I sat in front of the entrance to my lair. I pulled my knees in and wrapped my arms around them. My eyes stung with mana burn, and my skin prickled with blissful pain. I stared blankly at the scarred, burnt marks that plagued my arms

Early next morning, Gate, Boradashire, and I stood alongside our horses, the Sons of North Star, and a group of our guards between the two gates at the West Gate. Well, not precisely alongside, as one of the two captains kept his squad away from the citizens and us.

As night fell, I decided to float around by the ruins. As I waited, Clifford gave me access to the map Layondo had left on the table in the underground room.

I forced myself to my feet and squinted through the River Door at the bright sun rays shining off the river. My thoughts flashed back and forth between those poor vampires' depressed faces. Hmph... that is their fate, but I could also be wrong... If I felt like it tonight, scouting the town out from a distance to see any signs of preparations for battle should support my theory.

These vampires did not appear particularly strong; they wore literal rags for clothing, and with the help of Petty Scan, I was able to gather some information about them with just a simple glance. Their leader Clifford, Daywalker, No Class, strode over to Ignoc's side and ripped open the door, letting Ignoc tumble to the floor.

The next night arrived, and as we left the Chief's estate, my worn-out body, frazzled from dealing with my people and their fear of vampires, did its best to keep up with Gate.

Once again, my body was severely bruised and beaten by Gate's powerful swings despite wearing a full iron armor set this time. It was dark out on the Training Grounds as the long night had only come midway. The clouds were thick, and the wind blew musty, hot air around us as we sparred.

I reached out, grabbed the platform of my refuge, and pulled myself up. I dried myself off with some heat, confirmed my items were still present, and wondered what I might do next. I was incredibly frustrated, but instead of letting anger get the best of me, I decided to keep a close eye on that town.

I scrambled to think of a method to cover the enormous hole leading into my hideout as the moonsun began its transition into the moon. I carefully gathered foliage from within the woods and some branches.

The most valuable and purest forms of magic came in puries. It is the currency valued by all and defines a country's wealth.

I started to hear the sound of metal striking metal. It had been a while since that sound became distinct, but it eventually evolved into a soothing ambient noise as I navigated the mountain's tunnels.

Back at the entrance to the lair, I knelt down and proceeded to use fire blades, my claws, and a sharpened piece of bone to dig out the opening. The old, crusted entrance was easier to dig out than I expected. Once wide enough, I ordered my skeletons in, foot first.

When I woke up, I was incredibly limp and could barely move. My mana was utterly drained, and I had no sense of my skeleton. Every breath I took felt like inhaling clouds of tiny blades.

The air was hot and humid. I could barely breathe as I ran as fast as I could through a hall of flames. I could feel its presence as the distance between us kept shrinking.

I shuffled over to the skeleton parts, placed them back into a pile, and Summoned Skeleton Ritual…

And here I thought I met my saviors... I was a fool to have thought so. All I could hope for was to land somewhere safe...

Back within the Fire Kingdom, Pain undergoes his life imprisonment deep within the dungeons…

Within Dagon City, a small independent city-state bordering the southern wilds, a young chieftain trains with his father after the recent loss of his last older brother…

Miles southwest of the great Fire Kingdom, bordering a vast plain of fiends and danger, a group of mercenaries was making their way up a hillside towards a bush of woods surrounded by the wall of a mountain…

Within the Fire Kingdom, a wagon of young enslaved scribes returns from the woodland border of Web's Den...