"From the fight against Zero, it"s obvious that I"m still lacking. But… the hard part is that I don"t know what it is that I lack."

Sila used to think that his current strength was more than sufficient for him to roam free throughout the New World. Unexpectedly, he was just like a frog in a well. There were many kinds of dangers that could take his life—be it the continuous battles with no breaks in between, the large variety of skills that were beyond what he could handle, or the final battle against Zero that he had barely survived.

Lomyok seemed to be the most excited one with the increase in speed. He could jump around freely through the cave"s wall and ceiling.

“Magical qi is really amazing. I didn"t know that magic power is this easy to use.”

On the other hand, Bluebird was grumpy. “But qi is so d.a.m.n hard to use. I thought it would be as easy as magic power reinforcement, but it turns out that I have to manually control its circulation.”

Sila explained, “It"s only hard at first. Once you get the hang of it, it will be as easy as breathing. Qi is versatile and no incantation is needed. Well, it will be a bit troublesome for you, Bluebird, since you don"t possess any qi techniques.”

“Why does the game have to make it so troublesome? Using a magic spell is far easier. I just have to remember the name of my skills and their abilities. The chant will automatically come to my mind once I want to cast any particular spell.”

Sila added, “Actually, psychic power is quite easy to use as well. It shows its strength through the power of thought. It can unleash its full power no matter how injured you are. You just need to maintain your focus.”

Lomyok"s method of utilizing magical qi was to strengthen and supplement his qi with magic power. It was the most direct and easiest method, so he quickly got used to it.

For the record, the three"s magical qi directly originated from Zero"s. It didn"t separately come in the form of qi and magic power, so they didn"t have to bother fusing both powers together like Sila had done with Yin Yang Energy. It could be said that it was instant magical qi, ready to use whenever they wished.

In any case, it would take time for Bluebird to take advantage of his magical qi. That was because the key learning process of qi was practicing, unlike magic, which focused on timing, and psychic, which required training one"s imagination.

Sila tried using his magical qi. The suntetsu in his hand was engulfed in flames. It wasn"t an ordinary flame, but a magical red flame with a tint of black. Sila could sense that its offensive power was increased. He opened his system window to check his newly acquired skills.

(A) Element-Changing Nightmare Magical Qi — Transcendent Rank.

Magical qi with the ability to add the dark element to other magic elements, increasing their destructive power.

(A) Triple Horsepower — Transcendent Rank.

The base of your magic power. Triples your magic power utilization speed.

“Hm? Didn"t it say I could give it a name? Why is it that—” Sila looked at the name of the skill that granted him the ability to wield magic power as his secondary energy type.

Bluebird hurriedly explained, “Oh, so yours is the same. It seems we all got the same kind of skill. Even though mine is the ability to use qi, not magic like you two, my skill also has the same name. Apparently, Lomyok was too quick to give his skill a name, so we have no choice but to use this name together.”

“Triple Horsepower is such a fine name, don"t you think? We got the skills together and the names of our magical qi are all based on horses,” Lomyok explained with a smile on his face.

“Mine is Qilin! It"s not a horse!!” Bluebird argued.

“Qilin in Thai mythology is the Black Dragon Horse. Don"t you know this, Bluebird? You are quite a birdbrain.”

T/N: Black Dragon Horse is one of the mythological creatures in Thailand.
“Lomyok! You b.a.s.t.a.r.d!!!”

Bluebird snapped and fired a lightning arrow at Lomyok. Unfortunately, such a low-tier spell was useless against him. He simply waved his fan and blew Bluebird out of the cave and into the snowstorm outside.

“Easy, easy. I was just kidding.” Lomyok smiled while Bluebird enveloped his body with magic power reinforcement to warm himself after re-entering the cave.

Sila changed the topic by saying, “The name is not important. This one is fine. The question is what should we do next?”

“We? Are you including Lomyok?” asked Bluebird.

“Oh, right. Excuse me, Mister Lomyok, do you have any plans?” asked Sila.

Lomyok pointed at Clute. “I have only one task left. After that, I think I will just tour around this northern region until I am bored.” He lowered his body to talk to Clute. “Little Brother, I have something to ask. Can you tell me where I can find the creature with fur like this?”

Clute looked at the white fur cape on his body. “Do you mean this? This fur belonged to the Bison King. It was the last member of its race... I don"t think you can find it anywhere.”

Lomyok stroked his chin. “That"s too bad. May I borrow it for a minute?”

Clute nodded and handed Lomyok his thick cape, which he flipped around twice before returning it to Clute. “Completely clean and tidy. As expected of a quest related to Emperor Rank content, it is difficult. How can I hunt an extinct monster? It seems I will have to abandon my hopes of upgrading my Gorgeous Female Fan"s rank.”

As Lomyok was returning the cape to Clute, he noticed that the boy was only wearing worn-out pants. Thinking about it for a second, Lomyok took an outfit out from his system window.

“Since you helped me escape from the Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Castle, I will return the favor with this. Its design is a bit simple but its texture is so good that I couldn"t bring myself to toss it away.”

Clute delightfully looked at the clothing made of cotton in his hands. It indeed had a soft, comfortable texture. Its overall color was light cream while its edges were trimmed with red and black thin lines. For the record, this outfit was the uniform of a certain tribe living in a mysterious forest that Lomyok had discovered by pure chance while hunting White Wyverns. After he had purchased it, he got too wrapped up in admiring its texture and was killed by a giant scorpion.

“Thank you.” Clute held the clothes close to his chest, feeling deeply grateful. This was the first gift he had been given after his friends had died. “I will take good care of it.”

Lomyok didn"t mind the boy"s sense of grat.i.tude, but Clute wanted to return the favor. “In fact, you don"t have to thank me for bringing you out of the castle. Let"s just exchange gifts. I will give you this cape made of the Bison King"s fur in exchange for your clothes.”

“Oh? Actually, this fur is quite pretty. It will show its true beauty if I bring it to a shop to cut and trim it. Although I want its blood rather than its fur, since you are so willing to give it to me, I will gladly take it.”

“Ah, so you want its blood? You should have told me sooner.” Clute wrote a rune on the edge of the cape and sent his magic power into it.

“Gebo (Gift).”

The rune of giving and taking brightly shone and the Bison King"s blood slowly dripped from the edge of the cape. Lomyok quickly put his Gorgeous Female Fan under it to receive the blood.

“Wow, this is great. Truly, thank you, Clute.” Lomyok gave a thumb up.

Bluebird found it distasteful that Lomyok could easily succeed in the hidden quest. Meanwhile, Sila looked at Clute with a worried expression. He saw his younger self in the boy.

“Clute... Do you want to travel together with me?” Sila suddenly asked, and his question brought everyone"s attention.

“Travel together...? But...”

Bluebird opposed the idea. “Sila... although he is adorable, he is still the White Giant, you know? If the people in Belacia City find out about this, you may be exiled.”

“I think my situation can"t get any worse than it currently is. By the way, if it"s someone who has witnessed Clute"s fight against Mamon, they will surely understand.”

“Mammon... is my enemy. Don"t you also see me as your enemy?” asked Clute.

“I"d say Mamon has yet to see the kind part of the world. I think he will become a better person as he experiences more of life. If Clute is with me, you will be able to help me look after him. In my eyes, you are the only one that is able to fight Mamon on equal ground. Even Zazae, who everyone said is strong, couldn"t attack Mamon even once.”

“It"s because Mammon is a cheater.”

“That"s it. Think of it as helping me controlling Mamon"s behavior. Mamon is dangerous. Instead of staying in this city and helping only the people in Belacia City, if you help me keep Mamon in check, it will be like you are helping everybody in Monster Soul.”

“But... if I become your pet, this land will have no ruler and the Eight Rulers of the Northern Region will quit staying dormant in their own territories. The city called Belacia will be engulfed in flames.”

“Who are the Eight Rulers of the Northern Region? I"ve never heard of them before.” Bluebird was all ears. This was his first time hearing about this despite having investigated Belacia City for quite a while.

Clute explained, “The vast region that humans call the northern region is actually divided by monsters into nine territories, each having a ruler. All nine rulers have similar levels of strength, so they don"t dare to invade each other. The territory around this cave, including Belacia City, used to belong to the Bison King. Sadly, I accidentally killed it, so this land ended up in my hands. Since I have no subordinates, the other eight rulers always send in their minions to check the situation.”

From the monsters" perspective, having more land under them meant more power and influence. Thus, the land in which only Clute resided was like a delicious dish in their eyes. Unfortunately, Clute was originally from the Monster Realm, so his strength far surpa.s.sed the remaining eight despite all of them being the same rank. In the end, the other eight rulers had long been waiting for Clute to leave in order to invade the land.

“If I leave this place, this land will become vacant, and the eight rulers will not hesitate to take advantage of this. The balance will crumble and the damage will spread.”

Sila scratched his head. “It indeed sounds worrisome. How about just traveling with me? You don"t have to become my pet or follower.”

“I have no problem if it"s only in the northern region. However, I can"t go outside.”

This subject related to many lives in the northern region, including the citizens in Belacia City, so Sila didn"t dare to make a rash decision. In the end, he agreed with Clute that the boy would tag along with him in the northern region, like how Franz and Asura did.

Soon, Lomyok"s fan emitted a bright, blinding light. Everybody squinted to witness an important moment in Monster Soul"s history.

The birth of an Emperor Rank weapon.

The Gorgeous Female Fan"s appearance only had subtle changes. The folding frames, which were made of several metal strips, had transformed into luxurious tiny silver sabers. What held them together was a fine white silky thread. Once the fan was unfolded, the ill.u.s.trations on each of the tiny blades would connect and reveal the captivating image of the artistic Fairy Queen, who seemed to be alive despite being a painting. Attached to the end of the fan"s handle was a small white ta.s.sel made of the Bison King"s fur.

“How gorgeous... Fairy"s Spirit Fan... as expected of an Emperor Rank weapon.” Lomyok admired it as he elegantly waved the fan. Ten sword waves shot forward like the time when he exerted them through the saber form. In addition, he even had an easier time controlling the sword waves.

“There is no need to change form anymore. Both forms have been simplified and combined into one.” Lomyok waved his fan for a second time and an almost transparent barrier was formed in front of him.

Out of nowhere, the dimension in front of him distorted and expanded. Sila and the rest stepped back, preparing for battle.

Soon, a golden door emerged and opened, and a middle-aged man with grey hair and a short beard stepped through the door. He wore a pair of round gla.s.ses and a clean, white butler uniform.

“I"m glad to meet you, Mister Lomyok.” The man bowed his head in a beautiful arc.

Lomyok leisurely waved his fan. “h.e.l.lo, mister...?”

“Please call me Altia, sir. I will be your guide.”

Bluebird stared dumbfoundedly once he heard the man"s name. “The Supreme Sage Altia...? Could it be that this is a gate leading to the Monster Realm?”

Altia seemed to be a kind and friendly middle-aged man. “That"s not it, Mister Bluebird. This is the door leading to the Hall of Omniscience. Once you return, you will be able to use the Monster Stamp—which you will get from me—to open a door to the Monster Realm, sir. For your information, the doors can be found in some designated locations.”

“You know me?” Bluebird pointed at himself.

“I know all of the events that happen in Monster Soul, sir, and you are my favorite person due to what happened in Belacia City a year ago,” Altia replied with a gentle smile while Bluebird made an awkward expression. “Do not worry, sir. I have a duty to keep everyone"s personal secrets. I also don"t have the right to interfere in any of your actions.”

Bluebird sighed in relief while Altia continued, “The reason I am here today is because Mister Lomyok is the very first player to achieve all the conditions and has met the qualifications required to visit the Hall of Omniscience for one day.”

“Lomyok? This guy?” Bluebird exclaimed in disbelief. “What is going to happen when he visits the Hall of Omniscience?”

“I can only tell that information to Mister Lomyok, sir. Though I can tell you if he allows it, since he has the right to share this information with anyone he wants.”

Lomyok didn"t even need time to consider. “Bluebird must be dying to know everything related to me. I don"t mind if you tell him.”

Although Bluebird wanted to argue, his curiosity won him over. Thus, he shut his mouth and was all ears.

“As you wish, sir. Once you enter the Hall of Omniscience, the hall will a.n.a.lyze your fighting style and come up with a way to increase your odds of survival in the Monster Realm. When you exit the hall, you will have enough capability to survive the journey in the Monster Realm in your own way.”

Altia took out a stamp with a nine-pointed star printed on it and handed it to Lomyok. “This is the Monster Stamp, sir. You can only use it after you have visited the Hall of Omniscience. For your information, the owner of the stamp can only bring themselves to pa.s.s through the door to the Monster Realm, so you can"t bring your companions with you. My warning, sir, is that if you die in the Monster Realm, you will revive in the New World and this stamp will become dormant for three months.”

“It"s beautiful.” Lomyok inspected the stamp in his hand before tossing it inside his system window.

“Something else, sir, is that once you exit the Hall of Omniscience, other players may no longer be your match.”

Bluebird quickly argued, “Oi! Isn"t that cheating?”

Altia shook his head. “That"s not it, sir. It"s a fair deal since all humans have the same rights. Whoever you may be, you can visit the Hall of Omniscience once you are qualified. If Mister Bluebird considers this as cheating, does that mean every human stronger than you is a cheater?”

Bluebird couldn"t argue with that. “But... from the sounds of it, won"t he be too strong against others? With just this achievement alone, he can enjoy more content and trample on the weak.”

Altia calmly explained, “Don"t worry, sir. Once Mister Lomyok comes out of the Hall of Omniscience, he will lose any benefits obtained by killing other humans. Those who die by his hands will not experience any loss in levels, money, or items. Still, he can get bounty rewards or similar things if there are any. It will be another story if his opponent is someone who has visited the Hall of Omniscience though. In that case, he will obtain benefits like usual.”

“What are the qualifications for entering the hall?” Bluebird asked the important question on everyone"s minds.

“The conditions are as follows, sir. First, you must be enlightened to at least one of the three energy types" essences. Second, you must have defeated at least five monsters with the "King" or "Queen" t.i.tle. Third, you must have visited the city of your main energy type. Fourth, you must have completed at least one quest in the Valley of Immortals. Lastly, you must have reached Emperor Rank.”

Bluebird typed every word down in his system window, but stopped once the explanation reached the last condition. “Hmm? But Lomyok is only at Squire Rank, isn"t he?”

“You"re right, sir. However, weapons made of Orichalc.u.m are considered parts of the users, so it"s okay if it has reached Emperor Rank in the user"s place.”

“Then, what are the conditions to reach Emperor Rank?” Bluebird continued to throw questions.

“I can"t tell you that, sir, since Mister Lomyok himself hasn"t reached Emperor Rank yet.”

“Tsk. So stingy.”

“Are you ready, Mister Lomyok?” Altia turned to Lomyok.

Lomyok nodded and walked toward the door. “See you tomorrow, everyone~”

Sila nodded, Lookhin ignored him, Clute waved his hands, and Bluebird opened his system window to send a message to Boss without caring about him.

The golden door soon closed and disappeared, leaving Sila and Bluebird in the cave to take care of their own problems. Simultaneously, the system notification rang inside the heads of all players in Monster Soul.

Notice to all players in Monster Soul. The first player to obtain the right to enter the Monster Realm has finally appeared. Therefore, some hidden storylines of the game will start to unfold and some mechanisms will be unlocked. All of these changes will come into effect starting at midnight.

We hope you enjoy the world of Monster Soul.