The Great Plains of Stanza

Vooom!

Vivian was still in her human form, save for her eyes, and running across a vast barren land with her pair of long-legged black leather boots on her left hand. There was some greenery here and there, but most of the land was just plain, old dirt that looked like the land was experiencing drought.

She stopped and squinted her demonic eyes.

What is that…?

A dozen meters away from her, there was a herd of red-colored nervous systems that looked like either dinosaurs or giant chickens.

Vooom!

She ran towards the herd.

Squaaak!

Squaaak!

Squaaak!

Once she got around 10 meters near the herd, they immediately turned to her direction and crowed before charging.

[Greater Origin Transformation].

Blaaak.

One of her eyes reverted to its human form.

Although it was night, there was enough light for a human eye to see what was in front of it.

Oh… 

I think these are called Flappers…?

If Vivian were to describe them, they were basically giant chickens. Their body was covered in red and brown feathers and they stood about 3ft tall. They are omnivores and travel in packs.

1, 2, 3… 17…

17, huh…

There's too many…

I don't want to get my clothes dirty…

And they're only red…

She reached out for the right side of her short and fitting long-sleeved backless turtleneck black dress and pulled it forward.

[Greater Origin Transformation].

Blaaak!

A giant spider-like demon arm that was appropriate for a 10-meter-tall being burst out of her right rib. 

[Power Claw].

WOOO-RIIIP!

With one swoop, the whole herd turned into a cloud of blood and dust.

[Greater Origin Transformation].

Blaaak!

The giant spider-like demon arm retracted back to her rib and she swept her gaze around to see if there were any humanoid blue-colored nervous systems.

Hmm…

Blue…

Blue…

I want a blue one…

Tch.

She clicked her tongue.

There's only red…

Vooom!

She ran towards the nearest red-colored nervous system.

Oh…

I didn't expect to see this one…

It's been a while since I've seen this monster…

Makes me remember my time back in Luxen City…

In front of her was a Brown Kraine. The wolf-like monster felt Vivian's presence thanks to the [Nemesis of Beasts] effect when she got closer.

[Power Fist].

Woo-riiip!

Before the monster could even turn its head to face her, its entire head was already shredded into bits and pieces.

Vivian ignored it and continued running to the nearest red-colored nervous system.

Oh…

A Brown Nake...?

Hiss!

Chud.

She caught the monster's head with her hand right hand and its 15-foot-long body immediately wrapped around her, trying to crush her.

She shook her head.

No…

This isn't a Brown Nake….

Brown Nakes can only grow up to 10ft long…

This is too long and the texture of its body seems rougher…

She squinted her eyes, trying to recall the monsters she studied back at the Training Course.

"You're a Desert Nake, aren't you?"

Hiss!

The snake-like monster let out another aggressive hiss as it continued wrapping its body around her and trying to crush her which garnered no effect.

[Poison Strike].

Psssh!

Thud.

The monster immediately went limp and Vivian let it fall to the ground before stripping all of her clothes.

I think I should buy a stretchable dress…

But then again, even if I bought one, the belt pouch would be a problem…

[Greater Origin Transformation].

Blaaak!

Vivian transformed into a 3-meter-tall Demon and then picked up the 15-foot-long snake-like monster by the head.

Time to have a little snack…

Crunch.

Crunch.

The tentacles on her mouth parted, revealing her monstrous and nightmarish chinless mouth that had 4 rows of teeth and then she shoved the head of the monster down her throat. She also used her hands and tentacles to assist her mouth in pushing the rest of the monster's body.

Crunch.

Crunch.

Thanks to her strength, the monster's body was no different than eating a long and single piece of pasta. The only difference was the thickness which caused her eyes to water a bit because she felt like she was choking whenever she tried to eat it faster.

Pat.

Pat.

When she finally ate the entire monster's body, she stared at her stomach and patted it.

That was a stupid idea…

But I was just too hungry…

It's been days since I had a full meal…

Well…

At least it would only take around 10-15 minutes to digest all of my food…

But seriously, why isn't there enough budget back in the border checkpoint…?

It should be eat all you can…!

Back at the border checkpoint, there was a monthly budget when it came to food which was enough for 50 people to eat twice a day, breakfast and dinner, and this doesn't cover the food for the animals at the stable because that also has its own budget. However, although there were 5 Priests, 5 Knights and 15 Guards, the Priests and Knights were being served with more food. But despite that, it still wasn't enough for Vivian because she needed at least 9 meals per day just to feel satisfied. 

However…

I'm not gonna lie…

Blue ones definitely taste better than the red ones…

She picked up her belt pouch and took out a black piece of cloth as large as a blanket from one of the pouches before wrapping all of her belongings with it. 

She was about to move once again with all of her belongings wrapped with cloth on her hand when she noticed a blue-colored humanoid that suddenly manifested a few meters away from her out of thin air and was headed towards her.

At first, she was shocked because she had never seen such a skill or spell before. But after that, she became excited and quickly cast a spell.

[Greater Origin Transformation].

Blaaak.

One of Vivian's eyes reverted to its human form.

This…

This is a Black Lady, right…?

If she were to describe a Black Lady, it looked like a female with deathly pale skin, long black hair covering her face and wearing a long black dress. But what made it really made it interesting to see was that its face was blurry, its entire body was semi-transparent and it had no legs that it looked like it was floating in the air.

Wow…

It really looks like a ghost…

Or I think this is what ghosts would look like if they were real…

Back in her world, there were so many stories and claims about ghosts and spirits but no one was ever able to provide or show any solid proof.

The Black Lady finally reached her and began touching her shoulder.

Ooo…

Vivian's brows knitted together.

I'm affected by it…?

Based on what she learned back in the Training Course, although this entity was classified as a monster, it didn't fall under the category of beasts, but instead fell under the spirits category and there were two types of this entity; White Lady and Black Lady.

In terms of appearance, the White and Black Lady looked the same. The only difference is that the White Lady wears a white dress while the Black Lady wears a black dress.

Meanwhile, in terms of attack, they also have a difference. The White Lady can absorb mana by simply touching the target, similar to [Soul Strike]. On the other hand, the Black Lady can absorb mana and life force by simply touching the target, making it more dangerous.

And as for how the White and Black Ladies are made or have come into existence, there are many theories. But one of the most popular theories is that they were from people who were affected by the Wave. It is the most popular theory because once a person gets affected by a Wave imbued with the Soul Affinity, they simply disappear and they would appear at random places at different times, mostly in places with little to no people, not to mention their faces can't be identified.

Vivian stared at the Black Lady's face which was covered with her long black hair.

Hmm…

No matter how much I stare at it, I can't make out her exact features…

It's too blurry…

She glanced at the spirit's hand holding her shoulder.

I can feel my mana being absorbed 2 points per second…

And my strength…

So this is what they meant when your life force is being absorbed…

It ignores the stats of an individual…?

If she were to describe the feeling, it was similar to the weakening effect of [Poison Strike] but the difference is that it starts out small and it gradually grows as the target becomes weaker.

"Can you speak?"

The spirit didn't say anything or make any reaction. It simply continued touching her, absorbing mana and life force.

"Can you understand me?"

Still no reaction.

Vivian leaned back to break away from the Black Lady's touch.

The spirit simply moved closer to continue touching her and absorbing mana and life force.

"Do you have a name?"

"Tell me, what do you want?"

Woooh!

Vivian slapped the hand of the Black Lady's body but it only passed through.

Hmm..

[Greater Origin Enchant].

A dark-red lightning appeared on her hand.

I want to test this theory…

Chud.

She reached out for the spirit's wrist and was able to hold it.

"Wow," she said with a fascinated expression on her face, her eyes sparkling with wonder.

But I can still feel my mana and life force being absorbed…

[Power Fist].

The dark-red lightning got absorbed by the skill but it still didn't affect the spirit.

So it's really true that they're immune to Physical Arts…

They say that a White or Black Lady can only be destroyed using spells…

But what about this…?

[Poison Strike].

A green water-like aura appeared on her hand.

Chu-psssh!

She was able to hold the spirit and a green mist exploded.

It's still more or less the same…

To Vivian's surprise, the spirit showed no sign that it was affected by the [Poison Strike]'s weakening effect and she continued feeling her mana and life force being absorbed.

I'm starting not to feel good anymore…

But there's still one or two more things I want to try…

Let's see if this works…

[Soul Strike].

A white water-like aura appeared on her hand.

"GYAAAH!" the Black Lady let out a howling scream of agony as it disintegrated into oblivion.

"Eh…?"

There was a puzzled look on Vivian's face and her eyes blinked a few times before she stared at her hand.

So Soul spells do destroy them…

But that was too quick…

I mean, did it die at one shot because it was its ultimate weakness or because my Magic Force was just too high…?

I should've tried the other spells first, like [Wind Arrow]…

And now that I think of it…

I should've also tried if I could pummel it to death with [Greater Chaos Enchant] on my hand…

She shook her head and let out a sigh.

Whatever…

Vooom!

She resumed traveling.

***

At the Third Inner Stanza Border Checkpoint.

Lamont was lying down on a bed. He was wearing a plain shirt and still had his plate armor on his shoulders and legs except for his torso. As for his sword, it was lying on the corner of the bed.

His eyes suddenly opened and he stared at a familiar ceiling. It wasn't his room back at the Knights' Quarters Building but was instead a public room in one of the buildings used by the Knights and Guards on duty during the night.

He quickly sat up from the bed and noticed his sword in the corner.

"Guard!" 

Ka-cha!

The door opened and a Guard who was part of the crew on duty tonight entered before saluting.

"Knight Lieutenant…! Y-You called…?"

"What happened?! Where is that Inquisitor?!"

"H-H-onored Priestess Inquisitor Monad left, Knight Lieutenant…"

"She left?!"

"Y-Yes, Knight Lieutenant…"

Lamont got up and grabbed his sword before heading out of the room.

"Knight Lieutenant, sir, please wait for a moment --!"

"Out of my way!" he said as he shoved the Guard away and then stepped out of the room where he found Edgar and Lennon heading toward him.

"Knight Lieutenant Lamont, I'm glad to see that you're finally awake," said Edgar.

"Knight Captain! I have a report to tell you about Priestess Inquisitor --"

"Knight Lieutenant," he said with a stern voice, interrupting him. "We've already heard what happened. Everything was just a simple misunderstanding. Do you understand me?"

Lamont's eyes turned wide and they bounced between Edgar and Lennon.

"A simple misunderstanding? That Inquisitor--!"

This time, it was Lennon who spoke.

"Knight Lieutenant Lamont, tell me where you are and what is the rank of Sister Inquisitor Monad."

Lamont suppressed the urge to glare at Lennon before turning to Edgar. Although Lennon was one of the commanding officers, they were both from different Temples and organizations.

"Knight Captain, that Inquisitor attacked me! She violated the rules and must be arrested!"

"Do you have any visible wounds?" Edgar asked. And although his voice still carried that stern tone, it now sounded like how a commanding officer would speak to his subordinate.

A confused expression flashed across Lamont's face.

"I'm asking you, Knight Lieutenant. Do you have any visible wounds?"

Lamont quickly checked his body.

"I don't feel anything. She must've healed me. She's a Priestess after all. But --"

"If there are no wounds --"

Lamont jerked his head and returned his gaze to Edgar.

"My armor! She destroyed my armor and I have several witnesses! The Guards! Yes, the Guards can attest to what happened!"

Edgar stepped forward and stood in front of him, his stature towering over him a few inches.

"Knight Lieutenant, I suggest that you drop this case. Nothing good will come out of it. Don't worry about your armor, we will have Priestess Inquisitor Monad pay for the repairs."

Lamont was about to say something but Edgar cut him off once again.

"If what the Guards said about her and the sexual harassment accusation she made about you are true, even if we all banned together to act as witnesses, with that kind of power, you know that the worst punishment she will receive is that she will lose the Holy Crusade point that she will get from the Holy Crusade and be transferred to another location. You, on the other hand, if you lose, you can forget any future advancement in your career as a Knight -- and that's the best-case scenario."

Despite Vivian not revealing her face because it was constantly covered by her mask, everyone could at least tell that she was still in her 20s. And for someone at that age range who not only easily defeated Lamont whose Physical Force was Orichalcum-Adamantite and Magic Force was Orichalcum and the second strongest among the Knights stationed here like he was nothing but could also rip out an Orichalcum-grade metal with their bare hands as if it was made of paper and was also an Inquisitor, in their minds, there was absolutely no way that she was someone with a simple background.

Edgar, who was in his mid-30s, has seen and heard enough of these types of incidents throughout his career.

"I'm in the right here! Justice is on my side!" Lamont protested, barely controlling the anger in his voice. "I was following proper protocol while she did not and then she attacked me! And most importantly, that person stepped on my honor as a Knight! You and I are both Knights and also from the same Chapter! Where is your honor?!"

Edgar pursed his lips for a moment before finally answering.

"If you decide to pursue this path, you will be on your own. We will neither be on your side nor hers. And if you threaten or bribe anyone, especially the Guards, to act as your accomplice, I will personally stand in your way."

Although the other Priests and Knights would suffer a blow if Lamont decided to pursue the case and they sided with him, it was a different story for the Guards. After all, there was a difference between Knights and Guards.

With Guards, all of them are commoners. And even if they were able to reach the Knight rank, it wasn't a 100% guarantee that they would be awarded the title of Nobility. 

Whereas with Knights, when a Noble decides to join any of the Knights Chapters, they would start at the Knight rank. Lamont, Arabella and Garcon were an example of this.

Nevertheless, when it comes to promotions, both Knights and Guards are equal. The more number of dangerous missions an individual accomplishes, the faster they get promoted, so having high Physical and Magic Force is definitely a must. However, that doesn't mean one could just bulldoze their way with raw power. Aside from in-born talents, the number of years of training, and also resources required, as a person climbs the higher ranks, they would only realize that it's filled with both allies and enemies who are basically walking demi-gods that could kill a mortal with a snap of their fingers and are backed or connected with other powerful people and organizations.

Edgar placed his hand on Lamont's shoulder and leaned closer.

"My friend, I know it's frustrating. And trust me, as a fellow Knight and Twin Knights Chapter member, I feel for you. But as a Noble and a seasoned Knight, you of all people know very well how these games are played. Let this pass for now, build a stronger case. And if she does this again to anyone, I will personally lead the investigation against her. I promise you that, I swear to the Elemental Gods," he said and then stepped back. "Once she returns, we will have the both of you talk, agree to a settlement and not let this incident get any bigger. Do you understand me? We will also issue a gag order that no one is allowed to mention about the incident. Anyone caught violating it will be facing Priest High Lieutenant Lennon and I." 

Lamont tightened his grip around the handle of his sword and gritted his teeth before finally calming down.

"Yes, Knight Captain…"