Why do I hate Telminar Elves? Simple, they're a representation of everything I dislike. Their long lives make them capricious. They often view other races as lesser, looking down on us with either contempt or pity and I’m not sure which of the two is worse. Finally they’re all born at Superior rank and some of them can be born at Legendary! They don’t even have to work for it!
What I hate most is their damn ‘Journey of Adulthood’. It’s bad enough that we need to compete with each other for levels, monsters, and resources, but those damn elves send their youths into the mix as well! They dominate the Seven Star Continent already, why the hell do they need to send their young to level up on everyone else's continents!
* Unnamed Drunk Adventurer rant
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Amy Evergreen POV
~400 years ago
“I’m not going to say it again, Vestria! Go back to the castle!” I shout back at my stubborn attendant as she desperately tries to stop me from leaving.
“But lady Amythisa, you are the fourth princess of Telminar! You cannot just leave without any notice! At least let me tell the Queen!” Vestria pleads as she speeds up her walking pace to keep up with me.
“You are more than welcome to GO BACK TO THE CASTLE and tell my mother that I AM LEAVING!” I say turning around for a moment to vent my anger on both my attendant and at the castle looming in the distance.
“But my lady please! Wait!” Vestria shouts as I activate my movement skill and begin to outpace her completely.
I’m lucky that it was only Vestria that caught on and followed me. If one of the senior attendants or one of my guards had noticed I would have no chance of escape. Vestria however is my personal attendant which means that she’s the same age as me and therefore weaker than me. Not all of us are fortunate enough to be born as Legendary beings.
I begin to increase my speed as I make it to the treeline of the castle’s forest, a private hunting ground for Telminar Royalty. I need to be quick, so I jump up into the canopy to accelerate my travel. I hid several staches of equipment and supplies around the woods over the course of the last three months. I had to be slow and careful because if any of my guardians had caught on, my plan would’ve been exposed.
Fortunately my people believe in a certain level of independence. This meant I was on my own during my hunts in the woods with my guards watching the perimeter of my hunting zone without interfering themselves. It was a necessary action if they wanted the person doing the hunt to actually gain anything from it.
These woods are one of the royal family's many advantages. An advantage that allows their children to reach one star before even needing to leave on their journey. I had intentionally stalled myself to put off when I would be leaving for my own journey. I was at the peak of zero star, already at level 98. I planned on getting off of Avenwest before completing my first ascension on another continent.
I did not want to have my journey while being watched and stalked by dozens of guards and attendants. I wanted, no I needed, to find my own path. All my older sisters were already well into five star or even six star, they had found their callings and committed to them. But I had no idea what my place was.
A fourth daughter wasn’t really needed. My mother already had an heir and a spare and spare for the spare. There are only two backup positions for royal daughters that don’t inherit the throne as it is rare for a queen to even have three daughters, much less four. Our people have terribly low birthrates due to the lack of compatible males and the fact that Telminar elves always give birth to girls doesn’t help.
“SCRAWWW”
The sound of a Kelroc’s territorial cry snaps me out of my spiraling thoughts. I utilize my body strengthening technique moments before it makes contact. The monstrous bird slams into me with the anvil shaped horn on its beak sending me flying towards the forest floor. I’m up as soon as my inertia is bled off, running under as much cover as I can.
Normally I would just kill the monster, but if I do there’s a chance that my ascension to one star will start and that would be bad. Each ascension will make it harder for me to change my path and I want the best chances possible.
A surge of pain flows through me as my arm lightly hits a root that I’m running past. It’s definitely broken, it’ll take me days to get it fixed properly with my subpar healing skills. I hold my broken arm close to my body and exert as much control over my movement skill as possible with just my legs. After another hour of running I manage to lose the monster and make it to my first hidden cache.
Only 14 more to visit and then I need to reach a neutral port before the seasons change in four weeks. I can do this. I will find my own path and prove that I’m capable on my own.
* * *
~340 years ago
I stumbled forwards, tripping on a loose tile as my limp left leg dragged behind me. The sounds of crunching and wet slurps of blood echoed out through the ruins as the monsters feasted on my party. They had believed and trusted in me and I had failed them.
I pushed the thoughts of my team to the side and halted the tears before they could form. They had given me this chance and wasting it would only tarnish their efforts further. I did my best to keep hold of my emotions as I limped deeper into the tunnels of this cursed place, searching for somewhere to rest.
I spent what felt like hours slowly moving down the winding tunnels, leaving a slowly diminishing trail of blood in my wake. My wounds had all closed by now thanks to my one star constitution, but my leg had yet to heal due to the curse inflicted by the monster's bite. I kept turning down narrower and smaller paths, hoping to use the beast's size against them.
As I was limping along I heard the sound of their growls behind me. I felt the fear refresh itself in my mind and I could feel my heart begin to accelerate in beat. I moved faster. I put all my remaining stamina and mana into trying to get to the end of this tunnel where I could see a small crack in the wall.
I reached the end of the hall at the same time that six black furred legs entered my view at the other end of the hallway. I desperately squeezed myself into the crack pumping mana into my arms to give me enough strength. I felt the rock cutting away at my sides and felt myself being glad that I hadn’t inherited my mother’s ‘size’ as my sisters had.
I was halfway into the crack when I heard the creature notice me. Its howl made the sounds of dying men in agony and it sent chills down my spine. I struggled even harder ignoring the jagged rocks that now started cutting deep into my struggling form. I could hear the sound of its stomps as its legs helped it squeeze its enormous size into the small tunnel.
I barely managed to pull myself through the crack and collapsed into a small room on the other side. Moments after I had made it through I could already hear the monsters sniffing at the crack, investigating it for weaknesses.
I could barely drag myself away from the wall, my breathing was erratic and my heart was pounding like a drum. I collapsed at the base of a stone structure that lay in the center of the small room and felt my eyes begin to droop. I tried to stay awake, knowing that the monsters were right outside, yet I couldn’t resist any longer.
I had been awake for days and now, finally, sleep claimed me.
* * *
I found myself floating amongst the stars. Standing on a pitch black platform of some kind. Around me I could see the beauty of the universe as the thousands of planes of existence sparkled against the dark backdrop like glittering jewels.
“Interesting. A lost little child finds its way to me” A gentle masculine voice echoes out sounding incredibly close yet also infinitely far away.
“Wh-where am I?” I meekly ask, finding my mind easily slipping back into the panic from earlier.
“Be at ease, little child, your soul is merely projecting into my domain. You are safe, for now” The voice says reassuringly while ending on an ominous note.
“What does that mean?” I ask my fear leaking into my voice
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“There are monsters just outside, little child. As you are now, you won’t last long.” The voice responds with finality.
I feel the panic from earlier once again resurfacing, despite the gentleness and kindness of the voice. Tears start to form in the corners of my eyes. I wish so badly right now that I had never left home. I wish I could just run to older sisters and be safely wrapped up in their arms.
Yet I can’t, for I am alone. Alone in the bottom of the ruins of an ancient city and on the opposite side of the world from my home. Alone with monsters right outside waiting to pounce on my injured form.
“Wh-What am I supposed to do?” I ask, bordering on begging, any ability I had to conceal my emotions gone.
“Hmmm? Are you asking for my help, little child?” The voice queries in a playful, almost mocking, manner.
I clench my fists as his words add a very different emotion to my mix, anger. Anger that I’m so weak that I once again have to beg for help from a being more powerful than me. Anger at myself for being too weak to keep my companions safe. Anger that I thought myself special enough to be able to return from these deadly ruins richer than before. Anger at my inexperience, at my naivety.
“Please, help me, I’m tired of being too weak.” I say with a quiet yet resolute voice.
“Oh? You’re tired of being weak is it? How very interesting. Tell me then, little child, what price would you pay for strength?” The voice asks with a jovial voice. I can perfectly imagine the cheshire grin that the voice must have.
What price? What price would I pay for strength? What kind of creature am I speaking with that it can ask such a broad and open ended question? Doubts and worry begin to fill my mind. Our Gods are dead, so what form of entity am I speaking too?
The tales of the past always warned against making deals or promises with unknown beings. There are as many legends about terrible villains as there are about sudden heroes. Yet what choice do I have in my situation? Is the choice between certain and uncertain death really a choice at all?
“Hmm, I sense your indecision, your hesitation. I do not wish for you to think me a malevolent being preying on your moment of weakness. After all, it was pure luck that you lost consciousness in one of my old shrines. They are so very hard to find considering what your old gods did to them. I shall give you a choice, little child, you can take my coin and survive or you can take my hand and live.” The emphasis he places on the last word shocks me. The implications of his wording are clear.
I notice now that I can see the stone structure that was in the center of the room I passed out in. It is an outreached hand, palm up as though offering to help someone stand, and lying on the hand is a golden coin. The face of the coin that I can see has an icon of a white skull on it.
I look around the empty void of space once more, searching for some kind of answer yet none presents itself. My choices have been made clear and no amount of questioning makes the voice speak up again. Yet I can feel the gaze of the being watching me, waiting for my answer.
I reach out and place my hand on the one of stone, squishing the coin between our palms.
“If I offer myself as the price, I expect a good deal.” I say as the coin beneath my hand begins to heat up.
“You’ve chosen well, little child.” The voice says as laughter echoes out around me. I feel myself be pushed back as the golden coin flies into the air before landing with its other side face up. An icon of a green four leaf clover adorns the opposite side of the skull.
A massive pressure descends onto me and I feel myself pushed down to the invisible floor.
A pair of massive eyes opens before me. Larger than any of the shining planes in the void. The Eyes seem infinitely enormous as though they encompass all of existence. The scleras of the eyes are neon green and a lustrous gold intertwined with one another. The iris and pupils were replaced with a golden coin, in one eye the side of the white skull and on the other the side of the green four leaf clover.
With the eyes now open I can suddenly see strings of green and gold connecting all of reality together, millions, billions, countless numbers of strings stretching out into infinity. All of them woven together in a chaotic yet somehow cohesive tapestry.
“I AM THE FIRST OF FATE, HIGHEST OF THE OUTER GODS!” The voice proclaims with booming volume.
“And from now on, you are my warlock” The voice finishes and the last thing I see is a massive golden grin stretching out into infinity, and then I’m awake.
Notice: You have made a pact with the Outer God First of Fate, also known as Seven of Unity.
Notice: An administrative authority has marked you, this system will be watching closely from now on.
Notice: Your Class: Dancing Spellweaver (Legendary) has been irrevocably changed to Warlock of Fate (Mythical). All levels have been retained. All skills and spells from your previous class have been absorbed by the class skill Countless Strings (Mythical)
Notice: Due to receiving strength from a higher power you may now never ascend to a level above that being. Your current maximum is *Error: Unknown Value*
I can feel my body healing. I can feel a new affinity swiftly growing within my mana core. I clench my fists and the green and gold mana of my new patron swirls around me. I concentrate the power within my eyes and I can suddenly see the strings of fate. I concentrate the power within my hands and I can touch the string as well.
I hear the scratching of the monsters as they continue to dig through the wall, unaware of the changes their prey has gone through. A smile creeps onto my face, the sadistic grin of vengeance.
It’s my turn to be the predator.
* * *
~330 years ago
A cloaked figure steps through the doors of an inn in a small village in the middle of the Red Desert. The only thing of note about this remote village was its proximity to the lower half of the Sundered Canyon. The village was located directly to the east of the very southern tip of the Lower Sundered Canyon.
The figure went straight to the service counter by the stairs. The woman manning the station didn’t even look up from her reading as she called out the prices for rooms.
“Two silver for a night with dinner and breakfast included, but no lunch and no drinks. Water’s free though, just in case you're one of those semantic snobs.” The woman says with a slight laugh at the last part.
The cloaked figure places four beaten silver coins onto the counter and receives a strange look and an iron key in return. It then made its way to a table in the corner where its sightlines could see every entrance into the large tavern that made up the first floor of the inn.
“Have the pharaohs men stopped by your home yet?” A slightly inebriated farmer asked his drinking partner as they finished another round of beer.
“Damn straight they have, those fleecing bastards! I can’t believe they want us to house and feed so many troops just because a new dungeon was discovered nearby!” His partner shouted, he had been here drinking long before his friend had wandered in.
“I swear these stupid first conquer laws are ridiculous! Everytime a new dungeon is found every nation nearby scrambles to lay claim to it, it's gotten so bad that they’ve even started hiring capable locals just to get an advantage. I was barely able to convince my boy not to go running off at the promise of gold n’ glory, so few of them ever return after all.” The man said his lips now loosened and as his need to vent overcame him.
The figure listened quietly as the man and all the other locals took turns complaining about their circumstances. More and more useful information kept slipping out as they talked.
“Excuse me sir, but can I take your order?” A young waitress asked the cloaked figure as she stopped by its table.
The figure looked up, its dark cloak shimmering lightly with magic as it concealed every aspect of its wearer. However it wasn’t a perfect device, it could only hide the visual.
“What drinks do you have?” A soft and lyrical feminine voice asked.
The waitress took a moment to overcome her shock before quickly regaining her professional demeanor.
“We have a local ale, some imported cider, and I think a few bottles of wine from the last merchants visit.” She says in an informative manner.
“I’ll have two servings of today's special and every bottle of wine you have left back there” The cloaked woman said.
“Ummm are you sure? That’ll likely be several gold miss.” The waitress says with some trepidation.
“I’m sure” The cloaked woman responds dismissively.
“Then I’ll be right back with your order.” The waitress said quickly moving back towards the kitchen.
The cloaked woman returned to listening to the conversations of the other tavern goers, happy that her position in the corner meant no one had noticed her interaction with the waitress. It only took a few minutes before she was three gold lighter and sipping on a bottle of wine with another six bottles packed away in her storage skill. The wine had cost fourty silver a bottle and the two specials had only cost ten silver, she had tipped the waitress a full ten silver just because she didn’t want to deal with change.
The specials were out quickly, most places like this used a special as a way to get rid of ingredients that’ll go bad soon which usually means stew. Thankfully they had used plenty of local seasonings and it came with flatbread as well. She ate quickly while paying close attention to continued conversations of the locals, you never knew when someone would let something interesting slip.
Halfway through her meal the cloaked woman paused for a moment mid bite. Her head tilted to the side as though listening to someone. A faint glow of green and gold mana shifted around her before pulsing outwards and dissipating.
“Looks like I’m going dungeon diving next.” She muttered under her breath before finishing her meal.
Amy Evergreen had just finished crawling out of the deepest, darkest, most dangerous ruins in Aveneast. She had leveled up many times from fighting the powerful creatures there and had gone through another ascension. She had hoped for a short break, however the rewards for completing her patron’s tasks were too great to ignore.
If he demanded that she lay claim to the new dungeon then she would do so. None could deny the inevitability of fate itself.