Three Gifts from Three Sages
After they had distanced themselves enough, everyone agreed to stop at one of the nearby shelters, which were protected by formations. There, each person withdrew to their own corner and began absorbing the energy from the mushroom meat.
Emilia was quite satisfied with the huge piece of mushroom she had plucked earlier. Moreover, it was not one of the exploded pieces, which were weaker in energy, but was the piece with the most ...
2025-11-14 16:54:36 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 69: The Abyssal Frenzy
A brief council followed, but it quickly became clear that everyone wanted to risk collecting pieces of the Abyssal mushrooms. Petra took out a sturdy rope, tied it to a rock, and the group slowly began to approach.
The pulsations soon intensified, and Varis leaned in and whispered in Emilia's ear.
"Get ready, it's about to start any moment."
Soon, an incredible sight unfolded before them. The Abyssal mushrooms began ...
2025-11-12 18:02:09 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 68: The Pulse Below
The group continued, and throughout the day, they checked one track after another. Finally, a torrential rain poured down, lasting for hours, and the group was forced to return early, not even reaching one of the huts. Instead, they moved away from the swamp and camped in an artificial cave built by hunters. This time there was no ready firewood, and they had to dry it before putting it in the fire, and the chimney did not work well be...
2025-11-12 18:00:54 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 67: Light in the Swamp
The place was wide enough to accommodate their entire group. It had beds, a fireplace, a large table, and chairs. Against one of the walls, firewood was stacked, and above the fireplace, there was salt and some simple spices. Every time a hunting group used the wood, they had to gather new supplies afterward. This way, even if they arrived in very bad weather or exhausted after a fierce battle, the place would have enough wood for a...
2025-11-12 18:00:17 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 66: Fireballs and Formations
The days that followed saw Emilia focus on her own development. She used the time to draw a large quantity of talismans. Her success rate and speed had increased significantly, and she could now draw Fireball talismans and other new ones directly with her stylus, a mixture of monster blood and herbs, further fueled by mana-rich pebbles. This saved her a tremendous amount of money and rapidly trained her skills. On top of all t...
2025-11-12 17:59:13 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 65: Talismans and Trials
Time passed quickly, and an entire month gradually went by. Emilia finally managed to find a working ratio of herbs and blood, allowing her to craft her combat talismans onto the bark of mana-rich trees. This way, she would also be able to participate in battles and develop her combat experience. Her experience with formations progressed slowly, but she could now construct the simpler lines and glyphs.
The problem arose when...
2025-11-12 17:58:19 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 64: Shadows Among the Trees
Two days later, Emilia made arrangements with Boss Titus, and they met early in the morning near the dark forest. He briefly introduced her to the rest of the group, and after discussing their combat formation and a few tactics, they entered the forest and began searching for traces of weaker magical monsters. Fortunately, it didn't take them long—about three hours—to find the first mutated animal. It was a massive wild cat...
2025-11-12 17:56:21 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 63: Chasing the Moonlight
Emilia wandered through the city and soon found herself in front of the Griffin Tower. It was nearly complete and rose high above the town. Groups of workers labored around it. Some were clearing the surrounding terrain, others were finishing the storage rooms and servant buildings, and still others were hoisting materials to the top using a strange elevator powered by counterweights and the effort of five large oxen.
T...
2025-11-12 17:55:07 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 62: A Knight in Shining Armor
The next day, Emilia made the rounds of the trade street, checking the few smaller blacksmith shops. She wanted to inquire about the prices of armor.
"Little girl, I can't make you armor, you are too small. Go play somewhere else."
"But I have money—look," Emilia shook a small pouch of copper and silver coins, even showing some of the coins to the blacksmith.
"I said, we do not make armor for small childre...
2025-11-12 17:53:39 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 61: Homecoming and New Horizons
Three days later, Emilia said goodbye to the mayor and Fjorn, and the family set off on the long journey back toward the city. They stopped for two days in a neighboring village, where Emilia met more children and tried various honey-based sweets. Around noon on the second day, a large transport boat with eight oars arrived, taking them downriver to Tyre—Mira's hometown.
There, they met with more relatives, presente...
2025-11-12 17:52:19 +0000 UTC
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🌟 Emilia's Profile & World Context (Up to Chapter 60)
Name: Emilia
Age: 5
She possesses an unusually advanced physical development for her age.
She looks like a well-cared-for, 8 or 9-year-old (for example like the main cast in South Park TV Series), and her physical strength was like that of 15-year-old children (again, like in South Park TV Series 😉), without using mana to enhanc...
2025-11-12 17:50:17 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 60: Emilia’s Choice
Emilia opened her eyes. She was entirely wrapped in bandages, lying on a soft bed. It was dark outside, and sleeping beside her were her mother and one of the village healers. Memories of the battle quickly flooded her consciousness. She remembered the price she had paid and her ruined body.
Emilia immediately began circulating the mana in her body and gasped in surprise. Her energy moved significantly faster, and her channels ...
2025-11-12 17:49:26 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 59: The Moment Between Worlds
I need to do something, Emilia told herself and scanned the hall. Numerous ruins, partially sunken into the walls, sprang into view. Between them stood several ancient statues with shattered arms and heads, and one enormous sacrificial altar where a strange yellow-blue fire burned.
She involuntarily tightened her grip on the dagger left by Hecate's ritual and recalled how the aspect had left a small part of her...
2025-11-12 17:48:09 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 58: The Mayor’s Resolve
The mayor looked at the ruined tunnel and let out a deep sigh. That was close, he thought, and gently set Fjorn on the ground. If I keep taking risks like this, I won’t live to see my sons settle down and give me a grandchild.
The mayor had been born the poor son of a tanner, and after finding a strange herb in the forest, he managed to unlock his mana at the age of six. After that, he became a hunter an...
2025-11-10 18:25:38 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 57: Wrath of the Ruins
Not long after, an enormous hall opened before them, filled with a multitude of ruins in various historical styles. In one place stood a colosseum, in another an amphitheater, and in a third, ancient Roman baths.
On a large hippodrome, the remains of war chariots were visible, and further ahead lay several ruined palaces. The Mayor traced the path where the roots moved through the walls of the hall and pointed toward one of the palac...
2025-11-09 15:34:49 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 56: Bound by Roots and Blood
"Doesn't that seem unnatural to you?" one of the Echidrids gestured. "These are living embryos."
"In our village, we eat both the egg and the chicken. Often fried. And actually, if they're rich in mana—even better," Fjorn replied without blinking an eye.
"Still, it's unnatural," the Echidrid muttered.
Fjorn said nothing. Instead, he drew his knife and began collecting various parts and organs from the worms...
2025-11-08 16:07:02 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 55: Acid and Fire
Fjorn managed to salvage some of the formation eyes that were draining the sap from the root, as well as the few defensive mini-formations he had created. They had both filled all their bottles with sap, which would last them for several days. If needed, they had the materials to create a new formation, although it would be good to have more vital blood from monsters.
Afterward, they surveyed the camp one last time and headed towar...
2025-11-07 16:02:49 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 54: Soul Absorption
Emilia spent a long time examining the various plants, playing with the fish, and even sat down to meditate between two large boulders overgrown with moss. In this secluded space, mana was abundant and meditation was productive. For a long time, Emilia had been trying to improve her muscles and force them to utilize at least three times the world's average mana expenditure. After nearly a full year of attempts, she had only managed to ...
2025-11-06 17:07:04 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 53: The Mushroom's Hidden Heart
The mushroom cap glowed periodically with mana, but nothing interesting happened. She moved closer, yet the System remained silent. Finally, she reached the mushroom itself and began to slowly circle it. She approached one of the spots that had pulsed with mana earlier. Still nothing. Then, guided by her Soul Sense skill, she reached out, and her fingers touched the underside of the cap. Instead of a firm surface, she felt ...
2025-11-05 15:50:52 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 52: Of Sap and Spores
Two meditations later, Emilia finished carving the lines. Now it was Fjorn's turn to instruct her on how to apply the paste into the carved grooves. She had to use her mana in a specific way to "seal" it and bind it to the wood. This was a slow process, as Emilia had to partially tune the aura of the paste, attempting to align it with that of the wood.
After she completed the lines around the first glyph, Fjorn took over the wo...
2025-11-04 20:10:26 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 51: The Root Drinks First
Hours later, Emilia woke up, her body aching from the uncomfortable position and the hard, uneven ground. Fjorn was still sleeping, propped between two rocks.
Emilia quietly moved away and began drawing talismans. Almost immediately, she noticed something different. The mana in the private space was exceptionally rich, and the talisman paper was heavily saturated with it.
This required the lines to be drawn more slowl...
2025-11-03 17:32:34 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 50: The Weight of Inequality
Emilia tried to follow Master Fjorn’s instructions, but he lost consciousness several times, forcing them to start over. Two formation bases were lost this way, and Emilia didn't know what to do.
Finally, she broke down and wept. Fjorn regained consciousness and watched the small, crying child. Why did we bring her with us? he asked himself, though he knew the answer. Little children should be playing outs...
2025-11-02 17:12:44 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 49: The Root and the Reflection
"Quest updated," the voice of the Great System sounded for Emilia and several others. "Attention! The accursed ruins have been temporarily neutralized but are not definitively destroyed. Quest Goal: Enter Gaia’s private domain, defeat its Guardian, and destroy the root leading from the surface to the depths of Tartarus."
"Quest details: The private domain exists outside of time and spac...
2025-11-01 18:51:05 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 48: Roots of the Abyss
The ruins were dark, overgrown with black and desiccated plants. Their thorns dug deep into the flesh, and they often smelled of poison and decay. In many places, the ruins were sunken into swamps, and strange creatures watched, hidden beneath the surface. On several occasions, groups of harpies attacked the party but were quickly repelled with spears and arrows.
These ruins were not being explored for the first time. The prob...
2025-10-31 15:34:37 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 47: When Enemies Become Allies
"The evil races are starting to return from their raids on the surrounding villages and fortresses. We don't have much time," the Mayor said, taking a sip of his tea.
Douglas was forced to agree. The attack had resulted in significant casualties for both groups, the wall had fallen, and there was no telling when or from where a new enemy might appear. The defenders had limited access to ammunition, and every minute was...
2025-10-30 16:48:09 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 46: Voices from Normor
The mayor gave a short reprieve to the hunters who had been attacking the formation. Fjorn immediately fell into a deep meditation. Emilia also meditated briefly, as her mana was stable.
Once finished, she started examining the different lines and glyphs. At one point, however, the mayor asked her to draw a few talismans of strength. Her success rate was highest with those.
While the hunters rested, the three sc...
2025-10-29 18:19:48 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 45: The Minotaurs’ Charge
A group of five headed toward the ruins—Fjorn, the Mayor and his son, and three hunters with unlocked mana.
Emilia sat down and began drawing talismans. Before even an hour had passed, the group returned.
The path ahead was guarded by a group of cursed minotaurs.
Minotaurs possessed the body of a man and the head of a bull; they were typically towering and exceptionally muscular. They were a rarity in anti...
2025-10-28 22:43:25 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 44: Acolyte of Hecate
Emilia was ushered into a small, ceremonial chamber. It was lit solely by the soft glow of three candles placed on a rough-hewn altar. The air carried the scents of frankincense and ozone, and the stone floor was inscribed with glyphs and symbols that Emilia could not decipher but felt pulsating with ancient energy.
The Pastor offered an apology for the simple proceedings. "The ceremony is plain," he stated, "but it is the Great Syste...
2025-10-28 22:41:29 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 43: Ashes and Oaths
The following days in the village were silent and somber. Nearly everyone had lost a relative. In this small village, forty lives was a colossal sacrifice from which it wouldn't soon recover.
The pyres burning the dead glowed throughout the entire first night and even early the next day. The suffering of the wounded continued far longer, and the mayor had sent people to find a healing magician from the nearby city.
Despite the hea...
2025-10-28 22:39:44 +0000 UTC
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Chapter 42: The Cursed Assault
Emilia tried to calm herself by breathing into her cupped hands.
Soon, the satyrs came closer. They also had bows, and both sides began exchanging arrows. The defenders, however, had the advantage, and most of the satyrs simply charged forward under cover of crude wooden shields.
The main weapons of the satyrs were either axes or wooden clubs. But the truth was that they were capable of lightning-fast rushes a meter or two forw...
2025-10-28 22:39:07 +0000 UTC
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