This is barbaric of me, but considering how enraged I was at these two, I'd consider what's happening to be a mercy.
We're in the ARK, and currently I was flying over the maw of the active volcano, flapping my wings to hover in place. Luxion was at the edge of the volcano, with a few Riders on velociraptors nearby, all pointing weapons at our estranged guest.
The burly man who was kidnapping people was chained down with sealing stone (courtesy of when the magic council tried to lock me up). In my talons, I was holding up the man's wife. Or girlfriend. Either way, this was about to get ugly.
At my nod, Luxion initiated a shock to wake up our…guests. R2-D2 style.
"Gah!" The burly man rang out as a numbing pain shot through him, "Ugh…" He took a moment to reorient himself.
The first thing he noticed was an intense heat at his back. He turned around, his eyes widening in shock. It was…a lake of lava. A volcanic crater.
He immediately rose to his feet, only to hear a clinking sound. His arms were chained behind his back. When he tried to use magic to free himself, he was shocked to discover that none of his spells were working.
His arm was also in pain. Then he remembered. A creature had attacked him and his beloved. What was that thing? It looked like…but it couldn't have been...
"Greetings, human," A robotic, monotone voice sounded from behind him. He turned to see a large metal ball with a red lens hovering near him. He inhaled sharply when he saw…people on strange reptilian creatures brandishing weapons at him. They all had horns, patches of scales, or draconic eyes. Some had tails and wings too.
"What the hell is this?" He sneered, "Who are you people!? Release me at once!"
"You are in no position to make threats, my good sir," The robotic voice, the metal orb, said, "As you can see, my dear master has put you in quite the perilous situation."
The creatures the scaled people were riding edged closer, some snapping their jaws, causing the man to take a step back, only to kick a rock with his heel, which fell into the lava below.
"...What do you…freaks want with me!" He reluctantly demanded.
"Information," The orb clarified, "What is the Village? Where is the auction you were kidnapping humans for? Who is your leader?"
"Ha! Like I'd tell you!" The man laughed, "This display of illusory magic is impressive, but I know for a fact there aren't any active volcanoes near Fioré!"
"Are you willing to take that chance? Look behind you," The orb said.
Turning with an amused expression, the man's eyes widened as he took in more details. His smirk had vanished.
The same creature that had attacked him and his beloved was holding her unconscious body by the shoulders as it hovered above the bubbling lake of lava below. It was only the size of a small wolf, how was it holding her up?
They weren't so far away that he couldn't make out finer details. That was definitely her! And the creature's claws were digging into her shoulders, which had small trails of blood.
"My master's talons are sharp," The orb grabbed his attention again, "I estimate, with the small amount of effort he is exuding to hold her up, that she will slip from his grip in about two minutes."
"Your master…? You bastards…" The man grit his teeth and looked at them in fury, "You won't get away with this!"
"We already have," The orb replied, "Master? As you can see, he is not being very compliant."
The dragon nodded, tensing one of his talons. The woman woke up with a scream of agony as her shoulder was crushed.
"No!" The man cried out. But the black dragon didn't stop there. With two strong jerks of its wrist, it used its talon to tear her arm clean off. The two humans watched in shock as they witnessed her severed arm cook and burn as it fell to the molten stone below.
As soon as the shock left, the woman's scream intensified! The man had never seen or heard her like this.
"Your arm will be next if you do not comply," The orb warned, "Answer the questions my good sir, and we will put an end to her physical agony."
"...Fine! Rotten cowards!" He spat, "The Village is a code used to describe a meeting place in any given city. I work for a man called Te'kal. I don't know what his real name is, no one does as far as I know! And the auction is in Reinford, near the border to Bosco!"
"That wasn't so hard, now was it?" The orb questioned, "Master, a reward is in order."
The dragon flexed its claws again; a few seconds went by before the wounds on the woman began to heal. Her arm didn't regenerate, but she wasn't bleeding, and she was no longer screaming in pain. Just breathing heavily.
"Tell us everything you know about the auction and your boss," The orb demanded, "Or we will repeat this process."
Luxion and I were back in the main chamber of the lair, preparing another magic circle. The interrogation went rather well, all things considered.
Here's what we know so far.
This so called Te'kal was in charge of the underground slave trade in Fioré. The man and woman we apprehended were the first to start implementing a branch of his 'empire' in Magnolia.
The presence of the Fairy Tail guild had deterred him in the past from setting up 'shop' there, but since the hit Fairy Tail took with its numbers, they've felt more confident about placing their agents in the city in the last few months.
The auction in Reinford was an event where kidnapped people were sold off as slaves; it takes place every two years. Those not sold in Fioré were shipped off to Bosco.
I suspect this Te'kal character was also the one who was in charge of Bora, the man who tried to kidnap Lucy and a bunch of other girls a long while back.
The auction will be taking place in a year from now. That gives us more than enough time to prepare. I have a quest to complete, and with the growing number of unfinished quests, I'd like to start checking them off.
The problem is figuring out where exactly it'll happen in Reinford. The two we interrogated weren't privy to that information for another six months.
As for the current location of Te'kal, the two goons knew nothing else.
Back in the main chamber, Luxion and I were performing two rituals from the Book of Minion. I decided it was high time we got some…eyes and ears in Earthland.
First up, another batch of Elite minions.
Agents
Agents are highly trained stealth operatives. They are spies, thieves, and scouts all rolled into one. They are optimal for infiltration, assassination, sabotage, theft, scouting, and other such missions.
The Agents spawned 5 males and 5 females. They were all garbed in light leather armor and cloth hoods, equipped with an assortment of knives and daggers.
Next up, was their leader and the one who would report directly to me. Another Lieutenant, who would be on par with Zana.
Assassin
A remorseless assassin, spymaster, and brilliant duelist who specializes in infiltration and death-dealing. Skills such as stealth, acrobatics, precision, along with a minor shapeshifting ability and a premeditated mind makes for a deadly individual. On top of combat and stealth, the Assassin specializes in acting, cosplay, and seduction.
The Assassin came out as a male. I named him Ezio.
I know, I know, it isn't at all original, but hey, I couldn't come up with anything better. And who wouldn't want a master assassin like Ezio to work for them?
Ezio
Race: Scaleling
Class: Assassin
Level: 200
HP: 40,000
MP: 30,000
SP: 60,000
Oh? The assassin and the agents are all a new race…what does a Scaleling entail? I remember Katie briefly telling me about them before I was reincarnated, back in the Record Room. I tapped on the race title.
Scaleling
Scalelings are a half-dragon who look indistinguishable from the race of their humanoid parent. All Scalelings are supernaturally beautiful, their alluring good looks make them very attractive even to True Dragons. Because Scalelings lack obvious draconic features they can easily blend in among other humanoids. Despite having no such features, they are still a fair bit stronger than the average human, with slightly sharper senses.
I'm guessing all my minions have come out as half dragons so far because of how I use my scales in the ritual (their divine properties are quite potent, evidently). That would also explain why their races are named after scales.
"What is thy bidding, master?" Ezio knelt down, bowing his head, still slightly steaming from the ritual. The Agents behind me did the same. He spoke in Draconic, and was wearing clothing similar to the agents. Except he came with a lot more equipment.
"I have a task for you…for all of you," I rose to my full height (ignoring the fact that I was shorter than all of them), while Luxion moved to hover next to my head.
I would train and lead this unit myself.
Six months later marked the first year since Tenrou Island disappeared.
It's hard for me to believe so much time has already passed. In all that time, I've only risen twelve levels. Ha!
We have not been idle, however. These past few months have seen a lot of progress, namely in the work Luxion and my minions have seen.
In my spare time, I've mostly been focusing on training Thorn, Saphira, and Alva. I've also been training with Tyrfina, Ezio, and Zana.
Ezio and the agents have been working on integrating themselves into Fioré's society for the most part, and investigating Reinford. Luckily, the Scalelings are versed in the Common tongue as well as draconic (probably due to the fact that the two thugs were used in the ritual to create them. Barbaric, I know, but I couldn't afford to just release them).
Zana and her riders have been working to establish a working dinosaur farm in the ARK, while Luxion and the craftsmen have been working to build a fortress. Once they were finished with building a solid base in the ARK, we would have them work on other projects, which we were discussing now.
We're at the construction site for the ARK base, which was nearly completed.
"You're sure you can make it work?" I addressed Kenji, our chief Craftsmen. Luxion was there as well, displaying a holographic blueprint we were examining.
"Yes sir," Kenji nodded, "The biggest issue here is the metal. The iron and steel we have to work with in the ARK is top notch, but it overheats too easily with this design. We don't have this 'Element' stuff to regulate it."
"What about the lacrima I provided you last month?" I questioned, "And the vibranium. That shouldn't overheat too much."
"The lacrima are a superior power source, no question," Kenji nodded, "Too superior, actually! The engrams we have access to weren't designed to handle that much raw power. The whole thing melts down in the best case scenario, and blows up in the worst. And while the vibranium barely holds up, it still becomes too hot for practical use."
"What we need," Luxion interjected, "Is a way to compensate for the extra power, or obtain the material known as 'Element.'"
"We could try implementing Runic magic," I pointed out, "With our crafting, analyzing, and arcane techniques working together, surely we could come up with something."
"That is true, given enough time. But you are the only one able to perform such magic and techniques, master," Luxion replied, "Are you sure you have the time to personally go through all these projects?"
"Well…Not in the upcoming years, no," I sighed. While I did have time now, I wouldn't be able to be there in the long term, "Keep experimenting and try to find a more efficient design for now. I'll see what I can do about obtaining Element in the meantime."
In the original ARK games, you could only obtain Element by defeating the bosses that the obelisks would teleport you too.
"Luxion," I motioned for him to follow me. We walked towards the central platform of the fortress, "Are you able to teleport us to the boss that inhabits the ARK?"
"Yes, I am. Though only from the platforms below the obelisks," He reported, "And I must amend your question, sir. There are multiple bosses, not just one."
"Of course," I sighed, "Which ones?"
"On record and order of difficulty by the ARK's database files," Luxion reported, "There is the Megapithecus; the Broodmother; the Crystal Wyvern Queen; the Manticore; the Dragon; and the King Titan."
"...What?" I blinked, "The King Titan!?" I expected the Dragon and the Broodmother, along with the Megapithecus, but the King Titan? Along with the Wyvern Queen and the Manticore too?
The King Titan is like…a Kaiju! Literally a dark and corrupted version of Godzilla!
"Well…we've got our work cut out for us," I snarled, smiling slightly. I'm eager to battle with these monsters. It's been too long since I've had a challenge!
Quest Received!
ARK of a Covenant
Objective:
Defeat all bosses in the ARK!
(0/6)
Reward:
500,000 XP per Boss
6 Gacha Tokens
?
?
Excellent! And I know just what to do to prepare for these fights! Time to raise our first army!
I searched through the Book of Minion, looking for rituals that would produce units that were more battle ready.
The Megapithecus, one of the ARK's six bosses, is essentially a massive prehistoric gorilla. With white fur. Basically an albino King Kong.
Against Luxion's advice (and my own logic), I decided to head this boss alone. On top of it being the weakest of the bosses, it's been far too long since I faced a powerful opponent. While the training sessions we've been having with Tyrfina, Ezio, and the rest have been fun, they haven't been quite as exhilarating as an actual fight!
So here I was with Luxion, at the base of the red obelisk in the volcanic regions. He was at the terminal, and about to teleport me.
"Ready, sir?" He asked.
"Start it up," I smirked. I felt my magic respond to my excitement, as it rippled with my bubbling emotion.
Thirty seconds later, I was teleported to the top of a snow covered mountain, dimly lit and cold.
Not a second later, an equally cold roar met my ears.
My eyes widened. It was bigger than I thought. The Megapithecus was just as massive as everything else in the ARK, but bigger!
On its hind legs (or arms) it was about fifty feet tall! It was like I was facing a white King Kong! And here I am, barely four and a half feet tall and seven feet long.
Bring it on.
I roared my own challenge, pouring more MP into my shield runes as I used Observe.
The Megapithecus
Race: ARK Alpha, MEG
Age: 386
Level: 1
HP: 540,000
MP: 0
SP: 6,550
Are you for real? This thing's at level one? I don't buy that for a second!
Its stamina isn't all that impressive, and it has no MP, but holy crap! That's the most health I've ever seen! Over half a million?
This isn't going to be all that much of a fight, it's just gonna be tedious!
…I overestimated this thing. Kind of.
Fighting head to head with it will get me bodied in one shot, which I found out the hard way. I tried doing a melee attack to its face as my opening move, only for it to smack me so hard and fast that I nearly flew off the mountain.
That one hurt a lot. Took out a hefty amount of HP too.
So, I just stuck with ranged attacks, keeping to the skies. The hardest part for me was dodging the rocks it threw at me and waiting for my MP to regenerate.
It also somehow summoned a lot of creatures called Gigantopithecus (basically a standing prehistoric orangutan) and Mesopithecus, which are basically large monkeys. They were practically useless to it since I was flying though.
Man, fighting against something that can't use magic or defend against it is child's play. Unfortunately I'm nowhere near big or physically strong enough to take something this strong and large down without it.
The best thing I gained from this fight was learning how to put my spells to good use, and which one's worked well together.
Surprisingly enough, my Warlock class doesn't give me that many offensive ranged spells, at least not at its current level. I mostly used my Geomancer class in this fight.
Earth magic really doesn't get enough credit. Hitting things with giant rocks is super effective, especially when they're not fast enough to dodge.
So yeah, I basically used this fight as an opportunity to create and experiment with various spells such as Rock Spike, Earth Rain, Graviole (a gravity spell), and Fissure. All these spells basically utilized various rocks created from my mana, along with earth formations, except Graviole.
I also utilized Eldritch Blast for the first time! That's a timeless classic!
Luckily my MP regenerates fairly quickly, so it wasn't too long before this giant dino King Kong was dead. Still feels like it took hours though.
Achievement Complete!
Defeat the Megapithecus!
Rewards:
60,000 XP
Element (220 Samples)
Gorilla Flag
100 Stat Points
This should be more than enough Element for Kenji and his squad to tinker with. And I'm always down for more stat points. It's nice to know I can get them even without leveling up.
As soon as I dismissed the notification, the ARK's teleport sequence engaged, sending me back to where Luxion was waiting for me.
Well…that was anticlimactic.
I did learn that the Warlock class is fun to use…I'll have to fully max it out soon.
Having the chance to play with all those different spells was enjoyable. I want to see what I can learn from my Grimoire when it's fully written.
We still had a few months until the auction in Reinford. Ezio and my agents have been positioned all throughout the city, posing as merchants, homeless folk, and travelers. Ezio himself actually managed to get employed as a butler for a rich family with connections to Crocus, which was a huge bonus!
Slowly but surely, we were gathering bits of intel. And if what my agent who was currently infiltrating the Magic Council tells me is accurate, there's another opportunity here. Te'kal is a wizard wanted by the council and local law enforcement.
But for now, I want to go Dungeon Delving. Defeating the Megapithecus brought me up quite a few levels, but it's been too long since I've looted dungeons.
I searched Fioré by night, making efforts to hide myself from people. I haven't run into any more trouble with the Magic Council, but better safe than sorry.
My search was proving to be less and less fruitful by the day. Dungeons seemed to be getting rarer in the north-east section of Fiore. I'll have to branch out. I've never been further south than where Tenrou Island used to be, and Mount Hakobe has been the furthest north and west I've gone.
So far, I've only come across two Common and an Uncommon dungeon. Not great, but not terrible either. Fiore is drying up as far as dungeons are concerned.
Hm, speaking of, I'm level 432 now. I have that 'level reward' thing that I'll get at 500. Maybe I can work on maxing Warlock and Martial Artist before I head back.
Then again, with how sparse dungeons are right now, I'm not convinced I'll be able to do that anytime soon. Also, the higher the level, the slower the progress is. To capitalize this, maybe I'll work on bringing Martial Artist to level 50 so I can switch it out again. Dungeons getting rarer means leveling up gets slower.
At least I get to soar through the beautiful night sky like this. Say what you will, this world is magnificent.
A random thought occurred to me. Should I try to take it over? Or should I mark myself as its defender? Make this a kind of Overlord situation?
Nah, that sounds like too much of a hassle. I'd much rather blow stuff up with Fairy Tail.
I was reminiscing on my memories with Lucy and Natsu when I saw something interesting.
It looked like an old castle, situated at the border of an eerie looking forest far to the west of Mount Hakobe. I dove down with the intention of exploring it. Maybe I'd find a dungeon inside.
I landed on an old balcony. The windows were closed, but unlocked. I went inside, but was surprised by voices coming from the hallway, right next to the door to the room I was in.
Thinking quickly, I leapt up onto the rafters in the ceiling. I didn't have time to properly cast Hidden before the door opened. I kept dead still, relying on the shadows to hide me.
Two men and a woman walked in, one brandishing a spiked club on his shoulder.
"I still find it hard to believe," The youngest man was saying, "Grimoire Heart was such a powerhouse! They had Master Hades for crying out loud!"
"None of us can really believe it," The oldest of the three said as he walked out to the balcony, "But you heard the boss. Grimoire's been defeated, so we're an independent guild again!"
"It's honestly kind of relieving," The woman man said, "We don't have to take orders from the Seven Kin anymore; Zancrow was kinda sadistic."
Grimoire Heart and Zancrow? Who are these guys…and what are they doing here of all places? It sounds like they're a guild that was forced to work for Grimoire Heart.
"But what about the Barem Alliance?" The young man said again, "Tartaros is the only functioning leader now; do you think they'll come for us?"
"Like how we went for the guilds under the Oracion Seis?" The older man said, "It's possible. Why do you think the boss wants us to fortify the guild?"
"Oh…makes sense."
"You can be so dense…" The woman sighed.
Is this a dark guild? Or a guild that was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time?
"Putting Tartaros aside, what about the light guilds and the Magic Council?" The young man asked as they started taking lacrima out of a bag, "Think they'll come too?"
"Of course they will," The old man was saying, but I had heard enough at this point.
"Nap time," I said as I cast a Graviole spell to pull them all into one spot, before zipping down and smashing their heads against the ground. They were knocked out instantly. And yes, I checked to make sure they weren't dead.
Quest Received!
Conquer the Dark Guild!
Rewards:
100,000 XP
2 Gacha Tokens
Well, I was planning on it anyway. Good to see I'll get something out of it.
I think I'll work on my stealth skills for this particular…dungeon.
Jellal sighed as he sat in the eerie trees, running a hand through his blue hair.
He, Ultear, and Meredy had been staking out a dark guild that used to be under Grimoire Heart for the past few days.
This particular batch of ruffians specialized in smuggling, so in order to take them down, the newly found Crime Sorciere took time to scout and spy on their routes, in case they had any other bases used as storehouses.
After the downfall of Grimoire Heart, Ultear and Meredy had decided to turn over a new leaf. They were first hand witnesses to the power Acnologia and Zeref wielded against Fairy Tail on Tenrou, and had since dedicated themselves to eradicating dark guilds, and eventually the Black Wizard himself.
Jellal still couldn't imagine why they would break him out of prison for this. Ultear claimed it was because she had been the one possessing him during the Tower of Heaven incident, and as such felt it was her responsibility to make amends, while allowing him an opportunity to repent as well.
A prison break was a strange way to do so, but Jellal was grateful for the chance to redeem himself nonetheless.
Should these men they were about to attack be given the same opportunity?
Ultear reasoned that they were given the chance to change their ways as soon as they were freed from the Baram Alliance. But they were a dark guild before then as well.
"Let's move," Jellal nodded to Ultear and Meredy. The three sprung into action.
They ran over to the crumbling manor, Jellal leading the charge as they burst through the doors, the explosion shaking the walls.
Jellal was about to activate his meteor spell to quickly take out the front guards, but stopped short.
"What…?"
The people in the main entrance were already passed out on the ground. Some lay in pools of their own blood, barely alive.
"Looks like someone beat us to it…" Meredy said slowly.
"We've been surrounding this place for days," Ultear looked around, crouching down near a body, "It's still warm. How'd they slip past us?"
"There are no signs of a struggle," Jellal observed, "Their attacker made quick work of them, and did it silently."
"Well, this makes our job easier at least," Ultear smiled, "It's-"
The building suddenly rumbled, interrupting her. Shouting could be heard further inside.
"Seems they're still here," Meredy said.
"Or something else is happening," Jellal started running, "Come!"
Before they could go any further, however, the wall in front of them blew apart!
A large man, the guildmaster of this dark guild, was wrestling with what looked like a lizard with wings.
Is that…? Jellal didn't even have time to finish his thought before another explosion spell blasted the reptilian creature across the room.
The large man was breathing heavily, his bulky frame covered in gashes and wounds, heaving with exhaustion. He turned and noticed Jellal.
"…Not more…" He panted, readying another explosion spell.
Before he had the chance to execute it, and as Jellal readied to counter, red flame-like light shot past them, hitting the large man in the face.
"Gah!" He agonized, his spell vanishing.
A black streak zoomed past Jellal and the others, causing their hair and cloaks to billow in complaint as a crack echoed from the black lizard landing on the large man's head, knocking him out cold.
The creature, which looked remarkably like a dragon, reared its head on Jellal and the others.
"Watch yourselves!" Ultear called out, getting in a stance.
"What is this thing!?" Meredy cried out.
"It looks like-" Jellal stopped short, his breath catching in his throat, "Wait! Look…"
He pointed at the creature's shoulder.
"Is that…?" Meredy squinted. It was hard to tell, but on its shoulder, surrounded by spiraling red scales, was a familiar emblem.
"Fairy Tail?" Ultear's body relaxed slightly as her eyes widened.
Jellal was taken aback as well, his surprise evident in his voice.
"Natsu and Erza's guild…" He softly spoke.
The creature eyed them in an intense staring contest. No one moved, unsure of what to do or think.
Slowly, it lifted a single claw, using it like a light pen as it wrote in the air. The words were backwards, so Jellal had a hard time making out what it was writing.
He was more baffled by its ability to write in the first place.
Once it was done, the creature slowly unfurled its wings, before taking off through a window with a resounding CRASH!
"...Anyone else confused?" Ultear stared at the broken window before eyeing the writing.
Jellal walked over, his eyes widening at what he read.
Magnolia, the bar on Lilac St. Go there in three days, at midnight.
"Perhaps we'll get some answers in three days," Jellal mused.
"You don't think it's a trap?" Meredy asked, "This seems way too much like a trap."
"Only one way to find out," Ultear smiled, "Besides, we can always take precautions, can't we?"
Quest complete!
Conquer the Dark Guild!
Rewards:
100,000 XP
2 Gacha Tokens
That was quite a surprise, I thought as I dismissed the notification.
Taking down that dark guild with stealth KO's was surprisingly fun, especially with the added challenge of not using any invisibility spells! The only one to spot me before I could take him out was the man I assumed was their guildmaster.
But I certainly never expected to run into Jellal. So he's already been broken out of prison by Ultear and Meredy? I didn't expect them to become active as Crime Sorciere this soon.
I glanced back at the distant manor. Hopefully they can be allies. Hopefully they'll agree to meet up with me. I wonder if they'll actually accept my request.
Thoughts for another time. Right now, I'm snapping a few gacha tokens. It's been a while.
I landed in a grassy field. The full moon bathed the beautiful greenery in a dim, silver light.
I have twenty tokens right now, but I'll only snap five and save the rest. I pulled one out of my inventory, snapping it.
You have obtained a stuffed monkey!
A stuffed animal. Lovely. If it ever leaves my inventory, it'll probably get burned real quick. Next!
You have obtained a Dragonite Egg!
Oh? What's this now? Out of my inventory dropped a large, golden, metal egg. It's big! I could fit in it maybe ten times over.
Dragonite Egg
Dragonite is a precious ore that can only be refined and melted down with a dragon's breath. The Dragonite will gain unique magical properties based on the breath attack that melted the raw Dragonite. Once refined, it is without contest as the hardest and strongest metal in all Fantasy. It is native to no world, being a special product of the Ur-Wyrm's divinity.
Hold on here! Are you telling me this stuff is more powerful than vibranium? Or does it just have different properties that make it special?
I'll need to spend time with Kenji and his team to experiment and understand both these precious metals. Maybe they can be used together…?
I snapped another token as I considered these possibilities.
You have obtained 10 Stat Points!
Excellent. Onto the next one.
Perk Gained!
Expedited Growth
Your growth rate is accelerated to double what it usually is. Whatever your race, your time as an adolescent is halved.
If your race is human, for example, instead of taking 18-25 years to fully mature, it would take 9-12 for a child to become a full adult.
…I'm not really sure how to process that. With my Longevity does this mean my growth rate is now normal for a dragon, or is it still halved? Either way, this is incredibly useful! Or do I age faster now, too? The system describes it as a perk, not a trait or flaw…
I guess there's really no way for me to know until I live it. Besides, maybe I'll tackle the issue of immortality one day. Anything's possible.
I snapped the next gacha.
You have obtained a Skill Book!
A legendary material, a perk, and a skill. Couldn't have asked for more! What've we got?
Skill Book: Meditation
Consume to learn?
Y/N
Meditation, huh? What sort of perk will this offer? I wondered as I tapped 'yes.'
Meditation LVL 1, 0%
The action or practice of meditating. Helps calm the mind and relax the body.
Wait, it's just plain old meditation? No special benefits or anything? How is that useful to a being with Gamer's Mind? Then again, it's only level one. Still underwhelming though.
Oh well. I'll take it either way. An excellent Gacha session, for sure!
With that, I took to the skies again.
I need to prepare a raid on a slave auction.
Ezio and Tyrfina sat together at a bar, enjoying a light drink as they waited.
Three days ago, their Master came to them with a plan on recruiting some allies. Ezio was chosen to meet with the group of people to convince them to join the master in his goals.
Tyrfina was chosen to accompany him for…reasons Ezio cannot understand. He knew the fox-girl was a capable fighter, but she was never one for espionage, persuasion, or reason. She thought with her sword more than her head. Perhaps it was her alluring good looks the Master had use of in this negotiation?
But if the Master wills it, so it will be. She was his partner for this mission.
"Ah!" Tyrfina sighed happily, downing another drink, "Man, this world has some good liquor!"
"Indeed," Ezio acknowledged, taking a sip from his own cup, "Be sure not to overdo it. We need you sober."
"Quit worrying, Ezzy," Tyrfina smirked, "It'll be fine!"
Ezio sighed, directing his attention back to the main entrance. It was nearly midnight.
Almost right on cue, a man in a dark navy cloak walked in. Despite the hood over his face, Ezio could see faint traces of blue hair and a red tattoo on his face.
"That's him," Ezio rose, getting into character. He made a show of looking at the man, "Hey there friend! You look a little worse for wear! Come and have a drink, on me!"
"It's scary how fast your demeanor can change," Tyrfina whispered under her breath before waving the man over too, "There's plenty to go around!"
The man slowly walked over, taking a seat opposite Tyrfina and Ezio.
"Thank you," He acknowledged as Tyrfina poured him a glass.
"Don't believe I've seen you around these parts before," Ezio took a swig of his mug, "What brings you to our humble Magnolia?"
"...I'm just passing through," The man said, glancing down at his cup and swirling it around.
Smart man, Ezio thought. He probably wasn't drinking in case it was laced with something. Of course, the drink was safe, and to subtly emphasize the point, Ezio poured more of the liquor into his own cup and took a sip.
"Have you lived here long?" The man asked.
"She's been here longer than me," Ezio flicked a thumb at Tyrfina, "Name's Ezio, by the way."
"And I'm Tyrfina!" Her ears twitched as she reached out her hand, which the man shook, "Nice to meet ya! You must be this Jellal we've heard so much about!"
"Excuse me?" Jellal tried to flinch his hand back, but Tyrfina tightened her surprisingly strong grip.
"Quit it," Ezio slapped Tyrfina's head, to which she just grinned, "And no need to worry, sir. Our Master sent us, and we know everything about your circumstances."
"Care to elaborate?" Jellal rubbed his hand. He was weary, and ready to bolt the second trouble came. Ultear and Meredy were nearby and watching through Ultear's lacrima, ready to back him up.
"You were enslaved as a child," Ezio began, "After which you were possessed by Ultear Milkovich under Grimoire Heart, who you're now allies with. In truth, you've been out of it for many years, only recently returning when Wendy of Fairy Tail restored you when the Oracion Seis went after Nirvana."
Jellal's eyes widened so minutely, an untrained eye would've missed it.
"You've never done anything wrong, not of your own volition," Tyrfina smiled softly, leaning forward on her hand, "And yet here you are, hunting down dark guilds as an independent guild while being hunted by the council. You're like a wizard vigilante!"
"...You're surprisingly well informed," Jellal eyed the two, and even Ezio wasn't able to get a clear read on his expression or emotions.
"We're here on our Master's behalf to make a proposal," Ezio explained, "We want to help you, by letting you help us."
"Oh?" Jellal raised an eyebrow, "How so?"
"Don't make it sound so narcissistic, Ezzy!" Tyrfina sighed, flicking her fingers at him.
"We're working to take down Te'kal and human trafficking in Fiore," Ezio ignored the vulpine woman, "Will you help us?"
Jellal stared at them for a moment before replying.
"An honorable goal," He nodded, "But how do you intend to accomplish this? Do you realize how large that industry actually is?"
"No, but you do," Ezio pointed at him, "My Master's agents and contacts have been gathering information for months, and while we have a decent grasp of the situation in certain cities, your information and skills would be invaluable in this fight."
"Your fight will turn into a war," Jellal said gravely, "The benefactors of that industry run deeper than petty criminals looking to make a quick jewel. Warlords, foreign nobles, crime lords, even minor nations are backing it. Are you really willing to make the sacrifices necessary to fight this battle?"
"Oh, don't you worry about that," Tyrfina smirked, "Our Master is…shall we say resourceful?" She winked at Ezio.
"We shall," Ezio nodded, "Serving our Master to the fullest of our potential is what we live for. Right now, his only interest is cleansing Fiore, and protecting it. Until the Master orders otherwise, this is our mission."
"So!" Tyrfina's vulpine smile bordered between seductive and cheerful, "What do ya say, Bluey? Will Crime Sorciere be joining us? We're going to fight with or without you, just so ya know."
Jellal leaned forward, lacing his fingers together. He was quiet for a long while, before he looked up at them.
"Very well."
"Good job," I praised Ezio and Tyrfina. Ezio nodded emotionlessly, while Tyrfina beamed at the praise.
We were just outside of Natsu and Happy's house, where I opted to stay and observe their interaction with Crime Sorciere from afar using the spell Scrying.
"Ezio, head back to your post in Reinford," I ordered, summoning Tyrfina back into her card.
"Yes sir," He nodded, seeming to vanish as he made haste for the bordertown.
The first rays of dawn were about to peak over the horizon.
I turned around, looking at the three younglings I had brought with me as they slept on the porch. They were piled on top of each other, Thorn on the bottom followed by Alva then Saphira.
I haven't had a chance to take it easy since Natsu and Lucy left. I can't remember the last time I slept, either!
Which is why I took Thorn, Saphira, and Alva out into Earthland for the first time since they hatched. It was high time for a break.
In the ARK, something as simple as fishing was extremely dangerous, especially for creatures as small as them. Fish was their absolute favorite, so I took them to the pond Natsu and Happy loved to use. They fished all day yesterday, and they were so eager to keep going, I had to knock out Thorn to get them to sleep.
They're a year old now. They couldn't talk yet, but were getting better and better at communicating and understanding me, even through simple roars. All of them were about the size of large dogs, but Thorn was slightly bigger than the other two.
Also, the speeds these Night Furys could fly even while being this young is insane! I'm still faster than them, no doubt, but they're still quick despite being so young.
Alva stirred, waking up first. Her movements caused the others to wake as well. After yawning considerably, the three started mewling and growling. Whether or not it was their stomachs is hard to tell. I rolled my eyes.
"Alright, go wild!" I nudged them in the direction of the pond.
The three raced over, eager for breakfast. I started after them at a more leisure pace.
The first rays of sun peeked through the trees, though it was dimmed by the overcast sky. The gray clouds smelt like rain, but an oncoming shower was of no concern to me. It took a minute or two for us to get to the pond.
While they took turns diving into the pond, I flapped up to a branch high in the trees, keeping a lookout. We were a fair bit close to Magnolia, and though I'm not terribly worried about being spotted these days, I still wanted to be safe rather than sorry.
After thirty minutes, Thorn had a sizable pile of fish, and he was proud of it. He looked triumphantly at Saphira, a gloating glint in his eye, only for his eyes to widen. Saphira had a pile just larger than his.
She smirked at him, about to roar a gloat of her own, but a large splash caught both of the dragons' attention.
Alva had a pile of fish more than double the size of their piles. She smiled happily at the other two, oblivious to their dumbfounded expressions.
I chuckled, amused by their antics. By now, I was browsing through my inventory to pass the time. I turned back to it. I was taking stock of the items I had. It was high time I went through everything I got in the Elven dungeon.
But then I saw something that made me pause.
I took out a clear, crystalline gem, eyeing it. The face of Ymir Fritz shown back at me. A somber expression crossed my face.
Below me, Thorn and Saphira had begun grappling with each other, fighting over a particularly large fish. Unbeknownst to me, they started wrestling in the skies too, before Thorn yanked the fish out of Saphira's jaws.
She snarled at him as he swallowed it whole, a smug smile on his face.
That smirk vanished as she charged him. Thorn yelped, barely dodging her dive. He flew up to get away.
I was turning the gem over in my talon, wondering how to use Ymir's crystal. I'll have to make proper preparations before-
BAM!
Thorn crashed into the branch I was sitting on, nearly causing me to drop the gem!
I hurriedly stabilized my grip on the crystal before glaring at the youngling, who gave me a nervous smile as he stood up.
"How many times do I have to tell you to watch where you're flying-!" I began, only to stop short at a Pethew! sound.
That was followed by an explosion of plasma and fire underneath us, causing me and Thorn to flail as we fell from the shattered and burning branch. Saphira's jaws were still smoking as she yelped, running out of the way as we crashed.
Alva just sat there, dumbfounded at her hatchmate's boldness to shoot a plasma blast like that.
"Saphir-!" I started only to be interrupted again by the sound of shattering glass.
I looked over, dropping my jaw in horror. Ymir's companion gem was shattered.
"Great," I deadpanned. Now it doesn't even matter if I wanted to use the gem or not. I narrowed my eyes at the two older Furys. They both ran to hide behind Alva.
Before I could reprimand them, I felt a strange wind stir behind me.
A blue mist materialized among the shattered crystal, rising and forming a humanoid shape. The mist then cleared with a sudden burst of wind from the figure, revealing the body of Ymir.
Her eyes were closed, her light-blonde hair was down, and she was wearing an elegant, sleeveless white gown.
Her most noticeable feature, however, was definitely the spear impaling her chest.
Her knees buckled as she fell to the ground.
I yelped in surprise, before my mind calmed down.
The three Furys just looked confused.
Okay, this isn't good. Let's see…
Blood was pouring out the wound, and it looks like it went straight through where her heart is…
Not great.
I broke off the end of the spear, then turned her onto her back. I pulled the rest of the spear from her body, quickly applying pressure to the wound. I wracked my brain for any kind of healing spells I knew. The one that I do know is Healing Word, but it only works on minor injuries! Guess I'm playing it by ear.
I closed my eyes, reaching out my senses and my magic. I sensed very little power in Ymir, and what little there was, was fading fast.
I wrote out a basic healing rune around the wound, pouring MP in it. The power was consumed and the rune vanished, but nothing visible happened. I was going to write a more complex rune to heal and repair Ymir's body and this wound specifically, before a flash of strange, yellow, electric light flashed around the bloody injury.
The hole rapidly healed, and Ymir inhaled sharply, before her breathing evened out. Placing my talon on her chest, I checked her pulse; her newly repaired heart was beating steadily…
I think she's asleep. That's a relief. For a second there I thought she was going to go full titan on me. Don't know how I'd explain or handle that one.
I gently moved her from the now bloody clearing. No need to let her sit in her own blood like that. Though apparently that wasn't necessary. Rain was beginning to fall, ever so softly. As it was nearing the end of autumn, this rain was cold.
Despite the rain, I used a simple Create Water spell to wash away what blood and grime I could. She'll have to do a more thorough job herself later. Man, she must really be out of it if she's able to sleep through-
She stirred. Oh, nevermind. Looks like she's waking up.
Ymir slowly opened her eyes. She was greeted by the sight of trees. Storm clouds gathered as a peaceful breeze shook their leaves. For a few moments, she watched them in a daze as the rain fell.
She rose up slowly, the rain getting slightly heavier; she appeared to be in a forest…something about it brought her a sense of calm she hadn't felt in over a decade. Not since she lived in her quiet village with her parents.
Where…?
It was then that she remembered. The spear...the attack.
She looked down at her chest where the spear impaled her. Her dress was ruined, torn and more than a little bloody. But her skin was surprisingly clean. The wound had vanished. Just like all the rest.
What happened? She looked up once again, inhaling sharply. Facing her was a creature she had never seen before…it was black and scaly, with red scales forming an intricate pattern of swirls along its back, tail, and limbs. Its right shoulder had a strange red symbol on it. It had horns, claws, and wings that reminded her of a bat.
Peeking out from behind the creature were what looked like three smaller versions of it, though they were all black, with differently shaped heads.
Her survival instincts told her to run…but she didn't care if they attacked her or not. Maybe death would end this confusion and pain. This numbness. She just sat and stared at the creatures, her eyes emotionless.
Is anything capable of killing me…? She wondered.
A minute or so went by as none of them moved. Then the bigger creature took a cautious step forward.
Ymir raised her head, a little wary, but it quickly faded when she saw its eyes. Its eyes were a deep, vibrant red color with black pupils forming a sharp oval shape. They were…surprisingly sincere. Calm and regal.
The creature made a deep purring sound, letting warm air out its nostrils. Ymir continued to watch it approach her. When she was in range, the creature leaned forward, pressing its snout against her arm, which was wet and limp in her lap.
Was it sniffing her out to see if she'd make a good meal? If it was, Ymir hoped it would kill her swiftly. She was tired of the pain. But with her…abilities, was a quick death even possible?
To her surprise, however, the creature made a mewling sound. Instead of biting her, it slowly unfurled its wing, which was bigger than she originally thought, and spread it over her head and shoulders, blocking the freezing rain.
The three smaller creatures all approached as well; two of them, one with blue eyes and the other red, curled around the larger reptile's legs. The third one, who had green eyes, still stood where it was.
The coolness from the wet environment lessened as the larger one scooted closer to Ymir's sitting form. It was taller than her as she sat, but if Ymir stood up, she'd be well over a foot taller than it.
But all thoughts vanished as the creature wrapped its tail around her, pulling her close. It was…warm now. The peaceful patter of the rain, this newfound warmth, and the look in the animal's eyes. Somehow, it broke the dam around her broken heart. Her dead eyes teared up, showing emotion for the first time in years. She sniffed, before a soft cry left her lips. She scrunched up her eyes.
A warm weight settled on her lap. She opened her eyes, surprised to see the green eyed creature on her lap, leaning against her torso.
Ymir's tears flowed freely, as she started gently crying. It wasn't long before she was bawling against the big creature's warm side. Its scales were hard and smooth, rough in some places even, but she clung to the creature and cried for all her heart was worth.
An hour or more had gone by before Ymir calmed down. I had no ability to sense emotions or read thoughts, but the moment I looked into her eyes, my heart broke. They were…dead.
Emotionless, resigned, done, and alone. She was done. I know that look. I had seen it before in the eyes of…well, the eyes of the girls and boys I helped rescue in my old life.
I didn't say anything (ignoring the fact I couldn't even if I wanted to), and let her cry. My shoulder couldn't have been all that comfortable, but I let her lean on it. I wrapped my tail around her more firmly, continuing to hold my wing out as a shield against the rain.
She was softly sniffling now, her head bobbing up and down. Eventually she fell asleep against me.
Throughout this whole time, Thorn, Saphira, and Alva just watched her.
I watched Ymir as she slept too. She was surprisingly beautiful. Definitely someone I'd be attracted to if I were still human. But by now, I've confirmed I'm not attracted to humans. Such a shame, really. I've yet to see even one girl in this world that wasn't at least pretty. Even my awkward old self might've landed a seriously cute girlfriend here!
Maybe even a wife…I shook my head. I didn't like thinking about my old self; nothing against him, but he had no one going for him. No family, no friends, no one. Sure, I worked with military and law enforcement to track down human traffickers and illicit drug dealers, but I was just the guy behind the computer. I helped the children find families, took care of logistics, and helped track sketchy records.
I was so good at helping children find families, yet I was never able to find one myself.
But things are different now. I'm living a literal fantasy, with a family of my own now. Fairy Tail will forever have my gratitude for that. Along with these three little dragons, who had curled around Ymir.
A soft breeze blew by, causing Ymir to shiver in her sleep. I should probably move her. It's only going to get colder the later it gets. I'd take her to Natsu's house, but it's still pretty dirty there…
I couldn't take her to town. Not yet. However…now that I think about it, there is one person who lives in this forest I have yet to pay a visit. Guess now's as good a time as any. I wonder if she hates dragons like she does humans. Hopefully she'll take pity on Ymir here.
I gently picked her up using a basic levitation spell, then wrapped my tail around her waist, using it to softly drag her along. I wasn't big enough to carry her comfortably.
Thorn, Saphira, and Alva all got up as I did, quietly following after me.
As I moved her, I used Observe.
Ymir Fritz
Race: Human
Age: 23
Level: 194
HP: 20,000
MP: 1 [Fragmented]
SP: 200,000
First off; holy mother of nutcrackers, that's a hefty amount of stamina! Second, what in the world is going on with her MP? Fragmented? What's that mean? Does it have something to do with her titan ability? Or maybe something happened when I summoned her?
I reached out with my senses. She had a very…frail amount of magic in her. Ironic, given her abilities. Could this even be called magic?
With extreme delicacy, I poked her 'magic' the way I had done with Gildarts way back when. It barely responded to my touch. It felt like it was…in pain. What happened to her?
I wonder…is there a way to restore her magic? How would I even go about doing that? I know magic is an energy that's a product of one's spirit connecting with nature; so maybe I can teach her to meditate and practice magic in general? Perhaps that'll help.
Or maybe…is it her spirit in general that's broken? Magic and spirit seem to be interconnected in an extremely intimate manner, so maybe that's the problem.
Quest Received!
The Founder's Curse
Objective:
Restore Ymir's spirit, thus saving her soul
(0/10 Fragments restored)
Rewards:
800,000 XP
?
I'd have helped her regardless of a quest, but I appreciate it all the same.
Ymir awoke to the smell of fresh herbs. It was warm and soft where she was. She sat up, her eyes and throat sore from crying. Her head ached slightly…and there was a…pain in her chest and stomach that she couldn't identify.
She looked around to see herself inside a wooden hut of some kind, on a surprisingly soft homemade bed. A fireplace held a large cauldron, various plants and herbs hung around the mantle and ceiling, and the shelves and counters contained a variety of bottles, vials, and books.
At the foot of her bed, the creature she met earlier slept, its breathing deep and even.
"You're finally awake," A voice said. Ymir turned to see an older lady in a red robe of some kind. She had peculiar pink hair.
"My name is Porlyusica," the lady said curtly, "What's yours?"
"...Ymir," she replied, her voice hoarse. She coughed at the dryness her throat provided when she spoke. That was the first time she had spoken in…an extremely long while.
"Here," Porlyusica handed her a cup of water, along with a small plate of food, which she tentatively accepted. She drank the entire cup of water in nearly one gulp.
When she looked back, she saw that the creature was awake, staring at her. It pointed a claw at the cup, and she was shocked when it filled nearly to the brim with more water.
Ymir blinked for a second, before drinking again. The water was…delicious.
Porlyusica raised a brow at that. So this dragon could cast water spells. Was it a sea dragon of some kind, then? It didn't have fins or anything…
"Where…" Ymir meekly spoke up, "Where am I?"
"In the East Forest, which borders Magnolia," Porlyusica answered.
"...Where's that?" Ymir questioned.
"In the mid-east of Fiore," Porlyusica raised a brow, "Where exactly are you from, child?"
"...The…Eldian Empire…" Ymir waited for an outburst of some kind, good or bad, but none came. The older woman did nothing but raise her brow again.
"You've traveled far, then. I'm not familiar with that name," Porlyusica said, "This dragon here brought you to me about a day ago. Your clothes were covered in blood. You appear to be in top physical health, however, save for your malnourishment."
Ymir looked down and saw that she was in new clothes. A simple tunic and pants. Her white dress, no longer bloodied, was hanging nearby. Her stomach then grumbled as her attention was brought in by the scent of the meat and bread on her plate.
"Not very flattering, but it's the best I could manage," Porlyusica apologized with a neutral expression as Ymir began eating.
"A…dragon?" Ymir questioned, her voice quiet and soft as she swallowed. She didn't want to be rude or get scolded…but curiosity was getting the best of her.
Porlyusica raised a brow at that too, but didn't think much of it. Dragons haven't really been seen in hundreds of years, it's only natural for the current generation, young and old, to not know much of anything about them.
"In short, that," Porlyusica pointed at the black and red lizard, "Is a dragon. They are creatures that bear a reptilian appearance, and more often than not come with a pair of wings. And they're intelligent."
The dragon's lips turned upward, then it waved at Ymir. Was it…smiling?
Porlyusica narrowed her eyes at the creature. She wasn't too happy at having to give up her bed for some random girl that was brought in by one of Makorov's pets, but after spending the last day or so with the creature tending to the girl, she couldn't deny its intelligence. It even helped her gather ingredients for her to make a restorative potion for the girl.
"After you're finished eating, I'm afraid I must insist that the two of you leave," Porlyusica took out a vial filled with blue liquid, "I'm not one to entertain guests. Drink this before you go. It'll help settle your stomach and re-energize you. Don't be too long."
With that, the old pink-haired lady grabbed a basket and walked out the door.
Ymir looked back at the creature, which was watching her. It snapped its jaw a little, making a swallowing motion.
Not entirely sure what was going on, Ymir went back to her food. It was a much simpler meal than she was used to. The king of Eldia made sure she and her daughters ate well, and in the last few years they were privy to the finest feasts.
But nothing could compare with how delicious this homemade bread and meat was.
A/N: Sorry for the wait. Hope you enjoyed the longer chapter!
Next chapter won't really be a story chapter, it'll be Kilgara's stats. Someone requested it awhile back, so I shall deliver.
Also, I'm working on another story. It's similar in nature to Select Your Race, but in the Harry Potter universe. Let me know if anyone would be interested in reading it.