Chapter 4: 'Millipede hunt & Skinny dipping in Lava' (Part-2)

*scene resumes*

# Clearing several feet in an instant, I smashed my (aether)-clad fist into the millipede's side with a resounding 'thud'.

However, while the millipede buckled from the impact, the wave of pain that surged up my arm suggested that the damage I had given to it wasn't much to celebrate about.

Landing deftly back on the ground, I crossed the span of the cavern in a sprint as the millipede chased after me.

Just as the millipede got close, I held up a hand straight over my head in a fist—a signal that Regis and I devised to confuse the sound-sensitive (aether) beast.

Immediately, Regis screamed out, "Over here, you crystal-sharding bug!"

The millipede slid to a stop and whirled around toward the source of the voice. Meanwhile, I continued to exhaust my (aether), wrapping my body in a thick layer of (aether) in the hopes that there'd be a different outcome as I flashed forward.

My surroundings blurred as I approached the millipede that was snapping its pincers at the air, trying to catch Regis. I aimed for the joints where one of its many legs were attached to its body, and this time, there was a satisfying crunch as my fist dug into its leg.

The giant leg snapped off and fell on the ground while a gel-like fluid tinted in purple gushed out from the injury. The (aether) beast let out a shrill cry while turning its attention back to me.

I raised my fist once more and Regis let out another cry to get its attention. The millipede hesitated for a moment but it decided to attack Regis again, giving me some time to absorb more (aether) from the crystals abundantly scattered all around us.#

Kalon: (this man…just what kind of rune, is that lets him absorb energy off the opponents to feed himself in real-time…how powerful could he be; will he ever get tired while fighting; how can one defeat him…) *head starts to spin as cold sweats form all over his terrified body*

"How does that crap taste, (Arthur)?" Regis teased as he zigzagged in the air away from the millipede.

I raised my hand again, sticking up a specific finger. This one wasn't a signal.

*few in the crowd chuckles* (isn't that monster blind?) *a few in the crowd thinks at Grey's childish behaviour during an intense fight*

# The gears in my brain spun as I refilled my (aether) core with the excre—crystals lying about. With the development in my (aether) core, I was technically able to use Gauntlet Form three times, but Regis hadn't been able to strengthen himself enough to withstand the burden of three uses.

This was why we decided to test the beast's defenses without having to resort to using Gauntlet Form.

I continued to try and search for weaknesses while Regis frantically avoided the millipede's snapping jaws. Even after I had managed to break off two more of its countless legs and struck at the open wound where the legs attached to its body, it didn't seem to have done any sort of lasting damage.

If anything, I seemed to have made it angrier.

While my supply of (aether) was abundant thanks to the crystals hoarded in this cavern, my stamina was slowly diminishing.#

Arian: *watches the screen and questions, without looking at Grey* "Now I see why you were so confident in taking on the beast. But what would you have done if there were no crystals to feed on?"

*Grey simply shrugs*

Regis: *grins* "Oh you'll see what he does. Just you wait."

Caera: *watches the scene with bated breath* (th-this is the monster…that killed my brother)

# I guess we have no choice.

Now that I knew inflicting damage to its body hardly did anything to slow it down, the only option was to aim for its head. The problem was that its head was where its serrated pincers were and it also seemed to be the area most heavily armored by its translucent purple exoskeleton.

I would need to land both attacks using Gauntlet Form in the same spot in the hopes that it'd be enough to crack through its defenses.

Stepping off of one of its legs, I landed on the millipede's back and began running up the smooth flesh of the millipede. Leaping onto its back wasn't a challenge, but staying on as it reeled like a drunk stallion proved to be much more difficult.

I danced and wove around the giant millipede's contorting trunk as it used its own legs to try and skewer me atop its own back. Still, as most of its attention was still focused on trying to catch Regis, I was able to avoid the sharp legs that stabbed down from both sides.

The uneven terrain from the countless tergites that segmented the beast's trunk along with the fact that the millipede continued to spasm and buck to try and fling me off provided me with a challenge I hadn't faced in a while. I missed flying.

As I neared the millipede's head, (aether) stretched across my body in a tight layer of purple. Holding my right arm up, I clenched and unclenched my hand into a fist. This time I was beckoning for Regis.

Catching my signal, he let out another yell to catch the millipede's attention before narrowly avoiding the beast's mandibles and flying into my hand.

I immediately felt the rush of (aether) from my body coalescing into my dominant hand, but I felt something other than just (aether) forcing its way into where Regis remained. The faintest whisper of a voice, almost mistakable for a passing thought, echoed in my head.

The voice said to kill.

I shrugged it off as my own thoughts. After all, I had come here to kill the beast.

Rushing forward while doing my best to maintain what little control I had over the flow of (aether), I reached where its head connected to its trunk.

Gauntlet Form, I recited to Regis.

The deafening crash of thunder resounded throughout the cavern as our attack struck its target. The millipede's head crashed down into the ground to form a crater the size of a small house.

Cracks and splinters branched out from where my fist connected while the entire top of its head had become slightly concave from the force.

Regis wobbled out of my hand, his expression strained, while I unleashed another wave of (aether) throughout my body. Experience spanning (two lifetimes) and countless battles taught me…

Confirm the kill.

My body erupted in a veil of purple as I struck down at the epicenter of the splintering crater atop the millipede's head. Another splintering crack echoed upon impact, making the millipede's body jerk.

Even with (aether) coating my hand, my right fist was a bloodied mess as I pulled it out from the millipede's head.#

*everyone gasps in horror* (i-is this man, really—human?)

Alaric: "That was quite the punch, boy. You are very good at close combat like I was back in the days." *laughs as he reminiscence about his past*

Grey: *smiles and shakes his head, looking at the old drunkard*

Caera: *peeks at Grey as she hesitates to speak out something*

Riah: "I-Is it dead?" *asks nervously as she wipes off the sweat from her face*

Grey: "No. Just watch the remaining fight."

Regis: "You see, princess was very weak back then. And it was a tough beast, so it took time for us to kill it."

Taegen: *snorts* (if he's weak then what the hell are we?!)

# My breath short and ragged, I contemplated whether to hit it one more time. The millipede remained lifeless on its belly, a crater formed underneath its head.

"Is it…dead?" Regis asked, his voice hoarse.

Just as I turned back to my companion, the surface beneath my feet was swept up from under me. With no time to react, I was flung off the giant beast, helplessly watching as the serrated mandibles of the millipede snapped shut over Regis.

My eyes widened at the sight of the floating black orb disappearing inside the millipede, and it took every last ounce of self-control to keep myself from screaming out his name.#

*everyone turns to the shadow wolf in shock* **Regis simply shrugs like it was nothing*

# Quickly reorienting myself, I landed on my feet and immediately swivelled on my heel—barely managing to avoid a barrage of sharp legs raining down from above.

The millipede towered over me and continued to unleash a torrent of strikes using its hundreds of legs. Each time it stabbed down, a foot-long hole was left in the ground but my concentration was split between dodging its legs and looking out for Regis.

Regis was corporeal, capable of going through most objects but I couldn't see my companion at all. My panic deepened as a minute passed with no sign of the black will-o-wisp.

It wasn't until another minute when I saw him. He was floating in the inside of the giant millipede.

Damn it. I needed Regis to launch an attack strong enough to kill this giant bug. Without him, would I be able to win?

A sharp pain erupted as one of the millipede's sharp legs left a long gash on my arm. This sobered me enough to collect myself.

Even without my arsenal of elemental magic, I had not only trained with the sword extensively in my (previous life), but I had trained in combat with (Asuras).

I forced myself to remember my battles against Kordri—the oppressive aura that he emanated so casually, the movements that seemed both slow and fast.

(Asuras). They were my opponents.#

Arian: "Wait! 'He's extensively trained in sword?!' But—you don't have one…why are you using a dagger then?"

Grey: *takes a peek at Caera, before speaking in a plain tone* "You'll know why, soon enough."

Caera: *clutches her hand as blood seeps from her palms* *watches the screen with blurry vision as tears well up*

Taegen: "And who did you train in combat with? The name is clearly important, so it was cut-off?" *asks as he looks between God and Grey*

God: *grins* "Oh you all know them very well. As for their name, you'll know soon enough."

Kalon: "So you're a swordsman too, huh." *shakes his head and smiles disbelievingly* "Is Kodri your master? He seemed to have trained you."

Grey: "He was. He's probably the best when it comes to melee combat, the best I've ever seen…" *looks at the screen in nostalgia*

Ezra: *snorts* "'The best?!' What a joke! You must be delusional to think that your "master" is the "best" in the world, especially the one where deities exist. Do you think that Kodri, can stand against the mighty deities? I think not, so stop spouting bullsh*t" *snarls in anger*

Kalon: "Brother…what did I tell you? Watch your mouth before you lose your teeth. Besides, do you think you can fight against that monstrosity" *asks as he points at the screen*

Ezra: *looks pale, but soon composes himself* "T-That's not what I meant. That man—he's just lying."

Kalon: *shakes his head in defeat* "You really have a lot to learn, and I hope our father—will teach you a good lesson when we go back home."

Ezra: *stiffens at Kalon's words* (no, not 'Master Matheson')

*Ada pats Ezra's back consolingly on her brother's fate*

# If I needed to rely on Regis for every strong opponent I faced down here, otherwise I wouldn't even be able to beat the scythes, let alone the asuras behind them.

Letting out a sharp breath, I thought back to Kordri's words. As he said, hand-to-hand combat was the most versatile and adaptive form of fighting. Except, his duty at that time was to maximize the potential of my human body.

I wasn't so (human) anymore.

My legs blurred as I continuously danced around the piercing strikes of the millipede's legs, my focus heightened to a terrifying degree.

I had to accept that I wasn't (human) anymore, and with that came a strength that pushed me to my utmost limit.

The more I continued dodging, the more unnecessary movements I began to shave off. My body began remembering the (Asura's) teachings I had cast aside over the years—relying on magic instead.

The battle was long and drawn out. I continued to hack away at its legs until I had finally debilitated its movement.

Since, without being able to control the flow of (aether), I couldn't do enough damage with my bare hands to land a killing blow to the millipede, I decided to use the same method I had used against the chimeras.

Let's hope this works.#

Abby: "You aren't a what anymore? I don't understand what you could mean. A mage? But that won't make any sense… what could it be?" (I wanna know so badly) *looks at Grey's face*

*many from the crowd had the same question, and was curious about his master Kodri*

God: "No unnecessary questions. We have a long way to go before most of your questions can be answered. Please be patient."

*everyone shuts up at God's words*

# Because the millipede's legs were too large for me to actually hold as a weapon, I had to break off the sharp tip of its leg for me to be able to use it.

The millipede let out a shrill wail as it clamored toward me with its remaining legs.

Wielding the translucent purple leg like a lance, I tested out my new weapon. The conductivity of it wasn't as strong as the chimera's weapons but it would be sufficient. It had to be.

Dodging the serrated mandibles that the millipede struck me with, I looked for an opening.

I had to land a clean hit on the wound at the back of its head where I had struck with Gauntlet Form, but it wasn't easy as it flailed its head like a deranged bull.

Twice had I missed my target, scraping the exterior shell of its head as it dodged just as I was about to attack. Without the help of Regis drawing its attention, it was attentive to my location, rhythmically thumping its legs on the ground to find my location.

How do I get it to stop? I pondered, running circles around it as I absorbed the (aether) from the crystals lying about.

My mind spun until the memory of when the chimera had first fused together popped into my head. It was able to release this concussive aura that knocked us back that was almost able to knock me unconscious.

It was uncertain if I would be able to replicate its effects but I was running out of time and my options were limited.

Gauging the amount of (aether) I had left in my core, I figured I could spend about seventy percent on trying to stun it and the rest on landing the attack.

Steeling myself, I yelled out. "Over here!"

Noticing that I had stopped running, the millipede furiously made its way towards me, scrambling through the piles of (aether) crystals within the huge cavern.

"Please, let this work," I mumbled as I began releasing the (aether) from my core. My aura flared purple at the sudden discharge of (aether), but I didn't stop there.

After waiting for the millipede to draw near, I allowed the (aether) within me to tear through that thin threshold that was my body, unleashing it in a translucent dome of tinged purple.

Immediately, my legs felt heavy from the exertion, but the effects were more than I had hoped for.#

Caera: *stares wide eyed as realisation strikes* (I-It's aether! It must be aether! Otherwise, it doesn't make any sense. No mana art can be this powerful unless its aether. But how? How is it possible? Is he a dragon asura? He moves so fast and no normal human can deal damage to such a monster with just their bare hands. He's either an asuran blooded, like me—or…no, not possible, they're extinct!) *shakes her head dismissing her thoughts while her heart beats fast at certain revelations* (I need to talk to him.) *turns to look at Grey*

# Compared to the concussive force that the fused chimera had released, my attack felt more like the manifestation of an aura—similar to Kordri's King's Force. Even I wasn't completely unaffected as I felt the very air grow heavy.

The millipede stiffened from the effects of my attack and slumped down. Tightening my grip around the impromptu weapon in my hand, I rushed forward with the remaining sliver of (aether) left in me.

Veering right to avoid the millipede's sluggish attempt in pincering me, I used its own mandibles as a foothold to launch myself high up into the air.

Utilizing the speed of my fall along with the force of my swing, I drove the lance deep into the epicenter of the crater on the back of the (aether) beast's head. The satisfying crunch of the millipede's exoskeleton shattering was followed by the sensation of penetrating flesh.

The giant millipede let out a pained roar, this time more guttural and raw before its body crashed onto the ground.

Taking out a crystal from my pocket and consuming a bit more (aether), I struck the back end of the millipede's leg once more, driving it deeper into the (aether) beast's head.

My body felt like lead and my core ached upon depletion. But I felt good—better than I had in a long time.

"Stay down," I huffed, collapsing on top of the giant beast.#

Kalon: "That was a clever fight, Grey. Even I don't know if I could have come out of it unscathed." *looks intently at the screen*

Arian: "I'm more surprised you aren't addicted to that thing, by now." *points at the crystals in the screen*

Taegen: "Yeah, seriously. How much did you consume?" *whsipers to Grey* "Can you sell me a few? Asking for a friend…"

Grey: *opens his mouth to rebuke their idiotic questions, but stops when he hears a voice next to him*

Caera: *looks nervously at the golden eyed ascender* "Grey…"

Grey: *looks back at Caera, albeit a bit nervously himself* *asks softly* "What is it?"

Caera: *after hesitating for a few seconds, speaks with a resolute tone* "I-Is this the zone—the monster…that ki—"

Grey: "Yes." *cuts off Caera's obvious question*

Caera: *stiffens at Grey's answer and stares fixedly at Grey, before tears form on her eyes* *gives a few shallow nods at the golden eyed ascender and turns her eyes back to the screen, before softly whispering* "Thanks…"

Grey: *stares at Caera's soft features as several of his own memories crosses through his mind* *shakes his head to dismiss those thoughts and turns back to the screen*

# Following Regis inside the massive cavern that was about the length of a city block, he led me past a particularly large hill of aether crystals. After we had reached the peak, the hill dipped to form a crater where a particularly vibrant pile of aether crystals were gathered around four large spheres all ranging in different shades of milky purple.

"Don't tell me those are…"

"Yup," Regis finished. "I don't know how, but that giant millipede had her some babies."

"But that's not what's important," he continued, floating down into the crater. "Look at those crystals surrounding the eggs."

There were several man-sized crystals with objects trapped inside them. I quickly broke a few. But it wasn't what I hoped it would be.

Unfortunately, while the man-sized crystals that contained equipment numbered over a dozen, most of them weren't usable by the time I had broken through the crystalline shell they had been stored in.

What was left, however, were masterfully crafted equipment that no doubt belonged to either powerful mages and warriors or—at the very least—rich ones.

I looked at the weapons first. Out of the ones that didn't completely fall apart, there was a golden spear with red runes running down its shaft, an unstrung longbow, a longsword with a gem imbedded on its pommel and a crack running down the length of the blade, and a staff with a shattered gem.

Regis frowned as he hovered over the weapons strewn on the ground in front of me. "Well that's anticlimactic."

Next, I picked up the spear. Imbuing (aether) into this one had a particular effect; the runes began glowing purple.

Regis' eyes widened. "Ooh! Do we have a winn—"

The spear exploded into pieces in my hands, hurling me several feet back and charring my leather vest.

"I guess I spoke too soon," Regis replied.

"Damn it," I cursed, gathering myself and walking back to the weapons that were left.

What I was left with was clothing made from fine cloth or leather.

"Looking good, princess," Regis teased as he circled around me.#

*no one laughed or made any remarks as they all felt pressure coming from two people in the room*

*Arian and Taegen stared fixedly at the screen, gritting their teeth, and gripping their weapons tightly*

Grey: *sighs looking at the duo* (are they going to pick a fight with me?)

# My new outfit consisted of a loose white long-sleeved shirt that I tucked into a pair of bracers made from a thick blackened leather. Over it, I put on a gorget that was made from the same material as the bracers. Despite my rather lean frame, it fit well, resting snug over my shoulders and coming up to my chin.

After some testing, I realized that the shirt and the leather pieces of armor were surprisingly durable. They didn't have any runes or indications that they were artifacts, so I didn't need to worry about my clothes bursting from a bad reaction with (aether). That's always a good thing.

Along with a pair of pants, some soft leather shoes and a sturdy bag that was able to securely hold Sylvie's stone and my water pouch, the last item held a bit of sentimental value to me. It was a rather elegant cloak lined with a soft white fur around its hood.#

Taegen: "So this was the monster that killed our lord…"

Riah: *ignores the current atmosphere and speaks in a cheery tone* "What's that colourful stone? It looks so pretty." *asks as her sparkles while looking at the rainbow coloured stone*

Grey: *answers, to soften the vaguely threating atmosphere* "It's a gift, from an old friend."

# It was slash-resistant and incredibly warm, but I liked it simply because of its color. While it was white with fur on the inside, the outer cloth was a toned-down teal color. It reminded me of Dawn's Ballad, but more than that, it reminded me of the simpler times when I first found Dawn's Ballad in the back corner of the (Helstea) Auction House.

Putting on the cloak that came down just above my knees, I was greeted by a nice heft, but what surprised me was that there was something hidden inside the inner lining of the cloak.#

Grey: *watches the scene in embarrassment* (it's okay I didn't technically steal the clothes. Its okay…) *peeks at Caera*

*caera's face is buried under her navy-blue curtain, as she sat unmovingly*

# "I thought you had gone through all of the weapons," Regis chimed, studying the dagger in my hand.

"I thought so too," I muttered, entranced by the small weapon for some reason.

The sleek handle of brushed silver was just long enough for me to hold it in one hand with slight grooves for each of my fingers. Attached to the end of the handle was a ring—most likely for my index finger if I chose to wield it blade down.

Gripping the handle tightly, I pulled it out of its sheath to reveal a flawless white blade with an insignia of a hexagon with three parallel streaks inside it carved near the base.

"Woah. What is that made of?" Regis asked, studying the glistening white blade.

I held it close in front of me, inspecting it as well. "It looks like some kind of… bone?"

"Are bones usually that shiny and white though? It looks almost crystalline."

"This is my first time seeing something like this too," I confessed, unable to take my eyes off of it."

"Try it out. Imbue some (aether) into it," Regis said impatiently.

I was afraid to—I didn't want to damage it. But when I did, to my surprise, it was able to withstand and even conduct a small portion of the (aether).

"Do you think that the person who had this knife knew how to wield (aether) too?" Regis asked, astonished at the sight of the faint purple aura leaking from its white blade.

"I don't think so," I replied. "Most likely, this dagger is just made from something that was able to wield (aether)—maybe from some beast found in this dungeon."

Regis's mouth curved up into a sinister smile. "Wicked."#

Grey: *looks down uncomfortably*

Taegen: "That dagger—" *tightly grips his weapon and stares angrily at the screen*

Arian: "So that's why you use daggers…" *turns to looks at Grey with a complicated gaze*

*everyone except the Denoir's and Grey watch the happenings with a mixture of confusion and discomfort, due to the hostile aura looming over the entire room*

# "Ready to go?" Regis asked.

"Just a minute." Gathering my hair that had grown far past my shoulders, I tied it loosely near the base of my neck. Gripping the ponytail, I cut off my hair just past the knot, letting the locks of pale wheat hair fall to the ground.

Regis nodded in approval. "I'll admit, that was pretty manly."

I took a passing glance at the giant millipede that we had killed before walking forward. "Let's go."#

*Riah and Ada blushed at the scene, nodding their heads subconsciously*

*Abby started to day dream about—things, as she averted her gaze away from other's eyes*

Grey: *sighs* (what's next? The lava—) *quickly halts his thoughts when a voice speaks from the side*

Caera: "You left the eggs alive right?"

Grey: *eyes Caera's face intently, before answering in a plain tone* "Y-Yeah, I left one alive. To keep the ecosystem stable…"

Caera: *nods in determination* (I'll find a way to get you your revenge, I promise you this, brother)

God: *smiles inwardly, while looking at Caera* "That was a good fight wasn't it? Hahaha. Now let's watch something…less aggressive and more…light-hearted"

*scene continues*

# "So, you all rested up? Ready to climb up out of here?" Regis asked cheerfully as he continued to watch a few dumber rodents chase after us and fall to their fiery deaths.

It was when I spotted several glints of purple floating away in the molten stream that I realized why I had been feeling this way.

"No. Not yet," I said as my eyes began scanning the inside of the man-sized cave I was in, yet another brilliant plan of mine slowly snapping into place.

"Tell me the truth, (Arthur). You're a masochist, aren't you."#

Taegen: "What the—where are they? I-is that—"

Arian: "…lava?" *turns to look at Grey*

Grey: *avoids the gazes that were focused on him* *curses God for showing this specific scene* (…insert some really nasty word…)

God: *cackles* "Sounds fun, right? Keep watching." *pauses and turns to the ladies in the room* "…for obvious reasons, certain—parts—of the scenes will be censored" *slowly curves his lips into a devlish smile*

*meanwhile Ada, Abby and Riah, all look at each other with confused gazes, while Briar stares at the screen with disinterest. And Caera has an unreadable expression*

# "No, I don't particularly enjoy feeling pain, Regis," I stated, lowering my toes.

"Oh so you're just dunking yourself in lava for shits and giggles?"

I stopped. "Do you mind? I kind of need to concentrate if I don't want my body to melt."

Regis rolled his eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry for trying to dissuade you from skinny dipping in lava."#

Riah: "W-WH-WHAT!?" *looks at the screen with horror filled eyes*

God: *chuckles* "Sit down child. Keep watching."

# "Apology accepted, now shut up." I took a deep breath. Even after hours of testing dozens of times, it was nerve-wracking to actually submerge myself into the molten river. #

Riah: *ignores God's words and shouts while looking at the screen* "WHY?!" *turns her head to Grey's direction* "Why do you do all this?"

God: *sighs and shakes his head* (Women…)

Kalon: *speaks through the sudden silence* "Is there any purpose for putting yourself through such a—cruel task?"

Grey: *shrugs his shoulder* "Like I mentioned my body was still in recovery"—*pauses and looks sombrely*—"and I needed to take some risks if I wanted to get stronger—quickly…"

Kalon: (What would the need be, to put yourself through such pain?) *thinks, but hesitates to ask as Grey's face looks colder and unapproachable*

*everyone turns to look at Grey with a weird gaze* (H-He's really a power hungry monster!)

*scene resumes*

# Dipping my entire body into the stream of lava, I immediately felt a burning, but tolerable heat coursing through me as I continued pumping (aether) from my core.

It was an odd feeling but it didn't take long for me to be able to confirm the benefits of doing this. I had been right, except, it had gone beyond my expectations.

Seeing the glowing purple claws of the rodents had confirmed my instincts and had set the plan into motion.#

Riah: *screams and closes her eyes* *brings her knees up and buries her face inside before sobbing*

Ada: *averts her gaze from the screen and focuses on Riah, and caresses her hair* "There, there, Riah, it's just a play, its not real. Look Grey is alive and healthy…" *consoles her sister*

Abby: *clutches her hand and tries to watch the scene as her eyes start to tear up* (why would he do this to himself? Is he really crazy? Did I choose a wrong guy again? Why does this always happen to me? I—just want to be happy—to find someone caring…and less crazy)

Briar: *crinkles her nose and watches the scene in disgust" (this guy is f*cking crazy)

Caera: *watches the scene with wide eyes as she flicks it between the screen and Grey* (I was right! This man is interesting…even the boiling lava couldn't permanently damage his skin, he must have a powerful rune for healing. If only he wasn't so secretive.) *shakes her head in disappointment*

# The first stage was the most uncertain. Just like how the last level had its own unique ecosystem, so did this one.

When I had consumed the (aether) from the rodents' claws, I realized that they were only coated in (aether). Their natural claws—while sharp and near-indestructible—were just black. Seeing how their bodies weren't able to innately wield (aether) like the chimeras, monkeys, or the millipede, I assumed that they had acquired those claws through some other means.

Their species lived underground, using their sharp claws to dig tunnels, so I speculated that in the ground was something that was rich in (aether) that they dug through in order to layer their claws with (aether).

After hours of using my newfound dagger and (aether) to dig and punch deeper into the cave that I had made, Regis and I had found it…

An (aether) crystal.

The one that we had managed to find was about seven feet in diameter and extremely dense in mana.

If the first part of my plan had been uncertain, then the second part of my plan should be described as painful.

With no way of knowing if my body would fare any better than the rodent claws, I did the only thing any wise and intelligent person would do: test.

After another several hours of melting my fingers, waiting for them to regenerate by using the (aether) crystal, and doing it again while adjusting the input of my (aether), I had finally come to where I was now…buck naked, standing on one of the shallow ends of the molten river I had found by tossing a boulder into it.

But it had paid off. My body felt as if it was going through the tempering and purging stage of my patented (aether) refinement process over and over again every second.

Because of how much (aether) I needed to expel constantly in order to keep my body from burning, as well as to be in a state of equilibrium with the harsh (aether) flowing within this molten river, I could only be inside for about a minute at a time. At least at first, that is.

"Wow. Five minutes." Regis acknowledged with a nod. "New record."#

Kalon: "You seem to be getting better, Grey. Whatever you were planning to do looks to be working." *smiles bitterly at this crude method to obtain power* (is he a Vritra blooded mage? No one can stand this much torture—self-induced or not—for this long and this causally, unless he or she has been experimented all their life before) *looks at Grey narrowing his eyes*

# I stared at the (aether) crystal that had now dulled into a hazy gray color. "Just in time. I think it's about time we leave."

"Really?" Regis' eyes sparkled like a puppy in front of a steak. I felt a little sorry for my floating companion. After the rodents had finally given up on trying to chase after us, Regis' favorite show—watching the rodents fall and sizzle in the molten stream—had been stopped. This meant that he was stuck watching me go in and out between the molten river and the (aether) crystal, naked.

I gave him a nod, putting on my clothes. After adjusting my darkened leather bracers and gorget and equipping my bag and the white dagger I had grown fond of, I draped the teal fur-lined cloak over my shoulders. "You ready?"

"Hell yes," Regis declared before stopping abruptly and turning around. "But before that… was it worth it?"

I let (aether) erupt from my core. Rather than seeing the thin sheen of magenta cover my entire body, however, my (aether) burned a brilliant purple—all traces of the reddish hue now gone. What really surprised Regis though, was the fact that almost all of the (aether) had coalesced into my right fist.

My lips curved into a smirk as I watched Regis gape stupidly. "You tell me."#

*everyone lets out a sigh of relief and a short silence follows with no one able to speak up after watching such a scene*

*Surprisingly Riah breaks the silence*

Riah: "Are you doing this for your family? Did—you, lose your family members in the war against Dicathen?" *fixes her red, swollen eyes at Grey and asks in a firm voice*

Grey: *keeps his calm façade and glances back at Riah* "Yes."

Riah: "I-I am sorry…for your loss" *lowers her down in embarrassment and guilt*

Ada: *pats Riah's shoulder*

*Suddenly a voice shouts, making many flinch*

Ezra: "THOSE DAMN DICATHIANS! THEY SHOULD ALL BE CAPTURED AND SLAUGHTERED LIKE THE PIGS THEY ARE—" *stops abruptly when he starts to feel a burning gaze from behind*

Grey: *grits his teeth and glares at the Alacryan*

God: *talks to Grey mentally* "Keep your calm, Grey. Did you not hear what I told you earlier?"

Grey: *snaps his head at God, thinks mentally* "What? You want me to stay silent now? When I could kill that insect right here and shut his filthy mouth. I can just kill all of these people! At least less of 'my people' would die in the future if I did this!"

God: *sighs* *talks mentally with Grey* "And what? Do you think everything will be okay then? Will you win the already ended war, magically by defeating all of Alacrya by yourself?" *laughs at his own words* "What a joke you are!"

Grey: *talks mentally with God* "Shut up! Just shut up!"

God: *ignores Grey's words and speaks to everyone* "Alright, hope you all had a good time. Now let's watch another memory of our dear Grey. Some of you are going to lik—" *stops his words when he hears Grey's voice*

Grey: *Shouts in an annoyed tone* "J-Just stop this nonsense." *stares right into God's inhumanly blank white eyes, unperturbed by the blinding glare they emit* "Showing my private life to all these Alac—people…Why!? Why are you doing this? Did I do something to anger you? For all I know, I never expected for there to be beings such as you…a God. So I don't understand, why?!" (I need to kill all these Alacryans! If only I could use my aether. I will burn the whole of Alacrya into nothingness!)

God: *looks at Grey with a surprised face, before answering calmly* "It's not your ignorance that is at fault, Grey. And you are asking whether if you 'did something to anger me?'…well, you haven't DONE anything YET, in fact…the reason we're here is because you actually DIDN'T do anything. You see, if you had done your part then I wouldn't have to—" *abruptly stops his speech as realisation strikes him*

Grey: (What is he talking about now? What is that 'I didn't do?' Is this about the future?) *looks at God intently*

God: *coughs* "I got a bit carried away. Let's take a break now."

*scene switches off*

[To be continued.]