"So that was what they called an elemental . Quite a small one, isn't it Ymir?"

"Yes, Empress . "

The two were patiently waiting for a signal from Meridiana . Normally, the couple should have reached Archet and began to search for the cult, with the help of the brainwashed ratman . Looking at the sun high up in the sky, they would need to wait a few hours for the night to come . And since they had received nothing, it meant that the first night was a failure . Leilade was a bit disappointed, even if it was highly plausible .

As for the creature that was smashed under the heavy foot of the Akûl, from now on, it looked nothing like an elemental . Previously, its shape vaguely humanoid and his height so small that a dwarf could even be taller were the proves that it was a young one . The content of its body was already reclaimed by the liches following her . And the few remains were quickly absorbed by the rampant darkness from her own body .

Since they reached the area where they could find monsters and creatures worthy to be eaten, they have met only a few . They couldn't know, but the previous pa.s.sage of Ymir created such a mess that everyone with enough power migrated to the North . Now, only some weaker monsters, like the young elementals and the wolves were still present . As for the troll tribes, they were currently on their way to meet them .

Because she had left her spatial bag with Malakov, she couldn't store anything and had to rely on some undead she will have to create as she walked . But that was not really an issue since nothing was worthwhile to spend even an ounce of her mana . Because of their speed, they had already met a few wolves too slow to flee in time . They were now all inside the stomach of Ymir, and probably already dissolved .

The fact that they were not in a hurry allowed the two to roam around a bit and explore some areas where they never went . By doing this, when the liches will return to the base, the holographic map will be updated . They still had to send a few of them more toward the South, and maybe even invade the undead Kingdom of Pankow . With a bit of luck, the inhabitants of that nation will not attack them on sight, but it was hard to predict . Like for the humans, two undead were not necessarily friends or allies .

Those days, they discovered a few caverns where many dead skins could have been found . Those were most of the time the scales discarded by a dragon that grew up . Because it was a new world, they were unsure whether it was a dragon, a drake, a wyvern or anything else related to a dragon . Because it seemed to not be very large, barely two times the size of Ymir, Leilade opted for a drake . Those skins were eaten on several parts, meaning that something was brave enough to enter the cavern and seek it .

One should know that even the dead scales contained an immense quant.i.ty of mana and other nutrients . The horrible taste and the inner pride of any one part of the draconic species were the two reasons why no dragon ever lowered themselves to eat their previous skin . But that didn't prevent other monsters to be that wasteful, and many creatures had evolved and transcended the limits of their own race by swallowing those dead parts . Of course, eating the corpse of a drake would be better, but that didn't happen as much as a drake discarding his own skin .

Of course, that was also the case for Leilade . The meters and meters of scales were slowly absorbed, leaving not a single one behind . As they entered deeper those caverns, sometimes they found a dead carca.s.s of a wolf, sometimes some strange stones glowing with a blue light . Examining the later, Leilade discovered a good amount of mana inside them . As from where they came, she wasn't an oracle . Even when she spread the liches far and wide, they ended up finding nothing . It was probably too late to find any trace of lingering mana in the air .

In the end, by the time they met those trolls, she had managed to finally stop the overall decay of the Vault of Souls . With three tentacles, it was sufficient enough to fend off any threat that this planet could put against her . Besides the Saksa, but since it was way above her, she could only hope that they will never wake up that monster . As for Lucio, she felt that his soul was close to its awakening . It seemed weird to prioritize someone that could make food instead of anything related to war . But when they will have to promote their culture to their new subjects, making a wonderful meal will be quite useful .

At least, that was what the Viscount hammered at the end of their mental discussion . He was doubtful about the success of their plan to frame a cult, but since they never met someone really smart, it could still be done . Of course, it was because it will be their first action inside the Republic of Avenio . If Leilade dared to try to infiltrate the Academy once more, she will be noticed instantly, because they will be on their guard . In that case, she will have to make a lot of efforts, that won't be worth it .

"You will talk with them Ymir . From now on, I am no one, give me your hand . " The Akûl obediently extended his armored hand toward Leilade . Unlike her, he was in a complete set of armor designed for his size . It was not yet the final product and just made out of normal iron, but Malakov insisted on painting it completely black . Facing no objections, Ymir truly looked like a demon coming straight out of a dark dimension, ready to slaughter every living being . Now, he finally looked more terrifying than the statues at the entrance of the base .

She casted a mental connection, making the demon a bit dizzy . If they hadn't touched each other, Ymir would have received a more important shock, that's why she asked for his hand . Only Kardel and he were subject to those drawbacks because they were not capable of manipulating the mana easily . After confirming that the link was strong, the Akûl released his aura to its maximum .

Even before reaching the gates, they could see the usually proud trolls shuddering and curling up behind their walls . Not even one dared to take a peek at the incoming nightmarish group . They had seen a few days ago the sad fate of the humans they traded with . Even if they were not friends in the strictest of the terms, they had still enjoyed a bountiful partners.h.i.+p . But with the appearance of the demon and his horde of undead, that will probably be canceled .

Seeing this, Ymir couldn't help but sneer at this spectacle . They already proved to him that they were unreliable allies when they didn't even make a move when he captured the members of the White Hand . As for the fact that they didn't talk about their arrangement with the humans, it was not to protect the warriors from Avenio but themselves . Feeling that they will try the politic of the ostrich, he decided to act first .

KRASH

He kicked wide open the reinforced gate, projecting everywhere some shards of wood . To resist the a.s.sault of many creatures, the gate was not simply made of wood, but also tightly linked by some pelt skins . But all those preparations were naught in front of absolute power . Instead of even fighting back and trying to attack the giant in armor that stood in the middle of their village, the trolls just slowly backed off .

They were still protecting the children and those that couldn't defend themselves . But not even the bravest hunters left the protective circle to personally injure the monster that threatened them . Before he truly ma.s.sacred someone, Leilade made sure that the Akûl knew what to do .

"Ymir, we are here to talk . You can maim, injure or remove a limb, but do not kill . "

The demon merely nodded, before beginning to talk in their language . The trolls were all stumbled to hear the familiar language leaving the mouth of their enemy . Two were not surprised by this, but by the fact that suddenly, everyone could converse with them . Normally, only the dark humans were capable of that, but in a month, they had already met two other groups capable of the same deed .

Ymir explained that he was here for … At that time, after presenting himself and beginning to show off, he stopped and mentally asked Leilade why they were here . He had already been tortured by the fact that he had to learn forcefully that language the same way he learned about the memories of the dead after their arrival . Maybe because of this, he forgot their plan .

"We are here because … hold up for a second . " She terminated the connexion and asked the Viscount why they were here .

(It was not my plan . Davion said that there was a troll tribe, and then, you decided to go . For no reason . I thought that you had at least an idea, but it looks like I was wrong . So, Outlander, you can either make them submit to the rule of Ymir . Or, you can converse with them as allies, even if their pitiful strength will not be very helpful . But, their skeletons would make some fine undead for Malakov . )

Hearing the rant of the soul residing inside her mind, she explained the two choices to Ymir . And asked him to choose . In the end, the unfortunate Akûl that was not in charge of anything besides killing had to make a vital choice . The worst part was the fact that if he failed to accomplish his task, he knew that Malakov will not let him off for at least a year or so . As for Leilade, she will be displeased, but why did she choose him for that?

Feeling wronged even when he had done nothing bad, Ymir decided to not act like a tyrant . He never had a choice in all the world he fought on, and always had to kill everyone he saw until they surrendered . So, he wanted to see what could happen if he tried to be friendly . The more he talked about the greatness of his rule, the more he noticed that it was efficient . Especially when he said that they will never run out of food .

Hearing this, Leilade had a stiff smile . This was the truth for the five living beings and the horde of undead . But if they had to feed all those trolls, they couldn't do it at all . Of course, Ymir didn't understand that since he never asked for this, but anyone with a brain would have seen that they had no farms or such . Feeling a bit pressured and hating that, she was adamant on not having her reputation fall because she trusted Ymir for one simple thing .

"MALAKOV! I want you to create an underground farm right now . It should be able to feed at least 100 … 200 … 500 humans . It is your utmost priority!"

"Yes, Empress . May I ask why?"

"No . "

Not wanting to talk about that any longer, she saw that the hunters had already lowered their spears and where looking earnestly at Ymir . Because she was talking with Malakov, she didn't see what happened, and could only ask what the Akûl had done .

(Not a lot . Strangely, he is extremely efficient at convincing those lowly lifeforms to join him . I think that they are just profoundly and fundamentally dumb . And naïve . The only reason why they survived is that they are only facing monsters and animals . If someone else besides the White Hand had arrived, he could have swindled them from all their treasures easily . Maybe that Organization felt that they were more useful here, by providing them with rare resources for free, basically . All in all, this mission was doomed to be a success . )

So that was what they called an elemental . Quite a small one, isnt it Ymir? Yes, Empress . The two were patiently waiting for a signal from Meridiana . Normally, the couple should have reached Archet and began to search for the cult, with the help of the brainwashed ratman . Looking at the sun high up in the sky, they would need to wait a few hours for the night to come . And since they had received nothing, it meant that the first night was a failure . Leilade was a bit disappointed, even if it was highly plausible . As for the creature that was smashed under the heavy foot of the Akûl, from now on, it looked nothing like an elemental . Previously, its shape vaguely humanoid and his height so small that a dwarf could even be taller were the proves that it was a young one . The content of its body was already reclaimed by the liches following her . And the few remains were quickly absorbed by the rampant darkness from her own body . Since they reached the area where they could find monsters and creatures worthy to be eaten, they have met only a few . They couldnt know, but the previous pa.s.sage of Ymir created such a mess that everyone with enough power migrated to the North . Now, only some weaker monsters, like the young elementals and the wolves were still present . As for the troll tribes, they were currently on their way to meet them . Because she had left her spatial bag with Malakov, she couldnt store anything and had to rely on some undead she will have to create as she walked . But that was not really an issue since nothing was worthwhile to spend even an ounce of her mana . Because of their speed, they had already met a few wolves too slow to flee in time . They were now all inside the stomach of Ymir, and probably already dissolved . The fact that they were not in a hurry allowed the two to roam around a bit and explore some areas where they never went . By doing this, when the liches will return to the base, the holographic map will be updated . They still had to send a few of them more toward the South, and maybe even invade the undead Kingdom of Pankow . With a bit of luck, the inhabitants of that nation will not attack them on sight, but it was hard to predict . Like for the humans, two undead were not necessarily friends or allies . Those days, they discovered a few caverns where many dead skins could have been found . Those were most of the time the scales discarded by a dragon that grew up . Because it was a new world, they were unsure whether it was a dragon, a drake, a wyvern or anything else related to a dragon . Because it seemed to not be very large, barely two times the size of Ymir, Leilade opted for a drake . Those skins were eaten on several parts, meaning that something was brave enough to enter the cavern and seek it . One should know that even the dead scales contained an immense quant.i.ty of mana and other nutrients . The horrible taste and the inner pride of any one part of the draconic species were the two reasons why no dragon ever lowered themselves to eat their previous skin . But that didnt prevent other monsters to be that wasteful, and many creatures had evolved and transcended the limits of their own race by swallowing those dead parts . Of course, eating the corpse of a drake would be better, but that didnt happen as much as a drake discarding his own skin Of course, that was also the case for Leilade . The meters and meters of scales were slowly absorbed, leaving not a single one behind . As they entered deeper those caverns, sometimes they found a dead carca.s.s of a wolf, sometimes some strange stones glowing with a blue light . Examining the later, Leilade discovered a good amount of mana inside them . As from where they came, she wasnt an oracle . Even when she spread the liches far and wide, they ended up finding nothing . It was probably too late to find any trace of lingering mana in the air . In the end, by the time they met those trolls, she had managed to finally stop the overall decay of the Vault of Souls . With three tentacles, it was sufficient enough to fend off any threat that this planet could put against her . Besides the Saksa, but since it was way above her, she could only hope that they will never wake up that monster . As for Lucio, she felt that his soul was close to its awakening . It seemed weird to prioritize someone that could make food instead of anything related to war . But when they will have to promote their culture to their new subjects, making a wonderful meal will be quite useful . At least, that was what the Viscount hammered at the end of their mental discussion . He was doubtful about the success of their plan to frame a cult, but since they never met someone really smart, it could still be done . Of course, it was because it will be their first action inside the Republic of Avenio . If Leilade dared to try to infiltrate the Academy once more, she will be noticed instantly, because they will be on their guard . In that case, she will have to make a lot of efforts, that wont be worth it . You will talk with them Ymir . From now on, I am no one, give me your hand . The Akûl obediently extended his armored hand toward Leilade . Unlike her, he was in a complete set of armor designed for his size . It was not yet the final product and just made out of normal iron, but Malakov insisted on painting it completely black . Facing no objections, Ymir truly looked like a demon coming straight out of a dark dimension, ready to slaughter every living being . Now, he finally looked more terrifying than the statues at the entrance of the base . She casted a mental connection, making the demon a bit dizzy . If they hadnt touched each other, Ymir would have received a more important shock, thats why she asked for his hand . Only Kardel and he were subject to those drawbacks because they were not capable of manipulating the mana easily . After confirming that the link was strong, the Akûl released his aura to its maximum . Even before reaching the gates, they could see the usually proud trolls shuddering and curling up behind their walls . Not even one dared to take a peek at the incoming nightmarish group . They had seen a few days ago the sad fate of the humans they traded with . Even if they were not friends in the strictest of the terms, they had still enjoyed a bountiful partners.h.i.+p . But with the appearance of the demon and his horde of undead, that will probably be canceled . Seeing this, Ymir couldnt help but sneer at this spectacle . They already proved to him that they were unreliable allies when they didnt even make a move when he captured the members of the White Hand . As for the fact that they didnt talk about their arrangement with the humans, it was not to protect the warriors from Avenio but themselves . Feeling that they will try the politic of the ostrich, he decided to act first . KRASH He kicked wide open the reinforced gate, projecting everywhere some shards of wood . To resist the a.s.sault of many creatures, the gate was not simply made of wood, but also tightly linked by some pelt skins . But all those preparations were naught in front of absolute power . Instead of even fighting back and trying to attack the giant in armor that stood in the middle of their village, the trolls just slowly backed off . They were still protecting the children and those that couldnt defend themselves . But not even the bravest hunters left the protective circle to personally injure the monster that threatened them . Before he truly ma.s.sacred someone, Leilade made sure that the Akûl knew what to do . Ymir, we are here to talk . You can maim, injure or remove a limb, but do not kill . The demon merely nodded, before beginning to talk in their language . The trolls were all stumbled to hear the familiar language leaving the mouth of their enemy . Two were not surprised by this, but by the fact that suddenly, everyone could converse with them . Normally, only the dark humans were capable of that, but in a month, they had already met two other groups capable of the same deed . Ymir explained that he was here for … At that time, after presenting himself and beginning to show off, he stopped and mentally asked Leilade why they were here . He had already been tortured by the fact that he had to learn forcefully that language the same way he learned about the memories of the dead after their arrival . Maybe because of this, he forgot their plan . We are here because … hold up for a second . She terminated the connexion and asked the Viscount why they were here . (It was not my plan . Davion said that there was a troll tribe, and then, you decided to go . For no reason . I thought that you had at least an idea, but it looks like I was wrong . So, Outlander, you can either make them submit to the rule of Ymir . Or, you can converse with them as allies, even if their pitiful strength will not be very helpful . But, their skeletons would make some fine undead for Malakov . ) Hearing the rant of the soul residing inside her mind, she explained the two choices to Ymir . And asked him to choose . In the end, the unfortunate Akûl that was not in charge of anything besides killing had to make a vital choice . The worst part was the fact that if he failed to accomplish his task, he knew that Malakov will not let him off for at least a year or so . As for Leilade, she will be displeased, but why did she choose him for that? Feeling wronged even when he had done nothing bad, Ymir decided to not act like a tyrant . He never had a choice in all the world he fought on, and always had to kill everyone he saw until they surrendered . So, he wanted to see what could happen if he tried to be friendly . The more he talked about the greatness of his rule, the more he noticed that it was efficient . Especially when he said that they will never run out of food . Hearing this, Leilade had a stiff smile . This was the truth for the five living beings and the horde of undead . But if they had to feed all those trolls, they couldnt do it at all . Of course, Ymir didnt understand that since he never asked for this, but anyone with a brain would have seen that they had no farms or such . Feeling a bit pressured and hating that, she was adamant on not having her reputation fall because she trusted Ymir for one simple thing . MALAKOV! I want you to create an underground farm right now . It should be able to feed at least 100 … 200 … 500 humans . It is your utmost priority! Yes, Empress . May I ask why? No . Not wanting to talk about that any longer, she saw that the hunters had already lowered their spears and where looking earnestly at Ymir . Because she was talking with Malakov, she didnt see what happened, and could only ask what the Akûl had done . (Not a lot . Strangely, he is extremely efficient at convincing those lowly lifeforms to join him . I think that they are just profoundly and fundamentally dumb . And naïve . The only reason why they survived is that they are only facing monsters and animals . If someone else besides the White Hand had arrived, he could have swindled them from all their treasures easily . Maybe that Organization felt that they were more useful here, by providing them with rare resources for free, basically . All in all, this mission was doomed to be a success . )