Ruins

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' … ' I watched as notification after notification popped up, seemingly as the system came up with them. Eighteen quests, in the span of a few seconds, and I had next to no progress on any of them. I supposed the confectionary one would be easy enough to complete. Especially since I could just buy the cookbook from the shop, which would have hundreds of deserts never-before-seen by this world. Ice cream was just easy to make, especially with ice magic, so it was my go-to for birthday surprises, as far as dessert went.

I had received many compliments on the subject during the dance, in fact. It felt good, but not nearly as good as how I felt when I saw the joy on Ravelus's face. I saw him as my younger brother, despite him being older than me, because my mind was seventeen. I couldn't help it. I knew he still saw me as his younger brother, though, which I didn't seek to contest. I was certain he'd be a great man. Greater than me.

It still upset me how my grandparents treated him. It was as if he wasn't even there! I didn't expect them to buy him a horse, or give him magical tomes, but I at least wanted them to acknowledge him with the tiniest bit of love and respect. They focused all of their attention on me, completely neglecting him, and that angered me deeply. I decided that, so long as they acted that way, I would not engage with them beyond being polite. I had my position to regard, after all.

For the time being, I took out the spirit rite and looked it over. It was a small gem, completely translucent, about three centimeters in diameter. A small silver disc floated a couple millimeters above its surface, remaining a consistent distance and rotation around it, like the object's own little moon. Looking at it through magic, I was able to see a tether that somehow passed through the core, through another plane of existence I couldn't observe.

[Spirit Rite]

A spirit rite. Infuse and diffuse; face the challenge.

' What does that mean? ' I asked rhetorically. ' Any ideas, system? '

[I, the personality, have limited information. From my understanding, you have to expose it to an energy source, and pass your mana into it then back into your core. After that, I do not know.]

I hummed and put it back in my inventory, for the time being. I could investigate further, at a later date. For now, I patiently awaited my parent's awakening, knowing that today we would be leaving the castle with the Ne'Zir Royal family to the exterior Eil estate, at the foot of the Tower Peak to the North. The Dwarven clan Aedon II had given the rights to the mountain to had asked it to be built there, so they could repay their debts through material goods and services.

It, though smaller than the castle, was surrounded by a vast forest populated with all manner of magical beasts and monsters. It was tradition, according to father, for the sons and daughters of the Royal family to be taken there to hunt annually. The beasts, that it - the monsters would be killed off, until one of the children had inherited their crown. Then, they would be expected to fight them off to protect their family, using the skills which they had been taught.

I was excited to finally see nature again. I always enjoyed it, as camping had been a nice getaway from the city, in my previous life. Anne would take me up into Maine to visit a national park, where we would catch our own fish and roast them over a fire. Hunting my own food was a fun and somewhat hardening experience, which taught me that sometimes one needed to kill to survive.

Maybe that was why I was capable of killing grown men, for my own sake and for those around me.

That day still stuck with me. The smell of burning flesh lingered in my nose, and the sound of their cries of pain resounded in my head. It hurt, knowing that I had knowingly taken lives, but I knew better than to mope about it. They were evil men, profiting off the suffering of children. They, their compatriots, and all who they serviced would suffer, lest my soul be condemned.

Speaking of souls, I could push myself up to my eighth awakening, but I promised to only do so when my parents were around, and they were still asleep. So, I took out the dagger Vaquin had given me and continued practicing my tethering, trying not to rely on willpower infusion.

*****

"Alistair, are you excited for your first hunt?" Ravelus questioned, sitting next to me in the large carriage. "I managed to kill a deer and a boar last year, with my bow. I'm sure you'll get a bunch of things with your magic!"

"I am very excited," I smiled at him. "The trees in the courtyard don't exactly cut it when it comes to nature."

"I know, right?" Levini said in exasperation. "Your cities need more green. Too much wood and stone."

' I agree, ' I thought with a curt nod, though I didn't raise my voice to affirm her words. She smiled at that, which made me roll my eyes internally.

"I've tried to establish some parks in the city, but it's hard with the climate, and the soil. Endrillion is a cliff city, after all," Aedon said. "It's a kingdom-wide problem, really. The air and land have been fighting us for a century."

"The spirits may be angered with you," Revil grunted. "Have your family or your vassals done anything to upset them?"

"I doubt it," Rel said. "I can vouch for House Eil and a dozen other noble families, but there are a few families I can think of that could put the spirit realm against us."

"Spirit realm?" I questioned. I hadn't heard of any realms besides the physical one, that which housed mana, and the realm of the divines, where the gods reside.

"It's the layer of reality between the divine realm and the physical realm," mother explained. "It is home to all spiritual beings, and is the afterlife for all plants and animals. It consists of billions of floating constructs of dirt and stone, covered with flora and fauna."

"You speak from experience?" I raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"I've been there," she nodded. "The only way to attract a spirit without a rare artifact is to separate one's soul from their body and delve into the spirit realm. Defeating a spirit's challenge is how one earns their loyalty."

"It usually requires help from a powerful soul mage, but some people-" Allia looked at her sister, "-manage to sever themselves in their sleep... at age six."

Rel blushed. It was always nice seeing her being the one under scrutiny. "I was called there! It couldn't be helped."

"Anyways," Allia rolled her eyes. "Most members of the Ne'Zir family end up visiting the spirit realm at least once. Most , meaning everyone but me. Spirits are powerful companions, capable of multiplying their master's magic to immense levels."

"That depends on the strength of the spirit, of course!" Ravelus chipped in happily, head held up high. "I bonded with a fifth-ring nature spirit as a baby, but she's very stubborn. Barely even talks to me. I'm still not sure why she chose me."

' Ah, a tsundere spirit. I bet she looks like a little girl, then, ' I thought with a wry chuckle. "What does fifth-ring mean?"

"It correlates to the power of the spirit - what level of Attunement they have with their elements," Rel said. "There are nine circles, when it comes to spirit attunement. The ninth is the weakest, and lies at the outermost edge of the circle, while the first is around the core of the spirit realm, and is the most powerful."

"And the core?" I asked.

"There is a monarchy among spirits," Revil said. "A spirit King or Queen for each element; the absolute embodiment of their power, above even the gods. Only the heroes in the ages of old were capable of passing their trials and using their power."

I hummed before taking out a book on the farmland ecology of Eilon and starting to read as the others started another conversation. I could feel my grandparents' and mother's eyes on me the whole time, but I ignored that, for the time being, and read.

*****

It took five days for the carriage to arrive at the Eil manor, during which time a clone I had left behind ran the shop in secret. So far, only Siv was aware of my ability to create duplicates of myself. I had told her, because she would've figured out either way, given that Vaquin and Ilyor would be leaving with me from the city. She was understandably surprised, but agreed to keep it a secret, under the condition that the clone stay with her.

I wasn't worried about my clone getting raped, or anything. For one, Siv wouldn't do that. She was brazen and perverted, but not downright pedophilic. Second, the clone could dismiss itself at any time, so the act could never occur. Not that there wouldn't be consequences, but - again - I wasn't worried about that happening.

Besides, the clone couldn't stay in the castle, as the Second Prince was gone, so staying with Siv was the obvious choice. Someone needed to enchant on-the-spot, after all, with the speed and quality only I could provide.

' I suppose Sterling and I are different people, after all, ' I thought with a smirk. ' Nobody will associate us, if he and I appear in different places at the same time, even if we look alike. True shadow clones are impossible, as far as everyone on this planet knows, though, so I'll be fine. ' I glanced at my mother, who was snoring softly as she leaned on father's shoulder. ' I'll have to explain the ability sooner or later, though. Word will spread about Sterling's activities. '

I was confident 'Sterling' could remain quiet, for the duration of the trip, though. Unless Siv babbled about my ability, I'd still have the ace up my sleeve.

I pulled back the curtains to the carriage window to see the same forest we had entered a couple days ago. Father had told me we would come upon the estate soon, so I wanted to see it. Sure enough, the carriage exited the heavy woods into a clearing that extended to the base of the mountain, where a large building stood. It was old - ancient, even. 

It's marble walls were chipped and covered with vines, the bricks that made up the foundation dirty in a charming way. The lawn around it was well-manicured, and the windows were pristine. It had several towering spires and arching pathways, reminding me a little bit of Anor Londo from Dark Souls, if on a smaller scale. Looking at it again through the mana that made it up, as I was prone to do with many things, I saw a sphere of some sorts surrounding the entire structure. A shield of some kind.

In fact, as the carriage approached and passed through it, I felt something scan my will, in a manner that was somewhat stronger than the wards in front of the castle. It had read my intent, and scanned my subconscious. It would no doubt cause me issues if I were someone intending to cause harm to this land or its inhabitants.

One probably couldn't even see it without my level of mana control, because it originated from an artifact. Well, maybe Elves could, because they were a step up in terms of magical attunement from Humans and Beastkin, but I was several steps up from them.

It took a short while for the carriage to reach the roundabout in front of the main entrance, where it finally came to a stop. The jolt woke mother up, causing her to look around groggily. Her parents glanced at her disapprovingly, while I couldn't help but snicker at the sight of the drool dripping down her chin, which had formed a wet spot on father's cloak.

I eagerly hopped out of the carriage as soon as the door was opened by the footman, and stretched. I was eager to be able to move around, as being cooped up for days on end had made me antsy. The air was fresh and crisp, rich with the scent of earth and nature. Faintly, I could smell sulfur. From the direction of the mountains.

"A little help, young man?" I turned at Levini's call. She was standing in the door to the carriage, a hand extended towards me. I sighed internally and helped her down, if only so that mother wouldn't get mad at me. Besides, I couldn't refuse her after acknowledging her. "Thank you, dear."

"Me too, nephew. Sitting for so long has been hard on my back!" This time it was Allia, whom I was happy to help. She was actually nice to Ravelus, as was her husband. She was also in poor physical condition, so my morals wouldn't let me leave her hanging, either way. She smiled and 'slipped,' reaching down to hug me to 'stabilize herself.' I immediately tensed, a shiver running down my spine as a spike of adrenaline shot through me.

' Is this the flaw…? ' I blinked as Allia released me, a contemplative expression on her face as she regarded me. ' Great, now she knows. This'll just make mother act strange, if she learns about this new habit of mine. '

Fortunately, Allia didn't say anything about it, thanking me and talking to her mother. I calmed myself and walked a short distance away, looking out over the lawn and gardens that extended all the way to the forest. I watched as a group of larger birds landed amongst the bushes, snapping up berries that were growing within. Their chirps and caws were rather melodic, making me think.

' I have that music sheet, ' I though, glancing at the item's representation in my inventory. ' I could bring some of Earth's music here. They desperately need it, from what I can tell. ' Despite the existence of actual magic , this world was lacking in the artistry department. There were beautiful buildings, and calligraphy was unmatched,but most artistry came in the form of practical crafts. Beautiful swords, stained-glass windows, carpentry, and stone masonry. Music, painting, and other such mediums were rather uncommon.

' I always did want to learn the piano, ' I pondered, glancing down at my hands. ' Maybe there's one in the manor? '

Nobles were expected to learn at least one instrument, as far as I was aware. Not required, as Ravelus didn't seem to care for them, but it was a positive in their high society. Besides, picking up the piano would be easier - not easy - with the system. High dexterity, and all that.

"Nature is a beautiful landscape for thought, no?" Father commented, making his presence known. "Your mother and I spent many moons here, following the war that killed my parents. I ran the kingdom from here until I saw the need to interact with the court."

"I can see why," I said with a smile, watching the birds fly off. "I've always loved nature. It's… not peaceful, per say, but tranquil. Everything happens for a reason, in nature. No sentient plotting to be found. It's a nice escape from all that living in an intelligent world brings."

"Indeed," father nodded. "Come, let us dine and prepare for the first expedition."

I nodded in return and followed him into the manor.

*****

For the first time in either of my lives, I held a bow in my hands. An arrow was nocked, but not drawn, as I followed father through the dense brush. We had walked a couple miles North, along the base of the mountain, looking for animals to hunt. I enjoyed it quite a bit, as it was my first time surrounded by nature since before my rebirth.

We occasionally came across a kobold or goblin, which Ravelus was tasked with killing. He did moderately well, only taking a few motions to disarm and strike down each enemy with his new sword. I got to try my hand at shooting the bow I held, but failed miserably until I earned a skill for my efforts. After that, it was possible, but not plausible.

Apparently, stealth was also a skill I could get, which I was happy about. Sneaking through the forest with my family and a couple guards was fun, when I imagined myself as Solid Snake; my bow, a trusty American handgun. Speaking of handguns, I was pondering upon whether I should bring them into this world.

Father brought up a fist before I could think on it too deeply, prompting all of us to stop and sink low to the ground. He pointed East, into a small clearing, where a double-antler deer was grazing. He gestured to Ravelus, who nodded and took his bow from his back, gently nocking an arrow and pulling back the bowstring. He raised himself slightly to get a better angle, but the deer saw him and bolted off just as he released his arrow, causing him to miss.

"Darn it!" Ravelus hissed in frustration.

"It's alright, son; we'll pursue it," Aedon said. "Retrieve your arrow while I pick up its trail."

Ravelus nodded and moved into the clearing. As soon as he was about halfway through it, though, the grass started to bend beneath him. A moment later, it collapsed into a gaping hole, dropping the boy into darkness before anyone had time to react. Everyone acted immediately, rushing to the hole and peering down into it.

"Ravelus!" Mother shouted in worry.

"I'm f-fine!" Brother's voice drifted up, sounding to be pained. "It's some kind of church, I think… Lots of skeletons.. It isn't that far."

Aedon jumped into the pit without hesitation, catching himself with threads of mana. Mother followed behind him, doing the same, with me on her tail. I managed to attach a few thicker threads to my cloak, using them to pulley me down into the pit, but it took some concentration.

Father and I created balls of fire to illuminate the room properly, allowing the large church hall to be visible. The others came down at their own pace as I spammed <Observe >, noting that the skeletons were truly dead. Careful, in case there were traps or more damaged flooring, I approached the lectern and used <Observe > on the book thereon.

[T'm A An'Mn Fl'r'Nt'Dmis]

?????

' What? ' I looked on in surprise. I hadn't seen question marks in an item description since my <Observe > skill was sub-level-ten. Seeing them now, at level ninety-nine, was a shock and a half. What's more, I couldn't read the text at all. Never before had I seen a language like it, in any of the texts I had read since coming to this world.

At least one of my perks, which allowed me to instinctively understand anything I read, told me it was a holy book of some kind. ' Like I didn't gather that from it being on the lectern in a church… ' I added it to my inventory, but that immediately proved to be a mistake, as the room started shaking. An ethereal screech resonated the air, coming from a brazier at the back of the room, which burst into a deep black flame.

"Behind me! Alistair, Ravelus!" Aedon said, drawing his blade towards the brazier. I followed his order, rushing to get behind him as I took out the <Yamato > and an <Elder Wand>. Slowly, a figure began to emerge from the flames, which I could only describe as demonic in nature. Pitch black, cracked, stone-like skin. Its head was a twisted amalgamation of skull, horns, teeth, and writhing tentacles that grasped in all directions. Spikes jutted from every inch of the thing, making it look like a Lovecraftian, humanoid porcupine. To complete it, black flames wreathed it entirely, scorching the stone walls and even causing bits of slag to drip onto the floor.

The room was filled with the smell of brimstone, sulfur, and petrichor as the thing howled again, unmoving eyes settled directly on me.

"What is that thing?" Ravelus asked, scared.

"D-Demon!" One of the guards stammered, voice shaking with fear.

[Arak Va'Na'Rik'Ala]

Race: Demon;

Titles: Sentry; Bael Executioner;

Age: ????

Level: ????

"Stay up there, you three!" Revil shouted up to his second daughter and her family, who had yet to come down.

Mother didn't hesitate to send a hail of mana bolts at the demon, who simply laughed as they ricocheted off of it. At the same time, father disappeared from where he was standing, as if he had been an illusion the entire time, kicking up a wind that flowed through the room, picking up dust. He reappeared a couple meters away from the demon before jumping back and shouting in a commanding tone. "Do not approach! It has an aura of baelfire!"

One of the guards either ignored him or didn't hear him, rushing towards the demon. As soon as he passed where Aedon had stood, however, he just... vanished. One instant he was there, and the next he wasn't. "Damn it! I said do not approach!" Aedon yelled.

"Leave it to us," Revil said, nodding to his wife and daughter. They each drew mana from their core in waves, conjuring it to their hands in a refined form, unlike anything I had seen before. Revil summoned a whip of water, which swirled around him and sheared through the very air itself; Levini conjured a sphere of light, which appeared to warp the air around it like a heat mirage; and Rel sunk into a stance before she started chanting. It was a language I had never heard before - one that distorted itself with its own power, preventing me from even hearing it.

Revil brought his whip around his head and lashed it forward, managing to penetrate through the baelfire aura and into the demon's proximity. It simply raised a hand and caught the whip as if it were physical, then a black flame surged along the water towards the Beastkin trio. Revil was quick to dismiss the whip, which left the fire to fall to the ground, where it quickly started sinking into the floor as the stone simply disappeared.

Levini thrust her wand forward, and the sphere of light turned into a swirling beam, infused with mana, that decimated the baelfire aura and struck the demon in the chest before it could even comprehend what was happening. It took a couple blinks, but the afterimage of the attack finally faded, allowing me to see that the demon was slowly regenerating from the gaping, searing hole in its torso. The wall behind it was molten, and a white-yellow pit slowly dripped with slag for more than a meter behind it. It was as if she had summoned the sun itself for a beam attack, making my faux-kamehameha look like a toothpick before an obelisk.

After his whip failed, and even backfired, Revil spread out his hands and released a thick mist that sunk to the room's floor and spread out. Then, he started chanting in the same language mother was speaking in, his words stronger, somehow.

The demon wasn't idle, though. It finally acted, tired of watching the mortals play around, raising its hands towards me. Me , as if the competent mages and warriors in the room were inconsequential. Black firebolts began shooting from the tentacles making up its head, racing around the room and incinerating the last two living guards who had made it down into the underground chapel.

I suddenly heard a voice in my head, echoing louder than thunder and wreaking pain across the inside of my skull. " Come, #&4(, " the voice said in a sickly-sweet tone. " Child of !&$*%(#; thine !&**$ is essential! "

I found myself stepping forward lethargically, unable to control my own body.

[Error! <Gamer's Mind> Overpowered! Mental Defenses Failed!]

"Alistair!" Ravelus grabbed by hand, but recoiled as he, too, was struck with pain. He wasn't able to cope with it much better than I was, and froze in place as if stuck in a block of ice, terror and pain etched in his expression. WIthout realizing it, I had walked up next to Revil, which is when the adults noticed me.

"Son! Get back!" Aedon called, blocking a black firebolt with his sword before it could his Levini.

"H-help!" I cried out, not knowing what to do. The one defense I had against attacks like this was easily overpowered by this monster, as if it meant nothing. How powerful was it?

"Iniaik Alav'illini Irecael'v'Nil S'cafa'pllio." The demon spoke, its words shaking the entire room with their strength. "Inaik, a Viekala Nil'Amas!"

" Come, #&4(, " the voice repeated. " Join me in !&*$! "

I was pulled forward with a jerk, straight towards the demon, but stopped in place. Then, I felt immense whiplash, and was suddenly standing in the back corner of the room. Ravelus was holding my arms to my waist, pinning me under his arm and preventing me from moving, even as a look of agony overtook his shaking face. My body tried to escape of its own volition, yet Ravelus was somehow able to keep me still. I noticed a faint glow to his eyes.

"I've got you, brother!" He said through gritted teeth. "I won't let that thing take you!"

"R-Ravelus!" I choked out, tears coming to my eyes.

"I've got you, little brother!"

"Rel!" Aedon shouted, dashing back and forth to swipe the firebolts from the air. "Hurry! He's after Alistair!"

Rel let out a bestial scream, the phantom of a massive lion appearing around her for a moment before condensing into a white veil over her body, which formed claws around her fingers and a regal mane around her head. She kicked off the ground, obliterating it with the force of her step as she launched towards the demon. The was unaffected by the then-recovered baelfire aura, and slashed the demon's entire head off with a series of swipes with her phantasmal claws. The pain in me and Ravelus suddenly stopped, and we both fell to the ground in a heap. I quickly turned over and grabbed his shoulders, worried for his safety, but he appeared okay, aside from a perpetual fold in his brow from a headache. He reached out and patted me on the cheek with a smile, assuaging my worries.

"I know what to do," he said simply, getting up. Then, he started chanting, himself. Quietly, under his breath, and far weaker than mother or Revil, but he somehow knew what to say in whatever tongue that was to attain the power mother had used to behead the demon.

The demon, by then, had regenerated its head, having remained dormant the entire time. Mother was forced to back off as the baelfire aura returned with a surge, but some of the skin on her arms was vanished by the black flame. Blood started dripping down her elbows as she held her arms aloft, growling gutturally in pain and anger. It was as if a beast had overtaken her body.

Revil suddenly had a similar aura, only much bigger. His lion stayed as he launched himself forward, bypassing the baelfire and slashing the demon from the left shoulder down to the right hip. It started laughing as it fell into two pieces. One of the pieces morphed back into full form, while another brazier lit up with baelfire. A second version of the demon appeared there, and started launching more firebolts at the adults from behind. Aedon went back and forth, phasing in and out of my vision as he disappeared from one spot and reappeared in another to block a fireball while Levini held off the growing baelfire aura with her light magic and Rel healed herself. Revil continued to lay into the first demon with his bestial spirit, cutting it into pieces again and again. Unfortunately, it continued to heal instantaneously.

Rel, once healed, started attacking the second demon, giving Aedon a moment to rest before generating a white fire that helped Levini combat the baelfire. It was a stalemate between the demon and the adults, somehow. Neither side was able to gain any ground, though I assumed that was because the demon couldn't get any attacks off. I found myself unable to move, now that <Gamer's Mind> wasn't working. Fear permeated me, and I felt entirely helpless. This was a greater foe than I'd ever seen; ten or twenty-times the level of anything I could possibly take down. If even my parents couldn't take this thing down, with their seemingly-insurmountable strength, then how could I ever hope to beat whatever the system wanted me to? I was useless, without my skills! The moment Revil, Rel, Aedon, or Levini gave in just a tiny bit, the group would die. That meant it was all up to Ravelus.

Ravelus started getting louder with his chant as he approached its lengthy end.

Aedon glanced over at his sons with wide eyes, realizing what was happening before grinning and putting even more mana into his flames. Just as the baelfire was pushed back, light exploded from Ravelus, falling into the green image of a flower bulb - yet to open. It cracked open just the tiniest bit, and vines grew out of every crack in the floor, ceiling, and walls. They invaded the balefire aura, and started to wither before the bulb opened a tiny bit more and the vines surged through to the demons. They were wrapped in them like cocoons, which soon tightened. Black fire engulfed the vines, beginning to spread back to their roots, but a pulse from Ravelus's bulb erased it all.

"It's aura is gone!" Levini gasped. "It's vulnerable! Destroy its core!"

Aedon sunk into a stance, blade held behind him and to his right. Then, in a flash he had disappeared. Both of the demon's bodies were cut into pieces, the latter revealing a black-red gem the size of my fist. Father stabbed it into the wall, shattering it with a burst of baelfire. The demon vanished into smoke, screaming in anger and anguish.

[Sentry Demon (LVL 2700) Defeated!]

*Due to a level gap of between 200 and 250 between you and the one who killed it, you will receive 10% EXP*

+364635 EXP

+10939050 SC

[Level Up x17!]

+34 STR, CON, END, DEX, CHA, LCK

+68 WIS

+85 Stat Points

+102 INT

+4260 SC

+17 <Gacha Token>

Skill: <Light Resistance>

<Light Resistance>

You are 5% Resistant to Light Damage.

[Congratulations upon completing your first primary class! You can now select a new one, more of which have been made available thanks to the class you've completed! Additional EXP withheld until a new class has been selected.]

+100 Stat Points

+100000 SC

I collapsed to my knees, letting out a breath of relief as I got the notification that the creature was dead. Without knowing it, I had started crying, and that made me feel weird. ' I'm not cut out for this... ' I thought, clenching my teeth. ' I'm not a warrior, I'm a scientist! I shouldn't be doing the whole other world business; someone like Anne should! I... I'm not strong enough for this! '

I felt a hand on my shoulder and saw that mother was sitting next to me and Ravelus - who was unconscious after his stunt.

"It's alright," she soothed me, rubbing my back. "It was scary, I know. I felt like that the first time I came across a demon, too."

"I was... so useless!" I exclaimed, angry - no, furious at myself. "I didn't even draw my blade! Cast my fire! I was just... frozen! I... I could've helped! I could've done something to make it so you didn't get hurt! You- Your arms!" I noticed her still-bleeding arms. They hadn't been healed at all, despite her prior efforts.

"Cursed wounds," she said simply. "I'll be fine."

"H-hold on," I said, buying a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, a pad of gauze, and a roll of bandages from the shop. I splashed the gauze with the peroxide and gestured for her to give her arms to me, which she reluctantly did. "This will hurt," I said bluntly before beginning to dab at the wounds with the gauze. She winced, but made no noises as I cleaned any dirt and refuse out of the wound and sterilized it before applying fresh gauze, secured by a bandage. "I don't want you to lose your arms because you tried to tough out something you say is cursed!"

"Who's the parent, here?" She chuckled.

"Don't feel that you have to carry our burdens, simply because you have intelligence and a blessing," Aedon said as he approached, first checking on Ravelus before looking at me. "We're your parents; it's our job to protect you."

"But I have an obligation to you, too! Besides, it's my fault that thing even appeared in the first place! I picked up the book - messed with things I shouldn't have. It's my fault the guards are dead!"

"Someone would've picked up and opened that book. It was simple chance that it was you," Revil said, holding his wife's hand. They only glanced at Ravelus, which only made me angrier - again, more directed at myself. "That demon would have appeared regardless, and we would have fought it to keep it from destroying these lands. It was their duty to fight alongside us, regardless of the possible outcomes. Sentry demons are powerful, incapable of dying save for if their core is destroyed. It was inevitable that we lost someone - be glad it wasn't one of us."

I wanted to shout at him - reprimand his lackadaisical approach to the lives of those under his care - but I bit my tongue. Fighting him now would do no good; he was too set in his ways. Still, I understood where he was coming from. I just wished it could've been different. I simply hung my head and cried for my own ineptitude until all of the injuries had been tended to. Father took me up into his arms and jumped out of the chapel, landing next to my aunt and uncle. Looking at my cousin, I forced my composure to return and drew the tears from my face with my water magic, tossing aside the small orb without a care.

I decided to distract myself with the system prompts.

[Class {Warrior} Confirmed! Select a subclass:]

{ Barbarian }

{ Duelist }

{ Soldier }

{ Brawler }

{ Armorer }

Going based off of intuition, {Barbarian} would focus on heavy-hitting weapons. Clubs, hammers, war-axes, and other two-handed weapons. Cool, but I prefer more finesse in my movements - less wasted energy, that way.

{Duelist} was appealing, focusing on exactly that. Rapiers, sabers, and such, in a more one-on-one scenario. Very tempting.

{Soldier} would most likely be based around learning as many weapons as possible, from daggers to pikes to shields. Very versatile, given I could get all of those things and make them pretty good via enchanting.

{Brawler} was just good ol' fisticuffs. Not my style, per se, but I can't diss it because of how many fictional characters use it and excel. Given I had already taken inspiration from Goku for my magic… I had nothing bad to say about this option.

{Armorer} was probably defense-based. I had no doubt that it led to the {Paladin} subclass, later on, because… duh. Speaking of hereditary subclasses, I couldn't rule those out, either. {Soldier}, for instance, probably led to {Knight}, and {Brawler} to {Monk}. Seeing as I was focusing on swords, though…

[Subclass {Duelist} Confirmed!]

Per Level:

+1 STR, CON, INT, WIS, CHA, LCK

+2 END

+3 DEX

+5 Stat Points

[Skills <Footwork > and <Bladework > Learned!]

<Footwork > (1/100)

You know how to move your feet in and out of combat.

<Bladework > (1/100)

You can control your blade in combat.

[Level Up! x51]

+102 STR, CON, INT, WIS, CHA, LCK

+204 END

+510 Stat Points

+612 DEX

+12750 SC

+25 <Gacha Token>

[Dual-Class Level Up! x34]

+68 STR, CON, END, DEX, CHA, LCK

+136 WIS

+170 Stat Points

+204 INT

+8500 SC

+34 <Gacha Token>

I almost passed out when I saw the numbers. Sixty-eight levels from a single enemy? Sure, that guy was level 2700, but that added up when it came to triangular numbers! And I only got a tenth of it! A part of me felt shafted for not getting three-million EXP, but I supposed I would be killing plenty of these sentry guys later on. Hell, the Moon Lord was recommended for people at level 1500 or higher, which would result in over a million EXP, and three-times as much SC. Speaking of which, I now had over ten-million of it, with little to do with it. I could create Gold, but that would destroy the economy. I'd rather use that as building materials for my endeavors, but I needed more freedom to enact that.

For now, I allocated my 875 stat points and brought up my status.

[Status]

-Identity-

Name: Alistair Eil

Race: Human; Beastfolk (Cat);

Age: 0 (17)

Class: Duelist (51/100)

Dual Class: Anti-Mage (48/100) (/2) (0%)

Rank: Demigod (2x)

Titles: Blessed;

Alignment: Lawful Good

Level: 151 (2900/7050)

-Stats-

Health Status: 12180/12180 |11600+5%| (+1.9%/s)

Mana Status: 51325/51325 |41060+25%| (+3.3%/s)

Anti-Mana Status: 4106/4106 (+4.1%/m)

Stamina Status: 14400/14400 |12000+20%| (+2%/s)

STR: 1000(500) (+4*2/3)

CON: 1160(580) (+4*2/3)

DEX: 2000(1000) (+8*2/3)

END: 1200(600) (+6*2/3)

INT: 4106(2053) (+8*2/3)

WIS: 2000(1000) (+6*2/3)

CHA: 1200(600) (+4*2/3)

LCK: 1400(700) (+4*2/3)

Points: 0 (+20/3)

[For Reaching 250 STR, You Have Obtained the Perk <Pink Tissue>!]

<Pink Tissue>

Your muscles will heal damaged white and red muscle tissue with pink tissue, which is capable of slow and fast twitching.

[For Reaching 500 STR, You Have Obtained the Perk <Impact Reduction>!]

<Impact Reduction>

Kinetic energy affects you half as much!

[For Reaching 250 CON, You Have Obtained the Perk <Resistant >!]

<Resistant >

You are even more resistant to poison, and immune to disease.

[For Reaching 500 CON, You Have Obtained the Perk <Perfect Condition>!]

<Perfect Condition>

No matter the weather or other conditions you may find yourself in, you can continue on as if it's perfectly normal.

[For Reaching 250 DEX, You Have Obtained the Perk <Muscle Intuition>!]

<Muscle Intuition>

You innately know how your muscles should move to perform certain actions.

[For Reaching 500 DEX, You Have Obtained the Perk <Blink of an Eye>!]

<Blink of an Eye>

Your reaction speed is only limited by your body's capabilities.

[For Reaching 1000 DEX, You Have Obtained the Perk <Extreme DEX>!]

<Extreme DEX>

+Skill <Dexterous >

<Dexterous > (MAX)

+50% DEX for 10 seconds

-99% SP

[For Reaching 250 END, You Have Obtained the Perk <Optimized Breathing>!]

<Optimized Breathing>

Your breathing patterns are optimized when sprinting, reducing stamina drain.

[For Reaching 500 END, You Have Obtained the Perk <Vitamin D>!]

<Vitamin D>

You feel awake and alert so long as you are in the sun, no matter your sleep schedule.

[For Reaching 1000 INT, You Have Obtained the Perk <Extreme INT>!]

<Extreme INT>

+Skill <Intelligent >

<Intelligent > (MAX)

+50% INT for 10 seconds

-99% SP

[For Reaching 1000 WIS, You Have Obtained the Perk <Extreme WIS>!]

<Extreme WIS>

+Skill <Wise >

<Wise > (MAX)

+50% WIS for 10 seconds

-99% SP

[For Reaching 250 CHA, You Have Obtained the Perk <Golden Tongue>!]

<Golden Tongue>

Your words are more compelling to those who hear them.

[For Reaching 500 CHA, You Have Obtained the Perk <Diamond Tongue>!]

<Diamond Tongue>

People feel compelled to hear you when you speak.

[For Reaching 500 LCK, You Have Obtained the Perk <Lucky Bonus!>!]

<Lucky Bonus!>

Things that use luck have a chance to grant bonuses!

[Quest <500-er > Completed!]

+500 EXP

+10 Stat Points

+5000 SC

[Quest <1000-er > Started!]

(3/7) Reach 1000 Base Points in All Stats.