Rise of the Nightmare Crestmaster

It's a bonus chapter! I want to take this chance to thank all my loyal readers for their great support! Good work guys! Also this is a one time offer if I can get three golden tickets I will release another bonus chapter this Friday.

one more thing before I go, check out the synopsis, I outlined some milestones for the .

Special thank you to Anthony_Beasley for my first ever golden ticket!

*****

It was very likely that he will have to encounter her soon, sooner than he would like to. Aldrich didn't want to meet her that soon.

Everything has become so complicated so fast, if only things could go back to the way it used to be, to a simpler time. Back then he didn't have to lie so much, he didn't have to hide any secrets but suddenly everything changed.

It will never go back to the way it used to be. This was a thought that he could not expunge no matter how optimistic he tried to be. But yet again he believed that one day things could go back to that simple time.

"You should also look for a place in the Academy district. That's where most initiates stay, it's a good district, energetic with so many youngsters running around."

"I can't stay here?"

"Sure you can. For only ten gold coins a month, why not?"

"..... I think I'll find a place."

"To be honest I'd rather not send you to study in the useless academy I'd rather you take the guild examination already but you mast leave behind a record of having studied in the academy. And the time isn't right anyway."

"Do you have some kind of grudge against the academy? Aren't you a professor there? Wait, what guild?"

"The Knights of the last Sustar of course. No other guild is even remotely close to it in prestige and glory in Voryhrm."

"I heard about their examination, I heard it's a great secret all those who take it can't talk about it."

"Oh, yeah. I happen to know the details, before you take the examination you have to keep what I tell you a secret alright? Or I'll never hear the end of it."

"Are you sure about that? You know what, I think I want to take the exam normally and pass it on my own. Even if I fail so what? I'll just retake the exam. I might have been a simple farmer and shepherd but I know that failure is the best teacher. I don't want to keep using your slimy methods that's not me."

"Wow! That's so moving, so noble. You know what? Go for it champ. Integrity is a virtue that is hard to hold on to in these terrible times."

"Yeah what can I say? I was just grown and disciplined in the highest and most sought after virtues. I can't just keep taking shortcuts you know?"

"Yeah, I feel like I overstepped my boundaries just now. I mean who knew you were so indifferent to your own death? Now that's something that most people just can't do."

"Yeah, yeah—wait, death? My own death? You can die during the exam?"

"Obviously, this guild is the best out there but their examination actually has the highest mortality rates. The fact that you're so confident is really admirable."

"H-how can an examination be fatal? that can't be legal, that's ridiculous!"

Aldrich chocked on his own saliva.

"It's very legal, after all, they make you sign off your life before taking the exam."

"What if I don't sign it?"

"Then you get kicked out, of course."

"Listen about what I said just now... you know that I was joking right? Hahahahaha! That was a good laugh, no? Now that I think about it, I'm still going to need the information."

Ayemon: "..."

"No, no don't look at me like that. Hear me out. It's not that I'm afraid of death it's just that I'm afraid to die without helping you to take out the traitors in the realm, you know. If that were to happen I just wouldn't be able to forgive myself. So... about that exam..."

"Fine. All joking aside, you will only attend some of the classes in the academy, the ones that are actually useful so be prepared."

"Can I really just skip classes like that?"

"Don't worry I will arrange someone else to attend those useless classes in your name."

"Are you some sort of crime lord?"

"No, I'm much worse. I'm an actual lord. Your free time will be put to good use don't even worry."

"I'm not sure if I should ask, but, what do mean 'good use'?"

"I mean we could register you as an independent adventurer and when you're not in class, you'll be hunting monsters in the sunken valley."

"Why? Shouldn't I focus on meditation?"

"You need to make money, genius. Don't tell me you'll go back to being a shepherd here too? You need to make some cash for rent, food and equipment. I'm not spending more than I need to on you. I haven't adopted you yet."

That's right. His money was already running dry and he needed a great amount of money to do anything in this city. Besides Ayemon already did enough for him, if he kept relying on him then what was he but a burden?

Besides hunting monsters had a lot of benefits. First he could hone his skills, second he could make money and finally he could acquire orbs. With the increased demand of orbs it will definitely help that he could get his hands on more orbs.

"The next month or so is going to be very important for your career as an adventurer. However you must not neglect meditation."

"How does meditation help me become a Crestmaster?"

"As an awakened human your spirit is growing naturally right now as it grows it comes into contact with the Immatirum. This is usually a very dangerous process, meditation will help your crest digest the powers of the Immatirum with as few side effects as possible."

"But where is this Immatirum? What is it?"

"The Immatirum is everywhere, it exists within the world and also outside of it. Only beings of powerful spirits can come into contact with it. That's how Crestmasters have all their powers and abilities."

"But you said that the spirit is growing naturally so why do we need meditation?"

"Because the power of the Immatirum is very volatile and dangerous. If not handled carefully it could result in three outcomes. You could lose your crest and be back to being a normal human, your spirit could break and you will become a vegetable. Last of all, you could transform into a monster and start killing people randomly."

"So that's what Oathbreakers are..." Aldrich remembered the horrific state of Cazmer, his charred skin, his mismatched eyes and his red-tipped horns.

"Well, technically, yes. But not quite right. Don't think about it too much, it's too early for you. When you ignite your symbol you will come into contact with all of that."

"Can I know what crest I will ignite beforehand?"

"Out of the five crest types, all of them are powerful you don't need to stress too much about something like that."

The five types of crests that a Crestmaster could ignite were: Weaponsmaster, Pyromancer, Glyphmancer, Cleric and Knight.

Once your first symbol is ignited, it will be fixed on the crest type too. For example if Aldrich ignited a sword symbol as his first symbol then all the symbols he would ignite in the future will be of that type too. The sword symbol is a branch of the Weaponsmaster crest type that basically includes all weapons.

Aldrich wanted to become a Pyromancer. Krynt was a pyromancer and the pyromancer Crestmasters are know for having the greatest destructive power.

Aldrich imagined himself burning the armored husk to death from a safe distance. He imagined shooting fireballs at the mouse horde and burning them before they could even get close to him.

In fact even if he ignited as a Weaponsmaster that would be fine too. The ability to identify enemy weak points and unleash sword storms up close at the enemies sounds very fun.

"By the way, I wanted to ask you something. I don't mean to be intrusive or anything but you understand our situation is dire."

"Why are you being so mysterious? Just ask, you don't seem to hesitate to ask anything, now I'm curious."

"Yeah, tell me, Aldrich, what is your relationship with Adera?"

"Wha—"