High up in the sky, above the listless clouds on the edge of the heavens drifted Elysium. From above the monument of white drifted alone in the colorless void, from below the half sphere appeared as the fourth moon to the life of Gaia.

Out on the outer walls, where spheres levitated above the defense towers, stood Black alone and gazing down upon the world. From the edge of space the planet looked like a round sphere with patches of green and brown upon the blue waters. However away from the Three Greatlands where the Fragmented Lands lie, the surroundings took on a murky tone and the sky above filled with constant storm clouds.

Black lifted her gaze from Gaia and passed the edge of the sky and into the endless void only filled by Hyperion’s light and Gaia’s siblings. Farther passed the planets was the endless sea of stars, each star a tiny dot that even dragons perhaps have no hope of reaching.

Black pondered on the matter of life. The Fermi Paradox, a popular question that had been asked on Earth. Even in another world where reality existed, Black did not know whether aliens existed in her current reality. Or perhaps she was in the same reality as Earth and homo sapiens just have yet to learn to manipulate the energy known as mana and not an alternate reality like she first thought.

“Your holiness.”

A priestess of graceful bearing and immaculate appearance dressed in a white robe with silver linings bowed behind Black. 

“Rise.” Her gaze finally leaving the Great Unknown, Black gazed upon the priestess that had called out to her. “What is it?”

The priestess kept her head bowed, not daring to take even a simple glance at her god. “Lord Yvelt has asked for your divine presence, he says it is of the most utmost significance.” 

“I understand. You may return to your duty.” Dismissing the priestess Black made her way towards Myrddin’s laboratory. Since accepting her offer, Myrddin had stayed inside Elysium and was either cooped up in his laboratory or searching through the library for useful knowledge. It was to the point that his room was hardly used as he mostly just slept on the ground in his laboratory with a blanket on top. It was like Myrddin had been possessed by an obsession.

If it was something important then Myrddin would be in his laboratory and not in the library. 

Along the way, passing priests, priestesses, butlers, and maids would bow before Black. There was no point in calling out to them, after all they would return to their normal duties once Black was out of their sight. 

The palace was designed with the movement of Black’s true form in mind and thus the ceiling and walkways were naturally large enough so that Black would not feel suffocated. Almost all the doors were at least thirty-five meters tall and most had small doors built into them for the smaller sized beings.

Due to the architectural design of the palace, many of the butlers and maids were actually giants or descendants of giants granting them large sizes that would aid them within the palace. As descendants of Titans they carried the bloodline of spirits granting them high mana capacity. 

Black unceremoniously pushed open the door of Myrddin’s laboratory, a rather large room for a human that is. Bookshelves lined the walls, numerous oakwood tables arranged with no sense of order, boards upon boards filled with formulas and equations, and numerous pages of papers lay strewn all over the room.

The most eye-catching was the glowing blue orb in the center floating above a platform that was hooked up to many tubes that each lead to a large cylinder filled with glowing mana. The blue orb was naturally a miniature globe of Gaia much like the one in the council room only far less aesthetically pleasing because horizontal and vertical lines marked the whole globe causing it to feel artificial.

And Myrddin was controlling a small magical circle that altered a point on the globe. Walking closer, Black ignored the unkempt hair of Myrddin and even his grimy robes, and observed the point on the globe. The point of interest was located away from the Three Greatlands and near the center of the Fractured Lands.

Black stood by waiting for Myrddin to finish, years had of long life had tempered much of Black’s former disposition. “So what was so urgent that you had someone call for me?”

Myrddin showed a large smile that highlighted his brilliant white teeth. “A breakthrough! Take a look over here!” He pointed at the part that had he had been altering, now there was a dot on the globe that was emitting ripples originating from there. “I’ve noticed that space time is not always peaceful and there are the slightest hint of ripples causing small disruptions that I never noticed until now. Like a ripple in a still pond.”

Black held her lower face with her hand as she looked at the point deep in thought. “If I recall correctly that was near where the core of Shub Niggurath was located at. Anyways what was the spell you used to locate the origin? I don’t recall feeling any such ripples.”

“That’s why I was so unsure, but after testing multiple times I was sure of my hypothesis... err your holiness.” Myrddin sheepishly smiled as he added the address. But Black waved it off and urged Myrddin to demonstrate the spell.

“I see.” Black said as she too performed the spell and added her own alterations to it, bothering her hands controlled a magic circle each and bands of magic circles covering her arm. “So it was like this. Because of my exposure to the Outer God, I’ve grouped the feeling of the ripples with its corruption and ignored it altogether. Hmmm looks like there isn’t just one hole in the fabric of reality...what’s wrong Myrddin?”

Black looked at Myrddin who had fallen downhearted. “It’s just that I’ve spent months devising that spell, but your holiness took it and altered it to perfection in less than a moment.”

Black laughed. “Your contributions cannot be ignored, had it not been for that spark of inspiration I doubt I would be able to locate even a single holes in the fabric of reality. At least within ten millennia.”

“But...”

“Besides, if I can’t at least do this much I then I would really be failing my name as the First Magus and the Lord of Magic after all. If I can’t alter the spell it took you months to create then my tens of thousands of years spent living would have been worthless.” Black added three points onto the globe all near the original one Myrddin discovered.

Myrddin sighed. “Everytime I feel despair watching your holiness. It feels like no matter what I’d do I will never overcome the gap between us.”

Black quirked her lips. “Pretty arrogant aren’t you. I’ve spent tens of thousands of time alive longer than you, and in those time I’ve accumulated various disciplines and knowledge. Perhaps if you had a thousand or two years you could surpass me in the aspect of space time magic at the least.”

“Forget a thousand years, I don’t even know if I can live past two hundred.” Myrddin ran his hand through his silver hair, straightening his hair. “But knowing there is a point that I can never reach no matter how hard I try in life is...”

“Mhmmm?” Black urged Myrddin to continue speaking as she began to concentrate more as the obvious holes had already been mapped and now she needed to figuratively find a needle on the bottom of the sea instead of a haystack.

“...so perfect.” Myrddin’s eyes glowed with light. “To know that I continue to progress in my field yet never reach an end is so...so...exhilarating! I won’t ever stop growing!”

Black rolled her eyes. “What’s so good about knowing that you will never reach the top?” She murmured to herself. “Well I guess that’s the difference between a scientist and a normal man.” Black increased the total number of holes on the globe from one to five and after more searching she discovered one final one. It was rather far away near the edge of the Fracture Lands and away from the core of the Outer God. 

“This!?” Black paused after she marked the final hole. She recognized the location even if her memory of it was murky, because that was where she awoke and discovered herself being born again as a dragon. 

“How strange.” Myrddin also inspected the last hole. “It doesn’t match the previous patterns, why would it be located all the way out here?”

“Myrddin continues to study and learn about them as much as possible. I have a hunch that they are the key to the breakthrough we need in order to create the interreality teleportation spell. Also prepare yourself, we might soon go on an adventure towards the Fractured Lands soon.” Myrddin looked on, mystified, as Black abruptly left in a complete change of mood. 

Although he was confused, Myrddin continued to further his research into these holes in the fabric of reality. He lost all sense of time in his fervor in quest to seek the unknown, not even knowing that the two halves of Elysium have once again merged. The information left behind by Black had increased his foundation for the project. 

It was only a few weeks later that Myrddin would be brought out of his research.

“Your holiness?”

Before Myrddin stood a woman about one point eight meters tall, her silky black hair tied in a high ponytail leaving her bangs and side locks untouched. Her skin wasn’t alabaster but the average fair skin tone many nobles had and she was wearing a black hanfu, the preferred clothing style from the Xuan Empire of the Greater Horn Continent. In her left hand held a sheathed straight sword with a blade two and half meters in length and the handle itself was half a meter long.

The woman before him was clearly Black but different. There was an uncanny resemblance with Black but she was no longer the beauty with eternal ephemeral beauty but something within the scope of mortals.

He knew of the shapeshifting power of the Seven Pillar Gods, an ability that allowed the user to polymorph into a humanoid form, but permanently locked that chosen form with no change possible for it afterwards. Yet here stood Black before him in another form. “How?” 

“I’m just controlling the body of a homunculus, so it’s not my true body.” With an action so similar to the Black Myrddin knew, the homunculus of Black airly waved her hand in a shoo-ing motion.”

“Creation of a homunculus, as one of the remaining two mysteries of Alchemy!?” Myrddin was flabbergasted. The creation of the Philosopher’s Stone, the creation of homunculus, and the now solved transmutation of gold were the three great mysteries of alchemy, known as the three holy grails of alchemy. 

Black shrugged and made a beckoning motion with her hands as she started to walk away. “It’s not a complete homunculus as described in the alchemy but forget about that. Let’s go on an adventure!” Black gave a smile that was even more beautiful than a nymph that caused all creation to dull in front of it.

---

After telepathically ordering Andross Alfred, the current head of the noble Alfred Family that exclusively served Black as servants, to steer the Orbital City back towards the grounded half of Elysium and more orders, Black teleported away from Elysium.

When she reappeared outside of Elysium she frowned. “Strange even with the corrosive leftovers of Shub Niggurath interfering with my teleportation spell, I still shouldn’t have been blocked. It seems there is something preventing my teleportation from succeeding.’

“Has the corruption by Shub Niggurath actually deteriorated?” Black allowed her body that had been levitating at the edge of the atmosphere to fall down. The wind was ramming against causing her qipao to flutter and her hair to dance like mad.

Once the sky turned from black to blue a pair of black wings sprouted from Blacks waist, the wings positively gargantuan compared to Black’s current body, with a mighty flap Black began to soar towards the Fracture Lands.

Shockwaves of air sounded as Black’s speed increased to the maximum, resembling thunderclaps wherever she passed. Fortunately there was no one who dared to travel towards the Fractured Lands, not even the bravest of pioneers, and thus no one was affected by the turbulent winds generated from Black’s flight. 

Perhaps the winds generated from Black’s flight might even turn into tsunamis thousands upon thousands of kilometers away.

The water gave way to numerous islands, some were clustered together and others separated by a gulf that no current mortal could cross. Some were tiny to the point that many would not even be able to support the average human, but soon they began to grow larger and larger. The farther Black flew the greater the size.

Black abruptly stopped as she angled her sight towards one of the largest islands of the outer regions of the Fractured Lands. Hesitating for but only a slight moment Black prepared to resume her flight.

However at this moment a beam of light came streaking towards Black from where she had been gazing towards. A three layered magic circle materialized in front of Black halting the beam in its track and causing it to split into several arcs.

Clouds were dispersed causing the sun’s light to become even harsher, the ocean water evaporated and the ocean floor touched the air for the first time but a scar was left for eternity as testament to the beam’s might.

“Eldest, it seems that you have not changed even after all these years, still using that boring tactic of yours.” Black’s tone was like ice, the barrier of magic circles disappeared to reveal Black’s piercing gaze. 

A tiny dot appeared on the horizon, but that very dot soon revealed itself to be anything but a meaningless dot. A massive shadow was casted onto the ocean wherever it passed. The owner of the shadow stopped about fifty meters before Black and Black’s gaze observed the firstborn dragon that she had not seen since the War of the Dragons.

The first dragon’s black scales had been dulled by the passage of time making the color seem closer to the gray underscale he possessed, scars littered all over his body, a pair of curved white horns with one broken at the tip, and a massive wingspan that seemed to eclipse the sun itself. But what was most noticeable were those pair of molten eyes that burned with endless wrath. “Trick?” Eldest’s gruff voice seemed to inquire, but soon a dark chuckle erupted afterwards. “This is simply a greeting, to have come this far yet not visit I, the firstborn?”

Black smiled, but it was a smile with zero hints of warmth. “Firstborn or not, have you forgotten why you were exiled from the Three Greatlands forbidden to even show your face?”

“Runt,” The wrath in Eldest’s eyes burned even greater. “Times have changed, the time of you seven are of past matters now.” The surrounding region began to blur as the air was heated and the mana became agitated. 

“Stooping to name calling now? Not even the short lived races would use such immature tactics.” Black’s form began to change as her humanoid form enlarged and her true form emerged, her lustrous shimmering under the harsh light. Although back towards her true form, Eldest still towered over her with a body thrice her size. 

Without warning Eldest charged forward with a ferocious roar, his maws wide opened revealing his sword like teeth. Black just disappeared from view causing Eldest to fly past where Black had stood. 

Eldest groaned as three swords made of magic exploded on his back, enraged he swerved to roar at Black who was levitating a distance away, “Still up with those tricks of yours!”

Black flicked her middle claw at Eldest. The concentric magic circle that had appeared behind her like a halo shined fiercely. “Tricks? Eldest these are no tricks.” Waving her hand in a semicircle, twelve swords were conjured all pointed towards Eldest. “Just because you are too brainless to learn to utilize mana in a more meaningful way does not mean that others have to abide by your archaic standards.”

Eldest growled as he forced himself to dodge out of the way of the lightning fast swords that sped towards him, however his large size proved detrimental as the web of one of his wings was sliced apart. 

The mana around Eldest seemed to ignite as black fire began to coalescence onto black like armor. With earth shattering roar Eldest charged once more with his claws reared and a trailing mirage like shadow behind. 

Black was unperturbed as golden bands covered her wrists and ankles. With an upward wave of her claws two serpentine dragons made of ice burst out of the water’s surface and coiled towards Eldest. However once they neared the Eldest they dissolved into water vapor and all that remained were two patches of ice on the ocean. 

“Paltry tricks!” 

Black simply shifted to the side allowing Eldest’s claws to pass harmlessly. But Eldest wasn’t done as he began to recklessly swipe Black nonstop with abandon all met with empty air. Eldest’s tail swung forwards from below, out of Black’s sight, towards her exposed backside however Black simply disappeared once more and dodged the tail as if she had eyes on the back of her head and left behind a small black orb.

“Gravity Bomb”

The black orb emitted a dangerous suction force that seeked to devour all in the area, even the black flames that clad Eldest’s body was no exception as it was being torn away from Eldest’s scales. Sensing an immense danger the firstborn fled the area as soon as possibly.

It was a fortunate thing he did as the orb began to warp and twist the surrounding space before the orb began to shrink and disappear, allowing the area to return to original. But Eldest wasn’t so fortunate as a gargantuan dragon made of ice, ten times his size crashed into him. His armor of flames no longer enough to protect him from such a massive strike.

Black watched emotionlessly as the ice dragon knocked Eldest into the water and mercilessly crushed him under its massive bulk. But Eldest didn’t stay down for long as a beam of light tore through the ice and from within the ice dragon’s gaping hole flew out Eldest, his scales coated with a layer of frost. 

Black met Eldest’s charge head on as all sorts of constructs such as swords, spears, axes, and hammers began to rain down the charging dragon. The constructs exploded upon impact causing Eldest’s scale to crack and shatter upon impact and gashes began to appear on his dragonic body, however he seemed to care not as he his charge remained standfast. 

Then a sword even larger than Eldest was summoned and flew towards him. But all the firstborn did was match it with roar as a bright light began to surround him and the sword was shattered into pieces upon impact. Eldest flew past caring not for the greater injury upon his ruined body. With a victorious sneer the glow on Eldest body erupted with intensity greater than the sun and the surrounding area fell silent as the heat vaporized even sound itself. 

It was a catastrophic attack that disintegrated a portion of the ocean floor and seemed to tear a chunk into the sky itself. When the light disappeared only Eldest remained, his body over twice as small compared to previous size and the injuries he had sustained disappeared. 

Eldest observed his surroundings as the salt water rushed in to fill the gap in the ocean. Moments passed before Eldest began to guffaw, his loud voice beginning to reverberate in the surrounding. 

“Such an attack would leave behind your corpse if you were to receive it, did you really think there wouldn’t be a trace of me even if I were to receive your attack?”  A portal opened up to reveal a colorless void and the indinstict figure of black floating within. Black flew out revealing not a single scale out place. “Of course I knew you were up to something when you appeared in that grossly inflated form of yours, but I never expected you to try to kamikaze me, well pseudo kamikaze at least.”

“Y-you!” Eldest roared as his mana began to emit from him and his wings flapped furiously. “How are you unharmed!? That’s impossible! No one should be able to escape that attack!”

“Why does everyone seem to say those words, it’s like a requirement to be a final boss to shout them.” Black muttered as she closed the portal behind her and dispersed the magic circle behind her and on her wrists ankles. In their place the golden runes on black lustrous scales began to glow, tyrannical pressure soon enveloped the surrounding. 

Eldest froze, the saltwater that had been rushing to fill the hole froze, the very air itself froze, everything had frozen except for Black who floated towards Eldest. 

“Even after twenty millennia you have only developed to this degree. Do you know the difference between a Greater Dragon like you and a Greatwyrm like me is?” Black smiled, revealing a tinge of maliciousness.”

“When I was first born, I was the weakest of the dragons. I wasn’t born with an innate ability like Red, Blue or the others and worse yet I had the least amount of mana.” Black’s gaze began to look through Eldest and into the distant past. “I was far stronger than the other spirits, but I could never rest easy because I knew much more than those clueless spirits, especially with the encroaching Outer God and its thousand young.But the one who made me realize I needed power greater than any other was you.” 

Black smiled as she began to recall her achievements from then. “I devised a way to gather mana and grow stronger and eventually from a Lesser Dragon I evolved into a Greater Dragon.” Black glanced at Eldest once more. “In fact I became like you back then, with no innate abilities, just pure raw mana at my beck and call. Of course back then you were just a brute with utilization of mana like today. Unlike me.”

The fury in Eldest’s eyes seethed revealing the endless hatred deep behind the wrath. “My deep understanding of mana allowed me to develop a method to ascend beyond a Greater Dragon , a Greatwyrm. The difference between you and I is that I produce my own mana, I don’t have to rely on external aid. I am the planet and you are a creature buzzing around forever within the grasp of my palm.” 

Black smiled even more warmly, but the temperature dropped even more. “Now the distance between you and I was greater than back then when we first met.” Black moved in closer as she stroked Eldest’s face with her claws. “Back then when I first encountered you, you left a permanent reminder of the difference between us. You probably don’t remember that encounter, but...you should leave me a souvenir.”

Eldest couldn’t scream as Black plunged her claws into his right eyes socket and plucked out his hatred filled eyes. Black seemed to admire Eldest fiery ruby jewel like eyes before pocketing it in a spatial gap. No blood was on Black’s claws nor did Eldest’s eye socket bleed. “After all, the next time we meet might even be longer than before.”

Floating away space seemed to compress as Eldest’s body began to creak from the pressure and his body began to turn translucent. Black didn’t allow him to speak anymore as his body was directly compressed into a sphere with numerous sealing marks on it.

Holding onto the compressed firstborn dragon, Black flew towards where Eldest came from and soon reached Eldest’s lair. Without any warning fire and meteors rained down upon the mountain where Eldest lived and kept his treasure. The earth quaked as lava began to emerge from the ground engulfing the inner caverns and the screams of the mortrals that either served or worshipped Eldest were drowned away.

Black wasn’t satisfied though and casted a gravity bomb that directly vanished the whole mountain, Eldest’s treasure, the mortals and the earth beneath the mountain. All that was left was now a newly emerged lake of lava from where Eldest’s lair once stood. 

“You won’t be moving for quite a while, you should want to at least be near your lair...or where it once was at least.” Floating above the destroyed land, Black dropped the compressed Eldest into the center of the magma lake. Once that was accomplished six swords of light, each at least one hundred meters long, stabbed into the edge of the “lake” and finally one last sword over thrice the other swords’ size stabbed into the center where Eldest lay.

Black not bothering to return to her humanoid form, flew away back towards her target, ignoring all the scrambling mortals and creatures that had been left devastated in her wake. 

Near the area a white serpentine body appeared from out of the forest, her two limbs trembling as she forced herself to levitate and not slither on the ground like a common snake. Her two deer like horns glowed a faint white as particles of light began to fall towards the ground like snowflakes.

Back with Black who had reached her destination, a mountain smaller than where Eldest’s lair had been. The soil itself was black and the creatures surrounding the area were all grotesque mockeries of beasts. 

Black frowned as she sensed the point, but the corruption from the Outer God obstructing her attempt at any results. Black growled in annoyance as she opened her wings and a massive magic circle that seemed to shroud the heavens itself appeared. From within that magic circle a pillar of light descended and engulfed everything in white.

When the light vanished all that remained was a flat barren land filled with brown dirt and rocks. Black who had landed onto the ground now curled up like a cat. Large waves of mana began to roll off of Black, bringing forth a tense and heavy pressure but the original corrupted mana of the land began to turn tranquil and peaceful. “This will take quite some time.”

---

Black God’s Eatery

---

Myrddin swallowed his drool as he eyed the door that had abruptly appeared inside of his laboratory, with a sign that read Black God’s Eatery. Myrddin reached out towards the door, but stopped as he observed his grimy state. 

Myrddin searched around his laboratory until he remembered that there was no bath or showers located in his laboratory. With hurried steps, Myrddin quickly returned to his room and stripped himself of his garments.

Since he was in a hurry, Myrddin opted for a quick shower. Myrddin used a generous amount of shampoo, something that was not available in the Falbio Duchy, which smelled of fruits and honey. While his hair was still foaming from the shampoo Myrddin took the flower scented soap, again something not available from the Duchy and far more luxurious than anything he used before, and vigorously scrubbed himself. Cleansing himself of the shampoo and soap with a warm rinse of the shower, Myrddin stepped out of the tub. 

There was a towel on the rack, but Myrddin did not reach for it and instead grabbed the wooden stick next to the faucet. With a wave at his dripping body and hair the runes engraved upon the stick, actually a wand with a pre-engraved spell, lit up and Myrddin found himself dry, hair and body.

Leaving the bathroom, Myrddin quickly wore a white and blue robe before stepping out of his room and back towards the laboratory. Once he was there the mage took a calming breath before walking through the doorway, naturally not without his trusty staff.

The eatery was just like how he first entered, and still himself as the only customer. And there was Black behind the counter cleaning a glass with a wiping cloth, although Myrddin felt Black was just going through the motion rather than for any actual effect.

“Your holiness.” Myrddin smiled as he sat at the bar and leaned his staff against the counter. “Bourbon on the rocks, please.”

Black shrugged. “If there are any other customers, remember to call me Adam or Owner.” Soon a lowball glass was placed before Myrddin. Black waved her hand over it and a solid chunk of ice materialized right inside and exuded a white vapor. Uncorking the brown glass bottle in her hand, Black poured the honey brown liquor into the glass. 

Myrddin brought the glass to his nose and took a deep whiff, with his nose filled with the bourbon’s scent Myrddin took a sip before sighing in satisfaction.

“So do you want to read the menu?” Myrddin shook his head, as he knew the Black Behemoth Cutlet Sandwich would not be on it, as it was the ultimate seasonal item. 

“I’ll leave it to your recommendation.” Myrddin said, so far from all the dishes he tasted, there was never a dish that he didn’t enjoy just dishes he enjoyed more than others. 

Black of course left the bar in order to prepare for the first course. Soon a rectangular plate was placed before Myrddin. The plate was filled with glazed marbled meat that was cut so thin Myrddin could still make out the pattern on the plate and topped with white powder.

“Thinly sliced Black ham that has been dry cured for fifty-one months and topped with almond powder.” As soon as Myrddin heard that it was from the Black series of meat, his expectation rose another notch as he used a fork to scrape up a thin piece of ham.

The meat was smooth, almost like butter, and had a rich savory taste with hints of smoked oak. Taking a sip from his cup, the flavor was elevated even further. Alternating between bites and sips the plate was soon devoured and once again Myrddin found himself even hungrier.

But he persevered against the hunger, knowing that it was the best spice for the main course. He resisted the sound of roasted meat and the flavor of fire blazed sauce. After what seemed like hours a new plate was placed before Myrddin.

“Barbequed Black Pork Ribs, with creamy mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus.” Myrddin took a sniff and he had to use all his willpower from burying his face into the plate like a wild beast. 

Forgoing the use of the utensils, Myrddin picked up a rib from the exposed bone and a beautiful piece of glazed pork meat with visible grill marks upon it. Upon biting the meat, juices leaked out and dripped down his chin, but Myrddin didn’t care. The sweet and tangy sauce brought out the depth of flavors from the meat that seemed to melt away from the bone.

By the time Myrddin came to, the area around his lips was covered in the rich brown sauce and meat juices dripped his chin. Myrddin regretfully looked at the three bones pieces of what were left of the ribs, sighting regretfully Myrddin licked his lips before wiping the excess with a napkin.

Before Myrddin moved onto the side dishes however, he gnawed on the meatless bones extracting whatever flavor remained and leaving the bone a barren white.

Picking up his spoon he scooped the creamy mash potatoes towards his awaiting mouth. Myrddin’s eyes lit up as he tasted the distinct flavor of cream made from Behemoth milk and the slight taste of garlic along with butter, again made with Behemoth milk. It was perfectly smooth as if the mashed potato was made from cream that had its boiled away to create this smooth and buttery texture.

Next were the grilled asparagus, dipped in wine before being grilled and salted. The vegetables boasted a robust flavor from the grilled wine and perfect if simple taste from the salt, and the crisp and crunchy texture made Myrddin finish all of them in one sitting

Myrddin sighed in satisfaction as he felt his stomach near its capacity, filled with regret that he had not been born with a larger stomach. 

For the last course a small bowl of a scoop of ice cream with no additives was placed before the satisfied mage. “Passion Fruit Ice Cream to cut through the heavy main course.”

Myrddin tasted it and enjoyed the sweet and tart flavors along with the creamy texture, a perfect light dessert in contrast to the heavy course. Myrddin however wasn’t satisfied and he refilled the bourbon from the bottle Black left on the counter, with the ice half melted. Myrddin then dumped the remaining ice cream into his glass of bourbon ignoring Black’s twitching lips.

With each spoonful of ice cream dunked in the bourbon, Myrddin happily finished his meal. Naturally he left the Black God’s Eatery with the rest of the bottle of Bourbon.

---

GLOSSARY

Humans: The most numerous race that populates the land. On average they live about 70 G.E. years.

Elf: Long lived and marked by the beautiful appearance and long years, elves live about 1300 G.E. years and typically live apart from human society, preferring their own elven communities. They are said to be descended from forest nymphs.

Dwarve: Recognized by their stocky build and thick hair, and beards especially for males, Dwarves are known to possess great strength and dexterous hands giving them a reputation for great blacksmiths. Dwarves live about as long as humans.

Spirits: Beings composed of mana that are naturally birthed in the world where there is a high concentration of mana. Dragons are considered the strongest spirits. Any beings born with a spirit ancestor are highly attuned to mana and most are natural mages. 

Eldest: The Firstborn of the dragons. Before Shub Niggurath appeared he was the ruler of Gaia and boasted massive amounts of mana that eclipse even the other dragons. Since the War of the Dragon, Eldest has been amassing power in order to reclaim the title of the strongest. Prideful to the point of arrogance, he sees other dragons as his inferiors and all other creatures as insignificant and pawns to be used as he pleases. 

---

Author’s Note

Well, guess I have to add gore warnings now. 

I’m probably going to strain my brain every chapter to include a food short at the end or at least a mention somewhere in the chapter itself. 

Also revised the summary on the main page, I reread the first sentence I literally just stared at what I posted.

6/17/20 I feel like after I get more chapters uploaded, I'm just going to make chapter 4 through 6 side chapters.