LXI

  Kaz stood there, unable to dissect his own emotions. He felt fear. He felt anger. He felt relief. This was a moment where his commitment to being an Adventurer became real. In his mind, Kaz tried to justify his actions that day, saying that he was attacked first, the Dwarf was a Bandit, that he was going to be executed anyways, and many more reasons.

  After some internal conflict, his Mana Core finally got through to him, guiding him to sit down in dirt, right next to the dried blood patch. He got into the same pose as always, sitting with his legs crossed, back straight, but still relaxed, and placing his hands on his knees, gripping them to hold his upper body up. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before channeling his [ Mana Regeneration ].

  Immediately, he could feel the pressure building within him. He was already full of Mana Points, but ever since he unlocked his [ Mana Siphon ], he was able to release any extra mana back into the Realm. This time around, it was a different feeling.

  Previously, especially during his time in the Manashroom Forest, he was able to feel the various types of mana, and all the different variants would smoothly traverse through his channels. This time, he was not only channeling mana, there was something else. He felt emotions, one that went through him in silence, prickling him randomly.

  Fear. All of his past traumas came to mind, from early childhood, to just recently. He remembered the first time he got severely beaten by the bullies who cornered Misha. He remembered all the times he was picked on for his size and lack of strength. Then came his whole ordeal with his Awakening, and how he was outcast from his own town, with everyone turning their backs on him, making him become more alone than he already was. The moment of his first Adventure, with his first encounter with the Bandits, how powerless he was, where they could’ve ended him if they wanted. His close moments with death, almost succumbing to the Ironbark Boar, the Elite Stonerock Goblin, and the Rouge like goblin.

  The feeling of fear almost made him want to crawl out of his own skin, and he yelled at his Mana Core to stop it, but it wouldn’t listen. It only pushed him harder, doubling down on his fear. It flooded his thoughts with his insecurities, his shortcomings, and his biggest one: never being able to belong. He could feel his own Lightning mana spark up occasionally, trying to fight back his emotions, only to be snuffed out by the overwhelming fear, returning back to his Mana Core.

  Kaz’s eyes flew open, gasping for air, his face wet with tears, seeing small sparks of weak purple tinted Lightning mana fizzing out from him. He couldn’t stop himself from trembling, the burden of his fears holding him back. His Mana Core pulsed within him, and urged him to continue channeling. He shook his head violently, unable to go through that torture again. After some time, he steadied himself, pushing himself to accept the channeling, as this was needed in order to progress his [ Mana Regeneration ] to Rank 50. When he closed his eyes, another emotion flooded through him, almost like an overflowing river.

  Anger. It was just like his previous emotion with fear. He remembered all the times he was ridiculed, cast out, for the way he was. It all began with his birth, as he was abandoned by his family, having to be raised in an orphanage. The way people stuck their fingers out at him, and talked behind his back while he was growing up. His Awakening, where no one believed that he was telling the truth. The fact that his friends left him behind without taking into account their years of being a group, just because they were skeptical and listened to the people around them, who didn’t know anything about who he really was. The moment with Nahan Faedusk, where Nahan’s ego couldn’t allow Kaz to simply walk by, and caused him future inconvenience even though he did nothing wrong. He felt his Lightning speed up, almost burning him from the inside, sparking out wildly, as he realized the biggest source of his anger. The [ Archive ]. It made a mistake so costly, it completely offset the beginning of his life, and he could almost guarantee he’d be in a better spot in life if it just did its job correctly.

  His eyes flew open again, only to see red tinted Lightning lifting him off the ground, spinning around him, similar to when he would cast his [ Lightning Burst ], but big enough to encase him in it at the center. His Mana Core pumped him up, feeding him the mana, until he wasn’t able to contain it anymore, and he burst, sending all the Lightning mana downwards, crackling against the dirt, charring it black.

  He breathed heavily, almost as if he ran for an hour. It felt so good to wield that anger, and just letting it erupt. It was almost if he was building up all of his current emotions, and just let it out, similar to a child who needed to have an outburst when they couldn’t get what they wanted. His Mana Core then urged him one more time to close his eyes, and he immediately followed, dreading what emotion waited for him now. The emotions that flowed through him were the complete opposite, it was cool, and went through him in soft waves, soothing the spots where his anger lashed out.

  Peace. It was as if everything didn’t matter anymore. All of his previous worries and anger was gone, replaced by the current events of his life. He thought about the group near the cave, who willingly accepted him and walked with him to Sarus. He recollected his moments with who he considered his mentor, Elder Aelon, who guided him in his Calling when no one else would. He thought about the Adventurer’s Guild, and all the people he met through there, who seemed to genuinely like him for who he was. The moment in the Manashroom Forest, where he was able to truly connect with his Mana Core, and mana itself, where Kaz saw that there was so much more to mana than just a source for his Abilities. And finally, the two people he recently saved, Priza and Thomdid, who now lived to see another day. He was able to make a difference when he controlled the situation, and that was the way the Realm worked. He could always rely on himself and his connection to mana.

  He slowly opened his eyes, to see himself glowing with his silver Lightning Mana, controlled in their movement, only forking out lightly from his body. He didn’t completely understand the meaning behind this from his Mana Core, but from what he gathered, it was to show that his emotions controlled his mana more than he realized. He would need to utilize his [ Mana Regeneration ] to not only recuperate his Mana Points, but to unpack himself emotionally, and remove any past emotions.

  The [ Archive ] decided he had done enough, and it opened up, revealing:

  You have reached Rank 50 with your final Ability, [ Mana Regeneration ].

  He smiled contently at the message, not only happy about finally reaching Rank 50 with all his Abilities, but feeling as if he personally Ranked up himself. He felt lighter, both physically and mentally. He felt as if his thoughts were clearer in his head, with none of the previous worries rising up, causing him to spiral.

  Suddenly, a loud pulse rocked him, almost knocking him over. His [ Archive ] rolled open, displaying to him:

  Upon reaching 50 Resonance, with all your Abilities at Rank 50, you are ready to undergo your First Revelation.

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  Kaz felt a small spike of anxiety and joy, anxiety of what’s to come with his Revelation, and joy in finally reaching the milestone of his First Revelation. The page rolled up, and without pause, another page rolled open, with another pulse going through him, a sensation he already knew. A Quest. The [ Archive ] revealed:

  Quest Unlocked – First Revelation

  Head to the Capital, Aros, and enter the Adventurer’s Guild. Inside the Adventurer’s Guild, proceed to the Gateway Room and take the gateway to Cordia.

  Cordia? Where was Cordia? He mulled it over his head as he walked back to Sarus. The sun was already down by the time he made it back, immediately heading back home. When he entered his new home, the others were starting to prepare dinner, so he joined in to help with preparations. He set the table and waited for the food to come out.

  As they were eating, he brought up his Quest for his Revelation, wondering if he could get some helpful information from the older Adventurers. Everyone had the same reaction, never hearing about such a place, let alone having to travel to another Realm for their Revelation. As for getting to the Capital, it was Elmdiara who recommended, “I would take the Windletoon’s Stagecoach. It’s a stagecoach run by a group of Gnomes, and their carriages are better built than most. They also have a whole system so that you don’t have to spend time during the night to let the horses rest by having the horses replaced at every stop. Their pricing is also pretty reasonable, I believe it was something like a Gold Token or two.”

  Kaz winced at that, but it was a small price to pay for getting to Aros for his Revelation. He decided that the Stagecoach was the best option and asked for directions so he could leave early in the morning to make sure to catch a ride to the Capital. The next morning, he made his way over to the location and was greeted by a small group of Gnomes who wore lavish looking business suits, an outfit he saw very rarely around these parts. After a quick discussion, he managed to purchase his own carriage that would take him straight to the Capital, totaling four days and five nights. It cost him two Gold Tokens, but for the luxury of his own space with quick travel, he couldn’t complain, especially when he just recently got twenty Gold Tokens for completing his Epic Quest.

  ? ? ?

  After traveling for the four days and five nights, he arrived right outside the Capital right before noon. He stretched as he exited the coach, stiff after such a long journey where they rarely made stops. Kaz eyed the walls of Aros, and to be honest, they weren’t that impressive to him, which surprised him. He wondered what the deal was, and when he finally went through the main gate, he understood why. This was only the first wall, and in the distance he saw another massive wall, easily double the size of the one he went through, with massive armaments spread out.

  He was blown away from what he saw, from all the various types of buildings to the massive amount of people that occupied the streets. Before he could get lost, he approached a pair of Guards that were patrolling the streets and asked them where the Adventurer’s Guild was. Unfortunately for him, they pointed out the area behind the second set of walls, and even pulled out a map to show him in detail.

  His hopes of getting through the city were quickly deflating as he realized how far he would have to walk. He was surprised when the Guard called out to a young Human boy, saying to him, “Jerria, guide this Adventurer to the Guild, and don’t scam him. He’ll give you a Silver Token, alright?”

  The little brown haired boy nodded, eyes shining brightly at the thought of getting a Token. Kaz quickly took out a Silver Token, not even hesitating as he could use any help he could get, especially for just one Silver Token. The Guard explained to Kaz, “This is Jerria, and he’s one of the kids in this area who guide newcomers to various parts of the Capital, as it is easy to get lost. They know the Capital better than most, and need something to do during the day.”

  Giving his thanks to the Guards, the duo set off. Jerria loved to talk, and pointed out all the points of interest along the way. He also learned that the boy came from an orphanage, just like him, and when Kaz let him know that, the boy lit up, immediately saying, “So you came from an orphanage, and you’re an Adventurer? So, you’re saying there is hope for me to become strong and powerful just like you?”

  Kaz felt his heart break a little, but he chuckled at the kid, telling him, “Anything is possible. Make sure to believe in yourself, and follow your dream, even if that means making a sacrifice by leaving everything behind.”

  The kid plainly nodded, probably not understanding what Kaz meant, but hopefully he would understand in the future if the time came. The kid seemed to quiet down, which gave Kaz the opportunity to take in the Capital. He noticed that most of the buildings were way different from what he had seen in his previous towns. These were elegantly made with wood and stone that was so smooth, it looked like one giant slab of rock. What blew him away was that the buildings were all a different color. Each building had its own personality and usually fit the theme of their business. The main path was smoothly paved with large stones, and there were plenty of lamps, a rare feature in his previous towns.

  The Capital was worthy of being called the Capital, as the wealth on this side of the wall was very visible, and with the amount of people that walked the streets, this place was full of life. Back in Sarus, he didn’t really encounter many strong people, but here he would constantly come across people who were very well equipped and carried that same feeling of power that Broff and his group possessed.

  Finally, they approached the second wall and after getting through with another check, they made their way through the final section before the Adventurer’s Guild. Kaz was blown away by what he witnessed ahead of him. For one, a massive castle sat in the distance, sparkling in white and gold, putting the temples he had seen to shame. And even looking around, he noticed many large buildings, but each one had a unique build to them, along with its own little block of buildings around it.

  Jerria explained to him, “What you are seeing are the various districts. Each district is represented through a profession, business, or service. We are heading to the Adventurer’s District, which is over there,” to which he pointed out a large building that had many towers coming from it, combined with wooden supports and green colored tiles for the roof.

  They approached the massive building, and that was where the young boy departed from him. Kaz made sure to thank the young kid, and gave him another Silver Token, to which the boy quickly shoved into his pocket, grinning wildly and skipping away from him. He took a deep breath and stepped through the main entrance, which had no door, just a massive frame that led into the main space.

  The main space was similar to the one in Sarus, consisting of social tables, a bar off to the side that served drinks and food, and an area to talk to the Clerks, only that this space was easily five times the size of the one in Sarus. It was also filled to the brim with people who were easily stronger than him, which put him on edge. He waited his turn in line to approach one of the Clerks, and once it was finally his turn, he approached the middle-aged Human male.

  “Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild of Aros. How can I help you today?”

  Kaz nodded, and explained to him, “Hello, I need to travel to another Realm for my Quest. Where would I go for that or is there something I need to do?”

  The Clerk nodded at him, and explained to him, while pressing a button that glowed purple, “Yes, momentarily a staff member will guide you to the wing where we have our Gateways, and there you will share your Badge and Quest with the Gateway Mage, who will then inform you of the price to travel. If accepted, you will pay directly to them and you will step into another Realm at their Capital’s Adventurer’s Guild.”

  During the explanation, a male Gnome approached, and he guided him to the Gateway room, going up on the towers that he saw earlier. Once they entered the main space, he was blown away by the number of Gateways that were present, similar looking to the one he saw in the Kobold camp, albeit a lot smaller. The Gnome guided him to an available Mage, who guided him along the process. She explained to him, “Hello there. Please hand over your Badge and share your Quest with me.”

  He did as she asked and he saw as she took his Badge, and it glowed purple, immediately turning the Gateway a hazy purple, before turning into a beautiful green and mountain filled scenery. The Mage then revealed to him, “That is Cordia. I can confidently say I had never had someone travel to that Realm, or travel from that Realm. The cost will be 11 Gold and 37 Silver Tokens.”

  He almost wanted to cry as he handed over the large amount, but he quickly reminded himself that this was for his Revelation. She took his Tokens and put it into a black and gold jar. The jar glowed, and the Gateway became blurry before transitioning again to a room filled with people. The Mage instructed him, “Now you may step through. You might feel a little nauseous at first, but it goes away after a while. Since this is a part of your Quest, you will have your [ Archive ] help you with translating the native language over there. Happy hunting!”

  With a deep breath, he stepped through the Gateway.