Chapter 7

In a certain cave.

The instructor seemed to be in deep thoughts, wondering if what he was going to do really was a wise choice.

"So are we clear on passing the Darkness Element into him?"

We could only see 5 silhouettes except for the instructor remaining silent.

"Are you sure about this?"

One elemental raised its voice.

"He is the only one after you who had so much potential! Are you saying we should let this opportunity pass by!?"

After a few minutes of frustration and thinking he finally relented.

"Alright… let us unseal it when he will conquer you all."

After he remained alone he thought to himself with a deplorable expression.

'Why… Why did I have to bring him here? Why didn't I just leave him alone.'

The instructor liked kids, every time he saw one smile it would ease his heart.

He who never had the opportunity to have such a youth would feel the same happiness as the youths.

So seeing Myriad train harder then a experienced veteran made him cringe inside and since it wasn't exactly the first time he recruited a child he decided to invite him to the dojo.

He thought it would be nice for him to have fun with the spirits, playing tag with the wind, having the earth pat his head, the water soak his spirit and the flame to warm his heart.

He never expected for him to suffer…

Even in the desperate need to recruit members, he truly wished for him to just leave this hell.

But Myriad had a will harder than titanium.

He would absolutely never give up… except for certain circumstances.

With a final sigh he walked out of the cave.

And thus 3 days past and Myriad reconnected.

The instructor compared to before regained his energy and showed a full blown smile and bowed to him.

"Early like usual eh Myriad!"

Myriad simply showed a blank face and asked.

"When are we starting?"

The instructor this time looked at the ground and muttered.

"And… You're hasty as usual.."

"..?"

He regained his spirits again and began once more.

"This time we'll face the flame elemental, the task is to simply walk on this fire until you have extremely low hp, however you know what to do before that right?"

"Yeah."

After three hours of sparring, he realized that it was easier to fight Ren, thanks to the new ability he received, he took a hit every minutes and managed to hit him, thought it's because the doll couldn't handle Ren's movement.

They later on went next to a circle in which inside was filled with huge flames, it looked like a immense campfire.

Myriad looked at the inferno that was even taller than him and jumped in.

He kept walking until he reached the center and sat on the fire?

He remained still, motionless in the wild dance of flames.

His whole body was covered in burns, His figure looked bony as the flames evaporated the water residing in his body.

The worst pain imaginable, burned alive.

However it wasn't all pain and no gain.

His Defense and Endurance increased tremendously.

The instructor looked at him with a pained look and mumbled.

"The pain you'll feel will be even worse then this Myriad…"

He waited until the very end and jumped out of it, showing several burns on his young body.

The instructor not shocked anymore by his deadpan expression despite his severe injuries went next to him and chanted.

"Water Regeneration."

A comforting feeling covered Myriad and water appeared to hydrate his burnt body, after a short while most of the wounds disappeared

"It's a spell you'll learn when you'll reach further in the class, look forward to it.

"Yeah."

He then sighed.

"Good grief you know you can do this step by steps, you still have to do this 9 more times you know."

"No need."

He sighed once again.

"You know… I didn't even expect you to still remain here, after all these pain don't you want to leave?"

"No."

He sighed for the third time and then reluctantly shut his mouth.

Of all the things he had to hold the new record for the wind and water element….

And now, he has to conquer the 'other' element.

Myriad waited a bit and reentered the flames.

While burning he wondered.

"Why are you so silent, Ena?"

[Since you seem to be concentrated.]

Ena was just as strange, if not just a little bit shorter than Myriad's uniqueness.

She found it in no way strange that a young boy like him could suffer such pain and remain impassive.

It was most likely due to her own difficult youth.

And yet it was still strange.

"I see.."

After a while he said.

"You know.."

[What?]

"Nothing."

[How strange of you.]

He then dismissed the conversation completely and continued facing the trials in silence until at last he earned the skill he deserved.

New Skill: You have learned Flame's Enchantment: Due to you accepting the flame elemental, you have earned a part of its power.

New Skill : Flame's Enchantment 1 (1%):

Incorporates into your weapon flames and increases its damage

Lowers your weapon durability with each use.

Increases your strength and agility when used.

Consumes 20 mana per minute.

One of the four basic element.

Myriad did feel the increase of speed and power, he even tried a demonstration with two trees.

He tried it without the flame and it cut it easily like butter.

When he tried it with the flame enchantment, it still cuts it like butter but it had burnt marks and he cut it faster too.

"Congratulation! Want to take a rest and continue three days afterwards?"

Myriad noticed his pleading look but he still didn't succumb to his wishes.

"No need, I want to be finished with the wind and earth."

"Oh come on, if you don't rest every once in a while you're going to have a health problem!"

He mumbled.

"What's your opinion for this Ena?"

[Hmm, rest is indeed good but it seems that instead of you resting he wants to stop you from advancing, or at least slow you down.]

"…"

Meanwhile the instructor is still talking to him.

"Hey! Are you still listening to me?"

He had this really worried look.

"What is it that you're so worried about?"

Yelp, the instructor let out a surprised sound.

"I-I'm of course worried about your health!"

Myriad finally relented in reason of his passionate denial of letting Myriad continue training.

As he saw that he had nothing else to do, he decided to go to town for once.

Even though it was meant to be a relaxing stroll he still didn't forget his training and focused on casting Rock Budge.

After walking a sufficient distance he reached the town.

He then met a beggar near the street.

When he got next to him he suddenly reacted and put in a crooked smile.

If you looked closer it was a rather tall, slightly muscular bearded man with shagged brown hair and a peasant outfit

If one would judge him, at first glance he looked rather poor.

"Good day to you sir hehe…"

"…"

"Hehe… Care to give this poor man a silver?"

True to his looks, he even begged for money like a beggar.

Except that silvers were rather expensive for a simple change.

But still it wasn't like he was in a financial need.

When Myriad gave him two the man suddenly said.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"Ya know, I heard that near the forest there was this cave where a secret lies inside, who knows what it is hehehe.."

Then the man pushed his hat closer to Myriad once more.

When Myriad gave him two again he said something else.

"Hmm, in that house over there, there seems to be a great magician waiting to take upon a recruit."

Myriad stared at him deeply.

"A liar huh.."

[A liar it is..]

"W-wha… How can you know!?"

For unveiling the lies of the conman, you earned 25 Fame.

The poor man was indeed a liar, he tricked people into giving him money in exchange of false information.

The more money someone gave him, the more information he would give back.

He even successfully earned a few golds once.

Whenever the adventurers came back in anger for the misinformation he would simply deny it.

And whenever the adventurers wanted his money back he made a scene.

It was the first time for him that someone realized his lies for the first time.

"Are you saying that I would lie? A young boy dares to say that?"

"Yeah."

"Wh… Hahaha, hahahahahahaha."

He laughed like a madman.

"I like you young boy, want to have a drink with me? Your pay of course."

Myriad wanted to come back and finish the quest but the instructor refused his entry, he could accept a conman as a friend, it may even help him in certain situations.

Though.. the inverse was true too.

To be truthful, if he decided to make a scene and deny furiously what he said, he would had probably won, though Myriad wouldn't had really cared.

"Sure."

"Alrighty Plastered face I know a good place."

As they walked together the man spoke about this place like a guide.

"You're new right? Did you know that this place was also called the Magician's Haven?"

"Why?"

"Obviously because of the Royal Family!"

The man looked amazed at Myriad's ignorance.

"You came here without even knowing anything? That's an adventurer nerve for ya!"

"…"

Myriad simply waited patiently for the man to explain everything.

"Tsk tsk, I have no choice but to explain you everything eh."

The man held his hands out in expectations.

He realized what he wanted and gave him a few silvers.

"The principal reason why this place was known as the Magician's Haven is due to Royal Magic.

Royal magic corresponded to the King's power over his people, the more loyal subjects he had, the more power he received.

A prime example of such is, Summon the People, a spell that like its name summoned his subjects to his location, of course the more followers he has, the more he can summon.

Sadly, the contrary also exists, Royal Magic valued quantity and quality above all else, if you had no allies, then the magic is useless."

"And why is this related to the creation of the title?"

"Well, such power creates envy from the other magicians right? So quite a lot of magicians came over to steal the secret of such powers, sadly it was impossible to earn it."

"Why?"

"Because it's only for those who has the blood of the Great Ancestor, Asalem, the First King."

"I see."

"Anyway, the magicians gave up and decided to reside here and open up Magician's Guilds, Enchanter's Shop and many other magic related jobs."

As they were speaking they already reached the bar.

"Would you look at that, my favourite bar!"

Even without entering, they could feel the place's noisy cheerfulness.

Inside, it was even worse.

Men were brawling, holding a beer in one hand and making a fist with the other.

They were doing drinking contest in every corner.

They were gambling and hitting on the ladies.

And the barkeeper was just laughing at this sight.

It was called Axe n Stocks.

When the barkeeper found the beggar he greeted him happily.

"Hey! My favourite customer, how many did you cheat off this time eh?"

The beggar, exaggerating his actions put his hand on his face like a melodrama.

"Ah! I sadly caught only 10 pedestrians this time, I got caught."

"Oh? By who?"

"By this guest here."

The man looked at the young boy, widened his eyes and laughed even harder.

"HAHAHA, you who fooled so many got caught by a child! This is way too much friend!"

"Alright alright, I'm thirsty bring me a drink you fat baldy."

He jokingly said.

"Aye, you failure of a conman."

He replied while bringing out a glass and pouring in it professionally.

"So.. why did you bring me here?"

The man snickered and sipped the beer.

"Patience young man, you have to savour life to its fullness right?"

"Then… may I leave?"

"Sigh, fine, to be honest I need you to do something for me."

"..?"

"I want you to take the reign of a shapeshifter's clan located east."

"..Details."

"Quick to the uptake, I like that, you only need to duel the chef, and if you win, then you get to be their leader, a rather barbaric way of deciding who is the Lord don't you think so?"

"I see."

Obtain control of the Shapeshifter's Tribe

The beggar asked you to duel the shapeshifter's chief and gain control of its people.

Difficulty Level: C

Quest requirements

Pay the conman a beer even after finding out his lies.

Quest rewards

Control of Gamaw[/td3][/table]

"I deem it would be rather difficult to even get inside so I got you a little code."

Indeed, who would let a stranger inside claiming that he wished to duel the Shapershifter's Chief.

It was unreasonable.

"Tell them this: The shapeshifter transform and changes, it is never eternal and it is always eternal. Basically, it means that you should never forget what you are."

"..It will be done."

"I'm counting on you."

Myriad left after paying for his liquor, afterwards he could only hear the noisiness of the bar.

[Master, you have a strange ability.]

"..?"

[The ability of attracting weirdos.]

"…"

Myriad had no way of denying that.

[Speaking of weirdos, how's Rut?]

"Well… He should be fine, if he hasn't contacted me it means that there isn't any problem."

[I see, also, regarding that beggar, I feel that he isn't simply a mere conman or whatever the sorts.]

"I have no interest."

[He gives off a strange feeling of superiority..]

Myriad left Ena's wondering to herself and adventured off east where a dense forest lie.

Luckily there wasn't any troubles entering the forest.

To say it in one word, this place was spectacular.

The greenish leaves were brilliantly showing off their colours.

The animals were peacefully cohabiting in this lustrous domain which meant that there wasn't any particular danger.

It was a great place for a vacation, but Myriad's mind didn't stray from its original objective.

He searched near and far for a sort of hint in locating the tribe.

[Master, doesn't this look suspicious?]

There was a tree that had some sort of mark that looked like an animal's claw.

Maybe where the middle claw pointed to was the clue to finding the village.

As he proceeded further, he found more and more marks that were indicating a direction.

Since he didn't have any other clues he had no choice but to follow them.

After a while he finally managed to find it.

Gamaw's Hideout.