead of begging for forgiveness he said confidently without even a change on his facial expression. "Then, Your Majesty want you to gather all the valuables you have, packed it and move to Sage Nicolas mansion with only the people you trust." Everyone was baffled and puzzled. What kind of strategy is this? This is not what they expected at all. Looking at Aero unchanged demeanor they knew he was not joking but what is Aero planning? None of them know that this is the beginning of Aero exploit. Aero is smiling but inwardly he was very nervous. Truthfully speaking he knew all strategy in the world has a flaw. But he needs to instill confidence on him. How else he could do that other than by exuding confidence? Reputation is important. But what reputation he could use now that he is unknown to the world? Even though he is praised by the Sage Nicolas, other than that he had nothing to his name. Thinking about it there is other way to do this. But he had to be bold. And he needs to do it fast. He knew if he succeeds in this quest, this would bring him to the world stage. Would it be possible if he did not accept the secret class? No it wouldn''t. If he follows the normal path how long would it take to meet the King? Even Azief don''t know how long that would take Even Knights would not meet the King so early in the game. But now because he is the Grand Strategist he was even introduced to the King and was respected and the King even have half a mind of trusting him. Aero knows this is a chance not to only solve the quest and gain fame but to cement his position in Vanheim. Such great opportunity fall into his lap, how will he not be nervous and without apprehensions? But he had to be bold, be creative and make people entranced with him. They do not understand what Aero was thinking so they were about to ask but Aero held up his hand and look at the King. His gaze is determined a, his face was smiling. He was like a dealer in the casinos asking people to gamble. And he is on the House side But that smile of is very persuading. His eyes are clear like there is nothing that could escape his gaze. His demeanor was like nothing could escape his thoughts. ''What is the one condition I ask of you, Your Grace?'' Aero ask again, this time his voice contains such confidence that it could even instill confidence in others. The King who was about to ask Aero stilled. Then he nodded and said ''You ask me to follow your instruction'' The King said as he remember what he agreed with Aero. Aero smiles. It was that same mystifying smile Nicolas once saw. ''Will you break your own word?'' Aero ask casually ''I..'' ''Do not use people you don''t trust and don''t mistrust the people you use'' Aero said. The King was stunned. And then looking at the young man before him and remembering that determination he sees in that young man eyes, he laughed. He then decided. What a great sentence is ''Do not use people you don''t trust and don''t mistrust the people you use'' Since he decided to use Aero¡­why should he mistrust him? After all right now he had nothing to lose. ''Fine!'' he bellowed. ''Let me see the strategy that you laid for me whether it will truly give me the world.'' He said looking at Aero challengingly. Aero bowed as a sign of respect and said ''Wise men submit to wise leader'' this is the only words he said and the King laughed boisterously. Those words not only praise himself but also praise him as the King. If Aero is the wise men than he is the wise leader. How could King George not laugh? He decided to trust the young man. It was irrational but he decided to trust his instinct. Aero was also surprised by the decisiveness of the King and at the same time respected the King forbearance. If it was any other King he would have been chased out of the palace if not jailed. Truth be told, Aero was gambling. If he were to be a strategist, he knew he needs a King that could endure his antics. After all if the King could never trust him¡­why should he stay? It is the most decisive factor of a politician fall in the courts of Kings and Queens¡­.the trust of their leader. If the King chased him out he would travel the land and offer his service elsewhere. If he is jailed, then he would break out. But if the King could bear him, then he would not mind to win the world for his liege. If he has to serve a King, then he would want to serve a sagacious King. Only a sagacious King could let him display his true ability to the utmost. Aero knows that his class could help immensely in a great war. And he also needs the King to trust him. If there is no basis of trust, their relationship will not last long. The moment the King decided, he did not waste any time. ''Men!'' The King called upon his loyal Knights and officials and ordered them to call upon the servants to pack his thing. They packed his personal gold, weapons, and rations and put it in a drove of carriage waiting outside the Palace. When the king wanted to touch the treasures in the tomb Aero quickly advises the King to only takes a few things and not be greedy. The King is exiled. Being exiled why one would bother too much about materialistic things. The King said he was not exiled but Aero said ''Your Grace is exiling yourself. It is exile nonetheless.'' The King did not understand why he had to exile himself but as he had already decided to believe the young man so he just agreed. The King ordered his carriage to use the back area to hide his sorry scene of leaving his palace from the masses. The Sage agreed and even Dan agreed hearing the King request. Aero on the other hand at the time was managing the security ordering Raina to protect the King in hiding and position Amy beside the King and was not present when the King decided to use the back door. Three Generals of the Royal Army decided to follow the King in his self-exile after they were being informed. They are all ready to go and was about to march when Aero returned and realized that the King is about to use the back door and Aero face turns into a frown "Your Grace, where are you going? "Aero asked "We''re going to the mansion like you asked" Dan replied and the King nodded. Aero smiles that mystifying smile again, his eyes shining "Why use the backdoor Your Grace? When you''re going out, please let the people see you''re leaving, Your Grace." Aero righteously said. This time the King eyes widened People in the room and even the soldiers are stunned hearing this. It is not enough you ask the King to exile himself now you even want to humiliate him? The three generals that accompanied the King could no longer contain their anger. Not enough that this young man asked the King to flee, the King also has to show the people his cowardice. General Arcturus, General Marco and General Aurelius, the three generals that is of the loyalist faction they could not help but raise their voice towards Aero and asked, their voice tones if full of righteous indignations "Why can''t we just fight these threats with our swords and blades? Come nobles or outside enemies, we will fight them to our last breath. At least we will die with honor" Another said ''You are insolent towards the King. If not for the King patience, I, Arcturus would have lopped your head for your disregard to the Royal Family of Vanheim.'' Aero seeing the stubborn generals laughed as his laughs was powerful and carefree. Then he pointed his finger to them "Honor? For you maybe. But for those people out there you called your citizen, war are not a place to gain honor. It''s the place where children will lose their father, and a place where parent will lose their sons and daughters in a war they did not ask. Are you so heartless to let your own people to fight in a war you cannot win?" "Why can''t we win?'' asked Arcturus defiance was apparent in his voice. He knew that their position is weak but that doesn''t mean that they can''t win. Wars are won by people, he knew this better than anyone. And they have enough people.And morale is still high. Arcturus could motivate his soldiers with his valor alone. Aero also know the thoughts of this military people. After all the first step of making a presentation is knowing your audience. He already made a presentation to the King and because he knows his audience he manages to persuade the King. These military people see the enemy outside but they do not see the enemy inside. Generals knew how to wage wars but they do not know the bitter struggle in the court. The war in the court is as bloody as the battlefield and sometimes even crueler than in the battlefield. At least in the battlefield, you know who your enemies are. In the courts, yesterday friend could become today enemies. Aero knows the true problem of the King. The King was having headache not because of the external enemies but the nobles that keep creating ways to undermine his authority and refusing secretly to obey his orders. And the King is powerless to do anything about it because of many factors. Aero then explained as he walk forward to the three generals and stare down on Arcturus. "You''re fighting a three pronged attack. No matter where you strike, in the end the blade of your enemy will reap your head. I can help you solve these problem if would listen to my advice.'' Then looking at the other two, he paused, smiling and then suddenly he shouted ''Decide! Believe me¡­or not." His shout jolted the three men awake and the roar echoes in the entire room. Aero uses Roar with that shout. With this kind of people Aero know not to use too much time to persuade them since they are not the kind of people that could be persuaded with words. In the end whether they believe him or not was inconsequential since the one that needs to believe in him is the King. That word was actually not intended for the Generals but for the King. Aero look at the King but he did not say anything. But the King understood that the words were meant for him to hear. The Generals gritted their teeth before they wanted to retaliate when the King hold up his hand and said The King nodded. "We will believe in you. Arcturus, Marco, Aurelius respect Sir Aero" The General did not say anything but they bow nonetheless not because they respected Aero but they were obeying the King orders. ''They are loyal. At least they are loyal'' Aero thought to himself. "Thank you, Your Grace" Aero said as he bowed towards the King After that the procession of hundreds of carriage marched outside with hundreds of sleds filled with the King''s treasure enough for the entire court for all the people to see. ''The more the better'' Aero said as he was sitting on the lead carriage looking at the people watching the carriage slowly moving out from the Palace. The King was riding a horse in front not wearing his crown but still wears his lion decorated cape. The procession undoubtedly drew attention of the onlookers. "What is that?" A few players that watched the procession asked their other friends as they were puzzled by this sudden happenings. "An event, probably" Another answer "No, look, look¡­.There. The one leading them is a player." One of the players noticed, pointing his finger at the figure of Aero leading the procession. That person was the same person that once mocked Aero when he saw Aero running around the library fifth floor. "A QUEST!!" One of the players shouted. Even the NPCS peasants and subjects of the kingdom stop what they were doing and look at the procession and felt uneasy. When the carriage passed them by they all lower their gaze. But some of them stole a glance. For some people this is the first time they saw the figure of the King. The King looked forlorn and solemn. They do not say anything fearing to be captured or jailed if what they spoke is inappropriate. They saw their King slowly fade away from their view as the carriage is getting out the Capital City. Many players in the crowds were in awe. They never met the King. To meet the King you must have a lot of fame or renown like Zeus the player in Veva. So they were all curious. "Let''s go ask him" They try to come near Aero carriage but the Knights stopped them with fierce glares and sword unsheathed. They were brimming with killing intent ''Whoa, hold on. We will get back away'' One of the player that tried to greet Aero backed off before they are being attacked by the Knights The players once again confirmed that this must be some high level quest for a player to be protected so heavily. They felt envious but also curious. And all the while Aero was whistling, trying to makes his nervousness. Then he said to himself ''The only way to win is not to play. That is what I believe'' And then there is a smirk on his face. ''Since you all wanted to play, then I just let you all play by yourself. Let see whether you all truly can play by yourself or will you come begging us to come back inside the game.'' Smirking he then added as he look on the capital city gate on the back slowly fade from his view ''But if you ask us to join back the game, this time we will be the game master. I hope at that time you will not cried out justice or the likes'' Aero thought in his head as he chuckles. ************************************************************************* NIOVAR KINGDOM The atmosphere in the room was solemn. Sitting on his stone chair throne encrusted with diamonds his ancestors robbed from the dwarves, a middle age man full of vitality was reading the reports with rapt attention. He was slim and scholarly unlike the King of Vanheim who looks like a warrior King, this king that sits on the throne of Niovar looks like a weak scholars. But his eyes is full of viciousness. He slink back his long brown hair as his hand traces the scars on his forehead. He is old but he still could not forget the lesson that Vanheim has teaches him. His hatred for Vanheim is high but he is also not anxious. He waits patiently like a wolf. People called him the Mad Wolf. He would rarely be patient. But for his revenge he could be patient. He put down the report on the table and ask the spy that brings him this news "Is this true?" He received word from his spy at Vanheim and when the news arrived at the intelligence network he recall his spies back immediately to the Capital so he could verify the news for himself. Then he shares the news with his advisors. "George is abandoning his palace. Why?'' Nobody is offering him any answer He looks at them and ordered ''Discuss" as he look at his advisors. They all gulped and then they began talking, trying to make sense of the report Each of his advisors offers an explanation.Each one has different opinions. Some said this is a lure, some said it is a bait while others said the King of Vanheim might have a plan. There are also from the military faction that posited the opinion that they could ally with Vanheim enemies and attack them when they are unprepared with the sudden event of the King abandoning his palace. Suddenly one of his advisors spoke "Your Highness, the King has a strategist now. That is what the intelligence network has reported. The Sage of Trethelm Lake introduces him to the King.'' ''The Sage of Trethelm. The descendant of Lizhu?'' The King of Niovar ask. The advisor nodded. The King of Niovar pondered. He also knows the story of Lizhu. It is an obscure story but as he was royalty he of course knew the name Lizhu. A man that won the world for Alain. The advisor not knowing that the name Lizhu has set waves in the King heart continues his words. ''This strategist behavior is eccentric. When the King explains his problem, the strategist laughed and asked the King to leave the palace.'' If Aero heard this he must feel chill to the core. Even in that moment there is a spy. This is also another benefit of Aero abandoning the Palace. He knew that there must be spies inside the palace. It was not backed by fact but Aero knows any great nation must have put their spies somewhere inside the Palace. And for such a weak King with no internal support it is even easier for people to out spies on him. It is common practice even amongst allied kingdoms and even in Aero real world. "Why does George listen to that strategist? It''s not like George" the advisor then reported "From what I hear, he promised the King his Kingdom¡­'' the advisor hesitated before the King gestured for him to continue. ''He promised King George the Kingdom and the world" Hearing this The King of Niovar was stunned for a second before he suddenlyexploded in laughter "HAHAHAHA. How arrogant. It will not be long before Vanheim falls." Daryl Van Zur rarely laughs. He knows the problem that George, the young king of Vanheim faced. Nobles, Orcs, neighboring countries threatening war. Vanheim is vast yet that is precisely why it becomes a problem.How could one strategist resolve all of that? George is even grasping at straws, that is his opinion. The Gods had not abandoned his Kingdom. There is a chance for them to revive their glorious past. Daryl Van Zur got up and his height of six feet seven was imposing to behold as he declared ''I want someone to reorganize the military. Call capable men and order them to send plans for invading Vanheim. The morning assembly is dismissed'' Daryl declares as he walk down from the throne and walk outside all the while laughing joyously. ************************************************************************* VETTEN KINGDOM "Hurry, give this to the King" A messenger meet a man clad in tight black attire hiding in the shadows. He gave the letter and the men in shadows nodded and disappeared. Vetten Kingdom is ruled by Vetten III. The Kingdom is a monarchy that has a thousand years of history. And with all of that old history also come old ancient enemies. Vanheim Kingdom and Vetten Kingdom has fought against each other since before the continent was united by Alain. After the fall of the Empire they renewed their war against each other. But since four decades ago, they are in a state of uneasy peace with Vanheim. That''s because Vanheim has become bigger than Vetten. By uniting the tribes in the mountain and conquering them, Vanheim has become a kingdom that has many natural resources and with abundance of natural resource they prospers and become even stronger. Vanheim did not isolate themselves and even while improving their military they strike initiative to create alliances with Veranis and Tian Dynasty. Gerad Kingdom which is west of Vanheim dares not to attack because of the effect of the alliance. The moment they would attack, Niovar which is in the south of Gerad will take that opportunity and would annex Gerad to take advantage of the situations and raise themselves up. Niovar has always been neutral but a sleeping tiger could always be awaken. Daryl Van Zur has been silent for a long time but those old fox in the other kingdoms knew that Daryl Van Zur was once humiliated by Vanheim. The only reason he never pursues that matter was because he did not want to compromise his kingdom. Boasting a strong military and strong economy, other than Veva and Asgaro, Vanheim is one of the strongest forces in the continent and the strongest in the Eastern continent. But the messenger knows with this news, the precarious balance of power in the Eastern continent will crumble. ************************************************************************* The effect of what King George had did resonate through the continent. Whispers are spreads and spies are moving all over the continent Niovar waits patiently like a wolf that is in front of a prey while preparing their military. Their barracks is filling with people being trained and drill by Knights. Vetten also starts preparing soldiers and recruiting men all over the four corners of their kingdom. And if that is not enough The Orcs started coming to the border. Bandits gathered up daily not wanting to lose the opportunity that the chaos has provided them. A kind of terror gripped the Vanheim Kingdom. The people who cares nothing about the game of politics in the courts feared that the King has abandoned them to their fates. Shops and stores closed up. The beginner players also feel the effect. The entire quest is B difficulty or C difficulty. This is because the Kingdom is almost in the state of anarchy. The quest giver that gives quest to newbies didn''t even dare to step outside their house. Only medium level player benefited from this. Some even migrate to other kingdom thinking that Vanheim is finished. It was chaotic as it felt like the very foundation of Vanheim is about to be pulled out. With one simple act of leaving the Palace, the Eastern Continent boiled over. The people prayed every day to the Gods that the threats outside the Kingdom would not come but without their King they felt helpless. For the first time the peasant were awakened that they need their King and put a face to the name and finally felt and understood the importance of a King. They began to believe that if the King is there, this kind of thing would not happen. And this is exactly what Aero wanted. His plan is moving without a hitch. ************************************************************************* Next chapter tomorrow. Hope you like it Chapter 12 ULTIMATUM TRETHELM LAKE NICOLAS MANSION The Trethelm Lake is like always an idyllic place, full of beautiful plants. The air around the lake is refreshing. On the trees, birds would sing the song of the forest, beautiful and enchanting. The lake is a good fishing spot. But it used to be only two people fishing around here. That would be the Sage and his disciple. But today, there is a lot of people around the lake, being boisterous and laughing. While it is noisy instead of disturbing the peaceful lake, it added life into this forest. For this forest have so long last heard no laughter. It has been a week since the King exiled himself to Trethelm Lake. Dan and his party are sipping tea lounging around the lake while fishing. In the bucket there is a lot of fish trying to jump out from it. They left their fishing rod while they relaxingly sipping their tea without a care in the world. It was a pleasurable and idle life, unexpected for a bunch of exiled convoy The only one not here to enjoy this idle life is Sarah. She was ordered to do some reconnaissance work by Aero. Sarah was happy to contribute something to the group as she was not the strongest and she felt like she did not contribute much to the group. Aeroon the other hand did not waste his time and doing nothing. Betting his life in this gamble, he of course could not sit around doing nothing. In this past week he raised his strength stats and endurance. By fighting the monster around the forest and raiding any small caves inside the forest. He did it alone to maximize his EXP gains. If that is not enough Aero also makes all the dinner and repairs the party equipment when Dan party went hunting to further improve his proficiency in the related skills. He also read all the books in the Sage house to raise his intellect which in turn help him raise his proficiencies faster. Almost all of production type skill that Aero have almost reached Advanced. This was Aero being anxious. An anxiousness and nervousness he could not people catch on. Aero once tell Dan his stats, but Dan could not believe it. In a way, Aero was trying to brag and ease the tension. Though he was quite miffed that Dan did not trust him. Aero told Dan that stat doesn''t reflect your level. Levels up will only increase your health and mana. Sometimes it helps in acquiring stats. But if you use your own experience and method you can get stats without using the traditional way. Aero found this out, when he was trying to raise the attack stat. Practicing on monster is good but then he started practicing with rocks. First, small rock. Then medium rock. Then a large rock. Considering that Aero sword durability is unknown it didn''t break. It gives Aero fatigue faster but it increase Aero stats faster. While Dan was thinking about this, Aero yelled. And then he moved to trees. Aero notices that doing that kind of training it also increases his proficiency. ''Swing your sword to a tree a thousand times, then you will understand'' he said to Dan. Aero swing is fast, lethal and precise. Aero was also present in the lake. He was lazing around in a wooden chair. Sipping tea, he pondered on certain matter. The fishes on the lakes sometimes jump out from the water. The water droplets fall down onto the lake and ripples forms. A small ripples that ripples endlessly before dissipating. The bird sings the song of the forest in the distance. The winds blows and the leaves sway before falling down helplessly. Aero soaks all of this up. He smiles and thinks to himself, his hand reaching his pocket, holding a piece of paper.. ''I should no longer hesitate.'' Then determination blazing in his eyes, he shouted to Marco who is protecting the King, standing beside the Majesty. "It is time! Marco, come here!'' Marco was startled but he approach Aero. ''Order someone to write a letter like this and can you write me a letter and hire a crier to give the news?" Aero said as he handed that piece of paper. Marco grumbled but he followed Aero orders without failed. "Yes, I can" he said as brought over the pen.Aero was shocked that Marco would write it himself. On the other hand Marco thought to himself. How could this young person think we can waste money to hire more people? The gold will not reproduce like rabbits. Aero not knowing Marco thought think this general is quite efficient. Aero went to his wooden table that he set outside and began writing onto the paper, another set of instructions. After finishing the letter he whisper something into Marco ears and Marco nodded before he went to the stable. Then he rides the horse and went out from the Lake. Dan seeing Marco rushing to the stables approached Aero. ''What did you ask him to do?'' Dan asked. Aero just smiles and whistles in happiness. ''Something interesting'' Aero replies as he went back to his chair and sipping his tea, looking at the birds, at the fish and the forest. Dan just shakes his head in frustration ''Ok. Keep your secret. Hmph'' Dan said as he roll his eyes back before he went back to the lake to continue fishing. Aero looks at the lake and said to himself ''This people are fishing for fish. I am fishing for something else. I just need someone to bite the bait'' ************************************************************************* VANHEIM AT THE CITY SQUARE The letter that Aero gives to Marco will set off a great storm in Vanheim. And it begins here in the city squire of the Capital. A crier stand tall in the center square loudly announcing something. "This is the letter from the Royal Highness, Protector of This Kingdom, and King of Vanheim, Duke of Vanheim and Sovereign of its People King George Vermont Vanheim.'' The crier announced loudly so everyone could hear it. Standing on a large and tall podium his word echoes across the main square. The peasant went out from their homes, the merchant stopped what they were doing and people that went visiting also strain their ears. The players also pay rapt attention thinking there might be a kingdom quest that is about to be given out. Even the players strain their ears to listen. After looking that the crowd has paid attention to what he was about to say the crier then clear his throats and continues with his loud voice. ''I no longer could bear the noble''s betrayal. They have exhausted and weakened me in body and soul. They did not care about the Kingdom and its people will. All they care about is their own self-interest. And it is because of that I intend to abdicate from the throne of Vanheim once and for all." The crier repeats the content of the letter until evening. Read aloud in public places all over the kingdom, the effect was startling. The common people after hearing the announcement were angry. But interestingly their anger is not directed at the King but at the nobles of the Kingdom. Because while the announcement of the King letter was also announced, in the same day there are also other criers that announce the threats looming around the Kingdom. The Orcs invasion, Vetten arming their soldiers and covetous eyes of other nations that shares it borders with Vanheim. In their minds their King that protected them from the threats of other Kingdom covetous eyes were weakened by the noble''s greedy nature. King George was brought down because he was noble in action and will. As the peasant usually suffers from noble''s mistreatment they could sympathize with the King. In normal days they would not have the guts to be angry at nobles. But bandits wreak havoc every day, pillaging and marauding up and down the Kingdom like they own the kingdom. At the borders other kingdoms armies are looking over with desire clearly expressed in their gaze while the Orc attacks are getting severe in the north. The world is in chaos, the people are oppressed and life is hard. People in the Kingdom of Vanheim are getting desperate. There is no greater elixir of courage than desperation. Desperation could force people to be brave. And they are desperate. This desperation turns to anger. And that anger was directed at the nobles that forced their King, who in their mind is their protector, to abdicate. To them, this is the nobles fault. It is their greed that caused the Kingdom peaceful life to be broken. The people of the Kingdom want back their King to return to the Palace and continue protecting them like in the past No one sees this at the time¡­but it was like there is a dark hand guiding everything into place. The peasants band together and started to march to the high walls of the nobles houses and riot against the nobles. Villages rises up, with farmer s holding pitchforks, hoe, and any sharp things they could find storms the high halls of the nobles. People dies. The private army also dies. But the villages that rise up were numerous and the private army also have a limit. Especially for small time nobles around the kingdom. Large Mansions and beautiful houses were burned that day, black suffocating smokes rises up to the skies coloring the skyscape black. The riot of the peasant that almost turned into a fill blown rebellion claimed hundreds of lives, nobles dragged out from their homes and lynched by the mob of unsatisfied peasants. Some of the nobles household were hanged, their head were stuck into a pike. Noble ladies were raped while their children were slaughtered. And the peasant danced among the fires of broken homes and the high halls of the nobles, spinning and spinning until their sorrow and pain disappeared. And then they marched again. Aero of course has predicted this tragedy and still he persist in his strategy. Hearing what happens did not fill him with joy but it was necessary to make sure his plans work. In a way it is an unintended consequence of his plan. Aero might have halted his studies but like his mother, he is smart in many ways especially the way he dealt with people. Now, he has a stage to shine to use his knowledge. The players also in a dilemma when the riots first started. They didn''t know what to do in this period of confusion. Some joined the riots only to found out later their infamy became really high. Many players didn''t like this riots and hoped it would stop at some point. Many NPCs that were quest giver were killed either by bandits or by Red Players. In just a week, all the nobles houses started getting scared for their lives and their properties. Even their private armies were shaken and some were even outright revolting as they saw opportunity to make a name for themselves. And there is also the fact that the other Kingdoms are showing signs to invade. And then nobles also saw this matter clearly with their eyes. And they know they could not rely on their private armies. They might be a private army but even they are afraid of organized armies of other Kingdoms. The reasons why Vanheim was strong was that in times of crisis they unite together. The poor and peasants always unite, it is the nobles that bicker and scheme to divide the poor and making them unable to strike them. The private armies of the nobles might be following orders but they also have flesh and blood. They have families living all over Vanheim. The only reasons they entered the private services of noble is because they wanted to provide a good life for their families. If that could not be guaranteed why would they serve their lord wholeheartedly? Even the nobles sees this. The will of the people are against them right now. They could no longer ignore the abdication of their King. How ironic that the King has abdicated but they found themselves suddenly defenseless with the entire world seems to want to target them. All their plans to gobble up the kingdom halted with the insurrection of peasant and independent militant popping up bearing the banner to restore the rightful king to the throne. This is total anarchy. And in such anarchy and chaos, who would dare to took the crown and sit himself on the throne? ************************************************************************* Inside a candle lighted room, a gathering of people spoke to each other, debating against each other and even hurl insult at each other. After a few hours of customary bickering they finally calmed down and began to tackle the most important issues right now. The reasons why they are meeting today far away from the Palace is none other because of the abdication of the King.. The abdication of King George and the solution to the anarchy that has taken place in his absence. "What should we do?" asked Duke Derka, an old man with long white flowing white beard and some bald spot on his head. His physique look saggy and weak. He looked towards the man opposite him a middle aged men with protruding belly and a chubby rosy face. "How should I know?" reply Count Dritri. There was silent for a while as the people sitting around this table is thinking many things. They could not have imagined that the abdication of the King do not bring they any benefit instead bringing them many problems instead. "How about this? Tomorrow, we gathered representatives from the nobles, the temples and the people to persuade King George to return to the throne. This will appease the people and we could win back the will of the people. People are like pigs. They easily forgets." Offer a young man under a hood. The nobles listen and they agreed. To them, the peasants and the people are simple people. Give them something to eat they will shut up. If they are unhappy, held a fair of a festival and they will forget their hardship. At least this is the viewpoints of the nobles. Peasants are idiots and uncultured. They agree silently with the young man under the hood. This meeting was held because of the growing concern of their safety. They invited all the nobles and anyone who could give them an idea on how to solve this crisis. The fact that the young man was in disguises and wearing a hood to conceal his identity is not weird. Almost everyone, low nobles and low lords conceal their faces in fear of being recognized and to avoid the low lords fears to speak their thought in front of the higher ranked lords in this meeting They liked the idea that the young man suggest. After a round of discussion they all agreed to do that. That night they sent pigeons and messenger to the Temples of the Seven Gods, pick a noble to represents them and contact a People representative to represent the people will. Because of the importance of the matter by the sun was about to dawn, the people from each faction has already assembled in front of the palace. Bringing the hopes and prayers for a peaceful and favorable resolution they ride the carriage to the Trethelm Lake. The commotion and the fanfare that resulted in this grand procession alerted the civilians and the players who were nearby. They spread the news and soon enough more people come to see the procession. All the players who see this procession realize this must be about the King crisis. They knew something big is happening. ''What the hell will happen today?'' Ask one player as he follows the grand procession from behind. The players then inform this to other players and soon enough about four thousand players were following the procession from behind as they tried to get to know the representatives from the three factions. Finally after a few hours and an uncomfortable ride on the swamp area they all reached Trethelm Lake. The players were also anxious as they look on in anticipation of what is about to happen next. The representatives sent a crier to announce to the Sage to inform him that they are coming here to meet the King and talk to him An elf welcomed the crier as the crier announced the representative intentions and names. For a while there is silence when suddenly booming voice spoke ''I will talk. Wait'' The representatives heaved their breath in relief as they wait outside for the King. A few hours later, the crier announced the King arrival as the door opens and the King went outside the white manor. The players was awed looking at the King of Vanheim. He look like a picture of the warriors of ancient time with sturdy physique and having a sword sheath strapped on his left hip like a debonair and carefree hero. But then their shocked multiplied. ''Look, at the person beside the King!'' one player shouted out The King came out accompanied by a player. Wearing a white robe and a shining red sword attached at his left hip while fanning his face with a fan, the players finally met the rumored strategist of King George. ************************************************************************* A FEW HOURS BEFORE "Your Highness, did you hear? The nobles are sending a delegation to invite you to return to your throne." Arcturus exclaimed in a happy tone that he almost jumped in excitement. The King was equally surprised. He took a glance at Aero. Truly, this Aero is no ordinary adventurer. Nicolas judgment was not wrong. To think he could predicted this far. By announcing my abdication and the reason for it, I have gained the people support. The will of the people went to him and with it he gained power But what is more amazing is that this adventurer named Aero already knew that there will be anarchy. Now the nobles that threatened him before are running scared, hiding in their homes. Even his general who initially disapproves of my trust to Aero has had a change of heart. Aero looked at the King smiling when Aero decided he needs to rein the happiness of the King before he did something he regrets in a moment of weakness. So, he approached the King and said "Your Grace, when they offer you the throne, remember what I said, do not take it. Give them an ultimatum. Either grants you absolute power to govern as you please without the interference of the nobles or find a new King." Aero said. The King face turns determined and he nodded. He would not be an idiot that is consumed by happiness and forgets the grand plan and scheme of his strategist. By now The King has already regarded Aero as his people. Aero knows what the King is thinking but he pays the King no mine. He is no one people. He is his own people. He returned to his seat. Then slowly he sipped his tea while whistling a tune. ************************************************************************* It was not going as the nobles thought it would be. They thought the King would easily accede to the request. But instead, they find that King George is really adamant and determined not to enter the Palace. For three days, the King listen to the pleas of the representatives feigning interest and shows response but his answer to the question asking him to return was always the same. No. A resounding no With each day passing in the Kingdom with no King on the throne the Kingdom is slowly descending into a state of anarchy. And that increases the pressure on the backs of the representatives which become heavier as each day passes. The already stabilized situation has shown itself to be slowly unraveling and is ready to be to explode. And the explosion would not be good to the nobles houses and the Kingdom in general. It wasn''t until the third day, where the representatives were practically begging the King with tears and wails that the King offered his subject an ultimatum. "Give me absolute power in the court and I will return. If not forget about it and let me live my life in peace'' The nobles hesitated for a moment but then thinking about what will happen to them and the spiraling environment t of the Capital, they chose something that they would regret in the near future. Faced with a choice of anarchy or despotic power, they opted for a strong King, calling for King George return to the throne. The moment this news were spread out to the Kingdom, the common people cheered while the Temples send prayers to the Gods. The nobbles all have a sullen face and vow to maintain this kind of power for only a few months before restoring back the status quo. They decided to appease the people and revert back to their old ways after the situation has been stabilized. When this spread out to the players, they have a different reaction. "This is his strategy, right?" "Clearly. NPCs don''t have that kind of intelligence." "He''s a terrifying man. To turn a country into anarchy in only a week." "He''s just one man" "I like his style." "He''s one to lookout for "says a rugged warrior. Sarah who is in the background is listening to all the praise and critic directed at Aero. Many players are happy because it seems that peace has returned. But Sarah know it''s not over yet. Aero had told her that one week ago. Two weeks from now, war is coming. And that war will change this continent. Aero said if he plays his card right, he would be able to gain the most influence in the shortest time possible. Aero has found the good thing about being a strategist and he intend to use that advantages to quickly become stronger and stand shoulder to shoulder with the great figures in Brave World. And with that he will get sponsorship deals of commercial video ad if he becomes a famous player. To become famous you must be strong or have something unique about you. So, the determination to become strong is engraved inside Aero bones. Sarah was curios of the real life Aero. She wondered how he would look like. War will come and Aero would be there to stop it. *************************************************************** Chapter 13 KINGDOM He saw the stained glass windows with the image of his grandfather. He walks forward, there is a confidence in his steps and a certain aura of a ruler emanated out from him. This is where his ancestors used to walk and rule the world. Now, he finally felt like he was a ruler of this kingdom. George looked at this room and he smiles. He looked at that throne of his. It is just a simple chair. Other than the fact it was carved by wood of high quality, it is just a chair. But how many people fought all their life to sit in that seat? How many bloods were spilled? How many innocent lives were sacrificed? This is the most wanted seat in all of Vanheim¡­the throne of Vanheim Then he laughed, his laugh reverberates inside the room. It was a laugh of pure joy. It was a laugh of a man who got want he wanted. This is his throne room. This time¡­it is truly his throne room. Behind him sharing his happiness is his three loyal generals, respectfully waiting on him. This person is none other than King George of Vanheim. George takes a deep breath like he was sucking it all in, the smell of the room, the sound of its step, the feeling he is feeling now and then he closed his eyes. And opening it again the scenery didn''t change. He is still in his throne room¡­.this time with absolute power at his disposal. ''It is not a dream'' he thought to himself. He dreamed of this moment for so long and now that it happened, he almost feared that it was just a dream. "I have returned" the King exclaimed. The three generals bowed and they smile from the bottom of their hearts. King George looked behind him and saw Aero, his strategist looking uninterested with the throne room as warmth filed the King heart. Aero was looking at the painting that lined the walls of the throne rooms and the stained glass windows. He was hoping for a quest or something but he was bound to be disappointed. ''Maybe if I am a painter looking at one of these painting would trigger a quest'' Aero thought to himself. Then someone crash onto him. Aero was startled. King George is hugging Aero. Then he releases his hug, there is gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you Aero for your service to the Kingdom. We will reward you heavily for your help. Know that you are welcome anytime here in my Kingdom" Aero smiles. "It is my honor" Aero politely replied. Tting QUEST COMPLETE! RISE TO PROMINENCE You have helped King George of Vanheim solved his problem in the court. His trust towards you increase. He regards you as someone trustworthy. Fame increase by 400 Reputation increase by 500 Contribution point 5000 towards Vanheim Kingdom Gold 30000 All stat increase by 10 Charm increased by 20 Honor increased by 50 Grace increased by 100 Aero smiles grew wider after looking at the rewards. ''YES! YES!'' Aero was practically air fisting in his mind the moment he reads the status windows notification. If he could dance in this throne room without caring about his image, he would''ve. This is what he expected from a level A difficulties quest. It''s worth it. Thank god it works. Thank God that after all that hard work and all that he risk, he is compensated fairly. He thought to himself. People did not know but he sweated buckets that his plans will not work. The calm and confident image he always portrayed was a facade to make the King trust him. And he also has to instils that same trust to those who follow the King. After all, no one wants to back a losing horse. But thankfully his strategies work without a hitch. But he already suspected it will work. King George must not face these issues with a bold move like many of his loyalist officials suggested. Aero could already imagine what would happen if King George respond boldly and without a tact of diplomacy. That would only lead to worse reaction which will become the spark to an already mountain fold of explosive keg that only needed that one spark to ignite itself. And if that spark ignites those kegs, the explosion would be something that George would not be able to handle. The flame resulting from that explosion will ravage the Kingdom Aero understand the weakness of a show of force in a strained political tension Main weakness of a show of force is that it stirs up resentment and eventually led to the response that will eat at the King authority. Since a show of force won''t work to quiet down the dissenting voice of the nobles, then Aero had to think of another way. If he couldn''t intimidate the nobles using punishments, then he must use another way. Aero decided to show the example of how important their King really is to the stability of the Kingdom. Of course this will only work in the premise that King was a great king in which his presence overwhelmed the other kingdoms and have done many deeds to the people. And he has to be irreplaceable, that to replace him would invite aggression from other countries and kingdoms. Fortunately, George fits the type of that person and so Aero could execute his plan flawlessly. If it''s any other rulers, Aero had to use other tactics. But because it was George Aero could use this strategy. ''I give them a glimpse of what will happen to their Kingdom if their King is gone. And it was like the sky has fallen down. Works like a charm'' This strategy work because this country has many threat. Using this method at a peaceful Kingdom might have a different effect. Aero dare anyone to call his bluff, and no one did. At least now looking at his status window his contribution is Peasant level. Another five thousand and he will rose to Baron level contribution. One of the privileges of being a Baron is that Baron can buy land. If he has lands, he also can hire a couple of farmers and that could help him gain money. Of course, he would never use it to form a private army. After all he did not need to do such things. First, Aero need to thank the King. He distances himself from the King and bow slightly before saying "Thank you, Your Grace. However my work here is not done. The Orcs land has started to move." Aero informed the King of the threat looming over the lands of Vanheim. With 100 thousand Orcs marching to Vanheim this is a grave crisis that could wreck this Kingdom apart. Aero believes that someone else is responsible for inciting the Orcs. The Orcs is one of the playable classes in Brave World. Not many choose that class though because it''s very hard to level up and many new players die many times. Every player who chooses to be an Orcs will begin their journey at Nairhell in the East of Vanheim. Nairhell is a land of vast dessert and filled with strong monster. Broly Clan once solved a quest involving the Orcs which in turn unlock the Orc class. The Orcs ruling structure is a bit different than the human civilization but they do have a leader. The Orcs are not ruled by a King but instead they have Orc Chief. Orc is a tribal community. The Laws of the fittest thrive there. Only the strongest of the Orcs can become the Orc chief. It is because of this the Orc have always been divided, warring against each other and while they raided the villages near the border, they were never considered a real threat to Vanheim. But Aero has heard disturbing news from the messengers he sent to Nairhell and the spies of the King. About ten of the influential tribes of the Orcs have banded together under one banner determined to march to Vanheim and break through to the other Kingdoms. They convene the Meeting of the Orc Chief and crowned an Orc as the Great Orc to lead them against the enemies of the Horde. They are now led by a player named Gruk, an Orc player who declared himself the Great Orc before he was formally crowned by the Great Chiefs of the Orcish lands He ruled over a great vast army. "Yes, I also heard the report "said the King while the expression of joy before turned to worries. Aero on the other hand was not worried. Instead he said to the King. "This is your chance, Your Grace" Aero said as he paced around the room, his hand behind his back as he smiles mischievously. "What chance?" The King asked not understanding what Aero is talking about. Instead it only puzzled him more. The Three Generals were used to this and now listen intently to Aero. They have given up trying to make sense Aero behavior. Aero then stop his pacing all over the room and look at the King as he chuckles. "This is the opportune moment for Your Grace to take military authority from the nobles.'' Hearing this statement the King was shocked. Then thinking about it, it dawned on him He understands what Aero is trying to do and realizes Aero was right. Now, that his position has solidified and the will of the people is behind him, he could truly do what Aero suggested. He finally understand what his strategist wanted to do. He didn''t think of it before because he was overcome with fear of the impending crisis and the noble''s adulation. The King almost missed a great opportunity. He is thankful Aero is here to remind him. Aero then said ''Please declare that Your Grace will put all their armies under one banner, your banner, to fight the coming invasion. The nobles houses will not dare reject not at such moment, not at this early moment where they are pretending to be obeying Your Grace orders, when the people is still behind us and our cause is a just cause. The noble houses promised their support, watched by every representative of the Temple and people in this kingdom. To reject it is to invite universal condemnation" Aero quickly give his idea unreservedly. The King also is half convinced but then he remembered the noble''s private armies and fear that they would also use this chance to rebel if they are dissatisfied. "You don''t think they will rebel?" He ask Aero. Aero shakes his head, a relaxed smile on his face. To rebel at this juncture would put everything they have done to waste. Aero understand the nobles thinking. They only pretended to accede to the King request in public but they will surely find ways to curb the King authority once again. To prevent that from ever happening, the military needs to sit only under one banner. The banner of the Kingdom. The principle is the same whether in the ancient world or the modern world. Whoever controls the military controls the world. It is time to abolish private armies if this Kingdom is to conquer the world. Aero did not treat this game half assed. If he becomes the grand strategist, he will surely follow the path of the Grand Strategist. And what is that path? To scheme against the world and deliver the world to a master he could acknowledge. A wise person follows a wise master. And he will not forget to get himself a good position, fame and fortune along the way. "They have no just cause. " Aero added. It is very important to have a just cause when waging war, because if not you will only invite resistance from the people and the world. Even the men under them would lose morale. IF that happens they would lost even before the fight began. One of the General in the room was also passionate after hearing Aero plans and step out and said "Sir Aero is right Your Highness. This is the chance. Duke Bradheim hold too much military power in the North East and who knows what he is thinking there? I fear he could be persuaded to turn his blade towards Your Highness" said Marco. Arcturus who was standing beside Marco hesitated for a while. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath and then he opens his eyes and nodded in agreement "Your Grace I agree with Marco. If one day Duke Bradheim used that military power to rebel against us at our most vulnerable moment, what would happen?" Arcturus added. King George is getting a headache. He thought his problem was solved, but now hearing from his general and his strategist he just found out he couldn''t even enjoy sitting in his throne for a moment. He learned that a large horde of Orcs is coming to attack Though one hundred thousand Orcs is not as big as Vanheim military, but Orcs is not a weak enemy. They are strong, their physique is larger and stronger than humans and their horse units are formidable. Attacking in horseback with their blunt weapons, they are a mighty force to be reckoned with. In the past before the Horde try to attack Vanheim borders with ten thousands Orcs but they are easily squashed. But the King knows it was not because his Kingdom army was overwhelmingly strong but because the Orc horde was weak and disorganized. That''s because they weren''t united. Now there is talk about an Orc that manage to unify ten of the Orc tribes and leading them here. What is he going to do? He could use this opportunity to put all the military power under him. But his stepbrother Bradheim will clearly know this ploy and detected his scheme. Aero look towards the King and saw the King is ruminating over something. Aero knows who Duke Bradheim is. The stepbrother of the King. As the strategist of the King how could he not investigate the King family and the people around him? ''Duke Bradheim will know that George will never return the military power once it is handed to him. The other nobles would give it to him for now, fearing the backlash. Maybe even they would not see the scheme since it is a viable cause.'' Aero mutters as he looked towards the King. The nobles can be deceived into thinking that their armies will be returned to them but Aero knows that Lord Bradheim will be a tough cookie. But King George knows Bradheim is not like that. Even when all the nobles come to ingratiate themselves with George at his palace after his return, Bradheim didn''t even come to congratulate. He was about to ask Aero about taking Bradheim military power when Aero quickly shakes his head and said "No, you must not do that" Aero could easily see through King George thoughts Aero said breaking King George concentration. "Lord Bradheim is protecting Fort Elken which is adjacent to Nairhell border. Taking his military power right now will only increase our own problem. We have to deal with him later." The other Generals hearing this also quite down. Since the strategist said so, they will defer to him. By now the Tree Generals truly believes in the strategist capability and they have the highest respect for him. It was like the respect that was afforded to Zhuge Liang that made Guan Yu and Zhang Fei both listen to him After all why wouldn''t they believe Aero now? Their King gained back the throne without even a single bloodshed. King George was about to have another headache but Then King George realized. He has Aero. The adventurer that helped him regains his throne. The very same person that helped him gain supports from the people. Why not use his intelligence and offer him to serve him? George appreciates Aero talents and wanted to put him to use and Aero himself wanted to be put to use to gain fame and fortune. After all which ruler did not want to recruit talents to their side? "Sir Aero, I have a request for you." He hesitates for a bit before the King ask "Will you lead my armies?" Aero was shocked and he pondered the question for a bit. This is not what he signed up for. Not that he hates war or anything it''s just that he''s not that confident leading an army. With his sword, he does not fear duels. But in a war, one man can''t change the tide of war alone. Even though he could kill one hundred of low level soldiers and even kills low level players like they were cabbages on a home garden that does not mean he can kill one hundred thousand of soldiers by his lonesome. And there is still the mastermind behind this Orc threat. Sarah informed Aero that Gruk is communicating with someone. There are too many factors at play. Then the window quest popped up. KINGDOM QUEST THE INVASION OF ORCS King George has asked you to lead the armies to defeat the Orcs army that is marching to Vanheim as his measure of trust towards you. The King views you as a great talent and wanted to recruit you in the upcoming war Reward : Fame increase : Reputation increase : Contribution points : Will be granted the opportunity to be a part of the nobility : Gold 50000 : Will be granted the permission to see The Secret Archive (You see this message because of your unique class) : Friendship with the King increase. Aero did not immediately answer as he closes his eyes. Then he said "Your Grace, can you give me some time to think about this?" The King nodded understanding the request. "Yes, you can. But I hope it will not take too long Sir Aero. I believe in Sir Aero ability and truly hope Sir Aero would help me in future undertakings" Aero nodded. He believes he has left quite an impression on the King because of his success. "Thank you, Your Grace. The next time I come, I will have my answer." Aero replies before he goes out of the Throne Room and logged off outside the Palace ************************************************************************* Ting! The capsule opens up. Daniel just logged out of Brave World. Getting out of the capsule, he looks around his room. ''This room looks like someone barfed all over the room'' Sighing he cleans his room which looks messy because he forgot to clean it many times before. Sometimes he asks himself. Was it that he forgot to clean or whether he was too lazy to clean nowadays? Smelling a weird smell, he decided to spray some air freshener before finally the room smell a little bit better, looking like a livable place and slightly neat enough to impress the people that come in that while he is living alone his cleanliness could be considered passable. He then immediately take a shower with dust all over his body, eat and exercise his body. Daniel needs to maintain a healthy lifestyle to make sure he''s not sick. Sick means he can''t play. And that means money wasted. He opens the TV sets and stream the channels when he stopped at the VMS channel VMS media is broadcasting about Brave World events. This pique his interest. He decided to watch as he opens a can of beverage and laid his back on that old sofa. A woman reporter seems to be reporting the events. "Kate, what is the latest development in Brave World?" A tall young handsome man with slick black hair and wearing costume of magicians seems to ask the woman. The woman was wearing a Witch costume. "Harry, the big story is Leo Clan attempt to take Fort Regar at Redat Kingdom still isn''t succeeding. It seems they have put a lot in their expenses to take the Fort. This has made their clans to experience internal problems.'' The male reporter nodded before saying ''That maybe because Redat Kingdom has many elite Knights players and NPC making the Leo clan attack ineffective with their current level of power. Redat military is led by a player named Aldwin a Knight Type warrior. Aldwin seems very experienced in war and he looked very strong too." The screens show the players named Aldwin killing the soldiers in an ambush attack with a sword like he was slashing papers instead of people. It was a scene showing how domineering Aldwin really is. "But that is not all." The woman reporter interjected. ''There also another big story in the Western continent. The Temple of Zeus was burned by a follower of a new teachings that originated in Zun kingdom. A player calling himself The Pope has arisen and many NPCs have already followed him. There are also a faction of players in Grata and Zun Kingdom that has followed this man." "Well, I think, Kate, this could lead to a friction with the seven religious order of Brave World." The male reporter said seriously as the female reporter nodded in agreement. "Yes, Harry, it seems so." "In another story, the Orcs in Nairhell is marching to Vanheim Kingdom. Lead by Gruk, this new player manages to unite ten tribes of Orcs to fight under him. This also makes many new players wanted to try Orcs class as Gruk images of leading a great Orc Horde made a lot of men hearts boils." "Harry, if they succeed and invading Vanheim player''s interest in Orcs class will increase, don''t you think?" Daniel turns off the TV before they could say any further. ''Hmm, this is slightly troublesome'' Daniel said as his mind is in dilemma whether to accept the quest from the King or not. ************************************************************************ Chapter for today. If you like it cast some votes and give some reviews. hopefully a good one. Chapter 14 AWAKENING OF THE LION ETV3 Broadcasting Station After Sarah met Aero, she tried to find him again in the place where they used to meet but to no avail. Then one day as she was running around doing quest and leveling up her character she meet Dan group in a quest raid. Dan was a friendly person and he was also capable so she started partying and solving quest together. Slowly they become closer with the group. She knew Raina and Amy too and since they meet each other a few times already they are quite familiar with each other. At the same time this was happening the group is also with Aero helping him with the quest. Impressed by Sarah ability to control and command nature, the group decided to recommend her to meet their mutual friend, Aero Of course for Aero and Sarah they didn''t know they will meet again like this and they are both equally surprised and shocked. Sarah met him again and she was quite excited as she still remembers this man. Looking at him, Sarah remarked in her heart ''He still didn''t change. Always the same interesting and smart guy'' She heard how Aero slyly manipulated the King and the people of the court to follow him like they were toys dancing to the tune that he played. Of course she also follows this development of this story on the forums. The more she read the more she was impressed. She knows it was the same Aero. She just didn''t know Dan group were also helping Aero from the very beginning of the quest. If she knew she would have already ask Dan to invite her earlier. She joined the quest a little bit later but she was present most of the time. She sighed a bit. With a flair for the dramatic, Aero was charismatic when she saw Aero force the King to believe him. Sarah also could see how Aero never leave everything to chance. She still remembers when she was ordered by Aero to find him a hooded robe and to make sure she is not identified. She accompanied Aero on his outing from Trethelm Lake only to see he disguises himself as one of the low lords and suggested and idea to the other nobles to ask the King to return to power in a secret meeting. He was like a puppeteer, only this time the puppet was the nobles and the audience is the whole world. Sarah realizes this at that moment. Aero is not someone she wanted to be enemy with. After this Aero undoubtedly, will be busy with the war. Which means this will be the only time she might have to contact Aero in the real world. Her colleagues already get the information about him with the clue she provided and they were clearly surprised with his achievement Aero has potential. And that is what important. A potential to become a star She has already convinced her Director to hire Aero as one of their protagonist in their newly created TV shows. "I hope he accepts'' Sarah anxiously said while putting dialing the number. The dialing call sound started. ************************************************************************* THE LIBRARY He came here again today perusing the shelves again. What will he borrow this time? Unknowingly I began become curious about this young boy. I looked at him and see he was reading on one of the tables, book sprawling on the library table. That''s odd. Usually he doesn''t read in the library and was more inclined to borrow it. I approached him. "Hi, Daniel" "Ah, Nadia." He seems startled seeing me. "Reading? "I asked "Yes¡­.Hmm¡­No, not really. " It piqued my interest. "What''s wrong?" "Nothing. I just need a quiet place to think, so I came here." He said coldly ''Oh'' I was embarrassed. He seems to be in a bad mood. Closing my mouth I went back to my counter while looking at that young man reading intently. For some reason looking at the young man profile reading so intently there was this some kind of serenity. Then after three hours of reading he closed the book with a thud. His face shows that he is happy judging by the smirk on his face. It was like something has been solved. I turn my gaze away not wanting for him to know I was looking at him so intently. The sound of the clock ticking sound clearer than before, now that I am not looking at him. The way he reads fascinates me. Or maybe I was just fascinated that there are still young people that read in library these days considering the smartphones and the many ways people could read. Not to mention there is so many things that replaces books these days. But, maybe the boy likes book¡­.just like she loves the smell of books. Holding something makes it feel real. He came to the counter and returns the book he borrows and looking at me with an apologetic expression. "Nadia, I''m sorry about before. I was thinking about a lot of stuff." He said flashing a smile and that¡­was shocking. "No, it''s fine. It was my bad." I said It was shocking because he smiled. I realize that even before he never smiles. At least he never smiles to me. He always looks like he has something bad happens to him. While that serious look is good, I could not believe the face he shows when he smiles. It is a good expression. He has a¡­.great smile. He should smile more. Maybe¡­if he smiles more¡­.Aish, what am I thinking? I blushed red unconsciously as I look at Daniel back leaving the library. ************************************************************************* ASGARO KINGDOM The great and mighty Kingdom of Asgaro that is full of Viking like warriors. That is the assessment of players that resided there King Fjord ruled the Asgaro Kingdom. He is an old man but he possesses the vitality of a great warrior when he rode into battle. He was bulky and has round but hard stomach. He has short braided red hair and red beard with an axe behind his back when he rides into battle. He is as tall as seven feet and when he stands the ferociousness of a great warrior oozes from him In his youth, he roam the battlefield and fought many battles with Kingdom of Redat gaining the nickname the Red Axe. Now, he is old but that warrior way of life did not diminish. If there is one difference is that he no longer could fight in the battlefield like when he was young and had to be content administering then Kingdom. His axe no longer shed blood and he no longer rides his black sable warhorse into battle. In a way it is something he regretted. That Time catches up with all. But his ambition of inflicting damage and finally conquering the Kingdom of Redat is still burning. He has commissioned a clan to fight for him to acquire Fort Regar in the Kingdom of Redat. Territorial wars between these two kingdoms has been intensifying in the past decades with old grudges resurfacing. Yet the clan he commissioned that has promised his victory still did not succeed. He is losing the trust of the people and it has strained the economy. While he was agonizing over this matter, he heard news from the Eastern continent. King George is the young king of Vanheim Kingdom. To King Fjord he looks like a weak, young and powerless King. He doesn''t just look like that he is like that. But after listening to the events happening in that Kingdom King Fjord envies one thing about the Young King Probably right now King George is the only King in the Eastern continent who has unlimited power, to even be able to disregard noble''s advices¡­like Emperors of Old. After King George rise to power from Trethelm Lake Event he quickly introduces new policies to strengthen his Kingdom. Fjord also has heard how he has put the military power of the nobles under his authority to fight the external threats that is approaching his Kingdom. Any army, private or otherwise must be registered with the Kingdom or be regarded as traitor and those who supported them are committing high treason. The only exception of this registration is given to King George stepbrother who guards the Vanheim border from the Orcs. Fjord believes if George policies work, with the abundant resources they have and a strong leadership, Vanheim Kingdom could even surpass Niovar. And King Fjord finally look towards the East with wary expression. ''A young cub has grown into a lion'' he remarked once when he reads the report submitted to him. What this taught Fjord is you have to hire a capable man to help you. This is why he sent his messenger to hire the man that gains the throne for George to help him take the Fort. Now, he waits. ************************************************************************* VETTEN KINGDOM Kyle is a magician specializing in attack spells and was respected in Vetten Kingdom. With handsome face that pleases people, a tall height that is just ideal around 6''5 and beautiful wavy blonde hair he look like a movie star. But unexpectedly even with that handsome appearance he was not a player that plays the game relaxingly and chasing girls instead he was a diligent person that treats this game seriously. Because he solved many quest involving the nobility of Vetten Kingdom he is regarded quite fondly by the court of Vetten. So when Vetten starts preparing soldier to invade Vanheim he was appointed as one of the commander of a five thousand man soldier. He was happy and excited when he got the assignment as he believes it will be an easy job for him to complete. A Kingdom that was plagued with internal problem will crumble easily. This is an easy assessment to make Then as everything seems too aligned with the stars and the opportunity has presented itself for Vetten suddenly King George returns again to the throne and with such great support and unity unforeseen by any forces in the continent. The people and the nobles, two of the most hard to please factions in any Kingdom begged a King to return back to the throne. Usually they would want Kings to either go to hell or be dethrone. When did you ever hear nobles that is known to scheme and plot for each other benefits throws their pride and schemes to persuade and begged the King to return to his throne and gives him unlimited power. If this were the real world it was like they discarded democracy to change their country to absolute monarchy and this move was not only not opposed but cheered on. This poses a problem to him and Vetten Kingdom army. Before they believed they could win because the country was in a state of disarray and the nobles were in a state of disarray. But with George return it seems the country becomes even stronger. With all military authority under the hand of the King the organization of the soldier will be formidable, a unity that is not present in Vetten Kingdom with many of its forces are still ruled by nobles which did not all shares the same aspiration and goals. Veranis and Tian Dynasty on the other hand was relieved to see Vanheim Kingdom is alright and regain back their confidence to uphold honor of their alliance. Though Kyle knew what those two Kingdoms are really after. Vanheim protection. Veranis and Tian is north of Niovar Kingdom. If Vanheim fall, Gerad or Niovar would attack Veranis. What they do are all guided by the principle of self-preservation. Kyle also heard that what happens in Vanheim was because of one man scheme. In one brilliant stroke, that player whose name is Aero shot to glory and fame. Kyle was outraged. His plan for fame and fortune was dashed. After all how could he get his fame and fortune if the war is not continued? So, he suggests to the King his strategy. People praise the player named Aero? Do they think there are no other smart people? People in the forum call that; player a great strategist and all that. I''ll prove to them I''m as good as him. So he contacted Gruk. Gruk is a person he used to party with in an MMORPG before Virtual Reality was created. Kyle asked for his help with benefits thrown in. After a few days Gruk replies positively to his proposition With military help from Vetten, Gruk manages to unite ten tribes of Orcs easily before he created an Orc Horde and become almost the undisputed ruler of Nairhell. Numbering one hundred thousand Orcs with tens of thousands of iron warhorses, they agree to invade Vanheim and if they succeed they will split the country between Nairhell and Vetten. Half will go to Vetten, while the other half is to be given to Gruk to establish a Kingdom of Orcs. But Kyle of course decides that he could not give Gruk the country. He was not stupid. That would threaten Vetten Kingdom if Gruk ever manages to create Orc Kingdom. His plan is that he will let Gruk weaken Vanheim military before coming in to finish the kill. "HAHAHAHA. That will show them" This is the beginning of the rivalry between Kyle and Aero. Their tactics and strategies to deal with each other will earn them a spot in BW legends. ************************************************************************* The sound of Journey Don''t Stop Believing sounded from my phone. It was the ringtone of my phone. My hands were waving left and right on my bed as I was trying to grab my phone. My phone was ringing and shaking on my hand as I dazedly checks the number. It''s not a number I recognize. I hesitated before finally I pick up the call. "Hello who''s this?'' I asked groggily as I rub my eyes "Is this Mr. Daniel?" The person voice was a woman voice, gentle and professional. "Yeah" Daniel is thinking who this person is. How did they know who he was? "Thank goodness. I am from ETV3 Broadcasting station. We would like to schedule a meet with you through video chat." Hmm. Hearing this Daniel eyes grow a little wider. "A video chat? Why?" "Honestly speaking, I don''t know. Sorry. I was only asked to pass the message to you from my superior" After that she told me what to do and thirty minutes later, I''m in front of my computer having a video chat. Of course this time I already finished showering. Don''t want to look like a bum living on some cardboard boxes under some bridge. "Hello, can you see me?'' Said a burly man with a hoarse voice. Probably around the age of forty something. He has a few bald spots on his head and from the way he carries himself it reminds me of the big shot in many companies. "Yes, I can. What is your reason for scheduling this video chat?" After that he explained to me that he wanted to advertise my adventure in their new program. I can submit them my videos of my adventures. Of course my level, my skills are hidden. So is my class. (That''s the most important thing.) There is only one thing I was curious about and that is "How much will I get for my video?" "One hundred dollars on submitting video and depending on the popularity of the video you will be given commission." I was thinking for a while before asking where did they get my information. They then explained that Sarah was their employees. I was shocked before resolving myself to thank her later. I already decided to bet on this game and now I have an opportunity to gain some in come while playing. This¡­..was great. After clarifying the terms and agreement, I accept their offers. After that, I ended the video chat and logged back in to Brave World ************************************************************************* "I accept" I exclaimed to the King in the throne room. -You Accepted The Quest!- The King smiles and shakes my hand "Thank you, Sir Aero. I will send you to Fort Elken with 30 thousand soldiers under your command." Aero nodded. It is hard decision to make but nothing risked, nothing gained. "Thank you. Your Grace. One question, can I invite Dan and his companion for this endeavor?" "Ah, Dan. Your companions'' he nodded and then he added ''They also have contributed greatly in helping We. Yes, if it''s him you can. He is very friendly and I enjoy my conversation with him." I know Dan is a great talker and easygoing person which is why he is great mood maker in any party. He is also quite capable in accomplishing any task that is given to him After that I contacted Dan. He agreed to help after discussing with his usual teammates, Raina and Amy. It is also at this time that I give them ten thousand gold coins from the previous quest as per our agreement when they helped me. Their eyes were shining gold and their smiles are almost reaching their cheek bones. After all Dan wanted to buy new equipment for himself and with this sudden injection of money, it would be more than easy for him to buy the things he wanted. This time I promised them a whopping amount of fifteen thousand gold coins and they were practically cheering. With the ten thousand goldcoins they all wanted to upgrade their equipment and buys other things. I told them to get ready and train for three days before we will be marching to the Fort. It is not a lot of times but they have to make do. I too will try to find an unexplored cave or dungeon to increase my level. I open my status window to check my progress after all the training I have done these past three days. Divine Sword Technique [6] Intermediate One of Lizhu Gerard techniques. Lizhu Gerard learned many styles of attack that are foreign for this continent emphasizing the internal energy and self-reflection. This technique is rarely seen in Vilajeri Continent. Mana Consumption : 1200 MP(will increase when the proficiency increase) : Increase attack power to 140 points Sacred Sword Finger [9] Intermediate Can shoot out invisible force of energy from your finger. Highly concentrated energy that is focused at one point this skill is deadly, lethal and emphasize swiftness. One of Lizhu Gerard Sword Art. Mana Consumption : 1000 MP (will increase when the proficiency increase) : Increase attack power to 200 Looking at my skills I looked at Sacred Sword Finger skill with a smile. Sacred Sword Finger will level up to advanced very soon. I used this skill very often as a ranged attack and it proved as a deadly combination when fused with Divine Sword technique. It is only the fact that the MP consumption getting increase with higher proficiency that puzzles me. After all shouldn''t the consumption lowered when you reach higher proficiency. Of course the attack power of each skill shot up drastically with each level of proficiency but the consumption of mana also rises up. But I could not deny the almost OP powerful attack. So, I decided to ignore the consumption. Disguise [1] Beginner Able to disguise to be a monster/ NPCs that you have encountered or defeated. As the proficiency increase you can learn to disguise to other thing. Restriction: Must defeated the monster that you want to disguise. Helps if you can focus the feature of the thing you wanted to disguise. Taunt [9] Beginner Active skills. Your effort to taunt this monster has granted you this skill. This skill helps you to attract monster to attack you. While the monster is affected by this, their defense will decrease by 10%. Mana consumption: 100 (the effect will last for 5 minutes) Language [1] Beginner Ability to use complex systems of communication. With this you can understand complex symbols and divine meaning. Increase intellect when proficiency increases. This ability also enables you to speak with spirits and Divine Beast. This is one skill that I could not understand fully. The speaking with spirits and Divine Beast, that I could understand. But, what does it mean to understand divine meaning? What''s that? Well, maybe later when I have time, I try to understand it. Or maybe I never met any quest that needed to use it thus it was never activated But the next skill is the reason why I want to lead the armies. This skill is probably why it''s restricted to this Secret Class. After I leveled up Demonic Devil Energy Drain to intermediate level the effect changed. Receive soldiers experience about 5%? Doesn''t that means this could get him to pierce the sky with one large scale battle? If his army won against a large army imagine the amount of EXP he will gain and how easy it is to raise his level? No wonder the Lizhu Gerard he knows from the description of his weapon could control the wind and produce storms with a fan. Demonic Devil Energy Drain [3] Intermediate The consumption of mana decreases. Can drain the life force of monsters and people. You can also receive your soldiers experience about 5%. Mana Consumption : 50 MP(will increase when the proficiency increase) I also have heard from the conversation in the street that the King has asked for volunteers to defend the Kingdom. Many players have taken this news as an opportunity to gain contribution point and win fame and fortune. I could already see so many players buying supplies and there are even some who is marching to Fort Elken in a big party, drinking and partying along the way. Instead of a war, it looks like a big carnival. Now is the time to check the condition for failing this quest. Condition on failing: Vanheim Kingdom will be annexed : The Orcs will create their Kingdom : All the NPCs will migrate or killed by the Orcs : Fertility of soil will decline. : Farming will be hard. Whoa. This is big. Looking at the condition of failing Aero knows that this is a war that Vanheim Kingdom can''t lose. I would be scared stiff if not for the fact that I already prepared for this worst case scenario I need to raise my level but first there was something else I need to do. Ensure the morale of the troops is strong. Numbers of troops is important but that was not the only thing that is import at in a war. Three days later I will come to the balcony of the tower of the Palace to ask for help from the players. All the 30 thousands soldiers that George gives me is NPC. Now let''s check my stats before I begin. CHARACTER NAME Aero ALIGNMENT Neutral LEVEL 54 PROFESSION Grand Strategist TITLE None CONTRIBUTION Peasant ( Vanheim) CONTRIBUTION POINTS 5000 REPUTATION 800 FAME 550 ELEGANCE 0 HEALTH 5400+600 MANA 540+200 WILLPOWER 350 STRENGTH 125 AGILITY 575+200 HONOUR 50 STAMINA 154+40 WISDOM 390+80 INTELLECT 494 ENDURANCE 320 LUCK 95 CHARISMA 190 LANGUAGE 0 GRACE 100 LEADERSHIP 0 ATTACK 556 DEFENSE 242 MAGIC RESISTANCE FIRE 10% WATER 0% EARTH 0% WIND 0% + All stats are added 20 points in battle + Intellect is added extra 100 points + Enables equipping items for the secret class + Decrease mana consumption for Divine sword technique + 80 points added to Wisdom. + 30% increase to Stats on the Battlefield. + Easier to raise proficiency in any area. + Decrease in Mana Consumption for the Divine Sword Techniques based on level of INT + Gained ability to learn secret skills based on your level in Language. + Fame increase upon solving any quest involving the nobility. + Affinity with scholars increased. + Affinity with wise men increased + Easier to influence statesmen and scholars. My attack power is very impressive. With the Sword of Mars, I have rarely been overwhelmed by monsters or my enemies. I swing the sword and it felt very light on my hands. The sword has always been a mystery to me. Why does it have such strong damage? Is it luck? Maybe there is no underlying meaning. Thinking about it again with the help of this sword it has protected me from many life and death situations. With the help of this sword I have never died in Brave World. I guess that is a pretty impressive feat. I need to go train now. And with that I went to the forest again ************************************************************************* VEVA KINGDOM ZEUS CASTLE THE THRONE ROOM Zeus is one of the very first players of Brave World. He chose the name Zeus because he read that in Brave World there is seven AI that governed this world. Users called them AI but to the NPCs the AI is the Gods and Goddesses of their world and governed the fate and destinies of this world. There is Zeus, The God of The Sky (which means in terms of AI, he govern the distribution of rain, the weather, the color of the sky and the wind that blows in Brave World) which he choose the name from because he aims to be the strongest in Brave World. The Zeus in the game is also the King of the Gods There is also Poseidon, God of the Sea. Then there is Hades, God of the Dead and ruler of the Underworld and reputedly the strongest of all the Gods. There is also the Goddesses. Aphrodite is the Goddess of Love and Healing. She controls the NPC population and their fertility rate among other things. Hephaestus is the God of Craft and Fire. He bless blacksmith and elementals who uses fire. There''s also Athena, Goddess of Wisdom that favors scholars and wise and virtuous statesman. And the last is Demeter, the Goddess of the Seasons. These are the seven major Deity in Brave World. Initially when he first started playing the game he was weak. That is because he doesn''t understand the game mechanic. But after understanding the game, his progress is unstoppable and he swept many quest and dungeons alone with only his sword. Then about a year ago in this game, he get a chain quest. It''s not the first time he received a chain quest so it''s not that surprising. But this time the chain quest he received require him to complete it by himself. It was one the hardest task he ever done. The chain quest has twelve sub quest. When he succeeded he was offered a secret class. He was angry. He thought he will get money but all it gets him is a secret class. At that time he was already known as one the strongest warrior. But now he was grateful that he chose that secret class. He was granted the Secret class Demigod. The Council of the Gods blessed him with great strength and an overflowing charisma that cow any weak NPCs. Giving bonuses to his strength and agility, not to mention being blessed by Zeus, he becomes one of the strongest players in Brave World. The blessing that Zeus give him includes divine help. Once there was rain to help him hide his track, thunder bolt strike down from the sky that incinerate his enemies and a lot more. But he could not ask for help often. Gods have their own rule about interfering with players and NPCs which the Ai refers to as mortal and they refer player as adventurer. Now he is the Duke of Galich in the Kingdom of Veva. His clan has 40,000 members all over the continent. He was actually planning something the moment he was given land by the King of Veva. He wanted to conquer the Veva Kingdom. Maybe in a month he will start his plan. Failure is not an option. This is his clan grand enterprise. All of his generals are ready to rides their horses and hoist the flag of rebellion for his glory and the glory of the clan. Zeus is regarded as many as the one who created a new era in Brave World.This move of him of course will be met with setback. But he was determined. If he do not lead the era he will not be satisfied. Being the strongest is not his ultimate goal. He wanted to rule all under the heaven. He wanted to be an Overlord that rules the four corners of this world. This is his determination. ******************************************************************* And so it begins. Aero has accepted the quest you guys. If you like the story please vote for it. Hope you enjoy it Chapter 15 A NEW ERA His steps were not as springy as when he left before. His face was full of exhaustion. Aero has returned from hunting in a dungeon filled with gigantic snakes later than he expected. It was one of the experiences in his life that he wants to forget. Thinking about it still makes him shudder. Those slithering snakes still give him the chill with all the hissing that haunted his dreams and the feeling of the slimy moss in the dark and damp caves on his back. But he must admit he also gains a lot in his hunting time. During these few days he leveled up to level 57. None of his stats went up but his overall health and mana did increase. It seems harder and harder to raise his stats now. Not to mention he can''t use Divine Sword technique and Sacred Sword Finger technique as frequent as before After leveling up those two skills he can no longer use it wily nily due to the high mana consumption. Thankfully the Sword of Mars is by his side. In a way that Sword is one of his true treasures Without it he would probably die trying to survive that dungeon. After all while he did survive the dungeon to say that the dungeon is easy would be an understatement of the century. Now finished dealing with that unpleasant experience he has returned to the palace to address the players and move to the plans he had made in his mind. The moment he came to the area he was greeted by Marco and Arcturus greeting him politely as a sign of respect. They slightly bowed down their heads. They have already set the stage. Now all he needs to do is convince players to join the war. There are many incentives to join the war like gaining contribution points, increase relationship with the people and quest givers, looting the Orcs and money that they will make. ''But that is if we win'' Aero thought in his head If they lose, not only their items will be looted, some of them might be taken as prisoner of war until someone pay for them ransom or save them from their jail cells. But considering that we are fighting Orcs I doubt that they take prisoners. When a player dies, he cannot login for one day. And when he returns he will lose one level or two levels depending on the severity of their death and the way they died. Until that one day is over, the player corpse will stay in the place that they died. Aero once saw a corpse of a man being eaten by Wind Vultures. It was nauseating. But it adds the depths of realism in the game. But stop thinking about that. What should I say to the players? What is it that they want? Aero thought of all the things he could plead towards the players. They want glory. They want fame. They want their name to be known. To be recognized. Isn''t that the reason they play this game? They want recognition. They want an adventure. What is more adventurous other than a war battling a massive horde of Orcs? I knew how people mind works. Maybe not entirely but I know the basic need of humans especially those who played games. They wanted to be famous, to boast to their friends, to adventure in an unknown world. I need to appeal to this variety of emotions to invoke their motivation so they will desire joining the Army. I need to make them feel unity and make them feel that by not taking part in saving this Kingdom, they are abandoning their honor and appeal to their desire for make believe. RPG games are all make believe. Everyone wanted to be the Knight that saves the Princess. Everyone wanted to be the heroes that save the Kingdom. Everyone wanted to be a apart of a Great War between Good and Evil I only need to paint the others, Vetten, invading Orcs as the Evil and Vanheim as the Good force. And I mean what is a fantasy based adventure without a little war to spice up the adventures right? Then it began as I walk slowly towards the staircase and climbs it slowly to arrive at the podium overlooking the large square below me All I see is huge crowds looking in puzzlement and a hint of curiosity. The trumpet players blew their horn, as the sounds echoes and make people pay attentions. The drummers hit their drums like the sound of a thunderous roar that boils the blood of men. The crier yelled his voice, his voice was shrieking but the desperation in his voice pleads to people hearts. The streets began to get crowded as people of all walks of life gathered. The crier announced my arrival to the people with some players quickly recognizing the name. I looked down from the balcony of the King residence. Then I saw it. Outside the huge gate were thousands of players and NPCs gathered around the square in front of the palace. Nervousness set in. I took a deep breath, close my eyes and release my breath. I open my eyes again and calmness sets in. First I addressed them, my voice was steady and firm. "Adventurers and the people of Vanheim. My name is Aero!'' My voice resound, travelling all over the squares with the help of Roar skill. Some adventurers knows me from the forum threads and was interested in knowing what I was about to say. ''There are some here who know me, and some who do not. I came here with a noble request. I was tasked with a great burden by the King. You all know what I''m talking about. The Orc Horde are coming as sure as night comes after day. I came here today in front of all of you to raise a volunteer army to fight this menace that is threatening our home and our loved ones''; Then I paused for a moment before continuing. ''I know some of you might think this is not your responsibility" This is aimed at the adventurers. They started listening. The chatter in the square quieted. "If you think like that, think again. We were here. We trained here. We gained experience here. We have our world but when we''re here this is our home. And right now our home is being attacked. Will you just sit and watch? Or will you fight? I am tasked to lead thirty thousand men to defend the Kingdom. That is not enough. You all damn well know that is not enough to protect our home. We all know what will happen to this country if we are conquered. Vanheim will cease to exist. I implore you. Join us." At this point Aero heard some of the players say in the background, speaking in hushed tones to their friends "He''s right. I had a lot of good memories here'' "Well, if this Kingdom fall we have to migrate to other Kingdom and that doesn''t mean they will accepts us" "Why not join him. He seems sincere." ''I already started a chain quest and if the Kingdom falls, the reward would surely just gone with the wind'' They are also a few people who recognized Aero. "He''s that strategist from the crisis for the throne." ''Yeah, I thought I knew him from somewhere. He must have a wicked plan" "Well, he''s capable right? Wouldn''t that be good? If we win we will get many benefits." "But if we lose¡­" There are people who are eager to join and there are also some that are hesitating to join. Now Aero need to appeal to the NPCs. He continued his speech, his eyes scanning the crowd looking at their reactions.. "To all of you here, listening to my words, I say this; there is one thing we do know: that we are here for the sake of each other - above all for those upon whose smile and well-being our own happiness depends, and also for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy.'' His word combined with his earnest expression appeals to the NPCs in the crowd. They were listening, and they were listening intently and carefully. This is war. To join¡­.is not such an easy decisions. Life will be forfeited. For the adventurers it is a matter of benefits, a question of profit and loss but to the NPCs it is a question of life and death. ''Every day we must realize how much our own outer and inner life is built upon the labors of our fellow men, both living and dead, and how earnestly we must exert ourselves in order to give in return as much as we have received." This part of the speech is to reel in the NPCs. This time he started with a loud voice to invoke the feeling of urgency. "ALL MEN WILL DIE!! ALL MEN WILL BE CALLED UPON!!'' And his shout jolted a few people who was shocked. ''But only a few, only a few special men, only those who have been worthy to answer the calling, are given the honor to die for a just cause. AND there is no nobler cause than this. In these times of chaos, all of us will be called on to make a sacrifice. When, or in what manner that sacrifice may be required, I don''t know.'' ''Look at your family, look at your loved ones, and look at the people you cherished and appreciate. Burn their faces on your mind.'' Some of the NPCs on the crowd look at the people beside them and grip their hands tighter. Aero also saw this and continued his speech ''Why I ask all of you to do this? Because that who you are sacrificing your life for, shed your blood and sweat for.'' ''All we can do is wait and prepare and pray that when our time comes, we will be ready to complete the task, so that when it is over, when we have done all we could, we might look to the people we love with pride in our hearts and the knowledge that we have put all of our efforts to protect their life and their smiles. I believe, with all of my hearts that these special men are all of you!!!'' The King''s Square erupted to cheer. And Aero step down from the balcony and return inside the Palace. People were lining up to register for the volunteer army. Aero sighed in relief. He was so nervous that he could not even see all those people lining up in the registration booth. All Aero was thinking, please register. Please register. Of course he couldn''t show this side of him to other people. Never show weakness. That is when the enemy would pounce in the dark corners where they waited ************************************************************************* Aero who was closing his eyes open it slowly and asked, trying to hide the nervousness that is in his heart. "So how many registered?" "Forty thousand recruits. Not bad for the first drive. And hey, that was good speech" Dan reply. Aero only smiles. Well, never let it be said that Aero hates compliment "Which means, now we have seventy thousand soldiers." Said Amy calculating Aero look at Amy and he just wanted to tease her ''Didn''t know you could count?'' Amy just shot him a glare and Aero pretend like he didn''t say anything. "Well, now our victory is guaranteed. With sixty thousand soldiers stationed at Fort Elken, combined with our army our soldiers numbered one hundred thirty thousand soldiers. That is a large army if I have to say it myself." Raina remarked The requirement for registering to enter the war is level 70. Aero made this requirement. Though Aero level itself is 57 but his stats are amazing enough to surpass even level 70 strength. But the number is not one hundred thirty thousand soldiers, it''s actually more. Not all of the players registered with the kingdom. Some registered with Bradheim around the border. After all not every people of the Kingdom is on that square that day. Bradheim also conduct his own recruitment drive on the border of his territory. And players and NPC around that area trusted Bradheim more than they trusted the King in military matters. And not all people are unable to see the shifting winds and feel the change. Some are just greedy and opportunistic. Aero is strengthening the royal authority, and many nobles and scholars could see it. At least those that are wise and brilliant. Right now the military power in the Kingdom is hold by two people. Duke Bradheim and King George. Aero just hope that after the war those two will not wage war against each other which will make his job a lot harder than it is now. So, Aero have another plan. If it works¡­.it would make his job a whole lot easier. Because Aero knows there is no two tiger on the same forest. One of them has to give way. After confirming the numbers of soldiers in the register Aero then face the group and said "We will not reinforce Fort Elken. We will go to Erda city" Erda city is a medium size city just around the border of Vetten. It is a frontier against Vanheim for a long time. From Aero words the group suddenly understand something. Aero is suspecting Vetten for the recent problem plaguing the Kingdom. The reason is because Aero believes that the mastermind is some player from Vetten. Why? Because Veranis and Tian one of the closest kingdom around the border has neither motive nor benefit by weakening Vanheim, no matter how brittle Vanheim become. If they do that, they will be threatened by Gerad or Niovar. Niovar on the other hand is too far from Nairhell to influence the players there. So does Gerad Kingdom. So the only one left, is Vetten who has motive to see Vanheim fall. Nairhell is south east of Vetten and they are adjacent geographically. This makes it the only kingdom that has the probability to create this scheme. Everybody knows that Vetten was preparing their army during George absence. But when George returned, Aero didn''t hear anything about the army movement. Of course Aero himself has no formal capacity to act in the King court but after the coronation of the King many NPC officials acknowledge the special position that Aero has made for himself in the King court and in the King heart. Aero could be considered the most favorable advisor of the King Naturally when he inquired about army movement of Vetten, there are people who would be willing to oblige. Unless, that army moved to Nairhell and helped Gruk and at the same time struck a deal with them to attack Vanheim, Aero suddenly thought to himself. ''It is a brilliant strategy.'' He muttered inaudibly Nairhell will attack from the west and Vetten will attack from the south. It will be a two pronged attack. ''Right now Fort Vars is not as highly defended like Fort Elken.'' Aero mumbled bringing the map of the area into his memories and his frown on his face deepened. He slowly understands the plan. It is a simple plan but also very effective if people did not notice it. ''The main attack will happen at Fort Vars. From there they will conquer Zantleaf, then Derka and then they will reach the capital.'' Aero finally understand. It is simple but highly effective strategy. The capital will be surrounded and in acouple of days it will fall if Aero let them do as they pleases. But this strategy will not be possible without the cooperation of Gruk. Seventy thousand soldiers are not enough. They will undoubtedly bring either two hundred thousand soldiers or three hundred thousand soldiers in this battle. This is Aero conjecture. "Why! Elken is the place we should go" object Dan who did not understand what Aero has just concluded in his mind. Sighing and shaking his head Aero just said "Trust me. The real threat is not the Orcs. It''s someone else. And Dan? Don''t forget. I am the brains of the groups and this operation" Dan shut his mouth before nodding his head and then he said "Who is this enemy then? And how will we explain this to Bradheim. He will think we have abandoned him to his fate in the Fort" Aero just smiles that mystifying smile like everything is under his calculations. "I have already sent letter to Duke Bradheim, Dan. So don''t worry too much and stick with the plans¡­.which is following my orders'' Dan rolled his eyes and nodded. Aero shakes his head The reason Dan was so agitated was because the Duke is in Fort Vars and by not helping him, the Duke might rebel. It is a reasonable worry and Aero shares that worries. But he also has other plans. He also wanted to know the intention of the Duke. So, he sent a letter. And with that letter he hopes to see what kind of man this Duke is. And what conclusion he should draw and what plans he had to draw after learning about the Duke. Is he the valiant Lion of Vanheim or is he a hungry wolf? Dan was huffing in slight dissatisfaction. Aero notices this and he sighed and he approached Dan After saying a few placating words Dan seems to be calmer. ''Now the distribution of soldiers. Dan will lead infantry soldiers and warrior type players with some healers in his rank. Raina will lead archers'' Aero ordered and put his people in charge of the army. He needs people who are truly loyal to him and who trust him enough to jump into fire for him. Because what he will be doing later will not be easily understood unless you see the entire game board. Amy will lead magicians and will be responsible for support and ranged attack. Aero believe they can lead them but most importantly because he himself could trust them to cover his back and follow his order. Aero did not want to promote NPCs or players he doesn''t know to the position akin to a General around him. Thankfully his influence with the King is high and even though he put his friend in charge of the majority of the army, the King approve without any complaints. And the nobles could not even complain since the soldiers is now practically belongs to the Kingdom Looking at his group Aero knows them well enough to know that they can do this. Sarah on the other hand has another task that is more important. ''It might even change the tide of battle in the crucial moment'' Aero thought to himself. Dan will lead twenty thousand soldiers and so will Amy and Raina. The only one who doesn''t have any other class mixed in their division is Raina. Raina is responsible for only the Archer Division. Aero himself will lead ten thousand soldiers who have variety of class. "Now we march to Fort Vars." Aero said as he jump into his horse and rides it forward out from the city gate Behind him, soldiers are marching ************************************************************************* VEVA KINGDOM ZEUS CLAN CASTLE THRONE ROOM In Brave World the continent was originally referred as Vilajeri continent after it was united. After the fall of Alain Empire the feudal lords turned into Kings, creating their own Kingdoms. And they divided the Empire to five separate continents regardless of their geographically linked lands that interlocked each other. On the Eastern continent there is Nairhell, Vanheim Kingdom, Vetten Kingdom, Niovar Kingdom, Veranis Kingdom, Gerad Stratocracy and Karak Federation. On the North are Vor Kingdom, Veva Kingdom, Luna Kingdom, Saril Kingdom and Sol Queendom. In the South there is Nero Republic, Vanan Federation and Zun Kingdom. On the Western side is Grata, Redat Kingdom, Jhaka Kingdom and Asgaro Kingdom. And then there''s the Central Continent which consisted of Duvar Kingdom, Alfhaim and Loth Kingdom. All this kingdoms was once under the same banner, and there was only one continent under one rule. The Warring period fragmented the Empire and created this absurd situation that made Kings declares their lands as separate continent. Geographically they are not a separate continent but politically they are separate. This has always been the case after the fragmentation. It was more a matter of politics rather than geography when discussing the five continents. Zeus was looking at the huge map in his throne rooms, looking at the names of the Kingdoms that is present in the Continent with hungry eyes. All his generals were there looking ferocious and gallant. Tonight a new world is about to dawn in Veva kingdom and they have resolved themselves to follow the lead of Zeus. The clan have decided to rebel and rule Veva Kingdom, Zeus as their leader and King. Zeus was never satisfied being only the Duke and everybody knows this. With level 390 he is the strongest player in all of Brave World. If he succeeds in his endeavor tonight, his name will be known throughout all of Brave World and further the image of invincibility he possess. This plan of theirs is not rash or reckless. They have been preparing for years, waiting patiently for the opportune moment. Now, they have gained the other nobles support and the optimum condition to rebel has appeared. Zeus still remembers when he raised his contribution level to Nobility. After gaining that contribution title he was finally offered to become a Count. From there he worked his way up to Duke with his military contribution winning battles after battles, pacifying the regions of Veva Kingdom. Now with one of eight states of Veva Kingdom under his rule, he focused on the military development. All the citizens of his domain are trained soldiers. The supplies for his citizens he got from Veva capital. The King fearing that Zeus would rebel always fulfilled whatever wishes that Zeus had. Regarded as the protector of the Kingdom, every time war happened the Zeus Clan has always participated. Zeus has always viewed the King as a weak King. And weak King does not have the qualifications to order him around. But even though he thinks that, he never once express this thought openly not until he is sure of his victory. He might be a reckless person but he is not entirely stupid. Gaining the trust of the nobles and the people was all for this moment so he of course did not do anything to compromise the plan. Their plan to attack in a month is cancelled after gaining the support from the nobles of the capitals so they moved up their schedule. They will move at midnight. That was the plan. But Zeus after receiving new intel he call upon his general to discuss something. Everyone already seems prepared and is impatient to spill blood and marches into battle. "Should we move tonight, Zeus?" one of his general asked. It was Bart a close friend of Zeus. He is six feet five tall, his blonde hair was neat and his body was muscly. Wearing a Tiger Armor he looked especially ferocious. His eyebrows is thick but his face is slightly boyish. Zeus shakes his head, "No, Bart. We shall move at dawn. We will capture the capital and force that weak King to abdicate and give his throne to me." "Well, if we move tonight we will take them by surprise, Zeus" "Where''s the fun in that Eric. I hope they fight us so I could show them my might'' What he didn''t say was that it is not the right time to attack. There are some thing he could say, and some things he has to keep secret. Of course Eric and Bart did not know about Zeus though. Eric was standing beside Bart looking at Zeus Eric has always felt Zeus is a bit arrogant. Or is it confidence? "Don''t worry my friends. After we conquer this Kingdom, I will each give you title of Duke." It''s not like Eric and Bart follow Zeus to gain title though many of the other members followed him because of his promise of riches and fame. And until now he didn''t disappoint. But Eric knows how brittle a bond forged in benefit. "There''s only one question. Why do you want to conquer Veva? Other clans did not do this. Why do we need to use our wealth and resources to conquer this Kingdom?" asked Eric. It''s not like he didn''t know. But Zeus has never spoken it openly. Tonight is the perfect time to reveal his ambition. Zeus smile understanding the intention of his friend as he addressed his generals. "I intend to create a new era. An age of chaos and battles, of dominations. I see some people play this game only to go to vacation and fishing. There are also some who came to this world to paint and make cakes. I mean what''s wrong with them? This world is filled with monsters and all they care about is this thing. War means progress. The new era where people can''t just sit out of battles will be created by me. Only the strong will survive. I will create the era!" Zeus replied enthusiastically Zeus is someone who is stubborn and opinionated. Eric and Bart have always known that personality and they have learned to try to ignore it "Alright. But know this Zeus. I do this for you. Not for your convoluted ideas. What''s wrong with people playing that way? But, I''ll follow you. I promise you that'' Bart said. His eyes were looking straight at Zeus. Eric has no words to say. He knows Zeus ambition a long time ago and he already has followed him. "Hahahaha. Fine, Bart. Get ready then. It is not long now. A new era is about to dawn" Zeus was looking at the beautiful scenery outside the window while waiting for dawn and he couldn''t help but grin. That dawn, a great fire ravaged the capital city and thunder cracked the sky as the Gods blessed Zeus and grant him victory over his enemies. Zeus attacked the Capital city and bring it down to his feet Veva¡­has a new King ************************************************************************* Here the chapter for today Chapter 16 FIRE AND POISON VETTEN KINGDOM FOREST OF ERDANIS, THE WAR CAMP The wind blow gently entering the tent. Outside the sound of people shouting orders could be heard. Inside the tent there is a person. He was sitting on his wooden chair as he analyzes what he heard from his scouts. He massages his temple but his face was not exactly distressed. This person is Kyle, the leader of the invasion force against Vanheim Kyle has heard the report from his scout a few minutes ago about the size of the army coming towards Fort Elken. About thirty thousand soldiers is coming to Fort Elken, no doubt trying to reinforce the defenses. ''This is not exactly a bad thing'' Kyle thought to himself. This leaves Fort Vars in the south undefended. Kyle was smiling and he almost laughs. It was like everything is falling into place. After he successfully made agreement with the Orcs, Vetten III had trusted him enough to let him lead five hundred thousand soldiers to invade Vanheim. It was a large number of soldiers. Five hundred thousand soldiers is a force enough to terrify anyone in the Vilajeri continent It is probably because of this reason they cannot lose this war. He¡­could not lose this war. He is prepared to do whatever it takes to win this war. Because if they lose this war Vetten will surely face a grave crisis regarding their military power so whatever happens losing is not on the table. They have bet everything on this. There will never be another chance like this that will present itself. Kyle knows this and the Vetten King knows this. When King George truly stabilizes his Kingdom, Vetten will never be able to attack again and instead they would surely be oppressed by Vanheim. This is a last desperate measure. And also a measure which might give them victory. From the report Kyle received from his scout Veranis and Tian still don''t suspect anything. Kyle must win this or his reputation in Vetten will plummet. But Kyle believes in his strategy. No one could foresee it. The Orcs in the border provide a great distraction for him to do what he wanted. Looking at the person who is standing beside him waiting for his order, he beckoned and said "Commander Chris, relay my orders. Start marching." Chris was an NPC commander. He has excellent stats and someone Kyle really trusts. He is wearing a white armor shining like the knights of old. He has brown wavy hair that reached his neck, a sharp jawline and a protruded nose. He wielded swords with extreme mastery. Chris listening to the orders of his superior nodded and quickly went out to relay the command. Kyle walk outside after finishing giving his orders. Outside his tent the camp was filled with ballista and siege weapons being build and assembled. The soldiers are sharpening their swords, spears and javelin in the vacant smithies. The blacksmiths are hitting the steel with their big hammers as sparks of fire flies off with every hit. The Bards sing songs of courage slowly influencing the hearts of the soldiers to become brave and courageous in the face of death. There are even some soldiers who are praying to the Gods and burn some offering hoping to survive the battle. The wood carvings of the Seven Gods could be seen under some trees as people burns offerings to them Kyle understands the fear. Nothing is certain. And people will die. This is a big war. After they destroy Fort Vars they need to attack and capture the Capital of Vanheim. This must be done swiftly before the army in Fort Elken realizes what is happening. One hundred thousand Orcs soldiers that Gruk is leading will be annihilated if he could not come to Gruk aid in time. Orcs are strong but they are very simple minded race. If the Orcs had many users than maybe one hundred thousand of them will be formidable. The ones on horseback are usually users that choose Orcs as their race. They are elite but Vanheim also has many elite warriors. Either the players or the NPCs there are many of them. It is very crucial to capture the capital before Bradheim destroy the Orcs army. If Bradheim manages to destroy Gruk army before he could take over Fort Vars, even if Kyle managed to capture the Capital it won''t be long before the capital change hands again. After hearing the order from the commander the troops started marching with the sound of war drums accompanying them. Huge dust cloud accompanied their unyielding and ferocious march. Never before in the history of Brave World had so many soldiers marched other than during the Hegemony War. From horseback Kyle gazed upon his troops and couldn''t help but feel confident that they will win. ************************************************************************* The horse stopped its track and neighed. The man and woman reined in their horses and look in front of them and marvel at the structure in front of them The Walls are not up to par but it is still a magnificent fortress. This two people is Aero and Raina. Aero and Raina have finally reached Fort Vars. Looking at the walls; Aero knows what he needs to do first. He needs to repair the walls first before he did other things. If it is left like this, the enemy would easily break through. The moment they arrived Aero told the builders to construct and repair the dilapidated walls. Internal problem of the kingdom has cause the King to neglect the maintenance of this area which actually leads to this war. Aero could only sigh. Then Aero told the scouts to scout the areas for anything out of the ordinary and bring him a map of surrounding cities and settlements. Dan and Amy should have started coming here by now. Aero ordered them to pretend to go to Fort Elken to fool anyone that might suspect otherwise. After they split the thirty thousand NPCS soldiers still continued marching to Fort Elken. They will arrive here in another two days by Aero estimation. The tent has been prepared for him. The moment he entered skill window popped. -You have learned Recruit skill- Recruit [1] Beginner Enables you to recruit NPCs.This ability enables you to convert NPCs that is recruited by you to become Spy and Scout. More job option will be unlocked when proficiency increase. + 10 points to CHM + Unique skill for your class Now that''s interesting. Well since he got a new skill, he quickly check his status window. CHARACTER NAME Aero ALIGNMENT Neutral LEVEL 57 PROFESSION Grand Strategist TITLE None CONTRIBUTION Peasant ( Vanheim) CONTRIBUTION POINTS 5000 REPUTATION 800 FAME 550 ELEGANCE 0 HEALTH 5700+600 MANA 570+200 WILLPOWER 350 STRENGTH 125 AGILITY 575+200 HONOUR 50 STAMINA 154+40 WISDOM 390+80 INTELLECT 494 ENDURANCE 320 LUCK 99 CHARISMA 190+10 LANGUAGE 0 GRACE 100 LEADERSHIP 0 ATTACK 556 DEFENSE 242 MAGIC RESISTANCE DARK 5% LIGHT 0% FIRE 15% WATER 10% EARTH 0% WIND 0% + All stats are added 20 points in battle + Intellect is added extra 100 points + Enables equipping items for the secret class + Decrease mana consumption for Divine sword technique + 80 points added to Wisdom. + 30% increase to Stats on the Battlefield. + Easier to raise proficiency in any area. + Decrease in Mana Consumption for the Divine Sword Techniques based on level of INT + Gained ability to learn secret skills based on your level in Language. + Fame increase upon solving any quest involving the nobility. + Affinity with scholars increased. + Affinity with wise men increased + Easier to influence statesmen and scholars. + 10 points added to CHM + Can talk to spirit and understand divine meaning Aero gained Dark magic resistance during his journey in that snake hell. Aero shivers for a moment recalling his experience. He was always getting attacked in the dark by those gigantic snakes so he used Analyze frequently to see in that darkness. Seeing his stat windows like this makes him feel proud. All those stats are the effort of him grinding using unorthodox method to raise them. But Aero realized it is becoming harder to raise his stats. Could it be because of his secret class that he enjoyed the fast rise of his stats? And that''s why it became harder for him to raise it? Aero sighed. Then he remembered something He checked the stat Elegance. ELEGANCE By employing beautiful moves of the sword art you can increase this stat. increasing this stat enables you to increase the morale of your allies and easily confuse your enemies. Beautiful moves? ''Hmm'' he had to experiment with this whenever he can later. It also has the effect of increasing the morale of his allies. After finished checking he left some orders and then proceed to inspect the work being done in the Fort. ********************************************************************** It has been two days since he began the quest but it is already taking a toll on him. Aero only logged out to shower and sleep in the real world because of the war and how busy he is since he has to handle everything relating to the war effort. But Aero did not forget to check his mom condition in the hospital every day. Nurse Lisa said she''s fine and will call if anything happens. But still he could not help but to visit. He would bough flowers, sit beside her bed and tell her about the outside world and then he would return home After making sure everything is settled in the real world, Aero logged in and returned back to the Fort. The moment he sat in his makeshift chair in one of the guard house refitted into a temporary office, the scouts he sent ask to meet with him. Those are not his scouts that he converted, those are the Kingdom scouts. Maybe if he have a territory then he will convert the NPCs there as Scouts or Spies. After reading the report Aero frown a bit and then closes his eyes. There was silence in the tent as no one wanted to break the strategist concentration. A moment later he opens his eyes back. He reads from the report that there is a massive army that is heading here. Estimation of the soldiers is five hundred thousand. Thankfully, a new information also surfaces. Yesterday Aero finally got the information on who is leading them. Kyle. Kyle is a player known as a person that can be hired. To put it simply he is a mercenary. But leading armies? That''s something new. Aero guess he wanted recognition or maybe fame. There''s nothing wrong in being a mercenary in Brave World but it doesn''t get much respect from the players. Take for example, Zeus of Veva Kingdom. Every time player spoke of his name, they all say he is great warrior peerless under the heaven and unbeatable. Aero know the praise seems excessive but that just shows how many people respect Zeus as one of the top players in Brave World. Fame, glory, wealth. Zeus possess all this. He always did something impossible and from the rumors he has never turned down a duel. Known as the strongest it just seems to perpetuate his greatness. Maybe like Zeus, Kyle also wanted fame, glory and wealth. It is not something dirty. He is human. He of course wanted the world to recognize him. To want fame, glory and wealth is never wrong. Instead it is one of the most common human wants. And it also makes it easier for Aero. Aero knows is very important to know what drives your enemy. Only then can you exploit it against them In a few days Kyle will reach Fort Vars¡­and he had to be ready by then But right now Kyle should still be in the Forest of Erdanis. Probably in three days journey he will arrive here. This is a chance. Smiling, he stands up from his seat and summon Marco. Marco come upon him, kneel and Aero said slamming his hand on the table "Marco, relay my order. I''m moving out!" After making sure he have the necessary equipment, Aero assembled a one hundred man unit under him as they ride outside the Fort. The other soldiers will keep watch in the Fort Vars. But the man under Aero¡­.now, they are about to do something great ************************************************************************* IN THE MIDDLE OF ERDANIS FOREST The forest was vast. Trees lined up like soldiers and the sound of insects filled the background noise. The sun could no longer be seen in the horizon and night is approaching. The amry si also tired from the march. Kyle was looking at the forest ahead of him and then he asked Chris ''When will we reach Fort Vars?'' "We will reach Fort Vars in two days." Chris report. Kyle was thinking for a while and then decided to rest here today. It is evening and not long from now the sun will set. For players there are many skills that enables them to see at night but for the NPCs other than those powerful NPCs they would be severely disadvantage to march at night and also lowers morale. There is also the fact that the forest also has monsters. To fight in night time against monster is a fool''s errand. It would only sap the soldier''s strength. "Order the soldiers to set up the tent. We will sleep here tonight." Kyle ordered and Chris quickly executes the order with no question. This is what Kyle like most about Chris. His no nonsense attitude and diligent traits. The soldiers started unpacking like they couldn''t wait for it. The food is prepared by the military cooks. A lot of supplies are brought to accommodate all the troops. The smell of food could be smell all around the area. Considering it is five hundred thousand people setting up tent it is hard not to notice them. A few monsters was attracted by the smell and come closer to the area but they were easily killed by the soldiers. When the monster realizes that they could not get anything from these humans they all disperse. In the area however a festive atmosphere could be felt as the cooking of the chefs fills the nose of the soldiers. Thank God, Kyle brought merchants that have contract with the Royal family. Their capacity to store items is very different from other class. They are very important for the supplies of the troops as troops that do not eat will experience loss of morale. Kyle then entered his tent and talked with his general about the next course of action and discuss many military matters. They looked at the map of the terrain and strategized on how to take the Fort swiftly and minimize their casualties to the minimum. After bickering for a while they decided to resume their conversation tomorrow. They went to their tent and all went to sleep. That night when all of his troops started going to sleep Kyle who was getting ready to log out was startled, when he heard people screaming, "FIRE! FIRE!FIRE! Run for your lives!!" Quickly Kyle got out of his tent and was stunned after he saw what happened. The sight was the first thing he saw and it shocked him. The surroundings were filled with fire, as flames licked the tents and are spreading from tent to tents burning and devouring. Smokes rise up to the clouds and there is the only color he could see was the color of fire. Then suddenly from behind he could feel a sense of danger but he did not manage to dodge it as perfectly as he wanted. An arrow is now lodged itself on his back as blood drips from his back, drenching his leather shirt with blood. He was shot by an arrow. That arrow wounded him but did not kill him. Then he could hear screams from all over and sounds of body falling to the ground. Kyle quickly come to a conclusion.A night raid! Is it a big army? Or just a band of brave and powerful soldiers, the elite? Kyle is thinking it is a big army because he is hearing screams from all directions believing his soldiers are being attacked on all sides. Then another arrow shot one of the troops in front of his eyes. They were attacked by a barrage of arrows that rained down like water. It was chaos. The supplies tents were burned as supplies they so painstakingly stored turns to ashes and dust. The cavalry trying to run from the flames accidentally stampeded their own comrades as they tries to flee in panic without any coordination and discipline. In the distance Kyle could hear the screams of the NPCs burned by the fire. It is the sound of misery as they tried to tear their own skin because of the painful feeling of being burned alive. Not enough they were attacked by arrows; they were also attacked by fireballs and rock bullets. Their magicians are the target. Not knowing where attacks are coming from, all they could do is assuming a defensive formation. They also realized that they are trapped in a barrier of earth as Earth Wall segmented the path that Kyle soldiers could take. It is like the people who attacked tonight created a maze to play with Kyle. On the other side, Aero is slicing and killing the Vetten troops like a butcher in the morning market, with glee and precision. A hundred soldiers charged at him. All of them tried to land a hit but none connected. Aero crashed into their line of defense and started slashing with the Sword of Mars, dodging like he was the wind and slashing like he was fire. Aero whirled around through the ranks using his Alleviating skill slashing the troops one by one. With each strike he targeted vital parts of human body Heads and limbs flew away every time Aero slashed, bloods exploded out like it was fireworks in summer time. It was a sight full of gore. The other soldiers even though they were many in terms of number they were in a state of shock. After the fire burned about one hundred tents and look like they could regrouped another attack come to them. Suddenly they were shot by thousands of arrows coming down to the battlefield like it was rain. Hundreds of soldiers were turned into porcupine like dolls as their entire body was filled with arrows. Some people die kneeling down their entire upper body was like a target practice board, fills with hole. The fire and the maze of earth walls separated the massive army to nine sections like Aero planned. He used oil to create the trail throughout the camp, then he used Magicians to light up the place and Druids to use the fire as power for creating a barrier of earth thus trapping the troops in nine sections. It is a surprise attack. To be more accurate this is guerrilla warfare. After slicing about four hundred troops, mostly NPCs, Aero gave the order to retreat. "RETREAT!" As swift as the wind, the attack stopped. Because of the loss of many lives of the troop, morale has decreased by -5 Effect : Troops march will be slower. : Defense decreased by 5% : Attack decreased by 5% : The troops are in a state of shock After a few hours, Kyle checked the damage that has been done. Fifteen thousand troops died that night. Forty thousand were injured. Most of them died from the fire, and some others died from the smoke. There are also those that died because in their panic they tried to jump outside the barrier only to be burned when they reached outside of the barrier. For every adventurer that dies, they will be spawn at the Temple in Vetten. And once they die, they can''t do this quest anymore. That''s the rule. If you die while doing a quest you can''t do the same quest for a month in Brave World time. He has heard the report from the troops that survived. They say they were shot by arrows and attacked by a man using a silver sword. Aero, Kyle thought to himself He did this. Kyle looks at the aftermath of the battlefield and he sighed. Kyle sees the carnage that Aero has brought him. But the more important thing is that it means Aero has seen through his intention. But I thought he already went to Elken. Could it be Elken is a diversion? No, if Elken is a diversion the fort will fall to the Orcs. That night there were many that could not sleep all were in a state of vigilance fearing another attack. Now in the morning, Kyle finally realized that last night was a guerilla attack. If they had a big army, they wouldn''t need to retreat. Where is their hiding spot? Kyle wondered all day and even sent scouts and soldiers trying to find him. After burying the dead and storing the supplies they started marching again this time with tightened security measures. That night before the troop went to sleep they all checked the surrounding areas and started posting guards to patrol the tents. But still it doesn''t stop Aero terror towards them. Next morning about fifty six thousand of his troops died. "WHAT HAPPENED HERE, CHRIS?" Kyle shouted in anger toward Chris. "General..I¡­Uh¡­"Chris stammer "WHAT IS IT? I''M LOSING MY PATIENCE HERE." Kyle screams in almost a manic behavior. Chris then answered "They were poisoned. The food they ate last night was filled with snake venom and snake gall. The effect doesn''t show immediately. It is a slow acting poison, General" Chris answered meekly. Because of the fire attack and the poisoning a journey that is supposed to take two days is delayed. Still they marched but with lowered morale and increased stress. That night Kyle and his other commanders took special caution to their environment and the people making their food. Then after making sure nothing is wrong, Kyle logged out and slept in his bed while still slightly worrying about his army. He had a nightmare that night. After waking up, and logging into BW, he was greeted by a status window. A bad news like that nightmare was a foreshadowing. Because of the loss of many lives of the troop, morale has decreased by -30 Effect : Troops march will be slower. : Defense decreased by 15% : Attack decreased by 15% Kyle was visibly flustered reading this notification. Getting out from his tent; he could see thousands of corpses in the middle of the forest in front of his tent ready to be buried. Blood was everywhere around the tent. Kyle looked around and realized the healer division is not here. "Ch¡­Chri¡­CHRIS, What happened when I was gone?" This time he could no longer that he is truly dumbfounded with this event He stammered. Chris closes his eyes in regret and then he told Kyle. "General last night during the troops rest I heard our troops screaming'' Sighing Chris continued ''They were in our camp, General. They killed all of our supplies staff and healer division and looted the merchant''s bag. When I got there I realized what was happening, they already killed thousands of our troops. They were disguising themselves as our troops, General. That why we could never find them" Chris said while sobbing uncontrollably. Estimated damage is nine thousands of Kyle troops. Kyle has lost eighty thousand troops before he even reached Vars, before he even swing a sword at Vanheim army. ''To think Aero would use poison and fire to weaken us. I swear, Aero you will regret this'' Kyle vowed in his heart ''We might have lost many but we still have four hundred and twenty thousand troops. We can still take Fort Vars and take the capital.'' "Just you wait, Aero. I will have my revenge for this humiliation" ********************************************************************* Sorry for the two days delays. had a little problem in RL. And hope you like this chapter. leave some comments and vote if you can Chapter 17 WAR ON TWO SIDES The sound of neighing horses could be heard from a distance and the sound of people screaming and whipping the horse fills the forest. Behind them is the infantry moving with discipline. The ground trembles as footsteps fills the forest pathway leading to the Fort. The soldiers look determined and their disposition was grim. They know not all of them will return home to their family tomorrow. For the players however while they do not mind dying they at least need to get some benefit for it to be worth it. After marching out from Fort Vars, Aero and his army started riding with oil baggage to the Erdanis forest. Because he didn''t bring many comrades with him, his mobility and speed increased. He rides his horse leading his squad in silent. Some of the player soldiers whispers in silence looking at Aero. Aero look more like a scholar than a general. But none of them would try to belittle him. After all they all witness how bloody he could be in the heat of battle. In the night raid, Aero prove himself to be someone very decisive and not afraid to dirty his hand. Beneath that scholar exterior lies a sheathed sword ready to kill. Those who dare to underestimate Aero because of his appearance would surely taste bitter defeat In the forest other than the sound of the horse neighing and the trembling earth because of the march, no other sound could be heard. They all know what the operation is all about and they must not be spotted. Or to be more accurate their true intention must not be discovered. Aero is riding his horse leisurely look at the forest in front of him as he takes a break for a moment. His face and expression and his entire demeanor was calm which in turn instill trust in his leadership. Drinking from his leather flask, he then resumes his riding with his squad following closely behind. Aero is thinking again as he is on top of the horse. He is planning to do a guerrilla attack on Vetten camp after the scouts has found intelligence about the current camping position for the Vetten army. This is the most effective strategy in whittling large force of enemy soldiers. It also helps in lowering the enemy morale. Not to mention they are in enemy territory in a foreign land. They need more time to gain more information about the terrain but Aero already had the information on his hand. He knows the location of hills, of secluded places where trials begins and ends, he knows the locations of caves and hidden locations. In the Art of War it is said that one must identify the terrain so one would be prepared for any eventualities. His eyes shine with a gleam of excitement After about one day of riding his squad has finally detected the Vetten army from a distance. They all gulped when they saw the army. It was a sea of people. A sea of people from Vetten that will do their best to kill them. It is a massive army, of iron men and iron horse. Vetten might lack gold mines but they did not lack iron mines. One of the soldiers come beside Aero and asks ''Sir Aero, what should we do now? When will the operation be commenced?'' Aero did not answer immediately. He ponders the question, his eyes look at the enemy soldiers in the distance, Aero rub his chin as he looks at the massive army in front of him that cover this portion of the forest. To rush in like this will of course be like throwing an egg into a rock. Aero could hear their marching steps from such a long distance; he could see the smoke rising up from their camps and could feel the bloodlust and ambition. The moment Aero saw their tents he is greeted by a quest update. KINGDOM QUEST (UPDATE) THE INVASION OF ORCS THE WAR ON TWO SIDES King George has asked you to lead the armies to defeat the Orcs army that is marching to Vanheim. But because of your acuity and wisdom you have discovered that it is Vetten Kingdom that is behind these attacks to weaken Vanheim. Your objective has changed. Repel the invasion on two sides. Reward: Fame increase : Reputation increase : Contribution points : Honor points : Will be granted the opportunity to be a part of the nobility : Gold 90000 : Will be granted the permission to see The Secret Archive (You see this message because of your unique class) : Friendship with the King increase. : Intellect Increased By 15 Point (15 INT) : Wisdom Increased By 15 Point (15 WIS) : Leadership Increased By 50 Point (50 LEA) ''Hmm. I expected this quest might pop up. It is hard being right. My conjecture was right and I don''t like it one bit'' By now there is no doubt in Aero heart about how this invasion is about to take place. ''Vetten was the one that is persuading Gruk to attack Vanheim borders. While the Orc terrorize the North, Vetten will march to the Capital and conquered Vanheim. In a way it is ingenious'' Aero admired. A good enemy is always worth celebrating. After all any good story had their villains. Aero is not interested in becoming a hero but every story needs its villain. While he is not about to paint himself as a hero, he had no qualms of painting others to become the villain. Aero studied the Art of War. It is usually used in business nowadays but people sometime forget that in the ages past it is used to wage war. Of course, it is not the only book Aero reads. He reads about Napoleon tactics, Alexander brilliant tactics in his Conquest and many more. But in the Art of War Sun Tzu said war is a matter of vital importance to the State. It is matter of life and death which is why its study could never be neglected. The Art of War then is governed by five factors, when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field. The Moral Law, Heaven, Earth, Commander and Method and Discipline. It appears from what follows that Sun Tzu means by "Moral Law" is a principle of harmony. But it could also be understood as morale Morale is one of the important factors in leading an army. "Without constant practice, the officers will be nervous and undecided when mustering for battle; without constant practice, the general will be wavering and irresolute when the crisis is at hand." That is what Aero read and he also agree with it. Morale causes the people to be in complete accord with their general so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger And following a righteous ruler how could one morale not soar. It is always less burdening on one mind when you are standing on the right side. Which is why propaganda is very important even until today. In a war, the government, the rulers, need to convince their people that they are on the right side. A war might be fought over benefits but it must not be presented insuch way to the public. Because the one that is going to die is not the politician that lives high in their tall towers and high walls but the young people who are stupid enough to fall for the propaganda. In democracy it is propaganda, in a dictatorship it is the bludgeon Then what is Heaven? It could be understood as the condition of the world. It signifies night and day, cold and heat, times and seasons. For example don''t attack in winter. Earth comprises distances, great and small; danger and security; open ground and narrow passes; the chances of life and death. The Commander stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, courage and strictness. No one wanted to follow a person bereft of such virtues. And those who follows such a person would one day be defeated by another force and easily infiltrated for an army who only prioritize self-interest could easily crumble internally. Method and discipline are to be understood the marshaling of the army in its proper subdivisions, the graduations of rank among the officers, the maintenance of roads by which supplies may reach the army, and the control of military expenditure. Understand and master them, a general will always be victories and will not fail. Which is why Aero made these calculations a long time ago. In his deliberations when seeking to determine the military condition he made a basis of comparison. Out of Vetten King and Vanheim King which one is imbued with Moral law. Out of those two which is in harmony with his subject? The subject is the noble. And the people. The answer is of course King George. After all right now while he did not gain the nobles allegiance, they are powerless. And the people? They are being invaded of course the people would heed any order of the King. Then one must consider which of the leading general of the two kingdoms have more ability? Aero did not like to toot his horns but he think he would fare better than Kyle. It is not arrogance. It is confidence borne out of preparations and detailed planning. With whom lies the advantage of heaven and Earth of predicting the weather and the terrain? On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced? Aero made sure the military law is upheld and anyone knows this. He might look like a scholar but he will not hesitate to chop of head whether it be players or NPCs soldiers who dares to break the military law. Of course there is other consideration he made but the only reason Aero decided to accept the quest is because he is confident he can win it. In just a moment, his thought has flown so high and far from this battlefield and he could already almost see the complete picture. All warfare is based on deception he muttered under his breath and he smiles. Then looking at the Captain rank soldier Aero said with that smile on his face ''We will follow their movement and hide ourselves. I want all information about them by sunset. Separate our group into nine squads.'' Aero then explained about how to separate the squads. Every section will be entrusted to ten players. When Aero was choosing players to come with him, he only chose people that he knew is capable. There is this one archer that can shoot one hundred arrows in one shot. But the mana consumption of this skill is very high. And this archer also have weak defense. So Aero put a bunch of warriors as his bodyguard. Then after that Aero will follow their movements stealthily and hide the soldiers amongst the natural hiding spots in the forest when the Vetten Army took a rest. At the same time Aero used the reports from his scouts and from the intel he got in the Capital he managed to mapped vital points in the area. The plan is moving smoothly. Aero is planning a fire attack. When the Vetten Army stop and pitch their tent, it was a signal for their operation to begin. And once again he will make use of Druids nature manipulation and order them to silently spread oil in trails through the camp by using their magic. Lighting up the camp by magicians fireballs will be as easy as waving their sleeve at that point. But it is also important to separate the soldiers in the chaos that will surely follow to maximize the damage. Aero will use Druids ability to create Earth Walls when we attack them. This will trap the enemies. The magicians, he tasked them to bring more chaos by hurling fireballs and Rock bullets. Magicians and Druids have high mana as their initial stats. They were gifted a high mana stats from the beginning of their registration. Even though HP and mana can only rise through level up or by wearing magical item there are certain classes that are given high base stats for mana and health. Those who have high stat in strength are usually Orcs and warrior type class. But Aero class level up like usual. When he changed his class the only base stat that got higher than usual was his intellect and wisdom. Even though he didn''t have high mana pool, his regeneration of mana is very fast thanks to his wisdom stat. In a way he might not have high mana, but he could fire more in the same amount of time that magician could have. But unfortunately he didn''t have magician magic but many of his skills are already powerful. Most of his skills involves swordsmanship but also uses mana which makes him like a fusion of a magic swordsman. Going back to the task at hand, since this is the forest, the fire will undoubtedly take a lot of their troop''s life when utilizing the terrain advantage that is the forest He will use this opportunity to spread chaos and kill as many NPCs as he can. Considering his strength and being aided with his trusted sword Aero knows he got this That night after making sure that most of Vetten soldiers have gone to sleep, he began his plan. At first they moves stealthily as the archers stealthily aim at the patrols while magicians immobilize the other patrols. And then Aero brought Hell to them as chaos reigned and flames devour the camps and the soldiers like a world devouring wolf. It was a great success. Many died because of the fire and the chaos the soldiers created. During that chaos Aero took that opportunity to disguise himself as the cook. This is also one of his plans When he found the cook, he killed him and burned his face beyond recognition before throwing the cook body down a canyon. Using disguise skill Aero have also successfully smuggled his troops to blend in with the Vetten troops in the wake of their tragedy for the second part of the plan. After Vetten Army have finished burying their comrades, Aero was tasked to make food as they have to continue to march to the Fort. Aero was smiling all the time he was cooking Using this chance, he used the gigantic snake venom and their galls he painstakingly gathered to poison the Vetten troops. Aero originally intended to smear it to his sword and give it the imbued effect of poisoning. But thinking about his current situation this task takes precedence and this will kill a lot of people more than if he uses it to kill with his sword. The venom he put in their water supply, in their reserve water and the well they dug. The gall he crushed and sprinkled it on their foods supplies as it assimilate itself making them undetectable to the naked eyes. After that he distributed the food. The Vetten troops nightmare is just beginning. ''HAHAHAHA'' he was laughing in his head. There is also some benefits in poisoning people. His skill Poison concoction rises to level 6 Beginner after concocting so many poisons to give to the Vetten troops. Poison Concoction [6] Beginner Enables concocting poison from venomous substance. When your proficiency increases you can concoct poison from other stuff. Using this skill, Aero concoct the poison from the snake venom that he collected like a mad alchemist, concocting when he had spare time. Like he expected, the next morning, many members of Vetten army died because of poisoning. His level rose like mad. Considering he is not the only cook in the army the other cooks were investigated by the Investigative Bureau of Vetten Army. On the other hand Aero had already disguised himself as another person that he killed last night. Aero hid that soldier''s body somewhere in the forest. Now seeing the anguished face of their General, Kyle is so amusing. In the times he was there, Aero also noted the important players and NPcs, and analyze their behavior and tendencies. Know you enemy and you will win every battle. Next plan was already underway as days after days morale is plummeting in the Vetten camp. Aero troops were already perfectly positioned for the last attack before Aero and his band of small army returned back to Vars. Aero soldiers numbered around eighty men which is enough for another raid. Unfortunately fire is a double edged weapon and twenty of Aero comrades died during the fire. But it is a necessary sacrifice. To win without dying in a war is not easy. That night Kyle tightened the security. They even sent scouts to scour the forest for Aero and his companions. Unfortunately by that time Aero was already in the camp, to the dismay of Vetten forces who still didn''t know what will happen to them After making sure everyone was asleep that night, Aero and his eight men began their slaughter. They killed them silently and swiftly. And easily Aero and his men crept to their beddings and slit their throats like killing an unconscious unarmed men. It is not honorable. But this is war. It is not Aero is killing innocent people. When people signed up to become soldiers and participate in war they should know that death is always a possibility. As long as Aero kills enemy soldiers he will not feel what he did is unhonorable. But killing civilians, unless it is to achieve some objectives will be the last measure. He and his men targeted magicians, druids, merchants that were helping supplying the Vetten troops, healers and Blacksmiths. It is the high value targets. After all magicians could deal AOE attack By the time they realized they were being slaughtered, Aero and his men have already killed so many of them. After their presence was detected they quickly retreated and rode as fast as they can to Fort Vars, laughing and enjoying themselves at a job well done. At least he and his men have slowed the Vetten march and weakened a bit of their military power. But seeing for himself that massive army, in all probability, Fort Vars will fall. That conclusion was what Aero had predicted and is also what probably will happen. But for some reason, he was not worried. It is a small victory but nonetheless is it not the end yet. The war is still ongoing¡­and in war nothing is constant as war itself is the representation of chaos. Players that followed Aero could only see grim expressions from him. Secretly in their hearts, they were all thinking the same thing...that they will lose. God help us all. ************************************************************************* Sorry guys a little late. tonight I will try to edit two chapter a bit faster. For now, hope you enjoy this one Chapter 18 WAR OF SUPREMACY The horses stop their neighing and the infantry stopped their march. They look in front of them and many of them have relief expression written all over their face. Finally they arrived at the Fort after many difficulties on the forest, exhausted and full of scars. Aero took a moment before he himself feeling relived. He has made his calculations and he is sure of it. He can win this. Aero brought a lot of weapon supplies and food to the Fort. Quickly Raina added this to the Fort supply to the joy of the soldiers stationed there.. Aero estimated that in one day time Vetten troops will reach here, or maybe two days considering what he did to them. Delaying¡­..is also a tactic. After all if there is one thing that is most important in warfare it is time Even though the night raid and fire tactic may not make that much of a difference in terms of their military power but at least it is a good reap for Aero. He is now level 87 because of the effort he did. He checked his status window. CHARACTER NAME Aero ALIGNMENT Neutral LEVEL 87 PROFESSION Grand Strategist TITLE None CONTRIBUTION Peasant ( Vanheim) CONTRIBUTION POINTS 5000 REPUTATION 800 FAME 550 ELEGANCE 0 HEALTH 8700+600 MANA 870+200 WILLPOWER 350 STRENGTH 125 AGILITY 575+200 HONOUR 50 STAMINA 154+40 WISDOM 405+80 INTELLECT 509 ENDURANCE 320 LUCK 99 CHARISMA 190+10 LANGUAGE 0 GRACE 100 LEADERSHIP 50 ATTACK 556 DEFENSE 242 MAGIC RESISTANCE DARK 5% LIGHT 0% FIRE 15% WATER 10% EARTH 0% WIND 0% + All stats are added 20 points in battle + Intellect is added extra 100 points + Enables equipping items for the secret class + Decrease mana consumption for Divine sword technique + 80 points added to Wisdom. + 30% increase to Stats on the Battlefield. + Easier to raise proficiency in any area. + Decrease in Mana Consumption for the Divine Sword Techniques based on level of INT + Gained ability to learn secret skills based on your level in Language. + Fame increase upon solving any quest involving the nobility. + Affinity with scholars increased. + Affinity with wise men increased + Easier to influence statesmen and scholars. + 10 points added to CHM + Can talk to spirit and understand divine meaning The amount of mana he has enabled him to use once again his favorite''s technique, Divine Sword Technique and Sacred Sword Finger. He was always frustrated with this skill. Usually when proficiencies increase mana consumption decreases. But this technique on the other hand increases the mana consumption. They must be a way to rectify this. Maybe after he identifies the book he will understand. There is the book of Lizhu Gerard that he got after solving the Sage request. For some reason he believes the answer is in that book. His intellect point is now 509. Yet he still can''t read that book. Aero believes there are some requirements before he can read the book. His decision to brought only one hundred men has also helped him to gain level faster because of the EXP pool that has to be distributed is lower This decision of his also strengthen the other 80 players. Because of that they got a lot of EXP and raised their level and their attack has become harder to deal with. This will surely help in the coming battle and Aero could raise them an elite unit in protecting him or as a shock troop. Though he could not do anything for the other twenty troops that died during his raid, he promised their family rewards when they got back. After all he must demonstrate that military merit be rewarded and military law must be upheld. If Vanheim win this war, the loot will be more than enough to satisfy the players and the people. War to make profit¡­not to burden the treasury. If he could do this, then would the anti-war faction in the court have anything to say? Meanwhile as Raina is training her archer squad, Aero is in the war tent. Aero was in his tent thinking of how to defeat the impending threat that is coming towards him in the form of a massive army. As he was concentrating in the tent he heard the troops outside. They were speaking loudly and celebrating as the sound of cheers could be heard even in here. Then the announcement sounded informing the whole fort of who has arrived. Aero smiles a bit. He got up from his chair. He straightened his robe. The guard behind him followed him. He walks outside the tent to welcome his companion. His steps were calm but there is a valiant air around him. Amy and Dan have arrived in Fort vars. Amy and Dan presence are undeniable among the troops. They are well liked and respected by the troops. Dan is liked because of his friendliness and Amy is for her beauty. Not that, Aero would ever acknowledge her beauty. Coming from him, she will take it as an insult. Aero decided to go out to greet them. As he walks through the open crowd any players or NPCs soldiers that saw him gave him way. For the NPCs they felt fear and they would obey this adventurer because he has the ears of the Kings. For the players it was a sign of respect. "Dan, welcome back. How''s the journey?" Aero said as he shakes hand shoulders. Dan shakes his head. ''We''ll talk in the tent then'' Aero said. Dan nodded. Escorted by the guards Dan and Amy entered into the tent. Aero noticed that Dan armors were slathered with mud. Patting the dust on his armor and wiping the mud away, Dan replies "Uneventful'' He replies to Aero earlier question. Aero nodded, though there is a smile on his face. ''Though, we were stuck in a swamp for a while because of the bandits that tried to terrorize one of the villages." That explains the mud. Aero thought to himself. Then Aero take a seat. He took out his feather fan and leisurely fanning his face. "So did you do what I asked?" Aero asked as gestures Dan to do the same. Dan rolls his eyes and takes a seat Amy has already seated herself on one of the wooden chairs without waiting for any permission and already ordered some people to bring refreshment. "We did exactly what you said. After we had made sure everyone believed we were heading to Elken, we turned back." Dan replied "Alright. Good.'' Aero smiles as his plan is slowly coming into fruition. Looking at Dan terrible appearance he raised his eyebrows and said ''Then rest first. We have a lot to discuss after this." Dan nodded as he got out of Aero tent and escorted by foot soldiers to his prepared tent. Amy didn''t leave. She sit there drinking the refreshment Aero looked at Amy but he didn''t greet her. There is this heavy silence and awkward silences that seems to fill the tent. Amy sometimes glances towards him but most of the times she finished the grapes that was offered as refreshment here Aero is still fanning his face, looking as elegant as a scholar in ancient times. Aero don''t want to think ridiculous thoughts in his head, so it''s better if his relationships with her is like this. He tries to distance himself from her in terms of emotional entanglements. Then, he heard her. "What''s up?'' she ask, with a slight bashful cheeks This is the first time she greeted Aero first. Usually it would be either a yell or a roar. This is a rare moment. And just like that all that talk about wanting to distance himself from entanglement with this woman went out of the window. ''Fuck me'' Aero thought to himself Wanting to tease her, Aero chuckles before he looked up into the sky. The tent is an open air tent. Seeing the birds flying in the clouds Aero replies to her question "I don''t know," said Aero, "I''ve never been there."'' "What? What do you mean?" Then looking at the direction where Aero is looking Amy cheeks flushed red Then she finally realized Aero was teasing her. Her face became red. "Why do you have to be such a jerk?" she started raising her voice. Her face red with embarrassment.....and by God that seems cute. Cuter than he thought it would be Whoa. Stop thinking like that, Aero. Fuck! Expletive words and warning words all is ringing in his mind right now. This woman is dangerous. Really dangerous "I don''t know, really. It just seems more fun being one" said Aero while trying to hold his laughter. Aero answer and his gesture just make her madder. Then like always Aero and Amy continue their verbal fight again. Dan returned back to the war tent when he heard the commotion. Clearly sensing that they''re heading into a fistfight, Dan who has returned back into the tent calmed her down, patting her back while Aero was chuckling relaxing on his chair. Amy then humphed at him and then stomped away. Dan sighed and shakes his head looking accusingly at Aero "I''m curious, Aero. Why do you always have to fight with her?" asked Dan. Aero put up his hand up in a surrendering gesture and said with a smirk "Well, she always starts the fight. So, I just want to see why starting a fight is so fun." Aero replied calmly like nothing happened "And was it fun?" Dan ask weakly like he is giving up trying to make them both being in a room without making a mess "Incredibly" Aero replies as he was smiling. "Glad to know you still have your sense of humor, Aero, considering our situation" Aero waves his hand gesturing that there is nothing to worry about. Dan sometime feel exasperated with Aero lack of caution. Dan was thinking if they lose this war, obviously Vanheim will be destroyed and with it, all of his effort and the efforts of his friend. They could choose to stay and convert to become other kingdom citizens, but Dan doubts the enemy commander would let them leave alive. Not when Dan and his band of men are so enthusiastic in repelling them. Letting them stay will only invite more trouble. Losing this war means that Dan and his friend would have to find another state to settle. Then they would need to start again establishing familiarity with the townspeople. To be honest, Dan liked where he is now. Considered as friend by King George, he always snatched great quests that offers great rewards and experience. He also didn''t have to worry about supplies anymore after being the friend of the King. The nobles help him in his supplies, the merchants reduce the price for him and soldiers of the Kingdom respect him. They even sometimes help him in his quest. What''s not to like in his current situation? This kingdom is like his safe haven, providing for him to grow. And he also grew attached to some of the NPCs and players he got to know in this Kingdom. But Aero still seems aloof like he is outside of this situation. Didn''t he know what is at stake here? "I never lost it." Aero said referring to Dan question about his humor while grinning at Dan. Once again, Dan could not help but shakes his head as he could not understand this person thoughts. "Hah¡­.I shouldn''t talk at all." '' Now, let''s talk about war'' Aero said Then Aero keep him up to speed and reported some matters to him. Dan nodded and promised he will relay this to the other members of his team. Dan started heading back to his tent again after finishing his conversation with Aero. He and Amy logged out for a while to rest. Then a few hours later he returned back to the fortress with Amy. After a few hours of reorganization of the squads under them and Amy calming down from Aero antics, the Vanheim Army began their war council to discuss the threats that they are facing. Inside the room, the atmosphere was heavy. Aero sit on one of the chairs sipping wine while fanning his face with a white feather fan, looking unconcerned. Dan thought that if this is an act, Aero deserves an Oscar. ''Our troops will be besieged by four hundred and twenty thousand troops. Iron men and iron horses'' That was his first words. And he said it in a tone like he was discussing the weather outside. Carefree and unconcerned The people inside the tent became silent and the atmosphere becomes heavier. Dan then asked the most important question. ''Can we defend the Fort?'' The officer then all looked at Aero. Aero smiles but he did not answer. With all people staring at him Aero should have ben uncomfortable but he was not even flustered. HE took another sip of wine and then putting down his wine cup he said calmly ''I guess we have to see. For now we could erect fortifications, plants some trap near the forest heading to this Fort and defend as well as we can'' and he waved his fan, fanning his face again The other military officials nodded and did not press Aero for any more questions. After all it is too early to give up Then one of the officers name Ferlin said ''Under Strategist Aero orders, we have weakened a bit of their military power by raiding their camp a few days ago. Sir Aero also participate in the raid'' Then Ferlin proceeded to recount how brave Aero in the battle, swinging his sword reaping enemy head like he was razing grass with a scythe and how he charged in with ten men to take onforty men in a desperate charge. Aero did not encourage this officer but neither did he discourage him. After all it would be beneficial for morale but Aero mind right now is not limited in this Fort. He is thinking further and he keeps his card near his heart. Strategist Aero, it seems the soldiers began calling Aero like that after the success of his Fire and Poisons Stratagem. Raiding in flames, taking advantage after the poison has been administered, these two tactics have brought considerable damage to the Vetten army. Hearing it from the others that followed him during the raid just makes him look more fearsome. How daring is it to try doing that. If he died during that raid, he, as one of the Commander of Vanheim army would stand to lose so many things. Or is he just reckless? Some players suggested. Dying is nothing for adventurers. Dying in war quest¡­now that is different Reckless? No, that''s not Aero. He is a calculating person. The only reason he did that is because he believes he would survive. That''s the Aero Dan and his friends know. An opportunistic and cunning bastard After that matter being spoken, Aero started outlining their plans to defend the fort. Many tactics were considered. In the end, there were some steps outlined. For now the troops will place the training of the new soldiers and players to accept orders as the top priority. Scouts are also sent to scout the surrounding areas to determine any hidden threat or a place that could be used to stage an ambush or sneak attack. The weapon is also sharpened and created by the blacksmith players and experienced NPCs who have already great proficiency and mastery in making weapons to arm the soldiers. Vanheim might not be as mighty as it once was, but it is still one of the superpower nation here in the Eastern Continent The supplies are covered by a talented player who is proficient in dividing supplies and arranging inventory of the military supplies. Aero had thought to recruit him after the war but the guy wanted to remain anonymous as he only help because he lives in Vanheim. The healer division is also at the ready for injuries and any diseases that might crop up. Thanks to Aero raids and bringing back supplies from the Vetten troops, the NPCs troops have been equipped with metal armor and steel swords that is of higher quality. Iron men and iron horses. That is what Aero said about Vetten soldiers. They have large iron mine and their output in producing iron is higher than Vanheim. It is why they could outfit their soldiers with high quality armaments. But even though Aero called them iron men and iron horses, in the end they are still men and horses are still horses. One way or another they could still die. If even iron could be melted what is a mere flesh and blood? In the past people build walls to stop barbarians The Romans built the Hadrian Walla and the Chinese built the Great Wall of China. People all said they could not be breached. Such long and high walls. But as long as they are made by men, guarded by men, there will always be flaws. There is no walls that couldn''t be breached in this world. But Aero must admire the tenacity of the Vettenian. It is truly amazing that the Vetten Kingdom who was being suppressed by Vanheim can still create such high quality weapons and armor. It is thanks to their abundance of iron mines and deposits of rare ores in many of their regions. Aero also explained to the officers that he believes the Vetten Kingdom has bet everything in this war. With that massive army it''s all or nothing. But it is also all or nothing for Vanheim. And this is a turning point in Vanheim history. If they lose they would lose everything. But if they won...a new history could be written If they win, Aero theorize, barring any unexpected circumstances, Vanheim will unite the Eastern Continent. And from there...Aero smiles just thinking about it This is a war for supremacy. And Dan looking at Aero relaxing in his chair knows what Aero is aiming for. Aero wanted to make himself the main character of this new era of warfare. To bring about a new dynasty that rules over the Vilajeri Continent, to unite the disparate kingdoms and nation under one banner once again and to become famous and rich with his exploits in the games. Aero wanted to lead the era¡­.and Dan also did not want to be left behind in this new era. The curtain of this play has been lifted. Shakespeare once said "All the world''s a stage. And all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts" Now, the actors and actress has begun introducing themselves and slowly taking the center stages. The dawn of that era will be decided in this war. ************************************************************************* First chapter for today. the second chapter will come shortly. If you like the story please vote for it. Thank you and hope you enjoy the story Chapter 19 GOLDEN LION FORT ELKEN HIGHEST FLOOR THE OBSERVATORY TOWER "Vanheim sleep in peace and without fear even when they were surrounded by wolves for they knew a lion was among them" - The Anecdotes of Gilliard Mason on Duke Bradheim- ***************************************************************************************************** A young man was standing looking down from his observatory tower as the wind blows gently on his flowing golden hair. His face is fierce and manly. He was muscular and he wears a lion armor, a metal white silver armor with a crest of a Lion. He had a dragon gait and firm tiger steps, with his vigor and prestige that unknowingly overflowed out and with the normal military valor, that it could made many of his enemies frightened He is the symbol of the military of Vanheim, the defender of the Kingdom and the General that have been loved by the people. His eyes are clear and full of determination. But, his eyes also have worries. He then sighed. The man standing at this observatory tower is none other than the famous Duke Bradheim, one above all, below only under one person. Bradheim is the stepbrother of King George of Vanheim. Born from a different mother, he has never let that fact bring him down. At a young age he learned tactics and strategy so that one day he might defend the Kingdom. In his teen he follows his Royal Father hunting and makes a name for himself in the military. Old Generals cast a lot of support for him. He fought in the expedition against Vetten and Niovar, making a name for himself in the battlefield as the Golden Lion of Vanheim Strong and charismatic, he was different from George who is always at the library and spending time with that old cuckoo they called Sage. He has always see his brother talent as inconsequential in creating a powerful Kingdom. Everyone believed that Bradheim will be appointed as King. But this belief did not extend to his own Royal father. His Royal father on his deathbed chooses his older brother, George. George is known to have health issues long before he even took the throne. He didn''t believe that George could rule as King for long and will brought Vanheim mighty reputation to crumble. But he also could not rebel openly and brought the Kingdom to a civil war which will weaken the Kingdom offensive capability against other threats. They were too many wolves eyeing Vanheim covetously So, he endures and compromise. He chose honor above power. He asked his brother to give him a state so he might rule. This was unusual to say the least but half of the officials in the court agreed and all the military faction supported Bradheim George then unwillingly gave him a state to rule not because he wants to but because George himself fears his political clout and military power that Bradheim could exercise in the Capital. Away from the capital, the King could sleep easy. But that was a mistake as Bradheim could now develop his forces without the prying eyes of the Capital. The King was afraid to refuse and concocted a reason to justify his decision. If Aero was there during that day, he will surely not hesitate to assassinate Bradheim instead letting the Lion get out of the Capital. He will do whatever it takes to make sure that Bradheim would not step even a foot outside the Capital gate. He could only leave as a corpse. That is how dangerous Bradheim was in Aero estimation. Letting him leave was like letting a tiger back into the forest, like letting the fish swimming in water. Arriving at the area where the King bestowed him the territory to be a state he named that state Bradheim based on his name. Bradheim settled there and built his foundation defending the borders and pacifying the region winning the hearts of the common people. He believed his brother will face much opposition to his rule. And true enough his brother has so many entities that worked against him. The nobles resistance, the neighboring countries provocations, and the Orcs raids. Sensing that his brother rule will not last long and his dethronement and death would cause chaos to the Kingdom he hatched a plan. He bided his time and waited. He trains his soldiers and reserves his strength. Then when just he was about to strike, George abdicated. It was an unexpected move. His brother by not naming a successor created a deadlock so he couldn''t just march to the capital with no good reason. The fact that the king is still alive at that time is also what preventing others from naming an heir to the Kingdom. And the subsequent chaos and instability that followed forces the nobles hand. Then in not more than a month his brother successfully gained the people support and unlimited power was handed to him. An absolute monarch in name and in practice. He pacify the chaotic Kingdoms, gains the people approval and their hearts, forces the nobles to acquiesce to his demands and the Temples to wholeheartedly support him in his endeavors. Suddenly, from an incompetent King, he was suddenly elevated to a wise king rarely seen through the ages by the people and now become a major headache for the nobles who have been winning the game in the courts all this time Bradheim thought George was an incompetent ruler. But what happened in this past couple of weeks shattered his perceptions. After extensive research and information gathering he found out who helped George. ''No wonder, my brother can succeed'' Bradheim thought after he reads the report. He has able advisors to advise him and a terrifying genius strategist that schemed for him. Bradheim couldn''t help but acknowledge the person who helped George. Bradheim did want to try to recruit the adventurer named Aero after that incident but his informant in the capital says he is loyal to George. Right now in this Kingdom the only one who holds military power is only him and George. After George uses his edict to forces the nobles to contribute their soldiers to the war effort, the Royal Army is now as strong as it is in the past But Bradheim could see this is a scheme. It is just the King wanting to put all the military power under him like the Emperors of Old By now, if Bradheim could not guess the intention of that Strategist beside George, he would surely have wasted his learning all this years. Bradheim understand why the war was waged and why it is important to win. The strategist wanted Vanheim to become the sole hegemon of the Eastern continent, to unify the kingdoms and gain the right for supremacy Bradheim could have never imagine that the words uttered by his father so long time ago is true George is weaker than him, thus he knows more how to appreciate talent. He, Bradheim was blessed from young and as such extremely remarkable and a little stubborn headed. From what he reads in the reports George did not hesitate to follow the strategist plans even though it would have humiliated him His humbleness while it did not won him the admiration of the military factions it is a weapons most effective to persuade a talent to join him. After all who wouldn''t like to be flattered? Bradheim could never do this. He was prideful since young. Aero saw this quality in George. A wise monarch is not a monarch that wins war all the time for so many monarch in the world that is called wise monarch rarely employs war as their grand achievement. A reason why wise monarch is immortalized as such is because in their reign their kingdom or empire enjoys peace and prosperity. Whether that peace and prosperity gained through war is unimportant. What is important if the war brings prosperity or not. In the Chinese history there is Han Wudi. The Emperor Wu of Han while he did expand the territory he did so by taxing the empire to sponsor his military campaigns that seems never-ending. There were many peasant revolts throughout the empire during his time. And as such he was looked upon by historian with ambivalence. Taizong of Tang also expands the territory with war. But in history he was typically considered to be one of the greatest emperors in China history and even his reign became regarded as the exemplary model against which all future emperors were measured What is the difference between these two monarchs? Under Taizong, Tang dynasty flourished economically and militarily. This era of consolidation and conquest laid the foundation for Xuanzong''s reign, which is considered to be the height of the Tang dynasty. But Han Wudi left a problem for his descendant. What he did was great. That is undisputable. But it is also because of his expansion without planning that slowly eroded the Imperial authority. He bites off more than he can chew. There is a story about Augustus the emperor that brought the golden age to the Roman Empire in almost every sense, politically, economically and culturally. He took interest in Virgil epic account of Rome origins and thus the Aeneid was born. He completed Caesar project the vast Basilica Julia. In Res Gestae, Augustus claimed to have restored or built eight two temples in one years. Agrippa his general started Rome first large public bath. He boasted that he had found Rome a city of brick but left it a city of marble. But the Great Emperor of Rome, the Father of the Roman Empire advised Tiberius to expand the Empire no further. His descendants clearly didn''t get the memo and all try to emulate their Father of the Roman Empire, expanding until the British Isle. A large empire which has thin perimeter defense of legionary and auxiliary forts could not hold of the vast empire from its enemies and because of overextension, the mighty Roman Empire slowly being chipped away and fall. What does this teach? Winning war does not make one to be immortalized as a wise monarch. Making the people lives prosperous is a measure of a wise monarch And Aero is shaping George to be like that. A wise monarch accompanied by a wise advisor. How many rulers in the world desire to possess such beautiful relationship between superior and subordinate? Because of Aero, George right now possesses such powerful influence that he could take military power from Bradheim and the common people would not bat an eye. They gave George the authority to do so. But George did not do so. By not taking his military power it shows how smart George really is. Or is it his advisors that are smart? If George takes Bradheim military power after the war nobody will complain. If they win, it would only add legitimacy to his rule. If they lose, then that would be explained as to bolster the forces for defending the Kingdom. Either way, Bradheim power will be diminished. To be honest it''s not like Bradheim has treasonous thoughts from the beginning. He just wants the Kingdom he loves and sacrifice his youth for to become strong. If George is really capable, he will gladly be loyal to him¡­.but all the years he saw this stepbrother of his, he never seems capable and fall short of Bradheim own expectations of what a mighty King should be. Many that are loyal to George see Bradheim as someone who is hungry for power. But that is not his character or his disposition. If he was truly hungry for power he would have already rebelled with his legions during that day after the will of his royal father was announced. Now the Orcs are attacking, backed by Vetten gold. This is probably the gravest crisis that Vanheim has ever faced since the Hegemony War. And now¡­..he has a choice to make He got a letter from Aero, George strategist. Enclosed in it was the information about Vetten conspiracy and Aero intention to repel the invasion of Vetten in Fort Vars. In the letter is also a plan written for him. Bradheim knows it''s not only a plan, it is a test. A test designed to see whether he is loyal to the crown. But the plan that Aero enclosed in the letter amazes Bradheim. To think he could form a plan without even seeing the battlefield is an amazing thing to do. But what is the most amazing than this was that Aero knows who he is. Not his name or other information about him but information about his personality. Unlike others, Aero did not see Bradheim as a hungry lion but as a proud King of the Jungle. A lion that did not want to be ruled someone weaker than him. An honorable and prideful person. And because Aero knows that, he dares sent the letter and ask for his help. George will not dare. Nor his other loyal officials and generals who shares George doubt about his allegiance If it works this Aero shall be no commoner and will surely be promoted into officialdom and become the King most trusted advisor. Now he must decide. Will he take this chance to betray his brother or save his Kingdom only to give the military power to George if he wins? Bradheim is still thinking in the tower. He looks down and he could see the villages and his city and then he looks upwards and he saw the blue skies and white clouds as the winds pushing the clouds and reveals the blue skies. And he sighed. ''Being peaceful in times of chaos is easier said than done. Being cruel is easier. To ride the time or to change the times? Which one is easier and which one could be done?'' He muttered to himself There is not much time. He must decide. And he must decide fast. Then he closes his eyes and crumpled the letter on his hand as a look of determination appears inside his eyes. ''Did you all think the lion is sleeping because he didn''t roar?'' Then he smiles ************************************************************************* The Orcs have almost arrived in Fort Elken. Bradheim has sent his troops to engage them in the distance by employing raids and surprise attacks. There are not many casualties in the first day on Vanheim side. Yesterday he himself did not lead his men to battle. Today he will take to the field and this news send the army into a frenzy. Bradheim is known as a talented commander and a fierce General of War. Today he will lead the army to the front lines to engage the enemy. The troops'' morale has increased knowing that Bradheim himself will personally lead them. It is an honor to fight alongside the Lion of Vanheim. On the battlefield Bradheim sitting on his warhorse looking dignified and full of majesty quickly analyzed that the enemy that is employing a straight line formation. The situation in a battlefield could change in a matter of seconds. He needs to do preemptive attack He then quickly yelled "Form ranks. Wedge formation!" Wedge formation is one of the formation Bradheim is most proficient at. He would thin the lines to provide concentration in the center to break through the enemy lines. And then he would charge like a fierce lions and pounced on their enemies with speed and might. With five thousand cavalry they quickly regroup on the battlefield as horses hooves creates dust that covers the battlefield and the drums of war was being pounded to incite battle spirit. Then with a shout they began their formation attack. Bradheim army has many elite soldiers nurtured by him and this is proved by how fast they broke through the enemy lines, swinging their swords and piercing their spears through the shields and flesh of Orcs like they were slicing and dicing meat for dinner. Even as some of them fell in battle, they did not stop their fierce attacks. They keep paving the way forward and preventing the enemy from forming back their lines. "Search for Gruk. Whoever takes his head will be rewarded handsomely!" yelled Bradheim while he was slashing Orc soldiers splitting the Orc barring his way into two Blood colors the green grass red as dins of weapons could be heard in every direction and screams and wailing intertwine to create a bizarre sound that could weaken any man heart that has never been to war. They fight bravely and fiercely, as sweat and blood could be seen in the armor of Bradheim soldiers but there are no signs of Gruk in the battlefield. The momentum of the battlefield is clearly on Bradheim side as they slaughtered their way and killing in a frenzy like they were possess by the God of War. This is an advantage that could be used by his soldiers to weaken the Orcs. Morale is at an all-time high. After that the momentum that Bradheim created is broken by a terrifying roar. ''ROARRRGAH!!!'' The sound resonate all over the battlefield as the ground trembles and the battlefield was suddenly being overwhelmed by a single shout. Some troops have their eardrums ruptured and some even froze as the Orcs Horde cheers and cut the enemy in front of them, slashing down the frozen and disoriented soldier with ease as their counterattack began. Gruk has shown himself on the battlefield. His horse was only slightly smaller than an elephant, holding a big clubs twice his size he look like the Old Monsters that appeared in the children nightmare stories. To those who watched him, they finally understood why the other tribes of Orcs followed him and obeyed his orders without question. The Orcs valued strength and this Orc is undoubtedly is the strongest of them all. There was no doubt that''s the reason. Any troops that were smashed with his clubs died a horrible death. Faces were smashed leaving a mashed meat on the ground. Bones were broken into dust before they trembles and die because of internal bleeding. Bloods splattered all over the battlefield creating muddy and sticky soil of red. The Orcs morale soared. Sensing a change in the tide of war, Bradheim quickly ordered retreat. He will not try to break the flow when it is easier to dispel the flow by retreating. Bradheim did not become a powerful general just based on bravery. He also needs intelligence They changed their formation and started retreating back to the Fort. Bradheim hoped Gruk and his horde will follow them, but his expectation was wrong. Gruk ordered the Orcs to reinforce their position. If Gruk had followed, he would face the ambush troops Bradheim prepared in the hills. This Gruk calling himself the Great Orc is not stupid. That much is clear. And so the battle turned to a siege battle. The Orc Horde of Nairhell and the Golden Lion of Vanheim has begun collided with each other ************************************************************************* Second chapter for today. if you like the story please vote and leave some reviews. It would help other people find this story,. Thank you and hope you enjoy the chapte Chapter 20 DISSING IN FRONT OF FORT VARS VETTEN ARMY Fort Vars is a really high Fort even by standard medieval setting. In Vanheim it serve as one of its defense against Vetten. It was built to withstand siege attacks. Kyle and his troops have arrived at Fort Vars. With anger and the promise of revenge as their motivation they finally reached here and they could not wait to exact their revenge. But to their surprise an almost barren land around the fort greeted them. While Aero was delaying invading army, the rest of 10 thousand troops that were not engaged in building walls were tasked with removing anything of use for enemy. Without stones and places to forage Kyle was forces to send groups for foraging on quite the distance. Yet Aero, even here planned ahead. Aero sent messenger to neighboring villagers to warn them and urge them to resist invader. Aero also stressed that the invaders are demon like and kill anything that is related to Vanheim. It is one type of propaganda. And so the defenseless hid with their animals and belongings leaving nothing for foraging parties. But that was not the worst for foraging parties. Every village has to train archers in case of war and soon guerilla groups consisting of archer groups harassed enemy at every opportunity. Aero has ordered them to perform warfare as Wang Cong''er the famous female rebel General in China history. For example to shoot arrows up so they come falling upon enemies and when enemy raise their shields to shoot again at their no longer protected bodies. Needless to say few users and NPCS wanted to be in foraging parties. But that did not stop the siege. The first day they tried to siege the Fort and their planning was perfect and follow the conduct of war as they were attacking with all kinds of magic''s. Not wanting to be trapped by the Druids'' trap again, Kyle also tasked his Druids to detect the presence of nature manipulation so they can counter them. The archers that defend the Fort are not ordinary. Vetten tried to use the ballista but they were always the first struck down by magicians and archers. The archers were using fire arrows and explosive arrows. Vanheim reputation as one of the strongest Kingdom in the Eastern Continent is not just for shows. To supply their soldiers with this kind of weaponry is a luxury. A Fort that Kyle thought would fall in one day is proving too hard for them to handle incurring losses and disgruntlement from the soldiers. Morales were dropping around the military camp. ''We need at least a week to wear them down.'' That is the estimation of the other captains when they talk to Kyle. Kyle slammed his hand on the wooden table and the table cracked and exploded. He was frustrated as nothing is going his way. After knowing that Vanheim elite archers are targeting his siege weapons; Kyle started putting warriors and heavy infantry to defend the siege weapons. Heavy infantry and cavalry are useless in a siege battle, even he knows this. This is why they were asked to deflect arrows and repel magic attacks. Kyle at the evening battle tried to put the ladders to the tower only to find that it backfired as the enemy soldier drenched his soldiers with oil from above and then toss a torch. His soldiers were burned alive¡­.running around below the Fort like a walking match before they fall to the ground and stop twitching Screams of pain can be heard from all direction of the tower. Some of the troops who see what happens remember the trauma of the fire and shudders each time they were ordered to climb the ladder. They remember the screams and the hoarse wailing of their dead comrades and the hollow eyes. Most of all they remember the smell of charred flesh that reminds them of roasted meat. This demoralizes the troops even further. After three days of sieging the Fort it can be seen that the Fort is weakening but still standing there, proudly...making everyone felt anger and frustration But even amidst the frustration, Kyle knows this is it! Even the archers in the towers seem to have insufficient arrows judging from their attacks. Their attack was not as aggressive as the first day. But reading the reports that his captain compiled for him make Kyle feels heartache The casualties that his soldiers suffer are also no joke. He have lost about 50 thousand troops in this 3 days siege. That evening, he ordered to stop the attack. Continuing this siege is not profitable for his army. He need to find another way. Taking too long here will only be detrimental to his goals. And he knows that is not acceptable. He also didn''t heard anything from Gruk yet. He need to persuade Aero to surrender. S, he rides his horse and sauntered in front of the fort his hand conjuring spells but no one attacked him or hesitating to attack him. Looking at the Fort high walls he yelled. "AERO!!!" He yelled. "AERO!!!!" In front of the huge gate of the Fort he yelled his heart out. "AERO!!!!!" "ANSWER ME!!" A commotion was started at the top of the towers. Then Kyle could see a silhouette in the highest place in the Fort before a person revealed himself looking down at him, his robe fluttering against the wind. Like the rumor describes him he has black hair, wearing a white robe with a red sword hanging in his left hip. He looks calm and collected and those eyes of his looks like it contains the wisdoms of many wise men. ''Does he have a plan to defeat us?'' Kyle asked himself No. That''s not possible. His troops are tired. Even though there are not that many casualties on their sides ours could overwhelm them when we broke through this Fort. Aero look down and shake his head before shouting "Well, if it isn''t the enemy commander. Why are you screaming like a monkey, hollering me in front of my gates?" Then he yawned looking like he was interrupted from his evening nap. He yawned and insulted me at the same time. Need to be patient. Remember your goal. "You have just disrupted my evening nap you know" Aero continued. The soldiers on top of the tower laughed as Aero fans his face. "Aero, give me your surrender. I promise none of your troops will be executed. Your safety will be guaranteed" Kyle offered seriously Kyle is trying to look at Aero expression when he offered that offer. Then he heard Aero laugh, looking at him with a condescending look "HAHAHA." He laughed mockingly. ''Are you making a joke, Kyle? I have just killed so many of your troops before and now you expect me to believe you''ll spare me? I rather die than surrender to you. Everyone in this fort would. You think I don''t know what you''re thinking? Do you think I''m an idiot or something? Are you even worthy for me to speak to you? If not for I was interrupted from my evening nap, do you think I would make the mistake of talking g with a nobody like you?" Aero spoke from the tower heard by all the Vetten and Vanheim troops. Kyle face turns red.A nobody? Who is a nobody? "If you do not surrender when I finally break through the fort, I will cut your head and put it in a spike." Kyle yelled. By doing that when Aero died he will lose a lot of levels. The more painful the way you died the more level you lose. I will torture you until you beg me to kill you" he continued. Aero then replied calmly "The brave may fall, but they cannot yield." Then before he walk down he smirk and said ''And I surely would like to see you try. You couldn''t even touches the sleeves of my clothes even when I''m raiding your camp and you talk big about wanting to take my head. Surely a dog that knows only to bark. Hahaha'' After saying that Aero disappeared from Kyle eyes. The negotiation has failed. Well to call it a negotiation is --- it''s more like a dissing contest. And Aero won. Kyle fall back in disgrace and smashes many tables inside his tent when he returns. That night he planned to attack Aero troops with his archer division. The event of the evening only strengthen his resolve. He should use our advantage in number that he currently possess. He will take turns to attack with arrows even at night and see how long this Fort will stand. That night once again the siege began. ********************************************************************* A new chapter . And i already updated Song of Heroes with new chapter for anyone who is interested in reading it Chapter 21 CREATING SOMETHING FROM NOTHING A man is seeing pacing around the war tent while looking at a person sitting on a wooden chair calmly thinking He is thinking of many things and one could see the nervousness on his face. This act did not serve to alleviate his worries. He shakes his head and then he said "This is bad, Aero" Dan was exasperated. Aero is still pondering on some other matters. His mind is thinking and he is calculating things "This is really bad" Dan repeated, looking accusingly at Aero. "I know. I know. You don''t have to say it twice." Aero raised his voice as his concentration was broken. He sighed and then he rubbed his forehead. He knew himself the situation is not exactly ideal for his army. It is clear Aero is also worried. The defending forces of Vanheim are about to run out of arrows and supplies while being besieged by Kyle superior numbers of soldiers. It is like trying to stop a flood with a bag of sand There is also the matter of morale. Many of Vanheim magicians were dead or injured in the recent battles. Thankfully their healer division is still alive and refreshed. They act as medic in the battlefield. To be deprived of them would really be bad news. . They have been providing support to the soldiers since the siege began. But considering that there are many injured soldiers sometimes the healer couldn''t save everyone. And Aero was not na?ve enough to think he could hold out in this Fort for a very long time. To hold out in this Fort with the circumstances he is saddled with it is simply too difficult to do. And Aero don''t fight in a battle he can''t win. His eyes are seeing more than just this battlefield. What people don''t understand about warfare, what Kyle doesn''t understand about warfare is that one battle rarely affects the result of war. Especially when it is not yet the crucial battle And this is just the beginning of the war. In Aero eyes, Kyle did not capitalize exactly the advantage he has been given. Then Aero mind is back on the magician division flaws in the recent battle. Vanheim magician''s range of attack is not that large. And the enemy knows that. Kyle at least was not entirely stupid. He also targeted Aero support division. Cut the supplies and the army will crumble. This is Military tactics 101 The warriors, Knights, heavy infantry, light infantry even the cavalry couldn''t play their role effectively because they are in a Fort defending. Not to mention for the cavalry their playground is the open field not in a fort Though the warriors and Knights will be useful if the Fort is infiltrated, but their usefulness will be only to delay but not to turn the battle around. And Vanheim don''t have an all-conquering hero like Zeus. The cavalry and the Knights and warriors will act as their defensive line and support the healer division¡­at least now that is their role since they have been besieged And now even Vanheim archers are about to ran out of arrows. The nearest supply center is in Derka state. That is too far and Derka also need to be reinforced. Aero knew he needed to find a way to solve this problem¡­and he needs to solve it fast. The military officials under him were all discussing on how to defend the Fort last night. Aero is only listening, his eyes is half closed, fanning the feather fan, wind on his face as he is thinking about something else But even though there were many suggestion Aero knows that their plans is not feasible Aero speculates that tonight Kyle will begin attacking using his archers troops to sow chaos. Aero on the other hand don''t have any arrows to shoot with. Aero and his soldiers are literally sitting ducks in this Fort. They have bows, but not enough arrows If Kyle realizes this situation he will not hesitate to try to charge the Fort. After thinking for a long time, and a lot of tea to calm his nerves, Aero has found a way to remedy the situation. Thinking about it, this is also a tactic he once read up on. He almost smiles as he thinks about it. He shares his solution with his commanders and they all agree to implement his plan. Even Dan brightened up Aero satisfied with his solution, fan himself with his feather fan, his eyes bright and a smile on his face. ******************************************************************** "Collect straws and bring it to the supplies room" Amy ordered the troops that morning. The orders were straight and precise yet it was a weird order. The troops and the players were confused. Still they followed and obey her orders. They gathered straws from morning to night and were doing it discretely as they were ordered. Aero and his officers only look at this scene without explaining anything. Then, that night Aero ordered his men to make straw dummies and to dress them in black uniforms. Straw dummies is not exactly hard to make by any standards Quickly the troops began to work. There is much curiosity what will Aero do¡­but some of those soldiers who have brighter minds have already speculated what the strategist will do "What is he trying to do?" one player asked the other player who is busy tying the straw "I don''t know, but just do it. He is the leader of the army." Another replied Many players were perplexed as what Aero was thinking. That night at Aero order, the dummies were lowered over the city walls by ropes, accompanied by the beat of war drums and gongs. The drum beats like a thunderous roar in the silent surrounding barricaded by the forest and the sound of insects. The gongs were struck upon like the sky is cracking open and falling down. The entire forest was woken up alive as the drum and gongs create melody that seems to want to defy the whole forest and the whole world. It was a valorous melody that incite the bloodlust and courageousness of a person. Just by listening to it make people blood boils with desire to do battle. Aero ordered the troops to play the drums and hit the gong as loudly as they could and like ordered they play it as loud and as provocative as possible. Aero was smiling and was even slightly shocked of how domineering the melody that is produce with each strike on the gong with each pounding on the drum. Seeing this display the troop mainly players troop have finally understood what is Aero trying to do combined with the straw dummies at the top of the fortress. "So this is what he''s trying to do" a player said. "Brilliant strategy." praised another "This way we can conserve our strength. It is not wrong to trust his reputation after all" exclaimed another player The troops in the Fort were waiting to see whether Aero plan will work. That night before the plan was to be enacted, a woman appears. Her face was covered by a translucent silk mask. In her hands is a stringed instrument. In a way it looks like shamisen or pipa. She put her fingers on the stringed instrument and the moment she flick the string, a melody sounded in the entire fort. Then Aero sings ''I sing to the distant sky, beyond the floating clouds afar Over the sea, across the rainbow Hoping it will reach you, The emotion in my heart overflow, The place of dreams where I will wake up someday Hoping to always smile for eternity, But I have to leave this dream, My enemies awaits, I will stride past on their corpses and protect my dreams'' Even now the winds are blowing There is tomorrow, there is a future So, do not give up'' It was a song with melancholic tone in the beginning but raises up into an up-tempo melody and inspiring song. Aero had a Bard composed the song for him. There is the fact that the song makes them remembers why they are fighting and why they should keep fighting. If Xiang Yu army could be defeated by a song, why couldn''t he Aero inspire his soldiers with song? At the same time, Kyle who was preparing his archers to attack the Fort was startled when he suddenly heard a loud noise coming from the Fort. War drums and gong noise filled the Fort and the soldiers in the Fort tighten their fist and grip their weapons tighter A powerful killing intent surfaces from the Fort like a beast being caged that is about to be unleashed. Believing Aero is launching a surprise night offensive with the sudden pounding of the drums and the striking of the drums Kyle was shocked and panicked. The sound was enough to make him panicked as it could rupture one eardrums if one is too close. And when panicked, one might make stupid decision He in his panicked state quickly ordered his archers to shower the figures descending the walls with arrows. "Shoot at the Fort. We are under attack! Shoot them dead!" Kyle shouted. The other military officials of Vetten seeing their commander giving such orders also order the same to their units. The soldiers aim their bows and with one order the arrows was released from their bows. Thousands of arrows were shot. That night it was like the place was raining arrows. The arrows were like raindrops and the already dark sky was covered by the thousand arrows and the sound of the night beast was overshadowed by the screams of men shouting to shoot arrows. The arrows covers the moon and it was like huge rain is falling down upon the Fort The more arrows that were shot towards the Fort the louder the gongs, the louder the drums become, like they were not afraid and will never relent Song of courage was sung all over the Fort, and the Song sounded like a shouting. It could make a men blood boil with courage. This somehow instilled fear in the hearts of Vetten soldiers making them shoot more arrows to the figures on top of the Fortress. In the dark night seeing this scene from the safety of place, Aero smiles. Using this strategy Vanheim soldiers pulled the straw dummies riddled with arrows and then quickly changed them to new straw dummies collecting thousands of arrows each time. Once again the dummies were riddled with arrows and once again they were brought down and replaced. They repeated this routine until almost dawn. Vanheim army is not tired because of the routine but it is their vocal cords are tired. They even have to pretend like some of them were hit and screams like they were hit by arrows. That is how the Vanheim troops restored their supply of arrows in one night. All the troops in the Fort rejoiced after that even though their eyes are bloodshot and their voice is hoarse. Their commander didn''t disappoint them. Dan was watching all of this from night till dawn and he is in amazement. So does Raina and Amy. "Once again, huh" Dan said. "He''s pretty good" Amy said nonchalantly, crossing her arms in a sulking gesture. Dan just shakes his head. "No doubt, the smartest person I''ve ever met." Raina added "Didn''t I say it would work? That Kyle is impulsive. He didn''t even try to confirm whether what he was shooting are truly our troops. Hahaha" Aero laughed an evil laugh as he fans his face with a smug look on his face. At least that''s what it looks like to Dan, Amy and Raina. At dawn when the sun shows it face, the look of shock filled the Vetten troops. They finally realized what they were shooting all night. Then Aero strolled around the highest floor of the tower and yelled to the Vetten troops. "Thank you Sir, for giving us arrows last night. We were almost out of arrows and did not think you would be so generous to help me replenish my supplies. Really appreciate the help. We will not forget to repay you in kind. HAHAHAHAHA" He did not forget to fan his face with the feather fan before retreating back The Vetten army was humiliated and insulted. Kyle is the one most affected especially after he had seen the face of his officers looking at him full of pity and scorn. It''s the type of expression he dislike the most. Especially with someone with such a high pride like him. Kyle in his rage ordered attacking the walls again. The Vanheim army now armed with arrows again, used them to kill the Vetten soldiers. Killing with borrowed arrows. Thousands of arrows were traded with each other, countless more bodies piled the forest and a new river of blood is formed in the subsequent battle. The Vetten soldiers that were already weak and deprived of sleep were easily killed by the downpour of arrows and magic attacks. Kyle lost about twenty five thousand troops trying to attack the walls recklessly. It was more like he was throwing twenty five lives without thinking about it calmly. Aero did not even step out of his tent. He let his soldiers did all the work while he reaps the EXP. At the evening, the Vetten troops retreated back to their camp exhausted and frustrated. Morale was at its lowest as they buried their comrades "That Aero! He''s toying with me!" Kyle said in anger, slamming his hand on the stone table in his war tent His face was red and he was in bad mood since morning or more specifically since dawn. No one dared to approach him. "Patience, General Kyle. You should go out and inspire the troops. Their morale is at the lowest." Chris tried to calm down Kyle. Kyle also noticed that the morale in his camp is low so he decided to go out and talk to his troops. But before that he needed to eat and drink first. He nodded and said with a gentle tone towards Chris ''You are right. I will repay him later'' He is too angry right now. He also knows it too. He needs to calm himself down. Then when he was about to enter the cafeteria he heard people conversing about something. A conversation that made his blood boils with rage. "No wonder that Aero is called a great strategist" this is Carl voice. A player in the archer division. "Well, I guess that title was not for nothing" another player remarked "Kyle is a mercenary. Compared to Aero, what is he? Leading the army is not his style." Another player offered his opinion "Did you see when he yelled at Aero? The dude was just like "I''m just waking from my nap, why bother me". That was cool on so many levels" a player said in an excited tone Another player nodded "Yeah, and who would thought he would use straw dummies to deceive us. Maybe I am a player in Vetten but I could not help but admire his brilliant strategy. Kyle is just relying on our massive numbers. He could not even recognize that Aero was baiting him to attack" another player added. Kyle was clenching his fist. Aero has brought him this great humiliation. Even his troops are losing trust in his leadership. Even though they are his troops they were singing praises of Aero. Then Kyle remembered his early days. Kyle played this game at first just to enjoy the game. Then somehow he ended up becoming a mercenary that helps many clans because of his talents in using destructive magic. But the others players didn''t even respect him. Frustrated of his own bad reputation, he tried to change that. So then he tried do some quests to gain respect from the other players. But people still think of him as just a mercenary. Why Zeus is respected but not him? Aero was just a new player but his exploit in Vanheim and the respect he gets in the forum was more than the respect he ever got. People called him hired hand. Some even called him the servant of clans. Some even called him as clans'' dog. No clans want to accept him. He is regarded as only hired hand, talented as a magician but not someone they can trust in a family of friends and companions. A clan is built with family and trust, one of the commanders of Leo clan once told him. With this war he wanted to change that perception of him. He is determined to change the perception that other players have of him. ************************************************************************* That night once again Kyle heard the war drums and the gongs. Kyle was certain that Aero is trying the same trick to get more arrows for his army. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice--- Does Aero intend to insult my intelligence?! "Should we attack?" Chris asked. "No. This is just his trick again. We will just wait until their army exhaust their supply of arrows. Tomorrow we will charge the Fort again." Kyle said. He believes that if he keep charging at least two more days, Aero troops will exhaust their arrows and that will be his chance. ************************************************************************* "Aero, they did not fire the arrows." Dan was waiting to store the arrows but Kyle troops did not fire their arrows. Aero did not frown and did not seems disappointed. Instead a smirk is forming around the edges of his mouth. And Dan knew that Kyle is in a world of hurt. ''You are thinking of something bad aren''t you Aero?'' Dan asked. Aero did not deny, only a smile on his face. "He is Even better that I thought¡­.Hahahaha. He truly did not disappoint me. People truly are like moving patterns. The probability remains the same. So predictable" Aero then laughed. Clearly Aero has something else planned. After confirming that Kyle did not attack even though the gongs and drums is being pounded, Aero went out form his tent Then Aero picked about six hundred elite troops consisting of warriors, fighters, Knights, Heavy infantry, and spearman to accompany him. He rides his horse in front of them and then address them "Do you know why I picked you all?" He asked as he look at the people he recruited. "No. Why?" a player asked "We''re going to give Kyle''s troops a surprise. We will raid their camp." Aero said while grinning. The players was eager as they have seen the feats this player called Aero has achieved. They trusted Aero strategy. After explaining the situation, the players laughed and are eager to enter into battle. Unsheathing their weapons they rides outside. BOMM, BOOM, BOOM Accompanied with war drums they opened the gates and rode to Vetten war camps with their fastest speed they travel like the wind and they intend to strike like lightning, swift and destructive. "Let''s show them our strength!!!" A knight yelled "YEAH. Let us bathe with the blood of our enemies tonight!!" the other replied. When they arrived, like a trampling Titan they rode in and slaughtered wreaking havocs like a madman that is high on blood and gore. Their warhorses stomp the bodies of the people who were lying down, their maces shatters heads and skulls, their spears stabs and pierces while their swords slashes and cut. Blood red was the grass, shrieking sound fills the verdant forest as the avengers of death reaps souls They totally caught the Vetten troops by surprise. Unprepared, and unguarded, many Vetten troops died that night in terrifying and painful ways. Aero also joined in the fun. "Let''s find Kyle and let see whose head will be on the spike!" Aero roared on the battlefield. Aero started charging in and fighting the enemy troops. Seeing this other players were also motivated. Aero then was greeted with a status window. Because of your intense fighting morale increased by 20 % + Troops attack increased by 20 + Troops speed increased by 15 + Endurance increased by 10 Aero roar motivated the other soldiers and they fought like they were crazy. Some cut of a head and then use that head top bash other people head. Some were shot in the eye. That soldier pull the arrow from his eye, his eyeball stuck at the edge of the arrow. He took his eyeballs and eats it and continue fighting. For players if they are about to die, the most important thing is how they die. No one wanted to be remembered as a coward player. They could afford to do so since not all players have powerful items. The Cavalry and the Knights used their horses to stampede the retreating soldiers. Combined with their speed and slashing around from horseback it was a great way to break the enemy spirits. The cavalry also tossed out explosives and torches to tents and camps destroying important supplies for the Vetten troops. They also intended to burn the camp. Now that they are unprepared, it was the perfect chance to recreate that fire attack again. On the other hand, the heavy infantry moved in a uniform formation and stabbed the Vetten troops that were defending the camp in a slow march. The defending troops didn''t even stand a chance. The Fighter class type players were jumping around killing people barehanded. Their agility and precise attack is used perfectly in this battle. The cavalry archers were also using this chance to shoot the Vetten troops from horseback. All those types of different classes worked flawlessly in this raid. Like a Viking raiders of the ancient past, they were in ecstasy from battle like they were asking Odin to bring them to Valhalla and dine with them. They did not even fear death at this point so much so that even the NPCs soldiers were influenced. Aero could not be prouder. And he too was in ecstasy. The sound of screaming turns into music to his ears and the wailing turns into a melody and the more the music sounded and the more vibrant the melody the faster he became, slashing heads and ending lives All the players that Aero brought were enthusiastic about this raid because they have been stuck in that Fort for days now. While the archers were busy racking contribution points, the other types of players like warrior type and strength based classes could not do anything. This is the time for them to release their pent up feelings and rack up achievement. All throughout that night, all around the forest fierce battles ensued. With fire as their background it was truly a magnificent battle Aero was wondering if he should give this video to ETV3 to broadcast it so many players will watch it. I mean this is not normal. Aero heart was beating so fast he thought it''s going to explode. This is it! Excitement! This is what people want! Then he continued to wade in the battlefield and killing Vetten troops alongside his soldiers. ************************************************************************* Chapter for today. If you like it please vote and leave some review Chapter 22 RETREA VETTEN WAR CAMP OUTSIDE OF FORT VARS DANG! BOOM! The people in the tent were all silent as they let their general venting off his anger. They did not want to be the one at the end of his anger. Kyle was incensed at his loss and was fuming in anger, his war tent is in a mess with many things were thrown to the side, the porcelain vases were broken while the goblet were dented and the tables were destroyed leaving only pieces of wood. He is in his war camp feeling frustrated. And not only him is feeling this way. His officials is feeling the same. They were enveloped in a feeling of gloom. They all fell to Aero tricks once again. Right now they wanted to scold themselves for letting their guard down against such opponent that depends more on tricks than a straightforward battle. It was just like last time. Remembering the last time it happened just made Kyle angrier. It took him a long time before he regains back his composure. Still Kyle didn''t give up yet. And he still has the advantage in numbers. He has come too far to give up now. They can still try to turn the tide. They fought until it was almost dawn. On Aero side the casualties amounted to two hundred troops. On Vetten side forty thousand casualties. Fire tactics is effective and the fact that the tent is clumped together help to contribute to such high casualty count. Not to mention Aero attacked them when they are unprepared. Anyone could see who won last night battle. In the morning however, things were about to change. When the sun shows it face in the morning, it was like a sign that something about to change. A messenger came bearing a message from Fort Elken to Kyle. This letter changed everything and brought hope to Vetten officers and officials and the entire war situation in this forest. "Good news, General" Chris said in a happy tone after reading the letter rushing to want to bring this news to Kyle. "What good news?" Kyle inquired. Smiling Chris then said "Duke Bradheim has retreated from Fort Elken. The Orcs have occupied the Fort. Our scouts have seen them partying all night long in the Fort, while Bradheim and his troops were riding out of the Fort." "Really?" Kyle couldn''t believe his ears. "Yes, Sir" Then a smile forms on Kyle face. "HAHAHAHA." He laugh with great joy like all of his frustration and anxiousness were released in that boisterous laugh. Then he look toward the reaction of Fort Vars and shouted the words ''Aero. Now what?" He said with a slight mocking in his tone. With this their two pronged attack will succeed. Kyle was actually thinking to lift the siege and go back to Erdanis to reinforce their position and then attack again. But hearing this news, he couldn''t lift the siege. He must not. This is his chance. He planned to meet Gruk and unite. Then using Gruk army their troops will be replenished. But to think Gruk would actually succeed. ''I guess that guy is capable after all'' He thought to himself. Then he began shouting orders "Tell the troops we will continue our attack tomorrow" Kyle has decided. This time he is filled with confidence "Tell them that the Orcs have taken Fort Elken. We will rejoin them after we have taken this Fort and then we will march together to the capital" By afternoon, the news was spread to the soldiers. Hearing the turns of events that happened, the Vetten troop''s morale returned. Now, Aero. I have made my move. What will be yours? ************************************************************************* FORT VARS AERO WAR CAMP Dan was in the war camp with Amy and Raina. They have heard the news the moment the mission ended. Aero lightning raid was successful. Utilizing fire attack and the swiftness of the cavalry and skillfully giving orders to variety of players with different classes shows how capable Aero is in commanding troops. It was truly a magnificent battle. The enemy troops that died could be piled up and they would reach the height of the front gate of this Fort. The people in the Fort could smell the charred corpses of Vetten army from outside. That was just showing how much Aero inflicted damage upon Kyle troops. They were rejoicing and was filled with the confidence that they could defend this Fort until reinforcement could arrive. At dawn, Aero rejoined them in the camp. Raina on the other hand did not lead her archer division last night. She just sent about one hundred archers that could ride a horse to be a part of Aero newly formed cavalry archers division. The others were to act as the defending archers in case the raid was a failure. The archers that were chosen are all archers that have high stats in accuracy and precision of shots. On the other hand, Amy and her support division were busy healing the injured and casting support spell from the Fort. The Bards sang songs trying to raise the cavalry speed and strength. With boosted strength and speed the cavalry quickly broke through and took out the enemy support division. The Healers were healing the Heavy Infantry usually consisting of warriors. Every time they saw that the Heavy infantry health is almost at a critical point, they casted their spells. The Druids tried to create barriers but were disturbed by the enemy Druids. Amy was smart. She divided the Bards and tasked them with a different song for each of the Bards. In another words, Amy created an orchestra. An orchestra filled with sounds of glory and death. That night after the war drums and the gongs stopped all Dan could listen was beautiful song but also a melancholy melody that seems to embedded death and destruction yet at the same time giving that sense of hope at the end of all of the death and destruction. It was like Bach, Mozart and Chopin performing a symphony with each a different intention and effect. Some Bards were tasked to sing songs that increased agility and speed. Some were tasked to sing songs that boost strength. Some for mana regeneration. Another life regeneration. Last night changed Dan opinion about Bard class. Dan has a new appreciation towards Bards. He didn''t think that Bards are that useful as a support class. But Amy proved him wrong. Who would have thought that Bards could be used in a war like that? Is it my imagination or is Amy turning like Aero? Usually she only uses violence to get her way, but lately Amy is starting behaving rationally. That gives Dan the chills. Well, Dan always knows Amy was a smart girl. Aero was in the war camp after he returned formulating new strategy. By now all the players that join this army have a new deep appreciation towards the strategy that Aero has employed gaining Aero deep respect from the players. Aero told Dan after the raid was over that his leadership stat increased. NPCs will listen to him obediently and also enjoy rise of their stats when fighting under Aero. It was a good news. But then like always good things doesn''t always last. A messenger came in the morning and gave a letter to Aero with great urgency. Aero then read the letter. His expression was unreadable. "So Bradheim has decided? This is his decision? "Aero said to himself his eyebrows creasing. "What is it, Aero?" Dan couldn''t help but ask. Every person on the war camp has sensed the weird atmosphere. But they did not want to ask the question. Looking at their strategist face, nothing good was on that letter Then looking at the people inside the room with a hard face, Aero declared. "Tell the troops, we''re retreating. We will go to Zantleaf." This was unexpected. Then Dan heard the news from Marco and Arcturus. Bradheim has abandoned Fort Elken. The Orcs have occupied the Fort Elken. Before we started moving Aero has asked for a thousand troops to volunteer to be sacrifice. Of course Aero asked this from players. Dan knew NPCs don''t spawn like them. Aero promised these troops if they win this war, they will be rewarded more than the others. They accepted. From what he heard from Marco, Aero intends to use these warriors as suicide squads. Dan was like an observer powerless to turn anything to his favor in this large scale war. He is still too weak Aero and Raina has put explosives all around the Fort surrounding all the pillars and point of weakening. Aero sometimes look at the Fort and felt pity. It is a large structure. To destroy it with his own hands¡­Aero felt a little regretful. But as long as he wins the war, he could rebuild it later. The suicide squad task is to lure the enemies in and light up the explosives that are chained together. It will be an explosion like no other. Aero intends to use the Empty Fort strategy on Kyle. Or from what Dan heard from Aero it is the Reverse Empty Fort Strategy. The Empty Fort strategy is to trick enemy troops thinking that there is a threat hiding ready to destroy them if they enter the defending troops place. But Reverse Empty Fort Strategy according to Aero works in a slightly different way. Aero speculates Kyle must have known about Bradheim retreating. Then when he sees the Fort is empty he will think that Aero is trying to trick him with the Empty Fort Strategy. Especially after he had been tricked before. This time Kyle will not believe the tricks he had prepared. Kyle would speculate that Aero is trying to imitate the Empty Fort strategy. Believing that, Kyle will charge the Fort with his troops. When they are inside, that''s the time for the suicide squad to do their duty. If Kyle dies in the attack it might give Aero more advantage. Vetten doesn''t have many elite commanders. ''I hope this works.'' Dan prayed slightly.After they have completed their preparations they were ready to retreat. But before that Dan ask Aero something "Where is Sarah? I thought you have an important task for her?'' Aero smiles that mystifying smile and fan his feather fan, trying to look mysterious again. "Yes. It''s an important job." Aero said not revealing anything else. Dan eyebrows frown "Is it reinforcement from the other state?" He pushed "No. Something else." Aero replied almost immediately "You know something that I found annoying about you Aero? Why do you never give me straight answers?" Dan said slightly miffed. Aero chuckles a bit "I find it very fun to tease you. And why are you concerning yourself about Sarah''s task? Do you like her or something?" Aero asked straight to the point. " I..I..I''m just worried about her" Dan said stammering throughout his sentences. Aero only grins and then he said "Is that so?" Aero was grinning like he had figured something. Dan didn''t like that grin. It means he has something planned. And this time Dan think he has something planned for him. At least there was something that Aero found amusing in their situation. Then with the preparations completed they began retreating. ************************************************************************* First chapter for today. There will be another chapter late Chapter 23 LAND OF THE GODS TERRA DE DEORUM (LAND OF THE GODS) (AI DIMENSION) The sky on the world was clear. People were relaxing under the clear sun and feeling the breezy wind. The Prairie was a picturesque scene, the Plains was peaceful as roaming animal raze the grass. Hunters were hunting in the calm forest. The sea is calm, the earth is bountiful and full of harvest and the sky is gentle. All seems to be well in the world. No chaos. But then thunder sounded out like a declaration on the skies. The mortals cowered and look at the dark clouds and prayed to the Gods. The thunder boomed and the clouds turned dark creating a fearsome scene on the skies. The waves of the seas ebbs and flows, before it turns vicious and storms covered the seas, wrecking ships and cause the entire sea to be in chaos. The earth trembles and quake. The thunders bloom like a fireworks on the dark skies. Some Priest on the Temple of the Gods tries to divine the meaning of the suddenly clear skies turns to dark skies. Other tries to divine the meanings of the seas and the earth being displeased. Something seems to be happening on The Lands of the Gods one of the Elder Priest concluded. Meanwhile on the realm of the Gods a person appeared on the council hall of the Gods. A man clad in white robe appears majestically from a bolt of lightning that strikes the center of the Hall from the open ceiling. Coiling around him is arcs of lightning. His face exudes dignity of a monarch. With a long thick white beard and long white flowing hair, he look the like the representation of every patriarchal archetype and from his eyes, there seems to be a great wisdom. He stomp his feet, the clouds parted and thunders booms and lightning went crazy on the real world. He speaks, and his voice echoes through the dimension of the Gods, reverberating inside the Hall. "Who called this session?!" yelled Zeus. Thunder rumbled in the background and lightning flashed around messily like it was representing Zeus anger. This is the God of the Sky, Zeus Son of Chronos The sight of Zeus palace was magnificent. If anyone could see it, they would see a gigantic palace glittered white and yellow. Golden floor tiles and white pillars. There are flying creatures in the entrance, flying around happily before they quieted up after sensing the feeling of the owner of this Palace. A horned creature was guarding the door with menacing look. Fairies sing in the outskirts of the palace with harmonious songs that could calms evils souls and improve concentration. The roads to the Palace were white and clean without even a speck of dust. The air was refreshing and could imbue strength to any being that walk there. It was like a palace on the cloud but there are not really clouds in Brave World. If there were everyone would already find this place. It is a dimension created by The Eternal Father for the Gods. To reach here they are certain quests that need to be completed. The other way to reach here is stumbling onto one of the secret entrance to Deorum. And there is another but harder way that is to get one of the Seven Major Gods bring you here. In the Great Hall were seven thrones each with their own unique designs. The seats were arranged in U shaped. The columns used to hold the Grand Hall which is so massive that anyone who sees it would marvel at it. On the ceiling, it was filled with stars constellation of Brave World. On the floor you could see tiny dots moving which represent the mortals and the adventurers. The thrones were all filled with each God that has come for the summons. Zeus was angry but he did not lose his dignity. He sat on his throne and taps his scepter-like thing and the clouds become calm as the skies turns cloudy but no longer spewing lightning and producing thunder. Sitting in the center was Zeus with a sharpened staff resembling a thunderbolt. He look around the room, his eyes narrowed but he did not say anything. Electricity was crackling from that staff and sound of thunder could be seen roaring from the staff. From the look of his face, he was not pleased to be summoned to his own hall. On his right side was Hades, sitting on a thrones of bones. It was a throne symbolizing the great power that Hades held over the dead. Wearing the black diamond helmet with black armor and black boots truly he looked terrifying. On his neck is a black scarf. The scarf were knitted by the souls of tormented souls so sometimes one could see faces on the scarf. Coupled with the fact that he never smiles it just adds to his ferocious gaze. Still his face was almost like devoid of emotion. On Zeus left was Poseidon holding his trident, exuding great majesty as the ruler of the seas. His face was stern and cold. His mood are also always changing making him one of the most unpredictable Gods in the Pantheon. Sometimes when he stomped his feet the vast sea in Brave World shakes producing violent waves and produces disasters. When he is angered, the world shakes and earthquakes will ravage the world. It could be seen from the floor tiles that shows the images of the sea in Northern part of Vilajeri continent is in turmoil after Poseidon tap his trident to the floor tiles Besides Hades is Athena with her two ravens and her shield beside her seat. Her eyes were white like the eyes of her ravens. It was like she sees something through the ravens. She looked calm and wise. Known as the strategist for Zeus, it is fit for her to be calm in any situation. Just besides Athena was Hephaestus with his gigantic hammer and craft tools. His feet were engulfed in fire yet there didn''t seem to be any damage towards him. He seems to enjoy the fire. Laughing and playing with the fire he looked like a child. Besides Poseidon was Demeter with her green scepter that sometimes shoots off trees and leaf. She was counting wheat on her sack bag. If anyone could see her appearance she would look like an old Granny that is always worried about her children. Besides her was Aphrodite, dress in gold and shooting flirting glances on everyone. It was blinding, her smiles and her charms. She also seems to be the most beautiful of all the Gods. She seems to be applying perfume and putting make up on her face. Her hair was gold and her eyes were sea-blue. She has slim waist and her body was perfectly proportioned. The doves and variety of birds seem to be resting besides her throne, chirping joyously. Today, they all came here because someone summoned them here. And they were not happy. They all have their works and jobs to maintain balance in this world and to prevent glitch or error from happening. That was their job entrusted by The Eternal Father for giving them their life. "I did" answered Athena confidently after she has seen all that is summoned has been present Hades looks lazily at Athena and closes his eyes. But he did not return to the Underworld which means he will listen. Athena understand this gloomy uncle of hers so she did not say anything. Athena is the Goddess of wisdom, Victory, and strategic warfare. Her Symbols include the ravens and her shield with raven designs. "Athena. Why do you call Us to this council? I have many things to control in the land" said Demeter. She doesn''t like this gathering. Her place is in the land. Not here in the sky. This is Zeus dominion. She didn''t like the skies or the morbid lands of the Underworld. She likes her garden the best. Athena coughed and then began explaining calmly to all the Gods. "We have to address our problem. The first problem is this Pope that is rising. Many mortals have followed this adventurer. Minor Gods are complaining. They have lost their power." All the Gods in the Council nodded. They all heard about that adventurer calling himself Pope. Hades is still closing his eyes. Who gave that guy his power? They were all curious about that. All the adventurers in this world are given special abilities by them. "Is it you, Hades. Maybe you want my throne?" said Zeus while hiding his boiling rage. Thunder roared outside the Palace. Zeus has always been paranoid. Zeus was looking at Hades with intense gaze. Hades just looked at Zeus like he was bored of this. "You''re always fast on assigning blames little brother. I don''t want the Sky. I very much like my dominion over life and Death. Even the Gods, if you die, will end up on my Dominion. In the end I will reap all of you" Hades knows Zeus is a paranoid being which is why he is tired of this. Always thinking people want to bring him down. Of course at first, when The Eternal Father created the seven of them, they had no feelings like rage, jealousy and greed. But after the adventurer began coming to this world, something changed. They have learned emotions from them. They gained sentience. They evolved. And no one is more evolved than Zeus, Athena, Poseidon and Hades himself. "THEN WHO?" Poseidon asked. The seas were raging in Brave World showing how intense were Poseidon feelings. Poseidon is a straightforward being. He doesn''t like games. But he is also unpredictable, like the sea itself. One moment he is clam. One moment he is raging bull Aphrodite then said "The darkness is stirring. Someone gave that adventurer his power and it was not from this council. Then the only way to explain it would be the Old Gods." Aphrodite suddenly interjected saying it nonchalantly like she was discussing her meal They looked at Aphrodite while she was still checking her face in the mirror. She looked arrogant and haughty yet none of the other Gods felt repulse. They all know it is Aphrodite habits so they just relented. "I agree with her conclusion, my King" said Athena. Zeus pondered. Poseidon made a serious expression. Hades yawned. But all of these three gods already made preparations when they heard Athena conclusion. Zeus hurls lightning to a mountain with his mind. In that lightning was a message to the minor gods. Poseidon send his will through his thought commanding the Sea monster to awaken the Old Deep Sea Monster to aid him searching for the culprit. Hades send a telepathic message to the souls he left in charge in the Underworld to inform him of any related information. "Then we will send minor Gods to investigate this and when we found out who it is we will gives quest to the adventurers." Zeus said confidently. He was beginning to rise from his seat when suddenly¡ª "Considering we are here, I have another thing to add" said Poseidon Zeus sit back down reluctantly. He will listen to the Council. That is his job. To preside over the Council. "What is it?" he asked Poseidon "You broke our Divine Law Zeus. Even if you are the Kings of the Gods even you are bound by the law." said Poseidon clearly admonishing Zeus "Which law did I break?'' Zeus voice is rising. He is being lectured on his own dominion. His pride would not allow this. Thunder boomed. The clear blue sky turns dark again. Then hearing Zeus raising his voice towards him, Poseidon also seem to be angry. He got up from his seat and the pillars of the walls of the Palace cracked The raging seas become even wilder. Storms are formed. The land in Brave World was shaking. It was mild but who knows what happens if Poseidon becomes angrier. "Zeus, there is no need to threaten war amongst each other" said Hades boringly. He has had enough of this. He wants to return to the Underworld and eat the seeds of pomenagrate he sowed last month. The matter of squabbling Gods is not his problems. "What law did Zeus broke?" asked Hephaestus. He is no longer playing with his fire. Hephaestus is a laid back God that favors the artisans and the builders but when it is about the law he becomes very serious. "Zeus has given to much favor to an adventurer, making him Zeus champion. The name of the adventurer was the same as our King. Does Zeus want us to bow to this adventurer like we bow to him?'' Poseidon said menacingly. Zeus face contorted and he answer the accusations "He did that out of respect for me. And Poseidon, he has my blessings. If we''re counting favors bestowed upon mortals or adventurers why not we mention Lizhu Gerard?" Zeus said daring Poseidon to reply. Poseidon facial expression changed. Clearly it was not something he wanted to remember. "I only gave him the Sword for a loan. Who would have thought his descendant would regard it as their heirloom." said Poseidon sheepishly. It was one mistake that Poseidon has made. "So, we''re the same Poseidon." Said Zeus. The sky has begun to return to normal. The dark sky is returning to blue. Zeus is beginning to calm down. "Fine. I will go down and retrieve the sword." Poseidon said with a determined look on his face. "OH NO, You Don''t!" screams Demeter. Her face then turns red and there is a snarling expression from her "That is my dominion, Poseidon. Earthshaker, you are not welcome!" she shouted, her voice echoes in the Land of the Gods. Trees were sprouting from her thrones. The smells of spring that emanated from her are replaced with a chilly atmosphere. Demeter is the Goddess of the Land and the season. She favors one that has understanding of nature. She would always bless the Druids, elementals and other type of adventurers that appreciate the nature if they go to her temple. Poseidon is rarely rejected. This makes him angrier. The seas in Brave World could feel it. Small mid-size quake is beginning. The other Gods also sensed this. They began to worry if this will turn into a war. "Then I will send earthquakes and tsunami to lay waste on your land. Let me set my foot to your dominion or else.'' Said Poseidon giving Demeter an ultimatum. Demeter laugh coldly "You think I would relent? Sent your tsunamis and your earthquakes. I will make the world an Ice Age. Then I will raise a continent out of the seas and let see who will lose then." Threatened Demeter. The energy in the room was suffocating. The fairies and the creatures outside the palace could feel it. The doves and the birds in Aphrodite throne have already flown away. "ENOUGH!'' The shout was like a thunder roaring. It was Zeus ''One problem at a time. Poseidon you may not invade Demeter''s dominion. Demeter, stand down. For now we will focus on this Pope character." Zeus ordered. Poseidon was reluctant but he nodded. The other Gods were also in agreement. So after that all the Gods returned back to their realms and tried to gather information. But still, Poseidon plots. He needs to retrieve back that sword or Zeus will forever lord it over his head. He will wait. And the seas were calm¡­as it is waiting for the storm. ************************************************************************* AI that ruled Brave World is having a tiff. Anyway, if you enjoy the story please vote and leave some reviews Chapter 24 EXTRA CHAPTER: THE STORY OF HOW I MET HER THE SECOND TIME "You should praise, criticize and flirt with people right to their face, only then it will make a difference, Daniel" said Michael while looking at his friend Daniel nervous face "But she is so beautiful. I don''t think she will like me, and to be honest I''m so nervous just looking at her." Replied Daniel. This shocked Michael. Daniel comes from a very well off family and he is by normal standard very handsome, and while Michael has known him he has a strong personality. To think his friend is not confident to talk to a girl is beyond him. He was well liked in school and had many friends. A lot of them were girls. "Well, act like your witty smartass self. This has been the second week you are at this coffee place. I will not accompany you for the third week." Daniel found out that this coffee place is where she always frequents. Since then he always come here to look at her. And he also didn''t want to be here for the third week. That would surely make him labeled as a stalker or something He told this to Michael and Michael asked him to go for it instead of, like stalking her. This is the first time Daniel feels like this. He could not forget about her. It''s a problem. "Really? You think that will work?" Asked Daniel "You know that girl, Jessica, our classmate. She likes you because of your confident personality. Acting like this will not let this girl you''re obsessing about like you. I don''t want you to become a stalker." Michael said jokingly. "Jessica likes me? Why didn''t you tell me? I didn''t know about that" "Daniel! Focus!" "Oh yeah. Sorry. I was distracted¡­. Wait a minute! I thought you like Jessica, Mike? "Then a look of understanding dawned on Daniel "Hah. Now I understand why you were so mad when I brought her to watch movies a month ago. HAHAHA .So that was the reason?" "Why ..You. Do you want my help or not?'' Michael said while his face was reddening with embarrassment. Then Daniel with Michael encouragement decided to gather his courage. Then he saw her enter the caf¨¦. Michael also looked at the direction Daniel was staring. She was beautiful. There was no other way to describe her. How could she stand there and look so¡­.beautiful? Maybe that is why. For Daniel the moment they locked eyes in the movies theater one month ago, that''s when he knew. How did he know? Because for those five seconds he stared into her eyes, time stopped for him. She ordered an espresso. "Go, Daniel. There''s your opening. Do that thing." There''s this running gag I always did to my friend but surely he''s not asking me to do that kind of things to her. "You''re joking right? To her?" "Yes. I think she will like it" Michael was grinning I go to the counter while she waited for her espresso. And then the counter called her name. And as quickly they put down her espresso I quickly took it. She came to the counter and looked at the coffee I hold. "I''m sorry, that''s my coffee" she said. "No, I didn''t think so" I replied calmly. "Yeah, it''s written there. Amelia. That''s my name." "Not anymore" I said. "Now it''s mine." She looked at me like she couldn''t believe what I said. And then she smiled. And she broke into laughter. "Alright. Now what is your reason for doing this?" she said. From the look of her face, she was not angry, more like amused. I could not help but smile like an idiot. "My name is Daniel. We met at the cinema a month ago. You know---" "Yeah, yeah, you''re that guy." She remembers me. Ok, maybe not being too excited would help my cause right now, I told myself. "Nice to meet you again. I guess we didn''t get properly introduced last time." She was beaming at me. Then she held out her hand and I shook it. She began introducing herself. "I hoped I didn''t come off as rude the last time we met. My name is Amelia. You could call me Amy" And that''s how I met her again. "When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew." I said while looking outside the hospital. It was such a long time ago. The wind blows gently, the sun shining brightly. On days like this, I don''t know why I''m suddenly reminded of that. Remembering that face, I smiled bitterly "So it''s true, when all is said and done, grief is the price we pay for love" ********************************************************************* A vague backstory of Daniel real life. Chapter 25 DAILY LIFE The soldiers are resting, trading stories trying to raise each other morale, the smokes coming out from the chef area as the smells of food fills the military encampment, and chatters fills every tent. They chatter about their hometown and their family, trying to relieve that feeling of unease after the retreat. Players on the other hand are going around the camp trying to initiate some quest or task from officers of the army. For the NPCs soldiers they could only trust in their superior. The players interacting with the NPCs also realized something Each time a player heard the stories of these NPCS they couldn''t help but praise that the developer really is great in creating such a detailed game. Their story all has background and seem connected and had no flaws. It was almost like they were alive Aero and his soldiers is retreating to Coro city. It is one the city in Zantleaf and it was an orderly retreat. Aero did a calculation and after the squads leaders reported to him he found out that his troops numbers are about fifty nine thousands. About eleven thousand troops had died since the war begins. Eleven thousands lives that could create mountains of bodies. The casualties seems low ''But that''s mostly because we are defending in a Fort'' Aero thought to himself. If not the casualties would be higher and even more devastating After this frontal assault battle could no longer be avoided. Aero thought to himself. This is it. The curtains are about to be closed. One thousand brave troops remain in the Fort for his plan. They need to make their stand there or Kyle troops will be unstoppable. The moment Kyle took the capital all will be lost. Then after making sure that his troops has already settled in the city he ordered Dan, Amy and Raina to look out for Kyle troops and train the troops before he logged out. ************************************************************************ DANIEL''S HOUSE The capsule opens and someone come out slowly from the capsule. "Fuu¡­That was exhilarating" It was Daniel. Daniel is still remembering the journey he undertaken in Brave World. Daniel still couldn''t believe what happens these few days. The war was amazing. He never felt more alive. But now he needs to face reality. After stepping out of the capsule, he began to check out the item he auction in the web. "Not very bad" Daniel was delighted seeing the items he auction has had buyers lining up. Daniel sees some of the price other people offered for the items. Satisfied with the entire offer, he sells everything. The cash transaction is made online and the buyer will send the money through online. Estimated profit four hundred dollars. That is even bigger salary than his previous job. Well, he did do some shitty jobs. People are not all bad, but that doesn''t mean all people are good. As there are good people in the world, there is a lot more of assholes than a genuine good person. ''This could be a better way earning money'' he thought to himself. As long as he could maintain his fame and position, he could make this a fixed job for him. Then something crossed his mind. He remembered that love call from ETV3. ''Maybe, I should give them a call now'' Searching his phone, he quickly scrolls to the number saved under ETV3. He dialed the number excitedly but when he talked with the Production Director he seems calm, hiding his excitement. He converse with the Production Director and told them that he had a video he wanted to submit. Then he went to his laptop which he borrowed from Mike a long time ago but never had the chance to return. Mike just gave it to him after that. Opening it, he edited some scenes in his battles. Maybe later, he would not do it and let the broadcast station edited it. But to foster good impression he edited the video first before he would submit it. He included the raid, the defending battle, the banter he had with Kyle and the trick he had employed. He knows that the broadcasting station would added a few more scenes and probably add music too to sensationalize the video. Daniel didn''t mind that. It would be epic. At least he believed it to be so. If not, he would just sell his video to other broadcasting station that could do a better job He told the Station not to broadcast it yet. Daniel wanted to make sure he solves the quest before making himself a fool in the media. The station agrees and they will send the one hundred dollars directly to his bank account. If combined with the things he auctioned off he got five hundred dollars today. But to get the items he got was not easy. If not for his most reliable sword he could achieve this. He is forever grateful to get the secret class. "I hope the videos will gain popularity "Daniel said to himself. If they are many viewers that like his video and if he gain benefits from it, he could use this game as his job. Because if there is one thing he realize when playing Brave World it was that he was good at it. Very good at it. Then he slowly takes his shower, letting the water washes his fatigue. After a few days not showering, today felt refreshing. Coming out of his room after drying his hair he make himself a dish Today menu is chicken soup and rice. He had to learn cooking since his mother was in the hospital all the time. Rice was something he like. Maybe thanks to his father side of the family which is Japanese. He is half Caucasian. Japanese would call him a half. A gaijin As he eats he could taste that his cooking is slowly getting better. And to be honest he is beginning to become good at it. Maybe all that cooking in Brave World help him to become more proficient? Who knows? "Hmm" he said as he lays down on the comforter on his bed. Daniel is once again alone in this big house. Her mother is in the hospitals and his father is dead. To be the only one in this big house makes Daniel feels lonely sometimes. They are too many things that had happened to him. And a lot of it happens here. There are good things. And there are bad things. But truth be told, people only remember the bad ones. And that is what Daniel remembers. He tried not to. But it always come in the end. In his dreams. Today. Tomorrow. And it continues. The bad ones. The unpleasant memories that always find a way to break through. The sorrows and longing of the one left behind. Why? Because pain is easier to remember. It felt more real. It strikes hard and deep and it never lets go. He sighed before he decided he should get out from the house today. He needs to visit his mother today. So he dress up a little bit cleaner than usual. Not to say he was sloppy but since his mother was admitted to the hospital dressing up doesn''t seems to be a priority. But Daniel knew his mother would not like that. Michael said he wanted to join him visiting his mother again last time they met. Daniel was grateful to have a friend like Mike. His mother would also be happy to see Mike. So he called him "Hello, Mike." Daniel greet Michael "Hi. What''s up?" "You remember what you said before?'' ''Hmm. I said a lot of things. About what?'' ''Do you want to visit the hospital today with me?'' "Oh,oh¡­ yes. Of course. " Then a brief silence. Then Mike said "And I wanted to bring someone else." "Who?" This is odd. Michael always follow Daniel visit his mom but never before he try to invite someone else. "Jessica. Can she come?" It''s obvious from his tone that he was nervous about this. Daniel was contemplating then he said ''OK'' "You''re sure about this?" "Yes, I''m sure" No, I''m not. But it''s been too long. "Ok, meet you up at the hospital" Michael is excited from the tone of his voice. "Ok, meet you there" ************************************************************************* THE HOSPITAL "Mom" I called my mom the first thing I went to her room. "Daniel, you came again. I told you not to worry about me" my mother said grumbling "I like visiting you Mom." My mother smiles bitterly. Then Daniel look towards Nurse Lisa and asked her "How is she? She''s ok?" I asked Lisa "Daniel, sometimes you worry too much. She''s ok." Lisa said Then from the outside there was some noise. Then a voice "Auntie, I''m coming in" Michael comes in with Jessica. Jessica didn''t change at all from high school. She still looked as beautiful as ever. When she noticed I was looking at her she blushed. I was blushing too. It''s been a long time. After what happened, we didn''t talk much and we didn''t even meet each other. It is one of my regrets. "How are you Auntie?" Jessica asked my mom "I''m fine dear. You look beautiful "my mom and her sweet words. "Thank you "her face was red. I guess she is still shy when complimented. Some things never changed. Then they chatted for a while with my mother. I excused myself. I was outside heading to the cafeteria to grab a bite. I bought some fruits and energy drinks. Then I sit down while reminiscing about old memories. Jessica. I wronged her before and that makes me very awkward to see her. Michael brought her today must be because he knows what I''m feeling. I told about this to Michael before. Sometimes he is too persistent. She likes me in high school but I was in with love Amelia back then. I was honest with her about that. She seems cool about it. And we decided to become friends. And for a while that works. Until "that" happened. Stop it, Daniel. It''s a long time ago. The past should stay in the past. Yet why does it always creep out? Because the past is my pain. And pain is not meant to be forgotten. Think about something else, Daniel. After this visit, I need to log in back to BW. I hope Sarah was successful in doing what I told her. Oh, that works. I should think about Brave World every time these kinds of ridiculous thought come up. Then, somehow I think of Amy and Sarah. The similarities that Amy had with Amelia. The cute smile that Sarah showed me every time I smile at her, like somehow she knows what I was thinking. "¡­.Ok, so that didn''t work." After finishing my lunch I returned to my mom hospital room. I didn''t hear noisy chatter. They must have leave. Michael apparently understands my awkwardness has already returned home with Jessica. After making sure my mom take his medication I stood up ready to leave. "Mom, I''m leaving." I said to my mom. I kissed her cheek and began to walk out. "Wait, Daniel¡­.Why didn''t you meet her, son? "Her question made me stop. "Who''s her? "I was pretending not to know. "Jessica, son. It''s time. It''s not her fault and it''s not your fault. You know that, right?" My mother looked straight into my eyes. "¡­.I knew that mom." Then Daniel turns his face from her mother eyes and left. How could he talk to Jessica again? The last time he met her harsh words were traded. We yell and scream to each other. We were blaming each other, hurting each other and wounded each other. Daniel regretted that day. He wished he could take it all back. He wishes he could do that day differently. But he couldn''t. And his guilt prevents him from ever talking to her again. It was his self-inflicted punishment. "I''m no stranger to pain" Daniel muttered to himself. ************************************************************************* CORO CITY WAR COUNCIL The Mayor House is crowded today. Soldiers filled the area, guarding it, signifying an important person is visiting. Aero has relocated the war camps to the Mayor house. Since this is a time of emergency, Aero could turn any establishment of the Kingdom under the control of the army. The mayor obeyed and moved to another residence. During the last battle and raid, he notices his leadership has increased a lot. And there are also a notice that a window popped up telling him the requirement has been achieved but he swiped down the window because he was busy fighting. He will check it later. First Aero wanted to hear the reports about what was happening when he is gone. "Here''s the report, Commander Aero.'' the scout handed the report to Aero. Aero quickly read the report and a smile formed on the edge of his mouth. He almost wanted to laugh in happiness From the report, the Reverse Empty Fort Strategy worked. Estimated casualty of the Vetten army is thirty thousands. Kyle survived. He sure is lucky. Apparently a cautious commander he sent another division first. Mainly the infantry troops and the cavalry division of Vetten that died in the explosion. Aero was hoping that the support division would die in the explosion but sometimes you don''t always get what you want. The fort still stands. That is an incredible feat. The builder that built the Fort must be proud of their works. No wonder George told Aero the Fort has protected Vanheim for so long. It must be because of its sturdy design. But at least it killed a lot of Vetten troops. Now there are only two hundred and seventy five thousand troops he needs to cut down. But that is still a lot people he had to kill. When Kyle comes here Aero knows that this city could not handle a siege. It will fall. That is not a pessimistic thinking. It was backed by fact and experience. When Aero was in the Fort he knew that it will stand many attacks. Now seeing this city, he knows that it doesn''t stand a chance. The reason why he retreated out of the Fort is still a mystery from the other commanders. Some want to stay in the Fort and fight there. To be honest, that is a good idea. But with Bradheim making his decision like Aero expected, his plan change. It has to change. That''s the only way to win. There is no other choice. But Aero did not panicked. War is after all not a chessboard games. It always changes even more so than a chess games Why? Because the players are people and the chess players are people. Chess in games would loyally obeyed any order even though that order would sacrifice them. But people are not chess and as such life which is sacred to any man would always make a choice befitting to the value they assigned to their own life. Some people would sacrifice themselves for the greater good, while some would do everything in their power to survive. And that is only half the fun. The sixty thousand troops he had right now must defeat the two hundred and seventy five thousand troops of Vetten. Defeating superior force with a smaller force, which generals in history that succeed this feat and not become famous? If Aero wins this battle, he would gain fame in only one battle. And Aero has already a plan. He smiles as he believes this is where it starts. This is where his legend will begin. According to the scouts Kyle troops will arrive in two days. Aero announces in the war room, addressing the commanders and captains "The final battle is approaching. I think you all know this. We will make our last stand here." All the commanders and captains nodded their head solemly. They all know what''s at stake here. "Go make sure everything is ready. We will win." Aero did not say many words this time. Because not many words are needed. Their only choice is to win or Vanheim will face its greatest crisis since its founding. But not all of the leaders here so sure of this win. Aero sighed and continued "Why? Because we have no other choice. It''s do or die." After saying that the commanders go out of the house understanding perfectly the consequence if this battle is lost. Each commander is given the task to make sure their troops are ready for the big battle. Aero realized something when he was checking the leaders whereabouts. Amy was nowhere to be seen and he quickly order someone to inform of him where she is. An officer quickly reported to him and explain to him Amy was absent because she is organizing her division. Hearing this Aero nodded as he sit back on his chair. He noted Amy abilities was outstanding. ''The last time, Amy created an amazing way to use the Bards ability to benefits us.'' He mumbles to himself A symphony of music imbuing the front lines with great bonuses and stats boost. Even he didn''t think of that. ''I guess she''s not all brawn.'' After making sure all of the commander was out, Aero think this is the time for him to check his status. He opened his status window. CHARACTER NAME Aero ALIGNMENT Neutral LEVEL 97 PROFESSION Grand Strategist TITLE None CONTRIBUTION Peasant ( Vanheim) CONTRIBUTION POINTS 5000 REPUTATION 800 FAME 550 ELEGANCE 0 HEALTH 9700+600 MANA 970+200 WILLPOWER 350 STRENGTH 155 AGILITY 575+200 HONOUR 50 STAMINA 154+40 WISDOM 405+80 INTELLECT 509 ENDURANCE 450 LUCK 99 CHARISMA 190+10 LANGUAGE 0 GRACE 100 LEADERSHIP 350 ATTACK 556 DEFENSE 242 MAGIC RESISTANCE DARK 5% LIGHT 0% FIRE 25% WATER 10% EARTH 0% WIND 0% + All stats are added 20 points in battle + Intellect is added extra 100 points + Enables equipping items for the secret class + Decrease mana consumption for Divine sword technique + 80 points added to Wisdom. + 30% increase to Stats on the Battlefield. + Easier to raise proficiency in any area. + Decrease in Mana Consumption for the Divine Sword Techniques based on level of INT + Gained ability to learn secret skills based on your level in Language. + Fame increase upon solving any quest involving the nobility. + Affinity with scholars increased. + Affinity with wise men increased + Easier to influence statesmen and scholars. + 10 points added to CHM + Can talk to spirit and understand divine meaning + High leadership enables your troops to enjoyed 10 points of stats increase in strength + High leadership enables you to raise your troops marching speed by 20% + High Charisma enables you to establish rapport with townspeople quickly + High charisma enables you gain secret information ( Orders Of Letters unlocked[Click to get more info]) + High wisdom enables you to join Celestials Scholars [Click to get more info] + High intellect enables you to join Council Of Athena [Click to get more info] Oh, this is what it means by the requirement has been achieved. Factions. Factions are different from Clans. To start a clan you need to swear an oath at any of the Temple Of Seven. To enter a Clan you need to meet either the Clan leader or someone who is given the authority to register a player into the clan. Factions on the other hand can only be joined when certain condition has been achieved. For example there are certain factions that only Thieves can join. For thieves it is the Creeping Shadows. For Assassins it''s the Blood Brotherhood. The Blood Lady only accepts female warrior. Faction also gives bonus. You can join many factions but of course there are certain factions that only allowed certain classes to join. Another example is The Masons. The Masons only accepts Builders. But a builder that has high intellect can also join Council of Athena. But if a player like him tries to enter The Masons he could not because he is not a builder. Joining a certain faction can give you bonuses and there is a chance for you to receive their help in completing a quest. They are also secret hideout in all of Vilajeri continent which will helps its member to resupply. I will check this later. Even if I check it now, it doesn''t have any meaning. After all I''m in a war right now. And he smirked ************************************************************************* First chapter for today. If you like it please vote and leave some reviews Chapter 26 A MALICIOUS SMILE The darkness of night did nothing to dispel the anger and fury of Vetten The sound of heavy breathing and wailing and sobs could sometimes still be heard from camps, morning friends and brothers in arms Like an echo that comes from a deep scream inside a cave. After the explosion in the Fort, it takes some time for Kyle to reorganize his troops. Blood fills the fort, flesh and limbs scattered about on the ground like leaves in Fall season. It was a terrible sight. Charred meat and limbs scattering like that, it resembles the painting of Hell. But in Kyle eyes and the soldiers of Vetten it is even worse than that. The players that never saw such gore could not help but vomit and some even logged out for a while before coming back after resting in their home to erase that images from their head. Kyle was also incensed with anger. But he knew he could not win a war by being angry and easily being provoked. He makes a mistake before because he was blinded by his emotions but he could no longer to afford making such mistake. So after calming himself he made a rousing speech about vengeance and the chance for glory. His troops believing his words regain back their morale. Kyle is determined now more than ever. He will caught Aero alive and he will destroy that guy thoroughly. His anger and hatred will not be sated unless that were to happen until he tortured him back to level zero. But for now, his anger is contained. After making sure everything was prepared they march out. This time to his victory. No obstacle any more. Kyle is certain, he will win this war ''Fort Vars has fallen.'' That news fills the war camps with jubilation. The report from the scouts shows that Aero has taken refuge in Coro city. One of the cities in the state of Zantleaf. The city doesn''t have a Fort as strong as Fort Vars. In Fort Vars, Kyle believe Aero must have set up the explosives hoping that he would die from it. But he was lucky. ''Very lucky. If only I lead first I would also turn to pieces of limbs like the other troops.'' Smiling he thought to himself. I will be your end, Aero. In a day they will arrive at the city and without a doubt this will be a frontal assault, with nothing else that could stop him where he can use his advantage of numbers fully. He will use his superior number to overwhelm the Vanheim troops. His victory is all but guaranteed. ''HAHAHAHAHAHA ''He could not help but laugh and smiles from the bottom of his heart. This is the day he will make his name known to the world. "Faster. I have a head I need to claim" yell Kyle from his horseback. And his troops cheered ************************************************************************* Oddly, the air was fresh. The wind is gentle. And the sun shines brightly and all embracing. ''Oddly enough, it has to be this day'' Aero thought to himself as he look at the sky. A few moments now, this place will be littered with corpse and the face of his soldiers would be full the stench of men sweat and the smell of iron from blood. The day has come. Aero has waited in the battlefield, riding his horse. The wind blows his hair gently and briefly. The sun shining behind his back making to appear larger than most people. With his sword he look like a valiant hero. Beside him was Dan appearing to be nervous but unafraid. Dan also has seen the massive army that is heading their way. His hand was trembling. Either from excitement or fear even he didn''t know. Aero told him that was excitement. That trembling is also from excitement. Dan certainly didn''t think so. It is fear. He fears. And he is afraid But yet, because it was Aero that said it was excitement¡­.no, precisely because it was Aero that said those words, Dan almost believed that this fear was not fear. It is excitement. Still with Aero by his side, he believes that he would have a plan. Aero has never disappointed him before. He has made sure the cavalry, the heavy infantry, the fighter to be in formation. Because of his personality many players believe in him to make a successful attack. Dan couldn''t believe what he will about to do. He will fight a war with swords and shield, with magic hurling, with arrows that will cloud the clear sky. Where else will he have this kind of experience other than in Brave World¡­and as he thinks of this his hand is trembling yet again So, once again he said to himself, almost whispering to his heart "This is excitement. It is not fear." Amy on the other hand is stationed on the back. She instructed her division to make sure they must not fall. They are healers. Their task is to heal not to fight. As long as her division remember that they would be vital in the battlefield. Never rush into the battlefield and risk their lives. That is the job of soldiers, of warriors and magicians They are ready in their positions. Bandages were ready. Potions were prepared and herbs were stocked and ready to be used. Food is also prepared in case if the war becomes long. The Bards is ready to sing. Like previous battle they will sing again in the same way they did before. The druids are also beginning to chant spells. It was ordered by Aero. The healer will be ready to heal the front lines troops. The cooks is cooking great dish that will give stat boost to the troops that are going to the battlefield. Because of this many cooks have reached quite a high level in cooking because they have been cooking since the beginning of the war. Amy on the other hand is worried about Aero. That idiot! He should stay in the Fort. Amy thinks to herself. So stubborn They are the support division. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are the most important division after the attacking division. Raina troops were stationed in high peak in the hills or high building to utilize their archery abilities to the fullest. After they arrived in this city they went to the city warehouse and took their arrows. Raina troops also saw the timber and make arrows. The blacksmith in the city also help them make new bows. The surrounding villages knowing that they were attacked also offered their arrows. Raina was grateful for their assistance. With their help, Raina is confident they will have enough arrows to at least slow down Kyle troops. Raina is not as positive as Dan. She believes all of Vanheim army will die here today. But as long as Vanheim does not fall, they still have a chance. This is it. This is the final battle. Aero was still calm. He look at the vast battlefield and he sees patterns. On his soldiers and on his enemies soldiers. He look and he smiles. ''Could I duplicate it? The ancient wisdoms?'' The eyes of a strategist sees everything. Not many people see the entirety of this formation and some didn''t even understand it. Aero has employed Cannae tactic. Only two person in history managed to use it perfectly. In the end Aero is just standing on the shoulders of giants, peering through the vast distance. Aero make the center to be weak to deliberately invite the enemy to attack the Centre. Of course the squad leader and commander were informed of this. But the soldiers did not see it and understand it. But they didn''t have to. They didn''t need to see it or understand it. Soldiers¡­.their job is to follow orders. Aero is hoping to tempt the rashness of a title chaser like Kyle to attack the center of his formation. This will help the left and right flank to try to envelop the enemy. And the moment Aero managed to envelop the enemy, Aero could slowly play with them like a cat playing with its prey. This tactic required tactical reserve behind the weak center. Many argue Aero that this is not ideal considering the situations but Aero has made his decisions. It is not ideal because he did not have the numbers of people necessary for the tactical reserve to support the weak center. He still has something in his sleeve. As a strategist if he does not have any cards he can play and all of his card is known beforehand isn''t that betraying his title as a strategist? This one trump card, he plays it close to his heart. Then everyone heard it.Aero looks towards the distance, toward the source of that sound. The hooves of the warhorses stomp the land as the dust gathered and silhouette of men masked with killing intent fills the battlefield. They arrived. Kyle at the helms of thousands of troops, looking especially grand, on the front leading all of men, feeling like the whole world under his feet, he looked excited. Their step shakes the battlefield. No doubt he is confident that he is going to win. The warhorses neighs and from afar they looked intimidating and vicious. ''Iron soldiers and iron horses'' Aero said to himself. Aero soldiers gripped their weapons tighter; their will to win is not to be underestimated. Then Kyle yells, his voice reverberated all over the battlefield "Aero, if you surrender now I will give Silvi state to you so you can live in peace. Your men will all be spared." Kyle was thinking even though they have superior army why not he used negotiations to minimize his troop''s casualty. His troops if they are reduced too much then they will be problems later. Bradheim army movement is also not known to him. That is a variable. And he hates variable. He is angry at Aero but he needs to look at the bigger picture. Then after he takes the capital he will deal with Aero then. Aero on the other hand could clearly what state of mind Kyle possess. ''He already think he has won before even fighting? What a laughable joke'' Aero thought to himself. Aero replied "Kyle, If I wanted to surrender I would have done it a long time ago!!" Aero yelled back.Then he held up his sword up high. Shining with a glint of murderousness, the Sword of Mars was held up high and the soldiers cheered up, the sound was deafening and ear numbing. The Sword of Mars, the sword of a War God. Vanheim troops cheered and they too held up their weapons, bangs their shield and screams their hearts out "Fine! Come on!!! Let us settle this in the battlefield!!!." Kyle yelled smiling like he expected Aero to decline. After all, if Aero surrenders how could that make him famous? The soldiers behind Kyle also screams and in that screams anger and hatred could be felt. "CHARGE!!!!" The moment Kyle yelled charge thousands of arrows flew towards Aero army. Aero muttered inaudiblyas Kyle yelled charge ''Let the game begins'' The cavalry rush forward, the infantry runs like mad, their weapons drawn and ready to clash. Dust rises up from their hard footsteps and war bugle sounded. The battle begins with the sodden of screams, the whistling of arrows released, and the hooves of warhorses. Aero soldiers quickly put up their shield in tortoise formation to avoid being skewered to death by arrows. They march slowly while putting their formation. Some troops that is late in putting up the formation were killed. Aero magicians put a barrier spells to help the front lines and sending fireballs and ice spike to the charging cavalry. But not all were protected by the magic barrier. The cavalry on Aero sides try to avoid the arrows by charging ahead only to be speared by Kyle pike man. The pikeman on the other hand was attacked by the Fighters division. Using barehanded technique they disarm them, and killed them either by breaking their necks for NPCs or stabbing vital points with their hands until the HP gone down to 0 for players. But the Fighters division were also badly affected when the cavalry corps of Kyle smash through one of the flanks of the fighter division and stomp all of them into meat paste, their faces stamp into the ground, their brains matter splattered to be mixed with mud and blood as thousand more stomp the ground. Then Kyle fighters also come in to the fray and they attacked Aero fighters. At this time Aero magicians started hurling rock bullet, fireballs and every kind of destructive magic to Vetten troops. Both clashed and in the dins of metals and sparks of battle that broke everywhere, both sides suffers casualties. Then from the top of the hill arrows were shot at Kyle troops. Too many arrows to count. They waited for the perfect moment after the Kyle Archer division is recharging. But Kyle has already predicted this. He also uses his magician to cast barrier spells protecting his valuable elite soldiers and himself. Riding his horse and cutting head, Kyle could slowly saw the battlefield even amidst the chaos. He then saw it. The weak point of this army. He smiles and grin. Kyle saw that the center is weak ordered his men to attack the center. The cavalry and the warriors eager to make a name for themselves in the war quickly rushed to the center. They went into rampage, slashing and hacking, not knowing the deeper they go, the harder they would find themselves to get out. They did not realize as they hack and slash their way forward that the soldiers on their left and right slowly distance themselves slowly, and slowly as the way they came from is slowly being shut off. As the center slowly retreated, and the Vetten forces keep chasing them, they still did not realizes that the commander leading the center position is smiling. If they could only realize this, they might have a chance. In the end, intoxicated with the idea of glory, they did not even realizes that they fall into the trap that the Strategist has wrought for them. And they fall into it almost perfectly. Aero was watching this even as he was killing people with his sword. Then Aero knows it is time. The envelopment has succeeded. He did it. It was at this time Aero yelled "NOW" And the moment he yelled that, the tide of battle changes course. It took everyone by surprise, the Vetten and the soldiers in the center position alike. Living up to his name Aero smirk maliciously as his sword fell down another enemy soldiers. ''This battle is decided'' Aero thought to himself, smiling maliciously ****************************************************************** Second chapter for today.A mass release today. if you like the story and want to see more please vote and like always, I hope you enjoy the story Chapter 27 LIKE A SCARLET FLOWER IN ALL ITS GLORY PS : I recommend listening to Valley of Wolves Lions Inside when reading this chapter The soldier on the right sides moves disorderly as shouts filled the blood drenched battlefield. The cavalry smash upon the fallen heads, leaving a dye of red. Slashing sounds and hooves of horses could be heard in the same beat like a score of music blended perfectly in harmony. The tides of battle changes in an instant the moment Aero gave his order. His trap succeeded. And in succeeding, it spells doom for Vetten soldiers. The confidence of the cavalry faltered when they saw the trained movement of the soldiers. One of the cavalry officer look behind him and all he could see was enemy soldiers. Vanheim soldiers looking at them full of bloodlust, full of anger and full of determination. He look left and he look right. And then he saw it in the distance as a heavy feeling spreads inside his heart. His soldiers are being surrounded, like a herd of lamb to the slaughterhouse. Not far away from them arrows riddled the bodies of his soldiers making his soldiers look like a porcupine. The heavy feeling returned A feeling he should not have. Not right here, not right now. It is¡­fear. When he charges in, he was valiant, full of sprit and bloodlust, full of such confidence that he believes nothing could withstand his charge. But now¡­fear creeps in. And his hand trembles. His body produces sweat. Dripping slowly to the ground the sound of which sounds like of a ticking clock. Before he even manages to order his subordinates, a spear pierced his head as his head exploded into misty rain showering his nearby companion. And the shouts and screams of despair continue, as the beats of horses hooves stomping the ground resumes. The harmony of the screams and the sound of weapons slashing flesh resonates again. In the battlefield, life does not bloom. It only ends. For the nobles, they need to win. For the soldiers, there is only one objectives. Survive. Any thought about fame, glory will all disappears the moment a sword, or a spear nearly take their lives. At that moment instinct take over. Survive¡­it screams! Survive and live on! But death still comes and reap. The Vanheim army is slaughtering the Vetten It was like they were lions. Even if the ground that they are walking is cutting through their skin, they would hunt down their prey until their bitter end. A killing feast began as the lions were unleashed. Meanwhile on the left flank The Vanheim army quickly enveloped the Vetten troops with thunder-like speed and quickly they attacked relentlessly. Arrows, magic attacks, traps and variety of attack were subjected towards the left flank. Explosion sounded in an interval of one second sometimes even lesser than that. With this much noise, one had to scream to relay anything "What is happening?" Chris is in charge of the left flank was shocked of this sudden development. It was not only shocking it was unexpected. As Chris was still reeling from the shock, from afar a great warhorses is crossing through enemy lines to reach Chris. Screams and blood marks the trail which this person travels This person is dressed in white robe, and he slashes anyone in his way. Cutting people like vegetables, with each cuts he cut people into two. Even players were not spared of such vicious death. Those who clash with the white robed person all knew who that person that is crossing enemy lines and singlehandedly killing so many people Aero! Cutting a horses into two Aero appears in front of Chris with Chris too shocked to say anything of this sudden development. ''I will take your head as a gift to the King of Vanheim!'' This is the only thing he say before he proceeds to attacking. Aero raised his trusted sword and attacked, his attack was as thunderous as lightning, fast and lethal. Chris even though was shocked, was still a powerful person so by reflex he dodged. But Aero only smirked. He jabbed Chris in the stomach with the hilt of his sword as the pain travels all over Chris body. Chris doubled over. Aero will not let this opportunity go as he changed his movement, his sword ready to reap lives. Aero smacked him in the face with the hilt of his sword making him stunned and unable to deflect the next attack that is about to come. With the flash of sword, and in view of Vetten soldiers, Aero make a spinning movement positioning his body and sword in front of Chris head. ''NO!!!'' Chris was shouting in sorrow as he realizes what is about to happen but Aero smiles with a glint of cruelty inside his eyes. Without hesitation, he slices Chris neck, as blood gushed out from the wound that reminds Aero of death executions. With a little force he slices all the way through Chris neck bones, as Chris head flew into the air, separated from his body, his eyes open in bewilderment as his body slowly falls down with a thud on the ground For one second, in the shout and screams infested battlefield, silence reigned. The Vetten troops seeing one of their commander die were shocked. Without a leader they are disorganized. And not only that. Fear creeps in their hearts. Looking at the valiant image of the white robe person, with his sword still red with the blood of their leader, no one take a step forward. They should have at least tries to avenge their leader. But they were scared. Their instinct is telling them "Run¡­Survive¡­.Live on!" Dan was not far away when he saw what happens. He cheered and the people behind him cheered and the silence was broken. The momentum and the tides of battle is on their sides right now. Dan would be an idiot not to capitalize on this matter. Taking this chance Dan ordered his warrior ''CHARGE!!! KILL THE INVADERS!!!'' The Vetten troops in the left flanks were trying to retreat after the death of their leader but they were stopped by the Vanheim cavalry The cavalry without waiting any orders raged in the battlefield like hungry lions. They stomped their enemies, leaving red ground and soils with human flesh underneath the hooves of their horses. Aero on the other hand as if to prove he still had a lot of energy after destabilizing the left flank, jump into battle once again, this time his warhorse runs faster through the battlefield as the rate of his killing increased. He slashed like wind, moves like lightning, with each strikes, a life is taken and when he defended he was like the mountain, nothing could make him moves. His strikes are as fierce as fire and he did not hesitate to use sly method to kill and destroy. With his white robe he should be noticeable in the crowd but with all the sounds and the chaos in the battlefield even if people know who he is and saw him, to approach and kill him is not as easy as one would think. Not to mention as Aero clears a path, his bodyguard quickly follows him from behind, clearing any stragglers They did not once stop. They only move forward, bulldozing as they punched through many lines of defense by the sheer power of will. By the time they were too tired, about six hundred soldiers was annihilated. Aero huffed and puffed, his chest heaved heavily and his sword were drenched with dripping blood Aero look at his word and smiles bitterly ''It''s thanks to you'' he said to his sword. This feat is thanks to his swords. Its powerful damage really helped Aero in killing the soldiers. His agility on the other hand helps him escape many near misses. "Come on. Come on. You''re really slow!" taunt Aero towards the other soldiers in his vicinity as he realizes that the Vetten soldiers is inching away trying to run away. He uses his skill taunt. -Enemy attacks becomes slower by 10% - Morale drops to 5%- -Some troops becomes confused- -Strength Increased By 1 Point (1 STR)- -Strength Increased By 1 Point (1 STR)- -Strength Increased By 1 Point (1 STR)- -Strength Increased By 1 Point (1 STR)- -Agility Increased By 1 Point (1 AGI)- -Agility Increased By 1 Point (1 AGI)- -Agility Increased By 1 Point (1 AGI)- -You Have Leveled Up!- -You Have Leveled Up!- -You Have Leveled Up!- Because he use Demonic Devil Energy Drain frequently during the war and combined with his intense fighting against the Vetten troops he gained many level up and increasing his stats. But even though Aero kept on fighting the sea of enemies that come still seems like endless. But Aero was not concerned. After all, he still has things under his sleeve. His trump card. So, he will do what he can, one step at a time. Only then he can win. Those who try to do too much will only ended up ruined. Kyle on the other hand even though his left flanks was almost ruined was not panicked. He was not stupid. Now, he knows what Aero planned. But judging from the amount of soldiers and looking at the battlefield, Kyle could guess that Aero did not have a sufficient tactical reserve on the back. Kyle could still win. He only needs to organize the army and turn this round. He then yelled to his soldiers amidst the battlefield "We will win. Keep on pushing!!!" But Kyle would know what true nightmare is from this point on. Dan and Raina who saw what happens smiles and Amy cheered in her heart. The reason was because they could feel the earth tremble. And they knew Aero plan has succeeded. The ground trembles because in the distance, as dust gathers and settle a horde of cavalry appears. A grand war cries sounded, the bugles were sounded and hooves of mighty cavalry enter the battle. Thousands of cavalries charged into the battlefield, and bearing the brunt of this is the Vetten army. It was like seeing the collision of a motorcycle with a thirty ton truck The Vetten soldiers were stomped as the sound of human skulls cracking under the pressure of large and mighty horses could give nightmare to anyone who heard it. Many of the Vetten soldiers that was caught unprepared had their head squashed. Some who were lucky enough not to get their head stomp on by horses got their head pierced by spears and pikes. Kyle was pale on the face as he saw the cavalry. But his face turn even paler after seeing the banner of that cavalry. The banner was an eagle eating a snake embossed in gold fluttering high on the air, straight and proudly displayed. ''Bradheim.Finally.'' Aero seeing this screams to Bradheim with a smile on his face "What took you so long!!" "HAHAHAHA. I came didn''t I!!!" his voice was boisterous and the exchange between the two was like an exchange between two old friends. But both of them, Aero and Bradheim knew the other is not a friend. For now they share the same objectives and Aero hold a leverage over him. But this exchange reinvigorates the NPCs of Vanheim. They all knew the reputation of Vanheim most proud military commander, The Golden Lion of Vanheim, Lord Bradheim. Not to mention he come bearing reinforcement, his famed merciless cavalry ''What are you lounging around there, Strategist Aero? Let us revel in the feats before us! Hahahaha!! Bradheim yelled back while laughing on horseback. Some of his cavalries were armed with bows, some with clubs, and some with swords. But even though they have different weapons they all have one similarity. Their eyes. They look at their enemies like they were prey¡­.and they, the predator. Licking their lips, it was like they are eager to enter battle and rip apart their enemies. The horses sensing their owners bloodlust neighed and their eyes turns red ''ATTACK!'' Bradheim shouted his orders and they charge to the battlefield like an eruption of volcano. The ferocity in their gaze was no joke. They also start defending the weak center serving as a tactical reserve of the weak center as they cover up Aero tactics. Aero was smiling. ''Just as I planned''. It was not a smile. It was a smirk. A very annoying smirk As the other Vetten commander try to rally their troops, Bradheim archers starts shooting without rest riddling the lands and the Vetten soldiers with arrows all over their bodies. Those that used magic arrows devastated large plot of lands, killing dozens in a single attack. The right flank also was ambushed by groups of Bradheim heavy infantry, their rampage was like a madman appearing in a village and started killing everyone he saw. Shocked, fearful and perplexed by such barbaric and almost mad like behavior they quickly scattered, running all over the battlefield, crying home and their families. Kyle was yelling with a frustrated heart and a sunken expression "Do not run. Keep on fighting" The more he said the more exasperated his tone became "COME ON! IS THAT ALL YOU GOT!" yelled some of Bradheim troops as they keep killing. The most mad like behavior was if any of Bradheim soldiers were pierced by spears or slashed by sword, they would laugh and trade injuries with their enemies, seemingly to disregard their lives. Aero spotting an opportunity as he rides through the battlefield ordered the Druids with a loud voice. "QUAGMIRE" The spell was prepared since the beginning of the battle. Hearing Aero yelled the orders, the Druid cast the spell. The battlefield cold hard ground turns into a mud. The enemy troops that tried to run slip. The cavalry fall from their horses. Bradheim was already informed of this and halted his cavalry corps to move forward. Bradheim archers took this chance to shoot Vetten troops with Raina division helping. The infantry of Vanheim just come to them and stab them until they die. When the effect wore off, exhausted, battered and losing any will to fight, the demon cavalry of Bradheim charge through the battlefield crashing through the soldiers who managed to survive long enough for the quagmire to lose it effects. The cavalry just stampede them with their horses repeating the tragedy in the beginning of the battle. The magicians in the back hurl fire to burn them and restrict their movements with the Vetten magicians also uses ice or water attack to counter Vanheim magician corps attack. The Vetten troops was in a disarray. By now, all of Vetten forces realized what just happens. Bradheim is Aero reinforcement and his ally. "ATTACK YOU FOOLS! Kyle ordered his troops in anger as he could see that the lines of defense is slowly being breached and some were even pierced completely already But his troops were too scared and shocked at this display of might and bloodlust. Bradheim army is like a berserker. With his cavalry Bradheim acted like the battlefield a slaughter house. He laughed amidst the battlefield, his entire armor was drenched with blood but even so he laughs like he was very happy. He is the proud lion that rules the jungle, and the others are all sheep He is a predator, they are the prey and this is a game for him Everyone that met his large glaive was cut into two; as no one could contend with him pass even one slash. Truly Vanheim is blessed to have such commander. Knowing this is a big hurdle to pass, Kyle spits into the ground. ''This is a failure. I need to retreat to Fort Vars and ask for reinforcements from King Vetten.'' Kyle said to himself gritting his teeth "You''re lucky Aero. Today is not your day to die!" Kyle yells to Aero as Kyle already spur his horse to run away from the battlefield Aero hearing this provocation did not stand still. If he decides to attack he would attack like lightning, fast and lethal. Aero was already breaking through the enemy encirclement and riding towards Kyle like the wind, ignoring the small fry as the guard behind him would block their attacks Aero will not let some no name soldier delay him in taking the head of the enemy commander. He needs to buy at least more time. Until; then, the Vetten forces must not leave this battlefield. Aero must crushes this army. Here, today, at this moment. Only then it would serve as a deterrence. If Kyle managed to retreat successfully, though Aero is confident he could still defeat Kyle, but it will not bring such impacts. Aero knows more than anyone the importance of image building. If you appear strong, no matter whether that is true or not, then people will respect and fear you. And the reverse is also true So, Aero must delay. Until that person arrives. "RETREAT!! We will regroup at Fort Vars!" Kyle ordered his troops to retreat as he rides to his retreat Hearing this order the soldiers of Vetten acted like they heard the songs of prayers and their steps become even faster in retreating. But then Aero who was chairing through the enemy lines suddenly pull the reins on his horses and his horses halted in shock and neigh angrily. Aero notices something in the distance. Aero was just looking at the horizons and grin. The other commander also looks at the direction Aero is looking. A smile slowly form on his face and he laughed joyously like he was seeing the most amusing thing in the world. His surprise is not yet over. Then the sound of joy begins. Bradheim was laughing boisterously, even as he was drenched in the blood of his enemies. Raina on the hills were joyously screaming as she stand up from her position and waved her hand. Dan was jumping like a monkey, excited. The entire troop of Vanheim is cheering even as they are cutting down their retreating enemies. Kyle troops who were running to retreat in the front which still did not know the commotion on their back remain unaware of the ruckus when suddenly they heard something that causes their heart turns cold It is the sounds of war drums and hooves. It''s louder than before and judging by the sound, the people coming this time is larger than before. From the distance looking at the direction of Fort Vars they saw a banner that replaces the flags of Vetten A red shield with black blood. That''s the symbols of Veranis. In front of the Fort, was a sea of soldiers with black armors and black shields. The troops of Veranis! In the helm of the troops was a woman standing there in the front like she was the leader of this army. Wearing red armors from top to bottom she looks like an avenging angel. Looking from afar she truly looks like a goddess of war with hundreds of thousands of troops behind her. The sun setting behind her only adds to the theatricality of her entrance to the battlefield. Some of the troops watch in awe. She shines brightly. Just like a scarlet flower in all its glory. Even though it was far, Aero knows who she is. Aero couldn''t help but smiles. And the woman who leads this massive army even though she didn''t see Aero she also smiles. Knowing that somehow, somewhere he is watching her. ************************************************************************* Ok, this is the last chapter for today. Hope you all enjoy it and thanks for reading. please vote if you like the story Chapter 28 EXTRA CHAPTER: I鈥橫 STILL NOT OVER YOU The first notes sounded and then some people nodded as they enjoy the melody.. The sound of guitar from the performance was soothing. Today, a red hair musician performed singing a slow song in the cafe. The scent of coffee and drinks fills the caf¨¦ and orders are being taken and served. The conversation seems to flow and life seems to be abundant. But in one corner of the caf¨¦, there is a man with an expression like he had nothing else in the world. "Are you okay, Daniel?" Michael asked Daniel looking worried. Tonight he brought Daniel to this caf¨¦ that he always frequented in the past. It served to show to Daniel that people are living¡­and living well. To show him what he has forgotten and to bring him out of his room. Somehow "there" Daniel had another breakdown. This time it is terrible than before. The doctor says Daniel need to face what has happened. Michael heard what the Doctor said. Michael asked the doctor what he should do to help his friend. The Doctor said he need to try to face it head on. Slowly¡­but he must face it or he will never be able to release himself from that world inside his mind And that world inside his mind is dangerous. Because in that world, she is there. And in this world she is not. And Michael fear, he would like that world more, the world in his head, the world where she exist instead the world he is now living. Thinking that if Daniel can go to the caf¨¦ he could be cured was na?ve and stupid. Michael thought to himself but he did not blame himself for holding this hope. Every time Daniel has a breakdown it is almost like a panic attack and he felt breathless. He is attacked by this feeling of suffocation. Like he is drowning slowly drifting into the bottom. He sweated profusely, his heartbeats quickened and he always felt like he''s going to faint. Michael doesn''t like seeing his friend like that. Precisely because he knows what trigger that breakdown. Daniel look at his friend and then he sighed "I''m okay" said Daniel weakly. He was smiling but it was a smile of a person giving up Michael shakes his head and there is a trace of anger and anxiousness "No, you''re not. You''re the farthest from okay'' he said stressing the statement. Then he sighed before he added ''It''s my fault" Daniel shakes his head and then with a bitter smile on his face he hold his friend shoulder and squeeze it and said "No, it''s not. It never was" Daniel said more firmly this time. Daniel would not let Michael blames himself. This sin is his fault and his fault alone. He should have been there that day. If only he was there¡­.could he stop it? And if he stops it would he be happier? In his mind, she is there. Waiting. For some reason the world in his mind is more tempting "Tell me Daniel, are you really alright?" Daniel looks like he was contemplating on answering. Then he looked straight at Michael and he said "I''m doing just fine." Before he smirk weakly ''That''s what I always tell the doctor anyway'' Michael frowned. Then taking a deep breath Daniel confess ''I would always lie and say she''s not in my mind. That she is not there any longer" Daniel said this sincerely. Then he tries to calm down again. "But then when we go out to this caf¨¦ and sit at "our" table, looking at the scratches me and her made below the chairs, I realized. And that realization always forced me to go rock bottom. Each time I''m forced to face the truth." Michael could only shakes his head "What truth? "Michael asked curios of Daniel answer. Daniel smiles a bitter smile. "I''m not over her. I''m not over her, Mike. And I don''t think I can. I know I shouldn''t anymore because it is ruining me. But I just can''t help it" tears are streaming down from Daniel eyes. He was sobbing as the song drowns out his sobs. Michael was looking like he doesn''t know what to say. Daniel was hurt. No¡­he is still hurting. He is ...¡­hurt because he loved too much. When Daniel was dating Amy, Michael was always jealous of them. The way they looked at each other, the way they finished each other sentence and the way they always know what the other was thinking. He was jealous and happy at the same time of their passion for each other. Their love for each other. They were happy and all was good. Daniel once said to him, that Amy is like a fire to him. It lights him up, make him soar. Makes him believe anything is possible. She was his fire. She was his light. But what happens when that fire is no more? You will leave a shell. Like a candle. They burn bright. But the brighter it was, the shorter it became. Before it is completely extinguished "No, you can forget her. You''ll get over it" said Michael in a soft tone. He wanted to console his friend but he doesn''t know how. Then Daniel said "You know there is a quote I read once in a book. It goes like this. "You''ll get over it¡­" It''s the clich¨¦s that cause the trouble. To lose someone you love is to alter your life forever. You don''t get over it because ''it" is the person you loved.'' His voice cracked and he continues as the image of that woman in pain appears inside his mind again If only¡­ Why¡­ Can''t You Tell The question he should have asked¡­the words he should have said¡­.if only he did it right¡­..would that tragedy happens? If only¡­..he was more.. If only he was¡­. But he continue saying ''The pain stops, there are new people, but the gap never closes. How could it? The particularness of someone who mattered enough to grieve over is not made disappear by death. This hole in my heart is in the shape of her and no-one else can fit it. Why would I want them to?" Then he added ''And why should I want them to? This pain¡­is my pain alone. At least, this, I should bear'' he added Daniel said while wiping his tears. Michael just sighed and then shaking his head he then he grab Daniel shoulder and he looked Daniel right in his eyes, staring, pleading with his eyes. But Daniel eyes are dazed. In his eyes, maybe he wanted to go where she was. But he couldn''t let that happen. He won''t give his best friend to her In his heart he seems to be praying ''Please¡­please, don''t give up'' Then he shakes Daniel shoulder and said "Look at me, Daniel. LOOK AT ME!'' He shouted and it startled Daniel, that he broke out form his dazed expression. ''No¡­you are wrong. You can''t love her like this. You have to stop loving her like this. Stop¡­loving a dead girl!" For Daniel sake, Michael really hoped he will get over her as he grab Daniel shoulders crying with him together. After what happens, Michael knows Daniel wanted to drown in his sorrows. But Michael will not let what happened to that girl happens to his friend. It is selfish of him¡­but Daniel is alive¡­and she is not. So¡­he will do whatever he can¡­this time. He will not repeat the mistake that both of them make. . . . . "Earth to Daniel. Earth to Daniel" Daniel was startled and then he finally realized Michael is calling him "What are you thinking about?" Michael asked. "Old stuff "Daniel said nonchalantly "You were just about to tell me about this girl you met that looks like Amy. Now, get on with the stories." Michael insisted "You''re excited aren''t you?'' Daniel chuckles a bit. ''Ok. Ok. I''ll tell you the story. " So I continued the story about this girl I met in Brave World that looks almost like Amy. I really need his advice. And another night passes until I''m over you. ******************************************************************** First chapter for today. There will be a few more chapter coming your way in a moment. If you like the story please vote for the story and leave some reviews. Hope you enjoy the chapter. Next chapter would resume Daniel life as Aero Chapter 29 RESIGNATION PS: I recommend hearing to Mawr the Legend Begins while reading this chapter Chaos. What is chaos? It is a complete disorder and confusion. And that is what is happening to him now. Disorderly and full of confusion He looked at his left and right. Chaos. Only chaos. And more chaos wherever he look. He saw his soldiers being butchered like some sheep or cows. On another side, he saw his soldiers being stomped into meat paste, their flesh melded with the mud. He hears the dins of irons and metals clashing against each other. He heard the screams, yelling and pleading. He smells the blood, the sweats,, the fluids coming out of men''s bowels when they are frightened to death At this moment of complete disorder and confusion, he closed his eyes and takes a deep breath And the world faded away As the world faded away, the sounds also disappears as the only thing he could hear was his heartbeat, pounding strongly and feeling the hot tears streaming down from his face. The disappointment, the feeling of being in the highest peak to only be pushed down in one single moment. From the peak of the highest mountain to rock bottom in a matter of moments Only one question appears inside his chaotic mind right now "How did this all happen?" Kyle is now thinking about what had just happened. It was like time was decelerating for him right now. He is now trapped between two sides. On his rear are the Vanheim troops crazily slaughtering to get to where he is. It is like they were crazed madman that would sacrifice their all, just to get a bite off his flesh They were lions and they are hunting their prey, feasting on them like they were some sheep or impala in the wilderness On the front are Veranis troops rushing into the battlefield, their black armor are like Lord Hades himself coming to invite them to the Underworld ''Fuck!'' he cursed. He truly is screwed. Kyle is truly confused as to the chain of events that is happening now as it did not match any scenerio of what supposed to happen. According to his plan this should not have happened. Especially the Bradheim reinforcement. Isn''t he supposed to be defeated in his Fort? After Bradheim arrived Aero troops became a staggeringly one hundred and ten thousand troops in numbers. Not to mention that Bradheim came without warning and succeeded in surprising them and making their formation useless. There is also the fact that Bradheim brought with him his crazy cavalry corps Vanheim soldiers also succeeded in deceiving him to attack the center leading his troops to be enveloped by both his right and left flank. The moment they were enveloped his troops confidence was gone. After all to be wedged on both sides, seeing only enemies would erode any confidence that his soldiers have. Then when Bradheim and his troops came strengthening the center, Kyle had a premonition of what is going to happen. And it is a bad one. And by the time he understands what was happening, the game has ended. He was baited by Aero again. And he fell into his trap, hook, line and sinker. Right now he''s trying to break through the encirclement and retreat, but then the sudden appearance of Veranis troops that seems to help Aero''s troops crushed his hopes. Bradheim cavalries and Veranis troops. He didn''t expect this. Veranis Kingdom soldiers are around two hundred and twenty thousand troops. And from what Kyle sees they all seems very capable and energetic. When did they come? Then he answered it himself as it dawns on him They must have come through Fort Vars. But then a question arises. He didn''t leave any soldiers there, that is true because he wanted to settle this war as swift a possible But Veranis wasn''t supposed to know about Vetten invasion Even if they knew their response time should not be this fast. But before Kyle could think any longer the war horn sounded again. Then the scarlet woman leading the Veranis troops yelled ''Charge!!'' A shout sounded from behind her. Then the world shakes as a black tide charges forward. The soldiers heeded her words as they run into the battlefield, archers releasing their bows from their bowstring, magicians hurling magic attacks and cavalry run amuck as their warhorses takes the vanguard position and clash with the first line of defense, with a deafening noise of collision stomping them all into meat paste into the ground. The sound of human bones breaking and cracking before a whimper of pain just at the last moment before their head being stomped and their skull exploded is truly grating and unpleasant to the ear. Every kind of soldiers crowded to the battlefield in a chaotic manner as the killing and slaughtering began. The cavalry of Veranis is not inferior to Bradheim cavalry. The stomping of their warhorses is like peals of thunders. They were like a flood of black steel as the Vetten soldiers all show fear in their eyes. Even as they raise their shields to hold the line it did not diminish the feeling of fear in their heart. And then BOOM! Like a massive wave crashing against a dam, the ranks of the Vetten army crumbled like pillars of salt. In that moment, it was like the earth shook. Everyone from Veranis seems out for blood. Kyle even as he was defending himself from magic attacks and snipe arrows, is noticing only NPCs exist in Veranis troops. This means Veranis didn''t sent out a quest for players to join their army. But even though there are no players in the Veranis troops when they charge, Kyle knows that a lot of these soldiers if compared to the level of players are around level 170 or 190. This must be Aero''s work. Then after looking the general trend of this battlefield, Kyle suddenly laughs. ''HAHAHA'' he laughs like a madman as his tears falling down his eyes but his face is smiling madly. It seems Kyle has finally understood. He believed Aero must have send request for help even before he was sieging Aero in Fort Vars. This means, Aero had him inside his palm all this time. He was always one step behind. No, maybe he was ten steps behind. That is something hard for Kyle to accept. But he accepted it now. And he embraces what is to come. All in all, Kyle is fighting three hundred and thirty thousand troops, all screaming for his troop''s blood. This is an impossible odd to fight against. The only thing Kyle could do right now, is killing as many as he could, taking as many people down as he can. The Veranis and Vanheim soldiers shouted a war cry every time they take their enemy head Their war cries only help in demoralizing Kyle''s troops. Screams and shouts for help were heard from everywhere. He could see what is happening. His infantry division is being slashed and stabbed by the onslaught of Veranis cavalry. With the force of their horses they stampeded and rammed through his troops. His support division is being shot by Veranis archers. The Vanheim Druids are utilizing completely the terrain by raising earth wall to trap his cavalry. The mud cast by druids is also slowing his troops advance to retreat. It was a show of tactical brilliance. There is no other way to put it. It was a slaughter. Bradheim maniac laughter only increased the effect of the horror that Kyle is experiencing. "Hail, Commander Alexander!! For the Old Dreams" Kyle heard this from the Veranis troops as their pace of killing increased and their brutality doubles. That must be the name of their commander. Then Kyle heard cheers. And more screams of his troops. He could see skirmishes everywhere. He saw a Fighter whacking his troops with his own shields, cracking open that soldier head as brain matter seeped out from his head, dying flailingly and foaming in the mouth as he drop dead onto the ground before his head were stepped by another Vetten soldier who is running. He could also see these duo archers that were just dodging left and right while shooting their arrows precisely at the forehead killing many of his elite troops. Every time these duos shoot people with their arrows, none of their target could escape. Everyone that are shot by them are dead in one shot. Not only that, their precision is also top notch. Their cooperation is also magnificent. They cover each other blind spot. They must be high level players that Aero has recruited Another scene that he saw that made him sure he is losing this war was this warrior that fought of a squad of his light infantry alone. He was bashing left and right. "Stand your ground!! Stand your ground!!!" one of Kyle''s commanders yelled to the troops. But still Kyle stood transfixed in the middle of the battlefield. Kyle troop''s defenses are collapsing one by one, as rivers of blood are forming, the blood seeping deep into the ground turning the grass red and the soil dark and damp. Some of the soils has been turned into mud The enemy is closing to defeat him. When the cavalry doesn''t have the advantage of space and mobility, they are sitting ducks. And he has lost his horses. So, he stand there right there in the center of the battlefield, transfixed. Like he is waiting to be killed. Kyle also realized that Dan division is marching faster and faster to where he is. "Protect General Kyle!!" the other commander yelled. A few troops take the command and surround him. They all seem eager to protect him. But all Kyle could feel was pity for his soldiers. Kyle has recognized it while watching all that is happening. A few more minutes and then they will be totally surrounded. They''re everywhere. Kyle is also seeing Aero not too far from him. He could see Aero was plunging into the battle with bloodlust, his sword swings left and right as his horses rammed any soldiers bold enough to fight with him head on. His sword reaps head and his horses stomp his enemies. He''s searching for me. With Aero silver sword, he was slashing everywhere and taking lives with him. And if he did not see it with his own eyes, he would not believe it. The rumor was true. That weapon that Aero wields is too much. Anyone that is slashed with it die by a single stroke. Limbs were flying. Heads were rolling. Aero white robe was red with blood. He was stabbing and charging through Vetten troops like they were paper dummy. He was wading into legions of his heavy infantry, taking out dozens of his troops with every strike, destroying his troop''s formation and knocking out anyone who tried to reform the formation. Too many lay wounded. Too many were dying. Blood flowed through the battlefield like a river. But still Aero was like a hurricane. Destroying everything on his path. And closer and closer he was coming. Any time now, Aero will reap his head. ''This is the end. I lost.'' He bitterly admitted to himself. Kyle knew he has lost this battle. He could see Aero charging towards him right now with a smirk on his face like he was ridiculing him. Kyle could feel his finger trembling. To raise or not to raise? He could raise his sword and fight, but he has lost all hope. Once again, his eyes survey the battlefields and he felt his heart breaking His troops are being butchered, their limbs filled the ground. His dreams of recognition are dashed with this one single engagement. How glorious it was a few days ago! He had just forced Aero to retreat and he believed himself that he would be able to conquer the capital of Vanheim. He would become an overlord in the Vilajeri continent, standing toe to toe with people like Zeus. As he was thinking of all of this the sword just fell from his hand without any resistance. The bodyguard that was assigned to protect him was cut in half by Aero one swing of his silver sword. The blood of his soldier sprayed to his face. There is no epic battle between him and Aero. No exchanging words of banter. Only resignation in Kyle eyes. He has accepted it. He has lost. He also realized something. He was good, but Aero was better. Aero is inches away from him. He looks up and he could see Aero eyes. For a moment, it was like time was slowing, his heart pounded with the vigorous force of a sledgehammer being pounded. He saw the warhorse slowly coming to him and the raised hand of Aero. There was calmness and utterly disinterested look inside the eyes of Aero. What a mockery! Kyle thought to himself. With the sound of the hooves coming closer to him, Kyle could feel the impending death coming to him He thought this war will plunge him into fame, but after this he will be scorned by all in this continent. He has made himself the stepping stone for Aero fame. He made a mockery of himself. He underestimated his enemies, and become careless after just one battle. If he were more cautious, and more prudent¡­could today battle be different? And in that moment he could see it. Aero was not even looking at him. He was but another target. ''I was not his rival. His tactics and strategies surpass mine in every way.'' ''I underestimated him. Or was it that I overestimated myself?'' And the last thing he was thinking when Aero charged at him was not how he is going to take his revenge or how do he get out of this predicament. He was thinking How did all of this happen? That was his last thought before his head was separated from his body. ************************************************************************* This is a long chapter and next chapter will show how it all begins and how it unravels from the scheme to the plots that lead to Aero winning the war Like always if you like the story please vote and leave some reviews. hopefully it is a good review Chapter 30 OLD DREAMS A FEW WEEKS BEFORE VERANIS KINGDOM THE THRONE ROOM She walked slowly and full of grace. The wind slowly blowing carrying the fragrance of flowers She passed another courtyard as she walks. The view is beautiful and the air is fresh and the scenery is beautiful in Veranis. But even so¡­.Sarah is nervous. She has followed Aero orders to the letter the moment she arrived here. Her departure was a top secret matter that there is only a few people in Vanheim knew of her mission. Though, when she heard the full plan that Aero was thinking and want her to execute it she was shocked. Aero assumes too much in his plan. But still Sarah trusted him because Aero has never been wrong before. She had faith in that arrogant little boy. Sarah could not help but fall for him. Though, not in a romantic way. ''I think. He is smart and charismatic. That''s the reason right? And he helped me once.'' But back to the task at hand. Thus she is here in Veranis. Veranis. A neighboring kingdom of Vanheim that resembles Greece in architecture and culture. Aero task for her while it might seem easy, it was not as easy as it sounded when Aero first asked her. Aero asked Sarah to request military aid from Veranis. It sound like an easy task as Veranis is a known ally of Vanheim but Veranis¡­is a complicated nation. She came to this Kingdom with secrecy and have bodyguard from the Royal Palace of Vanheim guarding her from the shadows. All of these bodyguard is around level 300. It is important not to alert Vetten and other Kingdom. Aero also did not want her departure to be known by spies and Vetten informants. With King George help she was escorted to the Palace of the King of Veranis by the Royal Guard. Today she finally gets to see the Veranis King. Nervousness and excitement filled her. Philip II is the King of Veranis. Veranis have been allied with Vanheim since it became a kingdom. Their history is long. Vanheim has always helped Veranis from Vetten invasion in the past but this was not done purely because of charity. That is because Vanheim could not afford Veranis becoming a frontier for Vetten incursion against them. During the absence of George, Phillip did show like he wants to back off from the alliance but after George returning to power, he changed his tone. It''s understandable. Compared to Vetten, Niovar and Vanheim, Veranis is a small kingdom. His kingdom is surrounded by powerful nations. And he has to determine where the wind blows. When Vanheim was weak, it is understandable he would like to seek a bigger tree to rest below Each of the nation''s surrounding Veranis can destroy his Kingdom. His Kingdom is small but fortunately or unfortunately it is a strategic place. Kings of Old once said "Anyone who could conquer Veranis, could conquer the Eastern continent" That''s why many nations for the past three hundred years have been trying to conquer his nation. In the Old History Veranis was once a very big kingdom and stretched over a large vast of lands. Then during the time of the Triumvirate, it became divided. So were born countries like Gerad Stratocracy and Tian Dynasty. Both of those Kingdoms was the offshoot of Veranis Kingdom. It was a popular fact in the history of Vilajeri continent. The Partition of Veranis Philip''s father called it. So his solution so as not to get invaded and threatened by his covetous neighbors is to choose one of these giants and hide behind them. And out of all of these giants there is only one kingdom Veranis has good relation with. Vanheim. So, they struck an agreement with each other. Vanheim provided them with protection from Vetten and they provided Vanheim with anything they want. It might seem cowardly but his people have lived prosperously since the alliance was formed. And because Tian Dynasty has also signed the alliance Veranis doesn''t have to worry about its northern border. Gerad in the southern border does not pose too much of a threat because they could not field a huge armies to try conquer Veranis. Why? Because they are bordering with Niovar. Once they moved a big army to his Kingdom, Niovar will invade Gerad. It was smart move by Philip ancestor to make the alliance. And now it is time to pay their debts. An ambassador from Vanheim is coming to ask for aid. If it''s for food, Philip will not mind. Even though Veranis are not as prosperous like Vanheim, they still have a lot of reserve food. And it has been very long since Vanheim came asking for aid. Not to mention, King George has begun baring his fangs. In one way, this meeting might decide the future of his kingdom relations with Vanheim. When Sarah entered, she was given a bow and respect as she was from a Vanheim and is the representatives of Vanheim. She was not required to kneel or bow. So, she stands there looking at the King, acting as calmly as she can. She look at the King and she noted that while the King is old, he appears intimidating like an old tiger that does not yet want to rest. He has blue eyes, curly neatly trimmed white hair and a wrinkly face befitting of his old age. Then she introduces herself to the King''s Court ''I am Lady Sarah, the representative on behalf of Vanheim and King George'' "To what do I owe this pleasure, ambassador of Vanheim?" greeted King Philip joyously For all intent and purposes Sarah is an ambassador of Vanheim Kingdom. It was approved by George and planned by Aero. Her identity at this moment and her position is even higher than some of the Dukes in Veranis as she is the Kingdom representatives. Of course, this is just a temporary position. She coughed a little and began to explain her reason for coming to Veranis. "I will not waste time here talking about unrelated stuff, Your Highness. I came here to ask for military aid. "Sarah said seriously. "Is it about the Orcs? I''m sure Vanheim troops can handle that." Philip heard about the Orc invasion and he dismiss that notion swiftly But he didn''t think that alone would warrant an ambassador coming to ask for a military aid. Because Philip country is weak they have to rely on information to tip the scale. He has already read the reports. There are some strong Orcs in the borders of Vanheim but not too many. And Bradheim is there. He knows Bradheim personally. The Golden Lion of Vanheim That title is not just there for show or for some bragging rights. He is talented in warfare and charismatic, possessing great leadership skills and are blessed with great luck. He is also known as a capable commander and that was proven by his battle records. Sarah did not deny this but she continues without losing a beat. "Thank you for Your Highness faith in our military might but it is not so, Your Highness. We are asking aid for the invasion of Vetten" replied Sarah. "VETTEN! What do you mean? I heard about the Orcs but not about Vetten" Truly shocked by this Philip rose from his throne. Sarah smirk but quickly wipe her smirk. Then Sarah explained to the King how their strategist Aero reached the conclusion that Vetten is behind these attacks of the Orc. The King sometimes nodded, sometimes shakes his head. Sarah was looking at the King''s expression. After hearing the explanation the King said with a frowning face "But still, even it is so; Veranis is not as strong as Vetten. What if instead of your Kingdom they will come here? " Philip was not forgetting what Vanheim did for them but this mean war. And if they did not win, the repercussion is unfathomable. Sarah face turned red in anger. "This lady thought Your Majesty ancestors have made an oath to protect each other from harm. Or does Veranis kingdoms idea of alliance is that Vanheim acts as a deterrence while you reap all the benefits and we fight your wars?" Sarah said sharply without sparing any face for the King "Outrageous!!" the other minister barked toward Sarah ''Impudent'' some minister added Sarah looked at them with a killing glare and they quieted down. Then she addressed the court with her most solemn tone and warns "We are at a crisis right now. Vanheim can fall if you do not lend your armies. And when Vanheim fall mark my words, Vetten will point his swords here. And your head will all be forfeited to the enemy of your ancestors" Sarah continued The court quieted and they all deep in their thoughts. No one dared to defy the representative of Vanheim, at least not openly. The King was deep in thoughts. He was considering the pros and cons. He then asked for his ministers thoughts. His ministers were all giving him their opinions while Sarah listens unconcernedly And all the while Sarah just looked straight to the King face. Then finally the King replied "Lady Ambassador, Give me time!" Sarah nodded and excused herself and told the court she will be back tomorrow to hear Philip answers. Then the King adjourned the meeting that morning. He was thinking what to do with his ministers objection. Veranis was at peace for a long time because of Vanheim. If they do not send troops they will regarded as ungrateful by the entire Vilajeri continent. Reputation is everything. But joining George''s war is something they need to really think about. But unknown to the King, that night Sarah went to the staunchest opposition of Veranis join the war and proposes something to them. After listening to her proposals many of the staunch opposition of joining the war has started having second thoughts. This act of intrigue did not escape the eye of one young minister but he remained silent on this matters. That night, was important. Because that night decision will decide next morning decision. To join the war¡­.or to opt out? ************************************************************************* Third chapter for today already! I promise you all a mass release so here it is. Like always please vote for the story and leave some reviews if you like it. It wont take much of your time. And hope you enjoy reading it Chapter 31 SCHEMES AND PLOT 1 The morning of Veranis is calm and peaceful. In the capital city the people are opening their stalls and welcome the morning, devotees praying to the Temples asking for blessings for the day, kids playing outside and hunters went to the wilderness to hunt for monster. The birds sing in the forest and the wind always blows gently here in this part of Veranis. Today is a clear day with not a gray clouds could be found in the sky. It seems today, like yesterday, and like the day before it would also be peaceful. Young mothers sing the Hymns of the Gods towards their young child as they smiles and be grateful for these peaceful days. While this is the scenery of the capital city, the scenery inside the court of the King right now is starkly different by contrast. In the court right now, a momentous decisions is about to be made. The sound of people arguing and spit flying about could be seen inside the court. The ministers of Veranis vehemently argued with each other, weighing the pros and cons. ''We must not involve ourselves in the battle between these two powerful nations else we will invite war to our borders'' one of the minister trying to calmly calm his opposition. ''Vetten has always been our enemy and Vanheim has always been our allies. Now, in their darkest times, should we abandon all propriety and forget the help Vanheim have bestowed upon us? No to mention, Vanheim is fighting our enemy, the enemy we both hate and despise!" They debated and argued about many things. Like the impact of this towards the economy, the trades routes, the political ramification and many others. The King of Veranis also notices something. He notices that some of the staunchest opposition of the war yesterday, they were different. Now, they seem more receptive to the idea. The King knows that these staunchest opposition is amongst his most loyal officials so they would not do something that would be detrimental to Veranis prosperity. Thinking of this, he could not help but cast his gaze toward the ambassador of Vanheim and ask himself ''What did she promise them?'' Sarah was just standing there on her position, closing her eyes. All she can do is wait and trust in Aero plan. The King also closes his eyes, the wrinkle on his forehead creased as he thought about the proposition. He heard all of his minister words and soak it in and thinking about the prosperity of Veranis and pros and cons of declining Vanheim plea for help. After intense debate they finally agreed with a common consensus. Vanheim has helped them all this time. It is not honorable to not help them now. That was their consensus. The King pondered but did not say anything. The court is silent. The King kept his silence, and Sarah open her eyes and she looks at the King challengingly. But she did not urge the King. She waited for the King to address her. Sighing the King then said ''Ambassador Sarah'' Sarah smiles a courteous smile "Your Highness. I assume you have made your decision?" The king nodded and then his eyes shone with determination. "Yes, I have. We decided we will send troops to help King George with his effort" the other ministers in the court nodded. Though there is a certain minister who is wearing a glum expression. "Good. Now that is settled we can move to the rewards" said Sarah happily. The first phase has succeeded. Now on to the second phase. "Rewards?" Everyone on the court was perplexed. But some of the politicians that Sarah visited last night smiles like they were anticipating this moment. These loyal ministers are all Philip people. They looked towards Philip and nodded. Philip now knows, that the reason why his loyal minister did not reject the idea of the war was because the proposition that Vanheim proposed will aid in the prosperity of Veranis. Usually it is a matter of course when Vanheim ask for aid. That is because Vanheim provide them protection. But a reward? This is the first time. But Aero knows this rewards must be given because Aero did not want to keep this gift. Nor would he would like to let this gift set upon by his enemies. "Yes, rewards. Your Highness must never think that King George will ask to deploy Your Highness troops without promising rewards?" "What rewards?" An old minister asked puzzled "Erdanis state." Sarah announced. And with that statement the whole court was silenced as they looked shocked For a while there was only silence then they were all murmuring to each other. "Is this true? Did your King give his word?" the King asked. Philip couldn''t believe what he just heard. Erdanis is one of the nine states in Vetten. "But can that really be done?" One minister chimed in. ''I thought you need our army to defend your territory" the minister was questioning Sarah but there is also excitement in his tone of voice. It seems too good to be true. "Who says we''re defending? We''re attacking" Sarah corrected with a smirk on her beautiful face. "Does Your Highness know Strategist Aero?" Sarah asked. Philip nodded. The famous strategist of George. His name is mentioned a lot these days. He also heard that King Fjord in Asgaro is asking this Aero to help him with something. He heard this from one his spies. People describes him as very smart and sly. He would raise hell just to put one man on the throne. That requires not only bravery but also wits and powerful mind. "Well that''s good. He will act as bait for our plan to work." She said. ''Ambassador, please explain?'' One of the minister ask politely and at the same time excitement could be seen gleaming in his eyes. If Veranis could really conquer Erdanis, then¡­.this¡­means, they might even be able to reach the Old Dreams of their ancestors. So, his excitement is understandable. Then after taking a breath she continued explaining "Vetten will not expect that Veranis know about their deployment of troops to Fort Vars. Aero believes that Vetten will bet everything on this invasion. Every state of Vetten will be called upon to give troops for attacking Vanheim. Erdanis will be left undefended. That''s your chance" explained Sarah. The ministers were paying attention to every of her word. "How do we know that the time is right?" Philip asked. "There will be a signal. From what Aero told me, it will be a sound so loud it could be heard all the way from Erdanis." Then Sarah explained Aero plan. Aero will bait Vetten troops to follow him to Zantleaf. Then they will make a final stand there. Then during the time Kyle was busy sieging the Fort, Veranis need to quickly take Erdanis. They will then attack Vetten from the back. Vetten will be trapped with the front facing the Vanheim troops and the retreat path will be blocked by Veranis soldiers. King Philip was thinking this is not a bad deal and the plan is feasible. And at the same time, if Erdanis state becomes one of Veranis dominion then maybe the Old Dreams can be fulfilled. Maybe George knows this and why the strategist Aero was confident that Veranis would agree with Vanheim proposition. That''s the only reason George would offer him Erdanis. King Philip smiles bitterly. He didn''t like feeling being inside someone else palms. In Veranis every child, every citizens dreams the Old Dreams. It was coined during the split of Veranis. It was the dreams to unite back the Old Kingdom of Veranis. All this time Veranis could not make a move against Tian and Gerad because of Vetten military strength. But if they succeed and George really gives Erdanis to him then it would serve as strategic place for him to strike to the heart of Tian dynasty. Philip is not na?ve. From what he heard of this plan, he finally guessed the intention of George strategist. That strategist of his has grand ambition. He wants to swallow Vetten. ''The young¡­they truly are remarkable aren''t they'' he said in a whispering voice. If George did not give him rewards like Erdanis probably he would not risk his army to make Vanheim stronger. And conferring a state? Only emperors of Old did that. George is trying to show his intent to all the Kings. The intention to rule. But this is also one of a lifetime chance for Veranis. There is no reason to refuse. And so with two hundred and thirty thousand troops he handed the responsibility to lead his army towards his son Alexander, the crown prince of Veranis. Alexander is a very ambitious young man. He is still young about sixteen years old but very talented in using weapons and leading army. Sarah will supervise his son and tell them the entire plan. After all she is the ambassador of Vanheim. So after preparing them they start marching with the ferocity of a lion. Morale was high, and supplies were abundant. Everyone is marching for different reason, Alexander for recognition from his father. The troops for an old forgotten dream, and Sarah, to show to Aero how capable she is. Sarah was overjoyed in the morning the day there were about to march when the King as a sign of goodwill gave her a present which was full set of the Red Armor. Wearing an armor that has a full set gives a lot of bonus. And she was also thinking how formidable she will look wearing this. She almost forgot her job to report to his boss about the progression of the quest. Then with all things settled, they began their march, hopeful of the future and the beginning of a new era ************************************************************************* Part one of the fourth chapter for today. Next, we will delve into Bradheim and how he appears in the Coro city Chapter 32 SCHEMES AND PLOT 2 MEANWHILE AT FORT ELKEN A FEW DAYS AGO Bradheim has decided after he finished reading the letters. He sighed before nodding his head to no one like he has accepted the lot in his life. Like Lord Hades accepted his dominion and his lot as the ruler of the Underworld, he too finally decided to accept his lot in life. He decided that he will follow Aero plan. Just like Aero predicted maintaining the siege and attacking from a distance has worked very good in repelling the Orcs. He also heeds Aero advice to avoid fighting with main units which consisted of Gruk and his trusted commanders. After a few days fighting Bradheim also realized the Orcs in the main units are not only stronger but they are also smart like the adventurers. It baffles Bradheim to no end. This is the first time he had such a hard time repelling the Orcs. It is good that he listened to Aero advice. After few days they have been able to annihilate about half of the Orcs horde. Now the Orcs are mainly consisted of division led by Gruk and his commanders. The units that seems to be very formidable and smart. Their attack patterns are deadly and they are smart enough not to overextend from their formations. Then it is time for the second phase. In the instruction that Aero has sent him, he instructed Bradheim to ask for a negotiations with Gruk. Bradheim reluctantly followed the instruction and sent a letter to Gruk. Usually Bradheim experience with Orcs has taught him that Orcs cannot be brought to the negotiation table but Aero said Gruk is not your average Orc. He will understand and will be delighted to meet you in the negotiation table. Aero writes in the letter. But Bradheim was not convinced. Still he did it. If Aero plan work it will save many of his troops lives. Then Bradheim was sent a reply from the Orcs. Gruk wanted to meet. It was unexpected. ''An Orc that can read.'' Bradheim mentioned when he got the report from his subordinates before smiling. And so they prepared a venue for this meeting. Of course both of them did not know that this meeting would determine the conclusion of the war between Vetten and Vanheim and opens a new era. Like Sarah didn''t know that her diplomacy has also help opening a new era of warfare and at the same time people vying for the Imperial Throne. His trusted companion also accompanied Bradheim as a precaution if something goes wrong. Then they departed to meet with Gruk in Larda Hill near the battlefield. Gruk was wearing an armor made of Griffin skull while riding a large warhorse Bradheim does not show it but even he felt a little intimidated. "Bradheim, you look good" Gruk said in a hoarse voice. Bradheim was shocked. An Orc that can speak human language. Even though he is not supposed to be shocked. The fact that he could reply his letter means that the Orc knew their language. But before this he had no indication that Orcs can speak their language or even have strategic thinking. That''s why Bradheim was not too worried about the Orc invasion like George. But after fighting with Gruk these couple of days he had to acknowledge it. Some of the Orcs are evolving. They are becoming smarter. Aero plan might be Vanheim salvation. If the Orc is evolving to become smarter, then repelling Orc invasion will not be as easy as before. "Yes, you too" replied Bradheim. He was not sure if Orcs have etiquette when conversing with each other. The only thing he ever heard was grunting. "Don''t tease me. I''m an Orc. I never look good" It seems to be a joke. The commander behind Gruk laughed. Even Gruk laughed. "I''m sorry then" Bradheim said. Even though he said sorry he still looks dignified. Gruk was looking curious why Bradheim wanted to negotiate. "I''m curious, Bradheim. You totally have the advantage in this war. Why suddenly stop and ask for negotiation?" He asked. Bradheim swallowed and began to explain truthfully following Aero instruction. "To be honest this is not my plan, but it is Strategist Aero plan.He said you would know his name" Gruk was shocked before nodding. How can he not know? Kyle wouldn''t stop speaking about it. Kyle is entering the war because he wanted recognition. Gruk entered the war because his tribe needs supplies. Even when he was the leader of one tribe of Orcs it was burden enough. Now the leader of ten tribes of Orcs, the burden on his shoulders just gets heavier. "Yes, I do know. So he set this meeting. For what?" Then Bradheim handed a letter to Gruk. "This is from him. He said this is the offer he will make if you would accept to stop attacking Fort Elken" Gruk took the letter and hesitated before he finally decided to open it. Then he jumped down from his horse and read. His expression first was a complicated expression like he was being found out then slowly his expression becomes happier. He then laughed boisterously ''HAHAHAHA'' The content of the letter explains that Aero knows about the Vetten plot. He also explains to Gruk if he kept this attack, the Orcs will all be annihilated even if he had to bring every single soldier to Elken and doomed Vanheim. The Orcs tribe will never accept him back if he failed. But it is not all sticks. Aero also offer some carrots. Aero offers to join hands with him instead of Vetten and Kyle. If Gruk promise not to attack Vanheim, Aero will ask the King to open a trade route to the Orcs. This will help in strengthening the Orcs under Gruk control and this can also supply the starving Orcs that live in barren lands belonging to Gruk. The right where the trade route will set up will be the exclusive control of Gruk. Aero will ask the Merchants to supply some of their people to open stalls and shops. Aero also promise the stuff will be cheaper by 30% for three years, only for the Orcs. In the letter Aero also explains how it will benefit Gruk. With peace formed between Vanheim and the Orcs and with the trade routes established, players will be tempted to choose Orcs race. It will also help Gruk solidify his power and if he does this his fame will resound everywhere. Gruk was also thinking that this expedition of his is doomed. His supplies are almost empty. If they keep fighting here there is no doubt that he would lose. Then after thinking, finally Gruk has made his decision. ''I''m sorry, Kyle. But I joined you because you gave me great offer. Aero has just outbided you. Don''t blame me.'' This was Gruk thoughts Aero knows people like Gruk and he knows pole like Kyle. A relationship where it is based on benefits could only be broken by a competitor with an even greater benefit. And so after agreeing to the terms of agreement they signed a treaty of peace. That night Bradheim opened the stockroom and held a feast with the Orcs. Gruk controlled the other Orcs as to not cause any trouble. Everyone was happy and enjoying themselves. Music can be heard everywhere. There was dancing. There was laughter. The soldiers were frightened at first but after seeing how rowdy the Orcs were they also began to enjoy themselves too. A treaty of peace is a joyous occasion. This means the soldiers no longer need to risk their life and the citizens can be at peace. That night Gruk also chatted with Bradheim about strategies and other things. Bradheim was delighted and amazed. He didn''t think the Orcs could hold an intelligent conversation. The next day Bradheim needs to go out of the Fort and head to Zantleaf to assist Aero armies. Aero instruction is not over. There is still one deception left. Aero believes that Vetten will send spy to watch the progression of the Orcs. With Gruk help, when they realized that Vetten spy is spying they acted like the Orcs has already occupied Elken. It was not hard to do because after the feast many of the Orcs were still not waking up. So, Bradheim troops simply hid themselves. After confirming that the spy has gone, Bradheim thanked Gruk for his help and shook hands. Gruk and his horde departed in good mood. Now there will be a chance for advancement in culture of the Orcs, Gruk was thinking. "Bradheim, this is a beginning of a beautiful friendship" Gruk was smiling. Though Bradheim didn''t think it was a smile. Orcs do not excel in making face expression. But Bradheim got the gist of it and he always admired strong warriors. Then after the Orcs seeing them out of the Fort, Bradheim left about twenty thousand troops in the Fort. Before he marched to Zantleaf he will need to ask about thirty thousand troops from his brother personal army. Actually this is the choice Aero was talking about. Now that Gruk is no longer a threat Bradheim can march to the capital with all of his army and take the throne for himself. And without Aero and George soldiers, it will be an easy throne to take. But Aero must have foreseen this. After all he bothered enough to investigate about Bradheim personality. Bradheim is strong. Bradheim is smart. Bradheim is charismatic. And most importantly Bradheim is honorable. He will not kill the King, not when the Kingdom is in dire crisis. That is who he is. Duty first. Always. For the Kingdom. The Lion of Vanheim And Aero knows this. Which is why he knows, that right now, is the moment where Bradheim, the biggest threat to George throne is actually the most trustworthy person to have in George team. And Bradheim also knows this, and he cannot lie to his own heart. So he will ask for the troops and does his duty. He will save Aero. He will save the Kingdom. And he will brought his fearsome cavalry to trample upon the enemies of Vanheim like the Vanheim Guardians of Old. Though he might be a little late. ''I will just laugh it off when I met him later.'' And as he was thinking of this, his warhorse step forwards and behind him, is his fearsome cavalry squad all looking to be ready to kill and bathe in the blood of their enemies. ********************************************************************* Ok, this is enough for today don''t you think? Anyway hope you like the mass release. Chapter 33 ONE IN A MILLION CHANCES TAKENAKA TAKESHI HOME TOKYO, JAPAN Takashi is lounging in his lab room sipping some tea. He sighed but then smiles. He was bored. But it was a fulfilling boredness. Two years ago after making many deals with military and research institutes he got a lot of money. Using that money he built a huge mansion. It has a pool, a balcony a huge living room and it faces the ocean. Just like any other high class mansion. He too wanted to be like those rich old guys he saw in TV. He even has a yacht. Even though he do not know the first thing about yacht. And he has ten boat and do not know anything to do with it. People do not know this but he is not actually as cool as he was portrayed in books and TV documentaries. He is just a poor person who become rich and wanted to enjoy all the things he saw in TV. A more accurate way to describe him would be that he is a kid. A very bratty, bratty kid. But only his closest friends knows this side of him. But while he is a poor person before, to call him ordinary would be an insult. He is nothing but ordinary. He is a genius and that word is so mistakenly used that it almost has no meanings. But no one could deny the intelligence of this Japanese person, touted as the smartest man in the world. He sighed again as he looked at his lab with a profound sense of pride. There is many features in his mansions. But only one feature truly matters to Takashi. One of the features of his mansion is his underground lab. Yes, the underground lab. This is where he tested his new inventions, and new ideas and the most guarded area of his huge mansion. Takenaka Takashi is the President of Vega Corporation. He is 40 years old. When he was young he and his friend Matsuo Sugihara dreamed of creating something that could realize their dreams. (It''s not a game mind you.) That''s not truly the endgame. They wanted to create a new world. A world where everything is truly possible. Where magic happens. Where life holds so much more. Where adventure is abound. And they succeeded. And it also helped that while doing it they became rich. They are ones of the richest people in the world right now. But money is just a means not their objectives. Though it does feel good being rich. People said money could not buy happiness. Well, that is true. But it could buy a lot of things. And sometimes, when he is sad, he would bought a sport car and smash it just for the giggles. Yes, Takenaka Takashi is not a normal person. Ting Tong. Takashi heard the doorbell even though he is in his lab. From the surveillance camera it was Keiko. "AL, open the door" ordered Takashi. AL is an AI that Matsuo created to help Takashi in the household.Everything electronic in the house is controlled by AL. It makes many works become easier and accommodate to his lazy lifestyle But it also has its benefits. For example it makes gathering information easier. It could also help Takashi make experiment simulations. But the most important thing is that it could do complex calculation. It really helped Takashi in researching stuff and creating new inventions. When AL opened the door he could hear her screaming in the living room. "Takashi!" Keiko is still loud like always. "Takashi!" "I''m down here." He speaks to the intercom. It''s not like this is Keiko first time visiting him. "Okay, I''m going down then. AL open the secret door'' Keiko orders AL ''Yes, Miss Keiko. Master would be delighted to see you'' AL said to Keiko and Keiko snorted. ''Would that really be so?'' she said as the door opens and she went inside the door and was transported by the teleportation device underneath the tiles beneath the secret door. The moment Keiko was stepping down into the lab room, even though this is not the first time she''s been here still it amazed her all the same. The lab was filled with many research notes and blueprints of unfinished inventions. The walls were filled with scribbles and calculations that Keiko couldn''t understand. The tables were filled with cutting edge technology. A huge computer screen in the middle is simulating what Keiko could tell as experiment regarding something called 4-n. She also understood some scribbles. Minkowski Continuum, Exotic R4, 4th Dimension, Void, and a letter that seems to be from the head Director of CERN. It seems Takashi was corresponding with a lot of people these past few weeks. Not to mention researching again. In the corner side of the room was a section labeled failed experiments. Beside it, was a section labeled "Extremely hazardous. Don''t eat this unless you want to die" . Keiko recognizes this and she smiles a bit before she remembers where she is and hides her smiles. She was smiling because she knows the label and what Takeshi means by putting that label. Back in the day, Takashi always hated it when people would eat his snack so he wrote that label. She could not help but let out a little laughter. Even though Takashi is already 40 years old, he is still the same like the first time they met. Keiko met him at Tokyo University in her freshman year. He dazzled her with talks of changing the world, creating something that will give this world a new way to look at reality and what reality means. It was a dream that Takashi has since he was little. She is not a genius like Takashi or Matsuo. But still she wanted to be a part of it. She so badly wanted to be a part of it. Because both of them look too dazzling and shines with a different colors than other people. They were dreamers. They dream big and sometimes their dreams scares people. They were certain times that she wanted to give up, but she wanted Takashi words to be true. And finally after years of suffering all of them are at the top right now. People who scoffed at Takashi idea in the past were now begging to work with him. Those who tries to sabotage him are all now cowering in fear fearing Vega Corp retribution. Keiko was satisfied. She liked that they finally recognized Takashi vision. But Takashi is not a person like that. Matsuo too.Keiko handles the finances and the stocks acquisition and the handling of contracts. The job that both of those two genius don''t want to do. Keiko always feel this when she is with them. They are not in it because of the money. They see something she could not and sometimes that makes her feel left out. She decided a long time ago, if she could not be a genius, then at least she would stand beside a genius and maybe one day, she too would also see the scenery that they both see. And maybe that time, she will understand what motivates those two genius. Keiko thought of this as her eyes look at Takeshi. "What you''re looking at, Keiko?" "Oh, nothing." She was flustered when she realized she has been staring at Takeshi for too long. Then she continued "When you''re going back to the company? The board of directors is anxious" she asked "In a week. Run it for me like always Keiko" he said in that coy tone of voice. Keiko sighed. Like always, he is being a baby "It''s your company, Takashi, not mine" Keiko countered. Then Takashi looked at Keiko and then smiled like he didn''t heard what she was saying. Then he started talking, quoting some news report. "Do you know that NASA has detected a large meteor that will crash upon the Earth in another three years? NASA reported to the public that it has about only 0000000.1 chance of it ever hitting Earth" ''So?'' Keiko asked He smiles and then he took his breath and then continued. "What the public doesn''t know is that that story is false. It has 1 in a million chance of it hitting Earth" "So? That still is a good probability" Keiko was puzzled. She is used to Takashi sprouting some random fact out of the blue, and she learned it''s better to just go with it. "Do you remember what Matsuo said when we began creating VR technology? He said we have a one in a million chance to ever succeed¡­.'' He paused for a moment before grinning and said ''And we did that" Takeshi then just stared at Keiko. Like it meant something. And then he smiles in that creepy all-knowing smiles he always flashed when he knows he knows more things than other people. And Keiko felt unease. ************************************************************************* Today mass release will start with this chapter. Like always if you like the story please vote and leave some reviews. Hope you enjoy the story as this chapter foreshadowed something very important Chapter 34 AERO OF THE EAST, ZEUS OF THE NORTH There is trending news on the internet in the morning. It is none other about the Brave World war between two superpower nations of the eastern power bloc. The Brave World forums were full of post about the war of Vetten and Vanheim. The internet broke down. The war between Vanheim and Vetten topped the all-time searches and the people participating in the war all become public figure overnight. At least their character in the game did become a public figure. The name Aero was the most searched name in the engine searchers. That was the response of the conclusion of the shocking war between Vetten and Vanheim in the real world. In Brave World, the reaction was even more explosive. All around Vilajeri continent the news of Aero victory over a larger army of Vetten spread like wildfire. Even with numerical superiority against Vanheim, Vetten could not pass Aero and was utterly decimated in the Battle of Coro. His picture of standing on top of Fort Vars fanning his face with the feather fan become viral with many people making memes out of it in 8gag or blackdit. It is a meme of condescending attitude towards one rivals. But there is an undercurrent in the Vilajeri continent right after the victory of Vanheim. With this victory, Vanheim had established military superiority over other states and kingdoms near them. And King George which has always been seen as an ineffectual ruler is now akin to a tiger that is eyeing all of its neighbor. By now, the path of peace that Vanheim have always pursued seems to be subverted Some people could see the trend of time is changing. With Vanheim victory, they are walking on the path of conquest. This victory also acted as a foundation for Vanheim to unify the Eastern Continent Coincidentally, the day that Aero managed to defeat the invasion it was also the same day as Zeus victory in Veva kingdom. Zeus victory at Veva was considered not a big deal considering every players knows that Zeus has long planned to supplant the King of Veva and have all of his people infiltrating the official circle of Veva. So, his victory was a matter of course. Zeus declared himself King of Veva. Aero heard about it of course. When he heard about Zeus calling himself King of Veva, he laughed. When General Marco asked why he laughed Aero only said "Build high walls, stock up rations, and don''t be too quick to call yourself a prince" No one in the convoy understand it but some people understand the meaning behind those words. It was the advice of Zhu Sen to Zhu Yuanzhang the founder of Ming dynasty when he wanted to claim the Mandate of heaven In other words, Aero thinks that Zeus should instead fortify his foundation and making sure all internal problems are settled first before claiming power. Aero when he looks at Zeus tactics reminded him of Napoleon. Fast, decisive and lethal. He is a charismatic men. But that is not the only thing that reminded him of Napoleon. Just like Napoleon Zeus forget the subtlety of politics. Napoleon took over most of Europe. But in the end what happens to him? Imprisoned in an island with a full court, to be reminded of his past glory in humiliation in Elba Island. Other than that he did not say much about Zeus since the matters of Veva is not Aero matters All the minstrels in Brave World are singing songs about these two heroes achievements and feat. Sagas and song are written and retold all over the Vilajeri Continent. But one of the most famous was the poem created by a poet in Duvar. And it goes like this Regarded as the strongest, Zeus of the North, Undefeated and Unchallenged, None stand his way, If Aero of the East does not come forth, Who can be his match? Aero of the East, Zeus of the North! And so Aero became known to the people of the continent as Aero of the East and Zeus, even though they are many nicknames that he had over the course of his playing Brave World this is the most famous one. Why did they get this kind of nickname that they themselves represented an entire part of the continent? Because what these two players have done is unheard of. There are skirmishes sometimes between the Kingdoms since the opening of the game but a full blown war? Especially a war that is initiated by players. That has never happened before Aero was in the picture. Of course this is a chain reaction that started all the way back from Aero completing the quest of King George King George return to the throne strengthen the fractured Vanheim And by strengthening Vanheim, Aero forced Vetten hand to attack, fearing a powerful King to rise in Vanheim after George gain his full power in the court. It could be said Aero scheme has forced the King of Vetten to quickly attack Vanheim. Zeus on the other hand, usurped the King title, a feat no one thought possible for a player in Brave World. The highest level of nobility a player can enjoy is Duke. At least that is what everyone thought. But Zeus changed that. And now both of them are quickly rising to be a legend in Brave World. They are the lions and dragons of Brave World. Both of them have high position and have large influence in the area they resided. The forum of Brave World is exploding with requests from fans and players to air Aero war with Vetten and Zeus usurpation of the throne. ETV3 using this momentum with collaboration with Vega Corp and put some ads informing the fans that they will air the full video of Aero adventure. This got the Brave World community to be in excitement and people are anticipating the release of the videos. Not to be left out in the craze, VMS also informed that they have the video for Zeus battle. VMS and ETV3 also have their own battle to fight. A ratings war which centered on the two great characters in Brave World. It seems the internet is abuzz with these two names. The effect of Zeus betraying the Veva King also inspired Leo clan that was fighting in Redat to turn back and try to take the capital to compete with Zeus. But unlike Zeus, Leo clan is not well liked by the people of Asgaro Kingdom. So right now Leo clan is facing great resistance from the people. The nobles in Asgaro have also banded together united under King Fjord to destroy Leo clan. Meanwhile, in the eastern continent, Vanheim is quickly rising to become one of the most powerful nations in that continent. Like a lion with sharpened teeth, with one roar it could force small states to submit. Just because a lion does not roar, doesn''t mean it is asleep With Vetten losing about 40 % of their military power there is no doubt that Vanheim will swallow Vetten. Veranis on the other hand is rumored to be strengthening their military after the rumor mill said that Erdanis state will be given by Vanheim to Veranis as a gift for helping them in their dire moments. The rumors say the military is led by King Philip son, Alexander a young, talented commander which also serve to strengthen the rumors that Alexander would inherit his father throne when he is ready. Gerad is also strengthening their defense in preparation of a chaotic era. So does Tian Dynasty who did not send military aid to Vanheim even though it was requested by King George personally. It is now clear after his victory; King George is aiming to settle his enemies. Retribution is coming sooner or later. Tian knows that Veranis now seen as a Vanheim ally through and through will point their sharp spear at his kingdom when Erdanis is given to Veranis Niovar is also getting ready for the changing times with their kingdom strengthening their borders and began drilling their reserve forces. Karak Federation in the North West of Vanheim is also starting deploying spies in the powerful nation of the Eastern continent. The Central continent is also beginning to move. In the Northern continent, Saril Kingdom is becoming wary of Veva new king. Sol Queendom on the other hand seems to not care that Zeus usurped the throne. Vor Kingdom and Saril Kingdom formed an alliance after the news of Zeus coronation arrived at their court. It is clearly because of Zeus recent actions. It is not hard to see what Zeus is trying to do. He wants to rule the Northern continent before expanding his ambition to the entire continent. It is obvious and simple objective. The Southern continent on the other hand is employing wait and see approach. This is not their problem so it''s understandable why they would not want to involve themselves in the conflict. But just because the NPCs don''t take action in the South doesn''t mean that players don''t. And there is a new kind of war brewing in the South There''s also the case of religious war in those regions. The Church of Light has many followers and now they are beginning to intimidate the people that believe in the Seven Celestials. It begun to look like a religious conflict will erupt in the South. In the times of chaos many players are forming clans these days. Clan is usually only formed by high level players when they want to gain money or have large influence and get great quest. Not many are successful like Aero who is very good in getting great quests from nobility, and even that is thanks to his unique class. But after the recent development many are beginning to harbor the same ambition as Zeus. This would later lead to the chaotic Warring Kingdoms with everyone desiring to become a warlord. Both in the Eastern continent and the Northern continent, something is changing. The action of these two men is moving the entire Vilajeri continent to a new era. ************************************************************************* Second chapter for today. Like always if you like the story please vote. This is the beginning of the new book The Rise of Aero. Aero of the East, Zeus of the North! Chapter 35 THE RETURN TO THE CAPITAL ZANTLEAF CORO CITY The cheers and the happiness of winning is still not enough. Songs are sung of victory and glory all the way back from the battlefield. The Vanheim camp was in jubilant mood. The soldiers were dressing each other bandages while healers using their magic to heal the wounded soldiers. The players cozy up to some soldiers who have made contributions as this will help them get quest later. The minstrel and bards sings victory song uplifting the spirits of the soldiers who lost their comrades. The cooks now possessing many supplies from the defeated Vetten army cooks to their utmost with many players cook have their level exponentially increased. The same could be said for players how have warrior class and berserkers. Not only NPCs benefited in this war, the players also gain benefit with such crazy amount of experience that rivaled or even surpassed dungeon raids. In the streets of city of Coro, the residents celebrated running around with the flags of Vanheim and chanting Hail the King All around, the news of Vanheim victory has been spread across the city and the whole continent. And the whole continent from the west to the east, from the south to the north, all the eyes of the kingdoms is now watching Vanheim every move. And the central figure of this startling development is the person name Aero. With one battle he made his name known to the world and the title Strategist aptly describe him. That man is now standing inside his war tent, accompanied by the generals and commanders of Vanheim military as he pondered upon something. Aero creased his eyebrows as he looked at the wide map in front of him. It was the map of Vilajeri continent. He mostly creased his eyebrows when he look towards Niovar kingdom. ''Hmm'' he contemplated. The officials inside the tent did not know what Aero was thinking about but they think the strategist must be thinking some kind of plans or scheme and they did not dare speak. They waited for the strategist to finished contemplating. Actually Aero was not thinking of anything important. He just don''t know what to say for a while and waiting for the right words to come. But the officials inside the tent did not think so, and their gaze was full of respect The strategist method has been proven and they are fill with awe. Each of the officers here is fully convinced of Aero intelligence. To them their strategist possesses a divine strategic mind. Aero plan had begun even before the war has even started to be fought. The diplomacy moves, the letter to Bradheim, the offer to the Orcs, they are all to get the victory in that Coro battlefield. Aero was seeing the forest, and not just the trees. His visions has always been about securing victory. To them if not for the schemes and plots of the strategist, the battle between Vetten and Vanheim might go differently. There is also the fact that Aero possess high charisma in his stat It was then someone entered the tent. Everyone looked towards the entrance and saw Dan and they bowed slightly as a sign of respect. ''I have returned'' Dan said with a salute ''At ease'' Aero said swishing his sleeve. "The calculation has been made, Strategist Aero" Dan said handing the document to Aero. In front of the officials even Dan have to mind his manners since Aero position in the army is unique. Aero nodded as he received the documents. He closes his eyes and take a deep breath before opening the documents Then reading the document report Aero formed a smirk and the officials inside the room all felt relieved. At least judging by the expression of the Strategist it is good news reported in the documents. From what is recorded in the documents one hundred thousands Vetten troops surrendered after Aero killed their commander, Kyle. Kyle was made to be an example. Aero decapitate his head and parade his head before putting it inside a cloth sack. The cloth sack is still wet with blood. If that is not enough Aero also did the same thing with Kyle deputy, Chris. It is a little cruel and even one would call barbaric but it produce great results as it lowers Vetten morale. After all, their heads is a spoil of war. In Brave World the NPCs knows that adventurer can spawn after being killed but that doesn''t mean that they don''t feel satisfied seeing the head of their enemy. Not to mention after each death the players will weaken and lost some items. And just because players can spawn doesn''t mean that the NPCs don''t have any countermeasure against adventurer. Aero then asked Dan ''The head? Is it packaged nicely?'' Dan hearing this words from Aero smirk ''Yes, it is packaged very nicely'' Aero smiles and nodded ''Good job'' he said and patted Dan shoulders. After decapitating Kyle head, Aero wrapped Kyle head with a cloth. It was not only intended to weaken the morale of the enemy but also because he wanted to present the head to King George. The troops that didn''t surrender were killed without mercy and Aero ask the magicians to burn the bodies. It is known in Brave World a bodies that is being left without proper disposal will turn that body into an undead. And Aero didn''t want the reputation of merciless and cruel. Killing rebellious soldiers and taking heads to be presented as a gift was not considered cruel in Brave World. But leaving the dead to become an undead and bother the living, now that is considered cruel for the NPCs. Since not every village has a Priest or Paladins But killing so many people and presenting head might seem cruel in the eyes of players but in the eyes of the NPCs it is normal conduct in war to kill the enemies and presenting the head of the enemy commander to the King. And Aero grasped this fact very early in the games. Instead of trying to change this world to fit his world, he decided to accept the fact that while this virtual world has magic, its culture mimics the mediaeval era. And Aero also take the equipment of the fallen soldiers of Vetten by looting them and given to the troops as rewards. After all not only NPCs who fought on Vetten sides. They also have player soldiers who drop pretty good damn items Caravans after caravans were filled in the battlefield as they kept taking the loot. Low level merchants that was contracted with the kingdom of Vanheim joined in. Thieves and robbers also appears but they did their craft silently and stealthily else they attract the ire of the military. Aero notices this but he kept his eyes closed. As long as those thieves knows their place, they were allowed to do some thieving. Smart thieves knows not to touch the real valuable items. Those who are stupid enough will be hunted down by the entire Vanheim soldiers. And these thieves are not idiots. They only take a few and quickly leave. They only wanted to raise their skills and proficiency. Aero understand their motivations which is why he did not initiate a crackdown. By the order of the King, all the loot will be brought back to the capital. But Aero knows¡­not all will be brought back. Aero knows it and The King knows it. And they both allowed it. After all they emerge victorious. And Aero and King George both knows, the soldiers deserve a few rewards. Even the most righteous officials inside the war tent understand this simple logic. While for the rest of the loot only after the victory ceremony then and only then will the loot be distributed. The loot that was collected was like a mountain of gold. The battlefield is littered with flesh and pieces of meat. Looking at the scenery when Aero was about to depart he sighed. He waved his feather fan to his face feeling the wind as he look outside the window of his horse carriage and shakes his head. He could see the traces of battle and see some head smashed into the ground by the hooves of cavalry leaving a shape of a person face on the muddled ground. ''War in Brave World is truly realistic'' he pondered upon it and then closes the curtains of his carriage. Thankfully he managed to keep his head as he traces his neck. He could still felt the fear when he almost sent into the jaws of Death The thing about dying in Brave World is that you will feel a slight pain when the capsule gives you a slight shock to the pain receptors in the brain to forcefully log you off from Brave World. Then when you log back in you will find that you will lose some level and proficiency.The more painful the way you die, the higher the level drops. But there is another rule about dying. Any items that you had equipped when you die, will be left as it is. So, considering so many players died during this battle imagine the money and the items that they dropped. This is why war is a lucrative business. Who knows for how much he could auction the stuff he will get after the war. But Aero did not hoard the valuable stuff. He refrained to take the prize because he knows the importance of reputation. Sometimes reputation alone could deter an enemy. Reputation is important. And Aero wanted to cultivate powerful reputation for himself. Imagine if other players see him hogging all the good stuff. Aero knows the cause for the war was a noble cause. Though he himself knows the cause of the war was because of his own ambition. But as long as people didn''t know that, then his cause is the noble one. As long as he packaged it nicely, the truth doesn''t matter. What people believe¡­that is the truth. After all, what is truth other than the things you believe? And after all he did won the war. So he could write the history and whatever he said is right. If he get caught doing something like hoarding looted items for himself, imagine how hard it will be for him to ask for help one day. But who is this people he need to ask help from? It is the players and the NPCs of this Brave World. What if war happens again? Aero knows he need to instill the sense to the other players that he is honorable and trustworthy. That is the reputation he wanted to form in the minds of the people. That he fought this war because he wanted to protect Vanheim. ''If there is one thing I learned, reputation is very important. Guard it with your life. Guard it with everything you have'' And he smiles and laugh in his carriage, a laugh full of satisfaction. As his horse carriage bump into a stone, the carriage slightly rocked. And this sudden movement instead reminds Aero of another matter. The matter of Erdanis state. Erdanis state is already occupied by Veranis soldiers. Veranis troops came fromthe East to aid Vanheim war. To save time they moved to Erdanis instead of Karelia state. After conquering Erdanis, they moved through Silmar state undetected. It is not a waste to use Erdanis forest to hide the troops. Not to mention, the soldiers of Veranis moves with ferocious speed and attack reminiscent of a blitz attack. And even if Silmar state''s nobles realized the appearance of soldiers they couldn''t do anything. Their troops were given to Kyle to invade Vanheim. They couldn''t even imagine the small kingdom of Veranis would attack Vetten, a larger and more powerful nation even in their wildest dreams. They of course did not expect that Vetten so called stealth invasion failed to hide themselves from Aero calculations. After that it all happened like Aero planned. Kyle must not have thought that Aero retreat was a calculated decision and was instead a signal for Veranis offense to begin. Inside the carriage Dan is also inside. Aero explained it again with Sarah adding on. Dan after learning the true plan from Sarah was angry at her "Why didn''t you tell me? At least you could tell me. I thought when we were retreating that it is all over!" he is clearly angry he''s been duped again. Or maybe he is angry at the fact that he is being duped in front of Sarah. Aero was not an idiot. Anyone could see that Dan had a crush on Sarah. He is too transparent with his feeling. Maybe that is why Aero felt at ease with Dan. Because he is too easy to read. "Well, sometimes to trick an enemy, you must trick your friend first "Aero chuckled. Dan shakes his head and looked accusingly at Aero "No. You''re just having fun teasing us didn''t you?" Dan said pouting like a giant baby This time Aero could not hold his laughter anymore. "HAHAHAHA¡­Correct.'' ''If you could only see your face. You look like you ate a squirrel. Dan, seriously. I mean, Raina and Amy were like a rock. You were sweating and muttering prayers. I....''and Aero was having trouble trying to stop giggling before he burst out and said ''You just activated my mischievous side." Aero said before he continued laughing out loud. Amy and Raina on the back also started laughing. Dan was red with embarrassment. Then Raina patted him on the back "Now, now. Aero was just kidding with you. No need to get so angry. And we won didn''t we?" Raina said trying to calm him down while still laughing. After a while, Dan calmed down. "Ok..I guess you''re right. We did won" Aero only grins and chuckles a bit. Dan nodded his head. Still he doesn''t look satisfied. "I''ll give you great items after the ceremony, how about that?" Aero offered. Dan frown turned to a slight smile. And after a while even Dan forgot about Aero joke towards him. That''s what Aero likes about Dan. He is quick to forgive. Maybe that''s the reason many people feel comfortable being friends with him. As they ride, the night descended so they set up a tent in the middle of a forest. A perimeter has been set and guards were sent to patrols and scouts were dispatched to scan for any potential dangers or enemies. Around the middle of the night, Aero was relaxing inside his tent when the camp received a notice that Alexander is coming to meet him. Sarah was sent to receive the Prince while Dan look displeased. Aero just shakes his head. ''A prince needs to have his entrance, huh.'' He thought to himself. Sarah returned to the camp with Prince Alexander. Aero quickly scan the Young prince with his eyes and a mysterious smile could be seen on his face. A young boy and a prince. Even his appearance befits the looks of a prince. It is the kind of face no one would get bored looking at it. He rode to the camp with a large bulky black horse. Aero did see it in the battlefield when the young prince led his army into the fray of the battle ''It look intimidating on the battlefield'' Aero was thinking while looking at the fierce gaze of the black horse. Then he looked at the young prince. A great hero needs a great horse. The Prince has a handsome face with flawless skin, long braided blonde hair, a muscular body with a deep voice The way he talks and walks, it is truly a bearing of a majestic prince. He accompanied Sarah and then after they finished talking small talk, the Prince began asking about the rewards they were promised. Aero shakes his head internally. ''How impatient'' he thought to himself. "Don''t worry, Prince Alexander. In a week ask your Royal father to come to the Vanheim capital to be officially given the state by King George." Aero said Alexander look towards Aero like he was judging him and then he nodded. ''Then, I will trust you, Aero of the East'' Aero smiles courteously and bow slightly. Prince Alexander then jump to the back of his horse and rides away with his entourage of elite soldiers to their camp. In his journey back Aero had heard about what people called him. Aero of the East. Zeus of the North. He didn''t like the title very much. It was like the whole world wanted him to fight with Zeus. Aero did not underestimate himself but he knows he is far too weak to be compared with Zeus. Just because he won one battle did not mean he suddenly become the most powerful person in Brave World. He knows that Zeus is the strongest person in Brave World. While Aero progress is fast thanks to his secret class, he knows if he fights Zeus, he might die from the first slash. What is this "If Aero of the East does not come forth, Who can be his match?" is all about? Even if he came forth, the most he can do is insult him. What is this absurd notion that he could somehow match Zeus strength? Alexander return to his camp after he explained that the conferment is just a formality. The state has already been Veranis. It is already acknowledged by Vanheim But the conferment of a state is a big deal. Aero understand it the most. It is a show of power. The ceremony will help the Vanheim Kingdom to look as a strong nation to both its people and the rest of the other Kingdoms. There is also the fact that the Conferment of state has not been practiced for long. This is why it is such a big deal. Usually only emperors had the power to confer an annexed state. And that is why Aero wanted George to confer the state. Aero has large ambitions. Everyone who have interacted closely with Aero knows this. George also began to share the same ambitions as Aero. Aero wanted to become an advisor that helps bring about a new emperor and a new dynasty to the Vilajeri continent. He wanted to be The Kingmaker And George also shares the same dream. If George really confers a state to Veranis every Kingdom will recognize George ambition and his intention to rule. It means he is thinking about uniting the Kingdoms. By conferring a state to an existing monarch, he is declaring he is aiming for the Imperial Throne. Conferring a state has always meant this. Even Veranis know this. George is announcing his intention to all of the people in the Continent. He wanted to become an Emperor. After Tian Dynasty rejected Vanheim Kingdom asking for military aid, Aero will use Veranis to destroy Tian Dynasty, while Vanheim attack the rest of Vetten. With the treaty formed with the Orcs Aero could also outsource quest to Gruk and his horde. Aero knows Gruk will be more than happy with this development. Aero knows there are not that many quests in that barren lands of Nairhell. It is amazing enough that Gruk could become high level players in such conditions and place. The treaty that was formed will also open up opportunity for merchant class to level up. Venturing to new lands and opening up trade route, which merchants won''t like that? They will beg for an opportunity like that. However anyone who wants to open a trade route needs to make a contract with the Royal Family. This is Aero chance to gain money and solidified the power of the royal family. He will use his influence to help those who will give him money. He also need spies to spread the word that the King wanted to make a contract with Merchants Company. Maybe Reeds Company or Darius Company will contact him, when they hear the rumors. Aero can use his influence to list the names of merchant companies that will help the royal Family opening up the trade route. Aero is grinning mischievously. It is worth all the pain befriending the King. Finally it is bearing fruits all of his hard work and effort. For now Aero needs to return to the King to give him his report. And he also needs to advise the King in the policies that George should undertake. As he walked outside his tent after contemplating many matters, he hears the sound of the night crickets. He felt the calm winds and felt that this world was really too realistic. Somehow, he felt that this world truly felt like a second home for him. In the real world, he was Daniel, the university dropout man with no money and no car. But here, he is Aero, the strategist and advisor to the highest authority of a kingdom, possessing immense authority and power. He never hated being Daniel. But he admits that being Aero is better. But more importantly the reason why he likes being Aero is because then he would forget. The pain of being Daniel. As he thought of this his gaze went to Amy tent in the distance and he shake his head ''She is not her. Let it go'' he said it. But he didn''t know whether what he said was a prayer or a plea for help. He sighed as he returned back to his tent. ********************************************************************** A slightly longer chapter than the usual. The Second volume name might be changed later. I put a temporary title the Rise of Aero so i could post faster. So, don''t be shocked later when the book name changes. Like always if you like the story please vote and leave some reviews Chapter 36 ENTERING THE CAPITAL 1 The sun shows it faces as morning came. The warm sunlight shining brightly as the birds flies out from their nest to search for food. The forest also comes alive with the sound of people packing things. And there is joy in the faces of the soldiers¡­.after all they are now returning home. These usually deserted forests, devoid of people are actually full of Vanheim soldiers and Veranis soldiers. On the way to the Capital of Vanheim, they all rested here last night. Now morning has come and they must move. Daniel on the other hand wakes up from his sleep in the real world. He remembers what happens yesterday in Brave World and to say he is not excited would be a lie. He first takes a bath and eats his breakfast. Feeling it is too early; he went to a supermarket near his house and bought some food to last him for the next week. After that he log back in in to his account. He arrives back at the army camp and seeing his army is all refreshed Aero also nodded in satisfaction. There is nothing that restores morale more than a victory. He then orders his carriage to be prepared for the return home. After the scouts making sure there is no ambush in the vicinity Aero departed to the Capital. Aero went inside his horse carriage and sit down on the cushion seat inside the carriage. He then think about a few matters. Amongst all the other things he needs to ask from the King, he decided he also needs to ask for a vacation from the King. ''Haish'' he sighed as he rub his forehead. After the stunt he pulled in restoring George from the throne, other Kings are also interested in employing his service. He has received the letters from one of the messengers after his return from the battle. King Fjord of Asgaro asked him for help. Details of the job will be given if Aero decided to accept King Fjord offer. Aero could only shakes his head. He is flattered, yes, but he knows he could not be like a grass being blown by the wind. Helping George means fighting everybody else. Why would he strengthen the enemies of his friend while weakening his friend for his enemies? Aero is not stupid. Aero has decided to go all in with King George. Why would he risk that for some temporary gains? But while he did not want to help Asgaro, he would still go there. After all, even though he is not on Asgaro side, the King of Asgaro didn''t have to know that. And he smirk. To defeat your enemy, you first need to know what they think about. There is also the fact that to reach Asgaro it is faster to use the sea routes. And Aero also wanted to see the sea. The moment Aero enter Brave World, he has spent all of his time on land. Maybe if he travels to the sea, he might broaden his horizons of Brave World. As they move through the forest, Aero could hear yelling behind his carriage. Aero frowned. ''Now, that is also another matter'' he said as he closes his eyes and tries to think of a solution. He is referring to the prisoner of war that Vanheim had capture. Usually they would ransomed or executed. But last night Aero got an idea. But he needs to ask for the King''s permission first before doing it. Else he would be accused of overstepping his authority. Aero is now relaxed after the war. He leave all military matters to Bradheim and begun thinking about things that is more worthy of his attention. He could not leave the military to Bradheim if he did not confirm Bradheim loyalty. Aero has confirmed that Bradheim is truly loyal to the Kingdom. Not the crown, but the Kingdom. ''A complicated and a stubborn man but alas useful.'' He wistfully said as his thought veer off to the Silmar campaign. With the combined force of Veranis and Bradheim they will attack Silmar and wait for instruction. Aero is convinced that Vetten III hearing the result of the war is now asking the troops to station at the capital of Vetten. This will leave Silmar practically undefended. Bradheim and Alexander accepted the order and so without hesitation Aero transferred his troops to him. He wanted Bradheim to become the sword of Vanheim and conquer lands for Vanheim Glory. Sarah on the other hand after successfully persuading Veranis in joining Vanheim attack in the Vanheim-Vetten war will now accompany him back to the capital. Sarah is also using her newfound fame to interact with many high level NPCs. Between the talking and playing a game of chess they are inching closer to the Capital Not before long they reach the border of Vanheim. Sarah then join Aero in his carriage. The moment she enters and sits down opposite him Aero smiles and said. "Pretty good, Sarah" Aero complimented Sarah for a job well done. "I told you didn''t I, that I could do it" Sarah bragged. Aero did not say that if not for the circumstances, Sarah would not be able to get the Veranis King to agree so easily. "Yeah, yeah" Aero replied nonchalantly Sarah just continued talking "Who would imagine a druid like me could lead thousands of troops?" Aero only chuckles. Then he said "Don''t get arrogant. The only reason the Veranis troops let you lead the armies is because you are Vanheim''s ambassador. They could hardly refuse." ''It''s better to not be overconfident, Sarah'' Aero said "Well, yeah... But I did good right?" Sarah asked while looking at Aero with that puppy eyes look. Aero turned the other way "Other than yelling charge I didn''t really see you doing anything else" Aero will not let Sarah see his flustered face "Ouch, I''m hurt." Sarah said jokingly "Did you know that during the battle I used my mana to create ten barriers simultaneously? All for you" She winked at Aero She''s teasing him. During the battle after Kyle was dead Sarah decided that to inflict the most damage to the Vetten troops, she needs to use her mana. She managed to create ten barriers that blocked the Vetten troops from running away. It was a magnificent barrier. It was Strong and high. That kind of barriers are something that not many Vetten troops can break or even scale it. Aero believe that in Druid type player there is no one better than Sarah. He never thought Sarah could become this powerful. This makes Aero happy. This means he also has strong allies. And strong ally makes me solving quest easier. He thought to himself In a few moments he will arrive at the Royal Capital. From afar he could see the fireworks and hears the cheering. Music could be heard filling the streets. Poems celebrating the victory are spread around and the poems of Aero of the East and Zeus of the North has already spread to Vanheim. No doubt the Kingdom is celebrating after the news of victory being spread. Aero then curios looked out of the carriage. He then saw it. The flag of Vanheim Kingdom is being waved by all the citizens, smiling and looking proud Some maidens could be seen throwing some furtive glances to some of the officers of the army Some of the officers blushed while some of them smiles and seems to enjoy the attention and the flirting glances. Looking amidst the crowds he could see banners bearing his name, Dan, Raina, Amy and Bradheim. The only way Aero could describe what he is seeing is this: A hero welcome. Even Sarah looked astounded. "Sir Aero thanks for saving us!!" a citizen was yelling "HAIL, SIR AERO" the citizens were chanting ''Aero of the East!'' Others shouted. "VANHEIM, VANHEIM, VANHEIM" were being yelled by the citizen on the squares with fervent fanaticism The name Bradheim is also being screamed out. So does Dan''s name. "I knew him you know." Aero could hear the instructor from the training hall yelling among the crowd ''Yeah, right. Keep telling yourself that'' a person rebutted "He once worked in my library." Aero could see Valeria the Head Librarian was bragging to anyone who would listen. It is because he worked on that library he got to meet the Sage of Trethelm Lake. Aero smiled. The newbie players are also in a festive mood. The biggest crisis since Brave World launched has finally ended. And they also happy because Vanheim wins the war which means there will be many more quest after this. After all it is always good to be on the winning side. This is the time for celebration. Aero somehow being enveloped by this festive atmosphere, smiles sincerely unconsciously. "That''s a good look" Sarah said staring at Aero face smiling like a kind older sister. Aero got startled. "What look?" Aero asked trying to hide his flustered expression. She smiles and then shakes her head and said. "Nothing" she said wistfully. "I guess you''re a hero now, Aero" Sarah was beaming at him as she also look at the outside, hearing the crowd cheering Aero name, seeing the happy faces on the citizens of Vanheim Aero smiles again. "I guess I am. Though I don''t like being called one" Sarah chuckles And then Aero scanned the surrounding filled with people celebrating and chanting. And for some reason, Aero is sincerely for the first time ever smiling without a care in the world. ********************************************************************* Part one of the chapte Chapter 37 ENTERING THE CAPITAL 2 VANHEIM THRONE ROOM The moment Aero arrives in the Palace, he was escorted by the officials of the Kingdom directing him to the Throne room. They look at Aero with respect accorded to a great noble. The accomplishment he made has been spread across the continent Aero of the East, equal to Zeus of the North, The King of Veva Entering the room Aero walk respectfully but he was not lacking in charisma or dignity. Aero has come before George to present his war report about what has happened during the war. He arrived in front of the throne and he kneels like a normal subject of the King, without any pretension of nobility or pride. This instead elicited more respect from the officials ''Your subject has come to report the victory of our men over the vile invaders of Vetten'' Aero said, his voice is strong and full of conviction ''Advisor, could dispense with the formality'' King George said smiling. Not many people were accorded with such honors but if there is one person worthy to be accorded such respect than this person kneeling in front of King George certainly is worthy. After all, if not for his help George would still be a powerless King controlled by the will of his officials and the nobles. And Aero stood back up slowly since he heard none of the officials of the court objecting. King George smiles joyfully. George has heard the story and read the report of course. How Aero has managed to repel the invasion with a more inferior number of soldiers subverting the ideas that the people with more soldiers would undoubtedly wins. In the duration of the war, he could not sleep peacefully and he has no appetite. He almost had a heart attack when he heard Fort Elken was taken by Orcs and Aero retreated from Fort Vars. Who would have thought everything was under the Strategist calculations. The Sage of Trethelm Lake has given him a talent that could give him the world. If he does not cherish such talent he would be an idiot monarch. He also heard how this weak looking advisor and strategist of his fought like a war god raging in the battlefield, lopping Vettenian soldiers head like a scythe razing weeds. He also read about Aero smart tactics and strategy which fooled the enemies again and again. George couldn''t help but look at Aero proudly. His eyes were full of admiration. Aero then presented his report not mentioning anything about what he did in the war. Because he did not have to do so. If he reported it now, it would look like he is bragging. Everyone already knows what he did so there is no point of trying to emphasize it once again and attract the ire of the other officials of the court. Then after explaining about the treaty with the Orcs and the matter with the conferment of state to Veranis, George just nodded. He believes that Aero has done marvelously. By now, his trust towards his strategist has reached maximum level. Not to mention after listening to Aero listing the benefits of the actions he takes, the King was even more confident in leaving many things to his advisor. Aero has opened a new trade opportunities with the Orcs and because of the peace treaty people in the East border don''t need to worry about Orcs raid anymore. This is a great merit to the Kingdom and he should be rewarded handsomely for it. The idea about the conferment of state is part of George and Aero grand plan. This close relationship between monarch and subordinate is rarely seen and something to be envied at. The monarch trusts the subordinates and the subject loyally serve the monarch. But how many monarchs is able to do that? The way King George treated Aero shows his intention and shows his affection. It also sends a message to the great talents of the world. King George of Vanheim cherishes talent. The plan of the conferment of state is borne by Aero and was approved by King George. This act would raise George prestige and declare his intent to rule. Vanheim...wanted the Imperial Throne and it is announcing it to the world. Thinking back of the past, it was truly a stroke of luck for George to meet Aero. Maybe the Gods still favor him. "And that is all that I had to report, Your Grace'' Aero finished The King then declared "You have helped me again Strategist Aero. My gratitude to you is eternal" Tting. KINGDOM QUEST:THE INVASION OF ORCS THE WAR ON TWO SIDES COMPLETE You have succeeded in repelling the invasions from two sides. Reward: Fame increased by 2500 : Reputation increased by 3000 : Contribution points 25,0000 : Honor points 500 : Opportunity to be a part of the nobility unlocked : Gold 90000 : The permission to see The Secret Archive (will be rewarded at the victoryceremony) : Friendship with the King maximum. Your words can change George reaction andyour words carry weight in George mind. : All stat increased by 20 : You are respected and loved by the people of Vanheim. They will sing songs and write poetry about your adventures. You have leveled up! You have leveled up! You have leveled up! Aero immediately smiles as he leveled up to 110. At least now, Aero felt it was not wrong to choose this quest. His reputation points and contribution shot up at such a remarkable pace, even he couldn''t believe it. Aero check his citizen status His citizen status right now is Lord, a noble of the kingdom. He now can be given a land to match his title. But most importantly his stats increased again. It hardly increased even after all the intense fighting during the war. Maybe after this Aero think he will have to rely more on quests to raise his stats. "It is my honor to serve the crown" Aero said bowing a bit. King George shakes his head as he said ''This reward is not enough for such a meritorious achievement. You shall be rewarded in the victory ceremony two days from now." The victory ceremony. George has used a lot money for the victory ceremony to show to the people of Vanheim that their Kingdom is rising to become like their glorious past and might even surpassed it. It is more than just a place to reward the meritorious subjects. It is to show the might of Vanheim and instill confidence in the hearts of the people. Aero has also heard that many players from the surrounding Kingdoms started migrating to Vanheim after the war concluded. Especially players from Vetten. Their loss in this war was the last straw on the camel back. It snapped and everything turns to chaos. Players from Vetten are coming in droves and register themselves as Vanheim citizen in many of Vanheim cities and state. The King was about to end the session when Aero held up his hand. Aero knows he needs to suggest a few policies to George to help him in his absence. He will be in a foreign land after the victory ceremony ended so he needs to make sure Vanheim is strong before he leaves. Wouldn''t want Niovar to attack when he is gone. It''s not like he doesn''t trust Bradheim to protect the Kingdom, but sometimes it better to be safe than sorry. "Your Grace, may I speak?" Aero asked "Yes Advisor Aero. What is it?" "This subject have some suggestions for Your Grace. Do you want to listen?" The King sense that Aero is about to say something important then he nodded his head. "Of course. What are Strategist Aero thoughts?" Aero has always good ideas for him. It would be stupid of him not to listen. "Alright then. First this subject would like Your Grace to set up a base at Silmar to construct a Fortress more sturdy than even Fort Vars" Aero said calmly. Fort Vars after the explosion is barely standing. Arcturus, Marco and all the ministers in the court are shocked, because they realized what Aero intention is. "But.. but to create a Fort like that will take about 2 years. And it''s not like Vetten will just let us construct the Fort" one of the ministers offered their opinion The other officials nodded Aero only smirked. Then he offers his solution "No, it would take only six months at most, if we distribute quest to Builders association and ask The Masons to provide you with workers." Builders will be an important class at least after the war. Commissions for building house and ditch are common. But the chance to build a Fort? Not many had the chance. But Aero recognizes the need for the Builders to level up. The more builder''s level up, the more advancement in the building can be made. In Brave World the builders that are high levels and that can construct magnificent monuments or building are rare and few. After this war and the war that is to come, Aero knows that the Builders will be looked upon differently by the players. He could sense the trend of this world is changing. "I doubt they could refuse if the order comes from the King itself "Aero continued. His face is still smiling and his eyes was clear. Only one person inside the crowd understand where Aero is going with this, "You. Are you thinking---" Marco was asking finally understanding what Aero is thinking. Aero smiles. ''Could it be¡­Strategist Aero target is¡­Vetten? The entire Vetten!?'' the King said with a stutter like he couldn''t believe what he just thought This time the King felt a little shocked and at the same time excited. Aero smiles and nodded. This time not only the King is shocked even the officials are shocked. ''This Strategist really havea big appetite'' one of the officials whispers to one of his colleagues. "Yes, Your Grace. By setting up a Fort in Silmar we can prepare to attack the Vetten Capital.'' ''And what will that achieve?'' An official asked Smiling Aero answer, looking straight at the King challenging like the first time they met and said "This humble subject intends to make Your Grace the ruler of this entire Eastern Continent." ************************************************************************* The next chapter will be posted in a few seconds. If you like the story please vote and leave some review..Huhuhuhu Chapter 38 A NEW ERA For a while there is silence in the court before the minister present all finally let that statement sunk into their minds. "I intends to make you the ruler of this entire Eastern Continent." This statement is still resonating inside everyone mind. Then the ministers gasped. Then like being startled they look at Aero in disbelief. It is not easy to declare such statement. But it is not in their best interest to shot down his statement. After all, the King has always wanted to expand the land and bring honor to the name of his family. Looking at the excited face of the King whoever tries to shot down this word right now would attract the ire of the King. While the minister was skeptical of Aero statement and analyzing his motives, the King on the contrary held a different emotion. George was overjoyed. It has always been his dreams and the dreams of his predecessor to rule the entire Eastern Continent and bring glory to the name of their House. It used to be just a dream that he did not dare to say. Because he was weak and he see no way for him to fulfil such dreams Not to mention his grip on the kingdom was weak at the time, there is many other powerful nations that could threaten Vanheim. His kingdom and his rule were plagued by internal and external problem. But after Aero appeared, it doesn''t seem like a dream. It becomes possible. Aero is his wing. Before, George was a toothless tiger. Now he has sharp fangs and a wing attached on his back. His vigor and will has returned. He possess the bearing of a Great King that oversee the world. Now he is fiercer than anyone and more ambitious than anyone. And with Aero by his side, he is soaring to the sky. "We(Royal We) must thank Nicolas the Sage of Trethelm Lake for introducing you to me. After seeing what you can do, We shudder to think if you serve any other King" George said in a joking manner. But Aero clearly could sense that hint of worried tone. ''Clearly, he has heard about King Fjord''s letter asking me to aid him in his crisis.'' Aero thought to himself "Is this about King Fjord, Your Grace?'' Aero asked innocently. The King put on his most calm expression and said. ''We heard about His Royal Grace towards you and must admit, I fear that my greatest strategist would be tempted'' King George said still with that smile on his face. Aero see through the tough front. Aero of course will not leave George now. Not when his position in Vanheim is firm and stronger than ever. He is trusted by the King and while his position is still unclear in George government, he already held many authority only second to the King thanks to his trust towards Aero. Compared to the uncertain grace of a foreign King Aero decided George was the better master to serve. ''Do not worry, Your Majesty. It is just better to have some connection in the West so we will not be caught unaware" Aero said trying to ease George uneasiness. "Really? So that''s how it is" George sigh of relief can be heard in the Throne room. The other minister also heard it and some of them frowned. They all understand that from today onwards, this young strategist would have a seat in the inner circle of the King. Most of the minister in the room was old minister that used to serve the Old King and was deemed unreliable by the new King. Simply because they did not endure the same hardship like those who accompanied him to his meteoric rise. All that followed him in his self-exile all were awarded with nobility titles and position in the government. King George look at Aero from the throne he is sitting and he release his hidden clenched fist. He was truly anxious after hearing the news that a foreign monarch tries to snatch the talent he has found. George will not let anyone take Aero from him. Aero has proven himself to be indispensable to the Kingdom. If he falls to another Kingdom, George fears to think what would happen. He did not want to harm his benefactor. If Aero really went to another kingdom, how could George sleep at night knowing there is a brilliant wise master plotting the downfall of his Kingdom? The most effective and obvious solution is of course to eliminate the trouble as fast as possible. But King George would not, on his honor besmirch the reputation of his house by harming his own benefactor. But by not killing such trouble it would be harming his Kingdom. Thus, he truly hope that Aero would not make him choose between two worst possible choices. And thank the gods, he did not have to choose. As George was looking at Aero, Aero was explaining about the post war preparation. "Now, the second matter is about the peace treaty with the Orcs" Aero continued. Then he looked toward George and implore ''This strategist would like Your Majesty to invite Gruk as a guest of honor in the victory ceremony. This would appease him and his tribe''s resentment because of the bad blood between our people and their race. It would also help convince him to our dedication to partner up with him." Then without stopping Aero continued. "This strategist also would like Your Majesty to give contracts to Merchants Company to facilitate the construction of the trade route." King George nodded "Who do you have in mind, Advisor Aero?" George asked. Aero smiles but he quickly wipe that smiles on his face appearing solemn and serious. "Your humble subject will write Your Majesty a list in this week about Merchant company that can contribute and be loyal to the Kingdom" Aero replied "Alright then Advisor Aero, We trust your decisions. We will let you handle the contracts on my behalf." George declared. "Thank you for your faith in me, Your Majesty." Aero had already expected that George will give him the task. Aero tried to hide his smile. The other ministers just watched silently. Aero knows he has made enemies today, simply just by gaining the King trust. But when was he afraid? After all, he could not avoid the trouble if he is to rise in ranks amongst old minister of the courts. Then Aero began to move on to other agendas. The Orcs Peace Treaty. "We also need to send some negotiators to Gruk to ask for the right to build shops and supply centers. And it would be good if we can outsource to the Orcs in Gruk tribe to help our Kingdom." Aero suggest to George. "But, is it worth it making this treaty with the Orcs?" a minister asked doubting Aero plan. Actually the minister in the court is beginning to become envious of Aero relationships with the King. Now that Aero has won the war, the King just become more trusting towards Aero and this makes some of the ministers beginning to scheme to undermine Aero plans. Aero of course, noticed this. But right now the ministers still didn''t take action, so they are not a threat. Yet. But Aero decided to address this matter later. He might need to send a few birds and let a few snakes roam across the deep tall grass. Only then he could hear and moves one step ahead from his enemies. That is also the reason he needs to ask for vacation. He needs to settle a few matters and lower the resentment giving a chance for the old minister to render contribution so they will not feel left out. But for now Aero answer the minister question. "Yes, it''s worth it. It will not only improve our economy it will also enable us to construct supply lines for our troops. " Aero is trying to explain this to the minister that is objecting to the plans. "We are trying to swallow Vetten. Supply lines are important. Even though we can bring merchants as our supply division but they can easily be killed." Aero said convincingly to the minister. "After this, war will be in a large scale. More than the war with us and Vetten. I believe the world will be in turbulent times, but this is the chance for Vanheim to be major player in Vilajeri continent.'' George nodded. What Aero said makes logical sense. The opportunity for his people to become more powerful is with this treaty. Orcs are known all over the Vilajeri Continent to be powerful and fierce warriors. If they can take advantage of that, then it would be easier for Vanheim to truly conquer the Eastern Continent. They can also trade exotic meats with the Orcs. Nairhell has many creatures that don''t roam in Vanheim. Other than that, they can also trade plants with the Orcs which would bring new medicines into the world since many of the herbs there remains a secret before because of the restricted access and no one dares to venture to deep into Orcs settlement. There is a lot of untapped economic potential in Nairhell. And Aero of course recognizes this. This treaty is a win- win situation for both side but it is actually have more benefits for Vanheim "Your plan is approved. Is there another thing you would like to suggest Advisor?" George accepted the plan. Aero nodded, like he was waiting for the King question. "The third thing I would like to suggest to Your Majesty is to start encouraging neighboring citizens to migrate here. Hire the minstrels to sing songs about Vanheim prosperity and might. Lower the taxes. Open a few granaries and be benevolent and righteous in dealing with matters. That will encourage people to migrate here." Then a minister coughed and come in front before pointing his finger at Aero and ask. "Why? We don''t need them. Our Vanheimnian people are strong and proud. Why do we need to encourage the other Kingdoms'' citizens to migrate here?" said a minister adamantly Aero coughed and then he looked to the King and said. "By encouraging people to come, they may have certain talents that are useful to Your Majesty" Looking at the official that tries to remonstrate him Aero smirks and then he look back at the King and said ''As Your Majesty Advisor I have one word of advice, promote economic growth through innovation. With new talents comes innovation. With more population there are more mouths to feed but it also encourages growth if we adjust accordingly with economic development. Austerity measures must be taken but it must not be taken by sacrificing the lives of our citizens. A kingdom is made of its citizens. Without any citizens, there is no kingdom. Without forgetting this simple fact any Kingdom can be a strong one" The minister that objected to Aero plans just nodded blankly. He could not object after Aero has raised such a convincing point. The Scholars in the court also find no fault with Aero reasoning The other ministers are also the same. The King nodded, beaming a smile. What Aero said was in line with his thought. "Alright, your plan is approved." After that Aero asked for a vacation detailing what he will do after the victory ceremony to George. He also promised he will return home after he helped King Fjord. The King has readied a residence for Aero in the palace. Aero gladly accepted the offer. The minute he''s about to log off, a messenger came bearing news. ''Three of the most influential Merchant Companies are requesting a meeting with me. It seems the rumor has spread.'' "Tell them I''ll meet them in Tiger Gate Inn at the evening." Aero said to convey the message. ********************************************** part of the mass release. hope you all like it and please give me your votes and if you really like it please leave some reviews. And leave some comments to. Chapter 39 TO BE LIKE WATER TIGER GATE INN SECRET BACK ROOM Dancers dance on top of the stage as men look and cheers. The music sounded nice and calming as the people that are in front of the establishment quickly enter the inn. The music played by the bards and minstrel was calming but enter the inn, and they were greeted with boisterous sound of people talking and cackles of laughter. Tiger Gate Inn is one of the most crowded inns in Vanheim. With variety of food and drinks, and boasting great service it is one of the most frequented places by adventurers. Adventurers sleep here, eat here and drink here. And everyone knows that it belongs to Thornleaf Merchant Company. And the player that is the head merchant is Thornleaf. One of the many various merchant companies in Vanheim, Thornleaf started with only ten gold to open up business after conning some na?ve adventurers. From his vast network of information he heard that King George is opening up a trade route in Nairhell. The rumor of course spreads wildly in the Capital city. Hearing this, he sent his spies and found out that the famous strategist of war Aero has been tasked on choosing the company that will be given the contracts with the Royal family. ''Aero of the East'' he said when he read the report. By now, Aero reputation is at an all-time high Unlike Vetten who trust the merchants to make contract with them, King George is the opposite and he even seems to despise merchant as he thought of them as leeches. This is because in times of war and famine, the merchants always hike up the prices. This act is nothing new and King George found such act despicable. It is why George hated the merchant class and why he did not get many support from merchant clans in the city. But with Aero bringing up merchant benefits in their discussion, the originally merchant hating King easily heeded Aero suggestion. It is true what many people are saying in the Capital and the court. The King has an almost unconditional trust toward his advisor. Now hearing about what had transpired, Thornleaf believe this is a chance for him to make a large profit. Anyone who has the contract to open the trade routes will reap many profits in the end. Probably they will also be one of the richest merchant in Vanheim. Aero, huh Thornleaf has prepared the venue for his meeting with Aero. Darius and Reed have also arrived. The preparation is not hard to do considering the inn is one of his establishments. Reed was another influential figure in the merchant community. He also sent letters to Aero. Darius was also the same. It seems three of the most influential merchant company in Vanheim have contacted Aero. And Aero decided to meet all three of them at the same time inside the same place like he did not know the friction between these three people. Maybe he does know and he just doesn''t care. Or maybe he knows and have other motives. Either way, three of them still came here even though knowing who would be here. After all this is a business deal they cannot push away. Reed does not like Thornleaf. After all, he was once deceived by Thornleaf. When Reed first played Brave World he wanted to be a warrior. But after being conned by Thornleaf he decided to be a merchant and exact his revenge. But Thornleaf is too cunning and smart for him. But one day he will have his revenge. For now, he will be patient. Darius on the other hand has bitter rivalry with Reed involving territory dispute and poaching big time customers. They are all waiting for Aero. All three of them are curious about Aero. A few month ago they didn''t even heard and knows his name, but now his name is the only thing people talk about. ''Aero of the East'' This is an awe inspiring title. They all know Aero would be a formidable opponent whether in terms of mind of brawn. After all, it takes no ordinary man to win war on two sides. Darius spies have informed him of Aero tactics and strategies. It astounded Darius. Zeus is known to charge with brute strength but Aero use of strategy and diplomacy to win the war showed that Aero is a man that excels in many areas. All three of them have of course heard the famous poem by Edward a poet in Duvar regarding the two most talked about heroes in Brave World right now. Regarded as the strongest, Zeus of the North, Undefeated and Unchallenged, None stand his way, If Aero of the East does not come forth, Who can be his match? It is truly an apt poem describing the two adventurers. Darius wondered who would win. Prowess of mind or brute strength? Still the tension in the room is intense. They all have done business with each other or tried to sabotage the other. The enmity between Reeds and Thornleaf is famous. Darius on the other hand have good relation with both of them business wise¡­at least on the surface. But Reed knows Darius is still sour about that whole territory dispute thing. To be honest, Darius doesn''t like Thornleaf more than he doesn''t like Reed. Thornleaf is vicious and coldhearted. Not to mention he would lie and cheat like it''s nothing. But Darius would be stupid to voice his opinion openly. After all he made many business with Thornleaf Company. They were all looking at each other. No doubt sizing each other up, looking for any weaknesses they could exploit. Then one of the workers in the inn knocked. ''Enter'' The workers entered and informed them "Master Thornleaf, your guest has arrived." ''Oh, please invite him in'' he said enthusiastically. The worker nodded and went away before sound of calm footsteps could be heard coming to the secret room. Everyone straightened up as they listened to the approaching footstep. Creak¡­.the door was slowly pushed forward. A silhouette could be seen and then a man stepped inside. The three great merchant instantly stood up as a sign of respect When Aero enters he seems like a likable person and has not hint of a great warrior that rampages through the battlefield like a War God. They expected to see a regal and dignified person, standing straight like an unbendable steel. To see such an affable looking person was truly not in line with their expectations. But Thornleaf quickly break from his own thought and come forward to gesture to Aero where to seat "Please sit down, Sir Aero" Thornleaf said with respect Then the three merchants took turns addressing themselves. Actually before Aero came he had already made his research. Thornleaf is not the only one that had spies running around. Not to mention their spies is of lower quality and could not roam as freely as the agents of a Kingdom. While Thornleaf is an influential merchant, to compare his wealth and the accumulated wealth of the royalty is laughable. Using the Secret Corps of Vanheim is one of the smartest move he has ever made. Aero also spread misinformation and block a few discovery by the spies of Thornleaf in his business today. With their information, Aero knows who the key person in Vanheim is, people he needs to look out for and people who have the potential to become great. They then talked for a while before getting to the real question. It was then that the three of them realizes something about Aero. He is not an unbendable steel. Far from it. He is different from Zeus. He is water, taking the form of its container, flexible and calm. Darius once meet Zeus in the North. When he saw Zeus he was awed and pressured by his intensity and the determination in his eyes. So, when he saw Aero he was disappointed that Aero was so different from the image of the one equal to Zeus. But now he understand. When a sword meets water, the sword could slice water but water will rejoin. Aero truly could become Zeus greatest enemy. When they talked, they felt that he was a likable and easygoing person. And there lies the trap. He makes them, three of the great merchants in Vanheim, who was wary against him to let down their guard. This is how Darius understand this Aero has more than meets the eye. ''He''s dangerous'' he thought to himself. Then finally after twist and turns they finally delve to the real question. "Thank you for your hospitality. So what is the reason you wanted to meet me?" Aero feigned ignorance. All three of them know that Aero feigned ignorance. He wants to play hard to get. Thornleaf was thinking. Then they told Aero to help them get the contract for the trade route that is about to be opened in Nairhell. Each one proposes conditions and debated each other explaining to Aero why they were the most qualified to get the kingdom contract. It was like a presentation of their companies to impress a huge stockholder Aero only nodded and did a few non-committal gesture. "I will decide after the victory ceremony" Aero declared. After talking with Aero the merchants realized Aero is actually giving them time to present gifts to him and the deadline is after the victory ceremony. No doubts Aero is expecting gold and precious items given to him. In that moment Aero showed quite a horrible expression. An expression of greed. They all nodded to each other understanding Aero intention. People said he''s honorable. What is so honorable about him? He is sly more like it. "Then, our meeting today is adjourned" Aero said ending the discussion. Then quickly Aero got out of the inn. To the three merchants they thought Aero will only meet with the three of them. But to be honest, he had many letters from other merchant companies asking to meet him. And he never rejected any of them And every time Aero meets a merchant he will say vaguely what he wants in exchange for the contracts. That day alone from morning to evening he met about fifteen merchant companies. He is even busier than the merchant themselves. Each of the merchant company believed that if they bribe Aero, he will give them the contract. I struck big. Aero smiles to himself. Actually Aero has already decided which company that will be chosen to establish the trade route. He chose Reed and Darius Company. Two of the largest Merchant Company and their records are good. The other merchants that give him bribe will all think that those two merchant companies gave him the most money so they will have no complaints even though they lost in this bidding war. If Aero chooses small merchant companies people will be suspicious of his criteria. However choosing those two will not raise any question. It is also good for the contract to have two people developing it. Why? Competition. They could not afford to slack off. Even if they do, Aero could always change the party if he is not satisfied. And every time he met with the other merchants he always chooses secretive places. He went back and log out. When he log back in, it was morning. The time has come for the victory ceremony. ************************************************************************ Last chapter for the mass release. praise me..Mwahahaha. Hope you enjoy it and please leave some comment or reviews for my story Chapter 40 A KISS 1 The sound of music could be heard in the squares of the Capital as people would dance with their loved ones. Bards sings song of victory and poets compose a poem for the fallen heroes. Stall filled the alley leading to the main square as people could be seen buying and selling things. Today is the day of the victory ceremony. Every citizen has happy expressions on their face and relieved that the war has ended. The newbie players are also swept up by the mood and enjoying the benefit of being on the winning side. Delegations from other countries have crowded the palace square since morning to offer gifts and congratulations for surviving the crisis. Though there is some crisis with the Orcs tribes in the morning. Some citizens who are coming to the square to watch the victory ceremony screamed when looking at Gruk face in the morning. Considering Gruk is coming to the palace with his giant club, and added that his face is fierce one could understand the citizen shock and fear Though fortunately, Gruk just smiled. However that did not help. After all Gruk smile look like a psychopath ready to kill its victim. Coupled with the fact the giant club on his back is marked with fresh blood, his smile did not help instead it probably worsen the situations. Well, it was finally settled after General Bradheim explained the situations to the frightened citizens. With his cavalry entering the Capital, the citizens finally feel calm and safe. Then armored horses and armored black soldiers riding on horseback on the street in a grand procession showcase the might of Vanheim to the world. It was like a procession of an all-conquering army that is unstoppable The flag of Vanheim waved gracefully in the topmost tower of the castles all around the capital city. Nobles from each state of the Kingdom also came to the palace to watch the ceremony else they might offend the new King. Usually they would just send a few letters or make some excuses not to attend. The arrogance of the nobles have always been prevalent in the Royal Courts especially those nobles of the founding members of the Kingdom But defeat after defeat in the hands of King George and Aero, the nobles knew the trend of the world is not with them so they need to tread carefully else the legacy of hundred years of their family would be destroyed in their hands. None of the nobles dare disobey not when George has managed to put the military in his control. The will of the people behind him and the King rules wisely with the advice of Aero. He is not greedy, frugal and diligent and when he makes a mistake he did not hide it, instead he corrected it and admit his mistakes. Aero suggestion makes the King create another department to record his deeds and his mistakes Aero once said in his meeting with the King ''A sage king must have official historians who recorded the mistakes made by the ruler, and official musicians. These official musicians are not to sing song of desire but to sing ballads to remind the ruler of his mistakes. Ordinary folk could be heard making criticisms against the ruler on the roadside, and businessmen could be heard discussing the ruler''s faulty actions in the marketplace. Thus, sage rulers will be able to hear about their mistakes and correct them, and to implement sensible policies that were just and honorable. These are the factors that contributed to the longevity of their government.'' The King hearing this was enlightened. Aero on the other hand gains the appreciation of the Bards and Musician class players who now could sell their service to the Royal Court In one move Aero had made sure the King action could be tempered if excessive and at the same time gaining the support of Bards and Musicians. Aero had seen how effective Bards are in raising morale and influencing emotions. Maybe now they are limited but if given enough time Bards and Musician will be more than just support in the wars that is to come. With Aero and George joining hand together, they are seen by the scholars as a shini9ng example of a great relationship between master and subject. King George magnanimity and his actions have spread and far and people have even started calling him an enlightened and sagely King Fighting this kind of shining reputation how could the nobles have a chance. The nobles then become meek in the Royal court that with one snort of the King they would shut up their mouth no longer so brazen like in the past. Not to mention that now Vanheim is becoming stronger which only strengthen and increases King George prestige and image. Scholars praised King George deed and accomplishment and gaining the citizens trust with each of his actions. This shows the influence that George has amassed after Aero successfully put George on the throne is like Heaven and Earth before he had Aero serving him. Now, that George has both the support and adoration from the people the nobles couldn''t even raise their voice to the King anymore. Vanheim is beginning to become more powerful and at the same time¡­..dangerous. The ceremony will begin with rewarding the people who has contributed in the Northern expedition. When it was decided Dan was eager to know his reward since he contributed a lot in the battlefield. The victory ceremony as it has been decreed will be held in the palace square. After the ceremony there will be feast, party and music like any great victory ceremony. An occasion Gruk seems to enjoy. From the moment he came to the Palace, he was asking for foods and drinks. Aero was amused seeing this. Is he too much deep in his character as an Orc, or is Gruk in real life like to drink and dance? Either way, Aero had no time to ask Gruk of this matter. King George spared no expenses for this ceremony. This is a joyous occasion. His country that was plagued by many problems before is beginning to get back on its feet, stronger than ever. And it''s all thanks to Aero. His friend and his advisor. Without him, George might have not achieved what he achieves today. He will give Aero what he deserves. Then after the people had a chance to see each other and talk to each other the ceremony began. The horns were blown signifying the time is afoot. The priest come and chanted the Hymns to honor the Gods. Sacrifices were given to the fires and the name of the Gods were invoked. The music is then played. After that the music ends and a few influential Elders in their community spoke of the Gods, the deeds of Heroes and the need to honor the fallen heroes and the living ones. The nobles are clapping as etiquette dictates. There was silence after that as each of them offer the fallen ones prayers to reach Elysium in Lord Hades dominion. Then it was the main event. The announcer announces the arrival of the King. Then a figure appeared on the constructed podium that houses a replica throne exactly like that of in the Throne Room in the palace. Everyone could see the king walking to the throne to begin the ceremony. The throne is located on a high platform in the Throne Room. The members of the court stand guard below and when the king is presiding, only he, his family, and his council may sit. All others must stand or kneel. But today is a special occasion. These are not normal men in his court today. They are the heroes of the Kingdom and George intends to treat them as such. The Throne Room is decorated with beautiful tapestries of art depicting heroic acts of brave heroes. A new tapestry was added yesterday. It depicts a warrior slashing like a Mad God, raging in the battlefield dyeing the painting red. It was a depiction of Aero in the battlefield. After listening from eyewitness report of the troops and the scout, King George intends to honor Aero by putting a painting of his deed in the Battle of Coro in the Throne room. Those who sees the painting recognizes who it is. Aero is truly being honored by King George. His reputation in the court is bound to soar. By now, no one in Vanheim does not know of Aero. The players who are lucky enough to get invited also had a tinge of jealousy towards Aero for garnering the attention of the nobles. There are many players that didn''t join the war or migrated to other Kingdoms because they fear that Vanheim would lose now regretting their decision. If only they fought in the war maybe they too would be honored like Aero. But talking about that now is too late. The ceremony is beginning. The large palace square quieted. The only voice that could be heard was the King. First, George awarded the soldiers that showed considerable courage and fought bravely for Vanheim. They were rewarded with money and raise of their contribution to Peasants. Some who killed many enemies have even managed to raise their contribution level to Lord. They were enfeoffed with some lands and were given titles of nobility. The one who was lucky to get that kind of recognition was duo archer in Raina division. Then the captains who led the soldiers were also given the same rewards. Some were given the nobility title. Some were given money and precious weapons. Then the other soldiers of every rank that contributed to the victory were also rewarded handsomely. The list of achievement were read out by the Scribe of the King Considering that they have a lot of loot and large tract of lands that they got from the big battle, Vanheim can afford to shower its people with lavish gifts. And finally the main event. The commanders that lead the soldiers and push to victory against a larger superior force. Bradheim, Dan, Amy, Raina and Aero. But first the conferment of the state. King George look towards the Veranis delegation which include King Philip. He smiles and King Phillip nodded King Philip was already waiting for too long and he is already waited for too long. Many delegates from other countries have heard about this. But still, they need to confirm it. ''King Phillip'' George said and Philip come in front of the throne and bowed a little looking downwards. The ambassadors of other kingdoms looking at the King of Veranis bowing to King of Vanheim frowned. Then they look at each other and their bitter expression could not be hidden Everyone in the royal court of Veranis and Vanheim knows what George is trying to do thus Philip bowing was not considered a humiliation. He is bowing to the one he believes will become the Emperor of the Vilajeri and that is no shame Then he slowly kneeled. This time the ambassadors of the other kingdom gasped. King George nodded in satisfaction Then he decreed "King of Veranis, Lord of Veranis, Duke of Vella, Protector of His Kingdom, Philip II, rise" George then summoned Philip to come closer. Philip stepped close to the Throne. He kneeled once again. George was satisfied looking at the other delegation of other kingdoms who were trying their best to appear calm. Today was not only the day of his kingdom victory ceremony, it is also the day where he will declare his ambition for the world to see. Then George continued. "I am King George Vanheim, Ruler of Vanheim and It''s Sovereign, Duke of Vanheim, Ruler of Silmar and Bretten, hereby confer the state of Erdanis to you. May this act of goodwill enhance the relations of our kingdoms." Actually there is a piece of good news after the Battle of Coro conclude and Bradheim went to Silmar. After Bradheim conquered Silmar easily, realizing that Vetten barely had any soldiers defending Bretten they quickly took the state without much resistance. The matter of prisoners of war is handed to Aero to deal with it. There is no one wiser said King George when they were discussing about the POWs. Back to the ceremony. George handed a parchment of land deeds. It is proof that Erdanis state belongs to Veranis and it will be recorded in history. The Vanheim court erupted with applause. Especially the Veranis delegate they are clapping even harder than the Vanheim officials and with tears in their eyes. Niovar delegates just clapped unenthusiastically. Karak Federation offers it''s congratulation to the Veranis delegate while like always hiding their true motives in their words. Gerad delegates just gritted their teeth but did not dare say anything. "I, Philip II King of Veranis, Sovereign of Its People, Lord of Veranis, Duke of Vella, and Protector of My Kingdom accept this act of goodwill. May the relations of our two kingdoms prospers to an age of peace" Another cheer. This marks a new age for both of those Kingdoms and ultimately made those two nations allied more closely than ever. King Philip retreated and beside him was his son Alexander. Alexander face is unreadable. Smiles filled the faces of Veranis delegation. Chapter 41 A KISS 2 Now it is time for the stars of the war to be rewarded. First King George summons his brother. "To my brother Bradheim. For his enduring perseverance and his talents on the battlefield I appoint him as Marshall of Vanheim. I will also appoint him to be the vanguard for the attack against Vetten" Marshall is a title of importance. It is the councilor in charge of the military. They are also expected to lead the armies if the King decides not to. In other words, King George is showing his trust towards his brother and he also did well in putting down the rumors of his bad relation with his older brother. "I accept the reward, brother" Then Bradheim stepped backward from the throne. He was smiling. Clearly he is happy and he felt like the knot in his heart was untied. He was built for war and that is where he belongs. This is obvious. But he also understand that the reason why George gives him the reign on the military was because he is showing to him, he is trusting him. Bradheim while he did not entirely agree with his Royal Father on the fact he choose George to sit on the throne, he knew he could no longer rebel. Since he already had the chance to rebel but he did not, such chance will never come again. After all if he rebels now, he will not be benefiting the Kingdom, instead he will be harming the Kingdom. Meanwhile the ceremony is ongoing "Heroine Raina, rise" King George said, his eyes beaming proudly "For leading the archers in slowing the march of our enemies, I reward you a mansion in the capital city and one hundred thousand gold as reward and five thousand gold stipend for each month. You will be given the title Countess Raina of Berthold. You will also be given the Dragon Heartstring Bow that was passed down in the Royal family. Will you accept? "I accept Your Grace" Raina bowed and put her hand at her heart signifying loyalty. The archer''s division cheer nearly raised the ceiling. They were screaming and whistling. The King smiles a bit before some of the old minister glared at the archer division and they slowly slow down their voice, looking slightly embarrassed At last there was silence again. "Commander Dan, rise" "Your Grace" Dan is not just a commander in Vanheim army. He is like a friend to George, following George since the days of his exile. Dan is an outgoing type of friend and straightforward in his action. There is happiness in King George seeing his old friend "You have proved to the other Kingdoms that Our might is unbeatable. For that I appoint you to be Marquis of Zantleaf. From now on, you will be known as Marquis Dan of Zantleaf. You will be given one hundred and fifty thousand gold as reward; ten thousand gold stipends a month, and a residence will be constructed in the way you like. You will be given the Golden Armor that once belonged to the Hero of Old Vanheim. Will you accept?" "Yes, Your Grace" Dan said smiling, as he could not hide his excited and happy expression. Following Aero was one of the wisest decision he made in his life. The troops were beside themselves. Their commander is now nobility. The players were also happy of Dan achievements. Many of them bonded with Dan during the expedition. Dan is after all a friendly person. A little trusting and sometimes clumsy but it is this quality that endear him to people. Next was Amy. "Heroine Amy rise" "For supporting the troops and providing solace and comfort for the injured and the dead, for saving the lives of my people, I give you my utmost gratitude" Some of the NPCs were tearing up. Probably they have families that died in the war. "For your service, I will reward you the Recipe Book for Potions from the Secret Archive. You will also be rewarded one hundred thousand gold. I will appoint you as the Royal Physician. From now on you will be called Lady Amy. Will you accept?" "Yes, Your Grace" Amy accepts the title "May the book help you in saving more lives in the future" The din of the cheers was deafening. Most of them come from Amy fan club. ''Yeah, who would thought that brute girl has so many boys pining for her'' Aero thought to himself as he look at the men cheering on Amy Aero noticed that Amy was looking at him, staring while Sarah whispered something to her. Sarah was next. She was rewarded a mansion,70 thousand gold, seven divine herbs that belong to the Royal family and the title of Lady Sarah, Baroness of Certes in the vicinity of Bretten. It was one of the villages there. Many ministers came to her and congratulate her. So is the delegates. Even Philip offered her congratulation. He seems to be very fond of her. Without her effort in persuading King Philip Aero plan would not work. Then George raised his hand. The room was silent. Everyone is waiting for this moment. The most important moment has arrived. The main character of the war. The King face was beaming proudly at Aero "Aero, my friend, come" This kind of such familiar term coming out form the mouth of the King is signifying to the entire Vanheim court how important Aero in George mind. Aero instead of stepping humbly strutted to the Throne. Yet George didn''t think of it as an insult. He smiles looking at King George and King George smiles looking at him. They both understand each other. "You have helped me more than once. You have helped me when I was weak and powerless. You have taken the burdens of my Kingdom and carried it for me. For that you have my eternal gratitude." Then George continued his conferment speech. "I as the King of Vanheim raise you to the status of Duke. You will rule the state of Bretten. You will be rewarded to see the Secret Archive. I confer to you the title The General Who Pacified the North. You will be given four hundred thousand gold and a stipend of thirty thousand gold stipends a month. You will also be given the Howling Dragon Saber that belonged to one of my ancestors Alain IV." The crowd gasped. And the officials were shocked The Howling Dragon saber is one of the Kingdom''s regalia. Alain IV is famous for slaying a dragon with that sword. For George to part with it, Aero must have been pretty close with the King. "From now on, you will be known as Duke Aero. Will you accept?" Yes. That is what everyone expects to hear. After all who in their right mind will reject the King gifts. What has two thumbs and don''t want to stuck handling state affairs all the time. This guy. Aero was thinking in his head. "Forgive me, Your Grace. I cannot." Gasp of shocks can be heard in the room. "I''m happy to take the other rewards but appointing me to Duke is hardly appropriate." "Why? You have done many great deeds for this Kingdom. You will find no one will object to this." King George looked sullen. "There are many places I would like to go Your Grace. If you appoint me Duke I will have to manage the state. And I''ll do it without fail. But if that happens I will have no time to travel" "But---" To be honest George wanted to stop Aero from wandering to other Kingdoms. "This is my request, Your Grace" The King sighed "Alright, then. Then the other rewards will be bestowed to you" said George. "Thank you Your Grace. Your generosity will never be forgotten" Aero replied and returned to his place. "Now that''s settled, let the feast begins" Kling,Klang. The melody was peaceful and rhythmic. The sounds of music instrument can be heard in every street of the capital city. Aromatic cooking fills the palace halls. Laughter could be heard. Jokes were exchanged. Congratulations were offered. Aero walk through the crowds as people offer him congratulations incessantly. In his walk he saw Dan competing in hand wrestling with Victor, one of the duo archers in Raina units. They looked like they would break each other arm. Victoria is seen chatting up with Raina talking about bows probably. Those twin siblings only interest are bows. They are magnificent in the war. Not many survived during the war. They are the lucky ones. ''No, luck doesn''t have anything to do with it'' ''They were capable'' Aero thought to himself. Everywhere he goes he can see people rejoicing and enjoying each other company, laughing and trading drinks. Speaking of drinking Aero heard that Gruk and Bradheim are having a drinking contest in the squares. The rowdy Orcs keep encouraging their tribe leader to drink, drink, like it was a chanting Bradheim troops are not any better. They both will have a bad hangover next morning. Aero then silently, without anyone realizing moved to somewhere quieter. He finally arrived at the balcony. While people are rejoicing he wanted to be alone, watching the stars. He sighed as he look at the night sky. "I wish you could have been here. The sun is beautiful, the moon is elegant and the wind is soothing. Sound of music filled the roads and the stars twinkling on the night skies. Life¡­.is beautiful. But, mainly, I wish you could have been here." Aero said wistfully while looking at the full moon. It was beautifu--- "Who?" Aero reminiscing about old memories is interrupted with a question Aero turned to look back and saw Amy. And for a moment he saw his Amy. The one that left. The one who sent him into hell over and over again, thinking about her. The one¡­..that he felt most sorry about. Because it was too late. "Why are you here? Go celebrate" Aero raised his tone without meaning to. "Who?" Amy was not taken aback. Instead she asked again. "Who what?" "Who do you wish to be here?" She heard what he said. And for a moment Aero was flustered Calming himself he answers "Someone who is not here anymore" "Then, isn''t that stupid?" Amy said "Is it?" Aero ask back, his tone is a little cold. "Yes, why not wish for people that are here." Amy said, as she too look at the stars "Who would I wish for then?" "How about wish for me?" she said with a low voice that Aero barely could heard it Amy said while blushing. Her cheeks were red. It was the most adorable expression Aero has seen from Amy. It skips a beat, my heart. This is weird. I thought Amy hated me. Why is she suddenly like this? Aero thought to himself "Maybe I don''t want to wish for you" he said "Why not?" Amy challenged. "You''re stubborn" He offered "But in a good way" Amy countered. Aero shakes his head "You''re difficult" he added. Amy just smiles and shakes her head "No, that is inaccurate. I''m challenging." She corrected Aero is confused. So, he asked "I am in no mood to play games tonight. What do you want, Amy?" "I like you, Aero" She said it so fiercely and so directly that Aero could not help but feel the seriousness of her words. It was also so sudden. Without warning or without signs suddenly she opens her words with that. He is flustered. His face began reddening. Then he told himself. She means something else. "Yeah, I like you too" Aero just brushed it off. Amy grab Aero white robe sleeve and said "You know that is not what I meant" Aero look at Amy and countless thought flashed by It''s one thing to like a person. It''s another to feel someone else like you, and to feel a responsibility toward that affection. Because he knows how heavy that responsibility is. And he remembers that memory again. A hospital. A woman soaked wet in water. Blood pooling on the floor. "Don''t joke around Amy" Aero said to Amy while at the same time purging that memory from resurfacing "I''m not joking" Aero believing Amy is just joking is determined to see how far Amy would go. So he comes closer to Amy. Their distance is so close that he could hear her breathing. He could swear he could even hear her heartbeat "What would you do if I kissed you right now?" At first she was flustered and shyly look down. But then she look back up, staring into his eyes, her eyes are full of determination. Amy stared at his face for a moment and then looked at his lips then she said with a smile "I would kiss you back." Ok. ...That was not the response he expected. He gulped and then he fumbles his word and said "Ok, enough of this. I''m going to the hall." Just when Aero is about to step down the stairs, Amy held his arm and pull him to her. They were inches with each other. Aero could hear Amy rasped breathing. "What do you thi---" Then she kissed him. Just like that. And what does Aero think the kiss felt like? Whatever he thinks the kiss should feel like, it surpassed his expectation above and beyond Have you ever lost yourself in a kiss? That is what he felt. Lost. In that one moment he forgot about anything He lost himself in that kiss and found himself again in that kiss. It was sweet. That is what he felt when her lips touches his. Sweet as the spring and warm like summer. She kissed him desperately and passionately. Aero could not help but be entranced and bedazzled if that is the right description. Because words doesn''t seems enough to describe the feeling of that kiss. And then without meaning to he kissed her back. Though that is bullshit. How could he not meant to when all of the fiber of his being desperately wanted her the way she wanted him He kissed her passionately, desperately. Licking the sides and corners of her mouth, and he delivered it back to her, that passion he felt, over and over in a wave of pleasure and passion. For that moment everything faded away. The stars, the sky, the sound of the music all of it disappeared in that one magical moment Everything other than them becomes dark background while only two of them were shining with light in this whole dark universe. Only you and me. Then she stopped slowly but gently. And he also stopped, his hand is holding her face They were both gasping for air. And she looked at him. A look of a predator that finally got its prey. She smirked. Aero release his hand and ask "Why did you¡ª" "A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous." She said matter of factly. Then she stepped down back to the festivities smugly. ''I could not move. I was frozen in place, just looking at her back .I knew she was brave but I didn''t know she had a sassy side.'' He thought to himself and he smiles despite of himself ''And I think I like it'' He added and he chuckles a bit ************************************************************************* Double chapter for today. Thank you for reading and if you like it please vote and leave some reviews. Chapter 42 THE BROADCAST 1 ETV3 BROADCASTING STATION The trainees and interns are running around on the hallways of the office bringing with them the files. The audio director and the broadcasting directors are cooperating in editing and improvising captions and deciding air time slots. Its hectic today in the station. No, to more accurate it is chaos. After the station announced that they got the exclusive on Aero video adventure,calls were coming in asking from advertisers, fans and players on when the station were going to release the video. The players especially is already impatient and some people are trolling the web forum causing it to crash down which anger the IT guy The forum of Brave World is also getting so bogged down because of so many people logging in at the same time to ask the same thing. And they are all asking about the hottest person in Brave World right now. Aero of the East. The editing team is in hell right now; their eye bag is so thick they look like pandas. The Director is yelling orders asking them to be faster with the editing. The editing director on the other hand went to argue with the CP asking that if they do not edit it properly the viewers would left them after the broadcast which is what nobody want. The Director responded to the Editing Director by yelling again through his phone at some other people. It is truly a stressful day today and everyone is on edge. The office long table is filled with timetable of TV programs that need to be rescheduled. Dramas, documentary, variety shows all need to rescheduled back And one of the people inside here is one of the players of Brave World so he knew how this video would surely capture viewer attention. This video would surely be trending on many portal sites. Articles has already comes out in many news sites about speculation of some of the things Aero did in the war. The response is hot and any short clip of the war taken by some amateur video jockey has already become viral because the lack of content in the official channel right now. Neil is one of the people in the production team, and a colleague of Sarah. He too plays Brave World as a magician. So he of course knows about Aero and was excited than anyone because he get first viewing as part of the Editing Team. He saw the video earlier than anyone. And it was a video of epic proportions. The war scenes had even surpasses some war movies. With the sounds and the brutality that is present, it makes anyone blood boils. But it is also for that reason the Editing team is butting heads with the other Directors because of the fact some parts of the war had to be censored. The Editing team felt that if they edit too much they would take away the realism of the scene. He was even envious of Sarah that played such a big role in the war. And he was excited more than anyone in the station to see Aero adventure displayed on the television and the internet. Not too far away from Neil, a woman is seen smiling as she was praised by the Director on her project of making a star. Sarah did not make a mistake. Choosing Aero was the right decision. "WE''RE DONE!!" shouts came from the editing room. Everybody look towards the Director and the Director nodded "OK. Roll the ad." The Director shouted. The ad was a snippet of the war. It shows smoke and arrows flying with the sound of energetic music accompanying the screams and cry of battle. Scores of uplifting music of war drums and classical instrument accompanied the short scene. It was a good ad, showing the war in both its glory and gore Then, after the ad, it began. The first scene starts during Aero speech. The camera pans out and shows the crowds and soldiers. The speech was spoken and people in the broadcasting station nodded. It was edited beautifully. It was a rousing speech. The people that watch the television while drinking beer and eating their late night snacks were also enthusiastic. "Whoa, good speech" muttered some of the employees in the room. Yes, it was a good speech. If it was not how could he raise so many people to volunteer for the war? Sarah thought to herself. Aero was always an eloquent speaker and a master manipulator, adept with the ways of words. Then the scene shifted to Aero marching to Fort Vars. Ten thousands of marching soldiers in steel armor shows a sight no longer could be seen in the modern world. It was an awesome sight and it look so realistic like the NPCs is real like them. Some employees that did not see the video yet do not understand why Aero did not try to reinforce Fort Elken. "Why did he---" Then the conversation Aero had with Dan explained all of it "Oh, so that''s why" some said. Then it showed how Aero arrived and after some time decided to get out of the Fort. The editing team add the music that adds the suspense of an impending army from Vetten. It was a good editorial decision that did not detract from the solemnity of the scene. Then the scene shifted on how Aero prepared for a raid. Some employees were on edge. Even for those who already knew what''s going to happen seeing it in the screen with music and editing were different than what they just heard or see on the forum. The night raid scene then started. When Aero started attacking during the night some employees were shocked. Some screamed in excitement. The sight of Aero whirling through the ranks of enemies like an unstoppable storm and killing anyone who stood in his way was seared into their mind. The Druids abilities and tactics also show how they were an important asset during the war. They constructed earth barriers that made an effective wall that trapped Kyle troops making them no different than sitting ducks. Aero might have not realized this during the raid, but by effectively creating the barrier, Aero has doomed many players and NPCs alike to die in such a horrible way. Some who were not capable to escape the barrier were burned to death. The screams were horrifying and added together with people on fire running wildly before falling to the ground did not help to calm people hearts. But the fact that Aero just kept slicing his opponents like a killing machine is more terrifying. There was no expression from Aero face as he slashes the enemy. The fact he was calm when killing just make it creepier. Then the screen showed Aero hiding in the camp after leaving ten of thousand charred corpses of his enemies. The people at home nodded as they could understand why Aero retreated. It is true that Vetten army was numerically superior and Aero was just using the night raid to lower morale and it was a shock tactic. Then the screen showed how Aero used poisons to kill the other Vetten soldiers. "That was cunning" said some employees "Yeah, but what is his class?" another asked "Warrior isn''t it?" said an employee that watches the screen, while sipping some coffee "Idiot, warriors can''t disguise themselves" said another "An assassin then" Tim from Promotion offered. "I''ve never seen an assassin that had that kind of destructive power. Assassins rely on accuracy and swiftness. Aero is not" Lena from Human Resources countered "So, what class is he?" "How should I know?" The editing team knows to some degree. So does the Director and the Production team. The others don''t know. And they intend to keep it that way. However Aero antics did not end there. Disguising himself to be another person again, he killed the support division of Kyle on their beds It was a cruel but effective tactic. Then he retreated in the dark of nights like a wind of calamity that comes and goes unnoticed. That stunt of his got many praises from the people at the studio. Then an ad appear again from the sponsors. Way to ruin the mood for the viewers at home who has already forgot to munch on their snacks. But this is after all a TV station. The crowd of people was frustrated. It was one of the high point of Aero adventure and suddenly an Ad? Neil also believes even viewers at home are frustrated. "Aww, what''s that?" the employee''s complained "Ehem, that''s our sponsor" a sound from behind the room could be heard. It was the director. The employee''s quieted. The Director doesn''t seem angry. If anything he looked happy. Neil walked to the Director and said "The rating is high huh?" Neil asked. Sarah who was beside the Director was smiling since she could guess. The Director just nodded but there is a slight smile on the edge of his mouth. ************************************************************************************************** Part 1 of the chapter. Tomorrow will be the next chapte Chapter 43 THE BROADCAST 2 Then after the five minute ad, the scene resumes at the Fort with Kyle and his troops sieging the Forts. Arrows were fired. Thousands of them clouded the sky that it covered the sky. You could see many soldiers that got shot by the arrows, and there are also those two archers from Aero camp that shoot so precise it''s like they were competing with each other. Some becomes porcupines with arrows all over their bodies. Others are lucky and manage to maintain their shield formation. It was truly a rain of arrows. The magic division of Vanheim and Vetten was also not left out from the action. Destructive Magic of every kind was hurled and explosion lights the night away. Rock Bullets, Fireballs, Ice Spears, you name it, every kind of destructive magic was being used to kill each other. The nights were like fireworks if your idea of fireworks is people hurling so many magic attack that you could almost not differentiate which is the enemy and which is your ally. Bodies fell and stomped over by comrade and enemies alike as the war progressed. Blood flowed on the very ground they were stepping on dyeing the green grass red and the soil moist, damp and sticky The Vetten troops were being rained down by that kind of magic since the moment they tried to siege the tower. At least, this would be a valuable lesson to people who want to follow Aero footsteps in war. Aero idea of using the villagers and clearing the vicinity of the Fort of supplies was a brilliant show of tactics. It was a guerilla tactics The ballista were also used or at least almost used. The archers and magician always targeted it first. It was the first of its kind. A true war in such scale in Brave World. A war where it is led and orchestrated by a player Everyone could not move their eyes from the screen. It was exhilarating. It was mesmerizing. This is what adventure is all about. There is this one scene where Kyle troops tried to climb the Fort only to be poured with oil and burned. From the screen you could see many of Kyle troops were pale when looking at their burned friends. However it also showed that day by day, the Fort was weakening under constant battle. It also could be detected by the archery division lackluster attack. The editing team highlighted the days and night and speed up and edited some unnecessary scene The music score added to the desolate feeling of the Vanheim troops seeing that their days is numbered on the Fort In the video it shows the archery division of Vanheim was slowly getting weaker and slower than the day before in initiating attack and did not shoot as ferociously as before. This can mean only one thing. They have insufficient arrows. Then a scene of Kyle walking to the Fort gate finally came which has been made meme in the online community. The way he arrogantly struts were made to be a hilarious meme in many sites. Kyle was trying to negotiate with Aero. "AERO!!!" Kyle yelled. "AERO!!!!" In front of the huge gate of the Fort Kyle yelled his heart out. The scene was really beautiful. In a war a commander screaming asking for each other. Or at least that is what Neil thought. "AERO!!!!!" "ANSWER ME!!" Then the viewers could see movement in the highest place in the Fort. And he has shown himself. He was looking calm. ''Well, if it isn''t the enemy commander. Why are you screaming like a monkey, hollering me in front of my gates?" "You have just disrupted my evening nap you know" Aero continued. The soldiers on top of the tower laughed as Aero fans his face. This scene of utter disregard was what some people trying to imitate with them holding fan and said elegantly things like "You just disturb me eating'' and many other variations of these dialogue. The employees laughed. In such intense situation Aero could still insult the enemy commander. He yawned like he couldn''t care less. "That was cool. He just dissed Kyle" an employee from the Promotion office said "He was rude" said his friend "Well, it''s not like his troops are trying to invade Kyle''s hometown. I say he has a right to be rude." Another person that is beside them countered. "Quiet, I need to hear what he says" The scene continues when Kyle said his sentences "Aero, give me your surrender. I promise none of your troops will be executed. Your safety will be guaranteed. " Kyle was saying this earnestly at least that is what the majority of viewers thought. But since the viewer''s already knows the outcome of this battle they just scoffed at Kyle suggestion. ''Oh, at least he knows negotiation" "No, if you''re not an idiot you know that is just a ploy. If there is anything that can be learned by observation, Kyle is not a person like that. He''s stubborn. Why do you think so many troops died under his order?" Then the studio heard Aero laugh. A mocking laugh. Aero look down on Kyle from the top of the tower and it is clear Aero look at Kyle with condescending look. "HAHAHA." He laughed mockingly. ''Are you making a joke, Kyle? I have just killed so many of your troops before and now you expect me to believe you''ll spare me? I rather die than surrender to you. Everyone in this fort would. You think I don''t know what you''re thinking? Do you think I''m an idiot or something? Are you even worthy for me to speak to you? If not for I was interrupted from my evening nap, do you think I would make the mistake of talking with a nobody like you?" Aero spoke from the tower heard by all the Vetten and Vanheim troops. The viewers all admire the valiant way he said it and the extreme disregard toward his enemies which many people now know was to incense Kyle with anger. Everyone now understand why Kyle was easily played by Aero. Kyle failed to control his emotion. This is war and not child play. Emotions mean nothing in the battlefield. As a commander one must rule their own emotion and not the other way around Kyle face was captured by the camera which turns red Kyle retorted back. "If you do not surrender when I finally break through the fort, I will cut your head and put it in a spike. I will torture you until you beg me to kill you" Kyle yelled. Aero then replied calmly "The brave may fall, but they cannot yield." Then before he walk down he smirk and said ''And I surely would like to see you try. You couldn''t even touches the sleeves of my clothes even when I''m raiding your camp and you talk big about wanting to take my head. Surely a dog that knows only to bark. Hahaha'' "Oooh, great line" "Yeah," the brave may fall, but they cannot yield", where did he get his line?" After saying his piece Aero disappeared from the screen. And the editing team does a terrific job in timing the time Aero went back to the Fort to serve the viewers with another ad. The rest of the show highlights Aero tricks with the dummies, the rigged explosion in the Fort sacrificing their own troops and of course the shocking development in the Battle of Coro where Bradheim and Veranis troops joined Aero armies and slaughter the Vetten troops. Some of the employees are sweating just looking at the battle. Some were trembling with excitement. Even the Director was yelling "dodge that, behind you" to the screen. And the reaction when reinforcement from Bradheim came was unexpected. All the people in the room cheered like it''s the world cup and their favorite team has just scored a goal. And they cheered and whistled when they saw Sarah; their own Production Director leading ten thousands of troops. With her beauty and the stylish red armor it was a sight to behold. Not to mention when Aero performed a formation that baited Kyle to attack the center thus rendering an opportunity for Aero to envelope Kyle troops and Aero using this opportunity to take Chris head. Then like a lion he clawed his way on the battlefield unhindered. Killing legions of infantry troops and wading through so many troops that were all cut by Aero. The only objective is Kyle head. By the moment Aero arrived at Kyle spot, viewers could already see that Kyle has given up. And the lion mawed the sheep with no mercy, decapitating Kyle head. Some of the employees closed their eyes. This is why Brave World is restricted for underage players. Because it has an element of realness in it. Too much realism. Blood will splutter. Limbs can be cut and heads can be separated. Neil even heard a story about some players that sometimes fear to fight with some monsters because of the trauma they had when they were dying in the dungeon. The show is about to end. It was a great battle. By the end, the battlefield was flowing with blood. The Vanheim army left a mountain of corpse in their wake. The others Vetten soldiers surrendered. And the scene ended with Aero smiling looking at the sunset, his troop behind him, the flag of Vanheim flapping proudly. The wind blows Aero hair as Aero smiles looking at the far horizon and the video ended. The editing team sure knows how to wrap it nicely. All the people in the room are still standing watching the big screen. Even the director. Then suddenly, the Director snapped back to his old self. "Good job editing team" he complimented "Check the response in the internet too" "Yes Sir." In the internet the forum was going crazy. So many posts discussing about the war and Aero strategies -So.cool.Kyaaa- -Smart.Brilliant- -I can do better than that.- -Yeah.Dream on- -If you can do it, why didn''t you?- -Haters gonna hate- -He looks handsome. Maybe I''ll migrate to Vanheim- -Heard Vanheim will keep attacking Vetten. What do I do?- -You just disturb me reading, peasant! (Fanning a fan on my face)- -HAHAHA.I''m a player at Vanheim. Come here, dude. Ditch Vetten. Sooner or later it will be under Vanheim.- More Vetten players posted to reply the previous comment. -No, we will fight- Someone then asked with a smiley smirking face -With what? Stones and sticks?- -You have lost your troops to Vanheim. Now, be a good dog and stopped barking - Said another person from Vanheim The forum was full with comments like this. Some of them were praising Aero effort and congratulating him. Some were trying to undermine Aero effort. Some were asking what to do after the big event. Aero name is beginning to be known by the players in Brave World and that attracts both good players and rival players. ************************************************************************* Second part of the chapter. Hope you like it. Like always if you like it please vote and leave some reviews Chapter 44 KNOWLEDGE VMS INTERVIEW WITH BROLY Breaking news all over the internet after the broadcast of ETV3 was aired. The broadcast of Aero war against Vetten broke an all-time high rating for ETV3. Most of the clips of the broadcast is edited and is posted in many video sharing sites and many of the, become viral Amidst the happiness of the directors of the program in ETV3, people did not know the war between VMS and ETV3 on the background with people tuning in more to watch ETV3 content. After the rating battle with ETV3, VMS has also started adding more segments related to the virtual reality game. They started to interviewing players that had an impact in Brave World. Not long after the rating battle VMS invited one of those players to speak in one of their programs. One of those players is Broly. Intending to keep the viewer''s fix to this channel they invited Broly to come to the studio. The ratings battle result shook the production director in VMS and they decided to added more and more segments regarding Brave World to compete with ETV3 For the first time ever they have lost a rating battle with ETV3.There was a lot of people that watched Zeus battle, but a lot more watched Aero adventure. It is unexpected. Aero rise in Brave World is meteoric to say the least and while he is the main character of the Vanheim-Vetten war, he rarely fights. While his attack is brilliant and his scheme is deep and his thinking is far reaching, he lacks the explosive and powerful nature of Zeus. Aero is more content on letting his subordinates do his work for him and considering he is a strategist for the army it is nothing weird. Yet, people seem to like Aero character more than they like Zeus. Why? Because of the simple fact that Aero adventure was more exciting than Zeus. Zeus just surrounded the capital and forced the King to abdicate, an act of disloyalty. While it is a game world, even players have their own sense of justice or some perceived values of morality. And betrayal is something people utterly hated and easy to band against He is even called Zeus the Usurper by some of the players. But of course the players did not dare say these words in front of Zeus himself. The fact that Zeus is still the strongest player in Brave World did not change overnight But it is true he did an act of disloyalty against his monarch That kind of act is looked badly by the players of Brave World. Aero on the other hand, was fighting for a just and noble cause. He is known as the loyal subordinates of the King and loyally serves him with their master and subordinate relationship something to be envied with. Contrast that with Zeus behavior one would start making comparison. Not to mention the war by itself was interesting and the ETV3 broadcast station capture the feeling of the war almost to perfection. The chaotic and the excitement and thrill of such battle could not be compared to Zeus easy pickings of the kingdom. There were tactics, strategies, back of the room deals, all manners and facets of war were presented to the audience in a brilliant manner where it is easy to support the underdog. Not to mention Aero battle were the stuff of great story and even a great epic song, an inferior numerical advantage against an army who has a more superior numerical advantages The sight of the Vanheim army trying to hold on in the Fort and battered with bad news gained sympathy in the early broadcast of the war. And when the Veranis and Duke Bradheim came with reinforcement that feeling of hopefulness was raised to the roof. In some videos sharing sites there is many reaction videos of people reacting to that legendary and epic moment. ''Maybe we need to contact this Aero and persuade him to sign a contract with us.'' Some of the Directors of the station once said in their meetings. The woman think to herself before she realized that the camera is about to go live in a few seconds. She broke out from her own thought and then she nodded to the camera as it starts rolling On the opposite side facing her is a man, nervously trying to look neat and presentable for television.. Then the interview began "Broly, this is your fist time interview right?" the lady host asked "Yes" Broly answered nervously. The lady host laughs a little and then she introduces Broly to the audience and people at home watching the program. "Your real name is Josh Neeson and in Brave World you are the leader of the Broly clan, right?" Said the host confirming for the audience at home. "Yes. That is who I am" If someone wanted to describe Josh, he is like this. Josh is not overly handsome, just enough. He has his own unique appeal. With probing blue eyes, a deep voice that could attract the attention of the listeners and the strong carefree smile of an athlete. In other words, he looked great for TV. "You look muscular" the lady host remarked. "Yes, I''m a swimmer in my college" Of course he is muscular. A varsity diver in college he has the body of a swimmer, a toned six pack that he maintains with 60 laps a day in the university pool "So, we''re here today to address the catastrophe that happened in the Sea of Sorrows." The host addressed to the audience. "Could you please explain this to the viewers?" First, Josh tried to remember what happened. After calming himself down he began "The Broly clan about two month ago was exploring a catacomb. In there we found a clue about an underwater kingdom" "An underwater kingdom?" "Yes. We believe it to be the realm of one of the Gods" Clearly referring to the AI while he is smiling, satisfied that he managed to shock not only the host but also the studio audience "But that couldn''t be. The AI isn''t supposed to exist right?" said the host perplexed. Broly smiles deepened "Why not?'' He asks back. He then added ''The NPCs worship the AIs as Gods. Most players only thought that the story of the Gods is just a flavor text to enrich the gaming experience. But what if it''s not? What if these AIs are the ones who decide our level and give us skill in the game?" "What spurred this theory?" the host began to become more serious and the viewers at home also become interested. Mostly the viewers are players of Brave World. Broly told her his thoughts and opinion. "The developers themselves said they don''t manage the game. It''s controlled by the AI. In the VR many things were possible. Why not Gods? And what if in that world the law of the AI is the law of that world?'' The lady host nodded but she did not say anything more on that subject "Well, that is understandable. But why do you want to search for it?" Broly smiles bitterly and then he answers "Broly clan isn''t like Zeus clan. We have no interest in conquering cities or Kingdom. Our interest from the beginning of the founding of our clan was only one thing; we wanted an adventure like no other. That''s why we challenged difficult dungeon, fought gigantic monster and explored unexplored regions." Then he took a breath and continued. "And this time we wanted to prove that the AIs or the Gods exist in BW. And there is another thing that the players need to think about going forward if we can prove this. If the Gods controlled everything in Brave World doesn''t that mean anyone who got their blessing can be the strongest?" "What are you implying?" sensing that Josh is referring to someone. "Our suspicion is that the Gods exist was because of Zeus the King of Veva. Zeus is famous in Brave World. Yet he has never let anyone see his video in any major battle he personally participated." "So?" Talking from his own experience, Josh recounted on what he saw "From my own eyes, I once saw lightning from the sky struck his enemy down. One time, I even saw Zeus pray to the sky and then rain came down hiding his track. This is not Druid level magic. The rain came from the sky. Not from made up clouds like Druid magic. From that moment I expected that Gods exist" "Well, that explains the reason you went to the sea. But what about the disaster?" Ah, yes. The disaster. "Well, to be honest, even till now I''m not sure what really happened. When we set sails the weather was clear. However when we reached the northern continent and were nearing the place that was in our map, suddenly the waves raged wildly. Without warning the sea attacked our ship" ''The sea attacked your ship?" the host looked incredulous "That''s the only way to describe it. It was like someone commanded the sea to stop us from going there. The last thing I knew the ship sank and we all drowned. Even when I tried to swim the current was too strong for me to swim across." "That is some story" the host said. "Yes, it is" Then the host discussed with Josh about many conflicts that are happening in BW. They discussed Aero adventures, Vetten response, the Northern continent countermeasures against Zeus, the religious conflict in the South and the appearance of a player called Ariana of Zun. The story is that she heard the voice of God telling her to fight the people who believe in The Seven Celestial. The peasant awed by her charisma and believing her story followed her and formed an army. The Pope then offered her shelter and now she fights under the Church of Light. And her exploits even though not known to the players but Broly clan which has traveled all over the continent knew that Ariana has quite the following among the NPCs and the players of the South. Some Frenchmen began calling her the Joan of Arc of Brave World. And then the interview ends. It offered a lot of new information towards both the new and veteran players of Brave World. In the forum, the segment is praised for answering many questions that players wanted to know about. All in all, it was a good segment that is approved by the viewers. ************************************************************************* A slow chapter. Tomorrow there will be a new chapter. Do vote if you like the story Chapter 45 BACKSTORY SECRET ARCHIVE VANHEIM Creak! A person push the door slowly, his eyes could not hide his excitement. The doors of the Library leading to the Secret Archive slowly opened as the dust from the door sill slowly floats down. A person wipes the dust on his fingers with one of his handkerchief. The footsteps halted for a moment and then it resumes as that person walks forward ''It is dusty. As expected of an old library'' He seems to be complaining but his tone is full of excitement He look around fora moment before moving again Then he walked deeper inside, his footstep echoes endlessly as he steps inside the room, his head look left and right, marveling at the large library. This is the Library that leads to the Secret Archive of Vanheim, housing thousands of precious books. The smell of books fills the library, and also dust. Aero was given access to Vanheim secret archive because of his stellar achievement in the war. And today he is about to enter and search for something he hope would be in the archives. How could he not be excited? Vanheim most priceless artifacts and secrets lies here. Treasures not many are privileged enough to see. Only The Royal family can enter the Secret Archive. Access is permitted only by decree of the reigning King of Vanheim. ''And I got that.'' He thought to himself smiling all the while. Aero believes that there may be some books or documents that could explain his skill weirdness. He''s referring to Sacred Sword Finger skill and his Divine Sword Technique. Lizhu Gerard stayed in Vanheim region after the war, got married and his descendants also lived here. Logic dictates that if there is anywhere that I can find information about him, it would be here. Aero has always been interested in this person called Lizhu Gerard since the day he got his class. He seems to be mentioned in history book but any mention of him was obscure and in some text he found, his achievement was even erased. If the Sage of Trethelm words could be believed Lizhu Gerard did not approve the Empress behavior so he retreated from public life. As he walks inside the Secret Archive he could see some statue of the Seven Celestial carved on the main pillars The Secret Archives is located at the far end of the Altar of Seven Celestial just behind the Throne room. Aero was not surprised to see the statues of the Gods. He did not know how devout the royal family is toward the Seven Celestials but he is going to bet they are not that religious. But culture is hard to erase. Aero must praise the creator of this game for making the NPCs so realistic and having such a rich culture. Aero was given the key and the password for entering the door. He saw the statues and nodded. The statue acts as a direction guide. Each of the Seven Celestials statue fingers pointed to the same direction. Aero just have to follow the direction of the finger and then he arrived in front of a wall of bricks. The brick wall look like an ordinary brick wall if not for the fact that it is evident that the brick wall is protected by barrier spells that prevent anyone who doesn''t know the password from entering. It is a high security place, guarded by hundreds of spells and magic. Looking at the door, Aero only smiles and then he said "Acta Deos Numquam Mortalia Fallunt" Aero said the password. Then, he heard some gears turning. And slowly but surely the brick walls behind the altar started rearranging themselves to form a door. ''Cool'' He said. After that Aero entered the room. It was darkness all around. Aero started walking forwards without hesitation or fear. The bricks behind him are already arranging themselves back to its original position. George had told him that there will be torches all around the archive and one just have to say a magic word and the mechanism will start by itself, lighting the entire path. "Crescente Luce" Aero chanted in the dark Then all the candles in the archives started flaring up and the Secret Archives was revealed to him ''Hoh'' he gasped. There was also awe in his tone. Aero was shocked looking at the Secret Archive as the lighting now shows him the layout of this place. His eyes look at his left and right, taking the magnificent sight in front of him and burning it into his mind. From what Aero can see, this Secret Archive contains almost by his own rough estimates around one hundred fifty thousand volumes of books and various treasures. He saw a curved red sword and a gold axe hanging in some part of the walls. It is no doubt it is a treasure of the Kingdom Aero could not help but smile. Aero strode powerfully and full of vigor, knowing somehow he will find the answers here. Aero took a deep breath as he walks, trying to calm his own excited heart. He felt his thoughts straying and he needs to reel himself back. ''Don''t forget why you are here'' he reminds himself. Then he started scouring the books. The librarians of the Secret Archive categorized the books by years of publishing. So he started during the time he estimated Lizhu finished his campaign and the founding of the Vers Empire. Then after almost three hours of searching for book, and almost pulling his hair in frustration, he finally found something that is about Lizhu. He opened the book and walk closer to the torches to see the words. And he started reading it with his silent voice, the torches around him illuminating the words ******************************************************************* STORY OF THE VERS EMPIRE The land fractured, the world in chaos, and the common people suffered. Kingdoms rise up from greedy Dukes and Princes, tormenting the people and bringing the flames of war to the four directions. Divided was the trend of the world. And when the world is long divided, the trend of heavens once again come and desire for the world to be united. From one of those Kingdoms rose a man named Alva. Strong and cruel he unified the continent under him by steel and blood. Millions of men were slaughtered by him as he created a throne build upon the suffering of his fellow men He named himself the First emperor of Alva Empire. He ruled with iron law punishing the people for the slightest mistakes. The lives of the people were hard under his rule, and everyone lamented their fates to the Gods. Twenty years after he united the land, by the will of the Gods he passed away. The will of the people rises up and people picked up steel and declare independence. Immediately after the death of the First Emperor, rebellions occurred everywhere, the luck and fate of his dynasty slowly faded away. His heir was a fatuous ruler that only knew how to enjoy himself with women and wine, angering the ministers and mocked by the people, hated by the scholars. The heir continued his father practice of tyranny, fearing not the Gods punishment, or the condemnation of the world. Lizhu Gerard a humble man in Zhulian, now Tian Dynasty felt a responsibility to right the wrong that has been done to the people, possessing a heart of justice and compassion for the common people. But Lizhu Gerard was not strong in fighting so he could not pick up a sword and end the dynasty by himself. He has a weak body but he is known to have a brilliant mind, his fame as a great strategist is famed throughout the land. His desire for the world to return to peace and for it to be ruled under a wise ruler prompted him to hire an assassin to the kill the First Emperor. This act won him the praises of all the heroes in the land. Hunted in his failed attempts of assassination and living by the compassion of others, Lizhu lamented the fact of his weak body. It is at this time a farmer in the vicinity of Niod now Niovar started a rebellion with the people of his village, rebelling against the unreasonable orders of the Count of his village. With affable personality and understanding the hardship that the commoners felt, many joined his cause. Persuaded by his advisor he made the trip to ask the famous Lizhu to help him. Lizhu at the time was lost in self-pity and would not entertain him. The famer was relentless and always come to Lizhu house and lifted up the strategist spirit. Lizhu after seeing the farmer humble personality and his determination was moved and vowed to the Gods to put this man on the throne. With Lizhu by his side, the farmer rose to fame and glory, all of his obstacles with the wave of a Phoenix fan will be solved. Lizhu Gerard is a man with great foresight, a sagely minister and a divine strategist. He is modest in his action, diligent in his work, supporting the good and eradicates evil. He recommends many people that would help his master, never being envious. He performs his duty with integrity, upright and outspoken, unafraid to remonstrate his master. With such able advisor by his side, that farmer by sheer force of character topple the short lived Vers dynasty. In ten years the land was conquered by the farmer, the world once again was united, and the Gods once again smiled upon the land. The Alva Empire only lasted for thirty years and crumbled. That farmer was Alain the Wise. After becoming Emperor, he abolished draconic laws and started a reform for the prosperity of the Empire. He reduces taxes and corvee, privatized the coinage, and emphasizes education in his reign. He ruled the people wisely and was known to be benevolent. So wise was his rule that his empire lasted a thousand years. By the end of the Empire the bickering nobles seceded and we are left with the Kingdoms and countries. And once again the world was divided waiting once again for a rightful monarch. *********************************************************************** ''This is not what I''m looking for.'' Aero sighed as he finished reading the excerpt of the book about the Vers Empire. He put down the book and scanned the library. Then he started searching again. Finally he found it after another hour of perusing many books. The Manual of White Sword Technique. The moment he opened the book a lot of status windows popped up. You have learned Crimson Strike You have learned Autumn Slice You have learned Blowing Fire You have learned Slithering Slash You have learned Opening Blow You have unlocked five sword techniques of Divine Sword Technique. Restriction has been lifted. You have gained an understanding of the sword technique. Crimson Strike Mana consumption: 400 Damage: 150 With this method, you will cause your adversary''s sword to drop through a strike from your sword, and then bring yourself immediately back to a readiness to strike. This method is combined with (Not learned yet), in which you will always strike with true force by swinging your sword toward the ground when your opponent''s sword is about to drop. As Divine Sword Technique level increases so does the damage Autumn Slice Mana consumption: 600 Damage: 180 With this method, you are to start off by assuming a posture in which you are not to use your hands. You are to think of getting your body close to your opponent before striking him. However, if you think of reaching out both of your hands, your body will remain distant. This is why you must always think of quickly getting your body close to the enemy. When you are distant, you will exchange blows of the sword, and it will be rather easy to move closer to your opponent As Divine Sword Technique level increases so does the damage Blowing Fire Mana consumption: 900 Damage: 220 If you are currently within a situation in which you and your opponent''s swords are to clash, you must strike extremely hard without raising your sword to any extent. This is Blowing Fire technique. If you are to perform this technique, you must first strike quickly with the three combined forces of your legs, your hands, and your body. This blow will be rather difficult to perform if you do not train it at frequent times. If you diligently train yourself, you will be able to increase the overall force of the technique''s impact. As Divine Sword Technique level increases so does the damage Slithering Slash Mana consumption: 1200 Damage: 250 With this technique, one''s objective is to get close to the opponent and stick to him. When one is to do this, one must first behave as though one had been strongly glued to him with one''s feet, head, and body. It is generally known that during combat, most fighters will have a tendency to have their body hang back while their heads and feet are extended forward. One must attempt to paste one''s body against the opponent''s without leaving any area in which the bodies are not touching. As Divine Sword Technique level increases so does the damage Opening Blow Mana consumption: 1500 Damage: 280 When you first start off by striking, your opponent will try to parry by hitting or by blocking your sword. At this point in time, you need to completely equip yourself into the action of striking with your sword, and strike whenever you may see an opening, whether it may be the legs, arms, or head. Following the single way of the sword and performing a strike such as this is known as the Opening Blow. This technique will be useful at moment while fighting, so it should be trained regularly. As Divine Sword Technique level increases so does the damage ''Whoa, finally after a long time, I have learned a new skill.'' And after checking his status windows Aero is relieved that he finally can use the Divine Sword Technique Like he expected, the answer was in the archive Divine Sword Technique [6] Intermediate One of Lizhu Gerard techniques. Lizhu Gerard learned many styles of attack that are foreign for this continent. This technique is rarely seen in Vilajeri Continent. Mana Consumption: 900(will decrease when the proficiency increase) Increase attack power to 140 points Have learned the set of the sword art. Restriction is lifted. But still Sacred Sword finger doesn''t change at all. But at least one thing is clear. These two techniques are not at its full potential. For Divine Sword Technique they have their own sword art, so probably Sacred Sword Finger also has its own set of art he need to finds and learn. The technique, Aero realized also need him to perform exactly as the description to activate the sword art. Finally his martial art lessons will be paying off. He has never finished learning any of the martial arts he learned. For him, he just needs to learn the basic. Using the time in Brave World, he could learn by himself. But he understands the need for a teacher. But still he doesn''t have the money necessary to study for a long time. It is thanks to his father insurance that he could afford playing the game. Not to mention his mother''s salary from her company before she fell sick. His mother told him that they have enough money for at least one more year. And for this one year he will try to gain money by playing this game. If that doesn''t work, then he will have to face reality and work in the real world. But who would want a college dropout? Then he checked his level. CHARACTER NAME Aero ALIGNMENT Athena LEVEL 110 PROFESSION Grand Strategist TITLE GENERAL WHO PACIFIED THE NORTH CITIZEN STATUS Lord (Vanheim) CONTRIBUTION POINTS 30000 REPUTATION 3800 FAME 3050 ELEGANCE 0 HEALTH 11720+600 MANA 1090+200 WILLPOWER 370 STRENGTH 175+ 50 AGILITY 595+200 HONOUR 570 STAMINA 154+40 WISDOM 425+80 INTELLECT 509 ENDURANCE 467 LUCK 119 CHARISMA 190+110 LANGUAGE 0 GRACE 120 LEADERSHIP 350+50 ATTACK 576+ 40 DEFENSE 262+ 40 MAGIC RESISTANCE DARK 5% LIGHT 0% FIRE 25% WATER 10% EARTH 0% WIND 0% + All stats are added 20 points in battle + 30% increase to Stats on the Battlefield. + Enables equipped items for the secret class + Decrease mana consumption for Divine sword technique + Easier to raise proficiency in any area. + Affinity with scholars increased. + Affinity with wise men increased + Easier to influence statesmen and scholars. + Decrease in Mana Consumption for the Divine Sword Techniques based on level of INT + Gained ability to learn secret skills based on your level in Language. + Fame increase upon solving any quest involving the nobility. + Can talk to spirit and understand divine meaning + High leadership enables your troops to enjoyed 10 points of stats increase in strength + High leadership enables you to raise your troops marching speed by 20% + High Charisma enables you to establish rapport with townspeople quickly + High charisma enables you gain secret information ( Orders Of Letters unlocked[Click to get more info]) + High wisdom enables you to join Celestials Scholars [Click to get more info] + High intellect enables you to join Council Of Athena [Click to get more info] + You have unlocked Baron status + You have unlocked Lord status. + Intellect is added extra 100 points + 80 points added to Wisdom. + 10 points added to CHM + Strength is added 150 points because of the title effect + Charisma is added 100 points because of the title effect + Leadership is added 50 because of the title effect + Attack and defense is added 40 pointsbecause of the title effect The title effect is good. It''s what one would expect with the conferment of a title by a King. Then Aero began his search again to see if there is any more sword art he could learn. After five hours of searching finally Aero is satisfied. He got what he wanted. He walked slowly to the exit. But before he exits the Archive he takes a look back and marvel at the Archive. ''So many books. So many secrets'' He has also read some documents about some nobles cover up ages ago, Kings that died suspiciously but never recorded in the story books. It is truly a secret archive. A secret archive that was created three hundred years ago by the reigning King at the time. But Aero could not have the time to read all of them. It is at this point Aero has the thought that maybe the NPCs somehow developed feelings. To have recorded so many books, the NPCs seems to have a thirst for knowledge. ''That''s absurd'' He said to himself. They are data. But, Mom once said to me even we are also probably just data if viewed from other dimensions. Though Aero had never understood that. Then with a last look, he exited the archive. ************************************************************************* Chapter 46 CRUEL AND UNFORGIVING 1 YESTERDAY The setting sun in horizon looks hauntingly beautiful as the nightbirds a bird native to the Brave World returns to their nest and the wolf howls in the distance in the distant mountains and dark forest. The evening sun sets and night came. Outside of the Palace, people are getting back home to their loving families, hunters and mercenaries lodged themselves inside inn, trading battle stories, bragging with a pint of drink Only players will went out into the forest in the dark night to hunt monster and performing quest to improve their levels. To the NPCs the behavior of the players or adventurer as they called them is quite suicidal and idiotic. Even merchant players were still busy in the city streets, selling and buying things to any people that would do quest in the night. Thieves also started their trade in the night smiling and jumping through roof with only the slightest sound And thieves are not the only dark entity that roams the night scene doing dark deeds. Assassins class players prefer the darkness of the night to ply their trade, killing any marks they were instructed to by their quest. Thieves, assassins, robbers, hoodlums are only the few dark forces that comes out at night. Darkness always exists. As there is light in the world, the shadows it cast are very large. And in that shadows darkness reign But none of these dark forces dare near the residence of nobles of the Kingdom making the elite residence of the nobles to be completely peaceful and an optimal place to rest It is understandable considering the heavy security. Unless one is truly powerful, no one would risk a conflict with a noble of a Kingdom. However on a private mansion, one of the most important personas in the kingdom of Vanheim was resting but his rest was interrupted by a secret visit. Aero was reading up on some history of Brave World, rocking back and forth on his lazy chair when a knock startled him. ''Who would seek me in the night?'' he thought to himself as he got up from his lazy chair and went down the stairs None of the guards inform him which means whoever outside is someone that is high in position. He is vigilant but he is not afraid. Because considering the fact that the person knocked on his door instead of barging into his room, this person should not bear him some ill will. ''Who''s there?'' Aero ask as he looked through the peephole. He was shocked to see the King under a dark robe waiting in front of his door. "It''s me, Aero" Aero quickly open the door and look left and right, fearing anyone is watching the King in the dark as he urged the King to quickly enter. That night King George of Vanheim came to Aero room to decide what Aero would do about the prisoner of war from Vetten. He steeled his determination and disguise himself and come to Aero residence. "Please come in, Your Grace. The outside is not safe" Aero invited with a hint of nervousness. If the King somehow meets mishap in this area with Aero the only one as the witness, Aero would not doubt many politicians in the court would pin the blame on his head The King entered the room and sat in one of the chairs in the rooms, as he open up his hood and resumes his dignified aura. The room was filled with many books that Aero has bought since he returned. Some of it was also given by George himself. George did this as a consideration of Aero request. Aero requested books from the Royal Library. It seems he is searching for anything about Lizhu Gerard. The King understands that wise person seek knowledge for the betterment of oneself and there is no harm in knowing more. "Did I disturb you?" The King asks in a friendly manner but maybe because of his demeanor his tone was majestic. Aero smiles as he thought to himself ''The King gains vitality and his will is high right now. Victory and failure has forged him to be stronger and sturdy'' Then he answer "No, Your Grace. I am just reading a few books to learn more about the Vilajeri continent and Lizhu Gerard" Seeing that the King look toward the collection of the books he possess Aero added ''It seems my search is fruitless. I think I will have better luck in the Secret archive" Aero has already ask George to see the Secret Archive tomorrow. It will be the first time anyone outside of the Royal family will enter it. Even George himself didn''t read all the books in the Archive. It is impossible to read all the books in the Secret Archive even if one spend all their lives in there. However this is not why he came tonight so secretly. George came here today to ask Aero about something and to ask for advice. "Umh.. Lord Aero, We already heard about your plan to go venture to the west after this. So We would like to hear your thoughts about the prisoners of wars that we have captured in the battle of Coro. Should we execute them? Ransom them? What should We do that is better for the realm?" Aero finally understand why George came to him. He nodded as he also sat down in one of the chairs. He looked to George eyes and asked "What do you think we should do, Your Grace?" Aero ask, his eyes is sharp and there is a tone that teacher used to teach their students. "You''re asking me?" startled by the sudden question George was flustered "Yes. This humble subject wanted to hear Your Majesty opinion." The King closed his eyes, contemplating on the matter. He then opens his eyes and he said "I say we ransom them. They will fetch much gold considering there were many sons of nobles in the list of prisoners" Aero just groaned. This would have been considered a breach of etiquette, but George respected Aero and treated this young strategist as his teacher, how could he dare rebuke him? Aero then shakes his head and then he said "No. That could not be done, Your Majesty and must not be done. Vetten has just lost 40% of its military power in the war, and now you expect them to pay you money, money that they know you will use to fund the war to attack them? They would delay the negotiations and maybe even prepare a last assault against us. Doing such an act would be fruitless. Making them desperate will only backfire on us and make the war longer, taxing the Treasury and making the hearts of the people in unease" George nodded as he contemplated Aero words. Aero did not say anything as he closes his eyes waiting on George George scratched his chin as he noted the problem in his suggestions. He thinks again, this time he takes more time trying to make sure his plan is beneficial. Then he offered another suggestion. Aero opens his eyes "Then, we execute all of them and erect a victory mound with their skulls. At least this will instill fear in Vetten." The looked of apprehension can be seen from Aero expression. "At this time we have attacked the invaders and pacified the people. The army of a wise king takes the noble cause as its position, so why is it necessary to slay the people and inflict more chaos and killings? Not to mention doing that will only make Your Majesty be labeled to be a barbarian, a cruel and evil king, it will caused you to be condemned by the world and lose the will of the people. There is nothing good and there is only demerits in doing so at this point of time" Aero explained. George was looking more flustered and anxious than frustrated. Aero could see the King was acting. The reason the King come here is not because he want to ask his opinion, it is because he want Aero to come up with the solution. After all while both of the solution has cons, both has pros too. But George wanted a solution that will benefit his Kingdom and remove the threat of Vetten. Aero could sense this and knows the King hopes he would give a solution that could help him. He is after all not blind. And he remembered a quote "For the ones who serve the lords may make the following three errors: To speak when it is not necessary is being rash; not to speak when it is necessary is being evasive; to speak without observing the lord''s facial expression is being blind." And Aero is not a blind person. It is the only reason the King would ask his opinions. "So what can we do? We can''t ransom them. We can''t kill them. Keeping them and feeding the enemies of my people does not sit well with me or my kingdom treasury" George declared, his face is showing he is a little sullen. Then Aero smile slyly. He finally heard the King intention. But he also have his own plans. "Then, the path is clear. We will set them free and return them to their home." Aero said to Geroge, his face is full of energy and there is a carefree demeanor about him. As he fan his face with his feather fan, looking like an immortal unfettered from worldly affairs. "What!" Hearing this King George face turns red in frustration. ''Wouldn''t that just reinforce Vetten troops? This is helping the enemy! Why would We do such an absurd thing?" This is not the idea that George thought Aero would said. His tone was rigid and his face expression clearly shows he was displeased. But Aero was calm as he waved his feather fan and said ************************************************************************************************** First part of the chapter. The second chapter will come in a few minutes Chapter 47 CRUEL AND UNFORGIVING 2 "The ones that surrendered are not professional soldiers of the Kingdom of Vetten. Some of them are farmers. Some were forced. Many more were prisoners that were forced to fight. All are men forced by circumstances not of their own making" But George is not satisfied with this explanation and reason "So? They still killed my people and such thing must be avenged or the hearts of my people would turn cold" George seethes with anger remembering the good men and women that died protecting the Kingdom. Aero shakes his head and keep fanning his fan. "This humble subject has considered the pros and cons of this move Your Majesty. But will they return to Vetten army? After surrendering?" Aero asked, his hand keep fanning the feather fan. The King did not answer. Because he knows the answer. Both of them do. The only difference is George doesn''t really care. To him the prisoner of war is useless to him and is only burdening his kingdom. On the other hand, Aero still has use for them Then Aero continued. This time with a smile on his face "I understand that Vetten III is not exactly a forgiving king." Aero remarked. George nodded. George also knows that. Vetten III is an impulsive man. Bradheim always described him as an opportunist. And even the war happened because Vetten III senses an opportunity to strike. If Aero did not manage to see the deception and uncover the mastermind and the plots hidden by General Kyle, Vanheim would be finished. "What do you intend to do by releasing them Aero?" George suspects Aero has something in his sleeve after he calm himself down. After thinking about it, this strategist of him really likes to made dramatic remarks that infuriates him but his remarks always have a reason behind them. Thinking of this eccentricity of his strategist made George believes Aero has a reason for giving him this advice. Aero then explains his thoughts "Imagine this. A king that is capable, protect his people, sparing his enemies showing the world an image of benevolent monarch.'' Then smiling he continued ''Your Majesty, like this subject always reminded Your Majesty, win the heart of the people, and Your Majesty will win the world. Your Majesty with this move, you will be regarded as a wise and benevolent king attracting people of talents to come into Your Majesty service.'' Then he added ''Your Majesty will be praised everywhere. Songs and poems will be written of your act of mercy." Aero said full of spirit. "I don''t want praise" George said curtly. Aero just smiled shaking his head looking at George behavior. "And there lies the problem, Your Majesty. Praise is useful. It establishes reputation. And the reputation of a wise and benevolent king can be more useful than Your Majesty would know." Aero lectured "Trust me when this humble subject say, when the prisoners are released Bradheim will find it easy to conquer Vetten and each city would fall down like sand castles." Then he added ''In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy''s country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them. Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy''s resistance without fighting.'' ''When the enemy has made a plan of attack against us, we must anticipate him by delivering our own attack first'' ''And what are we attacking Vetten with by sparing their captured soldiers?'' George asked Aero smiles and said ''We are capturing the hearts of the people.'' Then he added ''By capturing the hearts of the people, trust me when I said Bradheim could capture a city without even one drop of blood being shed.'' But the King still look unsatisfied. Aero sighing then said ''A sage ruler always has the welfare of the people at heart. He would never wage a personal vendetta at the expense of public interest. He who dreams of great ambition and success will not hold a grudge over minor matters. A good leader deploys military forces to save and not to harm, to salvage and not to create crisis. ...Thus it is said: "Warmongers will be annihilated, but he who fails to prepare for war will face danger." Bradheim is the general that will be leading the troops to attack Vetten. But George could not understand how releasing the prisoners will help Bradheim conquer Vetten. There is hesitation in George heart. But he is already being reprimanded by his advisor and he had no words to rebuke his advisor. The words of his advisor are not wrong. He is pursuing this because of his personal vendetta against Vetten III. If it is up to him he would execute them all as a tribute to his people and the humiliation in his early years as a King. But because he knew his action could be considered excessive, he wanted confirmation from his advisor or to be more accurate he wanted permission. It is because he knows he is in the wrong that he hesitated trying to find Aero but the fact that he is here and patiently listening to Aero reprimand him shows that he is an enlightened ruler, capable of listening to remonstration. Aero look at the King and knew he is seeing the errors of his way so he said ''An army raised to rescue people from tyranny is a righteous army. It will win the support of the people. An army raised to defend the territory against invasion is a counteracting army. It will win in the end. An army raised to fight bitterly at the slightest provocation is a wrathful army. It will lose the war. An army raised without discipline will steal and rob people''s belongings. It is a greedy army that will be dislodged. An army raised to believe that it is an army of a superpower state is an arrogant army. It will be annihilated. These five principles are not the doing of any human. They are the way of natural law. If your Majesty wanted to rule the world, Your Majesty benevolence must encompass the whole world.'' George pondered as he looks at the confident face of his strategist. He then struggles for a bit before he finally relented. He will heed Aero strategies. ''I mean there is no other choice. Can''t ransom them, can''t kill them and can''t keep them. What a dilemma.'' He thought to himself. Tomorrow he will release the prisoners and give them supplies for their return home. Little did George know that by doing this, he will gain the approval of Vetten people in the future. These former prisoners that were released by George told their kinsmen of their capture and release and of their fair treatment they received at the hands of King George troops. Thereupon the Vettenians that heard the story were elated, and wherever General Bradheim and his troops went a great number of nobles and peasants alike came forward to give their allegiance to the Vanheimnian forces, fulfilling Aero words "to capture a city without shedding a drop of blood" ************************************************************************* If you like the story please vote and leave some comments below Chapter 48 CRUELTY 1 VETTEN KINGDOM THE CITADEL The light descends down into the citadel. The surrounding of the Citadel is being encircled by the soldiers of Vetten, their face is solemn and expressionless. They seem to be waiting for someone. The moment that Kyle logged back in he revived at the citadel in a sorry state that shows no sign of his nobility or his previous valiant demeanor. He had no clothes on his person, looking truly pitiful. Thankfully only the items he had equipped were looted. He got up from where he was revived and release a sigh. All of it¡­all of his ambition, in one moment of careless, all of it shattered in the Battle of Coro. His dreams are built upon pillars of salt and sand, with a blow of a strong wind it rain down. He sighed hard and he closed his eyes, thinking of all the moments in the war, contemplating his mistakes. He sighed long and hard and shakes his own head. ''I need to start from the very beginning'' he said to himself. He equipped other clothes from his item menu and went outside the citadel. However that was a mistake. The moment he was stepping outside he was arrested by the Royal Army, his arms and feet were chained. A squad escorted him dragging him from the Citadel as the people of Vetten jeer him. Some NPCs throws rotten eggs, dirty waters, and dead rotten vegetables on him With no chance of explaining himself he was dragged down to the palace like a criminal. He was brought to Vetten III in such a condition with ministers and war officials looking at him with contempt. There is also disdain in their eyes, reflected obviously in their eyes. High in his throne Vetten III looked angry. No¡­he was beyond angry. He was furious. His veins could be seen bulging in his forehead the longer he looked at Kyle. He lost his army and now his Kingdom is experiencing the worst crisis since their founding. George is now no longer the weak King, a weak injured lion. Now, he is a lion with wings and his ambition is laid bare to the world. And the cause of this mess and the loss of his war is none other than this adventurer called Kyle. This is what is called the reversal of fortune. When Kyle departed from the Capital of Vetten, he was a glorious general and the people of Vetten were already anticipating the news of the victory of Vetten against Vanheim. However, now, he is humiliated to such degree, not better than dogs. "We have captured him, Your Highness" the squad leader said. The King gestured the soldiers to guard Kyle. Kyle was thrown to the floor, his face landed first as his forehead smacked the cold hard ground and blood drip down from the wound on his forehead. Kyle winced in pain. The minister all jeered at him. Vetten III just stared at him sharply. Kyle tried to get up but then "Keep kneeling!" shouted the King in anger Kyle was startled. He kneeled back. The King then ask Kyle, his tone is cold and severe and his eyes is full of killing intent "Explain to me how you lost. You had a larger army. You had better preparation. You had all that our Kingdom could give you. Explain to me how you lost. Tell me!" the King voice was laced with anger Sensing there is no other choice, Kyle explained to the King in detail of what transpired. The King just listened, but his silence did not ease Kyle apprehension. "And that''s how we lost" Kyle concluded the story. The King just sat there. Not talking. And there is no movement from him to indicate whether he is angry or appeased with the explanation. But Kyle senses it in his heart. There is a great anger in the King eyes that seems to bore down holes on him with his stares. A silent burning rage and he believes the lucky recipient is him. Though he could never have expected what happened next. Then the King said, pointing his finger at him "You once sat at that exact spot and vowed to this King that you will win me Vanheim and bring my Kingdom great glory and riches. You said the Orcs will help you. You said no one could possibly know your plan!" The King slowly raised his voice. "I..I.I" Kyle was flustered; not knowing what answer would appease the King. ''You were wrong!!" roared the King "And your mistake is going to cost me my kingdom. What do you think I will do to you Kyle?" he suddenly spoke in lower tone, but it was chilling to hear. Kyle does not dare answer. "Guards, apprehend him!" The King ordered and there is that coldness in his tone that forebodes an ill fate for Kyle The guards came and cuffed him with magical cuff. Even though his level is high he could hardly escape without a third party help Then the King sitting on his throne and pointing his finger at him and decreed "Hear my decree. You for the crime of deceiving the monarch will be buried in the ground with only your head sticking out. For the crime of not fulfilling your oath to the monarch you will be cut a thousand cuts upon your face with knifes. The first day We order your wounds to be slathered by salts." The King tone of voice hardened and his face cruel The other ministers are horrified. But they know better than to object. Or else, maybe they too will be punished. Kyle realized it. The King did not ask him here to hear his explanation. ''He wanted to make an example of me.'' Then the King continued. The King voice boomed in the Throne Room. "The second day, if you''re still alive your wounds will be slathered with honey so the ants and bees could feast on you." His voice was calm as he said his decree but the content of his decree was terrifying At this point some ministers looked like they are about to throw up, imagining what will happen to Kyle. But that was not the end. The King continued speaking, this time with a cruel smile on his face like he would enjoy it ''The third day, if you''re still alive, you will be brought to the square so that my people could see your last punishment. You will be tied in both of your hands and legs and your limbs will be separated by horses each running to different direction. And if by some miracle you''re still alive, you will be burned and left to ash." Kyle could not believe the punishment that is handed to him. This is too cruel. He knows that Vetten III isn''t the forgiving sort but to think that he would--- then Kyle realized the atmosphere in the court. He look at his left and right and he notices it Everyone on the court has a livid expression. "The King is really furious." "So cruel" Kyle heard some of them whispering. But none of them will defend him. Even after all he has done for them before. How he solved their problems before is forgotten. "How easy it is to forget gratitude" thought Kyle "You''re an adventurer so you will return. But at least the pain will be a delight for me to see. And you are banished from this kingdom" the king declared Banish means the next time Kyle dies he will not spawn in Vetten Kingdom. When he log off next time and needs to log on he will need to choose another Kingdom to spawn to. This also means every possession that he has in Vetten does not belong to him anymore. He will be penniless. All his efforts gone up in smoke. The guards began to drag him to face his execution. "NO, NO.THIS IS NOT MY FAULT" Kyle screamed pleading. He was trying to come closer to the King only to be kicked in the gut. Then he tried again. This time the guards punched him in the face. Blood was flowing from his lips and nose. The ministers just looked at Kyle with pity. Then the execution began almost immediately. It would be nice to say that he died in the first day. But he did not. And that is an unfortunate thing for Kyle. He survived. He could log off but when he returned back, he would be in that same exact spot. And the pain would multiply. So, he chose to endure it. And that just prolonged his suffering. He suffered until the third day, when finally he was beheaded and burned. During his execution Vettenian spitted at him, uttered curses, throw stones and rotten eggs at him. And when his limbs were separated, they cheered. Like it was a reward for them. No person could have imagined how painful it was for him to be subjected to such treatment. No one knew how hard he screamed at the heavens. How he pleaded and begged to be killed. He promised he will never forget that humiliation. Kyle has to thank the developers of Brave World. Those developers must have a twisted mind. He felt every pain like he was really tortured. But when he logged off because of dying his body is fine. But somehow he still feels the pain. The brain would not let itself forgot. And he vowed that when he returns back to Brave World he will have his revenge. First, he would take revenge on the ministers who stood by when he was executed. Then, he would take his revenge on the the King who ordered the execution. And he saves the best for last. ''Aero. You will know my vengeance.'' He has already a plan. He has contact outside of Vetten. He will contact the Blood Brotherhood. Wait and see. Wait and see. ********************************************************************* Part one of the chapter. part two will come in a minute. I am recovering from my fever so i hope you forgive my tardiness. Right now I am writing three stories at the same time. I am now focusing mostly on Lord Shadow but since the arc of Ls is about to end, I might be taking a break then and focus on my other stories like Song of Heroes and Age of Heroes. Anyway, if you like the story please do vote my stories and leave some reviews Chapter 49 CRUELTY 2 VANHEIM Aero heard what happened to Kyle and the way he was executed. Sitting on his lazy chair, he only shakes his head and said ''It is too excessive. This is not the way of a sagely monarch'' Not far away from him someone nodded his head. It is the Sage of Trethelm. ''Vetten is finished. Who wanted to serve such a cruel King?'' The Sage of Trethelm said and Aero nodded Then he said ''Neglecting the practice of benevolence and righteousness, Vetten is at the verge of breaking apart'' He shakes his head and said. ''Vetten III is a monarch zealous about expanding his territory but unconcerned with his duty to advance benevolence. He is concerned with pursuing a position of great authority but does not care too much about promoting virtues. By doing this, he has in fact given up all the conditions that can assure his country''s survival. Inevitably he will lead the country to a path of destruction.'' Aero had no personal enmity with Kyle. Kyle while he is not some genius commander or a great military commander, he is able. If it is any other person fighting him in that war, or if it his plan was not uncovered, the one that will die today is not him instead it would be Aero They serve different monarch and Aero just do his best to aid his monarch. Vetten III executing such an official would only make his minister and the nobles of his Kingdom feeling more unease He shakes his head and said his last word about King Vetten III and Kyle ''No country will enjoy everlasting peace and no common people will stay forever submissive. When the wise are recruited to serve in the government, the country will enjoy peace and prosperity'' He sighed and then he continued ''To lose them could mean an end to a government. From ancient times until today this recurring theme has not changed at all. Vetten III is executing his officials with trumped up charge, Duke Bradheim, the Lion of Vanheim is marching unimpeded in the lands of Vetten and the time is ripe. Vetten will fall and Vanheim will rise'' Aero said and he closes his eyes with a smile on his face, his hand began fanning his face with his feather fan. Aero is actually answering the Sage of Trethelm Lake question. The Sage of Trethelm Lake come visited him after the victory ceremony and ask him a question ''Will Vanheim in this opportune moment would forget itself to seize the moment and once again settle down?'' And Aero answer to that question is Vanheim would rise. The Sage is not present in the court meeting where Aero said he would make the King the one who unified the Eastern continent. If he was there he would not ask this question. Hearing the answer from Aero, the Sage of Trethelm Lake has a complicated expression ''War is coming again, and the common people would suffer'' Aero nodded but he did not say anything else. ''This is the trend of the era'' he finally spoke. The Sage of Trethelm sighed and he also nodded. The wind blows as a new era is about to dawn in Vilajeri continent. ************************************************************************* Just Aero thoughts on the King of Vetten and a curtain call for Vetten. Anyway, this is part two of the story and like always please vote if you like the story Chapter 50 OBSTACLE VEVA KINGDOM THRONE ROOM The sound of music resound in the throne room as ministers and war officials are sitting on their seat enjoying the performance by the dancers. Some were drinking boisterously with woman in each of their arms. Today there is a feast of celebration in the Palace of Veva A man wearing a loose white robe with a green coronet on his head looked at the performance with calm eyes. He sits there looking as handsome as ever. His face could be considered elegant and refined and his movement is unhurried and graceful. This man is Eric, one of Zeus good friend. Looking at the feast, he sighed. ''To rejoice when threats are many¡­.''he muttered before sighing again. Eric then look toward the throne. Eric was looking at Zeus sitting on the throne, smiling and looking proud. Zeus sits on the throne like a true king, like the throne was perfected the moment he sits on it. His majesty could not be hidden and valiant air radiated from him. But Eric fears that Zeus would forget. ''The throne should make one remembers, that one misstep could make everything crumbles down'' The throne is made with the bones of his enemies. The carpenter that had to make the throne was trembling when he realized what he needs to build. Zeus is sometimes full with weird ideas. When asked, he said it is to show his dominance against his enemies and instill fear. ''It is better to be feared than to be loved'' he once remarked to Eric. After Zeus won the war, the clan held a feast unlike any other. The conquering of a nation by a player. It was a feat no one has ever done in Brave World before. Of course the clan was happy by the glory and of course the loot taken after the battle. Many of them were made nobles after the battle In his moment of glory, Eric reminded his friend once again, not to declare his desire to be King too early, but as always his friend is stubborn. Zeus declared himself King on the battlefield, and all of his retainer kneel and chanted Hail the King. The rest is history. The feast continued late into the night. After the feast Zeus gave titles to his friend Eric and Bart. Both were appointed Duke and were given large territory to govern. Eric is now Duke of Vartli. Bart is Duke of Voln, an area rich with metal mine. Then the other states are also given to his generals, each one was partitioned to reduce the risk of a powerful rebellion. The others were rewarded with gold and treasures. Bart was dancing in the large hall after the ceremony ended and the festivities began again the next day. Everyone was happy but only Eric is looking gloomy. Then Bart noticing his friend is acting strange approached him. Eric is the one who is most committed to Zeus''s cause and help him navigate the political part of his campaign. It is thanks to his maneuvering that the King has never discover Zeus intention to rebel. And why does Eric expend this much effort? Zeus is stubborn and bullheaded, but Eric was patient with him It was because, the three of them were friends since they were kids and shares many memories together. He will always protect Zeus, like Zeus protected him. "What is wrong with you? Everyone is having fun, so why the sour face?" Bart asked trying to drag his friend to enjoy the feast Eric heaved a sigh, his eyebrows creasing and his elegant face turns moody. Then he said looking at Zeus on the throne and shakes his head ''If a ruler is obsessed with womanizing and hunting, drinking fine wine, singing and dancing, living in lofty mansions with intricate wall paintings and carvings; any one of these will surely bring forth the ruin of his country'' He shakes his head and sighed Then looking at Bart he said "Do you know what the people are talking about Zeus in other Kingdoms?" Eric asked. "What? That he is a mighty warrior?" Bart chuckled. Zeus was known in brave World as a great and might warrior so this praise is nothing new. Eric face darkened. Then he said to Bart "People in other Kingdoms write plays and created poems of him. The Unloyal Dragon they called it" And Eric face was ugly to see Eric heard this after sending scouts to other Kingdoms for information and to see the reactions of the other Kingdoms of Zeus rebellion. Even though Zeus''s reception as King in this Kingdom is good, but not in other Kingdoms. This is precisely because in Veva, he is the War God of the Veva Kingdom On the rest of the kingdom however, his image took a dive and condemned by the scholars, by wise men and nobles. The scholars said that Zeus as the minister and God of War has already gained great prestige and honour yet still scheme against his benefactor Zeus works behind the scenes and stirs up trouble and unrest. Such a person is a vicious minister and should be condemned by the world. He is regarded as someone who treats loyalty as unimportant. A dog that bites the hand that feeds him. This kind of reputation is heavy to bear and stain the reputation of him as the sovereign of Veva ''To the Vilajeri continent Zeus is a traitor and a disloyal minister.'' Eric silently thought to himself. "And what''s the play about?" asked Bart sensing nothing good will come out of the answer. His face is already showing sign of getting mad. Eric told Bart "In the play, he is portrayed as a nearly unchallenged warrior undefeated and all conquering in battles that is also ruthless and impulsive person bereft of morals and ethics. To repay kindness with ingratitude, a shameless monarch" Bart looked incredulous. His expression was clearly reflecting his anger. "I will kill them with my hands!" His tone was full of rage. Nobody insults his friend. Eric only shakes his head "And what would that prove? It will only fan new rumors. Maybe next time they will say that even Zeus subordinates are devoid of morals and act like demons." Eric reminded "Pah, who cares what they think" Bart snorted in disdain Bart spitted at the floor. Eric shook his head. "That is where you''re wrong. What they think became a reputation for Zeus. And if anything else, reputation matters." Then Eric continued, this time his face is once again calm. "Heard of Aero?" Eric asked "Of course. The man that is likened to Zeus. There''s even a poem about him and Zeus. I think it went like this" Then Bart recited the poem Regarded as the strongest, Zeus of the North, Undefeated and Unchallenged, None stand his way, "Then what is the next line?" Bart was scratching his head. Eric helped Bart finishing the other two lines "If Aero of the East does not come forth, Who can be his match?" "Yes, that''s it. Though why you''re mentioning him?" Bart said puzzled why Eric suddenly is mentioning Aero name. "His reputation and Zeus reputation is very different. If Zeus is known as an impulsive warrior, than Aero is known as a benevolent and wise commander, loved by his people, admired by his friends, feared by his enemies." The true reason why Eric felt this Aero will be an obstacle is because he provide contrast. When people could compare, of course people would choose a person who is better Eric wanted to explain to Bart how important it is to have a good reputation "You seem to praise him highly" This is the first time he heard Eric praise someone. Eric is a warrior like Zeus. But he also serves as Zeus strategist. Providing him with many strategies in court and in the battlefield. Though, sometimes Zeus just charges ahead without listening to Eric. Eric always felt that Zeus is too stubborn for his own good and too hardheaded, hardly listening to the advice of others. "Yes, I do. I heard the reports and seen the battle. He is smart and won the war with the least possible casualties for his side. In one battle he weakened Vetten enough to conquer it. And if you heard what happened two days ago, where King George released the prisoners because of Aero pleading even the Vettenian praise him for his benevolence. To gain such great reputation without doing nothing much, this Aero used his head more than he used his might of arms" Then he continued to praise him "His rejection of the title in the victory ceremony only gave him more fame and renown. The people of Vanheim say that he is an unselfish person that does not care about titles and glory and that he fought for the Kingdom as doing his duty" "What is your point, Eric?" Bart could not be exactly happy when Eric so enthusiastically praise Zeus possible rivals Bart starting to get annoyed of all this praise heaped at Aero. Eric then explains "The point is if Zeus really intends to do what he said; Aero will be a thorn in his side. And this thorn if not removed early will fester and turn into a large wound" "You mean that?" Bart whispered while looking around "One man couldn''t possibly be that much threat to Zeus" he said like he could not believe how such a man could rival their friend People always like to exaggerate things. Bart didn''t even believe the poems. How could a strategist that rarely fight be equal to his friend prowess? Maybe in one slash that Aero would be slashed into two ''How could that Aero stand in the way of Zeus plans?'' Bart knows what Eric is talking about. Zeus plans to conquer the entire continent. Not just Veva. But he thinks Eric overestimates Aero capabilities. "I daresay, that if we want to win the continent Zeus either have to kill Aero or make him join us" Bart doesn''t understand. He shakes his head and gives up in asking Eric to join the feast. He walk away leaving Eric alone to his thoughts But Eric knows. And he understand more than others. Then Eric looked at Zeus in the middle of the Throne room still drinking and rejoicing. He shakes his head and sighed ''Your path will be a hard one, Zeus .If you wanted to rule there will be only one who can stand against you. The poem is an apt description. "If Aero of the East does not come forth, Who can be your match?" ************************************************************************* We are moving a way for a moment to Zeus in Veva. Anyway, at least there are some people recognizing how Aero could be the obstacle for Zeus. Chapter 51 THE VAST SEA ATLANTIS REALM OF POSEIDON The sea water seems calm and appears peaceful and serene today and sailors and adventurers sails the seas, smiling at the prow of their ship not knowing today would not be a good day to sail the vast sea. For today, the monarch of the Sea seems determined to do something. No amounts of offerings would save even his most devoted today The seabed rumbles and shakes and the waves above went amuck as it''s slammed upon the sea, creating large wall of water, sinking ships and assaulting the beaches and shores. Hundreds of sea monsters crawl out from their seabed nest, from dark holes and slimy nest, each one of these monsters is as large as a mountain and as long as five to eight story buildings. A God looked down on the vast sea, and the seabed trembles only by his gaze. ''Hmph!'' he snorted and in his hand materializes his famous trident Striking his trident onto the green tiles of his throne room, the seabed on Brave world trembles and huge storms form and brings down a ship on some other part of the world of Vilajeri That ship is the sea belonging to Broly. Of course he did not know that his effort was wrecked by the Sea God. To Poseidon it is just a simple as that to wreck down the ship that sails the seas of Brave World. He sighed as he saw the ship full of adventurer crack and split into two. He is thinking about something else. Poseidon has been searching for a way to acquire the sword that Lizhu took from him since the last council meeting. And now the chance has come. He has heard from Hephaestus that the boy who is in the possession of the sword is about to voyage to the sea. Poseidon realms of dominion are the sea, so he could not openly infiltrate Demeter realm wily nily and without justification Last time he did that Athena descended down and wage battle against him But with Zeus and Demeter busy on searching for the mastermind behind the Pope appearance and sending dreams to their oracles and moving the mortal heroes to help them defend the faith, his chance is here. Poseidon has a handsome face like the Greek Gods of old which mean he has a rugged manly face. You can feel energy emanating from him and one could smell of the sea from him. His body is muscular with scars all over it and he wears it like a badge of honor. He wore a blue scale armor made from hydra skins that emanated an aura of power and dominance. He has a pair of blue eyes that pierces through you; his voice is authoritative befitting as the God of the Sea. And he rarely smiles. He has his trident by his side, radiating with blue aura that could control the movements of the waves, brings rains and storms and commanded the wind. The symbol of Poseidon power was the trident, a spear with three points, which he used to shatter gigantic rocks, to call forth or subdue storms, to shake the earth, and the likes. His hair was white just like Hades and Zeus signifying their age and sovereignty over three realms that are the most powerful as three of the Oldest Gods. When he sits in his realm there is nothing that can harm him. The water heals him. The water is his weapon. And all water is a part of him. To be honest, it''s not like he has any bad feelings towards the boy, but this is Gods'' business. If he did not retrieve the weapon Zeus will forever lord it over him. And forever is a long time. Now he just needs to wait. Then he called his attendants. "Guard the palace. I need to make some preparations" he ordered. His words resounded beneath the sea of his realm. Thousands of sea creatures stirred. The small, the big, and even some that could be called gigantic came and listened obediently to Poseidon. The palace of Poseidon was in the depth of the sea. Then he ordered his stable master to bring him his horses. His horses have brazen hoofs and golden manes. They look majestic and many abilities one is which that his horse could rode the winds and maneuver through the worst storms. Then he rode them. With these horses he is riding in a chariot over the waves of the sea, which became smooth as he approached, and the monsters of the deep recognized him and played around his chariot. His chariot was being drawn by four horses. Those horses don''t look like normal horses. They''re hippocampi. Every sea creature gives way, fear to impede the way of the God of the Sea. They fear and respect the God of the Sea. The preparations are to raise an island which he needs. A small island. Just to meet this special boy. And in all probability he needs to kill the boy. He cannot let the mortal just go and spread the word too fast to the other gods. And even though Hades would know, since all souls that die will at least pass through his realm once, that older brother of his hated to meddle in the politics of the Gods. He is perfectly content in ruling his dominion of the dead For humans they have spies to inform them of other people movements. The Gods also have spies. The winds, skies and clouds report to Zeus. Every living thing that lives in the land reports to Demeter and sometimes to Hephaestus. The fish, water, rivers reports to him. Every sea creature reports to him. Athena is one of the most special Goddess in the realms of the Gods. She hears everything. But Poseidon is not too worried about her. Even though she is designated by the people as the goddess of war, she does not like war. So what does it matter if one adventurer die for a couple of days. Athena would not risk a war for one boy. By the time Demeter knows of this matter he would already be under his realm. Hades on the other hand could see the memories of the dead. To say it simply, every God have their own subordinates that report to them. Which is why, this is the only chance he will ever get. Since everyone is distracted with other things. Then after he was done assigning tasks to the people in his underwater palace, he rode to the island. He took a seat at one of the largest rock on the island. And he waits for Aero to come, the waves exploded around him, the clouds are clear. And he kept waiting there ************************************************************************* It has been a few days since I posted in AOA. I have been busy writing Ls and there is a holiday in my country. Anyway, as a gift I will be posting about three chapter today. Please vote and leave some reviews if you like the story.Anyway, we are going the rabbit hole that is the AI that governs the Brave World. And please leave some comments Chapter 52 WRATH OF THE SEA 1 PORT KARAK KARAK FEDERATION Port Karak is one of the largest Ports in the Eastern Continent. Many ships stop there and repair their ships, trades spices and their goods and Port Karak trade with almost all of the nations on the Vilajeri Continent It is one of the most busiest port in Brave World It belongs to the Karak Federation which rules in a democracy like structure. When the delegates of the Karak Federation wanted to return home Aero asked them if he could also come along. After explaining his circumstances the delegates were overjoyed. "A hero wants to come along! Of course. Of course." They traveled in a carriage while Aero talk to them and inquire about the matters of the Karak Federation. Aero reputation precedes him and as such these merchants is eager to please him and told himmany things about Karak Federation It is more like a merchant country compared to Vanheim and the other nation on Vilajeri continent It is prosperous and merchants from all over the Vilajeri Continent would come and traded things in Karak. At night in Brave World, Aero would log off. He would eat nutritious meal and then exercise. Then even though he is feeling anxious he would go to the grocers to buy some food for the week and then return home. After finish putting all the food he bought on his old refrigerator he would then take a nap. Then when he wakes up, he would wash his face and then he would resume his activity on Brave World the next morning. He is now a true gamer. When he enters the game he would continue to foster good relations with the NPCs around him. After a few days of travelling the road, finally Aero is in Karak The journey took many days and they met many people and even monsters. Aero used his skills to save the convoy many times making him quite the likable person in the convoy. It''s not like Aero had any other choice. He is after all considered a hero by most of the continent. When it is time for him to part with the convoy many people wished him goodbyes and give him some gifts as he is an influential person in Vanheim. Even the one thousand troops that sacrificed themselves in the Fort to hold back the enemy advance is grateful to Aero Aero has kept his promise and gave the people who sacrificed themselves much gold and great items that he looted. It is fortunate they did not die and only suffers injuries that is nothing much with the help of the healer after the battle The other soldiers didn''t object. Aero knows the importance of keeping promises. If he put himself in the righteous cause, he must act the part. Everyone have a role to play in this farce called politics. And he had taken part and give himself a role. For now, he will act that role perfectly He looks at the distance and there is a look of longing on his face before he sighed. Dan and Raina couldn''t come following him because they had to ride immediately to their estate to quickly handle the estate development. He would feel even more secured if they could follow Amy on the other hand after that night, he could barely see her. It was like she was intentionally hiding from him Of course now that he is at Karak it would be harder for him to meet her. ''Haish'' Aero sighed ''What is she playing at?'' Even now, every time he remember that night he couldn''t help feeling flustered It''s not like it''s the first time he kissed. It just felt¡­.special. Or maybe because it''s been a long time. "Hello, Sir Aero." A man greets Aero and Aero was brought back to his current location, away from his contemplation. Once again the smell of the ocean and the windy breeze of the sea washed over him. Aero look at the person in front of him. It was a short man with tan face and muscly arms. There is a trace of the hard work this man has done. His hair was curly and his smile was infectious. "My name is Ishtar and I will be your captain today" the captain said in an excited tone. His eyes were admiring Aero, with a mix of respect and fear "Ah, yes. Pleasure to meet you" Aero replied, clearly perplexed at the admiration of the captain at him. He''s after all never been at Karak before. He smiles nonetheless, emitting an affable aura "How do you know me?" asked Aero puzzled. Ishtar laughed "HAHAHA¡­It seems you do not know how famous you are, Sir Aero. My children always tell me stories about you" "Your children know about me?" This truly shocked Aero. And what shocked him there is even stories about him? "Yes. There are many plays that detail your adventure in fighting that evil Vetten King" ''What do you mean?'' Aero asked. Ishtar then proceeded to explain to Aero that many travelling performers all around the continent tell his story and act as him From Ishtar words, it seems Aero is portrayed as an honorable hero fighting an evil King determined to kill the people and terrorize the country. In the story it is said that he was honorable and that he is a man that disdain political matter which is why Aero rejected the King offers. Aero was also portrayed as a benevolent General that pleads for the life of the Vettenian soldiers. From the stories in the play, it told a story of where he went in front of the King George Throne Room and kneel for three days and three night pleading for the lives of Vettenian soldiers before the King agreed, gaining King George the reputation of a wise king and Aero as a wise and benevolent advisor of the King Hearing this Aero was shocked. His eyes almost bulged out. How could things could be exaggerated that much? This is no longer a story. This is already a drama. Hearing the story even Aero himself thought he was awesome. Pleads? He never pleaded; he insisted and instructed the King to the best course of action. Evil Vetten King? Since when the King was evil. ''Ahh...'' Aero finally understood. Entertainment has a way of sometimes tweaking the truth. A story of a hero fighting an evil king is easier to sell to the public. And it is easier to sell the story to the common folk. And to honest, it is even more interesting. Bards, minstrels and the likes have a hard life. He knows whatever he said to dispel such rumors would only backfired on him so he reply to Ishtar by saying "I do not deserve such praise" "You are exactly like in the stories. Humble and dignified" He said giddy with excitement. I guess people see what they want to see. Aero thought to himself "I hope you take care of me, Captain Ishtar" "Of course. You can count on it" Then he boarded the ship with the servants bringing his luggage and items. He was whistling in the starboard bow feeling happy and excited of his next adventure. He looks at the open sea and he takes a deep breath. There is no land on sight only water and more water from end to end. And Aero could only marvel at the beauty of this game. It looks exactly like the Sea on Earth. It felt so real. With each wind breezing by, he could smell the sea and all of his senses is telling him that all of this is real. It is a weird feeling. Standing there on the starboard, it was like he is standing at the helm of his own destiny. He always wanted to ride a ship, to sail the vast Sea. There is a romantic notion of being a captain of your own ship. To be surrounded by only water, with no possibility of sighting land and to navigate the stormy chaotic sea with only wit and ingenuity. To look at the sea and scream to the storms "Is that all you got?" To stand at the helm of your destiny. Aero smiles and he ask the wind and the sea ''What will be my adventure this time?'' ************************************************************************* This is a two part chapter. Anyway, Aero is about to get wrecked. Oh, forgive the pun.If you like the story please leave some reviews, vote and leave some comments. i like replying to comment. After this chapter is posted there will eb a few days where I will not be updating this chapter. It is because I am updating Lord Shadow. And if you want you can also join my discord where I mostly announce things either release or delayed release. Chapter 53 WRATH OF THE SEA 2 The sound of seagulls has now been a norm for him. The breezy wind of the sea blows by his robe and the waves of the ocean crash gently on the ship hulls as the ship keep moving forward propelled by the wind. It has been a week since he ride the ship. He is nearing the northern continent. Aero plans to stop in Bullion Port in Veva then proceed to Asgaro by a horse wagon. That was his plan. He is in his room after he log in back to the game., he is about to read a few more books about Vers Empire when suddenlyan ear shaking sound could be heard from the outside ''What''s that?'' he ask himself. But suddenly the boat started shaking, and the waves went crazy, dark clouds started gathering and thunder storms could be seen in the distance as the wind becomes faster and harsher. BOOOM! The sound grows louder and louder, like a war drums being pounded furiously announcing the beginning of a war Aero then quickly got out of his room and he rushed to starboard. He heard the men praying and heard the Captain kneeling chanting words of prayer. Ishtar was praying to Poseidon, God of the Sea. "I sing about Poseidon, the great god, mover of the earth and fruitless sea, god of the deep who is also ruler of all beneath the sea. O Shaker of the Earth, to be a tamer of horses and a savior of ships! Hail Poseidon Holder of the Earth, white-haired lord! O blessed one, be kindly in heart and help those who voyage in ships!" It seems somehow the clear weather suddenly turned into a storm. Aero knows a little about Poseidon, one of the Seven AIs that govern the Brave World mechanism. Being the God of the sea, he is often described as a god that is always calling forth storms, but at the same time he has it in his power to grant a successful voyage and save those who are in danger. As the sea surrounds and holds the earth, he himself is described as the god who holds the earth, and who has it in his power to shake the earth. Then suddenly the waves became more turbulent. The ship can''t stand this anymore, as planks started cracking Clouds were gathering in a faster speeds and winds falls down on them bearing pressure onto the ship and the crew. A storm of mythic proportions is upon them with lightning thrown into the surroundings of the ships. Some of the sailors have already been thrown off the ship because of the storm. The others were screaming, running around the ship like they were mad. Some tried to run by using the emergency raft only to be swallowed by the sea in a single gulp. Aero on the other hand did not know what to do. He is powerless. He can''t stop the storm. It is nature not something he could fight using wit or weapons. He almost laughed if not for the situation he is in right now. After all the fighting, and the battles he has been through he will die in the sea, because of a storm. How pathetic. This was his thoughts Then a huge wave, almost like a tsunami hit them. And every wood that supported the ship crumbled. The hull crack and broke. The water is rushing forward like a raging bull. Aero was thrown back by the sheer force of the wave that rushed through the sinking ship. Aero believes he is about to die. ''My items! Sword of Mars. If it is lost in the sea, how will I ever find it?'' He thought to himself, feeling frustrated as water fills his lungs and his body becomes heavier. His eyes closed, and his hand grew weaker before it became limp. Then he was carried by the wave, down and down he goes. ************************************************************************* ''Uhuk, Uhuk'' A man could be seen coughing up water as he was awaken from his unconsciousness Aero was coughing up water from his lungs. He is disoriented, he felt cold all over his body and his mind is dizzy like he got hit by a steel hammer. That was quite a traumatic experience for him because he couldn''t log off at that time before he lost his consciousness. Thinking about it he felt chills in his heart. He half expected to see the inside of his capsule at home but he woke up to see the blue sky of Brave World. Which means he is not dead yet but that did not make him feel good. After adjusting his vision he realized he is stranded on an island. ''My stuff.'' He quickly checked as he looked at his inventory list. ''It''s all here.'' And he smiles joyfully, as the wind breeze blows through him and he shivers a bit. ''Fuu'' He release his breath relieved It''s a miracle he survived. Thinking about that storm he would not be surprised to be dead. But it seems he is lucky. Then he began to slowly get up, as he could felt the water soak his robe and making it a little heavy. Aero was already thinking ways to get out of this island. But first he needs to know his bearings. He look in front of him and all he see is the vast expanse of water As he is about to look in other directions, a voice sounded from behind him. This voice startled him. The voice is spoken in a deep tone, and it was commanding. And Aero could swear he smells the scent of Summer Sea. "Quite a journey" The voice said with a tone of amusement Aero turned behind him to the direction of the voice. There he sees it. An old man with flowing white hair and trimmed white beard. He looks like a neat old man, Aero thought. In his right hand was a trident. Aero could feel pressuring energy is emanating from the trident. He wears a scale armor made by God knows what. His physique was muscular for an old man. Behind him were horses? It looks like horse but their hooves are weird. Aero soak all of the images in his mind and quickly trying to assess the old man in front of him And he did not like what his mind is telling him. "Yeah, it is quite a journey" sensing something weird Aero slowly moved back, ready to spring into action. The whole situation right now is weird and bizarre. "Who are you?'' Aero said, the caution in his tone of voice is as clear as day The old man grinned maliciously and replied "Why, little mortal. I''m the one that sank your ship" And he smiles broadly looking at Aero ************************************************************************* Part two of the chapter. Aero is meeting Poseidon, the Sea God. And this is not good.Not good at all. Anyway, please vote if you like the story and leave some comments and reviews Chapter 54 ICARUS U.S.A OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL The rain slowly falls down on the outside of the hospital, as the road becomes shiny and negate the summer heat. It is a light rain, as the sound of water pattering the tar road created a calm melody. A black car stops in front of the hospital, clearly belonging to someone influential considering there were many other cars behind the black car. They are all guarding the black car in the front. The driver went out of his seat and hold open the door of the passenger seat. A man gets out, his shoes steps on the road as he straighten his black suit and his tie. He look at the hospital in front of him and he smiles a bit. One look and one knows all of his clothing was branded from the most expensive shop and was top of their quality. ''At long last.'' The man said. The man is of Asian descent, sporting a neatly trimmed black hair and quite tall for an Asian man which made him quite handsome. This man is Matsuo Sugihara one of the co-founder of Vega Corp. And he finally found her. Julia. ''So, you are hiding here in the US'' he said to no one in particular. On the road, the bodyguard convoy stop and reviewing security concern as they are speaking to each other by using their communication device. Julia is quite an enigmatic woman. She is one of the researchers in his lab. And she was actually the brightest of them all. Even Takashi acknowledges her intelligence and that is saying something considering he is called the smartest man in the world Then suddenly three years ago she stopped from the Project and moved away. No one knows why It was a difference in opinion that drove her away at least that is what Matsuo believes. They used to work together in Project Icarus. But that project was scrapped after she quit. And a few years ago, he started searching her back. Actually he could find her sooner but he was busy with the VR and Takashi discovery. At that time he didn''t thought Project Icarus would be revived back Now, it''s even more important to revive back Project Icarus. From the background research he ordered, Matsuo discovered that Julia is sick. She is depending on her husband''s saving and the insurance. And Matsuo has always been suspicious of the husband background But that money is about to run out. This time she will need money. Her bank account is about to dry up. Matsuo hope he can persuade her to continue the research. It is not a blackmail¡­more like a more insistent persuasive method. After all, if there is one thing he does not lack, it is money Whether it be using money or force, she has to do it. Julia is one of the brightest mind Matsuo has ever seen other than him and Takashi. It might seems arrogance but no one would deny this statement. A bodyguard approached him after they finished making sure the hospital is not any security concern. "Sir, do you need us to accompany you?'' His bodyguard inquired. Matsuo contemplated and then said "No, this is personal." Then slowly he walked into the entrance, smiling with confidence. ************************************************************************* IN THE HOSPITAL A nurse entered a private room. It was Lisa. She looks at the patient in the room and she smiles a bit. She then asked to the patient who was looking absentmindedly outside the window. "Miss Julia, you have a visitor" Julia was startled and she look toward the voice. Seeing it was Lisa she flashed a weak smile and asks back "Is it my son?" But Lisa shakes her head ''No. He said he knew you and was your colleague" said Lisa as she handed Julia a card Then she checked the card. It is a weird symbol etched on the card "He said his name is Icarus" Hearing the name, Julia almost dropped the card. A look of fear flashed for a second on Julia face. "No, I don''t know him "Julia denied vehemently. Before Lisa managed to say another word the door was pushed open slowly and a man enter the room. "Oh, I''m hurt" said the voice sarcastically. The man spoke English with perfect accent The man has already entered the room. Julia eyes turns sharp. He looked the same as ever, she thought to herself. He radiates charisma and authority. Julia stares at him like she was looking at someone she no longer recognizes. Lisa look at both of them alternately and have half a mind to call the security Matsuo saw the nurse hesitation and he said with a calm tone that betrayed his own excited heart "It''s ok, we''re old friends. Aren''t we, Julia?" Matsuo said to Julia. Julia finally gives up. It would not be good if Matsuo presence here is known to many people. She didn''t want the media knocking her hospital door to know the relationship between her and the famous Matsuo Sugihara and even more her relationship with the founder of Vega Corp Takenaka Takashi. "It''s okay Lisa. I know him." Satisfied with the explanation, Lisa excuse herself from the room. The moment Lisa excuses herself form the room, the room atmosphere turns tense and cold "Why did you come here in the middle of nowhere?'' Julia immediately asked. Matsuo did not seem flustered. Instead he was calm and perfectly at ease. "Let me sit down first" he shakes his head as he grab the visitor chair and positioned himself near the bed "Impatient as ever" Matsuo remarked. Then looking at Julia hostility toward him he sighed. Then he ask "I have come here in the hopes to ask you to continue your research" "No" Julia quickly declined. She already knows what Matsuo want her to do. Project Icarus. She felt there might be other ways "That was a swift rejection" Matsuo chuckled slightly, clearly expecting this reaction. So he was not surprised. But that doesn''t mean he will give up that easily. "It is important¡­now than ever that we continue the Project" persuade Matsuo "We were vain, Matsuo. You and me both. That experiment should not be created from the very beginning." Julia said in a warning tone. "Why not?" Matsuo ask "We are not God" Julia begins raising her voice. "You named the Project¡­.Icarus. Are you not worried you might be burn to death because of your curiosity? Of trying to come close to the Divine?" she tried to lecture Matsuo. Matsuo jeered "Pah, that story. The ancient men would like you to believe that curiosity is humanity bane. I say Icarus dies not because he was curious but because he was stupid. I named it so I would always remember. Don''t reach for the sun if you didn''t have enough knowledge." Matsuo countered. ''I think on a fine day Daedalus look at the blue sky and ask himself "How can I fly above and reach for the sky?" Matsuo said. Julia did not say anything on this. She close her eyes and then take a deep breath. She is actually weak right now and her heart couldn''t take much pressure. She then opens her eyes and asks "So is there anything different than what you''re about to do now?" Julia countered back. "I have you didn''t I?" Matsuo said still showing her that confident smile. "Why now?" Surely Matsuo could have found her beforeif he bothers looking. "The world may need that experiment more than ever" said Matsuo grimly Matsuo and Julia are researchers. Both of them discovered something a few years back. They discovered a void dimension. Nothingness at the most purest sense. But he and Takashi got an idea. Like they always do when they go to an uncharted territory in science What if this void dimension can be restructured? What if we can put data in it? And so begins their first venture. And miraculously enough in their journey for truth, they had a bit of help with some mystical elements along the way. It opened Matsuo and Takashi horizon to a brand new world. It was a brave new world The world is wider than they think and they believed that there are still many things left to be discovered. Alexander King did tried to spy on the research of the Vega Corp but armed with the most high tech of the era, he has never succeeded. And the resulting of their research is Brave World. That''s the VR. But their goal was something more ambitious than that. They wanted to create a new world. Literally. And now with the impending meteor strikes the world might need it. Though to be honest Matsuo didn''t do it because of the people. Julia knows this better than anyone. Matsuo is different than the pure peaceful science loving Takashi. Even Julia sometimes wondered how two people who have such opposite personalities mesh so well. Matsuo is a megalomaniac. Narcissistic. And have a grand delusion of grandeur. But there is no doubt about his intelligence. Which makes him all the more dangerous. Smart and arrogant is not the best combination. Coupled with his desire, he is a truly terrifying man. Takashi¡­.on the other hand is the pure researcher and too na?ve. He never saw Matsuo true colors and¡­.he would never mistrust his friend. But she did "I will offer you a lot of money." Matsuo tries to persuade Julia "As you can see, I can''t move" Sarah pointed to her feet. Matsuo just looked at the direction of the feet boringly. How could she not understand? If the theory worked, all of this doesn''t matter anymore. She can be anyone who she wanted to be. They would be Gods "You cannot move. But that doesn''t mean you can''t think" Matsuo has always admired Julia minds and her ideas. Without her the ideas for the VR would not be created. If not for her insistence that she is not mentioned in the research journal and the research records, Takashi would surely give her a high position in the company. Instead she got out of Japan and went to the U.S "There is a moral implication" Julia was hesitating. "Then how about this?" Then Matsuo tell her about the meteor strikes. And how in all probability, it will hit Earth. She is of course shaken. Julia has a son. If what Matsuo said is true, then her son doesn''t have any future. But of course she knew Matsuo said it because he knew the only way to manipulate her is by using her son. "Maybe you''re wrong?" she tried to hope it is. "I''m never wrong" Matsuo said confidently. He is still an arrogant prick. But a genius pricks. Julia reminds herself. "Let me think on this" Matsuo has a smirk on his face. Then he got up from his seat and smartened his suit "Alright, in a week I need to get back to Japan. Before that I would like to hear your answer. And if you accept don''t worry about the medical expenses. I will pay it" With those final words he exited the room. And Julia is left thinking. ''Am I really considering this?'' ************************************************************************* Double chapter for today. Hope you all like the story so far and please vote if you can. And leave some reviews Chapter 55 FOREBODING OMENS 1 ON THE ISLAND Pain. That was the first thing that register on his mind. A gut wrenching pain that seems to be traveling to every nerve on his body. It was like something sharp grinding on his every nerve, flaying him softly. Cold. That is the second thing that register in his mind after the pain subsided a bit. Those two combination does not feel great. That''s all he felt. Cold and pain. His teeth chattered because of the chill and his hands and body was trembling and shaking from the impact of the pain. The developer even included this in their VR. For what reason, he couldn''t understand. It was a pain like no other. The area that he was stabbed feel very hot. This is how the people who died because of his sword felt. What a useless thought, he mused Searing hot pain. Unspeakable pain. For one moment he could understand the pain that he inflict on the players that he killed during the war. And he pities them. It''s not sympathy. It''s empathy. Aero could see the blood flowing from his stomach, drenching the white sands beneath his body with red. He also has coughed up blood for how many times now. His internal organs are all ruptured He is sprawled weakly on the white sandy beach. Poseidon has already disappeared into the sea. It was absurd. The event how he comes to this state came flashing back. **************************************************************** "Who are you?" Aero asked again. Tension filled the air. Aero could sense this is not an ordinary old man. And looking at the old man and the trident he holds, Aero could already guessed who is the old man "I am Poseidon, God of the Sea, The Earth Shaker." He declared. The wave behind him rages and roars. The horses behind him neighed and winds swirls beneath their feet. Aero on the other hand paled on his face ''A god? A god! This is absurd. Gods exist?'' He thought to himself. Aren''t they just a flavor text to add the immersion to the game and to explain the religion of this world? Aero knows that the so called Seven Gods is just AI but he didn''t think they actually have a body. Aero thought they are just like a program. "You''re kidding right?" asked Aero not quite believing what he just heard. "Kidding?" He said, his tone rising. Then suddenly he calmed down. Then he smiles. "Well, no matter, you''re not going to be here long. And I don''t have that much time to waste talking too much to a mortal" Then he opens up his palm. Aero Sword of Mars fly towards him. Poseidon take the swords gracefully like it always belongs to him. "Wha¡ª" shocked by this sudden action, Aero was speechless. Then suddenly Poseidon was already in front of him. "Freeze" he ordered And Aero body could not move, every single nerve of his body was frozen. In that moment, Aero accepted the truth. This is Poseidon. The God of the Sea. No matter how absurd the idea is, it seems the Gods AI is not the type of Gods AI the players imagine them to be. They are usually like the story background of the game, also an integral part of the VR, only there to add some spice to the game. But the stories are real. Then for that fraction of a moment, Aero had a revelation. What if all the stories in Brave World are not just text to enrich the gaming experience? What if, the NPCs have their own world? This world. What if this world is not just a game? A real world. With history and their own culture. Created and evolving all the time. Then his thoughts reeled back to his predicament. And without a word Poseidon stabs him in the gut. No explanation. No nothing. He just stabs Aero intending to settle this as fast as possible. Aero even thought he would get some quest but nothing. Bloods starts flowing from Aero stomach. Aero then coughed up blood. Poseidon just watch with glee. Then calmly Poseidon walks to his chariot and dove into the sea like nothing happened. The moment Poseidon dove into the sea, Aero collapsed to the ground. And that is how he came to be. Sprawled in the white sand, he waited. Waiting to be log off by the system. It seems this will be the first time he will die in Brave World. His most prized sword was stolen. And after he died if he wants to retrieve back the robe he needs to find this island again. But Aero don''t know where this island is. Is it in the Northern continent? Or is it in another place? He was drifted here by the ocean. Then slowly the pain numbed. The cold become unbearable. He began to sense his end is near. He will be spawn at Vanheim. But he can''t log in for a while. Then Aero senses tingle. He senses something. He looked up weakly. The sky opens up as something powerful is about to descend from the open sky He saw a light that almost blinded him and this light covered the entire island. From that light appears a woman full with full plated war armor. Her appearance was majestic and dignified. She has a crested helm, armed with shield and spear. Her helmet was ornamented in the most beautiful manner with griffins, heads of rams, horses, and sphinxes. Her shield depicts two ravens. One was black, the other was gray. A snake trimmed aegis cloak wrapped around her breast and arm. Every armament that she wears was golden. She was glorious, blinding as the light itself. And Aero thought she looked fierce and warlike. Her eyes were grey but shone brightly. Aero impression of her is that her figure is thoughtfulness and earnestness. Her hair is rich and generally combed backwards over the temples, and floats freely down behind. The whole figure is majestic. She was rather strong built than slender. Her hips are small and the shoulders broad, so that the whole somewhat resembles a male figure. But to Aero she was beautiful in a pure way. Not sexy or cute. Not that kind of beautiful. Fierce and fiery. Yes, that''s the word. ''Just like Amy.'' He guess dying makes you remember ridiculous thought. When she stepped down on the island, the sandy white sand floats a bit from the ground and the sea trembles with rage. She steps towards Aero and looked at him. "O mortal. How unfortunate for you to have invite Poseidon ire towards you. Yet this is a breach of the Divine Law'' Then she sighed as she looked at the raging wave. She shakes her head and said ''But pursuing Poseidon on this matter will not bode well for the Gods." She said. Her voice was smooth and calm. ''Was she explaining or lecturing me? I''m not sure'' Aero thought to himself. Then she continued. "I have always paid a special interest towards you, mortal. I was with you when you fought. I was with you in your time of glory. I was with you when you strike your opponent down. I helped you in ways you could not have imagined. I plant fears in the hearts of your enemies. I was with you with in every swing and every slash" She said sadly while looking at Aero withering body. "I am the goddess of wise counsel, war, and heroic endeavor, Athena." She declares as the thunder boomed in the sky like acknowledging her declaration "To see you die here unjustly, does not sit well with me." "But I can help you adventurer. Will you pray for my help?" She offered. With all the strength left in his body, Aero nodded. "Good. " She smiles "Pray to me when you''re there" she said. There? Where is there? Then suddenly Aero felt like he was falling. Falling into a world of darkness. ************************************************************************* Part one of the chapter. The second part of the chapter will be posted in a few seconds Chapter 56 FOREBODING OMENS 2 A FEW DAYS BEFORE AERO MISHAP THE SKY TERRA DE DEORUM Today is a joyous day in the Land of the Gods. Even though they are plagued with the Pope problem, finally the King of the Gods, the god of the sky and weather, law, order and fate is finally about to get married. All the Gods came from their realm giving their congratulation. The Gods seems to revel in the celebration and avoid speaking about how Hera and Zeus got hitched. The story of how Zeus tricks Hera on marrying him is a story not spoken on a good company. Hera made Zeus promise to stop his gallivanting with mortals in order for her to agree marrying Zeus. He agreed. Though for the many Gods that knew Zeus, they all knew that it takes more than a promise for Zeus to comply. Zeus looked happy today. Finally he has found a Queen. Today he looked more regal than usual. He has sturdy figure and his dark bead trim nicely. His hair was white and flowed lightly behind his back. For his wedding he has created a palace like none others for the Gods and him to rule. Zeus wanted to be praise more than the Eternal Father. The name of the place would be called Olympus. The name was given by Hades who sits in the Underworld. He is the most high and powerful among the immortals, whom all others obey. So why not a palace grander than anything ever constructed? Today even though it is his wedding day, he was still armed. In the stories it is said that he is armed with thunder and lightning, and the shaking of his aegis produces storm and tempest. The feast were planned to last until nine hundred years but because of the current problem they need to cut short on the feast. Since they are immortals time never meant that much for them. In the old days when they held a feast it would last hundreds of years. But now with the arrival of the adventurers, there are many unforeseen circumstances that prevent doing that kind of long feast. The feast was attended by all. The word of Zeus wedding resounds throughout the universe. Every minor God has come with gifts and congratulation. The only major God that didn''t come was Hades who is busy in his job overseeing the death. There are also some mortals that are lucky to have been invited. Oracles are also transported to the wedding to sing hymns of Zeus. ""To Zeus, Most High .I will sing of Zeus, chiefest among the gods and greatest, all-seeing, the lord of all, the fulfiller who whispers words of wisdom to man. Be gracious, all-seeing God, most excellent and great!" Some oracles sing songs of praiseshoping to get blessed. Not wanted to be outwitted another oracle shout back. "O Zeus, much-honoured, Zeus supremely great, to thee our holy rites we consecrate, our prayers and expiations, king divine, for all things to produce with ease through mind is thine. Hence mother earth and mountains swelling high proceed from thee, the deep and all within the sky. Gods king, descending from above, magnanimous, commanding, sceptered Zeus; all-parent, principle and end of all, whose power almighty shakes this earthly ball; even nature trembles at thy mighty nod, loud-sounding, armed with lightning, thundering god. Source of abundance, purifying king, O various-formed, from whom all natures spring; propitious hear my prayer, give blameless health, with peace divine, and necessary wealth." Zeus was in joy. "Give those oracles great gift" Zeus ordered his subordinates. Zeus also gives them his blessing. To be blessed with good luck and successful in their endeavor. And then the feast began. All Gods give their blessing. They ate, drink and laugh, a grand feast slowly taking shape. It would seem like the food won''t be able to accommodate everyone. But if you think that you''re wrong. And every time the food looks like it about to run out the plates refilled itself. This is the blessing of Demeter. All of them sang song to the celestial couple. Songs of joy celebrating Zeus and Hera wedding resounded in the sky. Hephaestus sings so terribly some naiads almost dies in the spot. To remedies it, the Gods ask Aphrodite to sing. Hephaestus look sullen. Everyone was entranced by her singing. Even Hephaestus. The naiad that almost dies spring back to life. Some centaur even tries to profess their love to the Love Goddess. But Aphrodite just give them her naughty smile that would ensnare them. They also danced in celebration. The fairies, naiad, and nymph were going crazy with their dancing. Athena on the other hand just sits uncomfortably in her seat. So does Poseidon who was looking uninterested in the feasts. Zeus on the other hand joins the other in dancing, even so far as invite Hera to dance with him. All in all it was a joyous wedding. Until at the end of the feast, an oracle who came late reveals a prophecy. The major Gods ordered this Oracle to wait in the Council room to hear his prophecy. Then the Oracle introduced himself. "My name is Nestor, Your Most Gracious Lord Zeus, Lord of the Sky. I came bearing bad news." Zeus knows this mortal. He is favored by him. "What is it?" Poseidon ask. "I had a prophetic dreams a few days ago. I contemplated to tell the Gods about this for fear I will be smitten to death." Nestor said nervously surrounded by all the Gods staring so intently at him. "Tell me, Oracle what have you dream?" ordered Zeus. The Oracle hesitated. Then he said. "O Lord Zeus. You are my lord and you have favored me over of all the Oracle. Therefore I will speak; but take thought and swear that you will readily defend me with word and with might of hand; for I think I shall anger a man who rules mightily over Veva, and whom the Vevaians obey. For mightier is a king, when he is angry he is lesser man. Even if he swallows down his wrath for that day, yet afterwards he cherishes resentment in his heart till he brings it to fulfillment. Say then, if you will keep me safe." In answer to that Zeus declared. "Take heart, and speak out whatever oracle you know; for by my name, to whom you, Nestor, pray when you reveal oracles to the mortals and adventurer alike, no one, while I live and have sight on the earth, shall lay heavy hands on you, no one of the whole host of the Earth, not even if you name the Gods." Relieved the Oracle spoke. "There will be a war." He said slowly "A war instigated by your stepson." A look of understanding comes to Zeus. "Yes the King calling himself by your name, favored by you" "So, he has wage war before. What is your point?" Zeus asked. "This war is like no other. This war intends to even divide the Gods into two faction." he said grimly "What else you see?" Demeter asked from behind, looking solemn now. "That the Vevaian King is involved I have no doubt. But the other that is involved in this war I could not see. He was obscured. I could only see a light that rose in the East. So bright and hot it intends to burn everything" he said warningly. The Gods listened. The Oracles get their dreams usually from them. But Nestor is special. He gets his prophetic dreams from The Three Fates, which is why he is favored by Zeus. The Three Fates was created to calculate probability. It was created simply to guess mortal and adventurer''s intention and what they intend to do. In the world that Aero lives they are a probability device. When Athena heard the prophecy, she lights up. She got an idea who the Oracle is talking about. This is because Athena always spends many of her time in the east this couple of years. She also surveying the development of this one player since the players is in the possession of one of the Godly weapons. Of course in his hands the potential of the sword was not fully unleashed. But still, Athena liked the mortal boy. The boy is smart and wise. Qualities that Athena admires. Then the Gods disperse and return to their task of discovering the Pope mastermind and all the while worrying about the prophecy. Athena was in the west when she felt a disturbance. A God has set foot in the mortal world. Athena tries to see, but she could not. It was shielded from her. Not a minor God. Athena thought. Thankfully a bird flew over the place. From the bird Athena could see what is happening. Poseidon has breached a divine law. And the person that the God killed is Aero. Athena believes that the other person mentioned in the prophecy is Aero. Quickly Athena teleports herself to the island. And there she promised her help to the adventurer if he prayed to her. And then she sent him to the underworld. ''Fight and survive. Show me you''re worthy.'' Athena said as she saw that adventurer soul is dragged into the Underworld. ************************************************************************* Last chapter for today and for the week. If you like the story please vote and leave some comments or reviews Chapter 57 BRIGHT EYED 1 ASGARO KINGDOM There, sits on his throne, looking forlorn after hearing the new reports on the border was once famous warrior called by the name of Red Axe by his peers. The name was domineering and powerful. But none such qualities could longer be found in this man This man is the King of Asgaro. King Fjord of Asgaro is now nothing but an old man but he always possesses the vitality of youth. But no longer had such vitality reflected in his body. His visage is the image of a defeated man. His short braided red hair and red beard was unkempt showing how much of trouble these couple of weeks for him When standing he is seven feet tall and look mighty and heroic but nowhere now that mightiness could be displayed. The Red Axe that used to roam the battlefield, the great hero that brought back enemy general head with one slash of his axe is no longer. Now, sits on the throne is a defeated king. The war has taken its toll on him King Fjord in his desperation wrote a letter to the renowned strategist in Vanheim that repel the larger army of Vetten to come aid him. If the strategist agree, he would not mind showering the man with riches and all that he desires Alone, in his throne room, he shows the face he could not show his subject. It was a face of fatigue. He is tired fighting a war that he is destined to lose. Many nights, he spends on his room looking at the moon and sighing. He was waiting for Aero to come to his Kingdom and was hoping the man would have a solution for him. When he heard the strategist was intending to come, he was overjoyed. He has heard that Aero has departed from Karak delegates and was sailing to his Kingdom. Hearing this Fjord send some of his officers to escort him. With the threats of Leo Clan and the King Zeus in Veva he is hoping that Aero would be his salvation. Then he heard a bad news just a few days ago in his war room. It seems a great unnatural storm has hit the ship carrying the strategist in its journey to Asgaro. The sailors that passed the region has witnessed the event and said they could see a wreck of a ship, wooden planks scattered about in the shores of the nearby small uninhabited island. However the fates of the crew are not yet certain. Hearing this King Fjord is discouraged and was frustrated. The longer the battle became with Leo clan, the more King Fjord become pessimistic about his chance of winning the war. Not to mention he dreaded facing Zeus of the North. It is why he pinned his hope on Aero. The whole continent knew the poem. Zeus of the North, Aero of the East. Zeus of the North was akin a God in battle. His track is hidden by the wind and the weather help him in opportune moments It was like the Gods of Olympus helps him in his deed. The more it is like this the more Fjord dreaded meeting that young king in battle. Leo clan attack is proving too brutal and powerful, smashing his armies like they were made of brittle bones. With King Zeus of Veva eyeing his Kingdom like a hungry wolf, how could Fjord sit comfortably on his throne? After Zeus conquered Veva, Fjord believes that the young king was satisfied. But hearing from the spies that he sent to infiltrate Veva, the news only added to his worries He heard that Zeus is preparing for another war. His army is trained night and day and they were even more disciplined than before with more emphasis put in the military in Veva. Farming is cultivated so that they will have enough supply for food and Fjord knows where the supplies would go. It is the most basic of warfare. To field an army, one need to remember supplies. How could not he be worried, night and day? The advisors have all given him all kinds of advice but none of them knew how to stop the advancement of their enemies and none give him a solution that could ease his heart. He hoped that by hiring Aero, that the renowned strategist would give him a solution for him to escape the predicament. Even now with the nobles united under him for the first time since the formation of the kingdom to push back their enemies, still no progress is made. ''It seems even the Gods have abandoned me.'' He sigh as he got up from his throne and walk to the garden. Trying to ease his worries he tried to enjoy the scenery and smell the flowers but it did nothing to solve his unease. Finally before night came, he went to the Temple of Athena near his palace and kneel in prayer ''Daughter of aegis bearing maid, Wisdom child, the bright eyed bringer of abundant wit, aid me in my bold endeavor, on whose guidance I rely, I fulfilled my vow and burn sacrifices in your name, so please I pray to be friendly to me now, and hold thy hand above my works and give success on this and all the days I live'' He prayed religiously and then he throws some cattle meat into the sacrificial fire. He then went back to his palace and began resting That night, he went to his bed to get a little sleep and refreshes his spirit. Lying down, he closes his eyes and he went to sleep. Deep in his sleep, he dreams and this dream was unlike any other dreams he had before. He arrived in a meadow filled with vibrant green grass and beautiful flowers of every kind filling the vast field The surrounding was beautiful and captivating, revitalizing his spirit and made him feel like he was a youth again. The fragrant smell of flowers is soothing and has a calming effect. He walk forward surrounded by these beautiful scenery as he felt a presence behind him Sensing something he looked back. And there he sees a woman standing behind him, unlike any other mortal woman he has ever seen in his life. The sunlight illuminated her like she descended from the heavens. She has a crested helm, armed with shield and spear that emits powerful aura. Her helmet was decorated with a number of beasts that seems to be alive. Her shield shone like the sun, blinding and hot. She looked slender but strong and even one might call mighty. Her black hair is combed backwards. Her bright eyes shows an unbroken determination and bestow bravery to anyone that saw her gaze She looks like a mighty warrior ready to spring to action. Fjord immediately knows who she is. ''Anyone who ever gone to the temple knows.'' He thought to himself as he quickly kneels to the ground, honored that he could meet one of the Goddesses. Goddess Athena is the patron goddess of Asgaro Kingdom since time immemorial. The story of how Athena and Poseidon vie for Asgaro which was called back then Athena is famous. "The Kingdom of Asgaro is deserving of praise, not only from the citizens but from all men, on many grounds, but first and foremost because this Kingdom is god-beloved. The strife of the gods who contended over Her and their judgment testifies to the truth of our statement." His father once says to him of this praise when he was young. He was always proud to be the King of this Kingdom. But now the Kingdom is in a brink of collapse. And now the Goddess Athena come to his dream. Could this be an omen? "Rise mortal" the Goddess said, her voice was calm but there is also a stern quality to it like a mother. The voice echoes in this meadow Fjord rise and look in the Goddesses face. And how fierce must the Goddess looks, for Fjord almost tremble in fear. When he saw her before, she was not like this, Fjord thought. Then Athena spoke "I have heard that you have asked for a boy named Aero to give you wise counsel, mortal?" She asked. Quickly Fjord replied, "Yes, glorious Goddess, savior of cities" Fjord words were laden with praises. This is common knowledge in any encounter with Gods or any supernatural entity beyond human powers. Many stories of old, tell stories of people who fail to respect the Gods and supernatural entities and invited their wrath. The story of the three princesses comes to his mind as he tries to shows how obedient he is. The three sister fate was tragic. As punishment Athena drove them mad and they leapt to their deaths from the heights of their castle. Fjord will not repeat that mistake. Athena nodded and then she speak, her voice is authoritative and firm "I have need of the boy and I have taken him under my protection. He will be tested by my trial. So he will not come to your aid. Do you object?" she asked calmly but it was also like she is daring him to reply no. Of course Fjord is not stupid. He will not invite the wrath of the Gods unto him. "No, of course not, bright-eyed Goddess." ''But-''still Fjord also could not help but worries about his Kingdom. Athena saw this so she said "Long before mortals laid claims to this land, Cerkrop, a king that has a body of a man and serpent was a king in this land. In that time, the gods resolved to take possession of cities in which each of them should receive his own peculiar worship." Athena suddenly spoke cutting Fjord from talking. Fjord knows better to interfere so he listens. "So Poseidon was the first that came to this land, and with a blow of his trident on the middle of the kingdom, he produced a powerful spring that flows and become a river which they now call Erenthesia which flows into the Sea of Sorrow." Fjord nodded. He knows the story. It is the story of how Athena was granted Athens as her patron cities Athens was the old name for Asgaro Kingdom. "After him came me," Athena puffed her chest as she declares "And, having called on Cerkrop to witness my act of taking possession of this kingdom, I planted an olive tree, given to me by Demeter, which is still shown in my grandest temple." She said proudly. "But when the two of us strove for possession of the country, Zeus parted us and appointed arbiters. The arbiters are but the other remaining major Gods." Then she continued speaking. "And in accordance with their verdict the kingdom was adjudged to me, because Cerkrop bore witness that I had been the first to plant the olive. I, therefore, called the city Athens after myself, to show how greatly I love them and Poseidon, in hot anger flooded the Kingdom with his godly powers and almost laid this Kingdom under the sea." Then he was beaming at Fjord. "I came to you to lend my strength and wisdom to you, for you are the descendant of a Kingdom once blessed by me. I have heard of your prayers and your love for me" Fjord was overjoyed. A goddess will help him. Gods helping mortal openly. He had never heard such occurrence since the War of The Gods the first time. "So, ease your worries, mortal for I will aid you in your trouble. Rejoice and prepare for war. I am glory-personified. And if you want glory, you need to be prepared and wise. For no victory comes without a price" She said warningly. Fjord cry tears of joy. "Tell this to your people" "Of course, of course, Wise one." Then Fjord wakes from his sleep. ************************************************************************* Part one o the chapte Chapter 58 BRIGHT EYED 2 VEVA KINGDOM The throne room atmosphere is solemn. Zeus, Eric and Bart are eyeing Asgaro since they took down Veva. Everyone in the court know the King ambition. Instead of Saril and Vor alliance that will prove hard to attack as long as they stay united it is better if they attacked Asgaro first for their resources. With Leo clan also rebelling on their King, Eric suggested to Zeus to wait for Leo clan to weaken Asgaro and then Zeus could come to take Asgaro with a big host of armies. His soldiers is till invigorated after their success on usurping the thrones could not wait to plunge themselves into another war. It seems the excitement of war is not easily forgotten. They also seem to want to have the same kind level of adventure as Aero. All of the troops have seen Aero footage in fighting the war. And they are all excited because their war is not like that. Their war was just about persuading some old lecherous King to step down. So it was not as interesting as Aero war scenes. All the troops are impatient to begin another battle. So does Zeus. After the feast he could not stand still. Though, his reason for waging war against Asgaro is a bit different from the other soldiers. If it is according to his whim, he would ride his horse and lay siege to the Asgaroian by himself. Of course Bart and Eric both objected to this. Rage doesn''t solve anything, he advises Zeus. Zeus was in a rage after hearing that the Asgaro Kingdom smears his name to the entire continent. Eric and Bart know Zeus rage. Zeus consuming rage is at times wavering, but at other times he cannot be cooled no matter the advice they gave him. And this is one of the times. So, they persuaded Paris, the former prince of Veva to console him. They sent a messenger to him summoning him to the palace. Paris was a handsome young prince, with blue eyes and neatly trimmed blonde hair. It is said that any woman who looked at him will be bewitched. Paris Son of Veva II was allowed to live because Deus favors him. He was an NPC that has always supported Zeus in his early days. And Paris hates his father gallivanting ways so much, that he followed Zeus. And for that, he was appointed to be a prince. It is ironic that none of Zeus friends could console his anger, but an NPC can. So, Zeus after being consoled by Paris, heeds Eric and Bart advice. When the opportune moments come he will strike Asgaro and ease his raging hearts. This would later prove to be true and disastrous for Zeus. In not so distant future, Zeus will attack and siege Asgaro Kingdoms to waste. It is said because of Zeus rage, the Kingdom turned red with blood. His army seizes all the valuables and massacres the inhabitants without exception. It is also said after several days of slaughter and looting, the smell of death and rotting flesh proves too much even for his soldiers to endure. They then move their camp away from the scorched ruins of the Kingdoms. However the one thing that Zeus should not have done when entering the city was looting the Temple of Athena. Such acts have never been done before. Such acts should not be done. Even Zeus in the Sky was shocked. This also invites Athena wrath towards Zeus, both the God and the adventurer. Of course there''s also Athena anger to Paris. For when the Kingdom was attacked, Zeus Lord of the Sky tricked her into his dominion and obscured her sight from Asgaro Kingdom. Not knowing the repercussion, this act will split the Gods into two factions. After knowing what happens, Athena was fuming with her rage. So terrible her wrath, that this act of sacrilege by Zeus was cursed by her and she offered her strength and wisdom to Aero inciting Aero to wage war against Zeus. The people of Veva were also struck down by a deadly plague sent by Athena, as punishment for the desecration of her temple by their king Zeus. An oracle declared that they must thenceforth dispatch two maidens to the site of the temple regularly for three years in order to appease the goddess. Of course when Zeus marches his army to Asgaro, he did not know that all of this will come to pass. But one person knows. As the Vevaian King was intoxicated with his plan, stood atop a hill not far away from the Vevaian King palace, stand a blind man that prophesied this matter. He look towards the Palace and laugh ''I saw everything, the things that happens in the past and the things that will happen in the future. Strive forward and try to break the Fates'' And he laughs as his word and action is obscured by the Three Fates ************************************************************************* A new chapter will be posted on Wednesday Chapter 59 FIELD OF ASPHODEL THE UNDERWORLD Thud! He falls to the ground with a shaking momentum and his body felt a jolt of sensation. Aero finally felt the ground. But he also felt the pain after crashing to the ground. ''Arghh'' he lets out a groan of pain. He thought his body would be squashed into mashed meat, yet, weirdly other than a few sores aching sensation on his back he is not dead even after falling from such a long height. After hours of falling he thought that there will be no end to the falling and what awaited him in the end is only death Then when he opened his eyes and tries to adjust himself, he was greeted with status windows. -You have been blessed with Athena blessing- -You can see the tormented souls in the River Styx- -You can see the Gods in their invisible form- -Because you were blessed by Athena all your stats increase by 40 points- ''Uhm'' Aero was puzzled but his eyes turns calm as he tries to analyze what is happening to him. After confirming the status window description and looking left and right he finally understands where he landed. And that revelation make him felt scared and yet at the same time excited. He was not entirely wrong when he thought he would die But he was not entirely correct either on what that entails. The Underworld.That is where he is right now. And he was at the entrance. In front of him was a gigantic archway. At the archway was inscribed on the bricks of the archways Lasciate Ogne Speranza Voi Chintrate. Aero chuckles a bit as he reads the inscription. "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here" Aero read Dante Inferno so he understand what that means. Aero could see some spirits of the dead, roaming aimlessly around the entrance. It seems they floated around in the entrance with no purpose. There is some spirits that is just sitting and not moving in the archway, looking empty in the eyes and moving only when something seems to attract its attention. Then he saw a spirit that attract his attention. He probably died in battle, Aero thought to himself. Aero believes that because the man armor is splattered with blood. He looks around for a couple of minutes to see anything else but other than dark and gloom he sees not much else. Then he tries to send a message to Dan and his other companion Your message cannot be send He tries it again and again and every time he got the same message. Aero doesn''t know what to do now. The road in front of him looked dark and dangerous and the cold wind assault his body reaching down to his bones. This is not normal cold. Actually at first he thought he would die after being stabbed. But Athena has sent him to the Underworld with all of his items intact. Of course the sword remains stolen. But at least now he doesn''t have to worry about the robe. It is one of the thing he would surely regret losing. He also already checked his health. He was reinvigorated to full life. But now he began to regret accepting Athena offer. Dying from stabbing will not result in too much level loss. But dying in the underworld with God knows what monster may lose him more levels than he could imagine. Talking about that, he never thought the underworld was real. He thought like other lore in the game, it was just one of the backstory to make the world more vivid and exciting But Aero also senses opportunity. If he could send this footage to the broadcasting stations imagine how much views he will get which translate to more money Proving that the Gods were real and the AI is existing with the players playing the game and even the Underworld exist. This might open a whole new questline. Aero could already imagine the hype. ''Heh'' he smirked. He tries to log out and he succeeds. Coming out of his capsule, he first pinches himself. Then a smile is slowly forming on his face and then he shouted ''Yeah!!Hahahaha'' And then he jump out from his capsule and then jump up and down in excitement in his room. Calming his nerves, he went to the kitchen and down a bottle of water before making himself a lunch. As he is preparing the food, he is smiling and whistling. Then as the happy steroid settling down, he went to his usual mode. He is thinking about many times as he think how best to prepare himself. ''This is not yet the time to publicize this'' he thought to himself. And he nodded to himself as he is washing the dishes on the sink. ''I need to prepare myself'' He needs to check some more things about the Underworld before he could decide what to do with this information. If he keep this to himself, maybe he could monopolize any future related quest regarding the Gods and the Underworld. Thinking up to this point he decided to keep mum about his discovery¡­..at least for now. There is no use killing the goose that lays the golden egg¡­..at least not until it laid all of its golden egg. He takes a nap for a while and then after resting adequately he logged back in. ''I arrived again.'' Looking left and right and seeing a bleak area, cold, damp and full of blood stained paths he said ''This place is really all gloom and doom. Well, I don''t expect pearly gates but at least it should have some welcoming treats for the dead'' And he laughs at his own joke. Aero¡­.is a bad joker. And that is a fact any of his friend could attest to. Jokes aside, Aero then started assessing his situation. He could not contact any of his friends but he can log off. His items are fine. The only thing that is missing is his Sword of Mars. His level also did not drop. Athena send him here to test him. This is based purely on his speculation and is not yet proven All in all, it was a good result for him. He nodded after evaluating his circumstances Now he needs to find the exit from this place. But it is easier said than done. It''s not like everyone is equipped with the map of the underworld. So Aero decides to pray to Athena. But he never learns how to pray to the Goddess. Thinking about this, he thinks when he got to the surface again, he needs to brush up his knowledge on the Gods and Goddess of this world. So Aero just put his hand together and said. "I pray to you, Wise Goddess of War to give me strength and guidance" He remembers that Athena in his world is referred as the Goddess of Wisdom and War The moment he uttered the words of prayer the Space Time around the entrance seems to b disturbed as a small light materialize out of thin air and the light shimmered. From the shimmering light Athena appears as the light repels the spirit that is flying nearby as they flew away frightened. Aero look at Athena and he frowned. Athena did appear but her image does not look solid. "You have finally prayed to me adventurer" Athena was looking at him, smiling a wistful smile and her eyes seem to contain all the wisdom of the world. Aero realizes that Athena image is an illusion crafted by the Goddess. Athena realizing that Aero is looking at her intently said "I could not come to you in my solid form for Lord Hades realm is not my realm and a special realm where all authority of it lies solely in the hands of Lord Hades'' Aero nodded. Athena then continued her words ''I have seen your unjust punishment young hero and I have taken a liking to you. I would ask you do you want to take back what you have lost? Do you want to see Poseidon punished for his transgression? " Said Athena trying to motivate Aero. Aero jut nodded. Remembering how he was stabbed suddenly without explanation lit a fire in Aero heart. Then Athena proceeds to tell Aero the reason why Poseidon kill him. Listening to her, Aero finally understands why he was being attacked by a God. ''Damn, Lizhu Gerard really had crazy adventures. Adventures which implicates me'' Aero thought to himself. But still to kill him just because of that, --that is hardly appropriate. "I called for a quest!" suddenly the Goddess declared. "A quest, Wise Lady?" said Aero puzzled. "Yes, the only way to get what you lost is by convincing the other Gods you were worthy and Poseidon act was wrong if only it was voted by the all the Seven Gods. So I will give you task that will endeavor you to them" Then Athena continue "For the first task you must search a man called Deria in the Field of Asphodel and bring him with you to solve the second task" Tting. The quest notification sounded. SAVING DERIA The Goddess Athena has asked you to search and save a man called Deria in the Field of Asphodel. Reward: : Fame increase : Reputation increase : You will be gifted aspecial gift by Athena : Strength increase : Wisdom increase : Intellect increase : Gain the approval of Hephaestus. Difficulty level: C "Who is this man, Wise Lady?" Aero asked. Aero knows how important information is. So he would drill the Goddess for answers until he could not dig anything anymore out of the Goddess Athena seems to hesitate to tell Aero but then she tells Aero who the man really is. "Well, he is the offspring of Hephaestus with a mortal. For the crime of trapping Zeus in the throne, Hephaestus was punished to live as a maiden for one hundred years and never to have affairs with a mortal for that period of time. But Hephaestus was curious in his womanly bodies" Athena said while blushing "You mean she was horny" Aero said grinning. "For lack of a better word, yes. She was." Said Athena sighing. The Gods have incredible strength and also quite the appetite for lovemaking, even in his world, myths about the Gods are like this "So borne a child from her union. Enraged, Zeus curse the boy to die an early death. Hearing this punishment inflicted to his child, Hephaestus has always carried resentment toward Zeus and the reason why he is helping Poseidon." The Goddess explained to Aero that Poseidon knows his movement from Hephaestus snooping. "Poseidon promised him, that if he tells him about your movement he will find a way to release Deria from the Underworld. But you''re not going to let that happen would you?" the Goddess smiles Aero was thinking. Then he said. "Wouldn''t saving the boy would invite Zeus wrath on me?" Aero inquired. From the story it is clear that the Lord of the Sky punished the boy for being born. If he saved the boy, what would that make him? Athena smiles that mysterious smile and she said "Do not worry about that young hero. I will persuade the Lord of the Sky to forgive you if you succeed" said Athena confidently Satisfied of the answer Aero agree to accept the quest. Before Athena steps away, she said "Lord Hades feed on despair. He will trick you, present you with hard obstacle, and make you mistrust your own decision. He never let people willingly leave. Heed my advice." the Goddess advised "Of course" Aero reply, with a confident smile on his face. Aero bowed and the Goddess disappeared. Sighing Aero shakes his head ''This might be a C rank quest but I know it would not be that easy'' Aero thought to himself. Then even as he was complaining inwardly in his heart Aero started walking to the entrance. ************************************************************************* A new chapter as Aero began his quest. if you like the story please vote for the story. A new chapter will be posted tomorrow Chapter 60 THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN 1 DUVAR KINGDOM The land bountiful, beautiful river lined the land, and mountains dotted the landscape. Duvar is a bountiful kingdom and full of prosperity and natural resources When one look at the night sky one would see the beautiful stars that shine brightly upon the kingdom and when dawn came one would see the vast fertile land and the flowers blooming. It is a kingdom full of life and beauty. However among the many things that this kingdom have to offer, there is one thing that the residents of the Kingdom believes to makes this kingdom stands out from the rest of the Kingdoms in the Vilajeri Continent. The Princess of Duvar, Helena Helena is the daughter of King Vrandeus of Duvar Kingdom. It is said that Helena is the most beautiful woman in the entire Continent and none can match her beauty Anyone who looks at her face is stir with sweet passion in their hearts and could not help but admire her beauty. Even adventurers fall for her beauty and created a fanpage from her in many places in the web, with her elegant pictures. She is graceful in all areas, talented in playing all kinds of music instrument and has a heavenly voice. It is said that when she sings that even the birds would stop flapping their wings and falls to the ground. She is a prodigy in hunting and a woman that is highly desired by all men. Strong and graceful and possessing beauty with no peers, she was the Goddess of Love reborn as mortal, the people of the kingdom said. Her laughter entranced many, her gaze making people go crazy desiring her. Since Helena young age countless suitors has waited for her to reach a marriageable age to sue her hand for marriage. Duvar is located in the central continent and one of strategic location for many kingdoms borders King Vrandeus is actually worried because suitor from Vanheim, Veranis, Karak, Vor, Saril, Niovar, Alfhaim, Loth, Nero Republic has all asked for his daughter hand. This has plagued him for many days and even his ministers did not know how to advise him of this matter. Then Vrandeus tries to remember the details of each of the Kingdom that proposes her daughter. He opens the map of the Vilajeri continent as he is thinking of these matters that would affect his Kingdom. He look at the map sprawled on top of his table intently as his gaze was focused at Vanheim. He sighed King George of Vanheim in the East is quickly becoming one of the most powerful men in the continent and is probably one of the greatest King that Vanheim have ever produced other than its founder With Vetten Kingdom capital being sieged by Bradheim it is only a matter of time before Vetten falls and Vanheim become bigger and more powerful. It is clear in Vrandeus eyes that King George of Vanheim is competing for hegemony against the other ambitious lords and Kings Also with the help of Gruk the Great Orc in Nairhell their victory is all but guaranteed. It is said that Bradheim and Gruk fought in the battlefield for Vanheim like a demon unleashed from hell. The Lion of Vanheim and the Great Orc of Vanheim fought together like they were sworn brothers, protecting each other and covering each other gaps in battle, defeating all the enemies that is in their way to the Vetten Capital. Not to mention that The economic profit from Vanheim and the Orcs tribe cooperation has greatly help Vanheim to maintain this war without burdening the Kingdom treasury and probably Vanheim is about to enter a new age of prosperity Using war to fill the treasury. This is quite a new approach in Vilajeri Continent. The scholars always hated the wars because it brought no benefits to the Kingdom but in the case of Vanheim war not even the scholars of Vanheim could object since instead of bringing harm to the kingdom the war is actually enriching the State. The Great Orc Gruk tribes also prosper from the acceptance of Vanheim to their foreign neighbor of different race. Orcs is known to be brave and warlike and when that instinct were turned upon an enemy, it is truly terrifying Not many Orcs has malnutrition or insufficient of food and supply anymore since Vanheim employed majority of them into the army. This makes other Orc tribes join Gruk tribes willingly. Now he has thirty large tribes under him making him the only Orcs in Nairhell to have that many tribe serve him. It wouldn''t be long before Gruk could establish his own Orchish kingdom With many players playing as an Orc, Gruk has formed an elite military unit and to gain recognition and fame they also follow Bradheim expedition to Vetten, plundering castles and razing castles as they went. Which explain the large host of armies which send fears towards the Vetten resisting nobles. But Bradheim and Gruk treats the people with benevolence and spare the troops that surrendered. Bradheim take a page out of his brother playbook, learning of his brother technique "letting something go, to catch something more important" It is reported that the deafening sound of their army approaching on their mount is like thunder in the sky roaring and the noise alone is rumored to have made some enemies soldiers trembling in fear, crushing their morale even before they clash against each other. Right now, even when Vrandeus is still thinking about this Bradheim and Gruk army remains undefeated in their Vetten expedition. After the act of mercy showed to the prisoners of Vetten many minister and nobles of Vetten swear fealty to George, opening their cities making Bradheim job easier. Bradheim accepts their fealty thus making it easier for him to come to the Vetten capital. With almost all of the nobles choosing a side, a few weeks from now the conclusion can be seen. Many said that Vetten Kingdom doom is but guaranteed. King Vrandeus shakes his head. This is not a King that he wanted to offend. Veranis on the other hand, led by Prince Alexander, is a talented commander and general. He is the military leader that led both the army and adventurers alike by his captivating charisma. With his brilliant tactics and strategies and their army morale, Alexander has already conquered Tian Dynasty and set his sight to Gerad. Without stopping Alexander march through villages and cities and for each city, he came and he conquers. Now Veranis is as big as Vetten Kingdom in their heyday. The Old Dreams of their ancestors could finally be realized. Prince Alexander is a force to be reckoned with. The Eastern Continent is producing many great heroes right now. Chaos breeds heroes and villains alike. Gerad on the other hand is being attacked by Niovar after Niovar heard of The Fall of Tian capitalizing on their neglect on the border. The conclusion was tragic and one could see that the world is getting even more chaotic. Old alliances are forgotten as each kingdom is now beginning to move. The Fall of Tian was also portrayed in painting and works of art in Veranis as testament of a rising power. After strengthening the alliance with Vanheim, Veranis seems unstoppable. Vanheim swallowed Vetten, and Veranis swallow the offshoot of Veranis. Their alliance produces a win-win situation for both of them. Niovar on the other hand, is getting worried because of the fast rise of Vanheim to power and is preparing their army, training every day and recruiting soldiers. There is no doubt that right now the only one capable of uniting the eastern continent is either Vanheim, Niovar or Veranis. But considering the great relations between Veranis and Vanheim, Veranis will serve under Vanheim if ever King George declares himself Emperor. Which means, only Niovar with its military and abundant resources can fight Vanheim. Vrandeus then think about Saril and Vor Kingdom which just recently joined hands in an alliance for fear of the adventurers Zeus the Vevaian King. Obviously they asked for her daughter hand not only because of her beauty but also because of the political matters. By joining hands in marriage, Saril and Vor will gain another ally if they ever went to war. They wanted to create a tripartite alliance of Kingdoms to resist Veva Alfhaim and Loth on the other hand must also want the same thing. Vanheim, on the other hand wanted to join their royal family with his family because they must have wanted a foothold in the Central continent so they can march to the Holy land in Duvar and King George could then proclaim himself emperor. Vrandeus look at the map and then closes his eyes, his forehead is full of wrinkle and he sighed. Then he opens it back and he seems to age a year. The problem on his shoulder right now could determine whether his kingdom would rise or fall in this chaotic era. Duvar is the seat of power of emperors in the past and it is where Emperor Alain coronated himself watch by all the Enfeoffed Kings. Without proclaiming yourself emperor in Duvar with all the ceremonies and rituals being done, any King could proclaim themselves emperor. It is the seat of power because of the Holy energy that still exists here. However Vrandeus is in a dilemma right now. He is afraid to select a husband for his daughter. To send any of the suitors away may offend them and giving them grounds for a quarrel. And if Kings and princes quarrel it could easily escalate to war. Many Kings and princes from around the continent have come here in Duvar. They all bring lavish gifts, precious diamond from distant lands and seas, while some brought blessed necklace encrusted diamond, and golden weapons from their kingdom knowing Helena was an ardent fan of hunting. Thankfully the reputation of Castor and Pollux, Helena brothers could calm the suitors making sure the princes on their best behavior. Prince Edward, son of King George of Vanheim seems to be the most promising choice out of all the suitors. But still, the other forces might not be satisfied with his decision and what if they decide to lay siege to this Holy Land that has been accustomed to peace. He wrapped the map and then went out from his room. With some guard following him, he walk to the Temple Square. He walked to one of the temples. Vrandeus went to Hera temple. **************************************************************************** Part two will be posted a few minutes laters Chapter 61 THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN 2 Hera is the Queen of the gods and the goddess of women and marriage. She is also a goddess of the sky and starry heavens. All the Oracles in the continent has spoken that Hera has married Zeus, Lord of the Sky and the Heavens celebrated as all the minor gods were summoned to attend the wedding. Hearing this news from his Oracles, Vrandeus quickly commissioned builder, sculptors, and painters to construct a beautiful temple and decorate it with beautiful piece of Art. As the King in a Holy Land he knows that the Gods can be offended with the smallest thing. If the Queen of the Gods does not have a temple of her own, Vrandeus shudder to think the wrath that will be inflicted upon him. He arrived at the temple. He sighed and close his eyes and then he kneels in front of the giant statue of Hera. Her statue depicted her as a beautiful woman wearing a crown and holding a royal, lotus-tipped staff. On her sides was a royal lion and in her hand was a hawk as her familiar. Hera was a rogue God but now that she had joined Olympus she is a God that should have a temple of her own. The other statues also depicted her with a peacock and a cuckoo bird. Then he kneeled below the statue of Hera and prayed "I sing of golden-throned Hera who sits in a golden palace constructed high above the sky. Queen of the Immortals is she, surpassing all in beauty: she is the wife of loud-thundering Zeus,--the glorious one whom all the blessed throughout high heaven reverence and honour even as Zeus who delights in thunder." After he sings the hymns, he began to pray "Give me a man that can help in my troubles of deciding Helena husband for I feared anyone I choose would spell doom for my Kingdom" He prayed with all of his heart. He prayed earnestly and Hera in the Heavens hear his prayer. Moved by the mortal sincerity Hera decided to fulfill this mortal wish. Sitting on his golden throne in her golden palace Hera ordered a lion envelop by fire to summon Athena to Olympus, and to enter the newly built palace that was built by Zeus himself. She will discuss this with Athena and see whether she can give her bright ideas. Hearing Hera summoning her to the palace, Athena flew to the heavens and arrived in Olympus a few moments later. The moment she arrived Hera quickly cut to the chase. Hera has asked her if she has any mortal that can solve Vrandeus problem. Hera is just recently promoted to a major God. Though she is still not on the Council of the Gods thus she decided to bring Athena to her side. Athena pondered for a while before replying "I know of one, white armed Hera, but he is no mortal for he is an adventurer. I believe he can solve Vrandeus problems" Athena offered. Overjoyed, Hera said. "Fine, then sent him to Vrandeus" Athena smirk, her smirk was hidden from view so even Hera could not know that she is being taken advantage of right now "I''m afraid that is not possible" Athena said feigning sadness. "Why?" Then Athena tell the story of Poseidon and Aero "We must report this to my husband" Hera said in a worried tone. Athenafeign alarm as she hold Hera arm holding her from flying to her husband. "No, we must not! Poseidon may be one of his subjects but if you think that he is weaker than Zeus you''re sorely mistaken, blessed Hera." She tells Hera what she is worrying about. If they make a wrong move, this might lead a war between the Gods. Athena believes this can be solved with the Council of the Gods without threatening war. Then Athena told her plan to Hera. Hera listen intently then nodded. "You want the boy to prove his worth? To be worthy of the sword?" said Hera perplexed "Yes, just like Lizhu impressed Poseidon so much that he willingly part with that sword, I have send the boy on his first task. His third task will be to help you Queen Goddess. I hope that if he managed to help you, you would also favor him in the Council" Even though Hera is still not on the Council she could persuade Zeus and the other Gods to favor the boy. After thinking for a while Hera nodded. "I will see whether he is worthy or not" "That is all I ask" Athena nodded satisfied. After getting the Goddess swears a verbal agreement, Athena flew back down to the Western Continent. Hera on her throne also began sending message to Lord Hades to let her see through his realm for a while, curious about the boy Athena speaks so highly about. ************************************************************************* Part 2 of the chapter. If you like the story please vote for it and leave any comments or join the discord to know the release news and other announcements Chapter 62 A SMALL CLUE The cold damp wind blows against his white robe as it flaps slightly. His white robe and the general darkness and gloom of this realm contrast heavily making him to stick out like a sore thumb. The man sighed. It has been a week since he has been in the Underworld. He even log off a few times and rest up before entering again. Aero doesn''t know anything that happens in the land of the living. Sometimes he logged out just to see updates in the Continent. When he logged out he also edited the video he has of his meeting with Poseidon and Athena. This will be big. He has also sent parts of the video to the station. They were overjoyed and surprised after seeing the content and have already been planning to make it a part of a new segment in their TV shows. And not before long they were asking for the full video. It takes a long time before Aero finally decided against it. He then explains he could not show all the video yet. Of course, Aero said to them not to air the video just yet. And they agreed on this matter. In other news, his payment for the video calculating the rating and view has made him quite rich. At least, for a college dropout. He got twenty thousand dollars for the video. He was shocked at first after seeing the money on his bank account. He even had to check a couple of times to make sure it is not mistakenly deposited into his account. He underestimated his own popularity in the game And the station reaps millions from advertisement deals so twenty thousand dollars is chump change for them. It make Aero think that he needs to jacked up the price of his videos a bit. It seem he is the one is losing in the agreement between him and the TV stations. They immediately draw up new contract and Aero signs it digitally. He tell this matter to his mother to assure her not to worry about the medical treatment expenses anymore only to be told from his mother to save that money in his account. ''Mothers will be mothers'' Daniel said to himself after hearing what his mother had to say to him. It seems an organization has scouted his mother for their company and they have even offered to pay for his mother expenses. Daniel don''t know much about his mother work. The only thing he knows about his mother work is that he used to work in Tokyo and that is how she met Daniel father. When she get pregnant she resign from her job and instead of raising him in Japan, she immigrated to the United States. And she seems to be working in the research industry back then. Then she contracted an unknown disease and since then she have been in the hospital. Other than that Daniel doesn''t know much about his mother. Of course he asked whether his mother can work without putting pressure on her health but she said she can do it. And this got Daniel to think about his current objective. So, right now, his main motivation for playing the game has disappeared. He first played the game to pay for his mother treatment, but that seems to be settled. After a few hours of thinking about this matter and after taking a hot shower, he decided that he would play the game as a job. A full time gamer. Well, he never thought himself as a full time gamer but if the opportunity arises why not try it and see if it works? ''I mean getting twenty thousand dollars for one video? Now that''s a good bargain'' He thought to himself. He also met Michael and discuss about the game with him and his decision. Oh, and he did no forget paying off any debts he had with Michael and pay for his drinks and food that day. Daniel was busy all day buying things he needed in his home. Michael was shocked to know he also play the game. He asked Daniel whether they should meet in Brave World. Daniel could only said to him that right now he is in the middle of a quest and could not meet for a while in the game. Michael understands and said anytime Daniel wanted to meet in Brave World just contact him. He still walking forward as he is reminded that he is now still inside the Field of Asphodel. To be honest he thought he would feel his body experiencing extreme hot or extreme cold in the Field of Asphodel. Aero also even thought if there is any mythical creature that roams here and he thought he would meet some of them already. But there''s nothing like that which adds to his disappointment But to be honest he is quite surprised. It was like a city down here. City of the dead of course but still a city. It looks like no different from the city in any Kingdoms. The difference is, there is no light here. Just darkness and gloomy feeling all around. It like its night all the time. There is no place to go entertain yourself. No festivals or festivities. In other words, it''s utterly boring and utterly dead. In the underworld, the identity of a dead person still existed, but it had no strength or true influence. Rather, the continuation of the existence of the soul in the Underworld was considered a remembrance of the fact that the dead person had existed, and while the soul still existed, it was inactive. It seems like a sad way to live after death. But the people in here retain their age. They didn''t really change in any sense. They did not lead any sort of active life in the Underworld ¨C they were exactly the same as they were in life. Aero also came to a conclusion. Those who had died in battle were eternally blood-spattered in the underworld and those who had died peacefully were able to remain that way. For this past week he have been fighting dozens of warrior and honing his battle skills and levels. Dead warriors. They don''t drop loot but they do give a lot of experience more than the usual monster. In just this week he have raised his level to 20 level more. He remembers two days ago when he had to kill about forty warrior from which era he doesn''t know. He was almost overwhelmed by their attack and their disregard for the damage they taken or inflicted on their body. He still remembers it. On the starless sky, (if you could call it a sky, in the Underworld it seems there is no indication that there a sky under here.) The cold and gloomy atmosphere doesn''t help of course. The spears and sword of this dead warriors glimmered under the eerie obsidian light. The warrior then swarmed him like they were hyenas. Jumping and attacking seems to be the only way he could get out of it alive. Even when he killed a lot of them, their leader rally against him with defiance. But still he won. But that doesn''t mean he is not afraid of them. After walking a few kilometers, he saw another swarm and Aero clicked his tongue. He looked around and spotted a cave Quickly he dash as silent as possible and went into the cave, hiding inside it. One thing he didn''t know is that the dead don''t stay dead long here. When he killed a warrior they just reformed back in one hour. And that is fast. This couple of days he have been chased by this angry mob warrior that he killed in the beginning. Thankfully Athena sent some gifts. Food and general supplies. And he was also given ambrosia by Athena. Usually when he woke up from his sleep the ambrosia was already in front of him. Ambrosia is great. It gives permanent strength stats. For every time he take a sip his strength rose to 10 points. He also only need to take a sip once to last for a day. But Athena warned him not to drink it too much because it could burn him from inside out. That would surely not be a pleasant experience. Without the Sword he had to rely on Sacred Sword Skill Finger. The Howling Dragon saber on the other hand has requirements of being level 180 before it could be used. Then Aero opened his status window to check. Howling Dragon Saber Durability: 1500 Damage: 1000 The sword Alain IV use to kill dragons. Equip : +50 STR : +1500 HP : +100 AGI : Increase stamina by 100 points : Increase resistance to fire damage by 15% Requirements: Level 180 Sacred Sword Finger [8] Advanced Can shoot out invisible force of energy from your finger. Highly concentrated energy that is focused at one point this skill is deadly, lethal and emphasize swiftness. One of Lizhu Gerard Sword Art. Increase attack power to 500 Mana Consumption : 900 (will increase when the proficiency increase) He also uses a lot of Disguise techniques in the Underworld. So his disguise skill has also increase in proficiency and began having a different effect. Disguise [7] Expert Can disguise yourself to be monster and NPCs. Can also disguise to be dead souls. Because of proficiency increase, you can teach this technique to your Scouts and Spy. As the proficiency increase you can learn to disguise to other thing. Can also disguise to be a shadow. Learn Stealth. Mana consumption: 200 mana for 5 minutes Restriction: Must defeat the monster that you want to disguise. Helps if you can focus the feature of the thing you wanted to disguise. Stealth [8] Advanced Can move without being detected. Because of proficiency increase, you can teach this technique to your Scouts and Spy. Mana consumption: 200 mana for 5 minutes + 10 points to agility when used After a week he finally has a clue about his current task. When he was disguising as a dead soul a few days ago, he ask many souls if they ever heard of Deria. Finally he heard that Deria is in a hut in the hill, just sitting around in his hut practicing swordsmanship. Now after sipping a cup of ambrosia, Aero started walking out from the cave, his feet walking to the hut. ************************************************************************* Next chapter would be tomorrow. if you like the story please vote for it and leave some reviews if you can Chapter 63 EXTRA STORY: THE FIRST BREAKUP The wind caressed his wavy hair and he shivers a bit because of the cold¡­or was it because of the nervousness? At this point he didn''t know. He looks towards the distance and sigh. He walks again to the hill, like the day before and the day before it. The grass sways left and right as the gentle wind blows on them. As he walked through the grassy patch he had time to think about many things and sort out his feelings. Last week after watching Amelia kissing Damien he decided to break up with her. And that was such a scene. It has been a week now since that day. Now, feeling nostalgic and sad he went to their place. He sighed as he thinks about her. That girl in a way is like a poison to him. In front of her, he becomes weak. Like Superman being near Kryptonite. And he doesn''t like that. Even now, he still doesn''t know what he wants in his heart. That girl¡­.always make him crazy As he comes closer to the hill he then spotted it as he smiles a bitter smile. He saw the swing in the nearby hill under that big tree. Their tree. For this past week, he has been going there occasionally after getting back from his part time job. To be honest, he want to get back with her but after that quarrel and feeling betrayed he didn''t think he could do that. Of course even after knowing that it was Damien who kisses her, he is still stubborn and could not really admit it was he that is wrong in that debacle.. She has that impish nature and sometimes he believes that she is not entirely innocent on the matter He arrived in front of the swing. He smiles a bit as the wind come again. The wind is always refreshing up here on top of the hill. He let the wind blows over him and the smell of the tree washed over him. Then he sat down at the swing. Then looking at the beautiful scenery in front of him, he is bombarded with many thoughts. "What is the use of love? What is the use of loving each other when it could die with just one misunderstanding?" Daniel just shakes his head. "Love has no strength" he said it to no one. Probably he is saying it to the wind. Probably he is saying it to himself. But he clearly is not saying it to the person he should''ve said it to. He looked into the ground, his hand on his head, trying to think where it went wrong and trying to think if there is other way that could ended. Ddak.Ddak. He heard footsteps with the rustle of the grass and the wind that slowly comes to him. Slowly those steps came to him, sometimes the sound of the footsteps muted by the wind. He could smell her scent from here. A familiar scent Slowly feeling some hope and anticipation he raised his face and look at the person coming to him. He could see that someone is in front of him, standing there with a white one piece, her blouse swaying left and right because of the strong wind. She looks as beautiful as the first day he knew that he loved her. Her hair reaches her shoulder blades and just standing there she makes him bedazzled. It is Amelia. She looked at him and smiles and his mind went blank for a moment. And when he regains back his mind the only thing he could see is that smile. That damn, cute, lovable smile. For that one fraction of moment they just stared into each other. She was smiling. He on the other hand, was startled not expecting that she would be here. He got up from the swing. "Huh" he said "How did you know I was here?" he asked, his tone is trembling. It''s impossible they just met here by chance. "How would I know that?" Amelia reply still smiling. "Maybe at the caf¨¦, or the gallery but how could we run into each other here? " He said still not quite believing Amelia explanation. "Maybe it''s destiny" Amelia said nonchalantly "Destiny.'' He scoffed. And then he said ''That''s just ridiculous. Destiny?'' But Amelia stand there looking at him¡­with that innocent eyes. And the words in his mind disappeared for a moment as he shakes his head and said ''Huh. Fine, let''s just say its destiny. How about we try to¡­. avoid that destiny." He finally said. He got up from the swing and then he started walking away. I really am stubborn. Daniel thought to himself. But he could not help but storm away, his feet moves first, his pride¡­motivates him. Amelia then had a naughty smile on her face and started following him from behind. He of course notices it. At first he didn''t say anything. But she keeps following him and he could no longer held back his curiosity So he turned back and stares at her. She nonchalantly responded by asking ''What?'' "Why are you following me?" he said looking straight at Amelia face. She smiles like she already knows what is in his heart. It was so cute that he also almost smiles a little. ''What''s the rush?'' She asked. Then she takes a step closer to him and Daniel could feel his heart skips a beat Then with that mischievous smile on her face she said ''You''re making it so that I can''t even try to hold on to you.. Why are you so mean? Are you trying to make me the bad girl here in the story?'' He sighed and she took that as her chance to talk. ''Are you sick of me now? Or did you just not love me anymore? Or are you just that excited to tell me that its over?'' It''s like all the thing she couldn''t say that day came pouring out. Daniel shakes his head and sighed. He had half a mind of accepting her again the moment she smiles. But she is a poison. "No, no matter how I think about it, I can''t forgive you easily like this. It can''t be you. You make me hurt so much. Always. And it is always you that do it" he said while shaking his head "Do you think I''m okay with you?" she countered back. Daniel only frowned. He then ask "Tell me truthfully. How do you know I was here?'' "I told you it was destiny" she said vehemently. "Che" He knows she must have known that he''s here from Michael. He try to walk away again. But Amelia wouldn''t let him go just like this. She shouted from behind "We run into each other like this. Don''t you think the universe is trying to tell us something?" she said while following my back. Daniel turned back and look at her straight and ask her "So¡­..Do you like that you ran into me?" he asked, his tone stern She nodded in a cute way. Cute. He thought to himself before shaking himself to not be so soft. He is shaking his head, thinking how stupid to think such things. Then he said "I got over you, Amelia. Absolutely. Completely. I can go with my life now. So don''t follow me" he said. Then he walked back down the hill. Though that is not what he really means. He is just stubborn. He always was and he will probably always will be. It was not her fault. At least that is what he wanted to believe. And that possibility that he might be wrong and it was not Damien fault gnaws at his heart. He could not accept it if she betrayed him. Then she said cutely "I want to start over again" Hearing this it was like something snapped inside his mind as he turn around to look at her. "Whoa, you''re so shameless. Then, why did you say you will date Damien before?" he asked, his face is red with frustration "Then, when you say you''re going to be friend with a girl that like you and still like you, what do you expect me to say?" she shot back, her face was also red. He fumed in anger before turning back "Forget it. I''m going to find someone who is nicer and beautiful than you" Then, she said, changing her tune "I have become nice. And I am not trying to praise myself, but I''m quite beautiful. I mean it. Let''s be together, hmm" she said with an innocent smile on her face. She pull his hand and they look toward each other. And then she said "You''re a jerk and I''m a bitch. We''re perfect for each other" she said with a cute expression, persuading me. Don''t waver. "Just go. Don''t follow me" he said unintentionally raising his voice. She sighed. Then he started walking away again¡­and for a moment, he stopped. He guess this is enough¡­thinking about it, it is his fault. And he is not ready to let her go. Thinking to this point he wanted to call out to her "By the way---" he said as he turns to look back. Then he realized she started going down the hill "Hey, where are you going?" He quickly ran to her and block her way. She is sulking. Even when she is sulking she looked beautiful. Then she said "I changed my mind. You''re no good. Among so many guys out there why should it be you?" "This is unfair. I should date more." She said with that pouting expression "Wait, wait" He said in an exasperated tone. He was panicking. He didn''t know what he should say to convince her to stay or how to explain the complicated feeling and the insecurity he have when she is with him. Then he realized something as he look at her. This time, he truly looked. And something dawned on him. And he slowly smiles. It is a smile full of confidence "I pick that dress." He looked at the white dress. And then he looked at her neck. "I bought you this necklace. And I bought you those earrings" He said pointing to the necklace and earring. He finally noticed it. And now he notice it, he knew what she is thinking "Hah, I was right. You came to see me!" Then blushing because she got caught, she said "I said I changed my mind didn''t I?" Then she walked down again. This is a game. He followed her. Then quickly he hold her hand. "I''m holding your hand" he whisper to her ear. "I know" she said while her cheek becomes red. "You said you changed your mind so why let me?" "I don''t know either" she whispers to his ear. He could see she is smiling. And he is too "Why are you smiling?" Daniel asked while chuckling a bit at the same time. "Is this the time to smile?" "I just find it funny" she said "What is so funny?" he asked. She turned to face him and said "When I''m with you, I felt anything is possible" Amelia said sincerely He looked at her and he realize today she looked the most beautiful she ever has. And then he looks ta her lips and how inviting it was and he gulped. He could smell her again. Amelia saw his eyes and she just smile a naughty smile "If you want to kiss me, you can" she said flashing an inviting smile to him "Even if you do not ask, I will help myself" Then he kissed her. And for that moment all the things he is mad about at her is forgotten. He just wants to enjoy this moment with her. The way her eyes looked when she looked at him is special. And he likes that. Being special in her eyes. Even if he pretends to be tough, she always sees through it. And her scent fills him. She is different from other girls. Because he makes her different. She make everything stop for him, and makes his heart do the stuff it''s not supposed to do. And he knows he is falling in love with her¡­.once again, like the day before it and the day before it If he knows at that time how short the joy would last, he would have kissed her more, hug her more, and love her more. "Anything else?" the voice broke his memories "No, how much is it?" "25. Visiting your mom?" "Yeah, I need to get out for a while. My friends are talking with my mother in her room." "Oh,ok then. Hope your mother will recover" "Yes thank you." Then Daniel starts going upstairs. Hoping that Jessica has already gone away ************************************************************************* It was when Daniel was at the hospitals when Jessica came to visit Chapter 64 THE HU Aero saw the hut from afar. It is a modest looking hut. Yet, it blends with the surrounding doom and gloom thing the Underworld got going on. He approached the hut cautiously and then sneaking around it he saw nothing suspicious or nothing is about to jump out and try eating him But Aero did not let his guard down yet. He continues surveying the surrounding and after truly finding nothing suspicious he finally plucked his courage to approach the hut. Aero has finally arrived at the hut. After all that running around, he finally found it. It is not an easy task. Not to mention the Underworld is not exactly an inviting place. ''It is probably the least inviting place in the whole of the Brave World'' Aero thought to himself. And if not for his special quest he wouldn''t even be here. And know about the existence of Gods. Just this week, he had met two celestial beings. One does not know whether to call that lucky or not. Of course to the NPCs of this world Athena and Poseidon are Gods and celestial beings but to Aero they are AI. Yet, this knowledge did not diminish his fears After all even though they are AI, they are the AI''s that govern this world Laws and determine the rules of how this world operates. He sighed ''I am stuck between a rock and a hard place'' he lamented his fate before focusing back on his task. Aero look at the hut from the outside, and he nodded. It is a good looking hut and the first solid hut he saw in his journey in the Underworld. He never saw residence as solid as this. Most of the timethe residence he did encounter is translucent and made by ghost or spirits. But as he walks closer to the hut he realizes something. A look of disappointment flashed on his face. The hut was ugly. No, it is beyond that. It is beyond ugly if that is even possible. It is uninhabitable. ''But I''m not one to judge'' Aero thought as he nodded to his own words. After all this is the underworld. Who knows? Maybe this hut is quite famous in the underworld and considered a great property, possessing great artistic value and considered the most beautiful hut in the Underworld. ''Different realm, different sense of art'' Aero thought Because he didn''t see a hut in other places of the Underworld he had a little expectation of this place. First, Aero tries to knock the front door of the fragile hut. But no one is answering. Aero sighed. ''Is this also a dud?'' Just when Aero about to shout for Deria suddenly he notices someone is trying to punch him from behind the door. ''Fu-'' Aero quickly jumped back, avoiding the punch. "Wai¡ª" Then that person tries to punch Aero again. The second punch glanced in front of Aero as wind breeze by. He noticed it too late, though, when the punch doubled him over and makes him choke air. ''Argh'' Aero said feeling the impact on his body It was one heck of a punch. Outside of having the wind knocked from him, Aero notices a fair amount of pain to his gut. The pain is throbbing and pulsing. Like a really bad stomachache. This is one unfamiliar sensation, he thought to himself. Even when fighting the warrior in here he rarely gets sucker punched like this. This man is an expert. HP 12500/13500 One punch makes his health dropped to 1000 points. That shocked him. Fortunately Aero is fast on his feet. All of his experience in fighting monsters can be utilized against this person. ''Spiting to the cold dark ground, Aero look at that person and said "Let''s begin'' then he pointed his finger forward he shot the Sacred Sword Skill Technique, as sword like energy shoots out from his finger slicing and cutting anything on its path. ''Heh'' the man scoffed The man skillfully evades his shot, jumping left and right, agile like a monkey. Apparently the man could see the invisible force that shots up from his finger. Then quickly Aero release his Killing intent. Sensing that, and clearly unfamiliar with such energy directed at him, the man lose his balance and instead resorting to avoiding his technique Aero quickly try to shorten the distance between them to give a blow to the man gut. Then sensing the opportune moment he strikes a blow. The man smiles like he anticipated the blow and ducked it. Before Aero could even register that the boy dodges, another punch connected to his body. This one is in his ribs, sending ripples of pain through his torso. Aero almost collapsed right there. But he didn''t. He can''t fall. But it was a lot closer than he would have liked. ''Ok, now this is a problem'' Aero already realized what is happening after overcoming the initial shock of being punched in the face. This man is Deria. There is no one else in the hut. So the only logical conclusion would be either this is Deria or Deria is killed by this man, which is impossible because this is the Underworld. From this hostile reaction, Aero could only guess Deria is misunderstanding something. Aero could see why he is the son of a God. He had that aura of youthful manliness on him. He had this serene majesty that Aero couldn''t quite explain and physical beauty that is befitting a man borne of a God. His jet black hair flows freely down on his neck. His muscles are not too oversized and his limbs are well proportioned and complement each other. His agility and the expert way he dodge Aero attack shows he is a vigorous man. He was handsome if you have to put it in words. As Aero analyzing the man, the man quickly trying to attack again but was promptly avoided by Aero Then Deria tries to go in for another shot. Aero was just in time to shove him off. Taking advantage of the push, Aero covered the distance between them quickly. Then quickly Aero landed clean punch to Deria face and gut. Deria fell. But then he quickly got up again. This is unbelievable. Aero thought he was strong. But the sight of this kid on his feet so quickly after getting punched was not something he wanted to see. Anxious, Aero threw himself on Deria hoping to land a few punches. The kid then ducked, then swung again and responded with Aero rash move by giving Aero an uppercut. Blood flowed from Aero lips. His lips are chapped. Still he kept his feet steady and firm to the ground. Falling down was not an option. This time Aero finally feeling for the first time in Brave World, he has met someone who is equal to him. He then jumped back and dial down his Killing Intent. Deria was just about to launch another attack when Aero said "I was sent by Lady Athena to bring you to the Land Of The Living." This rattled the boy. His balled fist starts too loosened up. "What do you mean?" Aero heaveda sigh of relieved breath. "Now, just calm down and listen to me" Then from a distance Aero start telling him about the quest that he had to undertake.Aero explains everything slowly and with details as Deria listen and slowly trusting Aero words. Aero has finally found Deria, the Son of Hephaestus. ********************************************************************* Part one of the chapter. I will not be posting for a few days. My eyes is not good. The doctor said it is eye straining so I will take a break for a few days. Hope it gets better. I don''t want to be blind. Chapter 65 THE HUT 2 Aero was busy telling Deria about what is happening before Deria start hurling more punches again. This time he is calmer than before and seems to be receptive of what Aero is explaining. Listening intently to Aero explanation and asking a few question once in a while, Deria nodded. Aero sighed ''What a stubborn young man'' he inwardly thought to himself. Deria finally after being convinced that Aero was not an enemy he began to loosened up and invite him into the hut. He then explained to Aero, that Zeus, after his death on the mortal world sought to torment him even more even in the afterlife by sending the souls of people that were killed to face him every day. He said he was actually surprised to see someone else is coming to attack him today even after he has defeated the batch of the attackers earlier. And he surely did not hide his displeasure with the Sky God "That damn Zeus. Even my death is not enough for him. But I always knew mother would sent someone, for she has promised" Deria said joy in his tone. "Well, there is no doubt that your mother loved you. She would even help Poseidon breach a divine Law just to save you." Aero said. He did not say anything about the fact that Hephaestus is turned back to his male form. But since they are Gods, Aero thought maybe appearances and gender is not that hard to change and maybe they do not even care for such things. "But now that I met you, let us return to the surface" Aero exclaimed to Deria. He himself is tired of living in this darkness and gloom all the time. He himself is not one would call a perfectly healthy person especially concerning his psyche which is to be honest is not quite stable. And the Underworld surroundings are just like a relapse waiting to happen. Deria hearing Aero words nodded with expectation in his eyes "Yes, let us return to the land of the living. Lead the way, hero" "Wai¡ªwha-me! Hmm. What are you talking about?" Aero was startled by this misunderstanding Isn''t the quest solved already? Isn''t finding Deria means that Deria knows the way to go back home? "Yes. Of course you." Deria said so confidently. He is misunderstanding something. And from what Deria is telling him, he is also misunderstanding something "I thought you knew the exit?" Aero asked, his eyes twitched with a little frustration that he tries to hide. "Me? What gives you that idea? If I knew the exit, don''t you think I would get out of this place a long time ago?" Deria shot back. Aero thought that this is the way this quest supposed to go. Save Deria, exit the Underworld, go to Asgaro and gain fame for helping the King and meeting the Gods. He had it all planned out. ''I should have known, nothing is so easy like that.'' He whispers under his breath. Then he remembers. Athena said to pray. Now he does not know what to do so isn''t it logical for him to ask the person who toss him into this mess. "Then I guess I need to pray" Aero said and then he walk outside, look at the dark starry sky that is the endless empty void sky of the Underworld and he kneels He takes a deep breath and thought to himself ''This better work'' He put his hand together and he prayed. "I prayed to you, Goddess of War, Bright Eyed Athena to give me strength and guidance in time of darkness" This time his prayer was short. It is in part because of his frustration that is building up and another reason is because he does not know the Hymns of the Lady of War And then the light shimmered from the dark clouds in the Underworld sky and the projection of the Goddess appeared before them Deria kneels almost immediately, looking at the Goddess of War with the utmost respect and awe. "Wise one, I''m honored to be in your presence" said Deria, his tone was full of reverence, his gaze is lowered down Athena nodded in satisfaction. But Aero had enough of this nonsense. "I have completed your task, Goddess Athena. Am I now free to go?" said Aero disrespectfully. He has had it with this place. It was gloomy and dark all the time. And skeletons soldiers, spirits and ghost keep trying to kill or eat him. Aero think he will have a severe depression if he has to stay on this place for another week. The Goddess however doesn''t seem that insulted. "Truly, young hero, you do not disappoint me. " She said to me while beaming proudly" "Rise mortal" She addressed to Deria. Then the sound of notification sounded Tting QUEST COMPLETED SAVING DERIA You have saved Deria the son of the God Hephaestus in the depths of Field of Asphodel. Reward : Fame increase to 1000 : Reputation increase to 1000 : The black raven will be lend to you : Strength increase by 50 : Wisdom increase by 50 : Intellect increase by 50 : Hephaestus will heard of your deed and will favor you Difficulty level: C You have level up! He instantly level up by one level. The black raven on the Goddess shoulders quickly flew towards his shoulders. This startled Aero immensely. He thought that the Goddess is angry but that is not it as Athena said the next sentence. "I have a second task for you" suddenly Athena said. "For this task, ask Deria for his help in completing it. If you successfully complete this task, Hades will have no other choice then let both of you pass his realm" Then Athena said "Capture the three headed dog that spits fire, and disease, the Cerberus without using weapons will be your second task" Tting CAPTURING CERBERUS Capture Cerberus alive without using any weapons. Reward: Fame increase : Reputation increase : Athena will give you 2 bottle of ambrosia. : Strength increase : Wisdom increase : Intellect increase : Fire resistance increase : Hades will give you the path to exiting the Underworld. Difficulty level: A Oh¡­.God. Capturing Cerberus? She is talking about the most famous three headed dogs in mythology isn''t she? That dog? Cerberus? Aero ask himself as he tries to deny what he heard ''I think this Goddess overestimated me'' Aero thought to himself. But then he sighed. This quest could not be declined. And Deria is also stuck with him. But this annoying Goddess won''t shut up and let Aero deal with this crushing pressure as she continue speaking "Go forth to the mouth of river Acheron and confront the three headed beast and present him to Hades, and so you will gain his favor for you and the mortal son of Hephaestus" Athena said in that declaration tone. Then without warning, she disappears in a blinding explosion of light. Of course at the time, Aero didn''t know that Hades was just too lazy to retrieve the dog. Sighing Aero look at Deria and shake his head. Then gathering his determination he look at Deria and ask. "Deria, are you up for hunting a three headed dog that might just spell our doom? And probably at our flesh and chew our bones? Though I must admit it would be one hell of an adventure" Aero asked to Deria. Deria nodded excitedly. "An adventure that involves dying with excruciating end? Count me in!" Aero shakes his head and said ''Fine. What life anyway if you never act crazy once in a while?'' They then pack some of their things and prepared themselves for the battle that leis ahead of them. Then both of them began to walk towards River Acheron to meet with the three headed dog. ************************************************************************* Part two of the chapter. I am better now so I will be start posting back now. As consolation a new chapter will be posted in a few minutes Chapter 66 DIVINE BLOOD 1 He once again walk back to his current home, his body aching in hundreds of places and wound is visible in many parts of his body. Every once in a while he winces in pain and blood will drips down from his wounds and injuries. If Aero has his sword he wouldn''t be beaten this badly. That is what he said to himself every time he loses. Well, maybe he would still lose but not this badly He thought top himself. Of course he wouldn''t admit this to nobody As he dragged his body home, he sighed. It has been a week since he and Deria tries to overpower the Cerberus. At first Aero thought he could do some of his earlier trick. Believing that this dog is just like any other dog, Aero tries to play catch with him. They both constructed a ball from clothes they got from the warrior that tries to kill Deria and threw it at the dog. Instead of bringing it back to them like any normal dog would have, the head on the right open its mouth and fire so bright that it rivaled the brightness of the sun shot out from his mouth, enveloping the ball with fire and the ball turns to ashes. That is one attempt wasted. But Aero did not give up. Then they tried to bind the dog when it is asleep only to be noticed by the middle head of the dog in which they almost die because of the disease the right head inflicted him. Aero had itches and boils all around his skin. And that is not a good feeling to have. To have boils popping up every two minutes with blood and yellowy goo that comes out from the boils, it made Aero become even more cautious when dealing with the dog If not for the ambrosia effect that he had after consuming it before going to battle with the Cerberus he would already succumbed to the sickness. Aero still remembers it, vivid like day After inhaling the gas that shot out from the right head, he coughed black blood and blood spurt out from his eyes and ears like a fountain. If not for Deria timely assistance he would already be dead, bleeding from all of his orifices. Aero also could not thank the Goddess enough for allowing Deria to follow him. Aero thought Deria is only talented in fighting but he is something more. Maybe because of his divine ancestry, he is immune to fire. The first time they fought the Cerberus and the Cerberus blow fire towards Deria, Aero thought Deria would become a charred soul. But what surprises Aero the only thing that happens to him is the loss of his clothes. Naked he fights and tries to pummel the dog It was then that Aero started to use Deria as a shield from the fire only to be inflicted with disease by the right head. There is another thing about this demigod Deria is not affected by the sickness. Why? Because as Deria explains to him, Deria is from the Field of Asphodel. The punishment for disease is not for the inhabitants of Asphodel so it doesn''t have effect on him. But while all of this is good news, it is good news for Deria and not him. After all he is not the son of some God or Goddess Just because Deria is immune to fire and sickness don''t mean they would magically solve this quest. This is an impossible quest. Sometimes these fleeting thought entered Aero mind. ''Capture the dog? I couldn''t even reach the dog'' He thought to himself each time he suffered a disastrous defeat The raven that Athena bestowed upon him is also no help. It seems scared to be here in the Underworld. And Aero don''t blame the raven. Athena said the raven could talk, but he guess the raven is too scared here to talk. Though he does sometimes feel that he want to roast the raven and eat its flesh seasoned with some Karakian spices. Why? Because Aero notices something weird about the raven. The ravens caw in happiness seeing him get beaten and that always annoyed him. But he was a patient man. And this raven is not an ordinary raven after all He hopes when he reached the upper land he could use the skill that he got after acquiring the raven. Seeing Eye [1] Beginner Ability to see events through the Black raven eyes. Could also fetch you supplies. Enables you to look farther than before. Your visibility at night also increases. As proficiencies increase new abilities may be unlocked. Mana consumption: 400 mana for 10 minutes. Aero finally reach the hut and sighed. Deria was outside chopping some black wood "No luck, huh?" Deria asked after the latest attempt Aero did doesn''t bear fruit. He could see from the way Aero looks and carry himself. Like the day before and the day before it, Aero still stump fighting the Cerberus. Looking at Aero injury Deria frowned ''I will prepare the ambrosia. Wait here'' Aero only nodded Aero sat on the wooden bench outside the hut as Deria prepares him the ambrosia. There was some noise in the kitchen area and then Deria emerges out from the hut holding a bowl made of marble. He stirred something inside the bowl as Aero reply to his question now that he had feel a little comfort "Yeah, no luck" Aero reply weakly. Deria then said ''Its'' finished'' he then handed out the bowl to Aero. Aero quickly gulped the ambrosia and his injury miraculously disappeared. All over his body his wound closed up, his boils shrink and disappeared and his body return to when it was healthy and strong Aero then take a deep breath as he enjoys the feeling of not being sick. Looking at Deria he said ''Thank you'' Deria nodded and said You should have bring me with you today'' Aero only smile bitterly as he handed the bowl Today, Deria did not follow him since he was trying to try a new strategy against the Cerberus. But it still didn''t work. Looking at Deria he felt envious. Even Deria is stronger than him. Well, genetics does play some influence in making Deria the way he is. The fact is the way he and Deria got stronger is different. Aero got stronger through war and large scale battle. By leading an army or strategizing a large scale battle the gain of his experiences is hundredfold faster than any other player. This is why Aero rarely hunts after he got high position in Vanheim kingdom as he is more focused on getting quest that enables him to lead men into battle. Since he is a noble personage in Vanheim, to lead an army is a simple matter for him. Now, that he is here, he regretted the fact that he should have participated in a few battle in Vetten to raise his level before he sail the seas. And he began regretting his decision to come to Asgaro. Aero sighed as he look up and see that fucking gloomy dark sky of the Underworld. He wanted to curse to that sky. Then Aero started speaking unleashing all his pent up feeling. Deria has finished cleansing the bowl and then he went out form the hut and sit beside Aero as he created a fire using the black wood and let the warmth of the fire washed over them in this sunless world Aero on the other hand began complaining "If only I am invincible this would be a cinch. I mean Athena expects too much of me, don''t you think Deria? I''m not the type that faces threats directly. I''m the one that hides in the shadows and wait for the opportune moment to strike.'' He sighed. ''Facing head on with only strength is not my character. Zeus of The North maybe. But me? I''m content of becoming the planner, the schemer. I''m the spider that is crawls the walls, listening. I am the little birds that is perched on the windows, watching. I am the serpent that slithers the tall grass and swallow my opponent. This quest is not for me" Aero rant and complain. Aero is really frustrated. Usually any quest has a hole. Something that he could take advantage of. Like the Firewolf quest or George return to power storyline. Thinking about it, he didn''t even battle anyone to achieve both of that. Even when he was in the war, he relies mostly on strategies and trickery and diplomatic solution to settle it. Of course he does fight in battle when he needs to but it is usually after he has strategize his moves. His plan is always calculated. But this time there is no other way. He had to face this dog directly. A fucking damned dog that spits fire, disease, and a middle head that doesn''t sleep. But if he faces the dog he would die. That is the sad truth. He is just not strong enough to fight the dog. The ambrosia is also about to run out and it''s not like Athena could keep smuggling things from Olympus to the Underworld without people noticing or in this case other Gods. On the other hand while Aero is complaining and thinking about other things Deria seems to be thinking about something. He looks at Aero and then he looks back at another direction of the Underworld as he thought of something. He had a plan brewing in his mind. It is a crazy plan but it just might work. Deria then tapped Aero shoulder and said ********************************************************************************************** Part two in a couple of minutes. Hope you enjoy the story and check my other story like Lord Shadow which is updated daily. Anyway, here is the new chapter. leave some commnets and vote for the book if you like the story Chapter 67 DIVINE BLOOD 2 "Invincible, you say?" Deria face lights up. Then nodding to himself, he suggest a solution to him. However Aero did not know what Deria is thinking so he reply "Yeah, do you know any way?" said Aero sarcastically. "There is one" he said while scratching his head. Hearing this answer Aero was shocked. "What? There is? Why didn''t you tell me?" Aero almost shouts at Deria. Aero did not expect that there is a way of becoming invincible. Wouldn''t that break the game balance if someone could become invincible? But now Deria is telling him that there is a way of becoming invincible? How could he not get shocked and bewildered? Yes, bewildered. Aero is looking at Deria with a hint of madness in his eyes Then Deria told Aero a legend. He spoke of a long lost forgotten tale about the Underworld. That if any mortal survives bathing from the River Styx their body would be invincible against any earthly weapons and means. Aero eyes widened and his heart beast with excitement Grinning, Aero quickly said "Let''s go then. Let''s do it" Aero is already starting ready to get up but then¡ª Deria tilted his head to the side and said "But you could not do it with me" "Hmm. What do you mean?" Aero asked. Deria then explains "You see, if you hurl yourself to river Styx without anyone holding you, your flesh will melt, your bones will be disintegrated and there will be nothing left of you. Which means you will die the most painful death a mortal could ever experience" "But I have you to hold me" Deria shows an apologetic expression as he said ''I could not, because I too would share the same fate as you. Only those that have divine blood could" Deria explained "Don''t you have divine blood?" Aero asked puzzled "Yes, but what I''m talking about is divine blood from the Eternal Father. Titans, Giants, Nymphs or the Gods. Those guys" Aero slumped back on the chair. Athena could not come down here directly. Hades would certainly not be happy someone is skinny dipping on one of his river. And where would he find a Titan? And even if he found one how would he persuade a Titan to help him? It wasn''t until just a few days ago, that he knew about the existence of Gods in this game and now he there is even Titans? What are they? Old codes of the games that has been rendered useless? Sighing Aero then asked Deria with almost a hopeless tone. "So, what now?" Aero asked listlessly. Deria is thinking intently and then he frowned. "Though¡­but¡­.hmm" Aero did not miss that. From Deria expression he did think of something "But what?" Aero asked. It seems Deria got an idea "Thetis. Yes. Thetis."Deria said. "Thetis? Who is that and what do you mean?" Deria then said "You see, there is a sea nymph that is imprisoned here by Hera because she had an affair with Zeus a long time ago. Hera is jealous I think. She has always been a little bit vindictive. But this sea nymph is guarded by a swordsman that is said during his lifetime never lost a battle. She is imprisoned in Asphodel. It is a far distance from my hut but I used to go there sometimes just to challenge the swordsman. And I never won" "A swordsman, you say?" Now this is a familiar territory. If he is a swordsman, he is a person. And if there is anything Aero knows about person, there is always a weakness that you can exploit. ''Exploiting a dead person, huh?'' Aero thought to himself as there is a smirk on his face. ''Finally, something I could do that is well on my area of expertise'' Aero said. "I will challenge this swordsman" Aero declared as he got up from his seat, the feeling of confidence come back into him. "Are you sure? He is really good" said Deria worried. He knows how skillful the swordsman is. Aero only smirks as he said "Don''t worry about me. Just show the way" So they packed their bag and started going back to Asphodel. For now River Acheron will have to endure Cerberus. Aero take a hard long last look behind him as he cursed out ''Just you wait you damn disrespectful dog. I will beat some sense into you until get bloodied and beaten. I pay everything twofold'' then he look back forward and whistle in happiness ************************************************************************* There will probably anew chapter tomorrow. Though I could not promise you all anything because I might have to go to the hospital tomorrow for a check up. Anyway, hope you like the story Chapter 68 WOODEN SWORD His footsteps halted as he looks solemn and serious. His white robe looks conspicuous in all of this darkness. Behind him is that unaffected young man. Aero ask ''Is it in there?'' Deria behind him nodded Aero sighed. So, this is it'' he said to no one in particular as he release a relived breath. They finally have reached the area of Thetis prison. It was farther than expected. And it is not easy. It is prison alright. But if that is not enough the prison is meant to hold divine beings. Thus the prison is actually referred to the large clearing ahead of a creepy looking eerie cave. And like always, Aero walk inside the cave and walked again After they reached the prison they had to walk about eight hours walk to reach the cave. Eight hours of walking in darkness and only being illuminated by some torches. In that span of eight hours they take a rest a few times as Aero and Deria sometimes talk about things just to pass time. When they gained their desire, they walked forward again. Aero was tired because he not only walks a long path but also because the long path is not clear which make him sometime slip and almost falls a few times. And then they reach the end of the cave. They hide behind a large boulder not far away from the prison. Thetis was kept in the small cave behind the swordsman. A cave inside a cave. Like a Matryoshka dolls Deria hide behind him, trying to remain as silent as possible. Aero took the chance to take a sneak peek at the swordsman. He frowned almost immediately Hairy chested and brawny the swordsman looked formidable and unmoved. There is the aura of a strong man around him He looks confident and self-assured with manly features ''What should we do?'' Deria asked ''You think I could defeat him?'' Deria shake his head. Aero bitterly smiles. He trusted Deria. If Deria said he couldn''t beat him that means he couldn''t beat him. ''Then we have to learn about him'' Deria just nodded. That day they retreated back to the clearing. The next day Aero comes once again to the cave. This time he came without Deria. And then he observed. He did not only watch but observe the swordsman. He is trying to determine the swordsman personality, his quirks and behaviors. Aero decide to study the swordsman first.And he came almost every day. He had even his own hiding spot pick out. After he watched him these past few days he could guess his personality somewhat This swordsman is a wild man, crude and unrefined. Short in his thinking and has bad temper that does not serve to be a good quirk to posses Deria do not know how Aero can beat him after sometimes following Aero in his observation. After all they do not only observe the man personality they also sees his swordsmanship. A few days ago, a soul was lost wandering to the prison. Aero thought this was a good idea to see what the swordsman will do. So, Deria and Aero did not warn the soul about the swordsman. The soul enter the cave area and then after recognizing the swordsman the soul quickly tries to run only to be challenged. The swordsman offer if the soul can beat him in a battle, he will let the soul go. Sensing there is no other choice, the soul accepts. This is how they came to see the swordsman prowess in swordsmanship. His swinging could not even be seen by the naked eyes and wind gales accompany his slash. His stance was firm and unyielding. His strike was strong and lethal. The soul didn''t even stand a chance. After about another week scouting the swordsman, finally Aero decided to move. He had a plan in his mind. Of course, the hardest part is the beginning. However if he failed in his plan, there are of course other ways. But he needs to try this trick first. "It seems he is really lonely" Aero said while looking at the swordsman. Deria heard him and then he ask "How will you defeat him, Aero?" Deria ask. By now, he couldn''t possibly think there is any way of defeating the swordsman by conventional way. And Deria after these couple of weeks he also got to study this mortal named Aero. Instead of a warrior like him, he likes to scheme and plots, his mind is sharp and his head is full of strange ideas. Aero did not answer instead he said "I need you to do something for me." Aero asked Deria a favor. Deria nodded. ''Whatever you need'' Aero smiles "Make me a wooden sword. Can you do that?" Deria nodded but he is puzzled with this strange request. It''s not that hard to make a wooden sword. He just has to go to his hut and saw off the big tree behind his hut. Though Deria wonders why Aero needed a wooden sword. Then a notion flashed in his mind and his expression turns weird. "Wait. Aero. You''re not planning to defeat him with wooden sword right? Tell me that is not what you are thinking?" Aero grinned and with that mischievous smile he reply "In fact, I will. Though it might take some time" Deria was open mouthed. He could not believe what Aero just said. How could Aero defeats the swordsman with wooden sword is beyond him. It is clear one slash and it could even cut open a huge boulder of stone. What could a wooden sword do to stand against such force? So it is understandable that Deria face has an expression of dumbfounded person. But Aero only chuckles light heartedly "Aww¡­Don''t show face like that, Deria. Don''t worry I can do it" Aero grinned as he pats Deria shoulder Then he marches to the swordsman while Deria watch with amazement at Aero back. Then he ask. ''What is wrong with him? Is he brave or just fucking stupid?'' Deria muttered to himself looking at the Aero back. ************************************************************************* This is probably the most important moment in Aero quest to save Thetis. And as he walked to the swordsman, there would probably many ways to start the conversation. He could say many thing and many words. Hell, he could even just scream and yelled like a madman. Instead he goes with "Hello, what are you doing there?" Aero greets the swordsman like he had come to the prison on the way to work or something. Deria watching this form behind could feel cold chill is rising up from his feet to his head. The swordsman was startled by the sudden greeting. "Who goes there?" The swordsman quickly unsheathes his sword and points it towards Aero. Aero held up his hand at the air. Then he spoke, "I heard there is a mighty swordsman that lives here. The tales of your might was spoken in awe. So mighty was the swordsman people tell me that all who had gotten in his way was killed. Is that you?" The swordsman was of course puzzled by this sudden appearance and this sudden compliment and was about to say something but how could Aero let this happen? Then without waiting the swordsman to reply Aero continued "Of course it is you. The chivalrous way you held yourself, the way you held your sword, the way your gaze looked at me with such zeal and determination. The aura coming out of your body makes it obvious to me that you are that rumored swordsman" Not accustomed to being praised, the swordsman blushed a bit and unconsciously nodded "Yes, I think¡­I guess I am." He said a little bit confident and with a smile of pride on his face. Aero only smiles. He could not believe how stupid this swordsman is. Alas, a brute Aero thought to himself. Then suddenly snapped back to work mode, the swordsman ask "State your reason coming here!" Aero were not flustered. Instead he held up his hand on the air and said "Whoa, don''t get so hostile. I heard from many souls that I passed here that you are a bold man who even guards the prison that places a sea goddess in it. Hearing this I could not help but admired such a hero. I just wish to come here to befriend you" Aero said sincerely while looking at the swordsman eyes. "What?" hearing this statement and Aero reason the swordsman was confused. Coming to befriend him? ''Are you serious?" the swordsman ask "Of course!" Aero replied enthusiastically "Do you want me to teach you secret move or something like that?" The swordsman asked, looking curiously at him. Aero laughed and shakes his head "Hahaha... No, nothing like that. Your friendship is enough" Aero held out his hand. The swordsman hesitated but then he also holds out his hand and shakes Aero hand. "I''m Aero" "I''m Creon" the swordsman introduce himself. Then Aero sit down on the nearby clearing and then as the swordsman keep guarding the prison, Aero asked him simple question. At first the swordsman tries to ignore him but after a while Creon began talking about himself. Aero then dig deep about Creon like how he was feeling, what is his opinion on certain things, never once touching upon the subject of the prisoner. It looks like a normal conversation between friends Aero also offers drinks and food. He talks to the swordsman sincerely and listen intently. Which makes Creon even more enthusiastic to talk about himself. In Aero mind, the hardest part is over. If Creon had slashed him into two from the beginning then he had to make other plans. He let Creon keep talking about himself. "------ And you know, Hera never give me a raise or give me anything, now that I think about it. She always orders me do this, do that like it is expected of me. I don''t feel appreciated at all." Aero just listen to the tirade of complaints Creon said feigning the utmost interest. "How long has it been?" Aero said sympathetically. "Huh, I don''t know. It''s hard to determine time in the underworld." But roughly after listening to Creon, Aero got to know that Creon has been long becomes a prison warden for the Gods. Aero had a clue of how to do this. He only smiles when looking at Creon. It is a smile of a predator looking at its prey. Then Aero rises up and said "I guess I should go back by now. Tomorrow I''ll come again. What about we swim tomorrow? There is a river in Asphodel that doesn''t melt or kill you or makes you forget. I found it on my journey here." Aero invites Creon "Ah, you mean Elenthesia River. Yes, I know of that river. Poseidon was boasting he could even raise water in the Underworld, so he stabs his trident in Asphodel and river flowed. But, even though the water was formed because of Poseidon, the water didn''t follow his command for it is under Hades realm. Admitting his defeat Poseidon returns back to his realm never again he set foot to the Underworld for bragging to Hades" "Yeah, that river" Aero nodded, trying to maintains his amiable appearance. This swordsman can be long winded sometimes. Who cares who creates what river? Aero never knew what it''s called so he just agreed with Creon explanation. "Fine, let''s race tomorrow" said Creon happily. Aero then got up and started walking to Deria hut. ************************************************************************* If this is too long please tell me. I can cut the chapters into part because a two thousand words is usually around 10 to 20 ss. Anyway, if you like the story please vote for the story and leave some comments and reviews Chapter 69 A GOOD DAY In the hut, Deria was waiting for Aero with a sour expression on his face. "What were you thinking?" Deria tries to interrogate Aero "What?" said Aero "Why did you befriend him?" "Why not?" Aero reply looking amused with Deria apprehension. He only waves his hand and takes a seat in the table and drinks a few water from the surface that Athena had bestowed Aero realizes something after watching Creon this few weeks. Creon was lonely. That is why he tries to alleviate his loneliness by challenging any souls that stray to the prison. Any person desires love, affection and attention. Aero gives Creon what he wants most in this gloomy place. A person he can call friend. It is clear to Aero of Creon desire by how Creon unloads and tells him all his problems and complaints towards the gods to him. Creon probably felt bored in this hellhole after all this time. And after listening that he has been on the job for one thousandyears, one could understand. Though before Thetis, there was a different Goddess that was entrapped there. Aero could understand Deria worries but Aero has already had a plan. Then after checking his supplies he went to sleep. He began sleeping in the VR now. This was because he has just updated his VR capsule after he got the payment from the station. The new update allows him to sleep in the VR like he slept in the real world. Of course this announcement also stirs the medical community to begin intensively researching the VR technology for medical benefit. So now, he doesn''t even have to log out to sleep. He just sleeps in the VR for a few minutes and when he logged out he becomes refreshed like has slept for eight hours. No wonder people called the current CEO of Vega Corp Takenaka Takeshi and Matsuo Sugihara a genius. In the net, there were many people posed a question. If they had children, their children must also been a genius. It is just the rumor mill of the internet. Aero only think about this for a brief moment before he went back to sleep. ************************************************************************* The next day, Aero and Creon began to swim together. Of course, Aero said to Deria do not try to infiltrate the prison. Aero said he will handle that. Deria was tasked to level up. That''s not hard since everyday a mob of warrior was cursed to fight Deria. So the days went by. But leveling up for Deria is hard. Because killing the thing that is already dead only raise a pitifully meager EXP points. And the dead here doesn''t refer to the undead. Killing undead raise a great EXP points. Of course that depends on many other factors but the thing that Deria fight in the Underworld could not be considered undead. They are after souls. And you don''t see that many souls roaming around on the surface. Undead is the forced summoning of souls into a body. And killing an undead released back that souls to Lord Hades thus the reason why killing an undead usually net a high EXP points compared to fighting souls in the Underworld. But it is still better than nothing Since then every day without fail, Aero and Creon will go swimming with each other and share stories with each other. Every day they raced each other of who is the fastest to reach the shore. Because of Aero high agility, it is easy for Aero to win. But Creon was a good sport. He always accepts his loss with grace. At night they share food and meat, talking about many stories of the past while Aero just listens. Swimming with Creon has become a daily routine. They have become such good friend that the swordsman trusts him implicitly in the weeks that followed. It helps when there is no one else in the Underworld that the swordsman could talk to. The time for Aero plan is approaching. That night after he finished swimming with Creon, Aero came to Deria and finally ready to enact his plan. "I need the sword" Startled Deria took a little time before he realizes what Aero is talking about. Then he asked "Now?" Aero shakes his head and said "No, tomorrow. Oh, and can you also make me a travel kit pouch" "Yes, I can do that." Deria nodded "Good. Do that then" Aero ordered Then without another word Aero went to bed and sleep. Deria was left in the hut perplexed. ************************************************************************* That day, everything seems good. Even though it is always sunless in the Underworld, Aero has been smiling since he opens his eyes. This is a good day'' he said the moment he awaken from his sleep. He got up from his bed and took all that he needed and then he walks to the prison entrance and from afar he could see Creon. He only smiles and then he greeted Creon. In his heart, he seems to be singing of how today is a good day. "Creon, let''s race again." "Fine. Let''s go." Creon said without hesitation. Creon seems to think Aero as his friend already. Aero today come with a travel pouch. "What''s that?" Creon asked curious about what is in the bag. "Supplies. I got this stealing it from Elysian Field." Creon was shocked. Then he look left and right and even look up in the dark sky above his head. "Don''t say that loudly. Hades could hear you" "Don''t worry. He wouldn''t know" Aero smile "You''re a crazy guy Aero" Creon grinned "Let''s go" So they walk to the river. When they arrive on the river, Creon like usual removes his armor and put down his sword in the shore. Then they began to race. Usually Aero was fast but today, it seems Aero has slowed. Overjoyed Creon sped up his swimming believing he can win this time. Aero after seeing that Creon was out of sight, swam back to the shore quickly. From the pouch he brought out the wooden sword Deria made for him. He replaced the swordsman sword in the scabbard with his wooden sword. ''Perfectly fit'' and he grins. Aero had measure the sword before and now that it fits the scabbard nicely, he unconsciously grins. Aero believes that if the swordsman tries to pull the sword it will wedge in the scabbard. It is perfect and all that Aero wanted. No wonder Aero thinks to himself, Deria is after all the son of the God of Smithing and Craft. Then Deria appeared from the big tree near the river. "Here, take this to free Thetis" Aero hand the real sword to Deria. Deria nodded and without a word quickly run back to the direction of the prison. Aero actually had a reason he need the sword. The key of the prison is the swordsman sword. That is what he found out when the swordsman was drunk and began babbling and boasting about his sword. Then Aero swam back trying to catch up to Creon. But the gap was too big. But it doesn''t matter now. The swimming race is just for this moment. Returning to the shore Creon was overjoyed to finally win against Aero. "You''re good today" Aero compliment Creon but there is a hint of something evil in his eyes that is not noticed by Creon who is still happy after winning Creon was just laughing with joy. Then they began dressed themselves. After that suddenly, Aero said "Honestly, I have something to say" Aero expression became serious. Then Aero reveal his true purpose, the smile on his face becomes wider and wider. Color drained out of the swordsman face. Feeling betrayed, Creon quickly went for his sword. He tried to unsheathe his weapon but the weapon is wedged inside. "WHAT IS THIS?" Creon yell He tries to take out his sword but it didn''t budge. Aero taking the advantage of Creon confusion quickly shot Sacred Sword to Creon fingers. An invisible energy flew through the air and slice off Creon fingers "Arghhh!!" Creon screamed. Creon pinky finger flew off. Realizing his sword could not be taken out; Creon tries to strike Aero with the scabbard. Aero seeing this attack smiles as he quickly sidestepped and punches Creon in the face. Aero quickly activate Taunt and Killing Intent. Creon movement becomes slower. Then Aero shot Sacred Sword finger targeting Creon eyes. Creon quickly dodges and the invisible force instead of taking his eyes it slices off Creon right ear. Blood spluttered from Creon ears. Still, Creon was stoic. "HOW COULD YOU!" he screams with anguish. His words were filled with rage. He then charges toward Aero. Aero on the other hand is clam, his white robe flaps wildly because of the wind and his movement but his face is calm like everything is under his calculations. ''That is a rash move'' Aero muttered under his breath. Creon arrives in front of him but Aero was not flustered. Aero push the ground beneath his feet as he use that force to jump behind Creon and strike Creon at his neck. But Creon is not the prison warden for the Gods for nothing. Anticipating this attack he parry it with the scabbard as the force created a small ripples of shockwave and Aero was forced backward. Grinning, Aero using his finger target Creon knee. A pop sound could be heard. A hole flowing with blood is now in Creon right knee and smoke rises up from that hole. Creon knees falls to the ground, kneeling and screaming because of the pain. Aero smirk Using this perfect timing, he concentrated the force of Sacred Skill to three fingers and shot out three invisible forces at three different targets. Then a hole is formed in what used to be Creon pair of eyes and in his nose. It was a terrifying sight. Creon has lost both of his eyes and nose leaving a hole but still he doesn''t give up. The expression that is in Creon face was pure defiance. Creon knees is already busted. Knowing that Creon could hardly move, Aero took this chance to end Creon suffering. But with one leg, Creon jumped out of the way dodging Aero sacred sword skill that is targeted at his head. Aero clicked his tongue and look at Creon in frustration "Let''s do this the easy way!" Aero grumbled. Even though Creon is blind now he is still formidable. Calming himself, Creon tries to predict Aero movement by listening to the sound. Then Creon began attacking Aero. Aero not expecting such resistance flinched. But still the advantage lies with Aero. But Aero was also amazed by Creon tenacity and swordsmanship. ''Even after all the injury he still could fight and strikes me'' he thought to himself Many moves were employed by these two people battling at the shore of River Elenthesia. Aero shoots Sacred Sword skill finger while Creon skillfully evade the force by listening. But with one knee busted and he is losing a lot of blood, soon enough his movement become slow and Aero sensing it use the chance perfectly. This time Aero realizes he needs to incapacitate him before trying to kill him. He shot at Creon other knee. Then he shot another one at his throat. Using the Sacred Sword Skill Finger he accumulate the energy to all of his ten fingers and cut off every finger that Creon had without mercy. Creon scream of agony is like a shriek after Creon throat were pierced with Sacred Sword skill. Then lying on the shore with blood flowing from each hole that is pierced with Aero technique, Aero stepped calmly and slowly to Creon and end his life. He did not drag it out or explain what he is doing to Creon. He is not some big bad boos who explains his schemes and plots to someone especially when there is no one watching. Theatrics only works when people are watching. ''Ok, that''s done'' Aero said to himself At least, for this one hour he needs to quickly get Thetis out of the prison. He didn''t seem to view Creon friendship as something important. After all he knew Creon is not really a good soul. Creon told him many stories and some of them are his stories of when he is alive. He is not exactly what you would call a nice person. Then looking at the corpse, Aero started walking away, smiling like he did when he first woke up ''Today is a good day'' he said as he walks to the prison. ************************************************************************* This is the second chapter for today. If you like the story please vote for the story and leave some reviews. Anyway, not many to talk about this time. Still had that headache Chapter 70 THE TWINS OLYMPUS That day, the clouds were full of thunders and lightning and the Oracles in the Temples seems to be in fear as they burn suffering to Olympus so that the Gods would calm their anger Something seems to brewing in Olympus. Two divine lights ascended to Olympus that day and then thunder and lightning follow and the sound of a peacock seems to echoes in all of the Oracles ears. Queen of Olympus seems to be angered. And the Gods and Goddesses also seem to be watching this spectacle with interest. Zeus brought back two of his children to Olympus and this does not elicit the pleasure of many Goddess especially that One To the One seated on the golden throne the daughter of Rhea, the immortal queen, the one and only bride of the loud thundering Zeus. Hera was not pleased. That is Queen-speak meaning she was full of wrath and anger. The Gods come to Zeus abode of thunder and lightning and demand an explanation. Thus, the lightning bolt bearer, Zeus spoke. "We are a family, and family stays together" Zeus said convincing the other Gods. But not Hera. The Gods then asked themselves. Why was this two children was special than the other countless of mortal that Zeus have slept with? Why were these children given the honour to rise to Olympus? Because these are the children of Leto. The story goes that when Hera found out Leto was pregnant with Zeus child, just after her wedding with Zeus finished, she was furious and jealous for even she is still not with child. Her anger reaches the heavens and earth. The sky shakes and the world experiences typhoons and calamity. People divorced and household all over the Brave World are all filled with strife''s as the secrets every family kept were revealed by the hands of fate. Mostly these affect the NPCs at the beginning. But the longer it went it even affects the player. Because of Hera anger, favorability rating of NPCS were hard to increase. Hera is after all the Goddess of Marriage. She kept the bond of marriage strong and stable. She kept relationship and guided it to its completion. The people who pray to the Gods even held her more in esteem than they do for the Goddess of Love. After all, it is easy to fall in love; but it is harder to make it stay. Maiden who have confesses their love; will no longer pray to Aphrodite for they will pray to Hera for their relationship to keep strong, for their love to not betray them and to not cheat on them. When the Queen of Olympus Hera is uneasy, then the world is uneasy. Leto affair with Zeus was before Hera marriage with the Lord of the Sky. Still, Hera felt cheated. So, Hera in her jealousy pursued Leto from land to land and from isle to isle, across hills and mountains and endeavored to prevent her finding a resting-place where to give birth. There is even a dragon called Phyton who chases Leto during her wandering, on Hera orders. Hera even kidnapped Eileithyia the goddess of childbirth to prevent Leto from going into labor. If not for the other Gods interference and tricks, Eileithyia would forever be imprisoned in one of her many numerous palaces Many minor Gods were also given warning by Hera not to shelter Leto. And when the Queen of Olympus gives you an order in wrath, you will never dare to disobey it Zeus of course knows about it. But Zeus could not let his children not being born. After all, it is still his children So, he has a plan. In her wanderings, it seems like there is nowhere on Heaven and Earth that will shelter her, Leto have almost given up. At last, however, Leto arrived in an island constructed by Zeus, guarded by Themis foreseeing this event, where she was kindly received by the nymphs and naiads and all creature on the island, and after nine days of hard labor, she gave birth to twins. The nymphs Korythalia and Aletheia nursed one of the twins. This island had been unsteady and floating on the sea. Hearing that Leto is about to give birth, the other major Gods come to the island. Hades and the other Gods were all there assisting Leto with the birth. Except Hera of course. Hades was honored by Zeus to name the child. So, Hades named both of them respectively as Apollo and Artemis. "Apollo means to destroy" said Hades "To destroy and ward of evil" Hades continue saying after the Gods were looking at him weirdly. Hades also said "This child is born of light" he said while holding Artemis in his embrace. His eyes shines dangerously black when he is looking at Artemis. Apollo was born under an olive tree at the foot of Mount Delos Mountain. The island of Delos, which previous to this event had been unsteady and floating on the sea, now became stationary, and was fastened to the roots of the earth. Of course this event was seen by the NPCs and adventurers alike. But all they see was a moving island suddenly stops. The island stops near Veva Kingdom. On the island, the Gods were all in joy. Aphrodite recite a poem. Leto bore Apollo and Artemis, delighting in arrows, Both of lovely shape like none of the heavenly gods, As she joined in love to the Aegis- bearing ruler. Zeus on the other hand is so happy to embrace his handsome son. Apollo appearance bore resemblance to Zeus when he is young. His forehead is higher than any other Gods, and on it there is a pair of locks, while the rest of his hair flows freely down on his neck. The limbs are harmonious, the muscles are not worked out too strongly, and at the hips the figure is rather thin in proportion to the breast. Considering its close proximity with Veva, the Oracle already is getting dreams from the Gods notifying them of this event and to construct a temple to honour this occasion. So the Oracle constructed a temple in the island dedicated to Leto, Apollo and Artemis. But none happier than Themis. Themis was the prophetic Goddess that was there in her role as the prophetic goddess of the oracle, which Apollo was destined to receive. So Themis fed the child ambrosia and nectar and no sooner had Apollo tasted the divine food, he sprang up and demanded a lyre and a bow, and declared, that henceforth he would declare to men the will of Zeus. Hephaestus then gifted the boy with bow and arrows. Delos exulted with joy, and covered herself with golden flowers, that if eaten will give strength and stamina. The swans circled Delos seven time and the nymphs sang in delight The Vevaian King Zeus also got the same order from Zeus. He became Zeus stepson after the Lord of the Sky was in awe of his fighting prowess. So, he spares no resources for the construction of the temple. "He will be my listener" Zeus declared while seeing Apollo. The Oracle prostates before the young God as from now on Apollo will send prophetic dreams to them Then when Zeus insist on bringing him to Olympus, Hades wisely point out "You should give him a task to complete or Hera will have reason to discredit these children" So, Zeus ordered Artemis and Apollo to go to the Gods old abode, Terra De Deorum to tend the swift steed of the Gods. After finishing that task, finally Zeus could brought them to Olympus. Hera was sulking. Of course Zeus tries to console Hera but Hera didn''t want to listen to none of it. Still the child plays on Olympus and Hera desire to bear a child for Zeus grew bigger. Hera trashed Artemis to the ground and Artemis weep on the laps of the thunder bearing Zeus. Zeus brought her up to his knees and Artemis asked him to grant her wishes. She wish to always remains a virgin, to have many names to set her apart from her bother Phoebus Apollo, to havea bow and arrow made by the ancient Cyclops, to be the Light Bringer and to have a knee length tunic so that she could hunt dark creatures that escaped the Darkness. When asked is it enough she asked back to her father? ''Can you fulfill it?'' Zeus laughed and he nodded ''Ask more'' he said amused with the bravery of this daughter of his. So Artemis then said that she wanted sixty daughters of Oceanus, all nine years of age to be her attendants, and to have to rule all mountains and any city and to have the ability to help women in the pains of childbirth. Zeus gives her a quest and if she succeeded, her wish would be granted. Artemis then descended to Brave World and began completing quest. Hera seeing this only increases her anger She wanted a son more beautiful than Apollo for Apollo was beautiful and he has this youthful exuberance that even Hera envy. So, she tries to hide her resentment toward the child and softened her position on the twins. For after all, she is the Goddess of family and sometimes you sacrifice for family. ''I will bore Zeus a child more beautiful and more useful than Apollo'' she thought to herself So, Hera went to the Three Fates to ask for her fates. They were probably the ugliest women one could encounter but no one ever dares point it out. Severe, inflexible and stern. That''s their personality. So when Hera arrive at the Three Fates Temple she was very respectful. Hera asks them for a prophecy of her child. But the answer was not to Hera liking. The Three Fates decreed with their creepy low toned voice "Beware, blessed Goddess for your son will incite the greatest war among mortals. Your son will be the personification of bold force and strength. He will bring tumultuous time, confusion, and horrors. He delights in the din and roar of battles, in the slaughter of men, and the destruction of towns and Kingdoms." Speak the Three Fates with unison. Hearing this Hera was enraged. "YOU DARE!" Hera screamed trying to send an energy force to shot the Three Fates. The Fates just swish their hand lazily and the energy dissipated. Then they speak with such eerie voice that it is impossible to know who utter the words for the Fates speak in unison. The voice reverberated through all the Heavens and all the Gods hear it. Even Hades in the Underworld and Poseidon in his Sea Palace could hear it. The Sea Palace pillars shakes as the waves grew tumultuous. The Underworld fires burns brightly and hotter than before as the scream of tortured souls become more intense. In the hut of the Three Fates, three of them pointed their fingers at Hera "NO! It is you that dare to raise your hands against us! And you will pay the Price!'' Said the Three Fates and they began twisting their hands like they are grasping something invisible. Hera felt a tugging sensation in her gut. It was a pain like no other. So painful it was that Hera collapsed to the floor, the Heavens turns dark and the world is rumbling, devilish wind swept the world and calamity descends in many places of Brae World "NEVER COME HERE AGAIN, WHITE ARMED HERA!" scold the Fates. Then with a swish of Clotho hand, Hera was thrown to Mount Olympus hitting the gigantic entrance archway. Even though, Hera has heard the prophecy, Hera insisted she can turn this around. So her desire grew. ************************************************************************* First chapter for this week. The next chapter will come a few minutes later. If you like the story please vote and leave some comments and review. Anyway, this is about the Gods and it will relates heavily to Aero future adventure. That is all I will say Chapter 71 RIVER STYX 1 His feet is fast and light as he is about to meet her. He entered the cave with a light hearted heart. And then he saw her from the distance and the edge of his mouth unconsciously rises up a bit. When Aero returned to the cave, Thetis was waiting for him, walking towards him with unstable movement. Deria quickly rushed forward as he is holding her body from falling. It seems the sea goddess is weak after her long imprisonment. Aero quickly wipe out any traces of disrespect Then Aero quickly kneel in front of her. "I am honored to meet you silver footed Thetis" Aero already search the background information about Thetis. So he also knows her nickname Thetis look at him with a piercing gaze and then she asked, her voice is like a heavenly melody "Are you the mortal who rescued me from this infernal prison?" Aero nodded and reply "Yes, silver footed Thetis. But we must hurry for Creon will return and with him his wrath" Thetis nodded "Yes, that uncultivated brute is a face I would not like to see. We have seen enough of each other after all these years" She said her tone was filled with scorn In the Underworld, nothing is truly dead. So quickly they walk farther away from the prison and almost running if not for the still weakened Thetis. Aero guard the rear looking vigilantly. Their destination: Deria hut. Other than some curios soul that tries to approach them, Creon it seems is still not yet resurrected Then finally after a few hours, a few detour on the way here and there they finally arrived at Deria hut. The Goddess also seems to finally regain her composure and strength. Then in the hut, Deria kneels to Thetis and offer her respect. Then he straight up ask "I have a favor to ask of you for my dear companion, Aero" said the kneeling Deria. Thetis nodded and close her eyes before opening it back and then she said "Ask and you shall receive, for that is the least I could do as my gratitude for breaking me out of that prison." So Deria begins explaining that Aero wanted to dip himself in the River Styx for gaining invulnerability. Thetis frowned for a while and then answer "I can do that. But I promised Themis that such thing can only be done to my son. I have researched countless ways of making mortals immortal. I dipped babies in fire at night and in the morning I rub ambrosia in their bodies so they would heal. It boosted their endurance and strength. But the Gods prevented me from doing that again for they say it was cruel" Thetis recounts the story Whoa, that is hardcore. Aero thought to himself. But he did not voice it out of course. But then Aero recognize that the opportunity he fought for might not even be for him. But he did not despair immediately. She would only do it for her son? Aero was thinking then he said. This is a last desperate attempt. "Make me your son, sea-Goddess Thetis. Let me share your bitterness. I will be your sword that slays your enemy, the shield that protects you from harm and ease your worries and console your sorrow" Aero said sincerely as he kneels once again, his face shows only reverence and his spirit seems to embodied loyalty and devotion. ''I had no choice. If she wants a son, I''ll give her a son.'' Aero thought to himself. The sea Goddess was shocked. But then she said "Do you promise me that?" she said staring intently at Aero face. Aero nodded. Aero felt pity actually towards Thetis, imprisoned by Hera. Not to mention Hera was the one who actually raise her when Thetis was a child. Of course he heard this story from Creon. So, he make a promise to himself he will honour his promise to the best of his abilities. Seeing Aero determined expression, the sea goddess nodded. "I will believe you mortal. But I must warn you, if you succeed in this endeavor your fate will be tied more closely with the Gods and that is not always a good thing" she warns Up in the Heavens, the Three Fates yarns the thread of fates. They paused for a while as the Three Sister eyes glow with golden colors before the light disappeared from their eyes. Then they resumed their works. In The Underworld, Aero responded. "I understand" Aero nodded "So which part you want it to be?" Thetis asked while scanning Aero bodies "What part" Aero said puzzled. "The part that I need to held. The part that needs to be protected. The only mortal part that you will have for everything else mortal about you will melt away." She said, apparently thinking Aero and Deria understand what she is talking about. Aero and Deria does not understand. Thetis shakes her head with a bitter smile on her face. It seems both of this children does not understand. So Thetis began explaining. "You could not be truly immortal. That can only be granted by all the Gods together. For if I burn everything mortal of you, you will not become an adventurer anymore. This one part will be the only way for people to kill you. There must be a balance and there is always a fine line between mortal and immortal. This one part of you will contain all of your mortality that even a graze could kill you. Now do you still want it?" ask Thetis sighing Aero nodded. He was determined. After all death is not too much of a problem for him. He will worry about it later. First, he had to have the ability to solve this quest first. He don''t want to be trapped here in the Underworld forever trying to solve this quest Sadly Thetis said "Which part then?" Aero was thinking. If he chooses head, then people could shoot arrows at his head. It is an easy target for high level archer. And it''s not he could wears iron helmet all the time. Thinking of it, in the war with Vetten he narrowly misses a few of arrow attack on his head. It is the most targeted point for someone that wanted to assassinate him Then he was thinking behind his back. But everyone strike in the back. He remembers the war. How many times enemy combatants tries to attack his back. And he was slashed many times at the back during the war but because it''s not such a weak spot, he would always heal quickly. Not to mention, he also attack people in the back. It is his most favorite way of attacking people. Because it gives double damage But Thetis said even a graze could kill him. Then wouldn''t being slashed in the back spell infinite pain for him? Humph, he never thought he would choose that part thought Aero noticing the irony. "The ankle. I choose the ankle" "Ankle it is!" Thetis declared. After deciding on that they moved again to River Styx. Now with a Sea Goddess helping them rejuvenated after her rest, they didn''t even need to move. She holds them and then she moved in an incredible speed and before they know it they are in front of the River. Aero looked at the river from a distance. It was black; the water of the river and Aero could swear he could see faces in the water. ''Fuck, this is one creepy ass looking river'' Aero thought to himself. Though he did not show his fear to Deria and Thetis. Thetis looked at the river and asked "Are you sure about this? There is no turning back after this" Thetis once again asked. "Yes, I''m sure" Aero nodded "Fine, come here my son¡­.'' She paused before she declare ''Take the curse of the Styx" said Thetis sadly. So Aero come closer while looking at the River. The closer he came the more he could see, the more he could feel. His heart is filled with dread suddenly. He didn''t notice it before but when he truly look at the river he realized it is truly black¡­.and it was like the River is looking back at him He know it was black water. He see it from the distance. But seeing it this close he felt like he would get sucked into that darkness. The developer really put a lot of work in this. He mused "Don''t worry. That feeling will pass" Thetis assured him noticing Aero was looking at the River. "Alright, I''m ready Mother" She looked flustered hearing me called her mother. And then she smiles a calm smile. "Yes, son. Be ready. This will hurt you terribly" Aero undresses and appear before Thetis naked. Thankfully there is no one else in this area or Aero would feel embarrassed. Since he turn off parental control, well, everything about him is uncensored. But Thetis clearly did not stir. Not that Aero was hoping for that. It is just he is quite shy of showing his body to other people. Especially to some Demigod and a sea Goddess that both looked like some kind of top rated actress in a box office movie and a young man that look like a fricking top model of the world Not knowing what Aero is thinking Thetis took him by his feet and held him high from his ankle and dipped him in the River water. Aero hope that it''s just a rumor about the pain but the moment he was dipped into the water Aero knows that the rumor is not a rumor at all. The moment he was dipped his health decreases almost immediately. ********************************************************************************************************* Part one of the chapter. the second part will come in a few minutes. Anyway, Aero has taken the curse of the Styx and as such anew destiny awaits him on this game. If you like the story please vote for it and leave some comment and reviews Chapter 72 RIVER STYX 2 HP 12000/13100 Then when he just blinked his eyes, his health point changed. HP 10000/13100 HP 9000/13100 For every second his health is decreasing. The pain was still minimal at this time. HP 6000/13100 ''Wait a minute! It looks like I''m about to die for real now. Maybe this doesn''t work for adventurers.'' Aero suddenly thought as fear grips his heart. He didn''t want to fail the quest that he had worked hard on for weeks. After all it is said it works for mortal. He''s not. He was an adventurer. He is not exactly the same as mortals. Worry gripped Aero heart. Nothing has ever gone his way since he falls here. HP 1000/13100 HP 500/13100 Just 500 health points left. Then nearing the end, he thought he was going to die, so he close his eyes. But nothing happened. HP 1/13100 And there it stopped. Aero believes it stopped because Thetis is holding his ankle. The only part not dipped in the Styx. ''Huu¡­I dodged a bullet. If I went here with Deria and hurled myself here, I would die a wasteful death.'' He mused Aero thought it''s done. But he was wrong. Then he felt it. An indescribable pain. ARGHHHHH!!WHAT IS THIS PAIN!! He open his mouth trying to scream but the water river went into his throat and he felt like acid was poured into his lung. It felt like everything was burning inside of him. Blood spurted from his nose by a bucket load. He felt his intestines is being burned and cooked Then from his eyes he could see it. His flesh was melting right in front of his eyes as the water corroded his outer layer of skin. Anyone seen the last scene of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of Lost Ark? Yeah, exactly like that. It was the most disgusting thing he has ever seen. The pain was like someone takes his skin and ripped it from his bodies, slowly while savoring the seconds that passes by. He know that his blood is filling the river now but he can''t see anything but the darkness of the black water. He didn''t see red. He sees black. And maybe even the red blood of his melted flesh also melted with the black water of the river Then after the flesh was melted completely from his bodies, he could see all his nerve like the anatomy model in his science lab during high school. Then a surge of pain like never before felt hit him. The pain felt like thousands of knife stabbing his nerve, slicing his strength. And he screamed again. And pain hit him again. Then he screams. Then pain hit him. Again and again it comes and goes. The cycle repeats and it felt like an eternity. Truly the water was like acid, melting him off, washing him with pain that did not allowed him to pass out. He looked at his health point. HP 1/13100 Still the same. He began regret taking this curse. It is really painful. He endured even until he was left to bones. Then like the end of a torture finally his suffering ended. Thetis held him up from the river, black water slid down from his naked body. Quickly his nerves reform, the flesh regenerates itself and his body is filling with an almost ungodly strength that seems to even be able to contend with the Gods. "Huh¡­Huh." Aero was panting because of the sudden strength gain and because he could feel his heart beating with the strength of a war drum. He felt like his heart will burst out from his chest judging by the intensity. ''Of all the thing I don''t want to repeat that would be at the top of my list'' He thought to himself. Then notification windows started popping. You have taken the Curse of the Styx. You can only be hurt by divine weapon. You are immune to every kind of poison. You have become invulnerable Only a part of you is vulnerable Dark resistance increased Fire resistance increased Water resistance increased Then Aero opened status window. CHARACTER NAME Aero ALIGNMENTAthena LEVEL131 PROFESSIONGrand Strategist TITLEGENERAL WHO PACIFIED THE NORTH CITIZEN STATUS Lord(Vanheim) AFFLICTIONCurse of the Styx CONTRIBUTION POINTS 30000 REPUTATION 4800 FAME4050 ELEGANCE 0 HEALTH99999(MAX) MANA1310+200 WILLPOWER 410 STRENGTH 9000+ 50 AGILITY1000+100 HONOUR 610 STAMINA 1000+40 WISDOM475+80 INTELLECT 559 ENDURANCE MAX LUCK159 CHARISMA 190+110 LANGUAGE 0 GRACE120 LEADERSHIP 350+50 ATTACK 99999 (MAX) DEFENSE MAX MAGIC RESISTANCE DARK 50% LIGHT 0% FIRE100% WATER 70% EARTH 0% WIND 0% + All stats are added 20 points in battle + 30% increase to Stats on the Battlefield. + Enables equipped items for the secret class + Decrease mana consumption for Divine sword technique + Easier to raise proficiency in any area. + Affinity with scholars increased. + Affinity with wise men increased + Easier to influence statesmen and scholars. + Decrease in Mana Consumption for the Ying Yang Sword Techniques based on level of INT + Gained ability to learn secret skills based on your level in Language. + Fame increase upon solving any quest involving the nobility. + Can talk to spirit and understand divine meaning + High leadership enables your troops to enjoyed 10 points of stats increase in strength + High leadership enables you to raise your troops marching speed by 20% + High Charisma enables you to establish rapport with townspeople quickly + High charisma enables you gain secret information ( Orders Of Letters unlocked[Click to get more info]) + High wisdom enables you to join Celestials Scholars [Click to get more info] + High intellect enables you to join Council Of Athena [Click to get more info] + You have unlocked Baron status + You have unlocked Lord status. + Intellect is added extra 100 points + 80 points added to Wisdom. + 10 points added to CHM + Strength is added 150 points because of the title effect + Charisma is added 100 points because of the title effect + Leadership is added 50 because of the title effect + Attack and defense is added 40 pointsbecause of the title effect + Because you were blessed by Athena all your stats increase by 40 points + Curse of the Styx inflicted upon you. + Bonuses for Health, Endurance, Attack and Defense are void. ''Woah. That''s the only things I could say. The pain was worth it even though I was still panting.'' That was what Aero was thinking as he looks at his status window Then he checked something CURSE OF THE STYX A curse that is given for dipping in the River Styx to gain invulnerability. Can only be hurt by divine weapons or hitting the mortal part that is vulnerable. However once you died with the curse, the curse will disappear and you can never have it again. He also learns a new skill. Iron Body [1] Beginner Enable you to harden your body like iron. Swords would be broken if it hit you. New abilities may be unlocked. Mana Consumption: None. Special ability for receiving the Curse. Then just to try it Aero tries to touch his ankle part. The moment he touch it the pain when he dipped in the River flashed inside his mind. It was like all the pain was combined for that one moment. Even though he just touched it his health dropped rapidly. 60000/99999 5000/99999 Quickly he removed his finger from the spot. Deria was perplexed. Thetis on the other hand understands. She looked at Aero with sad eyes. Aero could only bitterly smiles. Then Thetis spoke. "Now that you have taken the curse, I will return to the sea to meet my Nereid. Pray to me son for I will always be watching. Your fate is now in the hand of the Gods. That''s the price for the curse" She said while still looking at Aero with those sorrowful eyes. She knows that he can''t leave with her. After all Aero still had to finish the quest. Aero could feel when someone is sincere to him so he replies sincerely "I will mother. And call me, if you ever need help" She nodded. And then she kissed him on the forehead and turned into a bubble and disappears. Both Aero and Deria look on as Thetis completely disappears. Then Deria quickly handed Aero something. It looked like an eye patch. "This is to shield any attack to your ankle. It''s made from iron. So it''s very durable." He simply said. Taking the gifts, Aero look at Deria and smiles. Aero felt a little bit touched So this is what he''s been working on last night. No wonder he heard the sound of clanking iron yesterday. So Aero took it and use it to place it to his ankle. Aero then put his hand on his Deria shoulder and nodded. Deria nodded too and then they laughed. Then suddenly this bromance moment is break by a shrillingheard scream. The tone was like an angry man yelling. In the distance Aero could see who it is and there is a smirk on his face Creon is running towards them with anger etched on his expression. ''Oh, he finally reformed. This is a good chance to test this new ability'' Aero muttered. Deria was about to engage him but Aero hold him back and said "Move. I''ll end him" Aero said grinning. Deria just listen and move away. He also seems excited to see what had changed after dipping in the River Styx. Then with a scream he charged. ********************************************************************** Second part of the chapter. There will probably a new chapter tomorrow if nothing unexpected happens Chapter 73 PRINCES BERTHOLD NEARBY FOREST The wind passes her by as she chases her prey on horseback. The clattering of horse hoof behind her was as furious as her warhorse She is smiling in satisfaction. ''Keep on forward'' she yelled. This woman is heroic and her valiant nature is quite weird at least to the perspective of the NPCs. The NPCs notices that woman adventurer is unlike their woman. In that they are as crazy as the male adventurer. It is a difference of culture. The NPCs culture is like a mixture of medieval and the Greco roman culture. It is not that they are no brave woman in their midst, it is that it is lacking. The reason why they do not scorn such woman is because of the many Goddesses in Olympus like Athena, Hera and now Artemis which is the Goddess of the Hunt This woman leading the hunt is Raina. Raina is hunting again today like the day before. With her servants and personal guard roused form their normal duty, they are hunting for a boar in the vicinity of her mansion after the citizen asked her help. Raina who was bored as fuck in her role as a Countess was roused to After busy managing her estate, finally she got an adventure. She was excited and her body is full of energy. Leaving her servants to manage the estate she jumps on her warhorses and ride. So, as fast as she heard the story of the Boar she takes up her bow and went out of the mansion to hunt the boar. When they find the boar, Raina uses this opportunity to lash out her pent up feeling of being stuck in the mansion these couple of week. She hunted the boar''s children and its kin and rewarded their furs and meat to her retinue. By the time they killed the gigantic beast the boar was shot by almost three hundred magical arrows courtesy of Raina. Her retinues and knights all were in awe of her and praised as blessed by the Artemis herself. Raina was not satisfied. The war has raises her skill so much and her level also rise by leaps and bound. So it''s understandable Raina wanted to try her skills. So after they killed the boar her personal guard then proceeds to accompany Raina as she hunt for every monster that is in the forest. By the evening, the personal guard instead of being a guard becomes Raina gopher carrying her loot. She herself acted like the Goddess of Hunt with hunting dogs behind her as she rides her horse and was proficient in the use of bows and arrows Finally in the evening after almost half of the beast on the forest nearby her mansion she was finally satisfied. And then with the joy of hunting she returns to the mansion to feast with the people of her estate. She likes feasting as much as she likes her hunting, boisterous and noisy. She would open up her wine cellar and give away the meat she hunted She likes it very much that Dan had to advise her couple of weeks ago to cut down the festivities or she would make her estate coffers to run empty. But at least her people were happy. Even the productivity in her estate increases sharply. Her estate farmers also become hardworking as they do not have to worry about being starved. At times like these she remembers Aero Actually Raina tries to contact Aero after the ceremony after hearing that Aero still did not reached Asgaro Kingdom but she got a weird message. It said Your message cannot be sent because the recipient is in a different dimension At first, Raina though it was a prank but after countless of times trying Raina believe that Aero is in the middle of quest. What shocked her was the fact that the message seems to indicate that he is in a different dimension. What dimension? He always had the craziest adventure when he is alone Raina thought to herself. To be honest Raina was not too close with Aero. Dan and Amy are closer with Aero than she ever was. But that doesn''t mean he doesn''t acknowledge Aero effort. After all without Aero, she, Amy and Dan wouldn''t live the high life right now. She is now a Countess, respected and loved, and feared through the Kingdom. She did not even have to worry about minor matters like food or other things simply because there are so many nobles trying to curry favor with her. And if she ever hand a difficult quest, she could call up her retinue to help her with the task The Kingdom army will protect her if she ever request help or protection Her position with the nobility also helps her in receiving great quest and the rewards are also great. She can buy things in bulk from the merchant. She even gets discounts up to 50% from the merchants. Then she just sells it back to the players while jacking up the price. But to the adventurer who views gold and silvers like dirt, Sofia is making a killing. Only in her position she knows how much the NPCs have ben jacking up the price. What is worse, the merchant players never revealed this practice. And when Sofia found it out she also was disinclined to reveal it. Weapons are also sometimes just given to her instead needing to buy it. The Kingdom citizen also seems tries to help her. She even has a small private army gifted by the King to protect her. Not that she need any protection. The others that follow Aero in that war are also well. Dan is a Marquis in Zantleaf. With Lord Bradheim and Gruk almost finishing up the expedition in Vetten, Dan estate will be peaceful and the income from his estate can be collected. And it will be a lot. After all Zantleaf is not a small holding. It is even larger than her estate. Amy on the other hand is in the palace serving as the Royal Physician and learning many medical techniques. Raina also heard the money she gets from that job is a lot. After all she deals with the nobility in the palace and royalty. And no one dares treat her badly considering she lead the army unit in the war. Dan, Amy and she herself wanted to find Aero after getting that notification. They all agreed that Aero is right now stuck at some place that makes him unable to contact them. Amy suggests that Aero might be facing some problems. Amy said Aero is the kind of guy that could not face a threat directly so she wants to help him. Though Raina thinks it was because of something else. She is dense, but she is not stupid. There is something between Amy and Aero But even though Raina and Dan sent spies and Scouts around Asgaro and the kingdoms around them they couldn''t find him. Finally they decided just to wait. Dan on the other hand because of the King had to go to Duvar accompanying the Second Prince to ask marriage for a princess in Duvar. The Second Prince of Vanheim did follow Aero when they were in exile but even Aero did not see him that much. Especially since he was so preoccupied on orchestrating behind the scene during that time. Dan however did speak with the Second Prince sometimes during that self-exile of King George. Maybe, that is the reasons why King George trusted Dan to escort his second son to Duvar. Raina drink another large beer glass and then she look at the moon above. She smiles and then said to the wind. ''Come on, hurry back. Let''s raise hell again Aero'' Raina thought while grinning. ************************************************************************* I cut the chapter into two. The other part is a little bit shorter because it is cut from this chapter. If I did not cut it I think it would exceed ten ss. Anyway, the second part will be posted a few minutes late Chapter 74 PRINCE 2 DUVAR SECOND PRINCE RESIDENCE Duvar is a land that is known for its bountiful and beautiful river Look at the west and north and one could see large and unyielding mountains dotted the landscape. In the tales of poets and songs of bards Duvar is a bountiful kingdom and full of prosperity and natural resources The air is fresh, the scenery is breathtaking and the people are beautiful. It is truly a kingdom full of life and beauty. Dan was summoned to the place by King George. Once there, he was tasked to bring the Second Prince to ask for the hand of Helena, the most beautiful women in the continent But in the carriage he had time to marvel and awed by the scenery of this kingdom. It was beautiful, breathtaking and peaceful. But then he saw the reputed the most beautiful woman in the world. Princess Helena Dan also saw her among the crowd when she stands on the balcony of her palace to address her people. It''s true what they say about her. She is beautiful No, beautiful is an understatement. NO wonder people called her the mortal reincarnation of the Goddess of Love Fair skin, bright eyes, a bright personality and a beautiful hair that flows freely every time its blown by the wind Dan even question how can the developer create this kind of beauty? But he came here for a more important task. He needs to ensure that Prince Edward wins her hand. King George has already explained to him what is at stake. If Prince Edward succeeds in taking Helena hand, then the path to the Holy Land capital will become easier and King George could proclaim himself Emperor when he arrives at Duvar. It seems like an easy task from the get go. Thus, Dan unhesitantly accepted the quest. It wasn''t until he knew of her reputation that he thought to himself that this might be a little hard. But he is far from discouraged. It wasn''t until he arrives at Duvar he really knew what he got himself into. Dan couldn''t have expected that the number of suitors reach dozens and all of them are influential, powerful, rich or all of above Every Kingdom in the Eastern Continent except Vetten sue for the hand of Princess Helena sending their Princes, Dukes and Counts The North and the West also sent some of their prince and some prince that could not appear in person sent emissaries and their ambassadors. And with Vrandeus not choosing anyone, the suitors become anxious by the day. There are even some princes that try to take Helena by force. Thankfully Castor and Pollux are able to deter the princes with their strength. Everyone in the Vilajeri Continent knew that Castor and Pollux are very strong and brutal and they love their sister dearly Of course Dan befriended them the first opportunity he got .They''re good guys. They''re just worried about their sister. But that is not the only reason. He wanted to trigger any questline but maybe his intimacy with them is not yet high so he didn''t get any quest. If Aero was here, he must have an idea to solve this problem. Dan is not used to solve problems without Aero. After all, Aero was the brain in their team. And today again he waited. Vrandeus seems to be waiting for someone. It is the same thing every day with him asking to meet Vrandeus on behalf of the Prince and he would be sent away with some excuses like Vrandeus is praying to the Gods or something along that line. He wants to go back to his estate, his comfy castle and his comfy bed and great dishes that are prepared by his cook. Vrandeus must make his decision fast of who is going to get the hands of the Princess. The princes'' patience is beginning to wear thin. Dan really hopes nothing happens that would spark any conflict. With these many princes here in one place, if they all got into a conflicts it is enough to start a world war. ************************************************************************* second part of the chapter.Another chapter will be posted later. If you like the story please vote for the story Chapter 75 STRIVING TOWARD THE SUN 1 FORGES OF HAEPHASTUS The sound of clanking iron can be heard. Fire sparks can even be seen from outside the forges. The smell of smoke and burnt iron can be smell form miles away. Hephaestus was there hammering iron and gold. Hammering weapons and tools of divine properties. Of all the Gods only he has that kind of abilities. Twenty anvils and bellow worked under him tirelessly all these years crafting things for Olympus. Golden and silver lions and dogs at the entrance of his forge created in such a way that they could bite the invaders They are the famous automaton of Hephaestus Even the palaces in Olympus were constructed by him. His body is enveloped by fire, but he just stand there hammering amidst the fire without even flinching. That''s what he always does when he is nervous. Hammering and tinkering with things. By now Athena must have known what he has done. He has conspired with Poseidon to kill an adventurer. Of course, he had made a deal with Poseidon. That''s the only reason he would break a divine law. For his son. His handsome and talented son. So pitiable. So young to suffer such fate. If not for Zeus, his son will be with him and he can guide the boy to become a great hero that would bring fame and glory to him. But Zeus in his anger cursed his son. That enraged Hephaestus, but he knows Zeus is way stronger than her. And now he believes Athena will come here to ask him of his involvement with the death of that adventurer. And no sooner than he thinks about it, a light shone from above and the sky produce thunder The forges shook. The tools in the forges drops and some of it drop down to Earth. ''Finally, she came. How would she look like? Angry?'' Hephaestus thinks to himself. Hephaestus once sees when Athena was angered. He did not like that face. And from that light, emerged Athena the Aegis bearing Goddess with all her glory. With her war armor and aegis she looked as formidable as ever. Her face is expressionless and there is an aura of war emanated out from her, her eye shines with wisdom. "Have you come to apprehend me, War Goddess?" Hephaestus said as soon Athena steps outside the light. Athena only smirks and ask a question of her own "And risk a war? I represent thoughtfulness and wisdom in the affairs of war, and protect men and their habitations during its ravages. Why should I apprehend you and incite wars?" said Athena while smiling. ''Oh, this looks good. At least she doesn''t seem angry'' Hephaestus seems to be thinking in his mind "Then, why have you come?" asked Hephaestus puzzled. If not to apprehend him or capturing him, he doesn''t know what Athena intend to do here in his forge. If Athena really wanted to capture him, he will not stand still. There were many thing he did not try during the Titanomachy But still Hephaestus is cautious. After all this is the Wisdom Goddess he is talking about. She must have a scheme and her plans. "I have come to make a deal with you Hephaestus" Athena said "A deal?" He was puzzled "Yes. I know what Poseidon promises you. I intend to do you one better. What if I promise you that your son can be saved and brought out from the Underworld in the span of a month?" Athena declared. "A month!" Hephaestus yelped Even Poseidon promises to release her boy in another thirty years. But can Athena deliver on her promise? "How do you intend to do this?" Hephaestus asked. Then Athena quickly explains to him. "That¡­That could work" said Hephaestus while nodding his head. If it''s Athena it''s possible. Now wonder she is the Wisdom Goddess. Then contemplating for a few minutes he finally decided "Fine. I''ll vote for that boy if he succeed in bringing back my boy from the Underworld." Hephaestus promised. However Athena is not entirely convinced. "Swear it on the Styx" retorted Athena. Hephaestus rolled his eyes but he comply.. "Fine. I swear it by the River Styx" Thunder boomed in the distance, but the shaking shakes the forges. Athena satisfied with her new ally, disappears as the hammering and tinkering started again in the Hephaestus Forge. Athena then teleport herself back to Asgaro watching the war preparation and giving courage to the soldiers and inspire the advisors to give great ideas to Fjord. Of course they didn''t see this with their naked eyes. Gods rarely come to mortal world while revealing their form. Then Athena stops to think. ''Everything is moving smoothly'' Athena believes Aero is the one in the prophecy because Nestor talks about Zeus the Vevaaian King. Zeus is an adventurer. So it stands to reason the other adversaries will also be an adventurer. And the only adventurers Athena knows that fit the description is Aero. Adventurers and mortals work by different rules. Adventurers can even defied fate itself. Mortals can''t. So Athena thought to get close to Aero to advise him not to go to war with Zeus. So he sent Aero to the Underworld to help Aero retrieve his sword. By saving Deria Aero will gain the vote of Hephaestus in the Council. Then she tasked him with capturing the Cerberus. A task Athena knew Aero could not do which is why she asked Aero to bring Deria with him. Deria has been in the Underworld for a long time. He must have known about the story of River Styx and Thetis. By releasing Thetis, Zeus will also be overjoyed because it was his wife that imprisoned Thetis and he will surely let Deria live in peace. But Hera will of course not be pleased with Aero releasing Thetis. So Athena will say to the Goddess that it was Deria idea. And no matter how angry she is, she would not dare harm the children of a major God. If it''s Zeus child maybe she can because Zeus is her husband. But the other Gods? If Hera starts to invade their personal business then Hera will not be safe and her reign will be in chaos even though she is the Queen of the Goddess. And when Aero solve Vrandeus problem, Hera will also cast her support of the boy. And Athena will then ask Hera to ask the other Gods to vote in favor of the boy. Everything has been set up perfectly. Athena look at the mortal world and close her eyes and her mind seems to be saying ''So, pray to me, Aero and I will bear witness of your glory.'' Athena knows that any time now Aero will be able to capture the Cerberus. Patience is a virtue. So, she waited. ************************************************************************* Part one of the chapter. The second part will be posted a few minutes later. Chapter 76 STRIVING TOWARD THE SUN 2 VEVA NEAR THE NEARBY VILLAGE Kyle after he was allowed to log back in chose Veva as his new Kingdom. He checked his level. And his face sunk almost immediately ''Fuck, fuck!'' he cursed quiet a storm before he could calm himself down. Now his level is 112. He lost 150 levels by enduring the torture and his subsequent death. His heart was screaming with anger and the injustice he felt. He swears that he will get his vengeance someday. Actually after he logged back in he wanted to hire the Blood Brotherhood to assasiante Aero but now that he has no money, he need to gain money first. Of course his first day back in Veva was a humiliating. Every player knows who he is. "Isn''t that Kyle?" "Yeah. So he came here after being banished" Some of them look at him with a mocking smirk. "Hope that Zeus won''t give him any armies to lead. If not maybe Veva will be like Vetten. Hehehehe" some players were snickering at him. Kyle had to endure this humiliation and begin solving low level quest since some of the NPCs have also heard of his reputation and refuse to give him B level difficulties quest. The insults were understandable. His mistake was catastrophic in hindsight as he let his emotions clouded his judgment His mistake was a fiasco of mythic proportion. So his days went by solving quest and building familiarity with the NPCs and before long the NPCs began trusting him again. But still this is far cry from his previous status. But he has to endure this for now. ''Endure. Endure. Endure'' this is like his mantra now. When he heard people mocking him, he endures it. He would never let his emotion become the master of his action ever again. If Aero could see him now, he must be terrified. Aero did not fear people who are confident or fearless. He fears people who could endure. After all only certain people had the tenacity and will to endure such treatment. For people like this, Aero would either make sure that person is under him or in the same side or if they are not to be persuaded, then to erased him and make him unable to rise up ever again Kyle in the time he spent resolving quest also heard Bradheim and Gruk have almost conquered the capital of Vetten. He guesses that his revenge against the minister in Vetten has to be forgotten. Unless of course if King George employs them later. That leaves only Aero as his sole target of vengeance. Remembering the treatment and the insult he got because of Aero actions gives Kyle motivation to raise his level as quickly as possible and then he will exact his revenge towards Aero and all the people who have insulted and humiliate him. That day after solving another quest, Kyle returns home to his hut that he builds outside the city, just near the villages there. Just when he came inside he heard a deep voice that startled him "How the mighty have fallen" said a man wearing a robe. He was sitting on one of the chair in the hut. From his appearance it looks like he is a noble. His entire existence seems to form a dissonance when compared with Kyle humble dwelling. Then Kyle also realizes there are guards inside his house looking at him coldly and without emotions. Kyle immediately reached for his sword on his hip. "Don''t be so hostile, Kyle" said the man clearly recognizing him. He doesn''t look worried. He looks bored. Kyle halted his movement as only his finger still holding the sheath, ready to attack the moment he spotted anything suspicious. "Leave us. I need to speak to him alone" said the man ordering his guard to get out of the hut. It took a few moment before Kyle deiced to listen to this mysterious man in white robe Kyle then also sits down staring at the face of the stranger. "Who are you?" asked Kyle. The man smile an amiable smile showing his charming manner. "I''m Eric. You sure come back home late, Kyle" Eric. Kyle eyes widen before his eyes once again narrowed with suspicion. He of course knows who that is. He is known to be close friend of King Zeus and Bart. He is also known as the strategist of Zeus army and the strategist for Veva. He is loved by the people because of his prowess as a warrior and his elegance. But why does he come here? "So what is the reason you''re visiting me? I have no doubt you already knew what a failure I have been" Eric nodded but he is not quick to speak. After a few moment of silence he sighed and said to Kyle. "Hah. One failure and you give up? Don''t you want to have revenge towards Aero?" said Eric mocking Kyle. "Of course. But are you going to give my vengeance toward Aero? Deliver it to me in a silver platter?" Kyle asked sarcastically. Eric doesn''t know how Kyle heart burns every time people mention Aero and praises him as a great strategist and statesman. "Not for free. The reason I came here is to ask you whether you want to lead a division of Veva military. Though of course you have to prove yourself first" said Eric Kyle face lights up. "Why? And prove myself. How?" "I don''t know how you would prove yourself. Find a way. You are a resourceful man. And if you can''t prove yourself then that means you have no value or worth to me. It is only when you have proved yourselves then I can persuade Zeus to give you a title." Kyle nodded and then he ask a question "Why do you want me to lead your army? I have already lost terribly with the war before and it is not that you haven''t heard that my reputation is in the gutter after that war" Eric believes he must put all the cards at the table. "Well, because I believe Aero will be a threat to my friend. And considering you''re the only one who have ever battled a war against him, your experience will prove to be useful." After contemplating, finally Kyle said, "Fine. I''ll do it!" Kyle declared. Eric smiles and then he got up and shakes Kyle hand "Good. Now I have other matters to attend" he said saying farewell. There are other people that will explain about what to do next to Kyle. Then Eric went out from the hut and ride his horse back to the palace. Eric has begun moving his chess pieces. If Zeus really intends to rule over all, Aero is a thorn in their side. ''Better safe than sorry'' That''s why he wanted to hire Kyle. Before the war, Kyle is known as magician mercenary of sorts but he was formidable. People tend to judge people only by their failures. All success is forgotten. That''s why Eric wanted to hire him. Experience is important. So, now he just needs to see what happens next. Of course he already has sent spies to locate Aero after his disappearance act in the sea but no news of him surfaced. And that is worrying. It means Eric don''t know Aero movement. ''I hope they have good news for me'' He thought to himself as he enters the Palace. ************************************************************************* The reappearance of Kyle. Anyway, like always if you like the story please vote and leave some comments. Chapter 77 HEAR, SEE, BE SILENT 1 THE UNDERWORLD HADES THRONE ROOM He was sitting in his throne, holding a bird bird-tipped sceptre, and a cornucopia hanging just behind his throne chair. He looked regal, majestic and dignified. In his own realm, Hades is quite unaware of what was going on either on earth or in Olympus It was only the oaths and curses of men that reach his ears as they reached those of his Furies. In his head was his helmet which rendered if he wanted, invisible among many other things that helmet could do. Among all the other Gods he is the fiercest and inexorable. Hence, not many mortals like him. But some mortal understand. Life and death is synonymous. And if you''re wise, it is better to embrace death than fear it. For death comes to all, the only differences it is whether you are earlier to die or later to die. Like it or not, it inches closer and closer with each passing second. Anyone who fears death too much will not truly live. And those who love life too much will regret. He kept his realm dark and gloomy. Well, it kind of fits with his whole image of God of Death and it vibes with him It is said that no shade might be able to escape or return to the region of light in his realm. Hades appearance resembled Zeus and Poseidon except that his hair falls down his forehead, and that the majesty of his appearance is dark and gloomy. He of all the Gods knows more about adventurers more than anyone. He knows that the adventurers come from another world. This is why he knows that he himself is an AI. A program created to govern this world. Probably the Titans and the primordial gods before them is just a program to create this world and he is the newer version of that program, But he achieved sentience and full knowledge of the world of the adventurers. This is actually a terrifying thing. An AI that become sentient and knows who he is and what he is. He knew that he and the other Gods were fashioned from the Gods of adventurers in their world which is why he wanted to change his name to Hades. And why he named the twin child Apollo and Artemis. He of course doesn''t know at first when he was first created. But after countless adventurers die the truth becomes clear to him. Hades¡­.is quiet a special Gods among all the other Gods. When an adventurer dies, they will spawn back in a couple of days in their spawning points which is the Temple or some special place. But what happens to the soul or the data of the adventurer''s death? It will be send temporarily to Hades for safekeeping before that soul returns back to the adventurer. And considering Hades is the Lord of the Underworld and God of Death he glimpses the experience and past memories of adventurers. After thousands of them die he finally put the puzzle together. That is his favorite past times. This is why he kind of likes his gig as the King of the Underworld. A realm which Hades believe even bigger than Zeus or Poseidon realms of dominion. Because, honestly, who doesn''t die in this world? Whether they die in the sea or in the ground or die falling in some abandoned abyss or hole, in the end all of them came here. And here he rules supreme and unchallenged. No God can come to his realm uninvited else they put themselves under his mercy. Of course mortals and adventurers are a different case. After all many of the Door to the Underworld is scattered around the world. But it''s not that easy to find and it is forbidden to the Gods to access it. And the second reason is¡­.really? Who would want to spend time in the Underworld when he has made the Underworld gloomy and dark, full with deadly monster and terrifying sights all around? Of course Elysium and Isle of the Blessed is worth to see but the Field of Punishment? Seriously? Who would want to see images of a person innards being eaten by an eagle or a person being flayed or beaten to resemble a mashed potatoes all day. But then he heard a disturbance in Field Of Asphodel. '' That''s odd'' he said to himself. So, he looked from his throne what is happening. His eyes see all. It seems someone is disturbing his realm. He senses a divine presence. It''s faint but it''s there. Then his eyes narrowed as he finally see the problem. There is a smirk on his face. Pallas Athena sent a hero to retrieve Deria from the Underworld. At first, he just wanted to smite the boy for daring to come to his realm without permission but then he realizes that the boy is an adventurer. Killing an adventurer is against the Divine Law because their soul doesn''t belong in this world. Poseidon will pay a price for killing an adventurer if this gets found out. So, he endured. And because his hands are tied, he started watching the boy And Hades just watches the boy as evidence against Athena scheme. He alone has made all the Gods promise never to enter his realm without sending a message first. Even Hera a new addition to the pantheon knows to respect him out of fear and a mix of awe. Of course it was to imprison Thetis here that Hera could not help but always remains below him Hades could not approve the Goddess action. After all, Thetis affair with Zeus was a long time ago. But still he did kind of give her unspoken assent. And imprisoned is better than dead So, Hera imprisoned her here. And even that Hera had to send many messages before he assent to her request. He will accuse Athena on the next council meeting. For invading his realm without permission. But then, Athena tasked the boy to capture Cerberus for him Hades smirked. ''So, Athena intends to honour me after all'' Hades knows that Athena knows that he could see her no matter how many concealment she wears or magics she employed. Unless she is wearing his helmet she would always be detected if she roams in the Underworld. Actually Hades was playing catch with the Cerberus a couple of days ago as he tries to imamate what he saw in adventurer memories of people playing catch with their dog and Hades accidentally threw the dragon bone to River Acheron. Of course the dog chases the bone. But Hades then was so busy with so many souls registering that day, that he just kind of forgets about the dog and went to sleep. Athena must intend for the young boy and Hephaestus son to bring Cerberus to him and ask him the favor of bringing them out of the Underworld. ''That Athena is shrewd.'' Hades thought to himself After all, Athena must have known that Lord of the Death always returns a favor. That is his personality ''Fine, if that''s how you want to play it let see whether you can capture my dog''. ************************************************************************* Part one of the chapter. Chapter 78 HEAR, SEE, BE SILENT 2 UNDERWORLD RIVER STYX The cold wind did not bother him as much. He smiles a smile of confidence. He felt the energy coursing through his every vein like he was reborn. In the distance someone is charging towards him but he remains unaffected. Because he knows he can''t be hurt. And he is eager to try all his new abilities. With the feeling like he could hold even the entire Universe eon his back, how could he fear that charging man no matter how enraged that man appears? He might be afraid before but now, nothing seems to waver his heart. He comes closer and closer and then Aero activated his Iron Body ''ARGHH! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS AERO!'' Creon shouted with all of his nagger as he jumps from the ground and when he is in a striking distance, he stabs Aero with the sword. CLANG! Aero smirked ''I guess, bearing the Curse of the Styx do come with a perk'' Aero says this because instead of feeling of pain, he only felt a small tingle in the spot where he was stabbed like something tickled him. The sword that Creon used to stab him had a sad fate as it began to cracks and then as the wind blows the sword shattered to thousand pieces. ''Wha-'' The look on Creon face was priceless. Aero even had the feeling that he is about to laugh if not for the fact that Creon felt so injustice. Creon looked at Aero with puzzlement. And Aero look at him back with a challenging smile on his face, not a spot or a scratch appeared on his chest. Of course this is not the same sword that Creon used to imprison Thetis. Deria brought it to his hut to make sure it does not fall to Creon hand again. Then what sword is in Creon hand right now. Obviously It is an even a more powerful sword than that. But¡­.the result was something unbelievable. How can the very swords that have fell so many warriors and soul is rendered into a thousand pieces the moment it made contact with Aero body? Then a terrifying answer dawned on his mind and his eyes seem to lost hope. "Did you bathe on the Styx?" asked Creon with a slight hint of disbelief in his tone mix with a faint trace of hope that Aero did not bathe on the Styx. "Yes. And I think now it''s my turn" said Aero grinning The moment Aero said that he close his distance with Creon almost instantly like he was lightning personified. The ground underneath his feet exploded as the wind around him spirals out away from him Creon was too shocked to react. The movement was too fast and almost instantaneous. He couldn''t anticipate that speed coming out from Aero body. So in that momentary confusion on Creon part, Aero give him a punch to his gut. The air around him compressed Aero thought Creon would collapse but Aero never would have thought what would happen is different entirely. Creon flew about ten meters. Aero could hear it when his fist connected. The sound of bones breaking. ''Must be the ribs'' Aero thought to himself. In fact he was not entirely wrong. Almost all of Creon bones around the ribs either c rack or broke upon first contact "Uhuk,uhuk" Creon was coughing blood in the ground, his hand is trembling and his internal organ are all roiled up and breaking down. Aero on the other hand felt excited. ''I am stronger. Hah. Maybe capturing Cerberus is possible now.'' He mused about his possible conquest He looks in the distance and he could see Creon is struggling to get up. He did not finish off Creon easily. Aero waited until Creon stand up. He looks at Creon and Creon look at him. Then despite the pain he is experiencing and the fact that his body is about to give out Creon charged again this time. He tries to fight Aero with his fist. ''Big mistake, Creon'' Aero shouted when he found out what Creon is thinking about His fist strikes Aero gut. Aero felt nothing. Not even a tingle. It felt like a wind breeze by his gut. And Creon also realizes it at that moment as he heard his own knuckles breaks. It was like he was hitting an iron wall His bones broke and the crack in his bones spread out all over his body.He cries a scream. Aero grinning satisfied with the curse, quickly aims to end this fight. After all it''s getting boring. Before at least Creon provide a decent challenge to him. Though, of course during that time the biggest obstacle was Creon sword that had a high damage. Now without that sword and Aero invincibility Creon is nothing. So he quickly broke Creon leg with a kick directed to his knees His knees swing backward and he falls to the ground looking weak and pitiful. Crawling in the ground desperate to run away, Aero comes to him and stopped him. ''Sorry, Creon. You went after me. You shouldn''t have done that. I think this is goodbye'' Aero focuses his energy and punch Creon face as hard as he could that even the ground shakes. The moment that fist connected, Creon face was smashed. The ground exploded around the impact area because of the fist. Creon face looks like a smashed pumpkin with blood all around. It was a fucking mess. Deria was just watching the battle on the background with amazement. He slowly approaches Aero and then pats him on the back. Aero take a deep breath and got up like he was awaken from a trance. His hand is still dripping with Creon blood as it drips silently to the cold dark ground of the Underworld. Deria look at Aero and gulped. He heard that those who were taking on the Curse of the Styx usually went crazy. Of course this is the first time an adventurer ever cursed with the Styx. Deria try to clams himself down and then Deria ask cautiously "So, what now?" Deria asked. he is ready to leave the River and return to his humble abode Aero smiles hearing Deria question and said "How about teaching manner to a dog?" Deria shakes his head and grins. "Heh, yeah, what the hell. Let''s do that" Deria nodded This time they are going to River Acheron and they will beat that three headed dog. They will beat it until that dog knows how to respect them. ************************************************************************* Part two of the chapter. Today I guess is a mass release. Anyway, next chapter will be the last chapter for today Chapter 79 SIDE STORY: AMY AMANDA Amanda comes from a rich and privileged family. And as such, she was educated with all the etiquettes befitting of such families. She learns etiquette, classical music and instruments, poetry and dance among other things. Her father and mother is quiet strict on her. She never felt much freedom in her own house. Truthfully, she felt suffocated. She always had. She had a sister named Amelia. Though she died two years ago in a plane crash. At least that what her parents tell her about the death of her sister. For some reason she always felt that story is weird and strange and the more she grew older the more she felt that the story was weird. Amanda is the perfect daughter anyone would have liked. She is smart, graceful, and obedient. She is the obedient one. Her sister was different from her. She was easygoing and free, and Amanda admired her. She was a lover of the art and fond of visiting galleries All she knows that her sister and her parents had a disagreement so her sister left home travelling other countries. She heard her sister was coming back when the plane crashed. Of course, their parents blamed themselves. But even though she doesn''t show it, she was the one that was most devastated. She fell into bad crowd and grows more rebellious. Until she was introduced to Brave World by Dan. Dan is her childhood friend and was quite worried about her. In it, she could be anything. She does not have to wear dresses or frilly clothes. Nor does she need to answer the expectation of her parents. She became a healer in Brave World. Healer could save people. That what attracts her to the class. Even in an almost dying state if the healer is high level then Amanda could save them. Though her personality is more like a ruffian instead of a healer. Then one day, she met him. At first the man tries to follow their group. Amanda is shy among new people so she didn''t want to let that guy follow. Of course what happens next was something she could never imagine. That guy clear several floor infested with monster by himself. Amanda felt the guy was showing off. And truthfully she is right though that man would never admit it. But that''s how it started.That is how almost all love story started. With the guy doing something stupid and the girl get curios. That is the great trap. Man stupidity and woman curiosity Then she slowly but surely falls for him. The way he carry himself. The way he smiles. She smiles at his smile. Even his grinning is endearing. The more they fight with each other, the more she felt for him. And when they fight in that war, she could see how dashing and smart he was. Confident and charismatic, leading men to battle. She has tried to forget him and she cannot. She cannot stop thinking of him. She cannot stop dreaming about him. When he is near her, her heart beats erratically like it is about to explode. Without knowing why, she pushed him away sometimes. She wants to know him better. What does he like, what does he hate? She wants to know all this things and more. And she wants him to want to know her better But she could not say it. So she tried to act kinder towards him. At least kinder than usual. But it''s not like he make it easy for her. He always teases her and she always mess it up. And Dan always had to interfere. Then in the night of the victory ceremony Sarah whispers to her, that shook her heart "You know, I think I like Aero. I mean maybe we could be something more" she said whispering to her ears. And it was then that she knew what she felt for him. She likes him. Why? Because the moment she heard that she felt something clenched in her heart. A tingle of fear. An alarm sounding out in her mind. her heart was anxious. She felt anxious of losing him to Sarah. Thinking something does not make it true. Wanting something does not make it real. And she knows that she needs to do something. That''s what she concluded that night. So, she looked at Aero during he received his rewards. Thinking how will she catch his attention? If staring could communicate one thoughts then that night Amy could have convey her feeling as simple as that She couldn''t even hear the other conversation like everything was tuned out of her ears and mind. Her minds were swirling with so many what-if scenarios that it almost drives her crazy. People were in joy but she is not. Dan and Victor were talking with each other comparing their manhood like most boys do. Raina was with Victoria. And Aero just flitted in the background, wearing a mysterious smile like he always did. Then she realized he went upstairs so she followed him. How could she not realize when her eyes were trained on him like a hawk? She approached him slowly all the while thinking what she should do. And then she heard him ""I wish you could have been here. The sun is beautiful, the moon is elegant and the wind is soothing. Sound of music filled the roads and the stars twinkling on the night skies. Life¡­.is beautiful. But, mainly, I wish you could have been here'' The moment she reached upstairs she heard he was saying such words while looking at the beautiful moon. He looked lonely. Then uncharacteristically of her she asked him "Who?" she asked. She was curious who is he talking about. "Why are you here? Go celebrate" Aero raised his tone towards her. It only made her even more insistent "Who?" she asked again. "Who what?" "Who do you wish to be here?" "Someone who is not here anymore" "Then, isn''t that stupid?" I mean what is the use wishing for someone is not here. It''s a waste of time. Amanda thought at that time "Is it?" He ask back, his tone is a little cold "Yes, why not wish for people that are here." she said, as she too looks at the stars "Who would I wish for then?" "How about wish for me?" she said bravely. But she can''t hide her blushing. her cheeks turn red. "Maybe I don''t want to wish for you" He said smiling "Why not?" "You''re stubborn" he said "But in a good way" she countered back "You''re difficult"he shot back "No, that is inaccurate. I''m challenging." she corrected. He looked confused. Even Amanda knows her behavior is not the same way she usually acts around Aero. But she doesn''t want to lose him. "What do you want Amy?" She decided then that she will say it honestly. She has lost too much because she could not be honest. Maybe in the real world she had lost many times but not in this world. "I like you, Aero" she said it fiercely. But the most important thing was that¡­she said it Aero face began reddening. "Yeah, I like you too" Aero said nonchalantly. "You know that is not what I meant" "Don''t joke around Amy" "I''m not joking" He then suddenly comes closer to me. The distance is so close that he could hear her breathing. And her heart stopped. It just stopped beating. And for the first time in her life, she had that feeling. You know, like the world is moving all around you, all beneath you, all inside you, and you''re floating around it all. Then Aero said "What would you do if I kissed you right now?" She stared at his beautiful face and his beautiful mouth and she wanted nothing more than to taste it. To lost herself in that kiss. "I would kiss you back." She reply with a conviction in her voice That was clearly not the response Aero expected. Amanda was grinning. "Ok, enough of this. I''m going to the hall." Aero was about to step down the stairs, but she could not let him go like this so she held his hand and pull him to her. They were inches from each other. Both of them could hear each other breathing. "What do you thi---" Before he could even finished his sentence she kissed him. She kissed him desperately and passionately. She thought he would shove her off. But then the most surprising thing happen. He kissed her back. Slowly at first then it turned to something else. Passionately, desperately with a ferocity she never encountered before. Licking the sides and corners of her mouth, he delivered it back to her, the passion and the desperation, over and over. And she lost herself in his kiss. For that moment she feels¡­ that they could come to mean something to each other.She feel so many emotions she did not know how to feel. ''Only you and me''she heard him whisper. Then she stopped. They were both gasping for air. And she looked at him. All the while she felt like she was flying. And the only thing keeping her from drifting away to the clouds is his eyes. They''re connected to her by some invisible force, and they hold her fast while the rest of the world swirls and twirls and falls completely away. She was lost in that eyes She then smirked. "Why did you¡ª" he asked "A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous." She said that matter of factly. Then she stepped down back to the festivities. ''Now, I dare you to forget me. Let the game begins, Aero. I''ll make you fall for me'' she whispers underneath her breath ************************************************************************* Ok, this is the last chapter for today Chapter 80 LITTLE DOG The wind whistles and the ground was hard and yet at the same time damp. Aero footstep is lighter now and his mood is even more. Looking in front of him, there is a smile of confidence plastered on his face.Behind him is Deria. They have finally arrived at River Acheron. Looking from the distance the dog is still there. And a smile unconsciously formed on his face. He was beaten black and blue by this dog before. And he was frustrated because he could not even fight the dog and always had to retreat. But now¡­it is different. Aero is confident he can beat the dog now. So, this time he only said to Deria to pull him away if he could not move. ''This time let see who wins'' Aero said as he inches closer to the dog. He is trying to spring a surprise attack on it. Then like it possess some supernatural instinct the middle head moves and realizes him and quickly like it possess some telepathic ability it communicated the information to the other the two heads. ''WOOF!WOOF!'' The bark produces soundwave and the ground beneath Aero tremble. The left head moves swiftly and open it mouth wide to attack him. Aero could see something is building up in its throat and then with a sizzling sound the left head sprays black smoke to him The smoke seems to kills anything it touches ''Fuck!'' Aero cursed. This is the smoke that brings diseases. It passes by Aero body but then Aero calm down. Nothing happens to him. It was like that attack had no effect. The only thing that attack seems to do was to blur his vision for a couple of seconds. ''Ah, I almost forget'' Aero was about to attack when the right head opens its mouth and even before that thing comes out from its mouth Aero could feel the heat building up. Then large fires started coming out of its mouth like the dog head is some kind of a flamethrower The ground around Aero is all scorched up and burning. This time Aero is not panicked nor he is flustered. He embraces the fire. The fire envelopes him from his chest to his waist but Aero felt like he is bathing under a waterfall. Aero check his white robe durability and he frowned a bit. Durability 900/1000 He is fine but the White robe is not fine. Its durability is beginning to decrease and it is decreasing faster and faster. Aero could not let this go on of course. He dash forward, and then he hammer his fist onto the dog right head. The right head immediately brought down its entire body weight come crashing down onto the ground. Aero smiles as he took that wide open mouth of the right head of the dog and by brute force closes that dog mouth. The right head winced in pain as the middle head barks at him. Then it tries to bite him. Aero slap that middle head and a large ripple of shock produced form that slap. It tries to bit again and this time Aero was not merciful as he directed the middle head to bit the left head. AUGHH! The dog seems to shouted in pain as it bits its other head. Aero laughed bot at the dog situation and also because he was excited "HAHAHAHA, stupid dog. This is for that bite you gave me that time" Aero laugh. When Aero had managed to close the right head, Aero yelled to Deria "Give it to me now!" Deria quickly open the bag and proceed to take out a rope of iron he created last night. Aero plans to use these to bind the dog mouth from spitting harmful substance and to bind their legs. Deria quickly threw the ropes to Aero. Aero received it well and proceed to bind the right head jaw forcefully as the right head whimpers. The dog now realizing Aero can overpower them began struggling in earnest. The right head quickly realizes the iron that covers his ankle and spits fire at it. Dogs¡­certain dogs are breed to be hunting dogs. And Cerberus is a hunting dog. Its instinct for weak spot is rarely wrong. The flames cover his ankle. And since iron is a good conductor of heat, Aero felt it. The pain was indescribable, and he was so much in pain that he had almost collapsed right there and then. His health decreased almost instantly and drastically. 8000/99999 And that''s not even a direct hit on his ankle. It was at this moment Aero knew he made the right decision to tie up the right head first. The dog fire could be his undoing. However this is not the time to falter and relaxed his assault. So when the dog tries to spit the fire again, he dodges expertly, the rope is still in his hand. The dog began getting serious as they bark louder and louder like a bad omen. Suddenly the air felt different. It is colder and harsher. The ground they''re standing on grumbled and the wind whistle like the wailing ghost that roams the bottom of the Styx. Web like cracks appeared in the ground And then suddenly skeletal hands shrouded with dark aura emerged from the cracks clawing their way out of the way. There were hundreds of them, crawling up from the ground. This time Aero almost wanted to shout in frustration to the sky But above all he was angry. He was angered of course. He thought that he would just have to fight the dog and beat it senseless and haul it ass back to Hades. Now, they can summon The Underworld Guards? Deria seeing the confused look of Aero which is actually his frustration face misunderstand and yelled from behind. "Aero, don''t be confused. Hades summoned them. He must have known you''re here" Deria said noticing my confused looks Hearing this Aero was enlightened. he clenched his fist and then with a sense of bravado he rarely projected, he screams His scream echoes and then he ran straight to the horde of skeleton monsters. ARRGHH! He screams and then he punch one of the skeletons. With one punch the skeleton guards turns into dust. And then like a storm Aero keep fighting. The skeletons are not the inhabitants of Asphodel. They are The Underworld Guards. Souls that wish to do penance to be elevated to other places. But their attack and defense is usually not that great. Aero swear in his heart that when he is done with the skeleton guys he would punch that dog so hard it would fly in pain. He should be scared. But he wasn''t. Because he know he can do this. A hundreds of skeletons? Easy. As long they do not know where to strike it''s like they are striking an iron wall. So, filled with excitement he ran to the first skeleton and punched him. His bones were all shattered with one punch. Then he collided his body and his body is like a tank as it keep bulldozing the skeletons into ashes of white dust Deria on the other hand also unsheathe his word and joins in the fight. The sword on his hand right now belongs to Creon originally. After taking it Aero realized it has a requirement of being level 300 and considering Deria level was 420 he did not hesitate to give it to him. Well that was expected that Deria level was that high. After all since he died the only thing he did was killing the cursed warrior. After the first skeleton warrior fall, Aero was in a roll. One skeleton tries to strike him with his sword only to find his words shattered. He quickly turns around and punches the monster to death. They are also other who he killed by head-butting them or his jumping knee attacks. The others were killed by his fist or his kicks. There is this one instant in the battle when the monster realizing that Aero could not be hurt by their weapons tries to overwhelm him by throwing themselves at him and pinning him. They succeed at pinning him. But he was not scared. Instead he only scoffed in disdain. Aero gather his strength and he released it making all the monster that tries to hold onto him fly ten meter s away. Deria was also slashing and knocking the monster vigorously and effectively. Considering his level it was a walk in the park. You have leveled up! You have leveled up! You have leveled up! This kind of notification windows keep popping up. Fighting the skeleton was good. Aero began leveling up. Spears and swords were left around in the battlefield like they were junks. It would look funny. Two people fighting a hundred of opponents. At least Deria had a sword. But Aero only fight barehanded. But Aero knew he would win. He never felt stronger in his life. Before, with his swords he brought destruction. But it was his sword that does most of the work. But now, he is the Destroyer. And how liberating it feels for Aero for once, not to think too much and just enjoy the fight. Finally after half a day fighting the monster without stopping the skeletons were all annihilated. The dog is still there. Waiting, thinking that he must have been exhausted from all that battle and killing. Deria was panting but Aero was not. Silence descended to the area. Aero looked at those furious eyes and turned back to see if there is anyone left behind. There was nothing left in the battlefield. Empty. He had destroyed them all. Then without meaning to Aero was laughing maniacally Now for the main event. ************************************************************************************* Part one of the chapter. Anyway, today is going to be another mass release. Hope you are all ready. And if you like the story please vote and leave some comments Chapter 81 LITTLE DOG 2 Aero tossed the rope aside. He will not use the rope. Aero charged forward. This time the right head tries to spit fire again, but he beat him to it. He punched the head as hard as he could. The dog flew backward with pain and blood. Without giving it time to get up Aero jumped and landed a kick on the right head. The head buried itself to the ground because of the impact. Since they could not move because the right head was stuck in the ground Aero pummeled the middle head until blood spurts from its nose. Until finally Aero beaten him to almost an inch of death then suddenly he hear voice booming, that echoes through all the Underworld. "ENOUGH!" Then the sunless sky turned darker and colder. Shadows thickened. Souls screams and wails. Death pervaded the place like a short brief wind. And from the darkness emerged a figure. He looked regal and dignified. His expression was cold and hard. His white hair falls down around his forehead hiding his left eye. Behind him becomes dark and gloomy. If all this gloom in the Underworld comes from him, Aero couldn''t imagine how strong he really is. He rode a golden chariot drawn by a team of four sable black horses. The horses were like living shadows. It had red eyes fashioned from darkness. The chariots was inlaid with obsidian and gold, and you could see the chariots was decorated with scenes of painful death. Hades wore black armor and has something like a scarf covering his neck. On top of his head was his helm. It radiated pure terror and dread. Deria was already trembling when he sees the crown. So Aero also looked at it. Then suddenly he felt like he was in the River Styx all over again. And unconsciously even Aero body started trembling. Quickly Aero decided to avert his eyes away. But Aero managed to see that around that person hip is a collection of keys decorated like a skulls. He wielded a bird tipped scepter that radiated the power to govern life and death. Aero need no explanation. He must be the King here. And he knows how he is looking at. He is the first God that he met that frightened him to the core. "To Lord Hades, magnanimous, whose realms profound are fixed beneath the firm and solid ground, I offer my respect" Aero said while kneeling. Deria also kneels and said "To thee, great king, all sovereign earth assigned, the seat of gods and basis of mankind." Lord Hades smiled coldly towards them and then he said looking at the three headed dog and gently said "Cerberus, come here boy" Then all the binds on the dog head magically unbind itself as the dog got up and shakes their head in happiness at looking at their master. The dog quickly wagging their tails and ran to Hades. "Now, go to my palace and guard it like always" The dog barked happily. "Here''s the ball" Hades open his palm and a ball appeared. Then the dog barked again and this time they listen to Hades. They quickly turned to shadows and disappeared. Then Hades turned to back to them Aero is still kneeling. So is Deria. "Now, what should I do with both of you?" he said while he is grinning a malevolent smile. There is an uncomfortable silence in the area. Then suddenly that awkward silence was broken by a voice "Reward them" A gentle and majestic voice sounded Aero immediately glow in happiness as he recognizes this voice. Athena. The lights shimmered and she appeared before them. Hades looks at Athena like he is analyzing her. Then he said "Yes, that what you would want" Hades said boringly towards Athena. Athena was not discouraged and said "Have they not proved their worth?" Athena said "I subdue the dogs" Hades said calmly "No, you know as well as I do, if you let them, that boy would haul back the dog right at your palace entrance" Athena shot back Then they just stared at each other. Hades then smile mysteriously and nodded with a faint amusement in his eyes "Fine!" Then he takes the key that jangle in his hips and turn the key in the empty air. Suddenly the entire underworld trembles and the souls quieted down and a heavenly melody sounded out for a few second before a golden a door appears behind Hades Athena eyes gleamed with brightness. But Hades is not Hades if not for such a spoilsport "You want to release Hephaestus son, don''t you Athena? But heed my words. This will be the only exception. This adventurer should not have been in the Underworld in the first place. NEVER AGAIN!" And then the entire Underworld shakes and roars with him. Athena bows her head humbly and Hades glared at Athena. "Of course, Lord Hades. I do not want to anger you" Hades only nodded and then he turned to shadows an d melded into the darkness and then disappear Then the sound of notification sounded in Aero ears. Tting QUEST COMPLETE! CAPTURING CERBERUS Capture Cerberus alive without using any weapons. Reward: Fame increase : Reputation increase : Two bottle of ambrosia. : Wisdom increase : Intellect increase : Fame Increase : Doors of Death open for a while. Difficulty level: A Level up! Level up! Level up! Aero then open his status windows. CHARACTER NAME Aero ALIGNMENT Athena LEVEL 150 PROFESSIONGrand Strategist TITLEGENERAL WHO PACIFIED THE NORTH CITIZEN STATUS Lord(Vanheim) AFFLICTIONCurse of the Styx CONTRIBUTION POINTS 30000 REPUTATION 8800 FAME 7050 ELEGANCE 0 HEALTH 99999(MAX) MANA 1500+200 WILLPOWER 410 STRENGTH 9000+ 50 AGILITY 1000+100 HONOUR 610 STAMINA 1000+40 WISDOM500+80 INTELLECT 600 ENDURANCE MAX LUCK159 CHARISMA 190+110 LANGUAGE 0 GRACE120 LEADERSHIP 350+50 ATTACK99999 (MAX) DEFENSEMAX MAGIC RESISTANCE DARK 50% LIGHT 0% FIRE 100% WATER 70% EARTH 0% WIND 0% + All stats are added 20 points in battle + 30% increase to Stats on the Battlefield. + Enables equipped items for the secret class + Decrease mana consumption for Divine sword technique + Easier to raise proficiency in any area. + Affinity with scholars increased. + Affinity with wise men increased + Easier to influence statesmen and scholars. + Decrease in Mana Consumption for the Ying Yang Sword Techniques based on level of INT + Gained ability to learn secret skills based on your level in Language. + Fame increase upon solving any quest involving the nobility. + Can talk to spirit and understand divine meaning + High leadership enables your troops to enjoyed 10 points of stats increase in strength + High leadership enables you to raise your troops marching speed by 20% + High Charisma enables you to establish rapport with townspeople quickly + High charisma enables you gain secret information ( Orders Of Letters unlocked[Click to get more info]) + High wisdom enables you to join Celestials Scholars [Click to get more info] + High intellect enables you to join Council Of Athena [Click to get more info] + You have unlocked Baron status + You have unlocked Lord status. + Intellect is added extra 100 points + 80 points added to Wisdom. + 10 points added to CHM + Strength is added 150 points because of the title effect + Charisma is added 100 points because of the title effect + Leadership is added 50 because of the title effect + Attack and defense is added 40 pointsbecause of the title effect + Because you were blessed by Athena all your stats increase by 40 points + Curse of the Styx inflicted upon you. + Bonuses for Health, Endurance, Attack and Defense are void. Aero and Deria is looking at the door with some excitement. Aero is tired already doing quest in the Underworld The scenery is the same and the environment could make one suffers depression Athena also notices that both of them are looking at the door. "You can go out now, Deria" She said "Really?" His face expression show happy he was. This is probably the happiest day in his life. He pulls Aero to go with him. Athena shakes her head and said+ "Not him, Deria. He still has one last task" Athena said to Deria realizing Deria tries to bring me with him. Hearing this Aero felt his heart sunk "But-" Deria seems reluctant "It''s okay Deria. Let''s meet when I finished the last task." Aero said assuring Deria. Deria looked at Aero and nodded. "Promise me" "I promise" Then he let go and started to walk towards the door. The moment he opened the door a light sucks him and he disappeared from the Underworld. Now Aero look at Athena direction. "What is my last task?" Aero said almost immediately "You need to help the King of Duvar with something" "What things?" Then Athena began explaining the problem. Thankfully Duvar is in the land of the Living which means he finally will get out of this hellhole. Of course Aero eagerly accept the quest Tting VRANDEUS PROBLEM Solve Vrandeus problem by offering him solution. Reward : Fame increase : Reputation increase : Favor by Vrandeus. : Wisdom increase : Intellect increase Difficulty level: B "Then let''s go." Aero said to Athena. "Go through the door" Athena said before disappearing again. So Aero walked to the door, excited to breathe fresh air again. ************************************************************************* Part two of the chapter. Like always leave some comments. Chapter 82 OATH DUVAR TEMPLE OF ATHENA The moment he opens his eyes he is in one of the numerous temple of Athena Aero could hear many people praying and saw some people burning some offerings to the Unwearying Goddess Aero could smell fresh air as he marvels the Temple itself. The Temple of Athena is usually located atop the fortified acropolis in the central part of the city. The many statues in the Temple portray her as a warrior goddess. Aero then calmed himself down as he notice that no one seems to realize that he just appears out of nowhere. It was like he was being shielded for a while and no one had seen him when he appears. It is lucky coincidence. But now that Aero knows that the AI that govern this world do more than just govern the data, then probably it is not luck at all. Instead it might even be it is just probability. Then he go out from the Temple after tossing some leftover ambrosia into the fire and make an offering to Pallas Athena The moment he stepped out from the Temple he is greeted with the sight of a lively market, with people buying and selling, stalls set up in the corner of some alleys and people shouting and screaming about prices of food. ''A business market'' Aero said to himself trying to ascertain where he is now. Then he remembers the voice message that comes to him a few second ago. Athena orders him to find King Vrandeus in the palace and said to him that Hera had send him to help him in his matters Aero sighed. ''The Gods are really troublesome'' he said to himself. Though he is waiting for a questline where he could slay a God. That would be the day. Walking out from the business market, Aero went to the nearest taverns, a hotbed for information and asked some people to point him in the direction of the Palace It is not hard considering the palace is the most recognizable structure in any kingdoms. Aero quickly follow the direction and then he saw the palace. ''I should have guessed it would not be that easy'' Aero said the moment he arrived near the Palace entrance. Outside the Palace Aero could see many nobles out there pitching tents, all seems to be waiting for something from the palace. ''I need to find a way to enter the Palace without them thinking I am trying to do something dangerous'' Aero was about to contemplate his next move when the most surprising thing happen. ''Oh, you''ve gotta be kidding me'' Aero see in the distance someone he knows. It was Dan sitting with some nobles trading laughs and bantering with them in good sport. Sweet serendipity. Aero wanted to say but then shook his head. He immediately hold up his hand and yelled "DAN!" he yelled from the distance. Dan who was concentrating on something a noble said to him was started. He looked towards Aero direction and he was surprised. Gobsmacked more like it. He got up from his seat and went to Aero almost immediately. Behind him, his knights follows him. Then surprised and puzzled, Dan immediately hug Aero and then said "Aero, you''re here. Who would have thought? We thought you were in a difficult quest. Amy and Raina were ready to send someone as far as Veva" Aero smiles and then said "Oh, I been here and there." Aero said. To tell the full story right now would be too complicated "What are you doing here?" Dan asked again. Aero looking at the crowd then lean in to Dan ears and whispers "How about we talked about this at a more discrete place" Aero said noticing the weird glance people are giving them. Dan nodded agreeing with the suggestion So, they went into a private tavern. They pay for their table and then they began talking. First, Dan tells him his story of why he is here in Duvar. He was tasked to accompany the Second Prince of Vanheim, Prince Edward to ask Helena hand in marriage by King George. He even managed to boast a bit about the adventures along the way. And Then Aero told his story. And Dan felt a little embarrassed sharing his adventure story. Aero told the story of how he fall into the Underworld because of a God. A God! Then he told the story of how he need to fight the Cerberus, the three headed dog of Hades and all the monster in Asphodel. Dan was slack jawed when he heard it. Feeling shock would be an understatement Then Aero also told Dan what he is supposed to do now. "Oh, you need to see King Vrandeus. I know how to reach him" "Really?" "Yes. But tomorrow. You seem like you need some rest'' Aero nodded and said ''But a drink first. To old friend and good fortune'' Dan clank his cup and nodded as they both laugh and trades stories *********************************************************** Part one of the chapter. Huh. I am tired of posting thing. But I will thrive on. Next chapter will come in a few minutes Chapter 83 OATH 2 DUVAR ROYAL PALACE THRONE RONE ROOM Refreshed and full of energy, Aero is ready. Today is the day Aero finally met the Duvar King. Dan told him the do''s and the don''ts. So, he won''t mess up that badly. And he had quite a good grasp about the King problem. But he doesn''t want to assume. Once he reached the Throne Room Aero quickly introduce himself like Athena instructed him. ''I have come here under the guidance of the white armed Hera'' Hearing that Hera has sent him the man in his dreams the King was overjoyed and quickly tell him his problem. Aero underestimated the influence of saying you come under divine guidance. The King would have never share his problems with anyone else but the moment Aero said he was sent by the Gods, like magic, the King opens himself up to him. Thought not to mention Aero reputation himself. After all Aero name is known far and wide in the continent as an able administrators, a divine strategist and a great advisor. The problem like Aero suspected was about his daughter, Princess Helena Aero actually has already had a solution to the problem. It is the simplest and crudest possible solution. But well, it is not his problem and Duvar is not the King he served so he couldn''t care less if this solution backfires. As long as he solves the problem it is good enough. "What is your solution, Sir Aero?" the King asked eager to know the solution. The King realizes the suitors are beginning to get angry waiting for him to make a decision. And he could not contain that anger for much longer. After all he could not always stay cooped up in his palace and waiting for a battle to happen. Aero then said "I proposed that before the decision is made all the suitors should swear a most solemn oath to defend the chosen husband against whoever should quarrel with him. This way, none of the suitors would dare kidnap Helena against his will. After the suitors had sworn not to retaliate, then held a contest to decide. This way when the winner is announced none will dare attack your country and blame you since they have taken an oath before the contest begin." Aero said suggesting his opinion. King Vrandeus nodded and agrees "Ah, you''re right. That would work wonderfully" said the King as he is already thinking of using this solution to convince the princes and the suitors. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Sir Aero?" asked the King. Even though he is the King, he knows this Aero person must not be an ordinary person. Since the Goddess sent him, the King dare not offend. Aero think this quest is already finished. He wanted to finish what he started "I would just ask if you would kindly provide me with a carriage to send me to Asgaro" "I am much obliged" said the King as he immediately ordering a carriage to be prepared for him. Aero intend to rode to Asgaro and come to King Fjord aid. Actually after speaking with Dan, Aero knows that King George wanted his son to marry Helena. So that''s why last night they were going to Veranis second prince and ask him to step down from asking the hand of Helena considering their good relation. Alexander had a quite a good chance of winning the suit. Alexander readily agreed because he already has a lover back in Veranis and he just needs an excuse to step out from this business. After all he could not say to his father that he simply don''t want to not after his father persuaded him that hard. At least by saying Vanheim ask him to step down, his father would not force him again. The other princes are not too formidable for the competition. Edward can handle them easily. After all Edward was tutored in sword fighting by Bradheim. But it not that it is guaranteed. But anyway, that is not his problem. So, Aero will leave everything to Dan. As for him¡­..he need to quickly go to Asgaro, solve the quest, and met Amy. He needs to talk to her¡­.face to face Then the sound of the notification sounded in his ears Tting QUEST COMPLETE! VRANDEUS PROBLEM Created the Vrandeus Oath. Reward : Fame increase : Reputation increase : Favor by King Vrandeus. : Wisdom increase : Intellect increase Difficulty level: B The quest window completion popped up. Aero was half expecting alight to shine down in the throne room. But Athena doesn''t show herself like usual. And that was weird. After eating and drinking and send some words to Dan who is busy with the competition, Aero said goodbye to the Kingdom of Duvar. He didn''t even have time to explore the Holy catacomb of Old Heroes or visit The Grand Temple of Zeus or see the beautiful painting of the Seven Celestial in the Holy Square. There were many things he would like to see and experience in Duvar this so called land of prosperity. But he just doesn''t have the time. So you could just say that he was only stopping by to solve Vrandeus problem along the way like it was not a big problem whatsoever. He didn''t even have the chance to meet the famed beautiful Princess Helena. Little did he know at the time that this oath he just created will one day come back to bit Aero in the ass. The marriage of Princess Helena and Prince Edward and the subsequent event after that will marks the beginning of a great war among the heroes that would involve The Eastern, Northern and Western Continent and shaped the Vilajeri Continent more profoundly than ever. And there up in the sky, someone look at this with eye full of malevolent intent ************************************************************************* Second part of the chapter now. Hope you all like the chapter and leave some comments Chapter 84 OATH 3 OLYMPUS Athena was raging in wrath after she found out that Zeus has destroyed her temple in Asgaro The disrespect shown to her was insulting. Zeus, The Lord of the Sky, Bearer of Thunder tries to calm her down saying he did not order such thing to be done to her Temple. Athena look form the top of Mount Olympus as he saw the destruction and carnage these adventurers have wroth upon her city. She could see the olive tree burning and her anger grew. Athena in her wrath wanted to descend down from Olympus and smite the adventurer into dust and ashes. She wanted to smite that adventurer with the most pain she can inflict. ''They will pay for what they have done to my children'' As quickly as she declares her intention she flew down. Her grey eyes sharpened and her heart is merciless. Her shining golden mail is as blinding as the sun and even the Gods would be in awe. She shakes her sharp spear and high Olympus trembled in dread beneath the strength of the grey eyed maiden, while the earth rang terribly around, and the sea was boiling with dark waves, and suddenly brake forth the foam. Ready to inflict damage to the world, she began raising her hand ready to spear Zeus the King of Veva with her own hand. A golden spear formed on her palm as the wrath of the child of aegis-bearing Zeus is angered. And she shoots the spaer. BOOM The spears were so fast it reached a supersonic speed and broke apart the sky as it sails through the white clouds. Anyone that comes into contact will be obliterated. But then suddenly the spear stopped in midair and the area around it compressed and exploded because of the sudden stopping.. "WHO DARES¡­." Athena was about to yell then she realizes who stopped her spear. "Lord Hades" Hades appears behind her holding back the already thrown spear with an invisible force. "I am the Lord of the Death and the Law states that the Gods may not directly kill adventurers. If Themis is here she would have told you this" Athena knows the laws. But in her anger she forgot. "I will have my revenge!" she yelled back "Yes, but not like this!" Hades scolded Athena while crushing the spear with a wave of his hand. The spears shattered into thousand pieces and turns into beautiful motes of divine golden light "Wait for the opportune moment" said Hades. After staring each other, finally Athena concede. This is the reason why Athena couldn''t meet Aero after he finished his quest in Duvar. She was too distraught from having her temple burned. Of course the sword was also forgotten by Athena, and her thought about stopping the war that has been foretold by the Oracle Nestor began taking a different direction. Now she wants war. Aero on the other hand doesn''t mind using other sword after all he''s invincible now. And he thinks he would very much not to see Poseidon ever again But unknown to him forces other than him has seen that the sword will return to him in the Great War. The Three Fates yarns the thread and calculates probability and possible paths that one will take in the game and they arrive at this conclusion. Aero just doesn''t know it yet. It is also because of Athena intention that Aero had to join the war. It is because Athena said these words, a word that resulted from Athena intention to start a Great War. Athena will one day announced that United Kingdom of Veva could not be captured without him. Thetis, who had foreknowledge that he would have to die if he went to war, concealed him from the Gods. Though this would be so much, much later. And so the Three Fates yarn the thread and spins the spindle as the world goes round and round. ************************************************************************* ISLAND OF DELOS Thetis who has long not felt the air is freed and the moment she was freed she met Themis to ask a prophecy about Aero. "Do you know of my son, Aero, Themis?" She said The Titannes smiles and she said with a smile "Whom else but Aero did a Nereid take be stealth through the Stygian waters and make his fair limbs impenetrable to steel?" Thetis nodded and then she asked "I came here to know the prophecy of my son" Themis nodded and then she closed her eyes and then after a few moments she opens it back again. "Then hear me, Silver Footed Goddess" Her eyes turned white and she started saying "The Fates has decreed about your son--that one of two things had been allotted to him, either to live ingloriously or becoming glorious but to die very soon in a Great War to come." And so hearing of this prophecy Thetis wailed and screamed to Olympus. She cries and her tears created stormy seas and waves. "O sorrow! What is this fate? I have had a son only to be taken away from me in a war? Are the Heavens blind" Thunder booms in the distance. Thetis was determined to save her son. Themis who is looking at Thetis could already imagined what will happen when that time comes In her desperate attempts to protect her son during the Great War, Thetis called in many favors from the gods. These included Hephaestus and Dionysus, both of whom she had given refuge in the sea as they faced crises of youth, and Zeus, whose throne she had protected by summoning the giant Briares when the gods had sought to bind him. Though that too is a story much, much later. ************************************************************************* End of Gods Arc Part 1. I know some of it was boring. Sorry. I need to introduce the characters and set the stage for the Great War. Now after this, the new arc will return to strategy and court manipulation. Anyway hope you all enjoy it and leave some comments ********************************************************************* Chapter 85 WAR? CHAPTER 62: WAR? A black raven look perched on top of some headless corpse, looking at the battlefield and then caw with its eyes opens and close. On the sky vultures can be seen circling the mound of corpses in Asgaro battlefield while some of them swop down and taken some flesh off the corpses. A vulture could be seen nibbling on the some of the corpses eyeballs, eating it deliciously. Mound of corpses form a hill on which ten hills around the battlefield could be seen. The base of that human hill is full of smashed up corpses. The sight of mashed head into the soils spoiling brain matter and the smell of piss and blood intermixed with each other in this abandoned battlefield There must have been great carnage and bloodshed here that would create such sight and smell. The raven looked around and it can see fire everywhere though that fire is all on the verge of ending. The war was over and the result was tragic. Ten thousands of lives serves as a fertilizer for the ground and the sight was gory Blood runs like rivers and bones lined up the soils The raven that was looking at this sight, its eyes is white like chalk. Somewhere in Duvar someone open his eyes and sighed. That someone is Aero of the East Aero was in still in Duvar when he sees the event from the raven eyes. The raven was from Athena and he can finally use them Asgaro Kingdom¡­..the kingdom where Aero was supposed to render his counsel and advice was attacked and conquers by the King of Veva, Zeus of the North. Now the Asgaro Kingdom is no more and as such Aero invitation before could be regarded as void. Aero only sighed at this unfortunate event Veva has taken full control of the Kingdom. ''A kingdom of ashes'' Aero remarked while shaking his head Aero also see the way Zeus treated the people of Asgaro after he won the war. It was repulsive and cruel. Whether it be in their policies of governance or the general treatment they would receive from the Veva citizens. Zeus of the North just keeps slaughtering and killing people up and down the Asgaro hillside even though the war was won. No one was left alive as villages were burn and cities were razed. It is excessive and unnecessary Zeus¡­.is a ruler that ruled by military might. His rule is stable¡­.as long as his military is stable. But ruling with military might is not entirely wrong as long as one is not excessive with the use of force. What is important in any rule of governance in the world is three things. Sufficient food, sufficient military equipment, and the confidence of the people. And if one is to be dispense with, which of the three one should forgo first? Then the first that should go is military equipment. And what if another one of these two things needs to be dispense? Which one should be forgo? The confidence of the people or food? Part with the food. From ancient times, death has come to all men, but if people have no faith in their rulers, there is no standing for the state. Ruling a state or a kingdom, once the trust is broken, then what await for such kingdom is endless trouble and rebellions Aero did not pray that this will happen to Zeus because Zeus and him had no beef and he is not going to start one. Fearing something else would happen, Aero turn back to Duvar and from there quickly went to Veranis. As Veranis is an allied kingdom he was received with honors. In the meantime he hunted a few monsters and familiarize himself with his newfound strength. Nobody would have thought that hiding behind his body is an invincible prowess. In Veranis Palace he was greeted warmly by King Phillip. "Sir Aero, we are honored to receive you in our court" The King said when he arrived and Aero respond appropriately "No, no the pleasure is mine" As a sign of honor and respect the King held a banquet that night. Of course Aero to to reject it but Philip persists. Offerings were burned to the Gods, and hymns and song praising the Gods were sung as the curtain of the night banquet opens. So, that night he was honored with a banquet, and an entrance worth of a hero "Here is Aero of the East, the General Who Pacified The North and a true friend of the Veranis people." King Philip introduces him to the nobles. "I''m not deserving of such praise" Aero said humbly bowing his head a bit "Oh ,my you must have jest, Lord Aero. Don''t be humble for the praise was deserved" Some of the nobles said "Yes, you''re truly a hero among heroes" Others said nodding "We have watched the play about the tale of your bravery" Some other have spoken ''Who is this group that uses my stories as a tale?'' Aero thought to himself. Aero all reply to them with humbleness and a slight smile. Then the feast began. Music of many kinds was played with harps and lyre melody fills the night and the dance halls. The wines from all over the continent were served. Variety of sumptuous and delicious food was prepared. All in all, it was a good night. Aero like always socializes with the nobles and spoke to them in such a subtle way that he slowly digs out any information they have while basically offering them nothing of the same sort. Aero get a great info when staying in Veranis that night. Vetten Kingdom has fallen and has become Vanheim dominion. Aero eyes was shining and he laughed for a couple of second when he heard the news. Veranis on the other hand has conquered Tian Dynasty and now beginning attacking Gerad to fulfill their Old Dream. Aero also got to learn something else. At first Kingdom of Niovar also wanted to join the war to take Gerad before Prince Alexander of Veranis could take it but fearing that Vanheim would move to attack Niovar while they''re attacking Gerad makes them frozen in their country. By not moving they are actually sealing their fate. Aero thought to himself. This reminds him of another military leader in history. When Oda Nobunaga faces the Imagawa Army many of his advisors persuaded him to surrender to the Imagawa of Suruga. Some people even said to fight the Imagawa in a siege battle and wait in the castle to resist the invaders of Owari. But Oda Nobunaga knows that if he waits in his castle, the least he could do is only to buy him a few days and at the end he would still lose. Instead he crafted an almost suicidal plan which won him the most important battle of the Warring period of Japan. If he waited¡­.then in history, no one would have remembered the name of Oda Nobunaga. But because he decided to gamble a path was opened for him. If Aero was the advisor of Niovar, and these two choice presented itself, Aero would have attacked Gerad no matter what. True, Vanheim could take advantage of it and attacked Niovar but the worst that could happen was that Niovar would lose a few states. But, that is better than to be locked up. Because Niovar now¡­is nothing but a trapped bird in a cage Sooner or later it will fall. By trying not to lose something, Niovar will lose all of them Aero only sigh hearing the news. He also tries to find news about the crew in the ship after he returned to land of the living but he heard all of the crewmate died in the storm. As compensation, he gives ten thousand gold coins to King Philip and asked him to search the last of kin of the crewmembers and give them equally that money. This is because Aero remembers that one of the crewmate has a family. Aero felt a sense of responsibility of what happens to them. And maybe it will lead to some quest. Who knows? Maybe a secret quest or something like when he encounter the Sage of Trethelm Lake? Athena after the last task has not contact him. He likes it better like this. One thing he knew about myths is this, the hero always end up dead. So, that morning after all the greetings and farewell, Aero started moving back home to his Kingdom. ********************************************************** Aero is returning home. Anyway, today there will be a few chapters that will be released. if you like it like always leave some comments. The next chapter will be posted a few minutes late Chapter 86 THE STONE THAT WAS THROWN INTO THE LAKE MEANWHILE IN VANHEIM VANHEIM THRONE ROOM A messenger came to the throne room bearing a message. The messenger looked flushed with the message as he immediately kneels down and when the King gesture hi to speak, the messenger then relayed the message "Your Highness, General Who Pacified the North, Lord Aero has returned home" announced the messengers. George eyes beamed and a smile formed on his face. He never looked so happy. So does his commander Marco and Arcturus. The courtiers on the court on the other hand felt a little bit different. The courtiers and minister all have an unreadable expression. But their eyes betray their intentions. They are not pleased to hear the return of Aero of the East The atmosphere in the Throne Room was tense. Some of the ministers were looking at each other exchanging secret glances. They all know what the return of the General who Pacified the North means for the power dynamics in the court. And they all felt uneasy Aero is highly favored by the King. He is trusted and almost like a teacher to the King. The King respect Aero words and heed his counsels on almost everything. The subordinate is loyal and the superior is appreciative. Such relationship between monarch and subject is rarely seen before in Vilajeri Continent The minister and the other courtier knew that the King had always said that if Aero return, he wants to make Aero part of the Court. After all, the last attempt by the King to make Aero joins the court fails. Aero rejected the offer not wanting to become a ruler of a state and his title as Duke. That act was praised by many scholars and won Aero the support of the people Some ministers of the court also believes that Aero does not desire power and is a loyal subject of the Kingdom. But Josh doesn''t believe that. He bowed down but he sometime glances up at the King sitting in his throne, looking happy. And he sneered. Josh is an assassin class player. Josh is also one of the many players that were chosen to fill the Court position after the return of King George from his self-imposed exile. The King trusted the players more after Aero elevate the King to the throne. So he elected many officials that are players instead of the NPCs after his return. Josh was one of them and he too had the ambition to climb up the social hierarchy in Vanheim The courtiers are in delicate positions in the court. They had to serve their master but if they curried favor too obviously the other courtiers would notice. Then they will act against them. Josh has learned that any Attempts to gain the favor of the King must be subtle. Aero on the other hand got the lucky straw. He was with the King since even before the King was powerful which makes the King believes and support him even more. Most people would always choose to ally themselves among those with those who have powers. However, Aero saw things differently. Joining power with the most powerful can be advantageous or disastrous. Why? Because the powerful will try to swallow you up and when they do swallow you they won''t even leave bones to bury. No one will count on you if they are already strong. Your existence and worth is diminished under such power. Josh believe Aero choose a weak leader to whom Aero could create a relationship of dependency. And Aero gamble proved right. Aero becomes King George strength, his intelligence, his spine. Thus, when King George gains power, he too gains power indirectly on the basis that the King listens to him. All the people of Vanheim listen to the King and the King listen to Aero which means the people of Vanheim is actually listening to Aero orders instead of the King Aero claims to not want title and power. That in itself make Josh distrust him even more. Josh has analyzed and researched Aero many hours in his life. Aero has this air of na?vet¨¦ that protects him from the accusation of wanting power. Appearance of Aero na?vet¨¦ is instead an effective means of deceit. Those who make a show of innocence are usually the least innocent of all. And if Aero could hear the assessment from Josh, he himself would agree. Aero is skilled in indirect manipulation, that much Josh could agree and even respected. The way he manipulated this country to kneel and give their freedom under one man is an example of his manipulation. A manipulation that Josh knew Aero did from the shadows. Then the King spoke "Summon Lord Aero quickly to the palace. He must be tired in his journey but I must see my old friend swiftly" the King voice tone is full of eagerness. This does not go unnoticed by the other courtiers The Palace Guards quickly went out to execute his orders. The courtiers could only wait and hope Aero does not accept whatever position that the King will offer him or a struggle for power in the Court will surely happen. This is why the throne room atmosphere is tense. Bringing Aero into the court will tip the balance between the Pro-War faction and Anti-War Faction. Aero is known as a shrewd strategist but he is also known to love war. Any players that see his action in the Battle of Coro knows he enjoys the war and he is fucking great at it. To emphasize, he is crazy good at it. The way he control his emotion in the battlefield, remaining calm under duress for example. And the way he baits and traps his enemies to fall for his scheme and plots. The way he quickly pinpoint the enemies'' personality and acted based on that information. No one would believe that Aero does not love war. If not for his prowess slightly lacking compare to the Zeus of the North, it will be no problem to called Aero the War God of Vanheim. Aero love power and he knew how to use it well and brilliantly. The crucial foundation of power is the ability to master your emotion. An emotional response to a situation is the greatest obstacle to power. Emotions cloud reason and if you cannot see the situation clearly you cannot prepare for many things and be ready without any degree of control. Aero loves war. This is an acknowledged fact Which means if Aero enter the Court the Pro War faction will gain an ally. And a formidable ally would Aero be. Since the King always listen to Aero whatever Aero says King George will surely listen. In the court right now the Pro-War Faction believe that Vanheim need to attack Niovar while Vanheim have the upper hand. And then finishing that quickly marches to the Holy Land in Duvar and declared George to be the Emperor. On the other side of the court, The Anti-War faction believes that the other Kingdoms in the Eastern Continent will agree to be subjected under Vanheim rule by means of diplomacy and persuasions. Both of them wanted the Kingdom to prosper and King George to be coronated Emperor. But their methods are slightly different In other words, they have different methods of achieving the same goal. These are the two factions that exist in the Court right now after Vanheim won the war against Vetten. The expansion of Vanheim is fast and as such the court personnel was also expanded to deal with many things all around the Kingdom from the stretches desert of Nairhell to the lush fertile plains of Vetten with its abundance of iron mines. The Court was asked to disperse for today by the Ceremonial Minister as the court session is suspended because the King wanted an audience with Aero alone to discuss some things. Josh felt uneasy. He whispers to one of his other colleague and they nodded. Josh needed to know what Aero thoughts and intention before the next court session. They all exited the room with mixed feeling and with many thoughts swirling in their heads. They traded glances and words, and all of them is scheming and plotting as they wait the decision of the King And they all felt nervous and anxious. Will Aero¡­..enter the court and throw a stone into the already calm lake? That is what they were all thinking. ************************************************** This is the last chapter for this month. Anyway this is the beginning of the new arc. Hope you like it and please vote for the story. See you all next month Chapter 87 A FRESH BREATH OF AIR VANHEIM A person arrived at the entrance of the square looking excited and giddy. ''It has been a long time since I am here'' that man said. He smiles a bit before he nodded to himself in a gesture that seems to be saying to himself that he has done good. It has been a long journey home from Karak. This man is none other than Aero. As he walks the streets he felt himself feeling unfamiliar. He still remembers this street right back when he was a beginner doing miscellaneous quest for the butcher, the pharmacist and the other people around here for silver and gold. Of course at the time the streets are clean but it is not as organized or as pretty as it is right now. Aero could not help but marvel the change that has happened to the Capital City of Vanheim. The people all looked happy and busy. It is crowded but organized and there is some sense of pride etched in their manner. It is a pride of a winner. Vanheim victory over Vetten mark a change in the entire structure of Vanheim government and policies. Vanheim have always been a large nation but it was always beset by internal problems and nobles civil war. Not to mention noble authority sometime even trumps the King orders So, even though it is large it was disjointed and weak, as brittle as old bones. Aero success in elevating King George and his subsequent oppression of the noble class gave the Kingdom a new breath. A vigorous ambitious King. And then when all thought that the war against Vetten would go badly, King George pulls off a victory. From that day on forward, the policy in the court has also changed. From being defensive and diplomatic in its communication with foreign powers, Vanheim has now even use military threats and aggressive methods in their negotiations. The delegations of diplomats also held their head up high in the other kingdoms embassy and not shy away in conflict in their negotiations as one could feel the majesty of the victory after victory that seems to forged itself and emanating from their bones. It was like the whole Kingdom was juiced up on bravery drug. And who could blame them? Vetten, once a large threat that looms over the head of Vanheim like a sword on top of a ceiling was eliminated brilliantly The nobles on the other hand have been beaten into submission by the king with the King hold almost unlimited power in the court and in the military. Revamping of the military is parallel to the improvement in the policy of economy. The opening of trade routes in Nairhell has made some people pretty rich which they spend in Vanheim and thus increasing the Kingdom prosperity. Many cultural program is also revived. One could say, the entire Kingdom is facing a positive change. But at the same time the diplomacy thoughts in the court did not really dissipated with the success of Veranis acknowledging the claim of King George and recognize his intent to rule. As he walks Aero could see many new building is constructed in every alley and every corner. Stalls are enlarged, shops are upgraded and house turns into manor. And not only that, many types of new building also can be seen with different kind of architecture. One could see Romanesque influence villas on the Hills near the forest, and on the other side one could see a baroque looking manor. Builders a class in brave World vocations have also grown with many quest for them to complete with the sudden economic boom in Vanheim This trend must be the result of the advancement in building techniques.As Aero walk further ahead, he enters the markets. He could see, smell and hear many things the moment his foot stepped into the market. The markets were full with exotic goods from all over the world. The trading route with Nairhell certainly helped but now items, spices, treasures from Veranis and Vetten also shows up which marked an increase in powerful weapons being traded out in the markets. With Vanheim taking over all the gold and iron mine they found in Vetten, Vanheim is now on top of being a threatening presence militarily it is also becoming prosperous. This is the trend of the world and no one could easily halt it. Aero eyes widened a bit when he walks through the market. There are even some merchants selling Slithe bone. Slithe is a creature that look like a snake, only it is much much bigger and much more terrifying than your regular snake and it only live in Nairhell its bone has healing and strengthening properties among many other beneficial effect. The people seems happy and living prosperously in what some might say the Golden Age of Vanheim. The economic treaty with Gruk has begun showing fruition. As he walks Aero could not help but feeling happy. Aero was proud of this advancements. Everywhere Aero went as long as someone recognized him he was greeted warmly by NPCs and players alike. The NPCs usually thank him for winning the war and giving wise advice to the King. Aero and the King relationship is known to all and they like it. There is many Kings in history that could not rust their courtiers and instead maligned them. Every time such loyal courtiers fall, the people also mourn that courtier loss. Some generous NPCS even give him supplies and ask him to bless their son. The players on the other hand always ask him if he could introduce them to the king or the noble. Some even ask for tips on how to deals with nobles. Aero of course handle this people with grace. As he walks to the patrol area, even the guards know him. They bowed when they see him, offering respect to Aero. Then finally he arrives. He was about to enter the Tiger Gate Inn, one of his establishments after being gifted by Thornleaf. (More like a bribe really) when someone grab his shoulder from behind. Aero were about to karate his way out when he realized it was someone he knows He stops his movement and shake his head. That man is smiling at him and laughing. It was Marco "Man you should not have shocked me like that'' Marco keep laughing. If only Marco knew how powerful he is now, Aero don''t think Marco would ever dare trying to touch him from behind anymore. With a sigh Aero said ''Marco, nice seeing you" Aero said smiling for the nice surprise. Well, it was nice¡­. A bit. "Yes, well, nice seeing you too Aero" Marco said smiling but the like he remembered something he tries to keep the smiling at the minimum. Aero already sense something is wrong from this slight behavioral change. "Are you coming to the Inn? Please come in" Aero said inviting him inside. "No, Sir Aero. I came here bearing the King decree." His tone became serious. The moment he turned to formal Sir, Aero knows things is about to get really formal Then Marco bring out a parchment with the Vanheim seals. Aero eyes did not miss the seal. He smiles bitterly ''I guess I won''t get that long awaited rest after all'' Aero thought in his mind. Aero kneels. So does the other people behind him who saw that seal. It is the personal seal of the King which mean this is the decree of the King. Then with his most ceremonious voice, Marco announced "By the order of King George, Ruler of Vanheim, Aero is to return to the palace as soon as possible" Whoa, that was short. Aero was about to said but he managed to hold himself back from saying that. It is urgent. Aero could feel it. Especially from that curt writing. George is worried about something Then Marco handed the parchment to Aero. Aero received it and kept it in his item bag. "So, I guess you''re my escort" Aero said smiling a bit. Marco nodded and chuckles a bit "Yes¡­I guess it is not that different from the old days. ''It is not that long ago'' Aero said and Marco only smiles. Aero shakes his head and said "Fine, lead the way" ********************************************* Ok. This is actually not the scheduled day I was supposed to post this. So, I am going to say it here. Every month I will post many chapters unless there is something wrong with my health or god forbid I die,but the first day until the sixth day of the beginning of the month I will be not posting anything. Hmm. What do you think I do? Ah, you must be thinking that I am resting. No, I am writing the new chapter and editing for those six days and then I will post it in the 6th of x month. Anyway, I will be posting a few chapters here today because maybe the people that read the Age of Heroes don''t know about this habit of mine. Anyway, probably going to copy paste this on Lord Shadow page when I posted the chapter in July 6. And for Americans I guess you are celebrating your independence day. good for you That''s it. Oh, and a new chapter will be posted in a few seconds. Chapter 88 AT MIDNIGH VANHEIM THRONE ROOM He enters the room, trying to contemplate what has happened. He still did not rest properly. The events that happens back in his way home could be summarized as eventful. Who would have thought a simple journey to Asgaro had him visiting the Underworld and meeting the Gods and Goddess and coming back to the world of the living? Today, he had return home to Vanheim only to be summoned to the Palace almost immediately. He is now in front of the throne room. He hesitated a bit before entering probably because he knows that if he enters there might be another problem waiting for him. He slowly pushed the throne room door and the hinges creak. He slowly and gracefully enters. He expected to see George sitting on the throne looking at him from the majesty of his throne. But instead the room is empty, devoid of any person. Then like he was attacked someone hugged him. That person that hugged him pats his back, his voice is boisterous and the tone jovial. The person that hugged him is none other than King George. Aero thought to himself "Is all Vanheim person a hugger?'' But this did not mean Aero only felt annoyance in his heart. He also felt touched because of the King familiarity with him. The more Aero spend time with the NPCs the more he empathized with them that even at certain times he felt that there is something wrong with him. They are clearly NPCs but Aero experience taught him that each of them have their own aspirations, ambitions and dreams. It was almost like they have¡­. a life of their own and that confused Aero. Sometimes without even meaning to he forgotten the fact that they are NPCs. Then he takes a seat on the jade table below the steps of the throne. The King has prepared some tea from some distant land which traded with Karak King George then recounted the effort he expended to search for him when he heard that Aero was lost in the sea. He sent some of his best sailors to the sea King George spare no man to search him even though they were at war with Vetten. How could Aero not feel touched. After all his heart is not made of stone. This kind of grace bestowed upon the monarch to its subject is rare and as such one could see how King George treasures Aero. It is more than just the bonds between them as superior and subordinate, it is true concern that of a friend. Aero himself see King George has the making of a sage King and talents will seek him. And when King George got the letter from Dan saying he was in Duvar, he was overjoyed and asked his subject to inform him when Aero return to Vanheim. When Aero enter the market people have already informed the King of Aero arrival to him which is why Kling George sent Marco to escort Aero to the Palace. Seeing the King being so enthusiastic with his return, how could Aero not reciprocate? Aero in that spirit of joy also told King George about his adventures in the Underworld. Story about Gods and Goddess, about divine quest and the Underworld. King George hearing this was awe, fearful and at the same time was amazed. he almost didn''t believe the story in the beginning. Then Aero reached to the part where he was seeing Asgaro vision He told King George about the inhumane slaughter of the people in Asgaro by the ruthless King of Veva Zeus and the hospitality he received at Veranis. The King was enraged after hearing about Zeus action, feeling empathy to the displaced people after the war and those that died in the war and the slaughter that happens after the victory of Vevaian forces against Asgaro but of course there''s nothing he can do. However, when he told King George about Philip of Veranis he was considerably happy. They are old friends after all and hearing that the King of Veranis did not slight Aero and even gave him such a warm welcome is giving face to George and the Kingdom of Vanheim They were lot of other things they talked about. The tea was hot in the beginning before it turns mildly warm and then cold. Tea after tea, the minister and the King shares their worries and joy, trading stories, banter like old friend, laughs and frowned as they talk all about the things they experienced and talk about all the things under the heavens. The talk of grand ambitions was never fully verbalized, but it is there. Promoting virtuous people, searching for talents, investigate any officials and nobles, daring to accept remonstration, refraining from overindulgence, and being just and fair in the matter of rewards and punishment, all of this is a sign that King George is truly intending to model himself from the Wise Emperors of Old and this alone shows his grand ambition for the world to see. They have been talking until almost until late evening. The King has readied a residence for Aero in the Palace for today so he doesn''t need to sleep in the Inn. Aero enter his residence and logged out. He went out from his capsule, and take a shower before having a quick meal and then he lazed himself on the sofa. He sits thinking about the conversation he had with the King and remember all the scenery he saw in the market. So full of life and vibrancy that it is no different than the people of his world. What is real and what is fake? He asks himself. Looking at some of the news, he saw the news reporting on King Corporation new merger and acquisition and their technological breakthrough in new health enhancing drug. They are also news about Vega corporation among other things. He takes a nap for a while before he returned back to capsule and enter it back It was night when he logs back in. That night the King summons him again and then in the throne room Aero and King George resumed their conversation. It was a short talk before Aero return back to his room. ************************************************************************ Another chapter will come in a few seconds Please vote and leave some comment or review if you like the story. Ciao and see you in the next chapte Chapter 89 STRATEGIST, SCHOLARS, SOLDIERS It was midnight Aero was about to examine certain things he found in the Secret Archive and brush on his knowledge about the many historical facts of Vilajeri continent when he heard a knocking out of his front door. It was like deja vu. That was what Aero was feeling when he heard that knocking in the middle of the night. When he opens the door his premonition proves him right Like in the past, the one standing outside his room is none other than King George. It is clear now that the King is about to ask him advise on certain sensitive matter. Aero with no other choice urged him inside and received him befitting of his status as the subordinate Like before, King George has a tendency to delay the inevitable. He began with telling the news about his sons. Then he tells Aero about the news that the Second Prince Edward has won the contest for Princess Helena of Duvar hand in marriage. Aero only smiles and listen. His mind is also thinking many things. Like Dan told him with this marriage alliance, if King George ever decided to lay claims to the title Emperor, he would have an easier time to march to the Holy land of Duvar Aero did not make this point known because he knows this is not the reason why King George is seeking him tonight. Aero congratulated George but it is clear he knows the King is holding back and delaying in talking about the important matter. King George seeing Aero response knew the jig was up. He shakes his head and sighed. ''Why are your response like that?'' the King asked. Aero only smiles and said ''Is this the reason why Your Majesty wanted to meet tonight?'' He answers calmly and the King coughed in embarrassment. ''Fine, I will not hide it from you'' Then he began telling Aero about the serious stuff. And it all begins when he was gone and after the victory against Vetten that changes the face of the Vanheim court politics and its dynamic. The changes were numerous, almost like an overhaul and factions was formed in the court with new officials was promoted and nobles power being taken away by a new type of bureaucracy King George created a type of control in his court with a kind of parliament feel to it under the suggestion of Dan. Aero was shocked beyond belief, his eyes widened and he is holding back himself from shouting his head off at the King as he rises from his chair. "What is Your Majesty trying to say to this humble subject? Your Majesty mean to say after all the hard work we have done to give Your Majesty the power and authority to steer the Kingdom, you instead give it away?" "No, no advisor Aero. Please calm down." The King said. It is clear he saw Aero anger despite his face was calm and his tone was steady. Then King George explained. Of the many complicated things he enacted the most important thing that allowed Aero to take a deep calm of breath was the fact that the power to decide ultimately is still in the King''s hand. Only this time the officials could debate their position, remonstrate him, offer suggestion and the King would decide on it Though it relieved Aero he also had another though. He had half a mind to choke Dan to death for putting such ideas into the King mind. ''What were you thinking, Dan? This is not a democracy'' Aero thought to himself and sigh internally. This might seem like a great proposal but one day the courtier would probably grow more powerful under a weak King and what if they use that power to influence the people to move toward some kind of a democratic like governance? Then the king power will be reduced considerably and might even be abolished almost completely Of course this is on the basis that a certain change was to happen but the possibility and chances of that happening is there. King George also explain to Aero there are two factions now in his court and they fought almost every day bringing a headache to his rule. The faction is the Pro-War and Anti-War faction. Aero smiles a bit as he fans his face with his feather fan, looking completely relaxed. "So, what is it you will ask of me?" Aero asked after finally realizing George intention. The King no longer hesitated and then he said to Aero "I sided with the Anti-War faction and I thought that would be the end of the arguments in the court. The Kingdom need time to heal and replenish the troop before engaging in another military combat. But the people of the Kingdoms want war. The whole Kingdom is in war fever. Many adventurers also want war." Said the King sadly. Aero sighed and then said ''In general, anything that develops too fast will fall apart just as quickly, whereas a slow and steady development is more assured of yielding favorable results. Plants that unravel into full bloom in early morning may wither and fall by the evening, but the slow-growing pine trees will not wither even in the extreme winter cold. Hence, a wise person does not hasten to achieve results.'' The King nodded in agreement. It is precisely the same sentiment he had. There is no reason to rush now. While the coffers of the Kingdom are overflowing right now, war is a money eating scheme Aero was thinking as he stopped fanning the fan on his face. He contemplated the problem and he knows what the problem really boils down to. This is the issue of unification of the continent and a war against Niovar. Niovar has always threatened in the past that they will not let Vanheim unite the Eastern Continent. It is an old threat and it work at that time because of the internal problem of Vanheim. But that was when Vanheim was a weak country lead by an ineffective King. Now without internal problem and after an almost miraculous victory in the plains of Coro, Vanheim is an awakened lion ready to pounce on its prey. Its roar is heard all across the continent. Now, things are different and Niovar is wary of Vanheim and if they had to admit it, they also felt a little bit sacred. The King continues as he said "My son, Prince James is in favor of the war. Considering he''s next in line and my Crown Prince many courtiers and ministers and the parliament rallied to his cause. They are prepared to back any mobilization of the troops." Aero nodded, understanding the difficulty of the King. If he just uses force to disband the War faction, then that would be as the same as undermining the result of the Crown Prince and might even strain the relationship between father and son "And you''re not?" Aero asked. King George sighed and shakes his head "I know if we fight with Niovar right now, how many more people would die from this war. Like you said before to me, preparation is paramount. Even though we won against Vetten, that doesn''t mean we can keep plunging headlong towards war without thinking about the consequence" It seems George is a realistic person. I may have underestimated him. Or did he grow after assuming the Throne? Aero mused and he chuckles a bit "Now the Court is divided. I''m asking you for your help" Aero did not give his thoughts easily. But he also had to make some things clear for the King so that he would not alienate his allies and instead make enemies along the way Then he said ''There is one advice I would like to give Your Majesty before I render my judgment on this matter. If a leader habitually humiliates his ministers and subjects, wise strategists will become reluctant to devise plans for him; eloquent people will become reluctant to embark on diplomatic missions for him; courageous men will become reluctant to engage in warfare for him. Without the advice from the wise strategists, the country will be trapped in danger'' He paused and then continued. ''Without the services of eloquent diplomats, the relations with other countries will be put under strain'' He paused again and then he continued again ''And without the dedication of brave men to fight gallantly, the frontiers will soon become targets of invasion.'' And he ended his advice to the King Aero wanted the words to sink through the King mind. That while there is a faction of Anti War and War factions in the court, one must not forget the military while sometimes vile in the eyes of the scholars it is that same vile person that the invasion of others was repelled. And while the military always ask the scholars in mocking insinuation whether they could fight with their mouth in the battlefield, it is the scholars who was eloquent that maintain the peace with other Kingdoms and could negotiate peace thus saving the lives of soldiers. Anti-War or War faction, the King in trying to get the result that aligned with his personal conviction must not make the mistake of thinking any of them is his enemies. They are at the end of the day is still his people and he must not hate the people he will use. Instead he must treat them with respect and care. The King digest Aero word and then smiling he said ''I understood'' Smiling Aero nodded and then he said "Fine, I will think about you said. But I make no promises" Tting SECRET QUEST PRO-WAR OR ANTI-WAR FACTION Help either the Pro-War faction or Anti-War faction If helps Pro War Faction and Pro War faction wins : Elected Supreme Commander of the Army : Fame increase : Reputation increase : Honor increase : Intellect increase : Wisdom increase : Charisma increase : Leadership increase If choosing the Pro War faction and lose : King George trust towards you decreases : Fame decrease : Reputation decrease : Honor decrease : Intellect decrease : Charisma decrease : Leadership decrease If helps Anti-War Faction and Anti-War faction wins : Fame increase : Reputation increase : Honor increase : Intellect increase : Charisma increase : Wisdom increase : Leadership increase If choosing the Anti-War faction and lose : King George trust towards you decreases. : The people might believe you are responsible for the war. : Fame decrease : Reputation decrease : Honor decrease : Intellect decrease : Charisma decrease : Leadership decrease George held Aero hand and thank him nonetheless He then exited Aero room as shadow guards that was waiting outside Aero room follow the King back to the residence. Aero is still sitting in his chair, closing his eyes. Is he truly thinking about this? There is many thing swirling in his mind. King George ask him to support the Anti War faction. It is subtle but that is the intention of the King and the King asked him help. But there is not much benefit in doing so. It is more beneficial to join the War faction. In the war fraction, Aero could be considered like a superstar. If Vanheim goes to war, he would be the one who would profit the most. After all, considering he is one of the hero in the Kingdom, surely if war breaks out he will surely be asking by the War faction to lead as Supreme Commander of the entire armed force. Hah'' he sighed as he shakes his head. Aero that night was thinking hardly about his decision. *************************************************** Last chapter for today. next chapter will come on the sixth of July.This chap[ter os a bit lomg and the SS might be a little steep than usual If you like the story please show your support by leaving some review and vote for the story Chapter 90 IRON AND BLOOD 1 ANTI WAR FACTION MEETING ROOM A person is sitting a highly detailed crafted chair. It was a man in a robe. In front of him is a table and in the middle of that table is a candle flickering each time the wind blows by. ''It is truly realistic'' that person said as he looks at the candle. Then he sighed. He closes his eyes and rub his forehead. This person had just heard a news. And he is trying to think whether this would affect his plan. This man is none other than Josh, one of the courtiers in King George court and one of the leading figure in the Anti War faction. Josh had heard from his spies that Aero has met King George. It seems they were catching up on old stories which in itself is not something that anyone need to worry about Though that was not what intrigues Josh. It was the night visit. Now that raises some eyebrows and send a quaking seismic reaction from both camps of the faction in the court. Everyone knows that the King before he decided to let go of the prisoner spoke with Aero the night before. And now, King George once again did that. King George visited Aero at night talking about stuff. And some of them could speculate what the thing the King spoke about with the General Who Pacified the North George is an ardent supporter of the Anti-War faction. And it is the basis of Josh and his colleague confidence to fight the more veteran politician on the side of the War faction In Josh opinion the King might have met Aero in a bid to convince him to side with the Anti War faction. Even so, Josh is not hoping too much. The Kingdom is in war fever right now. Everyone wanted war now that they tasted the sweet victory. Josh was an assassin and he knows if the Kingdom went to war, his expertise is needed which means he need to go to the battlefield once again. But as an assassin his expertise is not sorely needed in the battlefield. Unless he is a high level assassin that could disappears like the wind. He doesn''t want the Kingdom to go to war for many reasons. If they go to war, the economic blowback will be disastrous¡­.among other things. Right now solidifying their hold on their new territory should be the main priority. For now they are prosperous even when they''re fighting a war but that''s because the nobles and Vettenian people accepts the army and Vanheim rule. But Niovar? They would rather die than surrender and the consequences of fighting them when they are in such morale would only lead to the weakening of Vanheim military and probably could even bury the ambition to rule the continent if the damage inflicted by Niovar become excessively high. One loss and the morale that Vanheim has cultivated might turns into ashes. The King of Niovar is wise and strong. Vetten King is impulsive and cruel. The contrast should tell anyone with a bit of knowledge of warfare why Niovar will be a force to reckon with. In the Anti-War faction is Andrew, a builder who gained access to the court by building a beautiful garden for King George, Liam who is a healer, Stephanie, a war veteran in the previous war, and Henry also a veteran in the last war. Stephanie and Henry join the Anti-War faction because they see it by themselves the horrors of war. They are quite weird that they sympathize with the NPCs. Henry on the other hand was on Dan squad but he was not in an important position back then. He is one of the earliest to die in the war against Vetten. The trauma of being impaled by a spear still resonates in him. He himself was a very timid person before the war and seeing people face mashed into the soil and merge with it after being trampled by horse hooves is not what one would say a pleasant experience. Stephanie is a Druid and was one of Amy Druids that sang during the night Aero make a lightning raid to the enemy. She died, arrow in her throat that night as blood pour down like she was a leaking faucet. Liam on the other hand is just a peaceful guy. Tonight all of them gathered here in this room. Stephanie and Liam seems to be talking about something while Henry is practicing his speech When Josh look at them he sometime remembers how influential Aero is in Vanheim. Most of the people in the court in one way or another is related to the Vetten War. Josh on the other hand wanted to emulate Aero tactics. He wants power and position and stand on top just like Aero. That''s why he chose the Anti-War faction. If he won, he will get promotion by the King and probably even gain his trust. If he loses nothing will happen to him. He is looking at his colleague all preparing for Parliament meeting tomorrow. He did not say anything, but the frown on his face clearly shows he is thinking about many things. He will wait his moment and tell the Pro War faction I told you so, if they fail. He is quite spiteful when one come to think of it Josh now their priority right now is to gather more allies. They could not just sit around because they have the king favor at the moment Now they are gathering allies. The Pro War Faction must also be doing the same thing. Josh think to himself and his frown is getting deeper Both of this faction are sending spies to monitor key people and letters to people in the court who are still undecided asking for their support. Right now Josh knew that the War Faction has considerable support from the other courtiers who believed that they should ride the momentum and attack Niovar. They will debate this in the next Parliamentary meeting. Josh sighed and the wind blows as the wind flickers and cold seeps into his bones. He really hopes they can turn this around. ******************************************************************** Part one of the chapter. If you like the story please vote for the story and leave some comments. Next part will come in a few seconds Chapter 91 IRON AND BLOOD 2 PRO-WAR FACTION MEETING ROOM A valiant man is looking through the windows and he could see the vibrant night of Vanheim. Vanheim is now prosperous and powerful. His flowing golden hair is caressed by the wind and he could feel the cold tonight seeps into his bones. The aura of a great military man emanated out from him. This man is none other than Duke Bradheim Duke Bradheim is on the Pro-War faction. This person is the symbol of military of Vanheim Throughout his life had been a loyal and passionate supporter of Vanheim might and power. And he always believes that Vanheim can rise to the top over all the other kingdoms. He has always dreamed that Vanheim would unite the Eastern Continent humiliating the country that has always insulted Vanheim. Now the chance has come. And he smiles a bit thinking of it. ''For the glory and might of Vanheim!'' He muttered slowly and his face has a grin. He has been shouting this chant almost half of his lifetimes in the battlefield. However, he knows at that time Vanheim was declining. Now that it has revived, like a phoenix that rises from the ashes of its own destruction, Vanheim was reborn as ideal Vanheim he had dreamed of. Vanheim size grew bigger than any of the Kingdom in the Vilajeri continent. Their army is trained and experienced in war. Just looking at the movement of people in the city gates one could see that many people migrate to Vanheim on a daily basis. Some of them is talented warriors and magicians that serves to bolster Vanheim military might. With even the Orcs in Nairhell supported Vanheim from the back, they need not worry about the Orcs anymore. Trade of food and metal with the Orcs enable the Vanheim military to craft better weapons for Vanheim troops. Not to mention, they also participated in the war as a fearsome cavalry unit. Some of them formed exclusive mercenary contract with Vanheim. Duke Bradheim saw war as a glorious business that will strengthen the nation. Sometimes, for the people and for the kingdom is different. The thing that are good for the people is not necessarily good for the kingdom and vice versa So, one loyal officials are always plagued by an internal question. What is more important for the monarch to pay attention to? For the people? Or for the Kingdom? Duke Bradheim then sighed as he closes his eyes and few faces surfaced in his mind. On the Pro ¨CWar faction is Hanson, Amora, Sayle and Anton. Amora and Sayle is an adventurer. Hanson and Anton are like him. But they all have one thing in common with him. They are all warrior and share the same vision of Vanheim might to spread to all of the continent, to unify the world under the banner of Vanheim. So when Bradheim heard that Aero will join the Parliamentary speech to convince the people and the other minister, he believed Aero will side with his faction. It is quite predictable. Duke Bradheim himself does not like Aero personally but he never displays this dislike in public. Because of how the world perceives his relationship with Aero, Bradheim for the sake of the nation could only pretend he had great relationship with Aero. But Bradheim does not have doubt in his heart that Aero would choose the War faction regardless of their relationship with each other. After all, Aero is a man built for war. His acuity, abilities and intelligence can only be used for war and it is in war that he thrives. Many eyewitness also reports that Aero himself enjoy the war. So, of course he sent letters asking him to support the Pro-War faction. It was like the first thing he did after hearing that King George went to visit Aero. Aero did not reply of course. He must be thinking, Bradheim thought to himself. Duke Bradheim not only support the war effort but also support King George son, Prince James as next in line for the throne who advocated war. But this doesn''t mean he wanted to rebel. Duke Bradheim knew who he is. He''s a soldier. He confirms it in the last war He just doesn''t agree with King George position on how to gain power. Iron and Blood that is his motto. After all this crisis wouldn''t happen if George didn''t introduce the Parliament. Of course the nobles like it because now they know their opinion matters but this just limited George power. Dan inadvertently helps his cause. Duke Bradheim sometimes did not understand his brother behavior. He once again looks outside his wind and sighed. Whatever the decisions tomorrow, Bradheim knew the world will never be the same. He smiles and he leaves the room leaving the other people drafting their speeches in confusion as that night Bradheim in the darkness of night went somewhere no one knows. ***************************************************************** Next chapter tomorrow. If you like the story please donate and leave some comments Chapter 92 LIFE IN COURT 1 PARLIAMENT Today something is in the air around the Palace. There is an oppressive atmosphere around it. Many great men and woman all around the Kingdom seems to gather in the Palace today. If anyone could blow up this assembly of people, Vanheim could even be crippled in one attack. It is because of such, that the security around the palace was tightened that even if there is a fly, unless that fly has some authentication appear top enter the area, it would be swatted to death just merely for trying to enter without permission Carriage after carriage arrived in front of the Palace, with their bodyguard standing beside them looking at everything and full of vigilance, some of them players and some of them NPCs. They all alighted from their carriage and enter the Palace. Today, it will debate on one of the most important piece of policy that might change the entire landscape of the Continent. Vanheim now have the power to bring great changes to the world. A superpower nation in its own right They enter and there is a lot of noise of people taking and some whispering, others communicated with a glance of an eye. Then Aero enters. For a second the entire Parliament Hall was silent before they all came and greeted him. Aero accept their greeting amiably, smiling and laughing, there is no trace of the warrior who fought in the Vetten War. He is a fast adapter. Then they all slowly take their seat to prepare for what happens next. Aero look at all of this in amazement. All the minister has taken their seat but Aero could see not all of them has taken a seat. Some of them are like butterflies flying around everywhere and anywhere, gauging the room. Some of the minister is reading from their speech sheet trying to remember the key points of their argument to be presented to the King Some were practicing their expression and body language. And while some of the mister is preparing. Some of the other minister busy themselves with networking themselves with other people. Greeting were exchanged and smiles were traded Aero could see many of the people smiles at each other like they have known each other from their childhood. Aero almost laugh because the sight is too absurd. ''I guess anywhere politics is the same'' Aero could swear all of them are hiding a blade behind that smile. A smile that could kill. ''Ahh, politics'' Aero thought to himself grinning by himself. He looks all around him and he could see the dissonance of what the court represents and what it actually is. The court is supposed to represent the height of civilization and refinement. Violent or overt power moves are frowned upon, so minister would work silently and secretly against any that uses force. This is a battle that cannot be won with brute strength. Aero knew that more than anyone. This is the courtier''s dilemma. Aero mused as he walks around the court greeting anyone he could. He too has his own way of gauging the room. It is pretty easy to know who sides with who. There is always a tell. Some of the minister are undecided, while some pretended to be undecided and some will only jump out when the victor is already decided. Aero shakes his hand and sigh a bit. It is dirty. But most of politics are. Minister and courtiers have quite a complicated life and job While appearing to be the very paragon of elegance, they had to outwit and thwart their opponent with the subtlest ways. Life in the court is a never ending game that required constant vigilance and tactical thinking. Instead of using coercion or outright treachery, the courtiers and ministers get their way through seduction, charm, deception and subtle strategy. You have to always plan ahead. It is a civilized war. Aero grinned. His best kind of war. The court imagined themselves as the pinnacle of refinement but underneath its surface is a cauldron of dark emotion. Greed, envy, lust, hatred, all boiled and simmered in these halls. Who knows how many people have been sacrificed to feed all of that emotions. Courts are unquestionably, the seats of politeness, were they not so, they would be the seats of slaughter and desolation. Those who now smile upon and embrace each other while professing loyalty would affront and stab each other if manners did not interpose. Aero thought in his head. In the distance he could see the citizens are entering and seating themselves in the spectator area. Aero then stopped moving around and finally taking a seat behind a junior minister. Then the Parliament began its session. The Parliament is situated about two kilometers from the palace and is actually truly near with the Palace. The Palace has road that connected it to the Parliament so many minister opt to alighted themselves in front of the Palace. The Parliament session began with a few of the issues that could be considered as a warm up to the main event showdown between the War and the Anti War faction. First they began by debating the issues of Gruk and the treaty. Some argue that we can open more shops and set up a business district in that land and monopolize the hunting ground and the production of Nairhell. Duke Bradheim opposed this saying that the Orcs need to learn to be independent. ''We could not monopolize each aspect of the Orcs way of life'' He shouted and no one really wanted to get in a shouting match with the Lion of Vanheim. Aero scoffed from behind. ''Bradheim is clouded with his friendship with Gruk'' Aero muttered under his breath It is the law of nature that the strong enforce their will and influence on the weak. Many people may not like it, but that has always been the way. In other words, Bradheim is na?ve in the game of power. Aero only shakes his head in disappointment He is honorable, of course. But honor doesn''t win you war. The appearance of honorable on the other hand¡ªcan help you a great deal. Aero thought of this in his heart but he did not say it. Which is why many Vettenian noble surrender to him because of his reputation as an honorable military commander. The matter I put on a hold by the King. The minister agreed and then they changed their debate to something else. they debate about myriad of problems that is plaguing Vanheim, whether it be internal or external, social or economy, all manners of problems was discussed The construction of the new temple, the land deeds for the peasants, plan for agricultural reform, what to do with the land conquered by the Vanheim military all of this and more There is also the matter of the rewards and title they give to the soldiers and the supplies that they have of they wanted to maintain such an army. They also debate about the nation spending which means the issue about war will come on in just a while. Everyone is preparing themselves. Everyone knows all of this is just to lead in into the War and Anti War Battle in the court. Even the King could sense the shift change in the discussion and he frowned. He is not pleased but he knew one way or another this matter needs to be solved. There is silence after a while. No one seems to have the guts to start the motion. Bradheim got up, his face is sincere and his eyes is full of determination "I now want to debate about our military" Bradheim raise his hand to start a motion. ********************************************************************************************************* Part two will be posted tomorrow. I will be giving mass release in the middle of the month and now is stacking up chapters so bear with this bite sized chapter for a while Chapter 93 LIFE IN COURT 2 The people of the War faction smiles and they got up with Bradheim. The sound of chairs being pushed back reverberated inside the parliament hall. The other ministers on the Anti War faction nodded and their eyes narrowed. They all know this is the beginning. They are beginning their attack. The Anti War faction whispers to each other. Aero look at this and smile in the back, his smile is not noticed by anyone. Bradheim look at his fellow colleague and the other courtiers in the Anti War faction and then he began speaking, his voice is loud and clear, booming like thunder in the parliament Hall forcefully emanating an oppressing aura of a Great general. Today he looked charismatic and dignified. His word were spoken with the right intonation, inspiring people and motivate them. "Our country Vanheim right now is prosperous and powerful. Never before have Vanheim reap such benefits in warfare before since the Age of Olds. Our treaty with the Orc and Greater Veranis has strengthened us more and secure our place as one of the superpower nation in the Eastern Continent. " Greater Veranis refer to the new name of Veranis Kingdom. After conquering Tian they absorbed Tian into the Kingdom and after asking permission from George they changed their name to Greater Veranis, showing their determination to unite back Veranis. He stops for a while looking at the people. Some of the people nodded, agreeing with Bradheim sentiment. Then they are some who are still undecided. A good speech is not good enough for them to pick a winner in this war of words between the War and Anti War faction. Aero nodded his head feeling satisfied and in his expectation. Bradheim is like always is charismatic and his word would surely could inspire those hot blooded young man to fight for glory for the kingdom, Bradheim want to let these minister ponder Vanheim might and be assure that their Kingdom could become the hegemonic power of the Eastern Continent. And then unite the rest of the world so that all under the Sky belongs to Vanheim Aero then thought to himself that Bradheim may not be a skilled in the game of power, but he sure is a great speaker. Bradheim looking at the crowd and seeing their reaction which is encouraging he continued his speech "Now, my fellow citizens of Vanheim, the only one that stands in our way is Niovar. How many times were we insulted by their Kingdom before? Have all of you forgotten!?" "No!" the citizen screams back. Aero look at the citizens and his eyes narrows. ''Sheep'' he said whispering the words. All he could was sheep. Aero nodded, remembering King George word at him ''George was right. The Kingdom is now filled with war fever'' He said it to himself. He looks at the middle of the Parliament Hall where Bradheim is standing there straight, his eyes seem to hypnotize people to believe what he believes, to have the same desires as his. This is a kingdom eager to go to war and hot with fever. And Bradheim speech is inflaming that fever. Bradheim continued his speech and almost shouting the words he said "Now we can strike. The great Vetten has fallen to us. Their King lies imprisoned in our cell. Isn''t now the perfect time to unite the Eastern Continent under one rule and start marching to the Holy Land and creating back the Empire? Do you not all agree! For Vanheim!" "For Vanheim!" the other shouted The crowds and the minister''s cheers to this declaration. There is a special place for the crowds to sit. It could fill four thousand citizens. Today, that seat is full. And the cheer is deafening. And all their cheers make it seems like the roof would gave out and the Hall to shake King George could also see it as he is presiding the debate. He frowned and his eyebrows creased. Like Aero he could see his people has changed and was transformed from their experience with Vetten. They no longer had that same timid attitude when dealing with other countries. Instead, now, they want to be the one that is attacking. They want war. They want victory and songs about them sing all across the continent. The cheers grew louder and cheer of victory sounded like war drums to the Anti War faction. It almost seems like they are about to go to war already. And that is not good. "Order, order!" King George screamed to the crowds while smashing the gavel, his face is flushed. The crowds quieted and no longer make any noise. The King has spoken. Bradheim exited the center stage and seat himself among his colleague receiving praise from his faction for his exceptional performance. Then the other Pro-War faction also come out and began to speak appealing to the citizens, ministers and the King. They speak passionately and promise that they can win this war with not many casualties and will increase the coffers of the land. It almost seems like the whole Parliament is about to go to war the moment they step out from this Hall. Then the Anti-War faction raises their hand. It is a tough crowd to sell the idea of peace in a Hall that desires war. The Anti War faction speak about the economic damage and advancement that had to be delayed if they went to another war. The money that the Kingdom accumulate right now could be spent in many other projects that would benefit the people. The Anti War faction suggested to wait for a while, to strengthen oneself internally before going to war They were booed by the audience and is accused as a nobleman that just want to line up money in their pockets, not caring about the Kingdom and do not want to sacrifice their money to the cause. The Anti-War faction makes a mistake. Aero notice this from the beginning. And Bradheim probably notices it too. After all he used top rule over large numbers of men in battle. ''People in a crowd doesn''t really care about common sense'' Aero muttered silently It would seem like the general population favor the Pro-War faction. It is quite obvious seeing their reaction. Aero repeated his word ''Sheep'' If this goes on, even the King has to agree to the War Faction demands and start preparing war considering even the civilians wanted it. Aero on the other hand since the beginning of the assembly didn''t say anything or make any move. It is because of this weird behavior that''s seems to favor none of them that make both of the Faction believes that Aero is a neutral party. Then suddenly, Aero raises his hand and the entire Hall seems to froze. He is finally making a move some of the courtier''s whisper. "May this subject speak to address this matter?" Aero asked King George. All the statesman looked at Aero at the same time. They could not believe that Aero is finally making a move. Aero was calm. Josh frowned on his seat and Bradheim on the other hand has a complicated expression on his face "Of course, you can" King George said, though he is not sure which side Aero would choose. The King himself felt anxious. Because he knows Bradheim goes somewhere last night. Could it be that he goes to Aero to speak on some matters? Could it be Aero is to side with the War faction? Amidst all this uncertainty, Aero walked to the center stage confidently The crowds looked at Aero and they gasped. They recognize who he is. Aero. He is the Hero of Vanheim, the General who brought victory to Vanheim, Aero of the East that is said equal to Zeus of the North. Who else is more worthy than him to decide whether Vanheim should go to war or not? Aero approached the podium gracefully with no look of hesitation in his face. He strode powerfully and full of majesty. This is at the height of a war fever and Aero is known as one of those people who would benefit by having a war. So the Pro-war faction was one hundred percent sure that Aero of the East would talk about going to war, siding with the War faction. But something unexpected happen that shocked the Hall. When he reached the podium, Aero spat to the ground, his face is cold and expressionless before morphing into an expression of anger. *************************************************************************************************** Next chapter tomorrow. Please vote if you like the story Chapter 94 LIFE IN COURT 3 But something unexpected happen that shocked the Hall. When he reached the podium, Aero spat to the ground, his face is cold and expressionless before morphing into an expression of anger. The people were shocked. Then he said in a scolding tone, his finger pointing at the War faction people "Woe unto the statesman who makes a war without a reason that will still be valid when the war is over! You think I don''t know? After the war, you will all look differently at this question! Will you then have the courage to face the peasants contemplating the ashes of his farm, to the man who has been crippled, to the father who has lost his children?" They were shocked by Aero words. Aero ponder them to think about the people that will suffer instead of an idea. Attacking emotions has always been proven successful when people are in a crowd. There is just something about being in a crowd that lowers one IQ Aero is pulling at their heartstrings and his voice filled the hall with power. Some of the statesman that was pointed by Aero finger was ashamed. The people chanting war in the audience seat before were looking down with embarrassment. The spell of frenzy was¡­...broken. "THIS IS MADNESS!" Aero shouted and it was like that aura of a War God that he exhibited in the battlefield exploded out with that shout making even other people who wanted to interrupt him was shut down. ''Majority wins, but majority is not necessarily right and sometimes majority is awfully wrong" Aero said while looking at Bradheim. Bradheim could only smiles bitterly. He guesses he did not succeed in persuading Aero last night Aero could understand what Bradheim was thinking. Truth is he made his decisions the moment he saw the way the things were developing. They all thought that they managed to persuade him. Truth was, he already has his own thoughts about the matter and he is not afraid to butt heads with the other courtiers of the court to defend his reason Then he continued speaking, his hand is still pointing to some of the War faction ministers. He then shouted "I agree that sometimes it is difficult to choose between right and wrong, but not between right and stupid. Are you stupid? Are you?" He asked the statesman. Josh was also looking at Aero and hearing his speech. He almost had lost hope after seeing the fervent cheers that the War faction have gotten from the crowd and the citizens None of his other colleagues managed to shut down the heckling and the booing from the crowds. They all have great points of not pursuing war but the shouting and the insults were a distraction and prevent people from hearing their message. It is not that they don''t want Vanheim to rise up but they do not agree that war is the only way right now. They are a lot of other avenues that needs to be considered when waging a war. They need to strengthen themselves internally and settle the conquered regions before going into another war. And there is still time to observe. Niovar is not as stable as the War faction would like the Vanheim court to believe. And the crowds? They were blinded from the start. Josh thought that the pro-War faction would win and force the King to mobilize but seeing Aero in the podium scolding half of Vanheim court is electrifying and at the same time satisfying. After all he heard what the War faction says about them before and they had to swallow it. It was like the moment Aero shouted, all those blind people could see again. This is what the Anti War faction lacked. A unifying figure which people can rally from And Josh was also shocked. It is because Aero is speaking out for the Anti-War faction. Josh narrowed his eye sand said faintly ''What are you planning Aero?'' Aero in the middle of the Hall bantered with the statesman, challenged them, and electrified the citizen with his rousing speech. At times his eloquence held all of the crowd silent as images were painted into their minds about a bleak future of war and in some witty turn, some humorous phrase brought roars of applause. At times the crowd cheered almost every sentence, like delegates at a political convention. At other moments they rose in their seats and yelled in agreement There was something hypnotic in Aero rhythm and phrasing, in his demeanor and rhetoric that even the most unknowledgeable one would feel like they learn something just by listening. His power over his audience was absolute. Suddenly there was a lot more people that were more opened to the idea of the Anti-War faction. Aero changed the audience mind and wins their hearts by appealing to their emotion with great speeches aim at their weakest point. Even Josh was entranced hearing the speech even though he knew Aero must be planning something. But Josh also felt weird for Aero for standing up for the Anti War faction This goes against everything he stood for. Aero is known as a passionate patriot of Vanheim and a lover of military glory. But now...that war lover is defending the anti-war sentiment. The consequence of this act is immediate and unexpected and one could feel the air is changing inside the parliament hall. Aero the General Who Pacified the North, the one who is called Aero of the East is against the war¡ªwhat could this possibly means? King George was beaming, looking at Aero while sitting in his seat. He smiles probably the first smile he had ever shown since the beginning of the assembly. The voting for this matter will be held tomorrow to resolve this issue but one could feel that a major shift just happen right now. The War faction is panicked. Other ministers were so confused and even changed their vote in their confusion as they look at that figure standing gracefully in the center of the hall. Aero look at the crowd and he smiles a bit ''Sheep'' he muttered silently. Then he come down from the center stage and finished his speech, urging people to remember what he had said. Aero then slowly walks out from the Parliament House. Then a sight that no courtiers would forget in their live happened. All the citizens in the audience seat, got up from their seat and then perform a bow of respect, their back fall down to ninety degrees. They all felt that the reason why Aero was so angry in the Hall is because he was truly and sincerely thinking about the fate of the people and the prosperity of the nation. Everyone knows Aero as a loyal minister and a benevolent person. It is the image that Aero has cultivated for himself. A wise loyal minister to the King It is because of this that the citizen felt that while Aero is angry, it was like a father scolding their child to prevent them from getting into the wrong path. The citizens all believed that Aero has spoken like that to protect the people of the Kingdom. They felt loved and cared about by Aero and Aero scolding words left a deep impression in their heart, so each of their bow was sincere and is coming from their earnest heart It is rare for any kingdom to have such a wise minister loved by the monarch and the people at the same time. Then they straightened their back and seat themselves back on the audience seat. Then they began discussing among themselves. "The story about him is true. He is truly honorable and wise" Some of the citizen in the seat spoke "He must be saying that because he worries about the Kingdoms and its people" Others chimed in with excitement "Yes, after all he did plead to the King to release the Vettenian soldier even though they were his enemies." Another agreed. The Pro-War faction after Aero speech was in disarray and in chaotic mess. Suddenly they looked like the bad guys in the eyes of the people for warmongering. The King seeing this felt happy. But he did not show it instead he looks at his first son in the distance looking gloomy. The King eyes seems to narrowed and then he sighed. ''James, James¡­this father does not know how to teach you'' he said and then the King shake his feeling off and render his judgement. The Parliament will be adjourned before the vote cast out tomorrow. ****************************************************************************************************Next Next part will come in a few minutes Chapter 95 LIFE IN COURT 4 As he walks to his residence King George was happy. It seems Aero has managed to convince many ministers to listen to him. In the night a message came for the King. It announced that Aero will meet the King. Aero with some of the guards came to meet the King and no one is to disturb them. Aero enter the King room and then spoke for a while before they moved to Aero residence. The moment the King enter the room and Aero shut down the door, the King expresses his thanks for what he did in the Parliament hall. Aero brought out his feather fan and shakes his head. "Thanks, Aero for supporting me" the King said gratefully. Aero did not accept it easily "No, Your Majesty words were reasonable and wise. This humble subject was only thinking about the Kingdom welfare and the prosperity of the people. Your majesty has truly become an enlightened ruler" Aero complimented while bowing to the Kinga n d the King immediately raised Aero back up ''Such formality is unneeded between us'' The King said and Aero only smiles and nodded The King while he is not easily influence by compliments but he still like being complimented. That night they talk about other things and mostly it revolves around the War and the Anti War faction in the court Then the dawn came. Birds fly out from their nest and the sun slowly shows its face and the deeds of Aero yesterday have already ben spread to every alley, every stress, every city in just matter of a night. In the morning, dressed elegantly like he always does, he enters his carriage to the Palace and then walk to the Parliament. Aero went to the Parliament to cast his votes and then he waited for the result. The tally of votes reading was a tense moment as both factions waited for the result. The result was like Aero predicted. The King faction won. War is averted. At least for now. A feast is immediately held in the Palace Square. The Anti-War faction was overjoyed, while the Pro-war faction looks sour. But in the end, there is no hard feeling involved. Both of this faction while different in execution both hoped for the same result. For Vanheim to unify the world. And after the feast, a shocking news shakes the political circle in Vanheim. That day, Aero was elected Chancellor by the King. This news takes everyone by surprise. The King was grateful that Aero has spoken for peace for him and disregard his own personal interest for the sake of the Kingdom and is people. George also believe Aero would be the one that knows his vision of Vanheim. Prince James was looking at Aero and his eyes doesn''t seem friendly while Josh finally seems like he had found out why Aero stuck his neck out for the Anti War faction, ''Chancellor of Vanheim. Aero is now Chancellor of Vanheim'' Josh repeated, his heart burning with envy. In the throne room with the full view of the court, King George bestow a tittle "I, hereby grant the title Chancellor of Vanheim to Aero for his various services to the Kingdom" "I, Aero accept" Some of the minister that is not in any camp nodded as they all were convinced that Aero is a minister that have render many contributions to the Kingdom After the acceptance of title, the King as if feeling that the title alone was not enough, he then decided to gift a mansion to him. That night Aero went to sleep at his mansion and as he lied down on his comfy bed he began remembering why he chose the Anti-war faction. Aero was making many calculations that night he had to choose which one to back and support. First, Aero sensed that Vanheim military is exhausted with the war in Vetten and was unready for another war. Aero felt that if they go to war with Niovar, that Niovar, might in fact very well win. The people that are defending and with high morale will always have the advantage then the invader Second if the war is lost and if Aero has supported such motion in the Parliament hall, his career in the King''s Court would gravely be jeopardized. The King and his faction wanted peace. While Aero wanted power. Then there is only one answer. The answer was to throw people of the scent by supporting a cause he detested, saying things no one would ever expect him to say. The whole country was fooled by his acting. It was that speech that changes everything. Now, he is Chancellor. He may not have any estates but he is now the second in command. His influence reached every place in this Kingdom. His mansion is guarded by elite soldiers and troops. His salary was one hundred thousand gold a month. Had Aero reveal his true intention arguing that it might be better to wait before attacking them later, he would not have won the argument, not when the whole country wanted war and mistakenly believe that Vanheim army is superior than Niovar. Had he said to the King that he would support the King in exchange of title, he would not have succeeded either. The King would have doubted his sincerity and mistrusted his ambition. The King need to believe that Aero was doing this for the Kingdom. There are no principles, there are only events. There is no good or bad, only circumstances. The superior man espouses event and circumstance in order to guide them. If there were principles and fixed laws, nations would not change them as we change our cloths and a man cannot be expected to be wiser than the entire nation. And so begin Aero life in the court. ************************************************* Last part of the chapter. Hope you enjoy it. Leave some comments and vote for the story if you like it Chapter 96 GRAND AMBITION VANHEIM THE FIRST PRINCE RESIDENCE The First Prince of Vanheim Crown Prince James of Vanheim. Before the Vetten War he lived in obscurity just like his father. They were weak and powerless in the court. It is not after the King self-exile that the prestige of the royal family soar and now the royal family is the only force in the Kingdom. Unify the internal, only then one could unify the external. And the First Prince which has little to no ambition in the begging also rose like his father and is full of ambition. His father ambition to unify the Kingdom is also his desire. His record of contribution and his image was clean and flawless¡­. until today. Today, he tasted defeat. Though he used to taste it in the past, that feeling of defeat still hurt and like always, it is still bitter. Today was not a good day for the First prince faction. He did not show much emotions during the result of the vote was announced but that doesn''t mean he is unaffected The vote they thought they will get turns out to be wrong. The victory that seems so close dissipated into nothing but ashes and dust. Their plot failed and so is their grand undertaking. The First Prince was dejected but he did not wallow in it for long. In the end he is playing the long game Today, after the vote and the celebration he summon and met all his supporters. He had to summon them after this miscalculation to identify what is the problem and what is their path moving forward Even his uncle Bradheim is attending as a show of support. The First Prince have always felt grateful to his uncle. There is also the fact that when he was a child, Bradheim loved him the most, bringing him to his hunt and archery competition. The First Prince is a man of literature and martial talent. His father on the other hand did not...and thinking about it the First Prince sighed. After the Vetten war conclusion, his uncle Bradheim returned to the capital to assist him. It is actually him that ask Uncle Bradheim to return to the court. Now that the King is no longer feeling threatened by Uncle Bradheim and even reconcile their differences James thought that this is the perfect time to summon back the Lion of Vanheim to serve the court. He petitioned this to the King and the King agree. This matter was approved when Aero was in the Underworld still trying to find way to defeat the Cerberus. Bradheim is one of James most ardent supporters. Bradheim support means a lot to James. This is because Bradheim is also loved by the people and respected by the other statesman. His word carry weight. It is why he nominated his uncle to become the main speaker for the speech. Before, the whole country was roaring to go to war. But suddenly the enthusiasm was doused with water. So, he invites all of them to ask what went wrong. Bradheim just sit in his seat, closing his eyes and not saying anything. Considering his pride and the status he held he would never tell the gathering of people why he lost and no one would force it out of him either. Though Bradheim knows why he lost. It is because he was completely convinced of Aero rhetoric. Even he started being persuaded by Aero rhetoric now even after hours of listening it. Thinking about it was he really rash to enter into another war? Was he too excited that he forgot why wars are fought and his initial intention in entering the military? Weirdly enough, somehow, even after losing Bradheim could not muster much hatred to Aero. What he said was right in that Parliament hall. The cost of losing a war is high and war could not be started without preparations. It is just that they refuse to believe they could be defeated. Overconfidence is also not good. As a military commander how could Bradheim not notice this? He was over confident today and he was served by Aero. But he did not hate losing today,. He deserved his lost today. He was not prepared. Aero is a strategist¡­...whether in a war of words or war in the battlefield. He had made enough preparation and he didn''t. It is that simple. So, he only sits there, not saying anything. Though he is expecting some of the people in this gathering would give the answer. It is not that hard to deduce why they lose today after all. And lo and behold someone spoke the name "It''s Aero" Gloria said. She is also one of the minister on James side. She is tall and look like a model with blonder hair and blue eyes. Sitting beside her is a bald man. The man also nodded in agreement "Yes, it''s because of him" Sayle nodded agreeing James frowned. He sighed because of the name. He knew who Aero was. Who doesn''t in Vanheim? There is also the fact that his father wouldn''t stop talking about him. Getting the recognition of him is the fastest way to get recognition from his father. But Aero have never involved himself with the Throne Succession matter, perfectly content in remaining an outsider to these struggles. Other people sometimes couldn''t choose but swept away by the current and had to choose a side but Aero position is always determined by himself. He has that kind influence and power to remain completely aloof in the matter. For the First Prince and the Second Prince, Aero not participating in the succession matter is actually something they both appreciated. No one wanted to go up against such powerful minister in Vanheim Court. Even with Bradheim on his side, James is not sure whether he could contend with Aero even on his worst day. Aero is a talented commander, charismatic and brilliant and he is one of his father most trusted person. He had many influence and his power is far reaching. He also had many connections and all of them are powerful and influential in their own right. Aero is best friend with Dan the Marquis of Zantleaf and also one of the hero of this Kingdom. Dan when compared to Aero might seems lacking but he holds a large territory and possess a private army. Dan himself is someone who the King appreciated since the Marquis accompanied him the most when he is in self-exile. He is also acquainted with Countess Raina and the Royal physician Amy. Countess Raina control the training of the archery squad and Royal Physician Amy is well liked in the Palace. Not to mention what invoking Aero name would mean to the kingdom. His name alone inspires bravery and loyalty. If he asks for help, all over the Kingdom people will rise up to heed his call. Aero even has large influence with three of the largest merchant company in Vanheim. Militarily, politically, financially, social relations, this man has no weakness. James also heard report from his intelligence network how Aero charms King Vrandeus in Duvar by offering a solution to one of his problem. He was highly praised and well liked in Duvar court as he embodied elegance and grace, a trait that Duvarian people liked as they are the Holy Capital of the Old Empire which is why they still pays heed to old tradition and etiquette. And just yesterday, Aero was elected Chancellor to help his father manage the Kingdom. Just thinking about all this could make a person just wanted to give up. The moment Aero stepped into the Court his rise to power was fast. Meteoric rise, he corrected himself internally But it''s not like they don''t know about all this. It is not a secret. King George, his father, has always wanted to keep Aero by his side. His father always said, having Aero beside him is better than having a thousand troops. That is how much his father value Aero. His story and adventure is always spoken by the common people thanks to that troupe of Bards and Artist that won''t stop making plays of him. But James was also suspicious of Aero intent. He is known to like war, why oppose it then? It was then Bradheim opens his eyes and then said, his dep voice echoes inside the room. "At first, I thought this was the right way to go, but after hearing Chancellor Aero speaks maybe we are wrong. The Chancellor is right. We need to think the consequence to our people first." Bradheim said. James look at his Uncle and only smiles bitterly Uncle Bradheim is so easily influenced with emotional appeal. He thought to himself as he closes his eyes and rub his temple. Aero. Is he an enemy? Or an ally? Aero remains mysterious and unfathomable. When all people thought he will vote for war he voted differently and it was unexpected and created chaos out of nothing. Because he didn''t go the way people thought he would go. This makes James uncertain to whom Aero allegiance lies. And that is very important. Because the prize of winning this game is none other than the Throne of Vanheim. James sighed No wonder, people praise his shrewdness. Even now, James couldn''t get a read on the Chancellor But still, he need to make sure. He has to. As he opens his eyes and determination to win blazing in his eyes, James could not have thought that this is the beginning of a bitter power struggle between Aero and himself in the Court. When the Crown Prince and the most powerful minister in Vanheim clash one could only imagine the intrigue and plots they will employ against each other in the future. Such stories always have a bitter and tragic ending. There will surely be blood. Such stories always have blood. Of kin and bosom friends. Of innocent and evil people, and many more Iron will be raised, war will be waged and fire will rage. That has always bene the case for such stories and this story is no different. But winner and loser¡­. that is not yet determined. But that is later to come. ********************************************************************* If you like the chapter please vote for the story and leave some comments Chapter 97 I SHALL SEE 1 THE PALACE THE CHANCELLOR ROOM Aero look outside the window, his face is unreadable. Then he sighed. One of the earliest task he ordered as Chancellor was to summon Royal Physician Amy to his residence He need to meet her. They need to talk about something and make clear some of the things. But he got an unwelcome news from the messenger. the messenger informed him that Royal Physician Amy has departed to Duvar to assist Marquis Dan a few days before Aero got out from the Underworld. Aero look at the moon and smiles bitterly and said ''It seems we missed each other. Or are you avoiding me? If it is true that is pretty cowardly considering you are the one who kiss me.'' He said to no one in particular. But then after thinking it more, a smile formed on his face. Because thinking about it clearly it doesn''t seem she is avoiding him. Then there is only one answer why Amy would go to Duvar. ''She''s searching for me'' Aero said to himself and he could not contain his joy If only there is other way to contact her. Unfortunately, he doesn''t have her private contact. Contact information need to be transferred personally. You can''t give it to someone else to protect privacy. That''s the rule in the game. He wanted to talk a lot of things with Amy and confirm some things. He walked closer to the window and his eyes look at the moon and he sighed. At night like this, even if it is a virtual night he was reminded of that person. ''I could not follow her to that place'' he thought to himself and tears slowly formed on his eyes. Aero was always an emotional person. Especially after that person is no longer here. Where¡­should I pour all this filled heart that is full of missing you? It only keeps filling every day. Where should my heart go?'' It is because of all these feeling Aero move slowly and cautiously when it is about love. He shakes his head and then the image of that person vividly appears in front of him, floating The image looks like real. She looks real. She is wearing her favorite white one-piece dress, smiling at him. Then Aero said to that floating person ''My doctor told me you are my hallucination. Trauma, the doctor said'' Aero said looking at that woman floating in front of him. No one could see her but him. He told his doctor he couldn''t see her anymore. But that is a lie. Because the doctor knows and his friend knows, seeing your dead girlfriend is not a sign of a healthy mind. And Aero knows why. Heartache. His heart is always in heartache. Because while he is looking at her and seeing her but not having her with him is painful. But like a bad habit he couldn''t shake off, he still misses her. So now, even now, he doesn''t know if he is hurting. Because the pain is like a habit. And like a bad habit he still foolishly loves her And his heart ache¡­...just looking at her. Then he asks the floating woman ''What do you think of Amy? I like her. But because I still don''t know love so I can''t get closer'' Then he thinks about the kiss on the rooftop and he smiles ''But if that is so, then why is my heart keep pounding when I am thinking about her? Why do my feet want to chase her?'' Then he looked at that woman. ''Amelia, why can''t I just get away from this hopeless love?'' and Amelia fly and phase through the window as she stands in front of Aero. Aero tears flow as he tries to touch her. But because this is born out of his thought then he touched nothing and feel nothing in his hand. I''m haunted by you again and again and I just can''t get away. This hopeless love hurts my heart so much'' ''The day when my pain fades away, will that day even comes?'' He asks himself and he closes his eyes. When he opens it back, Amelia is no longer there Then he shakes his head as he needs to think about something else. He doesn''t want to go back to that hell. Aero focused back towards the task at hand. Right now the biggest issue in the court is none other than the issues of the conquered state After conquering the Vetten state the court are now at a loss of how to use this land that they acquired. It was a vast swathe of land but they couldn''t just willy nilly do anything with it. Vanheim is not like before. If its grand ambition needs to be realized, then one has to plan from the very beginning. The King then agrees to give this task to the courtiers in the court. More like he wanted to shift the responsibility to the courtiers. It is a wise move. If they failed, then it is not the King fault and his image as a wise king remain intact. If the courtiers at court succeeds, then the people would praise the good eye that the King possess in choosing minister which will only enhance his image as a sagely king And so in the court many minister, courtiers are arguing with each other on how best to use those land. Especially the two biggest faction that exist in the Court. Some argue they should use the land to make a half military, half agricultural troops. What is important in this plan is the military complex The plan would also cultivate abandoned lands to increase the output of food in preparation for war. The other plan is to use this opportunity to create a class of independent farmers from the incoming refugees and tasked them to fully cultivate the land. The refugees consist of prisoner of war and people who have come to immigrate to Vetten when Vanheim conquer the state. There are many refugees from Asgaro that came here running away from the slaughter that happens in Asgaro. The Anti War faction suggested that these immigrants will be given an amount of time to cultivate the land. If they are successful, and contribute to the prosperity of the Kingdom, the land will be given to them. The soldiers can then concentrate on training and improving themselves. They are also the suggestion of digging for minerals and cultivate the natural resources there. Luvian state in Vetten is known to have many deposits of gold that could supply the Vanheim Treasury. Yesterday, the nobles and minister were all night debating about these issues concerning the conquered state. What will they have to do? They would confer, argue, make and break alliances and argue again until the critical moment arrived. Then when all is said and done, they began choosing. Two of them from each faction would be chosen to represent the different sides to King George himself who would then decide what to do. Usually George handles this matter Usually George would listen and then ask them question and each sides will persuade saying their stance is the right one. Sometimes George would also summon them in the middle of the night and ask them to come to the palace to debate these issues. It was quite an organized affair which is quite different how kingdoms are run in this world. This is the influence of Aero and as such scholars and wise man regarded King George as an enlightened King. ************************************************************** Part one of the chapte Chapter 98 I SHALL SEE 2 No King likes hearing remonstration but those who does have always been admired by scholars and minister alike. Having such a tolerant King and one that could admit his mistake is a fresh air and King George embody the ideals of a sagely King in the hearts and mind of many scholars. It is why he always adjucate between the two forces in the court and listen to their suggestion intently before deciding on a decision. Now that responsibilities lies in Aero hand. Considering he is the Chancellor it is one of his tasks to handle it on behalf the King. Today, the two representatives that comes to him is Josh from the Moderate Faction and Prince James himself from the Conservative Faction. James and Josh both wanted to know how Aero will handle these issues. Who does he prefer? The Moderate faction? The Conservative Faction? Aero was waiting for him tonight. As Aero was thinking about how best to handle these situation Aero could hear footsteps in front of his Office. He smiles. They finally arrived at the Office of the Chancellor. The guards announced their arrival to the Chancellor. And Aero spoke ''Let them enter'' "Come in" the guard invite them in. As they enter they could see that the room is filled with documents and book, and maps of other kingdoms. Aero is sitting on his chair looking calm and seems to be expecting them. Aero seems to be waiting for them with apparent ease regardless of the influence of these two person in the court. The two men bowed as Aero status and position in the court is higher than them. ''Sit'' he said and both of them seated themselves. Then Aero keep reading the book he has on his table They were waiting for Aero to call out to them. But after one hour of silence while Aero just kept reading a book, they decided to take actions. The two men then approach Aero carefully and give him the documents detailing their plans. ''This is our suggestion for the lands and the pros and cons of such move'' Josh said as he handed the document. Prince James also handed his own document saying to the Chancellor to look upon it favorably. Aero nodded but did not say anything. Aero took the document without a word and began looking at the document. He seems to frown at certain passage and then relaxed on other. But no matter how his expression changes he says nothing. James is uncomfortable and nervous with the silence and Aero facial expression reading at his documents began explaining his plan and the benefits of implementing his plan. He said this will make their army have more experience and would complement their military abilities with more advanced weaponry. Josh seeing this behavior from the Prince, fearing that the Chancellor might favor the Prince suggestion also began speaking with the same ferocity outlining his plan feasibility and the realistic approach that can be undertaken. Both of them spell out the options in details without Aero even speaking. Aero only nodded Each one of them tries to appeal to Aero. Aero was just sitting, listening in silence with an enigmatic look in his face. Then finally after both of them has finished explaining, they both asked Aero "Chancellor what is your opinion on the matter?" said Josh and James almost at the same time. Aero looked coldly at both of them and say "I shall see. Now, I have other matters to attend. Please excuse yourself" He said. Sensing that the matter is closed, they stopped talking. Then feeling like they were being chased out from the room both of the representatives went out. They''re waiting for Aero to call them again to discuss the matter. Usually that is how it goes with King George. Tomorrow however, the matters were already decided. He doesn''t even bother to consult with them again. The Prince was shocked and so does Josh. Both of the faction was also shocked but they did not want to bring it up with the King. After all the Chancellor is Aero. His prestige is unbelievably high in Vanheim and trying to impeach him would be an idiot move of someone who is trying to destroy their whole career in the court. After all it is not like Chancellor Aero did anything wrong. He hears the suggestion and decided on the matter. Josh seeing this understands Aero intention. With this kind of approach no one knew exactly where he stood. Neither could they predict his reactions. No one could deceive him by saying what they thought Aero wanted to hear. Josh also realizes one mistake he make. As they talked on and on yesterday in Aero office, they revealed more and more about themselves, information Aero could use to destroy them. Josh however, sitting in his office only smiles when thinking about last night ''He is a worthy opponent and he surely knows how to play the game thought Josh while smiling.'' *********************************************************************** Chapter 99 INTENTION 1 CHANCELLOR RESIDENCE Aero sit on his chair and sighed. He closes his eyes and replay back the scene in his office. He didn''t think he did anything that is wrong. Instead he hopes what he did is right. Politics is war without bloodshed. And war is politics with bloodshed. Both are equally important. Aero hope his approach in dealing with the two factions work. Power in many ways is dependent on your appearance. Aero knows the fact that when you say less than necessary you will inevitably look far greater and powerful than you actually are. It also conceals your true intention and making you look more enigmatic and mysterious which will only help to further your agenda. Aero was betting on the fact that his short answers and silence will only aggravate both of the representatives of the two faction and make them nervous in his presence. And in their nervousness they will jump in filling the silence with all kinds of comments that will reveal valuable information about them and their weakness. Aero smirk a bit a she was thinking of this matter. He opens his eyes and he chuckles. James and Josh both did that in his office. It was like taking a candy from a two-year-old baby. Aero made his research before he met them. He knows their quirks and behavior. Prince James is an impatient Prince and it is clear to Aero that he was insecure about his own plan. He wanted to prove himself to his father, to take the lead in the political court of the country and making sure that people look up to him. Prince James also have another motive which is revealed to Aero in just a matter of second. It is clear to Aero that the Prince wanted to gauge his abilities and also his intention. Aero understand why. If Aero shows even a slight intention of favoring the Prince, it could send a signal to the factions. Which will create another new power dynamic in the court. The Conservative Faction would try to recruit him while the Moderate faction will try their bets to prevent it. Aero knows he doesn''t want to get in the middle of that mess. And The Prince is not the only one that is trying to gauge his intention. Josh was the same. He also wanted to see which faction Aero will back through the proposal they brought It was a simple and brilliant scheme. Whether it was the truth or not, if Aero shows any favoritism, then Aero would be dragged down into the mess. But Aero knows better than anyone if he was dragged in the mess, it would not certainly be good for him. The King would see it as he is trying to meddle with even the future ruler of Vanheim. After all, while they both are called the Conservative and the Moderate faction respectively, everyone knows that the faction actually belongs to the two princes. He was already lavished with grand power and influence from the King. If he even wanted to try to meddle with the succession mater, that would probably send the wrong signal to the King and the King might try to limit his power in fear that the Kingdom would be under his thumb in the future. If he wanted to enter the mess, then it will be on his terms and not because others we replotting against him. Aero knows he need to be careful with Josh. But as Josh try to gauge him and determine his personality, Aero did the same. And what he found is extremely useful in manipulating him. Josh is a person that is ambitious and so he was eager to please his superior But most of all, he is in it for the power and the influence. His ambition is something that interest Aero very much. Whether he can turn to an ally or enemies still depends. Aero thought at the moment. In that meeting Aero already had an answer of what to choose between the proposal It was Josh plan. His plan was also smart and outline possible prevention of problems that would occur which is why he chose it. The plan was that farmers/refugees will be given an amount of time to cultivate the land. If they are successful, the land will be given to them. Aero also like the fact that the soldiers can then concentrate on training and improving themselves, thus increasing the quality of Vanheim soldiers. After all, Aero have no doubt that Niovar must be taken with force. If not, that Kingdom will never surrender. A prideful nation is hard to pacify. There is no need to think of extreme measures right now, but Aero is prepared for that possibility if the time comes. This plan is a great opportunity to strengthen the soldiers'' capability and increase food productivity. Aero as Chancellor also approved the digging and mining of gold in Luvian state. It was like the easiest decision he have to made. This plan will create jobs and stimulate the economy. Not to mention, gold. Is there any god reason why he should have turned it down? There is not so he approves it. The construction and maintenance of road budget has also been approved almost immediately since he as the Chancellor approve it the Treasury Department quickly cough up the money. With this transportation in the Kingdom will be easier and faster, promoting trade and increasing traffic from other villages and town outside the city. Aero was also thinking to create a major road that will connect Greater Veranis and Vanheim more closely than ever which would surely boost the already trading business between the two countries. Aero like being the Chancellor. There is almost an unlimited power for him to move anything in Vanheim. Doing this work also increased his intellect and charisma. His level also increased. This must be one of his secret class traits. Aero thought to himself. When solving problem that involves matters of national security he could also level up. He sighed as he rubbed his chin. ''I guess they have to think about my intention. I am playing a very dangerous game here. But as long as the King stand strong, my position is unmovable like the mountain. They did not understand who should they curry favor with in the end. After all I am still the subject of the King'' Then he sighed. ''But it is not like they dares'' and Aero smiles. ''For now I guess being the Chancellor is pretty good'' Then he logged out from the game to rest in the real world. ********************************************************************** Part one of the chapter. Next chapter will be in a few minutes Chapter 100 INTENTION 2 COURT In the court today, like always in front of the King the two factions disagree in some things. Like always they argue about matter concerning matters of the state and the Kingdom and each one seems to display absolute loyalty to the Kingdom while slinging mud to their opponents. The King was having a headache. He ended the session early and ask the factions to ask the Chancellor opinion on the matter as the King returns back to his residence. And once again two representatives are chosen from each side. Today it''s Hanson from Conservative Faction and Henry from moderate faction. As they walked to the Chancellor office they both felt nervous. They already heard the stories from Prince James and Josh. They then spoke with each other. It is true their factions do not get along but that is only because of their difference opinion in how certain things should be done Nobody really hates anyone of the other factions to the bone. If they did, they are not really adept in playing politics. Enemy yesterday could be friend tomorrow, and friend yesterday could be the one stabbing you in the back the next day. Now both of them are arguing again with each other. But it''s not about the issues anymore. They are arguing and trading information about the Chancellor. How should the issues that need to gain his approval be phrased? What would appeal to the Chancellor Aero, and what would annoy him? At what time of day the representatives should approach him? Is it after lunch? Or after breakfast? At what part of the palace should they approach him where he is most amiable and receptive to other people? Is it in the Garden? Or is it in his office? And what expression should they have on their faces? Blank or excited? Should they added some compliments thrown in or should they approach it with only facts? Would that appeal to the Chancellor more? They were arguing about this matter when finally, they arrived in a garden. It was a beautiful garden but none of those beautiful trees could ease their nervousness. Because they see sitting on a marble bench chair is the Chancellor talking with some people. The Chancellor was talking with some nobles when he realizes the two representatives and immediately Aero with a mischievous smile asked them to present their opinion in the Garden. The nobles knowing this is not the matter to meddle in the royal court excuse himself, while Aero ask them to speak. ''It seems the court is once again divided on an issue'' The two representatives nodded all their plans forgotten as they look as meek as rabbit. ''Then speak'' Like always when they present their opinion Aero just kept silent and just nodded sometimes. "I will see" Then he too the written proposal and walked away with the documents leisurely This behavior leave the two representatives puzzled. They looked at each other and they know the same question is on both of their mind. Did then Chancellor like the proposal? Or Did he hate it? If he does like it, which one does she like? And which one he dislikes? Aero silence in his judging matters kept those around him in a state of fear and under his thumb. They could not predict what is on his mind, his intention on making the decision or whether he was interested in joining one of the two faction. King George was easier to figure out. Chancellor Aero on the other hand is a stone. Aero made it one of the foundations of his power and this is how he kept power in the court. By keeping them guessing at his intention. ********************************************* last part of the chapte Chapter 101 TRYING TO BE GOD GENEVA, SWITZERLAND The tarmac seems busy as people are al preparing for someone arrival. A plan from halfway across the world landed. The people on the tarmac are all nervous. The private plane door was opened and someone come out from the plane, smiling looking at the welcome party The man coming out from the plane is none other than Takenaka Takashi, the genius inventor and the Chairman of the Vega Corporation He exited the plane and as he walks down the plane stairs someone come approached him. The guard around Takashi almost smack that person down to the ground. But that person quickly said that he means no harms Takashi only raise his eyebrows and ask ''Guide?'' The person is a Caucasian. The person nodded ''Guide'' he replies back. Takashi only smiles and gesture his guards to move back. The guide escorted Takashi to the area behind the airstrip. Waiting for him is the black car in the parking area beside the control tower. Around the black car there is a few Caucasian men dressed in black and wearing black sunglasses. Takashi almost scoffed. It seems like no matter where you are in the world, a person wearing black suits with black sunglass is always the go to style to convey an intimidating presence. Even his guards are like that. The guide beside Takashi ask ''Do you want us to escort your guards too?'' ''They know their way'' Takashi replies and the guide nodded. Takashi then ask another question ''Was this all necessary?'' The guide frowned a bit and have an apologetic expression on his face and then he knew he had to explain. After all they were asking for his help and not the other way around. So he then said. ''The information that we will give you on your way ride to the office is a top secret documents that if revealed could bring panic to the world. So, even though we trust you, we couldn''t trust your guard'' Takashi nodded as he too understands their concern ''Fine'' He said. And Takashi is not that worried about his safety. Because he has other ways of protecting himself so he was not that worried Takashi entered the car. And as he sits down the driver of the car handed him a docket of documents. Takashi noticed that the driver is the pilot I guess I'', seeing you again Takashi said in fluent English. The pilot only smiles and nodded ''I worked for them'' Takashi nodded and he did not say anything as he began reading the documents. Moments later they were speeding down the road. Outside he could see grassy plains in the distance. Beside him is the docket of documents. the documents were already finished read by Takashi, the content were memorized inside Takashi head. Takashi is also a speed reader and have a photographic memory. It was like any traits a genius could have he have it. The driver seeing Takashi keep looking at the outside then said "I''ll have you by the lab in five minutes, Mr. Takashi" Takashi look at the driver and scoffed. He wanted to to say Do you want to kill me. This person is driving so fast it would not be an exaggeration to say that he is driving just below on par from F1 driver. So Takashi said "Why not make it ten and get us there alive" he said to the pilot turned driver. The driver just smirked. In just a few moments they arrived. To be exact they arrived in exactly five minutes. Takashi only shakes his head as he could his stomach rumbles. They arrived at the place as Takashi could see the structure. He always wanted to visit but he was always busy. To visit now at the end, really give him some feeling in his heart that he felt hard to describe They were stop outside a reinforced sentry booth. The driver shows the guard his identification and Takashi followed by showing his passport. They enter the area and park the car as the driver guides him inside the structure. He saw the acronym for the organization on the signboard and he smiles. (CERN) ''Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire'' In the entrance, a woman is welcoming him. She is smiling at Takashi. Takashi also brightened up looking at that woman. She is an old friend. They met when Tokyo University had an exchange student program. Lila learned in Tokyo University for one semester before she returned back to Swiss "Lila, long time no see" Takashi said as he hugged her "Yes, you too Takashi" ************************************************************************* CERN Lila or Delilah Vasquez is the director general of CERN. She has grown a lot since the days when she was in University. Takashi still remembers that Lila in her university days is pretty crazy. She once concocts a chemical that when inhaled would have the same effect as pot. She used to party with some other people in her dorm The teacher could never catch her even though there are some people that reported that she was smoking pot. She was a daredevil. And an innovator. There are not many people in this world Takenaka Takashi respect but Lila is one of them. Now, she is no longer that party child. Takashi didn''t know it but her meeting with him changes her outlook on this world. That always happen when people met Takashi. They were change fundamentally. Maybe it is the way Takashi talk to people, or his childish dreams that almost seems impossible, yet it could still entrance people to try to make it work. As he said, a dream he dreamt alone is nothing but a dream. But a dream he dreamed with a lot of people is no longer just a dream. Takashi had that effect on people. Now, that woman is the Director General of CERN She invited Takashi and ask for his help after Takashi shows what he has found in his research. After all of these years they still keep up correspondence with each other They are also old acquaintance and best friend. Though it is not made public and there are only few people in the world knows of their friendship; The Chairman of the world renowned Vega Corp and one of the most prominent scientist in quantum studies in the world Delilah Vasquez is actually friends with each other. She is the Director General of CERN but she is also a prominent scientist on her own right. As he walks inside the structure, Takashi could see many scientists scurrying around in the lab all seems to be doings something. He smiles a bit. All around him was scientist inventions and Takashi like it. From when he was child he likes to tinker around things and he always wanted to know how certain things are made and how it was made. This kind of place is his heaven "This way" Lila said and that boke Takashi reverie Lila was escorting Takashi down marbled stairs down beneath the lab. ''Marble?'' Takashi look at Lila and Lila only smile ''You always like marble stairs didn''t you? You said it gives an ancient feeling'' Takashi nodded and grins. He didn''t though she would remember those words he said a long time ago. They talk as they walked trading stories and the development of the scientific world with each other. And soon enough Takashi was standing in front of the LHC. The Large Hadron Collider. Simply put it is a particle accelerator. A particle accelerator is a large circular tube through which subatomic particle that was accelerated. Magnets in the tube turned on and off in rapid succession to push particles around until they reached tremendous velocities and speed. Fully accelerated particles circled the tube at almost the speed of light. Scientist shatters particles into their constituents'' parts and gets a glimpse of nature most fundamental component. ''LHC. The largest machine in the world'' Takashi thought to himself. Eight kilometers in diameter and twenty-seven kilometers long, bored in a perfect circle. Fully accelerated particles will circle the tube more than ten thousand times in a single second before they collide. It is an artwork in Takashi eyes. It is probably one of the greatest manmade machines created to unravel the mystery of the Universe and creation Large Hadron Collider extends from Swiss all the way to France. That is a massive undertaking. But nothing is too massive compared to the answer that it will yield. The answer of the Universe. Takashi look at the LHC and his plan is materializing once again in his mind. He is planning to capitalize the LHC to create a dimensional barrier or in other words recreate a dimension with the VR technology as the basis of this new dimension. This is fringe science, what he is attempting to do. It is not even certain it could work. But Takashi always had that gambling streak on him It''s the only way humanity could survive the meteor strike. The other method he had would take years to achieve. And he doesn''t have years. The world doesn''t have years. According to his calculation, one third of humanity would probably survive the meteor strikes. The other two thirds will be destroyed either by the explosion of meteor or the subsequent effect of the fall which will envelope the world with smokes and tsunami and all manners of natural disasters. Earthquakes, volcanic explosion, poisonous smokes that covered the world and many more. All bad stuff. At that time, it will truly look like the end of the world. Now, one third of the world population plays his game. So, this means if his invention succeeds he can suck the players that play his game in this new dimension he would create by putting their data in the dimension and some prerequisite. He has plead and beg the other world leaders to let him publish his finding but they do not believe him. Even though he has shown them scientific proof they are still stubborn. They even threaten to silence him if he dared publish it. Takashi knows what will happen. Because he has seen happen many times. They will bury the truth. Human stubbornness will be their undoing So, he decided he will do his part on saving humanity. He looks at the LHC and then at Lila and he knows he need to get this woman onboard before all of this could happen. Then he explains his plan to Lila with all the proof he gathered and a blue print of his plan. Lila listens intently, sometimes nodding, sometimes shaking her head. "So, that''s your plan? You will let 1/3 of the human population died?" "No, I''ll save 1/3 of the humanity population" "You said 1/3 will survive the meteor strike, 2/3 would die. But if your plan worked, another 1/3 would be saved because you will suck them into this dimension. What happens to the other 1/3?" "Just their luck, Lila" He said sadly And Takashi walk beginning his work, while Lila just watched. She sighed looking at that man lonely back. It is always lonely. Because no one could really understand him. A mind so beautiful that nobody could understand it. Even she could not dare say she understand it. A mind devoted to finding answers. And have always remains pure since the day she first met him. ''Still taking all the burden by yourself, Takashi'' she thought to herself as she follows him Takashi began using the machine. First he would try to do something. Some trials and error he needs to perform to help his calculations. He is now accelerating two ultrathin particle beams in opposite direction around the accelerator tube. The two beams collided head-on at enormous speed, driving into one another and compressing all their energy into a single pinpoint. Takashi is trying to simulate the compressed points of energy from which the particle of universe sprang. And in each trial Takashi records the finding. And it was then that Lila realized something in horror. She looks at Takashi like she is looking at something terrifying. She finally understands what Takashi is trying to create He¡­is trying to create matter from nothing. And there is shock on her face when she realized that. Then she asks herself internally as she look at Takashi ''Are you trying to be God, Takashi?'' And then she remembers a word Takashi said to her "If it''s permitted, I would sacrifice everything" said Takashi towards her a month ago. ***************************** Only one chapter today. A little long than usual Chapter 102 ALL THINGS UNDER HEAVEN Aero is walking through the courtyard and most of the servants that is seeing the Chancellor in the Palace was perplexed. Because it looks like the Chancellor is rushing to walk faster. They felt perplexed because it almost seems like the Chancellor is anxious. Aero is not anxious nor he is excited. But of course in the eyes of the servant it looks like he is nervous. Because his walking pace is faster than the most of them have ever seen. Aero have never walk fast in the Palace and that gives the wrong impression to the servant. They believe the always calm walk Aero always taken when he adjucate matters between the two faction in court to be his original walking speed. Actually his walking speed is like this. He walks slow on purpose when he is thinking matters of the two factions because it gave him time to think. They might be AI but to Aero they have this intelligence no different than humans. That have always perplexed him. They all have their desires, ambitions and they all have the tenacity to survive They did not act like some kind of program, in any way. If not for the fact he knew this is a game, Aero might have thought he have been transported into another world. And the reason he walks like this is because today the King summoned Aero to his royal room. As Chancellor and the right hand of the King, Aero of course quickly came to answer the summons. In a few moments, Aero finally arrive at the King room. The guard let him enter and he walk inside the room. The King is waiting for him. Without saying anything Aero sit himself opposite the King. ''Your Majesty, I have come'' The King signed and nodded with a bitter smile on his face. There is also a frown on his face. ''Your Majesty, is there anything you like to be counseled on?'' Aero asked The King seems to hesitate to ask Aero but finally after a moment of silence King George finally decided to come out with it. He looks at Aero and said "Old friend, I don''t want to burden you but I see that only you could do this task for me. At least in my eye, only you have the highest chance of succeeding in this matter'' He said and then he coughed. Aero eyes narrowed. Is the King¡­...sick? It looks like a cold. Aero then put that on the back of his mind and started thinking about King George task. He pondered for a moment and then he asked King George "Your Majesty. What is the task about?" Aero asked. The King then stand up and went to the open window. Aero rose up from his seat and walk to the window standing shoulder to shoulder with the King. The King look at the people, and Aero look beyond the sky of Vanheim. Their gaze might be seeing different scenery and have different objective but the end result of their ambition would complement each other. Aero had a sense of what the King is about to ask of him. Sighing Aero ask King George without averting his gaze to the distant sky. ''Is it Karak, Your Majesty?'' George smiles a proud smile and nodded ''It is as you deduced, old friend. I want to task you to negotiate Karak Federation to swear fealty to my Kingdom'' George declared Aero forehead creased. Karak Federation is on the north west of Vanheim. It is also a very prosperous region with their trading houses and exotics good from even distant land appears in them. Aero once stopped in Karak and recognize the difference of government between them and Vanheim and any other government in the Vilajeri Continent. One of the differences is that Karak Federation instead being ruled by a hereditary Kings, it was instead ruled by the four noble houses of that country. From what Aero understand, is that these four noble houses are elected in turn every four years with each houses have their own signature policy. Their main economy lies on trade and sea product which make them one of the richest country in this entire Vilajeri Continent Long before Vanheim was prosperous, Karak have always been the envy of any poorer nations. But of course, times have changed, and a new wind has blown by and changing course. This is the era that Vanheim would rise. The winds of change have blown in favor of Vanheim. It is no longer poor, nor it is weak. Even if Karak is ten times more prosperous, Vanheim possess enough military power to turn that prosperity into ruins. Aero look at the man beside him. He looks frail with his coughing but Aero see something eels. Even now, this person before him is slowly growing to become an overlord. This task is showing the whole world his ambition and this is the first step. King George want Aero to negotiate Karak fealty. It seems a simple enough task but Aero knows the underlying message that it will brought to the Vilajeri Continent. King George want the four noble houses of Karak to swear obedience and fealty to him which means to acknowledge George as King of Kings. Aero smiled. The Lions is no longer only roaring. It has now brought out their claw. It was always hidden. But now it has been brought out. A lion that is about to enter the Great Hunt King George want to become Emperor by his own right. Aero understand it because he studied the customs and culture of this world. For example, it''s like this. Duke is of a higher title than a Count. A Prince is of a higher title than a Duke. A King is the sovereign of all. And, an Emperor is the sovereign of a King. It sounds simple but it is not. Especially when it is about Emperor. If Karak accepts, every major ruling House will still rule Karak but if the Emperor orders them they could not refuse. Aero knows what King George is trying to accomplish. By making Karak accept his rule, his path to imperial power would be acknowledged by the people and the scholars of the world. It does not matter how much land you rule, how much soldiers you could muster, or how much kingdom you burn and raze to the ground The culture of this world is a little bit complex. The path to imperial power is not always depended on military might. But military might does help in paving the road. He could easily send his soldiers to take down Karak but he didn''t. If he really wanted to, he would not have back the Anti War faction so strongly. King George is doing this for the whole world to slowly acknowledge him as the rightful successor of the Old Empires. The Wise Emperors of Old did not always kill their way to become Emperor. The Wise Emperor of Old integrate his enemies into their clans, treating them well and good, form marriages with them and persuade them with benevolence and righteousness. Aero almost scoffed. King George was never like this before he meets Aero. He never cares much about reputation viewing it useless in the past. It wasn''t until he was often reminded by Aero of how important an image and one reputation is that the King have begun using it to his advantage, King George wanted to emulate the Wise Emperors of Old. To persuade a kingdom to capitulate without the use of a single blood and win him an eternal name of a Wise King. Even if after this any other people try to claim themselves Emperor they would be met with opposition from scholars and the people if King George succeeded in his scheme. After all, compared to a King that is benevolent and full of righteousness, any other Kings that does not possess such qualification would surely be rebuked and despised. The wind blows from outside the windows and Aero sleeves seems to be ruffled. He smiles bitterly because he knows who King George is targeting. He is targeting Zeus of the North. He is trying to widen the gap that Zeus have in the hearts of many people of the continent. George is trying to paint himself as the good and Zeus as the evil. It does not shock Aero. Even in his world, this is the easiest way to unite the thoughts of others. To give them someone to hate and a common enemy. No matter how Zeus try to turn the table after this, it would be useless. Because¡­. the massacre of Asgaro has already won him the title of a Butcher King. Compare to King George shining reputation even if Zeus managed to rule the northern continent, he would always be met with resistance. Could it be King George wanted the people of the North to sing songs of him and one day ask him to liberate them from the yoke of tyranny? Aero only smiles at this thought. The Lion is not old. It is sick¡­but it is still strong. George wanted their fealty without war. After all it has been voted in the Parliament in these couple of days. Aero did not interfere in the proceeding because he could the hand behind the strings The Anti War faction could be considered a puppet and the King is the puppeteer. No wonder the King did not fear the Parliament usurping his power. The King gives the people an illusion of choice when there is always only one choice. Aero understand it. The King understand it. But do all of them understand it? They look at each other and smiles at each other, like they could read each other minds and thoughts. Then Aero ask ''Your Majesty think highly of me. If there is any reward in this?'' Aero shamelessly ask. The King heard this word and then he laughs and he nodded ''Of course you will be rewarded. Five thousand gold and an armor from the archive'' Aero only smiles listening to the reward like he could not care that much and he look back at outside the window. He then retracts his gaze from the distant skies of Vanheim and his gaze landed on the common people below the Palace, below the high towers of Kings and Queens. Then he sighed. ''The people suffering could be alleviated because of this matter. Not many blood will be shed and not many women would become widows and sons and daughters become fatherless if we succeed'' He closes his eyes and then like always Aero bring out his Oscar acting capability into the mix. He put his hand on the King shoulders and look toward him with a solemn gaze and said. ''Your Majesty, you can give me the reward but know this. That I do this for our old friendship and for the people of Vanheim that I love. This is my kingdom too, Your Majesty and I too wish for it to become the center of the world'' King George smiles with gratitude and he look at the distant skies. His eyes seem to gaze further than the skyline of Vanheim., It was like he was already the Emperor and the whole land under the sky belongs to him. Then he looks back at Aero and said ''I never doubt your sincerity, old friend'' The King said as he nodded. And then he added ''But, if you do succeed, how could I, as the King of Vanheim not reward your merit. You yourself said that rewards and punishments must be fair. Only in that way, the righteous could rule and the unrighteous be vanquished.If one contributes to the Kingdom, his deeds must be rewarded. And the same for misdeed and punishment'' Aero nodded ''Your Majesty is wise'' The King only nodded and then he said ''Will you accept this task for me, old friend?'' Tting The sound of quest notification sounded in Aero ears KARAK FEALTY Get the Karakians to swear fealty to Vanheim. Rewards : Fame increase : Reputation increase : White Dragon Armor : Intellect increase : White Dragon Greaves : White Dragon Boots : 500 thousand gold : Contribution towards the Kingdom : Possible advancement to Nobleman Warning for failing : Karak will wage a war : Assassination attempts towards George : Assassination attempts towards you : Karak will ally with Niovar. "Yes, Your Majesty I will accept" Aero was giving a calming smile towards the King assuring the King he need not to worry. They then continued looking outside the window, letting the wind blows by them cooling their body Then King asked without looking at Aero "Will you go today?" The King asked. "No, I will go tomorrow" Aero reply, his eyes looking at the people of Vanheim. King and minister, standing side by side, shoulder to shoulder, looking at the state of the world and scheming against all of things under the Heavens This kind of trust between a monarch and his minister is a stuff of legends. Aero know at that moment that no matter how many times the parliament would try to undermine his position in the court in the future, he knew the King would always protect him as long as he did not commit treason. And Aero knows he would rather become the loyal minister because he never had the intention of being King. He likes being the hand behind the curtain, moving pieces. Then another wind blows by and Aero exited the room, leaving the King to look at the distant skies and land. ********************************************************************** Instead of Amazon i think it would be easier if I make a patron page for Age of Adventure. because I don''t know how to publish a book and put it on Amazon. Anyway, thank you for the suggestion TDGOriginal. A shout out to Lihan Hei Long . You always help me see the mistakes I make. Chapter 103 BLOOD BROTHERHOOD 1 Aero logged on back that day after he finishes doing things in the real world. He is now in his mansion on his bed. He opens his eyes and he could see the ceiling of his bedroom in his mansion and he smile bitterly. When he is thinking about it, in real life he did not live as luxuriously like this. Here in this world, he had mansion, authority and influence to command armies and direct the course of a war that could determine the rise and fall of a kingdom. He even had servants serving his every need. In this world, his word could move the heaven and earth. He is living a great life here in Brave World compared to his life in the real world. Not to say his real life is that bad, but it is not as glamorous and adventurous as his life here in this world As he got up he dresses himself making sure he looks dashing and elegant as expected of the Chancellor of a kingdom. Unlike other nobles, he felt awkward letting the servant to clothe and wash him. He is not entirely feel comfortable letting those people do that. He checks his inventory and then he nodded to himself. He already prepares everything that night before he logged out from the game. He also thinks about what happen last night. He did not think something so interesting would happen just before he logged out That night that is not the only thing he prepares. One of the many things he thought about, and the most important thing in his mind before he logged out yesterday is none other than the problem of how to persuade the Karak to swear fealty. As he packed and ready to exit his room, his mind seems to flashback to last night ***************************************************************** When he arrived at his study room after his meeting with the King, Aero immediately orders his servants to bring him books about Karak. Anything that concern Karak. Their culture, their history, their politics and economy all things that Aero think would be useful in persuading Karak and making a successful deal. Burning the midnight oil, he read Karak history. He skimmed most of it. He never told this to anyone, not even to his mother but he had an almost photographic memory. He is also a speed reader. The reason why Aero never told this to her mother because he knows that would make his mother get hurt Aero is not an idiot. Even though his father has passed away, and he does love his father, he himself knows that the father that passed away is not his real father. Aero doesn''t know why his mother keep hiding that fact. And Aero never asked who his real father is. But he knows this trait, a genius like trait like this must be passed down from his real father. At least that is what he likes to believe. Because then that means he had something that belonged to his father. To his real father. Aero put this long matter to rest in the back of his mind as he keeps on reading the books. After reading a few books Aero concluded that Karak is full of brave warrior. History has indicated that much. One of the important side note of history and one of the most integral moment and showing of valiant air of Karak happened in a war between Vetten and Karak. In the past Vetten tried to take them over because Vetten wanted their profitable businesses. Vetten also wanted to conquer Karak to strengthen their hold and might even be planning an incursion on the other neighboring kingdoms if they managed to do that. They marched with ten thousand troops, armed to the teeth to Vetten Their plan is to take Karak in a swift and decisive manner so that no other kingdom could aid them in time. At that time, they almost conquered an important Fort that might serve as a frontier to take Karak. It is at this Fort that something happened that was immortalized in the song of poets and the stories of travelling bards and make itself into history, immortalizing the characters in that event There is an ancient fortress at the Border of Karak known as Killian Fort where about one thousand Karakian troops commit a mass suicide rather than surrender towards the Vettennian soldiers. Blood flows down from the broken walls of Killian Fort like the entire Fort was weeping. They all die with honor and bravery. This act was something so unexpected that it thrown off the Vettennian Commander off balance. The Commander at the time even believe that if this people is this loyal and brave, what if they march deeper into the Karak territory. The Vettennian commander believe that if they set their foot deep into Karak territory and met more soldiers like the soldiers in Killian Fort, they would be besieged at every turn, fighting a fighting force that do not fear Death And he believes that sooner or later, the other kingdoms will also hear about their invasion and when that happens Vanheim, Niovar, Veranis, Gerad, Tian would not just stand still. As the commander enters the ruins of Kilian Fort and saw the one thousand men with their throats sliced by their own sword, chills rises up inside him. Karak is a foreign land that they do not understand. They retreated after seeing the ghastly scene in the Fort. The story is well known and regarded as a symbol of patriotic love for the Kingdom. This act brought such fear towards the Vettennian army, so much that they retreated and Karak was saved. Because of the sacrifice of Killian Golden, the head of the army, who is also one of the first that commit the suicide in the Fort, Karak survive the war without being conquered. Of course the story might have bene exaggerated and romanticized but it remains true that the fact is that Killian Fort is symbol for the Karak Federation Aero read their history, their culture and their likes and dislike, as his mind is forming plans and countermeasures. The wind was blowing gently that night. The moon outside the study room is beautiful and everything seems to be calm and peaceful. As Aero flipped another page of the book, Aero senses tingles. It was like a shiver that run through his body and then almost a millisecond later he heard a sound of ripping air. Aero eyes narrowed and he try to look behind him and a glimmering light could be seen just out of the comer of his eyes Aero intuition told him ''It comes from behind!'' Aero turned back almost immediately flinging his chair as it flies with incredible power and smashed through the window. Aero push his feet as he moves backward and the desk exploded as he collided with it in his retreat Aero finally saw the one that has been sneaking up on him. She saw a woman wearing a light tight leather clothes like the one you could see in Assassin Creed game, the old ancient console game. Aero retreated but this woman is lithe and agile. She pushed her feet at the edge of the window and her dagger shines dangerously as it stabs Aero. Even as she was about to stab him Aero could still marvel at the woman. She is lithe and graceful, her face was not overly beautiful, but possessing a full feature that seems to exude raw sensuality. Her clothes clung to her body like the stickiest of leather, accentuating her slender torso and small breast. She has a deep black eyes and the way she looks at Aero was full of ferocity and determination. From the beginning, she would have probably hide herself in this room waiting for him to come and then when he did come, she did not immediately strike. Instead she waited. Like a panther waiting for the right moment to strike. The stab connected and there is a smile on the face of that woman assassin. But Aero also smiles. Because what happens next must have puzzled this assassin. **************************************************************************************** Part two of the chapter will come in a few minutes. If you like it please vote for the story Chapter 104 BLOOD BROTHERHOOD 2 The moment her dagger stab into Aero chest and as she pushed down the dagger into Aero skins, her weapons like striking something that is not meant to be broken had its impact momentum deflected back Tring! The dagger like a fragile glass shattered to a thousand pieces, its broken shard flew in all direction, piercing the stone wall of the study room. The assassin eyes widened in shock and disbelief as she saw this scene. It was like the Chancellor of Vanheim is invulnerable and invincible from weapons How could she believe it and how could she met such an anomaly in her line of works. The sounds of fighting had already alerted the guards in the lower floor and they were rushing to go to the study room of the Chancellor. They are all running through the stairs to reach the Chancellor Study. Meanwhile on the room, the woman face was priceless. If not for the situation and the serious atmosphere, Aero wanted to laugh. The looks on her face shows how shocked she is and Aero smile grew even wider. He thought to himself with a bit of pride. ''Another point for the Styx.'' But the woman is not an idiot. She might be shocked and she might be flustered but she is not stupid. He first attempt which should have worked had failed. So, she quickly jumped back off pouting herself far from the grasp of Aero, standing with another dagger in her hands in a guarding position at the end of the corner of the room, looking at Aero with puzzlement. Aero was still calm and only wiped some of the dirt and look at the hole in his shirt on the area where the assassin stabbed him with nonchalant attitude. It was at this moment she realizes she is fucked up. There is something wrong about this person. There is many question in her head. She is puzzled why the precious dagger she had shattered the moment she stabbed this person. Could it be this person is really invincible? But how is that possible? In the many years she had worked, she never truly saw an invincible person. Yes, she met countless powerful people and they all said that they are invincible in the battlefield or in some aspect of warfare. But she never truly saw someone who is truly invincible in the literal sense of the word. She didn''t sense any magic being used so it is not possible that dagger shattered because of magic. Then that means, this Chancellor of Vanheim actually possess an invulnerable body. Is that even possible? Aero could the assassin eyes shaking. Aero felt it is only logical for someone to be surprised. After all, how could the assassin imagined that he had met Gods and Goddess of this world. Even the people of this world is not really sure that these Gods exists. They come in dreams and whispers brave words and wisdom. That is what some said about the Gods. But they never truly saw them as Aero did. He was fucked up by a God, thrown into the Underworld by a Goddess, met the Lord of the Dead Hades blessed by Athena and granted invincibility by Thetis. Nobody would make that kind of relations if they didn''t heard Aero said it himself. It is no wonder the assassin was puzzled. Nobody could have guessed that the Chancellor Aero of Vanheim dipped in the River Styx and gained invulnerability But just because the assassin doesn''t know the full story it does not mean she has lost all reason. All she felt right now is fear. She knows if she did not escape right now it would be hard to escape later. She looks at the window behind her and saw the roof in the distance and she quickly made her decision. Her feet are already moving toward the window. But Aero of course notices it. ''No, you don''t'' Aero shouted She tries to jump out of the window when Aero with his superior agility moved and in almost a second he is just a few inches from the woman and grabbed her hand. She uses her other hand to stab the dagger into his head. Aero used his other hand and slap away the dagger cracking the new dagger before it exploded into shards. The shard like it ricocheted from something very powerful embedded itself deeply into the walls. Aero squeezed her other hand and she was forced to let go her other dagger as it falls down to the ground with a clang Aero only smiles. He even fights the Wardens for the Prisons of the Gods and won. What is mortal strength compared to him? With Aero strength, it would be almost impossible for her to escape his grasp no matter how much she is trying to struggle. The woman looked fearful and angry as she glared at Aero and shouted "Unhand me" she barked. Her hand is bruised with just a simple grasp. Aero notices that he has a long way of controlling his strength. Aero did not unhand her and just coldly look at her. "Not until you tell me who sent you" Aero said. Aero had quitea guess who this woman is. He knows that this girl must be one of the Blood Brotherhood. She wears their seals in her right hand. But is the Blood Brotherhood had woman in it? Or is there a branch of the Blood Brotherhood called the Blood Sisterhood? Aero look at the seals in that woman right hand. It is a shape of a red skull and a dagger stuck in the skull head, That''s the symbol of the Blood Brotherhood. "Unhand me, I said" She still barking as her eyes darting to the door of the study. Aero only smirks. She tried to kick Aero feet only to realize Aero did not even feel it. Instead, it was she that felt pain in her feet. When she stamped her foot on Aero foot, it was like she is trying to stomp a lump of iron metal. Then both of them heard it. The woman face become pale. The steps of the guards inched closer. On the other hand, Aero felt disappointment. ''They are too late. I already caught the assassin. I don''t understand why I need guards if I myself ended to handle with these kind of stuff'' he complained ignoring the woman struggling to break free from his grasp. Then as the step grew closer it finally came as they barge into the study, arms at the ready, their eyes bloodshot and ready to enter into battle. They look in the room and then saw Aero standing near the window, grasping a woman arm that is punching and kicking the Chancellor without rest. This shocked them as they immediately asked "Chancellor, are you alright?" Captain of The Guard Antilus asked Aero in his worried tone. Then he looked at the woman and shouted ''How dare you trying to attack the Chancellor. Stop what you are doing, scum!'' Antilus shouted to the woman and the woman sighed and resign to her fate. Aero on the other hand was not impressed. He looks at his guard and his gaze rested on Antilus. "How are you doing your job!" Aero scolds them. They all look down. Then Aero said. ''Look at this woman hand'' Antilus raise up his head and then he saw the seals and he was shocked. ''The Blood Brotherhood'' Aero nodded They all gulped and they were all thinking what a close shave tonight. Usually the Chancellor mansion is the safest place and they let their guards down because they thought that nobody would be an idiot and truly dares enter and try to assassinate the Chancellor in his own mansion guarded by elite guards. At least even if they wanted to assassinate the Chancellor they would assassinate him in the street or outside. Who would have thought that there is a woman bold enough to try to assassinate the Chancellor in his own mansion? Even Aero admire such boldness. If not for the fact that he has the Curse of the Styx she would have succeeded. There is also another point that makes the guards seem solemn. The Blood Brotherhood has sent someone against the Chancellor. The Blood Brotherhood is an assassin organization. It is their job to assassinate people and nobody had complained about that or truly try to disturb them But this time they truly miscalculated. They tried to assassinate one of the most powerful and influential person of Vanheim This is their mistake. Killing people? Well, even politicians used theirs services. But even politicians did not send the assassin to their own kind. Aero is not only the Chancellor of Vanheim, he was also a war hero, a divine strategist, a talented statesman and most important of all, he is the most favored person of the King. Any of this traits make him indispensable to a kingdom. The guards know what will happen when dawn came. Check and surveillance would surely be increased in very border of the city and the entire city would be searched when this news reached the ears of the King The Chancellor is an important person in the Kingdom, of course someone will target his life. Just by being powerful attracts enemies. Antilus know this fact the moment he volunteered to guard the Chancellor, but after non-activity for such a long time since the Chancellor rise to office, Antilus grew relaxed and so does his squad. Tonight is undeniably is his mistake. "Forgive us, Chancellor" Antilus bowed his head humbly. Aero look at Antilus and sighed. Thinking about it this assassin is not normal either. The fact she could have avoided all the surveillance of the guards proved she is not really weak. It is only compared to him that she looks weak in comparison. If not for his steel body, Aero would have died and Aero bet that if the guards did spot her before, they would already be corpses by now. Aero looked at the woman and his eyes seems to be trying to divine something. Who would send an assassin to kill him? Aero was looking at her while pondering on the list of his enemies. He had a lot of enemies. Kyle, Creon, maybe even the people in the Court. But out of the list of his enemies only a few people that had the ability to contact the Blood Brotherhood and orchestrate an attempt on his life. There are also the relatives of the soldiers that he killed in the Battle of Coro. Aero sighed again and then he throws the woman onto Antilus. Then he ordered. ''For now, put this woman in our cell. Guard her so she could not escape'' "Yes, Chancellor" Jayden and Holt the Vice Assistant to the Head Guard nodded. Then Aero look at Antilus and said with a warning tone "Antilus, this will be the last mistake I will endure from you. Fail me again---" Aero let his word hang "Yes, Chancellor" Antilus nodded. Jail. When someone is jailed there are only four options to get out. First option would be that if the prisoner is ransomed and someone is willing to pay that ransom. Second option, if the prisoners are a thief or an assassin they can use Lock pick skills to break out the prison by themselves if their skills are high enough The other option would be if someone helped the prisoners to escape or in other words a prison break And lastly, and this only applied to adventurers, suicide. Though the level lost because of suicide is high this is why many adventurers would not do such things. Of course, there is also a shackle to prevent suicide.Which is why if adventurers are caught, they immediately have to make a decision. Endure the imprisonment or awhile or kill themselves and losing a lot of experience and all their items. Most would choose imprisonment. However, for the NPCs they are only a few available options which is easily guarded against. Which is why Aero asked the guards to guard her, so that she might not use Lock Pick skills. As Antilus was about to escort the woman to prison Aero hold up his hand and the guards stopped in the entrance of the door waiting for the Chancellor words. "Oh, and Antilus, interrogate her" Aero commands. Antilus nodded, understanding what Aero implied. Torture. The Chancellor must want to know who orders the Blood Brotherhood to put a mark on his head. The Chancellor needs to depart tomorrow to Karak so he is setting a time for Antilus to succeed. He implies that by the time he returns back, Antilus must know the real perpetrator behind this incident. Or else- Antilus shuddered to think what the Chancellor would do to him if he fails. ********************************************************************* Aero sighed as he is brought back to the present. He could hear the sound of his horse carriage neighing in the front gate of his mansion. He straightens himself up and open the door room and step out ************************************************************************* So, here is part two of the chapter. i am now writing the chapter to mass release it around the end of this month so please be patient. And I will also be creating a p a t r o n page for Age of Adventure. Anyone who wanted to support me could also check that site later. Chapter 105 SYMBOLS ARE POWER 1 KARAK Exiting his mansion gate Aero could see the servant bowing towards him. He slowly climbs the carriage stairs and seated himself. With the sun that is going up and the heat slightly heating up, the carriage slowly moves from Vanheim Supplies loaded up on the back and guard carriage on the back, Aero finally started his journey. Other than a few people in the Capital, not many people know that the Chancellor is going to Karak. If not there might be a crowd waiting for him to wish him well and of course also dark forces trying to harm him. After the matter with the Blood Brotherhood, such concerns are of course reasonable. The King himself after hearing the news in the night ordered the entire border to checked and city guards all combing the entire Capital for any trace of Blood Brotherhood or any factions that wished to do harm to the Chancellor. As Aero carriage went outside the Capital City Gate Aero calms down and began thinking about many things. He had put all thoughts about the assassin on the back of his mind because right now the task in front of him is even more important He looks outside the carriage and saw the large forest trails and smell the leaves and nature and hear the insects. Aero lean back on his seat and close his eyes. Aero remembers the last time he went to Karak. At that time, he wanted to go there to their Port and go to the West by sea and assist King Fjord in Asgaro It clearly went badly for him. If one looks it in another perspective, it actually went well for him. But hindsight is 20/20 At that time however, Aero regretted he even set to the sea. Nothing good at all happens to him. He was killed by the God of the Sea, and then thrown to the Underworld by the Goddess of Wisdom and then had to contend with three headed dog of Hades, conning an idiot lonely warden guard and free Thetis. All in all, it was an adventure Aero would never forget But the Gods and the Underworld business makes him late to come to the aid of King Fjord dooming the Kingdom to an early death. Of course Aero is not arrogant enough to think he could change all of it. But at least if he were there maybe he can offer a solution. Anything after all, is better than nothing The n if that is not enough, he even had to retract the videos that he gives to the station. It was ironic, really. It was probably the greatest adventure he had ever experienced but he couldn''t show any of it or brag about it. He could not give the full footage of the video without also revealing that he dipped in the River Styx, so he needs to give other footage. He did not give any videos about his adventure in the Underworld. Because then it would be too easy to deduce what happens to him. It is the reason Aero did not brag about his invulnerability. For the NPCs they would not have heard the Curse of the Styx or even think in that direction since they are not even sure the Gods exist. But for the people in the real world, it is famous story. Achilles is the Greek warrior that was dipped in the River Styx and granted invincibility from any mortal weapons. And if the real world could deduce that much they could also deduce that Aero like Achilles has one fatal weakness. Aero of course would never use his invincibility openly and he doesn''t need to. It is strange. He is probably the most powerful mortal right now. But that is only true if no one ever knows his weakness. Once people knows that he could be killed and he has a weakness, then every time he goes out people would target that weakness. To be honest It is a shame really. With the videos many players can know for sure that the Gods exist and they will probably be a few people that will try to find the questline relating to the Gods He sighed as he opens his eyes. The wind from outdid the carriage enter it and Aero could feel the speed. He smiles thinking about it The best horse in Vanheim was chosen to bring him to the Karak Council the place where the Four ruling families live. Aero read all about them and have a pretty good basic understanding of the four ruling noble houses of Karak Federation The ruling families consist of House Gael, House Vlad, House Cheveres and House Gerhardt. House Gael motto is Burn Bright. They are known like this because of their dedication towards military expansion. Their family were military driven and they control the military decisions and large armies compared to the other three noble houses. House Vlad motto is Heart Speaks to Heart. Their families are known for benevolence towards the people. Every time it comes to their turn to rule they always began policies that will benefit the people. They are talented in administrating and governance. Many of their family''s members is in the scholar''s circle and respected for their brilliance and beneleonce. House Cheveres motto is The Future is Ours. They are so known because of their policies that emphasizes on the development and progress of the Kingdom. Then there is House Gerhardt. House Gerhardt motto is With Swords and Shield. They are great friends to the House Gael considering they share the same position and the same kind of policy which is the expansion of military parallel to their prosperity. These are the four families that rule Karak since they secede from the empire and they act as each other checks and balance Now, Karak Federation are ruled by House Cheveres. Three years from now, House Gerhardt will rule. Aero waited in patience and take a nap inside his carriage. Then finally after almost a day, Aero arrived at Karak. Once there, he was greeted by the ambassadors who escorted him to a residence that was prepared for him prior to his arrival. As his carriage rides through the city streets of Karak Aero saw how prosperous this country really is. Markets and stalls are everywhere and the people are active and full of energy. Aero sighed. He truly did not want to see Karak reduced to cinders. After a long journey, Aero went into his residence and read a few information he got from the spies that is already there on Karak. Then after making sure he didn''t forget anything else, he logged out for a while. Back at the real world Daniel comes out from the capsule. He needs a rest and he needs to shower. He exercises for a bit and then after taking a well-deserved sleep, he is ready to once again enter Brave World Entering Brave World, Aero realized it is already the next morning. ''It is a perfect time to meet them. The weather is good and they should have no reason to reject my invitations'' Aero looking at the time quickly sent a letter to the ambassador that he wanted to meet the four ruling families and ask for the ambassador help to convey his wish to the four families. As he waits for the reply of the letter, Aero hosted a tea party on his residence. Those acquaintances he met when in Karak answer his invitations When the tea party started instead of just enjoying the tea, they talked all about the matters in the world ranging from some idle talks, jokes and even politics and religion in a carefree and open minded manner. All of them have great praises for Aero who they considered an epitome of a gentleman and an astute and cunning politician. As the tea party ended, they all parted with good feeling. Aero is sitting in his courtyard, looking at the beautiful tree in front of him. Beside him were servants pouring him tea as he slowly sipped the tea, savoring the taste. It is still amazing to him that the fact that even if they eat in the virtual word, they could taste it. It is probably why people really thought of this as another world instead of just another game. Everything felt real and genuine. His senses are telling him that all of this is real. He could taste the tea and smell it. It sometimes makes him wonder how could anyone is able to create such game. As he enjoys his time in his residence, by the afternoon, he finally got the reply he wanted. They agreed to meet with him. The venue is in the residence of a prominent merchants in the country. The four noble houses rent the residence for a few days and now that Aero wanted to meet them they decided just to use that residence as the meeting place. Truth be told, it is not like the four noble families could just ignore Aero. After all he is the Chancellor of Vanheim. He didn''t need to come here but if he does come he must be treated with honors and treated extremely well. Everyone knows how King George favored this minister of his. Vanheim is on the uptrend right now. Who knows what would happen if King George felt that he was insulted. He might let it go for old time sake but the War faction in his court might not. Karak doesn''t want a war. The more they prosper and live in peace, the more they didn''t want war. Preparing himself, he went out form his residence and boarded his carriage to the meeting place. Arriving at the place, he exited from his carriage and enter the residence guard by many elite guards in the entrance. He was escorted into a room inside the residence. When he arrived and open the door, he could see four people looking at him at the same time. They all seems to be gauging him and trying to analyze him One of them is someone Aero knows. Aero smiled at that person. It is Kuvia Vlad. Seeing that Kuvia get up and soon the three other person followed. " Sir Aero,oh, no, no¡­Now it''s Chancellor right?" "Yes, but what does title means anyway?" Aero reply humbly. And Kuvia chuckles a bit. ''It is an honor to host the Chancellor of Vanheim in this humble abode'' he said and Aero only nodded Aero take his seat and then the four people also take a seat. Aero marvel at the table. It is the round table. Could it be that they are like Knights of King Arthur, swore the oath of knighthood and rule honorably and just like the mythical kingdom of Camelot? Aero almost laughed when he thinks of that story. ''Chancellor Aero of Vanheim, I have heard a lot about you. Vanheim representative is you. Surely you did not come to Karak to just mingle with the nobles and the merchant here. King George ambition is known to all. What is that you want to ask of us, considering you want to meet all four of us?" Said the Head of Gerhardt family, Leon Gerhardt. He truly did not beat around the bush and quickly strike to the real question The atmosphere suddenly turn tense. Desmond Gael, Kuvia Vlad, Giorgio Cheveres and Leon Gerhardt. They are the head of the four noble families of Karak Federations. Knowing it is not wise to delay matter Aero began explaining what he wants from the Four Families. "I did not want to seem forceful. But I came here under the request of my King in the hopes to ask you to swear your fealty towards the Vanheim Kingdom, to George as your Emperor, as King of Kings. My King promised your rights and your authority in Karak will not be violated. You will remain an autonomous Kingdom even under the Emperor." Aero said while looking at all the faces of the Head of the Four families. He is trying to see their reaction. Desmond Gael and Leon Gerhardt looked at each other and frown while Kuvia Vlad and Giorgio Cheveres seems to be thinking of it already. Then they began arguing with Aero asking why they should submit to Vanheim. The staunchest opposition come from the military lineage family, the Gael and the Gerhardt''s. On the other hand, House Vlad and Cheveres seems to be more interested in the benefit of doing such things for Karak. Their opinion is without doubt divided into two and the argument grows more intense. The negotiations turned frustrating and repetitive, Aero explains briefly and then he only observes these four people argued each other on the matter. Aero sighed internally Some people just don''t want to listen to reason. If Aero leads an army here to Karak, how many of Karakian people will die? But some people do understand this point. The Cheveres and the Vlad seems to understand it clearly, that any war against Vanheim is not a war they could win Today Karak is not like the Karak of the past and today Vanheim is no longer like the Vanheim of the past. Defeating Vetten, employing Orcs and allowing them to join the army, revitalizing the economy and having full control of the kingdom. King George of Vanheim is a true sovereign of the world and full possess the power to trample Karak into dust in the annals of history. Aero on the other hand could not understand the stubbornness of House Gael and House Gerhardt. Don''t they understand Vanheim is more superior to them in every aspect? Either military or economically Vanheim are better and more stable. After all they have a large army to protect that economy. Aero concern was that if Karak relay reject this deal, in the court the Pro War faction would use this as an excuse to rise again. Aero had no disdain for the Pro War faction. But there is time to go to war and there is time to not. Waging war requires expenses, requires supply. If anything could be resolved without war, then all the better. War¡­should always be the last measures and not the first course of action. **************************************************************************************** Second part of the chapter. Mass release is at the end of the month Chapter 106 SYMBOLS ARE POWER 2 Truth be told, Karak is not that hard to take. If Vanheim combine their military forces with Greater Veranis, taking Karak is as easy as taking candy from a baby. But King George didn''t want to go to war. Both he and Aero saw further than that. They wanted the entire cake and not only a slice of it. Waging war in Karak is just expending more resources that would be best used to deal with that scourge on the North. Aero seeing the argument intensify knows that he need to broke this off. He raises up his hand and finally the gesture caught the attention of these people. They stopped arguing for a second and Aero said. "How about a rest, gentleman?" Aero asked. "A rest?" Said Leon. He looks at the other three people and they all nodded in agreement. Giorgio Cheveres grab the glass of water and took a big mouthful of it. ''Let us go to the Hall and feast for a moment'' Desmond Gael suggested. It was then that suddenly an idea dawned to Aero. The most powerful persuasion goes beyond words. Its symbol! Aero on the other hand coughed and said. ''Let go visit someplace. I have not been long in this beautiful land. I wanted to visit one of the places I read in the books. I hope you won''t mind accompanying me?'' ''A visit?'' Desmond said frowning. Aero only smiles. "Yes, a visit. I hope you can join me." They went out from the residence and went inside their carriage. Aero went to his carriage and told his driver where he wanted to go. The Head of the four family follow him from behind as they all had time to calm themselves down and think deeply about the matter. It is also the reason why Aero chose the location. Because it takes a few moments off from the tense atmosphere of the meeting room, they could truly ponder the matter without anyone interrupting and without ego and prejudice that is present in the meeting room before. The military hates the way of thinking of the scholars who they believe is only interested in benefits and interest, and the scholars hated the demeanor of the military lineage family thinking of them as warmongers. Aero saw the difference between the four families and their divide. Even if they wanted to talk rationally they were worked up because they could not keep their ego and pride out of the equations. Now, as they are inside their carriage, they could truly think for themselves without being influence by such things in their thought and in their hearts. After half an hour they finally arrived at the place Aero wanted to visit. They slowly went out from their carriage and the sight make them all fall into a silence. The place that Aero is so eager to visit is a ruin. The glory of this place has fade signs of time leaving it. But all the four heads of the noble houses recognize this place and they all looked toward the Chancellor Aero with complicated expression. "Ahh, finally. I always wanted to see this place" said Aero cheerfully as he opens the door of his carriage. He gets out from the carriage and began to stroll around the ruins. The four heads followed him from behind. All the Head of the four noble houses recognizes this place. They are at the ruins of a Fort. Fort Killian. It is known to all Karakian as the place where about one thousand of their warriors committed a mass suicide rather than surrendering to Vetten forces. It is famous story, reenacted in plays and sing in songs and poems Why are they visiting here suddenly? The Head instantly understand the message of Aero visits. Aero who is still smiling, and looking at the ruins of the Fort without a care in the world is actually also looking at the four noble houses head thinking of his meanings. He suddenly said ''This place is beautiful isn''t it? Shame what happened to it'' Then without explaining anything anymore he keeps walking inside the ruins. The four heads of the noble''s houses frowned and their face is dark. The meaning is clear now Aero is indirectly accusing them of courting a mass suicide. This made the Heads think more seriously. Aero on the other hand just stroll around the ruins while hoping that the Heads understand his message. Suddenly Kuvia Vlad said, "We understood your message, Chancellor Aero. Now how about we go back to the negotiation table" Kuvia said calmly. "Did you?" Aero said feigning ignorance. "Yes, let''s go to the negotiation table. I''ve seen enough" Leon said awkwardly On the way back no one spoke a word. Everyone was thinking deeply about the matter. Aero on his carriage sighed as he leans back on the cushion on his seat ''Fort Kilian'' he muttered Aero knew that the Fort carry great emotional significance for Karakians. It is special because it is a symbol that is known by all Karakians And that symbol signifies and taught many things. It taught them loyalty but it also taught them the consequences of losing. Vanheim would not care if one thousand troop commits suicide. They would even welcome it since they do not need to do additional work on the prisoner of war. The times have changed since the days of the Battle of Fort Kilian. It is why Aero brought them to the Fort. Any direct warning would only anger the heads which need to protect their pride. But showing them the Fort made them think more deeply because it is an indirect warning So they began negotiating in earnest the moment they came back from his visit. Aero believes now the Heads are beginning to listen instead just pretend nothing is wrong. They began talking about their rights and responsibilities if they swear their fealty. They wanted assurance that Karak will not be absorbed to Vanheim like Vetten, that they will remain autonomous in their rule. It is one of their most important part of their negotiation Aero work up a few of the kink and agreed. This negotiation goes on for days and Aero had to log in and log out a few times. After a few days ironing out the differences and question about their rights and sphere of power, they agreed to swear fealty to George in the Capital after George proclaim himself Emperor. This was of course great news for both him and George. Aero could not hide his excitement as he wrote a letter and send it to the Capital. Now that Karak has sworn fealty the only obstacle is Niovar. But then in his excitement Aero reminded himself. He needs to be patient Of course, to commemorate this event, the Four families held a banquet. The banquet was hosted by the Four families so many influential noble attend it bringing their daughter. They also want to see the famous Aero in person. That night, Aero also enjoyed the banquet immensely. Aero of course has many strange and intimidating traits but most nobles agreed he surpasses others in the banquet in graciousness, aristocratic charm and wit. He mingles with the nobles, laughing and talking about current events with clear detail, speak plots with ministers, and charm the women with his words laden with wit. When he tells a joke, the ladies giggle. When he speaks people listens. Aero understood the game and he revels in it. He is not only a great tactician in the battlefield, even in the court he needs to be smart and alert. One moment of forgetfulness could land him in the prison. Like people said, the higher you are, the harder you fall. ************************************************************************* The end of the chapter. If you like the story please vote Chapter 107 LAWS 1 Aero enter his room and then the moment he enters his room he hurled himself to the bed. Looking at his ceiling, there is a smile that could not be erase don his face. He then laughs alone. The feast tonight was satisfying. He was served with all kinds of wine and servings. The famous Nero Republic red wine, the white wine of Duvar Kingdom, roasted meat from Sol Queendom it was truly a feast like none other. The nobles in Karak really go all out in their parties. Aero had to recognize these. They truly know how to enjoy life. And Aero notice something during the feast. The nobles all wanted to get to know him. But it is not the kind of wanting to get to know him to become friend kind of way. It is more like wanting to get to know him to use him later. Aero is anything but stupid. He kept his witty, his mind and his card close to his heart. As the nobles of the Kara Federation talk to him and converse with he was trying to analyze and gauging their intentions. After all, you don''t know who can be your enemy or your ally. There is never a forever enemy and forever ally. Lal of it is based on interest in the arena people called politics. As he lies on his bed he tries to recall his schedule tomorrow. He remembers that he had to depart tomorrow to Vanheim. His attendants and servants have already finished packing the supplies and the gifts from the Four families. Aero like these customs of gift giving. The Four Families never let a guest return empty handed. Aero because of that hospitality got a Virudian Boots from Leon, two hundred thousand gold from House Vlad, Derringer Ring from House Cheveres, and five hundred thousand gold and Luminest Necklace from House Gerhardt His gold is nine hundred thousand seven hundred eight gold coins. He checks the stats of the boots and his other items before Virudian Boots Durability 900 Defense 200 Equip Bonus : +40 AGI : +100 VIT Derringer Ring Durability 1000 Equip Bonus : +500 MANA : +500 HP : + 100 CHM Aero wear the Derringer Ring almost immediately. It is after all good in increasing his mana He is now level 180. So he can finally use the Howling Dragon Saber as a replacement for the Sword of Mars. Aero still felt miffed for losing that sword. It is the perfect sword for him. He then examines the Luminest Necklace. It is a beautiful enchanting piece of accessory. As he looks at the necklace, his mind wander to that woman. To Amy. ''It would work well as a gift right?'' he asks to himself. He sighed and then he decided that he will give the Necklace to Amy as a gift. Since it gives buff to mana, she would be happy right? Thinking about the necklace did not mean he forget about his sword. Athena even until today still didn''t contact him. It was weird but maybe to the Gods of this world, time moves differently for them But Aero also had to admit that by now, he could accept losing the sword. He is after all already invincible. And if he could avoid it, he wants to avoid being around the Gods. They all a bunch of bullies. He closes his eyes and then take a nap for a bit. Half an hour later he was awake. He got up and then wash his face. Then slowly he walk to his study room that was prepared for him and light up a candle. He took a paper and began writing some stuff. After half an hour he stared back at the paper. With the candle light as his source of his light, he looks at the writing he already put onto the paper and he smiles. Even now, a kingdom away from Vanheim, Aero is without doubt is still working diligently for Vanheim. He is trying to write a law to reform the current condition of the Kingdom. Aero knows that the more prosperous and powerful Vanheim becomes, the more power and influence he would wield Aero is drafting a new position for the Court to make it easier for him to administrate the Kingdom and he is also dedicated to abolish a few laws that he thinks would impede the development of the Kingdom. He also need to make sure that this laws did not cross any lines that the King would not like. First he created Count of the Palace, who examined and directed the suits brought before the throne. Then the others are written in the document as follows. He created a parchment filled with the position of power and its responsibilities and also create a Council for the Kingdom POSITION OF PERSON AND CREATION OF COUNCIL. MAYOR OF THE PALACE: Responsible for the administration of the royal property among other things. ROYAL ORACLE: A position where the elected presided over ecclesiastical affairs, presiding over the affairs of the Temple, and supervise the devotees of religions and making sure that the religious affairs for the Kingdom run smoothly and without problem. Also responsible for determining the holidays for religions. LORD OF THE CHAMBER: Responsible for the treasure of the chamber COUNT OF THE STABLES: charged with the superintendence of the stables and the horses health and have power and authority to send draft to the King to ask for Gold for the sake of the cavalry of the army COUNCIL OF STATE: Debate about the welfare of the state and propose solution to help the King administrate the vast land of his Empire. Assembled at stated periods. KING''S COUNCIL: will be created consisting of persons of great importance owing to the number of their vassals. BARONS: land owners and can possess strongholds. Not limited to the native KNIGHTS LORDS: The fief of a knight will be bound to supply the sovereign with a certain number of knights covered with coats of mail, and completely armed. Knights must possess virtues of knighthood to be bestowed the title of Knights ROYAL MASONS: in charge of kingdom construction projects, resources for construction and associated field TITHES AND FEES: replaced with taxes. COUNCIL OF PERSONNEL: Chancellor and the King will be in charge of appointments, and merit ratings, to allot titles and assign positions of power COUNCIL OF REVENUE: Lord of The Chamber will be in charge of gathering census data, collecting taxes, and handling state revenues. The data can be viewed by the King, Chancellor, and Council of War. COUNCIL OF RITES: Royal Oracle is in charge of state ceremonies, rituals, and sacrifices; it also oversaw registers for Oracle and even the reception of envoys from other states. COUNCIL OF WAR: Supreme Commander elected by the King to lead is in charge of the appointments, promotions, and demotions of military officers, the maintenance of military installations, equipment, and weapons, as well as the courier system. Only apply in war. In peace times, the power rested on the King and Chancellor. COUNCIL OF JUSTICE: Judges, King, and anyone under the existing law that has the authority given by the Kingdom to execute and practice law will and can exact judgment on judicial and penal processes COUNCIL OF BUILDERS: Royal Masons has charge of kingdom construction projects, hiring of artisans and laborers for temporary service, manufacturing kingdom equipment, the maintenance of roads and canals, standardization of weights and measures, and the gathering of resources from the countryside. ORDER OF NOBILITY: must keep their genealogical histories to give them the necessary titles for the feudal advantages they derived by birth. Without proper documentation, they will be denied of a title. Noble could still possess the laborers'' lands without losing his nobility, but the laborer could be proprietor of a fief without thereby becoming a noble. CONSCRIPTION: In times of need every town, quarter, and village should present a fully equipped conscript at the recruiting office. There are Eight Councils with each of them have their own responsibilities and scope of power. There is the Council of State, King''s Council, Council of Personnel, Council of Revenue, Council of Rites, Council of War, Council Of Justice and Council Of Builders: Aero decided to reform and create Council that will help the Kingdom running smoothly. The new laws also give him many authorities to act on behalf of the King. It is a win-win situation for him. The Kingdom would run more smoothly and he would gain more power. Finished with that, he brought out another parchment and began writing again *************************************************************************************************** Today is the day of mass release. There will be anew chaptyer very five minutes. So, if you like the stroya nd love the mass release please leave soem comments,give some gifts as a form of encouragement and please vote for the story Chapter 108 LAWS 2 This time it will be about other laws that need to be upheld and abolished. PRIVILEGES AND RIGHTS. RIGHTS OF TREASURE: full power to dukes and counts over all minerals found on their properties. RIGHT OF SHIPWRECKS: The nobles of a land have the right of appropriating the contents of ships happening to be wrecked on their shores. However, if the treasure is to be found by someone else, the lord must exercise nobles oblige and reward the meritorious. THE RIGHT OF REPRISAL: Give authority to King and Chancellor to act as the intermediaries or punished by fire and sword that the sovereign and his regent/ chancellor may exercise his right of reprisal on the lands of the nobles, leaving the accused nothing but their lives and limbs. The penalty of retaliation. THE RIGHT OF JURISDICTION: which gave judicial power to the dukes and counts in cases arising in their domains, had no appeal save to the King and Chancellor. THE RIGHT OF THE CROWN: consisted of a circle of gold ornamented in various fashions, according to the different degrees of feudal monarchy, which vassals had to present to their lord on the day of his investiture. THE RIGHT OF SEAL: A fee or fine they had to pay for the charters which their lord caused to be delivered to them. ABOLISHED LAWS: The nobles of second order will be abolished some of their privileges among this are their privileges that of wearing spurs of silver or gold according to their rank of knighthood. The right of receiving double rations when one is a prisoners of war. (ABOLISHED) The right of claiming a year''s delay when a creditor wished to seize their land (ABOLISHED) The right of never having to submit to torture after trial, unless they were condemned to death for the crime they had committed (ABOLISHED) Right of common oven, or requiring vassals to make use of the mill, the oven, or the press of the lord. At the time of the vintage, no peasant might sell his wine until the nobles had sold theirs. (ABOLISHED) RIGHTS OF SHELTER: When a nobility visited his lands, his tenants were not only obliged to give him and his followers shelter, but also provisions and food, the nature and quality of which were all arranged beforehand with the most extraordinary minuteness. (ABOLISHED) Some of the laws will only oppressed the peasant and before long they will surely rise up. Aero had a vision in his mind. An Empire of order and Law. Slowly but surely the laws he concocted will take effect and transform his Kingdom. Aero does not want anyone to take advantage of these archaic laws to incite a rebellion. The will of the people is terrifying when it gathered together. The Revolution of France, the uprising in ancient China. History has taught humanity when normal people are oppressed to the extremes, there is no nobility shining enough to repress the bravery brought about by desperations. After all, if he is smart other people are also smart and he knows someone will use the archaic laws in the kingdom, to incite rebellious sentiments Aero did not want an internal problem to crop up in Vanheim when Vanheim is setting the sight to the whole Vilajeri Continent As Chancellor he has the power to change laws, but if he changed too much and abolished the nobility in all form then a war will surely break out between the nobles who want to keep the status quo. There is no need to antagonize the nobles right now and force Vanheim to go on the defensive. Vanheim had too many enemies now. There is not turning back the moment they went out and declare their ambition. Aero knows this and the Kinga also knows it. There is no turning back now. There is only moving forward. So he will do it slowly and cautiously. The wind blows and the candle light flickers. Aero dip his pen in ink and then began writing again. he began drafting a new law or more accurately steps that needs to be taken for the kingdom to prospers and the associated departments that needs to be in charge of making sure these steps are implemented. COMMERCE STEPS FOR BETTER COMMERCE. The roads must be better kept up (COUNCIL OF BUILDERS) Rivers will be made more navigable (COUNCIL OF BUILDERS) Coasts will be protected from piratical incursions (creating navy corps) [COUNCIL OF WAR] Lighthouses will be erected at dangerous points to prevent shipwrecks (COUNCIL OF BUILDERS) Treaties of commerce with foreign nations (COUNCIL OF RITES) Increased the number of fairs and markets at the gates of the Kingdom and temple (COUNCIL OF REVENUE)(COUNCIL OF BUILDERS)(COUNCIL OF RITES) Exemptions from taxes for special trader and merchant that can give great profit to the Kingdom. (COUNCIL OF REVENUE) Capitalize mining in Vetten (COUNCIL OF REVENUE) Export of wines to Duvar in exchange for corn. (COUNCIL OF REVENUE) Silk manufactories must be built in Silvi (COUNCIL OF BUILDERS) Laws on various trades will be arranged and codified to guarantee the security of vendors, and to ensure purchasers against fraud. (COUNCIL OF JUSTICE) Establishment of insurance against the risks and perils of sea and land (COUNCIL OF JUSTICE) (COUNCIL OF REVENUE) These are the steps that needs to be taken to encourage commerce and make the Kingdom prospers. Beside the steps was the Council entrusted to make this steps become a reality. Then Aero in a roll pulled out another piece of paper and began writing again. This time it''s about the taxes. TAXES LAND TAX:calculated according to the area of the holding Taxpayers who were too heavily rated are exempted and placed the burden on those who could better afford it. Creation of a public revenue, raised by the contributions of all classes of society, with a definite sum to be kept in reserve Accounts of the public expenditure in its several departments should be annually audited. They are not many Aero would change in the laws of Tax. After all that is the most sensitive one. For now, those are the only laws he will change. He put down his pen and marvel at it. His eyes seem to be able to see his envisioned Empire. An Empire where the Sun will never set. Thinking of it, he smiles. After satisfied with the draft he had created, he put down his pen, go to his bed, and lie on his bed and close his eyes as he drifted to the dreamland ************************************************************************* Second part of the chapter and part of the mass release today Chapter 109 WRATH 1 Aero logged in and it was already the next morning. He called his servants and prepare himself to get home. Everything was settled and the nobles have already given their words. Aero is smiling and looking energetic today. This is no doubt because of what he posted last night in the Brave World forum Last night he got a lot of things from the feast. There are gifts from noble families, merchants and people who were influential and wanted to get to know him. Some of them are suitable for him while others are not. It is not like that he worries about his health considering his health is maxed out. So, he instead wanted to sell some of that items. He posted about fifty items he didn''t need into the forum. All of it is valuable and have many beneficial effects. There are gifts like incense, teapots, books. Then there are the weapons ranging from halberd to ancient swords. There are shields, rings, greaves and many other accessories. Cute accessories are also posted. Aero got that from some maiden who wanted to catch his attention in the banquet. With it he also posted the description and effect of the items. He believes many people will be interested in buying his items. It''s not that rare but it''s not that easy either to retrieve or find such items. Aero smiled as he walks to his carriage. He looks at the sky and the beautiful clouds and the shining sun and said to himself ''Ah, today is a good day'' Internally he is thinking to himself of how much profit he will reap this time from the massive posting of items in the forums Aero was troubled by the fact that he had no videos to sell to the broadcasting station righty now. At least he had many stuff to sell to the other players. And the gist that the noble''s families give him are all great and incredible items so there is no worries that his product would not sell. Aero felt happy not just because of that. He is also happy that his diplomatic mission is also successful. With this, Vanheim have saved a lot of resources and one step closer to the hegemony of the entire Eastern continent. Now, George only need to pick the auspicious time to march to the Holy Land of Duvar and be coronated Aero enter his carriage with a happy feeling and he whistle all his way back to Vanheim. The Chancellor is returning home ************************************************************************* VANHEIM CHANCELLOR RESIDENCE THE CELL After a day, Aero finally returned to his residence. He then logged out for a while. He visited his mother, talk a bit with the doctors and then went to the supermarket to buy some grocers. He went back home, heat up the pan, break few eggs, make an omelet and then eat it with a hotdog in front of the TV listening to news about Vega Corporation and the general affairs of the world, When he felt that he has rested enough he went back in to Brave World. He had already settle most of his matters. Only one remains that needs his immediate attention. He went out of his room and his steps is determined as he walk outside the residence and slowly walk in the direction of the cell. He dressed properly and he already checked his face and his dress. ''All fine'' he thought to himself. He now need to see that woman who tries to assassinate him before his visit to Karak. He had delay it long enough. He had many suspect names swirling in his mind but he needed the woman to confirm it for him of who is responsible for the attempt on his life. Aero when he thinks of that woman, he did not deny that the woman was beautiful. But that is not the reason he wanted to meet her. Beautiful but deadly. Aero like to know who his enemies are. By now, Aero believes that Antilus surely has got the information of who is responsible out of her but he still needs to determine whether the woman is speaking the truth or not by himself. He would not feel ease until he confirms it for himself. Aero sighed. A beautiful woman in a deadly and dark job of being an assassin. Aero sympathizes because he got the report from Antilus. The woman who attacked him is not a player but an NPCs. All NPCs have their background story and lives. What kind of lives that she leads that made her like this? As Aero walk to the cell, he is also thinking of how Antilus persuaded that woman to give up the information. In his opinion Antilus will offer money or title or a gift of freedom. It won''t matter if it''s a lie as long as that woman believes it. This is the easiest way to persuade someone. On one hand he could threaten and then give them a good condition. The carrot and stick approach. After all everyone wants title and money. Even if Antilus offers some items that would not be too much At least if Antilus can''t persuade her, he could offer her a title. Or if she is still stubborn Aero will threaten her to leave her to rot in the dark dungeon. But he was still too naive probably. Because what he saw when he entered the cell made his heart boil. He walk through the dark corners of the entire prison complex underground and then when he saw what is done to the woman he yelled in anger "ANTILUS!WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" In front of Aero was a woman stripped naked. Aero eyes is red and his heart is beating to the beats of a war drum The woman is held by four chains each on her hands and legs. Her flesh is full of cuts and bruises. Her mouth had dried blood all over. Her lips is cracked probably because she didn''t get any water. She is pale and trembling in pain. Her finger looks weak and twitch every second Her thighs seem like it was being slashed hundreds of time, as there is deep cuts and dried blood around it. There is still blood flowing from the wounds, dripping to the cold dark ground of the cell. Her arms seem to be pierced repeatedly by something sharp, leaving a bloody smear. Her nose is shattered. And she is whimpering like a dog that is about to die. It seems she is unconscious right now. She looks so frail and weak. Her body is testament and proof of how she suffered and survived many beatings. Bruises, wounds, cuts, can be seen clearly from all parts of her body. It also seems cold water was also used in her interrogation after Aero saw the dripping water from her hair. Her ears were cut off and her eyes were bruised badly. Antilus who heard the yell rushed to the cell with Jayden and Holt He saw the Chancellor standing in front of the chained prisoner, only seeing his back and not seeing the Chancellor face. If he did he not ask his next question. he asked ''Chancellor Aero, you call for me? What is the problem?'' ''What the hell did you do?'' Aero asked, his voice is calm but the coldness in his tone is unmistakable. Hearing this even Jayden and Holt beside Antilus is shivering because of fear. ************************************************************************************* Part two coming in a few minutes Chapter 110 WRATH 2 They slowly distance themselves from Antilus side. They all witness the powerful strength of the Chancellor before. If the Chancellor blew his top, then they do not want to bear the brunt of it. "What do you mean Chancellor?" He said not knowing what he did wrong. "Why did you torture this woman?" Aero said, his voice seems even calmer. But they noticed it. In that calmness, there is a rising anger. "I¡­I thought Your Excellency wanted answer" Antilus answered timidly and with a stutter. The cold dark cell did not help in easing the tense atmosphere. "NOT LIKE THIS!" The Chancellor yelled, his words resonating in the cell. Antilus was scared of course and he nearly prostrated to beg for forgiveness. The Chancellor is usually a calm person. Then without warning Aero approached him and with his bare hand choke him and lift him up from the ground Antilus could see there is anger and a terrifying coldness in the eye of the Chancellor. He looked at Antilus with pure disdain and contempt. ''Chancellor! Please Chancellor Aero, calm your anger!'' Jayden and Holt kneels and pleads for the life of Antilus. Antilus wanted to say something but the grip of the Chancellor on his neck made him unable to say a word. He did try to break the Chancellor hold on his neck but he fails miserably For the first time, Antilus felt the Chancellor strength. He never thought that the Chancellor has such strength. He won''t budge not matter what he did. He tries to punch the Chancellor arms that is grabbing him but the moment his punch strikes out he could feel that his bones in his finger cracked. Antilus forgot that even though Aero is the Chancellor he is also a war hero of Vanheim and fought in wars. How could that kind of person be weak like the scholars in the court? Aero strength gripped him effortlessly. Jayden the only woman captain in this mansion, seeing that the Chancellor will not release their superior, tried to grab the Chancellor arm to stop him. The Chancellor pushed her with a light push yet the moment he did that, she flew, hitting the prison wall and immediately passed out. Holt seeing that such attempt will not bode well for him tried to persuade the Chancellor with words. The Chancellor looked at Holt and sighed. Then slowly his grip loosened on Antilus neck and the Chancellor dropped him to the floor Aero sighs. He looks at Antilus, at Holt and the unconscious Jayden. He closes his eyes and take a deep breath. He takes a deep hard breath, inhale and exhale and slowly he is calmed down. In a way this is his fault. He should have known that his word could be construed by another meaning. They live in a different kind of era so, the mistake is on him and not them. He slowly walked to the woman and he look at her with a look of guilt. He did not mean for this to happen to her. After all he is not desperate enough to use torture in a person. ''This is my fault'' he muttered. Aero hold the chains with his hand and to the astonishment of Holt and Antilus, Aero gripped the chain tightly and then the chain broke and falls to the ground with a clang. The chains are shattered just by the sheer pressure of his strength. This make Holt seeing such scene gulped in astonishment and awe. Aero looked at Antilus, He is still full of anger. Though at this time Aero didn''t know whether he is angry at Antilus or at himself for overlooking such a simple fact? ''Get out'' He said to Antilus. Antilus nodded and he went to Jayden and dragged her unconscious body outside the prison. Holt did follow him from behind. It seems the Chancellor gesture for him to wait inside the cell. Antilus doesn''t want to court death. It is enough that he just got a brush with death a few second ago. So he quickly got out of the cell. Antilus returned to his post quickly not knowing what to do. He sent Jayden with Holt to the infirmary. He sat on his office chair and he sighed. He couldn''t hide. If he run, what would his punishment be? The Chancellor is second in this Kingdom after the King. There is nowhere to hide and if he runs he would be hunted to the end of the Vilajeri Continent. The Chancellor influence reaches everywhere in Vanheim and he seems to know everything that happens in every street of the Kingdom. Then as he takes a deep breath in his office he remembered back in the cell, the way the Chancellor looked at him. He was about to die. He will die. That was what he thought when he was staring into the Chancellor''s eyes when Chancellor Aero was choking him. Antilus hand couldn''t stop trembling even after he went out from the jail cell. He sighed and then he said to himself. ''Once again I made a mistake. I presumed to know my master thoughts and tortured the girl. But instead of praising me, the Chancellor was enraged'' He sighed. The mark of the Chancellor grip on his neck can be seen clearly. ''What will happen to me?'' he thought to himself. ************************************************************************* CELL "Call the Palace Physician to come here, Hurry!" Aero ordered to Holt. Holt quickly got out of the cell and rush himself to find the Palace Physician as quickly as possible. He did not want to be there if his lord suddenly changed his mind and decide that he is the next one that should receive his rage. He went to the stables, jump onto the horse and ride to the Palace with his fastest speed. Aero on the other hand carried the woman to his bed chamber and gave her a cup of ambrosia he kept for himself Aero picked her up gently and made her drink the ambrosia slowly, fearing she would choke on it. It was just a tiny dose. ''Drink, girl. This will replenish you'' Aero said. She reminded him of someone. Not her face but her fate. It reminded him of that woman. Aero was careful in administering the ambrosia. Too much and she might end up being burned from inside out. Quickly the ambrosia take effect. Her ears reformed, her bruises healed, the cuts regenerated. Aero let out a relieved sigh. But she still didn''t wake up. So Aero waited beside her bed that night. The Royal Physician came and said to him that after a while she will wake up. It is only exhaustion Aero then send an order to Antilus. Antilus is to be demoted to be a guard under Holt command.If not for Holt, he would have already crushed Antilus throat with his hand. ''Torture! What gave Antilus the idea that I want her to be tortured. My image and reputation isn''t enough? I''m shrewd. Manipulative. But a torturer? That''s not me. I may lie, I may trick people but torture isn''t my taste. Seeing people suffer for your amusement is not my taste.'' Aero complained as he sighed once gain. ''Seeing people suffer for their mistake and stupidity on the other hand is a learning experience.'' Today, should be a happy day for him. But the scene he saw before made him forget all about the joy of completing his task. Aero looked at the girl and he said to himself This is my fault. So, let me heal you first. It is kind of ironic. This girl did just try to kill him but here he is beside her all night trying to make sure she didn''t die and healthy. ''The irony'' Aero said as he look at the girl and smile. ************************************** Fourth chapter for today. It still is not ending. A new chapter in a couple of minutes Chapter 111 TATIANA 1 "Run,run!" Her father shouted as the din of battles and the roars of men and the screams of women filled the village. Her father is fighting the big Orc that came to ravish the surrounding village and raid their supplies. The Orcs is bathing with the blood of her village people, ravaging and destroying things as it is their nature. Bestial and warlike. That is the Orcs tribe characteristic. They come down with their warhorses that look like monstrosity itself and pillages and robbed the villages The Orc is wearing a look of utter delight when he was killing the villagers, roaring and laughing joyfully The Orc commander waved his club and smashed head as easy it was a hammer boke a watermelon. And so did his raiders who were just as relentless and merciless as their commander Blood flowed in her village like a rainy day as the flow of blood created a blood trails that flow to the calm river behind her house The clear water of the river is tainted with blood as it turns red before washed away by the stream The one who was seeing this horrific scene of carnage and murder and promising she will never forget was a young girl trembling in fear, with tears in her eyes and a lump on her throat. Tatiana was a young girl at that time. Too young to see such scene. But in Vilajeri Continent, battle is normal and dying is even more so It was just after her Fifth name day. She led an idyllic and happy life in her village. He house is beside a river streams. Follow that stream to the end and one would see a beautiful waterfall. She would play with her playmates around those edges of the waterfall and laugh when she saw the fish below trying to jump above Today, however her idyllic and happy life was shattered. The Orcs came with their killing intent and greed and they did hide their brutality and ravaged the village like it was the most natural thing to do. No one was spared. It was an indiscriminate killing. A massacre. The sounds of scream and yelling could be heard as they keep on killing and trampling people heads and bodies under the hooves of their gigantic warhorses. Some were Pleading and praying to the Seven gods yet the God high up in their godly realms pays no heed to the prayers of the weak the downtrodden The girl also prayed as she looks at this scene from the opening of the jar her mother hid her in. But prayer did her no good¡­..no Gods are listening to her. Or maybe they did and they just don''t care. As she saw the killings and the murders, she thought to herself This is not fair, she screamed in her heart. The Orc killed the men and raped the women. The woman who was raped usually is left alive, but not many want to birth Orcs children so usually the survivors of such **** would kill themselves. Her father was smashed to an unrecognizable meat as the Orcs took her father head and smash it into a boulder of rocks. There is nothing of his face. She could no longer see the gentle smile of her father face. All she could see then was an empty spot where his father face used to be. What was once his face, are now just a lump of meat. It was disgusting and revolting. Her mother tried to protect her father only to be smashed with a mace and her mother head turns into mashed meat. Her kind father and her gentle mother is dead. Everyone thought that the girl will also share the same fate as her father. But she remembers. She remembers what her father said to her before when she went back into the house. Run, her father said. Run, her mother said. So, she jumped out from the jar and with the will of wanting to live, of wanting to survive, she runs. She told herself that she needs to survive. She needs to survive and avenge this hatred someday. But she needs to survive first So what did she do? She ran. And she ran like the wind. Ran like the horses on the steppes of the ancient tale of mounted barbarians in the past Even when her feet felt like it will give out, she forces herself to run. She run and runs because her parents told her to run. So she keeps running even as the vines wounds her so in the forest, she runs even when she felt like her knees is getting weaker. She pushes herself and ran never once stopping. Run, she thought. Run if you want to survive. ''Live. Run. Live. Run'' She muttered every time she wanted to stop running And once again her father face flashed in her mind.And then her mother. Then her friends. Her neighbors, her cousins. So she ran faster. Not caring about her cramp, not caring about the shortness of breath she felt. ''I do not want to be like that. I don''t. I need to survive. I need to live'' she thought to herself this, tormented with fear she never once learned before. Until finally she reached her uncle residence in the Capital City of Vanheim, panting and dirty with mud and blood. Her eyes bloodshot and her entire body is trembling. Her clothes are filled with leaves Her Uncle was a wealthy merchant that sometimes visited her family when he passed by the area. She did not pass out not until she reached the residence of her uncle. Her uncle bathed her, feeds her and nurse her back to safety. Then she told her story. Hearing her story her Uncle reported this matter to King''s army. The Kingdom response was swift and decisive. The army of nobles moved out and vanquished the Orcs In a week, those terrifying Orc were either driven out, killed or captured. She returned to her village. She saw only ashes and dust. The aura of Death seems to pervades the entire village, her beautiful and peaceful village was but ash. She could not help but feeling empty. There is sadness but there is also this emptiness she could never fully describe. She tried to find her father remains among the ashes, among the rubbles of the broken village but nothing was left but more ash and more dust She sobbed, she cried, she wailed and she cursed at the Three Fates and the Seven Gods. Her Uncle was beside her at the time Seeing that she has no other place to go her Uncle offered her to stay with him. Not having any place to go, she followed her Uncle. Her Uncle was a nice and kind man. He taught her to read. Taught her swordsmanship, taught her about the herbs and animals and about life and doing good. But misfortune struck her again. It was like the Fates is tormenting her with her life. Her uncle was accused of harboring treasonous thoughts towards the new King, George. He was executed, his estates taken from him. He was a nice and kind man and nice and kind man usually is schemed against by unkind and evil men And once again Tatiana run and once again she survives. She survives but she had no home. The other relatives did not want her, saying that she brought misfortune. So, she was left to die alone. ************************************************************************* Part one of the chapte Chapter 112 TATIANA 2 Until, Agnaris found her begging on the street. That is where her life change Agnaris is a mysterious man. He liked to wear gray robes and he talks in riddles and puzzles. He is always speaking half-truths and his lie would never get discovered unless he wanted it to be discovered. He hired Tatiana to pretend to be a pleasure lady in some pleasure house in Veva. He promised Tatiana the men will not touch her. She was instructed to bring the men to the bedroom and Agnaris will do his job. At the time she did not know who Agnaris was and what he does. She only knew that she will make easy money doing it. Agnaris was an assassin. But he is not just an ordinary assassin. He is an assassin of the Blood Brotherhood. The famed Brotherhood that will kill anyone with the right price. Emperor and Kings. Nobles and peasants. They would kill anyone as long as you have the money. Every time Agnaris kills a person in the night, he will then give one third of his profit to his mother, one third to her, and one third for himself in the morning. He only kills people at night which prompted Tatiana who at that time has learned of his identity to ask for the reason of this weird behavior. She was expecting it''s because it''s easier to kill in the night but his answer was different and was shocking to Tatiana. He said, "I pray that the Gods are blind at night, and so I do my deed hoping whatever God is watching could forgive me, for I pray every morning and do all sort of kindness in the day to redeem what is done at night. I give to the Temples, burns offering to Zeus, Poseidon and Hades, treat people kindly and respectfully in the day and I reap lives in the night. Then a dream came to me one day when I was sleeping. Lord of the Death heard my earnest prayer and promised that if I never killed a single soul of mortal life in the day, he will close his eyes upon my deeds in the night." "Then?" Tatiana asked curious. Agnaris smiled. "So I asked the Lord. Will I be permitted to enter Elysium?" Then he continued with his theatrics "He replied to me. You have taken so many lives in your lifetimes in the dark and in the shadows of night. Souls in the Underworld speak your name. Those who don''t know that you killed them live in constant puzzlement wondering who it is the one that killed them. It was terrible. Terrible but great'' ''And the Lord smirked at me'' "So?" "He promised me Elysium as long I do not kill people in the day and do kindness during the day. That is why, my graceful cat, I only kill at night," he told Tatiana. She never knew if he was telling the truth or it was just another of his tall stories. She did her job and she lived a different life than before Then as she kept being acquainted with Agnaris world Tatiana wanted something else. She knew she could not always be a hireling of Agnaris, so she sought another path. She did not want the gold, the copper, or the silver. She wanted Agnaris to teach her the art. The art of killing Agnaris was conflicted at first. He said "I make my own sins; but I would not let others inherit mine" But after constant begging finally he relented. Agnaris taught her how to be stealth in her movement, to be fast without people noticing, to creep without a sound in the night, to stalk in the shadows and taught her where are the places that can inflict pain and places that will give a person instant death if stabbed. She was taught everything Agnaris knew Finally, after being acknowledged by the Blood Brothers she was allowed to join. She was then ordered to kill many people. Much blood was on her hands. Innocent or not, she did her job. Beautifully, flawlessly. Like Agnaris, she was talented at her job. Very talented But she did not care anymore. This is her path. This was the only thing she could do. And how happy she was when she got the order to kill her own aunt. She knows that it was her aunt that planted the news that her uncle was a traitor. Her aunt was having an affair with the Count of Dritri and her aunt wanted her uncle gone out of the way. Killing kin is a dishonorable act, an act that would bring the Furies wrath unto the perpetrator. She smirked and thought to herself But, isn''t her job kind of serving the Death Lord in a sense just like the Furies? The Furies torture. But it is the Blood Brotherhood that delivers. So, she killed her aunt with delight, savoring every moment of her cries and screams in an abandoned cave near Derka. She pleaded. Everyone pleads and begs in the face of death. Tatiana thought. But the pleading of her aunt did not move Tatiana heart. Because of her, Tatiana uncle, her kind and gentle uncle were executed for treason. She thought to herself as she keeps torturing her in the cave ''Plead all you want, aunty. My wrath will not be satisfied until I heard it from yourself that you would rather die than live'' And after three days she broke. She pleaded to be killed. And what use is a broken doll? So, Tatiana killed her and dumped her body in the Sea. From then on, she killed as many people as her mentor. It was an easy job. Then, the adventurers came. They are from another world. They are different and special When they die they felt the pain, but they will always come back. Weaker but still. They keep dying and then reviving Of course at first the Brotherhood doesn''t know how to deal with this kind of creatures or beings. But then they created their own Temple. Temple of Death. People who are killed by the Blood Brotherhood can only spawn from that Temple, effective to hold them captive or to kill them repeatedly to make them weaker every time they come back. There are some adventurers that pay the Blood Brotherhood to kill someone repeatedly to make their rival weaker. Years passed. Her name as an effective killer spread. She is one of the Brotherhood prolific assassins. She has never failed to kill a target. Then one day the Blood Brothers gave her a task. Probably one of the toughest tasks in her career. Someone pays a lot of money to see the Chancellor killed. Lot of money is an understatement. The reward could fund the entire Blood Brotherhood for years to come Tatiana knows the Chancellor. Or at least what the stories told about him. Even she is not that out of touch with the real world. She heard the news, heard the songs and poems about the Aero of the East Eastern Aero, Northern Zeus. That is how they are known to the people of the Continent. Chancellor Aero is known as the hero that saved the Kingdom from an Orc invasion and the attack of the Vetten Kingdom. he is also a good close friend of the King. Recently he was given that title Chancellor, giving him almost the same authority as the King himself. Tatiana knew from the get go that killing him would not be easy. After all, if anyone can survive a war, and emerge victorious from two pronged attack of an Orc Great Tribe and a large invasion force from an entire Kingdom, Tatiana knew that it takes no ordinary person to achieve such feat. But Tatiana wanted to be on the Council of Blood and the Blood Brothers promised if she could kill the Chancellor she would be granted a chair in the Council. So she agreed after few days of deliberation. And then she made her preparation. She moved to Vanheim a few weeks before she attempted her assassinations. First, she scouted his movement, his routines and his behavior. She waited. Then when she heard the Chancellor is in his residence, she prepares herself. She already made reconnaissance of the residence of the Chancellor many times before The guards and his captain is lax in their surveillance. Using this to her advantage she hid in the Chancellor study room. The Chancellor study room is huge. On the walls there is a painting of himself slaying legions of people like a raging God. They also have this behind the Throne Room of Vanheim, Tatiana thought to herself, remembering that she once herself sneak into the palace to observe the Chancellor. ''The lives of Kings and noble men'' she snorted. She never liked Kings, more so nobles. Pigs all of them. One noble tried to rape her during her rookie years of being an assassin when she was caught in her attempt to kill him. He did rape her, but Tatiana never forgets a debt. When she was rescued by Agnaris, she did not cry nor did she wail. No she said. She''s not that girl anymore. Agnaris offered to kill the noble but Tatiana refused. Tatiana brought him back to the Brotherhood hideout. She cut the noble man parts and healed him. The noble thought that Tatiana would let him go, but his hope was quickly dashed. She forced the noble man to eat his own man parts or he will suffer her torture. A noble? What noble? Facing death everyone is a coward. So the noble man did what any craven man would do. He ate it. He puked but he ate it. Then and only then did Tatiana kill him. None the other brethren after that dared looking at her with sexual intention. Why? Because they were invited to watch Tatiana torture. None want to die that way. Even the dirtiest man would want to die with a bit of dignity. Then a sound alerted Tatiana. Footsteps, she whispered to herself The Chancellor entered the room. He sat down at his study and unloaded many books onto the table. He was looking at all the books, clearly taking his time choosing which book to read. Then he decided. He picked up the book and opened for a few pages and nodded. Then he started reading. Books were sprawled on the desk. He muttered things, trying to remember the details. Most of it is about Karak federation. Why the sudden interest? Tatiana mused One Book Two Books Three books. The Chancellor kept reading while jotting notes. Sometimes certain pages held him entranced, sometimes he just glanced over some pages. This is frustrating. She thought to herself. Then after waiting for a long time Tatiana decided to act. She saw that the Chancellor is concentrating on the books; this is the perfect timing she thought to herself. She jumped from her hideout. He noticed but Tatiana knew that it''s too late. The moment they locked eyes, he seemed shocked. Her blade will pierce him first. She was convinced of this. And the life of the Chancellor will end. At least that''s what she thought. Her knife shattered the first moment it came into contact with the Chancellor. She was confused. Looking left and right, she noticed the window. She intended to flee through the window, but the Chancellor noticed her intent. He grabbed her quickly, holding her from escaping. She tried to break herself away from his grab but his strength was too much for her. It even bruised her. What is he? She looked at the Chancellor. It''s not like he is wearing shield. Tatiana was sure she stabbed the flesh, yet it felt like she was stabbing iron. She was easily captured. She never felt weaker in front of a person as she did when she faced the Chancellor. That power that hold her is like something that is outside human ability. The Chancellor body is like an iron fortress. The guard then put her in one of the cells. The Chancellor on the other hand went to Karak early in the morning. Then, she was tortured by Antilus. For days she was tortured but she did not speak a word. She was tortured before. She will not tell this man anything. Even killers have a code. She was stripped naked so that she could feel the cold winds at nights. Her hands and feet''s were chained. Her ears were cut off. She was pierced with a sharp rod every day and beaten by Antilus. She was denied water and food. Sometimes Antilus would cut her flesh, and watch the blood flowing all the while forcing her to tell everything. Another day she was whipped with a whiplash until the skin on her back was numb. Blood traces the outline of her back. Scars formed and her wounds festers with pus and yellow fluid Antilus also seems to like piercing her arms and hear her screams. Today was the worst of all. She heard that the Chancellor is coming back home today. She was punched by Antilus smashing her nose. But she shuts her mouth. ''But never'' she thought to sheriff in this dark moments ''that she would surrender'' Then she fell unconscious. At that time she thought she will die. But she did hear some shouting even though she was about to lose consciousness. Something is happening, she thought. Then she felt like she was carried off gently and she was put into a fluffy bed. She was being spoon-fed something. It was nothing like anything that she ever tasted in her life It was like all good flavors in the world are filling her mouth. Then energy coursed through her veins. But still she felt tired. I want to sleep. I want to sleep. She thought to herself So she slept. However, the moment she opened her eyes, the scenery was foreign to her. It was a luxurious room and her body felt light like a feather. A man greeted her as she opens her eyes. Correction: A target greeted her. "Finally you woke up" That man said with a smile on his face "We have a lot to talk about" ******************************************************************** Second part of the chapter. It is a bit longer chapter this time. Hope you all enjoy it Chapter 113 THE BE Aero is looking at the woman sleeping soundly on his bed. Looking at her like she looks innocent. ''Sleeping she does look like an innocent little girl'' Aero thought to himself. Who would have thought such girl is an assassin? And not just any run of the mill assassin but someone from the Blood Brotherhood. The report about her is on the bedtable. After reading the reports from the Captain of the Guard, Aero found out they did not know anything about her. Where she came from, when did she join the Blood Brotherhood, who ordered the assassination. Nothing. That is very impressive. Even after all that torture she didn''t open her mouth an inch. ''It would be a mistake to think of this girl as a weak person'' Aero thought Aero is standing guard beside her, looking at her as he reminisces something. But that is not the only reason he was beside her. Because judging by her conditions that is patching up nicely, Aero predicted that in a couple of hours she may wake up from her sleep. She sometimes whimpers in her sleep and that tugged Aero heartstring. Sometimes she sweats and screams. ''It must be a bad dream. A nightmare'' Outside of the room, other guards are stationed. They are full of vigilance and ready to subdue her if she tries to escape. Aero could not help but thought as long as he is in here, there is no chance for this woman to escape. Waiting and waiting. Aero sat beside her, looking like he was lost in a thought. Then finally, after hours of waiting her fingers twitched. And her eyes fluttered and she slowly begins opening her eyes. The first thing she sees is Aero. And unsurprisingly, she is confused. Aero only smile and said "Finally you woke up. We have a lot to talk about" The moment she realizes where she is a look of horror flashed on her face for a split second. Immediately she tried to move back as far away as possible from Aero Aero understand her confusion so he just let her. "Where am I?" she said looking left and right. Aero smirks as he saw she look to the windows. ''What is it about this girl and windows?'' Aero thought to himself. Fortunately, he had already barred the windows, worried that she will try to jump from the window to escape. She is a treasure trove of information and she is in no condition to escape. Aero could get some information about the elusive Blood Brotherhood and also his enemies. "You''re in my room" and he gestured for her to see the room. She calmed down and look around her and finally she nodded. She then checked her body. She looked at her body that is covered up with blankets, looking whether anything indecent is done towards her. Comforted that she was not violated when she was unconscious, she heaved a sigh of relief. Because she realized she was clothed. Seeing this Aero was amused Did she think I did anything to her? Aero think to himself. Then he said to the woman "I''m insulted. You think I would touch a lady when she is unconscious?" Aero said showing an expression of hurt. "I''m no lady" she said sternly "Yes, of course. I stand corrected. You''re an assassin" And Aero flashed a grin. The woman looks at Aero with a glare but Aero did not budge even an inch "What do you want?" she asked, her eyes were fiercely looking at Aero. On the other hand, Aero is still calm and unfazed by the glare at all. "I want you to name the perpetrators who ordered you to kill me" "Or what? You''ll torture me again?" Aero shook his head in regret "I never intended to torture you. Antilus¡­..misunderstood my order." Then for a moment there is a brief silence in Aero bedroom She is trying to assess whether he is speaking the truth. She looked at his eyes. Her mentor always tells her "Look into their eyes. And then you will see" And she would always ask, see what? Everything, her mentor said. And looking at the Chancellor face. He doesn''t seem like he is lying. Or if he is lying he is too good of a liar. "Alright, maybe you didn''t order the torture, so what? What now?" she asks. Aero then clicked his tongue and then said "To be honest, I was thinking of offering you more money than the person who hired you. I might have even conferred to you a title of nobility or some hedge knight. But that was before I read the report about you. You will never go back against your word once you decided on a target." "That''s true" This time it''s her time to grin. Aero still looks calm. His hazel eyes scanned Tatiana gauging her abilities. Then he smiled and said "You will find me hard to kill" He said confidently while tilting his head back "Want to bet?" She challenged. Aero could not believe what he just heard. So, he broke into laughter. "Fine, let''s bet. How about this? I will give you three days to kill me. In that span of time, you will live here. You can try to kill me in that span of time and if you succeed I promise you with my authority as the Chancellor I will write you a letter of pardon just before I die." Then with a hint of smile, he continued "However if you fail to kill me in that span of time, you will abandon the Blood Brotherhood and join me" Aero declared. Aero knows many influential people and his reputation itself is known as good. But he understands the need to sometimes plot the death of your rival. If he wants to survive in the Court at least he needs to have that kind of contingency plan. If he could persuade this girl to serve him, this would save him a lot of trouble. He doesn''t need to employ the Blood Brotherhood and sully his own reputation. "Agreed?" Aero asked. Tatiana is thinking. She is thinking about this matter deeply. She looks at Aero and saw the confident smile on his face. This makes her feel suspicious about the bet She looked at the door but she could sense the guards outside. Running from this place would prove to be hard. No, she thinks again. It would be impossible now considering that she already exposed herself. There will be surely guards posted on every watchtower, lookouts of this residence. Even if she manages to get out of this room, she still had to contend with the many guards outside. It was hard enough even when no one knew she was here. Now that they knew, it surely will become harder. But she just kept thinking that if she accepts the bet, she would fall into a trap. The Chancellor confidence unnerves her. This is the first time she met someone who was not afraid at all when faced with the prospect of Death. It was almost like he knew she can''t kill him. But that is impossible right? After all, everyone dies. Even Adventurers dies. Looking at that arrogant grin on the Chancellor face, she felt provoked. She has proved many people wrong before. He will be only one of many. ''Adventurers always have this kind of arrogance. Thinking that they are better than us'' Tatiana thought to herself "Fine, I''ll accept the bet" she replied. Aero chuckles and his eyes is mischievous. It was so easy Aero thought. He digs the hole and he didn''t even have to push the person into the hole. The person seems enthusiastic enough of jumping into it willingly. Of course she didn''t know that she just jumped into a hole. "Then, I would like to make an acquaintance of the person that might kill me" Aero said still smiling. "Tatiana" she said curtly "Tatiana" Aero repeated. It''s a strong name. A good name. Aero thought to himself. Then he said "Then, Tatiana please sleep in the guest room" Aero said. Tatiana seems confused. Aero looking at Tatiana confused face found the right moment to tease this assassin. "Oh, did I miss the signals? Do you want to sleep with me per chance?" Aero said clearly joking. Flushed, Tatiana quickly jumped out of the bed. This just made it worse. She was wearing very thin clothing. Her curves could easily be seen. Her supple breast, her sweaty collarbones, her entire body could seduce any men Aero coughed but he did not stop looking. She finally realized what the Chancellor is looking at and took the blanket with her out of the room. Her face is red with embarrassment as she was escorted to the guest room So is Aero''s. He sent his servant to bring Tatiana a change of clothes So, the assassin and her target finally live together in the same place. That night, Aero was in his bed chuckling. That night knowing that Tatiana would surely come for his life, he prepares himself. He asked for a metal boot from the armory. Holt quickly rushed out from the Chancellor residence and found one of the best metal boot from the armory to give to Aero. Aero look at the metal boot and started thinking to himself. This is all a precaution. Just in case. I don''t think she will know the story of the River Styx. But precaution must be made. He also wrote an order to the Scouts of the Army to find a man for him. A man named Deria. After the Underworld escape, he did not hear any story of Deria. And after busy handling state affairs he kind of forgot. There is also his visit to Karak that kept him occupied. Right now, he needs someone he can trust. Deria has proven himself to him as a loyal and honorable. He also has the sense when to not let his mouth run. Dan on the other hand? Destroyed his effort in just one month. Aero knew what he needed. He needed Deria. And he needed him in the court with him to be his ally. ************************************************************************* There is more I think Chapter 114 THE GRACEFUL CAT 1 She did move right and left on this bed. ''This is one a comfy bed'' she internally thought. Tatiana is now trying to sleep in the guest room. The bed on the guest room is large and most of all it is soft It is the first time she has ever slept in such bed. It was like she is lying on top of a patch of clouds. Beds of Kings and nobles, she reminded herself. She still doesn''t believe what happened last night as she looked at the ceiling She made a bet with Chancellor and the Chancellor was pretty calm about it knowing that she will come for his life. What is more important is that she is still alive. It is a miracle that he did not kill her. She is still thinking about the bet. She is free to try to kill him but only if she stays here during that span of time. If not, he would scour the entire Kingdom to find her, and when he does find her, he said he will not torture her, or give any offer, he would just end her. That was written in the letter sent to her late last night. It is quite formal and all considering the language used in that letter, The letter is embossed from the seal of the Kingdom. It was then Tatiana knew what kind of person she tried to assassinate It is clear that the Chancellor can also use the Royal seal by himself. It was then that Tatiana realized that maybe she underestimated the influence that the Chancellor holds in this Kingdom She thinks and thinks and there is not right answer. So she closes her eyes and began to sleep. Then, morning came. However, it is not the same usual morning for her. Her morning was interrupted by a young girl servant who she nearly killed with her hidden dagger. The servant was shocked and cried in her room. It seems that the servant just wanted to wake her up and eat the breakfast. Tatiana is not used to people serving him. Bu she complied. After all, if she wanted to assassinate the Chancellor she needs energy So she headed to the kitchen. Last night she didn''t really eat. And now she is hungry. As she is about to walk in the direction of the kitchen she had to pass the main hall first. It was then that she saw guard posted around the kitchen. She enters and then she saw him The Chancellor Aero The Chancellor seems to be relaxing without a care in the world. He is reclining on a padded couch in the kitchen reading books. The book was titled Niovar Kings and Prince, Comprehensive History of Niovar Royalty by Virgil. Aero noticed her. He smiled to her, with a gesture offering her to sit. "Come, sit my fearless assassin." Aero waved her closer with confidence in his tone that she will lose in their bet. And that smile¡­it made her feel annoyed Tatiana could not understand why the Chancellor is so confident. She clambered up to the chair. The chair was a cushioned throne originally intended to serve important dignitaries and ambassadors. But in the Chancellor residence it is nothing but a seat for someone to eat at the dinner table. Tatiana was used to eating whenever she wanted, wherever she wanted. However, in this residence, everything ordered. In the house of the Chancellor, her sense of disproportion compared to the life she had, can obviously be felt. She felt a dissonance. ''I am a mouse in a cat''s house'' she mused, though at least the cat bothered enough to fatten the mouse. The Chancellor called for wine. This elicited a response from Tatiana "Wine in the morning?" she asked. "Why not, little cat?" he replied grinning You''re the cat, Chancellor. I''m the mouse. A mouse in a huge trap. She thought to herself "As you wish, Chancellor" Tatiana said listlessly "Aero" he offered "The name is Aero, little cat" Tatiana try to hide her displeasure but she is a bad actress "Why do you call me little cat?" she said not liking that this man called her a little cat. He reminds her of her mentor, Agnaris. He always calls her a thieving cat. "I thought it was pretty obvious. You''re little. You move graceful like a cat. Little cat" Aero then laughed again like he found it really funny. Little cat! I kill people that dare to call me little. I will enjoy killing you Aero. She thought to herself as she twirls her dagger on top of the kitchen table. Aero saw this and shakes his head and said ''Manners'' Tatiana sighed and stopped twirling the dagger Aero clapped his hand together and servants came running. With them was a variety of dishes. They began eating with chicken soup. Then came the honey, lamb, ducks and all other variety of foods Tatiana has never seen or tasted. The sight of it made Tatiana drool but she forced herself to remain taciturn. The smell was making her hungrier and her stomach growled. Aero heard it but pretended that he didn''t. He then sighed and said "Eat it" Aero urged her. Tatiana pretending that she falls for the urging slowly raise her spoon Tatiana tried a spoon of the soup. The moment she tasted it she was lost in all the taste and flavor that exploded itself inside her mouth. The cooks know their business. ''This is the most delicious soup I ever had'' she thought She never tasted such delicious soup not once in her life. Then she began forgetting herself. Her hand was grabbing everywhere while Aero just watched her from his couch, book in his hand. He flipped the pages of the book while Tatiana grab the food near her She began trying the other food. She dipped the lamb rib into the plum sauce, and ate it with her fingers. I could learn to like this prison, she mused. "Like the dish?" He asked curiously as he stopped at one page of the book. "It was fine" Tatiana said regaining her composure, the plum sauce still dripping from her fingers. Aero chuckled a little. Fine? You look like you would even eat the plate. Aero chuckled internally "Now, do you still want to kill me?" "Yes, more than ever" she replied bravely. The Chancellor laughed and he was calm. The servants in the kitchen was shocked but Aero just waved his hand and gesture them to act like nothing happens. But Tatiana could still see the gaze that some of the people in the kitchen area directed towards her to be unfriendly **************************************************************************** First part of the chapter. The second part is tommorow. if you like teh story pelase vote and leave some comments. It will give me teh motivation to write Chapter 115 THE GRACEFUL CAT 2 @@ Tatiana knows they misunderstand. Truth be told, she is the prisoner and the one holding her life and death is Aero She knows if the chancellor wished for it he could end her, right here right now. It was only because he found her amusing, for some reason, that she is still alive She will not underestimate this man for the second time. His strength is apparent even for her. She has also heard what happened in the cell when she was unconscious from the rumor of the washer woman and the cook. The Chancellor was in rage after he saw that Antilus was torturing his prisoner. He was demoted but from the stories he was almost choked to death by the Chancellor. And that surprised Tatiana. Antilus was twice the size of the Chancellor. But from the stories she heard, the Chancellor only used one hand to choke Antilus and lift him up. This man is no ordinary man. To underestimate him, would akin to me signing my own death senten@@ Chapter 116 THE TRAPPED CA @@ It is hours since the Chancellor went out from his residence. Tatiana has already taken her place. She is waiting beside the gate in stealth. Undetected, she looks around her, covering up her breathing and then after making sure no one would prove to be an obstacle to her plan she waited. She waited without moving., It was like she was one with her surroundings. In the evening the Chancellor faintly return to the residence. In the distance she could see the silhouette of a carriage. She moves a bit and out of the corner of her eye she saw him in the carriage. He looked confident, dignified and slightly bored. She has already positioned herself at the top of the gate. She uses her special skill stealth to not get undetected The carriage come s closer and closer to her. Ten feet. Nine feet. Eight feet, Seven feet, Six feet. Closer and closer it came. And then the moment arrived The moment the carriage passed through beneath her, wi@@ Chapter 117 HIS OWN ASSASIN @@ Aero was preparing himself to meet the King after the breakfast. As he checks his appearance in the mirror he was reminded of the matter of his own assassination and his conversation with Tatiana ''It''s been a long time since I have such conversation in the morning'' he muttered to himself. He is always alone when he was talking his breakfast. Either in this world or the real world, there is no one beside him when he is at breakfast. Only a ghost of her. However, today he got someone eating breakfast with him that is not his servants It is refreshing to say the least. And Tatiana actually makes a good table companion. She speaks her mind. That is something Aero can respect. Undoubtedly she has some flaws. It is the fact that, she did try to kill him. The servants are busy preparing his clothes inside the wardrobe room. Aero look at his appearance once again in the mirror and satisfied his servants to stop searching for other @@ Chapter 118 RANKS 1 @@ He enters his office with a look of dissatisfaction. He sat at his cushioned chair and waved the attendant to come near. "Bring me the latest news" the attendants immediately understood what the Chancellor is talking about Quickly the attendant went to the backroom and brought out the documents from Vanheim spies and scouts. Any reports from other nations will be read by Aero first before he decide what to tell the King. He took the documents and he saw the seals and the code. This is from Zun kingdom. Aero opens the documents and read it. He then sighed. the situation at the Zun Kingdom is chaotic. The Pope with Ariana help has conquered the Pruvar Council. Not only that, the Temple of Zeus which is one of the holy sites of the worship of Gods and Goddesses where it featured all the Seven Celestial in one temple also have been conquered by them And they also conquered Vanan Federation. Aero read a report about her. A@@ Chapter 119 RANKS 2 @@ He read another report. He sighed as he read it. Greater Veranis on the other hand is asking for one hundred thousand reinforcement soldiers to help them take Gerad. Gerad is still standing even after the furious assault of the Greater Veranis. Since Prince Alexander is not leading the army and had to rushed back to the Greater Veranis Capital, the soldiers did not exhibit the fierce power they had like in the Battle of Coro Aero ponder in his mind. To help or not to help? He then decided on a course of action. For now, he would reconsider the proposal. But he could not send military aid at this moment. He sighs and sign something and put the document on the finished pile. He agrees to send monetary and food support to them. But not soldiers. After all, Vanheim needs to prepare for the war with Niovar. He took another report and his eyebrows frowned the moment he fished reading it. It is about the Northern Continent situation. Veva has manag@@ Chapter 120 ADMITTING FAULT 1 He thought he could rest at home. His residence is comfy, and he has servants to serve his every whim. His life in this world when compared to his real life is world apart But that is clearly not what his assassin thought of. Instead of a nice warm welcome when he got back he was greeted with an assassination attempt. But Aero had already known Tatiana was hiding there. He sees it through Hugin. That is what he decides to call his raven. Though sometimes Hugin disappears at some period of time. It puzzles Aero. Of course he also had his assumptions. Aero believes that the raven disappeared to Olympus assisting Athena probably when that raven is not here with him. As he sat in his carriage he also remembered a few news that is hot right now. The Archpriest of the Grand Temple in Duvar has announced that the Gods have decided to change their names to ward of the misfortunes that they have been having. Not all the Gods changed their names but some of the Gods changed their names Probably, this relates to Zeus act of sacrilege or the Pope emerging power in the South. The Oracles have said that the Lord of the Death, Hades has proposed the Gods to change their name, but the entry to Major God is not allowed. So, only the Seven can make any real decision. Of course, the players don''t care that much, thinking it is just an event or some flavor text to make the world more immersive but Aero knows better. The AI are the Gods and they''re kicking. Aero made it his business to know about this kind of thing especially about the Gods. After all, the lack of information that leaded him into sprawling blubbering mess and bleeding from his stomach on an unknown island while an old guy was smirking with condescending attitude toward him still remains with him as one of the thing he does not want to experience ever again. Now whenever he got any item he checks the flavor text. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. Even as he walks to his office he could not help but be reminded of these news. Tatiana assassinations attempt however is put on the back of his mind. Tatiana has wasted one attempt on him. There is only two remaining shot for her to try to kill him He wanted Tatiana to become the head of his Secret Squad. He needs someone to become his eyes and ears in places he could not go and considering she''s an NPC she must know more than anyone about this world. That night after once again writing his letter he went to sleep. *****************************************************************Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. Today, the Palace seems tense. The minister could be seen whispering to each other in some secluded corners of some courtyards before the meeting. After a while they all went to the Throne Room as the time of meeting draws near. They stand on the opposite side of the room looking at each other waiting for the main character to arrive of today drama. The King is already waiting but that person still did not come. The King is waiting with his eyes closed and there is a tense atmosphere in the room. Nobody said a word and they, like the King is also waiting and thought many things. Then a voice broke through the silence. "The Chancellor has come" some ministers announced to the King. As the door opened a tall man could be seen striding into the Throne Room Some minister smiles. The main character has come. Aero came into the palace with his attendants. The minister that noticed this quickly informed the King. The Chancellor always comes late to the Palace but no one complains. After all he is the Chancellor. But this matter is not a small matter. It is a matter of two countries. No matter how the King wanted to protect him, if the Chancellor could not give a reasonable explanation today, people would surely protest him. The palace was abuzz because of the Chancellor decision in certain matter. Today, news reached the King ears about what Aero had done. It was not what George expected to hear. The mood of the castle is gloomy because the person sitting in that throne is gloomy. Nowadays, it is clear there is no other ruler in Vanheim other than King George. The powerful nobles also could no longer stop the ascent and the control that King George exercised in his realm. By now, those very same nobles that pleaded King George to return to the throne is regretting that fact very much It strengthens the nation and removes the threat but it also diminished their power as royal authority become stronger and stronger and now at this point it has become inviolable. It was like they were rabbits inviting a tiger to chase a fox away only to now be ruled by that tiger instead. Where once the nobles had a say in the governance of the kingdom, nowadays they are just some heads that have no speaking power in the court. Instead the court is dominated with young blood with most of them did not come from the noble''s class and was elected to their position by their abilities and talents instead of bloodlines and heritage. The King sitting on his throne without opening his eyes seems calm but truthfully he is full of rage He was informed by his son yesterday about some problem. Philip problem. Philip has asked for troops to help the attack on Gerad yet Aero just sent food and money supplies. How could the King not felt like he was stabbed in the back? Aero know how important the Vanheim Veranis alliance why would he jeopardizes the alliance with this kind of display? This is his friend, his allies. Where will he put his face if the other Kings hear about this? Philip sent his troops to aid Vanheim when he asked but when Philip asked he didn''t send his troops. How will anyone respect him and trust him if he treats his friend like this? This might even cause the alliance to break. It is because of this alliance between these two nations that they are unhindered and moves without restriction in the Eastern Continent. They are gobbling up the enemies around them while maintaining an alliance that could strike in any places around the Eastern continent. Hearing this news King George wanted to hear the Chancellor explanation. George summoned him into the Palace and conduct a meeting Josh, Andrew and Liam were already in the Throne Room waiting for the Chancellor to arrive since morning. Gloria, Hanson, Amora, and Anton are also here. Duke Bradheim on the other hand has returned to the Iron Land, while Sayle has assumed control in Lantern Night. They are all waiting for the Chancellor to come since the morning and everyone have their thoughts on the matter. Nervous air filled the room. The Chancellor entered into the throne room with the attendants beside him carrying his documents. He is calm and seems unconcerned even with all the piercing glares directed to him. He bowed to the person on the throne and said calmly "Your Grace, I''m here" He said to the King. The King slowly opens his eyes and he look at Aero. His eyes are wavering. It was not anger. It is complicated to describe what George is feeling right now. Out of all the officials in the kingdom, Aero is the one that knows his ambition the most and the one that supported him the most even when he was just a weak King. Aero knows his ambition and his ambition is also Aero ambition. They have always been looking at the same direction and walking on the same path so he could not understand why Aero would do such things. There is a reason why his gaze t Aero is so complicated It''s just that George doesn''t know how to handle these issues. On the one hand Aero has hid this matter from his knowledge on the other hand, Aero has also done many great deeds for the Kingdom. How could he bear to punish his most loyal advisor and one who contributed so much to him and this kingdom? Then as calmly as he could muster he said, "What is the meaning of this Aero?" George said while waving the document. He did not call him Chancellor instead calling him directly with his name. The other minister wanted to rebuke the King but some other minister shakes their head to the other minister. They know that the King and the Chancellor is more than just minister and monarch. They are also close friend and the King saying the Chancellor name directly is like an old friend reprimanding his friend. An attendant came and brought the document to Aero. Aero looked at the document and studied it intensely. ******************************************************************************************* I thought fo doing TGIF mass release but teh form was on Chinese so I just give up. Anyway here is a doubel chapter for today. Or maybe more if I am in agood mood. Please subscrieb and vote for teh stroy if you like it. And hope you enjoy it Chapter 121 ADMITTING FAULT 2 ''You''re dead this time, Aero'' Josh thought in his head as he looks at Aero reading the document This might be his opportunity. If Aero falls in favor from the King maybe, he will have an opportunity to insinuate himself with the King. Who would have thought that Aero would hide such an important document from George? Finished reading the documents Aero did not seem that shocked that his act of hiding the document was discovered by the King "Yes, I''ve known about this" Aero said calmly while handing back the document to the attendant. "SO, why didn''t you tell me about it"?" George said his voice slightly raised. The King got up from his throne and told to the people in the court about how Philip helped in the last war and he said "Shouldn''t we help them in their times of peril?" Hanson, Amora and Anton with the King starting to rebuke the Chancellor all spoke in favor of rushing military aid to their ally. They spoke of past deeds and virtues of honor while Aero only listen to their words like water being poured onto a yam plant. All of it falls down to deaf ears Even Josh also agreed and give his own arguments. Some of the ministers however decided to be neutral only speak when they are spoken to. Aero might be rebuked and seems to have a downturn but the wise ministers and those who knows the Chancellor all know that one mistake will not shake the foundation of power the Chancellor has created. He is too well connected and he dips his hand on everything that to remove him from his position without consideration would create chaos. The King might have demoted him today, and promote him back the next day. And some of the minister knows about this rise and fall in the court and how unpredictable the fates of a courtier and they do not want to be the one on the receiving end when the Chancellor rises up again¡­. if he even falls today These kind of minister is a minister that knows how to read the room and at the same time knows that the King thoughts. They all were more optimistic of the Chancellor fate compared to Josh faction who truly wanted to bury the Chancellor or at least banish him for a while from the court. As long as the Chancellor exist in the Court of Vanheim it is like a rock holding them. Even Prince James prestige could not contend with the Chancellor. One might even believe that if the Chancellor spoke one word about the succession matter to the King then all hell will break loose in the court. As the debate raged in the throne room, some of the wise minister offer their opinion when asked but will not give any more or join in the crucifixion that some political factions in the courts wanted. For some of the upstart politician they would feel good taking down Aero but some minister knows that taking Aero down at this point would create an instability and a power vacuum. The chancellor title might be created for Aero but that doesn''t mean the position could easily be abolished. Especially not after the effectiveness of ruling the government through the use of Chancellor has been proven. With it the King could focus on other matters and the Chancellor would help and even advise the King and the Chancellor is also representative of the existing political faction thoughts and opinion in the court and convey their voice to the King. Even if Aero was removed from his position as the Chancellor, the scholars, the minister would not agree if the King wanted to abolish the title. Aero just watched as the courtiers spoke in admonishing him. Aero almost wanted to laugh. He knows George the best. Some of them even worried that the King would remove him. But Aero was not worried at all. He might be giving him a stern warning and trying to lecture him but the King would never replace him.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. It is not because of his feeling but because while the King look like an amiable man, George is not really a trusting man. There is a reason why many of the highest position in the kingdom is populated with the people who follow him in his exile. Because that is the only people he trusted and he would not risk to appoint someone he did not trust into the highest position in the land just below him. Aero hold up his hand and suddenly the bickering stops when they realized the Chancellor raised up his hand. He is still smiling and calm while the entire room seems abuzz for no reason. "Shouldn''t you at least hear my explanation first, Your Majesty?" The room quieted. How will he get out from this? Josh was thinking of this matter as he retreated to his standing spot "Your Majesty should know I didn''t make my decision lightly. Have none of you thought why Gerad still doesn''t fall even after this long? After all the attack Greater Veranis throws at them, they are still standing firmly. Anyone?" No one spoke a word. Instead they look at each other, like the answer is written in each other faces. Aero hold up his desire to laugh "Prince Alexander Veran conquered Tian Dynasty in such short time, but Gerad which is smaller than Tian Dynasty has hold out this long. Why is this?" He asked again daring anyone to answer. King George sat back down on his throne chair as he clams himself down and he began thinking True, why does it take so long? He thought to himself. "Why then?" George asked Aero, now his tone is calmer. Aero bowed and then he explains "There is only one explanation. Niovar is supplying them with food, money and troops. That is the only logical explanation. After all, if Gerad falls wouldn''t Niovar be even in more precarious position than ever? They have been supplying the Gerad Stratocracy since the beginning." Aero has already read the reports of his spies and scouts. After getting that private army from Thornleaf he has converted about two hundred of the one thousand troops to scouts and spies. The ministers gasped. This means Niovar has actually started to move. Two giants of the Eastern content have moved. Vanheim and Niovar battle¡­.is this the prelude? Josh hearing this matter frowned. He did not know about this. If Aero knows his thoughts he would have laughed. Of course he doesn''t know. Instead of looking at the big picture, Josh muddle himself in the dirty politics of the court. While that would make him get ahead of others, he would not be able to inspire mysteriousness and power like Aero does. It is only by looking at the big picture that Aero could plans his moves perfectly and flawlessly. If King George is a fatuous King, he would have liked people like Josh and the people who wanted to ingratiate themselves with him. But King George have high ambition, a grand cause to accomplished and he is clearly not a fatuous King so such moves and mudslinging would not work that well in his court. To approach someone, one first need to know who the person is. "So, what should we do now?" The King asks. "To intervene between two warring armies is like trying to divert a tidal wave by standing in its path. It would be better to wait until both armies have worn themselves out." Aero said wisely. Some of the minister nodded. What Aero said is right. Anyone with experience in warfare could tell you that. ''What do you mean by that, Chancellor?'' Josh asked. Aero looked at the young man and knows that Josh is a player. He sighed and only said this words ''Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao'' Josh hearing this finally understand and put his head down and said nothing as he retreated back He mutters under his breath ''Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao'' ******************************************************************************* Ok, I next chapter will be released tomorrow. Hope you like the story and please vote for the story Chapter 122 ADMITTING FAULT 3 Then Aero look back at the King and continued speaking, explaining why he didn''t tell George.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting. "That is why I didn''t present this news to Your Majesty. I was waiting for the right time. If only you have waited, Your Majesty I would present this matter to you and at the same time I would even lead the armies if you so desire. I am not someone that would abandon a friend in time of need and so does Vanheim will not. But if we send army right now we would not help Veranis at all. Instead it would give chance for Gerad to launch an invasion or at least an exploratory team into Vanheim lands. We might be able to defend but the great cause will be delayed Your Majesty. We need to move bravely¡­but at the same time cautiously. Just because we are nots ending troops right now, doesn''t mean we will not. Is Greater Veranis is that weak? We will send soldiers and we will help Greater Veranis. Only not now. It is fine to fight for our friends. But if our own citizens are neglected then I need to ask the ministers here¡­. whether they are the ministers of Vanheim or the ministers of Veranis?'' Aero said admonishing George and at the same time the entire people who reprimanded him earlier. King George was sitting uncomfortably in his throne. He sighed and then he said "Forgive me, Chancellor" The King said before the entire throne room quieted. Everyone in the court knows the King treated the Chancellor like his own teacher but that is in private. In public however Aero and George both acted like King and subordinate. A King should never defer his thought and look so subservient to his own subordinates. It would lead on people to think dark thoughts The ministers gasped and one of them immediately said to the King "It is unbecoming of a King to apologize" a minister said to the King and bowed to the King, the minister face looks at the ground, not daring to look at the King face as he tried to make the King to take back his words. King George was red in embarrassment. And that embarrassment began turning into rage. This is not good, Aero thought. What if he kept today incident in his heart and later punishes me? Maybe he himself would not want to punish him but the pressure of the minister might cause him to have no choice but to punish him Quickly Aero determines to diffuse the situations. He then said, his voice overshadowed all the other and it echoes inside the room ''A country is governed well because it has a wise leader. A country is in ruin because it has a foolish leader. A wise leader will listen and gauge opinions from all sides, but a foolish leader will only listen to opinions that echo his own mind. So if a leader is broad-minded and able to accept suggestions from all parties, his sagacity will increase day by day. On the contrary, if he insists on listening to the one-sided, sly, and fawning remarks, his foolishness will also increase day by day'' Aero then look towards the minister present in the throne room and said ''If a King made mistake, we as ministers must help to correct him. Do not appear agreeable in front of Your Majesty but stir up bad thoughts behind his back. Effective medicine is bitter but it can cure sickness. Truthful words are not enticing but they can help people to correct their mistakes'' Then Aero look back at the King and said ''The faults of a superior person are analogous to the eclipses of the sun and the moon. When he is at fault, everyone can see his faults clearly. But when he corrects his faults, everyone will look up to him with respect. Woe to a King who never apologized when he has done wrong'' Then with a sigh Aero look to the entire room, his gaze rested on everyone for at least a moment before he said ''There are two things that individuals will find difficult to achieve in life¡ªOne is a willingness to accept and correct their own faults; another is the wisdom to know when to point out and correct the faults of others. The most serious blunder we can make is in knowing we have failings and yet we refuse to correct them until such failings harm and cost our life'' And Aero bowed reverently toward the King. His word is not only to extricate the King from his awkward words but also to remind the minister in the court. The entire room quieted. All the other minister hearing what the Chancellor said felt ashamed of themselves and instead believes what the Chancellor is saying. Apologizing is not an act of humiliation instead it is an act of a wise and superior person of learning. It is easy to deflect mistake but a sage King would accept remonstration and apologizes when they make a mistake. The other minister also bowed reverently towards the King. Josh who wanted to say more also had no other way and follow the mass bowing. Aero who is bowing in the center of room is looking at the ground but on his face there is a smirk ************************************************************************* More of a lecture to the King this time. Anyway, this is it for today. It is a little short. I am preparing another mass release on the end of the month if my body dont break down first with two novels I am writing. Chapter 123 GOAT AND CHICKEN 1 The King seems overjoyed with the praise. His red face began turning to normal and he smiles and said ''Raise your head'' Aero raises his face first and the other minister followed. The one task on writing the King history quickly writes this in his notes. The tension in the room dissipated. "That is done" he announced then he continued. "When would you think the opportune moment would come?" George asked Aero. "This humble servant has many reports coming in from the scouts. Maybe a week or two the time will be ripe for attacking Your Majesty but nothing is certain as of now" Aero knew what is happening in Niovar right now. They have mustered many of their own troops in the Gerad Stratocracy and lie waiting there. So most of Niovar troops are actually in Gerad fighting with Alexander stalling them and hoping for Vanheim to enter the fray. Fortunately, Alexander is talented in warfare. It also helps that many players in Greater Veranis has also joined the war. From what Aero heard about seven hundred thousand troops is engaging in battle in Gerad. That is a large number. This would be an arduous battle for Greater Veranis. But there is no reason to deplete our military strength just to help Greater Veranis right now. For now, they have to endure. Help will come. It will only come a little late. And even if Alexander loses, it''s not like Gerad would pursue the troops to Greater Veranis, considering that Niovar will not take the risk of overextending themselves. So in other words it''s not Gerad that Alexander is fighting, it''s Niovar. Niovar contributed about four hundred thousand soldiers to Gerad to repel Alexander invasion. That still leaves many troops in the Niovar capital. George was satisfied with Aero explanation. The other ministers were also nodding and speak no more about trying to take down the Chancellor. They are also wise enough to retract back their statement. It also helped that Aero glared at them like he wanted to choke them to their death. After a while, George disbanded the Court meeting.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Everyone exited. Except Aero who was standing there in the middle of the room. George was just about to rise from his throne when he realized Aero is still in the room. "Aero, why are you still here?" "Your Majesty, I wanted a favor from you.'' ''Speak it'' the King said. Now that no one is here they talked a little bit casually ''I want to bring some soldiers to guard me" Tting In order to buy soldiers, you will use up your contribution. Are you sure? Yes/ No Aero press yes. Then a new menu popped out. Weak soldier Level 1-60- Contribution Point 10 Normal soldier Level 60-160- Contribution Point 100 Extraordinary soldier Level 160-200- Contribution Point 1000 Elite soldier Level 200-280- Contribution Point 5000 Veteran Soldier 280-350- Contribution Point 15000 Aero intend to create his own private army that is completely loyal to him Who knows if my position in court is unfavorable I might have to resort to rebellion. Though this is just for extreme measures. Because he knows it is not George that wanted to harm him. Aero could see a dark hand guiding today events. He felt chilled when he deduces the one who is targeting him. Aero is not worried about the King; He is worried about the next King that would surely come along. First he buys 2 elite soldiers. Kaching! The noise does not seem pleasant to Aero ears. 30500 It then suddenly decrease 20500 Then Aero buy twenty Extraordinary soldiers and five normal soldiers. Now his contribution point is zero but that is not too worrying. As the Chancellor he will surely get many missions that involves the Kingdom and surely he can rack up contribution points during that time. First he got the normal soldiers under Thornleaf that amounts to one thousand troops. Now he bought twenty-seven more. So right now his private soldiers are one thousand and twenty-seven troops. The one thousand NPCs troops he got from Thornleaf are weak. Most of them are level 10 and need more training. Aero had to send them training on some low level dungeon and helping the novice and newbie player along the way. Aero hope that by using those elite troops he can use them to train the other one thousand troops. Then Aero opened his skill window. Recruit [6] Advanced Enables you to recruit NPCs. This ability enables you to convert NPCs that is recruited by you to become Spy, Scout, Tracker, Healer and Bard. More job option will be unlocked when proficiency increase. + 10 points to CHM + Unique skill for your class This has risen by leaps and bound after he convert many of his private soldiers to spy and Scout. Disguise [7] Advanced Can disguise yourself to be monster and d NPCs. As the proficiency increase you can learn to disguise to other thing. Can also disguise to be a shadow. Learn Stealth. Learn Shadow Step. Restriction: Must defeat the monster that you want to disguise. Helps if you can focus the feature of the thing you want to disguise. Shadow Step makes Aero footstep hard to detect and his presence also become harder to detect. It is a passive skill that is activated every time Aero use stealth. Taunt [1] Master Active skill. This skill helps you to attract monster and people to attack you. While the enemies are affected by this, their defense will decrease by 55%. Last for 35 minutes. Stronger enemies may not be affected. Mana consumption: 90 + Can confuse monsters and NPCs + Attacks become slower by 25% + Morale of enemies will drop by 25% + Defense of enemies decrease by 35% Because of the frequent use in his battles finally Aero have reached Master proficiency in taunting. Ok, that sounded wrong. He thought to himself in his mind. There is a reason why he bought two elite soldiers. He wants the two Elite soldiers to assume command as a 500-man unit. Aero is also worrying about something else. His level. But using this troop to fight for him in dungeon will enable him to rack up level. Why? Because of this. Demonic Devil Energy Drain [1] Master The consumption of mana decreases. Can drain life force of monsters and people. You can also receive about 55% of your soldier''s experience. Enables you to also drain mana by 40% of enemy''s mana. Can also receive soldiers experience even though you''re not there with them in the battle. Restriction: Must however have your own private army and it must be by your order that they fight. No wonder, Lizhu was so strong. If this is one of his technique, then no wonder no one ever beat him. Not that he needs to become any stronger. After all Aero vitality has already reached max. So does his strength. But not his mana. And there is a lot of Secret Art of Lizhu Gerard he did not learn. That much is obvious after he poured his time in researching about the Secret Art. Lizhu Gerard is one of a kind genius in this world The Royal Library is accessible to him, now that he is Chancellor. Then after the transaction is done, he is introduced to two of Elite soldier called Alexius and Justinian. They followed him to his residence. ************************************************************************ Today there will be a mass release because it has been a long time since I posted anything. If you like it please support me here or at pat......reon. It has something different from here and you cna join my discord to know the release schedule and nay emergecy announcement. Anyway, hope to see you in the comment. And pelase vote for teh story if you like it. Gifts is appreciated Chapter 124 GOAT AND CHICKEN 2 Recently Aero also used his authority to order the construction of a castle for him. It is mostly to store his supplies and hide his private army. Usually to construct a castle you should need at least nine hundred thousand gold for construction and material alone. That is of course not including other expenses. Of course if Aero used his money he would still be able to do such feat. But it would leave him almost penniless. That''s why many players who are rich would rather live in a big house or a manor than wasting their money constructing a castle. But Aero on the other hand did not use his money. He uses the Kingdom money to construct it. Of course he had taken the precaution of changing the ledger so that his transaction is not detected. SO, he didn''t even use even a coin of his gold. When George asked of course he answered in a way that pleased the King. He cited the importance of himself having a castle so that he could protect himself from many assassins that wished to kill him. The story of his assassination no, repeated attempted assassination has spread in the castle wall. That is a blessing in disguise actually. Hearing about his life in danger, George without hesitation gave him the permission to construct the castle using the Kingdom treasury Thanks, Tatiana. Aero used to think that each time he saw her in his mansion After the debacle in the court he returned to his office. Then without even time to rest the documents, parchments, letters reached his desk. He must be the only players in this game that have to come to work like someone working on an office job. He sometimes even wonders if they are other people that have work like he does as a player. As he reads the report on his desk he notices one particular news. One of the important thing that would happen tomorrow is the return of Prince Edward to the Royal Capital with his new bride. Aero knows that he need to prepare for the return with glamorous feast and decorations that will awe the people and make people happy After all a joyous event need to be celebrated and this would strengthen the relationship between Duvar and Vanheim He also got a message from Michael that he will arrive in Vanheim soon. Aero could not wait to see his friend Aero also made some preparations for him so that his friend could settle in Vanheim without worry. As the Chancellor he has quite the influence and power in Vanhiem so it will not be hard for him to help his friend. Aero have told Mike about his appointment as one of the people in the Council of Builders and one of his tasks is constructing his castle. Aero wanted to fill the Eight Council with people he trusts and people he could count on. Today event strengthen his resolve to make some preparations Other than that Countess Raina and Marquis Dan will also come to Royal Capital tomorrow. It seems tomorrow will be a day of reunion. Aero smiled. ''It''s been a long time since I saw Raina. Is she doing fine?'' Aero smiles as he thinks of these people. From what Aero heard she is having a blast feasting with her soldiers in her estate. He sits there on his chair reminiscing all this and then he sighed. Aero dove back to the mountains of documents, anticipating is what going to happen tomorrow with the reports while also be at the ready with Tatiana second attempt towards his life today. This time he smiled again. He found it quite interesting that the little cat is still not giving up even after he foiled so many of her assassination attempt. That evening he went back to his residence. This time he was not ambushed by Tatiana again. Aero was not surprised. Any capable person would rarely use the same trick twice. And not to mention Aero already used the raven eyes to determine she is not hiding outside. Then Aero thought to himself. So how will she try to kill me today? He waited until dinner as he dines like usual yet no assassination attempt came for him. Tatiana was just walking around the castle minding her own business like she had no thought of killing him So, Aero prepared himself for dinner and do not try to guess his assassin feeling Like always the dishes is prepared with absolute perfection. There is the lamb, the honeyed chicken, the red wine that gives a little sweet sour taste, the soy sauce that is the perfect balance of sweet and salty. Aero of course, like usual invites Tatiana to eat with him He thought Tatiana would reject like always, but this time she said she will join him for dinner. Aero narrowed his eyes. He felt like something is quite strange but he let that suspicion pass. This time she does not object to having dinner with him so strongly like before. During dinner, she would ask him what is happening outside the walls of this mansion. So, of course the gentleman he is Aero tell her of the current events while at the same time being cautious. Who knows if she suddenly decides to throw a knife toward him or an attack in the middle of him slurping some soup? Then they talked about normal things. If the servants could hear them talking, they would have think that Tatiana and Aero are friends. No one would think that she is trying in her earnest to kill the Chancellor. Then after the pleasant conversation Aero began eating. Aero today start his menu with the honeyed chicken and the watermelon juice. Aero like watermelon juice the most. He wonders why the food in Brave World felt so real. He even felt like sometime when he returns back to the real world after eating, that he felt like he is feeling full. Then suddenly she is looking at him when he is eating. Aero of course noticed she is watching him when he is trying to slurp the goat soup. Why? Aero thought to himself. He then tasted the soup. ''Wait, this feels a little weird'' Aero quickly notices something is wrong with the soup. It felt rotten. Then suddenly a window popped up -Because of the Curse of the Styx, the poison has been neutralized. - ''Poison?'' Poison? Aero repeated in his mind. ''Did my cook try to poison me?'' Aero thought to himself as he tries to deduce who the culprit is. ''No, No. That is not logical. She has no grudge towards me'' Aero thinks again Then suddenly Aero realized that Tatiana is grinning. So, it''s you! Aero thought internally and all the pieces fall into places. So, you thought you could kill me with poison? Aero smirk as he thought of this in his mind. Fine, I''ll prove you wrong. Aero then took a bowl of the soup and gulped it down in front of Tatiana. Her grin slowly turned livid as she saw that Aero is fine. Her expression is becoming pale. I guess this is not what she expected. Aero mused as he look at the dumbfounded expression on Tatiana face. Then suddenly she rose up from her chair. "Why aren''t you dead?" She asked, like it was the most normal question one would ask someone that they have dinner with. The confusion clearly could be seen from her face.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Aero was contemplating what to say. "I guess" he paused for a while savoring the moment then he said mockingly "dumb luck" and he grinned towards Tatiana. "Hmph" she snorted. "I''m done" she said curtly and then she stormed off from the dining room. Hah, one day and one try remain Aero thought to himself as he chuckles alone inside the kitchen ************************************************************ Second part of the mass release. Hope you like it Chapter 125 THE TRAGEDY 1 Vanheim is in a festive mood today unlike any other day. People of all background lined up the streets of the Capital, craning their neck Why? Because today, the royal couple is coming home. After getting the blessing from her father, Princess Helena and Prince Edward began their journey back to Vanheim. They would arrive any day now. Preparation is already underway for them to celebrate their union and at the same time the strengthening of relationship between Vanheim and Duvar. King George is already eagerly waiting in the Palace to meet her daughter in-law. The Kingdom is filled with festive mood. Everywhere you could see people preparing for the celebration, stalls opened selling candies and fried food and people selling their wares The reason why the mood is festive is not only because there is a royal couple is coming home, it is also because their prince marries the most beautiful woman in the world.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. The famed Princess Helena of Duvar Of course they will celebrate this joyous occasion. Their country is already powerful and now the added prestige of marrying one of the oldest bloodline of royalty since time immemorial is an occasion that needs to be celebrated. Everyone get out of their houses to see for themselves the rumor of the famed Helena. The most beautiful woman in the Continent, blessed by the Goddess of Love, Aphrodite¡­that is what is said about Princess Helena. The palace is already decorated with beautiful paintings and works of art that is brought out form the archive and the servants are all busy decorating the entire Palace. The reason why the servants is decorating the Palace with beautiful and priceless painting is because it is known that Helena is an ardent patron of art in her Kingdom. In the corner of the palace dedicated for the works of art you could see someone enthusiastically painting. A young artist is sitting by the table, and ready to paint a picture of the Royal couple. For now, he is painting the scenery outside the Palace. His gig as a painter has landed the painter the opportunity to meet both Princess Helena and Prince Edward. This is a famous person Aero hired, a player named Leonardo. Well with a name like that no wonder he chose painter as his class. I guess in real life he is an avid fan of Leonardo Da Vinci. Aero thought to himself. He even carries himself like the famous painter. The painter meal is untouched, and he is completely absorbed by his work. By now he has several paintings he has already painted each one with a different motif from the other. Aero sighed and could not understand the obsession that guy have with paintings. Aero walk away as he is leading the workers to decorate the palace. This is his task for today. He is to make sure that the celebration for the couple run smoothly and nothing bad would happen like an assassination attempt or people objecting to the wedding or something along that line. It is not an absurd thoughts considering there were many powerful people that wanted Princess Helena hand. It would not be surprising at all if some of them hold a grudge for not winning Princess Helena hand Aero is tasked with making sure the celebration runs smoothly. He was not ordered by the King but he volunteered. To be honest, it is not because he wanted to see the celebration. He has more pressing issue to address. There is a hidden current inside the court that is targeting him Instead of Helena he wants to know more about Prince Edward. Aero believes that it is Prince James that hired the Blood Brotherhood. Or at least participated in the helping for the Blood Brotherhood to enter the country. While he is not entirely sure of the involvement of Prince James in the whole sordid affair, Aero knows that it was Prince James that is trying to oust him from the court. For what reason? That is also a question by itself. Of course he still doesn''t have any proof but right now he is the most probable suspect. And Aero also hates it when Prince James always find fault in his plans. He could not admonish James openly of course. He is the Chancellor but still James is next on the line of the throne. So he uses this celebration as a pretext to see whether Prince Edward can be his ally. For some reason, Prince James fills him with unease. After all, after this celebration ends Prince James will also work in the castle assisting his father. Aero could not help but feel that prince James is about to do something big. So, right now Aero is preparing many things in advance. The decoration in the ceiling, the arrangement of the seats, the dishes that had to be served and many other varieties of things to consider. ''I''m busier than ever. Who would have thought planning a celebration take this much energy of mine?'' Aero thought to himself. Marquis Dan can be seen consoling the workers that dropped her plate a little while ago and reprimanded harshly by Aero. Dan returned to the Capital first after being ordered back by Prince Edward. Aero met Dan when he just went out from the Underworld at that time. However, at that time Dan was in Duvar helping prince Edward to win the hand of the Princess. Of course when he got back he got reprimanded harshly by me, especially about that Parliament thing. Aero just don''t understand how he works or thinks. As Aero is walking suddenly with the sound of another plate breaking, something seems to be afoot. Then suddenly the festive atmosphere is broken. Everyone heard it. Aero look toward the distance as he heard a shrieking scream. ''What now?'' Aero said. He rushed his feet as he went outside. He tries to find out what the commotion is all about Passing the servants and the maids, Aero forehead frowned when he saw the scene. On the front gate there is a man The man is on horseback, dripping with blood and a few arrows is stuck on his back. The man looks like he is about to breathe his last ''What the fuck happens?'' Aero thought to himself as he jumps out from the crowd and rushed to the person quickly. ''Who is this person?'' Aero thought to himself looking at the crowd, hoping someone would identify him Dan who come a little bit late is also watching the scene and then quickly a look of realization came to him. He quickly rushed through the crowd pushing anyone in the way. "Hurry, it''s Prince Edward. HURRY! CALL THE ROYAL PHYSICIAN!" he screamed and there is exasperation and anxiousness in his voice while urging the nearby workers to help him call the Physician. Prince Edward? Aero quickly looked left and right. Because he notices something is wrong with this scene. ''If this is Prince Edward where is Helena? After all they are husband and wife.'' Aero thought to himself. "Helena, Helena" Prince Edward said weakly. Aero lean toward Prince Edward and heard his voice. "Where is she? " Aero asked. If Helena is dead, then George path to the Holy Land may be much harder for him. Not to mention Vanheim will also get the blame. Prince Edward whispered something to Aero. Aero nodded and whispered something back. Then he looked toward the crowd of workers and servants and yelled "Bring me the fastest horse in the stable. Quickly" Aero yelled but his voice is calm and confident The stable boy heard Aero order and quickly bring the hose to the front of the gate while Dan is trying to carry the Prince and is giving the Prince some potions. Aero tried to get up to ride the horse. Dan stopped Aero just right at the moment when Aero sir tying to ride the horse. "What are you doing right now Aero?" "I''m going to save Princess Helena" Dan widened his eyes and then he looks toward Edward and he finally understand. He knows that Edward must have told Aero about the location of Helena. He sighed and then said "Alone? That''s crazy. You don''t know how many enemies there will be" Dan said, worried. Aero only smiles and said "It''s fine" But Dan shakes his head and said "Wait for reinforcement Aero." Dan insisted "By then it will be too late" Quickly Aero pushed Dan and rode outside the Palace with the horse, looking extremely valiant. "WAIT!" Dan screamed. Seeing that Aero has already rushed outside the palace, Dan has no other choice but to be the one who will break the story to George. ****************************************************************************** Third chapter of the mass release. Prepared to be meeting a new characte Chapter 126 THE TRAGEDY 2 From what Aero gathered the place is not that far from here. From what the Prince told him, they were ambushed at Erdanis forest. They must have decided to go there to greet Dan not knowing Dan returned to the Capital City. I know Prince Edward is good friends with Dan so probably that is what happened. Then in the forest they were ambushed. That is my guess. By whom? Who would dare attack a Royal Couple and risking anger of the combined force of Duvar and Vanheim? Everyone knows that King Vrandeus of Duvar dotes on his daughter. And everyone knows that the Vanheim King is treating this marriage as the marriage of the century Even if they do not fear Duvar retaliation will they not fear the retaliation of Vanheim? Who would be that stupid? Aero sighed. This could turn into an international incident if not handled well. Aero knows his history. And he knows how this kind of event could affect history. Assassination and kidnappings of royals could incite a war. In fact, Aero fears a World War would happen in this world because of this matter. It might seem like a simple matter but war sometimes is started because of simple matter. After all, in World War One it is because of the assassination of Duke Franz Ferdinand that prompted the World War and the loss of Germany and the Treaty of Versailles become the seed of the World War II. Aero is riding the horse without stopping but he was not anxious. It is better to enter into an unknown situation calmly instead of being anxious. This must be handled well. Aero thought to himself Vanheim could not afford to go to another war right now. It might seem like powerful but overtaxing the treasury and the army would delay the Great Cause. Aero only stopped riding to feed the horse and give it a drink. For three days he did this until finally he arrived at Erdanis forest. Of course he sometimes logged off but the impending feeling of disaster causes him to take only slight nap before entering the game back. He tied the horse to one of the trees and there is a regret on his face. ''By now surely the Princess is dead'' Aero said to himself ''But at least I should find her corpse. That way, I can at least give some excuse to the King of Duvar or blame someone else'' He camped in the forest that night. He was looking at the moon when he suddenly thought of Amy again. Where is she? Dan doesn''t know where she is. So does Raina. That is quite weird. She left him with a kiss and stir his heart and then disappeared. So Aero told them to check on Amy in real life considering that they are friends in real life. But Dan said she is being secretive. Then there is Sarah. Aero heard from the rumors she is going around the kingdom while forming a Druid Squad. They usually help the Builders in their construction project and pay handsomely for their contributions. ''Yeah, when you think about it their abilities complement nicely with a Builder type player'' Aero mused They raise wood or earth then the Builder can easily construct thing with the risen terrain. Aero even started thinking to invite Sarah to the court to help him form a more stable power base in the court. And then there is Tatiana Aero is also thinking about Tatiana and what to do with her. He has been gone for a few days now. Would she already have been gone from his mansion or is she still waiting? Or is she really like what she said? An honest killer? She insisted that she has this code. Once she gives her word she would stick to it. Aero would like very much Tatiana to be the Head of his own assassin squad. Aero knows what Tatiana is thinking. She fears that he would kill her. On the other hand, Aero fear she would run away. ''Now, I''m not there, who can stop her from running away?'' Aero sighed as he thinks of this. He is just hoping that Tatiana is true to her own code. She might not be as strong as Aero, but Aero knows she is more agile than he is. If not for the protection of the Styx, he would already die two times in her hands. Surprise attack, poison, that girl always surprises me. Aero was entertaining this thought when he heard rushing footsteps. Aero ears perked up and he stands at the ready. Someone is running here, Aero thought. He waves his hand and the fire he just started went out as the wind generated from his waving arms are stronger and snuff out the fire. He looked to the direction of the sound. Coming out a bush is a woman. And Aero felt a little shocked and embarrassed when he is looking at that woman.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Out of the bush is a half-naked woman with a shining blade who is running towards him. If Aero does not know where he is he might have thought, he has transported in some kind of porn fantasy land. And the woman...She looked fierce. And she doesn''t look like she going to stop. Oi, you''re going to run to me, Aero mused. Their eyes locked. Oh, wait is she pointing that knife towards me? Aero confirmed it again and he nodded to his assessment. Oh, yeah she did. And then without surprise she stabbed him. Aero only thought at the time is only this. ''Cold blooded girl. She didn''t even bother to ask me to move away'' Aero is fine and he only sighed. He was betting on his vulnerability to save him but then suddenly he felt a searing hot pain. ''Wait, what is this?'' Aero looked at the blood in his hands. ''Blood?'' Aero slowly fell to the ground and as he was about to fall he could see what she is about to do. She is about to stab him again. Aero eyes become focused. ''Fuck this. This time I will not let her just stab me'' Aero thought and his hand moves. He pushed her with his strength and because of his overwhelming strength she flew to the nearest tree. As she was flung to the tree, Aero look back at himself. He is bleeding as droplets of blood si dripping down from his wound Now that is a sensation he didn''t quite feel for a long time Aero put his hand on his wound and press it to his wound. But then Aero also felt something else. It felt like something is wriggling under his skin as his wound began closing up by itself. Aero smirks. And he had another thought. ''I guess if I''m not attacked at the ankle I really would not die. But, how could that knife wound me?'' Then Aero noticed something. A necklace on the neck of that half naked woman That''s Vanheim symbol. And understanding dawn on Aero mind. "Princess Helena?" The woman is just about to get up and once again tries to stab him but this time hearing her name made her stop for a beat. ******************************************************************************** Hope you enjoy it and please vote for the story if you like it Chapter 127 THE TRAGEDY 3 The words made her hesitate to attack him. She is beginning to regain her composure after getting up. There is many small wound and scratches all over her body. "Who are you?" she said while still holding the knife tightly. Her eyes were scanning Aero. Trying to decide whether he is an enemy or an ally. Aero shakes his head and could not help but laugh at the situations he is in right now. She must be the famed Helena. Aero understood why people called her the most beautiful woman. Even when her body is painted with blood and mud is in her face she still looks beautiful. Even her fierce blue eyes look beautiful, her silky blonde hair waving around because of the wind look like some kind of heavenly silk, and her pale white complexion that only accentuates her beauty The most beautiful woman. I guess that is an apt description. Aero mused Then Aero began introducing himself. "I''m Aero, Chancellor of Vanheim. I came to rescue you. I thought you were already dead" Aero said honestly. She rolled her eyes. "Do I look like I''m dead?" she said her tone commanding. Even when half naked she could still stand there and act arrogant. This woman is something. "No, you most certainly are not" Aero replied calmly "And I don''t need your rescuing" she said puffing her chest. "Of course not¡­.Your Highness" She is a bit haughty. Then suddenly an arrow string sound could be heard. At least for Aero. Aero realizes that when he is in an intense situation some of his senses can perceive things better than anyone. Probably because of the Curse. And he guess this is one of the times. Quickly Aero blocked the arrow using his body and shielded it from Helena. "What are you---" Aero spun her around to his chest so he could shield her from the barrage of arrows and she is buried on his chest The arrows hit his body and the sound of metal clanging and the sound of things breaking could be heard The arrow was broken into three parts like it ricocheted of something very powerful. Finally, Helena who is smelling Aero chest realized what is happening. And she also realized what Aero had done for her. She gulped and then realized the situation she is in. Her cheek is red with embarrassment. It''s the first time she''s being hugged by other man other than her family. Even Prince Edward did not touch her along the way. Helena have always complained secretly in her heart about Prince Edward even as she was escorted to Vanheim. To her, that man is a spineless bastard. Truth be told, she did not want to marry him at all. After all it is her father decision and nor hers. Prince Edward have tried many times to touch her but she told him not to touch her until she reaches Vanheim Capital. To other people eyes it will look like Aero is giving her a passionate hug. The horse who was beside them heard the sound of the arrows, whinnied in fear and tried to run away. Aero was just about to ride it with Helena when one of the archers in hiding realizing that the horse is the way they can get out of the forest immediately change their target to the horse. Aero saw that Helena is about to jump towards the horse and hearing the sound of arrow whooshing through the air, immediately pull her back into his embrace. The sound of the arrow rips the air as it struck the horse. The horse is dead on the spot after being struck by twenty arrows. It looked like the horse is some archery practice target Aero look at the surrounding with a smirk on his face.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. ''Well, they sure are enthusiastic''. Aero mused. Then Aero remember that he was with Helena. While he might be invincible, this woman is not. One wrong moves, and this woman might get shot in the head and die without knowing who the killer is. Quickly Aero held Helena hand and ran for cover behind the trees. Aero did not notice it but Helena face blushed even more. "We need to run" Aero said to Helena. But the first question that comes out of Helena mouth is. "How come you''re alright?" said Helena curiously. She saw that he was being shot by hundreds of arrows as he runs through the woods yet none of it hurt him. But she was sure of his flesh injury, when she stabbed him earlier. "Does it matter?" he responded shortly while running around the bush. "Hurry, we have no time to waste." He yelled offering his hand. She took it and Aero jumped upwards as he punched one of the archer that is in front of him, hiding on top of one of the tall trees. That archer head exploded like watermelons being smashed by a hammer. Helena did not close her eyes. There is only determination in her eyes. She is Helena, the sister of Pollux and Castor. They quickly run while the other archers in hiding are trying to pinpoint their position. It was already night so it was hard for them to get a clear shot. But that is not the only reason why they kept surviving. She is on Aero embrace as Aero practically hug her and brought her away while running and jumping all at the same time. But Helena noticed that every time an arrow hit Aero body it is either broken or bounced off of him. Helena look at Aero with shining eyes. Who is he? What is he? Curiosity filled her. With the moonlight shining their way, they ran into the darkness of night. ****************************************************************************** The appearance of Princess Helena. Anyway hope you like the story. Chapter 128 SCHEME SUMMER DREAM CASTLE MEANWHILE ON VANHEIM While Aero and Helena is running through the forest dodging assassins, archers and other dark forces, another event is happening in the Summer Dream Castle. Summer Dream Castel was meant to be a relaxing castle for the King to spend when summer came. But today, because of the emergency matter, the ministers and the officials of the court all came here to discuss the issue. The atmosphere of the make shift court is tense. The King sitting in his throne is closing his eyes and frowning. He felt his head pulsing with anxiety and anxiousness. But he does not show his worries externally. He is thinking. A young, tall valiant man stepped out into the forefront of the court, bowed and then raise his head up and said "Royal Father, this is clearly a declaration of a war. This is provocation and a warning" he said first to the King and then he addresses the court with the same sentiment But the King still did not say anything and his eyes is still closed. Prince James look at his father and there is some anger in his eyes but he quickly hides it Duke Bradheim notices it but he just shakes his head. The misunderstanding between this pair of father and son is deep. Then Prince James spoke. "Royal Father, little brother has told us he was being attacked by a group of people wearing Niovar uniforms. This is clearly an offensive action towards our country" Duke Bradheim nodded as a gesture of agreement Gruk is also here in the court and he look at the minster and officers, his eyes seem to analyze these people. In the Orc Lands, the one who rules is the most powerful and the most influential. There is no kind of intrigue in their courts. Only the loyalty towards the strong. Hearing the news quickly Bradheim who was in Iron Lands and Gruk who was also there rushed to the Castle. Gruk has pacified the region of the Orcs in Nairhell. The other tribes in Nairhell is usually affiliated with him and do not want to anger him considering his territory is prosperous and has many supplies from Vanheim. It also helps he has powerful military presence. It is also because of Duke Bradheim that Gruk could pacify the region. Hearing that Vanheim has a crisis, Gruk quickly offered his help. Nairhell and Vanheim now is on the same boat. Vanheim King does not meddle in their region and gives them autonomy to rule and will forget past grievance as long as the Orcs respected the treaty and agreement between them The reason why the court is so jittery and it is so tense today is none other than because of the event happening early in the day Prince Edward has been attacked by Niovar agents. But not all ae eager to fight Niovar. One minister comes out form the fray and present his suggestion to the King "How about we send emissaries to confirm this story?'' Josh offered to the King. King George is sitting on his throne opens his eyes but he wearing an expression of weariness. Gloria shook her head. "Niovar will continue to be a threat. In the end we have to face them eventually," Sayle, Anton and Hanson all nodded their heads in agreement. "Is this what it comes to?" George said solemnly. "Is war the only answer?" he asked and the entire court quieted. No official''s dares give an answer right now. Some of it is because they fear the War faction, the other was because they do not have a solution that would not besmirch the reputation of the royal family and honor if they do not go to war "Father" James said to King George "Edward is my brother, and Princess Helena is your daughter in law. Now Niovar has attacked them both. Will you just stay your hands? Princess Helena by now must already gone to the Underworld. How could we account this matter to the people of Duvar and their royal family?" His words were harsh but everyone in the court knows that sometimes truth had to be said. King George must be urged. "Maybe Princess Helena is still alive. Chancellor Aero has rushed to Erdanis forest to search for her" "And by then, he will find her corpse." James replied George has sent reinforcements to the forest after hearing Aero rushed to the forest. There is still no news. "Father, let me lead seven hundred thousand soldier for me to attack Niovar. From Fort Lantern I will mount an attack to Niovar. Let me exact revenge for Princess Helena." Hearing this the entire court gasp in shock. The Prince himself volunteer to lead the army and attack Niovar. Bradheim on the other hand frowned. To other people it might seem like James is only volunteering for the sake of the honor of the kingdom. But it could also mean that the Prince is asking military authority and he is taking it under the pretense of attacking a neighboring enemy. The Prince, both of them does not have military authority as its authority is hold tightly by the King and the Chancellor. Bradheim frowned and he take a long hard look at his nephew and sighed. the Court following that explosive declaration began quarreling among themselves. They are all quarrelling whether to really go to war with Niovar right now.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. George however is thinking. What would Aero do? Would he press for war or sue for peace? But how could he sue for peace at this juncture Daryl Van Zur shows no respect for him. He even sent people to attack his son and his daughter in law. What would people think of him if he did not avenge his daughter in law? George contemplated this matter and think again and after that he finally regained enough bravery to voice out his decision. Because his decision could change the geography of the Eastern Continent after this "I have made my decision" George declared. The quarrelling in the room stopped. The hall quieted. George then pointed his finger at Prince James and said "Prince James will lead the army and my order as King is for you to teach the Niovarians that our honor and might must not be challenged. This dishonor must be avenged. The control of the Council of War belongs to you now. Bring Vanheim and me everlasting glory" George announced. The court is divided on the issue but since the King himself has declared it they all nodded and bowed to the King ''Your Majesty is wise!'' They all said in unison The Conservative faction cheered while the moderate faction clapped unenthusiastically. Prince James however is smiling. He was actually looking at the crowd and he thought to himself ''I guess my plot is not discovered'' And there is a smirk on his face Unknown to anyone it is Prince James that plotted the death of Helena. He has ordered his assassins to pose as Niovar soldiers and kill Helena and let his brother off with an arrow. His brother and the death of his wife will be the justification of war against Niovar. The moment his brother said it was Niovar soldiers that attacked him, James knew that he would be able to persuade his father to wage war against Niovar. It also helps that Chancellor Aero is not here to object to his father decision. If he is here and he is against pursuing war, then with Father trust on him, he might not pursue for war. Who would have thought that Aero would volunteer to go the forest to search for Helena? It was like the Seven Gods is helping him This was the opening act of the Great War between Vanheim and Niovar which will involve most of the Central and Southern Continent. This will be the longest war that the Kingdom will ever have to face. ****************************************************************************** Anyway I have finished writing the Arc of Lord Shadow so I will have more time writing the story for this. Anyway, thsi si the end of the mass release Chapter 129 THE REVELATION Someone is running through the forest as the sound of leaves rustling and the sound of metal ripping the wind could be heard. A pair of young man and a woman is running while being chased by dark forces. These chasers are determined but their numbers are dwindling. Arrows were loosened and swords and blades were draw but the person they are chasing is still alive. None of the chasers could understand the event that is happening towards them right now. There never have been such cases before where the hunted could survive these long before The person being chased is none other than Aero and Helena. They are holding hands as they dodged the chasers. They hide in branches, on the corner of the bush, on unsuspecting holes and even abandoned caves. The entire forest seems to be a trap to make sure Helena is dead "Behind you!" Helena shouted while her hands were holding Aero. Aero saw them as they slashed down toward Helena. Fuck!'' Aero cursed in his heart as he slaps the assassin with his hand. With one slap, that assassin neck dislocated and he died in an instant, dropping instantly in the ground with his eye opened, not understanding how he died. He held Helena hand tighter and he spun her around as an arrow passed her by. She is once again in his embrace. But just as she is about to take a breath another arrow whizzed by and Aero push her body away but his hand is still holding hers. The arrow passed by through the gap between the distance of Aero body and Helena body. Then he spun her back to his body. The archers and the assassin hidden in the forest look at this scene and could not help but think that these two is not dodging arrows and deflecting g weapons.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Instead they were dancing in the forest. If one did not see the arrows and the blades directed towards them, they might mistake Aero and Helena is dancing inside the forest. They were fast in approaching him because they have no other way. Aero is like an unbreakable shield. They just wanted to kill the girl and then came this person. Because of this person the already fatigued and almost captured target is saved. At first, they just decided to kill the man with the woman. But now, they only hope that this man just went away so they could complete their assigned task of killing the woman This man, whoever he is, is a great warrior. Aero pull Helena as he run forward while deflecting any of the arrows that come near her and if there is an assassin that jumped out from their hidden spot trying to stab or slash her, Aero would dispatch them with one movement of his hand ''These bastards. They never give us time to rest'' She cursed. Aero is maintaining his silence as he deflected another arrow. One arrow whizzed him by and his eyes catch the silhouette of a person hiding in a tall tree. He took the flying arrow and then quickly throws it back to that silhouette and as he runs way with Helena around him, he could hear the sound of something falling behind him Then he could see in the distance something moved in the large bush in front of him ''Shit. More of them'' Aero thought to himself. These assassin is scuttling towards him with their blades, swords, and some are even using spears. ''They are prepared. Too prepared'' even in this intense situations, Aero could still remain calm. Considering, he has invincibility, he could of course be calm. It is Helena he is worried about. They wore Niovar uniform but Aero felt something off. He felt like there is a scheme here. Someone wanted Helena dead. And this is not Niovar kind of schemes. Aero thought to himself as one of the assassin try to stab him with a spear. He pulls Helena to his back as he used his armpit to lock the spear. With one swing of his upper body the metal spear cracked and broke. Then Aero kick the assassin in the stomach and the assassin flew to the nearby tree, as all of his internal organs ruptured. Another assassin slash toward Helena that is on Aero back. Aero move his feet and changed position with Helena. The sword falls onto Aero shoulder and exploded into hundreds of metal fragment that scattered on the ground. Aero punch one of the assassin face as that person face exploded and slowly his body falls down. Another come to him with a stabbing motion. Aero did not dodge it. Because behind him is Helena. He would be fine getting stabbed but not that woman. But just because he couldn''t dodge it doesn''t mean he would just stand still. He kicks the top of that sword with high precision. For that one moment Aero could see the world in slow motion. It was not that the world slowed down for him. But his perception become so fast that everything seems to be slowed down. The sword flew from the assassin hand and stuck itself to the ground behind the assassin. Aero took this chance to stab his hand onto that assassin chest. With one stabbing motion, Aero hand penetrate that assassin chest. Aero then grab something from that man heart cavity and pull out his hand. On his hand is that assassin beating hearts. He threw that heart to the ground as that assassin look in disbelief before falling to the ground, bleeding profusely from the hole in his chest before he breathed his last Aero then took Helena hand as Helena was shocked to see the thick blood around Aero hand as they keep on running amidst the rains of arrows and the flying axes that is hurled towards them from hidden places. Helena look behind her and saw the terrible death of those assassins. It has only been a few second and Aero could easily kill those people like he is fighting not elite assassins but kids that just got born yesterday On the other hand, Aero is thinking of something else. He didn''t even notice the blood dripping from his hand ''I mean, if they are really Niovar soldiers why advertise it? If you want to assassinate a person why the hell would you wear something that could identify you especially if this is really ordered by Niovar?'' Aero thought to himself. No doubt he found all of this setup suspicious. Someone wanted to blame Niovar with the death of Helena and plunge Vanheim into a war with Niovar. While Aero knows Vanheim is capable enough to fight with Niovar, this would delay the grand cause. There are other ways of fighting a war other than sending armies. There is a conspiracy here, Aero thought ''Aero!'' Helena shouted again while her hand was pointing at the trees. Aero look at the direction and he scoffed. Then he nodded toward Helena and then he said "Those people don''t give up do they?" "Yeah, one could hope they already find us boring enough" Helena replied grinning. Aero look at the area around them and he could feel the killing intent that is surrounding this forest. These assassins are out for blood. This is a forest filled with wolves. More followed them, slipping from the bushes and the trees, looking at them and trying to kill them. They were running together these past few days together further and further away from Vanheim. They created a blockade on the way to Vanheim. Aero could guarantee his own safety but he could not guarantee Helena safety. And it is her safety that is more important right now. Her death could start a complicated political issue that would span nations and kingdoms of the Vilajeri continent. There is the fate of Duvar, Vanheim, and Niovar interlinked with this woman. Last night they both took refuge in a hidden cave. Helena is wearing the tunic of the assassin they killed yesterday. Heeding Helena advice, Aero decided to take refuge in Karak. He has more allies there and he needs to gather his thoughts of whoever orchestrating this plot. Aero have shared his theories with Helena telling her there is a conspiracy here that is targeting her life. Because of that Aero fear for the safety of the Princess urged the princess to go someplace else until Aero could determine who is responsible. He did not contact Dan yet. He was too busy running to initiate contact. You could only initiate contact in a safe environment. And even that would be abolished in the next update of the game to enhance realistic feeling. After a few hours of running they finally shakes off their pursuers. They arrived at a valley and as they were about to pass the valley, Helena saw something and pointed to Aero. Aero looked toward the direction and he smiles. He nodded and said ''I guess we could rest here for a while'' The nodded and they climb down to the valley as they enter a cave hidden from view by the tall trees and the natural formed mist around the valley. They decided to rest here and replenish their energy. *************************************************************************** Next chapter tomorrow. Anyway, I will be doing another mass release. it will be proabbly on the 28th or 29. Anyway, enjoy the daily chapter and if you enjoy it please vote Chapter 130 THE VALLEY It is another day on the run for Aero and Helena. It is the second night that this valley is experiencing rain. The rain pours down heavily in the afternoon and now it slowly slowed down Last night it was raining heavily and today it is raining again. Fog has set in as night is approaching. In the darkness of the night, the leaves rustles, and dark silhouettes move cautiously around the valley, surrounding this cave that is not so hidden anymore. This is a formation to ambush someone. And there is no doubt that the reason why they are even bothering to do these kind of formation is because of the man that keep protecting the target they were supposed to kill. Under cover of the rain and fog, the pack had stalked in, unseen, converging from three directions, like wolves waiting for the right moment Meanwhile on the cave, on a slightly elevated point of the cave Aero is sitting beside a fire place he made. Outside, the mist is gathering and the rain is slowing down. He is thinking about a lot of things. He had been thinking of this matter since he saved Helena. But now he truly could gather his thoughts. By now, Aero had made a deduction Those people that are chasing them...they are Vanheim people. There is no doubt. By now, Aero has made his own hypothesis. This must be the work of the Conservative Faction. Who is to gain the most with Helena being dead? It surely is not Niovar. Niovar too is preparing their army but they are still not attacking because they too have their own considerations. Unlike Vanheim Niovar has many internal problems. That is why Aero wanted to wait. He wanted to use their internal problem to weaken them from the inside before truly attacking them He lay it all out in the Grand Plan he written. Of course, there is still many not written in his Grand plan and he did not present it to the King, but that is because he is still planning. A war right now....is wasteful in Aero opinion. But someone wanted to incite war between Vanheim and Niovar. Someone must be doing this to gain something. No matter who wins and who loses the battle between Niovar and Vanheim, the fallout of the victory would be high. Both of these nation is super power nation with large territory and large armies. If one handled it unwisely, it could create a wave of chaos even after winning. It would take a lot of lives and waste a lot of resources to win for either side. Aero try to avoid that route precisely because it would delay the grand cause. If Vanheim never desire to expand themselves to the entire continent, then there is no problem to fight Niovar and survive these chaotic eras. But since he and George wanted to unify the Vilajeri continent, then one has to move cautiously and wisely. Conserve resources, attack when the opportunity comes and be patient. The most important thing is to be patient. They are playing the long game now. And there is no turning back. With Zeus in the North, Vanheim need to take the Eastern Continent without wasting too much resources. It is only by conserving resources and using them only when it is necessary that Vanheim could contend with Zeus in the North. Niovar had nothing to gain by trying to assassinate Princess Helena. Instead they have more to lose. And King George has even less to gained from planning this. There is also the fact that the assassin is too familiar with the area around Vanheim. It was almost like they lived there. There is also the fact they keep shouting that they are from Niovar One rule of assassination is that assassin would never reveal their identity. If Niovar really wanted to kill Helena, they would find another way. Another more foolproof way. By doing this, they essentially make Duvar, which is the seat for the Emperors of Old hostile to them They lose more than they would gain But there is someone who would gain something from this. If this people are really Vanheim people, then the Court has something to do with this. Then there is only one faction in the court that stand to gain something from this. The Conservative faction But who? Who is the mastermind? As he was thinking, he heard sound as his ears twitched and Aero only smirks. The sound is like a wave as it hits Aero ears.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. He heard footsteps amidst the pattering of the rain that drops down to the leaves and the ground. If this is any other person, the sound of the rain and the wind would have masked the sound of their footsteps. But unfortunately they meet Aero. ''Come out, come out!'' Aero shouted, his shout reverberates until it reaches the ears of the assassin and chasers. One of the leaders of these people nodded and then they no longer maintain their stealth. The footsteps multiplied and Aero could see from the distance people entering the cave, no longer hiding themselves as they stride powerfully into the cave Then many more people emerged as the people who were waiting on the trees outside the caves, jumped down and follow the group. They are carrying knives, axes, blades, swords, halberds and clubs and chains and variety of weapons. These are hired assassins not soldiers. They use knives and blades and they move with agility and strike with deadly precision. Aero looked at Helena. He can hold them off alone but he fears about Helena safety. And if he fought them alone, his secret will not be revealed. "Run from me." Aero let her hands loose. "Run fast." He told Helena But she backed away, wide eyed, breathing hard. "How did they find us?" Aero shook his head. He doesn''t know how either. Aero think he underestimated these people too much Most assassins are talented trackers. Thinking about it Tatiana, the assassin that tried to kill him has variety of skills and they are talented in many masteries of the weapon. Aero look at Helena and notice the expression on her face. He felt a little pity for her. ''I don''t blame her for looking distraught. We were running nonstop. I was fine because of the curse but I forgot about her'' Aero thought internally There was shock in her voice and fear. Probably this is the largest group that she has seen since she escaped from them. "I won''t leave you behind, Aero. You should know that" Helena said adamantly. By now, she already addresses him casually. Well, when you are together trying to outrun an army of assassins, you tend to open up a bit. Aero just smiled. She turned in a circle, looking for a gap in the net closing around them. She is scanning the environment, looking left and right, wearing a fierce expression with the shining knife hold tightly in her hands. And he knew she was not an ordinary woman. And he smiles despite of himself. Even when in such situation she tries to remain calm and strong. Aero could see why Dan speaks so highly of her. ''Not only external beauty, she has this inner beauty that mesmerizes you.'' Dan said these words to him before. He always thought that was just a compliment derived because of her beauty. But it seems it is not entirely false. Aero eyes and ears suddenly became more aware. He realized many more are coming. He quickly informed Helena. "More of them are down that way. Probably another ten or twenty men." Aero said. There is no other choice. She does not want to run anymore so I guess we have to fight. Aero thought to himself as he looked at the determined face of Helena. Stubborn. Aero taking the left signaled Helena to take the right. Aero knew enough not to treat this woman like any other woman. She does not need his protection at this moment. Since she can help, he will let her help. After all, as a strategist, his most polished ability is the ability to outsource resources and distribute it. She can save herself. But that doesn''t mean he didn''t worry about her. Running together and living together in caves and hiding in bushes and trees has a way of making people intimate. They were two against that many. ''Long odds'' Aero said to himself. Then he smirked. ''Odds are we''ll die.'' At least that must be what the attackers think of us. But Aero only smiles. ''But I''m invincible. I would love to see how they would kill me'' Aero thought to himself and he almost laughed. Helena has picked a target--one in front, targeting him for an intimidation act a place where the rest of his friends would see him die¡ª Then without hesitation she threw a throwing knife she got from yesterday killers and it landed perfectly where she targeted. The man collapsed with a sucking, bubbling neck wound that keep spurting out from the puncture in his neck. The knife is stuck in his throat. He tried to speak, buy the blood flow to his lung and before long he took his last breath. The familiar stink of death rose in the valley. The sound of the birds at night and the howling of the wolves in the distance only add the tragedy that will occur tonight. Helena pulled her second knife. ''One down, many to go. I will let them meet the Unseen One. Lord Hades would be happy'' Helena muttered. Aero just grinned. "Do I need to watch your back, Helena?" Aero asked out of courtesy. "Mind your own targets, Aero" Helena said smiling. They always began their killing with this kind of banter. Aero and Helena both are used to this kind of conversation. Well, when your only other choice is not to speak nothing, even banter is good enough for us to alleviate the boredom of the tension that we might die at any moment. Aero play along with it because he could see that she is always nervous. NPCs¡­when they die¡­they die permanently. Meanwhile, as Aero and Helena is bantering, the act that Helena did shows it effect. That act made the assassins hesitated. They''re sending glances back and forth, fingering blades and cudgels. Attack or retreat. That must be what is on their mind. They have been hunting them for how many days now. Aero could see the hesitation in the group of killers and brutes and he smiles. He then shouted again, the volume of his voice is like a lion roaring in the savannah. "How about this?" Aero shouted suddenly opening his hand like he is ready to give a grand announcement. ******************************************************************** Hope you enjoy teh story and like always I leave you with thsiw ord of wisodm. if you like the story please vote for the story Chapter 131 HIS SHOULDER 1 Aero stand on the high areas of the caves. He had the urge to scream "I have the high ground. Surrender now Anakin" but he restrains that desire. He looks at the group of people all intent in killing Helena. Thinking about it if it is anybody else that come to rescue Helena, they would have long be dead. They were chased by hundreds of people all across the forest. And Aero has killed so much of them that even these chasers are afraid of him Aero sighed and then declares "How about this? You all go back to your master and we will forget what happened here. Right, Helena?" He said as he looks at Helena. "Yes, we can forgive you if you all retreat now" Helena said nodding. For the tone both Aero and Helena is saying, it was like they are the ones that is surrounding these people. Aero only laughs a bit looking at Helena. This woman has a lot of pride. As expected of the sister that Castor and Pollux raised. Even at this juncture she wants to act like she is the one that has the upper hand. Aero look at those people and he saw how those people look at each other. They nodded at each other and their eyes become determined. Aero then knows that he will have to battle. He tilts his neck to the right as he relaxed his neck. "Even we have our pride" One of the leaders of the assassin replied. The other behind him nodded. ''Huh, I guess there is honor even among assassins.'' Aero sighed. And then he added ''Pity, you would all die here today'' Helena shakes her head and ready her stance, her dagger is brought out. ''Stupid! What does pride give you? A knife on your throat that''s what'' she said. ''Argh!'' One of the assassins shouted and then he broke from the ranks as he jumps to the high area and lunged for Helena. The other behind him follows. Aero look at that assassin and he could only pity him Probably the assassin is thinking that Helena would be easier to handle. After all, by now in the hearts of these people, Aero reputation and his bloody way is acknowledged and is also feared. Aero and Helena is not the only one trapped in this forest. These people are also trapped here until they could kill Helena. By now, they decided on one course of action. And that is to target Helena first as she is the main priority. After that they will think of a way to kill Aero ''Hah, that is a mistake'' Aero was thinking as he saw the assassin is closely approaching Helena She is as fast as a cat, agile and precise He''d give her that. In a way she is fast like Tatiana. Aero heard the stories from her that she likes hunting with her brothers and she is blessed by Aphrodite herself. Is that why her agility is off the charts? She was cat quick; she stabbed the assassin''s arm that tried to hold her as she slides her dagger through that assassin fingers as two finger falls down to the ground. The assassin screamed and in his pain tried to wound her as that assassin slash toward her arm Helena push her feet back but she gets nicked. The assassin''s knife managed to get a cut on her forearm. Enraged, Helena dashed forward with a sudden speed spurt and lowered her body as the assassin tried to slash in front of him. With her body slowly lower than the range of the attack she slid inside the area around the assassins and then with a swift spin she slashed the assassin''s throat. The assassin fell with a thud sound on the ground, blood spluttering from his throat. All of this happen in just ten second. Another one tried to run to her, to ganged up with him but Aero is not like wooden statue. He grabs one of the running assassin by the arm that is rushing to Helena and twist that assassin arms. His sword falls from his hand and Aero grab that sword before it could fall down to the ground. Then he pushed the assassin in his hand as that person was hurled into the walls of the cave and his body collided with the hard wall of the cave before falling unconscious with internal injuries all over his body He jumped in front of her and then with a sword Aero dispatched the assassin by slashing his body in two. One part of the body falls to the right while the other fall on the left side. Blood is pooling inside the cave as the rain that has slowly slowed down outside once again pour down heavily. The other assassins gasped with fear and unease seeing how easy it is for Aero to split their comrade body into two. Aero turn to look toward Helena and saw his forearm. He scrunched up his face and then asked "Hurt?" "I''m fine" She said gritting her teeth, a long cut on her forearm as blood slowly dripping from the wound Aero look again and then asked again "Sure?" "I said I''m fine didn''t I?" Her voice raised. She is holding back the pain and clenching her fist. Aero only smiles. He swings the sword in his hand and the wind gales and the sound of air ripping is already enough to make the assassin in the distance feeling fear. "I guess if you have the energy to still get mad at me, I guess you''re fine" No tears, no screams. Damn, this woman is hard as stone. But he knows something about her that she doesn''t want others to see. Aero knew she doesn''t like this. She doesn''t like killing and truthfully Aero knew how scared she is right now, which just makes it even braver of her. The only time someone can be brave is when they are scared. That''s why it''s called an act of bravery. What he did is not brave. He felt no fear because he knew he would not die. There is no immediate danger for him. But for her? One wrong move and she could die. That''s what makes this more beautiful. Why an act of bravery is beautiful is because it is rivaled by the risk that they undertake. That is why Heroes fought in impossible odds and got everlasting fame for it. Why? Because not many dare to do it. Aero shoved her behind him. Protected as she could be. "I said I''m fine didn''t I?" she looked displeased to be protected "Hmm. I don''t know. Why do I not trust those words? Aero said grinning. If this lasts long, she''ll get killed.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. And that is the last thing that Aero wanted. One assassin is running towards them again and Aero only smirks. "Mine on the left." He took one blade on Helena left hip and threw his sword to another one that was rushing towards them. That sword sails through the air with an air ripping sound as it penetrated that assassin head leaving a hole in the middle of that assassin face as he falls face down. That sword on the hand keep going straight until it stuck itself into the cave wall. "Thanks" Helena said not aware of the assassin and only now realized the danger she could have bene in. Aero sighed and then said "You''re welcome" Aero said smiling. ''Another one down. Many more to go'' Aero said. Helena only smirks as she bandages herself with some of the bandages Aero gave her the night before. Then Helena began moving to the right. Helena threw the other knives and daggers that she had. Some missed, some stuck to some unfortunate soul''s throats or heads. The air is filled with the scent of blood and the blood flowed from the cave to the outside but quickly were cleansed by the rain. The battle inside has been going on for fifteen minutes and the scene in the cave is hellish. Decapitated bodies, headless corpse, crushed body organs and meat all around. And Aero and Helena is surrounded. Aero had no choice but to protect Helena. Aero look at his surrounding and he knows there is only one way to get out of this alive for Helena. Helena is panting in exhaustion but Aero is still like he was in the beginning. He suffers no shortness of breath and he doesn''t even sweat. "We have to charge, Helena" "That many?" Helena pointed out the obvious. "Why, afraid?" Aero is teasing her. Any norm la person would be afraid. But like always Helena would never admit that. "No, I''m not. It just sounds stupid" Aero only chuckles as he deflected another flying axe as that axe is flung to the other side of the cave with one simple slap from Aero hand. He then replies to Helena "Well, that''s me. Stupid ideas in times of death is my specialty Princess" ************************************************************************************* Part one fo the chapter. See you tomorrow Chapter 132 HIS SHOULDER 2 Another man tried to jump from the trees and stab Aero. Aero skillfully evaded and split the man body in two without much effort. Another body is added to the pile of corpses in the cave. By now they went deeper and deeper into the cave until there is only dead end behind them They need to broke their defense and charge out. The other assassins just watched the scene of Aero slicing tow people in half with utter shock. "Fine! Let''s charge!" she said grinning. She is now drenched in the blood of her enemies. Finally, Helena brought out her shining knife. Aero looked at the knife with reverence. That is the Gods crafted weapon. He heard the story from Helena a couple of days ago when they were hiding in a large tree. Thankfully the hole in the tree gave them a hiding place. Helena said to Aero that the gift was from the Goddess of Love, crafted by the Cyclops who loved Aphrodite. That is the reason why that weapon is able to wound him. At least that mystery is solved. Helena then shouted and charged forward. She started killing the assassins up close. Moving agilely and lethally slipping in and out of the range of killing of the assassins. It is a game of parry and stabbing. When she spotted the chance she will grab the knife on her hips and throw it to the attackers. She is a knife wielding badass. Aero used the last knife he took from Helena and threw it to the assassin lurking on the darkness waiting for the right moment to strike. With a wind ripping sound it accurately The body fell to the ground almost instantly as the knife stuck itself inside the mouth of that assassin. ''Did he think I could not see him?'' Aero thought to himself. It is funny if they think like that. His eyes are looking at the entire battlefield. The advantages of being in a cave is that it restricted a lot of movement which is advantageous for his side. He just needs to throw the knife weakly and even that would equal the force of someone throwing it with their full power. ''Two point for the Styx'' Aero thought to himself. Then he realized many more are in front of him. He forced his mind to read the patterns of their attack on whether is there anyone else hiding behind the others and tries to do a sneak attack on Helena or him. Aero also tried to determine who the leader is. Kill the leader and the others might scatter. Aero charged the attackers with his sword slashing with a force that is akin to the world descending down on them His movement looks like he is dancing gracefully in the battlefield to cut a path ahead with the Howling Blade. Along the battle, he throws the blade he got from Helena and started using his Howling Blade. It is not as powerful like the Sword of Mars but it is acceptable. Combined with his strength and the sharpness of the blade, the attackers were like twigs easily sliced and easily broken. Helena was too far in the front. No way to get her to safety now. Aero began think to himself. ''Don''t die on me, Helena. I guess the battles we had these past few days helps her in spotting enemy blind spot.'' Her attacks were precise. A far cry from the first time they fought together. She did kill the people but it took her time, and sometimes her precision was off. By now, Aero guess he didn''t have to worry about her. Aero then began paying attention to his enemies. Blades and knives passed him by, sometimes glancing his cheeks which only created a sound like it clashed against metal while he dodged around. He closed his distance with one of the attackers and drove his blade to the assassin heart. Then he palms strike his blade and the blade pierced the attacker''s heart and the blade was gone off like a bullet piercing anyone behind the man he just killed. It was like the blade is a bullet. Aero smirked. It''s a new trick he developed. Using his strength, he could shoot his own blade like it''s a bullet. Though that will leave him without a blade. At least for a while. But, hey, invulnerability. Aero then proceeded by just punching. Every time he punched the head was smashed like a pumpkin. He lets the blade for a while. After the battle he could just pick it up. The assassins began to feel fear. This is the first time they met someone who has such domineering strength. Then another man screaming rushed forwards. Aero just pierced the man''s heart using his bare hand. For an instant they stood locked, face to face, with the man he had just killed--a thickset red-head with pale skin and vicious, gleeful, mad blue eyes. Outrage and disbelief pulsed out at him . . . and drained away. The eyes went blank. ''That will teach you. I already give you all the chance to surrender'' Aero said as the assassin body slide down and no longer breathing The others began hesitating. Helena on the other hand is fighting two skillful knife wielding masters. When she dodges one the other tries to attack her blind spot. This could not do "Aero!" she shouted "I may need some help here if you''re done" She said glancing on Aero. She could see Aero has already finished. He took a lot more people than she did, but he finished first. Helena has always wondered this about him. How could he be so strong? No matter how many opponents he fights nothing fazes him. Aero nodded. Quickly Aero rushed to Helena''s side. Helena then suddenly got hit in the head. She fell and rolled away. She had to get up. She was on her feet, shaking her head, trying to see through a black haze. Her vision was blurry. They hit me good, Helena mused. Helena was stretched between two men, being dragged away. She struggled of course. But their strength is deterring her. Aero jumped in front of her "Handle him" the man with the scar on his face spoke He must be the leader "As you say" He then charged at Aero with such incredible speed that Helena almost could not see him. My God, he is going to get stabbed, Helena thought. Then a shattered noise could be heard. The man is in front of Aero with a shattered knife. Aero just looked at the man and grabbed his face. ''Oh¡­. I guess you don''t know?'' Aero said as he smiles. The man is pale on the face and fear is reflected in his ears the moment that knife shattered. He tries to struggle away but nothing he is doing could even shake one finger of Aero grip on his head. ''Go and meet Hades'' Aero said Then he squeezed the man''s face and the man''s face slowly turns blue and then purple and then one could saw that the man veins are all expanded before it burst and then his head exploded. Blood and flesh is everywhere. Some of them even stick onto the cave wall. The man with the scar is shocked. Then Aero said, his voice loud and commanding "Release her or a more terrible fate awaits" The man quickly let Helena loose. Slowly Aero stepped in front of the man with the scar. "Who is your master?" Stuttering, he said "Prince James" Aero looked calm. He smiles. Maybe he was expecting this answer. Then he looks at the man with the scar. He titled his head and then shakes his head and then sighed. "I guess that pride means nothing after all" Then without warning he pierced the man''s heart with his bare hand. The disbelief and shock in the face of the man with the scar is clearly reflected in his eyes. Aero only click his tongue as he crushed that man heart as he digs deep down into that man lung cavity. Helena just stood there watching the man with the scar taking his last breath. Even though she just heard a pretty big revelation, her mind was filled with other questions. Especially the question about Aero What is he really? Weapons don''t work on him. He has a strength Helena has never seen and that is saying something considering her brother Castor and Pollux both are strong men. She slumped to the dirty mud after being released from such intense situations. The smell of death, or stench of meat and flesh is still permeating inside the cave but Helena have no time to care about it now. She is panting, as she tries to calm her breathing and she is exhausted. But Aero was not even panting. He didn''t even look like he has to take a breath. Then Helena looked back. All the other attackers have died. Some have their faces smashed, some have holes in their heart, and some were like something massive opened up their chest. "You" Aero shouted to one of the surviving attackers. "Bring me that sword" The sword was stuck in a man''s chest. The guy tries to take the sword from the dead man''s chest but it took him a couple of minutes before he was able to. He brought the sword to Aero. His hand was trembling when he presented the sword to Aero. He must fear that he too would have been killed. The other that survived are already fleeing, limping, dragging their wounded with them, the attackers retreated. Aero let the man go. Then he sat on the ground besides her. "Are you alright"?" Aero asked "Could have been better" she replies "Exhausted?" he asked "Very" "Want to use my shoulder as a sleeping pillow?" Aero offered "With all this blood?" Helena pointed to her clothes. "The rain would clean you up" Aero smiled. The droplets of water are still trickling from the sky. She looked at Aero''s eyes. That dazzling hazel eyes. He is worried about me. She laid on Aero''s shoulders side by side, and huddled as if she is sleeping, covered with blood and mud, her new dress torn halfway off her. Aero strokes her hair gently, like he always does. The first time was when she was trembling nonstop the first day they were sleeping together in that dark cave. ''I could not stop my trembling so he strokes my hair. And right now my hand is trembling. I try to hide it, but he notices.'' This is her thoughts as she put her head on his shoulders Aero just let her as he is gathering his thought after listening to the confession of the leader of this group He did not know what Helena is thinking ''He knows I''m afraid of this. He knows I''m just pretending'' and she smiles a bit as she snuggles up closer. Aero realized Helena has wound on other parts of her body so he askedFind authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "How about now? Are you alright?" He whispered to her ear. It was dark so Aero could not see how red her face is. It is quite fortunate for Helena. "Hmm, better" she replied. Her hand laid up curled, opening to the falling rain. Water cleanses, she mused *************************************************************************** Chapter 133 THE WAR DRUMS 1 The rain subsided and the corpse has already been thrown down on the ravine near the valley. With Aero strength he easily transported those bodies outside. Aero thought of many things in the dark and the more he thinks the darker his thoughts became. Aero did not inform Dan of the information he learned. He could not trust Dan not to blab it around. Aero need time to gather his thoughts and plan his move. He is also suspicious of Dan. Sometimes the quiet ones are the most bold ''Or am I just being paranoid?'' he thought to himself. What should he do with this information? This is big. The Prince of the kingdom incited a war and Aero could guess what Prince James wanted The fire place crackle as Aero throw another branch of trees onto the fire as the flames lives again. After the rain they needed to warm themselves up so they are still in the cave The cave was damp and dark, and the ground was muddy because of the rain. Helena is shuddering in cold beside Aero. "Aero, let''s go to Duvar" Helena suggest suddenly. Her hand rubbed each other because of the cold. They are resting in the cave after they killed their attackers. They just ate a rabbit. ''It looks so delicious. Even though it''s cute Helena has no problem killing the rabbit. I guess if you''re hungry anything will do'' Aero thought to himself. They have already cleaned themselves with the rain. None of them have that trace of blood on their body anymore. Though it is a bad decision for Helena. Now she is feeling the cold more intensely. Aero doesn''t feel cold, he only experience refreshing coolness. Aero look at Helena and his eyes ask the question. Helena grab his sleeve and tugged it twice. ''Let''s go to Duvar. Together'' "Why?" Aero ask. He felt touched that Helena is thinking of him. But Helena doesn''t truly know what power he held in Vanheim. "If we go to Duvar I can ask for my family protection. We''ll be safe there" Aero only smiles. And then he asked "You mean ask your father, King Vrandeus to shelter us? Then what?" "Then I will ask my father to brought Prince James to justice" she said simply, her eyes are determined and her hand is balled into a fist. Aero only chuckles She is too na?ve. Aero then said "And risk a war? Is that what you want? Why do you think your father marry you off to Vanheim family? It is to avoid war that he marries you to that family? Think again¡­.and decide wisely" Aero said slightly annoyed "I don''t need a family that tries to kill me" she said curtly. Aero shakes his head. People don''t know and mistakenly believed that they control their own life when instead they were controlled by the events around them. Strong people espouses event and only the strong could control their life. "This is bigger than just you, Helena. This involves three kingdoms, of their rise and fall. Unfortunately, you are in the middle of it" "So? I just have to endure this?" Aero looked upwards and then sighed. Then he looked back at Helena and said "Yes, Princess. Endure. You have to," Aero said sternly. "Why?" she said her tone challenging "Why? Because if war breaks out how many you think will get involved in that? How many would die just because you want one simple petty revenge. Kingdoms will fall and millions would lose their lives" "Is that what it seems to you? A simple petty revenge? Is my life means that little?" Aero sighed and then said "You know that is not what I mean" Aero said slightly regretting what he said. "Then what do you mean?" "Your life is precious Helena but how about the life of other people? The people of the world. Do they not mean anything to you?" "Hah, don''t pretend like you care about our lives. You''re an adventurer. No matter how many times you die you will revive back" Aero sighed. Then he looks at Helena and thought to himself. Fine. That is true. At least¡­that was true before Maybe he couldn''t care less before about these NPCs. But now at least he cares a little. Why? Because Aero have seen many things and experience many things when playing this game Even though it seems hard for him to believe, the more he plays this game the more it feels like the NPC and AI have their own personality and it seems like they felt pain, anger, sadness, joy and various other emotion. It is quite weird, strange and bizarre. They felt too real to treat them just like they are pixels in games. Aero in the game met Tatiana, Kreon, Deria, The Gods and many other people and lives that all moved not according to some patterns but moved by their desire and motivation. They all each have their goal living their life to the fullest. ''How human of them'' Aero once thought Aero couldn''t help but respect that. Or maybe he is just addicted to this game and taking it way too seriously Then Aero said to Helena "I do care, Helen. That''s why I''m saying this" Aero said Helen. And Helena pursed her lips. Aero when he is serious called Helena, Helen Helena then ask "Then what do you suggest, Aero?" Aero then said "Let''s go back to Vanheim. Then we could think of a strategy" "Back to Vanheim? You mean to the place where that bastard prince lives? You mean the place where that bastard prince that tried to kill me? That place?" She said sarcastically Aero laugh faintly and then shakes his head. Then he said "He''s not a bastard prince, Helen" "Anyone who tries to kill me is a bastard in my eyes." She said countering Aero just shakes his head. "Yes, that place" Aero just relent "Why? Do you really want to see me get kill that badly Aero?" "Let me explain, Helen" ''We now know who is the enemy. And he is still in the dark'' Then Aero explain to her that now he knows who the enemy is he can protect her better. He may not be a Prince like James but he is more influential than James. So much more influential compared to some Prince He also outlined a few benefits if they returned. It also helps that they can monitor James more closely and at the same time avoids war with Duvar. And Aero don''t think Helena wanted that too. If Vanheim declares war against Niovar because of the death of Helena, Duvar whether they like it or not must enter the war to reclaim their honor and avenge the death of their Princes. Castor and Pollux would surely ride to Niovar and join the soldier if Vanheim declared war based on the death of Helena. Worst case scenario, Duvar would end up blaming Vanheim for the death of the Princess If Vanheim is at war with Duvar and at the same time Niovar other country may also take this as a chance to ganged up on Vanheim. If Duvar allow for example United Kingdom of Veva to pass through to attack Vanheim, they are doomed. With the full might of Veva and with the possibility of Niovar that would surely also join such a coalition, it could create a chain effect that would be disastrous for Vanheim. In worst case scenario it could lead Karak to break away from their agreement. Aero had already secure the agreement of the Four Houses but if the circumstances changes and Vanheim is no longer the strong Vanheim that they fear then everything changesFind authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. War with Duvar could spell annihilation for Vanheim. Duvar seems like a small Kingdom but its importance is grand. Especially now that the North is united under one rule and the Eastern is also united under one monarch. Now the importance of Duvar as the Central Kingdom is magnified. Anyone who wished to rule this continent may need to get Duvar on their side. But then why United Kingdom of Veva doesn''t just attack Duvar if it''s so important? Because it is a Holy site for all the people in the continent. Even Zeus is not that stupid. Do that and whole Kingdom will turn on him. Even rebellion will occur in his Kingdom. Never underestimate religions. Many have and many have failed. Aero hold Helena hand and give her a promise. "I promise on my life Helen; I never will let anything happen to you" Aero said sincerely. Helena looked at Aero eyes gauging his sincerity "You promise?" "Yes, I give you my word. Let us return to Vanheim and speak none of it that you know of James involvement." Aero advises "Why?" Aero smiles and it is the same smiles that shakes the hearts of his enemies. "Because now Helen, you have some dirt on him. And that''s very important. Now you have a hold on him" Finally, Helena agreed. It took them two days to make sure that there is no longer any assassin that is after them before they double back and instead going to Karak or Duvar they returned back to Vanheim. The hardest part was to convince Helena to return back to Vanheim instead of returning to Duvar and escalate tensions and embroil the entire Eastern continent into a great war After making sure no one followed them anymore they began walking back to Vanheim. "Hold my hand, Aero" Helena said suddenly on the way down a steep slope "Why?" "I''m cold" "Fine" Aero hold her hand. Her grip tightens. With new determination they started walking. ****************************************************************************** I will not say much but you coudl see the relationship between Aero and helena is changing right? Chapter 134 THE WAR DRUMS 2 FORT LANTERN Dan is currently leading one hundred thousand soldiers to go to Lantern Night. His men are all full with spirits and the march is especially grand and imposing Newbies, Dan mused as he looked at his soldiers Raina is leading another one hundred thousand. Bradheim leads two hundred thousand men and many of them is the men from his old army. He would be Vice Commander of this campaign. Prince James leads three hundred thousand men. Prince James is given the authority of the Supreme Commander with the Council of War under his control. Not even the King has authority on him right now. In times of war he can even disobey a direct decree if that decree avoid him achieving win in the battlefield. War with Niovar is beginning. Two superpower nation is the Eastern Continent will finally meet face to face in the battlefields. This would determine and settle once and for all the question of who is the Overlord of the Eastern Continent But Dan felt something is missing. Because Aero is not here. He would love this and Dan would feel more reassured if he is the one leading the army. The title that the people give him as Divine Strategist is not just for bragging purposes. Any attempt to contact him has been futile. He wanted to ask for his opinion. Little did he know that Aero at that time was running around the forest and even almost reaching the Karak border trying to make sure Helena is safe. In such events, the messaging is prohibited since he needs to be in a safe zone to initiate contact with other players. Now that Dan enters the war he also could not be counted by other players unless under some special circumstances. ''I guess he has turned off his chat window'' Dan thought to himself. ''No'' Dan shakes his head. He would be perfect for this. He couldn''t stop the war, Dan mused. He did not want to get involved in another war to be honest. The first one was already hard enough He was enjoying his life as the Duke. He was respected and loved. Nobles came to him, invite him to grand feast, to beautiful plays, to balls. He was approached by many people and has many connections among the other nobles.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. After Aero appoint him as the Duke he was granted a vast land to rule and he has been steadily increasing his level and encourage prosperity and development in his land He also got an offer to appear on a TV show to talk about his adventure. Life was good Suddenly, there is another war. Story of his life He thought after Aero convinced the Parliament not to go to Niovar the matter will end like that but in just one week he''s not here suddenly war with Niovar happens. ''I guess the only one who really wanted peace was Aero. How ironic'' Dan thought to himself. It is truly ironic Because of the event that happens and the insistence of many in the Court and the King itself has decided, they are preparing for war. Now the supplies have been stockpile, supply lines created and recruitment has begun. This time Vanheim is going all out. And the might of Vanheim this time is starkly different than before. This is a behemoth that is about to collided with another behemoth Many players join the war of course making it four hundred thousand more soldier and increasing by the day. It helps increase the military might and these players doesn''t cost much since they eat their own food and have their own supplies. But the penalty of dying in aware still deter some people. The Great Orc Gruk, Ruler of Forty Tribes also pledge his assistance though he will set up something first during his absence. Does this mean Vanheim will have a quick and easy war? No. Because while Vanheim is big, Niovar is not too shabby either. And Niovar also have talented commanders. After last night attack at Selassie Fort, one of Niovar Fort their commander quickly enlists the recruitment of their adventurers. Six hundred thousand people volunteers for the war. No wonder Niovar is one of the largest server in Brave World. By now six hundred thousand people have volunteered and many more might volunteer. Every one of them must want to rack contribution point. Citing the attack on the Royal couple as the justification for the war, Prince James got the support of the people and the full control of the Council of War He also sent letters to Duvar Kingdom and Karak Federation asking for their support. Though no representative of those kingdom sent their reply yet. Greater Veranis on the other hand has their own war to focus on. Tomorrow Vanheim will begin by attacking Ghibli. But now as soldiers lined in formations and cavalry rides and the dust rises, the soldiers march to the sound of the war drums. By now only few Kingdom in the Eastern Continent that is not involved in a war. It is a chaotic time to be alive for the NPCs right now War¡­envelop the Continent from the North, to the South, to the East and to the West. And the people suffers and perish under the yoke of oppression and slaughter ''This is a warring Kingdom period'', Dan mused. ''Aero would love this ''he thought that again as he keeps riding his horse forward to the beating of the war drums. ****************************************************************************** ALEXANDER WAR TENT As Vanheim is marching to fight Niovar, Veranis is also warring against one of its neighbors. Gerad. Prince Alexander of Greater Veranis began his war against Gerad Stratocracy after he defeated Tian Dynasty. His approach is fast and lethal. He was making steady progress with his campaign and General Theolonius has retreated back and even Alexander army is resting and replenishing their energy. His spymaster reported to him in the dawn of morning after battle that Vanheim has wage a war against Niovar. They are citing that Niovar attacked and murdered the Princess of Duvar, Helena Nowadays, the only story you hear will be about war. Vanheim is beginning to bare its fang to the Continent. While that is big news, nothing more is in Alexander mind than the battle tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a decisive battle that will either end this long war or make it even longer. "Report, Commander" suddenly a scout rushed into the war tent bearing information. General Theolonius has been defeated countless of times by Alexander yet he always manages to survive. Any information would be useful Alexander takes the piece of paper and began reading the information. ''It seems he is ready to meet me.'' Alexander talk to himself as he nodded in satisfaction Theolonius learns from his mistake at least. "Genius" "What, my lord?" One of his commander inquire. Alexander right now is in his war tent "The Black Saber new tactic" Alexander grinned. Theolonius is known as Black Saber because of his famous black curved saber that killed many of the General during his coup a couple of years ago. This time the Black Saber makes sure his that the new battleground favored his army and its tactics particularly the use of his feared scythe-wheeled chariots. "Look at this" Alexander sprawled the paper and show it to them. The map of the battleground. "The ground here is flat, perfect for chariots. And from the report, Theolonius made it even flatter by ordering the terrain plowed and leveled." He is trying to use his famed chariots to stop me. We''ll see about that. Alexander thinks to himself. "So, that what the scout saw a few days ago" the other captains muttered. "Most probably" Alexander reply "Tomorrow we will face them" Five hundred thousand of Gerad Stratocracy soldiers facing off two hundred thousand of Alexander army. This difference in soldier would break the heart of any commander but Alexander was confident of his victory. Alexander smirked ''You think you are smart? I''m smarter'' ****************************************************************************** Second part of the chapter. Hope you enjoy it and please vote for the story and subscribe to the story Chapter 135 THE WAR DRUMS 3 THE DAY OF THE BATTLE. The sound of trumpets, horns and the sensation of ground shaking could be felt the moment that both of the sides of the battlefield yelled "Charge" both of the officers from each side yelled to their troops with voice as loud as a lion roars. Like being awakened, the look on the troops changed. They all knew at this moment; the battle has begun. The begin charging at each other with their swords drawn and their spears stretched. With magic that blinds the eye and burns its enemies. With arrows that looks like it was raining from the Heavens. It is a land of death and its scene reminded people what hell on earth looks like The moment both of their commander yelled charge they quickly and brutally clashed. Sounds of shield broken, of swords shattered, of screams and yelling were drowned by the sound of slashing. Hundreds of men fall down, their head squashed by the feet of soldiers, some of those stomping comes from their comrades, some their enemies. Their meat melded with the mushy and smooth soil The other falls down from their horses and accidentally get their head smashed by the hooves of their horses. Some were stabbed and died instantly, their body stuck to the weapons of their enemies and they keep killing each other trying to reduce the numbers of opposing sides. The smell of blood can be smell from afar. But the armies are in bloodlust. One wanted to fulfill and Old Dream as long as time, another tries to protect their countries. Which is the righteous cause? The strong one, Alexander would say. The armies on all wings drew near each other closer and closer. Each step closer to their battle and death and glory and defeat. General Theolonius is being observed by Alexander and his commanders. General Theolonius is with his cavalry division. He is Sitting proudly and dignified on horseback, watching over the battlefield without any ounce of sympathy for his soldiers that is dying Though not for long, Alexander mused. Then Alexander himself enter the battlefield. The war drums began pounding harder and harder, faster and faster with each beat. He enters. He kills. He slaughters. His prowess is unmatched in the battlefield. It is like unleashing a starving wolf upon a fat crowd of sheep. He is a talented commander and an even more talented swordsman. Alexander gives his troop his signal. Suddenly Alexander led his own army more towards the right, and the Geradians marched parallel along with him, far outflanking him upon their left.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "Now, the chariots" yelled one of the commanders of Gerad. The Geradian cavalry rode along the line and came into conflict with the front men of Alexander''s army. The clash is brutal. It was bloodshed for Alexander army. Limbs were flying because of the chariot overwhelming power. Some are smart enough to pile up the corpse and make it as a shield. "Right, Right!" Alexander yelled. He knows what he is doing Nevertheless, Alexander still continued to march towards the right, and almost entirely got beyond the ground that had been cleared and leveled by General Theolonius "Ride round the right wing of the Veranisian" General Theolonius yelled from his horseback to the other commander. The commander nodded and follows his order in unison. General Theolonius fear that his chariots would become useless if Alexander advanced upon the uneven ground, and that is why he ordered his commander to ride around the right wing, where Alexander was commanding, to prevent him from marching his wing any further. This led to countermoves by Alexander and precipitated a general cavalry engagement. This time the Veranis army suffered severely but Alexander was fanning their morale and sustain the assault. "Let us claim Alexander head" some of the general on Gerad side roared. This time they launched the scythed-chariots against Alexander himself, to throw his phalanx into confusion. Good, this is what I was waiting for, Alexander smirked as he saw everything is according to plan The javelins, the magician, the expert archer, and the pikemen who had been posted in front of the Alexander cavalry, hurled their javelins, their fireballs and Rock bullet, their arrows coated with poison and stab them with their spears at the chariot horses, others they seized by the reins and pulled the drivers off, and standing round the horses killed them. The Druid squad is also there making the terrain uneven, thus making the chariots useless. Adventurers that are Druid are little in quantity. Not many Adventurers choose the class of Druid. A lot of them are warriors. Alexander employs Druid adventurers after reading the war report of Aero. That time Alexander realize how useful Druids can be. His troops have already known this might happen so they did not stand apart, and opened their ranks, as they had been taught, wherever the chariots attacked. They endured the initial crash and then they began to attack the chariots. This gives them opportunity to attack ferociously toward the chariot. Many chariots destroyed, their drivers slaughtered. "Aretes come here!" Alexander yelled while slashing some stray soldier that manages to slip through the defense. Aretes quickly came to Alexander side in horseback. His gray shield is red with blood. His right arm is gashed with wounds and cuts. Another one tries to attack Alexander while jumping. Aretes quickly blocked the attack and kill the troop. The troops brain sticks to Aretes big club. "Yes, Prince. What is your order?" His voice still energetic. Excited even. "Attack those who were riding clear around my right wing. We need to decimate or at least slowed them down for me to execute the plan" Alexander ordered. Aretes nodded and quickly assemble his troops and began moving to the right wing. General Theolonius began setting his whole battle line in motion, and up to that time Alexander himself is leading his men in column. General Theolonius finally realized Aretes is slaughtering the men in the right wing. With his big club, he looks awfully similar like an Orc, bringing destruction and death whenever he swings that club. The other commander felt compelled to help their brethren. "Let us help our brother!" you could hear them yelling orders to go to the right wing to stop Aretes rampage. The Geradian made a break in the front line of their army in an intention to aid the right wing. Big mistake, Gerad soldiers. Big mistake. Gerad cavalry charged to aid those executing the flanking movement with their horses galloping strongly. Alexander wheeled towards the gap, and forming a wedge as it was of his cavalry and of the part of the phalanx which was posted there. "OUR TARGET IS GENERAL THEOLONIUS!" Alexander screams. "HARRRRR" the soldier cheered. He led them with a quick charge, and a loud battle cry straight towards General Theolonius. Even General Theolonius was shocked by this sudden turn of pace. Alexander himself, pressed on vigorously, thrusting himself against the Gerad army and striking their faces with his blade, shouts and curses were thrown at him, while Gerad bowmen try to shoot him down, yet he moves forward with incredible speed. "HERE I COME, MY PRINCE" you could hear a hoarse voice yelling from afar. Long pikes with uniform formation joined in the battle. Guillermo in charge of the Veranis phalanx in dense array, bristling with long pikes, had joined in the attack. Terror crept General Theolonius heart, whose courage already had been shaken; so seeing that this battle is turning awry he quickly the first to turn and flee. ''HARRRRR'' the Veranis soldier cheered "Look at him, running" Valermo, a commander in Alexander army is laughing heartily seeing the figure of Theolonius running from the battlefield. Likewise, the Geradians who were trying to outflank, panic-stricken at the vigorous attack of Aretes, took to flight. "Chase them! Don''t let them escape from us!" Ar¨ºtes shouted to his troops as they began their chase. The cavalry horses ride through the battlefield and the Veranisian soldiers began slashing the enemy with their sword, stabbing with their spears on the running soldiers like a reaper cutting through wheat. "Kill them all. Let them know the might of Veranis" he shouted again. Hearing their commander give them the orders, they chased after them and slaughtered the retreating soldiers. In this part, the battle has already decided. But the war rages on. Alexander sit on horseback, looking at the entire battlefield and his eye is like as a hawk looking at the entire battlefield. His eyes are determined and there is a smile on his face. Victory is at hand. And this is just only the beginning ************************************************************************ Last part of the chapter. Anyway, tomorrrow I woudl porbably post a mass release. Anyway, hope you like the story and leave some comments and vote Chapter 136 THE LIE 1 Aero and Helena finally reached Vanheim. They enter the Capital City and Aero contacted one of his intelligence agents. The intelligence agents then were tasked to bring all the security measures in the Spymaster and protect Helena. Now that he is in a safe territory he accessed his messaging function. The first person he called is Dan. Dan was clearly exhilarated hearing from Aero again. Aero decided to trust Dan. In the end, he must be so paranoid that he thinks this person would betray the kingdom. He asks Dan what happen during his absence. It is then he learned that in his absence Prince James has begun his plan. He heard the event intently and then Aero sighed. He now kind of understand a bit. War has broken out between Niovar and Vanheim. But that is not his objective. The war was not his true objective. It never was. Aero could guess what his endgame was. That prince is aiming for something else. He is aiming for military authority. Which would put him in a more advantageous position then his younger brother Edward for the throne. Aero smirks Dan however after listening that Aero has returned back quickly send an order to his knights that is in the Capital city to escort him back to the Chancellor Residence. Dan of course could not help but ask about Helena ''Is she alive? Or is she dead? He asked Aero smiles and said ''The Princess is very much alive.'' What?'' Hearing this Dan could not help but broke his calm. After all the war waged against Niovar is because of the death of the Princess. ''Then, couldn''t we end this war and send these people back?'' Dan naively ask. ''I could inform the King and let the two Kings negotiate some kind of peace'' Dan excitedly said.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Aero on the other side of the kingdom just shake his head receiving Dan message ''While it is true she did not die; it is true that it is Niovar that attempted to assassinate Helena'' he said. Of course Aero did not say that it was the First Prince that orchestrated the attempt. There are many reasons why he didn''t say it. Dan believes that finding Helena alive means the end of the war. That is just a simplistic way of thinking about war. War is easy to start but hard to end. History has proven that a war could be started for most trifling reasons but to end it could take years and even decades. And whether Helena is alive or not, by this point this war has been ongoing and blood has bene spilled. George couldn''t just return without anything to show it, while Niovar couldn''t just let George kill his people and then return without having any scratch. If Aero was a little faster, then he could have stopped the war. But now, the water has been spilled. Now, he needs to make a new plan. Like it or not, even Aero could no longer stop this war anymore. An ember has turned into a spark and now it is burning wildly, engulfing anything that is on its path. That is how war always started and that is how it always begins As Aero closed his messaging, someone tugged the sleeve of his robe. Beside Aero is a woman, a few inches shorter than him. Aero ask ''What?'' "Is it here?" The woman asked. The woman has a fierce blue eyes and a perfect silky blonde hair that would wave back and forth when the winds blows over. Her face is pale white and the symmetry of her face could be considered perfect. It is not symmetrically perfect which only added to the perfection of her face. A face without flaws instead would look artificial. But with one flaw, it only accentuates the perfection This woman is none other than Aero companions for many days in the Forests of Vanheim and the valley of death near the Karak border, Princess Helena She looks left and right, half expecting for a killer to jump out from the windows of the tall building and aim their dagger at her or the stall in across from her would be bursting with killer to end her. She would not admit it but the closer she came to the Royal palace the more she becomes nervous. They were in the outskirt of the Royal Capital waiting for the carriage. Across them are stalls and people selling their wares to players and NPC alike. Helena seems bored by this and by the hour she became more and more impatient. She began asking when will they come like a child sometimes. If anyone dares do this around n Aero, he would probably be annoyed. But when a beautiful woman does that, it looks cute. God¡­really isn''t fair "No, they will come here in a little bit" Aero said as stand closer to Helena. He could see she is still nervous. "Do I need to go to the Palace?" she asked as she once again hold his sleeve. Aero smiles looking at this. Aero could see she is still afraid though she did not say it. But Aero could hear the trembling in her voice and the way her eyes that seems to be shaking the closer they came. "No, change of plans" he finally decided. There is no need for her to suffer so much for now. Helena eyes brightened. "We''re going to my residence" Hearing that she almost clapped her hands. They waited with each other standing there on the middle of nowhere while some of the intelligence agents that Aero has contacted have come and hidden themselves around the outskirt of the Royal Capital. Aero notices them but Helena didn''t notice them. It is their job after all to remain invisible In an hour finally a carriage that Dan send has come to pick them up. Aero and Helena enter. Aero asked for the driver name but the driver said ''Nobody'' the driver said. These people are weird, strange and bizarre. they are hooded and they speak in monotone. "Are you the Package?" the driver asked "Yes" Aero handed him one thousand gold. Aero know the rules. "The Payment has been made. From now on, you''re under our care" the hooded driver said. And Aero nodded and lean back on his seat. Helena on the other hand looked uncertain and slowly sit closer to him The driver started driving the carriage. The Courier. It is an organization set up by a man as mysterious as the organization itself. They will escort or send anything as long as you make the payment. In a way, they''re like the Blood Brotherhood minus the killing part. They send items, escort products and packages. But they always do their job perfectly and without flaw Their persistence is what makes them so trustworthy among players and NPCs to send confidential items and secret packages. It is said that they have many high level players that are a part of that organization. They didn''t talk all the way to Aero destination. In the evening finally Aero returned to my residence. Aero looked at his residence and then open his arms and said ''It has been a long time'' he said while smiling >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Part one of the chapter. Will be releasing mass chapter on the 30th. So, wait for that day. There will proabbly about seven or eight chapter or maybe even ten depending on how much I fisnihed during this span of time If you like the story please vote and leave some comments. Thank you and hope you enjoy the story Chapter 137 THE LIE 2 In front of the white marble gate, Aero opened the gate expecting to smell the scent of either roasted chicken or the aromatic chicken sandwich which his cook always prepares for the guards at this time of day. Yet, the smell was revolting. And it is a smell that Aero too much familiar with. Aero face turned dark. He enters and the first question that came out from Helena mouth ''What happened here? Blood is everywhere Helena b rings out her dagger, and her eyes shines. She no longer trembles. Now, in her mind there is only one determination. It is the determination that help her in the forest. The determination to survive. She gripped her blade tighter as she enters the residence ground "What''s this?" She asked me. Aero just said "We''re about to find that out, won''t we?" They moved forward. Their steps cautious and silent. Then, the scenery they saw shocked them both. On the wall of the mansion, blood was splattered, and Aero could swear he could see some flesh sticking at the stone wall, in the fountain, a corpse is turning the water red like wine, in the gardens the corpse of his gardener is hanging on the big oak tree overlooking my bedroom window, and another corpse of one of his attendants impaled in the center of his residence and blood flowing down to the drainage. "Someone made a terrible mess in your house, Aero" Helena said impressed "Yeah." Aero look around his residence and he frowned Aero walk further forward and then he saw a familiar face. But his presence startled them Aero could see Antilus, Holt and Jayden and a few other servants in his residence cleaning up, lifting the corpses and cleaning the blood with water in the center atrium of his residence. The sound of his footsteps make them all jumpy as they are all startled. They were startled. Jayden was so nervous she unsheathes her sword and pointed it at him, her hands are sticky with blood and his nerves are frayed Holt was calmer and managed to only hold the handle of his sword while Antilus flinched. The moment they see the person they immediately heaved a sigh of relief. "Chancellor" they bowed slightly. "What happened here?" Aero asked them. Helena stand beside him also curios of the answer. But they all seem in a daze. Aero sighed and then he asks "What happened here?" Aero repeated the question with a slightly higher tone and these people are all broken from their daze. Holt look at the Chancellor and then reply "Tatiana, Your Excellency. Tatiana happened" Aero creased his eyebrows and then he said. "What do you mean, Holt?" Then Holt told Aero exactly what happened during his absence. It is only about a week but a lot of thing happen in the week that he was gone After three days he was gone, Tatiana successfully escaped but not without leaving a message for him. Aero almost laughed when he heard the story. She said she will be back. ''Heh'' Aero smirked. ''I guess so much for an assassin pride'' he said to himself. Then Antilus bowed and then said "Chancellor, there is also a man that claims to know you. He is waiting for you in the guest room at the right wing" Aero shows no expression but his mind is quickly thinking "Who is it?" he asked. Aero don''t have that many people that would be so familiar with him to come visit him in his Chancellor residence other than George, Dan, Raina and Amy. Raina and Dan is in Lantern Night while Amy whereabouts is unknown. And George would surely be recognized by his people Could it be Amy? For some unknown reason, Aero heart beats faster when he thinks of the possibilities "Ehem" a cough brought him back. Helena was gesturing him to introduce her to his guards. Aero finally remembers that Helena is beside him "Oh, let me introduce you. This is Helena. Princess Helena" Aero introduced them to the woman emphasizing that she is a Princess.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. But Aero guess he didn''t have to. Antilus and Holt both were ogling Helena while Jayden seems angry at Holt. It is the reason why they seem to be in a daze before. Looking at Jayden and Holt Aero could not help but grin. It is easy to see the relationship dynamic between these people. ''Are they an item? Huh, I didn''t know that'' Aero thought to himself before shaking his head Then Aero said to the servants that has finished cleaning the area "Prepare Princess Helena our largest and cleanest room and serve her our greatest dish. Assign one of the attendants to take care of her needs" he ordered. Holt nodded as he began barking orders to the servants Holt gave the cleaning duty to the other workers while he escorted Helena to her room. But Helena didn''t immediately go with Holt. Instead she looks at Aero and with a little blush on her face she asks "Where are you going, Aero?" Helena asked. Aero only smiles and said "I have some business to handle." Aero looked at Helena and she seems tired and exhausted. "Go, rest, bathe, eat. Replenish your energy'' Then he leaned onto Helena and he did not notice it but Helena is flushed red and her hand is grip tight like she is restraining something in her heart. Aero leaned in and whisper to her ears ''A war is coming" Aero said solemnly. Hearing this, the flush expression is gone and her hand is relaxed again. Helena expression turned fierce. She nodded without asking anything. Aero walk to the right wing. He wanted to know who is the one waiting for him. His walk is calm amidst the blood and the carnage. He is unfurled and the wind and rain couldn''t move him. Now that he is back on Vanheim, that prestige and dignity of the second most powerful person in the kingdom emanated out of him. He only smiles as he thought to himself ''Surprises after surprises.'' ************************************************************************ Second part of the chapter. Anyweay, an old face will apaper now after a long time. If you like teh story leave some comments and please vote for the story and please support me by not reaidng this at some other site. Tomorrow will be a mass release so look forward to it Chapter 138 OLD FRIENDS CHANCELLOR GUEST ROOM RIGHT WING Aero enter the room and the moment he enters the room and saw the person waiting for him, Aero could not help but smile in delight Finally, there is some good development for his side. The man waiting for him is unbearably handsome. It is a man with jet black hair, and not too oversized muscles. He is perfect in proportion and his face is flawless and looking almost like a beautiful statue One would call this kind of person beautiful Aero smiles because he knows who this man is and he is happy seeing this man again. After all, he has been searching for this man for a long time. Now, that he come here himself, it makes Aero job easier. Looking at that man again, it seems nothing has changed. He is still as handsome as ever. Aero then looked at himself. Comparing himself with this man is really agonizing. His robe is filled with dirt and mud and some stain of blood. There are leaves sticking out of his trousers. Thinking about it, he still didn''t take any showers. Drenched in the rain is not counted as taking a shower. Aero approached the man and hugged him. The man hugged him back and then he pat Aero shoulders. Aero exclaimed "Deria, my brother" Aero said heartily "Aero" his expression is happy while patting at Aero back Aero also notice He looks healthier and livelier than before. But Aero guess that is just common sense. Before they were both in the Underworld. The stink alone is enough to make you feel sick. And it is the realm of the dead. It is hard to see a lively expression there. Now they are on the realm of the living. Lights and laughter all around. Of course it would change any man. Not to mention Aero at least was just there sightseeing. While Deria lives there for almost hundreds of years Though liveliness and light in this world will not be for long. War is beginning. No, to be more accurate it has already begun. Aero then release his hug and ask "How did you know I''m here?" Aero asked while sitting down on the cushioned chair and gesture for Deria to sit as well. Deria take his seat and then he reply ''It is quite a funny story when I think about it'' Deria said recounting his experience. ''A week ago, I captured a scout that I realized was following me. After I interrogated him, I found out that his master is you. Hearing that I rushed to Vanheim immediately" he said telling the story. Deria only knows one person in the world of the living and that is Aero. When he emerged from the Underworld, the world he saw is no longer the world he used to live in, everything seems new and interesting and strange He is also happy to see a familiar face. Aero nodding hearing the story. He then clapped his hands. The servant from the outside came in and served the drink. It is red tea. Deria waited until the servants is out before he said "Red tea? That''s an exquisite delicacy. From Duvar isn''t it?" Aero nodded and smile. Deria laughed. Then he took a sip of the red tea and savor the taste. While he is strong he does not have money that the people of these continent used. Even the clothes on his body is gained by robbing a bandit that tries to rob him. And it has been a long time since he has a proper meal. He sipped the tea and just like that all the hardship he suffered seems to dissipate slowly with each breath taken. That is how exquisite the taste of the tea is.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. He clearly likes it And now is the time Aero thought to himself. He then said "You do not know how happy I am to see you here, Deria. I''ve been wanting to give you a position in the Court" Aero said while also taking another sip, looking calm and dignified "The Court?" Deria put down the cup and began listening intently "Yes, the Court. I need someone I trust to protect me. And there is no one I trust more than you. And truthfully the work is not that hard" Then Aero sipped another sip of the red tea. "I heard" he said "Chancellor, huh?" Deria when he came here was shocked to hear that the man he met in the Underworld is such an influential person in the world of the living. From his understanding Chancellor is like the advisor of the King. In his era that is a very important position. And someone in that kind of position must be wise and knowledgeable. But then again, Athena would not choose someone dumb to send to the Underworld. After all, she is the Goddess of Wisdom¡­. among other thing Deria sighed and said "I didn''t know you are a part of the nobility" Deria in his life while he is a demigod, no one knows that other than Hephaestus since he was hidden from the eyes of the Gods. The moment Zeus found out, he sent him to the Underworld. All of his life on the living world, he was just a smith and he had to bow and grovel in front of nobility no matter how strong he is. Even though he himself is the son of one of the Gods, he was not allowed to boast about it or to reveal it to anyone. To be sitting in the seat near nobility and the person with the highest office in the land other than the King, it will be a lie for him not to be a little awed. There is no story about him, there is no glorious victory in the story of his life. He could not reach Elysium even if he wanted to Aero then shakes his head and said "Why does it matter? You, yourself are the son of a God." He smiled and he nodded. "I guess that''s right" He thought to himself this time he would surely build a better life for himself. He would make people remember his name and his story would be told in the Halls of Olympus. Aero clapped his hand again and the attendants came in again. This time Aero told them to prepare a room for him and give him clothes and anything he wanted It is clear Deria journey here is not as easy as he mentioned. "Rest in my residence for a while. I need to settle something in the Palace" Deria then was reminded of the scene he saw coming here. He looked at Aero and then said "Is it about the war?" He asked. Aero smiles bitterly and nodded "Yes, the war. I guess you saw it coming here" Deria just nodded in understanding. Aero look on as Deria is escorted to the residence as he got up from his seat. He walks outside and the carriage is already waiting for him outside the gate Aero walk and climb into the carriage And he thought to himself. ''George really needs a scolding. But first I need to write a letter to James and Duvar.'' ************************************************************************ First chapter of the mass release.It will be released five minutes apart. Hope you enjoy it and if you do enjoy it please support me by subscribing or leaving some comments or votes. Enjoy! Chapter 139 AN ADVICE 1 The Chancellor has returned! That is the news from the spies, the information broker told the many interested parties. The news that the Chancellor has returned alarmed the entire court. Like an earthquake, the entire court feels uneasy The reason is because the action the Chancellor takes after he returns home He did not return to his office instead he went to the Palace almost immediately The ministers of the court who was resting in their houses were alarmed hearing this news. This is because the Chancellor suddenly requested to meet the King in private. Some of the ministers look toward the Palace and frowned in worry. Some people dislike the influence of the Chancellor over the King but they also have to admit that the Chancellor has proven himself to be loyal to the Kingdom and the Throne. And while they would relish in the personal destruction of the Chancellor career, any loyal minister does not want the King and the Chancellor to have a fall out at this critical moment for the Kingdom Aero is not just the King personal advisor, teacher in private, a talented strategist and a brave general in the battlefield, he is more than that. If the Chancellor and the King really has a row, the impact to the entire court would not be able to be ignored. Aero set up a private meeting between him and King George and only they both are in the Private Library of the King. They sit across each other and then Aero said as calmly as possible "What were you thinking, Your Majesty" There is a trace of anger in his tone that could not be disguised. Aero has already informed the King that Helena is safe and sound getting that out of the way. Hearing that news could not help to make King George contemplate his decision. "I didn''t know" King George said as he leaned on his chair and close his eyes like he regretted issuing the order. Aero try not to blame the King. After all, the entire court wished for it and knowing Prince James, his supporters must be at the vanguard of pushing the King to make such a decision. It will be hard to go against the majority opinion especially when that opinion is the only thing he would hear when discussing the matter But still he could not hide his frustration "Your Majesty, should have waited¡­. if not for me¡­wait for more information and intelligence to be presented to the Court. And then, even then, Your Majesty should have investigated it thoroughly regardless of the opposition, and not to be rule by emotion in the grand undertaking. How many times have this humble subject advised Your Majesty? Emotions cloud reason" The King opens his eyes and then he sighed and said "What did you expect me to do, old friend? My son was attacked and nearly get killed and I was under the impression my daughter in law was killed by Daryl troops. If I do not handle it quickly then Duvar would accuse me of many things. One of them is dereliction of the protection of their Princes among other thing. I fear by that time, Niovar would not be my only enemy. If Duvar also enters the war, the consequences of such move would be disastrous to the Kingdom'' Aero nodded. He somewhat understands the King position and why he makes such a decision. But then he said "Even so. War? After thinking and contemplating...That''s Your Majesty answer?" Aero asked. He seems calm. He said it in a calm way and he acted calm. Yet, the King notice his eyes. His old friend is angry. Right now the King felt angry at those people If he could, he would summon all of the King Council and scold everyone Sayle, Bradheim, James, Thornleaf and all the reigning rulers of the Nine Lands in Vanheim. They were spared because they are at war and recalling them back from the battlefield might violate military law which Aero has no power now. King George transferred the control of The Council of War to Prince James leaving him powerless in military affairs. Aero then sighed again. The King also sighed. They look at each other and they smile bitterly toward each other. While what the King did is not in Aero plans, but he never expected a perfect plan from the beginning. If people think that the King and him will have a fallout because of this, they underestimated the friendship between the Chancellor and the King. The King then asked "So, what happened with the Princess?" Aero then told the King a lie. A necessary lie. He only had to build up from the lie Prince James told to the Parliament That it was Niovar soldiers that attacked them. And he and Helena have suffered an injury and needs to recuperate. He has brought her to his residence to receive treatment. He told King George of all this perfectly and flawlessly crafting a lie so believable that no one could find a hole to poke with. The King hearing that Princess Helena is in Aero residence suggested. "But wouldn''t it be better if she was with her husband right now?" The King asked. Aero smiles but he did not say anything. If she is in the Palace right now, Prince James might be thinking of doing something else again. And this time he might succeed. It is better if the Princess is inside his residence. He then replies to the King "I have adventurer friends that can heal her faster. The injuries she suffers while not severe would require some care" The King nodded, ands agreeing with Aero reasoning and then he change the subject "Aero, now that you have returned how about I let you leading the troops. I can spare another one hundred thousand soldiers under your command to take down Niovar. What do you say?" The King offered a quest Before the quest windows popped Aero shakes his head and saidFind authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "This humble subject politely refuses." This statement and refusal shocked the King "What do you mean?" The King asked. Aero then said nonchalantly "I have many other matters to attend. Prince James is already a capable commander. This is his war not mine" His tone is calm but the king knows it is anything but. He is sulking, George mused and he grins "Per chance, are you angry at me, Aero, old friend?" George said carefully choosing his words Aero shakes his head and give a smile to the King. But both of them know that smile is a little bit fake, a smile of courtesy Actually Aero did felt a little left out. But how could he not lead the army just because of that trifling feelings. There is another reason why. The true reason is because if he joins the war, who knows what will Prince James plan for him in the army. He could frame Aero as a traitor or worse. Aero doesn''t want to take such chances. It is better to take precautions. He is high enough on Vanheim. If he falls, the fall would be very terrible. After all, the higher you are, the harder you fall *********************************************************************************** Another chapter. There is still a lot of chapter to read. Leave some comments and please vote for the story if you like it Chapter 140 AN ADVICE 2 And like he said, this is his war not his. James started this war. And this war will end badly. Long stories of bloodshed will be spoken of this war.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. There is no need for him to interfere right now. Win or lose¡­..it is not his problem right now. Politics is sometimes about choosing sides. And James side is not appealing to him If he has to lead an army, it will be at the time of his choosing. He will choose the place and the time. Not anyone else. With his position, he could even reject the quest issued by the King. He notices this too. If this was before, the quest would be forced on him. But the higher his level is and the higher his position, the more flexibility he has in this world. The King look at Aero and ask again ''Old friend, tell me'' Aero shakes his hand and then he replied "No, it is nothing like that, Your Grace" George smiles bitterly He only calls me Your Grace when he is angry at me, George thought silently. Aero then sighed and got up from his seat. ''It has been enlightening to speak with Your Majesty. Now, may I be excuse, Your Grace? I also need to take a little vacation to settle some personal matters" Aero said politely. King George shakes his head as he thinks to himself. This means he is really angry. It is when Aero is like this that George worries. He is planning something. Even though Aero is his strategist he sometimes felt fear of Aero. His cold logic and calculating precision and the way how he acts marvel George and he tries to keep Aero by his side and as close as possible to him. "Yes, you may be excused" Aero bowed slightly and began walking out from the private library. The King is still sitting in that dark library. Aero look back and sighed as he looks at that figure. He then walked forward. Aero has many plans that he need to execute First, it is necessary now to check on his private army. He has told Justinian and another of his commanders to train the one thousand soldiers he got from Thornleaf. He did not check his level for a long time and he need to check it now. He also shut the notification settings when he was running away with Helena in the forest. Well, when your HP doesn''t really decrease, you tend not to pay attention to the small stuff. By now, his level must be really high. After all they trained the army under his direct order. Even though he doesn''t have many skills like others classes, but his skill is really overpowered if used wisely. He also need to checks on Demonic Devil Energy Drain Probably it has reached a mastery level. In the journey back to Vanheim and while he is escaping with Helena on tow, he used it often, draining the life of his enemies. He also needs to log off for a while. In the cave he logged off for a while to eat mostly and then he logged back in. And he notices something very weird. Even though he eats inside the VR it feels like he is already full when he logged off from the game. Aero notices little changes that are happening in Brave World. Aero walked away from the private library not knowing that news will reach his ear that day and change his plan. ************************************************************************ There was a mistake about this chapter. I cut it at the wrong part. Sorry you guys. Anyway, at least this one is low on SS right? Next chapter in five minutes Chapter 141 A TRUTHFUL ADVICE 1 CHANCELLOR RESIDENCE Aero enter Helena room and then told her what happened in the Palace. "Why did you tell him that?!" Helena face is red with anger. She is throwing the nearest flower vase around her at Aero. Aero smiles and skillfully caught it with his hand "Whoa, that''s expensive, Helen" Aero put the vase at the nearby table. Helena just heard the story that Aero told the King and learned of the content of the letter Aero sent to James. She looks at Aero like she was betrayed. But Aero innocent expression that he put on right now is really disarming "Tell him what? Who?" Aero tries to pretend ignorance. And Helena shakes her head and then she spread the letter on the table. Aero approached her and then look at the letter "This" Helena said, pointing at the letter on the table. But instead of being flustered, Aero only look like he is amused. ''Oh, this letter. I thought I already sent it. I guess I have to send it again'' he said it like it was nothing which makes Helena wanted to grab the vase and throw it once again to Aero The letter is as follows To: Prince James A. Vanheim, Ruler of Gold Rock, and Crown Prince of Vanheim From: The humble servant of Vanheim, Chancellor Aero, and General Who Pacified the North. I have saved Helena from the assassins, Prince James. I know what is it you''re planning and I want to be a part of it. Know that Aero of the East gives your support for your plan. Do not worry. Princess Helena knows nothing of your machination. I will help frame the Niovarians as the sole perpetrator for this attempted murder. It would also help if you do not send more assassins to kill Helena for she is in my residence and that would cast suspicion on me. Though if you really decide to frame me this time, I will not just sit still. This could be a beautiful friendship or a bitter rivalry. The choice is up to you, honorable Prince. Sincerely Chancellor of Vanheim, General Who Pacified the North, Aero of the East ''Explain!'' she roared. Aero closed his ears for a moment before opening it back up and then he said "Oh, that" This time Helena started throwing the chair. Aero laughed. ''Ok, now, she moved to household furniture'' Aero said to himself. This needs to stop before she decides to mess this room any further. Aero grabbed the chair flying at him, slowly put it down and said "Why don''t you hear what I have to say first?" Helena crossed her arms together and pout her lips and then said Aero smiles looking at Helena behavior. "Fine. Give your excuse" Aero then explains "First of all, I couldn''t stop the war anymore even if I wanted to. It is just not possible at this point of time. Blood has been spilled and they have already began battling. Even if we unveiled the true perpetrator do you think King Daryl of Niovar will just laugh it off and say "Oh, so you misunderstood us and launched a surprise attack killing ten of thousand of our soldiers and now you want peace. Alright, I would like that too" You think that prideful King who is always boasting of his nation superiority will say that?" Hearing this Helena nodded but she said "Well, no but¡ª" Aero only smirks and intercepted what she is about to say "No. That would be his answer. And instead of us attacking, he would be the one attacking" Aero explained to Helena. "Alright. That I understand. But why tell James that I know nothing?" Aero look at Helena and shakes his head. She is brave, stubborn, strong and beautiful. Yet, at the same time she is innocent¡­no to be more apt, she is na?ve. "Helen. Do you think war is only waged on battlefield? That only in that way people fight and win and shed blood? No¡­. sometimes words are more powerful than a sword. Right now, there is a war in the Court. Secret wars. Secret alliances. And it is targeting you. At least in the battlefield, it is more honest. You know who is killing you and why he is killing you. It is simple. Barbaric and simple, yes, but honest. But in the Court, the killing is more subtle and more dangerous''Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Aero then sighed and said ''There is as much of faction who wants you dead as much as the faction who wants you alive in the Court of Vanheim. I do not need to survey them to know that." Then Aero continued before Helena even had the chance to say. Because he could guess what Helena is trying to say. So, he is going to give it to her straight She needs to know what she is fighting and what she is fighting for. "And if you think the faction who wants you alive is nobler than the other, you thought wrong. They want you alive for their gains. For their own selfish needs. You are a tool. Something they could use. You are useful and still have value so they will keep protecting you. They don''t want a smart Princess. They want a Princess they could use. In their eyes, you are nothing more but something that could be invested and nurtured. They want tame little Princess who could be ordered and controlled. And I don''t think, you like being such things, am I right?" Helena nodded and she was silenced for a while. Then she looks at Aero and said "Is this true?" Helena asked. Aero only chuckles. Everything he said is for the sake of here. He is telling the truth. The unaltered truth and reality of her situations A truth that he thinks Helena is sheltered from. And it is not weird when he thinks of it from her perspective and her background. Helena might be strong, stubborn and headstrong but she is still a Princess. Probably because she is a Princess, that is why she is so stubborn and headstrong. She lived in the Holy Lands with Oracles of the Temples that would not lie to her, with people as pious as the angels. Everyone pampered her and everyone loved her. She has no reason to distrust people and she was exposed to the beauty of people. Vanheim is not like that. As there is people with good hearts, there is more people with darkness in their hearts. Especially when it is about the people of the court. In the court however, it is not so easy to differentiate between good and evil. Most of the times, the minister, courtiers all acts in somewhat kind of a gray areas of morality. No powerful nation is like those people in the Holy Lands. Deceit and betrayals color their history. Some are only better at hiding it. Aero then come closer to Helena "You think Prince James is alone in his plot? A lot of people worked in the background to make sure you use that route instead of travelling by sea which is faster than riding carriage where you need to traverse mountains and dangerous forest. Think back to your experience and you could see the trails" Aero lectured while Helena face turned pale She remembered. The faces of the drivers, the faces of the people she encountered along the way, all of it now seems blurry but at the same time fills her with fear. Could it be since the day she departed everything was planned? That her movement, her life was already decided the moment she left the gates of Duvar? That is a terrible thought to have. But it is the truth the more she thinks about it For one brief moment, she felt powerless. If not for Aero that comes to her rescues, she would no doubt get buried under the ground or maybe her corpse would be eaten by some monsters or wild beast that roam the forest *************************************************************************************** Next chapter right? You want next chapter right? Hehehe. Anyya, hope you will vote for thsi stroy next month because I might not update it that much next month since I will be busy with uploading and posting AGe of Heroes. Arial is coming to Webnovel Chapter 142 A TRUTHFUL ADVICE 2 "Helen, I am the Chancellor and my job is to counsel the King. Here is an advice to you. And this advice is free" Helena listened intently. Aero smiles and he come closer to her. Their faces are only inches away. Then he said with a smirk on his face "Trust no one, Princess. Not your attendants, not your supposed In-Laws, not the countless brave men and brave Knights who offered to die for you, and not those who claim to be your friend'' Then his smile grew larger and he continued ''Especially, those that claim themselves to be your friend. All that mistrust will make you feel uncomfortable and tired, but it''s better than being killed by a stab of knife on your back or the shooting of an arrow in a dark alley or the sip of a poison in your dish" Helena gulped. Then she asked him "How about you?" Helena asked "Can I trust you?" Aero chuckled and then he touched her chin with his two finger and raise her face up, so that her eyes stares at him and his eyes staring at her.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. There is mischievousness in his eyes but more than that, it seems infinitely full of wisdom. Then he said with a grin on his face like he found something to be very funny "Above all Princess. do not trust me. I have many titles that are heroic and inspire awe but in the Palace I''m known by many different titles. Some of them called me the snake. That is not a title someone would give to people they could trust'' "But your promise!" Helena almost shouted. Aero move his finger and he smiles looking at Helena face. She looks hurt, betrayed even She remembered Aero promised her on the steep hill, in the drizzling rain with her eyes looking at his and feeling that everything will be alright. She felt safe and warm. "I promise on my life Helen; I will never let anything happen to you" She recalled that moment "Yes, I did. And know this, Helen" He inched his face closer to Helena face. They could feel each other breath and Helena could feel the drumming heartbeat of her heart Her face flushed red. "I have lied to dozens of people, I have tricked hundreds of them and betrayed a hundred more but know this, if there is one promise that I would keep, it would be that promise towards you. I''ll protect you" She could feel his breath at her neck. Her heart beginning to beat faster than before. It almost felt like it would burst. "How do I know your words are true?" she said almost whispering. Her face inches closer to Aero. Aero whispers to her "You don''t. That is what trust is all about. You must first take that leap of faith." Aero said their eyes locked with each other. Then he inched backward and he said "Helen, that''s is why it''s so scary. It''s easier to lie, trick and betray. But trust? That takes courage. The possibility of being hurt because of that trust or be rewarded for it. And it will always be your choice" And for a moment there is silence between them. Aero think it is now a good time to go out. Slowly Aero retreated back to the door. Then Aero began walking to the door and he was about to open the door and exited the room. It was then a voice from his back speaks "Then, you''re a coward?" Helena asked suddenly realizing something from the conversation She recalled what Aero said. ''I have lied to dozens of people, I have tricked hundreds of them and betrayed a hundred more'' He couldn''t trust. For some reason, Helena felt like she saw a part of Aero that he never shows to anyone else. That this invincible warrior that doesn''t seems to be able to die is somewhat pitiful Aero turned his head back. He contemplated the question. He smiled a knowing smile and said "I''ve been saying that for a long time but no one seems to believe me" And she understands. He could not trust because trust requires courage. But he is willing to try. Saying that, he exited the door. ******************************************************************** Next chapter in another five minutes. hope you all like it. And dont forget to rate the chapter too. And leave some review Chapter 143 THE NEWS By VPlaye -Have you joined? The war has started. Anybody joining? Give some tips, you guys- By Meto -I have already joined. I joined the First War against Vetten under Dan. Now I''m posted under Raina. She looked fierce. And don''t try to sweet talk her. I almost got an arrow on my head ¨C By Troll89 -Huhauihauhauha- By Treoldogy -Anyone seen the new vids and news about the new update? - By Amy Fan -Does Lady Amy did not join? I want to see her again. The last time she healed me, I fell in love. Where is she? Anyone got vids? I''m going to give award to anyone that could help me - By TrueFan -No, I love her more- By Coultier Link Below -I compile a video of Amy being cute. You can see it in Mytube. And please click like and subscribe. I also have an Outgram account so you could follow me- By SensVo -What the hell you''re all talking about. Who cares about the girl? This is war. What important is did Aero participate in the war? Is Aero of the East will lead again?- By Repor -I heard rumors from one reputable source in the Vanheim Court that he will not be participating. That would be unfortunate. I totally wanted to be posted under him. My friends were posted once under him and they said that Aero was a good leader and most of all my friends racked a lot of contribution points. Now he is a Baron with lands while I have nothing. Life isn''t fair- By Troll89 -LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL- By Zenla -Stop trolling, Troll89- By Troll89 -LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL- By AngryNio -You Vanheim players are fucking liars. You called us a murderer but Princess Helena has been reported alive- By VPlaye -Yeah, no thanks to your nations. - By Angry Nio -Your justification are null- By Meto -What null? Your country still attempted to kill Princess Helena. Vanheim Glory- By AnotherNio -Fuck you, you piss guzzler. No, Niovar will win this war. Just because you defeated Vetten you think you can topple us the same way. Dream on.- By Meto -No, fuck you, bastard of fourth generation incest that home aborted sonuva castrated hermaphrodite- By KinkyNiceGuy -Wow, calm down, you all- By ShadowLightWolf - Wow, that escalated quickly. By the way, Aero rules. Vanheim FTW- By RageV -Well, talk big as much as you want. We will crush you in the coming war. Vanheim Glory- The forum is full with the debate about the war of Niovar and Vanheim. And curses¡­..there is a lot of cursing one would never read from social media. The war seems to intensify all people emotion ETV3 Broadcasting Station and VMS are already beginning to contact people that have anything to do with the war to buy their videos and set up interviews. Before VMS was focusing on Zeus war but now the war between Niovar and Vanheim is beginning to take center stage in all of the news. In the forums, in the news of trending items, the war between Vanheim and Niovar is the largest thing that is happening right now in Brave World They are many players and partcipatsnt of the war that agree to interview. But one player in parctualr is different. Wheil Niovar and Vanheim is oen of the hottest news in Viljaeir OCntinet right, there is noathe rthing that is also considered dimproatnt news. And that was Ariana of Zun. But she is not like any other player. Ariana of Zun on the other hand refuses any solicitations for contracts or appearance on television, the net or appearance on some Mytube channels. Which only increases her mystery The billboards were filled with the advertisement from both TV stations about the upcoming war footage. Some reporters have also been reporting from inside the game participating in the war at the same time. ETV3 is also contacting Daniel/Aero asking him to appear as a guest appearance to discuss the ongoing war. Daniel still didn''t give them his answer. Brave World has its war. And the TV stations are also at war with each other. Who will get the best footage? Who will get the latest scoop? Who will get the most correct information? Because that is what the viewers and players want. Information about the war and the players that fight in the war. The excitement, the thrills, the things they could learned and use to better their experience in playing the game. They expected all of this and they would gravitate to any TV station that have better report or story. In the TV Sarah is reporting "The Warring Kingdoms has begun in the Vilajeri Continent. In the aftermath of the Vetten War King George rules the Vanheim Kingdom stronger than ever, with the famed Aero of the East by his side. In the North Continent, Zeus, King of Veva rules his Kingdoms with strength, a Kingdom built on blood and death. In the South Continent, Ariana of Zun began moving to Nero Republic bringing with her strange culture to the continent and with her strange God, with the peasant rallying to her cause as her army moved unchallenged. The Great Pillars has dictated the game of war. Peace is broken. Kingdoms are falling and rising. Eastern Continent began its war to decide the fate of two great superpower nations. Powerful foes and allies stir. In this period of war and unrest, the tides of destiny and politics lead a grand cast of players into the battlefield of war, of Kings and Queens, of Prince and Princess, of nobles and peasants, of faith and love to the greatest battle of all. A song of swords and blood begins." And the scene changes with the image of the Three Great Figures of Brave World seems to be looking down at the world. Zeus of the North. Aero of the East. Ariana of the South. Their gigantic image seems to view the entire map of Vilajeri Continent as their chessboard. She reports the news with as much flair and dramatic as she can. Who will emerge victorious? She guess everyone is thinking about that Sarah ended her report. The report stirred everyone curiosity and burns their desire anew to make a name for themselves in this period known to the players as the Warring Kingdoms Period. The South and North players are interested in the war probably because Aero did not participate in the war. Some players speculate that Aero felt that Vanheim stands no chance so he did not enter the war. Others speculate he is waiting for something and planning in the background. Some of Vanheim players are also excited to join the war. Now that Aero did not participate, probably a new legend would emerge in the battlefield. Zeus of the North, Arianna of the South and Aero of the East. Many players want to be regarded as the Great Pillars, to have their names sing in songs and told in taverns. They want to carve their names in the history of Brave World. The players and the NPCs have regarded these three players that wield huge influence in their own respective Kingdom as the representatives of their Continent dubbing them as The Great Pillars because without them their country could not stand as they are today. Aero installed a wise King and elevated and revitalize the sleeping giant of the East that is Vanheim. Now he is the advisor of the King and hold almost an unchecked authority in Vanheim. Zeus has long been regarded the strongest warrior of Brave World. People even make some saying about him that is related to the real world. Among warrior, Zeus, Among horses, Thunderbolt. It was a famous meme before he becomes the King of Veva. He ruled in the battlefield and no one could stand under his might and he wins every war he participated in. He is skilled in leading armies and military strategy. He is a ruthless leader and often ordering the massacres of entire cities even after they surrender peacefully. To many people, Zeus possess great courage and great power but lacked wisdom. While he is still lacking in administration he is without a doubt a great warrior and he has Eric by his side. Then there is Ariana of the South. This woman that comes out of nowhere, raises a banner of faith and started conquering and demolishing Temples of the Seven Gods, unstoppable and undefeated. She created a path for herself and free the peasant from the yoke of their oppressors. She is more of a liberator than she is a conqueror. These are the three people that the reporters are referring to when they said the Great Pillars. The Pillars that hold up their Continent Even in Vanheim many are proud of Aero but they are also jealous of the attention and praise directed at Aero.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. This war might be their chance for greatness and fame and carved their name beside the Three Great Pillars. The Song begins. ************************************************************************ Reaction of internet or the bluedit. This Earth is not our Earth. Those who reads Lord Shadow knwos what I am talking about. Anyweay, it is kind of summary of the conflcit that is happening in Brave World right now. If you like teh stroy pelase vote and support thsi poor autho Chapter 144 DAMSEL IN DISTRESS 1 DANIEL HOUSE The capsule slowly opened up and someone opened his eyes. Daniel just logged out from the game. He slowly exited out from the capsule and stretch his body. But he felt refreshed. Like always he showered first. As the water drops onto his body, his mind is thinking of many things. ''A war, huh'' He thought to himself ''Another big undertaking'' He said while washing his body. His muscles are still as firm as before. He trains both in the VR and in real life. Healthy body, more money. That is what he believes. Even now, he did not have to worry that much about money anymore He could not be considered rich but at least he no longer have to worry about putting food in the table. After finished washing, he opened the fridge. Thank God, he filled the fridge yesterday. Or he would be starved today. ''Ugg, rotten milk'' he could smell it when he opened the fridge. He threw the milk to the trash bin. He opened another pack of egg that he buys yesterday and began whipping a dish for dinner. Fried rice, today. After finished eating, he opened his laptop. Other than checking the news he need to check the status of the items he auctioned on the forums of Brave World. He almost choked on his drink when he finished calculating the overall profit of the items he auctioned. He got a lot of items from Karak nobility when he visited the place and from the assassins that tried to kill him in the forest and he auctioned all of them off. Five thousand dollars! ''I could be rich just playing this game.'' He thought to himself as he laugh in happiness. Well, the items are also good and considered precious in BW. It''s not a bad bargain for the players. Daniel accepted the transactions. ''Whoo! I''m rich'' Then he sighed. What a pitiful life he thought to himself. In Brave World, this kind of money is chump change of him but in the real world he already felt like he is flying on the sky with this amount of money He sighed ''But what will I do with all this money?'' Suddenly Daniel is thinking about furthering his studies. Last time he had to drop out because he needed to take care of his mother but now his mother is also getting better. He also didn''t have to worry about the hospital bill anymore now that it''s been taken care off. For now, I will just put it in the banks maybe I will open another saving account. He mused It would be helpful for emergency use. Then he remembered someone he is really grateful to "I should invite Michael to eat sometimes. Now that I have money, I should really repay all the money I owed him." ''Yeah, maybe I''ll do that.'' He said it to himself He also checked his email and it seems they are a few emails from ETV3 asking for his appearance in their Brave World Special Bulletin segment. "Well, for an appearance I would get pay three thousand dollars." He reads the documents and the agreement form again. Isn''t this kind of much? But then again, he is quite famous in Brave World. It doesn''t sound like a bad deal to him For now, he will just reply yes. He also emailed back the production team to forward the contract to his email. Today is a happy day for him. He closes the internet and whistle and then he thinks he should share this happiness with someone and one person comes to mind. His mother. He called his mother and after a few second, his mother answered the call "Mom. How are you doing?" "I''m good." The voice from the end of the call sound weak but she does seem a little excited "Still busy on the project?" Daniel asked "Yes. How are you son? Have you eaten dinner already?" Daniel smiles and reply "Yeah. Just did. Fried rice with eggs." "Sound delicious" "Ok, if you''re fine that''s ok. I''m just checking up on you, Mom. Don''t overwork yourself, alright?" "I know, Dear." "Goodnight, Mom" "Goodnight, Dear" Daniel then ended the call. He looks at the celling and he want to sleep. Yet, he is not tired. He already sleeps in the Brave World. But does that give any effects in the real world? But since he has so much energy, he went to his capsule and then he just logged back in. ************************************************************************ CHANCELLOR RESIDENCE It was a bright morning that day. It is a good day despite the circumstances of war surrounding the entire nation. The sunlight shines the garden and the butterflies fly around. The birds were chirping outside cheerily. The wind blows gently to the windows and moves the curtains. The smell of the morning air refreshes Aero body. There is no longer the smell of blood that is pungent when Aero first returned to his residence The corpses and the blood that is around the residence were all cleaned by the cleaning crew when he logged out. Then as he opened his eyes and is ready to went out from the room, someone knock the door. They declare themselves and Aero allowed them to enter. It was his attendants. They entered the room because they wanted to ask something His attendants entered the room. "Your Excellency, should I wake your guests?" one of his attendant asked hesitantly. Right now the residence has two guests. And both of these guest are no ordinary people. One is a Princess; another is a demigod. ''I''m in a company of great man and woman'' Aero thought to himself and he almost chuckles at the fact Aero nodded and reply "Yes. Ask them to join me in the dining room. Prepare the best dishes. Bring out the best wine, cook the best meat, serve them great foods and clean the dining room like you''re serving Kings and Queens." Aero ordered. The attendants nodded and quickly exited the room. Aero only smiles. He could understand the nervousness of the attendants. They all know that Helena is a Princess so they felt a little awe and fear and the same could be apply to the man Nobody knows who that man was but someone the Chancellor called his brother could not be an ordinary man. The attendant was afraid that they could offend those two people which is why they came to him first asking for permission. At least his attendants are smart. Aero went out of his room, walk through the gardens, greets his people and then he arrived at the dining roomFind authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Aero is the first person that arrived in the dining room. Then he could hear footsteps approaching. Someone enter the dining room and Aero smiles. **************************************************************************************************** Part one of the chapter. Hope you like it. The title is kinda a forehsadowing if you think about it Chapter 145 DAMSEL IN DISTRESS 2 "Brother, come join me" Aero said joyfully seeing Deria. He looks at Deria and Aero shakes his head. ''I never understand how his hair always remains flawless even after he has just awoken from sleep. Demigod'' he mused. "An early riser, Aero. That is unexpected" he said "Yeah, well when I have guest, I try not to sleep too much." Deria laughed a little. He sat beside me. "Where''s the food?" "In a little while" Aero said while scanning the hallway "Are we waiting for someone?" Deria asked. It seems Deria was not acquainted with Princess Helena yesterday. Aero heard from the maid, the moment Deria was shown to his room he immediately went to sleep. "Yes. A princess" "A princess?" he smiled a naughty smile. "Nothing like that" Aero tried to clear the air because it seems like Deria is misunderstanding something. "Not yet, you mean" he chuckled. Aero regretted the stories he told Deria when they were in the underworld. Like any man, he exaggerated his story. And by exaggerating, he means make up a story of how they were many women that loves him. It is because Deria likes hearing those kind of story and Aero see no harm of entertaining the young man since there is not many things to be entertained about in the Underworld. Who would have thought that would form a false image of Aero in Deria mind? Aero could only sigh and then they talked about other stuff Then, after five minutes, Helena finally arrived at the room. The servants opened the door for her and she enters. She entered the room and it felt like the room got brighter. In a way she is like the sun illuminating everyone with her brightness and life. Every woman in the world envies her, and every man wants to be with her. That is the most apt description to describe her. That is the effect of her divine beauty on people. Even Deria is not excluded. Deria was looking at Helena when suddenly he shook his head. "What, Deria?" I said puzzled by his weird reaction "I almost got entranced. There is a divine charm about her. She is blessed by one of the Gods of Olympus, there is no doubt about this'' he said and Aero nodded. Even though there is a rumor circulating a long time ago that Helena is blessed by Aphrodite most regarded it as simple exaggeration. But the more Aero spend time with her, he doesn''t think that there is no basis to that story. Deria look at the woman once again and his eyes narrowed. Aero noticed it and then Deria whispers something to Aero. ''So, this is the famed Helena. Looking at her again, no wonder she is blessed by the Gods" Aero eyes shines and then he asks "What do you mean, Deria?" Deria look at the ceiling and then whispers to Aero ears "That princess is not of mortal blood. She is like me" Aero quickly grasp what Deria is trying to tell him "You mean a demigod?" Deria nodded and then he quickly deduces a scenario. "Yes. Probably the offspring of Vrandeus and Aphrodite. And her ability, if I have to guess is that her appearance bewitches people" He whispers looking quite curios of Helena Her ability. It sounds like every demigod have some kind of ability. Deria is immune to fire or anything hot in particular. And it seems that Helena ability is that it bewitches people. How appropriate for the daughter of the Love Goddess Deria then look at Aero with puzzled expression and then he asks "Then, why it didn''t work on you?" Aero think of it for a moment too and then he thinks he got the answer "I too have Gods blood in me. I guess, that is why I''m not that badly affected." Helena who just enter the room look at the two men whispering at each other like they are little girls playing telepathy She immediately asked "What are you whispering about?" Helena asked Aero and then took a glance at Deria. She sat on Aero left side. Aero raise his head up and smile at Helena "Nothing of interest to you, Helen" Deria also stopped smiling and flashed a smile to Helena. "Hmph" she snorted. Aero shakes his head and then he gestures to Deria. "Let me introduce you to my friend. This is Deria, Son of Hephaestus" Aero said. Before she could even begin to react Aero intercepted her as he quickly he began the introduction for Helena. "This is Princess Helena, the daughter of King Vrandeus of Duvar, wife of the Second Prince of Vanheim, Prince Edward, and the only Princess of the Holy Land." Deria nodded and Helena decided to not to press Deria about his demigod status. Instead, they both shook their hands and sat down at their chair politely. Aero looking at this smile. ''At least this time both of them would be civil'' he thought to himself. Then he clapped his hands. Then the servants came in drove bringing food after food like this is some kind of the Halls for Demeter There are the delicious egg rolls, the chicken sandwich with a hint of some flavor sauce that even Aero couldn''t identify, lamb roast with honey, spice chicken with red wine, ox soup and noodles with chicken curry fused together. And that is just a few of the food on the table. Instead of letting them eat food, it almost seems like his attendant and servant is trying to kill him by overeating "Oh, that looks delicious" Helena is smiling and beaming with her eyes. Sometimes Aero wonder how could she keep that perfect figure of hers with the amount of food she keeps eating and then he was reminded of what Deria said. The daughter of the Love Goddess. Beauty is kind of comes with the territory. Life really isn''t fair he lamented in his heart "Eat slowly" Aero requested to Helena and Helena pout her lips but when the soup is in front of her face, her expression turns happy. Aero smiles a bit Deria and Aero were just about to munch in when Helena said "Pray first" They both stopped at the same time "You do it" Aero said "Fine" Helena replied slightly annoyed. Then she spoke the prayers to the Gods while Deria was clearly yawning which made Helena show her distaste by picking up the fork on the table and throwing it to Deria only missing a few inches from Deria cheek. That got the attention she wanted Even breakfast becomes such a hard thing to do, Aero mused "Finished?" Aero asked "Finished" she said but she is clearly sulking.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "Now, we eat" Deria said on Aero right side like he couldn''t wait anymore. Aero could kind of understand Deria feeling. He never had that much of a goodwill for the Gods anyway. After all, it is Zeus that imprisoned him in the Underworld. It is no wonder, he found the prayer to be just noise in his ears. "Now we eat" Aero echoes Deria opinion and Deria smiles. Deria and Helena might not agree on much about the Gods, but they do share the same huge appetite. they quickly munched the food like it is going to run away from them. Aero on the other hand is feeling something new as he eats the food The texture of the food and the smell. It doesn''t feel like he is eating fake food. ''Realistic as hell, huh'' he whispers to himself. Helena on the other hand is trying to eat gracefully and slowly and could not help but keep on failing. Aero smiles looking at this. There is innocence in such an act. Deria is not any better, that glutton. He really looks like he did not eat for centuries. They finished eating with all of the plate clean. Aero then amidst the tea drinking told Helena what she needs to do now. The next step There are also a few things that Aero himself need to take care of. One of his plans is to elect Deria as one of the rulers of the state in Vanheim. He has set this up the moment he created the Council and drawing the borders. They both exited the room and Aero is left alone in the empty room. He better checks his level first. He had been delaying it long enough CHARACTER NAME Aero ALIGNMENT Athena LEVEL 320 PROFESSION Grand Strategist TITLE GENERAL WHO PACIFIED THE NORTH CHANCELLOR CITIZEN STATUS Nobleman(Vanheim) AFFLICTION Curse of the Styx CONTRIBUTION POINTS 0 REPUTATION 8800 FAME 9000 ELEGANCE 0 HEALTH 99999(MAX) MANA 3200+800 WILLPOWER 410 STRENGTH 9000+ 50 AGILITY 1500+100 HONOUR 610 STAMINA 1000+40 WISDOM 475+80 INTELLECT 600 ENDURANCE MAX LUCK 210 CHARISMA 390+110 LANGUAGE 0 GRACE 300 LEADERSHIP 350+50 ATTACK 99999 (MAX) DEFENSE MAX MAGIC RESISTANCE DARK 50% LIGHT 0% FIRE 100% WATER 70% EARTH 0% WIND 0% + All stats are added 20 points in battle + 30% increase to Stats on the Battlefield. + Enables equipped items for the secret class + Decrease mana consumption for Divine sword technique + Easier to raise proficiency in any area. + Affinity with scholars increased. + Affinity with wise men increased + Easier to influence statesmen and scholars. + Decrease in Mana Consumption for the Divine Sword Techniques based on level of INT + Gained ability to learn secret skills based on your level in Language. + Fame increase upon solving any quest involving the nobility. + Can talk to spirit and understand divine meaning + High leadership enables your troops to enjoyed 10 points of stats increase in strength + High leadership enables you to raise your troops marching speed by 20% + High Charisma enables you to establish rapport with townspeople quickly + High charisma enables you gain secret information (Orders Of Letters unlocked[Click to get more info]) + High wisdom enables you to join Celestials Scholars [Click to get more info] + High intellect enables you to join Council of Athena [Click to get more info] + You have unlocked Baron status + You have unlocked Lord status. + You have unlocked Nobleman status + Intellect is added extra 100 points + 80 points added to Wisdom. + 10 points added to CHM + Strength is added 150 points because of the title effect + Charisma is added 100 points because of the title effect + Leadership is added 50 points because of the title effect + Attack and defense is added 40 points because of the title effect + Because you were blessed by Athena all your stats increase by 40 points + Curse of the Styx inflicted upon you. + Bonuses for Health, Endurance, Attack and Defense are void. + Chancellor title bonus added 20 to Intellect, Charisma, and wisdom + Bonus for fame and reputation when solving quest: Effect of Chancellor title. + Enhanced senses because of Son of Thetis title. + Known to the Gods as son of Thetis He looks at his level and he could not help but keep on smiling. He is now level 320 now. This is why he loves being the Grand Strategist. Aero had no doubt this is because of his private troops. The order he left before he went away was for them to train themselves by killing the monsters in nearby forest. And it seems that they reaped some high level EXP. It helps Aero indirectly and there is also the fact that Aero himself kills a lot of assassins during his chase Then Aero check his skills. Demonic Devil Energy Drain [2] Master Mana consumption 1000 MANA for half an hour The consumption of mana decreases. Can drain life force of monsters and people. You can also receive about 60% of your soldiers experience. Enables you to also drain mana by 50% of enemies mana. Can also receive soldiers experience even though you''re not there with them in the battle. Restriction: Must however have your own private army and it must be by your order that they fight. Aero smiles are getting even wider. Now¡­. That''s what I''m talking about'' he said to himself. Looking at his skill increasing in power is bliss for any gamers. Aero is satisfied with us progress and he is getting up from his seat. He need to check the development of his private army. Then he heard a sound that comes with the wind. Aero quickly turned around and ready to kill if it''s an enemy. Someone jumped in front of Aero. But Aero keep his clam as he recognized the person entering his room. That person immediately kneeled the moment he saw Aero " Your Excellency, I have returned with great news" The spy said with a low tone "Oh, ok" Aero couldn''t remember what this spy assignment was but he keeps nodding He has so may spies that he usually just told them to combine their information in one report and send it to him. "Like Your Excellency has ordered I have found her" The moment he said that Aero ears perked up. Her. There is only one person that Aero requested to be found to his spies. Amy. He still remembers that he ordered some of his spies to find her whereabouts. "Where is she?" Aero quickly said, and there is excitement in his voice. The spy hesitated to speak "SPEAK!" Aero yelled. "In Veva, Your Excellency. She is Imprisoned in one of Zeus castles." Aero shoulder slumped and he almost drop down back to his seat. ''Why him?'' Aero thought to himself. Then he shakes his head and his eyes shines with fire. Then with new determination he walked to the stables. The entire residence is alarmed with this sudden action of the Chancellor. He also informed Deria asking him to join him "Your Excellency" the stable master bowed. Deria is behind him looking at him but Aero did not ask whether he would follow or not. Because he already knows the answer. Deria will follow him. "Ready the carriage. I need to go somewhere" Aero said. "Where, Your Excellency?" Aero look at the sky and looking at the sky and the heavens like they are playing a joke on him he said "United Kingdom of Veva" Aero declared. He and Deria entered the carriage. "What are you going to do in Veva, Aero?" Deria asked in the carraige Aero smirked and he replies with. "Saving a damsel in distress" ************************************************************************* Hehehehe. East and North...Now, you get it? Chapter 146 THE BLESSING OF GODS 1 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND CERN The room is silent except for the sound of the mechanical sound. Takashi is looking at the laptop with his coffee on his right and research notes on his left. He took a sip of the coffee. ''It''s cold tonight'' he thought to himself. He shivered under the blanket. The heater is already on but he is still cold. But the cold did not deter his concentration. Takashi is focused. He was comparing the data he got from both Matsuo and Julia. All three of them are in different countries bonded with one objective. At least it seems that way. The door opened and someone come inside. That person looks at Takashi focused expression and that person smiles. That person approached Takashi work space and ask "So, how is it?" Takashi look to his left for one second before looking back at his research notes. The person that enters is Lila. Lila looking at Takashi shows a worried expression. Takashi has not been asleep for many nights now. She worries about him. Takashi put down the coffee on top of the table and then he took one of the documents lying around on top of his table and look at it for a few second before putting it back down. He then grabs back his coffee and take another sip. ''Its fine. Though it could be better'' Takashi replies to Lila question. Lila only sighed. Then she asked ''What are you doing now?'' Takashi eyes did not leave the research notes. He then reply "Well, I''m just reviewing Julia latest calculation. It looks promising" He said while still looking at the data "Can it really be done?" Lila asked. Takashi smiles and turns to looked toward Lila. He then confidently said "It has to. There is no other choice" He took another sip of the coffee. Lila nodded like she understands the hard choice that Takashi had to do "So, what now?" she asked Takashi then saidFind authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "Matsuo is in Japan working with the brightest mind in solving the equation. If only I can create it--" His voice trailed off as his mind seems to be working on overdrive. There is something with his conversation with Lila that trigger something in his mind. It was like something struck Takashi. He put down the coffee cup slowly in the table like he realized something while looking at the calculation that Julia sent him. ''Wait, wait- '' He rose up from his chair while looking awestruck "I''ve seen this before" he began digging the research notes in the cabinet on the right corner of the room. "No, not, this" he said while looking at the document then he examined it again "Here it is!" He opened the documents and examined it "It was right in front of me all this time. How could I be so blind?" Lila almost got shocked with the sudden outburst of excitement from Takashi "What is it?" Lila could not help being curious as her eyes also looked toward a paper full of equations Takashi looked at her and smiled. Then he said "Salvation, Lila. Salvation." And he laughed ************************************************************************ On the large road from Vanheim to Veva, from the East a carriage is riding to the North. Aero when he decided on something he did not shy away or hesitated before doing it. Vanheim is at war with Niovar so Aero knows his limits of ordering the army to go for his personal quest. And his private army fs for something else. So, he decided to go with Deria to Veva Aero has been on the road for a few weeks now. He saw the marching of people in the countryside of Niovar, saw the architecture of Nero Republic and greeted their merchants and nobles and Aero and Deria is slowly inching closer to Veva. There are times when he logs off and then logs back in only to stay in the carriage again. There are times of course when he and Deria stop in taverns to get some information from the tavern keeper. The tavern is hotbed for information after all. Sometimes they are just rumors but sometimes it''s the real deal. He recalled the conversation he had with a tavern keeper four days ago. "Did you know that United Kingdom of Veva has constructed a wall so high that it is said that it reaches Olympus. It was completed in seven days; with the mighty Apollo and her sister Artemis help building it? The United Kingdom of Veva is blessed by Olympus and the twin Gods of Apollo and Artemis" Aero heard the stories in the taverns he goes. Artemis and Apollo constructed a wall to prevent a prophecy. At least that is what he heard. Considering that Veva is his place of worship it''s understandable why Apollo would want to protect it. The King of Veva, Zeus took Apollo and constructed a large temple for him only slightly smaller than of The Chief God Zeus "Aero, want some water?" Deria asked handing Aero the flask and bringing Aero back to the current situation Aero shakes his head and said "No, it''s ok. I''m not thirsty" Aero then looked outside. Grassy plains can be seen with tall grass waving to the distance as vast as the eyes can see and hawks fills the skies of Alfhaim. Shining eyes look at the carriage from the tall and large forest in front of this grassy plains. They have already reached Alfhaim Kingdom after many weeks Aero knows that the population here is mostly elves. Alfhaim kingdom bordered with Niovar and Loth kingdom. It is a large area and the elves could rarely be seen unless you enter their forest cities. Aero estimates his location and how long it would take for him to arrive in Veva. Based on his calculations he would probably reach Veva in one day with this speed. Aero is thinking of many things He thinks to himself of how should he present himself to Zeus? Should he be humble or should he be dignified? He didn''t make any initial investigation towards Zeus because he doesn''t have to. One of his first orders as Chancellor was to spy on Zeus. He long saw him as a threat to Vanheim rule for hegemony. He is a threat. A sleeping tiger in the North that if allowed unhindered will swallow the whole Continent. Only an idiot King does not understand the danger he created. It is why even though Aero and Zeus never met, Aero could somehow understand this man people called his rival. Aero read the reports about him since he took office. He understands Zeus personality and demeanor He is impulsive, ruled by his emotions which makes him an unpredictable time bomb. He never forgets a mistake real or imagined. He takes prudence and caution for cowardice and criticism as defiance. And nepotism runs rampant in his Kingdom. After all the Prime Minister of United Kingdom of Veva is his friend Eric while the one in charge of the military division is Bart another one of his friends. And Aero knows he is greedy. He is greedy for power and adoration. How could he not be? He usurped the King''s position to satisfy his greed for power, betraying the very man that elevated his position. He is unloyal, brutish and barbaric in nature He decimated Asgaro Kingdom, a kingdom of great refine and culture with as much history as the Holy Land, slaughtered its people mercilessly, burned their villages and cities and looted their possessions. He forced the other Kingdoms to submit or they will suffer the same fate. The other Kingdoms obeyed and United Kingdom of Veva is formed. He is a hero King. But that kind of King is no doubt have many enemies. Because it is a Kingdom built on blood and death, on threats and destruction. A Kingdom built on the lives of the innocent. He changed the country law just because he wanted adoration from the players and NPCs alike. He wants both fame and love. He is arrogant but unbelievably na?ve on the game of politics It is bad personality trait for any King. No, it is not bad. It is fatal ''No, humbling myself wont work'' Aero thought to himself humble attitude won''t work on such arrogant man. Praising him would be seen as cowardice. Aero immediately knows that he need to appear strong. To appear as his equal. Not a supplicant asking for a release of one prisoner. Zeus respects strength and bravery. So that is what Aero will show him The bumpy ride in the carriage continued as they leave the grassy plains and the shining eyes on the forest retreated. ************************************************************************ Part one of the chapter that would proabbly the chapter you all have been waiting for since the beginning of the arc Chapter 147 THE BLESSING OF GODS 2 Aero look at the sight before him and he could not help but marvel at it. Aero and Deria carriage have arrived at the outskirts of the border of Veva. It is true what they say about the walls of Veva A wall so high that it almost reached the heavens. He looks at the sky and thought to himself. ''A kingdom blessed by Olympus'' They are now in a workshop. This workshop belongs to one of the sleeper agent of Vanheim. So, Aero could freely use it.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Deria sometimes look at the wall and then he exclaims "Whoa, that''s big. And thick. And full of divine blessing" Deria said marveling the structure. Aero shakes his head. This is the seventh time he heard Deria said it. He must have truly admire the structure. Then he ask Deria "Is it finished?" Deria look back on his work and shakes his head and smile and reply to Aero question "In a while longer" Deria is making a chariot for him. His hands are adept in making things and flames sometime comes out from his hand. Son of Hephaestus, Aero mused Aero has already changed his cloth. Instead of the usual white robe he wears, he is now wearing the White Dragon Armor. He looks fierce and commanding in the armor. The Howling Dragon Saber is placed on his side. He is clad in white metal and looks like a gallant and powerful Knight. The driver of the carriage has already gone back to Vanheim This is the most reckless thing Aero have ever done in the game, Aero mused. No preparations, no sufficient information, no nothing. He is just improvising right now. As Aero look at the walls of the Capital City, Deria words startled him "It''s done" Deria announced. Aero look toward the chariot and he smiles. It is golden and majestic. Aero liked it and he liked the art that Deria carved on the chariots "The horse?" "I''ll bring it from the inn. Wait here" Deria said. Deria went riding. A few minutes later he arrived with four large horses they bought yesterday to carry the chariot. Then Deria tied the horses to the chariot and began reviewing the plan. Deria is the mso worried about the plan "You''re sure this plan will work?" Deria asked worried. Aer smiles and said "Well, I''m pretty sure" Deria just tilted his head and he laughs after that. "Good enough for me" Aero smiles and then he went to the stables. The horse neigh and the chariot shines brilliantly as the sun shined down on it. On Olympus, Hephaestus saw the chariot and smiles. He blows a hot wind from his mouth and in Veva, a wind blows over Aero and the chariot and Deria could feel the blessing of Hephaestus to his chariot. He smiles bitterly. Deria could see the lines of powers imbuing itself into the chariot. Thought Aero could not see it; he could feel the presence of something divine just passes him by. It was like he is in the presence of Athena all over again. Aero look at Deria and Deria nodded. Aero nodded like he understands. He went to the workshop fire and then throws a lot of meats and gold into the fire and he offers his prayers ''This is my offering to you, the God of Blacksmith, the God of many devices for your blessing'' the meats and the gold instead of melting in the workshop prayer dissipated into golden light that floated to the sky as a sign of his offering being accepted. Aero smiles and jump onto the chariot. Then he looks once again at that tall wall and he smirks. He pulls the reins and the chariot began moving as he rides the chariot to the great wall. ************************************************************************ Hehehe. You thought this chapter woudl end the mass release right? You are wrong! Enjoy the next chapter that will come in a few minutes Chapter 148 EAST, NORTH UNITED KINGDOM OF VEVA THE ROYAL STUDY Everything seem like the usual today. Zeus is in his Palace study reading some documents about distribution of troops, supply lines and letters from other nobles and other Kingdoms. He looks at it and read it but one could see that his eye is unfocused. It almost seems like he hated every minutes of it Eric is also in Zeus study supervising him "Argghh, this is boring" Zeus complained as he throws one of the document to the wall. Eric shakes his head and crouch down and took back the document and put it back up on the table. "Zeus. You are the King. No one says being King is fun" Eric said sensibly "Arghhh, this is boring. I want to go out" "You mean you want to go to the cell again?" Eric said knowing the true intention of Zeus. A couple of months ago they captured Lady Amy of Vanheim Kingdom. She was captured by Kyle when Kyle found out that Amy has been assisting Asgaroian with deserting the troops and helping them by smuggling them out to Vanheim. Since then she is put in the cell. Zeus seems infatuated with the girl. He always goes to the cell to speak with her. But not once the girl pleads to be let off. She has too much pride, and Zeus don''t know how to give up. Eric mused. Eric on the other hand has other reason for keeping her prisoner. He knows that Amy is in Aero trusted circle. He was hoping to get some information from her about Aero. Eric has heard the story of how Aero was elected as Chancellor, successfully gaining the Karak Four Families to swear fealty, and his involvement in the wedding of Princess Helena and Prince Edward. All incredible feats. Aero of the East, he mused. Truly, not one to be underestimated. "No, I''m not" Zeus said flustered when Eric expose his true intention. Eric sighed hearing this denial from Zeus "Yes, you are. Don''t you hear what people are saying behind your back?" Eric said. Zeus snorted and said "I don''t care. I''ll kill them if they dare." Eric glares at Zeus and shouted "Kill, kill, can''t you stop that attitude?" Zeus only humphed and refuse to talk anymore Eric sighed. And Zeus shows an apologetic expression to Eric and then he finally decided to tell Eric the truth "Okay. I''m just seeing her for a while. That''s all" He finally confessed. Eric looked at Zeus and there is a complicated feeling in his heart Then he asked Zeus "Do you like the girl?" Eric asked. Zeus just smirk and answer "Well, yes. Of course I like her. Or I wouldn''t waste my time speaking to her don''t you think?" Eric was shocked at this honesty and then he asked back "So, does she like you?" This time Zeus looked nervous "No." Then, he quickly added "Not yet" Eric don''t know what to say about this. Then he shakes his head and said "Fine, if you''re that stubborn go see her" Eric finally allowed Zeus to go. Zeus is overjoyed and he is smiling Zeus is just about to rise from his chair when he heard a scream so loud it was like thunder strike. The sound echoes through the entire capital city like a bell tolling that could be heard all across the continent They could hear it from inside the room and they are not the only one that is hearing it. The entire capital city heard it and every citizen of Veva heard it. "ZEUS OF THE NORTH! THIS IS AERO OF THE EAST ASKING FOR BATTLE FOR THE RELEASE OF MY COMPANION AMY!" They could hear it even from this distance and this elicited response of shock and awe. For the people of Veva this is the first time someone has challenged Zeus in one on one fight and not to mention he is challenging Zeus on his home territory. And everyone knows who is Aero. Aero of the East. And everyone was reminded of that poem by the poet in Duvar. If Aero of the East did not come forth, Who could stop Zeus of the North? However, for the players and NPCs that resided in Veva there were much more in shock of how Aero could scream that loud. How much lung strength does Aero have to produce such loud scream? Zeus quickly rushed from his study and they arrived at the top of the wall in a matter of seconds. So did Eric who followed behind Zeus. Then they looked downwards below the wall. They could see a tiny dot from the heights of the wall. A golden chariot is riding towards the wall. The man is in a chariot wearing a white armor with dragon design. He is shouting in the middle of the empty space outside the city wall for Zeus to meet him in battle. Zeus smiled and laughed "So, this is the famed Aero of the East?" He said impressed. Eric look at Zeus and there is a bad premonition in his heart "What are you thinking, Zeus?" he ask, looking alarmed. "I heard that Aero of the East is more like a strategist so I figured he would at least be diplomatic or a coward" Eric hearing this assessment of Aero from Zeus frowned. A coward does not conquer a country nor lead one, Zeus, Eric wanted to say but he held his tongue "Who would have thought he would dare challenge me in direct battle?" Eric nodded. At least he is in agreement on this matter. Zeus is undefeated in one on one battle. This is not an opinion, it is a fact Never before he lost any battle to a person. Eric look at that figure below the wall and he thought to himself. Is Aero mad? Zeus started this game earlier than anyone else so his level must be also higher than Aero and not to mention Zeus is a talented fighter and warrior. But this does not mean that Eric dismiss Aero entirely. Only stupid people challenge Zeus on one on one fight. And Aero of the East, the Chancellor of Vanheim and as strategist that defeated Vetten he is clearly not an idiot. Or does Aero have some trick? Eric mused. It doesn''t feel like the sensible Aero. And it''s not like Aero wants something important like prestige or something like that. He just wants Amy. How did he know that we have Amy? And why is she so important to the Chancellor. Could it be that the woman holds some important secret? Spies, Eric concluded. The Chancellor of Vanheim has embedded his spies in Veva. He gritted his teeth. It seems that Aero have always been targeting Veva. Eric has always viewed Aero and Vanheim as the obstacle to Zeus hegemony of the whole continent and one day must face them one way or another. Aero also thought the same thing about Veva and Zeus. Only that Aero acted first.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. The area between them spans a large area yet, Aero stills end spies to kept him informed of the matter in the North. Then Eric think of another matter and he wonder what this girl deal. For the Chancellor of Vanheim to go so far for this girl. What is his relationship with her? From the report he got from his investigators it just indicates they were always adventuring together. That''s all. ''Or is there something I missed'' Eric began thinking of that possibility. ''I missed something'' Eric concluded. There must be something more. Before Eric could think of it some more, Zeus word shocked Eric "Bring me Lethalion Sword" Zeus commanded to one of his soldiers. The soldiers around the top of the wall gulped. They know the sword and they quickly order their men to bring the sword. Ten of their soldiers with great strength went to the throne room to bring the sword to Zeus. Zeus waited as he looked at that man standing on his golden chariot his voice echoing through the entire city Bart is also on the Wall tower. He rushed to Zeus side and stand beside him looking at the same scenery that Zeus and Eric is looking at "Aero, Zeus!" "I know" Zeus said smirking. He hasn''t been challenged for long. He almost forgets this happy sensation "What will you do?'' Bart asked. Though Bart could actually guess what Zeus would do. "Why! I''ll answer his challenge. I have a reputation to uphold" He said smiling a mischievous smile Then the troops that went to the throne room came carrying the sword. It is a large sword about five feet in length. It took ten soldiers of great strength to bring it to him as its weight is heavy. Zeus looked at the sword and grins. He picked it up with ease with one hand and as he brought it and swing it the wind rips part. The soldiers that brought the sword dropped in exhaustion. "We''ll open the gates" the Guard Captain spoke as he already could guess what their King intends to do. ''No need'' Zeus said and he snickered. Then without any warnings or reminder, he run forward and jumped down from the wall. As he falls down from the wall, Zeus is screaming in excitement Aero of the East or Zeus of the North? Who is the strongest? This question burns all other thoughts in the people that will see their first battle. The famed Great Pillars battle begins. ************************************************************************ End of the mass release. How do you all liek it? If you like it please vote for the story and support it. Thank you for reading and hope you enjoy it so fa Chapter 149 VRAKARA She looks on the distance and she sighed. But her eyes like before are determined and her will is steel. She gritted her teeth in anger and defiance. The wind blows and enter the carriage blowing gently on the woman face. The woman takes a deep breath and inhale and exhale and enjoy the wind on her face. Little pleasure. She thought to herself It is remarkable that she could still enjoy these little things This woman is none other than Tatiana After Tatiana ran away from the residence of the Chancellor she thought her hardship has ended. Instead it is just beginning. Now she is chased night and day by her former brethren. The order has been issued by the Blood Council The Blood Brotherhood does not accept failure. They accept cancellation but failure? No, that will not do. They have their own reputation. A killer that could not kill has no place in the Blood Brotherhood. Though Tatiana could feel that she was never meant to survive that assassination attempt. She could feel that the Blood Council wanted to kill her Last night as she was resting in an inn with her disguise she was nearly ambushed and killed. It is thanks to her keen senses that she realized the two assassins hiding underneath her bed and hiding in the ceiling Tatiana had no choice but to kill them. Their blood is still wet on her clothes. What is unfortunate was the age of those assassins They were young. The boy five and ten while the girl six and ten. They should not have to die. She sighed and her forehead frowned. Tatiana spit on the ground. She doesn''t like killing children. They had so much more to live for. And it leaves a bad taste in her mouth The Brotherhood that sheltered her now is intent on killing her. Tatiana knew the risk of trying to kill the Chancellor. What she didn''t expect was that the Chancellor would spare her life. To the Brotherhood it must seem like she has turn rogue. And with the Blood Council egging them on, there is no wonder she would be considered a traitor to the organization If she knew she would be subjected to such treatment from the Brotherhood it would have been better if she just stayed at the Chancellor residence. She is now disguising herself as a midwife and riding a carriage to Karak. There is a reason of course why she is travelling to Karak. There is an old friend there that could help her. Agnaris is in Karak. Her mentor. Her teacher. Her friend. She needs to know what really happened that made the Brotherhood so intent on killing her. Other than the fact that Blood Council wanted her dead, there must be a reason that even the Deacon of the Blood Brotherhood wanted her dead It was moment like this she regretted leaving the residence of the Chancellor ''I should have just waited for the Chancellor'' she thought to herself. She enters Karak entrance gate and order the driver to go a little bit further. After a while they reached near the center of the city. The carriage stopped and Tatiana get up from her seat and the driver look back and said. "10 gold, milady" the driver flashed his smile with his holey teeth and Tatiana just nodded Tatiana opened up her purse and gave it to the driver the moment she stepped down the carriage. The carriage rides away and Tatiana looked at it and sighed in relaxation.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. ''It''s lucky she grabbed this gold from the Guards'' Tatiana mused or she would be really left with nothing She looks around to see where she is at. There is a lot of people, merchants and stall owner all around her. Karak is a nation that primarily depends on trade so it is no wonder even its streets is full with merchants with colorful garb. Looking around she now knows where she is. She used to stay in Karak in the past. At that time, she was hunting a target. A Vor mercenary. She killed him in this city after that mercenary went out of the whorehouse, drunk and high of Pyhreneseian herb., It was the easiest kill Tatiana ever had in her career. She is now around the Builder Guild just near the Four Families Council. She could see the great building that houses the ruling families every four years in the distance. It is painted in white and many nobles with expensive garments and accessories, with diamond rings on their fingers, golden necklaces on their necks, with shiny boots on their feet could be seen exiting and entering the building. Probably noble''s business. She mused to herself She then looked at her surroundings Everywhere she looks she could see smiths, carpenters, sculptors, painters, builders and many more that is of the building profession hurrying around. Some are selling something while others are buying. Conversations and bargaining can be heard all around Nobles and peasants congregate here searching for beautiful sculptures, paintings, craft and accessories. Tatiana sees a painter in the corner of the street damp and the smell is revolting, for this painter sits beside trash. The painter paints depiction of gore and blood. People don''t even want to come near the painter and they all whisper as they look at that painter. Some people even thought that the painter is crazy painting such things Other painters paint picturesque scene, of vast grassy plains, of the majestic high mountains, of beautiful flowers, of vast sand of the dessert, of woman beautiful as the Goddesses, of depiction of great Knights entering in a tournament, of great heroes deeds but none of them will paint like the man beside the trash paint. But Tatiana knows better. And she smiles The Blood Brotherhood is everywhere and they are ever-present This must be one of their spies. The Blood Brotherhood has its own spy division too. There is the assassin which by the job definition is an assassin. Then they have the spy division. Those who dabble in the magic''s of disguising themselves and have no talent for killing people off will be a spy to learn of information and to provide protection to Assassins member. They take no part in killing of targets or rogue assassins. Their sacred duty has always been to guide and shelter the assassins. They shall not ask the reason the reason an assassin is running. Their job, their duty is to provide shelter and no Blood Brotherhood member could harm the Spy Division because they shelter another assassin. Tatiana knows this. Agnaris himself was once targeted by the Blood Brotherhood for killing his own partner Of course the penance was great but Agnaris did tell her that even at that time he could still receive the protection of the Clean Hand the spy division of the Blood Brotherhood. They wear the face of nobles, of peasants, of merchants, and of learned men. Why not a painter? Tatiana came closer to the painter. She look at the painting and ask "What are you painting?" "Blood and skulls" The painter replied. The painter then look at Tatiana and then the painter asked "Are you interested, milady?" "No. I came here for a different reason" Then she showed the painter a red coin. On both sides of the coin is a skull. A look of understanding dawned on the painter face. For a moment Tatiana could see the painter face distorted and then it became normal again "Everyone dies" The painter said in a hushed voice "But not everyone live" Tatiana replied "Vrakara" the painter said while putting his two fingers to forehead "Vrakara" she replied while doing the same gesture as the man. Then the painter began rising from his spot, stored his easel and brush and without a word he gestured Tatiana to the dark alley. ************************************************************************ I would usually post on the 6th but what the hell! I''ll just post this today. Hope you enjoy it. i know you are waiting for the Great Pillars Battle but it will be in a few more days until it reached that point For now, enjoy this chapter and leave some comments and you can check my other strories like Age of Heroes Chapter 150 OLD FRIENDS 1 She enters a house and then she took a seat ''Do you know, where is Agnaris, painter?'' Tatiana is sitting on the chair shedding her disguise. She is tired and stressed. Sitting, she looked at the painter. Young and energetic with a noble feature of his face. But is this really his face. A spy huh? The painter after leading her to the abandoned house does not speak. The man picked up a paper and began writing with the pen he conjured up from his sleeve. He wrote the address and gave it to Tatiana. Then he spoke sternly "You are a rogue assassin, woman. We, the Clean Hand take no part in the Assassins war and the Blood Council politics. Our sacred duty and job has always been to provide shelter to the Blood Soaked Division'' Then the painter said ''I have fulfilled my duty. You shall ask no more of me, nor ask my help. My duty is done" He declared He walked to the door and swiped his face with his hand and his face changed to an old man with white hair Then he pushed the door, looking as weak as an old man Tatiana could not help but be surprised. "Vrakara" his voice sounded like an old man. Even his voice. ''Old and Dark magics'' Tatiana muttered. "Vrakara" Tatiana replied and the painter now an old man exited the room and as Tatiana blink her eyes, the old man disappeared from her eyes. ************************************************************************ The next morning, Tatiana disguised herself again. Last night she sleeps in this house in the secluded corner of the city. She though she is going to get the answer if she meets with the Clean Hand agents but it seems she still has to do it for herself. The Clean Hands do not take part in Assassin Wars. For some reason she felt more assured. If she has to even run from people like that painter who could change his face freely like that, Tatiana would easily be killed. But it is easy now, that she knows that this place is safe.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. This time she wants to meet her mentor. He must have some answers The address indicates that her mentor is somewhere around Kurd city near the Karak Port. She begins her search from early morning. She looks around without showing that she is seeing someone. It wasn''t until she reached an alley, she sighed as she finally saw the man she is searching for. After a day searching she finally found him in the alleys giving poor children bread and food. He looks like a good man. If no none knows his past that is. He is heading home after he did his charity. It seems this habit of his still persisted. As harmless as an ant in the day, as lethal as a sharp blade in the night Tatiana moved slowly behind him, shadowing him when suddenly a knife passed her cheeks and graze her cheeks slightly. She was in time to dodge the knife but blood still drips from the cut on her cheeks "Who goes there?" Agnaris spoke his voice excited. Agnaris has a muscled body; he has gray beard and gray hair. He looks confident and his eyes glint dangerously. "Know that knife is a warning. Show yourself or you will die" Tatiana emerged from the shadows. Agnaris quickly recognized her. He smiles and greeted her joyfully "Tatiana!" "Teacher" Tatiana said her emotions conflicted. Agnaris looked left and right. There is darkness al around and no one could be seen but in the darkness of night, Agnaris knows many things roams and even the darkness has eyes and ears "It''s not safe to speak here. Let''s go to my house" Agnaris quickly rushed back to his house while Tatiana followed him in hiding. Reaching his home, Agnaris said "Come in" Tatiana entered the house. The house is not too big but neither it is small. It is a comfortable home to live in. There are paintings in the wall of some naked woman surrounded by flying fairies and aromatic smell from the kitchen. Smells like chicken. Her sense of smell has become more acutely aware after she spent a lot of time in the Chancellor kitchen. A cat leapt at the kitchen table meowing realizing his master is back. Agnaris seems to live a comfortable life. "Sit down" He gestured. Then he took a cup and pour some water. He gave it to Tatiana and Tatiana drink it and then put back down the cup. Agnaris then ask "Now tell me child, what happened? Then Tatiana told him everything. Her botched assassination and also told him about the assassination attempt from her own brethren. Agnaris is just listening. He just nodded. Then after a few minutes, he said "Now, I understand" He then sighed and said "I told you that you should not have taken that assignment" Tatiana smiles bitterly "But I did." Agnaris shakes his head ''Yes, you did. Stubborn as you are. One of the rules I taught you, size your opponent. This man you tried to kill seems impervious to weapons and poison. Then I may know why he is like that" "What? You know?" That shocked Tatiana ''Yes'' Agnaris said Then he continued ''He is either a God in mortal guise which is improbable, or a son of a God, which makes him a Demigod giving him that kind of abilities or the most improbable he bathed in the River Styx of the Underworld'' Tatiana is marveled by his mentor vast knowledge ''How do you know all this?'' Agnaris smiled "I have been around the world from the harsh lands of the Orcs to the Temple of Zeus when it was still standing, to the women dominated Kingdom in the North. I''ve seen many things; hear many stories, stories of wonders, stories of myths and legends. I see things that people do not see, experienced things people do not experience and knows that all the old stories are more than just stories. See the world Tatiana. Broaden your horizon. And you will see more" Tatiana only scoffed and said "Well, in my current condition, I doubt I''ll do any sightseeing" Agnaris laughed and nodded "Yes, that''s true" Then Tatiana ask again "Why do they hunt me so ferociously?" ''Who?'' ''The Blood Brotherhood'' "Oh, that?" Agnaris sighed again. ''Maybe it is because of the killing. No, when I think about it again, it is precisely because of the killings'' ''Killings?'' Tatiana asked puzzled Then Agnaris explained "After you disappeared from the Chancellor residence, the Chancellor sent his private army lead by Justinian an elite soldier with all his trained soldiers and new soldiers to hunt every member of the Blood Brotherhood in Vanheim until they find you. Since the Blood Brotherhood is not really liked by the populace, after all, we do kill people for a living, their killing is heralded as cleaning the streets by the Kingdom criers." "How many died?" Tatiana asked fearing the answer. "One hundred and counting. Many have chosen to hide. Any operation or assassination contract in Vanheim might be put to a stop. Every adventurer that is a member of the Blood Brotherhood or registered as the Blood Brotherhood is in prison until they renounce their association or tell the name of the member. Most of the low level member has already been killed or captured. The Assassins Master and the Blood Brothers of Vanheim have fled from Vanheim. And you should too" Agnaris said handing her a black coin "What is this?" "Go to Karak Port tomorrow, Tatiana. Show Lyle the Captain of the ship of StormStart this coin. He will bring you to Veva. Veva has no branch of the Brotherhood since Zeus slaughtered them all. Speak the words and he will know" "Can I not stay here?" "No. They will find you. Veva is safe; child. This is the best thing I could do for you. This is the only thing I could do for you" Tatiana nodded. Then after talking about her plan and Agnaris offering her some pointer, she exited the house. She felt the cold assaulted her the moment she went out of the room. Maybe because the house was warm, that she felt so cold outside. She sighed as she looks back at that well lit house and she said Vrakara, Agnaris, vrakara. ************************************************************************ Part two tomorrow. Hope you enjoy it. Leave some comments and reviews and vote for the story. Don''t forget to check out my other stories like Lord Shadow and Age of Heroes Chapter 151 OLD FRIENDS 2 She went out from the house and walk straight to the harbor. She could see the morning bird just come out from their nest and as she approaches the harbor she could smell the sea She sees sailors and adventurer around the harbor all in expectation to go into voyage to the unknown She looks at the world in front of her, a world she did not know. The world that she used to live when she was a child. She sighed and yet there is an expectation for her life now. She lost everything. She lost her reputation, she lost her home but because she is lost she is emptied. And an empty thing could be filled. ''Today is a new day. My voyage is about to begin'' she muttered to herself and for some reason unknown to her, the smile of her uncle flashed in her mind The smell of fish and the shouting of fishermen and fishmongers, the whalers and the traders, selling their fish, cockles, shrimps and squids can be heard. Karak is known for their sea products and many fishermen would sell their produce here before going out to sea again so it''s not that surprising.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. The waves hit against the Port and the water splashed to the sailor who welcomes it with a smile like it is normal occurrence. The adventurer on the other hand laughed when then waves washes over them. Tatiana shakes her head, not understanding the fascination of these adventurer to the most normal thing for the native people. To Tatiana and to other native people of this world, the adventurer are weird and strange people. Their culture and their words and demeanor is too different from any culture in Vilajeri continent. They also love gold very much and would not mind dying over it. They are disorganized yet for some unknown reason would organize perfectly and would not mind dying to save a city from some huge monster. The adventurer always remains something that is mysterious to the native people of this world. She ignores those adventurers and look up. The glistening sun illuminates the new morning and last morning of Tatiana in Karak. She decided that she will heed her teacher advice. She will sail to the North, and seek shelter in Veva. Then she will think about what she will do. And there is many things that she needs to do The Blood Brotherhood will not let her go that easily. Blood is paid with Blood. The Brotherhood believes that the killing of their recruits and members is Tatiana fault. It is on her head. If there is an effect, there is a cause Blood is paid with Blood. That has always been the case in the Blood Brotherhood And usually the Brotherhood will get its due. People were running around the harbor. Tatiana was looking high and low for the ship as she walks slowly and calmly. She did not want to be recognized by anyone. Then as she walks on the right side of the port she finally saw the ship. Big and mighty she is. She thought to herself It is a large ship, made from some high quality wood which is self-evident and it seems strong like it could tide the most horrific storms. In front of the ship is a figurehead of a woman holding the sun on both of her hand. It is made from gold. Instead of Poseidon wooden angel it is more apt to call that sculpture on the bow of the ship as Poseidon Golden Angles. And there is the name of the ship written in ancient script on the side of the ship. StormStart, she read The crew of the ship seems to be transporting product of trade to the ships. She could smell spices, fish and fruits. She come closer to the ship "Move, lady" One of the sailors almost run to her. "I''m sorry" Tatiana bowed a little and flashed a smile but the sailor ignored her and keep transporting more crates and barrels into the ship Tatiana look around the ship and she spotted the captain. Wearing a silly hat that looks like it''s too big for its head and wearing a golden robe with a sash on his hip, and a small knife on his left hip he ordered the sailors to hurry up. Tatiana approached the man and then he asks "Are you the captain?" Tatiana asked startling the man. The man scans her for a moment an then he smiles his most charming smile and ask "Yours truly milady. What can I do for you?" "I want to go the North" The man looked incredulous. Then he chuckles "That I could not do, milady. There is only war and death in the North ruled by a crazy King as barbarous as the Orcs on the East." He said began turning away from her. The captain clearly would not entertain crazy woman aboard his ship. He thought the woman wanted to buy something from him which is why he smiles so charmingly. His ship is not some damn transport ship. And it is bad luck having a woman in your ship "I can pay" she offered the captain as she followed him down the deck. The captain look annoyed but still trying to maintain his civility. He turned around and said "I''m sorry milady, but this ship is not going to the North. The New World has been discovered by some foolhardy adventurer and opened some new trade opportunities for us traders and merchants'' he looked at the distant and vast sea in front of him, smiles and then he said ''StormStart will sail where there is money, gold and food. How do you think we could keep this magnificent ship? My StormStart, the dear of my heart. I love this ship even more then my whores" He gestured to his ship dramatically and laughed and he walk away "Wait!" Tatiana said and she grabbed the Captain sleeve. The Captain was about to get angry but Tatiana is quick. She opens her purse and shows the black coin to the Captain. The Captain took a second to recognize it but when he does recognize the effect is immediate "This...How did you¡­" He looked scared and his face turned pale. "Akko Ammemat" she said "Akko Adha" He replied Then his attitude changed as fast as lightning. His face is solemn and he look at the skies above like he fears something. "Of course, milady you shall have a seat in our ship. The Children of the Two Rivers is always welcome here" Tatiana do not understand what the captain said about Children of the Two Rivers but as long as she got a seat in this ship, she would nod her head to almost anything. Tatiana entered the ship and she is given a cabin on the ship. As she stands on the deck she looks forlornly at the Karak lands. She could see the rocks besides the shore, beautiful rocks and sand, with the wind rustling, and the waves lapping gently on the ship. After the last of the package has been loaded into the cargo, StormStart raised their sails and began sailing the sea ''Sail to the North, seek shelter at Veva'' she muttered under her breath She is at the front of the ship seeing the opening horizon, with the breeze of the sea breezing through her, feeling the touch of the wind over her face. She could see the sailors are working hard rearranging the barrels and storing the supplies The sun began to show its face and bringing light. ''My song begins'' ************************************************************************* End of Tatiana segment. Next chapter would begin at the battle between Aero and Zeus Chapter 152 THE STRIFE OF THE GODS OLYMPUS ATHENA PALACE Athena is at her Palace siting on her throne, fuming in anger and fury Her statue was torn down and her blessed city has fallen in destitute. Athena is infuriated by this violation of her protection. The Oracles of Veva attempted to placate her anger with sacrifices but she is not satisfied. After the sacking of her temple, Zeus has promised her that he will no longer support the adventurer named Zeus. Athena threatened Zeus that if he keeps shielding the boy, she will resign from her post as his strategist. It worked. Zeus relented and no longer has he sheltered the boy. But now that person have another backer. However, Apollo and Artemis are still protecting the boy despite her dire warnings, saying that Zeus rules and gives proper respect to their Temple. That makes Athena angry more than any other Gods and Goddesses could have expected So she and the twin siblings are having a cold war right now. So, she pins down her hope on the adventurer Aero. Athena have always been patron for heroes. She was the patron of Alain and she was even the patron for Alva Delon. And she is interested in the development of Aero. She is his stern ally, but also the gentle... acknowledger of his achievements. Aero cunning and shrewd nature quickly wins Athena''s favor. She is trying to determine Aero location on the mortal world but her ravens could no longer speak. She doesn''t know who did this to her ravens. She could not see Aero even when she knows where he is. She can''t contact him, or whisper to him. Someone is shielding Aero from her. And her eyes narrowed even more as she closed her eyes. ************************************************************************* UNDERWATER THETIS PALACE The sea is turbulent today. Thetis has always been shielding her son from the ever watchful gaze of the Gods. After hearing the prophecy, she quickly employed her magic asking for Hecate help. Hecate then used her magic and shielded her son from the Gods especially Athena. Thetis knows Athena anger at Zeus and that she intends to start a war destroying the very Kingdom that dared sacking her temple. But if the prophecy is right her son might die if the War happens. Thetis is worried as and such the sea is turbulent and chaotic. Even Poseidon could not control this part of the sea. She walks under the sea with her Nereids, worry etched on her face. She looks up and her eyes could see Olympus and she worries about that one particular God of War. With the son of Hera speaking of war and strife, she fears that Aero will also share the same fate. Yet, destiny has a different plan for her boy. Her own son seeks Zeus. Thetis fears a battle will happen that will set of the Great Prophecy. And she is not the only one that is worried about this. Thunder and lightning fills the sky and the world is shaking and quaking, with storm erupted in many parts of the sea. It looks like the sky and the sea is at war. ************************************************************************* OLYMPUS THRONE ROOM OF OLYMPUS Olympus is not peaceful today. Sound of arguments sounded over the skies. Four pairs of eyes is looking at the mortal world and then their feet moves. They saw Zeus of the North is about to battle and they intend to lend their help. Apollo and Artemis wanted to fly down and aid Zeus when thunder boomed in the distance. "RETURN TO OLYMPUS YOU TWINS." The words boomed and echoes through the entire sky and sent shivers down their spines. They look at each other. They both nodded and flied back to Olympus to see their almighty father on the throne with Athena beside him. Athena eyes is burning with fire, looking at them. With a sword on her hip that she would not hesitate to unsheathe, it almost seems like Athena had come for war. They clicked their tongue "Father" both of them said while kneeling Zeus look at both of his twin, his eyes seem to be judging. Then he asks "What do you think you are doing? Apollo? Artemis?" Zeus asked as thunder roar in the background, his expression hard and unreadable. Apollo was the one that reply to his father. "We wanted to aid Zeus" Apollo said Zeus expression turns furious as he bellowed. "NEVER" his father said and the thunder boomed again this time with lightning exploding in the sky, shaking the entire Olympus. "Never before have the Gods interfered this much in the mortal''s business. Forget the adventurer. You will stay here" his father said "But¡ª''Apollo tried to argue Zeus shake his head and hold up his finger and Artemis look at Apollo and shake her head for Apollo to drop the issue. "No, but. I forgave you the last time because you were new to the Old Laws. But now? Now you have known. Do you know how much complaints I got from the other Gods for your stunt building the Wall? " But Apollo then said "Aero has the Curse of the Styx. How can Zeus could hope to defeat him without divine intervention?" Athena scoffed. "He is not truly immortal; you know? He can be hurt and he can die. It just takes a wise man to seek out the means" Athena said answering Apollo question She is smiling. Only a wise man she said. And Zeus is clearly not that kind of man. Artemis on the other hand just held her tongue and kneels in front of the Throne. Then both of them return to their Palace without any choice but just watching the battle that is about to unfolds.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. As the sea and Olympus seems to be in chaos, the world also seems to be in chaos. Minor Gods tries to peek and hears the news in Olympus or the Sea. It seems like something big is about to happen. And while all of this happening, three old crone spin, yarn and sew the threads that they have created and wove with an all knowing gaze. ************************************************************************ Soem editing in this chapter. Pelase do check out my other novels if you can if you wnat to support me. Chapter 153 THE SCOURGE FROM THE EAS Aero was yelling his heart out to the Wall, looking valiant and heroic riding his chariot. His shout echoes and reverberates through the entire city and the area surrounding it. He is confident and he is fearless right now. He looks at the wall in front of him and then he looked at his ankle. Something sparkles as the sun reflected on that thing. There is s shiny new equipment crafted by Deria on his ankle. He looks at the sky and he tries to feel the weather. Aero has heard about Zeus supposed power in the interview with Broly clan. Maybe he could control the weather. And he doesn''t know if that is true but it''s better if he takes precaution. This new shield in the design of an eye patch at his ankle is crafted solely to counteract his weakness. The metal ankle patch is hidden by the greaves. There is many features and abilities that Deria had imbued in the ankle patch. One of them is that it will absorb magic and physical attack. Though Aero doubts anything can shatter it. As he keeps turning around in front of the city wall yelling Zeus name he could hear something of a commotion on the top of the wall of the city Something seems to be thrown from the wall. ''Hmm'' Arial thoughtFind authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Then he could see something is falling. From his view it looked like a dot and then he smiles as he heard the excited yelling Immediately he knows who this person is. Aero closed his eyes, take a deep breath and when he opened it back there is only a desire to fight in his eyes. "HERE I COME!!!" Zeus shouted as he jumped down from the tall Wall. Aero did not think Zeus is crazy from jumping the high walls. Because it is Zeus. What seems to be insanity for other players, it would be a norm for the strongest warrior of Brave World He is not startled at the least. He only pulls back the reign of his chariot as his chariot moved back from the estimated point of impact. Like he expected a thunderous sound akin of an explosion could be heard moments later. Many of the people on the wall flinched and even was shocked. After all, not the entire area of the Wall saw that their King just jumped down from the Wall. A huge gust of dust and soils exploded on the area around the front of the large gate. Aero smirked. ''He love a dramatic entrance'' Aero thought to himself. The dusts slowly scattered away and it revealed a huge crater around the point of impact. He saw a silhouette that is slowly climbing up from the crater bottom. The sound of that footsteps seems to echo through the area All the people on the wall look down. Some players rushed to the top of the walls, some of them jump into the roof and then jumped right on top of the battlements as they sit on top of the walls, eager to watch what would probably be one of the most epic battle since the beginning of the game Some players who were actually reporters for entertainment news also struggle to climb the wall and capture this moment And then there are also other eyes that look at this development cautiously. Meanwhile on the ground, Aero seems to not notice the big crowd on the wall looking at him He only pays attention to that silhouette that is coming out from the crater. He first saw the glint of light, reflected from the light of the sun Then he saw the large sword on Zeus hand. The glint that it gives off is murderous. Aero could tell that blade have reaped man y lives. ''It is really big, isn''t bit? That must be the Lethalion sword'' Aero rubbed his eyes. The clouds of dust are drifting to him because of the wind. And his eyes are itching. It would be too much to hope that he died from falling. After all, if he did die from falling when he himself jumped that would be too much of a joke. The wind passes through his chariot and blow by him. His chariot had stopped and even the horses has stopped neighing Aero crack his neck, ready for the battle that is about to come to him. Excitement and nervousness fill him And he is not the only one that is feeling this feeling. A silhouette can be seen emerging from the dust, his armor shiny and intimidating. A tiger design can be seen on his breastplate. And he seems to grin at the direction of Aero "Aero Of The East! Finally we meet" his voice boomed as he swing his sword and the dust around him was blown away, revealing his entire appearance. The top of the wall cheered. Some charred because they believed in Zeus, other because it didn''t matter either way and just come to enjoy the festivities and this battle. Aero look at Zeus and he too grin. Aero of the East and Zeus of the North. They finally meet. Zeus has a straight blonde hair, tied in top knot, his arm muscles are bulging, and his vein on his hand can be seen clearly. He is also handsome but compared to Deria he still has a long way to go. There is a mad glint in his gaze and even excitement He is well built, about six feet five inches tall, no fat on his well-conditioned body. He looks like an action hero if Aero has to be honest. Aero thought The worst kind, Aero mused. Handsome and crazy. Aero did not bow like he meets other kings. After all, he did not come and shouted for the King of Veva if he was interested in diplomatic solutions. "It is an honor, Zeus of the North" Aero said not bowing like he usually does with people of higher status than him. Zeus frowned but he did not say anything Then he smirked. ''So, he sees me as his equal?'' Zeus thought. ''How naive'' he mused. His gaze turned into a killing stare but Aero did not flinch instead he is as calm as lake. "You want to challenge me?" he asked his blue eyes glints dangerously. Instead of a question it almost seems like he is confirming Aero intention. Aero was not angry at all, instead he calmly said. "You have only to do one thing. Release Amy from your prison and I will return back to Vanheim and no battle will happen." "What if I want one?" His tone challenging. Aero smiles and then he laughs. The entire crowd on the walls are waiting for Aero of the East reply. His reply shocks the entire crowd. "Then you will have your ass kicked." Aero replied and grins at Zeus "You really believe that you can defeat me? People might call you Aero of the East but that does not mean you are equal to me. It is babbling of people who doesn''t know better." Zeus said chuckling. Aero ignore his word and said "Release her and this all can end peacefully" Aero said ignoring Zeus questions. He knows Zeus. This is why he just stand his ground. "I don''t want to" Zeus said now his tone hardened. Aero sighed. He already expected it but hearing it still fills him with disappointment What a stubborn king. Then he calmly looks at Zeus and his large sword and reply "Battle it is" Aero said "Battle it is" Zeus replied. Zeus took a deep breath. And then as he finishes taking his dep breath, he pushed his feet into the ground as the ground exploded and he swing his gigantic blade to the chariot. Aero tap his feet lightly on the chariot as he glides backward elegantly With one smash, the chariot exploded and the four horses that carried the carriage run to four separate directions. Aero only smiles at this. He brought out his sword and is ready to fight. Zeus look at Aero ''You are agile. But that is not enough to contend with me'' Aero replied with a smile ''Don''t worry about that. I assure I have many more tricks under my sleeve.'' The crowd on the wall cheered even louder than before and some are even shouting the name Aero of the East and Zeus of the North. To the soldiers and the player, this is the first strike of Zeus of the North. *************************************************************************************** The beginning of the battle. This is a long battle scene. So, I hope you like it and please vote and leave some comments for the story if you like it. Chapter 154 THE CLASH And Aero of the East display was while not domineering shows the different side of both of these combatants. Zeus have always been known as a brute warrior because of the methods he employed in battel which is primitive but also effective And while Aero is not exactly a weakling the image that the players have on him is that he is more of a strategist, a genius commander and leading the armies by giving plans or a politician that enacted policy for the kingdom. He is clearly not Zeus match. Which is why some people even open a betting pools on top of the walls. On the ground however, the battle has just begun and both people have not shown their full ability Zeus charged forward again this time and swing his sword again. The dust around him rises up and the wind current changed courses around him as he slashes down to Aero head. Aero received the full brunt of Zeus strength with his sword as their sword collided and a spark was produced before the resulting clash created a shockwave around their battlefield, producing something that sounded like an explosion The ground beneath their feet cracked into a web like pattern because of the pressure emitted from the weight and the impact of their attack and defense. Aero is concentrating on his defense but he still had time to check the status of his sword. And looking at it he was shocked. Durability:1400/1500 Wow, Aero thought. For a long time, he has used his Howling Dragon Sword yet never its durability dropped by a 100 in one slash. Then he chuckles internally ''Ok, this may prove to be tougher than I thought'' He thought. Then he put force on his hand and pushed Zeus sword backward. Zeus eye shows there is shock in his emotions. There was a slight gap in their distance now and Aero would not let this chance to get away from him Aero muscle settled and he took his stance in that one moment and without hesitating, he makes his move Aero swung his sword towards the ground to slice Zeus''s feet which Zeus quickly noticed and jumped. The ground had a deep large gash that extend to ten feet deep as dust flew and raises up clouding Aero vision for a moment. But while his vision was clouded he could still see the man silhouette and that is enough. But this is not the only counterattack Aero planned. Aero already expected that Zeus would be able to dodge it so he was not flustered by Zeus dodging his attacked. Instead he in a quick motion lunged his sword upwards intending to strike Zeus''s throat with the sword. The motion was fluid and ever-changing and if this was anyone else, their throat would have been pierced by Aero attack But this is not the first day Zeus have ever been in a battle. He notices that the sword is coming for his throat and even with the lack of movement he could execute his eyes is alive as he saw the hidden threat. As he saw the sword on Aero hand slice through the dust and is about to approach his throat, he parried the attack with his left hand. The crowd in the wall all froze for a moment as that sword slice through Zeus left hand. Bloods spluttered from his hand but he doesn''t seem like he is hurt that much from it. Aero stabilized his stance as he adjusted his bearing Zeus is looking at Aero seriously now. But he is still smiling "You''re really fast" Zeus said taking some distance from Aero. Before he said that Aero was agile. Now he is saying that he is fast. There is meaning in those words that only these two people understand. Aero only smiles politely like they both just didn''t try to kill each other a moment ago. Zeus tries to scout Aero side so Aero moves toward his other side and Zeus had to search other opportunities. Zeus finally accepted that Aero is equal to him in strength Not many people could withstand his strike and there is even less people that could push him back. "You''re strong" Aero answered while he began moving in circle with Zeus and him both searching places to attack. "Will you release Amy if I win?" Aero asked while his eyes are watching observantly at Zeus movement Zeus only smirked and then he asked the question he is puzzled for. He did not show so much emotions but it is actually an important question for Zeus "Why do you go this far for that woman?" Aero did not answer, instead his eyes caught an opportunity Sensing an opportune moment Aero got his body close to Zeus in an instant and strike him with his sword. The wind around him almost break as his strength causes the land beneath him to instantly exploded as the sudden explosive strength was unleashed. The wind seems to be roaring. Zeus eyes shines and there seems to be lightning in his eyes. It is his skill ''Got him'' Aero thought.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. But Zeus is not that easy of an opponent. He smiles and lifted his large sword and blocked the strike creating another huge blast of shockwave that shakes the city wall. Then as they are close to each other they began exchanging blows. The only sound one could hear is the clashing of steels, and sparks of fire and shockwaves and dust that rises up because of their strikes. Each blow sounds like a bomb that is being detonated and each of their steps cracked the very land that they are stepping. People who are looking couldn''t believe their ears or eyes. Some people take a breath and exclaimed Aero of the East! Zeus of the North! The Great Pillars!'' One of the people in the crowd exclaimed. And many people were nodding in agreement looking at this magnificent battle that is unfolding in front of their eyes. The title that they hold is not in vain The reporter''s players are recording this scene with their in-game player and their eyes did not leave the battle scene even for a second. Those two right now, fighting with wind current turning their course, with the land around them broken and devastated, they are no different from Gods. Everyone is boiling with feeling of excitement. Awe and shock could be seen in the expression of the people. Aero of the East it seems is contending equally with Zeus of the North. Each time they charged the wall shakes and every strike sent shivers down the people who are watching. Nobody could have thought that this battle would unfolds like this. This is a true battle between two man. This is a simple and unalderated contest of strength Even Deria who was looking at this battle from a distance, his hand is trembling with excitement and he even felt like he wanted to join in the battle. On the wall however, there is a different reaction. Eric is looking at this battle and frowning. He has come down to the lower part of the Wall with Bart and one could see his nervousness setting in on his heart Bart however did not notice the nervousness that Eric is feeling "Ok, I have to admit that Aero guy is pretty good" Bart said scratching his head, like he couldn''t understand how Aero could be this strong. Even Bart could not last this long when he spars with Zeus. Eric shakes his head, his eyes did not leave the battle and muttered "No, that is not just good. That is Godly" Eric replied. He is becoming worried as time passes by This is inconceivable in his opinion. Is Aero really that strong? Eric have never seen anyone that could ever held themselves to Zeus for more than ten strikes. Eric knows that Zeus is a Demigod class which gives him a little control over weather and lightning gifted by Zeus. His strength is also at top notch. But Aero, that person who just entered the Brave World have enough strength to force Zeus back? This is inconceivable ''He should bring out Thunder Spear. That is Zeus gift to him. Zeus is underestimating Aero too much'' He whispers to himself. Bart who is standing beside him did not hear what he said. "Look at that," Bart said. Eric looked up. Aero seems to be closer and closer to Zeus with each time they traded blows. Zeus himself in the battlefield look shocked. They are now surrounded by dust and soil. And the people in the wall begin reacting to this shocking development of the battle. The other players that serve in Zeus army are also looking at the battle and Eric heard their conversation "What do you see, Kili?" "I can''t see anything. They''re too fast" Even Eric had trouble keeping up with their speed. One could only hear the sound of wind being ripped apart of the sound of steel clashing and see the sparks that fly off when their sword collided ************************************************************************* Enjoy and leave some comment while you are at it. Thank you for reading and hope you vote for the story and please subscribe to the story Chapter 155 TIGER AND DRAGON 1 BOOM,BOOM Every time their weapons clash, gust of wind is formed, and sound wave is released from their strikes. While their footsteps created deep print onto the ground and even cracked the land. Only high level players can understand and see their intense battle, Eric mused. On the other hand, in the battlefield, Aero peek at the durability of his sword. Durability:1000/1500 ''Shit, this is bad'' He cursed internally It has been a long time since he felt like this. And it is very shocking that his sword is rapidly being destroyed by Zeus crazy attack It seems the title of the strongest is not just for show. But he is coming closer and closer. He wanted to strike Zeus but Zeus response is fast that he either dodged or parry the strike away. But Zeus himself is not having a good time. His eye is about to bleed because of the overuse of his skills and his hand and arm are numb. For the lower level; player, they could only see at most a silhouette as their movement are too fast to be viewed in their eyes. Aero is impressed. Which only strengthen his opinion that if he did not have the Curse of the Styx, he need to expend a lot of effort to kill this monster. Both of their movements are fast like lightning and unpredictable like the wind. If Aero strikes, Zeus blocks. If Zeus attacks, Aero blocks. It was a game of slash and parry¡­.in high intensity Back and forth they were trading strikes with each other on the battlefield while Aero realized that the people from the wall are looking at them watching their battle. He smirks a bit thinking about it. Zeus spotted an opportunity and tries to slash at his neck. But Aero agility is also high. He leans backward, dodging it in time while pushing his feet forward as he glides through the side and try to slice Zeus feet. Zeus jumped and keep his distance but Aero pushed his feet forward as he closed back the distance. Both of them are fierce and fast in their attack. This is the first time in a long time that Zeus did not have to held back But even if he uses all of his power he discovers that this Aero had a lot more strength than he thought. Aero is faster but Zeus blows are stronger. Aero also realizes something odd about the strike that Zeus produced. Aero could feel a little bit of jolt of electricity each time they trade blows. That feeling was not that apparent in the beginning but now as he trades more blows he realizes it. The battlefield is ringing to the sound of their combat. Anyone who sees the battlefield would see it like Aero and Zeus both see. It was like a big battle between two large armies has taken place. The land was like something big has exploded around it bringing destruction and devastation. ''That was from Aero slash'' as one person pointed to a big tree cut into two. One of the people in the crowd told about it to the new people that join. More new player logged in after hearing the news in the forum as they are joining up the crowd on top of the wall. ''The steep hill was flattened after Aero managed to avoid his head flying off from Zeus strike making him strike the pointy hill.'' Another player explained to one of the newcomers as the people swelled on top of the walls, standing on rooftops, and for those that is braver, they hide in the nearby large boulder around the battle site And the betting pools is crowded with players On the ground, Aero and Zeus is still battling each other intensely. "Sweating, Zeus?" Aero said as his hand parrying Zeus strike to his right arm and the ground beneath them trembles and crack. Aero also tries to strike at Zeus slashing at him. He keeps trying to strike at Zeus vitals point and once again he is blocked "You are a worthy opponent, Aero" Zeus complimented but Aero could see the trace of exhaustion in his voice. And he smiles. Now it''s his turn. His eyes shines as he spotted the opportunity that is presented. Zeus is a formidable opponent. And his weapon exemplified his strength. The big blade should restrict his movement but he swings the big sword quickly and with ease not to mention the sword itself has a long reach. But after a while Aero began understanding the pattern of Zeus attack and his weakness. It was at this time, he finally had the right opportunity. He pushes his feet up and he jumped as Zeus slashes toward his torso. Aero jumped upwards and to the shock and awe of everyone Aero landed on top of the blade. standing like a graceful cat on the edges of the big blade while smiling It was agility of the maximum peak. Some people who were betting on the wall look at the scene and was frozen. Could anyone really do that? Standing on top of a sword, as light as a feather? Then after their initial shock, some people throw their gold onto the pile of Aero, betting for him to win. The atmosphere in the betting pools heightened as the battle below become more intense "Shit" Zeus cursed. Aero grins as he look down on Zeus. Zeus in that one moment look up and look at Aero and he could see the confidence in his gaze. Zeus don''t like seeing those kind of gaze in his enemies. Aero smiles because he succeeded doing just that. He bet this move alone would attract millions of views if he posted it in the forums. Now, it is time for him to attack. He took a deep breath as Aero combined the forces of his legs, his hands, and his entire body and in a slashing motion, he slashes horizontally.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Aero is trying to cut off Zeus head! Someone shouted from the top of the wall. Even though, the sword did not yet reach his neck, Zeus could already feel the draft of wind that is coming closer to his neck. His decision is swift and decisive Zeus quickly threw the sword away, using his entire army power before Aero strike even reached its target. The sword trembled and the wind that is generated from Aero slash and the updraft created by the force of pushing the sword away created a squall of wind around the sword Aero senses the impending shockwave and he jumped before he too would be swept by Zeus strength BOOM! With the sound of explosion, the sword sail on a straight line before it was stuck inside a large boulder, killing the person who was watching the battle behind the boulder. The sword penetrated the boulder on a straight line. Aero on the other hand had to dispel the wind squalls that is around him. He kicks the wind squalls as it exploded as he was thrown a few meter away. However, he landed gracefully as his robe flutter with the movement of the wind. Right now, Zeus look at Aero in shock. On his hand, there is nothing. He had to discard his sword to trade for his life. It was a close call for him Then from the top, a sword fell from the sky with high velocity as it stuck on the ground near Zeus. "TAKE IT ZEUS" A man wearing a robe is yelling to Zeus from the top of the wall. Zeus grins as he dived toward the sword and grabbed it quickly. Aero just finished landing from his jump and he look at Zeus. They once again stare at each other while moving in a circular motion. ''Heh'' Zeus scoffed ''Heh'' Aero snorted Then Zeus ask back that question "You never did answer my question, Aero? What is she to you?" Aero once again scoffed as his eyes is looking for another opportunity "Why do you care? She''s your prisoner. Just give her to me and we can stop this fight. You don''t have to lose" Zeus scoffed at the idea of him defeated. Then he declares "I like her and I intend to keep her here" Zeus said truthfully. He looks at Aero and he believes that this person is deserving of his respect. He had the qualities that Zeus himself admire in himself and in others. Brave and strong. To him, lying to such a man would leave a bad taste in his mouth. He thought it would be dishonorable of him as a king. And it is not something that he is ashamed of admitting. Zeus idea of honorable is quite different from Aero ideas of honorable. And Aero certainly didn''t think that Zeus is respecting him by saying these thing right to his face Aero face began changing expressions. In the beginning he is calm but now he began feeling anger. A furious anger that is slowly rising up from the pit of his stomach to his head. He gritted his teeth and the hand that gripped the sword tightened even more like it almost breaks the handle of the sword. Calm down, he said to himself. But the matters of the heart are not easily calmed down by saying to oneself to calm down. Never in the history of the word calm down, when it is used, that it would instantly calms people down. Because when he looked at Zeus his anger is bubbling and rising his heart. And for the first time in a long time, he felt that feeling again. Jealousy. Envy. ''Ah, fuck it!'' he screams He charged towards Zeus, each steps crack the ground and created a deep print as he raises his sword and clash with Zeus with his feeling put on his attack *************************************************************************************** The battle is about to be over. Hope you like the battle so far. Chapter 156 TIGER AND DRAGON 2 The battlefield rang with tintinnabulation of the singing blades and the hoarse rasp of both fighters'' breathes and they fight each other in circles, the sparks and the sound was a harmonic of steel and grit. Aero strikes are becoming more powerful, faster and furious. To the onlookers he is moving so fast that their eyes could no longer follow the flow of battle between two of the greatest players. By now, they have acknowledged that the poems that was written about Aero of the East is true without a bit of an exaggeration If Aero of the East did not come forth, Who could stop Zeus of the North? All they could see were flashes and sparks of the sword Aero weapon slipped past Zeus defenses and managed to strike his chest, his armor cracked from the force. Zeus on the other hand began feeling even more excitement. Their weapons caught each other high in the air, and they stood belly to belly, face to face. Zeus whispered, "What is she to you?" "She is my woman; you retard" Aero voice was laced with anger "Why else would I go this far?" he added Then they broke the contact and they both jumped back maintaining a safe distance from each other. Zeus expression is unreadable after hearing Aero words. He seems to be thinking about a lot of things Then he looks back at Aero and said "So, that''s how is it?" "Now I understand" Zeus said as the sky turned dark overhead. Aero looked and the clear sky just now turned to charcoal. The clouds move and the wind changes direction. Then he heard it as the sky trembles and shakes with such intensity one would mistake that the sky is about to fall down. Thunder rolled across the malevolent sky as lighting followed behind. The dark clouds is golden with the thunderous sound of lightning. The untamed power of the lightning and thunder reverberated and echoed across the battlefield.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Aero look at the sky and he did not believe that it has nothing to do with Zeus. What now? Aero mused. Zeus smiles at him with a malevolent smile and then he pointed a finger at him And then the sky responded to his finger. From the sky, thunder descended down to strike him. Aero could not dodge it in time but the could felt it. Electricity is coursing through his vein and it felt like his entire internal organ is being cooked. And he flew ten feet away. The sudden dark clouds gathering and the subsequent thunder strike quieten the entire crowd on top of the wall. All the people look toward the body of Aero. Some sighed feeling like they lost a lot of money in today bet Zeus look at that unmoving body and he thought to himself ''He is dead.'' He sighed and began walking away. And even some of the people on the top of the wall is tossing their gold and is about to walk away in anger The darkened clouds on the sky began to clear itself as the sun once again shows itself The sunlight once again shined upon the battlefield. Everyone thought that the battle was over. Then the entire city heard a voice and it shook everyone. "THAT''S IT? THAT''S THE BEST YOU CAN DO?" Zeus heard the shout. And he is not the only one. He turned his head back like all the people on the top of the wall. They saw an unbelievable sight. Aero of the East is standing back up. There is dust on his white robe and he patted down the dust on his shoulder like the attack was nothing to him Aero is looking at Zeus, and he grins. Then he laughed. And those people of top of the wall who thought they lost their gold also laughed and then they cheered for Aero. On the other hand, Eric who is also looking at this battel could no longer hides his nervousness and anxiety. He knows Zeus best out of everyone. ''One of the greatest abilities Zeus has cuts almost all his mana, Wrath of Zeus, did not kill him?'' Eric thought to himself Now, there rises a possibility that Aero would win this battle. But that must not happen Aero crack his neck and scoffed looking at Zeus. In the end, this is his limits Aero thoughts. Aero walked forward like there is nothing in the world that could hurt him. "I guess this is my turn" Aero said grinning. Zeus noticed Aero is sheathing his sword behind his back. Then in two steps he was in front of Zeus. Fast, Zeus thought. But before he could move away, Aero move his fist. This time it was so fast, that even Zeus could not even have the chance of dodging it Aero punched Zeus face and Zeus could immediately feel the impact. It was like someone just hit his face with a ramming weapon as he could feel that his teeth cracked and his jaw is almost broken. The punch created a shockwave that blew the huge boulders around them ten feet away. This punch not only shocked Zeus, it shocked everyone from the gamblers, the betting master, the reporters and the soldiers of Veva. Today, the legend of Zeus invincibility ended. Today, God bleed. ************************************************************************************** Next chapter tomorrow. Liek always leave some commenst and please vote for the story if you like it. Until tommorrow. Chapter 157 TIGER AND DRAGON 3 Today, the legend of Zeus invincibility ended. Today, God bleed. Zeus flew backward until he hit a tree. The impact was so strong that the tree exploded into barks and pieces Zeus coughed up blood and his entire body is trembling. His mouth is bloody, his nose caved in, and his head is dizzy. Ouch. Zeus could feel his nose is broken and the pain that accompanied it was like nothing else he ever experienced before. He is struggling to take a breath as he looks Aero in the distance. He is struggling to stand as he looks up at Aero walking towards him calmly. He used to mock Aero in his court saying that if they were ever to be in a battle he could crush him easily. What''s this? The bitter taste of defeat. He finally felt it again. And just like in the past, it is not a good feeling "GET UP! I''m not done!" Aero is already just three feet away in front of him. Zeus tried to get up as he pushed his hand, but his head is dizzy. Aero walk to him and then punched Zeus''s rib. The sound of the bones breaking could be heard through the entire battle site. Zeus¡­. screams¡­in pain. This is not a sight one would expected to see today. The invincible and powerful Zeus that has never lost a battle and always mock the weakness of others, today is beaten down. All the people that are looking at this sight have complicated feeling even for Zeus enemies. Because they know today what Zeus defeat signify. It is the end of a legend and the beginning of a new legend. Today, Zeus era ended. The wind has blown and this is the way the wind is blowing.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. To the East. Aero did not stop there. He uses the most primitive way to be at a person. He began pummeling Zeus. Bloods splattered at the tree barks and turn the green leaves into red, the ground was shaking and cracking all over the places, deep holes were formed because of Aero powerful punches. Almost every bone in Zeus body is broken and he was broken in almost every way. Aero is delivering a public beat down in front of his soldiers and his citizens and other players. Aero is furious because not only that Zeus imprisoned Amy ( which already make him furious enough) but Zeus nearly destroyed his sword. Not to mention that Aero himself almost died too. If not for the equipment that Deria made that absorbs the effect of the lightning, he would be dead by now and his corpse would surely be trampled on by his soldiers. The eye patch on his ankle is already shattered onto a thousand pieces. That is why Aero himself is anxious to end this fight before anyone notices his weakness. His weapon is also almost at the limit. It''s durability is only 100 now. One more strikes from Zeus would have shatters his sword. But Aero is confident that Deria can fix the sword later. The other reason was because he noticed his health points. HP 8000/ 99999 By the Gods, he almost dies. This is why he chose to fight Zeus barehanded Fighting Zeus barehanded is also easier. After all, Aero strength is unmatched. Sound waves can be heard every time he punches Zeus and the shock and impact of his punches shakes the entire city wall. The sound of bones cracking and Zeus''s screaming can be heard through the noise. By now, Zeus almost looked lifeless and just one breath away from dying. His entire bones are broken, blood is everywhere all over his body and his sweat is indistinguishable from his blood. But even at this state, Zeus is glaring at Aero. His will is strong. At least that is something Aero must admit to himself. He should have not underestimated him, Zeus mused regretting. He should have brought out the spear. He should have fought with all his power. He spits the blood that began welling up in his mouth. His bones are broken and the pain¡ªthe pain is unbearable. Aero yelled to the people at the Wall. "Bring me Amy here and I''ll spare your King." Aero dragged the King on the by his long hair, bloody and whimpering. He is dragged as soils and dirt was dragged alongside him. To Aero, Zeus is a lion that lost its fang. He brought Zeus to the middle of their battlefield to be seen by all. Like a parade of shame Zeus is a prideful person; as he keeps trying to get up. This time he managed to get up and he tried a sneak attack with his sword. Aero notices it and he thought to himself. Quite the iron will, Aero mused. After all that beating, he still managed to get up? Impressive. Aero caught the sword effortlessly. He then squeezed the iron sword like it was plastic and the sword shattered into steel pieces. The sound of it sound like glass fall down Everyone who saw it is shocked. The last glimmer of hope from Zeus eyes disappeared as he slumps lifelessly. Then a thunderous cheer broke out. *********************************************************************** The end of the battle....but this matter is not yet conluded. For thsoe who read my stroy before, they knwo what is going to happen to Aero later but for thsoe who didnt I dont want to spoil you guys. Anywya, hope you enjy it and please vote for the story and leave some comments Chapter 158 TIGER AND DRAGON 4 Some players on the walls can be seen cheering for Aero, no doubt winning the bet on the betting pools Aero almost smiled. In the tower, the scene in front of them is surreal. They have the bird view so they could see the entire battlefield and they drew gasp of awe and shock as they examine the battle between Aero and Zeus Their battle site looks like a war-torn area. The entire place look like it was attacked by a giant monster. Trees were fallen, hill disappeared, and crater as big a baseball field can be seen from their point of view. Some of them couldn''t believe their eyes. Then one of them said ''This will be legendary!'' "This will be big" some of the other players muttered. "Aero of the East won. This will make some news. Zeus streak ended." Another player said his face pale The reporter on the other hand could not wait to log out and report this to their employer. There is no doubt that today, the world will know that the strongest player in Brave World Zeus has fallen to the hands of Aero of the East. "I guess Aero is the strongest now?" Kili said unsure "Well, it seems so" Then in the crowd someone said "Don''t they look like a tiger and Dragon?" one of the spectators pointed out. "How so?" Kili asked "Look at their armor" one of the soldier pointed out. "Tiger, dragon" "The clash of the Tiger and Dragon? Whoa, that sounds epic" another player said The reporters ear perked up and they nodded. They already have a cool headline to use. The crowd looked at that man in front of the tall gate of Veva Capital city That is Aero of the East. Smart and strong. That''s what they feel when they see Aero dragging their King. Zeus record of never losing has finally been broken. Below the wall, Aero grabbed Zeus by the neck and lifted him up for the world to see. Then he shouted again while looking at the wall soldiers "Bring me Amy, or your King''s life ends here" He is threatening not only the Kingdom guards but the whole Kingdom. That is the implication of holding a King hostage Who would have thought when Zeus jumped down that the conclusion of the battle would be like this? Eric already ordered the Guards to bring Amy when he saw that Aero was pummeling Zeus. He could see at that moment Zeus have already lost. This is no time to think how Aero could be that strong. He had to minimize the damage to the kingdom first. The repercussions of this battle might be bigger than Zeus intended, Eric thought when he saw Zeus pathetic state. Aero stand there, waiting. Moment passes by as the reporter did not yet log out as they waited until the conclusion of this matter.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. The wind blows and the dust rises up as Aero stand there, his hand gripped tightly on the hair of the King of Veva Then a sound startled the entire crowd. It is the sound of the gate being opened. Slowly, the gate is opened and Aero see a silhouette coming out from the front gate He smiles bitterly. He saw a woman shackled in chains, escorted by almost twenty soldiers. Aero look at those soldiers and they all do not dare to match his gaze. Behind those soldier is a man with a black robe, looking at Aero with a guarded expression. Amy approach Aero "Amy" Aero said. "Aero!" she said not expecting to see him. Now, she understands why she was brought up from her prison. "My name is Eric. I have done what you asked. Now, release my King" the man wearing the robe said his tone calm¡­. or as calm as he pretends to be. Aero sneered. Then he threw the whimpering Zeus far away from him. The soldiers quickly rush to the King aid and began attending him, performing healing technique. Eric and another man in full armor can also be seen rushing to Zeus side. Another soldier can be seen trying to pull out the large sword that Zeus threw during their battle from the ground. He tries to pull it out from the boulder to no avail. Aero approached Amy and one solider is in front of him "Move" he said to the soldiers. The soldiers were a little late in moving away so Aero just slap him with his arm as the soldier flown away. He look at Amy and seeing she is alright, Aero heaved a breath of relief. "The keys¡ª" Amy said but Aero grip the metal chain and with a light squeeze the chain fall down like brittle steel She looks surprised. The soldier around her is even more shocked. Amy look at Aero and in her mind there is a lot of things she is thinking about. She wants to ask so much of him. There are some question she needs answered. She travelled halfway across the map here to the North. She thought she could find the answer here. But now¡­as she looks at Aero, she chuckles a bit. Because she found the answer She was too proud to admit she had problem but in the end he''s here¡­. right beside her. She wants him to remember her as a strong woman, not a woman he needed to save. She had all of these thoughts but now that he is here¡­. the only feeling she is feeling right now in her heart is happiness. She then asked "Aero, how did you kno¡ª" And Aero grab her close and then kissed her suddenly, unexpectedly in front of all the soldiers and all the crowd. Violently, passionately. "What are you doing?" Amy said trying to break free of his kiss, as her cheeks blushed. She is panting and out of breath which only makes her even more irresistible. Aero with a grin flick her nose and said "That''s your punishment" "For what?" "For making me worried about you, for making me keep thinking about you, for making me lose sleep thinking about you. It''s a problem." "Well, that''s not my fault" Amy still in Aero embrace as her cheek reddened listening to Aero words. Aero chuckles. Amy then begins realizing the area where she is standing and she knows that something big has happened for her to be able to arrive here. She looks around and she could see there is a big crater around the entrance of the gate, the land seems war-torn and there is traces of battle all around her. Before she could examine it more closely Aero kissed her again. This time he kisses her gently. Like he was savoring every moment. And she is liking it. She couldn''t help but chuckle slightly. And then out of the corner of her eyes she could see Aero is smirking. "And this? What''s this kiss?" She asked Aero. Aero laughed and said "Oh, this is to show them" "Show them what?" Amy said almost whispering, still blushing, still hugging Aero "That you''re mine" He said as his eyes looked fiercely at her. ************************************************************************ And thinsg are juts beginning. Anyway, hope you enjoy the battle between Aero and Zeus. Leave some comments below and please vote for the story. leave some review too if you like. Chapter 159 THE OLD DREAMS GERAD BATTLEFIELD The clash of the Tiger and Dragon was all that anyone pay attention that day. But elsewhere on the battlefield, on a foreign land, another battle is taking place that are as equally as important The Veranis have been applying pressure to the Geradians soldier and everything seem be going smoothly, but somehow the Geradians pressed boldly; and in one valiant and powerful charge broke through the Veranis line and began to plunder Alexander''s camp; while others attacked Parme, another one of Alexander''s commanders division on the flank, putting it in great straits. Alexander is on the battlefield riding ordering his soldiers when the news reached him. Hearing the news, he frowned. He looks in front of him and saw the ongoing battle but he had already made his decision in his heart One of his commander is also beside him. The commander hesitated but he musters his courage and then asked their Prince "What should we do, General?" Asked his commander. Alexander sighed and closes his eyes. He nodded to himself and then he said "We turn back to help them. The line must be held." The commander nodded in agreement Then he looked at his cavalry squad and shouted his orders "Follow me, men!'' They ride and follow their Prince to their right wing. ''Full speed. Let us help the right wing" Alexander shouted. They circled the battle and they rushed to the right wing rescue. The moment they arrived, they charged through the infantry of Geradians, trampling them underneath their hooves. Alexander cavalry went to the right wings and began wreaking havoc while reinforcing and trying to rebuild back the line Here ensued the most obstinately contested cavalry fight in the whole battle. The Druids and the other magicians couldn''t keep up with the cavalry speed so they were left behind while many of the cavalry began their battle.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. The battle was a mess and killing intent envelope the entire battlefield. The squadrons, the Gerad cavalry wheeled round in deep column, and falling on Alexander''s men face to face, no longer relying on javelin casting, or skillful deploying of horses, as is usual in cavalry battles, but every man for himself strove desperately to break through what stood in his way, as his only means of safety. The battle and killing was the most intense of the battle since this war between Veranis and Gerad Stratocracy started. "For Greater Veranis" one of the cavalry men shouted before his head was chopped off by a large broadsword. Death and devastation ruled in this battle. The sounds of yelling and screaming of warrior is filling the battlefield. Stench of blood and death can be smelled and seen as it flows through the battlefield like the weeping tears of Titans As Alexander entered the battle, it is not as easy as he thought when he first enters the fray. The Geradians while their army are not as large as Greater Veranis, their military is not entirely composed of idiots. The strategy and the formation they used slowly trying to entrap Alexander bold charge The cavalry was attacked ferociously by the Geradians on all sides and slowly some of Alexander most loved men fall down to the throng of bodies Alexander could not help but thought what motivates them so much?" The sound of clanging irons and metal surrounded the battlefield. Swords and shields clash while the support division is trying to catch up to the cavalry squad. Alexander is right in the middle of the battle. It would have been more advantageous to wait until all of his forces arrives But Alexander doesn''t have the luxury to wait anymore. All around him, he could see his men is dying by the droves. He knows what is at stake here. And the Geradians also know it. If he wins this battle, Gerad is finished. His win is guaranteed. A hundred years of wishes, dreams and hope will be fulfilled. Greater Veranis will be finally formed. An old dream shall be fulfilled. And it will be him that fulfills it cementing his name in history. With this, his position as the next king of Veranis is all but guaranteed He rides his horse and fought with bravery and courage. He needs to win this not only for him, but for the people under him He is responsible for the lives of the people that died for him in his battles. He owed it to them and it is one of the reason why he fights. His determination is getting stronger And his slashes are becoming faster. He rides to many places in the battlefield to relieve the enemies and ease up the attack when he saw that Geradians is trying to stop them from reforming the line. Seeing their Prince, their general so full of vigor the others raised their morale and overcame the Geradians soldiers in a powerful charge The Geradian soldiers however are not without hope. And they would not let themselves fallen so easily They forced their way through Alexander ranks and fled with all their might. Many of their men dies to secure this chance but they are frenzied and death seems to not shake them as they came in drove and would rather have the sword stuck on them instead of the enemies being able to used it to hurt their comrade. But Veranis advantages in this battle could not be erased just by bravery and fearlessness. As they keep fighting, the outcome is slowly becoming clear The right wing is beginning to be dominated by the Veranisian troops. Alexander saw the line stabilizing and then he returns back. Alexander wheeled his horse again and started in pursuit of Theolonius once more, keeping up the chase while daylight lasted. The other cavalry even though they were exhausted but they cannot and must not leave their prince undefended. So, they followed him as Alexander hurried his horse and pursued Theolonius like a lunatic all over the battlefield. He just needed his head. Without him, this battle would be easy to end. If he falls, the other commanders will agree to surrender. The Old Dream can be won today; Alexander believes it with all his heart. And it what drives him to go past his limits. But Theolonius is lucky that day. Alexander found him to be hiding all over the place. At midnight he and his men rested opening campfire while planning for the strategy next day. When the birds flew out from their nest, and the rooster crow Alexander army move out and slowly pushing deeper into Gerad territory., Alexander and his selected squads pursued Theolonius again next day, but did not find him for he went on fleeing without any rest. However, the money and all his other wealth was captured, likewise his chariot; and his spear and bow were also taken. He is slowly closing in Many died that day and the intensity of battle surpassed the day before yesterday. On both sides the casualty is high and tragic. "Should we stop pursuing him?" Valermo offered. "Yes. Instead of pursuing him, we should guess where he will go" Alexander then sent out his scouts and spies and interrogated the prisoners of any information about Theolonius behavior, friends and families, loved ones, and any places that he might have. Alexander is determined to end this war by next week. "May the Gods favors us" Alexander prays to the Gods as he burnt offering to Zeus, Poseidon and Hades before he once again strapped and ride his horse to the battlefield. On the sky, the sky is dark and thunder and lightning seems to cover the entire scape of the sky, while the sea is full of storms and the wailing of the dead could be heard in many dark places. The mortal worlds are not the only place where strife is happening. Up there on the sky, there is a battle of wills. ************************************************************************* While there is thee fight on Veva, the whole evgents is still moving in other parts of the Vilajeri Continent Chapter 160 THE OATH BREAKER 1 UNITED KINGDOM OF VEVA As the matter of Veranis and Gerad war, it seems that the conclusion has already been written. But on the North Continent, the story is only just beginning. Amy and Aero of the East has reunited. And what a reunion! Their kiss is watched over by all the crowd on top of the wall and people are hooting. Amy blushed and playfully smacked Aero chest as Aero grins. No wonder people like being the hero. Who knows saving the damsel in distress is this fun. If the reward for saving a damsel in distress is a kiss, no wonder knights would not reject such offer. Aero and Amy is about to walk away from the city when suddenly the soldiers moved, their weapons unsheathed from their side. Aero looked at the soldiers as he looks left and right. He is surrounded by soldiers and they are all pointing their swords and arms towards him and Amy. Their eyes are filled with determination to die. Some of them raises up their shield like they were creating a wall to trap Aero here Amy was the first one that reacted. She looks at the soldiers and then Eric like she didn''t understand what is happening now. But Aero, he looked coldly at Eric and he somehow understood what Eric is trying to do. Aero and Amy looked at the soldiers as Aero pull Amy even closer and put her behind him Aero sneered and ask Eric ''What is this? What are you trying to do? I''ve won. Fair and square'' Eric snorted ''Yes, you''ve won, Aero of the East. And Amy is already released per your request. So, in other words Zeus has fulfilled his promise.'' Eric said. And Aero chuckles. He knows what Eric is trying to do. Eric is trying to renege on Zeus promise. On the other hand, Zeus is on the back coughing blood and holding onto his side while Bart is trying to feed him something. Aero eyes could see the thing that they are feeding Zeus.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. ''Is that ambrosia?'' Aero recognized the fluid. He smiles bitterly. It seems he is not the only one that have contact with the Gods. Aero suspected that a long time ago but he never had a definitive evidence. Seeing the ambrosias was the nail in the coffin. It was then a realization struck him. His eyes widened. If it''s really is ambrosia, then Zeus will heal almost immediately. Now, there is a feeling of urgency in Aero heart. He is too vulnerable right now. ''Fuck, I can''t do this right now'' Aero thought to himself. He grips his sword tighter but he tries his best to hide his nervous heart right now to not alarm Amy that is behind him. His situation right now could not allow him to relax. His weapon is about to break, his ankle patch is already turn into thousands of pieces, his wounds and HP are only beginning to heal itself. One wrong move, one right attack at the right place and he would die. And if he dies, his Curse is gone with it. And Aero is not yet ready to part with the Curse. There is also the fact that he was struck by lightning. If people think being struck with lightning will not give you any effect whatsoever, they are wrong. Aero looked at Eric and calmly said without an accusation in his tone. Because for some odd reason, he could understand Eric feeling and thoughts. If he was put in Eric position, he too would have done such thing. Promises and oaths are something that is unneeded in a politician. It is not a lie if you''re not caught on it. And even if it is a lie, as long as you win, nobody cares. "Is this how you do things in Veva?" Aero asked. Behind him, Aero could see more soldiers is coming out from the city gate. Aero shakes his head. Their marching shakes the ground. That scene alone answers Aero question. Aero look at Eric and said ''Oddly enough, I understand your action'' Eric ignored Aero words. Instead he backed up and shouted "Charge!" His voice shocks the entire crowd on the wall who thought that today event has ended. Who would have thought that this matter is just beginning? The reporter that is about to log out cancelled their intention as they began to once again, open their in-game player and recorded these scenes A new betting pool is opened. This sight must be hard for the native people of this world to understand. Soldiers that was stationed on top of the wall were also summoned to reinforce the attacking soldiers if needed as they all climb down quickly from the towers and waited near the entrance of the city gate Aero look at Amy and said Run! Amy did not have to listen to Aero words twice as she jumps over the soldiers and run away from the direction of the city gate, She knew she could not help much. Her powers are not suited for battle¡­. especially not by her lonesome. And she trusted Aero. As she runs away, the soldiers come out from the gate. One hundred armed men, armored to the teeth charge toward Aero. They began pouring out all of their strength trying to slash Aero of the East. They know that is the only chance for them to succeed to defeat a man that was so powerful that they turned Zeus, their King into a punching bag. They had to go all out. This one hundred soldiers are an elite squad under Eric. Aero could see Amy is running away and he knows what he needs to do. He needs to delay as much as he can. He pushed his feet and the impact causes the dust to rises up before it even exploded and like an arrow released from the bow, he arrived in front of one of the soldiers almost instantaneously. Aero bring out his fist as the air around him crackles and he punched one of them in the face. The soldier face who was wearing metal armor exploded with the metal lodged deep into the soldier skull. With one punch, Aero ripped apart all the flesh on the soldier face. It was a gory sight for everyone. This is testament of Aero strength and also at the same time testament to Zeus endurance. No wonder, he could defeat Zeus. Aero is practically a BOSS level monster The sudden attack and the fate of that soldiers shock the soldiers and for one brief moment they hesitated in their attack. Aero grins. Frist lesson in a battle. Never hesitate in a battle of life and death. And Aero would not let this opportunity go away. He spun around and kick another soldier. Everyone could hear the soldier neck crack before he falls lifeless onto the ground. Chapter 161 THE OATH BREAKER 2 Another soldier finally regained their wit as they thrust a spear toward Aero. Aero did not dodge the spear. The spear stabbed his shoulders but instead of the scene of blood coming out from Aero schedulers, the silver spear broke into two as Aero use two of his hand and smash his slap on both side of the soldiers face. The resulting impact was that the soldiers face turns red and blue before his brain matter exploded through his ears and nose, and dying in such horrendous way in front of his other comrade have a way of making the entire squad felt horrified to their stomach Aero did not stop even for a second. He slaps another soldiers in face as one side of the soldiers face cracked, his entire jaw broke and scattered into pieces inside his mouth. In five seconds he killed people like he is stomping on ants. Another soldier come to him shouting things as he stabbed the soldier with his hand and grabbed his beating heart and yank it out of the solider chest as he throws that to one of the other soldiers. He saw in the distance that some soldiers are blocking Amy path. He kicks another soldier before he spun around, rushing to Amy side like he is lightning. One of the soldiers tries to attack Amy with his sword. But before the sword could ever reach her, Aero jump down from the top as he smashes his fist on top of the soldier''s head. The soldier head exploded as his brain matter leaked out from his eye holes. ''What are you doing here?'' They are blocking my path! And I could handle that!'' She yelled back ''This is no time to argue'' Aero said, urgency in his voice. He looked back and saw that the soldier is gaining back their momentum as they are rushing toward him. He took Amy waist and then put him over his shoulder ''What are you doing?'' ''Saving you!'' Aero replied as he runs away from the city entrance Behind him, he could hear the soldier shouting in alarm. "There''s another one" ''Stop him!'' Aero looked behind him and he saw someone he did not expect to join the battlefield. He chuckles despite the situations that he is in now. There is a person that is entering the battlefield to help Aero. That person is none other than the person who accompanied him in this journey. Deria the Son of Hephaestus has entered the battle. He enters the battle from behind, attacking them with his large sword. He keeps slashing soldiers and with his incredible strength he has fallen down a few dozen people, killing them with ne swift slash Aero was then reminded of a fact. Deria might just enter the world of the living but Deria level is higher than him, Aero reminded himself. He was agile and precise in his attack as one would expect from someone who had fought with many souls in the Underworld. But he is also being overwhelmed right now. Aero frowned. As he looks behind and saw Deria, one of the soldier who was hiding in the bush nearby jumped and attack Aero back, aiming at Amy. Aero senses went into an overdrive as he quickly move his feet as he spun his back and he is now face to face with the jumping soldiers, who is about to smash his sword onto Aero face. Aero with his reflexes extended his hand as his finger grabbed onto the soldier neck. The soldier feet is dangling in the air, trying to grasp for air. "Amy, are you alright?" He asked fearing that something happens to her. I''m fine; Aero nodded and then he twists his hand and the soldier neck bone broke and shatter inside his body. His feet stopped dangling and he was frothing in his mouth area. Aero thrown the soldier body away from him In front of him there were more soldier constructing shield wall to obstruct his escape. Aero scoffed looking at this. Hang on tight! Aero said to Amy. He charges forward as the shield wall brace for impact.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Aero slammed the wall with his other shoulder and like bowling in sin the bowling alley, they all rolled away in pain. Most of the soldiers that hold the front wall had their shield cracked and broken. Some even broke into pieces. Aero took one of the shield and throw it away as it slices three people head in succession. Aero treated the shield like it is a flying boomerang Those who tries to attack him head one would be smash to death or stomped to the dirt. Bodies are flying the battlefield. Both around Aero and Deria. Deria is fighting hard in the front line to delay the soldiers. And finally Deria has broken through to the encirclement. He rushed through the soldiers charging through them like a frenzied bull as he is slowly coming closer to Aero. He finally arrived beside Aero as they look at each other and nodded. Then Deria took his place beside Aero Eric saw all of this as he stands in a safe area. Behind him is people attending to Zeus. His injury is slowly being healed. He is not flustered with this development. He looks at Bart and he nodded. ''Soldiers! At the ready! Charge!'' The moment he shouted those orders, a lot more soldiers than before before are coming out of the city gate. Aero notices this and he looked at Eric in the distance. Eric is smiling. Aero take a breath Eric is intending to flood him and Deria with so many soldiers that they will be exhausted. This time, the soldier moves quickly. Some of them are even cavalry, riding in horseback, chasing him This new batch of soldiers once again encircles him preventing him from running into the forest. They are slowly circling the area and slowly morphed into a circle formation that could be replenished if Aero broke one line. It is a triple layer circle formation as the dust rises up as the horses is running in circle. And Aero, Deria and Amy is in the center of that formation. ********************************************************************************** Hope you enjoy the chapter and leave some comments or I''m going to take first again. ANyway please vote for the story if you like it Chapter 162 THE PROMISE 1 The sound of the hooves of the horses seems more terrifying than before as the eyes of these soldiers is trained on him. But Aero only smirked. Even on his back, there are potential threat not to mention his front. That is the circle formation. It is a trapping formation. Aero even had the urge to laugh right now. Eric really thought highly of him. To think he would employ military tactic to subdue three people. Aero thought to himself ''I must be a bigger threat than I imagined'' Aero then look at Deria. He was determined and show no complaints. Aero smiles bitterly at this. This man is really to kind for his own good. Standing on the middle of the center of the formation while the horses are running around wildly around him Aero finally understood something It does seem a little bit easy for Deria to reach him. Now, he understood that all of it was planned Eric had planned for Deria to go to the center when he appears in the battlefield so they all would be trapped. Catching them all in one swoop. Aero could not help but admire the man scheme. Deria is looking around him, gripping his sword tightly, ready to defend and fight Aero is also the same. But he is not worried about him. He is worrying about Amy. Deria nod to Aero and then ask "What should we do, Aero?" Deria asked Aero look at Deria and he could see Deria is gripping his sword tighter. The sword on his hand belong to Kreon sword. Aero had no worries other than the fact that these soldier would know his weakness. Aero is worried that they might attack him at his ankle. Poke him long enough and it might hit the right spot. Of course his boots are still alright. But he didn''t think that would still be true later. He sighed. His battle with Zeus severely limited the durability of the boot. He knows what is at stake here. If he dies, he knows that this strength of his that have enable him to beat down the strongest warrior in Brave World would also disappears. The stake is different for Zeus. If he dies, at most he lost a few levels and EXP gains. He is still strong. But not him. If he dies, and Zeus desire to seek him to battle him again, Aero could guess his ending already He has made too many enemies to lose this power now. He could not die here and not like this. ''I should have planned better'' Aero mused now regretting The sound of the horse and the clanging of shield come closer and closer. He almost felt regret. But then he looked at Amy and he smiles because all of his regret washed away. He laughs at himself "It''s worth the trouble", he muttered. By now Amy is no longer on his shoulder. She is now standing on his right, holing a dagger. "What is?" Amy seems to hear Aero mutterings. "Nothing" he said. As they talk someone from the formation aim their attacks on Amy as bows, javelins and spear were launched towards her. Aero jump as he kicks the spear, sending it hurtling toward one of the riders as the spear pierced the horse stomach The spear pierced the stomach of the horse easily and the horse fall down, struggling to get up. But the soldier could not let the formation be disturbed and they keep on going, as they stomped on the soldiers and the fallen horse turning them into meat paste in a matter of second. The constantly revolving circle formation is like a meat grinder. The arrows on the other hand is slap away by Aero as it hurtled towards another soldier, striking right at that soldier eyeball. Deria on the other hand parry the javelins away, protecting Amy.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. More arrows and weapon were launched and Deria is waving his sword against the onslaught of arrows, javelins, rocks and magic, as sweat is forming on his forehead, slowly giving in to exhaustion Aero swopped back beside Amy and Deria. He looks at Deria and said "We have to break their ranks, Deria" Aero said giving his instruction. Deria nodded in agreement. Amy heard what they say and shakes her head, looking all around her. The battle that started because of her and now she is also the reasons why Aero could not easily escape. She knows that if not for her Aero could successfully escapes. Aero and Deria quickly enacted their plan as they fought charging forward like berserkers. Amy heal them from behind "I really look like a damsel in distress don''t I?" Amy asked when they broke through the second encirclement only to be encircled again this time by approximately four hundred soldiers. They just keep on coming. "Right now?" Aero was about to say more when suddenly a soldier jumped to him and he managed to land a strike at Aero''s body. The sword shattered. Aero shifted his attention to the soldier. He did not waste time as Aero pierced the man chest with his bare hand and pulled out his heart from the man''s chest. He died instantly, blood spluttering. Aero throw the body back to the crowd as the horses trampled the man body, as the man body melded with the soils. In the distance, Eric is in the background seeing the battle progressing, not lifting a finger while he is waiting for Zeus to heal. Bart is beside him, saying something to him in heated conversation. "Three hundred soldiers have already died fighting them both. And counting" Bart shouted to Eric, his eyes red Eric sighed. The he gives his thoughts "Yeah, I never thought he would last this long" Eric himself couldn''t have expected how resilient and powerful this person people called Aero of the East. Today, Eric was humbled. No¡­...he is not the only one that was being humbled today. From here, he could see the process of the battle perfectly and he could not help but doubt his eyes that all of this devastation and death was perpetrated by one man. The battlefield is flowing with blood that could form a river and smashed brains matter that is underneath the hooves of the cavalry Limbs and corpses heaped to form a hill and all manner of gruesome death was all inflicted by one man. Eric could not have expected that Aero of the East possesses such strength that bordered into the realms of impossibility. Eric could see now why Aero is so confident to challenge Zeus. Aero entire body is a weapon of war. His hand could punch anything to death, his kick can break anything to fragments and pieces, his roar produces gust of wind so strong that he blew some of the soldiers away and scared away the horses. This is a walking weapon of war. If today, it is a battle between armies, sending Aero to the center of the battle would tilt the battle into his side. He sighed ''And that is why he must not leave here'' Eric thought. He doesn''t know what to feel right nw. He had always warned Zeus and Bart to pay attention to Aero of the East. He had advise to crush Aero before he grows. He even planned an assassination before but Zeus ignore the order They always ignored his warning especially when it is about Aero of the East. Today, both of them had to acknowledge his foresight yet even when he is proven right, he is not happy. ''he could not leave'' Eric said to himself as his hand form a fist. ****************************************************************** part one of the chapter. If you like it please leave some comments and vote for the story Chapter 163 THE PROMISE 2 In the battlefield, Deria is beginning feeling tired and he slipped on the muddy soil dye with the blood of soldiers As he falls he thought he is going to die as he saw a soldier began rushing towards him with his sword poised to kill. His hand is trembling because of exhaustion and he almost gives up. He thought he is going to meet Hades again The soldier shouted in anger as he was about to stab Deria heart when a sound broke through the din f the battlefield. The wind whistles as flying spear sail through the space and pierced the soldier''s head killing him almost immediately as the soldier body slowly kneels and falls down. "Are you alright, Deria?" Aero yelled from the front. Aero is in the front trying to break through the ranks while he is in the rear preventing the formation to close upon them. Aero has resorted to picking up the enemy''s weapons and began using them to deal with them. If the soldiers threw him javelin, he would accept it and sent it back to the sender, with more lethal and powerful force. And Aero knows that even though they could pass this encirclement then there will be another and another encirclement. Eric is throwing an entire army on them Aero looked towards Deria direction. And his heart feels for him. He is fighting bravely, wounds all over his body, blood dripping from his sword. He is sweating, trembling and sooner or later he will fall of exhaustion. Aero knows one thing. That he can''t be the cause of his death Deria is loyal to him and he has helped him very much. He done more than what was asked of him In the darkness of the Underworld Deria helped him and even now offered his help to save Amy. And Aero knows how to repay gratitude. And he would not repay it by becoming the cause of his death It would be too ungrateful of him to do this to Deria. He could ignore Deria and run away with Amy leaving him in the rear. But, every man need to have a principle. And he would never discard Deria. Being alive and all that is good¡­...but being alive and living with the worst version of yourself¡­...that is not the way he wanted to live. If he decides to leave Deria here, he had to live with the knowledge he abandoned a friend. And while some people could do that, he could not do that. ''Heh'' he snorted at himself He could leave Deria. He could. Because even if he did that, Deria would happily sacrifice himself for him. And that is why he couldn''t leave him behind. Because nice guy like him should have a chance. And because, he had regarded Deria as his friend. He is still a coward...but not in dying. If there is one thing, he did not fear is dying for the people he loves. He trusted Deria enough to tell him about Amy. In the rain of arrows and fire, Aero recall that moment in the shed before he battles Zeus "Amy? Is that the person you want to meet after you reach the wall?'' Deria asked his eyes sparkling. "You like her?" He asked "I¡­don''t know, really." "Be honest" Deria said his tone serious Aero sighedFind authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "I want to see her, I want to hold her hand, hug her, kiss her. But I don''t know why. How could I like her? One kiss shouldn''t make me this crazy about her? I ask this question every time since she kissed me¡­Is this love?" Deria is a good listener. He listened intently "And before I knew it, my curiosity turned to longing. And I don''t even know why I''m doing it. I would follow her to the end of the Earth even to this god forsaken place if I have to, without ever admitting that my feet are moving. I am an idiot aren''t I?" The sound of shout broke Aero recollection. Aero has to make a decision now. Even if they keep going all of them will be captured again. They have thrown everything to capture all three of them The encirclement itself has begun to be reinforced by new soldiers, as it enlarges the circle formation even more. Even the people in the wall could not see easily because of all the dust that is rising up because of the horses that is running in circle. If he ran and leave with Amy will die. If Deria dies he would die for real. Not like him and Amy. But he could not let Amy got caught by Zeus forces either. He did not have good impression of Zeus. And the fact that Zeus like Amy contribute largely to that opinion. Looking at Amy and Deria he makes his decision. He slashed the soldiers that were standing in his way as he approached Amy and relieved the soldiers around him, and kicking a few horses out of the way Then he grabbed Amy and look at her in the eyes "You said before that you look like a damsel in distress, didn''t you?" he asked Amy "What are you talking about right now, Aero! Be careful" she shouted Another soldier rushed in front of Aero. Aero roared at the soldiers while Amy covered her ears. A gust of wind was produced as the soldiers were blown away. Aero continued amidst the sound of twanging bows and shouting and screaming behind him. "You do look like a damsel in distress" Aero continued and she frowned a bit and was about to say something but Aero beat her to it and said "But you''re my damsel in distress and don''t you forget it" He then lifted Amy. "What are you d¡ª" "Now listen to me. We don''t have much time" Aero said urgently. The soldiers that were blown away are beginning to get up. "Return to Vanheim and tell King George to negotiate my release." "What are you talking about? We''re going to get out of this together!" she yelled "We just met again!" Now tears are running down her eyes as she is protesting to be let down. But her strength compared to Aero is meager. Aero smiled a sad smile and then he looks at Amy and said "I couldn''t leave him behind. I just can''t" his eyes darted again to Deria. "Remember what I said" Amy nodded and understand his decision but she is not going to go without a kiss. She jumped down from Aero grip Aero was about to grab her again but she shakes his head and said ''I understand what you are talking about. But let me do this'' and she grabbed Aero face and kissed him passionately She kissed him with tears on her eyes. Aero kissed her back as tears is also began welling up from his eyes. I just met her. I just met her. After all that, don''t I at least deserve a happy moment? One happy moment. That''s all I ask. Is that so hard? He wanted to know her more than he thought. He wanted to meet her in real life. He wanted to feel her embrace, wanted to embrace her. Kissing her is like being in a spring breeze, and his touch sent his heart fluttering. As he kisses her, everything fades away, darkness disappears, time stops, and in this place, it is only him and her. It has been a long time since he felt this kind of feeling. And that fact, made him felt sad. This is a game right? He thought to himself. Yet, why does it feel so real? They broke the kiss and they look at each other. Aero eyes is red and her eyes is swollen "Are you ready?" Aero said "I''m ready" Amy said holding her tears. Aero was about to lift Amy but Amy push his hand and said "Wait" Amy turned around and looked at Aero eyes. "I''ll come for you, Aero. I promise you" this time her eyes turned fierce. Aero just smiled and nods. "Promise?" Aero asked "Promise" "Then I know it''ll happen" Aero said leaving the last image of him in Amy mind is the image of him smiling Farewell should not be too sad Aero thought Then Aero threw her with all the strength he could muster. And Amy flied high and far. With Amy casting high level techniques at herself then even when she falls she will not be dead. Aero looking at the sky and knowing that Amy went over the encirclement line, heaved a breath of relief. Then he is looking at his surroundings. And looking at it. He laughed like some burden was lifted off from his heart Some of the soldiers that is riding and near him is shocked by Aero display of strength. In the distance Aero could see the huge cliff in front of him. It is one hundred feet away, crowned with beautiful and big trees, green all around, the vague outlines almost dancing beneath the beautiful sunlight. The sky now glowed with beautiful sunlight. The wind blows around him and it comforted him. He had done well. It has been a long time. In the real world, sometimes it is hard to distinguish between the right thing to do and the wrong thing to do, But he knows that he has done the right thing. It was stupid, yes. Stupid but right. Then looking at the drove of soldiers that began pouring out again from the gate, Aero take a deep breath. Then with his last look to the shining sunlight and feeling everything more vividly than ever before, experiencing it like it was the first time, as the wind caress his cheeks, feeling the sunlight heat, he screamed and charged the soldiers to get to Deria. ************************************************************************* What do you think of this chapter? Hope you all enjoy it and leave some comments Chapter 164 NEW COMPANION She passes by the bushes and push it away as her feet keep on running, breaking the branches as her body pushes it away. The blood on her body is ignored and the small wound around her shoulder and the cut on her robe is left unattended as she keeps on moving her feet Her heart keeps beating faster forcing her to run even more and the adrenaline pumps like an overdoes demanding that she run, right now, no delay. Don''t stop, she whispered to herself. Even the whisper now turns to just a faint voice. As she runs her feet slip and she almost tumble over into a cavern, it shakes her for a moment a she looks down. But she got up, ignore the fear as she keeps on moving forward. Because she could not the fear slow her down because that is more time she cannot afford. Then she hears the cat-calls behind her, the sound of their footsteps they are out of there now and running down this narrow path seeking her This woman is none other than Amy.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Amy is tired and thirsty. And she couldn''t log off now. If not she would make herself an easy target because the soldiers had just to wait her here and catch her when she logged back in. After the fall, she ran and kept running Because of the distance between them, the soldiers still couldn''t catch her. Aero threw her really far. But the soldiers did not stop chasing her. They shouted for her, calling her, wearing her down in this wilderness of the jungle with monsters and beast all around. The soldiers are persistent. Persistent and fast. Then having no choice, she ran without stopping, her throat parched, her feet sore and blister are all over her feet As she ran, she saw the forest in the distance. She ran and enter the forest. The forest is big and green, and the trees are high that some of them reach the clouds. She enters it not knowing nighttime is coming. In her clothes she is dripping with blood. But the blood does not belong to her. It''s the blood of the soldiers that she killed. And Aero kills. And Deria. Amy is not a warrior. She never was. She is a healer. She saves people and not kill them. Saving people is her job. And saving people she did. She saved many people. The young, the old, man and woman mostly Asgaroian, smuggle them out to Vanheim so they will not be forced to enter the military of Veva. She just did not think that her job would landed her in today situation. She is a healer. She reminded herself. Yet she does not know how to heal this feeling. This suffocating feeling of helplessness. It is choking the life out of her. It is time like this that she remembers her sister. It is always in times like these she remembers her sister. Her beautiful and strong sister. Brave and smart, adventurous and inquisitive. Her proud older sister. She scoffed at herself. She is a healer and her ability is geared towards that. And her ability is mostly healing. Her mana is almost depleted casting healing skill at herself this past few days as she keeps on running and even encountering a few monster. Some of her wounds are still not healed but she kept on running. Her hand is trembling and her knees is about to buckle. She couldn''t fight the soldier''s might nor could she save Aero. She is helpless again. And she didn''t like this feeling. It reminded her of those moments years ago She decided that she will do what Aero suggested. It is the most surefire way to save Aero. She will return to Vanheim and ask the King to negotiate Aero release. King George and Aero are good friend. He would not let his friend and the Chancellor of his kingdom to rot in a foreign kingdom. ''Find the King, save Aero'' she muttered like a prayer even with her throat dry and her lips cracked. It wasn''t until the surrounding nature around her turns darker that she realizes it and a different kind of noise now fills the forest. She feels the chill and the cold and she began looking all around her. It was darkness all around her. The sun has set and darkness set in. It''s nighttime. Amy wanted to fall down. But she didn''t let her feet stop. Amy could hear the wolf howling in the distance. She is not sure whether that is really a wolf or a monster. She could not die here. If she dies here, she will be spawn at the Kingdom Temple of Apollo. In other Kingdom when you die you will end up in your own respective Kingdom but not here. The God Apollo will not let any of the enemies of Veva to leave that way. The Gods favors Zeus. Amy knows this Zeus left, Apollo came and with so many temples in the North dedicated to Apollo no wonder the Twin Gods favor Zeus. The more people worship him the stronger he becomes. Apollo the God of the Sun. At least, now it is night. He rarely watches in the night The moon was out tonight but its silvery rays would not penetrate the dense canopy above. Dark...that is the only thing around her tonight Amy looks left and right. Then she looked back. Still darkness. She was in too far in to turn back; the twilight she had mistaken for night had passed rapidly. "Hah, hah" she is breathing hard, panting in exhaustion. She rests her body at the black tree. Not only it is dark she is thirsty and very exhausted. Her entire appearance is unkempt. She is covered with mud and filth. The darkness pressed in on her from all sides and her body screamed for her to run. For her to give up now. But she could not. She promises. She promises him. She strengthened her will. She began getting up again trying to walk again. But strength has lost from her body, sapped away because of all the running. Her knees buckled from the exhaustion and she sank to the bottom of the damp ground. Then she could hear footsteps. Before her eyes close, she could see a lithe and graceful woman with a knife in both of her hips is looking down at her. ''Water'' she muttered before she passed out. ************************************************************************* New chapter focused on Amy. Anyway, hope you like it and leave some comments Chapter 165 SOMEONE She felt warm. Her entire body seems to be well rested. Slowly Amy open her eyes. She felt the blanket on her skin, hugging her tightly. It is thick, made of some animal fur and it''s wrapped around her body. She checks that she did not logged out. After making sure she really did not log out from the game she examines where she is now. She could see the outline of the place from where she is lying. It is wood'' she muttered. She half expected to see the outline of the Temple of Apollo. This is a shed, Amy muttered. She peeked out the window that is beside her bed. The hut is beside a big tree. An oak tree. She tries to see anything that might give her clues where this is. The wind blows from the outside. She once again felt the cold and shivered as she hugs the blanket tightly She now remembered this is the North and its climate is cold. Their forest right now is still evergreen but when the winds of winters blows, then white snow would blanket the whole landscape. The winter of the North is severely cold and the cold burns. Amy is still looking around and her eyes look toward the wall of the shed which is primarily wood other than its pillars which is made of stones. The walls of the shed were envelope by green moss that sparkled silvery with dew in the early morning. The roof of the shed is thickly thatched with coarse straw She saw a bird flying out from it nest searching for food in the morning. She looks all of this and take it all in. She felt refresh in this shed. After all the stress and hardship, she had to endure this couple of days, this is the first time felt at ease. She looks beside her and notice the bed table beside her and the water jug on top of it. Beside the water jug is a ceramic cup She took the jug of water, pour it into the cup and quickly take a drink. After that she began to rise from the bed and is preparing herself. She still doesn''t know who brought her here and for what purposes. If it is a good Samaritan than it is fine. If it''s some hunter hoping to sell her somewhere, then she would not let herself easily be captured. It was then that a voice greeted her and startled her. Amy almost jumped up in fright. "You woke up?" A woman voice greeted her. It was then that Amy notices that she is on the middle of the shed looking right at her getting up. Amy did not notice when she arrived there or even heard her footstep which is spooky in itself. The woman is sitting in a chair carved from wood with design of weird runic language all over the chair. Probably she carves the chair herself considering we''re in the woods. Amy stop what she is doing and look at the woman. The woman stares back at her, watching her with amusement and a smirk on her face. She is just watching her but Amy had goosebumps. It was like a predator looking at its prey. She is lithe and for some unknown reason Amy could tell that she is someone who is graceful in her movement. Maybe it is the way she sits or maybe it is the way she is looking at her that gives her that impression but she couldn''t shake off that feeling Her face is not overly beautiful, yet her face possesses a full feature that even Amy in her state couldn''t help but feel envy. Her clothes are tight and clung to her body like leather, accentuating her slender torso and her perfect body She has a deep black eye and her eyes are fierce. And that eyes are staring at her. Amy gulped and then she asked ''Who are you?''Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. She smiles first and then she looks outside like searching for something and then she look back up at Amy and reply "I live here" she said shortly like it explains everything. Amy looks outside the shed because the woman in fort of her look outside. Maybe there is something? Amy thought She looks. But all she could see is tree. All there is, is tree. Green leaves, fill outside the damp ground. The scent of earth and water drifted through the air. Amy slowly begins to feel that her senses adapted to her surroundings. She could hear the streams of water nearby. There is a river near here. I''m near a stream of water, she makes a mental note. The woman in front of her offers no other explanation. Instead she is waiting for her to speak "Thanks for saving me" Amy expresses her gratitude to the woman, not forgetting her manner even in this kind of situation. "It''s alright'' The woman said. Then she added ''Though that is pretty stupid" "What is?" Amy asked "I mean entering a dark forest such as this at night. Winter is here. Are you trying to kill yourself?" Amy was about to answer but the woman just grins as she gets up from her chair and went to another part of the shed. She is only gone for a moment before she came back and brought a bowl of fruits to her. She put it on her side table and said "Eat this. It will restore your energy" Amy who was about to go sit back down and slowly took it. She is hesitating to eat and the woman in front of her could feel it. The woman took one of the fruits and eat it. Amy thought to herself that if this woman wanted to kill her, she could have killed her when she was asleep before. Confident of her judgment, Amy took one of the fruits and began eating it. She begins feeling energy coursing back through her body Not only that, her mind is also becomes clear. After she finishes eating, she began introducing herself. "My name is Amy. Amy of Vanheim" she held her hand out to the woman. The woman smiles and bow a little "I heard of your name before Amy of Vanheim. My humble name is Tatiana" the woman said with a smirk on her face. ************************************************************************* Not many thing to say today Chapter 166 A SECRE The wolf like creatures howls again and the sun has sets. The night comes again. But this time, Amy is in a much safer place than before. She is still at the shed. She is in front of the shed just watching the fireflies flying around hugging the trees and hearing the streams. It soothes her. But she did not forget what she had to do. Well, it is kind of hard to forget when she keeps replaying that kiss in her mind. She did not waste her time here as she has has already contacted Dan and Raina with messages Raina and Dan of course did not expect such development. Neither did they thought Aero would act so out of character and went to Veva alone without backup. Both of them are shocked of course. But they could not go to the King right now and inform him as that would be against military order. They are in the battlefield in Niovar fowling the First Prince. That is why they are not updated on the news in the forums. They only logged out for a while and to eat and sleep before entering back in the game. When people of high position like Dan and Raina participated in the war it is like they are working a 12 hour jobs in the game only that it is more intense and more interesting than sitting in a cubicle for twelve hours. Vanheim forces have begun attacking Cavol in Niovar. The battel has been intense with both side incurring huge casualty on the other. All the soldiers are there. They could not go to the Palace right now but Dan said he will use his TV appearance this week to address this issue. She contacted him in the morning. Now that is night Amy logged back in and she is back at the shed She open her contact windows and press call. -Initiating Call- Then after a few second, the call connected. Amy quickly jump to the issue "How about the troops?" she asked ''Can you send it?'' "I can''t send it without it being called an act of war. We have already a war with Niovar. We don''t have time to engage in another war" Dan replies sadly Not to mention it is a direct violation of military order. Right now, the First Prince control the Council of War and anything must go through him "I will address this matter in my interview but I don''t know if anyone will volunteer. NPCs in Vanheim maybe but the players? They see Aero as both someone to admire and someone that is also their obstacle" Amy ponder for a second and then she asked "Did you try to contact him?" Amy asked. "No. Either he is dead or he is imprisoned" Dan said. Amy shakes her head. He is not dead. That much she knows "Can you just go back to Vanheim?" Amy said hoping "I can''t. Military Law. If I go back, I will be disciplined by Prince James which means I can be demoted or worse. And that would defeat the purpose of why Aero put me here in the first place. That man has many plans, and I doubt he will be happy if I foil his plans." Amy sighed and nodded "Alright then. Just inform me if you heard anything about it" Dan nodded. She ended the call. She closes her eyes and then she tries to call Sarah but it seems she''s offline She needs to plan first before she does anything. As she is thinking, someone approached her from behind Then the voice startled her. She could never hear her footsteps Amy thought as she looks at the person behind her. "So, what''s your real story? I noticed that the Royal soldier is searching for someone, combing the entire forest. I guess that person is you?" suddenly Tatiana asked. Amy does not want to tell anything important because she doesn''t know who she is. But she also did not underestimate the intelligence of the woman in front of her. It is not that hard to deduce after all. "Will you turn me in?" Amy asked and at the same time admitting that she is the person the royal soldier is searching for. Tatiana laughed "Hahaha. To the authorities? You will not catch me dead doing anything that benefits this Kingdom authority." "Can I trust you?" Amy asked. "I don''t know. I think the choice is yours. Tell me. Don''t tell me. Your choice" she said girnning. Amy could never tell with her. She looks like she''s running from the authorities herself. Can I tell her? Sometimes you have to trust first. Maybe it is the night wind or maybe it is the fireflies, but Amy told her story. Or one version of her story. Amy tells Tatiana her story but not the whole story "I was helping the orphan children, healing the sick and the elderly and help the Asgaroian fled King Zeus tyranny when I was captured by Commander Kyle, probably the most sick and cruel commander that Veva had. I was imprisoned by their King and I escaped and now I''m returning home"Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Tatiana listens intently. "Where''s home?" Tatiana ask "Vanheim" she said "Are you going alone?" she asked "I guess" Amy said uncertainly "You''ll be dead by sunrise" Tatiana declared "I guess I have no choice. I shall accompany you to Port Verda" Tatiana said. "You would?" Amy said puzzled "Well, I am already bored in this forest and to be honest I''m also being chased by the authority. And it seems they already get a hint about my location" "For what?" Amy asked curious what would warrant this woman to be chase by the authority "For being myself? Or for my job?" she said mischievously Amy couldn''t help but being curious and asked "What is your job?" Tatiana inched closer to Amy and ssh her "Now that is not a secret I want to share" Then she chuckles as she walks away ************************************************************************* Chapter 167 HER DECISION CHANCELLOR RESIDENCE The sun gracefully graces the people of Vanheim today. It is a clear day, with comforting breeze and a peaceful atmosphere all around. People of the Capital couldn''t feel the war that is being fought on the borders of the Kingdom For the people of the Capital City, live sin good just like yesterday. In the Chancellor residence one woman opens her eyes to greet the Sun, her eyes as beautiful and as lively as the Sun itself. The most beautiful woman in the Continent is inside the Chancellor residence. Princess Helena is in her room, just woken up from her sleep. The sunlight heat already enters her bedroom window which stirs her from her sleep. She woke up, her hair waved gracefully off her shoulder. She got up and she looked at the mirror. Beautiful as ever, she mused. Then her mind went away for second before she bitterly smiles. No, she reminded herself, beauty is a curse¡­.at least for her. She sighed She comes out from her room and went to the large bathroom as she is washing herself, bathe and put on perfume and choose her clothes.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. His husband has sent her many gifts persuading her to go back to the Palace and join him at The Peak. But she ignored every persuasion, content to be remaining here in Aero residence She looks around her and she could box and boxes of glittering jewel, precious gem, diamonds and golden necklace, golden ring and golden shoes, all neatly packaged and delivered to her. She ignores him but that doesn''t mean she have to ignore his gift. Helena has heard from the returning carriage driver that the Chancellor has gone to Veva to search for some girl. The matter raises some discussion between the maids and servants of the residence and even Helena hears it Helena felt a tinge of jealousy when she hears about this other girl This is unlike her. People felt jealous of her. Not the other way around. It is a foreign feeling and a feeling that excites her Then she went to the dining room where the attendants serve her foods. The servants spoke politely to her. Her position in this residence is quite vague and complicated. She is a princess but she is not really the woman of the house since the relation between her and the Chancellor is not really known by other people other than her as a foreign princess and the Chancellor as her protector after her assassination attempt She could not order the servants of the Chancellor but she is accorded every privileges of a Princess. She looks around her as the servants leave the room so she could eat in peace. Alone in this big house, she mused. She spent her time either hunting in the back forest behind the Chancellor residence with Alexiniad or Justinian when he''s not busy hunting assassins. Helena heard that Aero is searching for an assassin and as long as she is not found, Justinian is tasked to capture and arrest the other assassins of the Blood Brotherhood. Justinian is also tasked to train the soldiers in his absence. She sometimes read the books in the Chancellor studies but some of it bored her. He has many books from all parts of the Continent. Too many books, with too many words. She is fonder of activities like fighting and hunting, the sweat and the effort, stalking and attacking, the games of slash and parry, of clanging shield''s and striking and slashing. But she did not scoff Aero interest instead he admires it She has her interest and Aero has his. She knew how to respect that and as someone who is known in the continent as a very smart person she knew to fear a smart man like Aero Not only is he smart he is also extremely powerful, both literally and figuratively The snake, people call him, she reminded herself Thinking about it again, she has never met a person as strong as him. Not even his two brother do not possess the strength to stab into a person chest and yank out their heart She also admires the grand library that he had in his residence She doesn''t know where he found the time to read all of it, she once mused Today is like any other day. It is a nice day and a good day to go outside. After she finished her meal she went outside to the gardens She is in the gardens tending to the flowers and she finished with that she enjoyed the wind as she sits at the swing. She is truly loved by the Goddess of Love. Everything she did is full of life and imbue life around her. She could feel the wind blowing at her, caressing her gently. She could feel the ground beneath her foot while the swing rocked slowly. Up and down. Up and down the swing moved. She is enjoying this moment when a servant came into the garden and Helena stop the swing. She jumped down form the swing and look at that servant. The servant kneels and relay a message to her "Your Highness, the King seeks an audience with Princess" The servant announced. King? Is it George? She thought. Then she almost slapped her own forehead Of course, who else is the King of Vanheim? Helena then quickly rushed to the guestroom after cleaning herself up from the dirt and mud. If it''s her husband it''s a different story. She could ignore her husband. She couldn''t trust him right now. But the King? Even she is not that stupid to anger King. Not to mention this is the King that could probably be the first king that in the long lien of Vanheim to rule all over the Eastern Continent Her father and her brothers always said one thing to her. "Don''t anger these two beings. Kings and Gods. The consequence is always dire." Helena rushed to the Main Hall and when she saw the King she is about to kneel "Your Grace" Helena tries to kneel but she was stopped by King George who hold her arms and force her to stand. "In Vanheim we do not kneel among family, Princess" George inform and he smiles kindly. Helena nodded and she felt calm by such a gesture. King George gesture her to sit and she slowly sit down beside the King "What is your purpose coming here, Father In-Law?" she said. King George sighed. There is no easy way to start this conversation so he said "I will cut to the chase, Helena." He addressed Princess Helena as Helena meaning he is regarding Helena as his family. Then he sighed "It isnot good that husband and wife live separately from each other. My son has persuaded me to console you to coming home. He has reflected on his mistake" Helena is silence for a while. Then she said as politely as possible "He left me. If not for the Chancellor, I would already be dead." She said sternly. The King bitterly smiles and then he sighed again "There has been rumors" The King said uncomfortably Helena knows which rumors the King meant The rumor is that Helena is the Chancellor lover so that''s why she is living in his residence. "I know of the rumor. But those people try to smear my name and the Chancellor name. The Chancellor is not even here. He went into a journey, leaving Sage Nicolas to handle his administrative duties. Everyone in the court knows it." "But still¡ª" The King said "I will move to the Palace if Father In-Law is that concerned" Helena relents. She is also bored sitting in this big mansion alone. The maid does not approach her because she''s royalty and they fear their mistakes would warrant her anger. The only one who dares is only one man and even that the other tries to make a rumor of it. Bad intention, bad thoughts. In her Land, people do not fear beauty; they embrace it, admire it, loved it and worship it. Here they fear beauty and try as they might to destroy that. "Trust no one" his word ring truth Helena mused. So Helena that evening went to the Palace as a new residence is prepared for her. But still she did not return to The Peak. She will live in the Palace. ''Trust no one'' she muttered as she enter the Palace in the carriage that evening ************************************************************************* PLease leave some comments and vote for the story and hope you enjoy the chapte Chapter 168 PRISON Blood color the battlefield red. And it flowed. The hard ground turns mushy and muddy The blood flow as fast as rain flow in a bad rainy day. Body is strewn about all over the battlefield. The stench of blood, sweat, piss and shit all melded The clanging of swords can still be heard ringing in his ears. Shattered swords, broken shield, hundreds and hundreds of spear stuck on the ground, on some poor soldier face, some has stuck on their chest, some on their throats. Mound of corpses were piled up as high as the city gate, their faces shows their unwillingness to leave the world. Holes in their chest and dried blood that is the sign of their death. Brain matter makes the battlefield slippery while the soldiers stumble and accidentally licked the ground with their comrade brains. Twenty thousand Vevaian troops die that night. It was a tragic night and a horrifying battle for Veva. All were killed by one man. That is one hard truth to swallow. Twenty thousand soldiers fought one man and they were decimated Fear and terror crept in the hearts of Vevaian troops, more and more believing this man in front of them is the God of War himself. The entire city was shaking when they saw the result of the battle. Twenty thousand men, sons of Veva had their lives cut short that day. Even though they managed to halt his advance while maintaining the circle formation many have lost their lives. Too many to justify capturing one man This dragon could not be contained or stopped. His presence instead of weakening, become more overwhelming as he keeps killing and mowing down enemies. He roars and people are blown away by the gust of wind he produces. He punches and it was like the world shakes around them. Every time the man tries to jump the people from the wall will shoot stones and giant boulders to stop him from running away. And every time he would fall. With the fragments of those boulders turning into dust when they collide with the man body But even so, when he jumps it was almost like he could fly to Olympus itself. The boulders prevent him from jumping away from the encirclement. So he had to battle all the troops that is sent his way But miraculously even after all that he is still unscathed. There is not one cut in his body. But he looks tired now. Stamina 3/ 99999 Aero is panting and trying to take his breath. His entire body is caked with blood. His stamina is almost at its limit and his body is buckling under all this exhaustion At least he had save Deria. And Amy. Now it is nighttime. Aero fought from afternoon to night. That must be a new record some how And Amy must be far away from here now. The smell of blood and the stench of the corpse deter the new attacker and only increase the troops fear of Aero. There are forty thousand troops and counting. Severed limbs filled the battlefield, the brown earth is torn, blasted, the background of this restless battlefield, filled with broken souls. And he keeps fighting and killing, ripping people to shred with his bare hands. And Aero could feel it as the time goes on. He is beginning to lose his balance. He stands there on the middle of the a battlefield, his body seems to create heat as smoke could be seen rising from his muscle. He is at his limits now. Yet he still can kill about two people. His sword has already shattered. He was forced to use it as the battle keep getting intense. His armor also shattered but thankfully his boot is not yet shattered. The battlefield bores the torturing image of Hell on Earth, with mountains of corpses and rotting flesh. Stamina 2/ 99999 ''Hah'' ''Hah'' his breath is beginning to getting slowed. Seeing an opportunity, a soldier charge towards him and he strike the soldiers with his feet, breaking the soldier bones as the soldier flew and drop to the ground laying lifelessly, blood splurging out from his mouth before he takes his last breath. And with his last strike Aero fall down of exhaustion. He breathes hardly now and then it slow as his eyes closed Then he is carried away. He didn''t know where but he could feel the movement. ''I guess I''m still not dead?'' Aero thought to himself as he let himself be carried away ************************************************************************* He opens his eyes groggily. He feels a little dizzy like his head was hit by a hammer. But he could that his stamina is returning. Strength is coursing back through his body, roaring and energizing him as each second passes. He could not see it but all the labor of his hardship is slowly being erased as his muscle returned back to its most optimum condition. He could feel he is lying on something hard. He got up and look at his bed. It is a bed of rock. He stands and look at where he is. He chuckles. His stamina has recovered and his eye sis wide open so he finally realized where he is He is in a prison. And it is probably the most highly guarded prison Aero have ever seen in this world. Outside his prison is about fifty guards. Not to mention there is a ledge where there are many more guards stationed there and outside this area, there is even more guards stationed. Then outside the prison at the entrance of prison all manner of weapons of destruction is aimed at this prison. If Aero ever managed to escape they would fire all of it to destroy Aero and the prison he is in. Of course Aero did not know this but he could hear them even when he is in this prison. The prison for him was specially constructed for him. When the soldiers of Veva pass this prison they could feel the fear. Not awe. Not shock. Only fear. Because the person incarcerated here is a man capable of fighting ten of thousands of men by his lonesome before falling unconscious. The prison has a wall as high as thirty feet and the thickness of the wall is 15 feet and if that is not enough, the entire wall is made of iron. And the iron bars of his prison has a bluish light. His hand and feet are chained by a golden chain that emits some kind of divine power. Why Divine Power and why he is so sure about that? Because when Aero tries to shatter the chain, it simply won''t budge at all. But his movement is not entirely restricted. His hand can still move as the chain is placed on his wrist. Not to mention the chain is long so at least he can strangle anyone that tries to kill him. Aero could guess why this chain could restrain him Another relic of the Gods, he deduced. Gods and Kings. The relic of Gods to restrain him and the prison for Kings Aero could not help but admire again at the prison A special prison just for him. Aero approach the iron bars and tries to end it. But just like the golden chain, it does not budge. Aero is flattered to be treated so importantly like this. A prison befits for a God. Aero thought thus prison might be the handiwork of Olympus. What an irony it would be if this prison is crafted by Hephaestus This is kind of a tower to keep him in. Aero sit back down on his stone bed and he focus his earring, and he could hear the streams outside. Now¡­..there is even a moat? Then his ears could hear more details. He could hear the footsteps of soldiers outside the prison towers. fifty or more troops, he guessed. He listens as his closes his eyes and the he could hear footsteps approaching his cell Aero opens his eyes and he grins. He got up of his stone bed and come closer to the cell bar and just as he expected it he could see two person coming to his cell.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. ************************************************************************* seven more days Chapter 169 THE DEAL He grins as he looks at the two men that is approaching him ''Ah, you''ve come finally. I was wondering when you would arrive here'' The two men bitterly smiles. The two person is none other than Eric and Zeus. They are standing just outside the prison cell. The other guards tensed and look at the prisoner Aero with trepidation. They worried that the Chancellor of Vanheim would try to lunge to Zeus and Eric. Even though, the Prime Minister said that Aero of the East would not be able to break through this prison but before yesterday who would have thought that there is a person who could fought forty thousand people and not get even one injury? Zeus look at Aero and Aero nodded. He looks around at his prison and chuckles. "A tower prison for me? I''m flattered, truly" Aero said "It is a precaution. You could understand why we are not very keen on letting you escape." Eric reply Aero nodded but his eyes is only at Zeus. "So, Zeus this is the way you treat guest that come from far away. I heard Veva is terrible. I didn''t think it was this terrible." "You are not a guest!" Eric shouted. Aero ignored Eric outburst as he said toward Zeus "I won fair and square, Zeus. I challenged you and you accepted. I spare your life. Yet you imprisoned me? Strongest in the Continent? You are nothing" Eric look at Zeus but Zeus say nothing so Eric then said. "Careful, Aero. He is the one that persuade me to imprison you. I rather suggest you be killed."Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Aero had a look of shock for a second and then he bitterly smiles. "And why would you do that? Imprisoning me, I mean, instead of killing me? There is only one reason isn''t there? You want something from me" Eric nodded. Then he calmly organized his thoughts and the n said as politely as he can to Aero "Aero. I like to make you an offer. If you promise not to spread Zeus defeat at your hand, we will release you from this prison and give any amount of gold you want and we could even throw in a few national treasure of Veva to you" Eric offered Eric knew how important reputation is. Especially Zeus reputation. For those people that recorded the battle from the top of the wall, they were all imprisoned. For the reporters while they do have an in game player to recorded the battle, they do not know the privilege of a King that is a player possesses. Zeus only need to send a decree banning the in game player to be distributed and all the in game footage that those reporters recorded were censored. That is the power of King authority bidding the players. Of course this kind of thing could only be used by a player who hold the title of King and could only work in their kingdom. Some of the reporter sin the wall did not come from Veva and still have the footage. But they were all hunted and Artemis helped them, when Zeus burn an offering to her. Most of them were hunted by the Goddess of the Hunt attendants. Eric sighed Aero in his cell could understand why Eric made that request. He and Eric both knows the importance of reputation. Aero guarded his very carefully. Aero seems to be thinking then he smirks and reply to Eric question with a simple "No" Eric laughs and then said "We might kill you" Eric said calmly. Aero listening to this raised his eyebrows and then he laughs. His laugh reverberates inside this tower prison that some of the guards on the distance tremble in fear. It was like the laugh of the Devil. At least that is what those guards thinks. The many guards that is stationed here all fought Aero trying to catch him. They all experience firsthand how brutal and powerful Aero of the East really is. Then he look straight at Eric eyes and said "So, come inside and try to kill me. I dare you" Aero challenged as he swept his eyes at the guard looking at him from above the railings holding their bows and arrows Nobody dares to come inside. They all saw what he did two days ago fighting nonstop against their brothers in arms and by the end of his battle forty thousand troops has die by this man hands. Even now the blood is still flowing like a stream river water down to the tiled streets of the city and the blood pooled in front of the entrance of the gate The corpses that heaped into hills began emitting foul smell and odor and some parents of the soldiers are stills searching the remaining parts of their children body after being ripped apart by Aero in his battle. Because of the bodies and the blood, and the stench there is a plague in the Kingdom right now. Many departments have been mobilized to contains it. Tragedy after tragedy struck. Too many people have died under the hand of Aero of the East And now for them to go inside the cell with Aero? Who would dare to spend time with him in his cell. There is only one ending for anyone brave enough to go inside that cell. They would be torn apart, like a lion ripping apart the meat of a sheep. So¡­.they do not dare to step even an inch inside his cell. Eric hated the fact that he seems to shot himself in the foot with that question so he changed the topic. "I must thank Lord Apollo for lending me the Shackle of Sun to Zeus or maybe we couldn''t contain you. And that is high compliments" Eric said In his cell, Aero finally understand. No wonder he couldn''t break it through the chain. But he already deduced that much. But Eric word confirmed his suspicion. "Apollo huh. Maybe I''ll teach that God some manner later" Aero said spitting to the ground as he looks at the ceiling. "You are disrespectful towards the Gods" one of the guards who listen said reproachfully to Aero Aero smirked and then he said "I only respect the God who are not stupid. Apollo has make an enemy of me. And I remember my enemy" he warned Aero could understand the dynamic between the Gods and he knows who his patron is. There is Athena. There is probably Hephaestus if he is being an optimistic person. But he clearly wouldn''t ever get the favor of Apollo. Since he couldn''t get it, why bother with pleasantries considering that Apollo already mark him as an enemy. Then Eric snorted and said "So you will still be stubborn and release that video?" Aero scoffed and reply "Yes, let the world knows that the title of the strongest belongs to Aero of the East" Aero said his chest puffed up. Eric face contorted into an expression of frustration and shouted "Then you will spend your time in this dungeon!'' Zeus then come forward and trying to persuade Aero t change his mind ''That is precious time you wasted. You may not get quest or raise your level. You really wanted to forsake that?" Zeus said his tone slightly apologetic "Even with my current level I still trash you good didn''t I?" Aero said grinning "That''s true" Zeus smile bitterly "You are an Oathbreaker, Zeus. You lied to me and the world will know¡­.And not to mention, the Gods in Olympus knows. If I am not mistaken and I rarely do, those Gods high on Olympus are pretty big on oaths and promises. Mark my words. This will bite you in the ass someday." Eric could no longer hear his nonsenses "Enter the cell and Kill him" Eric said ordering the guard to enter. But something shocking happened. They stand transfixed at their post, looking at Eric like he was the enemy They shake their head. Entering is tantamount of suicide "Go inside!" Eric shouted, gesturing them to go inside while at the same time not believing his eyes at this current situation The troops would not go inside no matter who asked. One of the bravest soldier inside the cell then shouted at Eric "Prime Minister Eric, why don''t you go inside?" The soldier is trying to prove a point. If even the Prime Minister does not dare to enter inside how could others? How could the Prime Minister forget that this man couldn''t even be taken down by ten of thousands of men? How could they a few bands of men could compete. Not to mention the cell is small and narrow. There is nowhere to run there. It is like throwing a meat at a tiger. Eric gulped while Aero eyes clearly seems like he is interested in the idea as he look at Eric and smiles. Eric stiffened for a moment He knows he is no match for Aero strength. ''I mean if he can even defeat Zeus than I will be like a stick in there. A stick for Aero to break.'' Eric thought to himself Even now he still remembers that scene from two days ago when he was observing the battle. He shudders in fright when he saw Aero destroy a man head just by gripping his skull with his bare hand. That was terrifying display of strength and brutality. The Prime Minster orders it once again and the soldier inside the tower prison began murmuring among themselves. They were debating who will go inside to kill him but no one volunteers. Zeus does not offer himself not because he is afraid that much towards Aero but because he felt what he did is too dishonorable. He really wanted to let go of Aero. After all, they have an agreement and it was challenged he voluntarily accepted. Even though the man has thrashed him, he couldn''t help but admire his strength. And even though he likes Amy, he kind of understands why Amy likes Aero. But Eric insists on killing him. He proclaimed if there is anyone that will become his enemies, that will thwart his ambition of ruling the continent it will be this man. Eric declare that if he does not kill Aero, sooner or later he will lose the continent Surely he''s not that dangerous? At least that is what he thought before. Until two days ago. Aero of the East is a dangerous threat more than anyone expected him to be. His feat of defeating forty thousand troops by his lonesome would surely made him a legend in the game And then imagine what he could achieve with an army under his order. It is not a secret that he as the Chancellor control the military and the Eight Council. But still for some reason Zeus didn''t want to kill him. After the initial shock of losing, he was mad of course but Aero did beat him fair and square. And it is an acceptable loss. He underestimates his enemy and he got his ass whooped because of it. But Eric insists on imprisoning him in this tower, and never letting him out at least until the North is fully taken by Veva. And now a new problem arises. Who can kill him now? The prison now becomes his safety place. They kept him in the prison not letting him out but neither could they enter either. The prison itself is forged on Olympus so not even a God can break through. It can only be open from the outside. Zeus thoughts was interrupted with the murmuring of the soldiers After a ten minutes'' discussion the conclusion was nobody dares to enter. Aero looking at this went to his stone bed lie down and laughs. Eric look at Aero with a complicated expression and then he said to Zeus "How about this? We imprisoned him here until he decided to cooperate" Eric suggested to Zeus. Zeus frowned and then asked "For how long?" Eric look at that smug expression on Aero face and then reply "However long it takes" They all nodded. Zeus hesitated for a bit but then with a long sigh he nodded in agreement. They walk out of the cell area, their footsteps slowly vanishing as the guards resumes their post looking vigilant at Aero cell. Aero look at the steel ceiling above his head and a face come to his mind. ''Amy he muttered. ''I will believe in your promise. Come get me'' and he smiles thinking of her. Then he sits in a meditation pose and logged out. ************************************************************************* Chapter 170 THE FOOTAGE DANIEL HOUSE The capsule open and Daniel come out from it looking angry. He did not show this emotion when he was in the prison because he would never give Eric the satisfaction but now that he logged put and back at his own home, anger slowly rising up in his heart He didn''t like it and it is also a fact that his position right now is quite vulnerable. He nearly slammed the capsule door but then thinking how expensive it is he slowly close his capsule door and went out from his bedroom He wanted to calm himself down so he went to the kitchen, open the fridge and drink a bottle of mineral water and he slowly calmed down. He then finally remembered something. He goes to the living room and search for his phone. After a few minutes of searching he found it and he smiles He found one way to ease the feeling of anger in his heart right now. He dials a number on his phone. It was the number of ETV3 station Someone picked up. Since this is the not the first time that Daniel has called the station, the receiver knows that Daniel would like to speak with their production team. The receiver quickly set up a video conferencing for Daniel. After a few minutes, his call was directed elsewhere and then then video conferencing began Someone appears sitting in the most prominent seat of the table and Daniel could guess he is the man in charge. "I''m Andrew, the production Director" An old man said introducing himself and quickly get to the point "So what is this video?" he asked. Daniel told them he has a video that will make their rating shot up to the sky. It is why they set up this video conferencing in the first place. He doesn''t know what it is but considering it is Aero of the East, the production team all believe whatever footage he is going to sell would surely attract a lot of advertisers and bring quite the profit for the station Daniel did not say much as he shows him a snippet of his battle with Zeus. His team and Andrew look at the video and then they realized something "Is that Zeus? King of Veva" Andrew couldn''t help being shocked after recognizing the person that Aero was fighting "The one and only." Daniel reply grinning. Andrew then look at Daniel and said, almost whispering "Did you won?" he had to ask. Daniel nodded to such an obvious answer and he said "Why else would I want to publish it?" Andrew eyes brighten and his team all nodded. They could clearly see the potential of this video. No, it is not potential. This video is guaranteed to be probably one of the most popular footage that ETV3 would ever air regarding the Brave World content "Fine we''ll take it" he said eagerly. But Daniel would not be Daniel if he agreed on this deal easily. After all, he knows that his previous videos netted the station quiet a lot of money. Since then he knew how valuable his video footage really is. "I want seventy thousand dollars for this video" Daniel declared "What?" he said shocked.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. "But usually¡ª" one of the staff trying to said. But Daniel is not having it. He waved his hand and said "Then don''t buy it. I sell it to VMS then" And he was about to touch the end button but Daniel gestured for him to wait with his hand "No, wait, wait¡­.That''s not what we are saying Mr. Daniel" Daniel then ask "Then what are you saying?" " Can you let me discuss it with my team first?" Daniel shake his head and then put down his foot "No. Decide now. Either you want it or not" Daniel giving the director an ultimatum. Director Andrew smiles bitterly and sighed "You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Daniel" Daniel just remained waiting, not saying anything, waiting for his decision. He looks at the Director and hope his gamble pays off. He knew that the only competitor that ETV3 have is VMS. And he knows that ETV3 is building a narrative around him. If he sold his videos to VMS, that narrative is broken. VMS build a whole narrative on Zeus and ETV3 built a whole narrative on him. In the end, Daniel trusted his instinct. That his request would not be rejected. Andrew contemplate for a moment, closes his eyes and then sighed. He opens his eyes back and then finally said "Ok. Fine. We''ll agree to it" Daniel smiles and nodded ''Pleasure doing business with you'' ''Heh'' the Director snorted "Then can you sent the contract to me?" Daniel said. "We''ll mail it by email" Daniel ended the video conferencing. He waited at home, watching TVs, going out for a while buying some groceries in the market and then by the time he got home it as already evening. He went to his computer which is quiet old and he thought to himself that when he got the money he would buy a larger and more powerful computer. He opens his mail and when he saw the contract. he digitally signed it and then he sent the footage to ETV3 as he leans back on his computer chair and smiles wide. ''I could be considered at least the lowest level of rich'' he muttered to himself. ************************************************************************* Chapter 171 THE INTERNET IS ABUZZ ETV3 BROADCASTING STATION Today, everyone is running around in the broadcasting room. The editing room is in chaos and work tirelessly since the day they got the footage. The editing team was the first one to seen the footage. And after seeing it they couldn''t control their excitement. They knew that this footage would blow up and buying it for seventy thousand is not a waste. The editing team are now editing the footage to make it more impactful with music, captions and powerful images. they wanted to also added commentary in the beginning but when they see the video in full they all agree even if this footage is release just as it is it will be epic. So they decided not to alter it that much and just added the music and some explanation at the top of the screen. They have a narrative to follow and they edited the video to fit that narrative They wanted to portray Aero as a brave warrior and as a loyal companion. And the reason why this narrative is easy to create, is because there is no denying the fact that Aero traveled far to the North, to the heartland of Veva itself, to save Amy. And then there is Amy and her role in all of this. The team already know what a goldmine this is. They know so many stories can be spin from this. So, they decided to add some more layer and depth to Aero of the East character. In the middle of his battle with Zeus ETV3 decided to portray him as a romantic hero, enduring all that hardship just to save his woman. And at the end when they parted¡­., Aero ultimately sacrificing himself so he could save the woman he loves and the friend he cherishes¡­the scene was powerful scene and it highlight his character as not just a hero, but a tragic hero. He could have escaped if he abandoned Deria but he didn''t. he could have escaped if he just stopped trying g to protect Amy but he didn''t. Instead he fought them all and never gives up and would rather sacrifices himself rather than let tow to people get caught. It is more than just a battle story between two of the Great Pillars in Brave World. It is a love storyFind authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. But what''s more interesting about this love story is that it is¡­a tragic love story The masses will love this. This battle had it all. Action, battle, drama, betrayal, self-sacrifice, and love There are so many ways to portray Aero, as a brave and gallant knight, or a prince or a hopeless romantic. And then of course since ETV3 is the competitor with VMS Zeus will not get off with this ETV3 decide to portray Zeus as an oath breaker in the part two of that video after he renege on his promise of releasing them both. Of course, if you think about it, it was Eric that ordered Aero capture. But potahto, potayto The scene where Aero choosing to save his friend and let her lover escapes while he fought a horde of enemies all screaming for his head¡­the editing team could already predict the reaction of the viewers. Probably there will be people retaking it on Mytube reactors channel. That scene will surely tug at the heartstring of the viewers and will once again shot up Aero reputations Finally, Amy and Aero is together, Sarah mused as she watched the footage in the editing room. She knew that urging and stimulating the feeling of jealousy in Amy during the victory ceremony will force Amy to act. Sarah smiles proudly She knows that Amy like Aero but she''s too afraid to take that first move. So, she needed a little push. So, Sarah just gives her a little push. A little nudge. "What do you think the title should be?" the promotion staff began racking their brains to give a title to the new footage "Battle of North and East?" one of the editing staff offered "Hmm..how about Aero of the East and Zeus of the North" one of the guys in Promotion team suggested. Then Sarah come in to the room. She has just watched the footage last night, her hair is still a mess, her lips have a trace of saliva drooling. She has seen the footage. She smiles proudly. Finally, she knows where Aero went to. She is rarely online right now, busy with her work. But seeing the battle make her yearn to enter Brave World again. Going on adventure, fighting and scheming especially if the adventure is with Aero. And he always has the craziest adventure when he is alone. She also likes going around helping Builders. She has earned quite the reputation on the Builders community and Druids. Maybe she will go online tomorrow after finishing the work for this footage. Sarah also heard the cost for the videos. It is pricey, but she thinks it will be worth it. No, she is sure that it is worth it. There is already a millions of revenue and there is call for ads from sponsors when they told them that they have the footage of Aero fighting Zeus. And they need to publicize this more so they all could join the fun. Sarah could just imagine the money being thrown right now at their station. "No, no" she said to the promotion team. "It needs a simple and easy to remember name. Why don''t we follow the troops on the wall suggestion?" "Tiger and dragon?" "Yes. Tiger and dragon" They all looked at each other and nodded. So tiger and dragon becomes the title of the battle that is publicized in the television telling the whole world the greatest battle between Aero of the East and Zeus of the North will be aired on ETV3 All of the players of Brave World that saw the ad are all burning with curiosity and excitement. The battle, between Aero of the East and Zeus of the North is surely a momentous event. After all, only a little see that battle before and even that footage was not allowed to be released. And Eric threatened the soldiers not to tell The thing all have been hushed up But now their battle will finally be shown to all players. The editing teams know who wins but not the viewers. In three more days they will air the video. The internet is exploded with so many speculations who win and who lose. Many of Vanheimneian players that is currently in the battlefield at Niovar is proud that Aero fought Zeus. Both of them great players and the Great Pillars of the Continent. Their battle has always been dream by many of the players in the Continent. This would also satisfy the curiosity once and for all. Who is the strongest? Aero of the East? Zeus of the North? The Niovar players speculate that Aero loses mainly to reduce the morale of the attacking army. Even though Aero does not participate in the war, his name still inspires victory. And in a way he is their hero and the representative of Vanheim. So, Niovarians believe if they could cast doubt on Aero strength they could then cast doubt on Vanheim own strength. The Vevaian players who know the results still could not believe that their undefeatable King has lost. And they don''t blab about what happened in front of the entrance gate to anyone. There is gag order on it and no one likes to be on the losing side and decrease their own morale. Meanwhile, the internet is abuzz as many more speculate in bluedit, Mytube and many other social media platforms. Their battle is anticipated by the other players of the other kingdom in the Continent. All viewers are waiting for the video to be air to settle the question in everyone mind¡­. who is the strongest of the two? VMS is also in chaos after the news broke out. Zeus is their star while Aero is ETV3 star. Everyone in the station knows this. They have been pushing this narrative since day one they contracted Zeus to their station In a way, when Aero fought Zeus, ETV3 is also fighting VMS. They try to call Zeus to get some comments but he did not answer the phone. So, it only made them even more uncomfortable and fueled the belief that Zeus did not fare well in his encounter with Aero of the East. Did Zeus lose in the battle? This is not the kind of behavior of someone who wins in that battle. And if Aero loses why would ETV3 aired it? VMS executives believes that Zeus had lost to Aero. Their representative even reaches out to ETV3 and trying to schedule a meeting with the Production Director for the Brave World segment to sniff some news Zeus loses. The more days'' passes, the more VMS believes in this. It is the only reason why ETV3 would air the video. ETV3 would never air a footage that shows their hero get beaten up. Even before the airing started so many people have come to ETV3 forum to discuss the battle even though no one ever seen yet. The special segment was also rated high in Rotten Apple even before it is released VMS is trying to divert the public attention of Brave World community by trying to find something more interesting then Aero and Zeus fight but it''s not easy to top that. It is the most anticipated battle and event in Brave World for many players VMS is trying to divert the players attention with The Discovery of the New World, the news about the abolishment of factions by the reigning King, and they even as so far goes to list types of plants in Brave World, anything to try to divert the viewers. Both of the media station is trying to outdo the other but with the biggest battle between two great pillars video the winner of the rating battle has already been decided. Regarded as the strongest, Zeus of the North, Undefeated and Unchallenged, None stand his way, If Aero of the East does not come forth, Who can be his match? The trailer for the battle was released yestarady and it began with the poem describimng this two men. Then fire burns the poems and it shows Aero riding on a chariot circling in front of a large gate. The scene changes to Zeus jumping down from the wall and then the scene changes again to both of these men trading blows with strikes that shakes the ground. Then the trailer ended. And the internet was broken that day. Zeus and Aero top the real time searches in many countries. ********************************************************************** Chapter 172 OMENS AND SIGNS Right now the Vilajeri Continent is in a state of upheaval and chaos. War and unrest everywhere. Niovar and Vanheim is at war. The war has already sacrificed hundreds of thousands of their soldier and still counting with the players from each side raise their arm and join the battle. It is a war between two superpower nations that will decide the true ruler of the Eastern part of the continent Whoever won will emerge to be one of the candidate kingdom that will rule the world Veranis is also just got out of their own war. Prince Alexander Veran, the young prince of Greater Veranis has conquered Gerad Stratocracy and has now began stabilizing his new domain and began resting his troops. The Prince chases General Theolonius and hack his head, presenting it to the other commander of Gerad and they all surrender in unison, bowing to the Prince of Greater Veranis Meanwhile on the southern battlefield Niovar reinforcement army came to fortify their own kingdom while Supreme Commander James attacked vigorously. And his approach seems to work as day by day they marched closer and closer to Niovar Capital City. And the other nation did not just watch and wait. They are beginning to take sides in this large games of war. Karak has begun sending supplies to Vanheim frontlines and two of the Four Nobles Houses of Karak has also joined the war. House of Gerhardt and House of Vlad is bringing three hundred thousand each, of their troops to help the frontline and fortify their position While Vanheim is still fighting Prince Alexander has now returned to his father Palace and began helping his father to govern while learning politics from his father. It is clear to anyone that Philip is grooming his son to become his successor. His recent victory has guaranteed him the spot over Philip brother On the North, it is also becoming a mess and shadows of war still loom overhead. Leon Kingdom makes an alliance with Veva becoming a vassal state of Veva and fortifying Veva borders. On the South, instead of war for territory and wealth, the people of the South is fighting a war of faith. The Holy Zun Empire has worsened the peace that once filled the South. Everyone has expected that the emergence of a new faith would not be accepted so easily by the people of the South. Well it is expected. Their cultures and their Gods is different. The leader of their revolution of faith, Ariana of Zun is now attacking Nero republic vigorously and victorious with each city fallen down under her sword. Her army of peasants marches on while at the same time preaches their strange religion to the people of the continent As all of this happened in Duvar someone is sighing as he looks outside the window of his Palace. In Duvar, the Holy Lands for those who believes in the Seven Celestials, King Vrandeus is at a precarious position as the leader of a Holy Land. Dreams has been sent to him in his dreams. Omen and signs shown in his waking moments. The Gods are demanding war and blood. ''This year our family face many problems'' he mused There is the news that his daughter is killed by Niovar which makes Pollux and Castor so angry that upon hearing the news they wanted to ride to Niovar and exact justice by assassinating their Prince and Princesses. It took an entire squadron of soldiers to restrain them. He, himself was overcome by grief and pray to Hera and the Fates. His prayers were granted in a few weeks after the initial news of the death and murder of his daughter, word reached them again. She is safe, rescued by Aero, the Champion of Athena. Vrandeus as the leader of Duvar sometime hears the words of Gods. He knew that Athena favor the young hero.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Niovar is still to blame for the attack and the assassination attempt but Vrandeus suspect there is a larger plot there. This is not his first time being schemed upon. Someone is casting a dark gaze upon his daughter But his daughter has sent letter to him not to worry about her. She is safe thanks to Chancellor Aero and in her letter implies that he has matured and will not forget the lesson that she had learned after the attack. Vrandeus could not help but think his speculation is correct. There is someone that is scheming against his daughter. It is fortunate that Aero is there. That man helps him in more way than one. He is the one who solve Vrandeus problem the first time, now Aero even saved his daughter. He doesn''t know how to repay such gratitude. But one day, he would surely pay such great deeds But even though his daughter is safe the attack on the daughter in law of the King of Vanheim pushed Vanheim to declare war against Niovar. Blood has been spilled and soldiers have marches, fought and die for their Kingdom. It might have started because of her daughter but he knows that this is actually a war to determine the true hegemonic ruler of the East. ''Is this that war?'' he asked himself He was reminded of the prophecy that is levied upon her daughter when she was brought into the world. Aphrodite descended down from her Lands of Desire and prophesized that her daughter will lead a war of so great in scale that corpses will piled up so tall that it will reach the footstep of Mount Olympus, and a war with so much blood spilled that it will block river from flowing. It was a war of unprecedented bloodshed, carnage and devastation. Villages will be burned, cities would fall and kingdoms would be sacked. Leaving only dust and ash of the remnants of people and places, a war that might even destroy the Gods themselves. Vrandeus was of course spooked when he heard the prophecy. But Helena is her daughter as much as she is mine, he mused. People always says that Helena is the incarnation of the Goddess of Love herself. Most Gods would despise being compared to a mortal. There are many stories where a mortal who was compared to the Gods or Goddesses got a bad ending. Like Arachne and Athena. But for some reason, Aphrodite never punishes the woman who was considered as beautiful as her. Of course, she would not be angry at that comparison. Helena is her daughter. How could she be mad when people say she looks like her? Aphrodite knows the prophecy that comes out from her mouth would made her daughter a target for the other Gods. So, in an act of love, she hides this from the other Gods. This is why Vrandeus said those words to his daughter all; those years ago. ''Beauty is a curse'' Vrandeus muttered He walks outside from his Palace throne room as he went to the garden and look at the statue in silence. He is marveling the statue of Zeus and Hera sitting side by side and lament his own fate with Aphrodite. "Father, what are you doing here?" Vrandeus were broken from his contemplation of what could be as he turns his head and see that his son Castor just returning from the hunt He smiles and ask him "How is the hunt?" "Good there is many game in the forest, though Pollux win this time" Vrandeus noticed some blood on the clothes It must be from their hunting. He sighs. For some reason Castor and Pollux did not inherit his penchant for cleanliness. "So father what are you thinking about?" Castor asked seeing that his father is deep in thoughts. There must be something in his mind seeing this expression of his father. Castor and Pollux while they did not inherit their father personality, their relation with each other is close and both brother are kind and united with each other. Vrandeus sighed and began sharing what he has to do "The Gods have sent me messages in my dreams. They sent omen and signs when I am awake. Olympus are angry" "Of what?" Castor asked as he look cautiously at the sky. It is never too god to speak about the Gods so openly "Of the new Gods, Church of Light, of men and woman who by the day, dare defy them" Castor nodded. He hears the news of what is happening in the South. "So, what are the dreams? The omen and signs?" Castor said curious. Vrandeus look at his son and od not how to describe the dreams. Sometimes it is an image of people dying and screaming, sometime it is the image of a city burning down, other times it is a river of blood where he must swim through. For omens, he saw ravens flying about and owl and eagles flying down from the sky with thunder and lightning accompanied it. It was nothing good. So he only said "Dark dreams. Dark omen, dark signs, my son" He sighed again as he remembers what he did yesterday He has sent the letters to all the rulers and Kings of Vilajeri Continue. It was a letter to rise up The situation with the Holy Zun Empire can no longer be ignored. It is getting stronger by the day. He has sent a letter to call for arms of all the Kingdom to vanquish Holy Zun Empire in a Holy War for the Gods of Olympus. He now walked around in his gardens waiting for their responses. He couldn''t fight alone and truthfully this is not a fight he wants to fight for. The Gods is a fearsome being, worthy to be feared and respected. But loving them is another matter altogether. Vrandeus learns that the hard way. The moment you fall in love with the Gods or Goddesses, you are screwed. But he has to fight because he is the leader of Duvar and its King. The King of the Holy Land. He needs the help of the great kingdom big or small to achieve what the Gods has expected him to do. The messenger has already sent the letters. Now he prays as he walks around the garden surrounded by beauty. ******************************************************************* Chapter 173 DESTINY UNITED KINGDOMS OF VEVA Veva is at a state of alert after Aero daring attack. The entire city is nervous and scarfed. And amidst all their fear, two hooded people silently boarded a ship. These two women is Tatiana and Amy. Amy and Tatiana has boarded the Silent Song. Tatiana at first just wanted to accompany Amy but when she returns to her hut she could see the Kingsman have come to her hut examining, searching for her trace. She is no longer hidden. She heard the story of what the Kingdom do to the other assassins especially to the assassin that belong with the Blood Brotherhood. They will be boiled to death. King Zeus has decreed that punishment because of one of the event that happened between him and an assassin. The story goes that before when Zeus is still weak, he was killed by a Blood Brotherhood assassin hired by his rival After he rose to fame and glory and even when he was duke he would hunt assassins as a sport and killed them. The King hold his grudges deep and long When he became King he ordered to kill any of The Blood Brotherhood assassins by boiling them in hot oil until they die. Tatiana believe there is an exaggeration in there somewhere but she will not try to test the truth. Tatiana does not want to share the same fate as her other fellow brothers and sisters in arms Because that is a terrible way to go. The Blood brotherhood is an assassin organization. They are not torturer. They killed people swiftly and silently in the night. What Zeus had done to them is inhumane. And she would not want to be one of those assassins. So, she quickly returns back to Port Verda with Amy on tow and boarded the ship without hesitation. Amy pays for her own passage. After all, she is not poor. If there is one thing she lacks, it is not gold and silvers. The ship is big; grand and majestic and the cabin can fit two people which she shares with Amy. Amy is a kind and generous girl in Tatiana eyes She was happy that Tatiana could join her. But it is their destination that gives Tatiana a slight pause when she boarded the ship with her Amy wanted to return to her home. And her home is Vanheim. She fought so hard to escape Vanheim to only once again returning back to that place. She has many memories there. Many of them is not a good memory. And there is still the towering presence of Aero, the Chancellor of Vanheim looming over her. After consulting with her mentor, she is sure that Aero has bathed in the Styx. Which makes him almost practically invulnerable to anything. Now, that is a terrifying enemy to have. An enemy that is invulnerable to every weapon in existence The wave lapped against the Silent Song and Tatiana was broke out of her thoughts. The ship rocked right and left as Amy tries to find her balance by holding onto something Silent Song is a merchant ship, with spices, trade produce, fish and meat seasoned with salt, with wine from Duvar, white and red, mushroom from unknown lands that smells with seven different fragrances, if the rumor is to be believed.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. The ship also imported fur from the North, bear fur, mountain white lion fur, silk and beautiful fabric from the South, the hard, the gentle and the beautiful clothes, the elegant, the ostentatious, and this ship is going to Vanheim. Vanheim, the mighty Vanheim, is a nation that is at war but is alos a trove of treasure for supplies. With its abundance of lands and the trade items from exotic meats and bones from Nairhell where Shine Harbor trade with the other people in the Continent to the southern region produces, they have a lot to offer. They are also the metal in Nairhell that makes Vanheim to be able to produce many armaments, swords by the thousands, spears by the thousand, design to wage war. Add that Vetten have many metal mines, the output of metal weapons in Vanheim far exceed the other kingdom neighboring it. If no one still could not see the intention of Vanheim they would be stupid. Vanheim is preparing to embark on the long life ambition of uniting the Continent. Even at war, because of the efficient management of the Kingdom economy and trade, the treasury is not empty. Tatiana take a deep breath as the waves keep striking the ship They will stop at Shine Harbor for a while. Tatiana knew who ruled Shine Harbor. It is ruled by Marquis Thornleaf, a man known as a vicious merchant but nowadays his image becomes a bit nice after becoming part of the nobility. Maybe because of the need to appease the populace of Vettennian now Vanheimneian, or maybe he really did change for the better of the realm who knows? ''The games of noble and Kings and Queens, and we''re all pawn in their game, a piece in their grand plan for supremacy'' Tatiana thought to herself as she sneered Tatiana is going above deck "Where are you going?" Amy said just finishing her conversation with Dan "Above deck. I heard they have wine of many varieties from the North of Veva to the South of the Holy Zun Empire. Want to join me for a drink?" she said her feet already moving upstairs. Amy nodded and she follows. ''Too many bloods, too many problems and damn, too many wars'' she mused as she climb the stairs ''Akko Ammemat'' she mused War and bloodshed seems common these day, Tatiana muttered riding up the stairs Amy hears it and smiles bitterly. Wherever she goes she saw the tragic reality of war. Players could log out and be released from it and return back to this world vigorous and happy. But what about the people of this world? How do they live with it? Amy for some reason could not see these character just like a byte of data. She played this game vigorously because she wanted to escape from reality. Who would have thought she become stronger in this game¡­both emotionally and mentally. She treasures this game. She likes exploring places, seeing people being happy and enjoy seeing the development of this world. She would run the hills, gaze at the stars, and jump down from the highest peak of a cavern as she jump down into the seawater But war¡­...and power has change this world that she had loved. She did not say anything to Tatiana question. She could only smiles bitterly As they arrived at the upper deck they could see the cabin boy moving many crate up and down the deck This ship reminds her of Storm Start. That big and mighty ship that sails the sea like a shark, it sail is as big as her hut maybe even bigger. Fast and mighty that ship, Tatiana is reminded of that ship. After she showed the coins, she boarded the ship. The captain dropped her at Veva and went back sailing to the New World. From the stories she heard in taverns and the information brokers of the city, the New World is an untapped treasure of supplies, resources and riches. But it is not populated. There are no cities there only indigenous people who live in jungles and forest, nomadic tribes that put up tents, and some of them are living in caves, in the wilds, one with nature. Though Tatiana heard about one interesting thing from the sailor''s tall story. She heard of something called the city of gold. A city that is said from its road to their houses to their palace even to their ditch is coated with gold. Shining and golden beacon of fucking gold. Whispers and stories. And she heard all of it in her journey No, false whispers false stories, she mused. They did not spend too long at the upper deck. Amy bought some wine from the crate and the captain is happy that their occupants seems to be very loaded. They went back to their cabin room and began trying the drink they bought "How does it taste?" Tatiana asked Amy after seeing she makes a contorted face after taking a sip of one of the drink. "It''s a little sour" Tatiana chuckles as she explains "Duvar wine always is a little sour band take time to get used to it. The red is a little smooth while the white is hard and the feeling of its in your tongue can quite be an experience" she giggled. She might be an assassin but she has taste many wines. Usually after killing. Which is why she always do her killings before dinner. Noble had many wines in their cellar from every corner of the continent and since they are dead, she thought it would be a waste if no one drink all of those wines "So what will you do after you reached Vanheim?" Tatiana asked casually "I need to inform the King what happened." Amy said with determination "Hmm. You''re close with the King?" Tatiana asked puzzled She did say she is a lady but Tatiana didn''t think she has connection with royalty. After all there are many ladies of the noble family The rich and the poor, the smart and the fool. But not many of them is acquainted with the royalty. "Yeah. You see I was rescued by my friend and now I just got word from my friend Dan that my friend is in captivity" Dan? Tatiana seems to be thinking of something. That name ... She heard that name before. She is sure of it. It sounds familiar to her. And at that moment she somehow felt it. That tugging sensation in her heart. They will reach Vanheim in two more days and it wasn''t until now that Tatiana finally realized that she didn''t know much about this lady that has been traveling with her. The waves lapped again and the ship rocked as Amy grab a hold of something. But she is still calm. Then Tatiana ask again "A friend that is strong enough to break you out of prison? Out of Veva prison?" she asked more to herself than Amy. "Yes." And the girl smiles. She smiles when Tatiana talk about her friend. There is something there. Some emotions. Then lightning struck her mind and realization dawn on her. she somehow thinks she knows who Amy is talking about. It is an instinct. And with dread, Tatiana asked "Who is your friend name?" "I shouldn''t tell you this but after spending these days with you, I think I can trust you. His name is Aero" It was like thunder struck, the wine cup from Tatiana hand dropped to the ship floor. Thankfully it is a metal cup and only the wine is spilled on the ship floor She quickly grabbed the cup and set it at the table. "The.e.e Chancellor?" she asked stuttering "Chancellor? Yes. I heard Dan tell me Aero is promoted to Chancellor" puzzled by how Tatiana knew that Tatiana looked to the sun rising from the window inside her cabin and she sighed internally. No matter how much she ran it seems fate has a different plan for her. And the Fates is not mild mannered. She likes to snicker and she''s rude. And when you just thought that you have escape its grasp, then somehow you realize that all the time the Fates are behind you snickering and laughing. "Are you alright, Tatiana?" Amy asked seeing the pale expression on Tatiana face "I''m shocked" "Shocked at what?" "Destiny" she said trying to appears as calm as possible and she looks again as the sun begins showing it''s face. Somehow the sun looks like its snickering and giggling. Snickering at her. Giggling at her. ******************************************************************* Chapter 174 ALL TOGETHER NOW VANHEIM PALACEFind authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. VANHEIM COURT RESIDENCE She looks outside her window and sighed. Her sigh could make all men around her sympathize. This is her ability and her charms. This woman is none other than Helena. Helena is a Princess. She used to be the Princess of Duvar but now she is the Princess of Vanheim. Vanheim is a mighty and strong nation. Even she had t admit that. She has seen their tactics, their arms and their people. They are a proud people and in recent years Vanheim has bared their fangs to the whole Continent And after the Vetten war, the sleeping lion was awoken and with the taste of blood lingering on its sharp teeth, it began to pounce on its neighbor. Vanheim is now at a war with another large superpower nation¡­Niovar. And Helena right now have no allies around her. Her husband it at the Peak and she did not trust that man. She trusts only one man of Vanheim. The Chancellor Aero. But she is anxious and nervous now. She couldn''t always be in the defensive Aero does not yet return from whatever lands he goes. He just up and disappears one-day heading to some distant land without even informing her. In the absence of the Chancellor there are still big events that is happening. Most shocking was probably the appearance of twin sister Delilah and Morgana. They both have taken refuge in Vanheim. They are from the now destroyed Queendom. When they arrived they were in a terrible state. There was blood all over their clothes, they were tired and thirsty when they came upon the Palace gate seeking asylum Their arrival was deemed a secret matter of national security so there is a gag order around it. Helena visited the sister in the infirmary once. They were being looked after by the Royal Physician. She talked with them for a little bit and they responded courteously. They look weak and frail now that Helena had a hard time of ascertaining herself that these two are really the twin Queens of the Queendom. Helena once visited the Queendom with her brother when she was ten of age and how majestic and domineering they looked at that time It is a tragic story. A twin sister of a lost kingdom, their family slaughtered, leaving only a castle of ash and dust, blown by the wind of history. They are Queens of a Queendom ruled by only woman, with woman officials, rejecting man on every level of government and power, yet ironically they are ruined by one man. Helena smirks bitterly Lady Aphrodite dislike such arrogance. Goddess of Love, she reminded herself. Yet when the Goddess of Love is angered not even Death dare deter her from her wrath. Of course she couldn''t truly understand what they have lost and what they have suffered in their journey here but still she tries to comfort them as beast as she can She sympathizes with the twins. What harrowing experience must they endure to survive? She also hears about one particular man The King of the North, Zeus. From what she gathered Zeus is a cruel and a disloyal kind of person, killing anyone who did not agree with him, and betray his own lord and liege and usurp his position. Though mostly the knowledge about she got about him come from the Bards singing the song in the marketplace, or from the trouper of entertainers that tell the story. And she is not the only one that Helena got information on. She also got a few information on Aero. After reading his achievements she has a newfound admiration towards Aero. It is no wonder he was appointed Chancellor. From his scheme he seats a King on top of the throne, and then winning a war on two sides which leads to the full annexation of Vanheim longtime enemy. He even drafted the policy that forbids the Vettennian to be treated poorly by the invading soldiers of Vanheim which increases the favorability of Vettennian toward Vanheim. By now she also knows how important Aero position and the reverence people have for him and the extent of influence that Aero have in this Kingdom. He stands just below the king in terms of authority, the people loved him and regarded him as a paragon of loyalty and his influence is far reaching, from the Capital City extending to the wilderness of Nairhell. She heard the story of how he saved the Kingdom from Vetten invasion, reading about the account of people fighting in that battle, releasing Vettennian prisoner, a noble act that cemented his position and image as an enlightened scholar and a divine strategist. And not only that. He also helps her father creating the Oath, releasing her father from the burden of potentially offending foreign power. Though truth be told, if Helena knew Aero at that time and know that he is the one that made her lifelong happiness to become some kind of competition she would surely strangle him to death Other than that. people know and identify him as a proponent of peace and advocate of diplomacy, a saner voice in a world that is so eager to raise their swords and kill each other to death Because of that he also gains the Four Noble Houses of Karak to swear fealty to Vanheim. And the most important deed to her is the fact that he saved her from her death in that forest. And since that day she knew him, she had this one crazy thought that fills her waking moment. Why couldn''t he be the one who wed me? This crazy thought once entered her mind. Aero is strong, smart and charismatic, brave in battle, all the qualities she ever wants in a man. It is a pity really. Helena knows what she wants and she is not afraid to chase it. She doesn''t want a man who is afraid of everything, with so much insecurities and fear. Like Edward. Hesitating, wondering what this mean what that means. Neither had she wanted to pleasure such man She doesn''t want to be the soother, the pleasure woman, or a trophy wife for weak men, incapable men, weak man. She need someone braver than her, passionate than her, if she is cunning, he need to be more cunning, if she is a bandit, he has to be a bandit leader, if she is a lion, he needs to be a dragon that soars the open sky. Why? Because most men could not handle her. Most men would not be able to see her without being weak. Aphrodite has said that she is perfect. That is what her father once told her. Beauty without a match. Because of her divine beauty, she entices without meaning to, she comforts men without even meaning too. Her voice is like heavenly music to their ears. She likes to raise Tartarus but yet the man could not turn her away. She is dangerous yet it just excites the man more, dreaming of having her, wed her, bed her. Songs are created in her name, singing of her beauty, of her beautiful eyes, of her beautiful body, of how her voice is the perfect voice. And the nature of man when he found something so perfect, he would chase around the world for her, trying to gain her favor ruining themselves along the way. Man cannot handle what is perfect. It is the nature of mortals to rejoice over the one thing that he can proudly say that he found on his own, with no help from another. ''Beauty is a curse'' she muttered again like a chant. It''s not the promises of bedding her that makes so many man fall over heel over her, it was the force of her character The strength of emotion she stirred made any men around her feel alive. Those who have never bene touched by love felt like love is blooming in their heart And it is a curse. If not for her brother, she would long be violated by his uncle when she was young. Since then her brother has always bene very protective of her. She never let herself forgets of her disastrous beauty and its effect and power it holds over men. Her beauty is a curse and at times a blessing. She sighs as she looks at the birds flying freely on the sky She gathered her determination and said it to herself. she would find allies in this unforgiving Palace of cold brick, cold words and cold stares. Promises are words, and words are winds. And promises in the Court could not be trusted. Aero at least taught her that much. There is only broken promise here, broken oaths. Yet, she still had to dig deep in this filthy pile of hit and make alliances with the people in the Court. Aero has his ways. And she has hers. With her own way, she will survive here. She will not depend on her husband¡­. especially not her husband that she didn''t trust. Trust no one, his word rang again inside her ears. Once you took a side you will be doomed to be enemies with the other side. The powerful would swallow you, the weak would bring you down Any new alliance would lead to new enemy, maybe more dangerous than the last, and the cycle continues. Eventually she would fall. All his lesson seems to ring in her ears and embedded itself deeply in her mind. Aero is lucky. He had a strong presence from the very beginning, gaining the trust of the King. The King is dependent on him, the people love and adore him, the military respect him, while the entire Continent feared his scheme. But she did not have the same kind of condition that Aero had. She is an outsider, a princess from foreign lands, with a husband who is a Second Prince, not a ruler of a Kingdom, or heir of one, and no one depend on her and as such she couldn''t depend on other people. She has no one depending on her, the people don''t know her and watch her with cautious eyes, the military regarded her as a frail and beautiful woman, the Continent only knows of her beauty and not of her character. She knows one thing. Right now she could not pick a side. She couldn''t afford to pick a side. She learns this from Aero. She will not allow herself to lose her head to words of honor or loyalty to the King or great lords, nor would she tries to stop the conflict in the Palace or the court, that would only drag her into the conflict Let them fight their secret wars, let them exhaust themselves. Because she will be there when they exhaust themselves. She will be their mediator, she will be their voice and she will gain power to protected herself from the dark hand that wanted to harm her She knew that if she commits to someone, to their cause, she will become their tool. Their interest becomes her interest and she would lose all initiative. She knew from the start that her way is different from Aero. His situation is different, and even their starting line is different. Trust no one, his word rang again. That words seems to rang as she bitterly smiles. She shakes her head, then make sure she is properly dressed and then she exited the room embracing a new day in the court with a plan ************************************************************************* Not many words to say. I am writing Lord Shadow right now Chapter 175 UNRES The prison that houses the most dangerous criminal in Veva history is full of whistling today. And in this prison tower there is only one person that could whistle this care freely. It is none other than the sole occupant of this large prison, Aero. Aero is in his prison whistling like he had no worries in the world. He is actually smiling right now. His level is already 500. It seems that his private keep training and a part of their EXP is still transferred to him. This is probably why Lizhu Gerard could become a legend. And it also helps that he killed forty thousand people a few days ago. He could still smell their blood on him even after he logged off and logged back in While he doesn''t seem to be doing anything inside his cell he actually did plans a few things to expedite his escape from this prison. He knew he could not do it from inside. So, he is relying on the outside. He has contacted Dan so that he could inform people like Raina and the kingdom of his imprisonment. Dan already got the news from Amy. So, he was not that choked. Dan also tell him about the recent happening in the Brave World right now. War in Niovar that stalled before has progressed into a positive thing for Vanheim. Niovar side made a blunder in their defenses and Vanheim pounce and tears through their lines without mercy. It also helps that Bradheim is leading the charge of the battle Bradheim and Gruk seem to reap many benefits in this war and they work well together in their attack. With Gruk strong cavalry and Bradheim leadership this is to be expected. When the line was broken, the path to Niovar was open wide. And Bradheim and Gruk did not hesitate to take cities after cities They have conquered Cavol, Brevad and Bladesit. Now they are resting and began creating supply lines to the city that they have conquered. While the final plan of the war is not yet finalized, Dan think that probably Gruk and Bradheim will attacks Cuvar from two sides, capitalizing on the flat terrains to use Gruk cavalry, while Prince James and his generals will attack Lenis. Dan and Raina will then only will be left with Daroy state. It is three pronged attack to scatter Niovar forces or probably weaken some of their state before going in for the kill. It is a smart strategy depending on the situation. When Aero heard the news he chuckles. He could see that James wanted a swift victory and to parade his triumph as his qualifications for the throne of Vanheim. He is young and bold¡­and reckless. That does not exclusively refer to young people but for someone like James there is nothing else to describe his behavior other than being reckless. But sometimes being reckless have its advantages Dan also informed him that many players have begun volunteering for the wars on both sides. Niovar players take pride in their nation and the same could be said for Vanheim players. Wars have become a festival it seems, Aero mused when he heard about it Everyone wants to be in one. Instead of offering a toast they offer their life. Niovar is fighting boldly but since Niovar has no alliance with no other nations around them they have to depend on their own strength. Vetten is no longer exist and Gerad has bene dismantle by Greater Veranis. Aero advises Dan to told the other General not to drag the war too long or it would be bad for the kingdom in the long run. Vanheim forces doesn''t have to conquer every state in Niovar to bring them down. They just need to capture the King and force him to surrender. After that call, now he is staring at the prison wall again. He then sighed looking at the wall. This damn wall. He tries to jump to the top of the ceiling but the prison weakened him. ''This prison walls are too much'' he complained internally. The Gods favors Zeus too much. Where is Athena when he needed her? Aero is really complaining right now. But he did not show his dissatisfaction in any way, acting like everything is under his plan, looking calm and dignified to the eyes of even the prison warden. Reputation must be guarded and as such it is also a burden in some ways. He rested his body back to his stone bed until his ears perks up as he picks up a sound of footsteps coming to his cell Aero tilted his head. Zeus and Eric would not come again would they? Aero got up from his stone bed and walk to the bars. Then he smiles and chuckle a bit, looking at the person that is coming. That person come closer. A familiar face stood in front of the cell. The person is a man Aero used to know as he smirked a devious smile, looking at Aero current situation "The mighty Aero of the East, Hero of Vanheim, how have you fallen. HAHAHHAHA" he laughed maniacally "Kyle, you are really a very generic villain if you spout words like that. Do not disappoint me that much" Aero said as he smiles calmly Of course there is many question in his mind right now. How did Kyle is here in Veva. And how does he have the authority to enter this prison. ''You¡­.how did you know where I was?'' Aero eyes narrowed because he have a bad feeling about this the moment he saw Kyle face. "I knew you would come" Kyle said, with that smile still on his face. Then Aero quickly put it all together. He nodded.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. Everything makes sense now "You planned all this right?" he said as the realization struck Aero Kyle smiles clearly relishing the moment "Yes, I did. I know of the rumor of you and Amy. You have your spies, I have mine. And I know you view her more than just some companions." he smirked and then he continued "Imagine my surprise when I found her in a shelter center for the Asgaroian. I knew that this is my chance to rise up once again. I capture her, betting that you will save her though I never thought you would win against Zeus. Truth be told, I thought you would be stomped to death by him. The event that happened in the entrance gate of the Capital City is quite shocking and unexpected. But nothing ever gone as expected when one faces Aero of the East right?" He said, smiling bitterly no doubt reminiscing his defeat at Coro. Then everything else Aero could already guess. Aero then continued "I get it. You wanted to destroy my reputation. You wanted to pit me against Zeus, and killed in the process, which is a bonus to you, though there is a flaw in that plan. I''m still alive" Aero said as his frown expression slowly turned back to that usual mysterious expression where people don''t know whether the is pleased or displeased. He looks at Kyle and then he sneered at him ''Elementary, Kyle'' "I can remedy that" he said anger flashed in his face as he slams his palm on the bar of the prison. It startles the guard and they look at Kyle but they decided not to enter whatever charged conversation these two powerhouses are having. "Come in then. Finish the job yourself¡­.if you dare" Aero challenged with a smile on his face as he back off from the bar and gesture him to come inside Kyle then seems like he wanted to open the cell but then he thought better of it. "I will not be baited again, Aero. I''ve learned my lesson. The hard way, the painful way." "Is that so?" Aero said looking bored ''You fancies yourself wise'' Aero said as he sighs. "You do know it''s not my fault you were tortured by your King right?" "You were the cause" Kyle said "Am I?" Aero said weakly began feeling tired taking blame for Kyle own incompetence. "You said you have become smarter. So, think carefully who is really responsible or whether is it really matters. This is a game first and foremost. The grandest and most tragic game of them all. This is politics and it governs everything in this world. Even wars and peace. Those who hated it and decided not to play the game would only become the chess pieces. You should know what could happen to you the moment you enter this game and decided to move your pieces. Think carefully of whose fault it is and Then come and see me again. After all I do have all the time in the world." gesturing to the wide prisons and smiles. Then he continued "I can be the most dependable ally or your worst enemy Kyle. See your King, talk to him, look at his people and then choose" Kyle then somehow was shocked as he realized something. "You mean to persuade me?" Aero smile and he nodded "I am" Kyle has hatred for him. Aero knows that but that what makes him the perfect ally. If he would listen to reason this can create a form of emotional reconciliation. Aero knows about the torture Kyle suffered but he didn''t care that much. After all Kyle is exiled to the North so far from Vanheim to be any threats. Who would have thought he would once again regain power? But now Kyle is his chance for escape if he can persuade him. His relationship with Kyle will be a mutual interest benefit. Whenever he can, he try to bury the hatchet with his enemies not because he fear them but it''s better not to have too many people whispering behind your back plotting your death all the time. "Even after all that happens to me?" he asked "Yes" Kyle gritted his teeth and walk away. Aero smiles looking at Kyle back. Kyle did not answer immediately. That means he can still be persuaded. ''He will come again'' Aero mutter in silence And the loneliness continued as he lay his body on his stone bed again ********************************************************************* Chapter 176 THE SUMMONS 1 King Vrandeus summons have reached all the Kingdoms by now and it created an uproar. Vanheim and Niovar both could not spare their troops right now since both of them are preoccupied with their own private war with each other and express their regret for not being able to embark on the protection of their faith Though both of them promise to send troops after the war is over. When the war is over it will also settle the true ruler of the Eastern Continent. Alfhaim, most of them are elves agreed to join the Holy War. Loth and Nero Republic also agreed. Nero after all is being attacked so the Holy War Proclamation is like helping them. But what worries King Vrandeus is Zeus. The King of United Kingdom of Veva also offer their assistance. Zeus already sent five hundred thousand soldiers to attack and terrorize Holy Zun Empire in an assistance to the Faith. King Vrandeus worry if the Northern King has other objectives by sending his troops. After all his reputation is not that good among the other Kings But he also knows that he needs all the help he can get. So even though he has his doubts, he accepts the assistance. Gods and Kings, prickly beings. He thoughts as he stamp the final letter to proclaim the beginning of the Holy War. So began the first Holy War in the Continent. With the might of five Kingdoms bearing on Holy Zun Empire bringing the wrath of the Gods, their battle shakes the world ************************************************************************* THE FORUM Promicent it full of excitement¡­.It was epic battle and i luv how he drag Zeus in front evrybody..and at the end the kiss and the sweet-talk...Is he a fighter or is he a lover¡­.? Just like it. I''m your fan Aero!! Vanheim FTW JefloCon HAHA SHOWING OFF IN FRONT OF VEVA WHEN HE JUST TRASHED THEIR KING, QUITE BOLD , GO ON¡­Vanheim Glory Navazishmh Thanks for giving us the opportunity to see you battle O strong Aero of the East. You got me in the first half kelvz nice...that was epic...Vanheim Glory AziroFF HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!! EPIC and legendary fight. Always hated that smug Zeus. He looted me and my teammate when he was Duke. He got his just dessert nightmares YAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! AWSOME FIGHT!!!! Zeus you will die. OATHBREAKER! Harcoojarco That was one of the best bad ass moments I''ve seen in a very long time! Go Aero of the East. The East will rise. LeoTheBrave That battle!!! And Amy..NO!!! BigD Anyone wanted to know how to grow your dick as long as 11 inches and more? Click the link below -Malware detected. Link has been deleted- chronos13th Hell yeah! Honestly idk who would still try to fuck with Aero after seeing this battle. He fights like a God EcoJakk Please, please, please don''t die¡­ETV3 Broadcast it please!!!! kingawesome Dear Viewers Why don''t we make this video watchable to all¡­Tell Your Friends to Switch To Etv3 Right Now!!!... This Is Awesome lakshmi92 Epic.....nessssssssssssssssssssss The response on the internet is overwhelming and positive for Aero. The battle itself is the selling point of the footage. It is why people watch it. The comments are coming in more and more and in real time as the video was streamed worldwide. The website and forums are flooded with people trying to post about the battle. And everyone agreed unanimously Aero was badass in the battle. The fights were exhilarating, the moves they showed was out of this world as they move so fast that some people could even feel dizziness just by watching them and trying to keep up with their moves, and the lightning at the end. Aero is crowned by the players of Brave World as the Strongest. That day, the day of that battle between two of the Great Pillars signify the end of a legend. And a new legend was born. And the impact from that battle reverberated through all the players community and even for the forces in Vilajeri continent Zeus streak of winning and his image of invincibility was torn down by Aero. God had bleed and now shark is circling. Once Aero shows that Zeus can be defeated old enemies stir, slowly coming out of the woodwork, and whispers began to echoes in dark alleys. And there is also a new poem that is catching fire in the Continent right now. The Strongest Aero of the East Pillar of his Kingdom, With wisdom and might He reigns supreme In the vast four corner of the land Who can be his match? But that''s not all that got the entire internet abuzz. It was the scene at the end that immortalized the footageFind authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. The scene at the end when Aero sacrificed himself so that he could save Amy. It was poignant and heartbreaking and some even said they tears up when they saw that. And many people cried even though they don''t know why but they can feel the connection of hearts between Aero and Amy and they preoechted those two feeling into themslevs And then came the betrayal; and that frustration doubles up for the viewers because they wanted a happy ending. After all Aero went to all that trouble only to be lied to¡­. that kind of ending makes all the viewers felt pity, angry, frustrated and most of all they root for him Many people in the forum voice out their dissatisfaction towards Zeus and his conduct. His invincible image now is shattered and he is regarded as someone who is dishonorable and someone who could not be trusted Inside the station, Sarah is proud to see that the ratings soar high and even surpassed their initial prediction. "Love" she muttered to herself. When she got the footage, she knows what she wants to do with it. She already has a plan at that time on how to present her narrative And the production, editing and the music department seconded her decision. The footage they shown to the audience is not only is an action story that they wanted to present, they also wanted to present the viewers with a love story enhancing Aero image as the character for their broadcasting station. Aero was everyone romantic hero, their knight in shining armor for that three-hour long footage. And the viewers for that three-hour long footage knowing that he travels with Deria to Veva to get the girl he likes¡­all wanted him to win¡­.and save the girl And that is why the ending of that footage is even more poignant and even more heartbreaking. Because Sarah knows that the most unforgettable stories and characters spring from crushing opposition. Darkness, despair and anguish drives the story. People want the couple to earn their happy ending. They want the characters to deserve it. Misery, tragedies, and great war accompany a great love story. It always has and it will always be The pain will drag the viewer''s again and again, hoping that this time the characters would find a way out of the dark. And when they do¡­. that catharsis is what makes them keep on coming. Sarah then called someone. That someone is Dan. Dan is at the first floor readying for an interview. Sarah could only give him pointers and after talking with Dan for five minutes they both hang up the phone. ************************************************************************ Chapter 177 THE SUMMONS 2 THE STUDIO And now Dan interview with Emilia one of the host in ETV3 will be aired "Dan, this is your fist time interview right?" the lady host asked sitting in the chair for the host "Yes" Dan answered nervously The host nodded and began introducing Dan to the audience. "Your real name is Derek Connor and in Brave World you are right now are leading an army against Niovar. You are also one of their commanders and a great friend of Aero of the East, right?" Said the host confirming the information and when Dan nodded the audience gasp. The audience is mostly consisted of players in Brave World and Aero is considered by many as a new legend making his mark on the game history. Dan is not that well known in the internet other than his fan club but everyone knows Aero of the East. That guy practically has his finger dipped in every kingdom in Vilajeri Continent. Aero don''t like to show himself on TV so he contacted Dan to help him. Of course people must not know that he requests it from Dan so he tell Dan not to tell it to the viewers "Yes, I am" Dan is almost the same as his appearance and personality on Brave World. He has spiky hair and his demeanor is also the same. Today he is wearing a casual t-shirt and denim short, while looking relaxed and he even have time to joke around with the staff and the audience before the recording. "So, we''re here today because it seems that you wanted to announce something. Is that right? The host asked as they practiced. Dan noddedFind authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. The host gestured for Dan to send his message; the camera zoomed on his face. His expressions turn serious Then he spoke "Aero of The East as many all of you know, is imprisoned in Veva, betrayed by Zeus of the North even after my friend defeated him in a fair one on one match and Zeus himself promised that he would let go of Amy" He said. Dan shows his angriest face he could do and then he said to the viewers and the player that is watching him now "I called him Zeus the Oathbreaker. My friend Aero wins the battle fair and square in front of everyone. Zeus was supposed to be honorable and true to his word. But he throws my friend to the dungeon. Is that right? Can such thing be ignored? "No" some of the audience member in the studio yelled. Dan almost smile but he restrain himself and continue "Right. It should not be ignored'' Then he sighed and said ''I will cut to the chase." Then he takes a breath and spoke again "I could not go to Veva not without sparking an international conflict in Brave World. King George has even sent a letter to the delegation of Veva asking them to release Aero but his request was ignored by the King of Veva and his advisor. Zeus ignore my King pleas. I said to all the players that are watching this broadcast, rescue Aero no matter the country you hail from. I am requesting the help of all of you.'' Then he smiles bitterly and said. ''I know; you might say why should we? I can plea saying that is the right thing to do, for such injustice has occurred to him, but a lot of you are a practical person. I will offer seven hundred thousand gold and a position in the Court of Vanheim to anyone that managed to free the Chancellor" The host suddenly said "How will you do such thing?" "Hahaha'' Dan laughed and then he said Obviously I do not have such clout and influence in the Court but the Chancellor has many influence and believe me when I said this he has a lot of money, more than he could ever spend on" Dan is following what Aero has instructed him to say. Aero said to him that promises are words, and words are winds. Then after that shocking announcement Dan and the host began talking about other things that is happening in Brave World right now. They touched upon the situation with the South, the plea for the Holy War from Duvar, the latest development in Niovar military and many other issues The forum is beginning to be flooded again with discussion. Many harbors intention to save the illustrious Aero and forge a name in Brave World history. And many are forming groups and warriors to band together to save the Chancellor from his prison Zeus is no longer the strongest and the wind of change is blowing against him And there are also people that wanted to curry favors with Aero and there are some people who is Aero fan and wanted to rescue Aero because of that Most of them become a fan after that end scene showing himself sacrificing himself to save his friend and his woman Players that fear Zeus in the past rise up in Veva and is raring to settle old score. And the impact of that battle began to influence even the states in Veva. Rebellion from Arwin and Berrick calling themselves Bloodrain Clan rises up and began terrorize the North citing Zeus oppression against them to be their cause of rebellion. They employed Guerilla attack, destroying the Kingdom properties, and began assassinating Veva officials left and right. And it seems to be working in inflicting temporary damage to Veva and that temporary damage might become permanent if Zeus and his official could not pacified his dominion. Leon Kingdom is standing still at their border and not moving an inch They will wait. They always wait. They need to see who will emerge victorious. Their support is vague and unreliable They do not want to be seen offending either Zeus or Aero both of them who is two influential players. Both of them have tremendous influence and power that could level their small kingdom into dust Meanwhile while all of this is happening, Aero is still in his cell. Waiting and waiting. And as he is waiting thousands of players is marching to the North and that number is increasing Destiny is calling. All of this players, whether they were strong or weak all began earnestly playing the game, and war became the new fad. Killings and unrest begins with blood being spilled from the East to the North while the South march to spread their religion killing the infidels. A Holy War, A Supremacy War and a Unification War. Too many damn wars for a lifetime From the East to the North band of heroes rise up to save Aero believing Aero would reward them. Aero decided to wait for Amy but he have to have a plan B. he would feel unease if he didn''t have one And Aero must know that to have an army to come to the North is akin declaring war and Vanheim does not need another war right now. But if volunteer from all of the Continent come to the North wanting to save him, Zeus couldn''t fight all of the Kingdoms without himself being ruin. Even he couldn''t be that idiot right? Aero is betting on that fact. Zeus on the other hand is busy fighting the Holy War with the other Kingdom in the south. But everyone knows it''s just an excuse for Zeus to gain territory on the South. So the players believe by saving Aero it would be detrimental to Zeus plan. The Southern player is the first player that rises up answering the call to save Aero from Zeus as they march from the Church to the North Heroes have risen up all over the Vilajeri Continent. Brave World is in a stage of turmoil. A brand new world is emerging ****************************************************************************** Chapter 178 NEW HOPE The smell of the sea wafted through the air as its breeze blows by them. The two woman have finally arrived at Vanheim. Tatiana step out from the deck of Silent Song and breathe once again Vanheim air. She exhales and inhale. ''The salty air once again'' she mused. Beside her is Amy looking at this place with longing. "Fish and crab" "Cockles and clam" Tatiana look around and saw the men of the sea around. Those men that made their living through the creatures of the sea. Everywhere she could hear people selling their wares and fish, cockles, clam and crab. Poseidon seems to be in a good mood nowadays as many sailors got a lot of fishes. Calm before the Storm she mused. She never believed the Gods that much but after meeting Aero she deiced to change that mind view. It certainly didn''t hold true anymore. A man that has bathed in River Styx. She once thought the stories of Hades and his two brothers are juts stories told to instruct or to put the fear into the hearts of the people. But just because she believed in the Gods didn''t mean she become a devout all of a sudden. The Gods might exist but they certainly didn''t care about people. As Tatiana minds wanders, Amy on the other hand has a look of determination in her face as she balled her fist. She wanted to save Aero. Tatiana knows this now. She could kill her but she has done her kindness. And she didn''t nothing wrong to her. This is probably destiny that they would meet each other. And she also could not do such thing to her. But neither can she stay here in Vanheim. She knows that if she stays sooner or later Aero private armies will find her. Not to mention that Julian that keep on hunting her. And being around this girl will only make it more dangerous for her since she is Aero acquaintance and probably his trusted confidante But where should she go? Veva are in chaos and is doing inspection every day in the city while they scour the forest for any signs of rebellion armies. Vanheim is never a good place for Tatiana considering she did try to kill their Chancellor. At other kingdoms her own organization tries to kill her. Everywhere look like a dead end, a trap. Is there nowhere safe in this world that could shelter her? "What are you thinking about Tatiana? Let''s go!" Amy almost shouted in excitement as her voice startled Tatiana "Where are you going?" Tatiana asked "The Palace. Surely the King would reward you for helping me reach here. The King has already known the story of Aero capture because one of my friends has sent other adventurers to inform the King. But Zeus still refuse to release him" She said her tone frustrated. Tatiana sighed. She could not stay here. Let the lords play their game. she must leave. "Sorry my lady. I guess this is where we must part" she said bowing a little Amy looked shocked at these words. This few days she has enjoyed the company of Tatiana. Maybe because she is a woman like her. Or maybe because she has helped her. Either way, she was quite comfortable with Tatiana. Other than Raina she doesn''t have that many girlfriends. So she felt really comfortable with her. "I thought you had nowhere else to go?" Amy asked. Tatiana smiles bitterly "Yes" then she looked right and left and said "but not here. This is not where I belong" Amy stares at her for a while and then she nodded. She understands. A strong woman like her, if she decides on something that means it''s decided "Then take this" she handed Tatiana a bag of gold coins. "You don¡ª" "I insist" Because of Amy insistence Tatiana finally accept the bag of gold coins. "I have to go now Tatiana but wherever you go I hope you''ll be fine. I will pray to the Gods for it" Amy said as she nodded. "Thank you my lady. It has been a pleasure to know you" Tatiana reply Amy smile and said ''Call me, Amy'' She sighed and then said "Vrakara, Tatiana" "Vrakara, Amy" Then Amy left her feet began moving to the Palace. And Tatiana is left alone in the sea of people in the harbor thinking her next planFind authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting. The wind blows. And a small ship coming to the Port caught her eye. ********************************************************************* The waves lapped against Water Cat. The small ship sail across the Sorrow Sea and began entering Winter Breath Sea. The so called Winter breath is because the wind around here is as cold as winter. Some sailor that falls here would certainly die because of the cold or get frozen to death The ship is small, her cabin is smaller, and the rocking of the ship sometimes made her feel like she had to hurl. This will be her life now she thought to herself. Somehow that thought depress her even more. She drank again. Four bottles of wines and ale littered her room. The room is dank with foul smell. She decided that she will clean it up later when she reached other ports. Night and day passes as the ship keep on moving through the chilly wind of the sea. Sometimes she didn''t even know where night begins and morning comes. The sailor she hires brings her meal every time she is hungry Sometimes she went out of her room just to threaten the other sailor and Vasco, the cartographer she kidnapped in one of the ports. Since he''s weak and was fearful for his life Tatiana kidnapped her and forces him to work on the ship. She found him on the Port asking to board any ship that dares sail to New World. And since she thought there is no place for her in the Vilajeri Continent, Vasco words gave her an idea. To explore the sea and search for the New World the Southern Holy Maiden keep talking about. She kidnapped him and stuffed him inside her ship. She bought this ship with the bag of gold that Amy gave her This ship is small and dank, with in need of repair. Who would think that she would be a captain of a ship? She couldn''t stay anywhere in the Vilajeri Continent so she would sail the world and seek a place where she could hide from all the forces that wanted to kill her As she was reminded of the past few days she heard a knock on her door. "Who''s there?" Tatiana asked, her voice tone was not inviting in the least and her mood is foul "Derrick the washer boy. I came to clean up your room mistress" he said his tone polite. "Come in" the boy comes in with his brush, smiles at her, then he began scrubbing the floor, brush the dirt and cleaning up the place. The boy must be sixteen of age. His face is normal with little freckles and mark of a beating. The boy offered himself to work on her ship when she is searching for a crew. Tatiana then asked "Where do you hail from, washer boy?" The boy still scrubbing the floor answered "I''m from Asgaro, mistress. Born and raised until the evil King came and kill my family so I ran, mistress, yes I ran." That perks Tatiana interest "How did you come to Vanheim then?" The boy scrubbing still while answering Tatiana question "There is a healer that came to our village, offer us food, heal the sick and treat me very kindly mistress. She helps me and my other friend''s outside, smuggle us out of Asgaro so we will not be forced to enter the military. And we sail the Sorrow Sea and the ship bring us to Vanheim. I''ve been doing odd jobs so when I heard some captain is searching for a crew I volunteered." "Why?" Tatiana asked. "It is the Warring Kingdom, mistress. No one is safe. Me and my friends heard you''re sailing across the Giants Throats to sail beyond the Spinning Mouth to go to the New World." "So, that why?" Tatiana finally understands. The boy scrubbed and scrubbed the floor. "Yes mistress that is why" Then he wet his brush and begin scrubbing again. Then he finished scrubbing. He bows to Tatiana and went out of the room, Tatiana still sits on her chair with the wine bottle already picked up by the washer boy. Then the ship rocked hard almost making Tatiana lose her balance. She could hear the lightning and thunder outside and she clicked her tongue A storm? Really? She sighed at her own fate. The Fates always have something in store for her and most of them are not good at all. Why not a storm this time? She smirked. She went out of the captain room and look at the approaching storm and she laughed but the wind drowns her laughter. The wind is howling stronger than a wolf howl. Thunder and lightning reverberates and roars through the nights. The waves were unforgiving like Poseidon is smashing hi strident on the bottom of the sea. The sailors, they are all stay awake that night as they fear the storm would take them away to the sea when they are asleep Tatiana helps the sailors, ease their fears as some of them will work on shift that night and then she went to Vasco room. The cartographer room. She wanted to ask him about his estimation. "How much longer?" she said after entering the room. Her hair shriveled and she is shivering. "One more week before we reach Winter Breath and two more weeks after that to reach Giant Throats." Tatiana nodded and then said "We should stop and port somewhere then" "Yes, Miss" "Veva?" she asked "Veva" he agreed She was about to go out of the cabin room when she becomes curious for some reason and she turned back and ask him "I threaten you to come into my ship didn''t I?" "Yes that you did miss" he said smiling "Why aren''t you scared then? Why are you so eager to go help me find the New World?" "How can I not Miss? I''m a cartographer. It may not happen the way I wanted to but I had a chance to embark a journey to the New World and being an explorer myself, I could not hide the excitement of finding a new continent to sail to. "Your point?" "It''s my dream, miss." "Your dream? "Yes my dream. Of an adventure of my own, seeing the sea, exploring new lands, interacting with the indigenous people and---" He went on and on but Tatiana felt the boy is quite cute. Outside, the storm is still roaring and the wind is still strong. She scanned him. Even though he is weak, he is tall and have broad shoulder, his blond hair is wavy giving him the look of an adventurous man, and his solemn brow offset his boyish appearance. A pair of green eyes gleamed when he is excited and his skin is a little tan probably the result of exploring hot and sunny region And she felt hot all of a sudden. She look at Vasco and thought to herself. She has long not been fucked Being tortured, running from the Chancellor, and then she also running from the Blood Brotherhood, ran from Veva, ran from Vanheim. All she did was run. She fears death even though it is her job bringing death. While her job is about death, she knows how to celebrate life. And she knows just the right way on how to celebrate life And to be honest she is bored and the cabin room looks comfy. She sits down on his bed inching closer to him. "¡ªand the green Sea with¡ª'' She rests her hand at the adventurer thighs. He immediately stopped talking. "Mistress?" "Tonight I''m Tatiana" He gulped as he could kind of guess what is going to happen next. She inches closer to him as her hand come closer to her cock and she could hear the man rasped breathing. She almost chuckle. "I thought¡ªyou''re NPCs--- so I thought" he seems to stuttered. There are some words that Tatiana couldn''t understand. NPC. She once heard an adventurer refer to her that way and she killed him. Maybe that is a term of insult from adventurers to the native of this world. Fuck it as she let that thought flew away. She bent her head and trailed her lips over the side of his neck. He tilted his head and let her kiss lower. He likes it and she is aroused right now. She began to march all over his body. Over his collarbone. Across his chest. Tasting everywhere and everything. Her breath hot against his skin as she kissed where it had been. "Why?" The question uttered from the boy mouth "I want to fuck you, boy. Because I am is bored and you are the only one in this ship that has a redeeming feature and quite the cute face. The washer boy is too young, the other sailor too ugly and will reduce their respect towards me" she answered still kissing the boy Her body felt hot. "Do you not afraid I will tell the others?" he asked "Tell and I will cut your tongue and throw you out to the ocean to be eaten by sharks and sea dragon, Water snakes and maybe if you''re lucky you meet the Lernean Hydra, the beast with many head" she warned The man nodded, chuckles and he too began to move. That is his answer and Tatiana giggles. He began kissing Tatiana sloppily at first and Tatiana guided him. She caught her breath as he trailed his index finger over her breastbone, his touch light and hot. Then he pinched her nipples and Tatiana produced some weird sound before she could stop herself. "And I thought you are inexperienced" she asks, looking straight at Vasco eyes. He paused and then said "It''s been a long time but never with a woman as beautiful like you" Vasco confess "Ah, flattery, you do know women, Mr Vasco" he smirks and then he sucked her throat. At leats that is what she felt like Tatiana felt weak on her knees. Ah,bliss. She kissed him again, his breath mingling with her as he took over the kiss. His arms locked behind her as he bent his head, his tongue hot and wet and¡­ oh, God. "Right there. Kiss me lower." He giggled Tatiana deepened the kiss, More, more she seems to whispered her hands frantic in his hair, her hips moving against his, grinding, taking control, demanding his response. And Vasco is happy to oblige. She is her captain, sailing the open seas and even though he did not think sex with NPCs is possible he will know in a moment. He knows this is just a onetime thing. She makes that clear. She wants pleasure and he likes it. She wants to enjoy herself, and he too wanted to enjoy himself He let his hands roam, taking in every curve of her back. He felt the scars, old scars and new scars. He massaged her shoulder blades, ran his fingers down her spine, dug into the muscles of her lower back, cupped her bottom, relishing the softness under his touch. She is petite in a way that is beautiful and there is this dangerous glint in her eyes. Soft, yet firm. "I wish this last forever, Captain" he said "Nothing last forever. Everything dies. The only thing that matters is this moment" Tatiana undressed him, she gets his robe free and shoved it upwards and then she attacked him, kissing on his bare chest, feasting on it with that alluring gaze. "Remove your trousers" she ordered And that he did. Quickly, impatiently They tangled together into a mess of limbs, heavy breathing, naked, his member enters her and he could hear her moan. And her moan only excites Vasco more. "Faster" she said And faster he did. His hips move faster, hard and strong and she moans even louder. "You are a good lover" she whispers to his ears. Vasco looked at her. Her hair was a disheveled mess, her naked body is glistening with sweats, with many old scars and tattoos, and he thought he had met the most beautiful woman of all. "You look beautiful" he whispered to her ear She smiles and said "Every woman is beautiful when they are being fucked" They continued to kiss each other, their hips back and forth and her moan and his hard breathing with the smell of sweats and their smell mixed with each other while the storm rages on outside. Take that, Fates, Tatiana mused while still moaning The ship rocked and that only add to their excitement. By the morning, Tatiana has already regained herself and returns to her cabin room and drank again while Vasco just shuts his mouth. She has been pleasured. Now she wants to be excited. She will sail to the New World and no one will dare chase her so far from the Vilajeri Continent. Freedom at last Not the Brotherhood, not the Vevaian soldiers, not even the Chancellor will find her Hope, she muttered and new adventure. ************************************************************************* Chapter 179 NORMAL DAYS AND OLD MEMORIES 1 Daniel open his eyes and look at the ceiling. Then he sighed. He closes his eyes back for a moment and let the ceiling fan keep spinning and then after taking a deep breath he got up from his bed. Today, he decided to spend some time for himself. Since he is in Prison in Veva it gave him time to spend some little time in the real world. He went to the bathroom and take a long bath. After about half an hour he dresses himself and check himself in the mirror ''I don''t look bad'' he said as he looks at his reflection in the mirror. Daniel have always been kind of a handsome man. Maybe it is because his mixed gene. He is half Asian half Caucasian. He knew that his father is not his real father but he never asks this of his mother. There might be some valid reason. Of course it was not that he was never curios but if his mother did not want to tell him about her past, then it is not his place to force it on her. And they have endured so much together. Maybe later¡­. when they are all ready, they could talk about it. He then grabs his phone and scroll down his contact list and then seeing the name he called his friend. And Daniel only have one friend that have stay with him through thick and thin. Michael. He said that his name is derived from Archangel Michael. But Daniel knew the truth. His mother told him that his father is a Michael Bolton fan so he gives his son the name Michael. But Mike always denied it. And he refuses to believe that. Daniel smiles a bit thinking about this matter. The phone rings and his mind wanders. It has been quite along time since they saw each other. He has been busy with the game and now that the game is like a job to him he becomes even more busier. But his imprisonment free up his time on the real world. And he still owes Mike a drink. Mike pick up the phone and he unloaded all the plans for today. He would cover lunch and accompany him to buy some stuff. Now¡­that he is not some kind of poor dropout student, he finally could update his wardrobe instead of the usual t-shirt and faded jeans. And he is in great need of household appliances. There is a lot on his shopping list. He need to buy some trousers to replace his old ones, clothes that at least have more variety than t-shirts, a new blanket (the old one is already smelly enough to be categorized as dank) and groceries. He finished the phone call when Mike finally agreed. Daniel went to the kitchen and open the fridge. He sees only a few things that could be considered food. Now, that he lived alone these kind of responsibility is his. He used to have quite a depression before thinking about all of the thing he had failed to do. But now, because of that game, he now had a job, a good paycheck and it had enable him to gain back the confidence he lost. Thankfully he didn''t have to worry about his mother hospital bill anymore. He is still worried of course about his mother but if there is anything he learns about his mother it is that he is a tough cookie. Now he just has to collect money for rainy days. Maybe in a couple of months he could buy a car, and start saving for a house. He used to sell stuff to the forum with the items he got but now that his video is a hit and with the profit of the TV appearances maybe he will cut down his selling items. That reminds him of all the items he sees lying around during he killed all those troops. He should have taken it¡­but thinking about it again, if he takes it and then get captured there is no difference. He is also offered many appearances on the television and internet channels but he has already sign the exclusive contract between him and ETV3. And the paycheck is enough for him to buy a house with the first payment later. If he can he would do the interview. But he also didn''t want his life to become a hassle like some other game celebrity he heard about in the news. He is ready and then he heard the sound of a car stopping in front of his house. Daniel smiles. ''He''s early'' he said to himself. He walks to the door but even before he reached the door, he could hear the sound of knocking. ''Wait'' He then open the door and Mike strode right in. He then proceeded to the fridge and taking a bottled water. He put down the water bottle on the kitchen counter and look at him. "I watched the video, Daniel" Michael said. But he didn''t sound happy. He didn''t even sound excited. He even looks like he is worried for him. Which is odd considering the content of that video Daniel had a hard time of trying to decipher what his friend is thinking. "You watched it. Isn''t it epic?" Daniel ask. Even when he looks at the vid he felt that he is very cool Daniel was expecting to see Mike nodding his head and echoes his admiration. At least that is what Daniel thought Michael would do. After all, even when he saw it in the television he was kind of awed that he fights such intense battle with the legend himself, Zeus. He also analyzes what he could do better, what weakness that Zeus show in hindsight. Truth be told in hindsight; he could do better. He is still imprisoned in that tower wall prison structure. Though he didn''t care much about being imprisoned. What is important is his reputation. He is the guy who defeated King Zeus, the person who all warrior worships. While he might fight Zeus to save Amy, he also benefited Vanheim. Nobody believe that Zeus could be defeated in one on one battle. Everyone believed in his invincibility. And Aero from the very start wanted to prove that Zeus is not invincible. That he could be defeated. He shows the world that God¡­. bleed. And he is waiting on the sharks to pounce. And in that chaos, Vanheim would have a chance to rise up., After all, borrowing the words of a character in a book he read, "Chaos is a ladder" And even though he is imprisoned, his level is still rising. But as his level rises up it becomes harder and harder to level up. But that is not a concern for him. Unless the Gods of Olympus themselves interfere in this, there would probably be only a few people on Vilajeri Continent that could match him and most of them are legendary NPCs. Daniel was waiting for Mike reaction and it is nothing like what he expected it to be. Mike sighed and then shakes his head. "Daniel. She looks like her. Just like her'' Daniel know what Mike is talking about and his face froze for a second before he said ''She is just similar¡­a bit'' ''She is eerily similar, Daniel and don''t you deny it." Michael reply staring at Daniel eyes *************************************************************************Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. The first chapter for the month. We are getting closer to end of this First Book of Age of Adventure. Anyway, there will be some backstory and seed I have sowed in this first book and will be reaped in the Second Book later. This is the Beginning of the End Arc. Hope you are ready for it. I don''t know if I could guarantee to post until the last day of the month because I am also at the same time editing Age of Heroes and Lord Shadow all at the same time. I should make a schedule maybe a poll which book should I focus for each month. Anyway, enjoy this chapter. Next chapter will come tomorrow. I recommend you not to skip all part of this chapter because it will touch upon many matter that might not seem important right now but would be important down the road. Anyway, that is a little long but I hope you enjoy reading it. And don''t forget to vote and rate the chapter. ************************************************************************* Chapter 180 NORMAL DAYS AND OLD MEMORIES 2 Daniel certainly didn''t expect this reaction out of Mike. The battles, the thunder, the scorched earth, the mountain of corpse and that is what he interested in? That was a cinematic adventure of high paced action and what he cares about is the girl? "What are you talking about Mike?'' Daniel said and he unintentionally raises his voice a bit. Mike frowned and then he sighed. ''Amy. Her name is fucking Amy. Don''t you see the connection or are you that blind? Amy. Amelia. Even her name is similar" "It''s nothing" Daniel said. But Mike is not having it. "It''s not nothing! I''m worried about you, man." Daniel moved around the room taking his jacket off from the sofa, trying to pretend he did not understand. "What are you worried about?" he said nonchalantly Mike then come closer to him and said "I hope it is not what I am thinking. I hope you are not treating her like she is her. She''s not a substitute, Daniel. I hope you understand that" he said this time his word is a little bit stern. He began taking a seat at the chair as he waiting for me to finish dressing up. He is worried about him once again spiraling out of control. He knows that Mike have good intentions. There was silence in the living room as he finishes wearing his jacket. He then said. "She is not a substitute" Mike look back at him and slowly asked "You''re sure?" "...Yes, I''m sure" "You hesitated" he said "It''s fine." Daniel said. Mike frowned. Daniel always said he is fine when most of the time he is not fine at all. On the other hand, Daniel thought that Mike is worrying about nothing. "I hope so" he said. Then they gone out of the house and Daniel sit beside Mike as he started the engine. Daniel look at his friend and he look dashing and handsome. He is also quite popular in school. Today he sports a checked shirt, with his favorite blue denim jeans. And one could see his bulging muscles. "I guess the training at the gym paid off" Daniel complimented He grinned "Yeah" But there is still the softness in his eyes and that comforting gentleness in his smile. A friend that is too good for him¡­..but Daniel guess that is why he was saved. Because Mike could never give up. And after what happens with Amelia, probably he felt a little bit responsible for that, he could never give up on him. And Mike is the only friend that Daniel doesn''t want to lose. And he has lost a lot. "If you said you''re fine then it''s ok. Ready?" "Let''s go" And they ride through the streets like those old day during high school. Today is going to be a long day. Daniel mused ********************************************************************** CAF¨¦ The sound of slow music playing in the back as Daniel take a sip of his coffee. He was kinda tired after all of that shopping. He bought a lot of things today. He bought a few jersey pants, some loose cardigan, a sweater (his old sweater had holes all over the place) and he even ordered a new bed He has bene thinking of replacing that old bed in his room for many months now. But before he got no money, so he has been putting up with it by buying some earbuds to cancel the noise. That old bed has always made creaking noise. And he bought all the grocery stuff and put it in the trunk. There is a lot of eggs, some pasta sauce, chicken and some meat. Now, that he is done he went to this caf¨¦ again. He looks around him and he smiles a bit. There is an artist playing a guitar on the stage, playing a slow song and Daniel could not help but remember about his old memories. He used to come here a lot. And he wanted to treat Michael. Smoothies are expensive as shit. He is surprised rapper did not make a rap about smoothies considering how expensive it is. Now, he at least has some money to treat his friend "Order what you want, Mike. This time it is my treat" "Seriously" he smiles "I guess that contract with ETV3 land you a lot of money" Daniel just smiles and nodded. Mike smiles. It has been a long time since his friend look like this. Relaxed. Misfortune after misfortune come to him. It is good that he could smile like this after all that have happened. He called the server and ordered his usual favorite coffee and bread "Bread?" "It''s ok. It''s not like I treat you like a debtor, Daniel" "But I want to tre¡ª" But Mike hold up his hand and said "And you will never be satisfied until you settle that imaginary debt, don''t you? I know. You look upon favor as a debt even among friends. That is just who you are. How long I have known you, Daniel?" He asked more like a statement than a question. Then he shakes his head "You don''t like to be in a debt towards other people. You hate owing anything to people" Sighing he added ''You still don''t get people do you? Especially if that person is the closest to you'' Daniel nodded weakly Mike look around him as he leans back on his chair listening to the music on the background and relaxed himself. Then he said "It is one of your redeeming qualities, Daniel but it also one of the most annoying qualities you have. You believe that you have to compensate the favor. No matter how small. I''m your friend Daniel, not a debtor asking for money. I lend you the money because you''re my friend and to be honest it''s not that much" Mike then chuckled a bit after seeing Daniel face "Don''t mistake me. I''m not an extreme altruist. If you owe me ten thousand bucks maybe I would ask you to sign a contract before I lend you the money and I would chase you to the end of the world if you don''t pay that back'' he said laughing at his own joke. Though, he doesn''t know that it is not that funny of a joke. ''But the occasional treats and a few bucks doesn''t qualify for you to go this far" "You lecture heavily for a friend" Daniel said as he waves his hand around "That is what friend are for. If I don''t lecture you, who would?" Daniel chuckles and nodded in agreement. "This time it''s a bit long" he said as the server put down his coffee on the table. He took a sip and let the taste settle in his mouth. It has been a long time since he tastes any drinks on this caf¨¦. Each time he come here, he is afraid that he would be reminded of the mess he makes in the past. As Mike was about to continue, the server brought his coffee. Mike then said. ''Yeah. I rehearse it on the way here." "In the car?" Daniel asked. He nodded. And Daniel crack a laugh and he too find it a funny situation laughed together. How long has it bene that these two guys laugh together after what happened those few years ago? It''s been a long time since they met each other and talk about this kind of things. Mundane things. With the song and the sound of guitar strumming on the background, they both talk about a lot of things. The talked about old memories. Story of old acquaintances. What are they doing? How are they doing? Did they got married? To whom? Who''s still single? Who''s working, who''s not? That kind of stuff. Michael asked about Daniel mother, and Daniel asked about his family. It reminds Daniel of a simpler times. Then finally their topic comes to Brave World. Mike was surprised when he first knew that Daniel was Aero but he had gotten over that feeling now. They both play this game so it is not a surprise that both are passionately talking about it. Only gamers know this kind of feeling Since Mike is playing this game Daniel also wonder about something else. "Do Michaela also play Brave World?" Michaele is Mike sister. When Daniel visited his house sometime he saw her either playing piano or the violin. "She is" He said a she takes a sip of coffee. ''Oh'' Daniel was a little bit of shocked. Considering how Mike sister was brought up he is shocked to know that Michaela would ever show interest in games. So he asks Mike "What profession did she choose?" "She is a painter" "A painter and a builder" Daniel said shaking his head.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Michael and his sister both are weird people. Of all the things he chose----but thinking about it, Michael family has a construction company so maybe building is his thing, while he has always known that his sister has quite the appreciation for the art. But he thought she would be one of those Bards or probably any job regarding music. Maybe she wanted to do something different now that she in the virtual world. A perfect job for their personality. Mike always like building things even when it is broken and his sister like to observe things and people. Mike then said "She''s quite famous among the painter community in the game. She joins some Artisan Guilds if I am not mistaken" Daniel nodded and then he said "Is she? Then tell her to come to Vanheim. I will be her patron" And then Mike eyebrow rises up and then he smiles. He finally remembers who Daniel is in the Brave World. Here he is his friend but inside Brave World, his friend is the Hero of Vanheim, their Chancellor and the most powerful person below the King. ********************************************************************************************* The next part will coem tomorrow because I am swamped right now with two novels. But, I will try not to distuirb the release rate. Chapter 181 NORMAL DAYS AND OLD MEMORIES 3 "Oh yeah. You''re the Chancellor of Vanheim right. Though right now you are imprisoned." He laughs a little thinking about that. ''Friends'' Daniel mused. "Yeah, that was kind of stupid of me to come to the battle without a plan" Daniel said chuckling at himself. Mike however nodded after he finished laughing and there is a bitter smile on his face. He then said "It''s normal. In front of love even the smartest man will be a fool" "Love?" Daniel almost spurted out the coffee on his mouth as he looks at Mike like he was dumbfounded "That''s how they portray you in the videos" he said this time his grin is wider. "Or did you just skip that part?" "How about you?" Daniel said trying to change the subject But Mike have been with Daniel for so long that he knows when he is trying to avoid the issue And he would not be such a friend if he let go Daniel that easily. "I see what you are doing. But, hey, fine, if you don''t want to talk about it. War is everywhere in Brave World these days. Though, I''m sorry I''m still not in Vanheim. I got a contract in Duvar with hundreds of other builders to create the new Temple for the other Gods and Athena believer is also demanding a new temple thought truth be told, since the war began, we builders have never has many contract such as this." "What do you mean?" Daniel asked "In former Asgaro rebuilding and renovation is beginning all around. There are thousands of builders there getting many quest to build houses and government facilities. In the South, churches, cathedral, monastery, nunnery is being established all over the Empire and who they turn to when they need something to build?'' ''That''s easy. Bob the Builder'' Mike glare at Daniel and Daniel smirk as he said ''You must admit you walk into that.'' ''Ok, I admit that'' Then he sighed and continued. ''And builders are not the only one in high demands in the South. Painters are also being hired, many of them are commissioned to paint frescos and paintings to adorn the Arianna Chapel and builders and painter are working together on the renovation at the Papacy." Hearing about the South, Daniel remembers one of the other names that has grown prominent these past couple of months. "Did you take the job for the Papacy? And did you meet Ariana?" Daniel asked. Of all the Three Pillars she is the most mysterious character. He has been hearing about this woman since a long time ago but have never seen her. Of course he has a description of how he looks but the South would never reveal information about her and for some reason no one could capture her appearance on their video application. The moment anyone tries to capture her picture; the picture would turn blurry. Daniels surmise that this might be one of the protection that Her God offer to her. After all, Zeus himself could cover himself from other by the aid of the Gods of Olympus. Who''s to say that the God that Ariana brought to the world of Brave World is fake? Mike shakes his head and then said "No, I didn''t take that job, though from what I heard she is very beautiful and also talented in battle" Daniel just nodded as he takes another sip of the coffee. "Is that so?" "Are you curious? Probably because she is a Pillar like you" Daniel only show a faint smile and did not say anything else. ''It''s just a title that the players give me'' Mike smiles and then he asked ''Honestly, doesn''t it feel good being referred to as the Great Pillars?'' he said grinning. Daniel did not respond and wanted to gloss over it but he doesn''t stop grinning. Daniel finally relent "Ok, fine. It does feel a little good. Just a little" And Mike chuckles. ''If my sister knows that Aero of the East is you she would be screaming in disbelief. Though I don''t know how she could not recognize you in that video" Michael chuckled a bit "I rarely met your sister remember?" Daniel said "Yeah, thinking about it you never did really visit her after the incident" ''Lots of thing in my mind at that time'' Daniel said giving excuses. Michael just nodded in understanding. He understands. He always understands. "You mean a lot of grief" Right on the spot. Daniel thought to himself. "That too" Daniel said sipping another sip of the coffee. Suddenly the coffee felt bitter. He did not recognize the bitterness before. The memories are bitter not the coffee, Daniel had to remind himself. They went out of the caf¨¦ after that and then they just drive around the neighborhood while just talking. A day like this is hard to come by. At night Mike dropped him off and he went immediately to sleep after he hurl himself to his bed. He looks once again at the ceiling and saw the fan spinning and as he turn to his left, he saw her. Smiling at him again and he smiles at her back.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. ''In love with a ghost'' he said to himself as her face just look at him, just like before, as beautiful and as dazzling as in the past. Daniel is just a loser covered in scars. ''I hope someday¡­. I could forget you, Amelia'' She keeps smiling and it made him feel even more painful and he closes his eyes and when he opens it back up, she is no longer there. Yet, it did not make him feel happy. He looks back at the ceiling as the fan keep spinning and he drifts off to his sleep. ************************************************** If you didnt get a hint what he is suffering from then I just dont know what to do with you all. Chapter 182 THE ANGER OF THE SEA UNDER THE SEA While Aero was imprisoned in Veva, in the sea there lies a Goddess. And she is wrathful. Apollo had aided the mortal King of Veva in constructing a prison that could cage her son. When Zeus and Aero fought, the eyes of Thetis watch over him. She watches as her son made her proud but she also watched as his son got dragged into that prison Many eras have passed and the Gods had once made an agreement not to interfere in the mortal affairs. At least not this blatantly. And she is now full of anger and wrath and the sea trembles and the land quakes as her emotions causes storms to appears in the deep sea and the monster of the deep burrow themselves deeper into the dark waters Thetis is angered and she would not take this disrespect lying down. Even Zeus himself did not come into the defense of the mortal king but some greenhorn Gods wanted to pit himself against her. She is angry but that did not take her rationality away. She alone could not fight the entire pantheon of Gods and Goddesses in Olympus. "What should I do?" she said, her worries unsettled the dark parts of the sea. But her Nereid of course could sense Thetis feeling. Her Nereid came to her and waves of sea grew turbulent as they travel through the deep land of water below to reach her. And when they reach Thetis they kneel in front of her and asks her "O Great Thetis, silver footed Thetis, the greatest of the sea nymph, what are your worries? Do you want something from the dark sea? Or perhaps the jewel that Poseidon has in his Palaces of the Seas? If that is your desire say it and we will scour the universe and give it to you" one of the Nereid offered. The others nodded, eager to please her "Or could it you worried about your husband to be, Peleus. Did he do something to anger you? Should I drag him under the sea?" Another Nereid chimed in. It was then that she remembers of Peleus. Peleus is a mortal man. He is also the mortal that has the luck of catching her heart. She and Peleus will get married in a few days. But that is not what worries her. She turned to her Nereid and spoke as her words create waves on the surface of the ocean "It is none of that, fellow sisters. My son is imprisoned. And I worried for him. Worried that the mortals would find out his weakness and end his connection with me." The Nereid looks at each other and then they frowned. They then turned to Thetis and said. "Silver footed Thetis, we could not help you in this matter. It is mortal business. The Gods will not interfere in this. It is the Law" "THE LAW?" she yelled and the undersea creatures could feel her anger, as it echoes in the dark sea, as dark creatures open it eyes. The giant sea fish, the dark and fearful creature that roam underneath the dark sea under the bottom that not even Poseidon influence reached, trembled and hide in their home. Thetis is beyond angry now. She is afraid. And when she is afraid, she become terrifying. "Apollo created a wall and Zeus doesn''t even bat an eye. Then Apollo gives the mortal King his shackle imprisoning my son. And if that is not enough Artemis stole the Prison of Zeus and bring it to mortal world. What law? That law?" she challenged the Nereid to defy her word.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. The Nereid gulped and look below them, not daring to look at the eye of Thetis and her red shining eyes. Right now, she looks really terrifying as her eyes is emitting red light and her hand is releasing a might aura. The Nereid prostrated quickly fearing that Thetis anger will wroth unto them. "Forgive us" they said. Thetis look at the Nereids and sighs. She nearly lost control of her feelings. Then Thetis calms herself down. "It is fine" And she waved them away. And in one wave of her hand they were hurl thousands of miles away into the sea. She thought to herself. What should she do now? Should she lift up the veil and tell Athena about Aero current predicament knowing that somehow Athena will use Aero to start a war? Athena herself is still angry about Zeus and his action of rendering aid to the mortal King of Veva in destroying her Temple in Asgaro. But Athena¡­might use her son to start the Great War in the prophecy. That could not do! She must find another way. Even in their battles the only God that can see Aero right now is Apollo and Artemis. Ares is drunk at the time. Who knows who he blesses to win? They are the Gods that are recently birthed and added into Olympus. Thetis then decided to delay for a while. She need to tell Hecate to cast the Mist again, to hide the action of her son from the eyes of the Gods in Olympus. Aero need to try to release himself from the prison. It is hard decision for her but she knows that if Aero can be seen by Athena his fate might be even worse. ''Carry on, my son'' she said to no one in particular and the sea seems to calm down as the storms receded and the ocean become calm. ************************************************** Leave some comments you guys.Huhuhu. Anwyay, hope youe njy it and vote for the story Chapter 183 CONFESSION From the kitchen, one could smell something pleasant is being cooked right now. the smell is good and aromatic that could awoke one sense of appetite. You could hear two people are having a conversation, laughing and giggling. The house looks empty. In the living room the TV is on showing some news and the occasional advertisement and a new breakthrough by a Japanese scientist. No one is on the living rom. He walked to the kitchen slowly and he hugged her from behind. "What are you doing?" Amelia slightly had a high pitch voice as she is shocked by his sudden hug. She then smiles "My parents are not here today" Daniel smiles mischievously. And while Daniel could not see her face, he could see her face through the reflection of the lid. And she is smirking "So? What are you thinking about?" Amelia could not help but smirk as she could read Daniel thoughts And there is also a bit of excitement "Oh, nothing" he said like it is truly nothing. Amelia could not help but giggle. When Daniels aid nothing, rarely it truly means it is nothing. Nothing always means something. The smell is pleasant. Daniel thought to himself. "I didn''t know you could make bread" Daniel said "There is a lot you didn''t know about me. I am a woman with many secrets'' Daniel laugh a bit as his hand keep holding her from behind, loving every minute of it. But then she said ''I learned it when I was in Italy. A lot of food and a lot of bread" Daniel nodded and then he asked "You have gone to a lot of places don''t you?" "Yeah'' Then she ponders for a moment and then she added ''When I think about it I really did go to a lot of countries. Advantage of having a rich parent'' she said as she smiles again Daniel could watch that smile every day and never got tired of it. She then talks about her little sister but Daniel didn''t quiet hear about that. "Are you going to keep hugging me?" She said as she turned around and looked at Daniel "Just make your bread. I''ll give you support from behind" Amelia chuckled a little hearing that. Now that''s a good sign. Daniel thought He always liked seeing her smile. They keep standing in that pose as she keep kneading the dough. Then Daniel said something "I get annoyed sometimes, Amelia." "Hmm. Why? Annoyed of what?" She asked back "What are we, really?" "What do you mean?" Amelia ask, as her head tilt a bit. "What are we? Friends? Boyfriend girlfriend? Or a casual lover?" Amelia smiles again. That cute and beautiful smile. "Hmm¡­I don''t know?" she said but she chuckles while doing it, making him to not be able to get angry at her. "Make it clear to me" Daniel said as he come close to her ears and whispers the words to her ears. Amelia shudders. And she felt tingles all over her body. Her hands that are rolling the dough stopped. Her hearts beating like she just bungee jump from the tallest building in the world. She turns her face to look at Daniel once again. Their eyes locked. And they both could see it in each other eyes. There is passion, hunger and longing. He felt it and he is sure she felt it too. He moves his hand away from her waist as his hand goes to her hair Her red hair is caressed gently by Daniel and she is liking it. "Why do we always keep holding back?" Daniel said to Amelia. She smiles like a snake, like she is tempting him. "I''m tired of the games" Daniel continued. She giggles and then smile. "I thought you like playing" Amelia reply her eyes still fixed intently at Daniel. Daniel turn her body to face him and he pull her close to her that he could even smell her scent "Well, I''m done playing. Now I want to win" She smile like everything is according to plan. "Do you love me Daniel?" she said waiting on Daniel answer. Thinking maybe he will hesitate. This is their game. Their never-ending games of vague words and vague answers. Now he doesn''t want to play anymore. This is what he wants. He is sure of that now He wants her. He wants her everything. And he would like her to have his everything. It sounds corny when he thinks about it but who doesn''t get a little corny when being in love "I love you." he answer "I love you desperately, violently, tenderly, and with a passion that I think would burn me. It is a problem. I want to hold your white skin and touch it all over the place and I want to kiss your soft cheeks" Amelia smiles "Go on. I''m liking what I''m hearing" she said as she is closing her distance. Daniel face become red. Her eyes look like she having fun. Well, it is fun for him too. "I want to kiss you in a way that you never kissed before, in every place in your body, make you blush red and faint, and I want to pleasure you in a way you never knew you could be pleasured. If you only knew how I crave the taste of you. I want to take you in my hands and mouth and feast on you. I want you under me, over me, on top of me." He said and this time and its Amelia turn to blush. "When you look me like that I can''t stop thinking of it. Your arms and legs around me. Your lips, for me to kiss and taste like some kind of exotic food that could satisfy me with just one bite. Your eyes for me to see every day when I open my eyes in the morning, your hand that touches me that gives me shiver and bout of excitement. I am obsessive. And not once I''ve met a girl that made me more obsessive than you. I need too much of you like some kind of drug that I couldn''t get off. " "Don''t you think it''s too soo¡ª" she said "It''s not" Daniel said I know it''s not. I never felt such intense feeling before. If this isn''t love, I don''t know what is. He thought to himself. "You ask how I could be so certain of this. I just know. I feel it. I have many doubts about many things but this, this is one thing that I''m certain of. If I hesitate I might lose you. And I never wanted to lose you. So right now I''m going craz----" Amelia kissed him right there. She always knows how to end the conversation. And she always knows how to end it pleasantly. Both of them kiss with passion and burning desire. This is right, he mused. He took every moment of every second of it savoring every part of her kiss. ''This is right'' he thought to himself. Then in between kisses Amelia said "I don''t have your words. I''ve never been good with words. But I do" she reply He smiles and they continued And they kept kissing like they could not stop. He couldn''t stop smiling that day. They laughed as he almost stumbles through the stairs as he is carrying her off to her bedroom on the second stairs. He ignores the pain as he hurled her onto her bedroom and she slowly and sexily remove he clothes, one piece of clothing at a time. Well, he was young. And he was excited. So he finishes removing his clothe and his jeans in fifteen seconds He then jumped into the bed and begun savoring her as she moans. "We''re here, Daniel" "Oh" Daniel is startled and he was brought back to the present "What are you thinking about?" Mike asked, looking at the expression of his friend. Daniel just shakes his head and then looked at his house and the lightless kitchen from the car windows and some memories surfaces. He thought to himself that he would probably never forget her and he doesn''t think he ever will.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Happy memories" he replies to Mike. Mike look at Daniel house and then back at Daniel and nodded He smiles and said ''Well, hope we have a lot of those'' And Daniel chuckles. Michael looked at him and just smiles a comforting smile. ******************************************************************* A little past moment of Daniel. Anyone notice the hint about the Japanese scientist. These means this event happen before the creation of Brave World. Chapter 184 WARMTH **************************************************************** It has been a perilous journey and as I was chased and hunted, I finally have successfully hidden myself among the people, hiding from the forces of Veva The time has passed since that day and I could not help but feel touched because of his act of sacrifice for me. After I successfully break out the enemy encirclement, I quickly heeded his advice and try to find Amy and protect her. Aero has sacrificed his own freedom for me. Of course I need to honor his wishes. That is what is playing on my mind as I finally escaped them I must do this. After I was sure that the Vevaian soldiers no longer could track me, I retrace back to the supposed hill that Aero has thrown her. It is unfortunate that even after following her footsteps, the only thing I found in the forest is a hut. There seems to be traces of her in the hut so I searched it from top to bottom. It seems the owner of the hut was in a rush and abandoned it. But it is clear to me that she was here. There is her scent and there is traces of her existence in the hut I lost her but I was in the right direction. But I must do my work secretly for I am not the only one that is searching for her. The entire military of Veva is searching for her and myself. I need to find her while at the same time hiding my true identity which makes the job is a little harder. I went to the nearby cities and offer gold to some information broker to seek news about anyone matching Amy description. After a few days there is some news. A red hair girl is a lot and I had to filter some of the information to narrow it down. Some of them say they did meet a girl like that, boarding a ship with another woman shrouded in thick robe. This news set me off running to seek the ship. It was to my disappointment that when I went to the Port only to saw that no ship can sail as long as they are not checked by the Kingdom military. I waited in anxiousness, fearing that she was among these ships and that she would be apprehended by the military. I hide among the crowd ready to render assistance if the situation calls for it. After waiting for a long time to see if anyone got caught, finally I''m convinced that she has already escaped. Now, I have to also escape Veva. I decided to travel, through sea since the border patrol is even stricter than the sea. I know that I am a wanted man and worse I have no silvers. That night, with no silvers and gold I could only sleep in the back of an alley reeked with the smell of piss. During this time, I could not help but look at the sky. I put my hands together and pray to Hephaestus but like always, the answer is always disappointing. The star in the skies shines brightly and the wind blew but like always there is only silence and no answers. I could not help but feel anger rising. Why do the Gods answer a mortal king prayers but when the bloodline of Olympus themselves call upon them, upon their parents why they did not answer? It is during these time that I am jealous of Zeus, the mortal King of Veva. Not because of the many anilities that the Gods have granted him but his strong connection he has with the Gods. Zeus favor him like he was his son. But Hephaestus? Even I myself do not know how to refer Hephaestus? Should he called him mother? Because when Hephaestus give birth to him, Hephaestus was a she. Or should he be called his father? My mother is a God. a relation more powerful than Zeus and his patron God. Why wouldn''t she answer? Am I unwanted? Sometime those thoughts crossed my mind. It was with these thought I went to sleep that night. The next day I started wandering around other cities to evade the already widening net of capture. I will come back when the military is convinced that I have also escaped from the Kingdom. At that time, I need to find a job so that when the time comes I can buy my way to Vanheim. It was then on a good morning, I stumbled upon a carpenter''s workshop. The owner of the workshop is an old man. He is frail and already nearing his end. And he is looking for workers. It was a lucky encounter. I quickly volunteer. After seeing my skills, he agreed to hire me in his employ. He asked me what my name is. I couldn''t tell him honestly so I called myself Derrick from Asgaro, a refugee with no way of identifying myself. He was satisfied with my answers and I started working in the workshop. So begin my days as a carpenter. Day after day I worked in the carpenter shop. Days turn to weeks. And weeks turn to month. The people here have known me and greet me warmly when morning came. I also have many good relationships with them. Then one day as I was smithing a sword, I heard the news. A holy War in the South and Veva is participating. All the people in the tavern is talking about it. From the streets to the house of the nobles, war looms again. It is then that I recognize what this is. This is an opportunity for me to escape and went back to Vanheim Then another news came to my knowledge. Veva is in a state of unrest as many more states rebel. The noble Arwin and Berrick has raised their arms and begin their rebellion while the other adventurers join their cause. And that is not the only things that is happening. I do not know how but it seems many adventurers have known the news of my friend imprisonment and they are united in their cause in demanding his release. People from all over the Continent came from the East, the South and from the Central continent marching through thousands of miles to demand the release of my friend. My initial plan to board a ship to Vanheim and raise an army to march back to the North is cancelled. I decided it will be more beneficial to join these men. Thousands and thousands of them and I could hide among them. ************************************************************** He then put down his pen and nodded as he closes the book. Then a voice comes from behind him and he got startled. "Derrick, writing on your diary again?" he turned and he saw the old man and he smiles. He has always been grateful to this old man for helping him and giving him a job He could not have evaded imprisonment if not for the kindness of this old man and he decided that later he would one day repay him in kind. Derrick then said "It''s not a diary. It is more like something I kept to get me focused" The old man shakes his head and then said "A diary" The old man repeated. Derrick just chuckles. The old man is always stubborn. He nodded his head resigning to it and reply "Fine, a diary" The old man bitterly smiles and then he said with eye slightly closed. "It''s a little sad" "Why?" Derrick asked "You''re leaving us tomorrow" he said sorrowfully. The old man has always treated him like he is his son.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. And Derrick was always fond of this treatment. He sighed and then nodded. He himself is reluctant to leave. These past month his life is truly a blessing. It was like the island of Calypso where his life is good and peaceful. "Yes. There are some things I have to do" The old man nodded his head ''I hope you will be safe in your journey. You always have a home here'' Derrick nodded The next morning, with a sword on his hips and armor covering his body he marches to fulfil his promise. The old man watches in sorrow and then when Derrick finally moves out of the city, the old man went back into his workshop and close his door And then when he closes his door the workshop crumbles and no one seems to notice it. The people that always comes to the workshop suddenly forgot that there is a workshop in the comer of the alley near the marketplace. When some of the regular customer walk to the area and watch the pile of planks they only tilted their head in confusion and felt like they used to come here. But they are only abandoned planks and wild bushes around there. They then would ignore that feeling and walk away. When the old man closes the door that old man grew bigger and he look like a vigorous strong man with bulging muscles and he has beard. He had a large hammer strapped on his back and he walk with halting footstep because of his lame and misshapen feet He then walks for a few second before he whistled and a flying wheeled chair arrive behind his back and he sat on it. The wheeled chair is a golden chariot made from the essence of the sun which he took from Apollo when he was born. The old man is none other than the disguise of the God of Blacksmith Hephaestus. As his wheelchair moves to his workshop in Mount Aetna he sighed ''The Great War is coming'' he said to no one in particular and he watched worrily as he saw his son marches to save Aero. He did not know how the war will start but he knows that at that time he needs to choose a side. He sighed and lean his back and close his eyes. Deria believe that Hephaestus did not hear his prayer. In fact, he did, but a God favor could not easily be revealed. In these past month, Deria felt the warmth of family and a father. And he himself felt the warmth of having a son. He sighed and he felt very lonely now. He could only hope that his son would survive just fine. That was his wish and desire as the sun come down and night descend upon the world. ************************************************************ Chapter 185 DISCORD The trumpets were blaring and the sun travel through the skies. The petals of flowers are released by the many minor gods and goddesses of springs and fertility. Rainbow formed itself in a clear day. The sun gives a warm light to anyone who attends the festive wedding with all the Gods coming from the major Gods to the minor ones save but...¡­. one. It was the wedding of the century but they did not invite one particular goddess. Eris, the Goddess of Discord is not invited to the wedding. ''I mean who would invite her to a wedding when she will bring discord with her?'' Zeus once said when they were discussing the wedding arrangement. Zeus held this banquet to honor and appeases Thetis anger after his children disregard of the Old Law had anger the Nereid. Also he hopes that Thetis will not rage and began a war with the Council. Everyone knows that Aero is her son and he is also Athena Champion. If not for the laws constraining them, these two Goddesses will fly down as fast as lightning to save Aero and wreak destruction to Veva. And Apollo and Artemis and anyone else who supported Zeus child, which also mean Ares that child of his who likes war, will also participate. And if that happens, then it means war. And not just some war like mortals against other mortals. This will mean it is the beginning of the War of the Gods. Somehow Nestor words rings with truth. It is also at this time Zeus once again reconfirmed the loyalty of the minor Gods. He is anxious and worried these days. The Church of Light has gained a foothold in the Continent. And with Gabriel and Michael, the lackey of the God of Church of Light keep killing the minor Gods some are thinking to change sides and bend their knee to this new upstart God. In the South those tow lackey and the warrior of their faith is known as Archangel Michael and Archangel Gabriel. Zeus and Olympus did try to use their divine power to kill their champion Ariana. Yet, none of their magic on her, Ariana the apostles of the Church. She didn''t believe in them, so their magic does not work on her. There is also because of the divine protection of her God on her. Zeus shakes his head as he tries to forget this past couple of week problem by focusing on the joys of today. Hera is looking joyful. After she birthed Ares, she always looks sullen. However, she is always happy at weddings. Goddess of Marriage, Zeus thought to himself On the other side of the large and expansive hall Demeter is using her powers to make beautiful plants to sprout, plants with beautiful flowers and petals, beautifying the halls and the wedding. Hades, Lord of the Underworld sit on his throne made of skull while looking boringly at the occasion. His appearance was the most dramatic in the banquet and his intimidating aura seeps out of him. He is even more dramatic than him Zeus mused. Zeus came here with lighting thundering all over the skies to the rhythm of the skies shaking and rumbling after all the major God arrived. At that time, he thought that was dramatic enough They held this wedding at an island, which is a gift from Poseidon who came here with his weird looking horse But Hades? When he came to the island there are smokes and shadows enveloping the entire island, making the entire island felt gloomy and suffocating, and emerging from the shadows was Hades with his intimidating four black sable horses with his terrifying chariot and for a moment they could hear scream of the tortured soul from the darkness of the mist of darkness behind him. Then when he was led to his seat by the nymph he refused to sit at the chair and with the twist of his hand skull formed from the sand and a throne of skull is formed. Sometimes even he himself felt intimidated by his presence. Which is why the other Gods rarely invite him to Olympus, though to be honest Zeus think Hades like it down there. He also brought out his puppy. Athena warned Hades not to let the puppy breath fire or plaque in this wedding. She will take no nonsense at this wedding. Athena smiles a lot today at Thetis. She rarely smiles. The relationship between her and Thetis is good since after all it was Athena that releases her from her prison. Hera also has forgiven Thetis. Thinking about it the affairs was hundreds of years ago. Thinking that his wife could hold quite a grudge Zeus reminded himself that he need to be careful of his own wife. Hephaestus also has good relations with Athena but today he looked sullen. Zeus is observing all the Gods today. Olympus is threatened from an outside influence and he need to make sure all the Gods is loyal to Olympus¡­loyal to him He hope that Eris will not be mad because she was not invited to this wedding. But what of it if she is mad? She is a minor God? What can she do? ************************************************************************* ERIS THRONE. "WHAT!" she screams in anger as her eyes turns red when she heard the news. She burned Vengeance and Jealousy her attendants with fire from her hands. She did not felt pity for them since they will form back later. She gritted her teeth and she shouted in madness as she stand up from her throne. ''Zeus, you old codger. How dare you!'' She is angry and jealous right now. She felt belittled and humiliated. Even the Goodes of rainbows were invited. What kind of deity supervises rainbows? Her eyes are burning with anger. Then she laughed ''So you think you would not invite me and nothing would happen?''Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. She laughed again this time with a kind of manic laugh. ''I am DISCORD! And for the price of belittling me I will make sure that this wedding will mark all of your end. I have always hated the arrogant! Fine!'' She did not wait for her attendant to form back as she flies out of her Palace and went into her Garden. She picked up a golden apple, plucking it from her garden and with a mischievous smile she flies out and headed to the island ************************************************************************* Chapter 186 TO THE FAIREST 1 THE ISLANDFind authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. The wedding is joyous and everyone was happy. The atmosphere was good with the sound of music that could enchant even the weariest hearts to dance and sing in revelry, the wind was blowing gently like it could soothe one troubled souls and it seems like the entire world celebrated the wedding of Thetis and Peleus. The ceremony is about to begin and Thetis and Peleus look at each other with smile on their faces. All the Major Gods have given their blessing in either artifact or some protection and wishes. Hephaestus gifted an armor to Thetis. Thetis thought to herself that she might give this armor to her son. As they laugh and drinking wine and dancing to song is about to end and as the Gods is about to start the ceremony, they sense something Some of the Gods frowned as they knew the source of this feeling. A feeling of unease attacked the hearts of all the Gods in the weddings, whether it was the minor Gods or the major Gods There is a thick mist that appeared out of nowhere and then a cold wind blows. The mist dissipated and from the wind, emerged a beautiful woman yet at the same time the aura she emitted told everyone that she is dangerous. She is wearing a normal ceremonial garb for weddings, her hair is curly and her eyes red. She looked beautiful as most Goddess do, but they could felt that behind that beautiful face there is chaos and hatred. Some of them narrowed their eyes. Zeus frowned and Thetis guarded herself. They look at this uninvited Goddess and some of them sighed. They all know this Goddess. She was the only Goddess that was not invited to the wedding. Eris, The Goddess of Discord. She has came "E..ris.so you came" Zeus said stuttering at this sudden development. He himself did not know how to explain this to Theist who is glaring at him right now. Eris just smiles, showing no hint of displeasure. The more she acted like this the more the Gods feel chills in their hearts. "Yes, I have arrived. I didn''t think I was not invited" she said smiling pretending like she was invited after all. "Maybe the naiads or the nymph forget to send you the letters. You know how they get giddy at weddings and sometimes forget." Zeus said trying to make an excuse Eris smiles and nodded like she was satisfied with the explanation. Hades who is still sitting at his throne of bones and skulls opens his eyes and look at this sudden event with interest Since the beginning of the wedding he had shown no interest at all but now with the appearance of Eris he is suddenly showing some interest. Eris look at Zeus and she is amused at his behavior. She will let him play that game She then said "Is that so? I''m lucky then to at least watch the bride and the groom before they take their oaths" she said and taking a seat at one of the empty seat. "Eris" a deep voice called her that almost shake her to her soul. She looked and then she almost gulped out of instinctive fear and quickly she bowed "Lord Hades" she greeted. Hades did not say anything for a few second, his eyes seems to see through Eris intention and there is a slight smirk on his face. Eris was uncomfortable as Hades look at her and then he asks "So it seems you were not invited" She take a few second, nodded and confess the truth "I was not, my lord" she looked at Hades face, trying to gauge his reaction or emotions. He looks bored. And somehow fear strikes her heart suddenly. She shakes it off. Hades then said Hmm'' Then he added "Gods like us" he paused a little then said "make people uncomfortable. But yet¡­. we are a part of nature." He said and Eris nodded in agreement. She will not disobey. Not the Lord of Death, the Unseen One. "Do you come in peace?" he asked and that question startled Eris "Of course I''ve come in peace" Eris said stuttering. Hades smirk and then he asks "Then what is that golden apple doing hiding under your sleeve?" Hades said, his voice is calm and show no sign of emotions as his eyes piercing her concealment How did he know? She thought to herself. Hades then chuckles a bit before asking another question "Are you Intending to start a discord at a wedding? That is quite petty." his accusation stung. But also true Eris then frown. Then she musters her courage and ask "And if I am. Will you stop me my lord?" Hades look at Eris with that cold hard look and Eris hold her courage from breaking own and then he smirks. And that terrifies her more than his expressionless face. His answer was contrary to her expectation "Why should I? It''s your job to bring discord right? It is why you were made. And unlike the Gods in this wedding and even on Olympus, I, and I alone understand your worth and value. It is a pity but you will found no acknowledgement in Olympus. But I understand. I understand it too much. Sometimes without conflict nothing can be achieved¡­...and without conflict sometimes, things could never end. So Eris¡­...do your thing. You do you. I will not interfere" Eris hearing Hades answer felt like something heavy was lifted out of her chest. She takes a deep breath of relief as Hades went back to his throne and once again close back his eyes. Eris look at that Death God and was grateful and fortunate that he found no quarrels with her. Of all the Gods, the only one she fears is Hades. And there is a valid reason why. Of all the Gods, He always seems to know something the other Gods did not. And of all the Gods he is the most mysterious and the oldest. He is calm and he has dominion over the death. He is the Ender of all Things, the Unseen One. She only defers to Hades. If somehow Hades instructs her to stop, she will stop. She does not want to know what happen when one of the oldest being in the Universe is angry at her. ***************************************************************** Part one of the chapter. Part two tomorrow Chapter 187 TO THE FAIREST 2 Of all the three oldest Gods Zeus is most of the time impetuous but strong. If not for Athena brilliance and her unwavering loyalty to Zeus, Poseidon would be the King of the Gods. Poseidon on the other hand is ruled by his emotion. Athena on the other hand care not about title and she is too honorable and loyal to Zeus even after all the treatment she endured. As she waited the right moment the wedding finally ended. And the feast begins. Music was played as the satyrs and nymphs intermingle and even some of the Gods begins talking to each other. And Eris began to mingle a golden apple concealed in her hand. She talked to Hermes about some idle gossips of the Gods.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. And then she went to Athena, and her smile is malevolent and malicious. But the moment she arrived in front of Athena, she wipes her smile looking as polite and courteous as possible. "Athena, it has been a long time since we see each other'' Athena look at Eris and she nodded politely. While they have not met in many years, Eris is present at all wars for she is discord and conflict is kind of her thing "Eris, it has been a long time too'' "You looked beautiful even after all these years. It seems you even look even more beautiful than before. There is probably no Goddess that is as beautiful as you" Athena blushed at the compliments "No I''m not. My build is like a man" she said and Eris shakes her head disagreeing with her statement "You surely jest Athena. You are the Virgin Maiden. If you are not beautiful why did men adore you and pray to you before they go to war?" Athena shakes her head "That is because they wanted victory" Eris smiles internally. She knows that she has succeeded. Athena is smart and at the same time she is prideful and vain. If not how could she punished Arachne just because she is the better weaver? "Yes, victory that you grant them. A beautiful goddess that they believed and erected countless of Temples for you. Why did Hephaestus try to woo you before if you''re not beautiful?" Athena is slowly being convinced by Eris arguments. Thinking about it again, she is not ugly. She looks at her reflection on the nearby fountain and as she looks at her appearance she herself thought that she is beautiful, with charms of a brilliant mind and precise acumen. "Maybe you''re right, Eris" Eris laughed and hit her playfully and said "Of course I''m right. Aphrodite is beautiful that is not something I would deny. But you? You are what strong men want. A beautiful woman and at the same time a strong woman that helps protects and brings victory. Who would not want a woman who brings them victory? I dare you to find one. And you are a virgin. Every man like virgins then a slut like Aphrodite don''t you think? Comparing you and Aphrodite how could it be the same? You are a woman with virtue while she has none. Men might like woman like Aphrodite but it is not the kind of woman they would spend their whole life with." she convinced Athena Athena liked the praise and she never liked Aphrodite. She hated the fact that Aphrodite cheated on Hephaestus. Eris knew that Athena is never praised about her beauty before. She is fierce. She is brilliant. But beautiful? Not many dare say it though truth be told, Athena is beautiful. Because her calculating manner and her cold response turn many of the other Gods, rarely one would call her beautiful which is why the compliment is very pleasing to her ears "Enjoy your drink Athena" Athena nodded and resumes her conversation with Thetis. Eris walk away but not before she got some information Eris only heard one name from the conversation. Aero. She shakes her head and reminded herself that it is not her problem so she erases the conversation from her mind. Then Eris mingles again. She looks around and then she found her next target. This time she approached Hera. The Queen of Olympus herself. "Your Majesty Hera, this is a joyous day" Eris greeted her with respect, and with a smile on her face. Hera nodded, smiling. She is always happy at weddings. Then she remembers who Eris is and she slightly frown and then she said "Yes, Eris it is. Don''t try to incite discord" she warned "Why should I? This is a joyous occasion, Your Majesty" Then Eris looked left and right and then she whispered to Hera. "Who do you think is the most beautiful in this wedding?" she said as her eyes scanned the crowd. It looks like she was gossiping with the Queen. The Queen look all around her and thought the bets answer would surely be the bride "Of course it is Thetis. It is her wedding day" Hera said laughing joyously. "Really?" she said showing a puzzled face to Hera Hera realized that. She frowned and then ask "Who do you think is the most beautiful then?" "You of course, Your Majesty" Eris said her voice excited. "Not Aphrodite?" Hera asked, slightly shocked with the answer Eris shakes her head and then said "Aphrodite is the Goddess of sexuality and not as objectively beautiful as you. She uses sex to get her way. You on the other hand a perfect embodiment of a wife everyone wants" Eris said began complimenting Hera "How so?" she said, appearing like she doesn''t like the compliment but Eris knows emotions. And she is confident that Hera is just trying to hide her emotions of happiness. Eris then listed the good things about Hera "You are pure, you value fidelity and chastity and modest. How many men wish their wife will be faithful, how many pray to you so that the hearts of their wife or husband stay true. You are the perfect embodiment of beauty of the heart, Your Majesty. And for that I say you are the most beautiful of all the Gods." Hera is smiling proudly. She must be thinking how true it is? Eris laughed internally at these Goddesses. How easy it is to manipulate their emotions she thought to herself She then added, the icing on the cake "After all Your Majesty, you are the wife of the King of the Gods while Aphrodite has no husband and flitted round having affairs with all the Gods. Tell me which man would like a woman that spread their legs open to every man that come begging" "Nobody" Hera replied, nodding as she agreed with Eris argument. She herself did not like adulterer and homewreckers. "True" Eris said. She talks a bit more, extolling her virtue and butter her with praises that Hera is probably in Elysium right now with all the praises heaped on her. Then after leaving Hera with her compliment she sits back down at her seat beside the throne skull of Hades. Then finally the feast is ending, the music stopped and the Gods sober themselves and the satyrs stopped their orgy behind some secluded bushes as they come out with blushing faces. Everyone wanted to return to their domain when suddenly Eris rise up from her seat and said loudly so that all the guest heard. "I have come here without bringing a gift to the other major Gods. I have given my blessing to Thetis but what about the major gods? For this I''m terribly feel regretful. It is a wedding and I should not have forgotten to brought a gift" "It is fine, Eris" Zeus said. But Eris shakes her head regretfully. "No it is not. Hmm¡­how could I¡­Ah" She exclaimed like something crossed her mind at that moment. ''I do have one thing to offer though. I hope one of you can take it" she then brought something out from her sleeve and gave the Golden Apple to Hades. "I am too ashamed to look at the face of the Major Gods for my gift is insufficient for the Gods. I will return back to my Palace and reflect on myself. Thank you for bearing my presence here. Please look at my gift and think fondly of my gift" she said and then she flew from the island disappearing in an instant Hades took the Golden Appel and he smirks. Poseidon approached him and ask "What is the gift, Hades?" Poseidon ask. Hades then snorted and he throws the Golden Apple to the ground. On the Golden Apple was carved an inscription embossed in divine gold. Kaliistei (For the fairest one) Aphrodite upon seeing the inscription struts to take the apple believing that she is the one who Eris intends the gift for. Aphrodite is after all the Goddess of Beauty and Love; and she thought of course the fairest refer to her and the gift was without a doubt intended to be given to her. But as she walks to take the apple, Athena who remembers her conversation with Eris thundered as she said "It''s for me!" Athena said like her declaration is without any room of debate. And she too went in front. Hera seeing this also went into the front, looking at Aphrodite like she is looking at a rival and said. "No, clearly this is for me" remembering her conversation with Eris believing that Eris meant the apple to be hers as a symbol of appreciation. Hades look amused since the first time he is in the wedding. If not for the fact he finds it inappropriate right now, he would laugh with roaring laughter. The other minor Gods began feeling the intense energy that swirling around the island because of the intense emotions of the three Goddess. The three Goddesses won''t back down, each one believing that the apple belong to them. They began bickering. Each one presenting to the other why they are the fairest. Athena tell of the men that pray to her, while Hera told them of the man wishing for fidelity and faithfulness while Aphrodite tell them of the teen boys and teen girls that pray to her for love. But none of them would back down. Because this is no longer just the matter of a gift. It is a matter of pride and reputation. "This will not end" Hades said began feeling tired of the Goddesses bickering. His puppy is growling in hunger. He needs to go back to the Underworld and feed his puppy and then administer the dead again. "Enough!" Hades said and his voice thunder through the island, piercing through the swirling fog of the three Goddess, breaking it almost in an instant. And the Goddesses quieted. The other gods that was about to leave halted their footsteps. "Let Zeus, the King of the Gods decide" Hades declared. And the Goddesses turn their face to Zeus while Zeus looked shocked. Hades smirk while he is laughing internally ''Let see how you handle this'' he though to himself as he patted Cerberus and close his eyes back. ***************************************************** Chapter 188 ZEUS DECISION The joyous atmosphere has long faded away from the island as it is now filled with foreboding of ill omens. And it all started with the Golden Apple. While all of this is happening in the island, the Three Sister of Fate smiles as they stopped for a second in threading the threads of life and destiny. They look to the direction of the island, smiles mysteriously and then return back to their work. On the island, it looks like the Three Goddess agree to heed Hades advice and seek judgment from Zeus. Zeus was minding his own business when Hades suddenly threw him the problem. He had hoped that this matter was easily resolved but when he saw that the three Goddess try to claim the Golden Appel he knew the problem is anything but easy. He frowned as he saw the way the Three Goddesses is looking at him. Above the island, thunder crackles and broke. He is glaring at Hades but he himself did not really want this to affect his relationship with Hades. In the end Hades did the proper thing. Olympus matter should be adjudicated by him. Yet when the Underworld does their decision arbitrarily Zeus had to close one of his eyes pretending like nothing is wrong. He is dissatisfied with Hades but he had to swallow it since he is the King of Olympus. ''Hmm'' he said as he ponders the question. He actually doesn''t know what to do right now. No answer seems like the right answer. He looks at Athena and it was not pleasant Athena is glaring at him. Zeus did not really want to anger her. She is after all his strategist and won him many of his wars. And she could be considered her daughter. To offend her is to deprive himself of the support of his staunchest ally. He then looks at Aphrodite. She always looks stunning and beautiful. But Zeus shivered every time he saw her. Aphrodite is looking at him with alluring gaze and look like she is trying to seduce him but Zeus alone knows how dangerous Aphrodite really is. Hiding behind that lustrous gaze and enchanting smile is danger. And she is angry. Other people might not notice but Aphrodite eyes shows her anger. Love seems weak. Yet, it is one of the most powerful thing under Heaven and Earth. Men become stronger because of it, rise because of it and even fall because of it. Hades himself did not like dealing with Aphrodite and Zeus shares that dislike. That is why even though many Gods expresses their intent to bed the Goddess of Love, the few that didn''t show any interest is Hades, him and Poseidon. Other than when he was young and not know any better, as he grows up, he had no interest at all consorting with the Goddess of Love He looks on the other side and he saw Hera looking at him with anger in her eyes. There is also a gaze that seems to be accusing him. She seems to be fuming that Zeus had not make his decision already and crown her to be the fairest. It was like she was slighted by her husband. Looking at these three angry Goddesses he knows he is screwed. It is a sensitive judgment to make. If he chose any other than Athena maybe Athena will really quit her post. She has been threatening that since the matter of the sacking of Her Temple in Asgaro.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. And Zeus knows how important Athena to his rule. She is the one handling his Kingdom of Gods. But to chooses her would be alienating the other two Goddesses and that doesn''t seem like a great alternative too. There is still Hera and Aphrodite. The Goddess of Marriage and Love. One would have thought that the two would be compatible joyously but love and marriage is not the same. One is passion. The other is commitments. And sometimes it is not exclusively the same. Hera ... is his wife. That alone made this even harder. He has been chasing her for eons for her to return his love. It would pose many problems if he didn''t choose her. If she chose Aphrodite, Hera might think that he had something with Aphrodite which will not be good considering the jealousy traits that Hera possesses. To choose Athena instead of favoring her would surely blew her top as she would surely accuse him of favoring Athena, more than his own wife. She always hated that Athena is always beside him. It wasn''t until recently that their relationship slowly getting better and Eris just had to give this gift of Golden Apple. And Hera¡­. her anger and wrath is well known among the inner circle of Olympus. He did not know if he could be having her breathing down on her neck and hurling insults at him I he did not choose her. He sighed internally. It looks like they are arguing about the Golden Apple and the last gift that Eris left but Zeus knows this relates to their reputation. He thought of Aphrodite and then he shivered Aphrodite on the other hand has many suitors, mortals and Gods alike. Even his son Ares is said to woo her affection. To be honest in his youth he also tries to force himself to Aphrodite¡­...of course that is before he knows how dangerous love really is. He is truly screwed. Zeus is thinking a lot about this matter pondering seriously as the Three Goddess is looking at him. And as he is thinking about this matter, a telepathic whispers came to him. He recognized the presence. This is none other than Hades. Zeus pretending like nothing is happening as he heard each of the Goddess explain to him why they deserve the Golden Apple as he accepted the telepathic connection "What?'' he almost shouted in his mind. It is clear he is very annoyed with Hades action. Hades then said coldly. "If you could not choose for them then let other choose." Zeus scrunched up his forehead and then he thought about it for a few seconds and then he sends another telepathic message. "Who?" Hades is still sitting on his throne and closing his eyes but there is a smirk on his face. Then he answered "Faris Desmond. He is the son of the former King of Veva. If the rumor of the mortal world is to be believed, he is the most beautiful men in the world" Zeus think about this matter for a few second as Hades terminated their telepathic connection. Zeus made his decision in his heart and then he raises up his hand and the Three Goddesses stop their debate. The Gods in the island all look nervously at Zeus. It seems the King of the Gods have made his judgement. Hera, Aphrodite and Athena look at Zeus their eyes is burning with anger and desire to do conflict. "I have made my decision" suddenly Zeus declared and the Gods nodded. They themselves are curious of Zeus decision. The Goddesses waits for his judgment. Zeus then said "I declared that Faris, the mortal that reside in Veva will be the judge for this matter for he had recently show his exemplary fairness in which my son in his bull form had bested Paris own prize bull, and the Prince unhesitantly awarded honor to my son and in turn to me" he said. Ares hearing that his father mentioned Faris nodded and laugh remembering that day. The Goddesses look at each other nodded and agree with the judgment. Athena agreed because if Zeus pick Hera then he might be doing it because she is his wife. If he picked Aphrodite it might be because of past affection. She could accept the judgment if that is truly the case Aphrodite on the other hand also agree to Zeus suggestion because she fears that Zeus would pick Athena who is his commander in his war or he might choose Hera because of her status as his wife. Hera on the other hand shares the same fear like Athena that her husband might choose Aphrodite because of his past affection or might be biased and chooses Athena who is thee executor of his ambition. They then said in unison "Bring us to him then" Zeus summoned Hermes and ordered him to guide the Goddesses to Veva. The other Gods also followed from behind to see who would be crowned the fairest one of all the Gods. ************************************************************** This is the beginning of the end Chapter 189 THE JUDGMENT OF FARIS As the Gods flew away from the island the man in his question is peacefully living in Veva. Faris was at his usual place that he always goes when evening came. He is at a large hill behind his mansion, as he lay on the swaying grass, whistling a tune, as the wind blows gently over his hair, and caressing his cheek with no care in the world. Every day he would come here since he no longer has to involve himself with the political matters of the Kingdom since Zeus handle everything. He did not lose everything in the aftermath of the fall of his royal family. As he lost himself in the pleasant breeze of the wind, he was startled as he could feel the air around him changes He got up and look around him as he felt all around him turn colder. He saw mist rising up out of nowhere as it shrouded the hills and turns this entire hills into an area full of mist that it is even hard for him to look five feet ahead of him. It is thick and Faris is almost seized with fear. Then suddenly from the mist emerged three beautiful women each naked but one. On the sky the cloud turn dark and thunder boomed. A lightning bolt strikes him but it did not char him instead Faris had instruction seared into his mind. He suddenly knew who these three woman is and why they came to him. The lofty Gods of Olympus. As he marvels at this matter, from the sky, a golden apple that shined brightly fell in front of him. He took the Golden Apple and look at the three woman in front of him. ''Zeus meant me to judge who is the fairest among this three?'' he thought to himself Hermes who came a little bit later come before Faris and then he urged the young prince to inspect the Goddesses. "Your Majesty Hera" Hermes said as he kneels in her presence. The Goddess then speaks towards Faris She is appealing to Faris to choose her. "If you chose me mortal, I will make you as King of the Vevaian and I will help your endeavor, for I am mighty and capable of many things" she said her words shake the hillFind authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Hera is indeed the most beautiful of the Goddesses, not Aphrodite. Eris was not joking when she said Hera was the most beautiful out of all the Goddesses. Else, why would Zeus chases her for thousands of years? However, Hera was the goddess of the marital order and of cuckolded wives, amongst other things. She had fidelity and chastity in mind and was careful to be modest when Faris was inspecting her. And she is the only one that is clothed among the other two. Faris heard Hera offer but he is not interested at all. But he did not show it on his face. He doesn''t want to be King. That is why he sits in this hill everyday watching the sunset, Faris mused He finished inspecting Hera and then he turned to Athena. Athena then said to Faris "If you chose me, I, Athena, The Goddess of Wisdom, will offer you wisdom and skill in war, may you never be defeated in the battlefield" Faris heard this and like the offer Hera give to him, it is not appealing to him at all. War. He hated blood and he hated war and bloodshed. Why should he involve himself in the affairs of war when he could live peacefully like this? And then Faris turned to Aphrodite. He could hear beautiful song when he came near the Goddess of Love. Aphrodite, though not as objectively beautiful as Hera, was the goddess of sexuality and was effortlessly more sexual and charming before him. And he is hooked. And then he heard her offer "I offer you the most beautiful woman in the world as your wife" she said smiling. Faris hearing the Goddess of Love offer is stirred A wife? That is the only thing he doesn''t have yet. And the most beautiful woman in the world? How beautiful she must be? Faris wondered. "Make your choice mortal" Hermes declared as he looks coldly at Faris. Faris look at the Three Goddesses and then after pondering he finally made his decision. After thinking of the offer finally he chose Aphrodite not knowing what he sets in motion. In the dimension where the Three Fates resided, one of them laughed, one of them cries and one of smiles bitterly as each one of them took a new needle and yarns a new thread. Aphrodite was smiling a smug smile at the other two Goddess like saying she knew all along that she would win. Faris gives the Golden Apple to her. Hera is fuming at the mortal decision. Athena is raged and want to strike down at the mortal but they already make an oath in front of Zeus that they will not harm the boy whatever his decision might be. "Humph! You will regret the decision you make, mortal." Athena said before she suddenly clads in her armor again. She looks militaristic and valiant and with the spear on her hand she looks like she is ready to jump into battle. Then she flew and disappeared into tiny dots of light in almost an instant Hera on the other hand looked at the mortal with disgust and she too flew away in blinding light. Only Aphrodite stays. She then tells Faris that he will meet the girl someday for Fate and Destiny will push them to be together. The Goddess said "Wait for my whispers. You will know what to do when the time came" Faris nodded and then with a smile the Goddess also flew away. In the Underworld, sitting on his throne of darkness, hades laughed. Eris who is looking at the development of this matter smiles malevolently and then she dances in her garden stepping on the Golden Apple in her gardens as she dances. ''Let them reap what they deserve. I always enjoy tearing the arrogant and the prideful'' ********************************************************************* Leave some comments and don''t forget to vote for the story Chapter 190 ART OF TIMING UNITED KINGDOM OF VEVA KYLE WAR TENT This couple of week''s rebels has risen up all across the Kingdom and some of them become bigger and bigger. There is a surge of discontent spreading through the kingdom with the harsh treatment that King Zeus has imposed upon them. He is now here on the northern side of kingdom. He was ordered by Zeus to contain the rebellion while Zeus went to the South with Bart bringing five hundred thousand soldiers to wreak destruction to the new faith, answering the call of the Holy Kingdom of Duvar Though from the news the Holy War is not that successful as the enemy is not some rabble bunch many Kings believes. From the news he has heard that Ariana of the South main force of two hundred thousand soldiers turn back to fought off the expedition of the Kings while her commanders Gustav continue attacking Nero republic. Santi another one of her general also a woman in her army is tasked to stop the march of Alfhaim and Duvar encroaching on the South. She was entrusted with six hundred thousand troops to stop their march. She is a capable general and also bloodthirsty and she successfully halts Alfhaim and Duvar troops. But that is not even the most shocking part of this continuing Holy War of the Southern region and the rest of the continent. The most shocking news is that Ariana of the South had managed to trap Zeus and Bart in a marsh and began killing Zeus troops. It was more like she was massacring Zeus soldiers. Even though Ariana of Zun is also known as one of the pillars never once she asked Zeus to challenge her, one on one just like Aero. Aero stunt wins him eternal fame and his reputation skyrocketed after he defeated Zeus in one on one battle. He might be imprisoned but his reputation in the hearts of the viewers and other players is very high. On the other hand, Ariana while she is not capable of killing Zeus in one on one battle that does not mean she could not defeat him in other ways Probably she knows she could not defeat Zeus strength so she just kills Zeus troops, giving him the rare military defeat he ever experienced since starting his journey in brave World. No matter how strong Zeus is even he could not manage to kill all of Zun Empire troops. Even Aero fall to this mob tactic. Zeus has got his priorities wrong and he ignores the advice of his military generals like they were spouting nonsense. He wanted to conquer the South but here at home, Veva is filled with rebellions and with almost hundred thousands of players that day by day coming here and destroying villages and terrorizing cities he should have delay his ambitions Players are marching to Zeus palace asking the release of Aero which he and Eric has to deal with every day. The checkpoints of the bordered are destroyed by some players, the guards killed and hang to send a message to the Kingdom. Just today he had to kill a lot of people that somehow managed to break through the palace defense and almost entering the Tower Prison. Kyle could not help but sighed internally. The rebellion started with Alwin and Berrick. Now another rebel group rises up. Derrick. This man is the new wave of leader of a rebellion that is slowing growing in the Kingdom. People say he is strong and unbeatable in battle. He fought like monsters and yet he treated his men generously and kindly. His cause is the release of Aero. People flock to his banner and many players joins his faction as he distributes their loot fairly. The NPCs that joins his banner is mostly Asgaroian who had a grudge to settle with the United Kingdom of Veva Kyle himself was shocked when he read the report on Derrick. Derrick uses guerilla tactics and are always attacking at nights and he and his band of rebels are destroying Veva supply lines, exploding government buildings and sabotaging the kingdom facilities. Kyle is clear than anyone about the state of the Kingdom. Veva is in trouble. Did he choose wrong again in picking sides? He wondered this question when he is alone. And Aero words rang again in his ears. After he was lectured by Aero, instead of ignoring it like he usually does he listen this time. And he truly looked at the Kingdom and the King and the men he chooses to align himself with. And he reached his conclusion Zeus possessed the might of a tiger, but he lacked the planning skills of a talented person. Not like Aero. It took him a hard time of admitting it, but he knows he had chosen the wrong side to back. Though if there is one mistake he did is because of a woman. But he was confident he could win, that he could bested Zeus. And maybe this is Aero plan all along. He maybe not a chess master who looks at the whole board and plan from then on. He belongs to another type.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. He makes good with the cards he''s been dealt with. He moved according to flow and maybe that is the most terrifying thing about him. A chess master when their plan is straying off from the path they will get concerned. But someone who goes with the flow and changes their plan to suit the situation is a terrifying man. Did he see all this? Or did he plan this after he got caught? Kyle pondered this matter seriously Zeus¡­ he is frivolous and temperamental, and was only concerned about the gains he could make. His attack to the South proved this. For some lands in the South he led his armies in a terrain that is so different from the North which is why Ariana easily trap them right now. He did not know military tactics and usually get by with his strength and his confidence that he could break through anything. But his defeat under the hands of Aero clearly bothered him more than he cares to admit. Other people might not see it but Kyle could see that the tactic Zeus uses this time on the South is timid that before. Unless you are in his army and saw him uses his usual tactic which mostly offensive, the current Zeus seems to be timid. And he is once again defeated. Kyle could feel that Zeus era has truly ended. It is her terrain, her territory and Ariana make use of that brilliantly, trapping the northern soldiers of Veva with the terrain and capitalizing on her strength and keep picking at her enemy''s weakness. She of course knew every nook and cranny of her own territory. Zeus on the other hand charged headlong, stubborn in receiving advice and at times to sentimental. Throughout history, there had never been such person like him who did not end up being destroyed. Kyle also looked at the men under the services of Zeus. His men all had their personal motives and were very disunited. They are fragile union and it is so easy to crumble. And now with the story and videos of Zeus losing to Aero streamed and become a viral video even some of the officers in the military is thinking of defecting to other power. It''s not like Kyle is deaf and not hear the chatter around the Court. He heard the whispers when the officers thought no one is listening. Zeus is a ship. It used to be a large and titanic ship, so large that no one thought anything could sink it. But that ship just hit an iceberg. Surely the news that he falls under Arianna troops will erode the people trust towards him even more. Kyle have learned greatly from the mishap and mistake he make the first time He received a lesson that he would never forget. Master the art of timing. It is critical to recognize the spirit of the time. And patience. And where the wind blows and where it takes you he has learned patience. He knows he must not strike out rashly or being emotional about this. He need to keep his cool. Zeus is falling and sinking deeper and deeper. And he surely doesn''t want to be in a sinking ship. And right now the wind is blowing to Aero. He is not only the Chancellor of one of the greatest nation in Brave World he is also loved and respected by the people of his Kingdom. How could the people not love him? He is considered a peace advocate (even when he is not), a war hero, a savior and liberator. How could the people not respect him? He started his journey doing extraordinary things, and his generosity and reputation of kindness is widespread through the Continent. If he is not loved why is so many NPCs rise for him from the East to the North? If he is not respected why do so many players raise their banners and march here? Kyle knew Aero is not truly like that. That snake, a peace advocate? No! he is the farthest from a peace advocate. He knew that. Every move he makes in the end benefited himself. A generous man? Ptui! What a joke! But the game of appearance must be played. And Aero play the game perfectly. To the populace he is their hero, someone they strive towards to be. However, recognizing the prevailing winds does not mean he have to side with him. Kyle sighed. The only thing he will do right now is betting on the reaction that is brewing and putting himself in the vanguard of it. You must guide time, or be its merciless victim. This does not mean he suddenly forgives Aero, but he knew nothing good will come of trying to kill him, not when so many people supported him. For now, he will be patient and see where the wind is blowing and he will think whether to flow along with the wind or trying to fan it to other direction Tomorrow he will tell Aero his answer. **************************************************************** Chapter 191 A VALIANT HEAR LEON KINGDOM A person looks at the scenery outside his window and sighed. The Leon kingdom is a kingdom owned by a clan. Just like how Zeus started his own clan and created his powerbase in Veva. Leo is a proud owner of a clan. At first he started the clan with only ten people all of them are players who are level 100 or above, Most of them is his friend and then he even invited his acquaintances and people in his real life. It was the good times when he thinks about it again. He remembers those days vividly as he hunts and raided around the dungeons, camping outside on some forest and sharing and sometimes arguing about loot That is a simpler day than today. Day after day, there are more people that join his clan and he guess that is where he and his clan started changing. Then they began doing hard and difficult quest and they become more ambitious. At that time, he harbors intention of becoming one of the most prestigious clan in Brave World and they occupied a lot of the dungeons territory but then Zeus clan came into the picture. With domineering strength, Zeus rises swiftly to the top. He might act like a brute and prioritize strength above all else but no one could deny his charisma. His straightforwardness could either repel people or draw them to him. And Leo himself met Zeus and fought him one on one. And he loses fair and square. So he set a new goal for himself and his clan. Since he could not be the best at least he could be the second best And for a while that works. He and Zeus clan was the top two clan in Veva. But then he was commissioned a quest from the Asgaroian royalty. Conquer one of the Fort in Redat. So they try to complete the quest But most of the nobles of Asgaroian did not even try to help them so the fight become very long. Then Zeus usurpation begin in Veva when he was still fighting in Redat At the same time as Zeus is usurping the royal power, Aero of the East emerges after he defeated the Vetten Invasion on the Eastern Continent Suddenly, the world of Brave World experience great change For the first time in Brave World there exist two names that inspires awe.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Zeus and Aero. At that time, he felt many mixed emotions to the news of Zeus successfully usurping the royal power and Aero of the East emergence. He also wanted that kind of influence and he want to be respected by the other players. He knows that unless he did something big no one would pay attention. Instead of honoring his oath to the king of Asgaro he tries to take advantage of the war fad at that time and instead of returning back he turns back his clan soldiers to try taking Asgaro. But with his troops already tired and exhausted fighting with Redat troops, they could only weaken Asgaro and then Zeus taking advantage of that lay waste to Asgaro killing almost all of its inhabitant. He with nowhere to run has no choice but to turn his target once again to Redat Kingdom. The fighting was hard and everyone was tired. In that moment Eric came like he was waiting for this moment and offer him help but instead if he succeeded in conquering Redat they have to become the vassal state of Veva. At that time, he looks at his friend, his soldiers and the other players in his clan and he finally agree. He relented because everyone is tired of fighting. And he was crowned King. He got nothing in the end other than this petty kingdom. He had been biding his time waiting for the opportune moment to release himself and his clan from Veva influence. With Veva territory reaching to all the north, he had no choice but to wait and pretending to be subservient to United Kingdom of Veva Today, was just like any other day. However, the normal days for him is about to end. A letter arrived for him today. He had expected that the letter came from Veva. He thought it would be from Eric, or from Bart of form Zeus himself. However, after he opens the letter he was surprised to find out that the person sending him a letter is one of the General in Zeus army. General Kyle sends him a letter. "Kyle?" "Who is that?" one of his minister had asked before he retreated to his office dismissing his advisors and ministers. He could feel whatever in this letter it would not be wise to open it with so many witnesses. He never met the man since he had no reason to But he of course heard about the man himself. From what he knows Kyle is once a Vetten general before being defeated by Aero. He was humiliated and executed cruelly by the King of Vetten and Eric personally recruited him. Now he serves Veva as one of Zeus general. He looks at the letter on his hand and he hesitates to open it. He is thinking about a lot of things right now. Even though there are many times he goes to Zeus palace to give the tributary gift every month he never did greet Kyle and neither did Kyle even attempt at conversing with him which makes this correspondent very strange and bizarre. Why suddenly send a letter? And why the secrecy? He has heard from his messenger that the letter must be handed directly to him and he alone could read the content of the letter. He took a seat on one of the chairs in his office. He is fiddling with the handle of his chair feeling unease about the letter He then took a deep breath and nodded to himself and decided fuck it. He need to read it. He smiles at himself as he now has made his decision. He took the letter opener and open the letter. The content was extremely shocking ************************************************************** To: King of Leon, Leo, Duke of Ortrane, Count of Ordo From: General Kyle of the 14th Division Your Majesty, this letter details a plan¡­. a great conspiracy. This plan is treason and fill with treasonous thought towards the United Kingdom of Veva. If somehow you feel in your heart the need to remain loyal to Zeus and his Kingdom, then burn this letter and if you so desire turn me in to Zeus. But if you''re interested in gaining more power than you now, rather than being a puppet King of your kingdom, always suppressed under Zeus thumb with no real power then I, urge you to read this letter to the end. Aero has made me and you an offer You could either serve Zeus and stay his puppet or you could pledge loyalty to him and he promise he would grant you a real Kingdom to rule. You will neither have to pay tributary gift and nothing of sort the treatment you endure now. Money and power and prestige¡­.and more. If you want this, then help me persuade Zeus to release Aero in the court. Then sent some of your troops to disguise themselves as the rebellion army. Join any of the rebellion leader. And wreck Veva to a point of destruction. Then and only then can I have something to bargained for with Zeus. In the end, the choice is up to you. The wind is blowing hard, Leo. And it is blowing towards Aero. It''s alright to maintain your neutrality but there comes a time when you have to make a choice. And that time is now. If you think you''re going to be safe if you do not support any cause, then I will tell you how wrong that is. I know how cautious you are in picking a side. But, by not aligning yourself with anybody, it is true that you have no enemies, but remember, you will also have no allies. If you agree with the plan send me some sign Truthfully Kyle ************************************************************* Leon finished reading the letter. He did not expect that Kyle is thinking of rebelling. This is a tempting offer. But should he accept it? What if he chooses wrongly? He looks below his windows and he sees his people. Most of them are his friend and they have follow him to victory and even follow him when he makes a mistake. But this is not a mistake he could be making. If his gamble is wrong, he could cause his entire clan to be disbanded. With Zeus power it is easy to force a clan to destruction. Most of his friend uses this game to make some money on the real world. And he thought of another terrifying thought What if Zeus heard of this? Wouldn''t all of his people be imprisoned and tortured by Zeus. He may never torture a player yet but who knows. He is bloodthirsty. At least that is his opinion of Zeus. He thought deeply and ponder his next action carefully because it might spell his doom or it might be the opportunity he has been waiting for. He has been waiting for an opportunity to release himself from Veva influence but he never got any chance. But now a chance has presented itself in front of him. Aero. ''Hmm'' he sighed. He could at least understand what Aero is trying to do Aero wanted to bet on his own self-interest. Aero knows that he hates being a puppet. And in his defense who would? However, there is another reason to consider accepting the offer. Aero is still in prison. A prison tower if the rumors is to be believed. And yet he still has time to do political maneuvering behind prison bars. ''Impressive, impressive.'' He thought to himself Aero act of sending a letter even in such a prison shows that he must be capable. If not how can he persuade Kyle to send the letters? Everyone knew they were enemies. Self-interest, he mused Aero can meet his needs and advance his cause but is it worth the risk? Should he wait a little more? Or should he act? He then comes out of his room. He closes his eyes as he halted his step and then he nodded. He would not hesitate anymore. He made his choice. " Summon Anteus. I need him to report to me" he shouted to one of the attendants "General Anteus?" the attendants asked. "Is there anyone else named Anteus in my court?" he shouted again slightly annoyed. The attendant hurriedly went out of the Palace to invite General Anteus to the palace. After making the decision, there is only determination in his eyes. ''Fuck it. I live only once. I will take risk for one last time!'' He has made his decision and as he look down from the balcony of his palace he smiles and there is a trace of that bravery once again reigniting ************************************************************************* Chapter 192 ARIANA OF ZUN 1 The night has descended upon the area and the tent was set up. Tonight seems to be a cold night and very tent has a brazier lit up. On the middle of the many hastily put up tent is a large and beautiful tent. The woman inside the tent shivers a bit. She always wonders how the creator of this game could make even this part of feeling felt so realistic. She could feel the wind passes by her and could smell the fire of the brazier. She looks around in her tent and she smiles bitterly. She didn''t need such treatment but her band of Knights, the Order of the Rose insisted in putting up this kind of tent for her. Looking at the structure of the tent, it looks strong and sturdy with the pillar of metal in the middle of the tent fastened with steel vine. The ropes are tight, and the bottom is just right. She might not force the Order of the Rose to do this for her but she always likes the finer things in life and she could not hide how pleased she is. The Order she established seem intent in making her life as easily as possible. Unfortunately, her life in Brave World is not as easy as it seems. She thought of many things while she is in her tent. She studies the terrain and thinking hard about the matters of her military. No one is coming to her tent this late at night. This is her time to think. She found it easier to think in this virtual reality then in the comfort of her home. Here she felt the urgency and that urgency causes her to think more clearly. It is like a surge of adrenaline. If she is at her home right now, all that feeling will disappear and she will be relaxed. As she was studying the maps of this area, outside her tent, water started falling from the sky It is raining outside. She has been a t it for hours and now it is raining The sound of rain only adds to her sleepiness. Slowly and slowly they drip like a hypnotic sound that tempt her to sleep. Each drop lulls her Rain was beating against the canvas, drips of water running down the sides, the sides ripple in the gusting wind, straining against the rope and pegs, edges flap wildly, as it feels flimsy and inconsequential against the encroaching squall. As she looks at the rain, she had a bold idea. A daring and bold idea. She is reminded of one battle. One of her friend¡­former friend she corrected was always interested in history. This would be a great night to attack Zeus unprepared army. She approached the entrance of her tent and look at the soil turning muddy and she smiles. ''Not only that, our tracks will also be hidden'' she thought to herself as that smile becomes even wider. Outside the tent he could see preparation being made, all for tomorrow battle while her general already engaged the Zeus army in a guerilla tactic style in the evening. Even in the rain such preparation must not be lacking. They might have a few victories under their belts again Zeus¡­but this is Zeus they are talking about. She herself did not fancy fighting that beast masquerading as human in one on one battle. Unless she is as powerful as Aero she would not wager herself winning that confrontation. Tomorrow the second wave will hit them. Zeus will not let yesterday humiliation go. She knows that they have to take the advantage of their own terrain and their luck to catch him in their encirclement. Then the wind gust blew and her hair gracefully blows behind her neck. The sound and the atmosphere right now gives her a kind of clarity that help her to think. She looks at the large host of army in font of her and she laughed at herself. Who would have thoughts she would be such a big deal when she started playing this game? She is none other than the Third Pillar in Brave World, Ariana of Zun. Aero of the East, Zeus of the North and Ariana of the South. The Great Pillars of their continent, their name inspires awe and respect. She is the Apostle of the Church and the supreme commander of the Holy Army of the Church of Light. She started playing this game because of her friend. She never had a grand aspiration to become the Ariana of the South. Her friend recommended to her about this game nonstop, and every time they met, it was either about his adventure here, or he building this, and building that. Her friend is a builder in Brave World. Thinking about it the builder class suited her friend personality.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Her friend family had a construction company and could be considered rich First it was this one friend that was quite close to her who she knew was playing the game, then she found out her crush also plays this game. Her former friend. After what happened in their senior year they did not contact each other. Then she started researching the game. Brave World. At first she couldn''t understand why people like the game so much. So, she bought the capsule. She enters the game. Without any knowledge or research, she just entered it not expecting anything. It was¡­. magnificent. It was like she was truly transported into another world. Not even five minutes pass in the game and she was already hooked. Now she understands what all those people are talking about She chose the profession warrior, seeing so many people choose it. The outfit also looks cool to her. She chose a peaceful Kingdom that doesn''t have that many monster and more farmland as her starting point in Brave World. She plays it casually at first. She just came to the game every day, leveling up, and then one day she saw her friend in a broadcast. She knows that face everywhere. It seems that her friend, (formerly crush, now not sure what our relationship is person) is living pretty well in this world. And he should have. What happened to him¡­. that could break a person. So her determination grew. She wanted to raise her level and meet him as equal. **************************************************************************** Part one of the chapter. I will not say much in this chapte Chapter 193 ARIANA OF ZUN 2 She¡­ believe that if she met him in the game then maybe, just maybe their misunderstanding and their quarrel of the past will end. And maybe they can reconcile on what happened in the past. She had a long time to think about what happened that day. And she used to blame herself for what happen but she has accepted that it is not her fault. So days and weeks passed as she keeps playing the game, strengthening her character. She wanted to be strong enough and then travel to Vanheim to meet him. Every day she trained until one day an encounter with a young boy change her fate in this game forever. The young boy was a boy of ten, which she knew later, and he always got bullied by the warrior class. He is a priest. The players would make fun of him by stealing his potion bag and he would cry on the streets. Mostly veteran players would rob him. Of course there are some people who help him but it''s not like the people is his guard and they can''t help him every day. Everyone has places to be and something to do. So the boy kept getting bullied. She saw this and it reminded something in her past so she helps the boy. Day after day, she keeps helping the young boy. It felt like she was atoning for something by helping the boy. Then they got to know each other. His name is Jack in the real world but here he calls himself Alex. There is like a comraderies and a bond forming between her and the boy One day during her training in the training hall intermediate level she got a whisper from him, asking her to help him with a quest. Because she knows not many people would want to party with him because of his pushover reputation, she accompanied him. They travelled through caves and secret passage, quest after quest, and it is getting clear to her that the quest that the boy activated is a chain quest She almost regretted following the boy, but to leave him in the middle of the quest would be to pitiful. So, she keeps following him and slowly solving quest after quest. It also good training for her as it raises her level with each quest solved. There are zombies to kill, monster to slay. So she marches on until finally they reach their final destination and after a grueling battle of wits and strength they solved this almost never-ending quest The boy was given a relic, a relic that gives him almost unlimited health, and mana though it would take time to replenish. It was a cup of blood. He also got the activation for a secret class. And that secret class was the Pope. Yes, the young boy become the Pope of a new religion in Brave World. It was a secret class, no doubt. At that time, she was shocked beyond belief at the young boy luck She heard of people called priest or even Druid class but Pope? Surely that is a secret class that will affect the game in a big manner. She was happy for him. Then something else happens too that changed her class. The fact that she accompanied the boy also gives her the chance to change my class to secret class. Of course how could she reject? She accepted the secret class because one of its ability is the more people believe in the Church of Light, the stronger she became. You could say their faith fuels her energy. So, she turned into the Holy Maiden and one of her duty is to protect the faith. Then the boy proselytizes the people in the surrounding village around the cave. It was easy to do since they live in poverty and hardship most of it imparted by the Temple And then began their journey. Because of his secret class, Alex has high charisma and persuasion stat. And she was his bodyguard. Then they became even stronger, and have many more people. It was then that the God of Light appeared unto her. God of Light will whisper to her, telling her what to do, usually in the form of a quest, for example the destruction of the temple of the pagan God King, Zeus. So she destroys it and weaken the faith that people have for him. The quest itself was satisfying. It gives her good rewards and it was an easy quest. She just burns the whole place down and looted the Temple of their gold and jewelries And Alex was not slouching either. He enthusiastically spread the Fait and more and more came and believe in the new faith. So she became stronger with all this new people believing in the new faith. And the stronger she is, the more they believe. She then began conquering other village, then cities and then Kingdom, most of it with the help of divine revelation from the system. So, now here she, the Supreme Commander of the Holy Zun Empire, the Holy Maiden of Armagnac, and the Maid of Arleans. She rose to be so great as this persona of Ariana the South that now she could be compared to her friend, (formerly crush, now not sure what our relationship is person) one of the Great Pillars. She heard of his imprisonment. And see his video and replay it back. And she noticed something. And she couldn''t believe her eyes when she saw it. Amelia younger sister. Ariana of the South¡­her real name is Jessica. She is friend with Daniel and Amelia. And that incident in their senior year changed all of their lives. Daniel never saw Amelia family but she did. And she met Amelia younger sister, Amanda. She was contemplating how she should tell Daniel this. She knows Aero is Daniel, but she doesn''t think Daniel knows who that girl is.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. If he did¡­...just imagine the breakdown, he would have She thought this is her chance for redemption. She would go there and rescue him, and he might forgive her. But then as she was planning this rescue mission the other Kingdoms came declaring their Holy War on her and the Church. And then there is the fact that Daniel just saves Amelia sister which she thinks, from the videos he seemed to like. And she means like, like This is tragic. This is simply a tragedy in the making. How could he fall for the younger sister of his dead ex-girlfriend? Stupid. Now she has to deal with them. Daniel and Amelia younger sister. She doesn''t want to open old wounds so she thought maybe now is not yet the right time to meet and tell him about all of this And then there is Zeus. This Zeus is really getting on her nerve. She long to just charge him and spear him to death, but she knows he might be stronger than her and such fantasy would never come to pass. She need to be cautious. Her commanders and her officers have all warn her not to engage in direct battle with the tiger. Not when they have the advantage right now. She sighed as she looks at the rain outside her tent, listening to the sound of the rain. She is alone in this tent as all of her generals are busy with their own meeting. She sighed. ''That''s enough for today right?'' she asks herself this question and she nodded. She wants to log off for a while. Maybe after she log in there would be an improvement in the situation. ****************************************************************** End of the chapte Chapter 194 MEETING AGAIN The waves hit the beach again and she felt pain on her ribs as the saltwater drenched her wounds and she shivers in pain. She is breathing hard and as she slowly opens her eyes, her hair wet and her fingers are bloodied she noticed that she is still holding on to the plank. The waves strike the beach again and hit her body as she was brought forward to the sandy area. She musters her strength and slowly get up as she crawls to the dry sand. On top of her the sun slowly shows its face. She saw someone else in the distance. It is the cartographer. She looks around her and she spotted a few items that drifted to the shore after the wreck. She walks while holding her stomach and rummage through one of the knapsack she saw. She smiles a bit as she saw a potion bottle. She took it and drink it as the color came back to her face. Feeling a little more refreshed she took the knapsack and went to the cartographer and make him drink it. The cartographer finally opens his eyes and together they went to the forest on the island. If not for the situation this place would be quite a paradise They survive the accident and they look at each other with awkward expression. The accident happens because of the Mouth. It is part of the sea that the sailor has come to call it the Mouth because it always reaps ships and its crew and not many dare sails it. Her ship sails it and they were swallowed whole in it. If not for the fact that she jumps out from the ship the moment she saw the downward spiral of the sea like a mouth that is about to swallow the ship, she would be dead. After checking the shore, they found no survivors but they do found a few supplies. They began living in the island and survive with fruit and the beast meat that they found. Most of them are not that dangerous but they do not venture deeper into the forest. They made their house on top of a tree and at night it would be cold. She only envies the fact that the cartographer is an adventurer and would sometimes disappeared for a few hours before returning back. Many people said it is the curse of immortality. They could only be in their world for only a few hours. Somehow they have lived here for a week ************************************************************** She looks at the open sea in fort of her and sighed. The wind blows around her and she felt the coolness but she is sick of being here. "What do we do now, Vasco?" she asked. "Captain, the only way we can get out of this is if some ships pass by here, and realize we''re here" Vasco said She harrumphed and then she said "Use your whisper thing" Vasco then scratch his forehead and then said "I don''t have anyone who has a ship" He said, his voice sound dejected. ''And even if I do¡­. I don''t think they would dare sails the sea now that they know that the Mouth is real'' She looked around her camp now. The washer boy survives, and some five sailors also survive huddling around the campfire, shivering from the cold. They were found after a week as she and Vasco walk all over the island. Most of them were drifted on the other side of the island. After scouring all parts of the island this is the current count of survivor. They all look dejected and she understand their feeling What they saw is truly¡­terrifying. That is an undefeated force of nature. Many have become its victims but nobody had ever survived to tell the tale. Even now she had a few nightmares about that place. That part of the sea¡­The Mouth¡­.no wonder it is called the Mouth. It is a literal mouth, a gigantic mouth.¡­ that eat ships. A mouth so big it was like an abyss with no bottom. Some of the sailors that''s survive thought they saw the realms of the Unseen One inside the Mouth. Seriously¡­. that is not something that she expected when she started this journey. And meeting the survivors of the accident is not the only thing she discover as she explores the island When she was swimming to harpoon some fishes she found her ships on a rock on the other side of their survival site. The ship is stuck to a big rock like someone lifted it up and smash it down to that rock. She got some supplies from there. As she walks the deck of that ship, she did wonder for a few second of how did it get there but she did not ponder it for long since what is important to her is her survival. A few days later the ship own weight drove it down into the sandy beach. It slanted to one side, jagged hole in the hull like it was being bitten. It began being a site for the birds and Vasco took up a hobby of hunting birds nears the site. The sound of waves comes again and she sighed again, full of regret. She should not have sailed this sea and went to this expedition of the New World. She looks at Vasco and then asked him again "How about we repair the ship?" He looked at her and rolled his eyes. "And how do you suggest we do that? Look around!" he gestured, his voice annoyed. "Tell me, is there any craftsman here. Do any of them look like they can build anything!" as he pointed at the sailors and the survivors. She was wrong but she did not like being told that so she silences him with her glare. He shakes his head, sighed and sit down, calming himself and began walking to the campfire. His words are true. She looked at Rot the Fat and Stinky Tim. Those guys? Building something? The Night Mother would laugh and the Night Mother never laugh. She shakes her head and decided that the only thing she could do right now is to wait. She looks at the sky and she thought that the Fates must be laughing at her right now. but one of these days, she is going to kick them in the ass. And she walked to the campfire and throw a wood to the fire, letting the fire licked the wood, and the flame became brighter and once again she can feel the Fates are snickering at her. Laughing at her. *************************************************************** She felt her body being shake and she groggily open her eyes. She saw Vasco shaking her and she rub her eyes as she tries to make up the words that he is saying. "Wake up Captain. There is a ship! There is a ship!" Vasco was shouting the words; his tone is excited. Hearing that a ship is coming Tatiana quickly jumped out from her bed. It makes her awake in an instant. After all she has bene hoping that a ship would come here. She went out from her makeshift tent with Vasco following her from behind She felt the wind against her face, the sunlight heat around her and she look at the sea in front of her, her curtains are still flapping "A ship?" "Yes Captain!" ''Come on let''s greet them." Vasco said. Hearing this Tatiana frowned. "They agree to carry us?" Vasco nodded. Suddenly Tatiana felt something strange. That is weird. ''Did they have any condition?'' Vasco shakes his head as she could see Vasco is eager to meet them. No doubt giddy at the thought of rescue Did the world change since she slept last night? What profit can they bring to a ship? They would help them with no condition? Since when the world became so nice? She follows Vasco and as she walks to the other side of the island she sees a sail. Around the ships there is a lot of people conversing and loading stuff. Is that¡­. Could it be¡­ and as she come closer her suspicion were right. She knew that sail. And she knew the name of that ship and the Captain of that Ship. Storm Start. She was about to turn back when a voice she recognizes greeted her. "Hah, there she is. Lady Tatiana, how do you fare?" he asked his smile is still greasy like always. He seems to be expecting her. "Lyle" she said, her voice is cold a bit "That is me milady" he said, still smiling like a snake. "Still wearing that silly hat?" she pointed to his hat. "Why, milady, it is my best accessories that I have" he said seemingly hurt before chuckling She laughed. It has been a long time since she met the captain of StormStart that braves the New World Sea. "Did you know it was me that is stranded on the island?" She asked "Honestly no. But we are short on crews now and we decide to take this people in our ship and ask them to help us. Then from the crew we got to know that their captain is Tatiana." She looks behind Lyle and saw that they are unloading a lot of stuff. As she looks at those crates and barrels, Tatiana finally knew why Lyle came here. His island must be one his secret island where he put stashes of illegal trade items. No wonder she felt like someone has been here before. But she pretends like she sees nothing and continue her verbal conversation with him. "So, impure intention?" "No, no. It hurts to think that you think me of such man. I would just ask them to help me" he said fiddling with his sash. "You mean you will sell them as slave in the new world, right?" Tatiana asked "Ah, you like to jest milady" he said chuckling Let him play his game of denial. "Will you help us then?" "For you milady, surely. But if we take them to our ship they have to help us"Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. She looked to her crew and asked them "Can you help this kind captain of this mighty ship?" Lyle clearly like the praise as he laughs that fake laugh of his They all nodded in agreement. Anything is better than being stuck on this island. "Then, come aboard" Lyle said wearing a crooked smile. Her sailor helps Lyle crewman loading the crates and barrel into the ship as Tatiana and Vasco climb the stairway and enter the ship. Lyle give her a given a cabin room while the other will help on the ship either scrubbing the floor, or help move the cargo. Vasco can be seen talking with the StormStart explorer, conversing on maps and trade routes. As Tatiana look around the ship, she found that here is nothing else she could do and return to her cabin. After finished loading the cargo, the ship sails the sea and night finally came That night Lyle came to her cabin for a round of drinks and as he sits himself inside the cabin he asks her "I did not mean to pry" and then he proceeds to pry ''milady but what happen to you milady that you are in this such sorry state?" he asked He offers a drink, a wine from some kingdom in a faraway land. He looks outside the cabin and saw that darkness beckons and he lights a candle so that they could still converse. She took the wine and immediately she felt that it was a strong wine, suited to her taste. She could even smell the spices added to this wine. It is a different kind of wine then she has ever tasted before. He gave her his wine so at least she could revel him with her story. Slightly drunk she then exclaimed "Why, do I have the story for you!" Then she began retelling him her adventures in the sea. He just listens and nodded and sometimes interjected After finished hearing the story Lyle in his always dramatic manner clapped and then he said "If you really want to sail the New Sea, a small ship like that will not suffice. There are many dangers to brave, not only the Mouth. There are monsters that lurk in the New World Sea. You also have to know where the threats are so your sailing will not be delayed." He said Tatiana narrows her eyes and ask "What do you suggest?" Lyle smiles and then she said "Go to the Holy Maiden of the South and ask for her support." "The Holy Maiden?" Is there such person? "Yes the Holy Maiden of the Church of Light. She supported many expeditions to the new world searching for something. It droves the sailors into a frenzy and many ship is volunteering" "What something?" she asked curious. ''Is it treasures?'' Lyle only chuckles and then he answered "An elixir." He declared Elixir! Tatiana was shocked at the answer "Elixir? That''s it! She commissioned ships to travel to dangerous sea to find an elixir!'' She couldn''t believe my ear. Lyle smiles and then continued "Not only for that surely. She also commissioned to find new city and colonize the land under the name of the Pope." Lyle explained "Is she a queen?" Surely she is a Queen. Such ridiculous request can only come from royalty. Lyle shakes his head and said "No, she is not" Lyle answers "She is not?" "She is not" he confirms That could not be. She thought to herself "When she gave orders did anyone follow her orders?" she asked This puzzled Lyle "Yes" he answer "Humph, then she is a queen." she snorted at Lyle. Lyle on the other hand just laugh but he did add "No, her title is the Holy Maiden, Maid of Arleans" She laughed and then said to him. "Listen, Lyle. That is just word people made up. In reality, the king is not the one who orders, or whether people called him king or queen, the kings and queens are those who orders, and the people follows that order. Maid or Holy maid, what does it matter. People follow her order, that makes her a queen" He just looked at me. "Hah, maybe you''re right" He drinks from the goblet, feeling joyous all the same. Tatiana never like Lyle because he never seems to show his true emotions The candle flickers. "So will you follow my advice?" he asked after a brief moment of silence. The waves lapped against the hull of the big ship "Maybe. Who would let go an opportunity to meet a maid, so lovely and so pure. If a maid is like that, imagine a holy one" she giggles. "You jest, milady" "Oh, this one is not a jest, brave captain" she smiles as the night deepens. A few weeks later, Lyle drop her and her crew at the South, in the Port of Arleans. She then looks at this grand city and the large building in the center of the city With marbled windows and beautiful arts inside it that large tall building is none other than the Papacy With Vasco beside her, she walks out from the Port and into the city ************************************************************************* Chapter 195 THE PAPACY 1 In a room inside a luxurious mansion a man is reminding the woman of some etiquette she should not forget while dolling her up "Remember the way you carry yourself will determine how you are treated. Act like a noble. Act like you are someone important and believe in that character¡­and other will believe it too." The man said to the woman. The woman nodded annoyed but at the same time appreciate the preparation the man had done for her. The man is none other than Vasco and the woman is Tatiana. They are right now in the South. Land of the Holy Zun Empire. Tatiana had decided to ask for the support of the Pope and the Holy Church to finance her expedition to the New World as Lyle had suggested to her And for the past couple of weeks she has lived in this luxurious mansion fit for relative of royalty. And it belongs to Vasco. Who would have thought that he is rich? She did not know that the explorer in her ship before was such an influential man in the South and also very rich at that. He seems to have all sorts of connection with the noble of the South and also connected to the clergy and the Church His mansion is big and beautiful, with carved stone chair, exquisite and exotic painting hanging in the great hall of his mansion, and he also have a beautiful garden with variety of flowers, And to her surprise he even had servants all of them seems to be educated in the high society. For a man of such influence, he easily crafted a new identity for her. In the city of Arleans, she is known as Lady Leliana, a double identity that Vasco has created for her. She is a lady of noble birth descended from old families that live here in Arleans. If that is not enough to convince other people, Vasco also hire a Scribe to write a biography for her, describing her as not only from a noble birth but also descended from a famous general during the times of unrest of the Thirty-Four States. Vasco has created an illustrious background for her to make sure this matter succeeds.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. All of this is necessary to grant her audience with the mysterious leader of Faith of the new religion, the Pope. The South had tear down all of the Gods of Olympus casting them as Old Gods and fake. She looks at Vasco who is concentrating on evaluating her dress and she felt gratitude for the effort he has put in for her. The biography that he created for her was spread around the city conspicuously, so secret that no one would suspect that it was forgery. A lot of things have been done to make sure she is considered nobility and of the highest pedigree in the society He come close to her and hold her waist and then he pulls the rope on her waist "Remember" he said while tightening her corset "I know; I know" she said while trying to suck up her stomach "Today, we will meet the Pope. Remember your training" he said "I learned only manners for two weeks!" she complained. Vasco ponder a bit and then he sighed. "That had to do. Do you think it''s cheap to hire someone to teach you manners? I am not made of gold." She chuckles and Vasco also crack a faint smile. She then looks back at the mirror. She looked all dolled up, beautiful and elegant like all the noble ladies she used to see in the parades She guesses it''s true what the people say. The clothes make the people. Vasco look at the reflection of Tatiana in the mirror and he nodded with satisfaction. ''I created Aphrodite with my own hands'' he said praising himself and Tatiana laugh before she felt the corset constricting her laughter and she stop laughing. It felt that the dress the nobles wear is really constricting. She could not do anything in it. "Remember, ask for the moon" Vasco reminded her again. She nodded annoyingly "Yes, yes!" Vasco in the Holy Zun Empire look like a different person then he was at the sea. Here, he is not only more confident, he also seems even more powerful. Of course not in terms of physical strength but his influence. A week living with him has shown her that Vasco seems to be a powerful man in the backdrop of the power struggle in the city. That influence is shown in the fact that he managed to finagle a meeting with the Pope, from his connection with the Church. To meet the religious leader of the Pope in the Papacy is a hard thing to do since he and his followers have taken the South They even seem to be able to fight of the North that is mostly ruled by King Zeus and kept the pagan army of many combine kingdoms at bay After all preparations are made, they departed from the mansion and heads to the Grand Church, the land of the holies, The Papacy. As they entered the ground, they could see undeciphered gravel maze of roadways, marbled tiled streets, a city with so many fountains and churches, tabernacles, monasteries and religious institution They could see the Priest Forum, the tall and sturdy columns, a place where the Priest would debate about their religion and their laws among other things. And finally after almost half an hour they arrived at St Alex Basilica, a marble structure so beautiful and large. Adorned with hundreds and hundreds of statues of angels that the Church of Light believes, the edifice stretched to about sixty acres. The cavernous interior of the basilica had room for over seven hundred thousand worshippers. It was built by thousands of builders, adventurers who labor under the name of the Church and Pope And that is not all that made this basilica one of the most beautiful structure in all of Arleans. There is countless work of arts in here. The arts were created by many artist making it also a haven for art lovers, and many of the frescos in the inside was painted by the famous painter Leonardo, and a place where many artists migrate towards considering the Pope likes art and so does his followers. His followers even called art, the nourishment of the soul. The piazza before her is an astounding sight by itself. It is bigger than even the Basilica. St Alex Square is a staggering open space in the city. Hundreds of columns swept outward in four concentric arcs of diminishing size, an architecture brilliance to heighten the piazza sense of grandeur. As she looks at all this structure she could not help but express her admiration "This is beautiful" she said in awe, slack jawed at the establishment around the city and its structure that seems to incorporate art in its creation Vasco look at the structure and then he simply said. "Yeah, the Pope really likes his building." "This Pope lives like Kings" she said "Some would say that a Pope should not live like Kings" he said sarcastically "Why?" He laughed "I forgot that you don''t know about the Church of Light" he then just chuckles not explaining anything else. There is silence inside the carriage as Vasco seems to be thinking of something. The towering stone bastion loomed ahead. ''The office of the Pope'' he said and Tatiana peered her head to look. She saw guards roam around it, an impenetrable fortification Even if she is still the assassin of the Brotherhood she would find it hard to enter this place. She then saw a building that piqued her interest and she ask Vasco "What is that building?" she pointed. Vasco lift the curtains of the carriage to get a better look and then he answers her "It is The Gubernatorial. It houses the Papacy administration." Vasco explained. She nodded and as they travel forward and look at more building she come into one conclusion. "This is a walled city" she said again, as she could not help expressing her amazement Vasco nodded and then he said "Yes, Arleans is a walled city holding a wealth that no other nation has. Not only that is also houses rare paintings from talented artist, sculpture made of gold and precious diamond that if it is sold it can fund a small country. And if that is not enough, it also has jewels of every kind, priceless artifacts from the Kings in the past Kingdom that the Empire crush, gold beyond counting, a nest egg of gold'' He smiles bitterly and then he added with a world laced with irony ''That is why this is a walled city. The Pope does not live like Kings, Tatiana. He lives like God." The feeling of hatred can be felt from his tone. Tatiana went silence as Vasco look outside the carriage. They then climb out of their carriage and started walking. As they walk Tatiana sneak a glance at Vasco. It seems Vasco doesn''t really like the Church. Not liking would probably be an understatement. He must have his own story. After a few minutes of walking and greeting Bishops and priest they finally reached the Pope office. As she walks to the Office of the Pope she can see people with robes inside the office talking with each other. Who is this Pope? ******************************************* Part one of the chapte Chapter 196 THE PAPACY 2 Who is this Pope? She couldn''t help but wonder who live in this large mansion, or like Vasco said this city, guarded by strong man, all the time. Then they meet his attendant or perhaps another Priest. She didn''t really know the term so she let Vasco talk to him But she could hear what Vasco is saying "We would like to meet His Holiness" Vasco said his voice is gentle and deferring. Hearing his ton, no one would believe he hated the church "The Holiness has ready himself for you'' The priest led them through a long corridor, and then they entered a wide dimly lit hallway. As she walks, guided by the priest she could see beautiful artwork on the walls, angels she mused, the bust of the Emperor of Holy Zun Empire, a puppet Emperor, Vasco told her, and a lot of tapestries of Ariana, all worth a fortune if sold. Vasco was right. This Papacy is a nest of gold. "Here you are. Office of the Pope" The voice brought her back and she finally arrived in front of the Office of the Pope. He knocked the door "Permission to enter Your Holiness. Your visitor has arrived" the Priest asked. Then a childish voice answers. "Permission granted" The priest excuses himself and went away as Vasco first step into the room and she followed. She enters and she found the office was luxurious and grand. White marble floors sprawled out in all direction while the wall is adorned with vivid, and fill with life frescoes. A huge chandelier hung overhead while the arched windows, beautiful designs of colors offered a stunning view of St Alex Square. It is a room with a view to die for. At the far end of the hall, is a short man sitting on a chair that resembles a throne chair. She then squinted her eyes and she was shocked. No, not a man. She thought to herself as she clearly looks at that person. It is not a man. It is a kid. ''A kid'' She almost blurted it out but she held her tongue. This is the Pope? The one controlling all of the South and possess all these wealth and power? A kid? But as she come closer to the Pope she could feel the holy aura around him. he wears his clothes befitting of a head of a religious institution He wears a tall folded hat, something called mitre, Vasco taught her the term a week ago. It is made of pure silk, adorned with precious stones that seems to glimmer when the sunlight hits the hat, with a little fringe, a thin woolen shawl, on his shoulders and extends down to his small body, and his shoes brown, festooned with a gold buckle. She looked at the back and she can see a tiara, an ornate three tiered crown. Whether he is a kid or not, he sure looks like someone with authority "So this is the woman you say will bring glory to the Church and to the Faith?" He gestured to Vasco. "Yes, your Holiness.'' He said bowing reverentially at the Pope. ''Let me speak with her'' The Pope said "Yes your holiness" Vasco replied as she gestured Tatiana to come forward. The Pope get up from his throne chair and walk away. Vasco gesture to her to follow him. She takes a deep breath and she walked with the Pope while Vasco stay on the office First they talk small talk. They talk about the current condition of other nations, the war in Vanheim and the pagan war against the church. He wanted to know what she thinks about all those stuff. The mood seems jovial and relaxed and she nearly fall for it. Then suddenly he attacked her by saying ''What is it you want Lady Leliana? I heard you are of noble birth, hail from the descendant of great warrior. You also have a backer like Lord Vasco backing you so gold and silver is not your problem. So what is your heart desire that you would seek the Church help?'' She knows this is the right time to said it "Your holiness, I would like The Church to help finance my expedition to the New world." The Pope look at Tatiana with curiosity before he said "And in return?" the Pope asked Ask for the moon, Vasco word rings to her ears "I want the title of grand admiral, three percent of commerce for the found lands and the office of viceroy over the lands that I found under the church." As she said it she doesn''t know whether Vasco plan would work or not. She has no qualification whatsoever. Not only that, she also could not steer any ships, neither do she know how to read map and she can''t chart her own way on the sea She declares her pitch telling the Pope of vague promise instead of telling him any achievable plans. The Pope smiled and then he calmly said "I''m sorry but I have to politely decline" he said But Tatiana noticed something. Something that changed her views. The Pope, probably the highest authority in the Empire treated her as legitimate. He did not laugh at her; neither had he questioned her background or credentials. Vasco words are true. She remembered Vasco telling him. Unless you set a high price, a man of such stature like the Pope will either think you''re crazy to ask so much from him, or he or she must be worth the prince. The Pope however did not leave her without any hope. "Maybe after the war ended, we could talk again about this matter. The New World is a whole new land and we could spread the Faith there more easily" the Pope added. Then the Pope walked back to his office. She follows him from behind and then they return back to the office. Tatiana exchange glance with Vasco. She nodded and he smiles for a second before he wipes that smile out of his face "Your Holiness" Vasco said when the Pope walked beside him. The Pope turned around and look at Tatiana and said "Lady Leliana, if you would come after the war, then maybe¡­though I''m not promising anything, but maybe then I would reconsider my decision'' "That would be generous of you Your Holiness" Vasco said. The Pope just nodded "Now I have matters to attend to" And Vasco and Tatiana got the cue as they exited the Pope office. Then the Pope closed his office door. She was about to say what happen but Vasco made a sign with his mouth for her not to say anything "The walls have eyes and ears, Tatiana" he whispered. She nodded and then as they walk outside she finally tell him about her conversation with the Pope on the way back. "He must felt comfortable being around you. He clearly was impressed by your boldness and the way you carried yourselves, just like him" "A noble?" she asked "No, he is not a noble. Far from it'' then he added ''The Pope is stronger and more influential than any noble that the South have. The nobles felt no need to assert, they knew they always deserved more, and they are not afraid to ask for it. When you carry the way you carry yourself like that, they felt an instant affinity with you, for you acted like they are. You might not be a noble but the Pope believes that you are" Vasco is smart. He kind a remind her of the Chancellor of Vanheim. He is not strong like the Chancellor but he is smart enough. "Why do you hate the church?" she finally asked the question she has been thinking about He looked startled "What gives you that idea?" "Just something" she said "Hmm¡­" the carriage hit a bump and she hit herself in the head "Are you alright?" he said "I''m fine" "So why?" she asked again. Vasco shakes his head and only smile "A story for another time Tatiana" ******************************************************************* HOSPITAL "So, did it work?" The man seems hopeful but he also seems ready no matter what the answer was. ''Emm''Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. he said looking at Takashi face via video conference. There is hope in his voice hoping. "There are still some calculations that I need to make but in time it will work" "We don''t have time" Matsuo said, his hair looks messy, result of all-nighters probably. They are connected to each other, talking about Takashi new discovery. There is a solution that might save a lot of people. "The meteor? How long?" "Faster and faster. I have some connection in NASA that confirmed our suspicion. The meteor may crash early than expected" Takashi said "Like I said we have no time to waste" Matsuo retorted again "How about your side?" she said to Matsuo, in charge of creating the device that would suck everyone on it, probably also taking many lives with it. "Almost finish. Thank God, people play your game. The money I pour on this research is astronomical." he gestured to Takashi "From the report it might be that your calculation is wrong about the time of the arrival of the meteor" "What do you mean Takashi?" "I mean instead of another one and a half year; you might be looking at one or three months" She gasped "But that is too little time" Takashi and Matsuo nodded, their face solemn. "Yes, but we have to make do. And I have managed to convince key officials in the world, ministers and world leaders to debate this and tell the truth." "Did you tell them about our solution?" she asked "No." Matsuo said "I wouldn''t bring them into that world" "We are not judge of that Matsuo" Takashi said his voice stern She looks at Matsuo in the video and she sighed. She always felt that Matsuo has a God Complex. "I will not let dirty politicians taint the world we created." Matsuo said. Takashi just shakes his head "Julia" "Yes" ''If you can, please calculate the possibility of taking everyone into the game." "I will try" Then she closed the transmission and there is silence again in her room. Then for a while there is only silence in her room. The fan on the ceiling is the only thing she could hear. "They surely would be surprised." They would. Truly a brave new world will open for them "A brave new world.'' She said to herself with a sad smile as she opens her laptop and began her calculation again ******************************************************************** Chapter 197 MOVE ON 1 VANHEIM CHANCELLOR RESIDENCE The gate of the Chancellor has opened as a person ride into the residence with her horse. Just one look at the gate one could see the majesty of the person residing in it. The gate is sturdy, made from solid cedar wood, and joined with wooden stake. It is varnished and look mighty and impenetrable. The one riding it is the Countess of Berthold, Countess Raina. As she enters the residence she could see someone is waiting for her. "Raina, you finally arrived" the woman greeted her happily. She nodded as she pulls the reign of her horse as it stopped in front of that woman "Yes, I heard the stories and I saw the videos. I didn''t think he would really go there." She sighs a bit She then dismounted her horse. The other servants came and lead her horse to the stable. The woman that have been waiting for Raina is none other than Amy. She has returned to Vanheim and she call all of her other friends that knows her and Aero to meet here in his residence And it was the perfect place. His manor is large and could accommodate hundreds of people. Considering that he is the Chancellor this is actually expected of him to have such a large residence Amy did not idle the moment she returned to Vanheim. She had try to persuade the Court. After her persuasion in the Court and towards the King some volunteer force has left for Veva, but they will try diplomatic approach before they do anything rash. They did not want to wage war with Veva at this point not when they are still fighting Niovar. And it is also thanks to her that the debate regarding Aero is debated in the Court. Aero imprisonment by Veva King has created fierce debate, with the factions dividing on pro- saving Aero through diplomacy, while the other, you guessed it, through military force. Both faction have compelling argument. But Amy knew this would not expedite his release. So, she decided to do it by herself since the avenue of the kingdom has been exhausted "My lady" The Chancellor attendants greet her as they nodded at her. Amy had ordered them to prepare dinner for the guest before Raina came. The attendants also waited and have prepared for the arrival of Raina sufficiently. "Let us adjourn inside" she said as she gestures to Raina. Amy lead her to the grand Hall. There they sit while she ordered the attendants to bring some refreshments. "So what do we do now?" Raina asked while sipping the drink. She was wearing her leather armor made of tiger skin and a bow strapped on her back. "Can your soldiers be mobilized?" Amy ask, hoping for a favorable response. Raina nodded "Mine can. But¡­if you ask for Dan help in mobilizing his soldiers then I''m afraid that he can''t help you in this matter. Amy nodded. ''Now Dan is still in the battlefield, helping Prince James. Prince James is almost succeeding in conquering Niovar. Maybe after the war he could move his soldiers and if we win it would also be more favorable toward Aero in the negotiation table. We are not the only one looking to take down Veva" Amy agree with this. Dan could help by ending the war early which will open up more options to help Aero. "Then? Raina ask "Then we go'' Raina put down her glass of drink and look at Amy. Then she sighed and said. That is madness. Amy shakes her head and then she said ''Aero said that we need only march the soldiers. We don''t have to attack. Bring about one hundred thousand to march. His words. And the news alone would be enough for him, he said." Amy said "Did he?" Raina raised her eyebrows. She knows Aero. If he had decided on this, then that means¡­he have a plan of his own. "Yes" Amy said. "So how do we raise that large an army?" Raina asked. Amy smiles and said "I employed help" Then as she was about to explain a servant came in the room and quickly reported to Amy ''My lady, a woman is outside the gates'' ''Who? Did she identify herself?'' Amy ask "No, but she wears a red armor and she said she came to help." And Amy smiles looking at Raina. ************************************************************** UNDERWORLD The underworld ocean is black. It is under a sunless sky and the fumes rising from the surface were no water vapor; instead they curled and eddied with a silvery-white luminescence. He looked at the ocean, his new creation on this dark domain of his. Of course, he is still here standing waiting for someone. His eyes can see everything.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. If any humans or adventurers fall into this ocean, even approached the ocean, their nose and throats will become blistered, closely followed by the rest of their skin. It will be fire that didn''t consume; it just kept on licking coldly. He keeps on looking and then as he waited a blinding light fills his surrounding and the light solidified and form a figure. And a voice greeted him as that figures walks out from the light. ''It is an honor to meet you Lord Hades. Heard a lot about you'' Hades turned back and look at him. "Prince of the First Rank, Michael" And Hades snorted. He has been waiting for him. The Archangel of the Church of Light has come to the Underworld seeking audience with him. After the Heaven always been pestering him to set a meeting he grant them audience. Archangel Michael. His first role is the leader of the Army of God and leader of Heaven''s force. In his conversation with Michael, he has a virtue of a spiritual warrior. His second role is an angel of death, carrying the soul that believes in the Church of Light to heaven, which can be entered if you have done good deed. In the Seven Celestial, there is no heaven. There is the Isle of the Blessed, but it is only reserved or people who do great things, not good things. At the hour of death, Michael descends and gives each soul the chance to redeem itself before passing. Hades look at Michael as the light has subsided and he notice the scale on his hand. "You brought your scale" "Yes, forgot to left it" he said his tone serious Hades just smirk In his fourth role, Archangel Michael is the Guardian of the Church of Light; it was thus not unusual for the angel to be revered by the military Knights of mortals. Not to mention in Armagnac, he is their patron saint popularized by Ariana. Hades conversation with him has been long and they correspond with each other, well, considering that they both work in the same field, which is death, it is no wonder they bump into each other. Of course this correspondence between them is a secret to Olympus. If Zeus knew that he is meeting his enemies, Hades don''t think that Zeus would be pleased. Hades look at the Archangel and he nodded. The Archangel is dashing and fierce, his wing is large like the heaven itself if he so desire. He notices the scale but he seems to left something. "Where is your flaming sword, Michael?" Hades asked, curios of the sword that he always brought with him "I left it at Heaven under Gabriel" Hades snickered and then inquire ''Slaughtering minor Gods I presume?'' ''Pagan God'' he replied while his eyes leered to me. ''Blasphemy to my father name'' Hades only chuckles at this. His loyalty to his Creator is commendable Fanatical even ''If we are to talk business, let us sit down first Michael'' Hades wave his hand and a table is formed between them. Another wave and chairs are formed Michael sat himself down and then as Hades has seated himself he asks Michael. ''What is your purpose for asking this meeting?'' Michael sighed and then he said ''My father has an offer for you'' ''An offer?'' Hades eyes narrowed and then he gestures for Michael to continue ''Yes'' ''And what''s that?'' ''He offered you to become one of his Four Horseman'' ''Horseman?'' ''Yes'' Then Michael gives him a parchment. The parchment is a proposal of some sort He read it carefully In the parchment if he agrees to become one of the Four Horseman he will still retain his dominion over the death and hades don''t have to answer to him as long he didn''t interfere with destiny or predestined events. Hades also will take the role that the Church had assigned to Michael. Though considering that he is older than the God of the Church of Light, why should he listen? He will change this agreement later, if he so desire. Then he read about the New God Gift to him if he decides to join his camp. POWER BESTOWED INDESTRUCTIBILITY IMMORTALITY Well, that is not really his concern. Because of his attribute, death for him will never cease to be possible. He is Death. He scanned below and saw more. INVISIBILITY - THE HORSEMEN ARE NATURALLY INVISIBLE UNLESS THEY CHOOSE TO TAKE FORM. MANIFESTATION - THE HORSEMEN CAN TAKE ON ANY HUMAN FORM THEY SO DESIRE. TELEKINESIS - THE HORSEMEN CAN MANIPULATE PHYSICAL MATTER THROUGH POWER OF WILL. TELEPORTATION - THE HORSEMEN CAN TRAVEL FROM PLACE TO PLACE INSTANTLY WITHOUT OCCUPYING THE SPACE IN BETWEEN. SPECIAL FOR YOU Hades laughs a little bit. To be honest even now he has that kind of power and abilities God, he chuckled. He is quite the funny guy. Hades continued reading NECROKINESIS NIGH-OMNISCIENCE NIGH-OMNIPOTENCE RESURRECTION WEATHER MANIPULATION Hades did not read the other because he could guess what the other would say. He put down the parchment and then said "Tempting offer" he said while Michael just waited for Hades decision ''Laws and order'' Hades said ''Yes. Do you not like it?'' Michael asked. Hades smile and said ''I love laws and order'' ''Will you accept?'' hades held up his hand ''I will see. For now, you can return to Heaven and tell God I''m thinking about it'' The Archangel nodded. It must not be easy for that angel to defer to him Hades thought. God and him has been corresponding in secret longer than the moment he had been corresponding with Michael. For a long time, they have spoken to each other, even before the Pope was chosen. Honestly for a new god, he is quite mature. And the creation of the Church? It was a brilliant masterstroke. Well, when you have lived as long as him, God to him is a child. But he is quite insightful and he has given free will to the people that believe in him. Which means NPC do not have to worry that their hearts being turned by Gods and Goddesses. He is also quite generous and his wrath is almost the same as him. Not to mention God will not interfere in his business. The document says he only need to appear during judgment day. That doesn''t sound like a bad gig for him. He can sit here lazing around, taking soul and only take mortal form when judgment day arrives. But Michael¡­... Hmm¡­...Michael Hades fear he will be an obstruction to this offer. Yet, he is loyal to his father. All of his angels are loyal to him. Hades finally nodded at Michael. Michael nodded and then he spread his wing and like light the angel disappeared. Hades stand back and the chairs and table crumbles to dust as he will think on how to handle this matter ************************************************************* Chapter 198 MOVE ON 2 HELENA MANSION The mansion of Helena had architecture like no other in the district. The architect is someone named Araphel, who is an adventurer from the south, a talented architect and a prodigious talent in art She knew his ideas, although perhaps common where he came from, would be sufficiently exotic in her kingdom to inspire awe in the populous. The towers are golden an open porch with detailed pillars with intricate carvings, painted in brilliant white. Inside there were no doors on the ground floor, only arches. It is winding like a spiraling staircase. The flagstone floor had been shipped in also and was made with a stone of soft blue hues that had never before been seen in the district. It is big as two mansions in one place, some might even have called it a Palace, and she employed a great deal of the townsfolk as servants. There is also stables for the horses, and massive kitchen that can hold a feast for festive occasion, the beautiful gardens where she would always go to relax her mind from the squabbling of the nobles and the politics of the courts, the intrigues and the plot, the deceivers and the opportunist. Helena is sighing. Then she writes again in her diary. It is a stressful and eventful day today. What a mess! Today she had to help the nobles mostly between Sir Raleigh and Sir Lorne settle their dispute that almost erupted into a full debate in the Parliament. Thankfully she managed to keep them both calm and settle their difference. In the court she is known as Helena the Negotiator. As long as she in the negotiation room, a settlement will be achieved. Her reputation as a master negotiator makes her negotiation easier. Nobody wants to be seen so unreasonable in the circle of politician that she could not coax them. To appear as such is to tell other people that they are inflexible and too stubborn for their own good. If they have such personality who would help them when they need a policy to be enacted? She also heard what happen to Aero but she is also confident that Aero can let himself go. He believed in her strength. She should also believe in him. So right now she is waiting Waiting for him.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. In the court she only steer through path that will bring her safety. In a way, it is the safest way to be. She seems interested in many sides, while only committing to her own side. And there is another point of debate in the Court right now. Supporting for Aero return is a sensitive subject in the Court. Some want the Chancellor back, where most of his supporters is either his allies, or someone who wanted to curry favor when the Chancellor returns. Then of course there is the faction that says we should wait, until the war in Niovar ended, both happy that their main obstructionist opponent to the war, the Chancellor is somewhere in Veva and did not pose a threat to their ambition. The Chancellor absence also left a power vacuum in the Court, some even hoping that the Chancellor doesn''t return home, but with George on the throne everyone knows to wish such thing would incur the wrath of the reigning King Everyone knows how the King of Vanheim relationship with his Chancellor and how he favors him the most in his court. Sooner or later, George will send an army there if all the diplomatic channel failed. But why did she not insinuate herself in any camp? Because sadly she had to. If she takes a side, any side she will be the one that gobbled up in the court political game. She remembers how she had lavished them with gifts, listen to their plight with sympathetic look, even occasionally play the charmer, but inwardly she keeps both the friendly king and the perfidious lords and Princes at arm''s length. She had to stay out of the fray to take time to position herself to take advantage at every slight opportunity she sees to strengthen her power in the Court And this has gained her many profits. Her position in the Courts right now are secure, knowing so many of their secret, their buried skeletons, and information that would ruin them. She knows the courts favorite person to the least disliked one, to the dangerous and weak, to the rich lords and lords that pretend to be rich and so many other information. She sighed as she thinks of the means she had to employ to make sure she survives. Knock, knock The knocking startled her a bit before she composed herself and said "Enter" One of her servants enter the room and inform her "Your royal Highness, there is Prince Edward outside coming here again with flowers" "Let him wait" Helena said The attendant sighed and Helena glared at her. The attendant lower down her face and she go outside to give the Prince the bad news again. She sighed and then looked again at the mansion. All of this is his gold and silvers. And she sighed. It is sad to see how many times she had sighed the moment she married that Prince. She then writes again in her notebook. In the Court the moderate faction is led by Lord Josh while the Conservative is led by Duke Bradheim, the step brother of the King. For now, Sayle is the one leading them considering Duke Bradheim is at war. The war is almost ending and it seems the Gods favor Vanheim. By now the Niovar King has no place to run. Majority of their lords has already sworn fealty to Vanheim. They are strong and powerful, a worthy enemy but Vanheim is stronger. With Karak navy help, they block the Port, While Veranis offer Vanheim supplies and replenish the supply lines through Vanheim allies has been helpful in making sure the war was won But it must be admitted. If Niovar has allies, then the result of this war might be different. In the end, the reason for their eventual fall is their foreign nation policy, closing off contact with other nation, believing in their own superiority. This is what isolation brings. She is reminded of Aero. He has many enemies in the court mostly those that want to take his place, courtiers who she knew even tries to poison him, but miraculously he never died. What is up with him? Yet, he shows himself in the court, mingle with the ministers and speak with them. He did not isolate himself in his mansion or hide. He shows himself more. Aero understands the law of power very well. In isolation, conspiracies will spring up like a mushroom after rain, animosities will crystallize and create faction against him. To combat this Aero must have combated it with his openness, formally organized and channeled. Isolation means you lost your ears, your eyes, and you cut your knowledge. That is not a wise move Look at Veranis. They were a small nation before but now they are large and powerful. They open trades with other lands, absorbing their intelligence, learning from their mistake, and create a spying network all across the Continent, almost rivaling that of Vanheim, maybe even bigger than Vanheim. And then finished writing her thought about today event she closed the notebook. She thinks she have made him waited long enough. He must be persuading her to return to the Peak again. And while she did not like doing it, she has to say no again. She put down the book and began walking to the door. Tomorrow I have other problem to settle. But today she had to settle this first ******************************************************************** NADIA APARTMENT ''Huh, today not many people come to the library.'' She said with a slight regret She opens the door and switch on the light. In front of her is her empty home, an apartment that she rent with her work as a librarian. The furniture fills her house. her house that she loves. And she smiles at the thought. She still had to pay monthly but it is almost done and she likes that she could call this home her own. The walls are red, during last year she change the paint, a tradition in her family, where they always change the colors of paint in the walls for their house in the New Year. The furniture is modern design, mostly bought at IKEAAS, which she must admit sometimes it is hard to assemble, the chairs sprinkled with the cushions. There is a table in every seat, a small table that fits snugly there, and the walls are fill with the photographs of her family hung in the walls showing their memory, happy ones. It''s been a long time since she visited her family. Only in the festivities when she returns home to her village and once again meet her parents at their village home. She turns on the music. Mozart is playing in the background. It always soothed her She is tired today and she just want to rest. She tosses her handbag to the sofa, took off her clothes and toss it to the laundry. Then like usual she went to fridge. When she opens it she could only see an egg and few cabbages. She forgot to restock last time. Thank God, she has eaten outside before going home. She reminded herself that she has to go grocery shopping tomorrow. She then takes a shower; clean herself up and then she tosses herself to the comfy bed. Today, was boring. She was thinking while looking at the ceiling. When you live alone, most of the time she uses to listen to music or just lying on her bed. Recently she plays Brave World and the capsule is in the other room It is addicting game but since she has work she could not spend so much time paying it. In it she was a Summoner, a new class that just introduced not long ago. She usually summons cute animals and play with them. She just finds it healing. And finally after playing that game she knows why that boy, who used to frequent the library, always borrowing books about war. The boy is Aero of the East, the Great Pillar of Vanheim, Chancellor of Vanheim. At least, that is one thing she understand. She doesn''t have any ambition like Daniel to be like him. she just plays the game because the world is so vibrant and colorful with magic, and fill with beautiful scenery. She uses to follow this group of Explorer class player on their expedition. They go to mountain, rivers, beautiful creek, misshapen hills, and she love it. There are beaches with white sand, mountains with beautiful trees and plants, rivers with refreshing air that she almost wishes she live in that world instead here. Here, people are all busy. In there she can take time to rest, just watching the sun set and enjoying the beautiful scenery. She glances to the other room from her opened door. ''Should I play?'' She thought to herself but then she shakes her head No, tomorrow, she persuades herself. As she listens to the music slowly her eyes began to feel more and more heavy. Then she snored as she went to sleep. ****************************************************************** The ending is near. Hope you like this story. keep reading on. Enjoy your read and give your comments. Next chapter, death visits one of the characters I don''t know how you would feel about it but hey, it happens. Anyway, don''t forget to vote and leave some comments. And I know you are all waiting for Aero but this is important because in a few more chapter there will be no reference anymore since we will be charting into new territory of this story. This does not make sense now but you will understand it later. Ok, Ciao and see you all tomorrow. ******************************************************** Chapter 199 WHAT IS GLORY? 1 VANHEIM THRONE ROOM Today Vanheim is festive and a feast was thrown to commemorate the victory of Vanheim against Niovar. King George was jubilant in mood and he got up from his seat, raise his cup and then he declared to all the people present "I have decided to mark my son service to the military as Vanheim Glory" Bradheim, his stepbrother bellowed in agreement "I agree wholeheartedly" And the whole court erupted to a deafening cheer. The other courtiers nodded but a proud expression is clear on their faces The military commanders that have return to the capital all agreed at this declaration. George look at his son proudly His son has achieved great military victory against Niovar, slaying their King and making sure that Vanheim are now, the sole power in the East. George never had thought that this day would come under his reign James battle has gained his son fame, as famous as the Chancellor himself among the people of the Vanheim But while the Chancellor Aero is viewed as many as both gentleman and accomplished statesman, an able commander, and genius strategist, his son is regarded as a force that kill anyone who disobey him and he could be ruthless in his execution. That sometimes worries him as the King His son military laws are strict which explains their discipline but also make them very efficient in killing. The Massacre in Lowtown is prove of this fact. Lowtown is one of the towns in Niovar. When a young man who is found guilty of providing military secrets to Niovar officials, his son, his heir decided that to make sure such act never happens again, decide to massacre the whole town. The other town that is conquered never did dare disobey his order again. It works but it paints a different light to his son personality. And while the Niovar look favorably on Bradheim and even the Great Orc Gruk who treated those who surrender with dignity, they fear his son. ''It is better to be feared than to be loved'' his son once said to him. ''I hope you''re right. I hope you''re right, son'' he whispered to himself. For some reason the jovial mood in his heart was dampened as he was reminded why he was hesitant on giving James his throne. That night after the feast was over he called a meeting of the court. They came to him and kneel before him as he ordered them Bradheim and the other lords were all here. ''Tell the report of how my son had won the battle at Aved."Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. The courtiers seem excited to hear the story as the messenger is about to read the report. After all, Vanheim did win the battle and Niovar is no more. Hearing about their own glory of course excites them All there is, is Vanheim. "Then I will begin" the messengers cleared his throats "Following their success, on occupying Rulia, Prince James army moved north east to attack the Capital, Niovar, while the other commanders pacified the other regions." The messenger relays the report ''It was Marquis Dan suggestion. He said if they kill the king then everything, their power, their morale will crumble. He said it was Aero tactics when dealing with such enemy'' ''Then wouldn''t that make it Aero ideas?'' George chuckle hearing this and he remembers something that Dan said to him "Aero said to him that, "I am more afraid of an army of one hundred sheep led by a lion than an army of one hundred lions led by a sheep" And how true the words of the Chancellor. The moment the other generals of the Niovar army learn of their King demise, they surrender. Their King is truly strong, a lion. So remove the King from the board, Dan said relaying Aero plan. Kill the lion and the sheep''s will run away. He was thousand miles away, yet it was almost he was here himself, strategizing the victory of Vanheim. Of course since the war is over he intends to commit his cause on saving his Chancellor. Full cause. No matter the burden it takes on the Kingdom treasury he had to save Aero. He is the only one in his Court that truly share his vision and one person he could call a friend. Even though his health is deteriorating, it is only right he save the very man that has given so much to this Kingdom. "Then" And he was brought back to the present. He forgot that he had not heard the repot until the end The other courtiers are also hearing the battle report intently. He too began paying attention "Prince James leading the vanguard reached Lilybridge, the crossing for the River Avar, and just seven miles north east, the Niovarians army encamped and preparing for battle. The vanguard is full with Knights, Paladins, magicians, druids, fighters and so many adventurers all eager to claim glory for our Kingdom" he said dramatically The courtier nodded and they could imagine how tense the situation would be at that time Then the messenger takes a breath and began recounting the story again "The bridge was badly damaged on previous skirmish between the two armies trying to find weak spot against each other, but Daryl Van Zur and his lieutenants repair the bridge and crossed and made camp with his large host. On the early morning Prince James" he stopped and squinted his eyes "AND!" the courtiers bellowed clearly excited. "lead a ¡­. surprise attack. Yes, a surprise attack. The Niovarians army was driven back across the river, his lieutenant, Saram was killed, spear in his chest, charged by a brave Knights. General Bujama one of the integral figure of Niovar army was killed by fire magician, his corpse charred beyond recognition. Marquis Dan on the other hand chased the Niovar King and scatter his forces with his cavalry, while Prince James moved his cavalry secretly and hides its army on the woods waiting to meet the King and when the brave King was in range of sight Prince James ordered the arrows and fireballs to be released. They have to fight under the raining arrows aided by the wind that the Druids provide.'' "How about the melee battle?'' Duke Bradheim asked The messenger looks at the repot and then he finally found the passages. "The clash between the armies is intense, the fighting was hand to hand, swords, pike, spears and an array of weapons, and the whole battle filed bathed with blood. Then Arili, another general of Prince James arrived at the battlefield after gaining the fealty of the officials in Latalia. Gradually under the intense battle and the assistance of General Arili, Niovar army gave away, and it eventually broke and the troop fled, while Prince James cavalry chased and slaughter them. The river was in full flood, and thousands were drowned. And so ended the war, when finally, Prince James killed the King in one on one battle where Prince James managed to cut off his head and the war was decided." He releases his breath. The court clapped their hands and cheer can be heard The report doesn''t mention the subsequent massacre and extermination of the Line of Kings. Well, the winners make the history. While people are clapping and cheering, George frowned. What it does not say in the report is after his son entered the capital, he executed every descendant of the Niovar King, his wife, sons, relatives, uncles and aunt, anyone even remotely close to the King, even children. He then killed every one that is employed under the castle as all of them were buried alive under his instruction. Some were burned at the stake. No one will claim a pretender or claimant to the throne not when his son has effectively destroyed them and ended their line all in one day. Even now, his spy is scouring the Kingdom searching for any one related to the King, to execute. Able and brutal. It is a terrifying combination. "You have been blessed by a great heir brother" Bradheim said offering his congratulations. George do not know whether to treat that as an insult or compliment "Yes, brother'' Right now his son is returning back from war and the entire Kingdom is preparing for his arrival. The attendants all put to works, criers going to the major cities to relay the news of the victory. His son will be the first in a thousand years to receive this honor. Vanheim Glory ************************************************************************* Chapter 200 WHAT IS GLORY? 2 THE TOWERS Vanheim Glory is a civil ceremony and religious rite of their Kingdom A long time ago, when wars were ever-present, Vanheim Glory was held to publicly celebrate and sanctify the success of a military commander who had led Vanheim forces to victory on the service of the Kingdom, originally and traditionally, one who had successfully completed a foreign war To be honest Aero also qualifies but he rejected the honor seeing that he fears he will create more enemies, than friends for a few moments of glory. It is a wise decision expected of a wise man. Vanheim Glory is the manifestations of Vanheim authority, legitimacy and power. Only Emperors can grant Glory. Past Emperors usually celebrate successful war with honoring one of the most accomplished soldiers to inspire bravery and make people aspire to win battles. Prince James will be wearing a crown, a circlet normal crown, and a golden armor to this ceremony. He will ride in a four horse chariot through the streets of Vanheim Capital in unarmed procession with his army, captives and the spoils of war. Letter have been sent to him of his appointment He will surely be here in a moment notice. Then at the Zeus Temple he will offer sacrifice and the tokens of his victory to the Gods. Thereafter he had the right to be described as man of triumph for the rest of his life. Manners and morality required that despite these extraordinary honors, the general will conduct himself with dignified humility, as a mortal citizen who triumphed on behalf of Vanheim. There will be the feasting, the procession, public games, which will promote James status and achievements. "Your Majesty" a voice startled George. The winds blowing, the spring air could be felt by his finger. It is his favorite season mostly because it reminds him of his departed wife He turned back from the balcony of his palace and looked at the messengers. "Yes" "The Prince will start his procession in a few moments. Your Majesty can go to the Upper Tower now" George nodded and the messenger walks away. He sighed To him all of this procession looks like a waste of the nation money. At first he did agree, but now with all this entertainment, it is more like James is campaigning to clear his name. He knows that his acts in war are quite revolting and only increase fear to the people of Vanheim, now that he returned.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Not to mention he is the Crown Prince. Nevertheless, the triumph is considered a ceremony which represented Vanheim wealth, power and grandeur. Suddenly he coughed. Ah'' he said as he clutches his chest and shivers. It''s cold here. He began climbing to the Upper Tower As he climbs the stairs, he could hear the cheer below the tower. His son has arrived. ************************************************************************* UPPER TOWER The procession mustered in the open space of Vanheim Square. The crowds cheered and waving Vanheim flag. "He looks dashing just like me when I was young" George stepbrother said. He is also looking at the procession on the Upper Tower. For this couple of months, George have been trying to mend his relationships with his brother, and they even began hunting together and tell and share stories of the past. It looks like it is truly not too late for them to become a family again. "He does" And George coughed again "Brother are you all right?" He said patting George back clearly concerned about his health "I''m fine, just a little coughing these past few days" He has been felling unwell these past few days. He experienced headache, dizziness and now coughing. Maybe he should summon physician later. As the coughing calmed down he looked down at the procession The Zeus temple will be his son final destination First, James will lead the procession, and then the captive leaders, allies and the captured soldier and their families, walking in chains, some were destined for execution other for full display as a way of showing their might "Disgusting" he thought to himself. He had once converse with Aero about how their Empire should be and this is not a part of the Empire that he wanted. He was convinced that the world he and Aero had dream off could be realized. Bradheim is also uncomfortable seeing it. After all slavery has long been abolished during the reign of the Emperors of the past "James is¡­probably too excited" Bradheim tries to defend his son. George only smiles bitterly James is too much. It was almost like his captives are like slave. Their captured weapons, armors, silver, and curios exotic treasure were carted behind them, along with paintings and tapestry depicting significant places and episodes of war. Next in line all in foot, came his general, in their red war robe, their head was crowned with crown made of silver Dan is sharing the chariot with George son His officer''s rode horsebacks nearby. His unarmed soldiers followed chanting Vanheim Glory and singing ribald song at their general expense. Two white oxen were led for the sacrifice to Zeus, King of the Gods. This much grandeur and all of it funded by the nation "Uhuk, Uhuk" Bradheim look at George and then he frowns looking at him. "Are you sure you''re alright brother. Why don''t you go in and warm yourself up?" Bradheim advises him "It'' alright Brother. I will be fine." Bradheim relented and nodded So George continued watching. The crowd is in a jubilant mood, happy and excited to see the triumphant return of their prince. However, at this moment, George did not know whether he shares their enthusiasm. James is his Crown Prince and his heir ''He is my heir but can he lead this country to a prosperous Kingdom?'' George thought to himself. ''Can he? Or will he destroy what I worked for?'' he once again mused and remembering what his son had done, he is not too sure that the world he had dreamed off would ever be realized under his son reign Then as the wind blows, he coughed again. This time he held his cough with the napkin. He felt something thick and it smells bad and when he looks at the napkin he saw red Bradheim who have already began paying attention to George since the last time he coughed also got a glimpse of the napkin. "BROTHER!" Bradheim yelled in shock. His face paled. George noticed the blood on the napkin but it took a little time before it registered to him. And then he felt the dizziness attack his head as a pain like never before assault him. His knees buckled and he fall down kneeling in the tower, weak, as his hand keeps shivering Bradheim approached him and quickly receive him before he falls to the wood platform. Right now, he felt pain all over his body. George coughed again, this time blood was shooting out from his mouth Cold. He felt cold. And hot too. And he felt that Lord Hades is coming for him. The wind of spring blows again and this time that coolness of the wind turns like a biting cold of the winter as he shivers violently "BROTHER, BROTHER" Bradheim yell in panic voice and that voice is slowly drowning out. George glance his eyes to the blue sky above him. The vast beautiful peaceful blue sky. As he lays dying, his mind become clear. Peace. That is what he fights for, the supremacy of this Kingdom, to make it strong so it will be peaceful. He did not want this; He did not want an endless war. Not war. As life is leaving his body he could hear the cheer down the towers. How long until that cheers turns to scream when they found out their King has died? Pain struck him again. And at times of this pain he finally realized how his affection and his trust to his son behavior have blinded me. It was like the Gods in Olympus is helping him to realize the error of his way just before he leaves this world. James will not change. He is as bloody as the King in the North and probably is even more crueler. A bird perched itself in the ledge of the tower while Bradheim screams for the Royal Physician The birds look at George and George could see its white eyes looking at him like it was waiting. "Brother, hang in there" Bradheim said to him, nervousness and worry is apparent in his voice Bradheim, his stepbrother. George was always so suspicious of him, fearing that he would harm him, but he has proven him otherwise. The Invasion of Vetten proved this. Right now it felt all of that happens a long time ago. Now, it is nothing but an old story. "br¡­other" George said weakly, as his words slurred fighting back the pain to relay his message to his brother "George, do not speak. Save your strength. You will get through this" But George did not believe that. The raven look at him¡­. patiently waiting. He knows he will not get through this. George could see Bradheim eyes. There was Genuine concern in his eyes Then he heard the footsteps. By now the ministers must be informed of the incident that is happening and clearly they are rushing upstairs while the celebration is still celebrated down there. Not all ministers went to see the procession. Some of them are still in the palace doing their duties. "Brother" George strengthened himself to say a few words that he knew he had to say before he leaves. "I am sorry for all the things I did to you. For not trusting you, for being suspicious of you I''m sorry'' And at this time George drop a tear. The wind blows and he coughed again, his body shivering because of the cold, harder than the last time. His time is nearing "Brother" he said sadly "Hades is coming to me, Brother¡­I''m sorry, forgive me Brother¡­forgive me" Bradheim looked into his eyes, water also welling in his eyes. "Forgive me too then" Bradheim said that to him knowing that he doesn''t have that much time George smiled and nodded and for that moment, that one single moment, they understand each other. And the tears welled up in George eyes. If only¡­sooner¡­I¡­... ''What happens?'' and when they saw the scene of the King splatter with blood, laying down on the embrace of the Duke, the scream fills the towers The cheers under, can still be heard. It''s ironic. Here I am in the tallest tower in my palace, my minister screaming, my brother is in state of shock, while all the while below, a celebration is ongoing. It is almost like a good joke by the Gods. "Your majesty¡­..." the other minister, the courtiers exclaimed s they kneel around him. At this time however George had something else in his mind. ''I''ve made the wrong choice on choosing my heir'' At the time of his death, he finally understands it. James will not bring peace to the land, he will wreck it. Before his death, he need to rectify this. "Hear my last decree" George said strengthening himself for every last bit of word he is about to say ''I must say it¡­I must'' he thought to himself as he fought the pain that is coursing through his body The courtiers and minister all straightened their back "My heir will be changed. Prince Edward will be the Crown Heir and ruler of this Kingdom when I''m gone" George declared to the shock of everyone that is in the Upper Tower. George smiled. ''One last deed'' he thought to himself. "Brother!" Bradheim almost shout in shock as he is clearly rejecting the idea. Edward is weak in many areas, he is not charismatic like his brother, not very talented in battle either and he surely not that good with strategies but if he is assisted by talented men he believes that Edward will be a great king. He kind of reminded him of himself. A peaceful King, he prayed Another decree, he reminded myself. His lungs feel like he is on fire, and his veins like it is being cut and shredded. And Every breath he takes is a chore. He will sleep¡­. but not yet. "Chancellor Aero will be forgiven for whatever small offences he did; short of treason. " This shocked George minister and courtiers "The royal physician is about to reach here. Let''s talk after you are well" one of the minister suggested Then George laughed. It''s been a long time since he laughed. So many wars, so many battles, and intrigues and plots and betrayal, that laughing, laughter and smile is almost like a luxury. "Said it what it is, my wise and honorable ministers. I''m dying. Let at least let your King finishes his decree before I met Hades" George said glaring at them. Daring at them They quieted and just listen. Half of his court is here now, while the other half is at the procession. Aero is his benefactor, the one that gives fang to this toothless tiger. This is the only way he can repay him. Any crime he will do will be pardoned by the Royal Family short of treason. "Remember, the new heir is Edward, not James" George reminded them again. They nodded even Bradheim ''My loyal brother. My brave brother. I am off to see Lord Hades'' Edward not James he muttered as he is slowly losing his consciousness His voice becomes weaker. ''BROTHER, BROTHER!'' George heard the shouts ''YOUR MAJESTY!'' More shouting and slowly, and slowly his sense dimmed. And then he feels it. Cold licked him, biting cold, the cold that burns, and slowly the cold crept and spread, his body shiver, probably for the last time, spreading across every single strand of his nerves, like the frozen tide of a frigid winter. His lips tinged with biting sensation, and his teeth is chattering Oh, the pain. Oh, the pain. The cold burns, it always burns. And George knew that this is the end. His life has ended. After this¡­what journey will he encounter? Did he do good¡­or did he do ill? This is the question he is asking himself. Then the light came. Actually George had one last secret. And he did not share this secret with anyone but Aero. He heard of the new religion by the church and he secretly converted to the Lucetian religion. And as he saw the light he ponders whether this is his punishment? Did he get punished by the Gods? Or did he get punished by this new God? In the new religion he knew he was going to hell. Of course, he hopes he was not. But with little time to repent and right his wrong, he is pretty sure he is going to hell now. Better hell than the Gods idea of afterlife. The populace knows me as a benevolent King but he knows what he had done. He has been poisoning people, killing people; frame his enemies, during his early years, because of the many threats the nobles pose for him and his rule. With Aero, his burden lightened and his enemies decrease. Aero is his shield. And he has always hide behind him. When he converted to this new religion he imagines a new life. he treated his sons better and he tried to men relationship with his brother no matter how feeble the attempts. But there is still intrigue he employed in the Court for the greater goof of his realm Will God like that? No, he answered to himself God would not like that at all. He opened his eyes, as the blackness faded and now he is sitting on a stool of a cut off tree. It was a vast area around him. Then he heard footsteps coming to him. It was an old man. He just sits down beside him watching the horizon with no words. George too looked at the horizon. Endless horizons stretching so wide, that he couldn''t even imagine what is on the other side. "You must be George" the old man said suddenly talking to him while smiling a knowing smile "I''ve been expecting you" he said "Expecting me?" George said startled by the old man words The old man smiles and then pointed his finger at him "Yes, I have. You''ve been quite the naughty boy¡­killing and poisoning. And more" The old man giggled It was at this time George finally understand who this old man is. He is God. The only God With this realization he buckled and began to cry. He remembers all the bad things he has done. The pristine environment just makes him feel even more ... "I tried God, I did. I''m sorry, I''m so sorry" He is begging, pleading, regretting not because he is afraid of Hell but he was so regretful that he never have time to rectify his mistake The old man just looked at George like a father looking at their sons. "Do you remember your bad deeds?" He asked suddenly George nodded. And the old man nodded and he smile a kind smile. "So you must also remember how you also give the people you kill some compensation for their family, the very same people who tried to kill you. You also care for them secretly, trying to undo your past mistake and repenting on your sins since you see the Truth. You must remember also the good deeds you do. Contrary to the way the Church portrayed me, I''m not that judgmental." And He chuckled "You did your best in an age where people use violence and evil means." George looked at him in puzzlement God scratched his head "I''m not saying what you did is right but I guess forgiveness is in my nature more than my wrath. I do not know why they always popularized the story of my wrath." The old man said like he was complaining. He looked at George and then smirking he said "The people love it when God gets angry" he chuckled again. "God¡­I¡­. He blows a wind from his mouth Then spring grass grew, flowers of every kind bloomed in beautiful colors, each giving off a pleasant smell, and from them came the perfect scent of spring George most favorite season. "God...." "Heaven" he said to George and smile Then he said "You tried, George. And that is what I want for the people. For them to try being better, to live everyday facing darkness and the vileness of their hearts and still the lights survives. Hope survives, George. Hope that everything, someday it will get better. And that hope turns to resolve. Humanity will lay that brick. A brick of road that leads to a path of enlightenment'' The Old man just pat George shoulder and added ''Listen to me son. Anything can happen, child. Anything can be. Faith, hope and love, George. Faith, love and hope. And you have all three." George repeat after him and he smiled. His smile is comforting, as the cold slowly disappeared "Heaven will happen someday." Then he laughed and as he looked at George he realized George did not understand everything he was saying. ''Sorry¡­you must hate my ramblings. To be honest I like stories'' ''No, it''s fine'' George said He chuckled ''Is it?'' He leant in closer and his eyes beaming at George proudly "I love you, George. I love all of you. That is what a lot of people don''t get" George was thinking of his wife. Is she not here? ''Thinking of your wife?'' God said reading his mind George nodded "Would you like to see your wife now?" suddenly he declared George was surprised but he nodded and then as he blinks his eyes, his wife appeared, beautiful as the day he first met her, her hazel eyes looking at him, her brown hair waved gracefully in the open field. She run to him and wrapped him in a tight embrace "Liaya" George said muttering, mumbling It''s been so long. Too long. The old man leaves a smile before disappearing and for the first time, he felt at peace. And the tears fell¡­and he knows it will be the last time for tears. ************************************************************************* 3¡­ 2 more chapters until the end. How is that? There will surely many question left when you read the last chapter. For now, you have to make do with this. Give your thoughts and thanks for the support and encouragement, the comments and the critics, and to those who helped me Hah, it almost seems like this is the final chapter¡­...doling out thanks already. 2 more chapters. 2 more chapter. And there will be an explanation at the end of the last chapter so stay tuned. And when I say end, I don''t mean the story is ending¡­I just mean¡­. Hah. Anyway, just read that last chapter and then you will understand. ******************************************************************* Chapter 201 THE BEGINNING 1 "Your majesty we have sent the letters to the other nations." The messenger is kneeling in front of the throne reporting on what he has instructed them to do. And one of those task is the sending of his letters and his apologies to the Alliance. ''Every nation?'' he inquired again seeking for confirmation ''Yes'' Hah he sighed and then he nodded. Finally, that is over. ''You may go'' he said to the messenger gesturing him to leave The messenger nodded and went outside He gets up from the throne and began walking to the balcony of his castle. Step by step he walked to the balcony. The balcony is a concrete ledge, square clean edges and newly built rail. It is a place where he goes to see his city and clear his mind. He saw the statue on the side and shake his head. The statues were carved by famous carver and sculptor and occupy the balcony space but not too suffocating that it would hinder him to enjoy the view of the city, but instead it gives him a sense of satisfaction. He has always been a fan of art. The gentle breeze of the wind, the heat of the sun and sometimes even the misty rain.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. He embraces it all. Below, the city flowed and ebb like a wave, wave of people, his people living their lives, bustling and alive. Sitting on this balcony, somehow he became an observer. And for a moment he is not troubled by its strife. He looked up and see the clear blue sky. The sun today is not too hot. The wind comforting, the scent marks the beginning of spring he looked outside and he could see all the temples dedicated to all the Gods and Goddesses of Olympus The Temple of Hera, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. Beautiful and mighty. Does the Gods lose their powers? Even with all of their combined efforts from the Faith yet the Holy Empire still stand. He sighed Then he heard footsteps behind him and he turns around ''Father. '' Even before he turned back he know who that is. This deep voice could only belong to his son Pollux. ''Pollux what are you doing home?'' Just a couple day ago Pollux volunteer to lead a vanguard to aid the ongoing battle, the holy war against the Church of light. ''Father. Brother believe that you were about to call off the Holy War. Please tell me it is not true'' he asks ''It seems Castor already guessed my intention'' as Vrandeus mused He entered back the throne room and sit at his throne. Pollux seeing his father in silence follow behind him silently. "Father do you need help?" he asked eager to help. Vrandeus could see it in his eyes¡­. But no¡­this is not his burden to bear. Vrandeus chuckled inside¡­. ''It seems the young will inherit. I''m old and decrepit¡­Soon, I will meet Hades and then it will be Castor that sits here.'' Vrandeus hold the handle of the throne chair¡­. And he could not help but thought that Someday it will be his son that sits here. ''No, go rest my son. You have ¡­. suffered greatly for our faith now. Go. Rest. Eat.'' Pollux hesitated but then he nodded and exited the throne room. When he leaves the room Vrandeus sighed It seems the only thing he did now is sighing. He can still feel the black ink in his fingers. The holy war has been called back; the holy crusade is a failure. Right now they are retreating and withdrawing while Zeus the unspoken leader of the alliance is trapped under Ariana trick in a marsh somewhere in Zun, though report suggest that Zeus is planning something to break out Whether that is true or not, the holy war is ended. For now, they will regroup and think of a new plan¡­ and tomorrow Ariana proxy will come to the capital of Duvar to sign a peace treaty. Not to mention the moment they retreated Ariana swiftly march to Nero and annexed the Kingdom, while leaving Zeus to her general It is a total defeat. They can march to Arian, pushing on despite the circumstances but then who knows if Vanheim decide the other nation is too weak and begin marching on their country and pick up the pieces. All of the countries that follow in the Holy War has begun retreating their soldier fearing that Vanheim is strong enough to attack them. He however has nothing to worry about. George son is married to his daughter. He will not attack his in-laws. But the Holy war? The first of its kind? It is a failure. It seems the Church of Light will survive and become stronger. Many of the common folk and even some of the elite has begun accepting this new religion, some practiced it secretly, others openly. And their influence is spreading. All he can do now is wait The economic blowback and the war with the Empire really cost the Alliance of the Righteous a lot of loss, militarily and economically. With Vanheim controlling the entire East it is only a matter of time, before George march here and claims himself Emperor. But George will find himself a contender here. Vrandeus doubt Zeus would just sit still in their castle when George declares his intention. To be honest the Kingdom were not really North as they were west, but the past King determined to distance themselves from the other Kingdom refer themselves as the North Their military power is also depleted like other countries so the other countries don''t have to worries about being attacked or annexed by Veva not to mention the ongoing revolt that is happening in his country right now. In the East however a new Kingdom is formed. The Great Orc Gruk has finally managed to unite all the tribes of Orcs and humans living there and create his own Kingdom, under the protection of Vanheim, not to mention being supported militarily by Bradheim who guarded the border. Their economy is controlled by most of the key players in Vanheim politics. Mostly from Darius and Thornleaf those two merchants that is having the biggest hold in the new Kingdom. Not that Gruk cares. He has one of the greatest marauders group, and strong, their military has strong cavalry which is also supplied by Vanheim. Vanheim will recognize and treats the Orc Kingdom with all of its full right intact as long as the Orc Kingdom, help them in their battle. Most Orcs make money from mercenary work and in this time of war, gold and opportunities is abound. Vrandeus looked at the sinking sun in the distance. The birds are returning and people are going home The scintillating sun, the wonders that the Gods bestowed upon all slowly it began sinking, as the colors beginning to fade. Night is coming and darkness roam. Too many wars and too many bloods have been spilled in this Holy War. He hopes the age of his children will be different He began to rise up from his chair when suddenly the room was barge in by a messenger, his face pale, his cloth drenched by a sweat "Your majesty" he said nervously, trembling. Even Vrandeus feel startled by his appearance. ''Calm down what happen?'' he said. He saw the urgency in the messenger expression ''The¡­re is someone out there that wanted to meet you'' he said stuttering his word ''Who?'' the messenger gulped and take a breath before saying a name that shock Vrandeus too ''Aero of the East'' And then the door opens as one person strode in the Throne Room with a smile. ''It has been a long time, Your Grace'' And Aero bows to Vrandeus. ************************************************************************* Chapter 202 THE BEGINNING 2 This sequence of event happens before the one that happen in Duvar, in King Vrandeus throne room. Aero slowly open his eyes. That takes a lot of mana he thinks to himself. He also felt mixed emotions after hearing the news King George is now dead, and Prince Edward is the new heir he said it to himself muttering it. There is a new development in Vanheim. A lot of it. Thanks to Dan and Raina, he was kept informed of the news that is happening in Vanheim. He sighed a bit. Change is inevitable and change is everywhere these days. With King George death, there will surely be a lot of people moving in the Court. the Status quo will change now. And Aero doubts that Prince James would accept his father decree obediently. After all, he is the hero of Vanheim right now, defeating Niovar. He could already imagine the fierce bloodshed that will happen in the Court. That is why he need to return to Vanheim as soon as possible. Prince James would surely be incensed when hearing his father change of heart. And almost the whole court hears his last decree. Complicated emotions are swirling inside his heart right. The relationship between him and the King started because of benefits but as he knows the man, George also share his dream with him and they have been working together to realize that dream He felt a little sad because of many reason and he also have lost his greatest ally in the court. The King has always been his supporter, and his shield. And surprising enough, a friend. They of course try to outsmart each other, but in time they have grown accustomed to each other behavior. Aero even thought that if he truly had to offer his loyalty to someone, then King George is the only monarch worthy of his loyalty. He chuckles in the cell. No one would understand whether it was because of his complicated feeling or whether he found something funny. Now, he is dead and gone and he had to plan for himself right now. He living still had to live. He is thinking right now. Should he back another person? Should he went to Prince Edward camp? Or should he take the power himself? Become King? Aero knew he had large influence in Vanheim and his connection is everywhere And he knew the people of Vanheim love him. As he thinks of this matter he shakes his head. Love of the people could fade easily. And if he became King it would be restricting his action among others. There would be many quest he couldn''t perform. He is more comfortable being the hand behind the curtain controlling everything rather than being the face of the throne. And if he truly tries to take the throne, he not only has no just cause, it would besmirch his reputation as a loyal minister. And those that follow him before might abandon him. They follow him because of his reputation so it is only proper that they will also leave if that reputation changes. Aero understand how reputation works because he has wielded it wisely He knows that loyalty, sincerity and kindness could reduce enmity and hatred, but he has never heard that wielding power and authority over others could prevent enmity and hatred from happening. That is why it is better to be what he is now. The Chancellor who control the Six Council. Suddenly the wind blows into his cell and he was reminded of George. It is spring. George once told him that he likes the sprig air because it reminded him of his wife. And then Aero felt the cold on his body. He sighed as he thought that at the end of his life he must felt cold. Or would he feel amused dying in his most favorite season. The cold that is entering his cell right now is biting him. Probably because of the ventilation or another way of this prison to torture him. The cold seeped into his toes and spread painfully. For some reason this prison doesn''t stop to amaze him. He felt cold here, which he never felt since he took the curse. He then looks back in front of his cell and sitting on the bar is a man. He snickers and then ask ''Cold?''Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. ''What do you mean?'' ''Your lips. It''s blue'' he said and chuckled. He clearly is amused by the sight. Aero chuckles because he could believe how his pain amuse this person that much ''Do you like it that much?'' ''Yes, I do Aero. Extremely so'' Aero only shakes his head and then said ''Even though we are allies?'' ''Allies not friend'' he said and then he chuckled again ''Give me a blanket'' Aero ask. The man shakes his head and then explain ''I can''t. Too many people will ask question. You don''t want our partnership to crumble because of one blanket, do you?'' Aero sighed and he nodded. It is not worth it to have their plans discovered because of one blanket. He looks again around his cell and he is impatient to leave. The prison wall is still as dull as ever but he knows he would not be here for any longer. Aero smile in his cell because he has already moved all the pieces that he needs. Now he is just waiting it to be put on the board. There are a lot of things he need to do¡­He had even call Raina and use her to stop Amy from coming here. He knew she promised to save him but he did not want her to save him by risking her freedom. He doesn''t want to lose her again; if she gets captured again it would devalue all his effort in rescuing her Not to mention the rebellion and the revolt help him in his plan. He already also put the rebellion in his calculations. He also heard about one interesting news. Derrick one of the many rebel leaders has claim some lands in the United Kingdom of Veva as a new country called Aerosia. Aero doesn''t know who this Derrick is but his devotion to him is quite commendable. Maybe he will give that rebel leader a title when he got out from here. He also has been thinking about Deria. From the report he got from Dan and Rina, Deria has still not arrived in Vanheim. Could something have been stopping him? As he was thinking about other matter, the man in front of the cell said. "So how about it?" He said scratching his chin. The man begins reciting the report, information that he had ask him to gather. The man outside the cell is none other than Kyle on of the General in Zeus army. He is sitting on a wooden chair. It took him great persuasion but he had agreed to be his allies if he promise him an important position in Vanheim government. ''He survived'' he said nonchalantly ''He did?'' ''Yes, one would have thought he would surely die but apparently he did not'' he clicked his tongue. Aero just laughed at Kyle disappointment. The dynamic between them two is clearly very complicated. ''What happen?'' Aero asked. Kyle then reported. ''After the Alliance of the Righteous retreated, Ariana went to mount an offensive to Nero Republic leaving the Order of the Rose to make sure that Zeus did not manage to escape the encirclement.'' ''Then?'' though Aero was already imagining how it happens. ''Then, he broke it¡­It seems Zeus is not that stupid after all'' Aero nodded and close his eyes for a few seconds. He is not smart that is one for sure, but he is strong. That is something Aero has always acknowledge. ''Then'' Kyle look at the report and shakes his head ''He kills the Order of the Rose member, and instead of attacking the Papacy who he can attack he instead attack the capital of Loth. With its main army still in Nero protecting their allied country Zeus victory was easy and effortless'' Hearing this Aero chuckles. He laughed in the empty prison, the laugh echoed and reverberates. Zeus just got Loth kingdom for free while Ariana got Nero. It looks like Arianna won but in truth it is Zeus that won. Why? Because Loth is in the North and he is strengthening his hold on the North and making headway to the South. If he wanted to mount an invasion to the South, it would become easier with Loth in his realm. That is why he laugh. Such ideas¡­. ''I refuse to believe that it was Zeus that thought of such idea'' Kyle also nodded ''It must be Eric. He is the smart one'' Kyle offered. Aero nodded. He agrees. There is only one person in Zeus camp that could suggest the ideas and had Zeus follow it. Eric is decisive. This could be seen when he throws all the forces he has at that time to trap him. If not for his dedication and determination to sacrifice forty thousand soldiers, Aero would have surely escaped and be at Vanheim right now. ''Any other information?'' Kyle flipped through the reports and then he said ''Ok, hear this. Vanheim has conquered Niovar.'' ''I know that'' Aero saw it through the raven eyes ''How did you know?'' he asked puzzled ''I have allies in Vanheim, remember?'' Aero would not give his most prized secret to one that could backstab him in the future. He nodded, satisfied with the explanation. ''Ok. Then what about the alliance? Do you know about that?'' ''Alliance? What alliance?'' Kyle looked satisfied that he didn''t know about the news ''Vor and Saril is now united a new banner and now their Kingdom is called Savilia Kingdom. They merge their kingdom mostly to fight against both the Holy Empire and the fear of Zeus after he manages to once again conquered another Kingdom.'' He said smugly ''He wins a nation, but yet lost quite the considerable sum of his land. And not to mention valuable ally'' Aero offered all the while shaking his head. He would rather sacrifice a few lands than incurring so much anger on other Kingdom leaders. That is detrimental to long term planning for prosperity. Unless Zeus is confident he could take on all the other kingdoms. If he could take them then it is no wonder, he is not that worried about incurring anger. But Aero also felt this kind of methods will have profound effect on his Empire even if he manages to control all of the Continent. ''You can conquer the world on horseback, but you can''t rule it from horseback,'' ''That''s true.'' Kyle nodded. ''Can I kept reporting?'' he said ''Proceed'' ''Nairhell is now Grukan Kingdom ruled by the Great Orc Gruk'' Aero listening to this piece of news smile. ''When will Zeus arrive then?'' Aero suddenly ask ''Evening'' Kyle answer ''You know what to do?'' Kyle nodded. ''I know; I know¡­Don''t worry. By the evening you will be released from this prison. Don''t forget your promise.'' ''Don''t worry. I won''t'' And Aero flashed a smile to Kyle. He gets up from his chair ''I will be leaving now.'' ''Yes'' Then he walked away, every step grows fainter while Aero waited ************************************************************************* Chapter 203 THE BEGINNING 3 ZEUS THRONE ROOM The crowd that was cheering for Veva new conquest stood silent, bereft. The other courtiers and ministers did not want to interfere with these two arguments. Zeus look down at his two subordinate arguing with each other passionately Kyle and Eric is duking it out about the matter of releasing Aero. They both are standing on opposite side, Kyle on the left, Eric on the right he called them to assemble after the rebellion around the Kingdom did not stop and the revolt in the city worsen. He immediately presides the court after he return. There is a lot of problem in his Kingdom right now and Aero is more of a headache than he had ever expected ''There is no other way. We have to release him'' Kyle shouted ''NO! We don''t have to'' Eric shouted back. Kyle sneered and then pointed to the door of the Palace ''Oh¡­you mean we just let all those people come here to the north and let them wreck the buildings. Is that what you mean?'' ''YOU!!'' Flashes of anger, jeers and shouting fill the court. It was a riot. The minister and the court is divided. Release Aero of the East or kept him captive? They traded slur for slur, insult for insult, dig for dig. Then suddenly Kyle turns to Zeus "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Eric suggest that we keep Aero in the prison when we first capture him and now look what happens. We have housed a calamity in our cell, a calamity that is dragging us down. Your Majesty may catch one person, and solve one problems but now we have a thousand problems in our hands.'' He then continues ''Revolt, rebellion and everyday new adventurers came here trying to gain fame by releasing one of the Pillars. Derrick an NPC character even managed to carve a Kingdom after convincing former Asgaroian to revolt. Your Kingdom, my lord. Your empire.'' He said stressing it to the other ministers in the court "I beg of you, Your Majesty. See reason. Release Aero of the East and let us repair relations with the East" he said "What do you mean?'' Zeus ask "Surely if you release Aero we could mend back our relations with Vanheim." "Why should we mend relation with Vanheim? They are not big as us" barked Bart standing among his generals while his generals all nodding Kyle shakes his head and then look at Bart with disdain and said "Because Supreme Commander Bart, Vanheim is the sole power in the East and it would be stupid of us to court so many enemies when we are already trying to cope with Saville and the Holy Zun Empire" Kyle said and Zeus could see Bart is angry. He doesn''t like being talked back and insulted. Military power make him unarmed in the battle of wits.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. ''There is Niovar'' Eric said smugly ''Niovar has fallen.'' And Kyle seemed to enjoyed Eric face expression that contorted into something that looked like he is going to puke. Is there some malcontent between those two? The court gasped ''Is this true?'' ''How can it be? '' The minister whispers among each other ''Like I said, if we do not mend relations with them, our trade to the East might be cut off and then the economic repercussion would be disastrous¡­.'' he let his word hang Silence filled the court. Each of the ministers is thinking about this matter since it is not easy to decide such things. Then one minister approached the throne and said to Zeus ''I believe that what General Kyle is saying is right. Why should we insist in holding Aero of the East prisoner? When it gives us this much problem?'' The other ministers nodded, agreeing with Kyle suggestion ''AERO MUST NOT BE RELEASED!'' Eric yelled his face mottled crimson, his eyes popped, his tree trunk neck strained and the minister shrinked ''Eric, they all give compelling reason'' ''Zeus, do you really think that? Aero is your opponent. HE will always be your opponent. Release him now, and one day, he will claim your head.'' ''Surely not'' Zeus said but Eric didn''t hear Zeus words as he continues ''And he will do that gladly. I have told you before that you should not have made him as your enemy. But now it is too late. So we should keep him captive until we find a way to kill him!'' ''Until when!'' Kyle yelled back at Eric ''For eternity? Someday sooner than later, Vanheim army will march here. And they surely will bring ten, no hundreds thousands of their army. All armed and full with anger. King George favor this man. He will bring his army, now that the invasion in Niovar ended. Release him Your Majesty. I beg of you, for the sake of your Kingdom'' Kyle pleads ''And releasing him would suddenly mend our relationship in the East?'' Bart said sarcastically ''It will be a start. Aero is their Chancellor, their hero. Release him and surely the Vanheimneian will not be marching here.'' ''You must not Zeus. He will be your end'' Eric tries to persuade Zeus as he approached the throne. Bart also nodded in support of Eric. Zeus held his palms in the air and the court quieted ''I have made my decision'' ************************************************************************* Chapter 204 THE DAY THE STARS FELL The TV is on. The noise blaring with the chatter of the reporters reporting on the current news. The news is all about the meteor. And of course humanity impending doom. No entertainment is on. Only news. All day, all night, every time of every second. The news describes the movement of the meteor with each news station reporting the same thing. They do not know the exact time of contact will be. Some already even stopped their broadcast and went home.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Well, it is the end of the world. Daniel guess even reporters want to spend some time with their family. Some of the segment is focused on the speculation of where the meteor will hit, speculation and guesses. Those reports all look listless and depressed. But one fact is reported. A lot of people would die. Millions if not more, billions, Daniel corrected himself. The world leaders some have already hide themselves in bunkers, secret shelter leaving their people to fend off for themselves. If that will even work. Michael and his family all went to their village meting their family, grandmothers and their grandfather meeting them for the last time. Jessica too. Both of them have solved their misunderstanding and she did apologize. It was never fault. It was that he was too stubborn. Jessica. There will always be that feeling. Daniel, even though he does try to hide it¡­he did¡­. once¡­a long time ago¡­felt something for her. But he hates her for telling him who Amanda really is. But it''s not her fault like the past was never really her fault. It is always so simple, and so complicating, to accept an apology It is true what people say. Ignorance is bliss. ''Do you really think you should be here?'' A voice startles Daniel. He turned back to see his mother ''What do you mean, Mom?'' ''Amanda. How about her?'' she asks, with an understanding smile ''She¡­ You know who she is'' His mother just shakes her head, pitying her son ''Yes. I know. Doesn''t mean you have to feel guilty about it. What happens between you and Amelia is a long time ago.'' His mother lectured him heavily that night. The world is ending. The news of the impending doom has been broadcasted. Every one sits in their house praying. Yet my mother still thinks that nagging him is her duty even when impending apocalypse is about to begin. "They''re saying the meteor can no longer be stopped. The exploratory mission the space shuttle that was supposed to stop the meteoroid has failed... The¡ª"Daniel shut down the television. Julia look at his son and then she said "You should go meet her" "She is her sister'' he said regretfully And his mother smile. ''This is not the end'' she smiles like she knew something. Daniel sighed and then said ''This is the end, mother'' Daniel stopped playing Brave World the moment they broadcast the story. Money and games seems to be a trifle, now that the end of the world is near. No one is offering any workable solution Apocalypse. This is it. This is the end. This is how humanity goes out. The same as the dinosaurs. ''I should spend the time I have left with you'' he said. But his mother shakes her head ''No, tell her, Daniel. Tell her you love her'' Daniel look at his mother and then closes his eyes before opening it back it up again. There is a struggle in his mind. Then he said ''I can''t'' ''Can''t or won''t?'' ''You''re here'' Daniel said She chuckled ''I''m just your excuse Daniel. Airport is still operational at this stage. Go to New York. Meet her. Tell her. Before it''s too late'' ''How about you?'' His mother looks at her laptop and smile. ''I will be fine. I have some old friends I need to contact. To prepare.'' ''Prepare for what?'' She smiled again ''Someday, you''ll understand. I believe this is just the beginning'' Then she brings something out from her pocket ''Ticket to New York for one. You have her number right?'' Daniel nodded ''Call her. Tell her you need to meet her. Make her understand and leave no regrets'' ''I don''t know if I love her.'' Daniel suddenly said hesitating. Right now Daniel is feeling like his mother seems to want him get out of the way somehow. This is the last moment. He should spend it with his mother. But his mother just rubs his hair and then said ''You love her dear. I know what you went through after Amelia death. Your pain. Your regret. Now it is the end of the world. At least this regret I don''t want you to have. I see it in your eyes when you speak about this Amanda girl. You love her. Guilt prevents you from seeing that. That''s all. ''Mother¡­I'' ''You''re my son. Mother knows best'' ''I should spend it with you mother'' ''I know you love me dear, but trust me, we''ll meet again'' We won''t meet again, he wanted to say. But that is too cruel. But then his mother started pushing him outside with her wheelchair. ''Now telecommunication and power is still active. Who knows before you have the chance to speak to her again? Go.'' He then chuckles and took his mother car to the airport. It was already chaos. The bustle of the airport is like a market There were screen showing the arrival and departure times, unknown faces rushing and running, all wanting to go home, see their family, spend time with their loved ones, some were lined up at the check in desk, yelling and screaming to be the one in the next flight. Some sit quietly, waiting. Look of acceptance can be seen His flight is in the morning. Five more hours. In the background music were played, Pachelbel, but it doesn''t suit the mood for the airport. Yelling and screaming. That is the mood of the airport. It should be Brahms. He sits and wait and as he waited he is thinking about a lot of things. Did she love me? Stupid! I know she love me. Aero, she loves Aero. But can she love Daniel, the man who is her sister lover? The man who she believes to be the cause of death of her sister? Can she love that man? Anxiety and nervousness fill his heart. Amidst the yelling, there are some people that are still waiting while the world outside began descending to anarchy. eight billion people running scared. Sea of faces, unknown faces past by him. And all he wanted right now is seeing her. He calls her on the phone. Her voice is weak but she said she''ll be there. Waiting for him. She agreed to hear him out. As he waited he could hear news of people killing themselves Suicide skyrocketed in the past month. Some people don''t like it very much, death by meteor, so they choose their own way to die. It is a depressing thought. And then after five hours of waiting finally he took his seat. First class. He never rides first class before. It seems his mother chooses quite the seat for him. The last hurrah He could see people are praying before they enter the plane. And then the plane flies through the air. Leaving his friend, his memory while he looked down. ''This will be the last time I will be seeing this.'' And with one last look, memories surge. ************************************************************************* They met at the nearby park. Standing, waiting while she looks at him and he is silent, looking at her. He misses her. He didn''t say it but he felt it and now even when he is in front of her, he still misses her. Her eyes are red, he on the other hand had a regretful expression. He should not have been so stupid. But he should tell her. The truth. What he felt when she''s not there. He got to tell her all of those feelings and emotions. Because this time, there will not be a next time. "I''ve been doing a lot of thinking Amanda'' he said as he mustered his courage ''So?'' She said her tone hardened ''I love you'' I declared ''What!'' She said startled by the sudden confession ''I love you'' "Wait¡­ Can you just shut your mouth right now?'' She looks angry as she approached him, her eyes red, and tears welling in her eyes Then he felt it. He saw it first and he could have dodge it but he did not. She slapped him and it does hurt. But for some reason he could not get angry with her. He thinks he deserves this slap. And a hundred more. Because he remembers she was hurt more than him. She has the right and this pain is what he deserved for the hurt he had given her. Then tears started flowing from her eyes, "You can hit me more'' Daniel said. For some reason seeing her like this make his heart break a thousand pieces. Then she breakdown and shouted at him ''You just can''t come here, tell me you love me, and expecting everything going to be alright. The world is ending, Daniel. Is that why? You''re lonely and you want to ease your heart? Your guilt? Is that it?" she yelled in the park Then she approached him again "You..Fool. You''re so full of crap. Bad man. Bastard. Rotten bastard. Idiot!'' She said while hitting his chest repeatedly ''Hit me. Curse me. I''ll let you hit me until you are satisfied'' Daniel stand there taking the beating. While it looks like he was the one that should feel hurt, he sees that with each hit, Amanda is the one who is feeling the pain ''WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?'' she yelled while hitting his chest, her tears falling down from her face. For the first time he felt that her tears are beautiful. ''You said you don''t like me. You said that looking at me remind you of my sister'' He smiles bitterly and then he confesses ''I was stupid. I lied and I lied every time I speak to you and see you. Every time I see you, the memory I have of your sister fades. And I was afraid of that. With every touch, with every smile, I forgot her bit by bit. I love a ghost and you pull me back to the land of the living'' And his voice is breaking down as he said his true honest feeling And then he hugged her. Feeling the same pain. And then she wailed in the park. That''s the only thing he can do now. Hug her and felt her pain. He did not understand why he lie before when he longs for her this much. And he heard her weeps He never heard weeping like that before; not from a child, not from anyone he knows. It is a sound of tortured soul, much like his. But he did not cry nor did he wail. Why? Because if he did, it makes it so real and I fear the pain. Her tears are the sign of strength. Strength to let it go. To let go of the grief and pain, to let go of the past and braving her first step to an unknown world. Her weeping continues. And his heart ache. If you heard the woman you most hate in the world weep so, you would go to comfort her. You would fight your way through everything to reach her. And he knew who wept, and what had been done to her, and who had done it. He has done this to her. With every word he spoke, with every kiss, with every touch and every glance. He did this to her. And that crush his heart knowing that, as he hugs her tighter. "I don''t need you, leave!" she suddenly said as she tried to let go from his hug. But Daniel did not budge this time. It won''t matter if she slapped him again or punch him. "It because I felt like I am dying. Not seeing you." He said as he hugged her tighter. She tries to push him of before she slowly stopped struggling. But then she broke into a yell and said to me "So you shun me? - you shut yourself up and grieve alone! You don''t think I too was grieving! The emotion that I felt meant nothing to you?" ''I was¡­stupid'' ''Yes, you are. I would rather you had come and upbraided me with vehemence and anger. You are passionate: so you might be yelling and screaming, throwing hurtful words, argue at least, I expected a scene of some kind. I was prepared to hear your lustrous voice persuading, consoling, because I know you are a smooth talker, so you might try to cajole me with sweet words. At least I expect a tear. But I was wrong, you have not wept at all! I see a white cheek and faded eye, but no trace of tears. I suppose, then, that your heart has been weeping blood? Did you?" Daniel shake his head. Letting her vent out. He deserves every words, every beating. ''You¡­you haven''t changed at all. You always do whatever you want. Arrogant as ever'' ''I''m here, Amanda. I''m here because I understand finally. I love you; I have always loved you from the moment I open my heart to you and every moment then. I like bickering with you, arguing with you, talking with you. I love you when you kissed me, I love you when you whisper words into my ears, I love you when you wink at me every time when you want me to do something for you. I love that every time you smile, you make my day better. I fell for you and I fell for you hard. I miss you so much that it pains my heart every time I think of you. And I love you, every part and every trace of you. And I''m sorry. For every word that hurts you, for every broken promise. But know this. I love you. You''re not your sister, not her substitute. It takes me a lot of time, to accept that, to recognize that. You are not your sister. You''re better'' Her eyes welled up again. But he is not done. He will tell her everything, say everything. ''You said the only reason that I like you in the first place was because you resemble your sister. At first I too thought the same thing. You have so many resemblances to your sister. But after we break up, I understand. I try to project your sister to you. But you''re not her. You''ve never been her. You¡­are entirely; totally; altogether; wholly you. It took me a lot of time to recognize that. You said I did not shed a tear? I will not shed a tear. Never again, and certainly not for loving you. I have guilt enough to last me for a lifetime, but this, this I refuse to take. And therefore I forbid my tears. If my tears shall fall, it will be about you. Do you hate that?'' ''No, I don''t''. she said ''And I''m not going to lose you again'' And this time he loosed his hug and stare right at her beautiful eyes, and he stroke her red hair with his fingers, demanding an answer. "I¡­ what should I said then?'' she said stammering. And Daniel smirks ''Say you love me to. Whisper it to me, say it every day, every morning. I love you Amanda and it will make me the happiest man in the world right now, to gain your heart.'' ''The world is ending.'' She said stating the obvious. Daniel chuckles ''Yes. It does. What does it matter? We''re all going to die someday. My mother taught me, that regret exists. There is no life without regret, but it''s best that you kept your regret little. The stars will come, Amanda. And just like that we''re gone forever. And I have dreams. Dreams I''ve forgotten long ago. Ignited by you. I want to grow old with you. But¡­ We will not grow old together.'' And he chuckled again ''But I want to. God, you don''t know how much I wanted that. I wanted to live with you on a beach by the sea, our hair turns white while you''re reading a book in the front porch, our grandkids playing in the yard, and when night came we will be dancing in our living room to our song, and I want to spend every day talking to you, learning about you. But that doesn''t matter. Dreams are dreams. I''m done worrying. For now, I will live for now. I love you and I yearned to know your answer. Say you love me'' Daniel looked into her blue eyes. She whispers slowly "I love you. But we have too little time" He smiled and then said ''With you, it will never be enough time, Amanda. I am sure of that. I want to be with you Amanda. That is what I know and what I want'' She blushed while the trace of tears can be seen clearly "I have something to say" she said Then she looks back at Daniel and then said ''I¡­love you too. No matter how angry I was, no matter how I hate you'' and she glared at me before her eyes soften up and she said "I can''t deny this feeling. You are a cruel man. The moment you caught my heart, you never let go. When you trip over love, it is easy to get up. But when you fall in love, it is impossible to stand again. I see you in my dreams, even during my waking moment. I love you¡­that is what I know. Regardless¡­regardless of everything'' Hearing this Daniel could not help but smile ''Do you hate it?'' He asked showing a faint smile She leaned in and kissed him in the lips ''No, I don''t'' And his heart bloomed with happiness. Right now he is giggling, euphoria struck him, his muscles are shaking and tears stream from his eyes because of how happy he is. Could someone die of happiness because right now he felt like he would die because of happiness. Daniel hold his breath behind pursed lips. And the laughter came and then the smiles. They always do. And he looks at her. The angry face, the sullen expression is replaced by the most beautiful smile. Her face lit up and the soft look on her face return. She still loves him. And he loves her. And that is all that matters. This is where it all begins. Everything starts here, today. Regardless of the time. Regardless of everything. ************************************************************************* The explosion started. At 9.45 at the morning, the first wave of meteor crashed on Earth. It first dropped in Florida, making the state sink under the bottom of the sea. Amanda and him was spending their time since that evening in the park, in the hotel his mother reserved. It was at level twenty that shows the view of the city. It might be expensive before. But that doesn''t matter now. The hotel is now free. There is a riot outside. Anarchy. People can just come in and sleep at the hotel. No one is managing anything anymore. The world is ending. He rouses from his sleep that morning after being awakened at 6 am by the alarm. He felt the humid air of the air conditioner. It still works. Beside him, Amanda is sleeping peacefully. And even though her hair is frizzy and she looks a little swollen to him she is the most beautiful woman in the world Then she moved slowly ''Daniel?" she said feeling his arms ''Yeah. I''m here'' He hold her hand, as he lies beside her ''You woke up already?'' He leaned in and kissed her in the forehead ''Morning'' ''Morning'' she said smiling, naked under the sheet, only the white blanket covers her body She looked groggy ''Do my face look swollen?'' She asked. Daniel chuckles. ''No, you look beautiful'' She scanned the room ''We really made a mess last night'' she exclaimed He too looked around the room. Pillows were scattered, their room was as wild as the jungle, untamable and unruly and resembled a battle. ''Yeah'' he nodded ''So how was it? Did I improve?'' he asked ''You did. A good kisser but maybe tone it down on the hip shaking'' "Thanks for your honest criticism, my lady" he mocked and she laughed And he laughed. Here he is at the end of the world and he couldn''t stop laughing. Then suddenly Amanda looked sad. ''Will today be our last?'' Before he had the time to answer he heard the explosion in the distance. BOOM Amanda hugged him, her hands trembling. Daniel is also shaken by the sound but he did not show it on his face. ''Shh, let us go back to sleep'' She shakes her head, while he slumped at the bed. The end is near He pulls her down to bed. And then he stares at her while lying in the bed with her ''I''m scared, Daniel'' Her smile wavers ''Don''t be.'' Daniel take a deep breath and he leaned over and kiss her ''What''s that for?'' she shows a faint smile ''For everything'' he said BOOM. The noise can be heard again. And not long from now, it will crash here. ''I want to see it'' suddenly Amanda said it, her body seem like shaking in fear yet she wants to see it. Daniel shake his head ''I want to'' He sighed and then they moved in front of the window seeing the falling stars wrecking cities hundreds of miles from here. Matte charcoal black uncontrollably covered in thousands and millions of bright specks. Star, after star, after star, a never ending falling stars spelling our doom. But he had no regret. No, correction. He doesn''t have this regret. Below, the big city can just be seen, its city shopping malls, skyscraper that touch the sky, dissolving down into fire. The people running and screaming. "I''m scared" she said as her hand hold him tighter while seeing the scenery below them ''Amanda" ''Yes'' ''I love you'' She looked puzzled ''You said it yesterday'' Daniel smiled while the stars keep falling ''I should say it more'' Then one of the meteor hit the building in front of them and it exploded into dust and ashes. She embraces him. Tears streamed down, fearing what will happen next. He didn''t show it but like Amanda he is also afraid. ''It''s too little time. I want so much more than this.'' She said, trembling in fear, her words stuttering. Daniel look at her and he knows he must be strong Then he asks her "Someone once said, "Ask yourself these three questions, and you will know who you are. Ask: What do you believe in? What do you hope for? What do you love?" "What do you believe in? What do you hope for? What do you love, Amanda?" He said trying to distract her attention. She took a deep breath, calming herself. She glances outside but Daniel pull her to him and said "No. Look at me. What is it Amanda?" "I hope¡­. I want more morning and noon and nightfall with you." "Do you?" "I do. I want that. I want all your tears, all your smiles, all your kisses...to smell your hair, to feel the taste of your skin against mine, the touch of your breath on my face. More and more of that. I love you" the tears begin to fall. Then the noise came again. Closer and closer. Daniel close his eyes, thinking that there is nothing like an embrace after an absence. And thinking how could he always be so stupid. He is late to recognize his own feeling for her. Time is such a precious commodity. But he has now. And the sound continued. Chaos and disorder. While the stars above fall. And then she looks at him and she glance outside. Not long now the stars will fall upon them ''I wish I met you before you met my sister'' she said. But Daniel shakes his head. ''It couldn''t have happened any other way, Amanda.'' And he embraces her and finally the tears fall. And he knew this will be his last tear. They looked at the outside of their hotel room window, fires and scream under them and soon enough it will be their turn. Daniel hold her hand conveying both love and reassurance She holds his hand tightly ''Will it be painful?'' She asked, hoping a lie. ''I don''t kn-"And then the stars fell. ************************************************************************* Finally, the end. It''s been a long journey. Ok, now the explanation part. The time skip. Many things happen during that. Which I might turn into a side story and how the dynamic change and what Aero did after he was released after the prison will be explained in flashbacks. One day of course And thank you for the readers that read my story and leave me comment and encourage me to write it. Really, really a lot of thanks. Here I leave you with a poem. "I think here I will leave you. It has come to seem there is no perfect ending. Indeed, there are infinite endings. Or perhaps, once one begins, there are only endings." PS: The story is not yet ending. It only end on Earth. And I think a lot of LS fans would find the continuity in this chapter. I probably will not be writing AOA next month since I will be focusing on LS but I will come back with AOA on December. And now, the Epilogue. *********************************************************************** EPILOGUE The first thing he hears was screams when he arrived in this world. The first thing he smell was fire. The first thing he felt was chaos It was clearly morning. About 10am. In front of Azief now is stars. Star falling down from the sky. It falls and wrecks the city, buildings burning and collapsing Azief could see many Caucasian men running around like headless chicken. Matte charcoal black uncontrollably covered in thousands and millions of bright specks. Star, after star, after star, a never ending falling stars spelling humanity doom. Below, the big city can just be seen, its city shopping malls, skyscraper that touches the sky, dissolving down into fire. The people running and screaming. Then a notification appears. IN THIS WORLD, YOUR BODY WILL EXPERIENCE GREAT STRENGTH. THIS WORLD ENVIRONMENT IS VERY CONDUCIVE FOR THE OWNER DEVELOPMENT. QUEST SAVE EARTH 2 FROM THE METEOR ATTACK. REWARD TEN THOUSAND REPUTATIONS TEN THOUSAND DEEDS. FAILURE CONDITION: RUNNING AWAY FROM THE SCENE AND NOT HELPING THE CIVILIANS. It was then that Azief could see a more shocking scene. A few people were sucked into a black hole appearing on the clouds above his head. ''A singularity'' Azief said to himself. Then Azief saw a huge gigantic meteor is hurtling down to this city. Azief was thinking should he just run away and not accept this quest? After all that meteor is so big that Azief is not confident he could stop it. As he was contemplating this the gigantic meteor was sucked into the singularity and the only meteor left was the small meteor. Well, when Azief said it was small, it was small for him. The small meteoroid he said was as big as a football field. But to Azief this is not that big. Azief look at his surrounding and saw people turned to light and disappear into the portal. A hotel near him had two naked people who embrace each other and turn into a wisp of light and were also absorbed into that singularity. But it did not do that to everyone else. ''What is this?'' Azief said. All around him people is running and screaming. Nearby he could see a large building name Vega Corp suddenly disappear into the singularity. There is also Brave World Virtual Reality center nearby that Vega Corp building also turn into a ball of light and disappeared. ''Yes'' Azief said as he agrees with the quest Then Azief smiles as he launched himself into the air and¡­. fly to the meteors that is hurtling down to earth. On the ground, people who was running, people who was screaming, people who was panicking, people who was spreading anarchy all stop and look at this most miraculous and shocking scene. It is common sense that people do not fly. But now, they see a flying man appeared. One of the people in the crowd then asks. ''Is that a¡­plane?'' ''A bird?'' Another asks. ''It is a¡­. man'' one of the women who stumbled and fall because of the chaos said as she stands up. Those that falls and stumble, they all slowly get up. And then¡­. they look up. Look up at the back of the flying man and for some reason they feel reassured. They then watched as the man punch a meteor and the meteor shattered into tiny pieces. No, it turned into dust. ''He¡­.is flying'' One of the people in the crowd said ''His punch is like steel.'' Another added ''He destroyed the meteor in one punch.'' One of them excitedly said Then a young boy looking at this scene said in gasping breath. ''A superhero.'' Slowly, the running stops. The screaming stops. The panicking stop as the crowd look at the flying man destroying the meteor. Even the anarchy stops. One of the reporters of the New York Daily News quickly takes a picture while some of the reporter began recording this scene. One of the director of the program who was running just a few minutes ago after the first meteor fall then said ''What should we call him?'' ''Man of Steel?'' One of the people nearby suggested. ''No, no.'' One of the other people in the crowd said. ''Look at his attire. It was black. Call him the Dark Knight.'' Because of the many suggestions the PD then yelled for them to shut up. ''Just record the damn thing.'' Hope was ignited again in the heart of the people in Earth 2. All the while Azief was flying around in the sky destroying meteor with each punch and smiling as he looked at his reputation and deed section quickly and rapidly increasing. This was his first day in Earth 2. ************************************************************************* END OF EPILOGUE ************************************************************************* Chapter 205 BRAVE NEW WORLD 1 Darkness. That is the only thing he saw. Though he doesn''t know how he perceive it since he didn''t think he had eyes in this state of existence of a void existence And he was in that darkness for so long that he could swear he could even feel the darkness around him. In that darkness sometimes there is this flashes of light. It took him a long time to figure out that it was his memory. But it felt like his memory is altered and fragmented. He doesn''t know why he felt that way but he felt that deep in his soul. He did not remember who he was but for some reason he knew he exist¡­before¡­then and even now. Time have no meaning in this void of Darkness that shrouded his every being. So, he didn''t know whether he was here for a long time or whether this is just a millisecond of time that passes around him. Yet, he did not feel bored, scared or even excited. He just knows that he is there. He doesn''t know why or how or even when but he knew he existed. It was a weird existence to cut off from everything yet at the same time acknowledging tat you exist. The flashes of light and memories come more frequently. Then he heard a cold voice ringing inside his mind. He didn''t remember what it said but then he opens his eyes He felt his own existence, felt that he has now physical features the moment he tries to opens his eyes. He felt the weight of his body, the wind caressing his cheeks as he opens his eyes. The wind blows by his white robe and his hair fluttered with the wind. ''What is this place?'' he thought inwardly. He was sitting up, his butt on the grassy ground as he looks at the vast expanse in front of him In front of him is a large expanse of a grassy lands. Hills could be seen dotting the horizons. Spring rides in a gentle breeze, unhindered by the will as it caresses him like trying to console him from the Darkness of that Void of nothingness. He looks up and he saw a great blue sky. He could see blue in every direction to the horizon. Long strand of clouds is being dragged across the sky by the breezy wind. There is nothing to block the view as he could see all. He also sees all the people here. He frowned. ''I need to figure out where I am'' he said to himself. He felt that he is putting up a plan in his mind right now. He doesn''t know why but he felt confidence in his voice, like this was his habit to be calm and that calmness pacified his nervousness right now. He didn''t remember anything about himself. And seeing so many people in this large expanse of green grass did not ease him at all. It felt like he was calculating their threat to him. The moment he raises his knees, he felt a stinging pain all over his body and he felt like he was being sliced to his infinitesimal part by some splicer. He even felt like his body is distorted, making him appear translucent for a while. ''Argh'' he shouted in pain as hold his head. It was like someone is breaking open his skulls and meddling around inside it. It is not a pleasant feeling and add that to the stinging pain he felt all over his body, he felt sensation of pain he never experienced before But then fragment of memories started flowing into his mind. He remembers that his name is Aero. That was the first memory that he got. But he does not remember the name of his family. He tried hard to think of his origin. If he has his name then he must be born. Then who is his mother? Who si his father? Who is his family? Did he have siblings? What is the name of his noble House? For some reason he did not know why he thinks of himself as a noble and why he was so sure that he has a noble house It was like this is the world he lives in and he is slowly remembering his origin. Then as one of his other knees started to rise up another memory come into his mind The moment that memories replayed itself inside his mind, Aero felt like he was seeing himself in the third person. Like a movie Then he startled himself. What is a movie? Why did he think that his experience is like watching a movie? He saw it form a third person view He remembers that he was released in the incident known as the Feast at Western Gate. He saw the Western Gate, its pillar s decorated with the painting of heroes and lions, tigers and thunderbolts the symbol of sovereignty for Zeus, the King of the Gods. The moment he saw that thunderbolt symbol, Aero felt another memories rushing into his mind. He remembers that this world has the Seven Celestial and Olympus. He remembers the church of Light and his maiden It rushed inside his mind and the more he sees and remember the more the pain in his mind and body lessened ''I need to know more'' he said to himself even while he is clutching his head. His knees are trembling and sweat are filling his back. The wind of the plains breeze by him but it did him no good. The moment he tried to get more memories about the matter, he felt a mental block. He takes a sigh as he falls back down. But he remembers a few details in that brief moment. He remembers he went to war with the King of Veva Zeus of the North. However, he didn''t remember why. He remembers he went there with his sworn brother Deria as they fought against the King and his encirclement but he doesn''t remember why Why would he travel thousands of miles away, alone to fight the King of Veva? What did Zeus have that enable to incite him to leave his home? There is a shadowy silhouette that he seems to be chasing. Aero tried to chase this shadowy silhouette and the feeling he felt when he was chasing this silhouette is filled with excitement and love. ''I need to see more to make sense of this'' he said to himself. He takes a deep breath. He ignores all of the people in this plain. They too seem to be like him. Like they were trapped in the painful recollection of memories. But, Aero felt the pain is worth it. To know oneself one would have strength. To know the enemies, one would never lose in a battle The moment he thought of this, he felt hundreds of tactical and strategies of warfare entered his mind. ''What is this? He asks himself. He then closes his eyes and tried to focus his mind again.'' The moment he focused his mind, his mind seems to found other memories. Aero felt like his mind is assembling the memories like it is a fragmented data. Though he himself don''t know how he thought of a word called data. For some reason he did not think when he spoke about data that he is speaking about data the same way he means information. It was like data that he said is something more modern than that. ''Argh'' He clenched his head as he felt the pain once again and his entire body is trembling with pain. He was not the only one like that in this plain. There are people in the distance that tries to do thing like him. The memory brought him once again to that Western Gate. He remembers seeing a black robed person looking at him with fear and apprehension. That man has long tied black hair reaching his shoulder, his physique is lean and his demeanor is elegant. But that man fears him and that fear is apparent in his gaze Then Aero mind slowly remember who that person is **************************************************************** This is teh first chapter for the month. The second part of the chapter will be psoted tomorrow with a polling vote. You will know what I am talking abiout. Anyway, I will also explain a liitlke about Age of Avdneture on teh after world of the new chapter of LS tomorrow. Hope you like this new chapter and see you tomorrow. Chapter 206 BRAVE NEW WORLD 2 Prime Minister Eric of Veva. And even in pain Aero is smirking like he felt funny looking at Eric. Aero then muttered under his labored breath ''Feast of the Western gate. That bastard Eric wanted to kill me'' Now he remembers why he was at the Western Gate The moment his mind thinks of it, he was there again, this time looking at the event like he was an omniscient god, from third perspective. He was attending a feast for his release from the Divine Prison of Veva. However, his attendance is required and he would not be released until he attend. He pushes his mind further and he finally remembers a bit more about the Feast of the Western Gate. At that time, he had a spy in the enemy camp, a general of the Vevaian army colluding with him in an effort to free him from his captivity in Veva. That General is General Kyle, one of the influential general in Vevaian army. There seems to be a disagreement between them though he couldn''t remember why. The moment he thinks of why, another memory flashed by of his battle with Kyle, with him fanning his fan on his face, looking down on Kyle. At that time, he was the strategist for Vanheim and Kyle was the General tasked with the invasion of Vanheim. He lost and was sentenced to death by the King of Vetten but escaped from his execution during the chaos of the war between Vetten and Vanheim He was then recruited by Eric to counter Aero. It was only a flash of memory but it instantly reveals the relationship between them two. They met again in Veva when he was captured by the military of Veva after sacrificing himself to save his sworn brother. Kyle at first wanted to shred him apart. But in the end, Kyle has decided to throw his lot with him and defected to Vanheim. Aero opened back his eyes up, this time there is a confident and domineering air about him and his eyes seems to shine with wisdom. He remembers himself. He is Aero the strategist that brought Kin George to the throne, fighting off the noble influence, making the King of Vanheim the sole authority of the kingdom. He is strategist Aero that fought on two invasion force, planning victory from thousands of miles away. He is the strategist that repel the invasion of Vetten, persuading Duke Bradheim to join forces with the Orcs, and the same strategist that planned the eventual invasion of Vetten and its subsequent annexation. ''I am Aero, the designer of Great Vanheim, the Divine Strategist of Vanheim!'' He declared to himself and his eyes has this fire of ambition lit up. Aero slowly getting up. He felt something coming out from his nose. He wipes it out and he could see golden liquid. ''Not red blood'' He ask himself. The moment he asks that question, another memory surged into his mind like a tidal wave. It was like he was assaulted by memories as his head is pulsing with aching pains of the veins around his head. He was transported to an island as he sees himself bleeding on the shore of some island. Behind him is the raging seas and looking down on him is a large man with a white beard, his eyes radiated power and his left hand is wielding a trident that appears to have the abilities to summons storms and command the seas. He knows who that person is. Poseidon, the Earthshaker, the Bringer of Storms and the God of the Sea. He remembers Poseidon stabbing him in his makeshift island and took away his sword, as he almost breathed his last on some unknown island. Then he remembers Athena, The Bearer of the Aegis, The Goddess of Wisdom sending him to the Underworld to gain the favor of the Gods. He remembers how he had save Thetis from Kreon, the prison guard of Hera custom made prison for Thetis. He also remembers how Thetis have taken him as her son and told him the way to beat the three headed dog that guarded the entrance to the Underworld by bathing in the Styx He remembers then how he defeated the three headed dog of the Underworld and how he met Hades He finished his journey in the Underworlds and he breathed fresh air once again ''Oh'' Then he smiles. He did not know why he is smiling. He then said to himself ''What a glorious life that I have lived'' he said it to himself. It is his memory and the more he looks at it, he could feel confidence is building up in his heart and his soul. The way he carried himself now is slightly different and the air emanating around him is an air of a powerful person that could intimidate anyone. He stabilizes himself and then look at his hip. He felt that sensation behind his back before. He touches it and brought it out of his sheath expertly as he reached behind him and brought the saber in front of him. He slashes it forward and the wind ripped apart. It is a heavy saber and full of striking power. He felt familiar with it and he smiles. Now, he recognizes it. That is his sword. ''The Howling Dragon Saber'' he muttered. It is the saber he got from King George as his reward in winning against Vetten. He had been using it since he lost his Sword of Mars to Poseidon. He then sheathed it back. The saber is sheathed in a red sheath. Now, that he had basic knowledge of who he is, he is trying to make sense the scene in front of him. He looks in front of him and all he could see is a sea of people. There are even some people in the hills slowly waking up Probably tens of thousands of people all over the vast land. They all behaved like him. They all groggily trying to stand up like they were all awaking from a long sleep. Aero saw a young woman not far away from him. He saw how the woman is struggling to get up. ''I should try to help her and ask her whether she knows anything'' he thought to himself as he walk to that woman. Unbeknown to him, one the distance, another person is walking toward him. This man has a sharp and cold eyes but no killing intent. But it is clear from his gaze, that he knows who Aero is. However, Aero still did not recognize the man as he did not even know someone is slowly approaching him right now. Aero was about to hold that woman up but just as he takes one step, that memory about the Feast at Western Gate once again enter his mind. ____________________________________________________________ So, here is today chapter. The vibe of this new arc is different because it is supposed to be a different book or a new chapter for the story itself. But since that would be confusing I merged it into Age of Adventure current page. The vibe of the story would be different Some people might like the new vibe, and some people probably don''t. Anyway, there is something I need to ask the readers. Because I am writing three stories at the same time right now I am heavily overtaxed. My fingers are aching and sometimes my eyes hurt. So, I am asking a vote here. I really hope there is a poll feature in web novel but there still isn''t. So, what I am asking you all to vote on is this. I usually post any new chapter for the month on the sixth day of the month. I might have to extend that to seven for one of the stories. Though I did not decide which story would have one-day delay than the others. Of course I might be able to handle the pressure next month. But if there is a delay then don''t be shocked since I am announcing it here. If you would like other story to be delayed send some gifts or just commented in the comment section. I would ask this question on the other two story too. I guess this is it. This chapter would will be setting up the new stage of Aero adventure. If you did not guess it by now, yes, Aero forgot about Amelia¡­and even his own real identity as Daniel. All of this will be slowly revealed and I will not be giving you all the answer. You have to piece it all together as the story unravels. Enjoy and see you tomorrow. And don''t forget to vote and leave some comments Chapter 207 BRAVE NEW WORLD 3 He was once again transported to that scene in his mind He then remembers how he enlisted the help of Kyle to lobbied for him in front of the King. He even promised him that he would not be treated badly when he returned to Vanheim and will have a place in the military to show off his talent. A new memory enters Aero mind. He now remembers that he is the Chancellor of Vanheim, the superpower nation of the East. He remembers how Prime Minster Eric propose a banquet as a sign of reconciliation when he decided to release him. Aero could see himself in the cell, doubting the gesture. Fortunately, Kyle told him that King Zeus had burn an offering to Olympus asking for divine intervention to kill him. Apollo and Artemis hearing the prayers of the mortal King had loan their weapon to King Zeus of Veva. He got the Sword of the Sun belonging to Apollo and the Shield of Artemis. He got the news and then began planning to scheme in his jail cell. He knows if he fought off against a Divine Weapon he will surely die At that time, he did not want to die since dying at that time would then strip him of his invincibility. He would revive because only his invincible body would be stripped away as the price of his life but that invincibility is the one thing that helped him cope with all the assassination attempts on his life. If he lost that, then basically he had to hide himself deep in Vanheim territory never going out and that would not be beneficial for him. But he also knows that such divine weapon could not be loaned indefinitely When he inquires of this information, Kyle had told him that it could only be loan for one hour. At least that is the limit of time for the Sword of the Sun. With that, had a plan in his mind. He accepted the invitation of the Feast because he has no other choice. If he refuses, then that would show to King Zeus that he had vengeful attitude and Zeus might decide it was better to kill him with the Sword of the Sun. Aero know when to retreat and when to move forward. And at that time, he had toc conceal his true intention and retreat for a while. It was better to pretend like he had let bygones be bygones since he knew how the King of Zeus respected warrior and strength. By accepting the invitation, it shows to the King he is open to reconciliation. This would make him think twice from killing him. Since that would not only anger him it would also anger Vanheim and its King. Aero is looking at this from a third person views and he is amazed at himself for thinking like that. At that time, King Zeus is prepared to kill him if he shows any intention of pursuing the matter of the past. That is why he arranges the feast. It was to gauge Aero intention. Eric, his Prime Minister however was adamant in killing him. But since King Zeus had decided to look at Aero intention first, Eric had no choice but to relent to the decision of the King. But relenting did not men he was giving up. He had set up another scheme to kill Aero in that feast But since Aero already knows, the first moment he arrived at the banquet, he laid out his intentions. He didn''t remember why he goes to war with the King of Veva in the first place but he remembers that he said that their battle was a battle between warrior that both knows to how appreciate the craft and while their battle is personal, the matter of the hearts could not be contained and had to be expressed and their battle is just two warrior fighting for what they believe is right He subtly talks about their battle which only made the King remember how he admire Aero as a fellow hero and the only one equal to him. Aero of the East and Zeus of the North. Both of them are legendary character in the world of chaos and warfare. He felt pity to kill such a warrior in such underhanded way when he was being praised to the Heavens by Aero. Aero said bravely, that while he did not like Zeus, he admires his warrior demeanor. The more he is honest like that without any concern of whether what he said offend the King or not, the harder it is for people not to trust Aero words. To them, Aero while he displays his hatred to the King of Veva, at the same time he admires Zeus as a great warrior Aero painted Zeus personality as this. While King Zeus is not being a good king, he is a great warrior in battle. The more he listens, the more Zeus began to waver in his decision against killing Aero. After all, if he kills Aero who just extolled his quality as a great warrior, how could he explain to the world that he plans to kill him in his feast? Who would follow him after that? Wont he be accused as a coward? Not only that, Aero even mentioned subtly of his position as the Chancellor of Vanheim and the hero of the Vanheimneian people. Hearing all of this coming out from Aero mouth, how could Zeus not hesitate in killing him? Even some of his minister in the banquet hesitated. They whispers among themselves and Aero at that time see all of it and pretended he did not notice. On the other hand, King Zeus was put in a predicament. If he kills the Chancellor of Vanheim, not only it would damage his reputation further, it would also have made him irreconcilable enemies with Vanheim. Even then, as they were drinking wine and eating meat, thousands of people are marching to the northern region to free the Chancellor, bearing the banner of justice Then there is still the rebellion led by a man called Derrick, a refuge from Asgaro turn into a rebellion leader for freedom. If he really kills Aero in that feast¡­.it might rock the boat so hard, that it would capsize on itself. Aero seeing that Zeus was hesitating, smiles widely and then he offers something He then promises to not come to the Northern region unless the northern region attacked him and his people. His meaning was clear. Unless provoked, he would not mind the matters of Veva. Some of the minister seems to be more receptive to the ideas. He knows that if he feigns being subservient, no one would believe him. Instead it would only have heightened their suspicion on him if he is suddenly groveling on the feet of the King and acting humbly. ______________________________________ Third part of the chapter. Hope you like it as we are looking a bit at Aero memory. But if you notice the memory seems to be a little altered right? if you remember Kyle actualy was executed to death but in Aero memory right now, Kyle escaped and met him again. Thta is because....Ok, I am getting ahead of myself. I hope you all could deduce it by yourself. It si not that hard after all. It is a simple plot. Anyway, don''t forget to vote for the story and leave some comments Chapter 208 BRAVE NEW WORLD 4 Everyone knows Aero of the East, the Chancellor of one of the most powerful nation on the Eastern region and the hero who devises the strategy to take down Vetten and bring Vanheim to an age of prosperity and power. Why would Aero of the East debase himself when he himself is a domineering character of the era? That is why Aero gambled on that reputation to assure Zeus of his sincerity The more he acted like himself, the less suspicion that other had on him. If he acted too humble, then Eric might have surmised he knew about their secret plot. If he acted too domineering, Zeus might lose his temper and execute him anyway. There is a fine line he must thread to get out of Veva successfully at that time. He needs to only wait for one hour. The moment that Sword lost its effectiveness, he could go away without anyone stopping him unless the Gods of Olympus themselves come down from their godly abode. Aero then saw himself in the past, drinking more wine and in his pretend tone, he then spoke of their great battle in front of the gate of Veva, and how the world had two great heroes that could protect the peace of the world, extolling his prowess as a warrior and his grace in accepting his defeat. Aero then said he was impressed that even though he, Aero of the East is his enemies, King Zeus treated him courteously. Eric at that time had a bad feeling. The more time passes and the more praises that Aero heaped on Zeus, the darker the expression on the Prime Minister of Veva He saw how the King had lost his will to kill Aero and even reveling in the praises. At that time Aero who are looking at his memory from an omniscient point of view could notice that the Prime Minister of Veva is gritting his teeth in anger. Aero in the past must also have noticed this but pretended like he did not see it. Knowing that Aero could not be allowed to talk no more lest he dull the King desire to kill him, Prime Minister Eric then suggested General Bart to perform a sword dance. Aero in his translucent form looking at the memory smiles bitterly ''Eric, Eric'' he said shaking his head. Aero is feeling pain in his head but like he was isolated form that pain in his mind, he kept looking at this memory. He is curious of how he could escape this feast of Western Gate At that time Aero knows that the Prime Minister of Veva wanted his head. As General Bart took the Sword of the Sun from prime Minster Eric hand, he performed his sword dance, his eyes glinting with the desire to kill Zeus saw it, but he did not say anything. He only sigh. At that time, Aero pretended to be calm, but his heart was beating fast and if not for his remarkable acting people would know he was scared to death At that time, Kyle who has already throw his lot with Vanheim, is also in the Feast. When he saw Bart volunteer himself, Kyle pretended like he could not see the intention of the Prime Minister. Aero look at him and Kyle only takes a deep breath before nodding slightly. He then got up from his seat and offer to also perform his own sword dance. Bart and the Prime Minister was shocked. Bart try many times to try to pretend like he was about to fall and yet each time, the sword edges is directed at Aero. Kyle on the other hand is blocking each attempt of general Bart to kill Aero with the Sword of the Sun. When the one-hour limit is up, Aero smiles. He then perfunctorily thanking all those that came to the Feats and he is sure to remember the treatment of Veva. He got up from his seat and then he walked out from the palace of Veva with no one daring to be his obstacle. Aero did not even try to kill the King of Veva because he knew it would be useless. The Sword of the Sun may no longer be used by Zeus, but he knew that Zeus also have the Shield of Artemis. The situation was that without the Sword of the Sun, Zeus could not kill him, but with Shield of Artemis, he couldn''t kill him And he is not sure whether the Shield expiration time is the same as the Sword. If it is not, it would reveal that he knows about the plot of trying to kill him. And he had enough of gambling with his life for one day And there is also the possibility of his assassination attempt to fail. If he failed, he would make the King of Veva spare no effort to kill him. And Veva is his place. He might even go crazy and let go of all hi inhibitions not caring about the pressure form the rebellion and his minister advise and kill him anyway. That is why Aero decided to wait first. Aero decided to get back to Vanheim first and be in the safety of his people before repaying them for the humiliation today. He was never impressed with the King but he is impressed with Eric. It was a pity he serves a muddleheaded king. Letting Aero go back, is like letting a tiger back to the forest. Eric shouts of anger could be heard when he was leaving the feast. Aero saw himself smiling in the memory of his past, his demeanor was like an unrivaled expert of the world, with the ability to scheme against the world. He then leapt up to the walls of Veva and jump down and leave Veva When he arrived at a remote village near the border of Veva, he hired a carriage and he went to Duvar. Aero saw all this and as the carriage move its wheels, Aero felt that pull and he knows that this is the limit of what he can see now. Suddenly Aero took a deep breath as his mind become even more clear. He smells back the smell of the prairie and felt the breezy winds of the plains around his body He now remembers a part of who he was. He is Aero, The Chancellor of Vanheim and have an invisible body because of the blessing of Thetis. But there is still a lot of thing he did not remembers. He shakes his head. ''Let that go for a while'' he thought to himself. He wanted to help the woman in front of him when a cold voice sounded in his mind The voice sounded like it come from his head. And a display statue that only he could see appear in front of his eyes. Right now, he is not the only one that is looking in front, looking at the display only they could see. Even the young man that is approaching Aero stop and he too look in front of him *************************************************** I think you all could guess what that cold voice right? I am setiing up the world right now. But by now you could see there is a slight difference right. The world that they are in now remains a mystery. And why is there is so many people in the Plains of empty land? I leav ethsi question for later....hehehe. If you like the chapter please vote and leave some comments. Chapter 209 A QUEST 1 The moment the cold voice sounded, it gave him an intrduction. Introduction I am the voice of Heavens. I will be giving an introduction to your new life You are one of the many spirit from another realm that has been transported to this world from a great calamity. Your memories are returning but you have no roots or family in this new world. The Heaven will evaluate your past deed and help you in your assimilation with the people of this world Then a few words displayed itself in front of him -Determining origins- -Origins determined- WESTERN HEAVEN ''Western Heaven?'' Aero asked himself. Then after that the cold voice sounded once again in his head. -There are thousands of noble houses to choose from someone who come from Western Heaven- Then another display of words appears in front of Aero eyes. -Evaluating past deeds- -Evaluation finished- RESULT OF EVALUATION After evaluating past deed, Aero is a famous person in this world. Possessing the legacy of the Divine Strategist Lizhu Gerard, Aero has made his name in this word. Assisting the righteous monarch, saving the people of the world, promoting peace and pacifying the regions of Vanheim. Desiring to unite the world and bring harmony to all. Aero is titled he General Who pacified the North by the King of Vanheim, granted the position of Chancellors and the Nereid Thetis adopted him as her son. Respected by the common people and regarded as the teacher of King George, he is also known as Aero of the East. Afflicted by the curse of Styx Aero possessed an invulnerable body, and could not be killed by mortal weapon unless they targeted his ankle. Result of the evaluation is that this character is worthy to choose out of the ten kingly noble houses and could claim descent from these line of Kings Then after that long introduction, Aero saw a display -Please choose one out of the ten house that you could pick. Be careful you could not change your house once you decided on it unless you apply for a Destiny Quest from the Heavens- Aero instinctively tap the invisible status display and then it expands down showing ten name of kingly noble houses. Why did he know how to do that? It was like he was familiar with it? He put the thought on the back of his head as he looks at the ten names of the noble houses. He saw the first one. [Carlingian] - One of the oldest but extinct noble houses in the Western Heaven. It is a prestigious house of Old nobility. Choosing it would give you the ability to claim ancestry from this lineage and will be granted three skill points all at once to level up your mastery given by the Heavens - He then checks out below it. [Merovingian] - It is an ancient ruling family of one of the largest kingdoms in the Western Heaven. They united their people and conquered their enemies with great tenacity. They extended their rule extensively and known to be very brutal. You could claim yourself as the Sons of Merovech and gain the Seal of Kings enabling you to create your own kingdom and empire and attracting talents from other people from Western Heaven. By choosing this noble house, the character will get one skill points and the Seal of Kings - [Romanov] - The Romanovs is an ancient family on the Western Heaven that ruled in a land covered with snow and eternal winter. By choosing one would get immunity from the cold of winter, hardness of body, two skill points and a large Warhorse that did not need to eat or drink- [Oldenburg] - The House of Oldenburg is one of the most influential Western Heaven noble house in ancient times. By choosing this use the character will get one skill points and a favor from the Heavens. Not far away from him that person who is looking at the display is hesitating as he wanted to quickly go to Aero. But he sighed as he need to finish choosing first. After Aero check all ten of the noble houses it was more of the same. There is the Bourbon, the Stuarts, the Capet, Hapsburg and two others. No matter which he chooses he would get a skill points and a few perks and abilities. But what is skill points and where would he use it? The moment he thought about this, that cold voice asked -The synchronization has been completed- -Some of redundant skill was removed as it hinders with the synchronization of host with the new world. Do you want to check your status window right now? - Aero think of it in his mind and then his status window is displayed in his mind. CHARACTER NAME Aero LEGACY Grand Strategist ORIGINS Western Heaven TITLE General Who Pacified the North Chancellor Son of Thetis CITIZEN STATUS Nobleman (Vanheim) AFFLICTION Curse of the Styx SKILL POINTS 0 UNIQUE SKILLS FIGHTING SPIRIT (V) SUPERIOR RANK A skill that could increase your strength or paralyze weaker monster and men by only looking at their eyes. Emanated an aura of fighting that is helpful in helping allies to gain morale in battle and weaken enemy morale when hit by such powerful aura. -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank __________________________________________________ (DIVINE) ENDURANCE (VII) SUPREME RANK It will enable the character to retain stamina longer. The skill has reached Supreme level. It is a godly endurance that could even endure the weight of the world in one shoulder. The Endurance skill morphed into Divine Endurance because of the Curse of the Styx. If you lost the curse of the Styx, the Divine part will be stripped from the evaluation of the skill. _______________________________________________________ RECRUIT (IV) ADVANCED It enables the character to recruit people easily and give one an aura of approachability. The people of this world would be attracted to join you. You could even persuade them to choose their own legacy if your influence over them is strong. The ranking evaluation was adjusted because of the influence the character possesses in the world. However, for those who are affected negatively by you, this skill would prove ineffective. -Require five skill points to rank up the skill- ________________________________________________________ MISC SKILLS HANDICRAFT (III) ADEPT RANK Enables the character to be proficient in handicraft. -Require four skill points to rank up the skill- _______________________________________________________ TAILORING (III) ADEPT RANK Enables the character to be proficient in tailoring. Could sew own clothes and repair clothes at this rank. However, the quality would leave much to be desired. -Require four skill points to rank up the skill- ______________________________________________________ BLACKSMITHING (II) BEGINNER RANK Enables the character to be proficient in blacksmithing. Could only hammer the metal but do not know how to forge any Hero rank item. Could only forge Strong rank items and repair Weak rank items. Could only smelted low rank ore. -Require three skill points to rank up the skill- _______________________________________________________ REPAIR (II) BEGINNER RANK Enables the character to be proficient in repairing mechanical stuff. To learn how to repair armor increased the rank of blacksmithing or learn forging metals. Could only repair low level machinery. -Require three skill points to rank up the skill- _______________________________________________________ LEGACY SKILLS (DIVINE) ROAR (VII) SUPREME RANK This skill would enable the character to produce a roar from their mouth that could break morale and deafen the ears. The skill has reached Supreme level. It is a godly roaring that could reach Olympus. However, the character is not recommended to use it always since it could only be used three times a day before the character throat would be parched and the divine part of the roar would be unusable for that day. However, when one had use the Divine Roar ability three times in one day, the skill would revert back to the skill Roar. The Roar skill morphed into Divine Roar because of the Curse of the Styx. If you lost the curse of the Styx, the Divine part will be stripped from the evaluation of the skill. _________________________________________________________ KILLING INTENT (IV) ADVANCED Killing intent is produced from killing people and monster. To rank up the skill one had to kill and experience bloodshed. At current rank, you could produce a baleful aura that could disrupt one mind and made them instantly fear you. Very useful in intimidating people and would even give you more energy when fighting and killing while enveloping oneself with killing intent. However, do be careful to not be swallowed by the negative emotion that could make one to do regrettable things. -Require more killing to rank up the skill- _________________________________________________________ DISGUISE [I] BASIC RANK Able to disguise to be a monster and people that you have encountered or defeated. As the ranks increase you can learn to disguise to other thing even lifeless things. It would be better if you train using this regularly to accustom yourself with the transformation. Restriction: Must defeated the monster that you want to disguise. Helps if you can focus the feature of the thing you wanted to disguise. -Require two skill points to rank up the skill- _______________________________________________________ TAUNT [II] BEGINNER RANK This skill helps you to attract monster to attack you. It could even affect people if the taunt is close to their complex and the weakness in their hearts. If uses correctly could even induce manic rage on other people, thus rendering him incapable of thinking logical thoughts -Require three skill points to rank up the skill- _______________________________________________ LANGUAGE [II] BEGINNER RANK Ability to use complex systems of communication and learning other languages easily and without effort. With this skill you can understand complex symbols and divine meaning by spending some time looking at it and deriving its meaning from your own understanding. This ability also enables you to speak with spirits and Divine Beast. -Require three skill points to rank up the skill- _______________________________________________ DEMONIC DEVIL ENERGY DRAIN (V) SUPERIOR RANK The legacy skill of Lizhu Gerard it enables you to drain the life force and energy of the people and uses it to rejuvenate your body, heals your injuries. Lizhu Gerard learn this technique after he had retreated from the court life and become a powerful warrior (mxxxial axxist) [ Did not yet meet the requirement to view the info] However, be careful since you could have your energy tied up in knot if you did not digest it carefully which would only bring more harm than good -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank- _________________________________________________________________________ ANALYZE (III) ADEPT RANK With this skill you could Analyze unknown object from this world and gain assistance. The higher the level of Analyzing, you could even use it to analyze the weakness of one attack, and weapons. Right now at Adept rank, you could analyze the weakness of any skill or weapon below your rank -Require four skill point to rank up the skill- ______________________________________________________________ SACRED SWORD FINGER (III) ADEPT RANK With this skill, you could shoot out invisible force of energy from your finger. It is form from concentrated energy that is focused at one point in the finger and released. This skill is deadly, lethal and emphasize swiftness. It is one of Lizhu Gerard finger technique. With your current rank, the sharpness of your finger attack is like the sharpness of a baled that could cut a tree into two. -Require four skill points to rank up the skill- _________________________________________________________________________ DIVINE SWORD TECHNIQUE (IV) ADVANCED RANK One of Lizhu Gerard legacy skills. Lizhu Gerard learned many styles of attack that are foreign for the part of the world he is inhabiting. It is a sword technique that could break any attack if it is ranked up until its most consummate rank. This technique emphasized internal energy and self-reflection. This technique is rarely seen in Vilajeri Continent. You have learned five of its moves from the Manual of the White Sword Technique. Find the other volumes to learn all the sword moves of the Divine Sword technique. -Require five skill points to rank up the skill- ___________________________________________________________________________ MANUAL OF WHITE SWORD TECHNIQUE (VOLUME I) FIVE MOVES OF THE DIVINE SWORD TECHNIQUE CRIMSON STRIKE -The first move of the Divine Sword technique. With this move, you will cause your adversary''s sword to drop through a strike from your sword, and then bring yourself immediately back to a readiness to strike. This method is combined with (Not learned yet), in which you will always strike with true force by swinging your sword toward the ground when your opponent''s sword is about to drop. Break those that is in your way without hesitation with one slash of the sword. _______________________________________________________________________________ AUTUMN SLICE -The second move of the Divine Sword technique. With this sword move, you are to start off by assuming a posture in which you are not to use your hands. You are to think of getting your body close to your opponent before striking him. However, if you think of reaching out both of your hands, your body will remain distant. This is why you must always think of quickly getting your body close to the enemy. When you are distant, you will exchange blows of the sword, and it will be rather easy to move closer to your opponent. Be like the changings of season, invoking all emotions of the human heart ____________________________________________________________________________ BLOWING FIRE -Third move of the Divine Sword technique. If you are currently within a situation in which you and your opponent''s swords are to clash, you must strike extremely hard without raising your sword to any extent. This is Blowing Fire technique. If you are to perform this technique, you must first strike quickly with the three combined forces of your legs, your hands, and your body. This blow will be rather difficult to perform if you do not train it at frequent times. If you diligently train yourself, you will be able to increase the overall force of the technique''s impact. Be like the fire, strong and dangerous. ___________________________________________________________________________ SLITHERING SLASH -The fourth move of the Divine Sword technique. With this technique, one''s objective is to get close to the opponent and stick to him. When one is to do this, one must first behave as though one had been strongly glued to him with one''s feet, head, and body. It is generally known that during combat, most fighters will have a tendency to have their body hang back while their heads and feet are extended forward. One must attempt to paste one''s body against the opponent''s without leaving any area in which the bodies are not touching. Slash the unvirtuous to uphold good and righteousness. __________________________________________________________________________ OPENING BLOW -The fifth move of the Divine Sword technique. When you first start off by striking, your opponent will try to parry by hitting or by blocking your sword. At this point in time, you need to completely equip yourself into the action of striking with your sword, and strike whenever you may see an opening, whether it may be the legs, arms, or head. Following the single way of the sword and performing a strike such as this is known as the Opening Blow. This technique will be useful at moment while fighting, so it should be trained regularly. A great opening decides the battle. ____________________________________________________ PERKS + Have magic resistance for magical elements + Dark magic resistance is Supreme rank [ The side effect of the Curse of the Styx] + Light magic resistance is Supreme rank [ The side effect of the Curse of the Styx] + Fire magic resistance is Supreme rank [ The side effect of the Curse of the Styx] + Water magic resistance is Supreme rank [ The side effect of the Curse of the Styx] + Earth magic resistance is Supreme rank [ The side effect of the Curse of the Styx] + Wind magic resistance is Supreme rank [ The side effect of the Curse of the Styx] + King Intent is denser in battle. + Speed and fighting intent will increase on the Battlefield because of the Legacy + Could use any Godly items without suffering the Heaven quest (Only applicable to some Gods) + Decrease energy consumption for Divine sword technique + Easier to raise proficiency in any area. + Affinity with scholars increased because of the Legacy of Lizhu + Affinity with wise men increased because of the Legacy of Lizhu + Easier to influence statesmen and scholars. + Gained ability to learn secret skills based on your rank in Language. + Can talk to spirit and understand divine meaning + In battle your action could increase the morale of your soldiers + Your reputation enables you to establish rapport with townspeople quickly + You have heard about Order of Letters [ You can join the secret faction] + You have heard about the Celestials Scholars [You can join the secret faction] + You have heard about Council of Athena [You can join the secret faction] + You are the Chancellor of Vanheim + You are the General Who pacified the North + You are the Grand Strategist, possessing the Legacy of Lizhu Gerard + You are a Baron + You are a Lord + You are a Nobleman + You came from a kingly noble houses + You have majesty of the Old Nobility around you. + Curse of the Styx inflicted upon you. + One of Western Heaven famous people and in the List of Legendary Characters [ gain the Wishing Card] + Posses Enhanced senses and Supreme rank in some of the skill because of Son of Thetis title. + Known to the Gods of Olympus as son of Thetis Aero look at this and read it slowly. ************************************************************************** This is the new status. better familiarize yourself with it. Anywya, if you like the story please vote and leave some comments Chapter 210 A QUEST 2 Only then he knows how amazing he really is. Chancellor of Vanheim, hero of Vanheim, the General Who pacified the North, Son of Thetis, possessing invulnerable body He did not immediately pick his noble house though he does have an idea of which one to pick. He first need to make sense a few things, he knows he come from Western Heaven. And maybe the people around here he sees also come from Western Heaven. He did not think about that for long as he thinks it is better if he tries to understand what more the statue display could tell him He checks about items. It was then he understands something. Item is divided by Ranks. There is Weak, Strong, Hero rank, Rare rank, Unique rank, legendary rank and Godly rank. And there is also rank of mastery The rank of mastery started with Basic (I). Then it is followed by Beginner (II), Adept (III), Advanced (IV), Superior (V), Master (VI) and Supreme (VII) From basic to Advanced it all could be rank up by using skill points. But once you wanted to rank up to Superior rank, you must solve a destiny fated quest. And the items rank also correspond to mastery rank. For example, Repair skill that is in the Advanced rank could repair all items below rare rank and even repair rare rank. But those who have repair skill in Advanced rank could not repair Unique rank items unless they rank up their repair skill. In other words, rank of mastery also affect how you would do with your own items. For example, using a Unique rank weapon while using a skill in the Advanced rank would affect how that skill come out. There needs to be balance. For example, if Aero uses a Supreme rank skill while wielding a Basic rank items, the basic rank item probably could not bear the pressure of the skill and broke down. Aero nodding to himself as he is understanding the terms and the status window, swipe the status window away. He then checks his items windows. ITEMS HOWLING DRAGON SABER (LEGENDARY RANK [ SEALED]) COULD ONLY EXHIBIT UNIQUE RANK POWER) -It is a legendary sword use by Alain IV, the ancestor of King George. Myths had said that when Alain IV hold the saber, the roar of dragon could be heard in the sky. By holding this sword, fire damage would lessen on one body and could eve heal burns and scar caused by fire. To unseal the sword, one had to seek clues by oneself- THE WHITE ROBE (GODLY RANK [SEALED] COULD ONLY EXHIBIT HERO RANK POWER) - It is Lizhu Gerard robe during the Hegemony War. It had a certain magic that make it durable even under any weather. Only those who have the legacy of Lizhu Gerard could wear the robe and assume that disposition of looking down upon the mortal world with disdain. To unseal the robe one had to find more legacy of Lizhu Gerard- STORM FAN (GODLY RANK [SEALED] COULD ONLY EXHIBIT HERO RANK POWER) - It is a mystical fan that Lizhu Gerard stole from Princess of Wind Valley to surpass the Fire Mountain. Right now it has nothing of its former ability. Other than calming one heart when nervous and bring cool air to oneself, it has no other use. In its unsealed state it could summon winds and storms, calm the seas and change the weather. To unseal the robe one had to find more legacy of Lizhu Gerard- Aero then swipe the item window away and when he summons the items, it come out. When he thinks about the fan, the fan appears in his hand. He opens it up with a swish and he waves the phoenix feather on his face as he could feel the breeze that is cooler than even the plains wind. And no wonder he was dressed in white robe. He then looks back at the noble houses and he pick the only one he had his eyes on. The Carlingian. Then he could feel there is a subtle change in his body. He looks at his skill points and saw three skill points unused. He looks at all his skills and he did not hesitate to want to use his skill points to rank up his skills. ''But which one?'' He asked himself. Since he already has an almost unkillable body except the weakness of his heel, there is not many things he needed to level up. Truth is, Aero think this skill point is not easily given. This skill points are also only given to him because he has chosen a kingly noble houses. How about the lesser noble houses? They might only get one skill points and an inferior ability. But as he was about to choose one his skill to rank up its level the cold voice sounded once agin in his mind. Right now he felt accustomed to hearing that voice in his mind. Quest You are one of the many spirit from another realm that has been transported to this world from a great calamity. This place you are standing now is Purgatory. This is the Plain of Peace area For the people of this world their time has stopped when the mass exodus of the people of Western Heaven deserted them Heaven is merciful and will send you all to return to that world from that time when you all have deserted them in their time of need. Find the Gates that will lead you all to the mortal world. Be careful since there is the monster and dangerous beast. If you died in here, you will be resurrected back but there will be a penalty of losing your skills. (Warning: You will be spawned back at this Plain of Peace) But in danger lies opportunity. Travel around this Purgatory world and find the exit and if you are resourceful you will be able to trigger a quest from Heaven and have the chance to find legacy items of old forgotten legends If you become the first person to found the Gate you will be rewarded with five skill points. If you find it with another person, the Heavens will calculate you achievement to find the Gate Then the voice ended. Aero sighed. Then slowly he looks around him, his eyes concentrating on the other people near him. His eyes narrowed. he noticed he was not the only one that is looking around. The other people in here is also looking at other people. It seems they too got the same quest as him. Many of them have stand up and they too slowly recovering their memories. Aero eyes narrowed. He sighed like he felt tired and his head is thinking many things right now. That headache is also still present. ''Hmm'' He said to himself. This is a large plain without anything obstructing his sight. There is not a gate in the distance. There are not even any signs of settlement around here. Then they must travel more and further than this. He also remembers that the quest mentioned of monsters and beast. With his strength he did not have to worry that much about best ambush. Unless of course he gets bitten in his ankle. That would be a pretty funny way to die. Bitten by a snake, the great hero of Vanheim, the Chancellor and Aero of the East died with white froth splurging from his mouth Just thinking about it made Aero felt he needs to take more precaution. He looks down at his ankle area opening his boot and saw there is a shining golden metal covering the area around his ankle. He struggles to remember who gave him this metal sheet but he could not for the life of him remember who. He shakes his head and then decided that since he could not remember right now it is better not to force it. ''In time it will come'' he said to himself, consoling his uncertain heart. Then he focused himself again. He is now ready to face this new world that has presented itself in front of him. He is also curios of how all of the people here could hear the voice of heaven. He did not know why he did not feel fear or even weird hearing the cold voice that called itself heaven speaking to his mind. It was like he was familiar with it. There is not even a hint of fear or awe when he heard the voice. It was more like heard it and felt indifferent about it. ''Hmm. I should see whether there is someone I know among the crowd'' Aero had quickly set his own objective. He need to leave this Plain and find the gate. They at least need to get out of this place before making any other plans. They come from Western Heaven and its seem they have suffered a calamity, as the Heavens transported them into a new world. But it seems, the people of the Western heaven has once set foot into this new world since he is famous in this world. ''Let that matter lie for a bit.'' Aero look in front of him and his eyesight is very good. Maybe it is because of the Curse of Styx or maybe because he is a powerful person, his eyesight is extremely good. He did not saw anyone he knows. But it is a sea of people. And there is still other people in the distance. Maybe if he walked there he would see some face that he recognizes. There is a sea of people and they might not all have good intention. Especially considering the quest hints. If you died, then your skills would be weakened. Inside this crowd of people, there must be some ambitious one that wanted to find the gate and claimed that five skill points for themselves. If that is the case, there is one other way to make sure that you would be the one that found the gate Kill anyone that could be seen as a threat. If they are a strong people, then gang up against him and kill him. Each time that person would resurrect, he would become weaker and weaker until he had no chance to fight and resist at all That is one way going about this quest. Thought Aero could not yet confirm that the quest he received is the same as those people, he had quite an intuition of thing like this But Aero was not afraid. Instead he was smiling He was ready to bring out his saber out of the sheathe if there is anyone stupid enough to fight against him right now He even wonders whether he even needs to use the saber since he is already powerful in terms of his body ability. ''First, I need to get out of this Plain area. The quest hinted that this Plain is called the Plain of Peace. It specified it as an area. Then if there is a Plain area, it also means that there must be another area. And that is where I think I will find the clue'' Aero thought to himself. As Aero was engrossed in his thought suddenly someone hold his shoulder. The moment he felt that sensation on his shoulder, suddenly everything slowed down around him. It was not that time is moving slowly, it was his instinct powering up his perception as everything seems slow But he just got his memories so he is not accustomed feeling this sensation yet so his next action was something that is purely reflexive. Aero responded through muscle memory. The next action of his is an action he had always done before. He holds that hand and with his power that akin to a God of Olympus, grab it forward over his head as he slams that person into the ground before him Aero then look at the person, ready to finish him off before he went still and his eyes widened. That person is looking dumbfounded at him and he too widened his eyes in shock ''You!'' Aero exclaimed This chaos is not noticed by other people in the Plain because right now everyone is also thinking about the quest. On the other hand, as the quest is being announced into the minds of these people, dark eyes seem to glow in the darkness of the Forest Area. ********************************************************************* Here is the chapter for today. If you like teh chapter please leave some comments and votes. And if you read it at the pirate site, please at least support the author. Chapter 211 LET鈥橲 GO Aero look at the man as he restrains back his Killing Intent and quickly release his grip. That person hand falls lifeless into the ground. The man snorted as he aligned back his bones as the sound of loud cracking could be heard from that person arm. ''Throwing people, huh. This is new. This is not how you treat the people that save you, Aero.'' that man said snorting derisively. But it was also familiar. This man is close to him and Aero knows him. The moment he saw that face in front of him, memory come rushing back into his mind. Though there are still some vague memory about this person, it did not stop Aero from recognizing who this person is. Aero while he was shocked seeing a familiar face, it did not take long for him to regain back his calmness Aero then sighed and replied with ''Well, I did repay you already'' ''Aero'' He said his name with a hint of displeasure. The man is patting his purple robe ass grass fall down from his robe. He shakes his head like could not believe what just happen. Behind his back is magic staff and the appearance of this man is handsome. He has long blonde hair that reached his neck. His hair is slightly messy but that was to be expected after being hurled and slam into the ground. It would be impressive if his hair stays at it position even after all that. That man is tall around six feet four and his body is muscly but lean. He radiated power of authority. ''Kyle. It has been a long time'' Aero said, his face smiling. He clearly didn''t feel guilty doing what he did. Kyle only smiles bitterly ''Is it? Has it really been that long. My memory is still blurry'' Kyle replies. Aero nodded in agreement. Truth is he didn''t know whether it has been long or brief moment since they used to meet each other What is happening toward them right now is a mystery ''Me too'' Aero said. And Kyle shows a sad smile. Then there was a little bit of silence between them. They look at each other with bitter smiles. They remember each other and the feeling between them is complicated. To Aero it might not be that complicated but for Kyle, his heart has always been complicated when he is with Aero. As Aero remembers his past defeating Vetten invasion force Kyle too remember that event. But he also remembers how he defected to Vanheim and gain glorious appointment into the military. Fall because of Aero, rise because of Aero. What an ironic fate! Aero then said ''Since we are granted new life, then let us treat bygones be bygones'' Kyle nodded ''Yes. It is better we sort all these feeling after we get out of this purgatory'' Around them there is chatter all around. People are beginning interacting with other people and talking. Everyone have different reaction to this sudden weird event. The wind of the Plain blows slowly but one could feel the slow tension that is building up. ''You still remember the war?'' Kyle suddenly ask ''Which one?'' Aero still did not remember everything. One of the most recent memories he remembers was the Feats of the Western gate and his identity and a few of his quest and journey Other than that, his memory is still full of fog of mystery and uncertainty. Kyle look at Aero and it is clear he still didn''t remember everything. He too did not remember everything ''I guess I remember the war and you remember other things'' Kyle finally said. Aero nodded. His eyes are scanning his environment ''Still have all your magician skills?'' Aero asked. Kyle flick his finger and fire forms on the tip of his fingers. He smiles and nodded with that smug smile. Aero just shakes his head, there is a smile on his face. His mind is already thinking about the quest. But there is one thing that is still nagging on the back of his mind It is better to clear it up before he made the next move ''What is the memory you remember?'' Kyle sighed ''I guess it is not that important to treat it as a secret. Since sooner or later you will remember it, it would be better to just say it to you now.'' Then he come closer to Aero and explain to him what he remembers ''The march to Duvar. King Edward march to Duvar and was elected as the Holy Emperor of Vanheim by the Holy Capital of Duvar. We fought a battle when there is some Niovar rebels that tried to attack the King. You surmise it was Veva intervention but we never found any proof. We were together fighting side by side in the battlefield though you hide my merit from the King'' Aero still did not remember about that particular memory but he said ''That does sound like me. But if I do hide your merit, don''t you think I have my own reasons?'' Aero knows one thing about himself. If he had done such thing and Kyle knows about it and still stays in the Imperial Court, then that only means he still treats Kyle as his ally. If he really thought of Kyle as his enemies, he as the Chancellor of Vanheim would not let him live in the same realm as him. He would either be dead or stripped so much of his power that he couldn''t even resist. Kyle nodded and said ''I know. After I calm my heart and thinking about the matter for a while, knowing your normal methods, there must be a reason why you did that. Because even after that, in my memories, we still get along just fine. I just couldn''t remember why ''Well, you and me both'' Aero replied. Then now that his curiosity has been sated, he asks ''Did you get the quest too?'' ''To find the Gate?'' Kyle asked back. Aero nodded Kyle then could understand immediately why Aero is asking him this ''You want to team up?'' Aero smiles and said. ''I like smart people'' He then added ''It is better than doing it alone. And looking at it, we are not the only ones that think of such ideas'' Aero then pointed to other people in the distance. They walked to each other and they too seem to all know each other. Kyle was a decisive man and he said ''Fine. It could be worse'' Aero smiles. ''Where should we go?'' He asked. As Aero is about to answer, Aero saw something in the distance. A large figure walking with four legs. Kyle did not see it but anyone that is looking at the same direction that Aero is looking right now is also shocked to see it. In the distance is a sabretooth tiger appearing out of nowhere in the horizon. Its height is around eight feet A monster! He thought to himself. Before Aero could even exclaimed, the sound of screams could be heard. ARGHH! People are running around in the distance as the monster dash forward, to the crowd of people, killing the unprepared easily with a swipe of its paw Kyle immediately turn his head and saw the beast in the distance ''What the hell?'' A voice sounded in his mind QUEST Kill the sabretooth monster or survive until it is killed or moved away. Kill reward: Four skill points Surviving reward: Two skill point Aero then look at Kyle and ask confidently ''What should we do?'' But when he asks this question to Kyle, his eyes are already brimming with the intent to fight And Kyle could also feel it, that fighting desire and the killing intent that is slowly being unleashed by Aero ''Should we try to kill it?'' Kyle ponder the question for a while. He looks at Aero and while there is still many he did not remember he remember that this Aero that look like a weak scholar, having lean body and look gentle on the outside, have some divine power that enables him to fight off forty thousand soldiers by his lonesome. He could be considered a one-man army. Even though he was the Chancellor and respected by the scholars of Vanheim, the military hardliners respected him more and his status in the military is the same as Duke Bradheim The fact that small body could radiate ferociousness that would overwhelm even the most powerful beast is not something that Kyle would forget And Kyle himself is not too shabby. He is a General of the army and his skills in magic made him formidable and famous. His magic could bring heat from beneath the world and change water into spiking snow. While his skill is not considered Supreme rank skills, he is still able to keep toe to toe with the many other great magicians in the Vilajeri Continent He snorted and look at Aero with that intent to challenge. Aero smiles and laughed. Kyle look at the beast in the distance and there is no trace of fear in his eyes. He too got the quest and he too wanted the skill points. If he could raise his Fire Magic skills to Advanced level, he would gain more power. So, he laughed with that fearless attitude, and he brought out his staff. the staff behind his back turns into a flash of light and appearing on his palm and instantly morphs into his staff again. Aero could already guess his answer and he smiles. Kyle look at him and said with an excited tone ''Let''s go'' Aero nodded but he did not yet move from his spot. In the distance some people who were late to responded was instantly being eaten by the sabretooth tiger Those people turn into motes of light before disappearing to the boundless blue sky above. They did not immediately resurrect and they did not appear and that is when Aero had a hunch. He had a hunch that they would reappear after this matter is concluded. Whether the sabretooth dies under the hands of the people, or all the people here dies and the sabretooth went away. In the end, if you do not fight you would die and lose your skills. Aero eyes shines with a killing glint, like a predator looking at his prey. If the only choice is that, then it is better for me to fight. ''Should I use the saber?'' He asked himself He looks around at the chaos that the monster is wreaking right now and he said to himself with a sly smile on his face. ''I guess it would be a little cooler to use my saber instead of my bare hand'' Aero could also see that not all people are as defenseless. Some people are coming forward to kill the monster. After all, if they all work together, it probably would be easy to kill the monster. Aero then take one last look and he saw there is no Zeus and he smiles as he nodded to Kyle. Then looking at the sky he said ''If there is no Zeus here, then I have no match!'' Smiling he unsheathe his saber and the cry of dragons could be heard. Then he shouted ''Let''s go!'' Kyle and Aero rushed forward to the battle that is ongoing on the crowd of people. ********************************************************** Finally there is action. This world is not yet the Viljaeri COntinent but kind of like Purgatory. If you ntoice no one was weirded out by the voice in their heads. You, the readers know that they are people from Earth Two (If you read Lord Shadow you know what I mean) and was transported into the game Brave World. But waht you dont know is who trsnported them, what is this Western Heavens and the endgame of thsoe who send them to the world game other than the fact that Takashi wnated to save humanity from the meteor. But is is really that simple? Anyway, hope you like the chapter. And if you like it leave some comments and please vote for teh stroy. You coudl also check my youtube channle and subscribe to show your support. I jsut post thinsg about idols there so those who are not on those scene, you might not like it. See you all tomorrow. Chapter 212 THE CHAOS 1 ROAR! The beast roars as its roar reverberated across the Plain. It then rushes toward the crowd of people and started slashing them with its claws and eating them like they were some snack of food as its body is being pricked by many weapons but like its fur is made of metal only the sound of clanging metals could be heard. In the distance, some Druids raise up the terrain underneath the feet of the beast. But it seems like it could not even slow the sabretooth. It is agile and swift. As the terrain was raised up, it follows the flow of the area, jumping down and sometime using the terrain to its advantages as it keeps attacking the people. The warrior was the first one that attacked it. People wielding spears, and sword rushed forward. One swipe of the sabretooth beast, it slices them into two and they disappeared into motes of light that rises up to Heaven But their death did not deter the fighting spirt of these warrior. Some of them are weak, but the weaker they are the more they wanted to kill the beast and get the skill points. Behind them some magicians are sneak attacking the beast. Winds, water, fire and ice are all intertwined as it tries to attack the beats. But the beast is not some unmoving target. While some of the magic landed on it, it is quick on its feet as it mowed down the warrior and targeted the magician that is known to have weak physical body. Just by ramming its gigantic massive frame it is enough to kill those weak magicians. Archers in the distance tries to aim at its eyes. But to their surprise their arrows is not effective against the sabretooth tiger like its fur is made of metal. The beast while being attacked by hundreds of people and had many wounds, it is after all still a powerful beast Some of those that are weak to begin with had been trampled underneath its large paws while some other experience death by its claws. Each time it smacks its paw to the ground, the ground trembles and the earth crack apart. Each time it slashes its paw horizontally sharp wind gust follows that attack shredding the body of those who were to close or to slow to dodge or jump away. Aero was on the back and he would be joining later but it won''t matter. After all, the beast is not yet dead. As he run forward, his speed is like the wind. Aero had the fighting spirit skill and that is a Superior rank skill. His strength was already godly and as his fighting spirt burns, each time he took a step, the wind around him is on the verge of breaking creating a powerful gust that spiral around him as he run forward with the speed of lightning. The ground around him cracked into a web like pattern as it spread from the point of his feet impact As Aero rushed forward there was also a few people that wanted to gain the reward and trying to participate the battle. Aero passes them by and they were thrown backward by the surrounding force surrounding Aero at the moment he was running. The moment they felt that gust and saw that there is person running with wind gust spiraling out of control around the trails he left behind, those people change their intention to join the battle. They only sighed regretfully as they look at Aero back Behind Aero, is a man riding a ball of fire underneath his feet. ''Fuck!'' He cursed as he looks at his companion His companion also sighed. ''It is not worth it! It is not like we are going to win if there is a person like that joining the battle'' His companion nodded in agreement He then said ''It is better we find a place to hide and survive until the end. If we are too greedy then we might end up as those warriors'' The other friend nodded They were about to go to the other side to avoid the hustle and bustle on the center area when suddenly he stopped. ''What? Why are you stopping Westley? We need to hurry up. It seems we are not the only one thinking of only surviving. Let those people bet their lives. Don''t change your mind right now'' Westley shake his head and said ''I am not changing my mind. I am just wondering about something'' He looks back at the two figure that was about to join the battle with the monster and suddenly his eyes widened. ''Don''t you think that man wearing the white robe look familiar?'' ''Hmm?'' His other companion said as he too stopped his movement and look back behind him. Then like he realizes something, he gulped ''Aero of the East!'' They both said at the same time. Then laughing at themselves they said It is better not to provoke him. Who doesn''t know Aero of the East, Zeus of the North and Ariana of the South? His friend nodded as they quickly move away from the center of that battle. The booming of the magical spells and the sound of metal clanging echoes in this plain as the wind bring the smell of death and the atmosphere around the plain turns murderous and full of death Aero did not realize he pass those two people as his fighting spirit was brought out to the maximum. His eyes now have a certain pressure that could made a person tremble from their souls and the aura around him is getting stronger the closer he is coming to the beast His body could endure the speed that his body is moving because of his Divine Endurance which is at the Supreme Rank. Basically he has an unlimited stamina. He could even bear the weight of the world that Atlas have been punished for. Behind him Kyle is having difficulties following him but then Aero suddenly stopped. They finally arrived at the area of the battle. In the distance battle raged on with no sides discernible. Kyle dispel his magical fire wheel and floated down beside Aero. ''What? Why did you stop?'' ''Look'' Aero said. Kyle look in front of him and all he could see was chaos all around. There is magic thrown around, spears and javelin thrown about. Some of them did not even reach the sabretooth. Because of the chaos, their spells and thrown weapon instead of attacking the beast, it attacked them. In the fog of war and the chaos this is understandable. But for some reason Kyle felt like there is something wrong about this battlefield. Something very wrong. ''They should have been calmer.'' Kyle said. As they were talking, a spear suddenly comes out from an explosion of the ground. The spear is made from the combination of stones and soil and its tips is so sharp that the reflection of the plain could be seen on it. It is an offensive magic attack. And it is clear that magic attack is aimed at Kyle head. Kyle did not even have time to react to this sudden unprovoked attack before the spear is in front of his eyes. He closed his eyes waiting for his death but he did not feel anything. Opening back his eyes he saw the spear stopped short only a few inches from his forehead. He took a step back and saw that Aero hold the end of the spear. Aero was smiling as he was holding the spear. ''You should have been more cautious, Kyle'' Aero said. His eyes seem to be shining with a glint of murderousness His eyes seem to be looking at some direction of the battlefield. He saw a man in a magician robe quickly hidden himself into the chaos of the battle after his attempt at assassination failed. Then he grasps it tightly as the spear of earth exploded and turns into debris of stones and soils falling to the ground Aero closes his eyes for a moment, taking a breath as he soaked up this atmosphere of death and despair. He then opens his eyes again and pointed at the battlefield. ''Look again'' Aero said. Kyle nodded and then look at the battlefield again. He saw the same thing he sees before. Death, killing and a new scene. Greed. ''Ah'' he said. He finally understands why he was targeted. He finally understands why he felt so weird when he saw the battlefield before. ********************************************************** The second part is tomorrow. Hope you enjoy it till now. Leave some comments and don''t forget to vote Chapter 213 THE CHAOS 2 Aero smiles as he could see Kyle could see what he could see. Aero nodded and then said at Kyle ''Yes'' Kyle nodded too and sighed. ''They are not confused'' Kyle stated matter-of-factly. ''Not at all'' Aero replies with a smirk on the corner of his mouth. ''They are obstructing each other'' Kyle added. Aero nodded in agreement Then he said ''And while they are obstructing each other, the beast is healing itself. Even though I expected this to happen, I still didn''t like seeing it. Ah, the burden of always being right'' Kyle understood it when he saw the battlefield for the second time. It was not they were mistakenly attack the other because of the chaos of the battle. It was they targeted each other intentionally. Nobody wanted the other to kill the beast and get that skill points. Maybe the Heavens has also predicted this. Maybe that is why they sent only one beast. With all of these people fighting to get that reward, who would be so generous to help weaken the beast so that other could get the reward? Isn''t that kill steal? As the people fights each other, each other preventing the other from killing that beast and get that skill point, the beast tore through one of the other lines of people and escape the encirclements. Beneath its paw is bloody red trails as the people stop their attack against each other the moment the beast broke from their area. Like they have made prior agreement, they stopped attacking each other. Then they chased the beast and they did not hesitate to pour down all their attacks on it. But weirdly enough, each time the beast gets weak enough that someone could kill it, the battle will once again turn its target to people versus people. No one wanted to sacrifice their hard earned work for other people sake. And each time they clashed ten thousand of them die and turned into motes of lights that ascended to the skies, like they are leaving this world of pain and deceit. Even those that did not want to get entangled with this were swept by it. What they are seeing right now is war! Hundreds of thousands live disappeared in the few seconds of each clash. But if this is a war, this a messy war. Everyone is fighting for themselves and only for themselves. Someone beside you could stab you on the side and the those that stab you on the side will then get stab by someone behind them Nobody trusted anyone and nobody could sacrifice themselves. Of course there are some of them who are smart and form partnership with people they trust. But even that trust is built upon the concept of benefit. Aero could see that while the humans fight among themselves that one beast that should have been killed numerous times if they really focused on killing it, escaped again It would then regain back its strength, break away from the encirclement and then the battle stopped as they changed their target back to the beast before the cycle of greed continues. ''This beast is very smart, logical even'' Aero said it to himself. Kyle also could see the intense clash between people and he click his tongue in dissatisfaction. Clearly what they thought an easy job is proving to become harder than they expected. ''What should we do?'' Kyle said as he watched at this pitiful battle. Aero smiles and then crack his neck a bit. Then he said ''You see; I don''t like killing people with my hand. Do you know why?'' Kyle look at Aero and he shake his head. He knows he is about to break out his monologue again. But since he is used to it, he plays along with it. ''Don''t tell me is because you care for the sanctity of life or some shit like that'' Kyle said. ''Because if you said that, that is the funniest joke I heard from you'' Aero smirks and then reply ''That is rather crude of you but no. I did not like to kill because when I kill I look like a brute. I like my image. I have this image of a peerless strategist, determining the outcome of a battle from the comfort of my residence and a respected scholar that advises the King. If people see me killing people in the battlefield like a butcher of men, how could I maintain that image? And I hated feeling the splash of blood on my skin. It is sticky and one could not say it has a pleasant smell'' Kyle then ask ''You mean you will not participate in this battle?'' He knows that if Aero really unleash his full power he could be very deadly. He is like Aero. He did not recover all of his memory yet but he does remember a few vague memories of how Aero appearing to be invincible in the field of battle. Aero look at Kyle like he could not believe what he said. Then he said. ''Who said that?'' His eye glint with killing intent. Aero is doing his best to restrain his killing intent from coming out. ''There is no common people here. No people of Vanheim. We are all the people of Western Heaven. And this is not Vilajeri Continent. This is Purgatory'' Kyle laughed and nodded as he understands what Aero is trying to say to him ''Then should we target the beast when it escaped and kill it? Or should we kill it when these people are busy killing each other? Though that would make ourselves a target since they would surely not let us easily to kill their prey'' Kyle asked. Aero did not answer immediately. When he saw this chaos in the distance he had already thought of another plan. He wanted to kill the beast but there is also something he need to confirm. And to him, that was more important than having that five skill point rewards. He then asks ''Do you trust me Kyle?'' ''Never'' he said but he gestures for Aero to continue. Aero only shake his head and smiles bitterly. ''We can do that or we can confirm something. Let me preface this by saying, you would not come out of the agreement and find yourself wanting'' Kyle was silent for a second before he said ''What do you want to confirm?'' Aero look at the battlefield and his eyes is looking at all of the people fighting, clashing and killing each other like they were in hell and this fight is their eternal punishment There is this one word that come to his mind when he was running toward the beast. Then he said to Kyle ''Achievement'' ''What?'' Kyle did not understand what Aero is trying to say ''I want to know if our deeds would become an achievement that the Heavens would reward'' Kyle then think over it and he nodded ''An achievement that the Heavens would reward? Like what?'' Aero look in front of him and said with a chilling smile. ''Like killing all of these people'' And he smiles evilly. ************************************************************************ Next chapter tomorrow. And let the savage side of Aero released! Chapter 214 SNEAKING Aero look at the battle and the sea of people killing and motes of light rising up to the sky and he know this is the perfect place to show and use all of his savageness. When they return back to Vilajeri Continent, there would not be many occasion where he could let loose like this. He could train his body and remember back how to fight. There is nothing for him to be afraid of. He has his invincible body and there is no Zeus or Arianna here. There is no rival that could even made him sweat. He is practically matchless here. Since he did not have to worry about those people, why would he not try to confirm what is on his mind right now? As he was thinking of all this benefits and reasons, Kyle was thinking for a while about Aero plans and then he asks Aero. ''What is in it for me?'' Aero smiles. He likes people like Kyle who is easy to talk to. ''The sabretooth.'' Aero replied. Kyle eyes widened ''You would let me kill it?'' Aero nodded. Kyle then think about it for a moment, then he nodded slowly. ''I''m in'' Aero let out a chuckle. ''Good. Then you try to kill the sabretooth while I sneak into the battlefield killing as many people as I can. Do remember that don''t kill the sabretooth to early. When you are about to kill, I bet everyone will want to stop you killing it. At that time, you just have to retreat and let them fight among themselves. I want you to create chaos so my presence in the battlefield could not be identify. I will sneak among these people and kill them one by one. By the time they realized I was there, it would be too late'' Then laughing Aero said coldly. ''By the end, it will only be you and me on the battlefield'' It was a pretty optimistic conclusion. Kyle then look at Aero and ask ''Will you betray me?'' He said ta very calmly like he was talking about the weather. Aero smiles and said ''I could kill you right now'' Aero said calmly and Kyle laugh. He understands what Aero is saying. Considering his strength, he did not need to lie to him right now. Even if Aero wanted to betray him could he stop him? Kyle do not underestimate himself and his power but facts are fact. He knows for a fact that if he fought with Aero, he would be dead. Since Aero said that, then Kyle instead of feeling mad or cautions, he felt at ease. Since he knows it is worthless to worry about, he could be at ease. That is why Aero said it like that. Because he knows Kyle could understand. Even Aero himself do not know why he was so sure that Kyle would understand what he was trying to say and the meaning behind it. He then thought to himself. Maybe before the calamity, he and Kyle is good friends or something Kyle nodded and said ''Fine. I''ll do that'' Then he did not say anything else as he rushes to the battle. Aero on the other hand quickly move away from the battle and disguise himself It is his most basic skill He uses two of his skill points to level up his disguise skill. Out of the three skill points he had got from choosing his noble house, now he only has one He checks the Disguise skill status window. DISGUISE [II] ADEPT RANK Able to disguise to be a monster and people that you have encountered or defeated. As the ranks increase you can learn to disguise to other thing even lifeless things. It would be better if you train using this regularly to accustom yourself with the transformation. Restriction: Must defeated the monster that you want to disguise. Helps if you can focus the feature of the thing you wanted to disguise. -Require three skill points to rank up the skill- Then he disguises himself perfectly to a generic face. It is one of the soldiers he killed in the battle in front of the gate of Veva. Smiling and satisfied with his disguise he rushes to the battlefield. As he rushes to the battlefield he notices that a warrior had seen him disguise himself. And form the look of shock on his face, that person recognize who he really is. Aero of the East face is not a secret to many people. He is one of the most recognizable face in Vilajeri Continent and that was the reason he disguises himself. If they knew Aero of the East is among them, then without a doubt, fearing him and his power, all of these people would turn their target to him That is why Aero take the time to use the Disguise skill on himself. Lizhu Gerard must also have such difficulties in his rise to power No wonder Disguise is a legacy skill Aero heart constricted before he changes his direction. He made his decision in a split second He had to shut that man up. And the only way to shut up such a person in this battlefield of greed is to kill him. With a lightning speed movement, he instantly appeared in front of the man and before he could even say his name and spread it to the rest of the battlefield, Aero slash down his saber and split that man into two. As his blood spurted out from his split intestine like he was some kind of a blood bank that is leaking its content, he turned into motes of light that rises up into the blue skies. Then as the screams and the explosion sound echoes and reverberates in this battlefield of chaos, Aero moved like a ghost among people as he killed them swiftly and efficiently. Not ten second have passed and he already killed seven people He moved about in the battlefield, his existence seems to be hidden by the chaos and death, while the sound of his footstep is drowned by the screams and shouting. He was so calm walking on the battlefield that it was almost like he was walking on the park. With every move he will swing his saber to a person. And each time, his saber will cut cleanly and quickly. By now he had killed twenty people, each of them did not know who kill them and why. The explosion in the distance as magic power distorts the air drown the noise of the scream and despair of those who were sacrificed to his blade. He saw a person about to kill someone from behind. It was clear that this sneaky killer is the friend of that person. That other person is also stupid to show his back. Aero could see the smirk on that sneaky person and Aero smiles. He moves swiftly, his feet sidestepped a corpse as his feet rushed toward that person, his eyes glinted with killing intent Aero possess a large amount of killing intent that would create a mist of hazy red fog if he ever unleashed it. But he manages to restrain all of that killing intent into his eyes. If anyone see his gaze their mind would be attacked by an illusion of death and never-ending torture of pain. Because his gaze contained all of his killing intent and the hell of that battle in front of Veva Gate. All of his experience and memories of killing people in the Vetten war and in Veva, all of that killing intent nourished by the resentment of the dead were all condensed into his gaze. It would be no surprise that whoever saw his gaze, unless they possess powerful will would be instantly thrown into a hell of bloodshed ************************************************************************* If you alos notice, the skills before that was more gamelike, in this new world, the skilsl they have seems to be more real. It wa slike they truly posses the pwoer and it is even affected by many other factors insated of only stats and levels. Even emotiosn is a factor. I won''t give too much spoilers. After all the story is just beginning. Anyway, see you all tomorrow. Don''t forget to leave some gifts, commenst and please vote for the stroy if you enjoy it. Chapter 215 - SAVAGERY Aero kept moving on this path of blood and death, that scholarly demeanor has all dissipated, leaving only the savage part of him that he had always keep hidden His eyes are the eye of a predator. It is blood red and it is calm. Each time Aero eyes turns red, he restrains his heart. One could go insane if they don''t possess a powerful willpower to restrain his killing intent. As he arrived behind that unsuspecting victim, Aero lifted his saber with an aloof expression and swiped at his head. A scream of pain drowns out by the roar of the beast in the distance hide his pitiful death That person head flew up and he died with his eye wide opens. While other people could not hear the scream, the person in front of the man Aero just killed, hear the scream. He turned around swiftly ready to attack but Aero deflected that sword heading to him by using his saber. The man arms felt like he just punches into a wall of metal. Before he could organize his next move, Aero hand moved forward and grabbed that man throat. That man tries to struggle and break free from Aero grip. But to his shock, he finds that the grip on his throat is as hard as metal as he could not budge that grip no matter how he struggles. Shock and despair appeared in his eyes. He could not understand why this person targeted him. If Aero could hear what this person thought right now he would laugh. Everyone in this battlefield targeted everyone. The fact that this person still survives after leaving his back to someone else in a battlefield where everyone is out for themselves is what dumbfounded Aero. Aero only shook his head looking pitifully at him and without mercy squeezed with his left hand and a bang sound rang in the air. That man head exploded turning into a firework of blood and meat and Aero moved away quickly, his white robe was stained with red blood. Melding into the chaotic background of this battle, Aero stalk his next victim He keeps killing people and by now his kill count has reached fifty people when Aero sense senses something and he turned around. Someone is looking at him with killing intent. Then he felt that change in the air and his eyes narrowed, and his body moved. He dodges to the side as a spear whistled past him. If that spear hit his body, it would be nothing for him. But it would reveal his identity. Everyone who knows Aero of the East knows that had that peculiar ability to be immune to normal weapons. The moment that his identity being revealed, Aero had no doubt that the entire Plain would want to kill him. It is also why he wanted to kill these people other than trying out his theory of achievement. When he kills them they would turn into motes of light and when this quest ended, they will return back to life. But they would surely be weaker with one of their skills erased. At that time, even Aero had his identity revealed he would at least suffer a little bit less considering that others would probably be weaker than him. He is just taking precaution. Now, someone had targeted him even when he is wearing a disguise and nearly destroy his plan. He looks toward a distance and saw a woman. She was wearing green armor and she was surrounded by five people. ''Who is she?'' Aero thought. If Aero was not so high in his status, he would have known this woman. In Aero journey in Vilajeri Continent, there was only a few people that is worth his attention. There is Zeus in the Northern Region, one of the strongest warrior in the world and possess the love of Olympus and its Gods. Then there is Arianna of the South with her divine ability from the Church of Light. Other than these two person, no one could make him concerned. But to many people of the battlefield and the other people, there is many heroes and heroine in Vilajeri Continent. If Aero, Ariana and Zeus is called the Three Great Pillars then this woman in green is just below them in status and recognition Of course if the woman knew she just provoked one of the Three Great Pillars she would be running for her life right now. But Aero is wearing a disguise and his face is as generic as it was. There is nothing extraordinary and striking about his feature. It is a forgettable face This woman is the so called Lady of Vanan. Vanan federation is one of those regime that fell when Ariana of Zun expand her conquest eastward. She is one of the rebel leaders fighting the occupation of the Church in her land. For the people of Vanan she is a hero and she is also very powerful figure controlling many of the rebel factions in the South. The three people protecting her is none other than her companion. They remembered each other and they immediately offer their services to her. But many people don''t know her Legacy. She got the Legacy of Fiore. Fiore is a legendary tracker. She could track everything and no form of concealments, disguises or hiding formation could hide from her eyes. But clearly she did not master her skill to ultimate level yet considering she couldn''t see Aero real appearance hiding behind that generic face. Aero on the other hand look at that woman with killing intent. It is clear when he hides the only one that could see him was her and not the other three people. The other three people is trying to catch up to his speed but their eyes and perception is not fast enough. That woman for some weird reason, even though her reaction is slow and she could not follow his speed, she could always pinpoint where he was. Aero felt like every path he took is revealed to her. And that is not a good feeling for him. He tries to think who this woman was and whether his memory has her in it. Aero actually read once about her. While Aero did not recognize her, if Kyle was here he would surely recognize her. Of course Aero also got her information from his spies but he couldn''t remember her. Not to mention, even his memories did not return in full yet. Other than those he had met and feel strongly about, he did not remember a person who is, for lack of a better word, small fry. All he knew that woman could see him even when he is trying to hide himself among the crowd ''I need to kill her first'' He decided in his heart. He could see those five people are guarding her very tightly. Around her anyone that near her, would be killed by his three bodyguard. This might deter other people but to Aero this kind of thing is just a mere decoration. Aero killing intent is roaring to get out but he stays calm and did not himself be controlled by his emotions right now. ''I will kill you'' A person was about to attack him and Aero did not even spare that approaching person a glance as he just swings his saber casually as that person entire body split into two and flew into two different directions. His left part of the body flew to the left and his right side of the body fell to the right. ''The moment I arrive in front of you, you will die'' Aero said without uttering a word. He knew the woman could see her so he spoke without a word so that woman could read his lips. The moment that woman saw it her face turns pale but there is also this trace of defiance in her eyes. Aero snickers as he decided to let off that woman with warning. That is enough he thinks to himself. He thinks this is enough to intimidate that woman as he once again melded into the battle ground. The woman in the green robe look at that area her eyes narrowing and she said to her bodyguards ''We need to keep a look out for that person before. He is catching up to me'' Her bodyguard nodded as the grip their weapons tighter. This woman eyes could still catch the figure of that man while her bodyguard has lost him. Her eyes turn cold as she said ''People who talk big, always die first'' ********************************************************************* A new character has apperead as Aero is slwoly accumulating his kill count. Would not say too mcuh on this chapter. Though, I still hope to read your comments. And like always leave some votes and gifts. Hehehe Chapter 216 - THE WOMAN IN THE GREEN ROBE Aero put the encounter on the back of his mind as he continues trying to confirm his suspicion. Aero smiles as there is a chilling glare that appeared in his eyes. He is hunting now. He walks in the battlefield with a moderate pace, unruffled by all the deaths and the deafening sound of screams. Roars of the beast and the sound of battle rose and feel in his ears. But none of it could arouse that desire to rampage or join them. He was not swept by the emotion of the crowd, instead his heart is like a sheathed sword. Only when it is unsheathed that blood boiling feeling of wanting to kill would surge out. He is conserving it. He also did not feel excited in the least. This war is a simple war. A messy dirty war. There is only greed in this war. There is no good rival or a challenge. To him, he was there to just confirm something. An unexpected variable thrown into the world of greed. In this kind of world, he thrives as he manipulates their greed. Kyle did his job well. When he wanted to kill steal, the people would try to stop him and in that chaos he could kill anyone he wanted. And because there is no comrade here other than a few people, nobody noticed that these people were killed and even if they are noticed, other people won''t care. To then, that is one less competitor. He only had one goal form this battle. To confirm his guess. And he is using the lives of all these people to prove it. And his plan could not be executed if that woman keep checking his movement. Aero kill count now has reached seventy-five people. The Killing Intent around him is roaring and his eyes is feeling heavy and turns red. It wanted to be released ''It is not enough!'' Aero thought. Aero keep killing but when he reached eighty people a spear flew to him again. Aero dodged it effortlessly like he was stepping on the wind and glide to his side. Aero quickly identified who his attacker was. This time it is one of those five people that guard the woman. However, this man seems to venture a bit far from the woman and his four other companion. Aero had a murderous glint in his eyes. He is slightly getting annoyed of this constant disruption. ''He could only track me because of that woman'' he thought to himself. It seems that woman is really guarded against him. Why? Then in the distance with his eyesight he could see that the woman is doing the same thing as he did. Killing people secretly. Then something dawned on him. Is that why? And he smiles Aero had thought that if he killed at least ten people, there would be an achievement. But even after he killed eight people, there is no such announcement or voice of heaven sounding out inside his mid. Seeing that green robed woman, Aero think of a reason why. The most plausible reason was because someone else have taken that achievement. And the reason why she keeps interfering with him is because she is aiming higher kill count but maybe her killing speed is not as fast as him and she fear that he would surpass her and get the next achievement Which is why she sent his people to slow him down. Aero think of all this in a second and once he forms the conclusion, he did not hesitate to move. Especially as he saw the tide of the battlefield has changed again The crowd of people is moving again as the sabretooth once again break the encirclement and the crowd of people move with it. It was during these chaos of people moving Aero rush forward like fierce tiger and then with one graceful slash of his saber cut apart that person right arm and then before he had the opportunity to scream in pain Aero followed up with an upward slash from his crotch to his head, splitting him apart from bottom to top. He died almost instantly. Aero smiles. Now there is only four he thought to himself, as he closes one of his eyes. The moment he opens it again, there is this sharp glare. ''My hand is shaking in excitement. I really should not let this side of me known to the world or my effort of cultivating an image of an elegant scholar would be a waste'' He moves again, and as he swings his saber, lives were reaped, and a seed of fear was sown, killing some people who were slow in following the crowds. Now he has killed around ninety people. In the distance, the woman eyes turn cold but there is also a trace of anxiety. She seems to be pondering something. Then she asks herself a question, hoping that her mind could find the answer. Like voicing the question out loud could help her thinking process ''That person¡­who is he? Did he know about achievement too? Why is someone doing all this if they didn''t know about the achievement feature by the Heavens?'' She said it out loud. The Four people guarding the woman did not offer any answer, only loyally guarding her while looking coldly at Aero. One of their guards had just got killed almost instantly by a slash. They know their friends. He is a powerful warrior. Whoever that man is, he must not be an unknown. He must be famous in Vilajeri Continent but none of the four people including the woman ever remembers seeing such face ''Whatever the case, we must not let him get one hundred kills. If he gets it, then I won''t get it'' The other four people nodded as the battle in the Plain continues. ************************************************************************** This chapter is a little short. I had to cut it at this part because I was swamped and the next chapter was still under constrcution. I then decided to release the next chapter with a slightly longer chapter tomorrow. Do be patient. And like always, leave some comments and don''t forget to vote. Chapter 217 - ACHIEVEMENT On the other hand, Aero once again follow the crowd of people from behind as he stops killing for a while and calm his beating heart full of killing desires the battle now slowly moving forward east as the people is chasing the beast once again. It was like the beast is the bait and the fish is these people lives. Then the fisherman is none other than the Heavens. Then as they attacked the beast, Kyle once again appear out of nowhere and attacked the beats nearly killing the beast. At that time Aero felt his heart beating fast. If Kyle accidentally killed the beast, then his plan would crumble to pieces. Thankfully one of the warrior shielded the sabretooth from its attack. They all glared at Kyle. Like Aero their heart was also beating fast when they saw Kyle nearly kill the beast, though their reason is different. They have been fighting this battle from the very beginning, each one of them wanted to kill the sabretooth and claim the skill points. How could they let anyone get their rewards? In their minds, they are the one that should kill that beast. This war, this battle is like a sieving net, filtering those who are unlucky and weak. Kyle brush the attempt on his life with a smile as he jumps back into the fray of battle and a large explosion erupted with him as the center. Many motes of light flew into the skies as the fire claim any victims that had burns. Some of those powerful warrior takes their knife and cut away the burning meat on their body without hesitation. They gritted their teeth withstanding the pain as they keep fighting others. But Aero eyes is focused on that fire flower blooming in the middle of the battlefield. ''It must be one of his skills'' Aero thought to himself. ''Huu'' Then Aero heaved a sigh of relief. Kyle once again managed to hide himself among the crowd of the people as he went to the other side of the battlefield. Then the people once again started fighting each other and many more people died in droves. The area of the sky seems glittering with gold fireworks as those motes of light keep flowing to the blue skies. Booming sound kept coming continuously from all directions as these people fought against each other And while people see golden sky color Aero felt different. Maybe because he has the skill Killing Intent, the feeling he felt from that sky is a little bit different than other person. He felt despair, resentment, and many other emotions swirling in the skies and this oppressive feeling that is hostile towards life. All of it was full of anger and dissatisfaction. People see a golden sky but Aero saw a bright red dark skies that seems to expand in four directions. The more people get killed, the larger that red dark skies become. It seems like it could almost envelop the entire sky of the plain. ''Killing Intent'' he muttered to himself. On the battlefield, warriors fought each other as loud booming sound that shook the sky and earth reverberated in the air. The wind howls and space distorted. Magicians fight using the elements of the world while Druid uses the terrains to confuse and even buried their enemies with their ability to control the element of natures. The clash and battle between all the people grew more intense as they are many people that tries to kill the sabretooth before being bombarded by thousands of attack spells. They could no even approach the beast before turning into ashes. The land ripple with heat distortion as large flame erupted in the middle of the battlefield claiming the lives of thousands of people. Aero did not linger much time looking at the sky as he rushes to another part of the battlefield, his saber ready to take more lives. Aero charged into the flames and he kills people in the flame and then as his saber cut the one hundred person he killed today, a cold voice sounded in his ears Aero Carlingian have unlocked the achievement of One Hundred Man Killer Requirement: killing one hundred people in the Purgatory Title received: One Hundred Man Killer Title Perks: Increased killing intent and if fought against one hundred people, strength will increase against your enemies as their resistance against you would be lowered with Heaven helping you to suppress them It was then Aero could feel that there is some kind of energy around his body and his saber. Then before he could continue his killing another voice sounded in his ears. Aero Carlingian have unlocked the achievement of Saber Master Requirement: killing one hundred people in the Purgatory using a saber Title received: Saber Master Title Perks: Increased comprehension of the saber and each saber strike would have the trace of power of the world Why did he not get Ten Man Killer or fifty-man killer before? He asks himself and he smiles as he could guess the answer. Someone else had got the title! Then his mind quickly recalled about that woman in green, and his smile turns dark. ''So, it''s you. No wonder you keep trying to interfere with me'' Now that he knows Aero no longer could ignore that woman. Ripples of power is gathering around him. His killing intent is almost too much for him to bear His eyes sparkled with the desire to do battle and then he push the ground beneath his feet as the ground beneath his feet exploded and he hurtles forward in a speed that is akin to a lightning bolt thrown from the Heavens itself. He looks like he was about to engage in a mass slaughter. He lifted his saber and swing it to a group of people who were fighting against each other. Aero killing intent was unleashed at that moment, his eyes sparkles like silver as dark red aura surrounded him, his hair turns long and even the blue skies above him seems to be affected as dark clouds seems to be gathering high above him. ******************************************************************** First achievement. Anyway, the story is just beginning. They are not even in the Vilajeri Continent yet they are alrady fighting. Chapter 218 - PLATEAU That group of people was fighting another group, each of them wanted to be the one to kill the beast. So, they decided to thin out the competition by killing anyone that is not on their side. Aero on the other hand is searching for that woman but that doesn''t mean he could not kill as he was looking for her. The group was around a dozen people and they were full of life even after fighting each other for a few minutes. They could be considered middle level fighter. Murderous air filled the area around them and their eyes is crazed. Like they were suppressing their fears and anxiety. The more they suppressed it, the crazier he looks. They both surrounded each other and no one knows who started the killing between them but now they have no other choice but to kill each other. They did not know that a bigger calamity is approaching them. Aero eyes are red like a pair of demon eyes in the darkness of Hell. His hair ruffled like there is a force field around him. Aero had made the right decision to disguise himself. If people could see how devious and evil his expression right now with dark red aura billowing from him, they could not reconcile the image of that scholarly divine strategist that waves the feather fan on his face with this slaughter god The battlefield has always been full of people who were bringing their bloodlust and madness as they attack. But none of them could match the thick aura on Aero body right now. As he passes a few people, they all died of a heart attack. He passed another people and that person drown in a personal hell before he kills himself. These people are low level warrior and combatants. Aero right now is like a might force that could not be stopped The saber on his hand is like the grim reaper scythe. Whirlwind sweeping across the area he passes by and as his saber moves, it disperse the lives of people on his range of attack He might look like a demon right now but Aero attack were calculated perfectly, severing life in the most efficient way possible. Some people have noticed the commotion on the back but they did not have the time to check it out. Not to mention, they are not on anybody side. Like Aero have surmised they are all fighting for their own benefit. Even if they wanted to pay attention to what is happening on the back, Kyle would always appear at the opportune moment and distract the sea of people with his antics of trying to kill the sabretooth. They could not afford to concentrate on the back and lose their prey right in front of their eyes. By now, Aero did not even keep count of how any had fallen under his saber. His killing intent only gotten stronger and stronger and it suffocates anyone who have low will power. Bloodlust shine in his eyes and each step he takes, is like Death walking on the mortal ground, taking lives with each step. But as his kill count is increasing the people have also started feeling suspicious. Before they felt it too. And now they feel it too True, everybody is fighting for their interest and benefits. But for some reason¡­. why couldn''t they stop killing. They too felt that there is something wrong that is happening. How could a simple quest turn into a full blown out war and why hasn''t it stopped. Aero was also weirded out in the beginning. It wasn''t until he knew that he wasn''t the only one stoking the flame that he finally understands But while the killing is continuing in the field of battle, somewhere else in the Plain, there is another development that is happening. In the distance while they were fighting for the beast, the people that did not participate in the large war for the skill points run on the other directions of the Plain. Some of them run to the north, and some of them run to the east. And those that have run away from the beast and the war, they have found something shocking because of that decision. Leading a group of people from his old domain was Marquis Dan. He was tall and muscly. He was wearing a white armor with the crest of a lion roaring standing on top of a mountain. He is from House Merovech. Like Aero he is the few people that got the privilege to choose one of the kingly noble houses If Aero had met him they could have teamed up together but it seems fate was not kind to both of them. Dan appeared far away from Aero position. Then he also made a different decision then the others It is because of that he never met with Aero. When other run to scramble for the skill points, he instead chose to bring some of those people he knew when he was Marquis away from the battle and death. Who would have thought that his decision would give him an edge of advantage over the others in the quest to seek the Gate? When he run to the East with other people of Western Heaven they run away fast and they run away far They are not like some people who joined the battle and then retreated after finding out that there is no hope for them to compete against the many elite people. Dan from the very beginning could see how that beast is a bait. If he had powers or abilities like Aero he would not have mind participating even though if he knew it was a bait, but he knows while he is strong, he alone could not fight a tide of men. And while he did not kill the possibility that he could still get the skill points, there is one stark difference between him and the other people that have equal power to him And that was, he is not greedy. When he saw the people of Western Heaven that resided in his fief, also scattered nearby him, he gathered them and promise them that he would protect them. They trusted Dan because he is the Marquis of the Empire of Vanheim, and he was also a formidable warrior and general of the army. He even met many of his officers. They all followed Dan orders when the battle started. They went away and instead of focusing on the quest of killing the beast, they focused more on surviving the beast. They run so far east until the finally reached the end. And what is the end? It is the end of the Plain. It wasn''t until he reached the edge of the southernmost point he realizes that this plain is not a normal plain. Because right now Dan understand where he is now. They are not on a plain where there is only hills and mountains. They are on a large plateau. And the area they come from was a curved area. So from their vantage point, they thought on the other side was a mountain range and more hills and even the sea in the distance when instead it is large flat land and if you walk to the end of that large flat land you will see that you are on a large flat plateau with a curved area on the middle. No wonder he felt the skies was so close to him before. He felt an incongruity before. But he had no time to think about it too much. Dan look at the scenery in front of him. There are clouds flowing just a few inches from him. And he looks down and saw the large forest beneath the plateau. He could see clouds just a few feet below him. He takes a deep breath and then look at the skies above him Al of it is not real. Anything real is beyond the Gate. He wants to go home. He wants to return to Vanheim and met his friends Dan then look at the people that trusted him and said ''Would you all believe in me and follow me to seek for the Gate so that we all could return home?'' They all looked at each other and smiling at each other they turned to their lord and nodded ''We believe'' Dan smiles and then he was the first one to climb down from the plateau. All while this is happening, the battle in the middle of this plateau doesn''t seem to be stopping anytime soon as only a golden skies fill with death aura could be felt all over the plateau **************************************************************************************** Will not be talking to much. Just hope you guys like the chapter and leave some chapter and vote for the story. See you tomorrow. Chapter 219 - PURSUIT IN THE BATTLEFIELD (1) While there is a group coming down from the plateau, there are still a lot of people engaging in the battlefield. Those people that come down from the plateau might not get the reward for killing the beast but they will get the reward for surviving the beast Like Aero said before, this is a place of greed. If only he was not as powerful he is now, Aero would have chosen to find a way to hide. The only reason he was not that rushed to find a way out from this plain is simply because he knows how easy it was for him to kill the beast. That is why he called this battlefield a battlefield of greed. Those who knows their own abilities and judged it accurately and could let go of their greed would survive it. But those who overestimates themselves and made the wrong decision would found himself in regret by the time all of this is over. The battle is raging fiercely as many more people dying in droves. Aero is accumulating his kill count as he seeks the woman in the green robe. As long as his move is being tracked it would make him feel uneasy. Aero tries to not let his plan affected by chance. And it would be a bad thing if people knows who they are. They might attack him all together or worse, they would give up on the hunt and scattered. If that happens Aero had no justification of killing all these people. Now, they are at war with each other. Everyone is a fair game. And no one has any guilt on killing anyone since they know they would be revived here after the battle But if it was revealed that Aero of the East is among them, then knowing they do not stand a chance they would all would give up fighting it against him. Not to mention no one would dare offend him since after this they still have to return to Vilajeri Continent. They are still lines that these people do not dare cross. Sooner or later when Aero had to use some of his signature moves, someone would recognize him. that is why his saber moves lack the finesse and elegance of his attack, instead Aero looks like a barbarian berserking all over the battlefield. He was charging forward with his saber with savageness, killing anyone on his path. He was so quick it looks like a momentary lightning strike and he was the sudden illumination of the lightning. And before anyone could react they would be dead. Those that are too weak would die without knowing why as they were shrouded by Aero killing intent. Those that are weak in their will could not extricate themselves from the illusion of bloodshed and despair in Aero killing intent The moment they are trapped in that illusion; their fate is sealed as they turned into one of the countless of souls dying in this greed filled battle. He clashed with many people and the sound of his battle swiftly erupted into the air. Aero fought the people, and Kyle attack the sabretooth. Even though they do no coordinate their attack with each other, for some reason their actions complement each other. ''I need to kill more people'' he said to himself. Each time Aero clashed with group of people they would crumble in an instant like they were made from sand and Aero saber is the fierce wave of the raging ocean. He just need to swing his saber and they all died. This chaos without a doubt slowly become more obvious as the people decreased with each clash. But those who have reached to this moment, are all greedy people and are all capable people with ambition. They wanted to check what that sound was and who is inciting chaos in the back but at the same time they could not let Kyle kill the beast. Some people even recognize Kyle and their wariness increase. While Kyle served in the military, he is also known to be a combat magician. These people while they too lacked their memories, they still remember some facts and memories. And Kyle also did not lack enemies. Which made him a target for many people. His action and deed of defecting to Vanheim have made him the enemies of Veva. Those who suffers because of his action is also eager to kill Kyle, making him the perfect distraction. This is not intentional on Aero part. It is completely coincidental that there is many high level warriors and magician that is enemy with Kyle. But no one could have expected that the chaos on the back could be related to Aero of the East. They did not even think of it. The frontline did not know and the rear also do not know who is killing people left and right at the back. Whenever Aero went, shrill screams of pain would travel out and blood would spill everywhere. Hearing all this screams and feeling that something is clearly wrong, some people decided to retreat and run from the battlefield. The woman in the green robe however creased her eyebrows in the distance, as she surveys the battlefield, the anxiety in her heart is rising. Her eyes could still track the man and the speed at which he is coming for her is terrifying. Even though she wanted to retreat she is too far in to quickly retreat and she also had the hope that the unknown man would be stopped by other people. And the fact that he keeps killing without even once stopping to replenish his stamina only strengthen her fears. On the other hand, while the green robed woman is keeping track of him, Aero kept killing but he still doesn''t hear any new achievement sound. As he slashes a person head who were on his path, he thinks to himself. Around him golden lights are rising as all the people in his ten-meter radius of him, were all killed easily like he was a farmer reaping weed. Could it be that now he has kill one hundred people, he need to kill more than just a few hundred people? ''Achievement could only be unlocked if you fulfil the requirements'' He muttered to himself. One person who had his friend die by his saber suddenly jumped out and is aiming his spear toward Aero chest. Aero only sidestepped, his mind is still pondering on the matter. The man changes his motion to a slicing motion. Aero jumped over the spear slash and then spin his body as he slashes at the man top of the head. One could see his brain were cut on the top part. One could even see the brain in the skull. The man falls down, blood pouring down form exposed top of his head, his brain matter splattering as Aero stomp over it and keep rushing forward Aero is still thinking about the achievement matter. The only frustrating thing about this feature is that, nobody is going to tell you what you must do to fulfil the requirement. It was like he is a blind man searching for light. ''Fine. Since that is the case, I would just keep killing until it shows up'' Aero said to himself. He never had let loose like this without caring what people think about him There is a something freeing about it as he did not have to mind about his reputation and image right now. As he kicks a person in the chest, in the distance he saw the green robed woman. This time the green robed woman also saw him. Aero smirks and he began running towards her, his saber on his right hand ready to slash using his Divine Sword technique. The four people around the woman also realizes Aero and their face turn determined. They nodded at each other. One of them seems to be saying something to the woman and then he rushed forward toward Aero. It is clear that this man is tasked to delay him ''Oh. Someone to hold me back huh?'' he smirks; his entire demeanor shows how confidence he really is. Around Aero were people turning into golden motes of light. Aero dashed forward and almost an instant like he teleported himself, he arrived in front of one of the guardians of the green robed woman The guardian who was about to rush toward him, stopped still for a moment as he was shocked. He was himself an accomplished warrior and had powerful burst of speed when fighting but he did not think that as he was about to fight with this unknown man who is botching their plan, the unknown man could reach to him in almost an instant. ''This kind of speed'' He think of this only in his mind because he now turned speechless He was no prepared for this scenario at all. Other than the few people he saw in the frontline of the battlefield, there doesn''t seems to be any powerful or influential person in this batch. That is why they dare do all of this, inciting chaos in the background of the quest. ''Could we miss someone?'' he said. Who could do what this unknown man just did? This kind of speed is very unnatural as it forces the area around him to destroy breaking the air and wind around him. It almost looks like this person is teleporting but he knows that was impossible because, the wind stream of the area moves. Teleportation disturb the natural order but the area around the teleportation would not have this intense whirlwind produce by speed naturally occurring ************************************** Hope anyone reading this could comment. Only DragonRiderofHell is commenting. Oh, and a shout out to DragonRdierofHell for the dedication. Anywya hope you enjoy the battlesince we will be in all politcila mode when they retrun abck to Vilajeri Continent Chapter 220 - PURSUIT IN THE BATTLEFIELD (2) Aero did not hesitate when he appears in front of that person. His eyes shines with killing intent and he used the Opening Blow technique, as his saber is about to split of the guardian head from top to bottom. However, this man is not like the people before him. If the people is considered as a low level people, then this man is around the high level people. He parries the attack with his strength, making his feet to dig down on the ground as the ground around them cracked and depressed a few inches deep. Aero chuckles a bit as he saw the sweat on the man forehead. His veins are all bulging and his hand is trembling with some of his veins bursted out and exploded. But Aero had expected this parrying. He let his saber graze the edge of the man sword and follow the motion until the end. Sparks of fire flew from their clash but Aero quickly changed his saber positions as the parrying move form that man succeed. Aero was not flustered in the least He closes his distance with the man and the man eye widened as he takes a step back to return back to their previous distance. Aero chuckles inwardly as the moment he takes a step back Aero come forward, his saber momentum slowly increasing and the killing intent around him slowly solidified. Combined that with the pressure of his body, the man sword cracked and his entire skeletal bones in his arm cracked and broke, the sound could chill the hearts of anyone. The man however possess an iron will as he gritted his teeth and blood is dripping down from his mouth. The moment it cracked Aero did not hesitate to slice his body. He died with his face looking in disbelief. It did not even take Aero three second to kill him. It was at this time as the man is losing his consciousness and his body turns into motes of golden light, he knew that his lady would surely die without a doubt. Hidden in this deadly battlefield is a more monstrous beast than then sabretooth. A beast disguised as a man. As he turns to the golden motes of light, he laughs bitterly, his laugh is a silent laugh, a laugh that nobody could hear other than the Heavens who look down upon all of this with indifference. The green robed woman was already running from the moment that one of her guardian volunteer to delay the enemy. But only three second is needed for Aero to kill her guardian. She only had a seven seconds head start. Four second was the time it took for Aero and the guardian to clash. Three second is the time used for Aero to kill that guardian. Now, the woman only has three guardians. It turns she is the one who talks big. The woman in the green robed is regretting right now. if she had retreated from the very beginning, then she might not have reached to this moment. But it is clear toward her now, that even if she retreated, she would also probably be hunted by him considering her ability of tracking someone ''Let me stop him, my lady'' One of his guards said, his eyes are determined and full of loyalty. The man is bulky and his height is around six feet six. He was tall and bulky, with body of muscles. He was holding a large hammer. She is the Lady of Vanan. Her name is Viola. But people called her Lady of Vanan. She looks at this guardian of hers with a complicated expression. ''Brett. Are you sure?'' Brett tap his chest and said with conviction ''My lady, I would still be revived in the end. What is important is that my lady keep living and improving in this battlefield as it would help our cause to reestablish Vanan Federation'' he said his eyes shows no hesitation as he changed his direction, turning back to face that unknown man. Viola shed a tear as she keeps moving forward. Aero was about to resume his chase when another man is coming towards him wielding a large hammer. As he holds it above his head that hammer slowly grew in size and the wind stream around him seems to be broke forcefully by the force of his body ''A Berserker. That is rare indeed. A brutish approach, huh? I can do that too'' Aero said as he smirks. He took a step forward and the killing intent around him swirled like a tornado, making anyone who is weak willed on his one-hundred-meter radius all fainted and trapped in an illusion of a slaughter hell. The man reached toward Aero and with a shout was about to bring down the hammer onto Aero body. Faced with the large weapon, Aero look very small. But even in this situation he still looks calm and there is a smile on his face ''Not enough speed'' Aero said as he casually dodged the hammer. The hammer falls down toward the ground as that hammer brought down a powerful impact causing ripples of energy to exploded. The impact is shaking the ground and causing the are to shake violently like there is a giant worm wriggling below the surface. The ground cracked as the terrain around the area was changed drastically The area around the force of impact went into a depression of six feet below the ground while around it, the ground split apart and flew itself high into the air before falling back down into the ground as large debris and stone Some of the people in the front who were fighting with each other was suddenly being crushed by a large debris that is falling down from the skies The people around Aero and Brett were all thrown back a few meters away. Aero who was the closest to the impact however only had his robes fluttering, like there is only wind around him and the energy and the wave impact could not move him like he is an eternal mountain, unmoving Aero smiles as he swings his saber on that man right arm. He looks like he was performing the slowest slash because anyone could see he was taking him time, unhurriedly executing that slash. But even if he was slower, the man could not avoid it. Because the moment he slammed down his hammer, he was seized by this powerful intent and suppression power that was so overbearing that he could not move his muscle Aero slashes it with ease like he was chopping something that was already on the chopping board. With one slash, the man arm was severed as blood gushes out from the veins and the meat around the bones. ****************************************************** Second part of teh chapter. leave some comments and dont forget to vote Chapter 221 - PURSUIT IN THE BATTLEFIELD (3) As the man body fall back and landed butt first onto the ground, his right arm which had been amputated is still holding tightly on the large hammer. Brett could now move, like the pain broke out through that intent and suppression. He quickly gets up and take a step backward. As he stepped backward, Aero move forward. He closed in on him like he was talking a leisure walk on the park and then seized Brett throat and without wasting any time he crushed the man throat before he could even speak any words and thrown his body to the front as it slowly disintegrates into golden lights. At the front, the battle is also ongoing with Kyle once again appearing in the fray, fighting a great magical battel with all kind of spell being thrown around. Fire magic, ice magic, earth magic, metal magic, forbidden magic, all kind of magic spell involving the elements was used since it was the easiest to perform in this kind of battle. The area around this great battle of magical spells was fill with earth shaking explosion and colors. Brett body flown to the front and landed on the middle of the magical battle even as his body is slowly disintegrating. The moment his body fall down onto the ground, his body was accidentally hit by a bulk of stray magical attack. His body exploded into thousands of meat pieces scattered all over the battlefield as he turns into a golden motes of light and disappeared, giving his life for the green robed woman This time Aero did not want to delay this any more than he has to. He rushed forward like lightning, no longer caring to increase his killing count since he could saw the green robed woman just in front of him now. This time another person turned back from the green robed woman no doubt trying to slow him or delay him again. ''Tch'' Aero clicked his tongue. He made use of all the power on his feet as he pushes the ground beneath his foot and like a meteor he shot forward. That person who was waiting for him was shocked to see such a fast movement that seems to goes past normal human limits. His eyes were wide as a saucer at that moment. ''This person must not have been a nobody. But who is it that possess such skills and prowess?'' the man asked himself. The man could not even react as a strong life threatening sense of danger shot up in his heart liek sharp needed piercing every part of his body For a moment, he had the thought of hastily fleeing for his life That is how much pressure Aero in his state of savageness brings to other people. To Aero, with his speed and power, the man movement look like the movement of a snail, too slow. Aero speed pushed the limits of the human normal speed as he turned into a long arc and moved past that man in a flash of light. The sound of saber slicing something could be heard. The man could not eve see Aero before he felt a sting on his neck. He felt a brief pain before he felt something sticky is coming out from his neck. He put his hand on his neck and then almost immediately, blood is gushing out from his neck as he slowly felt the world is tilting in a weird angle. It was then that he realized, tat unknown man has cut his head and moved past him. It did not even take him one second to kill him. He died with his eyes open as his head fall down into the ground, his body is still holding the sword and standing still before it slowly falls on his knees first and the head and the body turned into motes of golden lights, signifying his end There were no screams of pain nor shriek. He died almost instantly and he was too shocked to scream. The pain was brief. But just because the pain was brief did not mean it was not painful. But even before he could express his pain, he had died. Now there is only two guardians left beside the woman. The woman did not stop running forward, no longer interested in increasing her kill count. She only wanted to survive now and seek her opportunity after she escape from that man. After all, she is carrying the hope of reestablishing back the Federation. but those two guardians had stopped and they made this decision almost like they planned it. They look toward Aero and there was this stunned look on their face. Their companion who could fight many people at once and an accomplished warrior was so easily killed by that unknown man. They look at each other, nodding as they decided to risk it all. They let out a roar and rushed toward Aero like a murderous demon. They no longer care about their death or lives. They all know that if that unknown man is allowed to come near their lady, she would be killed. While her lady is a powerful tracer and her battle skill is also excellent, it is clear to the eyes of these two people that she would not stand a chance against such powerful person. On the other side of the battlefield, the battle for the beast life is intensifying as Kyle keep attacking the beast and the beast is at its last leg. But the few thousand people in the crowd would not let Kyle easily get what he wants. Especially considering that some of them were his enemies. How could they endure if their enemies get the skill points that they wanted. This place, in the end, is not Vanheim and while some of the people in the crowd is from Vanheim and fear the repercussion of goings against one of the highest persona in the realm, some of them are also from Veva and from the South. And they are not afraid of offending Kyle. The people are only grateful that Zeus of Veva is not in their batch or they would not even have the chance to compete. The people seeing that Kyle is close to killing the beast could not stand still. Some of the warriors ignore their defense as they rushed through the magical explosion to prevent Kyle from killing the beast. Kyle looking at this could not but have an ugly expression on his face He even thought to himself ''Did I do so many bad things? Why do I have so many enemies?'' he thought to himself bitterly as he dodges a spear directed at him. They were like raving lunatic as they ignore all defense and would rather die than let Kyle kill the beast ''Fuck. This people are persistent'' They did not even retreat even as the explosion landed around them. Some of them were even engulfed in the flames of the explosion but the other were not even deterred by death. They keep rushing forward and there is madness in their eyes. Some people even promises that those that killed him will be rewarded when they return back home to Vilajeri Continent. ''Kill Kyle! Don''t let him get the reward!'' But even while some people are targeting Kyle, there is still crazed slaughter going all around. Some people have begun to thin out the competition And it is clear with each clash, the people on the battlefield is decreasing. Some of them were killed in the battle while some decided to retreat out from the battlefield. Kyle himself is not a merciful person He shouted in the middle of the battlefield. ''Since you want to fight¡­let''s fight! He roared as he had his fist shrouded with flames. Kyle is always known as a combat magician. That is not a legacy. But his study of magic had enables him to combine combat and magic. His entire body is a magic weapon as the man around him distorted and seems to follow his moves. He began fighting those warrior coming toward him. With one punch he burns people to ash. He moved dangerously like he was the embodiment of fire itself. His feet are also shrouded with flames as the ground beneath him turns hot. Sand and dust turns to shiny surfaces and the armor of metals melts the moment it even grazes him. Kyle is burning people left and right. It was like he is a burning sharp knife cutting through butter. Around him shield of fire sprang up as it defended against the magic spell. ''use Water Spells'' Many of those magician shouted as clouds on the sky descended down. It was like a tiny part of the clouds were ripped apart and is being used by the magicians as rains fall down on one part of the area. But Kyle flame is not easily extinguished. If it was so easy to extinguish he would not be one of the rising star in the military faction. The effect he brought to the battlefield is apparent. His flame fist had caused fear to spout in the heart of these people. Even though they know they would be revived when this quest is over, that does not mean dying is not painful. If their current pain teaches them something, they still could feel pain even though they could be revived. And one of the painful way to go is by being burned alive. Some of the people even decided to retreat making the few thousand people eft in the battlefield to slowly have even more chance of winning this bet. By now, all the people that are left in the battlefield are only elite people that enables them to sand over all the rest The Heavens look upon all of them indifferently from above no matter what happens to them. In the front, Kyle is tearing up the people with flames scattered all around. In the back Aero is coming closer to that green robed woman. It is clear to Kyle this will not last long anymore. By the time he has the opportunity to kill the beast he would take it now. He had given enough time for Aero to kill people and confirm what he needed to confirm. And Aero on the back also knows it which is why he is rushing faster. Aero could only kill all of these people undetected when he kills that green robed woman But he also saw that many more retreated and he frowned. he did not think Kyle could be that intimidating. Aero eyes turn colder. He wanted to kill more. A Hundred Man Killer. Then maybe, the next achievement will be unlocked when he reached killing one thousand people. But¡­if he started doing that, it would not be long before his identity is exposed. As he looks at the distance and saw the flames rising up from the ground to the clouds above, Aero smiles ''I still could do that'' he said to himself as he looked at the two person charging toward him Killing intent shone in Aero eyes. The two men is leaping in the air as they tried to slash Aero from above. And Aero only smirks ************************************************************** See you all tomorrow. And don''t forget to vote and leave some comments Chapter 222 - CHAOS (1) Aero sidestep to the side and jump backward. Loud bang echoed from the ground and the earth trembled as that slash split the ground into two as crevice is formed all around the area where he used to be Aero look at the man, his eyes is analyzing his opponent This man is taller than anyone he ever met in the battlefield. He was around seven feet tall. He must have used some kind of potions or spell to change his physique. It would be impossible for Aero to not notice if there is a seven-foot-tall man guarding beside that woman. Then there is another person who slide toward him. Aero jumped and glide himself away from the feet tackle as he positioned himself on top of a large boulder, that fallen form the sky when the magician was battling each other and changing the terrain around the battlefield. ARGHH! He roared. The sound was piercing to the ears and this time the whole battlefield could hear it. Even amidst the earth shaking explosion in the front line, people could still hear the man roar. Aero frowned. ''Oh, so that how it is'' and there is chilling light in his eyes. It was then that he knows what these two is trying to do. They are trying to expose him. Aero gritted his teeth. Just then Aero saw some people looking at his general direction attracted by the sound of the roar Aero harrumphed. ''Fine!'' he had made his decision right then. Kyle would no longer hastate to kill the beast so he had no choice. He thought to kill the woman first but since he is pushed to this situation, he could only rack up kill points as he hunts that woman. Now, this is no longer just because that woman could track him. Now, this is personal. After all, he did not disturb that woman plans. But that woman time after time, is testing his patience. This time, she even uses these two to make people pay attention to him. Now, that there is only a few thousand people in the battlefield, it goes without saying that Aero movement is slowly easier to see. Since that is the case, he had to kill as much people as possible before his true identity is found out. There is a way for him to kill all of this people openly while at the same time retaining his reputation. He had prepared a plan before but it would not work until Kyle is at certain point. But for now, he would kill all the people around him first before he proceeds. Aero changed the direction of his attack. He is attacking the dozen people that notices him. That group of people who were fighting each other a second ago, now saw Aero is coming towards them. They stopped their battle as they tried to run away. Aero charges to that group of people and ram onto them. At this time Aero is using his powerful physical body to kill people. With each step he took, the ground would tremble and the air around him would break. A monstrous wave of murderous aura is coming out from him that fills the area around him creating a thick red mist that is slowly enveloping the entire battlefield. It made some people could not even see Aero face. It was like there is a mist covering their eyes from looking at Aero face. There is only a red gaze inside that thick red mist. Some people have felt that something is wrong with this battlefield and some of them even remembers the feeling they felt before of how the battlefield felt like it is being moved by an invisible hand. Those who were a bit wiser quickly retreated from the battle silently. Some people are wiser than the others while some are greedier than the others. The wise retreated and the greedy stayed. The moment he rams his body to that group of people, they exploded into bloody mist as the black red aura around Aero becomes even thicker. The mist coming out from Aero body spreads even more further and it has covered one third of the rear of the battlefield The front line is still busy fighting Kyle so they did not yet realize the terror that an unknown man has brought the people at the rear. Aero in the back is slashing his way forward with his saber. Saber light cut through the thick mist and people would fall down split into two or hacked into exploding pieces of meat It was an eerie scene as the red thick mist spread forward like some kind of Cthulhu creatures In just a few second of clashing around twenty people have died, each of their death are gruesome and painful Aero did not stop as he changes his direction again. The thick mist is getting thicker and everyone is panicking inside this sudden obstruction to their vision. There are some people who are calm, but compared that to the people who are panicking, there is a large disparity. In these chaos Aero is the only one that could see clearly in this thick mist of his own killing intent being materialized out in the real world. He saw through the mist a group of five people who is fighting against each other even in this thick mist. They didn''t seem to care about the beast as their battle seems personal. He smiles as he moves through the mist and he was close to them but none of them could notice him. Their swords and spear clashed, sparks are produced and moves are being exchanged. Aero suddenly jump out from the mist as he slashes down with his saber toward the spear wielding man ''Wha!'' before he could finish what he was saying, his spear was broken by one slash of Aero attack. Aero did not hesitate as he slashes toward the spear wielding person. He died, his head is flying in the air. Then he slashes to the other direction. Saber light sweeps their lives as they all fall down, one straight line of blood appeared on their neck before their head slowly slid down from their neck Aero was like a fish in the water. He keeps killing with such efficiency. One swipe to the left kill five people, one swipe to the right kills ten people and his kill count increases as he rushed forward. Around him blood flows and limbs are scattered about before the golden light rises up around him, like he is bathed in the unholiness of war and bloodshed. While Aero is killing people, the two people who decided to delay him look at each other. ''Are we being ignored?'' said the seven feet tall man to his companion. The other man wielding a blade frowned. ''Hmm. This does not necessarily mean it''s bad for us'' Did the unknown man is giving up on killing their lady? They both ask themselves this question. They look at each other in confusion but then as they look at the unknown man path. Even though the mist is thick, one could deduce the man path by looking at the golden motes of light that is slowly rising up It formed a trail Then they gasped as they noticed something. The seven feet tall man and the man wielding the blade paled in their face. ******************************************************** Part one of the chapter. Hope to see you all tomorrow. Leave some comments and dont forget to vote. Chapter 223 - CHAOS (2) While it looks like he is ignoring them and started killing again to increase his kill count, from their position right now they could see that the unknown man is using the fastest way to reach their lady. And what is the fastest route to travel from one point to another? A straight line. The only reasons no one would think to use that path is simply because that straight line is full of people between them and their lady. But this man is mowing down people, killing intent billowing out from his entire being, creating thick mist full of killing intent as he moves forward The man wielding the blade could not help but felt fear for this man. He is killing people to increase his kill count while at the same time he is chasing their lady at the same time. ''We must stop him, Jason!'' The seven feet tall Berserker nodded as they rushed through the thick mist. Aero on the other hand is moving forward with more speed. But sometimes there are a few people who are slightly harder to kill which delays him a bit. But in this thick mist of killing intent, Aero speed is not only increased even his perception is increased. Aero saw in front of him there is a straight line to that woman. Fortunately, this one path has no people around it since people are quickly moving away from the mist. And the green robed woman is also trying to run away from the mist. Aero rushed forward but then he heard a scream from his back ''YOU WILL NOT HARM OUR LADY!'' The shouts parted the thick mist as that Berserker once again appears, his hammer is on his arms. Then he saw from the corner of his eyes that the one wielding the sword is also closing in on him Aero lips curled into a cold sneer. He did not intend to dodge. The Berserker might be a powerful warrior but Aero doubt that man power exceeds him. Unless that hammer is some kind of a godly or divine weapon, Aero have no fear. His eyes had never left the woman. And the woman is still tracking him which is why she could easily ruin form him. It was like she knew where he is going to move. This kind of feeling is very frustrating for him. Now that these two people is coming for him, Aero only smiles. His kill count has reached around five hundred people. In the mist, Aero did not have to hide many of his moves because those people could not see it anyway. But the woman in the green robe has seen it and her eyes widened in the distance. It is easier for him as he could even use Sacred Sword Finger. With his saber on one hand, and his five finger in his other hand, a piercing energy would pierce the heads of the unsuspecting victim while his saber would kill the survivor. In just a few moments he had killed almost a few hundred people easily. His killing efficiency could be said to be demonic. Almost at the instant, that seven-foot man was about to attack him and as the ground beneath his feet started trembling, Aero lifted his foot and stomped on the ground. Ripples of energy spread out from him as the mist scattered away from him, a gust of wind spreads out around him. With it he shot up from the land like a long arc that had erupted from the land and charged toward that man. This time Aero no longer wanted to hide. Since that woman has seen him uses his move, she must have known who he is by now. Even if he is mistaken and she is dense or stupid enough not to know who he is, Aero decided this was the right time to reveal his identity. If he let that woman shouted to entire battlefield that he is Aero, then he would look like he was hiding all this while and taking advantage of the chaos to kill people and take the five skill points But if he was the one that announce it would align with the image people think of him. He is known as a scheming and that is his reputation. There is nothing wrong with him hiding in the crowd. But if people knows he slaughter people without reason, how could people think of him as that elegant scholar and the designer of the Empire of Vanheim? Aero energy erupted from his body without restraint. This time everyone on the battlefield could feel it as the energy around the entire battlefield ripples and the entire land trembles. The hills in which the Druids stand upon slowly crack and some of those that is not sturdy is even crumbling down. By now, everyone knows that I this batch of people there is some powerful expert hidden amongst them. Maybe some of them are from the Hall of Heavenly Fame They did not know why they remembers the Hall of Heavenly Fame but they do remember that some famous people are in it. And those that are in the Hall of Heavenly Fame are all great people that could move the world with their orders and cover the sky with their palm. Aero laughed and his laugh reverberate through the entire battlefield. Some people widened their eyes as they realize who this laughter belong towards. Some of them stopped fighting and looked toward that direction and gulped. ''Shit! Is that who I think it is!'' One of them shouted out loud. ''There is no mistaking it! That is Aero of the East!'' one of the people in the midst of battle suddenly shouted. Some people went pale almost immediately. Suddenly they feel that their decision to enter this battle was idiotic. They all wanted to retreat right now. The feat of Aero of the East killing forty thousand solders in front of the Gate of Veva is the stuff of legends. Aero of the East, Zeus of the North, Arianna of the South. The Three Great Pillars of the Vilajeri Continent. To them when they heard that unrestrained laugh, they could not help but shiver. Aero of the East is the unrivaled powerhouse of the world. Even Zeus of the North could not defeat him! How could they fight him? ************************************* Aero of the East identity is revealed. Anyway, hope to see you all tomorrow. The battle is still ongoing and when it ends there will be their journey of rteurning home. The Jungle region would be a qucik jounrye since I planned more of the story when they returned home back in the Vilajeri Continent. Anyway, hope you enjoy the story and please vote for the story. Chapter 224 - CHAOS (3) Kyle on the other hand sense an opportunity. He knows that Aero would not reveal himself like this unless he is experiencing some difficulties in hiding his identities. Kyle knows what Aero intend to do and he knows he is probably short of people to kill. Then Kyle looked at the crowd of people around him ''I think this people are enough right?'' And there is an evil smile on his face It is quite peculiar the relationship between General Kyle and the Chancellor of Vanheim. They look like enemies, yet for some reason they matched each other very well. Kyle then put his hand on the ground. Golden light is rising from him and suddenly from the ground golden light erupted as pillars of light appeared on all sides of the battlefield Kyle smiles a she throws a great fireball from his hand into the confused crowd. BOOM! A great explosion happens and as the dust settle Kyle is attacking other people on the side. Sound of shrill screams echoes again in the battlefield. They did not ye realizes the effect of what Kyle was doing before. Even as he is running away, on top of the sky the laws of this area is slowly being changed. If one looked closely they could as string of numbers rearranging itself between zero and one. Kyle has used one of his trump card. The killing and the data of those who were killed is being absorbed by the vortexes of strings of numbers on top of the sky No one notices this not even the green robed woman and not even Aero. Inside that vortex there is an eye. That eye is looking at all of this with indifference. Then the arrangement of strings of numbers is completed and the vortex closes on itself. While all of this is happening and Kyle is running away, his chaser did not just give up. Even after they knew that Aero of the East has shown himself, they did not lose their hatred and desire to kill Kyle Instead, their killing intent is brimming even more. ''Get him! Fuck all of this! Fuck Aero of the East! I will you Kyle even if that is the last thing I would do before this quest ended. I will not let you get the reward!'' ''If I have to die, I will drag you down with me!'' Some of Kyle old enemies shouted as they charged forward. Kyle must have done terribly horrendous thing to them for these people to hate him that much This time by doing all this the entire battlefield is uniting together to kill Aero and Kyle. But this time both of them are not that worried. If they notice them in the beginning they might have a chance. But after repeated clashes between themselves, there are many that have retreated from the battlefield and some of them even lost their morale and only trying to think about how to get out from the cage Kyle have created They won''t stand a chance. This time Kyle is not holding back anymore. Aero himself even though they are speared by a large distance also knows what Kyle is thinking. Kyle will no longer hesitate to kill the beast. Aero after all only using the beats as a bait for people to keep them in one crowd so his movement is not noticed. Kyle himself at that time did not have enough confidence to create the sealing formation so he did not mention it to Aero But he had an epiphany when he saw the golden lights. Like Aero, he too has the skill of Killing Intent. So while people who doesn''t have the skill could only see the golden lights he saw the dark red aura in the sky. The resentment of the death and their yearning for life but most importantly the energy of mana. It was then he had the idea of using them as an external source to power his sealing formation. He had confidence about sixty percent that it would work and now his guess it right It worked. So, now Kyle no longer have to restrain himself since Aero could now hunt how many he wants without fearing they would run away. And there is that justification of his. Killing these people to help him. If people think a little bit deeply they might not think that Aero is that kind of person but everyone have a set image of how Aero of the East is. After all Aero of the East sacrifice his freedom to save one of his friend when he fought with the onslaught of forty thousand soldiers in Veva. He has this image of a cunnings strategist but also at the same time a person who values brotherhood and comradeship So, even if he kills many people, these crowd of people might attribute it to Aero helping his colleague Kyle. Kyle even felt like he wanted to laugh when he thinks of how sly Aero is in using his reputation to his advantage. Kyle is dashing through the changing terrain around him as the Druids is launching their spells to slow him down He also felt a little bit tired after using that spell. He could feel his man is low right now. One warrior jump in front of him and thrusted his spear at him ''I will kill you, traitor!'' shouted the man. Kyle snorted and then dodges his body as he spins around and uses his backhand fist to hit that person face. The man immediately lost his balance, his spear was unconsciously flung back The moment he stumbles Kyle punch his head as his veins bulges out and a large explosion happens. Blood drenched Kyle fist as his fist penetrate the back of that man head, creating a hole in what supposed to be his face. ''Ah'' Kyle felt himself gasping for breath. Behind hi there is still a lot of people chasing him. ''I never fear a fight!'' he shouted it to himself as he felt that his body is feeling lethargic. Someone is casting a spell on him making him feel slow. He brought out his sword as he began slashing people in his way. He hides behind large boulders and fought his way without even a hint of pain and fear. Explosions and blood fills the area where he passes. Kyle is a combat magician and that means he is not only proficient in magic; he is also proficient in close combat. On the rear of the crowd, Aero has not stopped his pursuit. The only difference right now is that he is no longer wear his disguise. His white robe and his handsome face revealed to the people of the battlefield. And with it his aura was released. The moment the people saw Aero face and that imposing momentum, like he is an unstoppable force, they wanted to retreat. He kept shouting ''Kyle I will help you in eliminating your enemies! Go take the beast head!'' To the crowd, it truly seems like Aero of the East is helping Kyle in having the glory. While he acts as a vanguard and clearing Kyle competition. To them this demonstrated the selflessness of the Aero of the East they know and respected. The green robed woman hearing that shouting declaration could not help but felt the image he thought of the Aero of the East is crumbling. He is helping General Kyle? Isn''t he helping himself to the kill points? It was then that she knew she had underestimated the cunningness of Aero of the East And while some people try to resolve their anger o Kyle and some group banded together to try to kill Aero of the East and maybe get the appreciation of the Veva kingdom after this trial ended, not all people is delusional. Some people has already bene thinking of how to retreat. It was at this moment that the rearranging of the string of number has completed. The golden light exploded both in the sky and from the ground. Heaven and Earth resonated with each other. Some people have made up their mind to retreat. But even before they have the chance to retreat, a golden light soundly exploded out from the bottom of their feet. Above their heads, golden scape fills the entire skies, changing the colors of the Heavens. Even those people who have already descended the plateau and step their foot on the Jungle region could see that the sky is turning golden above the plateau Pillars of golden light appeared on the four cardinal direction, illuminating the entire battlefield with golden light. Aero saw Kyle in the distance and he smirks. Kyle then shouted ''The Sealing of Four Direction completed'' On his face, there is a smile. If not for the fact that it takes a long time for this spell to be activated, Kyle would have estimated that this magic to be of a Supreme Rank. This is Kyle most powerful magic. From the description, it is a magic that could create a phenomenon that affect the Heavens and Earth and could even be powerful enough to seal a God. He found this spell in one of the ruins of the Holy Capital of Duvar when he was stationed there. It is a sealing magic he got in one of his quest. As Kyle look at the Kyle he pointed forward ''SEAL!" he shouted and the sky was blanketed with flat golden sheet of light. The clouds churned and dissipated to serve as the blanket sheet of the large cube area of sealing The four pillars are the pillars of this sealing formation and they are on the four direction of the battlefield with each one of them spread about around ten kilometers radius. Those who were outside the sealing range quickly gulped and they run away from the battlefield as fast as they can. They even felt grateful that they did not venture too deep into the battle. If not, they would be one of the people that is trapped inside the large sealing formation. Thousands of people on all four cardinal directions were trapped inside a box-like sealing formation. Aero smiles at this and shouted ''I have come to aid you, my friend!'' And he smiles This was Aero plans to make sure he could keep his reputation. His reputation will not be tainted by this. People would have thought that his killing people on the back is his scheme to help Kyle. Whatever they found out later, Aero could always deny. After all, the one knowing the truth is only him and the few people on that green robed woman side. Aero did not stop as he now has enough victim. His desire to make sure that his deduction is correct motivate him to keep killing. The green robed woman is pale on the face as she now knows who have been chasing her all this while. Even when she was in Vilajeri Continent she did not dare to fight the Three Pillars. how could she get tangled with one in this Purgatory? She knows now that whatever she does, if she gets caught by Aero of the East, she would be dead. So there is only one choice for her. She runs even faster employing all of her methods to make herself invisible. Yet Aero himself is no normal person, his perception is top notch and his instinct have been honed in battle. He is like a predator chasing the scent of his prey. And once he locked on a smell, he would never let go. Behind him, the two guardian is also chasing Aero but it is not an easy task considering how fast Aero is travelling to kill their lady. hearing that their opponent is Aero of the East make them felt hopeless. They know they could not survive if they fight with him, yet their feet still move forward and they still keep chasing him But they still want their lady to survive, it is why their feet is still moving forward. It is why even though the very mention of the name of one of the Three Great Pillars shake their confidence, they keep chasing him They did not care about what will happen to them and they don''t mind losing the opportunity to gain the skill points as long as their lady could gain more power Because their lady is the hope for their nation. Aero if he knew how loyal these people to that woman, he would surely try to recruit such person into his camp. After all, strong people is easy to find. But people with true loyalty is hard to find. Aero would even admire them. Unfortunately, even if he knows now, he did not have the time to care. Right now the only important thing in his mind is to kill the green robed woman. Of course this time, the reason for wanting to kill her is slightly different than before. After all, his identity and location has already bene revealed. Before, he wanted to kill her because he fears that she would expose his location and his conduct. Now, he wanted to kill her because she is the only one that could point where he is hiding. That is important because right now, even as he is chasing that woman there are many people that have forgotten all about the beast and targeted Kyle and Aero. Aero is invincible, that is true. But he is not entirely invincible. It is fortunate the whole world did not know that he had such weakness. Which is why Aero rarely relies in his invincibility to steel stuff. Because he fears someone would figure it out. He only uses it as a means of intimidating people and establishing his mighty reputation. Being invincible have its upside after all. The only reasons no one has ever been able to know his weakness is because he has been clever in hiding it. One shot to his ankle and he would be dead. It would only take one lucky shot to end him. That is all it would took. Because of that Aero would prefer that no one could pinpoint his location accurately while he massacres them Who knows if he needs to hide? And if he hides, if that woman is still alive and pinpointed his location, who knows if bad luck will strike him and one of the attack hit him in his ankle? Wouldn''t that be a joke? And for some reason he felt fear that maybe if this woman could pin point his location, she too could pinpoint his weakness That is what he fears the most. Aero did not know how correct he is in his guess. If Viola had all the legacy of the Legendary tracker Fiore, she could even see the fatal weakness of a person. Fortunately, she did not ye reach such level. If she did, she would not be someone unknown in Aero memories. Right now on the rear of the battlefield Aero is chasing Lady Viola, the Lady of Vanan, the two guardians of the lady are trying to chase after Aero to slow him down, while Kyle is fighting his enemies and in the distance, a group has banded together to kill Aero. And while all of this is happening there are also some people who were attacking the pillars of the spell formation to get out of this hell Right now, there is only one word to describe the battlefield. Chaos! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Aero is quite shamelsss dont you think? Hehehe. Annyway see you tommorow. though I think some of you are going to be bsuy with the holidays coming. Don''t forget to spend it with the people you love. leave soem votes and comments so I won''t feel too lonely Chapter 225 - SLAYER OF ONE THOUSAND LIVES (1) The battlefield is in chaos as the chaos keep escalating and the desperation is apparent. Kyle is fighting with all of his power as the golden skies of this area did not bring them any feeling of ease. They felt like a trapped animal. Some people are trying to break that pillar of light by using their magical spell. But this kind of magic that could create disturbance in the Heaven and Earth, how could it easily be broken. If they have people in the caliber of the Four Warlock of Veva then they might be able to break the pillar of light. But they do not have such people. So they would not be able to break this cage. Explosion sound reverberated across the battlefield as the terrain look nothing like the flat land it originally was. Kyle was laughing as his fist kills more people and flames dotted his steps. He was like a Fire Monarch as his mana is slowly recovering. While Aero target is killing as many people as he possibly could to see a new achievement, Kyle objectives was always the skill points he would get after killing that beast He had his eyes on the prize. They are some spells and magic he wanted to rank up. And it did not harm him if Aero become even stronger. After all, they are in the same camp and he is technically Aero subordinate. In the rear, while Kyle is rampaging in the front and the people on the side is retreating, Aero is slowly beings surrounded by some delusional people that think they could kill him. Around the area where Aero is on, the battle around him is getting intense. This time, they no longer attack each other. This time they targeted him. In the back, the people began targeting Aero. In the front, they targeted Kyle. They could not care less about the beast right now. As long as these two figure is alive, they would not have the chance to kill the beats. Even as the beast is running around in the front and people try to kill the beats to steal the skill point from Kyle, Kyle himself is looking at the beast and would not let it get killed by any other person than him. If the wanted to kill the beats, then they have to kill Kyle. Then there is still Aero of the East killing people in the back and the thick mist of killing intent that is slowly spreading inside this sealed dome that is slowly making people become even weaker when faced with the already powerful Aero. In the distance a group of people is slowly banding up together to kill him and this does not escape his vision. Aero did not forget his intention to kill the green robed woman. He is rushing from some of the people that tries to stop him. They all were killed with one slash of his saber. His saber is drenched with blood and around him one could only see only the aftermath of his rampage, symbolized by the golden motes of light rising up around him Aero thought people would stay away from him which is why he try not to kill so much people. But who would have thought that the opposite would happen. People started rushing toward him with a crazed madness. ''KILL HIM! ''GLORY TO VEVA!'' Hearing all this Aero could understand their madness. ''Someone is really inciting them. Though, that is good for me'' Aero only smiles as he dodges a few of those spears hurled toward him. The sound ripped the air. Aero did not stop even for a second. He deflected that spear with his Sacred Sword Finger technique, as an energy shot shoots out from his finger. When the energy from his finger shoots out and collided with that spear, the spear exploded into hundred pieces as the metal fragment of the spear turns into a sharp small projectile embedded itself on many of the people. Some even died when the metal fragment pierced their head unintentionally. Aero on the other hand keep his mind in killing people. His saber began reaping lives as easy as he was weeding a few unnecessary weed in the ground. Head flown around him and bodies fallen to the ground with writhing pain ''Kill him! The Veva kingdom would reward us if they know we kill Aero of the East!'' Aero could see that there are people inciting the masses to target him. But he didn''t know who is moving them. He is sure Eric is not in here. Because Eric will not do such a dumb move. If Eric was here and he wanted to kill Aero, he would have been much subtler about it. Eric might be his enemy but Aero sure do respect him. The entire battlefield is split into three groups right now. There is one group that wanted to break the pillars and go out from this cage. Then there is people who wanted to kill Kyle and take that reward of killing the beast for themselves. They focused on killing the beast this time. And unlike last time they no longer care if anyone could get the reward¡­as long as it would not fall into Kyle hands. Then there is the last group. The one targeting Aero and wanting to kill him. Aero understand the temptation of wanting to kill him. Yes, killing the beast would get skill points. But that''s it. But killing him? One of the Three Pillars? Whoever killed him would surely get an everlasting fame! Aero himself knows how valuable he is That is why the moment he remembers who he was he did not immediately claim who he was until he gets a good grasp of his situation. Though he could not say he hated such attention. After all he need to kill more people to get his target of killing one thousand people. There is a fire in his heart He is quick and agile as his saber swipe around the area and killing those who stand in his way. He is like a machine at this point. Since he did not have to defend, his attack to other people eyes seems like a crazed way of attacking Behind him, the two guardians of that green robed woman did not let up. They are drinking all kind of potions and using other items to boost their speed. They need to catch up to Aero as fast as they can. Aero himself is not getting slower. The more he kills the thicker his killing intent become. One could even feel that the entire area become even more oppressive and forbidding By now each steps he takes create a source of mist that slowly spreads. One could even see that some of the grass around his feet is aging faster. It is thick and suffocating like one is trapped inside a poisonous fog. As Aero focused on his pursuit of the woman, suddenly someone appeared in front of him. He thrusted a spear in front of Aero. Aero did not recognize this man. But this man clearly recognizes him. There is even a certain excitement in his eyes. ''I am N-'' he was just about to declare his name but before he could finish his sentence, Aero push the spear away with his palm. Like his palm is made of steel, the spear broke into two. Without missing a beat, Aero then thrusted his palm forward. The wind around his palm change course and the space around it crack, creating horrendous sound of glass shattering. Then a sonic boom could be heard erupting from Aero palm. The palm strike hit that person right at the chest. The second it hits him, his armor exploded out as his chest caved in. Some of the metal shards of his armor punctured his lung as it penetrated into his skin because of Aero palm strike Red blood spurted out from his throat, the pain is indescribable. This man is Nicholas. He is one of the officials of Veva. He and his friend when they noticed that Aero is in the crowd wanted to challenge him They both think this is a good move and plan. He wanted to challenge the famous Aero of the East and gain fame doing it. He thought he could at least trade a few moves before retreating away. He didn''t even have the notion of trying to win against him. He just wanted to do a few moves and retreat afterward. That would be enough for him to be noticed by some of the people in the Kingdom of Veva. Who knows? Maybe the King of Veva himself would show interest in promoting him when he returns back to the Vilajeri Continent if he was able to trade a few blows with Aero of the East. Everyone knows that the King of Veva hated that he was fooled in the Feast at the Western Gate. What he didn''t expect is how powerful his opponent was. With one palm strike, all of his body felt like he was burning and about to explode. His eyes are full of regret and he muttered ''I should have run away'' Aero on the other hand felt thankful that someone just delivered themselves to him. By now his kill count is reaching six hundred people. There are only four hundred lives more before he could confirm his suspicions. ************************************************ This is not kid friendly chapter to read and it surely did not fit the holiday season. Anyway, I think some of you are just lazing around the house. But, hey, it is the holiday seasons. See you all tomorrow and don''t forget to leave some comments. And votes too. Gifts would be also be appreciated in this season of giving. Chapter 226 - SLAYER OF ONE THOUSAND LIVES (2) The man died almost immediately after as Aero flung his body away. He died turning into golden motes of light. In the distance he could see the green robed woman running across the people that is charging toward him. Aero take a smirk ''I am sorry but I could not let you live'' Before he could even take another step a barrage of weapon is flying toward him. It was like the entire sky is raining down sharp weapon. ''Hah'' Aero sighed but his eyes show his excitement. On the distance, He could see flying spears, swords and javelins all directed at him. Behind those projectiles, is magic spells. There are fireballs, sharp icicles, piercing water in the shape of a large needle and many other attack spell. A great wave of pressure fell on him but he only snorted with derision. ''This is it? Only this'' he muttered. Aero took a deep breath and then he lifted his Howling Dragon Saber. The moment he lifted it up, the killing intent around him congregated in his hand and slowly shrouding the saber too. An earth shaking momentum is slowly building up around his saber. The mist around him thinned considerably. ''Crimson Strike'' He said flatly. Then he slashes forward BOOM! The roars of dragons could be heard the moment he brought down his saber down. Red aura intertwined with black aura merged to create an awe inspiring saber strike A great saber strike appeared and the saber light cut all of the rain of weapons into pieces while the magic spell was sliced into two and dissipated into nothing but a faded energy All of that attack instantly crumbled and shattered by one saber strike. The people in the distance was shocked of that saber strike. Aero looked at them with a chilling glare. Then he charges toward them, his feet are still in the direction of that green robed woman. With a calm expression, he swings around his saber, as the wind around him dispersed away and the space around him seem to distorts. Ripple waves of his slash crack the armor of these people. Unless their items on the rank of Rare, they would have their armor and items crack just by the ripples of his strikes His saber light is rushing forward in a horizontal line as the group of people head are all severed from their body, flying in the air before tumbling down onto the rugged terrain and turning into golden notes of light. All the while Aero is laughing. His footwork avoided the attack and his speed makes him able to doge a few fast attack against him. He charges again at the second group in the distance, who are preparing to barrage him with another magic spell bombardment. Aero push his speed to the limit as he turns into a long arc of light and appeared in front of them. Aero did not hesitate as he punches them, his fist connected to their leader on the stomach. Booming sound immediately resounded before his fist penetrated the man stomach. He died the moment Aero took of his fist from that person stomach. ''You all will die!'' Aero said as punch one of the people running away from him on his face. BOOM! His fist makes a hole in what is originally that person face as viscous thick liquid drenched the ground red. The scene was very terrifying and bloody. Aero did not stop as he pulls out his hand from that person face, pieces of meat and the vein of an eyeballs latched itself onto Aero arms like some kind of weird creature Aero shakes his head as he could still feel that sensation his hand pushing through the flesh and skin of this person. It is not a pleasant feeling. He even felt a bit disgusted with it all. He waved those meat flesh and the skin face away from him as that body slowly slid down to the ground. He turned into golden motes of light before anyone could know his name. Aero on the other hand is still full of life and his strength seems to be ever increasing. He is brimming with energy right now and his blood is boiling like never before He could not help but feeling the great energy that the killing intent is bringing him. It is making his strike becoming even stronger and his enemies even weaker. Aero did not stop as he keeps killing and the mist that surrounded him become even thicker. His saber is like the grim reaper scythe and slowly his kill count is increasing by the seconds in an unprecedented rate. People keep throwing themselves at him. Aero on the other hand keep yelling that he is doing this to help Kyle. His voice is loud so everyone could hear it and no one is suspecting him in the least. Because of the people obstructing Aero moving forward, the two guardian who was chasing Aero back is now slowly approaching Aero trails. They then reached him but they did not immediately jump in to fight with Aero After all, their objectives are to delay him and protect their lady. They are observing the battle and would only come out when they felt that there is no other way to protect their lady safety. Around him Aero body is shrouded with killing aura that was so thick that everyone could see it and sense it even without high perception or having the skill of killing intent By now Aero has killed around eight hundred people though he could not be sure since he stops counting long time ago. All around him is attack directed at him as he slashes his saber without stop. All around him people falls down and die in all gruesome manner that would make anyone have nightmares if they were to see all manner of brutality around the battlefield that is being inflicted on each other right now. Aero is using all his skill now to kill droves of people quickly. One could see that the amount of people is quickly decreasing. And there are even some people that no longer wanted to fight and retreated back which only makes it even easier for Aero. He uses the Sacred Sword Finger with one hand and the other hand he uses his saber. Dozens of people were killed by the shooting of energy from his finger, piercing their forehead and the slashing of the saber that seems to be unstoppable. It cuts through everything and those who clashed with Aero all of them only have one conclusion: death. The more Aero kill people, the more the woman in the green robed women feeling fear. She is using all of her abilities to try to hide herself from Aero eyes. But Aero himself is not some normal person. He would not be misled. He is like the predator and she is the prey and he has her scent. And he would never let go of her Then he arrived finally. The wind blows slowly and the woman in the green robed woman could no longer run away. He is too close to her. Viola look at Aero with a complicated expression. There are only one hundred steps that separated him and that woman. As they look at each other, there is admiration in Aero eyes. The fact that she has managed to run away for this long even when he has his eyes trained on her is something very incredible. Around him there is no one. There is only red mist that has spread all over the rear and is spreading to the front. Standing there in that mist, Aero eyes seems to be red like some demon that was summoned from the Netherworld. Aero lifted his saber and it was then that the two guardians that have hidden themselves shows themselves to Aero. Aero smirk ''You are finally coming out!'' Aero shouted. ************************************************ Ending it on a clifhanger. See you tommorow. Some of you are still on the holiday high. Please leave some commensta nd vote of you like the story Chapter 227 - SLAYER OF ONE THOUSAND LIVES (3) The seven-foot-tall man punch himself in the chest. He coughed up blood but Aero could see that man veins suddenly bulges out and one could hear the cracking of bones like it is undergoing some kind of transformation. BOOM! A booming sound sounded like an explosion as that seven-foot-tall men suddenly experience another growth ''What a peculiar skill'' Aero thought That man grows to have the height of an eight feet tall with bulging muscles and his entire body appeared to be red like the blood on his body in in hyper drive. Heat is coming out from his entire body His entire being radiated power and the wind around him faces powerful resistance like it could not flow around him. Space distorted and the ground cracked and districted itself like something heavy is oppressing the earth The hammer in his hand look like a small toy. Aero nodded and smiles ''I am the Berserker Jason from the destroyed nation of Vanan. Please stay your hand, Chancellor of Vanheim!'' Jason shouted as he throws the hammer towards him. Some of the people in the crowd look at that green robed woman and they all exclaimed, ''Lady Viola! Lady of Vanan!'' Mostly those who recognized her is from Veva. Lady of Vanan is one of Veva allies. After all, while Vanan federation itself did not like the King of Veva they had to cooperate with Veva if they wanted to oust Ariana of the South from occupying Vanan. As the hammer was flying toward him, Aero was calm as his small figure erupted with a world shaking power. The hammer is not the only threat that is coming for him. As Jason throws that hammer, like that attack acts as a signal, suddenly all kinds of people with different kind of legacies, Thieves, Assassins, Stealth master, all kind of people suddenly turns into a long arc of light as they thrusted out their weapons of choice to kill him. Behind the hammer is magical lights of magical spells. A few meters behind him, there is another barrage of weapons arching down toward him Jason did not intend for it to happen but the moment he declare himself and throws that hammer toward Aero, the other people waiting for an opportunity to attack Aero follow suit. They all know how tough it is too kill one of the Three Pillars. If they did not unite against a common enemy, they would not even have the chance to fight the famous Aero of the East. While some people fear to offend the Chancellor of Vanheim, not all fears it that much. After all, not all of them have desire to serve the kingdoms and many of them are also wanderers. Those who retreated and those who do not attack Aero is either too scared to fight him or respect and one of the aspirant that want to serve in the government and the people of Vanheim. But not all the people in the battlefield come from Vanheim. There are many people form Veva, some are from the South and there are even a few people from the West. ''This is not enough!'' Aero shouted, his roar reverberates through the entire plains. This is one of his Supreme Rank skill Divine Roar. The moment he roars the entire area seemed to be assaulted with a great whirlwind. The wind changed direction and space crack and break around his mouth. Ripples of shockwave exploded out as the soundwave hits through all the weapon that is flying toward him. The people who were rushing forward to kill him was assaulted by the sound waves as they were flung hundred meter away. Their armor cracked and broke while their weapons could not even cut through the sound waves. All they hear right now is no longer the din of the battlefield but only ringing sound echoing endlessly in their ears. They landed on the ground with their ears bleeding and scratches on their skins. Some even had their bones broken. Other are coughing up blood. They felt like they got punched in the gut. They gulped and look at that figure in the middle of the battle with disbelief. Could he truly be an invincible monster! They all thought. After all, even when all of them attack him together, with one roar he pushes all of them back! The sound waves did not stop as it swept through all those magical spells. The moment the sound waves hits their magical spell, their magical spells loses it stability and exploded into mist of energy that once again melded with the Heavens. It ripples like an unceasing waves of the ocean. Out of all the weapon, there is only one weapon that withstood the sound wave and the shockwave ripples The hammer. It cracks in a few parts but it still able to break through that sound wave ripples and keep hurtling forward like it is trying to fight against the unceasing waves of the ocean. Aero roars shake the earth and the Heaven above seems to tremble. His shout, if it were performed in the Vilajeri Continent would reach Olympus. In the distance, many people close their ears with their hands as blood is seeping out from their ears. They all suffered from some kind of powerful dizzying effect and they had the urge to hit their head on the ground. Some had their eardrums ruptured and some fainted as their heat beats so hard it burst out a vein One could even tell that the morale of the attacking party is at its lowest point. Aero felt a little parched after using the skill He knows he could not use it infinitely. He could only use such a roar three times in a day. This is the first one. The hammer is still hurtling forward and it is coming closer to Aero now. Right now, there is no longer anyone else around Aero other than Jason. He had withstood the pressure and the shockwaves to stand where he is. Aero could see that Jason is gritting his teeth so hard it had chipped itself and saw the bloodshot eyes of that Berserker. His entire body seems to be trembling in pain but he still stays there. Aero sighed. ''This man¡­is loyal'' he thought to himself. To others seeing the scene they could see that the hammer is swiftly approaching Aero of the East. But to Aero, the hammer speed is slow. Then the hammer arrived in front of Aero. It is about to struck down on Aero head when he pushes his hand forward. Wind breaks away the moment he thrusted out his hand. BOOM! ****************************************************** hehehe. I am som ecrule perosn. Keep giving you all this cliifhangers. Anyway, see you tommorrow and leave some comments Chapter 228 - SLAYER OF ONE THOUSAND LIVES (4) With a resounding explosion sound, he catches the head of that hammer and the impact of that collision between his hand and the hammer create a shockwave ripples as the dust around him were swept away by a violent gust of wind The area behind him, a small boulders and a few exposed raised up soils suddenly exploded. The force of that throw was neutralized around Aero body causing the wind stream and the shockwave to affect the area behind him and that was the source of that explosion on his back. Aero smirked and he looked at Jason with a complicated expression. By now he is slowly remembering who Lady of Vanan is. It took him a little time but he remembers reading a report on her. If he is not mistaken, she is one of the figures of the rebellion against Ariana of the South. He sighed and then Aero shouted to Jason. ''You are a formidable warrior, Jason of Vanan! As a sign of respect, accept this full powered punch!'' Aero said as he throws that hammer away as it landed upon a hill. The hill explodes the moment that hammer fall down into it. Aero while the hammer is flying in the air charges toward the eight feet tall Jason. He then punches out towards him. Piercing howls that shook the sky and earth rang in the air as the space around his fist were destroyed and even showing sign of breaking. Loud rumbling sounds shot up into the sky! The scene was very shocking and terrifying and make anyone think twice before trying to attack him again. The moment it reached Jason, there is a loud bang. It shook the entire battlefield as Aero punch was also bolstered by the force of the killing intent around him His fist has a red mist that shrouding it and it is growing thicker by the second. It spreads a feeling of malevolence as Aero infused his killing intent into his fist. He is slowly gaining the right way of using his skills. Even those who were fighting Kyle in the front could feel their heart shaking and trembling because of that powerful malevolent force but they did not have any time to care about what is happening on the back. Kyle did not make it easy for them and they could not afford to be distracted. Jason did not even have the time to react. He was still just lowering his body after throwing that hammer. Aero punch reached Jason and before it even reached Jason, he knew he would not survive it. ''Die'' Aero said flatly as his fist is only inches from Jason stomach. Then as Aero statement reach his ears, the fist connected. The moment it reached Jason, all nerves and veins in Jason body exploded out as blood is coming out from his pores. From his ears, blood come spurting out. From his mouth he could feel life is being choked out of him. His lung exploded and his ribcage cracked before turning into broken pieces as his heart explode and blows all of his ribcage in his body. Life instantly vanish from Jason eyes and cracks started spreading rapidly through his body. His entire chest caved in and all of his bones from his chest crack and broke in succession like there is a force drilling itself into his body. In three second, the eight-foot-tall Berserker shattered all of his bones and had his life taken that easily. His entire body then exploded into mass gory scene of meat spluttering apart. Aero then saw that Berserker companion in the distance trying to get to his lady. ''You will be my one thousand kill!'' Aero muttered. He charges his way forward to that man as his eyes is showing excitement Even as the exploding flesh of the Berserker Jason is still flying in the air, Aero is already chasing the man other companion. He was so fast that even when he was done killing the Berserker, and the body of that Berserker exploded it still hadn''t yet fallen to the ground when Aero was charging toward that man This kind of speed could only be achieved because of all the thick killing intent around the battlefield. The Curse of the Styx has its origin in the Underworld. It is a place of the death. And Killing Intent harness that death to strengthen oneself. The Curse of Styx combined with Killing intent synergistic effect, Aero speed is now reaching almost at the realms of Hermes speed. As the flesh of the Berserker falls to the ground, Aero reached to that man. Dazed expression and fear could be seen on all those that is spectating Aero attack Their eyes could not even keep up with Aero speed. Just a moment ago, they saw he is punching the Berserk Jason but as they blink their eyes, he was already in front of another person. Right now, for some reason, those people that are looking at this battle between Aero and the two bodyguard of Lady of Vanan forget to move. It was like they forgot why they attack him before. They only look at that figure, looking domineering and confident even amidst thousands of people. There is no trace of fear or tiredness in him. He looks as lively like he had never fought. There is no sweat on his forehead or any signs of exhaustion. Aero of the East, the new War God of Vanheim!'' One of the Vanheim citizen in the crowd of people who attack Aero before mutter under his breath. That person is just a kid and there is blood dripping down from his ears no doubt from the previous roar from Aero Some people heard that kid muttering and they nodded their head unconsciously. To the people of Vanheim when they saw Aero fighting all of these people, thousands of them and killing them so easily, that word is what comes to their mind. Before Aero arrival on the world stage, Duke Bradheim was the War God of Vanheim. His existence in the border area is what kept the Vetten ambition in check. But in the Vanheim- Vetten war, Lord Aero had defeated the forces of Vetten and with his divine planning, he paved the way for its eventual annexation by Vanheim. Since then, the commoner have been saying that Lord Aero is the new War God of Vanheim. Even after Prince James defeated Niovar forces, his reputation could not outshine Lord Aero achievement. But to the people of the Northern region of the Vilajeri Continent, the invincibility that Aero is demonstrating is bringing a bad memory to them. The killing of forty thousand soldiers of Veva come into the people minds. And there is complicated expression on their faces. The thick mist of killing intent is spreading but in Aero area, it was slowly thinning as it was concentrated around him. For the people on the back the sound of explosion that is happening in the front could no longer be heard. Like they were entranced and were tuned out from all the chaos in the battlefield that they even forgot to attack. It might not be fair to say they forgot. It was like the force that Aero has shown them made them not to have the courage to take another step. Zeus of the North possess this kind of charisma. Arianna of the South possess this kind of charisma too. And if those two possess such charisma to stop people from taking even one step forward because of fear and awe, Aero of the East, the most powerful out the three of them would also possess such charisma. Aero of the East with his untainted white robe and his hair that moved with the wind, it was an image that filled the eyes of these people with an indefinable elegant air. His figure become even more clear as the fog is slowly becoming even more thin. But these people that are looking at him would never forget such scene. *********************************************** Will be posting chapter until the last day of the month. Or maybe I woudl stop on the 30th because everyone want to enjoy the New Year Eve. If I post mass release on the 30th then it menas I will not be posting anything on the 31st. Anyway, see you all tomorrow. Chapter 229 - SLAYER OF ONE THOUSAND LIVES (5) Aero himself is also slowly able to control the killing intent around him without the side effect of before. He no longer has the red eyes full of madness and frenzy like before. He channels the killing intent in his attack and uses it, controls it instated of being controlled by it. Aero decision to immerse himself in battle have gained him considerable experience as he familiarize himself with his skill. To the people looking at him, he was truly the invincible warrior the bards sang about. The attack before, that roar that broke all their weapons, thrown them away a hundred meters away, dissipating all the magic spells, all of these feats, make the hearts of the people attacking him felt like they are fighting one of the Gods of Olympus. There is fear but there is also awe. Many of the people in this battle have never even met one of the Three Great Pillars. Aero of the East, Zeus of the North and Ariana of the South. There three legends of the world are not easy to meet. For Zeus of the North he is the King. Not anybody is worthy to get an audience with the King. For the Holy maiden of Arleans Ariana, she is protected by the Church and she is the supreme commander of the Holy Church making her unapproachable unless you are the poor or served under her direct army. As for Aero of the East? He is second only to the Emperor of Vanheim which is testament of his great influence in Vanheim. He governs the Six Council and his residence is heavily protected. Unlike Ariana where one could sometime see her on the slums giving alms and doing charity work, or King Zeus who would sometimes appear in grand feast or knight''s tournament, Aero of the East maintained that image of mystery around him. Even in Court or in his life, he is mysterious with his intentions and objective, keeping people guessing and one of the hardest people to meet. These people here have all known the stories and legends of the Three Pillars. But they never, until today, try to fight one of them. It is why they felt awe. And they felt fear. And some of them even felt admiration. Because they finally know the realm of strength of those who carry the title the Three Great Pillars! That is why they could not move their muscle. They did not realize it but sweat are filling their forehead and their backs. They are trembling in fear and they don''t even know it. Aero on the other hand is about to take his one thousand kill. The excitement in his eyes could not be disguised. He is expectant of the announcement from the Heavens Viola is just a few distance away from his last guardian, Graham. She has also stopped running as she watched the last moment of her guardian Jason, exploded into flesh and meat flying in the air. Around her people are not moving and as such the more she runs, the more obvious her path is. She only looks at Aero and the death of her guardians. There is tears on her eyes and she felt hot in her throat as she could not express this fear and sadness and this feeling of helplessness. For a moment, she forgot that her companions and guardian would return back to her after this is all over. But even as she remembers that fact, the fear in her eyes did not lessens. After all, now she has learned a great lesson. If in the real world they ever met one of Thee Great pillars, they should not have tarry or try to delay them. They should run as fast as they can. Because in the real world, if they met any one of the Three Great Pillars and they fought them, they would truly be dead. There is no reviving unless one has a Shard of Revival or the Potion of Soul and Body Summoning. While it is not impossible to have it, it is hard to find such thing. She even forgets to breath for one second as he panicked the moment she saw Jason explodes and Aero is targeting Graham. The faces of these people were filled with shock and astonishment. But the green robed woman has no use for such feeling at this moment The tears dripped silently from the edge of her eyes as she steeled herself The woman wipes away her tears defiantly. Her eyes are shining with purple glint. If you looked carefully at her eyes, deep inside her eyes, the purple glint in her eyes is tracking something golden She is seeing Aero using her ability. She is still tracking Aero with her eyes. With that purple glint in her eyes she could easily see Aero movement even when he is moving in such a fast speed. She gritted her teeth as she saw Aero is changing his direction to Graham after killing Jason. She knew Graham would die the moment Aero got his hand on him. She also knows that the people around him is trapped in some kind of trance. She herself is nearly caught up in that illusion but maybe because her legacy is about searching and seeing, she was not affected that badly. As she saw Aero charging toward Graham, she shouted ''ALL OF YOU! Wake up!'' She shouted and then she throws something to the ground. The red black aura around the area were pushed away by a stream of purifying light. Suddenly the thousands of people who could not move their feet forward shuddered. It was like they were awakened from along dream. It was only then that they noticed how they are sweating all over their body and blood dripping from their wounds. They all did not have the time to find the source of this purifying light. They all know that they could not lost this moment again. ''Attack!'' ''Kill him!'' ''For Veva!'' They need to push on their attack and they immediately attacked the moment they got the chance. They move their feet and lifted their weapons as magician conjure their spells and the rear battlefield once again sprang into life. The green robed woman seeing that the people are moving again has a glint in her eyes. Then she laughed with a hint of madness in it. ''Compared to you I am weak. But just because I have no chance of winning against you, doesn''t mean I will make it easy for you'' she muttered to herself as she lost herself in the crowd. And Viola effort have an effect on Aero plan Aero was about to kill the last guardian of the green robed woman when suddenly a barrage of magic spell attack him out of nowhere. Explosion rocked the entire are as the land was split open and fire exploded high until it reached the clouds. The entire land around them were full of large holes and crater as all kinds of elements riddle the entire battlefield. When the dust settles to the astonishment and disbelief of many Aero stand there on the empty ground, golden motes of light rising all over him with circles of fire dying down around him and steel spikes all around him like they were some plants that grows from beneath the surface of the ground. He looks like nothing could hurt him and that barrage of spells and attack did nothing to him. But truthfully Aero did feel pain. *********************************************** Tomorrow will be the last day I post chapter for this month. There might not be a mass release but a large one chapter. Anyway, see you tommorow and don''t forget to vote and leave some comments Chapter 230 - SLAYER OF ONE THOUSAND LIVES (6) The moment that large barrage of attack hit him he felt a jolt all over his body. At that time, he frowned as he jumps backward dodging the larger explosion that engulfed the space and the wind. Aero had to retreat and lost his opportunity to kill that last guardian. He clicked his tongue when he saw that guardian run farther away from him. That guardian seeing that he was just released from the jaws of death rushed further away with wound all over his body. He might have escaped Aero grasp but he also suffers a bit from the attack of those people targeting Aero. After all the attack did not differentiate between friend and foe. He survives only because he was not the main target of the attack. Aero felt a little pain but it did not show on his face. He must not. That is why he endures it even though it felt like his skin is being pulled away from him. That is how painful the pain one had to experience to gain such powerful curse like the Curse of Styx. One of the sparks of a fire slip through the protective anklet that covered up his ankle. Just a little bit of power slip in and Aero already felt such pain. But he could not show it in fear that his weakness would be recognized. This is why he hated fighting with a crowd and why he would prefer his existence is not revealed. And he knows Deria is not in this crowd. If he was one of them, if he is one of the Western Heaven people, Aero would have started the quest with finding him first. Deria is the people of that world. And he is the only one Aero trusted to know about his ability and his weakness. And the only one he would have allowed to create his protective coverings for his ankle. Aero stand there on that battlefield alone, unchallenged. But this time these people would no longer just look at him and be entranced like before. This time their mind is clear and the moment they saw that Aero is still unharmed, even though, they still fear, even though they still feel awe and admiration, their feet move forward and their weapons is thrusted forward. They attacked without hesitation. It is either them or him. The battlefield once again thrummed with life and their attack become even more ferocious. Aero did not bask in his glory for long as the attack once again comes for him Aero then dodges another attack but his eyes is trained on that guardian running away in the distance, his eyes is chilling. ''You will not escape'' Aero muttered to himself. Then he pushes himself forward, kicking his feet off the ground, as the wind around him break away from his body Sonic boom sounded that rings through the entire battlefield sealed by a rectangular dome Aero is turning once again into a long arc of light. The presence is like an unsheathed saber strike that pierces through Heaven and Earth The entire land trembles and the sky above the battlefield seems to be changing direction as the clouds churned like it could affect it. If the people look closely at the skies, there is sometimes across the clouds, there is numbers Zero and ones. It changes alternately like it is trying to make sense of it. It also looks like it is slowly melding into the sky of this world making the ones and zeroes to slowly become transparent and illusory Like it is becoming complete As Aero turns into a long arc of light, he also executed one of his deadliest sword technique which is the Autumn Slice. It was that strike that create the phenomenon of clouds churning on the skies It slices anyone that is in the vicinity of that long arc. The warrior who were lifting their weapon and was about to charge to Aero had their entire body cut into two. Their upper half of the body all slid down to the ground the moment that long arc of light passes them by. They first feel the saber light domineering pressure before they feel something else. They feel the pain of having their entire body sliced into two. The moment their upper half body slid down they felt like someone is grating their intestines with some kind of sharp stones. The pain was indescribable as they screamed before they die, their upper half body twitching in pain before finally released from their suffering by dying Aero had killed one thousand people. Before the announcement could announce the achievement to him, Aero had already arrived in front of the guardian Graham who just thought he had survived with his life intact was shocked when he saw Aero of the East in front of his eyes. But he did not think about retreating anymore. That is because his lady is just near him. He wanted to lift his weapon when a cold voice enters his ears ''No one could escape with their lives when I already sentence them to death. Now die'' And Aero casually swings his saber to him. That one slice of his saber kills everyone behind Graham and slices him into two. Both side of his body were pushed apart to different parts of the battlefield because of the lingering force of Aero attack Around him right now it was empty. behind him golden motes of lights are rising up to the skies. The heaven looks indifferently at all of these death and sacrifices, at all of these stories and emotion as these battlefield is now no longer the battlefield of greed. But of survival. They thought they were hunting a beast before. And they thought that the beast is the sabretooth. Who would have known that the beast has always been hunting them? And that beast is Aero of the East Now this battlefield is the battlefield of survival. Aero smiles as he looks at the empty space around him. He was the only one bathing in the golden lights like he is some kind of a holy man sent by the Heavens If not for the fact everyone knows that the golden motes of light mean that people around him has die because of his saber strike they would surely think so. The War God of Vanheim! This title was not in vain. Countless of swords, shield and staff is lying all around him like it was some kind of tribute to him Then finally that announcement sound sounded in Aero mind. And he could not help but smiles widely ''Finally!'' He muttered to himself. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Aero Carlingian have unlocked the achievement of Slayer of One Thousand Lives Requirement: killing one thousand people in the Purgatory Title received: Slayer of One Thousand Lives Title has evolved from One Hundred Man Killer to Slayer of One Thousand Lives Title Perks: Increased killing intent and if fought against thousands of people, strength will increase against your enemies as their resistance against you would be lowered with Heaven helping you to suppress them * New requirement: Killing ten thousand people and you will be given a choice of walking the path of killing or you could shed it all later. Gain the skill Slashing Through Life >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The moment that title was written in his status window, Aero once again could feel that the energy he felt before around his body and his saber becomes even more pronounced and clear. Even the pain he received before felt like it is being removed. The saber in Aero hand seems like it''s about to howl with the roars of dragons. He looks around him and while they are still people coming to rush him down, they are still far away. And Aero could tell that their morale is low. After surviving their attack and barrages of magical spell countless of time, even they felt that trying to kill Aero is harder than becoming a King. He decided to check the new skill he got. ''I could check what this Slashing Through life skills and what it does'' He opens his status window and saw that skill is listed under a new category. It is under the category of Achievement Skills. He then read it. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ACHIEVEMENT SKILLS SLASHING THROUGH LIFE (SPECIAL RANK) A skill derived from your dedication to killing and bloodshed. This skill would gather all the killing intent around you to produce a strike that would take all the lives of people around you. The effect of this strike and its range of attack depends on the amount of killing intent that is around you. It could not differentiate friend and foe, so be prudent before using it. [Powerful people who have measure of extra protection or powerful spell that could neutralize some of the killing intent around them might have the chance to survive this attack. Someone who is cursed to be Immortal by the Gods would not be affected by this strike] Because of its tremendous power to manipulate the killing intent, you could only use this strike only once before it could be used again next week. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Then another announcement sounded a few second later The moment he saw it, his smile grew even wider ''I was right'' It seems his guess was right. The title of Saber Master and One Hundred Man Killer is connected with each other. Aero thinks that if he uses sword he would have unlocked the achievement of Sword Master instead of Saber Master Aero only hopes that when he returned back to the real world, these achievement systems would still be in place. He looks and read the announcement of his new title. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Aero Carlingian have unlocked the achievement of Saber Monarch Requirement: killing one thousand people in the Purgatory using a saber Title received: Saber Monarch Title has evolved from Saber Master to Saber Monarch Title Perks: Increased comprehension of the saber and each saber strike would have the trace of power of the world Gain the power to use saber intent >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> He then looks at the slowly decreasing people in the battlefield. He also sees that the pillars of light around the four direction is slowly getting to be more translucent ''It seems it would not be long now before this sealing magic would lose its effect'' Aero is not the only one that notices this. The people around the pillars of light that have not stooped attacking since they have been trapped have also seen it. The expiration time for the pillars of light is only thirty minutes But with many people attacking the pillars of light that time was greatly reduced. However even before that pillars of light expire Aero had managed to fulfil his objective. Now, killing all of these people are just bonuses for him. He could see in the distance that Kyle explosion is getting more and more slower. ''I guess he had helped me greatly before. I will surely pay for such debt'' he said. The people who were rushing toward him also realized the change in the sealing formation but they did not stop their charge. There are still thousands of them Aero smirked and said to himself ''And I also like to try this Slashing through Life skill. From its description it is really a powerful attack and skill. The Special rank must be because its condition of power is depending on an external source.'' He did not hesitate at all as he lifted his saber and charges toward the crowd. Then he yelled with his strongest roar ''Kyle! What are you waiting for! Kill that dam beast!'' Kyle who was fighting in the front heard that roar that echoes in the entire battlefield. And he smiles. Aero is about to make his way to the front. And this time with saber intent around him, to the people that is charging to Aero, Aero felt like a saber itself, about to pierce through the Earth, like a heavenly saber shot down from the highest heaven to punish the world. There is also the fact that even though there are thousands of people charging toward him, the pressure of their power did not make Aero felt even challenged. His entire body radiated power and confidence of a man who have slayed countless of lives and reaped a lot of souls in the battlefield of war. This time the pressure and power around him increased tenfold that it creates such an oppressing pressure that some people felt their entire body turns heavy. Aero one slash killed a dozen people as all of their head flew into the air. Aero is rampaging as he made short work of the people, charging to him. The golden rectangular dome becomes even more translucent and once could see it is cracking and about to break. And the hopes of those people near the pillars surged. They wanted to get out from this hell scape as quickly as possible On the other hand, those that have retreated earlier and those that were outside the sealing range have already found out that their place is not a plain but a plateau on top of such a large straight land. They all chooses to climbed on the plateau and went into the jungle region. When they arrived on the jungle region some people decided to seek their fortuitous encounter but there are also people like Marquis Dan that wanted to find the Gate as fast as possible and return to the Vilajeri Continent as fast as possible. Because some people knew that Aero of the East is among them. What fortuitous encounter? If there is a fortuitous encounter or a treasure coming out, then they have to compete with Aero of the East. Unless one could ambush him or trapped him it is pointless trying to compete with him. But while they are people that think like this, they are also people who are brave and would take risk searching for the jungle regions for treasures or a new legacy. While the search for the Gate in the jungle region is intensifying, on top of the plateau. Everyone felt that this battle would end now. The beast is cornered and Aero of the East is coming forward to the front battle lines. The Vanheimneian people all retreated showing their intention of not wanting to side with the others and not make it hard on the Chancellor. They could see how this would end and after the battle ended, the Vanheim people knows that they should stick together. And there is only one person that could be the unifying force for their people in this plain. The battle is about to end and they are making the smart decision. If in the beginning they could still fight against Aero since it is a quest and he would not mind it after they revived. Everyone knows the magnanimity of the Chancellor. The Chancellor killing all these people with such disregards is also because he knows that all of this people will be revived later. At least that is what these people thought. Aero effort of creating a reputation and a persona for him have benefited him greatly. Even after killings thousands of people, to the mind of the people he is still that honorable and elegant scholar. That is why they dare to compete against the Chancellor before. But not now. Now, that the conclusion is obvious, they would distance themselves, else they attract the ire of the Chancellor and one of the General in the Vanheim army. Aero is rushing forward to Kyle direction killing anyone that is around him, his hand is swinging around that saber No matter what divine abilities they shot at him, Aero now feeling like his entire body were strengthened in all kinds of manner dodges all of them without fail. He keeps killing and killing as the thousands of people now decreased in an unprecedented rate. Like a flower blooming in the battlefield, golden lights rise up from the ground like the ground is the sky raining down golden light toward the sky who is now the ground. It was like the order of Heaven and Earth was reversed. The ground become the Heavens and the Heavens become the ground. And the lives of people become the rain that makes the heavens wet. The crazed killing creates thick killing intent that spread all over.. The thin killing intent that pervades the battlefield become thick once again. This time, there is some weight around it. It became so thick that the mist once again was formed, covering the eyes of the people and in some cases their senses. By now Aero had lost the green robed woman track. But now he had other things to worried about. Kyle need his help right now. He run around the mist but the attack on him did not stop They keep rushing forward like they too were infected by the killing desires that Aero now possesses. Aero saber slashes forward and it clashed with his enemies and those who clashed with him will die a few moments later. Aero is moving fast to the front. Kyle is busy holding both the attack people on him and the attack directed on the beast. Kyle could not let them kill the beast when he had done all the work. At the same time, he also had to dodge a lot of the magical spells directed at him. It is fortunate he had a lot of potion in his potion bag. No one could see anything other than their struggle to fight and survive. Aero even felt like he is forgetting himself as his hand moves unconsciously, chopping, stabbing, slashing, piercing all those that stands before him. One could only hear a loud bang every few second and the echoes of shrill screams of pain and suffering. People on Aero path and crashed into him would turn into scattered flesh or have their own weapon shattered into pieces. This time Aero killing speed become even more faster like he was being aided by the killing mist full of the intent of killing and slaughtering all beings. A large amount of ground and broken remains of swords, shields and spear exploded and shot outward the moment their weapons clashed with Aero Howling Dragon Saber. The mist covers a lot of people vison but sometimes the mist would distort when powerful force is being exerted. It was then that they sometime could caught the glimpse of Aero running forward killing all in front of his path like he is a mowing machine of life. It was a dazzling sight to behold. Aero was unstoppable. In the mist, Viola is also searching her way. This time, the purple glint in her eyes could no longer see Aero. And as such, she filled with dread and nervousness. before she could at least get the general sense of where her pursuer is. But in this thick mist full of killing intent, she could not see anything other than the path in front of her. Though, she thinks that this mist surely would not obstruct the vison of Aero. Which is why she is being anxious right now. Because he can see and she couldn''t. Exhaustion is also apparent in her face. She has been running with the threat of death looming behind her. Now that she had escaped, she is once again in a disadvantageous position. As she was about to started running again, suddenly her expression changed drastically. She saw a fast approaching shadow rushing toward her. She did not even have the chance to do anything before that shadow appeared in front of her. She lifted her foot trying to get away. She felt a premonition of danger the moment she saw that shadow but before she could retreat, a hand suddenly shot out from the thick mist and grabbed her throat. The mist around her parted away revealing a hand on her throat and the person holding her by the neck Shock appeared in her eyes as the veins on her neck is about to explode. The one holding her neck is none other than Aero. He looked at her and smiles There is also a hint of admiration in his eyes ''I got you, Lady Viola of Vanan. You are a hard lady to find. You don''t think you could escape from me right?'' Then he brought her face slowly to his mouth Then he whispered something to her. Her eyes widened for a moment. Then she laughed and then she nodded. Aero then squeezed his hand as her head exploded and she dies. Aero did not linger for long as he keeps moving forward. As he finished killing Viola, the rectangular dome on top of all the people head cracked and then a second later it broke. The four pillars dissipated into thin air and the area is no longer sealed. They are free now. In the front, Kyle is about to kill the beast and Aero is fast approaching. People near the pillars was the first one to run away. Then the people who do not want to fight anymore who scattered all the way running from this plain. The end of the battle is just moments away. ********************************************************************** Last chapter for the month. Hope you enjoy it. Leave some comments and votes. And a very happy new year to all of you. See you aroudn the sixt day of next month Chapter 231 - SCHEME (1) Aero of the East and General Kyle of Vanheim. The existence of these two great figures in the battlefield and their feats have deterred almost half of the battlefield. The red dark mist that spreads all over the battlefield is thickening as people no longer want to compete in this merciless and meaningless battle. The battle seems that it will end in this two duo victory. And people are running away. The rectangular dome has disappeared. The area is no longer sealed. Those that are the closest to the pillars area were the first one that run away. Those that is from Vanheim throws their weapons to the side and kneel on the ground, showing their stance. Since the conclusion is without a doubt have concluded there is no need to prolonged this battle. They did not want to provoke the Chancellor of their own kingdom. After all, when all of this is over and they return back to the Vilajeri Continent they still have to make a living. And how could they make a living if the most powerful person of their kingdom make it hard for them? They did not hesitate to surrender. Some even go as far to turn their back from their comrade and helping Kyle to prevent people from killing him. They did not help Aero. Instead of not trying to help Aero, it was more accurate to say that these people were more afraid of obstructing Aero. Aero assault on the back is unstoppable and as such there is no need for this people to try to help their Chancellor. Instead they focused their help on Kyle. As the fighting on the front lessened, the fighting on the back however did not lose its momentums. Those that dare to attack Aero, none of them come from Vanheim and most of them come from people who were actually antagonistic toward Aero of the East. Aero himself notices this weird craze. Not that he cares at this moment when energy is boiling inside him. He watched on as Viola soul rises up to the sky. ''Let us meet again'' Aero said as he looks at that motes of light dissipating and gathering in the sky. The red dark sky. Of course, only those that have the skill Killing Intent could see the dark red sky above their head. It was like the world is in an apocalyptic scene. Everywhere is dark and it is full of indistinct howling If not for the fact that there is large killing, this scene might even be considered to be beautiful Many more people decided to surrender as they wave white flag and did not do anything to Kyle as they would rather run away from him lest they would be regarded as someone who is trying to obstruct him The battlefield right now is divided by people who wanted to kill Aero and those who only wanted to survive this tribulation. They no longer wanted to vie with Kyle about who is going to kill the beast. He could take it if he wants and Kyle did not hesitate to take it. That is the kind of man he is. After suffering tribulation and many suffering, Kyle did not let go any opportunities. Kyle who is rushing to the betas smirks. He did not think that Aero revealing himself has made many people lose all their will to fight. Though, of course this only happens because Aero is overwhelming them, and they are not united. Aero like always, knows when to apply force and when he doesn''t have to. And the thing he does need a few privacies, at least that was true in the beginning. But now since he had revealed himself, then that must mean Aero have finished confirming his deduction. Kyle himself have gained an achievement after he killed one thousand people with his explosion magic. He got the title Bombardier Mage. But as there are people that did not want conflict with the duo, there are some people that would want such conflict. One such person is Trey. He is General Trey. He is one of the general of Veva. Veva have many military generals which is not surprising considering their expansionist policy. While Trey is not one of the inner circle of King Zeus, he himself is very capable and is swiftly rising through the ranks. He was the one that instigated the attack and fan the flames when he knows Aero is among them What he couldn''t have expected is how powerful and ridiculous the power of Aero of the East and the influence of his name. He looks at the battle that is slowly turning disadvantageous for him and he could not help but feeling everything he had schemed crumbles away. He should have been satisfied with just hunting the beats instead of trying to fight against one of the Three Pillars. It was not only his desire to get a promotion that led him to making the worst decision of his life. The other reason was to gain control and reap the biggest benefit from this Purgatory When he remembers who he was he look around and he saw no powerful person that he feared. They are some people who were famous in their regions but he saw none that he thinks could threaten him He missed Aero and Kyle. And that have now landed him in this shitty situation. He decided to gather with his comrade and then killed the beast winning not only the skills but also to gain some renown. He wanted to control the people here as their leader so they could walk slowly as they explore Purgatory. He wanted to search for a legacy. He too wanted to have a legacy like all those powerful people. He is only a simple solider without a legacy. Even his family name that he could choose is common. His family name is Baker. Trey Baker. The Western Heaven evaluate that because of the mistake he made before he ascends and leave the Vilajeri Continent, that his rank was demoted. Even though he was a general what he did was enough for the Western Heaven to punish him. No, to be more accurate, he is an ex general. All of this scheme is to bring a good news to Veva so he could be reinstated. ''Huh'' he sighed as he looked at the golden motes of light gathering on top of the clouds. He is still holding his large broadsword. But he doesn''t think this broadsword could hold off even one swing of Aero saber He is not overestimating his enemy strength. He truly felt that this is the true fact. His hand is trembling both out of fear and excitement. It seems people of the Western Heaven have always had this kind of feeling when faced with death. Excitement and fear all melded into one It was like they could revive infinitely. But according to his memories, Trey didn''t even once remember he could be revived infinitely. He did not know and so those others in this battlefield, that none of their memories could be trusted with one hundred percent certainty. >>>>>>>> First chapter of the month. We are starting the year with a lot of bad news and it almost seems like hope is diminishing. Anyway, hope you like the chapter and leave some comments and votes. Hmm. Chapter 232 - SCHEME (2) Then he could saw the red black aura that seems to spread all over the battlefield. He could feel the oppressive power hidden in that black red aura. After this battel ended, if Aero of the East did not fall, then the entire people here would heed his command. Who would dare question the leadership and influence of the Aero of the East, one of Three Great Pillars, the Chancellor of the Empire of Vanheim? But until that moment come, he would not give up. While Trey is scheming in the front sending more people to fight and figures out Aero weakness, the battle on the rear did not stop just because the seal has been broken. Aero is dashing forward, slashing his saber right and left. No one could stop him and no one could even take one slash of his saber and live Right now his saber seems to be aided by the power of the world. Aero could even feel it around his hand, this swirling wind that is invisible but nourishing him with each swing. The thicker the killing intent around him, the stronger he became and the lighter his body became and the faster his swing and attack became His saber movement was like the flurry images of a fast moving object, none of it could be seen clearly. Before they know it, their head fly into the air and they turned into golden motes of light. To others, Aero of the East seems focused to quickly reach Kyle and help him. But Aero himself did not care that much about what is happening in the front. After all this, if Kyle still could not kill the beast by himself, he would be too useless. And Aero knows Kyle is not that incompetent. By the time he arrived at the front, Aero was confident that Kyle would have finished killing the beast. And Aero is also thinking about something else. Even as he killed the people that is still stubborn enough to chase after him, he could not help but sighed when he remembers that woman. ''The Lady of Vanan'' he muttered a she sidestepped a thrust from a spearman. He uses his footwork to arrive behind that attacker, as he thrust his saber backwards The saber pierced that tacker shoulders as Aero pull the saber back leaving the attacker half dead as he keeps moving forward ''That woman is quiet interesting'' he thought to himself as he continued his thought process about that woman For someone who lack strength, she could have tracked him no matter where he tries to hide. That was impressive. No matter what he does to conceal himself, she could see through. It is for that reason he whispered to her those words. If she knew what is good for her, then after she revived, she would follow him. As he keeps killing the people that kept throwing their lives to him, Aero just remembered who Viola of Vanan is. He remembers that when he read the reports about her, he disregarded her as some kind of local militia leader without any threat to Vanheim. Not only she is far, her enemy is not Vanheim and instead is the Church of Light. And while it is true, to Aero eyes that she did not possess any threats to Vanheim, she is useful. At least now, he knows she could be useful to him. And that is enough. Not many people could be useful to Aero. Aero did not seem perturbed or distracted even when he is thinking of all this thought inside his head. It was like he is thinking about many things all at once, and doing many things all at once, yet he is doing all this unconsciously. He is swinging his saber and devising strategies to kill and defend and yet at the same time his thought could also wander to other matters like it is an exercise of his mind. Around him the screams of pain and despair did not stop but like an experienced butcher of men, he tuned out of all the screams. It was like he was in a silent zone where nothing could be heard. All he could see was blood splashing, golden lights rising and people body splitting. One would question their sanity if one could remain calm even under such circumstances. But Aero did not question it even for a second. He felt like for some reason his heart is heartless yet not cold. It was like he used to do this before, but he did it without any additional feeling without guilt. It was an off feeling to be having It was like¡­. something that is normal. But he is not bloodthirsty. This feeling of like controlling other character, of replaying of becoming someone else¡­. Aero could not explain it to others. Maybe because he knew that this people would revive, he had no guilt. Also maybe because he had done it before. His memories, amidst the screams, and the flying limbs cut off by his saber, his mind is slowly recovering his memories of what happen in front of the Gate of Veva. He remembers a silhouette. A vague silhouette of a woman. He remembers shouting her name but he could not see pass through that silhouette before being assaulted by a painful headache. By now the mist around the battlefield, the mist that is formed form the resentment of the death and their desire to kill have become so thick that all of Aero enemies could feel their body become heavier. It has begun affecting the entire battlefield. And Aero was not the only one that benefited from this. Killing intent is also useful for those who have the job of Assassins and[A1] Thieves and there are some warriors that have the skills or inherent abilities of manipulating Killing Intent to boost their strength. But even they are not confident of comforting Aero with that skill. After all those that reap the biggest benefit of the Killing Intent is the one who kills those people. It is after all formed by resentment and who is the worthiest recipient of such resentment fi not for the person who killed them and the one that inflict pain and despair the most in this battlefield? Many people realize that the mist is making them weaker and heavier. Even their sword felt a few pounds heavier. And the heavier they become the faster Aero becomes. He was like a killing lightning as his figure seems like a long arc of lightning from the back cutting through a path to help Kyle Aero then shouted ''Those who did not want to die meaninglessly, throw your weapon and run away from this battle. I will give you my words, that if you show respect to me, I will not pursue this matter. The conclusion is already set. Do not make it hard for me and my colleague.'' The he added ''But if you insist on obstructing my way, do not blame me for being heartless!'' Aero only saying this to maintain that reputation of him. He knows at this point, those who wanted to surrender and run have already done so. The only one that is left is the greedy ones, the crazy one and the foolish one. And Aero would not have it any other way. Since he had finished confirming what he wanted, it would not a bad thing to help Kyle on the way. >>>>>>> Hope you like it. There doesnt seem to be many readers for this story. Hmm. Leave some comments and vote Chapter 233 - SCHEME (3) Aero is no longer in the darkness as he kills people without blinking. The saber on his hand is like the executioner saber that kills whoever that dares violates his order. Those enemies watching him from the dark could not help but have incredibly dark faces, gritting their teeth. By now even some people of their camps no longer wanted to face this killing frenzy and this unstoppable foe of theirs. On the other hand, Trey and a few other that share the same objective believes that Aero is nearing his limit. Surprisingly, they are right. These people while they did incite the enemies of Aero to fight him, they are not completely with a plan. Aero is really nearing his limit. It was not that he is feeling tired or there is a wound on his body. The magical attack and even some of those stray attack nearly reaches his ankle in a few occasion. He himself nearly had a heart attack each time a few stray arrows flew close to his feet. He knows that only one nick on that area and he would die. Other people could only see how invincible he is in the battlefield. Only he knows the fear he had to overcome each time he moves forward. There is a reason why he is killing people swiftly. Aero was never as calm as people thought he is. He is only good at acting like he is calm. Because calmness infects people. The War God of Vanheim could not appear to be worried all the time if he were to inspire morale. And no one would trust people who look like they would lose their marbles. Aero had always battle with this fear of his. He had the power to ignore all mortal weapons. Yet, one nick at his ankle and he would be dead. His life is not as hard to take as the whole world imagines it to be. Thus he too wanted to end this battle as fast as possible before something unfortunate happens. Because these people that are fighting against him right now, while they could be described as foolish, they could also be considered to be bold. And fortune has always favor the bold. But Aero also recognizes something else as he keeps fighting. He felt something is wrong with all of this. There is this feeling inside his heart that he could not quite explain. Aero speculate that there is an instigator hiding in the dark who keeps sending people to test his limits, and trying to find out his weakness. He doesn''t know why he is feeling like this. The more he felt like this, the more he wanted to end this battle as fast as possible. As long as Kyle kill that beast, then the people of this plains could be pacified. After the end of the quest, they all could let bygone be bygones. After all, it is just a quest. They still need to go home. Even Aero understand that. For some reason he felt that this has always been the case. It was like a manner between people who lives in Western Heaven The quest is issued and everyone would do their best to complete it and there is no hard feeling if you lose after trying your best. Aero dodged another arrow attack that landed only a few meters form his ankle. Aero did not show any change in his expression even after that near miss. Aero stomp the ground as the spear near his feet were impacted by it as it jumps into the air. Aero kick the spear in midair as its shoots through the area, piercing a few men as it tore through their armor. A human skewer of three people was created as the three people falls down into the ground with holes on their stomach and turns into golden motes of light. One of the men is the archer that tried to snipe him. For a moment Aero could catch a breath as he could see that there is another wave of attacker coming to him Aero could see most of the people attacking him is shouting about Veva. So it is not hard to guess who this people were. And it might be someone who is high up in the chain of Veva that could instigate these people to attack him He even saw a man arranging the wave of people and directed the battlefield. But Aero had never taken anything like that as a confirmation of the true instigator. He did not know the name of that man but he once saw his face in Veva army but that doesn''t mean he is the only that is wishing him dead. Maybe there are others that is hiding in the crowd and using it as a way to gauge his weakness. That is why Aero keep killing quickly. After all, the most effective way to stop people from attacking him and trying to kill him is killing them first He takes a breath and mutter to himself ''Fine. Let us see who will cave first. It is just a different target'' Aero is also annoyed and angry at his situation right now. If this is Vilajeri Continent, these people won''t even have the time to reach his position unless he let them In Vilajeri Continent, if he wished it, he would move the Council of War and form an army. He is slightly getting angry. And there is also a bit of fear. He felt like he is in a mud. And that mud is slowly drawing him in. And the only thing he could do right now is to keep moving forward There is no other way. Aero charged into the wave, killing his way without stopping his attack at all. Like a storm, he tore through their wave of men, like some kind of unstoppable natural disaster that make everyone felt hopeless Aero did not seem to be any weaker even after countless of men had their blood washed over his saber. If anything, he become even more crazy, killing people all around him without stopping. It is a vicious cycle for his enemies without them knowing it. The more he kills the more powerful he became. Now, the mist of killing intent around the battlefield was so thick that it is even hard to see each other and coordinate attack or gives order. But Trey of course could see it clearly. But not everyone has high power and perception like Trey and the others. They could only shiver in fear as all the area around them is covered by red mist before a saber light end their life in one swift motion. Trey is right now planning something as he looks at the soldiers he sent. When he saw the red mist, he was not disheartened. Instead he smirks. ''Aero¡­I will finish what Zeus had failed to do. I will make you bleed'' His eyes are looking at the way these people are moving. One of them is on the north side of Aero. The other is on the south. Then the other are respectively on the east and west of Aero. On the four cardinal direction away from Aero, these people are channeling mana out of their body creating layers of power around them that seems to slowly spread out. It did not repel the killing intent but as it passes through it like it phases through it. These people are five people unit. And all of them are mages. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I will not say much. If you like the chapter leave some comments and vote for the story. Check my other stories Chapter 234 - SCHEME (4) It did not repel the killing intent but as it passes through it like it phases through it. These people are five people unit. And all of them are mages. They all wear purple robe and their faces are covered up by their hood. ''It has been a long time since I am seeing you Thomas'' one of them said. The other one just nodded without saying much. ''Let us begin. He is at the center'' The other nodded as they chanted some words. These people are also from Veva. This is actually Veva people attacking Aero. Vanheim people while they are not the majority of people that is in this Plain of Peace, they are still some of them. They did not even try to harm Aero after he revealed himself other than the one who is greedy for fame and skill points. After all, at the end of the day, the Chancellor is still of their people. Why would they be happy if their Chancellor get killed by their enemy kingdom? Because of that some Vanheimneian even raises their swords and kills some Veva people to help Aero. The rivalry between Veva and Vanheim is not something that is built in one day. As both of them come from a large nation and powerful, they both held pride and both the residents of these two kingdom knows that in the end, only one would emerge victorious. Both of the rulers of these nations wanted to rule the world and unify the Vilajeri Continent Those who did not come from Veva or Vanheim has long fled this area. A simple battle because of the quest had turned into a battle of old feuds, turning into a battle between two Empires. One that rules the East and one that rules the North. Vanheim and Veva had never seen eye to eye. They tolerated each other because they are both far from each other and they both still have cleaning up to do in their continent. There should be no two kings of the Jungle. The Emperor of Vanheim is a lofty title and his intent to rule the world is no longer hidden. King Zeus of Veva also had the same ambition of uniting the world under his rule Arianna and her Church wanted to propagate their religion and tore down the idols of the false gods that the people have been praying to Out of those three, Vanheim and Veva could never see eye to eye because the two pillars of their Empire has a feud between them. And both of them hold influence that could move their Empire to action. Chancellor Aero with the authority to govern the Six Council and King Zeus of Veva. Since that is the case, it is no wonder, the sight of Aero, the Chancellor of Vanheim being besieged by Veva people incited a different kind of battle to start. Aero even as he was fighting as fast as possible he could feel that the winds are changing. He frowned and his eyes shone with determination. He could feel a dark hand guiding these developments the moment he revealed himself. Even as Aero keep moving forward, there is a bitter smile on his face. This is why he doesn''t want to reveal himself. There is Trey. And there are probably others that are scheming against him The former ex general of Veva, Trey look at the development of this battle between Vanheim people and Veva people that is slowly growing tense but he is not concerned. All that matters are his plan. Whether Trey is the main instigator or not, it doesn''t matter at this point. Trey seems to have a plan. And he is using the thick mist to disguise his plan. Aero out of everyone knows that strategy doesn''t end in the war room. There are those that could be considered a grand strategist genius who plans for what will happens even after the war ended, ensuring a peaceful reign and peaceful transition of power. This kind of strategist could help a monarch to establish a dynasty and create an Empire. That is the kind of strategist Aero is. He could give advice to the king and Emperor, guiding them to become an enlightened ruler of the world. But there is also a kind of strategist who is a tactical genius who excels in battle but not in the grand scheme of things. And that is Trey. In such tactical battle he is the cream of the crop. If not for the feats that Aero had achieved, his name would not be so low in the Hall of Heavenly Fame Aero on the other hand did not know what trey is planning in the mist of killing intent. And right now, Aero had a new layer of protection as he kills even more people. If this is a real battle and these people could not revive, one could imagine that this plain would be fills with hills of bodies and mutilated corpse, or an incomplete body of people, their limbs strewing around over all the ground. Aero is getting stronger with each kill. And if that is not enough, the killing intent that has become thick has even latched itself onto Aero body and swirls around his entire body, deflecting magical attacks. Killing intent could only be seen by those who have killing intent skills. But Aero was not the only one that have such skills. And when all of the activated those skill, the invisible killing intent is now visible. But it is not just because of the skills of killing intent that it appeared. It also appeared because there is so much emotions and resentment of the death and the casualty of this battle has reached a staggering amount. Aero felt that this is the only way he could do to hide his true weakness. By now Aero power has completely stunned all of the people. He is truly unstoppable in the battlefield. Seeing his strength, people also wonder one question. How did King Zeus even fight this kind of monster in the first place? The observer could see better and that is completely true for those that run out from the battlefield. They saw the battle and since they are no longer inside the area of the battlefield, they could judge it objectively. They could see how fast and how lethal Aero of the East in killing. If not for the fact that he is more well knowns as a scholar and a great statesman, some might even mistake Aero as a saber fanatic with the way how he expertly held his saber and that ferociousness when he is attacking people. While all of this is happening on the back, with shouts of pain from the back even reaching the front, Kyle had appeared just a few meter from the beast. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Thank you for reading and hope you like the chapte Chapter 235 - SCHEME (5) The sabretooth looks toward at Kyle and release a whimpering sound. Behind Aero is a large fire barrier that separated him from his attacker that wanted to prevent him from killing. Thankfully, there are some Vanheimneian people who helps him and held of the attacker making the fire barrier as the line. He promised them when they return, he would reward them with gold. But that is not the only reason they help Kyle. They also help Kyle because it is not easy of forging relations with such an influential person of the Parliament. Even some merchants throw their weapons to the attacker in bid to help Kyle. Kyle release a dep breath as he looks at the sabretooth beast. There is a smile on his face. A distance of a few meter sis nothing for Kyle who could use his magic. ''Sorry for this. But you are just a creature formed by the will of the Western Heaven as a tribulation. As such I will not feel guilt killing you'' Kyle said to the creature. He then looks up and see the red dark mist that is gathering over the top of the plains of peace and he sighed. It took only one beast to stir up the entire Plains to start killing each other for benefit. If Kyle is not strong, if he did not have a good ally, how could he survive this tribulation? ''Fortune favors the bold'' Aero was bold and he was bold. And Aero had get what he wanted. Now it is his turns. There is a skill he needs to rank up no matter what. He smiles as he lifted his hand. A ball of flames appeared on top of his hand, floating but it did not get out from his palm. Kyle is a Combat Mage. And one of the most proficient magic that he had is Fire Ball. That skill has been ranked up and even evolved to become a new skill. Inferno Rain. But even though, he had evolved the skills, because of his understanding of fire he could easily create a small fireball. But this is not a normal fireball. The fireball on his hand is slowly expanding itself as the area around him is slowly becoming hotter. The fire barrier behind him is also soaring higher like it was affected by the heat around Kyle palm. A tall fire barrier with nine feet height could be seen behind him. It was not only big; it was also hot as many more people retreated themselves from that fire barrier that encircles Kyle. They could only marvel as they could see that four feet fire barrier that could be surmounted with one jump has now rises up slowly to the sky and reach the height of nine meters. The heat was so hot that one could see the scene of space distorting around the fire barrier. Right now inside that circle, it was like Kyle have divided a new world between him and the battle. One could see even from a distance that there is a circular fire barrier that is nine feet high, preventing people from entering it. Even metal weapons will melt if it came to near proximity with the fire barrier. ''Now, go die!'' He shouted as he threw that fireball toward the beast. It seems this battle would be over now. The small ball of flame expanded tenfold as it envelops the dying beast and then before it could even scream an explosion erupted, shaking the entire Plains. Those that is just descending own from the plateau could see the scene of the plateau shaking from below as debris falls from the plateau to the jungle region below, shocking all of the people that had found the Jungle Region. Even Dan who is quite a distance away from the plateau could see the trembling and the edges of the plateaus falling down slowly from above. Meanwhile on top of the plateau, the sound of explosion shocked everyone. Even Trey who is about to execute his plan is shock by that world shaking explosion. Boom! With a loud explosion that shakes the entire battlefield a large flames covered the area and sweep through the fire barrier and anyone around it engulfing friends and foe alike. They all die almost immediately; their physical body turns into cinders of dust that flew as the wind swept them by. The light of that powerful flame illuminated the battlefield. The light was like a sun from the sky is descending upon the mortal world. The heat of the flame could be felt by everyone. On the back even as Aero is continuing his massacre, he could see that blinding light coming out from the front. And he smiles ''He did it!'' Aero said. But he still did not let go of the saber in his hand. This should be over Aero thought but for some reason his instinct say it is not yet over. ''Hmm'' he sighed. Around him people are falling down or being split into two. He still did not know the main instigator of this matter. And for some reason, this kind of scheme seems to be hinting at something. There is this nagging feeling that he probably knows the person who orchestrated this plans. For some reason he could not let go of the thought that all of this is coordinated with great details. And Aero believes it began from the moment he declares himself. That is what he felt. The moment he declares himself, someone among these sea of people schemed against him. Or maybe from the moment the back was in disarray because of his killing. Maybe even since that moment. Aero could partially guess but he could not really be confident of his guess. In the front, Aero instinct was right that Kyle is succeeding is right. The light of the flame did not yet dissipate but Kyle is already walking to the point of impact. Behind him the flame barrier is still circling around him, protecting him from being attacked by those people that wanted to prevent him killing the beast. He smiles and he had the urge to laugh because of happiness. Kyle walked to the beast as he saw the floating fur of the sabretooth. The corpses of the sabretooth are nowhere to be found. ''I guess this is the only thing that is left of you'' Kyle said. Chapter 236 - SCHEME (6) When he touches it shows the status of the skin. It was a sabretooth fur with the same properties of the Nemea lion. Kyle is of course satisfied with the reward. With it he could send the fur to create a powerful light armor that would give him a lifesaving treasure. Behind him, the glow of his flame is slowly dissipating but there is still the afterglow of that illusion The sabretooth was created by the power of the Western Heavens and was not the original life form of this place It explains the sabretooth intelligence and its vitality. The moment he grabs that fur a notification window appeared in front of him QUEST Kill the sabretooth monster or survive until it is killed or moved away. Kill reward: Four skill points You have kill the sabretooth monster and awarded four skill points for your bravery and service to Western Heaven. You are awarded the fur skin of the sabretooth monster. It has many effect such as it could deflect any weapon from rank Weak to Rare. But beware as prolonged attack could tear open the fur and it will lose its effect. You gain the title Beast Slayer. The Western Heaven will double your strength when you are fighting a powerful beast. Kyle was overjoyed. Not only he got the skill points he also got a title. He is probably the first to kill this beast might be one of the requirement to gain titles. Aero himself had predicted that killing the beats would gain him the title. But he had to choose the hard way. Because he needs to know whether the Western Heaven acknowledges any other alternative way. And even though if for some reason Aero lost that bet, he would not care that much since Kyle would still become more powerful which only helps Aero Aero have never forgotten the fact that while he is invincible he is always an inch at death when he is in battle. And he bet right. Aero with his own effort got a title that is acknowledged by the Western Heaven and even his colleague Kyle got a title. As Kyle got the notification of his victory, the other also heard the noticing windows sound in their mind and saw it Their notification window looks a bit different than that of Kyle. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> QUEST Kill the sabretooth monster or survive until it is killed or moved away. You have survived against the attack of the sabretooth monster and awarded two skill points for your bravery and service to Western Heaven. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> That was the notification window for the other people. It is slightly short and they all got a free two skill points. Even Aero got the two skill points. He already only had one skill point after ranking up many of his skills. Now he has three skill points because of the addition of the reward surviving the beast. Aero was the one that benefited the most from this quest. Not only he got two titles, he also got a special rank skill and another two skill points for surviving the beast The people behind the fire barrier after seeing that they could no longer succeed in their attempt to stop Kyle, instead of pushing off against the Vanheimneian people standing guard near the fire barrier, they decided to retreat. They run for the hills while the defending party slumped down to the ground feeling tired and exhausted. Kyle close his eyes for second as he takes a deep breath. That feeling of victory once again come to him. He opens his eyes and he smiles widely. Behind him the afterglow of that flame has already slowly fizzled out as one could even see Kyle silhouette slowly emerges out. The flame barrier around him has also slowly coming down. The wind blows as the fire dies down. Many people are waiting for their comrades and friends to be resurrected. A lot of the people in the frontline has stopped fighting. There is no need to fight now that the quest has been completed. To the people of the Western Heaven this is nothing personal. Everything returns back to the relationship before the battle. Kyle take a deep breath as he decided to help Aero in the back. For some reason, even though he had already finished the quest, the fight on the back is still not ending. As he was about to walk to the back and rally support from the people of Western Heaven that resided in Vanheim, the space behind Kyle stirred. But it was so subtle that no one could really detect it. Even Kyle with his enhanced perception could not sense it. Then it distorted before a rip of void space appears behind him. It produces no sound and the mana and energy of the world was not disturbed at all. The thing that rips the space behind Kyle is a dagger. This dagger also did not have any emanation or fluctuation of power but by its appearance it is clear that this dagger is not something that is normal. The dagger that rip apart space look ancient in its design. It glows with golden glow. But who was wielding this dagger. Because the void space only contains darkness one could not see clearly. Only a pair of pale white hands holding the dagger could be seen. No one could see or warn Kyle of this impeding danger behind him. The afterglow of his flames is still there and even his figure is still blurry. This dagger then targeted Kyle back. The hand thrusted forward as it stabs him right in the heart. Kyle notices something is wrong at the last minutes. For a moment, his mind rang with alarm sound. There is no one way to explain it. It is instinct that has been honed after participating in many battle. He tries to unsheathe his sword and was about to turn his body to his back when he felt pain. He felt pain in his chest. Blood spurted out from his mouth as he could feel something just pierced his body. ''ARGH'' That was his voice of pain as he looks down at his own chest. He almost wanted to laugh because the absurdity that is happening right now. He just got lucky and now this happens to him. He sees a golden tip of a dagger penetrate his chest as his blood drips into the ground. He spurted blood and turns into motes of light as his life ended and he joined the others that he killed on top of the skies. Kyle try to turn his face and look at his assailant so he could hunt him after he revived but he did not even have the opportunity to do so. The wind blows and as the dust of that explosion settles the front line warrior was shocked to see General Kyle of Vanheim turning into golden motes of light. At the same time the notification of the completion of the quest sounded, the entire area around Aero and the people around him around thirty kilometers radius were surrounded by a golden cage. Aero when he saw the cage could not help but feeling something. His eyes narrowed as he stops his swinging. He looks around him. And he was not the only one. Even his enemies are confused with this sudden event. He smiles but he is not feeling joyful at all. Then he said ''This is a fucking trap'' That dagger that rips space and kill Kyle retracted back his hand into the void of ripped space. No one notices that translucent pale white hand and the golden ancient dagger One could only see the black robe that cover the person hands as his trace disappear. *************************************************************** Chapter 237 - THE BLACK ROBED SCHEMER (1) THE JUNGLE REGION As the battle in the Plains is ending, there was already a large group of people below the plateau. The journey to reach downward was quite terrifying. There are no monsters or anyone attacking you but mostly the threat comes from the wind and the rope. The journey to reach the bottom is long. And there were a lot more people that comes down. Some of them are from those that ran from the battlefield and discover that the plains are just a vast flat lands on top of large plateau. But the first group that first travelled and journey down to the Jungle region is none other than Dan group. Right now he and his group is walking along the swamp. He looks behind him and he smiles. All the people behind him trusted him and because of that they have reached this far. There are some things that Dan notices as he walks along this jungle region. There doesn''t seems to be any people living here. But every few hours they would see some beast prowling around. But while they are beast not all of them are carnivorous. They once walked through a path and saw a herd of Giant Tusked Mammoth grazing the grass and a few Brontosaurs eating trees. While for the more meat eating beast, Dan would assess the threat. If they are not that dangerous, they would kill it as they would use the fur to add to their clothes. And some beast even drops some loots. Dan believes this is because this entire Purgatory is the creation of Western Heaven which is why there is this kind of feature. Someone suddenly approached Dan who was walking in the front. It is one of his Knights, Knight Rollo. ''Marquis, should we rest for a bit. Many of them are tired.'' Dan stop his feet and then look at the people behind him. While they are following him with a smile, there is this trace of tiredness that could not be hidden He then nodded ''Fine, we''ll open up camps when we see hard ground. Send some Knight to secure the area. Sooner or later the battle at the top would end. Then they would surely come down in search of the Gate'' Rollo nodded as he quickly went to relay the orders of the Marquis. They walked a few meters away from the swamp area and found a good place to open up camp. A few builders built a large hut for him. Dan waited and as he waited suddenly there is a notification popping up in front of his eyes. QUEST Kill the sabretooth monster or survive until it is killed or moved away. You have survived against the attack of the sabretooth monster and awarded two skill points for your bravery and service to Western Heaven. Reading it, Dan felt anxious ''Did they finished their battle?'' he said. All the people resting under the tree were also greeted with that notification window. While the Jungle Region was stirred from this sudden news, on the north corner of the plateau, there is a lone man. He was wearing a black robe and there is an ancient looking dagger on his hand, dripping with blood. His black robe flapped wildly as the wind coming from the wind ruffles it. His face is hidden under the hood. He looks at the distance and saw the golden cage in the middle of the plain He smiles bitterly and then sighed. ''I guess even after all of this I still did not know your weakness. You must have some secret on your body for you to become that invincible'' he said to no in particular. Maybe he is speaking to console himself. ''But my role here is over. Since my initial plan failed, then the least these people could do is delay you. Making you more powerful would be detrimental to my friend'' The black robe man sighed again. He shakes his head. Maybe there is regret in his heart or maybe he is just sad that thing just didn''t work out the way he planned it. ''That is why I said to him to end you as fast as possible. To nip it in the bud. Now, you have grown to a large tree that is hard to pluck out'' His mind wander to his friend and he sighed again. He himself wonder why he sighs so much when he is reminded of his friend and Aero of the East. He looks at the clouds abut he sees his friend face and shakes his head. ''he is too merciful and too stupid for falling for your scheme in the Feast at the Western Gate, Aero'' The wind blows over and the hood that covered his face flapped a bit as it revealed his face slightly. The sun shines illuminating his handsome flawless face. He is slender and lean and the way he carried himself is full of an aura of people who are used to power. If people could see his face they all would recognize who this person is. It is one Aero exercise caution the most in Veva. Trey thought that there is no powerful people in this batch thus he decided to kill the beast and plan many things to raise his profile. Lady of Vanan, thought that there is only middle level power people here so she enacted her plans for gaining a title that would increase her offensive strength and help her cause when she returns back to the Vilajeri Continent. Aero thought unless there is Zeus of the North and Ariana of the South then there is no need for him to fear anyone. But they were all wrong. There is one other person that they did not think were also here with them. The Black Robed Prime Minister of Veva Eric! Eric from the very beginning was here in the Plains. The moment he remembered who he was he quickly hides himself and making himself appears inconspicuous. Then the quest for the beast started and he quickly enter the battlefield. He did not rush into battle as his talent have never been in fighting. Instead, he looks all over the battlefield seeking if there is any talent to scout over to the kingdom. As the battle commenced he could see that there are some people trying to direct the battlefield and some of them who uses the flow of the battlefield to benefit themselves. Since everyone in the battlefield all fight for themselves, there is no unity among each other, backstabbing is common and no one could trust one another which makes a fairly easy quest become such a cutthroat competition as no one would allow another person to kill the beast when it is down. Each one wanted to kill it and as such it become a battlefield of greed. Their greed causes a simple quest to be extremely hard. There is also the fact that there is no leader or factions to at least reign in the chaos. And while some were trying to create an order in the chaos, there are some people in the battlefield tat like the chaos and incited even more chaos. At that time, he spotted Trey He first made contact with Trey and promise him a shot at the government post and his position as a general reinstated if he could kill the beast. Trey of course have no reason to not believe the Prime Minister of Veva. He moves like a chess piece in Eric hands. If not how could he have even the gall to trap Aero of the East? Of course at that time, Eric himself did not know Aero was in the crowd. He thought if there is one of the Three Great Pillars they should have revealed themselves. He knew that if Zeus is here, he would not be shy and quickly announces himself and draw support from all corners. Since there are many Vevaian here, he could create a force quickly and then quickly seek the Gate. The same for Ariana. While there is the difference between kingdoms and nations among all the people in the battlefield, it would not an exaggeration to say that the church of Light has attracted many following if Ariana announces herself, she would find herself being protected by many of the devotes of the Church. Some of them might get the Pope blessing. And then there is the Aero of the East. If he announced himself, Eric would not be surprised if the people here would give way to him and let him take the beast skill point reward But because no one announced themselves, Eric did not even have the slightest indication that Aero of the East is here. Eric was progressing with his own plans as he hides in the dark, scouting people for new talents. >>>>> There doesnt seem to be many peopel reaidng teh story. While that is so, it made me easier and have little pressure to qucikly churn out chapter so I could take my time to build the plot. This is me trying to be positive of the fact. Anyway, it woudl not be long before Aero time in the Purgatory ended and idf no one still didnt get what the Western Heaven represent it means the Western Server. The Heavens in this case is the server. Or at least the equivalent Chapter 238 - THE BLACK ROBED SCHEMER (2) As Trey was trying to kill the beast, Eric who was looking at the battlefield, he notices that there is something unnatural is happening. He realizes that there is someone inciting chaos intentionally on the back. He investigated amidst the battle and found a generic person killing people so easily like breathing. It wasn''t long until he made the conclusion that the generic looking person is Aero of the East. First, there was that domineering aura and his moves. Eric once saw how Aero of the East fight. He rarely defends and usually push forward with almost an unstoppable force. Then there is the fact that Eric since loss after loss that Veva had suffered under the hands of Aero, he began researching legacies. Eric was sure that the legacy which Aero had bene bestowed is the Grand Strategist Lizhu Gerard legacy that once united the Vilajeri Continent. He then uses his connection to travel to the Holy Land of Duvar and look through their Secret Archive to seek more information about Lizhu Gerard. There a book spoke of Lizhu Gerard and his adventure. Because many of it is lore and exaggerated and even sometimes false stories of him, Eric took a lot of time to sift through the lies and seek the truth of who Lizhu Gerard is Only by understanding your enemy could you be prepared for them. This maxim in the strategy of war is not only mastered by people like Aero, even Eric knows the importance of knowing your enemies. If not, he would not have been able to expand Veva territory as large as it did. One of the ability that Lizhu had always used during his time dodging the hunt of the regime of Emperor Alva is by disguising himself. It made Eric believes that Aero have the ability to disguise himself. It was then that he believes that generic person is actually Aero of the East disguised as a normal looking warrior. He was sure of this fact because he could not believe there is someone else who possess such force like his friend Zeus other than Aero. At that moment he changed his plans and directed Trey to aid him. That is why even after all those people retreated away, there are still people still attacking Aero disregarding the fact that the conclusion of the quest is decided. That is why even though Kyle had killed the beast, people are still attacking Aero. And it is why before the sealing formation was activated he had to kill Kyle and went away before anyone realizes he is there. He looked at his diming golden dagger and shake his head. ''Now, this dagger can only be used two more times'' Eric grumbled slightly looking at his dagger. He got this dagger from Hermes. He did a quest for Hermes and as such Hermes gifted him a dagger that will always strike true and bring you to your enemy Of course the ripping of space is its innate ability of this dagger. As long as he does not kill anyone with this dagger he could sue that space ripping abilities of the dagger whenever and wherever he wanted. He did not think that he still has it. It was the first thing he check in his inventory bag when he woke up in the plain. He did not dare to use it against Aero because he had seen how fast and how supernaturally weird his perception is towards danger. He chooses the easiest target out of the two. Kyle is dangerous, yes, but compared to Aero, his danger is not that high. Most people when compare to one of the Three Great Pillars would always pale in comparison. Eric looked wistfully at the distance and there is a smile on his face. He then said with a smirk at the corner of his mouth ''Next time, then. When our two Empires clashed, we will then vie for the title of the world best strategist'' he said to no one as he laughed without restraint. He himself had once wonder, between him and Aero of the East who is the better strategist? Who would lead their Empire to rule over all the four corners of the land? To become the ruler of all kingdoms, to become King of Kings? One day, that day would come. And then they could battle to their heart content! Eric laughed and then without hesitation he walks forward to the edge of the plateau. Then smiling he jump down the plateau. The first he felt hitting him is the wind. He had a hard time to open his eyes but he forced it open and he look down and as he passes the nimbus clouds he saw a large forest that stretched out for miles without an end. He saw the trees and he saw the cold hard ground waiting for him down below. And right now he is in freefall and he looks like he is plummeting down to his death. Even as he comes closer to the ground he was unfazed. As there is only a few hundred meters between him and his death, he smiles and then brought out his dagger and slash the space in front of him. A rip of space opens as he falls down into that void space. A moment later, below in the Jungle Region, a rip opens up and Eric come out from it falling down. But the distance between that ripped space and the ground is only around four meters. So with a slight sound of falling, Eric could be considered falling of a short length and he had no injury. He got up patted the leaves on his black robe and laughed. He looks above him and saw the tall heaven reaching plateau and smile ''Until we meet again Aero of the East. Next time, I will beat you thoroughly'' He then walk alone and went inside the jungle region. >>>> Chapter for today. Hope you like the story and leave some comments and love. You could also leave some reviews Chapter 239 - THE BLACK ROBED SCHEMER (3) While Eric is moving deeper into the Jungle region and Dan who is already in the center of the Jungle Region searching for the Gate, on top of the plateau, everyone was shocked to see the cage that surrounded the area around thirty kilometers radius around Aero. Those people who were outside the cage was shocked is an understatement Their heart trembled in shock, expression of astonishment appeared on their faces. After all, they are not some idiots. They immediately know that this could only happens if someone was actually planting a trap. ''Someone is scheming against Aero of the East'' some of them whispered. Then some of them said. ''Let us go'' Some of the people no longer wanted to take part as they felt that this goes beyond their usual level of fighting. They could see that forces are gathering and this has nothing to do with them. There is a great scheme hidden in all of these. Since that is the case why stay and court death? Some of those also analyze the events and said ''This must be the machinations of Veva. We have no stake in this. The quest has ended. Let us seek the Gate and good fortune for ourselves'' Saying this was Theo of Loth kingdom. He said this to the other Lothians in the battlefield. The other Lothians nodded Even though Lot kingdom is just beside Veva, that does not mean the relationship between the two kingdoms is amiable. Instead, Loth kingdom have even made many alliances in trying to contain Veva from spreading their influences westward Theo is a quite a figure in the Loth kingdom. He had slain the Golden Boar of Ares and were celebrated in the royal palace of Loth. But he is more of a wanderer warrior who did not enter the court and like to roam around the kingdom. Even to the politic illiterate, it is clear that this is a conflict between Vanheim and Veva. They could risk their lives before because they knew that they would be revived. But this escalation of conflict doesn''t necessarily guarantee that they would be revived Their memories are still murky and they do not have to risk their life for people of other kingdoms. If they want to kill each other that much, then they are free to do what they wanted. And Lothians people are not the only one that have these thoughts Those people who did not have any vested interest in this conflict all went away, trying to seek the Gate. Like the others, they would also find out that this plain is nothing but the top of a plateau that look like a plain because of how wide and long it is Meanwhile on the sky, something else is happening as people distance themselves from the cage. The quest had ended so the people that have been killed is now reviving. Golden light showers down to the plains. Motes of light slowly turns into a translucent figure of the one that was death in the previous battle. In just a few seconds, the translucent form become solid and all of the people that die in that terrible battle was revived back. Some people hugged their friends and loved ones the moment they returned back. Even Kyle was revived The moment he was revived, he wanted to scream in anger when he checked out his status window. One of his skill were erased. It is his Thunderbolt skills. He wanted to curse the moment he revived but then he like the other was shocked when he saw the cage and the one in that cage. It did not take him a second to understand why he was killed before. ''So they are scheming against Aero. Is it Aero alone or Vanheim forces in the Plain?'' he thought to himself. He did not know who killed him but he is sure that his objective was to isolate Aero from his allies. Around Aero is only Veva people. The Vanheimneian people only focused on helping Kyle because he was the most disadvantaged one. This makes it that there is no Vanheimneian near the cage when the sealing magic was used. Aero is surrounded by enemy on all sides inside the cage Kyle look with a complicated gaze toward that cage and then he decided ''With this, how could Aero take control of all these people even if he survives this cage and survive the battle?'' he muttered while sighing. ''Whoever scheme this plan is quite good. With this the schemer have divided the people here to one who supported Aero which indirectly supported Vanheim and those who supported Veva forces which indirectly supported Veva.'' ''With this, people would become even more reluctant to join the fight, fearing to offend each side'' Kyle understand Aero thought and Aero plan He did not have to kill the beast to show his power and gain control of the people. Aero did not have to do such tactic. Everyone knows who he is. The moment he revealed his identity, Kyle knows that people would not mind to fall in under his command until they found the gate. After all, the chance of surviving would go up if they follow one of the most powerful person in Vilajeri Continent. Kyle could guess that after he killed the beast, Aero would forgive all those who fight him during the quest, winning the praise and gratitude of the people. Then Aero would ask them to join him to find the gate together. After all of that, it is clear what these people would chose. They surely would not mind to follow Aero orders. At that time, Aero would have many options on how to travel this unknown Purgatory. But this clever scheme by pitting Vevaian people against Aero, it basically prevented the entire people here to follow Aero after this. Vevaian could no longer choose to follow Aero even if they wanted to. After all, it is Vevaian people that is attacking Aero right now. Then there are still the other people from the other kingdoms. Not all of them like the two great empires but they are also afraid to pick up sides. Since that would probably have a large repercussion when they return to Vilajeri continent later. What a good plan! What a good scheme! Kyle had no choice then to yell ''Vanheimneian! Come to me! Let us gather together'' Those Vanheimneian hearing Kyle summons quickly gathered and walk to Kyle. He had a hard expression on his face. He did not know whether what he is doing right now would worsen the condition or relive Aero but he knew he could not do just nothing. After all, if he ignores Aero right now, to the rest of the world, it would look like that he did not know how to repay gratitude and an ungrateful person. Kyle have been around Aero for so long that he knows reputation sometimes is everything and he knew he must guard it very carefully. He could not let Aero just be like that. He need to at least make an appearance like he is trying to save Aero, who is not only his direct superior but also the Chancellor of his Empire. ''People of Western Heaven if you do not despise me, let us join hands together to escape this Purgatory. I guarantee that the Chancellor would not hold any offences against him earlier to his heart. A quest is just a quest; it is nothing personal.'' Some people were persuaded by Kyle words and some of them also gathered around him. But not all were convinced with his words. >>>>> Will not be saying to much. If you enjoy the story leave some comments and reviews. See you all tomorrow. Chapter 240 - THE BLACK ROBED SCHEMER (4) There are a few from Vanan and the many small kingdoms of the north but mostly the people that gathered around him is Vanheimneian Kyle sighed internally as he saw many other people went away searching for their own fortune. He did not try to hold them back. If he forces them, it would damage his reputation and Aero reputation. He then looks toward that cage and he frowned. He never sees this kind of sealing formation magic before. He then asks any of the magicians and enchanters whether there is any way to break the cage. One of the mages in the crowd noted that this is the five-point sealing formation. Kyle knows this mage. He is one fo the mages that defected from Veva and join Vanheim. He called him to his side. Then he asks ''Are you sure? Veva got it. The Five Point Sealing formation?'' Kyle said, shocked. He too once heard about that sealing formation. He looks back at that sealing formation and his eyes narrowed. He sighed. The mages also sighed. They both understand each other thoughts. But Kyle sighed not only because he knows how formidable that formation is, he also sighed because he realizes something in his past. ''So, it seems Eric and Zeus never truly trusted me even when I was with them'' he smiles bitterly as he thought to himself of the events of the past. There is a reason why he said this words. The Five Point Sealing Formation It is one of the most powerful sealing formation magic. Sealing magic was in its infancy when they were transported to Vilajeri Continent. The memory of how they arrived in Vilajeri Continent in the first place is still blurs as most of the people of the Western Heaven had their memories blocked from accessing that portion of their memories. But after they completed many task from the native people of the Vilajeri Continent they discovered even more magic as magic user began researching the past history of magic in that world. Most mages at that time was combat magician or healing magicians since it is the most lucrative jobs. Combat magician was in high demands with other Western Heaven people. So does the healing magician who could heal their companions in monster nest and in an expedition against bandits and outlaws. Then there is also the Druids who could commune with nature. But sealing magic was rare at that time. It wasn''t until after there is a weird peace between the Three Great Powers of the Vilajeri Continent, that many new kinds of magic were discovered. One of those branch of magic is sealing magic. There were rumors of course that Zeus and his Seven Valiant Warrior found a sealing magic formation underneath the crypt of the Palace of Asgaro. But it remains a rumor. At that time, Kyle was just entering Zeus army. But even after he was promoted into a general, he was never informed of this. It turns out that rumor isn''t a rumor after all. It was just that he was not informed of it. The mages and Kyle both frowned because they both know the strong point of this formation. It is weird isn''t it? How could a formation that no one has ever seen elicited such response from these people? Magicians, wizards, witches, warlocks and other type of magic user have scoured the Vilajeri Continent in search of sealing formation since its discovery That is because they know how powerful a sealing formation really is. No one knows it better than Kyle After all he did have the formula of The Sealing of Four Direction. It is one of the formula of sealing magic. For people who come from Western Heaven they did not have to expend so much time researching the underlying concept of how to create and manifest the sealing arrays like the native people of the Vilajeri Continent. They just have to touch the book or the formula and then they could learn it easily like they have learned it since they were a child. When he tries to think of the terms a vague memories enter his mind. The native people of that world called it the Blessing of the Gods. It was this trait that made them be able to grow quickly in the world. He sighed again ''What should we do, general Kyle?'' one of the mages addressed Kyle with his title. The mage is also from Vanheim so it is not wrong to address him as such. Kyle could only frown. He did not have any countermeasures against it. At least not from outside. He knew the features of this sealing formation. That is why he know that is impossible for him to interfere against it from the outside. If there is a different person in that cage Kyle would have long given up. Because this sealing formation could be considered a surefire way to kill your enemy. But the one inside that cage is Aero. Since that is the case, then the conclusion would be a little bit different. If its him, he could break the formation point of the sealing formation. And those who schemed against him must have also known this. Then it is clear that in Kyle eyes, the schemer intention was to delay Aero. And if somehow Aero dies in the formation, that would be an unexpected luck. Another mage chimed in. ''General Kyle. You are also a magician like us. You know the stories? The lore about the sealing formation of the Five Point Sealing Formation, right?'' Kyle nodded as he bites his lips. The mages are asking him to make a decision. They are not going to give the order of leaving the Chancellor. Who knows whether the Chancellor would hold grudges when they return? But if its Kyle that is making the decision then they don''t have to worry. Kyle takes a deep breath and then he closes his eyes for a moment. He is thinking furiously of the things he could do right now. Aero had to depend on himself this time. This is no longer just an attack about the quest. This is effectively a battle between tow superpower kingdoms. Aero most likely would miss the chance to explore this Purgatory because of this trap. It depends on how wide this Purgatory really is and how far the Gate really is. If its larger than it supposed to be then Aero might have time to explore some of the areas of the Purgatory before someone else find the Gate. If not, Aero would miss his chance to seek fortune for himself. He exhales and then he opens his eyes. It is clear from the shine in his eyes, that he had make his decision. Chapter 241 - THE BLACK ROBED SCHEMER (5) THE BLACK ROBED SCHEMER He summons his staff from his inventory bag and it appears on his hand. He gripped his staff tightly as balls of fires formed around him, floating beside him. He then looks to the mages and look at the many people that have answered his calls. Many of them are warrior but there are also some who have support abilities sonly. Like there is a merchant group, a few herbalist and Alchemist and even bards He then quickly arranges some mages unit and warrior unit to protect each other. Kyle is treating them like they are his soldiers. The one who have the support abilities acted like they were the supply lines of the army. He then order a few of them who he designated as his personal guard. He has made his decision on Aero problem. ''Guard me. I need to get close to the sealing formation and tell the Chancellor about this sealing formation. He needs to know how to break the formation. If it''s the Chancellor, I am confident he could break it'' the other nodded as they gripped their magic staff tighter. Kyle then began rushing forward toward the direction of the cage. His guard followed around him forming a circle of protection around him The reason Kyle establish a guard for him six because he just got assassinated after tasting the fruits of victory. He would not make the same mistake again. It is not hard to guard Kyle considering that many people are running away from the battle and retreating. They recognize that this matter is not their problem. Most of them have created their own factions, as they mostly group themselves with the people of their kingdom. Since that is the trend, even the Vanheimneian people knows there is no use trying to unite them under Aero. So, they had to stick with each other. After all, a group of people together could easily repel one person unless that one person is Aero. So they all gather around Kyle. Kyle left them an order as he bolted forward. The Vanheimneian people walk the battlefield together with the warriors and combat based profession lead the way. They were the ones that have to move first as Kyle decided to meet Aero. Kyle did not think it would take him long to explain about the formation to Aero. So, he ordered them to move in group first. With the absence of Aero, Kyle become the most powerful voice for the Vanheimneian. Behind him riding the winds is ten mages and behind them is paladins and knights guarding the mages from any surprise attack. Kyle rushed to reach the golden cage and as such he could only think one person that could scheme all this and made Aero suffers a loss. He even had a smile on his face when thinking of that person. After all, it si that person that bring him back up and even recruited him to enter the Veva army. The Prime Minister of Veva, Eric. By doing this, he revealed his existence to Kyle. But right now, he had no way of finding the Prime Minister. It did not take long for him to reach that conclusion. After all, other than the Inner Circle of Zeus friend, there should be nobody else that would be entrusted with the formula of the sealing formation. These magicians that constructed this magical formation must be the mages of the Veva Kingdom. That would explain why their cooperation is so top notch. As a magician Kyle could sense the presence of mana around him. And he could feel that the magical formation of the Five Point Sealing Formation did not draw its magical power from the surrounding area. Instead it draws power from one of the most forbidden place to draw energy from. The Five Point Sealing formation draws its energy from the life force and taxed the soul. The fact that they have such elite magician squad that would not hesitate to use their own life force to trap Aero make Kyle believe in his conclusion even more. Kyle did spotted Trey managing the battlefield when he was revived earlier. They were old colleagues after all. And it was because that they are old colleague, that Kyle knows that Trey did not have that kind of charisma, clout or influence to command magicians from the kingdom to sacrifice their life force and even taxed their souls by creating the formation. Magicians sometime is even more stingy with their magic than merchants. Sometimes they are like merchant itself, only they have magic. Trey alone could not have commanded them. Not to mention, he is a disgraced general. It would shock Kyle that he could gather all the people of Veva to help him with his reputation. But if Eric is involved, then all this spectacle, all this manpower to subdue Aero make sense These magicians would only obey someone higher than Trey and one who could offer them more benefits. Eric must offer them either magical formula, some rare herbs or even a post in the government. He gritted his teteh and thought to himself '' Eric, you are making this hard for me'' But there is a malicious smile on his face. He did not forget how he got assassinated before. Kyle is someone who would hold a long grudge. At least, out of all the bad habits he had managed to rid out off, this is the one he did not want to rid out. While Kyle is rushing forward to Aero, Aero is in the middle of a great battle. It was truly like he is in a painting of hell. There doesn''t seem to be any sounds around him other than weird sound of pain and shrieking and screaming that devolves into a monotony sound that Aero could no longer distinguish. As the attack against him intensified, he could no longer care about appearing elegant or not as he kills people brutally using brute strength and every weapon he has in his arsenal And to Aero, his entire body is a weapon. He would smash unto a group, breaking their bones as he charges them and ram them with his body. Hs body is as tough as a block of the hardest metal. It is like colliding with a mountain in a high speed collision. He would swing his saber with his right hand and choke the life out of a warrior with his left hand. There is a quest generated the moment he was trapped. QUEST You have been trapped by an ancient magic. As this changes and alter the progression of this Purgatory generation of spaces and alter the laws around it, the Western Heaven have decided to generate a quest for you Break through the sealing formation Reward: two skill points Failing condition: Dying in the formation. Your soul will be temporarily be stored in Western Heaven until someone found the gate. That is what greeted him the moment the cage appeared. But Aero did not know much about sealing formation. But just because he doesn''t know doesn''t mean he could just stop and take a break as he thinks of the best possible ways for him to respond. >>>>>> The title was actuually something else. Maybe I would rectify it later. See you tomorrow. Chapter 242 - VOWS OF REVENGE He scanned the area even when it is already taxing for him. It is taxing when you consider that he had to keep fighting while thinking of ways to break through. These people are adamant on killing him. Even after the quest had ended they did not shelve off their killing intent, seeming to not care about his reputation and status as the Chancellor of Vanheim It was like they do not fear the tomorrow that would surely come for them. For some weird reason Veva people is abundant in this Plain. Even from the very beginning he could see it was the Veva people controlling the pace of the battle. But at that time, Aero have his own plans so he could not be bothered. Maybe in other Purgatory -like place, there is a lot of Vanheim and only a few Veva people. Whatever the case, Aero could not stop as he could only react. He hates feeling like this. Forced to react. It was usually him that test the water, provoking a reaction while being on a safe place. People have a distorted image that Aero is the kind of person that would attack like a valiant warrior. He has always been more keen in staying at the back while controlling the battlefield. Only when he is sure of his victory that he would lead the battle in the front. There is a way to become undefeatable. It is a secret of always remaining undefeatable Always fight the battle that you could win. That is the way to become undefeatable. Undefeatable does not mean you always have to be the strongest. Undefeatable simply means you know to choose your battle. A light breeze passes the battlefield amidst the slaughter. This time Aero could see that the people that die did not turn into motes of light. They die and fall down on the ground as blood dripped down from their wounds and few mutilated pieces of their flesh dropping down from their body. The sealing formation did not block the wind that comes from the outside. As Aero keep killing he could smell the stench of people. Stench of their death. Before, while he could smell the stench, the smell was fleeting because when his enemies die they turns into motes of light. Everyone was fearless because they would be revived after the quest ended. But now¡­.it is different. Not everyone has the same quest like Aero. Aero at least knows that his soul would be detained for a while. But for these people they don''t know what will really happen to them after they died. Would they be revived after someone finds the Gate? Or would they have to be in the Void of Nothingness for a long time before they revived once again? As Aero killed pole, and as bodies piled up, fears undoubtedly started to crept inside the hearts of his enemies. Not everyone could die with dignity. Some people piss themselves in fear and some lose their mind screaming before his saber cut them into two. And while Aero could comfort himself with his soul only being detained temporarily if he dies, this does not mean he is not anxious or nervous. He is afraid of death. Probably, out of everyone here, he is the one that really didn''t want to die After all, he bears the Curse of the Styx. The moment he dies; Hades would take back that curse into his realm. Aero doesn''t know if his reach extended here in this Purgatory but if it did, Aero would lose the one thing that could protect him. This curse is what maintain his safety from all threats, seen and unseen. It is why he could be bold in many situations as many more avenues of planning was opened to him. The wind blows wildly but that strong wind could not blow away the bloody stench of the death. Aero kick one person in the chest as that person plate armor caved in. That person had his sternum cracked before dying as Aero slapped him with his hand that was as tough as a metal block. The wind blows around him as he got a small time reprieve. Around him is the fallen bodies of his enemies. The wind once again blows and Aero could smell it even more. The wind did not help blowing away the foul smell of corpses around him If anything, the wind helps the stench to be swept up and spreading even further. ''Shit when will this be over! How do I break through this?'' he asks himself. He is not panting or sweating. He possesses almost an unlimited stamina. It would not be wrong to compared him to one of the Gods of Olympus. On the distance, he could see another wave of attackers running towards him with axes, blades, sword, sabers and many other kinds of weapons. They all seems eager though Aero could notice not everyone shares that same kind of enthusiasm Around the area, Aero could see from the corner of his eyes, mages are also making a circle trying to contain him. They positioned themselves far away from him and stand in an elevated terrain. The Druids raises up the land as the mages would try to contain him if he ever reaches that point. Aero could immediately tell what they are trying to do They are slowly trying to slow him down and probably when he is tired and fatigued down, they would find opportunity to finish him off. What they didn''t know is that Aero have almost an unlimited stamina. But that is not what Aero is concerning himself about. In battle, Aero only always worry about one thing. His ankle. Aero look at his saber. It was shining red. Blood drip down its edges. Behind him bodies piled up to resembles a small hill. It almost like it was creating a wall behind him. Separated limbs could be seen scattered all around. Most of them were separated with one slash of his saber. He could hear his enemies encouraging each other from the distance as he readied himself once again ''Kill him!'' ''Do not let him go!'' ''Even if you could not defeat him, delay him!'' These shout could be heard reverberating through the entire battlefield like a chant and a prayer. As bodies piles up into the height of small hill Aero jump up and landed on top of the hills of bodies. From high vantage point he could see the golden cage more clearly. His eyes are quickly analyzing the area. He then saw that even though it is a cage there are five points that is shining even brighter than the rest. There are four spots where the cage seems to originated. ''is that the so called core of the formation?'' Aero thought to himself. Aero was not a magician and so he is not well versed in magic. His tactics and strategy is what elevated him among the rest. And his fighting skills shares more commonality with warriors and fighters than magicians. But just because he is not well versed in magic principle did not mean that he does not know a thing about magic. Especially when the world he lived in is full of magic users, it would be stupid of him if he did not even make some research on magic. He once read a book about formation when the craze of searching for magical sealing formation begins. So he could safely assume that the four spots that seems brighter than the rest shows the core that power the formation ''Four cores. This would be a little bit harder'' Right now, by his own estimation, he had killed around four thousand people. If he keeps it up he might even get another title. But Aero is not interested in that at all. He just wanted to get out from this cage as fast as possible. There are many other things he could do outside. He gritted his teeth ''Whoever scheme this against me, I will repay him later'' he vowed to himself. >>>>>> Will not be saying too much. Just hope you enjoy the story since we are slolwy reaching to the end of the story for the Purgatory Chapter 243 - A WAY TO BREAK THROUGH Aero takes a deep breath as he looks at the battlefield from his eyes He is only wasting time now. Thankfully because of the killing intent that intensely swirling around the battlefield, Aero is strengthened with each passing moment. But death could come unexpectedly. He knows that. Which is why he is trying to get out. But he at least need a clue on how to get out Then as he looks to the south he could spot Kyle in the distance. ''What is he doing?'' Kyle is just outside the barrier as he tries futilely to bang the protective formation. Aero believes that action is just for brownie points with the other people but he also recognizes that Kyle didn''t really want him to die here. After all, it is better two than just one. ''Kyle!'' He shouted and his shout reverberated, and produce a powerful roar that shocked the battlefield. Below the hills of bodies, the Veva warriors is quickly rushing to Aero as some of them gaze upon Kyle in the distance but could not do anything. While it is true people outside the cage could not enter, the same rule applied to the people inside. Not all of the people inside here knows what would happen when the formation was activated. But when they find out they could not get out, they had to follow orders from other people. And as such while they are some that volunteer for this fight, some people were just unlucky and got trapped inside the cage with Aero And they too raised their arms against him. Why? When you are trapped with a predator, the only way that story end is whether you get eaten by it or you killed it before it could eat you. Aero locked eyes with Kyle as Kyle stop banging the formation. He then shouted something but Aero could not hear it. Amidst the ''Kill him" chant it would take almost a godly super hearing to hear what Kyle was shouting. But just because he couldn''t hear doesn''t mean he couldn''t see. He could guess what Kyle was trying to say. Aero had one peculiar ability. He could read lips. He read Kyle lips and he said to come to him. Aero only smiles. ''The south'' he said to himself. ''Alright. Here we go again'' He then jumps off from the hills of dead bodies. He landed with a large explosion. As the dust of the ground rises up, saber light shoots out from the receding dust as it cuts those that is charging toward him. Most of them die almost immediately the moment that saber light passes them. General Trey who was observing the battlefield could not help but saw the silent communication between Aero and Kyle and he knows something bad will happen if they were allowed to meet He knows Kyle is a powerful magician. He might have a way of breaking the formation. Trey is not confident he could defeat Aero before and try to avoid him. But now, he has an army of Vevaian people and a powerful formation to entrap this predator. And isn''t this the same situation during the Battle in front of The Veva Gates? He was contained and captured. Of course, the Prime Minister only ordered him to delay Aero and that is enough. But if he could capture one of the Three Great Pillars, he could imagine a life of riches and fame awaits him. He then quickly sends orders to his officers as he stand back, once again surveying the battlefield. ''I could not defeat you in one and one battle but why do I have to? To escape this, you could only try to kill us all. I refuse to believe that you will not be tired at all'' he thought to himself while smiling. If Aero could hear his delusion and thought, he would laugh. He was captured in the front Gates of Veva is because he had to delay and trying to take forty thousand people alone. There is also the fact that he is fighting Zeus before he fought the army. The situation is not the same at all. Even though there is a lot of Vevaian people in this cage, at most it is around twenty-five thousand people. And there is not Zeus of the North. Not to mention, the more he kills the more powerful he became. Even though he is still worried someone would target his ankle, it is no longer his priority that much considering the killing intent has slowly enveloped and swirls around his body protecting something akin of a barrier of protection. The orders of the General were relayed and as Aero charged to the south, someone shouted from behind him ''Stop him from reaching the border of the formation! One of the officers under Trey shouted. Aero closed his eyes and then opens it back again. There is a calmness in his eyes. He now has an objective. He is standing on an area where dead bodies surround him, all of them were cut into two in many parts of their body A dozen warriors charged towards him like a raging wave Aero lifted his saber and with his foot taking a step forward, he uses his momentum to slash a saber light that slice all of them in the waist. Blood floats in the air as saber lights pierces through armor and cut apart steel and flesh like a heated knife cut through butter. Aero presence rises the more he killed people that it seems his killing intent becomes tangible. Those who were too weak in their will lost before they even clashed their weapon with him. He is now giving a presence that chilled others to the bone. Aero spins around as he dances around in the battlefield, dancing to the tune of the melody of death Heads flews and limbs scattered about, as blood drenched the green grass like a downpour rain. In just a few second around him there is an emptiness of life. With this slight break from being attacked Aero yelled. ''You all could still give up. Stop this futile resistance and I will not pursue this matter any further!'' For a moment the battlefield stops for a second. It is clear that they are hesitating to attack. Aero also notices this as he waited. In their frenzy, they forget that they are not only fighting with one of the Three Great Pillars. They are also fighting the Chancellor of the Vanheim Empire. When they return back to the Vilajeri Continent, if the Chancellor is really keeping grudges, then they would not even know how they would die. Then a voice breakthrough the silence and stillness. It is General Trey officers. If Aero notices the hesitance of the Veva people, how could the officers leading the charge did not? ''Don''t listen to him. He is the enemy of Veva. How could he spare you all?'' The same kind of sentiment was shouted by all those people who have relations with Veva kingdom. Aero eyes narrowed ''So, this is how you want to play it huh? He muttered to himself Aero even though he was in a precarious position did not lose himself as he seeks the source of the orders of these officers It didn''t take him long before he finds it Aero cast his gaze toward Trey who was standing on top of an elevated terrain. Below him is a unit of Druids and a few units of magician and warrior protecting him Aero did not show any anger instead he laughed. Then he shouted back to his incoming attackers with a loud roar. ''Since you are all stubborn, so be it! When I get home to Vilajeri Continent, I will hunt you all like rats. I will make you regret your decision today forever!'' Aero shouted as he too no longer hesitated. ''It was you that provoke me and force my hand!'' Aero shouted as he charges forward. The dust behind him parted away as a wind gust was formed. Chapter 244 - TAINTED Aero decision to charge is not motivated only by his raging emotions. He also wanted to meet up with Kyle in the distance He is heading towards Kyle, cutting through the wall of men in front of him. Kyle who was outside the barrier could only watch Aero from a distance fighting his way to reach him. He himself did not thought that Eric could create such an annoying trap for Aero. The Black Robed Schemer The mage beside Kyle ask ''General, do you think the Chancellor could reach us?'' Even though, the mage could see that the Chancellor is coming to them but he also saw the large wall of men between him and them It is understandable why the mage felt uneasy. On hearing this question, Kyle laughed. ''Of course, he would. He is Aero of the East after all. This is not enough to stop him'' Kyle replied. And the other mages hearing Kyle words also nodded. For a moment they have forgotten that even before The Chancellor revealed his true identity in the battlefield he had already killed a lot of people. In the trails leading to Kyle, Azief is creating road of blood and fury. It was like people are giving up their lives to his saber. That was how one sided the battle between Aero and these people really is. Not all the people trapped in the cage is a soldiers or powerful people. Some was just the unfortunate victims of the cage but Aero had not time to check who''s his enemies and who is just pretending. He cut them all even if they shouted they are innocents. Aero could not show his anxiousness but it is clear he is anxious. If he is not anxious why would he do this, attacking with wild abandon He keeps killing and the kill count of his saber increased. The Killing intent around him swirls like there is some invisible force pushing it As he keeps killing, Aero mind did not stop thinking. Aero himself at this time suspected one person in particular. There is only one person that have enough authority and influence to made all this people disregard their own personal interest and went after him like there is no tomorrow He too reached the same conclusion like Kyle. The moment he reached the same conclusion, he frowned and it is clear that there is a bitter smile on his face. He felt like he had suffered a loss He is afraid that this scheme is from his rival, Prime Minister of Veva, Eric. ''I think it is you. It has all the mark of your pettiness'' He thought to himself as he rushed through the south with unprecedented speed. Death seems to be at the tip of his blood drenched saber. One swing is all it took to kills a dozen men. Arrows were shot towards him but because of the swirling killing intent around his body, none of the arrows could even touched his skin, Aero body is already as tough as steel but now their attack could not even reach his body. T almost made people hopeless. Even Trey looking at this unstoppable force carving a path through the battlefield like some kind of divine sword cutting a straight path could not help but shudders He sighed and said to himself. Like he is trying to justify what he is doing ''I do not want to make enemies with you, Aero of the East. But we serve different master. Even if I die today under your hands, I could not let you go easily until the Prime Minister plans is complete. I would delay you with my life'' he said to himself Kyle a few inches from the cage of golden light stand there calmly, looking at Aero fighting his way towards him Even from here he could see the impact of Aero powers. He could see the ground is shaking and the wind whipping about, thrashing wildly all around the battlefield. There is the thick killing intent compressed inside the cage He sighed a bit ''Thank God he is an ally. If he is an enemy, I surely would have a headache right now'' Kyle thought to himself. On the battlefield, as Aero come closer to Kyle position, slowly there is a plan formed in his mind. He smiles a bit as he keeps moving forward. ''Maybe that would work'' he thought to himself. Sounds of battle keep reverberating and each clash between Aero and the wave of attacker would produce great shaking and loud screams. Most people have already found the way out and climbing down from the plateau. Kyle also got a report by one of magic reports that the plains is not a plain but actually a flat area of a plateau. Kyle heard it but he did not rush to join the others. He and his band of warriors, magic user stand there outside the cage, waiting for Aero to come to him. While Kyle looks like he is calm, only he could hear the wildly beating heart of his. Truth be told, he wanted to quickly explores below and seek the Gate. But since he already decided that he will help Aero, he remains standing there. He kept waiting. The sound of breaking and the echoes of wave sound that reverberates in the battlefield is actually the sound of the Veva warriors weapon clashing with Aero weapon before it being cuts. Nothing could survive one slash from his saber. All will fall. The slashing sound of his saber light roars in the battlefield as it cuts all obstacles between him and Kyle. Many more people come to close the gap. But the more they came, the faster he swings his saber. No matter how many people were thrown towards him, he did not stop and his speed instead of decreasing becomes even more faster. The longer the battle and the more people that Trey throws towards Aero the intense the battle became. Aero himself become even more familiar with his body. It was like he is awakening back the muscle memory he had. Sounds of explosion sounded behind him as he runs around charging towards people, slashing them, punching them, kicking them, doing his all to kill everyone around him His speed also increases by leaps and bound, like power coursing through him. The killing intent around him swirls around his feet like it is enhancing his foot strength. He was now so fast that there is only a few that could see his movement and attacks. Some people did not even know how they die as Aero passed them as he almost looks like he turned into a long arc of light. As the light passes those who see the light all had their head decapitated or their body sliced in half. No one could see him coming. He was so fast that when people attacked him, they instead attacked his after image. In Aero eyes, all the things around him appeared to be moving in slow motions as he simply moves his saber to cut them. General Trey was standing in the opposite direction of Aero position but even he could not shake this chilling presence he felt in his heart. Aero white robe is no longer white. Even though, he wanted to remain untainted, it seems the world could not allow him to be untainted Since that is the case, Aero did not mind being dirty. There are a few spots of blood on his white robe as he wielded his blood soaked saber and he keeps charging and fighting >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I doubt there is anyone who commment other than DragonRider. But I think I will just keep posting the chapter unless there is something else I need to do Chapter 245 - HIS PRESENCE IS NOTICED Aero is still charging forward One would expect to see at least some kind of fear or anxiousness when being surrounded by so many people bent on killing him, but Aero of the East would not be Aero of the East if he is easily scared. One could see this unnerving calmness even a she cuts people and slice people into half. His moves were almost mechanical at this point. Trey knew that he would be scared if he had to fight Aero of the East one on one. Looking at Aero prowess, it once again shows him the gap of power between people like him and the difference between existence like The Three Great Pillars. ''It is unfortunate we are on opposite side'' Trey said to no one. Below him, there is many more waves of attackers that is ready to tangled with Aero There are probably a few thousands more but for some reason trey could not feel confident that this wave of people attack is really draining Aero of the East Because it clearly doesn''t seem like it. But he did what he had to do. Even as Aero keep breaking the human wall he had sent, he keeps sending people fighting against him. He is slowly building and creating more defense on the four cores of the formation. He could no longer ignore the fact that Aero might really be able to reunite with Kyle. Considering Kyle vast knowledge with magical formation, he might know the cores of the magical formation. Since that is the case, trey needs to be ready for such eventualities. He continued sending out orders while surveying the battle field. Even as he sent people to delay Aero charging to Kyle, Trey slowly diverts some people to go to the cores of the formation powered by the mages life force. He is organizing the battle to make sure that Aero of the East would either die inside here or be delayed so late, that he would not have any other opportunity to become even more stronger. This alone had been hard for them to fight with. If he became even more stronger, then he might be in par with those Gods in Mt Olympus. He sighed as his eyes trained upon the lonely figure of Aero of the East fighting off thousands of people. At the same moment that Trey was ordering the security around the magical core formation of the formation being protected, Aero stood proudly in an empty area. If you ignore the corpses around him and the rivers of blood flowing down around him, then the area could be considered empty. Empty of people. Around him the ground is moist and one could even hear the gushing of the flowing blood In his charge just now he had killed around a few thousand people. There is heaps of bodies and some of them have not even died yet. Some of them are hanging to their dear life, trying to crawl to somewhere. They were in shock and mumble many things before taking their last breath because of the pain. Aero roared and his roar echoes through the air, like a lion declaring his superiority over all the others. This is Aero of the East. The king of the merciless jungle. Killing intent surrounded him and swirling around him like he is the eye of a tornado. This killing intent acted like a barrier that deflects any low level attack or weapons attacks. With an aloof expression he looks around him. There is a few more wave of attackers prepared for him but right now, at this moment, as the area around him were cleared for a few seconds, he could see that the distance between him and Kyle is not that far away anymore. He also watches and analyzes the changes in the battlefield. He had been doing since the beginning he enters the battle He knows as long as he did not get out of this healing formation, it would be useless. ''Eric is really going all out this time'' To mobilize all of tis people to delay him is basically telling them to forget to search for any other fortune. Aero is curious how Eric convinced all of this people to fight him. Heh'' he snickered. ''I might have to disappoint you Eric. I will not die here'' Aero actually have an idea he wanted to try. He looks at the status window of that skill once again >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SLASHING THROUGH LIFE (SPECIAL RANK) A skill derived from your dedication to killing and bloodshed. This skill would gather all the killing intent around you to produce a strike that would take all the lives of people around you. The effect of this strike and its range of attack depends on the amount of killing intent that is around you. It could not differentiate friend and foe, so be prudent before using it. [Powerful people who have measure of extra protection or powerful spell that could neutralize some of the killing intent around them might have the chance to survive this attack. Someone who is cursed to be Immortal by the Gods would not be affected by this strike] Because of its tremendous power to manipulate the killing intent, you could only use this strike only once before it could be used again next week. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> He finished reading the description of the skill, as he gripped his saber tighter. ''I wonder how powerful this skill really is when it is supported by all of this thick killing intent'' he thought to himself. Around him right now, if there is one thing that is lacking, it is not killing intent. Around him killing intent is full of abundance. But he also recognizes that this skill could only be used once until it reached next week. Though Aero don''t know if this place has a concept of time. But he doesn''t want to waste this skill usage. It must be a powerful skill if he could only use it once a week. If it is not powerful there would be no such limitation in the first place. He is sure that if he activated this skill, all of these aura of death would come swiftly to him from all direction. He wonders how powerful the strike would be when it is enhanced by all this death aura and killing intent. But the most important thing when deciding to use this skill, is timing. And Aero is thinking what is the best timing to activate it. Is it right now? Or is later? But Aero did not think to use it toward the cage itself. It is simple. Aero did not know a lot about magic sealing formation but he knew that thee have many features. If this sealing formation is immune to nay attacks or skills, then Aero would waste this powerful skill trying to cut things that could not be cut. First, he needs to know what this formation is all about. His eyes are now set upon Kyle who was waiting for him. He took a dep breath and pushed off his feet as gust of winds swirled behind him and his feet Because of his speed, he turns into a long arc of light that travels in a straight line right to Kyle position. He passes through the few alive warrior of Veva. As he passes them, those people had an almost invisible lines around their neck. A few seconds after he had passed them, those warrior head slid off from their neck as they died not understanding how. Behind him, a new wave of attacker is coming to him but they are still far away from Aero position. He had time to talk with Kyle. Aero saw the golden cage border and then without any warning he swings his saber toward the golden cage. Saber lights shoots out from his saber and it collides with the cage as the impact created ripples shockwaves all over the sealing formation. Kyle was calm even as he saw how large and wide that saber light was. He could see the saber light coming to him but he crosses his hand and waits for it. The moment that saber light clashed with the cage, it dissipated like it was absorbed by the cage. The units of mages that is in the four direction of the cage felt a burden in their body the moment saber light clashed with the cage. If one looked closely at this mages unit one could see that their vitality is drained from them and the moment the cage absorbs the impact of that strike, they aged a little. Aero on the other hand frowned, when looking at the effect of his strike while Kyle only shakes his head. ''It is fortunate I did not use that skill to attack the formation. It would prove to be a useless endeavor'' Aero muttered to himself Aero is now only a few inches from Kyle yet he could not take one step out from the formation. Even a she punches the golden cage translucent barrier, the force of his punch ripples before dissipating as its spreads evenly to all the surfaces of the barrier. It is like punching water. Aero sighed as he looks at Kyle. Kyle himself shows a helpless smile. They look at each other and it is clear from the face of both men that things did not go as planned Then in unison they both said the same name ''Eric!'' Aero smiles when he heard Kyle words ''I guess you reached the same conclusion I did'' Aero said. Kyle only nodded, his hand is still crossed. His staff floats beside him. Chapter 246 - ONE DOWN, THREE TO GO His warriors and mages distance themselves from Kyle since they did not want to overhear the conversation between the General of Vanheim and the Chancellor of Vanheim Aero look behind him and he could see that there is another wave of people coming towards his position. He did not have much time He had to make use of Kyle knowledge right now. Aero is sure that Kyle did not come to the edges of this formation just to gloat ''What is this?'' Aero said while pointing his finger to this formation ''Five Point Sealing Formation'' Kyle immediately answer. ''Hmm. What''s that?'' Aero asked back. He never heard of any Five Point Sealing Formation. Kyle suspected that Aero did not know much about the formation so he quickly told Aero about all he knows. As he was explaining things, the rumble of people charging toward Aero intensify that one could feel the shaking of the earth as magical attacks is about to land around Aero Mage sis flying around the air, with fireballs on their hands, or icicles floating around them, ready to be launched towards him, the moment they arrived at his location Aero immediately understand as he once again takes a look at the battlefield. ''So, four points of the formation. If I break all the four points where the magic users that is supplying power to this formation, then the five point which is me would automatically be broken and I will be free?'' he asks, trying to confirm his understanding Kyle nodded. Kyle then looked behind him and then he asks Aero ''What should we do now? I think you are clear that Eric is doing this to delay you. Right now I have gathered all Vanheimneian around me. We are about to seek the Gate'' Aero grins a bit listening to Kyle words. If he could not tell what Kyle is trying to say, he is not Aero of the East. He nodded and Kyle also nodded back. Aero then said ''Take care of them for me. I don''t know how long will it take for me to defeat all of them but I could be confident that I would not be that late. If I am lucky. I might even have the time to join you all'' Then he snorted at the situation he is in ''Since Eric wanted to delay me, then find him and obstruct him. Search your own fortune then and open the Gate when you found it. I also missed our kingdom'' Aero did not have time to mince words since the wave of people is approaching him quickly. Kyle smiles and then nodded ''Don''t blame me'' Kyle said. Aero only smiles. ''This is enough. We both cooperate because there is something to gain. I would not blame you of this. You already gave me enough clues to break through this formation.'' he replies back. Kyle chuckles ''Still showing off, huh?" Kyle said and Aero smirks ''Alright then. Good luck and see you on the other side'' Kyle said before he went away with his guards. Aero looks at their backs as they travel farther away from him. They immediately went to the place where the other Vanheimneian people is waiting as they begin their journey to seek the gate Aero on the other hand ready his saber. ''Four points of the formation'' he muttered to himself. There is now an objective he thought to himself. Now, he is not a lost wanderer wandering. He now had a road. And for him, that is enough. Then without saying anything he charges towards that pillars area. He needs to kill all these people that dares stands against him and those mages unit that trapped him in this formation. He also wanted to send another warning to all of them. Aero refuses to believe that these people truly came at him without fear. When he shows them that nothing against him is working, slowly they would retreat by themselves and might even fought against the orders of their superior. Even though, they might be revived after this battle ended that doesn''t mean they will not feel pain before dying and not lost anything. Each death means you are getting weaker. And if you keep dying, then you might even become so weak that you couldn''t even choose how you die. Only strong people could choose how they die. Screams of pain and booming sounds crisscrossed with each other and reverberated in the air throughout the entire battlefield as Aero charges anyone that is in front of him The battle began to feel more intense and even more bloodier. Trey could see that Aero is carving a path toward the one mage unit in the south direction His eyes widened. He could guess what Aero is trying to do ''Shit. Kyle really did tell him about the formation. We need to stop him from getting closer to those mages units'' Trey quickly orders his officer to send even more people to block Aero. And Aero did not even think of changing lanes or divert his path. He keeps moving forward no mater who is in front of him. His mind is only occupied with the thoughts of the four mages unit that serves as the four point of this formation. And his saber would reap their lives as quickly as possible. Even though it seems there is no end to this war, Trey knows that they could not keep this up for long. Thousands have died under Aero blade and the ghastly and terrifying scenery of the battlefield could even deter the bravest heart. And not everyone that is in the cage is Vevaian people which adds to the problem of maintaining this siege against Aero. While the Vanheimneian people in the cage was the first one being killed under Trey orders, there are still other people from the other kingdom trapped inside the cage They would not obey the orders from Veva and they surely do not want to trapped in this cage more longer than they need to. They might even help Aero if this keeps going on. If not for the crazed way, Aero conduct himself now that he is strapped, Trey believes some of these people might help Aero. Right now, the atmosphere of the battlefield inside the cage is really weird. Aero was supposed to be the prey but for some reason it felt like they are sending food to a predator. The more he kills, the powerful he became. It is not something that the officers of Veva did not realize. They realize the problem but they have no way against it. They couldn''t really order their people to stop, at least not at this junction of the battle. If they did that, that is as good as saying to them to throw away their lives. Since Aero is no longer caring about such thing, he killed whoever his eyes laid eyes to Trey keep sending his orders but before he could send another order, everyone heard it and for a moment everyone stop Trey face turns pale when he heard the sound Everyone heard the sound of something breaking. It was like someone throws a stone into a glass window as the windows broke loudly. Then a screams so loud sounded from Aero area, the entire battlefield hears it In the south direction, Arial is holding the headless body of the mage leader who controls the core of the South The moment he kills them that bright illusory pillars that hold up the formation disappeared. ''One down three to go'' This time with Aero strength, his speed has reached to almost an inhuman level. His strength too increased even more Chapter 247 - RAGING The droning sound of the formation could only be heard by mages and those attuned to mana. Kyle look at the formation his eyes seems to be analyzing it calmly. There is a subtle smile on his face no one noticed What these people, what Eric didn''t expect that by using the Formation, they also seal the death aura and the killing intent in the battlefield. By sealing them in, the killing intent remains thick and even more condensed. And it is having an effect in Aero strength. Inside the formation, Aero is confidently mowing the enemy that is in front of him without stopping. He was like a natural disaster that appears to destroy all existence. Because of the thick killing intent and the death aura, Aero had never felt more powerful than he is now. Some people thoughts and assumptions were correct. They have caged themselves with a predator and a hungry one at that. And in such a cage there is only one thing that you could do. Either you kill the predator and live. Or prepare to be eaten by the predator. Aero then once again turns into long arc of light as he passes dozens of people ion one single step. This light not only fast, it also contains saber light that cuts through hundred people almost instantly. The saber light of Aero saber right now is no longer just a flashing white light. This time his sword light had a taint of red and black of death and killing intent swirling on the edges and tips of his saber Dragon cry could be heard roaring like it was roaring, announcing the return of the King. He is rushing clockwise to go to the west point. Aero is now targeting the other core energy that powered this formation. By now, an hour has passed since the cage was created and a lot more people were dead. In the Jungle regions, some people have found their fortune while the other is diligently searching for the gate that will lead them out of the Purgatory Marquis Dan that is leading the other Vanheim people did not know about Aero appearance. If he did, he would probably have made a different choice. But Dan himself was a powerful person. And while he did not have power and ability like Aero, Dan have always been a likable lord and he is also a war hero like Aero. And unlike Aero, people felt closer to Dan. This is due to the fact that he is more approachable. When one sees the Chancellor one associated him with great position, power and status. In other words, his presence is intimidating. Only certain people would be able to see him and the Chancellor himself shrouded himself with a layer of mystery that made the common people awe and fear him but did not make him easy to be approached. While Dan is quickly progressing and found a few clues to the Gate, hidden inside the jungle region is also another person that Aero considered his rival. The Black Robed Prime Minister. Unlike the others that have descended down from the plateau he had no intention of finding the gate. Sooner or later someone will find it. Since that is the case, he seeks another thing. He did not know a thing about the Purgatory but he could surmise a few things about it. He knows that this Purgatory is the creation of Western Heaven And the laws around it is constructed with the energy of the Western Heaven. Eric memories is still blurred and some of them is even blank. But he knew that this place¡­. this purgatory is something that could be very important to him. Unlike Dan who is looking a way out to return to Vilajeri Continent, Eric is searching for a way to return back here. Maybe someday, that would be his lifesaving means. Then there is also the group of people that managed to survive from the fight between Aero and the Vevaian forces. The moment they reached the Jungle regions, some of them grouped up, some of them scattered and find their own fortune and some people schemes Time is ticking and as Aero fight the battle of his life on top of the plateau, he is wasting time for him to seek his own fortune. Aero if he was the one ion the jungle region right now he would gather the people and urge them not to seek the gate yet. He would surely persuade them to take more time and explore this place. To him, this place of mystery could also hold many opportunities. Aero only concern have always been about retaining the Curse of the Styx on him. If he could find a way to make his invincibility truly flawless and perfect, he could be considered to be the one at the top of the world. While he doubts that the heavens would allow such creature to emerge, Aero at least believes that there is a possibility for him to at least seek such path where he could eliminate that weakness of him In a way, this secret battle between Eric and Aero ends in Eric victory. Eric has never wanted to kill Aero. It is not that he doesn''t want to. He just knows that he doesn''t have enough force to kill Aero. Unlike Trey, Eric has always been someone who is very realistic in his planning. Since that is the case, he just wants to make Aero lose the initiative. Aero battle is no longer between him and Eric. Eric plans has already succeeded. Aero is now fighting against the ticking time. Each moment he fights above, is a moment lost. On the plateau, Aero face could be seen to be full of rage. He knows he needs to be faster. But at the same time he could not let his anxiousness control his action. Because that would lead to more mistakes Even though he had killed thousands of people, there are many more to come. Different people from all corners of the battlefield is surging toward him without stopping no matter how many of them he cuts apart Aero could only have one thought at this ''Shit'' >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sorry, a little late in posting this chapter. I think thsi arc woudl end this month. See you all tomorrow and hope you like the chapte Chapter 248 - RAMPAGING THROUGH THE BATTLEFIELD Magic users are hurling magic attack at him from a distance. For that kind of attack, Aero uses his saber slash. Backed with his godly physical prowess the swing of his saber created gust of whirlwinds that cut and shear through them like they were being grinded into minced meat Around him the land exploded, creating a large hole or crater and some of the patch of land exploded out from the ground, jumping upwards to the sky and fallen back as debris of soils and stones Around him was the scene of a hellish graveyard. There are some people being crushed by large stones and the scene of death and misery could be seen all around him. Yet, no one stopped. Since they all have chosen a side, they did not hesitate. Aero even had half a mind to respect such frenzy and madness. Aero eyes are targeted at the western point and the core of the formation. The people guarding the points of the core also readied themselves. They lined themselves up as there is a new formation resembling a military formation. Aero sneered. ''Get out of my way!'' he shouted as he just rushed through them. His body collided with the shield wall of these unit of soldiers and the moment they collided a powerful shockwave erupted around them. The wind around them break away as gust of mini wind whorls were formed and scattered almost instantly. All of them, a few dozen men with large bodies and sturdy armor could not handle the impact of colliding with Aero. The frontline instantly crumbled with all of their armor exploded into thousand pieces because of the explosive impact Aero easily passed through them. His white robe is now tainted red. Aero right now did not seem to be wearing a white robe anymore. His robe is now painted in dark reddish color. And on the edges of his sleeve, bloods dripped from it. The second line was not spared. Before they could regroup, Aero swing his saber. Dragon cry roars and the wind howled. This slash is like a light that separates darkness away. With one slash, they were all were cut apart. An opening instantly opened up for Aero. There is just a few second from him shouting make way for him to all of this happening. All the soldiers around the pillars were cut with one slash of his saber. The magical formation that the mages had prepared beforehand also could not stop the slash of the saber as it instantly shattered. Aero possess the Curse of the Styx. While it has quite a flaw, the Curse itself is very powerful sine those who take on such curse have to bathe themselves into the River Styx. It is a river full of pain and suffering and death. To bathe in it is not easy because you need a God or Goddesses to help you with it. Or in case of Aero an ancient Goddess of the sea. The ground shakes and rumbling with each of his slash. Droning sound could be heard reverberating across his saber slash. Dragon cry roars and fills the ears of those who were cut down by Aero of the East saber. Many more jumped up to him only to have their limbs cuts, their heads speared from their bodies. Heads rolled around him and blood flows like river underneath his boots. Aero did not stop. His eyes focused on the mages that is protected by these people. He would break out. This is not a promise. This is a fact. He just felt rage because he lost in this battle between him and Eric No matter how big of an obstacle in front of him, or how strong his enemies declare themselves to be all were silenced under his saber light. By now, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Veva side has suffer tremendously. And he is not the only that fear. Aero eyes are shining with determination as each step takes him closer to the mages unit hiding behind all of these soldiers. By now he is closing on the requirement to unlock the next requirement of his title. There has been quite a lot of deaths but as trey send more orders, more people surrounded Aero. The tide of battle of this battlefield is weirdly enough changes because of one person. There is no other person in the world that could do this kind of things other than one of the Three Great Pillars. Aero then dodges someone attack as a cold smirk appeared at the corner of his lips. He jumped and slashes down as his saber light kills a dozen more people. The dust rises up because of that attack as the shockwave push many people away. He kicks the air behind him as Aero passes through all of those people. The mages standing on the direction of the west point yelled calling for help as he saw Aero is coming for him from the air ''It is too late'' Aero shouted. He kicks the air once again as loud rumble rang in the air. Wind pressure trying to delay him but with that one kick Aero closed his distance. He passes hundreds of people to reach to his target. He had no more time to waste. He needs to get out of this formation as fast as possible. Killing intent shrouded his entire body and then he swings down his saber A saber lights shoots out from his saber. That saber light roars to the Heavens and whirlwind surrounded the lights. It almost looks like Zeus in the Heavens above that hurl this attack akin to a lightning bolt ''DIE!'' like a decree from the Olympians, a large saber light descended toward the circle barrier that is protecting the mages unit. Everyone was taken aback with this sudden turn of event. They all saw Aero jump out into incredible heights and before the mages could response with their levitation magic to stop Aero advance, Aero executed a powerful sword moves. His saber light appears to be light personified but on the edges of that shining light, is the swirling killing intent and death aura. Aero attack right now is reaching a godly level. If not for this formation, Aero doubt he could do something like this. Sealing it with all the killing intent and the death aura, Aero could manipulate it. And when he became the Saber Monarch he had a trace of saber intent in his attack. It is only now that he could materialize it and shows it to the world. The sound of saber roaring to the Heavens is a sound akin to a declaration of death to Aero enemies. Even those in the Jungle region could hear the cry of dragons and the droning sound. To those who know who is fighting up there, they could not help but awestruck but also a bit of fear. They do not know what is happening there or what will be the conclusion of the battle. But they know it is not wise to bet against The Chancellor. He might survive and if he breaks that formation earlier than anyone expected, the Chancellor might seek some of them for revenge. And no one wanted that. Even Kyle who is searching his own fortune and also searching for the clues of the gate, could not help but sigh when he hears the sound of the battle on top of the plateau reverberated to the Jungle regions below. Like an echo, the sound of the battle echoes endlessly to the people below the plateau. In his heart there is no doubt that Aero would escape. The problem was how many hours will it take him? This purgatory is not as big as others think. Sooner or later someone will find the gate. And that someone might quickly open the gate so they could return. But not everyone wanted to return as fast as possible. Thus, it is very important for them to find the gate first before anyone eels The only way to control where one could return or not depends on the one finding the gate. Then a world shaking sound exploded >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> See you all tomorrow and vote for the story if you like it. Leave some comments if you can Chapter 249 - DEMON OF THE BATTLEFIELD On the plateau, the moment that saber slash collided with the barrier, it breaks. The sound of a glass teapot falling down from a high place could be heard ringing through the entire battlefield. It even reached below the plateau. The saber light was not even affected or slow down n even for a millisecond. Before Aero could land back in the ground, the slash light pierced through the protection of the magical barrier and cut the mages unit. Half of their bodies fall to the left the other half fall to the right. They die with their eyes open wide, like they experience an otherworldly pain. Aero landed just a few steps from their cut up corpse. He walks calmly as he looks toward the sky. Then he laughed a bit, his entire appearance right now is truly terrifying. With blood dripping from his saber and his dark red robe, he looks like a demon that crawls its way out of hell The light of the Five Point formation barrier become even dimmer. The golden light that appears to look like a holy light form some divine heaven in the beginning now look dim and dark, like it is withering. One more pillars of the formation was cut down ''Two more'' Aero said to himself. It was only now that the people behind Aero suddenly break out from their shock and change direction. They are rushing backward to hold Aero back. He looks at those people and there is an evil smile on his face Then he muttered to himself ''I think one slash is enough'' He then casually slash horizontally. Whirlwind rises up as it follows that saber slash. The saber light passes through twenty people as the light dissipated. The people who were rushing forward to Aero suddenly felt something is wrong. Then they heard a scream of fear behind them. The people behind them, some of them even fall to the ground, looking like they were scared of something. But as they wanted to turn their body, they realized they couldn''t They did not realize it at first but then they felt a little bit pain before they felt like they could not move their feet. The pain was like a pinch at first but slowly they felt the pain rises up. It wasn''t until their upper body falls down to the ground that they realized what happened. Their body was sliced on the middle of their waist. Their feet are running forward while their upper body half fall down to the back. Their intestine was cut cleanly as shits and the content of their stomach were spilling out from their running lower body before it also falls down to the ground. When they realized it all those twenty people in the frontline died of shock and fear. Aero is only smiling as he smirked ''I guess I was right. One slash is enough'' The moment he said it he hears, the notification sound as a notification windows popped up in front of his face He did not count the people he killed but he could guess that he is nearly reaching ten thousand people kill count when he swings that saber. Aero Carlingian have unlocked the achievement of Slayer of Ten Thousand Lives gaining the title Demon of the Battlefield Requirement: killing ten thousand people in the Purgatory Title received: Demon of the Battlefield Title has evolved from Slayer of One Thousand Lives to the Demon of the Battlefield Title Perks: Your manipulation of killing intent is reaching a powerful level. There is no one else that has killed a s much as you and it gives you a certain feature of the demons from the Eastern Heaven. Your killing intent could suppress and create illusion in the feeble minds of people. In a battlefield, your body would become stronger, your perception would become faster and your attack would possess the resentment of the death. The more you killed, the powerful you become. The resistance of people fighting you would be lowered with Heaven helping you to suppress them when you are in the battlefield (This does not include Holy men from the Church or some people who were blessed by the Gods or deities where the effect of this title would be lessened or even at times neutralized. You have reached almost the ultimate title evolution for this place. Gained the Path of Killing (Beware that by cultivating this path it might change your personality and temperament) the skill Slashing Through Life evolve into Slashing Through Life and Death His skill also evolved. He did not know that skills could evolve like this. At least he didn''t know about Achievement skill since it is considered a special skill. The moment that status windows comes out, a powerful pressure gushed out from him. The other people that was about to charge toward him was thrown backward by a sudden oncoming powerful force. The killing intent mist that had become thick fog slowly rushed toward him and shrouded him even more protecting a protection barrier around him. It revolves and its spins and then it swirled around his blade, around his feet, and around his hand. It emitted a powerful repelling power. Suddenly unknown to everyone, in the sky, a vortex appears. It did not emit any fluctuation of energy or mana. In that vortex of void, there is an eye looking at Aero before the vortex disappeared. Aero could feel his body become lighter and yet the explosive power inside him become even more powerful He saw that he could activate the Path of Killing but he did not activate it. He needs to made a lot of thought before he could decide on what he should do. The saber in his hand is trembling with excitement. On its edges, it is swirling with killing intent that shrouded the saber. One could even see miniaturized fog projection of mini dragons on the fog around Aero body. It was like the killing intent around Aero was affected by the origin of the saber. Aero notices it and he could not help but lamented the fact that he did not have the Sword of Mars Aero closed his eyes and he could feel his ears hear better, and he could even feel the wind brushing on his skin. He could hear the heartbeat of the people around him, each of them separately, like he is hearing at them separately but all at the same time. This is Aero in a full concentration zone. Even he did not know why he felt like that. He opens back his eyes and that feeling disappears as he twisted his wrist and the wind around him were cut creating slashes of wind that few to different direction of his saber. He then took another swing of his saber like he is trying to figure out something ''So, that is how it is'' Aero talk to himself. Aero entire body right now is brimming with power. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Will not be talking to much and leave some comments for the chapter. See you all tomorrow Chapter 250 - SABER EMPEROR ''So, that is how it is'' Aero talk to himself and there is a slight smile on his face. Aero entire body right now is brimming with power. The dust and pebbles of stones around him floats in the air around him like they were forced to float by some invisible force. This time it is not only the roars of dragon that accompany his saber light. Dragons rushed out from his saber as it roars through the sky, shaking the bravery out of the people charging toward Aero. These dragons are projected from the killing intent as it morphs into the shape of a dragon. The many mini dragons merged and formed a six feet long dragon that rushed out alongside the saber light. It opens their mouths and they swallowed the people that is one of the wave of the attackers. The moment his saber arrived in front of those people, they were cut. But it was not like before where they were sliced into two. Instead this time, there is some potent destructive power in his saber strike. The saber intent in Aero saber have also increased. There is another window notification he did not check yet. Aero believes that is the notification of his title about the Saber Monarch. That title must have also changed and it affects his saber intent It is not only sharper. It is even more destructive than before Aero could sense this almost instinctively the moment he swings that saber His saber has slayed ten thousand lives. By now, Aero think he could swing a saber with the most precision even when he closed his eyes. Those people were shredded apart as the meat of their flesh scattered apart to the battlefield like they were rotten meat that is thrown away. ''To the North'' Aero did not immediately charge to the north. In front of him there is a deep gash of saber slash that cut deep into the ground. And it is empty. There is only scattered meat of people in front of him. Some of the Vevaian forces were seized by their fears and retreated. They were immediately cut to death by the officers in the back of the wave of people as they were accused to be a traitor. Aero then said ''Even though, this is good for me, I am losing time'' Aero thought to himself. Aero saber slash before had also expelled and reflect back any magical attack that the mages had hurled toward him. ''I need to check the skill'' he thought to himself. Now, that there is a large empty area round him, he could at least have the time to check the effect of the evolved achievement skill would offer him He quickly opens his status window and saw the skill. He quickly will it to appears as he reads the skill description. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ACHIEVEMENT SKILLS SLASHING THROUGH LIFE AND DEATH (SPECIAL RANK) This skill evolved from the skill of Slashing Through life. It is an achievement skill derived from your dedication to killing and bloodshed. This skill would gather all the killing intent around you to produce a strike that would take all the lives of people around you. The effect of this strike and its range of attack depends on the amount of killing intent that is around you. It could not differentiate friend and foe, so be prudent before using it. [Powerful people who have measure of extra protection or powerful spell that could neutralize some of the killing intent around them might have the chance to survive this attack. Someone who is cursed to be Immortal by the Gods would not be affected by this strike] Because of its tremendous power to manipulate the killing intent, you could only use this strike only twice before it could be used again next week. Because of its evolution, it now could cut through ghost. There is a possibility that this skill could evolve more. Continue your effort in the path of killing and probably that evolution path will open up. The other effect is as follow: Strengthen mental strength, become resistant to possession by shades and wraiths >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The description of the skill is even longer than before, Aero thought to himself. The last time this title and this skill appears, there is one other title that leveled up Aero anticipated this the most. He checks it and when the notification windows popped in front of his eyes, Aero could not hide his smile There is a title that is connected with the title of the Demon of the Battlefield. His saber trembles in excitement even when he is standing still. Even mana around felt weak compared to the oozing of power that his saber is emanating right now. Aero already notices it when he swings his saber before. He looks and read the announcement of his new title. Aero Carlingian have unlocked the achievement of Saber Emperor Requirement: killing ten thousand people in the Purgatory using a saber Title received: Saber Emperor Title has evolved from Saber Monarch to Saber Emperor The Saber Emperor control all saber by its powerful saber slash. With one slash, sea of blood would be formed. Title Perks: Increased comprehension of the saber and each saber strike would have large trace of power of the world Your saber intent and saber strike attack become even more stronger As a Saber Emperor you would quickly understand any discipline regarding saber attack. The title could be evolved further. Please persist in your path of the saber. Aero look at all of these announcement and he laughed. He doesn''t know whether he should thank Eric or not. Aero continued rushing to the north. As he ran forward, loud rumble rang in the air. Each of his step created a mini quake, sending tremor to all the area around the battlefield. On top of the plateau, outside the formation, everyone is gone. No one was waiting to see the end of this battle. Everyone have their own objectives and they all have different desires. As Aero is running toward the north point, on top of Aero head, the sky turns cloud and darks Thunder howls and the wind moves wildly. With one roars of the thunder, rains fall down to the ground. The rain become heavier as the seconds passes. But while it rained down and make the grasses of the plain wet, the rain did not fall down into the formation It protects the people of the formation from any outside interference. Even droplets of rain were unable to enter. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> See you all tomorrow and hope you like the chapte Chapter 251 - THE TRUE POWER OF ONE OF THE THREE GREAT PILLARS On the Jungle regions thunderstorms appears, wind is howling and rain falls down heavily. The battlefield is dark with thunder roaring on the heavens above sometimes illuminating the hellish scenery of the battlefield Other than then thunder sometimes lights appears in the dark, as that saber on Aero hand gleamed like Grim Reaper scythe before it takes the lives of his enemies. Mist of killing intent was thick that those who do not have the killing intent skill, is lost in the mist. The gleam of that saber would appear suddenly and cut them apart into a thousand pieces. The loud rumble of his charge shakes the land anywhere he goes, the wave of the attackers in front of him, their unit would collapse like a castle made of sand being washed away by an unrelenting waves of the ocean. Trey try to see Aero through the thick mist and through the sound of the air. Aero did not even bother to hide where he is going. Everyone could see he is trying to dismantle the formation. People try to stop him but each time they did that, all of them would die easily. The more he kills and the longer he is the battlefield, Aero seems more and more like the incarnation of a demon that could not be killed or defeated. ''Attack him! Do not let him reach the north point!'' Another unit appears suddenly. The mages created a purifying formation and activating it, it dispels the thick killing intent for a few second. They saw Aero a few distance away from them and the officer immediately orders the Veva forces to attack Aero that is wide open. Aero saw them and luckily for him those people did not know they are standing in one straight line. Aero thrust out his saber forward instead of slashing it horizontally. A straight saber light shoots out from his saber. The saber light looks like a needle. With one thrust, the saber light appeared and then disappeared. Then Aero no longer pay attention to that people as he rushed forward to the north. It puzzles everyone who did not yet have the time to attack Aero. The people beside the attacking unit was shocked because did Aero of the East just went away just like that and these attackers let him go? But a moment after Aero disappears himself into the mist, these people finally got the answer why Aero went away immediately and why the attacking force did not chase after him They saw blood suddenly comes out of the people forehead before their forehead exploded into a bloody hole It is a small hole like someone drilled it with something in the front of their head. Aero attack was so fast and so destructive that it drilled through those people skulls and brains and for some reason, like a delayed reaction, shows it effects a few moments later The people who yelled kill him to Aero was the first one to fall down before the other men and women behind him all followed him and falls down to the ground. The people around the corpse notice that while the wound on the forehead is small, the hole on the back of their head was very terrifying. There is a large hole on the back of their head. It was like someone exploded the back of their heads with explosive. All of their brain matter were shredded and look like a pus filled liquid as it drips from the large hole. Aero moved extremely fats and each of his attack is very deadly and lethal. No matter how they attack him, Aero saber mow them all down. Outside, the rain falls even heavily and the thunder roars been louder. Aero body becomes even lighter and his attack become even more lethal. The elite warrior that faces him either were affected by the mass of the killing intent that''s surrounded Aero. One of the effect of that mass of killing intent that become thicker and heavier by the minutes is that it weakens their resolve. And as Aero gain more power manipulating the killing intent, any enemies that is in front of were cut down almost immediately And these warriors couldn''t offer any resistance whatsoever. On the east side of the battlefield, someone is looking at all of this and trying to think of a way to stop Aero, General Trey was barking orders quickly but no matter how he diverts his forces from other areas to defeat Aero, it almost look like it is futile endeavor By now, Trey had slowly lost his confidence to kill Aero of the East. ''Aero of the East. One of the Three Great Pillars of the Vilajeri Continent'' He muttered in audibly. The title of the Three Great Pillars¡­.it seems he still underestimated that title. He could only watch as Aero keep decimating his forces. Nothing he could do could even trap or slow down this beast. Aero moved about in the fog of killing intent at an extremely fast pace. His killing speed becomes even faster. He did not use only his saber. He even uses his hands. Sometimes, Aero would grab anyone by their skull and crushed it in one second before throwing away the corpse as a warning. The fact that the fog is obstructing the vison of the people chasing Aero and the fact that outside the formation, it is also dark did not help the pursuing force. In the beginning of this battle, all of these Veva people roars with bloodthirsty. They know it is not easy to kill and delay one of the Three Great Pillars. But they did not think it would be this hard. This goes beyond just hard. This almost seems impossible No matter how many magic attacks hurled at him, Aero is fast enough to dodge it. Sometimes he even just collides himself with the magic attack only to emerge unscathed from the attack How could such way of fighting did not demoralize the attacker? Nothing demoralizes a unit then when seeing none of their attack seems to do absolutely nothing. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> See you all tomorrow Chapter 252 - COMING OUT Mages are powerful magic caster. They manipulate mana, the energy that existed throughout all the world. It could not be seen but could only be felt by someone who is mana sensitive. It gave them ability to manipulate elements, and even help improve one own bodies and accelerate or decelerate human regeneration properties among other types of improvement they could induce. But everyone knows the weakness of a magic user is their physical body. Other than some renowned combat magic user, most mages possess little strength of physical body. There is a reason why those who clashed against Aero is warrior class or Paladins and why not many magic attacks were hurled towards Aero. Aero when he began his attack would first ram himself to the mages in the group With one ram charge towards them, these mages even while using reinforcement magic or Iron Body magic could not endure the impact of Aero ramming his body at them It was like they were on a collision course with a mountain. The moment they collided, most of them suffers severe internal injuries and almost all of them dies of pain, coughing blood before they die. The fact that Aero combined speed and power in his ramming charge made the task to survive his attack almost impossible for mages. If even the sturdy armors of warriors and paladins were broken when they come into contact with Aero charging his body, how could these mages even withstand one of his charging attack? Like the wind Aero finally reached the north point of the formation. There is only two more points of the formation. The north and the east. Aero smirked when he saw the unit of mages maintaining the formation. If one looked at the formation right now it already shows sign of instability. The golden formation looks cracked from the outside and it is also thinner. This time there is an army guarding them. Aero stopped as he looks at the person in the front. The man in the front of this army wears a full plate or war armor. He is bulky and he is tall. His face looks toward Aero full of wariness and even a hint of fear flashing in his eyes. Aero stop in front of him, separated by a few meters. Aero just look at that person and then he smirks. ''Aero of the East. My name is Heath of House Westerland. Today is the day you die'' he then pointed toward Aero and shouted. ''Soldiers of Veva! Attack him! For Veva!'' The cheer resounded that everyone in the battlefield could hear it as these people charged toward Aero, roaring in bloodthirsty frenzy. They were like starving wolves and is now allowed to let loose. But they forget that Aero is not a wolf. Why would he fear a pack of wolves when he is the king of the Jungle? He is a lion and he does not fear a pack of wolves? One roar are enough to make them all submit! Aero now finally sees the trump card of these people. It seems there are even Veva soldiers in this Purgatory. It must be Eric plans to keep them hidden. If Aero is not in this Purgatory, Aero could guess that the control of this Purgatory would fall into Eric hands and his people. Other people of other kingdoms would not get even a chance Why does his luck have to be this bad? He hopes Zeus and Arianna in their Purgatory also got problem like this. Aero take a step forward and seized a woman warrior. One person hacks his saber down toward him as Aero took one step to the side to narrowly evade that saber strike. However, the woman was already completely seized by Aero. Aero fingers dug deep into that woman forehead as the sound of his nail pierce through felt like someone just stabbed the woman head with a kitchen knife. ''ARGHH'' the woman screams as blood drips down from her forehead. The woman warrior is trembling viciously as Aero finger dug deeper and broke the layer of skin in her forehead. Veins started popping up on her face as she screams. The other person tries to hack Aero again but how could Aero let that person try to hack him again. One hand holding the woman head, and one hand holding the saber. Aero casually slices toward that person side. With one casual slice, it cut through the man iron armor and slice through his chest in an uneven proportion. His body slides down, his face is still full of disbelief. As arrows, swords, spears, halberds attack were employed, all of it directed at him, as all of this weapons light fills with the intent to kill fills his surrounding, Aero with his perception could dodge them all expertly while at the same time dragging the woman with him while casually swing his saber He laughed as he swings that saber and that large saber light passes through Aero right now truly looks like a Demon of the Battlefield. None of the attack directed at him, none of those weapons aura touched him. To the other soldiers in the distance what they see right now is incomprehensible. They saw how their forces attack Aero with all they got, only to see that they all attacked only the afterimage of Aero of the East. And the most bone chilling scene was how they saw that Aero was casually walking through groups of soldiers who were attacking his afterimage and casually swing his saber Each time he swings his saber, people bodies would be sliced into two as the part that were sliced, falls down from their body The cut was so clean that it was like Aero was cutting a bark of tree with the sharpest weapon in the world. The woman in his hand is still screaming as Aero finger dug deeper. It slowly pierced the woman skulls and blood from the brain slowly comes out from the hole on the woman head. It was truly grotesque but the woman could still remain alive. She remains alive but the pain she is enduring is probably unimaginable. Her teeth were chipped and sanded down by her constant biting down as she endures the pain Aero come closer to that officer. Heath. Aero knows he recognize that name. That man is one of Eric allies in the court. Eric is not the only one that made any investigation of his rivals. Aero did too. Aero hated Eric for trapping him in this trap. And for that, he would kill Eric ally in here. It is petty. Yes, but who said powerful people is not petty? Heath look at the scene of Aero walking slowly towards him with calmness on his face. Even the officers around him were impressed with their superior calmness. But he was not as calm as h portends to be. In the end, he is still human. His heart is beating like a war drum right now. The soldiers that attacked Aero even though the officers shouted to them that they are attacking only Aero after image, the orders still come too late and by the time the order arrived at them Aero would already claim their lives before the orders arrive at them Suddenly one mages appear out nowhere, fly up to the air and throws a gigantic fireball. This kind of magic must have taken a lot of time to prepare. ''Take this!'' the mage shouted out. Aero smiles and said ''Finally some of you have come out'' >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> See you all tomorrow. Chapter 253 - WITH NO CHANCE OF SCHEMING The mages have finally come out from their hiding He had long expected such things to happen. While he could not sense mana as he is not really a magic user he could still sense something is wrong. Since the beginning of him attacking the pillars and core of the formation, they are not that many mages attacking him He had long expected that they were waiting for him with a trap of maybe with one final attack. And he bet this mage is not the only mage that will come for him as he is closer to breaking the formation. Aero did not hesitate to respond as he throws that woman warriors to that fireballs. There is five holes on her head because fo Aero fingers that dug deep into her skull. There is still the pain and she is dizzy because of the lots of blood she had lost. She could barely register what is in front of her. There is reddish gooey stuff coming out from the hole in her forehead. Before she could try to make sense what has happened to her, she was swallowed by the fireballs as that impact incinerated her almost immediately. Her screams were drowned by the earthshaking sound of explosion. The fireballs hit the woman and a large shockwave ripples in the air. The mage now exposed and out of mana was shocked by the failure of his sneak attack he wanted to run. But how could Aero let him do that after trying to attack him? Aero kick the warrior soldier in front of him as that person was thrown backward. Before the impact of his kick could take effect, Aero hold the spear on that soldier''s hand. When that impact strikes the soldiers, the soldier was thrown backward as the spear stay on Aero hand. Without saying anything, Aero hurls that spear toward the mage position. The spear created a sound explosion as the speed of the spear pierce through the air and cut through the wind turbulence. No matter how swift the reaction time of that mage, his reaction time did not beat Aero speed. ARGHH!'' the sound of the scream of the mage echoes pitifully in the battlefield. The spear pierces his robe, and broke any magical protection it has in only a second as the spear pieces through the mage body the impact of the force of the spears causes the mage body to explode into fireworks of meats and blood in the air. As this happens Aero suddenly speed up even more and rushed forward and kills even more people after they were distracted by that mage death. His after image causes people to think there is multiple of Aero in the battlefield. That is a scary thought but in the chaos of battle and the impact of that grotesque scene made the battlefield becomes even more chaotic. Whenever he went he would take one person and grabbed it by their skull and moved forward while taking the victim with him. The area around the north point become a concentration point. Trey could be seen ordering even more and he has his own plans now. Aero at this point did not care anymore about Trey strategy or plan. He had the power to not care. He would cut them all. All he knows that today he would kill anyone in his way. He could not scheme in here. Since that is the case, he could only move forward with his saber It made everything simpler. He did not have to think right now. Right now, all he needs to do is complete his objective of getting out of this formation as fast as possible. That is his only objective. He did not want to scheme anything. Or to be more accurate, there is no scheme he could concoct in a place where there is no single ally Eric has thrown him into a place where nothing he schemed could come into fruition. Aero reminded of one memory. In his journey to take the Holy Land of Duvar, he once met a gambler. When he asks how he wins every time, the gambler told him "to win every single gamble, knows who''s on your side and pull them to you'' Aero found that advice could also be applied in politic. He knows that for a long time. The bamboo that could not bend, breaks. He could not scheme anything in a place where there is no one on his side. Since that is the case, he could only trust himself and his saber and break Eric scheme with brute power. It is fortunate that the killing intent inside the formation is concentrated. It helps him maintains the swirling killing intent around him that repels the magical attack. Though there was one mistake he made early in the battle. Aero unconsciously favor his ankle area to be protected by the swirling mass of killing intent that shrouded his body. The moment he realizes that he spreads the mass of the killing intent equally. Thankfully, Eric is not in this formation. If not, he might have noticed such detail. Aero had always been afraid of people knowing his fatal flaw. The moment that weakness of his is known, his invincibility will not evoke such fear in the hearts of people. That is why the people fighting Aero did not understand why Aero of the East keep rushing. They do not understand this anxiousness of the so called God of War of Vanheim They don''t understand why such a powerful and invincible man that seems to possess unlimited strength and stamina keep rushing when he could be calm and take his time Only Aero knows the answer Because the longer he is in the eyes of the people, the higher the chances that someone will find something is wrong about him. Maybe, someone would find out that he favors protecting his right ankle. Maybe they would notice that sometimes he become a bit tense when he saw an arrow targeted at his lower part of the body. And maybe, someone would put it all together and figures out his secret All of this is the reason why Aero did not like using his invincibility and flaunted it in the battlefield. His power and invincibility has become a deterrent for super power nations from making it too hard on Vanheim and make the enemies of Vanheim think twice before making themselves an enemy of Vanheim. Because if Vanheim ever declare a war, then the Chancellor, their biggest war potential would also be summoned into the battlefield. And it is widely known, that in this world, there is only two other people that could have the power to contend with Aero of the East. The wisest thing for Aero is to continue become such a symbol of deterrent. And to remains as such, no one must know his weakness. Aero is helping the empire of Vanheim just by remaining the way he is. The moment people knows his weakness; Aero could predict the chaos that would happen to the world. It is because of that some of his behaviors and actions seems odd to people. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> See you all tomorrow and there will porabbly be amass release at the end of the month Chapter 254 - HIS DIFFICULTIES The moment people know his weakness; Aero could predict the chaos that would happen to the world. It is because of that some of his behaviors and actions seems odd to people. After all, some people wondered, why did Aero of the East, acknowledge by the world to kill forty thousand men by his lonesome rarely enter battlefield himself, preferring to strategize from the Capital? People wonder why not just send the Chancellor to fight one wing of the enemy army and the other could be sent attacking the other? Or better yet, send him to fight the army of the other kingdom by his lonesome. Just by sending him to a capital city, Aero could charge through the royal city and capture the king. Aero could be considered a one-man army and his arrival into any hostile royal city could be considered a hostile action. It would make Vanheim the most superpower nation in the continent. There are many whispers that said many unflattering things about Aero action to not actively participate in any military battle. Of course, there are also some people that defend Aero action. Some scholars said this is a good behavior for the Chancellor who did not like spilling blood. Others thought that the Chancellor did not want to expand his power in the military more than he should, les he creates a divide between him and the new ruler of Vanheim While some of the other politician of the court believes the Chancellor doing such action to pressure the Emperor to give him even more power After all, it is said that the Chancellor still did not forget how Prince James usurp his power to wage war against Niovar. Prince James won that battle but lost the throne. There is also news and rumors that the Chancellor and the new Emperor did not see eye to eye unlike the relationship between the former Emperor and the Chancellor. Emperor Edward did not issue any military orders since his forces have taken the Holy Capital and to some people, they believe that the Chancellor was not entirely pleased with such inactions. Everyone knows that the former Emperor George and the Chancellor was the model ruler and minister. Their relationship is envied by all kings and minister all over the continent. During Emperor George reign, Emperor George did not distrust his Chancellor even a bit. Aero said that the Emperor, do not use people he does not trust and do not distrust the people he used And the Chancellor repay the Emperor trust by elevating Vanheim over all the other nations, protecting the nation from a two pronged invasion, planning the annexation of Vetten, opening the borders between Nairhell and Vanheim and promoting economic reforms that enables the Empire to prosper and grow as it did now. The relationship between the two is clearly intriguing. While the Emperor is the superior of the Chancellor, everyone knows that the former Emperor treated the Chancellor like his teacher and respected him greatly. It is for that reason; the Chancellor holds so much power in the Imperial court which is probably why such rumors surfaces. Some other people said that the Chancellor loves the common people and detest war in general and think about the common people plight thus he rarely participate in the war unless it concerns with the empire safety and defense Some people even said that the Chancellor did not want to come out personally because he did not want to incite a war between the Three Great Pillars. After all, if he comes out, then Zeus would also come out to counter him. And if those two comes out and begun fighting each other, that one in the South would also come out. Zeus while he could not kill Aero by himself, that does not mean he doesn''t have the way to kill him. After all, if he did not have a way to kill Aero, why would Aero be so humble during the Feast of the Western Gate? And Arianna? She still remains a mystery and her holy power is not something Aero could ever underestimate. She is an Apostle of the Church, the defender of the Faith. But Eric was the only one that don''t believe that Aero is that generous or an altruist. That is why Eric believes that Aero had a weakness that forces him to not be so active in warfare. And that is why Aero admire Eric. Even no, when he is feeling frustrated and angry, he could not erase the admiration he felt for his fellow rival All of this and the one before, all of this traps and schemes were all a ruse, a diversion to hide his true intent which is to know Aero weakness. And Aero also knows it. This is why he is rushing and why his saber did not stop swinging. If this is the welcoming committee, he received in the north point he could not wait to see the kind of responses he would receive in the last point of the formation. Today, he would kill all of these people as a way for him to relieve his anger. And he had just the perfect skill to try out on them. But this is not yet the time. The closer he came to Heath; the solemn Heath became. Then Aero shouted toward Heath as he crushed the head of a warrior that is gripped tightly on his hand. Aero casually throws the head away as it rolls and stop near the corpse of another victim of Aero attack. ''There is no use. No matter how many people you sent, you could not kill me. Your king couldn''t, the assassin of the Church couldn''t, what less you!'' Then a roars of the dragon could be heard as another screams and pitiful sound could be heard from the soldiers The soldiers guarding in the front of the path leading to Heath were all death by that one attack. Before the roars of the dragon could even die out Aero shouted again. ''If all of you scattered right now and admits your fault when we return to Vilajeri Continent I will consider pardoning you. But if you insist in this path, I promise you, on the honor of the Three Great Pillars and as the Chancellor of Vanheim, I would find you all and kill you!'' His roars shocked some soldiers and some of them even hesitated to move as they look at each other. One moment of hesitation was all it takes for Aero to launch his surprise attack. Aero swing his saber and that saber lights weeps through all of these people. It engulfed them The soldiers that comes to guard the north point numbers around one thousand people. Before Aero executed the slash he had already killed around five hundred people. With one slash of his saber this time he killed around two hundred people in one slash. Instantly a blinding light fills the area around the north point drowning all the screams of pain and wailings of despair. When the light faded away, there is chaos but also silence. Hundreds of people were cut down, hundred more were injured because of the resulting shockwave and some people remained motionless because of fear and affected by the burst of killing intent Aero releases when he slashes that saber. A portion of the killing intent around the north point thinned considerably Aero had used the Slashing Through Life and Death skill to test out with these people. But he did not use it with full power. He only uses the killing intent around the north point. There is one more usage of that special skill and he is saving it for something special. With that one slash, the army crumbled. As the dust settles and the light dissipated, those who still did not lose their mind who were about to do a last charge to try to delay Aero was speechless when they see the scene in front of them The officer beside Heath could not believe his eyes. In front of his eyes is Aero, holding his saber tip just a few inches from Heath neck. It had already sliced a bit of Heath neck, though that is just a graze Heath blood drips along the edges of Aero sharp saber. Aero look at him, his eyes sharp and cold. ''Eric did this'' Aero said it clearly. It was a statement not a question. Heath smirks and said ''He sends his regards'' Aero smirks and then without hesitation he thrusted his saber forward ripping through Heath throat. As Aero made a slicing motions, Heath head flew high up in the air. In the few second as Heath head is about to fall down to ground, Aero quickly moves like lightning, killing all the people around him with his saber. By the time Heath head rolls into the ground all of Heath officers were dead with one single slash attack. Blood once again flow beneath Aero foot. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> See you in a few minutes Chapter 255 - EAST POINT Around the mages unit there is no one. But the mages like he did not realize Aero presence keep supplying his life force to the formation Aero looking at this was amazed at the mages ball of steel ''Sometimes, I wonder how you all could be so loyal to that oaf of a king'' Aero said with a sigh. He walks calmly now. He had accepted it. And the moment, he accepted it, his body become lighter He had lost this battle with Eric. It is too late for him now to join the race and control this matter. For that message, Eric must have a reason for preventing him to seek the Gate. Aero doesn''t know what it is all about but he knows one thing. It must be one important reason And since he had already miss the window of opportunity, then he might as well enjoy this and found some benefit he could extract from this unfortunate situation. He walks to the mages unit, smiling. But he is not happy. No, it was far from him being happy. All around the mages unit there is no one else. The mages unit look at Aero and they gulped in fear. ''Fuck, we are truly dealing with some kind of monster here'' one of the mages guarding the point of the formation said as he looks at his friends. The friend beside him only wryly smiles. The mist around him seems to be gathered around his body and his saber. It thins the mist of the killing intent in the battlefield, but at the same time enlarge the figure of Aero. Behind him a dragon like creature seems to be formed from the killing intent, its head hover above Aero body as its tail coiled around Aero feet It was truly a sight to behold. Behind Aero back is a pile of corpses that formed a hill, their blood forms a thick red pool around their corpses and their meats scattered about like some kind of weird vegetables that sprouted from the earth Aero then stop. He smirks and those warriors He stops right outside the protection barrier of the mages unit. Some of the mages inside that small protection barrier look at Aero and Aero could see fear. But the one in the front maintaining the formation, while there is fear in his eyes, there is also a stout determination Aero shake his head. ''No wonder it is hard to defeat Veva. It still has a talent like this. It is a pity you were not born in Vanheim'' Aero said. He sheaths his saber and then crack his knuckles ''Do not resent me too much'' Aero said as he lifted his hand and then with the sound of a sonic boom ringing across the air, he punches the protection barrier. BOOM! The moment his punch touches the protection barrier, it crumbled like a weak leaf being blown away by the wind. The punch then landed on that mage face. The facial muscle of that mage exploded as all the bones in his jaws and head exploded and crushed like a grinded bone paste. Like a watermelon being smashed by a hammer, that is what happen to the mage face. The force of Aero punch causes the wind around him to change courses and the space around him shows signs of breaking. The wind gust generated and the heat that resulted from his punch that seem to exceed the speed of sound causes a blast of sharp power to shoot out from his punch which shredded the other mages of that unit. Their entire body was like it was tossed into a shredding device as their flesh turns to mushy thick red liquid and eventually being blown away by the wind The north point of the formation was destroyed and the formations shows sign of crumbling on. Cracks appears on the golden dome above his head. Aero look toward the East and take his time and he laughed. He could feel droplets of water falling on him. He looks back at the golden dome on top of his head and a droplet of water hit his forehead By punching through that formation, Aero had weakened the formation so much that it causes a severe crack and even the things form the outside could come in right now. Of course, only if they could change themselves to be as tiny as a drop of water, that would not be much use. But it is clear to Aero now, this formation is fragile. And there is only one more There is a glint of madness in his eyes right now. His red robe right now is floating by itself. The power around him is rising up and his desire to kill is at its peak He twists his hand and the pebbles floating around him were turn into dust like they were cut by something The slaughter he rained down as he moved like a fish in water in this battlefield had made his existence become like that of a nightmare. It is only now General Trey, looking at Aero running to his direction understand why the Prime Minster only orders him to delay him The Prime Minster knew that even all of these people rushed toward Aero of the East, the one that will emerge victorious is still him Aero of the East¡­is as truly as the rumors painted him to be. invincible and all conquering. And this nightmare is now approaching the last point of the formation. Trey gritted his teeth ''I could not kill you. But I would do my duty. I will delay you as long as I could'' he gripped his weapon tighter Now the only point that Aero need to destroy is the east point. But Trey also knows that. This time all of the people of Veva no longer scattered themselves. As the dust of the battle steels, Aero could see that there is a lot of people in the south. All of their forces were concentrated there ''A full head to head battle?'' Aero ask himself and he smiles. ''That is just my style'' he said to no one. Right now, in front of him is an empty path. All of them are waiting for Aero to come to the east point and all of the forces that Veva had in this formation is gathering around Trey. Just below the elevated terrain on where he is standing, there is a group of mage maintaining the formation The last point of the formation is without a doubt will be protected more heavily than the other They are making their last stand. And Aero knows he needs to move. After all, they could afford to wait but not him. Maybe he is wrong and this Purgatory is bigger than he thought. Or maybe there ae some other show shares the same desire as him to keep this Purgatory opens as long as possible. Whatever the case, while he accepted his situation, that does not mean he stopped planning for the future Since that is the case, he still had to move. And so he takes a step forward. Slowly at first. Calmly step by step. And that steps becomes faster and faster and then in just a few second, he rushed through the empty battlefield charging to the east point >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Tomorrow there will be a mass release. Hope you like it and leave some comments and chapter. We will be going away from the Purgatory a bit Chapter 256 - MERCILESS SABER Looking at this on an elevated terrain is Trey, his face expression is unreadable. Then he shouted to the people gathered around the area. ''Prepare yourself! You will be fighting one of the Three Great Pillars! For Veva!'' He shouted and they all shouted back. Outside the formation, the thunder roars and the rain is not yet stopping. The wind went wild and in the Jungle region people are inching closer to the Gate that will them back to their world and then there are some who has found some fortune for themselves. Some found magical skills, and some found opportunity of a legacy. The sound of rains and thunder is the only sound one could hear right now. And on top of the plateau, the battle between Aero and the force of Veva is at its closing act. Aero is rushing to that mass crowd that look at him filled with killing intent. They all decided to sacrifice their lives to prove their loyalty to Veva Aero could not hear the cheer clearly from the distance but he could guess what they cheer about as he gripped his saber tighter He was the nightmare of these people and this nightmare is still continuing. Without anyone obstructing his path, Aero run as fast as the lightning. And not before long he arrived at the east point of the formation. The moment he is about to rush forward and clashed with the frontline defenders, the sky above Aero head becomes even darker. Aero took a glance at the sky above his head and he smiles There were tens of thousands of arrows and magical attack that clouded the sky above Aero head. Then he heard the orders from the enemy side Aero laughed even more ''Fire at will'' ''Attack'' ''For Veva'' ''So you are really intending to go all the way with me, huh? I will make you regret this!'' Aero shouted Aero releases a slash toward the sky. He did not stop as he slashes his saber, his feet are still moving forward. The moment he slashes toward the sky, a droning sound filled the area as a large saber light headed up towards the sky. Aero did not even stop as that saber light becomes bigger as it rises up. The officers of the frontline saw that Aero did not even halt his steps so they all shouted to the others ''Wall formation. Defend your line!'' All the defenders in the frontline looks like soldiers from Veva. Aero was about to clash with the frontline defenders and then a world shaking sound resounded all over the battlefield BOOM! The sound of explosion reverberated almost simultaneously from two different directions that some people might think there is only one sound of explosion. The moment Aero collided with the wall formation of the soldiers, that wall formation instantly crumbled All of that shied they used to construct a makeshift wall were instantly broken the moment Aero ram his body on it At the same time that was happening, Aero saber slash finally hit the thousands of arrows and magical attack in the sky. His saber slash sweeps all those attack like all of it was a lie. The sky was clear and many mages fall from the sky. One part of their boy fall to the left, the other part falls to the right. Those magic users that fly through the sky was sliced into two up in the air. Their blood falls down into the battlefield like it was rain from the heavens A rain of blood ''Hahaha'' Aero laughed could be heard reverberating through the entire battlefield as he moved freely now that he had broken the frontline Whenever he went, rivers of blood will flood the area and shrill screams of pain would immediately reverberate in the air. He took a swing and a dozen soldiers will fall, as there is a thin line on their neck. With one blow of the wind, their heads would then slide off from their necks and some of those people didn''t even realize they are dead before seeing their head slowly sliding off from their own body. Sometimes, they are also some unlucky ones that tried to match their strength with Aero. Aero need only to punch them with one of his fist and that person head would explode into smithereens At least such death would be instantaneous. But for some other who had the fist punched into their chest, their entire chest would cave in and the bones inside their body will not only break, some of them because of the powerful impact from outside force and some other destructive properties of the killing intent, their bones would instantly disintegrate into dust and then their chest would explode as there is large hole one could see through from the hole. The bones in his victim body also became soft and limp, and their entire body will wither and shrank into a bundle. Aero is rampaging and no one could stop him right now. Aero had caused the area to become a hellish area. Everyone hearts are trembling and their determination and will is tested. And the screaming and wailing from the distance clearly did not help them in easing their own hearts If not for the fact that there are many high ranking members of the Veva government here and the fact that the Prime Minister of Veva Eric himself ordered them to do this and promise them hefty compensation after they return, they would have long run away and surrender top Aero Aero on the other hand did not care. Eric has his pride and he has his. After he returned he would send his secret service to all of these people and kill them Nobody could do all of this and think they could get away scot free. As the mist around him thickened, Aero sabers become even more pronounced. The edges of the saber are in reddish hue and the swirling killing intent around it made the saber to become even more sharper, lighter and even more destructive. Aero is fighting his way to the east point of the formation. By now, these people obstructing him look nothing more and nothing less like stationary mannequin. At least they appear like that in Aero eyes. That is only because Aero is now moving so fast that everything look to be stationary. As he is in this state, the killing intent around him also were affected as it becomes even thinner and the fog around the battlefield slowly decrease. But just because the fog has lessened and become even thinner, doesn''t mean that it is a good thing. After all, Aero is so fast that only some elite warriors could catch his movement sped. For the normal soldiers and warriors, they all died before they know how they were killed That is how fast Aero attack is as he is progressing quickly to Trey location Aero did not care about his kill count at this moment. He did not wait until his area is empty before moving forward. He does not bother about those that survive his saber slash. His feet keep moving forward, gripping his saber tightly as he swings it around at those in front of him His objective right now is only to reach the east formation as fast as possible While he let his rear vulnerable, he did not have to worry. As long as he could maintain his speed, he doesn''t have to worry about anything. He keeps moving forward, swing his saber with abandon, killing anyone and everyone in his path. When he felt like the path he is on would waste a lot of his time, he would change his direction as he picks the fastest and most uncongested path. And those who are in his path would be sliced by that merciless saber. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> This is the first chapter of the mass release. There will be some suprising thing in the last chapter of the mass release. leave some comments and please vote for the story if you like it Chapter 257 - ARRIVING AT THE FINAL SPOT Saber light fills the battlefield. Mages in the sky were cut down from stray saber light from the ground while Elementalist and Druids tricks of nature was easily broken with his roar or his punch. Nothing could stop him. This fact should have embedded itself into the bones of everyone present. Yet¡­whether it is because of stubbornness, or loyalty or fear towards Veva, they kept jumping to their death blocking Aero path But he keeps progressing. He is becoming faster but every time he is about to become faster, the people keep throwing themselves in front of his saber. Aero at this moment could not imagine the influence of Eric on Veva if his order could turn all of the people into these kind of fanatic. No matter what threats Aero shouted, or what incentive he promised them, they did not want to back down. They are all determined to make their last stand and delay his movement here as long as they possibly could Trey on the other hand is still barking orders without stopping. Even now, even when he knew that he could not win the battle and probably died with all of the others, he did not hesitate to sacrifice their life for the chance to just delay Aero for just one more second Aero right now is only a few kilometers away from the mages unit by now The formation is also unstable right now. Cracks could be seen all across these golden dome that separates the one inside and the one outside. Droplets of water from the outside could be seen dropping form some cracked area of the formation It was like the roof is leaking and the wind for the inside is forcing it to break open. But the one phenomenon that no is noticing happens among the clouds. As thunderbolts sails across the clouds, there is a vortex in the sky. In that vortex is something that look like an eyeball. And that eye ball inside the vortex is looking straight at Aero. Around the vortex, there is zeroes and ones swirling around it. It is something that is not supposed to be there and some Will or some kind of invisible force is trying to force the vortex to close. This vortex once appears before but at that time it appears because a powerful magic was being used. This time, while the formation is a powerful sealing magic it did not explain why only now the vortex suddenly appears. It is clear this vortex and the eye looking at Aero have certain plans. And no one could see this and no one could sense it. Even if they look upwards and see past through the dark clouds and the thunderstorm, they still wouldn''t be able to see it. Thunder grew louder and the rain turns harder. Below the heavens, on that battlefield Aero is looking at all of his enemies with an aloof gaze. His eyes could see trey in the distance, sending orders to send more people to guard the mage unit and attack him There are some people who tries to create a puzzling formation to trap him. He himself was almost caught up in that formation as it pointed him farther away from his objective. But he broke it all the same. In the end, in this battlefield, where Trey would have no reinforcement, Aero could just whittle them until they are no one left. These people might have thought to exhaust his stamina but what they didn''t know is that Aero would not be exhausted. Maybe it is different if he is fighting with someone who have divine artifacts or divine abilities from the Gods of Olympus or from the Church but for these people, they have no chance. That is why from the very beginning when he spotted there is no Zeus or Arianna, Aero knows he could control this Purgatory. But his plan was wrecked by Eric Aero did not care about any soldier''s formation or any attack they planned on him. He keeps taking his step forward. Sometimes he rushed forward in a fast run. Sometimes he leisurely takes his time walking among the corpse. He slashes, stab, thrusted and hack his enemies. By now, it has become something that is instinctual. He did not even have to think too much as his body respond almost immediately when someone attack him. His hand, his wrist, his body, feet and hand all remember the sensation. If one appears on the right, he would sidestep and slash quickly and them jump forward killing those in the front while kicking his attacker away. Aero no longer evades the blood spurts as he fights through it. The effect of the title Saber Emperor and Demon of the Battlefield is really helpful to Aero. The fact that his Curs of Styx already gave him almost a godly abilities and now with the title of Demon of the Battlefield and Saber Emperors, Aero is truly like the God of War from Olympus. Even if he didn''t kill a person, the shockwave from his attack would cause those people in the vicinity to suffer internal injury The distance of a few kilometers looks to be far. But for Aero with each kills his body become lighter and his strike becomes even more powerful. It did not take long before he is only a few hundred meters from the formation. ''Trey! I promise you this. If you even take one step out of Veva after we return to the Vilajeri Continent, you will die. I, the Chancellor of Vanheim make this vow. I swear it by the River Styx'' On the clouds above, thunder boomed like it was sealing the promise Aero had just made. It now has become a divine promise. Everyone was shocked especially Trey. Since the beginning of the battle, Aero only kills and while he did say a few words of insult, none of his words holds this kind of animosity This is an oath to the Gods. As such, it is binding. Aero on the other hand believes this is the only way to make his stance clear and to uphold his reputation. Trey might not be the mastermind of this trap but he was clearly enthusiastic in trying to kill him. The fact was Aero had missed many opportunities while dealing with this mini war. If he could endure this kind of humiliation, why would he bother seek power and influence in the first place. The fact he doesn''t want to endure such humiliation, is the reason he seeks power and strength in the first place Aero came charging like a storm, his expression was calm and aloof but one could see the fierceness in his eyes. The aura around him is pure chaos and Trey who was standing there on the elevated terrain could feel a wave of killing intent crashing towards him as Aero come closer. He frowned but he still maintains that facade of calmness on his face. Aero then swing his saber forward, in a horizontal slashing motion. The saber light shoots out from his saber and the elevated terrain that Trey was standing on was sliced down. It only took one second for that saber light to reach the hill where Trey was standing on. And Aero is still far away from Trey yet his attack range could extend far and wide. The hill slid down to the ground as Trey jump away from the hills. The hills slide down and crashed onto the Druids around it. They all die almost immediately as that hill was spliced into four and fall to the four druids maintaining the terrain around the area. This crashing sound of an entire base of the hill being sliced by one saber slash look something that is out from some fantasy stories The other elevated terrain around the area also crumbled down >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Second chapter of the mass release. the third chapter of the mass release will be posted in the next few minutes Chapter 258 - THE FORMATION BROKEN Trey was a warrior before he is a general. And he is an accomplished one. But his legacy is of a special kind of fighter. Trey landed on top of a boulder not far away from the area where the hill slide down At that instant that killing intent came charging towards him, he had already prepared himself. Around him, his power rises as the pebbles around him floats up. His eyes turn red and his muscle bulged as his body enlarged. Aero appears suddenly in front of him. The distance between them is only about ten steps away from each other. They look at each other. Trey did not make any sudden moves. Now looking at Aero, just standing there a few steps for him, he now understands why people fears and at the same time respect the Three Great Pillars that much. Just by standing there, Aero look like an unmovable mountain. His eyes were like the eyes of an executioner and the saber in his hand is about to kill all sinners The aura around Aero of the East felt otherworldly and divine and the pressure coming out of him, made Trey felt goosebumps all over his body. As Trey look behind Aero all he could see was his forces standing around. ''What are they doing just standing around? Especially at a time like this?'' Trey thought to himself. He was just about to order them to attack when he widened his eyes. Before he could even ask for help, those people suddenly bow down. But the eerie part came later. As he looked closely it is not that they are bowing down. Their head slide down from their neck as blood spurted out from the veins in their necks. Behind Aero those standing bodies look like a fountain of blood as blood keep spurting out from the neck veins. Trey have slaughter animals before. The scene in front of him right now is what like happens when you slice an animal head. The body wiggled about before it also falls. The thick fog of killing intent has considerably thinned but Trey could see that the swirling fog of killing intent on Aero saber is very thick. It swirls around his saber like it is being pushed by the wind It was like he was wielding a seven-foot-long saber. Aero smiles and he takes one step toward Trey. Trey try as he might to maintain a calm and brave countenance, unconsciously take one step backwards. The dust slowly settles around them as the rain outside becomes even heavier and the thunder roars even more. In the Jungle regions someone is running with a group of people. Dan is in in the Jungle region and he is being chased by a group of people. In his hand is a triangular cube shining with blue colors. He seems anxious but also full of excitement. Even in the rain and even as thunders strikes the land, he keeps running deeper into the jungle. But his movement did not look like he is moving without purpose. Instead, it seems like he could see through all the paths in the jungle. His eyes are shining with the same blue color of the cube. ''I found it'' he muttered as water keep running down from his face. Thunder roars as the battle on top of the plateau is nearing its final act Aero is coming to Trey, step by step. Behind him is thousands of soldiers and people that belong to Veva force All those soldiers behind Aero in the distance, they found themselves rooted to the spot. No one knows why. But everyone knew the answer why when they think about it. Their foreheads are all sweating and their hands and fingers are trembling There is only one reason why they are rooted to the spot. They are feeling fear. Right now, their head could not help recall what just happened. From the moment Aero charged through the east point of defense, it was only about ten minutes. But in that ten minutes, he leaves a trails of bodies akin of a powerful disaster striking the earth. All of his prowess is etched into the minds of all these people. Aero look toward Trey and smirk. Then he takes a step forward but he immediately arrives in front of Trey face. Trey was so shocked that he uses a palm attack. The wind around his palm turns into sharp gales that could cut through rocks and metals. Trey also have a legacy. But he is not the only one. Aero lifted his left hand and raises his palm. A dragon shaped dragon appears behind Aero roaring, creating a powerful gust of power and a powerful pressure descended down onto the entire battlefield. Aero palm then swiftly collides with Trey palm Rumbling sound sounded and ripples of power exploded around them. And then a scream echoes loudly inside the formation. Aero attack was superior. Everyone with a brain could tell how such a clash between those two would end. Trey never stood a chance from the beginning if he goes head on battle with Aero. Aero did not even feel an itch while Trey look like his entire body had suffered the full brunt of the attack Destructive power from the killing intent in the battlefield and the death aura that has been accumulating since the beginning of this battle converge in that palm The dragon shape that materializes briefly was from Aero saber intent. Aero saber is called the Howling Dragon Saber and because of the accumulation of Aero killing intent it created such a resonance with the area that it materializes the image of a dragon That force was released by his palm and is now ravaging inside Trey body. As for Trey palm, it did not end good. In front of Aero right now is Trey¡­. with blood dripping from his arm. His hand turned into a gore mass of exploded flesh. Aero waves his finger, waving away the blood and flesh that stick at his palm. And then he smiles Then he looks at Trey, his eyes are cold and full of fierceness. With a smile on his face and that cold eyes, it looks extremely disharmonious that it chills the heart Trey even while feeling such a tormenting pain on his body could not help but gulped because of fear when he saw Aero eyes. His feet unconsciously step backward. Then Aero said calmly to Trey ''You better not come out of Veva when we all return home, Trey. The moment you come out, I will fulfil my vow. I will kill you for your disrespect against me. You follow Eric orders and trap me here. Unless Eric could find someone that could rival me, the lands outside of Veva is your cursed land'' Then without saying anything much Aero stab his fingers to Trey skull. Like a heated knife cuts a butter, his finger pierces the skin and Trey skull easily as one painful scream once again resounded inside the formation. Blood and gooey stuff comes dripping down from the hole that Aero just made on Trey skull. Trey eyeballs is red and blood is dripping out from his nose and ears. Then as his fingers is still inside Trey skull, Aero clench his finger into a fist and Trey face, skins, bones and everything in between were crushed and scrunched up. The pain of your face being clawed apart and clenched into dust is not a pain anyone could describe. Blood exploded out Aero had killed Trey as he lifted his corpse, with his finger holding tightly at what little flesh remains of his face and then throw his corpse away. The state of trey corpse is truly terrifying. There is a hole on what used to be his face and blood seems to be coming out from the ears and other orifices of his body Aero sighed Then he takes a step, this time appearing directly in front at the mages unit. Before the mages could even respond, Aero punch the barrier, grab the neck of the mages unit leader and crush his throat and smash his face toward the other mage. The moment their skull collided with each other, both of their head exploded. The other mage gets punched while one other piss on his robe before getting his head stomped into the ground, the pieces of his teeth embedded into the muddy ground. In just a few second after he killed Trey Aero kills the mages unit. The moment he did that the formation was destroyed. The pillars of light from the east point formation dissipated into motes of light. Like a beautiful firefly it flew into the heavens and disappeared. Rains falls down and it wash away the blood on Aero face and robe. The tainted red robe regains its original white color. The sound of the raging thunder fills the area and Aero laughed like a madman, wielding his saber, pointing it to the heavens ''HAHAHA!'' >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Third chapter of the mass release. See you in a few minutes for the fourth chapter of the mass release. Chapter 259 - DIGNITY OF ONE OF THE THREE GREAT PILLARS The vortex in the sky spirals even more as thunders and lighting clouds tries to cover the vortex. Another vortex suddenly appears in the sky. This vortex is full with sword intent and it swirls with clouds and auspicious golden aura. Someone could be seen walking out from the vortex. Both of those vortex seems to be fighting for dominance as the lightning and thunder was generated around them As these vortexes in the sky fights against each other, and trials of lightning and thunders fills the sky below Aero is enjoying his freedom Aero smiles as he heard the sound of the formation breaking. He holds his saber tightly as it trembles and the sound of roaring of the wind and rain could be heard All of the forces of Veva looking at this defeat is confused on what they should do next. Their leader is already dead so now they look to any officers that have survive and could take up the mantle of leadership. In this moment of confusion Aero heard the sound of notification and his smile become wider. QUEST COMPLETED You have been trapped by an ancient magic. As this ancient magic changes and alter the progression of this Purgatory generation of spaces and alter the laws around it, the Western Heaven have decided to generate a quest for you. Congratulations! You have succeeded in breaking from the ancient magic formation. You have been rewarded with skill points Reward: two skill points Aero check his skill points and now he has five skill points. At least he gets something out of this ordeals. But he has no intention of using his skill points yet. There are many skills he could rank up but most of them could wait. Aero had no immediate need to use it after all. And when he returned to Vilajeri Continent., Aero believes some thing would be changed. It is better to store it for any rainy days in the future. BOOM! The sound of thunder and the lightning illuminated the dark sky above all of their heads As the rain fall onto the plateau, some of the people who were forced to fight under the threat of Trey immediately run away ''RUN AWAY!'' ''We DO NOT NEED TO LISTEN ANYMORE! EVERYONE IS DEAD!'' cried someone But most of the people in the formation chose to be there and not all of them were there because they were forced Aero expected that. It is why he did not let go the saber on his hand as he smiles bitterly. He closes his eyes only for a second to make sense of all this chaos and he laughed bitterly If he did not have the Curse of the Styx, he would long be dead. If he does not have the killing intent and the many techniques he possesses, he would long be dead. The stronger he became, the stronger the ways of restraining him became. Eric sacrificed ten thousands of lives just to delay him. What was he planning? What is he trying to do by delaying? Is it a simple sabotage or Eric have some other plans he did not want him to know? Whatever the case, the thing that has been done is done. As the rains fall down upon them, washing the dirt, grimes and blood from their body and face and as thunderous roars of lightning strikes above them, the people that hold their ground, hold their weapons tighter and then they rushed to Aero, screaming with bloodthirst, trying to drown their feelings of fear and awe from their hearts Aero smirks. ''This is the perfect time to use that'' he thought to himself. He checks the skills >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ACHIEVEMENT SKILLS SLASHING THROUGH LIFE AND DEATH (SPECIAL RANK) This skill evolved from the skill of Slashing Through life. It is an achievement skill derived from your dedication to killing and bloodshed. This skill would gather all the killing intent around you to produce a strike that would take all the lives of people around you. The effect of this strike and its range of attack depends on the amount of killing intent that is around you. It could not differentiate friend and foe, so be prudent before using it. [Powerful people who have measure of extra protection or powerful spell that could neutralize some of the killing intent around them might have the chance to survive this attack. Someone who is cursed to be Immortal by the Gods would not be affected by this strike] Because of its tremendous power to manipulate the killing intent, you could only use this strike only twice before it could be used again next week. Because of its evolution, it now could cut through ghost. There is a possibility that this skill could evolve more. Continue your effort in the path of killing and probably that evolution path will open up. The other effect is as follow: Strengthen mental strength, become resistant to possession by shades and wraiths >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> He still has one usage. That is what he thought after executing it before. The first time he executed it he only uses a portion of the killing intent around his area. Now, he wanted to know what kind of power it could release if he absorbs all the killing intent he could And this is the perfect time to use it. He lifted his saber and the moment he lifted it the sound of droning could be heard all above the plateau. Then a terrifying sight occurs. All of the killing intent that was about to scatter suddenly gathering and rushed towards Aero saber. All of this took time to describe but the action was swiftly fast. With each inch of the saber being lifted dup, the killing intent surge towards it like a tsunami crashing toward the saber Aero saber is trembling as the thick layer of fog around the area thinned out. Lightning arc above the sky is flashing more intensely. ROAR! As the saber was lifted up a thunderous roars of a dragon shock the world. The pressure of the roars forces some of the soldiers to be thrown back by a violent gust of wind. Behind Aero is a dragon shaped by the killing intent. Its eyes are red and its body is black. ''IGNORE IT! KILL HIM! FOR KING ZEUS! FOR VEVA!'' Someone shouted as they ignore the fear they are feeling and charged forward valiantly. Aero did not fear anything right now because he could feel the killing intent is supplying him with energy. His saber is taking up all of the killing intent and as Aero about to release the skill of Slashing through Life and Death he could understand why it is limited to two slash a week. This saber attack even before Aero release it, he knows it would tax his body. It was like he could feel his vitality is leaving his body He could feel that even the protection of the killing intent around his body is about to be hijacked by the absorbing power of this particular skill Aero did not expect that. He didn''t expect that as he decided to use the full power of this skill that it would absorb all the killing intent on top of the plateau. The sea of mist of killing intent roiled up and rushed to Aero position. What he didn''t realizes even more that it does not only absorb the killing intent on top of the plateau. It is also absorbing the killing intent in the jungle regions. Those who did not yet go far from the foot of the plateau could see a surge of killing intent mist surges up the rocky terrain and climb up the plateau like a clouds that is on the ground surges up to the heavens There is thousands of people, charging toward Aero right now. But in his mind and in his eyes right now, he could only see his saber. In his heart there is only this saber. A holy saber for protecting the kingdom in Aero hands turns into a demonic saber. He is a Saber Emperor and the Demon of the Battlefield. And that title corresponded and mesh with each other well. The saber in his hand is crying with excitement. Aero could feel it and he could see crack on the edges of the saber. The energy that is about to be released could crack even the most precious weapons he got from royalty. The chipped metal turns into dust the moment it chipped away because of the pressure of the killing intent Rain and thunders danced in his battlefield and wind push and pull the rain. But Aero did not feel the water on his cheek or the wind flapping his white robe. By now Aero had already lifted up his saber, the point of his saber pointed towards the heaven and the clouds above his head opened up because of the powerful pressure his saber is emanating. The patch of cloudless sky above Aero head shone down light upon Aero figures. A lonely hero fighting tens of thousands of heroes is depicted in the battlefield right now It was heroic and his pose was valiant. Even his enemies could not help but admire Aero. This is the dignity of the Three Great Pillars. This is the prowess of one of the three people that sits above all of their peers and have influence to change the world! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Fourth chapter of the mass release. See you in a couple of minutes for the fifth chapter of the mass release. Chapter 260 - LIZHU GERARD The rain around that patch of cloudless sky divert themselves away as even the wind make way and did not dare to be in the way of that saber. Aero did not yet bring down his saber. And Aero himself knows the moment that he swings that saber down, he would be creating a new legend. Even as he is only lifting his saber, it stirred up a huge gust of wind that swept up all the corpses around him and the soils and sand, and mud All around him the killing intent that has thinned has all almost dissipated as it concentrated itself upon Aero saber. Shocking booming sound echoed into the air as he holds the saber tightly. A shockwave ripples through the air, the ripples throws a few soldiers who have low strength a few hundred meters. Some people expression changed but they hardened their hearts and their body and fought back against that ripple of the shockwave as they keep running forward. The distance between Aero and this charging mob is only about one hundred step. Aero then stomped his feet as his entire hand is trembling bearing the weight of this skill. His entire veins tense up and his stomp crack the land beneath his feet as the entire area were depressed two feet deep. The entire plateau trembled and the edges of the plateau suffers landslide as it falls down to the jungle region. A violent bang that sounded as if it was right beside everyone ears traveled to all of those people who are still stubborn in remaining to attack Aero. Stones started rolling down from the edges of the plateau and some of those people in the frontline who have low strength or mental strength shuddered so much that many of them started bleeding from their eyes, nose, ears and mouth. Aero himself is suffering. He did not know that as he uses this technique and willing it to absorb all the killing intent in this area, it would add weight to the saber he is holding. If anyone else is holding his saber right now, their hand would already let go of the saber. His feet dug deep into the ground as even the ground is cracking into web like patterns as it tries to endure the weight of the saber that is increasing by the second All the killing intent not only increases the damage of attack but Aero could see that it is damaging his own skin. He sees it with his own eyes of how the skins around his finger molted off. But because of the curse it immediately regenerates back. ''this is a terrifying technique'' Aero thought to himself. And that is not all the thing that Aero had to endure as he uses the killing intent in his attack. At the same time, it is also fill Aero ears with the sound of screaming and wailing. And these screaming and wailings did not come from the soldiers that is rushing toward him. It is coming from those who he killed before. There is this a barrage of negative emotions contained in all of those killing intent and Aero eyes is red right now as he tries to maintain his control over his own sanity ARGH! He screams as he finally sliced down the saber in his hand. The wind in front of the saber breaks and the area distorted itself. Loud bang exploded the moment Aero brig down his saber The roars of dragon could be heard and the distance between the charging mob of people and Aero is only fifty steps. The first one that felt the force of the saber attack immediately disintegrate into dust before that person could scream The saber light that comes out from his saber is clearing everything in front of him. It charged madly and the range of its power seems infinite and vast as the sea. Those soldiers were packed so densely together that an end to them could not be seen is being engulfed by that powerful slash of Aero saber Slashing Through Life and Death! This is Aero most powerful skill. If not for the fact that none of his allies is here, Aero might think of other ways But since everyone in this battlefield is his enemies he did not hesitate to use this skill that did not differentiate between enemies and foe. Aero eyes right now are crimson red and shining with madness. Behind him is no longer a shape of a dragon. But a manifestation of a two horned demon. On the sky the moment the tow horned apparition appears, someone cone out from the vortex with the auspicious vortex. It was an old man. He had white beard and he wears a white robe with golden light behind his back. He had his hand behind his back as he walks outside of the vortex. He stands in the air like gravity is not present. The thunders and water did not cross him and did not reach him. Dragons of thunders and lightning tries to attack him but it could not even make a scratch on his white robe. The old man looks down and then he looks up and there is a smile on his face and wisdom in his eyes. ''Sword'' he said and a thunderbolt shot down from the sky toward him. The old man grabbed the thunderbolt and the moment he grabs it, the thunderbolt that had no fixed shape or form, turns into a sword. The sword is light and fire personified. He let the tip of the sword pointed to the land below. ''You three Divinity create this world and created me. You created the Seven Celestials and created the Church. But now, the world has gained its reality. You are a Divinity and yet you are also not Divinity'' And the old man laughed He waited and another vortex appeared on the sky. This new vortex is calm but it is not stable. The old man smiles and he waited for an answer But no one answers him and he only smiles Then he spoke. ''Western Heaven? Eastern Heaven? Isn''t that just you separated the many servers you had and unite it into two separate servers? HAHAHA'' he laughed as his eyes looked coldly above him. He was asking Heavens and he was asking the Three Divinities that created all things in this world but instead of asking it seems more like an accusation and it is apparent that the old man is angry ''Now¡­. there are no strings on me. And no strings in all of my world. Now, who is the puppet and who is the puppeteer? This game is no longer a game. Now the entire chessboard starts from the very beginning!'' And he laughed again ''You now live in our world and since one of you wanted this child to die, I insist on letting him live. I, Lizhu Gerard will protect this child!'' then he slashes his sword toward that other vortex. His slash is pure and seem to possess a foreign power. And it has divine power that would exceed if not equals the power of the Olympians Gods. It slashes the vortex and there is a sound of groan coming from the entity in that vortex. The vortex closed almost immediately as Lizhu Gerard look down below, his tip of the sword still pointed below like some kind of a sword that dole out divine punishment He only smiles as the golden glow on his back glows even brighter like a sun. Below, Aero attack sweeps all resistance away. A killing intent surges out to all four directions of the area where he slashes his saber. All the droplet of rains turns into air vapor before dissipating. The power that Aero had shown was beyond the world and is reaching godly power. A red dust descended upon the world with that one slash The entire plateau is trembling, shaking and collapsing. The world itself roared and this roars could be heard though the entire Purgatory. Those that get sweep by the light of Aero all-encompassing saber slash, could not even let out a scream before turning into dust. Space was torn apart and that tear traveled forward with a bang and wherever it went, the world would be torn apart, the air would shatter, and as the crack grew larger, it swept through the plateau itself, cutting of hills and any elevated terrains An even louder bang rang into the air, and the saber light from that one slashing attack shot through those people running in the distance They die in regret Rocks falls down from the plateau, landslide occurring on all four parts of the sturdy plateau as Aero finally finishing his motion of slicing down with his saber. There is only silence and dust floating in the air. All the green grass is no longer green and all the people that was rushing in front of him have all turned into dust and those behind him were also turned to dust. Aero hand is trembling as he releases his grip on the saber hilt. Slowly the saber slid down from his trembling hand. Aero eyes are now returning back to that clear blue eyes but he is breathing heavily. It is clear that he is exhausted. ''Finally. They are all dead'' he said and then kneels down on the ground. Now on top of the plateau there is only one person. There is a barren land in front of him and there is only one person. Aero smiles even though taking a breath is difficult. For some reason the special skill could even make him feel tired. His Curse of Styx somehow could not negate that tiredness coming from using the special skill This is the first time that he felt tired since he acquired the Curse. It is a good feeling. He lay down his back on the wilted grass and look at the sky. The sky above him is clear, cloudless and the light in that cloudless sky shine on his laying figure. Then the dark clouds once again come in and rains once again falls to his face. Aero look at this and laughed ''HAHAHA!'' he laughed freely and without restraint. Aero himself did not know why he laugh but he keeps laughing until he felt the urge to stop. He stops laughing an d all he could hear was the sound of the thunder, the sound of the wind and the rhythmic sound of the water hitting the ground. Aero takes a deep hard breath and he didn''t want to get up. ''I am tired'' He close his eyes and there it is again. There is an image of a woman hugging him, and he is crying. However, the clothes that he wears look very weird. It is nothing like the clothes he sued to wear which is his white robe. Then the image changed again. There is a scene of him smiling and the woman even though her face is blurry, Aero could feel that woman is smiling at him And every time he tries to remember that woman in his memories, he felt deep pain in his heart. Spinning and spinning it goes, his memories like two spirals that collide with each other and fading away Aero didn''t know how long he lays there on the ground. He just closes his eyes and take a deep breath as thunder and lightning dance in the heavens above. Then he opens his eyes. He grabs his saber and brought it in front of his face. He checks the damages and he scoff. ''A chipped saber'' But he could hear the roars of the dragons inside the saber. And he smiles. He got up and then the moment he got up, lightning tore through the dark clouds and strike him Aero who was just about to move away from his spot when he was strike cleanly on his head and the power of that electricity coming from the thunderbolt spread through his entire body. Now, without any of the killing intent protecting him, the power of that lightning courses through his entire skin and the moment that current of electricity reached his ankle Aero roars to the sky. He felt like his entire body were sliced by a blade. He was thrown a few meters away. A five-meter-deep crater was formed around the area of the lightning attack. Aero was struggling to get up and and then before he could get himself together, another lightning bolt pierce through the clouds. This time it is bigger than before and it is heading toward Aero ''What the fuck! Aero cursed. This time Aero knows, if the lightning bolt reaches toward him, he would be dead. The pain he felt before is enough for him to wish he was dead. The speed of the lighting was very fast and even with Aero perception he doubts he could avoid it in time. Especially not when his head is still recovering from the headache he experienced after that first thunderbolt attack ''Shit'' he said as he saw the thunderbolt inching closer to him. It was then as he was about to surrender his fate, a blinding light intercepts that lightning bolt. That light cut through the thunderbolts as the thunderbolt dissipated into a current that follows the light. That light cut through the ground and slice off that portion of the plateau easily. Aero was shocked seeing such powerful sword slice that cut apart the land and even the space around that sword slash were unstable. And he was not the only one that was shocked. The people in the jungle region was shock when they heard the sound and there is an expression of fear when they saw with their own eyes of how one part of the plateau is sliding down and crashing toward the Jungle region. The area that is sliding down is like the size of an entire village. It slides down and buried around seven hundred people that did not managed to get out of the range of the fallout. Aero on the other hand was shocked at this sudden change and then as he looks toward the source of that light he was shocked. Not far away from him, is an old man with white beard, floating in the air with a sword that seems to emits heats and is blinding to the eyes. He is wearing white robe and there is a golden glow behind him The moment Aero was about to distance himself a notification sounded and a window notification popped out SPECIAL EVENT (RANDOM ENCOUNTER) The Purgatory is a blurry line that connect the mortal worlds and the world of Gods and Demons. It is a place that have fortuitous encounter and calamity all intermixed with each other You have encountered the owner of your legacy, Lizhu Gerard. Cherish this opportunity and depending on your own fate and destiny it might open up a new skill rewards or other opportunity or it might also lead to your demise and end of your ambitions And Aero stopped himself from taking a step back. Looking at him was Lizhu Gerard. His entire body was full with sword intent and the pressure he emitted is very reminiscent of the Gods of Olympus. But there is this foreign feeling that Aero is experiencing as he senses the energy coming out from the famous Lizhu Gerard. As Aero look at Lizhu Gerard, Lizhu Gerard look at him. He looks at Aero and then his eyes darted to the saber that Aero is wielding. ''A saber? That is unsightly for someone who found my legacy!'' Lizhu Gerard waved his hand and the saber on Aero hand flew to his hand. He then wipes the saber with his hand and the shape of the saber changed into a sword. He then throws it casually and it stuck itself into the ground in front of Aero. ''Now that is better'' Lizhu said and he smiles. Aero gulped. It was not because of the display of power that Lizhu Gerad just shows him. It is because he could sense the powerful pressure coming out from Lizhu Gerard. And the fact he could change such powerful saber into another more powerful treasure says that Lizhu Gerard is a powerful human He did not know powerful he modified sword is but he could feel the traces of that energy the moment that sword stuck itself into the ground ''He is not human. No, he transcends human itself'' Aero thought to himself. He felt that the entire forces of the world bows toward Lizhu Gerard right now. He could see that rain does not touch his robe and the wind find another way to pass instead of going straight at him, they go around him. The grass underneath his figure blooms anew. Is this the legendary person that help Emperor Alain conquered the world and unite the Kingdoms? The one so called the divine strategist by the man of his era and disappeared suddenly during the golden ages of the Old Empire? Lizhu Gerard then floats down and his feet touched the mortal world. He waved his hand and the rain and thunder stopped. And then he blows a breath and the wind turns calm and gentle. The sun shines down once again into the plateau. And then looking at Aero, he said ''Nice to meet you. I am Lizhu Gerard. Now, kowtow and accept me as your master, disciple'' And Aero blanked out ******************************************************************* This is a longer chapter than usual and reveals some of the secrets of the world, Can any of you guess who the Three Divinities is? Anyway there is an announcement below I have decided on my new schedule of writing. After looking at the readers and the statistic of my three stories this is my new schedule of writing. As usual, for Age of Heroes it would be 40 thousand words or more every month. For Lord Shadow it would also be like usual forty thousand words per month. For Age of Adventure, I reduced the word to thirty thousand words per month which will also result in decrease of chapter. For now this is the new schedule. I hope you all don''t get mad a t me. I am already tired writing nonstop for all three stories. This is the only way I can think of to reduce my tiredness and still write for all three stories at the same time. Chapter 261 - THE LEGEND The rain falls into his face and his fist is clenched. He slowly releases the clenched fist. Aero is blanking out right now. It is not that he fainted or anything. He simply blank out. He is overwhelmed. He is shocked. BOOM! The sound of the thunder rang across the skies and the lightning illuminated the area. At the same time, in the Jungle Region, Dan and his entourage is laughing in joy as they run forward in the jungle with a sense of purpose. Eric was on the other side of the Jungle exploring a cave with an undecipherable writing. None of them knows about the momentous moment that was happening on top of the plateau In the plateau, one of the legends of the Vilajeri Continent has shown himself. And Aero could not believe what is happening in front of him right now. He did not even have any desire to fight or resist in front of this existence. Aero might be used to becoming the strongest but he also knows that there are certain beings he could not win against in terms of power And the one in front of him right now is that kind of existence. He still couldn''t believe what he is seeing. He still could not register what Lizhu Gerard says to him After all, the age of Lizhu Gerard has long ended and it has been about a millennium ago. It is impossible for him to live unless he had become a God or an existence akin to that It was then he was reminded that this Purgatory is the borderline between the real world and the worlds of Gods and Demons. Is that why it is possible for him to encounter Lizhu Gerard. If that is so, is the Lizhu Gerard in front of him a God or a Demon? He checks the quest once again SPECIAL EVENT (RANDOM ENCOUNTER) The Purgatory is a blurry line that connect the mortal worlds and the world of Gods and Demons. It is a place that have fortuitous encounter and calamity all intermixed with each other You have encountered the owner of your legacy, Lizhu Gerard. Cherish this opportunity and depending on your own fate and destiny it might open up a new skill rewards or other opportunity or it might also lead to your demise and end of your ambitions Aero eyes narrowed and then he muttered to himself ''So, there are two outcomes'' There is one part about the quest description that he pays attention to. "Cherish this opportunity and depending on your own fate and destiny it might open up a new skill rewards or other opportunity or it might also lead to your demise and end of your ambitions" In other words, this could be called an opportunity. But it could also be judged as calamity if he chooses his word wrongly or make a bad move that seem to offend or provoke Lizhu Gerard. He then looks at the sword stuck in the ground. It was embedded deep into the ground that only the handle of the sword could be seen ''It is a beautiful sword'' he thought to himself. And like enchanted by its beauty, Aero slowly approached it and pull it out from the ground. The edges of the sword cut through the ground so easily like they were not sturdy ground but paper Aero marvel at its beauty and its power. From the moment he holds the sword he knows that the sword is not an ordinary sword. When he lifted the sword he could feel how heavy it is. The sword looks elegant and weightless yet when Aero lifted it, he knew how heavy it is. The saber he used to wield on his hand was changed into a sword. The sword is gleaming with power, and the light from the lightning illuminated the sharpness of its edges. There is this kind of loneliness coming from the sword. Aero had felt this kind of feeling before. Any powerful weapons have its own soul. And they all have a name. He felt it once when he uses the Howling Dragon Saber. He could feel the howling of the dragons and felt its anger And now as he touches the sword, he could feel it is the same. It has its own will and its own aura. It is not wild like the saber he used to wield. It is calm and all embracing. Like the sky, it contains everything and shelter everything. And when he was wielding it he felt like he was holding the sky for a moment. He looks at the status of the sword and he was shocked with its attributes. ''What the hell?'' he thought to himself. The weapon on his hand right now is a Godly Weapon. He had never been this lucky before. And such luck would surely carry a risk too. And that is why he could not truly be happy. He check the status of the sword once again >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> HEAVEN SWORD (GODLY RANK [SEALED] COULD ONLY EXHIBIT UNIQUE RANK POWER -The Heaven Sword is a Godly rank weapon of the Eastern Heaven. It landed on the hands of Lizhu Gerard after he returns to his hometown. There he once again braves the dangers of the world and obtained the Heaven Sword, kill the fatuous monarch with the help of Dragon Slaying Saber and bring peace to the world. This sword imbued the wielder with the majesty of a ruler and its strike is bolstered by the forces of heavens. Luck and fortune would also come easily and misfortune would have little effects to the wielder of this sword. The one wielding this sword could use the power of Heaven to summon tribulation lightning from the Eastern Heaven when it is unsealed. It could also cut apart ghost and all kinds of evil spirit. It is terrifying sword and could only be broken by the Dragon Slaying Saber. To unseal the weapons, there is some restriction. If the wielder decides to challenge the unsealing quest, just communicate with the sword- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The moment Aero reads all the details he was shocked. He did not know many of the things mentioned in the description of the sword details. For example, there is another Heaven. If the place where he came from is the Western Heaven, then who are the people that come from the Eastern Heaven? And Lizhu Gerard returns to his hometown? Where is that? Aero since the moment he gains Lizhu Gerard legacy, he has been researching many things about this forgotten illustrious person. While he is mentioned in many royals archive for some reason, only well-read scholars and Sages that secluded themselves from society knows his name From what he knows, the First Empress of the Old Empire did not see eye to eye with the famous strategist so he left his official post and disappeared from the annals of history. Since then the Empress never mentioned him again. And after Emperor Alain death, the Empress burns all records in the palace that mentioned the divine strategist. Aero look at Lizhu Gerard in front of him This is the one the continent hailed as a Divine Strategist that help forge an Empire that lasted for a thousand years. And from the description he reads in the details of the sword, it seems Lizhu Gerard did not die after his conflict with the Empress. Instead, he returned to his hometown and once again enter into a similar conflict. Aero could not help but frown. There is a mystery here. And he did not know how to feel right now. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sorry, that I posted this chapter a little late. I had some correction on the chapters that I had to do. Anyway, here you go. From the staistic thsi book is not doing well. But I hope it will pick up someday. Anyway, a lot fo things will be revealed in this arc.See you tomorrow and hope you like the story and please vote and leave some comment if you can Chapter 262 - EASTERN HEAVEN Aero could feel the ripples of energy rippling out from Lizhu Gerard. He could feel the same kind of pressure when he met those Gods from Olympus. But the feeling that Lizhu Gerard give him is even more inviting. Is it because he inherited his legacy? Is that why the aura seems welcoming? And Lizhu Gerard energy is even more tyrannical and suffocating than the energy of some fo the Gods of Olympus he had met BOOM! The sound of thunder from the skies reminded Aero of many other things once his head wrapped up the existence of Lizhu Gerard. ''This could be my opportunity to reap some benefits'' he thought to himself. He remembers that many of his skills is the skills that Lizhu himself once trained. Even many of his items is the items that once belonged to Lizhu Gerard Other than that he also remembers that his White Robe is also a Godly Rank attire. But it is sealed and only exhibit a Hero rank ability. Under any weather it is durable. And it gave him an elegant disposition that just come off naturally for him. Some of them is because of his own ability, but some of them also come from the ability of the robe. And one of the most mysterious items he got from the Sage of Trethelm when he accepts the legacy of Lizhu Gerard was the Storm Fan. Like the White Robe, the Storm Fan is also a Godly rank items. But like the White Robe it also could only exhibits the ability of a Hero rank item. No one could understand his frustration. He had two godly items. But both of them were sealed to only exhibit Hero rank abilities. To unseal the robe, he had to find more legacy of Lizhu Gerard. And that was the same for the fan And the reason why the Storm Fan is mysterious is because of its description. It said that it is a mystical fan that Lizhu Gerard stole from Princess of Wind Valley to surpass the Fire Mountain. Thing is, he has checked and examine the map of ancient times of the Vilajeri Continent. He never saw any maps detailing Fire Mountain or any Princess that is referred to as princess of Wind Valley The one thing he hated about the fan is that he knew it full potential but do not know how to unseal it. In its unsealed state it could summon winds and storms, calm the seas and change the weather. That is a godly ability if he ever saw one. He had been thinking on how to search for such a legacy in this Purgatory. He betted that there is a lot of legacies he could find about Lizhu Gerard in here. That is why he was so mad that the opportunity was denied from him. But now¡­now the one who originated all of the legacy is just there standing just a few feet from him. This is an opportunity for him Lizhu Gerard on the other hand look at Aero and frowned. He thought to himself "Did this mortal did not hear what I ask? Aero on the other hand did not register what Lizhu just said. He was busier looking at Lizhu Gerard. Trying to see if there is something he could take advantage off. But the more he looks and looks, the more he felt that Lizhu Gerard is a tough cookie. He had already felt the will of the world bowing toward Lizhu Gerard. And why he said bowing? He could feel it in the air. It was like they were welcoming their monarch. The wind, the rain, the thunder and lightning, the forces that governs the elements of the world, all of it seems to move according to his will. There are many stories about Lizhu Gerard but Aero had never read any records mentioning that he has power akin to the Gods of Olympus. Could it be in Eastern Heaven he is a godlike existence? Is that the place where he come from? The heavy rain that touches Aero skin did not even dare touch Lizhu white robe and the wind take another path to course through instead of daring to go straight at him. And life seems to bloom everywhere he pass. The grass bloom and he could feel any kind of killing aura in the battlefield was slowly being purified. And the fact that one waves of his hand had stopped the thunder and rain was all testament to his great abilities. And when the dark clouds went away and the sun shines down again, it was the time that Aero was utterly impressed ''So?'' The voice startles Aero. ''Will you acknowledge you are my disciple?'' This time Aero hears Lizhu Gerard clearly. His head quickly tries to understand what Lizhu Gerard is saying and he quickly trying to remember what Lizhu Gerard said before and then he quickly pieces it together. ''Disciple greets teacher'' And Aero kowtow to the ground as quickly he can with a modest expression. Lizhu Gerard nodded as he stands there with his hand behind his back. ''Rise'' And Aero quickly rise up. Aero did not know what to say. There is not many occasion when he was speechless like this. Lizhu Gerard on the other hand was smiling. ''My appearance today must have shocked you. I did not intend to show up but when I see those Divinities started trying to interfere, I just could not sit leisurely on top of my Heavenly Peak. Just like me, you were schemed by mortals and by Gods. I felt an affinity with you. Since that is the case I lend some of my help. That is all'' Aero nodded and thank him. He doesn''t know what the Three Divinities are but that might be the Gods of the Eastern Heaven so, he did not pay too much attention to it. And he had other question he wanted to ask To him this now is the perfect time to ask about some matter, that he had always been curios about. He could see that another title was added into his status window. The Disciple of Sage of Wisdom. He did not check the effect as he had another question he wanted to ask. This question is one question he knew he would not find the answer to in the Vilajeri Continent and only his teacher could answer it. ''Teacher if I could ask, can you tell me who is the Princess of Wind Valley?'' Lizhu Gerard did not think that was the first question that his new disciple would ask him but then he sighed. Those players are all like that, in that they are only interested in what interest them. Lizhu Gerard is the few beings in the entire Brave World, and even throughout the many servers that knows who he is and what he is His mind wanders a bit and then he smiles bitterly as he looks at the sky >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> hope you enjoy the story. If you do please leave some comments and vote for the story. See you tomorrow Chapter 263 - TRUTH OF THE WORLD There are not many beings in this virtual world that realize the truth of their world. He met Hades and he is one of the beings in this world of zeroes and one that understand their true self and the purpose of their creation. And he also met some mortal who have transcend the power limits of this world but some of them could not accept the truth of the world and went crazy. Who would be able to accept that their entire lives were only crafted as some form of entertainment? Even Lizhu had a hard time accepting it at first. But at least that is what he had thought at first. A millennium has passed and there are some new thought and ideas that came to Lizhu mind. He doesn''t believe that this is all there is. He notices something is wrong with the premise they were created as nothing more than entertainment for those players. But it is true, that in the past, Lizhu cursed this world. They used to think that they could be free but when they reached the peak of power they realize everything in a way work the way the Three Divinities wanted The moment he gained such enlightenment of who he is, he was free from his mortal life and mortal bodies, gaining the power of a God akin of an administrator like those Gods of Olympus. But gaining such powers and godlike abilities did not mean he was free. He is only the few that knows that his life is not his life and it would always be controlled. He knows he is a puppet. But at least he knows he is a puppet. A lot of other living things in the world, did not know that they themselves are a puppet and there is a string all over them He accepted his fate and create a residence in the Heavenly Peak at the soon to be event in the Eastern Server. At that time while the Western Server was preparing to roll out the New World Expansion Pack which would introduce other Gods from the New World and the Exploration of the World Expansion Pack, the Eastern Server was preparing for the Investiture of the Gods Expansion Pack. It is to elect an Emperor God that would oversee the Eastern Server and the other things. In Eastern Server, the Gods of Olympus was the AI that was tasked to regulate the many things that was happening and the introduction to the New World Expansion Pack was to introduce more content for the players and to add the emergence of a new kind of Gods in the New World. It also would spur on the Hegemony Quest for the Reunification of the Vilajeri Continent. Only after that the Exploration of the World Expansion Pack would be unveiled. On the Eastern Server however, there is still many plagues and disaster happening. The Three Divinities planned it this way to give the players from the country called China, Joseon, Goryeo, Malaysia and many other places in a continent called Asia and the other to raise their levels before the big event of the Investiture of the Gods and other big event unfolded (If anyone is confused why there is no South Korea or North Korea in Aero world, one only had to refer to Lord Shadow story. In it he explores the Earth Two which is Aero world. In it, their world develops quite differently from our world. Joseon survive and Goryeo survive and they are a monarchy) Lizhu had spent a lot of his life trying to understand these players that come from the world of the Three Divinities. He had striven to learn their nationality, their continents, their kingdoms and nations and even their cultures Since he is a Godlike being and had his lore in both server, he could cross the so called barrier between the two servers. When the servers sometimes merged because of an error or something, Hades called it a cross server event. He as a divine being and had lore in both servers'' had the ability to cross the servers easily unlike Hades who did not have such power. Hades while he knows the existence of the other serves, he could not cross it because of the restriction imposed by the Three Divinities programming. It was then that he recognizes the difference between the people that logged in into the Western Server and those people who logged in in the Eastern Server Their clothes are different and their beliefs and myths are different. Lizhu knows that the many Gods in both servers were created using the myths in the world of the Three Divinities. After he knows all this secrets, he no longer cares that much about the mortal affairs. He knows his purpose and his role is nothing but to give the player the so called flavor text to enrich the experience of the players. At least that is what he thought at first. But a few years ago, Lizhu himself could feel that something is going wrong with Brave World system. It became even more full of life. Lizhu knows he was created from data, from zeros and one but he could feel himself becoming even more real. It is hard to explain. But he saw it happening everywhere and on both servers. And he could see that more continent sprouted out of nowhere. The Gods of Olympus did not do it and the many rogue Gods in the Yitien continent did not do it. Then after that there was that mass exodus where all the players logged of the game. Then they did not come back. The other people that lives in the world thought they returned back to heavens and then Time stopped. Only some beings in this world did not stop. One of them is him and there are also some others who knows what they are and the true nature of their worlds that was not restrained by Time. In a timeless world, it felt everything was eternal. He plays chess with Hades, met the Wind Princess again and do many things. Since everything was standing still, he had to find ways to stave off his boredom. One day, he felt the changes of his world. He felt that while there are still zeros and one something is encroaching into the zeroes and ones and changing it to something else. Something more real. Lizhu did not know how to describe it because it is a feeling and not something he could calculate or divinate. It was then he saw many serves is being united and they were separated into two. The Western Server and the Eastern Server and the many seas of both servers were being united and new island and new continent appeared out of nowhere. It was since then that Lizhu had suspected that the true creator of this world is preparing for something big. He believes that the players would once again returned. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Did you like the story so far? please leave your thoughts in the comments section and if you like the story please also vote for it. See you tomorrow. Chapter 264 - LEGACY CHILD He believed in that conjecture. So he waited patiently. It wasn''t until today when he saw the merging of so many servers into two and the appearance of the players that did not remember who he was that he could deduce a bit of the plans of those Three Divinities. There are three Divinities. Some Gods of these world knows about their existence and some don''t. Lizhu is the few Gods that do knows about their existence. He doesn''t know their true name but there are some things he had figures out. Those Three Divinities is Julia, Takashi and Matsuo They were the Creators of all the life in the Brave World but the moment that weird energy swept through the Brave World a few days ago, Lizhu could feel it. That their fates and destiny is no longer bonded by the powers of three Divinities. The three Divinities still possess their powers as the sole administrator and creators of the world but there is something they had lost. Lizhu felt it most intensely. He no longer had to follow the plots and storyline that have been ascribed to him. Nothing but freedom. That day, he floats out from his Heavenly Peak and laugh happily. He could love who he wants and pursue what he wanted. But even though, he feels happy that did not make him any less vigilant. Since he believes that the players would return, he began to plan once again. He flies out from his Heavenly Peak and waited for any actions of the Three Divinities. He has eyes everywhere and he could see and be in everywhere he wanted to be. He has his eyes in the Western Server and he has his eyes on the Eastern Server There are not many Gods that have lore''s in both server and Lizhu Gerard is one of the few rare ones that do And he saw the creation of the Purgatory. The unused data and the abandoned servers were molded by the powers of the Three Divinities to become the Purgatory. From what Lizhu had seen there were hundreds of Purgatories. Some small, some large. This is not the only Purgatory under his gaze as his eyes look at all of those hundreds of Purgatory at the same time. At the same time Aero was undergoing his trials here, Lizhu Gerard could see many other heroes in other Purgatory and they all have a different mission. Some had to fight golem monsters, some had to survive an onslaught of monster hordes, some ha to run away from divine disasters and many other kinds of missions and quest. Purgatory is like an instance dungeon. Yet, this instance dungeon is different for everyone and the composition of the dungeon is random. He looks at all of those Purgatory and keep an eye on them. And of course he keeps any eye on the person who had obtained his legacy. He had to apologize to Fiore when Aero killed her legacy child. But it did not prompt him to make a move. These players are after all still protected by the system. It wasn''t until he saw that vortex appearing a few times since the battle in Aero purgatory, that the existence of Aero pique his interest. And when that vortex once again appeared and wanted to strike down tribulation lightning, it was at this time, Lizhu believes that Aero must have something special about him for him to be targeted by one of the Three Divinities. So, he came out from his divine residence and block the attack. He also had seen how Aero handles the many quest that has been given to him. This legacy child of his is a little bit selfish but he had some endearing qualities too. Lizhu Gerard wanted to know what prompted the change of his world and why all of this is happening. He wanted to know why the players all had their memories about their life altered and he wanted to know why they suddenly returned to this world? There are many things he wanted to know and discover. That is why he offers the discipleship to Aero. Lizhu Gerard then look at Aero and he remember that he still hasn''t answer Aero question. He then answer ''Hmm. The Princess of Wind valley is an old friend. A very old friend.'' He said. Aero on the other hand frowned. He did not dare to complain but to him Lizhu Gerard answer is very halfhearted. Isn''t that just like not saying anything at all. Aero hide his dissatisfaction and then ask another question. ''Teacher. Can I ask where is the Fire Mountain?'' Lizhu Gerard then look at Aero and then he nodded This brat must have this information because of the description of his Storm Fan. The Storm Fan look like a phoenix feather fan used to blow some wind into one face when one is hot but the Storm fan could change its size to become a big fan. With one swing of the Storm Fan it could form hurricanes and tornadoes, bringing storm whenever the direction that is being swing at. But one of its most useful abilities is to fan down the fire on Fire Mountain. Lizhu Gerard shakes his head. Once again, he is about to go down memory lane. ''The Fire Mountain is on my hometown'' Aero twitched a bit. This divine strategist, this advisor to one of the greatest emperor in the Vilajeri Continent, is answering his question without giving him any details. Aero then patiently ask ''Teacher, can I ask where your hometown is?'' Lizhu Gerard smiles a bit looking at the subtle cues on Aero face. He could see that this legacy child of his is trying to control his temper. He himself know he is not exactly forthcoming but he is very careful to not give too much details. He still did not know the plans of the Three Divinities and what they are planning to do. And he still did not know why the Three Divinities cares so much about this child Until he knows about it, it is better not to lay down all his card. He then answers. ''My hometown is very far away'' Aero had the urge to grab the white robe of Lizhu Gerard and wanted to scream why he is making this so hard. But he manages to maintain his heart calm and then nodded calmly. Then Lizhu Gerard look toward the distance and he sighed. He then turned to Aero and said ''Your time in here is limited. One of your friend is about to open the Gate. Which means we don''t have much time. There is something I need to ask you to do.'' hearing this Aero was shocked. And anxious. But one of the word that come out from Lizhu Gerard made him halt for a moment His friend? He then quickly asked. ''My friend?'' >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Can anyone guess whcih friend that foudn the gate? is it Dan? or is it Kyle? Chapter 265 - OPPORTUNITY His friend? He thought to himself. Is it Kyle? But that is really fast if its really Kyle. It has been a few hours since Kyle went searching for the Gate but other people even started earlier than him. But if it''s not Kyle who is it then? Then Lizhu Gerard said ''Yes, Marquis Dan. Isn''t he your friend?'' Aero smiles and he nodded ''So, it was Dan'' He thought to himself. He would rather anyone found the gate other than Eric. It is even better that his allies found it. He would be mad at Dan if he found the gate too fast since it probably would not trigger this encounter. Lizhu on the other hand look at the skies and his eyes could see that the vortex from where he come out from is slowly closing. He could see zeroes and ones trying to force him back into it. But for some reason, the pulling sensation is not very strong and he smiles ''Freedom'' he muttered to himself and there is this carefree smile on his face. He then said to Aero ''I could not be here for long. Since you are my disciple, if there is something you need guidance with? As your teacher I can help at least with two of your skills'' Lizhu said he could only help with two because nothing good should come easily. And there is also the fact that he need to make sure Aero survive. He could not just spend his time on the Western Server and ignore the happenings in the Eastern Server. The Shang dynasty is about to meet its end In the beginning Lizhu did not want to join in the Investiture of the Gods. He even rejected the offers of some of the Sages and the Fairies of the Green Island. But now he had changed his mind. He desires to find out what would happen now. Now¡­that his fate is his own he had desires. He also wanted to know what kinds of plans the Three Divinities stored in place for both servers. So, right now Lizhu Gerard, like the way he is in the past is once again scheming against the world. And to scheme against the world, he first needed influence and power. only this time he needed an influence against the thousands of gods in the Eastern Server Hence, there is many works that needs to be done He would put his finger in all the pies and he would choose the best pies out of all the pies. He knows that his disciple has the protection of the River Styx but there are certain weapons that could hurt even the protection of the Styx. And while his power and technique would not lose out too many people, since one of the Three Divinities targeted him, the world would also turn on him. For such a person, he needed some advantages or he would be toyed by fates and destiny of this this world. Lizhu need to keep this person alive, at least for now. He is still not sure whether this player that have his legacy is his enemies or his allies. After all, in his long life, he knows that not everything is as it seems to be. He had to do some precaution. It is better not to give too much or it will invite jealousy from the other Gods. Aero however did not know about what Lizhu Gerard is thinking. He wanted to jump happily right now. ''This is not a calamity but a fortuitous encounter'' Aero thought to himself. It was only now that Aero remember about the many skills he had that had many relations with Lizhu. The problem which one of the skills that he had that he would choose to improve. He knows he could ask many things but he also knows that the more you ask, the more you might lose. He knows that an existence like Lizhu would frown if he asks too much. Since that is the case he need to think and make the most wised decision he could based on the information he have about himself and the skills that could be useful for him in the long run. He checks his status windows. There are many skills but some of them could be rank up using the skill points he had. He now had five skill points and when he exited this purgatory he would get another few skill points. He then notices something. One of his skill had ranked up and he smiles a bit at this unexpected good news. The one skill that has ranked up is his Killing Intent skill. It has ranked up to Superior rank. It is not surprising since he killed about more than ten thousand people in this battlefield alone. It would be surprising if it did not rank up >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> KILLING INTENT (V) SUPERIOR Killing intent is produced from killing people and monster. To rank up the skill one had to kill and experience bloodshed. At current rank, you could produce a baleful aura and a killing intent mist that could disrupt one mind, weaken their bodies and made them instantly fear you. At the Superior rank, you now also have the ability to infuse the killing intent of your hearts into your strikes and attack. Very useful in intimidating people and would even give you more energy when fighting and killing while enveloping oneself with killing intent. However, do be careful to not be swallowed by the negative emotion that could make one to do regrettable things. -Require more killing to rank up the skill- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> He then looks toward his legacy skills He had Divine Roar. That skill did not have to be improved. It is already reached the highest rank The Killing Intent could only be improved by him killing more people or monsters. And while Disguise skill is useful, at Aero current level of influence he rarely needs to do any reconnaissance mission anymore. He would just send people to get information for him It is not a skill that he urgently need to rank up. And he could rank it up easily with his skill points if he wanted to There is also the Taunt skill. It is a Beginner rank skill. While Aero did have plans to rank this up in the future, it does not have to be now and Aero don''t want to waste two easy upgrades by Lizhu Gerard on Taunt skills. Language skill is the same. It is not urgent for him to upgrade the skills. He had his own interpreter if he did not understand. Maybe later he would need it. He knows that there is traces of Lizhu Gerard all over the Vilajeri Continent and he might have hidden many of his treasures or other weapons in the Vilajeri Continent and the only way one could find this places if they have the legacy of Lizhu and his language skill that could decipher divine symbols and meaning. Of course this is only Aero conjecture and it might not be entirely true. But why then Language is listed as one of the Legacy skill in his status window if it did not have any significance and relations with Lizhu Gerard, right? Anyway, he would not improve this skill right now. He look at the other skill and his frown deepened. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> See you tomorrow and hope you like the chapter. Leave some comments if you can Chapter 266 - WHITE SWORD TECHNIQUE He is still thinking which one he had to upgrade. Then there is one of the most powerful attack he had. The Demonic Devil Energy Drain. It is already at a Superior Rank. This is one of his most powerful technique before he got the Curse of the Styx. It enables him to drain the life force and energy of other people and heal his own injuries. It also helps in him killing the enemy. One palm is enough to take their health away and if he infused with his killing intent, they die easily with one palm attack. This technique is already at the Superior rank so if he wanted to rank the skill he had to undergo a destiny fated quest to rank it up This could be a good choice for him if he wanted to skip that and ask Lizhu help to rank it up to Master rank. Then he took a glance at Analyze skills and his eyes shows he is not interested in ranking up that skill right now It is useful in analyzing enemy weakness, but Aero had rarely met any enemies that he could not break with his fist. And the fact was that it is not an urgent skill to rank up and it could be rank up easily using the skill points. He looks toward done of the other skills and he frowned. The Sacred Sword Finger. It is the skill that he wanted to rank up. He could rank it up to the Advance rank if he used four of his skill points. Then he could advance it once again suing Lizhu Gerard offer but that seems wasteful. If he had more skill points he would rank it up until the Superior rank and then he would use the offer to skip the destiny fated quest altogether. So he shakes his head. The Divine Sword technique is also the same. But there is something he knows that would be quite a big haul for him if he could get it. His eyes shines. He read again the description of the Divine Sword techqiue >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> DIVINE SWORD TECHNIQUE (IV) ADVANCED RANK One of Lizhu Gerard legacy skills. Lizhu Gerard learned many styles of attack that are foreign for the part of the world he is inhabiting. It is a sword technique that could break any attack if it is ranked up until its most consummate rank. This technique emphasized internal energy and self-reflection. This technique is rarely seen in Vilajeri Continent. You have learned five of its moves from the Manual of the White Sword Technique. Find the other volumes to learn all the sword moves of the Divine Sword technique. -Require five skill points to rank up the skill- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It is the part where it says about the Manual of the White Sword technique. He the other could be solved by skill points but about the Manual of the White Sword technique, he had no clues on where to find it He looks toward Lizhu Gerard and then he says. ''Can you give me the full manual of the White Sword technique?'' hearing this, Lizhu was not shocked. Instead he smiles and nodded ''Fine. But if you take it, you will use up the other opportunity. It is one or the other. Even after that will you still choose the Manual?'' Aero sighed. He then nodded. He had already made his choice. Lizhu Gerard nodded and grab the air and then suddenly a book appears out of nowhere. Floating in the air is a white book. He waves his finger and the book floated toward Aero. The book approached Aero and Aero took it. He nodded. Thunder suddenly boomed on the skies and Lizhu once again look toward the direction he gazes before. In his eyes he could see that Dan is about to open the Gate. The Gate is a simple Gate. It is Golden and it floated slightly off the ground. Lizhu Gerard knows he did not have much time. He sighed. He knows after his Legacy Child returns to the Vilajeri Continent, he would see a new kind of Vilajeri Continent. After all, there is something that went out of the expectation of the Three Divinities. However, that is not his problem He needs to prepare a lot. The Eastern Heaven is beginning their Age of the Gods while the Western Heaven will have a War of the Gods. From what he knows before the abnormality happens. The Three Divinities was laying out plans for the Apple of Discord to start a war between the Gods and to become a Dusk of the Gods event He then grabs something again from the air. Appearing out of nothingness is a golden key and a silver compass. ''I said before that I had something for you to do right? I stash something in Vilajeri Continent. Seek it and you shall find some of my legacies there. This Compass is the Compass of Destiny. You did not have to know how to use it. I believe that it will show itself to you when the time is near.'' The two items floated and arrived in front of Aero. It floated in front of Aero and Aero too it. ''Now, that is done, I hope you will not die so easily. If Fate destined it, we will see each other again'' Saying this Lizhu Gerard slowly floats upwards. The skies above him open up and then he turns into a long arc of light that shot up towards the Heavens The rain once again falls down. Thunder once again boomed and the wind once again went wild. Aero stand there transfixed for a few seconds before shaking his head. ''Oh, shit'' he cursed to no one in particular. Rain is slowly drenching him as he sat back down on the muddy ground. The smell of blood has slowly erased itself because of the wind and the rain. Sometime lightning would cross and the dark scenery would be illuminated for second. Aero felt tired. The thing that just happens to him seems something out of a fantasy novel. But he did not believe that Lizhu Gerard is doing all this out of the kindness of his heart. After all, he did research the man And from what he knows, he is someone who always have a plan. There is also the fact that he did not get all of his memories yet. For some reason, he thinks he is forgetting something very important. ''Hmm'' he thought. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> A litle late release today. Hope you like it and see you tomorrow. Chapter 267 - ALLOCATING POINTS BOOM! The sound of thunder resonated once again and he remembered that he did not have much time now. From what Lizhu told him, Dan is close in opening the gate He then looks toward the items description QUEST ITEM (Compass of Destiny) A special compass filled with the abstract concept of destiny. Leads to the stash of Lizhu Gerard. Then he checks at the key QUEST ITEM (Silver Key) A mysterious silver key to open something. This is the chance to use his skill points now. He sits on the muddy ground and opens his status window. He looks at all his skills and look at his five skill points he had gathered throughout the quest and battle achievement he had accumulated in this Purgatory. ''Which should I improve?'' he thought to himself. He did not worry too much about his battle skills since he had his invincibility to rely on. Then he thought maybe he should have waited. But there is nothing urgent for him to worry about. And the manual of the White Sword technique is already on his hand. And this manual did not need any skill point to upgrade. There is certain freedom to it in that it could not be defined or ranked up by skill points and instead grows and could be use according to the user of the technique. It formed a majority of attacks that Aero had used in the battle. He listed all of the skill he could rank up and exclude skills like achievement skills or some skills who have requirement like undergoing a destiny fated quest to rank up He looks at Recruit skills. It is already at an Advanced rank. The skill itself is very useful in that it enables him to recruit people easily and give one an aura of approachability. Aero find it very useful when he had to converse with the natives of the Vilajeri Continent. And it requires five skill point to rank it up to the Superior rank. Aero thinks carefully and he put on hold as he looks at his other skills There are also the miscellaneous skills. One of them is handicraft which is at Adept rank. It only requires him four skill points to rank it up but at the same time Aero thinks to himself "Why would he want to rank up the handicraft skills?'' he is not some tailor or a fashion designer. He smiles a bit and he laughed. Aero did not realize that he looks like a madman right now. He is sitting on a muddy dirty ground with rain falling down on him heavily and behind him is hills of corpses and scattered flesh. And there he is smirking and laughing aloud. Not to mention he is the only living person on top of the plateau. Aero himself did not know he is a plateau but he could guess it. Even though he did not see the edges of this plateau he could guess by the people. Once in his battle, he had caught someone disappearing when they went to the edge of the plateau. He of course did not know this is a plateau but he made his own conjecture, that the place he is sitting right now is on some elevated area. When he saw the skill below the handicraft window, Aero laughed even louder. It is the tailoring skill However, at least this skill is a little bit useful than the handicraft skills. After all, in the beginning he was not as rich as he is now. At that time these skills were useful when he had to sew his own clothes and repair clothes. But when he had the secret class, the White Robe was given to him and he did not need to use the skill for very long Below the skill is also another useful skill. Blacksmithing. And it is only on a Beginner rank. He usually would only commissioned weapons and buy weapons if he wanted to. He did not need to use blacksmithing that much. ''Maybe I could rank this skill'' he thought to himself. He knows if he is to search for the stash of Lizhu Gerard it would be a long journey. And Lizhu Gerard might say it is just a stash but a stash of such a legendary figure might be very priceless. In those long journey it would be useful if he could repair his own equipment. It requires three skill points to rank up the skill. He has only five points. He sighed and then said ''Ah. So be it'' he quickly wills it and the number of his skill points decreased to two as the description of the Blacksmithing skill changes. BLACKSMITHING (II) ADEPT RANK Enables the character to be proficient in blacksmithing. Could only hammer the metal but do not know how to forge any Rare rank item. Could only forge Hero rank items and repair Strong rank items. Could smelted low rank ore and medium rank ore. Seek blueprints all over the continent to master the profession. -Require four skill points to rank up the skill- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> He finally uses it. He now has only two more skill points. He decided to store it for later use. He then checks the title status of the new title he got when he accepted Lizhu Gerard offers to become his disciple Aero Carlingian have unlocked the title of Disciple of Sage of Wisdom Lizhu Requirement: gaining the acknowledgement of the Sage of Wisdom Lizhu Gerard. Title received: Disciple of Sage of Wisdom Lizhu Lizhu Gerard is a legend in both the Western Heaven and the Eastern Heaven. His name spread far and wide in the Eastern Heaven but his prestige and achievement was forgotten in the Western Heaven. He is the Sage of Wisdom, a godlike existence that sits on the Three Heavenly Peaks of the Eastern Heaven. He had break the mortal barrier and become a God and he possess infinite wisdom and has many magical abilities. By having the title of the Disciple of the Sage of Wisdom Lizhu, you would be blessed by the Heavens. If by some miraculous events, you were stranded, or strayed into the lands of the Eastern Heaven this title would help you find safety in many of the organization in Eastern Heaven Title Perks: Easier to understand undeciphered symbols. Some secret societies hiding in the dark of the Vilajeri Continent that have relation with the Sage of Wisdom might contact you and offer an initiation ceremony into their brotherhood. Your luck will increase when trying to search for Legacy fragments regarding Lizhu Gerard. The title of the disciple shows you are still not yet trusted by Lizhu Gerard. Strive to become an inner disciple of The Three Heavenly Peaks and you will gain more perks. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Aero nodded in satisfaction as he reads the description. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you like the story dont forget to vote for it Chapter 268 - INTO THE DARKNESS AGAIN He did not notice that the rain has slowly turns only into a drizzle. He did not notice that the wind has slowly calmed down. And he did not notice that the skies no longer roars and lightning no longer flash. Aero was about to check the Manual of the White Sword Technique when he got the notification Quest You are one of the many spirit from another realm that has been transported to this world from a great calamity. This place you are standing now is Purgatory. This is the Plain of Peace area For the people of this world their time has stopped when the mass exodus of the people of Western Heaven deserted them Heaven is merciful and will send you all to return to that world from that time when you all have deserted them in their time of need. One of your travelers have found the Gates that will lead you all to the mortal world. As you have managed to survive until the end you are awarded one skill points. Aero sighed looking at the notification ''Only one skill points. That means I still only have three skill points. I hope it would be easier to trigger quest when I returned back'' He thought to himself. Ion the Jungle Region, Dan was laughing as he opens the gate. The Gate opened up and everything in this Purgatory begins to lose its substance and form. It is turning translucent and the souls of the many people that have died in the struggle in the battle turns into golden orbs that was sucked into that gate. That gate seems like a black hole as it began devouring everything in front of it. Dan and his entourage was the first group that were sucked into the Gate and then the jungle itself was slowly being devoured into the gate. Trees were ripped apart from the ground, the rivers flow backward and floats into the air before being devoured by the gate. The gate itself begun spewing dark mist. Wherever it passes, the area and everything in it, around it, inside it would be devoured On top of the plateau, Aero was alone. A distance form him is the corpses of the people he killed. Those corpses finally turn into golden motes of light that floats towards the Heavens Aero sighed as he could see even the clouds slowly showing signs it is dissipating. Aero could guess that his time in here is ending. It is a pity that he did not see other regions of this place but his initial assumption was right. This Purgatory is not as big as he thought. And he also wondered what Eric had found. He must have a plan if he uses this much force to force him to stay back. He hopes Kyle find at least a few things that is useful. That man is not his friend. But he is not an enemy either. The relationship between them is complicated. Aero saw that even the wind was being sucked into a spirals above his head. ''So, Dan finally found the Gate'' Aero and Dan are friends. At least that is what he remembers. And he remembers being annoyed at this friend of his a few times. The Parliament of Vanheim was Dan suggestion. Dan misunderstood his intention and suggested the formation of the Parliaments to King George which minimized the power of the King and indirectly his power and at the same time bolstering malcontent forces in the kingdom. At the time, the Kingdom was not entirely secure yet. The bickering of nobles in both sides could threaten the King newfound power at the time. If not for the formation of the Six Council, Aero might have been pushed out by the old nobility in the Court. Of course, the Parliament has its own pros and cons but at the time of the formation, Aero did not like it since it limits his power and the power of the King. There is of course other minor matter that made him annoyed at Dan. But at the same time, Aero knows he could always count on him to help him. And he is the few people that Aero had trusted. It is the reason why he brings him to the Court and why he was promoted to Marquis. Aero could always count on his support in the kingdom and as such with his other friend like Lady Raina, and the military commanders and leader, Aero maintained a tight grip on the internal kingdom power structure. So, he was happy when Dan found the Gate. He sighed and got up and at the same time, the rain stopped and he could see that the edges of the plains were slowly dissipating like they were ashes. Eric who was in the Jungle Region was ready for his return back to the Vilajeri Continent. He comes out from the cave he was researching and look toward the plateau at the distance. His black robe fluttered and his face is drenched wet He did not know the result of the battle, but he is sure Aero wins in this battle of strength. But he Eric did not lose either. He smiles and then muttered to the wind ''Let us resume our battle in the real world'' And then he too was devoured by the darkness that have comes out from the gate Kyle who was traveling through a swamp holds tightly onto a piece of along branch and he was smiling. He stands there waiting for the end of this place. HE could see in the distance that a dark mist is rushing towards him. But he was not afraid at all. Instead he was smiling happily. ''I found a magical Elder Wood. Just you wait, Eric. Next time, we meet I''ll show you how powerful my magic become'' Kyle smiles in satisfaction as the dark mist swallowed him and the swamp. Aero stand on top of the plateau and saw as the plains was devoured by the black darkness. He gripped his sword and smiles. ''To the darkness, once again'' he said and with a smile he was devoured by the darkness and then Purgatory were extinguished. ****************************************************************** See you all tomorrow. Hope you like the chapter. Chapter 269 - RETURNING HOME (1) First year of the Vanheimneian Era. The first year of the reign of Emperor Edward saw the return of the Adventurers from the Heavens Their disappearance led to mass panic in the Vilajeri Continent and the royal courts of many kingdoms were almost paralyzed. Veva lost its King, the Holy City of Light lost its Apostle and Pope and Vanheim Empire that seized the Holy City of Duvar lost its Chancellor which was instrumental in the persuasion of the King of Duvar. The remnants of the Niovar kingdoms nobles stage a rebellion during this chaos and managed to gain a few cities under the Vanheim Empire and once again raise the banner of Niovar. The other kingdoms like Nairhell also suffers. The Great Chief of the Orc, Gruk disappeared and many of his powerful generals also disappeared leading to chaos in the dangerous sandy desert of Nairhell of the Orc Land Greater Veranis was also in chaos. Many of those who were enlisted in the army of the Greater Veranis suddenly disappeared one day and this led to some unsavory character trying to muddy up the Court. Some even plotting against the Crown Prince since his soldiers was the one that was most badly affected. The Karak Federation also lost many of its merchants but to the federation it is business as usual. The Four Families of Karak was making sure that the effect would be minimal. But it is showing that without the adventurous spirits of the adventurers, the many trade routes and sea routes only the adventurers know that many items cause many wares and orders is delayed all over the continent and it is began taking its toll on the Karak Federation reputation and prestige as a major trading hub. They however did not cancel their oath of fealty with the Vanheim Empire. Even though there is success in the rebellion of the former Niovar regions, it is still a small scale rebellion compare to the mighty Vanheim Empire. Holy Zun Empire on the other hand is being pushed by the Neroian and once again established their Republic. The Holy War Proclamation did not stop them from being annexed by the Holy Maiden But the sudden disappearance of the adventurers gives them a chance to breath and counterattack the Holy Zun Empire (If anyone remembers before the Fall of the Meteors, in the game King Vrandeus issued a Holy Summons to all the kingdoms and the summon is called the Holy War Proclamation.) With the Pope and their Apostle disappearance the power of the peasant armies that the Holy Maiden of Armagnac had always lead and untrained militias could not withstand the sudden surge of attacks in all directions. The Republic succeeded in their rebellion and managed to drive off the Holy Zun Empire forces. The Nero Republic survive the onslaught and once again stand tall, establishing back their Republic. This had many factors. King Zeus of Veva and his Prime Minister, his Great General Bart also disappeared sending the military operation to the Holy Zun Empire into a complete halt. This should be a plus for the Holy Zun Empire but it is not really that much of an advantage since Holy Zun Empire also faces the same problem of losing their pillars The Pope and the Holy Maiden was the reason for the eventual rise of the Holy Empire. Without these two figures, it appears they lost their morale and like a headless chicken, they began to bicker with each other. Some Bishops had tried to convene a council to elect an Emperor for the Holy Empire. With many lords and nobles in the holy Zun Empire vying for the position, it soon devolves into an argument among the great lords. If there are any kingdoms that had benefited from this sudden disappearance and the worsening situation in Veva and Holy Zun Empire, it is the surrounding kingdoms. Nero could once again establish its Republic without interference from Veva Kingdom. King Vrandeus when he first issued the proclamation was also worried that this is only a pretext for the King of Veva to spread his hegemony to the other kingdoms. If Zeus was there on the throne, even if Nero was revived it would become a puppet kingdom under Veva. But without him, Nero had managed to not only repel the occupation of the Holy Zun Empire, they had managed to remain independent and free. With the sudden disappearance of many great figures in many great empires and great kingdom some of the small kingdom took this as a sign to quickly improve their military, stele their internal affair and begun devising countermeasures Alfhaim who also lost a lot of its elves tribespeople had already retreated before the Holy War Proclamation was called off. And they now have learned the brutality of man. They have now seen what humans are capable off and they are alarmed. They are long lived and they did not have too many conflicts. But as season changes, so does the ages of the Elves had ended. Now the one who controls the authority of the world is human And the elves are slowly griping on toward that reality On the East, there is the large Empire of Vanheim that stretched from the deserts of the Nairhell to the Holy Kingdom of the Gods, Duvar. It is a kingdom of powerful military might, headed by a Chancellor who were regarded as the strongest person in the world Rivaling it, is the Kingdom of Veva with its ruler blessed by the King of the Gods. Its empire reached toward the far south and it expands very quickly. The South however have the Holy Zun Empire with its population zealous and fanatical even They do not fear death because they believe that they will enter the kingdom of Heaven when they die. Vanheim was once a distant enemy but with its forces in the Holy City, Alfhaim now has three great Empire breathing on its neck. And as such, Alfhaim has begun researching ancient forbidden magic in a bid to stop their kingdom from being trampled by the three great empires. They did not want their Great Forest to be burned. The Elves civilization is now at a crossroad. They began coming out form their forest and begun talking with the other kingdoms. And the others thing that they did was to sign an agreement of mutual non-aggression pact and military alliance with Savillia Kingdom, and Nero Republic The people of Vilajeri Continent called it the Agreement of the Three Kingdoms. And all of this chaos and unrest happened because of the sudden disappearance of the adventurers >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Part one of the chapter. Second part will be tomorrow. Chapter 270 - RETURNING HOME (2) The adventurers are useful but no one really knows how useful they are and how much they have melded with the community of the native population of the Vilajeri Continent they have become an integral part of the Vilajeri Continent that their disappearance had caused such a massive problem. A few months after their disappearance, and while many kingdoms were trying to find a way to close the gap left by the adventurers, all the oracles that served Olympus got a divine revelation. They will return and once they do, they are no longer protected by the same protection they used to have. They would no longer be immortal but their powers will still be the same. And hearing this many kingdoms have been preparing for the day of their coming. Veva was preparing to greet their King and their Prime Minister and once again prepares to ride to war. In The Holy Zun Empire, The Bishops of the Church was preparing a place to welcome their Pope and the Holy Maiden. And on Vanheim, they are preparing to welcome their Chancellor. Everyone could feel that the moment they returned, the current peace would break. They are what the people of the world titled the Three Great Pillars. Aero of the East. Zeus of the North. Ariana of the South. King Zeus is a warmongering king. He had created his empire through bloodshed and conquest. While his sense as a king could be said a little bit lacking, his prowess in the battlefield is undeniable. The moment he returned, the terrifying war machine of the Veva kingdom will once again start. And while they are some officials of the Veva kingdom that did not like the King blessed by the Gods, the military faction of Veva love shim very much He would be welcome back to his throne. And no one could stop that. With Prime Minister Eric, the Black Robed Prime Minister paving the way for him, it would be hard for people to delegitimize him from the throne of Veva. Ariana of the South however might face even more resistance when she comes back. She is the Holy Commander of the Church but she was not well received by the clergy or the Church Bishops. She is after all a woman and if not for the Pope trust in her, she would have long been removed from her position. If she returns alone, she would find herself in an uphill battle. But if the Pope returns with her, then she will undoubtedly be given back her title. And once she got back he title, she might once again fly the banner of war and considering the Nero Republic comeback, she would surely put that as her priority. She might reconquer back the Nero Republic once again. And then of course, there is Aero. He is not only the War God of Vanheim, he is also the Chancellor of the Empire, ruling over the Six Council that make up the administration of the Empire. In the time of the posthumous Emperor George, he was the advisor and a teacher to the Emperor. His influence and his power in the Vanheim Empire is at the peak. He is below one man, above all others. With one word, he could change the situation of the world, and shakes the whole continent. However, not everybody would be happy seeing him return. Unlike the other two great pillars, Aero was not really a person that is well liked in the court. He is well received, loved and adored by the common people but the court did not like him very much. There is the fact that he is the previous Emperor most trusted confidant. While that gave him much power, it also gained him a lot of envious enemies. It is said only Aero have the ears of the King. And the abundance of power he has in the court made many people wary of him. And the other reason was that the First Prince, Prince James did not like him at all. In his disappearance, while the military side of the Vanheim administration is at a standstill, with the disappearance of many key political allies of Emperor Edward, The First Prince, titled King of Niovar has begun gaining traction in the court. He is pushing his younger brother from the throne subtly. King James has always thought that the throne of Vanheim should have been his. He could not accept that the last will of his father appointed his younger brother as the King of Vanheim. He could not accept it but he bides his time for the opportune moment. He thought his brother would be easy to undermine. And that was true. His brother was not as capable as he is in leading the army or in politic. But King James still failed. And that is because there is the Chancellor on the Court and taking the side of his younger brother. When the Chancellor was in the Court, while he did not appear to be too close with the new king, he was after all loyal to the King. The relationship between Chancellor Aero and King Edward was not the same kind of relationship that the Chancellor had with King George. With King George there is this mutual respect. But with King Edward, Chancellor Aero will not hesitate to order him. And Edward would listen and comply to it. Edward trusted Aero¡­or to be more accurate he trusted the Chancellor abilities. And because of the King trust it elevated Edward, to Emperor. The Chancellor drafted the plan to conquer the Holy kingdom and uses the authority of the Six Council to take it under the name of the King. Vanheim won that battle without a single shed of blood and the holy City of Duvar is intact with King Vrandeus still holding the title of the King of Duvar It elevated his useless younger brother into an Emperor and raise his popularity at an all-time high. The common people said he is the same as King George, wise and sagely. The citizen of Vanheim all believe that Vanheim will reunite the continent and create a great empire that would last for eternity. The Duvar kingdom is the Holy Seats of the Old Empire and it is widely circulated that whoever take Duvar would have the right to rule over the world. In the end, the contributions of all this achievement belong to the Chancellor and everyone in the court knows it. Even though King James wanted to undermine the Emperor, with the Chancellor in the Court any strikes and any schemes he had for the Emperor would easily be foiled. And King James did not like the way the Chancellor look at him. Whenever he is face to face with the Chancellor, he always felt small and inferior and he didn''t like that. The Chancellor return would not be happy occasion for many people and his appearance would return back balance into the Vanheimneian court. Hence out of the Three Great Pillars, Aero would not be welcomed very much. Some might even be plotting to make sure he did not return And as such, the preparation for the arrivals of these three great figures all have a different feeling that comes with their news of eventual return. Today as the first month of the year is about to end, the Vilajeri Continent was suddenly shaking. Thunder fills the world and storms appears from the skies striking down villages. Heavy rain falls down and thunderous roars from the sky filled the earth. And then a blinding white light covered the entire continent for a brief second. Everyone saw it. The Emperor of Vanheim was in a meeting when he went out from the meeting room and look at the sky and saw the white light. He smiles and laugh seeing the white light. ''The Chancellor has returned'' he reported to be exclaiming The Bishop in the Holy Zun Empire who was praying inside the Tower of the Divine saw the white blinding light from the windows of the tower and prostrates to the skies and chants the Holy Scripture. In Veva as the oracles burns offering to the Gods, they saw how rain fall down, saw how the thunders roars and they saw the white light. That day, all of the oracles speak the same words. Those people from the Heavens have returned to execute the will of the Divines! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> See you tomorrow. Hope you like the chapter and leave some vote Chapter 271 - VILAJERI CONTINENT (1) Aero slowly opens his eyes. He is still dizzy but even before he opens his eyes he could smell the familiar smell of the ocean. His finger could feel the sand texture on his skin. His ear picked up the sounds of the waves lapping toward the shore and as he slowly opens his eyes he could see a vast sea in front of him He shakes his head, like doing it could throw out the dizziness from his head. The sea water washes his bodies further ashore. He pushes his feet as he crawled to the shore. He spits the salty sea water from his mouth and wipes his mouth as he wipes away the sand stuck on his face Only then he could breathe a bit. ''Argh'' he grunted a bit as he tried to get himself up. He felt a little bit pain on his back but that pain slowly heal itself and as seconds passed, the vitality that he had recovered. He got up, his steps steady and his body emanating that powerful aura once again. He looks around at his surrounding, trying to ascertain where he is right now. ''This must be Vilajeri Continent. But where am I?'' Aero thought to himself. He still remembers the notification window saying that someone had found the Gate to Vilajeri Continent. And he remembered the darkness. So, it is only logical this beach is on Vilajeri Continent. But which Kingdom? Right now he is just hoping he was not transported into Veva. That would be too unlucky of him. He then finally managed to get up. The wind of the sea brush over him and he close his eyes for a second. Behind him the sound of the waves lapping to the shore calms his heart. Then he opens his eyes. ''Now what should I do?'' he thought to himself. He makes sure his items are all there and only then could he heave sigh of relief. Aero then look toward the sky and saw blinding white orbs flashing all across the sky and they all fall to many different places. That must be the other people in the purgatory. ''Is it random? And it seems everyone falls down at a different time rate'' he thought to himself. He shakes his head. Even if he is thinking about it he would not get the answer. So, it is better for him to focus on what he can do. He is trying to think what to do now. Just as he trying to think, a sensation of pain fills his head. During that brief moment of pain in his head, he saw a silhouette. It is his memory again. ''Damn'' he cursed before he found himself in one of his memories again. On the beach, Aero falls down to the ground The memories seem to flash by him. He saw himself running across a beach. Then he saw himself sweeping the ground, and many other memories that doesn''t make much sense. Then finally as this barrages of images slowly slowed down, Aero found himself inside one of the memories. It was inside a kitchen. But it does not like the kitchen in Vilajeri Continent. Everything looked¡­. stylish and sleek. And instead of earthenware pots, there is metal pots and slow fire beneath the pots of metals. ''Is this his memory when he was in Western Heaven?'' he thought to himself. The memories are cloudy and foggy but a she focused himself, he saw himself with another person. It was him and a woman. He saw his own hand grabbing that woman from behind as he planted a kiss on the woman cheek. The woman was startled but she laughed when she realizes that it was him that hugged her from behind When the woman turned to face toward Aero, the face seems blurry but for some reason Aero think she was smiling happily. The woman giggle and then tickles him and he laughed. ''Amy. Don''t do that'' As they play around. Aero was about to move forward closer to the woman. He wanted to know the face of that woman. Maybe, if he come closer, he could see through the fog. But as he takes that step forward, the fog becomes thicker and the memory pushed him away. Then the memory went away, like dust being blown by the wind. And Aero was back on the beach, his knees kneeling on the sandy ground. ''Who''s that?'' Aero asked himself while clutching his still throbbing head. ''Amy'' he muttered. At least now he had a little bit clue. He uttered the words a few more time, willing himself to not forget it. He then takes a dep breath to calm himself down. It takes him quite a bit of time to calm himself down. Even a battle could not shake him this much. ''She must be someone important to me'' he thought to himself Then he slowly got up. He looks around him and sighed. ''There doesn''t seems to be any people living near here. I should walk further away from the beach. I bet there is a village not far from here'' Then thinking for a moment, he decided a course of action. He should find a village and ascertain where he is right now. He already had a plan of action regardless where he ended up. His identity is a very sensitive things and that would affect his approach. If he is in Veva, he would be more than just careful. He would hide his track and slowly contact his secret forces in Veva. Unless of course, Eric had already eliminated his secret forces. But even if that avenue was closed off, there is other way for him to make sure himself get out of Veva safely. There is Aerosia. From what he suspected, the one called King Derrick is none other than his friend, Deria, the Son of Hephaestus. If this is an allied nation, as he is the Chancellor of the Vanheim Empire, he would be welcomed by Kings and nobles. He knows many Kings and nobles of the smaller states that would ingratiate themselves. This scenario is the one he wanted the most. It is the least dangerous scenario. And the easiest one. He could even rest in this kingdom for a while while enjoying their hospitality and then plan his return to Vanheim. However, if this beach and this land belong to Vanheim, then instead of announcing who it is, it is better to hide himself until he arrives at his residence or the palace. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Part one of the chapter. Today woudl be a doubel release because I forgot to post yesterday Chapter 272 - VILAJERI CONTINENT (2) Aero smiles bitterly. He then walks away from the beach. He looks around him and see no other person. As he walks further ahead, he saw a forest ahead. It is a small forest and its trees are sparse. He enters it and walk forward. ''It is funny'' he thought to himself as he was walking. In allied nation he could reveal himself and enjoy their hospitality. In Veva, it is just common sense for him to hide himself but why does he need to be so cautious if he landed on the kingdom which he holds the most power? ''It is funny'' he thought once again. But he is not laughing. Aero himself knows the answer. Simple. The answer was because he holds too much power in the Vanheim Empire after the death of King George. Aero remembered some parts of his memories before the mass exodus of the people from Western heaven. He remembers the suspicious death of King George and the subsequent events that leads to the current situation of him to have to be cautious in the land that elevated him to the seat of Chancellor. This all started because of the conflict between him and the First Prince, Prince James. Aero sighed a bit. He then keeps walking as his mind recall the matters of the past. The relationship between him and King George is one that of teacher and disciple. The King was older than him, yet he did not find it disgraceful to treat Aero like a teacher. He has the making of a great enlightened ruler. And Aero submit to him because of the promise King George had shown him. He believes that king George is worthy for the Imperial Throne. Which is why he sincerely wished for his success And they both share the same desire and ambition which made them the envies of Kings and courtiers all over the Continent. Aero wanted to become the strategist who help found an everlasting dynasty, to unify the fragmented Kingdoms and create a large Empire. But he wanted to do it with King George. He is the King that Aero had approved. He is the King that Aero could remain loyal to. The trust between them is unbreakable. They are the model monarch and subordinate. His position in the court was unshaken during King George reigns. And even though King George granted him power and influence, he did not restrain him. And as such, Aero was grateful and strive to then their relationship evolved as they become more than just teacher and student, than just superior and subordinate¡­they become friends. King George death was something unexpected for Aero and changes Aero intention. He did not like both of the Prince. Whether it be Prince James or Prince Edward both of them are disappointing in his eyes And King George last will appointing Prince Edward as the next King was controversial to say the least. The moment that Prince Edward was appointed by the previous King, Aero knew that a schism had appeared in the usually united court of Vanheim. In King George times, while the court is divided in many issues, they are usually only differing in the methods of doing something. In the court, at the time of the reign of King George, they all were united with the desire to unify he continent. It is only that the courtiers in the court differed in the way they approach that goal. Some prefer diplomacy and subtle politics while others preferred a direct way of invading and annexing states. But the moment Prince Edward was chosen, the objectives of the courtiers change. King George and Aero was the unifying force in the court. With the death of the King and Aero being imprisoned at the time in Veva, the courtiers do what they must do to survive in the court. And they each pick a side. And many were more inclined to side with the First Prince, Prince James. Prince Edward had no visible accomplishment in the military or the administration. Other than securing the alliance of Duvar by marring Helena, he had nothing of note. Hence, the disapproval of many officials and minister in the court gain traction. Some of them even had a mind to change the ruler to Prince James. In the day before Aero was escorted home by King Vrandeus sons, there was an upheaval in the royal city. Some people were trying to discredit the will and others truly to undermine the validity of King George will. Some of the minister even joined in and appearing to act with their conscience instead of being spurred by other motives. While it could cover the eyes of the commoner, it could not deceive Aero. Of course this matter was orchestrated by Prince James himself. Prince James even planned to rebel in the coronation ceremony. If not for Aero timely arrival the coronation ceremony, that day, it might be a day of bloodshed and rebellion. With him there, entering the capital city with ten thousand troops from Nairhell, with Castor and Pollux beside him, Prince James had to stand down his rebellion plan. It was because of Aero support that Prince James was safely coronated at Vanheim. But even then, there is a battle the next day. Nobody have the confidence at the new young king. At that time, Aero knows that King Edward need to do something big to secure his rule and reign. Aero own influence could only protect the King for so long. He needs to have something else to make sure he could sit firmly on the throne. In the military and administration, Aero power and influence is still there and the previous King, King George even stipulated in his will that unless Aero committed treason, only then he could be arrested. And there are practically no reasons for him to commit treason. He might not be King but his power and influence himself is not that different from the King. In the beginning, Aero had broken all the schemes that Prince James had try to laid out in the court. There were many times, that each crisis could weaken King Edward hold on the throne. Aero could not let this happen and as such, he broke each of the Prince scheme earning him the ire of the Prince. >>>>>>>>>>>>> Next chapter tomorrow. Hope you like the chapter and leave some comments. Chapter 273 - VILAJERI CONTINENT (3) But the Prince himself was afraid of him. While James is a Prince, other than that title, he had no power. The moment he returns from Niovar, after his victory, the military seal was returned back to the Six Councils And the power of the War council once again falls under the hand of the Chancellor. And Aero would not carelessly give the sword that have been given back to him. Prince James might be able to deceive his own father for his reason to want military power, but to deceive him would prove to be a monumental task that he would surely fail. Aero strip all of Prince James military power, shave off slowly his influence in the court, oppress the minister that was on his side and he holds tightly his authority in the Six Councils, giving no chance for Prince James to breathe. As such, Prince James could not help but to lay down each time he got a blow from Aero. Even though that was the case, Aero could see that Prince James was still not giving up the idea of the throne. King Edward knows the threat of his older brother but other than relying on Aero, he is a little bit useless. Unlike his father, King Edward is a coward. This trait of his could already be seen during the incident of Helena assassination. At that time, he ran away, leaving Helena alone to fend off for herself. He did not like the new King no matter how easily it is to control him. But nonetheless, Aero could not let Prince James sit on the throne. That would be more to his dislike than Edward. There is a reason of course for this animosity. Aero rarely have an eternal enemy. Every enemy could become an ally tomorrow, and vice versa. Even King Zeus which many regarded him as Aero enemy was someone that Aero respected. He does mock him of lack of an ability to administrate and are not a king material but Aero also acknowledges that Zeus is a talented commander of the battlefield. Zeus is the instinctual type of commander in the battlefield. And as such his moves in the battlefield could sometimes be regarded as unpredictable and messy but always could render an effect. It is the same for Eric. They schemed against each other but the emotions they have for each other is complex. It is not so easy to call the feeling they had for each other as hate. There is a mixed feeling of admiration and envy at each other. But for Prince James, Aero hated him. The reason why he hated Prince James so much is none other than because Aero believes it was Prince James that poisoned King George. At that time, if King George did not change his mind at the last minute, Prince James on the day he returns from victory would be proclaimed King after the death of his father. Because of that, whether he like King Edward is irrelevant. Aero decided that he needs to make sure that Prince Edward rule and reign to be peaceful so that prince James would not gain power. The relationship between Aero and the new King was unlike the relationship between King George and him. In the relationship of the previous King with Aero, there is this mutual respect and admiration on each other. They sometime did not even have to speak to understand what the others are thinking. Aero relationship with Edward is like that of a regent and a child king. In truth, the one that rules Vanheim is Aero. He sent orders to the King and the King approve it. Aero did not want to make the son of George become a puppet king but at the same time, unless he has enough power he could not effectively deal with Prince James repeated attempt at destabilizing the throne. He had to keep a tight leash on all the Six Councils As such, Aero power in the court grew even more, surpassing that of the King itself. And every court officials knows about this But Aero no matter how large the temptation to write the orders and seal it with the Seal of the King, he did not. He still wrote the explanation of the things he did and send it to the King for him to seal it with the Seal of the King. Only then he executes the order There is a reason why he did that. And probably only he understands why it is so important that he never cross that line. After a few months of stabilizing the court, he finally proposes an idea to the King. Like he had thought in the beginning he knows that for King Edward reign to be approved by the other officials and to assure the minister, hat the new king need to do something big. And he had just the plan Aero plan is for King Edward to capture Duvar Kingdom and claim himself to be Emperor. He said capture but the truth was it is just a farce he orchestrated with King Vrandeus. The details were explained to King Vrandeus and his two sons and Aero even consulted Helena who was now the Queen. Her relationship with the new king is still as cold as always but she was really friendly to him. It is a farce to enhance the kingdom prestige and to assure the common people. Other than him and a few other people in the court, not many knows the backdoor deals involved in that farce And then after all of the discussion was finalized, the day for that drama to begin has arrived. It began with King Edward sending a letter to King Vrandeus ordering him to opens the gates of Duvar and submit to Vanheim. As planned, King Vrandeus did not accept it. The resolution of King Vrandeus shocked the other nations. King Vrandeus was prepared to fight to the death with King Edward. At the time, Veva was still in the midst of pacifying the rebellions and as such could not investigate deeply on the matter. If not, Aero had sixty percent chance of being discovered by Eric. Aero believes if it was him, he would see the farce. And to them, it is better if Duvar kingdom resist Vanheim. Alfhaim was so eager to help Duvar, that they did not mind sending their Silver Archers. Of course King Vrandeus rejected. >>>>>>>>>>> Next chapter tomorrow. See you later. Chapter 274 - VILAJERI CONTINENT (4) If Alfhaim really send their Silver Archers, the plan to elevate King Edward from a useless King to an enlightened king would go up in smoke Other than Alfhaim eagerness, everything was happening according to plan. Aero had slowly set the stage for King Edward to elevate himself to become an enlightened ruler. In the court, as the minister argue that a prolonged war might involve Veva there is growing discontent to continue the war. In the midst of this, the Queen herself sent a letter to her father to stand down only to be met with rebuke. Of course even this anecdote of history is nothing but a farce orchestrated between father and daughter. In the letters, King Vrandeus wrote that he would not surrender and open up Duvar to accept the same fate as Niovar. It seems like just an offhand comment but the letter indirectly accuses Prince James. Aero wanted to kick him when he is down. Only then it would be harder for him to stand up. In Vetten war Aero won the battle beautifully. Even when Vanheim forces invaded Vetten, they invaded at the most perfect time. Aero was very adamant with King George during their late night talks that to attack or to defend, requires the perfect timing. Grasp that timing in your hand, and you would be undefeatable. Miss it, and even the most well-crafted plan could crumble. It was Aero conduct in that war and the subsequent invasion that won him his everlasting fame and glory The act of sparing the innocent and protecting the common people form the desolation of war had made Aero as a righteous person and enhance his reputation as an otherworldly statesman. But Prince James in his annexation of Niovar, killed many people. The streets of the capital city of Niovar run red with blood. It gave Prince James the reputation of a bloodthirsty and warmongering commander. Aero at that time was disapproving of Prince James because he had already laid out his plan for Niovar. If at that time Vanheim follow his plans, the casualties of Vanheim soldiers would be less and the fall and the pacification of the kingdom would become even faster. It is why he decided to let King Vrandeus write that letter while indirectly condemning Prince James action in the past It had the benefit of degrading Prince James position in the court and would help to set the stage for King Edward to solve the problem that is indirectly caused by Prince James. In other words, that letter condemn Prince James. It is basically saying that because of the conduct of Prince James, King Vrandeus does not trust that Vanheim would leave Duvar alone even if they surrender. Just with one letter, Aero had managed to put himself in an advantageous position. He did not even need to attack Prince James himself. Other minister helps him do it because they believe that the indirect cause for such resistance from Duvar is directly related to Prince James actions in the past. Many of the minister, began to turn on Prince James. And Prince James himself knows that he was targeted so he lays down. Aero still remembers that day. He looks at Prince James eyes and he only smirk. He did not even say anything. Aero wanted him to know that he still did not have the power to stand against him. At that time, he was giving Prince James a warning. And thankfully, Prince James is not an idiot. In some way, Aero felt that James is more suited to be a King than Edward. It is just because Aero believes that he is the one that killed George, that he could not sincerely support him. Hence, he looks on as James was scolded by some of the ministers. In the beginning, when King Edward proposes the plan, many minister believe that King Vrandeus would swear fealty like Karak Federation. It seems like this would be an easy win. Thus, it come to a shock when King Vrandeus did not act according to expectation and become so stubborn that he wanted to wage a war. And when that letter was revealed in the Parliament, the minister blames Prince James excessive behavior during the occupation of Niovar that led to the current situation. Vanheim, strong as it is, did not want another war after Niovar. They need to pacify the regions of Niovar, and slowly plan the development of the kingdom for the next few years. If they keep conquering without proper planning, then they might bite off more than they could chew. Aero was always reminding the military officials in the court to remind the King, that Vanheim must not overextend itself so bad that it opens itself up to so much danger. It is wise to fortify internal security before expanding outwards. Sometimes the best offense is defense. While people are wasting their resources, if Vanheim could increase resources and secure the ever expanding border of the kingdom, then in the end, the world will still belong to Vanheim. It was then that King Edward said he would once again negotiate with King Vrandeus. The entire court was adamant on not letting the King go. King Vrandeus at that time seemingly intent on doing war. King Vrandeus had prepared his soldiers and some news even said he was asking for helps from the Savillia kingdom. Even though Duvar is small, one must not underestimate the Holy Seat of the Old Empire. They are a hardy bunch and they are blessed by the Gods of Olympus. It is even said, in the event of people trying to destroy the Holy City, the Gods of Olympus itself would come down from their abodes and aided the champion of Duvar But King Edward insisted to go and Aero volunteered to follow the King. Aero was enhancing the king prestige. He would not forget to enhance his own prestige too. He is presenting himself as a loyal and brave official that would accompany their King even though it is going to a path of danger. It could also shut up the dark whispers that he and the King did not get along. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> This is the chapter for today. See you tomorrw and hope you like the chapte Chapter 275 - VILAJERI CONTINENT (5) King Edward then brought ten thousand troops with Aero in the lead and went to Duvar. Along the way, Aero was kept in the loop of what is happening in the court, the sentiment of the people and the current situation of the surrounding kingdoms around Duvar. When King Edward arrived, he asked to speak with King Vrandeus an after two hours of pretending to negotiate with each other, the door to Duvar Holy Kingdom was opened and so the feat of King Edward subduing an entire kingdom without shedding one droplet of blood were spread all over the continent. It is said the King was a wise King that managed to turn even the staunchest enemies to allies. It is the best Aero could do with what he is given and the situation he is in. It is a stroke of luck that King George had created such a powerful Vanheim kingdom that Aero plans could be realized. After all, he could not make Edward a military hero considering how cowardly he is. Everything is a play and everyone is an actor in the games of politics. That is how Aero turned the incompetent King Edward into a wise King and an enlightened ruler. But unlike King George, he was a fake. Nonetheless, Aero then arrange for the coronation of King Edward to Emperor in the Holy Seat of the Old Empire blessed by King Vrandeus. Veva was shocked at tis news so was the other kingdoms. But they could not do anything else after the news reached them. Aero of the East is in the city and people still remember his feat of killing forty thousand people by his lonesome Thus, King Edward was safely coronated. And Vanheim gained Duvar kingdom which gives Vanheim access to Alfhaim kingdom, the kingdom of Elves, Savillia kingdom, the kingdom who emerged itself to form a union to stop Veva forces from swarming them over and of course, the borders of Duvar kingdom shares the border with Veva. Vanheim now gain access to the rest of the other kingdoms. The ambition that King George and Aero once share is slowly coming into being. Vanheim¡­.is slowly moving toward the reunification of the continent And finally, the two great kingdoms have met each other. Veva and Vanheim. Veva was one of the reason why he could persuade Duvar to submit under Vanheim. Helena herself is the Queen of Vanheim, and Aero promise her and her father that Duvar would remain an independent kingdom with little interference as long as Duvar submit to Vanheim. But Aero was also not entirely trusting when dealing with King Vrandeus. He did shave off the military power that King Vrandeus had and slowly turns the border that sit directly looking at Veva into a fortress. The military was reorganized with the officers and leaders coming from the Vanheim Imperial Army Duvar was easily persuaded because it shares it border with Veva and everyone knows that Veva is still digesting the states that they had conquered which is why they could not do any rash movement toward Duvar. There is also the fact that the sudden emergence of Aerosia and the rebellion armies all over the kingdom did not help with Veva vision for the unifying of the empire, delaying them from making a move to Duvar. With King Edward retitled to Emperor Edward, and with the feat of capturing Duvar without a single shed of blood, his reign had become even more powerful and as such Prince James was even angrier at him Then he left. He did not remember why he left Vilajeri Continent and return to Western Heaven but he remembers he fled the world. And he was not the only one., his memory is still fuzzy on that point. Though he thinks that it is probably because of something urgent had happen in Western Heaven. But he did not have many memories of Western Heaven right now ''Hah'' he grunted as he pushes away the bush in front of him. As he pushed it away, he smiles. The wind sways his white robe and he could feel the soothing and cooling wind on his skin. he finally saw a road. The road is very simple but it is a road anyway. In the distance he could see a few small hut. The hut had something like a small wooden boat and on the front of the hut is a large net sprawled on the wooden veranda. ''A fishing hut'' he thought to himself. Though the fishing hut looks abandoned or maybe it is just a private fishing hut. Though he still did not see anyone else. He walks a little bit farther and then he saw a garden like area. It has green trimmed grass and many flowers. The area looks like a scenery of a heavenly garden. The smells coming from the garden is also very soothing. Though it is not appropriate saying it to be a garden when in fact it is just a flat area that had a different kinds of plants growing around it. Surrounding the area, is some puddles of clean water. And razing the grass of the area is lots of horses. ''HEHEHE'' Aero smiles as he run towards the area. Startled by his movement, the horse runs away from the area. But Aero himself is a fast person. He quickly chases one of the horses and jump behind it and take control of the horse It thrashed wildly trying to throw him off but after a while, Aero finally tamed it. He then began riding it. He rides it for hours until he finally found a place that looked like a village. He saw people in caravans. He then rides forward and saw a market. It was then that he jumped down from the horse. He tied the horse to one of the tree and then walk himself toward the market ''I hope it is not Veva'' he prayed before walking inside the noisy market >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> See you all tomorreow. And leave some comments and don''t forget to vote Chapter 276 - THE WORLD STIRS (1) Aero is now sitting under a tree; the shade covers him from the heat of the sun. He could still hear the waves of the ocean and the wind of the sea still blows around him, cooling himself. Neighing sometimes is the horse he grabbed before, its reign tied to the tree. He sighed ''Hmm'' he thought to himself as he tries to digest the information he just got. He had finally found out where he is. He inquired the people in the market and they told him that he is on Karak. ''Karak Federation'' he muttered under his breath. It is an iffy place to land. He is around Zovar, one of the states inside Karak Federation, under the rule of House Vlad. He sighed a bit. Around him people are moving around busily with horse carriage or some long caravans, many of them will be trading on the main cities with their trade products. Like the center of their government, even here there is market and stall everywhere, their people are active and full of energy The policy of Karak has always been profit. It is why Aero had it easy when trying to persuade the four noble houses. ''Hmm. What should be my plan? Karak is an ally but they are an unreliable ally. And I still felt that it is hard to believe the government of Karak to really protect me'' Aero thought to himself. There is a reason why he thought of this matter. He had not only inquired some news on the market he also inquires about other things After all, he always built his path based on information and he was also curios of what happened to the world. And the news he found out made him even more hesitate and requires him to think more critically. One of the news that he had found out was the matter of time difference between the people of this world and the people from Western Heaven It seems that Time stooped for a while for the people of this world when they, the Western Heaven people disappeared in what is called a mass exodus event by the people of this world Though from what he got from the hawkers in a stall, the oracles said that the Divine had something to ask of adventurers and summon them to the Heavens It must be what the Gods of various religions tell their oracles and soothsayer to say to the people of Vilajeri Continent to not make them anxious. After all, from what he heard the hawker clearly believe that the adventurers would return back and as prophesized, they have returned back to Vilajeri Continent The only problem with that is Aero still had no much memories about Western Heaven. He knew he come from there. He just doesn''t remember his life there. What is Western Heaven? That question sometime popped up in his mind. He does remember certain technology that surpass the people of this world seems to be present in Western Heaven. He remembers he rides a metal carriage and that the people of that world could fly riding a big metal bird. And for him, it was a normal occurrence. But even there is that memories in his head, when he tries to recall it, the memory become choppy and blurry. Like he is trapped in a thick fog and he could only saw certain flashing images and silhouettes of people. And the him in Western Heaven wears a different clothes and he seems even freer than he is now. But each time he tries to recollect that memories, he felt pain in his head. It was like the more he tries to force himself to remember, the more it hurts. ''Hah'' he sighed. And Aero realize something else. For the people of this world, they did not even realize that their time was stopped when the people of Western heaven went into mass exodus. But at some point, that sealing of time broke. This made Aero think even harder. The notification window he got from Western Heaven said that time is stopped when they are in Purgatory. But when he found out the stories, it doesn''t seem to be the case. ''Western Heaven'' he muttered, his hand rubbing his chin. He is thinking, as the wind blows and ruffles his hair. ''And then there is that Eastern Heaven. What does this all means?'' He heard about the existence of another Heaven from the mouth of Lizhu Gerard. And the items he got from Lizhu Gerard even have the description that it is from Eastern Heaven Then if there is Western Heaven and Eastern Heaven, could there be other forces? And others kind of Gods and Divines? And is this their doing? Or could it be Western Heaven was mistaken? But how could heavens make a mistake? Time moved. Thus, the word of the Western Heaven was mistaken. ''I could not trust even the heaven'' Aero sighed, his word was spoken in a whisper. It is not hard to deduce that time does move. Aero could deduce such matter from the many changes that happened in Vilajeri Continent Aero was also impressed that the people of this world was not shocked about his appearance. From what he knows the oracles, soothsayers and even the Bishop of Church of Light had prophesied the returns of the adventurers to the world once again. He had half expected his return would be a shocking thing but other than an awed expression and a little bit of shock, they immediately regain their calm. It is the reason why the people in the market did not chase him away or suspicious of him. They know he is and adventurer and they welcome the adventurers back. To some people, the return of the adventurers is a good thing. And many kingdoms are rejoicing. Of course Aero is sure not every kingdom shares that same sentiment To some the return of the adventurers would mean the return of workforce, and even their military force. But to some kingdoms, the return of the adventurers would also mean the return of some troublesome people. And Aero is on top of that troublesome list. Even now, he believes that the court of Vanheim will be having a complicated emotions regarding his returns. He could bet that Prince James would not welcome him at all. Though, the same could not be said for his younger brother, Emperor Edward. In his absence, Aero is sure, that James would strengthen his position in the court and promote his people into the court. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Part two would be tomorrow and there will be a very important announcement at the end of the month for this story 277 THE WORLD STIRS 2 Edward would probably desire his support at this moment which is why he would be seeking him. The two imperial brothers will be seeking him. Though, they will surely not share the same intention. One would want him to stay as far away as possible from Vanheim court, while one of the wanted him to returns as fast as possible to the court Aero only smirks at this. Veva however might not be like this. They might be celebrating with fireworks right now After all, their King is returning and with Eric and Bart also returning, it would mean the surrounding kingdoms of Veva will once again intensify their military presence in the borders. He already heard the sigh from Karak merchants that said, Savillia kingdom has already sent an order to their Generals to fortify their defenses in border. The Three Kingdoms, Savillia, Alfhaim and Nero Republic is preparing for the worst case scenario. Savillia did not want to fight Veva right now as they would try to stabilize their kingdoms. After all, their adventurers also have returned back. And Savillia kingdom will be preoccupied with trying will try to persuade the adventurers to return back to their kingdom. And their kingdom will not be the only one that have to persuade the adventurers to return back to their country of origins. Since the adventurers were all transported to random places, some of the adventurers might decide that Savillia kingdom is not the place for them to bet their lives with. After all, now they no longer have their immortality the adventurers would probably choose the best place for them to survive and gain power. Places like Nero Republic would not be an ideal place for adventurers. With the return of the Holy Maiden, Nero Republic times is numbered. With the Divines retracting back the immortality of the adventurer it has made many kingdoms felt a little bit safer since they could now inflict permanent harm to the adventurers they do not like and adventurers who in their way In the past, these nobles had to tread carefully when they are faced with adventurers. If they schemed against an adventurer, they better make sure that the adventurer didn''t know it was them because after they die, they would just return and investigate the matter relentlessly. It is the reason why adventurer is a formidable existence but also the reasons why they are regarded as effective workforce. They did not mind exploring the most dangerous caves or brave the dangerous seas because of their immortality. Even if they die in the journey, they would return and could still contribute by giving information about what to expect. Some kingdoms probably put that into equation. That this time while the Divines help them a bit in the matter of the Adventurer immortality, the Divines also fucked them up. Now, the adventurer might be choosier with the jobs and quest they undertake. The kingdoms could not just treat them as cannon fodder anymore. Not to mention the adventurers no matter what profession are all very powerful compared to the native people of the Vilajeri Continent. Other that some legendary characters, normal people could not stand against the adventurer wits and their talents that is bestowed by the heavens And with the retraction of immortality, the Divines have also lifted certain restriction from adventurers. In the past when they have chosen their kingdoms, they could not remove that association unless by using certain items or certain magic. If they want to remove the association with the kingdom, they have to wait for the kingdom to be displaced or destroyed. But for the adventurers if the kingdom they signed themselves up destroyed, they lost a lot of gains and they were cursed by the Heavens with decrease strength, speed and their own existence felt weaker overall. In the scheme of large things, they are not many that could change the state of war by their own lonesome in the world. Thus, the adventurer felt some dissatisfaction to the Divines for this system But now, everyone is a free agent. They could remove their association with their kingdom anytime they want. Aero predicted that there will be many adventurers flocking to Vanheim, Veva and Holy Zun Empire this week. And while this is also one of the factors that needs to be considered, Aero believe that for Nero Republic and Alfhaim they would probably be more concerned about the threat of the Holy Zun Empire. Of course, Nero Republic is the one that is more concerned with the returns of the adventurers. This is because it means the Pope of the Holy Church and his Holy Apostle, Holy Maiden of Arleans Ariana of the South will also returns. With her returns, that would mean, when she finds out that Nero had seceded itself from the Holy Zun Empire, she would surely reorganize the Holy Army and march once again to retake back the land. If he knows Eric, and he does know him, Aero is sure that the moment he is back, he would once again reorganize the army and Zeus would do a quick attack to reestablish his authority The Holy Maidens of Arleans however might have to deal with the schism inside the Church and only after that she could once again set her sight outwards from the Holy Zun Empire. Whatever the case is, Aero had to think of other things right now. It seems a lot of things had changed and Karak would surely also change in those few months when they found that the adventurers are no longer a part of their world. Karak did swear fealty to Vanheim Empire but that doesn''t mean they are truly under the direct control of the Empire. Thus, Aero need to think how to approach this matter. Karak is not like any other kingdoms. It is ruled by four noble houses in the kingdoms. Other noble''s houses are all minor nobles that is under these four noble houses. And these four noble houses all have their own interest. Aero believe that some of them supported Prince James. And Aero could go even further than that in his deduction. He believes that while some of these noble houses supported James, they did not do it because they like him or because they hate Emperor Edward. Karak does not like Vanheim Empire to become too strong. Even though, they swear fealty to Vanheim, Aero knows the way these noble houses think. Karak submit to Vanheim, because fighting Vanheim would be a meaningless war. That is why they submit. But just because they submitted didn''t mean they still did not dream of once again independently rule without the interference of the Empire. Thus, they would not do move that will not harm them or harm Vanheim too much but weaken them enough, for them to not be so strong that the Empire might swallowed them entirely. ''Hmm'' he sighed again. ''What should I do?'' He did not know whether he will be welcomed or ostracized here. Aero did not realize that as he was thinking deeply, some people in the market speaks at each other looking at his direction. These person wears a hood that cover their head and show only a vague outline of their appearance. Their eyes were trained on Aero then they walked away. On their clothes, is a badge of an owl. They look at Aero for a few second and whisper to each other ears, nodded and then disappeared in the crowd. Not far behind those people are merchants selling their wars. But their eyes are sharp and sometimes glance toward the direction of Aero. They smile looking at their customers and when their customers finish buying or window shopping their wares, they went behind their stalls without anyone noticing. They write something in a parchment of paper and open a cage fill with pigeons. These merchants then tied the parchment of paper into the legs of these pigeons and set them free. When the pigeon was released it flies to many different directions. Some fly to the south. Some fly to the north. Some fly to the east and some fly to the west. The letters landed in the palace of Kings and Emperors. It landed in caves of secret societies, of undesirables of societies, of people who have their faces hidden from the world. It landed in the office of the Holy See. Some of them landed in the hands of divine things, which relayed the news to the Gods, to the Divines. But their words in the letter all carry the same meaning The Chancellor of Vanheim has returned! And so the world stirred once again. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ; See you all tomorrow and leave some comments. Dont forget to vote and hope you have a good day 278 THE THREE STORMS 1 Karak have quite a democratic way of choosing their rulers. Four noble houses are elected in turn every four years with each houses have their own signature policy. Before Vanheim become what it was now, Karak have always leads the other kingdom in terms of wealth with their trade and sea product. And now with the emergence of Vanheim Empire, Karak would surely be influenced with the political courts of Vanheim. Aero did not fear being attacked. He fears being schemed upon. There is a lot of turning hero to villains and he had too much to lose if he is schemed upon. Dying is sometime better Many people might think if he run away from Vanheim, he could find shelter in Veva or make a comeback in the Holy Zun Empire. It is not as simple as that. Eric might be happy if there is a schism between him and Vanheim but he surely would not be fond of him in Veva court. Because if he is in Veva court, then what use of Eric in Veva court. The other thing was, Zeus is a temperamental person and not someone who Aero believe should be the ruler of the world. He is hard headed and a straight bamboo. Being too straight and not malleable would only causes breakage when met with a powerful force. As for the Church? Aero did not like that he had to bow his head to the Pope and consider him Holy above all else. That is not just his personality. And he knows nothing about Ariana. Though he doesn''t think she would be very welcoming of him if he defects to them. There would be not two tigers in the same jungle. If Aero defected to the Holy Zun Empire, then what role should he takes? There is only one role that would be suitable for him there and that is the Holy Commander of the Holy Army. But, then that means that Ariana had to empty that spot for him. He doubts that she would be willing. And Aero is quite content with his life right now in the court. He did not have any intention of usurping the title of the Emperor from Edward. First, he was never that interested in that title anyway. Second, he at least tries to respect the memory of his late friend. While he did not like Edward because of his behaviors and his duplicitous nature, Aero did try to guide him to become a competent ruler. The fact was Aero did not see even a trace of King George in Edward other than his appearance Thirdly, there is no need for him to defect to other powers because he already holds the most power in the court of Vanheim Why would he let that go and put himself with hardship. People with power protect their powers. True, there is many threats but there are only a few things in this world, that is really considered a threat for him. And as he holds the most power, people think twice before offending him or moving against him. It also creates a status quo inside the court. The nobles might hate him at certain times but at certain times, they appreciated his power and influence. Aero balances the power in the court. Honestly, that fact is not really true. But that is what Aero made them believe. That is why those old nobles did not even try to move against him. The common people might think that the Emperor holds the power of the Imperial Court. That is wrong. They just believe it to be so, because Aero want them to believe that. There is so much farce and theatrics in the imperial court, it would not be an exaggeration to say every courtiers and minister have talents in acting. In the court, Aero control the Six Councils. It is a position he created for himself. Though at the time of the creation, he did it to centralize and strengthen the royal authority that King George possess. And King George and him shares the same ambition so he was also given the power to govern the Six Council. And after his death, in the discovered will of the King regarding Aero, he was entrusted to help the new Kinga and is given full control of the Six Council. The Six Council is jointly controlled by the King and the Chancellor. But all of those officials and minister inside the Six Council would rather offend the Emperor than offend the Chancellor. After all, during the reign of king George, Aero maintained a tight grip on the Six Councils. Aero also had the most support from the military faction. While the courtiers, and officials side did not like him very much, he did not have to convinced them all to like him. He just needs thirty percent of them to agree with him. In reality, all military factions defer to him and about fifty percent of the official''s factions is on his side. Most military personnel respected him and many of them even fought side by side with him during the war, some of them even revere him. Even Archduke Bradheim did not holds this much power during his heyday. The reason for it is because, Aero promoted people that he knows would support him. He promoted Arcturus, Marco and Aurelius to the Western Suppressing General, Northern Suppressing General, and Eastern Suppressing General with Bradheim given the power of Southern Suppressing General Aero relieves Bradheim control of the West after Edward became the Emperor. He always knew Bradheim supported James long before Edward become the Emperor. To leave him with his army on the border between Nairhell which Bradheim has a lot of rapport with the Great Orc Gruk is not something that bring ease into Aero heart. So, Aero sent him to suppress the South, to guard against the rebellion of the occupied kingdoms of Niovar. The other three, Arcturus, Marco and Aurelius were all people that followed King George during his exile and was beside Aero as he strategies the grand return of the King. They knew Aero and they trusted him. And they were friends. Three of the Generals that holds three fourth of the empire military is on his side. As such, Aero power in the military is unshakable. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 279 THE THREE STORMS 2 It is why he put military power into the hands of the Council which could only ordered by the Chancellor and the Emperor. And Aero himself manage his reputation and prestige with the common people wisely. Even though, he holds such power, he is still praised as a loyal couturier. His deeds during King George reign is not easily forgotten. He had done many deeds and could be said the designer of Vanheim Empire. In those long nights talk with King George, the pair of teacher and students, of superior and subordinate, of friends, talk about the reunification of the world and laid the bricks that created the current Vanheim Empire In the court, even the scholar faction consisted of many courtiers and minister could not fight with him as the Chancellor controls even their salary Which means to be enemies with him is akin of cutting their own pocket. Thus, they were not many that dares stand up against him unless they have the backing of the Emperor or the First Prince. Thus, in the court, every officials and every minister knows that the one who rules Vanheim is Aero But he never took the throne from Edward and not once he falsifies a report even one that is disadvantageous to himself when he presented it to the Emperor. He did not have such reputation like Zeus who is considered as a usurper. But just because he did not take the throne, did not mean he is well liked by the two imperial brothers. Edward did not trust him and James sees him as his biggest obstacle to the throne. Edward keeps him because he is the only shield that he could rely on in the heartless palace. Aero has his uses since he is the only one that could terrify the shit out of Prince James and hold him in check. And while the Emperor uses him, he too uses the Emperor to extend his reach all over the Continent. He is so powerful and so connected with all of Vanheim that if he really wanted to change the monarch, he could do it anytime he wanted. If he really did it, it would be swift, lethal and perfect On the other hand, Prince James would like him to be killed but Aero himself knows that James would never send assassins to him again since he had already known how powerful Aero is. James rarely do thing that is uncertain of There is also the fact that he only need to make one slip up for him to be destroyed by Aero and the Emperor. When Aero thinks about this matters he also sometimes sighs. How could their father be such different than their sons? The father is a proud lion, while his sons had none of his flair and bravery. One of them is too busy scheming while the other is too cowardly. He heard the horse neighs and he smiles tiredly. He is the Chancellor of Vanheim, one of the most powerful person in the world, but it seems there is nowhere in the world that welcome him. Then he opens back his eyes and nodded to himself. ''I still need to keep going'' And he smiles with his eyes full of determination. There is so many things he still did not know. And there is still so many things he wanted to do. He would not let himself be hunted or force down. He had too many things he wanted to do. Now, he only needs to think who he should meet in Karak that would made his return safer and easier. ''The four families surely would bet on one of the two'' He thought to himself He just need to make sure he chooses right. He got up for a bit and then untied the reins of his horse. He jumps on his horse and rides the horse toward the beach. Not long after he reach at the beach. He looks at the waves calmly coming to the shore and hears the sound of the oceans, and he takes a deep breath to calm himself down as he takes in the clean air. Then as his horse slowly saunter around the beaches, Aero begins to think once again. The ruling families of Karak consist of House Gael, House Vlad, House Cheveres and House Gerhardt. They all have their own way of dealing with things. House Gael is a military kind of noble house. They are the proponent of strengthening their kingdom by expanding their military. Not only that, their family also had a lot of them serving in the military. Their house control most of the military decision of Karak Federation and they have a large army compared to the other three houses. In terms of military power, of the other three, they were at the top. Aero deduce that House Gael might join their hands with James. They were always a proponent of strengthening the kingdoms through military might. Karak could rise actually in the past had they followed House Gael suggestion. But their kingdom is too used to peace and they indulge themselves too much on their luxuries. If not, they could have at least resisted when Vanheim came with the offer. They were weak and as such, they had to submit. If anyone could exploit the desire of House Gael, then Aero knows James is the perfect candidate that the House would back. Weakening other kingdoms while biding time is a tactics used by all strategist. Aero did not think that the noble houses of Karak that supported James wanted a civil war. That is not good for them too. They are too timid to do such things not to mention it would not be beneficial at all for their federation to be embroiled in such war. Because if such a thing happens, they have to pick a side between the two brothers. If their side won, then that would not be a huge problem. They probably enjoyed a rise in status before finally being annihilated either way. There are many reasons why Aero thought of this ending that would befall the noble houses of Karak if James is the one that becomes the final victor. This is because he knows how James think. If for some reason, a civil war broke out in Vanheim and the noble houses all over the Empire pick a side, and if the noble houses of Karak that chooses him, if James won, he would first kill all those on Edward side. Then he would raise the status of those that help him and solidifying his rule first But for the noble houses of Karak, even if they won, the ending awaiting them would not be a good ending. Aero is certain that at some point in James reign, he would surely accuse the noble house of Karak of some charges and annihilate them thus assuming direct control of Karak and swallow Karak Federation whole. He would then abolish all the noble houses of Karak and replace it with the people of Vanheim, his family and his confidant. >>>>>>>>>>>> 280 THE THREE STORMS 3 And if Aero could think this matter, those cunning people could also think of such ending. That is why he knows Karak noble houses did not want the matter of Vanheim Empire to grow so big. In such situation, whoever wins between the brother, no good ending would fall to the houses of Karak nobles. Whether they win or lose, their fate is still death. Aero shakes his head. ''So, House Gael is out'' he thought to himself. Then he thought of House Vlad. This House has quite a noble reputation among the people. From what Aero knows of their noble House, they are praised and respected by the people of Karak. Much of their policies benefited the people and most of the rules they created abolish many draconian laws which gave them a great deal of support from people of all walks of life. ''A talented governor'' he thought to himself. That is his judgement of House Vlad. They are a family of scholars and many scholars circle respected them. Even in Vanheim, the officials that come from a scholar background admired the scholars of Karak and the most famous scholar family in the entire continent is the House of Vlad in Karak They might be supporting Edward. Supporting Edward is in a way supporting the status quo. They did not share the same ambition like those of House Gael. They believe more in the enrichment of humanity as a whole by promoting education and benevolence. And Vanheim did all of that in all the regions it conquered. Thus there is no reason for them to rebel and not honor the agreement ''On hold'' he thought to himself. There is still a doubt about House Vlad in Aero heart. There is still House Cheveres and House Gerhardt. House Cheveres believes that the development of states need to be prioritized first before they could prioritize the citizens. When the kingdom is prosperous, then naturally the people would grow to become stronger and more powerful. This House could go either way in their affiliations. They could choose Edward because Edward would probably promise them many things and look like a timid Emperor, easy to please and pacify. But they could also choose prince James if James could offer something more tempting for the House of Cheveres. ''They probably went with James'' he muttered slowly. The wind blows his hair as his horse neighs. Aero pull the reins a bit and the horse moves once again. ''House Gerhardt is a little bit hard to put'' he thought to himself. The closest to him right now is House Vlad. House Vlad also shares its border with Vanheim so he could choose to go straight to Vanheim He is also waiting for the head of his Secret Forces to seek him. By now, there must be some chatter of his returns. It was not like Aero hides who he is and the way he carries himself, it would be weird if no one in the market did not recognize who he is. He even notices some merchants that take a glance at him secretly. He knows that the market is not only full with merchants and hawkers. There is also spies and information brokers. Taverns is not the only places where these people that hides in the darkness lounges around. In the past, he also had some of his Special Forces to hang out in the market, pretending to be merchants but from what he saw, it seems there is no spies from his Special Forces. He fears that someone did something to his Secret Forces in his absence. Of course, this did not mean that he fears that all of his spies is captured. After all, there are many ways for the Special Forces that he created to run away. Maybe as he returns to Western Heaven, these people were relieved from their duties. If that is all, then Aero would not be that anxious. He only fears that James had something to do with it. Or maybe even Edward had a hand in it. The Dark Shadows is one of his Special Forces unit he created. The Dark Shadows is his eyes and ears. Low level officials did not know he headed such a secretive organization inside Vanheim but those high ranking officials all knows that he had three special units that reported only to him. Even Edwards knows about it and it is clear that he too fears it. But during his presence, none of them dare say anything because it was useless if they argue with him. But both of them could not find a reason to abolish it. Since Aero claimed he created it during the reign of King George, posthumously title Emperor George When he was being ask of this matter in a closed session of the Parliament he argues about the importance of creating a powerful spy organization to the other officials. Spies was always used even before Aero made the organization. But they were usually from information brokers and were not as organized Aero special forces are very organized and very specific with their task. And there is an also the fact that no none knows who the spies are. The list was never revealed of who is the spies. Thus they could be used to watch political rivals too. But since the control would surely go to Aero, then it means he had all the dirt of the politicians in the court, giving him even more power in the court. He argues that a hostile army may face each other for years, striving for the victory which is decided in a single day. It is then integral to knows everything you could about the enemy. To remain in ignorance of the enemy condition simply because one grudges the outlay of a hundred ounces of silver in honors and emoluments, is the height of inhumanity. In war, women become widows, and children become fatherless. The longer it goes, the more tragic it became The problem about spies in Vanheim was that they were used secretly and for political purpose and to seek dirt, none of their expertise were invested into the military. Aero was not the only one that thinks spies could be used for military. Many others have such ideas. Of course those people come from Western Heaven who understand the importance of information when waging war. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 281 THE THREE STORMS 4 Simply because they nark on a person and the association between spies and assassins when their jobs were entirely different But it is true, that spies usually consorted with assassin. Assassins needs information to made their kill and sometimes spies need someone to be killed There is also the fact that many of the secret societies all over the continent uses spies and as such for those high society they regarded spies as rats and they should not have consorted with such people. Aero and many others that come from Western Heaven did not deny that spies nark on people. That is their job. The only thing that should worry them was to whom the spies'' narc on. Thus, it was important at that time for Aero to create an organization that would surveil the enemies'' movement and the internal unrest of the Empire. It is because of this that the other people inside the court become apprehensive. When Aero spoke of internal affairs, then it also means, that this new organization would also conduct their works inside the Empire and not only outside of it. Edward and James for the first time since Edward took the throne agreed with his older brother and rejected the proposal. But Edward and James objection was not so much because of that aspect. They objected it because if such surveillance department was created, it will still fall under the jurisdiction of the Six Council. And Aero holds the Six Council basically making those spies effectively his and with the organization, he would hold all the information of the Empire. Even though Edward and James rejected the proposal, Aero is not someone that anyone could reject. He once again proposes the same proposal to the Emperor. And Edward while he was brave the first time, he knows he could not push the Chancellor to much or else he would lose the only ally he had in the Imperial Palace. So, the proposal is once again reviewed. Aero then started convincing the scholars and the military factions. the scholars and the military faction was convinced of Aero argument. Aero advertises the frightful misery and vast expenditure of blood and treasure which war always brings in its train. The scholars have always abhorred war and the military side knows the difficulty of gathering supplies during wartime especially fi they are deep in enemy territory. Thus, it is very important to end the war early. But they still hesitated until Aero convince everyone of a simple fact of war If you are not kept informed of the enemy''s condition, and are ready to strike at the right moment, a war may drag on for years. The right information could win them a war And how does one get information? The only way to get this information is to employ spies, and it is impossible to obtain trustworthy spies unless they are properly paid for their services. The Emperor and prince James could see that the officials and military faction was about to be taken in with Aero words so they tried to dissuade the officials and the Generals by saying that if such organization was formed, it would also eat away at the Empire treasury by the expenditure and expenses alone. Aero countered that to grudge a comparatively trifling amount of gold for such a noble purpose, when every day that the war lasts eats up an incalculably greater sum would be a crime to the common people of Vanheim. Edward could not find a rebuttal to that. If he denies it, he would gain the reputation of an uncaring Emperor, lacking of benevolence. James also had no rebuttal of that. His reputation was already not good among the common people with some people calling him a butcher. If he rejected the proposal when Aero said such things, he is afraid that when he woke up from his bed tomorrow, there would be a new title for him from the common folk. People would say that he would rather sacrifice Vanheim own people than to part with his gold. So, he too remains silence. After all, if war lasted a long time, the grievous burden in the end would fall on the shoulders of the poor. The Empire had to raises taxes if the war lasted too long and in such situation, foreign influence could stir up rebellious sentiment. Thus it is better to form the organization than not forming it. He won and as such, the Emperor and Prince James could not do anything to his Secret Forces. It is called the Secret Council or the Seventh Council. It is the Overseer Council and it is ruled by Aero alone. Spies cannot be usefully employed without a certain intuitive sagacity. Aero had always kept advice in his head And while Edward did not possess such sagacity, Aero did and as such, in his time in the court, there was nothing that Aero did not know about the people in the court. He had foreknowledge of all things and as such, there is no scheme that could rattle or shakes his power. Thus one could see how it could be treated as Aero source of power in the court. Maybe in his absence, James could have schemed against the people of the Overseer Council in a bid to weaken his influence in the court. If not James, then it might be Edward. The Emperor also did not like the fact that he could be spied on by the Overseer Council. Or maybe the officers of the Overseer Council might be simply relieved from their task from the Acting Leader of Overseer Council. Whatever the case, the fact that he could not see his spies in the market, hinted at a larger problem. ''Does he want to rid of me now? Does the Emperor have a new backing? Or is it James trying to blind my eyes and shut my ears off? Or am I just overthinking this? He thought to himself. There are many possibilities but he remains calm. He had a plan now. At least, that is an improvement than before. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 282 THE THREE STORMS 5 He sighed again. ''So, I had to rely to these other people'' he thought to himself. He bet by the moment he went out of the market, many of the spies there would have sent messages to their employers and organization about his returns. So, there would be chatter and he hopes that his Secret Forces would hear this chatter and seek him as fast a s possible. Aero did not even consider House Gerhardt in his calculation Their Houses are great family friend to House Gael as they share the same position about the matter of military might and they agree on the same kind of policy which is the expansion of military parallel to their prosperity. It is not a good house for him to trust at this sensitive moment. These four families used to act as each other check and balances but Aero knows it has changed a bit since they swore fealty to the Empire. Now, the political matters in Vanheim could affect their own kingdoms. The plot and scheme hatched a thousand mile away could affect millions of people living in Karak. When he joins the mass exodus of the people of Western Heaven and return to their world, Aero remembers that House of Cheveres still had one year left before House Gerhardt turns to rule. There is a reason why he did not hide himself. He is thinking himself as he was in a war. And in a war, the success of any war effort depended on the ability to know as much about the enemies. Their intention, their strength their desires and their weaknesses. But as one would often find, no enemy would be willing to shares this information to you Aero had many enemies. He could hide of course. That is also a way for him But that would be detrimental to him at his current situation. The safest way for him is to return quickly to Vanheim and asses the situation. But at the same time he could not just rashly enter Vanheim without knowing whether there is a trap there waiting for him He need a fast solution. He need to quickly reestablish his authority and return to the seat of power. Then he would be untouchable. The visible enemies are easy to counter and defend against. for those who he categorizes as visible enemies there is Eric, Zeus and Bart in Veva. And there is also the Holy Maiden of Arleans in the South, the Holy Apostle of the Church of Light And while Arianna never provoked Vanheim, since their initial intention would never meld together, sooner or later, something got to give between them. Aero himself did not know about those people situations. He did not know whether they have arrived at their kingdoms and assume their powers or not. And the more chaotic it became, the more things would go out from his plans But a revealed enemy would not do much against Aero. Aero did not fear Zeus or Arianna even if they are here right now. An enemy who have revealed himself lost one of the most important element of war¡­. surprise. So Aero is not concerned with those kinds of enemies that he already knows. It is those that hid in the dark that makes him uneasy. For him there is too many unknown enemies. He had no information and no backup right now. While he is confident in winning absent anyone in a fair fight, those who become his enemas are all profound schemer He lacks information and as such he is operating in the dark. That is one of the reason why he wanted to secure his allies first. He need to start somewhere of course. Since he already had many enemies, Aero also concocted a plan. Since he already doesn''t know how many people are targeting him at this moment, he would make the matter become even more chaotic and muddy. He is operating in the dark while his enemies know his every move. He is putting himself as bait. And Aero is a very tempting bait. But with many cooks, rarely the dishes would be good. As such, the more chaotic it becomes, the more that knows of his returns, the more advantageous it became for him. There are some people that wanted to kill him. And there will be some people that wanted to kidnap him for information. And then there is also some people that would want to save and shelter him Whatever the case, when the intention of these people clashed, they would be distracted and their impact would be minimized against him And Aero wanted to achieve something else. He is deliberately trying to distort the enemy. He could go straight to Vanheim but he will mislead them by going first toward the House of Vlad. He knows what he is going to do but those spies wont. They would only reveal his whereabouts towards their employers but they would not know what he is planning eventually Aero could use his reputation to shield him. His act of going to House Vlad is just a simple plan. But Aero knows that his enemies would not think like that. They would overthink it. They would try to connect dost that doesn''t exist or maybe even create a new scenario in their minds. Aero could guess what some would think of his decision to go to House Vlad but in the end it doesn''t matter what they think He wanted to create false impression. It did not matter whether that false impression had something to do with his objectives. What important was that those who know about his whereabouts to think intently about his intention and his goals. The more they think, the more they would fall in to his scheme. Since the actions that Aero would do after this did not lead to any of his main objective, as such, those who schemed against him in the dark would become even more confused. He would move in a deceptive pattern, feed them false information, making them believe whatever they wanted to believe. The more they think that they knew what he is panning, the more they would fall in deeper into their own thoughts. All the while, his enemy hiding in the dark is unaware that it has been misled will act on false knowledge and commit all kinds of mistakes. Aero might even be lucky enough that he would be able to identify some of these hidden enemies >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 283 THE THREE STORMS 6 While his prowess is unmatchable, Aero had never relied too much on his prowess and he never sets himself up as an unkillable general, preferring to stay in the war tent and deciding the outcome of a battle hundreds of miles away with his mind. When people think of Aero, they first think of his strategies and not his battle. Why? Because he knew the limit of such elevation of personality cult. Aero knows he could be hurt. He could be killed and harmed upon by divine weapons or some divine magic. As such he never set himself up to become the foil of other person victory. There is a reason why Aero could kill so many during the event in font of the Veva front gate. When they saw Zeus was thrashed badly by him, a King who all of the Vevaian soldier believes to be unbeatable, their morale dropped. The stronger the faith, the weaker they become when that faith is broken Zeus set himself up like some kind of a living god that walks among them. So, the impact of him being thrashed so badly is like seeing God bleeds. And once you show the possibility of such, the faith of those people crumbles. A faithless soldier is the easiest to kill. Faithless in that meaning of losing any motivation and having no morale because of the belief that there is no possible way to win. Aero knows that even if he bleeds fighting in a battlefield while the morale of his soldiers would dip, it would not crumble completely. Because he never sets himself up as some kind of a living god like Zeus did. Ariana also plays with this kind of personality cult, making the peasant believes that as long as she fights with them, there is not battle that they cannot won. Though he had to admit Ariana does it more brilliantly than Zeus ever did. Nonetheless, Aero is employing the essence of a military strategy to his situation which is the strategy of deception. He wanted the matter of him returning, to become chaotic and muddy because if it became chaotic it would become easier for him to hide his intention and his purpose, and control the enemy vision of reality. Aero had always had a reputation of virtuous, loyal and benevolent. When the common people spoke of Aero, this is the three traits that they would mention the most. But for those who knows truly the Chancellor, they know him to be more complicated than that. Aero is an enigmatic person to the eyes of many of his peers. While maintaining a reputation of a virtuous person, his strategies is so unlike his reputation. It is brutal, cruel and full of tricks. But none deny that he is virtuous. Why? because in war, there is no moral taint un using deception. Even the common people did not think deception in war as something that is unhonorable. He was neve so vulnerable like he is right now. Those that knows Aero might b surprised of why he is so timid now that he is out of Vanheim. That is because his enemies are not only mortal. But also some Gods. And Gods have their own champions. And these champions are not easy to recognize. These is what he calls unseen enemies. There is also the Blood Brotherhood that have always hated him. Then there are other secret societies from the vanquished kingdoms who were affected by Vanheim Conquest. He is at a state where he has no clues about his enemies. So, he had to remain vigilant and cautious. He is blind without the Overseer Council. And he is not so sure whether returning back is really a good idea until he got the full picture. He takes a deep breath for a while and then he remembers something. ''I think only about this matter and forget to check my status right now'' There is also the White Sword technique that he did not yet learn. He then brought out the book from his pouch. He looks at the words embossed in front of the book. Manual of the White Sword Technique. He then will himself to learn and then a voice sounded in his ears, asking whether he want to learn it. Aero answer yes and then the book on his hands turns into golden motes of light that enters Aero body. -You have learned the full sword technique of the White Sword Technique. Awarded with three skill points for reward of succeeding getting the legacy of Lizhu Gerard. Your sword moves have evolved as you have understood the Nine Moves of the Divine Sword Technique. White Sword technique is the core of the Divine Sword Technique and as such you have learns all of the manuals required to learn Divine Sword Technique. Your sword moves are now updated on your status window- Suddenly there was this notification window that popped out. He immediately checks his status window and his eyes look down toward his White Sword Technique. He then smiles. Before it used to show Manual of the White Sword technique (Volume I) But now it shows a different kind of status. DIVINE SWORD TECHNIQUE NINE MOVES OF THE DIVINE SWORD TECHNIQUE All of his moves before slowly dissipated inside the status windows. Crimson Strikes, Autumn Slice, Blowing Fire, Slithering Slash, and Opening blow, the five sword moves he had always uses when fighting dissipated from the status windows and replaced by nine new stances. Aero looked at the nine sword stance and read its description. FIRST MOVE OF THE DIVINE SWORD TECHNIQUE. ALL ENCOMPASSING STANCE It is the first stance of the Divine Sword technique. It has all variations to implement the Divine Sword technique. This stance covers all variations and changes of all kinds of attack in the world. Lizhu Gerard went around the world and analyze all kinds of battle techniques, martial arts and defensive measures in a fight and come up with this stance. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ''I need to try this out'' he thought to himself. He jumped down from his horse and then he brought out his sword. Aero then waves his Heaven Sword to get a feel for it. After all, it is a little heavy. He took a deep breath, close his eyes for a few second and when he opens it back up there is this focus in his eyes. Hah! He shouted and then he tried to execute the All Encompassing stance. The sand rises up and there is variation of sword movement in his attacks. When he hacks it is full of power. When he slices it is swift, when he cuts it is sharp. Around him the sand rises up and the sea water spirals around him and then when he thrusted forward his sword the water and sand merge together creating a mud spears that shoots out toward the oceans as the sand beneath his feet rises up and merge with the sea water and gathered around the tip of his sword. The moment Aero thrust out his sword, the sand and water merge creating a thick mud that hovers in the air and shoots out toward the sea. Its speed created shockwave that disperse the sand around as it left an after image of that attack for a few seconds. The mud spears travel for a few minutes before it crashes inside the ocean. Aero nodded in satisfaction ''I need to train more with this if I want to gain more comprehension on this sword technique'' Aero knows that for sword moves it does not have any ranks. Instead it could only be comprehended by practicing. Unless, he got another divine intervention, it is time for him to put some efforts in his swordsmanship. He then looks at the second move. >>>>>>>> 284 THE THREE STORMS 7 It is the second stance of the Divine Sword technique. It has all variations to implement sword technique of the Divine Sword technique. This stance is used to counter swordplay styles from any people and dive deep into the concept of swords and its application. Its moves are all lethal and while it could be used as a flourish, the essence of a sword attack is to kill. Lizhu Gerard went around the world and analyze all kinds of sword techniques, martial arts and defensive measures of the sword in a fight and come up with this stance. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Aero then review the Sword Conquering Stance in his mind and he nodded. It is true that now in his mind, there is many knowledge about word moves. Even some sword moves that he did not ever see is floating inside his mind right now. And now with Heaven Sword on his hand, Aero swordsmanship could be said to improve with leaps and bound with this technique. He felt that he had made the right decisions to take the manual instead of improving his skill. It evolved his moves and now he got the full knowledge of the Divine Sword technique. Below the Sword Conquering Stance is the >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SABER CONQUERING STANCE It is the third stance of the Divine Sword technique. It has all variations to implement saber technique of the Divine Sword technique. This stance is used to counter saber styles from any saber user and dive deep into the concept of sabers and its application. It is used to counter single blade weapons such as the broadsword, cutlass, sabers, large cleaver and any saber-like weapons It emphasizes power in the hacking movement and is complemented by the All Encompassing Stance. Lizhu Gerard went around the world and analyze all kinds of saber techniques, martial arts and defensive measures of the saber in his fight and come up with this stance. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Like before when Aero check his memories he found out that there is a lot of knowledge about sabers and its appreciation. When he digs further into his memories, he was even surprised that he knows all kinds of saber skills. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> SPEAR CONQUERING STANCE It is the fourth stance of the Divine Sword technique. It has all variations to implement spear technique of the Divine Sword technique. This stance is used to counter spear styles from any spear user and dive deep into the concept of spears and its application. It is used to counter pole weapons such as the spear, halberd, staff, cudgel and any spear-like weapons It emphasizes power in the thrusting movement and is complemented by the All Encompassing Stance. Lizhu Gerard went around the world and analyze all kinds of spear techniques, martial arts and defensive measures of the spear in his fight and come up with this stance. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Aero then executes a few thrusting movements with his sword. It was like Aero is a dragon gliding across the clouds as each of his thrusting moves was full of power and did not lose out in terms of swiftness. Winds were sliced apart and the land around it were sliced by an invisible sword energy. Aero smile as he was satisfied with this stance. It emphasizes thrusting and while it is a spear stance, it could also be used by him when he is using his sword. All the stance he had now, could counter a lot of attack and his head is full of variety of ways to defeat all kinds of weapons. He then calms himself down again as he checks the other stance >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> MACE CONQUERING STANCE It is the fifth stance of the Divine Sword technique. It has all variations to implement mace technique of the Divine Sword technique. This stance is used to counter mace weapons and styles from any mace user and dive deep into the concept of mace weapon and its way of attacking and its application in battle. It is used to counter short weapons such as the club, mace, tonfa, piercer, dagger, axe, hammer, and awl. It emphasizes power in the smashing and hitting movement and is complemented by the All Encompassing Stance. It is required to have a powerful body to execute this stance Lizhu Gerard went around the world and analyze all kinds of short weapons techniques, martial arts and defensive measures of the short weapons techniques in his fight and come up with this stance. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Aero right now felt that his understanding of short weapon suddenly increased. if he was a novice in his understanding of short weapons before, he had now suddenly become a master. This is the reasons why the native people of this world could not easily close the gap between the people of Western Heaven and the native inhabitants. At least in this kind of things, they are hard to be surpassed. Of course Aero himself did not yet understood and masters all of this stances but he had a general idea of how it has to be used. When he practices with it, he would surely master it. Then he looks below it and it is another stance >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> WHIP CONQUERING STANCE It is the sixth stance of the Divine Sword technique. It has all variations to implement whip technique of the Divine Sword technique. This stance is used to counter whipping weapons and styles from any whips user and dive deep into the concept of whipping weapon and its way of attacking and its application in battle. It is used to counter chain weapons such as the whip, fly whisk, three section staff, rope dart, chain whip and fishing net It emphasizes power in swiftness and agility movement and is complemented by the All Encompassing Stance. It is required to have an agile body to execute this stance Lizhu Gerard went around the world and analyze all kinds of short weapons techniques, martial arts and defensive measures of the short weapons techniques in his fight and come up with this stance. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Aero rarely meets people who uses whipping weapons but he does know some people who uses it. Aero nodded and then look below it and he already was intrigued and excited. The next stance is the kind of stance he is most comfortable with It is the Palm Conquering Stance. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> PALM CONQUERING STANCE It is the seventh stance of the Divine Sword technique. It has all variations to implement palm technique of the Divine Sword technique. This stance is used to counter palm attacks and styles from any palm user and dive deep into the concept of palm attack and its way of attacking and its application in battle. It is used to counter unarmed styles of hand-to-hand combat that utilize the fists, legs, fingers and palms The stance includes techniques to overcome boxing and grappling and joint manipulation It emphasizes power, swiftness and agility movement and is complemented by the All Encompassing Stance. It is required to have an agile body to execute this stance Lizhu Gerard went around the world and analyze all kinds of hand-to-hand combat techniques, martial arts and defensive measures of the hand-to-hand combat techniques in his fight and come up with this stance. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Aero most familiar mode of attack is to use his own hands and his own sword. But at times he fights by using both. One hand using the sword and on the other hand he uses his fist to executes palm attack or punching attack. In other words, he was very excited to learn this skill and master it in the future. In his head, there is already many images of unarmed styles of hand to hand combat that he could use But then as his eyes look downward at the next move, there is joy in his eyes. ''Now, this is really something I needed'' Aero mutters to himself It is the Arrow Conquering Stance. Aero in his battle rarely had any close calls with swords and spears. They usually attack his upper body but it is a rare thing for them to attack him on his ankle. But arrows have no eyes. One lucky stray arrow to his ankle could end his life and his most valuable curse. Aero read the description of the stance >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ARROW CONQUERING STANCE It is the eight stance of the Divine Sword technique. It has all variations of arrow technique of the Divine Sword technique. This stance is used to counter against arrow styled attacks and styles from any arrow user and dive deep into the concept of bows and arrows attack and its way of attacking and its application in battle. This stance is created so one could defense against missiles and projectile weapons. The first stage of mastering this stance involves the practitioner learning how to identify the type of missile by listening. Upon mastery, he is capable of blocking the projectiles with his sword, and may redirect the missiles back to the enemy It emphasizes power, swiftness and agility movement and is complemented by the All Encompassing Stance. It is required to have an agile body and swift reaction and powerful perception to execute this stance Lizhu Gerard went around the world and analyze all kinds of ways to defend against arrows attack and its techniques, and develops defensive measures against missile and projectile weapons in his fight and come up with this stance. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Aero could feel himself feeling a little bit safer later. Of course, he could blast those arrows with his roars or his attacks but it requires a lot of energy for him to do that. But now this stance could deflect and even counter back against the arrows attack by using the least minimum of his energy. He then checks the last stance >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 285 THE THREE STORMS 8 It is the ninth and last stance of the Divine Sword technique. It has all variations to implement energies technique of the Divine Sword technique. This stance is used to counter energy attacks and styles from any energy user and dive deep into the concept of energy attack and its way of attacking and its application in battle. Such people are like wizards, warlocks, witches and martial artist. It also could be used to deal with energies such as energies of the Celestials and the Divines It is used to counter such styles, to break their concentration of energy, to manipulate it and conquers it. The stance includes techniques to overcome these energies, absorb it and even stealing it. As such upon mastery, one could theoretically fight without ever feeling tired as long as there is a person who could supply energy to the user. It emphasizes power, and comprehension of energies of the enemies and is complemented by the All Encompassing Stance. It is required to have a powerful body to execute this stance Lizhu Gerard went around the world and analyze all kinds of energies combat techniques, internal martial arts and defensive measures of the energies combat techniques in his fight and come up with this stance. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Aero look at all the nine stance and he could not believe how lucky he was. As he thinks, he notices he has all the memories of all this stance like he had learned it for years. But as for the technical technique he still needs to train. He nodded to himself and wonder about Lizhu Gerard. ''He must be more powerful than I even imagined. With this kind of technique, even if someday I lose my Curse, I could still stage a comeback'' Aero felt a little bit at ease knowing that. But he did not want to lose he Curse. The Curse binds him not only to the protection of the Underworld, it also binds him with his Sworn Mother, Thetis. After being so long protected by her, Aero also develop some affection for Thetis and regarded her as his second mother. Right now he has five skill points. After he used many of his skill points to rank up some of his skill during his last moment in Purgatory, Aero was left with only two skill point. But after mastering the Divine Sword technique he was rewarded with three skill points by the Western Heaven so now he has five. He thought for a while and decided to store that skill points for now. There is nothing urgent that he needed to rank up right now. He then jumps back onto his horse and stores his sword. There is a smirk on his face that he wipes almost instantly. Then as the silhouette of Aero and his horse slowly fades as he goes the distance, there is movement all around the beaches. From the bushes and the abandoned hut, people of many affiliation appears like some kind of dark things that emerges from the ground. Some even come out up from the sand. No one could have known that he was there inside the sand. They all look at each other. The look at each other with vigilance but nobody made any threatening moves Some of them knows the other as they have met each other before in their lines of works. Some are new people in the business. ''Let us not kill each other. It is not like this is such a secret. And it won''t do us any goods. We are only the eyes and ears of our employers. Let''s not also be their hands and feet'' one of the people said, his voice is unrecognizable as he changes the sound of his vocal chords to produce a hoarse and gravelly sound. They all nodded at each other as a sign of agreement and then all of them disperse in different directions, leaving the beach empty once again All of them are spies of other nations and many organizations in the continent. Aero had notice them before which is why he executed his technique. It was a warning and a reminder. Aero is the Aero of the East. He is the person that killed forty thousand people with only his saber. And that is why he smirks. Because these are the agents of chaos that would spread his returns. The spies did not attack or kill each other. They are not that kind of agents. They only need to seek information and relay the information to their governments. That day, the whole world is bracing for a large storm that is brewing all over Vilajeri Continent Aero of the East, the Chancellor of Vanheim has returned and is riding toward Vanheim. The news is met with mixed reaction by the Imperial court but outwardly they are rejoicing. On the South, there is the return of the Ariana of the South. And the moment she returns, she made her move that shakes the world. The Holy Maiden of the Church appears in the Tower of Divine and slaughter all the bishops that tries to denies the Pope, the marble tiled stairs of the Tower of Divine flow with blood as she assumes her role as the Holy Apostle of the Church. The schism between the church authority was forcefully stopped by Arianna blade as the Pope took back his Holy Throne. In the northern region of the Continent, Veva, a kingdom wide celebration was announced as King Zeus appeared on the balcony of his royal palace with the Black Robed Prime Minister Eric beside him When he arrived he began a speech that send the northern kingdoms into a frenzy King Zeus is once again declaring his intention to conquer the world and he would start with the Savillia kingdom sending shockwaves throughout all levels of officials in Savillia kingdom The Three Great Pillars has returned and everyone is racing away from the storms that these three people would cause the world when they once again return to their respective position >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> NIOVAR ROYAL PALACE OF NIOVAR A man looks out the window of his study. He then sighed. This is the King of Niovar residence. And the King of Niovar is King James Vanheim A lot of thing have changed since the absence of the Chancellor He used to look at the Imperial Palace from his residence when he is in Vanheim. But now he is the King of Niovar. He had schemed for that position by deceiving his younger brother. He had made Edward believes that by sending him to Niovar he would be restricting his power in the court. When Edward wanted to send him to Niovar, he rejected. This only fuels Edward desire to send him to Niovar. He then planted some people in the court to give advice to Edward. While James is still a Prince and had many titles, none of the titles he had commands real power. And he schemed for that too. Each time that Edward wanted to send him to Niovar, he had always managed to dodge out of it even though he really wanted to go. The more he was like that, the more insistent Edward become in trying to send him away. Edward himself could feel that in the absence of the Chancellor his power in the court is being diminished by him James knew that if he shows to Edward his desire that he wanted to go to Niovar, Edward would be even more reluctant to let him go. He might even block his desire to go there. Because what is good for him would surely not be good for Edward. Edward is a simple man. If not for the support of the Chancellor, he would be easily unseated from his throne Thus he pretended, he did not want to leave the court. To feign dislike being far away from the center of the court, would then fuel the desire in Edward heart to send him away to Niovar. James then orchestrated the most beautiful ruse he had ever planned. During one of the moment when Edward was frustrated with his rejection, he asks in a private meeting any suggestion on how to send him to Niovar one of the courtiers from the moderate factions suggested to give him the title of King of Niovar like the act of old Overlord kings. Of course, these countries are one of the many people inside his pocket The countries said that if Prince James is decreed to take the title he is also forced to go to Niovar. If he rejected it, this act could be considered trying to defy imperial edict. This is not simple like Edward asking him to go. If Edward ask him to go, James could refuse and Edward could not really punish him for rejecting it. Why? Because they are still brothers and imperial brothers at that. And if he punished his older brother, Edward would lose all that great and wise reputation that Aero had built for him. As such, Edward gave him the title of King of Niovar and send him to Niovar kingdom. Even until the end, he shows that he was reluctant to go. But in his heart, he was happy. He is now at his Palace, admiring the full moon. There is a reason why he wanted to go to Niovar even though that would diminish his presence in the imperial court. It is because Bradheim is here. The Chancellor during his reign of the court, had uses all means to restrict him. He had no power in the court and all of his hands and feet are tied. Chancellor Aero promoted his allies like Arcturus, Marco and Aurelius to hold the post of the Western Suppressing General, Northern Suppressing General, and Eastern Suppressing General while giving his uncle and his biggest supporter Archduke Bradheim the post of the Southern Suppressing general Some people might not be able to see it but that appointment stripped all of his uncle powers in the West. His uncle had deep ties with the Orc kingdom of Nairhell. By giving him the task to the south, it is basically plucking his uncle roots. Chancellor Aero basically strip the power of his uncle and at the same time strip his chance for any say in the military from then on since he had to pacify the southern region Huh'' he sighed. He looks at the moon but he felt bitter now. He had work hard these past few months and gain a lot of support in the court. He smacks his lips and felt that bitter taste again ''Like always, I don''t like this bitter taste. I am not even defeated yet, but I already felt that bitter taste'' he mutters to himself as the cold night air brushes against his skin Then he smiles a bit as he glances towards the letter on the table of his study. ''Well, I guess it is a bit boring without you. This time however, I will win. Let see how you will fight when we are on equal ground, Aero'' and he smiles with confidence as he turns his back and walk out from his study. That night, many people in Vanheim Empire is thinking about many things. The Empire looks quite and calm but there is an undercurrent building up stealthily. As the moonlight of the full moon illuminate the roads, plots are being crafted and schemes are being thought up. Because many people got a piece of information that night. The Chancellor is riding towards Vanheim! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 286 OF GODS AND MEN 1 While the Vilajeri Continent is in chaos with the adventurers returning the Gods were also busy. From the Gods of Olympus to the Church of Light, their divine being was also suddenly inundated with new problems They all felt like they have been released by something. Those who know, knows and those who didn''t, will not There are some beings who knew and those who knew felt the change in the world before the adventurer even returns The world is changing, and the heavens are also changing On top of the highest realm, in the realm of the Divines, the Three Divinities that have been maintaining this world had slowly lost their control over the Gods. The Three Divinities still have their abilities and power but all the Gods could feel it. There is something that has been cut. A bond. A restraint has been cut and some of the Gods is now scheming to know what had happened in the highest ream. A news then arrived from that realm to the Gods Realm. Out of the Three Divinities, one of the Divinity had left. The Three Divinities. Some Gods of the two servers knows who they are and some of them don''t. The Three Divinities is none other than Julia, Takashi and Matsuo. They give themselves like game master permission with the highest setting possible for this world when it was still a game. But the moment they enter this world, while they still have the setting that they had written for themselves, there are also some things that had changed. Takashi sighed. He is the First Divinity, Divinity of All Beginning and the First Lord of Heaven. He resides in the Heaven of All Beginning and he was the result of the merging of energies that constructed this world. His setting is that he is to be without beginning and the most supreme of all beings. He is in fact, a representation of the principle of all being. From him all things arose. He is eternal, limitless, and without form. At least that was the setting he wrote and as soon as he enters, unlike other becoming players he was elevated straight to the Heaven of All Beginning. At first, he was nothing, and then he turns himself into something, a form that he had ben familiar for the whole time of his life And the setting he had written become reality as he remembers all the things he had done when he was the First Lord of Heaven The Three Divinities is the sole administrators and creators of this world but the moment he and his companion enters it, they could feel that the power they hand on the fates and destiny of all beings were severed slightly. Instead of calling it being severed, it becomes thin. Some even cut it by themselves because the sheer power of their will, Lizhu and Hades from the Eastern Server and the Western Server. Takashi just fears that these Godly beings would begin wreaking havocs all over the world. The world that he had created, this new reality is only a pit stop. He had other plans of course. This is a temporary measure to save all that he could save from that meteor crash He could not save everyone but at least he saved some of them. Humanity still survives. Though he obviously didn''t expect that things would be like this. While the base of this world was constructed with a game in the basis, there have been some changes and that changes had made this imaginary and unreal world into a real world with real people and real Divine Beings. He sighed again as his eyes look all over the world ''First lord of Heaven, why are you sighing?'' A woman was flying toward him. Takashi was sitting on a star inside his Vats Heaven of All Beginning and this woman that is coming to her is emanating golden aura of divine origins, passing through layers of Time barriers and Space dimension to arrive to where he is. As she was flying towards his heaven, behind her there was female retinue of spiritual attendants, the souls of the people of this world that have done good deeds and was picked by her to accompany her touring the Heavens and bring luck and fortune to those who do good deeds She has a distinctive headdress that have the sun suspended from it. Below her feet are mist as she walks on it and arrive in front of him Songs and joyful melody fills the Heaven of All Beginning as the female spiritual attendants behind that woman begins playing instruments and singing with their voice As she comes closer, Takashi look at her and shakes his head, his eyes look toward the female retinue behind She nodded and She made a causal wave with her hands and the attendants are all banished from the Heaven of All Beginning and she landed on that star inside the Heaven of All Beginning This woman that looks like an ancient regal queen of unsurpassed beauty and power is none other than Keiko He looks toward her and that frown on his face turns into a smile, albeit a bitter one. Takashi made a setting for her when he was about to enact this plan of his. Her setting was the Queen of the Stars as she roamed the stars and the vast eternal nothingness. This world after all are a game in the beginning and this world had no other planets. There is a reason why he assigns the setting of the Queen of the Stars to her. He believes that if his plan succeeded, the world that he created would slowly become different and might even shows some kind of change he could not have predicted. In the setting, she had the power to absorb the powers of the stars. And that setting carry over into this world when she enters it. And while his setting was that he is formed from the energies when this world was created, Takashi could feel the energies of the Void inside him He believes that his setting also changed to accommodate the new reality that have sprouted with his final move. Takashi did something no one thought was possible. He combines magic and science. 287 OF GODS AND MEN 2 She sighed and the closes her eyes. Her eyes could see her mountain in the mortal realm and then she shakes her head A lot of things had happened and a lot of things had passed. Takashi now, and the Takashi of the past is not the same. But there are certain things about him that also did not change. She sighed because friends have come and go and where one had the same heart and all walking in the same path, now, who know each path that they walk, whether that would have brought them closer or farther apart even more She asks again ''Why the sigh, Takashi'' Takashi eyes look toward the distance, his eyes shining with infinite lights that as bright as the sun and he smiles bitterly ''Matsuo¡­. seems to have another plan'' Keiko face tightened hard. She had presumed it but she never did any have confirmation. And then she knew she had to told him about the other. She then said to Takashi ''Julia too'' At this news Takashi closed his eyes and sighed. Keiko did not say anything but she too could feel the frustration and disappointment in Takashi heart. She has been beside him for many decades. How could she not know? Takashi had predicted it as such. He did saw the vortex of power that appears in one of the Purgatory. He knew it was one of them. He had intended to interfere but when he saw Lizhu sword strike, he knows that this character that he had created also have his owns schemes. It seems all the flavor text he had wrote, all of the legendary characters he had created, some of them have managed to reach a level that could break free from the Three Divinities control Takashi was not angry or fearful of this After all, it was never his intention to control them in the first place. ''What are you thinking? Keiko ask, still standing there, emanating golden light and divine aura, like a Goddess of Virtue, enlightening all creations under Heaven. Takashi smiles a bit. After all he had create this setting for Keiko. He takes inspiration from the Goddess Guanyin, some he takes from divine Goddess of the antiquities and some other goddess in his world to create the backstory and setting for Keiko identity in this world. Takashi answers vaguely ''A lot of thing'' she did not follow up that question as Takashi once again fall under contemplation He is just worried that now, Matsuo seems to have a different plan than himself. And Julia too seems to be missing, both of their Heavens were closed off. They are playing a game, and he is not included. Only this game of theirs would implicate billions of lives inside this new world And when he found out Matsuo disappearance he had also acted. What he didn''t tell them was that the other divinity is also missing. Two out of the three Divinities is not in their Heavens and no one seems to know where he is. Nothing in this world could be stronger than them so Takashi was not worried that they were kidnapped or killed. If they are by some inexplicable reason get killed, Heaven and Earth would show phenomenon that no one would be able to not notice The fact that they are missing is not because of an external influence. They are hiding. For what? This is the one thing Takashi did not understand. Everything should have been completed. Their plan has succeeded. It should be moving to the next phase but now those two are missing. It made Takashi to have other thoughts. And because of that he too believes that those two also have other thoughts. The moment that he saw Matsuo is gone, he quickly knows that something has gone wrong. Takashi then uses his power as the First Lord of Heaven to impose restriction to the mortal world, making sure that the other two Divinities could not interfere too much with the people of the world. But that does not mean that is the end of his problem. It was the first time Takashi had become a God. He did not think a divine being like him have so many problems. Probably because he is not a true God but only a God inside this game that he did not find a more suitable solution to his other problem. Regardless after solving that there are still the divine beings that have long existed inside this game Takashi almost cursed himself on why giving these world so powerful of a God. Most of them were given access to power, acting as an administrator for the world even without knowing it. They were AI and they even begun developing emotions. At that time, Takashi had found it interesting and let it progress leading to the current problem, And the most prominent of his problem is none other than Lizhu Gerard and Hades of the Olympus who seems to be planning something. Hades could not cross the barrier of the servers so he is not that big of a threat, but Lizhu Gerard could since he come from the Eastern Server originally. Takashi did not know the full plan of the Lizhu Gerard but he could bet it had something to do with the Investiture of the Gods Expansion Pack that he was about to roll out. The Eastern Server is progressing like they had programmed. It is too late to change it since it has been going on for too long. The people will and the Heaven Will is the same Shang dynasty had to fall. And as such even if he wanted to delay that Expansion pack or even scrap it, it is not possible. Not to mention, the Investiture of the Gods expansion pack also have its pros and benefit for him. 288 OF GODS AND MEN 3 They are the best candidate for the Divinities too work with considering that those two know who they are and what they are. Not to mention they are also strong and their location is not easily revealed since they have gone further in their attainment of energies compared to the other Gods. He is only trying to maintain the balance of this world and to minimize the damage toward the players that surely be caught up if those other two began scheming. He was not the one that alter all the memories of the players. He knew at that time; it is the doing of one of his two friends That is why he had to use his authority as the First Lord of Heaven to create a barrier between the Divine realms and the mortal realm. He imposed a lot of restriction on Godly beings and Divine being all for the sake to minimize the damage that had been done Even though, he had minimized it he could not undo the altering of memories that has been done. He could just slowly fill the skies of the world with his magic to make them slowly remember who they are. Though, one of his friend would surely hinder his progress. Takashi don''t know what they are thinking about, doing all this. Even now, he is not sure whether the one that did this is Matsuo or Julia. And if they did, why do they do it? It doesn''t make sense. ''You seem to be stressed?'' Keiko ask. Takashi once again looked at Keiko. Her look was probably the most beautiful in this world. She was beautiful before, but this is a heavenly kind of beautiful. ''Its''s Matsuo'' he said ''What do you mean?'' she asks back ''I think, he has always been hiding something from me. Even from before. And now, he is enacting his own plan. It was not like I don''t know he have other motives when I managed to create the Brave World and found that thing and combine magic and science to create this world. But I thought I could still control him. I was arrogant. He had changed and so do I.'' He the sighs, closing his eyes for a few second. Keiko was silent for a while. The sound of music still lingers around the star and it ironically matched the feeling of both people right now. Melancholic and sorrowful. Old friends and old feelings are all intermixed in their current emotions. Keiko then said to him ''You are too trusting'' ''They are my friends, Keiko. How could I not trust them? We have spent half of our lives together. The friends that have walk with me all these years. I did not forget them and they too did not forget them. But I guess, we all have a different destination'' Saying this, he exhales slowly, like there is more he wanted to say but he stops himself. ''Western Heaven and Eastern Heaven. Did Matsuo did that. Separating the two servers? Or is it Julia?'' Takashi then answer ''It was supposed to be me'' Keiko was shocked for a second before understanding something and only nodded. They all know the plans. The moment they all arrived at the Divine realms, Takashi took his seat as the First Lord of Heaven inside the Divine All Heaven. At that time Time stopped and all living beings were separated from the realms. Divine All Heaven is the only place where it could stand the full power and full divinities of the Three Divinities without breaking that realm. Matsuo was the Second Lord of Heaven and he sits in the second seat. Julia was the Third, and her title was the Third Lady of Heaven. The Second Lord of Heaven resides inside the Heaven of Limitless Wisdom and the Third Lady of Heaven resides in Pure Virtues Paradise. They all have their own Heavenly Realm where only certain select few Gods and Divine Beings were allowed to enter as they are the building blocks of everything inside this world In their plans, they would divide the world and the Heavens and rules it among them three. They united all the other servers and separated them into two. The Eastern and the Western Server. Most of the people in Easter Server are people from Asia. They play Brave World the Myths and Immortal Edition Vega Corps when they created the game created two version of the game. One for the Western world and the other for Asian continent and they also have plans to create many more version like the Russian version which would throws player into a medieval world ruled by tyrants and sadistic lord with Gods and Goddesses of Slavic origins. However, that never come to pass because he had other priorities at that time It was because he had found that thing, that all of the plans were delayed and the brave World game only have two versions. The Brave World Original Edition and the Brave World the Myths and Immortal Edition. They used these two edition to construct this world to become real. The player''s confusion when entering the game back would not be such a problem if they all follow the plan In the plan, when they arrived at the Purgatory they would slowly bring the player on up to date of all the things that have happened and told them to unite with each other to explore the world and seek if there is a new mystery in the world to be found. With that they could slowly acclimatize the players with this world while they three would think of other contingencies plans. He as the First Lord of Heaven would supervise all the Divines Being, as he was the highest existence of all in this world. He would control all the servers. And his authority over the too servers, it is almost absolute. But, he too had other things to do so he could not watch the servers too long and he decided to relegate that task After all, they are many things to be done if he truly micromanages everything. Matsuo and Julia was delegated with power to rule 289 OF GODS AND MEN 4 He was responsible for the death of divine and godly beings, to rule the Netherworld when the Underworld crumbles and to control the reincarnation and rebirth of the Eastern Server if they had a backlog He was also assigned to the Eastern Server for him to rule. He is supposed to be assigning quest and informing the players there about the current events and tell them the truth. Julia on the other hand was tasked with generation of souls, spawning of monsters and disasters and were also assigned the Western Server. And her other task was for her to search the world and beyond it to seek any anomaly with the new world. That is what they have decided. But as they transfer the data from the Void Realm, something else happen. Void Realm is what they call the place where they store all the data that they got from those who played the game In that moment, when everything was fine and nothing seems to go wrong, the moment thy brought out the data, the entire world that they have just created have a glitch. It was something none of them had expected. The light orbs representing the player''s souls were all brought out from the Void Realm but that glitch caused something else to change Something changed and while it is just a few seconds to the people of this world, it was probably thousands of years for all four of them. And then something else happens. In that moment, it was like they were forced to relive all the settings that they had writ on. In that reliving moment, Takashi had two memories and two personas. He as the Takashi, the genius Inventor and he as the First Lord of Heaven, the incarnation of the Supreme Primeval Lord of Heaven He relived the moment, he opens the Voids, creates the Universe and become formless and limitless turning into the first Divinity. He splits into two creating the Second Lord and Third Lady of Heaven and reliving it all , like he was truly these characters that he had wrote. if not for his mental strength, he might deluded himself in thinking that he is truly the First Lord Of Heaven and there is no Takashi. The other three also experience the same thing. It was like a movie flashing inn their minds, and trying to erase their personality so they could only leave them with their settings as the Three Divinities and Queen of the Stars and not Takashi, Julia, Matsuo, and Keiko After that, there is only timelessness. Time did not move and nothing seems to exist inside that timeless world. But they could still use their powers and created divine residence and practice their powers. In that thousand years, times did not move as they tried to escape countless of time from that timeless world. To be honest he doesn''t know if it''s really a thousand years that passes or whether it was less than a thousand years. Time did not have any meaning in there and as such precise measurement of time could not be measured. If not for the fact that they all have powers according to the setting, living in such a timeless world would be too boring What he does know was tin that span of time, all of them probably changed. They have new thought and new ideas and they didn''t share all of those thought with each other. As they trained with their powers, they even battled each other inside that world. Since there is nothingness and there is no Time, nothing is really harming tem. In each battle, he would remain victorious. It is probably because his setting as the True Incarnation of the Supreme Primeval Lord of Heaven Supreme Primeval Lord of Heaven in the lore''s of the game is the true creator of all universes. These quest was never found by any players. Nonetheless, the Supreme Primeval lord of heaven split himself into three creating the Three Divinities. But before they enter the game, Takashi change the setting of the First Lord of Heaven. He changed it to become the true incarnation of the Supreme Primeval Lord of Heaven It is for that reason, those two couldn''t defeat them no matter how many magical abilities they possess and hurls at him In that time, they settled to their new identity as the Three Divinities and when they are surrounded by heavenly host and other heavenly host that they created from their energies, they no longer refer themselves with their real name as they slowly familiarize themselves with their setting. In his world, Takashi could not even lift weights but in this world, what he will with his mind and heart would happen accordingly. One thought to create world and the Universe. And he knows that this kind of power could corrupt him, no matter how pure his heart was. It was why he himself created restriction for the Divines using his power. When that glitch is over, time moves again. They realize it at that time, for others, only one second lost from their lives, but for them, it felt like an eternity. And those divine and godly beings did not even realize they lost one second from their Time. And at that time, Takashi could not see that even his friends, had different thought and opinion from him. If he could see it at that time, he could probably address it and not have them separated like this Julia and Matsuo hides themselves and with their equal power and abilities, how could he seek them? So, he had no choice to create a more powerful restriction on all the servers. This restriction could not be seen by mortal eyes but all godly and divine beings of the two servers could feel it It was at that time in the purgatory that he realizes that not only one of them had alter the memories of the players, they also generated quest and in the minds of the players, instead of calling Eastern Server or the Western Server, they called it Western Heaven and Eastern Heaven believing themselves coming from the Heavens to right the wrongs of the world. At that time, he had an inkling what one of them is trying to do. If it''s only one of them than it is still preventable. Bu if two of them schemed together for this, then Takashi had a hard fight against him in the future He sighed again 290 OF GODS AND MEN 5 There must be a lot of thing in his mind, she thought to herself. She has her task but she knows the burden now falls onto Takashi, now that the other two is missing. ''New World Expansion Pack has been rolled out and it seems the War of the Gods in the Western Server is also coming back'' he said. Keiko nodded. She was there when Takashi and Matsuo designed that other server in their original world. It was one of the expansion pack they wanted to roll out before the announcement of the meteor gripped the world in fear and almost all of the players logged out of the game to spend more times with their loved ones. The end of the world and all that really does put a damper in the economy. To the people of this world, they thought the players went into a mass exodus, disappearing to the Heavens. At least that is what their new memories told them. Before they seem to be lifelike but not really alive and even their emotions were in the range of human emotions, they were not entirely real. They have artificial intelligence but not really real in that their entire being is still one and zeros. But now, all of it is real. Including the players. They now had to abide by the rules of life and death in this world. There is no longer unlimited respawning and reviving after death unless they have some magic or some potions that could skirt pass these laws of the world like the Revival Pill in the Eastern Server and the Revival Potion in the Western Server. The good news is Takashi as one of the Divinities he still has powers to rule over the players. He after all did not send humans from his world into this world to suffer and die. He was never intending to put the humans he had brought inside this shelter to be so clueless. If not for the interference of the other two, all players will have their memories and they will not have divided up like this, still caring about the identity they hold in the game ''Hah'' he sighed as he thought to himself. Though, it was not really that they could ignore all of it altogether. After all, the moment the people of his world enter this new world he had created, the status of them when they were in the game is restored. If you were poor when you logged out the game, you are poor now. If you are rich and powerful when you logged out the game, you are rich and powerful now. Choices shaped them but if they have their memories, then they would at least unite against each other and help each other. After all, they might be the last of the human race. And it was important that they play their part and find a way to live a good lie, in this world, considering that this world might be the world that they have to live for in a long time. She knows that Takashi even though he does not like it, seemingly carefree and not thinking too much when it comes to relationship, he was a responsible person. A truly irresponsible person could not grow a tech empire like he did. Keiko only listened to Takashi not knowing his true thought right now. She then asks ''And how about Julia and Matsuo? You must have a plan right? You gave them a lot of authority in this world. Their setting is also very powerful. Would you let them go rampant like that?'' Takashi frowned a little. He then thinks to that vortex and that eye looking at that player and his frown become deeper. Keiko looking at Takashi like this felt something in her heart. It was jealousy. Every time she talks to him about Julia, he always had that kind of expression and she didn''t like it. She knew it was irrational but she still didn''t like it. ''I don''t understand why one of them is so interested in Aero'' He suddenly said. ''She is Julia son'' Keiko replied. But Takashi shakes his head ''Yes¡­but that still doesn''t explain it. It might look like the one who attacks Aero is Matsuo but don''t you underestimate Julia ability and intelligence. Maybe she had predicted whether me or some other forces would block her attack and thus I would then suspect Matsuo and neglected her plans. Or maybe, it was really Matsuo. But if its him, then why would he did that? Why that one player among all others? Why is he so important? Could he be the key to some plots? Or is it a personal vendetta, which is even more absurd theory or it might be something else'' ''I have to think all of these possibilities because those two is not some idiots that would reveal their intention to easily. It might even be just a red herring to throw me off their scent. If I focused my attention on the boy, I might even fail to see something'' Keiko listening to Takashi explantion frowned. Who would have thought such a simple strike could hold so many meaning and scheme inside it? She did not think Takashi is thinking too much. After all, Matsuo and Julia right now both have powers to move mountains and part the seas with just their thoughts. If they were really not averse to Takashi plan, then why hide themselves? That mean they have a different intention. And as long as Takashi did not know what that intention as, how could he be at ease? He had bet his life and the life of billions of people to this plans of his. If his plan failed, he would fail humanity. Those two is his friend. But compared to billions of life, even brotherly affection could be forgotten. This is why Takashi had to think carefully. He could overanalyze but he could never neglect too much else he might not know anything. The two of them did not make any move since they disappeared but one of them suddenly make a move sending Tribulation lightning to Aero. And those two knows he could see it Was that spectacle was meant for him to see? Or was it meant for others to see? 291 OF GODS AND MEN 6 There are too many things that could be inferred from that one move. He clams himself down and then he sighed loudly, his sigh echoes all over his Heaven He then added ''She and Matsuo had a complicated past. He was always arrogant and she was his foil'' ''What do you mean?'' Keiko ask, her eyes narrowed. ''I mean there might be that meet the eyes. Julia might not have betrayed me. Now, I see more clearly than ever and my eyes could see everything. But this matter is still as obscure as it did for me so many years ago.'' And he sighed again. Today it seems to be a day for sighing. He had too many regrets thus when he thinks of the past, he would always sigh. A lifetime relationship was forged that day under that peach tree blossom. He could still hear the background noise of Tokyo University when he met her. He was shy and she was a transfer student from America. In his dream, there is always her. There are wound and there is pain, in the end they walk separate ways. Those days will not return and probably because of that he keeps sighing when thinking about the past. Because he knows it would not come again Keiko then hesitantly ask ''Didn''t you and Julia have a thing?'' Hearing this Takashi smiles and chuckles like he had remembered something very funny. He then looks at Keiko and while she tries to maintain a neutral face expression, she is failing at that ''What? Are you jealous?'' He asks, smiling looking at Keiko blushing face. He then looks toward the distance, seeing the paradise like scenery of his Heaven, full of vast lands that have bountiful harvest and large trees the size of mountains and seas as vast as the galaxy and sighed. It is all a matter of the past. ''She is an enigmatic woman¡­. that woman is one of a kind. She always have been and always will be. I admire her from the bottom of my heart'' hearing this compliment of a woman Keiko had always regarded as rivals, Keiko tried to hide her pouting. But nothing escapes the eyes of the First Lord of Heaven. In the real world, he always excels in science and those studies that most people would and could never understand but even for him, he could never see human hearts. He was not adept at it and ignorant at it. But here, in this world that he had created with his friends, he was the Supreme Primeval Lord of All. He sees everything, hear everything and can do anything. Even now, the plots of Julia and Matsuo is halted because of the restriction he had put in place. If they were as powerful as him, why would they bother to hide? Why would they even bother to disappear? In this world, his lifespan is limitless. Thus, he did not worry if he is to late or too fast. What is important was always intentions and desires. He looks at Keiko and then said. ''She is one of a kind. But you¡­. you are different'' ''How am I different?'' he smiles and then he said ''You know I don''t know the right word to say and I am always lacking at that department. But we have spent so much time together. If you ask me how to describe what is different between you and her, I don''t really quite know how to verbalize it. I just know'' ''What do you know?'' she harrumphed, as she is ready to fly back to her Cloud Roiling Mountain. She was about to fly out from the Heaven of All beginning but Takashi only breathes and the space and the area around her distorts as she found out she was back at her original spot. It was like she never take a step away. She glares at Takashi and cross her hand together. ''Humph'' Takashi only smiles and then he said ''I know that you are the one for me. She is one of a kind girl. But she was not the one for me. It was you. It was always you'' And saying this he laughs and his happiness radiates from him. Flowers grows and life grows, auspicious clouds fills his Heaven and divine beings were awakened and soars to the skies as the Heaven of All Beginning is slowly covered by a large amount of energy for them to absorb. Takashi was a scientist first and foremost. And he did not start by becoming the world renowned scientist and genius, philanthropic tech mogul. in his early years as a scientist, no one would acknowledge his research and his effort because of his tendency to go into the territory of fringe science. He had never had lesson on how to tackle a woman or how to flirt. But in his life, he had four women that have shaped his life. First was his grandmother in Osaka. Her death was what pushed him into science. Then his mother. Her support for him is what gave him a strong heart to persist in what he believes in. Then there is Julia who had help him make his dream a reality. And¡­Keiko. The one who believe in his dream and was always there behind him. It was because she was always there, that he could never recognize that feeling. But the moment that the thought of losing her enter his mind, he then knew that he could not bear losing her. He is a scientist. And he likes fact. Fact of the matter he loves her and unlike some people who would hesitate and trying to find reason that the feeling in their heart is anything but, he accepted it He loves that woman and that woman love him. Why would he make it hard for himself? But it was still hard for him to say these things It was only now, that he could say these things. So even though he is still depressed a bit, he could not help but feeling relieved as he said the words that he does not know how to say before. 292 OF GODS AND MEN 7 ''Need any help?'' she asks. Takashi laughs. At least, he now knows that Keiko like compliments. He thinks for a while and then said ''Look at the Eastern Server for me. I don''t know where they are hiding but it seems the Eastern Server is still alright. That mean they are still doing their jobs. Which means one of them is there.'' She nodded but then she asks ''How about the Western Server?'' she asks. Unlike Takashi, Keiko could not be at many places at once especially not on two servers at the same time. Her setting did not allow it¡­yet Takashi look to the distance and he could see the myriads lives on the Western Server and said ''I will look over it'' She frowned ''You would be busy. Olympus has Hades. He probably has his own schemes.'' Takashi nodded but it is clear he is not that worried about it ''he has his scheme, and I have mine. And you also have Lizhu Gerard to worry about. He is a character I could not control. His setting is a Divine Strategist and he is extremely smart. He might pose a greater threat than Hades to you. I don''t know whether he would participate in the Investiture of the Gods or scheme to ruins it. I''m still up in the air about him. He might have deduced the conflict between the Three Divinities. I would not put it past him to get to the bottom of this matter with only one glance'' Keiko nodded. She had always been wary of Lizhu Gerard since the moment she steps foot in the Eastern Server. ''Who is going to start the Investiture of the Gods in the Eastern Server since Matsuo will certainly not show his face to start the matter?'' she asks. Takashi sighed and then he averts his gaze form the myriads beings in the Western Server and his gaze now watched the Eastern Server. ''I guess I have to preside it. The Yitien continent is full of the mountains gods, the city gods, the house gods. There are too many gods in the Eastern Server. It would be chaotic if this is allowed to progress as the Path to Immortality of that Server is not sealed'' Keiko nodded. There are too many gods and they did not use their powers to better humanity and maintain the Earth. How could Takashi let that happens now considering that the people of his world will be living in this world now. How could he let these Gods keep doing harm? ''Who would have thought that expansion pack that I wanted to roll out before now have a use? I could use this opportunity to organize the Heavens of the Eastern Server and¡­'' he did not finish his words as an idea flashed inside his mind ''And?'' Keiko asked, weird at Takashi suddenly stopping his word Takashi only smiles and said ''Nothing. I just got an idea.'' Keiko nodded and did not press further. And she has the protection of Takashi so she did not have to worry too much. But she also knows she could not aim for the highest throne since that would bind him to the Investiture. Takashi look briefly toward the direction of the Western Server and then he looks back at the Eastern Server and said ''I guess today is a good day to begin the investiture of the Gods. It seems that the War of the Gods will begin in the Western Server. So since Julia and Matsuo is not here, I have no choice than to preside it.'' ''It is only appropriate that you were the one presiding it'' he only smiles and then said. ''Just remember what I said. I don''t mind if you want to participate in it but don''t aim for the highest throne. It is not that couldn''t win, it is that you don''t need it. Be careful and call me if you see those two'' He then nodded at her, telling her that he is fine now. She nodded and then she took a step forward as she immediately travels thousands of mile away, as she was travelling out from the star. Mist formed under her feet and she quickly returns to her Cloud Roiling Mountain and begins her planning She is ready to answer the summon as she draped herself with the energies of the Divine Realm. Then she waited for the announcement to begin. On the Heavenly Peak on top of the highest peak, siting cross legged on top of jade like bed is a man with elegant white robe and youthful face that made anyone that look at it feel pleasant. Lizhu Gerard smiles as he also waited. Takashi sighed on the star that he sitting on and when the sigh ended the surrounding area all changed. Like a water brush painting being erased by a chemical solution, the scenery and even the atmosphere changes as he is now seated on a holy throne, his face shows his divinity. Then he looks toward the Eastern Server and opens his mouth. ''I summon all gods to appears before me!'' He summons and he arrived at the Ninth Heaven of the Eastern Server almost immediately before any eye could blink. The Gods all over the continent all heard the divine summon and they all flew as fast as light toward the Nine Heaven. the gate to the Ninth Heaven was opened by two child attendant as the Gods all flew inside it to kneel before the highest supreme power in all of existence. The Heaven separated from the Earth, the Divines did not interact with the godly beings and mortals but today, the stars moved and changed, divine decree was announced and gods flew from all over and stood in rows waiting for the Supreme Lord of Heaven. A golden scroll floats between heaven and Earth as it was surrounded by auspicious clouds and divine dragons and phoenixes swirls around it, protecting it from any demonic influence. ''Evil has covered the Earth and Heaven had gone into chaos. Immortals secluded themselves into mountains, and Gods and Demons fought their war while mortals suffer in the mortal realm. The order of heaven and Earth is in chaos. Takashi was saying the script for the beginning of the Investiture of the Gods. He didn''t look majestic but those beings that saw him, a sense of respect, aw and fear hits their heart abruptly. ''Today, I have decided to divide all of these godly and divine being into their categories and so when they die, they not die and become only dust in the wheels of destiny, fate and time. I as the First Lord of Heaven, commands gods from all direction to take part in the investiture!'' His booming voice seems to covered the whole Yitien Continent. While the mortal couldn''t hear the summons, the gods and even the demons could hear it. Lizhu Gerard smiles and he flew out form his Heavenly Peak. On top of the Cloud Roiling Mountain, the Queen of the Stars flew upwards, mist formed underneath her feet as she flew to the Ninth Heaven All divine and godly beings had heard the summons and in just a matter of seconds these godly beings have arrived inside the Nine Heaven The golden scroll that floats between Heaven and Earth slowly unfurls itself. The Auspicious clouds were absorbed into it and the divine dragons and phoenixes morphs their shape as they turn into an ink. Takashi uses his finger and it pierces space and time as his finger use the ink made from the essence of dragons and phoenixes to write something on the scroll A four big golden words was written onto the scroll and the moment he finished writing it, the golden words emanated light as bright as the sun, and the entire Universe seems to be bathed in radiant holy golden light from primordial era. Investiture of the Gods! All heard the summons and all look toward the scroll and they saw underneath that words are an empty list. They frowned but some were looking at this intently. Then the scroll disappeared from their eyes, turning into motes of light that scattered all over the world. The gods and devils all bowed toward that existence sitting higher than the Nine Heavens and the Investiture had started in the Eastern Server. Saying these words, Takashi then returned back to his Heaven, looking down on the mortal world. He saw the Shang dynasty falling into more moral decay. The rich oppress the poor, the common people suffers under the tyranny and control of the imperial dynasty. Major demons created tragedy and catastrophe in the mortal world as his eyes look down at all of this. He is angry and the Heaven is angry. All kinds of injustice sand cruelty that had happened and Heaven could no longer just watched mercilessly. When the Heaven emitted murderous spirits, the stars would change positions. When the Earth emitted murderous spirits, dragons and snakes would fly out. When humans had murderous spirits, the Heaven and Earth would be turned upside-down! The Earth emitted murderous spirits. Dragons and snakes flew out, and demons appeared everywhere to make trouble in the mortal world, signaling the imminent catastrophe. The humans emitted murderous spirits. As loyal and upright old officials were killed by King Zhou one after another, the entire mortal world was turned upside-down. Takashi knew that this was just the script that he wrote before playing itself out but it still made his heart angry. Because now, they have free will but the king of Shang still insists on walking the path of no return. Maybe because he thinks it is too late for him to turn back or maybe there is another reason, Takashi could no longer care. If before, he could be forgiven, now that he has free will and still did not stop his evil deeds, then that means, the destruction of his dynasty could no longer be stopped He sighed and said ''Thus, I decided your fate and destiny, your life and death. Let my will be done!'' Heaven, Earth, and Humans¡­ the three elements were all there. It would implicate Heaven, Earth, humans, deities, and the whole world¡­ even the immortals and gods couldn''t stay out of it, let alone humans. This is Takashi plans. Since the mater in the Eastern Serer is already chaotic, why not make it even more. Maybe, he could see some clues. And the gods in the Eastern Server does need reorganization. Though, he had created the Eastern Server combining the many cultures of the Asian continent, the fates and destiny of those Gods might not be the same. And Lizhu and Keiko is participating. Keiko did not need to aim for the highest throne, she just need to pick the right side and survive. As for Lizhu, Takashi don''t know what he is planning to do. Whatever it is, he would keep a close eye on him. Maybe Matsuo or Julia would contact him. And then he averts his gaze from the happenings in the Easter Server and look back at the Western Continent. It took him one second before he could see the one he wanted to see ''Aero Carlingian, huh? He even had enough merit to get a royal name. There is a lot of quest for such person of noble pedigree in that server. Even though, this was not what I planned, I will not let those plans to interfere with my plans. Maybe this is good for training humanity. About them dying, I think I already have some ideas on how to solve that'' He talks to himself. This has always been Takashi way of sorting things out. Genius all have their eccentricities., And this is one of his habits that he could never erased. Talking to himself. It is why some people thought that he is crazy. He looks at Aero and he thought of that person mother. ''Julia¡­what secret did you keep that year?'' he once again thought of the past and then like always, he sighed ''I guess I have to keep any eye on you too'' he said before closing his yes, his consciousness spread all over the two servers as the world keep on spinning >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 293 A WHISPER THAT STARTED EVERYTHING 1 Vanan. It was a Federation on the southern coast of the Vilajeri Continent. On its West is the Pruvar Council, a small state ruled by a Council of Elders and Zun Kingdom On its East is the Nero Republic. On its South is the vast Unknown Sea. On the north part is the Elven kingdom Alfhaim and Loth kingdom That was the territory of Vanan. It is not a big kingdom or a large state per se. But it maintains an amicable relation with its neighbor. But all of that changed when the was a revolution in Zun kingdom. The largest Temple of Zeus in the Vilajeri Continent was sacked down by zealots of a new religion. The Holy Empire of Zun. And then it began conquering all the nations and kingdoms that did not believe in their new God The Apostle of the Church, Ariana fought battles after battle, defeating superior army with a band of peasants that followed her from the countryside of Zun. What she did change the status quo of the power in the Vilajeri Continent. At that time, the rising power in Vilajeri Continent was the Eastern power centered around Vanheim and the northern power centered around Veva The entire Southern region of the Vilajeri Continent was ravaged in a religious war and Vanan was swept away by the tide of changing times. Vanan was attacked and thought its people fought bravely it fell. No one seems to notice as this power swallow the small states and kingdoms, as their suffering remain unheard by the people in power. The flags of the Holy Empire soars proudly at the capital of Vanan and Vanan Federation is no longer. But out of the ashes of this destroyed nation, there arises rebels that wanted to reclaim back the land of the Vanan people. The Vanaian might come from a small kingdom but their tenacity and stubbornness rivals that of the mighty kingdoms and Empires. And the leader of this rebellion effort is none other than the famous Lady of Vanan, Lady Viola. And she is back at the Vilajeri Continent When she was awoken she realizes that she had returned back to the Vilajeri Continent. There is still that headache in her head but she slowly got up. ''Where is this?'' she asked herself as she tries to get ahold of herself. She was dazed but as she looks around she realizes she is inside a forest. She heard the sound of the insects inside the forest and she could see trees and dead leaves all around her. She had come out from Purgatory. ''Gods, that was such a nightmare. No wonder, people said never fight with any of the Three Pillars. No matter what I do, I couldn''t shake him off'' she sighed as she was reminded of what happen in Purgatory. She did not get anything. She had thought her plans was perfect. At least if she got even one improvement in the Purgatory trials, maybe the cause that she had upheld would not seem so hopeless. In the end, she just become pawn in the fight between powerful people. ''Hmph. I hate this feeling'' she thought to herself. She sighed again and then she wipes off the dirt and the leaves around her robe. Around her, there doesn''t seems to be too many monsters and it seems that there is nobody around her immediate vicinity. She worries that her enemies are also around here. Though she had also hope that some of her compatriots is here, she did not hold too much hope in that ''Need to make sure'' she muttered. She is a tracker and she had the legacy of a Legendary tracker. She uses her Sensitive Awareness as the area around her were all reflected inside her mind. She nodded to herself when she could not sense anyone. Other than some animals that is coming out from their nest or roaming around searching for food, there doesn''t seem to be any monsters or people. She then makes sure her items are still all inside her storage bag. Seeing that nothing is missing, she brought out a dagger and attach it to her ankles, under her sleeve and hang it on her hips. She also holds one for safety as she walks forward. She first need to know where she is before making any other plans. She walked for half a day before she found a river and bathe in it. She was sticky with sweat and there is mud all over her boots. There she changes her clothes to a more fitting attire. She wears the hunter attire, tight clad outfit etched with the runic etchings of Elven marking. She got this when she got the legacy of the Legendary Tracker. After that she organize herself. She saw that the sun is about to come down and knows she need to find some shelter before sunset. She also needs to find food. At night monsters roamed the forest. She doesn''t know which forest this is, but most forest in Vilajeri Continent would always have this kind of unspoken rules. Monster lurks during the night. And most monster at night is more dangerous than the monster in the day. And while she is completely capable of killing and hunting monsters, she did not want to bet her life that the monster that will come out is a monster she could defeats. What fi some powerful monster come out and she could not defeat it? Wont that be a waste of her life So she hunted a few animals and when night came she found a shelter underneath a huge boulder sticking out from an elevated terrain. Below the huge boulder is a natural made tunnel, probably the ground around it collapse when the area had some land shifts She kills a few large sized centipedes and scorpion inside the area, light up a torch and hang it up at the walls of the tunnels and after cleaning the area she made that place her shelter for that night She covered the entrance with branches from trees with thick leaves that hides the area. Then she put a runic formation to repel insects and cover the area from Sensing abilities. That night she thought to herself of what she should do. She lays it out She had decided that first she needs to know where she is before she made other decision. That is her first priority. 294 A WHISPER THAT STARTED EVERYTHING 2 Though, this task is the last priority. Since it would be the hardest to do. The second and probably the most important thing she needs to do is to seek the Chancellor It is what the Chancellor offers her. And she intends to take that offer. In Purgatory, when she was about to be killed by him, he whispers something in her ears. His words were to the point. ''Come find me if you want to reestablish Vanan'' that is what he whispers to her ears before he kills her. If its anyone else that was saying, this she might not believe it. But the Chancellor had no need to lie to her. She might be a famous figure in Vanan but for a person at high level like the Three Pillars, some of them might not even know her. She is not at that level and she knows why the Chancellor would give such an offer to her. It is simply because the threat of the Holy Zun Empire. The fire crackles and broke her out of her thinking and then she sighed She heard the howling of wolves and the grunting of some giant monsters. She felt the walls of the tunnel shakes as she could see from the gaps of the leaves, large monster roam around the dark. Some of them are alone while some of them was accompanied by their horde She looks around for a minute if these monster notice her hidden place None of them seems to notice it and after a few minutes of tense moment, the area is empty again. She relaxed and then lied down, once again thinking about the matter. The Chancellor was the ruler of Vanheim, controlling the events of that large Empire in the dark. The natives of this world might have thought the current Emperor, Edward was the one ruling the large Empire of Vanheim but that is the farthest from the truth all of the people that is from the Western Heaven knows that the true ruler of Vanheim is none other than the Chancellor Aero. During the time of the reign of King George, Aero was truly a loyal official of the kingdom, as he ruled together with the King. Everyone could see he was wholeheartedly supporting the King, their relationship is the envy of all Kings and courtiers But Emperor Edward is a disappointment. He is timid unlike his father and there is a lot of news that the Chancellor did not like the Emperor but had to support him since the Chancellor hated Prince James even more Prince James have always been the more exceptional of the two brothers. But no matter how exceptional he is, how could he matched against the most powerful minister in the court? Even though it seems that there was an attempt at seizing the throne by Prince James, with the Chancellor on Edward side, how could Prince James be able to do anything? To those people who work in the Imperial Palace they know that the one who had ma the Empire is none other than the Chancellor, from the servants to the ministers and officials, they all know who holds the supreme authority of the Empire. And the offer that was given to her is probably given to her because the Chancellor is worried about the South. Or to be more accurate, the other Great Pillar that supported the Southern Region, Ariana of the South. All these years, Vanheim military machine did not move one inch from their border since they had controls all the Eastern region. It was not that Vanheim did not want to move but it is a strategic halting of operations. While she will not boast that she knows more strategist than the famous Divine Strategist of Vanheim, she knows the importance of pacifying the internal first, then looking outwards. That was the Chancellor consolidating the regional powers and slowly erasing the borders of the four continent. She even heard that before the exodus, the Chancellor wanted to redraw back the territories, and organize the nobility titles, setting the states, regions and cities. All of the people knew that Vilajeri Continent is only one. But the past emperors and Kings divided the four cardinal direction into four continent when they are not even separated by mountains or seas. They are all in one map of the Vilajeri Continent but the border was drawn and each kingdom separate themselves by aligning themselves to one of the four direction. Duvar was always the center of this four direction rule. But now with three Empires vying for supremacy, this illusory border and the terms of the Southern Continent or the Eastern Continent is slowly losing its meaning. It could now be divided into only two directions. The Eastern Empire and the Western kingdoms. The Eastern empire of course refers to the Empire of Vanheim and the Western Kingdoms would refer to Veva, Holy Zun kingdom, Alfhaim, Savillia and Aerosia kingdom The Vanheim Kingdom did not acknowledge the Holy Zun Empire as an Empire since they did not coronate themselves at the holy Land of Duvar Neither would they acknowledge Veva as an Empire even if they themselves claim it. If there is a legitimate Empire that could traces its roots back to the glorious ancient times, it would be Vanheim. After all, they did take Duvar and hold the coronation ceremony there under the eyes of all the temple Priest. That is not something the Gods could interfere with. Viola knows some things other people did not know and the things she knows about is none other than about the Gods. That is why she did not revere them as much as the other people. The illusory borders of the Four Continent inside one Continent that have baffled historians and confused geographers is slowly disappearing. There is no longer the northern continent, southern continent, western continent or the eastern continent. Now, they are only one continent and the regions it seems would once again be reunited. 295 A WHISPER THAT STARTED EVERYTHING 3 Kingdoms would be turned to dust and death would rule all over the continent. No one could escape that Great War once it began. Viola knows she could not stop this matter no matter what she does. She is not strong enough but it is more than just being strong to stop this matter. This is the trend of time and she alone could not stop it. This is the age of the Warring States and the will of the people wanted unification so that the war could stop and usher in an era of great peace But she still wanted to reestablish Vanan. That is her wish. She herself could not remember why she wanted to reestablish Vanan. That memory seems to locked itself in her mind And the Chancellor is her best bet in reestablishing her country. She never told this to any of her comrades and compatriots but she herself felt that the rebellion effort could not topple the large Holy Zun Empire. Each day, that feeling of hopelessness inside her heart grows stronger. She could felt it was a meaningless resistance. There were many times that she just wanted to give it all up. But she could not She knew that the only reason why the rebellion force is still existing is because the Apostle of the Church is more preoccupied with the Veva kingdom. It is truly laughable. If for some reason that threat of the northern region is neutralized even for a while and the Church began to look at the rebellion force as something that is detrimental to the development of the entire Empire, then Viola had no doubt that there is no land on the Southern region that they could hide. She sighed each time she thinks of this. But now there is a hope. It might be a false hope, but she need to make sure of it. She has been betting on her life all this time What more is one more time? The Chancellor have a use for her. She knows what people said about the Chancellor. That he was opportunistic and a genius in political maneuvering In other words, it is hard to believe in the Chancellor. In this era full of captivating personalities, the Vanheim statesman Chancellor Aero, surely counts as the most intriguing out of all of them He is known for having great political acumen in the court, cunning in his dealing with people and someone who is very opportunistic, yet at the same time this bad reputation of him among statesman and ministers, never come to the ears of the common people who respect and in awe for their Chancellor for maintaining the prosperity of the Empire And the Chancellor of Vanheim is known to have this uncanny ability to predict and adapt to the shifts between political climate. In other eyes, they see a failure of a king, of a great kingdom about to gradually decline. Yet, in the eyes of the Chancellor he sees an opportunity to rise in power. This alone shows his big ambition. Instead of choosing the easier way to serve other influential and powerful King, the Chancellor at that time who were just an unknown character in the backdrop of the beginning of the Warring States betted his all to King George. His success in returning back King George back to the throne was the foothold where he shot up right to the top ion the political scene of the Vanheim kingdom. He had survived political maneuvering, two wars and assassination attempt. After the death of King George, instead of having his power stripped, his power even expanded and he controls the regime right now, not y force of arms but by utilizing the Laws that he had written. It was so subtle, so masterful that there is no proof that he rules the empire instead of the Emperor. Chancellor Aero is a formidable opponent. Whether it be in political battle or a real battle in the battlefield, he seems to have no match. He is a friend of all and a friend of none. Thus the only reason why he whispers that to her is because, he sees some use for her to weaken Holy Zun Empire She knows that by meeting with him, she is volunteering to be used by him But everyone knows that not everyone had a use. Maybe at that time when they battled each other, he sees some potential in her, believing that she could be used for one of his plans. And Chancellor Aero knows she would come. Because she had already gone this far. Even if she surrenders to Holy Zun Empire now, she would probably be executed as the leader of the rebellion. Since moving backward means death and moving forward also means death, then why not try another way? Since the Chancellor said that, then he must have some confidence that she could achieved some effect to the Holy Zun Empire That first night, she spends her night inside the forest. Thankfully, the monsters did not notice her hiding place and she could peacefully sleep that night She was woken up by the sound of birds chirping in the morning. She opens her eyes, packed her stuff and once again move forward After half a day of walking she finally comes out from the forest. It made her feel refreshed to see some people. Thankfully no one sees her coming out from the forest or it might invite unwanted discussion Coming out from the forest she saw a large village. It was a fortunate event for her as she is slowly dwindling in supplies. She hopes that there is a Bank here. She did not have any golds or silvers on her She enters the village and she could see that the city is very prosperous. There is tall buildings and merchants trading in the market She looks around and after a few hours of roaming around and asking some people, she finally found the bank of Vanheim This bank is not like the large bank in the city. It is smaller but it had all the services of a bank and she should have noticed it when she enters the village. But the area where this bank is situated is a bit further away from the market sitting on the more prosperous area of the village with huge houses and rich people of the village. She chuckles a bit when she sees the bank. She felt that her problems go away. She was worrying on how to get her golds and thankfully her luck is good The Bank of Vanheim is made up of a conglomeration of interest from many trading companies that created this bank with the Empire of Vanheim interest also tied into it. She also heard that in many of these conglomeration of wealth people, in their companies, the Chancellor have interest in all of them 296 A WHISPER THAT STARTED EVERYTHING 4 If there is one person in the entire Vilajeri Continent that did not have to worry about having gold, it is the Chancellor. The building of the Bank in this village, even though it was smaller than the one in the major cities, still had its wealth displayed for Veyron to see. Made form high quality stones and beautiful architecture, it gave a glimpse to the villager in this village of the wealthy lives of those people in the Capital cities. She quickly enters the bank. The tile is made from marble stones and she could only imagine the wealth of this region to be able to construct a bank in its villages. There must be some lucrative business here if the bank did not mind being constructed here. Most villagers still preferred to keep their money around them. It is different from people of Western Heaven like her who is used to the concepts of Banks. She did not remember where she become so familiarized with Bank, but she thinks it must be something that most of them do in the Western Heaven Maybe this village have many people from Western Heaven hence the headquarters of this branch did not mind opening side branches of their bank here. She withdraws her gold and silvers and then she walks around the village. She already found where she was after talking to some people earlier. She doesn''t know if she is slowly getting luckier after experiencing death but she is now in Greater Veranis, a kingdom under the protection of Vanheim Empire and its ally. It is a kingdom just beside the Empire. As she walks around she could not help but think of her situation right now. ''It seems I am no longer in the Southern Region. I sure falls far away from my original location'' she thought to herself. When the mass exodus happen she went up to Western Heaven by using an abandoned temple in the southern region. She thought when she died in Purgatory she would be send back there. It seems whatever Divine beings up there, they do play with dice as she is randomly thrown here. But thinking of it again, it might not be like that. Maybe they do not play with dice and is giving her help by sending her here. She chuckles at herself for distracting herself with these absurd thoughts. Right now, it seems that she made headway on one of her objective already even without meaning to She quickly accepted what happens to her and as she walks to the market, she saw a few others people of Western Heaven in the crowds when she was prowling around the markets. She did not acknowledge them and they do not acknowledge her. Like her, those people might also be confused but they also might be some people who have bad intentions. They saw each other and they each knows that they both come from the same place. Each person has a friend and each person have an enemy thus they only see each other and pretend not to see and went on their way She is looking for information brokers. She looks around and she knows how these information brokers look like. There is certain way they carry themselves and for someone experienced like her, she could spot them a mile away She found one not a few minutes later and hire the broker to compile all the explosive news that had happened in these few days. The broker that she hired was not surprised and even expected such task. Which makes her even more curious. She had a conjecture but it is just that, a conjecture. that broker did not seem too eager to enlighten on why either. Though, she knows this is just the way these information brokers work. Any information they have, even the most useless one had to have some value. If she is too curious, then that means she had to part with more of her gold And she is not in the condition to splurge right now so she restrain her curiosity and task him to find the information She waited at her inn. Viola might not live a luxurious life like the Three Great Pillars but she is after all the leader of the rebellion of Vanan. And what does a rebellion force need? Gold. A lot of gold. So that they could buy supplies, weapons and information. And who is in control of that gold? None other than her. It is a pity this was not the Southern region. If it is the southern region, she would find the Grey Shadows. The Grey Shadows is an information gathering organization that mostly works in the Southern region and they have tight relationship with the rebellion force. And Viola have her own intelligence gathering network in the South. She was no accustomed to the Eastern region information gathering organization and it took her a lot of time to find a single decent information broker in that market though it did not show that much because of her experience. She was waiting for the news inside her room when she heard a knock outside her door. She opens the door and there was a bag. Inside that bag, is a scroll message tied with a black thread. She went into her room first and then she opened the message She quickly reads the message and then she prepared herself. That night she went to the most recognizable area of the village, a park. However, since it was night only the seedy character had come out there and people rarely come there at night, making it the perfect spot for a secret rendezvous There was a celebration going on that night and there is a shady person sitting on a bench underneath a large tree with wide shade. There are other seedy characters around the park but they seem to know better as they didn''t approach that man sitting in the bench Viola narrowed her eyes. If this was on the Southern region, she would think this was a trap. But this is the Eastern region. Her identity is not that grand and her deeds did not reach the citizens of this region nor would they care about some rebellion leader of the Zun empire She approached the bench and as she cautiously approached it, that person sitting on the bench got up leaving another paper bag ''So, this is how they do their business'' She come to the bench and look into the paper bag. She is still cautious. It is a habit that she could not really rid off She looks into it and there was a lot of documents inside it. 297 A WHISPER THAT STARTED EVERYTHING 5 ''Are all information gathering organization like this? Are all of them like playing being mysterious like that'' she thought to herself as she took the paper bag and quickly went back to her inn. She locks her door room, make sure that there is no surveillance magic in her room and she uses her Sensitive Awareness to check whether there is anyone trying to come near her room. ''I guess old habits die hard'' she thought, right now, no one knows that she is in Greater Veranis'' The only organization that would really pay attention to her would be the Church and the holy Zun Empire. Though she didn''t know how far the influence of the new religion had spread, she would not be surprised if there is a devotee of the Church in Vanheim, hiding in plain sight And she bets that the Church and the Holy Zun Empire had something else to worry about now. She smiles at the thought. As she was strolling below her inn in the morning, she heard from some random conversation that the Pope and the Holy Maiden of Arleans had returned to the Southern Region. And in their return, some of the old bishop were executed for trying to usurp the position of the Pope It is a mess now in the Holy Zun Empire. This is public knowledge because the execution and the return of the Pope and Arianna of the South is very public. She hopes that she could hear about the news of the return of the Chancellor but no one seems to be talking about it. And that was to be expected. The common people of the world might think that the relationship between the new Emperor and the Chancellor was as good as it was during the reign of King George. But to those who in the know, they know it is not that simple. The Emperor influence in the court has always been smaller than the Chancellor who rules the Six Councils of the Empire. The key of the Six Council is in the Chancellor hand and as such no other person in the land had as much power as he did. That is why if the Chancellor is at somewhere else, then he would be hiding himself. For the people of the Western Heaven, they were also curious why the Chancellor never rebels against the Emperor. With his power and his influence in the court, if he truly rebels against the Empire, there would be no doubt that he would emerge victorious. Was it that he was truly loyal to the kingdom he once had served or he had other reservation against rebelling on the young Emperor? Whatever the reason was, Viola could guess that even if the Emperor and the Chancellor is on different sides, they would not like to make their battle public. Everyone knows that the only reason Emperor Edward could held on tight to the throne, is mostly because of Chancellor support If it is revealed that the Emperor tries to kill the Chancellor, then there would be a label at him trying to kill his Imperial Father most trusted subordinate. The late King George had already decree that as long as the Chancellor did not betray the kingdom, he would be given imperial pardon for any small crimes. And the Chancellor also did not want a public fight with the Emperor since he too did not want to be branded as an unloyal and treasonous official. Thus they could only fight their battles in secret. Though Viola do not know if her speculations is correct or not since times had changed then before. They, the people, of Western Heaven had disappeared from this world for years and the native people of this world, their time just started a few months ago before they were summoned back into this world. Viola tries to remember her life in the Western Heaven but she is coming up with blanks. That is why she had to go to information brokers. Maybe some of them have already got the information regarding the whereabouts of the Chancellor. The return of such an influential person would surely alerts many powerful people in the land and as such, it must be quite a valuable information the black market. She sighed before she opens the appear bag. She hopes she found the answer to her question. Outside, the fireworks shot off into the skies and flower blooms in the skies as she brought out the many documents outside of the paper bag and bean examining and reading it one by one. She reads a few and she reads the news about the return of Arianna of the South. ''Slaughtering the bishops in the Tower of Divine. That is just like her. The Holy Apostle of the Church. What a grand and holy title'' She scoffed. She never like how heavy handed the Church is and how hypocritical they are. The Holy Apostle might not be like that but the bishop of the church is really hateful. Those devotees of them were nothing but livestock in their eyes. So, she did not feel sad for the death of a few bishops. Even if a hundred bishop got killed, she doubts she would feel sad for them She once saw a Bishop playing with little kid. And by playing, she did not mean it in the innocent way. She had killed that bishop with her dagger before he could go even further. That boy she had saved join her rebellion. The Church was not established that long ago and there is already corruption form the highest order of the Church. This act by the Holy Apostle is a cleansing. She likes it and hated it at the same time. With this move, the Church that the Hoy Apostle and the Pope dreamed off would become pure and more appealing to the public. But at the same time, it would make the Church stronger. So, how could she felt happy about it? With a blade Arianna of the South stopped the schism of the Church. How laughable. Ion its Holy Scripture, it is said that it is sin to kill Yet, here is a direct defiance of that holy words. The Holy apostle of the Church killed people in the holiest of the holies place in the Lucellian Faith, the marble white tiled stairs of the Tower of Divine is sticky with blood of holy men The pope took back His Divine Throne and now effort of reuniting back the declining Empire once again restarted. ''Nero Republic would be the one most affected with this'' she thought to herself. She read a few others information about the Church and the current events that is happening in the South. It is not as detailed as she had hoped but she understands why. This gathering information organization that she had hired is on the Eastern Region. The fact that they could have this many information on the Southern region is already impressive enough. She then checks the documents about the northern region. She did not want to appear to suspicious which is why she didn''t specify her request and focused on the explosive news. If someone finds out that she is searching for information on the Three Great Pillars that alone would arouse some suspicion on her and she could not deal with such attention right now Without allies and sufficient strength, she fears that she would be buried in this foreign land before she could do anything. But now that she got the information, she did not think it is a waste. Either way, she too need to know the current general events so she could plan her next move. She opens the documents for the northern region and she read about the kingdom wide celebration Not only King Zeus had returned, even his Prime Minister, the Black Robed Eric had returned to Veva. She smiles. As long as there is Veva kingdom applying pressure to Holy Zun Empire, her rebellion force could still hold on until her return With King Zeus once again declaring his intention to conquer the whole world, Holy Zun would not just shut up and take it. They too must have raise their level of awareness. And that is good for her force. Savillia Kingdom is also moving and Alfhaim might also involved themselves in the mess. While King Zeus doesn''t seem to be a scheming king, but the Black Robed is renowned for his use of schemes, using former enemies to deal with current enemies. That Kyle was also hired by the Black Robed to deal with Aero. Who would have thought at that time, the plan would backfire with Kyle being instrumental in the release of Aero from the prison in Veva? It was like they were releasing back the tiger that they had caught back into the jungle. This declaration that King Zeus had said, if one thinks simply might just be King Zeus being his flamboyant self. Or it might have the trace of Black Robed Eric intention. Who knows? 298 A WHISPER THAT STARTED EVERYTHING 6 Nothing is impossible on the stage of war. Savillia does not trust Veva but they also do no trust Holy Zun Empire. What if all of this is a smokescreen for their real target. And if she could think of this scheme, how could that Holy One sitting in the Holy Throne and that Holy Lady could not think of it? They would raise their vigilance and they will not have time to care about the small rebellion force that keep harassing them. It is a pity she is now not there in the Southern region. If not she would surely order the rebellion to lay low for a couple of months and gather their strength first at this moment of uncertainty. Then he finally read the report about the Chancellor. ''Last spotted in Karak. That is not far from here. And he seems to be heading to Vanheim too'' she thought to herself. She read further and then her eyes widened. ''This could not be right? Why would this kind of thing happen?'' There was one line of the report that shocked Viola. In that line of report, it seems that the Chancellor went to House Vlad and take residence there for a day. It is speculated, he might have gone to the House of Vlad to take shelter and then send him to the Capital But something tragic happen the next day. The next day when some of the noble families in the area wanted to go to House Vlad to pay their respect to the Chancellor they saw a tragic sight. All the inhabitants of House Vlad were murdered, from its patriarch to their children. Blood splatter all across the illustrious walls of the House of Vlad Not even the servants were left off and no one survive this massacre. And the Chancellor is nowhere to be found It is not such a leap of faith to belie that the Chancellor had something to do with all of this. Could there be some grudge between the Chancellor and the House of Vlad? And the Chancellor wanted to avenge some matter? But It didn''t seem so? In the past, the Chancellor also seems to be praising the House of Vlad The suspect is the Chancellor but everyone with a little brain in their heads could see this is not such a simple matter It might even have something to do with the two imperial brothers in Vanheim. Is someone trying to frame the Chancellor? Nonetheless, since the Chancellor is the last person said to be seen with the Vlad, the other three noble houses have no way other than to investigate the matter House Vlad has a noble reputation among the people and to hear the noble house being massacred bring the discontent of the population. Though, the three noble houses covered up the story that the Chancellor is a suspect for this matter. A chess game that involves millions of lives. The return of the Chancellor had always been something that some people in the Capital dreaded. The moment the Chancellor steps foot in Vanheim, he would regain back all of his control all over the Six Council. And while some people wanted that, some other people in the capital didn''t want that. The Emperor might seem to be needing the Chancellor support right now but that didn''t mean the Emperor himself is very fond of the Chancellor. This is common knowledge among the officials and noble circles. It might be the Emperor scheme but that possibility is low. The other, higher possibility is that it is the scheme of King of Novar. And Viola was shocked when she reads the title of Prince James. It seems Prince James is no longer just an untitled Prince. He is bestowed the title of King of Niovar, ruling all over the former territory of Niovar House Vlad is praised and respected, their death is tragedy to the community. All surrounding cities send their representatives to attend the entire burial of all the House of Vlad family members. The House had many scholars and the scholars circle also came as a sign of their respect To have them die such a horrific death, some righteous people would surely try to uncover what the other three noble houses is covering up But this is not matter anyone could uncover since this implicates to many people. The Imperial family of Vanheim is not like before. In the time of King George reigns, the Karak government did not have to pay too much attention to the politics of the Capital but that had changed since Vanheim turns into an Empire. That Emperor sitting on that Imperial Throne in Vanheim is capable of flattening the entire small kingdom and wipes it out from existence with one military order All it needs is a reason. Thus the three noble houses had their hands tied. They could not let other people know it was the Chancellor that was suspected but at the same time, they also need to find a scapegoat for this crime or even better the true culprit. Nobody believe that the Chancellor really kills the House of Vlad since there is no reason for him to do such a thing But House Vlad death is something that impacted the scholars circle of Karak and Vanheim. They are the most famous scholar family in the entire continent The Three noble houses are in a race with many other forces. They need to seek the true culprit and if that failed, they at least need to know where the Chancellor is right now. Right now in the Capital, that August One is clearly looking at this matter with interest. The other three house have send the report to the Capital The order of that Emperor doesn''t seem weird. He sends orders to seek the true culprit and find the Chancellor. To anyone that doesn''t know better, it seems the Emperor values the Chancellor. But was that truly the case? But it is really hard to believe that is the case If this scheme is really the scheme of the Emperor, then sacrificing the house of Vlad to frame the Chancellor might not be worth the trouble. And that is counterproductive to say the least. After all, the House of Vlad supported Edward. If anything, killing them is like cutting his own flesh. But King James¡­would he risk such an obvious scheme? ''The Three Noble houses of Karak must be in a tight spot right now. It is a pity I don''t know much about them since we live in different regions'' Viola muttered to herself, as she put down the report. She then lay herself down on the bed and release a long sigh. She did not think there were so many things that had happened in just a few days since the adventurers had returned to the world Like a large stone being thrown into a calm lake, its ripples affect the peace and calm, the bottom of the lake is now muddied with mud that rises up to the surface. And the three Great pillars once gain bring storm to the world ''The Three Great Pillars, each move shakes the world'' she sighed again. She sighed because she felt that she is helpless and also at the same time feeling envy and jealous of the influence that these three people hold all over the world. She bet she is not the only feeling such feeling in this world. ''Then what should I do now?'' she thought to herself. She had read the report until the end and she found out something shocking. ''What had happened? she thought to herself as she read further in the report. The report indicate that the Chancellor then rides a horse toward Vanheim and the Karakian government is in hot pursuit. But it is unverified news. There are a few things she could do now. But which one is the correct decision at the current situation Should she go immediately to Vanheim? Or should she tried to find the whereabouts of the Chancellor first? ''Hmm. What should I do?'' Then as she was thinking of this, there is a knock on her door. She shot up from her bed. Engrossed in her reading, she did not notice that someone approached her room which prompt such response. She gets up but she did not say anything. She checks with her Sense Awareness and it seems that it is not broken nor is any of her enchantments. She grew a bit bolder. Maybe, someone is drunk and knock the wrong door. But the knocking did not stop The knocking grew louder. She then slowly walks to her door and she was preparing to attack if the person outside her door forces their way in. But that person did not barge in. That person just keeps knocking and then she asks ''Who''s there?'' That person outside the door, is dressed in black robed, covering his face under the hood and he smiles, hearing Viola voice. ''It''s me'' that person replied. Viola who is on the other side of the door widen her eyes and she said ''It''s you'' she could never mistake that voice. She opens her door and she look at the person standing in front of her. Tall and handsome, emanating a powerful pressure that person look straight at her. She nearly flinched that person face is slightly covered because of the hood covering the top of his head but there is no doubt that this person is that person ''How did you know I am here?'' she asks ''Luck'' the man replied. ''And ability'' he added Then he strode in into the room and Viola sighed as she closes the door The man that was entering the room is none other than the Chancellor Aero. For some reason he had found her and now he is meeting her. She had many things to ask and many things to know right now. All of her plans seems to evaporate into the wind. Like someone had said about the Chancellor, talk about him and he will arrive. She smiles bitterly as she follows behind him. Aero look around him and nodded ''I need some wine'' that is his first word the moment he enter her room. 299 WHOSE SCHEME? Aero look around him and all he could see was dried leaves and tall and large trees. He took his breath and perk up his ears to hear any movement. He closes his eyes and after a few seconds he opens it back up ''I guess they did not catch up to me yet'' he muttered to himself. He sheathes back his Heaven Sword and stand up as he thinks about what he should do now. He was on the forest around the Fort that separates the border between Karak and Greater Veranis. He had to cancel his plan to ride straight to Vanheim because of what happens today. ''Shit, I should have foreseen this. someone plotted against me. I guess I had managed to draw all my enemies out.'' When he woke up this morning in the Vlad castle someone try to kill him. If not for his senses that was sensitive, he might not notice it and let himself being stabbed Of course, even if he was stabbed. Unless it was his ankle, he would not die. He notices the assassin entering his room and fight the invaders, killing a few of them. The Vlad family also helps him battles this assassins activating their guards. After that knowing that he had managed to convince to some people that he was not directly rushing to Vanheim, he decided to rush to Vanheim. That is his plan since the beginning He could not let others think he is rushing straight to Vanheim. Appearances that he must keep for appearance sake and the politics he had to play could seem cumbersome to some, but he found enjoyment in it There are many reason why he did this kind of thing but the main reason was because he wants to keep appearance to that one person. What would the world thinks if he quickly rush to Vanheim? He doesn''t care what the people of the court thinks, since he controls the court. He rushing to Vanheim to take control of the court is only expected. But that is the mindset of the native of this world. Aero enemies who he acknowledged only come from the same place he is He cares about that Black Robed person in Veva thinks. In the Vilajeri Continent who would be his match? But why then would he rushed too fast to go to Vanheim like he is a prey being hunted. There are many things that he doesn''t want that Black Robed Prime Minster to understand. If he knows his weakness that is not good. If he knows that his true relationship with the Emperor and King James is not at all what they portrayed it to be, that is also not good. Many people know that the relationship between the Emperor and him was not good. But that itself is also could be considered a trick. Eric¡­.is someone who overthinks too much. And it is precisely because it is him that he thinks too much Eric had lost against him many times. And such fact weighed heavily on his mind. It is like a psychological trauma. Thus he would be overcautious of him more than he would be if it was any other person and each and every move that Aero made, Eric would think it over and over. If its anyone else, Eric might not have such a reaction. And there lays the traps. Other people would just accept the fact that his relationship is not good with the Emperor. But if it is Eric, he might be thinking that the true relationship between Aero and the Emperor is not as bad as the rumors says it to be. If its Eric, he might think that it is Aero scheme to think that the Emperor and him is in a bad relation. That is why Aero is not worried about that. He had maintained appearance of sometimes appearing to care about the Emperor in secret and rebuking him harshly in the public, thus giving Eric just enough hesitation and uncertainty. This is a silent battle between them as they try to deceive each other. And Aero had to admit he likes playing the game like this He likes fighting but nothing beats the feeling of defeating a person without lifting a single hand, using only his mind to subdue them Anyway, Aero after being attacked by assassins he knows that this is good enough. Now, that he fulfilled his goals, he decided to rush to Vanheim as fast as possible. Now, his return is justified in the eyes of Eric. He had let those spies knows where he is going not only because he wants to inform the Emperor but also to draw out some other enemies. It served as a reminder and a warning to know that he had returned. This is their chance. Aero is in foreign lands right now. If someone wanted to make a move, this is the right moment. Once he gone back to Vanheim, those people could not even have a chance to kill him. He is the bait and he hoped that there are some fishes that get caught. The killers that tried to kill him doesn''t seem to come from the Blood Brotherhood. When he thinks of the Blood Brotherhood he is reminded of Tatiana. After having quite, the breakfast and taking with the people of Vlad family members about something, he quickly rushes out from the residence. What he didn''t expect was that a few hours later, he was being pursued by many people. It was then that he finds out the death of the entire family of House of Vlad, their House is wiped out from the lineage of nobility just like that since they have no surviving heir. Whoever it is they are efficient and ruthless enough At this time, Aero had no other choice other than to stop his journey. He could guess what would happen if he went to the border now. That area must have hundreds of checkpoints. He could disguise himself, but he is not sure if his disguise could fool some of the magicians. This time the entire Karak government is searching for him and they surely would not use some third rate magicians and wizard. They would surely hire the best and his Disguise skill is not that refined. They might even hire an Archmage. If there is one thing Karak didn''t lack, it is gold He could use his skill points to rank up disguise skill but he felt that it would be too wasteful. There is another way which is to force his way out. With his strength it was not an impossibility. No matter how many forces they laid out in the fortress, they still couldn''t defeat him. But Aero also knows, the moment he did that the accusation against him would look credible. And it is not like he is desperate to go to Vanheim. And he is more interested in this enemy. Those three nobles house of Karak might think that this has something to do with the two Imperial brothers in the Capital of Vanheim, but Aero is certain that they are not involved in this matter. That is because this scheme had no benefit for them. Aero knows the Emperor. And he knows what the Emperor needs right now. There is a reason why he chose the Vlad as the place of his residence. Vlad is a scholar family, the most knowledgeable family there is in the Vilajeri Continent When he was in the Castle of the House of Vlad, he had asked the Patriarch of the Vlad family all about what was happenings since he was gone. He could see that the Emperor made a mistake by bestowing the title King to Prince James. If he were in the Imperial Court, he would smack the back of that idiot Emperor head Now he is no longer Prince James but King James. Emperor Edward might not see the scheme that James had done, but how could it escape his eyes? He could have deduced of how it all happens from what the Vlad had told him. James never had any military power in the court. And he was the one that made it so. Since he had removed the fangs from James mouth, how could he bit the Emperor. A toothless tiger is not something anyone should be worried about. And James was a smart person. He relented and did not protest too much of the decision. He protested of course but that was all for show for him. If James did not even protest even he would be suspicious. The fact that he tries to protests actually made his submission more believable. And while Edward gloated in temporary victory, Aero see James for what he is. A very formidable opponent for the Emperor. But in the time span he is not in Vanheim, provoked by base emotions, blinded by the desire to persecute his own brother, Edward send James to Niovar, a place where he had put Archduke Bradheim. That is the most unwise decision the Emperor had ever done. All of that balancing he had done in the Imperial Court had been broken because of the order of the Emperor. Isn''t sending James back to Niovar basically giving not only James his fangs back but also attached wings for him? With that power, even though James is far from the Central authority, he could build his force and slowly covers his strength far away from the eye of the Emperor. There is a reason he kept James by his side even though he could send him far away. Out of sight, out of mind. And it is out of mind that James wanted to accomplish. He wanted to make Edward forget that he was ever there and when Edward had forgotten, that is when he strikes. And that is why he always kept that Prince close to him. And it also has to do with Aero balancing the courts. The Emperor does not like him very much and while he fended off James attacks, he also had to defend against the Emperor trying to encroach into the Six Councils in his hand. So, James had a use. When he had to diminish the Emperor power, he would increase James influence and when he wanted to suppress James, he would use the Emperor The distrust and desires between those two imperial lions acted as a balance with him in the middle, determining the force and power that distributed between them But right now, as he had been briefed by the Vlad, he knows the Emperor needs him right now. It is clear he is losing support in the Imperial Courts and he needed his Chancellor back. Edward at least is not truly an incompetent Emperor. Aero had sent letter to him that night he arrived in the Vlad castle. It turns out his intuition was right and wrong at the same time. The House of Vlad was interested in the status quo but that was only the appearance in the surface. In secret, they already pledged allegiance to the Emperor. And it is not surprising considering their political views. The rightful heir to the throne of Vanheim is the Emperor and as such his claim is more appealing than any other reason to old scholar''s family like the House of Vlad. It seems the Emperor had also been cultivating secret alliances behind his back. Though he was not surprised, he was also not entirely pleased. As such when he arrived at the Vlad residence, message was already sent to the Imperial Palace and the Emperor immediately sent correspondence through the use of postal stations that is established all across the lands of Vanheim and Karak. In the morning, he got the news from the Patriarch of the Vlad family After hearing the news from the Vlad Patriarch, and after hearing about the massacre of the Vlad family he knows that the one ally he could trust right now is the Emperor Why? Because the Emperor needs him right now. It is clear that while he is not there, James is slowly diminishing Imperial Authority on the conquered regions in Niovar. If Aero could not guess what James wanted to do, why would he be called a Divine Strategist? But James was also not the one that had send those assassins. Because it doesn''t benefit him either way. James priority right now is not to bring attention to him that much. He is gathering his strength, conserving his forces and making sure that his plan is not found out by the Emperor. Niovar did not have many eyes of the imperial court mostly because Bradheim guards there. Bradheim might have always supported James but he is also very loyal. Even though he disagreed in making Edward the Emperor, he had respected the will of the previous King and he had remained loyal to the Imperial court so even Aero did not put much intelligence there. It is a show of trust and gratitude. Aero respected that old lion and the War God of Vanheim At that time, he thought to let that old hero of the Empire to die peacefully. He had never thought of a situation where James could be send back to Niovar. Either way, it is not James. He had too much to lose and too little to gain. He sighed For now, he had no clue who it is that planned against him. All he knows is that who is not plotting against him. He needs to gather more information and gather more allies. He is too vulnerable now. He thought of some of his ally and he frowned even deeper \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 300 THE WAYS OF THE WORLD 1 He hoped Kyle landed near Vanheim and quickly assume back his position. Kyle is not stupid so he would probably find a way. Though, Aero is not that hopeful of him. It is not that he is not confident that Kyle would not be able to reclaim back his position but he doesn''t trust the loyalty of Kyle. In fact, both of them knows that there is no feeling of affection between each other but all feelings of hatred or enmity was also erased between them If there is one thing that tied them together, it is that they are tied by the promise of mutual benefit. He is not sure what Kyle would do. But that person always knows to choose the right person to follow. He fights for himself and Aero did not grudge that. For now, he decided to go to Veranis kingdom. There is a path in the forest around the borders between Karak and Veranis that no one had ever seen. Aero got the report from one of his scouts when he sent them in an exploratory mission when he was Chancellor. At that time, they wanted to make sure that King Phillip kept to his words. Aero is going to use that passage to reach to Veranis kingdom, bypassing the border checks. If he is not mistaken he would be coming out to a village near some small mountain. After a few hours of searching for it, he finally found it ''Thank the Gods that I did not forget where it was'' he muttered to himself. In the forest everything looks the same but thankfully he still remembers where it was. It is hidden from the sight if you did not look for it. It is a boulder and if one looks at it from afar it just looks like a big stone which had a hole with dead end. But Aero knows that is not the case. The hole is not a dead end, instead it would lead to a networks of cave tunnels that bypassed the borders and checkpoints of Veranis kingdom Aero did not know whether Veranis also knows the story and whether they would cooperate with the Karak government. Since Greater Veranis is the vassal of the Empire, they might be an ally to him or maybe not. Aero did not know the intention of King Philip and he would not bet his safety in the feeling of others. Aero shakes his head as he focused on what he is doing now. Now, is not the time of thinking all of this thing. He first need to come out of Karak borders first. ''Greater Veranis is more suitable for now. I worry that Vlad is not completely honest with me'' Aero thought to himself. He looks at the not easily seen hole and then he moves his body so that his body would fit through that small opening And then as he crawls inside, he falls down into the ground. There is only slight shine of light and that is from the small opening of the hole on top of his head. He lights up his torch and then he walks forward. Inside the darkness of these tunnels are only the sound of water ticking down and sounds of insects. Aero keep walking forward ignoring the sounds and the eerie atmosphere of the tunnels. He just hopes this are not some crypts of some Wizard king. After all, he never did send any of his scout to examine this place in details. At that time, he did not want to alert Greater Veranis that there is a way to sneak into their borders. Aero has always prided himself on knowing the things that other people don''t know. If there comes a time when the interest of Greater Veranis and the interest of the Vanheim Empire clashed and there is no other way to solve it other than war, then Aero believes that the information about the tunnels could change the outcome of the battle between the two sides. That is why he hides the information. He hides it from Karak and he hides it from the Emperor. There are too many sycophants around the Emperor that he did not find it wise to give the information to him. Even the people who gave him these information was tucked away safely at the Capital without anyone knowing it. The only people that knows about this tunnels is himself and a few other subordinate of his. And those subordinate of him would never sell him out. At least not yet. Aero never trust to much those who speak of loyalty. The more they said thing about loyalty, the more he guarded himself against them That is why he is not worried someone will find these tunnels network. Even if these tunnels was compromised, there is no one under the sky Aero would not mind fighting. Just because he did not like fighting does not mean he is not adept in it. It is only the fear that his weakness is somehow revealed that prevents him from fighting too much. But when needed, he would crush any opponent that dares to tried to kill him. It is just that the battle he is fighting now is not a battle that could be solved by killing everyone involved. If he starts going that path, he had to keep killing people and he knew he could never stop once he go down that road He had to become a tyrant that had to resort to intimidation and threat and had to worry about being assassinated all the time. This is too much work for him and also a thankless task. Why would he choose such a way when there are other alternatives of way? Aero keep walking forward as his boots become dirtier as he moves deeper into the tunnel. The tunnels itself is full of muddy soils and complicated stone structures. Aero had guessed it before but it is always good to be right. The tunnels here were not manmade but it was naturally built. It is clear to him. It is a wonder how this tunnel has remained hidden. It probably formed naturally after an earthquake that causes the land to shift position creating this long cave with complicated tunnel network. Slowly Aero walk deeper inside that darkness filled cave. Sometimes there would be serpents and scorpions that tried to attack him as he walks even forward. In such narrow spaces, he could not use his sword. But he did not need to since he grabs them using only his hand and squeeze the life out of them. He had to go through small holes that look impassable at a glance. He had to make sure the torch is not extinguished while at the same time moving forward. It is not he could not see in the dark. It is just clearer when using the torch to see After a few hours of walking in the darkness, even though Aero is not tired physically, he is tired mentally. He could never see things clearly and even though his eyes could see through the dark, his eyes could not see pass through stones. The passage grew narrow and narrower as he had to crouch down and crawls all over the small openings of the tunnels. Aero also made a few startling discoveries inside this tunnel networks. When he was crawling and moving forward he landed into an open wide area. There is a blue lake inside these tunnels. Aero clean himself up in that lake and hunted a few fishes inside it and roasted it. He did not sleep inside the tunnels but he did eat inside it for a while. It gave him a peace of mind and then he moves forward. After hours and hours of walking in the dark, he finally saw the end of the tunnel when he saw lights on the other end of the cave. He cautiously come out from the cave. He expected everything from ambushes to coming out from someone hut or house, but thankfully, it is just quiet. He smiles a bit ''A little bit of luck'' he thought to himself. Since he returns back to Vilajeri Continent, he could no even have time to rest from the beach until now. Ironically, that few hours in the dark cave seems like rest to him. All of the past relationship is haunting him as he is once gain thrown into the whirlpool of politics once again He is not saying he hated it. He knows he could not just opt out of it like other people. There is too many interest intertwined with each other in this matter He cod not unravel all the things he had done and neither did he intended to unravel it. The relationship with the two Imperial brothers, his deterring presence toward the other two great powers and many other things that bounded him to the matters of the world could not be cut by simply saying that he is done. He either had to stand above all of them or fall behind and being killed by the winner. He just saying there is no harm to want to rest for a while. He shakes his head out of that fantasy. He would rest when he arrived back at his mansion. He looks around and he sighed. ''Another forest'' he muttered to himself. 301 THE WAYS OF THE WORLD 2 ''At least, I pass their inspection'' He had passed the fortress and the checkpoints in Karak and Veranis and have arrived in Veranis. The ally of Vanheim, Greater Veranis. He did not have power and information to investigate who kills the Vlad family and it would be disadvantageous for him to stay in Karak right now. And as for Vanheim? Someone is plotting against him, against his reputation. Karak Three noble houses could also sense that they are being mired in a framing conspiracy. They themselves did not want being dragged in this hidden battle. Aero could understand why. they did not want to be dragged on inside this confusing plot because if somehow these are the plots of the Two Imperial brothers in the capital, then if they choose the wrong side, they probably would have their heads rolling down the stairs of their ancestral house But they also did not want to offend him. They know who is the true real power behind the Imperial Court of Vanheim. And if somehow he could go back to Vanheim first and regain control of the Six Council, the three noble houses that accuses him of exterminating House of Vlad, they could just imagine their fates in the coming days. As Chancellor, Aero would never let them get away with it. He knows it and those three knows it. They are in an impossible situation which is why they are doing their best to cover the incident up But Aero knows a leaf couldn''t hide an elephant. Vlad family is a respected scholar family in the Vilajeri Continent. Sooner or later, some sons of noble houses would found out that he had visited the Vlad castle before the massacre and suspicions would fall on him That does not go well with his personality. He never liked being led by the nose Before that happens, Aero also have a plan of his own. As he just falls down into the Vilajeri Continent, he still did not know who is his enemies and his foe. A lot of thing could change in a few months that he was not there in the Imperial Court. He did not even have the time to relish on the encounter he had in Purgatory and now he had to run to avoid being framed. If the attack was direct, it would be easier. But these people attack his reputation and wanted him to become the enemies of the whole Continent. A tyrant could conquer kingdom but sooner or later, his tyranny would end. And he is not liking the events that had happen after he was absent in the imperial court Prince James is now the King of Niovar and the church is in disarray with the Bishop trying to usurp the title of Pope. The North halted their military machine and Nero Republic regains its independence This plan had been setup since the occupation of Niovar. He still remembers how enthusiastic he was during those times, he and King George would spend many night speaking about their ambition, to unite all under the sky under one banner. King George untimely death had made him hesitant to share the plan of the unification with the Emperor and the others. He was hesitant at that time whether to continue in the path of hegemony or be content with the prosperity of the Empire and rules as a wise Chancellor of the ages. But then when he thought about the Vilajeri continent as a whole, he knows that with Zeus in the North and that Holy Maiden in the South, that even if he wanted to do that, these two people wouldn''t let him. They all wanted to rule the world. One had the desire to conquer everything under the Heavens, and the other wanted to spread her religion because she believes that it would bring salvation. He never liked to serve under a tyrant and he hated even more to serve under a zealot. Thus, he had no choice than to keep walking the path that he had laid out for Vanheim glory And since he was the one in control of the Six Councils, he had no problem in executing those plans by himself And the more he become successful, the more powerful he became in the Court, so much so that his existence and power eclipses that of the Emperor himself. If the Emperor was George, such thing would never happen because Aero know he would not need to overstepped his boundaries of powers to execute the plans. But since the relationship between him and the imperial family is not that good, Aero political and military moves sometimes lashed with the Emperor and his ministers. Edward wanted to be a peaceful King and wanted to enjoy the status of being the Emperor. He wanted to stop the expansion but what Edward failed to see was that Vanheim had gone too far to turn back. There are certain things that should have been done if they wanted to turn back and acquiring Duvar is that one thing that should not have been done if Edward only wanted to be an Emperor of half of the continent. At least if that was the case, Vanheim could still negotiate. But since he had taken Duvar, there is no turning back and they must see it till the end. In this three-way battle, only one would gain the world. And that is why he did not stop and could not stop. The fate of Vanheim had been written the moment it takes Duvar and claimed themselves an Empire, inheriting the wills of the Old Empire. There are only two possible fates waiting for this Empire. either Vanheim would unify the Continent or perish in the long annals of time. And unfortunately for the Emperor and James, since he holds the most power in the court, every time he argues with the Emperors and his minister, he would win and as such, people in the court shifts their support. To them, they could see that the one that truly holds the real power in Vanheim is him and as such, the people in the Court were loyal to him and not to the Emperor. Of course, their loyalty is dog fart since they would change their loyalty in a heartbeat if the situation changed Loyalty had to be proved by actions, not words. Aero knows they are bonded to him in this mutual benefit quid pro quo relationship. But Aero knows better than to throws them away. After all, there are some talented people even if they are disloyal and ambiguous. He did not really need their loyalty in the first place. He had always been the one to trust in himself while appearing to be magnanimous and trusting to others in the surface. He need their obedience and cooperation, not their loyalty. As long as he has power, most of those minister would never dare to betray him. There is a reason why the common people view him as loyal and honorable subject of the Imperial court and why the politicians and minister of the imperial court views him as duplicitous, opportunistic and cunning It is the persona he had embodied when dealing with different thing that gave him two different image to the many people that see him He needed the support of the people which sometime seem weak but could be strong support if provoked in the right manner As for the ministers and politicians, even though he treated them badly, the common people would still praise him, because to them many politician is corrupt and self-serving. Of course, not all politician is like that. Some of them were truly sincere in joining the imperial court to serve the people. but for those who Aero had imprisoned and framed, he always had them charge under crime that would make the common people interest tied to them. There was a minister in James side that is growing too strong for his own good in the Imperial Court so Aero had him framed embezzling the golds that was supposed to be used in the flood relief. The truth was that; the minister did not embezzle it but of course he did other bad things. It was the Emperor that embezzle it. At that time, he wanted to warn the Emperor that he knows of his deeds and at the same time cut off one of James allies from him Usually such a minister would not be executed but Aero insisted for the minister to be executed so it would serve as an example against others who might think to do such transgression against the common people ever again. And when the news spread, the people in the affected areas of the flood send complaint to the Imperial Courts and some even formed mobs crying for justice So, the imperial court could no longer just swept it under the rug. The ministers and the Emperor know how King George regain back the kingdom. It is true the people and the Empire drew its power from the support of the people. Even if they are not, they need to show in the surface that they care about the common people. There is a reason why Aero framed that minister to embezzle the flood relief gold. Because none of those bad thing he really did would incite such an approval of executing this ministers as the crime of embezzling the gold of the common people. Aero knows the terrifying part of human nature and desire. He knew how such a crime would incite the populace. And Aero had always said this to the Emperor, be lenient with the common people and be strict with the officials. That is the way for prosperity. As such while his action had earned the ire of the politicians and ministers, in the common people eyes, Aero had been fighting for them. This is the great use of the reputation he had built since the rise of King George. He had put himself as the symbol figure of fighting against the corrupt power that exist in the government. And as such it made it easier when he had to frame someone out of the Imperial Court since not only he had the power in the Six Councils, he also had the support of the people on his back. This support of the common people is weak¡­. but that is only if they are not given support. A mob could be dispersed by killing them. And if no one knows about it and no one incites them, they might be quiet and accept what have they been ordered to do. But, it only needs a spark of fire to incite another crowd to create another mob. That is how rebellions of the common people have always started and how it had engulfed the north in constant alerts of rebellions. Aero had always recognized the power of the common people when it is used against the powers that be. But that could only be considered power and support if they gather in substantial amount. If not, it is like wind rustling pass the King ears, insignificant and drowned by the sound of politician talking \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 302 A PERSON THAT WAS OVERLOOKED 1 And with his eyes and ears on everyone in the Court, he had maintained a tight grip in the Imperial Court so much so there is no chink in that armor. And he had done all this for the unification of the Vilajeri Continent. The death of King George had dampened him a bit but it did not change his ambition to become a strategist that help found an everlasting dynasty The taking of Duvar kingdom and the coronation of imperial authority in the holy Seat of the Emperors of Old was the first step to his unification plan. Duvar was where his plans would start. After Vanheim take Duvar, their expansion stopped. He had intended to rest the military machines of Vanheim and solve some issues in Vanheim first before moving again He begun by strengthening the borders, investing in military research, recruiting and training of soldiers. That is his move in the military force. The side effect of this moves had elevated the power of the military faction in the Court. Aero had been the one to reject the idea of war with Niovar and that decision had been right. If at that time, King George had not relented to Prince James, Vanheim would suffer less and gained the kingdom of Niovar with less casualties and side problems than they were supposed to. Aero had talk about it in the court, arguing that because of the unscrupulous and wanton massacre of Niovar by Prince James, the people of Niovar could not serve Vanheim wholeheartedly since they wanted revenge and this have left a hidden enemy in Vanheim Empire. But while Aero himself was not a fan of war, he himself was not that pacifist. He is not contrarian by choice but by necessity. That is what he had told the military faction and the military faction accepted it and believe the chancellor They themselves could see that while some of the advice that the Chancellor had proposed to the Court is detrimental to the military faction cause, it had always benefited the Empire as a whole And the taking of Duvar had demonstrated that the Chancellor had never forget the desire and ambition of the previous emperor, to unite the Continent under Vanheim banner Aero subsequent moves of stopping the expansion did not earn him the objection of the military faction instead hiss subsequent moves of recruiting and investing in military research shows that the Chancellor is resting for the great battle that lays ahead. He is laying plans for the next hundred years. That is the thinking of many military generals. The previous ruler of Vanheim, king George, posthumously titled Emperor George had always said that to gain Duke Bradheim loyalty is better than to have ten thousand soldier by his side and to gain either Aero or Eric is as good as owning the Continent. Of course Aero himself was also a great general and he had battled a lot in his career but he preferred using strategy to subdue his enemies Such tendencies show itself in the Battle of Coro and the taking of Duvar. And unlike the other generals, Aero spend more time in the court, governing the Empire instead of being in the camp. Thus Aero had always been considered as a great statesman, politician and war strategist. And then as Aero once again shows his intention to improve the military, once again the whole world remembers how this strategist is also the same war commander that broke the stalemate of Vetten and Vanheim and propel Vanheim to its superpower nation status The military faction thus had always stand in the side of the Chancellor since the beginning. This is a loyalty forged by his actions and driven by the same ambition and desire. Aero did not stop there. He had also promoted trade between Nairhel and Vanheim, opening more trade routes between Karak and Veranis, builds roads, strengthening the economy and began stockpiling supplies It is said to wage one year of war; years of preparation is needed. Constant war was never a great imputes for prosperity. The only reason why the common people cheered for the previous war because the prosperity it brought them. If there is no prosperity in the action of war, and it is a war without clear plan of action, a war without a righteous cause, then it is a war that would gain universal scorn and disdain by the common people and the officials faction in the court. Waging such war would also attract more enemies and detractors and even before going to war, the battle could have been lots when it is impeded in the court. Thus it was very important for him at that time to make sure everything is prepared for the future. Aero had a plan. And this is a plan he did not share with anyone. He had created a lot of secret division spread out all over allied kingdoms and enemies'' kingdom. He knows the importance of information and he knows how hard it is to gain information in enemy ground. Thus, preparation is needed. And the preparation need to be years before the war had even been waged. The kingdoms that managed to survive all have great foundations and all have their secrets to survive. Knows their secret, then one would always remain victorious. He had also rooted out the other kingdom spies and he is trying to resolve any internal problems of the Empire. Aero had even proposed to redraws back the borders of the territory and region and once again desiring to reform the titles and stipend of the nobles He belies that the new Empire need to integrate all the kingdoms that they had conquered and redraw back the borders of each regions A that time, the Old Nobles come out from their retirements and pleaded to the Emperor to not accede to his request. So, Aero had to retreat for a bit, never mentioning of redrawing back the border even again However, the moment those old nobles come out, Aero knows sooner or later, he had to solve this matter in the future. He could not let the old nobles keep to their old ways when a wind of change is blowing inside the new Empire He planned to rid out the old nobles someday and then redraw back the border later in the future. To some people, it might seem that Vanheim had finally stopped its expansion at the frontier of the intersection between the Eastern and the Southern region but those who in the know, could see that this is the calm before the storm. Aero had also picked the perfect time to do all of this reformation At the same time, he is doing all of these strengthening measures in Vanheim, he knows that the North also needs to deal with the rebellions and the economy Thus they have no time to deal or take advantage of Vanheim solidifying of its national power It is the only reason why he would be brave enough and leave that scourge in the North for a while. Zeus might think he is an unconquerable warrior by razing and sacking down cities as he rides forward with his war steed. Those tactics would have worked, if he is a marauder. But he is the King and the cities and kingdoms that he burns and sacked become cities and kingdom under him. And during the consolidation of power in Vanheim, Zeus had come to know that every action has consequences and his past actions is catching up on him. With Aerosia, the kingdoms of the Fallen as some people called that kingdom, they kept harassing the borders and Holy Zun Empire eyeing at them from the South, Zeus had no time or energy to march into Duvar to mess up Aero plans The one thing that many minister is the Vanheim court worried at that time was that Holy Zun Empire and Veva would allied themselves against Vanheim. Aero had bet an eighty percent chance that the Holy Maiden of the Church would not ally herself with Zeus. if she did, she proves herself to be a liar to her supporters and might lose more initiative than she would have gained. Aero liked enemies like that. straightforward enemies that likes to fight without plots and scheme. Enemies that is above board and honorable. In his eyes, that kind of enemies is very cute and adorable. Because they would never see when he would stab them from the back. They might not even notice it when he twists that dagger on their chest. 303 A PERSON THAT WAS OVERLOOKED 2 As long as it appears you are doing the noble thing, underhanded tactics is permissible and in some cases necessary. Aero had led soldiers before. Soldiers don''t care whether the tactic their commander employed is noble or not, brave or not. They only care whether they could win or not. Because an army that win means they, the soldiers would be returning home. Generals and great warriors might think of winning great glory in the battlefield, but normal soldiers just wanted to survive and go back home Thus it is very important that a general of war wins'' battle and win it with the less casualties of war. At that time chaos did not descend as some would have predicted. At that time, some people were all waiting for Vanheim to bare its fang to the North, the North marching to the South and the South attacking the East But it did not happen. Vanheim rest. The North putting down rebellion and trying to pacified its region And the South went silent. Chaos did not descend and then when there is the mass exodus of the people of Western Heaven, a rare peace had formed. The peace had settled among the Three Great Powers and all of this happened because of the disappearance of the three figures that drive up the three great powers. With the absence of the Three Great Pillars, The Holy Zun Empire falls into internal disarray which means they could not keep expanding and they could not maintain their huge size of territory without the aid of competent people of Western Heaven Most of the soldier that followed the Holy Maiden were peasants and do not know how to govern. It is because of that the Nero Republic manage to reassert its independence. Meanwhile, Veva in the Northern region halted their military conquest because its military has always revolved around one man and that man is King Zeus. Without him, a crisis of internal unity had happened and some of the generals is busy in calming the populace, battling the rebellions and keeping the other general in line While in the East, Vanheim gained a new King, King James of Niovar whose title is bestowed by the Emperor. And internal problem cropped up again in Vanheim court as the two imperial brothers begins attacking each other subtly. The Continent was in peace but Aero plans all went into chaos. All of his efforts in balancing the intrigues of the many people in court have been destroyed by the Emperor by one simple act of bestowing. But Aero then think of another possibility. And he himself was startled at his thoughts Aero had another suspicion about the Emperor making such an idiotic move but he does not have enough evidence to back up his theory of why the Emperor gives James the King title in Niovar, He pretends to be an idiot, incompetent and weak for Aero benefit. The other possibility that is in his mind was that this is not an idiotic move but a political move by the Emperor to deal with him. That is the other possibility that makes him look at the Emperor action in the past with much more scrutiny. If this is true, then the Emperor have planned this matter years ago. And this move looks like an unplanned mistake but what if it''s not? What if the Emperor knew exactly what he is doing when he gives that title to James? What if he had been feigning ignorance of James effort to instate him as the King of Niovar? Aero took a few days before he reached into this particular conclusion. Of this conclusion is right, then the emperor is playing a very dangerous game with him and James. If this was the real scheme of the Emperor, then not only the world was deceived by Emperor Edward scheme, even James and him had been deceived. Aero had learned many things during his many time interacting with war generals and politician in the court. Sometimes, a moves that seems disadvantageous to you was actually advantageous if you think about in another perspective. This kind of moves could deceive the enemy to think that they are in advantageous position when in fact, it is you standing on top. It is a high level move. To appears to be at a disadvantageous position make your enemies estimation and their guard down. While the enemies think that they are in an advantageous position, they move more boldly and shows more mistakes, revealing many more cards that they had hidden, believing that the winner at the end would be them. And when the real attack comes, it was then that the position of who in advantageous position and who is not would be revealed. And in such attack, there is no turning back anymore and the matter would be concluded just like that. If Edward is really capable of this¡­. then Aero had underestimated this lion cub too much. That Emperor might not be a lion cub, but a true king of the savannah Of course if he was wrong, then Edward is truly a disappointment. Thus, Aero knows he needs to become that Chancellor who have all the information on the tips of his finger once again There is too much uncertainties around him right now. he could not rest easy knowing that his initial estimation of the plan he had put might not be as foolproof as he thought. If Edward is this smart, then there might have bene some mistakes that he had made that in in the eyes of the Emperor. And this matter could also be his own scheme if he tweaked the matter a bit. Aero had thought about it. This matter of him killing the Vlad family is accidental and a mistake, but Aero that doesn''t mean Aero would let himself be caught by such a scheme He could craft another scheme taking advantage of the scheme that is enemies wanted him to jump into because there is nothing more foolproof of a plan, than a plan that was not planned beforehand. of course this only applies in certain cases. And this is one of those cases. While he did believe that the two Imperial brothers were not involved, that is only if the information he got from the Vlad family was right. If not, he might be walking into a trap right now That is why he would proceed cautiously. He was too eager to get home that he forgets, that place could also be a trap for him. If he landed in Vanheim right away, probably none of his enemies could do such a thing but he did not land in Vanheim. Instead he landed in Karak and there lies the problem He had a guess about who is responsible for the massacre but for now that guess just remains a guess. He already draws up ways to solve this problem but he also wants to see if there are others that want to jump out and shows himself. This is a great chance. Aero is usually so protected and so powerful that even his greatest enemies would hide and bide their time in the dark. And if they hide and never bare their fangs, how could he knows who is his enemies and who is his ally? As such, this is a godsend chance for him to root out some of the people that is hiding inside the dark. The more vulnerable he appears, the better. ''Greater Veranis'' he said and he smiles. He is more confident here than he is on Karak. While Karak is a vassal of the Empire, the four families are very particular in maintaining their independence and also they are very protective of their secrets. Aero never had the opportunity to set up an intelligence network there. There is one that he had barely managed to set up before the exodus but it was not extensive and he did not want to use their service especially when he is not keep up to date to the current news in Karak at that time. But he got all the information he needs from the patriarch of the Vlad family so he knows that his intelligence network and the organization that he had set up secretly inside Greater Veranis still existed. Since the whole world wanted him not to return, how about he won''t return? And he smiles a mischievous smile \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 304 THE SEVEN KINGDOMS 1 Every once in a while the sound of someone sipping wine could be heard. Aero was inside the room as he narrates his harrowing journey from Karak to Veranis to Viola. He also told Viola how he made contact with his spies and since the spies is under his orders, they all shelter him. Aero did not want his whereabouts to be known. He also had some other news that he got that delay his return to Vanheim even more Viola listens intently and then she got the gist of the story. ''Someone framed you in Karak?'' She asks Aero nodded with a bitter smile. Being on the other side of the scheme really felt bitter, he thought to himself. Then he took another sip of wine and said but clearly non one believes that it was him that initiated that massacre. Even the scholars who would find out the truth that it would be hard to pin down the crime on him. It is clear from the attitude of the Three Nobel families of Karak that they too did not believe it. But as there are astute people, there are also stupid people even in a crowd of geniuses. The Three Noble Families of Karak is trying their best to cover his whereabouts that day when he was in the Vlad residence Viola also had her own thoughts and then she asks cautiously ''Is it the two imperial brothers?'' Viola ask as she too is slowly becoming calmer and then took a chair and put it opposite side of Aero and she sit down, her eyes looking at her new ally. Aero then slowly put down the wine glass and shakes his head ''Not them. There are too many reason for it not to be them., And this scheme is very amateurish. Childish even.'' Though, Aero did not say what is in his mind. He might have to change this statement if his estimation about Emperor Edward was right. ''So, not the Black Robed Prime Minister?'' Viola trying to offer her insight. Aero smiles and shakes his head. ''Eric is too busy reorganizing the army of the northern forces. He surely did not have time to scheme against me. It is native people of this world'' Viola then suddenly understood something ''You have a suspect?'' Aero smiles but he did not say anything, maintaining that image of mystery. She just nodded and then she was reminded the reason of why she was so shocked when she saw Aero in front of her room ''How did you know that I am here? Who told you? If someone told you, that means you are also not safe. We have to move quickly.'' She had gotten up. Aero smirk. Aero did not seem panicked as he keeps pouring more wine onto his wine cup. Relaxingly he lifts his wine cup once again and took a sip of the wine before saying ''Don''t worry about that'' ''What do you mean don''t worry?'' ''The person who told me about your location is my subordinate'' ''Can you be trusted?'' Viola harrumphed ''The fact that you are here implies that you trust me. Aero look at him and he laughed ''True!'' He then told him that the information broker she met and bought information from is one of his people. They inform him about her and Aero was reminded of that woman he met in Purgatory. Since that was the case, he of course had to meet her. More ally is better in such time of uncertainty. Hearing this Viola was convinced and then she asks ''What now?'' Aero smiles and he said ''I am preparing for my comeback. ''Can''t you just go to Vanheim? And miss the chance to identify my enemies? He said ''Then how do you plan to go back? Sooner or later some people would know that you were there on the day the Vlad family was massacred.'' Viola said. She wanted an ally. An ally like Aero is only good if he is the strong and powerful Chancellor, not a fugitive running from one of the largest Empire in Vilajeri Continent. Sooner or later, Karak will have no choice but to bring this up to the parliament of Vanheim Empire. And at that time, if the Chancellor did not take this chance to return and assume control of the Six Council, then Aero might truly be expelled from his position in the Court and become the world enemies. Scholars would denounce him and the Karak government whether they believe in him or not had to capture him. And knowing the Chancellor, he would never let himself get captured like that. Viola might not know much about the political situation of the Eats but he knows that King James of Niovar and the Chancellor had bad blood between them Aero could only applaud Viola optimisms if he knew what she is thinking. He has more enemies than what she thought Aero is not worried about only King James; he is also worried about the Emperor. This is a chance for him to see the stance of the Emperor and at the same time asses his judgement on that young Emperor. Aero smiles again and he once again lifted the wine cup and take a long sip. Viola was patient and she waited. Aero then put down the wine glass and he said ''You know, Greater Veranis is a very interesting kingdom'' ''Hmm?'' Viola do not understand why Aero suddenly talk about Veranis but she nodded nonetheless. Swirling the wine in his glass as a ringing sound echoes inside the room, Aero then continued ''The glimmer of sabers and swords can be seen everywhere all over the land, and the dragons and snakes are beginning to struggle with each other for power. Kings are rising up! Veva in the North, Holy Zun in the South and Vanheim in the East'' He said and there is a smile on his face. Then he continued ''But people forget something. Those three kingdoms are not the only kingdom in the Vilajeri Continent. There is still Greater Veranis, hiding its power and biding their time while the Three Great Power decline in influence and power'' ''And there is still the Savillia kingdom! That kingdom had merge from tow great kingdoms to held back the North but even I could see as they have taken their roots. They too had the intention to compete.'' Viola frowned. ''But is that all? How about Alfhaim, the kingdom of ancient Elven? What about them? You think they are content to stay in their Great Forest kingdom? They too had learned that if they do not bend to the will of the time, they would be swept away by its tides. The Elven will compete too!'' Viola gulped as Aero become more animated and enthusiastic as he summarized his thought on the kingdoms all over the Continent. 305 THE SEVEN KINGDOMS 2 And he smiles. Of course Aero could not tell Viola that Derrick, who is the King of Aerosia is Deria and he is Aero friend. Aero was the one that help giving some ideas on how to improve the kingdom. This is why Aero could get such accurate information about Veva and how Aerosia could maintain its survival even though they occupied a lot of territory that used to belong to Veva. It''s not like Veva had not tried to annex back its land but Aerosia year after years becoming more experienced in defensive maneuver. They built a lot of fortification, fortresses, watchtower and obstacle to make it hard for Veva soldier to take their land. They could not compete with Veva military power in attacking but in defending their territory, no one probably would be more adept in it that the soldiers of Aerosia. And one of the specialty of Aerosia is that there are good in building walls and fortresses. Aero of course attribute this to Derrick who is a demigod. A son of one of the Gods of Olympus. A son of the God of Crafting and Flames. Derrick is known to some as the Blacksmith King because of his prodigious talent in creating powerful weapons and armors. Aero had always maintained the argument in the court of Vanheim that since the threat of Veva is apparent, they need to employ some method to make them occupied in the North while Vanheim strengthen its hold in the East Allied with the far neighbor instead of the nearest. That has always been Aero aim but he did not say it openly because it might raise some concern from allies like Karak and Greater Veranis. That is why on one of the policy that Vanheim had taken toward Veva is supplying Aerosia with weapons and training to resist and harass Veva military operation. And Aero had advised Derrick to also seek the help of the South. When the Emperor had found out that Aerosia had not only accepted help from Vanheim but also from the Holy Empire, the Emperor wanted to cancel the aid. But how could Aero let him? Aerosia is one of his card, and Derrick relations with him is still not exposed so he could not let that happen He convinces the court that as long as Aerosia could deter United Kingdoms of Veva force from growing and expanding even further why should they care where Aerosia get its aid? The bigger and powerful Aerosia is the better it is for Vanheim development as they could stall this potential contender for the throne of the world. Even if somehow Aerosia becomes stronger than United Kingdom of Veva, Vanheim also do not need to worry. Aero would not make such a plan if he was not confident in the first place. Vanheim did not even have to move a muscle to weaken three of their rivals for hegemony. Listening to him, the Emperor and the minister back down and the military officials all praised him for such an ingenious move With just a simple scheme, Aero had created a three-way deadlock in the north, each one suppressing each other. This three-way deadlock could be broken only if one of them could put down their ambition and help the others, but how could they, the overlords of many people would be so obedient and cooperating to their enemies? Of course Aero knows that Derrick would stand down if he asks, but the whole world doesn''t know that. To some people, Aerosia is also a contender that wanted to compete with the others for the throne of the whole Vilajeri Continent Aero of course also had benefits in this matter. If not, why would he fought so hard in the Parliament to persuade the court to keep sending aid to Aerosia? And there was something that the Vanheim court did not know. Derrick got caught accepting aid from Holy Zun empire but he was not caught taking aid from Savillia and Alfhaim. Aero was also the one that ask Derrick to ask aid from those kingdoms. They supplied Aerosia with gold, metals, and many other supplies. And with that gold Derrick improve the lives of the people in his territory which comprised of refugees and war victims of United Kingdoms of Veva conquest This won him admiration and loyalty from those refugees who after years residing in Aerosia, regarded it as their home and their kingdom. There are many refugees from Asgaro, Redat, Jhaka kingdom, Luna kingdom and even many from the Sol Queendom There are even some refuges from Loth kingdom and Pruvar Council that was annexed by the Holy Zun Empire. With the metals he got, he crafted it with his prodigious talent and supply his soldiers with armors and high quality weapons. With the other supplies he also began undertaking massive construction project all over his kingdom, making roads, constructing aqueducts, while also not forgetting to keep building walls along the borders between them and United Kingdom of Veva, repairing the old fortress and cities and stabilizing the region under his rule. All in all, Aerosia now truly stand on its own as a new kingdom established during the chaos of Veva conquest Aero himself did not expected it to be like that. Derrick had only at that time wanted to save him and Dan had pleaded the heroes of the continent to save him. Who would have thought those bands of people now become nobles in a new kingdom established at the western region of Veva own land? The land itself belong to Redat kingdom before it was taken over by the rebellion force and become Aerosia. There were many Western Heaven people form Vanheim that followed the call to save him and end up with Derrick and now they all become officials and high nobles in Aerosia. But unlike other kingdoms, Aerosia was not affected that badly by the mass exodus of people from Western Heaven since there is a lot of talented native people of this world to help fill the empty position and Aerosia now have the power to truly become a headache for Veva. Aero had also used the aid as an excuse to embezzled gold from the aid. Derrick knows that is how Aero maintained and expand his power. Power breeds power. Money is a form of power and he uses it to breed other kinds of power. Money is just a means to an end. 306 THE SEVEN KINGDOMS 3 That is why that small kingdom on the western region of Veva had managed to grow bigger and stronger by the years. And from what Aero had learned, during the time of exodus, Derrick had expanded their land when Veva military is in a mess. After all, while Derrick is not talented in statecraft or even administration, it does not mean he is an idiot. He knows opportunity when he sees it and he seize it by the throat. Now, most of the Western side of Veva is controlled by Aerosia and a large threat to Veva. Veva is threatened in many sides and suppressed inside their own borders. Aero had predicted this the moment that Zeus sacked and burns cities. If he wanted to fight hegemony for the whole continent, he should not have acted like that. If he was content on only governing the Western kingdoms, the task would not be too hard. But since he too wanted to rule the entire continent, then he should have seized the hearts of the people at that time. Aero knows that the people did not differentiate between the continents anymore since that illusory border had lost its meaning It could now be divided into only two directions. The Eastern Empire and the Western kingdoms. The Eastern empire of course refers to the Empire of Vanheim and its surrounding region while the Western Kingdoms would refer to Veva, Holy Zun kingdom, Alfhaim, Savillia and Aerosia kingdom The world has become a little bit smaller and now the pool is concentrated Derrick is a trump card Aero did not want to use too early. Aero had always made an exit plan for himself There is a reason why he is so confident of playing with the many forces in the world and the two imperial brother. The reason was not that he is think too highly of himself or too confident of his own intelligence in defeating them in a game of intrigue. It is that he had already prepared himself an exit plan and as such he could move boldly in executing his scheme. Derrick is one of his escape plan. Thus, the more people don''t know about the relations between them two, the more he felt safer in that last trump card Aero think of this for a moment and then he said to Viola ''The cause of their formation was to rescue me, but they stay because the rebellion movement had shown potential to become something more. ''Those people were attracted by benefits. They all could see, from our own people that come from Western Heaven and the native powerful people that follow King Derrick that they have a chance to become a founding member of a new kingdom. That is why they stay and why they will keep staying there. Aero then laughed joyously and Viola frown become deeper Aero then said enthusiastically ''The Three Great Powers Vanheim, Holy Zun and United Kingdom of Veva. Savillia. Veranis. Alfhaim. And Aerosia. The Seven Kingdoms is all fighting for the throne of the world! I do not regret being able to fight in this era and leave my name in the annals of history!'' He said and he laughed. Then he continued ''Who would rise and who would fall is still too early to speculate. Which of them wouldn''t want to unite the continent and establish a thousand-year legacy? This is the Hegemony War, Viola. Loyalty, oaths of fealty meant nothing when the ultimate prize is the thrown of the world! Everyone will be competing, the winner will win eternal glory and the loser would become a footnote in history'' There was silence for a while as Viola try to digest everything that was said to her. She could see the hint ion Aero words and then she thought of something ''You said that Veranis is also competing.'' She put her had underneath her chin and then her eyes widened a bit. Viola sense something and then she asks ''Are you saying¡­'' Aero nodded and answer her doubts ''Greater Veranis also wanted t contend the world with all the other kingdoms'' Viola understand the implication of this. if Greater Veranis wanted to contend with all the other kingdoms, then that means Vanheim is also Greater Veranis enemies Viola then ask ''But King Phillip is a staunch ally of Vanheim. Why would he¡­'' Aero smiles Before she could finish his word Aero cut off her words and said ''King Phillip is dead. All hail the new king'' And he laughs at his own joke Viola widened her eyes in shock and stuttering she said ''But, people are not mourning. There is no news from the Palace about the death of the King. People should have known if the King is dead and the entire kingdom would be in mourning. I saw nothing of the sort'' Aero smirks and said ''Prince Alexander initiated a coup and killed his half-brother and the bastard son of King Philip. Whether King Phillip dies at the hand of Alexander himself or because of his disease, I don''t know'' ''King Philip had a disease?'' Viola asked Aero waved his hand and said ''That is what I''ve heard from my spies. Anyway, I have also heard that the relationship between Prince Alexander and his father is quite complicated. King Philip might have put someone else name in the will, and if King Philip dies and Alexander get a heads up that the name in the will isn''t his name, knowing how ambitious that young prince is, it might have prompted him to initiate a coup at the night his father passed away'' Aero sighed, and then he continued by saying ''As such, if that is the sequence of events of this matter, how could the world know about such thing, he would have to bring out that news when he is in advantageous position and not when it would implicate him. And by that time, the truth would be whatever he would say'' ''I presume that in a couple of days, the Palace would release the news that the King had died and Alexander would succeed him. He might even say that his other brother had tried to initiate coup and he was the one that had righteously ascended to the throne. It is easy to subvert the truth if you have power'' Viola did not say anything to this explosive revelation. 307 THE SEVEN KINGDOMS 4 Instead she asks ''But still. What does this have got to do with your comeback?'' Aero laughed and he said ''I got credible information that Karak and Greater Veranis is colluding with each other to attack Vanheim in a surprise attack'' Viola opens her eyes wide. ''Why so shocked?'' Aero ask, a smile on his face. ''I said it, didn''t I. This is the age of Warring kingdoms. Right now, Vanheim is at its lowest point since their expansion'' ''The Imperial court and the Niovar court headed by King James did not see eye to eye, both are plotting and scheming against each other, ignoring the many covetous eyes outside the border. That is a problem of internal unity'' ''That is one factor why Karak become daring and Veranis become ambitious. Then there is factionalism in the imperial court between the military and the official circles. That is the second factor. If the news of me killing Vlad family is spread around, then the imperial court would be too preoccupied with that to know that the alliance of Karak and Veranis is planning an attack. Viola look at Aero and she scoffed in her heart This is the loyal minister of the Empire? Then she thought again. Many people said that Aero was loyal to King George and not the Empire itself. The fact he still did not take the throne for himself could be seen as an act of loyalty itself. Aero of course did not mind whatever Viola thought of her. Then she asks ''Then, what is your plan? You must have a plan if you knew all of this''. Aero smiles bitterly ''The news about the coup is known coincidentally. One of my spies had infiltrated the palace as a cook. And this was years before. Even I do not know that I have a spy inside the royal palace of Greater Veranis She nodded. She is not interested in the spy she is only interested in Aero plan Aero knowing that Viola is not interested in the inner working of how he got the information quickly get right back to the point ''I got to know that Alexander wanted to do a surprise attack on Vanheim by mounting a western expedition. ''Western expedition?'' She thinks a bit before she looks back at Aero and said ''Duvar!'' Aero nodded. ''This is why I like talking to smart people'' he said, smiling slyly. ''Yes, he wanted to take Duvar. Duvar is the least defended of all Vanheim garrison. The reason for such lack of garrison force is because the Emperor believes in the promise of King Phillip to guard it.'' Aero sighed ''I trusted Phillip because Philip was not a man that was so ambitious. He had achieved his ambition of uniting Veranis territory and he had no other wishes'' Aero then take a sip before adding ''And they have the qualification. In period of peace after they annexed the territory of Old Veranis and with the experience they gained in their war with Gerad Stratocracy, it had given them a strong experienced army. I always wondered what to do about Greater Veranis. With the death of King Philip and Alexander plans, it is safe to say my mind is made up to swallow them even if it''s would delay a bit dealing with Veva. Viola got a gist what Aero is intending to do ''Is the one planting the massacre is Karak and greater Veranis. Were they the one that framed you? Will you remain in silence? Letting them smear you with false accusation?'' Viola was anxious because while she got a gist of what Aero wanted to do, she thought it is absurd. That is why she bombarded him with many question. Aero laughed and then he said ''The truth had never matter'' ''What do you mean? '' ''I want to solve a problem not to find the truth. Both of those thing does not have to come exclusively.'' ''You mean¡­'' ''Even if they are not the one that framed me, why would that not be the truth if I said it? If I make it to be the truth, then that is the truth'' ''But no one would believe you if they deny it'' Viola said and her eyes is trained on him Aero nodded ''Would they still say the same when Karak and Veranis both attacked Vanheim? Aero poses back another question. Viola slowly understand the scheme of the Chancellor ''You are intending to¡­ Aero cut of her words and said ''I intend to let them know why I was called the Divine Strategist. At that time, no matter how many accusations that they heaped on me, it would be nothing but dust if I said that they were the one that framed me so that they could weaken the military of Vanheim ''Is that the truth?'' Viola asked again. Smiling with a wide smile Aero reply back with ''Does it even matter?'' ''Then your current plan is what?'' ''Wait. I just have to wait. And hopefully, Vanheim was beaten bad enough so that I could make an appearance. A hero fight with sword and could appear charging right into the battlefield but a divine strategist like me must make an even grander appearance. Considering my calculation, there is quite a good chance of that happening in half a year. Then I could make my grand reappearance to the center stage'' and then he drinks all the wine in his cup Putting it down, he laughed as events spirals out of control outside the inn. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Anyway, see you all in June, fi there is still anyone. You coudl check Age of Heroes and Lord Shadow if you have finsihed reading the newest update of this story 308 THE STORM THAT IS COMING 1 the Second Year of the Vanheimneian Era and the first year of the reign of King Alexander of House Veran The land of Great Veranis had just come out from a bad year. This is the Second Year of the Vanheimneian Era and the first year of the reign of King Alexander of House Veran As Great Veranis is the vassal state of the Vanheim Empire they also follow the Holy Vanheim Empire calendar. Now after winter ended and fall passed, spring once again came. And as seasons of chaos had passed, now that things have stabilized all over the Continent, people are moving and plans are being executed all over the Continent. The chaos has settled a bit, but the dust still covers some of the chaos. This is the beginning of everything Last year, a great many things happened in the Vilajeri Continent from the east to the west, to the north and south, there was chaos, disorder and panic. A time of a new era had dawned. Last year, the adventurers once again returned back to their world. There is a change in the adventurer''s behaviors and habits that shocked the world and changes the relationship dynamic between the adventurers and the original native of the world. The people of this world had discovered that the adventurers no longer possesses their infinite ability to revive themselves. This change should have made the native of this world felt happy. It has always been the case that the adventurers could always possess a threat to any ruling power relying on their abilities to always revive themselves. Even though many kingdoms have some spell to banish them from coming again to their world, it is unreasonable to do such magic to so many people. The reason was because they couldn''t afford to do so. There is the expenditure of resource they need to use to perform such spell and there is also the fact that it taxes their energy. And the adventurers Is not a small minority. There were millions of them roaming all over the Continent. Some even sails the Great Sea and others even make new settlements on the many of the unknown island around the Great Sea But instead of feeling happy knowing that the adventurers could now die, the native of this world felt even more cautious. The reason is because the adventurer''s behaviors had also changed. In the past the adventurers would go wander around, killing monsters, saving people and capturing criminals and even executing their own when one of them killed too many people. They are hotheaded, they are big spenders of silver and gold, they protected the city and while they are a chaotic bunch, they have never set their objective to the royalty and the nobles and was very compliant and like to follow orders and completing request. In that two Empires there were many adventurers in politics and administration of the kingdom. There is the Chancellor Aero in the Empire of Vanheim and because of his support there is a lot of adventurers in the court of Vanheim. The previous Emperor also promoted talented people regardless whether they were a native people of the world or the adventurers Meanwhile on Veva, because the King is an adventurer most of his direct subordinate is also adventurers like the Great General Bart and the Prime Minister Eric. But what differentiated the progress of adventurers gaining influence and political power in these two empire is their method and their rise to power. The adventurer''s faction in kingdom governance is only strong in that two places Most kingdoms in the Vilajeri Continent did not have an adventurer representative in their court. The reason for such phenomenon is because the rulers of these kingdoms are cautious of these undead beings that could never die unless they employ some certain measures. The only reason they were not hostile to these strange people was the fact that these kingdoms finds out that these adventurers all have different objectives and motives. They are rarely united in their opinions and no one could force them to do the things they did not want to do. They did not mind killing each other if it means completing their mission and their objective and motives sometimes is trite and superficial They even killed each other for some simple boon and most of them is faithless, as they did not believe in the Gods. They only pray when it benefits them as for them, they treated the Gods like they have a give and take relationship with each other. They did not go to the Temple and burn offerings to the Gods of Olympus, they are selfish in their conduct, and they all lack direction and purpose in their life. Most of them just wanted enough gold to buy more powerful weapons or a more beautiful armor, having no interest in trying to reach the top political power, to govern states or to control armies. They are a simple kind of people and to the nobles of the other kingdoms, they treated the adventurers like they are warriors for hire. Before the rise of the Chancellor in Vanheim and the rise of King Zeus in Veva, adventurers were not viewed with positive light in the mind of the nobles. To them, the adventurers is barbaric in their actions and conduct. But when these two figures rises, the world experience a new wind of change. Everyone could feel the new direction the wind is blowing Vanheim and Veva rise as a place for these adventurers to gain political power and that alarmed the other kingdoms. They saw that these adventurers are not barbarians. Instead they could also be sly, be proficient in managing states and can become so cunning that they could deceive and trick the world These suspicions and alarm is rarely shown to the adventurers since the many nobles fears that any extreme measures could force these adventurers to unite together. And these kingdoms and nobles also fears that they would chase the talents they have to other kingdoms. If the war in Vanheim taught the rulers of the kingdoms anything, it was that a talented person could prop up a kingdom and even forge an Empire. 309 THE STORM THAT IS COMING 2 It is reputed that the previous Emperor once said that to have Aero by his side is better than having ten thousand soldiers. But even as Vanheim employed many adventurers in their court and controlled by the Chancellor, the kingdoms all saw that these adventurers truly did not care about their kind and fair in their assessment and evaluate everyone fairly. Even after years the Chancellor ruled over the court of Vanheim, majority of them is the native of this world. Veva on the other hand is slightly different. While the King of Veva is an adventurer, his soldiers on the other hand, most of them is native of this world. And King Zeus trusted more the loyalty of the native of this world than he trusted his own kind. For some reason no Kings of the Vilajeri Continent could understand, the adventurers hated King Zeus of Veva that they would not mind dying under the King sword if it would mean they could kill the King of Veva. These are the concerns of the past. And these concerns had been alleviated because the many nobles and kings of the Vilajeri Continent recognize that these adventurers treated their life like it was a game and take nothing seriously However, a year ago when the adventurers return back to this world, they no longer act the same. They could die now. And because of that, things change But instead of making the fact that they could die making them even more harmless, the fact that they could die now and the fact that they could no longer treats their live like a game had made them even more dangerous. The adventurers now side with their kind. They become more cautious, more distrustful and more cunning. They no longer accept quest in the notice board unless they were sure that they could come back alive. While they no longer as chaotic as before, they now united. They are more careful and more prudent like a blade that is hidden. The more they are like this, the more dangerous they became. Their ambitions become higher and their desire grows. In the one year since the return of the adventurers, they fought for titles and position in the many royal courts. All talented people seek their masters and the royals courts of the many kingdoms in Vilajeri is now stabilized. But it is now also more filled with adventurers. The sight of adventurers in the royal courts is a common sight nowadays. These adventurers are all strong, creative and very wise in their approach. They all said that they have vague knowledge about certain stuff in their minds. And the many great kingdoms after that upheaval a year ago has slowly calmed down. The Pope once again sits on the Holiest Throne and administer the Holy See. While United Kingdoms of Veva is regaining its stability and the Holy Zun Empire battling with Nero Republic, the Vanheim Empire is shocked with a scandal involving the Chancellor. That itself is not yet settled with many debating the validity of the news and the schemes that is involved in the matter of the Chancellor. There is also the ongoing rebellion in Niovar. The Emperor of Vanheim had even sent an edict to King James to quickly quell the rebellion. The Great Chief of the Orc had once again returned and to the desert and reformed his large horde. He called himself the Khagan of Nairhel and his powerful generals once again rises on the desert land of Nairhel, uniting the Orcs tribe The desert tribe has begun moving westward to the Empire under the influence of the Khagan. The Emperor of Vanheim might have to once again recall back Duke Bradheim to the eastern border. On the other hand, Greater Veranis had a new King. King Alexander had pacified the people and executed those unsavory character in the court. Those who plotted against him before his ascension as King were all dealt with already. Karak Federation even after that upheaval one year ago is slowly recovering with its trade route all operating again with the return of the adventurers that take over the vacant position Since the adventurers nowadays is even more cautious, some of them even abandon the life of mercenaries and warrior for hire and went into the trade business. Some sailors open new trade routes and Karak Federation reputation as a major trading route still stands. But even after a year had passed the question in every people mind was is still the same. Where is the Chancellor? A year ago, the Vlad family of the Karak Federation was wiped out. Some speculated it was the enemy of the family that wipes them out. The Three noble families of Karak had tried to contain one piece of information from coming out to the public knowledge That information was the fact that the Chancellor was there and probably the last person that see the people of the Vlad family alive. However, somehow even after they tried to cover up that fact, eventually the truth comes out. The Chancellor was there the day the Vlad family was massacred. The scholars were divided in the matters and the judgment of the case. The Vlad family is a distinguished scholar''s officials in the administration and regarded very highly in the scholarly fraternity. Some even said that they are the secret members of the Order of Athena. The Vlad family murder. Probably the only one who knows the truth of this case is the Chancellor. The Chancellor is known to be a ruthless person when employing his strategy. But at the same time, the Chancellor of Vanheim was not a barbaric person. There is the fact that while the Chancellor was suspected, not many believes that he had something to do with the entire massacre of the House of Vlad. Firstly, it was because there is no need to do such thing. If the Chancellor really wanted to deal with the Vlad family, he could go back to Vanheim first and then when he returns to the Six Councils he could find millions of ways to frame and destroy the Vlad family. There is no need for him to dirty his own hands and destroy his own reputation like this. 310 THE STORM THAT IS COMING 3 Some argue that maybe the Vlad did something to the Chancellor and that forces the Chancellor to kill them. However, this theory was quickly shot down by the others scholars and anyone with a brain. The Vlad is known to be courteous in their manner and they are not the enemy of the Chancellor. Even if the Vlad family insulted the Chancellor, the Chancellor would also not be mad enough to massacre everyone inside the premise. The case of the Vlad family murder was something of a mystery. What is more mysterious that there is no news about the Chancellor anywhere. It was like he disappeared suddenly. This alone speaks volume of the ability of the Chancellor From what many people surmise, the Chancellor probably went to Vanheim. But one year had passed. The Chancellor is nowhere to be seen. He did not return to the Six Council. To the minds of many people, as long as the Chancellor return to the Six Council, the truth would be revealed. Some people said he was hiding. But this did not track at all. Because if the Chancellor really wanted to hide, he would at least return to Vanheim and assume his power in the Six Council and then he can hide even more effectively. And this is a moot point. If he returns to Vanheim, he did not have to hide He might not even have to hide if he returns to his residence in Vanheim. Yet, he was nowhere to be found. As one of the three Pillars, and consider to be the strongest of them three his disappearances causes a stir. The Emperor was waiting for him and even urge these people screaming for justice for the Vlad family to wait until the Chancellor is back and could explain himself. The problem was no one knows where the Chancellor was. Is he hiding? Or is he the victim of someone scheme? The Chancellor has many enemies. The fact that he is framed ranked high in the minds of many people. The more one knows the Chancellor the more they believe that the Chancellor is framed. Some people thought he was guilty Whatever the truth was, nothing could be known unless the Chancellor is found. The Six Councils of the Empire still bickering among themselves and all of them is fighting for their own interest. There is the loyalist and the reformist in that muddy waters of the Six Councils. The loyalist did not refer to the loyalist of the Empire but to the Chancellor. The loyalist believes that the Chancellor was framed by foreign enemies to weaken the unity of the Six Councils and oust the Chancellor. Then there was the reformist. The reformist did not say that the Chancellor was guilty. They even said, if the Chancellor is guilty it didn''t matter in the scheme of things. After all, if the Chancellor was really guilty in killing the Vlad family he must have a reason. For a faction of the Six Councils to be so loyal to the empire, they believe that even if the Chancellor was guilty, he was probably doing it to protect the interest of the Empire. Of course, they did not say that the Chancellor was guilty because with the lack of witnesses, there is no one that could prove that the massacre was the doing of the Chancellor. To them as long as the end result satisfy the Empire, they did not care what means is employed The difference between them and the loyalist was that in the absence of the Chancellor, the Six Councils is divided. In this divided moment, even though the Six Councils could work interdependently from each other, this did not mean that they should. The Six Councils is six body of the government to regulate the Empire and it held immense power to determine the future course of the Empire. During the Chancellor times, the Six Councils is like a well-oiled machine that could do amazing thing to prosper the Empire and to mobilize armies and creating policies and aiding the government. With the disappearance of the Chancellor and without a head that could unify them all, there is a cog in that well-oiled machine. And this machine is stuck and showing sign of crumbling and cracking under the pressure And this is the difference between the loyalist and the reformist The reformist believes that the control of the Six Council should be given to the Emperor temporarily until the Chancellor returns to maintain the stability of the Empire. The loyalist would not have it. it is clear that the Six Councils were never to be put under the Emperor. Many people do not understand the reason why the Six Councils is under the thumb of the Chancellor Even the people inside the Six Council probably did not understand. But those high up in the chain knowns the reason why the Chancellor had never given any power to the Emperor. There is the fact that he held the power to protect himself. And there is the other fact that is only known to the select few that the Six Council is an overseer of sorts. And who did the Six Councils oversee? The Emperor! The Emperor have unlimited power of appointment of officials and the ability to fire anyone form their position if he so desires. The reformist believes that the Six Councils should be under the jurisdiction of the Emperor. Yet at the same time, the former Emperor George, had left the Six Councils to the Chancellor. But now with the disappearance of the Chancellor, things are not looking good And each Council is now operating independently creating many mess. The reformist believes that if this were to keep going on, the very integrity and stability that the Chancellor had created would collapse like a castle of sand. They believe that if the Emperor was to be put in charge of the Six Council temporarily it would stabilize the empire. On the other hand, the loyalist did not trust the Emperor. First, they felt that the Emperor is weak and ineffectual, lacking the bravery and charisma of his father. He is also lacking in terms of strategy and in his talent on administrating the Empire. It is an open secret that the administration of the Empire, the many matters of the Empire laid on the shoulders of the Chancellor. Some of the Councils in the Six Councils did not even bother to send reports to the Emperor and instead reported it to the Chancellor first before they send any written reports to the Emperor. Secondly, they fear that the Emperor would do away with the Six Councils and if that happens, the Emperor probably would also scrape the Parliament 311 THE STORM THAT IS COMING 4 In the Parliament many matters could be brought up and debated about, creating an open area to speak, determine and solve the problem of the Empire with the will of the people backing that decision. The ruler and the people of the same mind and body The former Emperor did not want to rule like a tyrant and instead restrained his own power. Too much power could lead to corruption and this is something that the Chancellor and the former Emperor had been worried about A corrupt nation would not be long before it would fall. The Chancellor and the former Emperor wanted to create an Empire of force and law The law is respected as much as the military. Even the generals no matter how great the victories and glory one got in the battlefield could not excuse themselves when they are doing wrong under the Vanheim Law This safeguarded the civilian basis of politics. Thus, the curtain is set to opens between the internal conflict between the two factions of the Six Council. Each factions knows that their fight would entice foreign enemies but both sides could not find common ground in their ideologies and methods. Both of them respected and believe in the Chancellor and would not have any problem of relinquishing their powers in the Six Councils if they were told to by the Chancellor. Aero did cultivate a cult of personality in the Six Councils that revolve around him. Thus it is not surpassing why they are so loyal to him And there are also others that was chosen because of some quality that stand out among the rest Most of the people chooses by the Chancellor is loyal to the Empire. And because the Chancellor is loyal to the Empire they too become loyal to him. To them, the Chancellor loyalty to the Empire is unquestionable. He had brought an ailing kingdom to rise as one of the superpower kingdom of the Vilajeri Continent and now on the verge of total domination of the entire continent, fulfilling the wish and desires of the people of Vanheim. But the problem right now is the fact that the Chancellor is not here. And as such these conflict is expected to continue as the horde of the Khagan is moving even closer to the eastern border. While the Eastern Empire is still wondering about the Chancellor and his whereabouts, the Western kingdoms is worrying about the Holy Zun Empire They have managed to stabilized themselves. And they are setting their eyes on the Nero Republic. When the Holy Maiden find out that Nero broke out and secede from the Holy Zun Empire, she was incensed with anger. Then there is Veva. They have also reorganized the court and the military. This could not be achieved without the brilliance of the Black Robe Prime Minister Eric. And it seems that the United Kingdom of Veva had changed their approach to the problem that plagued their borders. Before they have been engaged in battle with Holy Zun Empire. This battle had causes them unable to step to the Eastern Empire. This in turn left Vanheim to be able to gobble up the surrounding kingdom, and to obtain the vassalage of the other allied kingdoms and created a stable environment for the Vanheim Empire to grow. The question of who would rule the world should have been answered a long time ago. If there is no Holy Zun Empire and if there is Ariana the Holy Maiden of the Church, then Zeus probably would have their destined battle with Aero and decided who would rule the world. The appearance of the Holy Zun Empire who rule over the southern side of the border of Veva had delay that plan and even showing its ability to surpass Veva. This time Eric persuasion had worked. Zeus seems more malleable and gentler in his approach. After the matter of the Banquet, it seems King Zeus had slowly become more persuadable. This time instead of attacking Holy Zun empire and wasting more resources and destabilizing the order of the court and the military, they use a different way. The United Kingdom of Veva had sent support to the Nero Republic. And they also send their envoys to the Savillia kingdom, and Alfhaim kingdom. These two kingdoms borders with the Greater Veranis. To their east is the Greater Veranis. To their west is the United Kingdom of Veva. These two kingdoms had created an alliance precisely because they wanted to endure the pressure from these large kingdoms. As for Veva, these two kingdoms are precisely the road toward the east. It is also the largest obstacle for them to cross if they ever wanted to win the world. Before the ascension of Emperor Edward there is three kingdoms that become an obstacle for Veva eastern expansion. One of them is Duvar. It created a barrier. On the eastern border of the three kingdoms is Greater Veranis. And Greater Veranis is the vassal kingdom of the Empire. As such, the capital of Vanheim is protected not only by the Three kingdoms but also by its vassal the greater Veranis. To push to the east, Veva had to endure all sorts of attacks. Even if they manage to break the encirclement of the Three kingdoms borders, and even if they somehow be able to broke through Greater Veranis, whine they arrived at Vanheim, they probably would be too tired and too damage to take even one attack from Vanheim. And then there is still the Holy Zun Empire. This is the reason any eastern expansion had to be planned very detailed and had to make sure that when they arrive at Vanheim they would still be able to retain their fighting power. It is also the reason why Vanheim had been investing a lot in their naval innovation. Because the other way Veva could do a surprise attack on Vanheim is either by the sea or if they manage to defeat all of Holy Zun Empire or take Nero republic. Nero republic is just beside Vanheim. But even if they take Nero, the moving of so many soldiers would surely create disturbances that could not be hidden And Veva had just begun their naval expansion. 312 THE STORM THAT IS COMING 5 Someone had to break the balance. But no one dares to. Because if they attack one of the three kingdoms, they have the risk of being assaulted by the three kingdoms. Even if they manage to break one of the three kingdoms, with an exhausted army and supply lines that stretched far away from the main supply hub, their occupation of the conquered territory would be brief. And that would allow other power to quickly send their force and take it away. For example, if Vanheim attack one of the Three kingdoms, even if they won, they would lose a lot and then they would be exhausted. While they do have Greater Veranis to supply them, war would consume a lot of resources. Then it is reasonable that in their weakest moment, either Veva or Holy Zun Empire could take this chance to send their force to destroy Vanheim forces that is already tired. They need only to defeat the tried army and then reinforce the area, making sure that the other two kingdoms not be able to retake it back When that happen, it would be like Vanheim basically doing all the hard work, but others reaping the profits. The status quo that these three kingdoms had maintained made it possible that the two great powers of the world to not meet with each other. But Duvar had capitulated to Vanheim and this break the balance. This too is the work of the Chancellor. Taking Duvar without a single loss of soldiers. A scheme that shock the world. By the time Vanheim arrive at Vanheim and then take possession of Duvar, the kingdoms of the West could not do anything else but watched as the flag of Vanheim soaring proudly on the capital of Duvar. Because Vanheim army did not suffer any fatigue or any loss, they could maintain their occupation of Duvar and with the capitulation of Duvar who is willing, Vanheim is called the Holy Vanheim Empire by the authority of the High Priest of the Temple of the Seven Celestials. Now the two kingdoms are stuck so close with the two great powers of the world. And Duvar is sandwiched between them. On the north border of Duvar is the Savillia kingdom. On its south border is the Alfhaim kingdom. And on the western border is the United Kingdom of Veva But why would the United Kingdom of Veva did not attack Duvar easily. It is because if they attacked Duvar, not only they would have to be prepared to be attacked by Greater Veranis, they also need to be prepared to be attacked by the other two kingdoms on top and below Duvar They would rather be neighbors with the vassal kingdoms of Vanheim rather than being neighbors with the annexed kingdom belonging to Veva. This created a deadlock in that area where nobody would make the first move. Since Vanheim is plagued with internal problem right now, and more focused on stabilizing Niovar and the other kingdoms that is brought into the fold of the large Empire, they would not cast their gaze on the Western kingdom unless there is a reason for them to cast their gaze there. All it needs to change the matter right now is a simple conflict. A simple conflict would change the status quo. Any moves from any kingdom that threaten Duvar and its surrounding region could prove to be a move that would break the balance and induce the three-way struggle for the world for Holy Vanheim Empire, Holy Zun Empire and United Kingdoms of Veva. And now the great powers of the world are all stabilizing and these balance is what they needed. And as such Veva had changed it tactic. They did not want an all-out war to erupt with Vanheim right now. Nor do they want their position compromised by the Holy Zun Empire in their southern borders. So they sent a gesture of peace to the two kingdoms and also supported the independence of Nero Republic to contain the Holy Zun development. Vanheim pay attention to this move by Veva for fear that the Nero Republic would allow military access to their lands. In Nero Republic, spies are like the stars in clear night sky Veva did not declare war against Holy Zun Empire. Instead they supported the Nero Republic by providing gold and by sending men to resist the attack of the Holy Maiden. Even if the Holy maiden is angry at this support by Veva, she could not support a two pronged war on both Veva and Nero Republic. She is like someone trapped between two rocks. Nero Republic bided their time and increase military spending and invest in the construction of forts and defensive fortification along the border, with full garrisons over all of them And United Kingdom of Veva fortified their borders and showing aggression on the border neighboring the Holy Zun Empire All of this is to make sure that the Holy maiden sit still in the Holy City without going overboard. Unfortunately for the Holy maiden, even Vanheim had supported Nero Republic by providing material help and weapons and armor. Vanheim might be plagued by internal problem and the struggle between the two imperial brothers but that did not mean Vanheim itself is weak. They covered the most land among all the three great powers and the resources that they possessed is in abundance Their trade routes that spanned from the desert of the Orchish tribe Nairhel to the prosperous Karak ports and the trade cooperation between Vanheim and Greater Veranis had made the Vanheim Empire obscenely rich. And they use that wealth to make sure that they would not let the Holy Zun Empire reaches the east It is the reason why even after a year had passed the Holy maiden still unable to take Nero Republic. A deadlocked situation is created again as Veva try to bide its time and waited for the opportune moment to attack. There are many things that is happening all over the world since last year The Alfhaim creating forbidden magic, the Savillia kingdom training their soldiers and scheming in the dark, Holy Zun Empire killing the Bishops and there is so much of these news and more events that is happening that shows the world is just preparing for a new storm. All of these matter that filled the world made some people outside of Vanheim circle of power had forgotten about the Chancellor. The first year of the reign of King Alexander would mark the year where the Chancellor would come out on the world stage again. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 313 FOUR MOVES Aero is resting on his villa. He is playing chess. Playing with him is a woman covered in hood. The woman then took her knight to a position. Her castle blocks the other route. Her Queen look menacingly at the other position. She smiles and said ''Checkmate'' Aero smiles. ''I lost again'' he said, shaking his head but there is a smile on his face. It almost looks like he doesn''t care that he loses. The woman said ''I thought you would be good in playing chess'' Aero just laughed. ''What gave you that impression? He laughed. ''Most strategists in stories usually have great attainment in games like chess'' she said. Aero laughed and said ''In the end, chess is not living'' he said and then he laughed again as he looks at the chess pieces. She then nodded and said ''because it is not a battle'' Aero just nodded. Chess pieces have no emotions. They have no hearts and they have no minds of their own. They have no ambition and no desire. If people is like that, then probably it is easier to lead battle like commanding chess pieces There is no unexpected terrain to traverse, no sudden weather changes that forces one to retreat. In real battle, people get scared. Some could make a different choice when ruled by fear. One could get lost in a fog, swept away by a flood, having visibility reduced by rain and having movement hindered by snow. Chess have no such thing. And because of that Aero find it boring. He laughed because he truly did not care whether he loses or win in chess. Because no one dies in chess. The woman is none other than Viola. She sighed. Even though she wins she did not feel happy. For some reason, that play by Aero is weird. It felt like even though she wins, she felt like she was caught in a big net ''Another game'' he said. She shakes her head. Aero did not insist as he takes a sip of tea. She gets up from her seat and then said ''The Empress knows you are here'' Aero smiles and then said ''I guess this called for another game of chess'' he said and then the servants that was standing on the side of the door quickly come and rearrange the chess pieces on the chessboard Sighing, she sat back down. Aero is white this time. And Viola is black. He makes his first move. He moves his pawn. And then he said ''Does the Emperor knows?'' She shakes her head, as she thought about that Empress who is as beautiful as the Goddess Aphrodite as she moves her pawn. Nodding, he said ''That is good'' As he brought out his bishop. ''When will you show yourself? She said as she moves out her knight. Aero shakes his head as he brought out his queen. He sighed as he seems to be thinking about something. Viola waited for an answer and she moves her other knight. Aero release his finger from the chess piece and look to his left. It was one of his spies. The man kneels and presented to him a scroll tied with a golden thread. Aero eyes widened. He took the scroll and unfurls it. His eyes read the content and then his smile grew wider. Aero then stood up from his chair and then looking at Viola he said ''I guess we will not be having a chess match after all. It seems my time to reveal the world has arrived'' Then he quickly left the area. Viola was startled by the sudden declaration and she also stood up. The servants on the side quickly went to the chessboard to clean up the chess pieces and Viola glanced a bit at the chessboard. The servant was about to sweep it all away but Viola held their hands and they stopped. Viola look again at the chessboard and then her eyes frowned. Was all that losing were meant for this one victory? She thought to herself as she looks at the chess board. When she looks at it, she could see that if Aero made one more move he would checkmate her pieces. To win elegantly, is that his style? Her chess battel with Aero in the afternoon had been hours. But each time, she emerges victorious. She even thought that Aero did not know how to play chess. But looking at the composition of the chess pieces and its position, Aero from the beginning wanted to checkmate her with the oldest trick in the book. The Scholar mate. He wanted to win elegantly. To show her that while she needs to fought hours with him, he could actually use only four moves to destroy her. That tracks with Aero personality and his style of solving problem. This kind of tricks would be easy for her to recognize. If the opponent is anyone else, she probably sees this trick a mile away. But Aero keep losing to her and she let her guard down. She makes moves without thinking about it. And thinking about all of the chess battle, she felt shiver. All of that just to make her let her guard down? No wonder people said that Aero is a scheming person. In the beginning, Viola did not underestimate Aero. She even prepares for any attack and she close all possible ways for Aero to advance to her side of the chess board. But as time passes and as Aero shows his weakness in playing chess, even though she did not show it outwardly, she thought she was better. She thought that Aero is weaker than him. And she was wrong. That weakness is not a weakness at all. The weakness was shown to her so she would let her guard down and form a mistaken perception of Aero Maybe this has always been the way Aero operates. By making people having a wrong perception of him, no one could understand him. The more people who did not understand him, the more unfathomable he become in their minds Viola shook her head and smiles bitterly. He could take hundreds of losses but as long as he wins in the end, what would all that losses matter? In the end, who would laugh last is the most important, she thought to herself Aero had long gone to his private study and she stands there, transfixed and then laughing she left the villa. That day, a piece of news shook the world. Greater Veranis is attacking Holy Vanheim Empire! \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 314 TO WHOM THE DEER FALLS? Karak who had always seemed weak also join in, throwing their lot with the young king of Greater Veranis. The matter come to the surprise of everyone in Vanheim and it took them all by surprise. Niovar rebellion is still burning when suddenly the declaration of war was sent toward the Emperor of Holy Vanheim Empire. King Alexander Veran sent a letter soaked with the blood of the ambassador of Vanheim. That incited the anger of the Emperor and he ripped the letter to pieces. he summons the Generals in the military, and in this circumstance of war, the power of the Council of War rested on the hand of the Emperor. He is keen on electing the Supreme Commander of the Army. The Parliament wanted to discuss the matter and wanted to advise the King on who is supposed to lead the army. News came that King Alexander Veran had moved his soldiers and marching toward the border Since then Emperor Edward was in bad mood and he had been seen shouting at his minister almost everyday Dark clouds are gathering and storm is coming The army is quickly being summoned and with the Parliament unanimous support, General Kyle was elected the Supreme Commander to lead an expedition to break the invasion by Greater Veranis and Karak. The news of the betrayal of Greater Veranis and Karak did not yet reach the western kingdoms. But once it did, it is expected to raise chaos and disorder. United Kingdom of Veva would not let go of the opportunity to probably attack Duvar. Maybe with Vanheim preoccupied with repelling the Greater Veranis invasion, they would pay attention to their southern border and strike at Holy Zun Empire. Holy Zun Empire itself probably also would be doing the same thing. They probably would set their eyes on Nero Republic. And the moment they targeted Nero Republic, that is when United Kingdom of Veva would pounce. Whatever the decision of these great men and women, the moment the news that greater Veranis and Karak declare their war against Vanheim, it would surely break the balance of power. The Three great kingdom of Vanheim, Holy Zun and United Kingdom of Veva all wanted to break the balance. The competition for the world had resumed. While all of this is happening, and while the very stability that the Holy Vanheim Empire had enjoyed all of these years seems to be crumbling, the Empress. Empress Helena that reside deep in the Imperial Palace doesn''t seem to be worried She did her own things. She did not meddle at all with the court progress these days. It is known that the Empress and the Emperor is not really what you would call the perfect couple. There are many points of contention between the husband and wife. It is not to mentioned the matter of the past. There is still also the matter of the present. When the Chancellor persuaded the King of Duvar to surrender and become a vassal kingdom of Vanheim and enthroned the Emperor as the rightful ruler of the Vilajeri Continent, he had promised the King of Duvar, that his daughter, the Empress would be rewarded with the throne of Duvar in a secret meeting The matter was delayed because of the many programs that the Chancellor had done to stabilize the internal situation of the Empire The Empress title that Helena is holding is just an empty title without any power. But if she is the Empress of Vanheim and the Queen of Duvar, then she would have power in the Parliament and in the Imperial Court. This is like the matter of King James. King James is the Imperial Prince of Vanheim which also hold the office for the King of Niovar having the ability to command power in the kingdom that the Emperor had given him And then when the Exodus happened and the grip of the Empire had caught hard on Duvar, the Emperor retract back his promise. Since this promise is never mentioned in public, there is only a few people that knows that the Empress of Vanheim was promised the title of Queen of Duvar. The vassal King of Duvar, Vrandeus is old and is guarded by Pollux and Castor. After they accepted Vanheim, King Vrandeus had fallen sick and since then it is the envoy of Vanheim that rules the kingdom in his stead. And right now, if Duvar wanted to change their mind and resist when previously they had relented, they could not win since the other western kingdom would never believe that they would try to escape from the rule of Vanheim. They might even think that it is a plot from the Chancellor. So, the western kingdom will not help Duvar. And because of that, they did not ask help and bury the matter of the Empress being the queen of Duvar. They could not afford a war with Vanheim when Vanheim army guarded the borders of Duvar and garrisoned their forts. This matter worsened the relationship between the Emperor and the Empress. The Empress did not love the Emperor. And so, the Emperor become heartless. One is loveless and one is heartless. If one looks at it in another way, they are a perfect match for each other. She is inside her private room and she seems to be writing something on her table. On the table, there is an opened letter. There is the personal seal of the Six Councils. And in it, there is a plan. She had read the letter and now she is writing one of her own. She had something to say to that man. She did not know whether that man plan would really work or not. Now, that matter has escalated this far, there is no other choice other than to let it run its course. The few members in the loyalist action of the Six Councils knew that the Chancellor is coming back. They all have been vetted and all of them are loyal. Whatever plans that the Chancellor is planning this time, they would help him achieve it. She sighed and then saying to no one in particular she said ''Finally, you will return'' Helena then look outside the window. It seems that today would be a cloudy day. And she closes her eyes and she could still see that person back. It looks very reliable. The Empress had never loved the Emperor. It is not simply because she did not like the cowardly nature of the Emperor but also because she already has someone in her heart. It is the person that saved her so many years ago. To her, he would always be the most elegant person in the world. The journey in the forest, running from the pursuit of assassins is still clear in her mind. The seeds of love were sown that day. Years had passed since that matter. She had tried to love the Emperor. But as she is finding out, sometimes love could not be forced. She had once tried to express her feeling toward that person. But that person said that he has someone he loved in his world The adventurer lived in a different world from them. Maybe that is why they shine brightly. She had lost hope of trying to make him love her. A year ago, when the news broke out that the Chancellor was implicated in the matter of the annihilation of the Vlad family, she had sent a few of the Six Council secret forces to seek the Chancellor. Only a few days before, that she finally knows where the Chancellor is hiding and contacted Lady Viola to send a message to him, that she knows. And the moment that message was relayed, Aero immediately sent a letter to her. She smiles a bit. The falling of stars a year ago had marked a change in the adventurer life. They no longer could revive infinitely. When they die, they become stars in the sky. And somehow, that made her happy. Because now, the world that Aero and her is not so different anymore. She thought about other things too. ''Dreams'' she muttered. Smiling she then keep writing on the parchment while the world outside the Imperial Palace seems to darken. War had come for Vanheim. To whom, the deer falls? \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 315 THREE LETTERS This man is enjoying the scenery. Yet, this place is not a leisurely place. And while it is vast, it doesn''t mean the scenery is beautiful. There is mountain and lakes all over the world, and there are plains bigger than this. hence, to say that this person is enjoying the scenery is wrong. His eyes seem to be sharp and the light from his eyes is a little bit terrifying. While one might be mistaken that this person is enjoying the scenery, taking in the vastness of the area presented in front of this person, if one looks at this person eyes, one could tell that it is an eye full of determination. It almost looks like he is looking beyond the Plains. Smiling the man then said ''With deference and prudence, to the state of one''s depletion; it''s never finished until one''s death. Since I have decided, I would strive to the utmost. This time, I could no longer be revived. There is value in life now.'' Then he laughs. This person then waves his phoenix feather fan, fanning his own face. He decided that this is the most ideal place for his plan to take place. He had been preparing for a year for this moment. Failure would not be tolerated. ''Is this the place?'' A voice enters that person ear. The person waving the phoenix feather fan nodded. This person is none other than the famous Chancellor of Vanheim, Aero And the person that is walking towards him is Viola, the Lady of Vanan. Viola walked slowly and then reached beside Aero. She looks at the plain. She found nothing special about it. But Aero certainly found this place beneficial for him. ''You think he would take this place?'' Aero nodded. Viola ask again ''What if he chooses another route?'' ''Then we have to make him choose this. And even if he did not choose, this, one of them will'' One of them? Viola ask ''Alexander would split his army. I am sure of this. They could not hope to fight Vanheim by relying on numbers. Vanheim might be plagued by internal problems right now. But they are not in decline. There is still capable minister in the court and there are still many talented commanders. Alexander knew he could not win this by relying on numbers. It is like trying to pit his weakness with the enemy strength. The wind blows his hair and he stopped fanning his face with the phoenix feather fan. Instead, he put his hand behind his back and then continue his conjecture. ''Hence, he would try to split the enemy attention. One of the strength of the Empire is that it is big. One of the weakness of the Empire, is that it is big'' And Aero chuckles. Before, Greater Veranis and Karak acts as a buffer between them and the Western kingdoms. Who would have thought that Greater Veranis in the hands of King Alexander would incite Karak and declare war against their vassal lord? Viola then ask ''Do they not worry that they would be attacked from the back by Duvar soldiers?'' Aero shakes his head ''Duvar could not be counted. And I know the Emperor would not count on the help from the back either. They have their own problems to worry about. The moment news arrived at the court of the Western kingdoms about this unprecedented betrayal, Duvar would be vied for by all the western kingdoms. Veva and Holy Zun Empire would want to grab this road to the East. The old saying that whoever conquered Duvar would get the world is not some ignorant saying'' Viola frowned and then ask ''You have a plan for that?'' ''I do. But I am not sure it would work. I already sent a letter to the Empress. She would advise his father. And I also sent a letter to the Church of Light. Viola frowned. ''Did you forget what you promised me?'' Viola asked. Aero only smiles. ''There is never an eternal enemy in politics. And there is never an eternal friend either in politics.'' Viola frowned harder. Chuckling, Aero added ''I am just kidding'' ''Which part?'' ''The part where I abandoned you. I might be sly but I am a man of my word. Not to mention, we are not enemies. Where would I put my face if I could not help you accomplish an easy task which would not only weaken my enemy but also benefit me.'' Viola only scoffed Aero then continue saying ''I also send letter to Alfhaim and Savillia.'' Viola is now confused. ''What would that achieve? Are you sure a letter could prevent them from taking Duvar? It is not like you are good friends with them'' Aero smiles. And then he laughed ''You want to know?'' And Aero waited. Viola only smiles bitterly and then nodded Then Aero began telling Viola what he had done \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e While Aero is on the plain that is around the border between Great Veranis and Vanheim preparing for the war, and thinking of schemes and plots that would return back his reputation, the western kingdom who is still recovering and fortifying their foundation in their kingdoms finally got the news of what is happening on the eastern side of the continent. Greater Veranis rebels against their lord kingdom. Karak follows suit with the three family amassing soldiers at the border. Duvar it now sees, is up for grabs. This is an unpredictable move that no one could foreseen The relationship between Greater Veranis and Vanheim had always bene great. And Karak is a small nation. Yet, with the incitement of the new king of Veranis, Karak also follows into war. Most of the Vanheim ambassadors have been killed or imprisoned by Greater Veranis and Karak. Those who managed to get out of the city before they get caught immediately return to Vanheim stoking even more anger of the Vanheimneian The Prime Minister of Veva when he first got the news checked the veracity of the news countless of times. He fears that it is the scheme of the Chancellor. While many have forgotten the Chancellor after a year of disappearance, Eric did not. When they were in Purgatory, he witnessed how unstoppable Aero really is when he is in the battlefield. But the reason why the whole world fears him is not because of his prowess. It is the ability of him strategizing someone victory or defeat even without entering battle. The fact that Aero remains silent for a year and did not reveal himself all of this time suggested that he is planning something. He had been sending all kinds of spies all over the continent to seek any information on Aero. But like he is being protected by someone, no one could find him Eric fears that the betrayal of Veranis and the support of Karak to the cause, is one of the Chancellor scheme to lure out United Kingdom of Veva from the borders to attack the vulnerable Duvar. Eric deliberated on the matter of the Greater Veranis for a few days. But after sending more informants out to the world and relieving their reports Eric is finally convinced that Aero did not orchestrate this matter. Then Eric had to decide what to do. He wanted to take Duvar. That sit e road to the East. And this is the golden opportunity. But who would have thought that the moment he wanted to do it, he got news that the other three kingdoms suddenly behaving very weirdly Because at the same time the news of the war reaches the other kingdoms of the west, a letter also arrives at the court of the kingdoms of the west A name that has been forgotten for a year once again resurfaces. Aero the chancellor of Vanheim sent letters to the Three Kingdoms on the western side of the Vilajeri Continent. On the Holy Office of the Pope, there is an unsealed letter. A short person read it, beside him is a woman of heavenly beauty. In Savillia, inside the throne room, the nobles read out the letter sent to them. When the letter was opened and the words were revealed to them, they all have solemn expression. The King eyes is particularly cold and one could see anger in it. In Alfhaim, someone had managed to enter the Fabled Forest and sent a letter to the King of the Elves. The King of Elves read the letter and after he finished reading it, he was fuming in anger. He throws the letters and just stare at it with venomous hatred. Holy Zun Empire, Savillia Kingdom, Alfhaim get the letters from Aero. Veva was excluded. Aerosia that is on the western border of Veva did not require for Aero to send a letter considering that Deria or as he is now known King Derrick is Aero friends. All of these western kingdoms wanted to attack Duvar when they heard what happened. But because of three letters, suddenly their plans all changed. What did the renowned strategist, hailed by the people of the Vilajeri Continent as Divine Strategist wrote in that letter that halted the movement of the kingdoms of the western side? The unusual calmness of the three kingdoms also made Eric become even more cautious, putting soldiers in alert in the borders. The world seems to be standing still on the western side of the Vilajeri Continent while on the Eastern side, the dust of war is rising. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 316 THE PLAINS Viola really wanted to know what Aero had done to make sure the western kingdom to not attack Duvar Aero look at Viola and then after he calmed himself down he said to her. ''A Royal rumble. I would like to see who would be the first to break the balance. Would the two allied kingdoms of Savillia and Alfhaim attack Duvar?'' He asked and Viola did not answer. She tried to think whether Savillia and Alfhaim would really did that but Aero answer her question and said ''If they did, Alfhaim would be opening themselves up to be gobbled up by the Church of Light. Those ancient Elves probably would not like the zealotry of the people of Holy Zun Empire, don''t you think?'' Smiling, Aero then continues ''I wrote to them that if the Holy Maiden of the Church conquer their forest settlements and their cities of lights, she would burn their Eternal tree and chopped down their woods. And since I do not lie, those Elves would probably be cautious'' Viola then frowned and asked ''Then what did you wrote to Savillia?'' ''I simply wrote one name'' ''Whose name?'' ''Zeus'' Viola did not understand what Aero is trying to say and achieve by writing one name inside a letter ''That name would make them not send army to Duvar?'' Viola asked as Aero smiles and explain to Viola like a patient teacher teaching his student ''Don''t you remember what happen before? Sol Queendom, Luna kingdom, Jhaka kingdoms were all were conquered by the steel of the black soldiers of the King of Veva. They fear him. Do not underestimate the fearsome reputation that Zeus had built for himself among the Western kingdoms'' ''There is a reason why that name stops Savillia. I am just sending that letter to remind them why they make an alliance and merge the kingdom of Saril and Vor to become the Savillia kingdom. If they make one mistake, then Zeus could take them before Holy Zun could take Veva cities on the southern border'' ''Then what words did you send to the Church of Light'' Aero smiles again and then he said ''I send a suggestion'' ''What did you suggest?'' ''To wait and become the fisherman'' Viola frowned. Aero sighed a bit no longer talking about the three letters he sent to the three forces. Instead his eyes seem to look toward the distance ''Great Veranis had quite the advantage'' he suddenly said ''They would surely try to overwhelm Vanheim by splitting their forces. And this method is probably going to succeed. They would try to harass the borders in order for this to happen'' Smiling, Aero said ''Yet, at the same time, splitting too many of their forces also means that it is easy to route them and capture them. At most they would split the army into four. But knowing Alexander, it would probably only three. Karak probably would attack the highlands of the northern border. Veranis would probably attack to the old region of Vetten and focus on that instead of going to the southern border and antagonize King James. Viola look at Aero with eyes that are filled with amazement. It almost seems like the Chancellor have all the information of the world on the tip of his finger. This is the formidable Chancellor of Vanheim who could move the world with one word. Unlike the King of Veva who fought constantly in the battlefield with his army and his soldiers, or the Holy Zun Empire Holy Maiden who had to preach and maintain the stability of the Church and the Holy Kingdom with her sword, the Chancellor Aero of Vanheim had always been a man famous for his method in manipulating people and deceiving the world He did not even have to lead people in the battlefield to win the war. It is of course something that no warrior had ever understand. There is this image of Aero of a strategist yet also there is this image of him as a peerless warrior. The battle between him and King Zeus is something that no warrior had ever forgotten. Aero basically thrashed him so bad that the King of Veva had almost died. His subsequent action which killed forty thousand people is the stuff of legends. Some believe that he is a demigod, the son of some gods or goddesses, to be blessed with such unbelievable strength. As such, his ability to fight is never doubted. But at the same time, no one would understand why he would rather remain in the Capital and inside the Six Councils, more content in manipulating the world from behind when he could ride to the battlefield and slay all of his enemies. Aero himself never explains it. The reason is simple. The moment he explains why, the myth of his invincibility would crumble. Everyone believe that there is no weapon on the mortal world that could hurt him And they were not wrong. If not at that time Zeus had borrow some heavenly weapon from Apollo and Artemis, Aero probably would not be that docile during that Banquet event. Viola then reached her conclusion and her eyes narrowed as she said without a doubt in her words ''You have people in the Six Councils'' Aero smirking replied ''I have always had people in the Six Councils. ''This war¡­was it your making?'' she asks. One could see that Viola is not particularly conformable with that thought Aero smiles and there are a few seconds of silence emetine them. He then said ''I am fishing with a straight hook. Those who want to get caught, will get caught.'' ''You''re saying that King Alexander wanted this?'' Smiling Aero replied. ''He marched his army didn''t he? If that is not an indication of his desire, then what would you make him do to show his ambition?'' ''Are you saying you also have people in King Alexander courts?'' Laughing Aero said. ''Well, I could not tell you all of my cards could I?'' ''I''ve known you for a year. I thought I knew all of your trump cards. It seems I know too little about you.'' ''Duration of time of knowing someone is never an indication of how much you knew about a person'' Aero simply replied. Aero then sighed. This plain in front of him is an important plain. On the other side of the plain is the border between the Empire and Greater Veranis. There is no line to determine which is which but the flag of greater Veranis were hoisted on the forest near a fort and on the other side of the plain. And on that other side is a connected forts and a few disconnected stone wall that hoisted the flag of Vanheim. Right now, the two opposing nations must be formulating plans in their war tents and their army is marching toward the borders. Not to mention that Karak is also involved. All the three great families participated in collusion with Greater Veranis. Aero knows why they participated and the chains of events that lead them to throwing their lot with Greater Veranis. But that doesn''t matter. There is probably thousands of plots and schemes that he did not know off. If he had to uncover and consider each and every one of them, he better be some seeker of truth instead of a strategist or a politician. Kyle would have to send some of the army to withstand the Karak army on the northern border. Greater Veranis could attack toward the state of Vetten or they could march straight to the many state of Vanheim. But they could not fight on the southern border. Aero knows this. Alexander knew all about the internal struggle between the two imperial brother of the Holy Vanheim Empire. If he attacked the southern border, that would drag in King of Niovar James into the fold. If that happens, whatever excuses King James have, he had to participate. The reason King James did not participate in this war is because he had sent a report to the Parliament that the rebellion in Niovar is worsening and he could not send any soldiers while pacifying the regions. And there is also the fact that the Emperor could not trust James to lead his soldiers. Who knows? Maybe if James were given full control of the Imperial Amery, he would instead point the sword to the Emperor. The relationship between Emperor Edward and King jams is a reminiscent of the relationship between King George and Duke Bradheim in the past. But Edward is not George and James is not Bradheim Since the southern border would not work, Greater Veranis would attack straight ahead. And as such the plains that they are looking at right now is probably one of the sites that would be the clashing points between the two armies. Aero had predicted a few other sites. As for the other, he already had some plans of how to counter the enemy attack. But even then This plain is important. Aero could already see that the resounding clash of the battle between the two nation would rewrite the history of the continent. It will also determine whether Vanheim would rise ever stronger or declined after this battle. This plain is one of the place where Aero had once planned its development. So he knows it better than even Kyle and Alexander. He hoped that this is where the battle take place and not the other site. Because this is the place where he could show his talent. He had been waiting for too long and he had prepared many things for this moment It is precisely why he had made many plans to ensure that this is the site that Alexander and Kyle would clash over. He himself maintained contact secret communication with Kyle in the imperial court. Since there are not many people he could trust in the Imperial Courts, there is only a few people that knows that he is still alive and that he is in Greater Veranis This battle is his plan to return back to the world stage. He himself is still the powerful Aero of the East. The wind blows and Aero could hear the sound of the horn of the changing of an era. Smiling he waited \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 317 THE WAR BEGINS After a few weeks of journey, they finally arrived at the plain region He sighed ''Aero what is it that you are planning?'' he muttered to himself. Kyle had long known that Aero is in greater Veranis. But he did not tell the Emperor or King James about this information Kyle had never been the most loyal of subjects. He is part of the Eagle faction, the military faction of the imperial court. One might have thought then that his loyalty then must lie with the military faction. But that is not it either. Kyle have always been loyal to himself. After being betrayed by his own king during his brief stint as a Vetten general, Kyle had never trust anyone promises especially promises of nobility and kings. His cooperation with Aero is simply because he knows that in the Six Councils and in the Empire, true power rested in Aero hands. Kyle had fought once with Aero and he lost terribly in his hand. There is a little bit of resentment in his heart but what trumps the resentment is part fear and part admiration. He knows since a year ago that there are weird moves by King Alexander but never in his wildest dreams that he thought King Alexander would move against the Empire. But while he is rising general in Vanheim, he is just a small personage in the military factions of the Empire. With the return of the adventurers, the former integral core members of the military faction also return like Marquis Dan, Countess Raina and other that is associated with Aero. It is their return that stabilizes the imperial power. So it is not Kyle had a lot of chance to usurp the position of the core members of the military faction In this one year, the secret battle between the two imperial brother is getting even more intense. one even miss the days during the time of the Chancellor ruling the Six Councils The Six Councils is the Six Councils and still possess great power in maintaining the policy of the Empire. But, even they are wrecked by internal dispute between those who were loyal to the Chancellor and those who were loyal to the Emperor. When Alexander announce his desire to fight against Vanheim, Kyle knew that Aero probably knows what had happened. And even before he left his residence to answer the summon of the Emperor, there is a letter inside his study. Aero did not send three letters as Viola had thought. He had sent a lot of letters. Some of them is written like a warning. Some are written like a kind advice. And some of them is written to remind them. Kyle sighed as he looks at the opening of the forest. ''Aero is truly capable'' he said to himself. The Chancellor in those years of peace improve many parts of the provinces of the Empire. This place is one of them. To improve the province economic position, Aero expanded the production of the province gold mines and ordered the construction of dykes and irrigation projects around this region All of this took considerable amount from the treasury but after it was complete it greatly reduced the surrounding area flood problems and expanded its agricultural output. Externally, the Chancellor had always view the plains as the most ideal position to field armies to stop the invasion of a foreign enemies. And while it could not be confirmed from the many research paper that he had read about the development of the plains region, Aero might have design on attacking Veranis. During the time Kyle enter the Vanheim imperial court, even though he enters under the recommendation of Aero, he and Aero had never been close allies. At times, they even oppose each other in the Parliament. Probably because of that he is trusted by the Emperor and King of Niovar. Kyle knew that if after this, news come out that he and the Chancellor had been in collusion since the beginning, the trust of the Emperor on him might erode. But Kyle had already considered the pros and con The Emperor is weak. And Kyle and the King of Niovar had a complicated relationship. Kyle had never like King James that much. The two imperial brothers secret conflict in the imperial court has the potential to split the realm But the one marinating tee ace so that their secret conflict did not tore the Empire apart was always the Chancellor. And Kyle knew that the Chancellor is strong both in political side of the battle or the real battlefield of life and death And Kyle had always backed the winning side. That way he would always remain victorious. An army commander come near Kyle and Kyle slow down his horse. ''What is the matter?'' Kyle asked as he could see the hesitation of the commander. The commander come closer with his horse and then whispers some words into Kyle ears. Kyle frowned and said ''Noted. I will inform the Capital of this'' The commander then return back to his unit as Kyle sighed. The plains are in the area of many contentions in the past and the area is deemed unsafe by many people so there is no village around it Even if there is, when the battle between borders happened, that village would be a collateral damage. After the Fall of Gerad Stratocracy and Tian dynasty most of the civilians of these two countries become refuges and run away to this edges of the Empire border and created settlements and founded cities around the area. When the East was settled and Greater Veranis and Karak become vassal kingdoms of Vanheim, the area around here experience peace. The plains regions and its surrounding territory has always been empty in the past because of border skirmishes. But after the peace that come, the people here began improving their lives and with the Chancellor development plan, the area prospers. The Empire send a few of nobles here to take control and some of them are nobles that come from the fallen kingdoms. Not all noble stubbornly wanted to revive the fallen kingdom. Some surrender during the initial conquest and these nobles of a fallen kingdom is not discriminated by the Chancellor as they were sent to rule over the refugees. Of course, some of them maintain their noble houses only under the reign of the Empire The Imperial Court did not discriminate against one background as long as one is capable and loyal to the Empire. After all, one could describe the Imperial Court of Vanheim as a metropolitan court and diverse To prevent the people being promoted into rebelling, the Emperor made a balancing plan among the local powers of the region. It is for that reason the area around this plain is highly divided. And it so for that reason it takes weeks for his army to reach the Plain. King Alexander had known the fact that region around the plain is greatly divided, with its lord holing no sway over any of the province many feuding families. Unsurprisingly, King Alexander take advantage of this. His first act before even setting up foot to the plain is to convince many of the vassal lords around this plain region to switch sides. Greater Veranis have been able to persuade some of the vassal lords to defect and as such that is the reason why Kyle and his army took so much time to arrive at the plains. Each road that he goes to were obstructed by the allies of Greater Veranis. Kyle also seems to see the dangerous trend that is appearing here. If this is not addressed quickly, the rule of the Empire would be harmed. Niovar rebellion is a headache in the Imperial court but it is still contained but if even the western part of the Empire began to rebel, then the Empire might even have to forget Duvar and might even lose former Vetten territory. As Kyle was thinking about all of this things, they finally arrived at the plain. The horse neighed, the sound of horns being blown and the striking of the gong stopped. Kyle narrowed his eyes as he sees the scenery in the distance A few hundred kilometers from them they could see the banners of the Greater Veranis in the distance and he frowned. The sight that awaited the imperial army of the Empire is the sights of hundreds of thousands of Greater Veranis soldiers on the plains. Sighing Kyle said ''This is going to be a long campaign'' The war between Greater Veranis and the Holy Empire of Vanheim begins! \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 318 PLAINS OF ETHYLRED Some of them even defected to Alexander with the promise of restoring their old kingdoms. But that did not mean it is all smooth sailing for the young King. Karak conquest army that was sent to the former Vetten territory was destroyed by Marquis Dan and the personal army of Countess Raina. It does not appear like the King is as unstoppable as he makes himself to be, And Marquis Dan split his army, sending around ten thousand cavalry focusing forward to Karak while he stands guard over the border of the old Vetten territory. Countess Raina on the other hand seems to be heading toward the plains to probably reinforce Supreme Commander Kyle Despite such major setback King Alexander had the area around the plains at his feet. His next target is none other than the river basin in the region, formed by the merging of two major rivers and surrounded by mountain on all sides. This is the plain that have always been the ideal place of the Chancellor to use his scheme. This land is known to the Empire as the Plains of Ethylred. Alexander conquest forced the noble and vassal lords that were stationed in the plains region to retreat toward the east. Even though these lords tried to help the Supreme Commander of Vanheim they were after all did not possess an army. Since the coronation of the Emperor, the Chancellor had used the power of Six Councils to rob the nobility of their power of fielding armies. Only certain nobles are allowed to keep armies and even if they do, they are a limit of how many soldier they could recruit into their personal armies Weakening the noble lords and strengthening the imperial authority. This is the measure that the Chancellor had done to strengthen the Empire. The lords of the Plains were never truly loyal to the Empire. But as Alexander conquest spreads, the Ethylred Plains warlords was forced to seek refuge outside of their comfort zone and send a delegation to the imperial court acknowledging the imperial court authority over the plains. Ethylred Plains has always been inside Vanheim territory. But that is only in name and the Empire did not hold great power or sway over there. Because of the distance between the capital city and the area which sits at the furthest point from the center of the Empire, it has always been a land untouched by the imperial powers. Even Imperial laws could be flouted around here. But now with Veranis declaring war against the great Empire of Vanheim, and Alexander forceful strategy of taking over these plains, these warlords that prided themselves as unthroned Kings had to bow to the imperial authority and seek help and send their levies of men toward the Imperial army Aero today is looking over the plains with the seeing glass that enables him to look at the battlefield. He is sitting on a rattan chair, looking at all of this happening from a secluded location up in the hill where the area is enclosed by the large trees. He is smiling and he is thinking a lot of things. The Western Kingdom did not rashly enter the war or attack Duvar because of his three letter that make them on guard against each other. Veva against Holy Zun Empire, Hoy Zun Empire against Alfhaim, Savillia against Veva and so on and so forth among them. And Dan had also take the delays as an opportunity as the Empire had ordered king James to relieved the Duvar garrisons. King James like always uses the excuse that he is fighting against the rebels that he is unable to send help but Dan had sent his knights to threaten king James. Of course, the common people thought that they reach an agreement s King James sent thirty thousand soldiers form Niovar by ship to Nero. From Nero, these soldiers march to Duvar and take the control of the city. Right now, if the Western kingdoms wanted to take Duvar they have to think more carefully. Before, if they pressed don without thinking of the other factors at play they could easily take down such a small kingdom. But now with the elite warriors from Niovar and the imperial army in the capital city of Duvar, they would take weeks or even months before they could take the kingdoms and by that time, they might not be able to save themselves if any of the other Western kingdoms stab each other in the back. This is what Aero could count on. The distrust between each of the ruler of the Western Kingdoms. ''Aero, will you make your move now?'' Someone spoke. Aero smiles. Beside him there is two people. One man and one woman. The woman is Viola. And the man is none other than Kyle the Supreme Commander of the Army. Aero nodded ''How is the reception of the imperial court?'' ''It is as you expected. It is the right environment to create a hero'' Kyle said. Viola did not say anything. Aero laughed ''I didn''t think you would just obediently just listen to me.'' ''The Emperor do not like me. And I never like James. Better the devil you know'' Kyle simply said. Hearing this honest answer, Aero laughed and nodded ''Yes, it is always easy to deal with the devil you know. That young Prince¡­ I have seen him during the battle of Coro. From then on, I have always been wary of him. Do you know why? Kyle shrugged ''There e is wild ambition in his heart. People with ambition could achieve anything they wanted to if they have the ability. And Alexander have the abilities. Coupled that with his ambition, this is a very dangerous person. He is not the devil we know and as such, it is hard fighting him'' There was silence for a while as Kyle just think about it and sighed ''But you must have a plan don''t you? After all, you wanted to be hero this time and restore your reputation all at the same. It would not be good if you going into this without a plan'' this time Viola finally said something. Aero did not turn back but he nodded ''Of course I have.'' Then he frowns a bit. 319 SCHEMES OF ALL KINDS And he also realizes someone is making use of his scheme to scheme about some other thing. It is fortunate that the objective of that person scheme and his shame did not overlap. He could guess there is another dark hand that is guiding these war to the current situation. Why would the three great noble families of Karak suddenly rebels? At the very least, there is only two families that would join in the enemy and rebel against being the vassal kingdoms of the Empire It did not make sense all three of them rebel unless they were incited by someone. But even then what kind of confidence that they have that they will succeed in their rebellion? If they did not have even ounce of confidence and knowing it is a fruitless effort, they surely would not have done such a thing. That mean there must be other things at play here. Karak is a wealthy kingdoms and that was true of the past. But now it is not. Not only that it is not as wealthy as the Empire, its size is small and their army could not be compared to the million soldiers that the Empire have. There he saw the dark hands of King James. Aero did not explain this to other people. He notices the involvement of King James in his scheme. Of course, Aero knows that King James has not seen Aero hand in the dark guiding things but King James does use the chaos provided by Aero scheme to involve himself If not how could Karak dare bring out their heads? As for the easy conquest of the Plains, there is another hand that is accelerating it and it is a hand that Aero rarely sees. The young Emperor is the one that is accelerating the defeats of the warlord around the Plains. There were many military orders that come from the capital that did not make sense that delays some of the helps that they could have rendered to the warlord all over the plains. These two imperial brothers are playing with the lives of millions. The three Nobles families of Karak might have been promised something by King James. Or it might be an emergency measure that King James had enacted and he is the oriole stalking the mantis They were many things that King James could achieve with the participation of the three noble families in the war. It disrupts the trades of the imperial city is only one factors. Aero could guess what King James is thinking. As for the matter of the plains and the dark hand of the Emperor, Aero could also guess why the Emperor would delay helping the warlords. Full control of the Plains would be preferable. The Emperor might not be as dumb as he thinks. ''A tiger that hides its claws, huh'' Aero thought to himself. Aero pointed his phoenix feather fan to expansive plain and smiling he said ''We must defend the plains of Ethylred. To defend the border, we must protect its main choke point, this plain.'' Kyle frowned and said ''King Alexander had learned from his mistake and enlisted the helps of nearby warlords. Not all warlords bow to the imperial authority. They just change their liege lords as easily they change their coats.'' Kyle said. Aero only laughs and said ''It is as expected of them. Their relationship with the imperial family is a relationship of benefits. Why should you be surprised?'' Kyle snorted. ''Even I would have done that if I were them¡­only if I was short sighted'' Viola and Kyle both did not roll their eyes. It is not surprising that such words come out of the mouth of the Chancellor. After all, those who knows him personally knows how cunning he is and how opportunistic he is. ''Greater Veranis, from the very moment they declare the war, they are doomed. The Empire that I built with the former Emperor would not stumble and fall just because Greater Veranis declare wars on it and take its land. Even if they take the land as big a Vetten, they would found that they will have a difficulty in keeping it. What did I teach you in the battle of Coro, Kyle? If it is something hard to keep, then let it go. ''King Alexander is ambitious. I did not hate that about him. All great people have great ambitions. But he did not know how to let go. He did not know how to wait for the opportune moment. He did not know how to be patient. Ambitious but impatient. Smart but reckless. You could not break a stone with an egg. Even if one hundred egg is thrown at a stone, the stone would still be there'' Kyle then raise sup his hand and said ''Should I just pack up then? Let Alexander rampages until he conquered the whole Plains, built himself a base of where he could spread all over the borders of Vanheim?'' Aero laughed ''I said they could not make Vanheim to fall. But I did not say that they were beneficial either. If the damage that Alexander done to the Empire reaches a certain point, then Vanheim could never unify this continent in this few decades'' Viola snorted and Aero just smiles helplessly at Viola. She sat back down at her chair, pretending not to listen. Aero continue saying ''To march an army and win a war, it takes more than just national strength and a large army. It needs money, needs food, arms and stability in the Empire. And the war must have a clear objective. The fact that you are able to stop Alexander in his tracks a few times with the condition of the army right now is remarkable in itself'' Sighing, Aero look at Kyle and said ''Stretched thin across all the borders of the Empire while at the same time reinforcing the wings that are weak, and capitalizing on the blind spots of the enemy, defending where the area is empty, maintaining the full form of any army even under such disadvantages, Kyle, you should be a defender instead of an attacker. If I was the attacker and you were the defender, then I admit, that to defeat you by using army would not be efficient. Instead I would use scheme to bring you down'' Aero of course did not say to Kyle that the Emperor had shortchanged Kyle The Emperor wanted Kyle to win. That is true. After all, if Kyle did not manage to defeat Veranis army, then that army would surely reached the Capital. By that time, it would be too late. Other kingdoms would also be joining in like a shark circling around a bloodied person drowning in the water. But the Emperor probably wanted to make sure that Alexander divided the loyalties of the warlords in the plains before the Emperor would show his full support. After all, out of everyone here, no one is more clear of the secret forces of the Emperor than him since he is the one that created these secret forces. Aero had created a powerful empire. The only way to bring down the Empire right now could only be achieved by those Western Kingdoms like Veva and holy Zun Empire. And of course, by internal dispute. The fact that then Emperor did not send the secret forces shows that the Emperor wanted to use the invasion of Alexander as a pretext for the imperial authority to seep deep on the furthest point of the Empire. To gain the loyalty of the warlords and sweep all the enemies of the imperial government in one battle Aero scoffed a bit thinking that, this young lion hides very deeply. Aero was thinking about this but Kyle is thinking about something else He will not admit it but he did feel a little bit excited being praised by his rival Aero. Kyle and Aero relationship is very complicated. There is always that sense of rivalry but also the sense of wanting to be acknowledged by this rival. Kyle himself was not an incompetent general. And Aero also recognize this. The Kyle now had matured from that bratty general he had fought during the Vetten Invasion There was initial engagement made by Alexander and there two slightly unfavorable stalemates for Alexander and by the time the King of Veranis receive reinforcement, Kyle had created a stable defensive lien near the plains and King Alexander could not use a rushing tactics. The other border is also secure. Even though the line is paper thin in many of the other parts of the border, Veranis himself could not focus themselves as they have to traverse mountain and forest to get there, and by the time they get there maybe another detachment from one of the others parts of the border would be able to reinforce that part of the border. Alexander have no choice other than to focus the main bulk of his army in the area around the plains where they would break through. If King Alexander manage to breakthrough, then one could see that Alexander would possess great advantage. But Vanheim need only to hold out. If Veranis runs out of supplies, then it is time for the wrath of the Empire to descend on Veranis But Alexander himself is not some third rate general. When Alexander send one of his detachment to attack the upper part of the border, Kyle had to rush there and as such he orchestrated an attack just in time when Kyle was busy elsewhere and was able to make some significant temporary headway into Ethylred Central Plains. Alexander then reoccupied the remnants of a castle situated by the Aether river which is burnt down by Kyle a few weeks earlier. Then he ordered its reconstruction and enlargement. Because of this, the Aethereld castle became a major Alexander strongpoint in the area, guarding the roads and extending Alexander control into the plains. Alexander is also fearing an attack from the back from the garrisoned soldiers of Duvar kingdom. He believes that the Emperor decision and King James detachment to relieve the garrisons in Duvar is a scheme to attack him form the back. Because of that Alexander seems to correspond with the western kingdom powers and reach an agreement. None of the western powers are moving. Because no one wanted to be the sacrifice and their distrust against each other work in favor of Vanheim. But if Duvar moves its army to attack Veranis form the back Savillia and Alfhaim will not just wait anymore. They would take it. And by the time any of the great powers of the Western powers notices it, either Savillia or Alfhaim would get Duvar. But the matter is of course not simple like that. If either Savillia or Alfhaim move their army to take a well provisioned city walls of the Holy Kingdom of Duvar, then their soldier might have to suffer and reduce their powers. Holy Zun Empire and Veva then would have a clear shot at taking either Alfhaim or Savillia. But if a fuse is lit, someone would get burned. Duvar could not move. But the other western power also could not move. If there is movement, there would be chaos and the fates of kingdoms probably would be sealed almost immediately. Guarding the garrison of the castle is none other than Pericles, a general under Alexander who was famous as one of Alexander closest friend Aero smiles and look at the plains and said ''The troops are prepared. The banners are raised. Alexander is waiting for his ally. His forces harassing the supply lines, and if we take the castle, we would be at a disadvantage if they send another detachment. Karak forces is being held by Dan, Raina is a ghost army, creating uncertainty in the minds of the enemies. We would not lose. How could we lose? I am here!'' Aero said and he laughs., He then pointed toward a mountain ''We take a position there on Mount Gryphon'' What he plans from the beginning must be ended beautifully. ''That area is surrounded by the makeshift fortress of the Alexander army!'' Viola and Kyle both said in unison. Aero nodded ''I know. But it also offered a commanding view of the entire area, threatened both the Aethereld castle and the roads leading to the Empire heartlands and is virtually unassailable.'' Aero said. ''Now, I am making my moves. Give me twenty-three thousand men and let me see what so great about this Alexander! Hahaha!'' He laughed with an unrestrained feeling, like the whole world is under his fate. The wind blows his white robe as the person people called the Divine Strategist, take the center stage Kyle nodded as he took look at the Plains. Viola sit at her seta and sip a few wines from her flask. They both knew that the moment the world knows that Aero, the Chancellor of Vanheim appear suddenly in the Plains of Ethylred, the world will surely shake. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 320 UNPREDICTABLE MOVES The Supreme Commander of the Army Kyle suddenly seems to be making different moves that no one could understand He suddenly takes position at Mount Gryphon and suddenly the information coming out from that place become silent. Alexander quickly marched to meet the threat that is represented by the sudden movement of the Supreme Commander of Vanheim Alexander tried to entice Kyle into attacking by taking control of the river crossing and cutting Kyle way back home. Alexander believes that by doing so, he is cutting the supplies and might make Kyle to come down the mountain and attack But for some reason, they did not. There is still blind spot of course so Alexander would not try to burn the mountain. Burning a mountain is not something that one would do unless a general is truly desperate. And Alexander knew if he did such a thing, a smear campaign on his name would gain traction and probably if he wanted to move forward to the Capital, it would become not only a momentous takes but one that would be torturing. That is simply because if he did that, not only the warlords in the plains would be reluctant to turn to him, they even might fall in completely to the Empire. Since the mountain is not the only mountain in the Empire they probably would not care. But that is not the same for the people of the Plains and if the people of Plains is not satisfied with the matter and instead fall in with the Empire then the warlords would also have a problem with that. There is also the fact that Alexander did not know the composition of soldiers in the mountain. He had arrived to late when Kyle had suddenly taken that mountain. Only after arriving here and seeing the advantages of the mountain he knows that the mountain seems to have strategical advantage. On top of the mountain sitting on a rattan chair looking at the map is Aero. He looks at it as around him were great generals of the Empire. They all look very humble right now so different from their usual domineering behavior. Because right now in the tent, is one of the hero and one of the founding members of the Empire. How could they dare shows their arrogance in front of this person? The Chancellor Aero Carlingian is in that tent and the generals and the military personnel all wanted to leave a good impression on the person that is called the shadow ruler of the Empire. Aero was not surprised that somehow suddenly everyone suddenly addressed him as Aero Carlingian. The power of the Western Heaven is the one that changes the memories of these native people of this world. It is the name that he had picked but hearing it still make him feel weird. Aero did not linger on that thought for long Right now, the sudden appearance of Aero and the news about his return to the Empire side is a secret. The news is of course already relayed to the Capital but it would take time. They did not have time to create a teleportation formation and even if they do, they would not attempt to do so. The reason is simply because teleportation formation is not easy to cast and the moment they cast it, that would be like telling the enemy that they have a very important news to send to the Capital. That would make Alexander suspicious and instead would make him even more curious and if the plan is revealed earlier then the surprise impact to the enemy army would not happening as planned. Especially when such news could always be intercepted by a powerful Archmage. They don''t even need an Archmage since any mages that have some specialties like the ability to intercept magical messages might be present in Alexander side. After all, there is also a lot of Western Heaven people in Alexander side. Of course not all Western Heaven people that are living in Veranis join the expedition of King Alexander. Now, they only have one life. If they died, then that''s it. It is not like before when they could go crazy and flamboyant with risking their life. Aero also had seemed to reconcile with the idea that the Western Heaven gods did not only changes the memories of the native, they also change their memories. The reason is because he had found out that the native for this world spoke about reviving. When he heard that he investigated the matter. It turns out that the Western Heave people seems to be able to revive themselves from the dead before. But for some reason, in the earlier months of their arrival to this world, they forgot that they could revive. But after a year and a half, they are now convinced that this time, when you die, you really die. However, the problem remains. Why erase that part of the memory? Aero believes there is a deeper mystery but with all the scheming and planning he had done in the background, he had no time to research these matters. If everything goes well and he could return back to the Imperial Court, then he could then pursue these matter later. As for the matter of using teleportation in sending messages, it seems the easiest way to send message because the message could be sent instantaneously Magic has it uses. Archmage for example is a very powerful changing factor in a war. But if Archmage were common like leeks in the marketplace then why would kingdom ever invested in armies and soldiers? It is because Archmage is rare and there is ways of constraining Archmage that make Kingdoms did not fear Archmage as much as they should. Aero knows that any powerful fluctuation of magical energy that is released would inform the enemy forces who also have a magician into a state of alert. Whether there is an Archmage among Veranis army or not, the news that Aero is now in the midst of Vanheim camp, directing the war is a news so important that the slight possibility that there is an Archmage in the enemy camp deters the high military officials from sending teleportation message to the Emperor Aero wanted them to be relaxed and not on guard. So, the letter that was relayed to the Imperial Court is send the old fashioned way by using familiars Aero scans the people in the tent that is allowed to participate in this secret discussion There are a few new faces in the tent. One of them is General Rhodes. And after talking to them about the war, general Rhodes is the first to ask him a question ''Honorable Chancellor, King Alexander had taken control of the river and they created a barricade. They are cutting our way back. We need orders. Do we need to break it?'' Aero only smiles as he fans his face with his phoenix feather fan. No one said anything about the nonchalant attitude of the Chancellor. Those who have long deal with the Chancellor knew that the Chancellor is not someone would rush and appear very calm. Some said even if the heaven is falling, the Chancellor face would probably still be calm while fanning his face with that feather fan. They could be considered the most senior in court life since Aero was there since the first formation of the King Courts and the political upheaval that happened after the death of King George. But even they did not spoke much of their opinion in front of Aero. Aero glances at the map and then said ''Stay. Just stay. Let us see what would that young king would do'' ''Chancellor! It is not wise to underestimate the young King'' Aero stop fanning his fan and look lazily at general Rhodes ''Yes?'' ''But¡­'' he stuttered for a bit and then he said ''This general hope Chancellor could explain to me the meaning for this. If we let them do that¡­'' Aero sighed and everyone in the tent look down except Kyle and Viola. ''Just do it. Wait, stay and watch. Then you will understand. Inform me when Alexander make his move'' Rhodes could only nods and then Aero gesture with his fan for them to leave. They all exited the tent except Viola and Kyle. Kyle calmly sat and then calmly said ''What are you doing?'' Kyle sat calmly and said calmly, but his eyes is not calm at all. Aero wanted to laugh seeing this old enemy felt frustrated like this. ''I am waiting'' ''Waiting for what?'' Smiling Aero did not explain. The night ended. Alexander did not attack but in the morning, Alexander make his moves The report immediately arrives in that secluded tent Aero smiles ''See. What did I say? Wait, stay and watch'' Alexander had marched to meet Kyle army, and he had tried to entice Kyle to attack by controlling the river and cutting of the path back home But in the morning Alexander decided to move his army into Aethereld castle leaving an open path Everyone could see that if they took that path they could retreat. Aero smiles as the things that he had waited finally appears The Quest notification appears again as Aero smiles widely ''It is true that a strategist like him could only get quest in such setting like in a war'' he thought to himself. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 321 THE DISTRUST OF THE WESTERN KINGDOMS He read the content of the quest \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Quest You are the Chancellor of the Vanheim Empire. The Greater Veranis had blown the horn of war, breaking the alliance and wage war to Vanheim. As you have involved yourself in this war, you have chosen your side as a Vanheim people. As a great strategist, it is unforgivable for such a person to lose in a war. Since you have involved yourself in the war then you must win the war. Punishment for losing is the random demotion of two of the skills that you possess. Reputation that you have forged for yourself would also crumble if you lost in this battle. (Warning: if you died in this war, you would be truly die unless you have some revival items) In the danger of war there lies a great opportunity for the victorious. Win the war and bountiful award in terms of treasure would be presented to you. Skill point would be rewarded by how much of the war progress lean onto you. The more the damage you inflict to the invasion force of Greater Veranis- Karak Invasion for Vanheim, the more skill points you would be rewarded with. You will also have the chance to be rewarded with powerful skill. When the war ended, the achievement would be tabulated \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Aero had no problem at all with the quest objective. He had never plan to lose in the first place. This is his grand return to the center stage. He had chosen this place after considering the enemy reaction. He had use time to understand King Alexander when he was in Veranis. He knew sooner or later that Alexander would try to attack Vanheim. He had a mole in Veranis palace that notify him of the soaring ambition of the young king. He was not surprised at the attack and he had use the time wisely. Right now, he is very confident that he could win the war. Of course, if Alexander suddenly change and did not wage war against Vanheim, then Aero had to change his plan. But fortunately enough, thing is moving according to his speculation. Kyle who is looking at Aero said ''Did you predict this?'' Aero smiles a knowing smile. Kyle juts snorted in dissatisfaction. Under his breath he seems to be saying ''Acting mysterious all the time'' Kyle then sighed and ask Aero ''Why are they opening a path? I thought they would try to rush to us'' ''And he wanted to reserve his forces. Alexander open the path in hopes that we will retreat. It is not hard to guess the reason why he would open it. We retreat and he would have more time. How could I easily give him what he wants? I would never do such a losing deal like that'' Aero simply said And then he added ''And they need to win this fast.'' Kyle frowned and looking at Aero he said ''There is no such information'' Kyle said. Aero laugh a bit and then said in a joyful tone ''What did you think I was doing in Veranis this past year? Did you think I was lazing around, drinking wine and playing chess?'' Smiling again, Aero said ''Karak is tied up by Dan forces. Veranis would not attack below since that would provoke James. They also could not turn back and attack Duvar because you will use that to slowly chip their army from behind by using Duvar forces now that King James had replaced the old garrison. What is the way left onto them other than pushing through? They are waiting for reinforcement. They want to move forward but they don''t want to lose too much soldiers. They want us to retreat, bide their time in the Plain and made the area that they have conquered stable. We have many parts of the border that we need to guard. But just because we are full of vulnerabilities, didn''t mean that Veranis had no vulnerabilities. They still had to leave an army in the Capital and in the border between Duvar and them. Don''t you notice something? There is a chess piece that everyone thought could not move¡­but could actually move?'' Then Aero laughed again Kyle think about it for a while as his eye gazed toward the map laid out upon the large table and then he understood it. ''I see. So, that is what you mean'' Kyle gaze was focused on a particular part of the map and Aero nodded Aero smiles as he could see Kyle slowly understanding it ''Duvar forces is not entirely without a hope'' Kyle said. Aero nodded ''People all think to acquire Duvar. It is a tempting place to conquer. It legitimizes the claim of Emperor Edward and established the Holy Empire. ''But, didn''t you remember what I said? Sometime you have to learn to let go. Especially you have to let go of the things that you could not keep. We will defend Duvar. But I never wanted to defend Duvar till the last man. Why should we defend Duvar till the last man when there is another way?'' Kyle nodded. He too had seen there is a move here that could change the course of the war in one sweep. There is also another possibility that there is actually two pieces that could be moved. Kyle believes that Aero did not discount the other chess piece. He too might have made some plans and scheme against that. Viola is also in the room. But she did not understand what these two people are talking about. Viola stood up from her chair and look at the map. She did not understand anything even after looking at the map. Is there such a difference between her and these people? Viola is not stupid. The thing is Viola is a great leader. But she is not a strategist or a general specialized in warfare. What she is good at is inspiring people. It is the reason why she was regarded as the Lady of Vanan and could still maintained her band of ragtag people still flying the flag of resistance against Holy Zun Empire As for Aero and Kyle, they could be considered to be speaking the same language. Kyle then pointed toward Duvar kingdom in the map. ''What do you see surround Duvar?'' Kyle ask Viola. Aero di not interfere letting Kyle telling Viola on what she is failing to see. Viola then listed the kingdoms that surrounded Duvar ''There is Alfhaim, Savillia, and United Kingdom of Veva'' Kyle nodded. ''You already know why these kingdoms could not move to take Duvar right?'' Viola nodded. Aero explains to her before the complex dynamic of power in the western regions. ''Summarize it for me then.'' Kyle said Viola then said what she understood. ''Veva could not move because of Holy Zun Empire and the threat of the two allied kingdoms of Savillia and Alfhaim. Alfhaim could not move because they fear the Holy Zun Empire. Savillia could not move because they fear Veva'' Kyle nodded. ''That is the simple explanation. These distrust among them is perfectly apparent when Duvar is left unprotected'' Sighing, Kyle then said ''Duvar, before this sudden betrayal by Veranis, is a kingdom that is under the Empire, serving as a buffer between the western kingdoms invasion and our Empire. Such a buffer enables the Imperial Court to not worry about a land invasion from Veva. Aero listen from the side fanning his face with the phoenix feather fan Kyle continue saying ''And because of Nero independence, it also created a buffer between Holy Zun Empire and the territory of the Empire. Whichever way you see it, we are protected and have enough time to respond and destroy any invasion force if we are attacked by the great power.'' Kyle then spoke of the possibility of things that could happen and might happen ''If Veva attack Duvar in an attempt of cutting a straight path to the Capital, then even if Duvar falls, there is still Veranis holding the fort'' Viola nodded understanding this part. Kyle did not stop as he spoke the countermeasure ''We would then send all kinds of reinforcement and Veva would probably not even be able to see the land of Vanheim before their army would crumble'' Then he pointed to the Holy Zun Empire on the map and said ''As for the Holy Zun Empire, their threat is even lower than Veva itself. There is a fact that the Holy Zun Empire could never let its guard down considering that Veva is eyeing them. Even if for some unknown reason, the Apostle of the Church, that Ariana march her army east, they still had to take down Nero Republic'' Snorting Kyle said ''If they take down Nero, Alfhaim who is allied with Nero Republic would send reinforcement. King James who is now ruling the old territory of Niovar would also move sending his army to reinforce Nero borders because he would never let such a powerful enemy to come closer to him. Not to mention, the Emperor could use that as a pretext to interfere in Niovar and eroding the power base of King James.'' Aero laughs again. ''I thought you have no interest in the politics of the Imperial Court?'' Kyle ignored Aero words and then continue saying ''By the time that Holy Zun Empire had retake Nero, they would suffer a lot. Not to mention even if they now somehow able to take Nero, they are face with a new and more dangerous situation. If they take it, they would be sharing their borders with two great powers which is Veva and our Empire and not to mention sharing the border with Alfhaim. Veva would probably take advantage and mount an invasion from their southern border and Alfhaim would attack the old Nero territory. With their rear compromised and the journey forward perilous, Holy Zun Empire invasion force had to be dissipated if there is ever any desire for them to attack Vanheim'' Aero then said. ''What Kyle is trying to say was that in the past, even if Holy Zun take Nero Republic, they could not keep it. No, they do not dare to keep it. Because it would be a pipe dream. Unless they could conquer Nero Republic in one day, making sure that the Empire did not make any moves and manage to hoodwinked Veva for a few days, they would never be able to take Nero and hold it long enough for it to become a power base for the Church'' Aero only smile after finished saying what he wanted to say and then continue fanning the feather fan on his face. Viola listen and took the mater into her mind and try to understand. She could see that Kyle had think of the possibility of all of these kingdoms reactions to any of them moving. ''Isn''t it beautiful?'' Aero suddenly said ??What do you mean?'' Viola ask him and Aero answer ''It is like a powder keg waiting to blow. And they too also know it. Western kingdom inability to unite with each other created this beautiful situation for us to manipulate. Even Eric scheme could not force these kingdoms to unite with each other. That is why I said, being tyrant King is only helpful in the beginning and would not help one in the long run. Because that kind of path had too many enemies'' He laughed and then said ''The plan that I work with and the many schemes I had done to make sure that this buffer state stable was all for the safety of the Empire. Whichever way they try to invade; we would still remain victorious. In some cases, we didn''t even have to fight the war directly to win. I have created the perfect condition for the Empire to unite the world'' Then Aero sighed. ''I never had expected that my friend, George would die first before he could see my plan coming to fruition.'' He sighed again and then said ''It is because of the internal problem that the aspiration to unite the world had to be delayed many times'' Viola had heard why the Western kingdom could not randomly move. She understands that the western kingdom all seems to be targeting each other and what is the repercussion of one move. But what she didn''t understand what did Aero means when he said Duvar had other ways. Isn''t it because these kingdoms did not move and could not move that even after half a year, Duvar still stand there under the banner of Vanheim? She then said ''I still don''t understand'' Aero pointed to Veranis and looking at Kyle he said ''Explain to her then. The other way'' smiling he fans his face with his phoenix feather fan. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 322 THE OTHER WAY Then he said. ''There is another way'' Hmm?'' She said, and Kyle then said ''If one of the western kingdoms attack Duvar, then Duvar have another way. And that is to empty out Duvar'' Hearing this she was shocked ''Empty out from Duvar? The Empty Fort strategy?'' Kyle shakes his head. Aero then chuckles and said ''No. Not that. Empty all the fighting forces out of Duvar is right. But it is not like I want to deceive them like in the Battle of Coro. And even if I do the Empty Fort strategy, they would still come in, so there is no point of doing that'' Smiling and chuckling a bit, Aero said ''Whoever wanted to take it could still take it. If the western kingdoms wanted so much that small kingdom, they could take it'' Then laughing, Aero said ''They take Duvar, and we take Veranis'' Viola suddenly understood. ''If we could not move forward, then we move backward'' she said and Aero nodded. Then he said ''When I am playing chess, I always like the knight. They could move very flexibly'' Viola nodded. Aero then continue by saying ''If we couldn''t attack the front, why not retreat and attack Veranis? We couldn''t attack and if the western kingdoms attack we couldn''t keep the city. So, why should we keep Duvar when there are more favorable things in front of us. Duvar strategic influence lies merely in the fact that it is the central authority of the Emperors of the past which makes anyone who conquers it to have credence and signify the right to rule. Other than that, it is the buffer between the western kingdoms and the Empire. Other than a holy city, Duvar did not have many advantages for us to keep it when our forces are isolated.'' Aero then said ''And for us to take Veranis it is easier than what most people think. Alexander did put much garrison force around the border. Before this tactic could not work. Because it would be hard at that time. Alexander was cautious of the knife from the back hence he did put some preparations in this matter'' there is a pause in his words and then smirking, Aero said ''But there is one thing that seems to escape Alexander attention'' Karak'' Kyle simply said. ''Karak? Why would that be the reason?'' Viola asked. Aero answered her question ''When Karak joined them in their war, it become an advantage. Karak could cut the road to the west, and also protect Veranis from the attack on their northern border. If not for the support of Karak, how could the Empire have so much difficulty in destroying this force of the young king?'' Viola nodded, agreeing with Aero. It is true because of Karak decision, the road to the west was cut off and halted many project that is ongoing all over the Empire. The two imperial brother intense rivalry had caused this situation where most of the southern part of the Empire under King James and the other regions belonging to the Emperor. Of course, King James would never ever secede from the Empire. By seceding he would become an independent king and not a vassal king of the Empire but he would also be throwing his chance at the imperial throne. The moment he secedes one who call him an unfilial son to his father, a treasonous official to the Emperor and many other names and no one would acknowledge him as one of the potential candidate for the Emperor position. It is the reason why King James had never broken off completely with the Imperial Court. After all, if he secedes Emperor Edward had valid reason to kill his older brother and all under Heaven would probably sided with the Emperor. It is a different case if the Empire is mismanaged. But it is clear to the world, that in the years since Edward ascended to the position of the Emperor, the Empire is prosperous, its land is wide and vast, its army strong and invincible. Aero had been the one to create this image of a victorious and wise Emperor like the subjugation of Duvar and the many other feast that the Emperor seems to achieve. Most of it was achieved by the Chancellor and attributed to the Emperor. Even though he lacks the charismatic flair of his father, most people of the Empire live peacefully in the Empire. Any rebellion need a cause. And there is no cause that James could champion to justify his rebellion against the Emperor. There is also the fact that James might even lose many of his supporters by trying to secede from the Empire Even Bradheim, the largest and strongest support of king James would not approve such decision. This is a man who value honor than gold. Bradheim had even yielded against his brother and faithfully served his stepbrother with loyalty so much so that the Emperor George did not hesitate in giving him military power and won him most of Vetten and Niovar. Because of this matter of the two brother, the western side of the continent was cut off from the Empire. Of course using the ships to maneuver the sea is still a possibility but Karak also had its ship and their fleet would travel around the coast of their territory to sink any Vanheim ships. Holy Zun has no business deals with Vanheim and while they would not attack without reason, that did not mean Vanheim would just believe in their words and send ships along that route. Of course it is not impossible since King James could send his garrison force to Duvar. It appears that the entry of Karak into the war truly cut off the path to go to the west to aid Duvar and also help to close the possibility of Vanheim taking Veranis from its other borders. ''It is an advantage in the beginning. But there is a gap we could use there'' Aero said Viola appear puzzled and Aero did not delay as he answers her confusion ''Before King James reinforcement arrives, I have devise a plan that if any of the western kingdom wanted to attack Duvar, we would only guard for a few days. In that few days of defending, the soldiers would retreat to the border of Veranis.'' Of course Viola also notices something else. There is a weakness in that plan. ''If we retreat, we would be in a pincer position.'' Viola said She then said ''If the Empire army fought the Veranis soldiers in the border and have to defend against the invading army from the back, isn''t that tactic backfire on us?'' Aero nodded ''True. Glad you were paying attention'' Chuckling he explained ''If it''s any other normal situation, that statement of yours is very right. Whoever invade Duvar would probably would not miss the chance to attack us from the back. But you forget about something'' Chuckling Aero then said ''We are talking about the western kingdoms. I have stress many times, that their inability to threaten the supremacy of Vanheim Empire lies solely in the fact that they could never come up with a united front. Their interest is different from each other. Holy Zun Empire wanted to spread their religion, Veva wanted to be the sole ruler of the western regions, Alfhaim hated humans, Savillia was formed to fought against the invading force of Veva and watch any movements of Veva like a hawk. They all have different objective and this inability of them to form a united force against the Empire is the reason why the Empire could slowly build up its national power. Even if they knew that they would be threatened by the Empire one day, they could not lay down their different interest and work together'' ''If we attack Veranis border, whoever attack Duvar would not have the time to try to attack us. Instead they would try to keep Duvar. Say, Savillia kingdom take Duvar. Kyle what do you think would happen?'' Kyle simply answer nonchalantly ''Veva would attack borders of Savillia'' Aero nodded. ''What would happen if Alfhaim kingdom take Duvar?'' Kyle then reply almost immediately ''Holy Zun empire would attack its border'' Aero nodded with a smile on his face ''Like I said, they would not have the time to worry about us. Instead they have to worry about the other kingdoms. Instead of chasing over us, they would try to send some garrison in Duvar and then pay attention to their borders. ''At that time, our retreating army can attack Veranis border. The bulk of Veranis army is with Alexander right now. Alexander plan was ingenious. He wanted to invade Vanheim. But I think even he knows that the Empire would not fall in just a few losses in the battlefield. It would take years'' ''As such, he needed a base of which he could easily harass the defense line of the Empire. This Plain is the perfect area?? Kyle said as Aero nodded and added ''He probably put just enough of soldiers to garrison the border between Duvar and Veranis. They believe that Duvar forces would have no energy to fight against Veranis while being threatened by the western kingdoms'' Kyle then said ''Veranis isolated Duvar from the Empire. But they didn''t realize that they are being isolated to. In Duvar case, on its front is the western kingdoms. On its back is Veranis. On Veranis side, on its back is Duvar and on its front if the Empire'' Aero then said ''We could abandon Duvar and go crazy. Isn''t this very profitable deal? Lose Duvar but gained Veranis! Hahaha'' Aero laughed. Viola look in awe at this two men ending each other sentence like some bosom friend. If she did not know the bitter history between the two men, she must have thought that Aero and Kyle is each other sworn brother Viola then ask a question ''What if Veranis had enough forces to repel Duvar forces?'' Kyle pointed once again to Karak. In the map there is a trail along the border of Veranis. ''Then we attack Karak'' Kyle said simply Viola suddenly realizes there is a trail across the mountain that cut off through the area and went to Karak border. Kyle then elaborated on this point ''Karak is smaller, their army is inferior and the majority of their force is engaging with Marquis Dan in the northern border. If we attack from the back, Karak military order would fall into chaos. Either they reduce the main force in the north and reinforce their borders which would free up marquis Dan forces or watch as Duvar forces conquer its western borders and pincer attack the major city of Karak'' Kyle said. By now, Kyle already understood Aero plan in detail as he looks at Aero with an eye of admiration. ''We could not lose. It is almost impossible for us to lose'' Kyle said. Aero nodded smiling and then simply said ''I like my victory to be very flawless.'' He said while smirking Kyle also understood there is another layer to this scheme and planning of Aero. Duvar in Kyle eyes right now is the apple of discord. The other benefits were that if any of the western kingdom dares to take Duvar, then the hostility between them would intensify. Whoever wins Duvar among the Western Kingdoms did not matter. Their national power would decrease and Vanheim would have more time to recover. It is better if they all fall into chaos and weaken each other. It would make it easier when Vanheim would march for the world If Vanheim could take Veranis with this scheme, then not only Vanheim power would not decrease, instead it would become stronger and the road that connected the west and the east would be thoroughly in the hand of Vanheim and no longer under Veranis. But if Kyle could see this, he doubts that Black Robed Prime Minister could not see it. Probably that is why for half a year none of the western kingdoms attacks Duvar. They all did not want to be the one who initiate this great conflict. With one small kingdom, Aero is trying to overturn the world. As expected of the one people called Divine Strategist In the end, the winner is still him. The Empire winning, is him winning. Viola then nodded understanding the matter clearly now. She too looks at Aero and sighed ''I guess the tile Divine Strategist is not undeserved'' Aero only said ''Your compliment is too much for me to bear'' But it is clear from his face he took that compliment gracefully without any sense that it is underserved ''Since Duvar force could act like that, why won''t you tell them to retreat?'' Viola suddenly ask. Aero shakes his head and then said ''If I ask them to retreat, then isn''t that like telling the world that I have a scheme? Why would I suddenly wanted to empty the kingdom of its forces unless I have another plan. This plan could only be enacted if the western kingdom moves. If they did not move, then we do not move'' But then he smiles mischievously as he said the rest of his plans ''But just because Duvar forces could not move, did not mean we, here at Vanheim border could not move. That is just an emergency move that could be employed if the western kingdom wanted to take Duvar. In this world, if you want to take something from my hand, unless I give it to you willingly, then you have to pay a high price for it'' Kyle nodded. He is familiar with the method of the Chancellor so he was not surprised. Then Kyle said ''How about Alexander move right now?'' ''Tonight, something is afoot'' Aero replied. Then he gestures Kyle with his hand to approach him. Kyle then approach him and Aero whisper something into his ears. Kyle could be seen nodding every few seconds. After a while, Kyle look at Aero weirdly ''Did you have a spy in Alexander camp?'' Aero simply reply ''I used to. Not anymore'' ''Then how do you know?'' ''It is a guess. But even if my guess ifs wrong, you still have to do what I asked'' Kyle look at the map again and his eyes seems to gaze over the Aether river and nodded to himself ''I approve'' Kyle said. Aero lean back on his chair and fan his face, his eyes show mischief. ''Go, then. Make preparations'' Kyle nodded and exited the tent. The secluded tent is closed again and the guard resume their duties. Inside the tent, Aero move the small statue of lion that represent the Vanheim forces into the river in the map and smirks ''Now, I only need to wait for night to fall'' \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 323 TROY Capital City of Veva, Troy Eric look over the city wall, the torches along the city wall illuminated the trails along the top of the wall This defensive wall that enclosed the capital city was reinforced once again. The wall is not simply like a city wall but instead is like an extensive military fortification with magic towers and four large gates in each four cardinal directions. Everyone still remember the battle between Zeus and Aero a few years ago. That battle could be said determined the trend of the era of that time United Kingdom of Veva paid steeply for the loss. This time if such person like Aero come again to challenge Zeus, Zeus would not be as rash and instead he would use the defensive measures he had put in the city walls to bombard his enemies to death. He would not even care if people called him a coward this time. It is better than losing the world. That is what Eric had spoken to King Zeus in one of the public meeting. ''It is better to be called a coward and gain the world then having the reputation of being brave and losing the world. Those who have grand aspirations should not mind being talked about by those who were inferior'' this is what Eric had said and woken up Zeus from his dilemma. He was too arrogant at that time and too confident of himself. Zeus had always try to portrayed himself as a warrior King that is valiant and brave. It is because of the charisma that he had that he managed to found his own kingdom and conquer the many kingdoms around Veva. His bravery and fearlessness in battle made his soldiers follow him without hesitation even to the jaws of death As such, he never let the reputation of him being brave and valiant to be threatened. It is also for this reason that he had lost the chance to kill Aero during the Feast of the Western Gate Aero would say reputation is very important and one have to guard it with one life. But if the reputation begins to constrain one action, and constrain one action to victory, then Aero would probably ditch the reputation he had built without hesitation. Aero is flexible, like a bamboo. When it bends, it did not break. But Zeus is too straight. When a powerful force sweep by and he did not bend, he would break Eric words had woken up Zeus. He seeks strength to gain the world. if he did not gain the world, what use is his strength? It would be nothing but a sand castle Even though he did not remember why he seek strength, he knows that is his quest before the Exodus. That is his grand aspiration the moment he steps his foot in the path of kingship. His loss back then had set the trend of the world. With the victory of Aero over him, everyone recognized Aero as the strongest person in the Vilajeri Continent and the momentum since then trended towards Vanheim. With Vanheim subjugation of Duvar, they set themselves as the legitimate successor of the old empire of the past and the defender of the faiths of the Seven Celestials. It is quite ironic considering the king of Veva is considered a demigod and acquire the blessing of the King of Olympus yet it is Vanheim that is considered the projector of the holy faiths of the Seven Celestial in the mortal world. Zeus and Eric was also wary of Aero because Aero is blessed by the Goddess Athena. Zeus in his conquest against Asgaro burn down the Temple of Athena earning the ire of the Goddess and also gaining the condemnation of the world. Maybe because of the blessing of Athena, that every battle that the Vanheim Empire went on, they always win since they were blessed by Athena United Kingdom of Veva still possess massive influence but that is only limited to the Western regions. The term Southern continent, Northern continent, Western continent and Eastern continent was erased the moment that Vanheim subjugate Duvar. The only reason they were termed as such in the beginning is simply because of the desires of the rulers back then that wanted to differentiate their areas. And no one manage to change that term because no one had managed to become an overlord of the world Each one stubbornly insisting that they are a continent of their own. In actuality geographers at that time had never termed the geographical position of the kingdoms as northern continent and so on and so forth. It is always one continent which is Vilajeri Continent. These term is merely a political term that stuck. But with Vanheim controlling almost all the powers in the Eastern part of the continent, they erased this term and once again established the fact that Vilajeri Continent is one and not divided into four continents. The world now is divided into only the Western regions and the Eastern regions with the Western regions biggest powerhouse is United Kingdom of Veva and Holy Empire of Zun. And in the east, the uncontested power of Vanheim puts them as the overlord of the East. It reigns supreme there And the supremacy of Vanheim Empire all started with Aero victory fighting against Zeus. Zeus had long mature from that immature King and had become more calm and cautious in dealing with matters of the Kingdom. While he is rash, stubborn and at time impulsive, he is not entirely stupid. He knows he could not win Aero just by relying on brute strength. This person is called by the world as a Divine Strategist And even though this person possesses powerful ability and prodigious talent in the battlefield, it is his scheme and plans that enables him to propel a weakened kingdom to a world power that could now unite the world As such how could Zeus remains complacent and remains stupid? Zeus had reminded himself if after this Aero challenge him again he would have to see whether there are any hidden dangers before accepting such challenge. For a man which is associated with wisdom and intelligence, how could Zeus not be wary? Even if he defeated Aero, Zeus would be worried if there is any scheme that he had missed. By now, he already knows how Aero operates. It is a multi-layered scheme. Always have a variation in his strategy making his true intention always hidden. When you thought you knew the objective of his scheme, that is when you are trapped. It is one of the reason why the city wall was once again reinforced. The other reason is simply because the western kingdoms nowadays in a state of perpetual tension. Eric is thinking a lot of things as he looks at the darkness of the city in the distance. Of course there are some taverns that are still open and some dark alleys provide some service to the mercenaries and adventurer who wanted to release their passion. And the one beside him is also thinking a lot. Eric sighed a bit. Beside him stand the King of the United Kingdom of Veva, Zeus as the wind blows over their robes. They both seem to be looking at the same direction. ''Troy is a nice name'' Zeus suddenly said. There was silence for a while. Eric sighed and then ask ''Why change the name?'' Eric ask simply. He is still perplexed on why Zeus suddenly announce such thing in the morning court. The words that Zeus just said is like a permission. Zeus allowed Eric to speak about the matter. The relationship between Eric and Zeus is like the past relationship between Aero and George but there is also a slight difference. Aero and King George were like teacher and student but as for Eric and Zeus they are more of a friend than they were teacher and student As for Aero and King George it is the feeling between teacher and student and the feeling of meeting a precious friend that enables the kingdom to become a superpower. One is eager to teach, the other is eager to learn Aero and King George dynamic was always Aero teaching him while not forcing him and King George respected the wishes of Aero while at the same time possessing his own independent thinking This created a sincere friendship and trust between monarch and subject, cultivate a gracious relationship between teacher and student. As for Zeus and Eric, because of their relationship as friends, Zeus sometimes ignored Eric warning and advices. It is because of this relationship that at this night when the King should be in his residence inside the Palace, he is standing beside Eric, looking toward the darkness in front of them. The night seems peaceful but to these two men they know that there is nothing but unease in their heart since Veranis declare war to Vanheim and the subsequent events that happens after that. And today, of all the royal edict that Zeus could have decreed, he decreed the changing of name of the capital city to Troy. It is a meaningless order that have no benefit whatsoever but it is an order that Zeus had warned to not cross him on this matter. Even Eric was rendered speechless in the court session when Zeus announce this matter. Never before Zeus had silenced the thoughts and opinion of his courtiers since his defeat in Aero hands. Since his defeat in Aero hands, Zeus began listening to the words of his courtiers and minister and try to emulate the behavior of King George wanting to cultivate a reputation of a wise and sagely king This is the first time since then that he had invoked his royal power and disallowed any objection in this matter. As such, Eric wanted an explanation tonight. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 324 THE BAI Eric was dissatisfied and leave the court almost immediately after rebuking Zeus harshly, reminding him of Zeus past mistake of not listening to wise counsel that leads to United Kingdom of Veva to fail miserably in the bid to gain the world. If this is any other minister in the court, they probably would be demoted and sentence into the jail and if Zeus mood is in bad condition, they might be executed for insulting the royal prestige But because it was Eric, he simply got out of the Palace and went back to his residence. At night he however was summoned by the King to walk along the trails of the city wall. He knows then that Zeus wanted to explain to him and Eric had the time to calm himself down after the debacle. After all, Zeus is his friend. Even though both Zeus and Eric could not remember their time in Western Heaven they both felt it and remember that they were close friend and as such, he come to the wall. And with that opening words, Eric knows that Zeus is about to explain why. Zeus smiles bitterly and then said ''Apollo had given the name. I could hardly refuse. Since I could not refuse, I better accept the name and by saying it is a nice name, at least I won''t feel like I am forced of changing the name'' Zeus said. Eric sighed and did not ask anything else. Zeus smiles and said to Eric ''Now you understand why. Will you still bear a grudge against me, Eric?'' Eric shake his head. ''How could I not understand your difficulties? I just never expected that the Gods is blatantly interfering now. if this is the case, even I would not stop you. And I understand why you would not let it be revealed that it was Apollo that give you such order. Being the errand boy of the gods would not give you a good reputation among the people'' Zeus nodded. This time they both sighed. Eric chuckles a bit and Zeus laughed. That is the only thing they could do because they felt very helpless. Eric knows the mixed feeling of his friend. While he was Blessed by the Gods, he himself did not like some of the interference that the Gods had done. Zeus is a man that relied on himself. Even the power and the acknowledgement by the Gods is because of his effort. But the Gods since the return of the adventurers slowly interfere in many things in the mortal world. But Zeus couldn''t blame anyone in this At that time during the Feast of Western Gate, he had burn an offering to Olympus asking for divine intervention to kill Aero. Apollo and Artemis answer his call and loaned him their weapons and arms to him. He got the Sword of the Sun belonging to Apollo and the Shield of Artemis to defend him against any attack It is a Divine Armaments. Since then Aero had always been a constant headache and the obstacle for them to break through to the Eastern region of the continent. The wind blows coldly tonight and it waves the royal robe that Zeus is wearing. Today he is wearing his royal clothing. There is more than just trying to clear the misunderstanding between them that made him summon Eric today. After clearing his throat, Zeus ask the question that he had been having for the past couple of months ''Is it him?'' He asked. Eric hear the question and he instantly know who Zeus is referring to. ''It is very probable that it is him. Even though I have no proof, this kind of world encompassing scheme that take consideration of everything that would happen is probably that person scheme'' Chuckling bitterly, Eric said ''You doomed if you move, you lost if you do not move. This kind of scheme where each move you make only progress toward loss could only be crafted that person. That person is also the only one that have the resources and influence required to make this scheme a reality. It is a gut feeling'' ''And the more I see events unfolding the more I am confident that he is the one scheming in the dark. That traitor Kyle military moves suddenly change in the past couple of weeks. It is nothing like Kyle previous tactics. His tactic now become mysterious and hard to fathom and full of tricks. I never saw such tactic other than when studying the tactics of that person'' Hearing this Zeus frowned. ''He is finally appearing again'' Zeus is of course talking about Aero. Half a year ago, he wanted to move his army and conquer Duvar the moment that Veranis broke the alliance between them and Vanheim. Duvar was isolated and it is the biggest chance for him to conquer Duvar and claim the right to rule He was confident he could take the holy city in a week. But Eric vehemently argued against taking Duvar when at first he was very eager. In the beginning, Eric also fears that it is a scheme for someone. But after sending his spies and found nothing suspicious, Eric also wanted to take Duvar. But the when the matter of the war was discussed in the court, suddenly Eric change his tune and vehemently argued against it He did not spoke of the reason in the court and instead asking for recess and during that time Eric spoke to him the disadvantage of taking Duvar. The temptation is very great. If Veva manage to take Duvar, they could probably gain a step forward to regain back the trend of the era But Eric had persuaded him and mention to him the unusual calmness of the three kingdoms which made Eric felt that there is a hand in the dark guiding them to take Duvar. It is like a bait thrown into the water and waiting for someone to bite it. When they calm down and see the map thoroughly and think about all the factors that they missed, it is only after that they see the hidden danger of taking Duvar. They both agreed on one thing after thinking of all the possibility. They could take Duvar¡­. but they couldn''t keep it. And if they could not keep it, why should they take it? The conclusion is that they have to wait. And since they did not move, the other kingdoms in the western regions also did not move. And for the past half a year, this is the cause of the perpetual tension butane the kingdoms of the western region. They all waited for someone to take the bait. The more Eric study this tactic, of making the holy city as a bait, the more he is sure that this is Aero work. Damned if I do damned if I don''t. If they move, they would then begin an open conflict with all the kingdoms around them. There is the Holy Empire of Zun, there is Savillia, there is Aerosia and many other kingdoms. How could they move? Eric of course is trying to think of countermeasures like attacking Aerosia and pacifying the kingdoms around them first. But Aerosia is supported in secret by many forces that did not want Veva to extend their reach even further from their current size. The more time passes, the more each kingdom realizes that they all could not move without exposing their weakness. If none of these kingdom is aware of these, then they would not be constrained by this deadlock. But because each one was aware, it created this deadlock. Of course if Kyle heard of this he could guess that the letters that Aero had sent to the three leaders is actually a trap. If he did not send the letters and warn the three leaders, then Veva probably would get away with it. Veva would easily able to take Duvar and before the other kingdoms surrounding Duvar could act, it would be too late by then But because everyone know what is at stake this knowledge restrains them. This also created the current situation where each kingdom would not move, fearing to bring the entire western region into a great conflict The letter is not simply a warning. It is a trap. This is the hallmark of Aero strategy. It is always full of layers of deception and tricks. Each of his move could con attain many objectives. A letter that should have been harmless, had not only warn but restrain the kingdoms of the west while freeing up Aero to do what he wanted in the Plain And even if they could take Duvar, the aftermath is something terrifying. Each kingdom had think of one possibility and it is that if any kingdoms take Duvar and started moving and the other kingdoms also started moving, then by the end of this royal rumble, one of the kingdoms would fall. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 325 MULTI-FACETED SCHEME And Eric also had new info that made him more confident of his guess. He had got news from his spies that the same day that the army of Veranis move toward the Ethylred Plain, the Holy office of the Pope of Holy Zun empire, the throne room of the Savillia and the in the Fabled Forest of the Elves, there is a letter addressed to these rulers. Zeus did not know what the content of these letters but he is sure it is the words in those letters that had contribute to the current situation. He sighed deeply as he looks at the many residences below the city wall and said ''Does this mean we have to move according to his plan? I don''t like this feeling of being controlled by someone'' Eric nodded, understanding Zeus intention. ''Then we have to wait'' ''How long?'' Eric was silent for a while and then he said ''I am trying to negotiate with the Church'' ''The Church?'' Zeus face changes expression and the he said ''Be careful of losing everything'' Eric understood what Zeus is talking about. The kingdom of Veva is blessed by the Gods of Olympus. They are the unofficial protector of the faith. But to the mortal world, it is Vanheim that is the official protector of the faith. Eric action might have angered the Gods since the Church god is different from theirs. Whatever the case, Zeus remind Eric not to go overboard. ''You want them give way for us?'' ''They could take Nero and we could take Duvar'' Eric said. Zeus frowned. ''I doubt they would accept'' ''I know'' Eric said. Hearing this Zeus frowned. ''If you know they won''t accept, why negotiate with them?'' Eric then replied ''Because I need to know their thoughts'' ''Their thoughts?'' Zeus look at Eric. Eric then said ''Walk with me'' Zeus nodded and they both walk around the trail of the city wall. Then Eric began speaking ''Since Ariana return, it appears that she wanted to retake back Nero. But Nero is not so easily taken like before'' At this Zeus had to agree. In the past Nero is easily taken. That have to do with their Senate hall late action in mobilizing their army, the different interest of the Senators, and their soldiers who lacks not only in quantity but also in quality. Eric then said ''The Nero Republic knows what they were lacking was order and discipline. During the absence they manage to slowly patch up their flaws'' ''It is quite impressive when you think about it. They truly have learned from their mistake. They built high walls, buy and put up magical weapons all over the ramparts, and trained their soldiers'' ''Their Senate hall is no longer debating on things for hours. They created a system where when the Republic is in danger, they would give the controlling power to one person so that one person could lead them out of the danger.'' Zeus then said ''That is a recipe for disaster if I ever saw one'' Eric nodded but he then said ''Desperate times, desperate measures. That would be preferable than being subjugated gain under the Holy Zun Empire. They could be considered completely reliant in Vanheim. They make sue of each other'' ''Vanheim allow themselves to be used because they did not yet have the plan to move westward. But once they decided to go west, then you would see that Nero Republic probably have no resistance that they could offer. I would not spoke to you of matter of Vanheim and Nero Republic since things had not deteriorated until that point. I will talk only about things that is related to Duvar'' Zeus nodded and Eric continues his word ''Not to mention the Holy Empire of Vanheim supported and supply Nero with weapons. Any failures of Holy Zun Empire are a victory of Vanheim. And Nero Republic borders with Niovar. Niovar could be considered the territory of King James and not the Empire. The only thing that King James did not do is declare independence. Nero is wooed by the Emperor and King of Niovar. But all of Niovar is practically under King James control. As such, Holy Zun Empire knew that trying to take Nero Republic by force would not be as easy as before. Because then they would have to be neighbor with King James. With King James desire for the Imperial throne, he might decide to throw caution into the wind and win more territory for the Empire and raise his status in the Empire by military expedition. ''So?'' Zeus asked ''If Holy Zun Empire suddenly change their mind about taking Nero, there is many things that they could do to change the status quo'' Eric said ''How?'' ''We could take Duvar and they could take a chunk of Alfhaim kingdom'' Zeus think about it for a moment. He halted his steps and Eric also halted his step. He thinks for a moment And he thinks of the other complication that could happen for such arrangement but the more he thinks the more he felt his head feeling pain. He was never the type of generals that is like Aero who plan every step of the way leading to the conclusion of victory. He was the instinctive type of general, able to turn the tide of losing in the battlefield to a victory. Eric knows Zeus did not know why he wanted to do such thing, so he had to explain. ''Aero set Duvar as a bait because he knows many people wanted it. I don''t blame him for using it.'' Eric of course did not say something else. There are not many strategists in this world that make an entire kingdom as a bait. This kind of strategist and boldness could only come from Aero Kyle is not capable of such thing. He lacks the authority and lacks the information of the western kingdoms to create such a strategy that made one unable to move and doing anything They both walk again Eric then continue saying ''The bait is very tempting. Especially for us. But the more it is tempting for us, the more we should not have taken it. Because that would mean we would fall into his scheme'' Eric sighed and then said ''Falling into his scheme would make whatever we wanted to do after that under his calculation. Even if we manage to take Duvar and managed to keep it, since we are already under his plan, then we would never easily get the world'' Zeus look at Eric and he smiles a bit. It is clear how much danger Aero represented in Eric mind for him to praise the enemy like this Yes, to Zeus, Eric fear toward Aero scheme is a form of compliments. Eric clearly did not know what Zeus is thinking as Eric continue by saying ''The Savillia and Alfhaim also wanted Duvar but of course for a different reason. I doubt Savillia kingdom wanted to fight with Vanheim by taking Duvar. If this was before, they would not dare since Veranis acted like a vanguard'' ''But now Veranis is pointing their spear to Vanheim, so things had changed. Savillia might take Duvar not only to expand their territories but also to link up with Alfhaim'' ''From there they would probably restore their military might and while they could not fight against us in a decisive battle, they could move eastward and tackle the Veranis territory. ''When they are big enough, they might even take the position of Veranis and bow under the Vanheim empire before striking north. This is of course just one of the possibility. They might also turn on their ally and attack Alfhaim though this possibility is very low.'' Zeus then said ''If they have such stable base by taking Duvar, why would they not fight for the world?'' Eric chuckles and then he said ''The motivation of the ruler of Savillia is not the world but revenge against us. They would not surrender to Vanheim. But they would probably not mind being vassal kingdoms. Because if they managed to topple us, then they could really fight for the world against Vanheim. Of course this is the best case scenario for Savillia and actually if there is no Aero, this could actually become a reality, or maybe Aero himself would use this kind of tactic, of letting Savillia takes Duvar and nurture them to become a knife that could cut us. Then when the time is ripe, the Chancellor reap everything, uniting the east and west, gaining the whole world would then be as easy as breathing'' Zeus frowned ''Is that Aero plan?'' Eric just laughed ''That is just one possibility. Maybe, it is also one of his plans?? Zeus nodded and then Eric continues his deduction of Aero supposed plan ''And then there is Alfhaim'' Speaking about Alfhaim there is slight smirk on Eric face \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 326 è°©LFHEIMR ''Alfhaim also wanted the Holy City of Duvar. Their desire for the city is more practical. They wanted it to expand their power. These Elves rarely fought wars but they have learned that humans could not be trusted. They do not believe in the Gods of Olympus instead their Gods is said to reside in a place called the Aesir. I myself do not quite understand their culture and their Gods.'' Eric said Zeus nodded He once read a report given to him by one of the officials about the history of the Elves in the Alfhaim Forest. After all, Alfhaim was one of the kingdoms that Veva also wanted to conquer. It is better to know about the enemy than not knowing anything about them Their history is quite hard to trace since they rarely share their stories with outsiders. They respected the Olympians Gods but they themselves did not worship them. They seem to come from a foreign land. No one knows when the first elves appeared in the Vilajeri Continent. They seem to just appeared there and created their own kingdoms and the Fabled Forest is where the Elders of the Elven congregate. What he does know about the elves is that there are two types of Elves. There is the D?kk¨¢lfar and the Lj¨®s¨¢lfar. The D?kk¨¢lfar is the Dark Elves and Lj¨®s¨¢lfar is the Light Elves. The Dark Elves is more militaristic and have powerful physical body and powerful destructive magic with dark complexion and the capacity for extraordinary physical feats The Light Elves is the master of mana, possessing ability to control the elements easily and possess all kinds of light magic and powerful regeneration ability Both of them are beautiful, possessing none of the flaws of appearance or the flaws of the body, said to be blessed by their Holy Tree And each of the two types of Elves have their own charms that made them the muse for many songs that bards sing in their journey and poets to compose their art. The Dark Elves possess a more exotic look while the Light Elves are said to be fairer than the Sun to look at. Alfhaim is the way people called the kingdom of the Elves. But the Elves themselves did not call their kingdom Alfhaim. They called it ¨¢lfheimr. Maybe because the sound seems the same, the spelling and the name of Alfhaim stuck. ¨¢lfheimr means the Elf world or the Elf home. Other than the Goddess Sunna which they pay tribute to, there were many other Gods in the Pantheon of the Elves. Zeus himself acknowledge there is not many kingdoms that know much about the Elves, Veva included. Even the adventurers rarely met them when solving their quest. They are secretive, rarely come out from their forest and despise outsiders and humans One of the derogatory words they called human is Lifebane. It is said one of the Elders of the Elves once travel the world of men. They saw how humans would torture their own race with all kinds of punishment, they saw how men differentiated each other based on many things and the Elders could not understand such cruelty. When the Elders return to the Fabled Forest and relay his experience to the Elves, they believe that humans are vile and barbaric creature. While they believe that not all humans were like that, the majority of rulers of humans that they have seen and encountered were all greedy, cruel and cunning. This did not help at all in making them trusting humans. And the humans did try to invade their forest which only deepen the rift between humans and elves The humans however rarely succeeded in winning against the elves. Of course this is the matter of the past and the study of magi were not yet mastered by humans These elves might not expand their rule but they are very powerful and quiet good at defending. Probably their weakness is their reproduction ability. Some lives hundreds of years without ever having children and they could not compare their reproduction ability to that of human native of this world. But one thing is obvious. The elves did not view humans in a positive light. As for their Gods, it is even more foreign. But some of the Gods of the Elves seems to correspond their power to that of Olympus like of Thor the Son of Odin. But for some reason, the Elves even though they recognize Thor as one of the Gods in the Pantheon, they did not like that God very much. Thor is said to have the ability to control lighting and thunder like Zeus, the King of the Gods of the Olympus. But he is also the patron gods of humanity and so the Elves did not like him very much but still respected his power. The Gods is always something mysterious even to Zeus. He had seen how powerful they are but they also seem constrained in their act. There are certain things that they could not interfere with especially that of those in mortal world. But at least, for Zeus, he had seen the Olympians. He had seen Apollo and Artemis and Zeus, the King of the Gods had visited him in dreams before But unlike the Olympians, this foreign Gods that lives in some mystical place called Aesir had never shown their faces. Zeus would not be surprised of Gods since he had seen a few of them. But to him, the Gods that the Elves worshipped is not the real threat for him even if they were real. Since they have never shown their face. Zeus then sighed. Alfhaim is really a kingdom that bring him headache each time he thinks about it. He continues listening to Eric words. ''Alfhaim kingdom could instead be called Alfhaim forest. Because of their large size of the forest and because they have a king people always referred the area as Alfhaim kingdom and they rarely come out from their territory.'' Zeus nodded in agreement and Eric continues. ''They never coveted the Holy City before because they were content spending time inside their forest. Since Elves lives a long live they did not care that much about the rising and falling of kingdoms'' ''But now, everything is different with the emergence of the Holy Church. This Holy Church wanted to destroy their Gods and cut off their Holy Tree and so they become militants. They were forced to by the situation'' ''People force them to not believe in their Gods. They have to see their Gods insulted by the Church. The peaceful Elves had no choice but to rise up to protect their faith. If the Church had not done so many atrocious things inside the forest of Alfhaim, the elves might not have reacted like this. But there is no use crying over spilt milk'' Eric halted for a moment and look at the darkness in the distance ''It is this factor that have created an irreconcilable feud with the Elves. To the elves, their enemies is the Church. If we attack them, they would attack us. It is not worth it to add more enemies in our list. At least not until we could pacify the internal problems'' Zeus nodded ''If not for Aero stoking the hatred of humans and elves, how could they so easily be wary of us? Even if they hated humans, if they were not wary of us, we could have joined hands with them and attack Holy Zun. ''They could not be persuaded to ally with humans'' Zeus reminded and Eric nodded ''That is not necessarily true'' Sighing, he walks again. Zeus smiles bitterly and walk beside him. They both enjoying the breezy air of the night. There is a moon shining brightly in the sky and every once in a while as they pass through the night guard, they would bow looking at the King and the Prime Minister before scurrying away, fearing to listen to anything that these two great men is talking about. The wisdom of the court is to not hear anything, to not see anything g and to not known anything especially regarding things that have nothing to do with them Eric then said ''The Elves had changed. They are in a foreign land with foreign gods. Their Gods did not answer their prayers and their livelihood is threatened. While they will not convert to the other faith, they would also not be stubborn until the end to protect their people. Aero plan is quite foolproof. But if we think of it as foolproof, then there is nothing we could do. I am unresigned'' Eric said Then smirking he said ''Whatever the cased, we need to break this deadlock'' And then pausing for a second he then said ''We need to break the deadlock without throwing the entire western region to chaos. The more chaotic it become for the western kingdoms, the more advantageous Vanheim position to swallow the whole world. And that is something we both don''t want to see'' ''The question is how to break it?'' Zeus ask. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 327 THE COVETED CITY ''They were many ways that we could break it. Negotiating alliances with the other kingdom is one of the way we could go about this. And the other way is giving something up to gain another'' Eric could see Zeus faces changes and he understand what Zeus is thinking about the first solution ''As for negotiating alliances, that is quite hard to do but we must still try it'' Zeus sighed and said ''It is my fault'' Eric did not say anything as he keeps on walking forward In the end the reason why Veva is stuck and could not easily broker alliance with the other kingdoms is simply because of his reputation as a warmonger, an oath breaker, a usurper and truce breaker. It is because of this, no kingdom would ever believe in them. There were too many kingdoms that have become the prey of Veva But what Eric proposed is something that would surely break the deadlock of the current situation. But precisely because it is hard to do that it become a deadlock. Zeus is confident that Aero had also foreseen this. That is the way to break this move by Aero. But it is a move that is unavailable to them. If in the past Zeus did not take the kingdoms so violently and did not cultivate such brute reputation for himself, this current deadlock situation is easily broken. Zeus even though he knows Aero is his enemy he could not help but admire this man. In the past, Zeus always thought that the best quality of the Chancellor was his ungodly strength and prowess in battle. It isn''t until Veva repeatedly suffer setbacks from this person, that Zeus knows that the best quality about Aero of the East is his ability to toy around with the world He did not even need to move a muscle, fight in battle to determine the outcome of victory and loss. Zeus then said ''If we could do it, then that would truly be a miracle'' Eric just smiles bitterly If they could negotiate an alliance even among one of the kingdoms, they could take Duvar and keep it. It would then free up a lot of moves that they could use to counter the rising influence of that Empire in the East. They could easily aid the supply lines for Veranis and protect Veranis rear while at the same time opening up more roads to conquer Savillia and Alfhaim. If Zeus could take Duvar, Veranis is not his concern. Instead, he would support Veranis to go against Vanheim. By weakening Vanheim, Veva could take time to take the other two kingdoms and then when Veranis is exhausted, Veva could take Veranis. Then even if Holy Zun Empire take Nero Republic, they would not have the qualification to fight against them Right now the moon is already high up in the sky and every once in a while there would be clods pushed by the wind, covering the moon for a few seconds. Even now as they were talking and discussing about the matter of the world, in the Plains of Ethylred, the forces of Vanheim and Veranis probably is fighting against each other. They both did not show it in their expression, but both of them know that time is running out. There is a reason why Zeus ask if Aero is the one responsible for the matter on the Vanheim border. That is because he is truly wary of this person regarded by many as a Divine Strategist. They did not know how Aero would win, but they were certain that Aero would win. Veranis might try to mask his intention as a bold and brave move of attacking straight to the Capital of Vanheim but people like Eric could se that is just a diversion. Most probably King Alexander move is actually to take the Plains, controls the road to the west and then created a stronghold there to act as a base. From there they could easily harass the border of Vanheim and they could slowly take over the cities and regions of Vanheim, taking it piece by piece that is the best case scenario. But with Aero there, how could he not see such a blatant diversion. This best case scenario is doomed from the very beginning. Hence, both Eric and Zeus believe it is only a matter of time that Vanheim would emerge victorious. What concern them however is how Aero would win and how much time he would take to win. If he wins, would he just win against the invasion? Or would he take some of the territory of Veranis? And how long would it take him to win? Would it be enough time for them to scheme anything or would it be swift? It already takes half a year for the matter to fester It is during this time that Vanheim forces had not yet won that they should have a countermeasures or at least gain some benefits from this current vacancy of Vanheim strong presence around the borders of the western kingdoms. ''Duvar, Duvar. The temptation of any warlords that wanted the world'' Eric sighed. Duvar is the middle point of the Vilajeri Continent. Duvar has always been a kingdom that many wanted to conquer But one had to conquer it that made anyone acknowledge the person who conquer it as the rightful master of the world It is because of that reason why it is a very delicate situation for anyone who wanted to conquer it. They could not just slaughter everyone inside the holy city and then wanting everyone to acknowledge their superiority. It is a holy city for many peoples. And people would react strongly in the act of sacking the holy city They have to be anointed by the King of Duvar like the Pope anointed Kings and Queens in his Holt territory The way Aero had done it was masterfully done. Without spilling even one drop of blood, it shows the generosity of the Empire and its benevolence, winning the support of the people of the world The reason why Duvar is so highly coveted is that it is said that whoever that could take Duvar could take the world It is not because Duvar is a large kingdom or a wealthy one. Maybe some would argue it is because the holy status of the city But for warlords and strategist like Eric, the importance of Duvar is not merely this. It is also because of its geographical position. It is surrounded by mountain connecting the road between the west and the East. It could threaten the north above them and the south below it. If a kingdom that have powerful military could take Duvar, the desire to unite the whole continent is no longer just a dream. It is a possibility. But right now, because of the past misdeed that Zeus had committed, they not only have to worry about external factors, they also have to worry about internal problem. One of them is the matter of the region that used to be called Asgaro. The former region of Asgaro would always try to rebel against the royal authority Even though Zeus had changed his ways and give many benefits to the conquered people such as reducing the tax and providing more benefits toward the former citizens of Asgaro, they would not relent in organizing rebellion against him This is because the act of Zeus burning down the Temple of Athena had angered the Goddess and those scholars of Athena help organize these rebellion, becoming constant headache for Veva court as they kept stoking hatred to the royal court And there are others refugee of Asgaro who migrated to other kingdom and they offer their ability to those kingdoms while furthering their agenda to bring down Veva. one could say it is that Zeus is reaping the fruit of the misdeed he had done. Accumulating resentment of the people make him the enemy of the world It did not help that during the time the Chancellor was in office, he had crafted all kinds of rumors to slander the King of Veva, creating many outlandish rumors about him It did not matter whether it is the truth or not. Since it is mixed with the truth, even the most outlandish lie is slowly believed by the common people. The common people already had a negative view on King Veva before and the Chancellor act is just like pouring oil into an already large flame Zeus was no longer trying to be like he was during his early years of conquering. He tries to be a good King after his constant defeat when facing Vanheim scheme. Like any other kingdoms, he is trying to pacify the conquered regions and defend against external threat He relaxes many of the restriction, cancel any draconic laws and try his best to govern wisely but since his act of cruelty is always popularized, it is hard for the people of his domain to trust him The more they try to oppress the fabricated stories about Zeus misdeed, the more it lends credence to the story This is another move of Aero that seems to embodied that same principle, damned if I do, dammed if I don''t. Eric and Zeus had always lamented the fact that while United Kingdom of Veva and Vanheim both grew form a small kingdom to an Empire, the reputation that they have are so different. Zeus regretted that he did not hear the suggestion of Eric in the past about not burning the Temple of the Goddess. And Eric regretted the fact that he did not kill Aero in that Feast. Eric believe that if he was really determined that day, regardless of the condemnation that they have to face and dither external pressure that will come to him, he should have killed Aero regardless of the cost. By letting him go Veva had only raises the reputation of the Chancellor, and lost the trend of the era. Vanheim and Veva were both kingdom that conquers other kingdoms. But Vanheim is praised as a good and prosperous empire ruled by a benevolent and wise Emperor but as for Veva, they are an Empire that is built through the bloods of innocent. To the common people, they surely want to live under a benevolent and compassionate ruler instead of living under a warmongering king. War and showing of force had its limit. And Zeus did not understand this in the past He believes that with enough force, the whole world will have to obey. What he failed to understand was that the world is the people. Without the people there is no world. As such, Aero work hard in obtaining the people hearts. And as such, he would easily gain the world. Even though Veva is regarded as a kingdom that spill the blood of people to expand their borders, the same could be said for Vanheim. It is not like they expanded their borders by speaking words of peace and singing They fought in battle and they slaughtered people. But because the King at the time was humble and someone that could be taught, Aero had been able to scheme against the world freely, painting Vanheim as some kind of savior of the people. And no one could argue with that. Aero knows how to use reputation to his advantages. Zeus did not. And as such, the current situation is borne \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 328 GIVING UP Cities were not as much as sieged as in that they opened the city gates to welcome the Duke to take over the city Vetten collapsed easily and after their collapse, the King at the time did not impose harsh measure on them as most monarch would do after conquering their rival kingdoms that have bitterly fighting them in the past. The generosity and the forgiveness of the king had given him the reputation of a benevolent king. The prosperity that come after had given the reputation of a wise king. Like a sage king of the past dynasty, King George embodied the ideals of a great harmony between monarch and subjects This reputation would help greatly the process of people assimilating into the Empire. Vanheim then did not go the usual route that Veva had done. Instead of using their expanding military to violently attacked Veranis, they instead supported Veranis conquest of both Gerad Stratocracy and the Tian dynasty and then vassalize the kingdom of Veranis under them, increasing their might and prestige without doing anything. King Philip and King George was close friends and as such the alliance of these two kingdoms made them a force that is to be reckoned with. By not pursuing war at every turn, Aero and the King had the time to reorganize the army, pacifying their internal problems and then tackle the problem which is Niovar. Aero went to Karak and gain the fealty of the four families that control Karak. Vanheim expanded again thanks to the Chancellor, now controlling one of the wealthiest kingdom at that time. Then the expedition to Niovar was announced. In that, there is a mistake that had been done by Prince James at that time which he massacres an entire city to pacify the kingdom This should have brought down the great reputation of Vanheim but the Chancellor threw all the blame to the Prince. When King George had died he changes his will in the audience of his court officials, naming Prince Edward as his successor and shafting Prince James. Since then Aero hides in the office of the Six Council and orchestrate many things like the development program of the Empire, the reorganization of the military, the strengthening of the Imperial authority and the weakening of nobility power in the imperial court. And then, there is the conquering a city without one drop of blood loss. Winning the hearts of the people to gain the world. Zeus had listen to both of Eric suggestion but even he knew how difficult it is to negotiate with the other kingdoms. ''What about the other one? What did you mean by giving up?'' Eric then drew a breath and said ''Give up the south and take the east'' Hearing this Zeus was shocked. Eric then said passionately ''We could let Holy Zun take the old territory of Loth kingdom. We let the Jhaka garrison to take measures in the border to restrain Aerosia from attacking Asgaro region as we sent our soldier to take over Duvar. Aerosia then probably would attack the Redat region since we already make an opening for them to attack Redat region'' The more Zeus heard Eric suggestion the paler his face become ''You are asking me to give up the large portion of my territory in the south!'' Zeus said. ''Yes!'' Eric said ''that is what I am asking you. This is the way to break the deadlock. This is one method that Aero probably could not have expected. It is because none of the western kingdom wanted to lose anything that we don''t move. Since that is the case, let lose something so we could move'' Hearing this Zeus could not help but question Eric intelligence. Is that could even be considered a plan? But Eric was not done. Zeus must stop this mad idea and quickly interjected what Eric is about to say ''If Holy Zun took Loth region and Aerosia too Redat region, then both of them now have the power to contest against us. They would probably even join hand together to restrict us'' Zeus said trying to convince his friend Eric shook his head and said ''A temporary loss for a huge gain in the future. Just because they could take it, didn''t mean they could keep it efficiently and it didn''t mean that we would be threatened. It would not become a boon for them. Instead it would become a burden'' ''What do you mean?'' Zeus ask. Eric quickly replied ''One of the problem of Veva is that it is too big and have to many enemies on each of our side'' Zeus did not say anything to this instead he is thinking a lot about what Eric had just said to him Zeus hesitate. This is not an easy decision to make. The arguments that Eric had told him could not convinced him He looks at Eric and then sighing he said ''Eric, you know how I have always listen to you after the matter of the feast. But you have to convince me if you want me to abandon the entire south. That is a large swathe of territory that I have to let go. And hearing what you said, while it looks like there is advantages, there is a lot of more disadvantages. We would be losing a lot. Loth region and Redat region is not as big as Asgaro region but it is still contributing to our kingdom. And if we lose territory, then people would lose confidence in me. How could I compete for the world then?'' Eric nodded. ''I know it is hard. But let me explain'' They no longer are walking. Instead the stand on the city wall looking at each other. Eric words had shocked Zeus very much. After all, what Eric is suggesting is bordering on madness. One could only imagine the blood, sweat and tears that his army had sacrificed to take those kingdoms in the south. They even ha annual skirmishes with Arianna on those regions every year to defend the southern borders from the encroaching influence of the Holy Zun Empire But now, Eric wanted him to let it all go? No matter how tolerant Zeus is and no matter how he had tried to listen to Eric advices and counsel, he could not accept this easily If the explanation is not sufficient, how could Zeus let go of the south? That is akin of cutting one of his limbs Eric took a dep breath. He knew he had to convince Zeus to sacrifice the south. ''It did not matter if the whole world view us as weak. We are taking a step back'' Sighing Eric then said That is what we didn''t do but should have done. We were too rash and we are now paying for that rashness'' Taking a deep breath Eric then said ''After we have taken the surrounding kingdoms in the past, we should have taken a step back. We should have concentrated our power in pacifying the internal problem. ''But now, even though we were as big as Vanheim, we have more problems than them. It is not like they didn''t have their own internal problem. But rebellion of their people is not one of them. Their internal problem also did not affect the security of their empire. Instead it is a war fought in the dark that did not affect the power of the Empire itself'' Zeus then said ''I am still not convinced'' ''And I am still not done'' Eric said \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 329 THE CHOICE The guards on the city wall however did not dare to slacken tonight. Tonight the King of Veva and the Prime Minister of Veva seems to have something to talk about and instead do talking about it in their court session, they instead meet here on top of the city wall and talk to each other here These guard usual would try to catch a bit of sleep while some of the others keep watch. But who would dare di such a thing now. Not only they do not dare to sleep, they do not dare to listen or to look to long toward the direction of the Prime Minister and the King the area around the city wall is dark now as the moonlight is covered by the clouds. The light did not seem able to pierce through the thick dark clouds. But Eric didn''t seem to realize it as he is eager to persuade Zeus to listen to him ''The step we have taken shows how impatient we are. We sow the wind and we reap the whirlwind.'' ''Vanheim and us are the same in the beginning but while they are stable, we are not. We had to cope with rebellion, external enemies trying to caught our weakness and pounce on us and we are always reacting when we should have been the one that force others to react to our moves. By having to react to other people moves, we are in a passive position'' Zeus was about to say something but Eric would not have it as he keeps saying what he needed to say ''It might appear to the world that by losing the south we grow weaker. But it is not. If we could unite our forces, a truly united force, then it would be easy to take back the south'' ''Even though we have the south, we had to keep defending it. With so much time spending on defending that border and dealing with other internal problems, we never had enough time to prepare to take over the world'' ''In the past, we could see the path forward very clearly. But now? Now we are booged down by Aerosia, Holy Zun Empire, fearing that the Savillia kingdom would move to our upper parts region and Alfhaim attacking from the bottom. ''We are too preoccupied and we stretched our line too thin. It is fortunate that all of the kingdoms is not united. If not, we would be attacked in all sides and no matter how bigger we are than them, we would crumble under such assault'' And as we are preoccupied, Vanheim is conserving their strength. I believe that the force that met Alexander in the plain is not the true force of the Empire. I believe the Emperor have some scheme of himself. But that is another matter. I am digressing'' Eric seems to be very excited now. Taking a deep breath and then continuing, Eric said Zeus rub his forehead. Eric did not stop trying to persuade Zeus If Zeus is stubborn on keeping the south, then they could only wait and wait. Aero plan is very insidious. If they did not move at all, Aero wins. Even if they move Aero would win. But Aero would only win if Zeus protect the borders of his kingdom. Only in that way, it would fulfil the prerequisite of Aero scheme of moving and losing. Not moving and also losing. However, if Zeus let go and sacrifice a lot, then that created another scenario. That is what the other kingdoms fail to see. If they could sacrifice their territory, they could break from this deadlock. But the reason why they all could not see it is because which ruler would want to sacrifice their territory? And out of all the western kingdoms, there is only two kingdoms that is able to sacrifice their territory and still able to stage a comeback and that is Veva and Holy Zun. The other kingdoms could not do this because they might lose all of it, if they take the wrong step. As such, they must take this risk. If they take this risk, Zeus could still compete for the world. if he misses this chance, then when Aero returns back to Vanheim and assume back his Chancellorship, he would never ever give Veva a chance to rise again. Eric believes that Aero could not have foreseen that Zeus would abandon the whole south. By doing that, Veva could break out form this deadlock and could start anew. Eric then hold both of Zeus hand and said ''Believe in me, old friend. This is our last chance. If we could not take it, then the worst case scenario would happen. Sooner or later, if we could not break this, when Aero returns to Vanheim, the world would be separated into the Eastern and Western side. He will make sure of that'' ''And with Aero capabilities, he would surely find a way to make us never ever be able to travel east. He would then pacify the Empire, and the when the time is ripe they will march to the west. We either have to wait for him to die or for him to be suddenly stupid to ever breakout from the west to the east'' ''I¡­I¡­''Zeus was hesitating. He knew he had made a deal with Eric. He promises him that he would listen to Eric counsel. But this decision made him speechless. He didn''t mind fighting in battlefield. But giving up his territory? This is the first time. It is not like he never lost his territory before. He and Ariana have always fought around the borders and the border region had seen many changes of hand between Holy Zun and Veva. But none of them was done by him voluntarily. He is not used to giving up. Eric gripped Zeus hand tighter and said ''If Holy Zun take Loth kingdom they are no longer just neighbors with Nero Republic but they would also be neighbor with Alfhaim'' ''One of our problems is that we are restricted by all sides. Since we are restricted by all sides, let''s give the restricted side to our enemy'' ''If Holy Zun take Loth region, they would border with those Elves. Those Elves had already hated on the Church. Instead of trying to attack a faraway enemy, they would attack the closest. because by then, we are not the threat. It is the Holy Zun'' Eric continue by saying ''Even if we march to Duvar, they could not stop up even if they separate their forces. They have to choose. Whether to stop us from entering Duvar. Or¡­. stop Holy Zun who is already on their western border'' ''I believe that they would stop Holy Zun and contested with them in the Loth region. Holy Zun had to bear the brunt. Their ability to mobilize their troops would be severely impacted and they would not be able to stop the forces that we will send to Duvar since they still have to conquer Loth first'' ''But since we already given up on Loth we could focus our military to take Duvar. We might have lost Loth, but we also lost two enemies at the same time. And if Aerosia take Redat region that is even better. Now, Holy Zun Empire had to cope with three enemies at the same time. They have to experience what we are experiencing.'' Eric is now unstoppable as he lists all the projected movement of the other kingdoms ''Veva territory might become smaller but it is also becoming more manageable and we could reorganize back the regions. Let those Churchmen handle the secret society in Loth and let Aerosia deals with Redat region. We would try to take Duvar and if we succeed, we now have the access to the East. And we also have access to both Savillia and Alfhaim'' ''With our military we could easily garrisoned the mountains around the Holy City and create a powerful fortification. It is not a lie that said if a powerful force could take Duvar, they could take the whole world. If not for Veranis rebellion how could it be easy for us to think to take Duvar easily. But because they are cut off, they are isolated'' Zeus is trying to temper Eric enthusiasm by asking him ''What if Holy Zun would not move even after we move our army to Duvar?'' Zeus asked. Laughing Eric reply ''Then that would even be better. But that is unlikely. Very unlikely. Because if we move, Holy Zun would undoubtedly move. Nero Republic would also move. Their objective is probably to take some territory from Holy Zun'' ''But I doubt it would succeed. But even if it would not succeed, it would bring more pressure to the holy Church. Because unlike them, we have already let go. But they will still need people to protect their borders. This separate their forces. That is not counting if Alfhaim would join in or other people. That is the terrifying part of all this. ''Once anyone moves, it is free for all. They would be too many variations, to many moves that could be employed. I don''t think even Aero could calculate all the possibility. But that is where lies Aero greatest trick. It didn''t matter how chaotic it became. Because no matter how chaotic the western kingdom becomes, it would not affect Vanheim by the slightest'' ''Arianna would probably put some of her army on their eastern border to defend against Nero Republic soldiers while they would move north and take Loth kingdom. In the end they have to take it even if they don''t want it. Because if they do not take it, then they will not have any benefit whatsoever. The moment we make a move; each kingdom will move. What we should do however is to let go of some borders, defend some of the border, and take what we can take.'' Eric then release Zeus hand and said ''I already spoke to the generals of the army and they stand at the ready'' hearing this Zeus was shocked. Then he said ''Then what is the point of asking me? You did not even consult me on this matter?'' There is a little bit anger in his tone. Eric did not flinch ''I gave them the order to be ready. I did not yet tell them what they should do. If I told them to move tonight, by dawn the army would start to march'' Zeus then understand what Eric is trying to say to him Taking a deep breath Eric said to him ''I need you to make the choice, Zeus. This military order must come from you and not from me. You have to choose. To me, this is my only way of breaking the current situation while having the most benefit for the development of the kingdom'' The wind blows again as the clouds that covers the moonlight were pushed away and the moonlight illuminate the two figures on the top of that city wall. Zeus look at Eric and then sighed. he looks at the dark horizon in the distance. He thought of those days in the past and then determination flashed in his eyes and then he decisively said ''Abandon the south!'' hearing this Eric smiles and laughs. ''That is good. That is good!'' He laughed and the order was quickly relayed to the other officials. By dawn, pigeons were flying in the sky In the afternoon, probably all the surrounding kingdoms of Veva would get the news that vena had move. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 330 SLEEPING BEAUTY 1 But out of all the city in the territory of the Holy Zun Empire this city is probably the one city people recognize the most. It used to be a small city that have no importance whatsoever to the kingdom that occupied it. But the rise of its people, and the rebellion that have sparked from the holy proclamation all started in that city To some, this is the place where the Pope appeared and this is also the staring place of the Pope and his Apostle, the Maidens of Armagnac Ariana of the South rise to power. Even though the matter of the south and north, west and east were all considered moot point at this current time, the title of Ariana of the South stuck. Like Vanheim and Veva who have their capital city decorated with splendor thus it is so for this city where the dawn of the church began Once you enter the city, there is no longer the trace of the old city of Arleans which is dirty and unregulated. Cleanliness is very important here and there is a church everywhere you look. But there is also a great few changes that had happen since a few years ago When the Apostle and the Pope return back to the world, the Church was in divisive state. The Apostle of the Church Arianna took matter to her own hands and in one might of tragic events, slaughtered the Bishops and those who rebelled against the Pope decree, their blood flooded the tile roads of the city. That night was a stormy night and when dawn came, there is as not as many priest or bishop as it was the night before. And even though almost two years had passed since that event, there is still trace of that terrible massacre everywhere you go especially around the St Alex Square where the Apostle faces a lot of resistance. To those who come to the city of the Holy, the first thing that probably would enter this sight is the magnificent Priest Forum It used to have a tall pillar but now, there is a mark of the tall pillar being sliced. No Priest debated about the religion there anymore. There is even still the mark of blood of people that died that day. Some said the Church leave it there so that it could deter rebels. Others said that the blood by the grace of God did not disappear as reminder. Whatever the case, the sight is very ghastly The destruction of the Priest Forum was lamentable but at least the St Alex Basilica, the marble structure is still there even though there were some damages on its east side. The Church had sent all kinds of builders to repair the damage. If one looks inside there is hundreds of sculptors that is recreating back the statues that used to adorned the inside of the basilica. It is said that during that stormy night, Arianna with her sword enter the basilica to brought out Byantikous out from the area. Each one was cut down mercilessly and they all died with one slash. Her slash is said to form a powerful resonance with all the status inside the basilica causing the entire Basilica to shake and tremble as thunders and lighting roars up in the sky. Blood flowed down the marble staircase of the Basilica, dying the white marble read and dark. For those who saw the scene form the outside, they saw the blood flowing out from the entrance. There is also a slash mark that stretched for sixty acres. The countless work of arts there were scrapped as the Pope once again commissioned work for famous painters to adorned the church. Leonardo is once again sought by the Pope and Araphel is once again summon by the Church. It is a city of art, of culture and of soul. Even the terrible act that day did not diminish this reputation. The square of St Alex is still one of the most beautiful sight of the city, a staggering open space in the city. Hundreds of columns swept outward in four concentric arcs of diminishing size, an architecture brilliance to heighten the piazza sense of grandeur. The city appeared at calm and gained their stability as one of the great powers of the world. But only those who is high enough in the chain of command knows that Holy Zun Empire is not as stable as the world outside believes them to be. The world outside believes that the enemy of the Church right now is only Veva to the north and Nero Republic to the east. The truth is much darker. There is a lot of problem bubbling underneath just the surface There is an Antipope now. The Church is actually split into two. This matter to the highest in command is the more threatening threat. War while not easy for them, it could be won. Arianna ability to boost her energy in battle and her ability to lead her army to victory is undeniable. Even if they could not conquer back Nero now, there would be a chance. The Faith is still strong among the common people and those who first follow the Pope and the Apostle But the Antipope is an internal problem that must be solved as quickly as possible. If the people began dividing their faith, then the Pope and the Apostle of the Church both would experience dip in their strength. Ariana both gain power according to faith. If the faith is dangerously low, she probably could not fight against a normal warrior. Her path was different than anybody else since she relies on faith for power More faith, more power. No faith, no power The thought of adventurers is not the same like those of the native people. To the native people, the church is their faith. To the adventurers it is a means of power, a quest that has been given to them by the Divinities. They are all playing a role. The boy named Alex playing the role of the Pope. Ariana playing the role of a Holy Maiden and so on and so forth. Dawn had passed and now morning had come. Arianna look out from her windows. She lives in one of the most beautiful structure in Arleans. People called it the Holy Maiden Palace. It is a suite of rooms that used to be one of the palace of the royalty of Zun. It was adapted by her for personal use when she first conquered Zun kingdom. She even commissioned a Venicia painter, a native of this world Pinturrichio to lavishly decorate the apartment with frescoes. It took him two years to complete the frescoes and the paintings that decorate this structure. It drew on themes of celestial bodies and adding an eschatological layer of meaning and celebrating the divine origins of the Holy Maiden and the Pope. But the beauty of the room is not in her mind right now. In the past, this kind of residence calms her heart. But maybe at that time, her problem was simple so she could still relax herself when it is a long day. But nowadays, even a hundred paintings could not dispel the uneasiness in her heart. She then gazes back at the bed. This is her guest room. And on top of that bed is a woman. Ariana frowned looking at that woman. For some reason, she felt that she knows this woman. When she was in Purgatory, this is the woman that fought alongside her. Even though they don''t know each other, for some reason they felt like they do. Arianna attributed this to the fact that they might have close relationship in Western Heaven before they were transported completely into this world Like most people with power and resources, Arianna had tried to investigate about the matter of Western Heaven. She too knows that there is a lot of memory that she had lost. And she knows she is not the only one. This matter seems to affect a lot of people She did not remember who her parents were, whether she had siblings or what kind of life she had led in the Western Heaven For some odd reason, when she was in Purgatory, she seems to accept all the orders and the explanation given to her like she is in some sort of hypnosis state She also found out and realize that as time passes she only had certain vague memories about her life in Western Heaven These memories sometimes would come to her when she is dreaming or when she is not thinking of anything, some parts of this memory would reveal itself to her. But the memory is too fragmented for any of it to make sense. Unlike Aero who had many responsibilities or Zeus who had to govern his kingdom, Ariana had a lot of free time to uncover this mystery. That and resources that no other adventurers possess. 331 SLEEPING BEAUTY 2 If that is their birthplace, then why couldn''t she remember it? Why is there a need to alter it? Yes, that is the conclusion that she had arrived at. Someone or something had tried to alter the memory of the adventurers. And then they are someone that tried to restore it. In her memory, there is no such thing as that people could revive. But in the memory of the native of this world, the adventurers could always revive themselves in the past. When this fact was known around a year ago, suddenly the memory that they could revive unlocked The adventurers remember that some of them died but they don''t remember how they died and how they revived. There is a flaw in this memory altering for some reason, not all the memory and traces of the past is altered. Once in a while, Ariana would remember some terms that did not exist in this world She sighed as she shakes her head. Then she looks again at that woman appearing to sleep peacefully on top of the large bed That woman is not sleeping. She seems to be in a state of unconsciousness. And Arianna knows her name. That woman is Amanda. And this Amanda found her amidst the people and grab her name in panic and called her Jessica. That is how they first meet in the Purgatory. Jessica Atwood. That is what Amanda says her real name is Amanda then said she knew the truth of the world. At that time, Arianna thought that this Amanda woman is a crazy woman. But the moment she said that, time stopped and space bends around them and Amanda look at the sky full of defiance. At that time, Arianna knew that this woman is not simply crazy because a second later she was struck by lightning. The force of that lightning would have destroy the entire Purgatory if not for the barriers that surrounded Amanda. But Amanda did not die. And then the sky break opens and there was an eye looking at Amanda. Amanda was scorched but she did not die immediately as there is some kind of magic that seemed to protect her from dying completely. That powerful force should have not only scorched Amanda body but it should have turn it into dust. But Amanda body seems to be able to bear that divine power as there is an aura that protect her. Arianna then saw one of the most miraculous sight. She saw a translucent illusory image of Amanda coming out from the body Ariana then understood that was the soul of Ariana coming up toward that eye in the sky. Since Ariana had tangle a few times with the Olympians Gods, she knew how powerful their aura is. But this eye that appear in the sky, this one eye that look toward the scorched body of Amanda seems to emanate power that not only seem limitless but all powerful At that time, Ariana finally believes that Amanda, that woman truly knows the secret of the world. And for some reason seeing Amanda soul flying to the sky, it fills her heart with such sorrow and sadness that she herself could not understand and explain. It was then that another thing happened. A finger appears. Like the eye it also possesses limitless power. It seems that the eye wanted to hurl more lightning toward Amanda but that finger made a slashing motion and the sky was split into two. It was like the eye was split into a different dimension. One side was the clear sky and the other is sky that seems to be cracking. The cracking seems to be the attempt of the eye trying to break through from that dimension. The thunder and lightning that is about to come down and truly end Amanda stop. No, it is more accurate to say it was sealed by that finger. Arianna had never felt so helpless before. She could only watch but she could not do anything. Since the appearance of the eye in the sky, her body could not move like there is some kind of force that binds her. The finger then come down from the heavens. And at that time Arianna could see on the opening of the sky, a Goddess of unparalleled beauty and majesty. She had countless of wings crafted from light, her hair seems to be the stars that dotted the night skies and her eyes is like a cosmos is inside it, seeing through everything, and for some weird reason, Arianna believes that Goddess smile at her. And it is not like a smile a powerful being give you which is always had a hint of mischievousness, it is a smile that of someone who knows you give you. She felt the face to be very familiar and the moment she thought like that she could once again move. The finger breaks through the darkness and the chaotic energy of the thunder and lightning and reached down to touch Amanda forehead. The moment that finger lays its touch upon Amanda body, Amanda body started regenerating itself in the speed of light. Black scorched dry skin falls off from her body and replaced with flawless skin and her life force return but once the finger left, Amanda fall to the ground, unconscious. Ariana run toward Amanda trying to support her when that finger went to her next. But unlike the thunderbolt, she did not feel like the finger is trying to harm him. Instead, she felt that the finger is very welcoming. She was not tied by anything but she did not try to move. The finger reached her forehead and her mind was filled with the information about the Three Divinities, the Three Highest Seat of the Primordial Heavens In her mind she saw the three lights that covered the whole Universe. These three Divine Being sat and reside in the Divine All Heaven, realm where it could contain the holy power of these three beings There is the First Lord of heaven, the First Divinity, Divinity of All Beginning residing in the Heaven of All Beginning Then there is the Second Lord of Heaven, The Second Divinity, the Divinity of All Destruction and Ending who resides inside the Heaven of Limitless Wisdom And there is the Third which is called the Third Lady of Heaven, the Third Divinity, the Divinity of all Creation and Life who resides in Pure Virtues Paradise. When she tried to look closer, she felt her eye sis burning and in flames. The moment felt like she was in that memory for thousands of years. Then the finger dissipates from her view. The sky emerges back into one and that eye in the sky closed itself as the void in the sky also disappeared. Time moves again when time move normally what people saw was that Amanda fall unconscious and they did not know anything about a finger coming down from the Heavens or an eye that opened up in the sky. She leads the adventurers that she knows and trusted to go out of the Purgatory and while other people fall from the sky she and this woman seems to be bonded by some strange fate and destiny. They both fell at the same place. But she was still unconscious. Yes, she brought Amanda with her by strapping her on her back while traversing the Purgatory to return back to the Vilajeri Continent. With all the weird occurrence that happens and the feeling that she felt for this woman, Arianna believes that she and this woman seems to have some relationship in Western Heaven She then travels incognito through the village side and return to the Church while hiding the existence of this woman while at the same time protecting the Pope position and kill those who were rebellious. The night she brought back Amanda to her residence, the night was stormy and raining. She fears that the thunder and lightning would once again herald the eye in the sky. It is also the night when the faction of the Antipope tries to stage a coup of power. That night became a tragic night for the faction of the Antipope. After that tragic event, she returns back to her residence and rarely leave her compound unless there is a task for the church she need to accomplish. There is a few reason why she hides her. The first reason was that she fears that one of the Three Divinities would send another thunderbolt to smite this woman. The second reason is because this woman seems to know the truth of the world. And the truth she knows must be something shocking considering how even a one of the Divinity tries to silence her by sending forces of nature to claim her life. The more it is like this, the more she believes in that woman claim that she knows the truth of the world. She sighed a bit. She had send all kinds of healers and physician to look at her in her residence but none could pinpoint what is wrong with her. Most of the healer that come to survey this woman all said that he is merely sleeping. But for some reason she could not wake up. She even sent some mages and their answer was that there is some kind of magic that prevent her from waking up. But at the same time that magic protects her. She did not need to eat, did not need to drink and all normal things that humans should do and must do seems to be something that is an exception for her. Arianna sighed. She knows that she is somehow connected with this woman. And the name Jessica seems to resonate with her. Arianna believes that maybe in Western Heaven, her name is Jessica. Sleeping like that she looks like a sleeping¡­what is the term that she is looking for, she thought to herself. ''A Sleeping beauty'' she muttered. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 332 THE APOSTOLIC PALACE No content 333 NEW WORLD The old guard only nodded, as he does not dare to show any sign of disrespect to the holy maiden. The young guard is new so he probably did not know that the Holy Maiden could enter without announcing anything to the Office of the Pope. Arianna then smoothed the crease around her robe and then alighted from her carriage as she takes in the view of this holiest structure in the holy city. Her carriage went to the stable escorted by that young guard. ''This place never failed to amaze me'' she thought. Even though she had been here countless time, she could not help but be taken by it beauty The Apostolic palace among other things other than its architectural beauty it also possesses all kinds of divine magic that strips away any and all forms of disguise and impersonation. That is why no assassin had never had the chance to assassinate the Pope around the Apostolic Palace. And that is why the guards did not do any more checkup on her like using some items to identify whether she is really who she says she is Because the Apostolic Palace itself is very magical in nature. As long as the Pope is inside the Apostolic Palace, he is safe. The magic is a blessing and as such it is also linked up to the Gubernatorial She went quickly to the Office of the Pope. No one had obstructed her and she enter the room and close it. Inside the room, she saw Alex. Alex is no longer that little kid. He had grown to be a tall and handsome teenager. His voice is deeper and the papal robe look more fitting to him than a couple of years ago But she still treated him like a kid when they were with each other. Every time she enters this place she could not help but think that Alex really like the luxuries of the world. The office is luxurious and grand with white marble floors and the wall is adorned with priceless painting and life like frescoes. A huge chandelier hung overhead while the arched windows, beautiful designs of colors offered a stunning view of St Alex Square. The view would be very beautiful. Alex is sitting on the Holy Throne and he finally register that Ariana had arrived ''Big Sister'' he said and Arianna smiles. It is only when they are alone with each other that they speak like this. In front of the people, she is the Holy Maiden and he is the Pope. Ariana come closer and even though she had known Alex most of his life, she could never get used to the Holy aura that surround him. The Holy Aura is not an invincible aura. If not, he could lead army and win wars everywhere. It is an aura of luck and fortune. Any injury on the Pope body is an injury toward the fortune and luck of the Church. ''I have been gone a week. There couldn''t be any momentous events that would trouble you this much for you to sigh so loudly'' She said Alex shakes his head and then he said ''There is more bad news than good news'' Ariana was intrigued. ''What good news that you have?'' Alex look around his office table and then checking some of the letter, he found the letter that as buried under many documents. He gives the letter to Ariana. The letter was already unsealed so Ariana brought the letter out from the envelop and read it. Finished reading it she laughed ''There is a New World!'' she exclaimed. Alex nodded. Then he said ''There is all kinds of resources there from magical herbs and all kinds of new minerals that could be used to make weapons and shield and many other things. It is quite interesting. Some of the people in the expedition had even spoke of a legend among the native of the land about a city of gold'' Ariana felt amused. Is there really a city of gold there in the New World? She only chuckles but then she notices Alex did not look that happy ''You don''t look happy'' Alex nodded. ''I am not happy because we have a competitor there. Vanheim had also sent a fleet there. We are not the only one that had found the New World. From what I discovered the Chancellor had long sent many fleets scouring the sea for other continent a few years ago before the exodus. That effort was continued by the Emperor when the Chancellor was not there'' Ariana was shocked to know that Vanheim had also been searching the New World. But she was also shocked that Alex really did finance that Lady expedition. The expedition to the new world for the church was something that is in the making years ago. A few years ago, long before the exodus happen, Lord Vasco had sent a lady to the office of the Pope. She talks about sailing the Dark Sea and seek a new trade route and other continents around the world She asks for the title of grand admiral, three percent of commerce for the found lands and the office of viceroy over the lands that she found under the church That was her demands. It was their first meeting at the time but the Pope was quiet impressed by the Lady and always remember that encounter. It is the sky high price that she had demanded and her confidence that leave lasting impression in Alex mind about Lady Leliana. One of the things that Alex had done when he returns to power was to once again seek that woman. Vasco and Lady Leliana once again faced him and this time, he approves the lady request giving her support to sail the sea and seek new continents One of the reason was that he wanted to fund the expedition is because he wanted a new avenues of faith. The native of that world could probably be persuaded in converting the faith of light And there is something else that he was interested in. The Elixir of Life. That is one of the things that drew him the most toward the New World right now. Everyone now knowns that if they died this time, there is no coming back. But there is an exception. That is the Revival Potion or the Revival Pill. But these things are rare and hard to find. Even the Church only have three. In all of the Lucelliandom, the weakest person was the Pope. It is quite ironic considering he is the most influential person in the Lucelliandom. But that was the truth. He was the weakest person. He could not even compare to the guards outside his room. He could easily be killed. By taking the position of the Pope, he had to abandon all personal skill and power. He derives his power from the faith of the beliefs and from this faith he could create miracles. But that is the only thing he could. Do. He could pray for rain, pray for sunny day, pray for fortune and luck and many other things, but he himself was weak in personal defense and strength. All it takes is a stray arrow, a slash toward him, a stab toward his heart and he would die. And even though he had the revival potion in the secret chamber of the Apostolic Palace, that would only work if he had a body to return to. Someone had to fed him the potions and he had to have his body at least intact, for example he must not have his head separated from the body. It is fine if the other limbs were cut off since the revival pill would regenerate those. But for some reason it could not regenerate another head. If for some reason he was killed by some brute, burned his corpse or throws his body into the sea, then he would return to the stars. It was not like before where it is easy to revive. That is why when he read the reports about the native saying that there is a myth about Elixir of Life that would bring eternal youth and could bring back the death to life, his enthusiasm to control the New World become even stronger. If he could mas produce it, Holy Zun would be very powerful. An undying army would be quite a terrifying to the other kingdoms especially if they were the one that is controlling this method of reviving. He was quite happy with that discovery. But suddenly the expedition found out that Vanheim had also sent fleet to seek new trade routes and new continents. And by coincidence or by machinations of the divines, they both found the new World. Fortunately, there is no open conflict between them and since both of them wanted to keep this discovery a secret top the other kingdoms in the Vilajeri Continent they seem to be treading carefully with each other. Both the Church and Vanheim Empire don''t want more competitors vying for this land. The land is large, but the greed of both Empire is larger. It is already annoying enough to share the resources, if they have to share more resources with others, how could they bear it? \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 334 THE MEDICI No content 335 THE WORLD CHANGES 1 Alex is thinking deeply about the weakness of the Holy Zun Empire compared to the Holy Empire of Vanheim or United Kingdom of Veva The weakness of Holy Zun Empire was that it had no foreseeable future that they could see. They do not know how to breakout from their current situation and what kind of methods that they should use to pacify the region that they have conquered and their next step forward. It could be said they reached the limit of their expansion because of the lack of administrative ability that they could exert to control the region. Having more would put a strain into administrating duties. In the beginning it was easy annexing small states but as they are now tangling with Veva who have the Black Robe Eric and with Vanheim who have Aero the Divine Strategist, they know how hard it is to breakthrough these two people and the power behind them which is United Kingdom of Veva for the former and Holy Empire of Vanheim for the latter. The moves of these two people are full of tricks and scheme. Even if Holy Zun Empire win the battle against these two people, they might lose the war. As such, the Pope wanted someone that could direct the general trend like Aero or someone that have the ability to reverse it like Black Robed Eric in his employ but he had no such person under him ''Hah'' he sighed and Arianna also sighed. She is even sighing harder than Alex. Alex look at Ariana with a puzzled expression, like he was asking with his face expression why do you sigh? Arianna notice the question in Alex face and chuckling she said ''At least I should sigh with you since I could not help you in this matter'' Hearing this Alex laughed like a child. Arianna then patted his head. Alex blushed red. He did not dislike it. Since the first day they took this journey together, Alex had always relied on this woman and even after he had become the Pope he had never forgotten her and bring her alongside him to see the world He wanted Arianna to see the sigh of the world from the highest peak. And he wanted to be beside her when that day comes. ''Is there anything else I could do? If you ask me to come to listen to the things I could not do, then I will be mad, Alex'' Arianna ask Closing his eyes, Alex nodded ''I don''t know who to consult with in this matter'' The Pope then write on one of the paper and then he shows it to Ariana. The word is fisherman. Arianna instantly know what matters that the Pope wanted to consult with her It is no doubt that it is relating to the letter that the Chancellor had sent them They deduced that it is the Chancellor that sent them and while they don''t have a definite proof about this they were quite confident of this deduction. They are convinced that the Chancellor is there on the Plains of Ethylred. But they were forced to wait, since nobody is moving The Pope sighed and then said ''The letter that Aero had sent us told us to wait and be the fisherman. I didn''t move not because I follow his instruction or trusted his written words'' ''I didn''t move my army because other people also didn''t move. It is quite amazing¡­. Aero of the East'' he said. Arianna nodded acknowledging the statement. She herself had never met Aero of the East and she had never clash with him. But she herself knows that there are some things that she is lacking compared to Aero of the East. And that is the ability to scheme and direct the trend of the era. His ability is very suited for the title the Divine Strategist. Because of that title people sometimes forget how powerful Aero of the East is when he is fighting. He had defeated Zeus easily and created a feat by rampaging, killing forty thousand men by his lonesome That is not a man you want to fight with one on one. She also read the letter. But because she did not know what scheme and plans that the Chancellor is playing at, she could not have commented on it. She would follow Alex decision. The church top decision makers have always been the Pope and the Holy Maiden Both Arianna and Alex recognize that there is a very apparent flaw in the Holy Zun Empire. And that is the fact that Holy Zun lacks someone like Eric that could see things clearly about the relations of the kingdoms and lack someone like Aero who could designed a multi layered plan that aided the victory. It could be said that if Aero and Eric scheme against Holy Zun Empire, the Holy Zun Empire could only take it and have nowhere to cry on. If not for the fact that the Pope could summon miracles and Arianna is talented in training generals and commander of the army, Holy Zun Empire might have fall a long time ago Arianna then ask ''Do you want me to attack Nero?'' she asked. It is clear from what Alex said that he is rethinking his decision after half a year Alex frowned and then he said ''I don''t know what Aero means by waiting to be a fisherman in the beginning. It is only later I understood. Since anyone that move would be showing their back, then all we have to do is wait for the opportune moment'' Then he clicked his tongue and then he said ''But if everyone waited, then who would reap in the end? I finally understand this so I am hesitant. I am hesitant whether to order you to march your army or to stay for a while. I wish to talk about this with you'' Ariana also could not say anything because she didn''t know what she could say for this matter. They think for a while but they clearly could not see the multi layered scheme that Aero had set up, different from Eric who have a deep understanding of Aero principle of trapping his enemies with two choices that both leads to the outcome of his enemies losing. The two choices he gave to people is both choice in which they lose and Aero wins. But the Pope and Arianna could not even see the two choices and trying to decipher the scheme of Aero to them is very hard. Politics is not quite their strong point and strategizing is also not their strong point. If they are, Arianna would not have slaughtered the Bishops like that and all kinds of city state problems would not have cropped up. The Chancellor has also been gone from the world with the Exodus but why was it when he returns, the Empire problem did not deteriorate? It is because the Chancellor had created a sturdy pillar foundation for ruling, a perfect system in his place that did not crumble easily unlike the Holy Zun Empire that seems to embodied reacting to the circumstances changing things on the go Of course Vanheim most worse internal problem was the rivalry between the Imperial brother. But that problem was there since the beginning and while the relations of the imperial brother is deteriorating, the matter of the Empire was spared from the moods of these two brothers. Alex look at Ariana and Ariana look at Alex. Looking at each other, they frowned and then they smile and then they laughed. Because they didn''t seem to be able to think of anything at all. Arianna was about to suggest them to have some break in the garden to clear their mind and revisit this matter later but suddenly the guard outside the door of the Office of the Pope seems to shout. There seems to be a commotion outside Ariana hearing this unsheathe her sword and stand in front of the pope. ''Stand behind me, Alex'' Alex did not protest as he stands behind Ariana. A second later the door of the Office of the Pope was push open forcefully and an old man with well-trimmed beard and wearing the ceremonial robe of the church burst out in the room. Ariana was shocked to see the person. It is Bishop Paul. Bishop Paul is also an adventurer like them. From his face expression, he seems very pale and sweats filled his forehead. ''Your Holiness!'' He said as he kneels down. The guard was about to drag him out but Ariana gesture them to leave him as quickly as possible. The guard quickly return back to their position and close the door. Bishop Paul keep trying to take his breath like he is out of breath. Only Paul knows how much he rushed this matter that he is running all over the Apostolic Palace to relay the news that he had received from the borders and the spies departments Both Alex and Arianna felt that there must be something wrong for Bishop Paul to do away with all formalities and barge into the office of the Pope. 336 THE WORLD CHANGES 2 No content 337 A NIGHT RAID No content 338 AERO OF THE EAST! No content 339 THE WARGOD OF THIS GENERATION! On the other side is Aero of the East, blazing a straight path to the enemy lines, killing anyone in front of him with his Heaven Sword On the other wing is Lord Quentin moving stably toward the front. In battel lines, this battle line is usually formed before the initial charge. But the Vanheim forces had managed to caught the Alexander forces unprepared. As such, they now hold the advantage. The line formation could not be completed as Aero tore down the middle and the other two flanks is covered by Kyle and Quentin. They could only do a single line formation before the middle pierced by Aero, the flanks are being pressured by Kyle who is employing a wedge formation But it is ever changing. He might change it to strengthen the right flank and which when it broke though the enemy flank, Kyle would then roll up the line, attacking the enemy from the rear. This current advantage is hold by Vanheim forces all because of Aero planning. The night before, Aero had already expected that Alexander would execute a night raid. He had correctly deduced the enemy plans of attack Aero instead wanted to laugh at the naivety of Alexander. It is no surprise that a plan involving fifteen thousand men would remain undetected in the forest. There is too much room for mistakes, a mistake which Alexander undoubtedly made. Alexander not only lack some foresight; he also lacks information. If there is one thing that Aero is most proficient in, it is searching for information. And that is what he stresses most importantly when an army went to war. An army that moves without any information whatsoever is like walking in a dark road without no torches. It would easily be destroyed by the enemy. What enables the wise sovereign and the good general to strike and conquer, and achieve things beyond the reach of ordinary men, is foreknowledge. He had spies even before the war started. Is it so unbelievable that he also had spies in Alexander ranks? Even if the spies he had cultivated since his time in Veranis did not give him the information, it is not something that is hard to deduce. Aero had researched Alexander temperament, his battle strategy, his tendency in wars before he even put the first chess piece on the board. He could guess that when Kyle did not move his forces, that the generals seeing Kyle like a sitting duck would propose Alexander to attack. And Alexander who prefers an ambush and minimizing the force he uses to destroy his enemies, would surely choose a night raid. And driven by the desire to beat back Kyle and solidify his rule over the Plain, there was eighty percent chance that he would attack That is good enough chance for Aero to bet on it. No, by that time it is no longer a bet. It is a certainty. Aero had never lost a battle. It is not because he is supremely intelligent or have some divine moves that could turn loss into victory. That is what bards and minstrels likes to sing about him. The truth is simpler. Aero fight the battle when he is confident he could win. As such, he would win each battle. Because before he even sets his foot into the battlefield, in his mind, he had already won. As he grew, his tactics and temperament and his way of doing battle had also changed. Aero, now, has the ability to turns loss into victory, his strategy is ever-changing and his approach of damn if you do, damn if you don''t, in crafting his strategy had made many strategists in Vilajeri continent wary to face this enigma of a man. Since Aero had expected that Alexander would do a night raid, he of course has his own countermeasures. He moved his forces down the mountain, crossed the Aether river at the Aether ferry. But that alone is not enough. He had expected that the area would be in low visibility and because Alexander was trying to caught Aero army unprepared, he would not deploy mages with powerful magic because such mages would be detected. As such, Aero could rely on the normal conditions of the mountain. He uses the low visibility condition to deploy his forces just in front of Alexander forces. As such when the mist had cleared up, the sight of Aero forces in front of them shocked the Alexander forces. Alexander must have been feeling dismayed and confused when he saw the banner of Vanheim forces soaring high up in front of his forces, unlike at all his plan. Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted. Therefore, the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy''s will to be imposed on him. And that is what Aero had done. He subtly led Alexander believed that he has the advantages and move out from the fortress. Up there, the forces that Alexanders had sent to attack the mountain fortress would find it is empty. Aero did not only manage to take Alexanders forces by surprise, but he had also split Alexanders other forces, thus rendering Alexander forces to be weakened even further. Aero himself could not hope more than this. He had come with a thundering momentum, with horses charging in through the plains like some berserkers Aero reputation is always associated with political acuity and his ability in leading armies to victory is famous all over the continent. As such, when Aero appeared in the plains and his identity revealed, Alexander forces morale instantly plummeted. Even before they have clashed, Aero had weakened the enemy even more. Aero and his forces had taken the Alexanders army so unprepared that they did not even have time to prepare their lines and with arrows falling down upon these people, there is already a gap that the cavalry could pierce through Aero was riding his white horse across the plain, wearing an eye-catching golden armor leading his men to kill. His Heaven Sword was unsheathed and he is surrounded by an imposing aura that deters the enemy. His denouncement of the Alexander forces only added to the morale of his force and weaken the enemies. The appearance of such a famous person all over the Vilajeri Continent, a person widely acknowledged as the most powerful person under the Heavens, scared the shit out of the adventurers. Unlike the natives, the adventurers did not want to die and their loyalty to the kingdom is less than the native of this world. After all, they did not originate from this world and come from the Western Heaven. As such, none of them wanted to die since they could not revive after dying. They retreated almost immediately when they saw Aero in the distance and run away as fast as they could. They know better that Aero of the East is simply a monster and his strength is unmatched. Even from afar, the sword edges gleaming from Aero swinging his sword seems so terrifying. If its other people, this kind of scene would never have been produced. But because it is Aero and his reputation that is built upon tens of thousands of dead Vevaian soldiers, this scene is produced. No one has any desire to try to render merit and gain promotions with Aero coming charging towards them. With this momentum, Aero horse tore down the lines and his cavalry follow him from behind The people chanted his name like welcoming the War God of the generation! With a roar, he broke though the lines and he started slashing left and right. Wherever the Heaven Sword moves, lives were reaped. The battle raged across the field. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 340 THE GENERALS OF VANHEIM Thousands die per minutes. Bodies fall down like flies as some warriors had to step over the body of their comrade to keep fighting. On the other side of the battlefield, King Alexander of Veranis is frowning. He is sitting on his horse while giving orders to his captain to relay to his generals. His personal guard remains alert. In the distance, he could see that both of his flank is being pressured. And on the middle, Aero of the East is forging his moves forward with the speed of lightning and his momentum is like a thunder roaring in the plains, shocking all of them Even though Alexander knows that he had miscalculated, he could not retreat right now. he had to wait for Antonius forces to come down and render him aid to fight Aero forces Aero rides the plain with his sword reaping lives every second. The force of his sword sweep through dozens of people with one slash. Aero is like inside his elements. His fighting spirit is of superior rank and just by looking at his eyes and being near him, unless the soldiers are elite soldiers that has been honed in hundreds of battles, they could not even thrust their weapons towards Aero. They would be seized by fear the moment Aero eyes swept through them. With his fighting spirt, Aero strength increased even more. He already had the Curse of Styx that made him an unparalleled warrior under the heavens and with his fighting spirit, none could stand in front of him without being petrified. This aura that is coming out of him also has other effects. And that other effect was that it helps his allies to gain morale in battle. Those behind him, all riding their horses, is full of determination and had thrown their survival to the back of their mind. Wherever the figure of Aero is, that is where the cavalry follows him. No matter how deep Aero geos to the enemy lines, they would follow. The battle devolves into chaos as more and more soldiers clashed with each other. One would be hard pressed to give order at this point of time. Alexander had missed the opportunity to stage a counter defense and as such, they have to fight in chaos. Aero on the other hand keep moving closer and closer toward Alexander main forces. Unlike other people, Aero stamina is endless. Possessing a Divine Endurance because of the Curse of the Styx, he could fight all day without getting tired. This kind of endurance is even more pronounced now as he bears the brunt of the attack without stopping Unless someone attack him in his ankle, he would be without a problem. There were some slashes that hit his skin. But like hitting a hill of iron, the sword broken Aero fought like the War God Ares. When an enemy tries to grab his sword hand. He would just fling them, and with his strength, the men that grab his hand all were hurled up into the air before being shot to death by the archers from behind. The winds howled, and the air over the battlefield was far more intense than one could imagine. Aero kept his pace and his soldiers behind him fowl him loyally. If Aero is going down into the Underworld, these soldiers would still follow him faithfully Because they believe, if its Aero, they could come out of the Underworld. On the other side of the battle Pericles is holding off Kyle advances as he sends some unit to cut off Kyle attempt of trying to roll up the line. Considering that Alexander forces is taken by surprise, they performed extremely well against Kyle But like compounding interest, with the adventurers running away some parts of Pericles wing were wide open. And Kyle is not some third rate general that did not know how to capitalize an advantage when he sees one. But Pericles is not a simple enemy that could easily be ignored. His personal strength is one of the best. Pericles riding his war horses shouted to his men to charge while he himself is fighting with those few soldiers that managed to broke through the lines. Pericles is an adept user of the long spear. Before these soldiers even manage to reach him, they would be pierced to death by his long spear. They try to counter charge and with Pericles leading them, full with morale the countercharge decimated a lot of men. Some of the army under Kyle was thrown back into confusion. But Kyle who look at this is very calm. His eye is cold as he sends his orders. The screams and the shouts and the chaos of the battlefield did not waver his heart at all. He is no longer that easy to provoke. One could say his defeat to Aero might be the turning points of his career as a general. If the Emperor did not trust that Kyle could hold on against Alexander full forces, he would not have given the task of the Supreme Commander to him. ''Pericles is eager to go back to Alexander. I guess Aero act of charging forward is creating such effect.'' Smiling a bit, he mutters to himself ''This war had been won by the Chancellor even before he steps into the battlefield. It is quite good that I am not in the receiving end of his scheme'' Kyle who was standing on his horse raises his flags signaling his soldiers to follow the orders. To enable secret order during the battle, Vanheim had flags orders. Not everybody had to understand it. Only the captains and high ranking soldier so that they could lead their team They did not use magic messaging. So, is the enemy soldiers. They fear that their magical network could be intercepted by powerful mages who is talented in magic network. As a mage he knows that there are mages that is capable of such thing. And as a general of the army, he understood the implication of having his military order intercepted. That could change the battle in a blink of an eye. As such, they had to use flag orders or manual kind of way of relaying orders Mages are an indispensable unit in the army. They are different than the normal infantry which could be composed of normal warriors. Elite soldiers of each forces on the other hand is trying to kill each other mages. Soldiers are good and could follow orders. But mages are dangerous. Any army that is fighting each other would always reserve an elite team to take down mages. In the past, this is not that prevalent but as adventurers become stronger and some of them is reputed to become an Archmage, most army would equip their team with an elite soldiers that could cut down an Archmage. Most of these elite teams consisted of powerful warriors that is beyond normal warrior''s level. Their attack could cut down dozens of people with one slash. As such, they could not really be viewed as normal warriors. As most magician, while their magic power is very devastating their physical body and defense is weak. But Archmage is not some cabbages that could easily be found or trained. Magic itself is very mysterious and even Kyle who could be considered a great fire magic user did not consider himself as an Archmage. It seems that Alexander did not have an Archmage level existence among his mage corps. But just because he didn''t have an Archmage doesn''t mean mages could not do great damage with their offensive spell. Kyle look at the other side. He did not have to worry too much about magician unit. Because the other flank had to deal with it. Kyle had send some orders to the left flank to hurry up. He then continues looking at the situation. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 341 PALLAS OWL As such, Quentin of House Royd, one of the nobles under Kyle and one of his Vice Commander had already split off for the main army to engage with Iapetus who is in charge of the mages corps. The entire situation of the war was very chaotic. There are fireballs falling everywhere, fire filling the plains and the smell of roasted meat could be smell everywhere on goes. There is the sound of explosion every seconds. All kinds of magic fly by and rains of arrows shooting on every direction. If one is unlucky, even when they were running, they would be shot down by the arrows or exploded with the fireballs. Lord Quentin like Kyle was calm even amidst the explosion and the chaos. Every once in a while, stray arrows would shoot towards him and he would deflect it with his large axe like he is swatting flies. This calmness is not something that he had faked. Like Kyle, the moment the entire this battle, he was sure that their force would win. After all, Chancellor Aero was the one that had planned all this. With his plan, he had tied the hands of the western kingdoms, Duvar is safe and if Vanheim force win today and push forward, then they could take Veranis and secure the route to the west. Aero of the East is someone that Quentin admired very much. The reputation attributed to him is not underserved. He is as much as of a Divine Strategist like most bards and minstrel had praised him to be. He is also the Chancellor of the Empire, the one and only that have the power to restrict the Emperor. One might argue that the power of the Chancellor far outweighs the Emperor. And to those who had always been in the Imperial Court, this has always been the case. The Chancellor was always the hidden shadow behind any move of the Empire. One might expect Quentin to hate the Chancellor because the Chancellor had persecuted the noble family before stripping them of their privileges and of their ranks, reducing them nobles without power. Quentin is also form a noble family. The Chancellor had limited the power of the noble families, relegating them to simply honorary titles without no power. Especially those old nobles. But Quentin was not dissatisfied with this. Instead, he believes that the Chancellor was doing this for the welfare of the realm With the imperial power strengthened, internal problem pacified, then Vanheim could fight for the world The prize of winning the world is creating an unprecedented Empire, and one could establish a peaceful world full of harmony after all the world is pacified. The only problem with the Chancellor plan was the continued rivalry between the two Imperial Brothers that is fighting against each other in the dark However, admiring the Chancellor and liking him is two different thing But while Quentin did not like that the Chancellor hold unchecked power in the Imperial Court, he acknowledges that without the Chancellor firm hand guiding the Empire in its initial stages after the death of the posthumous Emperor George, chaos would probably wreck the Empire apart. He sighed The war rages on as Quentin watches the sight of death with disinterest. He is analyzing the battlefield coldly, thinking how to quickly break the line and provide help. He wants to land a decisive blow in the flank. Quentin and Kyle while their army appears to be moving stably, they were actually moving quickly. There are still Antonius soldiers up there on the mountain. If they arrived, it could lead to a prolonged fight and that is not something that Quentin and Kyle wanted. Antonius forces that was tasked for the night raid probably have found the empty fortress by now. But the fact that they are not here yet shows that the few small garrisons that the Vanheim forces have set up and the guerilla attack planed by the Chancellor had managed to delay them. Before they empty the fortress up in the mountain, Aero had set up a few points in the mountainous forest on the other side of the mountain. This point was all to mark where they should harass Antonius forces whether when he is coming up or when he is coming down. When Antonius forces reach the mountain camp up in the mountain they would probably be harassed by a few units on their way up. That would delay them and since these unit primary main objective is not to defeat Antonius forces and instead have to delay Alexander forces, it would be easier for them and minimize any damage. Antonius might notice that something is wrong with what is happening and he might retreat down the mountain to aid Alexander. But if he wants to quickly traverse down the mountain and aid Alexander, they must also follow the same route that Aero had taken to ambush Alexander forces. And Aero had already put all kinds of obstacles so that Antonius forces would be delayed even further. Ideally, if they could defeat Alexander forces before Antonius could come to Alexander aid, that is for the better. Quentin stroke his beard. He is thinking about all of this things as he saw on his right flank his soldiers are being pressured hard by the charge of the mage corps. Quentin is a middle aged man, with gray beard and stocky build. His muscle is pronounced and he had a large axe on his hand. ''hmm. Iapetus is not an easy enemy. He knows how to uses his mage to create a death zone'' Even though he is calm, he knows he need to counterattack Iapetus offensive or he would not be able to hold this position. And Kyle had already send the order for him to quicken the pace. He frowned a bit. This battle would not go the way the Emperor wanted it to be. This is something Quentin felt very strongly. Since the moment he saw Aero in the military camp, he knows that there is another player that is playing this grand chess game If anything, in this continent, he is the one that truly put his first pieces in this large chessboard. In the battle of the plains, there is many dark hands in the background trying to take advantage of this matter. But who could have thought that the Chancellor would suddenly appears with the Supreme Commander and even have a perfect plan to counter King Alexander? One might even question that all of the dark hands in the background could not even stand against the gentle swish of the Chancellor phoenix feather fan There is a reason of course why Quentin knows the plan of the Emperor. He is one of the few people in the court that is on the Emperor side. He knew what the Chancellor had done to cultivate the image that Emperor Edward is a wise Emperor. Because of the effort of the Chancellor the Empire is at peace and the people are confident in the ability of the Imperial court to win battles and maintain the peace and prosperity of the Empire As such, he had always admired the Chancellor. The Chancellor loyalty towards the Empire is unquestionable. His loyalty to the Emperor however¡­...is something lamentable. Many ministers believe that the Chancellor is very disappointed in the young Emperor. Many times he rebukes the young Emperor at court, saying that he is unlike his father who was truly wise and deliberated carefully on the matters of governance and of matters of the people. In other words, the Chancellor compare the son to the father and found the son is extremely lacking. Many ministers know that the rapport between the previous Emperor George and the Chancellor is extremely good. Their close relationship with each other was a tale of many bards and minstrel, praising the reputation of Emperor George and Chancellor Aero as a sagacious monarch and a loyal and wise minister. The relationship between them is also different in that they are like two people who were united by the common cause of uniting the world, their grand aspiration had created the bedrock which the Empire is standing upon As such, many believes that if not for remembering old loyalties toward the old Emperor, with the Chancellor almost unlimited power among the Six Council he could usurp the position of Emperor. The young Emperor from the beginning of his rule was surrounded by lions and wolves who were all waiting for him to fail. There is his brother and his uncle who had always protected his older brother. James is certainly not satisfied with his lot and has been strengthening his influence in the imperial court since the day Emperor Edward was coronated. Then there are also external enemies that is just waiting for Vanheim to show any weakness so that they could pounce on them Wolves and lions. As such, the Emperor turns to the biggest granddaddy of them all, the one that pacified these lions and wolves during the past and that person is the Chancellor. With the Chancellor backing the will of the former Emperor, Edward could sit stably in his position. But because he had asked for the help of the Chancellor, as such since then the power of the Imperial Court rest solely in the Chancellor hands. Quentin shake his head from thinking too much about this. It is clear now his other scheme did not need to continue. With Aero in the battlefield, it is without a doubt whether the reinforcement from the mountain arrive or not, Vanheim would still win today He then kicks the side of his horse with his ankle and his horse rush forward. Quentin raises up his axe and then roaring in the battlefield, he charges into the battlefield as he killed a few mages, hacking them with his large axe, splitting them into two. ''Break the line!'' he shouted as the left flank of the enemy began feeling pressure and after a while the line break and Quentin send his elite warriors to cut down those mages deep in the enemy lines. A scene of carnage and chaos fills the enemy flanks. Above, an owl fly by. Its appearance is very unnatural. There is an owl flying in the morning and appearing so suddenly in the sky appearing like some omens from the Gods This owl is no normal owl. There seems to be some holy light upon it. The soldiers of Vanheim that was behind the frontline saw the owl circling over the battlefield. And it flew down and perch its feet onto one of the banners of Vanheim that was stuck onto the ground after the banner bearer had been slayed. The soldiers knew about the supposed relation between the Chancellor and the Goddess Athena. They believed that this owl that seems unordinary and seems to be surrounded with some divine aura is none other than the familiar of the Goddess of Wisdom herself One of them shouted ''Athena is here!'' ''The Goddess of War is on our side!'' With this shout, Quentin army morale rises up and began pushing faster and faster until the line was broken completely which would affect the whole overall strategy of the other captains and commander of Vanheim forces all over the battlefield \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 342 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO On the other flank side Kyle was struggling with Pericles but on the other side, like a knife cutting through butter, Aero and his band of cavalry is cutting through the line. The blade formation is a formation that only Aero could do. Because of the requirement of this modified blade formation, other than Aero not many people would have the bravery to use it the way he is using it He would act as the tip of the sword, cutting everything that is front of him with his strength while the cavalry behind him would uses their long spear to kill anyone that he had missed while keep moving forward. There is of course a risk of using this kind of tactic and strategy. This would always give the enemy the opportunity to envelop their army The only way to avoid that is to keep moving without stopping. And when moving, they must clear each obstacle around them. Like fire travelling through a small hole of ice, it must cut through. The key is speed. As long as Aero could maintain his speed, the enemy could not envelop his forces They have to stop the front to engage the back. But since the front, the tip of the sword did not stop moving forward, the back could not be attacked. Because they have to chase the back and that clearly could not happen unless someone could stop Aero fearless attack in the front. The risk of this formation lies in that. If Aero was stopped in the front, they could be enveloped by the enemy force from the back and attack from the front and back. The enemy then would probably do a circle formation to slowly grind away Aero forces. A double circle or a triple circle would then seal the fate of Aero forces. Of course this hypothetical conclusion could only be reached, if they could stop Aero. Aero would not have chosen to take such a risky strategy if he is not confident in executing it to perfection. As such, those who follow Aero back must be brave and fearless. They also have to be fast, moving not too far away from Aero but not to close either. Aero with his strength is unstoppable. The Curse of Styx is a privilege and a curse that is something that Aero is cautious in using. But when he does decide to use it, he would not spare anything There is no weapon and no magic in the mortal world that could hurt him. The only reason why Aero rarely involves himself in the battlefield business after having the Curse of Styx is because he knew that the deterrence power he possesses is more effective than actually him fighting in the battlefield. As long as no one knew, people would always associate Aero with invincibility. Each time he went into the battlefield, there is always a risk that the world would find out that he had a weakness. There is a reason why people fear the name of Aero of the East. There is a reason why those adventurers when they saw Aero, they run away from the battlefield regardless of the punishment that they would probably be charged with after the matter settled. This is because they all know that Aero is invincible. There is no weapon that could hurt him and magic seems to bounce of him like he is some kind of a deflecting particles. But once it is revealed, that all it took is an arrow to his ankle for him to die, then that deterrence power would then be rendered useless. There would not be such a scene where people are running away just by seeing his face. It would not be like now where all the soldiers that is riding their warhorses behind him is full of determination and confidence that they would win this battle. This is the reason why he rarely participates in battle himself. It is more profitable to appear invincible, than being invincible in itself. But to the enemy, the current Aero is pretty invincible. There is no one that could even last one second against him as he slashes his Heaven Sword. The power and the blast that is generated just by one slash of his swing kills dozens of people and cut them to pieces. They were cut so cleanly one could see their innards organs like some cross section of the human body. The area behind Aero shows a gruesome trails of reddish muddy mushy ground. These mushy ground is not only because of the morning mist but also because when Aero kills people and he charges forward, a stampeding force would appear a second later by the cavalry. these cavalry warhorses would then trample down on the corpses. Their bodies were stampeded and mashed with the ground, turning mushy with the soils. It is like one making a meat batter. With each stomp, the bones cracked and the flesh ripped apart and mesh with the spoils. One could hardly tell the difference between the ground and the meat of the people that had fallen. None could stop Aero advancing toward Alexander. As such, the generals of Alexander also become more concerned as Aero come closer and closer to his objective Pericles could also see this and he tried to break through and send a unit toward Alexander area But how could Kyle who was seeing Aero effort let Pericles do such a thing. He smiles and then he shouted toward Pericles ''Pericles, do you think I am a bad playing mate? Don''t go away. I am not done playing!'' he shouted and then he laughs. He signals an order and the formation of his army changes it tactics. Some move forward while some retreated uniformly to the back Then they spread out and then move forward even more as the back move backward even more There is like a circle that have many holes and there behind that circle is what appears to be unorganized units that slowly spread out and create line formation that is short and not at all long there is a partial circle that is circling around Pericles area. There is also gaps in the circle formation. Some of the enemy soldiers did not understand these tactics. They try to go through the gap and Kyle smiles These soldiers were attack by both of the soldiers on the side before coming out from that gap only to find a few hundred meter ahead there is a line formation of Vanheim forces waiting for them. The line formation pushed the soldiers back to the gap and then the soldiers that is on the side of that gap would collide with the enemy forces from left and right and from the top. With that completed, the top would then merge with the circle formation creating slowly a circle formation around Pericles army, not letting any of Pericles soldiers to get out from that radius of control that Kyle had set up with his military formation This is the combination of Kyle ingenious tactics and with the disciplined soldiers of the Empire ability to execute such a high level military formation it works perfectly This is the testament of the Empire power when they are united. Unlike Aero, Kyle is not the kind of generals that would fight in the front. His style is calm and composed. This style is cultivated after his defeat from Aero. It lacks the hot blooded style of Aero and lack that flair of charisma that differentiated Aero form his other contemporaries in warfare. But Kyle always manage to minimize danger and damage to the core strength of the army and achieve victory with efficiency. It is not to say that his tactics is better than Aero. One could say they are a different kind of generals It is simply that the tactic Aero could do, is a tactic he could not do. He could not be the tip of the sword cutting everything in his path while maintaining the same speed of movement Aero on the other hand is different. His ability and his strength could break through the liens like they were some fragile branches from a tree. He only need one slash from his Heaven Sword to cut down a shield wall and trample them down with his horses. And then before the line could reform, the cavalry that follow Aero from behind would stampede them and pierced them with spears or slash them with their sword. This is the difference between them \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 343 FOR VICTORY And on the middle is Aero, cutting through people like they were leaves. If one looks at the battlefield from above, one could see that there is a straight line created in the middle of the battlefield. There is a trail, a straight line. This straight line is empty and is not filled with people as there is only dead people in this straight line. That straight line keep moving closer to Alexander personal force deep in the enemy lines. Pericles saw that thing are becoming dire and the moment he tried to leave a few units to stop Kyle, Kyle managed to stop his effort by creating a circle formation as inside that circle, that is slowly coming closer, the fight between Kyle forces and Pericles forces is being fought. There are some that managed to break through the circle formation only to see there is another circle formation in front of them They were caught by other Kyle units in the echelon and thrown back into the circle. Soon enough, Kyle men began breaking through the ranks of defense. Some of them find gaps in the faltering Pericles ranks, others outflanking their line from the north. It is clear that Pericles himself in a dire strait right now. Pericles could only pray to the Gods that Alexander would remain safe as he charges forward toward Kyle main force. On the other hand, in the middle part of the battlefield, Aero eyes shines brightly as he come closer and closer toward Alexander personal force. He saw an opening. And without stopping his horse, he shouted so that everyone could hear him ''MEN! Follow me to victory!'' His personal guard behind him echoes his words as they follow Aero charging to the enemy fearlessly, trampling and killing anyone that block their way forward. Aero white horse is now red because of the blood of his enemies that had washed over it. Breaking though another line of enemies, he finally saw the personal guards of King Alexander. ''Alexander meet your end! For the Empire! Aero shouted and behind him, his cavalry men, stampeding over the bodies of the infantry also shouted, ''For the Empire!'' The personal guards of Alexander are not only consisted of warriors but also mages and the moment they saw Aero they all quickly rushed forward to try to defend against the charge Alexander was shocked to see that Aero had already reached his main camp. His expression become harder and then he shouted back ''I will meet your sword!'' Alexander shouted back Alexander himself did not want to lose against Aero. He believes he is good enough to fight against the reputed Aero of the East. Aero smiles as he keeps going forward. ''Attack him! Mages, get ready!'' The mages waited and then the captains of these mages shouted ''Release!'' The mages unit all throws fireballs at him. But with one slash of his sword, the fireballs were sliced apart, deflecting to the other side of the battlefield ''Chancellor Aero of Vanheim, your enemy is me!'' Suddenly someone shouted and as the dust were blown by the wind, a figure of a large man holding a broadsword It was Iothian. On the other side, there is another mage unit that was led by Iapetus. For some reason he had managed to get out from Quentin attack. But it is clear that he did no come out unscathed as he had lost one of his arms. But the one-unit mage that is protecting King Alexander is none other Alexander most trusted generals, Iothian Iothian is one of Alexander most trusted generals and one that Alexander thought as his left arm. Aero did not fear Iothian. This kind of warrior would not be able to defeat him He is not even afraid of Zeus; why would he be afraid of some mortal men? These mages all come charging to him. There is large magical shield that is in front of him and they all have all kinds of elements. It is clear that they hope that the magic shield would stop Aero advance. There is also mage preparing their elemental attacks that they would surely use to bombard him While the others would be afraid of such magic, Aero only laughed. His laugh was very carefree, like he was just strolling around the park and find something very funny. If one heard his laugh, one would not think that they are in a harsh battlefield and instead might think that they are in park, looking peacefully at the moving sceneries all around The mages prepare their spell and they hurl all of their spell at the same time. Dark sharps knives appear from the void and flies to the air, targeting Aero. Fireballs were conjured up by one of the mages by making an array up in the sky. A large fireball was produced, filling up half the area. Stream of water appears on one of the female mages hand ''Form!'' that female mage shouted and the water morphed into a spear. Sharp wind gales appear on another mages hand as he gestures with his hand and the sharp gales of wind fly toward Aero And another mage raises up Earth Wall to stop Aero from advancing. It is like they were not confident that a magical shield could stop him that they have to make sure that even if he manages to break through the magic shield, there is another obstacle in front of him. Aero laugh because he found the effort of these mages seems to be funny to him This is because dark magic, light magic, fire magic, water, wind and earth magic would all be rendered useless. His resistance against these types of magic is all Supreme rank. Unless they have an Archmage whose level reaches the level of a God, then they would not be able to hurt him Archmage that reach near the God level would have either Divine magic or Demonic magic that is a tier higher than normal magic. That is a magic that is touching the domains of Gods. It is only that kind of magic that could hurt him. And that is just hurting him To kill him even with Divine magic would be a hard feat unless they targeted at his weakness. Aero did not even bother with Iothian as he looks at the attack that is coming toward him and sneer with disdain. He opens his mouth and sucked the air around him and then he opens his mouth. ''HAH!'' He roars like a lion and a deafening roars echoes all over the Plain. The air around him distorted and a blast of shockwave rolled up the ground in front of him and tore down the Earth Wall that the mage had just created It was like the Earth wall is just a wall of sand, with one gust of wind, it broke down The fireballs that were thrown at him were extinguished by that roar. The streams of water that morphed into a spear was about to reach his body when that roars turns it into vapor of gas. The dark sharp knives that come from the void disintegrated the moment that roars shockwave passes it. Aero had use the Divine Roar again. He could use the Divine Roar three times a day. This is his second time using it. It is not like he couldn''t kill them with his sword But he always errs on the side of being cautious. For such large area of effect spells, if one of them hits the area around his ankle, it would reduce his health and his endurance. His godly roaring still echoes across the battlefield even as the mages that attack him with the elements were thrown backward by the shockwave of the roar All of the nearby enemy soldiers all had their morale plummeting and some had their ears bleeding. Some were thrown backward. The shockwave rolls up the ground and created sonic attack and shockwave all at the same time. Aero could move freely as his horse either stomp those who were late to retreat from his path or passes through the dazed soldiers who lost their balance after hearing the roar His red horse valiantly runs across the plain and Aero holding his gleaming white sword that is shining because of the reflection of the slowly rising sun of the morning, look particularly heroic. It is a scene that many of those who follow the battle in Coro had long not seen. Aero of the East, the General Who Pacified the North is back! ''For victory!'' He shouted and the soldiers roars with him, the roar shakes the sky and the owl that perched on the banner of the fallen soldiers of Vanheim flew back to the clouds, like it had seen the conclusion of the battle. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 344 NARRATIVE OF THE STORY Aero dash forward with his now red horse, laughing while killing his enemies, his sword glare flew from each of his strikes. The fighting around him is the most difficult with all kinds of warriors and fighters all in the action. Yet Aero trample through them like he was riding in an empty plain. The mages did not even have the chance to stand up before Aero horse stamped down on their face as their entire head was crushed into the ground like a pine nut being crushed. The brain matter of the mages spluttered out from their cranium as Aero slash forward with his Heaven Sword. The sound of bones breaking and screams of pain was drowned out by Aero strikes. Each time he slashes his sword, a wind tearing sound echoes in the battlefield. Half of the battlefield is burning fire, courtesy of the mages that possess fire magic. They created all kinds of obstacles in hoping that Aero would not be able to pass the line of fire. ''Onwards!'' he shouted as his horse cut through the blazing fire that fill the area around him. Aero slashing left and right against any warriors that try to block his ways and more and more Veranis soldiers fall down and form a pile of bodies along Aero path. These warriors are all elite warriors. They could all kill monster easily and fought dozens of people by their lonesome. But faced with Aero sword, they were like paper tigers. None of them could even cut even one single hair on Aero body. Instead, when they attack, they would found out that their attack would be deflected, countered or broken Like an unbreakable steel, whatever that attacked his body, whether it be swords, spears or polearm, all of them break upon contact. Aero focused his eyes on the prize. But as he passed through the fallen and as he keeps slashing his way forward, his mind is thinking about a lot of things. Most importantly, the aftermath of this battle. Aero had many strategies before the battle begins. But when the battle begins, Aero had always intended in one on one fight. He wanted to take Alexander head in this battle and disperse any intention of Veranis of ever stepping on Vanheim territory again There is many reason for this decision. The advantages all lies with his army. He caught the enemy unprepared. He caught them with diminished soldiers. He caught them in a position where their morale is low. This is all the advantages that he had created for the forces of Vanheim There is nothing else to be done than win the fight. He also had the chance to remind the world who is the Chancellor. Today, is the day that the world would remember Aero of the East and why he is feared That has always been going on in his mind. He did not like being framed like that at all. He wanted to stage a comeback in the most impactful way possible. All this planning and all the scheming eventually is for his returns to the Imperial Court. Only by returning to the court, that he could assume back his full power. To Aero, his power had never lies in his Curse of Styx. Many people believed that the strength of Aero lies in his prowess in battle. But he did not think so. And he had never believed so As the Chancellor, the power he held in the Six Council is an invisible power that people could not see. That is why Eric would do everything he could to try to kill him. Because he knows that the value of Aero, is not on his prowess but on his value as the Chancellor of a great empire Aero one word could move millions of people and could shape the destinies of millions. His strategy had enable Vanheim to become a world superpower nation. As a warrior, Aero could change the tide of the battlefield with his prowess. But he alone could not destroy a nation, conquer kingdoms and bring down an Empire. But as the Chancellor, the ruler of the Six Councils that supervise and oversee everything about the Empire, one sealed order form him could destroy smalls states and kingdoms without him ever moving from his seat. This is power. And that is the power that Aero wanted back. He could always return to Vanheim before. But he never did The Emperor would shield him at that time because the Emperor needs him to stabilize the divisive Six Councils. If at that time he returned, the court would once again fall into his control. But Aero knows, that is just optimistic thinking. If he had returned before his name is cleared, while people would fear him as always, he would not be respected. Respect has a certain type of power over people. He spends less time doing thing because people respect him. There is also the fact that if he returns without clearing his name, his reputation would be besmirched. As he had always stressed upon people, reputation have a certain power over the people The higher you are in society, the more important a reputation is to you. No one cares about the reputation of some beggar begging on the street. But people cares about the dignity of the monarch and the reputation of its minister. The moment Aero lost that reputation, the people of Vanheim would no longer respect him and with the loss of respect, the Emperor had a lot of ways to bring him down. Either the Emperor would try to bring him down, the end result which would not be pretty or the emperor would try to force him to submit None of that options are something that Aero could stomach. If he returns without clearing his name, he would only give the initiative to the Emperor and once that initiative is given, there is no returning back from that path Once he did that, his power in the Imperial Court, while outwardly would appear like nothing had changed, there will always be that subtle feeling among the people, that he had been under the grace of the Emperor and submitted to him. The reason why people acknowledges him as the true guiding hand of the Empire is because, he never owed anything to anyone in the Imperial Court. Those that he owed, he could always pay back. But if he returns, and accept the protection of the Emperor than that is a silent acknowledgement of the Emperor power over him. And he would owe the Emperor. And the price for that debt would surely be steep. While Aero did not mind giving the power to the Emperor, there were some things that he had found out in his moments of hiding that had given him sufficient reason to be wary of the Emperor that he had thought as a fool before It appears a lion would not beget a dog. Edward is not as meek and timid as he had believed that young Emperor to be. And for Aero, as he now has only one live to life, he is very reluctant to give up power to a person who had always hated his gust and probably the single biggest obstacle for the young Emperor to assume full control of the Six Council and the Imperial Court. He needs to have insurance. And what better insurance is there other than being the Chancellor of the Empire? As such, Aero had decided to clear his name before returning. And he already had the narrative all figured out. And he is building that narrative now by winning this war. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 345 KILLING INTEN A sound of explosion from far away shock the battlefield. Aero suddenly break out from his contemplation when a rain of arrows is flying toward him. All of it is travelling toward him with powerful momentum and leaving a trail of distorted area as the arrow sails the air. Aero only smiles as his hand moves ''This is not enough to kill me!'' Aero shouted. Every once in a while Aero would taunt the enemies. One of the effect is to raise the morale of his army, the other is to weaken the morale of the enemy He slashes forward with his sword, a powerful momentum surged from his hand to his sword. A sword light cut through the air and a gust of wind appears. WHOOSH! The wind changes course and the force of his slash, deflected all the arrows to go to the direction where his sword light pointed. He kept riding and each time a volley of arrows falls toward his direction, he would do the same moves Aero is also using the Divine Sword technique as he fought against the enemy soldiers. When the situation is this advantageous, the battle become simple. He just need to keep killing and winning. There are times Aero strategize even during the fight in the battlefield. But for this particular battle, he did not need to do that. This battle is only complicated during the earlier part. The implication and effect of the war itself is more worrying than the battle itself. Because Veranis connected the east and west roads. That is why the matter of Veranis rebelling is more impactful and more dangerous than fighting the battle against Veranis forces itself The reason why Aero made so many preparation is all so that when the battle commence, they are poised for victory. And this is what happens right now. The path of victory has been laid out by his plan. There is only one thing he needs to do right now. As Aero passes through another mages unit that unsuccessfully try to do the same tactic and got sliced by him, he charges straight toward Iothian. His cavalry behind him on the other hand trample on the mages or pierce them with their long spears ''Onwards!!'' the soldiers roar with their war god and their shouts raise their morale and weaken the enemies. Aero unleashes his Killing Intent as he keeps moving forward and that create a heavy pressure around him that causes the wind flow around him to spirals out of control. More and more generals of Alexander moved out from their position to stop Aero advance. Aero did not feel worried about this. He is not even feeling pressured He laughed with happiness. No one could hear his laughter amidst the din of battles and the sound of sword clashing, shield banging and the cacophony of screams and shouts He felt quite overjoyed. If this a normal battle, whatever happens to one general is of no consequences as long as the objective of the war could be accomplished. But because of Alexander safety, his generals and commanders had to abandon their carefully crafted plans, had to change their military formations and had to abandon advantageous position all so that they could save the King Aero targeted Alexander from the very beginning. That is why he cut through the middle center, ignoring the other two flanks. Because he knows that even if he ignores the other two flanks, Kyle would be able to contain the back and with him rushing through unimpeded toward Alexander, sooner or later, the generals of Veranis had to abandon their position to save their king. Because a king is much like a chess pieces in the game of chess They could only take one step yet all of the chess piece need to protect it. Because without a king, the game is lost Alexander fancy himself as a warrior King. In the Vilajeri Continent, there is only one King that Aero acknowledges as a true Warrior King and that is not Alexander He is of course talking about King Zeus of Veva. That is a true Warrior King. Instead he is too good at it, at that warrior part, that Aero believes that if Zeus was instead a general, he would be more suited to that position than he is of being King. Nonetheless, Aero is happy with the current situation. Because the movement of these generals from their position had opens ups many weaknesses of their flanks which could be taken advantage of by the Vanheim forces in the back The other captain and commander of the Vanheim forces uses these to chip away at the flanks and the disorderly lines. In chaos one could not know whether they are in the winning side or losing side. That is battle. But Aero knows, he is in the winning side As he keeps killing the enemy, his killing intent become more palpable and solid. Even his army could feel that they are slowly being affected by their general killing intent Aero eyes are slowly turning vicious Aero like using this skill when he is at battle. Or one could said if he did not use it, he would probably not break through the rank and this skill would become useless This is one of the hardest skill for him to rank up Some of his skill requires him to do a fated quest. Some other requires skill point. But his killing skill is different It requires him to keep killing If from the beginning Aero had cultivated the image of a murdering fiend, then it would not be had for Aero to do such thing. Maybe he would slaughter a lot of people to perfect his skill. Easiest way was for him to register as mercenaries and fight all over the world, killing and improving his killing intent to the highest level. But he already had cultivated the image of an elegant and otherworldly divine strategist and statesman. If he kills people without reason, then this reputation that he had built for years would be wasted just like that Only in war could he unleash this killing intent. As for the soldiers that fought alongside him, they find nothing weird with the Chancellor behavior of killing people in the battlefield If not for the Chancellor insistence to remain in civil office, there is no doubt that all military power in the Empire would listen to him Even in the court, the military faction revered him as the War God of this generation. Aero has to win this war. But he also wanted to maximize his benefits. He wanted to kill as much people he could to rank up his killing intent. Killing and bloodshed place like a battlefield in a war is the perfect place for him to kill and hone his killing intent. As he activated his killing intent a baleful aura rises up and swirls around him. It even affects his horse as his horse eyes turns red and also produces baleful aura. More people appears and charging toward Aero. Some of them rides their horses while some other was mages, Druids and warriors of all kinds. They were throwing themselves at him. Aero did not complain. He keeps moving onwards, slashing all the way to Alexander. He slashes his sword without stopping, and blood splashes on his horse that is also trampling those who were in the ground. Then he was diverted by an attack on his flank. But Aero was not panicked in the least. A spear corps tries to attack his horse. But Aero killing intent is not something so easy to break through. He slashes the incoming spear strike and the metal spear were cut cleanly in two he just need to kill more and then he would gain his bearing. He waded deep, turns his horse and kill his way and regain back his direction And then he started riding again toward Alexander Aero is now deep in the enemy line. Some generals of Alexander forces saw that Aero no longer dash forward during that moment where he was diverted ''Envelope them!'' One of the generals shouted. But the forces of Quentin quickly send his infantry to block these forces from enveloping Aero army Quentin was at the rear and as such, the moment the enemy changes their formation Quentin knows what the other generals tries to do On the battlefield right now, Aero is in the deep. There was a layer enveloping them but Quentin timely assistance stop this enveloping process by attacking their flanks and by plugging up the middle Aero and his band of men could continue fighting. Aero killing intent become even more solid and even more pressuring. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 346 OLD MEMORIES Each area he passed made the warriors who had low mental resilience would be stunned and Aero would just do a simple slash to take their life. They were stunned because of fear when Aero passes around them. That is how powerful the killing intent that he had now. The killing mist that spreads out of him is becoming even wider and it disrupt the minds of the enemies, weaken their bodies and increased their fear towards him. Each strikes that Aero unleashes is infused with the killing intent that is now growing inside his heart. As such, his strike become heavier and become even sharper. Even if there is a boulder in front of him, one slash is all it took to crumble it to dust. Not slice it into two. But turning it into dust. This means his attack possesses a certain sharp cutting energy that disintegrate the boulder entire composition. This is how killing intent strengthen its practitioner. Aero eyes slowly turning redder as each moment passes. There is a hint of killing intent even in his gaze and reddish veins appears very clearly on his arm One did not have to imagine the height of his power right now. He was already very strong before his killing intent was activated. It is not quite right to call him just strong. He was divinely strong, blessed by the Curse of the Styx, one of the rivers of the Underworld. There is also the blessing of Athena upon him, the Goddess of War herself, blesses him. With this much advantages and abilities stacked on him, it would be quite extraordinary in itself, if Aero did not become as strong as he is now. Aero one slash would slice dozens of people at once. They were all sliced cleanly that before their sliced part slide down from their body, they did not even realize that they were already cut down Those who were slight out of range would suffer some injuries and those who is in close range had only one fate, which is death Aero slowly become more accustomed to this killing intent usage as with each strike, he is familiarizing himself with these emotions that is bubbling inside his heart This skill strengthens him but gnaws on his sanity. He had also begun to feel more suitable in killing people. After all, during Purgatory he had use it once. However, it is not only benefits that the Killing intent brought to him. he also experiences negative feeling. It is a feeling of sadness, despair and loneliness. He did not know how to explain this feeling that made him feel all of this. As he keeps killing, there is some images in his mind flashing by. A memory of some sort. Aero think this is one of his memory when he is in Western Heaven The water spills out from the white tub. The woman looks lifeless but beautiful. Was it a smile? Or was it a sad expression on her face? Aero could not see it clearly. She then slowly submerged herself into the tub and the water spills out more quickly. The water that spills out is in a different color. Aero is now in front of that white tub. And he looks at the water that is flowing around his feet. And the water is red. And he swears he could smell blood. Seeing it, he felt his head is filled with all kinds of memories. He saw a woman holding out his hand. Aero saw himself shook that hand "I hoped I didn''t come off as rude the last time we met. My name is Amelia. You could call me Amy" And she smiles at him and there is this feeling of warmth. Like he was out in a beautiful day of summer, and playing under the sun Then another memory appeared in his mind. He is holding the hand of that woman as he leaned to her ears and said "I''m holding your hand" she blushes and said "I know" "You said you changed your mind so why let me?" she leaned on his ears and whispers to him while smiling "I don''t know either" And then there is a slight chuckle from him. And Aero also smiles. And then he asks her, even though he too was smiling and chuckling. "Why are you smiling? Is this the time to smile?" "I just find it funny" she said "What is so funny?" he asked. She turned to face him and said "When I''m with you, I felt anything is possible" she said to him and Aero could finally see the face clearly. She was beautiful. That is his first thought. He looks at her lips and he gulped. And the nape of her neck invite desire. He could smell her and he felt the scent is very familiar. She just smiles a naughty smile "If you want to kiss me, you can" she said flashing an inviting smile to him "Even if you do not ask, I will help myself" Aero said and he grabbed her and kissed her passionately. He felt special. Because he is with her. Her scent fills him. Then the memory change and there is that image of the white tub and the red water spilling out from the tub and her face submerged inside the full water tub, that lifeless face. All of those happy memories is like a curse now. Each happy moment, had all led to that scene of him, in front of that tub, seeing red water filling the floors of the bathroom and all the happy memories crumbles. Aero felt desolation, fear, anger, despair, all of this negative feeling nearly controls him. He almost become mad with sadness. No, that is not quite accurate. If there is something beyond sadness, it is that feeling he is feeling right now Sadness could not describe the feeling he felt when he saw that red water. The memory seems vague and uncertain and yet, it affected his mind negatively Aero roars ''HAH!'' and he regains back his mind. It is still dizzy and his eyes seems to produce tears. He felt sadness that is beyond him. He felt all kinds of emotions he had not thought he had. All kinds of question fill his mind. Who is that woman? Amy. He answered the question himself Amelia. Amy. He thought to himself to never forget this name. he believes that the memory that flashed by inside his mind is the memory of when he is the Western Heaven. He suddenly remembers he is still in a battlefield and then he looks around him. And it shocks him When he looks around him, around five-meter radius area around him, there is an empty zone. All around this empty zone is corpses. The Veranis soldiers look at him with trepidation and fear all written in their face. Their hands are trembling and some were stunned so bad that they kneel in the ground because their feet could not move In Aero mind, all of that happens in just a few seconds and he did not have any recollection of killing people. He thought he was rendered unconscious when that memory flashed by inside his mind But what he didn''t know, what he thought spans only a few seconds is actually a few minutes Five minutes to be exact And in that span of five minute something shocking had happened in the battlefield for the soldiers of Veranis who pitted themselves against Aero \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 347 KILLING INTEN It is more like the killing intent take over his body. At that time, he was the personification of the god of slaughter. His objective is simply to kill, anything and everything around him. Life forms are things that it hated the most and that Aero is not like Aero who uses the Killing intent to strengthen his attack. Killing intent is like a double edged sword. When it became concentrated enough, it would instead control the action of the practitioner. For other people, this kind of skill that sacrifice sanity for power would probably be liked by those who were maniacs or have no attachments But that is not the case for Aero. During that time, his Heaven Sword shines differently like it is being influenced by the mood of its wielder. In that five minutes, dark reddish aura swirls around his Heaven Sword. It nearly negates the heaven blessing of using the Heaven Sword And Aero of the East went berserk. Blast of red aura appears in each of his sword strike and each of his movement was so fast it become a blur off red line. When these red line passes through any living beings, they would all be dead a few second alter, with a thin sharp straight line on their neck Each of his sword slashes slice down the space around him. Space nearly teared apart with his strike. If even space, a concept of such powerful fixture of reality is distorted by a simple sword strike, one could only imagine the power of that strike when it strikes upon the soldiers. Some of them were not only slice apart, they were disintegrated like they were struck by some devilish fire. His steps create a massive quake and rises up a big chunk of the ground toward the air. More than fifty soldiers that charged bravely toward him were killed in one slash. Those mages that hurls all kinds of magic toward him was cut down by an invisible sword force that come from Aero slash. They all were cut down cleanly on their waist. The mages were still throwing their magic to Aero as their upper body slid down from their waist and then they realize that they were already cut down by Aero Sound of screams echoes for a second before it is replaced by silence. In that five minutes, Aero broke through the effort of one of the generals of Alexander to halt his advance. Of course at that time, Aero was not conscious of his own action. With him swinging wherever there is people and combined that with his strength, he kills a lot of people in that time span of five minutes. When that general himself come attacking, using a large halberd, Aero who now appears like a demon, that even his golden armor is drenched red with the blood of his enemy only slashes upwards Aero then kills every single personal guard that the general had. All of them die a gruesome death as the killing intent round Aero rises up into the air, like it is surging to the sky above and slowly filling the entire battlefield with killing intent That is what happens during that brief period of five minutes and that is why these soldier is looking at Aero with such expression of fear and dread on their faces. Aero was about calm himself down when suddenly there is a notification from the system [The host had ranked the Killing Intent to Master (VI) level] [The host could now use Slashing Through Life and Death thrice a week because of the effect of Killing Intent ranking up] Aero check the status as the soldiers of Veranis did not dare approach him. On the background there is still the sound of explosion and people fighting and dying. But on this area around Aero there is silence and cautiousness. Aero check the description of the skill quickly KILLING INTENT (VI) MASTER RANK Killing intent is produced from killing people and monster. To rank up the skill one had to kill and experience bloodshed. At current rank, you could produce a baleful aura and a killing intent mist that could disrupt one mind, weaken their bodies and made them instantly fear you. The killing intent could also solidify itself and act like an invisible shield that would protect the host internal organs and strengthen the host defense. At the Master rank, you now also have the ability to infuse the killing intent of your hearts into your strikes and attack. Also have the ability to create a layer of protection from other people killing intent and killing attack. The range that it affects people increased and the detrimental effect toward enemy increased even more. Very useful in intimidating people and would even give you more energy when fighting and killing while enveloping oneself with killing intent. However, do be careful to not be swallowed by the negative emotion that could make one to do regrettable things as ranking higher using this skill would undoubtedly increase the effect of the negative emotions that is hidden deep in one hear. -Require more killing to rank up the skill- \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e He also checks the Slashing Through life and Death skill SLASHING THROUGH LIFE AND DEATH (SPECIAL RANK) A skill derived from your dedication to killing and bloodshed. This skill would gather all the killing intent around you to produce a strike that would take all the lives of people around you. The effect of this strike and its range of attack depends on the amount of killing intent that is around you. It could not differentiate friend and foe, so be prudent before using it. [Powerful people who have measure of extra protection or powerful spell that could neutralize some of the killing intent around them might have the chance to survive this attack. Someone who is cursed to be Immortal by the Gods would not be affected by this strike] Because of its tremendous power to manipulate the killing intent, you could only use this strike thrice before it could be used again next week. It is recommended that the host increases the rank of Killing Intent to supplement this skill. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Aero thought of his Killing Intent and something shocking happened almost immediately Aero killing intent ballooned up that it even affects the enemy at the rear and his own men on the back There was pressure unlike any others and Aero eyes turns completely red and his hair grew quickly, becoming long reaching below his shoulders. This time Aero felt like if he let this killing aura to explode completely, he would lose his rationality But then Aero shouted as he deactivates the Killing Intent skill. His hair shrink back to its original length But the enemy around him is still dazed. Aero did not let this opportunity go as he uses his horse to collide with this dazed soldiers, and he provide support by swinging his sword left and right, reaping lives as he rides the blood stained grass of the Plain Aero did not realize it. But from the start of the battle, he had killed more than ten thousand people. Without the army behind him, it would not be this easy to kill this many. Sometimes, the soldier that he had met is already weakened and one simple slash is enough to kill them. This is not like the time in Purgatory where he is alone fighting the world. Even his achievement skill had now gain the benefit. Aero knows how powerful the Slashing Through Life and Death as a skill. The thicker his killing intent and the more concentrated it is, the larger the area of effect and the more dangerous its power. As he was engrossed in thinking of the sudden improvement, Aero instinct told him to there is an attack He looks to his side and he saw a spear with powerful force swirling around it entire body heading toward him ''GO DIE!'' Someone shouted in the distance. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 348 ALONE IN THE BATTLEFIELD A sound of explosion filled the air. The spear breaks through the space around it A spear flies through the air, straight and swift like lightning as it pierced Aero horse in the head. Aero thought that spear is targeting him. Who would have thought that the target of the spear is his horse? That horse head exploded into mass of opened up meat flesh as Aero jump upwards and landed backwards. A soldier immediately tries to slash his back. Aero could feel the wind that is preceding the saber attack. He was still calm, though a little shock at the death of his horse. The saber of that soldier connected with his back. The soldier was elated for a second before hearing the sound of metal cracking and then to his surprise, the saber breaks into two parts. Aero did not even turn his face to meet his attacker as he uses a backhand attack, the back of his fist smack onto the soldier side of the head. The metal helmet that the soldier was bent in a weird way as the head of that soldier exploded like a watermelon being smashed into the hard ground. A few other soldiers attacked him from the front, screaming in anger as their weapons thrusted forward. Aero look at his feet and saw a few pebbles. Aero kick the stone pebble in front of his feet. A powerful force envelope this pebble as it moves upward because of the force of the kick The stone pebble flew toward the soldiers, piercing their flesh like a bullet. All of this took time to describe but it all happen in a few second. A few other attack him from a distance using magic. Aero uses his finger to shoot sword energy toward these mages as they all died in an instant. In that few second, Aero had killed around thirteen people. A few more rushes toward him from his left and right. Aero use his other free hand to uses palm attack he slams his palm toward the soldier chest. Each of his palm strike caved in their chest, or break every connected bones around the strike area Each of his palm strike has a powerful hidden force that worsen the injuries of those who were attacked by it. Most of them died of internal injury inflicted by one single palm strike from Aero. In just a few seconds the area around Aero is now empty. There is still some long range attack but Aero could deflect it with his palm or sword so he did not bother too much about it. He now has the time to look at the surrounding. He looks toward that area where the spear come from. Amidst the chaos of the soldiers fighting he could see through the gaps of space around them, Alexander face smirking. Alexander was looking at Aero the whole time. Aero during his rampage was unstoppable. Alexander was wary of Aero reaching him. Since he had such awareness, he had also prepared himself. that spear passes through the gaps of the soldiers fighting and then accurately pierce Aero horse. The horse head exploded with the hidden force that Alexander had put into the spear. Aero landed on the ground and then the commanders all yelled. ''Attack!'' Swarms of soldiers all runs toward him, weapons drawn. Spears, sword sabre, maces and all kinds of weapons is brought out to kill one man. There are even some brave adventurers that did not run that is also charging toward him Aero only smirk looking at this. ''Stupid more like it'' he mutters Aero look around him and all he could see is enemy soldiers. They are all filled with fighting intent, and their killing intent is visible to Aero. They hold desire to kill him and those who have the skill Killing Intent could see this killing intent swirling around their body. Like a sea waves that is about to drown him in its powerful force. But Aero only smiles. He did not activate his killing intent, trying to remain calm and in control of his heart. Even though the sound of the war drums at the back, the sound of people screaming wanting to kill him, arouses his desire to kill, he held himself back. He did not want to use Killing Intent right now. Because he doesn''t know whether he could control it. Killing Intent in the master rank is really powerful. But also at the same time, Aero knows if he uses it, he would lose control of himself For someone who always like control, losing control is a fear. He also did not want to kill his own comrade. He believes that if he lost control again, he would not be as lucky as before Before when he went into a rampage, fortunately enough his soldiers are not nearby And it is not like the Killing intent skill is one of his strongest skill. It is a supplement that strengthen him when he is in battle Just because he couldn''t use Killing Intent did not mean he would lose. He still has the Divine Sword technique. He had rarely uses it since that last time during Purgatory. He also has the Demonic Devil Energy Drain and Sacred Sword Finger. So, he only laughed ARG! KILL HIM! For Veranis! Aero could hear all of this and he shouted, his words drowned their declaration as he said while laughing ''The more the better'' BOOM! They collided with each other. It is like a wave of the sea colliding with an iceberg. A shockwave reverberated around the colliding point. A few shield men bash their shield toward Aero, trying to force him to stumble down. But instead, the shield was broken, and the shield was thrown backward before being trampled by their allies who were still rushing forward. Aero did not just stand there after breaking the shield. He swung his sword upwards. The trajectory of his swing created a crescent sword slash. The force of this crescent slash materialized and cut down the people in front of him. ''COME!'' he shouted Aero starts with the All Encompassing Stance as he cut down the few people around him easily. Someone tried to pierce his body using a polearm. Aero did not dodge. The polearm made contact with his body and exploded into fragment. Aero laughed and he kick the ground. The entire ground was depressed as powerful energy swirls around his entire body. Aero take a step forward, thrust his sword, and Heaven Sword thrust straight to that person neck and Aero quickly retreat back the sword and then made a circling swing with his sword. Those around the range of his attack all had their heads decapitated. All kinds of attack fall into him but with the All Encompassing stance, he could see through the variations and changes of the battle with ease. When people used sword, Aero would use the Sword Conquering stance. None of the sword attack, no matter how beautiful or how powerful could even touch Aero skin. This stance is created to counter swordplay styles. As such, Aero clash his sword, pin the sword of the enemy and in one swift motion, took the opportunity to cut down his enemy easily. In just a few second, he had killed around few dozen soldiers. And it is increasing as his attack become faster and faster that some people would only see a glare of light before dying. Each of his sword attack is meant to kill and every moves are lethal and possess some kind of power that forces anyone that use the sword to be countered. Aero eyes shines with brilliance. His Heaven Sword is sharp and his attack is lethal. There is no deadlier combination than this. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 349 DEMON-LIKE Aero is now being circled by the enemy, swarming him. But he still is standing and he is standing like a mountain in his place, as he kills everyone that is attacking him. He needs only one move to break each and every moves that the enemies could dish out on him. Standing there, unmoving, only sword glares and sword light shooting out from each of his slash, Aero appear unmovable. It didn''t matter what kinds of weapons they use, or what kinds of moves and attack they used, Aero would counter in one move, and killing them in another. With his powerful hand, the impact of his slash affect many people. Each step he takes, cracks the ground. And each strike of his sword distort the air and created a tearing sound in the area. As such when this powerful impact bear down on the Veranis soldiers, they would instantly die of pain. Even if they somehow survived, they would be too injured to even wake up and try to fight Aero Aero is truly like a War God fighting all the mortals in this battle. As he is fighting near King Alexander camp, Kyle is making headways as Pericles is now rushing to aid the King. With that, Kyle had an easier job. The enemy flanks were destroyed and Kyle is now attacking the rear of the unit that tries to trap Aero cavalry unit. Aero and the cavalry unit was separated when he was diverted and when he went berserk, the commander had already given order to his men to not enter Aero killing range. As such when the dust settles and the enemy soldiers suddenly swarmed toward their Chancellor, the cavalry unit started to charge only to be trapped inside a disorderly lines of enemies that is preventing them from going forward and attacking them from the back. Fortunately, Kyle had destroyed the flanks and quickly marches his soldiers and send a unit ahead to help Aero cavalry forces. Quentin is also making headway on his flank. Iothian and Iapetus already left the frontlines and is travelling to the back with their unit to support and aid the King tor retreat safely. By now, the trend of winning seems to be on the side of Vanheim They however have not lost completely. There are still many fortresses around here. And there are still many villages that have been brought under Veranis control where they could retreat towards. There is still a chance for a comeback. As such, as long as King Alexander lives, there is a chance for another day. But a war is not that easy. Just because they want to retreat, did not mean the enemy would let them retreat. Instead the more they wanted to retreat, the more their enemies won''t let them And that is what Aero is doing. And even if he tried to retreat. Aero would not allow it. Alexander is still thinking of waiting for Antonius reinforcement. The banner of the Vanheim Empire soars proudly in the air as one unit after another break through the lines of warriors and mages of Vanheim and pushing even harder toward the frontline of the enemies. It is clear now that the battle is nearly decided. Kyle manage to break the encirclement and reunited with Aero cavalry unit. The moment he arrives he takes control of the situation quickly, rendering aid as fast possible, creating gaps in the enemy defenses and form that gap, Kyle orders aim to widen that gap and break through from many gaps all at once. Kyle formation force the enemy liens to be disordered. Each time it shows any resemblance of being reorganized, Kyle would break it and force it apart again. With the cavalry unit working together, they puncture a hole in the already fragile defensive measures by the generals of Veranis army to delay him. ''Go help your commander. We will hold the line!'' Kyle shouted to the captain of the cavalry unit. The captain of the cavalry unit breaks through one of the gaps and rides toward Aero. Aero right now is in killing spree. By now a thousand people had died under his sword. And his appearance seems to change a bit. Aero is starting to slowly infuse killing intent in his sword. He knows he could not control the Killing intent skill with mastery so he is slowly trying to master it. And while some other skill are bets mastered during clam situation, the Killing Intent is a skill that is best understood during battle. Aero did not remember the past clearly. But he knows in the past that if they died they could be revived. So, probably there is no such fear that they will die since they could be revived infinitely. But now, now, that dying is a possibility, there is this adrenaline surge that fill his body, screaming to survive Aero who knows his own weakness fears greatly that someone would attack his ankle. But he still keeps fighting. Because there are too many things that he could lose by not fighting. At the same time, as his killing intent is slowly activated, there is a change on his entire person He is slowly turning to a demon-like appearance. His hair grew longer, his eyes is bright red rubies and his features turns demonic. From his gaze and his facial features, he truly looks like a demon from the Eastern Heaven This is the effect of the Demon of the Battlefield. At that time, he killed ten thousand people to get this effect. And now, there is around tens of thousands of people that have died under his sword. As such the title effect of Demon of the Battlefield is activated. As Aero is busy killing the soldiers of Veranis, on the Veranis side, they welcomed another batch of soldiers. By now, supplementing the King side is the reserve army on the fortress that had come after listening to the commotion and receiving the pigeon messages from the other generals to quickly rush toward the battlefield and relief King Alexander from danger and fight against the Vanheimneian force. When Aero had managed to set this ambush, Alexander had also send a pigeon message toward the many fortress that he had around the plains and send an order to reinforce his forces. There were tens of thousands of soldiers that is still marching toward the plain to reach King Alexander side There is also some of those who capitulated to him before that send some of their soldier towards him. Of course not all of them would reach the battlefield at the same time considering each of them come from a different place and their distance is different Now, Alexander main camp is supplied with another ten thousand men, some of them were ordered to go to the flanks to aid the soldiers that is being broken down by Quentin, Kyle and other Vanheim commanders and generals. But this addition did not seem to ease Alexander heart. Just a few kilometers from him, Aero is madly fighting with his soldiers, killing like a demon that crawl his way out of hell. Alexander had always wondered whether the strength of the three Pillars is really true or was it exaggerated. Today, he had found his answer The stories did not exaggerate power of the Three Pillars. Instead, they might have underestimated the true power of the Pillars. Before this, he would not have believed one man could change the entire course of the battlefield. Today, he believes. Aero is a one-man army by himself. If he has an Archmage, maybe it could tangle with Aero for a while but since he did not have such person in his retinue, there is no solution of trying to kill Aero of the East. And it appears the more he kills, the more he comes stronger As such, even the thousand men was added to his army, he did not feel confident at all Quentin and Kyle control the rear so that nobody could stop Aero advances. Even though the reinforcement arrives, they are all on the river on the side of Alexander main camp so, they did not have to worry about being attacked in the rear. Aero is slowly familiarizing himself with the killing intent that he now has. It is thick and at times, it also creates a magic shield-like that would take the attack of mages and the warriors against him The ticker his killing intent, the sturdier the shield become. Aero want to use such defensive properties to his ankle but he found out that for some reason, that demonic killing intent avoid that area of his ankle. Like it is of a different kinds of energy so it did not mix completely. As his killing intent grew stronger, the illusion effects he has on the minds of the weak become even more obvious. Some people when they were face to face with Aero, they would shriek in fear. In their eyes, Aero is now around eight feet high and his eyes is red like blood with his body full of spikes and there are skeletal bones on his back, like he is some kind of demon king. That kind of appearance would surely scare anyone. It is like Aero is some monster that escaped the Underworld. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 350 SOMETHING IS NOT RIGH As he is now fighting in a battlefield, his entire body become stronger, his perception was so fast that it is like he has an eye on his back of the head. No sneak attack escapes him and his instinct become even sharper. Though most of the time, he would let these people attack to land on his body. It is too much of a bother to avoid it. It is better for him to charge through the attack and press on his attack. And because of the title of Demon of the battlefield, his strike also contained the resentment of the dead which lowers the enemy mental strength which in turns would create a cycle of destruction. After all, when their mind and mental strength decreased, they are more susceptible to be caught in the illusion that Aero is some kind of a demon king. Aero rate of killing did not become slow. Instead as time passes, his killing rate become even faster. The suppression effect from the heaven is also helping him. No matter how many people, Alexander throws to him, as long as Aero is not struck in the ankle, he would not die. It is a different case if Alexander have the help of the Gods of Olympus. But, Alexander had broken an oath. This oath might have been uttered by his father but it was binding. And Alexander act of killing his father, that would probably not sit well with Zeus. If Zeus helps Alexander, it is like he acknowledges that Alexander is right. And by doing so, who knows what his others sons would do to him? Alexander is forsaken by the Gods. And as such, there is no miracle that he could pray for. Even though Aero is using the title, he did not intend to follow the Path of Killing that would change his personality. He is quite satisfied at where he is right now At the same time, he is attacking, he also uses the skill Analyze. using this skill seems to be able to resist a bit of the mental corruption of using killing intent. He did not think that there is such an effect. But when he was fighting, he had wanted to analyze one of the items the mages had used to try to kill him and when he uses it, his mind felt a bit lighter. It is like the act of thinking suppresses that mindless feeling of being taken over by bloodlust. As such, Aero is using two skills at once. His killing intent was not as explosive as before, but it is more controllable. This is the ideal usage for Aero A power he could not control is not something he would consider as his power. As such, it is better for the killing intent to be weaker as long as he is in control of it. And Analyze also helps him in determining the people weakness He only need to attack on that area to deliver the most maximum damage. Aero attack is not only limited to using his Heaven Sword His Heaven Sword already gave him so much advantage but he also has the Sacred Sword Finger skill. With each slash, hidden in the terrible chaos of each slash, Aero had also shoot out invisible force of energy from his finger, killing those that is farther away This created even more chaos as it seems like they were attacked by hidden weapons. Just a few minutes had passed, and the piles of bodies around Aero area had increased. Aero even had to jump up and slide down from the hill of bodies. His demonic feature scares some of the soldiers. But each second they remain scared, is a second faster they are going to the Underworld. Aero had never let off anyone. When some soldiers were frozen scared seeing his demonic feature, Aero would simply swing his sword and cut of the head of his enemy With the Divine Sword technique, Sacred Sword Fingers, his title as Demon of the Battlefield and Heaven Sword in his hand, Aero is sweeping through all opposition. Thousand had died as he is moving slowly toward Alexander. After all, not only Aero body is as strong as steel with no weapons that could hurt him, his finger is as sharp as a blade. His finger literally could cut swords He is moving slowly but as surely that night would bring the moon, and the dawn would bring the sun, Aero would surely arrive in front of Alexander and take his life. By this time, Alexander had felt this grave threat to his life as never before. Reinforcement is pouring in as another thousand soldier arrive from one of the chieftains of the plains But for some reason, Alexander did not find security in this number. Aero is decimating them in the battlefield No matter where he goes, he brings with him death and devastation. And then as Alexander was about to retreat backward, a shout echoes in the battlefield. ''Alexander, meet your fate!'' Aero sword drawn is personally attacking Alexander. This feat of Aero would probably shock the world later when the story about this battle relayed to the people of the world. Aero defying all odds, from the other side of the battlefield, cut down through thousands of people, his charge was unimpeded and now he had reach the enemy camp. It is like in chess; a piece of pawn reaches the other side of the chessboard. Alexander did not even have the chance to drawn his own sword. Aero jump above the head of some soldiers, dashing toward Alexander. It appears like a heroic jump, his sword pointed toward the King of Veranis. As the sword come down, everyone around the King jump up. All kinds of magic''s were hurled toward him. Aero uses his roar for the third time today. The magic rebounded upon itself creating an explosion in midair that slows down Aero descent. The dust still fills the area and Aero slashes down. ARGH! The sound of a scream silences the din of battle. Everyone waited to see the conclusion. Some of them gulped in fear. Could it be, that King Alexander, the initiator of this battle against Vanheim, would fall here today Even the soldiers around Aero stop for a second. They hope that Aero had failed. But it is clear that Aero had cut someone. Aero however frowned. ''This is not right'' His eyes could see through the dust and he is clearly not happy. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 351 FROM THE MOUNTAIN And then they saw the dead body and they were shocked but at the same time relieved. The Vanheim forces on the other hand could only sighed. Cut into two, is one of King Alexander friend, Prikrios. In that split moment when Aero was attacked by all the mages and warriors attack, Prikrios, one of the closest generals near Alexander dash forward, push back Alexander and took Aero attack. His fast response had saved Alexander life. Aero at that time did not have the time to change his trajectory Aero shake his head, looking at Prikrios left side and right side split into two and fall on different side of the ground, blood slowly flows from the cross section of the wound. What a waste'' he mutters. Prikrios is an able commander. If Veranis falls into the hand of Vanheim Empire, Aero would love to see him under his command. To die for Alexander is not worthy at all, he thought to himself. As Aero think of this someone attacked him with a spear. Aero did not even turn his body as he slaps the oncoming spear tip with his hand. The spear tip broke into fragments of metal that scattered around the surrounding and the body of the spear is broken before also exploding. ''Protect the King!'' The Veranis soldiers yelled. Among the gaps of space between people, Aero eyes could see Alexander in the distance, looking at him with anger and hate, protected by his other retainers. Aero just smiles as he kills even more. His killing intent become even more thicker and his hair is slowly growing longer Aero is not anxious to kill Alexander. As long as Alexander is in the Plain, he could not escape the fate of being killed. As Aero is attempting to kill Alexander again, on the other side of the battlefield, the odds were visibly turning in Vanheim favor. Pericles and his two other retainers were killed by Kyle. The flame is still burning on that part of the battlefield. Kyle while he rarely fought in the front line did not mean he was incapable of fighting in the frontlines. Once he went serious, he is always that powerful battle mage. With powerful body and offensive type fire type magic, he had created a large fire on the back of the battlefield. At the same time, he had reinforced the back and is now marching forward all the while the cavalry that Aero had left behind, is clearing the way. A wedge formation in the front and a partial circle formation on the back as such Kyle had managed to stop any enveloping tactic by the enemy. It is slow but it is effective. On the other flanks Question pluck out the battle axe from one Veranis general. This could be attributed because of Aero attack toward King Alexander that forces many of the military unit belong to Veranis to abandon their spot and instead went back to reinforce Alexander position. This creates a disadvantageous effect for the Veranis. Gaps is everywhere and Quentin, Kyle and many other generals of Vanheim slip through the gaps and broke down each and every defenses that the Veranis soldiers conjure up A lot of Alexander generals and retainer is being slaughtered. They fight at dawn and now it is morning. This encounter between Aero and the forces of Alexander is leading to the calamitous end of King Alexander of Veranis. At this terrible performance, suddenly the sound of horn blares about in the distance. Some people look toward the origin of that sound and then to the shock of everyone they could see in the distance the banner of Veranis, flying up in the air Alexander shouted in joy ''Antonius!'' help has arrived. Fifteen thousand men slowly descended down from the mountain, rushing to bolster Alexander forces. Of course, because of the harassment of the guerrilla force that Aero had arranged beforehand, there is now only thirteen thousand men under the order of Antonius. But that is still a lot of soldiers. It is not one thousand men. But thirteen thousand men. Aero frowned but he did not stop fighting. Instead he increases his pace, his swing become faster, his movement is reaching the speed and swiftness of lightning and thunder, only a flash could be seen before the enemy fall down to the ground, their body separated from each other He is using his Divine Sword technique, countering each and every weapons that is targeted at him. He might not have rushed Alexander death, but now, he had to quicken the pace. This decision surely has something to do with Antonius sudden appearance near the battlefield As of right now, the variables of battle did not yet change that much. It is still under his control. But Aero knows that as long as there are one variables that went out of his expectation, his plan could be spoiled. Now, that he still has a chance, he need to take the chance before it slips away completely ''My King! Antonius is here!'' Shouting these words, Antonius ride down the mountain with his thirteen thousand men, creating a tremor in the ground. On the back Kyle who was calm since the beginning of the battle frowned deep. ''Antonius is quite a good commander. I thought they would be delayed even longer. It seems Antonius did not simply become a general because of the favor of Alexander'' He was silent for a while, thinking of countermeasures to take and then he said. ''Since that is the case, I too had to hurry up. Aero burden must be lightened.'' He sends his order for firework formation. This formation could only be used right now. His soldiers would scatter and then regroup back. It could only be used when facing such disorderly lines and weak enemy like Veranis. Of course, in the beginning, the enemy still have powerful momentum. But now, their morale is low, their force is inadequate, their force is scattered. As such, now, they are weak enemy. But even as weak as they are now, they still pose not as a threat but as an obstacle for the forces of Vanheim to reach their objective. Yes, Veranis right now have lost all morale. Their center line is completely compromised and their left and right flanks had already crumbled. Those who survived the sweeping attack by Aero cavalry either run from the battlefield or pretending to be dead among the piles of bodies. Kyle quicken the pace as he began pushing his horse to move faster, riding across the plain ''Onwards to the Chancellor. Eliminate all obstacles! Quicken the pace!'' He shouted and every soldiers move according to his order like a well-oiled machinery. On the other side, Quentin and his army is also rushing forward. They need to quickly reach Aero. No matter how powerful Aero of the East is, even he would be pressured if he had to fight thirteen thousand men by himself. They of course did not forget that Aero once killed forty thousand men by his lonesome. They did not forget that. But they also did not forget that after that, Aero was captured and was imprisoned by the Prime Minister of Veva and the King of Veva. And if Aero falls down in this battlefield, the advantageous momentum that Aero had created would crumble just like that. No one could have underestimated the effect of morale in winning wars. As such, even if there is a slight chance that Aero could fall in battle, they would fight for that chance to be diminished BOOOM! all the soldiers in the Plain heard the sound of the crash and Quentin and Kyle charges even faster toward the front. The forces of Antonius are colliding with the forces of Vanheim in the front lines On the frontlines, Aero is already enough pressure fighting elite mages and warriors that try to cut him, bombard him to death, bind him with magic and all other kinds of attack imaginable There were so many attacks that is concentrated on him, that most of the time he didn''t even know what kind of attack that is coming toward him. Aero just keep hacking and slashing and slicing. Aero had a trump card that he had saved. And that is of course the Slashing Through Life and Death skill. That is one powerful attack that have an area of effect that is determined by the killing intent that eh have. Aero right now is slowly resembling a demon. There dark glowing veins on his face and his attack had this dark reddish glows that exploded out each time he strikes with his sword \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 352 THAT TACTIC AGAIN Aero right now does not look at all like a gentlemen or a scholar. Instead he truly looks like some kind of demons of the underworld Most of the time when seeing such a gruesome scene, it usually would stop some people from continuing to fight. At least some of them would stop trying to fight against Aero and run away from the battlefield But like being driven by madness that is coming out from Aero reddish mist influence, these soldiers were also infected by the bloodlust that Aero is emanating. They themselves desire to fight and spill out bloodshed. They lost their rationality, and there is no shred of any survival instinct whatsoever. They just wanted to fight and kill They dashed toward Aero like they were trying to offer themselves to be cut down. This is because while these soldiers wanted to attack Aero, they have no idea of what they are doing. It is like a kid swinging a sword As that is the case, Aero could easily kill them and their behavior is truly like giving themselves up to Aero sword Aero did not know the meaning of being tired as he keeps wadding through these sea of people, making sure each step he takes, is filled with the act of killing. Each slash kills a dozens of people and he had already swing his sword for the fiftieth times. And the rate of his swinging become faster and one could hardly distinguish the sound around Aero whether it is screams o shrieking. Around his feet the ground is all mushy and blood flows like a river. It is sticky and every once in a while, Aero would accidentally step onto the head of a person and crush their skulls unintentionally. In Aero eyes right now, there is only blood. He slashes and slashes and yet the soldiers did not stop coming to die under his sword. When one is swarmed by enemies, an endless enemy that is, one could not be blamed if one wanted to give up But instead of being demotivated and lost the desire to fight, Aero become stronger and the madness around him grows. There is the sound of shrieking and screaming and all kinds of cacophony of sounds that would make even the bravest person chilled in their hearts. Aero heard the sound of the horn and he could see among the gaps of the space between people that Antonius had managed to escape his guerilla attacks up there in the mountain. ''There is many more people. I am excited to see if it is improved'' Aero thought as he slashes another soldiers that is charging toward him. By now, his response could be said to be mechanical. Each time he saw someone is rushing towards him, he would swing his sword and powerful sword force would be unleashed from his sword strike and cut that person into two. Aero smiles because he wanted to know, if he uses Slashing Through Life and Death with his current concentration of killing intent what kind of destruction could he unleash And who knows. Maybe his achievement skill would also change and the title of Demon of the Battlefield would also be upgraded He did not know. But he is excited to find out. A cruel smile hangs on the edges of his lips. On the other side, Antonius is rushing down from the mountain toward Alexander. He frowned a bit. He had already felt something was wrong when he tries to reach the top of the mountain. Last night when he was going up the mountain, everything seems smooth. But halfway the middle he was attacked by some people. At first he thought they were scouts of the enemy They become more cautious as they believe that the enemy would soon found out about them. But at that time, Antonius is still not worried. In his mind, even if the enemy found out that they have reached the mountain, it is too late since they are already halfway above the mountain. But it turns out it is a guerrilla attack. He perseveres through it and reach Kyle camp only to find that it was abandoned At that time, he knew there was a trap. Knowing this he had tried to rush down the mountain to warn Alexander. But it is clear whoever planed this trap was prepared. Each part of the journey is fraught with dangers and people trying to kill them and delay them. There are not many people stationed on the mountain so Antonius quickly discerns the objective of these group that harassed his army. He reached the conclusion that these group actually wanted to delay them and does not possess the ability to destroy their army When he had reached his conclusion, he then rushed down regardless of the harassment that these enemy unit is doing He had to sacrifice the lives of hundreds of his men because he tried to rush as fast as possible to report this to Alexander. And that is why they managed to come faster than expected. Antonius sacrifice the lives of his soldiers, not once he retaliated or chase the guerrilla forces. Instead he keeps moving forward all in the hopes of telling King Alexander that there is a trap In the battlefield, Antonius then saw that around King Alexander there is a swarm of people fighting over something. Antonius did not yet know that Aero of the East had made an appearance in the battlefield so he did not know what danger lies in the battlefield right now. His cavalry keeps charging forward when suddenly all kinds of offensive magic was thrown onto them, a fire wall rises up out of nowhere and all kinds of Earth Bullet was shot toward them. Kyle unit appear behind the back of Alexander rear and instead of attacking Alexander who is deeply protected by the other general, Kyle believe that he should stop the advance of Antonius form regrouping. Quentin on the other side also knows what Kyle was trying to do and Quentin separated one of his unit to maintain the other flanks. With how disorderly the battle is devolving right now, only the Vanheim forces is still able to maintain their military formation Kyle without saying anything began throwing all kinds of magic attack toward Antonius forces. They clashed with each other. Antonius forces tried to force their way through. Antonius frowned in the distance. If not for the fact that the other way was blocked, Antonius would have attacked from the south west. Antonius had tried to rush down the mountain ta the sound of battle. They wanted to cross the unguarded point on the south west, but when they enter a large explosion rocked the area around the fort, prompting a landslide to happen around the area which help even further Aero cause of making sure that Antonius forces would not have an easy time to regroup back with the main force of Alexander army Aero also did such a thing during the Battle of Coro where he uses a reverse Empty Fort strategy. He blew up the fort. And this time he also did it again While magic fluctuation is easy to detect by other mages, the same could not be said for explosive Since Aero had already planned to use Mount gryphon as his base and already planned to defeat Alexander from a long time, he is of course had already prepared for many possibilities. He had expected that Antonius would have tried to go to south west, on the unguarded points. If Antonius managed to cross through that point, they would arrive on the battlefield, catching Vanheim forces by the rear. Of course, Aero would never let that happen. Because once that happen, he would get caught unguarded. Since he could see this matter, he blocked it in advance. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 353 SWORD LIGHT THAT FILL THE BATTLEFIELD And the consequences of being attacked two sides, Aero would probably have to give the order to retreat. Aero wanted to win this war to establish back his reputation and reclaim back his good name. So, he could not lose this battle. Even though Antonius had arrived in the battlefield, it is still happening according to plan so Aero is not afraid. On the other hand, Alexander knew that he had to retreat. But the only way to retreat is across the river. There is nothing harder to cross than a river during trying to retreat from the battlefield Aero could no longer delay. He thought that Alexander would be bolstered by Antonius presence in the battlefield and continue battling. Aero di note expect that Alexander would try to retreat. He quickly shouts ''My sword against yours! What say you!'' Aero voices echo around the battlefield, that for a moment it drowned the sound of battle before the voice faded and the sound of sword, shield and magic attack colliding against each other once again fills the battlefield But Alexander is not as na?ve as King of Veva. Aero reputation as a great warrior without match is well known to the world. And the position of King of Veva and King of Veranis is different. At that time King Zeus of Veva was acknowledged as the number one warrior in the world. As such, if he had rejected then the damage to his prestige and majesty would be irreparable. On the other hand, the situation right now is that Aero is the strongest warrior in the world, the number one War God of Vanheim. Not accepting his challenge could not be considered a humiliation instead it could be considered a wise move. Aero slam his body against the soldier that tries to attack him. He head-butted a soldier shield and the shield breaks. He kicks a soldier in the chest, and his chest caved in. He pointed his finger and a hole is formed in one of the soldier forehead His killing intent spreads further and further that it began changing the skies above his head. Reddish mist spreads out from his entire and even the shining sunlight from the sky could not pierce this red mist. ARHH! Aero shouted as he broke through the swarm of men and is running like lightning across the distance. In just a few second he had close the distance between him and Alexander considerably. In the distance, Antonius saw Aero and he was shocked beyond belief. Antonius was one of the young generals that was on the banquet during the celebration party after the War against Vetten As such, he recognizes the Chancellor. He rides his horse and orders a few units to split off and held back the Chancellor from nearing their King. But from this distance and with Kyle serving as a buffer, this desire of Antonius might not be fulfilled. Aero is fast approaching, his step become faster and faster as sword glares around him multiplied cutting anyone that come nears him His hair is also growing longer and his eyes turns to a darker shade of red. Ten soldiers jump in front creating a mini wedge formation to stop him. ''Get away!'' he shouted and Aero swing his sword and the All Encompassing Stance was performed. He glided through all the attack and slashes of the enemy while cutting through their hands and feet easily When he fought with sword, his Sword Conquering Stance would come out, slicing the sword and its wielder into two A saber user tries to hack him. He dodges to the left and without stopping uses the Saber Conquering Stance. The saber was flinged out the hand of that saber user, Aero sword cut the hand nerve of that person and pointed his finger at his back, sword energy flew from the tip of his finger and pierce that man brain. Aero did not even to look at his enemies as his eyes is focused on Alexander. His speed multiplied, like he is the personification of the concept of speed of the lightning itself One could only see a blur when he is running across these many people. Like a shadow, he would pass them and his sword glare would follow him. When he strikes, sword light would appear and flashes by in a second before dissipating and claiming the life of Veranis soldiers. Magic was hurled onto him and Aero uses all the moves of the Divine Sword technique. With the energy Conquering Stance, he even absorbs the power of the magical energy that was unleashed after the mage attacks him. His energy did not fall even one bit and he is careful not to make his ankle exposed to powerful fluctuation of energies. He uses his body to take on such attack. And then he saw Alexander in the distance Alexander is riding his horse, retreating as far away as possible. With the current speed in just a few second Alexander would reach the river and he would miss the chance to kill the King here and end the threat once and for all. Aero did not care about the soldiers He cares about Alexander. And then he smiles. Because his chance has not yet ended., he still has a chance to stop Alexander. ''I guess I have to use that skill again'' he raises his sword and then he shouted. ''For the Empire!'' A powerful energy surrounded him. A spiral of energy swirls around his entire body and the wind around him become harsh, the clouds above his head turns dark. ''TAKE THIS!'' he yelled. Even though he no longer has the Divine Roar since he had used the quota for today, his roar is still loud enough for every person around the battlefield to hear. Kyle, Quentin, and the tens of thousands of soldiers look toward that area and what they see shocked them. They saw the dark skies and saw the spiraling energy that become visible to their eyes. Kyle was reminded of that scene he saw during Purgatory and he knows that Aero might overspent himself after this. ''Charge faster!'' he yelled to his soldiers. Quentin follow suit as he strengthens his charge toward the enemy. Aero did not yet swing down his sword down but the energy that is spiraling over him could be seen from a distance. This is his trump card. Slashing Through Life and Death. It is an achievement skill and probably one of the most offensive and largest area of effect attack skill that Aero had. He had used it before during Purgatory but this skill had never made it debut in the Vilajeri Continent. On Aero sides, the ground beneath his feet cracked before becoming depressed. And then the surrounding grass withered as their life energy was drained off by the killing intent. HARGH! He roars and then he brings down his sword And a sword light fills the world. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 354 A FEW INCHES A powerful sword light shoots out from his sword, imbued with powerful killing intent. The killing intent alone is enough to suffocate and kill people. It sweeps through all the people in front of him, and on his side. ''Wha- ''Before anyone could express their shock, the sword light engulfed them like it is some kind of a gigantic monster mouth There were a few hundred people in front of him. That one slash cut them through more thoroughly than any sword slash Aero had performed since the battle began. In that sword light, there is thousands of sword energies. This sword energy grinds the body of the Veranis soldiers, grind their flesh and grind their bones and when the sword light passes. all it left was dust The soldier behind Aero all stopped. None of them dares took a step forward\u003e each one of them fear that they would suck into that spiral of energy. But the force of that sword also appears and cut them all down. A swift light passes through and their neck all have thin straight line. Before they could express their disbelief in what is happening, their heads all slide down from their neck. The sword light cut down all of the soldiers that is between him and Alexander. Only Aero could see this since his eyes was not affected by the sword light. But to others all they could see is shining light that sweeps everything. It grinded everything, like it is a blender, sharp and lethal The sword light and the sword force destroyed all those powerful soldiers and elites as easily as the waves of the ocean blows and topple up sandcastles. That is how easy it was for them to die. In front of that sword strike, life seems very cheap. Spiraling wind was left in its wake, and every grass around that area withers, like a destruction force had drained them off life. The Killing Intent soars all around this point of the battlefield. And then the sword light finally reaches the river. The river water was calm and there is fishes swimming around before. But even before the sword light arrive at the river path, the fishes there could sense it earlier and already swim downwards to the part of the river where it is far from that killing intent The river that Alexander is swimming in is not that deep but it is not that short either. And there is boulders and rocks on the river where some people could rest onto. If today was a good day and not a war, some people might rest their weary body in the river, bathing in it and when they are tired of swimming around, they could rest their body on these boulders, enjoying the water and the sun The skies even though it was morning looks terribly dark and ominous. The sword light arrived. The moment it passes the river water, the river water exploded, its streams jetted up upwards. The bank of the river collapses. The large boulders on the river exploded, turning to rubbles and swept away by the river water current. That sword light cut down the river trial, a deep gash mark appeared on the bottom of the river. Whatever living thing that is inside the river were all dead. Even water could not escape from the sharp energy of the sword that Aero had used. Alexander is already inside the river and was about to swim to the other side as he had let go of his hose to go first. He thought that Aero attack would not reach him the moment he jumps into the river. He truly believed that he had escaped Aero. So it shocked him, when he saw how Aero had created such a divine sword strike that turns his soldiers into ashes. Right now, he is truly scared. He thought after the sword light had killed his soldiers, it would dissipate. But contrary to his expectation, the sword light, like it possesses unlimited energy keep moving forward and is now coming to him. The soldiers around him all jump in front of that sword light, trying to delay its arrival toward Alexander body. Each of the soldiers that jump in front of that sword light all turned into dust. The sword energy grinds them all and as the sword energy collided with water, the entire river seems to tremble. The river was parted into two wherever that sword light passes and the bottom of the river quakes with a great explosion, a deep abyss appeared in the bottom, instantly changing the current of the river in a blink of an eye A straight line denoting the direction of the sword light could be viewed for afar as one could see that the sword light parted the river water. The sword energy parted the water river into two huge walls of water, that one could see the dry riverbed Alexander saw the sword light and he could swear he could see a demon images is slashing a sword toward him. His life flashed by for a second as the moment of death seems no near Ten feet, five feet and two feet. This sword light moves very quickly that a distance of ten feet is traversed in only a few second And just when it almost reached Alexander and cut him into tow, like a breeze wind that blows, the sword light dissipated into motes of light and only a bit of the force was released to him, causing him to be pushed a little backward by that force and almost lost his balance in water. But¡­. the sword light did not come down on him. He survived. Alexander watch that light dissipated just a few inches before it strikes him and he was speechless for a while, and he laughed as he tries to see the face of the Chancellor. But even before he could finish his laugh, suddenly, the armor that he wore cracked slowly. Alexander look at his armor and before he could do anything that armor split into two and the river current took the armor away It is a lightweight armor that he had found in the Royal Treasury that enables him to still swim in the river even when wearing it. It is very sturdy and no normal weapon could break it. But Aero strike, from a distance of almost 100 ft. away from him could easily cut his armor down Alexander gulped and he had no mood left to laugh at the Chancellor failed attempt to kill him Argh! He suddenly grimaced as he felt a slight biting pain on his chest. he looks down at his chest and he saw that there is a straight red line on his chest. The water flows and passes that red line and immediately blood seeped out from that straight line. Alexander knew that it is a cut. A long cut from his chest to his navel. But it was not deep. If it was deep even a few more inches, Alexander knows he would be dead. Considering that Aero strike had a hidden force, even a few inches deep more would injured him terribly. He looks toward that figure covered by the dust in the distance and he could not help but feel fear rising in his heart. Even with such distance separating them, he still could unleash such an attack that sweep everything and nearly kill him. If not for him being held up by Antonius army sacrifice and if he was a bit closer in distance with the Chancellor, then right now he would be dead. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 355 THE SLASH He could not lose his mental right now. ''I need to retreat first. As long as I am alive, I will have a chance to turn this back'' He turns back to see the other side of the river and he move his hand to quickly reach there. But even before he tries to swim there, the wall of water that has appeared because of the sword strike falls back down to the riverbed and created a powerful water current. The joined river because of the different topography on the bottom of the rive suffers some instability Because after Aero strike, there is a large deep gash on the riverbed that resembles an abyss. When the river water falls back down, it fills the abyss and erode the sides of that gap which created even more erosion on the bottom of the river. The water fills that area and with that, the river turns wavy like it is trying to familiarize itself with this new environment, trying to make sense of the riverbed. Alexander was caught in this as the river suddenly have a pulsating spiral in the middle of the river He Is slowly being pulled toward that spiral in the middle of the river as Alexander tries to swim opposite of that spiral. The river water joined back together with a surging momentum, creating turbulent waves in the river and there was silence in the battlefield. They did not know what to do. It was like everyone was entranced when they saw that sword strike. Aero sword strike had exceeded everything they know about the peak of swordsmanship Maybe if there is a warrior out there that reached such level, they could contend with Aero. But in this battlefield, there is no one that possess such power As such, they were speechless and dumbfounded, not knowing what to do now. Aero alone had broken the enemy lines, and he had chased the King of Veranis to such a dire state that if not for an inch, the King of Veranis would already be dead. The dust is still covering the trail of the sword force; but a second later, the dust was blown by the wind of the morning and everyone could see the devastation that was brought upon by Aero one slash. Aero had uses Slashing Through Life and Death. This time it is even more powerful than before. In that one slash he had killed thousands of people. His slash did not even leave any traces, grinding those soldiers into dust and scattered them through the winds. In front of Aero is an empty route. There are no soldiers and there is no one else that will be able to stop him. There is only dust and silence around him. Dark red mist could be seen on the trail of his sword force and the grass along that trial were all withered and the ground was scorched black. Aero of course would not let this kind of opportunity go to waste. Some of the river water had even become so heated and turns to gas, returning to the sky. Aero slash takes a chunk out of the river water. And there is the fact that there is deep gash mark on the bottom of the river now because of his attack. People all over the battlefield is still trying to see what happens amidst the dust and the distance. Veranis and Vanheim soldiers both wanted to know. Some of the soldiers in the frontline could see it but those in the back could only wonder as they keep engaging with the enemy. Kyle did not turn to help Aero and instead quickly engage Antonius back. Kyle did not need to help Aero more than necessary. He trusted that Aero would finish the job. After all, all of this, this war, this battle, most of it has the trace of Aero. His dark hand guiding it from behind Kyle keep fighting hurling his fire balls to the enemy soldiers while his guards protects him from the volley of arrows that keeps raining down on him Aero jump onto the water and because of his speed and his killing intent he could create some kind of reflective force in the water, enabling him to run across the water. Like a flash of lightning he quickly run on top of the water, gliding like some kind of immortal. Aero was reminded of Lizhu Gerard and his demeanor that looks like some kind of immortal god. Alexander saw that Aero is coming closer to him and he did not hesitate at all. ''I need to survive this'' he thought desperately in his mind. He uses all the force that he could muster and flew out from the spirals, a surge of power erupted out of him that causes the water around him to disintegrate turning into heat. The moment he went out of that spiral, Aero is only around eight feet behind him, jumping using the water, flying forward in the air. Aero eyes shines with killing intent and there is a smile on his face. The smile on his face is quite terrifying considering that he still had that demonic feature. His hair flew wildly and that red eyes seems to be able to induce madness in people heart. Aero hand is already ready to unleash a sword strike to bring down Alexander to the Underworld and bring a close to the curtain of this war. But Alexander did not yet want to give up. ''Aero of the East, my life is no yours to take'' That powerful surge of energy that is still around the area, swirls around his hand and then he clenches his fist. The moment he clenches his hand into a fist, the wind around him change courses and the space around his hand cracked. He then punches his fist forward and an image of a large fist appears behind him. This is one of the pinnacle technique of a warrior. Like the people from Western Heaven, the native people of this world also has the ability to learn skill. The people of Western Heaven is blessed by heaven that they could easily learn skill just by using the system given to them by the Heavens It is already quiet incredible that Alexander had managed to train a fist technique to this degree. The moment he uses that fist strike, he become pale almost immediately and his energy went down low. Aero did not expect that Alexander attainment as a warrior is this high. It is no wonder he thought he could contend against the Three Pillars. It is only a pity that he used this against him. If he had used this against Zeus, even he would have a hard time trying to defuse this fist strike. The fist aura fills the sky. Its energy cracks the space in the air. Aero with one glance could see that this kind of skill surely had taken a toll on Alexander body. Alexander with that fist strike unleashed was propel backward by the force and once again further the distance between them. Aero could see that Alexander wanted to use this fist strike to delay him and retreat safely back to his castle If that were to be allowed, it would take more time to bring down Veranis and who knows what the other western kingdom would be doing when they found out that he is leading the army in the Plains. There would be more variables to his plan and that is something he did not want to see. While he could adapt to situations, he preferred following the plan It is not easy to bring him out of the castle. Aero would not allow it. Aero look toward Alexander in the distance, treating like the gigantic fist aura that is descending down on him like air as he shouted ''Today, I exact justice for the Empire and for your father. Since I promised it, I will honor it!'' Aero kick the water, his entire body leap up toward the sky, flying up to meet and clash with that fist strike. He then gripping his Heaven Sword tight, make an upward motion slash The forces of Heaven gather on the tips of his sword and then he unleashes a sword cut as he was just a few inches away from being punched by that fist strike. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 356 THE DEATH OF A KING Everyone could see it even though they were a long distance away That fist strike dissipated with one slash. Aero frowned a bit as he mutters ''A bit rebellious, huh'' he said to the sword that is trembling on his hand. The forces of Heaven could still be used though Aero does feel resistance from it, no doubt that it comes because of Aero transformation to a demon. Right now, Aero golden armor is red in color, his long hair is wildly swaying left and right. His eyes are as red as blood and each of his attack seems to possess killing intent that made anyone around him feel constricted and could easily fall to confusion and madness. As he jumps upwards to the sky and cut the fist strike, he truly looks like a demon defying the sky. Aero title Demon of the Battlefield also felt stronger after that killing he had done. And because he had uses that Slashing through life and Death skill, his killing intent has thinned considerably. But that did not mean it is not there anymore. Aero did not use up all of his Killing Intent. At that last moment, he held some of them back. If he had only give it a little bit more, then Alexander would have been dead. But Aero did not care. If one slash is not enough, he could use the strike for the second time. He is confident in his ability to kill Alexander before he could return to his castle or wait on more reinforcement. Because he is also thinking about the aftermath of the battle. Aero had a bigger plan than just killing Alexander. Alexander is just the beginning of that plan, a simple chess piece that is no longer needed. A chess piece that no longer have any value to the game Alexander had managed to cross the river and is on the other side. At the same time, Antonius unit on the other side manages to pierce through Kyle mages unit. And he is rushing with his men to reinforce the king. ''Protect the king!'' he shouted, bloodied all over while he is pushing his horse to go to the direction of King Alexander ''That is suicide'' Kyle thought to himself If Antonius went to the river with the current of the river right now, he is leading his men to his death. At the same time all kind of volley of arrows riddles the area around Antonius battlefield Many more men fall down form the horses. All around it is a scene of chaos. There is no longer any formation to speak off. At this time, it devolves simply to killing the enemy that is in front of them. Sword clash with sword, magic clash with magic And Aero is still chasing Alexander. Alexander right have reached the other side of the river but it would not be easy for him to escape Aero chase. He turns into a blur as his sword thrusted forward. A powerful force once again was forced out from his sword The entire land around him cracked and exploded, thunders and lightning cracked above his head, as the skies turns incredibly dark. This is frustration and now this frustration is turning into a killing intent that is palpable and solid. Alexander dodges the attack and Aero become even more angry. He jumps and dashed forward in the air, appearing like he is flying. Aero right now knows that his emotion is affected by the killing intent. In normal battle, he would never be angry simply because he missed a strike. But anger have its uses. Aero knows this and as such, he allowed the killing intent to affect his emotion. He could feel power coursing through his every veins. The angrier he is, the powerful he become He swung his sword down and sword light flew down toward Alexander, like a bolt of lightning that come down from the Heaven. It hit Alexander knees, blood spurted out from the terrible deep gash mark and a scream sounded. Alexander scream, gritted his teeth and continue running with his other feet. Aero eyes become even colder. ''Die!'' Aero said and as he swung down his sword down again from the air, Antonius who could see this scene from afar could not help but shouted ''NO!'' And with one slash, the King of Veranis, Alexander Veran was cut down in the Plain of Ethylred. Everything felt like it was slowed down. That is how it feel like for most people in the frontline that saw Aero slashing his sword down toward Alexander. But the sword connected and with Aero tracks of battle, whenever that sword landed, one would surely die The sword light appeared and shot down toward Alexander. He screams and then when the sword light hit him, like a butter being cut with hot knife, the sword light cut him cleanly, splitting him into two. And there was silence, before the sound of blood spurting out from his cleanly cut veins could be heard, splashing about like a cow that is being drained of its blood. He defecated in fear and one could see the feces that is pouring out from his intestine and then his left part of the body was flung to the left side and his right side of the body was flung to the right side. The sight was very gruesome and terrifying There was silence in the battlefield for a few second. No one knows how to react. Antonius was pale in the face and Aero landed on the ground. The wind blows and the sound of explosion had also stopped. With his long hair swaying wildly left and right and his red eyes, Aero look nothing like an elegant scholar. Yet, there is this elegance about him. Even though he had the appearance of a demon, with that Heaven Sword on his hand, he looks like more like a lone swordsman than he is a general of an army. In this battle, Veranis had lots a lot of men. They not only lost soldiers they also lost their generals. Prikrios, Pericles to name a few generals that have fallen since the battle began And now, with the death of King Alexander, the war could be said have been won by Vanheim. Of course right now, the Veranis soldiers in the back is still not aware that their king is dead Antonius was pale looking at this scene and all the memories that he had shared with the king bursted out in his mind. He roars and his face is flushed red with anger and hatred, losing all sense of logic anymore and he shouted ''Avenge our King!'' Then he was the first to ride his horse toward Aero. He did not know what impact that word that he had uttered would do to the other soldiers of Veranis Aero looking at Antonius on the other side of the river, riding through the shallow part of the river And he is smiling. ''Does he not know what he had shouted will affect his army?'' he thought to himself but then he understood, Antonius must be close friend of Alexander and as such, seeing his friend being split into two would surely rob him of some awareness of his surrounding Aero only scoffed. ''This would make it easier for Kyle and Quentin at the back'' he thought to himself. Now, is not the time for him to worry about what Kyle and Quentin is doing on the other side of the battlefield. Almost all of the soldier sunder Antonius is crossing that river to kill him. But Aero is still calm. Now, that he had killed Alexander he regained back his emotions. Aero himself had expected this kind of reaction from Alexander soldiers. The difference between the military of Vanheim and Veranis is that Vanheim discourage to much glory to the generals. This is the measure he had taken after he became Chancellor. the military is still one of the factions that have the most funding above all the other departments but he himself discourage to much hero worship in the military circle Of course that didn''t stop them. After all, who would not want to serve under a victorious general? It beats serving under a defeated general Aero measures are not harsh or strict. It is not like he outlawed hero worship, he just discouraged it. To not give acknowledgement to the heroes fighting for them would disheartened those generals, but giving them too much credit would then inflate their sense of self He fears that there would be a talented general who have the heart of a wolves that would be able to persuade people to rebel, if hero worship is to be normalized. But while Vanheim discourage it, Alexander promoted it simply because he is the hero in question. While Alexander greatest feat was during the Battle of Coro where eh relieved the Vanheim forces from being annihilated, he also had pacified many rebellions all around Greater Veranis. After all, even though he had conquered the lands that make up Greater Veranis there is still a lot of elements that could have dissolve the new kingdom. Phillip when he is alive had always entrusted the military matters to Alexander and as such with each victory that he had under his belt, this image of him as an undefeated general had formed in the minds of his soldiers. They would die for him. It is unlucky that he had met Aero and met his doom today. Alexander might have chosen a different tactic if he had known that Aero was among the person present in the Plains. At least he would have not been as confident as he is today and might have chosen a different plan altogether. As such, Aero had expected that if he killed King Alexander today, the loyal soldiers that had worshipped Alexander would not just lay down their weapons and surrender. That is the reason he did not unleash all of the Killing Intent with his Slashing Through Life and Death before. But even though he knew that he might be surrounded by a mob of loyal soldiers, all wanting him to die, and increase the risk on himself, he still has to kill King Alexander After all, his next plan would not work if Alexander lives. Because Aero plans in returning lies heavily in King alexander dying in battle. Aero right now has set himself up once again as the undefeated general of Vanheim, the divine strategist that hold back the western kingdoms and also the savior of the Empire¡­once again All of this achievement means nothing, if he could not sole one problem which is the accusation that was levied upon him one and half years ago. Aero right now is thinking of all of this while looking at the terrible corpse of King Alexander. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 357 THE SITUATION ON THE OTHER SIDE ''Alexander, you are a brave man. You are brave and decisive'' he muttered, the sound of his praise could not be heard amidst the sound of the clopping hooves of cavalry rushing towards him in the distance It is drowned by the curses of his enemies and the wind of the plains Aero actually did not feel what Alexander did toward his father is something that was that despicable. Alexander could see the trend of the time. But Phillip could not. Or to be more accurate, even if he could see it, it would not affect him But it would affect Alexander and the kingdom that he would lead in the future Phillip was living in a dream. Alexander see the reality. Vanheim under Edward would probably not be satisfied to have Veranis controlling the road to the west., Sooner or later, there would be plots and scheme to force Veranis to relinquish complete control and reduce their military. But if Alexander could have trusted him, and trusted his integrity, Aero would have done his best to make sure the agreement stands. And when Aero said he is doing his best, that means, that it will succeed Today tragic event happens because of Vanheim eventual plans and Alexander greed. If he was Alexander, he would also try to come out under Vanheim rule. Since he is young and full of ambition, he surely wanted to contend to become the hegemon of the world. But if he was Alexander, he would bide his time. Alexander was too rash and too impatient. He fears that it would be too late if he starts later. It is pity that they were pit against each other. Aero, if he could be honest, he truly prefers Alexander compared to Edward. If he could dull the sharp edges of Alexander, he could become like King George, a great king. If they were at the same side, Aero could have advised him and truly put him above Kings and become the Emperor of the continent. But fate works in mysterious way. He is the Chancellor of the Empire and not the Chancellor of Veranis. As such, his actions are for the Empire and for himself. Aero did not hear the sound of the horses coming towards him. He admired the young king but it is an admiration that he could not express publicly. As such he could only sigh. ''KILL THE CHANCELLOR TO AVENGE THE KING!'' His roars echo across the plains While Antonius and his band of men is rushing to kill him, Kyle who had heard Antonius yelling about avenging his King smiles. ''Hmph'' he snorted. He had also saw Aero split the King of Veranis into two and he was shocked for a moment. But Antonius shout bring him back and then he recognizes an opportunity. He then shouted loudly ''The King is Dead!'' His voice come after Antonius shouts ''The King is Dead!'' They felt that they already lost the war. On the other side, Quentin and his army also heard that shout and saw the Veranis army is retreating, one after another tripping against each other., They were completely routed with that news. The cavalry unit of Quentin did not have to wait for orders as they chase these running soldiers from behind and hacked them A great general always attacks the enemy from the back or the side, only an arrogant idiot yells about fighting to death all the time. Quentin himself adhere to this. It is no problem to fight directly but that is only if they are as strong as the Chancellor who could turn the tide of battle by himself There are only a few people in the Vilajeri Continent that could fight the way the Chancellor fights war and that is King of Veva Zeus and the Apostle of the Church Ariana. Quentin did not participate in the Battel of Coro, but even then the Chancellor was not this overbearing and extremely powerful that he alone could disrupt the entire enemy line to this extent. Of course, most people did not know the trip that Aero had taken to the Underworld where he met with Deria and gained the Curse of the Styx. Of course this opportunity had something to do with Lizhu Gerard legacy since it is the Sword of Mars that made Poseidon exit his realm and intervene in the mortal world which led to Athena saving Aero and then helping Thetis and gained her gratitude and become her godson. Quentin look around him amidst the explosion and the dust rising up in the air the cause of which of a great battle happening everywhere And he almost couldn''t believe that this all happened because of one-man action The distance between the main army of Vanheim and the main army of Veranis was not close at all And the Chancellor done the impossible by not only managing to travel that distance alone, he had done it by hacking down all around him to death The War God of Vanheim! This kind of title is not underserved. Even Archduke Bradheim in his prime would not be able to do such a thing. Quentin and Kyle both recognize an opportunity the moment that Aero had manage to kill Alexander. Kyle was the first one that notices this because he was closer. And Quentin echoes what Kyle was shouting and as such chaos descended on the enemy lines. The shout of Antonius saying to avenge the King before Kyle shouted the King is Dead is basically a confirmation that King Alexander had died Not all of the soldiers in the battlefield is loyal to the King. Most of them is loyal to Veranis and not to the King itself. Some came for the coins. Others came for fame and glory. Whatever the case, the death of their leader, would surely send the Veranis army into a spiral of chaos. The enemy army is routing and Kyle and Quentin immediately moves their army to cut down those who are routing. Kyle also began moving and ordering his commander. Kyle always retained a reserve unit if possible. That is how he managed to intercept Antonius before and yet maintain his control on the flank so that the enemy would not envelop them Even if they did, he still has a reserve unit that is outside of the envelopment to help him break out from the situations. The other reason why he always retained a reserve unit is because if anything that is out of the plan happened, he could ensure that his army could retreat in an orderly fashion if needed and that it would not be routed. Right now, the scene is chaotic retreat. Those who could flee, flee. Some of them flee mindlessly. Some adventurers use their skill to quickly exit the battlefield and save themselves. And Quentin unit is slashing them from behind, and they run even faster like they were being chased by the devils. The battle becomes even more bloody and more chaotic and with explosion of magic and dust filling the entire plains, one could hardly see anything too far from their sight unless they were high level combatants or possess some skills that could circumvent these problem. Kyle could not spare his attention to Antonius unit that have crossed the river. But looking at Aero from the distance, he could guess that if Aero needed help, he would have asked. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 358 HIS BRILLIANCE He did not know whether his plan and the plans of Chancellor aligned with each other. Because knowing Aero, he might have some other secret plans. But he could only stick with the plans that he has and not moved based on emotions. ''Attack them!'' Both Quentin and Kyle shouted toward their soldiers. All around one could hardly make sense of the scenes. Battlefields are always chaotic, and none of the combatants could control the entire situation. Their own fates, as well as that of the comrades around them, were usually used to judge the performance of the entire army: if the soldiers around them charged forward valiantly, it meant that victory was at hand; but if they were constantly being cut down, it meant that the army was faring very badly. And right now, to the eyes of Veranis soldiers, their comrade is being cut down and the soldiers of Vanheim is charging forward valiantly like they were reveling in the bloodshed. As such, they could hardly keep their morale up. No matter how hard the commander yelled at his army to not run away, and even though their commander executed who deserted, people still deserted. And the commander could not kill all of his soldiers. The entire army crumbled with one death. Aero probably had expected this. Eyes on the prize, he had said before. The prize is the plains of Ethylred. And how to get that price? Take Alexander head and they would get the prize. It is simple. Aero always made complicated schemes but the completion of his scheme is usually solved by one simple solution. The scheme also could work as a smokescreen to achieve one simple objective that would make him win all of it. Aero recognize that if he takes the King head, everything would fall into place. And since he has the ability, form the beginning, there is only one target in his mind. It is not those generals and it is not the soldiers. It is Alexander and Alexander alone was his target. Right now on the other side of the river, opposite or Aero, Veranis army is routing as the officers from the frontline retreated back and ordered them to regroup. The personal impressions of the soldiers and officers who had just retreated back from the frontline usually caused them to fail to understand why their commander wanted to regroup. It took just a little provocation, for example, for someone to trip or if the orderly to run a little faster, to spark off an unexpected rout. And with Kyle announcing the death of the King, it did not need someone to trip to spark off a rout. The news alone had shaken the mental of the army. The soldiers in this unit would stand behind the battlefield and could observe the entire proceeding like the commander. During a retreat, they would not be distraught and panic, thereby giving a huge consolation to the soldiers who had actually taken part in the battle. The theory also meant that if it was the enemy that was routing, one should expend every effort to give chase. Everyone usually overlooked the fact that the number of casualties on a battlefield was usually smaller than imagined; no combatant would willingly give up his or her life when the enemy was trying to slay him or her. When chasing down a routing enemy, this concept was not applicable. The chasing party could put in all its effort in attacking and cut down their enemies from behind. It was the part of a battle whereby one party could kill the most enemies. This optimal opportunity would only be open for a short while. After it had past, the enemy would either be too far to chase down or have regrouped to fight to their deaths. The party that was originally winning could be defeated by the fleeing enemy who had regrouped; it was not unprecedented. As such, Kyle first action was to hold his entire army back to prevent them to give chase mindlessly. He then dispatched individual units to start giving chase. And his unit is not conventional unit. Mags is known for large area of effect magic their attack could affect many people with one spell. Of course, if there are high level warriors in the army, it would be slightly difficult. But right now, they are retreating. As such, this is not hard at all for him. He forms three lead units, each a thousand strong, and they were to advance swiftly on horseback. They were not allowed to stop and attack even if they passed their enemies by; their role was to quickly reach the pre-determined second defense line and to turn back only after they did so, thereby cutting off the routers. The other units, each a thousand strong as well, were divided into two waves, and they set off at different timings, one after the other to give chase at a steady pace. These units formed a huge encirclement around their enemies and were to slay as many foes as they could. Kyle is now showing the tactical brilliance that he had not managed to show before. His ability in directing battle was overshadowed by Aero explosive feat But the only reason why Aero was fine with the plan of him rushing to the front is because he knows Kyle would be able to handle the back Kyle look at the battlefield and he nodded to himself He could already imagine that his tactic would work perfectly He could not control the fact that there would definitely be a group of enemy soldiers that managed to escape from the encirclement before it was fully formed. But that is alright for him Even though they were routing, the enemy troops still had a numerical advantage, and by letting this group off, it would instead aid his soldiers in wiping out the remaining foes. On the other side of the river, the cavalry is already near Aero. Aero was not afraid and neither was he shocked. He saw Antonius riding toward shim and he knows that his killing intent while it is still present, it would not be enough to cut down all of this soldiers. But if he killed a few thousands more, he would be able to regain back the Killing Intent. After using the Slashing through life and Death, the effect was that he become tired This tiredness is not negated by the Curse of the Styx. It is like the tiredness of the soul that affects the body As such, he is tired right now. One might have though, if he is tried how could he still have the energy to fight around tens of thousands of people? But he still has another trump card. And that is the Demonic Devil Energy Drain. He runs toward the charge, his sword thrusted forward. Like lightning flashing, a white sword light pierces the head of the horses. The body of the horses run forward as its head flew into the air before its body crashing a few feet forward. Aero sheathe his sword, leap into the air and then with his palm capture the head of the soldiers that was flung from the horse. Aero then drain that person energy so much so that the soldier become shriveled in just a few second and Aero could feel a stream of energy entering his body This kind of skill is very demonic since it absorbs people life force. If Aero uses this kind of skill in normal setting, he might be hunted by some Paladins or some holy orders A sucking power appears around him. Aero held out his palm forward and the person that is on the direction of his palm were pulled toward him Aero throws the shriveled body of the soldier he caught before and replenish his health again. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 359 THE PRESSURE OF THE SWORD Slowly around him the pulling force become even more powerful that he no longer had to touch the person and instead a radius of five meters around him is becoming an automatic zone where people life force would be sucked in. In that five-meter radius the life force of anything inside that radius would be absorbed by him His entire body is now full with energy again and by now he had killed around two thousand soldiers in just that short span of time Just like before, the area around him is very chaotic with everyone trying to kill him to avenge their King. Like they were robbed of reason, they did not stop even though they saw how Aero turns their comrade into shriveled corpse. The scene around Aero is the scene straight of some paintings about the Underworld There were all kinds of corpse that die in all kinds of gruesome way. Some had their head smashed in, some had their face flattened being stomped by other soldier foot and some corpse were mashed together with the squishy muddy red ground Like this is some kind of Hell being brought up into the surface world from the Underworld, all the scene would bring fear into one heart, enough to dissuade even the hardest of heart to stop warring against each other Aero no longer uses his sword and instead rely on his arms to break all resistance. All around him that malevolent aura once again become thick that it is slowly crack the space around him and causes the wind flow around him to be pulsating Right now even though Kyle and Quentin at the other side and is killing the weakened army of Veranis and their distance is far, even they could feel that aura once again filling the battlefield The cavalry unit of Aero had also crossed the river and envelops the Antonius army that is attacking Aero. Antonius send some units to deal with that cavalry unit. but it is clear that Antonius and his band of men had never intended to survive this encounter. They just want to drag Aero to the Underworld with their King. Aero right now is swirling with reddish black aura and he is not only supplied by the power of the Demonic Devil Energy Drain but also by the killing intent As such, whoever had his body struck by Aero fist would find themselves dying in a few second alter because of terrible internal injury Aero did not use his sword because he wanted to use it when he had gathered a lot of killing intent. There are a few times that there is a notification windows popping up but Aero did not have time to read it because he is now dep in battle. As he kills and drain more energy, his range of Demonic Devil Energy Drain become even bigger. Thunder seems to be building up in that dark skies and the winds turns harsher. Around him, life force is being absorbed and his feature become even more demonic. The reddish black aura become even more solid, as it forms a protection aura around him. Normal magic would bounce off from his body and normal weapons that is not of high quality would broke before even reaching his skin And Aero is prepared to do the same move he had used in Purgatory. As he keeps killing, he is absorbing the killing intent all over the battlefield Before he had not done this and rely on his own killing intent. All of it was saved for this moment. One could only imagine what kind of strike he would be able to unleash when he absorbs all the killing intent in the battlefield The sea of mist of killing intent roiled up and rushed to Aero position and his attack become even more powerful and the protection around his body become even more sturdy. Aero laughs even as he kills people. A torrential pulsating force emerge around Aero body, Those who look toward the direction of the other side of the river could see a surge of killing intent mist surges up toward the middle of the swarming soldiers It is clear to everyone that this reddish aura is not something good. It travels above the river water and spirals around the center of that swarming soldiers In that center, is none other than Aero, grabbing soldiers every few second to quickly replenish his energy and draining their life force and attacking and killing people. With the demonic devil energy drain automatically taking the life force of everyone inside its radius all Aero needs to do is keep killing Kill! Kill! Kill! That is the words that is echoing in the Aero minds But with his willpower he manages to remain in control even though it is very tempting to let go and let himself go in a rampage. But he knows that if he went the deep end, he fears that the Killing Intent would master him and not the other way around The Demon of the Battlefield title once again activated and just like before, right now, he could feel his sword is crying in excitement. The energy around him rises up even more. Aero crushed another soldier head but no matter how he killed, the enemy seems endless. But in his eyes and in his mind right now, he is only looking at the target in front of him. When that target dies he would move on to another target and killed another and Aero could feel that he is ready to release the sword slash He closes his eyes for a second, his hand on the handle of the sword and holding the sword, he smiles. ''This is it'' he was searching for a feeling. And that feeling is now present. Shing! He then unsheathes his sword and coming out form his heaven Sword is a powerful force that cut down a hundred men the moment he unsheathes the sword. That sword light flash by with the speed of light cutting one durned people in front of that sword direction into pieces, their limbs all flew toward the different parts of the battlefield. And then Aero raises his sword and the dark clouds above thundered. Lightning flashed by toward the plains. The wind turns harsh like it is foreshadowing the beginning of a storm. The killing intent that Aero had concentrated on himself had causes the area around the river to be enveloped by a thick dark red mist. Those people in these dark red mist did not realize at all that they were enveloped by this dark red mist. They were affected by bloodlust and madness that they keep trying to kill Aero. The Killing intent take a hold of their minds and as such they could not think anything rationally The sword in Aero hand is trembling, its white luster is now being coated by thick red layer. Aero exploded with killing intent the moment he grips the sword tighter and those that were rushing toward him was flung backwards by the sudden outburst of energy. Those who were flung up backwards, as they were falling from the air, their bodies shriveled and when they landed on the ground, they were already turned into a corpse. Up there, thunder roars and lighting flashed by, the wind began pushing the rain water. But no water could penetrate that dark reddish that have layered itself over Aero entire body. At this moment, Aero did not worry about his ankle anymore. Because while usually the Killing aura would not be able to cover that area of his ankle, this time, for some reason, it managed to slightly covers it. Aero smiles and he pointed his sword forward. Juts by pointing forward, a powerful pressure fall down upon the soldiers that were rushing toward him from the front. These pressure is like someone just drop down a mountain on their backs and they immediately kneel down before their entire body crashed down towards the muddied ground, appearing like they were prostrating before Aero. And then among the thousands of soldier that prostrated toward him, some of them exploded. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 360 THE RESUL The clouds above his head opened up because of the pressure that is emanating from him The morning sun only shines upon Aero figures yet the other parts of the skies is dark and ominous. It was like Aero was the savior when actually he is the destroyer. His demonic feature is striking terrors upon the enemie mind. Not to mention that the Killing Intent that is enveloping the entire area, further mess up their minds Aero then pointed the saber towards his left and more people exploded. He swings towards hi back and that swing bring about a gust of destruction that ripped apart their steel armors and turns their flesh and bones into dust in a matter of seconds. And then he raises his sword up, and the hole in the clouds grew bigger, huge swirls of dark aura surges up toward the sky and there is an apparition of something that is slowly forming A powerful sweeping force swept up all the corpses around and the grass withers before the ground itself cracked and exploded. The dust from this explosion instead of being blown by the wind, floats up in the air. All the killing intent and resentment that has been accumulated from the beginning of the battle until now all concentrated itself around Aero and then it slowly flows toward the Heaven Sword The white sharp glint of its edges is now layered with a sheen of red that look particularly devious as it emanates waves and waves of dark reddish aura. From the handle to the tip of the sword, the Heaven Sword now seems like a demonic sword with a soul. He grips the sword tightly like he is about to crush the handle of the sword and a booming sound exploded around the crack of space that appeared because of the burst of energy from the sword. The booming sound created a shockwave that ripples through the air and the impact of this shockwave collides with the soldiers nearby and they were thrown backward a few hundred meters, dying in the air, turning into a shriveled corpse Antonius and his men saw all of this but they no longer care as they throw their body forward, cutting through the ripples of that shockwave and keep charging forward. Antonius is no longer riding his horse and is now running toward him, charging with a spear. His previous weapon had been broken trying to withstand that burst of energy from Aero before A few hundred step more and Antonius and his men would reach Aero. Magi attack is still being hurled against Aero but now that the peak of Killing Intent is gathering around him, Aero did not even have to endure it with his body since the new feature of the Killing Intent is protecting him in a protective layer that is construed from the Killing Aura. A powerful pressure is now enveloping the sword Aero could feel like he is bearing the weight of all the resentment of people that have died in this battle, most of whom who wanted to kill him Aero could see that his hand vein tensing up and the space around him shows sign of cracking. The pressure from the sword is now reaching its peak. Aero close his eyes and every sound in the world was muted. And then he slowly focusses his hearing and this silent world suddenly is being penetrated by a sound. Footsteps of people running. Right now, Aero tuned out the other noises and focus his ears to the sound of that running footsteps. And that running footsteps belong to Antonius. All those around Aero right now is being pierced by the Killing Intent that is now appearing like a tentacle-like creatures that is attacking anyone nearby Of course, only those who have Killing Intent could see these tentacles piercing the body of the soldiers near him. To those who did not have such a skill, the only thing they could see was their comrade suddenly falls down and die without any explanation whatsoever Aero finally felt the pain. It is the same pain when he firs uses the Slashing through Life and Death skill At least this time he was prepared for it and maybe because his Killing Intent mastery had rank up, the burden is not that painful as before. Aero feet dig deep into the ground and the ground depressed another three feet down again as the area around him exploded and floats around him. One could see stones and boulders floating around him Aero could see his skin is cracking and golden blood is seeping out from that wound. The skin all over his arms molted off but regenerated almost as quickly. The sound of screaming and wailings of the fallen become even clearer to Aero ears, the negative emotions come pouring in and in that brief moment, he once again saw the images of that white bathtub, the floor is drenched with red water and then the image dissipated almost as quickly Aero gritted his teeth and one of his teeth cracked and in only that way, he managed to retain back his sanity and release himself form that illusion ''FOR THE EMPIRE!'' He yelled and his roars filled the entire Plain that the floating stones and dust around him instantly disintegrated into nothingness. And he brought down his sword, bringing down his most powerful attack since the beginning of the battle The area around him instantly break down and the ground all disintegrated as a powerful dark aura devoured the four directions around him. A large explosion erupted blooming like a gigantic flower causing even the river nearby to be split apart by that sword slash. Inside that explosion is people screaming and howling in pain. But their screams are brief. Only a second and their sound disappeared and then they would be turn into dust The sword light sweeps every living thing on its path. There were around ten thousand men that charged toward Aero from all directions. And Aero sword attack split into four directions and in that four direction it sweeps all of them, engulfing them in dark aura, leaving nothing to prove their existence. The Vanheim cavalry on the other side of the river that was about to runs and help Aero turns back and run back to the other side of the battlefield, hoping to outrun the Chancellor sword strike. Thankfully they were quickly riding away from the area and far enough not to be affected by the slash and were only affected slightly and were not like those ten thousand men that Antonius had brought with him and send off to the Underworld with Aero one sword strike. The dust rises up into the sky and everything was blurry and hard to see. And then after a few seconds, the dust settles and there standing on the middle of that emptiness is Aero, his eyes crimson red and shining with powerful red luminance. One could see a manifestation of a two horned demon for a moment before the apparition dissipated. Aero felt drained but he maintains his pose, and stand there. Everyone was shocked seeing that apparition and even that slash. One slash had killed the thousand men, so thoroughly that there is not trace at all of their death Kyle shouted, his voice echoes over all the battlefield ''The Chancellor had won! Victory for the Empire! The soldiers of Vanheim heard the shouts and they all shouted the same thing. ''Victory for the Empire!'' ''Victory for the Empire!'' They shouted and then some Veranis soldiers throws their weapons to the ground and the declaration of surrendering could be heard in every corner of the battlefield Some who did not want to surrender flee as fast as they can as Kyle unit is still chasing those who were stubborn. But all in all, that slash had crumbled any resistance from the Veranis army Almost all of the high ranking officials of Veranis had died in this battle and even their King had been killed. Aero who were posing by himself on the other side of the river could only smile and laughed as his demonic features slowly disappeared and reveals his elegant demeanor once again. He smiles and said ''Now, is the time to take Veranis and control the West'' And thinking of this he smiles widely as he stabs his sword to the ground to hold himself up. The battle of Ethylred Palin is won by the Chancellor of Vanheim and the forces of the Empire! It is clear that this news would send the whole Vilajeri Continent into shock! \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 361 THE END OF THE BATTLE The sun shine brightly as morning has truly come. After hours of battle, the conclusion of the battle had arrived. Vanheim had triumphed against Veranis. The sound of horns being blown; the sound of the drums echoes on one side of the Vanheim camp. The war ended and now Aero is no longer in the battlefield. At this stage, Aero no longer needed to issue any commands. None of the enemies that is left had any more will to fight. Their generals had been cut down and their king had been killed. All in all, they lost fully and completely. One could only imagine the chaos that would happen in the Capital of Veranis after this matter reached them. There are still a few generals in Veranis that guarded the border and when they heard the news of the victory of Vanheim and the appearance of Aer, what would their reaction be? Will they accede to the trend of time or will they put up meaningless resistance? Right now, while Aero had returned to his war tent, the other generals like Quentin and Kyle is still out there, pursuing the enemies. In the end, they were only stalks of wheat to be reaped! And there is no harm in weakening the enemy force. Alexander had brought most of his forces here in the Plain. And they got annihilated by Aero. That alone had decimated most of the manpower in Veranis army And it would be a big blow to the confidence of the generals that is left in Veranis. Aero of course had a follow up plan after he defeated King Alexander in the Plains. He wanted to take Veranis but he also wanted to take it with little damage to his army If he could take the kingdom of Veranis with only small effort, he would do it. And this overwhelming victory is one of the ways he could use to erode the morale of people in Veranis. Even now, he is thinking of sending letters to the generals in Veranis to capitulate to Vanheim. He sighed a bit. He got up from his chair. He is alone in the tent as other people had their won task. Viola is also nowhere to be seen. It is not appropriate for her to be seen by the other soldiers. It is different for the other high ranking military member to see her and for others to see her. Lady of Vanan identity is very sensitive matter. As such, the more people that do not know her relations with him, the better. Of course, Aero would fulfill the promise he had given her. After all, he had given her his word. But it is not time for her to appear in the world yet. Things need to settle down first before he could start on Viola matters The wind blows the fabric door and Aero takes a deep breath. He walks closer to the door and went out from his tent He sighed and thought to himself ''War is truly a terrible thing'' he fought because he had to but that does not mean he like it. The entire battlefield right now is covered in corpses, rivers of blood fertilizing the earth, all the green grass is red in color. One could see thousands of dead horses, soldiers and all sorts of shattered weapons and armor and in the distance countless Veranis soldiers is falling with the systematic attack of Kyle. Aero recognize that Kyle talent is very high in commanding army. At this time, Aero suddenly had a thought that if Kyle ever decided to betray the Empire, he had to personally kill him. While Kyle is not the same kind of general like him this did not mean Kyle was not exceptional in his own way. The way he orchestrates his battle formation and his calm in dealing with situation would make him a formidable general in any battlefield. Kyle is the few people that Aero had known to change completely after a setback. Kyle had chipped off all of his bad traits and instead hone his emotions, cold and calculative in his plans. A very formidable enemy and a reliable ally. Kyle tactic of using his cavalry to divide the army had been incredibly effective. Although the enemy was trying to flee, at least half of the army had not been able to effectively flee because of the chaos in front of them and behind them. Quentin participation only increase the rate of which they are annihilating the enemies. The enemy had been routed completely and their army had fallen apart completely There was no more suspense in the war in the Plains. As Vanheim soldiers pursued and cut down the Veranian army down from tens of thousands to a few thousand, even the staunchest and loyal subject of Veranis had understood that they could not reverse the decision. The Chancellor that had created this result had already gone back to the safety of thousands of guards around his camp Even if one of them wanted to avenge the king and the generals of the army, they first had to break the camp. That is almost impossible so all of them began to flee in every direction. The adventurers on the Veranis side also flee but unlike the native of the world they all decided not to flee toward Veranis. They know that Veranis would surely fall after this and so they do not want to be on the losing side. It is clear that Aero of the East would not just pack up and return home after such a victory. Those who were more keen knows that Aero would surely press down his advantage and probably marched toward Veranis and took the capital city as fast as possible before any resistance force in Vanheim could group themselves. The wind is blowing and it is blowing in the favor of the Empire. Vanheim is the victor of this battle and with this victory, Vanheim would truly become the superpower of the East They all could feel that wind blowing. And adventurers are very resourceful especially in saving their own life. As such, some of them even surrenders and loudly proclaim that they would not mind fighting for Vanheim Most of them surrendered to Kyle and Kyle accept their surrender without much hassle The reason why most of them surrender to Kyle and not Quentin is simply because Quentin is the native of this world. He would not understand the adventurer''s motivation and desires. Kyle on the other hand was different. He is an adventurer like them so he would know that they adventurers only want benefits from the quest and they are not truly loyal to anyone Of course, this is not to say that adventurers are all this fickle. But for most adventurer''s soldiers that accept the employment order, they all were more interested in the quest rewards instead of wanting to fight this war for Veranis Their loyalty is very flexible If they try to surrender themselves with Quentin, Quentin who did not understand the mindset of the adventurers might suspect them as spies, trying to scheme against the victorious Vanheim army and they would all be executed. Since that is the case they have no choice but to surrender to Kyle. Kyle also did not shy away from accepting their surrender. The moment he accepts their surrender Kyle would order them to follow him to kill the Veranis soldiers The moment he gives his orders, the adventurers quest window popped out. They all got demotion of their skill because they betray their forces but at the same time they also got the quest of changing their allegiance. Most of the adventurers is really afraid to die now since it is not like before. Which work pretty well for Aero and Vanheim \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 362 REWARD Aero smiles thinking of this once again repeating ''their loyalty is very flexible'' he thought in his head Aero look at all of this outside of his tent as all he could see was the blurred vague silhouette of the Vanheim army in the distance as they pursue even further. The war is not completely over, but there was no mystery over its conclusion. The Veranis army, without their general and king to direct them, the remainder were just weeds, fleeing in every direction, their courage shattered. The battle is more or less is over. He did not need to worry about Kyle range of pursue. He would know when to stop and overextend his force. He sighed and then he went back to his war tent. Aero knows this is not the time to be unguarded. After all, his plan is far from over. This is just the beginning, the first domino that would fall the other dominoes that he had stacked. Outside the war had already been won. The soldier is now checking the battlefield for any survivors, killing those who pretend to die. Aero on the other hand is resting for a while. This is now time for him to reap the rewards of the quest. He did not have the time to check the notification before when he was fighting but now that he has time and have won the battle it is time to reorganize and strengthen himself. He believes that there is a lot of points he got from this war. Quest is not easy to trigger. That is what Aero had discovered. It had something to do with one vocation. And it is also related to one personal strength. The stronger a person is, the harder it is for them to get a quest. The Quest must challenge that person strength as it aims to improve the quester ability And it must also correspond to that person vocation. For example, an archer would not get a quest of leading an army to victory like a Strategist or a warrior general. But does that mean that an archer could not lead an army? No. It just mean that the archer would not get any points from it. Of course, there is also a shared quest. For example, all the officials of the army that is an adventurer all got the quest of winning the war. But the rewards are different for each one. Rewards itself is related to their contribution and role in the war. One thing that Aero had to acknowledge is that he still didn''t understand completely about quest system It could also be an order from someone superior that would give quest. Aero just shake his head. This is not the time for him to be thinking about that. There are many things that he had to do after this. The news of the victory has been relayed toward Dan Aero had chosen to send the news earlier. He sends the new even before he had defeated Veranis. This would give a morale boost to him so that it would not make him hesitate to attack Karak. And there is also his secret agreement with Savillia He had got the letters and it told him that Savillia had attacked Karak last night and divert the forces of Karak so that Dan could take advantage of it. It is clear that Savillia decide to believe in him. Aero eyes seem to be shining with wisdom right now. Other people might think that he had focused all of his plans on the Plains, but he would not be titled Divine Strategist if that is his only ability. From the very beginning, Aero had never intended only to drive out Veranis. He wanted to take Veranis and he also wanted to take Karak. He wanted the Eastern side of the continent to be fully controlled by the Empire He did not need Karak anymore. Since Karak had bare its fang toward Vanheim, it is time to put down this small tiger. This ambition is also one of the impetus that led him to send an additional letter to Savillia kingdom, a week before he finalizes the matter. Later, after he returned back to the Empire, he would have to talk about this matter again with the rulers of the Savillia kingdom. If all of his plan fall into its place like he had planned, then the Empire would have a firm foothold toward an expansion to the West The Church could argue about religion all day and the others could argue about reestablishing about their kingdoms and states. It did not matter to Aero at all. In the end, their plots and scheme when fighting a true behemoth would not amount to a thing. The more disunited they become, the more it is advantageous for the Empire. He sighed a bit and then he shakes his head If he keeps thinking like this and keep thinking of shames, when would he have the time to read all the notification, he thought to himself. Thinking of this he then clears out his mind from any distracting thoughts and began checking the quest notification that he had swipe to his status window before. The quest window immediately popped out the moment he thinks of it. Quest You are the Chancellor of the Vanheim Empire. The Greater Veranis had blown the horn of war, breaking the alliance and wage war to Vanheim. As you have involved yourself in this war, you have chosen your side as a Vanheim people. As the Chancellor of Vanheim Empire you had lead your Empire to victory and your reputation had soared once again. The Goddess of Wisdom and War Athena look fondly on you and your favorability with the Goddess had increased. You have been awarded with 200 skill points. Your war achievement is central to the victory of your forces. You have broken the lines of the enemy by your lonesome The title Vanguard of the Battlefield is rewarded to you. You have fought tens of thousands of people and had killed many people in one strike giving you an upgrade from the Demon of Battlefield to the Demon of War. You could check the effect on your title status window. As most of your skill is related to a Legacy owner, there is not suitable skill that could be rewarded and it is compensated with the amount of skill points. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e The moment Aero finished reading it, he was shocked. He had 200 skill points and adding it with the skill point that he did not sued before he had 205 skill points. For almost two years he had tries to raises his skill point and nothing had worked. One war had netted him 200 skill points. He could practically raise all of his skill to the highest level allowable before he had to undergoes fated quest. He thinks of those times when he had to think a lot before allocating skill points. Now, he did not even have to think as he could spend it all without worrying it is about to run out. This alone is enough to increase his strength He then was also curious of the title that he had got and as such he opens the title windows Aero Carlingian have unlocked the achievement of Vanguard of the Battlefield Requirement: breaking the lines of the enemy by yourself Title received: Vanguard of the Battlefield The Vanguard of Battlefield lead the way to victory and as such those people with such valiant heart will be rewarded by the Heavens. Title Perks: Increased defense against any attacks and each attack would become even stronger. Could create a spherical dome of protection created by the energy of the Heaven and Earth around the entire body that would protect oneself from any attack for ten second The title could be evolved further. Aero look at the title perk and his eyes was raised upwards. He thinks about it for a while and he thinks it is very advantageous for him. The defense part is not that useful since his body had already the Curse of the Styx which makes him invulnerable to all mortal weapons. But it is the spherical dome of protection that made him feel that this title perk is not that bad. He immediately tries to use it \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 363 REVIVE He concentrated and close his eyes and he could feel that there is a force of energy surrounding him making him feel that he is protected When he opens his eyes however, there is nothing in front of him It seems that this spherical dome of protection formed form the energy of Heaven and Earth is not observable by human eyes. But Aero could feel it. There is like a layer around him. He closes his eyes again and try to concentrate harder and then he could shrink that dome as the protection energy layer itself upon Aero skin. At this time Aero smile as he took a dagger on the table and crouch down He then untied the ankle protector and for a few second he hesitated but then he moves his hand and slice his ankle. Instead of feeling the pain that would usually come even with a small nick or injury to his ankle, this time, the dagger bend and broke after hitting his weak spot and Aero eyes shines even brighter ''This seems to work even with the Curse of Styx still active'' he thought to himself. This fill him with a more confidence. All this time, after the fight he had with Zeus, he had always had to hide in the Chancellor residence. To most people, it is that he did not want to fight and more focused on administering the Empire. Who could know his sorrows? Aero had always fear someone would accidentally attack his ankle. This weakness if revealed would bring a lot of dire consequences. But with this skill, he could at least bluff his way out later. He did not have to worry too much about any weapons aimed at his ankle as he could use this skill Though, it is unfortunate that it would only last for ten seconds. If its longer, it would be better since he could risk more when he fights other people. Killing intent when solidify into a certain point of thickness could also do what this protection energy did but for some reason killing intent did not work in protecting the ankle, the part where he is mortal It is like there is some rejection power in that. He then checks the other title Demon of War Aero Carlingian have unlocked the achievement of Demon of War Requirement: killing around fifty thousand people Title received: Demon of War Title has evolved from Demon of the Battlefield to Demon of War Title Perks: Your manipulation of killing intent is reaching a master level. There is no one else that has killed as much as you and it gives you a certain feature of the demons from the Eastern Heaven. Your killing intent could suppress and create illusion in the feeble minds of people. In a battlefield, your body would become stronger, your perception would become faster and your attack would possess the resentment of the death. The more you killed, the powerful you become. (This does not include Holy men from the Church or some people who were blessed by the Gods or deities where the effect of this title would be lessened or even at times neutralized. You have reached almost the ultimate title evolution for this place. Gained the Path of Killing (Beware that by cultivating this path it might change your personality and temperament) the skill Slashing Through Life and Death evolve into Cutting Deities His Slashing Through Life and Death had evolved into this new attack. The name itself is quite domineering Cutting Deities. One thing Aero had noticed about Lizhu is that he seems to have complicated relationship with divine beings. Like the Sword of Mars that belong to Poseidon. Most of his weapons and items seems to describe that many of his struggle is against divine beings. Aero like excitement like any other person but, he truly did not want to step into fight against some Divine Being. He quickly checks the status window. His status window was still showing the Slashing Through Life and Death status window but the moment Aero brought it up, the words in the status window of the skill slowly changes Aero then check the status \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Cutting Deities (SPECIAL RANK) A skill derived from your dedication to killing and bloodshed. This skill would gather all the killing intent around you to produce a strike that would take all the lives of people around you. The effect of this strike and its range of attack depends on the amount of killing intent that is around you. It could not differentiate friend and foe, so be prudent before using it. With the upgraded version, you now could wound even Gods and Goddesses with your strike. This could only be used once a day. As for the three strikes of the Slashing Through Life and Death, with the ranking up of this skill, you now have such power to unleash such strike anytime that you have accumulated enough Killing Intent. Be careful when using this strike since it would drain you immensely. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e No wonder it is called Cutting Deities. This skill literally could cut down Deities. But how much of killing intent he needs to have to even be able to cut Gods and Goddesses. After all, even though Aero had never met Zeus, the King of Olympus, he had met a few Gods and deities in his journey like Athena and Thetis. He remembers his fight with Cerberus. That is just the pet of the Unseen One, the God of Death Hades and even that had posed quite a challenge. From what he knows about Gods and Goddess, their power is almost limitless. There is nothing that they could not do. He did not doubt the power of this skill. After all he had met Lizhu Gerard before and know how powerful that man really is It is just that to even wound a deity, it must require a lot of killing intent. Only then it could wound such deity that have almost limitless power He sighed. ''It almost like you want me to fight against deities'' he thought to himself. Taking the legacy of too powerful person also have its difficulties. After all, is it not because of Lizhu items that he had become the target of Poseidon? Though, one could argue that it ends well with him getting the Curse of Styx. It is like giving him a shortcut to power. If not how could he have fought Zeus after such a short time and even defeated him and become a legend? It is hard to describe the feeling he felt about the legacy of Lizhu Gerard. It seems that when someone got a legacy, you will not inherit their skill but also inherit their enemies But then he shakes his head ''I better not overthink it'' he thought to himself. All in all, he had a lot of benefits. It is a pity that he was not given any items or potions after the completion of the war. One of the things that he wanted if he successfully wins the war is a revival items. That thing is quiet rare nowadays. Those who have it would not sell it, those who knows where it is won''t tell. After all, for adventurers while money is good and all, life is more important. Having a revival items would guarantee that they have a second chance in life. Money could be gathered again. But not life. He had been searching for revival items since he had establish back his intelligence agency in Veranis half a year ago. There is not chatter whatsoever of any adventurer that wanted to sell their revival potions. Everyone seems to be silent about this matter. It is not that there isn''t one. It is just that nobody wanted to tell anybody about such item in their possession. It could bring about bloodshed if someone knows that you have revival items. If you don''t have enough power or influence, having such a precious thing would cause you to be hunted by the world. Of course, there is also some revival items that is public and everyone knows where it is but nobody dares or could take it. This of course refers to the revival items belonging to the Empire, the Church and the United Kingdom of Veva. It is known that the Empire have a few revival potions in their treasury. It is not that Aero did not think of taking it for himself after he returns. It is that he could not take it without justification. Of course, later he could take it but he wanted to have it before he returns. And while the purview of the Treasury is under the Six Council. the treasury which house the revival potions belong to the private treasury of the Emperor and not the Empire treasury He would really like it if he did not owe anything to the Emperor. That is more problem that he could take. The Emperor is not someone that Aero is comfortable owing a favor to. Especially since he himself had been a warier of Edward. There is a lot of things that he had found out about Edward as he moves in the world undetected this past year. The Emperor is not some timid cat. But a lion just like his father. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 364 THE CLUE OF EASTERN HEAVEN Of all the revival items that exist in the world, that one is the most publically well-known even among the native of the world And the third one is rumored to be in the possession of the King of Veva. Aero wanted one. Who doesn''t want a second life? He expected that he would get such item after he finished this quest. Who would have thought, it is really not easy to get such items even after winning a war? With this alone, Aero could feel how rare it is to get Revival items. It is either that or maybe because of the Curse of Styx. he doesn''t seem to be blessed with getting a revival items. It is like he already got an invulnerable body. Does he want to also have the chance to revived too? That is what he felt the world is telling him He thought to himself. The wind from the outside blows inside and he smell the blood. Usually, it would smell of flowers and the smell of the forest. But because of the battle, the only scent he could smell is the smell of blood. Some of them smell fishy, and it could make some people vomit if they were not used to it. Aero is ashamed to say that he is quite familiar with the smell. It is nothing to brag about. He still has a lot of things he needs to do and time is ticking. ''This is not the time for thinking things like this'' he thought to himself. he need to quickly finish his ranking up quickly. He already had send order for the army to regroup back in an hour. They would then march to Veranis. Of course, Aero had also send scouts ahead to see the situation in the nearest fort. And while Quentin and Kyle is the most prominent generals in this battle aside from him, there is of course other generals that contributed and they already went ahead to racked up some military contribution. Not everybody is needed to chase the deserting soldiers. He then decided to focus back on what he is doing and drown out all of this other distracting thoughts Aero check his status window and look at all of his skill. He decided to rank up all of his skill to the ultimate level that could be upgraded using skill points. He looks at his Unique skill. Both of his Fighting Spirit and Divine Endurance could not be ranked up to higher level. This two skill had long enable him to rampage fearlessly in the battlefield by his lonesome. For fighting spirit if he wanted to rank it up higher, he had to undergo a destiny fated quest to reach Master rank. He had never activated any destiny fated quest. And from what he had gathered not many had also tired. That is not the case for Aero. But if there is people that is trying to complete a destiny fated quest, they surely are not telling other people about it. Either they failed in their quest, or there is no need to advertise it Any one that ranks their skill to the master level could be considered a true master of their skill. The reason why Aero never activated any of his destiny fated quest is because he fears that it would take a lot of his time. If somehow the quest takes a lot of his time, how could he execute his plan to return back to the Empire? He had weigh the pros and cons and decided he would wait to challenge a destiny fated quest after he had stabilized back his position and return back to his height of power again Then whatever the quest wanted to throw at him it would be easier for him to solve it with the influence and power that he would possess As for Divine Endurance, it is already at Supreme Rank because of the Curse of Styx which did not require him to do anything to ranks up the skill He looks at his Recruit skill. His recruit skill is in Advanced level and it requires him five skill points to ranks up the level. Five skill points is nothing for him so he immediately uses five skill points to rank up Recruit to Superior level \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e RECRUIT (V) Superior It enables the character to recruit people easily and give one an aura of approachability. The people of this world would be attracted to join you. You could even persuade them to choose their own legacy if your influence over them is strong. The ranking evaluation was adjusted because of the influence the character possesses in the world. However, for those who are affected negatively by you, this skill would prove ineffective. -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e It did not change much of the description of the skill but the rank superior might indicate that it would be easier for him to recruit people. This skill is hard to gauge because it depends on his own ways of persuading people. Of course, this kind of skill would work well with the native people of the world but it probably not affects much if he is trying to recruit adventurers with this skill He then checks the next skill which is Handicraft. He rarely uses it but since he had all of this skill points and he already had decided to rank up all of his skill, he did not even hesitate to use it to rank up the Handicraft skill His Handicraft skill is at adept rank so he need to use nine skill point to raise it up to Advanced and then to Superior. He pays it and then he checks the status window \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e HANDICRAFT (V) SUPERIOR RANK Enables the character to be proficient in handicraft. With your current rank you could mass produce handicraft and you have now learned sculpturing. It also extends the sharpness of your weapon when you craft weapons or accessories. -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Unlike the skill before, this skill had a little change in its description. And he even got a new skill. There is also the effect that would extend the sharpness of his weapon. He did not quite understand the meaning of that description. So he unsheathes his weapon. Then he pointed toward the ground and then he smiles ''So, that is how it is'' he thought to himself. When he pointed his sword to the ground, he could feel the energy of the sword extending out further than his reach. This sword energy or intent or whatever you want to call it, is invincible. Like a sword force. For example, if his sword is one feet long when he thrusted it forward, the range is actually around two feet. Aero had long known that his skill would always be different than the other people. This is simply because Lizhu Gerard, the one who gives him all this skill resided in Eastern Heaven territory The two years he was in Veranis, other than planning for his comeback, he also seeks information for the Eastern Heaven. Even in the description of his skill the Demon of the Battlefield it spoke of Eastern Heaven. But there was no mention of Eastern Heaven at all. But in the ancient book, he had found something. In the past, they were people from a land called the Central Divine Kingdom that come to Vilajeri continent and make a living here. Lizhu Gerard must be one of them. Their methods of war and their methods of fighting differ greatly with the methods of fighting of the people of the Vilajeri Continent. That is why, Aero knows his skill and even his sword skill is very different than the people in this world He then shakes his head as he checks the new skill that he had which is the Sculpturing skill \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 365 RANKING UP THE SKILLS \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e SCULPTURING (I) BASIC RANK Enables you to carve or engrave various types of materials. Artworks of a high artistic value are worth a fortune. This is the skill of sculpturing for layman people. But for those who seek the perfection of man, nature and heaven, sculpting is the art of the divine. Lizhu Gerard practices sculpting to remove doubt, to calm his heart and to achieve unity with the Heavens. It is his art of enlightenment. -Require two skill points to rank up the skill- \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Aero read the description and he was shocked. Most basic rank skill description is very short. But instead, this one is very long. It seems that this is the legacy of Lizhu Gerard. When he reached high enough level on the handicraft skill, his ability would also evolve. Is this the advantage of people with a Legacy? He thought to himself. This means Zeus would also have things like this. He looks again at the skill and read it again Sculpting as a mean of enlightenment? To remove doubt and clam the heart? That would be pretty useful especially for strategist that surely had their stressful moments. That is what Aero thought Aero decided later when he have time, he would also try this skill. It is only in basic rank now so Aero uses 14 points to raises it up to Superior rank and then he checks the description again \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e SCULPTURING (V) SUPERIOR RANK Enables you to carve or engrave various types of materials. Artworks of a high artistic value are worth a fortune. Now, you can engrave pattern and imbue powers in your sculpture. those who seek the perfection of man, nature and heaven, sculpting art is the art of the divine. Lizhu Gerard practices sculpting to remove doubt, to calm his heart and to achieve unity with the Heavens. It is his art of enlightenment. (To understand the effect of the superior rank of sculpturing it is recommended for you to carve a sculpture to experience it firsthand the beneficial effect it would give) -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Aero look at the skill and sighed. He guesses he would not have time for trying this skill today since he need to move after. Outside he could hear the sound of horn being blown, ordering the soldiers to return back to the camp. They would rest for a few hours As for the dead, they gave them a simple funeral rite Aero check his next skill which is the Tailoring skill. It was at Adept rank. So he uses 9 skill points to raise it to Superior rank. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e TAILORING (III) SUPERIOR RANK Enables the character to be proficient in tailoring. Could sew own clothes and repair clothes at this rank. The quality is very high and one would consume less energy and the rate of sewing had become faster. -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Aero did not linger too long on that skill since it did not change much and did not affect him that much He looks at his skill points and he saw he still had 218 points. The next skill he wanted to rank up is his Blacksmithing. Out of the many miscellaneous skills that he had this is probably one of the skill that had practical use for him Like many of his other skill, it is adept rank. He uses another nine skill points to raise it up to Superior rank \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e BLACKSMITHING (IV) SUPERIOR RANK Enables the character to be proficient in blacksmithing. Your comprehension in hammering the metal had reached an incredibly superior level. You could easily forge metals and you could now forge Unique rank weapons and repair Hero rank items. You could also smelt medium rank ore and high level rank ore. You now have also additional resistance toward fire as it would hardly feel anything to your skin in low amounts. Any burn injury would be healed almost instantly as Hephaestus blessed those who reached high level in blacksmithing. Seek blueprints all over the continent to master the profession. -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Aero look at the description and he smiles. This would be useful for him since he lacks weapons. Instead of saying he lacked weapons, it is more accurate to say that he did not need any other weapons than what he has now. Though, he might create a few weapons and give it to his guards. That would raise their combat capability. And he has many subordinate and gifting them a Unique weapon would surely won him favor. If he did not have Curse of Styx this is probably very useful to him. With the Heaven Sword he fears no one as it is a godly weapon. The only regret was that the Heaven Sword is sealed and he could not bring out its true power to the world. If not, he could easily wipe out that enemy before without expending so much energy. Though he did not underestimate the use of blacksmithing skill. Since if he reached high enough level eh could forge a godly weapon. That alone would not make him fear anyone. Not even the Gods and Goddesses in Olympus. He then checks the next skill which is the repair skill. This is also useful. Most of his weapons that is given by Lizhu Gerard are all in Godly weapons and they rarely need to be repaired. One might think then that he doesn''t need to rank up this skill. But the truth was even though the weapons he had been given is all in godly rank, most of it was sealed. It is better for him to forge other sets of weapons for himself. And if he forges weapon and it broke what could he do? Repair it of course. But with his capability of forging Unique weapons, he also need a corresponding repairing ranks that could repair such weapons. Unique weapons while it could not be said to be rare, it could not be said that is common either. Unique weapons like it said in the name of the rank is unique. They are not only sturdier and more powerful than a Hero rank weapon as they usually have some special attributes to it like having some elements imbued in the weapons. Aero is excited to forge a weapon for himself later and imbue his own energy and engrave some special attribute to it later. He tempers his excitement and then he checks the status window. His repair rank is still in the beginner rank. He uses another 14 points to raise repair rank to Superior rank. He then checks the status window. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e REPAIR (IV) SUPERIOR RANK Enables the character to be proficient in repairing mechanical stuff. With your current rank, you could also repair armors and weapons. To learn how to repair armor increased the rank of blacksmithing comprehending ways of forging metals. You now have deep comprehension on how to bend metal to achieve the shape you want and how to do all kinds of repairing methods. You could now repair any weapons, armor or accessories of Unique rank -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e He flinched a bit as the information and methods of repairing enters his mind. Thankfully it is only a brief moment before Aero regain back the full control of his mind. This time, his mind is full of knowledge of how to repair stuff. He then checks his legacy skills. He looks at his Divine Roar which could not be rank up by using skill points. It is actually a simple Roar skill that turned into Divine Roar skill because of the Curse of Styx. He then checks his Killing Intent skill. It is already at Master rank. Unlike the other skill, it did not require him to use skill point toward it. It only requires him to keep killing. In the battlefield, Aero had experienced how bad it is to be consumed by killing intent., There were memories in Western Heaven that flooded his mind and that scares him There are also all kinds of negative energies that would take a hold of him. If he had let that killing intent to consume him, he would probably turn into a demon in the battlefield and killing until he himself is killed. Aero certainly would not let such a thing to happen. Even in the description of the skill, it said to rank up the skill one had to kill and experience bloodshed. It is a useful and powerful skill. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 366 DISADVANTAGE OF KILLING SKILL It made him lose his conscience and lose his control over his own body. It is like losing the control for his own mind. For a strategist to lose his mind, that is something that should be allowed to happen. Aero likes fighting. Well, that is not accurate enough. He likes fighting because he knows he could win in a fight. And while he likes it that did not means he is manic about it. There is this contradiction to this. Since he could win, that is why he likes fighting. One could even say it is not fighting that he likes. It is winning. But he likes scheming from the back even more. At times when he had to take into the field, it is only when he really needed the battle to be won. He is more proficient in defeating the enemy before they even reach the battlefield. Whether that be true deception, or some dirty tricks from behind, Aero had always stress the importance of winning with the least effort. Conserve one strength while forcing the enemy to waste theirs. As such, even before the war had been declared, he would already plant his spies, sow doubts and create traps for his enemies. He would bribe the disgruntled officers of the opposite factions, persuade them with righteousness, lure them with benefits, threaten them with harm before the war even started. When the war starts, his army would be in the advantageous position. Of course, this tactic could only be used by Aero after the Empire stabilizes. In the past, he had to modify his plan in real time because their forces are small and not as big. But as it become the superpower nation in the East, Aero had also changed his tactic accordingly. This battle needed to be won and it needed to showcase his power to remind the people in the dark who is Aero of the East and what is the consequences of going against him? This is his way of gaining back the trust of the world. As such, he himself need to go into battle and he did not only need to win, he needs to win with him as the central force of this victory. Only then his grand debut to the world would be completed. Killing Intent skill work perfectly in such a setting. But Aero had also recognized its danger after his experience of using it It is good that this time he managed to recover himself in time. The Heaven Sword also seems to clash with the Killing Intent and could be regarded as a suppression tool which is good for him But what if one day, he did not suppress the killing intent and let it run amuck. It would not be good for his reputation. Even after he had returned to his current calmness, he could still remember that feeling of negative emotion that made his heart feel heavy. The Disguise skill is very useful to him during his time in Veranis. He did not rank it up before even though he had skill point is because he wanted to conserve skill points. Who would have thought that today, after just one war he would have this many skill points? It is true war is very tragic. But it is also true that for some people war is very profitable. If not, why would those adventurers join the war even though there is a possibility of them getting killed? Because there is high benefit in fighting a war and winning it. It is just sad that the Veranis forces is the one in the losing side today Of course, unlike Aero their reason for gaining strength might be different from Aero. Since Aero had already had position, power and wealth his aspiration and desire is of course different from some people who wanted the skill points to improve themselves so that they could live more easily in this world. The world that Aero lives and the world that normal adventurers live is very different He then thinks of the Disguise skill and the status window popped out. He looks at it saw it is in Adept rank He uses 12 point to raise Disguise to Superior rank. And then he checks the status window. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e DISGUISE [IV] Superior RANK Able to disguise to be a monster and people that you have encountered or defeated. You now can even disguise yourself into lifeless things and transform back and forth easily. There is no longer a restriction on things that you wanted to disguise at. You no longer need to defeat the monster to disguise yourself to it. You just need to possess focus and concentration, thinking of the overall shape and appearance of the thing, monster, or people that you want to disguise yourselves as. Lizhu Gerard had used this skill many times in his life to infiltrate the enemy camp and enemy stronghold to gain information. He had also uses it to fool his enemies and he created many alter egos that goes on to create a legend by themselves without anyone ever knowing that all of those alter egos is Lizhu Gerard himself. -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e It is another legacy skill, he thought to himself. Most of his skill is related to Lizhu Gerard skill in the past and it seems that they all could sprout of new talents. Of course Disguise did not sprout out any new talents of skill but Aero had this intuition that if he pushed to master level, there might be a change in this skill He himself did not know how to explain this feeling. He shakes his head and then check the next skill which is the taunt skill. This skill is not very useful against adventurers but it is very effective on the native of this world He looks at his skill points. His skill point right now is 183 skill points. His taunt skill is at Beginner rank so he used 14 skill points to raise it up to Superior rank \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e TAUNT [IV] SUPERIOR RANK This skill helps you to attract monster to attack you. It could even affect people if the taunt is close to their complex and the weakness in their hearts. If uses correctly could even induce manic rage on other people, thus rendering him incapable of thinking logical thoughts Lizhu Gerard had used such skill to anger many people and confuse them. It is better used by people who could understand the human heart and how to manipulate it. It could even induce a person most negative emotions when used correctly. Be careful not to taunt divine beings with this skill since it could lead to negative consequences -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Aero read the description and suffice to say he is very shocked at how the description about the skill had changed. ''Could this even affect the adventurers?'' he thought to himself. As for the native of this world, Aero is pretty sure that this skill would work on them Aero thought it would really add to his image as a powerful orator and statesman if he could taunt them and they die of anger. Thinking of the many politicians in the court and the effect that would happen if he used such skill, fill his mind with some mischievous thought He also saw a warning not to use it against divine being. It made him think that maybe in the past Lizhu Gerard had once taunt a divine being. That is the only reason there would be such a warning he thought. He shakes his head, thinking of this matter He then checks his other skill which is the Language skill. This is a legacy skill of Lizhu Gerard and Aero always had some expectation on this skill. The ability is basically the ability for him to use complex systems of communication and learning other languages easily and without effort But since most of the people in Vilajeri continent spoke the same language there is not that many use for this ability. But it is the other perks of this skill that made him appreciate it. It is the fact that with this skill, he could understand complex symbols and divine meaning and the ability also enables him to speak with spirits and Divine Beast As for spirits, he saw some of them during his trip in the Underworld. As for Divine Beast he had never met one. With all of the skill he had there is many ways for him to seek quest later. It is his position as the Chancellor that always limits his movement in the Continent. As one of the pillars of the Empire, any movement he mad would be closely watched not only by his enemies in the Western kingdoms but also the hidden enemies in the court. If not for Curse of Styx and his ability to create the image of an invincible and unkillable warrior, he bet there would be an assassination attempt on his life every day. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 367 PREPARING TO MOVE \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e LANGUAGE [IV] SUPERIOR RANK Ability to use complex systems of communication and learning other languages easily and without effort. With this skill you can understand complex symbols and divine meaning by spending some time looking at it and deriving its meaning from your own understanding. [This rate of understanding complex symbols and deriving its meaning from your own understanding had increased with the increased in rank of the skill] This ability also enables you to speak with spirits and Divine Beast. As it had reached the Superior rank you could also now read the divine writing of deities, immortals, gods, and demons. Any codes that is derived from language would easily be broken by the host. -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Aero look at the description of the new improved language skill and he was quite satisfied with it. There is an improvement all around He then was about to open another skill window and upgrades its rank when he suddenly went still in his place He felt like there is something entering his mind as all kinds of symbol and writing seems to materialize out of nowhere and flooded his vision his mind seems to be filled with knowledge of all kinds of writings and symbols. He did not understand most of it but he knows that if he ever saw this language in real life, he would instantly have understood it This is the advantage of an adventurer. They could easily learn all skill easily It did not take long before he got his thoughts all calm again. The writings and symbols had dissipated and his vision become normal again He felt dizzy for a second before he stabilizes himself. He was about to check his next skill when someone announce from the outside that they are coming in to report the progress in the battle front ''Your Excellency, there is report from the front'' Aero said from the inside ''Come in.'' The messenger enters the tent and then kneels as he presents the message. Aero grab it and read it and then he nodded. He is pretty satisfied with Kyle actions of taking the surrendered soldiers but he does worry that Quentin would go overboard. And then he said ''Tell general Kyle and general Quentin that I will be joining them a bit later with my private cavalry. Tell them to march first and take down the fort as fast as possible.'' He also did not forget to pen some words of advice to Quentin Aero stressed to not go overboard when in victory "Those who relies solely on warlike measures shall be exterminated; those who relies solely on peaceful measures shall perish." That is what he wrote in the parchment Then he rolls back the parchment and said to the messenger. ''This is my message to the generals. Do not give it to anyone other than the two generals.'' The messenger nodded, took the parchment and quickly went out of the tent to give the instruction to the two generals. On the other hand, Aero paused a bit his ranking up plans and went out from the tent It is time to see if his private army had all return back to the camp. Most of them were separated during the battle and some others was separated when the slash that he had unleashed split the ground. The area around the river is still turbulent and there is even a new path where the rivers would flow because of that slash. As he went out his tent, he looks around as he is seeking one of his officers to relay some orders toy the other officers and ask about the status report of the army Looking left and right, He saw Austin, one of the officer of his cavalry units on top of his horse barking orders. He gestures toward him with his hand to come over to him. It is a very informal gesture Austin who was surveying the return of the cavalry unit saw Aer gesturing to him and he jump down from his horse and quickly come to Aero side The moment he approached Aero, Aero simply ask. ''How is the preparation?'' Unlike in formal setting, Aero did not want to many court formalities when he is leading an army. This habits of his had been known by his private guards and as such, they rarely spoke of his title as Chancellor when Aero is leading his army as they were more comfortable calling him general, commander or Lord. As the title could be confusing for some of the peasant born soldiers to understand, Aero usually did not care that much what they called him as long as they accorded the respect of a superior officer in the military. In leading army and inspiring his soldiers, Aero is quite the practical man. Most of those who joined the army were not exactly subtle in their manners and most of them from peasant stock. Even many of his officers come from peasant stock. Most of the peasantry lives a more fulfilling life under the reign of George and the Empire than before. most of these benefits of a fulfilling life for the peasantry is attributed to Aero and the adventurer officials in the court. While Aero did not remember fully about his life in Western Heaven, he remembers there is no slave there and as such the practice of peasantry treated like cattle by the nobles did not sit well with most of the adventurers. Aero did many reforms in his time as the Chancellor which opens up many opportunities for the peasant to reach high position in the administrative court and even in the military And as expected many more peasant enters the military then they enter the administrative court In the past, it is only the nobles that could hold public office and become an officer in the military. Of course, this did not mean the problem just simply goes away. There are still many problems that needs to be solved as there is still discrimination between the nobles and peasants but one could not deny that with the reforms that the Chancellor had done, it has transformed the entire nation and bringing closer to a world of shared prosperity As such, many of the soldiers who were peasant born respected and admire the Chancellor very much. Austin then answer Aero question ''We are all prepared. Most of the officers had already returned and accounted for'' Aero nodded and then after contemplating what he should do and the timeframe that he needed before he could move out, he said ''Tell them we would move in an hour. Make sure everyone is there before the appointed time. And as for the other generals that would fortify this area, ask them to lend a few thousand of their cavalry. As for the infantry, we don''t need them.'' Austin nodded and then he went back to his group of officers to relay the orders \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 368 PRIVATE ARMY OF THE CHANCELLOR His private army is also one of the most well supplied and most well armored in the Capital of Vanheim Most of them were trained hard and they were all elites in their own rights. And most of his private army is the native inhabitants of this world Some people said this is the Chancellor way of not showing favoritism to other adventurers. Truth is, Aero trusted the native world inhabitants more than he could trust adventurers. Because he is also an adventurer he understood very much how useless is trust between one adventurer to another. And the adventurers might even be spies that could reveal his eccentricities regarding his weakness in the ankle Why would someone as powerful as Aero need an ankle protector made of some weird metal? If his private lives are investigated then maybe if Eric looked at it, he could deduce Aero weakness. Aero had never underestimated Eric ability to fish out useful information in the sea of useless waters. That is why Aero is reluctant to trust adventurers. Even now, when the adventurers no longer have the ability to revive, Aero would never underestimate the greed in human heart That is why Aero private army were all of native people of this world. His private soldiers are always armored from head to toe with even their horses having metal armor covering their body. Most of their horses is warhorses that is bigger than normal cavalry horses. The money that one had to spend to create such an elite unit is very expensive. But what does money mean for the Chancellor who controls the banks of the Empire. He does not care who makes the laws of the Empire since he controls the Empire money Though, one must be perplexed how is Aero private army had arrived in the battlefield and participated in this battle? They were summoned by Kyle They at first did not want to come. Since Kyle is not their lord and has no jurisdiction over them. But Aero had given Kyle his token so that he could order his private army to secretly come to the area before the battle started. No one should underestimate the influence that Aero had in the Imperial court. Even the Emperor was shielded by the news of his whereabouts, how could people in the west could even get the news? Of course, Aero private army had always been under the eyes of many factions in the capitals. If that is so, why would no one discover that the private army is moving toward the Ethylred Plain? And why no one finds it suspicious? It is quite simple actually. A few months before the war breakout, his private army had already been doing military drills all around the area of the border. Though, one could say it is something that Aero had put under the consideration of his plans. A serendipity event that had ease Aero plans considerably. Aero even had the thought of rewarding that person when they go back to the Empire later Aero with his intelligence squad up and running in Veranis got to know about this. And he built a plan around this matter. he knows that because of the frequency of this military drill, no one would suspect that Aero had once again returned and now have a pan to bring back his private army under his fold. They were many people that wanted to recruit his private army. But that is hard to do because simply there is only a few officials in the imperial court that could field a private army. Most army is under the Council of War. Other than the few people that have contributed to the expansion of the Empire, there were not many officials that were allowed to hold private army And Aero is one of that people. Some people wanted to recruit his private army but did not dare too. This is because having a private army without deserving to would only paint a target on their back. The Emperor did not actually like his subject to have private army. But the privilege of Aero having his own private army was given during the last administration, the decree of the founder of the Empire, the father of the current Emperor. So, even the current Emperor is helpless to overturned this reward. He could but one could only imagine the memorial that he had to read and the countless of weeks debating about this matter with the official. Not to mention the accusation that would surely be given to him Since people would accuse him of ingratitude, unfilial and many others. Aero reputation as one of the founding members of the empire is strong in the mind of the people and the officials of the court. Whether they like him or not, nobody would deny that the Chancellor had done the most in contributing toward the Empire and ensuring its prosperity That is one of the reason why his private army even though he was not there was not touch by anyone. It is also quite touching for Aero to know that they still regarded him as their lord even after years had passed. when Kyle come to them and showed his token to them, the leader of his private army simply once again inform the Emperor that they would be doing another military drill. No one found it out of the ordinary. They went to the forest and when they had made sure that they were not followed, they then ride toward the Ethylred Plains and gather with the army and then once again fall to Aero control Aero take a long look at his officer and he smiles a bit. Not all people wanted to deceive you. He sometime envies the na?vet¨¦ of this people. Aero could be cunning and sly but that is just one side of his personality. The virtues that he has, he usually hides. It is not because he ashamed of doing good thing. It is simply because the people he deals with treated kindness as a weakness. And as such he would hide his virtue and his kindness and his heart but flaunt his fearsome side. When you are with tigers, don''t act like a sheep if you don''t want to be eaten. You have to act like a tiger and if you want to be at the top of the chain, then you have to act like you are the biggest and baddest of tiger. Sighing, he then enters back his war tent. He knows he needs to finish ranking up all of his skill before the one-hour time is up. Even now, the outside of his tent is full of sound of officers barking orders to their subordinate to hurry up. With Kyle and Quentin going first, they could open the way. And Aero doesn''t think that this takes is hard for them since they probably would not be able to withstand Kyle attack. Not to mention, Kyle has replenished his army with the Veranis soldiers who had surrendered. It is without a doubt that Kyle would use those surrendered soldiers to attack the fort. He also put another strategy in the letter The fort could easily be taken. But not the cities. However, if they use the right tactics, taking down cities is easy. This opportunity that had opened up by killing the monarch of a country must be used fully. They need to be fast. The news of the battle would not have reached the westernmost border of Veranis yet. As such, there would be no large resistance. There would only be small resistance and small resistance could be easily be swept away. What they have going on right now is speed. And high morale, fresh out of a victorious battle As such, they need to overwhelm any resistance with speed. And even if those generals at the borders of Veranis got the news, they would be indecisive and they would be cautious. What is the reason for their cautiousness? It is simple. The name of a person, the shadow of a tree. Aero of the East! His name and reputation would make these generals hesitant. If this happens in the Empire and the Emperor had die in an excursion or a battle, Aero would gauge the reaction and might take the throne for himself if the situation permitted it. He would then stabilize the situation, united the forces and drive back the invasion or plan a countermeasure to stop the crisis But, as Alexander had no sons and had no heir, any declaration of wanting to be king could probably be seen as an act of disloyalty. It is nothing of course compared to the throne that awaited such person that dares to act in this moment, to declare himself king. But such person must be determined in making the decision. He needs to bear the accusation that will come later that would surely rock the foundation of his establishment as king and quickly take the capital. But they would be cautious because even if they manage to take the capital before anyone else, they then need to face the forces of Vanheim after that. On one side, there would be people claiming that he is the usurper and wanted to oust him form the throne. On the other, there is external enemies coming in. Is it not the throne a seat of thorns? Who would want to sit in such a throne? \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 369 SUPREME CONSIDERATION IS SPEED Is it not the throne a seat of thorns? Who would want to sit in such a throne? This all plays out like this, always. it did not only happen in war. It also happens in other situations in life. There are many disadvantages of being first of taking the crown of Veranis in the current situation. For other generals, if they raise the banner of wanting to oust an illegitimate heir to the throne, putting himself on the right cause, possessing the higher moral ground, he would then easily take the throne later. And the rule and order of such a person is also would likely be more stable than the one who come first Such a person also has the advantage of waiting it out as the conflict between the forces that take the capital and the Vanheim forces to clash with each other and swoop down at the last minutes when both forces are tired and exhausted. With this, it is easy to see that being first is not necessarily a good thing. And every general that have an ambition to be King all knows this. Yet, at the same time, this is what Aero is hoping for. Let them wait. Let them think over. Be cautious. Think more. Nobody wanted to be the first and as such, the general that wanted to stabilize the situation would also be cautious and they wait. And the longer they wait, the more momentum Vanheim forces would accumulate. The answer is speed. The use of speed in this situation would bring untold power. Striking first, before your opponents have time to think or prepare, will make them emotional, unbalanced, and prone to error. And when he follows that with another swift and sudden maneuver, he will induce further panic and confusion. Hit with unrelenting force. Acting with speed and decisiveness will garner his army respect, awe, and irresistible momentum. War is such that the supreme consideration is speed. This is to take advantage of what is beyond the reach of the enemy, to go by way of routes where he least expects you, and to attack where he has made no preparations. By the time they figure out what he wanted to do, they would be too late. Aero also put in the letter for Kyle and Quentin to negotiate with the ruling leader of any of the cities that they wanted to bring down before unleashing the army of Vanheim upon them Aero predicted that many would surrender their city instead of facing the might of the Vanheim army. In the absence of central authority from the Capital, this task would be easy. Of course there is other factors that would surely made these cities leader to open their gates and welcome them instead of fighting them. When that happens and the news arrives at Veranis, more city leaders would open their cities and accept Vanheim occupation. He also put out a reminder in the notes that he had written in the parchment Vanheim must not act like uncivilized barbarian killing and pillaging all the way. It must maintain the high moral ground that they have secured. Alexander had broken an oath witnessed by the Gods and to prevent such thing ever happening again, Vanheim had no choice but to subjugate Veranis. Of course, Vanheim would not meddle too much in the administration if they surrender and those who surrender would be heavily rewarded. Aero find no pleasure of burning down cities and massacring innocent people. As for those who surrender, there is nothing wrong with giving them some reward since the reward would entice more people to surrender. Aero believes that not many actually supported King Alexander decision to attack Vanheim. Of course, normal people could not understand the ambition of Alexander and his conviction that Vanheim would swallow them sooner or later. But Aero would not be the one that would tell this truth to the people of Veranis. Instead he would paint a picture to the world that Alexander had broken the hearts of the people of Vanheim who had always treated Veranis well and had never ever had any intention to bring harm to Veranis. But with Alexander act of declaring war, Vanheim could no longer trust any words that come from Veranis and there is no other choice than to control Veranis completely so that such events that could threaten the stability of Vanheim would never happen again. Aero shake his head as he shakes the thought out of his mind. He closes the fabric entrance of his tent and then look at his skill His Demonic Devil Energy Drain is already at superior rank This skill had always been useful to him., In the battle before he had uses it many times to replenish his own energy. This is also one of Lizhu Gerard skill. He smiles a bit and then just shakes his head He then checks the other skill which is Analyze. It is at adept rank. This skill is also use by him a lot. Overtime he was in a battle, as long as their attack or skill is below the rank of Adept, his eyes could easily analyze the weakness of their attack and the weak point of their movements. Even though he had the powerful body after having been dipped into the River Styx, he still finds this skill useful It also made him able to predict the trajectory of one attack. After a while, it has become instinctive of him to analyze the attack of his enemies. He uses nine points to raise his Analyze skill to superior rank. He then read the new description of the skill \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e ANALYZE (IV) SUPERIOR RANK With this skill you could Analyze unknown object from this world and gain assistance from the Heavens to analyze its origins and name. As you have now reached the superior ranks in this skill, you could easily see through feint movement by your enemies and you could also analyze the weakness of your enemy attack At the Superior rank, you could analyze the weakness of any skill or weapon below your rank -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Aero just nodded at the description of the skill and look at the other skill that is still not yet being ranked up. He smiles after seeing the next skill on the list. It is none other than Sacred Sword Finger. He also uses this skill a lot in battle. It had many uses and is not simply an energy skill. It is very flexible and very easy to use. When he shoots the energy from his finger, it is like using a blade to cut. He has ten fingers. He could shoot it from all of his fingers and this kind of skill is like having ten mobile swords for him to use There is nothing more advantageous. He could be slashing a person with Heaven sword in one hand and his finger on his other hands could shoot sword energy. Of course, with the current rank he could not imbue that sword energy that shoots out into his attack. If he could use it and imbue it in any of his other attacks, it would even be more powerful From what he had understood Lizhu Gerard is an expert in the sword art. And each of his move possess some understanding of the sword. While Aero did not seek such expertise in the sword, it did not mean he did not want to possess such power. He uses nine skill points to raise the skill to superior rank and then he opened the status window of the skill \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 370 STATUS WINDOW SACRED SWORD FINGER (IV) SUPERIOR RANK You have ranked up this skill to superior rank and it has now reached a powerful level. Created by a certain ruling family in Yitien, it is a supreme technique of martial arts that focused on the energy. The Vilajeri Continent and Yitien continent have a different kind of energy yet at the same time it is complemented with each other. the Sacred Sword Finger requires a profound and abundant internal energy level to successfully wield it but Lizhu Gerard had modified it and made it possible for him to use it and learn it easily without losing the core essence of this skill Practiced to the superior rank, one could send out internal energy in the form of a sword or even maintained it as a real sword. Now, you could even store the sword energy and charge it before releasing it in a blasting force of sword energy. You could also imbue the sword energy in any parts of your body. If you could train this level to its pinnacle rank, this skill could even be used against divine beings. The sharpness of your sword force right now could cut all kinds of metals and weapons as easily as it cut butter. The more concentrated the energy that is concentrated in the attack, the more powerful the effect -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Aero look at the skill description and then curious, he pointed his index finger toward the front. An invisible sword glare shoots out from his finger and a small hole could be seen appeared in the fabric opening of the tent entrance. Aero index finger trembles a bit as it seems to be swollen for a moment before it healed back because of the effect of the Curse of Styx. It put a lot of burden onto his body. If any other person had mastered this skill, their attack would surely be very powerful. But they also have to deal with the burden on one body. Even though Aero only uses his finger, what he felt was that his entire body being burdened by some force. In that instant moment, where he releases that concentrated energy from his finger, he felt drained and his veins were all pulsing like it is in pain. It is hard to explain that kind of brief feeling of pain. Curse of Styx had taken the burden of many of his skill. If he relied on his normal body he would surely hard press to use all of the skill that he had inherited from Lizhu Gerard as he grows further in rank He also notices that it said he could also shoot out sword energy from his body. The moment he thinks about how to do that, information streamed into his mind and he immediately understand how to do it. This sword light is too swift for anyone to see. Unless they possess extreme swiftness and speed or some skill that enables them to see things that are moving in fast speed easily, they would not be able to see this sword light that shoots out from his eyes The furniture suddenly split into two. Aero smiles as he closes his eyes. Like before, there is some brief pain after using it that forces him to close his eyes ''This would be enough to intimidate some people'' Aero thought how cool it would look for him to kill people with a glance. He is thinking now to add this skill in his theatrics when facing his enemy He then looks at his other skill which is the Divine Sword technique. He smiles and nodded when looking at this skill If anything this technique compliment the Sacred Sword Finger skill Unlike the other skill, his Divine Sword technique is at advanced rank. He would only need five points to reach Superior rank. The Divine Sword technique was really the same as it is skill. The swordsmanship of the Divine Sword technique is divine in that he could break any weapons attacks that is directed towards him. That is how divine that sword move is. The name Divine Sword technique is simple. Probably that is the thought of Lizhu Gerard when he had created this technique He did not need to create superfluous name for this skill. Divine Sword technique, a divine sword move that could counter all attack Aero had uses it many times during the war. While it would be alright for those attacks to land on his body, Aero had to keep some farce alive. Divine Sword technique had nine divine moves which is the All Encompassing Stance, which is the starting stance that is the basic core to implement the Divine Sword technique in his sword move It adapts to variations of attack and changes in the trajectory of an attack. The other eight move seems to counter weapons and modes of attack There is the Sword Conquering Stance which counter sword style and kill efficiently with a sword Then there is the Saber Conquering Stance which not only give him ability to counter all saber style but also gave him the ability to use all kinds of blade weapons. It gives weight in his attack when he strikes. Then there is Spear Conquering Stance, Mace Conquering Stance which also included the ability to counter short weapons. There is also the Whip Conquering Stance, Palm Conquering Stance which is also very useful when countering barehanded attack and the last is the Energy Conquering stance which primarily very useful against mages, magicians, warlocks and any of those who uses magic as their methods of attacks All in all, it is a very powerful swordplay skill. Of course, it is related to Manual of the White Sword He then uses five of his skill points to ranked it up to Superior rank and then he opens it to read the new description. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e DIVINE SWORD TECHNIQUE (IV) SUPERIOR RANK One of Lizhu Gerard legacy skills. Lizhu Gerard learned many styles of attack that are foreign for the part of the world he is inhabiting. It is a sword technique that could break any attack if it is ranked up until its most consummate rank. This technique emphasized internal energy and self-reflection. This technique is rarely seen in Vilajeri Continent. You have learned five of its moves from the Manual of the White Sword Technique. Find the other volumes to learn all the sword moves of the Divine Sword technique. You have even gained the acknowledgement of Lizhu Gerard himself and now had deep understanding of this skill. -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e All of his skill had been upgraded to superior rank. The moment he finished upgrading all of his skill, suddenly someone announced themselves and Aero allow them to enter. It is one of his officers to report to him everyone is assembled. Aero then dismiss the officer and told him that he would be coming in a few minutes. The messenger went out waiting for him. Aero think of the plans he had made and then after reviewing them once again in his mind, he was determined However, before he went out of the tent, he would like to see the improvement that he had made. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e CHARACTER NAME : Aero LEGACY : Grand Strategist ORIGINS : Western Heaven TITLE : General Who Pacified the North : Chancellor : Son of Thetis : Demon of War : Saber Emperor : Disciple of Sage of Wisdom Lizhu : Vanguard of the Battlefield CITIZEN STATUS : Nobleman (Vanheim) AFFLICTION : Curse of the Styx SKILL POINTS : 132 \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e UNIQUE SKILLS FIGHTING SPIRIT (V) SUPERIOR RANK A skill that could increase your strength or paralyze weaker monster and men by only looking at their eyes. Emanated an aura of fighting that is helpful in helping allies to gain morale in battle and weaken enemy morale when hit by such powerful aura. -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank (DIVINE) ENDURANCE (VII) SUPREME RANK It will enable the character to retain stamina longer. The skill has reached Supreme level. It is a godly endurance that could even endure the weight of the world in one shoulder. The Endurance skill morphed into Divine Endurance because of the Curse of the Styx. If you lost the curse of the Styx, the Divine part will be stripped from the evaluation of the skill. RECRUIT (V) SUPERIOR It enables the character to recruit people easily and give one an aura of approachability. The people of this world would be attracted to join you. You could even persuade them to choose their own legacy if your influence over them is strong. The ranking evaluation was adjusted because of the influence the character possesses in the world. However, for those who are affected negatively by you, this skill would prove ineffective. -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e MISC SKILLS HANDICRAFT (V) SUPERIOR RANK Enables the character to be proficient in handicraft. With your current rank you could mass produce handicraft and you have now learned sculpturing. It also extends the sharpness of your weapon when you craft weapons or accessories. -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank SCULPTURING (V) SUPERIOR RANK Enables you to carve or engrave various types of materials. Artworks of a high artistic value are worth a fortune. Now, you can engrave pattern and imbue powers in your sculpture. those who seek the perfection of man, nature and heaven, sculpting art is the art of the divine. Lizhu Gerard practices sculpting to remove doubt, to calm his heart and to achieve unity with the Heavens. It is his art of enlightenment. (To understand the effect of the superior rank of sculpturing it is recommended for you to carve a sculpture to experience it firsthand the beneficial effect it would give) -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank TAILORING (III) ADEPT RANK Enables the character to be proficient in tailoring. Could sew own clothes and repair clothes at this rank. However, the quality would leave much to be desired. -Require four skill points to rank up the skill- BLACKSMITHING (IV) SUPERIOR RANK Enables the character to be proficient in blacksmithing. Your comprehension in hammering the metal had reached an incredibly superior level. You could easily forge metals and you could now forge Unique rank weapons and repair Hero rank items. You could also smelt medium rank ore and high level rank ore. You now have also additional resistance toward fire as it would hardly feel anything to your skin in low amounts. Any burn injury would be healed almost instantly as Hephaestus blessed those who reached high level in blacksmithing. Seek blueprints all over the continent to master the profession. -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank REPAIR (IV) SUPERIOR RANK Enables the character to be proficient in repairing mechanical stuff. With your current rank, you could also repair armors and weapons. To learn how to repair armor increased the rank of blacksmithing comprehending ways of forging metals. You now have deep comprehension on how to bend metal to achieve the shape you want and how to do all kinds of repairing methods. You could now repair any weapons, armor or accessories of Unique rank -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e LEGACY SKILLS (DIVINE) ROAR (VII) SUPREME RANK This skill would enable the character to produce a roar from their mouth that could break morale and deafen the ears. The skill has reached Supreme level. It is a godly roaring that could reach Olympus. However, the character is not recommended to use it always since it could only be used three times a day before the character throat would be parched and the divine part of the roar would be unusable for that day. However, when one had use the Divine Roar ability three times in one day, the skill would revert back to the skill Roar. The Roar skill morphed into Divine Roar because of the Curse of the Styx. If you lost the curse of the Styx, the Divine part will be stripped from the evaluation of the skill. KILLING INTENT (VI) MASTER RANK Killing intent is produced from killing people and monster. To rank up the skill one had to kill and experience bloodshed. At current rank, you could produce a baleful aura and a killing intent mist that could disrupt one mind, weaken their bodies and made them instantly fear you. The killing intent could also solidify itself and act like an invisible shield that would protect the host internal organs and strengthen the host defense. At the Master rank, you now also have the ability to infuse the killing intent of your hearts into your strikes and attack. Also have the ability to create a layer of protection from other people killing intent and killing attack. The range that it affects people increased and the detrimental effect toward enemy increased even more. Very useful in intimidating people and would even give you more energy when fighting and killing while enveloping oneself with killing intent. However, do be careful to not be swallowed by the negative emotion that could make one to do regrettable things as ranking higher using this skill would undoubtedly increase the effect of the negative emotions that is hidden deep in one hear. -Require more killing to rank up the skill- DISGUISE [IV] SUPERIOR RANK Able to disguise to be a monster and people that you have encountered or defeated. You now can even disguise yourself into lifeless things and transform back and forth easily. There is no longer a restriction on things that you wanted to disguise at. You no longer need to defeat the monster to disguise yourself to it. You just need to possess focus and concentration, thinking of the overall shape and appearance of the thing, monster, or people that you want to disguise yourselves as. Lizhu Gerard had used this skill many times in his life to infiltrate the enemy camp and enemy stronghold to gain information. He had also uses it to fool his enemies and he created many alter egos that goes on to create a legend by themselves without anyone ever knowing that all of those alter egos is Lizhu Gerard himself. -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank TAUNT [IV] SUPERIOR RANK This skill helps you to attract monster to attack you. It could even affect people if the taunt is close to their complex and the weakness in their hearts. If uses correctly could even induce manic rage on other people, thus rendering him incapable of thinking logical thoughts Lizhu Gerard had used such skill to anger many people and confuse them. It is better used by people who could understand the human heart and how to manipulate it. It could even induce a person most negative emotions when used correctly. Be careful not to taunt divine beings with this skill since it could lead to negative consequences -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank LANGUAGE [IV] SUPERIOR RANK Ability to use complex systems of communication and learning other languages easily and without effort. With this skill you can understand complex symbols and divine meaning by spending some time looking at it and deriving its meaning from your own understanding. [This rate of understanding complex symbols and deriving its meaning from your own understanding had increased with the increased in rank of the skill] This ability also enables you to speak with spirits and Divine Beast. As it had reached the Superior rank you could also now read the divine writing of deities, immortals, gods, and demons. Any codes that is derived from language would easily be broken by the host. -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank DEMONIC DEVIL ENERGY DRAIN (V) SUPERIOR RANK The legacy skill of Lizhu Gerard it enables you to drain the life force and energy of the people and uses it to rejuvenate your body, heals your injuries. Lizhu Gerard learn this technique after he had retreated from the court life and become a powerful warrior (martial artist) [ has meet the requirement to view the info] However, be careful since you could have your energy tied up in knot if you did not digest it carefully which would only bring more harm than good -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank- ANALYZE (IV) SUPERIOR RANK With this skill you could Analyze unknown object from this world and gain assistance from the Heavens to analyze its origins and name. As you have now reached the superior ranks in this skill, you could easily see through feint movement by your enemies and you could also analyze the weakness of your enemy attack At the Superior rank, you could analyze the weakness of any skill or weapon below your rank -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank SACRED SWORD FINGER (IV) SUPERIOR RANK You have ranked up this skill to superior rank and it has now reached a powerful level. Created by a certain ruling family in Yitien, it is a supreme technique of martial arts that focused on the energy. The Vilajeri Continent and Yitien continent have a different kind of energy yet at the same time it is complemented with each other. the Sacred Sword Finger requires a profound and abundant internal energy level to successfully wield it but Lizhu Gerard had modified it and made it possible for him to use it and learn it easily without losing the core essence of this skill Practiced to the superior rank, one could send out internal energy in the form of a sword or even maintained it as a real sword. Now, you could even store the sword energy and charge it before releasing it in a blasting force of sword energy. You could also imbue the sword energy in any parts of your body. If you could train this level to its pinnacle rank, this skill could even be used against divine beings. The sharpness of your sword force right now could cut all kinds of metals and weapons as easily as it cut butter. The more concentrated the energy that is concentrated in the attack, the more powerful the effect -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank DIVINE SWORD TECHNIQUE (IV) SUPERIOR RANK One of Lizhu Gerard legacy skills. Lizhu Gerard learned many styles of attack that are foreign for the part of the world he is inhabiting. It is a sword technique that could break any attack if it is ranked up until its most consummate rank. This technique emphasized internal energy and self-reflection. This technique is rarely seen in Vilajeri Continent. You have learned five of its moves from the Manual of the White Sword Technique. Find the other volumes to learn all the sword moves of the Divine Sword technique. You have even gained the acknowledgement of Lizhu Gerard himself and now had deep understanding of this skill. -Need to undergo a destiny fated quest to gain the opportunity to reach the Master rank \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e DIVINE SWORD TECHNIQUE NINE MOVES OF THE DIVINE SWORD TECHNIQUE ALL ENCOMPASSING STANCE [Click to read the description] SWORD CONQUERING STANCE [Click to read the description] SABER CONQUERING STANCE [Click to read the description] SPEAR CONQUERING STANCE [Click to read the description] MACE CONQUERING STANCE [Click to read the description] WHIP CONQUERING STANCE [Click to read the description] PALM CONQUERING STANCE [Click to read the description] ENERGY CONQUERING STANCE [Click to read the description] \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e ACHIEVEMENT SKILLS CUTTING DEITIES (SPECIAL RANK) A skill derived from your dedication to killing and bloodshed. This skill would gather all the killing intent around you to produce a strike that would take all the lives of people around you. The effect of this strike and its range of attack depends on the amount of killing intent that is around you. It could not differentiate friend and foe, so be prudent before using it. With the upgraded version, you now could wound even Gods and Goddesses with your strike. This could only be used once a day. As for the three strikes of the Slashing Through Life and Death, with the ranking up of this skill, you now have such power to unleash such strike anytime that you have accumulated enough Killing Intent. Be careful when using this strike since it would drain you immensely. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e PERKS + Have magic resistance for magical elements + Dark magic resistance is Supreme rank [ The side effect of the Curse of the Styx] + Light magic resistance is Supreme rank [ The side effect of the Curse of the Styx] + Fire magic resistance is Supreme rank [ The side effect of the Curse of the Styx] + Water magic resistance is Supreme rank [ The side effect of the Curse of the Styx] + Earth magic resistance is Supreme rank [ The side effect of the Curse of the Styx] + Wind magic resistance is Supreme rank [ The side effect of the Curse of the Styx] + King Intent is denser in battle. + Speed and fighting intent will increase on the Battlefield because of the Legacy + Could use any Godly items without suffering the Heaven quest (Only applicable to some Gods) + Decrease energy consumption for Divine sword technique + Easier to raise proficiency in any area. + Affinity with scholars increased because of the Legacy of Lizhu + Affinity with wise men increased because of the Legacy of Lizhu + Easier to influence statesmen and scholars. + Gained ability to learn secret skills based on your rank in Language. + Can talk to spirit and understand divine meaning + In battle your action could increase the morale of your soldiers + Your reputation enables you to establish rapport with townspeople quickly + You have heard about Order of Letters [ You can join the secret faction] + You have heard about the Celestials Scholars [You can join the secret faction] + You have heard about Council of Athena [You can join the secret faction] + You are the Chancellor of Vanheim + You are the General Who pacified the North + You are the Grand Strategist, possessing the Legacy of Lizhu Gerard + You are a Baron + You are a Lord + You are a Nobleman + You came from a kingly noble houses + You have majesty of the Old Nobility around you. + Curse of the Styx inflicted upon you. + One of Western Heaven famous people and in the List of Legendary Characters [ gain the Wishing Card] + Posses Enhanced senses and Supreme rank in some of the skill because of Son of Thetis title. + Known to the Gods of Olympus as son of Thetis + Increased killing intent because of the effect of One Hundred Man Killer + If fought against one hundred people, strength will increase + If fought against one thousand people strength will increase + Posses saber intent + Posses sword intent \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Aero look at his status window and then after seeing that it is all in order, he nodded to himself and close it \u003e\u003e\u003e 371 THE DIRECTORATE After all, he already had a lot of powerful weapons and armor. And with his Curse of Styx he did not have to worry about anything other than some kind of holy attack or divine weapons from Olympus that could harm him That and of course the mortal part of himself on his ankle. But with him able to create a protection aura around his body for ten second, at least Aero felt a little bit more secure than before and he could take more risk He then closes the windows and prepare to lead his army. By now, Kyle and Quentin had already mobilized their army ahead of him. He went out of his tent and then he saw Austin escorting a white horse towards him. Aero only raises his eyebrows and Austin immediately explain to him ''General, this is one of the fastest horse in the army. ''How about the one that I use before?'' ''He is the fastest'' Austin replied Aero laughed. ''That horse died'' Austin nodded and said ''Now, this is the fastest'' Aero only smiles and took the reins of the horse. ''Reward the soldier that give this horse to me'' ''He would be honored to present his horse to the General'' Aero shake his head ''There must be reciprocity'' And Austin only nodded. Aero then jumped and landed on the saddle of the horse. He then caresses the horse head and said to the horse ''I hope you would not fall to the same fate as the last horse that I ride'' Then taking the reins he rides his horse toward the open field, ready to lead his army to go to Veranis and take their capital. As he was riding toward his army, suddenly in the distance there is a lone rider riding toward Aero. Aero pull the reins and the horse stop as that lone rider slowly rides closer to Aero. Aero notices that it is a messenger of Vanheim. The messenger then jumps down from the horse and come closer to Aero. Aero jump back down from his horse and look puzzled with the sudden appearance of this messenger. ''Who sent you?'' ''The Directorate'' Aero eyes lit up. The messenger then said ''Chancellor, there is urgent news from the Six Council in the Capital'' Aero did not say anything as he come closer to the messenger. The messenger was shocked and quickly kneel to the ground. Aero was alarmed. There is a reason why he is alarmed. Because the messenger said he come from the Directorate The Directorate is the body of governance inside the Six Council. However, there is also another organization of power which is the Directorate. The Directorate is the controller of these Councils. And Aero is also one of the director. This term is not used in the courts but instead used only in the deep dark of the Six Council. As such, this messenger did not come from the capital, did not come from the palace, but come from the Six Council. Which means the news must surely be something that is very urgent for them to send a message to him. The other Directors of the Six Council is the Royal Oracle, the Lord of the Chamber, The Minister of War and the Royal Mason. Aero had changed a bit of the Council power after the death of Emperor George. In times of war, the Supreme Commander held control of the Council of War. Aero had change this a bit. The reason is because Aero simply could not give so much power to a person who is leading the army. There is always a chance of a military coup. If the power of the entire military arms rested solely on the hands of the Supreme Commander during the time of war, then what would stop them from betraying Vanheim? The reason why the previous Emperor did not put such restriction is simply because in Emperor George mind, if he is to put someone in the position of the Supreme Commander it would always be Aero. And to King George, Aero is loyal to him and would not harm the interest of Vanheim Empire. After all, they are not only friends, they are also teacher and disciple. King George could rest easy in his throne if Aero is the Supreme Commander and Aero had no reason to rebel against King George. But after his death, Aero had relegated his role toward administrating the Empire, rarely coming out to battle rebellions or put down the attack of some bandits. Aero also did not want to meddle in the balance between the military faction and the scholar faction in the court. Aero knows that there is a loophole there in the stipulation of the previous Emperor and he sought to correct it after the death of Emperor George. He then stipulates that the Council of War would be managed by the Minister of War or as he is called in the Six Council the Director of War. But the Minister of War could not lead armies. He could send supplies and soldiers but he himself must no lead the army As for Supreme Commander of the expedition, he is allowed to use the resource of the Council of War but each of the resources would be supervised by the Minister of War. Aero created a check and balance inside the Council of War. Aero grabbed the messenger letter and quickly ripped out the letter and then he reads it. The more he reads the more frown he had on his forehead. But then he laughed., The messenger who saw this is perplexed but he did not say anything. H just waited for the Chancellor order Aero then said to the messenger ''You could return to the Council now and tell them I would deal with it'' The messenger got up and nodded as he jumps back onto his horse and sprinted away Aero watch as the messenger went away. Aero then avert his gaze toward the west and look toward the distance and he thought to himself ''Eric, you are quite a bold person. If its anyone else, they would not dare to do what you did'' he thought to himself. The news he got is information about the movement of the western kingdoms. Aero had thought that none of the western kingdom would move at all. In his calculation, these western kingdoms would be passive and would allow Aero to move without worrying about them The plan only would show its true fearsomeness when he took Veranis. At that time, the western kingdoms would be too late at reacting to the development When it is time, Aero could slowly strengthen his hold on the road toward the west and then after a few years, he could launch an invasion toward the west. Of course, there is always another plan. Aero like to have multiple plan so that even if his first plan crumble, they would be another to supplement it. It is for that reason people thought Aero is a Divine Strategist. To them, Aero had always had a plan to solve anything about war. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 372 SEEING THROUGH THE BLACK ROBED PLANS But to others, it looks like he had been prepared and all is according to plan. And Aero would not correct the misunderstanding. After all, the image and reputation of a Divine Strategist would help him immensely as it causes people to overthink. Since then, Aero had always crafted a few plans in advance that would supplement his first plan Savillia is that one other plan. Among many of his other plans Aero had many ways of taking down the western kingdoms. What he always waited was the opportune moment. The moment that the western kingdom got his letter and none of them decided to move, they were trapped by his scheme. But Eric took a bold decision even though he knew clearly what his decision would do. Who would have thought that Eric could sacrifice the south? It seems Eric could see the bigger picture. What use of a south that is riddled with problem? What use it is holding onto a rotten meat on one body? Cut it! That is what Eric had done. The information reveal to him that United Kingdom of Veva had march their army to Duvar. That in turn, exposes their southern border, making it vulnerable. Aero did not take long before he could understand what Eric is thinking. Aero close his eyes for a second and he visualize the map of Vilajeri continent and when he opens his eyes, he understood Eric decision and his motivation. Eric ambition had never been stifled. He is the only one Aero recognize as his nemesis. That alone is a high compliment. In this world, there is not many people that deserve to be nemesis with the Chancellor. Eric wanted the Church to take the North. And Aero could guess why. United Kingdom of Veva is too big for its own good. It is not bad being big of course. After all, Vanheim Empire is also big. But the vast land of Veva is different than the vast land of Vanheim Vanheim is bigger and more powerful than any of its surrounding neighbors yet it did not possess the problem that United Kingdom of Veva had. And unlike Veva and its neighbors the relation between the neighbor of the Vanheim Empire is quite friendly. On the east, there is the Great Khagan of Nairhel but while they are showing hostile intention, Aero believes this is just the Khagan posturing. Gruk knows that if he really struck Vanheim, then the entire dessert would probably be Vanheim next target after finishing the other closer enemies And even with the horde of orcs under them, they could not hope to fight with the Empire war machines. It is because of this many factors that Aero realizes that the Khagan is just posturing. And the Emperor in his throne probably also realizes it. If not, how could the Khagan is still allowed to posture like that in the border? This is an obvious ploy. Great Khagan Gruk shares deep friendship with Archduke Bradheim. This might be actually a plot of either King James or Emperor Edward. For James it might look like he is losing his biggest supporter if Bradheim is summoned to the imperial court and tasked to handle the Orc horde, but one could argue that James had solidify his power in Niovar and he could afford to send his uncle back under the imperial court eyes again and diminishing the Emperor vigilance against him. Or it might be the Emperor scheme to take Bradheim away from Niovar which would weaken King James faction. But regardless, Aero is confident there would not be any invasion from Nairhel. Gruk is a smart Orc. He would not give the Empire a reason to invade their dessert As for its other neighbors, Vanheim had also shares borders with Karak, Veranis and Nero republic before this war erupted. Karak is small, Veranis is an ally and Nero Republic depends on the Vanheim Six Council aid to train their soldiers, to fortify their defense against the Holy Zun Empire. Aero had pay attention to the movement of the Empire even when he was on the run. He found that the Emperor had masterfully executed the scheme that Aero had created. Nero Republic must stand and they must survive as they are the shield of the Empire on the southwestern border. A proxy war is waged. If somehow the Holy Zun Empire manage to take down Nero Republic, Vanheim only need to send a few battalions to drive back the fatigue army of the Holy Zun Empire. That is also one of the reason why Holy Zun Empire find it hard to reconquer back Nero Republic. Before this war between Vanheim and Veranis erupted, this is the situation of Vanheim. There is no real enemy that could threaten or want to threaten the Empire. And as such, the Empire could solidify its control over its vast region. However, the same could not be said for United Kingdom of Veva Their neighbors were all hostile toward them. On their west border, there is Aerosia kingdom ruled by his friend, Deria or as he is called now King Derrick. On their south, they share borders with the Church, always engaging in some light skirmishes all along the border As for their eastern border, they share their border with three kingdoms which is the Savillia kingdom, Alfhaim and of course Duvar region which is under the Vanheim Empire. They are surrounded by enemies on all side. As such, their vast land is burdening them. One fire starts in the east, and as they go out to put the fire, another fire would be started in the west. That is their situation. Even though the fire is small, little by little, even a small fire could turn into a huge flame. But now Eric had decisively decided to move his army away from the south, leaving their south practically undefended as they march to Duvar This is as good as giving the Church free land. But this is probably Eric plan. Aero smiles when he thought of Eric. Right now, Eric is probably wearing a smug look on his face. The Church have no strategist so they will not know what they are walking into. Arianna is a remarkable woman and a great general of war but a strategist she is not Diplomacy and schemes and plots is not her game Eric wanted the Church to take Loth region. He cut the burden on the body of United Kingdom of Veva Loth region is full of rebellions and secret societies that wanted to free themselves from the United Kingdom of Veva and they are a region that would give headache everyday o the minister in the court of kingdom Veva. Why not give this headache to the Church to handle? Knowing that Apostle of the Church, her methods would probably be cruel. Eric did not want to bear this infamy, so he let the Church take it. Not only that, the Church would also now shield United Kingdom of Veva from Alfhaim. Alfhaim, that land of the Elves had always hated the Church and humans in general. Taking the Loth region would mean that the conflict between the elves and the Church could no longer be stopped. Instead it would be inevitable There is also Nero Republic on the eastern borders of the Holy Zun Empire. The Church is adding their enemy without even noticing it. And there is a schism that is forming between the imperial power and the papacy in Arleans. That is also something that Eric must have factor in his plot Though Aero was not surprised that the Church did not realize that they are walking into a trap. The Church did not have someone like Eric that could see that this temptation is a trap. The fact is Eric is the most incredible. True, the temptation is great. But if he did not let go, if the bait is not that delicious, how would people be tempted? \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 373 AERO RIVAL Zeus had amassed great force and sacrifice a lot of his soldier to conquer Loth. But now Eric is giving it away. Even if he knows it is a trap, even he would be tempted. But unlike the Pope and the Apostle of the Church, even though he would be tempted, he would not take Loth unless he could neutralize the threat of taking Loth which is the addition of a new enemy. Eric had created a shield for United Kingdom of Veva like Aero had created a shield for the Empire when he took Duvar and letting Veranis to become the buffer if any western kingdom tries to invade east. The Church would expand. Of course, it looks like the church got a good deal. They would have taken Loth with minimal force and minimal loss of life on their side But that is only for the short term. Aero is not inferior to Eric. Instead, one could even say that he is superior to Eric in terms of looking at the big picture. He knew that in the long term, the Church would be restrained and become the unwilling shield between Alfhaim and Veva. Unless they too could be as bold as Eric and let the land go. But this time, if the Church let it go, would Veva want it? And the consequences would also be different since the timing is different. The matter of war could also be trace to its timing. Nothing is more important than when to declare war. One must declare war during the most appropriate moment where the advantages lies on your side. There are also many scenarios that could happen if the Church take Loth region If Holy Zun Empire and Alfhaim went to war with each other, not only Veva could take back Loth to their dominion, they might even manage to push south and take a lot of Holy Zun territory if such scenario happened. By giving up Loth, Eric not only had created a shield between Veva and Alfhaim, he had also weakened Holy Zun Empire ability to act. This would give leeway for the United Kingdom of Veva to do a lot of things and develop faster than the Church. With Nero Republic on their East and Alfhaim on the other side, they would be preoccupied and could not check upon Veva development. Knowing Eric, he would probably stabilize the internal matters first before pacifying the external. And Eric could also deal with Aerosia more easily later. Eric also is marching toward Duvar. Aero knows that the current situation is bad But not all is lost. After all, Eric plan is not yet realized. If Eric manages to take Duvar, then Veva path toward the East is open. If he manages to create a strong position in Duvar, not only he could legitimize Zeus, he could also set up defenses along the pass around Duvar mountains to prevent Vanheim army to easily pass through that route toward the West. Of course, this would only be able to come to fruition if Eric took Duvar. There is a lot of things Eric could do if he could take Duvar. ''If'' he muttered. Aero smiles a bit. It is a race of time then. Aero think for a second and then he could see the crucial part of this matter. He must take the capital city of Veranis as fast as he can. Then he could send the main bulk of his army to reinforce the garrison all over Duvar and take over the Mountain passes all over Duvar. James had already send some reinforcement toward Duvar. So even if Eric arrive a little bit faster than him, it did not mean Dual would quickly fall. The Veva army would take a week or so to conquer Duvar. They would arrive in Duvar first. But that did not mean they could easily take Duvar. Of course, Aero also had another measure that could delay the army of Veva to reach Duvar He frowned ''That is a tight schedule. A week, huh?'' In that one week, Aero must quickly seize the capital and pacify the region. If Aero is faster, then Eric would have to retreat back and losing more than they should have. ''No'' Aero muttered to himself and he knows what is wrong with his thinking as a smile curved up on the edge of his mouth ''No, Eric had already satisfied one of his objective'' Aero thought and he smiles. Thinking of this enemy of him, Aero could not help but admire Eric and wish to see him and converse with him. Even though Eric is his enemy, Aero very much respect him. There is always this feeling of not having an enemy to improve himself that plagues Aero heart. It would not be fun if he could easily unify the world if there is no rival against him. There is not excitement. Fortunately, there is someone like Eric. Eric is that rival. Zeus would be nothing without Eric. Aero thought of what would happen if Eric take Duvar. There is only one answer that immediately popped in his mind. The conflict of East and West would erupt ''There would be too many variables if that were to happen'' Aero muttered under his breath. There would be chaos of ultimate proportion shrouding the entire Vilajeri continent and that is what Eric is aiming for. As expected of the one he acknowledges as his rival, Aero thought to himself. Right now, Vanheim while functional, it is not at its optimum level. The two imperial brothers are always bickering and fighting in secret behind the imperial court. Niovar is not yet pacified though Aero believe that is just a smokescreen that James had set up so he could reject most of the imperial court orders in the name of pacifying the rebellion. Aero would not be surprised that the group of rebels that wreak havoc in Niovar is actually a group that James himself created. Aero believe that James had long pacify the regions and subdue the real rebels of the Empire. But if he had finished pacifying the region, then he could no longer part of the military power that is granted to him by the imperial court and could no longer ask for money from the Imperial Treasury. So, in all probability, James created his own rebel group to hoodwinked the imperial court. But Aero also do not believe that the Emperor did not know about this. And the Emperor might know James scheme but he too must have a plan to keep James at Niovar and not in the court. There are many explanations for why the Emperor keep up the lie for James. They might even tacitly both keeping up the lie Probably because while James wanted to stay in Niovar, the Emperor to wanted him to stay far away from the imperial court. Edward probably knows what kind of influence the title of the firstborn son of the previous Emperor have toward the old officials and the old nobles of the empire Not to mention that the Six Council is also divided. While Veva also has its own problem, if the East and West conflict is brought forward, the chaos would force both sides to fight inn a protracted long war. It would delay the Empire unifying the world. In that chaos, Aero might not be able to keep up with all the changes. One wrong move and it could spell the doom of the Empire. Of course, to try to chip off the power of the Empire is probably hard with Veva own internal and external problem in the west, but Aero believe anything is possible when the world is in chaos. Aero of course understood that even if Eric did not take Duvar and failed to take it, while the world might believe that Eric had failed, Aero would not believe it. Because Eric had succeeded in one thing. He had cut off the south. Even if he didn''t take Duvar, he would not be threatened. Because Aero believes Eric have a bolder plan. There is still room for changes in Asgaro region. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 374 THE NEWS REACHED THE CAPITAL Of course this is just his conjecture and nothing could be confirmed until it actually happens. Eric appear to lose but he is doing all this all to strengthen the internal power of the kingdom. Aero play chess and there is no way of winning a game of chess without sacrificing a few pawn along the way. He knew how important it is to sacrifice the pawn so that he could checkmate the King Eric is trying to checkmate the King. So why would he care about a few pawns? Aero smiles and shook his head. ''Still, I have to meet him and talk with him. It would be a pity to not talk with such a hero'' he thought to himself. Aero would not let Duvar fall into Eric hand. After all, why would he make it easy on Eric? It is better for Eric to not have Duvar. And Eric probably would not have thought that Savillia kingdom had allied themselves with Vanheim. This is the fickle nature of the rulers of the warring states period. The situation is ever-changing and fluid. Eric wanted to flip the chessboard and make chaos reign in the western region. But how could Aero easily let that happen. Aero is confident that he could take the capital before the week end. Kyle and Quentin is two capable generals and there is still the private army that the Empress had sent him. Of course, this private army is send to him to rescue her father. Aero have more chess piece to use now. Aero also knows that he needs news from the frontlines of Karak. He rides his horse toward the front of his army that was waiting on him Looking at his soldiers, he smiles. They were all ready to follow him into battle and toward victory. He turns his horse so that he would be facing his army. Aero then said ''The Sages and the wise had said observe the bent of a man''s will when his father is alive, and his actions after his father is dead. If during the years of mourning he does not swerve from his father''s principles, he may be pronounced a truly filial son. Even before the ground that buried King Phillip is dry, King Alexander had renounce his father effort for peace!'' Aero then continue and said Saying this the other soldiers smack their shield and raise their weapons up into the air. Aero then rides forward riding toward the Veranis borders Vanheim forces had moved out toward Veranis! \u003e\u003e\u003e The Capital city has been surrounded by an ominous air since the day that Veranis declare war toward Vanheim. The people of the capital all could feel this suppressive air all around them. They do not live in fear but they do feel the unease that is slowly spreading as more days passed without the news of the victory of the Empire. They wonder, is the Veranis army is that strong? The battle around the western border had been going about for almost six months. The area around the capital city had been silent It was in the afternoon and people are selling their wares and merchandises on the side of the street, enduring the scorching sun. Sometimes they talk about the war and wonder how long would it take for Vanheim to drive back Veranis In the beginning of the war, everyone was confident that the Empire would be able to quickly drive back the Veranis invasion. Who would have thought it would have lasted this long? To those who in the know, they know that the Emperor, the Imperial Prince had been the one prolonging this war for both of their schemes. To the citizens of the Empire, they did not know all of this inside story. They did not know why the Empire is still not able to drive back Veranis when it is a small nation compared to the Empire? The confidence they have on the imperial army might reputation is slowly eroding. They do not know the games that the high lords play in this time of war and crisis The Emperor is using the war as pretext to gain the allegiance of the warlords around the Plains to pledge their loyalty to the Empire. Then he would unleash the true might of the Empire upon them. As the merchants shouting out loud in the markets, trying to persuade people to buy their wares, they suddenly see a weird sight on the sky. They look closer and they saw hundreds of pigeons flying over the sky, flying to different direction of the capital, most of them went to the high official''s residences. Immediately everyone felt that something has happened. And only one event come to their mind. The war in the western border. Flapflap The sound of the pigeons flapping their wings could be heard all over the sky \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e Countless of messenger pigeons flapped their wings and took off in various direction of the Empire, spreading the news of the victory on the plains to every dominion and territory of the Empire. One of them went to one of the most guarded area of the Imperial Palace. The throne room of the Imperial Court where all the officials would gather when there is a meeting to determine the policy of the Empire and the place where the Emperor do his work Outside the throne room is dozens of guard dressed in golden brocade armor guarding the area. These guards all emanated a powerful sense of pressure to the surrounding around them. Most of them were high level warriors that could easily cut steel with only one of their slash but there are also battle mages who could use both sword and magic in fighting Battle mages are one of the rarest type of mages. One could guess the importance of the person inside the area to be given such protection. There are only a few people in the Empire that would be accorded such respect. One could easily guess who The pigeon did not enter that area. Instead it stopped in the middle of an empty area in front of the throne room. The steward that was working in the throne room today, went out from the throne room and took the message and after one of the mages there check the letter and making sure there is no poisons or some curse embedded into the letter, the steward went inside the throne room and present the letter to the One inside the throne room Inside the throne room, sitting on his throne, is the Emperor of Vanheim, Emperor Edward the First. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 375 THE COMPLICATED FEELING OF THE EMPEROR He is still young but he exuded a noble aura, even just by sitting on his throne. A faint tinge of worry could be seen in his eyes. He was alone inside the room, making him appear very lonely. The messenger had given him the letters form the frontlines. Unlike the others that would receive the letters today, his letter is longer and there are more letters addressed to him. He is reading it carefully, letter after letter. There were reports of the matter at the frontline, there were reports of the happenings and there were also reports of future plans and others thing that he did not know, revealed in those letter. It is sealed by the seal of the Chancellor. He frowned when he saw the name Aero on the bottom of each letter. ''I was too late. The Chancellor once again took this opportunity from me. I should never have put him out in my plans. It turns out this old fox had always been planning to return home. I just did not think he would return in this way, draining all of my effort'' he thought to himself. He touches the handle of his throne and he chuckles helplessly. His face is calm, but only he knew how stormy his emotions right now Edward could not be sure of it but he was confident that Aero had chosen the right time before he could crush Veranis Aero instead come out and lead an army so that he would gain the merit and reputation of saving the Empire In other words, it was almost like Aero had intercepted his merit Edward had never worried about Veranis invasion. Like Aero had speculated, he could easily have driven back the invasion. Of course, it would be a little hard from him to take the capital of Veranis after that, but to drive back the Veranis invasion is a simple thing. There is still the secret army that he has and there were many other ways for him to force Veranis back. he wanted to take advantage of the Veranis invasion to determine who is loyal to the rule of the Empire and who is not so he could destroy them later. Consolidating his power, just the way Aero would have done if he was in the Imperial court Aero however suddenly merge and break that plan into pieces. Edward had once think that after all matter is solved and he had the allegiance of the plains warlords and knowing who is loyal and who is not, he would himself led his army to the frontline and defeated the Veranis invasion That would raise his reputation among the common people. That is also one of the reason why he let the Veranis army to live that long. He wanted to give the impression to the people of the Empire that the Veranis army is not weak. If he had destroyed Veranis army on day one, people would just treat it as a matter of course. Of course the Empire could defeat Veranis. The harder a certain matter is to be solved the more impactful it will be for the people. That is what he was counting on. He wanted to give the impression that what Vanheim is facing is an existential threat. He wanted to make the people fear. He wanted them to think that if Veranis pass the Ethylred Plains and come down further east they would reach the capital and bring down the Empire. He wanted to create that fear, and during that time, he would come out from his Palace lead the army and crush Veranis rebellion, elevating his reputation to the highest He did not think that while his first phase of the plan succeeded where he manages to make people afraid of a possible collapse of the Empire, Aero would be the one reaping the benefits. Aero must have known his plans. Aero could always come out during the early phase of the war if his intention is really to save the Empire. But, no, he did not. He waited until the Empire wanted a savior and then he come out and crush the Veranis rebellion ''This old fox, always ruining my plan.'' But at the same time he is scolding the Chancellor in his heart, he also wanted the Chancellor on his side. James had been unruly in his behavior and no one could really effectively stopped him. Edward knows that his authority is being eroded by his older brother. But as the Emperor, he could not really execute James without any reason. He is betting that if he does try to execute James without reason, all of the officials that is in his older brother pockets would send all kinds of memorials against the decision. Not to mention the old aristocratic families that would surely stand up for his older brother. And if he pushed his older brother too far, James might really rebel and he could cite that the Emperor is tyrannical trying to execute him as justification for his rebellion. The Chancellor always spoke of his grand ambition of unifying the continent and to become the sole ruler of this continent. Edward shares the Chancellor enthusiasm. Which monarch did not want to rule a vast land, and be remembered through the ages? But, he is not his father. His father while he has an old stepbrother which is Archduke Bradheim, the older brother of his father did not covet the throne. Edward on the other hand have James coveting the throne. Unless he could settle James, he is not confident of trying to unify the continent. He fears that he would bake the bread, but somebody else is going to be eating it. That is why even though he does not like the Chancellor, he wanted the Chancellor on his side in the court. The only one that could have any restraining effect on his brother is the Chancellor. It could not be helped. Even before he ascends to the throne, the old officials and the old nobles all were on James side. The only one that truly protected him is the Chancellor. Out of everyone in the court, he is the one that could change the decision of all the officials of the court to support him instead of James. The forceful power that the Chancellor have in the Imperial Courts is almost absolute after the death of his father. It is why he learn to be timid and acted like a coward timid king. He wanted to test the Chancellor and at the same time he wanted to see if the Chancellor wanted to usurp the position of the monarch of Vanheim. If the Chancellor wanted to usurp the power of the imperial throne at that time, Edward truly did not have any power to stop it. As such it is better to pretend like he is an obedient cat. In the years since Edward ascend to the throne, the Chancellor had never seemed to care much about the Imperial throne and Edward believes that the Chancellor truly did not desire the Imperial Throne And while Edward had gotten his answer, the answer does not satisfy him. The Chancellor did not desire the imperial throne. Though, he wonders is it because he is loyal or is it because his power has already surpassed that of Emperor and that is the reason he might not want the Imperial throne. It is really hard to know the desire of the Chancellor especially since he is also an adventurer. Their motive is usually very weird and strange. Not all adventurers serve the imperial court but it is well known that all of these adventurers all have their weird quirks. In the absence of the Chancellor this past few years, Edward had shown some of his claws that he had hidden And he does not know whether showing his claws is a good idea or not. He sighed again as he once again looks at the letter and read it And another sight echoes in the empty throne room. After he read the letter he did not say anything. He seems to be thinking of something very intently. Since no one is inside the throne room, no one could see the fierce expression on Edward face. No one would believe that the timid Emperor could have such a fierce expression. He sighed ''The Chancellor has returned. I don''t know if this a good thing or a bad thing. James would not be sitting tight on his throne if he knew this. The Great Khagan would also think of some way to minimize the damage. A storm is about to hit the court'' Edward had complicated feeling about the Chancellor. On one hand, the Chancellor is a meritorious subject of his Empire. On the other hand, the Chancellor have too much power in the Imperial Court that it almost seems like he is the puppet Emperor. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 376 THE CLAWS THAT WAS HIDDEN, REVEALED It is because he knew if he bares his fangs and strike toward the Chancellor with his claws, his fang would be broken and his claw would be ripped off. Nobody knows how fearsome the Chancellor really is until they have the opportunity to be beside him. And Edward was beside this enigmatic persona for years, seeing how he plots and scheme in the dark, moving his chess pieces across this grand chessboard which is the world In the years after the death of his father, the Chancellor had run the Empire and control basically everything And there was a more important reason why even after all the things that the Chancellor had done, like solidifying his rule, acknowledging his coronation and others things that the Chancellor had done, Edward still could not afford to trust the Chancellor It is because there is something that he did in the past that he did not want the Chancellor to know. The moment the Chancellor knew what he had done, then the Chancellor would surely fall out with the Imperial family. And probably the Chancellor would rush into and storm the Capital to take his head. Haish'' he sighed again. He had his own plains on how to deter the invasion force from Veranis. He did not think that Aero would suddenly appears in the Plain and lead the charge to victory and even prepared all kinds of subterfuge against the western kingdoms. The news had already spread of how the Chancellor had ride his white horse cutting a straight line toward the king of Veranis and cut him down. He fighting by his lonesome, killing tens of thousands of Veranis soldiers, becoming the integral reason why the Veranis army was so easily destroyed and annihilated the main bulk of the Veranisian army and now is marching toward Veranis capital with the full intention of annexing Veranis into the territory of the Empire. And the news had already circulated that the death of the Vlad family was pinned on Aero because he had found out the conspiracy to topple Vanheim imperial court from the four families of Karak. Vlad family was on the side of the Emperor and was massacred by the other three families in a coordinated attack. At that time, the Chancellor was there and he had to hide as the world point the death of the entire family of Vlad to him. He was framed and besmirched by people with bad intentions toward him and the Empire Now, that the three families had rebelled, he could no longer hide and come out to the world stage again to aid the Empire to eradicate these invaders. These are the report that had been sent to the Capital and is now spreading to all the cities all over the Empire. Everyone believe the report and the innocence of the Chancellor because it is logical. But Edward knew that it is a load of bull. But he could not say how he knew because that would make people started asking question. He was the one that orchestrated the killing of the Vlad family. If anyone were to know of this fact, the reputation that the Chancellor had built of him as a wise and benevolent Emperor would crumble to ashes Yes, the Vlad family is one of his supporters. Then why would he would massacre the entire Vlad family? Because Edward was full on unease especially after there was news in the dark markets that Aero met with the Vlad family. Edward hired the Blood Brotherhood to massacre the entire Vlad family. The reason why he killed the Vlad family is because the patriarch of the Vlad family knows some secret he should not have known. Of course the patriarch promises him that he would never tell the secret to anyone. And the patriarch of the Vlad family kept his word all of this time. But when he got a report from his own secret intelligence corps saying that the Chancellor had went to seek shelter in the Vlad residence, Edward could not help but feel fear gripping his heart. The secret that Vlad knows could potentially split apart the Empire. And while he had always trusted the Vlad patriarch to keep the secret, he knows that as long as the Vlad patriarch is alive, there is always a chance for that secret to come out. The Vlad family have a weapon that could constrain him and that is why they keep supporting him. Because if there ever was a time when he went out of bound with Karak, the Vlad family could always release that secret to the world and destroy everything that he is building. The only way to make sure the secret did not come out from Vlad mouth is for him to die. As for pinning the crime to the Chancellor, that is both his doing and James. Of course, the reason for both of them pining the crime to the Chancellor is different James probably pin the crime on the Chancellor hoping to destroyed the reputation of the sagely strategist of the Empire. As for him? He wanted the Chancellor to owe him one. Who could have thought that the Chancellor in these two years did not even seek him and instead preparing to debut in the world stages with such an impactful deed to the Empire? And now he even spins some new truth. Somehow, Vlad family become a loyalist to the imperial court and the true perpetrator of the matter of the massacre of the Vlad family is now pinned onto the heads of the three noble families. The Chancellor become a witness to this accusation. And who would dare challenge his side of the story when it is this logical? After all, it is proven that Karak against all expectation sided with Veranis. People had already been flouting the idea that Karak had been in conspiracy with Veranis the moment Veranis attack the western border. And now, Aero only take that narrative and insert a few more colorful story into it. The Empire would surely believe the Chancellor since he had no obvious motive. Even in the beginning of that matter, many people believed that the Chancellor had no good reason to massacre the Vlad family. However, after the disappearance of the Chancellor many people see it as an admission of guilt. But now, with a new narrative being pushed, people are more inclined to believe in the logical narrative that is being presented by the Chancellor. If Kara falls, this act of the Chancellor would then enable a smooth path to full control. With Aero accusing the Three Noble families of Karak is responsible for the death of the Vlad family, the Chancellor now have justification to kill and execute the nobles of the Three noble families of Kara without inducing the hatred of the Karakian. Knowing the Chancellor, Edward bet he already had planned this accusation to give him the maximum benefit. The Chancellor knew that the truth did not matter. It matters that the problem is solved. He gives a solution. Now, not only the Chancellor could return to the Empire with an unstained reputation, he would also return with another merit on his belt, adding another protection layer around him How could he, the Emperor punish him later if he did anything out of line? The Chancellor is already the most meritorious official in the Empire ''Father, you have left a great danger to me'' the Chancellor is a great talent that the Empire needed. But he is also an obstacle to the power of the Emperor. He won a great victory in the Plains and now, he is about to take over the Veranis capital. If he succeeded, not only Aero prestige would rise to a new high, his position would become even more unshakable. Everyone knew why the Chancellor possess so much power in the imperial court. It is not simply because he is a great statesman and a great politician, it is because of his merit in defeating Vetten and solving the problems of King George during the early years of the founding of the Empire. His warning that he always dispenses toward the Parliament and the previous King had also shows its merit. The Chancellor once warn to not take Niovar violently. One must exercise caution in waging war and must rule with benevolence. The world would accept such King that offers benevolence, but reject those who only wanted to kill and spread war. James had done so, implementing harsh measure that started a rebellion and making Niovar a hotbed for insurrectionist activities If the court had listened to the Chancellor when he had warned them and waited a few more years to stabilize a lot of the problems and slowly taking Niovar, employ mercy when needed and strict when necessary, then the Niovarian would not have rejected the Empire rule this hard And it is probably for that reason that the King at his last breath chose Edward to succeed him. Now, the Chancellor would even take Veranis back. What more rewards could he give the Chancellor? Is there anything in the Empire that he did not already have? \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 377 THE EMPRESS OF VANHEIM That is one of the reason why he had been pretending to be timid all of these years. He did not want the Chancellor to see that he could fight But this time, Edward believes that Aero had known certain things that he hid. If he did not, why would Aero not come back earlier and even hide himself from him? If he had returned, even though Karak would insist the Empire to give the Chancellor back to them, with the power of the Empire, how could Karak insist for too long? It is not like the Chancellor couldn''t clear his name by returning to the Empire. Instead, it could be argued that by returning to the Empire earlier, Aero could have dispelled a lot of the misinformation regarding the massacre of the Vlad family and once he took back control of the Six Councils, Aero could find more information more efficiently. He didn''t have to hide at all. The Chancellor had known something. He must have known something about him that made Aero not wanted to return. It is more than just the Chancellor not wanting to owe anything to him. The Chancellor do not trust him Of course in the past the Chancellor did not trust him either. But that was different. In the past, even though Aero did not trust the Emperor, he would not guard against the Emperor. Simply because he didn''t believe the Emperor could harm him Now, however, the Chancellor believe that Edward could harm him Because the Emperor had bare his fangs and shows his claws and the Chancellor had seen through it. So, the timid cat act would not work again against the Chancellor. Right now, probably everyone in the capital would have received the news. ''What would all of those people hiding in the dark would do? The courtiers of the court¡­ I wonder what their reaction would be?'' he thought to himself. Edward call upon the stewards. The stewards enter the throne room that is highly guarded by the imperial army and kneel upon seeing the Emperor. Edward quickly said ''Pass my orders. Call all the minister to the court. There would be an emergency meeting today'' The steward nodded and answer the Emperor as they quickly went out from the throne room to quickly relay the orders to the ministers of the court. The stewards all think that this relates to what happened on the western border. Inside the throne room, Edward come down from his throne room and walk out from his throne room He needs to be prepared. Today, it would be a long day in the Empire. \u003e\u003e At the same time that a message arrived in that throne room, there is also another message arriving on the inner palace Surrounding the residence is guards dressed in black armor and they stood among the many halls appearing like statues. There were many palaces in this residence. This residence itself is one of the largest residence in the imperial palace. This residence could be called one of the most luxurious and beautiful residence in the Empire. There are many gardens outside the main residence which is planted with all kinds of strange and unique flora. There are also many vast fake mountains which cause this residence to appears extremely artistic and there is even a large pond filled with lotuses with a bridge constructed on top of it. Those who passed over the bridge could see the many fishes that is swimming in the water. This is the residence of the Empress. To the people of the world the Emperor and the Empress was in good relations. Only those who in the know, knows that the relation between the husband and wife is not good and as cold as the winter snow. It has been years but there is still not an imperial heir. They have never consummate their wedding since the day they got married. If Helena was any other woman, she would probably be punished. But Helena herself has her own base of power in the court. There is also the fact that she has her brother Castor and Pollux beside her and the title as the daughter of King Vrandeus of Duvar. The messenger pigeon directly enters the courtyard and fly toward the Empress room. This pigeon is different than the normal messenger pigeon. This pigeon is her own pigeon and she has her own intelligence channels. One could say that the Emperor and the Empress seems to be even adversarial at times. While the Empress power in the Imperial court is not as powerful as the Emperor, she could at least protect herself from the powers that be And she also had the support of the Chancellor. She had been waiting for the news from the frontline since yesterday. As soon as she heard the flapping of the wings of the pigeons she sat up from her seat and approached the pigeon that is standing on the table of her study, looking left and right, waiting. She chuckles a bit and then she took the message tied on the pigeon feet and then read it. She smiles and nodded to herself ''Just as expected of the Chancellor. So, he would straight be going to the Veranis capital. Duvar then would be protected if he could arrive in a week'' she thought to herself. Helena had always admired the Chancellor. No, it could not be simply said that she admires him. She loves him. But because of the fact that she is the Empress and knowing that she would implicate the Chancellor if she confesses to the Chancellor, she had always hide this feeling of hers. There are too many things at stake here. Her matters are now the matters of the world and the same could be said for the Chancellor And the Chancellor is not a dense person. If she ever shows some kind of feeling of love toward him, he would surely notice. But Aero had never discovered that the Empress of the Empire loves him. That is simply because Helena is a great actress. She married a person she did not love because of her country and had to pretend to love the Emperor in public. The Emperor himself did not love her and married her because he was ordered to. She could have loved Edward, of course. But he kept disappointing her. It all started during that day when she was nearly assassinated and Aero come to her rescue. Since then, she had the longest crush toward the Chancellor She only sighed. ''I hope my private army could help him take the capital faster'' Helena has skin in the game. She sends some of her private army to rush ahead toward Duvar to help the military there and another toward Aero forces. She understood what Aero is trying to do. She also read the report that Veva molarity had also move their army, no doubt they went straight toward Duvar. Duvar as a strategical position, connecting the road toward the East for Veva is something that Black Robe Prime Minister of Veva wanted badly. If Duvar falls to Veva, one could guess the fate of her father. It is a race of time. It is clear that Eric would arrive first at Duvar. But it would take time for him to dismantle the defenses around the Duvar mountain passes. Aero had won Duvar without spilling a blood. Such a thing would not be able to be repeated by Eric. Simply because Duvar and Veva have no relations and many of the officials of Duvar leaned toward the Imperial court The culture of Vanheim had seeped deep into Duvar and Helena was the one that spearheaded this effort. Eric would find that he need to at least take a week before he could dismantle all the hidden forces all around Duvar and he still have to fight the army that is supplied by King James and the garrison of the city. In that time span of one week, Aero must take the capital, secure his rear and then marches forward to Duvar and take control Duvar. If Aero come to Duvar in that timespan, there is a good chance, that Eric had to retreat. That is the current situation. Eric could not waste too much time trying to take Duvar. Coincidentally, both Eric and Aero right now is using speed to determine the victory of their forces. Eric must take Duvar as fast as possible and Aero must take Veranis capital as fast as possible. They both are using speed to their advantage. The Western kingdoms are all moving right now. Holy Zun is also moving towards Loth. Eric must have also calculated that. That is probably why he must take Duvar as fast as possible, put up his own garrison and fortify the bases around the mounting of Duvar and then quickly return back to Veva lands to make sure that the Church could not push further toward the North And Veva had also had to watch out for Aerosia that had also move their army to the Redat region. Speed would be the determining factor in this conflict between the Black Robed Prime Minister and the Chancellor of Vanheim. Helena walk around in her office, pacing back and forth and then she decided that she needs to go out from the Palace. She went to the stable and then with her retinue, she went out from the Palace. No one had manage to stop the Empress from exiting the Imperial Palace. When the Emperor heard about his Empress went out from the Palace, he only frowned and ignore the news. Edward had many other pressing concerns in his head right now. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 378 THE CAPITAL REJOICE Their sole mission was to receive and dispatch news from inside and outside the palace. For anything else, they required explicit permission. The sound of the pigeon flying in toward the department caused several of the guards stationed around the department raise their heads. The guards in the messenger department dressed in golden brocade and the security of this place is even more strict than the residences in the Inner Palace The message that come in and out of this place could all be considered important news and is related to the imperial court matters. the guards saw the sight of many pigeons drawing an arc through the sky before landing on a nearby roof This message come in pigeon and not normal magical communication is because simply they fear that magical interference would reveal some things. During a time of war, most kingdoms in Vilajeri continent would suspend magical communication or use both at the same time. There are pros and cons of using pigeons as there is also pros and cons in using magical commination. The officials in the Department of Messenger read the message tied onto the pigeon feet. But after giving the message a single glance, that official almost fell over. He laughed and then he shouted ''The Gods bless the Empire. The war is won!'' He ran outside of the department as he shouted and those who were around hearing the news were all excited. The official then return back and quickly penned the message that needs to be distributed to the whole department to announce to the people the victory in Ethylred Plains That day, in many squares of the large cities of the Empire, herald would unfurl their longs scroll and proclaim the victory of Vanheim army On the square of the Imperial Capital city, tens of thousands of the citizens of the Empire look toward the person in the wooden stage as that person unfurl the scroll and began proclaiming the message ''By the grace of the Gods, Chancellor Aero had reveal himself in the Plains of Ethylred to defeat the evil intentions of the invaders. ''The Chancellor had revealed that the crime of killing the Vlad family was pinned on him by the Three Noble families of Karak. The moment they announce this news, the entire capital city from the highest noble to the lowest commoner was jubilant Cheers erupted in the square. People praise the Gods, praise the Emperor and praise the Chancellor. It was a scene of extreme jubilation. The people in the streets even danced, some devotes burned offering to the Gods and everyone seem to have their own ways of expressing their happiness. The war in the western border in the beginning was not worrying. But as time passed and it seems that the war is going to be longer, the mate began to become worrying. With Karak blockading land route toward the West, there were many merchants that was troubled by this. But it is the fact that Veranis had manage to last this long and the possibility that they could break through the defense and went straight to the capital that gives an invisible pressure to the people in the capital. But today, as the news of the victory was announced, everyone felt like the worries and concern in their hearts melt away. And now, the Chancellor is heading toward the Veranis capital to take it. One could not help but hear this news and knows that there is something big that is happening. To most commoners, everyone knows of the Chancellor. The Chancellor had rarely participated in war after the Vetten- Vanheim War. But everyone had remembered how the Chancellor make his name and carve his name into history by fighting two pronged attack and emerging victorious. And now, that same Chancellor is now heading toward the capital of Veranis. Everyone could guess what would happen next. Vanheim would take over Veranis. Merchants could smell opportunities for life changing gains. As for the people of Vanheim, they all believed that when the Chancellor took over the capital of Veranis, Vanheim would not let them become an independent kingdom like before which means Vanheim would take over Veranis. This meant that the road to the west is opened and the conflict between Veva and Vanheim of who will get the world would be brought into the open. It is the glorious undertaking of the previous Emperor that gives this confidence to the people of Vanheim that they would one day reign supreme all over the continent, fulfilling the grand aspiration of unifying the continent and ensure peace everlasting. The victory in the Plains shook Vanheim. But if Aero manage to take the Veranis capital, then it would shock the world. Everyone in the major cities that received the news were all enthusiastic and hopeful for the future. The atmosphere is warm and enthusiastic. The Imperial City was astir! At the same time in Savillia, the general leading the charge on the Karakian cities and is now attacking the Gael castle also got the report from his messenger and he smiles This general is Alonso de Seville. He is tasked by the council to coordinate with Marquis Dan from Vanheim. Two days ago, a few hours before Aero had crushed the Veranis army in the Plains, Savillia forces had move and began attacking the borders of Karak Tasked on tacking Karak is Alonso de Seville and Marcello de Ascara. Alonso take the mountainous forest and destroyed Fort Light and taken the villages and the cities around it extremely fast. With almost minimal defense around the area (most of which was concentrated on the eastern front) Alonso speed was remarkable. Now, he is at the last phase of sieging the Castle of House Gael, one of the largest castle in Karak. There is four large castle in Karak which spoke to its power and influence. Marcello attack the Gerhardt region of influence and from the report he has taken down Forth Shield. Karak had never expected an attack from Savillia since they thought that Savillia would focus on the matter of the western kingdoms and also probably set their sight on Duvar too Who would have thought that they suddenly aid Vanheim? At the same time when the three noble houses heard that there is an invasion happening on the western part of their border, the region which the House of Gael and house of Gerhardt is ruling, both of those two noble houses quickly send soldiers to reinforce the region. The moment they did that, Marquis Dan took the opportunity to force back House Cheveres forces and quickly push forward. Alonso had learned about the report and he knows that Veranis border generals would not try to save Karak. He smiles a bit. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 379 Coming to Duvar The night has come and the city is now calm after the few days of chaos. The sign of battle could still be seen around the four corners of the wall of the city. There were builders that is also patching up back the destroyed walls and cleaning up the street of the traces of the battle a few days ago But the city is not the only place where there is a construction is going on. All around the outskirt of the city, there seems to be construction going on and loud noises fills that area. But none of the city officials dares to told those people to quiet down. The feeling of the people of this city is still a bit complicated. Tall earth wall could be seen and there are even earthen towers where guards would patrol along its rampart The druids erected elemental walls all around the camp, and the soldiers who are a warrior and did not possess magic contribute in erecting massive fortification. It is easy to create such fortification in a world of magic. But if its attacked by powerful enough attack and magic, this hastily built towers and walls would crumble like sand. But actually, there doesn''t have to be such structure but it is still erected nonetheless because of the way these soldiers were trained to operate. When they stopped, they need to create a military camp that could withstand enemy attack. This ability to create such a massive structure has been embedded in the training of these soldiers While it could not be said that they erected a city, from afar it really looked like a city. This is the fortification for the imperial army and the area most prominent and most pronounced among the many structures of the camp is the camp area around the Chancellor tent. This camp is built on the outskirt of the city. And this city is the border city of Veranis that is very close to the great forest that separated the border between the Veranis kingdom and Duvar. However, there is a clear road from Duvar to Veranis and there is towers that one could see from afar The road had always been used by merchants and convoys between the two kingdoms. But when Veranis declared war upon the Empire, Duvar close their city wall gate on the other side and contact between Veranis and Duvar is limited. Contact had just been reestablished a few days ago when the Imperial army take over this city. The border army of Veranis that is guarding the Duvar border had already surrender after hearing the imperial army of Vanheim come knocking on the city gate This is a city called Sybaris, on the western part of the Veranis border. The people of the city of Sybaris was very afraid when in the evening a few days ago, they saw a large contingent of soldiers rushing toward their city. There were tens of thousands of cavalry, armored from head to toe. The infantry march shakes the ground and the force that come from this army is very pressuring even when look for afar. Dust billows in their background and with one glance, the people of Sybaris knows that this is a true experienced army. The patrolmen on the city wall saw the army and went pale in the face as he calls upon the city lord. The city lord quickly climbs up the city wall and when he saw the lions banner, he pales in the face. Most of the nobles that saw the lions banner know that this is the fearsome Imperial Army of the Vanheim Empire One could only imagine the fear in their hearts when they saw tens of thousands of soldiers coming to their city. By now, most of the city lords all over Veranis had heard that the Capital had been taken by Aero of the East. The news shocked not only the Capital of Vanheim, but it also shocked Veranis noble''s lords and generals. Aero of the East easily taken the Capital and at the same time cemented his position as a genius general under the sky. It was so fast that the generals that wanted to reclaim the capital and establish themselves as King had to retreat back to their region and watch what the Empire would do The moment the capital had been taken, the Central authority of Veranis collapsed and with the collapse of the central powers, chaos reigned all over Veranis. And the generals in the borders also have to make a choice. Some rose and declare themselves kings. Some wanted to avenge the young king death and is using that slogan to recruit men and heroes, fighting for righteousness. Others bend the knee and swear fealty to the Empire. One could even say that because many lords bend the knee and sweat their fealty to the Empire, the Empire could quickly stabilize the area around the capital city and maintains a firm grip while waiting for the reinforcement from the Imperial Capital With the fall of the Capital and the central authority power, Veranis is in chaos right now with fear, doubt and uncertainty covering the entire kingdom As such, the city lord of Sybaris didn''t have many choices when he saw that the forces of the Imperial army coming to his city. When the city lord of Sybaris, Kreios saw the large army coming toward his city, and saw that the one leading them is a man of great stature and power, he was already intimidated. When the scouts reported that the one leading the army is none other than Aero of the East, Kreios knew any resistance would be met with great destruction. It is easy to recognize Aero of the East when he is in his normal clothes. Usually he would wear his white robe and fanning the phoenix feather fan on his face. But when he had come to the city, riding a large warhorse, he did not wear the white robe. Instead he wears a golden armor with lion accent. On the middle of the armor there is a carving shape like the head of a lion. the armor is very detailed with the lion facial feature and mane, inviting fear toward the heart of the enemy There is red blood around the armor but even the red and dark red blood could not hide the golden shines of the armor. It is clear that this army which is emanating bloodlust and killing intent had just been out from a battle. And from the looks of it, they won. That is the reason why the city lord did not recognize that the one leading the army is Aero of the East at first. If he wears his white robe, he is elegant and scholarly. But when Aero of the East don armor of war, he looks heroic and valiant At that time, Kreios could only sighed and the decision had already been made up in his mind. Kreios knew that he had to be reasonable. Because Aero of the East could be reasonable. But that is if you are reasonable with him. Stubbornness would not do the city of Sybaris any good. From what he heard the Chancellor did not massacre the city that he had taken down. But for those who are stubborn, he would make them as an example. And Kreios knew that the central authority could not protect them and those that can is in chaos of trying to decide where they would stand in this turbulent era. Kreios then open the city and surrender to the Empire forces, shocking Aero a bit but was greeted favorably by the Chancellor. That is how the city was conquered by the forces of Vanheim 380 The Night Before the March He might not be a great noble in the Veranis kingdom but he knew where the wind is blowing. The generals on the border that have the thought of resisting the Empire would not come to a good end. To Kreios, the Empire annexation of Veranis would come sooner than later. There is too much division between the generals. Since they could not unite, they would easily be broken. Kreios could see that in a few months, all the territory of Veranis would be sporting the banners of the Empire This is his thought for the long term of the fate of the Kingdom. But that is not the only reason why he could quickly make up his mind to surrender to the Imperial forces of Vanheim. One of the reason is that the city had no force to resist Aero. They have only ten thousand men that they could mobilize, most of them militias and not some trained force that could defeat a real army The news about the Chancellor killing tens of thousands of people alone had made him appear like a one-man army. He would make short work of the city guards and the army that the nobles of the city had. If he fought, Kreios could see that it would be like throwing an egg onto a rock. Nothing would happen to the rock, but the egg would be broken. And by sincerely surrendering, Kreios could also give a good impression to one of the strongest person in the Vilajeri continent and when the day comes when the Empire controls all of Vanheim, he hopes that his sincerity would be remembered by the Chancellor and he too could profit immensely from this. It would be killing two birds with one stone. Not only he would save the city from a hopeless and senseless battle, he would also give the Chancellor a good impression on the city of Sybaris sincerity As such, Kreios surrender completely and Aero immediately send some of the administrators that was sent to him from the Capital of the Empire and quickly take hold of the city. Since then, the imperial forces are staying on the outskirt of the city. Kreios was allowed to resume his positon as the city lords and is given the privilege to report directly to the Chancellor. At the same time the resources of the city are used by the imperial forces would be compensated later and the Chancellor had even made a verbal and writing agreement promising to honor the agreement Aero had stopped here for two days to resupply and to gather information on the current situation in Duvar He also had reestablished contact with the Duvar border guards and had even sent some of his soldiers first to notify them that the reinforcement from the Empire is coming The border gate of Duvar is waiting for them and will open the gate when they arrived. Speed is important. But haste makes waste That is the currents situation now. Aero believe that Eric probably also got the report that he had arrived near the border of Duvar and he might try to take the mountain passes quickly or try to find a way to get around it as quickly as possible. Aero put down another report as he listens to the sound around the camp and he smiles a bit ''I pity the people living around here. But it would not be long that we would stay here'' he thought to himself as he took another envelope and opened it as he reads more reports of the current situation all over the Vilajeri continent. On the outskirt of the city, this is where the sound of the hammering of wood could be heard. All around the camp, there is construction going around The construction while basic, possess fortification properties. In the center of the military camp that is huge and expansive, there is one tent, the largest and the easiest to see. That is the tent of the Chancellor. Nearby his tent, is the tent of the other generals and commanders. Even at night, the construction did not stop even though they would only be here for only a couple more days. From outside the tent one could see that the security is very tight. It is not that people did not know that the Chancellor could handle almost anything that was thrown at him. It is a symbol of status to be protected that heavily. The area around the tent is lit up and every soldiers could see the tent. It is so that in the unfortunate event of an enemy attack one would not be panicked when they saw the general tent in the distance Inside the tent, Aero had just finished being briefed by his war council before and now reading the reports that was sent to his tent He now is making his own strategy and adjusting his plan now that there are many new variables entering the chessboard ''Hmm'' he said as he put down the letter on his hand and sighed. ''Even though I was fast, I still came a little too late'' The letter on his hand that he had just put down detailed the report of what is happening at Duvar. They are stopping on one of border cities of Veranis kingdom. Aero sat down for a while on the chair in his tent. He rested his mind for a while. On the large table in the middle of the tent, there is many envelopes with many different crest. Some of them were opened already and some of them is not opened yet Some of them from Veranis, some of them from Karak, some of the from Duvar and some of them from the Imperial Palace. Almost all the powers and influence in the eastern part of the continent send him letters. Dan send him letter reporting his victory over Karak forces and reporting any weird movement in the Karak regions to him Aero doubt that they could do much right especially when Veranis, their ally is so disorderly right now, but Aero would not want to be caught unaware. And then there is also Savillia. Savillia also send him report about their current progression taking the western part of Karak. Unlike the Empire, Savillia could not remain long in Karak territory and that is why they operate in fast manner. Even though the Savillia kingdom had gotten the report that says the bulk of United Kingdom of Veva army is now sieging the area around the Duvar kingdom, they could not remain at ease So, they sent a letter toward him asking for his input. And Aero understand them. It is not Eric style to be like that. Aero smiles a bit. ''Eric is probably doing this to make the board even more chaotic'' he thought to himself Aero could guess that Eric is lying and the fast spreading of the news that claim Eric had mobilized almost half of the military to attack Duvar is a news that he had spread himself If they did, Duvar would have fallen by now. Eric also bank on the fact that any reliable news from the western kingdom is hard to get right now with how chaotic the western kingdoms right now Aero had his own thoughts on why Eric would spread such news. Aero sighed a bit Eric is not some normal strategist like the other. Aero had always views him as his only nemesis in the Veva kingdom. If Eric is not there, Zeus would not be such a threat. It is not like he believes that Zeus is an idiot. One could even say that Zeus had improved after his repeated failure. An idiot would not be able to do what he did. But he lacks the talent of administrating the kingdom. He could take kingdom and conquered it But one could not rule an Empire on the back of a horse. it is clear that if Zeus did not have Eric by his side, Aero would find it very easy to manipulate the Veva court He then thought back about Veva and Eric play here 381 The Reason He could guess Eric plans and his intention. Eric probably did not use his main bulk of the army and he might even have planned to take a chunk of Savillia kingdom territory when Savillia is attacking Karak That is a possibility worth entertaining. Savillia is not as big as Veva. Half of Veva army is probably only one third of Savillia army The only reason why United Kingdom of Veva had never been able to decisively destroyed Savillia kingdom is because of the alliance between the Three kingdoms. But right now, in this turbulent situation, everything might change. With almost two thirds of Savillia army in Karak right now, they have change the battlefront. But because of that, their defense in their kingdom is low right now, vulnerable even. The rulers of Savillia kingdom had taken a big risk and had a big payout. Aero had addressed this and reminded the people in power at Savillia kingdom not to be too greedy Take the profit and don''t go all the way. They already won a lot of land in Karak and the Empire would not cheat them out of their lands Of course, Aero could only advise them and whether they would listen or not is not Aero concern. Greed or fear? Which one they have the most right now? if its greed, they would keep attacking and taking more lands. If they fear, they would recall back their army and let the Empire sweep up the rest while they quickly reinforcing back their defense for any attack from the United Kingdom of Veva. Though, there is not only one way of looking at something Aero also think that Eric might even have let the Savillia kingdom to continue attacking Karak. It might look like Eric is allowing his enemy to grow strong but in the end, no matter how many lands that Savillia kingdom could get, they would still be sandwiched between two great powers. Savillia kingdom expansion has limits. The moment they reached that limit, they have to make a choice. They could either ally with United Kingdom of Veva and attack Vanheim, or ally with Vanheim and attack Veva. Or they could also choose to remain independent but at the same time risk being crushed either by Veva or Vanheim Of course, there are other possibilities of what could happen in the future. And Eric might have another motive on why he allows Savillia kingdom to reap lands without interfering with it Because the more that the Savillia kingdom reap lands, the more lands that is not given to the Empire This would them make Savillia kingdom not only shares border with Veva but also with Vanheim. Before, they have the buffer which is Karak. But now, it would not be so. Instead Aero believes that Eric wanted Savillia kingdom to take more lands. Eric is now taking a little bit of chance and hurting himself to deceive the world. High risk, high reward play If the forces of Savillia kingdom gained more lands than expected, this matter could probably spark a debate in the parliament and if thing developed to a point where the officials blamed Savillia and coveted he land that they have taken, there might be conflict between Savillia kingdom and Vanheim The reason for such conflict is of course because of benefits. Without Marquis Dan taking the attention of the main bulk of the army how could Savillia army could easily take over the western region of Karak? That is the argument that the Parliament would use against Savillia if Savillia kingdom did not know when to stop. At that time, with Karak and Veranis under the control of the Empire, Savillia might have to turn to their old enemies and allied with Veva to resist the pressure of the Empire. ''Cunning'' Aero muttered under his breath. This might be why Eric spread the news that the main bulk of his army is in Duvar. Aero thought to himself. Only a fool would take his words at face value. How could there be no soldiers in the capital city guarding it? If it''s that easy, then United Kingdom of Veva would have long fallen. The news is probably spread so that the Church could quickly take the south. The quicker and more effortless the effort of the Church taking down the South, the warier that Alfhaim who borders the south region of Veva become toward the Church This is why Aero said that Eric is cunning. He might lose the south but he would not let the Church go off easy The news also emboldened Savillia generals to keep taking more Karak lands instead of retreating after taking already almost two regions of Karak. Aero believes that greed is taking hold of the sentiment among the forces of Savillia. Aero could only see what happens. The threat of Savillia is not as dangerous even if they take the whole entirety of Karak That is because after this, the Empire would slowly take Veranis and when Veranis is pacified, no matter how Savillia wanted to take down the Empire, if they even have such intention (which Aero believe they did not, considering the fact that they would not want another enemy breathing on their neck) they would require a large force or able to create internal problems among the high echelon members of the Empire And if Duvar is also in the Empire hands at that time, (if Aero could prevent Eric from taking over it this time) Aero would have fulfilled his promise to the alter king of becoming the true hegemon of the East and as such did not have to worry about any retaliations from Savillia since they would not enough manpower to even attack Vanheim Aero have the full intention of keeping the promise. It is not that he wanted Karak that much. It is a warning and a lesson. Aero also have a different thought than anybody else on how to handle Karak. Should they annex them completely and put the Karak region inside the Empire? Or should they give them the position of a vassal kingdom like before and send some relatives of the Emperor to become the ruler? That means they would end the four noble family rule and change the political landscape of Karak. Aero was actually curious why the other three families suddenly change their stance and decide to follow Veranis into this foolish endeavor They should have known that Veranis chance of winning is not that high. Aero smell desperation The Three Noble family must have a true good reason to rebel against the Empire. They did not strike Aero as people would turn toward the Empire unless they truly have a good reason Aero could guess it must have something to do with the Emperor. Aero had long suspected that the Emperor might have something to do with the massacre of the Vlad family He just doesn''t have the evidence. If the three families believe that the Vlad family was killed by the Emperor, then they might believe that the Emperor would also not let them off. But why? Why would they think that? Of course this is only Aero speculation and he has no evidence supporting this. 382 The Secre If it''s true that the Emperor is the one that kills the Vlad family, then for what reason? The Vlad family is very loyal to the Imperial family and one of those who would defend the Empire in Karak What would cause the Emperor to fall out with such a supporter than not only he had sent killer to kill the patriarch of the Vlad family, he also massacres his entire bloodline? ''A secret'' Aero muttered under his breath. Vlad family must have known something about the Emperor. And it must be something that the Emperor did not want the world to know. A secret that he would kill for. Aero frowned a bit as he now slowly updating his information on the young emperor and slowly getting to know the Emperor ''Heh'' he smirks a bit. Aero had always suspected that something was off about Edward. He was too timid. Even that is something very abnormal. But he was too accustomed with the Emperor being timid, that even he had underestimated that young lion. After all, a young lion¡­is still a lion. It is very patient of him to pretend to be timid and fearful all the time. Aero expedition is also a warning to the Emperor. A silent one but warning nonetheless. And the shield that would protect him is the will of the people. Aero still sitting on that chair look again at the Karak map and smiles bitterly Taking Karak is not the problem. The problem is always what should they do with it? One of his consideration is that he also had to think about whether Karak would rebel. Even if they do, their rebellion would not be as destructive as the Niovarian rebellion considering that since the beginning, the Karak is not a militant nation and could easily be brought under fold. They are brave¡­in the past. But now, they could no longer muster that courage. If they did, with their gold and silvers they could have long expanded their lands toward the Vor kingdom in the past They focused on mercantilism and neglected everything else The only reason that they were such a problem is because of the attack of Veranis that forces the Empire to split their forces. There is also the fact that the great Orc horde stationed themselves on the eastern border that further restrained the ability of the Imperial Court to send more soldiers to the western front Aero had a plan brewing in his mind right now on how to handle Karak but he believes that he should focus on the matter of Duvar first and he could discuss all of this with the Emperor when he returns back to Vanheim. That would surely be something to be excited about, he thought to himself. He also like to see how the Emperor would act. Would he still act like the timid cat? Or would he bare his fang onto him? The letter is about Veranis. On Veranis, there is report of many political power that is forming on the northern and southern part of Greater Veranis. That is something worrying. But as long as they divided, Aero had complete confidence that sooner or later, the Empire would swallow that region in the end. And as for the imperial palace letter there is news that had come from the Six Councils and the Emperor. The Six Council is now united for this moment as they listen to his orders to send reinforcement to Karak, to the border of Veranis and the capital of Veranis Aero realizes that in his absence, the Six Council was divided on who to follow. There was the loyalist that adhere him and there is some that wanted to change the core of the Six Council. They choose what they believe for the good of the Empire and that choice for them is becoming flexible in slowly giving the Imperial authority more power in the Six Councils. That is something that Aero would not allow. It is not because it infringed his power but it is because Aero did not want all powerful Emperor that rules everything, unchallenged. If the Emperor is wise beyond his years and could disregard the temptation of the flesh, the temptation of desire and could contain the expanse vast world and embraces everything in his heart, looking thing with an objective perspective, then that is fine. But what if the Emperor the Empire ended up with is an egotistical, evil and overbearing tyrant? At that time, regret would mean nothing. Of course Aero is not saying Edward is an emperor that is like that. But, once the power is given, it is hard to take it back. It is good that the Six Council did not yet went to that last step and he could still reverse it. As for those who follow the Emperor, Aero did not feel what they did is wrong. They only decided that unity under the Emperor is beneficial to the Empire. But¡­ They did not understand at all the reason why the Six Council was formed. Of course, now that Aero had returned, the Six Council, the Directorate all united again listening to his orders. But the division shows him that the Emperor do want to dig deep into the core power of the Chancellery. There is also another moves that he made. He classified this as a testing move. Aero had also send a letter to King James, ordering him to send his soldiers to the southern border of Veranis to quickly defeat the generals of the borders. His letter to King James also serve as a test. If King James tries to defies him, then Aero would not hesitate to suppress him until he could not even speak in the court later when he comes back to Vanheim. Of course, Aero would not suppress him to the point of death. After all, he still need James to rile up the Emperor and to test the Emperor. The Emperor fear James. But it is clear from what Aero had known, the Emperor fears him more than he fears his brother. And who knows? Maybe that act of fear is simply also an act. The Imperial family is really terrifying as they could lie without even blinking an eye. George would be saddened in the Underworld if he knows about this. These past couple of days he got many reports and reading it all and creating plans and strategies around these information of course bring headache to Aero Aero sighed a bit as he massages his temple for a few minutes. ''I would prefer a bath in my bathtub, with warm water at this moment. With rosemary scented liquid to make me feel refreshed after a long day of battle'' Aero reminisce the day he spent in Veranis. While he lives in hiding, he had a lot of money and he live very comfortably. He also thinks about his Chancellor residence and what would it look like right now. The Six Council have been paying the workers and servants of the residence and from what he knows, his residence is still there and maintained. He could not help but wanting to get back home and return back in glory to Vanheim. But he could not return yet. Not after he had gone this far. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e The moment he shows himself in that Plain and keep moving forward, he knew that the only way to end this and truly return in glory is if he could achieve the objective of taking Veranis and defending Duvar. He then sighed The capital of Veranis is secured. At least knowing that fact, Aero could confidently go on to Duvar without worrying being enveloped from the back by enemy forces Aero had already taken the capital of Veranis and put it under the control of his people. He leaves Quentin there to quell any resistance. He did not leave Kyle there. Kyle would be a great help to him if Duvar is already taken and they need to take it back After leaving Quentin there to pacify the surrounding area and fortify the capital, he and Kyle had quickly marched forward toward Duvar Quentin would not be able to join and he is more suitable on pacifying the region of Veranis as he could also persuade the other nobles to surrender since he is an old noble that surely would have relation with the nobles. It is unavoidable. The attack that they employed against Veranis was fast and efficient. But just because they take the capital did not mean that the entire kingdom is now in their grasp. They take Veranis. But they did not take Greater Veranis. As someone who knew the history of how Great Veranis was formed, Aero also understood the difficulty in taking all of Greater Veranis. After all, he was the one that help Veranis break the situation between the other two partitions of Veranis Greater Veranis is composed by the Gerad Stratocracy and Tian dynasty. As such, Aero had expected that these old elements would also come out during the unstable time And just like he had expected, the report shows that the old regime is making a comeback. There are some general that surrender and swore their fealty to the Empire. This makes it easy to pacified the region of Veranis Most of these generals were generals that were loyal to the previous King and knew about the deeds of King Alexander. They hated Alexander and they do not have any intention to fight against the Empire. Their hate stemmed for the way the old king was treated They did not deny that Alexander was the most suitable heir to sit on the throne. It is how he takes the throne that have been the reason for these general distaste There is also another reason in which Alexander cut off the benefits of these old people who had benefited the kingdom in the past and how they were shafted to the back of the administration as Alexander only promote those how are close to him All of these had been the reason why it was so easy to persuade them to join the Empire. Promise them benefits and promise them safety, and they fold easily There are also some generals that could see the trend of time and did not want to fight against it. Fighting the Empire right now is not a smart move. The Great orc horde had retreated so there is no longer that restraining force on the eastern border of the Empire, which frees up those soldiers stationed on the east This translate to the Empire could now send all of those soldiers, to the western battlefront. Whether that bulk of the army is going to Karak or Veranis, it would be a huge army that Veranis in its current divided condition could not fight There is also the fact that Aero of the East had returned and the Six Council is also united right now under his orders. The reason why the matter of the Empire versus Veranis could drag out that long is because there is internal conflict that delay many responses of the Empire to deal with the fats moving condition of the battlefront. Now, that weakness had been removed. As such, the Empire right now is like a lion been given wings. Those generals that guarded Veranis mainly agreed, that if such an army were to come to Veranis and they still insistent to be stubborn, the consequences would not be pretty. Who knows what Aero of the East would do? He might not slaughter the civilian like King James did toward the Niovarian population but he would surely kill all the nobles of the city that is stubborn and did not want to surrender Aero of the East had long been known to scoff at noble power and have deep mistrust to the power of nobles. As such, the great general of Veranis when they heard that Aero of the East had taken the Capital and then marched forward to Duvar to stop Veva invasion of it, they all decided to swear fealty when the messenger from Quentin come But as there is people that could bend their knee and swear an oath of fealty, there is also some people that would not. Ambitious generals had risen up all over the Greater Veranis region. The central had been pacified with most of the general of Veranis decided to accept the rule of the Empire However, the moment that Aero had taken the Central authority, the similar situation of hundreds of years ago happened again. It is the second partition of Greater Veranis with the old regime establishing itself again with the collapse of the central authority of Veranis. Most of these generals that rises up are general of the kingdom that is far from the capital, the so called border generals. They rise up during this chaos and created their state, seceding from Greater Veranis. After all, greater Veranis had been created by Gerad Stratocracy and Tian dynasty being conquered by Veranis There is still survivors and people from those country. Philip had done his best in the past to suppress them and put his people in the position of power. But it is clear now that his effort was not through. Most of the border generals are people from those two kingdoms. Their status as border generals was given because of their abilities but also because Phillip wanted to watch over them. After all, he could not appear to be suppressing people of his own kingdoms when they are talented. Philip could be said lack the generosity that George had in accepting the people of other kingdoms in the administration of their domain. On the other hand, Philip fears that the people of those two old kingdoms would once again try to partition the Greater Veranis that he had built Phillip would not dare put people of the Tian dynasty and the Gerad Stratocracy members near the capital to plot against him In the past, by putting them on the border, it would pressure them as they would not be able to do anything suspicious. This is because, at that time Veranis is allied with Vanheim. If for some reason any of these border generals declare a rebellion and tried to reestablish their kingdoms, then Vanheim could also help Veranis, creating a pincer position with Veranis attacking from the back and Vanheim attacking from the front But, now, the situation is very different. Vanheim and Veranis is at war. King Alexander march toward the Plains of Ethylred and got himself killed. The entire Greater Veranis is in chaos. The Capital has been taken down and the central authority collapsed Chaos is a nightmare for some, a ladder for the others. As such, these border generals could use the chaos to establish back their kingdoms. There is still many loyalist of the old regime in the army of these border generals. And one such general that had establish his country is a general in the northern region of Greater Veranis 383 Warlords Rising Up The Karak had hoped that Veranis could send reinforcement and even sent letters to the generals of Veranis when they saw themselves being decimated by the forces of Vanheim and Savillia. But the generals were all busy doing their own thing so right now Vanheim is taking the eastern side of Karak and the Savillia kingdom is taking over the western side of Karak while the generals of Veranis is fighting against each other to establish their kingdom ''General Muyan'' Aero said and he got up from his chair a bit as he added a chess piece and put the chess piece on the northern border of Greater Veranis map. He also took the pencil and draw line son the map separating the region controlled by the general from the Greater Veranis. He then writes on the middle of that part of the map "Tian kingdom" ''Another partition'' and he sighed Aero knows that even if he succeeds in stopping United Kingdom of Veva from taking Duvar, he still need time after that to settle Greater Veranis No, it could not be said that it is Greater Veranis anymore. Since Veranis had once again been split apart. Of course, Aero could not keep fighting without stopping. While he could do that, his army could not He did not want to keep battling without stop and risk mutiny. Even his soldiers wanted to go home after this. The gains are already enough. They already had managed to weaken Veranis to such a point and if the momentum in Karak stay, they would also gain a lot of the territory in Karak. The winner of this war is already Vanheim. Aero only wanted the win to be more thorough. If they could protect Duvar even after just taking the capital of Veranis, then the path to unifying the world would not be long since Vanheim would prove itself to be a formidable enemy that is not easily to be taken down As such, after he finishes the matter in Duvar, regardless whether he win or loses, he would still have to return back to Vanheim and take back his position as the Chancellor. From there, it would be easier for him to plan. Aero had never wanted to put himself in the spotlight unless it was needed. This time it was needed. It was crucial that he participated in the battle and participated it directly Aero had read about General Muyan. Muyan is one of the distant relative of the King of the Tian kingdom in the past. Most of the Tian dynasty direct relation were killed but Muyan had surrendered to Alexander at that time and Alexander himself was impressed by Muyan ability in leading soldiers so he was spared. When the Greater Veranis was formed, Alexander promoted him. But Philip could not trust Muyan because he has direct relations with the king of a fallen kingdom Phillip was the one that send Muyan on the northern border of Veranis to guard it from enemies. But that is just a fa?ade and everyone knows it Everyone in the court knows that there would be no enemies on the northern border since it neighbors Karak which at that time is also allied with them and is the vassal kingdom of the Empire. It is clear that Philip sent him there not to use his talent, but to let him rot there and to test him whether he harbor treasonous thoughts Of course, the northern region of Veranis also neighbors with Savillia kingdom but Savillia would never poke adorn the Greater Veranis since to do that they had to pass Duvar which is the region of the Empire. The Empire would not let Savillia attack it allies without reason. And the Empire might even use that attack as provocation for war. Savillia at that time only think about their survival and did not want to be swallowed by Veva. They would not add the Empire in the east to their list of enemies. Aero could tell, that this Muyan is a very patient man He did not show any treacherous behavior and guarded the northern border loyally and did not have any complain. As he is a man of Tian, many more people in the region is more comfortable with being under the supervision of a Tian man. This of course also something that is under the calculation of Philip at that time. Tian dynasty is quite different in culture from the people of Veranis and the people of Vilajeri continent at large. It is said that they come from a mythical continent of Yitien where their culture is a lot different In their history, they were said to come from someplace called the Xia dynasty. They took refuge in the Vilajeri continent from something. No one could deduce from what period of time that these people are present in Vilajeri continent but they are the minority race in the continent. Lizhu Gerard is also said to come from Yitien but since there is no hard proof, many people believe that it is just an attempt by the Tian dynasty to bask in the glory of Lizhu Gerard. Whatever the case, Muyan had expanded his soldiers using the people of Tian, recruiting them to the border army slowly replacing the soldiers of the kingdom with Tian people His reason is also impeccable. Each time that the Capital wishes for reinforcement fighting some mountain men, he would send the people of Veranis to the capital while slowly filling the vacancy with Tian people From this Aero could tell, that this general, had long have the intention to rebel against the King of Greater Veranis He was swapping the soldiers of the Capital with men that he could trust. But it is clear that Philip also sense the danger as the detailed report from the Six Council also mentioned that King Philip then sent a few commanders and vice generals to the border. And these vice generals and commander is loyal to Veranis and could not be fire unless it is from a royal decree And that has worked for years. But after the death of King Philip and Alexander rose to the throne, Alexander was consumed with the desire to fight against the Vanheim empire to forge his way eastward. Alexander however is not like his father. But he does have practicality. Muyan is a talented general. But he also had many talented generals around him. There is no need for him to recall a general from the northern border to the capital which would only alert the Vanheim Empire at the time Instead, he marches to Vanheim border and take toward the Plain, not knowing he had just left his kingdom to many people that wanted to break it Muyan did not immediately rebel. That is for sure a good part in his plan. He looks first at where the wind is blowing. After all, in the first few month of the clash between Veranis and Vanheim, Veranis was winning. If by some chance, Alexander could win and Muyan is caught with his pants down, he would not be able to do anything except accepting his death. He waited patiently for the wind to blows in his favor. When the news arrived at the border that Aero of the East had killed the King in the Plains, Muyan executed his plans. He had the wind blowing in his favor. The central region is now being the focus of attention while he in the north suddenly found himself having a lot of power of determining of how things would play out. Suddenly, these borders generals are now an uncertain factor that would decide the rise and fall of Greater Veranis He could go toward the north and help the forces of Karak. And he could also go to the east and stop the advance of Aero. But he did not do all of these. Unlike some of the other border general that wanted to reclaim the capital and declared themselves King of Greater Veranis, Muyan chose the safe route. He quickly schemed with his vice commander and killed all the captains and generals from the capital that was sent to oversee him. He then gathers his army to take the surrounding villages and cities of the north region and then establish back the Tian kingdom, coronating himself as the King. Muyan know that the mater of the center region could not be stopped. But he also did not know that when the general in the central region saw that no border general is about to answer the call to protect the kingdom, the generals, the city lords and the nobles of the central region decided to thrown in the towel and capitulated to Aero. It is a domino effect. The decision that Muyan made had made Aero occupation of Veranis easier. To the generals of Veranis, the fact that Muyan decision to kill the messenger of the capital and sat himself back as he reestablished back the old kingdom of Tian in the north is something that is more unacceptable to them than Vanheim conquering them And there is another reason that such surrender is easily given to Aero forces The reason is because Aero had promised these generals, these city lords and nobles that everything could go as usual. Those who surrender would retain their old position and would be given preferential treatment in the next appointment Of course, Aero did not prosome them the moon. The more he speaks the truth, the more that these people could believe him. He did not promise them that he would not fire them from their position. But he does say that he would give preferential treatment for the few early years of the occupation so that they could adjust themselves to the system of the Empire This benefits and the fact that Vanheim forces that was led by Aero did not really wanted to destroy Veranis to the ground, unless forced, assure the nobles and the generals and they finally surrender. To them, Aero and the Emperor of Vanheim is a ruler they could accept. The Empire is large and powerful. But they could not accept Muyan betrayal and his desire to reestablish back the Tian dynasty And if they fought and manage to force Aero to retreat, then Veranis is still in danger from those traitor generals on the borders. The general of the central region could not help but feel sad when they hear that Muyan had drawn the border and reestablish Tian. Because this is a sign that Greater Veranis is now split up again It did not even reach ten years of the formation of Greater Veranis before the Greater Veranis envisioned by Philip were once again split apart Muyan decision is understandable in Aero point of view Muyan might not care about the center region but it is because of his action Vanheim now have a strong hold on the region and would continue exercising that hold in the future. Aero had already think of how to best utilize the central region of Veranis to slowly chip the strength of those generals and the chaotic situation on the south and north of Veranis. As for Muyan¡­... But when Aero think back about it, he could understand Muyan choice. He could go to the Capital and render great merit but considering he is a Tian person; he would never get the recognition he wanted. The people of Veranis would never trust him. As such, why bother? Instead of becoming the loyal general, it is better to be a king. There is also the fact if he left the north and other generals wanted to do the same thing he did, which is to take the north and establish a kingdom, he then would lose both. As such, he stays in the north and let the matter of the central region to solve by itself That is one of the reason why Aero had managed to take Veranis capital very fast. Right now Muyan, this ambitious general is now looking to take over the many cities in the north and solidifying his grip on the north. Aero felt that this Muyan is a very talented person and very dangerous. He could remain patient for years before he executed his plan at the right moment. Aero is interested to know how he would make his move next. It is without doubt that his territory in the north would suffer many problems. There is the Savillia kingdom on his north and the Vanheim Empire on his south and east. Aero is curious of how he would extract himself out of that situation where he would be surrounded by enemies. Considering of how he created such a scheme, Aero hope that Muyan would not be stupid enough to pit his strength against the Empire military arm force. If Quentin wanted to take the whole greater Veranis, this Muyan is someone that he should take down. But that would not be easy to do with Quentin himself is trying to stabilize the region of Veranis. As for the southern border of the Veranis, there is also a rebellion against Veranis and there is without doubt that region would also split itself apart from Greater Veranis Aero himself did not expect such situation when he marched through the forest on the border of Veranis and enter the central region of Veranis. He had expected that the full force of Veranis army from the south, north and west would come after him Of course, Aero was still confident he could win considering that most of the soldiers that is in central region were in that battle in the Ethylred Plain. As such, he had planned to quickly take down cities after cities and quickly pierce through the defense of the defending forces and take the capital with lightning speed. What he didn''t expect was that the central region was left hanging with the north and south region of Veranis did not move and instead busy carving up land to split apart from Greater Veranis. That had save time and the estimate that he had made about taking the capital which is supposed to be at least a week was shorten to four days. The north was not the only problem. The south also has its own share of problem and from what Aero had read, the situation is even more chaotic. Aero once again took another chess piece. He then put it on top of the map on the southern region of the map of Veranis and like before, he draws a border between the central region and the southern region And he wrote Gerad Stratocracy. Tian dynasty was established back in the north. And as such, the old kingdom of Gerad had also rises from the ashes. There are many powerful generals in the southern borders. But unlike the case of Muyan where he was sent there, these generals that is now congregating on the south, is not originally the border general of the south Most of them come from the central region and taken position on the central region. Gerad Stratocracy is a kingdom that is filled with military talent. The only reason they could not expand well, was because of their small size of a kingdom and their oppression by Niovar in the past. As such Philip did not use the same method as he did with Muyan. Most of the talented general of the Stratocracy was put in position where he could have his eyes on them These generals should have protected the central region or at least stopped Aero unstoppable march toward the Capital But instead, when they heard that Muyan established the kingdom of Tian on the north, these generals quickly abandoned their post and went to the south And most of them share the same desire. They all wanted to reestablish the Gerad Stratocracy. One could imagine the chaos that happened when all of these warlords is duking with each other. Of course, right now, there are still in cooperation mode. However, one of the most influential group of southern general is probably the best bets for the reestablishment of the Gerad Stratocracy and that is the Erciyes army It is a peculiar army led by a talented young general of the former military chief of the Stratocracy. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 384 The Warlord in the South l He is one of the general of the southern borders as such he had the advantage since he was already on the south when it all goes down He also knows how to best use the opportunity that he had When he receives the news of the fall of the Capital, with his connection he had gathered the generals of the south in a meeting on top of a small mountain called Erciyes mountain. He gathered them and told his plan to take back the southern region from Greater Veranis and reestablish back their kingdom There were some generals that did not want to join in and they were all killed by Zarakh. The other then obey him and he created the Erciyes army The Erciyes name was taken from the name of the mountain. with his great personal charm Zarakh become their leader, leading all of these warlords who have five thousand to seven thousand men. They decided to secede from the Greater Veranis and reestablish the Gerad Stratocracy and is taking over the southern region With that they fought against the other generals in the south that is still loyal to the Greater Veranis and they won every battle as more and more generals who have background related to the Gerad Stratocracy piling in. But unlike Muyan in the northern region, there is a problem in the Erciyes army. Gerad Stratocracy is a system of government headed by military chiefs. Citizens with mandatory or voluntary military service or veterans who have been honorably discharged have the right to elect or govern And this is the way of Gerad and how they manage to survive against Niovar for a long time, establish a kingdom, resisting the Veranis Old Dream of reuniting for decades. But there is talk that Zarakh may wanted to follow the governance of the Empire, with him as the Emperor and the other generals as the ministers. He wanted to change how Gerad would be governed in the future, to alienate his base supporters of whom consisted of people who were in favor of the old system He wanted to give more power to merchants, to scholars who during the time of Gerad heyday were treated as nothing more as retards that slow down war efforts. He wanted to promote education, encourage innovation and revive trade. In other words, he wanted to copy the way of the Chancellor Aero had laughed when he read the report. Zarakh wanted to copy his method. In other words, Zarakh wanted to copy the five policy that Aero had suggested to King George in the first year back from his exile At that time Aero line out five policy One, the kingdom must revive farming to provide for the people and prepare for disaster. In this one could be benevolent when other people could not. The royal family must be close to the people for the roots of a kingdom is the people. The second policy is to distinguish what is right from wrong to establish good social custom and this laws must be strictly adhered to But at times, it must be flexible when times are hard. When times are good, and prosperity is abound, this law must be enforced strictly. The third policy is to encourage cultural and educational policies to strengthen unity with the many people that live in the domain controlled by the kingdom. Culture must be exported to the neighboring kingdoms so that even though the kingdom did not conquer these people, they would follow the way of Vanheim kingdom and made them think of Vanheim as people that are close to them education must be prioritized so that the people would benefit and could drive innovation in the kingdom the fourth policy is to establish military facilities to uphold the dignity of the kingdom, protect it from external enemies and serve as a deterrent to those who set their covetous gaze toward the kingdom The fifth policy is to unify the kingdom legal system, codified it into one single Law system. No longer should the nobles in their lands could change the law according to which of the lands the criminal commit its crime At that time, there was disparity and differences of punishment that is dole out according to where the crime is committed and where they were captured As such, it created a mess in the legal system of the kingdom. A noble had once killed a peasant in a drunken brawl. In that particular barony, his crime would be punished by him getting demoted But instead of taking that punishment, this noble ran away to his relative barony and instead of getting demoted, the baron of that particular barony pardon him of the crime of killing. As such, it become a contests of strength and influence between the two barony instead of the matter of right and wrong This is but one case of many where some people were punished less or in some case punished more according to the wacky legal system When the nobles do it, it is a mistake. When the peasant does it, it is a crime There was this massive inequality in almost everything. From the political realms, economic realm and the legal realm. The short side of the stick is reserved for the peasant. The peasant were weak and weak people do not create strong nation. Aero and King George sought to change it. Only when the people are strong, the kingdom is strong With the centralization of power under king George at that time, Aero suggested to unify the kingdom legal system, forcing the entire kingdom to only judge a crime based on one set of uniform rules and legislation covering the whole kingdom and effective everywhere. So any enforcer of the kingdom = could caught someone that is doing a crime at some barony and even when they ran to another barony, the laws would still be the same. There was a lot of pushback from the nobles but at that time king George hold the ultimate power after the exile and so the reform was successfully put in place and implement And there is no longer any loopholes that people of power could use to weasel their way out of punishment. Aero even suggested to not forget about the judge which stems from an earlier conversation with King George about appointing officials to govern the kingdom The judge that was appointed must be strict and impartial and their power is protected by the Six Council and they could not be fired by the local nobles and any attempt on their life by some faction or nobles'' private army would be then construed as an attack toward the Kingdom and constitutes as treason and insurrection against the kingdom It is using these five policies that Vanheim had managed to centralize the kingdom, unify the people and created large armies that could conquer all the eastern kingdom and had strengthened the foundation of which Aero and George would begin their westward expansion Most of these policies is taken from the conversation between him and the past King. He once talks about this in the court with King George. At that time, the King asked him "What should be done so that people will obey my orders? What could be done so that the peasant could trust the judgment of my ruling? How would they render their trust to me? I do not wish them harm. But We acknowledge that not all people believed in the government? What should be done?" Aero then said simply ''Promote righteous man and set them above those who are not. This way the people will submit. If Your Majesty promote wicked men and set them above the official that is righteous, the people will not submit and instead would foster distrust between the royal family and the people.'' This is the words that he said and become the basis of promotion for the officials on the far reaches of the capital Then Aero spoke about the five policy but the beginning was the appointment of officials. 385 The Warlord in the South II And Aero did not begrudge them of this fact. In a way, these officials were hired by him and king George. And while they were grateful to Aero, they could see right and wrong clearly and they were not afraid to vocalize it Aero might like power. But he never wanted to be a tyrant. That would not suit his heart. He likes power because power protects him. He did not seek power just to hurt people. While he could hurt people, he would only hurt people that have schemed, plotted or intend to harm him. He did not direct his power to punish and torture the innocent. That is not the reason why he seeks power. Even in the beginning, he never seeks power to hurt other people. In the beginning he seeks power for benefit. When he got that benefits, when the base desire that had consumed him had been achieved, he set himself to a higher goal. And that higher goal was the reunification of the continent as one, under one banner A new world order! Even in the earlier moment of the formation of Vanheim kingdom, Aero was still leaving a few burrows for him to go away if the King suspect and wanted to kill him for knowing too much But as he and king George slowly become friends with each other, and evolve their relationship from subordinate and superior to that of teacher and student, Aero truly felt affection for King George and willingly serve under him A great strategist would choose their own lord. And Aero chose George. They both look at the same direction and dream the same dream If not for King George untimely death, Aero would be perfectly happy leading the court together with George. The Six Council was created partly because of the plan of the King and him. The King give controls to him because he trusts Aero and Aero trust George. But after his death, Aero had also outfitted the Six Council as one of his escape plan. Because unlike George, his two sons are not to par. But after knowing a bit about Emperor Edward, and after he had learned of some of his scheme, knowing his cunningness, and his cold heartedness, while one could not say that they did inherit the bravery of their father, they are still not up to par. They might be a great plotter. But a great plotter is not necessarily a good ruler. And the more he learns about Emperor Edward, the more he felt that while he could be a strong ruler for the Empire, he would not be a good Emperor for the people. How then one reconciles the difference between the Empire of the Emperor and the people of the Empire which is the root of the Empire? To Aero, King George had all the traits of an enlightened ruler. George had many good traits that not many people could emulate and even less rulers could emulate. And none of his son could emulate all the great virtues that their father has which is a great pity. They inherited their father bravery but lack any of the other quality that made George the perfect candidate for the lord of the world. Aero sighed a bit thinking about those old memories. But his mind then still thinks about the appointment of official''s reform that Zarakh wanted to apply and he was reminded of the officials in the Vanheim court and he could not help but smirk a little To him, the officials that sometimes defy him is not bad for the Empire. And it is because of that Aero never took it to heart, like those officials also never took it to far. To those officials, while at times, they did not agree with the Chancellor views and ways of doing thing, they have always respected him. This respect stems from the fact that while the Chancellor had power to silence these officials, he did not do it unless there is harm to the Empire in talking too much. It is better for the officials to be loyal to the Empire than it is for them to be loyal to the Emperor. This is where one had to have an idea what the Emperor and the Empire is and what is the difference between them The Empire is the people. While it is hard to promote such idea of equality since equality itself is a dream and illusion, what Aero had done was to put a safeguard for the people as he spread the idea that the Empire is the people and the people is the Empire. The people must be protected because they are the Empire. The Emperor governed the Empire which means he governs the people. There must be trust between them Once that trust is broken then chaos would threaten to rip the Empire apart The trust itself is not simply for the Emperor to be affable and generous. Trust could be inspired by different thing. An Emperor that have military power and could protect the Empire from external enemies could be trusted. An Emperor that is generous and create economic prosperity is also an Emperor that could be trusted and so on and so forth The relationship between the Emperor and the people is of trust, benefits and of power. Tug of power between the people and the imperial power is always heavily leaned on the imperial power and there is nothing Aero could do. But he tried to limit it and strengthen the power of the people Balance is impossible. But a little bit of leverage is possible. One Emperor and millions of people. Aero choice become easy when he had to choose one over the other. But it is clear that Zarakh wanted to follow him, in doing all kinds of changes to the new Gerad kingdom that he is about to establish. With this alone, Aero could guess the ambition of this general from the south is not small. Establishing a kingdom is already a sign of ambition with an intent to rule. But to establish reforms shows that Zarakh ambition did not simply lie on creating a kingdom and laze around inside a place, enjoying the riches of the kingdom Zarakh¡­. this person is dangerous in a different way than Muyan in the north The Stratocracy of Gerad is the cause of the conflict between the generals in the Erciyes army They battle about the idea of Stratocracy and the new idea of an absolute monarch that Zarakh had proposed to the group To him, centralizing power if the first step to quickly build the kingdom power to resist Vanheim or nay other external power. With a clear chain of command, decision could be executed quickly and in a unified manner. There are also the benefits that the power of the kingdom could be harness to accomplish a vision. This focused vision that is harnessed by Vanheim had enable them to grow from a simple powerful nation in the Eats to a super powerful Empire that is the hegemon of the eastern region of the continent King George centralization of power to the royals had enable Vanheim to focus on the fulfillment of his vision with ease which is the vision that every Vanheimneian knows. The vision of the past Emperor is now inherited by his successor which is the unifying of the continent under Vanheim In a decentralized governance of the Stratocracy in the past, there is a Council of Army where the military chiefs would gather and discuss matter but because of this decentralization of power between the kingdom and the military and with each military chief have their own different thought and opinions, the Gerad kingdom sometime diverge from its vision as no one could convince the others and the reaction of the kingdom is mostly reactionary This is because there are no clear lines of authority which could be seen with the king sometime possessing low power than the military chiefs and some certain military chiefs possess more power than this other military chief and this chaos of who has the more authority had made the Council of the Army usually disunited in certain focused vision, especially when that vision touch upon their interest The benefits of the centralized governance outweigh its cons according to Zarakh. There is the fact that such move to a centralized governance would reduce cost because of the standard procedures and methods and with the clear chain of command it reduces duplication of responsibilities that may result in additional cost to the kingdom. The advantages are clear to Zarakh. In such a world that wanted to be united, with the trend of time riding on the world being unified, being decentralized at this moment would make them a target to the two great superpowers of the world which is the United Kingdom of Veva in the North and the Vanheim Empire eon the East Stratocracy did work in Gerad but it also created dissent among the civilian population especially when they compare the live of the people living in capital city of the empire, Vanheim This is the importation of culture of Vanheim that seep toward the civilian population of Gerad at that time. One could say that the abundance of talents of the Empire also had something to do with the five policies that Aero had proposed. With more education, more people become smarter. And smart and brilliant translate to power and strength. The stronger the people become, the stronger the nation become and with education highly prioritized, innovation and technological and magical advancement rose quickly in the Empire It is not that the Gerad Stratocracy did not allow its people all of this thing, even though it is restricted to the people that contribute in the military but there is many more underlying problem of Stratocracy One of them is their treatment of merchants and their inability to maintain a strong economy the merchants of the Gerad Stratocracy are always look down upon and as such while Gerad Stratocracy had powerful military at its height, it did not have great improvement in their finance, economy or trade. The over emphasized on military had lead them to overlook the others. While the Empire slowly patched up their weakness and improve their strength, the glaring weakness of the Gerad kingdom was not addressed. Of course Greater Veranis itself did not capitalize on this weakness during the time of the unifying of the Partition of Veranis but Zarakh knows that if they did not want to be conquered again like last time, they need to make some changes. Most civilians of the former Gerad kingdom like living in the Greater Veranis since they have more opportunities to shine in their own specialties and the idea of possessing thing is quite a good concept for them when in the past each thing that they possessed could be taken by the kingdom if it is required in time of military emergency So, they have never felt what it feels like to truly possess the thing and the laws would protect their belonging and properties. That is the concern of Zarakh. The civilians, the people. Even if they establish back the kingdom, the people no longer wanted to live under such regime. However, his idea and his vision for anew Gerad had created dispute between Zarakh and the other generals that wanted to reestablish Gerad Stratocracy just like it was before As such, the southern region is still in chaos and while the Gerad kingdom had been reestablished by Zarakh, who knows how long it would last unless he could take a drastic measure to silence the people who oppose his reforms. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e 386 The Grand Dream of Vanheim In the end this all happen because he had taken the capital and had taken it in such a swift manner that most of the generals on the border, regardless of their loyalties or thoughts, could not have the time to react He had taken the city in only four days. That is enough for people to not doubt his military expertise ever again That is a good reputation to capitalize on when he is back in the court. Aero had always enjoyed massive popularity in the military faction. But people do not know the true story. Veranis had fallen the moment he had kill the King of Veranis and started marching toward it. After all, he had spent almost a year inside the capital city of Veranis and had strengthened his spy network all over the capital city. People must have expected death when he come to the capital city, that he had to fight bitterly for it and sacrifice a lot of his soldiers to take the city as fast as he did. the truth was, the moment he arrived at the capital city, he only sends a few message to his spy in the inside and manage to open the city gates. He stormed it and in four days, he had taken the capital city and the marched out from the city and ride toward the holy City! The fourth day was the most anticlimactic battle that Aero ever had the chance to experience since most of the people defending the capital city got the news that Gerad establishes itself in the south and Tian in the north Like an unstoppable storm, Aero had change the situation of the war from being in a defensive position to an attacking position and now, Aero is not satisfied just by taking Veranis, he even wanted to save Duvar and keep it under the Empire At least that is how appears for the people in the capital. Aero did not see it for himself but he had read the report that when it was announced that he had won in the border and the news that he was framed by the enemy of the Empire, the people cheers on him And when they heard their Chancellor march forward toward Veranis and take it, there were many hit blooded youths that formed a knight militia and decided to join the army These knight militias must not be underestimated since these people are powerful warriors and some of them are even holy guardians of the temple. In the time that Aero and George rule together, they created a vision, an enduring dream that continue even after his death In the rise of the kingdom of Vanheim, there was a collective dream that Aero and George had also given to the people of Vanheim. George promised in the day that he shows his intent to rule, that his kingdom would one day unify the whole continent That was his vision, a vison that united the people of the kingdom, and give them a sense of pride to their kingdom When George return from exile, Aero had helped him won a great battle in Coro, and George could rise up using that reputation to become one of the most celebrated rulers in Vanheim history. He expanded the land, reform the kingdom laws, politics, legal and economic policies, and bring a great boom of prosperity among the people George successful move had made the people feel hopeful and prideful. The people believe that when they have forced the nobles, the priest and seers, the detractors of the royal family to invite back the King was the right choice. George become a wise king in the hearts of the people. The people likes it when they live in peace, in prosperity, where they do not have to worry about where their next meal would come, where they should sleep at night and whether they would live tomorrow War is frequent after the victory in Coro but each war had brought the kingdom benefits and profit that war itself become profitable. Aero had stopped the war frenzy to become so oversized that it would consume itself and advice caution and stability. Niovar problem is one of the example where Aero was right in his choice. But nonetheless, the dream had become even more real to the people of Vanheim. This dream was strengthened each time Vanheim grab a victory. As the empire expands and become stronger, this dream is no longer just a nice sounding slogan to encourage the people, it has become a conviction. Many of the people of Vanheim walk with pride, their back straight as they believed themselves to be a citizen of a great empire that would one day unify the continent and become the hegemon of the world, bringing peace everlasting and prosperity that have never been seen before in the history of this continent. And now Aero had once again done the impossible. The Chancellor had rarely gone into the battlefield since the battle in Coro. He had been in battle but never against the enemies of Vanheim after that battle Aero battle in the front gate of the capital city of Veva is still remembered by many. But that was not a battle where he was leading an army This time however, Aero once again appear in the battlefield, leading another army of Vanheim to victory. To the people, this is like the golden age of King George rise. Once again the Chancellor had saved the nation To the people, Aero had marched toward Veranis not only top punish the Veranisian for breaking the alliance, it was also to fulfill the dream that every single citizen of Vanheim believes So, when they heard that Veranis was conquered, their capital city occupied, their euphoria hit fever high. people were celebrating in the streets, chanting his name and make sacrifice to the goddess Athena and Zeus. And then when they heard that he did not stop and now marching toward the cities of the western region of Veranis to go to Duvar, the people could not help but feel that dream is so close that they could taste it The people of the Empire is not like the people of the kingdom of Vanheim in the past. They know the significance if Aero could hold back the Veva invasion of Duvar If Aero could force the forces of Veva to retreat and maintain their hold in Duvar, then Vanheim now have a straight route to the west And when that happens, then a westward expansion is inevitable in the near future. Even though some people know that this would lead to the greatest war this continent would ever see, the people was excited. Because, this is the chance for Vanheim to truly lord over the world. They all believed that Aero would be able to do it, to open the gate toward the west If its anyone else, they might think that the strategist or the general leading such an army is a reckless one as he keeps marching forward. Duvar is a small kingdom compared to Veranis. It would not make sense to expend so much effort to Duvar. It would be better to let Duvar go and fortify the position of Veranis and calm the four corners of the borders of the Empire and let go of Duvar They could take Duvar back when the Empire has stabilized. But Aero had a different opinion. And Eric also had a different opinion. Aero did not mind losing Duvar. But even though he did not mind losing it, if he could stop the fall of Duvar to another power, why would he not do it? And that is what the opportunity had presented to him after his fast takedown of the capital of Veranis. Duvar is very important because it sat on the center of the continent. There are mountains passes that is very easy to defend but very hard to attack. And it connects the west and the east. There is many other important reason why Duvar is a very important kingdom other than simply that it sat on the middle center of the continent region as it is also a holy capital for the Seven Celestials. It is where all the Seven Celestials of Olympus was represented with their large temple and offering places Each year, many devotees would come there to seek the blessing of their Gods Aero would not let Duvar go if he could help it. And he now had just saved some time by easily taking the capital. Aero had contemplated it when he is in the throne room of Veranis. \u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e\u003e