The air felt disturbed, almost as though something caused something to happen. His nose told him that the weird tower was responsible, but he couldn’t know for sure.

He put that to the side for now. Because the Eve Glade folks were now approaching their side. According to their scouts, they noticed a small rag-tag team of soldiers displaying the kingdom’s colors coming towards the fortress at a rapid pace. He wasn’t sure how, but they were able to find the fortress and know about their location.

That didn’t please the old man at all. In fact, he wanted to blame the Seer for messing it up this badly. No matter how much dear old pops wanted to punish her, there wasn’t much they could do.

Not to mention the annoying monsters that kept hounding at them at every turn. They couldn’t even get a good night’s sleep due to some bats after they sliced off some of their soldiers’ heads. They were so weak individually, only having their true power released when gathered together and screeching at them. Even if Zyler’s ears were extra sensitive to them, a quick jab with his claws was enough to deal with them all. This is the problem with rushed Journeymen soldiers. Just because they broke through the milestone as quickly as possible, they think they’re all up there along with him. It was insulting really, considering how bad their foundations and stances were.

There were some quick ways to shoot yourself all the way up to Journeyman stage without meeting the requirements set by the system, but doing so requires lots of expensive resources and potions. Even with that, they couldn’t have the option to add a sub-race, which was the main center point of being a Journeymen. For some, it’s what makes or breaks a fighter. They can also completely forget reaching the Master Stage. They already screwed themselves the moment they advanced without meeting requirements.

The system doesn’t take kindly to cheaters, and something that his father always made sure to pound into his head as he grew up. Even if there were ways to circumvent the system, the almighty system would always find a way to screw you over. But at the same time, it rewards you for your hard work–he can get behind that.

Still, the situation was becoming worse for wear. Morale was low, and his father was quickly trying to ramp up the workload by securing their post, and now added in some more work for the peons under his supervision by adding patrols throughout the surroundings to spot any Eve Glade soldiers coming in. That’s on top of having to fight off the strong monsters that’s way beyond their pay grade.

Until finally, his father came over to give him the greatest orders he could ever receive from him.

“Zyler, I need you to head out there and find those brats,” His father, Roderick, demanded. Though to Zyler’s ears, he interpreted it as pleading for his great son to do the heavy lifting. “And whatever treasures any of them have in store. Right now, we’re a little busy making sure we don’t drop any more of our numbers.”

“Why not settle it yourself?” Zyler scoffed. “For being a Master-stage, you sure aren’t doing much.”

“Dumbass, that’s because the entire field would be broken, and just add more work for us,” Roderick growled. “Don’t fuck around and just head out there.”

“Yes, sir,” Zyler gave a lazy salute as he moved ahead towards the open area of their campsite. Then, he breathed.

He breathed in and out, getting the other soldiers to notice the noble son and step out of his path. He grinned, sharp fangs displayed over his canines.

Dark, red-tinged fur gathered and formed around his body, his muscles rippling as they became larger, then they compacted to become denser. As fur continued to take over his body, his form shifted. His bones cracked and reformed, pain overwhelming his senses for a short time.

But it was a good kind of pain. The kind that made him feel alive as he felt his inner drive ramp up, adrenaline coursing through every pore of his body. He reveled in this feeling as he lifted his head up and howled at the open air. He didn’t care if the enemies knew he was coming.

In fact, that’s perfect. He sometimes likes to play with his food in this form, and he knew that the brats would make a fine chew toy once he caught them.

…..

The two have arrived at the tower sooner than she expected. Contrary to beliefs, especially from their first meeting, Zeke and Mikella have accomplished their secondary task, and are well on their way to accomplishing their first task, however incredible it is.

For Zoan, this was great news. Now if only everything else could go along as her divine overlords wished.

The child she currently possessed seemed to believe they can do anything, regardless of the circumstances. Zoan retroactively stated otherwise, yet the child seems to have either missing holes in her memory, or refuses to pay attention to the little details Zoan displayed for her.

She was a strange one. Truly. There were times when angels possessed children, and oftentimes their inner instincts called out for danger, often inhibiting their wills enough for the angels to control them entirely. This was the first time, if ever, that Zoan had possessed a child due to an order, rather than some willing fancy of some defective angels.

Yet this child persists in the strangest ways. First off, she wasn’t afraid of her. Rather, she seemed curious, almost like finding a rare creature. Second, her mental defenses should be weak enough for Zoan to destroy with ease, but if she does so, the child’s entire inner world would collapse, causing her soul to be destroyed. That would cause problems later down the line, but this child proves the opposite.

They were weak, for certain, yet her will somehow proves to be a different layer behind those defenses better than average. Her sister, Mikella, often told her and to Zeke that Clara is a special child deserving of love and attention. Perhaps Zoan should have listened to her rather than merely stating that she carries too much love and affection like most other doting parents would.

Zeke also displayed a certain level of affection to Clara despite having such little time spent together compared to Mikella. In fact, there was a level of understanding and… empathy that Zeke showed towards Clara, which fascinated Zoan to a degree.

As long as the child persists, Zoan can, in a sense, alter the otherworlders’ paths to better head towards the goal that the gods wished for them to reach.

However… that was proving to be a challenge to her own metal sake.

“Zoan, why do you look so stony?” Clara asked in the mirror, which to Zoan’s eyes, was directing towards her. “Also, can you really fly with those wings?”

Despite Clara not appearing anywhere in the meeting between the otherworlders and Zoan, she still recalled some parts through Zoan’s own eyes. While it only displayed images and senses, she could still remember Zoan’s mighty wings and powerful form, yet she only asks the most mundane questions all children often possess.

“They look big, but they also look uncomfortable,” Clara stated, as though it was fact. “How do you sit down?”

It was incredible, to say the least. Clara kept asking question after question to the silent Zoan, expecting that if she stayed silent, Clara would cease. Yet she persisted, often making Zoan wonder whether someone out there would notice the strange child talking to the reflection like a real person. Whether Clara was a genius, or just incredibly lucky–nobody seemed to notice this strange behavior.

“Also–”

“Isn’t Ana waiting for you?” Without realizing, Zoan finally responded, her frozen expression still plastered on her face.

“Oh,” Clara nodded in realization. “She’s still hanging with Vivian. She said she’ll be back in a few minutes. That's why I wanna talk with you a little.”

This was the first time Zoan wanted that little busybody of a child Ana to return immediately. She was supposed to ensure that she remained quiet, like a true observer. But this child is… starting to wane at her.

In the end, Zoan had no choice but to answer the questions, even if they were so mundane she wished she could do anything else.

“My expression remains like this due to my duty as an angel,” Zoan answered. “And yes, I can fly. They are also comfortable, and I can dismiss them if I want to sit down and rest.”

“Ooh…” Clara’s eyes widened. “Cool!”

That ecstatic look in her eyes, the gleam in her pupils, pushed Zoan in a strange way. Children aren’t supposed to be so curious to ask questions, are they? They wanted to go around, play games, rather than stay inside and find out more about their visitor in their soul.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

But before Clara could ask any more mundane questions, Zoan felt a tug in the atmosphere. Her senses spiked as she controlled Clara’s body, making her turn her head to the western direction. Where the biodome should be.

“Zoan?” Clara asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Something… is amiss,” Zoan muttered, though she knew Clara wanted to tilt her head in confusion.

“What does that mean?” She asked. Despite losing control of her body, she didn’t seem all that misplaced. Truly, a strange child.

“It means your two siblings have reached a location that has… peaked my interest.”

Zoan meant that, rather than trying to placate the child. The two caretakers, or perhaps siblings in earnest, have reached to where the former visitors have taken their final rest.

And over there is where Zoan noticed something amissed. Now that the otherworlders had reached the tower, Zoan could finally peer inside the tower. As she expected, the thing she needed the most hasn’t been taken.

And the tower itself has become rather strange. As though something had changed it.

“Clara, we must head back,” Zoan demanded, but found herself losing control of Clara’s body as she turned back to her reflection once again.

“What? No! Sissy got super mad when we went there before. I don’t want her yelling at me again!”

Clara shook her head ruthlessly, not willing to abide by her demand. This was an issue. Clara has more control in her will than any child should have any right to have. At this point, Zoan would actually have difficulty in persuading this child to move against her Sissy, or she would face punishment.

So she decided to play along. As it is her duty, she will do what she can to fulfill her orders.

“Then are you fine with leaving your Bobo and Sissy to die?”

Clara’s face paled, and Zoan worried for her mental structure. It tinged with a high pitch, as though she slung a rock straight at pristine glass walls. That tugged more on Clara’s soul more than anything else.

“N-No! I don’t want them to die…”

A memory flashed in her mind, one which Zoan has clear vision to. It was the time when she saw a man being cut through his throat by none other than Bobo, his visage stained with red with a cold look on his face. While, thankfully, Clara wasn’t afraid of the clearly angered man who was about to witness his family’s demise, but rather at the cold corpse that littered the street in front of him.

Of course, that was the first time Clara saw someone die. It was clear to anyone that such an event would leave a stain in her mind, and perhaps will forever etch itself into her heart for years to come. But that is to be expected–humans can never go against their internal instincts to persevere, even against such horrid memories.

So when Zoan stated that her siblings could die the same way as that man, that struck a chord so thick, it could’ve shattered the young girls’ mind. Yet, rather than shatter, they were reforged, and became nearly solid like iron before the girl’s eyes flashed with anger.

“No! I won’t let them die! Let’s go!”

Zoan had to… reevaluate this young girl. At first, she figured her to be some strange being with mildly concerning mental states. Now, she appeared to be made of much sterner stuff than most children as Clara turned and ran towards the entrance of her home.

But before she could leave the living room and straight towards the entrance, Ana’s voice called out.

“Clara?” The little girl shouted. “I’m back! Where are you going?”

“To the biodome!” Clara responded with as much fervor as her voice can carry. “Bobo and Sissy are in danger!”

“What?” Ana asked in shock. Then she shook her head violently. “You can’t! You got in so much trouble before, and you could get hurt too! I won’t let you!”

Before Clara could explain herself any further, Ana ran forward and grabbed her arm, tugging harshly at her and making sure not to let her go by any means.

“No! Let me go!” Clara shouted, trying to free from her best friend’s grasp, but she was tugging just as hard, her teeth bare and gritting.

“Never!” Ana resolutely said. “I don’t want you to go back! It’s too dangerous! Even Mommy and Daddy say so! I won’t let you go!”

This was the first time Ana was so resolutely against something as reckless as this. While it was usually the other way around, Ana would normally just make mischief and trouble for the neighbors, all of which were entirely fine as in the end, Ana was a good girl that cared for others, even if it meant cleaning up her own messes more often than not.

This was shown again now, trying to stop her best friend from trying to go back to the location where even her super powerful parents would say that it was dangerous. So there was no way Clara would be fine.

Within the confines of Clara’s soul, Zoan watched as the little girls had their tiny tug of war, and Ana was winning as she had more exercise and physical power than the clearly weak Clara who hadn’t had as much exercise. However, no matter how much Zoan wishes not to intervene, as this was clearly below her stature, there wasn’t much time.

The two siblings do not know the necessity of which Zoan needed, and so she resolves herself to do what she needs to–and awoke.

Power filled her tiny body as Zoan’s eyes, silver and shining, appeared over Clara’s own eyes. With a snap, Zoan pulled her current body’s arm away from Ana, pushing Ana away and making her fall on her rump to the floor.

Ana looked angered, confused, and slightly afraid as she looked up to find her best friend looking down on her. With her head held high, her chin slightly raised, Ana noticed immediately.

“You’re… not Clara,” Ana said, clear hesitation in her tone. “Who… are you Clara’s special friend?”

While Ana rose up to her feet, her knees trembled in Zoan’s eyes. Yet she remained adamant, trying to put on a brave face, though she was failing spectacularly.

There was also something special about this girl as well. While she didn’t seem as special as Clara in terms of soul strength, she didn’t seem to back down from Zoan’s presence, diminutive and tiny though it may be currently.

“My name is Zoan, and I must leave,” Zoan said curtly, her voice the same as Clara, but clearly wasn’t. She turned and with a flash of her will, silvery wings displayed over her back, surprising Ana again with a short yelp as she backed away.

Without waiting for anything longer she pushed off the floor and flew straight towards the entrance door. With her will, she made the door open and allowed her to fly out to the air, forgetting Ana entirely.

She needs to complete her mission, and there are many, many steps in order to accomplish it. No matter how minor this particular step is, she will not hesitate.

For she is the gods’ will, their sword and shield. She will do what she must to serve the gods by any means necessary, even if it means pushing their grand plan a little sooner than she wished.

…..

Myra slumped down on the pristine wooden floor, only just recognizing how nice this part of the tower was compared to the rest of the place. Despite being filled with dangerous lizards and the potential threat deep within, these otherworldly towers were something else.

Though, the sight of the two skeletons slumped together really ruined the prestige of the place. She curled her legs and plastered her face on her knees. She had enough of this.

But she can’t even imagine the pain that both Zeke and Mikella were going through now. In some ways, they were their people from their own world. The two died like animals caught in a predators’ trap. Who in their right minds could accept such a thing?

It was no wonder that Zeke almost lost himself, his attunement ready to blow the entire place away. Not that she could really be okay with that, what’s with them being so close to the epicenter. Still, she was even more surprised that Mikella was the one that calmed him down, rather than the other way around.

Though that look in her eyes did frighten her a bit. But not in fear for her life. It was what she might do to let out the stress. Her thoughts were jumbled before she heard another person slump down beside her. Not too close, about a few feet apart, but she could tell from the heavy armor clunking and the careful positioning that it’s none other than Piker.

He looked just as distraught, even if a little bit smoother than her own expression right now. He looked distant at the ground, gripping his fist and loosening it every few times.

“How are they?” Myra asked. She was the first to slump down, so she didn’t see how the two were.

“...They’re resting right now, as they should,” Piker said, sounding a little miffed. He shook his head. “They shouldn’t have moved at all in their state.”

“Can you blame them?” Myra asked, looking down at the floor herself. “According to them, they almost died in their own tower without even knowing why.”

The idea of being taken against your will, to a location filled with danger, at just a measly level 1 with no combat experience? If this was a god’s idea of a trial, then it’s no wonder she never liked the idea of religion, even when she was a child.

At that mention, Piker gripped his fist tighter. “I know, I know… but still, they should’ve followed orders. They would’ve…”

“At some point, they would have seen them,” Myra retorted. “They needed to. It’s their folks from their world.”

She certainly wouldn’t give up if she knew her own people that she knew from the Aetheric Federation were trapped somewhere. People from an entire world she could no longer see? Wouldn’t that make anyone try to find them?

Sure, there was a bad example, like that psychopath necromancer, but even Zeke was willing to not fight and just have him repent and suffer the consequences rather than just kill him. That was, in her eyes, a humane thing to do. Piker instead just stayed silent, locking his jaw.

He wasn’t angry at their behavior. Myra could tell after training with the man for so long. He was furious at what he saw, at the injustice. She even noticed Zacharia looking displeased, even though he was a hard-ass to no avail. Cloud looked sickened, and Val looked ready to let out tears. Everyone was stumped at the scene in front of them. No less than Zeke and Mikella.

“They have no choice but to reach Journeyman in two short years… is that expected of those that survived the towers?” Piker said, mostly to himself. He shook his head. “Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.”

“Tell me about it,” Myra mused. She scoffed. “I keep telling Mikky that she’s a freak of nature, but maybe she needs to be one in order to handle that. Otherwise…”

Otherwise, Clara would get involved, and Mikella would rather off herself and Zeke than to let anything bad happen to her. Even Zeke would agree, the crazy bastard.

And clearly, Myra won’t let them be alone.

“...I’m going to get stronger,” Myra declared. Piker finally looked at her. “I’m gonna get stronger, and keep up with them. Fuck common sense–I’m reaching Journeyman so they won’t have to get through this.”

“...It’s going to be difficult,” Piker said, in a softer tone than he was used to using.

“So what?” Myra stood up. She had enough moping about. “Life’s always difficult. That’s why you gotta get stronger, right?”

After carefully studying her standing form, Piker smirked before standing up himself. “Let’s get around and scout the scene. Zeke and Mikella would… probably want to let out some steam.”

“Hehe,” Myra chuckled. Piker knew how they worked just as well as she did. “Yeah… let’s find them some nice targets to smash.”