"Tell me, kid, what brings you to the Stronghold of Norria?" asked Korgan, the Dwarf Captain.
"I want to explore the Stronghold," Viel replied. "I've heard there are many unique services only available here."
"It's true that your achievements grant you entry, but there is little here that someone of your strength would need..." The dwarf trailed off as he remembered Viel's summons nearly killing Cadmus—a Rank 5 Alpha Beast equivalent to a half-step F Ranker.
With the conversation finished, the Raiders of Norria escorted Viel into the heart of the mountain. Upon their arrival, a familiar face approached them: Boreas.
"What brings you here?" he asked Viel.
"I would like to ask permission to use one of your training dungeons."
Boreas went silent, looking deeply at the half-elf for a long moment. "I don't know why you think you can use it, but it's not my decision to make. I will take you to the Supreme Commander, Thoram. He will decide."
Viel followed Boreas through the Stronghold until they reached a massive door.
"Wait here. I will brief the Commander on your petition," Boreas said.
Viel waited for nearly ten minutes before Boreas finally emerged. "The Commander says he wants to talk to you directly."
Viel entered the office without a word. It was a spacious room decorated with goats' heads and suits of armor. In the center, a dwarf sat hunched over a desk of documents.
"Boreas tells me you want to use one of the training dungeons. Is that correct?" Thoram asked without looking up.
"Yes, I would like to request your permission."
"And why," Thoram finally looked at him, "should we permit it?"
Seeing that it wasn't going to be easy, Viel decided to use his Blessing of the OGH [???].
"I believe my contributions to the Kingdom and the territory of Norria serve as sufficient proof," Viel said, his voice carrying a sudden, unnatural weight. "Wouldn't you agree?"
Under the influence of the Blessing of the OGH [???], Thoram fell silent. His eyes glazed over, fixed in a trance-like stare, until the fog suddenly cleared and his focus snapped back to the half-elf.
"It is true," Thoram murmured, his voice steadier now. "As the Supreme Commander of the Stronghold of Norria, I grant you permission to use our Dungeons."
As he spoke, he pulled a parchment from a desk drawer. He tipped a candle, letting a bead of hot wax fall onto the paper, and pressed his heavy signet ring into it to seal the decree.
"Take this to Boreas; he will show you the dungeons under our jurisdiction."
Viel exited the office and presented the sealed parchment to Boreas.
"Oh! I didn't expect the Commander to grant you permission," he said, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. "You must be lucky to have caught him in such a good mood."
Boreas guided Viel through the winding corridors of the Stronghold to a secondary office. There, Viel was shown a list of the various dungeons the Stronghold of Norria maintained—including the Orc Dominion, a location Viel recognized from the original novel.
========================
< The Hollow Burrow > Rank: F
< The Whispering Grotto > Rank: F
< Slime Mire > Rank: F
< Sand Dessert > Rank: D
< The Iron Garrison > Rank: D
< Viper's Nest > Rank: D
< Shadow Catacombs > Rank: D
< Orc Dominion > Rank: C
< The Sylvan Schism > Rank: C+
========================
Viel's eyes locked onto the highest-ranking dungeon: < The Sylvan Schism >.
He had never heard of it before, but he could only imagine the ridiculous rewards it offered, especially considering the payout for the < Orc Dominion > Hidden Quest. Before departing, Viel stocked up on supplies, making full use of his 20% discount within the Stronghold. He purchased high-grade potions, rations, and several low-tier weapons as backups.
…
After a few hours, they reached the entrances to the Rank C+ Dungeon.
—-
< Dungeon Name: The Sylvan Schism >
Dungeon Type: Open-World Forest Assault / Territorial Skirmish (Instance Dungeon)
Difficulty Rank: C+ Rank
Description: Deep within the borders of the Wanid Kingdom, the harmonious balance between two of its Seven Spiritual Guardians—the Druids of the Forest of Beginnings and the pacifist Dryads of East Haven—has violently fractured.
A mysterious, lingering miasma has tainted the border connecting their domains.
Now, they wage a bitter territorial war against the Druids. Challengers must navigate this chaotic forest battlefield, survive the wrath of nature magic.
Recommendation: An elite party of 12 Grade B Apostles.
< Choose Your Difficulty Setting >
– Normal
– Nightmare
– Hell
—-
'It recommends twelve Grade B Apostles,' Viel mused. 'That's roughly equivalent to twelve Rank 3 monsters. It shouldn't be impossible.' He knew the best rewards were locked behind the highest difficulty, and in this instance, death wasn't permanent.
He pressed Hell Mode.
In an instant, he vanished. Boreas and the guards watched as the dungeon gates flared with an intense, ominous purple light.
"This elf must have a death wish," Boreas muttered, shaking his head. "Well, he will only lose a bunch of stat points." With that, he turned back toward the Stronghold.
…
After pressing the Hell Mode option, Viel appeared in the middle of a green and lush forest. The sound of animals and insects could be heard from everywhere.
'I must be cautious.' Viel thought as he summoned almost all his companions.
They adopted a formation with Ferto at the front along with three Earth Elementals, three Plant Elementals and two Earth Elementals besides him and at the back, Bael, his four Rank 2 Mosquito Knights, with Aurora. and two more Plant Elementals.
He didn't summon his Ant Army as their grades were too low and they could be in danger. He decided that after this expedition, he will give them a lot of Beast Cores and send them to train to make them stronger.
They started walking in a random direction until they heard someone scream.
They hurried in the direction the sound came from and saw a young girl being surrounded by some type of tree monsters, most probably a Treant.
She had greenish skin and orange hair.
The little girl saw Lux and started screaming.
"RUN! They are Rank 2 Corrupted Treants. You can't defeat them.."
As she was trying her best to make the half-elf survive, she was left speechless as she saw how in less than five minutes all eight Corrupted Treants were defeated.
"T-Thank you. W-Who are you?" She asked.
"Hello, my name is Viel and I have come to help with the Miasma."
"R-Really!" The little girl said excitedly, she has seen the strength of the boy's group. "Come with me! My grandma is the Matriarch of the Dryads of East Heaven!"
The young girl, who introduced herself as Elle, guided Viel through the lush forest until they reached a settlement.
When the guards first saw the "monsters" (Viel's summons) they prepared themselves for an enemy invasion, but after seeing Elle, the Matriarch's granddaughter, they stopped and went running to her.
"Young Lady! What did we tell you about venturing into the Forest of Beginnings."
"I know… a group of Corrupted Treants ambushed me, but thanks to Viel, I survived!" Elle explained, her voice rising with excitement.
The guards remained wary. Although most of Viel's summons were Common to Rank 2, he also commanded several Rank 3 creatures and one imposing, three-meter-tall Rank 4. Most of the village guards were only Rank 2 or 3; while they might eventually overcome Viel's army, they wouldn't emerge unscathed.
"Young Lady! The Matriarch was frantic with worry! She was just about to set out to find you," one of the guards said, her tone stern as she reprimanded the girl.
As she finished speaking, a powerful, aged voice thundered through the trees.
"WHERE IS MY GRANDDAUGHTER?!"
"Shit! Viel, come with me!" Elle whispered, dragging Viel along by his sleeve.
Viel unsummoned his companions to put the Dryads at ease before following her into one of the dwellings. Inside stood a mature woman.
"Elle! Where were you? Your grandmother has been out of her mind with worry. She nearly killed your personal guard in her rage," the woman said. She looked enough like Elle to be her mother.
"I know, Mom… but you know those berries I love only grow in the Forest of Beginnings…"
Before her mother could continue the lecture, the front door swung open with a loud BANG!
"ELLE! WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT ENTERING THE TERRITORY OF THOSE DESPICABLE DRUIDS?!"
An older, yet formidable woman stormed in. Her skin was a soft green, and her hair a vibrant orange, though leaves sprouted from the locks and two branch-like horns protruded from her brow. Viel sensed the power of a High Rank 5 Alpha Monster radiating from her.
Seeing her granddaughter was fine; she was about to cry, so she stopped shouting and patted her head.
"Elle, you must be careful, the Forest of Beginnings is not the same as before. The Miasma has already killed a lot of our people."
"I know, Grandma… but Viel said he can help us."
Both the Matriarch and the mother turned their gaze toward the half-elf.
"A half-elf? It has been years since we have seen one Elf, even less one of your kin," the mother remarked.
"The guards told me you rescued my granddaughter. Thank you," the Matriarch added.
"There is no need. I was lost and heard her screams," Viel replied.
"I am Sylvina, Matriarch of the Dryads of East Haven. How can I express my gratitude?"
"In truth, I have come to help. I heard the Miasma has been troubling your people."
"Troubling? Ha! That is an understatement," Sylvina said bitterly. "It has already killed twenty percent of our greatest warriors. We Dryads were born when the seeds of the World Tree mingled with the Nature Spirits of the earth. We are incredibly sensitive to corrupting energies like this Miasma."
"But what happened?" Viel asked. "How did it all begin?"
"We don't know why, but a week ago, a strange black miasma appeared from the Forest of Beginnings, home to the Druids. It must be those war-loving druids who are responsible for this," she explained. "If you help us kill the Grand Druid responsible for the Miasma, I will reward you generously."
—--
< Quest: The Matriarch's Vengeance >
Description: Deep within the borders of the Wanid Kingdom, the sacred, healing sanctuaries of East Haven are being consumed by a mysterious, lingering miasma. Matriarch Sylvina, the Matriarch of the East Haven Thorns, has abandoned her pacifist nature to protect her home. Believing that the Druids of the Forest of Beginnings are intentionally poisoning their lands, she asks you to join her forces in a bitter territorial war.
< Quest Objective >
– March to the tainted border and help Sylvina assassinate Patriarch Kaelen, the Grand Druid of the Beginnings.
< Failure Conditions >
– The Matriarch of the Dryads, Sylvina, dies.
< Penalty >
– You will receive a -2,000 Reputation Points Penalty with the Dryads of East Heaven
– Note: Dropping to a negative reputation of -2,000 points means that the Dryads of East Heaven will be hostile to you and attack you on sight, even risking their lives just to kill you.
– You will receive a -1,000 Reputation Points Penalty with the Riders of Norria.
– You will receive a -200 Reputation Points Penalty with the Kingdom of Gweliven.
– Note: Dropping to a negative reputation of -1,000 points means that the Dwarf King will place a bounty on your head, and any Dwarves you come across will automatically become hostile towards you
< Rewards >
– Tear of the Dryad: This potion adds +50 permanent Vitality Points to the one who consumes it. You can only consume one Tear of the Dryad in your lifetime.
– Rank 4 Skill Book of your choice: You will be able to choose any Skill Book that is Rank 4 and below from the East Haven Treasury.
– +1,000 East Haven Reputation Points.
– -1,000 Druids of the Forest of Beginnings Reputation Points.
—--
Viel looked at the mission and felt like something was wrong.
'I don't know about this since it didn't appear in the original novel, but from what I remember, the Druids and the Dryads in the Wanid Kingdom weren't at odds with each other.' Viel thought, 'I should accept the quest for now and see how this goes.'
"I will help you, Matriarch, but I must do some things first," Viel said,
"What do you need? Time is running out. The more time passes, the more the miasma expands."
"For me to be able to help you, I must first investigate the Forest of Beginnings. Do you know what type of Monsters usually appear there?"
Sylvina paused as she thought for a time.
"The Forest of Beginnings..." she murmured, finally focusing back on Viel. "You shall have two days. No more. Any longer and the miasma will cover our village whole."
She gestured toward the heavy oak doors of the sanctum.
"Seek out the guards at the perimeter. Tell them I sent you, and they will provide you with an Encyclopedia of Monsters common to that region. It contains everything we know about the local fauna," she explained, though her voice dropped an octave in warning. "However, do not trust those pages blindly. Most of the creatures listed are no longer what they once were. The miasma has corrupted them into husks of their former selves."
"Two days," Viel repeated, turning to leave. "I'll be back before then."
He went for the Encyclopedia and started looking through it
—--
Gravel-Hide Razorbacks (Rank 1 Monsters)Broken-Branch Treants (Rank 1 Monsters)Bark-Weaver Mantises (Rank 2 Monsters)Zephyr-Leap Panthers (Rank 3 Monsters)Root-Bound Behemoths (Rank 3 Monsters) …
—--
"It seems that when monsters get corrupted, they go up one rank. That's bad news." Viel said, remembering the Corrupted Treants he fought, which were Rank 2 Monsters.
He adventured for two days in the forest to get souls and Beast Cores as well as True Blood for emergencies. He also tried to familiarize himself with the terrain.
"Are you ready, boy?" Sylvina asked Viel as she mounted a giant Stag made of wood and plants. Behind her stood dozens of Rank 2 to 3 Dryad Guards.
"Yes, Matriarch," Viel replied as he mounted Flasty, who was now a Rank 2 Speedy Golden Ant.
He has used a lot of Rank 2 Beast Cores, as there were no Rank 1 Monsters in the Forest of Beginnings due to the Miasma, to upgrade his Ant Army into Rank 1 Monsters and Flasty into Rank 2.
Viel also gained some new skills from the monsters he had been hunting the past two days.
—--
< Ding! >
< Skill Evolution [EX] has detected that the skills Serrated Charge, False Timber, Verdant Blade, Static Blur, and Cataclysmic Stomp have met the requirements for evolution! >
< Initiating Skill Evolution... >
< Evolution successful! >
—--
< Serrated Carnage >
Type: Active Skill
Mana Cost: 25 Mana
– An unstoppable, high-speed forward charge that transforms your body into a weapon of pure destruction.
– Upon impacting a target, the "razor" ridges along your back act like a chainsaw, violently shredding armor and flesh alike, dealing massive physical damage.
– Bleeding Effect: Reduces the target's Health Points by 3% of its Maximum Health Points every 2 seconds. Any healing effects applied to the target during this time are reduced by 50%.
– Bleed Duration: 15 seconds.
– Bonus Trait: If the target is already inflicted with a Bleeding or Poison effect, the initial impact of the charge deals an additional 50% physical damage.
– Skill Cooldown: 2 minutes.
< False Timber [EX] >
Type: Passive Skill
– The ultimate form of forest camouflage. When standing still in any natural or wooded environment, you do not just mimic the flora, you completely merge your presence with the ambient nature mana around you.
– While motionless, you become entirely undetectable by standard sight, smell, thermal vision, and tracking skills.
– Phantom Step: If you remain motionless for at least 5 seconds, your first attack or movement out of camouflage is completely silent and gains a 40% bonus to its damage.
< Verdant Severance >
Type: Active Skill
Mana Cost: 45 Mana
– Channels an overwhelming torrent of compressed nature and wind mana around the user's weapon or arm, forming a gigantic, luminous green scythe-blade.
– Unleashes a devastating slashing attack that deals +250 Physical and Wind Elemental damage.
– Armor Pierce: The intense rotation of the wind mana allows the blade to completely ignore 50% of the target's physical and magical defenses.
– Wind Reaver: The slash emits a razor-sharp vacuum wave that travels up to 20 meters, slicing through everything in its path before dissipating.
– Skill Cooldown: 3 minutes.
< Tempest Mirage >
Type: Passive Skill
– Your extreme speed bends the very air around you. When moving at high speeds, your physical form is heavily distorted by violent wind currents, leaving behind tangible, mirage-like afterimages.
– Grants a massive 75% evasion rate against all ranged physical and magical projectiles while in motion.
– Tempest Feedback: If an enemy's ranged or melee attack strikes one of your wind afterimages, the mirage violently detonates into a burst of compressed air, briefly staggering the attacker and disrupting their stance.
< Tectonic Devastation >
Type: Active Skill
Mana Cost: 80 Mana
– A cataclysmic, heavy-impact move where the user channels immense physical strength and earth mana into a singular, devastating downward stomp.
– Creates a massive localized earthquake within a 50-meter radius, dealing cataclysmic blunt force and Earth Elemental damage to all grounded enemies.
– Upheaval: Has a 100% chance to knock unshielded enemies prone, instantly breaking their stances and interrupting all spellcasting.
– Fissure Spikes: The sheer force of the stomp shatters the terrain, causing jagged rocks and earth spikes to violently jut out from the ground, dealing secondary piercing damage to anyone caught in the blast zone.
– Skill Cooldown: 10 minutes.
—--
Name: Viel Von Kaizer
Age: 16
Race: Half-Elf
Rank: (None)
Sub Class: Blacksmith, Spirit's Contractor, Blood Mage
Health: 58550 / 58550
Mana: 520 / 520
Strength: 50 (+3)
Intelligence: 41
Vitality: 31
Agility: 31 (+23)
Dexterity: 26 (+3)
〚 Luck: 9998〛
Soul: 546
Free Stat Points Available: 4381 (!)
Free Skill Points Available: 160
Defense: 86 (55+31)
Special Abilities: Jack-of-All-Trades [EX] Blessing of the OGU [???] [Absorb (4/5) Devour (Unused) Copy (3/4) Steal (3/3)] Blessing of the OGH [???] Skill Evolution [EX] Gaming Energy-Ticket of Eriol [Divine] (1200/5000)
Animancer Skills: Soul Harvest [Epic], Animating Touch [Ex], Soul Familiar [Ex], Soul Order, Lesser Elemental Conjure [Ex]
Souls: [...]
Sub-Class Skills: Master of Metals [Ex], Heat Resistance [Ex], Spirit Contract[Ex], Spirit Fusion [Ex], Hemomancy [Ex]
Active Skills: Fury Slash, Void Arrow, Blood Brush [Ex], Night Vision [Ex], Spirit Contract [Ex] (0/4), Crimson Ascendance, Phantom Step, Serrated Carnage (!), Verdant Severance (!), Tectonic Devastation (!)
Passive Skills: Toxic Blood [Ex], Life Steal, Predator's Instinct, Child of the Forest [Ex], False Timber [EX] (!), Tempest Mirage (!)
Blood Tattoos(2/2): Ironclad Rhino, Shadow Dragon
—--
Special Body Constitution: Crimson Canvas' Legacy (1449/1500)(!)
Title: Apprentice Blacksmith, Fearless, Ant Prince, Spirit's Friend, Honorary Knight
—--
Elysium Copper Coins: 145
Elysium Silver Coins: 272
Elysium Gold Coins: 500
—--
They marched through the forest while the guards killed any monster that tried to attack them.
Although Viel didn't collect their Beast Cores, as it would be rude, he did use Soul Harvest [Epic] to collect their souls.
After a few hours, they arrived at a settlement surrounded by a great green barrier, and a tall, old man surrounded by other men was waiting for them.
"Sylvina! You old hag! You have come to the end of what you began, don't you?!" The man said.
"Kaelen! You old fool! You still act as if you are not responsible for the deaths of my dryads!" Sylvina replied even angrier.
Kaelen, the Grand Druid, looked at Viel.
"You have even brought with you a foreigner, a half-elf no less. You must be desperate to kill us."
Seeing this, Viel was a little confused. Why were both parties acting as if it were the fault of each other?
"You boy!" Kaelen shouted at Viel. "Don't get fooled by that old woman; the dryads are nothing more than vixens trying to exterminate us! Help us kill her, and I will reward you appropriately."
—--
< Ding! >
< Conflicting Quest: The Patriarch's Retribution >
Mission Rating: S
Description: Patriarch Kaelen is aggressively casting his territorial magic to defend his village from the miasma, pushing the corruption outward. Seeing you march alongside the Dryads, the Grand Druid accuses them of being the true source of the corruption and demands you strike down their leader.
< Quest Objective >
– Assassinate Matriarch Sylvina, the Matriarch of the East Haven Thorns.
< Rewards >
– Heartwood Elixir: This potion adds +50 permanent Strength Points to the one who consumes it.
– Rank 4 Skill Book of your choice: You will be able to choose any Skill Book that is Rank 4 and below from the Forest of Beginnings Treasury.
– +1,000 Druids of the Forest of Beginnings Reputation Points
– -1,000 Dryads of East Heaven Reputation Points
—--
Viel saw the new conflicting mission and felt that something didn't add up.
'Both of them seem to have lost precious ones to them and think that the culpable are each other…'
"Patriarch, Matriarch, I think we must stop for a moment and think slowly about what is happening."
As Viel said that, the Dryads at his side pointed their weapons at him.
"What are you saying, boy!?" Sylvina said. "You have been sweet-talked by his words."
"No, no. Please, don't misunderstand, I think that neither of you is responsible for the Miasma."
As Viel saw that it was going to be difficult, he tried to use the Blessing of the OGH [???], but it didn't work on monsters two ranks higher than him.
—--
< Synergy detected >
< Passive Skill Child of the Forest [Ex], Title Spirit's Friend and Special Ability Blessing of the OGH [???] act together to maximize its effects. >
The aura around Viel began to calm and appear more friendly to everyone present.
The Druids, as well as the Dryads, had Spirit's blood flowing through their veins; because of that, the title Spirit's Friend helped Blessing of the OGH [???].