— ???, Year: ????, Season: ???.

Tap.

…

Tap.

…

Tap.

…

Tap.

…

The Sage’s finger tapped against her leg. Each of her taps held a rhythm to them, and the pauses between spoke volumes. These taps continued as I stared up and at the ceiling above me. My soulscape was slowly becoming a familiar place. The place in which the Prime System enacted its changes on my soul and allowed direct manipulation of my strength and more in the form of attribute points.

The Sage continued to tap, her eyes never leaving my lazing figure. She sat, legs crossed, in my old familiar comforter. Red-gold eyes studying me intensely as I lay arms spread eagle across my couch.

“Perhaps I should have let you reap my soul instead of going through… all of this,” I suddenly spoke.

I felt… lost … and the words just erupted from my mouth before I could think over them.

The events of Starglow Valley and its aftermath raged through my mind like charging magi into enemy lines. The battle between those who possessed a Touch and the realistic illusion Kubrat portrayed to us all left me feeling… lost and overwhelmed. Goddess Madris’s tapping halted for a moment before resuming. Warm light fell on my face and in the background, soft music played… tunes that I’d all but forgotten slowly emerged. Memories from a life before. Memories from Lawrence. A smooth, soft melody that seemed to calm the mind and clear the air of its depressing attitude.

Tap.

…

Tap.

…

Tap.

…

Tap.

…

“Why do you tap a fourth time? Isn’t three the sacred number of the Magi? Doesn’t it represent you, a perfect trinity? The Challenger, the Lavish, and my own personal watchdog prepared to reap my soul… The Sage . You each are similar but vastly different. It’s like three women rolled into one,” I threw my hands up as I exclaimed.

“What are Gods? What are you ?”

The music stopped, and I felt a terrifying presence erupt from the incarnation in front of me. My throat tightened, but no fear entered my heart. No skills activated in this place to save me. Here in my soul, it was only me and Goddess Madris.

I resisted the pressure and fought against it with everything I could muster. Slowly, surely, I brought my head up and gazed into the eyes of The Sage. The incarnation stopped tapping. Her eyes sightly widened, not in surprise, or astonishment, but as if she expected me to do what I did.

The music resumed and Madris opened her mouth to speak. “Good, you still possess the fire of ambition . You still possess your potential .”

I stared at her, confused, as the pressure I felt myself under slowly dissipated. “What do you want from me? What is it I need to do as your [Chosen],” I asked.

“ Pray , pray and the answer will come to you.”

My eyebrows scrunched, and I began to respond, but was interrupted by a voice. A voice… crying, pleading, and fighting…

“You saved me… SO I WILL NOT FAIL TO SAVE YOU! Come on Lawruthian, LIVE !”

A pulse passed through my soulscape, and the apartment I found myself in shook. The lights turned from warm to golden divinity as the voice of Madria Gamal entered my ears. As the trembling halted and the light returned to normal, I turned my attention back to Goddess Madris.

“What is this ultimate goal of conquering the continent? Who were the other two [Chosen]? Why does conquering the world matter so much? No, not conquering the world… Unification,” I began piecing together my thoughts as Goddess Madris watched. I stood and walked over to the computer, a logo that represented Minerva flashed, the physical manifestation of my perk in my soul was this desktop.

“Quest, Crusade: Holy War of Unification.”

Crusade: Holy War of Unification
Quest Details:	Goddess Madris has tasked you with a quest for unification. Unite the lands of the Elrunian Continent underneath one banner. You must start a war within the next ten years or face the consequences.
Rewards:	Didn’t I save your soul three and a half times? What more do you want? I guess you can have one thing: Emperor of the Edryan Empire and Detraction of a half favor you owe Goddess Madris.
Failure:	Your potential and soul are reaped by yours truly. 😘

“Unification… Unification… not subjugation or just a generalized way of conquering. You don’t just want me to conquer the Elrunian Continent, you want me to unify it… but… why?”

“ LIVE ! You are the [Chosen] sent to guide us! Sent to protect the magi and lead us to a glorious future.”

My soulscape shook and cracks appeared in the wall as an outside source of power acted upon it. Madria’s voice shookme, and the raw desperation that colored her voice made me hesitate, but I needed answers .

“So I’ve been approaching this matter the wrong way, or at least, I haven’t considered the full picture. Who were the other two [Chosen]? What were their mistakes? What do I need to avoid? Why did Kubrat do… all of that if she only wanted an audience with you? Could she not have prayed or gone to any Church of Madris? Why go directly through me? What is it I am not understanding,” the questions emerged rapidly as I turned back to Goddess Madris and asked.

The Sage sighed , then spoke, “I can tell you the answers you seek, but they will only leave you with more questions. Complete your task Lawruthian and on your journey to do so… you will understand. Presently, you lack the strength. A [Chosen] of mine, a man who represents my Will upon the mortal plane was defeated by a simple illusion… yet you believe you can seek answers you yet do not possess the strength to know,” Goddess Madris chuckled.

“I have extended my hand twice to you in the form of a class, something that can help guide you in your times of need. A class that could easily have seen through that simple parlor trick of a dead demigoddess illusion… continue searching for your answers, you’ve clearly pierced together something already. If you want an answer from me… pray for it.”

I opened my mouth to respond, then closed it. This was my third interaction with the Sage, she was not The Challenger. She was not the first interaction I held with Goddess Madris. Each of her three faces was different, with different personalities and more… but I categorized them all as the same.

“I’m sorr-“

“ LIVE ,” Madria’s voice penetrated into my soul. It was like a rush of adrenaline as it invaded every single spot it could. “You are my prince and meant to be my king! You are my… [Hero]. You saved my life and I WILL SAVE YOURS.”

The cracks in the wall grew bigger, and divinity emerged in the form of bright lights. A single strong blow would tear everything away. The raw emotion in her voice pained me. It pained my heart to hear her speak this way. Madria was someone who always kept a tight composure of her character. I’d always seen her on point, always presented as the [Priestess of Madris] and perfect Gamal House scion. Then I began to understand her as we became friends. She was a young woman who always strived for the best in herself and those around her. To hear her voice with so much pain, anguish, and fear… it left me… lost .

“Your time is running out, Lawruthian. The next time we meet will be as you prepare for your third class adva…,” the Goddess didn’t finish as she sharply looked up, her eyes and attention no longer focusing on me. I looked in the direction of her gaze but saw nothing. Only cracks with divinity shining through them showed itself.

“… live ,” Madria’s voice barely reached me as she spoke. It was exhausted… no, defeated , and the hope she always held lacked its usual presence. I couldn’t let this go on… not anymore.

The blow I expected to shatter my surroundings never came, as only a light tremble emerged. I stared at my only remaining hand, the other gone, as my soul reflected my body. Only a cleanly sliced stump remained. Half of my bicep remained, but the rest was just… gone .

Slowly, confidently, my left hand clenched. I walked up to the largest crack and prepared myself. Yet, for one last time, I turned to gaze at the Goddess, but… she was already gone.

My eyes returned to the largest crack, and I punched. A bright light emerged and everything faded to white.

---

I gasped and raised myself in a panic. The voice of Madria resounded in my ears, and my breathing was heavy and erratic. I reached with my right hand for [Eternal Love] but paused. Nothing remained but a stump of what used to be my right arm. The limb was cleanly wrapped in white linen cloth. At the foot of my bed asleep was Madria. Heavy bags were underneath her eyes and she lay atop my legs, one hand tightly clutching me as healing mana was pumped into me.

On a perch next to my bed was Minerva sleeping soundly.

I gazed at my HUD…

HP: 675/675 (+300) SP: 675/675 (+420) MP: 960/960 (+420)

…then back at her. A gentleness entered my heart and I slowly moved my legs away. I rose from the bed still grasping the blanket that covered me. Carefully, I placed it around Madria’s shoulders before gazing around.

I found myself in a lantern-lit grey-stone room. The architect looked ancient , as most magi-human establishments were lit with (Mage Lights). There was a single entrance in and outside the room. My armor was nowhere to be found. Within the room, there was a simple chest at the foot of the bed and a small copper mirror placed on the wall. There were no windows, or other indications to let me know where I was.

Just as I took a step toward the door, a flood of notifications emerged, eagerly popping up one after another as they began to display multiple things.

INTENT CHECK!

You have fallen under the effect of {Magenta Mirage}. You are experiencing an illusion.

The effects of {Magenta Mirage} have faded.

You have experienced a realistic Illusion and have leveled up.

You have experienced a realistic Illusion and have level…

Three more of these notifications showed themselves to me, equating to five levels in total. I mentally chuckled, “That whole ordeal and only five levels?”

SELF CHECK!

Your body has failed to resist against a spatial rend, -250 HP. You have been inflicted with {Mortal Wound}. -50 HP per thirty seconds.

WARNING: You will die unless adequate medical treatment can be applied to your body.

You have exited the Mortal Realm.

You have entered the Mortal Realm.

My eyes locked on the two notifications and everything came flooding back in a rush. Thraag, the spatial storm, and my actions that saved Madria. My legs grew weak, and I sat down on the grey stone floor, heavily. I sat there gazing at my left hand and the events played through my thoughts slowly.

“Ha-ha, it was all an illusion… Kubrat… since when?

…

When did I first smell lilac and lilies?”

For several minutes I sat there in silence, the light snores of Madria the only thing to keep me company. I shook my head and stood. My final memory was saving Madria before I lost consciousness due to intense shock and blood loss. It was a miracle a critical hit didn’t take my life, but the instant loss of an arm downed me over two hundred health points at that moment. It was the de-buffs of {Shock} and {Blood Loss} that caused me to lose consciousness. The final notification that I took notice of was {Crippled}.

Status Effect: De-buff
Name:	{Crippled}
Description:	You have become crippled and must adapt to a new way of living.
Function:	-50% Base Attack when using physical weapons such as blades, maces, and other physically damaging items.

I stood and carefully approached the door. A simple clean linen shirt covered my upper body with coarse pants to accompany them. Carefully, I grabbed the stone handle and twisted, slowly opening the door so as to not wake the sleeping Madria or Minerva.

The door opened to a long flame-lit hallway that extended into sharp corners around twenty meters from my room's entrance. Magic stayed on the tip of my tongue as I prepared to cast in the event we were prisoners somewhere. However, I held doubt in my heart as no guards nor any other personnel were present if that was the case. I looked left then right and back left again. The stone walls were pretty monogamous and didn’t hold any indication of change, but the left was the closest to an adjacent hallway. My body turned left and I moved forward slowly. I set a mental reminder to assign my attributes once I confirmed whether we were guests in this strange place… or prisoners.

Once I reached the end of the hallway I paused to glance down both directions of the new hall, this time a breath of relief was expelled as the left held a closed door. I approached carefully, eyes on both the ceiling and floor in case of any traps. I wouldn’t lower my guard just yet until I confirmed we were safe.

I grasped the stone handle and gently pulled. It swung open silently. My breath caught as I entered a giant hall. Banners fell from the ceiling attached to the wall displaying a creature of legend. The hall was lit with flame torches that accompanied the banners on either side. A long plush red carpet covered the center of the hall from end to end.

Slowly, I stepped outside the door, taking note of the multiple doors just like mine that led from the hall. I recognized the door I exited as one meant for servants. My footsteps quickly took me to the center of the hall as I surveyed the room, a skill on the tip of my tongue in case I needed protection. For several minutes, I studied the hall as I made my way toward what was clearly meant as an entrance for nobles that led deeper within the building. A mental map of where I came from engraved within my mind. If I really needed to, I could wake Minerva up for backup.

The moment I entered through the new door, a shift in the atmosphere became apparent. The hall was brighter with more decorative torches, and a carpet covered the stone floor from end to end. Numerous paintings hung from the wall depicting legendary creatures in battle against giant stone skin-like humanoid creatures. Slowly I walked up to the most impressive painting at the end of the hallway and studied it. A single red scaled creature fought against darkness itself, in its scaled claws were a dozen or so shiny grey-toned oval like crystals that reminded me of the egg Minerva hatched from. My eyes drifted over the runes beneath the painting and I read it aloud.

“ Final Hope, Final Flight .”

A sense of forlorn overtook me as I read the name of the painting in the language of magic. My eyebrows scrunched, and a frown emerged on my face. My eyes grew wet, but no tears dropped. I shook my head and dispelled the self-inflicted magical effect.

Directly facing this painting was an entrance with two grand doors that seemed to be carved completely from gold. These doors were carved to look like a book opened in its center. It was a beautiful design that spoke of what would be kept within. Heat escaped from beneath the door's opening, and I took a deep breath as I approached. If there was anyone here… this is where I expected them to be. I grasped one of the handles and pushed, grunting as I heaved my left shoulder into it. It was heavy , far heavier than I expected and even with my body boosted beyond mortal limits, I had a tough time pushing a single door open.

The door groaned as I finally shoved a single one of the entrances opened, and I found myself staring. Standing behind a desk was a golden-brown automaton that faced me silently. Its gems for eyes were dull and lifeless. A majestic crown seemed to emerge from its head with ten different points. Each point held a brown gem that radiated earth mana from it. The automaton was large, easily three times my height, yet its head was far from the ceiling. My eyes lit up with curiosity as I gazed at the architect of the machine. I approached warily, skill still on the tip of my tongue, yet the automaton stood silently. Behind it was a banister that opened to a grand staircase on two sides. Both led below, yet as I glanced left and right, stairs to an upper floor were clearly displayed.

“A library… a giant one,” I contemplated aloud as I watched the automaton for a reaction. Sensing nothing, I tried one method I believed would generate some type of reaction besides my approach.

“(Inspect).”

Realm-Guard: Terra — Level 754
Base Atk: ???? Base Def: ????
HP: ???? MP: ????	HP Regen: ???? MP Regen: ????
Core Charge: ???? Core Integrity: ????
Power: ????	Mind: ????
Vitality: ????	Self: ????
Intent: ????

Description:

The first protectors from any outside force are the Realm Guards. Ten prototypes were built by Master Craftsman Jaahgar at the request of Realm Lord Elrunian. One for each of the ten primary elements.

“Shit,” was the only thing I could say.

The automaton’s dull and lifeless gems it held for eyes lit in a brilliant shade of crimson that scanned me up and down from its position. I felt as if my body was completely seen through and knew the automaton ‘inspected’ me in return. I stood there frozen. If this automaton wanted me dead, then… there was nothing I’d be able to do about it. So… I laughed.

“Greeting’s Lawruthian Imperius Koltius Edryani, the Master has been waiting for your awakening. You may find him below in the S section of books and tomes. Please be advised that there are several dangerous books kept below with knowledge lost to the realm. Do not attempt to remove these books from the Library of Final Hope.”