Azrie Sorry for no chapters
Dozens of thoughts filled my mind, racing for answers, and The Light Maker simply stared at the army and then at the sapling. It took less than a second but I got it. I turned to him.
“I’ll hide in the dark forest, and try to convince them to let you into it.” As soon as I said that I turned around and ran in the direction of the small tree island.
“Shouldn’t you have done that a while ago?” He called as he followed right behind me in a lazy jog.
“I didn’t think it could just summon a damn army of things.” I grumbled just before I reached the dark plants.
They gave way to me and guided me to the most hate filled tree, the one with the spikes and dripping poison. I reached my arm and touched the tree bark. The Light Maker stood just outside as he seemed to get ready by stretching, he stood hardened looking forward at the army of impending monsters. My mana meanwhile, finally reached the core of the tree as it spoke.
“Royal Seedling, you are here as promised but you brought an unwelcome being. A castaway undeserving of our touch.”
I frowned. Are you talking about the person with me?
“Yes,” the tree agreed. “That castaway.”
Let him in, he is going to help me extinguish the source of the Blight, the corruption. The foreign entity.
“Is that so?” The tree seemed to ponder sagely. “If he is welcomed, can you promise that our kind won’t be slaughtered by him?”
I bit my lip remembering the collateral damage. I can promise that. However, if he does betray my promise, the forest is free to slaughter him.
“Not just him, but you as well. Royal Seedling, you are pushing your rights.”
I swallowed. I agree with these conditions.
“Very well. The forest welcomes this castaway.” The tree’s inner voice was chilly, but I had no choice.
My hand was rejected and I took it back. I took a deep breath as I turned to look at The Light Maker.
“The forest welcomes you!” I called. “However, if you destroy a single dark plant on the island, not you, but I will be attacked as well!”
The Light Maker took a few hesitant steps back as he stepped on the dark grass, but nothing happened. He turned towards me and began to walk at a leisurely pace as he eyed everything.
“Everything is so deadly here,” he commented as the impending stampede resounded in our ears. “So I cannot destroy any plants here or we both die, yes?”
I frowned. “That’s correct.”
He clasped his hands as he produced light, but it was materialized. He extended it and it became nothing more than a stick of light.
“Well then, we are going to have a lot of fun.” He spoke with joy. “Whack the monsters into the dangerous plants and watch them die.”
I swallowed as I realized the implications of what he just said—
The inner forest island wasn’t enough to protect us from the impending doom.
I reached for my spear, and at that moment roars resounded, shaking the plants to their very core. As I turned away from him, I saw horror. Dozens of monsters broke through the trees as if they were nothing but sticks to be stepped on. Felled by the strength of numerous boar things, the lycans charged and the wolfes weaved in between the plants. In an instant, they broke through the first line of dark trees, and the entire forest rattled in return.
Dozens of thorns were thrown in their direction, vines sprouted from the ground and whipped onto the lycans and consumed them whole. Wails of pain resounded through the forest as I saw blood freely flow everywhere. The forest seemingly reveled on the bloodshed as the trees around me simultaneously rattled.
My mind blanked for a second as The Light Maker laughed, a wolfe pounced on him and he flicked the light-stick and threw it against a tree that consumed it with vines and death. In an instant, the wolfe just died. What— My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden sense of foreboding and red within my vision, I snapped my head in a different direction only to see a lycan charging at me. Bad memories flooded me in an instant.
There definitely is no chance I can contest that thing in strength.
It rushed towards me at breakneck speeds, and swiped— overhead, down, lower to the side. I managed to slowly waddle myself out of the way constantly taking a few steps back, but no attempt to poke—pierce into its skin was successful, and even then it didn’t matter. Excruciating seconds passed as I wondered what I was even supposed to do, sweat trickled down as my arms burned, I could feel trembles go through my bones every time the spear was deflected. Just. I poked. What. My spear grazed its fur. Am I supposed to do—
A bright light flashed through my vision, and I heard the splitting sound of bones break. The lycan was gone and The Light Maker stood there in a charging position.
“Always an honor to save a damsel in distress.”
I snorted. “I’m not in distress.”
“Whatever you say—” The Light Maker dodged practically teleported as a lycan pounced on his back. With a worldy twist of his spine, the arm slam went overhead, then using an impossible amount of agility he flicked his staff and slammed it into the beast’s ribs— crack. The beast winced as it was launched into a tree. He recovered his stance. “You were very clearly in distress.” He finished his sentence.
I stared at him weirdly. Sure, he was a good seventy levels above the monsters, but it was incredibly impressive to me— whether it was his agility, strength or magic, all of them seemed to be top notch. Which also probably meant his Vitality wasn’t particularly amazing, Endurance was probably the same case, and maybe his mana reserve was low too—
I dodged a wolfe and redirected it into a tree. Who just swallowed it with vines, in an instant I saw two kill notifications.
[You have assisted to kill: (C) Blight Corrupted Lycan. Lvl 132.]
[You have assisted to kill: (C) Blight Corrupted Wolfe. Lvl 113.]
[Level up: You have achieved level 93. Prophecy Bonus: +2 WIS +2 VIG]
Oh, and there was a level up too. I grunted as I dodged a wolfe, it really was, a bit too easy. The levels in this place fell from the sky, but at the same time— I pushed another wolfe into a tree. At the same time, it was aggravating— no that wasn’t the right word. It just. Bothered me. At first, there was effort to be had, every single kill felt rewarding, but now it felt like just touching them and I’d just get levels from the sheer volume of the kills. It was stupid, dumb, frustrating. I wasn’t working hard, I was just leeching off of others’ success and abilities.
My mood tanked to the bottom pits of annoyance.
“You don’t seem to be too happy.” The Light Maker commented as he side-stepped around a charging boar amalgamation. “Are you struggling that much?”
I shook my head. “No, just—” I ducked as vines whipped over me and notifications resounded from my treant killing things. “All of these levels feel so undeserved, all I am doing is touching these monsters and I get levels for it!” I gritted my teeth.
“Well, yeah—” The Light Maker dodged the charging boar once more, clearly unable to contest it in strength. “That’s how things are done around the universe, even as a kid you’ll probably reach level fifty as soon as you’re able to kill things due to parents helping. This also leads to people being higher level than both of us and completely inexperienced—”
“How do they deal with the Evolution requirements then?” I asked with a frown.
“Through a lot of help, of course.” He sounded rather entertained. “With connections and power, uplifting others to a close level to you, shouldn’t be too hard.”
“So, if a Monarch had a Champion.” I began. “Then, wouldn’t the Champion just instantly end up in the level four-hundred area?” I asked with a frown.
The Light Maker seemed to ponder over things. “Well, that is the case, yeah. Unless a Patron sees incredible potential on a Champion they will most likely be power-leveled to a high level. See, the problem with power-leveling is the fact that the receiving being doesn’t get many chances to acquire things such as Feats or unique Achievements—” He teleported to my side and grabbed me as danger assailed our surroundings.
In an instant my vision became white and we found ourselves displaced by a dozen meters. In the distance, I saw three lycans instantly teleport and ground slam.
“Like I was saying, due to the fact that they level so fast, they miss unique opportunities. An Elite Champion isn’t easy to nurture.”
I frowned. “So I am just squandering a lot of my chances by doing this?”
“Well no, there are dry spells. You had a Grand Feat when I met you, and you were like level seventy, judging by how impulsive you are.” He craned his head as if pondering if to say things. “Judging by how impulsive you are, probably every level up you’ve had for the most part has been battles to the death. At the same time, you could say that there is no benefit to risking your life in the gaps between grades, only when you are close to the next grade.”
“I see.”
A notification interrupted my thoughts.
[You have assisted to kill: (C) Blight Corrupted Morsbest. Lvl. 160]
[Level up: You have achieved level 94. Prophecy Bonus: +2 WIS +2 VIG]
I looked off in the distance as I saw my treant battling numerous monsters at once. It was clearly struggling— right, if it died— a deformed boar charged it and split it in half. I felt my mana inside of me rupture as blood welled within me. I felt as if a knife had passed through my organs.
“And there it goes.” The Light Maker whistled.
“Fuck you—” I coughed up blood. I felt as if my ribs were broken and I could barely stand up. He just patted my back with his hard metal hand.
“Don’t worry, it’s almost over, see?” He pointed towards the now dead treant as vines erupted from the ground.
My gaze wandered around as I heard shrieks and yelps of pain constantly occur. Vines, thorns and acid would consume the surrounding monsters. Some were practically swallowed by trees, their bones snapping and melting under powerful acid. Others were eaten by the ground itself, never to be seen again, and some unlucky few were felled by a barrage of thorns from all directions.
Seconds passed as the forest quieted down. I relaxed as The Light Maker seemed to just rub my back, it felt nice, foreign but still, wasn’t it a bit too personal? I allowed it anyway given the pain I was feeling.
Soon, there was nothing and the plants beckoned once more towards the main tree I had always spoken to. The Light Maker helped me shamble my way to it, though he winced as I came into contact directly with the poison. My mana connected in a few seconds, and I heard the sagely tree voice.
“You’ve upheld your agreement, aside from stomped grass everything has been untouched by your party. Promising. Royal Seedling, the forest has protected you, now in turn you must protect the forest. Erase the foreign source that eats away at us.”
I nodded. I will.
“Good. The forest trusts you. Promising. Weak, but with great potential. Diluted but refinable. Do not disappoint, future successor of the Dark.”
I felt a bit weird hearing that. Thank you. I will not disappoint.
“The fate of the forest rests on your hands. We will buy time to prevent that thing from reaching here.”
Thing?
A terrible cracking and breaking sound buzzed through my ears with a deep rumble, one that shook the earth to its very core. My gaze snapped over the horizon as I saw the World Treant staring in our direction.
“It’s had no choice but to move that thing, huh?” The Light Maker rubbed his chin. “Interesting. It must’ve had a reason to not move it in the first place, and now it’s playing its last card.”
My mind whirled. What?
“Eliminate the source, or only doom awaits us. We trust you, Royal Seedling.”
My mana was ejected as the entire forest seemed to rumble and attack the treant looming over the horizon.
The Light Maker turned to me, and I could swear he was smiling.
“Well, we better hurry up or we both die. Ain’t that fun?”
Meanwhile I just felt a sense of impending doom— what part of anything was fun? I could’ve sworn he was just a different type of lunatic, one that was different from me, but just as abrasively impulsive. He reached for my hand, which I gave with some hesitation.
“Let’s go.”
With a flashing light, we found ourselves standing on the desert atop a sand dune. The wind blew through my ears as I looked down, only to see the black— the base of the sapling with extending roots that dug into the sand like an intricate spider web.
The Light Maker once more craned his head.
“Okay. Now what?”
I turned to him with some horror.
“What do you mean, by ‘now what’?”
Azrie
You can read the entirety of book 2 (up to chapter 180) on patreon!
I also opened a ko-fi, where you can read from chapter 137 onwards!
Blair now has a discord server, join here
Azrie Sorry for no chapters
Dozens of thoughts filled my mind, racing for answers, and The Light Maker simply stared at the army and then at the sapling. It took less than a second but I got it. I turned to him.
“I’ll hide in the dark forest, and try to convince them to let you into it.” As soon as I said that I turned around and ran in the direction of the small tree island.
“Shouldn’t you have done that a while ago?” He called as he followed right behind me in a lazy jog.
“I didn’t think it could just summon a damn army of things.” I grumbled just before I reached the dark plants.
They gave way to me and guided me to the most hate filled tree, the one with the spikes and dripping poison. I reached my arm and touched the tree bark. The Light Maker stood just outside as he seemed to get ready by stretching, he stood hardened looking forward at the army of impending monsters. My mana meanwhile, finally reached the core of the tree as it spoke.
“Royal Seedling, you are here as promised but you brought an unwelcome being. A castaway undeserving of our touch.”
I frowned. Are you talking about the person with me?
“Yes,” the tree agreed. “That castaway.”
Let him in, he is going to help me extinguish the source of the Blight, the corruption. The foreign entity.
“Is that so?” The tree seemed to ponder sagely. “If he is welcomed, can you promise that our kind won’t be slaughtered by him?”
I bit my lip remembering the collateral damage. I can promise that. However, if he does betray my promise, the forest is free to slaughter him.
“Not just him, but you as well. Royal Seedling, you are pushing your rights.”
I swallowed. I agree with these conditions.
“Very well. The forest welcomes this castaway.” The tree’s inner voice was chilly, but I had no choice.
My hand was rejected and I took it back. I took a deep breath as I turned to look at The Light Maker.
“The forest welcomes you!” I called. “However, if you destroy a single dark plant on the island, not you, but I will be attacked as well!”
The Light Maker took a few hesitant steps back as he stepped on the dark grass, but nothing happened. He turned towards me and began to walk at a leisurely pace as he eyed everything.
“Everything is so deadly here,” he commented as the impending stampede resounded in our ears. “So I cannot destroy any plants here or we both die, yes?”
I frowned. “That’s correct.”
He clasped his hands as he produced light, but it was materialized. He extended it and it became nothing more than a stick of light.
“Well then, we are going to have a lot of fun.” He spoke with joy. “Whack the monsters into the dangerous plants and watch them die.”
I swallowed as I realized the implications of what he just said—
The inner forest island wasn’t enough to protect us from the impending doom.
I reached for my spear, and at that moment roars resounded, shaking the plants to their very core. As I turned away from him, I saw horror. Dozens of monsters broke through the trees as if they were nothing but sticks to be stepped on. Felled by the strength of numerous boar things, the lycans charged and the wolfes weaved in between the plants. In an instant, they broke through the first line of dark trees, and the entire forest rattled in return.
Dozens of thorns were thrown in their direction, vines sprouted from the ground and whipped onto the lycans and consumed them whole. Wails of pain resounded through the forest as I saw blood freely flow everywhere. The forest seemingly reveled on the bloodshed as the trees around me simultaneously rattled.
My mind blanked for a second as The Light Maker laughed, a wolfe pounced on him and he flicked the light-stick and threw it against a tree that consumed it with vines and death. In an instant, the wolfe just died. What— My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden sense of foreboding and red within my vision, I snapped my head in a different direction only to see a lycan charging at me. Bad memories flooded me in an instant.
There definitely is no chance I can contest that thing in strength.
It rushed towards me at breakneck speeds, and swiped— overhead, down, lower to the side. I managed to slowly waddle myself out of the way constantly taking a few steps back, but no attempt to poke—pierce into its skin was successful, and even then it didn’t matter. Excruciating seconds passed as I wondered what I was even supposed to do, sweat trickled down as my arms burned, I could feel trembles go through my bones every time the spear was deflected. Just. I poked. What. My spear grazed its fur. Am I supposed to do—
A bright light flashed through my vision, and I heard the splitting sound of bones break. The lycan was gone and The Light Maker stood there in a charging position.
“Always an honor to save a damsel in distress.”
I snorted. “I’m not in distress.”
“Whatever you say—” The Light Maker dodged practically teleported as a lycan pounced on his back. With a worldy twist of his spine, the arm slam went overhead, then using an impossible amount of agility he flicked his staff and slammed it into the beast’s ribs— crack. The beast winced as it was launched into a tree. He recovered his stance. “You were very clearly in distress.” He finished his sentence.
I stared at him weirdly. Sure, he was a good seventy levels above the monsters, but it was incredibly impressive to me— whether it was his agility, strength or magic, all of them seemed to be top notch. Which also probably meant his Vitality wasn’t particularly amazing, Endurance was probably the same case, and maybe his mana reserve was low too—
I dodged a wolfe and redirected it into a tree. Who just swallowed it with vines, in an instant I saw two kill notifications.
[You have assisted to kill: (C) Blight Corrupted Lycan. Lvl 132.]
[You have assisted to kill: (C) Blight Corrupted Wolfe. Lvl 113.]
[Level up: You have achieved level 93. Prophecy Bonus: +2 WIS +2 VIG]
Oh, and there was a level up too. I grunted as I dodged a wolfe, it really was, a bit too easy. The levels in this place fell from the sky, but at the same time— I pushed another wolfe into a tree. At the same time, it was aggravating— no that wasn’t the right word. It just. Bothered me. At first, there was effort to be had, every single kill felt rewarding, but now it felt like just touching them and I’d just get levels from the sheer volume of the kills. It was stupid, dumb, frustrating. I wasn’t working hard, I was just leeching off of others’ success and abilities.
My mood tanked to the bottom pits of annoyance.
“You don’t seem to be too happy.” The Light Maker commented as he side-stepped around a charging boar amalgamation. “Are you struggling that much?”
I shook my head. “No, just—” I ducked as vines whipped over me and notifications resounded from my treant killing things. “All of these levels feel so undeserved, all I am doing is touching these monsters and I get levels for it!” I gritted my teeth.
“Well, yeah—” The Light Maker dodged the charging boar once more, clearly unable to contest it in strength. “That’s how things are done around the universe, even as a kid you’ll probably reach level fifty as soon as you’re able to kill things due to parents helping. This also leads to people being higher level than both of us and completely inexperienced—”
“How do they deal with the Evolution requirements then?” I asked with a frown.
“Through a lot of help, of course.” He sounded rather entertained. “With connections and power, uplifting others to a close level to you, shouldn’t be too hard.”
“So, if a Monarch had a Champion.” I began. “Then, wouldn’t the Champion just instantly end up in the level four-hundred area?” I asked with a frown.
The Light Maker seemed to ponder over things. “Well, that is the case, yeah. Unless a Patron sees incredible potential on a Champion they will most likely be power-leveled to a high level. See, the problem with power-leveling is the fact that the receiving being doesn’t get many chances to acquire things such as Feats or unique Achievements—” He teleported to my side and grabbed me as danger assailed our surroundings.
In an instant my vision became white and we found ourselves displaced by a dozen meters. In the distance, I saw three lycans instantly teleport and ground slam.
“Like I was saying, due to the fact that they level so fast, they miss unique opportunities. An Elite Champion isn’t easy to nurture.”
I frowned. “So I am just squandering a lot of my chances by doing this?”
“Well no, there are dry spells. You had a Grand Feat when I met you, and you were like level seventy, judging by how impulsive you are.” He craned his head as if pondering if to say things. “Judging by how impulsive you are, probably every level up you’ve had for the most part has been battles to the death. At the same time, you could say that there is no benefit to risking your life in the gaps between grades, only when you are close to the next grade.”
“I see.”
A notification interrupted my thoughts.
[You have assisted to kill: (C) Blight Corrupted Morsbest. Lvl. 160]
[Level up: You have achieved level 94. Prophecy Bonus: +2 WIS +2 VIG]
I looked off in the distance as I saw my treant battling numerous monsters at once. It was clearly struggling— right, if it died— a deformed boar charged it and split it in half. I felt my mana inside of me rupture as blood welled within me. I felt as if a knife had passed through my organs.
“And there it goes.” The Light Maker whistled.
“Fuck you—” I coughed up blood. I felt as if my ribs were broken and I could barely stand up. He just patted my back with his hard metal hand.
“Don’t worry, it’s almost over, see?” He pointed towards the now dead treant as vines erupted from the ground.
My gaze wandered around as I heard shrieks and yelps of pain constantly occur. Vines, thorns and acid would consume the surrounding monsters. Some were practically swallowed by trees, their bones snapping and melting under powerful acid. Others were eaten by the ground itself, never to be seen again, and some unlucky few were felled by a barrage of thorns from all directions.
Seconds passed as the forest quieted down. I relaxed as The Light Maker seemed to just rub my back, it felt nice, foreign but still, wasn’t it a bit too personal? I allowed it anyway given the pain I was feeling.
Soon, there was nothing and the plants beckoned once more towards the main tree I had always spoken to. The Light Maker helped me shamble my way to it, though he winced as I came into contact directly with the poison. My mana connected in a few seconds, and I heard the sagely tree voice.
“You’ve upheld your agreement, aside from stomped grass everything has been untouched by your party. Promising. Royal Seedling, the forest has protected you, now in turn you must protect the forest. Erase the foreign source that eats away at us.”
I nodded. I will.
“Good. The forest trusts you. Promising. Weak, but with great potential. Diluted but refinable. Do not disappoint, future successor of the Dark.”
I felt a bit weird hearing that. Thank you. I will not disappoint.
“The fate of the forest rests on your hands. We will buy time to prevent that thing from reaching here.”
Thing?
A terrible cracking and breaking sound buzzed through my ears with a deep rumble, one that shook the earth to its very core. My gaze snapped over the horizon as I saw the World Treant staring in our direction.
“It’s had no choice but to move that thing, huh?” The Light Maker rubbed his chin. “Interesting. It must’ve had a reason to not move it in the first place, and now it’s playing its last card.”
My mind whirled. What?
“Eliminate the source, or only doom awaits us. We trust you, Royal Seedling.”
My mana was ejected as the entire forest seemed to rumble and attack the treant looming over the horizon.
The Light Maker turned to me, and I could swear he was smiling.
“Well, we better hurry up or we both die. Ain’t that fun?”
Meanwhile I just felt a sense of impending doom— what part of anything was fun? I could’ve sworn he was just a different type of lunatic, one that was different from me, but just as abrasively impulsive. He reached for my hand, which I gave with some hesitation.
“Let’s go.”
With a flashing light, we found ourselves standing on the desert atop a sand dune. The wind blew through my ears as I looked down, only to see the black— the base of the sapling with extending roots that dug into the sand like an intricate spider web.
The Light Maker once more craned his head.
“Okay. Now what?”
I turned to him with some horror.
“What do you mean, by ‘now what’?”
Azrie
You can read the entirety of book 2 (up to chapter 180) on patreon!
I also opened a ko-fi, where you can read from chapter 137 onwards!
Blair now has a discord server, join here
