Theapan Temple (Part 9)

Vorbuk's ear flicked at a familiar voice in his head.

[ Conditions to level up met ]

The night breeze brushing through his fur as his body began to glow. Beneath his body a magic circle shined brightly in the night lighting up the surroundings. The light was bright enough to cause Ashley to raise his hand to shield his eyes.

His body became more sturdy built. Nails growing sharper against the dirt. These changes could be considered minor as most people would barely notice them. But in a fight for his survival they were important to someone. What was once fur turned to fog. Vorbuk's body had merged together which his mana as he leveled up.

As a Shadow Wolf his very being emitted a flow of shadow as if his body burned with a silent black flame. His mana flowing calmly within his body like a steady stream.

[ Level Up Complete ]

Vorbuk slowly opened his eyes and looked around him. The others were rushing over as soon as they noticed the light around where Vorbuk and Ashley had been.

Ah, there had been no question towards what he wanted to grow into because his species had it's own growth path. Vorbuk could feel the difference in his body as he stood up. It felt much lighter to move around as if his body drifted like a shadow on the ground. It was a lightness that he was not use to causing him to stumble his steps slightly at first.

[ Requirement To Reach Level 4: 5000 Mana and Successfully Acquire a Second Element ]

Vorbuk listened to the voice in his head as it spoke. Those words made him feel excited as it meant it should be possible for him to try comprehending a second element. If he could combine another element with his shadow element in the future it would become very useful. However he knew it would not be something he could learn right away. It would take time for him to fully grasp it.

Wait. Does that mean that Ashley is able to learn a second element? He just has not been able to learn it because he could not comprehend it? Since Vorbuk was now at the third level he could feel Ashley's capabilities from his aura more clearly.

[ Correct. ]

"Congratulations, master~" Ashley smiled brightly as the wolf. His words drawing the gaze of the wolf in his direction. There was something in the wolf's gaze that made him flinch.

From a glance to the side Vorbuk could see his current mana.

[ Mana: 2100 ]

He had broken through the barrier a bit but still had a while to go before he would reach the next level. At his current level he was already able to be ranked among some of the best out there. Even if that fact was true there was still far for him to go to reach his goal.

"It will work for now." Vorbuk knew he could not waste time in the temple just to cultivate his mana forever.

"Master~" Ashley started to speak but found himself cut off quickly by the approaching prince, Leo.

"Vorbuk!" Prince Leo sounded excited to see Vorbuk had woken up from his cultivation. Though there was still a tint of worry in his voice and expression.

"What's going on?" Vorbuk asked knowing that the prince was the only one able to understand him in wolf form.

"The Theapan King has gone crazy and attacked the temple." The prince answered instantly. He was not afraid to call the king crazy after what he'd done.

The more that the wolf listened to the prince's explanation of what was going on the more he wanted to agree with the fact the king had lost his mind. Outside the Temple of Theapan the king had sent an army. Hundreds of werewolf knights had set up camp within the forest. Some of them would attack in their wolf forms while others were in either their human form or transformation form in armor fighting in combat with weapons.

While Vorbuk had been cultivating the king had sent them to attack the temple. Since they could not break through the temple's magic defense they could only set up camp outside in the forest. Leading back to back attacks for the past couple days.

The group had initially wanted to leave the temple in hopes that it would prevent a war between the temple and the Theapan Kingdom. In the end since Vorbuk was cultivating they could only wait. If they interrupted Vorbuk's cultivation it could be dangerous for the wolf. It was common knowledge that someone undergoing cultivation could not be forced to wake up without risking internal damage.

The location of King Luke was unknown. The only thing they knew about the king was that he intended to wake a sleeping vampire within the mountains of Theapan in hopes of using him as a weapon against the temple.

Boooommmmmm!

An explosion could be heard outside the temple walls in the distance. The temple had people at the walls casting defensive magic to protect the place from the incoming attacks. Ground shaking could be felt as attacks were colliding against barriers.

"To think he would go so far. It feels like he is just throwing his own kingdom away at this point." Prince Leo muttered under his breath as they listened to the sounds of the battle outside.

"Anyone can be greedy. To everyone that power is something different. Money, power, or.. something else entirely. He probably has something else he's fighting for that is worth more to him then the Kingdom of Theapan itself." Vorbuk thought to himself about the king's actions.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"Aaackk!" "Kek!"

They could hear the sounds of several people on the wall collapsing from the pain they felt. Several shields were being shattered one after another like cutting butter. The pain they felt from their magic shattering was enough to collapse them to their knees in pain.

"V-V-Vampire!" "It's him!"

The people on the wall shouted as someone pointed into the distance. They could see a beautiful vampire elf cutting down shields with his blade and brute strength. Every time a shield shattered in the air it was like fireworks. It was like radiant effects to his elegant features as his pink jewel eyes sparkled in the light of the scattering magic. Yet his movements were savage like a desperate beast.

"Hold your positions! Don't let that man past the wall!" Johan Lovette's voice at the wall could be heard calling out to the men casting magic.

Vorbuk listened to the empty sound inside his head. There was no voice calling out to him. Nobody was asking him to deal with the vampire. Does the lack of a mission to deal with the vampire mean he had no need to aid the temple? If the temple's situation was ignored wouldn't that cause a rift between him and the temple? It would be harder later to complete his request of trying to receive aid from the temple.

The temple needed to deal with the vampire and he needed to deal with the Theapan King that sent the vampire against the temple. They were sent after the temple because of him as well. If he wanted to earn the loyalty of the the temple he had to meet them half way.