Three weeks flew by in the blink of an eye. During this period, Hikaru’s life remained uneventful. Lydia’s demanding work schedule kept Hikaru from taking adventure missions, honoring his promise to always have her by his side. Left with ample time, he dedicated himself to honing his illusion magic skill. His hard work paid off when he achieved a major breakthrough, finally mastering his first illusion spell called Sleepy Touch. After mastering the spell, he tried to cast it on a live mouse.
[Sleepy Touch] (L1 Illusion Magic Skill)
*Ksshhhh* Hikaru’s mana became visible, shimmering as it flowed through his right hand and into the struggling mouse he held in his left hand. He watched intently as the mouse gradually ceased its movements, its heartbeat slowing to a gentle rhythm. A sense of satisfaction washed over him—his spell had worked perfectly, lulling the mouse into a deep sleep.
Hikaru immediately meditated after successfully learning Level 1 illusion magic skill to replenish his mana reserves, while also observing his current stats.
Name : Kaya Hikaru
Cell Regen Rate : Moderate
Age : 18 years
Lifespan : 395 /400 years
Race : Human Lord
Sub-race : Bamborean
Soul Space : 20 Vose
Sacred Essence : 9.1 /9.1 Vose
Chi : 116k /116k
Chi Regen : 19.33 chi /minute
Mana : 125k /170k
Mana Regen : 4.72 mana /second
Attributes:
Str: 45 (16); Def: 36 (16); Int: 107 (24); Wits: 68 (24)
Affinities:
Fire: 64 (20); Water: 20 (20); Earth: 20 (20); Wind: 20 (20)
Resistances:
Heat: 3%; Cold: 3%; Electricity: 3%; Poison: 9%.
Traits & Talents & Imprints: Amun-Ra Elemental Sovereign Bloodline (trait)
Existential Essence composition:
10.9 Vose (10 Vose of Skill Anima + 0.9 Vose of Incomplete Skill Anima)
Fire Sovereign (Innate Skill/L1-L2): Phoenix Spiritual Booster (passive/L1), Phoenix Wings (active/L1), Fiery Breath (active/L2), Blazing Assault (active/L2)
Fire Sovereign (Innate Skill/L3-L4/locked): at least 200 points of fire affinity.
Neutral Magic (Solo Skill/L1-L2): Mana Control (active/L1), Magnifying Glass (active/L1), Mana Modulation (active/L2), Kudu Shrimp's Vision Mimicry (active/L2)
Body Arts (Solo Skill/L1): Body Fortification (active/L1), Chi Control (passive/L1)
Leg Arts (Solo Skill/L1): Leg Chi (active/L1)
Fire Magic (Solo Skill/L1): Fireball (active/L1)
Illusion Magic (Solo Skill/L1):
* Sleepy Touch (active/L1): This spell allows the user to transmit mana to others using direct contact. Those caught in this illusion spell will immediately put to sleep. The effectiveness of this spell is 50%, meaning the target’s wits must be at least 50% of the user’s wits to resist this spell.
Status Effects: Irregular Soul, Extremely Severe Bloodline Regression
Hikaru smiled with satisfaction as he observed his stats during meditation. His mental attributes had increased by two and four points, respectively, while his strength attribute had decreased by one point. The decline in his strength attribute was due to him neglecting his physical training. After he finished examining his stats, Hikaru continued meditating until he fully replenished his mana reserves.
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On the afternoon three days later, Lydia arrived with a male Frostfolk who had strikingly pale skin and ice-blue eyes.
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Beaming at Hikaru, who was daydreaming while sitting in the living room, she announced: “I’ve completed my task here, Hikaru. Now let’s inform Shigeo so he can prepare for our trip to the High Elf settlement!”
Hikaru suddenly stood, his eyes widening with excitement. “That’s fantastic news, Lydia! Is the person beside you...?”
Lydia nodded and introduced the man. “Yes, meet our third volunteer, Jesper.”
“Hello, my name is Jesper. I am one of Clay’s subordinates, and I’m glad I can be of use to your little sister!” Jesper said.
Inwardly, Lydia thought: ‘Jesper has spent most of his life in Bailey. His relatives and family are rooted here too, so there’s no way he’d betray the kingdom, even under a divine contract.’
After a lively chat, they boarded their carriage and headed to the Kaya residence. Upon their arrival, they wasted no time and went straight to Shigeo’s house to inform him of the news. It didn’t take long before they found Shigeo and relayed the good news to him. Soon, Hideo also joined them as they discussed their plan to go to the High Elf settlement. They decided that Hikaru and his group would meet Hideo’s group outside the West Bailey Custom tomorrow morning and embark on their journey from there.
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The next day, as the sun rose on their awaited adventure, Hikaru’s trio, composed of himself, Lydia, and Jesper, rendezvoused with Hideo’s ensemble, including Masaki, Masaru, two porters, and two Kaya orphans. Hikaru’s group traveled light, each member equipped with only the essentials, while Hikaru himself donned in his adventure gear and carried a compact backpack. In contrast, Hideo, Masaki, and Masaru were clad in sleek light armor, unencumbered by luggage as the porters bore the weight of their belongings.
Once they greeted each other, Hideo took out his map and proceeded to lead the way toward the Misty Grove. Inside the forest, their group crossed paths with other fellow travelers, mostly embarking on adventure missions. Their group decided to avoid associating with them as there is a famous saying that said:
> “In the wilds of adventure, beware not the claws of beasts nor the fangs of monsters, but the hearts of fellow travelers, for therein lies the true test of moral and character.”
Their group traversed the forest for hours before the golden hues of dusk painted the sky, and the group made the unanimous decision to set up camp for the night. With practiced efficiency, the porters retrieved the tents from their hefty bags, swiftly assembling their temporary shelter amidst the tranquil embrace of the forest. Meanwhile, Hikaru and Lydia set about gathering firewood, the rustle of leaves accompanying their diligent work. Soon, a crackling fire danced in the center of their camp, casting a warm glow against the encroaching darkness. While Hideo prepared a hearty meal over the flames, Masaki and Masaru unpacked their supplies, ensuring everything was in order for the night ahead.
As they sat in a circle around the fire, eating their dinner, they started to exchange stories with each other while Hikaru conversed with Masaki.
Hikaru, seated beside Masaki, noticed her empty waterskin and offered her some water from his canteen. “Ducky, have you finished all your water? Here, take some from my canteen.”
Masaki shook her head, declining Hikaru’s offer as she retrieved a certain kind of board from one of the bags. “Thanks for the offer, Loki, but I have this,” she replied, holding up the board.
Curious, Hikaru asked: “What is that board?”
Masaki explained: “This is called a Spring Board. People use it to produce clean drinking water. If you’re low on water, just let us know, Loki, and we can refill your canteen,” she said while refilling her waterskin.
Note: Spring Board
Description: A portable board enchanted with the Hydrogenesis spell, which produces clean water once supplied with mana. This board typically has a hole in the middle to funnel liquid into a water container.
Impressed by the usefulness of the Spring Board, Hikaru thought to himself: ‘Wow, how convenient! Later, when I have the time, I should definitely buy one.’
After finishing dinner, they discussed their shifts as lookouts for the night. In the wilderness, maintaining a vigilant watch is paramount to ensure everyone's safety. With potential threats lurking in the darkness, such as beasts, monsters, or other unexpected visitors, having designated individuals keep watch throughout the night is essential for early detection and a swift response to any dangers that may arise.
Hikaru was assigned to the third shift, so he entered his tent to rest before his watch began. However, during the second shift, a group of three Goblins approached their camp. Hideo loudly announced their approach to wake everyone from their sleep. Upon hearing Hideo’s warning, Hikaru awoke from his sleep and quickly emerged from his tent.
Note: Goblin
Description: Small green humanoid creatures about three feet tall. They have hunched posture with elongated hands and large pointed ears.
As everyone readied their weapons to battle the Goblins, the leader of the Goblins initiated a conversation with them.
Goblin Leader: “We come in peace. You are now in Arael’s territory, and we want to know the purpose of your visit.”
Hearing the goblin mention Arael’s name, Hideo gestured for everyone to halt their advance. “We seek an audience with Arael to restore my daughter’s hand,” he replied.
The goblin leader nodded. “You can either come with us now, and we will guide you to the High Elf settlement, or wait until tomorrow morning for one of the High Elves to come and guide you.”
Hideo considered for a moment. “We’ll wait until tomorrow morning.”
The goblin leader then said: “Okay, but don’t proceed further on your own. We’ve planted traps to bar outsiders with bad intentions from entering.”
After the group of goblins issued their warnings, they returned to where they came from. The rest of Hikaru’s group resumed what they were doing. Soon the second shift ended, Hikaru and Lydia emerged from their tent to do their shift. As the night grew quiet, Hikaru turned to Lydia, ready to engage in conversation and break the silence.
Hikaru remarked: “This is my first encounter with goblins. I expected them to behave like other beasts I’ve faced, but they’re more intelligent. They can even talk with us!”
Lydia replied: “Of course. While monsters like goblins aren’t as intelligent as humans, they’re still orbies. They’re not like the skippers or other beasts you’ve encountered before.”
Hikaru asked: “What’s the difference?”
Replying to Hikaru’s question, Lydia explained the differences between a monster and a beast. Once she was done, they talked about various other random topics to stay awake in the quiet night.
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Note: Monster
Description: A group of partially completed beings that require a specific type of energy to evolve and reach completion. Each monster is equipped with a Monster Core in their abdomen to store a specific type of energy essential for their evolution and completion. Upon their birth, all monsters start as the weakest variant of their respective sub-races. However, depending on their individual potential, they can evolve and become exponentially stronger. After each monster fully evolves and has a fully charged core, the core will automatically merge with their body, completing the transformation. Because of monster species’ unique body condition, each time they evolve, it will upgrade their sub-race, which automatically promotes their variant-rank.