<>(Zack)<>

"Thanks, Jackson," I say as I examine my equipment. "It's like new."

"You're welcome," he says. "Be careful, will you? Things are dangerous."

"I will," I nod. "Have a good day."

Jackson nods to me, then I leave his shop and make my way to the western gate. The path's already been cleared, though it looks like the fields are covered in snow as well. The forest likely is, too, but odds are, the Monsters within are keeping their paths clear.

That in mind, I leave, walking down the path. As I reach the forest, I notice several smaller passages into the snow, as if the Monsters carved out little tunnels for themselves to pass through. I wait until I find one roughly the size of Goblins, then walk through it. I'm a little bit taller than most Goblins, so I have to keep crouching and bending over, my Crimson Guide proving light.

Despite it being snow and light normally being able to pass through, ten feet is a lot, so it's still pretty dark. Goblins might have a small advantage if they come across me, due to not needing to crouch or bend over like me, but they won't survive anyway.

As I walk, I confirm that as fact. They don't even manage to hurt me.

After almost six hours of walking through their passages, plus my break for lunch, I reach the gates to the Goblin settlement I saw before. It has at least four hundred Goblins in it, and the ones who saw me are staring at me in shock.

"Hi," I wave to them. "I was looking for some Experience, and was wondering if you guys had any I could take."

Two Goblin Giants charge at me. I Dash forward, drawing my sword and slicing up. It only takes me a few attacks each to kill the two Goblin Giants, then I have to deal with the Goblins, Goblin Knights, and Goblin Shaman attacking me.

Four more Goblin Giants join the fray, but it isn't until the Goblin Chieftain joins in that I really get into a pinch. I think its status as an Elite Goblin Chieftain might contribute to that. It seems Elites and Bounty Beasts pulled themselves back to the settlement during the blizzard.

The more I kill, the stronger I become. The more I'm wounded, the stronger I become. It doesn't take long for them to realize they're doomed, and they only have one exit. It's also an exit I'm able to cover extremely well, even as I butcher the Goblins.

Well, it's not really butchering when I start struggling, but whatever. These stronger fuckers are tough as hell, and whatever that damn chant of the Chieftain's is is starting to really grate on my nerves. These Goblin Giants are tougher than the two I fought at the start, and they're protecting the damn Chieftain.

I feel myself wearing down as the battle goes on, but I stay determined to kill every last one of these fuckers. Will a yell, I charge forward again, focusing on the Goblin Giants once more, now that most everything else has died.

It takes me several long minutes to kill them, between their own might and the Chieftain's magic, then the Chieftain and I go head-to-head. I Deflect spell after spell, block strike after strike, and feel my body starting to drag. I'm exhausted. I need to rest. But I need to kill this. I can kill this.

With one final Dash fueled by my Rage and Blood Frenzy, I unleash my Dark Vengeance into the Goblin Chieftain, taking out the last of its Health.

I drop to the ground, then roll over, staring up at the clear blue sky, breathing heavily as I listen to the sounds of the village that surrounds me. Nothing more than the fires crackling, now. There are a few birds chirping in the distances, but other than that, only my breathing can be heard, my breath fogging in the air above me.

That final kill was the last thing needed. This was a tough fight, and I used so many Skills and took so much damage and dealt so much. That last kill brought me up that final Level.

Champion of Darkness is Now Level 10! You Have Mastered Champion of Darkness! Title Acquired: Champion of Darkness +300% Static Experience to Any Class of Your Choice +3 to All Stats

That's… that's a damn good reward. I gained a Title for it, which Nik had told me I would, but he didn't mention the Static Experience bonus, nor gaining Stat Points to All Stats.

It means I'll only really need to gain twelve Levels, now, instead of fifteen. I'm sure I can manage that easily.

Once I recover my stamina.

It doesn't take me long to recover enough to retrieve my sword and sheathe it, then locate my knife and return it to its sheath as well. Those returned to their rightful sheaths, I make my way over to one of the fires and add some wood to it. They already had it set up to cook, so why not make use of that?

I'm hungry.

After a dinner of a cooked turkey and some veggies, I let my stomach rest, then start to make my way to the entrance. As I do, a trio of Goblins walk in, chattering quietly to themselves as they examine the carnage I wrought here.

Oh, right. They probably had some out on patrol as well.

"Hi," I say, and they look at me.

Then die as I bash a staff over their heads, gaining a mastery for using that weapon. Two more Skills to go for Blood Novice. I'll have to be careful on the squishier Goblins, because I need them alive to use some of the Skills required for the Blood Priest line.

Well, I could always just hit Adventurers for them, but doing it to Monsters works even better, because it means I can torment them before ending them.

I turn and examine the village, then decide I can loot everything here. I have the Inventory space for it, after all, and it's not like they'll be using their shit anytime soon.

After an hour of looting has passed, another group of Goblins entered, allowing me to acquire Absorb and Drain Life. The former absorbs Mana from the target, while the latter drains Health from it, decreasing their amounts and increasing my own. Unfortunately, I only gain ten percent of the removed amount per Level of the Skill, so me damaging myself and expending a bunch of Mana was a waste. They both also require a little of the other 'resource' in order to use.

Nik didn't tell me about those little details.

However, I'm now a Blood Novice, which gains one each of Vitality, Willpower, and Wisdom per Level. The Willpower is necessary for a Blood Priest as many of its Skills – including the two I just gained – require it to be higher than the opponent's. Drain and Absorb Life won't work if the target has a higher Willpower than the caster's own.

As I make my way back through the tunnels, I find myself able to practice acquiring the other necessary Skills to reach Archpriest of Blood.

Blood Burst: sacrifice Health in order to create an explosion of blood in a fixed location. Doesn't sound like it's damaging, but it is, especially with a decent Intellect. I can't make one occur within a Goblin, unfortunately, but it's fun watching them squirm as the acidic power of the Blood Burst burns at their skin for three seconds per Level of the Skill.

Shadow Burst: uses Mana, and creates an explosion of shadows in a fix location. This one does no damage, but if a target's eyes are hit by it, and their Willpower is lower than the caster's Intellect, then it will blind them for several seconds. Three seconds per Level of the Skill.

Those are the only two required for the next Tier of Blood Priest: Blood Acolyte. To reach Blood Master, Tier III, I'll need to also acquire Transfer Health, Transfer Mana, and Crimson Shield. The first two are self-explanatory, it transfers Health or Mana from the caster to the target. The Goblins look utterly confused when I use it on them, but it works for acquiring the Skills, so I don't see an issue with hurting the Goblins over and over to practice my Skills.

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The third one is dangerous, just like Dark Knights and Dark Priests, and their usual Skill sets. It sacrifices Health over time in order to form and sustain a shimmering, crimson barrier. According to Nik, it's a weaker, smaller version of Crimson Wall.

By the time I reach the City, the moon is high in the sky, the night chilly, with a slight breeze. And it's probably only an hour or two until dawn.

I make my way home, where I find Gold sleeping at the entrance, curled up and shivering from the cold. I sigh, then lift him up and carry him to the room with the fire pit. I lay him on his blanket, and he curls back up, though I don't think he woke at all.

He probably got worried when I didn't return and tried waiting for me at the entrance, but ended up falling asleep. He needs to warm back up, so I drop my blanket on him, then get a fire going. Once it's blazing, I curl up on the ground, my exhaustion knocking me out the moment I stop fighting it.

The Shadow of Life paces in a temple similar to the Crystals', though his lacks the giant Crystals. In their place are orbs of fire, warming the chill air and providing light. With how fast he's pacing, something's bothering him. The annoyed look on his face only supports that theory.

"Dammit!" He roars. "That boy is getting too strong! At this rate, he might Ascend before the battle comes! That damn meteor! How did he even manage that? That should have been impossible! And his survival of the Blood Curse! That's not possible! Just what is that brat?"

He seems like he's throwing a tantrum. Is there a way I can shift to somewhere else? I don't want to see his childish meltdown. And he's rambling to himself, too.

Wait. He's talking about me, isn't he? This dream… is it of current times? Is the Shadow of Life currently bitching about me? Like, right now?

"How did he even manage to survive that village?" He asks. "Those Goblins should have been enough to take him on! Yet he survived! Not only that, but he's now working on Blood Priest! Dammit! I need a Dragon."

He looks into the giant orb of fire in the center of the temple space, and after a few moments, the insides of the flames changes to provide a view of the inside of a cave, the sun just barely peeking over the horizon outside of it.

Looking back at us is the face of a Dragon. The head itself is easily four times as tall as Alexander, and it looks somewhat annoyed. Its skin is a deep crimson in color, the horns atop its head spiraled and black. Its glimmering violet eyes shift from Alexander to me for a moment, then return to the Shadow of Life.

It can sense me here, can't it?

"What?" Its voice is deep and rumbling, shaking the air.

"We need to accelerate some things," Alexander says. "The horde will still wait until spring, but I need you to send one of your Dragons to attack Maelnor now. There's a boy there who needs to die. Should he live, the battle for Maelnor will likely fail. He's the child of the prophecy, and is destined to be the one who changes the tide of war against us."

"Is this the same boy who slayed the Ice Lord?" The Dragon asks. "With no assistance apart from healing by Nathan Normar?"

"Yes," Alexander responds. "He wears armor made of Spook Ore, so he'll be easy to spot. He's generally training in the forest in the valley itself. He's growing far too rapidly. If he isn't dealt with soon, he might even one day be able to slay you."

"I don't doubt," the Dragon says. "That a Child of Existence could grow powerful enough to slay an Elder Dragon, Alexander. You would also do well to remember that we do not take orders from you. We work with you. Why have you not dealt with him on your own? Or has he proved too troublesome for your methods to work?"

"The damn brat summoned a Meteor!" The Shadow of Life rages. "One far more powerful than he should have been able to! He shouldn't have even been able to summon a Meteorite! He summoned a damn Meteor! And to top it off, he survived a Blood Curse through his own power, drawing energy from his patron as he did. In just a few months, he's mastered Dark Knight, and is currently working on Blood Priest. If left unchecked, that boy will ruin our plans."

"You seemed panicked," the Dragon says calmly. "More than that Meteor and his rapid growth scares you."

"I'm not scared!"

"You are, Alexander," the Dragon chuckles. "Do not forget that I am far older than you and the Boundaries. The only reason you still live is because you and your antics amuse me. Your war was doomed the moment those children awakened their latent magics and sealed you. You will never win. Give up."

"This again," the Shadow of Life glowers. "I will reclaim my powers, and I will break free of here, and I will manage to enter into reality once more. I will reign. And when I do, those children will suffer for what they've done to me. Even the gods fear me!"

"You are mistaken, Alexander," the Dragon chuckles. "The gods don't fear you, they simply don't have an interest in interfering. They know that in the end, things will work out. The universe goes through cycles of light and darkness. In the impossible event that you did succeed and bring darkness around, the light would return eventually. Their descendants see to the cycle's balance, even if the gods themselves never interfere directly anymore."

"Just send someone to kill Zack!" The Shadow of Life snaps. "If he survives-"

"Oh, he'll survive," the Dragon chuckles again. "Believe me when I tell you that, Alexander. You slaying his brother has angered him and awoken a being far more dangerous than would be woken, were his brother not to die. So… what did he do, when you killed his brother, that has you so scared, Alexander?"

Alexander takes several breaths, forcing himself to calm. The Dragon is intentionally antagonizing him. He knows I'm watching, and yet he hasn't said anything. Is he capable of forcing me out of this vision?

"Yes," the Dragon's voice echoes in my mind. "But I think it's alright for you to hear this. In fact… it might do you some good to know what has him really scared of you."

"Zack," Alexander takes a deep breath, then slowly releases. "Zack wounded my Avatar. It's a weaker Avatar, being younger and newer, but still – even Nik's team wouldn't have managed such a thing. His Meteor was powerful enough to override the City's anti-attack shield and damage my Avatar. It wasn't much, only three points of Health removed, but still… that boy is terrifying. If he should make it to Dark One, he could likely take on the Demonic Kobold King, and if he masters it, then he could even handle it and the Fallen Adventurers near it. If he Ascends once he's hit Level 250, then he could likely kill the Avatar of Kaelmar."

Level 250 is the point of Ascension? I file that piece of information away for the future.

"It's actually every 250 Total Class Levels," the Dragon informs me. "My estimates say that either you or Nik will hit it first. It's possible Nik will reach it before you, but not by much. Prophecies aren't set in stone, after all."

"Are you sending a Dragon to Maelnor?" Alexander asks. "That boy needs to die before he becomes too powerful."

"I will send a Dragon," the Dragon says. "When it is time for the war, and not before then."

"Why not?" The Shadow of Life demands. "Why will you not send one before he becomes a bigger threat? What if he could kill a Dragon then?"

"That," the Dragon moves its face closer, so that just an eye is visible in the viewing flames. "Is exactly why I'm waiting. I want to see the boy grow, and see if he truly will change the tide of the war. If he can't kill the Dragon I send, then you will be able to conquer this Boundary. If he slays it… you will never claim it as your own."

"YOU WILL-"

"Remind you," the Dragon calmly interrupts him. "That I am no ordinary Dragon, Alexander. I exist in a realm around all realms. I am the Father of all Dragons. You hold no power over me."

"One day," the Shadow of Life growls. "I will end you."

"You might try," the Dragon chuckles, pulling its head back so the full thing is in view once more. "But you will never succeed, for reasons you may never learn. I am amused by the boy and your reactions to him. Therefore, I will let him live… for now. If he is slain by the Dragon I send in the spring, then so be it. I want to see if he can grow that powerful, that fast. The plans of mortals mean nothing to me when I have my own interests.

"Calm yourself," the Dragon orders the Shadow of Life. "Because I will not be sending a Dragon prematurely. Should I do that, the Adventurers there will reinforce the City far more than they would for the battle to come, which will ensure the horde's attack fails. Besides, Nathan Normar is hanging around the area, keeping an eye on Zack, just in case. Should I send a Dragon after the boy, it will find a child who is healed far faster than it can damage him. Would you like for Nathan Normar to discover those Skills? The ones you dread him finally figuring out? He's already managed to use the Divine Purge once, even if at great cost to his safety. How would you feel if he learned those ones, all because you rushed things?"

The Shadow of Life calms down. Whatever Skills the Dragon's referring to, Alexander must fear Nathan learning them.

"Oh, definitely," the Dragon says to me. "They're Skills that have never been learned before, many of which exist only in theory – some only to Nathan Normar himself. When his half-brother arrives in the spring…" the Dragon chuckles. "That will be an amusing time. I have no doubt in my mind that between the two of them, as well as you, those Skills will finally be discovered."

"Do you see reason, now?" The Dragon asks Alexander. "And understand? Yes, it's for my amusement… but also for you. If Nathan Normar learns those Skills now, you won't be able to win the battle. Or any of them. He is destined to change the tide of the war, yes, but he is not required to do all of those things in order to do it. His death at the hands of a Dragon before the horde comes could very well be what changes the tide of the war. And it will. He is nothing more than a lynchpin, Alexander. His survival isn't necessary for the tide to change. His death must come at the right time in order for that to be avoided."

"I will adjust my plans," Alexander growls low. "I will speak with you when I need you again."

The Dragon chuckles as his image fades from the flames, and Alexander begins pacing once more, muttering to himself.

I wake with a start, bolting upright as I do.

"Eeee!" Gold shrieks, scrambling back a few feet.