“I know you have many questions but this is neither the time nor place. If we dawdle too long, my brother will learn of you and I cannot allow that to happen. Allow me to grant this blessing upon you with the remaining magic in the shrine. Stay strong and listen to Bayard. He has your best interest in mind! I look forward to the day we can meet in person.”

< Congratulations! You received the Blessing of Xyheia. >

< Congratulations! You have unlocked the “Summon Archer” ability. >

The light dissipated just as the prompt vanished. Dreu looked frantically around to make sense of what just happened.

“Are you okay, Dreu?” asked Jeane. “You seem like you saw a ghost or something.”

“Did you not see the light? Or hear a voice?”

When Dreu saw the others shake their heads, he checked his window prompt for his sanity’s sake. He first saw his new ability and selected it for more details.

< Summon Archer (Lvl 1):

Description: This ability allows the emperor to summon one archer at a low cost of mana. If this is the first time the ability is used, the emperor can only summon a Lvl 1 Archer. If an archer has been summoned before, this ability lets the emperor recall that archer. Recalling an archer is beneficial due to the archer retaining experience obtained from combat. While summoning a fresh archer limits its level to 1, it is possible to recall a higher level archer. Regardless of the level of the archer, this ability limits the emperor to only summoning one archer at one time unless a higher level of the ability is achieved.

Unlike a footman, an archer uses ammunition to attack enemies from afar. When summoned, the archer starts with full ammunition. The emperor can replenish ammunition at a low cost of mana. If an archer has no more ammunition, the archer will use its dagger for close quarters.>

The young man then checked his status but there was no mention of a blessing.

Did I imagine all of that?

Not trusting himself, Dreu retrieved his ax and shield before sitting beside the altar. He replayed the scene a couple of times in his mind before Bayard interrupted him.

Is something the matter, Dreu? You’ve been acting strange.

When I saw the light, I believe Xyheia spoke to me. She spoke of granting me a blessing with the remaining magic in this shrine.

Anything else?

She said you have my best interest in mind and I should listen to you.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

Sounds like her alright!

Dreu was taken slightly aback by the happiness in Bayard's voice as the footman had been a pretty depressing character from their interactions. Recalling the prompt on his new ability, the young man then inquired on the topic with the footman.

Can I summon an archer while you are already summoned?

Yes, Dreu. The limit only applies to the same class….wait, you unlocked that ability?

Yes.

Anticipating a tough battle up ahead, Dreu summoned his first archer. The sudden appearance of an archer made the adventurers jump but Dreu quickly reassured them that this was his ability. He then checked the prompt for more information on the archer.

< Lv 1 Archer (Rohese):

Description: Serving as a basic ranged foot soldier in the armies of the Emperor, the archer is given basic training and armed with a bow and a dagger. An archer has unquestionable loyalty to the Emperor and will fight to the end if ordered to.

Ammunition: Arrows

Recommendations:

-Strong against weak monsters.

-Best used in numbers.

-Take advantage of their range and avoid close quarters.

Status:

+5% attack and defense due to Leadership aura. >

Hello, Dreu communicated with the archer. I look forward to fighting alongside you, Rohese.

The honor is all mine, emperor.

With the introduction out of the way, Dreu rejoined the adventurers to finish discussing Jeane’s plan regarding Cleric Fortress of Ujun. The fortress was built on Mount Ujun and was said to be the second most impenetrable location only bested by the human capital, Xante. In addition to serving as a fortress to hold off possible advances, the location was also turned into a school for Clerics. Anyone who was serious about becoming a cleric would have to attend the Cleric Academy at the fortress where they were taught all that they needed to get started in the profession. Most clerics only had to attend three years before graduation. For Jeane, she attended for five years due to her talents in cleric spells.

“Are we going off the assumption that the fortress is still under human control?” asked Bayard.

“Yes,” replied Jeane. “I know it’s a leap of faith. We might be safer here with the shrine protecting us.”

“I fear the power in this shrine has greatly dwindled after it eliminated all those knights. We will have to keep moving if we want to stay alive.”

“Sounds like we have no choice in the matter.” Gaenor turned to Jeane. “I hope you are right because I have grown tired of running from the demons.”

When asked how they would get there, Jeane brought out the teleport crystal she carried with her. She said that, as soon as they could see Mount Ujun, they should be close enough to trigger the crystal. As for the route to the fortress, they had to go in a completely different direction from the one to the capital. Therefore, they could in theory avoid all demon patrols because they were headed to a place that might not interest the demon forces at all. While this was a gamble, it was the only gamble they had left.

“I suggest we head out tonight,” said Bayard. “Before the demons notice the shrine is unprotected, we will slip away towards Mount Ujun. With some luck, our presence might not be detected by the demons at all.”

With the plan agreed upon, the footman urged everyone else to go to bed while he and Rohese stood guard. He needed everyone to be well rested for the tough journey ahead. Dreu watched Rohese patrol by the windows until sleep finally embraced him. The last thought in his mind was on the Blessing of Xyheia.