"Why do you listen to every word of what the Mimic said?"

Crude words that belittle me and my master traveled into my ears as I'm mining diligently in the treasure trove of a mine. What's with the sudden audacious question? What's more, can't you at least help me instead of just loitering right beside me?

If I do not need the [Light Drop], I would have kicked her out of here. Per master's eccentric words, "Sell that slark".

"Mimic?" I asked. Since I have been digging non-stop for the past two hours, the baskets are all full of ores of different kinds. That's a lot of ores, it should be enough to warrant myself a rest for now. Therefore, I decide to take a break now. I'm wearing plain shirt and a pair simple trousers. It is not from Nilin but master. Seeing Nilin's magic, Master was determine to learn too. In a summary, Master didn't exactly succeed but with Kai's help, he managed.

"Master is not a Mimic." Sitting down just by the walls I have been pounding with a pick axe, I declare so.

"He's not?" Nilin raised an eyebrow at my denial and sat across from me while holding her knees close to her chest. It's true, you now? I have seen his race myself, master's race is called a Violet Tail, a Magic Beast.

"How is he not? Demi-humans or other beasts disguised as a human would always have some sort of feature that calls out their true nature. Only Mimics are able to perfectly disguise as a human without leaving any physical trace that calls them out. Which is why they are called Mimics."

Nilin explained. She looks proud and is emitting some sort of aura. Master described it as "praise me" aura. What a weird description but as expected of master. And why would I want to praise her?

I may be loyal to master but I'm not a simpleton. I can understand Nilin spoke a good argument, so I can't retort.

"I never met a Mimic before your master but I'm told they are just the lowest of the low. The Great Spirit even said there's no loyalty nor honor even among their own kind."

"It changes nothing even if Master is a Mimic."

Since Nilin flinched a little from my retort, I must have been quite infuriated. She recovers quickly and leans forward to me. Since her dress is a little larger than her figure, I can see her immature and modest chest in bare. I said nothing, of course. "Why do you respect him so much?" She asked.

"Master freed me of my accursed fate as a mere Goblin. He has given me a new life, twice."

"Heh~? Really?"

Why do you look disappointed?

"Chiee~! It was something so rooted, eh." She murmured with a sneer but I heard it clearly due to my race as an Oni, I have a keen sense of hearing.

What do you mean by "something so rooted"?

"Neh~ Tom."

Hmm? Her tone changed. Her face is even closer.

"D...do you have s...someone?"

Huh? Do I have someone? "I have master?"

"Ngeh~? You swing that way?" Nilin exclaimed

"Um.... I have Bartholomew and Cormac too?"

"Ah~?" She sighs. "Idiot."

Huh? Idiot? Me? Why?

"I don't mean that."

"Um.... I have you too?"

She backed away in an instance as she went full red on her face. This has happened for quite some time now. I wonder if she's sick? When I spoke to master about this, he brushed it off as nothing.

Nilin is looking down at the ground. She is trembling while gripping her fist. Is she sick? If you are sick, you should consult master, you know?

When she raised her head back up, she throw herself at me. I gently I receive her but she presses on. More precisely, she presses her face at me.

"Hmm?" Her eyes widened and tilted her head when I place my hand between our almost connected lips.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

She pulled back. "W....what do you mean why?"

"Kissing is something that should be done between two consenting individuals. We shouldn't do something like that so casually, you know?"

"Huh~? Are you trying to s...say t...that you don't l...like me?"

I tilt my head, not understanding her words. "You are a friend. I like you, of course but kissing is done between lovers, is it not? That's what master told me." In my time as a goblin, I have never even done something like kissing to the unfortunate females.

Eh? She's crying? Why is she crying? She's so weird.

"Mou~! You idiot!" She yelled and swung her opened palms across my face. I was slapped by Nilin. Why did she do that? Moreover, she got up with tears overflowing her eyes. "Why did I ever like you in the first place...." She said and ran off into a direction that is not the exit. I call out to her but she doesn't respond and kept running.

Wait? She likes me?

.....

Why? What does she sees in me? How can someone like me be loved by a pure existence like a Spirit? She's cute and a very good girl but she can be quite condescending sometimes but nonetheless, she's a good girl. Why does she like someone like me... a goblin....?

I don't understand..... This is absurd. Why would anyone like a goblin in the first place....

No. She must have made a blunder like always. Yes, that must be it. She's very absent-minded after all. I must have misinterpret it. She doesn't meant it in that way. Yes, it must be like that.

[*sighs* You two are just right for each other.] Master said to me through telepathy. Master is currently at the east of this city ruin, where the forest full of medicinal plants is. Since my training with Cormac and Bartholomew always ended with us being covered in wounds, master told us it would be better if we have some healing reagents just in case of emergency. He is being led by Lady Senna. He wanted Nilin to lead instead because she's a Spirit of Nature but Nilin was stubborn in accompanying me. Master eventually gave up and took Lady Senna.

[Eh, master? Have you been listening all along?]

[Who knows?]

Master always does this. Being vague with his words, I hate this part of master but I won't tell him that. [Everything all right there?]

[Absolutely.] Kai answered instead.

[Can't say the same for the Spriggans though.]

[Spriggans?] I asked.

[They just appeared out of nowhere. They seemed to be protecting something.]

Something's happening there but since it's master, I'm sure everything will be fine. [How's your hand, master?]

[Good. Better than I thought. It is quite flexible. I don't need to worry about getting hurt on the right arm.]

I'm relieved. Master seemed to have trouble with his "new" right arm but I'm glad it's fine now.

[Oops. Talk later. Got company.] Master said and cut off the link.

I know it means nothing for me to say this but please be safe, master.

After resting for a while with my eyes close in a delicate posture, I feel rejuvenated. It was something master taught me. It's called meditation. It is quite relaxing. Yosh~! I have rest enough. Time to get back to work.

As I am about to resume back my work, I felt a huge surge of energy coming from where Nilin ran off to.

Not good.

I ditched everything and dashed down the path Nilin went on.

[Tom, what's wrong?] Master called.

[I don't know. I detected an energy surge. Nilin is there.]

[We're on our way. I want you stay put but....]

[I know but Nilin might be in huge trouble.]

[I understand. Just make sure you both get out of this. I won't ask you to be unscathed or even come back in one piece but please, just be alive.]

[I know, master. Over and out.] I said and cut the link. The last words were something taught by master, obviously.

Using [Lightning Magic: Flickering Steps] in conjecture with [Wind Magic: Air Drive], I reached Nilin's location in less than a minute. Thank the stars for the path is only a straight line without splits.

A dead end. Is what I thought for a moment but there's a huge gap in the walls disguised by the natural formation of the terrains. Nilin passed through there.

I broke through the small gap using [Exalted Skin] and found Nilin on the ground, stunned by some magic. No, she's not stunned by magic but by the energy pressure in this room. The Mana flowing in this enclosed space is denser than anywhere I know. The room is covered with magic inscription runes. They are flickering with blue glow. A spell is activating.

My assumption is proved to be correct when [Arcane Analysis] showed this text, [Mass Teleport]. Nilin must have stumbled onto this place by accident and activated something.

Nilin is grasped by fear so tight that she didn't even hear me breaking through.

"Nilin!" I called out with a shout.

She responded with a jump and turns towards me. "Tom?"

"Nilin, let's get out of h...." I reached out to her

Before my words can be finished and our hands could connect, the glow of the runes is set alight and basked the whole room with a brazen red.

----------------------------------------

"Incompetent."

"Useless."

"Disgrace."

"Inferior in every way."

Huh? What's this? Who are these people that have gathered around?

Is that a kid?

A group of peoples are gathered around a small child. He has short black hair. He has no notable features. He is just plain.

"To think the Valerius family would produce a trash like you."

"Useless in every way. Not a single talent. What good are you to this family?"

I am not a trash.

I am not useless.

I didn't asked for this.... Please understand....

It didn't came from the boy's mouth. I heard it in my mind but I know it came from him. The boy looks familiar. I felt acquainted with him. Have I met him somewhere before?

"What did the head say?"

"Nothing. A thing like him is not worth the head's time. He has left us to deal with it."

"It's a shame. A reincarnated but a failure."

"To think that we once thought we struck gold."

Reincarnated? The boy?

Why me...?

What have I ever done to deserve this?

Soon, not just the adults but the other children joined in the belittlement. Every insults are thrown at him like stones at full force.

Please... forgive me....

I have done nothing wrong....

I just wanted.... I just wanted...

As the boy pleaded back in his mind, our eyes met and all other figures disappeared with a ripple. Nothing but despair and sorrow can be felt from the boy. I can sense anger boiling in him but it was always quenched by some rational lie he concocted on his own. No matter how much his family hated and despise him, I can feel the boy can't bring himself to hate them back.

Why can't he?

In a flash, the memory changed.

The scenery is completely different than the former. It is calm. It is without despair nor sorrow. If anything, it is warming. A serenity.

Ha... I'm speaking words that I never knew I know. Is this because I'm in master's memory? Are these really master's memories?

If not, then whose?

Hmm? What's that?

An arm's length away from my feet, is a small creature that resembles an over-mutated bug. It is no bigger than my palm. Its whole body is blacked except for its faint gleaming purplish eyes. And the tips of its tail, it's glowing a vibrant violet color. I have seen it before but I can't remember where.

The bug creature is hurt. It continues oozing out red blood despite being a bug. This could be the first time I have seen a bug bleeding red.

A rustle sound of fallen twigs and dead leaves caught both me and the bug creature's attention. We turn our eyes to the source of the rustling sounds. There stood a girl in a simple white one piece. She has shoulder length black hair. Her distinctive trait are the amber eyes of hers.

The bug creature watches with curiosity at the girl approaching it.

A slight distortion appears on the girl's face. Is it because she realized what it is?

At the sight of the shift of the girl's facial expression, the bug creature froze. It further cowers behind a stone when the girl picked up a small piece of rock. Is the girl trying to kill it? The small cowering creature wrapped himself into a shape like the stone it cowers behind. It morphs into that same stone but only for a split second, it turned back into its bug form. The creatures shrieked with a jump and buries itself with the dead leaves.

Cute.It was even more so on how it trembles under the leaves when it realized its mimicry failed.

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The girl's action froze and her stance slackened after, though she is still holding onto the rock. She looks conflicted. The girl took one step forward and the creature scurried away from its "hiding" spot. It retreated to the back of an old stump, curling itself there.

The girl chuckled but not out of ridicule, I think? Eventually, she dropped the rock and knelt in front of the bug creature. She muttered something with a regretful smile and extended her hands at the bug creature.

The creature uncurled itself. It showed itself from behind the stump and stares at the girl with amber eyes. As if they understood each other just like that, the palm-size creature made a sound that can only be described as joy. It then hopped into the girl's palms without any hesitation. The girl giggled at its sloppy jump.

It is simply a heartwarming sight but....

I soon realize that it was just on the surface.

In my mind, I heard the dark echoes of that bug creature, its true nature.

Mine. it declares as it curled up in the girl's palm. Forever.

----------------------------------------

"Tom!"

I jolted up when I feel a full brunt of something sinking into my stomach. The face of teary-eyes Nilin greeted me. I have no doubt if I had put more force into waking up, our heads would probably collide. She's on top of me.

"Nilin, you're alright?" I asked while rustling her hair. She's quite light surprisingly. She is half as heavy as she looks which is why it didn't actually hurt when she dove into me.

"Mou~ That's something I should be asking you." She said, rubbing her eyes of her tears. "So reckless...." And she buries her face into my chest.

Reckless, me? You were the one who tripped the magic off, you know? When my hand stops rustling her hair, she looks up at me.

"More." She said and buried her face into my chest again. Sheesh, what a troublesome girl. I continue caressing her hair anyway.

We stayed like that for a while.

Hmm? My mind feels empty for some reasons.

[Master, you there?]

.....

No answer. As far as I know, range doesn't affect my link with master, Kai told us so. There's only one reason that our link is severed. A magical barrier that severs or disrupts magical links. I look around and saw no words appearing into my view. Where's my appraisal ability? I can't speak to master or Kai and I lost my ability to appraise. This is not good.

Nilin perks up from my chest and swing her head around. She conjures up a [Light Drop] that illuminates our surrounding. "Where are we?" She asked.

I want to know too, you know?

The area we are in doesn't look that different from the mine except the absence of veins which makes the whole place feels rather lonely and depressing. It feels like my time back at the dungeon. The only consolation is how unusually wide this place is. The ceiling is at least ten meters from the ground.

The sound of rocks hitting the floor can be heard and I direct my gaze at the direction of the noise.

"What is that~!?" Nilin shrieked and retreated into me, literally. She is seriously trying to wiggle her way into my body. Was is that scary?

I asked Nilin to shine at the place where the sound came from. It is a Golem, a humanoid rock Golem. It is as tall as me and it is wearing some sort warrior armor that is made from the same material as its body. Is the armor part of the Golem after all?

"T...Tom?" Nilin shook my clothes.

{Intruder.}

The Golem spoke in Helix as it pointed at us.

{N...no. W...we're not. We just stumbled into this place by chance. W...we're not intruders.} I replied back in Helix.

{Password.}

It demanded.

I randomly spout something in Helix but none of it incur a positive response from the Golem.

{Intruder --}

Its voice has gotten lower and I can feel the imminent hostility in its tone. Even Nilin tightened her grasp on my clothes. It kinda hurts since she's stretching my shirt but I don't mind it.

{-- must perish!}

It declares so and rocks broke off from the wall. No, they are not rocks. They are Golems like the one declaring our death sentence in front of us. I counted until I'm unable to keep track of it.

Oi oi, isn't this a little bit too much?

"They are Sentinels."

I raised an eyebrow at Nilin's words. "Sentinels?"

"They are summoned beings. They are often used as guardians for tombs or treasure vaults."

"Are they dangerous?"

"Depends on the summoner. They are one of the summoned beings that can remain in the mortal realm for a long period of time. They are often left to guard something or someplace until the end of their time. The oldest summoned Sentinel known is called The Warden."

Without waiting for us to finish, one of the rock warrior Golems, Sentinels lunge at us with a fine stone sword.

I invoke [Earth Magic: Mud Wall] to block the sword.

"Ah~!"

Nilin screamed as the stone sword broke through the frail muddy wall. The Sentinels are stronger than I expected but this is also expected. I turn the Sentinel into pieces with [Aura Strike].

Grabbing Nilin like an object which she objected while hitting me but this was no time to be considerate, I dash to a corner with [Flickering Steps]. That way, I wouldn't need to worry about getting back-stabbed.

I barely dodge under a swing which cut some strands of Nilin's hair. I launch that Sentinel away from us with [Night Javelin], impaling its friends along the way. I shattered two swords with [Rageblade] and decapitated the two attacking Sentinels.

Using a new ability I created with assistance and suggestion from Kai, [Rage Spear], I swing the spear of shadow flames in a wide arc, bisecting multiple Sentinels at once. I pull back the spear and thrust it back out, skewering another dozen numbers of Sentinels. The ones who got through my assault pounces at me. Shrinking the spear into the length of a sword which is essentially a [Rageblade] now, I sliced them into half and diced them into chunks.

There a few of the Sentinels that look different. They are without weapons. I understand why immediately when they fired magic at us. Fireballs, Wind Blades, Water Bullets, Lightning Bolt, and Mud Boulder, all of them are novice-level spells but when they came in a bulk, it felt like adept-level. I raised defensive spells against the magic with opposing elements. Water against fire, lightning against water, earth against lightning, wind against earth, and fire against wind. I discovered this order during my training with Cormac and Bartholomew.

My Mana isn't in a dire situation but exhaustion is seeping into me.

I can hear Nilin clapping behind me. I appreciate her support but can't she help too? When I asked her in between the onslaught of waves, she told me as a young Spirit of Nature, she has sworn to do no harm until she comes of age. What kind of law is that? Since she's a Spirit and I'm an Oni, it's probably a common sense for their kind that I don't understand. After all, Master is weird too.

The Sentinels keep coming and I keep killing. I can tell my training is paying off. However....

It's no use.

I have killed more than a few dozens but they just keep coming. My Mana is not low nor do I think I will need to worry about it given my Mana recovery rate, but if it goes one like this, I think my stamina will give out first.

Huh? The Sentinels stopped attacking all of a sudden. Since they all wore the same unchanging expression, I can't tell what they are planing. Suddenly, the earth below my feet is making thumping sounds. With each beat, the crowd backs away.

I should be relieved for having a moment for breather but I can't shake off the premonition I have.

And I am correct with my premonition.

Parting the crowd, steps that shook the earth, a roughly four meter tall Sentinel struts toward us. It wields a club in its right arm. The club is glowing with blue light inscription runes. Is this magic enchantment?

Just by raising its club, the shadow cast shrouds us in darkness.

I moved away from the spot the club is swung down at. Of course, I didn't leave Nilin behind. I'm carrying her under my arms. She complains but she understands the reason my action. I have moved into the air with [Air Drive]. Not just the ground, the air and winds shook as well from the Giant Sentinel's attack. What kind of strength is that? I don't think master can even survive that.

Behind the uncountable numbers of Sentinel swarm, I see a way out. I don't know if it's really one but it's better than staying in here. I use [Air Drive] with [Flickering Steps] to reach the passage. Spears and spells are thrown at me from the ground but I destroyed them all with my shadow flame aura, [Dark Shroud]. I invoked it in a ring shape so Nilin would not get caught in it too.

Hmm? What's that? A magic circle?

A blue magic circle forms before the leader Sentinel. I can see a tip of a sharp object emerging from the circle. I can tell it is made of Mana.

Shit. I realized it too late. It's a projectile-based spell. I have seen an adventurer mage used this once, I remember it is called [Mana Arrow]. But... is it suppose to be this big? The magic arrow came at us at a speed not loosing to a real arrow shot from a bow. It's fast. I avoid the arrow penetrating my head but it grazed my back. The magic arrow managed to pierce through [Dark Shroud] without being destroyed. My balance is toppled and I'm further hit by more spells. I make sure to shield Nilin from the spells.

When the spells hit, I endured the impact and pain by gritting my teeth. Blood spout out from between my clenched teeth.

"Tom!" Nilin screamed. "W...what are y...you doing!?" Understandable. She must be scared by the barrages of attacks. Don't worry, I won't let you get hurt.

"Look out!"

Even if she warned me, I am attacked by spells and spears from all sides while shielding her, there is no way I can dodge the club swinging at my way. I threw her away from me. I even ease her fall with [Wind Magic]. Making sure she doesn't get hurt had rid me of my opportunity to dodge the incoming club. I can only close my eyes and braced for the impact.

----------------------------------------

Huh.... Looks like I'm in the memories again. Hmm.... What was I doing just now? I can't remember no matter how hard I tried.

Bright. This place is too bright. Noisy. This place is also too noisy.

I'm surrounded by flames. A two floor building is burning down before me. Screams and cries mixed in with the sounds of the blaze cracking at every object it touches.

Corpses are scattered around, men or woman, children or elder, beast or human, there was no discrimination.

Besides the corpses, everyone is fighting each other. It wasn't just Sagax against monsters. Sagax were fighting Sagax. Monsters were fighting monsters. Chaos would be an understatement to this situation.

I heard a short cry coming from behind and I turned back to see the girl with amber eyes tripped on a pebble. She went sprawling on the ground, probably because she was running prior. Nothing was chasing her though?

No. She is running for the burning building. She got back up quickly like the fall was just an illusion. She paid no heed to everything else happening around her. She's screaming for someone or something but I can't hear her words.

A woman came up beside her. She is dressed like a servant. The girl's dire expression loosened for awhile when she saw the woman. A faint smile appeared on her face but almost. The girl's face tightened back. She noticed something and she shrunk away from the woman. The woman insisted but the girl drew the sword by her waist and slashed at the woman. The girl stared daggers at the woman who is leaking out black blood on her cheek. The woman then shrewdly smile. Tearing apart the skin, a monster of hideous appearance emerged from within the body of the woman.

The girl lost strength at the sight of the monster. She fell and dropped her sword. Her strong-willed gaze took a turn into a face distorted with despair. She even wet herself not just her eyes but also her private area.

Before the monster could lunge and swing its sharp claws at the girl, another monster lunges itself at that monster. The attacking monster is covered with purplish veins and it has a violet tip on its tail. The purple monster then tore away its prey and feast on its flesh. Black tendrils emerged from its back and assisted participated in the feast.

B...black tendrils.... Is that....

When the purple monster finished mauling its prey, it turned its purplish glowing eyes to the girl with amber eyes.

The girl's face of despair twisted even more but it twisted into a face of anger. She screamed at the purple monster. It only chuckled back as its response. Seeming intimidated by it, the girl lunged at the monster but the monster itself took a passive stance.

I could be wrong but the monster looks amused. Why?

Right before they clash, the building explodes and the flames came at every direction.

My vision is then dyed the brilliant colors of flames.

She's mine!

The same voice echoed in my mind.

None of you shall take her away from me.... I won't let any of you have her...

No one.

NO ONE!!

----------------------------------------

Ahhh!

I shouted as I woke up but I kept silent at the following second.

What the hell was that....? Why did I screamed?

Argh... I can't remember.

Ugh....

I can't move....

Why....? Why can't I move?

I'm not in pain. I don't even feel the least bit of pain.

Ah. I can move but I just can't feel it. As evidence, I moving my fingers but I don't feel like my fingers are moving. What a weird feeling.

"A...ah..."

I can speak, barely.

Flames is conjured in my palm.

I can still use magic.

Good. I'm still fine.... I am, right? Hmm? My other hand is bent in a way it's not suppose to, even the fingers too. I snap all of them back into place and I felt absolutely nothing. This is too weird.

When I got up slightly, I noticed I'm bleeding but I'm not bleeding red. Flames are swaying around my wounds and shadows are leaking out from it. What the.... Oh right. It's one of the effects of my unique Arcane Art, [Blaze of the Depths].

What happened? Hmm.... Oh right, I was hit with that giant club. I'm alive though? I'm alive, right? Well, I feel alive. I don't feel any pain anywhere on my body. Weren't my bones suppose to be shattered?

Do I even have bones while the special effects of [Blaze of the Depths] is active?

I move my eyes around. Am I in a hole?

{What is the meaning of this...?}

Hmm? Is it talking to me?

I push myself up to my feet and slowly limp out of the hole I'm battered into. I see Nilin standing in between me and the leader Sentinel.

"You shall not harm this Oni." She said. How unusual. Her voice actually carries weight.

{In accordance to my master's wish, all intruders and uninvited shall be eliminated. You are spared because of your race, O' young Spirit.}

"I don't care." She stood strong but her knees are obviously shaking. Is rare or rather, very unexpected for her to be like this. "This Oni is my..... frie.... No. He's my.... beloved."

Huh? W...what? What are you saying, Nilin?

{Really now?}

Nilin return an unfaltering gaze at the Sentinel.

{Very well, then.}

What...? You are going to let us go?

{You shall die with the intruder, O' young Spirit.}

Eh?

"I would like to see you try." Nilin said and she begin to glow cyan. A huge amount of Mana surged within her as she unleashed certain spells. Without the appraising ability, I can't tell what spells she has invoked.

A huge brazen cyan light filled the room for a second before dying down. Everyone in the room waited for an effect to take place but nothing happened after ten seconds passed.

What was that?

Nilin shook her head with a downed gaze. "Great Spirits.... Forgive this impudent Wisp of a young Spirit of Nature." She said and invoked another spell.

Wow.... Heaps of cyan vines erupted from the earth and entangled the Sentinels including the giant-variant. Cyan energy converges in front of Nilin.

Um.... Nilin, what are you doing? That's an attack spell, right? Didn't you say you are not allow to do any harm before your coming of age?

Nevertheless, Nilin fires the condensed ball of cyan energy at the Giant Sentinel. It hit but nothing particular happened. Without any grunt nor words of rebuke, the Giant Sentinel swung its club despite the restraining vines.

NIL...!

Before I can even scream out her name, she is launched into the sky like a doll. I don't know if Spirits bleed but one thing's for sure, a girl of her size can't survive that.

"NILIN!!!"

I tried to run to her before she lands but the absent feeling of body control made me trip and fell.

Curses! Not now! Fucking useless legs!!!

{Eliminate them both.} The leader Sentinel ordered and the others began moving.

You.... you.... you shit fucks!!! If you touch her, I.... I'll.... I'll kill you all!!! You hear me!!! I'll kill you all!! If you touch her, I'll kill all you fucks!!

I kill you all. I'll leave none of you alive.

That's right. Kill them all. And feed on the flesh of the fallen. Like your master.

What... H...how are you....?

Shh.... Don't fret the details now. You just need to kill them all and devour them. Like you wished, all along. Just like how you always wanted...

Shut up! How are you here? Aren't you suppose to be....

Sealed? Haha.... With that level of [Sealing Magic]? Is your master that naive or just too arrogant? Mah~ That don't matter right now. What matter is what you want to do right now. You want to kill and feed on them like your master, don't you?

You're wrong! I'm not....

Don't lie to yourself any longer. You and that Wisp won't come out of this ordeal alive if all you did is deny what you truly are. You wish to be strong just like your master. You wish to devour enemies like your master could. And most of all....

No... don't say it.... please....

You want her. You desire her. You want to ravage Nilin like you did with the unfortunate females. Admit it.

No! You're wrong!! I'm... I have changed! I'm not a goblin anymore.....

Hypocrite! Stop lying to yourself! You want this. You do not want to escape your accursed fate. You just want to get stronger. You want that girl too. You are greedy, like the Goblin you are. You might not know why she adores you but you know she does.... You played the fool all along because you are in denial of your true nature.

I'm.... I'm not....

Don't. Lie. Admit it. Admit to yourself. What you really are.

I'm an Oni! I'm no longer a Goblin!

You don't believe that, you hypocrite. You will always be a Goblin. You might be an Oni now but first and foremost, you will always be a Goblin. So, why fight it? Why keep denying it? Deny all you want, it won't change the truth. Most of all, it won't help you if all you do, is keep denying what you really are.

I.... I don't care.... I... I don't care what I am! I just want to save Nilin.

Really now? Even now, you still deny it. How long do you think you can keep denying it?

Shut. Up. You don't know me.

But I do.

No! You don't. I am an Oni and yes, I am a Goblin but I am different. I am better than you. Let me show you, what I can do, Goblin.

Mustering all my courage, I plunge my hand into my head. I grabbed onto the dark piece of matter within my brain. Ignoring the consequences and the probably agony that comes later, I tore that dark piece out of me. I threw it to the ground and stomp right down at it, creating a huge den on the ground.

I don't know if I successfully got rid of all of it but the voice has stopped for now. If it comes back, I can just do the same thing.

ARGH!!! Curses! I am able to feel pain again but this is nothing. Just remember the wise words of my master, "All in a hard day's work."

[Conditions Cleared]

[Wrath of Oni (Legacy): Lv. 1 - Acquired]

[Blaze of the Depths (Unique): Lv. 4 increased to Lv. 5]

[Blaze of the Depths (Unique): Demolisher - Acquired]

[Title: - Acquired]

What a hypocritical and ironic title but... whatever... None of that matters now.

I activate [Wrath of Oni] without any second thoughts. It boosts my power and strength and accelerated my healing factor, all at the cost of loosing my Mana at a rapid rate. My Mana doesn't recovers while [Wrath of Oni] is active. The pain is still there but it doesn't bother me for the time being.

I invoke [Demolisher]. Five massive shadow flaming tendrils of human size rush at the Sentinels, instantly decimating the dozens of numbers. The Giant Sentinel is still confused at the sudden lost of its lower body part.

I rush to Nilin, who is in her Wisp form. She is faintly glowing her trademark cyan light. I can tell she is dying even without appraisal.

You idiot! Why are you so reckless?

Just when I begin to wreck my brain for any solution to save her while fending off the unaffected Sentinels, fortune smiles upon me.

[Tom! Are you alright? What about Nilin?]

[What's your status!?]

I heard master and Kai asked at the same time. Geez, what a worrywart you two are.... I have such wonderful friends.

I told master everything and assures them we're fine, for the time being.

Strange, why is the link connected out of a sudden?

Ah, it was that magic that Nilin cast just before. The one that I thought it did nothing. In actuality, she hasn't destroy the obstructing magical barrier but she made a few cracks. Enough to let master know where we are.

"Nice work, Nilin." I gently caress the ball of cyan light. Do I really deserve your love...?

At that moment, the ceiling explodes with black and white lights. Clad in red lightning, master landed right between me and the Sentinels.

Lady Senna is with master, of course but... who's that little girl being cradled in master's arms?

Since my link with master is back, I can use the appraisal ability again.

Huh...?

Name: Kiralhirin

Gender: Female

Age: 20

Race: Dryad (Spirit of Nature)

Status: Fatigue

A Dryad?

What did you do this time, master?