Spoiler :

Zedd already has Fusion, Synchro, and XYZ. Yugioh joke...

About the poll:

So in a few chapters, Garnet will learn a little more about heroes, their origins, and their duties. I was wondering how much you would want me to reveal. Should I reveal the leader that is keeping the Guides in check? Should I reveal the true origin of Garnet's Hero System? (Right now we only know of it through Zedd's legend about the Yellow Emperor) Should I reveal the identities of some of the other heroes? What about the plan the Guides have put together to launch a full scale Invasion like the Constantinople one?

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"Thanks for the update," said Garnet as she and Zedd talked to Anna about what was going on in Constantinople. Zedd had transformed into his more youthful self, hoping that the members of the Golden Dragon Clan would not be able to recognize his younger self.

The undead were on the rise again, slowly moving towards the city. There numbers were slowly increasing, but it was a long time before they were a match for even the automata in the city. However, there was always a chance that the Dark Mage Guild or the Grey Ghosts would attack. Both groups knew where the city was, but neither of them knew of the approximate strength of their forces. They continued to scout the city for information, but neither dared to approach for now.

For now, the focus was on the problem that they started to collectively call "Spirit Hunting." Various groups in the Eastern Empire had been Spirit Hunting for a long time and weaponizing them into Artifact Weapons. The result was a severe decrease in the number of spirits, the rise of Odd Eyed creatures, and more frequent attacks by creatures that pass through the black star located just outside the Northern Walls. People were even after Zedd once they heard of his return to the Eastern Empire because the techniques he introduced is what allowed for the arms race for Artifact Weapons now.

"Why is this world turning to shit so quickly?" Garnet groaned as she began to rub the sides of her head.

"Every place in the world has their own problems," said Quinton. "Some just aren't that easily noticed."

Antium was in terrible condition until Charles took over as King, but even then, changes and improvements were slow and there were places that were still awful. "I just wish we had an easier way to deal with this," said Garnet.

Zedd continued his work on creating a magic circle that was able to completely seal off the flow of energy within an area, thus neutralizing the Holy Ground and potentially prevent anyone from ever using those areas to gather any type of energy. This gave Garnet and the others time to learn chi under Xiaomei, but the only one who was making any progress was Riley. She was starting to sense the flow of chi, but was unable to channel it within herself.

"It seems like this pursuit of chi is not working for you," said Xiaomei.

"It's not easy when all I've ever learned to do is channel my mana," said Garnet. "No matter what I do, I seem to always focus on that spot out of habit."

Garnet had drawn her power from mana for as long as she could remember and she had a talent for it. She was able to channel the power from near her heart ever since she learned she could use it. For some reason, she was unable to figure out chi and her Quick Learner skill did not seem to help her at all. "I still think you should force it open," said Garnet. "I heal quickly anyways."

"You might be willing, but I'm not," said Xiaomei. "I don't have the fine control needed for it and a simple mistake may prevent you from ever using it in the future."

Garnet was growing increasingly frustrated with her lack of progress. She had been attempting to do it ever since she saw Zedd do it after meeting Sunny. Using Essence Absorption on other people who could use it did not automatically grant Garnet access to it.

"Alright, we should get going," said Zedd. "It's a bad idea to stay around here for so long."

"It's likely that they will find out that their people went missing soon," said Riley.

"But since you ate them, they won't be able to pin it on us will they?" Quinton asked.

"They'll be able to connect the dots easily," Xiaomei countered. "They'll probably send even stronger people after us."

"Am I the only one in this group that no one wants to kill?" Quinton asked.

"Nope, I'm sure the Dark Mages will have a bounty for you as well," said Garnet.

"Ugh," Quinton groaned. "Well, at least I don't regret my decision. I think it was the right thing to do." He tried to find at least something to be happy about.

"Alright, let's get going," said Zedd as he returned to the group.

"Any progress?" Garnet asked.

Zedd showed them the seal that he had constructed so far. "It's a multi-layer barrier like the one I made for Constantinople," said Zedd. "However, this one does not need to control what goes in and what comes out. It just needs to stop all energy from passing it, but I fear it might not be enough."

"What more could you do?" Riley asked.

"I want to make it absorb energy," said Zedd. "This is the problem though," said Zedd as he demonstrated the seal.

Zedd began to push his mana into the seal. The seal began to light up, turning from black to blue. It then turned white, yellow, and then the entire paper ignited into ash. "Too much power," said Quinton.

"Yes," said Zedd. "If too much energy is placed into it, the seal will break anyways. It needs to have a way to empty the energy that it absorbs back into the ground or direct it away. For now, refining the seal to be able to handle more power is the best place to start."

The group continued to walk with Zedd leading the way. "Which way?" he asked.

"Recall!" Garnet called back all of the Cerberus. "Anyone find the Odd Eyed Tiger?" she asked.

One of the Cerberus pointed its head towards the south. "Good work," said Garnet as she pat the Cerberus on the head. "Warn us if you see any other group approaching us," she instructed.

The Cerberus scattered once more. "No wonder you were always prepared for our attacks," said Quinton. "It's like having extra sets of eyes everywhere."

"They're great," said Garnet.

"I understand why the Chancellor wanted your power so badly now too," said Xiaomei. "With that, you would not only be able to have your own army, you would have absolute control over them. On top of that, they were also a fearless, immortal army that would fight to the death for you."

"Focus," said Zedd. "Don't forget why we're out here in the first place."

"Odd Eyed Tiger," said Riley.

The group followed the Cerberus, leaving the outskirts of the ruined city and heading deeper into the woods. The Cerberus was being extra careful as it moved slowly. HOWL. It was the warning signal from another Cerberus in the distance.

The Cerberus in front of them suddenly paused, giving Zedd a startle as he bumped into it. "Shhh!" Garnet gestured as she stepped out in front and followed the Cerberus.

There were whispers in the distance. It was another group of people that were most likely hunting the Odd Eyed Tiger as well. "Can you see who it is?" Riley whispered.

Garnet took a peak over and tried her best to see. She could not make out anything other than the color of the robes. "Red and gold robes," said Garnet.

"Divine Phoenix Clan," said Xiaomei. "That's bad, their power rivals that of the Golden Dragon Clan."

"We took care of them easily enough," said Quinton as he placed his hand on his sword.

"The Golden Dragons we encountered earlier was no accident," said Zedd. "It was likely that they were heading here when they ran into us."

Garnet tapped her Cerberus on the head. "Can you find us a way around them?" she asked.

The Cerberus took a left turn and began to walk again. "Who's there?!?" shouted a voice.

Garnet looked around seeing if they were the ones being spotted. "Should we attack?" she asked.

"Wait," said Zedd.

Garnet immediately pulled the tail of the Cerberus. "Stop," she whispered.

The group from Divine Phoenix Clan were approached by a group of Golden Dragon Disciples. One of the Divine Phoenix Clan members stepped forward. He had the crest of a phoenix on his back. He wore a hood with a pointed top and with golden wing marks on the side.

Name: Holdin

Level: 70

Class: Phoenix Knight

Sub-Class: Fire Mage

Stats: High Intelligence, High Vitality

"A mage?' Garnet thought to herself. "Could he be someone who can use mana and chi?"

Like the leaders in the Golden Dragon Clan, they wore a symbol that demonstrated their rank. "Are you responsible for the disappearance of our allies?" asked a man from the Golden Dragon Clan as he stepped forward.

The man had a beard and looked much older than the others. He even wore a black cap that was decorated with scales and wings on the side.

Name: Harold

Level: 82

Class: Divine Swordsman

Sub-Class: Dragon Master

Stats: High Intelligence, High Agility

"No," said Holdin. "There were signs of a battle going on near the Forbidden Area, but we stayed away from it."

"Really?" asked Harold suspiciously. He was already doubting Holdin's words. "Our clans have been rivals for hundreds of years. I think you're using it as an excuse to kill my fellow clansmen."

"You dare accuse us of murder?!?" shouted a Phoenix Disciple who immediately drew her white and gold sword. The sword was decorated with golden bird wings.

The other Phoenix Disciples immediately followed the woman who drew her sword. The others were now all prepared to fight. "It feels like everyone wants to fight," Riley whispered.

"Backing down is a sign of weakness and submission," said Xiaomei. "They're not going to back down without at least exchanging a few blows."

"Am I the only one who thinks we should get out of here before they notice us?" asked Quinton. "If they go all out, I'm sure we will be noticed."

"Yes," said Zedd. "Let's take advantage of this and move on ahead before they notice us."

Garnet pat the back of the Cerberus and the Cerberus continued to move. The group started moving away from the others. Moments later, Garnet noticed pillars of flames rising into the sky. The fight had started. A single man flew into the air as the silhouette of a phoenix appeared behind them. "It feels like they're going all out," said Garnet.

"So much for the cultural rules," said Xiaomei. "I really don't want to be around when they realize that they've killed members of the opposing clan."

Garnet had suddenly realized that she and her friends had accidentally sparked a clan war between the Divine Phoenix and the Golden Dragon Clans. "Aren't we the ones responsible for this?" she asked.

"Let's hope they never find out," said Riley.

"The clans were never this aggressive before," Zedd added. "I wonder what is driving them to such extremes."

"Are any major events happening soon?" Garnet asked.

"Not that I know of," said Xiaomei. "There must be something else going on between the two clans that outsiders don't know about."

Once the Cerberus felt that they were a safe distance away from the others, it began to move quickly again. The fight was still continuing in the distance. It felt like the fight had gone on for more than ten minutes and it had no signs of slowing down. Although Garnet was interested in finding out whether Holdin could truly use mana and chi together, it was not worth the risk. Pillars of flames could still be seen even though they were a long distance away.

The Cerberus suddenly began to change directions. It was no longer running in a straight line. "The Odd Eyed Tiger must be on the move," said Xiaomei. "Maybe it knows we're coming."

In the distance, Garnet spotted the other Cerberus closing in around them. They were tracking the Odd Eyed Tiger as well.

ROAR. There was suddenly the loud roar of a feline creature. "I think they found it," said Garnet.

They quickly approached the sound of the noise. In the distance, Garnet saw the tall ridges of what appeared to be a mountain of some kind. They were quickly approaching the base of it. As they got closer, Garnet could hear the sound of fighting. There was a black tiger with white stripes and a pair of long fangs in front of it. One eye of the tiger was brown, the other was blue.

Name: Black Striped Tiger

Level: 81

Class: Forest Beast

Sub-Class: Elemental

Stats: High Strength, High Agility

ROAR. The tiger kept swinging back at Garnet's Cerberus. Each time the tiger swung, it roared. Garnet's Cerberuses snapped back at the tiger, keeping it trapped in the corner. The tiger did not show any signs of intelligence.

"We need it to show us to the Holy Ground that it got its power from," said Xiaomei.

Garnet stepped forward and started walking towards the tiger. "Hey wait!" said Quinton.

Garnet approached the tiger. Her eight Cerberuses now encircled the tiger. "I'm not here to hurt you," said Garnet. "I just want some information."

ROAR. The tiger roared at Garnet furiously. "Watch out!" shouted Riley as she began to run towards Garnet.

"Wait," said Garnet as she held out her hand and signaled to them to stop. "Let me take care of this."

"Alright," said Riley as she stepped back.

They needed information and hurting the tiger would only prevent them from finding the Holy Ground. "I need you to show me where you got your colored eye from," said Garnet.

ROAR. The tiger jumped straight for Garnet. Two of the Cerberuses lined up, ready to pounce. "Air Bullet!"

FWOOM. The burst of air pushed the tiger backwards. Garnet hoped that not using any attack that might seriously harm it might convince the tiger to show them the way. Garnet pointed at her own different colored eyes, hoping that the tiger would understand what she was trying to say. However, the tiger continued to look at her aggressively.

"Spirit Link!" Garnet attempted to force a connection with the tiger on her own. However, there was nothing. Spirit Link only worked with a spirit, and the tiger was not a spirit. It was just a powerful creature that received the aid of a spirit. There was only one other way to get it to listen, force it into submission.

The tiger continued to look at Garnet, grunting as it looked around for a way out. "It's not working," said Quinton. "We should just take care of it here and now," he said as he drew his sword.

"No," said Zedd, holding Quinton back. "Can you find the Divine Spirit yourself?"

For a moment, Quinton forgot about their original plan. They were no closer to finding a Divine Spirit than when they arrived. The Odd Eyed Tiger was still the only thing that could possibly direct them to one that was not already claimed by another clan.

"Let it out the side," Garnet ordered.

One of the Cerberus moved out of the way, giving the tiger a chance to escape. The tiger took it and began to run. "Follow it!" Garnet ordered.

The Cerberuses all began to track the Odd Eyed Tiger, following after it. Garnet gave chase. "After them!" shouted Zedd as they all began to give chase. Zedd wanted to use the summoning circle on the earring, but the others would all lose track of both of them then.

The Odd Eyed Tiger suddenly stopped and turned around to face Garnet and her Cerberuses. Zedd held everyone back so that they were not too close. In the distance, the fighting between the Golden Dragon Clan and the Divine Phoenix Clan had stopped. The Odd Eyed Tiger had realized that as well as it ran. "Will you help us?" Garnet asked it.

The Odd Eyed Tiger continued to run, ignoring what Garnet was saying. Since Garnet was not treated as a threat right now, it was focusing on the group that was further away. "Hello?" she asked.

"The tiger is ignoring her," said Xiaomei.

"It's likely running from something else," said Zedd. "If we don't take care of it, the tiger probably won't help us."

Garnet could feel the presence of five people approaching, but more were entering her detection range as time passed. "They're coming!" Garnet shouted as she turned around. "Keep going," she whispered to the Cerberus. They could not lose track of the Odd Eyed Tiger. After all, it was still their only clue to a Divine God. They all drew their weapons.

Zedd, Riley, Xiaomei, and Quinton turned around as well, all facing the same direction as Garnet. "There's fifteen," said Riley.

"All that and no deaths?" Garnet asked. "That doesn't make sense."

"It's considered worse to live with the shame of defeat," said Xiaomei. "Chances are that some of them are injured, but they're still moving with the group for safety. However, if they fought for reals and didn't hold back, I'm sure someone would have died."

The clans probably lived by a policy of leave no one behind. However, it was unlikely that they had perfect unity. After all, people prioritize their own survival and when it comes down to it, they may leave their friends behind if it’s the only way for them to save themselves.

The sound of footsteps could be heard as the group was running towards them. Garnet spotted a single person in red and gold who was carrying someone else on their shoulders. It was Holdin from earlier. He was carrying one of the other members of the Divine Phoenix on his back. Garnet immediately realized that they were running from something. There were at least four others that were too injured to fight and many behind them were still running.

"Stop!" shouted the man in front. The entire group came to a halt as they approached Garnet's group.

"Don't attack unless they attack first," said Zedd. "Are you here for the Odd Eyed Tiger as well?"

"Not anymore," said Holdin as he looked around. "Please help us."

"On one condition," said Zedd.

"What is it?" Holdin asked.

"We want to meet with the Divine Phoenix," said Zedd. "Do you agree to our terms?"

"Yes, I swear," said Holdin. "I will talk to the Clan Master, but please help us."

"Go hide," said Zedd. "We will meet you in the Northern Wall of Taklamakan." He stepped forward towards the direction that they were heading.

Holdin and the other members of the Divine Phoenix Clan ran behind Garnet and kept going. Not once did the man with the golden phoenix crest look back. "Are you sure about this?" Xiaomei asked.

"I realize now that we cannot accomplish our goals alone," said Zedd. "Chasing after Odd Eyed Creatures and fighting every clan that comes along just isn't a plan. If we can make allies with one of the clans, it might be possible."

The sound of footsteps coming towards them could be heard. "Get ready," said Garnet.

A single man in black and gold leapt through the air and dove straight towards Zedd. Zedd raised his sword and swept it outwards. "Wind Saber!" FWOOM. The burst of air pushed the man back.

The man landed on all fours as he looked up at Zedd and began to speak, "You're not a member of the Divine Phoenix Clan."

Name: Kelso

Level: 82

Class: Divine Swordsman

Sub-Class: Dragon Warrior

Stats: High Agility

"It seems like you're looking for a fight Junior," said Zedd. "You should know that it is forbidden to kill."

"If you die, then it just means that you're too weak!" Kelso countered. "It's not my fault if you can't avoid the attack."

Several other members of the Golden Dragon Clan appeared behind Kelso. "We're wasting time, let's kill them and move on," said the woman who stood behind Kelso.

This group was much weaker than the ones that they had fought before. Kelso was the only one that was strong. The rest of them did not even hit level 50 yet. Nonetheless, their skills were still stronger than most of the other opponents Garnet had fought before.

Zedd raised his sword and activated his Mana Armor Overlay. This was a technique that Garnet had not seen in a while. But, Zedd did not stop there. He began to channel his chi into the sword. A fusion of mana and chi coated his entire body and his sword in lightning. "Twin Lightning Blades!"

Stolen novel; please report.

The Mana Armor Overlay that Zedd used before had become a form of transparent shell that emerged from Zedd's body. It resembled the upper half of a person's body and underneath it was Zedd, who wielded his own sword charged by lightning.

"Your mistake was to use a spirit technique," said Kelso as he pulled out a talisman with the image of a dragon on it. "Dragon Seal!"

The dragon on the talisman emerged and circled around Zedd, attempting to bind him. As the dragon squeezed down, it passed right through Zedd's body and returned to the talisman. "What?!?" said Kelso who was surprised by the results. "Why didn't it work?!?"

"I assume your seal only works on spirits," said Zedd. "I am no spirit nor am I using a spirit technique."

Zedd raised his sword and swung it outward in a wide arc. Lightning blasted in an arc from the sword. Two people were caught by it and collapsed onto the floor, paralyzed by the lightning. Kelso stood strong against the attack as his body was protected by the aura of a dragon. "Kill them!" Kelso shouted. "The Grandmaster will deal with the consequences for us."

The members of the Golden Dragon Clan charged forward and scattered themselves, hoping to avoid taking a direct blast from Zedd. "Here we go again," said Riley.

"Let's just take them out and move on," said Garnet. "Remember to leave at least one alive so that we can collect some information."

'I'll try," said Quinton. He was the weakest in their group and he struggled a little in the previous fight. Unlike the others, he did not have the luxury of trying to capture an enemy alive.

The highest level in their group except Kelso was about 50. They were even lower level than Garnet now. Garnet ran towards the one closest to their group. "Lightning Palm!"

BAM. "Guh!" the man groaned. She struck the first Golden Dragon Disciple in the chest. He fell over paralyzed from the attack.

Garnet continued to the second person. "Lightning Palm!" BAM. She struck the woman in the chest and she fell over too.

Level Up: Lightning Palm (Level 2)

"It actually leveled up!" Garnet thought to herself. By the time she was done with the second person, the only person still fighting was Quinton who beat only one of the Golden Dragon Disciples.

Zedd pinned Kelso with his face to the ground and his sword of lightning stuck in Kelso's hand. "Now then, we need answers," he said. "Go ahead," he said as he turned to Garnet.

There was a strange aura coming from Kelso. "Embodiment of Lust!"

"No!" Kelso shouted. His veins began to pop as they glowed yellow. He was channeling his spirit through them. "Fight!" he shouted. "I will not lose here! Dragon God's Rage!"

Around them, the bodies of his comrades began to move, even the ones that were paralyzed by Garnet earlier. "What's happening to them?!?" said Quinton who was shocked by this. He was not the only one. They were all surprised.

"I don't know," said Zedd. "I've never seen something like this happen before."

"Ugh," Kelso groaned as he grabbed his head. He suddenly leapt forward towards Zedd.

CLANG. Kelso's hand slammed against Zedd's sword. His hand was covered in scales and he attempted to crush Zedd's sword, but he did not have the strength to. He then refocused his attention on Zedd who kept slashing at Kelso's body.

Zedd stabbed his sword through Kelso's bicep. Despite the blood flowing from it, he continued to attack. Zedd slashed off Kelso's arm. It did not stop Kelso though, he kept attacking Zedd like a madman, with no regards to his own safety. Even cutting off his limbs did not stop him.

The other Golden Dragon Disciples underwent the same effect. They too were possessed as they began to charge towards the nearest unpossessed target. A few of them underwent a partial transformation ranging from dragon like horns on the forehead to the emergence of claws or a tail.

Xiaomei was the first to clash with one of them. "Double Strike!" As she struck the disciple with her sword, the poison seeped into her body.

The Golden Dragon Disciple's leg was paralyzed, but the disciple continued to push forward despite her injury. SHRIEK. She screamed as she continued forward.

"What is with these guys?!?" Quinton shouted. "It's like all they care about is killing their enemies."

"Lightning Palm!" Garnet struck another one of the Golden Dragon Disciples in the chest. The disciple was knocked a few steps back, but he continued to press forward. "It's like they're not even bothered by our attacks."

Riley had shot her target several times with ice, leaving several holes in the disciple, but he continued to press forward. As the disciple rushed towards her, she created a sword. "Magicraft: Sword!" A blade appeared in her hand as she swung it towards the man's neck.

CLANG. The sword smashed against the man's neck, but it was covered by scales. She needed to hit it harder in order to actually kill the man.

Garnet struck the man who was charging her in the chest. "Palm Strike!"

The man coughed up a little blood as he was forced to take a few steps back. Once the man regained his composure, he attacked again. Not only were they stronger, they were insanely tough compared to before. "Lightning Fire Palm!"

BOOM. Garnet struck the man in the chest with a powerful blast. He fell to the ground from the burst. But, the man refused to stay down. He picked himself up. His head was stuck in a downward position, most likely because his neck was broken. He was still limping towards Garnet. She used her sword and stabbed the man in the chest. "Ugh!" the man groaned as he continued to push him through Garnet's sword.

"Lightning Blast!" BOOM. Scorch marks now ran across the man's chest.

"Aim for the head!" said Zedd.

Garnet saw the man in front of him had a hole in his head and was down. She turned to face the severely injured man in front of her. She placed her hand right in front of the man's face. "Lightning Fire Bolt!"

BOOM. Garnet was pushed back by using the blast at close range, but she used her wings to brace herself. The man's head was blown clean off, but his body stayed on the ground.

Staff of Transformation: Spear Unlocked

After a few moments, they finished off the remaining Golden Dragon Disciples. "What happened to them?" Garnet asked.

"It's almost like they were possessed," said Riley. "The only way to stop them was to completely blow off the head or immobilize them."

"We'll have to dispose of them like the others," said Zedd as he looked closely at one of the bodies. "If they find the bodies, it is likely that they will know someone killed them and might use it as an excuse to start the war. If they cannot find the bodies, then perhaps wild animals got the best of them."

Some of the disciples might be innocent and just following a senior member. However, Zedd was treating this like a war. They had killed members of the Golden Dragon Clan and if the clan found out it was Garnet and her friends doing it, the clan will almost certain hunt them down.

"Essence Absorption!" The bodies disappeared as Garnet absorbed them.

Stat Increase: Strength+5

Stat Increase: Dexterity+5

Stat Increase: Intelligence+5

Stat Increase: Vitality+10

Stat Increase: Agility+5

Skill Unlocked: Protection of the Golden Dragon (Level 1, Passive)

Reduces the effects of non-chi based attacks by 10%

Skill Unlocked: Scaled Wings of the Dragon (Level 1, Passive)

Your wings are now coated with dragon scales, increasing their resistance to magic.

"Your wings!" said Xiaomei as she pointed to Garnet.

Garnet turned around and looked at her wings. They felt different from before. They were a lot rougher. "Make sure they're all dead first," Zedd interrupted.

They double checked to make sure that none of the bodies were still there. The body count was rising quickly. In just over a day, more than three dozen members of the Golden Dragon Clan were taken out. At least two were mid or high ranking ones.

"Are we going to keep going?" Garnet asked.

"I think we should," said Riley. "It's better to have something to fall back on than to rely on the Divine Phoenix Clan keeping their promise."

"Me too," said Quinton. "I hope the spirit is able to give me its power."

"Let's keep going," said Xiaomei.

"Yes, let's," said Zedd.

The five were in agreement. They were going to track down the Odd Eyed Tiger. "Recall!"

Garnet recalled one of the Cerberus. "Lead me to the others," she said.

The Cerberus quickly ran as everyone followed it. The tiger had passed under the mountain in a hidden passage of an old mine shaft. It was here that Garnet saw her Cerberuses standing together. They all waited outside the tunnel, but were scared to go in. "In there?' Garnet asked as she pointed into the tunnel.

One of the Cerberus nodded before making a whine and then backing off. Garnet was the first one to go in. "Guess that means we're all going," said Zedd as he followed her.

Everyone else went in. The Cerberuses stood outside the tunnel, afraid to go in. "It's too dark in here," said Xiaomei.

"Light!" Garnet and Riley both created a spark of lightning in the palm of their hands to provide light. Both of them had the ability to see clearly in the dark, but the others did not.

At the end of the tunnel was a wide open cavern. Water flowed just under them and was even visible at the far end of the cavern. There was a little light that shone through from the roof of the cave to a few spots on the ground, but it was not enough to see. Sitting in the corner was the Odd Eyed Tiger, ready to pounce on them.

"It's been a long time since I've had a human visitor," said a high pitched voice.

Everyone faced the direction of the voice. Hanging upside down on the roof of the cavern was a bat. It was enormous and as big as a person. Its wings were extremely wide.

Name: Thomas

Level: 100

Class: Spirit

Sub-Class: Mammal

Stats: High Agility

The bat descended from the ceiling and the ground. "I never thought that you humans would come this far into the wilderness to hunt for spirits," said Thomas as he spread his wings wide.

"Wait, we're not here to fight!" said Garnet.

"Then what are you here for?" Thomas asked.

"We have come seeking your power," said Zedd. "But we want to do it the right way."

"Is that so?" said Thomas.

The Odd Eyed Tiger gave a series of soft growls. "Is that so?" said Thomas as he responded to the tiger's noises.

"You guys don't seem to want to hurt us," said Thomas.

The Odd Eyed Tiger growled again. "What's it saying?" Quinton whispered.

"I don't speak tiger," said Riley. "Do you?"

Thomas nodded in understanding. "I see," he said as he closed his wings around himself. "Very well, I will grant one of you my power."

"Who?" Garnet asked.

"I will let you decide who," said Thomas.

"What is your power?" Xiaomei asked.

"The Art of the Bat is one that manipulates your own blood," Thomas replied. "You can even use your enemy's blood to heal yourself."

"This sounds like a power that is for you," said Zedd as he pointed to Quinton.

"Me?" said Quinton who was surprised. "I'm the weakest here. I think someone else should take it."

"That's precisely why you should take it," said Xiaomei. "You might become a lot stronger since it matches one of the elements that you use."

"I agree," said Zedd. "We are only as weak as our weakest member."

"Go ahead," said Garnet. "We can find more elsewhere."

"Alright," said Quinton. He turned around and stepped forward. "I'll be the one to receive your power."

"Final decision?" Thomas asked.

"Yes," said Quinton.

Thomas bent over and looked Quinton in the eye. "Hold still," he said.

"Stand back," said Xiaomei.

"For what?" Quinton asked.

Thomas sunk his fangs into Quinton's back and his chest for a split second. When Thomas backed off, Quinton was bleeding from four holes. Two in the front, two in the back. Quinton collapsed on the floor as he groaned. "Ugh…"

The holes on his body healed up in a few seconds. "My power is yours to command," said Thomas. "Now leave us be."

"Are you alright?" Riley asked.

"Yeah," said Quinton. "But my head hurts."

Quinton's forehead began to glow with the white light of the bat's wing. "Ugh!" he groaned again as he grabbed his head. "It hurts."

"Wait," said Xiaomei. "Let it take its course."

Quinton began to toss and turn on the ground. "What's happening to him?" Garnet asked.

"His body is adapting to the presence of the foreign matter in it and his mind is taking in the knowledge of the Art of the Bats," said Xiaomei.

After about a minute of Quinton tossing and turning on the ground, the glow on his forehead disappeared. "I'm okay," he said as he got back up.

"Easy there," said Xiaomei as she grabbed hold of Quinton. "People who undergo this are usually weak for a few moments after."

"I told you I'm okay," Quinton repeated.

Xiaomei let go and Quinton was already standing on his own. "I understand," he said. He turned to Thomas and bowed  to the giant bat. "Thank you," he said.

"Go ahead and try it if you want," said Thomas.

"Art of the Bat, First Verse, Bat's Wings!" Quinton's back lit up as his arms transformed into wings just like the ones on Thomas. "I can fly now too," he said as he flapped his wings."

"You got what you wanted, now leave," said Thomas. "Shoo," he said as he approached the group, pushing them towards the exit.

"Alright, we'll leave!" Garnet shouted as she turned around towards the door. "You could have at least given us five minutes to rest."

"And five more minutes for someone to follow you here?" said Thomas. "No thanks."

The group was now back at the entrance of the tunnel. "I'm marking this place," said Garnet. "Teleportation Summoning Circle!" She then turned around and faced the tunnel. "I'll be back you hear?!?" she shouted.

"Don't provoke the spirit," said Zedd.

"Well, we at least got what we came for," said Riley.

"Now on to the next one," said Zedd. "Let's see if the members of the Divine Phoenix Clan will keep their promise."

"Let's take the fast way back," said Riley.

"Hold on," said Garnet. Everyone grabbed on to her. "Teleportation!"

In a flash, they were back at Taklamakan.

Spoiler :

Name: Garnet

Level: 55

Class: Chaos Mage / Queen / Hero

Sub-class: Queen of the Night

Stats:

HP: 4350/4350

MP: 16360/16360

Fame: 220

Strength: 207 (+5)

Dexterity: 172 (+7)

Intelligence: 516 (+22)

Vitality: 145 (+5)

Agility: 180 (+7)

Charisma: 62 (+20)

PROFICIENCY:Weapon:

- One Handed Sword – 7

- Hand to Hand – 5

- Staff - 1

Magic:

- Fire – 10

- Lightning – 16

- Wind – 7

- Water - 2

- Summoning – 12

- Blood – 6

- Metal - 0

- Shadow - 0

SKILLS:Weapon (One Handed Sword):

- Horizontal Slash (Level 3)

- Double Slash (Level 3)

- Crescent Slash (Level 1)

- Triple Slash (Level 1)

- Delta Attack (Level 1)

- Spiral (Level 1)

Weapon (Hand to Hand):

- Palm Strike (Level 1)

- Wind Palm (Level 2)

- Explosive Palm (Level 3)

- Lightning Palm (Level 2)

- Lightning Fire Palm (Level 1)

- Sweeping Kick (Level 1)

- Horizontal Kick (Level 1)

- Uppercut (Level 1)

- Ki Burst (Level 1)

- Demsey Roll (Level 1)

Weapon (Staff):

- Thrust (Level 2)

- Swinging Smash (Level 1)

- Double Strike (Level 1)

- Triple Strike (Level 1)

- Quadruple Strike (Level 1)

- Vertical Smash (Level 1)

Class (Dark Mage):

- Fire Bolt (Level 5)

- Fire Ball (Level 2)

- Incinerate (Level 1)

- Fire Breath (Level 1)

- Lightning Bolt (Level 8)

- Chain Lightning (Level 4)

- Lightning Ray (Level 3)

- Lightning Blast (Level 1)

- Lightning Breath (Level 1)

- Light (Level 1)

- Air Bullet (Level 4)

- Wind Blade (Level 1)

- Wind Breath (Level 1)

- Aqua Strike (Level 2)

- Jet Stream (Level 2)

- Aqua Breath (Level 1)

- Water Wall (Level 1)

- Icicle Lance (Level 1)

- Shadow Bind (Level 1)

- Shadow Grip (Level 1)

- Shadow Crush (Level 1)

- Shadow Wall (Level 1)

- Sword Rain (Level 1)

- Heat Wave (Level 1)

- Lightning Fire Bolt (Level 3)

- Crimson Lotus: Blade of Lightning (Level 2)

- Tri-Element Breath (Level 1)

- Mugen (Level 1)

- Mana Armor (Level 2)

- Call: Cerberus (Level 1)

- Call: Revenant (Level 1)

- Call: Death Knight (Level 1)

- Call: Romulus, Knight of Blood (Level 1)

- Call: Sylvia, Priestess of Blood (Level 1)

- Call: Lilith (Level 1)

- Call: Nuria (Level 1)

- Call: Mazu (Level 1)

- Call: Sino (Level 1)

- Call: Meliae (Level 1)

- Call: Serena (Level 1)

- Call: Nian (Level 1)

- Call: Sunny (Level 1)

- Call: Anna (Level 1)

- Call: Kaimera (Level 1)

- Recall

- Dismiss

- Quintessence Force (Level 1)

- Lightning Fire (Passive)

- Essence Absorption (Level 1)

- Blood Bind (Level 1)

- Blood Scythe (Level 2)

- Blood Sacrifice (Level 1)

- Blood Bullet (Level 1)

- Transformation: Lightning Form (Level 1)

- Transformation: Lightning Fire Form (Level 1)

- Transformation: Nine Tailed Fox (Level 1)

- Fox Fire (Level 1)

- Teleportation (Level 1)

- Teleportation Summoning Circle (Level 1)

- Instance Dungeon Creation (Level 1)

- Spirit Union

- Spirit Link (Passive)

- Spirit Transmigration (Level 1)

- Final Strike (Level 1)

Sub-class (Queen of the Night):

- Supernatural Body (Level 1)

- Captivation (Level 3)

- Cosmic Awareness (Level 1, Passive)

- Embodiment of Lust (Level 1)

- Shadow Warp (Level 1)

- Sonic Scream (Level 1)

- Doppelganger (Level 1)

- Doppel Rush (Level 1)

- Flight (Level 1)

- Aura of Nightmares (Level 1, Passive)

- Plate Armor (Level 1, Passive)

- Transformation (Level 1)

- Partial Transformation (Level 1)

- Transformation: Queen of the Night (Level 1)

Tradeskills:

- Hunting (Level 5) - Hunter

- Cooking (Level 9) - Cook

- Inspection (Level 5)

- Sewing (Level 4) – Tailor

- Advanced Magicraft (Level 1) – Alchemist

- Magic Seal (Level 1)

- Advanced Enhancement (Level 1) - Alchemist

- Disassemble (Level 1)

- Inventory Expansion (Level 4)

Passives:

- Hand to Hand (Level 1)

- One Handed Sword (Level 1)

- Staff (Level 1)

- Reflex (Level 5)

- Haste (Level 3)

- Scale Armor (Level 1)

- Protection of the Golden Dragon (Level 1)

- Scaled Wings of the Dragon (Level 1)

- Aura of Leadership (Level 1)

- Aura of the Hero (Level 1)

- Summoning Commander (Level 1)

- Queen's Presence (Level 1)

- Fire Mastery (Level 2)

- Transformation Mastery (Level 1, Passive)

Unique:

- Hero System (Level 3, Passive)

- Minion Development (Level 2, Passive)

- Otherworldly Knowledge (Passive)

- Golden Tongue (Passive)

- Mana Compatibility (Passive)

- Quick Learner (Passive)

- Channeling (Passive)

- Charging (Passive)

- Night Vision (Passive)

- Guardian Contract (Level 1)

- Thaumaturgy (Passive)

- Magic Negation (Passive)

- Double Jump (Passive)