28 Grace and Tattered Regimes

Public Release: March 13th, 2019 - 3:30 am EST

I loosened my fingers and let the lifeless body drop. I didn't look at The Oni's smiling face again.

I turned back to Lily and clasped her hand. I tried to wrack my mind but I couldn't come up with any ideas to help her. I don't think she could survive me carrying her to another kingdom to find a healer.

RED, is there any way to save Lily?

[Solution: The user currently has two potions left over in the inventory from the Elder Dragon Boss rewards. One is a minor potion of health. The damage is severe so the potion will not fully heal Lily, but it will stabilize her and let her survive her wounds.]

The potions had completely slipped my mind. I quickly pulled them both out. The red-colored one was the health potion while the beige one was a Potion of True Sight.

"Lily, please drink this. It will help you," I said in a gentle tone as I moved the potion towards her mouth while tipping up her head.

"W-wait. Calliope, is that a health potion?!" She cried in response. It was amazing how she managed to have so much strength in her voice even on the brink of death.

"Yes. It is. Now please, drink it."

"Th-that's a national class treasure. My life isn't worth the price of a health potion. Calliope, I can't," she paused to cough up some blood, "I can't accept this."

"To me, your life is worth more. That's all that matters. I can always get another potion, but I can't get another Lily Grphyn Gransus."

My words seemed to finally hit home and she willingly drank the drought. The fantastic effects showed themselves in an instant. A red swirling light surrounded her wounds and her flesh began to stitch itself together. She convulsed from pain, but she held back her screams.

[Solution: Lily Grphyn Gransus will be in a semi-crippled state until she is healed fully.]

I might have cried with joy over her recovery if I didn't know it wasn't complete. I vowed, at that moment, that I would take her personally to find a healer.

"Your body will be weak, Lily, until we find a proper healer to fix you," I said, not hiding anything from her.

"I'm in awe," she replied as she looked down at her body while I helped her sit up, "My legs are numb, but I'm alive. Calliope… Thank you."

I hugged her and I could feel my eyes starting to water a bit.

"I hate to break up this moment," said James from the back of the room, "but right now Thomas and his men are marching on the palace. Calliope, the Knight Captain defected to his side. No one in this entire country except you can stop them now. You should go on ahead, I'll carry Lily and follow as fast as I can."

My body ached, my muscles refused to move normally, and I was exhausted beyond all measure… Despite all that, my rage was burning brighter than the flames holding the city hostage. I let Lily go and met her eyes.

"Calliope, please capture him alive. For these crimes, death is too light a punishment," said Lily as her visage firmed.

"Alright. I'll help you save this country. Can you two make sure Endyrion is alive before you follow me? Oh, also, James I have a sword for you."

When the subject of the Boss Monster drop came up, I remembered that a Journeyman Rank Sword was among the spoils. Such a blade was paltry compared to my Deity Ranked Belial's Blade, but it was worlds better than what James was currently using. With this sword in hand he could probably handle enemies up to 20 levels higher than him.

When I took out the sword Lily and James's eyes looked like they would pop out of their heads.

"This! This sword is even more valuable than the potion you gave me!" Cried Lily. I smiled upon hearing her vibrant tones again.

"Thank you, Calliope," said James as he took the blade with both hands and removed it from the sheath. It shined like a newborn star.

I could only imagine what their reactions would be if I told them I have a sword thousands of times more powerful in my storage space. I walked out of the room with a smile on my face, but my expression hardened when I saw the burning city again.

Thomas Leore Gransus was going to pay for everything he's done.

I ran past Gertrude's corpse again and it stoked the rage in my bosom. I wish I could have saved her.

[Solution: The user can attempt to rip her soul from the reincarnation cycle and perform necromancy magic to revive her.]

…

RED, if I remove someone's soul from the reincarnation cycle, will they ever return to it after?

[Solution: No. Once removed one cannot reenter the reincarnation cycle.]

I see. So that means when I die it really is the end for me?

[Solution: Yes. Lord Nox removed the user from the reincarnation cycle.]

Does that mean he used an advanced form of necromancy magic on me?

[Solution: Data not found.]

RED, were you a normal person too before meeting Nox?

[Solution: Data not found.]

It's okay, RED. You can tell me when you're ready.

With our short conversation over, I made haste to the castle in hopes I might be able to save the king. I never met the man before but I had seen a statue of him on my initial tour of the Capital with Lily. He didn't look like a bad man.

The castle walls were battered and the main gate was destroyed. It looked like a massive beast crawled through it. I almost doubted my eyes. How could a group of low level humans do this?

[Solution: The sixth prince obtained a magical item that let him tame one of the rank 4 beasts from The Forgotten Lands. The prince's party is currently being aided by an Omega Hound.]

Omega Hounds, if I remembered right, were the next step up from Devil Hounds. They tended to be loners rather than pack animals like their lower ranked brethren.

I was interested in this magical item that let the prince tame the beast, though. The only requirement for me to gain the tamer class in this world is to tame a beast. This item could streamline the process.

I entered the castle and made my way through the courtyards into the main hall. There, upon the throne, sat the bratty prince I had met earlier in the night. The one who put Lily through all this pain. To his right was the impaled head of the Gransus King, and to his left was the Omega Hound. It looked like a giant golden retriever, but at the size of an elephant. It was adorable. I wanted it.

I stopped in the middle of the hall. To them it probably looked like I materialized out of thin air.

"What… How? How can you be here!? The Tartarus Charm should have sent you to the 500th floor of the Calico Dungeon! Even the Great Founder took three years to make it out after he set up that return point!" Cried the prince as panic filled his voice.

"I get it! You must have had a return point charm set somewhere else in the Kingdom. Judging by your ragged appearance you've surely exhausted yourself in the process of getting back here anyways! Right now, you stand before the King of Gransus, demon. At my side I have a rank 4 magical beast and the Knight Captain! I've been told you could fight rank 4 beasts alone, but such nonsense couldn't possibly be true! Omega Hound, Knight Captain, BRING ME HER HEAD!"

The Knight Captain charged out from behind one of the pillars in the room. I didn't even pay him a second thought as I snapped my hand back, crushing his chest like a berry between my fingers.

The Omega Hound, though, I didn't want to hurt. Such an innocent looking doggy couldn't possibly be responsible for everything that's happened. The beast charged me and I put up my hand, stopping its momentum entirely.

"Sit," I commanded in a firm voice while meeting the hound's eyes.

It obeyed.

[-New Subclass Acquired-

Subclass Tamer]

Oh? I didn't even need the prince's magic item.

"H-how?" Asked the prince as he stumbled over the back of the throne.

"Y-you're not a demon! You're a monster!"

I moved forward and flicked him on the forehead, knocking him out cold.

I searched his body and found the magic device. Without a second thought I stored it into my item pack.

"You," I said, looking down at the boy, "are either the luckiest bastard alive, or the unluckiest. I have no idea how cruel Lily can be. If I was the one to kill you, at least I wouldn't make you suffer. You did help me get an adorable pet, after all."