The next day Sam was watching Jim's team training in hand to hand combat for a few hours while stopping them once in awhile to give some advice and after a while Sam noticed they were slowly improving before he clapped his hand as said as everyone stopped
"Everyone take a break to catch your breath"
Everyone apart from Jim rested on the ground before Sam grabbed Jim's arm as Jim was throwing jabs and punches at a wooden dummy and said as he looked at Jim's bleeding hands
"I told you to take a break. It's important to pace yourself"
Jim balled up his fist and said as he looked at the ground in regret and anger
"It's my fault Ellen and her sisters are here, I never thought that they were branded"
Sam saw his anger and regret as clear as day as he blamed himself for Ellen and her sister before Sam said as Sam started wrapping Jim's hands with a bandage
"That's in the past and it didn't cause any harm so don't blame yourself for it"
Jim dropped to the ground and looked at Sam for a moment before he said as he closed his eyes
"I know, it's just that if something happened that harmed the clan then I wouldn't have forgiven myself"
Sam smiled before he heard a large bang on the wall before he walked over to the other dojo to see Harry and phill sparring with their hammers wildly as if they were fighting to the death while Cindy and marry were instructing their newer recruits on combat with weaponry as well as helping them to unlock their draconian powers before Sam walked up from behind them as said as he saw phill use his tail to distract his brother
"Here all of you must unlock your powers to achieve your full potential in this world"
Mary whistled for Harry and phill to stop sparring before she turned to Sam and asked as he tossed him a dummy sword
"Master, care to do a live demonstration?"
Sam smiled and got on the sparring mat while marry got to her position before Cindy yelled as Sam and marry got in fighting stances
"BEGIN!"
Sam grew his tail out while marry lowered her posture before she launched herself like a rocket into Sam following with a barrage of slashes that were fended off by Sam effortlessly before he used his tail to grab marry and toss her to the opposite side of the room before she breathed in and after just a split moment she used her skill "My turn, Marry felt the ground trembling before she grew he wings and saw the ground act as quicksand while Sam remained unaffected and said as he threw away his sword and closed his fists while closing his eyes "Let's try a new move I've been practicing, Dragon Art: Flame Fists" Sam's hands then began to glow red as marry fired another fireball at Sam only for him to catch it and use it to raise the heat on his flaming hands till they turned blue Mary saw Sam's hands and grew her maximum form before she went in for a slash with her dummy sword only to be sucker punched by Sam and got sent flying into one of the weapon racks before she tried to get up but failed as she was stuck in the quicksand before Sam said as he helped her out of the pit and stopped the Quicksand in the dojo "Well done marry but you can work more on your aerial Combat" Marry bowed before she joined the others as Sam said while growing out his claws, tail and wings for everyone to see "Unlocking your powers will change the outcome of any battle as marry wouldn't last more then a second if she couldn't use her wings" Everyone stared at Sam in wonder before Sam retraced his form to his normal look and said as he walked past them "Train hard to unlock your potential or you'll be stuck here while the others hunt" Cindy then started to arrange sparring match's with everyone before she felt something climb on her back before snowflake hopped up onto her shoulder and said as they both watched the spars "Hey snowflake hopefully you can get out and hunt with us when the master lets us hunt again" Meanwhile Sam was entering the forging area and began to craft a katana and as he was hammering the drakes tooth he noticed marry was sitting on the steps watching him closely before he said as he quenched the blade in oil "Want a blade?" Mary took out her short sword and said as she balanced it on her palm "The sword I'm currently using it very well made but it doesn't suit my tastes" Sam continued making the blade and said as he tossed the recipe book for dragon weapons before he started hammering away at the blade "Indeed I think the short sword doesn't suit you but maybe a longer blade will be more fitting of your fighting style so you want a katana or maybe a longsword?" Mary smiled and said as she started looking through the book "I feel like a pair of whips will be more fitting as I used to fight in the H.F.A with two whips" Sam stopped hammering and asked her "What's the H.F.A? Is it some kind of training program for people?" Mary took out her phone and said as she showed a couple of pictures "The H.F.A stands for the Hunter Fighting Arena where new or inexperienced hunters can go train as well as where most factions recruit more people. It's located underneath the Hunter headquarters so next time you return to earth I can guide you there" Sam then looked at the finished katana blade and said as he started putting the blade together piece by piece "I think I'll have to take a look later today since I have to visit the tower for something else so once your ready we can go" Mary smiled and passed Sam the book back before she left to get ready while Sam thought of an idea and used a lightning [You have Crafted a Growth weapon for the first time and have gained the weapon skill book [Art of War: Blood lust] Sam looked at the new blade and the New skill book and the new weapon and was overwhelmed with excitement and joy as he looked at his new weapon and the book [Thunder Striker] [Attack Power: 280~320] [Durability:355/355] [Requirements] [Strength: 400] [Agility: 900] [Intelligence: 750] [Dexterity: 555] [Skills] (Cast a thunderstorm into the skies to strike at random for a short time) (Duration: 1 minute) (Cooldown: 1 hour) (Stamina Cost: 200) (Absorb lightning energy to overcharge your attacks in dealing +5% damage) (Duration: 30 seconds) (Cooldown: 24 hours) [Item Description] (A perfect blade infused with the draconian Lighting element to create a weapon that grows with its user) [*Can grow to Relic Grade*] [Art of war: Blood Lust (Passive)] [Description] (Grants the skill: Blood Lust to Cause 20,000 damage to a target to activate an unconditional blood loss for 25% of total health) [*Useable On Bladed Weapons*] Sam was thinking of how much the Art of war book could sell for but was interrupted as he heard Mary say as he attached the "I'm ready master" Sam then opened a gate and passed through with Mary doing the same before she looked around and saw they were in a dense forest before Mary asked Sam "Where are we?" Sam grew out his wings and said as he stretched them out "The chairmen told me that the people find it unsettling to see a gate open and then close while we pass through so I just opened a gate to the edge of the city" Mary nodded in agreement with Sam's logic and grew out her wings before she flew up with Sam following her towards the hunter's headquarters Once Sam and Mary landed at the hunter's headquarters they made their way inside where they went to the counter as Mary said while showing a hunter ID "We would like to enter into the H.F.A please" The attendant looked at Sam for a moment before she said as she typed away on her computer "Certainly, please give me a moment then I can guide you there" Sam and Mary then went to the waiting area before the same attendant came and said "This way please" Sam and Mary then followed the attendant to the elevator where they went down to the basement where Sam saw almost instantly a gladiator arena with hundreds of people fighting as well as some groups spaced out in the audience's seats Mary took a deep breath and said with a smile "Oh how I've missed this place" The attendant pulled out a clipboard and asked as Sam was looking around the Arena "Would you like to enter into the arena or just watch? If you want to enter then please list your names here and if your in a faction as well" Sam looked at Mary and said as he took the clipboard "I'll stick around here and watch so go and Have some fun" Mary immediately ran off while Sam wrote her name and faction down and handed it back to the attendant and said "Here you go and can you call the chairmen here to see Sam Stone?" The attendant was confused by Sam's request but said before she left "I can try my best sir but the chairmen is a very busy man so I apologize if he is unavailable" Sam waved goodbye and sat down and watched as Mary entered the arena with a pair of whips in her hands and waved at Sam before a group of people approached her before one of them said as he licked his lips while looking at Mary "Hey little lady, what are you doing here?" Mary sighed and started to shake her two whips around and said as her eyes changed "If only I had a dollar for how many snobs like you I'd meet. Let's just fight already" Some of the people around who were watching started to laugh before the man yelled as a dozen or so knives started to hover around the man "You Bitch! I'll make you regret insulting me like that! Ahh!" Mary used both of her whips to deflect the knives back into the man and proceeded to advance with devastating the others as they tried to attack her Sam looked closely at Mary's skills with her whips as they were perfect for her fighting style with the whips Sam then heard some footsteps behind him and felt a very familiar presence behind him and said as he continued watching Mary "Nice of you to join me Mr.Chairmen, please sit down" Just as Sam had guessed the chairmen sat down and said as he too watched Mary very closely "Hello again Mr.Stone I assume your here about the construction of the building? And is that one of your followers? She's quite skilled" Sam smile and said as he Saw Mary toss another hunter like a rag doll into another hunter using her whips "Yes she's very skilled but I'm not here to see how the construction is going" The chairmen then looked at sam and wondered what Sam wanted before he heard Sam say "I want information about the tower as later I plan to enter into it" The chairmen seemed like the best source of information on the tower as Sam always wanted to be prepared for anything and just as Sam had hoped the chairmen said as he pulled out a blue crystal and handed it to Sam "The towers first appeared with the emergence and was used as a safe haven as we found that the monsters could not step foot on to the tower steps" Sam remembered the few monsters during the portal outbreak that were very close to the tower but it not even step on one of the titles before he heard the chairmen continue to say "Crystal keys such as this one that your holding can unlock some more secluded spaces within the tower but very few have them. This one unlocks a tower door in the Resting Zone on floor 15" Sam handed the crystal key back and asked as he remembered Cronos talking about floor 15 "What's the resting zone?" The Chairmen looked back at the arena and saw Mary fighting off nearly a dozen or so opponents at once before he said "The tower tests us with a new challenge every floor but every 15 or so floors there are resting points but inside of those resting points is where things get interesting" Sam took a quick glance and saw of dozens of unconscious people around Mary and smiled a little before the chairmen said as he got up "In those Resting Zones you can auction off what you gain in the tower but you can also buy powerful items as well from factions" Sam then thought to himself about why Cronos wanted Sam to set up the so called 'Link' so much 'Is the link supposed to open a gateway to the tower resting zone from the dragon grotto? Or maybe I'll find more information about the dragon grotto's history before I became the master' However just as Sam was thinking of why Cronos was so persistent he heard a Mary scream out in pain before Sam jumped to his feet and saw Mary being dragged by the hair by another woman who yelled with anger "DRAGON MASTER! COME AND FACE ME! I KNOW YOUR WATCHING! RESCUE YOUR UNDERLING!" Just as the chairmen was about to stop Sam and call for back he saw Sam was already gone before he heard a load bang in the arena and saw once the dust settled Sam standing with his katana drawn and pointed at the mysterious woman who was holding Mary before he said as he looked at her with an unparalleled amount of anger and rage "Release her" The woman drew her two scimitars and said after she kicked Mary to the arena wall with a smug grin on her face "You? That's adorable! Your the infamous dragon lord? Hahaha….!!!" The mysterious woman stopped laughing and she saw Sam had disappeared before she heard Sam say after cutting off both of her hands "You have made a big mistake that will cost you" The woman jumped away and was shocked as she didn't even notice Sam had moved before she felt Sam's presence behind her once again but was a moment to late as Sam used a fire "That's what I'm talking about! But it will take a lot more then that to kill me, Lilly Evergreen!" Sam knew who this mysterious person was as she was known as the undead queen as she killed over a thousand people to grant herself immortality that was presumably passed onto to her by the Faction god Lucifer who ruled hell but had disappeared without a trace 2 years ago Sam pointed his katana at Lily again and said as he grew his wings and tail out "What do you want?" Lilly started to laugh like a psychopath before she said as she looked at Sam with the intent to kill "I want to kill you to earn my place beside my lord! Now die!" Sam then prepared for Lilly's attacks before she saw Lilly impale herself with her swords before they glowed red and suddenly felt all of his natural instincts warn him about those two swords before Lilly appeared in front of Sam and slashed at him only to miss due to Sam out speeding her before Sam retaliated with another [You have suffered 7,250 damage and have been infected with Rot] [Health and stamina will drain 1% every second for the next ten minutes] With just one blow half of Sam's health had vanished as well as being infected with Rot but Sam had little time to recover as Lilly continued on with he assault towards sam before Sam knocked both of her weapons out of her hands and said as he put her into a headlock on her knees "Who do you work for! What do you want!" Lilly laughed a little and said as her eyes turned blood shot while her skin started deforming in all different directions before Sam let go of her and jumped away "We hunt the wondering monarchs who has unsettled the balance! Hahaha..AHHHH!" Once Lily grew into some sort of abomination a message appeared for not just Sam but for everyone near the hunter headquarters [Mutated Tarnished Lilly Evergreen has appeared and the hunt will begin] [New Quest: The Hunt] - Title: Mutant Killer - Monster core - EXP Sam had little time to check the new quest as he jump out of the way for the monster's attack and used a lightning breath attack and blasted away one of the Monsters arms off only for it to regrow a new one while the severed arm turned to dust Sam was trying to inflict damage on the creature but was unsuccessful as any dam he did do was immediately healed again before Sam heard the chairmen yelled as he jumped into the arena "Sam! Back up has arrived!" Sam looked away for just a second before he felt a pain in his stomach only to see one of the scimitars in his stomach before he felt his body become cold as ice while his vision faded to black where in the darkness of his mind he saw a small flame floating in front of him before he reached out and grabbed it and felt the warm embrace of his mother and father as he heard in their voices say as Sam felt his heart beat faster and faster with each passing moment "You must not die as your journey has just begun" "You must not die as your journey has just begun" Sam was about to call out to the voices of his parents but was stopped by a thunderous roar before he suddenly woke up and looked around as he saw he was in a hospital bed with a nurse just a few feet away before Sam felt someone grab his hand and looked to see Mary in a wheelchair next to him and heard her say as the nurse ran out of the room "Master you're awake! Thank goodness!" Sam then looked at his chest at the spot he was impaled and saw a massive scar stretching across his chest before he asked Sam as he tried to get up but felt his entire body ache in pain "What happened?! What happened to the monster?! Ahh" Just then Sam heard the chairmen's voice and Sam saw him run through the door "Master stone! Your alright! You were unconscious for 3 days!" Sam was shocked as he heard he was unconscious for three days before the chairmen pulled out a video of the arena and showed Sam what had happened just after Sam was impaled and Sam grabbed the tablet and zoomed in as he saw a fully grown dragon grow out of Sam's body and blast the abomination into atoms with a singular