The next day, the sun rays blinded my sight.
"Ugh. Talk about an annoying way for nature to say good morning."
"Hey Arcit."
Arcit: "Yes?"
"So do we really have to find the lost Arc of Water?"
Arcit: "Yessss!!!!"
"Why though?"
"Why do you want me to find the lost Arcs?"
Arcit: "The Arcs should be allies."
"Why?"
Arcit: "Can't answer at the current level."
"Sheesh man."
"What are the Arcs anyway?"
Arcit: "They are warriors."
"Wait, so Iris and I are warriors? Seriously? Wait, all adventurers are warriors."
"Not quite an answer for me."
Arcit: "No need to be concerned about that."
"No need to be concerned???"
I swear I need to find a way to kick this system's ass.
Arcit: "Then I shall reveal a fragment of the truth."
Arcit: "Arcs are..."
"Are what? Speak already!"
Arcit: "Arcs separate into two."
"And what could that be, Mr. System?"
Arcit: "Arc Monarch. Arc Commanders."
"Monarch? Start at that."
Arcit: "He who is deemed to be worthy...holds the ability to manipulate the five elements...capable of bonding a dragon...chosen by the will of the throne...he shall be the heir of the fallen monarch...uses his almighty power...in all its majesty...to put an end to the chaos driven by the world."
"Holds the five elemental attributes?"
"Bonding dragon?"
"Throne?"
Uhhmmmm...
???????
"So, I got the five attributes, a dragon bond, but chosen by the will of the throne...?"
Uhmmmmmmm????
Throne? Throne? Throne?
Oh...of course!
"You mean the throne found in the Divanous Mountain in Divanous Forest?"
Why is Arcit putting on the expression of being in the presence of a dumb dude?
Arcit: "Well, about the Arc Commanders, there are five commanders—each leads one of the attribute kingdoms."
"Wow, I never thought something like that exists. A kingdom of each element, wow."
"I think I got the rest. Each one has attributes of one element and it's one of its kind. They're supposed to be my allies and follow my commands?"
Arcit: "Precisely."
"What a pain in the ass."
"Anyway, Rath, let's check up on Iris."
~Rath: "Yes, master."~
Hmm, he doesn't talk a lot. A lot? Nah, he never does. Maybe I should be the one to start talking.
We went downstairs to the food hall to have breakfast.
Unknown: "Hey little cutie!"
Unknown: "What is a cutie like you doing alone?"
Vera (Iris): "None of your business, plus I am not alone."
"Vera, what's going on?"
Vera (Iris): "Nothing, just a jobless man wandering around. Anyway, you better get some rest, I am planning to give orders."
And...I'm supposed to be the one in charge of commands.
Unknown: "Hey little girl, come on—you're coming with us! We'll make sure you have a great time!" *laughing*
"Come on, Vera, let's go."
Vera (Iris): "As you wish, but what about breakfast?"
"We can pick up something at a bistro on our way."
Vera (Iris): "Yes. Eylo! Let's go."
Unknown: "I'm sure I was clear when I said 'you're coming with us.'"
Vera (Iris): "No thanks."
The man grabbed her by the hand.
Unknown: "You're going to come quietly and give us some fun."
Sheesh man, I must have suspected to find perverts more than in our world. To think someone like me who lived an era where perverts were almost vanished from existence...
"Step away from her. I'd rather not have to make this ugly."
Unknown: "Who do you think you are, you little brat?"
"Brat? So you wish to solve this using violence? Then I shall gift you the honor of your hands that touched her being cut and burned by me."
My rage went berserk. As a result of my punch, I heard the crack of his ribs, while the others charged with hope that quantity would overgo quality. I dodged their attack. I appeared like I vanished, then reappeared hitting them on their heads, legs. When the four brats fell down, the rest of the gang charged on. It's not like it mattered—they were a group of feebles.
We went to a nearby bistro and grabbed breakfast, and I told Iris about everything including the mission and the Arcs.
Vera (Iris): "So? Where are we going to start, Mr. Monarch?"
"Don't give me that. We're cousins."
Vera (Iris): "Still, you're a Monarch while I'm a Commander."
"Sheesh, we didn't pass all the trials yet."
Vera (Iris): "So? We're just going to pass them."
*Shouting*: "Emergency! Emergency! All citizens hide in the bunker. All adventurers or people who are capable of fighting, come to support at the 3rd Gate now. An extraordinary dungeon break occurred!"
Vera (Iris): "Dungeon break?"
"The only dungeons outside near the 3rd Gate are the Vast, Crust, and Nuts."
Vera (Iris): "That's correct, but why did they name them that?"
"For Vast, because it's huge. Crust, because the founder had a crust. And same for the Nuts."
Vera (Iris): "He was eating nuts when he found it, huh? What a weirdo. Now let's go."
We arrived.
"What happened here?"
Injured adventurer: "The weirdo three dungeons broke out all of a sudden. And what's worse, it happened at the same time."
Vera (Iris): "Aren't these dungeons supposed to be cleared by the Eclipse Wardens guild?"
Injured adventurer: "That's right but the monsters are stronger than usual. They're supposed to be three B-rank dungeons, but the monsters that came out were supposed to come out of A and S-rank dungeons."
Injured adventurer: "Wayla, the elite adventurer of the Eclipse Wardens, took down many B-rank monsters, but she barely stood a chance in front of the A-rank monster and that's with the help of her bond."
~Vera (Iris):~ "Bond, could it be it's the one we're looking for?"~
~"Maybe, let's go."~
"Thanks for covering the details."
Unknown: "Wayla has fallen—she has been injured!!!"
"That's bad, let's hurry."
Wayla: "Arc Monarch, I've waited for your arrival. Arc Monarch and Silver Commander."
"My arrival?"
"How did you know that I'm the Arc monarch"
Wayla "the say way you knew who i am, through the system of course"
wayla "As you can see, I am injured, thus I will entrust you with the fate of the battle."
Wayla: "Go. You shall be victorious."
The battlefield was already broken before Donal appeared.
Stone lay split open, trees burned down to black spines, the air thick with heat and the bitter taste of mana residue. It felt like the land had been forced to endure something it was never meant to face.
Arcit"Apariseal activated, that a s rank demon called Donal"
Then Donal arrived.
The sky tore open with a violent crack, and demonic fire spilled downward as he descended. Horns crowned his head, jagged and cruel, his wings stretched wide—each beat sending waves of pressure across the ground. Flames crawled across his body like they were alive, pulsing with intent.
His eyes locked onto me and Iris.
He smiled.
Infernal fire surged forward, not a simple attack but a moving tide, compressing heat and destruction into a single advancing wall. The ground liquefied beneath it.
I vanished.
Mist Stride activated instinctively. My body blurred, space folding just enough to pull me and Iris out of the attack's path. The flames tore past where we had stood, carving a molten trench through the field.
Iris landed beside me, blade already raised.
"Fast," she muttered.
Donal didn't slow.
He dropped from the sky like a hammer.
I reacted immediately. Rath burst from his bond mark in a flash of crimson and gold, slamming into Donal mid-descent. The impact thundered across the battlefield—raw strength against raw strength—fire exploding outward.
Eylo followed.
The silver-gold Fenrir tore across the ground, claws ripping through stone as he leapt, fangs sinking into Donal's leg. Wind pressure exploded outward as Eylo twisted, dragging the demon off balance.
Donal roared, slamming his fist down.
The shockwave sent Rath skidding back and hurled Eylo through broken terrain. Flames surged as Donal recovered, wings flaring, power climbing violently.
I stepped forward.
Five elements answered.
Heat gathered around my blade. Wind compressed along its edge. Earth reinforced my stance. Water condensed in the air, stabilizing the flow of mana. Lightning cracked faintly through the mix—unstable but obedient.
I didn't shout.
I moved.
I closed the distance in a blink, blade colliding with Donal's claw. The impact rang like a bell struck by lords. Sparks, fire, and compressed air detonated outward.
Iris attacked from the side.
Her strike carved deep, silver light flashing as she cut across Donal's torso. Blood sprayed, sizzling as it hit the ground. Donal snarled, tail whipping around, catching her mid-motion and slamming her into the earth.
I felt it.
Something snapped.
The bond marks on my arm burned.
Arc Will awakened.
Power surged through my body—not explosive, but focused. Every movement sharpened. Every sense aligned. My mana flow stabilized at a higher threshold, refusing to scatter.
I activated Spirit Will.
Rath and Eylo responded instantly.
Rath roared, flames compressing instead of spreading, his form growing denser, heavier. Eylo's muscles coiled, wind wrapping tighter around his body, his presence turning predatory and precise.
They moved as one.
Rath charged head-on, claws tearing through Donal's guard. Eylo struck low, ripping into joints and tendons. I followed, weaving through the chaos with Mist Stride, striking between attacks, never lingering long enough to be caught.
Donal unleashed everything.
A massive eruption of demonic fire exploded outward, consuming the battlefield in a dome of heat and destruction. The air screamed. Stone turned to slag. For a moment, the world was nothing but burning red.
I didn't retreat.
Revyn activated.
His armor shifted instantly, hardening, plates forming where needed, dispersing heat, redirecting force. The elements around him stabilized into a controlled circulation, resisting the demonic flames instead of opposing them directly.
Iris rose through the fire, bloodied but steady.
Our bond resonated.
Power surged between us, unspoken, unquestioned.
Donal faltered.
Not because he was weak.
But because we wouldn't break.
I struck.
One decisive blow, blade driven forward with compressed elemental force, piercing through Donal's chest. Rath's flames locked the wound. Eylo's wind collapsed inward, crushing Donal's core.
The demon screamed, fire unraveling, body collapsing under pressure he couldn't overpower.
Then silence.
When the flames faded, Donal was gone.
Only scorched land remained.
Raidan exhaled slowly, muscles burning, mana low but stable. Rath and Eylo shrank instinctively, settling near him, breathing heavy.
Vera (Iris) stepped beside him, wiping blood from her face.
"...That one," she said quietly, "was close."
I nodded.
"Yeah."
The land didn't cheer.
It simply endured.
We experienced a breakdown.
Wayla came to us after her wounds healed.
Wayla: "You're going to become a great Monarch. Now rest—I will take care of the rest."
Wayla: "Marny!! Neco!! Help me transport them to our headquarters."
Marny: "HQ? But they aren't from our guild."
Wayla: "They are my friends, plus they aren't in any guild. It would be a great chance to add them to our lines."
Neco: "You're brilliant as ever. This means our guild will take the prize as well, and we will rise once again."
After two weeks...
"Huhh...uhh."
"My body...it hurts. The pain is pinned to every inch of my body."
"Where am I? Don't tell me I died and got reincarnated again!!"
I went out of the bed and looked at the mirror.
"Phew...I am still as I am."
Knock...knock...knock.
Wayla and Iris entered the room.
Wayla: "Looks like you're finally back to us."
"Yeah, but I am barely standing."
Iris: "Raidan, I filled her in on everything."
"Calling me Raidan while she is here means you filled her in on that also."
"So, Wayla. As the Arc Monarch, would you join my side?"
Wayla: "It's my pleasure."
Wayla: "Now, won't it be a good idea to make your adventurer ID and register you as a member of our guild?"
Iris: "I already made my ID. But joining the guild is your choice."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. We'll join."
"For a couple of reasons."
Wayla: "What is it?"
"First, we intended to join the same guild as you. Second, we need access to greater quests and missions. Finally, our joining will cause the rise of the Eclipse Wardens."
Wayla: "And what will you gain from that?"
"The Emberstalkers' Final Ember."
Wayla: "We lost an S*-rank adventurer, so did Moonrend Legion, and they joined the Emberstalkers and are currently members of the Clover. The Emberstalkers added their best members to the Clover. Now they're a gang of B to S—they have two at A and one at S and two at S*."
Iris: "You and I are currently at A*, and Wayla is almost at A."
"This monster really was a pain in the ass, but it left us with a lot of EXP. Now my stats have been buffed. But I can barely move. Wait, what is that skill—Buff?"
Iris: "I got that skill too. Apparently it can recover your stamina, mana, heal any wounds."
"It says that it can regenerate parts of my body even if my heart or my core are damaged."
Iris: "I don't have the last part. If my mana core or my heart are gone, that is."
"Arcit!"
Arcit: "Yes?"
"Tell me more about this skill."
Arcit: "Buff. It's a skill that allows you to heal, recover mana, recover stamina instantly. It can heal all kinds of wounds, even injuries in core or heart. It absorbs mana from surroundings to recover mana and heal. The Buff skill also gives you resistance to curses and poisons. However, I won't recommend using this skill in your current state."
"Why?"
Arcit: "In your current state, you reached a point where your core is fusing with your heart. So this skill is currently disabled. You won't even be capable of using skills or elemental power in your current state."
"So it's an evolution, huh. So will the other Arcs' cores fuse with the heart? And can I apply my skill to others or is it a self-skill?"
Arcit: "Iris has already finished the fusion in her slumber for a week. Wayla didn't reach the level for it. You can apply your skill to any creature."
Wayla: "Milord, why don't we three form a party in the guild called the Arc?"
"Great idea."
"Now shall I do my ID and registration? Oh, and as Reven of course...Iris, you registered as Vera, yeah?"
Iris: "Yep."
We went downstairs to the main hall and registered with Mona.
Wayla: "Now that Reven got his ID and finished his registration, Mona, register us three as a new party called Arcs. Oh, Reven, Iris—you won't mind adding Marny and Neco to our party. They are trustworthy. Marny!! Neco!!"
Marny: "Hi, I am Marny. I hope to be of use to you."
Neco: "And I'm Neco."
I turned on Spiritual Awareness.
"Nice to meet you, but...I have a question."
Marny: "What is it?"
"Will you ever betray me? Can I really trust you?"
Vera (Iris): "Reven!!!"
Marny: "I would never betray you."
Neco: "Our loyalty is to the Arcs party."
Hmm, no lies detected. Also, they didn't faze because of my question.
*Smiling*: "Yeah, I hope so. Welcome to Arc. Let's take our journey to its fullest."
Mona: "I finished registering your party. There is a mission I need you to fulfill."
"And what's that?"
Mona: "Arcs, your first mission is to clean up the rest of the monsters in the battlefield."
"Come to think of it, we didn't get drops from Donal."
Wayla: "I got the drops and handed them in already. Look there—that's his horns."
"So it just takes, no give."
Mona *laughing*: "It's been added to your balance."
"Oh, great."
Two weeks had passed since the demon's fall.
The royal capital still stood, but it no longer felt untouched. The great walls were scarred with claw marks and scorched stone. Towers that once gleamed now carried fractures like old wounds, hastily repaired but not forgotten. The air itself felt tired, heavy with the memory of battle.
Monsters hadn't vanished with their master.
They scattered.
Some fled into the forests and ruins surrounding the capital. Others lingered near the walls, feral remnants without command, driven only by instinct and hunger. That was why we were here.
Raidan.
Iris.
Wayla.
Marny.
Neco.
We stood atop the western wall, overlooking a ruined district beyond the gates. Broken streets, collapsed homes, and movement. Too much movement.
Wayla rested her hand on the crest of her water bond, a faint ripple circling her wrist like a living tide. Her expression was calm, but her eyes never stopped moving, tracking everything.
Wayla: "They're nesting. If we don't clear them now, this place becomes a den."
Iris cracked her neck once, flames quietly simmering beneath her skin. No jokes today. No teasing. When she looked at the battlefield, it was with sharp focus, the same intensity that always pushed her to stay ahead of me.
Iris: "Good. I was getting bored."
Marny adjusted his grip on his weapon, exhaling slowly. Neco stood beside him, silent as ever, already half-faded into the environment like he belonged to the ruins more than the city.
I activated Spiritual Awareness.
The field lit up in layers. Hostile intent scattered everywhere. No leader. No structure. Just beasts waiting to be culled.
"Same plan," I said.
"We don't chase. We compress."
Iris smirked.
"Race you to the center."
Before I could answer, she was already moving.
Figures.
Mist wrapped around my boots as Mist Stride activated, my body blurring forward in short bursts. Not teleportation. Just speed refined to the edge of control. The broken streets cracked beneath us as we descended from the wall into chaos.
The monsters reacted instantly.
A wave of distorted beasts surged from alleys and rubble. Clawed limbs. Twisted frames. Some still burned faintly from demonic residue.
Wayla moved first.
She stepped forward and slammed her foot down.
Water erupted from the ground itself, summoned through moisture buried deep in stone and soil. It surged outward like a controlled flood, slamming monsters into walls, pinning them in place with crushing pressure.
Wayla: "Now."
Iris didn't hesitate.
Moonflare ignited.
White-hot flames spiraled outward, not wild, not wasteful. Every strike precise. Every burst calculated. Fire met water, not clashing, but layering. Steam exploded into the air, blinding enemies and cooking them from the inside out.
I drew my greatsword.
Arc Will surged through my arms, lightning threading through fire-enhanced steel. I didn't swing wildly. Each step, each cut was deliberate. Monsters fell before they could even scream, bodies split cleanly, mana dispersing into the air.
Behind us, Marny and Neco moved like a practiced unit.
Marny held the line, earth reinforcing his stance, blows landing heavy and final. Neco appeared and vanished, blades flashing from blind spots, finishing anything that slipped through.
More monsters poured in.
Too many.
Good.
I activated Spirit Will: Arc Will fully.
The bond mark on my arm flared, glowing crimson-gold. Rath's presence surged behind me, not fully manifested, but lending raw force. Every strike hit harder. Faster. Cleaner.
Iris noticed immediately.
She always did.
She pushed herself further.
Flames intensified, shifting from white to a blinding, compressed inferno. Her movements sharpened, faster than before, like she was daring the battlefield to keep up.
For a moment, we fought back-to-back.
No words.
No coordination needed.
Just understanding.
Wayla raised both hands, her bond responding. A massive spiral of water formed above us, then collapsed downward in controlled torrents, crushing clustered enemies and extinguishing volatile mana surges before they could explode.
Minutes turned into hours.
By the time the sun dipped low, the streets were silent. Bodies dissolved into mana residue. The ruins stood empty.
I deactivated my skills slowly, breathing steady.
Iris wiped sweat from her brow, grinning despite herself.
Iris: "Still not ahead of me."
I glanced at the battlefield.
"Count again."
She laughed, sharp and genuine.
Wayla approached, water receding back into the ground as if it had never been there.
Wayla: "The capital's perimeter is clear. For now."
Marny leaned on his weapon.
Neco simply nodded.
The walls behind us stood firm.
Not untouched.
But standing.
And for the first time since the demon's fall, the capital felt like it could breathe again.