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

When Zalan and his friends made it downstairs, there were cups of tea placed on all surfaces for them to take. There wasn't much room in the home, so chairs and countertops alike were utilized for each of the beverages. Blinking, Zalan realized he smelled their pleasant aroma before he saw them. The scent was of jasmine tea and he held a cup under his nose, basking in the aroma for a moment before taking a sip. He was surprised by how delicious it was, subconsciously assuming the Aetherian plants would all be tasteless foods of necessity rather than things like tea leaves.

Zalan and his friends went in a circle introducing themselves to Raloran and Yelsa before taking the few seats around the living space downstairs. Raloran was left standing, but looked at them all with a wide smile, pleased to have so many guests fill his home.

"Yelsa said you were just visiting. How long do you intend to stay in Aetheria? We might be able to find time to introduce you to Morloch," Raloran said.

"You would do that for us?" Moss asked, enthused. Slauson nudged him with his elbow and Moss yelped when hot tea drops hit his knee. Enzo ran water over the burn to stop the pain. Raloran watched in fascination at the casual use of Elemental Power, it being an almost nonexistent quality in the sky. He recovered quickly and answered Moss's question.

"Of course! Morloch is known as the Magnanimous One. He is such a giving man, sacrificing his life for days to try and bring our ideas civilization and tranquility to the madmen in your realm below," Raloran said.

The room was awkwardly silent for a few seconds. Raloran looked around, puzzled.

"No need to be shy. He is not as menacing as he seems. Though, even poor little Yelsa is intimidated by his status," Raloran said, smiling at his daughter.

"Father, I have told you a dozen times, he made me jump off of Aetheria," Yelsa said, cracking her knuckles in frustration.

"And look how much more powerful you returned as a result! One of the highest Levels in Aetheria! Morloch said it was all part of your training!" Raloran said, patting her proudly on the back.

"No, Father, Morloch is not to be trusted—"

"Just because you disagree with his methods does not mean you have to hate the man, himself, do you understand me?" Raloran cut her off sternly.

It sounded like an argument they had rehashed many times before. Yelsa sighed loudly and closed her eyes, nodding to her father. He returned to smiling pleasantly at his guests. It had gone even more awkwardly silent, no one wanting to make eye contact with Raloran after he had spoken to his daughter in that manner.

"You know, Zalan," Raloran said. "Your name reminds me of the Great Traitor that Morloch once told us about. He said that a lunatic by the name of Ziyard tried to kill him after all the training he gave him. The poor savage was stuck in his ways and tried to murder the man helping him."

Zalan cleared his throat, his face going red in a mix of embarrassment and anger.

"That sounds unfortunate," Rep said, saving Zalan from having to reply.

"That is the way of the people below. Not that it should be any surprise to you. I do not know how you came out so polite from a world like that," Raloran said.

"Perhaps Morloch has only described a very limited scope of the people of the realm," Rep offered patiently. "It is a very large land, and very unlikely he has met everyone."

"He does not need to meet them all. They willingly woke the Beasts of Slumber. We have seen it from the skies. Only the most insane would invite that kind of destruction upon themselves." Raloran sipped his tea with the confidence of a well-misinformed man.

"Why do you think they would bring that destruction upon themselves?" Rep asked, trying to lead him to a conclusion.

"How should I know the mind of a surface dweller?" Raloran said dismissively.

"Perhaps there is more to their minds than you have been led to believe. I am sure Yelsa told you of her experiences," Rep said, sounding casual.

Yelsa shook her head and waved her hands slightly, trying to move away from the topic.

"Yes, she told me about a few. The siblings that refused to assist her in gaining Elemental Air Power," Raloran said.

"I told you that was a misunderstanding," Yelsa said defensively.

"And, of course, there was the girl that threw away her life in pursuit of fighting a creature that could breathe lightning. Such a foolish…"

Gorb stood abruptly, knocking back the chair he sat on.

"Subtlety is lost on this man, Rep." Gorb turned to address Raloran boldly. "You have been deceived. None of what you say is true. Fran was a brilliant young woman who should be praised for her efforts to save her friends' lives. Yelsa would be dead if not for her. Moreover, Morloch woke the Beasts of Slumber and wishes for our destruction. He is a madman and should not be trusted!"

Raloran looked at Gorb with raised eyebrows. Gorb breathed hard, straining to contain himself.

"To speak to me in such a disreputable manner," Raloran tutted and shook his head slightly, taking another small sip of tea. "It is not your fault. I am sure the ways of your people are difficult to leave behind."

Gorb's fists shook with unbridled rage.

"Dear God," Dimak said, shaking his head at Raloran in disbelief.

"I think we had best be off," Rep said, standing up quickly and placing an arm on Gorb's shoulder.

"You have not finished your tea," Raloran said, confused as he continued to not read the room.

"That is because you did not add enough sand," Magnolia said.

"Sand?"

Magnolia conjured a ball of sand and split it in the air, dumping handfuls of particles into each individual's cup, Raloran's included. Raloran put the cup down, staring at it with thin lips.

"Yelsa, I think it is best if your friends left now," he said, his voice even and firm.

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"Of course, Father. I will see them out myself," Yelsa said cordially.

The allies jumped at the opportunity, save for Moss who stared at his sandy tea with a suspicious gaze, wondering if he could get one last sip. Slauson dragged him to his feet and pulled him out along with the others. Raloran didn't so much as wave them goodbye, his irritated gaze watching them with intensity as they exited. As soon as the door shut behind them, the entire group let out a collective breath of relief.

"It was suffocating in there," Enzo said, pulling at his collar.

"I apologize for my outburst," Gorb told Yelsa. "But the way he spoke of Fran…"

"I completely understand," Yelsa said sympathetically. "In truth, it was good to have someone else validate my feelings. I was hoping someone would be stern with him. He does not listen to me."

"Well done with the sand," Slauson said to Magnolia. "I could not think of a better way to escape that awful man."

"Do not speak of Yelsa's father negatively," Rep admonished disapprovingly.

"Why not? Did you not hear the way he spoke of us?" Dimak asked, clearly offended. "The children thought better of us!"

"I heard every word. He could say worse and I would still say to speak kindly behind his back. It is precisely because we are slandered that he thinks so ill of us. If we are the kind to spread slander and ill-feelings, perhaps we are as immoral as he believes," Rep said firmly.

The group swallowed any more criticisms they had and Yelsa looked to Rep with gratitude. She appreciated the defense that Rep gave to her father while still feeling ambivalent toward him and his actions. She cracked the bones in her neck, exhaling loudly through an open mouth. She looked up at the others as if she wanted to address them, then lowered her head, shaking it slowly.

"It's no problem, Yelsa," Zalan said. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I am not especially saddened by his actions. I have come to expect it from Father. The problem is it is much larger than that. My father is no different than most people on Aetheria. Speak with anyone and they are bound to discuss the realm similarly. That the people of the surface are lesser and know nothing but savagery. I fear that even if we defeat Morloch, things will not change," Yelsa said.

"You're gonna help us fight him?" Zalan asked.

"That man manipulated me and is hailed a hero for my failures. If I never fell for his ploy, he never would have gained the Elemental Air that has caused all of this," Yelsa said, gesturing to the world with a spin of her hand. "It is my responsibility to help you. I was trying to discover my own way to take him on, but he is far too powerful for any one fighter. With such a large force, this should at least be possible."

"More than possible. We are formidable," Magnolia said confidently.

"I assure you he is stronger," Yelsa said. "Do not underestimate his mastery of the Elemental Powers he has at his disposal. Even if some seem weaker than others, his control over Elemental Air is unmatched, and the other powers bolster his already impressive abilities."

"We need a plan," Slauson said. "Zalan can put one together if he understands the battlefield we will fight in. He fought an Elemental Dragon."

"I know. I was there with him. It was more a fluke than a success," Yelsa admitted.

"No, he defeated a second one along with Rep. A few hours ago, on the way to Aetheria," Slauson said.

Yelsa gave Rep and Zalan a double take, eyebrows high on her forehead.

"The dragon was mostly Rep," Zalan said to break her stunned silence.

"I feel as though I have done nothing but mope in my room and argue with Father. You killed the Mind of Madness and a second Elemental Dragon? What other feats of strength did you do in my absence?" Yelsa asked, stunned.

"Zalan killed a Giant Arachula," Rep offered.

"Only with your help," Zalan said immediately.

"I do not know what that is," Yelsa said. "Regardless, I was asking a rhetorical question."

"Ah. Right," Rep said.

"I thought it was impressive," Moss raised a hand.

"You rarely find things unimpressive," Slauson said to him.

"Excuse me for enjoying life more than you," Moss replied, his chin held high.

Slauson rolled his eyes then turned back to Yelsa. "What do you know of Morloch's home? Can we sneak up on him?"

"Whenever he is not journeying below, Morloch enjoys spending his time in the large quarry in the center of town," Yelsa said.

"Quarry?" Dimak blinked. "How does Aetheria have a quarry? Is there any room to dig?"

"We call it the quarry, but it is only an area of broken buildings. Some of the stone slabs of the remaining foundation look stacked together as may be done in a quarry. But it is a large, circular space with little place to hide," Yelsa said.

"So our fight is going to be out in the open," Zalan determined.

"Mostly," Yelsa agreed.

"Okay, I think we take him on by splitting up. We'll go in three groups of three around the quarry and attack him on all sides at the same time. Whoever he focuses on first, they can focus on defense, while the rest of us focus on the attacks," Zalan said.

"And if he has guards?" Enzo asked.

"Try not to kill them if you can help it. This is about killing Morloch, not everyone he's brainwashed. I uhhh… I know what it's like to be manipulated by him," Zalan admitted, ashamed.

"Yes, of course, do not kill them," Magnolia said sarcastically. "How are we going to deal with them when they intend on killing us?"

"These people are trapped in a floating island. What's the highest Level they're gonna be? Like 4?" Zalan asked, turning to Yelsa.

"Level Four is quite high for Aetherians." Yelsa shook her head. "Three is the maximum for most residents."

"Either way, we're all at least double their Levels. I think I've made my point," Zalan said, Magnolia nodding in agreement.

"I am still not sure this plan will work," Yelsa said pensively.

"We will bash his guards aside and he will be overwhelmed," Dimak said confidently. "Our powers coming at all angles will be too much. No matter the power he has, the inability to see in all directions will be enough for us to get the upper hand."

"The guards will not be a problem, I assure you. It is Morloch alone who may still overwhelm us with his power," Yelsa said.

"Alright, listen," Zalan said, pulling the dreaded, round Artifact from his pocket. The eerie black marble rolled between his fingers and some of his allies leaned away. "Worst case scenario, I'll use the Oculus of Annihilation on him. It'll hurt him as much as it hurts me."

"You mean it can do you both the same amount of pain?" Yelsa asked.

"And more," Zalan nodded.

"That sounds like… you intend to sacrifice your life against him?" Yelsa asked.

"I'll use it some way or another," Zalan replied, dodging the question.

"You should give it to me," Yelsa held out her hand. "I will sacrifice myself to destroy him immediately. Then there is no risk of any of you getting injured, or worse. He is wary of my presence, but I think I could get close enough to use it."

"I can take it and charge him with the wind at my back," Gorb said, holding his hand out for the Artifact. "He will have no time to react."

"I will get back at him for what he did to us on the Island of Remains," Rep said, holding another palm up to receive the black and red Artifact.

"No, Rep, you have a wife to get home to," Enzo said. "But we need to take revenge for what that man did to The Aegeusson."

"We rebuilt it," Magnolia reminded him.

"Yes, but it would have been a lot easier if we did not have to," Enzo said, deflating a notch.

"I will use it to remove his hair!" Moss said, shooting his arm out to accept the Artifact. "I can live with being bald, but the humiliation will be too much for him. His hubris will be his downfall."

"I think we can agree not to give it to Moss," Slauson said. "But I can pack it in ice and…"

"Stop, stop, I'm not giving it to anyone," Zalan said firmly, tucking it back into his pocket. "We have a plan. This is only for if everything goes wrong. It's for me to use alone. But, if I die in the battle, then you know where it's at."

The others looked at Zalan's pocket nervously, hoping it wouldn't come to such a scenario. Yelsa breathed in deeply and held her Brightburst Bow ahead of her, leading the way to the quarry in the center of Aetheria.