READ PLEASE
Yo, i'm back for now at least, but i'm still not done. A few more days left.
So this chapter is written fast and i will not have time to read it twice. The will be mistakes.
For those who dislike reading something that might disturb their reading flow easy and a lot then you might not want to read this chapter for now. I plan to reread it tomorrow after i get back home.
If there are somethings that you do not understand within this chapter please do note them in the comments so that i can fix that. This chapter mostly lacks humor as i was not that much into this one, have other things to do so i pretty much rushed it just to take of my mind from other things. But they still somehow got to me.
Ask any questions you like and leave comments :)
The chapter contains 5,3k words no idea how... It's not Edited/Proofread so beware.
And enjoy the chapter :)
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* Yaaawn *
Finally done with everything.
After reading all those books i had Mel tell me the info that i needed to know and i gotta say... She sure talks a lot..
She talked more about herself and what she does instead of giving me info on the Lundia kingdom from the start.
Apparently Melina is the headmistress of the Academy that i'll be visiting and not just that but she teaches some classes as well. Didn't really see her as a teacher type. She hasn't told me her age but Termin is 34 and she's younger then him by few years, not many tho.
Enough about Melina now, the Lundia kingdom is far from being solid. According from what she'v told me they do illegal imports and exports, with both goods and trafficking.
Despite doing all that stuff they still do not have a stable economy and the typical thing is like always, the rich stay rich and the poor have no way to move up from that standing. The taxes are pretty high and the nobles refuse to lower them.
The good thing, or the bad thing in this case is that they are good at breeding solders or creating them. The normal ranks for solders in their armies is 4-6 and the higher commanding go from 8- Warlords/Archmages. They have around 4 Warlords and 6 Archmages.
The king is of the middle King Rank and the rumors have it that that's lie and that he's about to reach the Emperor rank soon. For those who do not know how the rank go they go like this.
The basic for any mage/warrior is 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9, these stages are pretty much when someone starts getting used to the mana. Getting his body used to the mana. Expending their mana core to the fullest. It goes like this, the 1 rank is pretty much called the First Taste stage.
At the First Taste stage you get you first taste of mana. From being a normal mortal you go to a slightly upgraded one. The second rank is where you start molding your body. The mana enhances you flesh and the 3rd rank enhances you bones to be stronger. The 4th rank makes you blood have more vitality in it thus increasing you life by a bit. The 5th rank is where you start to form your mana core now that your body is used to it.
The 6th rank is usually the hardest because you have to increase you mental power, the more you train you mentality the more mana that you posses can you control. You pretty much like a bottle filled with water but you can only drink half of the water but after reaching this rank you can drink however much you wish.
The 7th rank is just expending you core more now that you know how to control that power. The 8th rank is where you find your element or elements. You will have a dream of which you will be haunted by let's say drowning or burning in a endless fire, once you overcome that fear you will get you first element. Depending on how much you accept the element might increase or decrease you affinity towards it.
And finally the 9th rank, once at the peak at the 9th rank you will have to fuse you mana core with your element. After that you will have a choice. A warrior or a mage. A Warlord or a Archmage. If you choose Warlord your mana core won't expend that much but you will gain a LARGE boost in strength, you will be able to lift 10 times more and more many times faster. You body will be come that of stone so normal weapons won't be able to harm it. Many sub paths will be open to you as well, such as Forger, Trap Master, Blacksmith and more of such paths. But these are mainly secondary paths on which you can study and research.
If you choose Archmage your mana core will expand largely and you will gain a greater understanding of your element/elements. You will get increased mental power and the sub paths of Enchanter, Rune Forger, Curse Master, Necromancer, Healer and many more.
After the Warlord/Archmage you become a Saint. This time as a Warlord going into this stage your mana core will expand largely and you will gain a mental power boost just like when someone goes into the Archmage rank. You will also gain a boost in the strength department but not so large as the first time. For the Archmage it's reverse, he will gain all the buffs that the Warlord did when he evolved into one and their mana core will expand and their mental power will become bigger but not as much as the first time.
So what you choose after the 9th rank is vital. Warrior Saints will always have greater strength then Mage Saints, while Mage Saints will always have a greater spells and destructive power then Warrior Saints. After Saint it's King and then Emperor. At King stage you get you own small domain. For example i have the Darkness domain. But you will never get to the King stage until you understand you element and gain it's domain, there's a certain limit of how much you have to understand it. There are sword domains and things as such but those need greater understandings. But if you do gain a sword domain you will get to the King stage. I also posses a sword domain but more about that later and what i posses.
At the Emperor rank your domain will expand and you will pretty much all powerful beneath Immortal stage. Warrior Emperor and Mage Emperor are the so called figures in legends. Mages mostly live longer because at some point at their life they will find a spell which increases ones life. Those spells are mostly called forbidden spells. They are rare.
I have plenty of me hehehehe. -A/N: Stop boosting the entire time and just explain the damn system!-
oke oke... Geez..
There are always ways to be stronger then your peers, you can have different cultivation, a stronger one, you maybe have some super strong technique or you might have a super gooood understanding of some element or a weapon. A understanding of the Truth those are called. Or maybe you have some special body that helps you skip the rank or someone or some object helping you skip the ranks?
The universe is a LARGE place, anything can happen. For another example i can probably take on a Golden Immortal but yet again, i'm armed with all of those. Object, super strong cultivation method, all elemental affinity, super good understanding of some elements, good spells and techniques. I have everything, you name it.
At the Immortal stages you gain increased life, a larger mana pool depending on how much you've cultivated you might be stronger or weaker then those of the same rank, a buff in mental power and physical strength.
And the last rank that we're going to talk about is the Golden Immortal. There are 2 type. Low and High, so what's the difference? The low Golden Immortal have only started to forge their Divine core. It's a complete different core from the mana one. In the divine core you are able to store divinity as for what that divinity is i have no idea. What kinda power it is or what type of energy it is. Everyone calls it divinity and i have no idea where it comes from. I might have some thoughts about it.. But i don't know if they are true. I can use pure mana. The purest of the mana out there. But what if it can go higher then that? A even purer form? That's for us to see when i get there. Asking Tesha would just ruin my fun.
And lastly at the High Golden Immortal stage you are pretty much completing you divine core and for that you have 1000 years. So you have to be in 1000 years or you dee. When you become a God you gain true Immortality, ageless and tireless. But there are other ways to reach it, understanding the Truths, Mythical fruits and other things. Ranks of weapons are easy.
Mortal from 1-9. For example i have mortal grade 9 sword.
They are nothing special really, they gain a elemental enhancement at the rank of 8 and that's all,
Immortal from 1-9. It's very common for Saints to have at least a Immortal grade 1 or 2 weapon. Mostly Immortals have the high graded ones. Even some Gods are forced to use Immortal grade 9 weapons.
Godly from 1-9. These weapons start having their own spirit at the grade of 5. The more you kill and the more you hone and connect with your weapon the more it will upgrade. I've even meet Gods that are weapons... After the Godly rank the weapons can pretty much get a human form. But they can never get away from their bond and they will always be inferior to their masters.
By the way, my sword is a immortal grade 7 weapon hehe.
All hail the great me~
Anyway back to the Lundia Kingdom, the king won't be of a problem even if he does get to the Emperor rank the problems are the 2 Golden Immortal. One is Low and one is High. And what's more it is said that they posses 2 immortal treasures. The grade 2 one is nothing but the grade 5 one might cause me some trouble.
This world is filled with great things... Like i said before Emperors are from legends and here Golden Immortals are the ranks of legends. That's means for many kingdoms it's normal to have Emperors. Melina doesn't know anything if the Lundia kingdom has any Emperors but i'm pretty sure they do... Having 2 Golden Immortal backer they must have...
Not just that Demons live 5 times more then humans and they always have a true from which makes them stronger but the thing is Demons rarely have children. It's very common to have 1, every family has 1, but 2? Uncommon, but here? Just this kingdom has 36 million demons in it...
The path to towards their kingdom is no that hard, i just have to cross around 489 kilometers of forest to get there. And that's the nearest kingdom to this one... Holy hell this world sure is amazing...
After processing all of that i stand up from my bed to stretch for a bit and go around the castle to look a bit more, i still have my agreement with Tesha huehue.
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" KYAAAAAAAAAAAAA "
Dammit... I forgot to put my cloths back on...
And just my luck that there are two maids right outside my door... First they started screaming, then they checked me out and started blushing and speaking amongst themselves, then they apologized and slowly went their way.
I was the one in the wrong yet they were the ones who apologized. These are the perks of being handsome~
And by looking like a vampire i guess i look even more handsome now hehe.
* Click *
And like that, i'm clothed.
This time i really wanna check out the underground basement of the castle. From what the scans been picking up there seem to be cell type rooms down there so a prison or a torture chamber wouldn't be far of i think.
Yup, a underground prison. Empty so far but there are 3 people further down.
* 10 minutes of walking and observing later *
And here we are~
The 3 down here are nothing special, tho one is more chained then the others. One is a demon and 2 are humans. The heavily chained one is a human, and a women at that.
I grab the steel bar door with my hand and pour some of my mana into it. By now i should be registered as the Protector of this kingdom and my blood and mana should give me access to everything.
The door opens and i walk into the cell. Hmmmm...
A heavy metal mask over the head, chains on the legs and arm, dubble at that. Chains around the waist as well... What the hell did you do? Rape the entire royal family?
As i walk closer she starts to talk.
Let's name her chains for now~
-Chains: Who goes there? Don't come any closer!-
Keen senses, i'm walking with no sound yet with the mask and the mana core sealed with the chains she can still sense me.
From her mana core i can guess that she's an Emperor.
-Mike: Just the great me~ Was curious so i had to check you out, hope that you don't mind.-
Weeeeee, great bodyyy~ She looks really well trained. A Warrior Emperor i guess.
-Chains: Get away from me you Demon scum!-
A salty Warrior Emperor~
Racist one as well.
But she's 100% no commoner, i can see some of her blond hair and if i remember the human kingdom that's been harassing us, all of their royalty has blond hair. Did Tesha lie to me? Is the reason behind the attacks this girl in front of me?
I don't like being lied to...
-Mike: Easy there Chains, i'm human just like you.-
-Chains: As if i'd trust what you tell me!-
Let's see if we can get something out of her.
I put my hand over her mask and put some mana into it but before doing so i go back to my human form. No long ears, weird eyes, tails, weird skin (#PlzNoMissunderstand) or and demon like feature.
The mask comes of and the beauty stares at me. Looking me in the eyes with a hateful expression. Geez, relax a bit, will ya?
All she has is a robe on and nothing more. And looking at her face there is no mistaking it, i can be sure that she's royalty.
As the final proof that i'm human i cut my finger and red blood drops down. Only humans and demi-humans have red blood.
-Mike: See? As for why i can open you mask and the bars that's mostly because the master of the bond has been killed.-
-Chains: Liar~ I still feel no mana flowing into me~ What are you trying to achieve here?-
Meh... She got me..
Whatever, not like she has a choice.
-Mike: And here i was trying to be nice.. Why do you guys always have to make things difficult.. I was not lying about being a human you know? As for why i've sided with the Demons that has nothing to do with you. I just wanna know why you're here?-
-Chains: You have no idea yet you've sided with those demons? Traitor!* Spits*-
.... I'm starting to lose my patience here.
I drop my smile and look at here. I can see that she's already trembling a bit. Good~
-Mike: Look here chains~ I will give you 10 minutes to tell me what you're doing here and why you are here. If by the end of those 10 minutes you don't tell me what i want to know not only will i break your core apart because i don't know why those fools didn't. I will do much worse things to you and with out you Emperor body the pain i will bring to you will be something otherworldly. Now speak!-
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
I said all those words i cold tone.
I don't care how she looks i will break her core and proceed with much worse means to find out what i have to. Like i said, i hate being lied to. I'm oke with jokes and small lies but if i don't know the whole truth behind it i will look like i was fooled.
-Chains: I-i-i was captured in the war 7 years ago. My names Katarina Humfolk the second, named after my mother, Queen of the Humfolk kingdom. We we're not even fighting against this kingdom yet they somehow managed to capture me. My kingdom has no idea that i'm being held here, please, you have to help me! You're human you told, so help me out. My kingdom is a rank 2 kingdom, you will be rewarded greatly. I can assure you that you position will be not small either and i will not speak of you siding with this kingdom just please help me.-
Wow... This smells like Tesha.. Yup.. Tesha all over...
This poor girl doesn't even know what kingdom has her captured... The Humfolk kingdom? Are they not in the middle of the human continent? How they hell did Tesha manage to capture this one... If the Humfolk kingdom found out about this they could easily work with the Gruthen Kingdom and attack this one... What the hell is she thinking.. But i like it.. It turns me on somehow..
Thinking this i sense Tesha coming down here. Her link is getting closer and closer and she speaks to me through our link.
(Tesha: Didn't think you'd go down here so soon.. Was planing on explaining it later but it looks like you already know...-)
This girl... I like her more and more.
(Mike: Don't come down here and let her see your face, head to my room and wait for me there. By the way, nicely done. Were you planning on using her as a bargening chip when push comes to shove?-)
Don't think i didn't figure out you plan~
(Tesha: You got me... The more things i have to defend my kingdom the better, the Humfolks care greatly for their own and wouldn't attack if they knew. I would use her to fend of the Gruthen Kingdom if they were ever to do an all out attack. I'll go and wait for you now-)
-Mike: Hmmmm, sorry but i can't let you go. You see i already choose my side~ I sided with this kingdom and not anyone else~
-Katarina: B-b-but you're human! You're supposed to help your fellow humans in need! Please!-
Geez~ Really stubborn aren't you? I guess i can show some pity.
-Mike: How about this. Soul binding~
As soon as i said those words her eyes went wide and she started shaking her head.
-Katarina: NEVER! Anything but that, please!-
-Mike: No deal. Take or leave, well in your case take or stay.-
She lowers her head and starts to think.
Now that's what i like to see.
After 20 minutes or so she looks up again and speaks.
-Katarina: 10 years...-
Huh?
-Mike: What was that?-
-Katarina: Only for 10 years! After that you have to break the soul binding!-
She agreed? Does she maybe not know what that means? She will basically be my pet for 10 years.. Obeying any word i say and doing anything i say.. I said it as a joke but to think that she would accept...
-Mike: Don't take your words back now.-
I cut my finger and draw a straight like from her forehead down her nose and start chanting.
-Mike: I, Mike Strömberg accept to become Katarinas master for the next 10 years. Do you Katarina accept that and will obey everything i say withing the next 10 years? Never betray or disobey me or those close to me. If you break this contract your soul will be sent to the void forever. Do you accept?-
She looks down at the ground one last time then back at me and start speaking.
-Katarina: I, Katarina Humfolk the second swear to never betray or disobey my master Mike Strömberg. May i ever break the contract may my soul break and be sent to the deepest parts of the void. I accept.-
Heh.
I release her for the rest of the chains that are on her and her robes disappear and become replaced with the maid outfit that Tesha will soon have on her soon as well. Short black skirt and a shirt barely covers the cleavage. Purple underwear. All done~ She's all clean and dressed now.
And i gotta say she's a real beauty.. A late staged Emperor as well.
Now then the final thing, i take out a white mask form my space and throw it to her.
-Mike: Just put the mask on you face and it will always stay there until you decide to take it of and you will not take it of until i tell you to do so. For now put it on and then think in you mind that you want it of the mask will become invisible. Now then, here are the rules. In the next 10 years you are not allowed in anyway to inform any humans that you're here. You may only show you're self to anyone outside this castle with you mask on. You will follow me wherever i go and fight when i tell you to. Now then, follow me.-
She still looks surprised for quite some time and then decides to put her mask on. After that the mast quickly becomes invisible and she just stands there waiting for me. I too change back to my vampire looks which i can hear sounds of shock coming out her again.
-Mike: By the way, this is just for the looks. You are not allowed to tell anyone that i'm a human until i tell you to do so. Now come.-
She still has not recovered fully so she follows me a bit slow, luckily i have the perfect medicine for that.
I take out a black pill from my space and throw it to her, she barely manages to catch the pill.
-Kata: What's this?-
-Mike: Something good, trust me and eat it. Also when someone asks you for name just say that you're called Kata, no last name.-
She nods then swallows the pill and i can the color returning to her face. That pill is something that the High God gave to me. It's supposed to recover the mana of someone below the Immortal ranks fairly fast, for me it's pretty useless as my core is a bit special.
-Mike: Better?-
-Kata: Better!-
-Mike: Good. Now Kata, you're going to see a lot of Demons in these 10 years you'll be spending with me and from the way you responded before i can see how much you hate Demons. So i will tell you this, don't show a hateful face when you're around them. My rank here is that of Protector so even the Ancestor, King or even Tesha can't have control over me. But you will still be respectful towards them.-
-Kata: I will try my best, but i don't think i will manage to show resp-
I interrupt her.
-Mike: That's an order. There is no reason for you to hate demons. From what i've heard you humans are the ones who started all this war crap so suck it in a bit. Oke?-
She shows a bit sour expression but still agrees.
-Kata: Yes, master. But you have to realize that i've been held hostage for 7 years in that cell... How can i show respect to those who did this to me.. The only reason i will show respect is because you've ordered me to.-
I see.. She does have a point...
After a bit of walking and grabbing some food for Kata we finally made our way into my room.
On our way every servant looked strangely at Kata and her human like features. After that i told her to keep her mask on even in the castle...
Now she's only allowed to take of her mask when she with me or with those i trust.
Stepping into my room we found Tesha lying on my bed looking at the books i've been reading. When she was me and Kata step in she just looked at me after Kata took of her mask.
What is this? An imposter? Show at least some amazement...
-Tesha: Sigh... Nothing surprises me with you anymore. Was he forceful?-
Kata looks somewhat surprised by how Tesha speaks with her casually.
She looks at me and i nod to her.
-Kata: Greetings Immortal one. Yes, he was kind of forceful. I didn't think one of my own would do something like this to me...-
-Tesha: Well, don't be surprised. He's also an immortal and one that's stronger then me.. ( Truns and looks at Mike) So is that what i'll be wearing? Look good to me, though i did expect you do have something more exotic in mind.-
HEY! This is traditional... In some of the strip clubs i've been to..
-Mike: Don't be grumpy... By the way she has purple on what color would you like?-
-Tesha: Can i see how they look first?-
I look at Kata and she becomes red.. Seriously.. What the heck is up with these reactions... Author, can you get a grip man... -A/N: Not yet.... Soon...
Just do it already...
Kata takes of her maid cloths and shows Tesha the type of underwear she's wearing. She spins a few times to that Tesha can get a good look. Even she's blushing a bit now... Please.. Kill me. One moment she's acts as if she's experienced the other she acts as if she's innocent. Decide already..
-Tesha: Red please.-
Great taste, my favorite. In fact, i was saving it for her. Sadly i only have one pair of every color.
I click my fingers and the entire set is put on her. She stands up and spins a couple of times.
-Mike: What do you think? Like it?-
-Tesha: Well.. Like i said before i thought you'd have something more exotic but it's not that bad. So, what do you plan on doing now? I have some things to do again so i'll have to go away for at least 7 hours after dinner what's your plan?-
-Mike: I'll be departing soon as well, before dinner i think. I'll just go tell Teresa that i'll be going and then i'll go. I should be back in 3 or 4 days, won't take long but i will make it back on the Academy thing so no worries. Try to inform everyone about Kata here and not to tell a work about her to anyone, oke? And by the way, i do have more exotic things put those are for private moments only, oke~
Tesha quickly nods and rushes out of the room thinking i didn't see her blush, seriously... She herself said that she wanted something exotic.. What the hell.. Did she not mean it as a hint? Whatever..
-Kata: So... Where will i be staying?-
Ha?
-Mike: What kinda dumb question is that? Here of course, you will be sleeping there and store your cloths over there. Some normal cloths are already in there for you prepared for the trip so i suggest you put them on for now.-
She looks around the room then she looks at the bed.
-Kata: But... Isn't this your room?-
-Mike: Yes it is, and?-
-Kata: Well... There's only one bed..-
-Mike: We will be sleeping on it, no complaints. Now get dressed, i'll have to go and prepare more thing for an extra companion.-
With that i went to inform Teresa of my departing and also grab some extra things for the trip.
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PoV: Kata
Really an abnormal guy.. How is he even human?
HE even has Immortal treasures laying besides his bed, what the hell?!?! I can't even pick them up with all my strength... What grade are they i wonder...
And he wants me to sleep on the same bed as him... *Blush*Well.. he is handsome... Really handsome...
Opening one the closets with cloths i see mostly male shorts and short sleeved t-shirts, in the corner neatly folded male underwear. Wrong one... And why does he have so many shorts? Any why are they all hung up like they are some kind of royal robes? One of them is even shining....
I quickly close the door before i find some kind of a immortal shorts treasure...
I open the one next to it and there are all type of cloths for women. All that i'll need for a long time... Some of the dresses look even better them my royal dresses back home.. Why does he have a collection of dresses? And this underwear? Where does he keep al this?!
I change into one of the summer dresses hanging inside, it's white and really pretty... I should really take a shower.. The spell he used to me did leave me refreshed but a shower is a shower.
I wonder what the next 10 years will be like... I'm surrounded my the creatures i call mortal enemies but he seems to disagree.. My view on them is low... But there is truth in his words.. We were the ones who started the war...
Maybe i will change my view in the next 10 years but not now, i'm not ready yet.
But.... The biggest question is... Why am i not dead? The last thing i remember is fighting with one of the Lundia kingdoms assassins, same rank as me but higher skilled, much higher skilled. Posses the wind element and only trains agility.. He moved like the wind itself. The last thing i remember was laying there dying and passing out, after that i woke up down in the chambers. I will get to it, if this kingdom did really save me, why throw me into the prison cells? I'm not iron headed, i do know how to show gratitude. I am a princess after all.
But now i serve a Master who's stronger then the Hell Hound Tesha... One of the few war monsters who made her fame in her early Emperor stages. Just who is he... I've never even heard of someone like him before.
-Master: Yo-
* Slap *
... Oh no... What have i done..
W-w-who told him to creep out from nowhere on me like that... Will my soul get take away now?
-Master: I guess i do deserve that... Luckily your strength is not fully back yet... So, i see you've dressed, and quite nicely as well.. Good. Come now. I feel bad for taking you on a long trip right after becoming free or not? Anyway come now.-
This man... I just slapped you you know? You're supposed to be my master.. Sigh... Thank the Goddess my soul didn't get taken away.
-Kata: Where will we be going?-
He smiles and looks at me.
-Master: I have some business in the Lundia kingdom. We have some stuff to do, mostly me. You will be my assistent on this trip. I will discuss the plan with you once we get close to the kingdom. And just so you know, there will be blood and there will be lots of it. SO get mentally ready. And you should also try to understand your fire more... You a brink away from the immortal rank.-
Like that he walks through the door gesturing me to follow me.
The Lundia kingdom.. How great, i have some unfinished business there as well~
Katas desire for revenge was so great that she missed the last past he told her.