Chapter 20: Ainslif Al Khaos

Floor 3

The light receded, revealing a bustling town surrounded by tall, crystalline trees that shimmered faintly under the sun. The air felt lighter, yet charged, as if power coursed through the land.

They took a moment to adjust when a figure approached.

The man looked to be in his early twenties, with sandy blond hair and a welcoming smile. He stretched his hand forward as he introduced himself. "Hello! I'm Aaron. Nice to meet you."

Ichio barely glanced at him, looking away with disinterest.

Aaron thought to himself, 'Well, that's cold.'

Livia, ever polite, stepped forward and extended her hand. "Oh, nice to meet you. I'm Livia, and this is Ichio."

Aaron clasped her hand firmly, his smile broadening. "Nice to meet you, Livia… and Ichio." He tilted his head, his eyes narrowing as something clicked in his memory. "Wait, Livia? That name seems familiar. Are you by any chance Livia Invicta?"

Livia nodded, her expression brightening. "Oh, yes! So, you know who I am?"

Aaron's eyes widened. "Are you kidding? Aren't you part of Infinite Ego? Your party was one of the most well-known in EGO: Explore Game Online! There's no way anyone wouldn't know about you."

Livia chuckled, turning to Ichio with a teasing grin. "You hear that, Ichio? We seem to be pretty popular."

Aaron blinked, confused. "Huh? What do you mean? There wasn't a guy named Ichio in your party."

Livia's grin widened. "Well, that's because he wasn't known as Ichio back then. He was known as Knox."

Aaron's jaw dropped slightly. "Knox? The Knox? I recall he was your leader, but…" He glanced at Ichio, his smile faltering as he thought to himself, 'I don't remember him being this cold.'

Aaron straightened up, his tone earnest. "You might be wondering why I approached you. It's because of my ability."

He gestured with his hand, a faint glow surrounding him. "My Axion Class is Contractor, and I made a pact with a spirit that allows me to sense good people and their intentions."

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "The moment you arrived, I could tell you were good people." He hesitated, sneaking a glance at Ichio. 'Well, except for the guy there… he seems pretty mad that I'm even following them.' He thought.

Aaron continued. "Here's the thing. You probably know that most Ainslifs are low-level Darseren where you can rank up and prepare to face the real deal.

But sometimes, there are rare Ainslifs—stronger, more dangerous ones. They're called Ainslifs Al Khaos, and their power is almost on par with a Darseren."

Livia raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I know about it. And?"

Aaron's voice grew serious. "My party and I found one. But we don't want to take selfish or reckless people along with us. That's why I approached you—we need help, and I think your help is exactly what we need."

Before Livia could speak, Ichio interrupted with a firm tone. "No. I'm not taking part."

Livia turned to him. "Ichio—"

He cut her off. "I said no."

Aaron looked crestfallen, but Livia sighed and shook her head. "Well, there's no convincing him."

They walked a bit further, reaching the edge of the town square. The town, Alcyn, was a lively hub with players and NPCs bustling about, preparing for their respective quests.

Ichio paused at the entrance of an inn. He glanced back at Livia, his voice surprisingly neutral. "You can go with them if you want. When you're done, you'll find me here."

Livia blinked, surprised by his sudden cooperation. 'Wow, he's being awfully nice… I wonder why.'

She smiled softly. "Alright then. Later, Ichio. Take care."

Ichio didn't respond, stepping into the inn as Livia and Aaron turned to leave.

As Livia and Aaron walked through the cobbled streets of Alcyn, the energy of the town bustling behind them, Aaron scratched the back of his head. 

 "You know, I really wish Ichio would've come along. I mean, Knox's reputation speaks for itself. If half of what people say is true, he could take down that Ainslif by himself." Aaron said.

Livia glanced at him, her expression softening. "He's not a bad guy, Aaron. He's just… going through a lot right now." 

Aaron raised an eyebrow. "A lot, huh? Coldest guy I've met in a while." 

Livia chuckled lightly. "He's been a little rough around the edges lately, but deep down, he's one of the most reliable people I know. If it weren't for him, Infinite Ego wouldn't have made it as far as we did." 

Aaron whistled low. "That's saying something. Still, would've been nice to have him with us. The Ainslif Al Khaos we're dealing with isn't exactly a pushover." 

Livia nodded but didn't reply. Instead, her gaze turned toward the horizon as if lost in thought. 

After a short walk, they arrived at a small camp just outside the eastern gates. Three figures were standing around a map spread out on a makeshift table. 

Aaron raised his voice as they approached. "Here they are!" 

The group looked up, their eyes immediately drawn to Livia. Aaron stepped forward, gesturing to each in turn. 

Aaron, with a smile. "Alright, introductions! First up, we've got Liam." 

A tall, muscular man stepped forward, his heavy armor glinting in the sunlight. His voice was steady as he spoke. 

"Liam, Axion Class: Artisan. Rank: Eta. Level: 8." 

Aaron pointed to the next. "Then we've got Claudia." 

A slim woman in dark attire stepped forward, a kunai spinning between her fingers. Her sharp eyes seemed to assess Livia in an instant. 

"Claudia, Axion Class: Ninja. Rank: Eta. Level: 9." 

 "And finally, Lydia." Aaron said.

A shy-looking woman holding a long staff with a glowing orb at the top stepped forward, giving a small wave. 

"Lydia, Axion Class: Healer. Rank: Eta. Level: 6." 

Aaron grinned, pointing at himself. "And me—Aaron, Axion Class: Contractor. Rank: Eta. Level: 10. Together, we're the Air Strikers!" 

Livia blinked, her expression betraying a flicker of confusion. She thought to herself, *Air Strikers? But none of them has any ability to fly…* 

She forced a smile and addressed the group. "Hello, everyone. I'm Livia. Nice to meet you." 

Aaron clapped his hands together, a wide grin on his face. "Guess what? She's not just any *Livia*. She's Livia from *Infinite Ego*." 

The group immediately erupted into excited chatter. 

Liam: "Wait, *the* Livia from Infinite Ego? No way!" 

Claudia: "I heard a lot about them. They're legends!" 

Lydia: "This is amazing! I can't believe we're working with her!" 

Aaron laughed as the group's energy built. "Alright, alright, calm down. She's not going anywhere." 

Livia waved her hands modestly. "Okay, okay, let's focus. We need to head to the Ainslif." 

---

The group traveled east, the vibrant greenery of Alcyn giving way to a dark, charred forest. Blackened trees stretched like jagged claws toward the sky, and the air felt heavy with malice. 

Livia slowed her steps, her hand instinctively moving toward the hilt of her conjured Zeren Sword. "I can feel it. The immense energy from this Ainslif… it's different from the usual ones." 

Aaron nodded grimly. "It's intense, all right. Stay sharp." 

They head in the Ainslif, it looked like a forest like plane.

They moved cautiously until a rustling sound came from ahead. Emerging from the shadows were a group of green-scaled, humanoid creatures with sharp muzzles and long, whip-like tails. 

"Wait… Dragonkin?" Livia asked.

Aaron shook his head. "No, they're Lizardmen. Lesser Dragonkin." 

Livia sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. We wouldn't have stood a chance against real Dragonkin." 

Aaron raised his voice. "Everyone, get ready!" 

The Lizardmen roared, charging forward with sharp claws and primitive weapons. 

Livia Shouted, "Let's do this!" 

She dashed forward, her Zeren Sword shimmering as it cut through the air, cleaving a Lizardman cleanly in half. Blood sprayed, but she didn't falter. 

Aaron conjured a glowing spirit—a translucent figure that infused him with speed and strength. With twin daggers borrowed from Liam, he darted into the fray, slashing at the creatures with precision. 

Aaron, says with caution. "These things are faster than they look!" 

Claudia melded into the shadows, her form flickering in and out of sight. Her elongated kunai flashed as she targeted weak points, taking down two Lizardmen in rapid succession. 

Claudia, charging forward. "Stay on your toes. They're swarming!" 

Liam held his ground at the front, his shield blocking an onslaught of attacks. He swung his sword in a wide arc, taking down three at once. 

Liam shouted out. "We need to thin their numbers!" 

At the back, Lydia chanted softly, her staff glowing as waves of healing energy washed over the group, mending minor wounds. 

 "I'll keep you all healed up. Just focus!" Lydia said with confidence.

A Lizardman lunged at Aaron, but before its claws could reach him, Livia appeared in a blur, cutting it down mid-air. 

Aaron gestured "Thanks!" 

 "Don't get sloppy!" Livia said intensely.

The group fought fiercely, but the Lizardmen kept coming. Livia's blade danced, severing limbs and cutting through scales with ease. She moved like a force of nature, saving Liam and Claudia more than once. 

Finally, the last Lizardman fell, its head rolling across the ground. The group stood panting, their weapons dripping with blood. 

Livia sighed, "That was just the warm-up." 

Aaron wiped his brow. "The real fight is still waiting for us."

 [Well one of the famous last words, I think]

 CHAPTER END.