Chapter 9
The roar of the Dragons
With a fierce roar, all the dragons blew torrents of fire downwards, creating a wall of flame. The residents of Draconis village became filled with passion and spirit, compared to the soldiers who only came to gain honor, wealth, and prestige. They were not fighting on their home turf or at an advantage. They had to climb up the large side in hopes of even getting up to the Draconis Village, where the actual battle would begin.
Russ pointed towards the Draconis Village and yelled, "Charge!"
"Do not let them come up!" Agnis yelled. She pointed downwards towards Russ, her fingers reaching for an arrow on her back. With a fluid movement, Agnis knocked an arrow on her bow.
The players and the residents fired a volley of arrows while the Lunar Rabbits and Cat People threw down debris in the hope of stopping them from climbing up the six stairs leading up to the village. The dragons continued spraying out walls of fire, keeping the soldiers from reaching the halfway point.
"Bring out the fireproof shields!" Russ called out to the soldiers. The arrangement quickly changed, and the soldiers with large shields were brought forward. They slowly progressed forward toward the top on all six sides.
"Quickly! Push down the boulder!" Agnis called out.
Large boulders were pushed and rolled down the stairs. Soldiers were pushed off the side of the stairs to their death or squashed. It wasn't until buff-looking soldiers with heavy weapons came and split the boulders in half. Once again, the position of the army changed to accommodate the problems ahead.
"Ahhh!" The scream of the residents could be heard as a small group of specialized units appeared from the side that they were not guarding. The soldiers rushed towards the entrance of the six stairs and fought to clear the way for the army to come up. These groups of soldiers were powerful in their way.
People and dragons were having difficulty stopping the soldiers at bay.
"Zeraph!" Agnis called out. She was busy picking off the soldiers that were climbing to the side.
"I know!" Zeraph ran forward, his sword dancing dangerously around him. He was fighting multiple soldiers, trying to keep them away from one of the six entrance points. Even after a group of soldiers fell, he was busily running around the six points, hoping to keep them at bay.
"Leave these three to me." M2 jumped in on the battle. "You take care of the other three."
Zeraph nodded and rushed toward the immediate area. Unfortunately, there were not many high-level players in the Draconis Village; truthfully, the highest-level players were just a handful that did not even number up to fifty. The rest of the dragons and companions and the Lunar Rabbits were all 200, while the soldiers were at least 170 to 190. On the other hand, the Cat people ranged from level 200-210, giving them temporary relief.
Zero was already running towards the Draconis Village at full speed. He needed to get back without being killed. Unfortunately, in his spirit form, he was prone to death, resulting in his inability to get into his physical body in the next twenty-four hours.
"He doesn't get tired, does he?" Sylph asked. A holographic view of a bird appeared next to his head.
"You're back?" Zero asked in disappointment.
"Yea, I'm back, buddy. I've been working my butt off, you know. I thought I might give you a couple of pieces of my mind."
"And that is?" He groaned. The annoying one had come back to bother him. But, the question was how he could even talk with him in his spiritual body.
"Kick that guy's ass!"
"You bet I will." Zero growled. "By the way, how are you even talking to me? I'm a spirit."
"Pft. Do you think someone as great as I can't transcend barriers? Where do you think a magical ring that can talk came from?"
"The game."
Sylph glared at him. "I was saying magic rings with high intelligence like me use parts from monsters. Sometimes residual energy is left for the monster's spirit to reside in the item. I am one of those spirits."
"I see."
"Don't, "I see. You should be pleased."
"That's a matter of opinion."
"Tch." Sylph clicked his tongue in disagreement. "Fine. For your information, I've been keeping tabs on your sister for you. I knew you would be worried, so I was snooping around."
"Really?"
"Yes. I also sent the Message to Demon Fox that you requested. Unfortunately, I know you could not meet up with him at the designated time."
"Give me the breakdown."
"Sheesh, you can't even say please."
"Please."
Zero weaved through the forest and made his way to the side of the Draconis Village, where there weren't many soldiers nearby.
"First off, your sister is worried. She's wondering why you left so suddenly. I noticed that she's been trying to come to this place several times now. Each time she had been denied entrance. It seems these people are keeping a close eye on your family. I recommend you keep her from doing something outrageous."
"What do you expect me to do? It's not easy to send any messages without her noticing."
"You got me."
"Wait, you can bypass the security?"
"Who do you think I am?" Sylph puffed up. "Though the problem lies somewhere else. I know you can't say much about the place, and that thing around your neck is a problem. So let me do the talking, and you just nod. Got it?"
Zero nodded. For once, he felt that Sylph was useful.
"I'll send a note to your sister saying you are doing okay. Don't worry about how; just keep doing what you are doing."
"What about grandmaster?"
"The only thing he replied was, "Keep silent, keep observing, and don't give up." Supposedly he said it's Code Night."
"Code Night?" Exclaimed Zero. "It's that serious?" He swore and glanced around him, wondering if anyone had heard him.
"Speak any louder, and you'll get yourself caught." Sylph pecked him on the arm.
"Ouch, what was that for."
"Your stupidity."
"Are you sure you are not an A.I? You sound a lot more sophisticated since the last time I talked to you." Zero eyed Sylph suspiciously. He was halfway up the side of the cliff, quickly making his way up. He could feel his hands start to bleed from the sharp edges of the rock.
"What? State any more, and I'll poke your eye out."
"Guess not."
"Well then, I got a job to do. I'll be seeing you around. I know leaving the ring with you and mooching off your experience is helping me a lot." Sylph chuckled. "At this rate, I'll become the most powerful ring in the world!"
"Be quiet; you wanna be Lord of the Rings." Zero hissed.
"Tch. Spoilsport." Sylph disappeared in seconds, leaving Zero behind.
Finally, at the top of the cliff, Zero pulled himself up. What was happening before he was true chaos. Two out of the six stairs were broken through. This caused the other four to start to break formation.
"Retreat! Get back behind the walls!" Agnis yelled. She was racing towards the large stone walls wrapped around the village. Two gates from either end were wide open for the residents. They frantically dashed back towards the gate.
Zero ran and merged with the crowd. He passed through the gate as it came down, blocking a few stragglers from entering. He saw Agnis and Zeraph running up the stairs and onto the wall.
"How many soldiers are left?" Agnis was panting.
"My guess is less than half. We only have a thousand of our people left." Zeraph
Agnis spat with disgust. "Damn, vulture. I swear if I see him, I will shoot an arrow in his eye and rip out his heart."
"Very dark. I like it."
"No time for compliments." Agnis raised her hands and shouted, "Throw down the oil now!"
A large bucket of oil was pushed out from the walls. The oil flowed outwards and fell into the pit hole that circumference the whole village.
"Fire!"
A group of young dragons blew fire onto the oil, lighting the ditch with flaming fire. The hot inferno blazed with life as it brightened up the surroundings, keeping the soldiers at bay.
"Another stupid ploy to keep themselves safe." Russ spat with disgust. He finally made his way to the top and stopped before he got burned alive.
"How are we going to get through, sir? There is no way in." The soldier next to him stared worriedly.
"Are you stupid? Use magic to douse the flame, for crying out loud. We have Mages, don't we?"
"But we're not sure we can clear such a large area."
Russ rolled his eyes. "Pick a spot and concentrate on it. Nobody told you to douse every single bit. Use your head. Douse the flames around the gates. We don't have time to play with fire." He poked the soldier in the head hard, emphasizing his use of his head.
"Yes, sir!" The soldiers saluted and ran towards the back, where the magicians were.
A moment later, a gust of cold air blew through the sky, and large icicles formed overhead.
"That stupid idiot had to bring mages." Zero growled. He did not like where the event was heading towards. Large clusters of icicles were forming by the hundreds, and like rain, they pelted downwards into two spots: both ends of the gates.
Zero did not stay long to watch what would happen; he had no time. He had to find his body even to take part in the fight. At the rate Russ was pushing, it would be a matter of time before Russ broke through the gates. It was not as if the gates were considered strong enough to hold for a long period; it was made with the rocks and wood around the forest wall.
He wished the village walls were like the City of Diadem. But unfortunately, the village he protected did not have the workforce to create such a high-level wall.
Looking down at his belly, the lifeline connected to him, his body shimmered even brighter. He knew that he was getting closer.
"Chief Librarian?" One of the Lunar Rabbits stopped to look at Zero.
"No time to talk. Lead me to my body, quickly!" Zero ordered, but the Lunar Rabbit's jaws dropped. His expression turned bewildered in fright.
"I-is that Chief Librarian?" A couple more Lunar Rabbits appeared before him.
"Hello? Can you hear me? Take me to my body, please." Zero emphasized the word please in the hope of getting the Lunar Rabbits moving, but to no avail; they wouldn't move. So instead, all he could do was stomp his feet in frustration. His body was flickering in and out between two planes: the living and the dead.
"T-t-that's a ghost!" The Lunar Rabbit squealed in fright. "Run! A ghost had taken the image of our Chief! Quickly summon the Bishop Anglo! We need to purify the land!"
"Wait a minute." Zero stretched out his hands to stop the nearest Lunar Rabbit. Instead, his hands slipped like water, and the Lunar Rabbit yelled in fright. They bolted away from him, running in the opposite direction.
"What the hell is going on? So they can see me but can't hear me?" Zero was confused. "Not the time to be dawdling around. I don't want to know what they meant by purifying the land."
With hurried steps, Zero headed towards the Library. The residents were in shock when they saw Zero running through the streets. They parted like waves as they screamed in fright and horror. They did not understand or believe it was the actual Ghost of Zero and thought it was an ill omen.
"Chief Librarian is dead?"
"No. That can not be."
"What's going on?"
"Gahhhhhhhh! A ghost of the Chief Librarian!"
"Call the Bishop!"
"This is bad! It is a curse!"
The morale of the residents sharply dropped, and they ran away.
"The Chief Librarian's ghost is here?" The nearby Adventurers walked over, wondering what the commotion was all about.
"Is he dead?"
"Where?"
"I don't see him?"
Zero continued to run and even went through people with care. He didn't have time to show everyone that he was dead.
"Did you see that? He just went through a person."
"Someone quickly kills the ghost!"
"Wait, can you even kill a ghost?"
"Let's not incur the wrath of Chief Librarian if he hears about us killing his ghost if that's even possible."
Zero thanked them that they did not attacking him right this moment. Honestly, he was glad that they didn't.
"Holy Light!" An unknown female's voice called out to Zero. A bright white light appeared above him. Like a ray of sunshine, the light poured onto his body, causing a temporary shock to his body.
"Urgh!" Zero stopped moving and fell onto his knees. What's going on? Did someone attack me? Looking around for the source, he saw a priestess that remembered. She was Coco, that was a Disciple of Infinity.
"Please send this lost soul to its rightful place under your wings." Coco prayed out loud as she raised her staff.
Zero had a splitting headache, and the world around him became a blur. For a moment, he thought he heard the whispers of voices—one malicious and one benevolent.
Come and sleep for all eternity. We can walk in the darkness together and rule the land of the dead.
No. Wake up. Don't listen.
Zero only one more step to walk eternally amongst the dead. Give us Revenge.
Revenge. Revenge!
Get up, Zero! You are not dead yet!
Zero bolted awake. He pushed aside the heavy thoughts and feelings and pushed himself to his feet. "I need to get to my body. I can't stay here." With great effort, he got up. "Leave me alone!"
A blast of powerful black and white energy shot out from his body. Black shadows that he overlooked before that prowled around him disappeared like smoke. Even the people alive were pushed back to the point where they all fell onto their backs.
"W-what just happened?" The people were shocked and confused.
"Is the ghost that powerful?"
"It's Zero," Coco spoke. Her words cut through the silence.
"Zero?"
"Chief Librarian?"
"The real one?"
"Is he going to save us?"
"Zero! Go to the Draconis Library!" A female's voice rang out through the crowd.
Without looking back, Zero ran. He did not stop and plowed through the people as if they were not there. Running, Zero entered the Draconis Library. The moment he took a step into the Draconis Library, he knew. His feet were taking him in the direction where he needed to go.
Running up the stairs and through the gated doors of the Attic, he saw his body encased in the crystal flower. Zero felt odd seeing his body floating midair; it was like he was just momentarily sleeping. Jumping into the water, Zero swam across. The flower released a steam-like sound as air escaped from the crystal flower. Reaching up, he pulled himself onto the crystal flower.
"Here goes." He breathed in and let out his worry. Then, without thinking about anything else, he reached toward his body. His hands slipped in, and he felt a force where he was roughly pulled into his body. It felt like he was falling from the sky and slammed into his body.
Zero was jolted awake. Rising like the dead, Zero could feel the cold air around him. Monsters didn't feel like he had been forcefully pulled out of his body. Instead, everything felt natural, like he had come home—multiple messages flooded before him.
Hibernation mode has been canceled. The body has been kept safe till the soul has returned to its host. The power output of Krustallos has increased by 100%. All skills and magic have been restored to 100%. The Draconis Village will float back up into the sky in thirty minutes. The countdown is initiated.
Since the completion of both Church of Infinity, the Resurrection Ring, and Bishop Anglo's prayer, a special protective spiritual barrier is in progress.
00:29:51 left
Bishop Anglo has gone around to bless the Village Walls. Upon completion, Draconis Village will be protected from malicious spirits as long as Bishop Anglo and the Disciples of Infinity are in place.
+ 100 increase in faith from residents.
Draconis Library
A building that was stationed in the City of Terra. It was once a library of an ancient race of Drezo Regalia. Since accepting a new Krustallos, it has accepted a new guardian and owner. The building has come alive as the old mechanical workings begin anew. Old magic has rekindled, and the magical defensive barrier around the Library has gone into effect.
Guardian: Zero
Krustallos Energy: 723
Magical Defense: 354
Culture: 253
Military Power: 150
Economy: 100
Regional influence: 0
Technology: 140
Regional politics: 0
Faith: 230
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
Development: 134
Fame: 882
Sanitation: 230
Specialties: Information
Population: 2,548
Monthly tax Revenue: 264 gold
Information:
The Lunar race has placed their complete allegiance to you and has become a citizen of Draconis Library. Therefore, it is recommended that you increase library protection.
The Leprechauns have placed their complete allegiance to you and are now butlers to all new Drezo Regalia races.
The Cat People have taken temporary residence inside Draconis Village.
- Magma magic Level 2 has begun churning out new land around the Library, bringing in new soil and space for buildings to be built on.
- Levitation magic Level 2: This building, at this moment, can only stay aloof high above the trees. It must land for five hours every noon to recharge its magic.
-Fire magic barriers have been disabled, allowing guild battles and raids to occur.
- Full-scale reconstruction magic has gone underway on the Draconis Library.
- Drezo Regalia curse suppression level 2:The curse of the Drezo Regalia has been canceled only in the area of the Draconis Library and surrounding 40 miles of land. All Drezo Regalias can shift and change without the consequences of the limiter.
- Since the completion of the Amphitheater, a new activity has been opened for all Drezo Regalia. All Drezo Regalia have a chance to learn the skill of making Oculus-Morpheous and showing it in the Amphitheater.
-Since the opening of the Bathhouse, the spread of the disease has been cut in half. Sanitation has increased.
The Self Preservation mode has ended.
Zero was wondering why there were so many messages appearing, but then he realized that he had not once did he come back to check on the menu till now.
New Second Seed Abilities have been unlocked.
Astral Projection (Astral Travel)
Astral projection is an interpretation of an out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it. Because a long period has been spent outside one's body, one can slowly understand how to leave one's body out of one's will. It can be used in the real world and the game world.
Seed Ability has updated three pre-existing abilities that will naturally be added to one's skill menu.
Clairvoyance- Clear seeing (added ability)
Clairvoyance is the ability to gain information about an object, person, location, or physical event through extrasensory perception. A person with this ability is called a clairvoyant or one who sees clearly. Clairvoyant abilities reside in the sixth chakra in the center of the forehead and are commonly referred to as the third eye. It can be used in the real world and the game world.
The Player already has the natural ability of a Clairvoyant. The ability to see the dead has become stronger over time. One specializes in seeing beyond the veil. It is possible to open up areas of other Clairvoyance. Can be used in the real world and the game world.
Clairaudience- Clear Hearing (added ability)
An ability to hear information and the things that are not near them, such as voices, bells, music, song, and other types of sound. They receive information from spirits, which could be the spirit of a loved one who is being read for, or it could be spirit guides. Other times it could even be dark spirits or even demons themselves. Some clairaudients hear these voices physically, while others hear them in the head. Some skeptics argue that it is all within their imagination; however, these words come to clairaudients at such a fast rate that they wouldn't have time to think of these words themselves, even if they wanted to. It can be used in the real world and the game world.
For a short period, one can naturally hear the dead speak.
Clairsentience- Clear Sense (added ability)
An ability to feel or sense things. This can be emotional feelings or feeling physical pain that occurred. One could say this is one's intuition. Although one does not know where this knowledge is coming from. Empathy falls under this skill. Can be used in the real world and the game world.
Secret Message to all Seeded Players that Advance to their Second Seeded Ability and gather three basic abilities.
Seeded abilities are abilities that allow the body to transcend its normal ability. Sometimes people are reluctant to accept the abilities that are given to them. It is up to the person to train their ability to open up new possibilities, but at the same time, you may lose the ability of your own will. Many people can learn the same 'basic' ability, but to reach the higher levels, one needs to train. Be wary, though; all abilities are a double edge sword. It is a blessing and a curse.
The Lady
All skills have been rearranged in your ability menu.
Name: Zero
Title: Beacon of Hope
Race: Drezo Regalia
(human form)
Level: 172
Main Job: Record Keeper of Historia
Secondary Job: Scribe
Health points: 10,513
Mana Points: 11,761
Attack: 788 (+65)
Defense: 446 (+38)
Agility: 660 (+5)
Endurance: 550 (+5)
Luck: 320 (+15)
Leadership: 450 (+5)
Magical Attack: 1150 (+5)
Magical Defense: 950 (+5)
Wisdom: 702 (+5)
Intelligence: 550 (+5)
Dexterity: 656 (+5)
Fame: 1550 (+20)
Under a Companion Contract with Agnis.
For All:
+ Transform beginner level 9
+ Intimidation
+ Camouflage beginner level 8
+ The last stand (Auto)
+ Creation of Oculus-Morpheus beginner level 6
+ Recording of O.M
+ Destruction of O.M
+ Restoration of O.M
+ Seeded (Psychic Ability)
+ Telepathy beginner level 3
+ Astral Projection beginner level 1
+ Clairvoyance beginner level 1
+ Third Eye beginner level 5
+ Communication with the dead (Active)
+ Sixth Sense
+ Clairsentience beginner level 6
+ Sensing the dead (Active)
+ Clairaudience beginner level 1
+ Keen Hearing beginner level 8
Human Form Specialties:
+ Trinity Falls
+ Ninjutsu Training for Mastery
+ Five Elements of Hiding: Fire, Water, Earth, Wood, and Void (Auto)
+ Weapon Mastery beginner level 5
+ Pressure points beginner level 5
+ Herbology
+ Creation of Medicine
+ Skilled hand mastery intermediate level 1
+ Kicking Mastery intermediate level 1
Origin Form Specialties:
+ Stink Bomb Intermediate level 1
+ Exploding Breath Intermediate level 1
+ Fire Breath Intermediate level 1
+ Keen Nose Intermediate level 1
+ Crush Intermediate level 1
+ Dark Fire beginner level 6
+ Holy Fire beginner level 6
+ Summoning of the Undead level 1
Hybrid form Specialties:
+ All the abilities of the Human and Origin Form can be used.
Elements: 15% increase in defense against dark elements, 7% increase in light against light elements,
Info: A hybrid human that is born from an Egg. The title Beacon of hope draws in lost souls that will appear before you to ask for help. Your aura will stand out to the dead. Shadowy dark apparitions are wary around you. There is no more bounty set on your head. In Origin form, the status is doubled from the human form.
Warriors of Black Dragon
All Black Dragons and their companions outside the perimeter have been forcefully recalled back to the Draconis Village. As a result, black Dragon's attack and defense have been increased by 10%.
Rise of the Dragons
Draconis Village is under attack. Since the return of Zero's Soul, all dragons have been endowed with the blessing of the Dragon guardian. As a result, all dragons and their companions have increased their power and magic by 5%.
The light flickered around Zero as the light dimmed, making the surroundings eerie. Large shadows danced around him. Zero felt afraid. He remembers this unease. It was like when he was doing the World Quest in real life.
Summon us! Summon us! We want to protect our children! We can not leave till we protect our loved ones! Our children must survive! Our children! Voices of the ancient dead dragons boomed outwards. Their voices continued to ring around him. Dark shadows in the form of large Dragons appeared and surrounded him. Twenty dragons towered over him, breathing down upon his back. Summon us! Summon us!
Revenge of the Black Dragons
As a hybrid Black and Gold Dragon, you have the ability to call upon the service of the ancestral Dragon's soul. This ability can not be used without the consent of the dead dragons. If these conditions are not met, this ability can not be used. One must be careful when summoning the spirits to help furious spirits. Would you like to temporarily call upon the departed souls to fight for your kind? Be wary if the conditions are not met, you will be cursed.
"Yes."
Warning! Warning! Warning! A breach in the barrier between the living and the dead has been opened! Warning! Warning! Warning!
Red words angrily flashed before him. At that moment, he felt a burst of power surrounding him. A horrifying screech rang throughout the Draconis Village. Everyone outside froze. Intimidating black energy seeped from the Crystal flower into the water. Bubbles rose from the water as dark shapes began to form in the water.
Black dragons with red eyes erupted from the water and rushed out. Like a ghastly apparition, they flew out of the Draconis Library and into the sky. Everyone stopped to see the strange scene before them. Twenty black dragons with a variety of sizes spread outwards like a shroom. Each one of them twirled and dived downwards towards the invading army. At the very last moment, the black dragon spirits would open their enormous wings, causing a gust of wind.
"Gahhh!"
"Nooo!"
"Monsters!"
"It's the demon! Run for your life!"
The soldiers screamed out in fear at what they saw before they were dead. Soldiers began to panic, causing chaos. With gaping jaws, the black dragons soared down and passed through the bodies of the living. When their ghostly body went through the living, their claws grabbed hold of the living souls and yanked them out of their bodies. With sharp teeth, they shredded the soul into pieces, while the others were swallowed up by the black Dragon's spirits. The lifeless bodies of the soldiers collapsed onto the ground pale, their spirits destroyed.
Their rage and anger could be felt in their air and black fire. They swooped and ravaged the soldiers that tried to flee or fight. Their magical and physical attacks did not harm a single scale of the ghostly black dragons. The soldiers were dwindling quickly in numbers, causing massing panic.
Anger! Revenge! The voices of the Black Dragon Spirit continually rung out through the field. The young dragons fighting were affected by the toxic energy of the Black Dragon spirit. Every single one of them went berserk, killing every soldier in sight. The soldiers that breached through the gates desperately tried to escape the greedy claws of the Black Dragon.
"No!" Russ cursed, but when he saw the black dragons coming after him, he ran.
Russ stopped and noticed that coming towards him, two shades with gleaming red eyes were coming after his life. "No! No! No! I can not lose like this!" In anger, he pushed aside the soldiers in front of him. In the confusion of the mess, Russ broke a magical scroll that teleported away to safety, leaving behind the army to their death.
The Black Dragon Spirits completely obliterated the remaining soldiers. Not a single soldier was left alive, either in spirit or body, with everyone being killed in a short period.
Revenge. Revenge. REVENGE! All the Black Dragon's voices called out in unison, chanting the words repeatedly. They dove into the soulless body of the soldiers, trying to possess them. Each one failed, and the body crumbled into black sand. The human body could not house the Black Dragon Spirit's soul and rerelease them.
“Begone dark spirit!” Bishop Anglo held up his amulet, and a bright light erupted outwards. A barrier slowly expanded around the people from the contaminated Black Dragon spirits.
Nooooo! Noooo! We do not want to go back! We want to live again! The Black Dragon Spirits reeled back in pain, squirming away from the bright light that Bishop Anglo had put out.
"You who have been contaminated by darkness are not welcome; go back and do not harm any more of the living! Go back to the dimension that you have come from!" Bishop Anglo spoke with strength, and the power of light around him multiplied.
The Black Dragon's Spirit cowered away, flew back into the Draconis Library, and headed straight towards Zero instead.
Alarmed, Zero shifted into his dragon form. Even though he did not compare in size with the black dragons before him, he was not going down without a fight. So they circled Zero like a vulture and cried out in unison.
We want to live! We want to live! Give us a body! Give us a dragon's body! Give us yours!
"You have done what you are summoned for. Go back to where you have once come from!" Zero spat out Holy Fire around him. All the Black Dragons pulled back, trying not to get burned. "You have protected your loved one. Now leave!"
The Black Dragons swarmed around him and attacked. Their claws outstretched, they dove in to take Zero's soul. Zero ducked and continually blew out Holy Fire. He even covered himself with the Holy Fire to make contact.
His claws grabbed hold of the nearest Black Dragon's neck and slammed it down onto the Crystal flower. A hissing sound erupted from the Black Dragon that made an impact. Turning around sharply, Zero's tail whipped a Black Dragon against its face. A fierce battle between the dead and the living was underway.
Zero did not back down once and instead continued to push forward. Every time the Black Dragons attacked, Zero fought back twice as viciously. He could not afford to back down, or his body would be stolen.
"Zero!" Agnis appeared from the entrance.
"Get back, Agnis! What the hell are you doing here?" Zero was spitting out fire every time he spoke.
"We're here to save you!" Agnis' face is hardened with dedication. She was summoning Holy Magic onto her arrows. Then, lifting her bow, she fired.
Revenge! Give us Revenge!
The Black Dragon Spirits were lost in their world and could not tell from foe to allies.
"Damn it, Agnis!" Zero jumped into the water and quickly swam.
The Black Dragons swooped down towards her with their claws outstretched. Agnis fired another arrow, and it hit its mark. One of the Black Dragons fell in rage as it came crashing down. The Holy Fire burst into rampant flames, covering the Black Dragons. Its body melted, and it stumbled towards Agnis.
"Agnis!" Zero was out of the water and running towards her. The fallen Black Dragon opened its gaping jaws wide, ready to chew on Agnis, trying to take her with it.
A bright blinding light erupted from behind her, and Bishop Anglo appeared. "From the power vested in me by my God. Go back to where you came!"
The Black Dragons screamed in rage, flew towards the breach in dimension, and disappeared. However, the rift between dimensions was still open.
"We need to close the tear, Zero! Blow your Holy Fire upon it!" Bishop Anglo yelled. He had begun chanting a strange language that even Zero did not understand.
Inhaling a deep breath, Zero breathed out a torrent of Holy Flames. The dimensional tear slowly became smaller and smaller. Then, a black dragon escaped at the last minute and shot up into the sky. A black stream of light disappeared like smoke as it flew to the east.
"No!" Bishop Anglo screamed. "One escaped!"
Zero continued to blow Holy fire. The tears finally disappeared. Zero let out a relieved sigh as he flopped down on the ground.
"Thank you, Anglo," Zero said with relief. "I was worried about how to close the tear in dimensions."
Bishop Anglo shook his head. He finished chanting his verse and clasped his hands into a prayer.
"Next time, you must not summon Dark creatures, especially a Black dragon that has been
contaminated by evil energy. You let one escape."
"I didn't know this would happen."
"Now you know, and you could have released something that shouldn't be here in this dimension." Bishop Anglo angrily stated.
"He only did it to protect all of us," said Agnis.
"This is something you should have never attempted. It could cause something worse than before."
"I can't take back what has been done." Zero felt annoyed that one had escaped and Bishop's Anglo nagging.
"I know." Bishop Anglo sighed. "What's done is done. Welcome back, Zero. We feared that you had left us."
"I thought so too." Zero quietly mouthed.
Special announcement New Update Dawn of Mythic Beginning
Legends have been reborn, and creatures of dark and light have been stirring since ancient times. Since the reappearance of Dragons, an old stirring of darkness has been appearing one by one. The blessing of the God of Infinity has bestowed all Adventurers and NPC with the second gift of power. This power pushes the limit of Adventurer and NPC to their second awakening unlocking hidden potential. All Player's level cap has risen to level 500.
Bishop Anglo has completed his blessing around the Draconis Village. A safe sanctuary has been created for the living. Malicious spirits can't enter Draconis Village as long as Bishop Anglo and the Disciples of Infinity are in place.
The Draconis Village shook, and once again, it lifted back into the sky and made its way toward the City of Elements.
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October 1, 2054. Thursday. 10:56 PM
The days passed quickly, and soon it was already a month at the Psychic Academy. Kiyro had been going in and out of the Embryo Type II machine. Playing and working out in the game daily, taking short classes during the late afternoon, and finally having free time and rest. Honestly, being provided a good quality meal, clean clothes, and a shower was pretty good, in his opinion. He had all the necessities to survive without lifting a single finger.
It has been a day since the fight with Russ and the escape of the black Dragon into the physical world. By the end of tomorrow night, Draconis Village was going to arrive at Elven city. He hoped there wouldn't be more war, but he knew that wasn't possible. Russ had escaped back to the Kingdom of Terra, and already news was spreading that a large-scale army was underway.
Kiyro walked out of the room and headed towards the cafeteria. His hair was still a bird's nest from sleeping on his bed funny. Luckily, he didn't roll out of bed like last time, causing him to hit his head hard on the floor. That was not an experience he would like to go through ever again.
The cafeteria was partially filled with people getting breakfast. He still did not understand how he couldn't find or meet with Eve anywhere in the building for the past month. The only time was online. He walked over and took a tray of omelets.
Walking over to Kiyro's usual seat, he sat next to Silvia, Daulton, and Ken. They were eating their food and chatting about their daily game life.
"Well, if it isn't Mr. Sleepyhead," said Silvia. "Welcome to the living world. We thought you were dead."
"Not yet," Kiyro replied. He had begun to eat his omelet with his fork.
"How's your mission coming along in Noriene?"
"Decent. We just had a skirmish."
"Really? That sounds fun."
"It is." Kiyro paused to take a bit of the crunchy bacon. It was crisp enough the way he usually liked it. "By the way, what's with this heavy air? Did someone die?" He chuckled at his joke.
Everyone nervously glanced over toward Kiyro and stared.
"Yes."
"Wait?" Kiyro dropped his fork on the plate, startled that his half-assed guess was true. "I was joking, you know."
"Rumors are going around that they will start doing some kind of dangerous experiment on people who don't have strong psychic abilities. Some said that is why Jules died today." Ken replied. He was picking at his food, discouraged.
"Ken's ability hasn't increased for the past three months. So he's worried he might be next." Sylvia replied.
"This isn't even humane. How does the government not know about this? It should've slipped through the net by now." Ken replied with worry.
"You'd be surprised how much of the internet is being watched. Plus, this threat on our neck is the real issue here." Daulton pointed at his neck.
The death collar. Kiyro knew that right now, they didn't have anything in their hands as of now to take it off manually. But, so far, he was so busy with the game that he completely forgot about it.
"You better succeed in all your tests with flying colors. The one coming up is very serious; it's not like the regular check-ups, you know, and it is coming up tomorrow," said Silvia as she waved her fork.
"Damn." Daulton's eyes furrowed.
"You seriously think they won't resort to such actions?"
"I did. It's just..." Ken slumped his shoulder in defeat.
"It doesn't matter. We just need to succeed, and that's all that matters." Silvia cheerfully replied.
She slapped his shoulders to boost his mood.
"I should have seen this coming."
"You don't have clairvoyance, and if you did, I would personally like to know how to get out of here."
"I'm slowly starting to agree with you."
"Really? It took you this long?"
"Well, it was always fun, you know, playing games most of my life."
"I'm going to take a walk for a bit." Kiyro finished his food. He got up to throw it away. "I'll see you guys later."
Daulton got up and followed behind Kiyro. "Hey, Kiyro!"
Kiyro stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned around.
"I want to ask you something."
"Yea?"
"Are you Zero?"
Kiyro stood silent, and his eyes narrowed. "Why do you ask?"
"I thought so." Daulton chirpily replied. "I'm M2."
"What? You're the cat?" Flabbergasted, Kiyro felt weird. It was like a bus ran him over and made him freeze. He had to reel in his shocked mind momentarily. "Your personality is completely different in-game."
"Yea, about that...huh. Anyways, I had a gut feeling that you were Zero for a long time. I just didn't know if I should ask or not."
"I am."
"Don't worry; I won't tell anyone. Plus, I uphold my end of the bargain. One last thing, if you see Syren, it's me, okay? So it's a fair deal for trade secrets."
"Syren?"
"It's another persona that I go by. But, don't get me wrong, I do it because I need another way to gather information." Daulton smiled. "You'll know what I mean when I show you later."
"Why did you suddenly ask if I'm Zero?"
"Well, I thought it would be nice to have a friend in real life. Plus, I was hoping you could introduce Agnes and her female friends to me. I wanted to talk to her and maybe get a date or two with either her or someone else. I want a girlfriend." Daulton smiled cheerfully.
Kiyro was speechless by his blunt attitude, but he could not help but chuckle. He felt he could trust him for as long as he had been playing with M2 in the game. Though for some reason, the thought of introducing Eve bothered him a little, he still brushed it aside as if it was nothing. "I see."
"Well then, I'll be going. I'll see you around."
Kiyro was curious about what he meant but did not ask any further. Daulton left with his arms over on the back of his head as he whistled. He continued to walk towards the exit to go out to breathe fresh air.
I'm going to die. A vivid word that seemed to scream entered his mind. Kiyro looks around, confused. I need to get away from here. Please. Please don't find me. He's coming!
Everywhere he looked, he could not find the source of the thoughts. So instead, he stood there perplexed about where the intrusive thought came through.
What was that? Perplexed, he pulled his hands to his neck and gently rubbed them. I must be exhausted or something. He sighed and continued to walk once again.
While walking through the hallway, all of a sudden, Kiyro was pulled to the side. Grabbing his hand, Eve pulled him to a small dark space.
"Eve?" Kiyro was surprised that Eve was in front of her. Her dyed blue hair was strangely disheveled. Her face was haggard, as if she was running a marathon.
"Be quiet. There is someone after me." Eve hissed. She looked over to the side. "He's coming!"
Startled, Kiyro couldn't help but look over her shoulder, wondering what she was looking at. He noticed a silver-haired man; he remembered the man from the cafeteria named Red. One of the instructors for the Academy. Quickly he turned back and pushed her against the wall. He covered her with his body, shielding her.
It's him. He's going to hurt me. No. No. NO! Eve's thoughts flooded into his head like a flood. I saw him. I saw him and the monster. The nightmare. No. No. No. It's a lie; it can't be true. It was a nightmare. How is it possible? Why? How? Keep him away!
Kiyro's head was hurting from the intrusive thoughts that were like a bludgeon to his head. He scrunched his eyes and tried to block out the thoughts, but it was not as effective as he thought.
Kiyro's face inched forward towards her, almost barely inches away from face-to-face. Eve moved around uncomfortably but then stood still when he heard Red's footsteps coming closer and closer. Her face turned deathly pale.
It's him. It's him. It's him! Please, please, please. Keep the monster away! Eve's voice screamed into his mind deafening his senses and causing a horrible headache. He couldn't think straight at all.
"Eve, I'm sorry, but please calm down." He was holding his head with his hands massaging it, hoping it would go away.
He was hoping to stop her from screaming in his mind. The torrent of fear and terror made his soul shake to the point it rattled him. Without a second thought, his lips pressed down onto hers. It started as a light touch on her lips. It was wet and moist but, at the same time, soft and warm.
Please keep the monster- Eve's thoughts became white and silent.
Kiyro remembered the feeling of a kiss that he had shared with his past girlfriends, but this was slightly different. It was a sweet taste of apples that could be tasted on her lips. His lips gently caressed hers, creating an electric shock that numbed his lips.
Kiyro pulled back and noticed that the shaking and the fear were gone. "You calmed down." He smiled.
Even still, she did not move. What the hell? Was that not effective enough? Wait, what am I even doing? The momentary braveness was gone; instead, he felt his heart thumping hard. Holy crap! He did something that he never expected to do. He felt so stupid. But then, when he stared back at her, he noticed that she was frozen.
"Eve?" Kiyro tilted his head in worry. Was it even practical? Did I do it wrong? Maybe something different?
Kiyro could not read a single thought from her. Instead, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. He had begun to pat her on her head. "It's alright. Everything is going to be alright." Like a lullaby, he continued to chant.
Was this the right way? No, wasn't hugging her the first step if it didn't work kissing her? What the hell am I thinking? I'm going to get punched or something. His face was burning hot; honestly, he did not want her to see how red his face was.
"Eve? Kiyro?" A familiar voice called out to them.
"Alex?" Kiyro pulled back in surprise. "D-d-did you-?" Oh crap. No words could describe his shame. His face was still burning red like fire. This was the one time he wanted to hide for what he had done, but at the same time, he couldn't help but enjoy the tingling feeling left behind by the kiss. His hand unconsciously went up to his lip, but he stopped himself from touching it.
"What? Are you hovering over Eve like you were going to eat her alive? No, wait, Eve, are you crying?" Alex crossed his hands.
"No. I was just-"
"Just what?" Alex eyed him suspiciously.
"Eve, is Kiyro causing you trouble?" Alex asked.
Eve stares at Kiyro, then Alex, and back at Kiyro again. No words could form out of her mouth; instead, she stood there like a stone.
"Is she okay? You didn't shock her?" Alex curiously peered toward Eve.
"I-" Kiyro bowed and shouted towards Eve, "I'm so sorry! I didn't know what else to do."
"What the hell did you do? You didn't kiss her, did you? Is that why you were hovering over her?" Alex broke into a mischievous smile. "Ah, young love. I can smell it in the air."
"No! It's not like that at all! I was just h-h-helping her." Kiyro got flustered. He felt like he did something really bad.
"I-It's alright." Eve's voice brought Kiyro back to his senses. He glanced up to see Eve back to her old self. "Thanks, Kiyro."
Did he just hear her correctly? Did she thank him? He thought he would get hit. Confused, Kiyro straightens himself trying to reel back in his chaotic thoughts.
"Oh? So what did you do to help her? Huh?" Alex jabbed Kiyro on his side.
Kiyro didn't answer. Instead, he had a flash of his kiss with Eve.
"He hid me from the monster," Eve spoke in a low voice.
"Monster?" Alex asked, confused. "Who?"
"I think she was talking about the teacher with silver hair and red eyes."
"Red?" Alex asked, astonished.
"He's not the type to bother people. Are you sure?"
"I-" Eve could not speak momentarily.
"It's alright. You don't need to say anything." Alex gently spoke. "I'll keep an eye on him for you."
"Thank you," Eve spoke so softly that Kiyro would not have heard it if he was not paying close attention.
"I'll take her back," Kiyro spoke.
"That would be a good idea." Alex nodded. "It is best that you rest and feel refreshed for tomorrow."
Kiyro nodded. "I'll see you around."
Alex waved goodbye, and they parted ways. Kiyro gently guided Eve through the hallway, keeping a sharp eye on his surroundings. He made sure to look out for Red.
"Where is your dorm?"
"On the east side, behind the boy's dorm."
"Okay."
Together they quickly made their way to the girl's dorm and the front door of her room.
"Are you sure you are going to be okay?" Kiyro asked, worried that she might start a panic attack any minute.
"Yes, thank you." Eve glanced up at Kiyro and stared at him.
This made Kiyro uncomfortable; the memory of the kiss was brought up in his mind. "Y-you knows, forget about what happened today. I didn't mean to. I-I-I just thought it was the best solution to c-c-calm you down." Kiyro squirmed. What the hell am I saying? He wanted to hit himself for being such a coward.
Eve chuckled and laughed. "It's fine, Kiyro. I'm just glad that you were there."
"I-" Kiyro was flustered with words. "Well then, um."
"What are two little birdies doing out this late at night?" A deep husky voice called out to them.
Kiyro felt a sudden chill run up and down his back. He remembered that voice perfectly well.
Turning around, he saw Angel with a smile plastered to his face.
"He was just saying good night." Eve quickly stated. "I'll see you in the game. Bye." She pulled open the door and stepped in.
"Yeah, I'll see you in the game tomorrow." Kiyro quickly stated. He nodded and turned around to walk past Angel.
Angel grabbed Kyro's arm, stopping him in his tracks. "You do know that nightly encounters are all good, but tomorrow is a big day. So it is wise that you head straight to your room."
"I know, sir. I was just helping out a friend."
"That's nice of you." However, Angel did not let go; instead, his grip became harder. "I swear I feel like I've seen your face somewhere before."
"R-Really? I don't remember ever seeing yours except here." This was a lie, but he did not want to say anything more. The thought of the murder at the college campus crept up in the back of his mind. He did not want to end up like that. His instinct was telling him to run.
"I'm very positive I have seen your face before. What was your name again? Kyle?"
"Excuse me?" Kiyro was stupefied that Kyle's name had come out of Angel's mouth. "Wait, can
you say that again?"
"Hmm? Ah, I'm sorry your name was Kiyro."
"No, you said a different name."
"Really? It must have slipped my mind. Anyways good night Mr. Koga. I suggest you take a good rest for tomorrow." Angel let his arms go and turned to leave.
Kiyro wanted to chase Angel down and asked why he stated Kyle's name, but he just couldn't. Something about how he said it made him not want to move forward. Almost like Angel was dangling bait in front of his face. So instead, he kept silent and watched Angel go.