This is bad. I’ve used half of my mana energy, and if I fight them, there’s a very low probability for us to get out of this unscathed. I look around to observe anything. Melee troops are not a trouble, what troubles me is behind those troops there're at least 50 long range magic users. I need to think fast or we’ll be finished right here and now.

The Gate of the World in Ul Thadur is located in the highest place in the city. The placement itself makes it hard to escape. I look up and see the ceiling is about 7 meters height. Perfect height for long range magic user to attack.

I push Erfia and Reis on my back. If they decide to attack, at least I’ll be able to deflect some of their attack.

“Clown mask and some unknown weapon. I guess even Mada the Raider makes mistakes huh?” a single beast man comes forward and faces me. He’s a lion type beast man.

“Of course I made mistakes, I’m still human after all.” I answer him.

I think I’ve found a way to get out of this mess.

“Really? You’re a human? Glad to know that Mada the Raider is human race. Knowing it makes it much easier to arrest you.”

“Are you sure I’m a human? I could tell you any lie and you won’t even know the truth right?” I try to provoke him.

“Yeah, you’re right. I’d like to come to you and take that mask off from your face.”

“Then why don’t you do it?”

That beast man smiles. “I’m not that stupid. I know well you full of trick. I’ll take that mask off. After you die.”

The beast man retreats and raises his hand.

This is my only chance while he shows his back to me. I take a smoke bomb from the Keeper and throw it to the ground.

“Change your clothes in 5 minutes, it’s the only time I could keep you inside the Keeper.” I whisper to Erfia as she’s the closest to me

Normally I only put inanimate object inside the Keeper, but I guess I’ll make an exception. To put a living being in the Keeper is a trouble because if I stop imagining the air circulation inside of it, they won’t be able to breathe. Adding the gravity, the force, and everything else.

“Attack! All mage, attack!” The beast man yells to signal the attack.

While the smoke hides us, I quickly grab Erfia and Reis with my right hand and put them inside the Keeper. I quickly put the snake hook inside and go without any weapon. I jump to avoid their magic attack and land on the ceiling. By using the ceiling as my foothold, I propel myself out of the building.

Yes! I manage to get out of the Gate of the World. Now, I need to escape from their pursuit. Jump as far as possible is out of the question as it will make me an easy target for their magic. Then, the only choice left is to get to the city and go to the underground. I land and slide as fast as possible.

Ul Thadur is like an ancient Greek city if you look it at a glance. Unless all of the rock is a metal with a light blue line indicating electricity and you can see tree everywhere.

I try to escape but some monkey type beast man is pretty fast in this capital full of trees. I stop and get to the inside one of the tree roots big enough to take few people inside. In this close confinement, I can easily defeat them with their own weapon, knife. I defeat 8 monkey beast mans and took their helmet and armor.

That’s it, I can’t take it anymore.

I put my right hand in front of me and take Erfia and Reis out of the Keeper. Reis has changed to some vest and short with a skintight suit beneath it. Erfia is wearing shorts and long sleeve clothes. They still wear their mask.

“Reis, explode every tree that we’ll pass. Erfia, cast Spiking Ground to the nearest enemy behind us.”

I don’t give them any chance to answer me. I carry Erfia and throw Reis way ahead of us. Erfia is starting to enchant the spell while I see Reis is putting her Pinpoint Explosion in some trees.

Erfia finishes her enchant and cast Spiking Ground behind us. I know it can’t stop them, but at least it will buy us more time. I take Reis when I land in front of her and carry her.

“NOW! EXPLODE IT!”

Reis flicks her finger, and those trees blown into bits.

~Blarr blarr~

I don’t care about the trees part. What I need is the fire that will burn all the trees. The most we get by burning the trees only 5 minutes. They knew trees are easily ignited in this place so they make a system that when trees are burned for 1 hectare radius, the water channel around it will shoot a watergun towards it.

Even if beast man is stronger and faster than human, they still possess the basic animal instinct. They’re afraid of fire. We take the chance to get away as far as possible. We enter some small building that looks like a house. When we come in, there’s only 2 beast mans ready to attack us. I use my knife that I took before and kill them.

“I’ll change my clothes, both of you stay alert.”

I enter some room and take some clothes from the Keeper. I take a brown jacket with a shirt and some trousers. Then, I take the pair of lance sword and shield, Pair of Dragon and Phoenix. I put the lance sword into the shield. The shield has a small gap between the shield and the handhold to put the lance sword. I get out and now, and I’m using the identity of Mada Jeian of the Vorks.

~The might of the red blood has emerged in victory. The greatness of wind and earth has been proved.~

I dispel my magic. I need to reserve the mana before Erfia fill it.

This is my best bet. In human or elf race capital, there’s no way this way could work. The beast man has a lower intelligence than the other race. I took a perfume out of the Keeper and spray it to me. I spray the perfume to Erfia and Reis too.

“With this perfume, they won’t be able to smell our scent anymore.” I explain to them.

“Then, what is our next move?” Erfia asks me.

“Now we wait and please fill my mana ring while we’re waiting.” I piggyback Erfia so she can fill my mana ring while I’m wearing it.

“What are we waiting for?” Reis asks me.

I’m not answering it. I just stand in silence waiting for what may come out. They should come and get us. This is their best chance.

A hole appears on the floor out of nowhere. A beast man type mole is coming out of it.

“Are you human that coming from the Gate of the World?” The beast man type mole asks me.

“Yes, we are.” I answer him with a flat and calm tone.

“Then come with me if you want to survive.”

The mole man enters the hole and we follow him. The hole is about a meter in diameter and it only 5 or 6 meters deep. After that, we’re walking through it. The mole man leads us with a glass filled with a fire spirit stone to illuminate the way.

“Did you plan this?” Reis asks me in a very low voice.

“Just see how it will roll. I’m just planning 50% of it.” I answer her in the same low voice.

We’re walking through this tunnel for some time.

“Say, is Lihar still in charge?” I ask the mole man in front of me.

“So you really are a friend of mister Lihar.” The mole man answers me in awe tone. “Yes, he’s still in charge. When the words spread that a human just came from the Gate of the World, he commanded us all to search for you.”

“Yes, we’re an old friend. Ah, I’m sorry, what’s your name? My name is Mada, this little girl that I carry is Erfia and that woman is Reis.”

“Oh my, you have some respectable manner. My name is Kuan.” Kuan look at us for a moment. “Both of them, your slave?”

“The woman is. But Erfia is my daughter.”

“You’re unusual. Normal human would have another human as friends and other race as slave.”

“Well, I never say I’m normal.”

“We’re here.”

Finally, we reach a bigger hole than before. Or should I say, a cave. Right now we’re in the underground of the capital. Even its underground is still consisted of Greek building made of glowing iron. If I should say, this place is like an underground city.

“KUAN IS HERE! HE BRINGS THE HUMAN!”

Somebody yelled at the distance. In this place, apparently, passing information through screaming is normal. Well, they have a loud voice so I guess they don’t need a microphone or such.

All the beast man is surrounding us as they hear it. I can feel Reis closing her distance with me right now. It seems she’s kind of afraid of beast man that’s surrounding him.

“Dad, have you ever been in this place?” Erfia asks me right to my ear.

“Yes, few times.”

Finally, we reach the center of this place. The center of this place is also a high place, and stairs. We walk step by step through the stairs. Damn, I hate walking through stairs. I prefer to jump over it in one leap. But it’s not a good time right now.

We arrive at the top. Inside of it, a lot of beast mans is standing in line on both sides. In the end of it, a beast man type Lion is sitting in a throne.

In that instant, the beast man type lion jumps towards us.

“Wha, what?” Reis is surprised by the lion man action.

I also jump toward him. A pair of fist is clashing. He sends some few more punches, but I manage to stop it with my right hand punches. Finally we land on the floor and send one last punch. Our last punch meets once again and stops each other.

“You keep your promise huh? Mada Jeian of the Vorks.”

“Of course I will.” I lie.

If Erfia and Reis didn’t come up with the idea of coming to this city, it is certain that I’ll be distracted and break it already.

“Um, I hate to break it. But, Mada, who is he?” Reis asks me.

In just a short moment Reis already stands in my back. She’s lifting her eyebrow showing her curiosity.

“Well, Erfia, Reis, let me introduce you to my old friend. His name is Lihar. The leader of the rebel army that’s been opposing the government of Beast Man for the last few years.”