Thalindra

Thalindra sat behind her desk, calmly sipping tea. Across from her, Henry's cup remained untouched, nervous energy leaking from his soul. Without her abilities, even she might have mistaken his composure for confidence. The man had been born a politician.

"Are you sure this is the best approach?" he asked evenly.

"I believe so," Thalindra replied.

"Exposing us to the world feels premature."

"A few weeks ago, I'd have agreed," she said. "But after talking with these amateurs—and considering Lord Fenrast's quest—this is the perfect time."

Henry frowned. "It still amazes me that he carries a nobility quest of the highest rank. I've served in noble households before, but few ever bore true System titles. Most live off the glory of long-dead ancestors."

"I know what you mean," Thalindra nodded. "My own family traces its power to my great grandfather—an Archduke. The rest only claimed nobility without holding the actual title. The few who did, only managed to scrape together the ranks of Mayor or Baron. A simple feat that doesn't require a nobility quest."

"And yet, the current hierarchy has remained unchallenged for so long," Henry added bitterly. "Most people don't even stop think about the difference between a noble and a System assigned Noble. The term leech is more apt for the former."

Thalindra chuckled. "No matter. They'll soon learn the difference."

"So, how many prospective Players have achieved the nobility quest?" Henry asked, getting back on topic.

"Surprisingly, there are more than fifteen thousand Players who have been granted the Barony quest which requires them to consolidate at least five cities," Thalindra informed Henry. "As expected, the numbers dwindle exponentially after that. But even so there are at least two dozen Earl candidates, ten for Duke, and three for Archduke."

"That many?" Henry was astonished. "Which means there is a very strong possibility of an Empire starting." He had a thoughtful look on his face.

"Quite possibly," Thalindra agreed. "But this also makes it more difficult for us to analyze the true competition. Especially if they too are trying to hide their true quest rank as well."

"You think someone might?"

"I am sure there are some smart ones out there," Thalindra said with a wave. "I am more concerned about this Alliance. I haven't seen the name Lightbringer anywhere on the leaderboard. Which can mean one of two things—she is hiding her true name, or that she is content with pulling strings from the shadows. The chances are higher for the latter case, since she must be quite well connected to have such resources at her disposal. And you know how sensitive these brats are about their lineage."

"You think she has any link to the Lightseeker house?" Henry asked seriously.

"I think so," Thalindra said with a grim nod. "Probably a remote offshoot of the main branch family. They do breed like rabbits after all." The distaste in her voice was quite clear.

"This could complicate things further," Henry replied with a deep frown.

"Not really," Thalindra stated off-handedly. "Lord Fenrast already has a blood feud with them. This minor squabble wont even register."

Looking at Henry's confused look, she told him of all the disputes Lord Fenrast had with the three literal monsters—House Lightseeker, Glendwyr, and Overseer Velcodirust. In the interest of saving time, she even explained about the possibility of Talia being a target of some other unknown party.

It was fascinating watching the color drain from the man's face. Not too long ago, Thalindra had experienced the same.

"When you put it like that," Henry said weakly, "this little war is nothing but a child's game."

"Regret standing behind him?" Thalindra asked with a coy smile. She already knew the answer but felt like teasing the usually stoic man.

"No," Henry declared adamantly. "If anything, this has further cemented my resolve. He once told me that I have not witnessed him face off against those stronger than him. At the time, I took it as a bold claim. But after hearing his list of enemies, I seem to have taken it too lightly. We truly might end up dead within an hour of the tutorial ending."

The two of them shared a meaningful look before chuckling. Despite the impossible odds, neither felt any regret whatsoever.

"Look on the bright side," Thalindra said. "At least we get front row seats to the most insane plan in history. And if we do succeed, no matter how unlikely, the rewards will be insane."

The duo fell into a companiable silence, sorting their individual thoughts. The next stage of their plan was crucial on several fronts. Not only did they have to expose what the Alliance was up to, they also had to garner support from the thousands of factions that may have cropped up all over the planet. The true competition would be from the ten Dukes, and three Archdukes, but the Earl ranks couldn't be ignored.

To setup Lord Fenrast's Domain, and establish his authority they needed to project strength, and claim the allegiance of a large number of lower Nobility ranks.

A ghostly whisper reached their ears, as a Shadow Wraith drifted in through the closed door. The undead had a very young face—a man of no more than twenty—with a goofy smile. It pained Thalindra that the young man had lost his life so early. But she took solace in the fact that he was given a second chance as an Undead.

"What did I tell you about entering without permission?" Thalindra scolded.

"I am sorry Lady Sylvathorn," the man replied as he rubbed the back of his head. "It's becoming a habit to ignore closed doors."

Thalindra assumed her own wraith form and pointed a finger at him. The man's visage froze instantly, as the smile was replaced with horror.

"Habits—especially bad ones—often lead to unexpected consequences," her voice thundered. Her Aura flowed freely, inundating the room in utter dread. Even Henry looked uncomfortable, despite him not being a target of her oppressive will.

"Sor—sorry my lady," the guy stammered.

Thalindra withdrew her Aura, letting him continue the report she had demanded an hour ago. It detailed the ongoing campaign they had formulated based on the unique abilities of the newly additions to their rank—covert infiltration. Several volunteers from the Undead had been tasked with sneaking into the enemy strongholds and reporting back with crucial intel. A task that was second nature to them since most Players were unaware of the defenses needed to hold back their race.

Once the report was delivered, he left the room in a rush, once again passing through the wall into an adjacent room. The scream that was heard through the wall made Thalindra grab her head in frustration.

"Naïve idiots," she lamented. "This is what I need to work with. The moron was apparently a student at some university back on Earth. He has the same level of tact as a bag of rocks."

"Then why did you assign him this role?" Henry asked curiously.

Thalindra stared at the City Admin blankly. "You want me to send this idiot on a covert mission behind enemy lines?"

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

"Ah."

"Anyway," Thalindra tried to forget the recent interaction. "It seems the plan is falling into place. This new unit, in collaboration with our earlier moles, will help us in hitting them where it hurts most. We just have to make sure the fallout is as public and graphic as possible."

"That will be the easy part," Henry added with caution. "It is the aftermath after the dust settles that concerns me. The Alliance may not be directly involving themselves with the nobility quest, but I am sure they are going to try to influence others."

"Oh, I am sure they will," Thalindra replied with a wicked grin. "But it will all be for naught."

She turned towards the window overlooking the city. Her gaze distant, she tugged on the faint soul link only she could see. The bond she shared with Lord Fenrast had strengthened, allowing her more sensory input about his state. And it seemed he had yet more surprises in store for them.

She smiled as she felt the latest changes in their leader.

"I am merely setting the stage Henry," she spoke softly. "The rest is up to him. It is time for the world to know what a Noble is."

* * *

Aenon

Pain. A word that held different meaning for different people. For most it was a thing to dread and avoid. For others, a test to overcome. And yet, there were so many ways to describe the same feeling: burning, stabbing, radiating, piercing, and so many more. Even emotional and the kind inflicted on the soul. Aenon had experienced most of them. And each variety had to be dealt with differently.

Physical pain could be ignored; mental anguish tolerated. Even the soul injuries he often received were nothing but a whetstone to sharpen his will against. But the pain Aenon was experiencing now had managed to combine everything together.

While his body was ravaged by the insidious chemicals in the bath—ripping muscle and bone alike—his soul form was also undergoing significant upheaval. It wasn't shattering his consciousness, but Aenon really wished it had. He was floating helplessly in his inner soul space, while the walls thrummed like someone was taking a jackhammer to it.

Specifically, the temporary inner wall that sealed his consciousness within a three meter—ten foot— wide sphere. He had breached it once during the Fire Ant Monarch fight, allowing him to unlock a stat multiplier of eight at the time. The illusory boundary had runes so complicated that he had given up hope of studying them for now. And it was that very wall that was under assault.

If not for the blinding pain, he would have tried to study the changes to the runic formations. But he was in no condition to; the pain wouldn't let him.

Despite that, Aenon instinctively knew that this change was beneficial for him. The barrier was being reforged as it expanded. Every millimeter—twenty-fifth of an inch—it was pushed sent a shockwave through him, raising the agony several fold. And yet, with it came a sense of relief and ecstasy at being able to access more of his soul space. Aenon had no doubt that his stats were doing something similar, but he couldn't pull it up right now.

Aenon even tried diving into his avatar, but the pain remained the same. Seeing no other way, he decided to just power through it. He floated in a lotus position within his inner soul space and tried to meditate. A fruitless endeavor which he didn't give up on.

After an eternity—which was an hour in reality—he started to feel the pain subside. Just a miniscule amount, but it helped. He opened his eyes with great effort, only to find a new wall at expanded his inner soul space to six meters—twenty feet. As the wall finally stopped moving, tsunami of void mana rushed in from his outer soul to fill in the gap.

The sensation nearly made him pass out again. If pain had an opposite, it would be this feeling. It took him another twenty minutes to acclimate with his surroundings. He went closer to the wall and studied the runes more closely. The symbols were the same, but they looked spaced further apart. Like the uncoiling of a Hoberman sphere, the pattern still had room to grow. Whoever had designed this wall had intended this to happen. And Aenon had a very strong hunch on who had made this construct.

Satisfied for now, he decided to leave. Almost instantly, he found himself floating in a dense liquid. His undergarments which he had kept on had dissolved into the acidic concoction. He grabbed the edge of the tub with care, before pulling himself out slowly. But he didn't expect to dent the metal with his grip, nor did he intend to catapult himself out.

He hit the ground with a heavy thud about two meters—six and half feet—away. And yet he didn't feel anything from the impact with the hard surface. He might as well have jumped onto a soft bed. Aenon stood up with even more care, trying to recalibrate his muscle memory to his newfound strength. He tried to orient himself to see where he was.

Two large feet entered his vision as Ignar walked up to him. The berserker had a broad smile on his face.

"I think congratulations are in order," he said with unbridled pride. "Although I suggest covering yourself before the others get here."

He handed Aenon his Void Armor set which thankfully looked good as new.

"What the hell happened?" Aenon asked while putting on his clothes. He could sense Velastra itching to come over, while Jenny and On-Ji were busy doing squats. The other recruits just looked helplessly from the sidelines, too exhausted to carry on.

"That was your first body tempering," Ignar said, sliding back to his instructor persona. "Your approach was certainly unique, and you achieved it much quicker than I expected."

"Not a very pleasant experience, for sure," Velastra chimed in. She too was smiling. "But the effects are undoubtedly something you cannot overlook. Think of it like a rebirth of your body. You have basically expelled all the unwanted material from your body and come one step closer to a vessel that your soul craves."

The two were about to start a detailed lecture, but Aenon stopped them with a raised hand. "Maybe some other time. For now, I need food. I have never been this hungry in my life."

Ignar nodded before withdrawing a cloth wrapped box. The packaging looked familiar, and when Aenon unwrapped it he understood why. It was prepared by Mrs. Ashvein.

"Your teacher sends her regards," Ignar said with a grin.

That was the last thing Aenon heard before digging into the food. His hunger coupled with the irresistible taste made it impossible for him to think of anything else. The amount of food in the box—which looked magically enlarged on the inside—was truly ludicrous. But Aenon practically inhaled the full five course meal. Having second helpings of each dish.

By the time he was done, his stomach was on the verge of bursting open. Thankfully the others had left him to enjoy his meal alone, allowing him to maintain his dignity. His mother would have given him an earful if she ever saw him devour his food the way he did.

Only after the box was licked clean did Aenon turn to the others. On-Ji was sprawled on the ground, an extreme level of competitiveness leaking from her soul. Unfortunately, she couldn't keep up with Jenny who was still going at it like the devil was after her. The others simply stared at her with bewildered looks—their eyes wide with respect and admiration.

Aenon fell onto his back, staring at the night sky with a contemplative look. He had a ton of System notifications, but he didn't feel like going through them just yet. He closed his eyes and fell asleep the way he was. He didn't get to rest long as a loud boom shook the ground beside him.

Jenny had collapsed next to him, drenched in sweat and completely out of breath. Aenon simply smiled before turning skywards again. He did use Air Manipulation to help her cool down a bit.

He could feel Jenny try to manipulate the life wisps to heal her torn muscles. She even picked up the clue to use air and water wisps in the mix to match her ice affinity. But the ratio just wasn't right.

"Aaaargh," she screamed in frustration. "What am I doing wrong?"

Aenon let the silence linger a moment before saying just one word. "Breathe."

Jenny scowled at him for a moment, before letting her muscles relax. Instead of forcing herself, she took a slow deep breath. Aenon sensed her soul calm down as she tried anew. Because of her dual affinity, and her warrior Class perhaps, the combination was more unstable than Aenon's. But she kept at it for almost half an hour. But just as she was about to have her breakthrough, the formation unraveled again.

"Ugh," she groaned in frustration.

"You have time," Aenon tried consoling her. "Just take it a step at a time."

"Says the guy who pulled it off in one go," Jenny grumbled. "I have been training under Ignar for much longe than you. And yet…"

Aenon didn't know how to put her at ease. Thankfully Ignar soon joined them.

"I understand your need to follow him," he said while sitting between them. "But you cannot walk his Path, and neither can he walk yours. Things like this are easier for Lord Fenrast because he walks the Path of the Unfettered Soul. Breaking limits is the core of his being. Mimicking him will be detrimental to your growth in the long run."

"But—," Jenny tried to argue.

"That is enough for now," Ignar cut her off. "Think about what I just said. But you need to rest and allow your body to recover before you can attempt this again."

Ignar started unclasping the weights while Jenny lay there, still unconvinced. Aenon decided to add in his two cents as he raised his hand and pulled all the stray air and water wisps into his palm. A cool wind started blowing from it towards a rock on the side. It took fifteen minutes for him to freeze it in a layer of ice.

"I bet if you attempted that," Aenon spoke softly, "you could have done it near instantly. At a wider scale too. Your Ice Field is something I can never achieve, no matter how large my mana pool."

Jenny frowned, unsure what he was talking about. So, he elaborated, following the subtle nudges from his Soul Beacon Skill.

"Don't forget who you are," his tone took an otherworldly gravitas. "You are the Defiant one."

Aenon saw Jenny's eye widen in realization before she closed her eyes and attempting the spell form again. Aenon merely smiled, before standing up and starting to walk away.

"Might wanna step back," he told Ignar without looking back.

The berserker was confused but decided to follow, nonetheless. When they were some distance away, Ignar was about to ask what was going on, when an icy wind blew from Jenny's direction. Both Ignar and Velastra were dumbfounded as Jenny's body started forming a snow-white cocoon.

Aenon merely smiled with folded arms as he witnessed the process from the other side. Jenny successfully fused the three mana wisp types before flooding her body with it.

"How?" Ignar asked weakly, unable to tear his gaze away from the spectacle.

"Its not just my limits I shatter, Ignar," Aenon said simply. "I will not stand my allies being bound either."

The adventuring couple looked at Aenon, their reverence rising to new heights.

"My only condition is," Aenon stated firmly, "is that you take the first step."

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