Kingdoms and Races

I sat on my bed, contemplating all the information I had read from the previous two books.

Cores, magic, classes, races, and what else does this world comprise for me? I wouldn't even be startled if it also involved dragons.

Putting that aside, let's begin reading the first book that I sneaked out of the library.

Kingdoms and Races

– The story of the continent Elantra commenced 16 centuries ago, when our ancestors disembarked in what we now call home. –

So there is more than one continent, it is indeed flourishing news.

– Although, we don't know from where were they and what was the reason moving here. –

*Sigh*

Right when I craved to know more about the existence of other continents.

– Our ancestors were great magicians; throughout history, no one had the same prowess as them, but one thing remains a mystery: how did we abandon our ancestors' superior methods of training and their distinguished knowledge? It's also believed that among them were some purple-core mages. –

I wonder how dominant they were if we compare them to the mages alive, is the gap that great?

– That's why none of the races dared to look down upon them; even dragons were frightened of them and didn't dare to stand in their way. But that was then; now humans are known as the weakest beings on the continent. –

What, weakest?! I know that I'm not well informed about this world, but still: weakest? So that means that we constantly live in fear? If I paraphrase it correctly, all we do is fight to survive?

– Our kingdom, the kingdom of Ardania, is the weakest among the kingdoms of Elantra. –

– The Kingdom of Noggin, which is populated by gnomes, is the kingdom above us. –

So gnomes as well. In ancient mythology, gnomes were known for their craftsmanship and their superior blacksmiths. I suppose it's the same here?

– The kingdom of Valeria, populated with beastmen, is perceived to be stronger than humans and gnomes. –

It's hard for me to imagine the limits of the mystery of this world.

– The Kingdom of Taris, the land of the undead, is known to be the second strongest kingdom; some even believe they are on par with the great kingdom of Noris, which is ruled and populated by elves and is known to be the strongest kingdom on this continent. –

On par with each other? Interesting. There's actually one thing I desire to know: exactly who are the undead? From what I understand, they are not connected to demons, so I hope this book may help me.

I got the basic grasp of the situation on this continent; it would be better to list that on a piece of paper.

[Fray picked up an ink pen and began to write what he just learned on a piece of paper.]

*scribble*

*scribble*

---------- Kingdom Ranking ----------

1. Noriss (elf)

2. Tariss (undead)

3. Valeria (the beastmen)

4. Noggin (gnomes)

5. Ardania (humans)

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

Now I need to store it somewhere safe so no one finds it.

[As Fray hid the list, he opened the book once again to continue reading.]

Now it's time to read about the races.

– The continent is inhabited by various races, including some that we don't even know about. I'll list and write about the races that are superior and are better known: dragons, elves, the undead, beastmen, and gnomes. –

– Dragons, they are mythical creatures, which are known for their imposing appearance, enormous size, and powerful abilities. The appearance of dragons varies; however, dragons are usually like huge reptiles with long bodies, sharp claws, and fiery breath. They usually have large shells covered with hard scales that protect them from outside attacks. Dragons' wings are huge and powerful, allowing them to fly through the air. Their heads are usually decorated with horns, spikes, or other sharp growths, making them intimidating and impressive. Dragons also possess incredible, powerful abilities. Their fiery breath is considered one of their most powerful attack capabilities. They can hurl powerful jets of fire from their mouths, capable of burning everything in their path. Some dragons can breathe poisonous smoke, lightning, ice, or even lava. They can also use their powerful claws and sharp teeth in close combat, making them invincible opponents. In addition to their physical abilities, dragons are also wise and intelligent. Even though they are mighty creatures, they don't get involved in fights between the other races, as they see them as inferior compared to themselves. Their lifespan is indeed vast as well, being able to last for centuries. The King of Dragons is the oldest dragon and the oldest being on the continent. He is also the strongest. –

Such an explicit being possesses an unimaginable strength that can fathom the fear of others.

– Elfs, they have the same body form as humans, except for their long, pointy ears and their outshining appearance. They are known for their magical capabilities; compared to other races (excluding the dragon race), no one is as talented in magic as them. Elfs possess a type of magic that isn't available to others: light magic. It's a truly remarkable ability that can be used for various spells; the strongest possible spell using the magic of light is known as the "Ray of Devastation." It's truly a disastrous ability that brought fear upon others during wars.–

It seems like a type of blessing granted to them by God himself.

– Elements that elves can use are water, ice, wind, weather, and wood. –

That means there are limits to what magic elements other races are able to use?

– The undead, not much is known about them, as they never contact other races unless it is for a negotiation or an official meeting. Their appearance is certainly frightening. Their skin is rotten from birth, and their rusty teeth make it hard to distinguish them from the dead. But it's known for a fact that they're a powerful race indeed, with the abilities of the dark, which allows them to summon skeletons from hell itself; they're called the necromancers. But it's not the only way in which dark magic can be used; there's another deadly spell: clouds of death. This spell curses the one who breathes it and brings death upon him. –

– But they certainly have some disadvantages; they can't use any other type of magic, including divine magic, so they're forced to rely on dark magic. –

Well, at least they have some weaknesses.

– Beastmen, whose physical appearances certainly resemble animals - their tails, animal-like ears, claws, teeth, and even eyes; but unlike animals, beastmen can walk on two legs. They are known for having the heads and legs of various animals too; the most common are usually the heads of wolves or goats, though some have been seen with traits from other animals as well. Their overall body, however, is noticeably human-like, with the chest and arms resembling those of a human. They're a fierce race that loves war. They also possess the strength to get involved in them. Even without using mana, a beastman's strength exceeds that of a human by far, but they also have a huge disadvantage when it comes to long-range combat, as they aren't able to use any elemental magic. The only magic that a beastman can use is physical boosting magic; they can use it to enchant their physical body, which allows them to freely fight in wars through sheer speed and strength.–

Even without using elemental magic, they can keep up with other races! So how strong do they get when they enchant their physical strength to be on the same level as the ones who use different types of magic?

– Gnomes, they have long, spindly fingers and large heads, which have a subtly different shape than those of other races. Compared to their bodies, they have surprising toughness, as their bones are harder but lighter in shape than those of humans. Their skin, hair, and eyes can run the complete gamut of colors that appear in nature, betraying their fey nature like no other characteristic. Gnomes are experts in technology; they created various weapons, materials, instruments, and the list goes on. When it comes to blacksmiths, nobody can be compared to them. Putting aside their abilities in technologies and blacksmithing, gnomes possess elemental magic as well. Fire, lightning, earth, and gravity magic are available for them.–

On top of their genius minds, they are also able to use magic? It's surprising to me how gnomes are considered weak compared to the other 3 races.

– Although the races are wary of each other, the never-ending war of centuries has ended, and now the races live in harmony. –

Well, that is as of now. Everyone knows that when there is no balance of power, wars will always occur. It was like that in my last life, and I'm pretty confident that will be the case hereafter too.

This seems to be the last page in this book, though. Overall, I understand the basics; it's unfortunate, though, that the book doesn't have anything about humans.

Well, it's getting quite late; I should hop under my blanket and get ready for tomorrow before Beatrice checks on me.

As for tomorrow, I have big plans for it.