Aygorzi, Merriheim.
9:34 p.m. 17th Banem, 1092
Kashi and Jade decided to shelve the matter of the mana boosters to a later date, having made more than sufficient progress on their current projects. After discussing some formalities with the daeben women that she'd been working with, Jade followed Kashi and the Maggots to Aygorzi's underground Royal Palace.
The guards at the palace recognized both Kashi and Otto Knutsen. They thus allowed the party through after informing the daeben that the dwarven king had been expecting them.
Kashi nodded his thanks and then walked through a large doorway fit for giants into the opulent throne room. "It's the same," Kashi mused inwardly as he admired the beautiful walls and varnished pillars. The daeben had his first meeting with the council of six in this hall. "Ah, no. Something's changed," said the daeben as he gazed at the new golden throne, upon which sat the new dwarven king, Anton Xafier, listening to the counsel of a minister.
Several dwarven ministers stood in front of the King in neat rows, waiting their turn to offer counsel or debate some topic or another. Kashi spotted Yngvar Kernode, Paaie Nilsen, and Ulla Tav among the first row, signifying their prestige among the dwarven council.
"Hold, Dyron," King Xafier prompted the moment he spotted Kashi's party. "A guest of great import has come to visit." King Xafier laughed as he rose from his throne and walked down the steps, much to the ministers' mortification. The king, however, ignored the minsters' silent protests and approached the daeben with a wide grin.
"Kashi-dono, words cannot convey how glad I am to see you," King Xafier expressed as he held out his right hand. The sharp-eyed dwarf would have gone for a hug, but from what he'd seen of Kashi, the daeben did not appear to be the hugging type.
"The pleasure is mine, Your Majesty," Kashi humbly greeted with a smile and nodded. "Unfortunately, I am afraid this is not a social visit. I come to you with grave matters that require urgent attention."
Behind Kahsi, Syèl leaned over to Shadow and whispered. "Does he always talk like that?"
"You get used to it," Shadow replied with a shrug. Having accompanied Kashi longer than almost any other Maggot, the assassin had seen Kashi switch to this archaic formal speech whenever he spoke with someone the daeben felt deserved respect.
King Xafier, meanwhile, furrowed his brows upon hearing Kashi's news. "I had hoped to prepare a celebratory feast as congratulations for the successful skyboat and train productions, but it appears your matter is much more urgent." Pointing at the raised podium, he proposed, "How about you address us from up there? It should convey the gravity of the situation better."
"As you wish," Kashi agreed. But then he caught Leila's cautioning gaze, and understanding the hidden meaning, added, "But only if you sit on the throne. No matter what, I must not appear to be above or hold power over you or the throne."
King Xafier nodded, acknowledging the dangers. "Yes, perceived weakness could lead to instability, especially for a newly chosen king such as myself." The king let out a wry chuckle as he lamented, "I have scoured hundreds of books and tomes on the etiquettes of a King, but it seems I have yet to ingrain the lessons within my soul. I keep forgetting."
"Even the greatest king was a clueless child once," Kashi soothed with a chuckle. "Time and wisdom make a great ruler, not the crown. You already have the wisdom. Now, all you need is time."
"Hooo..." King Xafier's eyes flashed in surprise as he regarded the daeben with shock and awe. "I did not think you were capable of such sophistry. I stand corrected."
Kashi shrugged as he admitted, "I am only stealing lines others have already coined."
"The only thing that cannot be stolen in this world is knowledge."
Kashi looked at the king with shock, but Xafier only smiled and made his way back to the throne while the daeben waited to be summoned.
King Xafier looked from Kashi to the dwarfs and then announced, "Our friend, Kashi of the Hopeful Maggots, has come a long way with urgent news. As we all know, the dwarven race owes this guild a momentous debt, so I urge that you listen with open hearts and minds to his news before making a judgment." The King then beckoned Kashi forward, "Kashi, please come and address us."
The king's proclamation caused the ministers to murmur among themselves. Some were positive, others were negative, but the majority were hesitant. The dwarfs had just tasted freedom, and many were reluctant to accept orders from a daeben—even if that daeben was Kashi. Such was the deep-rooted hatred and mistrust towards that race.
Kashi walked to the front of the ministers and stood on the stairs, three steps below the podium. The daeben glanced around at the dwarfs, weathering the intensely hostile and cautious glares. Only a few among the dwarfs looked upon him favorable, of which the council of six made up the majority.
Kashi nodded at the familiar faces and then said with a grave expression, "Dwarven Ministers, I am not well-versed in court decorum, so I shall spare both ourselves the embarrassment and get straight to the point." Warning flashed in the daeben's eyes as he continued, "There is a battle coming. One which will decide the fate of the continent. If at this time, we do not stand united, I fear everything we have built thus far will be akin to dust in the wind."
"What is this battle you speak of?" A minister asked.
Kashi glanced at the dwarf and answered, "A battle to prevent the return of the greatest evil this world has ever known."
King Xafier's shot up from his chair, his pallor pale with fright, "You can't mean?"
"Yes, I do," Kashi replied. "The return of Razznik Y'Terlow, otherwise known as The Destroyer."
"What!?"
"The Destroyer!?"
"Impossible!"
"Isn't that just a myth?"
The court erupted in an uproar over the daeben's news, half in disbelief, and others in fright, both sides unwilling to believe Kashi's words.
Kashi, however, poured cold water on any hopes they had by stating, "I know you all received the prophecy four months ago. The prophecy that foretold the coming of The Destroyer. I can assure you, that was no prank. Unless you truly believe someone would pull a prank on the entire continent?" Kashi saw the battle raging within the dwarfs' minds and thus went for the kill. The daeben opened his quest log for the first time in forever and made his menu 'visible.' "You should know that we Summoned gain strength through completing quests outlined in our quest log. The quest log can omit the truth, but it never lies."
Kashi pointed to the hovering window as he stated, "Look here, at the wording: the world's destruction might not seem relevant at first, but when paired with the shaman's prophecy...
"Madness Without Equal, Destroyer Beyond Measure,
An Army of Death Shields the Light of the Sixth Moon.
Thunder Deafens the World, Yet no Light Breaks the Darkness,
The Earth Bleeds Where Chaos Reigns,
The Destroyer Returns."
Kashi finished reciting the memorized prophecy. "At the time we Summoned received this quest, we got a time limit of six months, but when paired with the prophecy's Sixth moon, the purpose is clear."
Xafier's eyes narrowed. "What's that?"
"From the moment Skyrm was freed, no one has known where he is or what he is doing. It's like he has vanished off the face of the earth. Yet, we Summoned received a quest with a time limit attached." Kashi smiled as he explained. "The 'gods' do not give out impossible tasks. The time limit was the true message within the quest. In six months, Skyrm would do something irreversible that would greatly damage the world we live in, but at the exact same time, a prophecy is sent out to the world, warning of Razznik's return around a 'sixth' moon. It does not take a genius to put two and two together."
Kashi's expression once again turned grave as he declared, "In five weeks, Skyrm will somehow summon The Destroyer back to this world. It is up to us to prevent that worst-case scenario from happening."
Yngvar Kermode stepped forward, eyes sharp as he questioned, "Even if your words ring true, how do you propose we find Skyrm if no one has seen hide nor tail of him since?"
"Yes, we do not know where he is or has been," Kashi revealed with a grin. "But we do know where he will be and when exactly he will be there."
King Xafier, quick on the uptake, murmured, "...The sixth moon."
"Yes, Skyrm will be present at the summoning of Razznik," Kashi explained. "As for the where, I ask that you draw your attention to the last three lines of the prophecy, "Thunder Deafens the World, but no Light Breaks the Darkness. The Earth Bleeds Where Chaos Reigns. The Destroyer Returns. This location has three distinct characteristics. First, the clouds are such that neither light from the sun nor lightning can shine through; Second, it's a location where the earth somehow bleeds, and finally, a place of untold chaos."
Kashi folded his arms as he said, "In all of Destia, only one place fits all three descriptions..." Without waiting for the dwarfs to question him, Kashi answered, "Drakase. There is a dark cloud surrounding the island that forever renders it night. Secondly, the largest mountain there is a dormant volcano. It stands to reason that the summoning might cause it to activate, but last and perhaps most important of all..."
Kashi suddenly paused to the annoyance of his audience. However, the daeben's frown revealed that for some reason, this last tidbit of information was slightly harder to get out than the rest. Luckily, the daeben regained his strength after a moment, looked into all the dwarfs present, and then said, "Drakase was Razznik Y'Terlow's only home in this world. If he truly makes a return, I cannot think of any other place he would be called."
"What!? Drakase is The Destroyer's home?"
"We live so close to such a place? Is that possible?"
"Focus!" King Xafier shouted, quickly bringing the squabbling, panicking dwarfs to order. Drakase was at the center of Merriheim's claws. If something terrible happened there, the dwarfs would be the first to suffer the consequences. This was no time for fear. They needed to find a solution fast. King Xafier looked at Kashi, "I presume you have a plan?"
"Yes," Kashi stated. "I am of the firm belief that Skyrm has the Chaos Order behind him. We will have to fight their forces if we wish to stop the summoning. However, this is not something the Maggots can handle on their own. As you saw, this was tagged 'World Quest.' This means that the difficulty is on the scale of a world-level threat. A single team will not be enough. Thus, I hope to form the first formal coalition forces between Rosendun, Merriheim, and Serisis to aid the Maggots in preventing this catastrophe."
"Of course, the risk does not come without its rewards," Kashi added and then explained, "Razznik stored countless amounts of treasures in his home. Our riches will be imaginable if we can skim just 1% off the top."
King Xafier shook his head as he walked up to the daeben and said with a smile. "Even without the rewards, we would have done whatever we could to help prevent this catastrophe."
"I do not doubt that one bit," Kashi replied and then added with a teasing grin, "But the riches do help with the decision, don't they?"
King Xafier laughed as he admitted, "At the very least, it'll be easy to hire mercenaries to complement our forces." He then paused and questioned, "So, how do you plan on forming this coalition? I have neither met Rosendun nor Serisis' rulers."
"With a meeting between the three leaders," Kashi revealed with a grin.
"Didn't you say we only have five weeks?"
"I can get us to Serisis in a day," Kashi boasted, causing Xafier to hesitate as he stared at the daeben in shock.
"A day? How?"
Kashi grinned and then said with a wicked glint in his eyes, "How do you feel about portals?"
Undisclosed Location
10:20 p.m. 17th Banem 1092.
*cough* *cough*
Hektor wheezed and coughed as he crumbled to the ground, bloodied right arm, desperately clutching onto a bone spear. The young warrior felt like he'd just been steamrolled by a herd of rhinos, unable to move a single muscle.
"Your basics are lacking, but with time we can fix that."
Hektor trembled and groaned as he looked up at the stone-faced sword spirit. The young man's eyes shook with equal parts fear and anticipation. Throughout the fight, the sword spirit had kept its strength similar to his, but Hektor lost terribly nonetheless.
However, despite his loss, Hektor could feel himself getting 'faster.' It wasn't so much speed, as it was his judgment. He was slowly getting better at judging incoming attacks and responding appropriately.
"Rest time's over," The sword spirit the sword spirit announced, causing Hektor to wince. The sword spirit waved its hand, and a vial flew out of the mountain of corpses. It tossed the bottle to Hektor and then ordered, "Heal up."
Hektor wanted to cry, but no tears would come out. This The sword spirit was a real slave driver! Even the army instructors known for their unreasonable strictness were no match for this embodiment of evil training! Groaning, Hektor took the vial that hand landed on his chest and poured its contents into his mouth.
Hektor's face scrunched up as he swallowed the disgusting potion, but his expression soon softened to bliss as the healing potion worked its magic. The warrior's injuries quickly healed at a visible rate, and his lifeforce was replenished, becoming even more vibrant than before.
Hektor stared at the empty vial and then at the mountain of corpses. Just where did these people come from? In Destia, potions these potent were very rare and difficult to come across, but it seemed every corpse here had at least ten or more of these on them. They must have brought them expecting a tough battle. Unfortunately, they perished before even getting a chance to use them.
Not that Hektor was complaining. The corpses' loss was his gain. He now had a nearly endless supply of potions, which allowed him to continue his training with the sword spirit. Of course, him needing the potions, also meant that he continuously had to fall into near-death level of injuries.
Hektor bemoaned his bad luck but still rose to his feet with a vibrant look in his eyes. Even if it hurt like hell, as long as he got stronger, he would go on till the end. The young warrior gripped his bone spear, gaze brimming with battle intent as he said, "I'm ready."
The sword spirit looked at the young warrior with interest. It seemed this child's will was stronger than most. "Put down the spear. I am done testing the limits of your basics. We will continue training after this."
Hektor looked at The sword spirit with a doubtful gaze but complied with the order. He set the spear on the ground and then asked, "What are we doing?"
The sword spirit asked as he stabbed its sword into the earth, "What is the difference between a Summoned and Resident's methods of gaining strength?"
Hektor's brow rose, not understanding the point of the question. He looked into the sword spirit's cold, red eyes but did not dare question him for fear of joining the corpses. Luckily, as part of the Hopeful Maggots, he had come to understand a lot about how Summoned gained their strength. The young man sucked in his breath and then looked up at the sword spirit. "Summoned grow stronger by killing monsters and completing quests. They gain something they call Experience Points, which helps them cross levels. With each level, their strength increases."
"A few details are missing, but that is indeed the general idea," The sword spirit commented and then said, "What about Residents. How do we gain strength?"
"Through Breathing and Meditation techniques," Hektor answered. "Our strength increases through each level breakthrough. Sometimes we hit a bottleneck and need to engage in battle to push through to the next level. Oh, and stronger breathing techniques increase our strength gain in each level breakthrough."
Ki warriors utilized breathing techniques to increase their strength and ki, whereas mages used meditation techniques to increase their mana. Some techniques had specialties in certain fields, like Agility, or an element, thereby boosting that particular field.
Techniques, like weapons and armor, were ranked from Common to Legendary, plus the enigmatic Divine. Most residents practiced Common breathing techniques, which was why bandits were usually so weak. Every now and then someone might get their hands on an Uncommon technique and become a local tyrant. Bandit leaders were usually this sort.
Royal families usually gave their most trusted Knights rare techniques to practice, keeping the Epic grade for themselves and their most trusted bodyguards. Legendary techniques were few and far between on the continent. Those who found them usually became akin to small gods.
As a soldier recruit, Hektor was taught an uncommon technique. On its own, he should not have gotten as strong as he currently was, but sometimes someone of extreme talent could pull out more from a technique than others could.
Ruse's technique, which turned his entire body into flames, was an example of an epic grade technique. Unfortunately, the man himself was not talented enough to draw out the full extent of the skill. As such, his life ended prematurely.
Hektor ran through all these thoughts in the blink of an eye and then asked, "Why are you asking? Everyone knows this."
"Because I need to correct a misconception you have," The sword spirit stated. "There's no difference between how a Resident and Summoned grows in strength... Apart from the quests. And even then, if you join a Summoned's party, you too can benefit from the quests. But that is beside the point." The sword spirit shook its head and then continued, "Right now, you see battling as a way to breakthrough bottlenecks, but let me ask you, have you ever experienced a bottleneck since meeting Kashi?"
Hektor froze, wondering how this spirit knew about Kashi. But then he recalled that Rider brought him here, and that man had a strange relationship with the daeben. Thus, Hektor attributed the sword spirit's knowledge to Rider and pushed the matter to the back of his head as he refuted, "No. Now that I think about it, I haven't."
"What's your current level?"
"152," Hektor honestly answered.
"What was your level when you met Kashi?"
"Just above 30."
The sword spirit raised his brow as he looked at Hektor. "Do you know why your level has risen so rapidly in the past year?"
"Isn't it 'cause of the mana increase?" Hektor challenged with a confused frown. "I heard everyone's leveling faster ever since the Summoned arrived."
"There is indeed that," The sword spirit admitted with a nod. "However, the most important reason is that you've spent most of the past year in battles. Residents are yet to realize this, but constant battling greatly shortens the time taken to reach the next level. Also, the constant exertion draws more out of your exercises, which in turn squeezes out more strength through each level."
Hektor's eyes widened as realization dawned. "Is that why I've been getting stronger so quickly?"
"Yes, it is," The sword spirit stated with a nod. "This world is fair. Residents have just as much opportunity as Summoned to grow stronger. In fact, on average, Residents should be stronger than Summoned."
"Huh? Why?"
"Because Summoned practice the most common breathing technique, and as a result, their strength increase remains stagnant for the rest of their lives," The sword spirit revealed. "This is why most Summoned need to form parties to take on Uncommon technique practitioners like bandit bosses and army generals." The sword spirit folded his hand and then said, "But like I said, the world is fair. Summoned can close the gap by either practicing breathing techniques they find in this world, or by engaging in numerous battles without dampening the pain or relying heavily on their system's assistance. Either of the two increases their power outside their regular, static level increases. These are the kind of people who eventually become 'monsters' among the Summoned."
Hektor paused as he thought of Kashi, Syèl, and Shokō. After a few moments, he despondently said, "So, if I want to close the gap with those monsters, I need to find an Epic or higher breathing technique and fight nonstop?"
"Exactly," The sword spirit stated. "As it stands now, even if I beat all my fighting skills into you, a Summoned at the lieutenant level would still pummel you to the ground with their superior stats.
Hektor frowned and then glared at The sword spirit, "Why are you telling me this? Do you think it'll make me give up? Tch, so what if my breathing technique is the lowest of Uncommon techniques?" Hektor's voice rose, bright red eyes burning with passion. "I'll just have to work harder than the Summoned then. If I'm ten levels ahead, I can put up a fight can't I?"
"Sometimes, hard work is not enough," The sword spirit rebuked. "Sometimes, all the hard work in the world can't prevent the inevitable from occurring."
"I don't believe you," Hektor refuted. "I'm only here because I never gave up when clearing the floors above. I would've died if I gave up for even a moment up there!"
"Maybe so." The sword spirit agreed but then added, "But it still does not change the fact that no matter how hard you train with your current technique, you will never be able to stand side by side with Kashi on the battlefield. You are still too weak for him to entrust his back to you, and you will forever be at this rate."
"..." For the first time, Hektor faltered, having been struck where it hurt the most. The young warrior's eyes brimmed with tears, gaze hot as he angrily shouted out his frustration. "Ya tink I dunno dat! Why d'ya tink I came here in da first place! I almost died! Many times I almost died! Over and Over again! My bones broken, bleeding all over. Still, I don't give up! Because I thought it would get me closer to him, even if just a little. I've come dis far. Endured so much! And yer gonna tell me it's for nothing! I'm never gonna be someone he trusts! Ya think I came all dis way for dis!?"
The sword spirit listened, gaze straight, as the young man screamed out his inner fears through a curtain of tears. It waited for Hektor to cool down and then said, "Good. It is important that you know the reality, before attempting to shatter it."
Hektor blinked back hot tears as he glared at the sword spirit. "What?"
"I am saying, you need to be aware of just how difficult the task you wish to undertake is before you begin to embark on the quest." The sword spirit raised its right hand to prevent Hektor from speaking. "I will now teach you the Dragoon Breathing Technique. This is classless technique currently only practiced by one soul on Destia."
Hektor quickly wiped his tears, ears perking up in excitement. Any technique from this sword spirit had to be something extraordinary. However, the term classless promptly caught his attention. "Classless?"
"Yes, classless," The sword spirit stated. "It's class depends on the type of dragon you bond with. A regular dragon will result in a strength slightly stronger than an Uncommon technique, but a Divine dragon will result in a Divine technique. It's that kind of technique."
Hektor's excitement rapidly deflated as he realized a damning truth. "I do not have a dragon, though. This technique is useless to me."
"Do not worry about that," The sword spirit stated and then drew the sword. It cleaved through the air with the sword, someone tearing open a hole in space itself. The sword spirit reached into the hole and pulled out an egg larger than a man's head, pulsating with tremendous life-energy. "I have been holding onto this for this exact moment."
The sword spirit held out the egg, and Hektor fearfully and carefully accepted it. The young man gazed at the egg with shock and wonder as he felt the powerful life force brimming within the egg.
Unbeknownst to Hektor, The sword spirit' eyes turned somber and solemn as it regarded the egg. However, the sword spirit's gaze returned to its steely state a few moments later as Hektor raised his gaze. "I will now teach you how to form a pact with a dragon. Once this pact is formed, the two of you will share life and death together. You will gain some of the skills of a dragon, while it will learn empathy and the ways of the world from you. You will watch over each other, and face everything this world has to offer side by side. You will never betray your pact, and one day, you will come to view this dragon as more than a powerful ally, but a true friend you can rely on."
Hektor nodded. "I understand."
The sword spirit regarded the young man. It could see that Hektor did not fully grasp the severity and importance of a pact. But The sword spirit knew that Hektor would understand in time, and thus he continued, "In that case..."
The sword spirit proceeded to teach Hektor how to form a bond with a dragon. As usual, it involved a bit of bloodletting, magic symbols and chants.
Hektor pricked his thumb with the spear and then used the bloodied finger to draw a magic circle according to the sword spirit's instructions on the egg. He then placed his palm on the symbol and made a solemn vow. "If you would accept me, I Hektor, son of Fontaine and Nasil, solemnly swear to give you my life. My will shall be your will, as your will shall be mine. I shall respect and honor you as family and never harm you of my own volition. Should I break this vow, shall I be struck dead by the heavens."
Hektor winced as a bright red glow emanated from the egg. It grew more radiant with each passing moment, and soon, Hektor began to feel his hand being pushed from the egg as if it was rejecting him. At that moment, a massive tattoo running up Hektor's right arm lit up with blazing flames.
The egg seemed pleased with the strength emitted by the god's mark as it suddenly stopped pushing the young warrior's hand. The blinding glow suddenly enveloped the hall, forcing Hektor to shut his eyes. Seconds later, it dissipated, revealing the egg sitting in place but with a new mark on its shell.
Hektor looked at his palm and saw the same mark on it. However, he did not have time to ponder its meaning as a terrible force suddenly crashed through his bloodstream. The young man let out a panicked shout as he fell to the floor, clutching his chest.
Hektor's heart felt like it had gone into overdrive, pumping out blood ten times faster than normal. What's worse, the blood it pumped was hotter and more ferocious, tearing through his body like a lava tsunami.
"Good," The sword spirit praised as he watched Hektor writhing on the ground. "You convinced the dragon to accept you. Now, you must be feeling all sorts of pain. Do not worry. This is the dragon's ki and mana reshaping your body to fit the requirements of a Dragon Knight. I'll teach you the Dragoon Breathing Technique when this is over."
Hektor's eyes trembled as he gasped for breath. "How long?"
The sword spirit's eyes flashed as the slightest hint of a smile tugged the edge of his lips. "Three days minimum. Try not to die, kid..."