image [https://i.imgur.com/eY2gF5l.png]

The very next morning, Arbious awoke from his slumber to the gentle sound of Mila's voice. Standing beside his bed, she softly called out his name, rousing him from his dreams. "What's the matter?" he asked, his eyes still heavy with sleep, reluctantly blinking them open.

"We must hurry... Gray is waiting for us," she spoke, her voice filled with a sense of urgency while maintaining its softness.

Hearing this, Arbious slowly rose from the comfort of his bed. This human body was still taking its time to get accustomed to. Rubbing his eyes as Mila observed him in silence, he asked, his voice drowsy with sleep. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

She voiced her concern, "You shouldn't rub your eyes so vigorously."

Looking at her suspiciously, Arbious decided to come clean with what he had been thinking over the past few hours while he was asleep. "Have you considered my offer yet?"

Mila nodded, and after a brief moment, she finally spoke. "Your deal for my soul... If I may ask, why do you even want my soul... could you at least tell me?"

that's just how things work... it's traditional mainly. But I can't just outright come and tell her I'm the Demon God everyone despises now can I?

Thinking as such, Arbious rose from his bed, facing Mila as he gathered his thoughts. "Listen... about that deal... I've decided to take it off the table,"

Mila's face registered surprise and confusion. "But... but why?" she asked, her voice tinged with disappointment.

He pondered over the deal again. The issue was that he needed Mila's soul to remain untainted for what she had to do. It was his own greed that made him propose such an offer and jeopardized everything he had set in motion. "Forget about that deal," Arbious replied, meeting her gaze. "But seeing how willing you are, I'll teach you some magic once we're back from this journey."

Her eyes widened with surprise and excitement. "Really? What brought about this change of heart?" she asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

"Where I come from, there's a saying: 'Seize the opportunity when it presents itself.' It means not to worry about what might happen and to embrace your destiny," he explained, hoping to alleviate any concerns she might have.

Mila nodded thoughtfully, mulling over my words. "Oh... I suppose that's a good saying," she murmured, recognizing the wisdom behind it.

I made up that quote, I wonder if it's any good... Well, I'll leave it to the philosophers to decide. "But before I can start teaching you, I'd like to know more about your magical abilities. What types of magic can you cast? What tier and form are you proficient in?"

Realizing she hadn't shared this information yet, Mila's replied in embarrassment at her oversight. "Oh, right! I haven't told you what form of magic I practice. I specialize in water and wind magic, and I can cast up to tier-four spells."

So, she's quite advanced in the tiers...

There are ten tiers of magic. A being is considered a Lesser God upon reaching the seventh tier, and ultimately a Higher God upon reaching the tenth.

In comparison, the strongest human I've come across was a paladin of Octavia, Samille, a fiend of a woman who could cast tier-six spells, reeking devastation on the battlefield.

In terms of elves, the strongest elf, or rather, the Elven Queen, Grismala, can cast up to nine tiers of magic, or so she claims. She's a deity of sorts by now, and she's on par in terms of strength with the arch angels... Or perhaps further.

There is also a pinnacle tier of magic called God Tier. An exclusive tier of magic for those who have reached the tenth tier and have mastered all forms of magic in each. Only I, and the lord of the heavens, are capable of wielding this power. Casting this form of magic takes a vast supply of mana, but devastation is a guarantee.

Compared to us, Mila has a lot of room for improvement, but if she can already cast fourth tier magic then she could prove to be a formidable foe if she were to become an enemy. I must ensure she fulfills her proper role in my grand scheme.

I have a spell known as "Bestow upon a favor", a tier nine magic that can increase the tier of magic a singular individual can cast by two, assuming that the opposing person is of tier five and below. This should bring Mila up to tier six, but I should refrain from showing my real powers. She might be alarmed if I cast something that powerful, and considering she's an elf, she might figure out who I am if I cast it. Or get a general idea at the very least if she hasn't suspected already.

There is a downside in casting that spell beyond revealing my identity, yet it should remain a secret for now... With that said, I should help her improve upon her wind magic... But the only wind magic I know is Air Wave, an area-of-effect spell with low damage but also a low mana cost. It's perfect for taking care of goblins, or pests, but that's about it.

Lost in contemplation, Mila's gentle tug on his hand and snapped him back to the present moment. "Arbious?" she questioned.

"Oh, sorry," Arbious replied, realizing his distraction. "I was just considering which aspect of magic to teach you."

Confusion flickered across Mila's face as she sought clarification. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Arbious clarified, "I was thinking about the types of spells that would suit you best. As you progress through the tiers of magic, you'll encounter increasingly complex spells that require intricate chants to bring them to life. I wanted to find a beginner-friendly branch of magic that would be well-suited for someone like you."

"But I can cast tier-four magic already! Are you telling me that's not difficult to do?"

Exactly what I'm saying. Tier four might be difficult to attain, but that said, each tier has weak spells, so saying 'I can cast tier four' isn't saying much. But I'd rather not discourage her with the complexities. She clearly doesn't know how magic is sorted in this world.

"Not at all! Tier four is a high level! I'm impressed you can even cast that far already. But I still have to see you in action before I can choose the basis of your training. I hope you understand."

"I understand," she mumbled in disappointment. "But I suppose you make a valid point, one that I can't argue."

She is surprisingly good in controlling her emotions, I'll give her that at the very least. Perhaps Graybeard's roughness has gotten to her.

"So, when are we heading out? I'm looking forward to seeing you fight," Arbious asked, though he wasn't entirely honest.

"Graybeard is waiting for us at the Adventurer's Guild. We have to take our jobs from there. Are you ready to depart?" She asked, turning toward Arbious with a change in attitude and excitement.

"Yes, let's go." Arbious nodded in confirmation.

As they got ready for the day, Arbious firmly grasped his scythe, its weight reassuring in his hand, while Mila retrieved her staff, both of which they had left by the front door. As they stepped out of the Inn, Arbious cast a final look back at the building, a sense of uncertainty creeping into his mind about when they would be able to return from the task at hand.

I haven't used a scythe before... I wonder how I'll do...

image [https://i.imgur.com/7fgH3qs.png]

Arbious and Mila made their way to the city square, the same place they had gone shopping the day prior. The city was active, with adventurers buying and selling goods as always, without a worry in the world. Occasionally, people cast glances at Arbious here and there, their concerns raised by his red eyes.

Making their way to the Adventurers Guild, they passed by many groups of adventurers that were departing for their journeys. As they approached the guild, a large stone building going up three different floors came into their sight. "That's the guild," Mila spoke with excitement as she pointed to the building. "The establishment of a renowned warrior known as Avo."

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"Avo?" Arbious asked, curious whether he was famous or not.

"Yeah! I'm surprised you haven't heard of him," Mila replied, the tension in her voice still present yet diminished. "He's known as the Dwarven Prince, and as the name suggests, he is just that, but even more, a great warrior, specialized in hand-to-hand combat."

"A Prince? All the way out here?"

"From what I've heard, he is the third prince of their country."

So, in other words, he's useless.

As they stepped inside the Adventurers Guild, they were greeted by a luxurious hall adorned with pleasant scenery. A long red carpet stretched from the entrance to the reception desk, inviting them deeper into the building. The vast, spacious interior was filled with tables and chairs, creating a bustling atmosphere where adventurers gathered to converse and enjoy their meals. The lively ambiance filled the air, resonating with stories and camaraderie that permeated the guild's walls. Arbious was overwhelmed by the number of people inside, and as his mind began to wander off, Graybeard approached them with his axe in hand. "Oy lad. Ya ready for an adventure I take it?" He asked, looking at the scythe Arbious carried. "Ya know, ya ought to be careful with that thing."

Whatever this weapon is, it's the only one that looked demon forged... Who forged this though... And why was it in that shop waiting for me to pick it up... It seems out of place and too coincidental.

"You won't have to worry yourself about it," Arbious replied, pretending he already knew how to wield it while he continued to ponder about the scythe.

No... Don't tell me... Could this possibly be the work of Alpos? Surely not...

"Good," Graybeard said, his attention turning to Mila who stood next to Arbious in anticipation. "I already picked the job for us, so all there is left to do is to plan out the adventure."

"Plan out the adventure?" Arbious asked.

"Right! You don't really think we can go into a goblin cave without a plan, do you?" Graybeard asked sarcastically.

Turning to face Arbious, Mila spoke. "Graybeard likes to be prepared for anything that might come our way. It might get tedious planning for adventures, but it's kept us out of trouble."

I see...

"That's my girl! Then if you would follow me."

Arbious and Mila followed behind Graybeard. Upon reaching the second floor, Arbious paused to take in their surroundings. Their attention was soon captured by an alert attendant who approached them, prepared to lead them to their designated room. Thanks to Graybeard's foresight in securing reservations in advance, they were assured a dedicated space for their needs.

Following the attendant, they arrived before the door of their reserved room. Stepping inside, they discovered a well-appointed conference room. At its center, a sizable table was surrounded by chairs. The table itself hosted a meticulously crafted map of the surrounding area, adorned with thoughtful labels highlighting key points.

In comparison, besides the Throne Room, hell lacked a proper conference or strategy room to this day. Perhaps it would be advantageous to consider constructing one.

They approached the table, gazing down at the map with curiosity about the details of the job Graybeard had picked out for them. Using his finger to point at the map, slightly north above the village, Graybeard spoke. "Reports suggest that there is a Goblin Cave roughly around here. Our job is to eliminate the goblins within... However, considering we are entering a cave, Arbious's weapon might not be a good choice."

Included in the reports were detailed profiles of each party member, meant to outline their abilities and roles ahead of time. As Arbious scanned the documents spread out before him, a curious inconsistency caught his eye. The records clearly listed Mila as "Mila", yet whenever Graybeard addressed her, he pronounced the 'i' in her name with a 'y,' transforming it into 'Myla.'

Perhaps it's just my own anxiousness that's getting the better of me. I'm over thinking it.

Graybeard had picked out red colored pawn shaped pieces from within a brown box sitting atop the table. He placed the pieces to where he pointed to give them a visual representation of the Goblin forces.

I suppose that makes sense... But there is no way I'm not bringing it.

Arbious spoke out his concern. "You may be right on that, however, Mila spent what seems to be a fortune for this. It would be a shame to not use it."

"I agree," Mila added, strengthening Arbious's claim.

With a sigh, Graybeard continued. "You are right. That is why I wanted to plan this out. See, it's not so bad after all."

To be honest, I never even held a strategy meeting before. I mean, we just sent in demons' wave after wave... We used to have so many disposable soldiers that it didn't even matter...

"Since Arbious has potentially the strongest weapon here, let's use this piece to represent him." Graybeard spoke, taking out a blue colored king piece from the brown box and placing it on the map.

Followed after the king, Graybeard took out a blue colored queen and knight from the box. "As for Mila, she should be assigned the queen piece, representing her mobile capabilities on the battlefield and her effectiveness. As for me, I will be the knight in shining armor."

These pieces were undoubtedly from a game called Chess that the humans were fond of playing. It was rumored that this game was made by Emperor Lucious.

"Knowing that you might not be able to operate at your full potential, I came up with a plan. I purchased a stink bomb from a local potions store. Using this, we can bring the goblins out by force. Bringing them out into the open that is.

Graybeard motioned the knight on the table to the clumped red pawn group while positioning the queen and king together in the rear.

"The stuff I bought reeks! There's no chance even goblins can stand the smell. And that is when you will use your scythe to wreak havoc within their ranks, with Mila backing you up."

I underestimated this dwarf... He came up with a good plan after all.

Mila's eyes lit up with excitement as she turned to face Arbious. "See? Although Gray is an oldie, he is considerate of us and is quite the tactical genius," she spoke.

"Who are you calling old missy?" Graybeard asked playfully, banging his fist on the map cheerfully.

Mila giggled at Graybeard's playful comment.

This was proving to be an incredibly effective way to organize their forces. This was one key difference between his forces and the forces of good, organization.

Graybeard took out red colored bishops from the brown box and placed them near the clumped group of pawns. "It goes to say that where there are goblins, there will also be ogres. we must be prepared for that possibility. But with Arbious with us, I doubt we would face any actual challenges."

He's putting a lot of faith in me, an utter stranger... I would never be so trusting with my race let alone another... and yet Mila and Graybeard who are complete opposites, are synchronized so well. This must be the force that has brought my forces to their knee's countless times. Teamwork... how stupid.

"I'll do my best," Arbious replied.

Arbious knew he was the strongest being in the area; he wouldn't have even bothered staying if that were not the case. Still, one false move, and his identity could be revealed. Knowing so, he was hesitant to use any of his magical spells, and to an extent, even his physical powers.

Graybeard smiled, happy to see Arbious step up to his game. "Glad to have you with us," Graybeard spoke, "But even so, we cannot rely on your powers alone. Ogres are monsters that can take down our parties like flies. So let us discuss what we should do in the event we do encounter one."

"Aren't we going to rely on our usual tactics?" Mila questioned.

"No, lass. So far, we have barely survived through your wind magic alone. But this is our first goblin cave. The difficulty of this job was classified as B tier, so there must be a difficult challenge waiting for us. Multiple ogres, per se, could raise the difficulty to B. That is why I'd rather have a backup plan."

"And what is this backup plan if we do encounter an ogre?" Arbious asked.

"Given our limited resources, direct approaches might not be feasible. Hence, I propose we opt for a more strategic approach to divert their attention," Graybeard suggested, gesturing towards the forest on the map. "Our initial step will involve scouting the area. However, in the event of encountering ogres, I recommend leveraging the woods to our advantage. If necessary, we can split up and rendezvous at this designated point," he continued, gesturing to a clearing in the forest.

"I sense that you are quite strong, so I will have you stay with Mila. In the event we do find an ogre, please run. We will regroup and plan our actions from there," Graybeard added. "Once we do regroup, we would have to take out the ogres from range. Mila's magical spells, combined with yours, should put us at an advantage."

"With the fire spells Arbious can cast, I doubt any of the ogres or goblins pose any threat," Mila chimed in.

"Hmm... True... But it's better safe to be sorry. In case all else fails, this will be our backup plan. What do you think, Arbious?" Graybeard questioned.

"Hm... It does make sense; I can't exactly object to this now, can I?"

Graybeard chuckled as he spoke. "Well, maybe not, but hey! It's all for the safety of everyone!"

Continuing in a friendly manner, he turned to Mila. "You could pick up a thing or two from him—listening and not arguing with solid plans!"

"The plans are only solid because of my arguments!" Mila retorted; her tone cheerful.

Graybeard extended his hand, as if inviting a shake with Arbious's. He was confused by Graybeard's choice of action, and as he was thinking about why he had done this, Mila spoke. "It's a common practice among us adventurers to shake hands with a new member before an adventure starts."

Oh... So, this is how they do things. Makes sense. Still, I'm not pleased to shake hands with these filthy lower lifeforms.

Without showing reluctance, Arbious shook hands with both Graybeard and Mila as they came to an agreement and officially formed the party. All that was left to do now was finish the job they were hired for.

With everything set in motion, the Graybeard and Mila left the room. Arbious remained behind momentarily as his eyes gleamed at the map before him. From the start of the meeting, there was something he did not like. The blue colored king. Reaching for the piece on the table, Arbious grabbed hold of the king, and in his hand, the color of the piece turned black. Arbious then with a powerful motion, placed the black king right atop the clumped red pieces. The pawns, and the bishops, fell in unison from the vibrations caused by Arbious's move.

Arbious stood back, as his eyes examined the table. The pieces had all fallen in disarray surrounding the black king. With a grin on his face, he left the room.