In the Higher Spiritual Planes. The Realm of Origins.
Inyaki floated nonchalantly in his realm, his mind devoid of any thoughts. He hadn't checked up on his followers for a long time, part of the reason was because gods don't think about time the way other sentient beings do. When Inyaki first got to this world he thought that he would be watching his followers 24/7, and he always wondered why other gods let so many years go by before giving their followers a crumb of attention.
But he figured out the reason after a while, even though he wasn't basically doing anything – after all he wasn't in charge of anything important like the Afterlives or Karmic Retribution – he certainly didn't have the time to watch his followers every second, because doing so was unnecessary. If they needed something from him, they'd pray. He didn't need to solve every single one of their problems either.
He was so worried to see his followers die when he came, but soon got desensitized when he witnessed the death of hundreds of living beings. He realized that death is a natural cycle of life, so he didn't bother creating a cheat space where he could keep their soul in temporarily when they died.
The other reason he hadn't checked up his followers was for entertainment. He wanted them to accumulate a lot of interesting adventures, because all he regularly saw was them bathing, eating, sleeping, doing basic human things. So, he partially sealed his mind away from them, he didn't go full on sleep mode, he was immortal after all, he could blink, and a thousand years would have passed.
He didn't gaze at them once so as not to get any 'spoilers'.
He did hear some prayers here and there which he hijacked. Since those praying weren't praying to a specific god and were just praying generally, any god could decide to bless them, so he would speedily take those prayers before anyone could. If someone was praying to a specific god, only that god would hear it.
He had also thought of making a doctrine for his followers but decided against it. In his past world there were many religions with many rules and things their gods supposedly disliked, and the followers caused a lot of problems and deaths because of it. He didn't want to give his followers do's and don'ts because the future generations would be menaces. He didn't even bother telling them not to kill because sentient beings would do that anyways.
That was also the reason he gave an A. I the control of the system, he had coded basic instructions into it. It was the one that randomly chooses Classes for new followers, it was also smart enough to issue quests accordingly.
Speaking of Classes, it had been a while since he made a Special Class. The only ones he had made were the Overlord and the High Priestess, maybe he should make one down for the future. He was also thinking about making some underlings in the Lower Spiritual Planes, – Oh! It seemed that would have to wait, someone was about to reach level 20.
Inyaki finally gazed down on the world to see who it was.
…
The Forsaken Lands, in the Unsafe Zones.
Many people littered the forest as they rushed to strengthen themselves, they were gradually getting stronger every day, some through leveling up, some through the proficiency of their energies. But there were a selective few who were racing towards level 20.
In a part of the forest, the sounds of battle could be heard. Jasmine, Ronan and Damon were surrounded by three Third Rank beasts and their underlings. The beasts had joined forces and worked out a basic plan to kill them. Their underlings that basically consisted of Rank Two beasts while the Third Rank beast commanded them.
Jasmine had chosen the Muscular Ape as her opponent, though she had to fight through a horde of beasts to get to it. The Muscular Apes looked like regular monkeys, but they had explosive strength, but so did Jasmine. She was a warrior after all, and she had reached level 17 in the past few days. One snap of her whip would clear the beasts from her surroundings.
Ronan was fighting an Alpha Black Wolf. He stood on top of Mamba's head and asked it to use the skill [Venom Spray]. The potent venom jutted out of its fangs and seeped into the wolves' eyes entered their mouths, killing them in seconds.
Damon's control over the shadows had reached a terrifying level. He created a square shield to protect him from attacks while he concentrated on his elemental energy. What he was about to do wasn't a skill, so he needed upmost concentration. He first used [Sense] with his elemental energy and stretched his concentration as far as he could, he connected to every shadow in what he called his concentration field, this was really hard because the owners of said shadows were constantly moving. His head throbbed and his forehead was filled with sweat, but he pressed on.
He flooded his mp into his move and ordered the shadows to shoot up in spikes. All around him, the shadows of the beasts turned against their owners and stabbed them with countless spikes. A huge portion of beasts and one Third Rank beast dropped like flies, with their death came an abundance of exp points.
[You have leveled up!]
Immediately he reached level 20, Damon felt his connection to the shadows deepen and his control strengthen. He removed the shield to let the sun shine on his body, he looked at his shadow and thought it looked darker than normal. He was also given a new skill for free; it was a domain type skill called [Shadow Pool], he immediately casted it. All the shadows gathered together to form a seven inches tall inky pool, Damon raised two fingers and shadow arms formed from the pool and cracked the necks of the surrounding beasts.
All of the sudden, Damon had a wild idea. He decided to combine the skill [Shadow Pool] with [Shadow Eater].
[You have successfully created the skill [Reaper]!]
His shadow expanded again, but this time the pool wasn't still, it was unstable like someone threw a huge rock in a pond. The pool grew monstrous constructs that automatically attacked the beasts around them, they dug their 'claws' into their skin and ripped them apart. But they didn't attack their shadows, which was understandable to the current Damon. Joining [Shadow Eater] with [Shadow Pool] made it a physical attack.
Damon could also attack with the pool; he created numerous shadow spears and impaled the magical beasts with them.
Ronan paused for a second when he saw Damon's skill, he had reached level 20, he could feel it.
''Damn, I thought I would be the first.'' He muttered before concentrating on his fight. He had merged with Mamba and was killing his way to the Third Rank beast. The wolf seemed to be able to sense his strength and was about to retreat.
''Oh no, you don't.'' Ronan used [Quick Strike]. It was a Shared Skill derived from Mamba's [Quick Bite], his muscles tensed, and he moved so fast he created an afterimage. In the next second the wolf's head fell and there were cracks under his feet, in a blink of an eye he had killed the beast.
[You have leveled up!]
As he reached level 20, he felt something growing within Mamba, so he let it out. Mamba curled itself around Ronan, its hard scales protecting him from attacks. With their connection Ronan could feel Mamba's bloodline strengthening and expanding, not only that its strength and defense were also growing. But what surprised him the most was the fact that Mamba was channeling magical energy, the poison elemental energy to be exact.
'Mamba is channeling elemental energy? But only Sixth Rank beast can do that!' Although he had long known that the tamed beasts of the Tamers grow differently than normal magical beasts, he still couldn't help unconsciously compare them. And since when was there a poison element?!. After a while, Mamba uncurled itself and Ronan could finally take a good look at it. Its size didn't change, but its body oozed out a hazy, almost murky vapor. Ronan noticed that the beasts around them were swaying, the weaker ones died directly.
He checked Mamba's status and saw that it went from Black Forest Snake to a Poison Python. Ronan asked it to activate the skill [Poison Vapor] and purple smoke emitted from its body and covered a wide range, it seemed like the vapor before was just its natural state as the purple smoke was even more potent. The beasts shook like they had been possessed, biting each other and tearing at their flesh, before dying.
Jasmine had finished on her side too, the Muscular Monkeys around her filled with deep gashes and she had reached level 18. She clapped her hands for Ronan and Damon, ''Congratulations on reaching level 20!''
Damon just smiled while Ronan kept Mamba so it wouldn't mistakenly poison them.
''Let's go back to the city so we can tell the Overlord we're ready for his mission.'' Damon said.
''But we're going to rest for a while though, right?'' Ronan asked, ''at least for a few days.''
''Of course.''
''Wait what about me? I want to reach level 20 too!''
''There would still be magical beasts on the way home Jasmine!''
…
''Just a little more!''
Pascal was battling a Slim-Bellied Green Viper, although it was just a Third Rank beast the viper could strike faster than he could see, if not for [Sense] he wouldn't have been able to land a hit on it. He was extremely close to level 20 and was sure he would reach it after killing the viper. The viper struck at him, but he was ready for it, he gave it a backhanded slap and it fell to the ground, disoriented. Pacal walked up to it and stabbed it in its skull.
[You have leveled up!]
Finally, he had reached level 20, he could feel his armor thrumming with power. A bright light shone around his left arm, after it disappeared a small shield was in its place. From the information he got he knew that the shield was a part of the armor, and it came with its own skill called [Reflect].
[For reaching level 20 you have been given the equipment Overlord's Stamp!]
He brought the item from his storage space, it was golden all over, even the ink was gold. The stamp was an authority, when kept on a document or letter other people would be able to feel the [Overlord's Might] wherever they are. If he stamps the ink on a person or their equipment, he would be able to strengthen their defense temporarily.
And the last thing, Pascal dabbed the stamp on the ink and stabbed it forward, a huge golden seal appeared in front of him and shot to the ground, forming a small crater.
''Whoa.'' Pascal breathed, the [Overlord's Seal] that came out of the stamp could be used for both offence and defense. The seal had a picture of a golden mountain, if he ever made a flag that would be its design.
He heard Zahir roar and felt his energy expand through their connection, Zahir flew back from where he went to and dropped in front of him. He and Zahir had separated for a few days, not too far that they wouldn't be able to reach each other quickly but far enough that they couldn't see each other. When Zahir left, he was level 11, he came back as level 15. His body was bigger, and he had grown four horns on its head, his status showed that he was now a Young Dragon.
He had new skills too, first was a passive skill called [Dragon's Might], it lets Zahir give off immense innate pressure that scares lower beasts. He also had [Golden Thorns] which was called an area of effect skill, he could create golden thorns to trap other beings.
Pascal jumped on Zahir's back and patted him, ''Let's go back to the city.''
Zahir roared and flapped his wing and soared to the sky, his speed was evidently faster than before. Pascal loved flying; it was the best thing he had ever experienced.
As they were flying above the trees Pascal felt a pulse of energy.
''Hmm, that energy… it seems familiar…''
…
Sarah sat cross-legged as she familiarized herself with her power up, energy pulses were emanating from her body as she channeled her magic. She checked her new skills with her eyes closed, the first was [Reverence], it was a passive skill that was self-explanatory. The second was [High Priestess's Blessings] with it she could cast [Healing Field] which heals injuries and rejuvenates magical power, and [Strengthening Field] that increases strength and defense.
She stood up and activated [Valkyrie Dress], her magic had consolidated further, and a touch of realism was added to it, the wings looked almost real. She could even flap them, unlike before when she was just shooting upwards while using her magic as a propulsion force. The flow of her magic was also enhanced, she tested it by floating a few inches above the ground even though she wasn't using air magic.
[Alert! The Class Light Mage is now available]
'Light Mage…'
Sarah glanced at Annie who was still staring at the notification, then she looked up and smiled, ''Congratulations on reaching level 20!'' She raised up her hand to give Sarah a high-five, ''Do you think it's a coincidence that a Light Mage class appeared after you reached level 20?'' Annie asked.
''Yes,'' Sarah chuckled, she kept her arm on Annie's shoulder, ''Come on, let go meet the rest. We're staying in the city for a few days before continuing, we are close to the end of the forest.''
''If we're close then why are we going back? Let's just continue.''
''Try telling George that,'' Sarah shook her head, ''he has been complaining about how tired he is, and how he missed the plumbing of our house, and trust me, you don't want to see him throw a tantrum. It would be even worse now that he has magical powers.''
''How strong can his tantrum be? Isn't he just level 15?'' Annie said dismissively.
''That's outdated news, he's now level 17.''
''What?!'' Annie was shocked. ''How can that be?!''
Sarah chuckled a bit, ''Why this reaction?''
''How else would I react when the person I've been competing with overtakes me? And I was thinking about bragging that I've reached level 16, that would have been embarrassing…'' Annie said.
''What would you say about Veronica then? She's already level 18.''
''That's because she has a vendetta,'' Annie pouted, ''I wouldn't be surprised if you told me that she had reached level 20. What about Mary?''
''I… don't know,'' Sarah said, ''I don't even know where she is. She so secretive…'' She shrugged her shoulders and went to another topic, ''Speaking of Veronic's grudge, do you think your parents would allow you to follow us to the Elven Forest, wherever that is?''
''Not a chance,'' Annie shook her head, then she smiled, ''but they would love to come with. Especially my dad, he once told me he wanted to travel the whole Ellohan Continent.''
''Ellohan… What's that?" Sarah asked.
''That's our continent's name,'' Annie looked at her in shock, ''do you not know it?''
''Of course I don't, I've lived in the Gangu Forest all my life! And how does the continent have a name anyways, I thought Ronan said that there were many kingdoms here, did they really come together in peace and agreed on a name for the whole continent?''
''Yep!'' Annie smiled at Sarah's tirade.
''Wow.''
''Sometimes I forget,'' Annie gathered energy in her legs, ''that you're just a country bumpkin!'' She bolted forward with alacrity, she could hear Sarah chasing her and screaming about how she was born in a forest, not a countryside.