Chapter 12: The Thirteen Gems

“Lord?”

“…”, and as they turned back to the site from where the attack had come, they noticed a gigantic amount of mana being gathered and conjured.

Ella, raising her bow, conjured yet another arrow. Her black hair fluttered in the wind surrounding her. The black flames in her eyes grew larger as she fired the shot straight into the sky.

The shadow arrow kept rising, like a black meteor challenging the bright light of the moon. It was as if the arrow was aimed to pierce the moon itself!

Yet, it stopped midway after reaching sufficient height, and it was at this point that the arrow burst with a bang!

Zoom!

The arrow divided and multiplied into ten more, which now came raining down like meteors!

“RUN!”, this was the only command that the few kobolds, who acted like guards and survived the previous explosive attack, roared with the last bit of strength they had.

But it was too late…

“…”

BOOM!

All ten arrows, landing on the ground close to the enemy forces behind them, caused ten series of explosions, wiping them out from the face of the world.

Azeth’s eyes were wide open, witnessing the spectacle that had occurred. Just a series of arrows, and that was enough to wipe out one of the tribes! ‘Her stats…’, he didn’t hesitate to look at her abilities and what she had done because his eyes had missed a few things.

…

[Profile]

Name: Ella

Race: Goblin Elder

Rank: A

Level: 55

Age: Unknown

Attributes:

HP (Hit Points): 550

MP (Magic Points): 275

Strength: 175

Dexterity: 195

Speed: 295

Constitution: 275

Stat Points: 340

Abilities [Does not consume MP]:

1. Shadowstrike Lv.30: Swift and precise attack from the shadows, dealing extra damage.
2. Elusive Presence Lv.15: Effortlessly blends into the surroundings, making detection difficult.
3. Rapid Recovery Lv.5: Accelerated healing, recovering 5 HP and 3 MP per second.
4. Heightened Perception Lv.8: Enhanced senses to detect movements or positions within a 70-meter radius.
5. Shadow Step Lv.15: Instantaneously moves through shadows for strategic positioning.

Skills [Consumes MP]:

1. Piercing Shot Lv.3 [15 MP per cast]: Fires an arrow with increased penetration, dealing bonus damage.
2. Shadow Veil Lv.3 [10 MP per minute]: Shrouds Ella and her bow in darkness, enhancing stealth and accuracy; additionally all physical attacks are negated.
3. Teleportation Shot Lv.10 [25 MP per cast]: Shoots a shadow-infused arrow that teleports Ella to the target location.
4. Shadow Meteor Lv.2 [50 MP per cast]: Shoots arrow to the air which multiplies and divides to become 10 arrows which then rain down like meteors.

Equipments:

1. Nightshade Bow [Rank A]: A bow infused with shadows, enhancing Dexterity and Strength by 30 points each.
2. Shadowweave Cloak [Rank A]: Cloak woven from shadow essence, providing enhanced evasion; Speed +25.
3. Amulet of Silent Mastery: Enhances stealth abilities; MP regeneration increased by 12%.

…

‘I see. She used the teleportation shot skill to instantly appear in front of that female kobold. She then used the Piercing shot to take out the Kobold leader and used Shadow meteor for mass destruction… all within a minute? No, less than thirty seconds?’ Azeth was completely flabbergasted. Such skills and prowess couldn’t go unnoticed, especially if performed by a goblin.

‘My first pick…’ Azeth told himself.

‘Against the Divine Archer of the Reiz Empire, she would be my first pick!’

There was something basic to be known first. Why was the Reiz Empire so strong? Why could it dominate the continent? Why was it considered the greatest amidst all other Empires that brimmed with success?

While the Emperor was surely outstanding, he simply didn’t have the capability to control everything and obviously didn’t contribute to the large-scale success. Then what was it? What was the reason?

‘No matter what, I need to bring her to my side. At least one of the thirteen gems would be taken care of with that.’

Indeed, it was the thirteen gems that became the core of success and were the pillars of the Empire. As long as they lived, it was believed that no being had the power to even shake the Empire!

So who were these thirteen gems?

1. Archwizard Lucas, the Alchemist: Master of the arcane arts, responsible for the empire's magical research and defense. He is also known as the Greatest Alchemist to have ever lived, for he has invented the seven magical potions!
2. Lion General Griza: Fearless leader of the imperial army, known for unmatched strength and strategic brilliance on the battlefield. He is refered to as the Lion because of his braveness and strong mental fortitude.
3. Saintess Saya: Spiritual guide and healer, revered for her divine connection and ability to bring blessings to the empire. It is said that she could even bring the dead back to life!
4. Grandmage Azeth: Supreme authority in matters of magic, overseeing the magical education and practices within the empire. Being from humble background, Azeth worked hard for his citizen… at least, before his death.
5. High Inquisitor Seraphina: Responsible for maintaining order and investigating matters of heresy and treason within the empire. No matter what, she always sides justice and doesn’t even spare her own family, completely emotionless!
6. Shadowmaster Thorne: The elusive and cunning head of the empire's espionage and covert operations, skilled in the arts of stealth and manipulation. He is responsible of the group that spies on other Empires and manipulates informations.
7. Stormlord Riven: Commander of the imperial navy, renowned for expertise in naval warfare and strategic mastery on the seas. Being a half-merman and half-human, the sea and ocean is like his backyard. It is believed, he is invincible as long as he stays in water!
8. Divine Archer Viktor: Vice-Leader of the elite imperial army, known for unmatched skills in conventional warfare and military tactics. He is known for his Divine wisdom and possession of various arrows and is unmatched in terms of Archery.
9. High Enchantress Selene: Guardian of ancient magical artifacts and secrets, tasked with preserving and harnessing the empire's mystical resources. She is capable of boosting a weapon’s durabilty and imbuing it with special runes, to increase their strength.
10. Celestial Herald Lyra: The empire's chief diplomat and envoy to foreign realms, skilled in negotiation, mediation, and maintaining diplomatic relations. She is believed to be a manipulator and is hailed as the most intelligent woman of the Empire.
11. Chancellor Tyrian: The head of the imperial treasury and finance, responsible for managing the economic stability and prosperity of the empire. He is the overseer of all the budget and plays a role in every single festival and money related matters. He also oversees trades and business.
12. Beastmaster Kaela: Protector of the imperial wildlife and master of creatures, ensuring a harmonious balance between nature and civilization. He has formed pacts with over 100 monsters and can summon them anytime according to his needs.
13. Clockwork Magistrate Orion: Overseeing the technological advancements and innovations within the empire, specializing in the integration of magic and machinery. He is responsible for overseeing the development of advances artefacts and items. One of his most noticed creation is: a Watch/ Pocket watch.

Azeth, with fierce determination, could only think about the thirteen gems, out of which, he was one too. He had to destroy them if he wanted the Empire’s destruction. Needless to say, he had some direct grudges with the Emperor, Lucas, Griza, and Saya.

Azeth rolled his eyes, looking towards his left only to find Dirt and Arnia, both of them completely mesmerized by Ella’s supreme archery. She looked way too elegant and beautiful!

Having seen their reactions, Azeth simply nodded his head in acknowledgment.

“Ella!”

“Miss Ella!”

Both Dirt and Arnia, uncontrolled, ran to Ella, who now remained steady, looking at the few surviving Kobolds in the front. She noticed these both running and hence, halted her attacks, for even the Kobolds remained standing in fear, not daring to make even a single move.

Azeth was no exception. He too wanted to go and meet her, but just as he was going to do so, he felt something strange. He looked to his left, and thanks to his dragon eyes, he was able to look straight at the Kobold leader.

His attention went to just one thing…

[HP (Hit Points): 1]

‘He survived…?’, Azeth was rather surprised. He couldn’t find any signs of other Kobolds surviving there, but he didn’t expect the leader to survive; after all, it was a direct hit!

While questioning, he took a look at the Leader’s stats and finally found the answer he was looking for.

‘Ah, that Survivor skill saved him…’

[Skill name: Survivor]

[Skill info: The host of this skill is able to survive any attacks that cause a massive drop in HP. It will prevent the HP from reaching 0. Can be used only 3 times.] [0/3 left.]

As Azeth gazed at this, a sly grin appeared on his face. The idea was not too complicated. He just had to take advantage of the situation and kill the Kobold leader, who was Level 45!

Imagine the growth!

Grimrock had used another skill, the stealth, to hide away from the keen eyes of the Shadow Archer and deactivated it after closing in the bushes. He expected to survive the situation… but little did he know that he had already become a target for a predator.

“Huff huff, now I just need to stay here until they leave and-”

“And what?”

A voice caught Grimrock’s attention, causing him to swiftly turn his head, but just as he did that, he found Azeth standing with his clenched right fist.

“N… No… No…”, Grimrock’s eyes trembled, for he too knew that he could no longer use the Survivor skill.

He wanted to beg for mercy, yet his voice didn’t aid him. His body failed him. Even the slightest movement was fatal, and at this moment, what could he do except embrace death?

Bam!

A straight punch to his face, and Grimrock lost his life, slumbering forever. Only Azeth stood, with not a bloodied yet powerful fist that had killed someone quite important which added a lot of Exp points.

Ding!

[Congratulations.]

[You have gained 2…]