1 Beginning

"Livshe... Livshe... Wake up, it's time."

The soft voice of a woman called Livshe, slowly pulling the latter from the meanders of her dreams while trying to wake her up.

"Come on dear, everyone is here, stop sleeping.."

The incessant calls ended up pulling out of unconsciousness the young woman who was struggling to open her eyes because of the strong light, the person waking her up just opened the windows.

"Wake up Livshe! I will count to three! One. Two..."

Too tired to understand what the voice was saying, Livshe closed her eyes, preferring to continue sleeping.

She really underestimated her mother, who, as she finished counting, lifted her blanket and slid her out of bed.

Livshe rolled to the nearest wall of her room, finding herself upside down, in a state of shock.

"AAAAH! What was that? Why are you treating your daughter like that?! You're a monster or what?"

Aviva laughed as she closed her right palm on her left forearm, trying to highlight her muscles while shouting:

"Hahahaha! I am not a monster, but a direct descendant of the strongest cultivator this world has ever known, the mighty Eleazar! Be honored that his blood is flowing in your vei-"

"Yes, I'll wash my face, tell the others to wait for me."

"Uhh.. what an ungrateful girl."

Livshe quickly put her feet back on the ground before raising her head, making sure to dust off her nightgown. She then began a slow walk to the bathroom, ignoring her old mother as she muttered her frustration.

Today, as she was going to leave her cozy nest for good, Livshe took the time to really contemplate the different walls of her house, because who knows, maybe she will make a successful career in Oryth and never have the opportunity to come back to see them.

She lives in a modest home in a small village called Nirith, located in the northwestern part of the Bursk Kingdom, the northernmost nation of the Bruham Coalition and also the largest. The residents of this area relied exclusively on corn and although they were not wealthy, life was quiet and prosperous. Young warriors often came fighting the surrounding creatures to train and more often than not, ended up being treated in the temple of the village. But thanks to their frequent stops, the villagers were never attacked by monsters.

Livshe sat on the wooden stool in front of the mirror, her mother had already prepared a bowl of warm water for her to wash her face with. Sometimes, she wonders if she is not deliberately pushing her to leave the house sooner.

"Hmpf... But hey, my adventure starts today!"

An azure glow illuminated her bluish eyes as she thought about the mysteries awaiting her outside this village, just before she plunged her dazzling white face into the bowl.

Livshe was a resplendent young woman, having just finished her eighteen years old the same day, she was known in the village as the most beautiful of all, attracting the wrath of her competitors. Her beauty was such that some fighters after she had treated them once in the temple, returned the next day with twice as many wounds so she can take care of them again.

Indeed, Livshe is one of the rare and talented creatures who has received the gift of manipulating life energy, also called sorcery, making her a sorceress whose aura is of 「Sacred」nature. From an early age, she discovered the ability to heal the living things she touched, beginning with small life forms like the strange, harmless creatures that sometimes emerged near the entrance of the Edoria Forest, at the gates of the village.

After ten years, she was able to cure any disease or injury that affected the villagers, a major asset for cultivators whose job was more manual than anything else. She quickly became extremely popular and loved by everyone, including her parents and she never lacked anything, nor asked more than the kindness of the people around her. For a long time, she thought that continuing her life like this, forever, wasn't a bad idea.

Only when she began working in the village's temple, as a healer, did her vision of the world change. Thus, many fighters and adventurers came frequently to seek treatment and they told her many fascinating stories about the places they had visited, beyond the vast and mystical forest that separated this village from the outside world.

One day, a warrior from Oryth told her about the Imperial Academy of Sorcery in the Kingdom's capital, Zusca. People with the same gift for the control of the aura gathered there to receive the teachings of the most powerful and respected sorcerers of their time. What more could she wish for?

She decided that by the time she turned eighteen, the age at which she would become an adult, according to the beliefs of her village, she was going on a long journey to Oryth, one of the three kingdoms forming the Pelairith Empire.

That day had finally arrived. Livshe was brushing her long golden hair in front of her mirror, maybe it was the last time she would see her reflection in it. She then took the time to admire the gray woolen dress that her mother had stitched for the travel, paying close attention to the love and affection she put in to sew it.

The young sorceress came down a few moments later to the ground floor, just to be surprised by a powerful cry that almost drove her back:

"LIVSHE!"

She saw at once a crowd of people coming out of nowhere; the orphans of the temple, she nursed from time to time, people she had healed in the past and even warriors of passage with whom she had met by treating their wounds a few days ago.

She could not believe that everyone had come just to wish her a good trip.

"Oh, my little princess taking flight... Age makes tears easy, hmpf..."

She saw her father isolate himself in a corner, trying to hide his tears, and for some reason, it made her smile.

"Darling, do not forget, once there, even if you do not pass the Academy's entrance test, you still have the beauty and freshness of youth on your side. Find yourself a rich husband and make many children to him, I want to be a grandmother damn it!"

"Mother!"

"Come on Lady Aviva, these young men have all the chances of winning your daughter's heart, they are just waiting for the right moment." said the priest of the village's temple while guiding Aviva's eyes with his right hand towards the position of the many adventurers, who, reacting to the words of the elder, were quick to scatter in the crowd, avoiding the eyes of the intrepid mistress of this place.

"Livshe! Livshe!"

A young woman, about the same age as Livshe, was trying to make her way through the small crowd of people, looking for the center of attention.

"Oh, you're here! I am pleased to meet you, my name is Iska. My companions and I come from the royal capital, Yeim, and we were paid to escort you to the Wythover Kingdom.

"Huh? Paid? By whom?"

"Well, my daughter... We couldn't let you go alone, especially since this is the first time you are going out of the village. The Edoria Forest is dangerous, you know.."

"Yes, he is right, Livshe. Listen to your father."

"B-But... It's MY adventure. You still do not trust me, do you?"

"Don't worry!"

The mercenary cut short the little conversation, showing her amusement through a big smile that illuminated her face, it was clear that she too, was really beautiful.

"I guess your parents asked for our services because they were worried about you. And you're a sorceress, no? Then I will be honored to tell you that I am one too! We can share some tips along the way."

Iska shouted her talent with pride, before making a sign to her companions to prepare the carriage and ready the horses. Livshe, meanwhile, remained amazed at this announcement. Now that she was inspecting her more closely, it was true that she looked like a seasoned fighter; her muscles were clearly visible and her figure slender. She shared the matte complexion and characteristic carmine hair of the Ludale, a tribe of powerful and proud hunter-gatherers living near the mountains northeast of Bursk. They often came to the village to exchange for wheat and other amenities they did not have. Their great physical force made the sorcerers among them really powerful, which was why they were forcibly annexed by the Coalition that wanted to add them to its military strength.

Indeed, in this world, life energy is directly related to the physical abilities of an individual. With an optimal physique, the quality and quantity of the aura produced by a living being were greatly increased, forcing sorcerers who sought more power to follow rigorous training, maximizing their overall abilities.

"Well, we should start right away. The Edoria Forest is dangerous at night, so we will have to cross it before nightfall. I'm sorry that I can't give you enough time to say goodbye to everyone. "

Iska immediately left the house to check if their means of transport was ready.

"My daughter.."

The village's priest spoke again, this time while holding a black scepter adorned with a beautiful jade stone sitting on an anthracite lily flower.

"Take it as a present from the whole village. It's the treasure of our temple and a useful artifact for sorcerers. One's life energy can easily be concentrated in this jewel, especially when it is of 「Sacred」nature. You will have no trouble using it."

It was possible for sorcerers to infuse their aura into objects and use them as receptacles, thus giving them various effects, depending on the nature of the aura transmitted.

"But, Father... Everyone... It's not necessary..."

"Come on, Livshe. You've done so much for this little village, the only thing we regret is not being able to offer you more. Accept it and honor the generations of sorcerers who have used it."

Livshe pulled on her whitish glove before grabbing the scepter with her right hand and then began a straight and elegant march towards the exit door. The worried looks of her parents didn't leave her for a second.

She finally stopped a few feet away from the silent crowd, turning slowly to face them. Then, she lifted majestically her right arm while holding the scepter firmly, exclaiming:

"I swear, on this mythical artifact, that I will honor all the previous generations of sorcerers who were born in this village. I will make Nirith known as the birthplace of the legendary sorceress, Livshe!"

Bewitching the mass of villagers with her unmatched charisma, Livshe left her home bathed in encouragements and support, making her parents proud as they watched her spread her wings and take flight.

"Well, well... You are very popular, my lady..." said Iska while standing on the small staircase leading to the imperial of the carriage. Four young men were present near her, one holding the reins of the cab and the other three standing near their own horses. They began taking formation, encircling the two sorceresses.

"I suppose I should introduce my companions to you. The one holding the reins is Meir, the other three are Shalom, Uri, and Yakov. The last one is a sorcerer like us, so I hope that you will get along with him too."

"Happy to serve you, beautiful lady!"

"Stop it, Uri.."

"It is true that she is gorgeous, hmm.."

"Not you too Shalom! And stop fixing her like that!"

"Oh, it's good Yakov. We're going to spend a lot of time together, so getting familiar with each other is not a bad thing."

"B-But.."

"Shut up you guys!"

As Iska shouted, she received an immediate answer in unison:

"Yes, boss!"

Livshe replied with a warm smile to this little scene, her divine beauty filling the four men who observed her with inexplicable joy. She finally climbed inside the carriage with Iska, who ordered Meir to start moving.

"So.. ?"

"Hm?"

"Of what kind of nature is your life energy? Oh.. Let me guess. 「Sacred」 nature, right?"

"That's right. Also, could we please drop the formal terms? As your companions said, we are going to spend a lot of time together, so let's familiarize with each other."

"As you wish, my lady. Ha-ha! Joking! So, Livshe, tell me. Is what I heard about you in the village true? They told me that you are able to heal any wound."

"Yes, so far, I have always been able to heal all the form of injuries and diseases that I came across, but the more serious they are, the more tired I get after the healing. I guess it is because of the amount of aura consumed."

"So cool.. I have an aura of 「Fire」nature. I was told that I was talented, but I'm not worth much compared to the Rakshasa sorcerers who have this nature. Their affinity with this type of life energy is amazing."

"Affinity?"

"Oh yes, you live in such a remote place, it's normal that you do not know much about sorcery. Basically, each race has a particular affinity with one of the aura's six natures. To take an example, Elves and Dryads have a strong affinity with the 「Nature」type of life energy, while Vampires are great with the 「Chaos」nature. When a person develops an aura nature with which his race has a strong affinity, you can already say that he will be a powerful individual. Unfortunately, we, humans, do not have one."

"I see. So, I apologize for asking too many questions, but what is 「Chaos」?"

"Seriously? And you were the one who wanted to drop the formalities? Do not apologize for that! Also, what did you learn in your village's temple? Didn't they tell you about the life energy's natures?"

"Eh... Not really. Only the bravest sorcerers would venture so deep into a kingdom where wildlife can kill you at any moment, most of the visitors were young warriors in search of adventure. The fact that I know the nature of my own aura come from a brief deduction made by one of the few sorcerers I have met."

"I understand... Well, I guess I'm going to play the instructor for today! Anyway, 「Chaos」is one of the six natures that can have the life energy of a living being. To tell you the truth, we don't know much about it because, in addition to being the vaguest of the six types, it is also the rarest. Most of the creatures who have 「Chaos」as their aura nature are Vampires. There are not many of them so they are discreet. Once, when I went to Oryth, I heard that Maimon, one of the four heroes and a current member of the Imperial Council, is a legendary vampire whose aura is of 「Chaos」nature, but I think it's just rumors. It's been ages since they were last seen by the public and if they were alive, they would be like, thousands of years old! I guess it's not a problem for Ziminar, Maimon, and Egion who are not humans but Amodeo actually is. I would love to meet him just to know the secret of his longevity if he's not dust already. Imagine yourself, living a thousand years! That would be awesome."

As Iska replied, Livshe's eyes widened. She remained speechless, realizing how ignorant she was of the vast world around her. For a brief moment, it saddened her, but she immediately got the better of her emotions; now that she had started her adventure, all these mysteries are only waiting for her to be discovered.

Three hours have already passed, the two sorceresses inside the carriage were still exchanging all sorts of stories, they've already become close friends.

"Hm... She's getting along very well with our boss."

"Can you imagine what will happen if Boss influenced Lady Livshe? We would end up with two Iska for the rest of the travel. Scary.."

"Oh, stop, I'm shivering just thinking about it."

As the three men expressed their fears, Yakov began to feel something. His life energy of 「Nature」type allowed him to establish a certain contact with the flora that surrounded him and this connection alerted him of an imminent danger.

"Stop!"

Yakov's scream put Meir, Uri, and Shalom on their guard, expecting an impending attack. Iska and Livshe were worried about the reason why the carriage stopped, there should still be at least half a day of travel before they encounter the nearest town.

The young sorcerer raised his head to look at the huge trees of the Edoria Forest, awakening each of his senses in order to spot any threat. His ocher eyes settled on one of the thick branches of a giant tree a few meters away from their position.

It was there that he saw a moving figure.

One meter? No, a little more. She quickly jumped between the vegetal protuberances before merging into the meander of green leaves, escaping the mercenary's visual field.

"What was that?"

As he wondered about the origin of the creature, about twenty other silhouettes of the same size moved out of the shaded veil of the surrounding trees, falling on the small group on each side.

"Semurians!"

"Uri, Shalom, Yakov, B formation! Quickly! Meir, stay near the reins to flee with Livshe in case it goes wrong."

"Yes, boss!"

Iska left the carriage while shouting her orders, looking determined.

"Stay inside, Livshe. We'll be done in no time."

The mercenary leader grabbed the handle of a dagger hooked to her belt with her right hand, before unsheathing it as she watched the descent of the simian creatures.

The Sumerians are a breed of hybrid creatures with apelike appearance and relatively smaller size than humans, usually no more than one hundred and thirty centimeters. They live in most of the forests of the Western Lands and have limited intelligence, gathering usually in groups of twenty to thirty individuals. Their diet consists of wild fruits and any living being that they can chew. Their greatest asset being their agility, they are dangerous in dense forests and can, in most cases, beat opponents much stronger than them by playing on the number and area advantage.

"Yakov, start by restricting them together in one area. We will buy you some time with Shalom and Uri."

"Yes, boss!"

The three individuals answered in unison as they came down from their horses to intercept the primates.

Iska made an elegant movement with her dagger, pointing her enemies with her weapon, which within an instant, enveloped itself in a fiery layer of flames.

Immediately, the sorceress threw herself on her assailants, cutting out these primitive creatures like a fury in a dance of flames and blood, her blade, leaving a trace of ember that illuminates the battlefield, appeared as a picture of a massacre in the eyes of Livshe, who was watching the fight from the inside of the cab.

However, the Semurians were too numerous and some of them passed through the ferocious fencer, throwing themselves on Meir who was holding the reins of the horses. They were intercepted by a mighty hammer blow, shattering the skeletons of the poor apelike creatures who had ventured too close to Shalom.

One of them miraculously escaped the powerful impact of the warrior, slipping a few inches below the giant weapon to continue its jumps to the carriage. It was intercepted by Uri, who, in an incredible show of force, pulverized its skull with a single punch, leaving his corpse to fall to the ground like a puppet whose strings were cut.

"「O infinite earth, mother who nurtures all life, commandeth these sinners who dwelleth in thy domain and enslave mine own enemies with thy eternal chains... Shajar Sajun!」"

Livshe saw an intense malachite light springing from Yakov's body as he chanted his spell, both arms raised toward his targets. As soon as his command was declared, a meander of roots sprang up from the depths of the earth, harpooning every Semurian in its path and piling them a few meters in front of Iska, behind the carriage.

"「O fireth of purgatory, thee who doth not discriminate against valorous or against evil, burneth in thy quality of merciful purifier and bath mine own enemies in thy ferocious flames until there is nothing but skulls and bones... Lahab Kura!」"

The sorceress, whose two palms were aimed at the immobilized creatures, followed her command by an incredible wave of flames that burst from her body, burning the primates and all that was in its path. The cardinal red glow of her life energy made her sparkle among the rain of charred corpses, bewitching Livshe who continued to observe, safe.

She finally regained her composure after a few moments and immediately rushed out of the cab, ignoring the carnage that had just unfolded.

"Lady Livshe, we don't know if there are still others, please, go insi-"

"Please, teach me how to fight!"