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Though Velle received a higher salary than other alchemists for her talents and her role in assembling the descendants, her funds weren’t unlimited—especially when it came to using costly Mana potions for healing. After already using one on Aster, she decided to heal her own injuries the traditional way, resting in the nursing room at Kaska’s workshop.
Reconstruction efforts began the day after the Wintry Wolves’ attack. Despite the lives lost and injuries sustained, Queen Victoria urged her people to stay resilient, while Ember, the princess and heir, vowed to protect the kingdom with her life.
Inside the alchemist workshop, Aster kept close by, spending every spare moment in the nursing room with Velle, who’d changed into the workshop’s spare clothes while her own were being mended.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, sitting on the edge of her bed.
“Fine,” she replied, looking down at herself. “Feels like my injuries are healing faster, thanks to Delphine’s Mana.”
“Glad to hear it. Still, you should rest another day.”
“No can do. I need to head to Goda to find Helena’s descendant.”
“But Velle, you’re not fully healed.”
“I can walk just fine.” She hopped off the bed to prove it. “We need every descendant we can get if we’re going to face those people hunting for the heroes’ Mana.”
Aster sighed at her determination. “Guess I really can’t stop you. Let’s at least get you a new pair of glasses.”
Velle thought for a moment, then turned back to him. “Actually, I’m thinking of switching to goggles.”
“Goggles?” he asked, raising a brow. “I don’t think they make any with myopia correction, though.”
“I’ll put in a custom request to headquarters before leaving Kaska. Until then, normal glasses will have to do.” Velle adjusted the spare clothes. “Where are my clothes, anyway?”
Since her old ones were too damaged, they headed to a nearby store, where she found a new outfit similar to her usual style: a black and purple short-sleeve ensemble with a brown vest and black shorts for easy movement in combat. She also picked up a temporary pair of glasses, courtesy of Aster’s wallet.
At the mana rail station, Aster and Ember saw her off as she prepared to leave for Goda, a small town far west of Kaska.
“Stay safe, Velle,” Ember said, placing a hand over her chest.
“I will. And... sorry about the damage to the kingdom.”
“What are you talking about? You helped us defeat the beasts.”
Ember, unaware the wolves had attacked due to Velle taking Delphine’s Mana, had no idea what she meant by that apology.
“Right,” Velle said softly. With that, she boarded the mana train, her wounds still aching but her focus on recruiting Helena’s descendant, whatever it took.
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After a full day of travel, Velle finally reached her destination. Goda, a small town with no mana rail station, required her to disembark at a nearby city and walk the last few hours on foot. As she entered the town, everything seemed perfectly normal—townsfolk and hunters went about their business, oblivious to her arrival.
Scanning the area, Velle quickly located Helena’s descendant, her Mana signature standing out inside a large mansion across town. But there was another presence too, one with an unusually dense concentration of Mana.
Curious and alert, Velle moved toward the mansion, slipping through its slightly open iron gate. In the garden, she saw two people seated at an outdoor table—a young girl, who looked no older than twenties, and an older man—apparently in the middle of a tea party. A butler stood nearby, watchful and poised.
“There you are,” the man greeted her with a calm smile, motioning for her to join. “Come, sit with us.”
Without a word, Velle approached and took a seat, and the butler promptly poured her a cup of tea.
“So, you’re one of the descendants, like me,” the girl said, her tone light and polite. “I’m Betty. Nice to meet you.”
Betty had long pink hair with curled sidelocks and black eyes, her petite frame accentuated by a hint of curves. Velle examined her briefly, then replied, “Velle.”
She turned her attention to the man, who was quietly sipping his tea, eyes closed.
“You’re probably wondering who I am and why I have such immense Mana,” he said, his words striking right to the heart of her curiosity.
“Are you another descendant?” Velle asked, her body tensing as her guard went up.
“Oh, no. I’m not one of you.” He opened his eyes and gave her a polite nod. “My name is Theodore.”
At the mention of his name, Velle immediately recalled Renn’s warnings back in Veledot.
“I believe you’ve heard of me through your friend… Renn, was it?” Theodore continued, smiling knowingly.
This confirmed it.
“You’re responsible for the illegal mana weapon manufacturing, the underground arena, and the creation of the giant monster in Veledot,” Velle stated coldly.
“Yes, that’s me.” Theodore acknowledged it with casual ease, taking another sip of tea.
Velle’s gaze hardened. “What’s your interest in Betty? In the descendants?”
“I simply wish to be… friends with you all.” Theodore set his cup down, eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “And I must say, congratulations, Velle. Your method of absorbing the heroes’ Mana using existing inventions? Impressive. I respect your ingenuity. Now, we needn’t ‘steal’ the Mana, as you put it.”
The realization dawned on Velle swiftly. “So, you’re connected to that mysterious hunter group seeking the heroes’ Mana?”
“Indeed,” he confirmed, his smile broadening. “I arranged for a squad to locate and collect the heroes’ Mana with the goal of, eventually, giving them to you descendants. Although… I may have left out that last part when briefing my men.”
Velle’s face reflected her growing confusion as she tried to decipher Theodore’s motives. Across from her, Betty continued to sip her tea, seemingly unfazed, with her butler standing at attention beside her chair.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“I heard Axel’s descendant was acting… odd. What did you do to him?” Velle asked, her eyes narrowing sharply as she watched Theodore.
“That’s one of the projects we’re working on,” he replied, his tone casual. “But I assure you, the mind control effects have been lifted now that our testing is complete.”
“Bring him to us as proof, then.” Velle’s voice held open skepticism.
“When the time is right, I’m sure you’ll cross paths,” Theodore said, taking another leisurely sip of tea.
Velle’s patience was wearing thin. “So why exactly do you want us to gather the heroes’ Mana?”
Theodore’s smile faded slightly, a more serious look taking its place. “Are you familiar with the prophecy of the legend? The one that drove Neona to seal herself away three hundred years ago?”
“Prophecy?” Velle looked blank, caught off guard.
Theodore rose from his seat and began circling the table, hands folded behind his back as he spoke. “The ancient beasts would awaken once more, the world would teeter on the edge of ruin, and the Goddess of Light would fall to darkness. That’s how the prophecy goes.”
“That was three hundred years ago. Why would it matter now?” Velle asked as he came back around the table to his seat.
“What if I told you an organization is actively working to revive the ancient beasts?”
Theodore’s words stunned Velle, and even Betty looked startled, her usual calm shaken.
Velle shot up from her seat. “That’s impossible!”
“You’re aware of the cults devoted to these creatures, right?” Theodore countered smoothly. “The beasts still exist somewhere in this world, in a state like hibernation.”
Velle’s face twisted with doubt, her knuckles white against the table. “How could that be? If they’re as massive as the legends say, someone would have spotted them by now.”
“They’ve been in a form of stasis, hiding in places we humans wouldn’t be able to reach normally,” he explained. “Without their Mana, they’re essentially empty shells. Not quite alive, but far from dead.”
“Then what are you getting at? What’s your endgame?” Velle demanded, her grip on the table tightening.
Theodore’s smile returned, wider and more chilling than before. “To destroy Neona, the Goddess of Light.”
Velle’s expression froze, eyes wide. “What?”
“Yes. By eliminating Neona and the Mana within her, the Mana of the ancient beasts would vanish forever, effectively stopping the prophecy in its tracks.”
Betty finally broke her silence, curiosity piqued. “So… you want to kill the Goddess of Light?”
“We’ve managed just fine without her for the past three centuries.” Theodore shrugged. “But, of course, she’s a goddess—reaching her is no easy task. Luckily, I have a lead.”
He explained that Neona had created a “dungeon of trials” somewhere on the Mainland, sealing herself away in its depths. To reach her, the power of all seven heroes was required. He didn’t know the dungeon’s exact location, but assembling the seven descendants was his first step. Declaring a mission to kill Neona, however, would raise public outrage. And so, he chose to operate in the shadows, keeping his ambitions hidden from the world.
“In the meantime, our organization has been working on a few projects to help humans defend themselves against monsters. We’re developing more affordable mana weapons, exploring mind control effects for turning monsters into allies, and even making strides in teleportation,” Theodore continued, almost bragging.
“Your weapons are shoddy at best,” Velle countered.
Theodore didn’t miss a beat. “Yet we sell them at prices Alchemist Corp wouldn’t dream of matching. And we do craft high-quality weapons—but those go only to the talented. Why waste our best work on amateurs?”
Velle kept quiet, observing him. Theodore was answering her questions so openly, it felt like he wasn’t hiding a thing. Yet, her instincts screamed at her that something was very wrong.
“We want your cooperation, Velle. As a descendant and a respected alchemist, you’re valuable to us.” He held out a hand, eyes gleaming with expectation.
Velle studied his hand, weighing her options. She could act as a spy, but Theodore seemed too sharp to be fooled for long. She wasn’t sold on killing Neona, even if his reasoning had a twisted kind of logic. And his idea of using mind-controlled monsters to fight other monsters? Too many questions, none with good answers.
“I refuse.” Velle’s voice was steady, her gaze unwavering as she readied herself with a surge of mana.
To her surprise, Theodore simply chuckled, leaning back in his seat. “I see. That’s why we need a few descendants on our side—so you won’t interfere with our plans.”
Velle relaxed slightly, seeing he wasn’t going to use force. She turned to Betty. “Are you seriously siding with him?”
Betty sipped her tea, unfazed. “I trust him. I know him better than I know you, descendant or not.”
Velle’s jaw tightened, but she couldn’t drag Betty away by force—it would only make her look worse. “Then I’ll be going.”
As she turned to leave, Theodore called after her. “Oh, and you should check on Howl. If you haven’t yet.”
Velle stopped, a frown flickering across her face, but said nothing as she walked out. She headed straight for Goda’s alchemist workshop, using their signal device to reach out to Howl. She waited for his response.
But it never came.
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Later, she learned that Howl had been kidnapped, with the captors demanding an outrageous ransom from King Jaffra. She knew Theodore’s hand was behind it, but there was nothing she could do. The mana he wielded was even stronger than the legendary hero Helena’s within Betty. He could fight, of that she was certain.
In her current state, injured and with her support-based abilities, taking him on alone was far too risky—especially with Howl in their hands. For now, she returned to Alma, determined to track down the remaining two descendants in the eastern region.
But her responsibilities were piling up at the workshop. The mana potions she’d used so rapidly were starting to add up, and the headquarters were expecting progress on her work. Reluctantly, she knew she’d have to stay and focus on her role as an alchemist until a clearer lead appeared.
A few days later, King Jaffra paid the ransom, and Howl was returned to Cladun unharmed. Yet, the experience left Howl simmering with frustration. Despite having inherited Edgar’s Mana, he’d been powerless to prevent his capture. He vowed to grow stronger, as strong as it took to prevent such a thing from ever happening again.
However, during his stay at the enemy’s base, Howl was unable to identify his location, leaving them with no leads on its whereabouts.
When he updated Velle and Renn on the situation, they discussed Theodore’s involvement and his possible connections to the remaining descendants. If he was an acquaintance of Betty, he might know exactly where to find them. They resolved to grow stronger, believing that if they reached their full potential, they could prevent Theodore from reaching Neona.
But the mention of cults worshipping ancient beasts lingered in their minds. As they trained and safeguarded their regions, they began investigating these cults, hoping to uncover any information about the beasts’ supposed resting places.
Theodore’s group remained silent. Some speculated it was due to the eastern region’s security, especially with Alchemist Corp headquarters nearby. Or perhaps Theodore wasn’t in a rush—after all, the final two descendants were bound to surface eventually.
With the ransom he’d taken from King Jaffra, Velle suspected Theodore’s group had ample resources to fuel their work for a long time.
Meanwhile, Renn visited Wendale and Alma to reconnect with friends and family. But with her duties as queen, she soon had to return to the western region.
Ray, on the other hand, was steadily mastering his ancestor’s powers. His progress impressed Theodore enough to allow him to visit Ella’s hometown. Though close to the base, no one told Ray its exact location. Discovering Ella’s past as an orphan drew him closer to her, and, in time, they became more than friends.
Betty, too, was permitted to move between Goda and the base, having pledged secrecy. She and Ray honed their skills and their ancestors’ powers, preparing for future battles.
Four months slipped by in this quiet but tense interim.
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One morning, Theodore sat outside a quaint shop in a large, peaceful city. Across from him sat a striking woman in her mid-thirties with wavy, orange-brown hair, light green eyes, and a touch of red lipstick. She wore oracle-like robes with a hood drawn back.
They were playing chess.
“Some of the descendants are resisting, as you foresaw, Malikah,” Theodore noted, moving a piece.
She captured one of his pieces effortlessly. “They’re descendants of heroes—it’s no surprise.”
Theodore studied the board, then asked, “You’re sure things will go according to plan?”
She chuckled as she moved another piece. “The prophecy will unfold, and yes, you’ll see your Neona.”
Theodore’s brow furrowed. “And this ‘falling into darkness’ part?”
“If we’re the darkness in this world, then there’s no problem, is there?” Malikah replied, sliding another piece forward. “And, checkmate.”
Theodore let out a low laugh, shaking his head. “You keep winning. I swear, you’re getting better every game.”
“Don’t say that. We’re both learning, aren’t we?” She smiled as she stood up, gathering the chess pieces. “But I only have time for one game today. Being a seer doesn’t leave much free time—especially for one as accurate as me.”
Malikah turned to carry the chessboard inside. Before she stepped away, Theodore called after her.
“What’s the score again?”
She paused, smirked, and answered.
“23,634 to 5,283.”
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