This chapter is brought to you by AnmesicCat and Masadeer.
Chapter 1
Part 1: AnmesicCat, and MasadeerJust like a vortex, blinding lights spiralled in from all directions. A feeling of weightlessness spread throughout my entire body.
The bracelet in my arms suddenly emitted light, enveloping my body and swallowed me whole.
Suddenly, several objects passed over my head.
What is it? Gradually, my consciousness faded.
***
*Drip drip...*
The sound of falling water droplets. Judging from the sound, it seems like I'm in a cave.
"Ugh... This is... my head."
I took a look around however, I saw nothing but darkness. Where am I?
'I remember falling into a strange place, but what is this place?'
After taking a look around the area, I realized that the cave had really tall ceiling. Therefore there was only one direction left to go; deeper into the cave.
“Whoa. I’ve never seen a cave like this before”
I felt stupefied. I followed the light that lead me deeper and deeper into the cave and then...
"Ugh, is this a dream? Ouch, ouch, ouch... it hurts"
I pinched my cheeks real hard. I didn't think it was a stupid idea.
What? You think it was stupid of me to have done that? That’s only because you don’t understand the situation TT^TT.
I examined my body, to see if I was injured anywhere. Nothing out of the ordinary, except that the troublesome bracelet I was wearing is now missing.
‘Since there’s only one direction, let’s go~!’
The cave was surprisingly large. It was bright, yet also dark and mysterious.
The light came from a small spherical object on the wall.
"How can that small thing light up the entire cave... Anyway, let's go further in..."
I kept walking. I did not know how long I've been walking for. I lost my sense of time since I was inside the cave. After walking for a long time, I finally reached the end of the cave. However, it did not seem to lead outside. And worse...
"This breathing sound seems to come from a large animal... What..."
I used Boh Buhb1 to keep my footsteps silent and to progress further into the cave. And I saw...
'What is that thing.... I have never seen this kind of beast before'
Once again, I carefully reexamined what I saw. It had a large body that emitted golden light. From where I stood, I was unable to see its entire body. It had a long neck, golden wings, long tail, and four feet. On the top of its head lies a horn. The beast seems to be asleep. It was breathing deeply with its eyes closed.
In front of its head, there is a small altar. And on top of the altar lies an unusual looking sword.
'I've never seen that type of sword before and I've certainly never seen that kind of animal. I’m not from here, right? Where the hell am I?'
After much deliberation, I decided to pick up the sword, just in case the beast decided to attack me, I could use it to defend myself... Although having a sword against this kind of beast probably wouldn’t matter much...
'Because I do not want to wake it up, the best option is to use dop-gong-neoung2 to not reveal my presence.'
I used Boh Buhb so my feet wouldn’t touch the ground, and kicked a gust of air to fly towards the sword. I landed in front of the sword’s altar.
The sword had a strange aura surrounding it. It had a white handle covered with unusual patterns, wrapped in a red scabbard. The sword was also embedded with a jewel that’s emitting a strange light.
I stared at the sword and felt as if it was staring back right at me.
‘No way... Oh sh--! It is!’ (as in it IS staring back at Chun-Hwa)
I had an ominous feeling and so I turned around, and found two shining golden eyes..
Unlike a wild beast, it was calm and tranquil. they were eyes filled with strength and wisdom.
Silently, we stared at each other for some time.
And then I made a shocking revelation The beast can speak!
“How did you get in here?”
“Speak......”
"Did you not hear me? I asked you how did you get here?"
‘Let’s calm down. This isn’t Jungwon anymore, but somewhere else. Remain calm...’
This is indeed a rare experience. I turned to looked at him face to face and said.
"Hmm... Umm... My name is Ye Chun Hwa... Ah. I don't know how I got here, or where this place is."
'Hmm... Maybe I shouldn't have told him my name'
After a few seconds, it spoke again.
"Hmm... You don't' seem to be lying. You said your name was Ye Chun Hwa? Throughout the entire continent, I have never heard that kind of name."
"If you have never heard it in this continent, where exactly is this place?"
Since he was the one who started the conversation... Let's get some information from him.
"This place is located at the very edge of the continent of Gressen. That's why I have never heard of a name such as yours until now."
I was dumbfounded while I listened to his explanation.
'Gressen... I don't think I've ever heard of it... Gressen... How did I get here... He said something really strange... I need to get more information from him.'
Seeing how I was standing there motionless with a bemused expression, he asked abruptly.
"If you are not from this world, how are you able to understand what I am saying?"
Good question, really smart for a beast.
"I don't know... I don't know how I am able to speak this language... But I can speak it fluently as if I've been doing it all my life."
After listening to my confused answer, he said quietly.
“Wake up”
Suddenly my confusion ceased and my mind felt calm and collected.
"Do you feel better now?"
"Yes. My mind feels clear... Were you the one who did it?"
"Yes, it is Dragon Magic. Do you not know what magic is?"
I shook my head to his question. I have never heard of it. And so I asked.
"You said you have never heard of a name similar to mine?"
Just like how I answered his question, The enormous beast nodded.
"I don't think you are from this continent. How did you get here?"
"I am not sure. I was on top of a mountain and I fell off of it. When I came to, I was already inside this cave. I saw a strange light, and followed it. That's how I ended up here."
"Well I'm not too sure of it either Ye Chun Hwa, but I think you passed through from another dimension."
What does...
“Another dimension? What does that mean?”
"It is difficult to explain quickly. To put it simply, God created multiple worlds and in between them lies a wall. This wall is called a dimension."
"Then, how do I go over the dimension again?"
"I do not know. Only the God of Creation, and the Origins of Light and Darkness can cross them. Other than them, no other God or Dragon Lords can pass through the dimensional wall... But maybe not... Since you have crossed it, there might be a way for you to go back."
I was perplexed by his words. What the hell... Is this the God of Creation's prank? No, no, it can't be, since he's a God. Hah~ I feel like crying. I sat on the altar where the sword laid, and the beast watched over me quietly. After calming myself down, I decided to ask him a few more questions.
"Just what are you doing here? Before anything else, what is your name?"
"Heh~, you’re the only human I know who isn’t afraid of a Dragon. And my name is Greydrone."
"Greydrone? What a weird name. So what exactly are you doing here?"
Then Greydrone pointed at the sword and said.
"I am here to protect that sword. I have been protecting it for over ten thousand years."
"Ha~ Why do you need to protect it? Does that mean you're over ten thousand years old?!"
"That is correct. However, even I don't know my exact age. I am probably around fifteen thousand years old."
"Then do I have to speak formally?... Sir?"
"You don’t have to do that. You can speak as you were before."
I felt sorry for him. To be doing nothing but protect the sword for ten thousand years. I glanced at the sword and tried to touch it. But Greydrone urgently prevented me from doing so.
"That sword has a mind and soul of its own. It will destroy anyone who touches it, if it does not deem them fit to be its master."
"Ha... Ha... It's a great sword. Who the hell would have made something like this? No! Who is its master? Ignore that question. You are protecting it because there's no owner, right?"
The Dragon heaved a huge sigh after I finished all my questions and started talking. He must have been really bored...
***
Part 2: AnmesicCat, Kirito, and Masadeer.“Its name is Lamia.
It was forged by many. However the first one to create it was me, the Lord of all Dragons, then other Dragon Lords, then the High Gods of Light and Darkness...
In the beginning, I made it for my own amusement; I wanted the best weapon for myself. And so the High Gods and the Dragon Lords were incited.
I used golden metal and forged it with the best of my abilities. The other Dragon Lords and the High Gods also invested their divine magic, which formed a God's metal named Eclipse.
For the handle of the sword, I used a part of my own Dragon's heart. I also used the leather hide taken from the King of all Red Dragon to make its scabbard. I spent over a few thousand years before the sword was finally completed.
The day Lamia was completed, I tried to wield the sword, but alas, I was rejected. Even when I tried to forcefully hold on to the handle, its strength was greater than mine.
When I tried to give it to the Dragon Lords, and the High Gods who helped with with making the sword, they too were rejected by Lamia.
Because Lamia was a product of combined powers of the High Gods, Dragon Lords, and my own, its power is comparable to our united powers. Therefore they could not become Lamia's Master.
The only Master whom Lamia would probably accept is the God of Creation and the Origin of Light and Darkness.
That is the reason why Lamia is sealed here. The only ones who know of Lamia now are the High Gods and myself. The other Dragon Lords have already passed on.”
The moment he was done telling the story of how Lamia was created, he glanced at it weakly.
After listening to his story, I examined the sword carefully.
"Is this sword really that great?"
I do not know how I can judge the value of the sword named Lamia when I don't have much knowledge about this place. All I knew was sword is amazing because the High Gods fused their powers into it.
[ ...Nim... ]
While I took a look at the sword, I thought I heard a small and quiet sound calling out to me. As if I've been possessed, I stretched out my hand towards the sword.
My mind snapped out of the hypnosis but my body still moved on its own. Soon after, I realised that my hand was already touching the handle of the sword. Suddenly, the voice of a beautiful woman echoed throughout my mind.
[ I, Lamia, have found you fit to be my master, and I am willing to make a contract with you. You, who will be my master, do you promise to stay with me for all eternity? ]
‘... What … The...’
[ Do you promise to stay with me forever? ]
She asked the same exact question again.
'Will any harm fall upon me?'
[ Absolutely no harm will befall upon you. Do you promise to stay with me forever? ]
But the voice sounds beautiful...
'Sure, why not.'
[ The promise of eternity has been made. Even the God of Creation cannot dissolve it. I am Lamia. I will be by your side forever. We will be together forever. ]
When my eyesight returned, I saw a lady looking at me while smiling brightly and then I lost consciousness.
***
Soon after, I regained consciousness, and it no longer felt like the ground was trying to swallow me whole. With a clear head, I stood up.
Hooo.. Is there anyone else that wakes up like this?
In front of me stood a middle aged man. Although he had a gentle appearance, a strong aura surrounded him.
“If you’re awake, then explain to me what just happened.”
‘This is the voice of the Dragon I just met, Greydrone!’
“No need to be so surprised. It’s the magic called Polymorph...”
After staring at him for a while, I felt a tingling sensation coming from my hand.
When I looked down at my hand, I found myself holding a sword. The sword, Lamia. It almost felt weightless.
I looked at Greydrone who was standing in front of me and asked.
“Why is this....”
“That’s what I would like to ask! You grabbed that thing and all of a sudden light poured out. What happened? Did it accept you as its master?”
"I don't know. Suddenly, there was a lady's voice who asked me if I want to be with her forever. So, I said that as long as it does not harm me, I will agree to it. After I saw a vision of her, I lost my consciousness."
Greydrone thought for a moment... faced me and said.
"Is that so? It has finally found its master? Then my problem has been solved."
"Master? What?! Are you telling me that I’ve just became the sword’s master?"
Greydrone nodded his head.
"You are now the master of the sword who holds infinite powers."
“Hey! I don’t need this kind of thing”
"All that matters is how you use that power. Sixteen thousand years... My body has already passed the limit. Now that I don't have to protect the sword anymore, I can finally rest."
"Hey! What does that mean? Are you going to die?"
"Yes. The average lifespan of a Dragon is ten thousand years. I have lived an additional five thousand years, but my body's limit have passed thousands of years ago. Now, I can finally rest."
"Then what am I supposed to do? The only... Dragon I know in this world is you. What am I going to do?!"
Greydrone stared at me briefly and laughed.
"Then how about we do this. Because of me, some of the Dragon's magics and skills should have been lost. I will teach them to you."
“What nonsense are you talking about now?’
"I will hand everything to you, including my identity. With it, Dragons will treat you the way they treat me. All you have to do is find a Dragon Lord and teach him a couple of things. However, this kind of favor cannot be asked of by anyone..."
"Alright. I will accept your request. However, since I do not know anyone nor do I know my way around this world, you will have to guide me there.
"You don't have to worry about that. As I've said early, you will gain knowledge of everything I know. But for it to be yours there will be some obstacles. And speaking of directions, I do not exactly know how to get there. I have never left this place for over seven thousand years. Now, get ready. Ha, ha, ha! Now that I think about it, this is hilarious. A human with a sword of a God's, a Dragon's intelligence and power. If you do well for yourself, you could even become a High God."
Uh... Is he making fun of me? While looking at me, he laughed quietly and began chanting a magic spell.
I give my everything to you... Inside you, I shall live again.
Suddenly, Greydrone's body radiated a bright shining light, and something in my hand started to shake.
[Master, this is a power transfer magic. Should I block it? ]
From within the light, I heard a voice. But to block it...
“No. Don’t block it, this is not an attack. Do you understand?”
[ Understood. ]
***
Part 3: AnmesicCat, Haikai, Kirito, and Masadeer.At that moment the shining light enveloped my body, and I lost consciousness.
Now that I think about it, haven’t I passed out way too many times. I don't remember my body being this weak...
I woke up naturally as if I had simply fallen asleep.
Although the surrounding area was still filled with light, Greydrone's presence was nowhere to be found.
"Is this what he called 'Dragon's Magic'? Not only was his memory transferred to me, but also his skills and abilities. And because of this, I cannot see his corpse. But this is awkward. What on earth am I supposed to do with a Dragon’s heart mana crystal?”
With this Dragon's heart mana crystal, It'll be funny if I get mistaken for someone who is able to use Magic. However... I held up the sword and started talking to it. Since there wasn't anyone else around, no one will think I look like a lunatic.
“Was it you who talked to me earlier?”
Again, I heard that same voice in my head.
[ That is correct, Master ]
“Um... You said your name was Lamia, right?”
[ Yes. That is correct, Master ]
“There’s no need to call me Master. Just call me Chunhwa.”
[ Yes, Chunhwa-Nim ]
Haa~ This isn’t going to work?
But first should we get out of here?
“Lamia, you know the way to get out of here?”
[ There is no way out of here. This place has no exit. However, we can use teleport. ]
But how are we going to teleport...
“That would be possible, but I don’t understand everything in Greydrone’s memories. It will take me some time before I can fully understand everything. Can’t you do something about it?”
[ I understand. Then, where would you like to teleport to? ]
“What is around the area?”
[ I will now project an image in front of you, Chunhwa-nim. Image Trap. ]
Then an image appeared in front of me. It seemed like I was viewing the actual place, only in a smaller size.
"Hmm... This red dot must be where we are."
On the projected image, I pointed at the center of the mountain, and the it zoomed in at the forest in front of it.
“Then let’s go there, and from there we’ll reach a town shortly. Yeah, that would be good...”
[ Understood. Then we will teleporting to the destination now. ]
***
Suddenly, a strange person appeared in the large forest surrounding the giant mountain. The person was around 17~18 years of age, judging from the person’s body and face. That boy...no the person looked closer to a girl. On the girl’s waist hung a scabbard that dimly glowed with a reddish light, which was wrapped around a sword that was slightly longer than the average bastard sword. While the handle appeared to be white, the blade was not visible since it was hidden in it’s scabbard. Also, the boy’s clothing was something you would not see in the Arusan.
"Hwa~ the trees are humongous... The forest also seemed dense..."
The boy was Chunhwa. He used Lamia to teleport to his current location. He continued to look around the forest because he has never seen a dense forest with giant trees surrounded by a large mountain.
'Hu~ I can't believe I have to find a God in this unknown world. I think the nearest village is that way?'
"First I have to choose a destination since I can't travel to a random place to find a God... How am I suppose to find a God anyway?..."
“Hmm... Yes, let's try visiting a temple first. A temple must have some clues on how to find a God...”
The moment Chunhwa finished speaking his mind, an explosion occurred 10 meters away, followed by horrible shrieks.
***
"*Kkeuek …*"
"....*Keuak*"
“Hey watch it. Ilran, what are you trying to do casting it so close to us?”
The voices seemed to have came from a young man, and a middle aged man. followed.
"There's nothing I could do. It takes a long time to cast a spell. And if I want to get far away from them, I'd have to run and I can't do that. Besides, no one got hurt."
This time, it was a woman's voice showing displeasure with his action.
"But still, you should have been careful. We were lucky this time around, it was very close call."
***
As the conversation continued on, the voices seemed to be getting closer and closer. Suddenly, a group of 5 people appeared. Four people were arguing, and there was one aloof lady...
'Her ears are rather long... Maybe she's not human? Let's try searching through Greydrone's memory... She is an Elf, High Elf, a really rare species of Elf... (Author's Note: The protagonist is definitely human and not some artificial intelligent. And the appearance of the Elf here did not fit my original intention ^ ^;;)’
The people arguing consist of a middle aged man holding a staff, a teenage boy wearing leather armor, a girl who is about the same age as the boy, and an unusual looking midget—in this world, it's called a Dwarf. The Dwarf spoke with the loudest voice of them all.
And finally, the Elf was the first person to notice Chunhwa, however, she did not speak a word. Maybe it's because she's a High Elf? Then, the teenage girl noticed Chunhwa and said to the rest of the group.
"Umm... I didn't think there would be anyone out here. Were you surprised because of the explosion?"
The teenage boy wearing a leather armor was the first person to speak, and approached him. I looked at him carefully before responding.
"No, it's all right."
"If that's so, I'm glad to hear it. I am Gray and this is my friend Hael. This is Ilran and the Dwarf is Ilran's friend Randolph. And the Elf's name is Irlina. She’s with us because this forest if filled with monsters and we're escorting her out of here. By the way, where are you from? I've never seen clothes like yours before."
The person named Grey easily told Chunhwa things that he didn’t even ask. As Grey had mentioned, Chunhwa was wearing clothing from his hometown. The flamboyant clothing stood out and brought many curious stares even in his hometown. The clothing danced like waves with every movement, and looked very smooth.
'After hearing their names, I don't think I should introduce myself with my real name, Chunhwa. I'll stand out, and would they even be able to pronounce it?'
"Ah, my name is... Id. I happened to find these clothes along the way. The clothes I was wearing got torn."
The name Id was something Chunhwa instantly made up. To be more precise, it was a name he borrowed from Greydrone’s memories.
"But travelling alone in this forest is very dangerous."
The Dwarf Randolph said to him after examining him intently. The Dwarf was a little suspicious of Id. Not only was he a stranger, but he was also wearing some weird looking clothes.
***
Part 4: AnmesicCat and Masadeer“It’s dangerous? What do you mean by that?”
Chun Hwa, who did not understand his current situation, asked Randolph.
However, it was Ilran who answered him.
"He meant to say that this forest of Zion is home to many notorious monsters. That is the reason why only a group with skilled people. Did you really not know anything about this forest?"
He insidiously insinuated that they were skilled fighters. He chose his words well.
"No, I had no idea. I come from a faraway place in a small village, and I came to this place because I had business to take care of. So I have never heard of any rumors regarding this forest."
Chun Hwa instantly came up with a story, which they easily believed.
This time, the girl named Hael spoke to him. She looks quite pretty.
"Well, if you're on your way out of this forest, why don't you join us."
"Yeah, that would be great. Come with us."
Right after Hael asked me to join them; Grey also encouraged me to join them.
Chun Hwa was glad that they asked him to join them, since he did not know the geography of the area.
'That's great. Because I don't know the way, I can listen to all sorts of stories from them... Although, I could use Lamia's Image Trap to get out of here.'
As he walked alongside them slowly, Chun Hwa, no Id, asked. (Author's Note: From now on I will be using the name Id.)
"By the way, where are you guys headed to?"
It was Grey who answered his question.
"We are going to... Well, we're on a pilgrimage. Hael is a Priest of Ilan, and she's on a mission to perform her duties as a Priest, and I followed her. Since I’m pretty skilled in swordsmanship, I took this as an opportunity to hone my skills and became her bodyguard. Then Ilran and Randolph followed us because they were worried about us."
'Ah~ So in short... They all follow Hael.'
However, he didn't say anything about the Elf Irlina. Maybe they met her inside this forest and did not know much about her.
"And now our priority is to look for a temple. We ended up having to use all of our healing potions... By the way, where is Id-nim heading to?"
"That's good. Although my purpose is a little different, I am also looking for a temple. If you don't mind, I'd like to accompany you guys."
In the end, no one voiced any complains about Id accompanying them. However...
"By the way, where is the High Elf heading to?"
She seemed to be very surprised at Id's comment. An average person does not know how to differ between a regular Elf and a High Elf. The other members of the party were surprised as well.
"A High Elf? You mean to say that Irlina is a High Elf?"
Irlina quietly told me.
"How did you know I was a High Elf? A normal person would not be able to recognize!"
"Ah... That's because I knew another High Elf. That's how I was able to tell."
"I think that lie might have been too obvious.'
Irlina turned her head away from Id after listening to his explanation. Id noticed she didn't entirely believe him.
'I don't blame her. Even I wouldn't believe myself. It is not possible to differ between a normal Elf and a High Elf by knowing one.' (It is the result of searching through Greydrone's memory.)
"What kind of temple did you say you were looking for?"
(I'll describe the characters here. First of all, Id, he is young and about the same age as Hael and Grey who are currently 19 years of age. Ilran and the Dwarf Randolph is about 40 years of age. As for the Elf, wouldn’t it be better to keep her mysterious?)
The Priest, Hael, asked Id, since she had a relationship with the temple.
"I'm not looking for any specific temple. I just need to find a temple's Highest Priest or a temple that directly serves under the High Gods"
After listening to Id's explanation, there are many who would be curious. The three Gods whom Id is looking for were almost unheard of, therefore no temples served them. Of course, this information is also gathered from Greydrone's memory.
"So what are you going to be doing after you find the High Priest?"
"I'm going to ask about the people I'm trying to find. Rather than asking the Priests, I'm going to ask the Gods whom they serve directly."
Not only her, but everyone else seemed to be surprised at Id's declaration.
"Just who are you looking for that you have no other alternative but to ask the Gods directly about them? Furthermore, none of the Gods have answered anyone directly for over the last 100 years."
'Should I explain to them? Although I could, but it would take too long to explain.'
"Haha, it's a secret, so please understand."
After talking things out for a while, Id and his new companions exited the Forest of Zion and arrived at a town called Surlan.
We briefly stopped by the town for a day. Although we have decided upon our next destination, Irlina had another destination in mind.
"Maybe we should say our farewells here and head out separately."
Id then asked her.
"Where will you be heading to?"
She looked up at Id, and with a smile, she said.
"I am going to find the place where a Golden Dragon resides. He has an item that I need to retrieve."
Upon hearing the word "Dragon" everyone (All except Id that is ^^) looked at Irlina with a dumbfounded expression. How could she say that she's visiting a Dragon as if she's going for a picnic... It might be because she's a High Elf; is what everyone thought... However to Id, it was a piece of good news. Eventually he had to visit a Dragon and this was a good opportunity.
"Irlina, if it's possible, would you go with me after I visit the temple? I also have some business with Dragons."
After listening to Id, Randolph interceded in their conversation.
"Hey, hey. Just what the hell do you think Dragons are? You cannot go visit a dragon just because you want to. Also by going to meet a Dragon means putting your lives on the line. Especially you Id. Although the High Elf has some chance of meeting a Dragon, do you think that a Dragon would meet with a normal huge such as yourself?"
'Argh~ His voice is incredibly loud...'
"But Randolph, Dragons are known to be intelligent and wise, so they will at least listen to me. Furthermore, they will be happy with what I will be bringing to them."
"Huh~ Are you even listening to me? Dragons are beast who liked living alone. They will not listen to you quietly. They will kill you immediately the moment you enter their territories."
'~He really does have a loud voice...'
"It's okay, I'll be alright. So how about it Irlina? Will you be willing to go with me?"
This time, Randolph shouted towards Irlina's direction.
"Hey Elf, are you insane? Just what the hell do you think you will you be doing after you find a Dragon? Even if you're a High Elf, do you think those arrogant Dragons will even bother to meet with you?"
"I will be alright. You have nothing to worry about. The Dragon I am searching for has some ties with my tribe. That's why it'll be fine."
After Irlina's response, Randolph stopped talking. Irlina looked at Id and answered the question he asked.
"Id, if you want to go together, I'm alright with it."
Although Irlina does not completely trust Id, she was curious after he recognized her as a High Elf. Furthermore, Irlina was not in any rush to meet with a Dragon, therefore she did not mind waiting for Id and going with him. And she was also interested in why Id was looking for a Dragon.
After some discussion, the group has decided to visit the temple in a town called Kelvin. However, the group had to stop after about an hour of travelling since there were 20 people blocking their way. Wielding swords and axes amongst other weapons, they seemed to be bandits.
Ilran was the first person to say something.
"What do you think you guys are doing?"
"Are you seriously asking us that question? We know you have a lot of money after liquidating those precious gems. If you hand over all your money, no one will have to spill any blood."
'So they were nothing but mountain bandits that set their goal on killing us if we don't hand over our money. Then the solution is as easy one...'
Now this situation requires some explanation. The day before, Id traded all the gems he acquired inside Greydrone's cave since he didn't have any money. Those gems, however, happened to be worth so much that he traded it for all the money that the store had, which was approximately ten billion shillings.
And somehow, the mountain bandits got a hold of the information and waited for Id and his companions on this route.
***
Part 5: AnmesicCat and Masadeer"I'm afraid we can't do that. Besides, aren't you guys at a disadvantage here? There's a Wizard on our side..."
Did he try to scare them off by saying they will be blown away by one spell? However by saying these words...
"Thank you for your warning, but you don't have to worry about us, we have our own ways of dealing with that."
Then the bandit with the long sword took out a staff with a fist-sized marble embedded in it.
Irlan was the first to notice and examined it and said.
"That staff... It can stop spells from being casted..."
"You seem to know what it is. I was lucky to get my hands on this and found out later that it is used to prevent magic spells from working."
As Id was listening to the bandit's explanation, he thought.
'I don't like the tone of his voice. *Smirk smirk* I should just... Just to confirm...'
But it was only Id who thought that way. No one knew of Id's skill (Author's Note: Even this guy [me, the author] does not of of Id's exact skills ^^) The party thought differently. Irlan quietly whispered to the rest of the party.
"Watch out everyone! That staff can prevent magic spells from being casted and dispel any spells for the next 20 minutes. And with so many people, they’ll defeat us all..."
After listening to Ilran, Irlina commented.
"Although it can dispel any magic spell around the area, it can't dispel summoned spirits. From the looks of it, it can only dispel magic spells of six magic circles and under. I don't know who made it, but whoever he was, he was pretty skilled."
"You are able to sense such things, Irlina? Amazing. However, I do not know of any seven magic circle spells. Do you know of any, Irlina?"
"Yes. But only to some extent... My Mana is still unstable and I am not able to control it well... I think it'll be better if I summon a spirit."
As Id listened to the party talking amongst themselves, he thought of the simplest idea.
"Hey, you know... I think it's easier if we were to break that guy's staff."
Ilran shook his head at Id's suggestion and started to explain.
"Id, what you have suggested is impossible. First of all, in order to break the staff, you'll need to close in on it, however, the other bandits would protect it. That would be a challenge itself. How can a person move fast enough to get near it? Furthermore, even if you get close enough to it, the staff is protected by a spell. It will not break easily."
It is a fact that it was a problem for a normal person. However, it was not a problem for Id.
'Hmm... Is that so? It doesn't seem all that impossible to me. It's not that hard to get close to it, and I have an amazing sword with me. So should I just go for it?'
“Well, wait a minute, if that’s all I have to do, then it shouldn’t be an issue...”
"But Id, that's impossible to do..."
Grey said as he shook his head.
"Don't worry... Now~ Just sit back and watch..."
After saying that, Id walked toward the bandit and suddenly disappeared.
Id reappeared once again when he was in front of the bandit who was holding the staff. Using Lamia, he destroyed the marble on the staff. He once again disappeared and reappeared in front the rest of the party. Despite all that, Lamia did not seemed to have moved from Id's waist. Except for the elf, no one even saw Id move.
However, even Irlina was unable to clearly see Id's movements.
When Id returned to his spot, no one said a word. Soon enough, people noticed the bandit who held onto the staff, fell onto his knees and appeared as if the wind was knocked out of him. He appeared too afraid to meet Id’s eyes, and too terrified to move. Perhaps he was smarter than the rest, since none of the other bandits still had yet to realize what just transpired, and were still in battle stances, even after being beaten half to death. Soon after the bandits came to their senses and started to disperse.
Right after the bandits escaped, the party began to bombard Id with questions.
"Id... Just then... How did you..."
"You... How were you able to move like that?"
It was inevitable that the first question would be asked by Grey, a person who wields a sword, and Ilran, a wizard. However, Id was unable to answer those questions right away.
'How am I supposed to explain this... Ah... Damn it...'
After thinking how to explain it for a few moments, Id finally said.
"Well, it's like this... I used a unique step with the appropriate combination of Mana (Ki)."
However his answer wasn't of any help to the both of them.
With some doubts, Ilran asked again.
"Id... What do you mean by that? I, myself, am quite knowledgeable when it comes to using magic spells. And I have never heard of the skill you've used. In addition, I have never seen a skill like the one you've used, and it didn't look like you were using any magic spell at all..."
'Ha~ It doesn't seem he'll believe me. Oh well... I guess it's okay.'
The lowly race of humans... Is shaped as completely easygoing and oblivious.
"Ilran, the movement I've used is definitely not impossible. If you still doubt it, I could teach you how to use it for you to gain more information about it."
Right after Id said that he was willing to teach the fast movement skill to Ilran, Grey was first to give a response.
"So Id, can you teach me that movement as well... Yes... Okay?"
Id then agreed to teach Grey. The other members of the party also wanted Id to teach them, and so he made a promise to everyone that he would teach them.
'Ah, my stupid mouth... Why did I have to promise to teach everyone... It'll be difficult to teach so many people...'
Well, it's too late to regret it now...
Around lunch time, the party sat down near a river and ate their lunch while listening to Id's explanation. After listening to his explanation, there were two people who were trying extremely hard to practice the movement.
Grey the Warrior, and Randolph the Dwarf. As a Warrior, Grey wanted to be able to move quickly to defeat his enemy, while Randolph, because of his short stubby legs he was incapable of agile movement, and was thus dissatisfied.
"Well... First I tell you how to move, then whenever we have time, I will teach you. Ah... I don't know how long it'll take to master the skill since it depends on the learning ability of the individual. First you have to learn how to use ki, which is something like Mana. However, ki has some similarities to Mana, but it also has its differences. Since Ilran knows more about Mana, I will ask him to please explain it to you."
"Yes. Mana is the energy that is everywhere and evenly spread around. Mana is something that is necessary for all living organism to survive. However, there has not been a clear definition of what Mana really is. And as a Wizard, we need Mana source in order to cast our spells."
'Ah... Is that all what the people here know about? It's a good thing that I didn't explain what Greydrone knew. It would have been a major disaster...'
Greydrone’s vast knowledge knows no bounds. After Ilran's explanation, Id consulted Greydrone's memories for a more accurate explanation of the subject. But then again, Greydrone have acquired his vast knowledge from living for a really tome time...
As soon as Ilran stopped talking, Id continued.
"It is as you've heard. Mana is an energy that is dispersed around the continent. Ki, however, comes not from the outside surroundings, but from within your body. And by using that, You can bring out Geomgi (Sword Aura or Sword ki). You know what a Sword Aura is, correct?"
"Yes, of course I know of it. My dream is to be a Swordmaster who is able to use Sword Ki. But I've heard that it's hard to achieve that level. Even here in Illinas, there are only three Swordmasters. Even other Kingdoms, don't have that many. But why are you asking about it?"
As someone who is trying to become a Swordmaster, Grey knew a lot about the subject.
"So Sword Aura is brought out by using a sword and Ki. So how about using the inside of your body to bring out that Ki?"
***
Part 6: AnmesicCat, Junny, and MasadeerThe moment the assembled group heard Id's proposal, they thought it was absolutely preposterous. Then Ilran said.
“Id, are you seriously saying that it’s possible? Because I have never heard of such things being possible...”
Irlina soon followed up Ilran's statement. For an Elf such as herself, it was different to understand what Id was saying. Unable to understand human behaviour, she said.
"Ilran is right, Id. Even I have never seen or heard of anything like that. Please explain."
'Ha~ How is it that magic exists here, but they think what I've explained to them is impossible. It's amazing that there are people in this world who can actually use Sword Aura. Of course, even a low-leveled swordsman can use a little bit of Sword Aura, after practicing swordsmanship for a really long time, though not efficiently.'
(Think about it this way ^^;; The more a person practices, the more they will improve... Sorry.)
“Well, that’s... Ha~ I’m guessing none of you have ever heard of acupuncture points...”
However, as Id had predicted, the party looked at each other cluelessly, looked back at Id and started shaking there heads. After looking at his clueless party members, Id felt his strength being drained from his body. I will have to teach them from the very beginning, starting from acupuncture points...
'This will not work. I have to find some other way...'
Id tilted his head downwards and fell into a state of deep thought. All the members of the party stood still and stared at Id.
‘What is he doing?’
The party again looked at each other but no one knew what Id was thinking. So they continued staring at Id.
'Well... I supposed I'll have to teach them Boh Buhb since the skill itself is quite useful. And then I suppose... I could use the skill to teach them how to use Ki.'
Id lifted his head after gathering his thoughts together, and said to the party.
"Come to think of it, it is better for you to learn Boh Buhb, and from there we'll move on to the next step, rather than me explaining it to you. But first, I think we should change location."
The party agreed with Id's opinion, packed their bags and placed them on top of their horses.
As they were riding their horses, Illan asked Id.
“Id, you are still so young. From whom did you learn all of this?”
"There wasn't anyone in particular whom I learned from. I was able to learn them mostly from books I've read. Ah... Those books cannot be found here."
"What do you mean by it’s impossible to be found here?"
'Wow. He asks a lot of questions. Should I just tell him?...'
"Haha... I'm sorry but that's a secret ^~^;;"
By around dinner time, the party finally reached a small village. They rented the only room available at an inn, and ate. After finishing their meal, they gathered at the inn's backyard.
Id compressed energy around his feet and walked around the backyard.
With each step Id took, his party members who were watching, found it to benothing short of a miracle.
Id followed the footprint trail he made, back to where the rest of his party members stood and said.
"I'm sure you can all see the footprints I've made. All you have to do is follow them like I did. It shouldn't be hard since they are easy to spot."
But after a while, Id had to make another set of footprint trail since Randolph's short leg could not follow the first set of footprints Id created. Thus, Id had to create a second set of footprint made for Randolph, and Randolph alone.
When the party started to follow Id's footprints, Id couldn't help but laugh. Ilran in particular, being a Wizard, had very little physical aptitude. There were several times where his feet got tangled up, and he fell down. There were always two kinds of students, The good and the bad. The Elf Irlina, who was born with amazing reflexes and a flexible body, excelled. After a long while, when the party had learned the basic steps of Boh Buhb, Id erased the footprints.
For the next couple of days, Id taught the party several variations of Boh Buhb. However, it was not an easy task, since the party had to use the skill to move both quickly and continuously.
This was task especially difficult for both Ilran and Randolph since Wizards had low physical abilities, and Dwarves had stubby short legs.
Soon, Id and his party arrived at their destination, Kelvin.
Kelvin was known to be one of the three great cities of Illinas and in this huge city resides many Wizards and Priests.
There were also different Schools of Magic.
However the schools were divided by social classes. There was a school only for Nobles and there was school where even the common people could attend.
Originally, there was only one magic school but the Nobles refused to let their children learn with commoners, therefore a new school was established.
However, this did not give a good impression to the common people since the academic curriculums where the same.
Though it was called 'School of Magic for Commoners' it does not mean only the common people attended it. In fact, many Nobles who got along well with commoners attended there. Thus, the number of students attending two of the magic schools differ greatly.
When Id and his party arrived in Kelvin, whether it was by luck or not, there were Art Festivals being held by the two magic schools.
Although it was a festival hosted by the two schools, it was welcomed by every Kelvin resident, making it one of the biggest attractions in the city.
"Should we take a look around before we depart again?"
Grey, who answered Id's many questions about why there we so many people walking in the street, asked the party.
Grey’s question was answered by one of the eldest in the party, Ilran.
"Let's go find a room in the nearest inn and put our luggage away. It seems there are a lot of good attractions."
Ilran said as he took a look around the surroundings.
As Hael watched him, she asked.
"Ilran, did you also attend a magic school here?"
"Haha. No, I did not. I learned from my master. Here, they only teach you the basic understanding of magic. So to learn higher level magic, you either have to read a lot of books and study on your own, or find yourself a good master. Since there are many students in one class, it's possible to teach all of them at once."
"That inn over looks good... The restaurant seems to serve good food too."
As Randolph was listening to his party members, he was also searched and found a good inn.
After looking at the inn, Grey said.
"It looks good. But do you think they will have any room available? There are a lot of people because of the festival."
"We don’t have a choice Rey. Let’s try going there first"
Hael called Grey with his nickname. The same one she used to called him when they were little kids...
As Id and his party entered the inn, a good looking man welcomed them.
"Welcome to the inn. Would you like to have some dinner or can I help you with something else?"
"Ah. Actually, we're here to check if you have any room available?"
Hael, who was ahead of everyone else, asked sweetly.
"Yes. There aren't any single rooms right now but there are 2 rooms available which 3 people can stay in. It's a good thing you came here. Most of the inns around the city are probably full."
The group had mixed feelings about getting the rooms and had to talk it over since there were two women and four men. However, they could not risk going to another inn and not be able to get a room.
"Let's get the rooms first and decide on the room arrangements later."
Ilran said to the rest of his party members and then asked the owner of the inn to get the rooms and dinner ready.
"Yes sir. Both the guest rooms are on the second floor. Lia, please lead the guests to their rooms."
"Yes, father."
A cute looking girl serving some food approached them. She had red hair and was around the age of 19.
"Please follow me."
Said Lia and ushered Id and his party to their guest rooms. Id immediately put his bags away and went down to the dining room.
And then Lia approached Id and asked.
"What would you like to have? I recommend today's original dish called Elminin."
"Umm... Then three Elminine, six stews with beer. Does anyone wants to order more food? Id, Irlina, would you also like to have beer?"
"No, thank you. I would like to have white wine."
Irlina ordered a drink but Id did not know what to order because he didn't know what the two drink they ordered were.
'Ugh~ How am I supposed to order if I don't know what they are.'
"What would you recommend for me?"
Just then, Lia answered Id's question in the most shocking way.
"Then the Lady should also have some wine."
At Lia's words, several people from the party bursted into uncontrollable laughter. In the end, Grey explained to Lia.
"Lady, Id here is not a woman but a man. Although, in the beginning we were also shocked to find out... Anyway, he's a man. Hey Id, eat food while drinking some cold beer. It's good... So we'll have five beers and one white wine."
Lia quickly apologized to Id, took Grey's orders, and retreated quickly.
In truth, this was not the first time Id had been mistaken for a woman.
Just like the first town they stayed in, Id was mistaken for a woman and almost went inside the girl's bath accidentally (Author's Note: Or was it?) and left in the hurry to prevent any commotion. But there was none.
There had been many other cases where Id was mistaken for a woman.
Nevertheless, Id did not get angry. He was already used to it for it happened quite often even in his hometown.
You ask, why has Id been mistaken for a woman more than one or two times in the Middle Kingdom?
'Damn it. This is all because of Angelic Jade Form Perfection (Seonnyeo Oghyeong-gyeol) and Form of the Celestial Jade Dragon (Geogida Oglyongsimgyeol)... I must have been insane. Why did I learn those techniques, and then get myself in this situation.'
Back in Middle Kingdom, Id learned the skill Angelic Jade Form Perfection from a book.
Mastering the skill made his outer appearance more woman-like. Although Id tried to stop the effect of the skill, his efforts were in vain.
The effects of the Angelic Jade Form Perfection not only changed his outer appearance, but also his bone structure. Besides, Angelic Jade Form Perfection was a skill intended for only women to learn.
That was why Id learned a skill intended for men, Form of the Celestial Jade Dragon. However, something even more unexpected happened after learning the skill.
Because of the skill Angelic Jade Form Perfection, caused Form of the Celestial Jade Dragon to further alter Id's outer appearance making him look even more feminine.
Beautiful enough to put the looks of real women to shame.
In addition, Id's hair was so long, its length reaches his hip. He did not want to cut it because he thought it would be a waste, since he has grown it for a long time, which only caused him to look even more feminine.
"Id is truly lucky. He looks prettier than any woman."
'Grey must really not fear for his life.'
"You... Ugh... Do you not want to learn Boh Buhb anymore?"
"N... No. I mean you look really handsome. It was a misunderstanding..."
'If he truly wishes to learn, why is he trying to get me mad!'
As a swordsman, Grey really wanted to learn Boh Buhb from Id because no one else he knew, knows such skill. That was why he retracted his earlier comment...
Soon, Lia arrived with their beer and white wine, followed by the original duck dish, Elminine. As Lia set the dishes down on the table, she took another glance at Id, puzzled. She tilted her head as if she was thinking...
'Ah... No matter how I look at it, he looks like a girl.'
After finishing their meal, the party discussed their plans for the day over a glass of beer.
'Mmm~ This drink they call beer taste pretty good. It's cold but not too strong. Delicious ^^'
"Since it's already past lunch time, let's take a look around and then rest. We can head for the temple tomorrow morning. We will decide what to do for the rest of tomorrow after we visit the temple."
Without asking for the other party members' opinion, Ilran decided on their plan for the day. Because the plan was more or less simple enough, there was no need to object, right?
1Boh Buhb - The mastery of the ability to move. This includes running and flying. It has been said that once Monks have mastered this, they are able to move instantaneously. - Taken from EGScans.org
2Dop-gong-neoung - Silently walking on air, similar to Boh Buhb.
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