The Homeseeker: Elemental Adventurer LitRPG [Isekai] (Series Complete!)

Yelsa slid down the side of the building as though she had done it hundreds of times before. Running one house down the line, she very slowly pushed the front door open, beckoning to Zalan and his friends urgently.

"Who is that?" Enzo asked, nervous.

"She's a friend, come on," Zalan said, rushing ahead.

"How could you have possibly made friends on Aetheria?" Moss asked, following closely behind.

Yelsa kept a finger pinned to her lips, encouraging them all to remain silent as she ushered them all inside. Quietly, she pointed them up a narrow set of stairs on the side of the building to the upper floor. Zalan led the way, taking soft steps up the flight and wincing at every little creak of the wood. Heading inside the open bedroom, he stuck himself to the wall, making room for all of his allies to spill in after him. Yelsa entered last, slowly closing the door behind her until it quietly thudded shut. Everyone was basically shoulder to shoulder around the edges of the room.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, but this time she looked more excited than concerned.

"We intend to confront Morloch," Rep said.

"No, not you. Zalan!" Yelsa said, pointing at him. "We used the Homeseeker! What are you still doing here? Did you return from your other world?"

"It didn't work," Zalan shrugged. "But it's kind of nice that you actually believed me when I said I was from another world."

"Of course! You believed in Aetheria when it seemed no one else did." She looked at Gorb as she spoke and Gorb nodded his head, embarrassed.

"Who are you?" Slauson asked her, curious.

"We are old friends. Gorb, Zalan, Rep and I traveled together. Because of their efforts, they were able to send me back to Aetheria by means of the Homeseeker. The Castle of King Docrun was quite the adventure. We even met the king, himself," Yelsa said.

"It may pain you to learn that King Docrun has passed away since you last saw him," Moss informed her solemnly.

"I know that. He was a Fleshless," Yelsa said, tilting her head to one side.

"Yes, but I am sorry to say he died again," Moss said sincerely, as though offering condolences.

Yelsa stared at him blankly. "I do not think there is a single thing in the realm I have cared less about."

"What is the state of things in the city?" Gorb asked. "Do they know that Morloch is killing the Elementals below? How do the people respond?"

"Respond?" Yelsa half-laughed, half-balked. "They know full well of his intentions and wholeheartedly approve!"

"They want Elementals dead?" Magnolia asked.

"I think they will only be satisfied once the surface is dead," Yelsa said. "Morloch has painted such a twisted picture of your existence that Aetheria believes they are the last remaining bastion of civilization. Nothing in the realm below is worth salvaging. Best to clear it out and start anew."

"What crime did we commit?" Dimak asked.

"Whatever Morloch concocts on the given day. The other day, he claimed you all were in endless wars. Last week, he said you were seen eating your young. Before that, he said that you attacked him on sight. That the surface dwellers could smell the pleasant aroma of Aetheria on his skin and wanted to kill its inhabitants out of envy. Or to consume him, I forget that particular tale," Yelsa listed, looking exasperated as she did so.

"So, they're all gonna be afraid of us?" Zalan tilted his thumb, pointing to the city beyond the door to the room.

"Fear you and hate you," Yelsa said, nodding.

"But… not you?" Enzo clarified hopefully.

"Of course not! I was among the people of the realm for a long while. I know you are no different than we are above. And Morloch knows it as well. He was among you for years, using the good graces of the people to take their Elemental Powers when he had gained their trust," Yelsa said, her eyes falling on Zalan. "I saw he had Elemental Lighting. Tell me that was not your own."

"That was my power." Zalan shrugged and held up a shining hand. "But I got a replacement."

Yelsa stared at it, a fascination in her eyes. "Is that Elemetal Light?"

"Yeah, why?" Zalan shined a little more light from his palm to prove his ability.

Yelsa carefully made her way to the bed in the center of the room and ducked under, digging for something urgently. After a few brushes and knocks of wood on wood, she pulled out a bow without a string. Gasping, Rep looked excited at the sight of it. Zalan recognized it, but couldn't recall its name or function.

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"The Brightburst Bow!" Rep said energetically.

"Quiet!" Yelsa snapped, holding a finger to her lips and listening for any noise below. Moments later, she sighed in relief, giving Rep a pointed stare to keep quiet.

"You have had that since Castle Docrun. It has not yet degraded?" Rep asked quietly.

"I have not had many opportunities to use it," Yelsa replied. "Artifacts are very rare to come by in Aetheria and Morloch ordered that all be turned over to him so he could continue his 'cleansing' of the world below. If I were to use this in the open, it would surely be reported to him."

"Is all of Aetheria loyal to him?" Slauson asked.

"Anyone who is not loyal to him has not made themselves known to me. To be frank, I do not think it is loyalty. People are apathetic to the campaign he has launched below. The realm is a lost cause, as far as they understand. But a select few have been given some extra zeal by the stories he's told. They guard him day and night, waiting for the opportunity to attack intruders," Yelsa said.

"You have intruders up here?" Moss asked, amazed.

"Never humans. Occasionally we are met with a lost Bloodbeak or other such flying monster. But Morloch has a much more dire group of rivals he fears. He has shared the idea that he will be carried away and tortured by Elementals. Multiple different kinds that would join together to launch an assault on him. That is why he must rid the realm of them," Yelsa answered.

"Ah, he must be referring to us," Moss said confidently.

"What? How could his ravings about Elementals hunting him down possibly refer to us?" Slauson asked, annoyed.

"We have all been granted different Elemental Powers. Our joining forces to attack him with overwhelming might must be a terrible fear of his. He may have control over five different Elements, but one man can never be prepared for an assault by multiple people," Moss said.

The others stared at him, reflecting on his idea with some surprise. Zalan found the theory somewhat plausible, especially knowing how enigmatic Morloch was as their instructor. But it was still an odd conclusion to come to when it sounded more like a predicted omen than an actual fact. Slauson frowned deeply at Moss.

"It disturbs me that sometimes you have a moment of insight," Slauson said to him.

"I am always full of insight," Moss replied certainly.

"I assure you no one else shares that thought."

"Do you think all of us together would be ready to overwhelm him? He is just one man," Magnolia mentioned to Yelsa.

"He will not be alone, but I assure you he will wish to fight alone. Though his guards are fanatics, believing every word that falls from his lips, no matter how unimaginable. They protect him with ferocity, given the chance," Yelsa said. "And his power is immense. More powerful than any man or creature I have seen."

"Even the Mind of Madness?" Gorb asked.

"Perhaps. That was a different kind of power," Yelsa said.

"These two killed the Mind of Madness," Gorb flicked his head to Rep and Zalan.

Yelsa blinked a dozen times in succession, her face shaking slightly side to side.

"You?" Yelsa pointed at Zalan.

"Come on, do you think it's that unbelievable?" Zalan asked.

"Yes," Slauson answered for her.

"If you defeated that creature. Then perhaps you all do have a chance," Yelsa said. "And I certainly will not miss the opportunity to take down my former mentor."

"How was this man everyone's former mentor?" Magnolia asked Enzo.

A set of footfalls below caused everyone to freeze in panic. Wood creaked ominously below as someone made their way around the home. Yelsa put a finger to her lips and slowly made her way to the door.

"Yelsa?" a man called.

"I will be down in a moment," Yelsa said quickly.

"Pico was saying some strange things about surface dwellers. Do you think you could talk to him before he…"

The door swung outward just as Yelsa was about to grab it. The man looked up, going from slight concern to wide-eyed shock at the nine people crammed into the room. Scanning each of their faces, his face went hard with stern concern until finally making eye contact with Yelsa.

"Yelsa. Do you know these people?" he asked, folding his hands into wary fists.

"Yes Father. That is Zalan, Gorb, and Rep. And… their friends. They came to… visit me?" Yelsa said.

Yelsa's father's face sat on Zalan's face, scrutinizing his eyes deeply. Zalan swallowed hard, wondering if he would have to restrain his friend's father. Suddenly Yelsa's father lunged across the room, and Zalan closed his eyes, hoping he wouldn't be struck. He felt his hand wobbling up and down and looked to see that he was taken into a handshake.

"I knew it! I knew that against all odds, there were at least a few good people on the surface! Otherwise my daughter never would have made it back home!" Yelsa's father said eagerly. "Welcome to my city. I hope Yelsa has treated you well. I am Raloran."

"Oh," Zalan said, pleasantly surprised. "Yeah, Yelsa's been great. Really nice to—"

"Why do you look as though you have been fighting day and night?" Raloran took a step back, looking at the disheveled nature of Zalan and his friends.

"We had to fight—"

"Fight all the other savages and surface dwellers," Raloran nodded sympathetically. "It is no wonder you sought to flee the land below and find solace in the sky. Please, take a Healing Rest. It is a miraculous way to tend to your wounds in Aetheria. You need only sleep in a bed for about five minutes or so."

"Well, actually we can do Healing Rest on the sur—"

"I do not care who else offered you their beds, I insist you heal your wounds here," Raloran said. "I will go prepare some tea."

He rushed out the room and everyone turned to Yelsa.

"I like him," Moss said pleasantly.

"Give him some time," Yelsa said, her voice shameful.

"He thinks all of those on the surface are savages by default. That includes us," Slauson told Moss, surprised by his statement.

"Focusing on the trivial things I see," Moss said scornfully.

"Trivial?" Slauson asked.

"Guys, rest up. Then you can argue," Zalan said, pointing to Yelsa's bed.

"Take your time," Yelsa said, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. "The less time you have to spend with my father, the better for all of our sakes."