My secondary account elsewhere is giving nice results, I am both glad and impressed.
And my haters can kindly go fuck themselves.
A bit of a filler, a bit of World-Building...I am preparing the ground for Naruto's Evolution in a way that hopefully won't feel rushed.
Have a Good Day!
" You bastard" - demon talking / jutsu
"Let's finish this" - dialogue
" Can it get any worse? " - during flashback/thoughts
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or whatever I will use here in this fic.
A certain blond in an RPG World Chapter 7: Greedy Church doing "Greedy Church Things.", [Hero] and Nakamas doing "[Hero] and Nakamas Things.", and Rag-tag bunch of unlucky bastards strong-armed into saving the world doing "Rag-tag bunch of unlucky bastards strong-armed into saving the world Things"...Everybody looks busy nowadays…
HQ of the Church of Elrune – Inner corridors -
Once passed the pure-white halls adorned by gold statues of the Goddess Elrune, and through the secret door right behind the altar from which Cardinals normally address the populace every Monday as per tradition, there was a small tunnel going deep underground that connected the church to the hidden Headquarters of the powerful religious conclave, and its even richer insides hidden from everybody's eyes.
Walking in absolute silence behind the personal aide of the Pope himself, with her head held low in deference and dressed in the pure white, simple clothes of the young girls serving the church as Healers, the girl normally following the young man holding the [Hero] title had discarded the weapons and "traveling attire" the church gave her so to answer to the call of the Pope and the entire high hierarchy.
"This way, young Sister." the Eunuch addressed her as they stopped before a giant painting of a woman of ethereal beauty holding in both her hands a tiny planet, cradling it to her chest with all the love of a mother.
'Holy Mother Elrune, she who gave Life to us all.' was written on a small plaque near the painting.
"T-T-The inner sanctum! T-The holy meeting room of the Pope!" the girl gasped in shock at the humongous honor she had been bestowed with, only to fall silent and once again lower her head at the withering glare the Eunuch shoot her for talking without permission.
Novices like her were not supposed to talk that freely when inside the HQ, no matter their background, race or gender; they could only answer when directly asked or talked to, so to preserve the holy silence inside those walls.
Once satisfied with her chastised expression, the old eunuch knelt in front of the painting and offered a short prayer that summoned a runic circle of gold light around him, the painting itself then seemed to absorb that light and shine in it for few seconds before silently moving aside to show a tall and ornate bronze door hidden behind it.
"Now go, and remember to be quiet and only answer when talked to. The Pope himself, May Mother Elrune bless him in her motherly light, is in there, so keep your head low at all time unless you are told otherwise." the man whispered, making her nod in an answer and then enter.
"See to not disappoint the great Mother Elrune, child." the Eunuch muttered while watching the door disappear back behind the painting.
Inside the Secret Meeting Room -
The room was actually very small, big enough to only contain the round marble table circling around the golden seat occupied by the Pope himself, signifying that the Cardinals, High Cardinals, and Holy Kin were supposed to guard the Pope against from all threats, from all directions while he or she sat at the core of the World, its center.
Now though, the room was empty save for the tall young man sitting on the throne in high ceremonial robes and looking at the girl with untamed hunger shining in his eyes.
"Look at me, Bella Hendrick." the man ordered.
"Your holiness?" the girl, Bella, answered unsurely and finally noticing they were alone.
"The meeting will start in an hour, and before the others arrive, I want you to repeat to me the 'hidden details' of your mission for the Church of Elrune. To be sure you understand your duties." the thirty-year-old man with the [Pope] title ordered while toying with a fringe of his long golden hair.
"Yes, your holiness." Bella answered while walking towards the man and disrobing along the way.
"Yes...Here, my precious little thing...Sit here." the young man said while leering at her, and making the same light appear in the girl's eyes as she eagerly sat on the older boy's legs once removed the last piece of clothing.
"What is your mission?" he asked while idly playing with her body.
"Follow the Hero and help him save Elrune while professing our faith as the one true belief," she answered whispering loudly while covering his neck in kisses.
"And?" he prompted while enjoying her soft, pristine hands as they fumbled with his robes to free his pride.
"And destroy any infidel and Monster along the way!" the girl moaned-out as soon as she started bouncing on his lap.
"GOOD! This is exactly what me and those old fossils will task you with! Now...The rest, your real Mission." he answered as he gave a rough bite to the girl's breasts, marking them as his with the resulting red mark on her pale and unblemished skin.
"AH! S-S-Seduce the Hero! A-And get pregnant! I-I-If he does not fall for me, u-u-use drugs to still get him aroused and ready to impregnate me!" she shrieked in answer, and her screams and moans sounded like music to the young man.
"Exactly! Do this for me and you'll be the new Goddess of our Church! I'll make you the face of our belief, the Saint those poor fools have always prayed for!" the young man answered, shoving the girl to the floor so to finally take the reins of the bestial rutting.
"Y-YES! Y-YES, YOUR HOLINESS!" the girl shrieked once reached the apex and gladly accepting the feeling of warmth erupting from him and filling her.
"Tell you what..." he then whispered darkly in her ears as he turned her around and aimed for another entrance.
"Y-Yes?" she asked, both aroused and scared for what was to come.
"We'll say he raped you, like that I will be able to keep you around personally as my protege, people will accept your pregnancy happily if we turn the story around to our benefit instead of keeping everything a secret." he said before uncaring shoving himself forward and relishing in her cry of pain and pleasure.
"W-W-Will this co-continue...B-Between us?" Bella asked hopeful in-between gasps.
"Of course, you presented yourself to me willingly and without prompting, I will never lose the chance to use this wonderful 'holy' body of yours, you belong to me!" he answered with a roar as he grabbed her hair to pull her head back.
When finally the others arrived in the room one hour later, nobody could tell what outrageous act had just happened in that room, they merely saw their Pope sitting on his throne with proper and austere manners and a Novice kneeling in perfect silence in front of the table with her head held low, especially since the long gown of her robe covered perfectly the continuous stream running down her legs to be absorbed by the cloth.
There were various alternative ways to get the [Pope] Title and become the chosen Head of the Church of Elrune compared to the 'Proper' one, and what nobody knew (not even the Elders), was that the current possessor of said Title had used the most obscure one of them all, and for the sake of that young man's ambitions, they were better to never discover that, or else.
Meanwhile – Secret Hideout of the Witches coven know as 'Daughters of the Cosmos' -
Hidden deep into the forests surrounding Serena City stood an abandoned shack, a small dilapidated house looking like ready to fall apart once seen the rotten wood of its walls; in truth that was merely the cover, and as soon as a member of the secret group of witches entered, its real appearances would be disclosed, contrary to the illusion of empty and desolated rooms waiting there for any intruder stupid enough to try entering uninvited.
But now, breaking in would be a death sentence as the entire coven of witches was present, all of them sitting on bone-made chairs and listening to their youngest member's report.
"So the Hero has met the Legendary Blacksmith and has been confirmed as the real deal." the Leader of the coven, an extremely old woman with very long silver hair, asked while toying with the long necklace of eyes (both human or beast) around her neck.
"Yes, Great Witch." the Black Mage following the Hero answered.
"Interesting. Mello has looked into the entrails of a beast and had indeed Divined this, along a great shadow looming over him. We can use this." the really old woman said making a near plump witch preen in pride.
"A great shadow, Great Witch?" the young girl asked.
"Along a great Calamity descending on this world; soon the first of the many trials that boy will be faced with through his Mission will present itself...So I hope there won't be a need for me to remember you why you must be certain he will survive to the very end of his journey." the Leader of the witches answered with narrowed eyes.
"Of course, Great Witch! I will make sure the boy will fulfill his Destiny without troubles!" the young Black Mage answered immediately.
"Good, when the time comes you will also bring him to us, we need him for our ritual to be completed and resurrect Demon Lord Asgard so to bind its power and use it to rule unopposed on this world." the old woman said with a booming voice.
"Of course, Great Witch."
"Glad to see you understand, do this for me and we will resurrect your father as well..." the woman said with a sickly-saccharine voice, making the girl's eyes go wide in surprise.
"Hihihihi! Necromancy is prohibited, yes! Highly Taboo even! But just because the ignorant masses are afraid of its possibilities." Another witch said showing a deranged smile with even too many teeth missing or just rotten.
"Once done with the boy, we will use the rest of him as a sacrifice to bring your father back, little Lily...We just need the boy's heart, so if before that we make sure he impregnates a girl and then sacrifice both him and her (along with the baby's soul), the child's empty husk will become the conduit of your beloved Daddy's return...Sure you will have to explain to him why you are changing him or breastfeeding him, but it will still be better than being dead, Hihihihi!" yet another witch added in great amusement.
"Do a good job and I will even teach you how to then have his soul take over a more adult body if you so wish...BUT FAIL AND YOUR SOUL WILL BE MINE! I WILL HAVE THE FOULEST DEMONS VIOLATE YOUR SPIRIT AND BODY FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY WITHOUT REST!...Am I clear, my dear Lily?" the Leader of the witches then said, momentarily raising from her chair and unleashing her full malevolent aura to the point nobody else in the room could breath or just look at her in fear of being devoured by the endless abyss that was barely held-back inside her eyes.
"Y-Y-Yes, Great Witch!" Lily answered immediately, a perfect mixture of awe and terror for the old woman's power shining in her voice.
"I would be careful if I were you! Some demons do not stop at the thought of a human body being unable to take them without getting torn apart! They just shove it all the way in until it gets out from the victim's mouth! Hahahahaha!" one of the witches said with an evil smirk, and that somehow caused everybody else to laugh as well.
"Please ignore them, Lily. Young Parra still has no sense of shame no matter passing ninety years of age." the Leader of the Witches said while rolling her eyes at her 'sisters' attitude and behavior.
"Y-Y-Yes, Great Witch." Lily answered, deathly pale and instinctively crossing her legs in horror at the scarring scene one of her seniors suggested, and not finding it funny at all.
She regretted joining this group of deranged Mistresses of the Dark Arts, but after the death of her father, she had been blinded by her need to have him back, and just as she first joined them as an Apprentice, she was still ready to do ANYTHING to have her beloved father back.
Later that day – With the Monster Star Guild -
"...Level 100...And you didn't evolve?" Tanya asked confused.
"Yep." Naruto answered shrugging in defeat.
"Impossible." Rimuru, in his slime-ball form, countered in disbelief.
"You can check if you want."
"Analysis: Named Monster: Naruto Namikaze. Race: Hobgoblin (Silver Variant). Level 100." Rimuru's skill [Great Sage] answered once prompted.
"Oh, you are right."
"Why he can't evolve?" Mi asked curiously.
"That is the problem, that should not be possible. Once a Monster reaches Lv 100 they evolve, always." Olaf answered.
"Unless they reach the full potential of their race, but in that case, an Appraisal would show 'Max' as their level, not 100." Lars added, looking thoughtful.
"Maybe I need some special requirements? Like 'Lv 100 AND do/obtain/kill/Consume...', is it possible?" Naruto asked.
"That would mean a 'Triggered Evolution'. Those are obscenely rare." Tanya answered grimacing a little.
"Eh?"
"[Triggered Evolution]: Special branch of Evolution that can be reached through fulfilling of special requirements, like certain objects or relics, or other factors. It sounds awfully complicated." Kurama explained (and Naruto repeated to the others) once asked to act as the reborn shinobi's [Skill].
"So you can't go [Ogre] unless you fulfill those requirements?" Rimuru asked.
"Yep, so it seems." Naruto answered with dropped shoulders.
"Fist was the same. Fist was only a small wood troll, then Fist eats a Dryad and the next day he was giant green Mountain Troll." Fist answered nodding.
"Why you ate a Dryad?" Lars asked, shocked.
"Mean Dryad insulted Fist because Fist was not as tall as other Wood Trolls, so Fist felt very sad and overreacted." the green giant answered embarrassed.
"…'Overreacted' is the new word he learned today, isn't it?" Tanya said, smirking.
"That is not important. So who or what does Naruto have to eat?" Mi asked once glared the small psycho loli into silence.
"I don't think that is what he needs...Or is it?" Olaf answered.
"Unfortunately even an Appraisal can't tell what the necessary steps are, that is why a [Triggered Evolution] is so disgustingly rare, is more likely to see that Monster die before getting to that, is a matter of luck, same for humans and their equivalent situation [Triggered Job Evolution]." the Guild's Researcher, Jibril, answered as she came out from her personal Lab/Library while carrying a giant tome in black torn leather.
"So I will never Evolve further?" Naruto asked in dread.
"Hard to say, many of your [Skills] is centered around Luck and the Manipulation of Probability, along having that strange Title as [He who defeats Fate] that you seem to be the very first owner of. So, I would suggest to just be patient enough to try EVERYTHING, no matter how silly or strange it sounds. Eating every beast or Monster you come across comprised." the winged girl answered shrugging and giving a small flutter of her wings.
"Oh!"
"Want me to ask to [Great Sage]?" Rimuru asked.
"I said Appraisal abilities can't help." Jibril countered with narrowed eyes.
"Analysis: Please wait…"
"Tch! I can do that too AND do it better! Watch and learn!" Kurama countered making the eye-shaped gem on Naruto's forehead gain a bit more luster as a great amount of energy flowed through it.
"Why they have to compete like this?" the reborn shinobi asked whining.
"I don't know. They seem adamant in showing the other who is the best [Skill]." Rimuru answered making his slime body deflate a little.
"I said that there is no way you can tell!"
"Drop it, kid. Is beyond your control." Tanya answered nonplussed while pointing her medallion towards Naruto and covering his entire body in a golden halo.
"Impossible to determine next Evolution." the medallion answered with a robotic voice.
"Hn! See?"
"Mine is just a High-Level Appraisal ability connected to an internal database of known Monsters and Evolution. He is a rare Variant and has a [Triggered Evolution], I was not expecting results, I was just satisfying my curiosity." the short kid answered, unconcerned.
"Solution found/I FOUND SOMETHING!" both [Skills] finally declared at the same time.
"I was first!" Kurama said with a bestial roar.
"Counter: No, I was the one to find an answer first."
"BULLSHIT!"
" :-( "
"By your grimaces, I take they failed as well?" Jibril asked with a smug expression.
"Actually, they seem to have found something, they are just arguing about who did it first." Rimuru answered.
"Guh?!" Choking on her own spit and wounded pride, the Flügel girl sputtered in shock.
"...So?" Tanya prompted, annoyed.
"I need a specific title." Naruto answered, unsure.
"Which one?"
"They don't know."
"Figures."
"So, back to square one. Well, had it be easy it wouldn't have been fun. Come on, let's go see if there are any Missions for us to take, taking food to the table costs money." Olaf answered laughing, shouldering his crossbow and marching towards the door.
"We also need an excuse to look around for clues about the whereabouts of the Barad-Se King." Rimuru added, whispering to the other two 'Chosen Ones'.
"Yes, should we look somewhere in particular?" the reborn shinobi asked.
"Let's see if there is anything close to the Elven Territory, Barad-Se is maybe the only human kingdom that has something similar to an 'alliance' with the Elves. I still have some contacts between those tree-huggers, and hopefully, my leaving their allies for a simple Guild should not make them too adverse in helping me. Or so I hope." Tanya answered, sighing.
"Let's try the elves then." the slime boy accepted nodding and turning into his blue-haired androgynous (and slightly Bishonen) human form.
"You want a Mission in the elves territory? Why?"
"Please? It's very important for us three to know what the elves are up to! We still can't tell you more, just trust us, please." Rimuru asked.
"Elves...It would mean deep and non-mapped forests, then our first stop should be Trevaria, it's neutral territory. From there we should be able to make inquiries about the elves from a safe place." Lars answered.
"Formation?" Mi asked.
"Alice and Albedo are unable to come this time. The group will be of five people: Naruto, you, Tanya, Rimuru and Lars. Me and Fist instead will go ask the Dwarves for help, my kind too has good spies, not only miners and blacksmiths." Olaf answered smirking.
"I will hold the fort then, somebody has to remain here and welcome visitors for small jobs in the city." Jibril added.
"Perfect. Let's go loan some mounts then, it will be faster than going on foot." Lars answered, nodding.
"The Lizards again?" Naruto asked.
"No, horses this time. Then we will switch to [Forest Lizards] once reached the border, those beasts will help a lot with their ability to glide from branch to branch."
"Seems legit, then let's gear-up and see if we can find a mission casually taking us to Trevaria...Or close to it."
"AYE!"
The next day – With the 'Hero Party' - Guild Association's Main Building's Mission Center -
The young teen boy holding the [Hero] Title had just left the throne room of King Leodas once finally spoken with the King, having promised him to do everything in his power to make sure his Kingdom and the entire world will be safe and protected from the forces of Evil; and Leodas could only hold back a grimace as he saw the fanatical light shining in the young Priest girl accompanying young Tim as she talked with great fervor and fanaticism about how the ENTIRE CHURCH OF ELRUNE was behind the boy, almost 'daring' the King to stop the young Hero...Same going with the young Dark Mage and her Coven or the young Paladin talking about how the 'Paladin Guild HQ' too was championing the young man's crusade.
It didn't take a genius to understand that something fishy was happening, but compared to a very likely Armageddon-Level Calamity peaking from the horizon, the old man was forced to play along and pretend to be happy for the offer and oblivious of the obvious power-play between two of the most secretive groups in their Continent AND an entire Church stealthily preparing to bite each others' throat as soon as one of them lowered their guards...And all with a young naive boy in the middle, unaware of traveling with sheep-masked wolves.
But this was unknown to young Tim as he and his 'Friends' went through the Missions the Guild Organization had posted on the various giant blackboards covering every single wall of the main room.
"Save cats...Slaying Goblins...Kill Giant Cockroaches...Nothing that can give us info about why Monsters are appearing more and more." the broody Lancer of the group, and the only one besides Tim to not be part of a Guild, said sneering in disgust.
"We must have faith, I am sure Mother Elrune will give us a sign, and I am sure Tim will do his best to defeat whatever Evil force behind this." Bella the Cleric said with a dazzling smile while latching to the boy's arm.
"Oh...Ehm...Yes...Ehm...T-Too close." the boy answered embarrassed.
"Do not get too close, we don't want our church girl to betray her votes." Lily the Black Mage countered, latching to his other arm to pull him away from Bella.
"There we go again, still arguing. You think Tim will finally notice they are not rivals but just fighting for his attention?" the young Paladin asked amused.
"I am not exactly interested in romance, I have too much to demonstrate to waste time in chasing girls, or push them away should they chase me." the Lancer answered, uninterested.
"That rivalry of yours with your big brother is not exactly healthy, you never think about anything else."
"Tch! I have to defeat him! If I do that, then Father will have to acknowledge me, even if I was born from one of his mistresses, he won't be able to deny my talent. And it will also FINALLY force my brother to shut up and stop thinking he is superior."
"So...Revenge?"
"...In a small part, but mostly Pride and Justice." the broody boy answered huffing.
"What do my eyes see? The famous holder of the [Hero] Title! What an honor!" a new voice said as a plump old man joined the group.
"And you are?" Lily asked.
"Monsieur Garlon, I am one of the guys taking care of the Missions posted here, if you have any special need, do not hesitate to ask me." the man answered with a mellifluous smile, already thinking about how much it would help him gain favor with the Higher-ups if he helped the Hero.
"Help us?" the Lancer asked with narrowed eyes.
"Of course! I know every single mission posted here, and I can easily find a copy of it for you if you need."
"Well, Master Garlon, we were trying to see if we could find a Mission that could help us understand why the Monsters are getting so restless, we suspect that something big and Evil must be behind it...But we still lack proof." Tim asked with a shy smile.
"Some clues about why the Monsters are getting restless...Well, if I am not mistaken, the Research Commission of King Leodas has just recently posted a request of help here just to discover that. They need somebody to act as protection detail while they see if they can understand what is happening." Garlon answered while scrunching his face deep in thought, the thing that gave his face a very pig-like expression.
"Really!?" Bella asked, excited.
"Yes...Boy! Bring me a copy of the document labeled 'T-11T-2KL', it should be in the section about Missions issued by the Royal Family." the plump man asked to one of the numerous Assistants running about between Staff Members and the representatives of the various Guilds present.
"Yes, boss!" the young boy with fox ears answered promptly while scurrying away.
"Do you remember any other detail?" the young Paladin asked while they waited.
"We have a lot of Missions here coming and going every day...But if I am not mistaken, the convoy of that particular Mission should pass through Trevaria, then on the borders of the Elven Kingdom, then back here through the mountains, with a couple stops into few tiny towns and even a small Dwarven settlement in the mountains. Between those two races, I am sure you will find something. The elves especially are very kind to understand the Monsters' 'Mood Swings'...If you can make a few of them talk about that; the Dwarves instead are just as long-lived as the elves, enough that maybe some of their elders probably saw something similar happen a few centuries back and can guess why this is happening again." Garlon answered, sounding very unsure though.
"See? See? I told you Mother Elrune would have sent us a sign! You are the Chosen One after all!" Bella answered, looking ecstatic.
"Do not cling to him that much!" Lily answered, hissing.
"You cannot order me around, Sinner!"
"Church Girl!"
"Follower of Dark Magic!"
"Stuck-up Prude!"
"Ehm...Sorry to interrupt...But the Mission has already been taken..." the same Fox Beast-man Assistant from before interrupted them with a sorry expression and holding a stamped piece of parchment in his hand.
"WHAT?!" the assembled group of Heroes shrieked as one.
"Impossible...How can this happen?" Bella muttered in disbelief.
"Already taken? Let's see...Ah! My apologies, then, Master Tim! Apparently, it must have slipped my mind. But have no fear! I have another Mission that might help you!" Garlon answered with an embarrassed blush once checked the validity of the document.
"It's not a problem, Master Garlon. What Mission is that?" Tim answered with a gentle, encouraging smile.
"Well, There is a Guild that has issued a recovery Mission. Apparently they located an old man with an extraordinary talent on divination, his prophecies about the future seem to be uncannily precise, so the 'Inner Eye Guild' wants him to join them, unfortunately though, besides the [Druid] acting as Leader, every other fighting member is already taking care of another long-term Mission."
"So they want somebody else to go take that man? Do you at least know where is he?" the young Paladin asked.
"That is the problem, we know exactly where he is hiding...But nobody wants to go to the [Rotten Gorge] to take that old man and bring him here..." Garlon answered, uneasy and gagging a little.
"The Rotten Gorge!? The canyon where monsters go to die?! The hellish place with piles of rotting corpses tall as mountains flies as big as cats (and even bigger maggots) filling the skies and ground and a giant never-ending river of feces and other filth from collapsing bladders and 'melted' flesh running through it?!" Lily asked in horror.
"Is the only other Mission we have that might possibly help you, who knows when another will pop-up...It may be tomorrow or even ten years in the future." Garlon answered, chastised by the Dark Mage's glare.
"Why would that bastard be there?! Nobody goes there! It's hell on earth! Even Diseases get Diseases in there!" the Lancer hissed, furious.
"That man is not exactly all right in the head, so he decided to try and see if the mountain of corpses there would be a good source of new Visions...His own personal scarce hygiene meant her would not be too bothered by the filth there...I am sorry." Garlon answered.
"It doesn't matter. If that is the only way we have to get a clue about my Destiny as Hero, then I must go there." Tim answered, making his group look at him in horror.
"...I-I can go alone if you prefer!" he then said once noted the combined glare of them all.
"N-N-N-No! I will accompany you." Bella said with stuttering of disgust, the others too nodding along.
"Oh, Gods...We'll have shit and rotten flesh up to our waist...And parasites and other things assaulting us en masse...This better be worth it." the Lancer muttered.
"We can only pray." the young Paladin answered in dread.
"By the way, who do we have to 'thank' for leaving us with only this alternative?" Lily asked between clenched teeth, either because furious or because she was forcefully biting back the need to projectile vomiting in the middle of the room.
"It must be somebody with infernal luck to intercept a mission a Goddess prepared just for us before we could get it." Bella added, making the Dark Mage and the Lancer roll their eyes at her ridiculous blind devotion.
"Who took the other Mission?... Let's see...Ah! It was the 'Monster Star Guild'. That Guild made-up mostly by Monsters and non-humans." Garlon answered once checked.
"Of course it was them..." the Dark Mage muttered bitterly.
Five Days Later day – with Naruto -
Three big carts dragged by giant green lizards were slowly making their way through a dense patch of forest followed by several people riding similar lizards acting as escort around them, among those people, Naruto, and the others were actually on the far back and chatting with some of the researchers sitting on the carts.
"So you are not elves?" the reborn shinobi asked curiously.
"Oh, nonono! We look similar, but we are a different species. In fact, back in the days between the Elves and we Wyverians there was a never-ending conflict about who was the 'bad copy' of who, then one day the Elves simply decided that our war lasted too long and just opted for ignoring our existence, even if they still hate being mistaken for one of us." the extremely short old man with big glasses and pointed ears answered with a jovial laugh.
"It helps that many Wyverians get shorter the older they get, and they are not as long-lived as the Elves." Lars answered smirking, watching amused as even Tanya for once was towering over somebody.
"Yes, I am a meter tall, deal with it, you Monkey." the same old man answered offended.
"HEY! Calling a Human like that is Racist!"
"Wyverians only superficially resemble humans and Elves, in fact, we actually have several traits that suggest a wyvern ancestry. We have pointed ears, yes, but also four-fingered hands and an increased lifespan compared to humans, but still unable to match the Elves in that. Many Wyverians also possess digitigrade legs. We also reproduce less often than humans, resulting in a smaller population, not that it had ever concerned us." another VERY short old woman explained.
"And yet Elves hate the fact that you look slightly like them?" Naruto asked incredulously.
"Those prancing ponces are blind followers of the myths of 'Dauthia, The Living Mother Tree': an ancient tree they believe Elrune herself gifted with life as a prize for its fruits saving her starving children once they went lost into the woods. And since Dauthia is also considered to be the very FIRST Elf ever existed, they clearly hate us that have ancestors of the draconian kind and yet look slightly similar, as if the first Wyverians tried to mock the appearances of the children of Dauthia by mimicking them." another Wyverian scholar answered grumbling.
"So Elves are plant people? Ah! This is rich!" Lars said, laughing amused at the notion.
"God, they must be very narcissistic." Rimuru muttered in dread.
"You do not know a Narcissist until you meet an Elf, they redefined the Term up into an Art Form."
"Jeez, grandma...You don't make me eager to meet one," Naruto admitted.
"I am not a grandma! I am still three hundred! I am still in my prime!" the short old lady replied scandalized.
"Women! Always so scared to admit to be getting old-GAH!" one of her colleagues muttered in sarcasm, only to yelp in pain when the gigantic tome labeled 'All there is to know about medical plants (even too much to know, honestly)' went slammed on his head in all its ungodly weight.
"Quit it!" she bellowed with a roar worth of her dragon-like ancestors.
"Hey? Why is that much smoke in front of us?" Mi asked curiously.
"Smoke?... It seems to come from Trevaria's Capital City direction." a Wyverian woman answered, unsure.
"Maybe an incident happened?" another short scholar answered.
"ALARM! ALARM! ELF SOLDIERS INCOMING!" one of the kobold warriors ahead yelled in distress, just an instant before arrows started raining on them by the hundreds.
"UNDER THE CART! NOW!" Lars ordered sharply while he and Tanya summoned a translucent shield of energy in front of both Hobgoblins, Rimuru instead used his consuming ability to devour the projectiles hitting him.
When the thick rain of arrows finally stopped, the scholars showed-up being safe, or at most just superficially wounded, but on the contrary, most of the warriors acting as protection had been slain by either arrows or spells of the first Elf soldiers personally reaching them.
"Why? Trevaria is supposed to be neutral ground!" the leader of the convoy, a tall human old man in wizard robes, asked with booming voice while gripping his staff tightly.
"It WAS supposed to be, you child. Times are changing, and it's necessary for a new order to be established. A new Status Quo where the Elves rule supreme!" the Leader of the Elf squad answered with a maniacal smile, the strange feature about him though was that his ears had been crudely cut to half their size, almost looking human.
"Your Ears! You have been banished from the Elven Kingdom!" the same old man replied in shock.
"Yes, they cut my ears so that I could no longer hear the songs of the forest...And guess what? I still can! That opened my eyes...My kind is chained down by old, rotten superstitions and costumes, old useless drivel that stops us from reigning supreme! So I had a moment of enlightenment: if I could still ear my Goddess' singing through the Voice of the Forest even after being 'ashamed' by my own tribe, then others too could! Then the entire thing was just a superstition we still drag along from our barbarian times! If that was the case then, what else were we doing wrong?! Then it hit me: WE NEED REVOLUTION! I will be the first to reshape the Elven Kind! I will open everybody's eyes to our superiority, and from there, we will make Lady Dauthia's song being heard by everybody, whatever they like it or not." the Elf answered, showing in pride the black markings that had been burned on his flesh in the heart area.
"So he is a Heretic, that is why they cast him out." Lars whispered with narrowed eyes as he prepared his lance and shield.
"Heretic?" Rimuru asked.
"A follower of forbidden knowledge, but contrary to the Dark Elves that actually are careful with it, the ones like him let that kind of Magic twist their minds to the point of lunacy in exchange of more power/results; I bet that while he was researching what else was just 'superstition' he got his hands on something extremely dangerous that was Taboo for valid reasons, but the moron still studied it to appease his belief of knowing best."
"And that marking?" Tanya asked.
"That looks like a [Purifying Seal], but the shape is wrong, somebody must have tampered with it to deactivate its functions, so instead of helping him recover his Sanity, it left his mind get torn to shreds by whatever that was supposed to exorcise." one of the Wyverians answered.
"Yes, a little present from one of my friends, one that understands the sanctity of my Mission! Trevaria is just the first step, soon I will have the power and resources needed to uplift the Elf Kind to a new Dawn of Greatness!" the Elf answered.
"What have you done?" Naruto asked with narrowed eyes.
"Since they were uselessly sitting on the fence, never having enough strength to pick a side, I gave them a purpose! I sacrificed the entire Capital to enact the rebirth of the Lord of Calamity! And as soon as that brainless beast descends, I will take over and start the rebirth of Elves everywhere thanks to its powers!"
"YOU DEVIL!" Lars yelled in blind rage.
"If you want to stop me, then come with me to the holy ground that will host my Ascension!" the Elf said laughing, then his body turned into a giant cloud of black miasma that rapidly flew away towards the giant cloud of smoke that was an entire city burning to the ground.
"What is he planning?" Tanya asked.
"There have been only three monsters through history that earned the fearsome Title of [Lord of Calamity] and neither of them were nice, on the contrary, those were natural disasters given physical bodies. I have no idea which one he wants to revive, but he MUST NOT succeed, or we won't be able to stop him from destroying this world." the oldest Wyverian of the group answered with a grave tone.
"HURRY! Take your equipment and let's go! We have no time to waste!" Rimuru yelled with wide eyes.
"Can you find a place to hide?" Mi asked.
"Have no fear, the other warriors present will protect us, now go!" an old Wyverian woman answered.
"..."
"...Old Hazak, why you trusted them with this and not us?" a young human man in plated armor asked frowning.
"Because it takes courage to fight a battle everybody would normally consider a suicide, and that hobgoblin has a fire in his eyes talking about a force of Will very few can be said to have; same going with his friends, not a single one of them hesitated, they all rushed forward." the old lady answered.
"Except for that tiny girl, she instead had a more calculative gaze, she must have seen the Pros and Cons of that mad Elf succeeding, and decided to do everything for that faint hope of success." another old scholar added.
"Considering that the other option is getting obliterated, one cannot fault her."
"And also...There are certain things only Monsters can do, and if Young Andre trusted them enough to gift them with some of his best creations, I think we too can trust them." Hazak the old Wyverian added with a small smile.
"Eh! I knew I saw that style of forging somewhere! The kid got even better at handling a forge, seems like yesterday that he wasn't even able to lift a hammer! Hohohoho! And he fully equipped them! Time sure flow fast!" another scholar said, making the others to chuckle amused.
"Why would somebody like Master Andre help a Guild of Monsters?" a female human archer asked in disbelief.
"Because, just like us, he has a good eye for details and hidden treasures; he saw 'Something' in them that just needs a little polishing and decided to help along. I wonder if this time too he saw right! Hohohoho!"
"Yes, let's hope they will be able to pull this off, then. We barely have enough men to protect you and at the same time fight off some Legendary 'Super Monster' at the moment, saving the World just by ourselves is not exactly in the realm of possibilities..." a young Monk admitted in dread.
"Then let's round-up the wounded and the members of the Research Commission, if we have to let a bunch of Monsters play 'Heroes' we must be ready just in case something manages to slip past them and come here, otherwise, everything will be useless." the Leader of one of the Guilds present declared fiercely, and making her colleagues second the idea, soon making the small group burst with activity to prepare a last line of defense just in case the 'Monster Star Guild' failed to stop whatever monstrosity that Mad Elf wanted to unleash/Become.
Omake – The not-so-epic Mission of the Hero -
Rotten Gorge (Also known as "The Shit Hole") - bottom of the 'Condemned Canyon' -
"I HATE THIS! I HATE THIS! I HATE THIIIIIIIIIIS!" the broody Lancer bellowed in disgust as he trudged into the murky 'waters' of the infamous Filth River running through the Rotten Gorge, trying to not think about the disgusting mixture of feces, rotten-melted flesh and blood reaching under his armpits as he and the other walked through it to reach the other side.
"We must..." GURGLE! "Be close, I am starting to see traces of human presence." the Paladin answered between fits of dry heaving, having LONG puked his stomach empty days ago.
"THANK GOD!" the Black Mage Lily answered exasperated because even if all of them wore the face-masks necessary to not get ill just by breathing there, the overpowering smell of death and decay was making her feel dizzy.
"We must hurry, we are running out of [Purifying Potion] and without it, who knows how many diseases we will be overcome with...And even if High Grade it can barely fight back at whatever is festering here!" Bella the Cleric added, still wearing the same disgusted/horrified expression she had when they first arrived, and her once pure white clothes were beyond filthy now.
"Ssssh!...Please calm down...There are other [Corpse Eaters] up front...L-Let's try to not alert them." Tim asked begging while pointing at the reptilian dog-like monsters that were either happily lapping at the river of filth or greedily eating from the many mountains of rotting Monster corpses everywhere.
The place was hellish and dirty, there wasn't a single inch of terrain that didn't squelch under their feet, flies filled the sky by the thousands (and each as big as a cat); two-feet-long worms crawling barely under the 'mud' of melted flesh and other critters and beasts happily feeding on the smelling, shapeless blob covering everything, everywhere.
Face-masks were obligatory to go there, along dozens of talismans and potions to stop diseases and deadly infections from wiping entire armies of adventurers, let alone the monsters living there.
"I will kill that Hobgoblin! I will kill him and destroy his entire Guild!" Lily shrieked in fury, sadly attracting the ire of a near [Rotten Undead Giant] that had been sleeping between the corpses, making it give a deafening roar and tear off one of its own half-rotten arms to use it as a club.
"You can't kill him just because he happened to take a Mission before us!" Tim answered while the group split-up to exit the river of filth and properly fight the beast.
"Can I kick their ass?" Lily asked as a second [Rotten Undead Giant] joined the scene, this one using a still-alive [Corpse Eater] as a weapon no matter its wild flailing.
"Sure! I will even hold him down for you...IF we survive this damn Mission!" the Lancer answered sarcastically and shivering at the cold feces pooling under him once exited from every crack of his armor.
"Please focus, I beg you." Tim asked with a faint voice, by now too much disgusted to talk properly.
Oh, yes! Once taken the world longest shower and hopefully recovered the will to eat and drink, they will have some chosen words with the 'Monster Star' Guild! If their PTSD or something else won't kill them first...
End of the Omake, and of the new Chapter.
Next one will have a real Life-Or-Death Battle against an ungodly monstrosity, and Naruto will finally have his Evolution into Ogre, if for you it is happening too fast still, I cannot help you.
I am sorry.
If you are wondering why I am going this way, I'll give you a small hint: it has to do with Naruto's [Titles], and at the end of the next Chapter, he will get a new one that together with one (or Two or Three) he already has, will trigger his 'Special/Ultra Rare/ One-Of-A-Kind' Evolution into "Ogre" (Mi Evolution will happen soon after, in a way simpler way).
Here are Naruto's [Titles] see if you find the pattern to unravel his Evolution.
「Monster Killer」 「Monster Slaughterer」
「Big Eater」「Bottomless」
「Ability Thief」
「Assassin」 「Conqueror」 「Natural Calamity」
「Ninja」
「The Unpredictable」
「He who Transcended Life, Death and Chaos 」「He Who Defeats Fate」
Thank you for reading and following me, I will see you around the Net.
Have a nice day!