The night before.
Alden woke up in a place that was familiar to him. He clicked his tongue at the sight.A settlement, with most houses made of wood. The place was deserted, a stone stood beside Alden.He sat on the stone, waiting for something. He knew it was a dream, and the reason for this dream's appearance was clear to him. This place was where he last saw his mother, where he encountered Darbend The Eclipse, and where he made a deal with Alioth The Nightmare.Reflecting, sitting on the stone, waiting for Alioth to appear. Black Orb was not by his side, making the atmosphere silent, unsettling his mind, even though he knew it was just a dream.His mental state was unstable, especially when confronted with scenes that reminded him of the changing past. Black Orb had told him that the reason Alioth always met him in dreams here was Alden's unstable mental condition. That was one reason why Black Orb didn't fully trust Alioth, even thouEven though still uncertain, Erin had no choice but to trust Alden's words. First, the issue of her lost memories left her truly blind to her past. She didn't even recognize anyone related to her except for her late grandfather.One week passed after Alden revealed himself as Erin's brother.During this time, Alden chose to stay in an inn, while Erin remained in the house she shared with her late grandfather....In the western part of Heinburg city, the same place where Alden obtained the Goblin Nest Core."In the silent and serene frozen world,Ice Shard, a spell piercing within,Blue light emanates from each shard.""Cold waves envelop, carving,Enchanting ice melody, dancing in the sky,This spell, a beauty that pierces the heart.""Under the pale moon, the night stretches,Ice Shard, stretching its sharp wonders,Penetrating the darkness, eternal crystal gleam."Erin recited the inca
The burly man stared sharply at the two guests."Dad, you have to provide polite service to customers; that's why this blacksmith shop is always empty." The young man closer to Alden spoke with frustration."I haven't done anything..." The burly man furrowed his brow, removing his protective gloves."Well, that's the reason!"The young man then turned to look at Alden, changing his annoyed expression into a radiant smile."Customer, what kind of sword are you looking for?"Alden fell silent; he hadn't thought about this beforehand. He planned to buy a sword, but he hadn't considered what type would be suitable for him."You can choose from the rack, or if you have specific specifications for the sword, I can forge one for you." The burly man, named Douglas, a senior blacksmith surprisingly not on good terms with the Guardian, explained.Alden looked around, and another young man named Getlon, Douglas's son, expe
Alden approached the little girl and crouched in front of her. Carefully, he smiled to reassure her, as the poor often tended to be afraid of those relatively affluent due to the prevalent social inequality in the Devon Empire."Hi, little girl. Is that your doll?" Alden asked gently.The little girl nodded while clutching the doll tightly. Then, she spoke softly, "Yes, he is my friend."Alden observed the straw doll carefully. Dark Soul energy clearly emanated from it."Do you know that the doll is not an ordinary one?" Alden asked again.The little girl shook her head slowly, her face expressing both confusion and shyness.Alden then reached into the pocket of his short coat and pulled out a silver coin. With the glint of light on the coin's surface, Alden extended his hand."Would you like to exchange it with this?" Alden asked again.The little girl remained puzzled. In fact, she had never seen a silver coin
Erin tried other spells like Ice Shard and Ice Barrier. The result was that she could use Ice Barrier but failed with Ice Shard. It was confusing considering Erin had a high affinity for the water element.Meanwhile, while guiding Erin through her exercises, Alden began to passively control the mana around his sword. He didn't overtly display his actions, continuing to provide guidance to Erin while maintaining the enhancement on his sword.For Alden, manipulating mana was relatively easy, given his early proficiency. However, due to the thinness of his mana, he decided to stop practicing, fearing he might run out before the Gate opened. On the other hand, Erin faced the opposite challenge, with an abundance of mana that needed careful control to stabilize her spells.Several hours passed with this training.The straw doll began to show signs that the Gate would soon open. Alden quickly realized this and warned, "The Gate is about to open; stay be
The Gate vortex persisted for some time. Alden entered the Gate to arrive inside the Miner's nest.The place was filled with shiny purple rocks, but strangely, they seemed ethereal. It was a cave with a dense mining atmosphere.Within the layer of purple minerals, there were other crystals that looked more tangible. They had a crescent moon shape with purple gleams and striking brown lines."This is the sixth Nest Core..." Alden murmured, taking one of the crystals.Apart from the Nest Core, he found two unique orange helmets, mining equipment that seemed to enhance mana flow. For Alden, who now had very little mana, these items were useless. He thought they might be useful for Erin's training, so he took both of them—one to sell.After exiting, Alden used the spell 'Fletus Spina Obscure' to destroy the Dark Soul Seed on the straw doll as a precaution.This way, Alden could ensure that Erin was now capable of using different spel
"You know this will be a dangerous journey, right?" Black Orb gives an early warning. "Not only for you, but also for Erin," it continues.Alden nods in understanding. He's aware that their current destination might be more perilous, considering the target Dark Soul is from the second floor of the Dark Dimension, the Bubble Plague. This type of Dark Soul tends to be particularly dangerous for individuals with unstable mental conditions, and both Alden and Erin fall into that category.Therefore, long before this plan, Alden contacted Alioth to request assistance in maintaining Erin's stability. Now, in addition to the ring, Erin also possesses Alioth's red crystal, making it easier for Alioth to provide aid when needed.As for Alden, he feels more confident. The domain of the second floor of the Dark Dimension is the mind. Consequently, most Dark Souls inhabiting that place have dangerous mind-manipulating abilities."Since I used the 'T
"Is that the same Dark Soul mentioned by Moss?" Alden asked, observing the city through the window.Black Orb then replied, "Yes, and their number might be more than expected.""You need to find the source of that Dark Soul," Black Orb advised.Alden nodded, and with a furrowed brow, he began to think, "But how can I find the origin of them? Isn't it supposed to be in the sea?""Finding it might be easy, but destroying it is a more troublesome matter," Black Orb said.Alden continued to observe the city while asking, "Bubble Plague is a Dark Soul that spreads a plague... do you think they've started spreading the plague outside the village and entered the city center?"Black Orb calmly answered, "At least I don't sense Dark Soul around.""I might be wrong because the Dark Soul energy from that village is so massive," he continued."Isn't this issue too peculiar?" Alden still furrowed his brow. There was a worry
"Inside the mirror? Sounds intriguing," Alden said spontaneously."Yes, indeed. Mirror domain magic can influence reality; that's why that type of magic is considered unique. The Gods set limitations on the use of magic affecting Reality, creating the Law Of Reality," Black Orb explained briefly.Alden nodded in understanding.Similar to fate domain magic restricted by the Law Of Fate. Alden was no longer puzzled by these terms.There were four magical domains whose scope was so vast and powerful that they would affect the course of life. Magic related to Reality, magic related to death, magic related to Fate, and magic related to time. Rules were established to reduce the effectiveness of magic in those domains—Law Of Reality, Law Of Death, Law Of Fate, and Law Of Time."So, what kind of help can I provide for you?" Alden then asked seriously, facing Frodo's reflection in the glass bottle."Mmm, where should I begin..." With var