Ch.85 Our Beginning 

Prologue 

Ch.1 End of a New Beginning 

Ch.2 End of a New Beginning Pt. II

Ch.3 End of a New Beginning Pt. III

Ch.4 End of a New Beginning Pt. IV

Ch.5 Return of the Champions 

Ch.6 The Champions History 

Ch.7 Power Orientation 

Ch. 8 Into the Marsh

Ch.9 Fear of Demons

Ch.10 The Underground City of Belrim

Ch.11 Night of the Betrayed 

Ch.12 Unspoken Truth  

Ch.13 The Redbeard Pt. I

Ch.14 The Redbeard Pt. II

Ch.15 Reunion 

Ch.16 Before the Storm

Ch.17 Flashpoint

Ch.18 The Fatal Swordsman

Ch.19 Rebirth

Ch.20 Into the Abyss

Ch.21 Overseer 

Ch.22 Demon General Balor Balor Pt. 1

Ch.23 Demon General Balor Balor Pt.2

Ch.24 Demon General Balor Balor Pt.3 

Ch.25 Demon General Balor Balor Pt. 4

Ch.26 Fallen King

Ch.27 Last Wish

Ch.28 Awakening 

Ch.29 Aftermath

Ch.30 All That Remains 

Ch.31 Chances

Ch.32 Gearing Up for Yalti

Ch.33 The Jungle of Yalti Pt. I

Ch.34 The Jungle of Yalti Pt. II

Ch.35 Armlocke Village 

Ch.36 A Rogue Healer  

Ch.37 Moving Forward 

Ch.38 Invasion

Ch.39 Tempo Blaze

Ch.40 Scream of Liberation

Ch.41 Retaliation 

Ch.42 Green-Band

Ch.43 Green Band Pt. II

Ch.44 Serpent Pool

Ch.45 The Silent Swordsman

Ch.46 The Serpent King Pt. I

Ch.47 The Serpent King Pt. II

Ch.48 The Serpent King Pt. III

Ch.49 The Serpent King Part IV

Ch.50 Prelude to Freedom 

Ch.51 Queen of Elbaronce 

Ch.52 Bounty

Ch.53 New Horizons

Vol.1 Afterword

Ch.54 Tyranny in Darmin

Ch.55 The Pink Sea

Ch.56 Wreckage 

Ch.57 Gathering of the Most Wanted

Ch.58 World of Champions

Ch.59 Womcos Wasteland 

Ch.60 Making of a Marksman 

Ch.61 Outfit Three

Ch.62 Unspoken Truths Guild

Ch.63 Goals & Decisions 

Ch.64 Captain Butch Jones Pt. I

Ch.65 Captain Butch Jones Pt. II

Ch.66 Captain Butch Jones Pt. III

Ch.67 Dragon Foot

Ch.68 The Message Pt. I

Ch.69 The Message Pt. II

Ch.70 The Message Pt. III

Ch.71 Time Will Tell

Ch.72 A New Adventure

Ch.73 A Deserted Island

Ch.74 Chimpa's Animal Kingdom

Ch.75 A Rising Threat 

Ch.76 Devil of the Sky Pt. I

Ch.77 Devil of the Sky Pt. II

Ch.78 Vessel of the First King

Ch.79 Humbled 

Ch.80 Kanon

Ch.81 Becoming a Symbol 

Ch.82 Emergence

Ch.83 True Colors

Ch.84 Phoenix

Ch.86 The Sixth Member

Ch.86 The Double Agent

Ch.87 The Astlin Pirates

Ch.88 A Worrisome Threat

Ch.89 Whistling Bounty Hunter

Ch.90 Stone Island Zetra

Ch.91 Havok

Ch.92 Out of the Shadows, Darmin's Rebellion

Ch.93 The Third Brother Pt. I

Ch.94 The Third Brother Pt. II

Ch.95 Locked Away

Ch.96 Prisoners

Ch.97 Examination

&#x3C;p&#x3E;Chapter Eighty-Five:&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Our Beginning&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Jai:&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;What happened, while I was in Kanon&#x2019;s world? It was like the world came crashing down without me in an instant. The blowing, green flames were followed by a roar of phoenix dragon perched on a mountain. His sinister, possessed eyes and smile worsened my fear of what had happened.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;&#x201C;LLUUUUCCCYYYYY!!!&#x201D;&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;A voice yelled out, for an eternity. The pouring raindrops of her blood followed, by her defeated body. I was unable to determine if she was still breathing or not falling from the sky. The voice that continued to yell in agony, only dimmed my hearing.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;When I finally recognized it was my own voice, Calum had slapped me back into reality. This was a living nightmare, because I would never see this fate of Lucy&#x2019;s if Lloyd was around. It only meant he, too, had fallen.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;This beast&#x2026; the stories&#x2026; Asaka! Why&#x2026;?&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Jai, you need to focus! We have a Demon General in front of us!&#x201D; Calum ranted, trying to swing my mind back to reality. Nothing could prepare me for the horrors of what had come to be.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;I gritted my teeth harder than I ever have in my life. The black fist arose from the ashes of the blowing mist that resolved around the three of us. My eyes shot out a lightning that once consumed my vision. Focused solely on one man, the Shadow Demon General.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;You&#x2026;&#x201D; I muttered.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;He remained at a standstill, behind the black smoke mist, with two blurry eyes coming from within.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;I will make you all pay for hurting my friends, if it is the last thing I do! I am the vessel of the creation Demon Kanon&#x2026; this will all end!&#x201D;&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;My fist cocked back and flew with my body like a missile to the mist who watched. His calm and quiet demeanor left me even more upset.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Foolish&#x2026; you. Are. Not. Ready. Boy.&#x201D; His voice clanged to every word. It was a slow and groggy way of talking, like a drunk person would playoff around a cop.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Quickly a gray and ghoulish arm that could be one half of my body&#x27;s length popped out of the mist. It grabbed and absorbed the black fist I formed, changing it back to nothing more than a human&#x2019;s hand.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;What? How did he-&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Just as my eyes raised and looked into the shadow&#x2019;s long tentacle arm, he threw me behind him. The impact of my back hitting a boulder was devastating. I did not want to lose the momentum from the attack I tried.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Gray-Coat. We plan not to kill you. Make this easier for us. After we get what we need. Run&#x2026; because if you try to fight us. We will kill you all. There are many mountains one cannot climb. You do not have the ability to even start the climb of this one. You are weak.&#x201D; The shadow warned.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;His words slurred and only antagonized me ever more. He was wrong. We have come too far to quit now.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Healing Arts: String Arrows!!!&#x201D; Calums voice hurdled over the mist blocking the two of us.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Six strings coming from three different directions appeared. Two from the ground under the mists side, two from the height of one&#x2019;s abdomen, and two from the very sky. All six came crashing down in the mist&#x27;s path. He had no escape.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;No way. The boy has holy Rai!&#x201D; The Demon muttered to himself. &#x201C;I am going to have to absorb this blow also&#x2026;&#x201D;&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;The moment his final words reached my ears the string arrows connected into the fog of mist. Calum&#x2019;s power&#x2019;s effects were different from my own hit the Demon. He burned through the mist which was like a protective barrier around the General.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Screams of agony from the Demon General left me speechless, but also questioning his strengths and weaknesses.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Holy Rai&#x2026;? I see. Does that mean it is like holy water for an exorcism?&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;My fist was absorbed into those mist clouds, but this spell Calum casted is somehow lowering his defense.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;It&#x2019;s hurting him!&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Calum was also in a way shocked this worked. He seemed to have used it to lure him away from me for a moment.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Damn. I am going to have to resort to my original form for now.&#x201D; The Shadow spoke in disgrace, until he sputtered out of the disappearing mist.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;It rolled close to the pathway to the burning village, hiding itself.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Calum and I rejoiced at each other&#x2019;s side, before coming in shock by what lied before us.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;What the hell?&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;It&#x27;s nothing like Andica or Balor Balor&#x2026;&#x201D; I muttered.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;This thing was built to take over an entire world on its own from the look of it. How could he not be a Commander? His sheer appearance is already scary!&#x201D; Calum muttered to me. His voice was breaking up either from exhaustion or fear of what lied in front of us.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;My conscience was not solely focused on its terrifying looks, but no more than getting to the big bird behind him.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;This beast was unlike the other two beings I had encountered before now. Still just as unworldly as the others, he had six eyes, three on each side. All six had a slight narrow opening with a dark dot inside of them. A vein was under all the eyes on each side that branded out to be darker than the mist from his previous form.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Those same tree-like veins were across his ten-foot frame. The beast wore nothing but a cloth in his midsection to cover what was there. His biceps and hamstrings could crack an egg by the very presence of them. His black nails were like cat claws that reminded me of a superhero I read in a comic. His black lips were sealed, but when he opened them occasionally were large, uncleaned fangs.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Almoses&#x2026; you two will remember this name. Only a few men have seen this form because they broke the barrier with Holy Rai. A form of Rai that affects negative energies, which is a three to hundred ratio of being honored to hold such a power. String boy. Your name, what is it?&#x201D; The Shadow Demon General Almoses asked.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Fitting name for this guy&#x2026;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Calum stepped up shortly after, still shaking. It became clear it was leaning more towards exhaustion and a hidden fear he tried to deny. The escape from the ship and that ability might have used too much energy. He had been treating people all during the day.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Rosen&#x2026; Calum! I am the sole healer who will protect this guild with his life. Why do you ask?&#x201D;&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Hmph. Rosen, eh? Annoying thing about Holy Rai, is that it is the only thing that can kill me. That fist your Captain threw is ineffective, since we both use dark energies. Even if the swordsman tried, his blade would pass through me like striking air. So&#x2026; Calum Rosen, I shall remember your name, for now.&#x201D; Almoses stated, pointing towards Calum.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Why&#x2026;? You are insinuating that this battle is over!&#x201D; Calum furiously yelled out.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;He prepared another ability, but his body was quick to give out. Falling to his knees, Calum could not muster the strength to even stand anymore.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Almoses crossed his four arms, looking down at the two of us. His six eyes stared down at us with gleaming horrors. His lips were frowned and disappointed.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Look around us, Rosen.&#x201D; Almoses mentioned, as the burning village homes and ships were enough to get his meaning across. &#x201C;Now, look at yourself.&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;I just told you how to defeat me. It can only be you. The other Generals might not care much for fairness. I, for one, am growing bored of the constant overpowering of champions with potential. It has been four thousand years and I have yet to meet someone with genuine potential.&#x201D;&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Calum Rosen, I want a fight against someone worth my attention. You want out of this world, which means beating me. Come to Darmin. There you and I will battle to the death.&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Calum stood silent for a moment. I was in awe that this Demon General acted so reasonably and did not want to kill us now. My only concern was if Calum could handle this tall task of fighting this thing alone.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;Almoses is, without a doubt, holding back a lot of his true power, being a Shadow man. He is saving it for someone that has a chance of killing him. Does this General want to die? Andica was sick and left alone, but it seemed like he was too&#x2026;&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;Why are they all wanting to taste a chance at death?&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;&#x201C;Improve your abilities. Strengthen your powers. Then come. Rosen!&#x201D; Almoses advised.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;&#x201C;Do you really think I can stand alone against a Demon General?&#x201D; Calum asked.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;Almoses creeped in a small smile, before rejoicing.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;&#x201C;Why don&#x2019;t we test it?&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;Calum and I both investigated the beast&#x27;s face. Something was hidden behind that mystique.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;&#x201C;Are you planning to finish them, Mr. Shadow General?&#x201D; Asaka chattered, laughing in his phoenix form.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;&#x201C;It&#x27;s either this or death for you both. Shadow Puppet. Thumbnails.&#x201D; Almoses quietly muttered. &#x201C;At least, I know this will determine if you are worthy enough. Both of you.&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;Two small nails shot out from his hand. They completely missed us, but it was not an accident.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;I could feel the slight stabbing pierce close to my heart. Blood splattered not only from my own chest, but Calum&#x2019;s chest, as well. My eyes opened in shock. I turned and noticed two slight black nails matching the dagger inside of my body.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;My arms released from tugging onto Calum who was struggling to stand still. I continued to walk over to the cliff and think about everything.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;&#x201C;Kanon&#x2026; Tell me, do you see everything I am thinking?&#x201D; I muttered to myself.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;&#x201C;Yes&#x2026;&#x201D;&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;&#x201C;Do you see what I am thinking about doing?&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;I was reaching for my weapon, as a thought of a new ability surfacing in my mind. Something I had never even conjured up, but thought of as an emergency after the battle with Balor Balor.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;&#x201C;You are not ready to do something like that. If you survive this, you will need to do three things beforehand, before we let you try a beta form.&#x201D;&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;Her voice narrowed out and disappeared. I looked down into the water beneath me, watching the mirage of myself look down into it.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;It was like looking down on all the success I had so far, but I still could not see a single thing.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;&#x201C;Everyone was right&#x2026; Kanon was too&#x2026; we accomplished nothing. We may have lost here&#x2026; We are not done yet. Our goal needs to be something other than just kids trying to go home. That will only get us killed, having such a simple-minded goal. Think bigger, Jai&#x2026; you know in all of this, what needs to change. Sooner or later, it must change or the constant struggle avoiding death will affect us for centuries.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;You must get stronger, Jai Marshall. No more time to play around and be a tourist in another world. It is time for you to come in and make a real difference. The people of Belrim and Yalti put up with the adolescent moments you had. You can be like that, but you need to stay focused on your end goal.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;It is what will keep people safe, make everyone around you stronger, and make you able to use that ability. If your willpower is not strong now, it never will be!&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;SO DON&#x2019;T LET EVERYONE&#x27;S SACRIFICES UNTIL NOW BE FOR NOTHING!!!!&#x201D;&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;Those thoughts remained inside of my head. My eyes watered in frustration. It was time to grow up and change. Everything that happened today proved that. Nothing could hide that fact. My body slowly fell off that edge, but all that remained were my thoughts within.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x9;What I do now&#x2026; is for not only me and my friends. It is for the entire world. Not only this one, but the billions of lives on however many worlds exist. They rest on me. An action from one individual can change the course of history, before we know it.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;This marks the end of the infamous guild, AFK!&#x201D; Asaka echoed, chuckling to himself.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;No&#x2026; Asaka. This is only our beginning. Our journey&#x2026; has just&#x2026; begun&#x2026;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;End of Volume, Pink Horizon&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;

&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;strong&#x3E;A war that has caused a continuing rift between two worlds!&#x3C;/strong&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Mysterious rifts open around the globe, transporting regular people to another world. On a normal day a teenage boy, Jai Marshall and friends are sucked in. The group is forced to serve as champions of the world. This sequence of events is not at random considering Jai&#x2019;s older brother Omar was formerly a champion of this world. Jai will do anything to ensure the safety of his friends inside a world where the unexpected is constantly broadened. Even though the group is equipped with ancient abilities from past champions, the task they have been given is a great mountain to climb. Can Jai and his friends survive this world?&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;

AFK 