“Titles aren’t for the weak of heart. The System recognizes those who are worthy and rewards them! Soldiers, you should all aim to get one, because only a holder can be promoted to Warlord! And, for those who don’t even get a minor accomplishment before turning thirty… I’m sure that your hands will be better suited to picks and sickles than swords and axes!

Now, get out here and earn a proper Title!”

-Orchish Warlord Ark’gor Sanguinesteel, of the Warring kingdoms.

Nashariel pov

Creepy cemetery aside, it was interesting to see how the fairy’s skillset differed from Nashariel’s.

[Risen phantoms of the frosted lands], for example, sounded pretty ominous. Until Nashariel read the third Tier skill’s mini-description.

Then it got terrifying.

“Uh, that’s a nice power to have?”

“We believed so too. Rising the winter’s harvest of lives as specters to drag our enemies into the afterlife sounded appealing. Do you agree with us?” Fel's haunting voice made the sentence even more sinister than it already was.

“Yeah… well… yeah, let’s call it that...” Nashariel didn’t know how to explain her view of things without offending or hurting her friend. Her attention was attracted to a set of huge tombstones.

They towered over the statues, emanating a haunting aura.

“What are those?”

Felassiah glanced at the monument. She smirked. “Something you’re not yet ready for, Nashariel. We remember that you had a Quest for those.”

Quests? Mentally recalling her status, Nashariel scrolled down. “Ah, the ones that require me to buy advanced skills for my affinities.”

"Precisely." The duo, completing the tour, found themselves back at the dead tree. "That is one of those 'Special skills'. Once you'll unlock the first one, your threat level will ascend to new heights."

The specter’s glee, combined with her chuckle, sent a shiver down Nashariel’s spine. “Should I’ve gone for that, instead of merging and upgrading my skills?”

“All choices have benefits and detriments, Empress. No one can bypass that simple law; neither you nor us. And our goal was to give you a solid base to build upon.”

Yeah, but I’m curious now…

/I would’ve never guessed/

Nashariel mentally rolled her eyes. “Guess that’ll come with time.” She smiled. “Thank you for the hospitality, Fel, but I have to go.”

Felassiah nodded. “It was our pleasure. Feel free to come and find us anytime.”

“I will! Also, I’ll be back in… sometime. Soon, I hope. Shame that you can’t come out of the forest…”

“It is rather unfortunate, we agree.”

Actually…“Give me a second.”

Nashariel closed her etheric eyes, poking her Superiority with a question. “Can I bring my retainers where I am?”

A plethora of flashes passed through her mind. She saw a myriad of people materializing right beside her, sometimes all at once. Her incarnations also appeared beside an ally in need, or in front of an enemy who had wronged her. Concepts and words filled her mind with whispered answers.

Nashariel reopened her eyes, ignoring the blood she felt pouring out of her nose from her real body. “Looks like I need to be Mature. I should be able to come to you or let you come to me. I need to work on my Space, tho…" She added mumbling.

“A good news, then. See you in seven years.”

“Six, actually. My Birthday was a few days ago.”

"Better yet. A good journey to you, my friend."

“May Astill watch over you too, *****.”

Nashariel reopened her eyes, still a bit stunned by the revelations of the day. “Who would’ve thought…”

/Makes me wonder if there are any retainers of your past incarnations around/

… Dang, I hadn’t thought about it. I’m not sure if I like the idea.

/Why not? Fel has been friendly enough/

Yeah, but… Nashariel sighed, trying to find the right words to express herself. What if they are like her? Trapped in wait, and putting their expectations on me for being… another me? Fel is pretty set on me building an Empire. I’m not so sure about it.

The secondary mind remained quiet for a minute. /You’re right, I didn’t think about that part. Sorry, primary mind/

Nashariel shook her head, conjuring a bit of water to wash her bloodied face. Don't worry about it. Now, let's go patrolling. We have some stuff to do in the evening!

The rest of the day passed quickly. Few encounters with almost no Variants.

The Paladins said that the wild monsters were attracted by the lights, probably because they learned that there could be prey nearby.

Nashariel briefly considered making this place shine like a star, then massacring only most of them. Perhaps the monsters could be taught to avoid bright places?

Anyhow, evening arrived.

The gang, minus Veliel, met in their shared room.

“So, what does it ask you guys to do?”

Dan relaxed against the wall. “I’ll read it aloud. Unless you…?”

Dorel shook his head, opening his status.

“Okay.” Dan cleared his throat.

*You have fulfilled the requirements for one or more Titles!

You are eligible for two Titles!

Choose one. You may alter your choice after 1 year time.

-Young prodigy (Rare)

-Retainer of the Omnidragon (Legendary)

1) Not every being is offered a Title at such a young age! You have demolished any expectation put on you by your peers, and survived to tell the tale!

+100% skill growth speed, +20% of points gained, +50% of leveling speed, and +50 to all stats.

The likelihood of rare loot is increased.

2) During the long history of the world, few people who have learned the true nature of the omnidragon didn’t do much about it.

People like you.

More than once, you have rejected the prospect of a safe return home to be with her. You have proven your loyalty countless times, and She returns it in kind. This is your reward.

Unlock of every attunement, +???

Warning! Leveling speed will be reduced.

Select this Title to know more details. Please, select while in a safe location. *

Nashariel blushed slightly at the loyalty part. "The increased growth things look good."

“I think it adds to [Human ingenuity]’s bonuses. Oh well.” Dan made to press a button, as did Dorel.

“Guys, are you absolutely sure about it? My memories haven’t shown me many happy endings for my Retainers.” Her nightmares… all those people, friends, lovers…

Dorel grunted. “You’re our Boss anyway…”

“… Might as well go all-in!”

Nashariel’s sight blurred slightly. “Thank you… okay, go on.”

The duo confirmed their choices.

They fainted, as colors swirled over them.

A prompt appeared in front of Nashariel.

*You have acquired two Retainers!

Searching for the best roles…

Evaluating skillsets…

Evaluating attitudes…

Discarding options…

Upgrading Tier…

Modifying race…

Adjusting bonuses…

Done!

Dan Lightbloom Poison/Illusion-Inquisitor of Astill-> Mirage/Omni-Trickster of the Empress (II)

Dorel Shieldforger Metal/Lava/Protection-Defender of Astill-> Retribution/Omni-Protector of the Empress (II)

Additional benefits:

Race: Human-> Dragon-touched (Human)

+250 stat points

+500 skill points

Leveling speed reduced. *

Nashariel’s eyes widened. “What the heck!?” This looks like an evolution!

Dan and Dorel were peacefully sleeping while the changes coursed through them. Nashariel didn’t see any kind of cocoon embracing them, fortunately.

While Kins received their race from a parental or a magical influence, ‘Touched’ implied a more direct and recent contact. Those people didn’t grow claws and the like, but their descendants would. Also, their skills could be altered to be more in line with their benefactor’s race, or evolve in that direction.

After some time, the duo was startled awake. They looked around, massaging their eyes.

“How do you feel?” Nashariel whispered.

“Like sleeping for days.” Replied Dorel with a yawn.

Dan blinked a few times. “Holy shit, a Tier up! And we’re To-!”

Dorel’s hand moved like lightning, sealing his friend’s mouth. “Quieter.”

Nashariel sighed in relief. “Thanks.” She repeated her question.

The Inquisitor (Trickster?) stood, bouncing on his feet. “I’m full of energy! Should we go and help Vel?”

“We have to.”

Nashariel nodded. She grinned ferociously. “Let’s go and have some fun!”

The trio regrouped with Veliel. The Priestess went to rest while the Touched tried their new tricks.

The enemies were very low-level, but some of the duo’s skills had changed drastically. Mortals didn’t benefit from instinctual knowledge, as opposed to monsters.

“Gods, their Tier up is incredible." Commented Nashariel, watching as the monster died by simply touching Dorel’s shield.

Veliel chuckled. “As it was for me!” Dan’s illusory clone stabbed a small Ice-boar, dealing real damage. The true one sliced two monsters at once. “You need to wait out for your maturity, right? For a Tier up, I mean.”

“Technically, I only need to complete a Quest. But yeah, I’m not getting my hopes up.” Nashariel had never read about a Young Tier 2 dragon, and her Categories had been pretty faithful to other dragons’. “I wouldn’t mind a good spar between the four of us.” Gods, I miss the Bastion…

Veliel stroke one of her wings, looking thoughtful. “Not a bad idea.”

Nashariel turned toward the priestess, raising an eyebrow.

“Being Tier 2, I feel like we have a chance to spar for real. Without you holding back, I mean.”

Nashariel had always been a few steps ahead of her friends' power curve. Not that she would ever say that aloud. "Can't wait for the boys to get accustomed to their powers, then."

The next day, a group of scouts hurriedly made their way inside the citadel.

Nashariel and Veliel healed them, listening to the people’s report.

“Variants! Variants everywhere!” One screamed while his missing arm regrew. He was kept still, as the healing wasn’t painless.

Secondary mind, see if there is any pain suppressor in the Healing attunement.

/Searching… None found/

Nashariel mentally cursed.

"Lairs are forming next to the roads. Days or weeks old, but we successfully tracked a Spawning lair.” Another added, more calmly. Perhaps he was simply exhausted.

Spawning lairs were… bad news for unprotected people.

“Level range?” Asked Nashariel.

The scout shrugged. “Around 100. We saw a bunch of cocoons about to burst, so we were forced to run away.”

The dragokin glanced at her friends. They nodded. “Can you point it to us?”

“Wait, we cannot allow a group of recruits to do Paladin’s work!” Interjected Arthania.

“We just came out of Lyah’thien. This is nothing for us, don’t worry.” Nashariel helped the previously wounded guy to stand on his feet. “Take it easy for at least two days. The body needs time to recover properly.” She said with a warm smile. Especially since my skill is only at level 1.

He nodded with gratitude. Two other scouts helped him to limp to the barracks.

“It’s not a question of difficulty, but of our Code.” Insisted Arthania. “We are bending it enough as it is by allowing you to protect the city, and only because we were beyond our limits. Sending you inside a Spawning Lair? That would be a crime in itself!”

Nashariel glared. “That thing will kill innocents. Worse, it will reinforce the monsters around here for years. Not handling it now would be murder.” She controlled her tone, feeling her Presence stir within.

The Paladin shook her head. “We cannot send you to die, comrades. You’re still recruits, you need a veteran with you.”

Nashariel’s anger spiked. Before she could snarl her thoughts aloud, Dan’s hand dropped on Nashariel’s shoulder. “Well, what about an escorting mission, then? We would be on the road in a day or two anyway. Might as well start the journey in company.”

“They could act akin to Squires.” Proposed another Paladin, looking at Arthania.

“That would be… acceptable. Barely.” She admitted through her teeth. “Recruits, if your level is below 150, say it now.”

It’s refreshing not being identified at sight, but… “I’m the lowest leveled, and I’m at 190.” The woman widened her eyes. “Told you that we were fine.”

“I… see. Fine, I and Darius will lead you." She concluded, gesturing toward the Paladin who proposed the solution. "We leave tomorrow at dawn."

The rest of the day, the Astillians roamed around town.

They refilled their supplies, acquiring many potions on top of that. They had needed a dose of the liquid health only once, but Vel owed her life to the alchemist who had provided it.

Nashariel had already separated from a few artifacts inside her hoard, so the sellers asked for no compensation. Both sides knew that she was losing money, after all.

I wish I could give them a Core… Thought Nashariel, biting her lips.

/I encourage you to listen to Fel’s warning/

I know, I know. We could use them in battle, tho.

/Not without time and practice. Not them, at least/

Nashariel tapped the Core hidden inside her armor. Omnidragons could innately tap into ambient essence, Core included.

Nashariel's reserves were higher than what her status implied, even if not by much. Should I give them one anyway?

/It’s a risk. What if they’re found? They cannot hide it like you/

Tch, damn. I wonder if Cleansing Angel hosts a branch of the Tails. That foxy shop is everywhere… Nashariel decided to make a Core anyway.

More resources were never a bad thing.

The next morning, the Astillians and the two Paladins set off on their journey. The scouts reported that the lair was situated in a deep cavern within a hill, approximately one mile north of Kharos.

The roads were large and well built. However, they were also infested by a bunch of monsters that had also destroyed part of the cobblestone. Not many Variants yet, but the sheer volume of creatures would’ve spelled death for any civilian.

The enlarged group used the mission as an excuse to clean up part of this mess, instead of simply flying over it.

They let Dorel and Dan do most of the work, letting them get used to their new skillsets.

“You’re impressive, for being recruits.” Commented Arthania, at some point.

“The forest forced us to be, but thank you.” Nashariel shrugged. “What’s a new Paladin’s average level, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Darius replied. “It varies from their training in the specific, but it’s around 150. We follow a veteran until 250 or so.”

Oof. She stepped aside, dodging a Shadow-wolf’s jump. “250? That's pretty high." She said, after putting the corpse on her mantle. Not the first trophy.

She knew that the average Templar was around fifty levels lower than that. Well, the healers and the city guards were. I wonder what mom and dad’s levels are at…

“The Dark is insidious. Our shine is only bright enough to keep it at bay.” Arthania sighed, deflating slightly. “And look at our home now…”

“I’m sorry…”

/Level isn’t a replacement for numbers, it seems/

I just wonder how a spawning lair… spawned into existence from nothing. Especially a Dark one!

/Memories?/

Nothing, I tried yesterday evening. Perhaps they’ll show me something once we’re there.

After marching for another hour or so, the group found themselves staring at said lair's entrance. If dozens of cocoons weren't laying around, they would've probably thought nothing of the place.

“Plan?” Asked Dorel. He and Dan were understandably winded, after all their fighting and running.

They all looked at the two Paladins while Veliel and Nashariel restored their friends.

“Darius opens the ranks, I close them. The healers stay in the middle. Inquisitor, you stay hidden and strike when needed, but stay close. Defender, attract the monsters’ attention. All clear?” Arthania imperiously declared.

“Couldn’t I use my breath inside the cavern first? It has a pretty long range.”

The Paladin considered for a moment. “Very well thought, Comrade. Let us secure the area first, then you may proceed.”

They all started to smash the various cocoons, repelling the monsters attracted by the smell. Most of them were Dark-Variants by now.

Deed done, Nashariel shifted into her true form. The Light dragoness stuck her neck as deep as possible, then charged her breath with half her health and a few points of Omnia. She didn't dare to change elements in front of the Paladins, so she couldn't simply vomit a few gallons of acid and let gravity do all the work.

Nonetheless, the bright light flooded the place. Nashariel noticed that the cavern opened into a complex web of tunnels, beyond the range of her best weapon. She retreated her head. “We need to go in. It looked like a labyrinth.”

Arthania grunted. "Of course it couldn't be that simple! Fine, set in the formation that we established earlier."

That you did. Nashariel thought with annoyance. Staying with Fel and among elves who respected the fae got her used to being considered a bit more than a child. Still, duty first, irritation later.

They entered the complex, guard high and tension higher.

Their steps cracked upon the earth scorched by Nashariel’s breath, echoing in the dark cave. Motes of ash danced mid-air, remnants of the destruction unleashed by the dragoness upon the lower-level monsters hiding in their home.

Silently, they walked further.

And fighting started.

The monsters rushed from everywhere, enraged by the presence of the intruders.

Darius’ large axe butchered the lot of them, sending out Radiant slashes with each strike. He left little for the Astillians to battle with.

Still, Veliel whispered a song of velocity and brightness, speeding up the work.

Dorel Taunted. He probably upgraded the skill, as his voice echoed in the whole tunnel.

Nashariel fended off the few monsters that passed the human and the Touched guards with a created spear. She had noticed that her metal had been considerably weakened since she had sacrificed her [Metal creation] for [Omnia creation]. Unfortunate, but absolutely worth it.

Less than a minute later, the rush stopped.

Arthania sliced a monster open, checking inside the corpse. At the Astillian’s interrogative gazes, she explained. “Sometimes, we have to deal with a cult dedicated to monster grafting. They usually leave specific marks behind.”

"They usually toy with the undead, but it never hurts to check.” Added Darius, wiping his axe.

“It seems that they're innocent, for once." The woman said with a displeased frown. "Let's keep up the good work."

“Can we even explore this?” Asked Dan. They had walked for more than an hour, and still, his scout skills told him nothing about the cavern's end.

“Do you know how these lairs work?” Darius asked. The Astillians shook their heads. “They all have a specific place or monster that gathers mana. We need to seek and dispel it. The monsters will disperse or die within a week or so.”

“Like a Core?”

“Not exactly, but that’s a good enough comparison.”

Nashariel tried to analyze the mana in the area. She could feel it flowing like a current, but she failed to distinguish the direction. I wonder if Flow could do something about it.

/Highly probable. Do you want me to check?/

No, I can’t shift outside of Light anyway. A soft bell rang in her ears. Uh, I’m leeching some essence. The ambient mana is rising. “Do we have a way to read the mana flow?”

The man shook his head. “Not without a mage, and they were needed in the citadel.”

“That sucks.” Dan huffed, vanishing from sight.

Nashariel punched the last giant worm, squashing it against the wall. “We must be close.” She announced. This thing had a Hybrid element, instead of either Earth or Darkness.

As expected, a large cavern opened in front of them. A large sphere of dark-brown mana floated in the middle of it, tended by some kind of skeletal ants.

Disgusted, Nashariel realized that the sphere was simply a massive sack, full of cocoons. With a pained groan, the queen attached to it laid tens of them at once. Those weren’t worms, but grubs!

The giant insect screeched and the tenders clicked their mandibles menacingly. The tunnels around rumbled with hundreds of steps. A bunch of other ants bursted from the walls, some of them protected by massive carapaces.

*Body-Ant queen Lvl 139

Healing-Ant tenders (x7) Lvl 97

Earth-Ant worker (x12) Lvl 109

Body-Ant soldier (x4) Lvl 182

The beginning of a colony. Ants reproduce fast and dig faster, seeking the places most full of mana and food. Weak individually, but they tend to swarm their opponents until the end.

These Body-ants use their attunement to reinforce their carapaces with a hard exoskeleton, gaining sharp mandibles and the ability to delay starvation. No particular weaknesses or strengths. *

Nashariel grinned, swishing her tail left to right.

"Okay, stick to the formation and you'll come out of this no worse for the wear." Declared Darius, making his axe glow.

The omnidragon sighed, the words being like a cold shower for her glee. She activated her [Light’s refuge], as did Veliel with a song. Can’t wait to be alone with my friends again.

Dan seemingly shattered. In his place, six copies darted in all directions and started throwing ethereal daggers left and right.

The workers raised their backs, spraying the group with a dense-looking black liquid.

Dorel raised his tower shield. A dome of bright rainbow light snapped into existence, protecting the group from the sizzling acid.

Darius charged ahead with holy fury, ample slashes clearing the hall from the weaker workers.

Nashariel watched as the queen screamed. The sound empowered the warriors. They angrily skittered, clicking their massive mandibles with the same intensity of a hammering smith.

Dan nimbly avoided their charge, jumping high while laughing. He chanted a spell, and the ant dropped into a pit that wasn’t there until a moment ago.

The carapace broke with a loud crack.

Seeing the scene, the tenders worked on the queen, detaching her from the enormous sack filled with cocoons.

She turned and ran into a tunnel.

Nashariel snarled, but Arthania was faster.

The Paladin dove straight into the thick of the fight, dodging the angry mandibles of the various insects. She pointed her rapier and lunged. A bolt of Radiance followed, piercing straight through the monster.

The Queen shrieked in pain. Immediately, all the tenders skittered on her body. They vomited a yellow liquid that stitched the wound.

Nashariel couldn’t watch further, as a hidden soldier dropped on her from the ceiling. Idly, she grabbed it by a mandible and launched it into the wall. The quake shook the whole room.

The insect found its carapace shattered. Soon, a grinning dragokin jumped on its torso, punching it to oblivion.

She rose, eyeing the dying monsters. Well, so much for them thinking that we were in danger. She mused.

/To be fair, these ants were relatively high level for most people/

Fair enough.

Moments later, Arthania returned. The body of the queen and her tenders lay unmoving behind her. "Good work, Comrades." She also took in the scene. Her posture and the small smile on her lips hinted at her improved mood. “With the queen gone, this lair should disperse.”

Nashariel analyzed the essence around her. It already felt thinner, if only slightly. “Thank Astill we intervened in time.”

The Paladin nodded. “Yes. May the Sisters bless our scouts for finding out.” She narrowed her gaze, sweeping it around. “We didn’t know about this complex. I wonder-”

“Shh!” Veliel shushed them all.

Everyone fell silent, weapon at the ready, their gazes scanning every inch of their surroundings.

“I heard voices!” She added. Pointing toward the wall that Nashariel had cracked with the soldier’s body.

Some terrified whimpers replied.