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Akashic Chronicles: Paradise Lost

"Attachments are unneeded" It was both the first and last thing my old man told me. To be an effective killer you must not feel for the enemy. To be an effective mercenary you must not feel remorse. A contract is a contract. The Client is god for us. To us the value of money is more important than ideals. Hope won't feed you. Sometimes those very same ideals could poison your entire being. Possess you into something more than what you aimed to be. Embrace nothingness, Coin is God. That was the mantra of every mercenary. That was what I believed for so long, until I met her. She pulled me out of that murky swamp. Shining an inexhaustible light, creating a solid path we could tread on to. She was the reason I could keep on moving forwards. The only reason I gave a damn about anything. However, soon enough, like all roads, it soon crumbled into rubble, nothing but relics of bygone memories remained. Plunging me back down deeper into that black and murky waters once more. I reveled in it. I let it consume me, become the very thing we swore to destroy. The very same thing my old man told me about. A monster borne from the hypocrisy of those ideals, yet desperately clinging onto it like a mad man. This is the tale of a fool who once known love, oh so beautiful yet poisonous it consumed him. A tale of a fool who yearns for redemption yet revels in his own self hatred. A monstrosity borne not from necessity, but from anguish.

ArlecchinoSIMP · Kỳ huyễn
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99 Chs

The Adventurers Guild (II)

After drinking his coffee Haruki exited the enclosed room and he kept on walking around till he reached the open arena where he saw some of the people who got displaced yesterday. The most enthusiastic ones were the boy who treated him to a meal. The young girl who was wearing a black hoodie. Then the office worker who got berated by Bellona.

They each held a unique weapon and stood on different parts of the arena. The young kid held a katana surprising no one. The girl with the black hoodie was holding a spear. The Office worker was holding spiked gauntlets which was the biggest surprise towards haruki.

The woman who interviewed him earlier appeared on the other side of the arena. She gestured towards Haruki and He went towards her. She lined the four of them up and said, "I am Minerva. I shall be explaining to you four the basic adventurer knowledge. Although I won't be the one doing your rank assessment. The Adventurer I've hired today is highly skilled when it comes to her craft. She's only been here for almost three months, but she has almost reached C-rank." Minerva said.

"As for you four, you have been grouped by the years you were displaced so you four can share information with each other. Besides all four of you came from earth so you all have common ground, There is no cultural and language barrier to stop you from interacting... hopefully." She said as she looked at all of them. Haruki raised his hand, "What about you Mrs? Hopefully Miss Minerva, don't break my heart here now. Are you from earth as well?" She sighed as she shook her head. "It's Miss... And I'm not from Earth. I'm a Court Magician of the Kingdom of Nazh'thella, in the planet of Talos."

The four were stupefied as she snapped her fingers and a series of magic circles appeared on top her her spread palms as a fire ball that suddenly floated atop her palms. It then turned into a figure of a man and woman as they started dancing midair.

"Woah! I can't believe it's magic! It's actual magic! It's like a dream come true." The boy in glasses said as his excitement went through the roof. The other two were stunned how ever the gleam in their sparkling eyes were unmistakable.

<Hm... I'm not familiar with the Planet of Talos. Could it be from another reality?>

'Suddenly you're talking?' Haruki chimed within his head towards Magus's words.

<Can it, you.>

Minerva then clapped her hands. "Alright enough fanfare. Listen up. We are an organization that serves as an adventurer-for-hire service for the people and other organizations scattered all through out the world. However for now before you set out towards the real world you're temporarily stuck in this sealed space to train you to be strong enough to be able to survive on your own. Beyond these woods are monsters beyond your comprehension. Do you remember the Nexus singularity? It doesn't only take in people like us. It's every living being scattered across all realities. From banal goblins to eldritch monstrosities." She said as she showed them a large planet with various continents and bodies of land and water.

"That's why the church sealed this space to help protect the people living within this walls." She said as she showed them a divine looking kingdom. "This is the Lucius Theocracy. The Largest and most influential kingdom in this place. This will all be explained in due time. For now, you four need to focus on getting stronger." She said as she crossed her arms while releasing her aura towards them. The three were felt their breaths stifiling while Haruki only acted along with them.

"For the next three months, this place would be your home. After that feel free to explore the world as you see fit. Or you can choose to stay and be coddled within the peaceful walls of this place. This is after all a neutral area. However once you step outside, you better be prepared." She said as she narrowed her eyes towards them.

She then showed them a map of the forest. With a couple of land marks. In the middle was the Town of Elysium. Then on the four corners of the map were marked with large X marks. Then Orange and Red circles that cover most of the area. Only a few green circles were present around the Town of elysium including the temple they all came from.

"I'm pretty sure these marks are pretty self explenatory. The Green ones are safe and weak monsters populate that area. Although We have devised a Summoning anchor it's not perfect. Sometimes certain monsters get through the area and they get funneled into this place even then some still appear all over the world occasionally.

The Orange ones are tough monsters. So don't go there until you're confident enough you'll live. The red ones are the dangerous areas filled with beasts that are unstable and dangerous. Don't ever go there. Even the strongest of adventurers can only steer clear when they come across the monsters that lurk there. If you are not a monstously strong person that got displaced you won't ever survive there.

Those four X marks you see on the corners are Certain Death. We've commisioned several S-ranked adventurers to kill those anomalies only to end in failure. They have been here in this place before the seal was even created. As far as we know... If we leave them alone they won't run amok. So if you value your life... Don't get any ideas."

The four nodded their heads towards her words. Haruki pondered to himself, 'Magus... You thinking what I'm thinking?'

<That this sealed space is nothing but an all you can eat buffet?>

Haruki chuckled inwardly as he nodded his head. "So who's stronger? Faust or the people we've met in the past few days?"

<Faust. This Minerva woman doesn't even come close. Are you that itching for a rematch?>

'Gotta have a goal or I'll rot.' Haruki said as he grinned in excitement.

<Well, We gotta figure what this place exactly. How do we even leave?>

Haruki then stared at Minerva as she explained to them the rules and regulations along with common adventurer tips. After a while she has finished explaining and Haruki was already half awake in contrast to the bright eyed trio beside him.

"Well now that I'm done explaining. This is your last chance to live a normal life. if you want to go I won't blame you." She said as she crossed her arms. However the three beside Haruki enthusiastically stepped forwards. "No we wont Ma'am! I wan't to change myself!" The three screamed in perfect unison.

This snapped Haruki awake as he stepped forwards as well and straightened his back. Minerva nodded her head. "Very well. Please wait for your instructor. She's a little late." She said a little miffed as she walked away. She then turned back towards them, "Oh and while waiting please get to know each other. There's no I in team." She said as she closed the door behind her.