(Aeyrs POV)

With the general outline for the war plans set, all I’m left to do is enact them. I’m overdue on paying a visit to Apoctaclass, so I can kill two birds with one metaphorical stone. I’m sure the city has grown since I last stepped foot there, but the rate of growth is sure to be impressive, mostly because the Star-Mates were talking about how massive it was. That and my brother also talked on and on about how much that city grew while he spent a week inside. If this was on earth, they’d break almost every record for construction in existence, and then some. Undead labor is surprisingly impressive, not just from the lack of exhaustion but the flawless cooperation between them, due to their ability to communicate with one another directly without speech. Overall, they were the ideal worker, fast, efficient, thorough, low cost, low maintenance, and most of all, dead silent.

Besides the whole military recruitment portion of my visit, going there would give me a good chance to speak with the elders and learn what my brother was doing and not telling me about. Although I trust him more than anyone, I still can’t persuade myself that he isn’t hiding or leaving out certain, key details. Like when he wanted to blow up the moon, for intimidation points. Or that time when he wanted to nuke the mountainside for a similar form of entertainment. I swear, if I leave him alone for more than a month he would turn the world into an assortment of strange collections, if not a complete hellhole made from one too many over-maxed tier 26 spells. At the very least, there aren’t many tier 26 spells, and even with those, a good chunk aren’t offensive. It gave me some relief, up until I started thinking about what he has done with limited resources in the past.

He managed to find a way to one-shot a world boss, promptly submitted the findings to the admins, got it fixed, and found another way within a day. If he was able to do that while messing around in a game, who knows what he can do in a desperate situation with all the magic in the world. Sometimes I wish he were normal, that he was just a mediocre gamer, not some kind of in-game legend. Sometimes I think about what could have been if we weren’t the top dogs, and how different our lives in this fantasy world would be. Even if we were average level, most potential threats would be gods, strong dragons, or strong planar beings. But that still leaves the strongest of them all, that god-forsaken Puppet Master. Whatever our level, she would have done the same things, not minding if our strength was on par or not with her’s.

Eventually, a confrontation with her and my brother will lead to a less than happy outcome, but in the end, it shouldn’t be anything he can’t handle. He was able to manage a country, millions of demons, tens of thousands of gnomes, international relations and politics, as well as a marriage and being the demon lord, so I’m sure he could tackle that nuisance as well. If he couldn’t, It wouldn’t necessarily be unexpected, but regardless of the outcome, he will change from a confrontation with her. It irks my heart to think about, but I know it can’t be helped, it ought to happen eventually. If I can’t help it, then I might as well start preparing myself for the outcome, regardless of the result, whether it's ideal or not. Either prepare or distract myself from the future, just to spare my mind the burden of the thought.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(King Nylian Eir De Les Syngewood POV)

The first ships have docked, and small stations were set up, ensuring the rest of the fleet arrives unhindered. Regardless of my unease, these men are more than willing to sacrifice their lives in the name of peace, giving me little hope to persuade them from battle. Ten thousand soldiers were on the enemy’s land, yet not a scrap of life can be found. The demon lands were known for being desert of life, both flora, and fauna, but I didn’t expect it to be this extreme. Almost a wasteland of rock and stone, no detail of the surrounding allowed for any recognition of this land. If it were not for the ships that had docked, no other vessel would know where to unload, spreading our army thin with confusion. In a few day's time, the rest of the army should arrive, and the conquest of this land will begin.

The research and investigation that our spies have conducted has let some light shine upon some of the more scarce details. Supposedly, there was a large city in the demon lands, and it’s the Demonican Kingdom’s capital. It would be our best target to assault, being the capital, and also the worst, again, being the capital. Kings weren’t dumb, at least not always, and they knew that their capital should be the strongest lynchpin in their kingdom. It should have great military might, economic strength, and a formidable defense. Knowing that demon’s exploits in the past, it would be hard to say this city wasn’t defended with a magical barrier, likely on par or better than other capital cities. Also using the fact that a farming town has protection on par with a capital, it was more than safe to say that this battle will be much harder than invading the capital of the Britgar Holy Kingdom.

[Title Gained: Trespasser of a God’s Domain] [Awarding 5 Attribute and Skill Points]

So it was true, he really was a god? So much for having a fair shot, this seems more hopeless now that we know he is a god. I’m sure the generals and high-level soldiers realize the challenge that now befalls them, but those that can’t use the World System have no clue of the threat that awaits them. If word were to spread to the entire army, panic may ensue, so I’m sure those that know won’t spread it around unless permission was granted. I fear that this upcoming battle might be the hardest fought one yet, and might even prove to be the downfall of the elves or the demons. Should I fail my people in our conquest of these lands, our fate will be shared, and our lives be lost to the enemy. I pray for the strength to succeed in the battle, and for the courage to withstand the battlefields. I also pray that that good-for-nothing hero to do her job, and spare us the pain of losing our lives.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Melida Sten POV)

Crates of swords, arrows, bows, and armor were being hauled by the first men off of the ships, and swift shelters were erected before an hour’s passing. Tents and smaller wooden shelters were made to house the tired army before they march onwards again, towards whatever it is they marched to. I was unaware of the locations we were set to attack, and even less so, when. It seemed like a few of the people here are even aware of where it is that they are marching to, nor do they know the dangers that befall them. I know not of the certainty of my future, but only wish to be free from this accursed prison that I have been trapped inside. To think that a fellow elf could force me against my will so, it shattered my sense of security. To think that a demon would spare my life more than my own kind, even if it was for the thrill of combat, they still rescued me from what was sure to be my end.

What was that demon’s name again? Satur, I think it was. His armor looked strong, more so than anything I’ve seen before, but that doesn’t count for much. Back in my old life, I didn’t get to play many games, even less so were RPGs, but even I could tell the level of skill and care that went into that luxurious armor. His attitude and words matched my pre-existing thoughts of demons, but it masked his otherwise kind actions. He and I were enemies, yet still, he spared my life, if only so he could take it later. So far, it was one of the kindest things to happen to me in my life. Some commotion sprung up outside, I figure some orders or information was just relayed to the soldiers, so I ought to leave this tent and find out. What I was soon to find made me stop before fully leaving.

The ground that was so plain and desert, had massive gouges and scorch marks, from seemingly nowhere. There was no sound of earth splitting or fire burning, but yet the evidence before me didn’t lie. Dozens of soldiers were dead, their bodies loosely scattered around the area, some missing limbs, and others with terrible burns making them unrecognizable. It was only then when I realized the cause, a great beast stood, its body cloaked in darkness, though it was only just past noon. It was large and bulky, with piercing brown eyes that glowed dimly, and the body of a rather young elven male in its sharp maw. It had six legs, and a great long tail, a body under each foot. Though something else was awry, It didn’t seem like it was alone. Were there beasts in the demon lands after all? Was this the true reason why people were told not to go into these lands without seeking battle or death?

It took me only a moment to recollect my thoughts, and then I was able to start thinking clearly again. Whether it was through the orders of the king or my own, I withdrew my staff and started preparing a spell. [Coldflash], a tier 9 spell, that would slow the target for a while, based on the target’s level, and spell’s. Since the spell was level 17, it would work to make the monster much more manageable. I aimed my staff towards the beast’s head, a dark blue spell circle forming at the tip. A small gust of frost slowly leaked from the circle, then, without warning, a fast bolt of frost shot out, and washed over the monster’s body, sticking to its skin and slowing it down. I quickly prepared another spell while glancing around for any survivors, but found none in my quick search. A golden spell circle appeared and the end of my staff, and from it, came a bright blinding flash of light. Two streaks of gold shot towards the beast’s head and heart, both hitting their mark.

It reeled it’s head back in agony, and it’s chest started to convulse uncontrollably, allowing for me to charge another spell. This time, a green spell circle appeared, and a flurry of leaf daggers shot towards the monster, many slicing and stabbing all across its body. It bled green, thick globs slowly leaking out from its wounds. The blood seemed to clump together, like gel or goo and hardened quickly. Before I had time to charge another spell, something odd happened, a bolt of pure red lightning came crashing from the skies, smiting the creature into oblivion. Ashes of its body slowly were picked up by the low wind and left me confused about the caster. Only three options could produce such an effect. A magic-user, be it one of ours or not. Another creature like the one it struck. Or is it a natural phenomenon, one that just happened to aid us, if only this once? But before long, I got my answer.

A man in all black robes stood atop some of the broken land, looking simply at our encampment. He seemed not to mind our existence, as he started to carry on with whatever it was he was doing. I thought of stopping him if only to thank him, but I let him slip. He didn’t seem to be in the mood to talk with us, nor did he have a need. His strength as a mage was impressive, and I doubt he would have much use for conversing with an army recently attacked by a wicked beast. I wonder what it was that made him help us if he even did it for our sake. Perhaps he didn’t notice us and was doing it for some other reason. Perhaps he wanted the experience or wanted to try out some spell. Maybe he wanted knowledge, or information about its weaknesses, or maybe he had no reason. The truth already walked away, leaving me to only guess about his motives, but instead, I had to attend to my duties as a forced soldier.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Ashen POV)

Xylith was relieved to see me return, and I felt similarly comfortable with her as well. We spent some time just chatting about simple stuff, eventually leading our conversation into the topic of the future.

“Well, I know you have a lot of responsibilities, but what do you plan on doing in the future, after our child is born?” She asked me, and for the first time in a while, I had to think about what it was I really wanted to do with my new life in this world.

Did I want to continue being a king and lord of so many, or being in such a position of great power? “I’ll continue to do all the same things I’ve been doing.” I guess one thing I should do is leave everything I touched better than when I found it.

“Do you have any plans for the demons in Apoctaclass?” Well, they were just citizens, I wasn’t going to make them do anything crazy, at least not often.

Maybe I could have them start some diplomatic negotiations with the other nations, to make the other races think of them better. “Perhaps having them interact with the other races, instead of being isolated in the demon lands.”

“Then do you have any idea of what to do should those relations turn sour?” She seemed to be asking these questions to make me think of ways to future-proof the kingdom and the demons.

“More so than what they are now?” She laughed to herself for a moment.

“I suppose you’re right about that, things couldn’t get much worse. Even now there is another active threat to us, being the war and all. But regardless of that, I feel like our people are being recognized, even if it’s not for the best reasons.” I supposed she was right, the demons were on many people’s minds, and it didn’t help that a country was actively fighting them.

If only we could make everyone halt their prejudice for just a minute, and have them understand who the demons were. “I just hope we can make up with the other races and kingdoms, and have the war be done with. I’m tired of hearing reports from Misfortune about the latest gossip of demons slaughtering villages or just plain lies about what they are doing currently.” I just can’t stand the blatant lies and idiocy of those that harbor unjust bias towards demons.

I can understand if they had a confrontation with a demon, but most have not, only gaining their opinions based on what others say of demons. “I know what you mean, it sickens me to hear such vile lies as well. I know there are bad people in every group, and it may be true that a demon killed a village entirely, but the claims they spew have no real backing. For centuries now, have they used scary words and deception to make everyone hate the demons without a reason? I don’t know why they do it, maybe it is their nature or just natural for them to do, but it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon, if ever.” Since she has the power of reincarnation, I’m sure she has lived through many years of this constant negative stimulus that is the outside world’s thoughts and opinions on the demons, and I can understand what that does to people over such a long time.

How much unjust pain has the demon races endured for no reason other than being alive? “If I can help it, I will try to right the wrongs of the humans that claimed the demons were evil. If I can undo the cruelty that befell the demons, I can consider myself worthy of being all that I am.” A god, a king, a lord, a max-level entity, a unique piece of history, it all means nothing if I don’t do something worthwhile with it, or if I don’t make a positive impact on the world.

A sense of intrusion came to the forefront of my mind, a presence was detected. Was this the elves? Did they arrive on the shores already? Had they reached Apoctaclass? Questions shot up and down as my mind tried to understand the information. Likely, they had only just arrived, otherwise, I should have sensed it earlier. Another realistic option would be their approach of a nearby resident, meaning that they were close to Apoctaclass. Either way, my first action should be going to and protecting Apoctaclass.

“Intruders of Ashen’s land, shall not survive long,” Xylith whispered, seemingly without her will.

“Intruders? You can sense them too?” I asked, my mind still calling for information.

“Yes, I have a general feeling that there are unwanted visitors in your domain. The feeling is the same as an unwavering, but faint, feeling that someone is in your home, downstairs or out of sight.” Her description was similar to what I felt, but still off.

“I’m going to go investigate, you should be safe here, I’ll do what I need to.” With a small hug, I teleported to Apoctaclass, finding no discernible commotion yet.

Glancing around the shop, and finding no customer, I decided to inform Jolven and Julia of the situation. “An army of elves are soon to reach the city walls, do what is necessary to dispose of all who continue to lay siege, leave the ones that flee or surrender alive. Keep collateral damages to a minimum, and try not to harm the citizens.” They both nodded, and bowed slightly, leaving me to inform the elders.

With a brief walk lasting only a minute or two, I reached the town hall and heard a familiar voice inside. “Then that’s all we need, as long as they can fight on a moment’s notice, everything is settled.” Aeyrs was already talking with the elders, presumably about recruiting an army, or something similar.

I opened the door and went to the room they were all gathered in, and they all turned their heads to me. “They are in the demon lands. I cannot say where specifically, but I know that they are here. It is likely best to remain here in Apoctaclass and fortify an army and defenses. The barrier should be strong enough to prevent any massive damage to the city, but there is a chance that they could have a way of either deactivating or destroying the barrier, so backup plans are recommended.” A few of them took mental notes, and Aeyrs only had a grin on his face, I guess it’s been too long since he has really engaged in combat, with strong or weak creatures regardless.

“We should try to find and scout them out, shouldn’t we?” Aeyrs was already eager to leave, wanting a fight, but I had to decline him.

“I already have something in mind, and besides, it’s not necessary for you to go out and fight them all, leave some experience for the demons.” Another bonus of having them fight, they would get stronger, and I could potentially just take any souls of those who die and resurrect them later.

I was thinking of having Misfortune doing a reconnaissance mission to try and locate their main army, and maybe even an encampment, but another idea entered my mind. “I would never steal all the kills, I’m a very generous person you know! Besides, it’s not like I really was going to fight, I have restraint, unlike you. I am a Dragonoid, I can just fly around and try to spot them, then report back their location and estimate their travel time to optimize our strategy.” while that did sound nice, it still removed one key aspect, stealth.

While we had the power to go guns-blazing into battle, it wasn’t the greatest plan, and we also had other goals to accomplish. “Firstly, I have restraint. I didn’t destroy a moon when I was thinking about it, and I didn’t nuke the demon lands. It’s not like I act on every urge I have, otherwise, I would have slapped you across the face by now.” Conversations like this were something we did all the time, and we both knew it was simply a way of messing around, but to the elders, it might have been hard to contemplate what my words truly meant.

“Ouch, my heart! My own brother wishes me harm! It kills me to think that I have been done wrong by someone I held so dear!” He overemphasized each word, making that feeling of slapping him across his reptilian face reemerge once again.

“My own brother thinks of me as nothing more than a self-indulgent and entitled madman, with no brains of my own. If only my heart didn’t beat, then I could endure this pain.” I joined in his dramatic performance.

“I can’t bear this tragedy any longer, my mind would surely suffer if it continues any further!” With a small chuckle from both of us, we refocused ourselves on the situation at hand.

“Alright, well the army is still a problem that looms closer as time counts down, but we are likely the ones to emerge victoriously.” I didn’t want to sound over-confident in my abilities to the point of saying we were immune from defeat, as it could make the elder think themselves invincible.

It was something I learned back when I was playing Sugarea, with my guildmates. They knew that I was a max level player, and therefore unbeatable, at least by normal player means. They thought that as long as I was with them, they were undefeatable, and it went as poorly as anyone could think. As soon as we were in the boss fight of a level 900 dungeon, and they were only level 850 at the time, they tried to slay the boss, with no regards for their health, as they knew I’d heal them, but what they didn’t account for was the special attacks of the boss. The three of them were all killed in a single attack from the boss, and it resulted in them learning that they were, in fact, very killable, regardless if I'm present or not. It eventually led them to become some of the most cautious people in the guild, one of them even stopped doing PVP altogether from it.

Good times they were, but more were had before and after. It brought me peace to think of them again, perhaps I could find a way to see them again in this world. My abilities in magic have already proved it possible to create new unique spells from scratch. As long as I try to make the spell work, and use the correct runes. It seems like creating a spell that can pull them into this world could exist or does exist, as my own existence in this world would suggest. That leaves only one question up to interpretation. Who in this world knows of earth, and has the power to pull people from there? Is it possible that this is a natural occurrence? Could it just be a random process that just happens to bring people from other worlds into this one? Then why would it target average players first, the new gods, just a coincidence?

Perhaps if it was a person, it was a mere trial run or a preparation stage. Then what do they want from me and my brother? Do they want us to do something that they don’t want to dirty their own hands with? Are we supposed to be heroes, like those in stories? Do we even have a purpose? Do we just exist here for some kind of vacation? A way to experience something we were so intimately passionate about? If so, it would explain why Tycho is here as well. He seemed eager enough to start playing, perhaps he was brought here because of it. I hope it isn’t for the sake of forcing people to fight one another as the relationship between the demon lord and heroes would suggest. It also seems like the earth wasn’t the only world to have its people brought here, as evident from the elf hero.

She said that her game had three level 1000 players, so she was from a much different world, or at the very least, was brought here from before a fourth player reached level 1000. It made sense either way, as the new gods have been in this world for over a thousand years, but claim they were transported from the earth at the same time as I was. If it was a different world, then it could explain the reason behind some of the other races’ heroes. From what I know, there is a dwarf and orc hero in this world as well, and knowing as little about them as I do, from the two heroes I have interacted with, it’s safe to say they are from different times or worlds as well. It’s highly unlikely that they are from the same world or time as the other heroes, but not impossible. I’d have to investigate further to find the truth, but in the meantime, I still have more questions to answer.

The Puppet Master has been shown time and time again to be constantly working behind the scenes. Although I have nothing to contribute to her so far, I know that she has some kind of interest in me and Aeyrs, and more so an interest in messing with us. Since she first invited me into her domain, until now, she has likely been doing something to the world that made her objectives completed, or made her satisfied. Was she the reason behind the people from other worlds being here? Probably not. Her mana was around 80 million last I checked, and it likely hasn’t grown since. She might be able to transport people from other worlds, but I can’t imagine her being able to bring dozens in one time, let alone her allowance of those people to hold a powerful position in the world. Then who else could it be?

Perhaps the god of magic was responsible. Maybe it was their job to bring people from other worlds to this one, for whatever reason. I could see the god of magic being strong enough to bring large quantities of high-level people into this world at once, or two max level people. It all depends on their strength, as it remains a mystery to me. If I wasn’t assigned the domain of magic, then that could imply their magical prowess being greater than my own, which was an unnerving thought. To think that a person is better at the one thing you excel at, it felt like I was useless, if only for a split second. It was possible that they were stronger, but unless they were maxed level, it was still unlikely. Perhaps they have an absurd amount of magic, like what I have now, or even infinite mana? If they were the god of magic, it stands to reason that they could have unlimited mana as well.

Oronix had a mana pool of 20 billion, so it is still possible. This also makes me think about Oronix’s domain. He was the god of dragons, not of magic, despite his high affinity to all the base elements. Even having an affinity with the other types of magic, null, void, space, and time, not to mention mental, emotional, and spiritual magic. If he was just the god of dragons, that could mean that the god of magic is just that, a true god of magic, having an unreal dominance over it. Regardless of their power, I still have one thing that they don’t, the freedom of mortality. They have the rules of godhood to withhold, and I don’t have those restrictions, or at least I don’t follow them. I might be a god, but even so, I didn’t feel like being confined to the heavens for the sake of being worshiped.

I also didn’t want a bad domain, like being the god of agriculture or crafting. They weren’t bad per se, but it wasn’t something that I was good at or even just known for. Besides, with my freedom of action, I have the bonus of using items from Sugarea to further increase my power to allow me to accomplish any goal. If I needed more mana, I could just use an item to increase it temporarily, just long enough to do what was needed. If I needed to have immense strength in a certain area, like fire magic, I could use items to the point where a fireball could imitate a tier 26 fire spell. It was easy to gain strength when you didn’t limit yourself to rules and regulations, though you run other risks. If you couldn’t control yourself, you could end up doing more harm than good, but if you were to always practice restraint, then that possibility is avoided.

I can still practice restraint while using great power, I did it for years in Sugarea, and I still have in this world. I tried to refrain from using my demon form to limit the amount of power I have access to, with the exception of the time when it was forced upon me. If I were to casually be in my demon form and lose control of my emotions, then it could be catastrophic for the world. Even in Sugarea, I refrained because it would have removed any sense of danger and enjoyment from the game. In this world, it would have a very real consequence of slaughtering millions or even billions and potentially destroying the world even. While it sounded like an exaggeration, it was still a possibility as long as I was here on the Physical plane. I suppose that’s why the gods stay in heaven, to avoid messing up everything that they protect. Maybe It was about time that I paid them a visit, just to catch up, in the meantime, the war is in safe hands with Aeyrs, at least I hope.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Melida Sten POV)

After the beast attacked, we had to reorganize our camp, and I ended up on guard duty. A group of ten other soldiers accompanied me in my rounds, and the next three days were uneventful. The distant echo of thunder and anger boomed from the skies like the gods were in the midst of an intense argument or even fighting. Before long, massive streaks of fire and lightning rained down, black bolts soon joining, and it triggered a flashback. Ashen. The streaks of black rained onto the army behind me, and devoured them, leaving only hollow husks of corpses, white bolts shooting up into the massive cloud was the only sign that those men were once alive. The same feeling of dread and hopelessness was overwhelming me again, and the current situation we were in didn’t help.

It seemed like the bolts of black, fire, and lightning were random, hitting anywhere that was exposed to the sky. The ground was scorched, almost unrecognizable after each strike, leaving the already barren and broken demon lands in a worse state. The black bolts seemed to strike at any life they could find, and that of course meant us. Screams of those struck soon joined the choir of chaos that filled the air. If this was our punishment for fighting a god, then we had only ourselves to blame. For one reason or another, the bolts ignored me, almost acting like I was a mere ghost. Intangible, unable to be seen or heard, it was like I was the sole survivor of this nightmare. I could only see the boats being loaded with as many men as could run to them, and before long, they set sail leaving a few men, and me, behind.

The storm raged on, and clouds of pure black started to roll overhead. The few remaining soldiers all made a break for the water, even if they couldn’t get a boat, the water might help shield them from the attacks, but they were wrong. The bolts followed regardless, and they joined the others quickly. I stood as the only one left, but dropped to my knees shaking. I knew what this meant. He said he wasn’t going to kill me back then, and he truly meant it, even now. Was this his way of saying that I was worth something to him? My body still trembled, I knew I was safe, but my body couldn’t stop its panic. It still felt like I was on my deathbed, even knowing I was fine. The feeling and the storm lasted for hours, and I cried until it was over. Even with the storm calming down, I couldn’t help myself from crying.

I was fated to be a slave to people that wished me to be nothing more than a tool. Not respected as a person, let alone as someone worthy of acknowledgment outside of orders. It was like I was a dog, treated as something that was alive but expendable, nothing more than an expense if I died. It would have been a shame, or a slight inconvenience if I perished, but yet, the one person I was commanded to kill, was the only one to treat me with some amount of respect, or even kindness. He still killed the other soldiers that accompanied me, then and now, but at least he didn’t seem like the kind to use me for his own gain, at least not obviously. Even if he did at this point, it didn’t matter, as he has already done more for me than my own people. Demons were evil, at least that is what they constantly say, but the more I see the truth, it seems like they are just like anyone else.

I only have Ashen to go off of, but it seems like the demons aren’t bad people, at least not entirely. And knowing that they are under his control, at least officially, was reassuring of my thoughts. Could they just be regular people like humans or elves? Are they just trying to live? Have the other races just decided that since they are demons, they are also therefore evil, and thus should be eliminated from this world? Is it miscommunication or a petty trifle that has sparked thousands of years of pain and war? If it was, then I don’t blame the demons for wanting to kill the other races. If you were to substitute the demons with any other race, it would be justifiable, so it stands to reason that the demons would have as good a reason as any other to fight for their lives.

If I wasn’t bound to be a slave to the elf king, I’d fight for the demons, even if they didn’t want or need me. I would have to double-check to see if my assumptions are right or not, but it still seemed like they were better than the elves at the very least. As I started to stand, something in the sky flashed, and something bright started to descend. The ghostly appearance of a golden orb came crashing to the ground. Was this a god? Or a soul of one even? Ashen was soon to emerge as well. Even at a great distance, his mana was detectable, even by my low-level magic detection. His entire mana pool was extending, allowing me to feel his ripples through the natural mana in the air. He followed after the golden light, and it’s light went out soon after. Small glimmers of light started to float around me, and shot towards Ashen, seemingly disappearing after getting to him, were they souls?

What was he doing with them? Did he use them for experiments? Or maybe he was using them for some kind of spell? The answer was likely nothing bad, but I can only hope. Before I could think of what to do next, I felt his mana drawing closer, was he coming here? Surely he wouldn’t have thought that anybody could have survived unless he detected me from this distance? Was he coming to talk to me? I had to prepare myself for whatever the case may be. It didn’t seem like he was going to arrive in the next few seconds, so I had that much time to prepare myself. I started to breathe slowly, trying to calm my lazing heart rate. I tried to relax my muscles, as they were taut and stiff, and next, I tried to soothe my racing mind, all only succeeded slightly. My breath grew slower, my heart rate returned to a more reasonable rate, and my mind and body relaxed slightly. I was still awaiting the confrontation to come, but I was more at ease.

It was only a few seconds after I prepared myself did he arrive. “The elf hero? No. Melida Sten, wasn’t it?” He remembered my name, even after all this time, and only after a brief encounter?

“Yes, I am Melida Sten of Onnonbrook. What brings you here?” My voice started to break into slight fear at the end.

“You are invading my land, after all, it would only be natural for me to see who it is that is trying to harm my people. Besides, I felt an income of souls from over here, so I assumed this is where the army was. I had an intense conversation with the old god of fire, Ignis. Things turned rather sour after he got quite emotional, to say the least.” Did he kill one of the old gods!?

“What was the golden light from before? Ignis?” He seemed to think of something and nodded.

“His soul, but it’s not what you might think. I did kill him, yes, but it was he who fought me, and insisted that I fight him for the domain of fire.” He took the domain of fire from Ignis?

I didn’t know much about this world, but from what I do know, the old gods were immensely powerful, and their domains were impossible to overtake, but he still beat him?

“What do you plan on doing with his soul, and the other elves? If I may ask.” I didn’t want to come across as rude or intruding.

“I have no particular use of the elf souls, and will probably revive them whenever this war ends, or I have come to a mutual agreement with Onnonbrook. Even if I have to conquer your kingdom just to have peace with them, I’ll do it. Then after peace is established I can start bringing the elves back from the grave.” He really planned on resurrecting hundreds of thousands of elves after peace was established?

“I see, and what about Ignis?” I hope I didn’t come across as annoying.

“I don’t know yet, but I will likely do the same, after the gods and I have a solid relation, I will likely resurrect him as well, although it will be rather expensive.” His mind seemed to wander for a moment, likely thinking of what to do with Ignis’ soul.

“What will you do with me, now that I have nowhere to go?” I couldn’t return to the elves as of the current moment, and the last order I had was to protect the encampment, but if there was no encampment and there was no hostile, I technically didn’t have any obvious orders, as I was also told to not fight unless something attacked first.

“As long as you don’t attack people, I can have you in Apoctaclass, but you will be under a rather extensive watch, just a precaution.” Apoctaclass?

“Is that the capital of the Demonican kingdom? Would the demons there even be comfortable with me?” If the stories were true, then there would be no chance for us to get along, not with all the racial tensions.

“They’ll warm up to you, as long as you don’t go fighting or offending them on the regular.” Were the demons really just people like I had thought?

“If you think it best, then I really have not a choice or complaints.” It would help me get closer to my freedom, but it still leaves me to ask him directly for help. “If it isn’t too much to ask for, I have a small favor to ask.” Hopefully, I could ask it, or hint at it, as long as it allowed me to.

“Is this to do with the magic seal on your soul?” He can see it?

“Ye-” My heart started to pound, and my body froze in intense pain.

Within a few seconds, my body felt like an ice cube, then the pain stopped, and the only hint as to why, was Ashen’s outstretched hand. “I understand, just try to relax.” My curse must have prevented me from speaking of it.

A bright yellow spell circle appeared in front of his hand and my heart, and in only a few seconds, both faded. “Is it gone?” He nodded, the curse didn’t feel any different, but I was going to take his word.

“I wouldn’t say removed entirely, but the least I could do was take ownership of it. So to prevent this from affecting you, I’ll do something to make it act like it’s gone. Melida Sten, I command you to only take orders from yourself, and not from anyone else, including me.” My heart pounded deeply as he spoke, the same as when I received orders from the elf king.

“I, Melida Sten, have heard and will obey.” It felt like the previous order I was given faded from my mind, no longer binding my freedom.

“Now, to see if it worked. Melida Sten, I command you to jump three times.” There was no conviction to jump, not even a slight interest, the curse was gone, or at least subsided for now.

“Thank you, Ashen.” A small trail of tears started to leak from my eyes.

“Please, don’t thank me until it’s removed in its entirety.” He still planned on removing it, even after its effects seemed to be gone?

“Alright.” What do I do now? I finally have the freedom I have been longing for, so what now?

“If you can promise to not hurt any of the demons, I can let you live in Apoctaclass, or even give you a job if you need something to do.” The demon lord was helping me, a hero, one that was supposed to kill the demon lord, and yet, he is still trying to offer me aid even after freeing me from enslavement.

“I think I will stay in Apoctaclass, at least for a while, then I will start a job.” He took a moment to think.

“There is a dungeon in the town, if you want to keep your skills sharp, and want to fit in better, I suggest you use it. I can’t speak for all the demons, but there are some that care little about race and prefer strong people instead. If you can befriend them, you will slowly integrate into their society, and will become a normal citizen like all the rest.” It sounded almost too good to be true, but If I could be with people that would treat me like a person, I don’t care if it takes effort.

“I’ll try my best.” I have a feeling that this is going to anger the Onnonbrook kingdom...