-----

  Emerlinda and Camil were left a bit surprised that Chris came back, and the first thing he did was smooch with Paul, but at the end it py ending. Chris not only mao tame the powerful Frenzied Spirit but came back without much of an issue.

  However, their smoog was getting awfully tiring and frustrating to see, as Emerlinda wished she could have a retionship at all!

  "Okay, that’s enough! W-We came here to hunt down! P-Please enough! I ’t take this atmosphere anymoreeeee!”

  She started tearing apart; it was impossible to be able to hold on in this situation, especially when you were a loner!

  “E-Emerlinda, did you have to scream?” Camil wondered.

  “Sorry…” Emerlinda apologized. “But anyways, I’m gd you’re back, Chris. That was holy… very scary!”

  “A-Ah! Yeah, sorry, sorry…” Even Chris apologized at the end. He had to just swallow his pride and accept that without their help he wouldn’t even be able to be here anymore. “That thing sure put some resistance. Are you alright? Everyone’s fine?”

  “Yeah, we’re alright, Chris,” Camil nodded. “I feel now a dark power dwelling within you though… But also light. You’re very mysterious!”

  “Mysterious?! I’m just your run of the mill guy, I am not mysterious!” Chris said. “I… Well, uh. I did see something weird before pletely regaining my sehough.”

  “Something weird?” Paul wondered. “Well, I’m gd you’re fine, but yeah, that was a lot of trouble; your power was immense while being possessed; it took all our bined effort to take you down, and I’m tired myself already... But what do you mean with something weird?”

  “Aaah, well, it was really weird, yeah,” Chris nodded. “I saw… I saw some fairy dude.”

  “Fairy… dude?!” Chris, Camil, and Emerlinda all reacted the same way.

  “What do you mean with a fairy dude?” Asked Vd. “You met a Fairy person? A man? But weren’t you trapped in some kind of mindscape?”

  “I know, I know it sounds weird,” Chris nodded. “But yeah, the guy was right there! He was... Well… He…”

  Chris suddenly fell silent, remembering that se, the emotion he felt, and how stra endearing it was. He suddenly had bee overe by emotions in that moment by just gazing at this man.

  “He was a very handsome fairy… I think… He was my father—I mean, this character—I mean, uh, Alitheus father, mine. Yeah, I guess… it’s mine? Of this avatar.” Chris muttered stantly, uo really expin it well because Camil was there.

  “Your father?!” Emerlinda gasped. “Y-You don’t mean…! T-The Fairy King?! You said that was your background!”

  “I ’t believe it, you really met such a bigshot of Fantasia, Chris?” Paul asked. “And through your own mind… How?”

  “Ah, not even I know how it happened!” Chris pined. “Look, it was when I defeated the Frenzied Dark Spirit, okay? The entire mindscape was covered by white light, and before I could go bay sehis white light became a small mindscape of its own, where he showed up. He said… that I looked like my mother? And that he was happy to see me.”

  “T-There was no ess in his voice at all?” Emerlinda asked. “I’ve heard the Fairy King is often a rather an; they say he has to be striahe Great Forest of Fairies he inhabits, which makes up for fifty pert of all of Fantasia’s Nature.”

  “S-So the Fairy King rules over half of the Realm of Fantasia? That’s insane…” Chris said. “And he’s my daddy, and I met him?! his is really… crazy, and nice, I guess? I hope we trigger some quest ao know him better?”

  “Hah, you sure rexed after talking it out for a little while,” Paul ughed slightly nervously. “Though I’m still processing that… What else did he say?”

  “I’m still processing it, but… Um…” Chris tried to remember better. “He said my eyes were like those of my mother—I mean Alitheus’ mother—I mean my mother; you get the idea. And then he gave me this… something. Wait, do I have it?”

  Chris remembered a butterfly-shaped neckce, but there was nothing around his equipment, even less inside of his iory.

  “He gifted you an accessory?”

  “Yes… It was shaped like a small butterfly-shaped crystal, attached to a neckce.” Chris expined. “But it’s gone now…”

  “Of course it’s not physically there; you received it inside your own Mindscape,” said Paul.

  “Ah…” Chris realized he was being dumb. “Wait, then what the hell did he exactly gift me?”

  “We won’t know until you somehow figure it out,” Paul shrugged. “However, I could guess that’s… not actually a neckce, but some kind of internal power. Or perhaps even knowledge, memories, or somethied to your mind. Perhaps it could awaken something within you?”

  “Huh…” Chris crossed his arms. “Well, whatever. We’re done! I’m not talking about this again! I’m bored! Let’s see my pets first—I mean, my spirits!”

  “Right, show them off then,” Vd nodded.

  “{Spirit Summon}!”

  Chris pointed his open hands into the empty air as twe spiritual figures maed. The smallest of the two was around oer big, a beautiful purple, red, and bck grape bunch with tiny horns and adorable little faces in each grape.

  The rge, purple, and bck leaves on top of the grapes had grer and longer, multiplying and giving the Grape Spirit a rather unique appearance.

  And then the sed, much bigger, being over two meters i, and slightly humanoid appeared. It was pletely made of bck shadows, with a slightly beast-like appearance. A giant wolf-like head, furious, ferocious red eyes, sharp jaws, giant cws, and a long tail, with horns on top of its head.

  “The Demonic Harvest Spirit, the Grape Bunch, and then… the literal spawn of the devil, the Frenzied Dark Spirit…” Chris said. “I’m amazed he’s even tamed; he was such a monster.”

  “…” The Frenzied Dark Spirit g Chris in silence, awaiting orders.

  “I guess he won’t act rebellious anymore; that’s a plus,” said Paul with a smile. “Shall we test his strength hunting down more Dark Spirits? Maybe we could try helping you tame a sed, the Silent Dark Spirits.”

  “Ooh, maybe? I’ve gotten the hang of it!” Chris ughed.

  “T-There they go again…” Sighed Emerlinda. “Already thinking about doing the exact same thing again! I hought they would be this troublesome…”

  “You’ll get used to it.” Camil gently patted Emerlinda’s shoulders.

  .

  .

  .

  In the distance, but close to this dark forest, hundreds of humanoids and green-skinned barbarians moved everywhere, setting up a huge camp full of armed warriors. Scouts began leaping into the forest and scouting the areas, looking at Elderbridge from a safe distance.

  More of their group kept ing in and out of the forest and the surrounding dark pins, the moon shining brightly above the night sky barely illuminating their pale green skin, and their leader, gigantid muscur, wearing bone armor, looking into the distah a strid serious gre.

  A small goblin walked to the side of his gigantic body, looking at him pitifully.

  “Boss Gordllion, the Camp is mostly all set; a Fortress shall be built here in the following day as you’ve ordered.”

  “Hmmm…” Gordllion remained in silence as he gnced into the distance. “Stay out of Elderbridge’s way. We’re only here to set up the camps. We are merely one of the many that have do already. This invasion has been pnned for a while now; we ot hope to disappoint our t, alright?”

  “Y-Yes, boss!”

  -----

  Pach