just testing

marinesusmc · Games

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96 Chs

3

251 Re-entering the Black Raven Kingdom

Index

Book

At one of the gates which was a point of entry into the Black Raven Kingdom.

2 people - an old man and a teen were waiting in the line for their turn to be checked, with the latter interestedly looking around as if everything looked new and exciting.

After reaching the guard post, one of the soldiers responsible for checking who had noticed this behavior asked, "Who's your friend? He seems overly curious."

This made the old man panic a bit before hurriedly saying, "It's just my son! It's his first time out of the village, so please forgive his enthusiasm. We come from Burberry in Lanthanor, and we were really interested to see this glorious Kingdom after the broadcast on the Network."

The answer made the soldier's chest swell with pride, knowing that this was another resident of the continent who was visiting because they had gotten enthralled by the fight over the Network.

After asking a few more questions about the village which the man claimed to be from, the soldier gave them a small token and instructed them to keep it on their body at all times.

If someone inside the Kingdom was found without this token which was given on entry, they would be jailed on the charge of illegal entry.

This was the Black Raven Kingdom's way of trying to combat people from entering the Kingdom as they liked.

After taking the tokens, the two individuals walked to the closest village before taking a room in an inn.

On entering the room, the teen went to the window and resumed his activity of looking around while the man sighed and sat down on the chair.

"Faxul, you might make more guards suspicious if you keep gawking at everything like that! Even though it would support your character of a country bumpkin, I would rather that we not attract so much attention."

The words made the teen step back from the window before nodding and smiling slightly at the old man.

Indeed, these two were Daneel and Faxul who had made their way into the Black Raven Kingdom using a false identity.

Although the method of using such tokens which were tied to blood was a good method to keep a check of people who entered the Kingdom, it still had some major flaws.

For instance, as an enormous number of such trinkets were needed, it was impossible for each to be sophisticated enough so as not to be easily replicated by any enchanter who wished to do so.

Also, if someone lost their trinket out of carelessness, then there was no efficient method to address this issue.

In fact, this system reminded Daneel of the VISA and Passport system back on Earth, which also had the problem where skilled people could forge fake copies to get past officials.

All in all, Daneel still liked his own system of IDs which he was planning to implement soon in Lanthanor.

The walk to the inn had been quite long, so Daneel relaxed for a bit while eyeing Faxul who had gone to the bag which they had carried into the Kingdom.

Inside, carefully hidden under heaps of clothes and other necessities was the raven that he had bonded with.

To conceal it during the checking, it had been drugged asleep before being placed in a false pocket in the bag.

Taking out the raven and feeding it a few drops of the liquid which was the antidote to the drug, Faxul gently nudged it awake before patting its head and checking it for any injuries.

Seeing the care he was showing to the beast and the gentle expression he had while doing so, Daneel sighed again, almost feeling like he didn't know his friend anymore.

If he was being honest with himself, the objective of this mission hadn't just been to go on an expedition to try and uncover the secret place in the Palace by using Faxul.

The other objective had been to spend some time with his friend and get to know him again after the change that had come in him recently.

Hence, he had elected to not bring any of the commanders or Kellor along, quoting that it would be easier with just the two of them, and that he was strong enough presently to make a quick escape in case things did turn dire.

Of course, Daneel had the confidence to do the latter, and the former was also true because it would be much easier to travel without rousing suspicion if there were fewer people.

Besides these two, there was also one last objective: find a way for Faxul to connect with the raven so that he could finish the analysis in the system.

Daneel still had high hopes for the Human-Beast Link technique whose development progress had been stuck for a long time.

Thinking about all he wished to accomplish in this Kingdom and getting up with determination, he said, "Let's go grab some food first before continuing on our journey to the capital. I know a place which serves some excellent rat broth."

...

Meanwhile, in the Throne Room of the Black Raven Kingdom.

While the Black Raven King sat on the throne and looked on, the old man was holding a large square-shaped trinket which had the latest financial details of the Kingdom stored inside.

After a few moments of assessing everything, he said, "Not bad. The Network has increased the number of tourists who visit the Kingdom, letting the government earn more because the people have more money to be taxed on."

Even as the King was about to smile on hearing this, what the old man said next made him grimace.

"So you chose to decrease funding to the urban development section to finance the search for the Ker Gem Mine. Does that mean you care the least about the living conditions of your people?"

Seeing the ashen face of the King, the old man chuckled before continuing his perusal of the records.

As the King watched on, he wondered what the reason was behind the recent change in character of the old man.

Usually, he had a level of patience which had allowed Tenebrol to act as he pleased, at least for the most part.

Now, the old man seemed to take pleasure in mentally torturing him.

Shifting budget from other departments on the old man's orders wasn't actually something that was new, but he had never been lambasted for it like this before.

Nevertheless, feeling the chains that bound him still strong, he sighed for the millionth time with regret before looking forward to the spar they would have soon.

Finally, after a few minutes, the old man set the cube aside before saying, "Everything looks fine. Approve the proposal about the sport, it can bring in a lot of money. And I don't think I need to remind you to keep a close eye on Lanthanor."

As the King nodded, the old man left the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts again.

Taking out a piece of parchment, he once again started to read the rules of the sport which had impressed and captivated him for the past few days.

....

Unknowingly, Elanev was also absorbed in doing the same thing.

Yet, feeling a trinket he had hid under his clothes heat up, he walked to the balcony of his room before taking it out and touching it after making sure that there was no one watching.

"We have entered the Kingdom. I will contact you again after we reach the Captial."

Smiling at the message, Elanev put the trinket back and looked out at the ground where he and the King usually had their spar.

As he was doing so, he noticed a figure walking across the ground clumsily, as if they had been affected by some sort of injury which did not allow them to have full control of their legs.

In fact, as he watched closely, he realized that it was more like there were two people in command of the same body.

This was because if the left leg took a step in one direction, the right took one in the direction diagonally opposite, almost making the man topple due to the instability.

Yet, the man seemed to be heading in the general direction of one of the forests which surrounded the Palace, as he was using his hands to redirect one of the legs whenever he could.

It was noon, and the grounds were empty as almost everyone had gone to lunch.

Intrigued by this strange man whom he couldn't identify, Elanev decided to follow him and noted his direction before quickly walking exiting his room and walking towards the staircase which led outside.

Index252 Journey 1

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After quickly walking out of the palace, Elanev briskly walked towards the sparring round in which he had seen the strange man from his balcony.

When he reached it, as expected, there was no one there. What was suspicious was that even though the ground was the sort where footsteps would easily stay for hours due to the loose earth on top, there were no footsteps here as if they had been deliberately erased by the man who had passed through.

Although this might be a simple spell, it at least gave the information that that man had been a Mage.

Looking in the direction he had taken note of before, Elanev realized that the forest it led to seemed to be covered in a perpetual darkness because the trees were so thick that no sunlight could get through.

He had actually spotted this place before, but he hadn't suspected anything because this wasn't the only forest that had grown in this way.

Just as he was about to set off to follow that man into the forest, he stopped and thought about the possibility of facing off against a strong mage by himself.

Elanev knew his strengths and weaknesses. Even though he had the confidence of facing any Fighter even at a level above him, he knew that he would be no match for a skilled mage even if he used all his trump cards.

Thus, he paused and took out the trinket which he had just used to communicate with Daneel.

Sending a message with the information, he waited for a response while idly shadowboxing in order to not raise suspicion if anyone else came before Daneel replied.

…

Meanwhile, Daneel and Faxul had just teleported to the stadium where the match between Elanev and the Black Raven King had taken place.

The walk to the capital would take a few days, and even though this journey could be accomplished simply by teleporting directly, Daneel and Faxul had both chosen to take the long route to understand this Kingdom against which they might be moving soon.

After all, Daneel was a huge fan of the saying, "Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will always be victorious."

Besides, Faxul's interest to find out more about the place where he had been born was also quite clear.

When Daneel received the message from Elanev, the two had just reached a small town with a population less than 200 people.

Listening to Elanev explaining about the man and the missing footsteps, Daneel also felt that it would be dangerous for his most important asset, his elder brother, to go up against someone without knowing their strength.

In fact, he was reminded of the horror movies from Earth where protagonists would usually chase after suspicious things as if they weren't aware of the danger.

Having no intention of taking undue risks, Daneel ordered Elanev to keep a note of the destination of the man and wait for him to arrive before carrying out any further investigation.

After all, not everyone could deploy a disposable clone which could allow them to explore something without any personal danger.

After making sure that Elanev gave the response saying he got the message, Daneel and Faxul looked for an inn to stay in while studying the houses and the people around them.

The village seemed very primitive, and according to the information that Daneel had, the people of this village were primarily miners who spent most of their time at the mine which was over 100 km away.

Hence, for the most part, the villagers only comprised of the families of those people who went to work.

After asking for directions, the two reached an inn but paused seeing that there was a sign on the door which read "Closed for Renovation".

Having no idea what to do, the duo considered moving onto the next village even though it was already night and their stomachs were grumbling because the hadn't eaten in many hours.

Just as Daneel was about to say that they had no other choice, he felt a tugging at his pants which made him look down to see a small kid looking at him with a toothy smile.

"Mister, are you here for the inn?"

Seeing Daneel nod, the kid continued, saying, "Then follow me! Mama said we can't have the guests of our village leave just because the roof collapsed in the inn. She's already cooking dinner, and if we go now, she can add just enough meat for two more people! Come on!"

Not waiting for a response and walking away on his own, the kid turned around after a few seconds to find that the two men were still staring at him with bemused expressions on their faces.

Giggling a bit, he said, "What's wrong? I promise we won't bite! Now come on, or mama will be angry!"

Finally seeing them follow, he continued skipping along the path to a one-storied house which had the words, "Irma's Inn. All are welcome!" on the door.

After reaching the house, the kid opened the door and went inside after ensuring that the two men had indeed followed till here.

Seeing the sign, both of them looked at each other before smiling.

Daneel hadn't known what to think seeing the kid inviting them out of nowhere. Now, seeing the sign, he realized that this was a house that had probably been converted into an inn to serve weary travelers.

Opening the door, he took a deep breath of the broth which smelled wonderful before smiling wider and entering inside.

…

Since coming to this kingdom, Faxul had been immersed in a unique feeling which he had never felt before in his life.

It was the feeling of coming back to a home he had forgotten about for more than a decade.

Although he didn't have clear memories of his time in the Black Raven Kingdom, the experiences and feelings weren't things that could easily be forgotten.

It seemed that coming back had managed to trigger those sleeping memories, allowing him to feel for the first time that he was somewhere he belonged.

Even though Lanthanor was where he had grown up, found his closest friend, realized his passion for helping people, and found methods to grow strong faster, it was still a place that was foreign to him.

This was partly the reason why his long-standing character of hiding emotions and speaking as little as possible had persisted for so long even though there were a lot of influences which should have changed it.

It was only with the feeling he got when he interacted with the Black Raven that he began to remember what it meant to be himself instead of being constantly clouded by the desire for revenge.

Of course, the desire still existed, but the addition of other desires alongside it had allowed him to slowly recover and change.

The desire to help these people who had once been ruled by his father.

The desire to find out about the blood which flowed through his body, that was helping him to keep the entity at bay.

The desire to know the feeling of actually connecting with the Raven whose thoughts he seemed to understand with the very fiber of his being.

And the desire to help his friend who had done so much for him.

Entering the house, the first thing that both of them saw was a kind, middle-aged woman who smiled wide at them while still listening to the chatter of the kid who was beside her.

"Welcome! Please take a seat. Dinner will soon be ready, and I will show you the room you can sleep in after that. No one should ever think that the Black Raven Kingdom is unaccommodating! Go show them the bathroom so that they can fresh up."

The last sentence was said after she smacked the kid on his bottom which made him stop talking and grimace slightly before walking to Faxul and Daneel and leading them to a small room on the side where turning a faucet made cold water gather in the basin below.

Yet, after a few seconds, the water started to turn muddy which led the kid to quickly close the faucet and shout, "Mom! The pipe is clogged again!"

Still, seeing that there was enough water, he smiled at the two before leaving the bathroom and saying, "Didn't the mayor say that money would come to fix all the pipes from the government? What happened to that?"

Index253 Journey 2

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"He says it was delayed because the money was needed for the Army… We can fix it ourselves in the meantime. Get the bowls out, dinner is almost ready."

"The Army! That's great! I hope the soldiers can train better to protect our kingdom! Yup, we can fix it ourselves. Mama, you said we can go visit the barracks soon! When can we go? I wanna go, I wanna go, I wanna go!"

Faxul felt quite surprised hearing the high-pitched excitement in the little kid's tone as he heard the mention of the Army from his mother.

Intrigued, he quickly freshened up and walked out without waiting for Daneel and approached the kid who was taking out some bowls from the cupboard.

Helping him by handing down the bowls which were a bit higher, he asked, "Why do you want to go to the barracks?"

As if saying the most obvious thing in the world, the kid replied, "To see all the brave soldiers who protect our kingdom and serve the Almighty Black Raven, of course! I can't wait to grow up and join them!"

Hearing the answer, Faxul was surprised to see this sort of enthusiasm in someone so young.

"Is your father a soldier? Do you want to become like him?"

Remembering that it might be because of inspiration a family member, Faxul chose to ask this question.

Yet, the answer surprised him.

"No, he's a miner. Just like all the fathers of my friends in the village. They all failed the test and still regret not being able to become a soldier and take part in the ultimate service, so I am training every day to make sure that I pass! No one will be able to harm our Kingdom when I'm on the border!"

Seeing the shining zeal in the kid's size, Faxul realized that pride and duty was even more important to these people than he had imagined.

Indeed, this desire was clearly borne out of the pride which made one want to defend it by even giving their lives if needed.

Enchanted by what he saw in the depths of the kid's eyes and the confidence in his posture, Faxul froze for a few moments, captivated by these pure feelings which had definitely also been in him once.

…

To the side, Daneel watched the interaction between Faxul and the kid and smiled helplessly realizing the same thing as Faxul: patriotism truly was more inherent than he had imagined in the people of this kingdom.

Yet, knowing more about the general condition of the kingdom, Daneel was also aware that this could be attributed to the unique deity which all the citizens worshipped single-mindedly.

From the conversations they had had on the journey, Daneel was starting to understand that Faxul was slowly becoming a copy of him with the Black Raven Kingdom in his heart rather than Lanthanor.

This wasn't wrong in itself, but the problem would arise if there came a time when a choice needed to be made.

And if everything went according to Daneel's plans, the time to make this choice would come soon.

Hearing the sloshing that came from the broth being served in the bowls, he sighed and turned around to see that dinner had been served.

…

In the ancestral grounds of the Black Raven Kingdom.

Watching the sparring ground he had walked through that was on the display trinket in front of him, the old man had an irritated expression on his face while he waited for the king's new friend to follow him into the forest.

As someone whose age would shock anybody in this generation, he had long learned the lesson to never take anything on face value.

He was someone who suspected everything and everyone, and of course, Elanev was also in this list.

Yet, as someone who was regularly seen sparring with the king, needless questions would arise if he disappeared without any reason.

Hence, he had decided to put out the bait to find the true intentions of this man, if any existed.

If he really was a spy, he might choose to follow the old man when he hobbled through the spot which was visible from the man's balcony.

Even though this was a simple plan, the old man had trusted that it would work mainly because of his suspicious behavior when he passed through the field.

Yet, seeing the man just reach the field and look around before deciding to spar while waiting for the time of his fight with the king to arrive, the old man realized that he was possibly dealing with a smart individual.

After all, he couldn't count the number of spies and enemies he had led into traps simply by using their curiosity.

Deciding to think of more ways to test him, he went back to the Natural Energised Training Chamber and resumed absorbing the dwindling energy before looking with a frustrated expression at the last pile of Ker Gems which would barely last him a few months.

It seemed that the time for dire decisions would come soon.

…

Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Lanthanor.

After coming home from school, Dalia was shocked to see her mother lifelessly lying on the black box which was the embroidery trinket.

Running forward and hurriedly shaking her mother's shoulders, she sighed with relief seeing her groggily open her eyes.

"Mum, you can't do this anymore! You'll work yourself to death! It's not worth it!"

Slowly picking herself up from the chair, Helena shakily walked towards the kitchen but fell on the sofa on the way due to losing energy.

Realizing what her mother wanted, Dalia quickly ran to the kitchen and got her a glass of water.

Sipping the water and finally regaining some color on her deathly pale face, Helena said, "What can we do? There are so many orders, and unless I work at least 16 hours a day, there's no way we can fulfill them all!"

"I know Mom, but burning yourself out is not the answer. Haven't you found anyone yet to help you?"

"No. I've asked around, but there aren't many who can be employed. There are only other small embroidery shops which have no interest in being employed by us. I'll keep looking, but I need to keep working while doing so."

Going to the kitchen and getting another glass of water, Dalia watched as her mother gulped it down before thinking for a bit and saying, "No mom, you rest. I'll go searching. No matter what, I'll find a way for us to finish all the orders without you having to work so hard."

Seeing the determination in her daughter's eyes, Helena smiled sweetly, knowing that a 10-year-old kid wasn't at all likely to come up with a solution to solve all their problems.

Still, she looked forward to what her daughter would do.

…

In the slums in the City of Lanthanor.

Two women walked through the meandering streets with one looking around as if searching for something, while the other had a disgusted expression on her face.

"How much longer, Sister? Why are we even here? You said you will explain after we get somewhere… Where is that somewhere?"

Receiving no answer, she started grumbling to herself while following behind Sister Xuan who continued to search.

Finally, the two reached a small shack which had been cordoned off and had soldiers standing around it.

"The Humble Beginnings of our King"

A banner with these words could be seen on the door of the shack, while many people had formed a group and were looking at it while speaking excitedly among themselves.

Seeing Sister Xuan walk forward and read a plaque which had been set up near the entrance to the shack, Molan followed.

"The house where the King of Lanthanor, Daneel Anivron, spent his childhood. Page 167. "

"Page 167? What's that?"

Beside her, Sister Xuan also frowned before looking around and taking a book from the table of a store which was to the side.

As the two were under the effect of the spell which allowed them to pass anywhere they wished unhindered, it was as if the book had vanished into thin air.

"The King that Saved Lanthanor: Daneel Anivron"

This was the title, and after turning to the indicated page, Sister Xuan started to read about the oppressed kid who grew up while training as hard as he could.

Seeing this, Molan was just about to ask again when Sister Xuan finally opened her mouth and gave the answer she had been waiting for.

"We are going to find out everything about the past of this King. Maybe then, I can find out whether the suspicion I feel is true or not."

Index254 Journey 3

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The one-storied house had three bedrooms and Faxul and Daneel were led to one which had two separate single beds by the kid who was still smacking his lips, savoring the tasty broth they had all just had.

After a good night's rest, the two departed after leaving behind a little silver in their bedroom even though the family had insisted that they would take no payment as there was no way that their home could compare to a proper inn.

Resuming their journey, the duo passed through many villages and towns while stopping in each for a little while to find out the living conditions and thoughts of the people.

As they did so, Daneel felt more and more that his supposition had been correct: this Kingdom really was like a cult, but it was an open one.

This mainly stemmed from seeing the utter devotion almost everyone had for the deity. Aside from this, the desire to serve and protect their Kingdom and uphold the pride of the Black Raven was also something which they heard repeatedly from both kids and adults alike.

Although the Black Raven King was also talked about fondly due to his actions to make the Black Raven Kingdom known to the world, it was clear that his importance was much lesser when compared to the deity in people's hearts.

Also, the taxes in the Kingdom at the moment were absurdly high, but almost no one complained, quoting that it was all for the "Good of the Kingdom".

40% of what the people earned was taken by the government, but there were few starving families because of the attitude of the people to not shirk away from helping their "own kind".

The foreigners were few and far in between, and the only one that Daneel had interacted with had run away when he had asked if he felt dissatisfied with the Kingdom.

All in all, this was one of the most unique Kingdoms that Daneel had ever seen.

On finally arriving at the Capital, he was quite amazed to see the landmark which had been praised by many along the way: "The Raven that Watches"

This was a gigantic statue on top of the central gate of the Capital who looked down at all those entering the city.

Apparently, it was said that the spirit of their deity was still present in the two such statues in the Kingdom, watching over them and taking care of them even if he wasn't present in person.

The other statue was, of course, in the Throne Room, and it was said that both were identical except for the size with the one on the Gate being 3 times larger than the other.

While walking into the Capital after showing the token he had been given at the border, Daneel really did feel as if someone were watching him.

Yet, try as he may, both he and the system couldn't figure out just who or what it was.

Having no other option but to shrug it off, Daneel and Faxul made their way to an inn before taking a room and settling in.

After messaging Elanev their location, Daneel was just about to sit on the sofa when he heard a knock on the door.

The first reaction that both of them had was panic, as no one that they were staying at this location except Elanev.

Could he have been compromised?

Calming down, Daneel shouted, "Who is it?"

"Complimentary dinner. The owner felt that you two looked hungry, so she sent me up with today's broth."

Hearing the sweet voice of a maid, Daneel relaxed a bit and asked the system to use the Anti-Surveillance Tool to scan the outside of the door.

[Two individuals found. One is an Eminent Human Level Fighter with a Black Raven of similar level on his shoulder. The other is a female who is still training to reach the Amateur Human Level.]

A Black Raven Fighter? Why was one looking for them?

Thinking quickly, Daneel shouted back, "Just a moment! I was just about to take a bath! Son, get up! Sleeping the moment you came to the room, humph! Just wait till we get back to the farm!"

After puzzling Faxul with these words, he silently walked to his friend and whispered, "There's a Black Raven Fighter outside. Just stay calm and play along. Let me handle it."

Seeing Faxul nod with the panic leaving his face, Daneel made a few stomping sounds before throwing a few clothes from their bag on the bed and walking to the door.

As he opened it, he saw a blade coming towards his neck.

Daneel wasn't a regular man who would have felt helpless on witnessing such a sight. His fast reflexes and eyesight which came from being an Exalted Human Fighter allowed him to see that the intention wasn't to behead him; it was just to stop the blade at his neck to act as a threat.

This was evident from the speed of the blade, which was already slowing down the closer it got to his neck.

Even though he could blow this opponent away with a single punch, Daneel froze and allowed the blade to nick his neck, making a small stream of blood flow.

After waiting for a few milliseconds, he made a frightened expression come on his face before letting out a whimper due to the pain that came from the cut.

"Wha-what's going on? I've done nothing wrong!", he said hysterically, with his eyes on the blade that was so close to lopping off his head.

"I didn't ask. Any funny movements, and you die. Now, get back inside. Maid, you can go back now."

Saying so with a cold voice, the Black Raven Fighter entered the room while still keeping the blade at Daneel's neck who had slowly moved back on hearing the order.

WHOOSH

In an instant, the Black Raven on his shoulder flew towards Faxul and made an aerial maneuver, landing on his back and making him fall to the ground face-first.

This was another muscular Raven like the one Elanev had initially fought against. Seeing its push toppling Faxul who looked like a defenseless kid, the Black Raven Fighter smiled slightly before pushing Daneel towards the only sofa on the room.

After making Daneel sit down and taking a stance behind the sofa, the Black Raven Fighter moved the blade even closer to Daneel's neck while keeping an eye on Faxul who was lying motionless on the ground due to the fear that came from the sharp talons of the Raven digging into his back.

"One lie, and both of you die. Now tell me. Where are you from?"

"The Burberry Village in Lanthanor! Sir, I don't understand why we are being interrogated like this! We only came to witness the sights of this Kingdom after being captivated by the broadcast of the fight over the Network!"

"Yes, that's what you said when you entered. If that is so, why were you asking around about the Kingdom and its conditions? Don't tell me a villager would be interested in these things. You've also only been to one Battle Royale! And you left behind silver at a place which said no payment is required! What are you, a rich landlord? Or a spy who entered our Kingdom to find out our secrets?"

Hearing this question, Daneel had no idea what to say.

Going through all their actions since coming to the Kingdom, he realized that that action of leaving behind money because they had been very happy about the hospitality had been the only one where they truly broke character.

Even though the rest could be explained away if he made the effort, this one would require some deep thought.

"I knew it! Graf, you didn't believe me, and even bet that I wouldn't dare to go find out without first checking with the Sergeant! Now watch as I bring in these spies and earn that promotion you wanted!"

These words which were muttered under the Black Raven Fighter's breath were only audible to Daneel because of his heightened senses.

Just as he was about to open his mouth and voice the explanations he had come up with, he saw with the corner of his eye that the Black Raven Fighter had taken out a raven-shaped trinket and squeezed it.

Hearing the deep breath which signaled that he was about to send a report through the communication trinket, Daneel's eyes became sharp as he raised his hand, choosing the best thing to do in this situation without any hesitation.

A condensed blade of fire appeared in the room instantly, before plunging into the heart of the Black Raven Fighter.

Index255 Journey 4

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Even before the lifeless body of the Black Raven Fighter thudded to the ground, another blade of condensed fire beheaded the raven which was on top of Faxul.

Daneel was in no mood to take any risks. He had no idea whether the Raven also had any mechanism to alert the higherups in case of danger. Hence, he chose to cut it down.

As Faxul's face was angled to the side, he couldn't see what had happened. Yet, feeling the force on top of him disappear, he looked up just in time to see the scene of the soldier falling to the ground.

His eyes met those of the Black Raven Fighter's, and he watched with shock as the life faded from them, replaced by the nothingness of death.

Keeping a close eye on Faxul's expression, Daneel said, "I had no choice. He was going to send a message to the higher-ups. We cannot risk blowing our cover and having the entire army descend on us."

For a few seconds, Faxul just stared into those dead eyes, while the shock refused to leave his face.

Here lay one of the soldiers who had been talked about so adoringly by almost all of the citizens they had talked to.

He was just doing his duty, but he had been killed without even understanding the cause behind his death.

How would Faxul react when witnessing this sight?

This was the test that Daneel was putting for Faxul, as he needed to know where his friend's allegiance lay.

Of course, he wished that this situation hadn't come. But now that it had, he decided to use it to discover his friend's true feelings.

As he watched, the shock turned into frustration, then sadness.

Yet, at this point, a neutral expression covered Faxul's face, reminding him of the usual way his friend was before all the changes came upon him.

"Did you have no other choice?", he asked in a cold voice, giving no hint of the emotions he was feeling.

"Yes. There was no time."

Hearing his answer, Faxul just nodded and got up, allowing the raven's dead body to fall to the side.

This made him snap his head back to see the headless body of the majestic bird which had just been about to kill him. His eyes now became filled with anger, as if he were imagining his own raven being subjected to such a fate.

"Faxul, they would have killed us. I-"

Seeing the anger, Daneel was about to explain further as he knew that the birds must have a soft spot in his friend's heart, at least more than the people.

Yet, he stopped mid-sentence seeing the hand that was raised by Faxul.

"I know. I need to be alone for a little time. I'm not hungry, you can go eat."

Saying these words while still looking at the raven, Faxul regained the neutral and cold expression from before as he turned around and starting walking towards one of the bedrooms.

Seeing his broad back, Daneel sighed, not knowing what to think.

Still, he opened his mouth and said one last statement.

"Faxul, this is only the first of many that will die before Tenebrol is brought down. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of soldiers will die. You need to accept that. Remember, it's us or them. They wouldn't hesitate to kill me, and they would be more than happy to kill you. Don't make the same mistakes I did. It is better to be ruthless rather than to make mistakes and repent. Be prepared for what will come."

The words made Faxul pause.

As the King of Lanthanor watched on, the back which had always carried Daneel's dreams and aspirations shook, as if Faxul was feeling such overwhelming pain that it was even affecting him physically.

After a few moments, he nodded and resumed walking towards the bedroom before wordlessly closing the door behind him.

Letting out another long sigh, Daneel started walking towards the door to grab a bite to eat, just as his friend had suggested.

As he was doing so, something on the floor caught his eye, making him bend and see what it was.

It was a tear.

A tear of a man who hated to see his people die, but knew that there was no other choice if he wanted to save them all.

.....

Walking through the passageways of the Royal Palace of the Black Raven Kingdom with an idle expression on his face, Elanev kept observing and noting down everything he saw in his mind.

His objective was the room in the Palace where the commanders would mobilize soldiers if needed for any purpose.

According to what he heard, this would be the most bustling room in case there was any emergency.

After reaching it, he saw that there were only a few soldiers on duty as usual.

"Everything looks fine here."

Sending the message to Daneel, he was just about to walk away when he was stopped by one of the soldiers on guard who had spotted him.

"What is your purpose here? Hasn't it been communicated that this is not a place you can trespass in?"

"Oh, was this one of those? I was just looking for the kitchen! Can anyone direct me? And where have I seen you before? Oh, never mind, you challenged me before and got beaten into the dust….. didn't you say you would be back?"

Indeed, Elanev had been told about a few sections in the Palace which he couldn't go to without express permission, such as the Throne Room.

Yet, this time, he hadn't had any choice as Daneel had messaged him saying that he needed to know if any report had reached the Palace about two suspicious people in the Capital.

Luckily, the soldier who ended up questioning him was one who he was already acquainted with.

Seeing him stuttering for an answer while the Raven on his shoulder looked at Elanev with fear, he said, "Just find me whenever you want. I'll ask one of the maids."

Turning around, he walked away, leaving the soldier's cheeks burning as he thought back to the time when both he and his raven had collapsed after taking just one punch each.

No one in their right mind would be foolish enough to issue another challenge when the disparity in power was so high even though they were on the same level.

…..

Dalia was at her wit's end.

After making the bold proclamation to her mother, she had gone out of the house and reached their stall in the marketplace which they had closed down for the last few days as they were already overwhelmed by the orders.

Her Mother had given her 10 Silver Lans to aid her in her efforts. Using this money, the first thing she did was to purchase a banner with the words, "Looking to employ assistants for embroidery. Good pay. Opportunity to work with the most famous embroidery shop in Lanthanor, which has been praised by the King himself."

The flamboyant sign had done its part, pulling a lot of people who were looking for employment.

Yet, they didn't even know even the most basic things about embroidery. As she had grown up seeing her mother knit, she knew a few basic things which she questioned about.

After spending an afternoon in this futile attempt, she finally took down the banner and dejectedly started the walk back home.

As she was doing so, she heard a conversation between a child and his mother which piqued her interest.

"Mum, I want the enchanted clothes from 'Magical Necessities'! Why did we come here?"

"Oh, be quiet. Your father has cut down your spending because you didn't do well in the academy, remember? Now, follow me to this stall I saw the other day. The clothes look the same, and even the enchantments work. According to the shop owner, they are made under the supervision of the head enchanter of 'Magical Necessities'! He needs some extra cash, so he sells the extra clothes he enchanted to small stores. They are the same! Let's go, or they might close up!"

Same product…made by a different person? But supervised?

Couldn't they do the same?

Unable to get the idea out of her head, Dalia immediately began to run home, replacing the dejected expression on her face with one of hope and excitement.

...

ANNOUNCEMENT

Raffle results are out, the readers with the usernames below, please mail worlddominationsystem@gmail.com to recieve 100 SS Gift Cards! This was on occasion of going premium, but it was delayed!

"Gaaaav"

"RandomNovelReader"

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"Zeonsilth"

(NOTE: THIS DOESN'T COST SS)

Index256 Entering the Palace

Index

Book

After a few minutes, the maid who was waiting at the end of the corridor let out a yelp as she saw the door opening.

Since the time she had been approached by the Black Raven Fighter to help him enter the room without raising suspicion, she had been terrified of the entire scenario, especially as she was just an outsider trying to make a living in this Kingdom.

She had barely managed to speak normally to call out the inhabitants of the room, and she had actually collapsed outside the door after the Black Raven Fighter entered.

Now, seeing him look around for a bit before walking towards her, she whimpered slightly as she froze where she stood.

"Everything is settled. It was just a misunderstanding, those people were actually innocent. You can get back to your work."

Nodding, she scurried off to the kitchen.

Seeing her leave, the Black Raven Fighter walked back and reentered the room before nodding at Daneel who was sitting on the sofa.

A pile of ash was on the floor, beside which lay a headless body of a Raven.

"All right, good that she bought it. Now, you got the drill?"

Seeing Faxul nod again, Daneel looked at him for a few moments before getting up and walking to the door.

Indeed, this was Faxul who had disguised himself in the clothes of the Black Raven Fighter from before. Luckily, the Fighter's body figure was similar to Faxul's, making it so that with a little bit of makeup that was learned from Luther, Faxul had become an acceptable copy of the soldier.

To complete the outfit, his Raven which couldn't hear his thoughts but still understood his orders was on his shoulder, leading the maid to buy the act.

Their objectives were twofold: find the secret location in the Palace, and find a way to obtain or use the trinket which connected a Black Raven Fighter/Mage to their Raven.

After analyzing the situation, Daneel had come up with a plan where Faxul could use the disguise of this soldier to accomplish both.

For one thing, the way to sneak Faxul in had been a problem since the beginning of this expeditionary mission. After all, he was still an Eminent Mage who couldn't cast the camouflage spell which needed at least the level of an Exalted Human Mage.

Now, with such a perfect camouflage to use, there was no need to figure out any other way to sneak Faxul into the Palace.

The plan right now was for them to first enter the Palace before exploring it and trying to find out anything about the secrets it was hiding.

Their time was limited, so both of them had taken the decision to only try once with this identity before leaving.

According to what Daneel knew, the identity checking mechanism for Black Raven Fighters and Mages in the Palace was a bit lax due to the impossible chance of someone other than a Black Raven Citizen bonding with a Raven to masquerade as one.

After all, there was definitely no one else like Faxul who could connect with a Raven on an intrinsic level in order to be able to command it without forming a blood bond with it.

Still, all soldiers were required to verify their identities twice daily: when they got on and off duty.

As identity verification was one of the most important things especially when it concerned the safety of the Kingdom, Daneel expected that they would mostly be using a system of high cost and high sophistication, making it so that he wouldn't be able to modify or hoodwink it even if he used the system.

Hence, they only had time till the night, which was only a few hours away.

Even though it would be tough, Daneel knew that he would be able to sneak in Faxul at least one more time even if their current plan failed.

Thus, after the try, Faxul would carry the beheaded Raven to the barracks which was located outside the capital.

After doing so, he would report that a powerful spy had infiltrated the Kingdom whose goal was unknown.

This would definitely result in the deployment of troops, after which Faxul would go to the room in the barracks which held the trinkets which were used to connect with Ravens.

The way the Black Raven Army worked was that their strength was always amplified when they had a Raven with them. Their training was, after all, geared in this direction.

Hence, all barracks had emergency Ravens which were put aside to be bonded. These were typically Ravens whose owners had died, making it so that although they were trained, they usually wouldn't agree to be bond with anyone else.

If any soldier lost their Raven in battle, he/she could try their luck with these, as it just so happened that the chances of bonding with one were apparently higher when the human had just suffered a loss of a companion himself.

According to those that studied these things, the common feeling of loss was the bridge which rekindled the desire for companionship in the Raven.

Of course, Daneel hadn't believed it when he first read the report that Human-Raven bonds tied them closer than family, as they essentially shared their thoughts. Hence, soldiers who lost their companions apparently even went into depression, which required therapy to get out from.

He had only started to believe when he saw Faxul change as he connected with that Raven.

Thus, he found that he was actually looking forward a lot to finally seeing Faxul form a blood bond so that he could finish the analysis by the system, letting him understand just what the magic of the link was.

All through the discussion of the plan, Faxul had turned back into his neutral self, making it so that Daneel had no idea exactly what his friend was thinking.

Yet, his instincts told him that this was still the man he could trust his back with.

Reaching the door and turning around, Daneel asked for one last time, "Are you sure you are OK, Faxul?"

Nodding with determination in his eyes, Faxul looked towards the eyes and said, "Let's do it."

...

An hour later.

At the main gate of the Royal Palace.

Seeing the guest of the King who had gone out for lunch return, the soldier on duty first contacted the spies who had been ordered to follow him around wherever he went.

After confirming that the man had just eaten his lunch, gone to the bathroom and come back, the soldier let him in.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Palace where there was a special entrance for Black Raven Fighters and Mages, Faxul walked through with a confident stride while the Raven on his shoulder kept looking around.

Although he had a countermeasure from Daneel which would save his life in case he did get discovered, he still tensed up as a sergeant stopped him on his tracks just before he entered the Palace.

"Get to the Throne Room, the soldier on duty had to leave."

Sighing with relief and feeling thankful about the system in the Palace where Black Raven Fighters/ Mages had revolving shifts, Faxul made his way to the sparring ground.

On the way, he just couldn't shake off the familiar feeling of having spent a lot of time on these grounds and the Palace in front of him.

Yet, when he tried to catch hold of those memories in order to obtain more information, he couldn't do so.

Wishing that he could enter the Palace in order to better trigger those memories, he saw that Daneel, disguised as Elanev, was already waiting for him at the ground.

Seeing his friend, he felt the image of the Black Raven Fighter from before falling to the ground rise up in his head again.

What he had felt at that time had indeed been anger and frustration at seeing a loyal soldier die.

Yet, he knew that in that situation, Daneel had had no other choice.

As for the matter of there being much more bloodshed, Faxul had set aside that matter for now and had gone back into the shell he had grown up in where his emotions were kept locked away.

After reaching the sparring ground, he said to 'Elanev', "Hey, I'm here to challenge you! Don't think you can win as easily as you did with my brothers-in-arms! In this fight, I will show you the power of the Black Ravens! I don't want you to whine that I beat you because my Raven has the advantage in open air, so let's go to a forest!"

Index257 Ancestral Grounds

Index

Book

As Elanev hadn't been able to deduce exactly whether there was anyone watching him on the Palace Grounds, Daneel and Faxul had decided to use this ruse so that there wouldn't be much suspicion when the two walked into the forest.

"So much confidence? I'm confident that you can't stand a single punch from me anyway, but I like the idea of fighting in the forest. Hey, maybe the foliage will even cushion your fall when you go flying! Let's go."

Speaking in the same prideful manner as Elanev, Daneel led the way.

For caution's sake, they had chosen to go to the forest adjoining the one which the strange man had gone into.

After entering the forest, the duo went deeper and deeper until Daneel checked with the Surveillance Tool that there was no one watching them.

Back in the sparring ground, the system had alerted him that at least 1 individual had his/her eyes on them, but Daneel had no way of knowing whether it was someone actually keeping a watch or someone who was idly watching, like Elanev had been when he saw the strange man.

The forest seemed to stretch on endlessly, with visibility so low that the two couldn't even see 20 feet in front of them. Thick foliage and aged trees were all around them, making Daneel feel thankful that neither of them was claustrophobic.

Taking a sharp right, they headed to the place they had come to check out.

Yet, only after a half hour, the duo had to stop again at Daneel's signal.

This was because the system had just sent the message that there was a hidden formation in front of him, which would send an alert when someone crossed it.

Of course, Daneel had asked the system to scan everything around them using the 'Hidden Object Identification-1' tool. Hence, he had avoided blindly stumbling into this formation which was clearly there to keep outsiders out.

"System, how do we circumvent it?", he asked, hoping that they wouldn't have to give up already.

[Scanning. Looking for brute force breakthrough method. Method found. Probability of failsafe being triggered: 100%. Parameter unacceptable. Looking for alternate method. Loophole found: animal identification sub-routine. The formation does not send an alert when an animal passes through. This can be exploited as the system can modify the analysis capability of the formation temporarily to make host appear as an animal. Due to high complexity of formation, host is requested to emulate an animal when he passes through.]

Hearing the notification, Daneel was dumbstruck.

This was the first time he saw such an elaborate answer when he asked the system to do something.

"System, why the different answer? And what do you mean, emulating an animal?"

[Although the core formation is advanced, there is a sub-formation that has been applied on top which enables those of lower level to control it. This is similar to the sub-formation which is on top of the core dragon-heart formation in the Lanthanor Kingdom. System was able to find vulnerabilities in the formation on top. The failsafe is the original formation, which only has a few functions active. Detailed analysis reports have been activated because the system has deemed that host has reached a requisite level to comprehend and make use of them. Would you like this feature to be turned off? This was a hidden feature which was not under the control of host until certain parameters were met. Regarding the second question, host needs to act like an animal to enable system to fool the formation.]

Was the system actually saying that…he had been too dumb till now to understand a detailed analysis?

"No, keep it on.", he said, grinding his teeth and remembering about the 'features' of the system which were locked to him until certain parameters were met.

He had almost forgotten about this fact because it had been a long time since it had been brought up, but now that it was made aware to him, he couldn't get it out of his head.

Regardless, knowing what was most important right now, Daneel started thinking about all the animals they had passed.

The animal life on Angaria was quite similar to that of Earth, with only a few hybrid species standing out which Daneel suspected were the results of biological modification like the mosquitoes.

On the way to this point, they had passed deers, rabbits and squirrels, making Daneel frown as he imagined posing as each.

Seeing that their time was running out, Daneel sighed before saying to Faxul, "There's a formation here. Just do what I do. Don't ask why."

Saying so, he turned around and got down on all fours, startling Faxul as he wondered what was going on.

After doing so, Daneel shuffled forward through the invisible line that separated the two forests.

After getting up and dusting himself off, he saw Faxul staring at him as if he had gone mad and said, "It's too long to explain, and we don't have time. Just do the same."

Finally understanding that his friend was serious, Faxul mirrored his movements before resolving to ask later why two grown men had to crawl forwards on all fours in order to bypass a formation.

Yet, the moment he passed through the formation, he vanished into thin air.

Daneel, who was watching from the side, stepped back as he saw this happen.

It was as if some invisible beast had swallowed his friend whole the moment he entered the forest.

This definitely wasn't teleportation, as the entire area was space locked which led to him having to adopt that awkward pose before.

Just as he was about to ask the system what was going on, Faxul reappeared in front of him with an incredulous expression on his face.

After a few seconds during which both of them looked at each other disbelievingly, Faxul said, "Come with me."

Seeing Daneel stand there unmoving, Faxul quickly walked forward and grabbed his friend's hand before both of them vanished from the forest.

The first thing that Daneel felt after recovering from the feeling of passing through a cold spray of water which was indicative of teleportation was death.

If death had a smell, he was sure that this was what it would smell like.

Opening his eyes, he saw that he was actually standing on earth which was black in color.

Looking up, he was shocked to see a blue sky with no clouds whatsoever.

Beside him, Faxul was also looking around while wondering where they were.

"System, where am I?", Daneel asked, wanting to figure out just where they had both teleported to.

[Host has teleported to a location roughly 1109 meters under the spot where host was previously standing.]

They were…a kilometer underground?!

Unable to believe what the system was saying, Daneel looked all around and realized that there was no sun.

Clearly, what was above them was a false roof.

But who had managed to undertake such a gargantuan project?

Both behind and in front of them, the land stretched on without end. From Daneel's estimation, there were at least hundreds of kilometers of barren earth around them.

Bending down, he took some earth between his fingers and rubbed it between them.

It was slightly sticky, as if it had been recently irrigated, but there were no signs of any plants anywhere around them.

"System, analyze my surroundings and the earth."

After a few seconds, Daneel finally realized that they had found what they had been looking for.

[Host is in a location which has an illusion formation set up around it. Those inside are actually in a limited space, and they will move in circles if they walk to reach a distant destination. Multiple such formations have been detected around host's location. The earth below host shows clear signs of having its vitality sucked out. Similarities have been found with the earth from where the Echer seed was planted. There are also signs that the amount of energy in the land before it was absorbed was 10 times greater than regular fertile land. According to data recorded, this indicates that certain extinct plants could grow in this land if planted carefully.]

Over the centuries, along with a general dwindling in the average power level of the beings which occupied this continent, it was also known that many plants which were said to have wondrous effects had gone extinct because the land had lost the energy which was needed to support them.

Clearly, the presence of this land at this place warranted the name which popped into Daneel's mind.

"Ancestral Grounds of the Black Raven Kingdom."

Index258 Surveillance

Index

Book

"Faxul, how did you get us here?", Daneel asked, unable to understand how his friend had been able to teleport in the forest which had clearly been teleportation-locked.

"I-I don't know. As soon as I entered the forest, I felt something… pulling me. So I just gave in, and I appeared here. It seems I can voluntarily activate it."

"Has there been any change in that 'well' of yours?", he asked after a few moments, wondering whether this strange occurrence was due to his friend's true blood of the Black Raven.

Closing his eyes tightly, Faxul stood still for a few moments before opening them with an expression of enlightenment on his face.

"Yes! That power seems to light up when I activate the teleportation!"

Seeing that his deduction was correct, Daneel nodded.

Yet, although he had been hoping for this, he had a very, very slight feeling that something was off.

"System, have you analyzed the teleportation? Is it how he says it is? Is it because of his blood?"

[Analyzing formation. Complexity exceeds system's level. Only a preliminary analysis is possible. Preliminary analysis shows that the formation does some kind of scanning on those who enter its target area. It is likely that this is a scanning of the blood.]

Hearing this inconclusive answer from the system, Daneel put the matter aside not having any other choice.

Feeling the space particles around him, he realized that they were actually in a state of flux-which meant that teleportation was possible.

The way teleportation and teleportation trinkets worked was that mages connected with space elementary particles in the air with their mageroot before using a method of visualization to envision their destination. After doing so in the correct way and with enough particles, the particles would transform into a portal that would allow the mage to step through to the place they envisioned.

A space-lock trinket froze the space elementary particles in an area, barring mages from connecting with them using their mageroot, effectively stopping all attempts at teleportation.

Yet, what was strange about their present location was that although there was no lock where they stood, Daneel couldn't teleport to any location outside.

This meant that anyone could teleport anywhere they wanted inside these grounds, but they wouldn't be able to leave, at least by teleportation.

Daneel had never seen or heard of such a spell before, leading him to wonder just how powerful the person who set up this formation had been.

Even communication to the outside was blocked. Realizing this, Daneel proceeded to make a plan which placed Faxul at minimum risk. After all, his job which had been to get them into the ancestral grounds was essentially done.

"Faxul, I'll use a method to investigate this entire place without being spotted. I don't know how large it is, so I don't know how much time it will take. I need you to teleport back to the forest right now and hide. After every half hour, teleport back to this exact location to check if I'm here. I'll make sure to come back soon so that you have enough time to go the barracks to act out the rest of the plan. Got it? Any questions?"

Looking into Faxul's eyes, Daneel waited as his friend understood everything and nodded helplessly.

These were the ancestral grounds of his Kingdom which they had been able to access through him, but he had no option but to wait outside because he was too weak.

Without saying anything, he teleported back up, beginning the timer.

Seeing his friend leave, Daneel sighed knowing how it felt to always be weaker than one's enemies. For the longest time, he had been feeling the same thing, and he was frankly sick of it. Even though it was better now that he had gotten to the Exalted Human Mage level, he knew that he was still leagues away from his true opponents, the Church, which definitely had Champion level individuals, if not those even higher.

Yet, with the system and time, he knew that he could triumph over them all.

"System, begin a sweep of the entire area by teleporting underground. Keep an eye out for danger, and make sure I return here before 2 hours pass."

This was his method of safe surveillance: Daneel could surveil an area 1 Kilometer in any direction around him. Hence, by teleporting underground in a grid which covered the entire area, he would be able to gather all the information about it.

Of course, this also meant that he would not be able to see anything. The system was the one surveilling, so all he could do was keep being teleported to cave after cave while allowing the system to deploy all the spells necessary.

There were still 3 hours till all the soldiers had to verify their identities, so Daneel's plan was to get this over in two.

Closing his eyes, he let the system take over as he relaxed while keeping an eye on the efficient deployment of spells by the system.

80 minutes later.

[Surveillance complete.]

Hearing the notification, Daneel roused himself and looked around, seeing that he had arrived back at the location where he and Faxul had parted ways.

Knowing that his friend would come sooner or later to pick him up, he asked the system to give the main information about the area.

[Total area: Around 4300 km2

Fertile Land Being Used: 2000 km2

Fertile Land Not Being Used: 1000 km2

Dead Land: 1000 km2

Unused Land: 1000 km2

Land used for other purposes: 300 km2

Crops Planted: Unknown. Similar to some which increase Fighter Level in database, but no exact match found.

The land is used in a revolving basis. When half of it is used to plant the crops, the other half is left alone to rejuvenate.

Other purpose: A breeding ground has been found where Raven eggs are submerged in a solution made out of the crops.

Additional Point of Interest: Natural Energized Training Chamber found.]

Although the rest of the information was shocking in its own right, the last sentence made his jaw drop.

A Natural Energized Training Chamber?!

The only object that had been classified as a "treasure" by the system since he had transmigrated into this world??!!

Daneel couldn't believe his ears. Yet, on asking the system again, he confirmed that it was true.

After finding out that there were still 8 minutes for Faxul to arrive, he said, "Take me to the location under the Chamber."

After waiting for a few moments, he teleported to the cave while a current of air materialized in front of him to allow him to breathe.

"Are there any hidden traps in the area near it? And is anyone here?"

[Affirmative. Formation and trinket traps which are above the complexity of the system have been identified. There are no individuals near the area, and the location seems to be cordoned off. The chamber has also been disguised, but system was able to identify it as host is in possession of a similar treasure.]

Disappointed, Daneel knew that it was too risky to carry out his initial plan of checking out the chamber to find clues about the one using it.

As for the identity of the individual, it was quite clearly the old man, as he was the only one in the entire Kingdom who even had the chance of being someone powerful enough to place trinkets and formations with complexity higher than what the system could analyze.

As he was pondering about the implications of this discovery, he remembered the latest information about the Black Raven Kingdom which detailed that it was desperately searching for Ker Gems or Ker Gem mines.

Adding two and two together, it was quite obvious that the old man was in need of energy for some reason.

Without the discovery of this chamber, Daneel wouldn't have been able to make this deduction as the information could also mean that they were simply trying to refill their treasury.

Noticing that it was getting close to the time when Faxul would arrive, Daneel teleported back to the initial location while still having his brows scrunched up because of all the plans that were swiveling in his head.

After a few seconds, the half-hour mark came and went with no sign of Faxul.

Thinking that he could simply have counted the time wrong, Daneel waited for another few minutes before starting to panic slightly.

Had he been compromised? Was there a problem with the formation?

Even as questions like these came into his mind, the possibility that he was trapped in here affected him more, making him hope that none of them were true.

Minute after minute passed, with Daneel growing more and more frantic.

Finally, 20 minutes after the time he was supposed to come, Faxul finally appeared near Daneel, making him jump with shock due to his agitated nerves before sighing with relief.

Yet, seeing the weird expression on Faxul's face, Daneel realized that something was wrong.

"Come with me. I found something."

Saying these words, Faxul walked forward and caught Daneel's shoulder, teleporting both of them out of the Ancestral Grounds.

Index259 Protector Raven

Index

Book

Finding himself above ground, Daneel first took a moment to adjust before seeing that Faxul was running ahead in front of him.

Opting to follow before asking any questions, Daneel also took off at a run.

In the dark forest, everything looked the same, making Daneel wonder how his friend had managed to find something in this place that looked like a maze.

After 15 minutes of running, Faxul suddenly stopped in a spot that looked no different from any other.

After waiting for Daneel to arrive, he grasped his shoulder again before launching another teleportation.

This time, as Daneel opened his eyes, he rubbed them with disbelief, unable to believe that what he was seeing was real.

They were on a flat, round surface which was barren except for the bones of various animals that could be seen lying all around. Beyond the surface was a boundless expanse of space which Daneel stared into for a little while before getting dizzy.

They were at one end of this rock which was apparently floating in space, and as Daneel turned around, he instinctually moved forward seeing the endless drop below him.

GGGRRRAAAA

That step forward turned into a step backward hearing this sound filled with rage and desperation.

Turning back around, Daneel saw that there was actually another living thing on this rock that was accompanying them.

It was a Raven larger than he had ever seen in his life. Standing at around 5 feet tall, it had its wings outstretched and he estimated that its wingspan was at least double its height.

Its feathers were much more glossy than all the other Ravens, giving it a faint hue of multiple colors which was incredible to behold.

Yet, its eyes were red and bloodshot, as if all the sadness and anger in the world was trapped inside it.

Seeing him step back, it folded its wings but took a single step forward after observing Daneel turn to Faxul.

WHOOSH

With an almost imperceptible sound, the Raven covered the 20 feet distance between them in a second as Daneel's eyes widened feeling the strongest sense of danger since he had come to this world.

At this moment, he didn't even know what he had done to infuriate the Raven further. Yet, it seemed that he would be impaled with no chance to ask why.

"Stop!"

SIICKK

With a scream from Faxul, Daneel felt a sharp pain at his neck before seeing one of the most terrifying scenes in his life.

His vision was covered by a gigantic talon whose sharp edge was digging into his throat, explaining the pain and the rivulet of blood that had just started to flow from it.

Not daring to turn his head, Daneel slowly moved his eyes up to see the Raven frozen in place in the air, as if time itself had stopped.

The scene was so illogical that Daneel didn't know what to think. How the hell had such a huge body managed to stop in mid-air like this? And how was it staying in the air right now without flapping its wings? In fact, how had it even reached him at such a blinding speed in the first place?

"He's a friend. Go back."

As Faxul spoke again, Daneel's vision blurred as the pressure at his neck vanished, replaced by the stinging pain of the wound opening further.

Clutching it with his hand and ordering the system to deploy a simple healing spell, he asked, "What-what the hell is that?"

His other hand raised up in the air shakily, the finger pointing at the Raven which had returned back to its original place with the same blinding speed but was still looking at him with suspicion in its eyes.

"That…is the protector Raven of the Black Raven Kingdom. Haven't you wondered why there is no Warrior Level individual in the Kingdom, but there is no one threatening its existence like Lanthanor before when the ex-ex-King died?"

Daneel only nodded, as he had also observed this peculiarity when he was going through the dossier about the Black Raven Kingdom.

The assumption had been that the formation protecting the Royal Palace was weaker, making it so that a Warrior Level individual wasn't necessary to control it like the Kingdom of Lanthanor.

Daneel hadn't gone into the matter too deeply, as the presence of such singular support for the Throne in the Black Raven Kingdom made it so that any force like the Church would find it impossible to sway the people towards their side.

Yet now, hearing Faxul ask the question, he wondered if there was a different answer.

Seeing Daneel nod, Faxul sighed before walking forward to the Raven and stroking its head which it stretched forward.

As it closed its eyes while clearly enjoying the feeling, tears dropped from its eyes which fell the ground with an audible sound.

"Meet the Protector Raven of the Black Raven Kingdom, an existence at the Warrior Level which has been sealed as one of its duties is to ensure that the ruler of the Kingdom has rightfully earned his seat."

SQUAK

As if agreeing with Faxul's proclamation, the Raven opened its beak and made a regretful sound.

A Warrior Level…Raven?

Daneel couldn't believe his ears. The fact that such a powerful beast could even exist…was something he couldn't wrap his head around.

The Protector Raven was actually well known to be the companion of the King, but it was always touted to be at the Exalted Human Level.

Since when had it become a Warrior?

Sensing the unspoken question in Daneel's eyes, Faxul continued his explanation.

"It says that its power is always kept a secret to surprise enemies in case the Black Raven Kingdom faces dire circumstances. It is also the one which controls the formation of the Palace. At least, it was, until the old man came and sealed it in this place."

"Wait, you only said you can sense a Raven's thoughts…how are you getting all this specific information?"

"That's because it can speak with me. While I was waiting for you, I heard it calling for me and instructing me about what to do to reach this place. According to what it says, the old man actually showed the strength of a 6th Grade Warrior Mage to seal it here after controlling it for a period of time. But, he apparently had a backlash after that due to some sort of injury on his body which lowered his power by a large scale. Sadly, my father was already…"

Faxul's voice broke at this point, as tears also flowed from his eyes just like the Raven's/

"My father was already killed by this point, and the new King connected with it when it was under the control of the old man. This made the people believe that it was a legitimate victory, when it actually wasn't. He has been waiting for me to come back ever since. I can't take him away unless I truly connect with him, but I can't do that unless I get the trinket. Even then, his power would be sealed. He hasn't seen the sun in decades. I just wish I could… set him free."

Hearing the pain in Faxul's voice as he said the last sentence, Daneel imagined what it must have felt like to live in such a place for so long with no company and nothing to do.

Any lesser being would definitely have turned insane, so he was actually very impressed by the mental strength of this Warrior Level beast which had almost just killed him.

"I get the gist. Let's go get the trinket, then" he said, making Faxul nod with determination as he patted the Raven one last time before walking towards Daneel. They were, after all, also running out of time.

After reaching him, the two teleported back into the forest before running towards the point which separated the two forests.

An awkward silence ensued, which Daneel had no idea how to break. Faxul was clearly overwhelmed by whatever he had felt from the Raven which had definitely even accompanied him during his childhood.

After a few moments, he asked one of the questions that had been bothering him since the incident in that ground.

"How did that Raven move so fast and stay in the air without flapping its wings?"

The answer made Daneel stumble, making him rethink everything he knew about the beasts of Angaria in general.

"Oh, it can use magic."

Index260 Barracks

Index

Book

"M-Magic? How?!"

Hearing Daneel's incredulous tone, Faxul looked back at him for a bit and answered, "I don't know, he just said he could."

Faxul's nonchalant tone ticked Daneel off.

Clearly, he had no idea how monumental this was.

Thinking for a bit, Daneel understood the reason.

After all, no one could have a system like his where he could store as much data as he wanted while also being able to modify and, hopefully, control biological species.

Till now, Daneel had never even heard of a non-humanoid being capable of magic, except those of legend such as Dragons. Just the possibility of actually controlling or bonding with a beast that could use magic blew his mind.

Deciding that he would have to analyze that Raven thoroughly in the future, he kept his mouth shut for now and followed Faxul.

After reaching the border and masquerading as animals, the duo passed into the other forest before Faxul paused and turned around.

Knowing what would happen next, Daneel said, "All right, no hard feelings. I'll try to be light-handed."

"Just give me your best shot. I need to be 'flown away'."

BOOM

Even before the words completely left Faxul's mouth, Daneel moved forward in a flash and punched his friend's stomach.

Due to using both momentum and the techniques he had learned long ago in the Fists of Justice Training Hall, Faxul was sent flying through the forest, crashing through numerous trees before finally coming to a halt and coughing out some blood.

Massaging his knuckles which hurt a bit, Daneel quickly ran to Faxul's sides and helped him up while brushing off the twigs and leaves which had gotten on his clothes.

"Just following your instructions.", he said after Faxul arranged his clothes and brushed back the hair again.

After checking his appearance in some conjured water, he ensured that he still looked like the soldier from before and looked into Daneel's eyes and said, "I feel fine. Let's go. It needs to be believable."

Limping slightly, he made his way out of the forest with Daneel following behind in the disguise of Elanev.

Reaching the sparring ground again, Daneel said, "Like I said, come find me any time you want a rematch. Fighting in the forest was different."

The Raven was back on Faxul's shoulder, as they had collected it on their way. Black Ravens were highly regulated creatures, so he didn't want to take the risk of setting off the formation by having Faxul's Raven pass through. Hence, they had left it at a spot.

As Daneel walked off to a different exit to continue the next part of their plan, Faxul made his way to the barracks.

…..

Still wincing inwardly with the pain, Faxul made his way to the gate before passing through. The Raven also had a few rustled feathers, as he had literally asked it to roll on the ground to add to the effect.

"Don't feel down that you lost. The King himself only spars as an equal with that guy, although he does end up beating him in the end. At least you gave a challenge, unlike those cowards who brag that they can take him down if they were on the same level. Going out for a break?"

As soldiers worked on revolving shifts, they could take short breaks. Seeing Faxul limping out, a soldier who seemed to be manning the small portgate said these words while looking at him admiringly.

With a nod, Faxul walked out and headed to their room.

….

A few minutes later.

The closest barracks to the Royal Palace of the Black Raven Kingdom was located just two streets away. With just a 20 minute walk between them, this ensured that the two locations were kept apart but reinforcements could arrive in a blink if needed.

The Capital City was roughly square-shaped, with the Palace located at the corner opposite that where the entrance stood. Looking from above, the Capital would look like a square-shaped block of buildings with one corner mushrooming out.

This 'mushroom' was both the expansive forest land of the Palace and the grounds of the barracks, which held over 1,000 Black Raven Fighters and an unknown number of Mages.

The exact number of Mages was a piece of information which could put any Kingdom at risk, hence it was closely guarded to make sure that enemies wouldn't know what to expect if they even considered attacking.

As the soldier on duty at one of the entrances saw a bleeding man approach while holding a raven in his hands, he immediately sounded the alarm, alerting his superiors that something strange was going on.

In barely a second, an Exalted Human Fighter teleported over with the help of a Mage beside him and started questioning the man about what had happened.

After seeing the headless Raven and listening to the man's explanation, the Fighter immediately spoke into a trinket before hurrying back inside to gather a team.

Pandemonium ensues, as the news of a spy infiltrating the Capital City itself and boldly killing a Black Raven was something that had never happened before. More than anything, the sight of the headless Raven caused a fury to erupt in each and every soldier's eyes, as these were the beasts which they both worshipped and treated as a close friend and family member.

During the chaos, the man who started everything limped to the healer wing of the Barracks, quoting his injuries due to which there was a line of blood at the side of his mouth.

No one gave any more attention to this man, as the news had been confirmed that there really was an enemy at the location and that he was actually holding a few civilians as hostage.

As more and more Black Raven Fighters and Mages kept getting deployed, Faxul managed to make his way to the room which held the backup Ravens without many people hindering his way.

Sadly, as this was one of the most important locations in the entire barracks, it was guarded night an day by an Exalted Human Fighter.

Stumbling to the door, Faxul knocked and waited while tears welled up in his eyes due to the meeting that had happened before.

Trying to put it aside, he recalled the plan. As per their discussion, it was now his turn to play the role of a soldier who had just lost his lifelong companion. Hence, Daneel had said that he had to be bereaved and sad.

Yet, at this moment, eyeing the dead Raven in his hands, all Faxul felt was indignation and anger.

Anger that someone had dared to kill a magnificent descendent of the deity who was the reason they were all alive right now.

Going with his gut and knowing that this was the right emotion, the tears which had appeared in the first place due to the memory of the Raven which had been locked up for decades alone turned into those of anger at the sight of the lifeless body in his hands.

Hence, as a wizened man with an equally wizened Raven on his shoulders opened the door, he sighed seeing the pure emotions of a soldier who has lost his companion.

"Was it you who reported the spy?", he asked, before seeing Faxul nod.

Sighing deeply, he said, "Revenge is the best way to honor a fallen comrade. Get in and choose a raven. The pain of loss is raw in you, and I have high hopes that you will be able to bond with one. Go."

After leaving these words, the man stepped inside.

As Faxul stepped inside, he saw that the room he was in was actually like a foyer. Right in front of him, there was a metal door whose bolt was currently open.

Taking a seat in the chair to the side, the man started to scratch his Raven's beak softly.

Walking forward, Faxul walked through the metal door and closed it behind him.

The process of bonding with a Raven was a personal activity. Hence, usually, no one would be present in the location unless it was in the case of kids who were doing it for the first time.

Inside was a large room, at least 3000 sq.ft. across which had multiple Ravens either caged, standing on pews or resting in nests.

The caged Ravens were the ones which had actually gone mad due to the death of their partner, causing them to be locked up for their own good.

After looking around to ensure that no one was looking, Faxul walked to an empty pew and took out his own Raven which he had brought inside in a hidden compartment in his shirt.

Reviving it again using the solution, he walked to the side and picked up the item he had come for in the first place.

It was a ring with a small thorn on the top.

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