The Wandering Fairy [LitRPG World-Hopping]

"Soren! Are… are you sure?!" Cassia's eyes were full of confusion and worry, as if she was witnessing someone readying to jump off a tall ledge.

"Her Excellence does not even possess as many fragments of this rune compared to the others…" Myrin added while rubbing his chin. "Both Mirror Thorn and Wraithblade Pact seem like the better options…"

"More rune fragments doesn't always mean it's a better fit," Soren corrected. "The more rune fragments it has, the more likely that trapping it in the Soul Chain will be a struggle. Many end up failing their Soul Alchemy rituals because of that."

Myrin shook his head, "Yeah but… This rune's flaw—"

"It is tied to some kind of Forgotten Rune, I know." Soren interjected. "Although I can't be completely certain, the fact that it showed up on the divination results means that its flaw could really be satisfied by me."

Cassia shook her head, "Soren, please think about this more… Is it really worth risking everything? A Phantasm can only merge with nine Abstract Runes total, and each one you obtain impacts your future heavily…"

"And that's precisely why I need to pick the best option," he retorted with a sigh. "How about this—I'll do another divination to fully confirm my choice?"

They both looked at each other for a second then nodded in his direction.

With that, Soren immediately glanced at his Soul Weapon once more and spoke a new divination question:

"Will I, Soren Andersen, be able to satisfy the conditions associated with the Cantor's Crown Abstract Rune's flaw?"

The answer was an immediate "Yes."

He looked up at his two companions and grinned. Seeing this, Cassia sighed:

"Fine… Do whatever you want—you know what's best for you."

In all honesty, Soren was still not completely sure. After all, the divinations he conducted were much more accurate compared to most, but that didn't mean there wasn't uncertainty when it comes to the answers one receives.

For one, Soren asked if he could satisfy the condition of the rune's flaw, but he did not question whether or not it would be easy—he had little information to go off of... His questions were also designed in a way where he wouldn't need to specify the exact Forgotten Rune he possessed, since he couldn't fully trust The Records of Enigma with that kind of information.

Not once during his time in Yarian did he outright name which Forgotten Rune he possessed to anyone. This was information he was purposefully hiding. Tazzith's contract also limited Him from revealing that truth.

Even if the hidden factions of the Mysterious World suspected him of holding such a power, that did not mean he needed to outright reveal everything about it.

However, despite the uncertainty of his choice, Soren was still confident that he wouldn't regret it. He was not the type to gamble on something he knew he wouldn't win.

Since The Records itself is also coming to the same conclusion, I will have to just trust my decision.

The Figment of his Imagination was still his enemy, but an enemy that wanted to possess his body. It would not try to trick him by telling him to merge with the wrong rune—that would impact its own goals greatly. And neither would there be a rune that was beneficial to the flame and not him—both The Records and his existence were intrinsically tied to the point where even their identities were a one to one representation.

Soren understood that the real threat of obtaining this power didn't come from the rune itself, but from the Soul Alchemy ritual he would need to conduct… Since the fate of his Soul Chain was currently frozen through an accord he declared, the accumulated corruption of these past few months will invade his Runic Existence the moment that fate becomes unfrozen. Corruption that cannot be stopped…

Conducting the ritual was already hard enough, but now he had to do it while fighting against the Figment's encroachment.

Soren couldn't help but pity himself.

As they finally concluded their thoughts on the matter, the distant voice echoed in their minds once again:

[It seems you have all come to your conclusions… Very well.]

As She said this, Soren watched above as the distant rose shed its petals, allowing them to fall slowly toward them. Out of all the petals, one of them landed on Soren and Myrin each.

This is… He squinted as the strange petal floated near him. Its form was shimmering, as if the dream that imagined it into existence was slowly collapsing. The fractal geometries grew by the second.

Before he could question it further, the petal disintegrated the moment it touched his skin. He glanced at Myrin, who had also experienced the same.

[Your Runic Existences are now partially corrupted by the runes you chose. You now have a month or two to conduct the Soul Alchemy ritual to upgrade your Soul Weapons.]

I see… He had wondered how they would even obtain them—this was similar to the story Myrin told about how he obtained his first rune. They will continue to plague their Runic Existences and consume them if the Soul Alchemy ritual wasn't prepared soon enough.

I'm going to have a lot of work to do… He shook his head slightly.

Myrin bowed his head solemnly. "Thank you, Your Excellence."

Soren on the other hand, was still curious about something else:

"Petalsword Sovereign… If I may ask—could you tell me what is happening in Yadria? Why hasn't Tazzith contacted me yet?"

The silence stretched for longer than he thought it would. Indeed, it was a risky thing to ask. After all, the Daemons and Fae were still eternal enemies.

But he also wagered that there was more to it than that. After all, the Blossom Sword Flower was said to be one of the most terrifying existences during the War of Swords. Her legions of fae spirits were said to have won hundreds of Heavenly Battles in the Beyond, securing the fate of countless Elven armies.

If this supreme being wanted to, She could have easily made the Mirror Game impossible to beat. Her powers were beyond anything the three of them could handle. And yet, that was not what occurred…

If he had to describe it, the Mirror Game felt more like a lesson than a trial. As if She was trying to tell them something without outright saying it.

Why would She do such a thing—squandering Her chance to obtain the Heartdrinker Sigil in the process? It couldn't have been just a whim…

Eventually, Her voice boomed once again from all angles:

[A spatial crack leading into the Rift was opened inside the Subterranean Shunning Grounds. One of the Daemon Sovereigns within the prison had secretly struck a deal with the Vynasians, hoping to use them to escape. In the end, we were able to stop their plans from fully being fulfilled, but in the process, the Matron of Faith, Titania, lost Her life.]

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Their eyes widened in shock. "What…"

Soren grit his teeth, the Vynasians already started acting? Did Silmar break another promise of the Divine Accord?..

And whatever promise it was, it had to be rather important… Whatever appeared from the Rift, it was powerful enough to kill a Tier 8 Holy Phantasm.

"This is impossible!" Myrin protested. "The Matron of Faith is the very bridge that connects us to the Maiden Herself! How could she possibly die like that…"

[It is the undeniable truth, child. I was unfortunately not there when it happened, but the visceral cries of the Aether is undeniable…]

"Doesn't this mean there's a power vacuum in Yadria now?" Soren asked, his frown deepening by the second.

[Indeed. There have been talks of appointing that child, Lesticia, as the next Matron of Faith. But there are several other factions in disagreement too. In the end, it will have to be decided upon through holy divination.]

Soren quickly recalled the name She mentioned. This was the name of the Saintess of Spirits—the Saintess that Luvin followed. From what he understood, there were many disagreements between Her and the Saintess of Dreams, Sylia. The rise of a power struggle was likely to happen.

He quickly glanced up to where the distant rose used to be, "Then does that mean Tazzith—"

[Nay. He was not involved in the plot.] She interrupted. [In fact, from what I've heard from my messengers, the opposite occurred. He fought alongside Titania against the invading Vynaisians. However, He sustained injuries because of it.

[That curious child Sylia is trying to use this as an opportunity to grant Him amnesty. However, He himself refused, saying he was content with living in his cell.]

What a sly bastard. Soren wanted to curse.

Although to many, His actions may seem noble, Soren understood that it was all nothing but a plot to secure His position. The Subterranean Shunning Grounds may be a prison, but it was also a shield. Since tazzith didn't currently possess His original strength as a Sovereign, escaping now would clearly be suicidal.

He needed to bide His time while Soren gathered more of his Spirit Body's fragments through the Heartdrinker Sigil. That way, when He would inevitably escape, it would be with His original power.

But also, it gave Soren a hint in regards to Tazzith's relationship with the Saintess of Dreams, Sylia. From how the Blossom Sword Flower worded it, it would seem to most that Sylia was simply honoring justice in trying to free Him, but the reality couldn't be that simple. More than likely, Sylia probably knew Tazzith would reject Her offer of amnesty.

Her goal was likely to showcase that the Fae and Daemon spirits could cooperate if the threat facing both was imminent. She has always been an advocate for reaching out to other nations in hopes of fostering an alliance against the Vynasians as well as better protections for the Unblessed. Although Her ideas were radical, Soren fully agreed with Her vision.

Of course, Silmar had thrown a wrench into Her plans after facilitating the Crimson Massacre in Celestine… The conflict that sparked because of it fractured what little hope She held in creating a lasting peace between the humans and elves.

At the end of the day, Yadria was the only nation besides the Silmar Kingdom that constantly dealt with the Vynasian threat. Most of the Rift fractures opened above The Endless Sea, where their armadas would then travel westward toward the lawless Eclipse Moor. The humans up North in the Aelloran Kingdom, the Selkie Federation, and even the Staterran Kingdom were never faced with the reality of the situation down South.

Myrin floated endless in the midst of his reflections—his thoughts a jumbled mess. Soren looked at him briefly and sighed.

"Are you thinking of your family?"

He shook his head then smiled, "Nay. As I said before, I am just Myrin now. The Zinrie family can handle its own problems without my worries—their history spans more than a thousand years, after all.

"I am thinking about our goal." His face slowly turned serious as he glanced at both his companions. "As the mistress had concluded, ushering in a new Age is our only hope against the ruination of this world. Soren—your goal of climbing Mount Tolarion is not yours alone. I joined you on this journey in order to help repay everything the mistress had done for me. If fate is driving you to the summit, then I will be the one to push you further up the slope.

"We cannot allow The Whispering Dream to achieve what he wants."

Cassia nodded. "Indeed. Though sadly, my role in that journey will likely end today. I still have a tribe to run. But the both of you are welcome to stay as long as you wish to prepare for the inevitable."

Myrin sighed, "You don't have to feel so bad about it. The mistress' prophecy mentioned us meeting once again, and indeed that happened. And our meeting gave us ample information too. Because you decided to join the Mirror Game, we were able to understand how new Ages are formed through the Hollowed Star fragments! This is vital to our goal…"

Cassia chuckled. "The future is indeed very hopeful. I believe a day will eventually come when the worshippers of the Old Gods will no longer fear the sun… I wish to be a part of that future."

Though, while they conversed, Soren's expression didn't change—his frown remained the same. It was as if his thoughts were still stuck on something else entirely.

Both Myrin and Cassia glanced at him curiously, deciding to finally ask:

"You don't look satisfied… What's wrong?"

He remained silent for a bit before answering. "Because I'm not."

"What?" Myrin frowned.

"I am not satisfied," Soren reiterated. "The more I think about it, the more annoyed I am… I didn't want to end the Mirror Game in that way."

While Soren did understand the meaning behind that illusion they experienced in the Mirror Game, the conclusion he came to was still not entirely satisfying.

In truth, he really did want to save Bastion Thirel. He wanted to defeat the Spirit Wolves and secure Myrella from those who wanted to kidnap her.

He wanted to change history.

No matter what he tried, nothing could twist the reality that was chosen. A reality he had no control over. He was forced to accept that the Fall of Bastion Thirel was fated to happen.

Despite finally obtaining the rune he was seeking, Soren couldn't even bother to celebrate.

His victory felt hollow.

However, he understood that was on purpose. The Blossom Sword Flower wanted to show him the true power fate held over all beings in this world. This was a warning—that his attempts at changing the inevitable would only bring him despair.

A gear that turns against the machine only shatters itself and the machine, Soren said inwardly. But if shattering the machine is what it will take, then so be it.

His foolish challenge against that which he cannot control was only beginning.

Although fate drove him closer and closer to that dreaded mountain, Soren was also seeking its presence as well. He needed to understand his enemy if he wanted to eventually go against it.

Seeing the annoyance on his face, the Messenger of Beauty, Blossom Sword Flower, Tritia, sighed once again.

[Indeed, you really are just like Her… A Foolish One through and through...]

His two companions glanced at him strangely for a few moments before shaking their heads.

"He's plotting something really crazy again, isn't he?.."

"Definetely," Myrin confirmed with a sigh.

Feeling slandered by their words, Soren looked away in annoyance. "I have no idea what you guys are talking about."

Just as he said this, he felt the world around him shatter to pieces, as the frigid wind once again howled in their ears.

The Blossom Sword Flower had sent them back to where they originally were. The cold invaded their bones again as the three of them glanced at the fleeting figure floating above. She was standing there once more—Her ethereal beauty radiating like a second sun that melted the ice around Her.

Soren glanced around to see many familiar faces. The villagers were still crowding around the plaza, as if they had all been waiting for the outcome.

The Petalsword Sovereign spoke to all who could hear:

[With the Flower Maiden as my witness, I hereby declare Soren Andersen, Cassia of the Nagashi, and Myrin Zinrie as the winners of this Runic Acquisition Festival challenge.

[Let their names be known across the lands, and for the spirits to honor their vict—]

All of a sudden, the three companions who were just about to relish in their triumph watched in horror as an ancient wooden stick penetrated Tritia's heart from behind.

The Blossom Sword Flower froze in shock. She tried to look behind her, but the world itself seemed to obscure the identity of the person. Eventually, the perpetrator revealed himself anyway.

Phasing into existence behind Her was a translucent figure of a man wearing an azure feathered fur-coat and a terrifying animal skull mask that half covered his face. His snowy white hair flowed freely with the howling winds.

Elder Kaalan.

Cassia's pupils dilated as the shaman dug his scepter deeper into Her Spirit Body. He glanced at the three of them and whispered telepathically:

"[Soul Corruption]."