Lore/Story For The Wynn, A Wynncraft Story (11)

Spoiler: Hidden History

Reygina's eyes reflected the city in front of them. Even though it was just starting to get bright, a lot of people were already up and running. Detlas's lifestyle has a much quicker pace than that of Ragni's. She wasn't fazed by this observation. Haven did say Detlas is the centre city, and what centre city isn't full of activity and fully populated. She recalled his words: 'The center of the Wynn Province. This city is a massive hub of trade for all adventurers, whether they have just started their journey or have been at it their whole lives.'


A citizen with lime green hair eagerly approached them as they walked towards the city. 'Hello, and welcome to Detlas, the central city of the Province of Wynn. Here, you will find merchants from all around the province. You can shop to your heart's content. It is the hub of cooperation between Villagers and Humans! Detlas also contains a bank, which you can store your emeralds more efficiently, and store any other items you have.'


'Sure... Thanks for the heads up.' Reygina smiled at the attendant.


Hearolie glanced at the man's green jacket and dark greyish pants. He wasn't a fan of those colours. He much preferred purple, much like his shirt. Hearolie was still pondering on the citizen's clothes when he saw him greeting a knight at the gate. The knight promptly ignored him, leaving the citizen at the gate alone. Having seen this, Hearolie wondered if that citizen stands all day long welcoming adventures.


Reygina tugged his shirt to signal him to move when someone suddenly teleported next to them. Hearolie was able to grab onto a nearby table to break his fall. Reygina was unfortunately knocked to the ground, her injured arm hitting the pavement.


'Oww!' Reygina yelled, a surge of pain shot through her entire system. Hearolie helped his friend up and glared at the stranger. He crossed his arms and gave the frightened wizard a death stare.


'Sor... Sorry.' The human wizard stammered, feeling a deadly aura emitting from the archer. Intimidated by the tall stature, he almost dropping his wand and pouch onto the floor. 'I was trying out this new spell and accidentally lost control.'


'You better be! She just got her arm cut by an axe.' Hearolie barked. Blood once again dripped from Reygina's wound, catching the wizard's cyan eyes’ attention.


'From a Dead Lumberjack? I'll... heal you up!' He attempted to fix the wound but it didn't improve. Krisstal suggested that they both combine their healing spells, to which the wizard agreed. They performed the healing spell together but only the bleeding stopped, the injury site was still red and swollen.


'Must have been deep enough to injure some of your blood vessels, that or our spells aren't strong enough to treat the severity of this injury. We need to make a stronger health potion first to prevent any further damage, then to the hospital. I can teach you some basic alchemy!' The wizard smiled. Reygina eyes widen, fascinated in this new, unfamiliar subject. The pain temporarily gone.


'Don't try anything funny. Who said we agreed to...' Hearolie spat.


'It's fine. Thank you Hearolie, I know you meant well.' Reygina forced a smile while applying pressure to her wound. She introduced herself and Hearolie; the wizard did the same.


'My name is Localcolt.' The wizard made an attempt to shake the archer's hand, only for the archer to glare at him. He gulped and continued his self-introduction. 'I have been travelling around Wynn to find ingredients and materials for learning the arts of Scribing and Alchemism. Cooking as well, though not a priority.' The wizard looked a few years older than them. He wore a brick red jacket above his plain white t-shirt, his pair of grey pants’ ends were tucked inside his dark coloured shoes. Scratches and tears were all over his leather armour. 'I plan to head to the market later. I heard Nivlan Honey is on sale today. But first, the potions.'



He led them towards the crowded market, which was located next to the city centre. Sellers tried to attract consumers' attention; the stalls were full of goods from all across Wynn. 'Fresh fish! Fresh fish!' A woman with an apron shouted. 'Ah! You got a good eye there, young lad. These icefish are fresh from the icy waters of Neesak...' Her voice grew faint as the customers surrounded her stall, bargaining for the right price.


'Unload that box of fruits now.' A man yelled, ordering some employees to cut open a crate. The aroma of apples filled the air. A sign on the crate labelled their origin - Detlas Orchard.


Detlas Soldiers patrolled the streets and kept an eye out on things. 'With so many people around here, the guards are dispatched to prevent any crime from happening, especially theft.' Localcolt said.


A strange yet unique tower was the city's centre of attention. The tower had a cone-shaped roof. An hourglass was encased by four large wooden pillars at the middle with a stone foundation underneath it. It took them a while to reach there with all the people hustling about. The town's Item Identifier housed himself at the base of the hourglass tower, busy identifying a strange weapon that is shaped like a cross.


Localcolt led them to a small area next to the Potion Merchant's shop where brewing stands were placed. 'This here is the Alchemism Station. We use refined oil and grains alongside certain ingredients to craft potions. There are many options. You can craft potions that can boost your abilities, cause harm to others or something else entirely.'


He put his pouch down and rolled up his sleeves. 'Everything is always changing, new things are always being discovered or invented. Here and there, then and now.'


'Like those Nesting Spiders... Bigger. Scarier. Hairy.' Hearolie thought, recalling his encounter in Nivla Woods.


Reygina wondered if Celvas created the rat poison with these brewing stands. She looked at Localcolt who took out some red and brown mushrooms, alongside some ingredients they had never seen before.


'Now, we first begin by brewing wheat grains and fish oil, a ratio of two to one.' Localcolt took a bottle of oil and a handful of grains, putting them inside a glass bottle of water. He carefully put the solution into the brewing stand and allowed it to be brewed.


'These are known as materials, which are obtained by gathering professions. For example, ores are materials, which you can get by mining, a gathering profession. Size, weight, colour are common parameters to determine their quality. Higher tier materials give more duration or durability, more damage or health on weapons and armours, and better base effects for unmodified consumable recipes.' Localcolt explained as he took out some red and brown mushrooms. 'Now these are ingredients, which give the desired effects and duration that you want. Just like the materials, the rare the ingredient, the better it is. All ingredients reduce the duration or durability of the crafted item.'


Steam began to leak from the container. Localcolt took note of that and added mushrooms into it. 'I just gathered some mushrooms from the woods, which are perfect for making the most basic health and regeneration potions. Now we just need to wait for just a moment...'


'Wow, the potion slowly turned into different shades of red and brown.' Reygina gasped in surprise, seeing the colour change with her eyes. She was so mesmerised with the potion that she forgot all about the pain once again.


There isn't any funny smell coming from the solution, nor was there any odd colouring. Localcolt smiled, he knew full well that meant nothing had gone wrong. He remembered his embarrassing first try in potion brewing, the end result was an explosion and fire that ruined his room.


'Here it is, one Stable Bottle of Safeguard, made from water, fish oil, wheat grain, one red mushroom and one brown mushroom.' Localcolt said. 'You can drink it now. It doesn't taste too bad, I tried it before.'


Reygina was horrified, she learned that a potion’s looks and drinking it are two different things. The experience she had with Hatath and his Saccharum wasn't pleasant.


Hearolie looked at her expression and read her mind. He roared in laughter and patted the mage's shoulder. 'Come on, drink up!'


Localcolt was confused, not knowing what they were thinking. Judging from her expression, however, he said the only thing that would hopefully reassure her. 'Trust me, the only side effect would be a warm sensation on your wound.'


Reygina gave a weak smile before closing her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she drank the entire content as quickly as she can. She handed the empty bottle to the person closest to her. The potion's effect was almost instantly felt, the wound began to warm up as Localcolt had said. She drank some water in an attempt to remove the odour from her mouth.


'So... Perhaps you guys want to give it a try at potion making?' Localcolt took some ingredients out from his pouch.


The archer passed the offer, claiming he wasn’t interested. Reygina took some mushrooms, oil, grains and a bottle of water from the wizard. Under Localcolt's guidance, Reygina repeated the steps to herself and added the red mushroom with her mixture, successfully brewing a Reliable Jug of Vitality. Localcolt was impressed. 'That was perfect! The colouring is excellent; the smell is spot on. You're good for a first-timer.'


'Thanks! I got a good teacher.' Reygina smiled and admired her work.


'Tsk tsk. I'll show you perfect.' Hearolie condescended. Localcolt instructed him what to do, but he was too busy showing off. Carelessly, he didn't notice that he had mixed the wrong ratio of oil and grains until it was too late. All of them detected a strange smell and coloured smoke coming from his bottle when his potion was brewed.


Localcolt's eyes widen in horror, he quickly grabbed hold of the potion and threw it into the air. 'Look out!' He shouted as the bottle sailed upwards towards the centre. The crowd heard the warning and ran away from the centre.


'Bomb!'


'Hhhrrr!'


The glass bottle expanded and exploded, the contents inside burst out from the broken container and splashed onto the stone floor. No one was hurt, but the three of them were glared by the surrounding crowd. They could hear people from the nearby buildings scrambling inside to look at what was all the commotion about.


'Our bad! We didn't mean to do that!' Reygina lowered her head, covering her flustered cheeks.


'What was that about?' Hearolie scratched his head. 'It was two oils and one grain, wasn't it?'


'No, it was the other way around. You were going to make a Fortifying Jug of Sanctuary with the brown mushroom.' Localcolt corrected him.


'Nah... Pretty sure you gave me the wrong amount of materials.' Hearolie countered.


'What? But you didn’t...'


Reygina broke them off. 'Don't mind him, he never does admit his mistakes. I think you’re great.'


Localcolt blushed at the compliment. 'Heh, thanks.'


The sound of armour clashing caught their attention. The crowd began to move out of the way for someone. Localcolt knew they would be in trouble if they stayed any longer. 'We should get going before the guards arrive...' He grabbed his pouch and the two followed behind.


'Let's lay low in that alleyway first.' Localcolt waved his hand.


The three humans slipped into an alleyway to avoid the guards. They could hear the guards discussing where they would likely hide.


When they heard one of the guards would check the alleyway they were in, Localcolt immediately motioned them to hide behind some boxes. He found an old and dusty carpet next to the boxes and he used it to cover them and the boxes.


From a small gap between the boxes, they could see the outline of a guard just a meter away from where they were hiding. She suddenly spun her head and looked at their direction. The three of them widen their eyes, none dared to breathe. Hearolie unconsciously placed his hand over Reygina's mouth, his eyes darted to the fellow wizard who seemed to have aimed his wand at the guard, ready to fire if their cover were blown. Localcolt couldn't stop his hands from shaking; sweat beads were all over his face and palms. He desperately tried as best he could to control his breathing.


'Hey!' A masculine voice shouted. 'We are needed to catch some thieves. Let's go.' The guard stopped her search and left the alley. Hearolie slumped to the wall behind, while Reygina took some deep breaths to calm down. Localcolt dropped his wand to the ground, relieved that they didn't need to hurt someone. They hid for what seemed like an eternity before everything seemed to return to normal.


'Now to the hospital.' Localcolt said, removing the sheet off of them. They pushed the boxes away and walked towards the hospital.


'Wait, won't they still be looking for us?' Reygina asked, still concerned with the whole ordeal.


'They'll be too busy with the thieves.' Localcolt replied, guiding them towards another alley. 'I think we would have just been given a warning and let-off. I have been in these situations once or twice. Got caught once, hid from them the other time.'


'Hope they won't have wanted posters of us...' Hearolie said, glancing at their back to ensure they weren't followed.


'Don't worry, we'll be fine. Most soldiers wouldn't really bother wasting their time on something so minor. The guards will forget about us after a few hours if they didn't catch us.'


Localcolt left the alley and walked towards the main street as if it was any other day. Reygina hesitated at first; Hearolie gave her a small shove from behind before stepping into the light with her.


The hospital is right across the street, with soldiers guarding the entrance. Reygina gulped, still scared that they will be in trouble. Localcolt and Hearolie, however, acted cool. Reygina followed them behind as they walked into the hospital, she could feel her heart racing as they passed through the guards, but nothing happened. The guards didn't pay any attention to them as if they weren't even there.


'See? Told you.' Localcolt said. They make an appointment and a doctor was soon available. Reygina told her what had happened while Hearolie and Localcolt watched as the doctor examined the wound with closer inspection.


Localcolt looked into his pouch and counted his resources. 'Good thing the carpet was there.' He whispered to Hearolie. 'Or else, we would have been spotted.'


Hearolie simply nodded. 'That was quick thinking. Nice.'


'Thanks.' The wizard replied, looking at him with a smile. He wanted to shake his hand but decided against it. 'It wasn't so bad for your first try in potion making. From what I heard in Ragni, an employee named Conner corroded his boss’s potion shop floor three years ago.'


Hearolie simply smirked at hearing this funny story. 'Dumbass.'


The doctor soon told all of them about her situation. 'She requires some simple stitches for her wound. It is pretty deep, almost hit a major blood vessel. The healing spells and potions did help lighten the damage.'


With their permission, she escorted Reygina to a small room behind and shut the door. Hearolie swore he could hear faint muffled screams coming from inside.


'That sounds painful...' Localcolt shivered; his ears picked up a faint yelp from inside.


'She's had been through worse.' The archer replied. He had full confidence that she will be fine. If she could pull herself together after a corrupted resident's assault, this would be something minor.


When the door opened, a red-eyed Reygina exited the room with a small pot of honey. The doctor handed her a slip of paper and told her to apply it to the wound twice a day to prevent infection. A Reliable Jug of Vitality was also given; the doctor instructed her to brew the potion. 'Drink this once a day, for three days. You would make a full recovery in a few days. You may now pay for your fee to the reception at the front. Goodbye.'


Reygina thanked the doctor as she called another patient's name. The grumpy patient murmured something before hurried inside the room.


'How much did it cost…' Reygina wondered out loud as she unfolded the slip of paper.


Hearolie scooted closer and was shocked at the medical fee, they couldn't pay for anything at all after their ride on the Landskipper. Localcolt, however, offered to pay their medical fees, he explained that he had made quite some money through trading ingredients and materials. Reygina was ever thankful for the wizard's kindness and was soon discharged afterwards.


'If you guys are okay, perhaps we can have a meal together later?' Localcolt asked. 'I got some Detlas cuisines I want to try out. I can explain more about alchemy, cooking and scribbling in the meantime.'


When he saw their surprised faces, he quickly laughed it off. 'Don't worry, it's on me.'


Reygina thanked for the kind offer and they followed the wizard who led them to the south-west corner of the city.


'Ah! Here we are.' Localcolt exclaimed. They walked past some customers dining outside, careful not to bump into them. 'The Rusty Recruit.'



The whole place was a neatly simple restaurant that was built next to the Detlas Airbase. The entire floorboard was covered in green and lime carpets. Candles and torches surrounding the place gave customers a warm and welcoming temperature. Some Elite Soldiers were dining there, enjoying the food provided. Their iron and diamond armour pieces were placed under the table as they chatted about the duties they were assigned. Reygina noticed a wand that was left next to one of the tables. 'Hope the owner remembers to retrieve it.'


The three of them slipped inside a double-seated table at the corner and looked at the menu. They were awed at the numerous choices they could choose from.


'I prefer the dish with boar meat. My favourite.' Localcolt suggested. 'The mushroom caps aren't bad either.' The two companions gave some thought and ordered their meals.


'Can the lemon tea have less ice?' Hearolie asked.


'Anything is possible here at the Rusty Recruit. It shall be done.' The waiter replied and handed them each a cup of water. He went inside the open kitchen and told the cook the new orders.


'Do you know you can also cook your food as well?' Localcolt said, after watching the waiter left their table. 'Just like you can make your own potions; you can write your own scrolls as well! I had taught you alchemism's basics just now, so I'll skip that. Scribing is the art of crafting scrolls using refined oil and paper. Similar to Alchemism, it also gives different effects on living beings based on the ingredients used. However, it has an area of effect, so one scroll can affect a group of people. Cooking uses refined meat, grains and some other ingredients to make the food you want.


'All three are quite similar to each other...' Reygina said. One of the dishes they had ordered was served.


'Let's see...' Localcolt thought for a while to find the right words. 'In general, Alchemy gives the strongest effects but has the lowest duration. Cooking is the opposite, in exchange for having the weakest effects, you get the most durability of it. Scribing is at the middle for effects and duration, with an area of effect. The better and rarer the materials and ingredients you used, the better the effects and duration your crafted item will have.'


'Wow...' Reygina gasped. That was a lot to take in. She tried her best to memorise it all while jotting them down in her notebook. 'You travel alone?'


'Yes, but I have my own group. My friends were all across Wynn, trying to gather resources for us to build a place of comfort. A small area for us to build a guildhall.'


'Guildhall?' She gasped, startling a man next to them.


'For salted sake...' He murmured, looking rather cross. Reygina mouthed an apology whereas Hearolie raised an eyebrow.


'What do you mean guild hall?' He was genuinely interested, ordering people around sounds quite fun.


'Oh! From what my friend Igieoo learned from the guildhall in Cinfras...' Localcolt wasn't expecting Hearolie would be interested in anything at all. He took out a small brown book, with notes written inside.


'She's actually born in Wynn; she's my mentor and friend. Right now, she's probably in Gavel perfecting her spells.' He said as he flipped through the notebook, finding the right pages. The waiter had placed the last of their order. All of their food was served, the scent filled the air and entered their nostrils.


'Ah… So about guilds.' Localcolt read his notes. 'The Guild Hall is located in Cinfras. You can apply and create a recognised guild there. Since we made that our goal, my childhood friends who came with me, Paander and Epileptic are doing their part in making our dream a reality. Epileptic is learning about architecture. As soon as the guild is created, we will be making a lot of buildings. Paander is in charge of helping us getting a stable flow of emeralds by observing and studying the economy.'


'Sounds like you have been here for quite a while then...' Reygina commented.


'Yeah, we arrived... maybe a month ago. I can't exactly remember.' Localcolt counted his fingers.


'A month? And you just started using your second spell?' Hearolie questioned. He had a new spell just almost a week after here. 'Is this guy this pathetically weak?'


'I never fight any of the mobs unless absolutely necessary. I grab what I need and run away. I usually create something that makes me go faster and outrun the monsters. I save my strength items for climbing instead of fighting.' Localcolt added. 'The healing spell itself is quite enough for me actually, at least for now. The only free accommodation for recruits is in Ragni and sometimes you're too far away to return to Ragni in one go, especially when you are in the desert. Wasn't easy all the time, so that's why I learned some camping tips and tricks.'


Reygina shuddered at the thought of camping outside. The insects, bathroom problems, privacy. These are just a few out of many obstacles for her to like camping. Why do people find camping enduring is a mystery to her.


Localcolt took a sip of his drink when he remembered something. 'Speaking of which, I haven't explained how to gather resources, have I? It's...'


A bell suddenly rang from the streets and interrupted Localcolt. Detlas soldiers marched outside the streets.


One of them entered the restaurant and notified the soldiers who were dining. One of them stood up and shouted a warning. 'Attention. Everyone, please head to the nearest shelter. The city is under attack. This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill.'


The restaurant cook complained to the waiter how he hadn't finished his cooking, the waiter just shrugged it off and opened a hatch that led downstairs to a hidden basement. Calmly, the customers began to leave their seats and went inside the hatch, ignoring the food they had ordered; some even left emeralds behind for their bill. The surrounding building's doors and windows were shut and locked tight in unison.


More soldiers and several golems marched across the now empty streets, their footsteps thundering across the ground.


Localcolt immediately told them to follow him, ignoring their confused looks. He led them to hatch where a large number of people had gathered inside already. A few more citizens from outside joined them, they closed and locked the hatch behind them. The crowd began to murmur at the same time.


'Again?'


'Hope they won't destroy my house.'


'Bless those kind souls outside.'


'What's going on?' Hearolie asked Localcolt. Reygina unconsciously grabbed Hearolie's arm tightly, looking around a bit panicked. The undeniable blood-curdling screams of pain and commands echoed above the shelter. A small earthquake rumbled across the entire place. The ceiling squeaked a little whereas the survivors gasped in horror.


The unmistakable sound of a zombie growling shook the entire place. Dust fell from the ceiling and onto the people inside their hiding spots.


'This can't be good.'


'We need reinforcements.'


'Scroll! Where is that scroll?'


'No! Hel...'


'Fallback!'


Localcolt glopped at looked at them, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. 'It's a raid.'

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Krisstal groaned and sighed. She stood up again just in time to see the sun setting. She was glad she could now stand up without support after some rest, her legs were getting numb from the lack of movement. It's been a whole day and her friends haven't returned yet. Sure, the message did say they will be back soon, but she was getting worried. 'It must be a pain for them to take care of me.' She said to herself. They could have been doing something else much more enjoyable. Perhaps with her out of the way now, they could relax and have fun for a bit, maybe that's why they haven't returned.


She remembered she had to use the chair Vade had left at the bedside as support, gritting her teeth as she forced herself to stand up. Her injured leg made her collapsed a bit but she held on strong, mustering every ounce of willpower she had within her to straighten her legs. She endured all this just for a bathroom break; apart from that, using the toilet itself was now a whole other experience.


She was about to enter the room when Skywalker stormed up the stairs.


'Oh. Hello there.' The warrior said.


'Hi.' Her friend replied. They were silent for a few moments before they laughed.


'Did you miss me?' Skywalker asked, supporting the wounded recruit.


'Not really.'


'That hurts...'


'Just kidding.' She embraced her friend. Finally, the long period of isolation has ended.


'So how have you been while we are gone?' Skywalker asked. He was delighted to know she could stand on her own, even though it was still a daunting task.


'Bored. The medicine really makes you drowsy.' She balanced herself after a bit of wobbling. 'Haven't had this many naps in a day. You can put your luggage down on the bed.'


'Oh right,' Skywalker opened the bag. 'By the way, let me give you your stuff back. The Powder Master had infused your earth powder to this new spear. Additionally, we got some new gear for you.'


'Not sure what these inscriptions mean...' Krisstal said, inspecting her new spear. The shaft is more or less the same as her Birch Wood Spear, though the similarities end there. The new spear has a crescent blade instead of a flat pointy spearhead; the socket has a golden crossguard with a blue ribbon wrapping around it and the shaft. It was certainly more visually appealing than the old one.


'I'll tell you afterwards.' The ninja proceeded to take out the accessories and armour from the bag as well. "'Ring of Strength', 'Kickers', 'Iron Incrusted Pants', and 'The Queen's Tiara'. These are your only choices. You can choose 'Runner's Vest', the last 'Thoracic' or 'Leaf Tunic' as your new chestplate." He then proceeded to tell her the stats and statistics of her spear, getting better at deciphering the language with Reygina and Hearolie’s tutelage back at the Item Identifier.


'Thanks... I'll try it out later.' Krisstal said. 'What have you three been up to?'


'Apparently, it takes around two days to get to Detlas.' Skywalker began. He mentioned about how they experienced visions of the past in the four watchtowers.


'So these discoveries may hold historical or cultural significance?' Krisstal asked, after hearing what they have been through.


'I guess so, a hidden part of the sewers told me about Bob's birthplace. I think I also found something significant.' He told the warrior about how he saw a run down tombstone that was covered with corruption.


'Oh... So Bob's biological mother might have been corrupted and became the ''Black Plague of Ragni''.' Krisstal gasped at the revelation. Poor Bob, he must have been beyond devastated when he was informed of this, she thought.


'Yeah... but that's just an observation. I can't say for sure.' Skywalker replied. 'Although if this is true, I can't imagine what it's like fighting your own comrades, much less your loved ones.'


Krisstal sighed and stood up once again, she had more than enough rest already. 'I want to have a walk, care to join me?'


'Sure. But maybe after you change your bandages and clothes first? I'll wait downstairs. We can spar a bit afterwards.' Skywalker smiled. He took the new spear downstairs with him. 'The training grounds have the equipment we need, so we won’t need to bring accessories or armour apart from our weapons for protection.'


Krisstal sat on her bed and let out a sigh. The hospital staff were kind enough to leave a few spare clothes for her to change. She was thankful she was provided with a skirt; the trousers would be a torture to wear. She inspected herself with the mirror next to her, the potions Hearolie and the doctors gave were a lot of help. Most of the wounds have more or less healed. She could see the scarring tissue where her open wounds once were, but she was told that the potions will make the scars disappear within the week.


'Can't say the same for my leg.' Her leg has to be wrapped up for the time being.


Her leg still had occasional minor bleeding, but given how serious it was, she had expected that. She hoped the scar would be as unnoticeable as possible, given the size of the wound; she applied bandages on where she deemed necessary and wrapped her leg with new fabric. Quickly changing into her casual wear, she walked down the stairs slowly.


She was downstairs when he heard Skywalker shouted a spell she hadn't heard before. 'What now...' She murmured to herself while holding onto the rails tightly. She followed the sounds of groans to a nearby alleyway, slightly hidden from the main street.


Her eyes widen in terror as she saw Skywalker suddenly appeared behind a zombie. 'How did it get in here, weren't there guards at the gate?' She thought.


'Krisstal! Catch!' The ninja tossed her spear at her. She grabbed and the ninja ducked to avoid the zombie.


'This zombie has a ranged attack? But it's not holding a bow or anything to launch its attacks.' Her mind racing to figure out what foe were they dealing with. The zombie seemed to finally sense her presence and shot a strange liquid from its eyes.


Hearing the warning from the ninja, Kritsstal blocked the incoming attack with 'Dern's Shadow'.


'Never seen one use... Is it crying?' Krisstal thought as she finally got a good look at the zombie.


It was no different from an average zombie, just as aggressive as it is loud. The zombie's expression is what stood out the most. Krisstal noticed the zombie never seemed to stop crying; as if it was trapped in an endless vortex of sorrow and sadness. Its groans even sound like cries, cries of disappointment and regret.


'Krisstal, end it.' The ninja yelled and kicked it towards the warrior. It tripped forward where the spear pierced through its chest, but instead of an anguished cry, it sounded relieved.


With a cloud of smoke, all that remains where it once stood is a drop of tear, seemingly magically remain floating above the ground.


'Water that is hydrophobic?' Skywalker was amazed by this as he cupped the droplet. 'Let's contain it with one of your empty glass bottles first, then we can spar.'


Suddenly Skywalker's eyes start to water the moment he touched the droplet.


'What?' She almost screamed. She quickly slapped the ninja's hands. The tear fell onto the ground but again didn't get absorbed into the ground. 'It has some weird properties, don't touch it! We don't know what we're dealing with.'


'Geez. It's fine.' Skywalker picked up the liquid again, the sudden sense of sorrow washed over him once again. 'Woah, I feel bad for Bob when I held this.'


'Bob?' Krisstal froze. 'The hero who fought against the pumpkin masked villain? The one Therck, Enzan and Vade told us about?'


'Seems so...' Skywalker dried his tears. Thankfully the intensity of sadness lessened a bit as he got used to it. 'Don't worry, I'm okay now. Must be a strange property this item has naturally.'


'If you say so... What was that zombie?' Krisstal asked as they head back to the hospital.


'Don't know, it just suddenly appeared in the alley. Maybe it's Bob's Zombie.' Skywalker toyed around the strange tear with his hands, watching it slip from one palm to the other. 'I dealt with it personally, since no one saw it or called the guards. I suppose that is because we are in a more hidden part of the city.'


Annoyed with him having fun with something they know nothing of, she reminded Skywalker to stop what he is doing.

------------------------------------------------------------------

The two of them headed to the training grounds after the tear was contained within a glass bottle. The ninja recalled the same place he once practised throwing his daggers. There were weapons of all kinds for trainers to use, but all were enchanted so they wouldn't injure themselves when practising. Even if they launch spells at opponents, the spells would only cause pain but never fatal. They placed their weapons on the side and took a plastic training helmet for head protection. It has a specially-made steel frame to protect the face while letting the user see.


'No spells! Let’s just see how well we do without them.' Krisstal said, gripping tightly onto a spear.


'Oh don't worry. I'll give myself a handicap. You just need to land one hit with your weapon on me to win, whereas... I need to make ten. Punches or kicks don't count.' Skywalker performed his battle stance.


'Well if you say so...' Krisstal readied herself for battle.


'Let's go.' The ninja told her as he rushed forward.


Krisstal stood her ground and blocked the incoming claw's strike, quickly kick him in retaliation. Skywalker rolled to the side and send a donkey kick to her abdomen. She coughed and stumbled a bit before sidestepping to avoid another one of his punches. He continuously slashed at the warrior, putting her on the back foot. She was able to block all of the strikes by twirling and twisting her spear, however, she staggered as she felt her leg suddenly ache and was hit a few times because of that, she felt pain but it quickly subsided, her clothes and skin surprisingly had no physical damage. Taking advantage of their distance, she grappled his arm and brought her spear down between the blades of his claw. The ninja clashed with the oncoming spear and saw Krisstal smug. He was about to ask what's so funny when he felt her nails digging into his wrist's nerves; meanwhile using her spear to twist the claws inwards in an attempt to sprain his other wrist. He was impressed by how strong her grip as he struggled to yank his arm free. Knowing he couldn't let go of the blade lock, he formulated a plan to kick her again. Krisstal however had anticipated this; with all her might, she pushed his arms away quickly and strike hard onto the shin of the ninja's rising leg after U-turning her spear around. The ninja flinched and lost his balance. Tumbling forward, he knew he lost. He was open to attack now. Krisstal smiled and slashed at his chest, ending the practice section.


She caught him before he collapsed to the ground. 'You alright? Hope I didn't hurt your wrist that bad.'


'I'll live, don't worry.' The ninja smiled. 'You're really strong, been working out?'


'Yup, with the training dummies. Been working on striking pressure points and nerve locations, I learned them from the books in the lounge.' She massaged his wrists.


'We can train more later after some rest back in the lounge. They got health potions there as well.'

------------------------------------------------------------------

'Want the fire lit?'


'Yes please.'


Skywalker lit the fire and sat down to rest. The emptied health potions put at the side.


'Stop playing around that... You don't know what it is and it came from a zombie of all things.' Skywalker stopped and placed at the bottle of tear next to him. 'I mean what if it's corruption again in some other form?'


'It's not. I'm sure of it...' He rolled his eyes. Unable to resist the urge, he took the bottle again, much to her dismay.


'I think the fact that you are so obsessed with it is a problem already.' She commented and let out a sigh. 'How do you know it's not corruption?'


'Well, for starters. When it was dropped to the ground, the surrounding ground didn't corrupt. Secondly, I don't feel any ill effects. If it's corruption, it would have changed me, or at least, I would have felt different.'


'That's quite the subjective observation.'


'I'm just saying. You got to believe me and trust my feelings.' He tried to have her hold the bottle but she declined.


'Yeah right, no thank you.'


'You know... this tear looks awfully familiar. It's like I've seen it before...' Skywalker focused, thinking hard. 'But ever since we got this, I couldn't remember where...'


'How about you start from the beginning. Do you remember what we have done from Fruma till now? Fruma...' Krisstal stopped, she tried to remember anything from Fruma but she couldn't. Everything was blank, like a clean white sheet of paper. All she could remember is: who are her four friends, how her parents look like but not their names or anything, the fact that she's from Fruma, a scene where Skywalker held a poster and asking them if they would go to Ragni and that they hopped onto the caravan which is how they came to Ragni. Her entire past and all she remembered were five things.'


'Wow... Now that you mentioned it. I don't remember much from Fruma as well.' His skin crawled in terror, panic kicked in. 'All I remember is who am I, where I'm from, a little about my family, my friends, the recruitment poster and entering the caravan.' Then with a look of horror, he clapped his cheeks. 'Are Hearolie and Reygina like this as well?'


'Yavin...' The warrior's eyes widen, a scene of her interacting with the soldier played. 'He's one of the guards who protect the throne room. He said that he had asked recruits how's Fruma; but everyone, including myself, simply replied that we don't know. I thought maybe I was just tired from the long journey, but now it seems to be something otherwise.'


'How... Well, we certainly don't have a problem remembering things happening now, and for a fact, we aren't the only ones affected with this mysterious amnesia.'


'You sure?'


'Yeah! So I guess I will start at when we entered through the large gate into Wynn by the caravan, we walked and explored a windmill and a house, we knocked a tree down, bought a helmet and found Wolfred... Speaking of which, where is he?' He looked around and finally noticed the dog missing. He mentally punched himself for forgetting all about him.


'I asked Vade if he and the kids would be fine taking care of Wolfred for the night before they left. I mean I can't take care of myself, let alone a dog.' Krisstal took a sip of water. 'For the amnesia part, perhaps I'll be in charge to ask around and gain more information about it. Maybe Detlas would provide some answers.' She knew it is a goal that is inferior compared to her friends' though. Skywalker’s dream of travelling around the province, Reygina’s interest in studying the history, art and culture of the different places in Wynn, Hearolie told her about his goal to be a monster hunter and fight every dungeon out there at his stay at the hospital. All she had going for now is finding the cause of the amnesia and help people. Does finding the cause of the amnesia really help others? She wasn’t even sure where to begin.


'Ha... True.' Skywalker giggled. 'Anyways, we bought the helmet, fight our way through the mine, past a small section with lots of flowers and trees, the attendant told the king of our arrival, you three walked into the dining area where I looked at the... fireplace.'


He looked at the fireplace in front of him. 'Fireplace...' A picture of the four dummies projected in his mind. On top of the fireplace, was an unusual tear-shaped object encased in a wooden frame.


'That's it! I think I know what we need to do next!' The ninja jumped up from his seat, startling the warrior.


'Eh?' Krisstal asked him.


'I'll show you!' He grabbed her hand and the bottle containing the tear. Krisstal asked him to slow down a bit as they sped through the stairs, but her words fell on deaf ears.

------------------------------------------------------------------

'In memory of Bob...' Skywalker read the item frame. He didn't notice the strange language the first time he was here. The guards were fine with them exploring around the castle halls, the king meanwhile was nowhere to be seen.


'So you're telling me that this tear is the same as the one in the frame and that you think you should throw that tear inside the fireplace?' Krisstal raised her eyebrow and repeated what her fellow companion had told her as they got here.


'I certainly don't think you're supposed to ingest it.' Skywalker folded his arms across his chest. 'Plus, there's nothing around the fireplace, we checked.' He took the bottle and remove the plug. 'Fingers crossed.'


The tear was tossed into the hot flames. For a moment, nothing happened. The two looked at each other, wondering if it was all over. Suddenly, the flames went off with a hiss. The two jumped back, startled.


'Ye who seek knowledge, follow in my footsteps and gain wisdom.' Krisstal let out a small squeal. She covered her ears but found out that the voice was still there, seemingly to have come from inside her head. Skywalker, however, seemed unfazed, having experienced this for a few times already.


'Follow in my footsteps?' Krisstal asked after the speech ended. No sooner had she finished, footsteps suddenly appeared and led them to the feast hall, continuing on without pausing.


'There's your answer. Let's hurry. This might be another discovery.' Skywalker dragged the warrior behind him.


The footsteps made their way to the familiar large painting of a castle. As it reached in front of the wooden stairs, the footprints disappeared and in its place appeared a cloud of white smoke, which phased through the gate of the castle's painting. The gates opened, revealing a passageway that leads inside.


'Well... Might as well head inside to take a look what's beyond this.'


'Yeah...' Krisstal was amazed about what had happened. She recalled what the senior said about exploration and travelling can help guide her. 'Vade's right, there really is a lot to explore.'


'Into the unknown, here we go.' Skywalker thought to himself. Together they went inside the dark passage.


'Woah...' The hidden library had a single floor. 'It's... a secret library.'



'A twelve-volume story of Wynn's great hero can be found here,' called a voice. 'The origins of this library, and others like it, still remain unknown.'


'What was that?' Krisstal asked shakily.


'It's alright, expect this to happen every single time we might have found something of great importance.' Skywalker patted her.


He looked across the dimly lit corridor. Cobwebs were built at the corners, their presence awakened the slumbering creatures who dwelled here. Each step on the brown carpet caused dust to fly all over the concealed room. Skywalker let out a cough and sneezed; the warrior limped towards the nearest bookshelf.


'Strange, there is a barrier around these books. I can't take anything from the shelves.' Krisstal remarked. Skywalker also tried but it was as if the air is solid. He can see through the barrier, but he can't interact with the books.


'Are all books like this? There is still a large corridor ahead of us. The voice did say this secret library contains legends and stories about Wynn's great hero, Bob.' Skywalker replied. 'Something else is strange though... How are these candles lit for so long?'


'What do you mean?' Krisstal staggered over to where Skywalker held up and inspect a torch with great interest.


'Either this is magic that lets the torches burn indefinitely, or someone does know the existence of this place and lit the candles.' Skywalker replied. 'I mean the town's torches were put out and lit by people around the same time every day. But if this place is so well hidden, surely these torches would have normally burnt out a long time ago.'


'There's so much mystery around this place. The discoveries, the corruption, the amnesia and now this secret library.'


'Not to mention, the voice said there are others like this, I suspect more secret libraries.'


'You believe what that voice told you?'


'I think we can take it for granted. What else is there to believe otherwise.' Skywalker shrugged. 'There's more in front of us, shall we?'



Krisstal nodded and placed the torch back inside its holder. The floor creaked and squeaked as they walked over it. A family of mice scurried across the floor, Krisstal cried at the sudden appearance of the rats.


'It's alright, I'll scare them off for you first next time.' Skywalker laughed but immediately stopped when he saw her glaring.


'Not funny.' She elbowed him.


They stopped next to an oddly placed bookshelf. In the room, there were eleven more similarly short bookshelves across the room. Skywalker tried to open the other books from the bookshelves but found something strange. 'These so-called books are a chunk of wood painted and refined like one, might be used purely for cosmetic. I guess the only thing to read in this bookshelf is the one that was laid neatly at the centre.'



Krisstal nodded and read the title, 'The Legend of Bob'. They took a deep breath and read through the twelve chapters. The books detailed the legendary figure in the Province of Wynn, who mastered the use of multiple weapons and defended the fort of Ragni from numerous swarms.


'"854 years after the portal was first opened." Wow, so the portal... has been opened at least this long. That's a really long time.' Krisstal shuddered, the first sentence already gave her chills. 'Ragni truly is amazing for how long it has been holding up.'


'The unknown woman who gave birth to Bob did not survive the childbirth.' Skywalker continued on by reading the next book. 'That has to be Witherhead before she was corrupted. That's the proof we need to connect Witherhead and Bob’s biological mother.'


'Hey check this out,' Krisstal walked over to the next shelf. 'Apparently, Bob's skin was a shade of grey unnatural to those of Ragni, who have always been fair-skinned. It's a shame Bob, or Robert was treated like this, I think Reygina mentioned General Kathi was treated differently as well for being a redhead.'


'Luckily she turned out just fine and well respected.'


'Wow, Bob's adoptive mother surely has a brave soul, willing to accept death without fear.' Krisstal pointed out a line in the book she's holding. 'Says here that "If she ever became infected she wanted to end her life." This must have been a low point in Bob's life.' She wondered how would they react to death themselves. Would they scream for survival? Will they accept it? What will happen to the others if one of them dies?


'They do say people show their true colours at the face of death. I heard...'


'All this talk about death is making me uneasy, so let's move on.' Krisstal interrupted. '"The four masters of Wynn province." Just the mantle gives off a strong aura, very powerful.'


'I wonder if they are all humans like us? Villagers? or maybe some other race we haven't encountered.' Skywalker wondered out loud as he flipped through the next book. 'Chak is the assassin master, Mael is the master of archers. I wonder where this mansion is, sounds like somewhere south and cold.'


'Wherever it is, you will be the one out of the four of us to find it.' Krisstal replied with a smile. 'After finishing his training in the mansion; Bob met Ethe, the mage master, at a mystical village in a forest with lots of spiders.'


'Why does that sound so similar to Nivla Woods?' Skywalker laughed.


'Maybe it is the same place? Who would have thought Bob would be afraid of spiders like you.' Krisstal teased, as she handed him the next chapter.


'Everyone has fears. That's just being human.' Skywalker retorted. 'Anyways, apparently, Fier is the last master, the master of warriors. His training had then came full circle and he returned to Ragni.' Knowing how uncomfortable Krisstal is about the topic of dying, he just simplified the part where the masters vanished.


'Bob and his dark weapons.' Krisstal read on. 'It's interesting how someone on the light side is able to wield dark weapons. I mean, I thought he would be using holy or light weapons. But no, it's dark weapons.'


'Maybe because Bob is spiritually strong to resist the darkness and use it to his own advantage? Wouldn't be surprised if Mael taught him spiritual magic.' Skywalker pointed out. 'Look at this though. It says that "a beast corrupting the province". This beast could be the thing that ended Bob. Must be very strong and unmatched in raw power, but what could it be.'


His question lingered in the air. It was the last chapter of Bob's legend, and there was nothing else. Skywalker thought to himself after placing the last book back. 'No mention of the steel sword. Who created them? Where do they come from? Are there more of these weapons out there?'


'So this entire secret library has only twelve books that we can read? Some library…' Krisstal rolled her eyes.


'Maybe… we are not worthy enough to see the other books yet?' Skywalker said. His mind forming an idea. 'It does say that Bob didn't pass on his skills, in fear they would not be used for the greater good.'


'So?' You think only someone Bob deemed worthy of his power could break through this strange barrier?' Krisstal asked. She tried shoving against the invisible wall of air again but to no avail. 'But maybe it isn't Bob who put this barrier?'


'Maybe… we don't know for sure. We do know his three pet might still be around though. They could be our guide.' The reply came.


'But we don't know where to look…' Krisstal complained.


'That's why we explore and travel. But who knows, could take us months or years, maybe even decades to find these three animals. We better tell the others about… all of this. Reygina might be able to provide some theories.'


Krisstal sat on the ground, exhausted after the reading and learning all the new stuff. Bob trained for half of his entire life just to protect the city. Decades of dedication. 'Bob seems like the type of person who is invincible, who seemed perfect in every way. I'm nothing like him, I don't even know if my goal is the right one for me. What if they don't like my new goal?' She thought.


'Umm Krisstal? You okay?' Skywalker asked. He waved his hand in front of her, trying to get her attention.


'Huh? Wha?' Krisstal snapped back to reality. 'Oh... I'm fine.'


'You sure?' Skywalker asked concernedly.


'Yes.' Krisstal got back up to her feet, brushing the dust off of her shorts.


'If you don't want to talk about it now, that's okay.' Skywalker replied. 'We got a lot of time to talk about it. I can tell something is troubling you, I can... feel it.'


'Don't push it.' Krisstal replied, keeping her anger in check.


'Alright alright. Haha.' Skywalker laughed, hoping to calm her down a bit. He knows how scary she could be when enraged.


Krisstal suddenly had a brainwave on how to express her concern indirectly. 'So... if you like exploring so much, how do you feel when you're about to go to someplace new?'


'Hmm... How should I put this.' Skywalker thought. 'Excited... and scared.'


'That’s... contradicting.' Krisstal asked confusingly. 'Why?'


'Well, it's true I love exploring.' Skywalker answered. 'But I suppose you may have noticed, the further we go, the more dangerous it is.'


'So what makes you still want to travel into the unknown?'


'Passion. I just love doing it. I believe... I have faith that the reward at the end outweighs the risk, even if I might get injured in the process.' He couldn't wait any longer for the two of them to reach Detlas.


'Why? Why are you confident about the path you chose is the right? I don't get it.' Krisstal tightened her fists without realising.


'You aren't supposed to get it. It’s a feeling, you just have it. I suppose if I gave up without trying, then I will never know. I would rather end up in vain than choose to remain indifferent.' He smiled.


Krisstal eyes' gleamed and shone, she felt a part of herself opening up and accepting something entirely new. Little did Skywalker know, his answers were everything. Though of course, she wouldn't tell him that.


'What was that about? I mean, why did you ask?' Skywalker asked.


'Oh well... We are going to Detlas soon, aren't we? And you wouldn't stop mentioning Detlas when you came back... so... yeah.' Krisstal knew she wasn't really answering his question, though thankfully, the ninja seemed to have dropped the subject.


'Well, happy to answer.' Skywalker grinned. 'You ready to go? We read everything already.'


'Yeah... Let's go home.' They got up from the floorboard and looked at the passage where they had entered. Something else, however, was there.



'No way...' Krisstal gasped. On top of the wooden arch was a spear. 'Was it always there?' She wondered.


They moved forward to inspect it. 'This cannot be! This weapon is just like your steel sword!' Krisstal observed.


'So many mysteries...' Skywalker told her. 'So little answers... You want to pick it up?'


'I don't know... What if I become corrupted or something.' She cried, yet she found herself unable to look away from the object.


'Well... I'm fine and alive.' Skywalker laughed. 'If you won't take it, then I will.' He gripped the spear and waited. 'See? I don't feel anything.' Just as he was about to walk, he suddenly felt pale. 'Flimsy pike of the Berserker.' The same voice he had heard in the sewers whispered once again.


'Berserker?' He almost shouted it out loud, but he restrained himself as Krisstal was right next to him. 'What does it mean that I’m a Berserker? Where...'


'You spacing out again?' Krisstal asked, snapping him back to attention. She snapped her fingers and knocked his head. 'Come on... That's the second time already.'


'Just... wondering where these weapons come from.' Skywalker said, telling half the truth. 'I can tell the weapons are... different.'


Krisstal raised an eyebrow and shook her head. 'Just promise me you won't find another one of these weapons...'


Skywalker breathed loudly. 'Don't worry, the weapons aren't dangerous, there is no corruption... We would have gone mad or something a long time ago.'


'I know! I'm not worried about those objects. I’m worried about...' She snapped. When she realised her outburst, she hastily apologised. They found themselves back at the feast hall.


Krisstal saw that Skywalker had been hurt by her words despite the apology. 'I just... don't want to see my friends get hurt.'


'I'm sorry I made you worried. I'll be more careful in the future.' Skywalker said sombrely. 'That's very nice of you, thank you.'


Krisstal then thought of something that would certainly cheer the ninja up. 'Hey. You know? I think the reason I won that duel is that you were too straight forward with your attacks. Your slashes were so predictable. That is just my opinion.'


Much to her relief, Skywalker seemed to beam with excitement. 'Oh really? You must teach me then. You were really smart with your technique, maybe you can implement them with your weapon.'


'What do you mean?' She asked surprisingly while signalling him to head to the training ground. 'We can use a practice dummy for lessons.'


'Well... If you know how to press my wrist's nerves to hinder my hand. Maybe you can...' Skywalker looked around for an example. He saw a pedestrian walking, the way her leg moved as she walked gave him the perfect example. 'You know how when we walk or move in general, we have to lift our leg up first? If you can cut the joints or Achilles tendons, you can immobilise them. If your spear has a crescent blade, you can hook and sweep your opponents' feet, causing them to trip or fall.'


Krisstal's mouth dropped open. 'How did you know so much just by looking.'


'I don't know. Just how my mind works.' Skywalker replied.


'You're weird.' Krisstal sneered. 'Sometimes I don't know what you're thinking.'


'I take pride in my uniqueness and differences, thank you for noticing.' Skywalker smirked. 'No problem being myself.'


'I suppose so.' Krisstal grinned. 'So... what I meant is this.' She slashed at the dummy, pretending to be Skywalker attacking her during their duel. 'See? Because all you did was slash at me in a straight line and repeated horizontally, vertically, diagonally... It made your attacks very predictable, which is why I was able to grab your arm after a few times only.'


Skywalker absorbed and listened to every word she said. 'Your weapon is a dagger or claws or whatever it may be, the point is is that your weapon is mainly single-handed and shorter, meaning instead of direct cuts...'


Krisstal took the training dagger and demonstrated for him. She slashed at the dummy this time in different directions and in patterns Skywalker never thought of. 'Sometimes you U-turn, or even make a circle around the limbs. Once you feel comfortable doing that, you can even add feints to your bag of tricks. But to do that, you have to really be quick on your feet, any mistake can be game over. It’s all about practice and timing.'


'Wow. But you never held a spear before, I think. How did you know all these tips and tricks?' Skywalker asked.


'I had trouble sleeping one night while you three were sleeping and decided to walk around, I saw Therck outside the barracks. He saw me and asked if I would like to learn a few moves.' Krisstal smirked.


'We should try it out on some monsters later.' Skywalker picked up the training weapon and practised a few swings.


'Yeah.' Krisstal marvelled at the idea. 'North Gate?'


'Maybe after you wore the new accessories and armour pieces.' The ninja called.


No sooner had they reached the gate, Zombie Warriors lead fellow zombies to attack them. Together with the Guard Golems, they defended the gate and Ragni from the waves of horror. Krisstal acknowledged that Skywalker's advice was indeed quite useful, although she wondered about the effectiveness of slicing the joints if armour were involved.


Meanwhile, Skywalker was trying his best to implement the new cutting methods the warrior had educated him. 'I'll need some practice with this.' He thought. He felt a bit awkward sometimes when he wasn't applying enough speed or strength as necessary and couldn't help but revert to simple slashes at times. 'Krisstal's strength is amazing.'


'Hey, Skywalker? What's this? What's happening? Help me!' Skywalker kicked a Weak Zombie away before looking at his friend. Krisstal's spear was glowing in rainbow colours. Letters began to show on the shaft.


'What is this? Why are there symbols on my spear? Will they go away? Is this corruption?' Krisstal freaked out.


Skywalker knew better, thankfully he was able to signal the panicking recruit back inside safer terrain.


'It's fine! You just unlocked your second spell! Congratulations.' Skywalker cheered.


Krisstal remained muddled. 'Second spell? What is it?' The shaft had stopped glowing but not the letters.


'You know how I was able to disappear and reappear while leaving a clone behind? That is my second spell, "Shadow Clone". For your second spell, it's...' Skywalker inspected and translated each symbol. "Let's see...'C''H''A''R''G"'E'. It's called "Charge". And here is how you perform the spell: "Right-Right-Right".'


'Like this?' Krisstal asked. She did the new signs and was suddenly launched forward. Due to the sudden powerful movement, she screamed as she crashed into a nearby wheat field, letting out a painful groan.


'You okay?' Skywalker helped her up, brushing the dirt off her legs. He reminded himself to be more gentle on the injured site.


'Yeah... That landing though.' She fixed her hair and brush the seeds and dirt off her body.


'Don't worry, you only need practice.' Skywalker chirped. The starry sky met his eyes. 'It must be late now. You still need to take your medication at the hospital.'


'Yeah... Let's call it a night. Wolfred will be back tomorrow morning. Can we go to Detlas tomorrow?' They walked on the main path towards their destination.


'You sure?'


'Yeah.'


'Alright then. But remember! It takes two days to get there. We better be well prepared.' Skywalker warned.


Krisstal was determined to no longer slow her friends down any longer. 'Yeah, let's go.'


When they reached back to their room, Skywalker pulled a chair next to the bed. This surprised Krisstal, she couldn't help but urged him to go back to the dormitories for sleep.


'It's fine,' Skywalker replied as he tidied up their belongings. His eyes closed as soon as his butt glued to the chair. 'I can be of service if you need someone in the middle of the night.' He fell asleep before Krisstal could give a reply.

------------------------------------------------------------------

The first thing Skywalker saw when he opened his eyes was Krisstal's hair being chewed by a familiar canine.


'Hey, Wolfred.' He called to him. 'Miss us?'


Krisstal was still snoring as loud as ever, oblivious to the saliva and drool tainting her hair. It reminded Skywalker how his hair was 'attacked' by a grook. He chuckled at the scene and decided to wake the girl up. He tried poking her, tapping her and even kicked her; the warrior, however, didn't respond.


'How would Reygina wake her up...' He thought. That's when an idea came to mind. With a cheeky smile on his face, he pinched her nose and didn't let go. That did the trick and she woke up vehemently, letting out a snort and frantically tried to breathe.


Annoyed and irritated, she turned around to see the ninja barely able to contain his laughter. 'You piece of...' She immediately punched his shoulder hard. 'Get! Out!' She growled. Skywalker laughed like a maniac as he escorted himself outside the curtain.


'Wolfred! My hair!' That was too much for him as he felt tears leaking out of his eyes. He slapped his knee and tried his best to not disturb the other patients downstairs.


'Guess you two are awake.' Vade said climbing up the stairs. 'You might want to hear this piece of news.'


Krisstal came out while still brushing her hair. 'She calmed down really quickly this time.' Skywalker thought.


'Why? What's wrong?' She asked, after greeting the senior.


'Detlas. A raid is happening as we speak. We can take fifteen members. Three other recruits have joined alongside Gamma Squad; Enzan and Vago are in charge of this operation. They'll be leaving in ten minutes. I was wondering if you would want to come along.' The two of them quickly changed and adorned their equipment.


Krisstal gulped down her medicine as Wolfred helped her with her boots by headbutting them into her feet. She quickly took a few steps and was glad she could walk now. 'The bandages could be changed later.' She said to herself.


'Wow, who knew we would be reaching Detlas faster than Reygina and Hearolie. They must have around one-fourth of the trip left as of now.' Skywalker commented as they walked down the stairs. Krisstal told the hospital reception that she's fine and don't need to be hospitalised any longer.


'Alright, your bill has been paid so please just sign here for confirmation that it is you who wanted to be discharged.' The reception replied.


'Paid? By whom?' Krisstal's jaw dropped. She was touched that someone would even pay her medical fees, it must have cost a lot since she has been here for a few days.


'Commander Vade, Lieutenant Jenprest and General Enzan.' He replied. He took the signed form and chopped it with a stamp. 'It's completed now. Thank you, you are free to leave.'


'Ah, there you are. Ready?' Vade asked when he saw the two outside. Wolfred was running circles around Creed and Angel. The children were sad knowing that Wolfred will be leaving them.


'This will be goodbye, for now. We will be exploring other places after this.' Skywalker felt a lump in his throat when he said it. He already missed this place dearly; the people here as well.


'I see, that's good.' Vade smiled. He put his hand on Krisstal shoulder. 'I have faith that you will be able to find your goal. Good luck.' The two hugged farewell, whereas the children hugged her legs.


'You're leaving for real?' Angel said; tears filled her eyes. 'Will you forget me?'


Krisstal kneeled and told her otherwise. 'Remember this beautiful ribbon you gave me when we first met?' Angel nodded at the ribbon Krisstal had taken out from her pocket. 'I am going to wear it every day.' She pulled her hair back and used the ribbon to tie a ponytail. Angel's eyes gleamed in happiness; she repeatedly thanked her.


Creed waved goodbye to Wolfred, the dog imitating him by waving his paw. Creed laughed before hugging him a final time.


'We're leaving in one minute, everyone better be ready.' Vago yelled, striking her wand on the ground. The squad discussed their battle plans and positioning.


Skywalker looked at the formatted squad, and then at Therck who was looking at them from a corner. For the first time in forever, he seemed to miss them. Skywalker smiled back at him and saluted him. Therck eyes' widen at the gesture, though he quickly maintained his composure. With a smug, he nodded and gave him a thumbs up.


Skywalker shook hands with Vade and hugged the kids before bidding farewell to them. The three new recruits Vade mentioned were next to them. Skywalker identified one of them who was a chainmail armoured assassin, as evident with her choice of weapon. Another one was a hunter, who wore a combination of gold and iron armour; his bow strapped to his back. The third and final recruit, however, was peculiar. Instead of the weapons they possessed, she held a cross as a weapon. Skywalker wondered what class is this. 'What's this recruit about? I had never seen this before.' He wondered, but the commander's voice snapped him back to attention.


'Detlas is attacked at ten hundred hours. Category five horde. A Mama Zomble is present, almost every type of zombie we’ve encountered are there. Detlas has been evacuated. We will also be aided by other armies from other cities.' Vago yelled loud and clear, ensuring everyone understands the grave situation.


'We will be using scrolls this time, given to us by the Detlas messenger. It will give us a temporary walk speed increase, damage, resistance, mana and health regeneration.' Enzan chanted the words written on the scroll. The scroll glowed white, although hard to notice given it is daytime. It then disintegrated by itself slowly; its particles scattered all over them, granting them the buffs.


With the Detlas teleportation scrolls now at their hands, one by one they read the city's name and vanished one by one. Krisstal and Skywalker gave each other a nod and the two teleported to the town.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Herobrine crouched on the Mama Zomble's shoulder. His eyes fixated on the central city, a ray of light shot into the sky from the town's beacon. 'Bob! Come out, come out.' He murmured to himself.

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And this is it, for real. This last part to Ragni. Originally I would like to focus on Detlas in this chapter, but Bob does have significance to the story, which is why I wanted to include the secret library here as the final part. Krisstal has learned something from her peers and seniors regarding dreams and goals, so in the future, how those words affect her choices will be slowly shown. Detlas is up next and to open up the new arc would be a big battle since Witherhead’s Wrath. I plan to further explore Hearolie and Krisstal character in the next arc, a lot of unknown territories will be explored as promised in the last chapter. Originally, I was going to copy and paste the lore into the chapter from Ragni’s secret library. But after giving some thought, it just doesn’t seem right, plus it feels like I’m being lazy. So instead, I rephrased some key sentences that I think will be best for my story and add character’s thoughts and interpretation about them. The full Ragni’s secret library lore posted by Grain a long time ago is available at the wiki.


Thank you every officer, admin, builder and others who created and developed Wynncraft. Do share important information about Wynncraft, such as easter eggs and timelines or even 'wynn'consistencies. As the information will help me improve my story greatly. Thank you once again for reading until the end. I do not own anything except this story. If you are interested, I could add your player characters as characters in my story, just send me your name and a screenshot of your character (with or without gear) in wynncraft, preferably your front, side and back. It would be a bonus if you can list out the names of your gear and mount. Feel free to talk to me about things not related to Wynncraft as well, I would never mind changing topic anyways. Thank you all and may the force be with you. This is an unofficial story made only by myself and everything here is based on either what's currently in the game or my interpretation of what's currently in the game. Hypixel weapons belong to Hypixel. I only own the main characters and this story only.


Other sources:

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/699806539-for-the-wynn-king's-recruit-part-1

Fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12951945/1/For-The-Wynn

Archives of our own: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14778395/chapters/42299039