A lone soldier clad in steel armor walks through the forest, injured and mind hazy. On his arms is a beautiful girl aged 17 to 19 years old, dressed in an attire of nobility.

Her long black hair is messy,she has fair skin, and a body that is only right for a princess, but she isn’t one. She is the daughter of a lord and the 3rd child. She is only called a princess because of her fair beauty and genuine kindness. However, the princess is now unconscious on the arms of her saviour, a grizzly man in his 40’s sporting blocky features in his face, a full blown beard, and long brown hair that reached up to his neck. His hair lays a number of greyed hair, riddled by the sands of time.

This man, with name of Jarun, dutifully carried the unconscious princess deeper into the forest, following a feeling he felt after he entered. He could not run, and was instead limping towards his uncertain destination. The unknown did not scare him, for he trusted his guts. Something is leading him to somewhere, and he believes in it.

Jarun tripped over a root and fell on his back towards the trunk of a tree, making sure the princess wouldn’t get hurt from the fall. He held the princess in front of him, unable to carry on due to the injury he suffered in his chest and leg. His vision is slowly failing him from being bled out.

He only did what he could do right now, embrace the girl that he has sworn to protect. He laid her down to the ground, and started to weaken. Just as his vision was about to get dark, unknown figures showed up in front of him, then he blacked out.

Leisha woke up by immediately sitting up, panting heavily. The sunlight bathed her as she regained her composure. She turned to the side, only to be greeted by a grey fur wolf-like kobold face-to-face.

“Hi.” Said Khrus while he held his palm up, adding a smile that was more or less like a snarl.

He was only replied by the girl's fearful scream. The close proximity to the girl prompted him to cover his sensitive ears, the pain resonating in his eardrums.

Barnon busted in with a worried expression, only to witness the girl cowering in the corner of the hut and Khrus clearing his ears.

“What happened?”

“This girl just screamed in front of my face like it was the most natural thing to do!” Said Khrus while flourishing his arms.

Barnon held his forehead and sighed. Of course, who wouldn’t scream when a wolf suddenly talked in front of your face? It was even a monster. Just then, the girl spoke.

“W-who are you? Where am I? Where’s Jarun?” demanded Leisha while shivering.

“Apologies, ma’am, you do-”

“SOMEBODY HELP ME!”

Leisha rudely interrupted Barnon, irritating him. He didn’t liked humans from the start, and her whimpering is only making it worse. He prayed to Nemer that this girl would just shut up before he slaps her across her face.

“Come on, Barnon, don’t be like that.”

His thoughts were stopped by Nemer’s remark.

“You gotta talk to her nice and slow.”

Barnon sighed. He didn’t think of this option. Being confronted by a human that complained and asked every now and then is annoying, even by their fellow humans, thus slightly clouding his judgement.

The girl, still cowering in the corner, suddenly covered her ears. It’s as if she is turning mad, which is exactly what she's thinking right now. The god is speaking to her, but it looks like the girl is not taking it in good.

“I’m even hearing voices…” said Leisha while tears well up in her eyes.

She buried herself on her knees, sobbing from the turn of events. Khrus just sat there without a know in the world.

Barnon wanted to slap this human. Very badly. Then again, this human might have circumstances that prompted her to cry in the corner, so he can’t judge.

“I didn’t help much, did I?” asked Nemer with a forced chuckle.

“Yes, my lord.” Barnon said with all honesty.

The god grumbled from his failure to calm the girl down.

“What did you do to me? You monsters!”

The girl yelled at the kobolds. Khrus looked at Barnon, and recoiled from the display of animosity.

“C-calm down Barnon. It’s ok!”

But his words fell into deaf ears. Barnon is already thinking of ways to dispose of her, but his loyalty to Nemer and morals prevented him from doing so. Khrus just slowly tip toed himself towards the door, and ran away.

“Hey, Barnon,”

Barnon snapped out of it.

“You’re kinda showing your hatred.” Nemer told to the angry dog.

He realized that when he saw the girl look at him with frightful eyes, the look you would have when meeting your killer.

Guilt coursed through his body. He regret ever thinking those unspeakable things towards the girl, who is clearly scared because things are unknown around her. Just like a child.

He didn’t want to stoop to his previous master’s level, who would beat and abuse him whenever he got the chance. No, Barnon wants to be better than that prick, prick being an understatement.

He calmed down, and approached the girl. Leisha only responded by cowering to her corner more, shaking and begging Barnon to stay away from him as her tears pour down.

He stopped a feet from the girl, who had now turned her face away. He semi-kneeled and spoke with a calm and gentle voice.

“My lord does not wish you harm, nor do I.”

His voice strangely reassured the girl, who slowly turned her head to look at the kobold.

“You are safe here, I swear in my life. Whatever that may have distraught you, we shall comfort you.”

Barnon looked the girl in the eyes, not out of hatred, but out of kindness. The girl's amber eyes glowed with the feeling of ease. Leisha surprisingly calmed down. Probably because Barnon's adorable dog face. She is no longer trying to hide in fear, and she slowly relaxed her body.

Barnon responded with a smile, his adorable dog face popping it out even more. He patted the girl on the head, but Leisha only stayed still as he pats her head. If one were to look at this situation, one would assume that the roles have been reversed.

Leisha suddenly averted her eyes, causing Barnon to raise an eyebrow.

“Ummm… y-your torso’s… bare…”

Barnon looked down on himself and saw his naked torso. He was only wearing blue shorts at that time. He stood up and held his hips.

“Why? Is there something wrong?”

Being a slave has its perks. One of them, is that you won’t be embarrassed being naked.

“N-n-no! It’s just that… I’m n-not used to seeing ot-ther people like t-that.”

Barnon laughed. This girl may have been pampered too much to not see other men having a bare torso. He kept talking to her, while Leisha would retort at his every tease.

Nemer, who has been watching from the start, shed a single drop of tear, proud of this orange kobold. Seeing his followers achieve something he couldn’t, even though he’s a god, surprisingly gave a positive feeling to his very essence. After all, he is like a father looking after his children.

Having defused the situation, he went inside in another hut, and checked up on an unconscious Jarun, sleeping on a leaf bed. It’s not comfy, but does the job.

“How’s he doing?”

The god would naturally worry because he isn't a heartless douche.

“He’s doing fine, but I don’t think he will wake up anytime soon, my lord.”

Said a golden brown fur kobold while putting her hands over the soldier and giving him arcus. Her hands glow a sky blue color as arcus transfers from his hand to the soldier’s chest.

It has been 8 days since the kobolds first started dabbing in Arcs. It was not till recently did the duo of humans were brought back from the forest, both not moving but still breathing.

The girl, who looked like a noble judging by her clothes, woke up 3 hours later after being brought to her bed, and screamed her lungs out.

The man, on the other hand, was obviously still in a coma on the bed. The kobold who was tending to him, going by the name Khasa, has been doing the boring act of arcus imbuing on the soldier for the last 3 hours. The increased concentration of arcus in Jarun’s body will naturally heal him.

The appearance of these duo worried Nemer, since this might mean that there are other humans nearby. Since they were discovered by his kobolds, it’s safe to assume that they would be in a close proximity.

This foresight made him decide to send out two of his fastest and most silent kobolds to scout the forest. He didn’t send them without proper preparation though. They were equipped with throwing stones, admittedly low tier and primitive, and the arc [Conceal]. [Conceal] allows the arcusian to hide their presence by blending their arcus to the environment.

Before he set them out, he had already decided that all of the kobolds learn this arc. Even though it sounds like a complicated arc, it’s actually not. It’s one of the many beginner arcs that anyone can do. It can easily be countered by any other detecting arcs that doesn’t involve directly finding the target’s arcus.

The decision was risky, due to the humans likely having an arc that can easily locate them. The risk is somewhat reduced by the kobolds’ [Conceal] and their keen senses. Right now, he could only hope for the best.

He got out from the hut and looked towards the direction of the two kobolds he sent out, and to his surprise, he can actually see the two kobolds. The mist barrier is still there, but it looks kinda mind boggling-y.

Looking at the radius of the mist, his sight of the kobold should have been cut off considering their distance, but he can apparently see the kobolds, and a small area around them.

Of course, this was new to Nemer. He tried rubbing his eyes to try and clear up his vision, but it was still the same sight. He is as if looking at a fog of war, except extra foggy.

He was about to go to the two kobolds’ location, but he’s got other things to do. He flew towards the west of the village, where a training ground has been built. There were training dummies sparsely put in random locations inside.

Inside it were 3 kobolds, and one of them were Khrus. This kobold is a unique one, because unlike the others, he is actively developing his strength rather than his agility.

In just a case of a few weeks, Khrus has gone from lean to buffed. He’s not exactly that big, but his muscles are clearly defined and well built. That is because he has been punching logs while using his arcus as strengthening. This caused his body to have rapid development, and turned his body to this fit and buffed body he has now.

The big guy now looks more like a werewolf than a kobold.

“AAIIIIEEEEE!”

But he’s still the same coward Barnon knew.

“Worm! Worm! Worm!”

Said Khrus while pointing at the worm on the training dummy he was working on, while also backing away. His shaking body and pathetic expression clearly shows how scared he is. It would’ve helped if the Night Guardian didn’t happen.

“Calm down, Khrus, it’s just a worm.” A dark grey fur kobold said after picking up the worm.

“You don’t understand, Veni! That thing is monstrous!”

As if it heard Khrus, the worm squirmed in protest. This only made the intimidating kobold let out a cry.

“Dangit dude, can you keep it down?” Said another kobold, who had brown fur. He was practicing forming an arcus blade in his hand.

“I’m sorry, Nick, It’s just that worms are scary.”

“You mean this?”

Khrus turned around, only to find Veni holding the worm in front of his face. He didn’t move.

“Oh? Got over your fear now?”

The phantom sounds of one’s soul shattering didn’t seem like it, specially when the petrified victim fell on his ass and started foaming.

“Oops.”

Nick just facepalmed while Veni tried to carry the big guy to a hut. There was a series of ‘I’m sorry! I’m sorry!’ from Veni as he dragged the sorry Khrus. Nick just continued on to practice his arcus blade.

Nemer shook his head at the event that just happened. He recognizes Khrus’ strength, but that won’t be put to use if he keeps being a coward. Not that he doesn’t recognizes the others, it’s just that Khrus is different, and difference can attract attention.

Before he realized it, the scouting kobolds already came back with bad news. A group of humans are heading towards the village, probably using the soldier’s tracks to lead them to Nemeran.

Judging from the girl’s assumed nobility, she might be the target of this group. This was expected, but was still nerve tingling. If things become worse, then his followers might get their first battle.

It’s both a good and bad thing; good because the battle would yield experience to the kobolds, allowing them to be more efficient in further battles, bad because there might be casualties on his side, which he does not want to happen this early.

He had to act now, since the group of humans are rapidly closing in to their location. He calmed himself down and decided. It is time to test his followers.

“Are you sure about this, Sera?”

A man, probably in his 30s, spoke as he follows a cloaked human. He too wears a cloak, hiding beneath leather armor and and a sword strapped on his belt. Behind him were around 20 or so of cloaked humans, 7 of them seemingly injured.

The man’s eyes were blue like the sky, his face having sharp features for a middle aged man. His cloak covers most of his body, except for his head. He had black hair, with some grey strands sprouting around.

“I am sure. Besides, I am the only arcusian in this group. I can easily find the princess with my arc in no time.”

In front of him leading the group was a cloaked woman, whose appearance is hidden within her cloak. Only her cherry led lips, fair complexion, and her long brown hair is exposed.

“And I trust your arc will keep us safe?” Inquired the man.

“I assure you, we won’t be ambushed when I’m around.”

The man could only sigh. He has no choice but to trust her. Him and his men are not suited to detecting things from out of sight. The woman is apparently the only arcusian in their kingdom, appearing last month.

“We are almost there.”

The woman’s words made the man looked over in front of him. Looks like they are approaching a clearing, which is evident by the gradually increasing illumination from sunlight as vegetation and trees make way.

They emerged from the forest and into the clearing, where a giant tree stood in the center. What appeared before them was a village. What’s odd, is that the village seem deserted. There were no living soul that could be seen. Even the woman’s [Detect] isn’t picking up anything.

“This is strange… I was sure they were here.”

The confused woman looked around her. The man nodded and commanded his men to investigate the area, which is replied by ‘Yes sir!’ and the cloaked soldiers hurrying to do their job.

While still confused, the woman spotted an object of interest in the center of the clearing. Under the giant tree, there stood a tall stone with glowing markings on it.

There was really something wrong, when her [Detect] picked nothing up although there was definitely someone standing there.

She stepped closer to take a closer look, before realizing that-

“Welcome to Nemeran.”

-it was an orange fur kobold.