MM - Chapter 221 - CORRUPTION AT ITS FINEST

Raine left Pamalaiha and pressed forward alone. Beside him, the night breeze rushed through the tall grass along the road. The moon hung low, casting long shadows. With the main force advancing and the Vaaterrans ahead, time was short. His focus turned inward, summoning the Soul Flame of Amanesh. It responded to his call without the slightest hint of resistance, igniting a gentle heat that spread through his veins.

He directed the flames to his eyes first. A sharp burn seeped through his skull, then the night sharpened and twisted to life. Stalking wolves and a few random low-level beasts stood out against the deep shadows, their bodies pulsing with faint multi-colored glows. Without prompting, identification messages populated his view.

[Prairie Wolf: (Level 5) (HP 120/120)] A diurnal predator, often found in roving packs. Utilizes speed, numerical advantage, and ambush tactics to bring down larger prey]

Raine focused on the wolf, and additional colors within its body were revealed. There were subtle hues of green throughout, mixing in swirling patterns with a deep crimson throb.

Green should be Discipline, but what is red? 

Further off, a nocturnal bird perched on a branch. It shimmered with varied hues much more diverse than the wolf. Additionally, most of those colors only wound through half of its form.

[Moonlit Owl: (Level 8) (HP 72/85)] A silent stalker with enhanced night vision. Strikes from range, debilitating its foes in their moment of weakness]

Moonlit Owls primarily hunt with Elemental Power. Multiple colors might represent that its primary attribute is EP. So that would mean the wolf’s red is likely a sign that its primary attribute is Potency. Considering it’s taken some damage, the owl being half full of colors is likely an indication that it used half its EP in a previous hunt and hasn’t recovered yet. Wow…

Raine spun in a slow circle, stunned by the quantity of information revealed from each of the critters and beasts in sight. The soul flame’s eye enhancement went well beyond a typical Identification skill. It lacked details for plants, ores, and items, but that suited his tastes fine.

This will save several skill points. Tracking energy levels and primary attributes is rare—never heard of a single skill doing both.

More than satisfied, Raine shifted the flames to his back. Contrary to expectations, no burning cape or wings sprouted. Instead, the properties of the fire inverted, drawing in light and heat to cloak him in pure darkness. He became a ghostly silhouette, nearly invisible against the landscape. He tested it with a quick dash toward the nearest Moonlit Owl. It failed to notice him, even from a few short paces away.

Won’t work during the day; a black void will stand out like an ink stain. But at night…

Next, Raine channeled the soul flames to his legs. Wispy fire hardened into jagged, flickering protrusions, which he knew were more durable than they appeared. The owl squawked and fled as a fiery monster appeared beside it. Raine watched it go with a snort. 

Legs are defensive, just like the arms. Fitting. Doesn't take long to swap, but it's slow enough that changing mid-fight won't always be feasible. Luckily, I don't have to; I can do both at once.

Raine focused on his eyes and back simultaneously. With surprisingly little strain, his vision returned to a heat map while the light around him vanished, sucked away into a cold fire. He bounded ahead, closing in on the Vaaterran soldiers, intent on testing the limits of his new abilities.

Saving three general skill points changes my build again. What should I spend them on? Or should I save them for level fifty skill? A couple more Cleric skills is tempting. Never used Celestial Power in the past. No idea if I'll even be proficient with them. Better practice with the ones I have before deciding.

There was only one thing left to do. Accessing his inventory, Raine withdrew Last Chance’s Gambit. The growth weapon hungrily absorbed his Superiority, rapidly surging in levels. Its blade thrummed with renewed lethality as the familiar drain of levels slipping away felt like sand through his fingers. His wand—Cassidy’s Comet—followed suit, its jeweled head crackling with deadly force as its power swelled anew with each gained level.

[Level down! x3]

[-60 free attributes points]

[Potency: -18]

[Finesse: -18]

[Acuity: -18]

[Physique: -18]

[Connection: -18]

Raine dropped to only a toe into level 41. If not for his growth weapons constantly draining his Superiority, he would already be level 50 and likely taking his class advancement quest at that very moment, but the sacrifice was worth it. The weapons' stats ballooned, their innate skills now hitting harder than even the broken skills from his advanced class.

[Last Chance’s Gambit: (Marvelous Gold - LVL 31 > 36) (SP 0/135M) (AP 279 > 324) (EP 279 > 324) (AS +2.0) (FNS 93 > 108) (CNC 93 > 108) (Durability 200/200)]

[Innate Skill - Final Gambit: Convert 25% maximum Elemental Power into a single target non-elemental attack. 186 > 216 damage per EP converted. No cooldown)]

[Innate Passive - Explosive Ambuscade: Critical hits ignite the target’s Elemental Power, triggering a violent, internal chain reaction. Deals 186 > 216 non-resistible internal damage per Elemental Power ignited]

[Cassidy’s Comet: (Marvelous Gold - LVL 31 > 36) (SP 0/135M) (AP 215 > 290) (PTC 89 > 109) (PHY 89 > 109) (Durability 240/240)]

[Innate Skill 1 - PuriPuri Comet Burst: Single target physical attack dealing 3150% > 3900% physical damage and force. Ignores all defense. (Skill name must be shouted to activate) (Cost: 20 Discipline) (Cooldown: 3 minutes)]

[Innate Skill 2 - PuriPuri Rainbow Release: 12.7 > 13.7-meter circular ground-based AOE dealing 1575% > 1950% damage with 3150% > 3900% bonus force and lift. Ignores all defense. (Skill name must be shouted to activate) (Cost: 25 of highest resource) (Cooldown: 5 minutes)]

Nearing the flickering torchlight, Raine slowed, slipping through the shadows like a wraith. The Vaaterrans had set up a temporary outpost smack in the middle of the road. It had clearly been hastily erected only a short while ago. Its ramshackle barriers were little more than a pair of stacked logs, and the canvas tents barely stood after only a slight fluttering of the wind. The men inside were only now beginning to loosen the straps of their armor, settling in for a night of lounging.

Raine didn't crouch to hide, but boldly walked the road. To his delight, the sole sentry’s eyes passed right over him as he closed to within ten paces. Stepping off the road, he slipped to the camp's edge without raising the alarm.

A central fire pit sputtered, its embers casting wavering shadows. Fifteen patrolmen shuffled about, armor dented and grimy from endless marching. Faces etched with weariness told the tale of men far from home. Yet shifty eyes, weapons never far from dirty fingers, and the thrumming orange glow of Physique-dominant builds suggested hardened fighters.

Other than the level 25 Elemental Bearer that led them, they were each level 20—a formidable force for such a low-level zone. Together, they were no match for Raine. Still, he knew better than to underestimate the threat they represented; a distress signal could summon reinforcements, including a level 50 Centurion who would pose a genuine threat.

Crouched in the underbrush, Raine eavesdropped. One patrolman leaned back against a hefty sack, groaning as he stretched. “I’m telling yah, this route’s a curse. Nothing but muck and grass for leagues, beasts too stupid to know that attacking’s only a nuisance, and not a one damn lass amongst us. I’d kill for a night in town—stale ale, and fresh company’s already soundin’ like the promised land.”

Grunts of assent rippled through the group, coarse and weary. Another tossed a twig into the fire, sending sparks dancing. “We’ll finally reach road’s end on the morrow. Maybe some o’ them outsiders’ll catch yer fancy. Nothing beats breaking in the locals.” The man’s smile was as vicious as his words.

A third smirked, nudging his crass companion with an elbow. “Speaking of breaking in, your daughter's almost of age, eh? Bet she's ripe for the picking by now.”

The targeted patrolman surged to his feet, face twisting in fury. “Watch your tongue, bastard, or I'll dig out yer guts with a shovel!”

“Doesn’t sound so nice when it's personal eh, Gronny? If I catch you raping tomorra instead of good, honest stealin, I’ll beat the puke out of yah and make yah lick it off the ground!” Fists flew as the two grappled, rolling in the dirt amid cheers and jeers from the others. Coins clinked to the ground. “Five coppa on Krik! Make him bleed!”

Raine's jaw tightened, bloodlust simmering beneath his skin. These weren't guardians of the realm; they were predators in uniform. He couldn't trust them to honor the permits he’d purchased. But neither could they halt the advance of his people without causing trouble that was more likely to blow up in their faces than his.

Rising silently, Raine canceled the dark flames, allowing the fires in his eyes to emit an eerie, menacing glow that pierced the night like twin voids. He leaped skyward, demonic armor materializing. As the swirling fires came in contact with his soul flame, they were instantly overwhelmed and transformed, now burning with a golden hue. Wondering if his mastery had increased enough, Raine reached out to the flames with his thoughts and, unlike before, they twisted at his command, effortless as breathing. 

A memory from the past surfaced: a caster who brought nations to their knees with her immaculate control over fire. Copying Crimson Nebula's future techniques with a sly smile, Raine formed the flames into dual writhing tendrils that snapped and hissed, amplifying his intimidating presence.

The brawl was forgotten with record speed. Shouts of alarm ripped through the camp. “What in the nine infernos is that?!” Weapons scraped free, terror in their eyes as they suddenly found themselves facing a flaming effigy straight from their nightmares.

Raine's voice boomed, amplified by killing intent pressing down like an iron fist. “I am Alaric, Guild Leader of Astra Infernum, and noble of the Silvergate Kingdom. How dare you wallow before me like common thugs!”

The patrolmen recoiled, salutes snapping up in unison, some even taking a knee. Not only was he hovering—the mark of a 4th-tier powerhouse—but the Queen's Favor shimmering from his skin was unmissable in the dark. Raine’s bearing screamed untouchable authority. He was leagues above them, capable of erasing their existence without consequence.

The leader stammered, lowering his staff. “M-my lord! Welcome to our humble entrenchment. We meant no disrespect. We didn't know—”

Raine’s roar made the man recoil. “Off the road, now! My soldiers approach, and I won't have you rabble in their path!”

The leader hesitated, mouth opening, but Raine's burning gaze silenced him. He swallowed, nodded, and barked orders. “You heard the lord! Clear the way—move everything!”

The guards hustled, collapsing tents and bundling gear before dragging it aside. Raine remained aloft, an unyielding sentinel. Minutes later, Astra’s recruits stumbled into view, Celeste leading their bedraggled march. Jaws gaped at the fiery deity he’d become, multiple people tripping over their own feet as they were forced to pass beneath. Celeste was slightly less phased. She shot him a questioning glance, but he waved her onward. 

Raine didn’t descend until the last of Ronexzera's stragglers vanished into the night. His lip curled at the guards, voice laced with venom. “I'll return with another contingent at dawn. If you're in my way again, there will be consequences.” The guards saluted once more as he turned to go. Just when they thought they were safe, he paused, and without looking back, two flaming lashes whipped out to coil around Gronny and Krik’s necks. 

Their souls were torched from the touch, filling their thoughts with agony. Bloodlust rode the whips like a highway, freezing their agonized screams. Raine’s voice was steel drenched in flames. “If I hear even a whisper of missing outsiders or vanished loot, tomorrow will be the last day you draw breath. These are the queen’s lands, and we Travelers her people. Assault on them is assault on her. You will protect them as you would any other under her reign. Understood?”

They nodded frantically, eyes wide as saucers, realizing they’d been overheard. To a man, they collapsed in relief when Raine soared away to join the column's rear. With a thought, he doused the armor's passive flames, ecstatic to have gained so much control over them with his new levels in mastery. He caught up to Mel, who was gracefully maintaining the recruits' pace while practicing her skills.

“Melbelle,” he called her to the side, and she followed him off the road without question. When the gloom enveloped them, he triggered the soul flame's cloak, and even deeper darkness swallowed their forms. He withdrew a sleek dagger from his inventory. Faint celestial sigils on its blade gleamed with an otherworldly sheen before their pulsing light was absorbed.

[Demon Slayer Kriss (Dagger): (Chaotic Gold - LVL 25) (Celestial Power +175) (Attack Speed +1.5) (FNS +95) (ACU +75) (CNC +80) (Durability 250/250) (Innate skill - Sacred Penance: Cut your palm to produce sacred blood that restores 1,000% of damage dealt upon consumption) (Cooldown: 1 hour)]

Her eyes widened as she accepted the dagger with a gentle touch, fingers tracing the hilt reverently. “It's beautiful. Are you really giving this to me?”

Raine nodded, also handing over a hundred sets of vials from the Nobles’ District, each with a few grains of powder inside.

[Anticoagulation Powder: (Common Grey) Conserves the effects of any mixed blood from sources below level 49, allowing for storage up to six months]

He had one more item to gift her that would complete the set, turning an offer of self torture into a true gift. She accepted the stack of jars, each filled with a pasty, white salve.

[Analgesic Rub: (Common Grey) Deadens the skin and muscles on applied areas]

His tone was grave, and barely a whisper. “This is no ordinary weapon; it’s a guild-level strategic resource. It is never to be used to defend yourself. The potions it creates will always outstrip the competition, saving Astra millions of gold over time. If you think we have it hard right now, you’re dead wrong. If anyone ever finds out you have this, word will spread like a plague and guilds across the globe would do anything to annihilate us and take it for themselves. Store the potions you make in your inventory for now, we’ll move them to the secure warehouse when we’re back in Silverlight until we have a way to disguise that they’re made from blood.”

Mel nodded solemnly, adding the many items and dagger to her inventory. “I understand. It'll stay hidden, promise.”

Raine smiled down at her, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder. “Good. You’re the only one I can trust with this.”

Mel drew up to her full height, more than a little pride shining in her eyes.

Master Torune of CronGate

- Carter City -

Torune knelt in his lavish bedroom, fingers tightening around the serving girl's throat. He watched the life fade from her eyes, the final twitch of her leg and gasp, balms to his boiling fury. The lifeless body went limp, and he released it with a shove, letting it crumple to the floor like discarded refuse. A ratcheting sigh escaped as his eyes closed in bliss. It did not last.

Vaneese, freshly mind-wiped tsked from the shadows, arms crossed. “Such a waste.”

Torune snarled, wiping his hands on a silk cloth without sparing her a glance. Cleansing her memories again had been tedious, adding to his frustration; many more, and her mind would unravel entirely. Not that he cared much for a failure like her. His response dripped with vile sarcasm. “Oh? I didn't know she was your type. I would have saved her for you.”

Vaneese rolled her eyes, stepping into the light. “Hardly. You could kill her a dozen times in ZionLine before her mind broke. Weren't you just lecturing us on the… thin state of our finances?”

Torune’s eyes briefly widened. Yet, the brilliant revelation of how much more relaxation he would create in the future failed to drive away his ire. The reminder of ‘why’ their finances were stretched, or more accurately, who was responsible, brought his rage back to a boil. The air thickened as rage manifested through his domain. Vaneese screamed as every pain receptor in her brain fired at full blast for a brief second. When her ability to think returned, the metallic tang of blood seeped across her tongue. 

She was spared further torture by a single, polite knock. “Enter!” Torune snapped, gaze boring into Vaneese.

The experts he’d tasked with ending KongRu limped in, their broken bodies a mosaic of bruises, casts, and bandages. Each pained step was yet another reminder of the auction's humiliation. It was now abundantly clear that his regular forces were useless against KongRu. The insufferable child’s injuries were a facade. He would not die easy; he was too cunning, vicious, and adaptable, not to mention his in-depth knowledge of Torune’s old clan.

Making a move himself might be exactly what his old rivals at the clan wanted. He couldn’t allow himself to fall deeper into their trap. It was time to call for outside help. Torune activated his LinQ, and Damian Tafell answered.

The Phoenix scion's voice dripped with pretension, “This better be worth the interruption.”

“It's KongRu,” Torune growled, pacing like a caged beast. “We've confirmed he is Alaric. The vods we’ve captured leave no doubt. The masters and grandmaster at his show were hired. There is no reason to hold back any longer. If you strike from the front; CronGate will hold the dagger at his back.”

Damian chuckled, the sound cold and empty. “Is that so? Delightful. I'll send a team. But first, I want Alaric’s equipment. Then, and only then, will I permit KongRu’s death.”

Torune shook his head, lips twisting, “How? Alaric is a hundred times stronger in ZionLine. He annihilated twenty thousand of my people in minutes, inside a city, and the guards did nothing!”

Damian paused, his tone sharpening. “Let me handle Alaric. Unlike you, the Phoenix has not been idle. What can KongRu do against a dozen peak masters nearing level 50?”

Torune froze, blood running cold at the realization of how far behind his guild, no, every guild, already was. The true movers and shakers of Earth had charged full-ahead into ZionLine weeks ago, and Vaateaire cared not for the character of those who took up weapons upon its soil, only that they were challenged and rewarded in equal measure. For those who rose to the many trials—the forerunners—only glory and ever-growing power awaited.

With the Phoenix taking full advantage of the update, thanks to KongRu’s warnings, they were now even further ahead. Damian’s voice filled the pause, perfectly timed for impact. “Alaric’s death is hours away. You will contact DyingNight and coordinate your assaults against that pitiful excuse for a guild—we'll crush Astra Infernum from all sides and split the spoils.”

Torune heard the truth in Damian’s words: it would not be an even split. He had always known that getting involved with Damian meant he would fall under the boy’s command. From Torune’s perspective, that was only natural and right; the Phoenix was clearly the most valuable teet to suckle upon in all of ZionLine.

He grinned widely, perfectly envisioning KongRu’s eyes going flat as the blade driven into his chest was twisted, leaking sweet, wet blood across Torune’s hands. “I shall do as you command.”