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(Complete Summary)In a world where magic exists, two groups competed to become the dominant magical force of the world: the elementalists and beast summoners. The rivalry of these two groups that existed long time ago ended when Tin's grandfather, who was the leader of the Elementalist Association (E.A), took the initiative to forge a peace treaty with the Beast Summoner Guild (B.S.G). Even though the battle for dominance was over, the remnants of hatred for each other still persisted. When Tin's father took over the E.A, he desired to break the peace treaty and secretly plot against the B.S.G.Although the rumors about the nullification of the peace treaty have spread, the rivalry of the two factions at the moment has diminished except in one place.In L.B.C College, a special school for gifted magical users, the rivalry between the two faction has started to get heated.Tin, who is attending this school, is the succeeding heir of the E.A. Groomed by his father, Tin has grown to despise the B.S.G. He wants to take his group's rightful place on top of the hierarchy and end the long-lasting rivalry for once by destroying the enemy faction. He is not only feared by others but he is also admired for his power, intelligence, and charisma. His arrogance and cold demeanor earned him the title of 'Ice Prince.'Can, who is a beast summoner and attending the same school as Tin, is considered eccentric due to his overindulgent nature towards his summoned beasts yet people find him adorable. This allowed him to earn some admirers. Although he is a little famous in the university, he does not have a lot of friends. He would rather hang out with his beasts most of the time than socializing with other students. He does not worry himself about the rivalry between E.A and B.S.G because quite frankly he is more worried about how he can feed his beasts until they are satisfied!What would happen if the ice prince and the adorable beast summoner meet?
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At L.B.C university, the most prestigious magical institution, a heated argument between two female sophomore students of Elementalist Association (E.A) and Beast Summoner Guild (B.S.G) on the open green field next to the university can be heard. A commotion from these two factions is considered as a common occurrence in the university and so the argument between the two was not considered a huge event by other students."Your disgusting wolf beast was the first one to attack me! It even snapped at my face! My hair and makeup are now a mess!" the sophomore female student from E.A furiously shouted."Ohh I thought that was your natural look," said the other sophomore student from the B.S.G. as she let out a sarcastic chuckle."You b*tch!" "Look here Ms. Elementalist-With-Ugly-Makeup, my beast would never attack anyone unless it was provoked or attacked.""Are you telling me it's my fault!? I did not do anything to your disgusting monster!" exclaimed the E.A student while gnashing her teeth."If that's the case, I apologize. I'm sorry for not properly training my beast not to play with trash. It's definitely unsanitary and horrible for the both of us," the B.S.G student said as she shook her head sardonically."Now you've done it!" The sophomore student from E.A was furious. Her face reddened not only from anger but also from humiliation. The palm of her right hand started evoking a light green glow as she started chanting an offensive spell but before she could even finish it, a hand held her right wrist and dispelled its formation. "What is happening here?" Pete calmly asked as he tried to diffuse the tension.Pete is a Spirit User who specialized in healing and he is currently the right-hand of the ice prince. He is part of a smaller faction called Diverse Spirit Clan. This faction is considered a neutral faction since it never picked a side and its members are pacifists. Although this was the case, Pete was assumed to be considered a part of the E.A because Tin and him were friends since childhood. Unlike Tin, Pete is calm and approachable. Since he entered the university, he aimed to keep the peace between E.A and B.S.G. Due to this, he was considered as the prime mediator in the university whenever trouble came up between the students of the two major factions. He was admired by both E.A, B.S.G, and other smaller factions in the university."Pete, this filthy freak's disgusting beast just attacked me and messed up my hair and makeup," the E.A female student exaggeratedly cried as she tried to gain Pete's favor."I already told you that my beast will not attack anyone unless it is provoked!" the B.S.G student said as she sneered at the sly actions of the E.A female student."And I already told you I didn't do anything!" the E.A furiously shouted as she firmly hugged Pete's right shoulder."Ok, both of you have to calm down," Pete said.As Pete tried to fix the situation, the dean of the university came. He learned about the small commotion and personally went there to take care of the argument. The dean, despite his old age of being a 130 years old, still looks young. If you are not familiar with the dean of the university, you would think that he is one of the college students in the university. The dean did not go by himself. He was with Ae, the next heir of B.S.G, talking about the constant occurrence of bickering from the two major factions and thinking of a way to put a stop on the rivalry in the university. Ae is a strong charismatic person who is admired by many. Aside from his excellent leadership and summoning skills, Ae is considered one of the most attractive guys on campus. It is not a surprise that Pete fell in love with him.When the two arrived at the scene, Ae saw how the female E.A student was being clingy to Pete and he began to slightly frown. The dean asked the two female students to come to his office to attempt to solve their problem. Ae decided to stay as he said goodbye to the dean."Pete," Ae said as he approached him."Yes, Ae?" Pete asked as he showed a bright smile on his face."There's a slight smudge on your uniform," Ae said as he tried to remove the mud stain while still frowning."It...it's not a big deal, Ae. It's ok," Pete shyly said as Ae's face got closer to his."You are so dense.""Dense?""That girl who was clinging to you, it was obvious that she was trying to get you. Why did you not do anything to remove her arms from you?""Are you jealous?" Pete asked while grinning."What if I am?" Ae asked while still feeling annoyed."Ae, please do not be jealous. I have no romantic feelings for anyone aside from you," Pete said reassuringly as he cupped Ae's face."I trust you more than anyone else in this world. I just do not trust other people approaching you," Ae said as he proceeded to cup Pete's face while looking determined.All of a sudden, the bell of the old tower of the university started to ring interrupting Ae and Pete. "It's already 9 a.m!? I have my Elemental Fusion class right now in the Elemental building," Pete said sadly as he slowly removed his hands from Ae's face. "I will walk you there." Ae said as he held Pete's right hand."If it's alright with you," Pete said while he blushed."You do not have to be so polite towards me Pete," Ae said teasingly as he slightly pinched Pete's cheeks.The two started walking towards the E.A. building while holding hands. The students of the university knew about their relationship and no one disapproves. Quite frankly if someone disapproves of their relationship, they cannot do anything since both are respectable figures and from well-known families. Also, most students would always cheer and greet the two of them when they go together as if they are celebrities. The two even have a fan club.Pete and Ae arrived in front of the Elemental Fusion class. "Thank you for accompanying me to my class Ae," Pete happily said."No problem Pete. I will see you later then," Ae said as he pinched Pete's cheeks again.Ae then pecked him on the cheeks. It was brief but it definitely left the two of them in a daze."When we are alone, I will make sure to give you more kisses in places only I'm allowed to see," Ae whispered."Ae!" Pete covered his face as he blushed.Ae walked away with a huge smirk on his face as he went back to the Magic Beast's Garden to visit Can.Pete walked inside his classroom and saw Tin sitting by himself. All of his classmates were afraid of the ice prince and so all the seats that are surrounding Tin were vacant."You should act more friendly towards others. People are starting to believe that you will kill a beast the moment you see it," Pete said as he sat down next to Tin."..." Pete sighed as he took his notebook out for his lecture."You shouldn't be with that person," Tin nonchalantly said as he stared at the written notes on the board."That's seriously the first thing you want to say to me in the morning?" Pete asked confusedly and unhappily."...""Tin, I love him and he loves me. If we were to face obstacles in the future, we will do it together no matter how hard it is. I know his position and your position. I am aware of the rivalry of the two factions," Pete continued."When the time comes, you will have to choose a side. I will not hesitate to destroy those who try to stop me," Tin said as he looked at Pete coldly.That sharp and cold gaze gave Pete a shudder. It made him speechless. If that time comes, how is it going to affect his relationship with Ae?Meanwhile, Ae just arrived to the Magic Beast's Garden and he saw Can digging magical herbs which he uses to create food for his magical beasts."Can, do you need help?" Ae asked."It's ok. I just finished digging the last magic herb that I needed to feed Gucci over there," Can said as he tried to shake off the mud from his face and hands."Where is Gucci exactly?" Ae asked as he looked at the place where Can pointed."He should be inside that shed....." as Can looked around confusedly. "I don't see him...." Ae continued."Can, I told you to make sure that Gucci stays with you at all times. He is still in an infant stage so you wouldn't be able to control him. How can you be so careless!?" Ae said as he scratched his head."He was behaving fine a moment ago. I'm sorry, I will look for him right now," Can said worriedly."I'll help you. Let's split up. You go towards that Transfiguration building and I will check the Magical Herbs building.""Got it!" Can said.Can's newly summoned beast is a gelatinous being. At the moment it is fragile and weak but as it reaches its adult stage, it can be really useful at growing magical herbs and finding rare magical herbs. Right now, it curiously travels inside the Transfiguration building. Tin left his class early and proceeded to go inside the Transfiguration building which is a shortcut to the parking lot. His father called him for a sudden urgent meeting.As he entered the empty hall of the building, a gelatinous beast jumped right in front of him. Both Tin and the beast stared each other curiously. Tin slowly reached out to the beast."Stay away from Gucci!"
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Tin looked up and saw a short teenager running towards him with a furious look."Get away from my Gucci!" Can furiously repeated as he went in between Tin and Gucci.Can is aware of the identity of Tin since he is well-known in the university. He also knew about the dark rumors surrounding him especially regarding summoned beasts being killed on the spot the moment he sees them. Even if it is only a rumor, Can cannot take any risk.He raised his head and directly looked into Tin's eyes since he is a little shorter than the ice prince. There was a certain coldness that can be seen in the ice prince's eyes that would make one shudder and cower in fear but not Can. For him, losing a summoned beast is the worst kind of fear that he has. He is willing to do anything to protect his summoned beasts even if he has to sacrifice himself.Can blocked the ice prince's view of Gucci as he raised both of his arms to the side. He pouted and furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to intimidate him.Tin was a bit surprised that someone from the university who was not intimidated of him. Aside from Pete, everyone else was scared of him. It was the first time too that someone dared threaten him."Is this supposed to scare me?" Tin asked himself.The ice prince figured what the shorty was trying to do and smirked."How amusing," he told himself.Tin removed the smirk out of his face and returned to his indifferent yet cold attitude."The next time I see your disgusting beast, I won't hesitate...." Tin whispered to Can's ears.Can was frozen for a moment as the warm breath touching his left ear gradually disappeared. Tin walked away and went directly to his car.The little beast summoner covered his left ear while still dumbfounded and furious. His eyes followed Tin's movements."I already hate that guy..." he said as his right hand formed into a fist.He calmed himself as he took a deep breath. He then looked down and faced Gucci."Are you ok, Gucci?" Can worriedly said."You shouldn't just leave like that without my permission. It's dangerous!" he continued.Can proceeded to hug the cute gelatinous beast.Gucci who was the main cause of the incident seemed to be ignorant of what just happened. As soon as Tin left the Transfiguration building, he struggled to free himself from Can's grasp as he tried to follow the ice prince with determination. Can let him go since he thought that Gucci was uncomfortable. The beast with an evident enthusiasm with his shimmering eyes started jumping towards the direction of the exit. As he was about to go outside the exit and towards the parking lot, Can caught him mid-air when he jumped."Gucci! What are you doing!?" Can worriedly said."You went to a different direction. The Magic Beast's Garden is on the opposite side. You silly!" he continued as he tightly hugged Gucci again.Gucci started whining and struggling but Can didn't let him go this time.The master and his beast went back to the garden and met with Ae."Where did you find him?" Ae asked as he pinched Gucci's cheeks."Kyuu! kyuu!" Gucci uttered in pain.Gucci hated when Ae pinches his cheeks because he would do it really hard. His cheeks would turn redder than his already red skin and he would feel pain. It is just unfortunate that he doesn't have the ability to say any words to make Ae stop."I found him inside the Transfiguration building with that bastard ice prince," Can said furiously said as he remembered what Tin whispered to him."Tin!? Did he do anything to you or Gucci?" Ae asked curiously."Nothing really, I just didn't like his attitude."Can knew that if he told Ae what really happened back in the Transfiguration building, Ae would confront Tin. Can didn't want that to happen since it will be too troublesome. As much as possible, he wanted to live in peace with his lovable summoned beasts in the university."Generally, no one likes his attitude," Ae chuckled."Just be careful. He is unpredictable and a dangerous person. If possible try to avoid him," Ae said in a serious tone."I know. I don't want to see him anyway.""Kyuu!" Gucci whined."Gucci is probably hungry," Ae said as he stopped pinching Gucci."Alright, I'll take him inside that old kitchen and prepare some food for him.""I'll go to my class now," Ae said as he tapped Can's shoulder.Can nodded and proceeded to go in the old kitchen with Gucci.In the main office of the E.A's current head, there was an ominous atmosphere that would terrify anyone who enters."There is some rat within our group who exposed our plans to that hateful B.S.G," mentioned by Tin's father as he gritted his teeth."According to my source, it's one of the Diverse Spirit Clan members," he continued.He slammed his fist on his wooden desk that caused it to crack in half."Truly detestable!"Tin was sitting down in front of his father's desk. He was calm as he listened to his furious father. The two of them have been discussing their next new plans to infiltrate the main B.S.G headquarters after the initial sabotage of their actions."I want you to help me find that rat!""Yes, father," Tin said without hesitation."You are dismissed," said by Tin's father who was still standing up and furiously contemplating about his failed plan.Tin nodded and left his father's office. There was no "Goodbye" or "I will see you at home" between the two. There was no casual greeting to begin with when the two met. It has always been like this since Tin was a kid. There was no affection when the two of them always talk. Their discussion is just all about hatred and crushing B.S.G. It's no surprise that Tin grew up to hate B.S.G too although it was not as extreme as his father's hatred.Tin left his father's building and went straight to his family's mansion. The grandiose mansion is an old ancestral home that was still well-maintained even after so many generations. It is huge and beautiful. It is truly worthy to be considered as a great wonder. Yet, even if this is the case, the atmosphere was quite gloomy. No one lives here aside from Tin and his father. To be more precise, it is as if Tin is the only one living in this huge home. His father is always consumed by work and rarely goes home. There are servants but they don't live in the mansion. They only come to the mansion to clean and cook food. After that they would leave.Tin went straight to his room and recalled the discussion that he had with his father. He then started thinking about Pete. Knowing that his father has a suspicious nature, he would suspect everyone in the Diverse Spirit Clan. Since Pete is together with Ae, the future heir of B.S.G, Pete will be under more surveillance by his father's men. If he doesn't do anything about the relationship between the two, it can further complicate the relationship between E.A and Pete's clan. Since E.A has only few allies, he can't allow an additional faction to go against them. He was also worried about the well-being of Pete who is his only childhood friend. He knew for a fact that Pete is not the rat that his father is searching. Pete wouldn't betray him.Even though it seems that Tin has an indifferent and cold attitude towards people, it wasn't the case when it comes to Pete. He does care about him. It is just that he is not good at expressing it."I need to separate them," Tin said to himself while sitting down in his chair by his desk.As he was thinking of how to separate the two, there was a sudden knock by his door."Young master Tin, your lunch is served," the servant said in a respectful manner."Leave it there," Tin uttered."Yes, young master Tin," the servant said as she left the cart that has the food of her master.After the servant left, Tin stood up and opened the door.For his lunch, the servant cooked him Balsamic Glazed Steak Rolls, Endive Salmon Boats, Hasselback Tomato Caprese, and several more dishes. The servant made a lot of dishes because she didn't know what the young master wanted. She once gathered her courage and asked what he wanted but he mentioned that anything will do. She didn't bother asking him again because she is scared of him. All of the servants in the mansion are scared of him and the master. In the end, the servant decided that she would cook food that befits a rich young master. She took pride and worked really hard to perfect the dishes she considered as masterpieces. She would always cook several healthy and fancy dishes so the young master would have several options. Since she knows that the young master has a light appetite, she would take the leftover home and feed them to her children since no one in the mansion would eat the food.Tin tried to taste one of the servant's "masterpieces.""Tasteless," Tin said indifferently.He decided not to eat lunch, yet again.As he was about to go inside his room, he noticed the red gelatin in a small bowl. It suddenly reminded him of the event that happened that morning.He grabbed a spoon and scooped a small amount of gelatin.He smirked."How should I deal with you?" he said while still looking at the small bowl.He went inside his room with it and closed his door.
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It was a great Saturday morning. There was a bright blue sky, lovely birds chirping in a distance as they perched on the tree branches, and just a serene scenery that is truly worthy to be admired. This would have been something that Can could witness but he was still sound asleep in his small and comfortable bed. Saturday is Can's favorite day because he gets to sleep until noon. During the weekdays, he would be up by 5:30 a.m. to prepare breakfast for himself, his mother, and younger sister. Then he has to get ready and take the bus around 7:00 a.m. to get to the university on time. His first morning class called Anatomy of Ancient Beasts would start at 8:00 a.m. and usually if the bus is always on time, he would be there ten minutes early. Sometimes he wished that he could summon his high-tier carrier beast named Beholder, a one-eyed flying beast, so he could travel to the university within one minute, but her mom forbid him to do so since she wanted him to keep a low-profile. She did not want him to have a terrible life at college like he did when he was a kid. Even though L.B.C University is considered one of the most prestigious magical institution in the land, it did not mean that all of the students were from a rich and well-distinguished family. Some students were able to enter the university due to their exceptional abilities and unexpected circumstances. Can, for instance, did not come from an elite family background but he was given the opportunity to study in L.B.C due to his rare and exceptional gift. This unique ability of his is that he is capable of summoning a seemingly unlimited number of beasts of various rarities. Normally for beast summoners, they could only have a limited amount of beasts that they could summon depending on their level. As the level of one's summoning skills increases, the number of beasts that this person can summon and their rarity also increase. For instance, a usual high-level beast summoner has a limit of having four to five summoned beasts. Typically this high-level beast summoner would have one mid-tier or high-tier summoned beast and the rest would consist of low-tier to mid-tier.In Can's case, he was an exception. When he was a kid and still learning the principle of beast summoning, he was already able to form two contracts with one mid-tier defensive beast and one low-tier miscellaneous beast. It is truly rare for young kids to have such capabilities unless they have support from an elite and well-established beast summoning family. For Can to have such capabilities without any support from the elite is truly exceptional. This caught L.B.C's admission officers' interest. Without any hesitation, they took a note of him and made sure that he would attend the university. Having exceptional talented individuals like Can will surely boost the university's prestige and its elite image.Can's moment of peace as he was sleeping was interrupted when a sudden loud bang of the door was produced as it was opened. Sudden sounds of high-heels tapping the floor started to get louder as they approached Can who was still covering himself with a blanket."CANTALOUPE, I know you're awake!!!" shouted by Can's sister as she pulled the blanket away from her older brother."What do you want Ley? It's so early in the morning for you to shout," Can said unenthusiastically as he pulled back his blanket."Morning!? It's already noon! Also, did you already forget your promise that you're coming with me today to the other shopping district?" Ley asked as she kept pulling the blanket away from Can."Does it really have to be today, Ley?""I'm already properly dressed as you can see, so we are going! If you don't want to go then you better pay the money you owe me with interest," Ley said threateningly as they continued struggling with the blanket."Ok! Ok! I'm going," Can said as he finally gave up and let Ley pull the blanket away from him completely."Thought so," Ley said as Can slowly got out from bed."Before you get ready, what do you think of my outfit?" Ley asked as she twirled like a princess happily expecting for a praise.Ley was wearing a sleeveless top with black polka dots pattern and with decorative ruffles attached to the arm holes. The gray shorts that she was wearing has a lovely ribbon design in front that is attached around the belt area. She was also wearing a simple red glossy high heels."You look good and fashionable," Can said as he proceeded to fix his bed."I know. Anyways, hurry up!" Ley said as she walked out of Can's room."I want to eat first!" Can complained."You eat when we get there, my treat," Ley answered."Really!? Ok! I'm going to be ready in fifteen minutes!" Can said as he hurriedly went straight to the bathroom.Ley knew that Can loves to eat food and so treating his older brother for one was a good incentive to make him go more willingly with her. She also felt bad because he knew Can's only rest day was today but she really needed someone to take her shopping bags.After getting ready, Can went downstairs and walked towards the kitchen where Ley was currently watching the television with their mom."I'm ready, Ley," Can said as he fixed his hair.Can was wearing a simple white shirt and a blue jeans. He was also wearing his favorite shoes: a worn out black Converse."Finally, you're done. Let's go," Ley said hurriedly as she stood up."Be back before dinner okay? Have fun," their mother said as she continued watching the television while eating some oranges."See you later mom!" Ley said as she dragged Can outside.
"Breaking news: The youngest son of the head of the Diverse Spirit Clan was reported missing......"
"Cantaloupe, take care of your sister!" their mother reminded as she took a quick glance of the two walking outside the door."I got it mom! Don't worry," Can answered.The two siblings left their small house. Ley summoned one of her miscellaneous beasts, Lenalee, to help her choose her new clothes since Can is not that helpful when it comes to fashion. Her beast has a fairy-like appearance and a size of a fist. Just like its owner, Lenalee loves shopping and has a good fashion sense. Unlike Gucci, Lenalee could communicate properly with humans. Ley and her beast can be considered best of friends when it comes to shopping.When Can was also about to summon one of his beasts, Ley stopped him."What do you think you're doing?" Ley asked."I'm going to summon....""NO!" Ley said as she interrupted Can."I hope you still know the main reason why we're going to the other shopping district and not the one nearby?" she continued."....""If it weren't for you and your spoiled beasts running amok in one of the stores where we used to shop, we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. I already told you that you should discipline them but you didn't! You spoiled them even more! You're just like Dad....oh" Ley instantly covered her mouth with her right hand and stopped talking midway after mentioning their dad who passed away a couple of years ago. Their father was really close to Can and his death was still a sensitive topic for him."Don't worry. It's okay. I'm over it already," Can said indifferently as to try to hide his true emotions."I won't summon my beast this time," he said as he chuckled to try to lighten the atmosphere between the two of them.Ley nodded and the two went on the bus. While waiting to get to their destination, Ley asked Can about the upcoming Beast Summoning Guild Competition happening within a month in L.B.C Campus. The Beast Summoners of this institution has a top 100 ranking system. In order for beast summoners to become part of the ranking system or to move up to a higher rank they have to challenge a beast summoner of their choice who is already in the top 100 ranking. If a challenger managed to defeat the defender, the challenger would take the defender's title or rank. Of course, people do not compete just because of the ranks and bragging rights. They compete for the perks that they could obtain.The top 100 are guaranteed to get unlimited supply of low-grade materials necessary to create beast food and to summon low-tier beasts. The top 50 are guaranteed to get a certain amount of mid-tier materials. The top 25 are guaranteed to get a supply of mid-tier beast food. The top 10 will receive a one-on-one training with high-class veteran beast summoners and trainers. The top 3 are guaranteed to get a certain amount of high-tier materials. The top 1 is certain to get high-tier beast food and training manuals. Currently Ae is top 1 which is no surprise since he is the next heir of B.S.G and he possess powerful epic beasts. "I'm not really interested," Can said as he shook his head."This isn't really about you. Think about the beasts that you own!" Ley said as she tried to persuade Can."You have recently summoned rare and epic fighter beasts! You can't just continue hiding them forever. They are fighters by nature and if you take that away from them and keep them like prisoners, they would weaken. Also, don't you need mid-tier and high-tier ingredients to feed your beasts? With your current strength and skills, you can easily take top 10," she continued.Ley was right. Even though Can is not a violent person, he cannot just ignore his beasts needs. He truly cared about them and he is willing to do anything for them. Since he has multiple beasts, taking care of them would be difficult and expensive. If he joins the competition and get to at least top 50, the burden and expenses for him would be less. Although there is an overwhelming benefits, Can is still hesitating."I'm worried about mom. She wants me to keep a low-profile about my abilities," Can said worriedly."Tsk!" Ley clicked her tongue." Forget about mom's words right now. Listen here! " Ley said with a serious tone as she looked intently into Can's eyes."Can, you aren't that weak kid anymore who got bullied easily for being different. That was in the past. You're much stronger now. You should follow what you really want. Just grab every opportunity possible and exploit those benefits. You can start with this competition," Ley continued."Why does it feel like it's not really about me but more about you, Ley? Didn't you ask me for mid-tier materials not long ago? Are you just trying to persuade me to join and get to the top 10 in order to gain some materials for your beasts?" Can asked suspiciously."Can, this will benefit the two of us ok? Please just...just participate in the competition. Help your sister," Ley said as she tried to look pitiful."....""Ok, how about this, if you join, I will remove the interest of the money you owe me?""I will think about it," Can said as he scratched his head."Really? Please think about it really carefully!" Ley said happily as he pleaded her older brother.Can nodded with a chuckle. He cannot really say no to her younger sister. After arriving to their destination, the two of them went back to their usual cheerful conversation as they went around the shopping district to eat and get new clothes.
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(Unedited) (Tend to change as the story progresses)So I would like to further solidify how the world works since some people have asked me about it. I think I should've addressed this before so as to not confuse you peeps. This is not a new chapter btw.1. Can you tell me more about the different factions? As you guys know, there are two major factions: Elementalist Association and Beast Summoner Guild. There are smaller factions but at the moment, the most important smaller faction is the Diverse Spirit Guild.2. Can you tell us who is part of which faction? As of now: - Elementalist Association (E.A.): Tin - Beast Summoning Guild (B.S.G.): Ae and Can - Diverse Spirit Clan (D.S.C.): Pete3. What do each clan specializes in? - E.A.: Be able to utilize different elements such as water, wind, fire, earth etc. - B.S.G.: Be able to summon different beasts that have different specialties or skills. -D.S.C: Specializes in healing, mind reading, and manipulation.4. Level?Rarities? Miscellaneous beasts? Offensive Beasts? What? How do they work?● So people in this world have different levels and each level has its own grade.- Levels: Low -> Mid -> High- Grade for each level: Gray -> Green -> Blue -> Purple -> Orange -> Rainbow (Rainbow only applies to High level. Rainbow has its own grade.)- Rarities: Common -> Uncommon -> Rare -> Epic -> Legendary -> Mythic● Levels and Grades only apply to humans. Rarities apply to beasts, training manuals, materials, and magic skills.● Different levels mean different strength. For instance, if a blue low level elementalist were to fight a purple low level elementalist, the blue low level elementalist has a really high chance of losing.● The rarities of the items, skills, and beasts can definitely affect the total strength of the user. For instance, if a gray low level beast summoner has an epic offensive beast and tried to fight an orange low level beast summoner with common offensive beast, then most likely the one with the epic beast would win.● There are different kinds of skills, training manuals, materials and beasts. - Skills, Beasts, Training Manuals : Offensive, Defensive, Miscellaneous-Each category has its own subcategory. Offensive: short-range, mid-range, long-range, area of effect, single target Defensive: self, party Miscellaneous: transportation, communication, intelligence gathering, item forging, material gathering etc. -Items, beasts, training manuals that are under the miscellaneous category are meant to help the user in many forms not necessarily offensively and defensively. Let's talk about Can's rare miscellaneous beast, Beholder. It allows Can to transport anywhere within a short amount of time. It cannot fight or defend Can in case there's a battle. 5. How forming a contract with beasts works?- In order to form a contract with a beast, there are two steps required. 1. Materials = A beast summoner needs to call or summon the beast that he or she would like to form a contract with first. Summoning or calling a beast for the first time requires certain materials. There are three factors to be considered when it comes to the success of summoning a beast: level of the beast summoner, quality of the required summoning materials, and rarity of the beast that is going to be summoned. 2. Forming a contract = After successfully summoning a beast, the beast summoner has to form a contract with the beast. During this stage, the beast and the beast summoner will form an initial connection and see if the two are compatible. Ultimately, it is up to the summoned beast to decide whether it would want to form a contract with the beast summoner. If the contract formation is a success, the beast summoner will now own the beast. If the contract formation is a failure, the summoned beast will go back to its dimension and the beast summoner will have to try again.After forming a contract, beast summoners can summon their contracted beasts anytime. If they want to make their beasts stronger, they can do so by feeding them with beast food and giving them experience (ex: battle, skill-practice, cultivation etc).(The information below was added after Chapter 26)There are twelve known elements: Air, Earth, Water, Fire, Wood, Ice, Lightning, Metal, Blood, Light, Darkness, and Void. Generally, a normal elementalist could harness three to four elements. Having five elements could already be considered above average. A person who can harness six and above elements can already be considered rare and a genius. One has to know that as you gain a new element, the harder it is to gain another one which is why the average elementalist could only get three to four elements. In the history of the elementalists, the only known person who managed to possess the twelve elements is the founder and the first elementalist in history. So this is it for now. Of course the focus of this story is still TinCan but it is necessary to understand the world that they are in. I hope with this, it will help you understand and enjoy reading this fanfiction more.
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Inside the Elemental Fusion class where it was usually quiet, there were constant murmurs and chattering by the students."Have you heard? The Diverse Spirit Clan's youngest son went missing. Apparently he got involved in a dangerous business and messed up," whispered by a male student who was wearing a glasses as his group of friends sat in the back of the classroom."Didn't the news say it was some cult?" curiously said by another as he whispered since he was too afraid to be heard by a certain someone."I'm not sure, but apparently Pete and that person are friends since both of his family and the D.S.C head family are close," the student with a glasses said as he scratched his chin."That must've been awful," a female student with a pigtail hairstyle sadly uttered as she looked at Pete who was full of sorrow and was seating in the very front seats with Tin."If only I could do something to make him feel better.....It's just that the ice prince is sitting next to him," she continued as she dejectedly sighed."Don't you think there is something odd about the atmosphere between the two though?" asked by another female student who has a red hair.The group of friends simultaneously looked towards the direction of Tin and Pete. They did notice something was different."Weird. I never saw the ice prince this.....caring and close towards Pete before," the student with glasses said as he scratched the back of his head."That's true but don't you think it's great? The ice prince might not actually be the person who we think he is. He might be cold on the outside but he is actually a very nice person inside!" the girl with the pigtail said as she gasped after her own realization."OH MY GEE, I know right! I mean look at them, they look so intimate. Look at how our Tin caress the back of our Pete. Look at his expression too! He has this sincere comforting attitude towards him, " the girl with the red hair said as she clapped her hands with inaudible sounds.As the group of friends admired the scenery between the two, the ice prince suddenly looked towards their direction with piercing cold gaze as if he heard their entire conversation. The gaze that they received was enough for them to shake and cower in fear. At that very moment, they disbanded and went to their respective seats quietly.After disrupting the noisy group, Tin went back at comforting Pete. According to his father, the disappearance of the member of the D.S.C. had something to do with B.S.G. He believed that this might be related to the person who exposed their plans to their enemies. Although this might be the case, the entire D.S.C would still be under surveillance. Even though his father was still investigating the situation, Tin had his own theories about the incident. For now, he would let things unfold on their own. If there was one thing that Tin was certain, it was that this incident provided him the perfect opportunity to slowly take Pete away from Ae. He believed that it was easier to break a strong bond when someone in the relationship was vulnerable. In addition, Ae's absence due to the upcoming Beast Summoning Guild Competition was a bonus for him. Right now, he has to show that he is more reliable than Pete's boyfriend who is unworthy piece of trash. He was quite satisfied inside although something feels missing. He doesn't know what it was but he didn't let it bother him with his plan to save Pete.Pete was trying to stay strong. He was suppressing his emotions and the urge to cry as to not further worry everyone and not to interrupt the class. He couldn't believe that one of his close friends was missing. He didn't want to think that bad things might befall him but he just couldn't help it. As he thought more about his missing friend, the harder for him to suppress his emotions. He wanted to go somewhere where he could just let it all out. At that very moment, he was thinking of going to Ae but it has been days since the two of them talked. Pete knew that it might has something to do with the upcoming B.S.G competition. The pressure that Ae has right now from his family in order to remain rank 1 must be immense. He must be really busy. Pete knew this yet was it too much for Ae to talk, call, or text him? Was it selfish for him to ask to see him even for a moment? A simple "Hi" on text would be enough for him but there was none. Was he not important to him? It was as if Ae disappeared into thin air. As Pete was contemplating, Tin had a sense of what he was thinking. It made him grin inside."I'll take you outside," Tin whispered to Pete as the professor started his lecture."I'm okay Tin," Pete said as he forced a smile.Tin grabbed his small briefcase with his left hand and then stood up."You're not okay," Tin continued as he pulled Pete's hand and dragged him outside."Tin!" Pete said softly as he grabbed his backpack.All the students gazed at the two leaving the classroom. They started chatting with one another about what happened but the professor disrupted them abruptly as he continued his lesson.================================In the Magic Beast's Garden, Can was busy planting common magic herbs as his gelatin beast, Gucci, was curiously staring next to him while working."Can, how long have you been planting?" Can looked back and saw his friend Techno."I just started a couple of minutes ago," Can said as he went back to planting."Your sister texted me that you didn't eat breakfast this morning? I brought you food," Techno said as he put the plastic bag that contains food on the nearest table. Can stood up all of a sudden and approached Techno. Gucci then followed Can."I'm really sorry for troubling you," Can said as he sat down with Gucci next to him.Aside from his obsession with his summoned beasts, he is also obsessed with food. He would never ever skip a meal but today he had to go to the university in a hurry due to a minor problem in the Magic Beast's Garden. One of the water sprinkler in the Gray Magic Herbs' section broke and with every minute that these particular magic herbs don't get enough moisture, their quality decrease. Can rushed to get there and fixed the water sprinkler without any food in his stomach. He was really thankful that Techno was there to save his day."Don't worry about it. I know how much food matters to you," Techno chuckled.Can grabbed the food container and a plastic spoon from the bag. He took the lid off the container and started eating. "Slow down Can! It's just some plain rice and scrambled eggs," Techno said as he was surprised."So-rry," Can said as he slowly ate his food."By the way, I'm glad that you finally decided to join the competition," Techno nodded."No, I think you misunderstood, I'm still deciding whether I'm joining or not," "Huh? Your sister said that you are actually joining. She even asked me to sign you up immediately. I already submitted your application today too," Techno was confused."You what!?" Can asked."Ley, I swear!" he continued.Can knew that once you submitted the application, you cannot back out. His sister was really sly. He will make sure to scold her about it.Techno seemed to figure out what exactly happened."Can, I think this is a good opportunity for you. Look at you, you always work in the Magic Beast Garden every day for little amount of magic herbs. Knowing your superb abilities, you will be able to join the rankings and easily make it to top 25 if you wished. You can get so much more magic herbs when you join the rankings," Techno explained."I know," he said as he played with his food.Can usually gets frustrated when he works in the Magic Beast's Garden since he doesn't get enough materials that he wanted to create beast food. He didn't attempt to change his situation and join the B.S.G ranking competition because he didn't want to stand out. He thought that this time, he should change for the better. Can wasn't really mad about the fact that Ley made Techno sign up in his stead, he was just disappointed that his sister didn't trust him enough. Even if Ley didn't do this, he would eventually sign up for the competition, he just needed time to adjust.Can sighed heavily."Even if I tried to back out, I can't. I might as well try and do my best," he said as he continued eating."That's good to hear then," Techno said."Where's Ae?" Can asked."Well since the B.S.G competition is less than a month, his father made him train in seclusion. No contact from the outside at all. I think his father is making him summon the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins Beasts," Techno answered.The Seven Deadly Sins Beasts are a family of demihuman beasts. Each beast is considered of either rare or epic rarity. However, when they are all summoned together, their combined power will fall under the legendary tier. Only the head family of B.S.G has the capability to summon the Deadly Sins Beasts since they require a lot of resources and only those of high-level beast summoners could summon them. Previous generations of the head family were only able to summon 4 of the 7 deadly sins beasts. Throughout the years, as they improved at researching better practices of summoning, their success rate of getting the rest of the seven deadly sins beasts became higher. During the war between E.A. and B.S.G a long time ago, the deadly sins beasts were used to wreak havoc to E.A. They were that devastating that by just hearing the term 'Deadly Sins Beasts', it would make anyone who survived the old war shudder. Since the deadly sins beasts are quite powerful, summoning each one consumes a lot of spiritual energy and so those who are high-level beast summoners are only capable of wielding their powers.Currently Ae who is a gray high-level beast summoner has 5 of the 7 deadly sins beasts. He was able to form a contract with them with the help of his father. As of now, he is trying to summon and form a contract with the rest of the deadly sins beasts in seclusion."Does Pete know about this?" Can asked."I'm not sure," Techno said as he looked at his watch."I should go now Can, I have a class in 3 minutes," Techno stood up."Ok, Thank you Techno for the food. I'll treat you next time," Can said as he smiled.Techno nodded and walked away."I should talk to Pete later," Can said to himself.He quickly looked at the seat where he left Gucci. His little beast wasn't there."Gucci!?" Can looked under the table to look for him but Gucci wasn't there."Not again!"
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Pete and Tin walked away as far as possible from the students to avoid unnecessary disturbance. Tin saw a bench that was under the shade of the tree and dragged Pete there."Tin, you didn't have to drag me here. I'm fine," Pete said as he forced another smile although this time it was evident that he was not okay. His lips started to quiver and his eyes were watery. Now that they were alone, Pete was more sincere about his feelings although he still tried to hide it. Usually when there was a problem, Pete would deal with it on his own. When it became too emotionally exhausting, he would cry by himself since he didn't want anyone to know his weak side. That was how he dealt with his problems before.When he met Ae, it became different. For some reason Ae has this ability to make him tell the things he didn't want to share to anyone, not even to his family or to his childhood friend, Tin. When he did share his problems with Ae, he would always feel better afterwards. Ae has this soothing way of talking that would make Pete calm down as they discuss his problems. Whether he would cry, rant, talk about serious or trivial things, Ae would listen to him sincerely.Right now, he was on the verge of crying and Ae was not there for him. He realized at that moment that he was so used to Ae helping him go through his problems. It just made him feel more pathetic and helpless. This mixture of emotions overflowed as his tears started to fall.Tin who was by his side did not exactly know how to deal with the situation. He never saw Pete act this way. It was also his first time seeing someone who is close to him cry. It made him uncomfortable. How is he supposed to deal with the situation?"Go on," Tin said."Wh-at?" Pete asked as he looked at Tin.With a caring manner, Tin grabs Pete by his shoulder still with indifferent look and hugged him.Pete was surprised about Tin's behavior. The usual cold and aloof ice prince is actually comforting him. "Tin?" Pete asked confusedly."..."Pete chuckled a little bit. It must be uncomfortable for him to do this yet he was trying his best to comfort him. "Thank you, Tin," Pete said as he reciprocated Tin's hug. Pete felt a little bit better. "You're actually nicer than I expected," he continued as he withdrew from Tin's hug.Tin smirked as he lightly ruffled Pete's hair. "Oi..Tin! Stop it!" Pete said as he tried to fix his hair while smiling.This time his smile was sincere.The two sat down on the bench and looked at the clear blue sky.Tin gazed at Pete's smile that was still plastered on his face with a satisfied look. He seemed to succeed quite a bit at being more reliable than Ae although he believed it still wasn't enough.The moment of silence was disrupted when Pete's stomach grumbled. Pete immediately covered his stomach as if trying to hide the grumbling noise but he immediately realized it was useless. His embarrassment has caused his cheeks to blush red like a tomato."I'll buy food. Stay here," Tin said as he stood up.Before Pete could insist that he would buy food for the two of them, Tin already walked away leaving him and his briefcase behind."What a good friend," Pete said as he grabbed his phone that was vibrating.As Tin's figure slowly disappeared from Pete's view, three human-shaped shadows that were hidden from a distance started following Tin.The moment the three shadows moved, their presence was already sensed by Tin. He knew immediately who these people were and decided to divert his path far away from Pete and the university as much as possible. He kept a casual and calm attitude as he walked deeper into the forest that was next to the university.The three shadows who were wearing black masks and cloaks seemed to be oblivious of Tin's plan as they followed him. As they three continued following Tin, they started questioning his behavior."Why is he going deeper into the forest?" one of the shadows with the smallest stature asked."Did he notice us?" he continued"That's impossible, only those of Blue High-Level individuals will be able to detect us," answered by the shadow with a mature female voice. "According to the report, Tin should only be a Gray High-Level Elementalist," uttered by the shadow who was the leader of the group."If he goes deeper in the forest, it would be easier for us to capture him. No disturbance."The two subordinates nodded and the three continued their pursuit.When Tin felt that he was in a safe distance and far enough from the university, he stopped."What is he planning to do here exactly?" the little shadow communicated to his teammates."Something doesn't feel right," the shadow with a female voice whispered anxiously.The leader of the group was silent as he observed Tin. Something has been bothering him since Tin changed the direction of his path.The more that the group contemplated Tin's odd behavior, the more anxious they got. It is just impossible for him at his current level to notice them."Even if he did or didn't know we are here, we have to complete our mission. Besides there are three of us who are at Green High-Level status. We should be able to do this with ease," the leader said with confidence."I wouldn't be so sure if I were you," Tin whispered behind the leader's ear.Before the leader could react, a clear gaping hole in his chest became evident. He became paralyzed as blood gushed out from his mouth and his entire body fell in silence on the ground without a struggle. The two subordinates who were initially confident about accomplishing the mission smoothly were now shocked and terrified after seeing their leader die immediately."Isn't he supposed to be only at Gray High-Level status!? How is this possible?" the shadow with a female voice asked as she shivered in fear."Unless he is....." she continued as she started turning around to flee from the horrifying scene."W-we have to leave now!" she screamed at her subordinate."But the mission?" the shadow with a small stature said as he panicked."Don't you get it, we are no match to him! We have to report this," the female shadow insisted as she continued to ran away as fast as she could.Her other subordinate couldn't say anything. Their leader was the strongest out of the three and for Tin to be able to kill him in an instant, he must be more powerful than they initially thought.As the two preys ran away, they were immediately blocked by an invisible barrier created by Tin. They were now cornered and trapped."Why are the two of you so eager to leave?" Tin asked sarcastically as he smirked while walking leisurely towards the direction of his preys."This is bad. We can't escape unless we destroy the barrier," said by the small subordinate."I'll try to destroy the barrier, you distract him!" the female subordinate demanded.The small subordinate nodded and immediately formed a seal with his hands.
"Ultimate Illusion!"
After performing the seal, hundreds of illusions of the small shadow showed up and surrounded Tin. The 'Ultimate Illusion' skill is one of the ultimate techniques that he could use because it could multiply his strength. "Oh so you are from that puny Black Snake Clan, how interesting. I thought your clan already vanished in the old war," Tin mockingly said.The small shadow's fear was easily replaced with anger and proceeded to perform another ultimate seal."Let's see if you can survive this!"
"Poison Cloud!"
Each of the illusion produced a green smoke of deadly poison through their mouths and directed the gas towards Tin. As the continuous flow of gas surrounded Tin, the concentration and density of the poison became more potent and deadly.Since there was no struggle in the smoke of poison, the little shadow snickered. It seemed that Tin wasn't that strong after all. He just got lucky at killing their leader since they got distracted. They were panicking for nothing.As he was about to turn around to help his subordinate destroy the barrier, a sudden huge gust of wind sucked all the poison gas and pulled him and his little shadow illusions within seconds.
"Whirlwind Blades"
The whirlwind surrounding Tin eliminated the poison cloud and destroyed all of the illusions with ease. As for the Black Snake Clan member, he was unable to believe that his ultimate techniques that took him years to perfect were dispelled within seconds. He truly underestimated Tin's power and now he had to pay the price. Just like his illusions and poison gas, the little shadow disintegrated into pieces until they became one as the wind. After the death of the little shadow, the whirlwind finally disappeared."Pathetic," Tin said to himself as he wiped his right shoulder that has slight dirt.The only surviving member witnessed what happened to her other subordinate. She has been trying to destroy the invisible barrier but she hasn't made any progress at breaking it no matter how much she tried. She even shapeshifted herself into her ultimate beast imitated form, Azure Demihuman Snake Dragon, in order to increase her strength but it was futile.As a shapeshifter, the female shadow has the capability to change her form into different entities and even imitate a beast. Shapeshifting helps the users in various situations such as being able to increase their strength, utilize various skills, and deception.But at that very moment, the female shadow's capabilities were truly ineffective. She knew she was going to die."I beg you, please spare me. I'll tell you anything," the female dragon said as she shook in fear."What was your mission? If you dare lie, I'll kill you," Tin said with a terrifying indifferent gaze.Even if Tin looks terrifying, the elegance and his gorgeous appearance didn't disappear."They want us to injure you so you won't be able to participate the Friendly Faction Competition."The Friendly Faction Competition is the most renowned competition in the country. Those who are in top 10 ranking in their respective factions in L.B.C University will be able to compete with one another. "Isn't it too early for that? The competition is 6 months away?""We are trying to eliminate as much competition as early as possible. The less competitors the better for the Black Snake Clan to win the top," she said as she reminisce the misfortune that happened to their clan.Nearby where Tin was currently confronting the miserable dragon, Gucci has been watching the entire scene behind the tall bushes outside the invisible magic barrier. The gelatinous beast seemed to be frightened. He doesn't know whether it was due to Tin's capability to kill or it was due to the people who tried to kill him."Gucci! I finally found you!" Can said as he quickly grabbed Gucci so he won't run away.Can was able to detect Gucci through his newly acquired detection skill which allowed him to pinpoint the location of his beast.Gucci was startled for a moment but knowing that it was his owner, he felt relieved. "What are you doing all the way over here Gucci!? You made me worry so much!" Can said as he pinched Gucci's cheek."Kyuu! Kyuuu!" (GET AWAY!) Gucci uttered."Alright, we're going back to campus," Can said as he turned around towards the direction of the campus."KYUUU! Kyuu! kyuu! kyuu!" (NO! TIN! TIN! TIN!) Gucci started to struggle. Using his gelatinous body to his advantage, he was able to slip away freely from Can's grasp ."Gucci! where are you going?" Can said as he followed Gucci who was jumping away from him.As they passed by the tall bushes, a clear view of a horrifying scene can be witnessed."Kyuu! Kyuu!" (Help Tin!) Gucci pleaded as he looked at his owner for a response."You are not the first one to attempt to do this and quite frankly I don't care," Tin said as a fire ball formed from his right hand."You said you're going to spare me!" the dragon desperately announced."You will just be a pest in the future. I don't like pests."Tin threw the fireball at the pitiful dragon. The moment the fire touched the shiny azure colored hard scale skin of the dragon, immediate excruciating pain can be felt as it slowly spread around its body. Constant helpless shrieks from the female dragon can be heard as she struggled pointlessly to extinguish the fire but only those within the invisible barrier can hear her struggles. Tin looked at her as she slowly turned into ash with indifferent attitude.Even though what the female dragon was saying might be the truth, he can't let her escape and report what she found out about his current level.Can who saw the entire scene froze. Although he was unable to hear the entire conversation and eventual cries of the pitiful dragon, the gruesome scene was enough for him to see how terrible of a person Tin was. Knowing the rumors about Tin, Can was able to conclude that Tin mercilessly killed an innocent beast.This scene was too familiar for Can that it triggered his childhood memories that he tried so hard to erase.
"You don't deserve this gift!"
"How about teaching him a lesson?"
"Haha I know, how about we turn his small pet as beast food?"
"Please! Don't! NOOOO!"
The sound of his classmates' mocks and laughs kept resonating in his mind. The sound of his beast's last breath before it died tightened his chest making him gasped for air.He blamed himself for what happened that time. He was unable to do anything back then because he was weak. He let them kill his beast because he was powerless. Being unable to do anything was his greatest regret but he cannot let this happen anymore.The death of his innocent beast was enough. He cannot let it happen again to other innocent beasts. He promised that he will risk his life to protect them. This time he will make Tin pay for what he did.As bad memories accumulated and his resolution mixed together, Can's sense of judgement became clouded. His usual calm and joyful attitude were replaced by pure hatred and lust for revenge.He raised his right hand in the air as if trying to grab something. His eyes suddenly started glowing white as he raised his head.Gucci who was behind him tried to get his attention by pulling his shoelace using his mouth but there was no effect."I summon the Great Valkyrie Randgris."Huge dark clouds started to form above the forest replacing the peaceful blue sky: a sign of ominous battle looms.
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(unedited)As the huge dark clouds accumulated in the forest's sky, loud rumbling sounds and fierce lightning emerged. Tin looked up to examine the sudden phenomenon. The dark clouds started to spin slowly and formed a whirlpool.As heavy rain started to fall, a stunning figure descended from the middle of the whirlpool made of clouds.It was the Valkyrie Randgris. The black-winged angel beast with black plated armor and red cape came down and landed next to Can while Gucci was still pulling his shoelace. Tin, who curiously looked at the beast movements as she descended on the ground, was surprised when he saw the little red gelatin beast and its master."What is he doing here?" he muttered as he redirected his gaze towards Can.He was thinking whether that shorty was part of the group he eliminated earlier but he dismissed the idea.Can, who was in a far distance, started uttering some words and pointed his finger towards Tin's direction.All of a sudden the black-winged angel flew forward in lightning speed towards Tin. With her lance covered in purple flame, she lunged and struck the invisible magic barrier. Cracking sounds were heard as the magic barrier and the lance collided. With every swift strike of the weapon to the barrier, a slight intense vibration of force echoed in the area. Eventually the magic barrier slowly disintegrated like a shattered mirror.Tin who saw the scene was slightly amused. No one has ever completely destroyed his invisible magic barrier, not even Ae during the Friendly Faction Competition last year.Even though Tin is not a Beast Summoner, he knew who the Valkyrie Randgris is. Nicknamed as the Angel of Despair, Valkyrie Randgris is an epic rarity offensive type beast with fire attribute. Even though she is slightly inferior to the Seven Deadly Sins Beasts when combined, she is one of the strongest in the epic tier for beasts category. One of her unique features aside from her elegant beauty that a lot of beast summoners admire is her lance covered with purple flame. It is said that any form of defensive barriers can be destroyed with her weapon in one strike. Even though it is not completely true, Tin was still impressed with her capabilities."Didn't I already warn you, shorty?" Tin looked at Can as he briefly ignored the angel's movements.Can whose eyes were still glowing white didn't respond. Tin was a little mystified about Can's behavior because the last time that they met, he was quite bold and talkative. "Don't blame me if I kill your angel beast," Tin said mockingly as he tried to get a response from Can. This time Can responded but not for Tin. He uttered some instructions that only the Valkyrie Randgris could hear.The angel beast quickly flew towards Tin with her purple flame covered lance pointing at him.Since the Valkyrie Randgris is a fire attribute type of beast. Her weakness is water attribute spells.
"Icicle Spears!"
Tin snapped his fingers and multiple sharp solid icicles surrounded him. He snapped his fingers again and the solid icicles were shot toward the target. The angel beast swiftly dodged as she flew in the sky but she was constantly being bombarded by the endless waves of icicles that made her unable to approach him.After a few minutes of dodging, the small green area where they were fighting was covered in icicles and mud.Tin stopped his offensive attacks against his opponent. Meanwhile, the angel beast who was in defensive mode returned to offensive. She put a distance between her and the enemy as she descended on the ground to gain momentum to throw her lance towards her target. Tin put a smile on his face as if mocking the angel beast for falling for his trap. As she hurled her lance, the icicles surrounding the field started exploding which caused her to miss her target.
"Freeze Bomb!"
As the explosion occurred, parts of the icicles covered the beast's feet and froze her in place. The angel tried to free herself but she was unable to."It's a shame that your beast will die," Tin said as he approached the struggling beast. Tin looked towards Can's direction but he was still silent. "What's with the silence?" he asked. "Don't you care about what happens to her?" he snapped his fingers and a huge sharp icicle formed in his right hand. Tin was curious how this small beast summoner would react even though he didn't really intend to kill the beast. Still, he wouldn't mind doing it.Finally, Can responded but with tears in his eyes."Please...Don't.....Nooo..." he said as he slowly walked towards Tin and his beast. Gucci followed his master behind worriedly. Tin raised his eyebrows. He was curious what the beast summoner would do.Can suddenly stumbled and fell onto the ground. He tried to get up but his spiritual energy was already depleted. Controlling the Valkyrie Randgris requires a lot of spiritual energy and only a high level beast summoner has the capability to do it. Since Can is only an Orange Grade Mid-Level beast summoner, he was not qualified to control the Valkyrie Randgris yet. His spiritual energy was drained immediately within few minutes after she was summoned.Can resorted to crawling but still he was unable to move at all. He raised his right hand as to reached out for his angel beast but it was futile. He was still a little far from her.While Tin got distracted as he was watching the pitiful beast summoner's attempt to rescue his beast, the angel has been silently chanting a spell.
"Dispel!"
The ice that restrained her movements broke. She quickly extended her wings and flew towards Tin who was caught off guard. She hit his chest with her left palm and at the immediate contact, she chanted a new spell.
"Despair"
Tin suddenly fell to his knees. His mind was filled with memories that caused him so much despair. He covered both of his ears with his hands."Get out of my head!" he demanded.He bit his lips firmly that they started to bleed. While Tin struggles, the angel called her lance. Her weapon floated from the ground and moved back to its owner's right hand. She then traced the lance with her enchanted left hand and the purple flame reignited once again. As the effects of the Despair spell was about to wear off, the angel did not hesitate to act to thrust her lance into Tin's heart. Unfortunately before she could even move from her position to kill Tin, her newly contracted owner lost consciousness from complete depletion of spiritual energy. When a beast summoner runs out of spiritual energy, the summoned beast will return to its dimension automatically. The angel started to slowly disappear. She heaved a sigh of relief and then smiled. It seemed that she did not really want to kill the young elementalist. If it were not for Can's clouded thinking and impulsive instructions, she would have just let him free. Gucci who was by his side started panicking as he called out to his unconscious master.After the angel beast disappeared, the Despair spell was also removed. The dark sky was replaced again by the clear blue sky. Tin, who was still on his knees, was breathing heavily and his eyes were filled with tears. All of the memories that he despised came back to haunt him again. There were also some memories that were completely unfamiliar to him but they were also terrible."Damn it!" he yelled as he punched the ground.He stood up as his anger filled him. The completely soaked and full of mud young elementalist walked towards the little beast summoner who was lying on the ground.Can who was still unconscious was grabbed by his muddy white jacket by Tin. Gucci looked up and was relieved to see the young elementalist he admired. He expected that he would save his master.Tin who was about to punch Can out of anger stopped when he noticed Can's tears flowing down from his face.He wondered at that moment if he was in pain too.Tin continued to examine the little summoner's face. Even though it was covered by mud, the sadness yet serene expression can still be clearly seen. It calmed Tin down and his anger vanished."Tin! Can!" shouted by a male from a distance.Tin looked at the source of the shout and saw Pete with an umbrella."What happened here? Are you guys okay?" Pete asked as he was catching his breath."How did you get here?" Tin asked still grabbing Can by his jacket."Can called me earlier. He wanted to talk to me after he found Gucci in the forest," he answered as he approached the two who were dirty and completely soaked by the rain earlier."So his name is Can," Tin told to himself."I'll tell you what happened later. Check this beast summoner first if he's okay," Tin said as he eased his grasp of Can's jacket and left him lying on the ground.Pete has many questions he wanted to ask but he put them aside for now. He approached Can and checked his body for any physical injuries. There were none except for minor scratches. He then proceeded to check his spiritual energy using his spirit sensory skill. He immediately concluded that Can's current state was really bad."He lost all of his spiritual energy! If this continues, he might become spiritually crippled permanently. We have to bring him to my home! It's nearby and I have all the necessary medical items to help him," Pete said as he started panicking."We're going through this path. the university might send some people to investigate here. It would be too troublesome," Tin said as he picked up Can and held him in bridal carry style.Pete didn't say anything and just followed Tin. Can's little beast also followed the group. He seemed to be in a happy mood.As they finally managed to leave the forest, a luxurious sleek black Rolls-Royce Phantom car was waiting for them. Earlier Pete called his trustful driver to pick them up from that place.Pete took Gucci with him as he sat in the front seat where the little beast proceeded to seat on his lap. Tin sat in the back with Can. Since it would be harder to prevent Can from moving too much if he sat down, Tin decided to put Can's head on his lap as he firmly held his body with his right arm. Pete asked his driver to take them to his home immediately. As they were approaching Pete's house, Tin looked at the little summoner and wondered. For some unknown reason, he couldn't get to hate this little guy. He despises the B.S.G so how come he doesn't feel the same way about him?Suddenly he remembered those ugly memories of his which gave him a slight headache. As he tried to forget them, he recalled those unfamiliar scenes in his head. He saw a small beast being beaten up by a bunch of kids as it cried for help. He saw a pitiful crying kid desperately trying to struggle to free himself from the grasps of his classmates but he was unable to. In the end, the beast died and the kid continued to cry as he tried to help him in vain. Then there was also this funeral scene. He saw a little girl next to a taller boy with a mature lady holding their hands who seemed to be their mother. They were all crying in front of an old man that was in an opened wooden coffin. The boy was resting his head on the old man's chest while sobbing hard. It was most likely his father. He was in so much pain and sorrow. Tin wondered if these were the memories of the little summoner beast.As he was contemplating, the car suddenly stops as the huge gate in front of it opens."We're here Tin!"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(unedited)As the car entered through the open huge white gate, the driver hurriedly steered to the right and went to an inconspicuous forest path instead of going through the main road that leads to Pete's grandeur and beautiful mansion that sits in the middle of the forest. This short forest path will lead to Pete's small wooden cottage next to a lake. But instead of a breathtaking view of nature, partial gloominess and silence can only be witnessed as the car drove through the thick forest. Due to the density of the tall trees, the sunlight was blocked even though it was still noon. At the end of that path, however, a pleasant and alluring environment that will captivate anyone can be spotted. The small cottage by the transparent lake that reflected the clear blue sky was surrounded by various beautiful colored flowers and plants. Some of them are used for decorations, but most of them are used for medicinal purposes.When the car reached the end of the forest path, there was a slightly steep slope that it has to go down to. Pete grabbed the car handle on his side as he firmly held Gucci to prevent him from moving. Tin, who was already firmly holding Can in place, held the car handle on his side. After going down, the car proceeded to follow the bumpy dirt road that leads to Pete's cottage.This place gave Tin a nostalgic feeling. It has been a long time since he last visited. He remembered that he would occasionally come here when he was a child under his father's order to befriend Pete. His father wanted him to have reliable allies, so he recommended Pete from the Diverse Spirit Clan. Initially, Tin would only interact with Pete to gain his trust. However, due to Pete's good-natured personality, he genuinely wanted to become friends with him eventually. The two would come here to play and train. This was a period of time which Tin truly cherished. When was the last time he came here? As soon as the car stopped next to the cottage, Pete opened the car's door and let Gucci out. "Tin bring him in and put him on the huge table inside." Pete went outside the car and ran immediately inside the small wooden cottage.Tin carefully took Can outside the car, still in a bridal carry style. The driver who was outside to assist him was ignored. Gucci, who was still happily smiling, followed his unconscious owner being carried inside by Tin.Inside the cottage, loud noises of items falling can be heard. "Tin, over here!"Pete removed the remaining items that were on the huge black table and dropped them on the floor to give room for Can.Tin slowly lifted Can and laid him down on the table. Pete then checked Can's current state once more. He was already in a critical condition. Can's face and entire body's color were turning pale. "He needs the spirit recovery potion right now, but it will take some time to prepare it!" Pete started panicking. The longer Can is deprived of spiritual energy, the worse his condition will become."I'll transfer my spiritual energy to him," Tin said."You'll what? Tin that's dangerous!" Pete warned.Transferring spiritual energy to someone is not an easy process. Just like blood transfusion, the person who is transferring spiritual energy must be compatible with the person who is receiving it. If they are not compatible in terms of spiritual energy level, then the receiver would reject the spiritual energy. In return, the donor will risk damaging his or her own body. Because of this, no one would dare risk it. The current safest way to transfer spiritual energy is through the spiritual energy recovery potions."We don't have much time." Tin who was next to Can started concentrating and collecting his spiritual energy from his body."But..." Pete looked at him with worry."Make the potion. The more that you stare, the more time you waste," Tin calmly demanded. Pete could only give up. Once Tin made up his mind, it would be impossible to change it. Pete rushed to the small kitchen with Gucci. He started gathering the necessary ingredients for the spirit recovery potion. Gucci, who seemed to know what Pete was creating, helped him gather the ingredients that were found around the kitchen.Meanwhile, Tin started controlling the concentrated spiritual energy from his body and formed a blue colored fiery orb on his calloused hands which illuminated the room that they were in. His orb has a deep shade of blue which meant that the concentration of spiritual energy is high. Tin then slowly released the spiritual energy from the orb and transferred it to Can's body. From the kitchen, Pete quickly glanced back worriedly at Tin and looked at his current situation. He was surprised and baffled when he saw that Can was slowly absorbing Tin's spiritual energy. There was no rejection at all! How could this be? In the first place, why would Tin, the ice prince who despises the B.S.G., risk his life to help Can, a beast summoner? Did something happen between the two? Is it the end of the world? Are they in a forbidden relationship?There were a lot of questions and scenes that were playing in his mind, but he pushed them aside. He would just ask Tin later. For now, he needs to concentrate on preparing the potion. He went back to the kitchen table and continued mixing the necessary ingredients in the small cauldron.After almost an hour of transferring spiritual energy, Can's color went back to its normal tone.During this time, Pete finished the concoction. He transferred the finished product into a small transparent flask from the cauldron. The flask slightly illuminated due to the light-blue liquid it contained."Tin, I'll take over. Thank you," Pete said as he grabbed the flask and stood next to Tin.Tin nodded and the still deep blue colored orb from his hands dissolved. A significant amount of his spiritual energy was used, so he was a little dizzy.Pete bent his body a little bit as he opened Can's mouth. As he poured the light-blue liquid from the flask into his mouth, Can's body instinctively absorbed the liquid.Pete rechecked Can's state. He was now in a normal state, but he caught a fever. Pete heaved a sigh as he wiped the sweat on his forehead. He was relieved that Can was out of danger."He is not in critical condition anymore, but he has a fever." Pete looked over Can's entire body that was covered in minor physical wounds and mud.
"Heal!"
With Pete's healing power, Can's wounds slowly disappeared. Pete's heal is only capable of removing external and internal wounds. Sickness such as fever, stomachache, headaches, and many others cannot be treated using this skill."We need to give him a quick warm bath to remove the mud but umm..." Pete looked down to hide his embarrassment.There was a momentary awkward silence after that."But what?" Tin narrowed his eyes as he broke the silence.Pete could only scratch his head and smile awkwardly. He was so embarrassed about giving an unconscious man a bath that he blushed just thinking about it. Tin figured out what Pete was imagining."I'll do it. I need to take a bath too," Tin indifferently said as he looked at his hands covered in mud."Are...are you sure?" Pete asked confusedly. He is even willing to give Can a bath? What is Can to him seriously? "You don't seem comfortable. Just give me spare towels and clothing for the both of us." Tin took him from the table and proceeded to go to the bathroom without any hesitation.Pete was speechless. His mouth opened from surprise as his gaze followed Tin's movements. Was this person the actual Tin whom he knew?Pete shook his head and removed the suspicious thoughts he had. He decided to go outside with Gucci and asked his driver to quickly drive them back to the mansion to get some spare towels and clothing for the two. He wondered if the two are going to be fine by themselves?Meanwhile in the bathroom, Tin laid Can in the simple porcelain enameled steel bathtub that is incidentally large enough to fit two people.Tin looked fixedly at Can's face. The little beast summoner has a more pleasant expression compared to earlier. Tin reached out with his right hand and gently wiped some of the mud off the boy's right cheek with his thumb. He then used the back of his right hand against the boy's forehead to check his temperature. It was above the normal body temperature.Tin unzipped Can's dirty sweater and tossed it to the corner of the bathroom. Next, he removed Can's shirt and his undershirt which then revealed the skinny light skin body that looked quite delicate and fragile. Compared to Tin's perfectly chiseled features and his toned built that God bestowed him, Can truly looked weak and required someone to protect him. It gave Tin the impression that the moment someone touched Can's smooth skin, it would leave him bruised. He proceeded to strip the rest of his clothes indifferently. He was not interested in observing another man who was completely naked and unconscious. Can is an enemy that is coincidentally a friend of Pete. He would not do this if it were not for Pete's sake. Tin turned the knob and let the warm water from the faucet fill the tub. He stripped away his clothes and threw them to the corner where Can's clothes were located then grabbed and poured the liquid soap in the tub. He then joined Can in the tub as the bubbles and white foam formed.He put a good amount of shampoo to his and Can's wet hairs and lathered up. With a loofah scrubber, he gently removed all the dirt from Can's face and the rest of his body. Afterwards, Tin scrubbed himself until there was no more dirt attached to his face and body. "Tin! I have the towels and some spare clothes. I'm just going to leave it in front of the bathroom door!" Pete left the items on the floor and went back to the kitchen with his newfound assistant, Gucci. He wanted to create more spirit recovery potions so that in the future if there was an emergency like today, he would be more prepared. After washing, Tin grabbed the spare clothes and towels. He took Can from the tub and made him somehow sit steadily in a chair that was in the bathroom. With a towel on his hand, he wiped the boy's face and the rest of his body until he was dry. He then did the same to himself. Afterwards, he put the spare clothes on Can, but they were a little long for him. He looked like a kid. When Tin wore the other spare clothes, they were a little short for him, but he did not care how ridiculous the two of them might appear and proceeded to dry both of their hairs with a hairdryer.Tin then carried the unconscious boy and went to the only available bedroom in the cottage. He laid him down in the bed and tucked him in with a blanket. He went outside the bedroom and looked for Pete.In the kitchen, white smoke from the small cauldron was emitted as Pete stirred the ingredients inside with a wooden ladle. Gucci who was observing him sensed the slight constant vibrations of the floor behind him. He looked back and saw the person he admires. He was still star-struck every time he meets him."Pete, I put him to bed. Do you have anything to help him bring down his fever?" Tin noticed the gelatinous beast staring at him intently. He was about to reach out to the beast, but he stopped himself when Pete moved to grab the potion from the kitchen table. "Here you go Tin, this will not only help him with his fever, but it will also help him get the nutrition that he needed. He wouldn't feel hungry for the rest of the day too." Pete handed the potion to Tin proudly since it was something he invented himself. "Thanks." Tin was about to go back to the bedroom when he was suddenly assaulted by Pete's questions about the incident."What happened back in the forest? Why was Can unconscious? What are you doing there in the first place?" Pete curiously asked.Tin paused for a moment and composed himself. He then faced Pete and started explaining what happened briefly but with enough details where he would not leave any suspicion. He mentioned everything to him except the part about the familiar and unfamiliar memories he witnessed.While the two were discussing the incident, sounds of hurried footsteps approached their direction.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(unedited)"Young master Pete! Young master Pete!" The discussion between Tin and Pete was interrupted as the driver shouted for his young master's name. The two childhood friends curiously looked at the driver's direction as they anticipated the message that he was going to deliver."What's the matter, Uncle You?" Pete asked.The driver who was a bit restless as he hurriedly approached his young master uttered "Your parents want to see you in the main house. I believe it has something to do with the missing son of the head family." "What did my parents say!? Did they find him!?" Pete asked impatiently as he held the wrinkly hands of his old driver with a smile on his face."They didn't say anything, young master." The old driver looked down while his lips trembled as he avoided his young master's anticipating gaze. He knew very well what happened to his missing friend, but he could not somehow reveal the truth to the child. Having served Pete's family for two generations and treating each member as his own, the old driver knew how devastating and heartbreaking it would be for Pete when he learned the truth. He did not want to see that smile on his young master's face to disappear.Tin, who saw the driver's concealed reaction, learned the truth immediately. "Go, Pete. I'll take care of Can." Tin said as he gave his friend a reassuring nod."Ok! Before I leave, make sure to give him his phone." Pete rushed towards the black table where Can laid before.While the young master was not looking, the old driver composed himself as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Thank you, young master Tin," the old driver said. Tin ignored the old driver's words as he waited for Pete's return.Even though Tin might have a cold personality, the old driver, who have interacted with different kinds of people during his lifetime, believed that he still has kindness within him when it comes to people whom he cared about. He witnessed that kindness today towards Pete and his friend. "Here you go." Pete handed the phone to Tin with a smile that was followed with anxious anticipation as he rubbed his hands together and made short quick breaths. The latter put the phone in one of the pockets of his borrowed black jeans.Seeing Pete with such expression on his face, Tin felt uncomfortable since he knew that his childhood friend would be met with false hope and ugly reality. How would he react or comfort him after knowing the truth?"Let's go, Uncle You." Pete walked hurriedly towards the door. The old driver, who was composed but still has uneasiness inside of him, followed his young master."I'll come back to check on you, Can, and Gucci," Pete continued before he closed the door and left with his driver.As the sound of the car engine running and wheels turning slowly faded away, Tin has decided that he would continue to protect Pete from anyone who would hurt him. Immediately, the thought of Ae caught the concerned youngster's mind. Knowing the worsening relationship between the E.A and B.S.G, if anything were to happen to that trash B.S.G heir, wouldn't it hurt Pete more deeply? He must act fast and separate the two of them as soon as possible."Kyuu!" Gucci who was silently observing the whole situation tugged Tin's jeans to get his attention.Tin looked down and saw that the little beast was tugging with its mouth. He quickly realized that the weak unconscious owner of the little beast needed to drink the potion.Gucci stopped pulling and happily jumped after being noticed. Tin seemed to know the beast's intention, so he held him with his left hand while holding the bottle of potion with his other hand. He then proceeded to walk towards the bedroom where Can was currently in.When he entered the room, he put Gucci next to his still unconscious master in bed. He stood next to Can and gently pulled the boy's lower jaw with his thumb pressed against the little one's soft lips which caused him to feel a quick odd sensation on his body. He ignored such feeling once again and proceeded to pour the medicinal liquid from the small bottle until to its last drop. After pouring the liquid and making sure that Can drank the whole thing, Tin checked his body temperature. Using the back of his right hand, he touched Can's forehead. Finally, his fever went down. From his pocket, Tin pulled out Can's phone. He was quite surprised to see that the beast summoner was still using an old flip phone. He quickly gazed at the unconscious boy and silently judged him. "What era did your master come from hm?" Tin sarcastically asked the little beast but was answered with silence.He flipped open the phone and tried to turn it on, but it was not working anymore. It seemed that it was damaged by the rainwater.Giving up willingly, he closed the phone and put it back next to the standing picture frame of Pete on the small table. He gazed one last time at Can and the little beast before he left the bedroom.As fatigue reached Tin from the fight and spirit energy transfer, he decided to lie down on the couch in the cottage's living room and immediately fell asleep.In the bedroom, Can, who was in his bed next to his sleeping beast, has been dreaming. Right now, he is dreaming of a small child who seemed to be around 4-5 years old and about to perform on a stage of a kindergarten school. The child looked very nervous. Before he performed, his father and mother who were with him were trying to encourage him."You can do this! I know you can do it!" the mother who was dressed in a beautiful blue dress said as she crouched.The father of the child, who was wearing a formal business attire, continued as he messed the boy's hair tenderly while also crouching,"Your mom's right! You can do this."The kid was still a little bit nervous as he looked at the crowd of parents waiting for his group's dance performance.His mother pressed her right hand to the area where her heart is located then pressed it gently against the child's chest."What does that mean?" the child asked confusedly."That means that I'm always here to support you, so it's going to be okay! I might not be with you physically, but you will always be in my heart," the mother answered in a cheering manner to the boy.The father did the same gesture as his smile grew more widely, "Just like what your mom said, I'm always here to support you, so it's going to be okay. I might not be with you physically, but you will always be in my heart."Finally, the child calmed down. "Thank you!" With a great sudden burst of enthusiasm, the child hugged both of his parents at the same time.The three looked so lively and happily together."I'm going now." The child took a deep breath and joined his group.Both of his parents cheered in unison without feeling embarrassed, "YOU CAN DO IT TIN! WE LOVE YOU!"That was Tin? He is way different from the current cold-hearted him. What happened? As he was comparing the current Tin and his younger version, Can was suddenly transferred to another scene. He was now in a street in the middle of nowhere. It was pitch-dark and raining heavily. Apart from the noise of intense droplets of rain hitting the ground, loud screams of struggling can be heard. As Can walked towards the direction of the scream, he saw a car that crashed into a light post that surprisingly still emitted light. He also saw a group of people wearing all-black clothing and masks dragging someone into a black van. The little beast summoner looked at the scene more closely and he was shocked to see that it was Tin's mom who was being dragged. She was heavily wounded all over her body: a sign that she fought fiercely against this group. As she struggled to break free from the people who held both of the upper parts of her arms, one of the people in black clothing threatened her, "If you don't want your precious family to be killed, you'll come with us!"The man started forming some kind of seal and before he could complete it, Tin's mom pleaded him to stop."I won't struggle anymore! Please don't harm my family," she said crying profusely as she surrendered.At that very same scene, Can saw two individuals who seemed to be inside of a breaking barrier. Those two were Tin as a child and his dad. "Don't give up! Crystal! Don't let them capture you!" Tin's father shouted crying as he struggled to maintain the protective barrier while holding his son against his body. Like Crystal, Tin's father was terribly beaten and heavily wounded. With all his remaining strength, Tin, who was bleeding from his head, called out to his mother one last time while trying hard to maintain his gradually losing consciousness, "Mom...P-please s-stay..." Tin's mother tried her best to stay strong for her family as she forced a smile but she miserably failed as her lips trembled forcefully on their own in despair. She could not gather the courage to say anything to her family because she did not want to say goodbye to them. It is just not possible at all. The only thing she could do as her husband and child looked at her in devastation and anticipation was to forcefully hold her shaking right hand against her heart and then redirect it towards the direction of her loved ones. This time, she was able to force a smile for them.Tin saw her mom's gesture and her trembling lips that were trying to form words. Even though he could not hear what she said, it was very clear what she meant.
"
I'm always here to support you, so it's going to be okay. I might not be with you physically, but you will always be in my heart..
."
That was the last scene that Tin saw of her mother before he lost consciousness.After the tragic scene, Can woke up. Tears have descended silently as he opened his eyes.He got up and thought about Tin as he wiped his tears. He must have gone through a lot of pain and he still probably goes through it today. It was also probably part of the reason why he acts the way he is now. Can wondered how he was able to see Tin's memories. He thought it must have been from the Despair Spell that was used against Tin. If one does not have full control of a contracted beast, spells or skills that were used by the beast could have side-effects. It was most likely the case with the Despair Spell. Some of Tin's memories were transferred to him.The little beast summoner suddenly felt something was wrong about his bedroom. He looked around the room, but it was pitch-black. With the assistance of the moonlight, he was able to sense the lampshade vaguely on a small table. As the lampshade lit the room when he turned it on, confusion followed Can's mind as he furrowed his brows. The clothing that he was wearing was different. He looked up and saw a wooden wall with little to no decoration. On the comfortable yet unfamiliar bed, he saw Gucci sleeping soundly. He continued to look at his surroundings and looked at the small table next to him. His old flip phone was sitting there next to a picture frame of Pete and his family."Pete helped me?" Can remembered that he contacted Pete before he went into the forest. He must have followed him after. Of course, he would never think that it was Tin who helped him. Even though he seemed to be really nice when he was a kid, the current Tin is a cold-hearted person. Suddenly, the little beast summoner remembered in his dream about the incident in the forest. He saw how the three malicious people in shadows tried to harm Tin. He figured out that the ice prince was just trying to defend himself from the three but was it necessary for him to kill all of them? Can shook his head. It does not hide the fact that he judged Tin without knowing the truth and caused him unnecessary trouble. It was just a good thing that he did not kill him for his impulsive and stupid actions. He wondered what that ice prince was doing right now. He thought that when he sees him next time, he would apologize and try to compensate him in some way.Can stood up and left the room to look for Pete. As he was walking aimlessly and looking at the decorations of the wooden walls of the unfamiliar environment that was lit by natural light coming from the transparent windows, he saw a huge lampshade that was illuminating a room. Like a curious moth, he went straight towards the source of the light. When he entered the living room, he immediately noticed a familiar figure lying on the couch. Why is he here? This is Pete's house, right?As the little beast summoner tried to comprehend his current situation, Tin was uttering words from his sleep as his brows frowned. He was having a nightmare of that incident."Mom...Please stay....."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(Unedited)"Mom...Please stay....."The moment Can heard that phrase, he knew what Tin was dreaming about.He cautiously approached the man on the couch and observed him. The lamp that lit the room helped him determine the current situation of Tin whose face was covered in sweat as it continued to squirm from left to right."Tin, wake up! Tin!" Can worriedly said as he gently shook Tin's body.The man who was lying on the couch suddenly woke up. Instinctively, he grabbed one of Can's arms firmly which made the boy flinch in surprise and pain. "Tin, it-it hurts..," Can said as he tried to free himself from the man's grasp.Still breathing heavily due to the nightmare, Tin immediately let go of Can's arm."Y-you were having a nightmare..so I..woke you up." The little beast summoner gently stroked the arm that was in stinging pain. It would likely leave a mark."..."Tin sat on the couch. He did not utter any words, but he only sighed heavily and covered his face with both of his hands as he tried to calm down."Did you have a dream about that incident?" Can asked suddenly.The moment he heard Can's word, he froze in shock. His heart suddenly sped up once again as he looked into Can's eyes with a questioning gaze."I-I saw parts of your memories," Can explained as he nervously avoided Tin's gaze."Enough!" Tin demanded. He does not want other people to talk or even know about his past since it will only remind him of the pain that he suffered. "I'm sorry, Tin." The little beast once again looked at him as he sincerely apologized."I don't need your pity," Tin quickly replied.Can tried to explain his situation as he stuttered, "It-It was my fault. I'm-I'm sorry for judging you. I wasn't thinking back then and be-because of me you remembered those painful mem- "Before Can could finish his sentence, Tin interrupted him as he furiously stated "Don't act like you know me just because you saw parts of my memories. Get lost!""I just want to fix my mistake," Can mumbled as he looked down. He felt that he just made Tin feel worse. This was all his fault. If only he did not mention the incident or fought him in the forest in the first place, he would not be in this uncomfortable situation.Tin immediately stood up and grabbed Can through his shirt."Fix your mistake? You can't! There's nothing you can do about it!"Tin started breathing heavily as his eyes reddened. The wall that he built so hard to hide his sorrow and tears were starting to crumble.Can looked into Tin's eyes where he could sense the sadness and pain within him.The little beast then suddenly remembered the gesture from Tin's memories. Still looking into the man's eyes, Can slowly and shakily moved his right hand against his heart. He then moved it against Tin's heart. Immediately, Tin recognized this gesture.
"
I'm always here to support you, so it's going to be okay. I might not be with you physically, but you will always be in my heart..
."
He looked at Can and immediately removed his grasp on his shirt. All of a sudden, the tears he was trying to conceal immediately fell. It has been a long time since someone did that kind of gesture. The last time that he saw it was the day her mom disappeared. He considers it very special since it is something that would always make him feel better afterwards. It reminded him that everything would be alright. It also reminded him of his happy family before that horrible incident. Can, who saw Tin crying in front of him, unconsciously hugged him. He could not help it since he can somehow see himself in Tin's position. Although it is strange to see the usual cold and aloof Tin being vulnerable, Can did not mind it at all. He thought that Tin really needed someone to support him at that time. Was he all alone when he deals with this kind of loneliness and pain?Tin gazed into Can's eyes that were full of sincerity and care as he felt the sudden warmth enveloped not only his body but also his heart which he has not experienced for a long time. After moments of realizing the position that they were in, Tin immediately pushed Can away from him. This new feeling of warmth and comfort that emerged from him because of the little beast summoner gave him a conflicted feeling. Although he did not want to part from that source of warmth, he felt that he should not let himself get too close. Tin turned around away from Can."Leave, Can....Please....leave me alone," Tin pleaded. Can was surprised that Tin would actually plead him to leave. He was more prepared if Tin decided to hurt him and he would not blame the youth if he did. Can was about to say something to Tin but he stopped himself. He decided that he will talk to him when the right moment comes. For now, he will let him be.The little beast summoner walked back to his room and lied down in his bed next to his sleeping beast. He grabbed his phone that was on the table after he turned on the lamp. As he was trying to turn on his phone to call Pete and his little sister, a little bit of water dripped from the side of his phone. At that very moment, he felt that he was in a life and death situation. He was hoping that what he was thinking about his precious phone was not true. Once again, he tried turning on his phone but to no avail."Not my phone," Can whispered in a troubled expression as he tried not to wake up Gucci.After a while of attempting to fix his old flip phone, Can gave up. He put it back on the small table and covered himself in a blanket before he lied in bed. "How will I be able to contact Pete? How should I deal with Tin?" he asked himself worriedly. As he was thinking of how he will solve his problems, he gradually fell asleep due to tiredness and comfort of the bed that he was in.Meanwhile in the living room, Tin finally calmed down. Even though it was the case, he still felt conflicted because of the incident and the budding new emotions towards Can.All of a sudden his phone rang. Tin put his thoughts of what happened tonight aside and took a deep breath. He grabbed his phone and accepted the call."Father."As the two talked, Tin's face suddenly turned serious. They were discussing Pete's missing friend who is now dead. According to the report his father received, the death of the missing person was not ordinary. His body was at the point where it looked like a dried plant. All that seemed to be left in the lifeless body was the horrendous and intense wrinkled skin and the bones. It seemed that someone took his life force out of him. The cause was still unknown and the culprits who were supposedly responsible escaped. "I want you to come to my office as soon as possible," Tin's father ordered."Yes, father," Tin said without any hesitation.The call ended. Tin stood up and tried to call Pete in order to let him know that he has to leave, but Pete did not answer. He tried again, but he failed, so he decided to text him. After texting, he looked towards the direction of the bedroom where Can was in and then left.As the morning sun came, Can instantly woke up. As he opened his eyes, Gucci's face was in front of him. It startled Can and made him fall from the bed."Gucci, don't scare me like that!""Kyuuh?" Gucci answered.A sudden knock followed by an opening door interrupted the two."Can, are you alright? I heard a loud thud in the room."It was Pete's driver who Can is familiar with."I'm okay Uncle You. I just got startled by Gucci," Can stood up with an embarrassed face."I'm glad you're okay," the old driver said as he heaved a sigh of relief."Where is Pete and uhmm...Tin?" Can awkwardly asked."Young master Pete couldn't join you at the moment because of some unfinished business. Young master Tin left last night.""Ohh, I see," the little beast summoner answered with disappointment on his face. He wanted to talk to Pete about Ae and to thank him for helping him. He also wanted to know how Tin was doing after what happened last night."Is there anything you'd like to tell young master Pete? I could deliver your message directly to him.""Uhh No, it's alright. I'll tell him when I see him. It's not really that important anyways." Can scratched his head as he smiled awkwardly.Ae's seclusion was meant to be kept a secret and only those who are quite close to Ae and his family could only know. If the wrong people heard this kind of information, it could disrupt the process of contracting the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins Beast. Can does not distrust Uncle You, but he cannot risk leaking this sensitive information to others senselessly. Pete is someone who is quite special to Ae and so he ought to know this information."I understand." The driver sensed that Can's message was personal and so he did not pry anymore."I made breakfast. After you eat, I'll personally drive you home.""You didn't have to do that Uncle You, I'm okay," Can said, but at that very moment, his stomach grumbled which betrayed his initial words."I also have some beast food for Gucci. I'll see you in the dining area next to the kitchen." The old driver nodded at Can and then left the two."Thank you," Can said as he touched his tummy. His face was red as a tomato from the embarrassment.The little beast summoner calmed himself before he proceeded to take Gucci to the dining room. After eating, Can went back to the bedroom and took his old flip phone. When he came back to the dining room, the old driver handed back his uniform.Can suddenly wondered who took off his clothes and helped him clean but he did not ask because it was too embarrassing.Can held Gucci and his uniform. "Uncle You, thank you for your help. I'm sorry for troubling you and Pete. I really owe you a lot this time. I'll return the clothes as soon as I can after I wash them."The old driver nodded. "I have no problem helping those people who are in need. I'm quite sure It would be the same with young master Pete. Also, you should not forget about young master Tin. He was the one who actually saved your life. He was also the one who helped you clean and change.""Tin did what?" Can asked in disbelief. Did he hear him correctly? Tin was the one who saved his life and the one who cleaned him?As the old driver continued to explain to Can the events that happened yesterday when he was unconscious, Can's eyes and mouth gradually widened. He was truly speechless. All this time he thought the one who saved him was Pete. He really misjudged Tin. That guy is really confusing and unpredictable.After the driver explained the whole event yesterday, Can knows that he basically owes Tin his life. How the heck is he supposed to repay him now!
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(unedited)"CANTALOUPE! Where were you yesterday?! Why weren't you answering your phone?" Ley asked as she examined her brother while her arms crossed. She has been trying to text and call Can since the afternoon of yesterday, but he never answered. She had to cover him from their mother when she asked about his whereabouts."I was with a friend studying for an exam. My phone died and I forgot my charger....mom," Can said as he tried to act normal while being sarcastic. Knowing that his sister likes to pry on other people's business, he had to act like the incident yesterday didn't happen."Is that so...." Ley said as her brows furrowed as she approached her older brother.She noticed his brother's brand new and expensive clothing that seemed to be a bit long for his size. She then noticed one of Can's wrist that seemed to be bruised. As a fujoshi, only one thing came to her mind as she tried to connect the dots and it made her heart race.Her eyes and mouth widened from the sudden conclusion of her imagination as astonishment took over."Ca-Can, I didn't know you were in that kind of relationship, I'm sorry..." Ley said as she hugged her brother."Wha-what are you talking about?" Can confusedly asked as he let go Gucci and his uniform from his grasp.The little beast summoner then pulled away from his sister's hug.Ley patted her older brother's shoulder to give him a sort of encouragement and support, "You don't have to hide it from me, Can. I understand."Can just furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at her sister."You went to your sugar daddy am I right? You wanted new and expensive things since you didn't want to burden our caring and loving mother and borrow money from me. That bruise on your wrist, I'm pretty sure your sugar daddy is a sadistic person. Just thinking about-"Before Ley could even finish her dramatic narration, Can covered her mouth with both of his hands as his face reddened from the embarrassment.Can looked at her sister saying, "LEY! Stop imagining things! It wasn't like that at all. I went to Pete's house with some friends. I fell on a muddy ground on the way there. Pete helped me and he was nice enough to let me borrow some of his clothes. I was playing with Gucci on my way back and I accidentally hit my wrist that's why it got bruised! Stop saying nonsense already!"Lay suddenly lost the spark in her eyes and interest in his brother's business."Ohh..You should've told me earlier that you were with Pete. What a waste of time," Ley said as she clicked her tongue."YOU!!""Anyways, Techno texted me this morning and asked me about you. He wants to know if you want to go train with him and the others. Aren't you stuck at Orange Grade Mid-Level? You should take this opportunity to level up to Gray High Level. The competition is in less than two weeks you know.""O-okay. I'll meet them later since I'm going to the university before noon. Thanks, Ley.""Yeah, yeah. By the way, you owe me since I covered for you yesterday," Ley said as she went upstairs."Huh? O-okay." Can could only sigh. He was thankful that his little sister didn't make their mother worry about him, but now he owes her once more.The little beast summoner went straight to the bathroom to take a bath and change. Afterwards, he went back to his own bedroom. As he closed the door, he immediately checked his spiritual energy level and was shocked at what he found. His spiritual energy didn't only completely recovered, but it seemed that the capacity of holding this energy expanded."I broke through the Higher Level!?"===========In the main office of the E.A building, Tin, his father, and other powerful members of the group were going to have an emergency meeting.After the call from his father yesterday, Tin went back to the office as soon as possible, but he was unable to meet him until now. He was told by his father's secretary that they would talk during the emergency meeting. All the important people who were sitting at the oval table were gathered and seemed to be clueless about the contents of the emergency meeting. Tin, who was the youngest in the room, was sitting at the very back of the oval table by himself. He felt something was off.The chattering of the members ended when Tin's father entered the room. The sudden silence and the pressure of the atmosphere took an immediate effect. Without any kind of greeting, Tin's father went straight to the topic of discussion, "Everyone, at this very moment, it seemed that our fate towards destruction is inevitable."Everyone looked at each other confused. Destruction? Tin looked at his father's appearance and actions. He looked worse and seemed to be more paranoid than before. His dark circles under his eyes worsened. He was shaking and he would constantly look at his surrounding as if trying to be vigilant. What happened to his father? He looked more like a madman.Before anyone could say anything, Tin's father continued as both of his hands formed into fists." B.S.G is plotting to destroy us all! I hope all of you are aware about the death of the missing son of the Diverse Spirit Clan's head? The life force of that person was taken. Similar cases happened several years ago.""What does this have to do with our destruction?" one of the elders who has a respectable aura and dignified status said with seriousness."I firmly believe that they are trying to summon the beast that united everyone."Immediately, one of the elders with short temper spoke in anger, "What kind of joke is this!? The beast that united everyone? Are you out of your mind, Tri!?"Another elder stood up and hit the table, "Is this what your emergency meeting is about!? A discussion about some children's book!?"The so-called beast that united everyone that was the topic of the meeting is a children's picture book titled Gloom Under Night by a renowned author who is now dead.In the story, there was a beast who ruled over the other beasts in their realm. This mythic beast is called Gloom Under Night by the author. In the story, Gloom Under Night traveled in the human world when it heard a voice of a beast pleading for help. Since Gloom Under Night is a benevolent being, he listened to the wish of the beast and left the dimension it ruled. A beast that travels to another dimension without any assistance from the dimension it is going to travel to is dangerous since it would require a tremendous amount of power. Yet, the selfless Gloom Under Night did not let this stop him from helping the beast in need. As it successfully traveled the other dimension, he immediately started searching for the beast. While navigating, he witnessed the horrible situation of that new world. There he saw pure devastation, death, sorrow, and senseless war. He wanted to get out of that horrible place as soon as possible, but he needed to help the beast that asked for his help. When he finally found the source of the voice in a mysterious cave, he was ambushed by the people who harnessed magical powers: the Beast Summoners. It was certainly a trap. There was no beast to be found in the cave. It was just him and those people. Since he was still recovering his powers at that time, he was weak so he was immediately caught. The group of high-level beast summoners, after countless attempts of forming a contract, eventually made Gloom Under Night under their control. As the most powerful beast, it required five high-level beast summoners to at least summon and control it. At this point of time, Gloom Under Night was still recovering his power. With the new harnessed weapon, the balance of power fell and the upper hand was gained by B.S.G. As the war between E.A and B.S.G intensified, the clashes between the two groups were easily won by the latter. Although this was the case, there was a crucial detail about the Gloom Under Night that no one knew. The king of the beasts can absorb not only the power of those he killed, but also their thoughts. So as he steadily gained more power, his mind of purity and kindness was replaced with sorrow, hatred, and suffering. Eventually, Gloom Under Night was able to recover all of his power, so he was able to easily destroy the forced contract. With his now corrupted mind, he started wreaking havoc to the entire human population with only one thing in his mind: the destruction of this world. Due to this, E.A , B.S.G and their respective allies joined together to destroy the powerful beast. In the end, they were unable to destroy the beast, so they sealed him to a hidden place. After the beast was sealed, peace also ensued but not for long."This threat is real. I don't have proof right now but I assure you-""Enough!"The elder who talked right now was the one who has opposed Tin's father since the beginning of his leadership. As Tin's grandfather's trusted friend and the one who helped forge the peace treaty with B.S.G, he didn't like Tri's decisions. Yet, he could not oppose him since he is too powerful and most of the people in the room have the same perception as him. Now, it seemed to be the perfect opportunity to oppose him and gather allies."Are you hearing yourself hm?" the elder continued.He then looked at everyone."Is this the kind of person who you want to lead our group!? THE ONE WHO WILL LEAD US TO DESTRUCTION IS NOT FROM SOME KIND OF FICTION. YOU! YOU ARE THE ONE WHO WILL LEAD US TO OUR DOWNFALL!" He shouted angrily as he pointed at Tin's father.Tri looked at the elder with a threatening gaze. "Watch your tone elder.""You think I'm scared of you? From the very start, I knew you should've not been the leader of this group. You don't really care about the well-being and the future of E.A, you only cared about revenge for what happened to your wife!""Don't you dare include her into this discussion." Tri gritted his teeth."You have been blaming B.S.G for your wife's disappearance. Even though you have no evidence and your father, who died, trying to stop your ridiculous actions, you didn't listen. Now, you are doing the same thing again! Your selfish actions for the sake of revenge will be the end of us all. I'm done listening to you!""I WILL KILL YOU!" Tri quickly formed a fireball on his right hand.
"Restrain"
The elder who is considered the closest ally of Tri used the restrain spell to stop him from using his powers."I'm not confident about our leader's capability to rule anymore, " the elder who used the restrained spell spoke as he avoided looking at Tri."TRAITOR!!!" Tin's father tried to break the restraining spell but one by one the other elders of the group started casting another form of restraining spell.The allies who were closest to Tri seemed to be changing their attitudes toward him. Even Tin himself was not sure if he believed his father's story."I will kill all of you!" Due to the amount of restrain spell cast on him, Tri was on his knees unable to stand. He looked around and saw his son staring at him.He begged to his son, "TIN, MY SON! HELP ME KILL THOSE TRAITORS!!! TIN! WE HAVE TO AVENGE YOUR MOTHER! WE HAVE TO DESTROY B.S.G!"For the first time after his wife's disappearance, Tri called Tin his son. Tin looked into his father's furious eyes and his current pitiful situation. He felt that he was the one being betrayed. After all these years, he only called him son when it seemed convenient for him. Was he only needed when he wanted something related to his mother? Should he even believe his words anymore?Why did it have to end up like this, Father? You were not like this before. In the beginning, you were a doting and loving father. You just became different after mother disappeared. You became cold, aloof, and constantly angry. You never showed any affection or care towards me. Am I not your family too? Didn't I exist too? It is as if you just disappeared like mother. It is as if you abandoned me. All the elders looked at Tin. With the pressure and conflicted feelings, Tin, who has been frozen since the beginning of the meeting, did not know what to do. With his father's madman behavior and all the elders' united opposition, Tin seemed to be stuck. If he helped his father escape, then nothing good will come out of it. If he doesn't help, his father would feel betrayed.Tin's hands formed into knuckles as they shook under the table.
"Restrain"
Although it was hard for him to betray his father, it seemed to be the only logical solution for the both of them.All the elders nodded and were proud of Tin's actions. It must be hard for him to turn away from his father, but it was a necessary action.Tri was speechless as he looked on the ground. Of all people, his son decided to betray him. Why?"The important members of this group have unanimously decided to remove Tri as the leader of E.A. In addition, to prevent him from creating any kind of disturbance in the future, I wished to put Tri in a maximum high-level prison while being tried. I also wish to continuously restrain his powers and any contacts from the outside of that prison even his son."One by one, all the elders agreed. Tri was taken away by a group of security called by the elders. Tin could only be patient as the elders continued their meeting. He didn't know if he made the right decision. He is confused and unsure of what to do next. He never questioned or defied his father's actions before.The elder who was closest to Tin saw the young one's expression. "You made the right choice. Your grandfather would be really proud of you for making the right choice, young master Tin." Tin could only nod at him.The elder who vehemently opposed Tin's father spoke."I know everyone seemed to be lost now that the leader is gone and I'm also aware that everyone wants to know the direction of the path that this group will take. I'd like everyone to be at ease because we will discuss our current situation at this very moment. Shall we proceed?" Everyone nodded except for Tin who was thinking about the family he just lost.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(unedited)More than a week has passed and the annual Beast Summoner Guild Ranking Competition is within three days. There was a lot of development between the relationship of E.A and B.S.G this past week. After Tin's father was overthrown, which was kept a secret to the public, the new administration has reached an agreement and decided to fix its strained relationship with the other major faction. Since Tin has still not met the requirements to lead E.A. and his future position was still being scrutinized, he was excluded from taking part in the decision-making of the new administration which consists of the elders.Now that the new administration was sincerely committed to continuous peace with B.S.G, the elders have tasked Tin to connect more to the people of the other major faction in L.B.C campus. By allowing Tin who is the image of E.A. interact more with B.S.G students, the rumor about the peace treaty being called off and the tension between the two factions could gradually go away. Tin could only agree with the new administration's wishes since his hands were tied. He does not have any powerful allies on his side so if he defies the elders, his position as the future heir would be jeopardized and he might be put to prison with his father. Right now, he could only earn their trust and do whatever they want. After the incident with his father's imprisonment, Tin became more reluctant. That day where his father seemed to finally lose his mind caused Tin to question his own actions.He realized that he lived most of his life where his world only revolved on his father's orders. He would obey his wishes and he would never question him since he thought that it was the right thing to do. There were only the two of them who were left in the family so he thought that they had to protect one another, but it seemed that it was not the case with his father. He mostly cared about avenging mother and nothing else. This gradually caused him to be consumed by hatred where he was unable to get out. How can Tin not see this? He thought that he should have done something for his father, so this unfortunate situation would not happen. He felt useless. It was similar to when he was unable to do something to take his mother back. Now, Tin was determined to find the truth and solve the case that plagued him and his family. He decided that he would investigate the incident regarding his mother's disappearance and not avoid it anymore."Tin, let's go and join Ae for lunch," Pete said with a smile as he tapped Tin's shoulder.Tin nodded as he picked up his notebook from the table and put it back in his small leather briefcase. He then stood up and followed the boy who was already being hugged by that trashy Ae next to the door.Last week, the heir of B.S.G finally showed up from seclusion after finally contracting the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins Beasts. The first thing that he did after seclusion was to contact Pete. When the two talked, Ae realized that there was a lot of things that he missed after his almost two weeks of disappearance. Knowing how overwhelming and devastating it must have been for Pete, Ae immediately went to his side to comfort him and apologized for not being with him. Pete understood Ae's situation and he knew it must also have been hard for him too. Can already mentioned to Pete the situation regarding Ae when they met a few days before Ae's reappearance. Even though he was still in grief due to the death of his friend, Pete was much calmer after Ae showed up. Since Tin was tasked to act more friendly towards B.S.G students as part of the propaganda and pursuit for peace between the two groups, he decided to tag along with Pete and Ae. Although he was still a little repulsed with B.S.G due to his father's remaining influence on him, he couldn't ignore the elders' orders. Because he didn't want to interact with just random beast summoners on campus, he chose to go with Ae since Pete seemed to trust him a lot. Besides, this was also a good move since if the students see the two future heirs of the two major factions being together, it will have a great positive perception on the relationship between the two groups. He would be able to achieve his goal without interacting with a lot of people. Both Pete and Ae wanted peace and knowing what happened with the recent changes in E.A.'s leadership, they could only agree with Tin even though Ae was still skeptical about him. Pete was optimistic since this can be a great opportunity for his childhood friend to know more about the person he loved and hopefully they could become good friends in the near future.After just one day of seeing the three together eating in the food court of the campus, there was a lot of amusement and confusion from the students. They could not imagine that the two opposing faction leaders on campus are seating and eating together on the same table. Aren't they supposedly enemies? As days passed by and seeing the same scene again, the rumors surrounding the peace treaty being called off and the small aggression between the two factions on campus vanished gradually. If these two future heirs of their own respective factions are actually friends then why would their followers not follow them? Within a week, the results of Tin just sitting down with Ae had a tremendous effect on the students. There were no reported fights between the members of two factions within the campus. Some beast summoners will be seen happily hanging out with other elementalists. Overall, the campus was quite peaceful and harmonious.After arriving at the food court and ordering some food, Tin followed the same routine that he had done this whole week when he goes with Ae and Pete for lunch. He would go and find seats for the three of them somewhere in the middle of the food court where a lot of students would see them. Ae would seat across Tin and Pete would seat next to Ae. From the point of view of a student, the interaction between the three seemed to be a glorious and wonderful event, but for the three, it was not the case. The three felt awkward when a lot of people were staring at them, but they tried to ignore the stares and acted naturally. Ae would do his own usual thing where he tries to spoil and tease Pete by being sweet. He would put his arms around Pete's waist and then he would whisper naughty things to his lover. Pete would blush immediately and would try to shove Ae's face lightly away from him. Ae would also feed him with his own spoon and give him a light peck on the cheeks without feeling any shame. (a/n: Now I feel jealous....)The couple would do this every single day in the food court as if they are in their own world. Of course, Tin felt uncomfortable and angry. Although he did not care that he was ignored by the two at times, he did not like them being too intimate in public. The more that he interacted with them, the more Tin hated Ae.Tin realized that when Pete was with Ae, the fair-skinned boy would have this kind of spark in his eyes and radiant smile that he never showed to him when he tried to comfort him during Ae's absence. Pete looked at Ae as if he is the only one that matters to him. At that moment, Tin knew that it was already impossible to break up the two. He hated it. How can this trashy beast summoner make Pete act this way? How can he be this happy being with him? What is so special about him? The more that he compared himself to Ae, the angrier he got. Yet he realized that he was not angry because the two of them are together. He was angry because he realized that he was actually jealous and alone. He was jealous of their happiness and it pains him. With all the things that happened to him, he felt quite lonely, but he never revealed his real emotions to anyone. The atmosphere that he was in and the mixture of emotions that plagued him were starting to suffocate him slowly.Finally, he stood up from his seat and excused himself from the two. "I'm leaving," Tin said without looking back.Before Pete could say anything, Tin already walked away. The couple could only look at the ice prince in confusion.After leaving the two, Tin immediately heaved a huge sigh as he entered the Transfiguration building. He composed himself as he proceeded to walk towards the parking lot. As he stood next to his luxurious Mercedes-Benz Maybach Exelero, he heard slow footsteps approaching behind him."Umm..Erm..Tin....."Tin's heart immediately skipped a beat. He looked behind him and saw the little beast summoner who was nervously biting his lips as he looked at him. The elementalist was immediately frozen. He thought that Can would never approach him again after telling him to leave him alone. He did not know how to react at that moment. It has been a while since he saw him."..."The little beast summoner took a deep breath as he looked at Tin in the eyes. He wanted to talk to him about many things, but especially about his life being saved by him. He would try to look for Tin around the campus but he would always miss at finding him. Now that he finally found him, he became restless and nervous."Thank you for saving my life," Can said as he fidgeted still maintaining eye contact."I'm really sorry for what I did back then in the forest. I should've not judged you immediately. My mind became clouded and attacked you," he continued.Tin did not feel annoyed at the little beast summoner. He actually felt light. A pleasant feeling coming from just looking at Can's nervous but sincere behavior filled him. His voice somehow helped soothe the pain and loneliness that he has been feeling. It does not feel bad seeing him. It felt right. He wondered what made him feel this way. Was it because Can knew the hardships that he has been through? Was it because he understood what he was feeling? Was it his sincerity? Even though Tin pushed him away, Can somehow managed to come back.At that moment something clicked in the young elementalist's mind."I don't really know how I can repay you. I don't have the money and it looks like you don't even need my money. Bu-but if there's anything that I can do for you, I'll do it! No matter how hard it is! I-I'll do it," Can said with confidence."Accompany me," Tin said as he maintained the indifference in his face although deep inside he was slightly happy from the anticipation."Huh? Erm right now?" Can asked in surprise."Tomorrow.""Where? What time?" Can mumbled.The elementalist chuckled as he approached the little beast summoner. How surprising that this boy in front of him managed to make him chuckle. He grabbed his phone and said, "Give me your phone number.""I-I can't" Can said as he scratched his head."I thought you'd do anything I say?" Tin asked as he moved his face closer to the nervous boy in order to tease him. Can slowly moved backwards. "I-I don't have my phone."Tin furrowed his brows. It has been a week. Can should've replaced that old flip phone of his by now."You still haven't replaced your damaged old flip phone?""No, not yet. I didn't have time. Wait, how did you-" "Give me your home address.""Huh? Why?" Can asked as he grabbed Tin's expensive iPhone and typed his address anyways.After typing, Tin took it back and saved the address."I'll pick you up tomorrow at 9 a.m. We're going to the mall," Tin answered as he went back inside his car."O-ok" Can nodded since he could not really say no to his savior."Don't be late," Tin said before he left."Tomorrow is my only rest day though....." he complained, but he could only cry in vain while Tin's car smoothly fades into the distance as the owner smirks.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(unedited)"CANTALOUPE! CANTALOUPE! WAKE UP" Ley shouted as she shook Can's body."Hmm...Ley, it's so early in the morning, what do you want?" Can, who was still in his bed, grumpily asked as he tried to go back to sleep."TIN IS HERE!! HE HAS BEEN WAITING FOR YOU FOR ABOUT AN HOUR ALREADY!!!" Ley said as she pulled the blanket away from Can."Hmmm......TIN!? HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT TIN!?" The little beast summoner suddenly realized about his meeting with Tin. He quickly got out of bed and looked at the alarm clock on the table next to his bed. It was 10:15 A.M.Can's eyes widened as he said "SHIA!""Mom saw a fancy car in front of our house while cleaning outside. She then saw the heir of E.A. standing next to his car waiting. Mom talked to him then invited him in. She then asked me to wake you up. You are in big trouble," Ley explained.Can immediately fixed his bed. The little beast summoner forgot that he was meeting Tin today, which is a Saturday, in the morning at 9 a.m. in front of his house. Yesterday, after his last class, Can joined Techno and Kengkla to Techno's specialized training ground to practice for the upcoming beast summoner guild ranking competition on Monday. They finished practicing late at night, so when Can got home by himself, he went straight to bed and slept. The meet-up that he was going to have the next day with Tin was forgotten due to extreme exhaustion from training. Now, he is panicking because he does not know what the ice prince will do to him for being late. Ley grabbed one of his older brother's arms as she asked,"Cantaloupe tell me the truth! were you lying to me last time about your sugar daddy? It was Tin right!? I knew it! You couldn't tell me because your sugar daddy is the heir of E.A! I understand it very well! I assure-"Can covered his sister's mouth with his hand to stop her from blabbering nonsense due to her imaginative mind."LEY! I already told you that I don't have a sugar daddy. Stop it already!!" Can demanded as he continued to panic."Why is Tin friends with YOU then? I mean isn't he the so-called aloof ice prince in your university? How can a powerful, influential, charismatic, and handsome young man be your friend?""We're not friends!" Can denied as he immediately went downstairs to explain to Tin his situation."WAIT CANTALOUPE!! I still have questions," Ley said, but she could only sigh in disappointment after Can already dashed downstairs. She knew something was up between the two. There must be! Her fujoshi senses are always on point. She will figure out sooner or later about the relationship between the two. As soon as Can came downstairs, he heard laughter in the dining room. When he entered the dining room, he saw his mom laughing while talking to Tin as they sat down at the table. Tin, who was wearing a fancy blue denim jacket with a gray shirt and black pants, was smiling and talking in such a friendly way to his mother. What is happening? What are they talking about? Why is my mom laughing? Why is Tin smiling? Her mom then spotted his son who was contemplating and looking awkwardly at her and the well-known visitor."There he is! CANTALOUPE!!! C'mere you irresponsible kid!" her mom said as she put an ominous fake smile and performed the come-here gesture to him. Tin took note of Can's real name the moment Mrs. Rathavit called her son.Can looked at her mom in a frightened manner. He knew that he was in trouble. He then gazed at Tin who had a smirk on his face as if expecting some good show to happen. The little beast summoner, who was wearing an oversized white shirt and black shorts, looked back at his mother. He cautiously and slowly approached her knowing very well what she was going to do to him."CANTALOUPE! Hurry up! Don't be so slow!" His mother finally lost her patience. Can immediately walked towards her and after standing next to her, his left ear was suddenly pulled with great force."Why did you let Tin wait outside for more than an hour hm!? You promised to meet him outside at 9 a.m.! How can you let such an important friend wait! If I wasn't outside, then he would've probably waited longer!" Can flinched from the pain. "Ma! It hurts! I'm sorry. I forgot! I was training yesterday and when I came home last night I was too tired. I'm sorry for forgetting," Can apologized to her mother as he tried to pull away from his mother's pinches and pulling, but he was unsuccessful.When Can looked at Tin's direction, he saw that the latter was silently chuckling. It was the first time seeing this kind of expression from the ice prince. Although it was pleasant to see that he was finally laughing after knowing that he went through difficulties in the past, Can was the one who was suffering in return. Damn you Tin for laughing!"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to this gentleman now or I will remove your left ear," Can's mother demanded."But Ma! I said I for-ouch!" Before Can could finish his excuse, his mother pinched his left ear harder."I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Tin. I won't do it again. Please forgive me!" Can said as he pleaded to Tin while still dealing with the agonizing pain.Tin just stared at Can. He was amused at the scene that he was witnessing. After a few seconds, he finally said something."It's okay now Mrs. Rathavit. It's not actually a big deal for me. I forgive your son," Tin said with a smile on his face which looked like an angel's smile. It immediately made Can a little uncomfortable. It looked more of a devil's smile more than anything."You are so nice, Tin! I'm really sorry about my son. See this Cantaloupe? This is the type of guy you should look up to," Can's mother said while admiring Tin as she finally let go of Can's reddening left ear.Can caressed his pitiful left ear. Although he wanted to complain, he could not do it since it was his fault to begin with. Still, he felt really embarrassed because he was scolded by his mother in front of Tin. Of all the people, it had to be him. How unlucky!Ley, who was standing by the entrance of the dining room, saw the entire scene. She just snickered after seeing his brother suffer in the hands of their mom. Can heard his sister's snickering behind him. He looked at her unhappily. You betrayer!All of a sudden, Can's stomach grumbled. He was already embarrassed by the event earlier. Now, he is way more embarrassed. Why am I so unlucky today?"Can, you are really shameless," Ley said as she laughed harder. She was unable to hide her laughter anymore. Can's face turned red like a tomato.Mrs. Rathavit suddenly felt a little bad about her son. She thought that she overdid it. She knew that her son was working really hard this past week to train for the upcoming beast summoner guild ranking competition. The two of them had an argument before when she learned that he was joining the competition, but she immediately realized that she had been way too harsh at controlling Can. Her method of protecting Can seemed to harm him more. In the end, she eventually decided that she should not stop Can from doing the things he wanted to do. "How about this? I'll make breakfast for everyone? You haven't eaten yet right, Tin? How about eating breakfast with us before you guys go?" Can's mother happily suggested as she looked at Tin in anticipation.Can and Ley looked at one another anxiously. They know how horrible of a cook their mom is. After their father died, their mother took over to cook for them. The two siblings would usually pretend to like the food that she makes so they would not hurt her feelings. Eventually, they had enough and Can took the initiative to learn how to cook for the family. As years passed by, he became really good at cooking."If it's not too troublesome for you Mrs. Rathavit and your family, I wouldn't mind having breakfast with you," Tin politely asked as he maintained his angelic smile."Wait! Ma! How about this, as an apology, make Can cook our breakfast," Ley gazed at Can as she nodded at him to let him know that he has no choice. Can, of course, could not let their mother make food as much as possible or they will have to go through inescapable torture. He can only agree with Ley's plan.Tin seemed to witness the siblings' gestures to one another as they communicated and cooperated."Ley is right! I'll cook breakfast for us as a form of apology!" Can said with a cheerful smile on his face as he tried to persuade his mother."But how about your trip to the mall with Tin? If you cook then you will waste more time. You still need to change too," Mrs. Rathavit asked."No, Tin won't mind. Right Tin?" Can said as he looked at Tin nervously. The young elementalist could sense Can's worried expression and his urgent request for approval. Tin could only smile at him."I wouldn't mind waiting a little bit more."Can and Ley quickly sighed in relief. "Alright, then it's decided! Can will cook our breakfast!" Ley said happily. She is happy because she won't suffer from her mother's awful cooking. She loves her mother, but she had enough of her food."Not so fast! I'll help out to make the process faster," the siblings' mother said gleefully and confidently as she stood up from her seat."Oh no," Can and Ley both told themselves.Can and his mother started preparing breakfast, but it was mostly Can who cooked the food. Ley who joined them eventually was mainly distracting their mother so she would not be able to cook. Tin who was sitting down observed the family cooking breakfast. They were laughing, bickering, and talking non-stop to one another as they prepared breakfast. Overall, they are a simple but loving family. There was a really warm atmosphere in this household and Tin felt that warmth. How he wished he had a family like his. After 30 minutes, the Rathavit family finished cooking breakfast or to be exact, Can finally finished preparing the food. He prepared an avocado toast with fried egg, ham and cheese hot pocket, omelet waffle, pancakes. They seemed to be a lot but since Tin is here, Can thought it should be enough for everyone. He wondered if a rich person like him would like simple food that he prepared. He hoped he would not complain about the taste.Tin was a little surprised that Can could actually cook. When he looked at the food in front of him, he was amazed that for the first time, they truly looked appetizing to him. The maid at his mansion would cook sophisticated dishes, but all of them were tasteless."Let's eat Tin," Mrs. Rathavit said as she smiled. Tin nodded. He slowly grabbed the plate of avocado toast fried egg and put a piece on his plate. He then proceeded to take a bite of the toast.Can, Ley, and their mother both looked at Tin in anticipation. They hoped that Tin would like the taste. When they saw Tin took a bite of Can's toast, their breathing stopped for a bit. After seeing that the heir of E.A. did not throw up from a commoner's food and has a pleasant expression on his face, Can and his family were relieved."Try Can's special ham and cheese hot pocket! It's pretty good," Mrs. Rathavit said as she put a piece on Tin's plate. Can who was eating got embarrassed all of a sudden. Tin looked at Can's embarrassed expression; He immediately smiled. He grabbed a piece of Can's specialty and its aroma made Tin raised his brows. It smelled really good. He then proceeded to take a bite out of it. It was truly delicious. After finishing the hot pocket on his hand, he grabbed another one. He grabbed and ate until none were left on the plate. After realizing that there were none of Can's ham and cheese hot pockets, Tin became a little disappointed. He did not realize that when he was eating and grabbing another hot pocket repeatedly earlier, Can and the other members of his family were stunned. He really liked Can's food!"I-I can make more if you want," Can shyly said. When Tin saw that his family was staring at him happily, he finally noticed that he ate all of the hot pockets on the table."It's okay," Tin said although he did want to eat more. He never had such tasteful yet simple dish for such a long time."Now, now don't be embarrassed! When you come next time, I'll make sure that Can makes more for you," Mrs. Rathavit said."Right!" Ley continued.Tin could only smile and nod. Can, his family, and Tin continued their meal while talking. Can's family would always include Tin to their conversation in order to make him feel like he is part of their family. The young elementalist did not mind joining the conversation and would occasionally chuckle. He truly felt welcomed in the family even though they only met them that morning. He was glad that Can woke up late today. After some observation, Can acknowledged that Tin could actually converse normally and be friendly with other people. If this was the case, Can could still be friends with him, right?
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(unedited)After breakfast, Can's mother asked her son to quickly change. Not wanting her mother to get angry and pull his ear once again, Can did not bother complaining. He immediately nodded and went upstairs to change clothes. His sister took the plates from the dining table and washed them while their mother continued to talk with their honored guest."I still can't believe that you guys are friends. That son of mine would always surround himself with his beasts most of the time and disregard people," Mrs. Rathavit said as she chuckled while shaking her head in disbelief."How did you two meet?" she curiously asked. Ley who was washing the dishes immediately paid attention to their conversation.Tin, all of a sudden, had a flashback of the first encounter that he had with the little beast summoner in the Transfiguration Building. He remembered Can's pouting lips as he raised his head to look at him in an intimidating manner. The little beast summoner thought that he was going to kill that little red jelly beast of his even though he was not really planning to. It was definitely an amusing scene. Now that Tin thought about it, he actually finds Can rather cute when he got angry. Back then he was still unsure and indifferent towards Can, but now it is different. As the two of them interacted more, Tin somehow gets more attached to him and cannot get rid of thinking about him. With his feelings becoming more certain towards Can, he has decided to do things to keep him by his side."I met him by accident at the university. I was walking back to the parking lot then all of a sudden a jelly beast jumped in front of me. It seemed that the beast was lost because the owner was not around. Soon after Can came and saw me with his beast. The rest was history," Tin said smiling while leaving out some details regarding the confrontation."Ohh that's Gucci!" Ley shouted as she interrupted the two. Tin and Mrs. Rathavit simultaneously looked at her. After realizing how she reacted, she quickly turned her head in embarrassment and continued washing the dishes."Well, I'm just glad that Can met such a gentleman and a charismatic person like you. Please teach and guide him well. If he does anything irresponsible like this again, tell me! I'll personally discipline him!" Mrs. Rathavit cheekily grin as she formed a fist with her right hand and bumped it to her left palm."I understand," Tin said as he nodded. After some time, Can finished changing. He was wearing what he considered a 'fashionable' outfit when going to a mall: a simple white shirt, black jacket with some rip on it, blue jeans and his worn-out black converse. When he went downstairs and walked towards the dining room, everyone looked at him with raised eyebrows and surprised look. Is he that good with fashion that everyone looked so surprised? He has been wearing this kind of outfit for a long time now so what's with the look that everyone had?"We should go now Tin," Can said as he faced Tin."With that look?" Ley said sarcastically."What do you mean?" Can asked in confusion."If you stand next to Tin, people will think you are a robber," Ley face-palmed."You're not some gangster going to someone's house to get their money; You're going with Tin!" Can's mother added.Can was a little hurt. He thought he actually looked cool. He looked at Tin, but he was just glancing at him from head to toe."Cantaloupe go change, I'll help pick your clothes," Ley recommended. "But I like this outfit. Also, the rest of my clothes are in the washer right now," Can tried to protest."It's okay. It's not a problem," Tin finally said."Are...are you sure?" Mrs. Rathavit asked worriedly.Tin nodded."I'll take care of him," he continued as he reassured Mrs. Rathavit.Can's mom could only sigh. She stood up and quickly went to her bedroom. She then went out and handed Can some money. Usually, Can would get a monthly allowance from her mother but it would be gone before the month even ended. He spent the money on things for his beasts, but in the end, none would be left for himself."Cantaloupe, go buy yourself some new clothes. I don't want anyone to think that I'm not taking care of you. Don't buy unnecessary things again," she said threateningly."O-okay, Thank you mom," Can did not hesitate to get the free money from his mother. "Tin, I will leave my son to you. If he makes any trouble, please don't hesitate to tell me."Once again Tin nodded with an angelic smile plastered on his face.Every time Tin would smile, Ley and her mother's hearts would flutter in delight. He is truly an angel according to them. Can on the other hand thinks that Tin's angel smile is suspicious.After Mrs. Rathavit told her son to behave, Tin and Can left the house. The two headed towards Tin's expensive car. The latter could not help but admire the car. "Get in," Tin said who was already inside and sitting on the driver's seat.Can immediately felt afraid because he felt like if he touch any parts of the car, it might accidentally break. He is well aware that he would not be able to pay for any damages or scratches on the car even if he worked for years. He gulped and slowly opened the door. After carefully sitting down next to the driver's seat, he heaved a small sigh of relief.Tin who saw the little beast summoner's movements with his peripheral was amused. The young elementalist looked at his direction saying, "Wear your seat belt."Can awkwardly nodded. He somehow felt a little conscious and uncomfortable when Tin looks at him every time ever since this morning. He pulled the seat belt but unfortunately, he was unable to pull it properly.The person on the driver's seat seemed to notice his struggle. He immediately leaned forward towards Can to reach for his seat belt. As he leaned forward, he deliberately moved his face closer to the little beast summoners face while looking directly into his eyes. Even though they were so close that their noses almost brushed against one another, there was still a small distance between the two. As Tin pulled and fastened Can's seat belt and started driving, his passenger has a dumbfounded look. His heart suddenly skipped a beat. He wondered what just happened? The journey to the mall was silent. The two didn't talk; there was no music either. Can did not know what to talk about with him, so he decided to just look outside the car window for the meantime. Tin was naturally a not talkative person except when asked questions. After half an hour of what seemed to be an eternity of silence, the two finally arrived at the mall. "We're here," Tin said as he parked the car in the mall's parking lot."This...this is the mall you are talking about?" Can stuttered. The little beast summoner thought that they are going to a small mall where cheap stuff was being sold, but he was wrong. The place that they went to was an exclusive and well-known mall for the filthy rich who have a membership. It was a three-story building with a golden-colored exterior and different real gold decorations. It was heavily guarded by many people wearing black suits. This mall truly reflects its name "Heaven's Gold Mall.""Mm," Tin said as he started walking towards the entrance of the mall. Can immediately followed Tin behind. "Why are we here exactly?" Can asked."You'll see."Can was confused. The money that he has was not probably enough to even get tap water in this place. He felt more nervous as they got closer to the entrance that was guarded by six people."Good Morning, Mr. Phiravich," the captain guard who was bald said.Tin ignored him and went inside. Can who was about to get in was suddenly grabbed by one of the guards."Only members are allowed to enter," the guard who looked young said in a serious tone as he held Can's arm firmly.Tin immediately looked back."Don't touch him!" he said in a menacing tone. Immediately, the guards felt enormous pressure and got intimidated."He's an acquaintance of yours, Mr. Phiravich?" the captain guard asked nervously."Would I let him stick to me that close if he wasn't with me?" he asked with annoyance evident in his voice."We are sorry," the captain guard immediately gave a command to the young guard to let Can go."We are sorry our honored guest, please forgive us," the captain guard bowed towards Can's direction. Simultaneously, the rest of the guards at the entrance bowed their head and apologized.Can felt really awkward. "It-it's okay. It's no big deal at all. You don't have to bow," he said as he scratched the back of his head as he chuckled to defuse the tension.Tin who was still annoyed grabbed Can's wrist and dragged him inside.As the two went in, the guards sighed in relief. They thought that they were all going to die."Tin, you didn't have to be that mad. They're just doing their job. It's fine already," Can said as he tried to free himself from Tin's grasp.Tin continued to walk and drag Can until they entered the elevator. He pressed the button for the third floor then faced Can. He decided to let him go even though he hesitated to do so."..." There was complete silence while the two was in the elevator. Tin did not know how to explain the situation but all he knew that he got annoyed when the guard touched Can. "Ok, so why are we here again? What do you want to buy? What am I supposed to do here?" Can asked. He really wanted to know why they were here."Help me buy a new phone and clothes," he said while still maintaining an indifferent tone."Huh? Of all people, I think you asked the wrong person," Can asked confusedly. Did Tin forget about what Ley and his mother said about his fashion sense? Also, why would he need to buy a new phone? Was it also damaged? "I don't want anyone. I want you," Tin said as he looked directly into the boy's eyes with seriousness."I wouldn't mind helping you out but don't blame me if it turns out to be a disaster," Can said as he immediately looked away from Tin's gaze. Why can't I look at him directly? It wasn't the case before!"I won't," Tin answered as he started to walk outside the elevator and towards the branded clothing store.Can willingly followed Tin close behind since he was afraid that the other guards on the floor would think that he is a robber like what her little sister described. When they entered the place, they were greeted by a young, refreshing, and beautiful blonde lady."Good morning, Mr. Phiravich," she said as she bowed politely with a slight smile.Tin asked indifferently, "Show me your latest collection." "Of course, this way," the blonde lady raised her head and pointed towards the direction of where the latest collection can be found.As Tin walked in another person followed him closely. The lady furrowed her eyebrows and felt irked immediately after seeing the boy with an awful appearance that was next to Tin but kept her polite appearance."Good morning," Can said to the blonde lady as he smiled. Usually, the blonde lady would greet her customers with utmost politeness and respect, but judging the appearance of the boy who was with Tin, he seemed to be a nobody and a person of the lower-class. She decided not to pay too much attention to him. The lady nodded at Can as she turned around and started guiding Tin enthusiastically. When they arrived at the center of the store, the lady immediately presented the new outfits that arrived this week. Tin judged and carefully selected different mix and match of clothing."Do you have size small for this particular shirt?" Tin asked the sales lady."Yes, but Mr. Phiravich, aren't you medium size?" she asked confusedly."Who said it's for me?" Tin said as he looked towards Can's direction."Huh!?" Both Can and the sales lady were stunned.
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(unedited)"Is there a problem?" Tin asked the saleslady."Of course not sir!" the blonde lady said as she shook her head. She was truly surprised that the person who was with Mr. Phiravich could actually be special. Although she was not quite sure what was the relationship between the two, she figured that she could not risk offending this boy who looked like a nobody with his appearance. It is her first time seeing this person in this establishment and is very well informed of the people who come here. She is sure that he is not from a wealthy and well-known family since he does not portray the presence of being one at all and that is evident with his poor quality and taste of clothing."I'll check our storage from the back and look for the size you wanted. Now if you'll excuse me," she said while keeping her graceful manner as she walked towards the storage room of the store.Can immediately stood next to Tin who was busy selecting new clothes."You are buying clothes for me!?" Can asked while still confused about Tin's odd behavior.Tin grabbed one of the expensive clothes from the clothing rack and tried to measure it against Can's small body."Are you listening to me Tin?" Can asked once again as he shoved the clothing back to Tin."You don't have to pay for it if that's the problem," Tin finally answered as he looked at Can who seemed to be annoyed. How cute."I do! I don't want you to buy me expensive clothing. I don't need your money too," the little beast summoner retorted as his eyes furrowed. Is this how filthy rich people treat us poor people?The little beast summoner's reaction seemed to be unexpected to Tin. Why is he mad? I'm giving him free items. Shouldn't he be happy? When I buy expensive gifts for Pete on his birthday, he would usually be happy. Why is it not the same with Can? He thought that buying Can expensive items would put him on his good side.Can saw Tin's confused reaction. He figured that since most likely he never had friends around him aside from Pete, who is also a rich person, he did not really know how to interact with others."Tin, I don't need your charity just because I'm poor." The little beast summoner sighed."If this is about my family's comments about my clothing, you don't need to bother. I'm going to buy my own clothes but not here."Tin did not like the idea of him buying low-quality and trashy clothing somewhere. He wants to buy Can's clothes! Although the clothes in this particular mall are expensive, they are not used just for fashion. The Golden Heaven is quite special, because it is one of the stores that offer specialized items. Each floor of the mall offers different items for different level: the first floor offers low-level items, the second floor offers mid-level items, and the third floor offers high-level items. The clothing and other types of equipment found in the Golden Heaven have different beneficial properties. For example, a shirt that is bought from this mall can increase a person's defense against elemental attacks; another example could be a pair of shoes that can enhance a person's speed. Tin found out that Can just broke through the higher level according to Pete when the two met. This is part of the reason why Tin dragged Can to the third floor and buy him new clothes. Aside from trying to be on his good side, he did not want Can to buy any clothing from cheap stores that offer little to no benefits."Then consider it as an investment," Tin said as he continued looking for new clothing."An investment?" Can asked."You owe me your life right? How can I ask you to do things for me if something were to happen to you hm? At least with these, I can be assured that you are protected," Tin continued."That's true that I owe you my life but-""You mentioned that you're going to do what I want right? Just accept what I tell you to do and no more complaints," Tin said with seriousness in his tone as he interrupted the boy. Can could not say anything and was stunned. This arrogant rich man!The blonde saleslady found the size that her client wanted and returned. She then handed it to Mr. Phiravich.Tin then gave the various clothes and pairs of shoes that he picked out and gave them to Can."Try them on," Tin said. He then instructed Can what to wear first.Can could only nod. He followed the blonde saleslady who guided him to the fitting room.The young elementalist sat down on an elegant wooden cushioned chair while waiting for Can to try the new clothes he personally picked.After some time, Can came out of the fitting room and to the blonde saleslady's surprise, the boy looked really cute with the outfit. Mr. Phiravich's fashion sense is truly impeccable! Tin saw the blonde lady's reaction towards Can; he was unhappy. Yet, when he looked at Can's appearance after he came out of the fitting room awkwardly, there was satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment in his heart. Can was wearing a dark red checkered long-sleeve with a jacket with constellation design, black jeans, and white shoes with three stripes on each side."What..what do you think?" Can asked since the saleslady and Tin were just staring silently at him."You look great in that outfit," the saleslady sincerely said as she complimented Can.Can blushed from the compliment and then looked at Tin as if expecting the same.Tin was just silent as he stared at Can who seemed to blush from the saleslady's compliment. Can could not help but once again avoid Tin's silent gaze and looked down. While he avoided Tin's gaze, the young elementalist glared at the saleslady. Immediately afterward the innocent blonde saleslady felt chills in her body. She looked at Mr. Phiravich and saw his cold and glaring gaze towards her. What's happening? Did I do anything wrong?Tin pointed his right index finger towards the saleslady still maintaining his cold gaze towards her.
"Lightning Zap"
A small white light immediately illuminated the young elementalist's index finger as a lightning bolt was shot. The blonde lady flinched and instinctively cowered in fear. "Eeek!" the blonde lady expressed inaudibly as she covered her head with her arms .Tin smirked at the lady's reaction. He actually directed the lightning bolt toward's Can's jacket to test if it has strong defenses against lightning attack as described. Before the lightning bolt could even make an impact to Can's jacket, it completely dissolved. It just meant that the jacket does have the capability to absorb lightning attacks.Everything happened too fast that Can did not know what exactly happened. When he looked up, the jacket already absorbed the lightning bolt. He was a little mystified when he saw that the blonde lady looked startled and scared. She was staring at Tin shakily. Meanwhile, Tin disregarded her stares and proceeded to look at Can with a small smile."I'll take them and the other ten sets that I picked for him," Tin said as he stood up from the chair."You don't want me to try the rest?" Can asked. He was a little disappointed that Tin did not say anything about the outfit that he is wearing. Although, he should not really complain at all. This time, he looked directly into Tin's eyes as the latter approached him. "They will all look good on you, just like this one.""Are you sure?" Can was delighted that he complimented him as he blushed immediately. "Trust me." Tin put his right hand on Can's shoulder and it gave a sort of electric shock feeling all over the little beast summoner's body. Can seemed to be unable to avoid Tin's sincere gaze. He seemed to be also captured not only by those eyes, but also the words that he uttered."Oh..ok, I'll go back and change quickly..." Can immediately snapped out from his daze and immediately rushed back to the fitting room. When he went in, his back was against the door and was breathing heavily. He raised his hand and put it against his heart. It was beating really fast. His face, as he looked at the mirror, was turning red. What is happening seriously? Is he sick? Is he going to die?After calming down, he changed back to his normal outfit and went back out. He saw Tin by the register and was ready to pay for the clothes that he bought for him. He approached him and put the clothes and shoes on the counter. The blonde lady seemed to be still shaking while looking down. He wondered if she is sick too like him. Tin then got his wallet out and took his shining black credit card. Can's attention focused on the card that the young elementalist was holding. Isn't that the ultimate rich people's card with unlimited credit! With that, he could buy anything without any problem! He knew that he is rich, but he didn't know that he is in the top 1% of the richest people on the planet! (A/N: Talk about being a sugar daddy.....)Tin threw the black card on the counter as if it is not important. It made Can gasp in horror. This rich bastard! The saleslady took the black card and charged Tin appropriately. After the transaction, the clothing and shoes were put in a specialized small black pouch. This small black pouch has a huge amount of space inside despite its size. The lady handed it to Mr. Phiravich still shakily."Tha-thank you Mr. Phiravich! I hope the two of you wi-will have a great day," she said as she tried her best to calm down, but she was unable to. She was just too scared. She still does not know how she offended him in anyway."Let's go," Tin said as he ignored the still shaking saleslady."Thank you so much. You should take some rest. You don't look too good," the innocent Can whispered with concern as he left the store.It was a good thing that Tin did not hear Can's whispers of concern towards the saleslady. If he did, she might have faced more bitter treatment without still knowing the cause of such treatment. In the future, if Tin still decides to shop in that establishment which is probably unlikely, he will most likely keep the same attitude that he had towards her although he has already cold attitude to begin with.The two went to a store that sells smartphones. As the two walked in, Can's eyes and mouth widened in astonishment. Tin looked at him and a smile on his face formed. If he is happy, he is happy too. If Can asks him to buy the whole store, he would do it without any hesitation. That's how fast he developed his feelings towards him and could not explain it. It is just what it is and he does not hate it. "Let's check them out," The elementalist said as he walked to the first table that has various sets of smartphones. Can nodded and followed him.Tin took one of the phones and showed it to Can. Since Can seemed to only know how to work with old flip phones, Tin had to teach him how to navigate the smartphone. Can was definitely mesmerized by this technology. He tried to use various applications of the phone and even if he was clumsy at using it, there was a glimmer in his eyes and a happy expression on his face as he entertained himself with a game app."Do you like it?" Tin asked after seeing Can enjoying himself with the smartphone.Can looked at him and nodded. Although he liked the smartphone, the moment he saw the price, he felt dispirited. It is just too expensive."I'll be back." Tin walked towards one of the employees of the store.Can just went back at playing the game on the phone since it might be the last time he will be able to touch such expensive phone.After some time, Tin returned with a small plastic bag ."Let's go," he said.Can let go of the phone that he was holding in hesitation and nodded.The two went around various stores. By the time they finished, it was already dark. Can, for the first time in a long time, had so much fun going to the mall. Usually, when he goes with his sister to the mall, it would just be him holding her purchased items. Today, even though he did not buy anything and it was just Tin spending money, Can unexpectedly was satisfied. Tin was actually fun to be with even though he did not talk that much like him the whole time. As they interacted with one another, the awkwardness that Can felt disappeared.Tin, although it is not evident on his face, was filled with pure bliss. Even though none of the items in the store was interesting to him, seeing Can having fun with various items made the trip entertaining for him. Spending time with him made this trip to the mall a great experience since he considers the little beast summoner special to him. After the two left the mall, Tin drove Can back to his home. Can went out of the car and stood in front of his house's gate. Tin turned his car's engine off and went out to follow Can."I had fun, Tin. Thank you," Can said as a huge smile was plastered on his face which seemed to brighten the night sky further than the twinkling stars."I did too." Tin was really pleased with the little summoner's reaction. He took a small red pouch from his pocket which contained all the items that he bought for Can aside from the clothes. He held Can's right hand and put the pouch on it. Can looked at Tin in confusion. He thought that Tin just only bought him clothing and the rest of the items he bought was his. The small black pouch that contains the clothing and shoes was in one of his pockets already.Tin leaned forward and tilted his head. He then closed the distance between his face to Can's and took a quick light kiss on the little beast summoner's lips. As he looked into Can's widening eyes, he whispered "Good night." He smiled then returned back to his car.Can who was still processing what happened was frozen in place. As he felt his lips with the touch of his hand, the whole scenario of him being kissed was replayed over and over again. It made his face feel really hot as it turned red like a tomato. His heart started to beat really fast once again while he slightly trembled. That was his first kiss and Tin took it away from him. Why did he kiss me!?Can was about to ask Tin why he did it and complain but by the time he composed himself, the man in question was already gone."Why!?"
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(unedited)Today was the day of the Beast Summoner Guild Ranking Competition. The university grounds were covered with a huge flow of people: competitors, students, different factions' members, the media, and many others. The atmosphere in the campus was bustling with noise and excitement since this kind of competition is one of the biggest events in the prestigious university. According to many students, this year's competition will be fiercer than last year. New powerful challengers have emerged and registered for the event. Beast summoners in the top 100 have worked hard and trained harder too.While everyone talks enthusiastically about the event and betting who from the top 10 will be replaced as they entered the open coliseum where the competition will take place, Can was currently in line with the other participants in a blue portable gazebo that stood up outside of the coliseum. In order for the participants to challenge someone from the top 100 today, they have to list through a computer the people who they would like to challenge. These participants do not have any limit on how many people they could challenge. If they want to challenge everyone from the top 100, they are free to do so, but no one is that arrogant and stupid. They will strategically issue a challenge to a person who they are confident enough that they will be able to defeat.For the beast summoners in the top 100, they could also challenge others who are in the current ranking to attempt to attain a higher place in the system. Still, they have to defend their current ranks from the participants. Unfortunately, they do not have the right to refuse the challenges from them. The only option that they have is to choose which of the challengers they would like to duel first. This might seem an unfair system, but this is actually quite beneficial to the people of the top 100. The more challengers that they face, the more experience they would gain which would help them level up.While waiting in line, Can looked around to look for a certain someone who has been bothering his mind since his first kiss was stolen. Unfortunately, due to the huge crowd that kept flooding the university grounds, he was unable to locate him. Last night, this person texted Can through his new phone and told him that he was going to watch his performance in today's competition. Before this person gave the smartphone that he bought for Can, he took the initiative to put his phone number on it so he could contact the little beast summoner. Since then, he has been texting Can although the messages that he has been sending were only brief greetings such as "Goodmorning" and "Goodnight." He does not seem to really know how to strike a conversation with Can through his phone, so he could only come up with such brief text messages. As for Can, when he received these messages, he could only stare at his phone screen and think about different responses. To be exact, Can does not know how he should even talk to him after he stole his first kiss! He wanted to ask him about it, but he could not gather the courage to do so. He was too embarrassed to ask. In the end, he could only text the same greeting as Tin. When Tin texted him about attending the competition to watch him, it made Can nervous. He does not know if it is because he did not want to disappoint him or it is due to him being there physically. This text made him restless the entire night.When his friends, Techno and Kengkla, saw the dark circles that formed around his eyes, they thought that Can was just nervous about the competition. It is his first competition after all. Techno who was also in line behind Can tried to comfort and motivate him."You're going to be fine Can, trust me! You can do this," Techno said as he tapped his right hand against Can's shoulders."He's right Can," Kengkla who was next to Techno reassured while smiling.When it was time for Can to choose his opponents, Techno said confidently, "You should choose someone from the top 10. If you were able to almost defeat me and Kengkla who are currently in 6th and 7th place, you will have no problem taking someone below our ranks." During the tough training that the three of them had in Techno's specialized training ground with their summoned beasts, Can showed unexpected great potential. Even though he just recently broke through the higher level, he was able to keep up with Kengkla and Techno's who were both a Green High-Level Beast Summoners. Even though Can is one grade level below from the two, the gap of power between him and them should have been huge, yet it was not the case. Can was able to put himself in equal footing with them. If given more time, he might have surpassed them. It made Kengkla and Techno amazed and proud. (A/N: Refer to index for more info about levels...)Can trusts the words of his friend so when he logged into the system, he chose the one who currently is on top 8."Trump Phurin."Can clicked the challenge button that was next to Trump Phurin. For today, he will only challenge one person. If he wins, then he is thinking of just staying at that rank and defend it from other challengers. If he fails to defeat the current rank 8th person, then he will just try to challenge the person who is currently top 9.After sending the first challenge, it was Techno's turn. Since it is crowded in the gazebo, Techno told Can to just wait for them outside the gazebo. The little beast summoner agreed and walked out. Currently, Techno wants to challenge the current 5th placer. This time he was confident that he would be able to take 5th place. As for Kengkla, he was not really interested at moving up the ranks. He just wanted to be with Techno. When Can went outside of the gazebo, he once again tried to look for Tin. He wanted to know where this elementalist is. At that very moment when he moved forward, he accidentally bumped into someone."Watch where you are going you brat!" a slightly taller young man exclaimed to Can.After hearing the obvious annoying voice, Can looked up at the taller young man whose eyebrows were raised in annoyance."I'm sorry," Can said with sincerity as to try to avoid unnecessary commotion.Judging by the appearance of the young man who seemed to be the same age as him, he looked to be one of those arrogant spoiled rich brats. He seemed to be also rather popular with all his fans and two guards surrounding him. How unlucky he had to bump with this guy!"Sorry wouldn't do it. Hmmph!" the young man said to Can as he sneered."What do you mean?" Can asked confusedly."I want you to go on your knees and bow," the arrogant young man demanded while smiling. With his family background, anyone who dares offend him would not be able to get off that easily. The followers of the arrogant young man started to snicker at Can."Who do you think you are? I already apologized to you," Can said as he tried to stand his ground. He would not let himself get bully by this kind of people. He already had enough!"You don't know who he is!?" one of the young man's fanboy said in surprise."No, and I'm not interested in knowing," Can announced while staring at the arrogant young man. So what if he is famous? He was really rude to him!"YOU!!!" one of the fanboys shouted in anger."What is happening here, Can?" Techno asked as he and Kengkla approached their friend."I see why you don't have any kind of respect," the young man said with hatred in his tone of voice."Ahh, the arrogant mister always rank number 8th, Trump Phurin," Techno said sarcastically as Kengkla smirked."TSK! YOU'LL SEE! THIS TIME I WILL SURELY DESTROY THE BOTH OF YOU," Trump said as his arrogant demeanor changed to explosive anger while looking menacingly to both Kengkla and Techno."Sure, sure. Let's go Can. Don't waste your time talking to sh*tty people," Techno said as he put his arm around Can's shoulder and walked out towards the direction of the entrance of the coliseum. Both Can and Kengkla nodded then proceeded to ignore Trump and his followers. Of course, the people behind them looked at them in contempt as they left. Who do those bastards think they are? They will regret this for sure.Trump clicked his tongue. He will get his revenge sooner on those three for sure. As he was walking towards the gazebo to issue a challenge, his phone got a notification about the people who want to challenge him. As he scrolled down at the list of the challengers, a certain name immediately caught his attention."Can Rathavit huh?" Trump whispered to himself as he covered the evil smile on his face with his phone. He looked at the direction where Can and his friends went. A glint in his eyes showed."I will show you what happens to those who offend me," he said to himself as he accepted Can's challenge.Meanwhile, the moment Can and his friends entered the giant coliseum that was already almost full with people sitting on the bleachers, the person who Can has been looking for has actually been observing his movements since the small commotion with Trump. When he saw that one of Can's acquaintance put his arm around him when they entered the stadium, it made his mood a little unpleasant. What is their relationship? Why does he have to put his hand around Can? The more that Tin thought about it, the more that his mood became sour."What's the matter Tin?" one of the elders with a long white beard who was sitting next to him asked with curiosity."Nothing," Tin said while trying to maintain his indifference."The competition is about to start. This year's competition should be interesting," the elder continued as he stroke his beard.Tin just ignored the elder who was continuously talking about the previous competitions and refocused his attention to the little beast summoner.Can and the other challengers were being assigned to one of the dozen stone platform arenas. Since there are more than a hundred challengers competing that day, the university has built twelve huge stone platform arenas in the open coliseum to allow duels to happen more simultaneously. After being assigned, Can immediately walked towards to the first stone platform arena. Kengkla and Techno were both assigned to 12th platform.When the organizers finished assigning the challengers to their respective arenas, they started commencing the competition.On each platform, a referee was assigned. Before a duel starts, the commentator will have to announce the name of the participants. There were also huge screens that were floating above the middle of the coliseum to highlight the duels that were going to occur and to provide the viewers with better view."For our first duel of the day, current Rank 8 Trump Phurin will attempt to defend his rank against the first-time challenger, Can Rathavit." People in the audience and even the participants raised their eyebrows immediately. A first-time challenger already competing in top 10? For a new participant to go and challenge someone from the top 10 is quite rare. Typically people within the rank 20 would even hesitate to challenge those in top 10. A handful of people in the audience were able to recognize the name, but most of them do not know who Can was. The majority scrutinized him and thought that the challenger was too bold and arrogant. They also thought that the battle would most likely be quick and one-sided."I'll give it 30 seconds. Poor boy," the elder who was sitting next to Tin shook his head to show his pity on the new challenger.Tin continued to ignore the elder and just focused on Can. The little beast summoner seemed to be composed as he stood on the first stone platform arena. Knowing Can's capabilities, it seemed that it would truly be a fast battle. Although this was the case, Tin was still curious how Can would defeat his opponent. Will he kill him? Will he strangle him to death? Will he cut one of his limbs? That seemed to be the only interesting part of the battle for Tin. He knew what happened between that trash and Can earlier. If it were not for Can's acquaintance interfering, he would have handled the situation himself. In any case, he will make sure that he will deal with Trump in some way later. For now, he needs to focus on Can's battle.Speaking of Trump, he has been arrogantly looking at Can. The smirk on his face was visible. He was confident that this battle has already been decided even before he entered the platform. Even if this brat will surely lose, he will make sure to beat the sh*t out of him until he begs for mercy. Just thinking about it made his smile more sinister.The referee on the first platform raised his right hand and swayed it forward to signal that the battle has started."BEGIN!"
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(unedited)Can went to his bedroom that night after Tin took him home.He took out his new clothing that was in his black pouch. It still felt surreal for him that Tin bought him such expensive items. That rich prince mentioned that these were an investment. If that was what he said, then he would believe him. He just hoped that Tin would not make him pay for them because he cannot afford any of them.One by one, with careful and meticulous movement, he put the clothes in his cabinet. Knowing that there is limited space in his room, Can decided to just keep the rest of the items in the special pouches that were given to him by Tin. Those pouches were put in his special small cabinet that has a lock attached to it so that no one will be able to steal those pouches easily. Speaking of stealing, the little beast summoner could not get over about the fact that the rich young prince stole his first kiss. How dare him! He is saving it for someone special. For Tin to just steal it away from him so casually, who do you think you are? You only kiss someone who you love and we are not lovers!Thinking about it, Can wondered if Tin is currently in a relationship with anyone. Suddenly the little beast summoner felt an uncomfortable sensation within his heart."That can't be. Knowing his cold personality, I don't think he is in a relationship right now," he reassured to himself.With that conclusion, Can felt at ease. He sat down comfortably on top of his bed smiling without really knowing the reason why. As he grabbed his phone, a notification appeared. It was a message by Tin.Tin: "Are you getting used to your new phone?" (sent at 10:30 p.m.)Can: "I'm still struggling with the keyboard...." (sent at 10:34 p.m.)Tin: "I see. You'll get used to it eventually." (sent at 10:35 p.m.)Tin: "Goodnight." (sent at 10:35 p.m.)Can: "WAIT WHY DID YOU KISS ME!?" *deletes*Can: "Don't call me Cantaloupe by the way! Just Can." *deletes*Can: "I had fun today with you." *deletes*Can: "Goodnight to you too Tin. :)" (sent at 10:45 p.m.)Tin: "I want to take you out again." *deletes*Tin: "Sleep well" (sent at 10:46 p.m.)Tin: "Good morning" (sent at 7:15 a.m.)Tin: "What are you doing?" *deletes*Can: "Good morning" (sent at 7:20 a.m.)Can: "What are you doing right now?" *deletes*While Can was thinking whether to ask Tin how he was doing, his sister came to the kitchen for breakfast. A curious look was expressed on Ley's face. She knew that her brother arrived quite late yesterday. She wanted to tease and joke around with Can about his date with Tin. Even if they are not dating, it is still fun to tease and see Can gets flustered immediately.As Ley slowly approached him behind his back, she noticed that he seemed to be troubled.She looked at the thing that he was holding on his hand. It was the latest and new smartphone! She knew very well that Can could not afford such phone. One thing is for sure, Tin bought it for him! It makes sense now! When Can said that they were not friends, he meant that they were actually lovers! The development of their relationship is simply remarkable. She could not believe that his brother has the capability to capture a huge and rare fish. Now she needs to know how they actually got together. Right now, she is looking for new ideas for her fanfiction. She could definitely get great ideas by asking her brother. Just thinking about it made her excited and determined. In order to make his brother talk about his relationship with Tin, she has to be cautious as to not trigger him."So how was your date with Tin yesterday," Ley spouted enthusiastically behind Can.Can jumped after being frightened from the sudden voice behind his back."Ley? Why are you standing behind my back? And what do you mean by date?" Can asked as he calmed down."Sh*t I already messed up. You know what might as well ask him...." she whispered to herself."Didn't you go out with Tin yesterday?" she blurted."True, but that didn't mean that it's a date. We went out to the mall. We just looked around and had fun together. He treated me with delicious food. After that he took me home," Can said as he continued to explain to Ley how yesterday's event with Tin was not a date."The things that you mentioned to me, isn't it already considered a date? I mean hugging or kissing could help prove that it could be a date, but they are not necessarily required when you are starting to date someone," Ley answered."Ki-kiss?" Can stuttered as yesterday's memory of that kiss replayed in his mind. With Ley's explanation, the little beast summoner then just realized that it might have actually been a date. Immediately his face turned red as he gripped his phone more firmly. He decided to walk away and go back to his room in order to hide his embarrassment."Yes, kiss or hug is an intimate way to show affection," Ley confidently explained. With her experience with boyslove manga and fanfiction, she has a good foundation of how romance between men works. Unfortunately, the person who she was talking to was not listening and was already gone."Can, wait! I'm not done explaining yet!" Ley said but her brother was already upstairs.Tin: "Good luck to you tomorrow." (sent 8:00 p.m.)Tin: "I'll watch your performance." (sent 8:01 p.m.)Tin: "Goodnight." (sent 8:01 p.m.)Can: "WHAT? SERIOUSLY?" *deletes*Can: "Yesterday, it wasn't a date right?" *deletes*Can: "Ok, Goodnight." (sent 8:05 p.m.)That Sunday surely became one of Can's restless days which left him more confused about his emotions towards Tin.
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(unedited)The rules are simple to win a battle. One participant must either get the other opponent to surrender or be pushed out of the stage. Of course, these are the options that none of the participants would like to get. They would like to win and would do what it takes to do so. Before the battle even commenced in the first stone platform, the crowd already began to focus on Can and Trump. Since a person from the top 10 is involved, everyone is excited to see the duel. Trump is very well known not only for his arrogance and wealth but for his great power too. Most of the people in the stadium believed that he would be able to beat the challenger in a quick and decisive manner. Although it might be the case, they still want to see how Trump is going to deal with this arrogant and naive challenger.Trump knew what everyone was thinking, so his ego grew bigger. Now that everyone was looking at him, he would not disappoint at giving them a good show. He actually wanted for everyone to watch him and let it be known how powerful he had become. This past year, he has been training and working hard for this specific event. Not only did his power increased, but also his confidence and arrogance. He specifically wanted to show his two nemeses, Techno and Kengkla, his skills by defeating their pathetic friend, Can. Just thinking of the look on their faces after this battle gave him a sense of satisfaction. As soon as the referee announced the start of the battle, Trump just took his time to do a sigh of mockery and plaster his evil smile. "You can surrender right now so you can save yourself from humiliation because I won't be too merciful after you refuse. If you have to guts to refuse, I'll make sure you wouldn't dare challenge me next time. Well, that's if you're still intact and alive by then," Trump said arrogantly as he looked at his opponent.Can just calmly stood there as he focused on his opponent on the other side of the stone platform."I will not surrender," he said."Pfft. That's great then! Even if you beg for mercy, I will not show you such thing," Trump said threateningly. He wanted to make sure that he will beat him badly until he was satisfied."I summon the Earth Dragon King, Gopinich!"
(A/N: This is from Ragnarok online!)Suddenly, there were vibrations in the middle of the stage that spread throughout the stadium. The weak tremors continued for some seconds until a crack was formed in the middle of the stage. This crack grew larger which resulted in an opening. . As a hole was formed due to the crack, a three-headed green dragon beast emerged. It was Trump's most powerful beast: the Gopinich.Gopinich is a proud dragon beast that is categorized under the lower epic tier. It possesses the earth element which allows it to control the ground to defend itself and use earth elemental offensive attacks. This particular dragon is very well known for its great defenses. In addition to its strong defensive earth spells, its natural hard skin is tough to penetrate. So even though the offensive attacks of this beast are rather weak, it is compensated with its strong defenses. As long as the enemy is not above its rank, its defense is impenetrable.The huge dragon stood in front in the middle of the stage after the hole on the stage slowly disappeared. The three heads stared down at its opponent as if looking at a pest who is ready to be squished any time. Just like its master and other dragon beasts, Gopinich is full of pride and arrogance. Anyone who is not a dragon or his current master is looked down upon.The audience was filled with awe after seeing such a magnificent beast emerged on the stage. They rarely see epic rarity type of beasts so when they see one, they cannot help but be amazed. The only time that they would have the chance to witness them in person is during this type of events."Now I feel bad for the kid who went against Trump. I wonder what kind of beast he will summon," one of the audience members said to his friend who was sitting next to him."I just hope it's not an Ambernite," the friend answered.
(A/N: This is from Ragnarok online too!)The two of them started laughing.The two were talking about one of the weakest beasts called Ambernite. It is a snail beast that is incapable of fighting and has a fragile shell. Its only use is to eat pests.Trump sensed the positive reaction from the audience which continued to feed his ego. Now he wondered what his opponent's expression looked like. Would he shake in fear and pee his pants? Would he faint? When he looked at Can to answer his questions, none of the scenarios that were in his mind were correct. His opponent looked rather calm. Why was he calm? Or was it because he was just hiding his true emotions? That must be it! He did not want to show that he was afraid. This truly made Trump more excited. He wanted to see his pathetic cries after he defeats him.Can ignored Trump's gaze and evil smile. He looked at the dragon beast and able to identify all the information about it: its strengths and weaknesses. Can likes to read books and online articles regarding beasts since he was a kid. His knowledge regarding them is immense. Due to that, he was bullied. It was just a good thing that he did not stop because this knowledge will help him in his battles today and in the future.Can took a deep breath. He raised his right hand as he looked at the sky.Trump frowned and the audience looked with anticipation at the sudden gesture of the challenger."I summon the Angel of Despair, Valkyrie Randgris."
(A/N: She back.)Just hearing the phrase, "Angel of Despair," sent shivers not only to Trump but also the audience who knew about this beast."Valkyrie Randgris? The one of the strongest beast in the epic tier? That kid made a contract with such beast?" one of the audience members asked who was skeptical.Immediately, dark clouds started to gather to form a whirlpool. In the middle of it, the angel beast descended with great elegance as her black wings flapped. As her beautiful appearance became more visible while descending, the audience and Trump looked in astonishment and admiration. They could not believe that such being will be present today. A true angel that descended from heaven to earth. Yet, they did not let her alluring and innocent appearance deceive them. With the angel's lance covered with a purple flame, shining black armor, and red cape that exuded a dignified aura, only a fool would believe that she is only there to bring peace. She is the bringer of wrath and despair to her enemies hence why she is called "The Angel of Despair."When Valkyrie Randgris finally descended on the stage in front of Gopinich, a pressure was immediately felt by her opponent and other beasts. Those beasts that are in the upper epic and above tier will exhibit a suppressing pressure to those under their ranks. The beasts that are present in the stadium could feel the pressure from Valkyrie Randgris and could not help but shake. Goponich who is her opponent was no exception since it is way weaker than her. Yet as a proud dragon, Goponich tried so hard to hide its fear as it attempted to fight the suppressing pressure from its opponent. Its master was well aware of the situation, but he did not want to admit it. Sweat on his forehead started to form as his nervousness and fear started to spread in his body. Who is this Can? How is he able to get such a beast?Trump cannot surrender because his pride was at stake and his family was present. He had no choice but to fight. He will have to most likely use his hidden weapon he saved for Techno later in this round. With the current situation, he decided to make the first move.
"Earth Crush!"
The three-headed dragon roared which shook the stage. Two huge boulders emerge from the ground at each side of the angel and immediately collided with one another where the angel is in the middle of that collision. A loud boom was heard followed by a huge smoke of dust that covered the stage. Everyone wanted to know what exactly happened after the collision. As the smoke went away, the audience jaws dropped. Valkyrie Randgris did not even move away from her position and seemed not to receive any kind of damage. Truly amazing!Trump and his beast were starting to pale and panic. Earth Crush is one of Goponich's most powerful attacks, but it did not even scratch their opponent. Now, he has no choice but to use Goponich's ultimate attack simultaneously.
"Earth King's Spikes!"
The three-headed dragon opened their mouths to create solid huge spikes that were hard as steel and sharp as a knife. After forming the spikes, they were thrown towards the angel. The three heads continued to form spikes and hurl them to their opponent. As the spikes collided, none of them would hit the angel directly. They would immediately disintegrate due to the invisible barrier that was formed earlier by the angel when the dragon used Earth Crush. Only a smoke from the dust accumulated on the stage but this was actually part of Trump's plan. He knew that he could not defeat Valkyrie Randgris with his beast. So the only thing that he could do was to attack the owner directly. A smirk formed in his face as the stage was once again covered in dust which restricted the view of the audience and the referee who was outside of the stage. He summoned another one of his beasts, a poisonous worm called Argiope. Trump immediately commanded the worm to bite and inject a paralyzing poison to Can. The worm hesitantly and nervously dug underground and crawled towards Can's direction. It could feel the angel's suppressing aura, but it could not ignore its master's orders.
(A/N: This is from Ragnarok online....again...creepy!)In this competition, there's no limit of how many beasts you could summon. The only thing that was not allowed was to kill the opponent. Of course, there was a loophole with this rule. It did not mention about crippling a person to an extent so some of the competitors will use poisonous beasts during a battle to paralyze their enemies. Paralyzing could be temporary or permanent depending on the potency of the venom. There were some reported cases where beast summoners were paralyzed permanently. They did not die, but the paralysis made them feel and wish that they are dead. A lot of people condemned using a poisonous type of beasts, but no ban was implemented.Fortunately, as Can became powerful so did Valkyrie Randgris. Due to this, they were able to synchronize and connect to one another better. With this kind of development, Can was able to control and unlock new abilities of Valkyrie Randgris. In addition, Can was also able to utilize the skills of his beasts after breaking through the higher level. One of the perks of being a high-level beast summoner is that they can merge with their beasts or utilize their skills for themselves if they wish to, but this only occurs to special types of beasts. Valkyrie Randgris is one of those special types of beasts.As it reached the target, the poisonous worm emerged behind Can from the ground. When it tried to bite and inject poison, a barrier that covered Can prevented it. Earlier he used one of his angel beast's defensive spells to create a barrier around him. The moment Argiope's fangs met with the barrier, the sneaky poisonous beast flew away from the stage. The audience who were able to identify the beast that flew immediately frown. They knew what was happening."Trump must be in a desperate situation. For him to be this shady and use such methods," one of the audience said as he shook his head in disapproval."Shameless," the other audience member said.In the midst of smoke, the three-headed dragon stopped attacking. Trump thought that Argiope was able to successfully paralyze Can, so that was the reason why Goponich stopped. He was wrong.The reason why Goponich stopped was due to exhaustion. It also believed that it was already pointless. The power between Valkyrie Randgris and the three-headed dragon was just too wide even though they are in the same tier. Since the beginning, its opponent never moved from her position. It was quite humiliating for the dragon since it looked like she was not even taking their duel seriously.
"Angel Wings!"
After giving the command, the angel beast who had a poker face and seemed to be bored since the beginning just flapped her wings once which created powerful wind. It blew the dust smoke that covered the stage. Not only did the smoke was removed from the stage but also Goponich and Trump. Being unable to scratch and make their opponent move from their position even with Trump's sly plan was already humiliating enough. Being blown away from the stage by a single flap of the angel's wings was further humiliating. It was truly disgraceful. With Trump, this kind of humiliation was worse than death itself. The family members who were there to support him could not help but shook their head in embarrassment and disappointment. For him to use such underhanded method and still lose was truly a disgrace to their family.The battle has officially ended. The referee went back to the stage and declared Can as the champion of this battle. He is now the new 8th ranked beast summoner. Everyone clapped and could still not believe what they saw. This person who defeated Trump is truly something. It made everyone intrigued especially the various families of beast summoners. They really need to watch out for him and other participants of this event. Everyone who mocked Can earlier was now cheering for him. The participants were now aware of one of the dark horses of this competition. They will surely avoid fighting him from now on. Those who covet the 8th place will have to think really hard if they want to fight Can.Speaking of Can, after being declared as the winner, he suddenly became aware of the attention that he was getting from everyone. He felt embarrassed and started to blush. He was not used to the attention that he was getting right now, so he looked down on the ground which prevented him to see the person who has been proudly and happily staring at him. Can thanked Valkyrie Randgris before she went back to her dimension. As Can went down from the stage, an arm around his neck grabbed him then another hand started messing his hair. It was Techno and Kengkla. They fought and won earlier at defending their ranking from various challengers. After that, they went straight by the first stone platform and watched Can's battle. They knew that he was going to win, so they were happy. The two of them were much happier because they witnessed what happened to Trump. He was obliterated completely by Can. Trump might not be able to show himself throughout the entire competition. That was a great thing. They did not want to deal with an annoying person during the entire event.While the three friends were happily talking about Can's first win, Tin was already gone from his seat. The elder who was sitting next to him did not even notice that he was gone since he was too absorbed in the battle. When he realized that Tin was gone, the ice prince was already waiting at the rest area by the stadium where beast summoners could take a break after their battles.
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(unedited)"I told you Can that you can do it!" Techno gleefully said while his right arm is still around Can's neck.Can returned a huge bright smile revealing his white front teeth that could compete with the sun for their brightness. He was just truly happy about winning for the first time in a competition. If this was going to be the case, he should have joined sooner so he could have gotten the benefits of being in the top 100 earlier.Kengkla patted Can's head while revealing an accomplished look. He was happy that Can won, but he was way happier about Can's development throughout his journey for this competition. Before, he would have a lot of doubts about himself, but now, he seemed to have more confidence in himself. He hoped that this continues.As the three friends walked toward the rest area that offered multiple benches, someone with a slightly displeased look was observing the three. In the rest area, only the participants and their close family members or friends could go. Tin is neither exactly a family member nor a friend to Can. He was in a different category which gave him an exception to be in the rest area. Even if he was not allowed to be in that area, no one would dare stop and kick him out if he wanted to go. Who in the right mind would dare offend Tin just for a resting area? Everyone who saw Tin waiting was quite surprised and curious. Who was Tin waiting for in the rest area? Is it a friend or better yet, a girlfriend? Of course, no one knew that Tin was waiting for Can who just owes his entire life to him. What they will learn later will shock all of them."Since you won your first battle, I will treat you to lunch anywhere you want as long as I could afford it," Techno said braggingly while pointing at the bench where the three could sit. Even though Techno is from a rich family just like Kengkla, his parents only give him a small allowance every month. They want Techno to learn how to work hard and adapt to poor conditions. Although this was the case, he would spend his money on his friends because he likes them. Can is number one on his list who he spends his most money on. Techno is truly a good-natured person and not stingy which is why Kengkla likes to stick around with him.Sometimes being too nice can bring danger. The ice prince has been looking at Techno in displeasure for some time now for sitting too close to Can, yet Techno was oblivious about Tin's cold gaze.After hearing the sentence from Techno, Tin decided to approach the three and take Can away from the two. Kengkla, who was standing and facing the direction of where Tin is coming from, immediately felt the cold gaze from him. He knew that Tin must be looking for Can. The reason he knew this was because Can would always ask for Tin's location on campus before. He would also just talk about him when the three of them would eat lunch. Judging by the looks of it, Tin seemed unhappy about something. Kengkla looked at Tin and then looked back at Techno whose arm was still around Can's neck while the two were still laughing on the bench. Then it clicked in his mind. He immediately understood the situation.Kengkla grabbed Techno all of a sudden and pulled him away from Can."We just remembered that we had something to do Can, we will see you later," Kengkla said as he acted like he was in a hurry."Kengkla, what are-wait! Don't pull me that hard. My shirt will get crumpled," Techno said as he tried to struggle to break free from Kengkla, but he failed.Kengkla looked directly at Tin as if trying to communicate something with him. He quickly gave him a nod and left the rest area with Techno. Tin, who was behind Can, realized what the little beast summoner's acquaintance did. It seemed that he knew that he was aiming for Can. That is great then because no one would disturb them."I will see you later then," Can said while still thinking what his two friends were going to do.He was suddenly caught by surprise when a hand grabbed his right shoulder. When he looked back, he saw the person who he has been trying to find since this morning."Tin, when did you get here?" Can asked as his heart started beating faster while looking up at Tin."Not too long," Tin said as his face that expressed chilling and displeased look earlier was replaced with a small genuine smile."Congratulations on your first win," Tin continued.Can who was absorbed by Tin's small smile and words immediately made him feel embarrassed. "Thanks," Can said in return as he looked down on the ground. He does not know what to say to him afterward, but he was actually delighted that Tin actually went to see him compete."Are you okay? You seem tired. Were you able to sleep properly last night?" Tin asked worriedly.Immediately Can remembered why he was unable to sleep last night. It was Tin's fault to begin with! It started because of that stolen kiss. What to do?"I just got a little too excited about this event, but I'm fine," Can said as he made up an excuse still hesitant to look at Tin's face."I see. Come with me and eat lunch," Tin said as he grabbed the little beast summoner's wrist without any hesitation. He wanted to take this opportunity to be with Can alone."Where? I don't have much money with me," Can said as he immediately forgot what was in his mind when he heard the word lunch."My treat," Tin answered while still holding Can's wrist. He pulled him away from his seat and dragged him outside of the rest area. Can could only obey Tin. Even though he does not like being indebted to him, he already learned that he could not say 'no' to him. Besides Tin is one of the richest men in the world. Can does not think that treating him for some food would affect Tin's seemingly infinite money in any way. Where does he get this money anyway?When they left the rest area and the stadium, different media personnel and individuals have already been gossiping and recording the two of them. Seeing the heir of E.A. with the new popular participant together was truly intriguing. What is their relationship with one another? Yet, even if the two are quite intriguing, none of these spectators were able to interview or talk to them. They were scared of offending Tin. Since this was the case, the spectators could only talk to themselves and media personnel could only record them from afar.This was actually part of Tin's plan. He wanted to show the world that Can is only his and that no one can take him away from him. If someone dares harm Can, that person will have to deal with him. Meanwhile, Can was not aware of Tin's plan and the people who were looking at the two of them. He was busy guessing what kind of food that they are going to eat.Yet aside from curious spectators, there were people who were there to cause harm."Hmm, are you sure it's him?" said by an old man who is holding a white fan that was embroidered with a dragon snake on it. The old man's dignified look immediately change into a threatening and menacing one as he directed his attention to Can and Tin. He gripped his rather expensive and antique fan to the point where it was about to break."According to our investigation, during that day where our team was pursuing Mr. Phiravich, witnesses saw huge dark clouds that formed a whirlpool next to the university where our team was found dead. It must be him. He most likely helped our target get away," the old man's young subordinate with glasses said."We will further continue our surveillance on Mr. Rathavit and report to you as soon as possible," he continued as he moved his glasses that he was wearing."If they think they can get away unscathed, they are wrong. We will get our revenge for our fallen clan members," the old man said as he walked away with a heavy heart and anger. His young subordinate followed him in silence.After leaving the campus, Tin drove Can to a quite luxurious restaurant. At first, Can thought that it was an ordinary restaurant due to its non-flashy appearance unlike the time they went to Heaven's Gold mall. He was wrong.When they went in, it was a completely different look. The server who was going to serve them was wearing a black tuxedo. The people who were there eating lunch looked high-class. Of course, this rich prince would take them to a luxury restaurant. Why did he think they would go to a normal restaurant. Once again, Can felt out of place since he was wearing plain clothes.The handsome and elegant male waiter greeted Tin and Can with utmost respect. Tin nodded and the waiter immediately directed them to a private room.The moment they entered the private room, Can was amazed. This room looks way classier and luxurious. He felt a little intimidated because of the different utensils that were on the table. He does not know proper etiquette when it comes to fine dining."Sit down," Tin said as he sat down.Can nodded and sat to the opposite side of the table facing Tin. When the menu was given to the both of them, Tin refused to take the menu since he is the owner of the restaurant and he knew everything that was on it."I'll get the usual with the other fruit that I requested," Tin said while focusing his gaze at Can.Can was looking at the menu and had no idea what to order. Aside from the expensive and hard-to-pronounce names of the dishes that were offered, they all seemed tasty. He cannot help it but look at Tin to ask for some assistance. Tin looked at this little fellow's gaze and shook his head. Can looked like an abandoned pup and it made Tin smile in delight."He will take the same thing as mine but without the fruit," Tin requested to the waiter while still looking at Can who seemed to be trying to figure out how to use the utensils around him.The waiter took the menu from Can and immediately left the two of them alone."You can eat in whatever way you want, you don't have to know proper etiquette," Tin reassured. Can immediately nodded since he was about to give up anyways. He does not know how rich people have these different utensils and plates for eating. All you just really need were a simple fork, spoon, and a plate."You didn't have to take me to this expensive restaurant. A simple cheap food would've been fine," Can explained."You seemed to be drooling at the menu earlier though," Tin smirked.Can wiped his mouth to see if he actually drooled. There was no drool."No, I didn't," Can said as he frowned.Tin just chuckled. He was just kidding."Why aren't you wearing the clothes that I bought for you?" Tin said as he changed the topic while waiting for the food."I don't want them to get dirty...." Can answered. In reality, he did not really want to wear such expensive clothes in the competition because it grabs too much attention. Although this was the case, after the battle with Trump, he realized that people still paid attention to him anyway."Those clothes are not meant for display. They will help increase your defense and other bonus capabilities. You should know this," Tin said."I-I know. It's just that when I wear them, I don't know how I will explain it to my family or friends," Can said nervously. It was his sister's fault. If she did not spout nonsense about him and Tin, he would not be this bothered about wearing the clothes that Tin bought for him."Just tell them they are a gift from me," Tin nonchalantly said."That's easy for you to say that," Can mumbled to himself."I want you to start wearing them tomorrow or else...," Tin looked at Can directly into his eyes in a serious tone."Or else what?" Can gulped."I'll strip you down and change your clothes, but this time you are conscious. I could give you a bath too, if you want," Tin said without any hesitation."Eeh! I'll wear them! I'll wear them!" Can immediately responded. He just remembered that Tin was the one who gave him a bath while he was unconscious. Even if he was not aware of what happened during that time, he still felt quite embarrassed.Tin could remember vividly Can's naked body last time. If he realized sooner that he wanted Can, he might have done something more than giving him a bath."Good," Tin said as he nodded.After some time, the server came in with the food that was ordered. There were two plates of Pasta with Lamb Ragù, Island Duck with Mulberry Mustard, and two glasses of water placed on their table.
"Enjoy," the server said as he left the room.Can looked at the dishes and was amazed by the smell and presentation. They look really fancy and delicious! Tin, on the other hand, thought that the food was just simple. He actually preferred Can's cooking more than this.Can grabbed a fork and a cutlery knife. He first grabbed the Island Duck with Mulberry Mustard and clumsily cut the meat. When he took the first bite of the duck meat, he felt that he was in heaven. It was truly flavorful and tasty! As he continued eating in a very unclassy manner, Tin was just observing him. He was glad that Can liked the food. He might bring him into this restaurant as frequent as possible if Can really liked it."Tin, the food here is really delicious. I wonder who is the chef?" Can asked while still chewing the food in his mouth."I could call him right now if you want," Tin said as he started cutting the duck meat on his plate properly."Huh? That would be a bother, the chef is surely busy," Can answered."He would not mind since I am the owner of this place," Tin casually answered as he took a bite of his food.Can almost choked when he heard the word 'owner' from Tin's mouth. Does he seriously own this place? Now he wondered what other places does this guy own.Tin saw the little beast summoner's surprised reaction and only gave him a nod as a response. Ordinary people who knew about the existence of E.A. should also know that it owns a lot of businesses locally and internationally. This restaurant is one of them.After Tin nod, Can went back to eating. He should not be surprised anymore if Tin owns this country or the world.While he was eating, he saw Tin leaning towards him with his right hand approaching his face. He froze in place as he looked at Tin's movements.Tin saw that there was a small smudge from the mulberry mustard sauce next to his lips and so he took this opportunity to touch Can's face. With his thumb, Tin wiped the mustard next to his lips. He then went back to his seat. Instead of wiping off the mustard from his hand with a handkerchief, he licked it in a quite seductive way. Whether it was deliberate or not, Can could not help it but blush."You should've just told me I have something on my face," Can said as he avoided Tin's gaze."Cantaloupe," Tin said as he held a piece of cantaloupe.Can immediately looked at him. He thought that Tin was making fun of him, but he was just talking about a piece cantaloupe. He just resumed eating the pasta.Tin took a small bite of the fruit and said that "Cantaloupe is so sweet."Can once again froze as he looked at Tin.Tin continued describing as he took another bite of the fruit. "Cantaloupe is so soft and delicious," he said as he continued to tease Can. (A/N: Do you guys know where I got this? XD)"Tin, could you please just eat," Can said as he tried to ignore Tin's words about cantaloupe even though he might just be referring to the actual fruit and not him. Tin just smirked. He likes teasing Can so much. After the two ate, they went back to Tin's car and drove back to the campus. When they were in the car, Can has been thinking about how he should repay Tin in some other way. He knew that he did not want money for sure.He does not know what to give him, so he decided to ask Tin himself."Tin, I want to repay you in some way for the things you have done for me. I hate being indebted. Is there anything you would like me to do?" Can asked."There is," Tin immediately answered."Cook for me at my home," he continued."Ohh that's no problem with me at all but don't you have a chef at home?" Can curiously asked."I don't like the food the chef makes, I like yours better," he said.There was an inexplicable happiness within Can. He still cannot believe that Tin actually finished the ham and cheese hot pockets he prepared when he had breakfast at his place. If Tin wants his food, then he will cook for him. It is no big deal."Alright, just tell me when so I can prepare the ingredients," Can excitedly replied."Ok," Tin said.Meanwhile, in the blue portable gazebo where participants could issue challenges, a mysterious woman appeared wearing high-quality gears with hidden defensive capabilities: a cap, a black face mask, a red cape embroidered with floral designs that covered her entire body. Everyone surrounding her could feel the pressure that she exudes. They could tell that she is not an ordinary beast summoner. She was truly an attention grabber, not only due to her sense of fashion but also her promising and threatening power. No one knew who she was, but they knew they should not belittle her. This competition is truly becoming fiercer. Everyone who has participated in this particular event from previous years should be cautious of the new participants!The mysterious woman ignored the chattering of the people around her and logged into the computer. She immediately looked specifically at the people of the top 10."Can Rathavit."
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(unedited)As Tin and Can arrived into the coliseum, two familiar people saw the two of them."Tin! Can! I've been looking for the two of you," Pete said happily as he saw that Tin and Can were together.It has been a while since Pete saw the pair in person. After hearing the headlines about the two on social media today, he wanted to see the two of them immediately but Tin dragged Can somewhere so he had to wait for them to come back. He had a hunch about their relationship, but he did not know that they already developed that fast already. When he would text Tin about his well-being these past few days, he did not mention anything about Can. He just learned about the two just today through social media! How can Tin hide his love life from his childhood friend! It is unfair! When Pete and Ae just became a couple, the first person to know their relationship was Tin. Even though Pete knew that Tin did not like Ae, he still told him about his relationship because he is his important childhood friend. Although Pete was being petty about it, he was still happy that Tin found someone whom he liked. Can is a really good and caring person just like Ae. He hoped the two would stay like this.Speaking of Ae, the heir of B.S.G has been silent since he read the headlines about Tin and Can being together. He did not know if he should be happy about it. For him, Can is like a family and a brother to him. He does not want him to get hurt. In his experience interacting with Tin, this ice prince was a selfish and cold-hearted bastard. Ae does not really like his personality at all, but after seeing that the two were happily chatting to one another as they entered the coliseum, Tin might actually have changed for the better. Did he really change or was he scheming something?"Oh, Ae! Pete! How are you!?" Can immediately approached the two the moment he saw them. When Tin saw Can rushed towards the two, he immediately clicked his tongue in annoyance as he walked behind Can. These pests."We're good! I saw your first match today. You did great," Ae praised Can as he messed up Can's hair briefly."Stop it, Ae!" Can said as he joked around with Ae while trying to stop him from messing his hair. Ae stopped afterwards."Congratulations, Can. You did really well," Pete said as he chuckled."Thank you!" Can quickly blushed. He was quite happy to see his other close friends. It has been a while since he saw them because he was busy training for the competition these past few weeks."By the way," Pete quickly grabbed his brown leather shoulder bag. He opened it and took out a blue potion. It was a spiritual energy recovery potion.He then handed it to Can and said "Here.""This should help replenish your spiritual energy," Pete explained.Can took the potion from Pete and looked at it. It was a high-grade potion.He hesitated and gave it back to Pete. He cannot take it since it an expensive potion. Besides, he already recovered all of his spiritual energy. Since his battle with Trump only used 3% of his spiritual energy, he was able to recover completely. Even if he used 50% of his spiritual energy, he could easily recover them. After becoming a high-level beast summoner, his spiritual energy capacity and recovery speed have increased incredibly and abnormally."I'm okay Pete. I've already recovered all my spiritual energy. Thank you though," Can said as he refused Pete's offer.Pete tried to persuade Can to take the potion. "Well, I made this specifically for you though. You can use it when you need it. Consider it as a celebratory gift for winning.""But...this is high-quality grade potion? It is expensive to produce," Can continued."It's no problem at all. I have plenty. Don't worry about it," Pete said as he kept his enthusiastic smile."Come on Can, Pete really worked hard on this potion just for you. He would sulk if you refuse, so just accept it." Ae looked at Pete with admiration. The two of them have spent a lot of time in Pete's wooden cabin to brew potions and to do some other....stuff.Can looked at Pete who was nodding. He has no choice but to accept Pete's gift. Pete is really nice. Ae is a truly lucky person to be able to find an angel like Pete.As Can took the potion and put it in the small backpack that he brought, he became curious about Ae's match."Do you have a match today?" Can asked Ae."No one has issued a match yet, so I'm just watching other people's matches with Pete," Ae explained. None of the competitors has the guts to taste the terrifying power of Ae's completed Seven Deadly Sins Beasts."How about you Can, did someone issue a match against you?" Ae asked."Hmm..." Can took out his new phone which caught Pete and Ae by surprise. How can he have such an expensive new phone? All of a sudden, both of them thought of Tin. The two of them looked at each other then at Tin. The main culprit avoided the stares that he was getting from the annoying couple and just smirked."I have one match.............RIGHT NOW!" Can panicked after checking his notifications from his phone."Go," Tin said as he touched Can's back gently.Can looked at Tin and nodded."Thank you, everyone. Wish me luck!" Can said as he rushed towards the first platform where he was once again assigned for a match. The three who were left eventually decided to seat together after Pete insisted Tin to seat with them to watch Can's upcoming match.As Can approached the first stage, the crowd was once again bustling with enthusiasm and excitement. After Can's first match, other people's matches were a little boring. Although some were amazing, they were not as great as Can's first battle. Now that someone has decided to challenge him then that person must not be ordinary. This match must be another mouth-dropping battle.When Can finally arrived on the stone platform, his opponent was already looking at him in contempt."I thought you got scared and ran away," the mysterious lady said mockingly while her arms were crossed."Why would I run away? Also, I don't even know you," Can retorted. This lady covered in a face mask and fancy clothing is rude. When Can saw his notification earlier about his opponent, he had no idea who she was."I'll make sure you'll remember me," she said as she smirked although her expression was hidden due to her black face mask.Seeing that the two competitors are on the first stage, the commentator immediately announced their names, "We will now begin the duel between our new Rank 8th, Can Rathavit and a new challenger, Pineare Pannin."(A/N: I was looking for the name of the girl in one of the episodes of LBC where she asked for a ride with Tin then Tin refused her. She is the opponent of Can in this chapter. I looked at MyDramaList and this is the only person who seemed to match that description. If I'm wrong please tell me! I wasn't focusing on the female characters, so I'm not really sure. )The referee shouted begin then left the stage.As soon as the referee left the stage, Can decided to make the first move. He summoned Valkyrie and formed a small defensive barrier for both of them. When Valkyrie showed up, everyone in the audience could not get enough of the beautiful and magnificent angel beast as they started taking pictures and videos of her. She became an instant celebrity for many."Pfft, so what if you have her? She's not that special," Pineare sneered.She took a deep breath and raised two of her hands. Both of her palms started emitting dark lights. These two dark lights started to expand and created two rifts that looked like black holes. From those holes, dark purple aura started to come out. Immediately, a suppression aura was felt by summoned beasts below the Epic Rarity. Two intense huge red dots from two holes can be seen. Those were eyes staring at Can."I summon The Dark Master of Endless Towers, Naght Sieger and The Dark Guardian, Entweihen Crothen!"
(This is Naght Sieger from Ragnarok Online.)
(This is Entweihen Crothen, also from R.O. Not as scary as Naght Sieger. )The two beings slowly came out from the two black holes. Fear and shivering feelings were sent to the spectators as the appearance of the two demonic skeletal beings became more apparent.Naght Sieger and Entweihen Crothen are both Epic Rarity Demon type beasts. Although both of them are not as special as Valkyrie, they are both found in the middle part of the Epic tier which is still quite impressive. When both of their powers are combined, they are on a par with Can's angel beast. Naght Sieger specializes in offensive shadow attacks while Entweihen Crothen specializes at stunning or trapping her enemies. Coordinating both of their movements and actions is key in order to give them a higher chance of successfully defeating their opponents who might be more powerful than them. In Can's case, since Valkyrie is against two demon beasts with great harmony of powers, he is in a disadvantage already."If you have an angel by your side, I have two demons on mine," Pineare arrogantly announced.Without waiting for Can's reply, she immediately coordinated an attack towards Can's angel beast.
"Shadow Slash!"
Naght Sieger teleported behind Valkyrie and raised both of his two deadly swords. As he was about to slash Valkyrie, the angel beast detected his movements and flew away above him. "Don't think you can escape that easily," Pineare cautioned.
"Evil Thorns!"
Entweihen Crothen touched the ground with her skeletal hands; Huge black spiky thorns emerged on the stage. These thorns quickly pursued the angel to immobilize her. As Valkyrie tried to escape from the pursuing thorns, Naght Sieger caught up with her and started attacking once again. Quick blows from the swords and spear could be seen. The exchange of attacks between the two was fast and decisive. It kept everyone tightly on their seats as they focused their attention on the two beasts. Eventually, the two had to break up their fight since Valkyrie tried to fly away once again to escape the still-growing thorns that are slowly covering the entire stage. This was Pineare's plan. She wanted Can to get distracted while she was trying to slowly cover the stage with thorns to allow her to trap both the Valkyrie and Can faster.Can was able to figure out what she was planning. He commanded Valkyrie to retreat next to his side and form a stronger and bigger defensive barrier.
"Holy Dome!"
After Valkyrie swiftly retreated next to Can, she struck the ground with her enchanted left hand and formed a defensive holy barrier around her. Her wings expanded and covered Can with them for increased protection. Even though Valkyrie is an offensive type of beast, she still has powerful defensive spells. Can was thinking of using the method he used against Trump where he waited for Gopanich to become exhausted, but it seems it was going to be useless this time. He was stuck."Already hiding? You're no fun!" Pineare smiled evilly."If you think this defensive barrier will save you, you're wrong!" she continued.
"Demons' Bombardment!"
Both Naght Sieger and Entweihen Crothen dashed forward and attacked the defensive dome. Naght Sieger continuously hit one particular side of the dome simultaneously like a madman while laughing. As seconds passed by, his attacks became faster. With the help of Enweihen Crothen, the attacks became more powerful and vicious. Small cracks on that particular side of the dome started to show. Fortunately, Valkyrie has the capability to repair the defensive holy dome barrier, but this can become a problem. The primary weaknesses of the Valkyrie's holy dome are the amount of energy it takes to maintain and repair the barrier when it is damaged and also a concentrated attack on an area of the dome. As the dome gets more damaged, Can has to release more spiritual energy.Since Can has fast spiritual energy recovery speed compared to most beast summoners, he might actually have a chance to win by staying within the defensive dome while trying to exhaust the spiritual energy of the enemy. Of course, Pineare knew his plan. After issuing a challenge against Can, she quickly did a background check with the help of her family's connection. She concluded that Can is not the type of person to attack since he does not like hurting beasts! He is known for his obsession and love for beasts on campus. She was able to prove this when she witnessed the battle he had with Trump earlier. His battle plan is to exhaust his opponents and then remove them from the stage with minimal strength as much as possible. Truly kind-hearted but weak! Knowing Can will not attack any time soon, Pineare decided to summon another beast to finish him and Valkyrie off."Ice Titan, Ktullanux!"
(A/N:This is Ktullanux from R.O)With an additional opponent on the stage, Can is now facing a losing battle.
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(unedited) Ktullanux is an ice elemental beast that is under the lower hierarchy of the Epic tier. Since Valkyrie is a mixture of holy and fire elements, she is weak against ice elemental attacks. So even though Ktullanux is not that strong, it could still cause a potent damage against Valkyrie which is why Pannin decided to summon the Ice Titan. Immediately after summoning Ktullanux, Pannin commanded it to use its most powerful attack.
"Ice Beam!"
When Ktullanux opened its mouth, its surrounding small area froze. It then started to screech loudly that the entire audience of the coliseum could hear it. They hated its annoying loud voice. After the Ice Titan's screech, a light-blue orb light was formed inside its mouth that then released a continuous stream of strong beam towards the defensive dome. Now with the combined power of three summoned beasts, the rate of speed of the cracks appearing was now faster than the rate of speed of repairing the defensive dome. Soon, the cracks have become bigger; Can could not keep up anymore.
"Finishing Blow"
With his two deadly swords, Naght Sieger leaned forward as he lunged with great power which caused the defensive dome of Valkyrie to shatter into pieces.As soon as the dome was destroyed, the Valkyrie has no choice but to fight. It would be a three-against-one battle. By the looks of it, Can was losing.Valkyrie valiantly flew forward to fight her enemies. But being outnumbered and overpowered, she was slowly losing the fight as she weakens. While Valkyrie was getting distracted as she attacks and defends against three beasts, Pannin was already rushing towards Can. With the help of her red cape, she used its ability which is invisibility to sneak behind Can.
"Magic Crush!"
Pannin's magic spell destroyed the already small weak defensive barrier that covered Can. After Can's last defense barrier was destroyed, Pannin punched him in the face. Can was unable to react quickly, so he was met with a painful punch. Immediately, Can fell on the ground. His left cheek was red; His mouth started to bleed.The entire audience was shocked. It seemed that there would be a new rank 8th sooner. The people who were shocked the most were those who were close to Can. Ae and Pete could not believe what was happening. They could see their friend getting hurt, but they could not do anything. It hurts just looking at him. For Tin who was the most affected, he was filled with anger, sadness, pain, and powerlessness. The only thing that he could do is just to believe in Can. He curled his fingers to form a fist as it shook in anger. Anyone who hurts Can would not be left unscathed. He would remember her and make her pay for what she did.On the battlefield, Pannin observed the little beast summoner who was on the ground in front of her."So this is the kind of person he chose?" Pannin mocked.Can tried to stand up but he was kicked in the stomach by his opponent that caused him to fall once more on the ground. While lying on his stomach, he started to groan in pain as he wheezed. "You're pretty weak. You don't deserve him," she continued as she stepped on Can's back firmly with her red high heels."What ar- are you talking about?" Can asked as he bit his lips while enduring the pain."Don't act innocent! YIELD!" Pannin shouted as she once again kicked Can in the stomach. Can vomitted blood as he held his stomach with both of his hands."I'm not....yielding..." Can whispered."You stubborn sh*t! What did Tin see in you huh!? You're just a weak and pathetic piece of sh*t!" she spouted as she kicked Can simultaneously. Can tried his best to block Pannin's attacks with his arms while trying to form a new defensive barrier. Unfortunately, his opponent was too fast. She would continuously kick him so Can would not have time to form a spell."I'm the one who should be by his side and not you! I've known him since we were kids! I DESERVE TO BE WITH HIM!" she said as her eyes started to turn red from anger."I don't know what you're talking about," Can weakly said as he wiped the blood that was flowing from his mouth. She seemed to be talking about Tin. Why is she blaming him? He did not do anything!"Well I'll give you a quick background story since we have plenty of time and you're really stubborn," she said as her attitude change with a fake friendlier tone while maintaining the menacing look on her face.Pannin was confident that Can would not be able to fight back anymore. As her three summoned beasts are now overwhelming Valkyrie, she can be at ease that she will win the battle.She pulled Can's hair while she was on her knees."After this, you have to give up on him!" she demanded as she removed the face mask from her face.As her face was revealed, Pete was able to recognize her face. At first, when the announcer mentioned her name, it sounded a little familiar. Now seeing that she revealed her face, Pete knew who she was!"You know her?" Ae asked when he saw Pete's surprised reaction after Can's opponent revealed her face."She was umm a die-hard fan of Tin since elementary. We were not friends though," he explained.Pete looked at Tin, but it seemed he was not paying attention. He was just focusing on Can on stage while still being angry."She would only observe us from afar during elementary school and did not approach us. Everyone in my school just thought of her as creepy. After graduating from elementary, she followed us from middle school to high school. Her obsession got progressively worse in high school. She would stalk Tin everywhere and send him things every day. Tin, of course, disregarded her. I had to personally report her to our high school principal. She was then transferred to another school. That was the end of it. I can't believe she was also attending this university," he worriedly said."Is her obsession with him the reason why she challenged Can?" Ae asked."It could be the reason," Pete nodded.Meanwhile, Tin was actually listening to Pete and Ae's conversation. He personally knew about this obsessive stalker back in high school, but he did not pay attention to her. He did not think that this b*tch would personally come to cause trouble for him and Can.On the battlefield, Pannin's explanation was quite different from what Pete said about her."We were supposed to be together, but since our status was quite different before, we couldn't be together. Now that I'm equal to him, nothing will stop the both of us from loving one another. I'm just giving him a huge favor by getting rid of you," Pannin said as she grinned.Can who was in pain was starting to contemplate what she said. First of all, what did he do? Why is he involved with their so-called forbidden love? She should confront Tin instead of him! He is more of Tin's servant for life instead of a love rival. That ice prince always does not fail to surprise him when it comes to his life. Yet, even if their unfortunate love life has nothing to do with Can, he felt uncomfortable and pain in his heart. Tin you bastard! This is all your fault!As he thought about Tin while struggling from Pannin's grasp on his hair, he immediately spotted him from the audience. Instead of feeling pain, he was filled with anger instead. He cursed at Tin for bringing him a troublesome woman! Tin, you bastard! You have to explain everything to me after I win this competition! I'll show you I should not be messed with!Tin noticed that Can was glaring at him. He was pouting as he frowned. It seemed that he was not even paying attention that there was an opponent grabbing his soft hair and about to defeat him. For some reason, Tin could sense what Can was thinking and could not help, but feel a sigh of relief. It seemed that Can was determined to win. He started to give Can a smirk. Still, he did not like the feeling of Can being hurt by that b*tch due to some petty reason.Pannin noticed that Can was looking at a certain direction. When she looked up, she saw Tin has a smirk on his face. What is with that reaction? Why is he smiling? Is he smiling for this weakling? He is about to lose though?"No! No! No! This is not happening," Pannin said as her voice became shaky and louder. She has to finish the battle and eliminate Can as soon as possible!Since Can has not yielded yet, she will use this opportunity to inject a deadly poison into him. In one of her pockets, she took out a needle that was smeared with poison. Since she was covered by her red cape, no one could see what she was doing. Can, on the other hand, used this opportunity of Pannin's sudden distraction to escape and call another beast.
"Holy Ghost Form!"
Can put both of his hands together as if praying and turned invisible. With this kind of invisibility, he was able to go through things without any problem, so he was able to escape Pannin's grasp. Although he was still in pain all over his body, he was able to run and create some distance between him and his opponent. This move made Pannin angrier. After Can's holy ghost form wore off, she immediately pursued him. She was already able to close the gap between Can and him but it was enough momentum for Can to do another spell.
"Emergency Summoning!"
Usually, when a beast summoner calls a contracted beast, it takes some time to summon it. When a beast summoner used Emergency Summoning spell, a particular contracted beast from the other dimension will be immediately summoned on the spot. This, of course, cost more spiritual energy. In order to use this particular spell, the beast summoner has to think which beast he wants to summon immediately. Since this is Can's first time using the spell and was in a desperate situation, he was unable to confirm which beast he was going to summon. Pannin immediately stopped her planned offensive attack and jumped back to create distance between the two of them. She did not know what kind of powerful beast Can will summon. She needed to be cautious and be far away from him just in case.After Can used the Emergency Summoning spell, a small white orb was created in front of him.The audience was excited to see what kind of powerful beast Can would summon that would hopefully change the state of the battle. Valkyrie was able to defend herself successfully up to this point, but she was still in a disadvantage. If Can really wants to win, he has to summon another beast to help her out. His battle plan of exhausting the enemies was not an option anymore. He needs to fight.The white orb in front of him started to expand quickly. The bright white light that the orb was releasing was blinding which caused not only Pannin to cover her eyes but also everyone in the coliseum.After a few seconds, the bright white light went away. When Pannin and the audience saw Can's supposedly powerful beast, their mouth quickly dropped in shock.Ae and Pete saw the new beast that Can summoned."Is-isn't that Gucci?" Pete asked. Did Can really summon Gucci on purpose? This is part of his plan right?"Kyuuuu!"
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(unedited)"PFFFT! PUHAHAHA," Pannin laughed hysterically after seeing that Can only summoned a slime beast that does not even fight! This is just too good! Her luck is really good! She did not expect that her opponent would make such a grave mistake at this very moment. Everyone in the audience thought that Can made a huge mistake at summoning this kind of beast. Gucci is a collector type of beast which means that his main function is to mostly collect various items or materials of different rarities. This kind of beast does not have the capability to fight or defend itself from harm. So when Can summoned Gucci, everyone considered it as a bad move.The little beast summoner knew what everyone was thinking. He also knew that he made a mistake when he summoned Gucci. It was not his intention to summon him to begin with, so when he saw his contracted red jelly-like beast appear, his face paled. He could only use Emergency Summoning once a day. If he tried to summon another beast, it would take him some time to do so. He does not think that Pannin would allow him to summon.Gucci, on the other hand, was immediately mesmerized by the place that he was in after he appeared in front of his master. A lot of people were staring at him with a questioning and unbelievable gaze. Suddenly getting a little embarrassed and excited from the attention that he was getting, he turned around to look at his master. When he saw that Can looked beaten up and has this surprised look on his face, he realized the reason why he was summoned. He turned around once more and saw the situation on the battlefield. One of his master's contracted beast, Valkyrie Randgris, was fighting three opponents. By the looks of it, she was about to lose. Gucci then faced his master's opponent on the opposite side of the stage who was laughing about something. What is so funny?Since Can summoned Gucci in such a crucial moment, it made the red gelatinous beast feel that he was quite important. Of course, this is a huge thing for Gucci. For him, a beast who does not have skills to fight or defend, to be given the task to help defend his master is not simple. It made him feel that his master trust his abilities to save him from his opponent. Now, he is fired up to help him!Gucci started thinking of different ways to help his master. Should he bite her? He does not have teeth though. Should he kick her? He looked down and checked his body. He does not have legs. Should he punch her? He immediately realized he does not have hands. He is basically a moving soft jelly that has mouth and eyes! Such a simple-minded beast indeed!Gucci then thought about the items he collected in his little backpack. This backpack that was bought by Can was not ordinary. Although, it looks small, it can contain a lot of items. It is like the special pouches that Tin bought for Can but way less expensive. Gucci removed the backpack from himself and opened it. Searching for items to throw at the opponent as he makes humming sounds like there was no serious battle going on, he found an item he recently received from a new friend when he was collecting magical herbs in his dimension. This item is a small square-shaped wooden talisman that has unknown carvings on it. Although it looked simple, it has a dark aura surrounding it. Gucci's new friend told him that if he was in any kind of trouble, he just needed to break this wooden talisman and he will arrive to help.
(A/N: I couldn't find a better picture, but this is how I see Gucci with a backpack XD.)Meanwhile, after some time of laughing hysterically, Pannin finally composed herself. She will not let this opportunity pass so she once again dashed forward to attack Can. She completely ignored Gucci, who was in front of his master and was busy looking at items in his backpack. She knew that he could not fight so why bother attacking him?
"Ice Gauntlets!"
Gauntlets that were made of ice covered both Pannin's hands. If someone's flesh was hit by the ice gauntlets, it will immediately become frozen.Can had no choice but to fight Pannin personally while thinking of a solution.
"Heaven's Guard!"
A shining golden shield that reflects the sunlight due to its quite polished appearance immediately descended from the sky and landed on Can's left hand. Can immediately attached the shield on his left arm and rushed forward passing by Gucci who was busy looking at a small item made of wood.When the two opponents met in the middle of the stage, Pannin aimed for Can's body when she punched. Can saw her move and blocked her attack with his golden shield. His opponent was then sent back a few meters away. Once again Pannin dashed forward and then jumped after gaining momentum. As she jumped, Can raised his shield to block Pannin's attack."PERISH ALREADY!!!!" Pannin said as she was about to dive from the air to punch Can. She used this moment to increase the power of the gauntlets as she transferred more spiritual energy to them. Can did the same as he poured more spiritual energy to his shield.When the gauntlet and the shield met, a gust of wind and vibration were created. Pannin flew away once again. The ground where Can was standing had huge cracks on them."You know that you won't win by just dodging?" Pannin said as she started breathing heavily."I won't give up," Can said as he also tried to catch his breath."THEN DIE!!!" Pannin screamed as her frustration grew while her threatening gaze intensified. She just needed a little bit more time. Valkyrie is almost finished. When her contracted beasts are done dealing with the angel beast, they could help her deal with this pest.As Pannin once again tried to do another round of exchanging blows with Can, she heard a sudden crack sound from Can's red jelly-like beast. She stopped moving as her attention was shifted to Gucci. This beast seemed to break something?As soon as the wooden talisman was broken, crackling fire sounds could be heard. The dark aura surrounding it expanded immediately which startled not only Gucci but also everyone including Can who was in front of him."What seems to be the matter little one?" said by a man with a deep husky voice who just appeared from thin air next to Gucci.Everyone immediately gasped in horror and surprise."Tha-that's Thanatos!" one of the audience said as her voice shook shakily."Kyuuuu! Kyuuuu!" ("It's you!") Gucci said in excitement as he jumped multiple times.When Can looked back, he could not believe what he was seeing."Thanatos!?" he said in surprise.Thanatos is a magical knight who is a Legendary ranked beast. He is very well-known for his great proficiency in magic and swordsmanship. He is considered one of the best beasts in terms of defensive and offensive skills. With his dark spiky blue hair that attempts to hide his terrifying deathly gaze and the unique armor that is decorated with skulls, anyone who sees him will immediately be able to identify him. His huge black sword that is able to terrify everyone by just looking at it has the capability to pierce even the toughest defenses of any beasts. Yet even with his threatening look, he still has a lot of admirers not only due to his strength but also due to his handsome and well-defined face. There is only one record of Thanatos showing up in this world which is a very long time ago. On that record, it was mentioned how he was able to defeat Epic tier beasts single-handedly with one slash of his giant black sword. Even though this was a long time ago, his legacy remained.
Pannin immediately felt terrified after seeing Thanatos suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Her beasts immediately felt an oppressing aura and stopped attacking all of a sudden. Valkyrie immediately flew towards Can to defend him from the beast she knew very well."Kyu! Kyu! Kyuuuu!" ("Help me defeat my master's opponent, but don't kill them!") Gucci demanded.Thanatos faced Gucci and nodded."Very well." Thanatos looked at Valkyrie and quickly made a small smirk on his face. This made the angel who always maintains a cool and dignified appearance angry. Thanatos then shifted his gaze and casually looked at Pannin's direction which caused Can's opponent to fall from the ground from the fear that she felt. Afterwards, Thanatos faced her contracted beasts with indifference. Everyone including Can was silent while Gucci has a proud look on his face. The magical knight slowly raised his left hand and snapped his fingers. The sound of the fingers snapping was heard by everyone due to how silent the entire coliseum has become.After the snap, Thanatos faced Gucci."It's done," he said casually."Kyuu?" ("Really, that's it?") Gucci curiously asked.When Can looked at Pannin's contracted beasts, he noticed that all of them stopped moving completely. Out of nowhere, they were immediately flung by an invisible powerful force out of the stage. Each crashed to the ground and created a huge hole after landing. None of them moved. They were like dead flies. Thankfully no one who was outside of the stage was hurt.After seeing her precious contracted beasts getting defeated with just a snap of fingers, she gradually lost her reasoning and became mad. She immediately stood up and rushed forward to attack Can.Can rushed forward to attack too. He wanted a pay-back for what she did to him. So what if she is a woman? She is crazy and rude to him! She needed to be taught a lesson."IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! DIE!!!" Pannin screamed."YOU CRAZY WOMAN!" Can screamed.
"Shield Boomerang!"
As Can rushed forward, he raised his shield once again and twirl in order to gain momentum. He then threw the shield towards his target. As the shield flew, it increased speed and power.Pannin, who was caught in surprise by the sudden attack, was unable to dodge. Her face was instantly hit by the force of the shield. She spun while she flew away from the stage. After landing on the ground outside the stage, she became unconscious.After Pannin's obvious defeat, loud cheers immediately erupted in the coliseum. Pete and Ae sighed in relief. Tin was happy, but there was a slight pain inside of him. The three of them decided to go down and meet Can at the resting area.With Can's second battle officially ending, his title as 8th rank remained.
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(unedited)Can's opponent who was unconscious was immediately transported to the emergency facility in the university. Her contracted beasts that were defeated were already transferred back to their dimension."Kyuu!" ("Thank you!") Gucci ecstatically uttered as he jumped.He was happy because he was able to help his master although it was mostly Thanatos who did most of the work."The debt has been repaid," Thanatos said as he squatted and patted Gucci's head while ignoring everyone's attention towards him.In the audience area, the people were curious about Thanatos."What's the relationship between the two? If I saw it correctly, it was the slime beast that was able to summon Thanatos and not Can," one of the audience members said curiously as he rubbed his chin."It's weird, right? I have never seen such a thing happened. Can is truly an interesting person! Ahh, I can't wait to see more of him in action. I think this one of the best fights I've seen so far," the other audience member said cheerfully."Kyu-Kyu?" ("What debt?") the naive jelly beast asked the magical demon knight.Thanatos put a genuine smile on his face as he continued to pat Gucci. This red jelly beast is truly naive."For saving me back then when I was heavily wounded," the demon knight said softly.The people who saw Thanatos' facial expression felt a sudden chill all over their bodies. For them, Thanatos' smile looked like an evil smile where he was about to do something wicked. In Gucci's case, his smile looked like he was truly happy. Still, he noticed the slight sadness in his eyes."Kyuuuu! Kyuuu!" ("It's not a big deal. If I see someone who is in need, I should help them out. That's what master told me!") the red jelly beast proudly said."Your master?" Thanatos slowly glanced back at the kid who was beaten up earlier not far away from him. Can who managed to defeat his opponent earlier went back to check on Valkyrie. While communicating with Valkyrie, he suddenly felt that someone was staring at him and caught Thanatos looking at him. He suddenly felt chills. Why was he staring at him?Valkyrie seemed to also sense that Thanatos was staring at her master so she immediately went into a defensive position as he blocked the demon's view."Valkyrie, what's wrong?" Can asked.Valkyrie did not answer but rather focused her attention on Thanatos as she frowned in contempt.Thanatos then focused his gaze on the angel beast and smirked. This foolish angel."Kyuu! Kyuu!" ("I have an idea!") Gucci said who seemed to have a great idea in mind.The demon beast stood up then listened to Gucci."What is it little one?" he asked as he looked at slime beast."Kyuu!" ("Become my master's contracted beast!") Gucci enthusiastically suggested."Kyuuuuuuu! Kyu!" ("With you on our team, we'll be indestructible!") he continued. The red jelly beast imagined his master, Thanatos, Valkyrie, and other contracted beasts fighting evil individuals who might try to cause harm to them. Gucci also imagined himself as a hero fighting in the frontlines with his teammates!"Pfft..." Thanatos immediately held his laugh as he looked at Gucci's expression. He could tell that this small beast was thinking of something ridiculous."Kyuu?" ("What's funny?") Gucci immediately returned to reality after hearing the knight's sudden urge to laugh.Thanatos composed himself as he answered Gucci."I can't."Gucci's mouth suddenly went wide in shock. Now his dream of having a powerful team with Thanatos has shattered!"Kyuuuu?" (Really? Why can't you?) Gucci asked as he tried to know the reason."I don't have the ability to make a contract with anyone anymore. Even if I can, your master is still too weak to summon me," Thanatos casually answered.The demon beast then snapped his fingers."I'll be going now."With just a quick snap of his fingers, a dark spherical-shaped portal that is covered with purple lightning emerged from thin air."Until we meet again."As soon as Thanatos entered, the portal immediately disappeared.Valkyrie was finally able to calm down after the demon knight left."Do you know Thanatos?" Can asked after seeing Valkyrie's reaction changed from being alert to being calm."Yes."Valkyrie's angelic voice had a sad tone to it when she answered Can. Her facial expression immediately became solemn. She seemed to reminisce the past and her regrets."He killed my previous master," Valkyrie said with a trembling voice as she gripped her lance firmly.Can was stunned. Thanatos killed Valkyrie's previous master? Why? Can did not dare ask Valkyrie since it seemed that it is a quite sensitive topic for her."KYUU!" ("MASTER!!!") Gucci immediately jumped to his master's embrace.Can caught Gucci sloppily. This beast does not fail to surprise him every time he is with him."Gucci! Thank you for saving us back there. I didn't expect you to have such a powerful ally," Can happily hugged his jelly beast as he praised him."Kyuu! Kyuu! Kyuuuuuu!" ("Of course! I'm Gucci, master's greatest beast!")"Yes, yes, you are master's greatest beast," Can continued praising Gucci although he felt slightly guilty since he did not purposely summon Gucci in the battle. After breaking through the higher level, Can's beast communication skills have improved tremendously so he was able to perfectly communicate with Gucci. "Master, I'm going to return now."Valkyrie went back to her usual self, but there was a subtle change in her behavior. Before Can could say something, Valkyrie already disappeared back to her dimension. Can wished that Valkyrie would be alright.After some time, Can and Gucci went down the stage. As Can walked towards the resting area, he suddenly felt the pain coming back all over his body. He was too focused on the battle earlier that he forgot that he was injured. Every step that he took, a hiss will come out of his mouth because of the stinging pain.Finally, after entering the resting area, he sat down to the nearest bench with Gucci on his lap. He looked around and saw that Ae, Pete, and Tin were approaching in a hurry."CAN! Let me quickly take a look at your injuries," Pete worriedly said as he rushed to Can's side. The little beast summoner was startled because of Pete's actions. He was like a mother who saw her kid stumble to the ground. After making sure that Can did not receive fatal injury, Pete immediately performed heal.
"Heal!"
A faint white light came out from both of Pete's hands and put them on Can's chest. All of the physical injuries that Can has suffered gradually disappeared.While he was being healed, Ae congratulated Can on his another victory."You did really well Can. Also, I couldn't believe that you have Thanatos on your side. It was really amazing!" Ae said as he nodded in satisfaction."Thank you, Ae," Can said. He was a little embarrassed about being praised.After Pete made sure that Can fully recovered, he finally went back to his usual self as heaved a sigh of relief."You're okay now," Pete said to Can as he smiled."How do you feel?" Tin immediately went in front of Can who was sitting down as he lightly shoved Pete and Ae to the side.Can suddenly remembered what Pannin told her while the two of them were fighting on the stage. This made Can moody and irritated."Why do you care?" Can said with slight angered tone.Ae and Pete were stunned by Can's sudden behavior as they looked at one another. Can's angry at Tin?Pete had a feeling that Pannin probably said some lies to Can about Tin. He was going to explain to Can, but Ae immediately dragged him out of the resting area."Let them talk," Ae reasoned as they left Tin and Can.Pete hesitantly agreed as he let Ae drag him out. Ae's true goal was to actually make Tin suffer a little bit. Let him fix it by himself!Ae would later realize that he just gave Tin more opportunity to bully Can."Go and look for your girlfriend. She needs you more," Can continued to complain.Knowing that Can was more energetic with his way of speaking than before, Tin felt more relieved."What's the matter?" Tin asked although he had an idea of what was in Can's mind.He realized that Can might actually be....jealous?Thinking about this, more oil was dumped to the fire within Tin's heart which gave him the uncontrollable urge to pounce on this little beast summoner."Hmph!" Can uttered as he refused to look at Tin at all. How dare he act as if he does not know what I was talking about! This arrogant prince deserves a beating! It is your fault this all happened!Tin smirked and thought that Can was adorable."Is this about Pannin who you just defeated?" Tin asked. He wanted to tease Can a little bit more."Yeah, she said the two of you were supposedly together. She wanted to get rid of me because of you! Why was I the one who suffered and not you?" Can crossed his arms. He felt so wronged! This is definitely Tin's fault."Is it my fault that girls act crazy when they see me?" Tin whispered as he leaned closer to Can's left ear.This arrogant bastard!Tin's words made Can angrier as he pouted and frowned more. He is truly shameless!"Get away from me bastard!" Can demanded. He was about to push Tin away from him when the ice prince immediately grabbed both of Can's arms."And if I don't?" Tin continued to smirk. He seemed to be taking this situation less seriously and was having fun rather!Can did not respond to Tin's question. Instead, he tried to struggle but Tin's strength overpowered him, so he was unable to break free."It seemed that you would rather believe some random trash instead of me who has been really good to you," Tin continued to tease Can.Can continuously struggled.Tin leaned closer to Can's face and asked, "How should I punish a disobedient person who owes me his life hmm?"The hot breath that came out from Tin's mouth as he uttered those words were felt by Can's cheeks. Those teasing words and warm breath sent an electric shock all over Can's body causing him to feel weak and unable to struggle. Those areas that were directly hit by Tin's breath became red and sensitive. It made Can's heart beat faster. His small Adam's apple bobbed as he tried to think straight yet he could not! His mind was muddled with Tin's teasing words! His heart was once again invaded by an unknown familiar feeling!"S-stop. I'll stop," Can finally gave up as he stuttered while looking down. He was unable to look straight at Tin because he was scared that he would do something weird again. This bastard, what kind of magic is he using against me?Tin was a little bit disappointed because Can gave up too quickly. He knew that this is not going to be the last time he would tease Can, so he calmed himself down. Still, he was holding Can's arms firmly."That girl and I are not together. The things she told you about me are not true," Tin casually said. Who would want to be with a trash?After hearing those words, Can looked up at Tin. The ice prince immediately leaned much closer to Can's face once again.As both of their faces became dangerously close, Tin seized this opportunity and stole a kiss.Can froze in his position as his eyes widened.After a few seconds, Tin parted his lips from Can's; a lingering sweet warmth stayed with them. He finally let go of the little beast summoner's arms after seeing that Can stopped resisting."If I really liked that girl, would I kiss you?" Tin asked with an arrogant tone.Can slowly touched his lips with his right hand as he shook his head. He was trying to process what just happened!"Now you know the truth," Tin continued.With that one kiss, Can's doubts about Tin and his relationship with the crazy girl disappeared.
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The Summoner Beast Competition is coming to its end on its fifth day, Friday. Every participants in the competition have worked so hard in order to get into the top 100. A lot of them were able to enter the rankings, but some of them did not. Some of the beast summoners in the top 100 were replaced and felt the bitterness of defeat, but they will try again next year. As of now, the awarding ceremony is taking place.In the coliseum, all the dozen stages that were used for dueling these past few days were already torn down and removed. The only thing that was left in the field of the coliseum was a huge stage for the awarding ceremony. It was not as grand as people may think. It was a quite simple white stage where there is a large wooden table in the middle of it. In front of that stage were the top 100 beast summoners sitting in their chairs. They were eagerly waiting for their names to be called and receive, not only the official recognition of their ranking but their other awards also.As every participant knows, the top 100 are guaranteed to get unlimited supply of low-grade materials necessary to create beast food and to summon low-tier beasts. The top 50 are guaranteed to get a certain amount of mid-tier materials. The top 25 are guaranteed to get a supply of mid-tier beast food. The top 10 will receive a one-on-one training with high level veteran beast summoners and trainers. The top 3 are guaranteed to get a certain amount of high-tier materials. The top 1 is certain to get high-tier beast food and training manuals.The dean of the university who looked very young despite his age and the high-level rainbow grade beast summoners were present on the stage. They will be calling out the rank 100 beast summoners and handing out the awards. There was a hint of excitement that could be seen, not only in the top 100 and other people that were present but also in the dean's eyes and some of the high-level rainbow grade beast summoner veterans.They were happy about the outcome of the competition since there were exceptional students who shined throughout the event. Now the only problem is that these beast summoner veterans have to compete to get those exceptional students to their side and train them. By getting these exceptional students, their influence could increase and their fame would soar more. Most of them would like to take the one who made the whole event interesting, Can Rathavit. With the performance that he demonstrated, only a fool would not want to take him as a disciple so even if the competition has already ended, the competition among the veterans is yet to start."Ahem, we will commence the awarding ceremony," the dean of the university said with enthusiasm. Despite his looks, he still held an authoritative voice so everyone paid attention.The top 10 beast summoners were, of course, sitting in the very front row. Ae who is still unsurprisingly the top 1 was sitting in the very first chair. Techno who successfully managed to take rank 5 was naturally sitting in the 5th chair. Kengkla easily took rank 6 and was sitting next to Techno. Can who was 8th rank was obviously in the 8th seat listening to the dean's speech.Since calling the students starting from rank 100 until top 10 will take a while, people in the front row were in their phones. Can who checked his phone got a message. Sure enough, it was from Tin.Tin: "I'll take you after your awarding ceremony." (sent at 9:30 a.m.)Can: "So early!?" (sent at 9:31 a.m.)Tin: "There's nothing else you will do after." (sent at 9:31 a.m.)Yesterday, Tin asked if Can could cook for him in his house. Can was hesitant about it but after his mom happily and sort of forcefully allowed him to go, he eventually said yes. The thing that Can did not know was that his mother and sister were bribed to have a 3-day vacation to Japan to visit the most luxurious hotel spa in the country. If Can knew about this shady collaboration of his family and Tin, he would fume in anger and probably not talk to them for a week.The dean started calling people from the top 10. Can was startled, so he immediately replied to Tin without thinking the consequences of the message he sent.Can: "Okay." (sent at 9:32 a.m)When Can's name was called by the dean, everyone's attention immediately went to Can. The people's emotion about Can was mixed. Their eyes were filled with excitement, admiration, and disbelief. Some were filled with envy and hatred. Overall, Can became an instant celebrity. His life of being unnoticeable is now gone. His every move in public will now be observed by others as they wait for his success and failure.Can calmly went on the stage as his friends cheered him on. The veterans who were present instantly tried to meet Can and introduced themselves to him. The stage has become livelier compared to earlier. Can knew that these well-known veterans wanted to recruit him as their disciple, but he did not really know who he will choose. Although it is not mandatory for the top 10 beast summoners to have a master, having one will tremendously expand one's knowledge and level. So without any question, Can will have to choose a master. Right now, Can decided to just put this at the back of his head and worry about it later.After the veterans have introduced themselves to Can, the dean handed a special small pouch that contained his prize. Can was really delighted since he did not have to work anymore in the Magic Beast Garden to get materials to create beast food. As part of his prize, if he wanted more materials, he could just ask for it! He is now further regretting that he did not join the competition last year."Congratulations Can Rathavit! I'm looking forward to your growth as a splendid beast summoner," the dean said happily. He shook Can's hands and guided him to the exit of the stage."Thank you!" Can said as he smiled back to the dean.At the exit, the beast summoners' family and friends were present to congratulate them. Can's family was not present on this occasion. His mom told him that she was working and unable to take a leave from her work. Ley could not skip school because she has her final examination this week. Although no one from his family was there to be with him, he was not mad about it. He understood their situation, so he was not bitter about it. Still, sadness was still present in his heart. This morning, he did not see his mother and sister at all. They just disappeared all of a sudden which is weird because they would usually say something to him when they leave in the morning. He texted them, but he did not get any reply at all. He did not know that the two were already in Japan's most luxurious hotel spa and soaking themselves in a hot spring.Can is really close to his family. It makes him sad that they are not there. If his father was still alive, then he will be the first one to congratulate him. Can immediately shook his head. Today is not the time to be sad!As Can left the stage and was about to go back to his seat, his hand was pulled."Where are you going?"Can turned around and saw Tin with Pete."Going back to my seat?" Can asked while confused."You said you are going to take me after the award ceremony?" he continued." 'Your' award ceremony, Can. You already said 'okay' in your text too," Tin answered as he slightly curved his lips upwards.Can started thinking what Tin said and immediately understood him. This ice prince is truly mischievous!"Fine! I'll just say goodbye to my friends who are in the front seats," Can said as he tried to remove Tin's hand that was grasping his hand."You can just text them. Pete is here. He could just tell them you are with me," Tin said without any hesitation. He would not let Can go to meet those trash."Uhmm....ermm...Congratulations, Can. I-I could just tell your situation to Ae and the others," Pete said awkwardly as he saw that Can was already being pulled by his childhood friend to the parking lot. Later when Pete told Ae about the situation, Ae got angry and was about to chase the two. Thankfully, Pete was able to stop him. Techno was a little bit disappointed because he wanted to treat Can for his achievement. Eventually, Can's group of friends decided to eat together.After Can and Tin left the parking lot to head to Tin's mansion, a loud and seemed to be crazy old man came to disrupt the awarding ceremony. He looked like as if he just came from vacation from Hawaii with his outfit. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt paired with black sunglasses, gray shorts, and leather sandals. There was a flower lei garland around his neck. On both of his hands were two suitcases.
"So where is this brat named Can Rathavit hmm?" the loud old man said as he interrupted the awarding ceremony."Who is this absurd old man!?" one of the top 100 ranking students asked as he whispered to his friend next to him."Look at his ridiculous outfit. Pfft... He probably went to the wrong place. Crazy old dude for sure!" the other friend who was sitting next to him said.This crazy old man seemed to hear what those two students were talking and he looked directly at them. The gaze of the old man immediately startled the two students as they lowered their head."I left this place not too long ago and the students have become undisciplined already," the old man mocked.Suddenly, the two students who ridiculed the old man were lifted from their seats and flung to the ground."Hmph!" the old man uttered.The two students that were flung immediately shivered in fear. They did not know who the old man was, but they regret offending him."You old fool! You always make a scene when you come," one of the old veterans on the stage said in anger."Old Man Khang! You should be ashamed of yourself!" the other veteran loudly said.When the students heard the name 'Khang', they were surprised and shocked. Who would have thought that one of the strongest beast summoners that are currently alive is this crazy old man? The students knew that Old Man Khang is a High-level Tier 6 Rainbow Beast Summoner.High-level Tier 6 Rainbow Beast Summoners could only be counted by one hand. Entering the Rainbow Grade is already quite difficult but upgrading to higher tiers is extremely difficult. Only truly exceptional and lucky individuals can upgrade to higher tiers.There are 7 tiers in the Rainbow Grade. The higher the tier, the more powerful you are. Currently, in this world, the most powerful individuals are those who are in the 6th tier Rainbow Grade. Old Man Khang can be considered as one of the strongest.Old Man Khang ignored him as he scratched his ear and approached the front row."Where is Can Rathavit hmm?" the old man said.Ae immediately spoke calmly, "He just left.""WHAT!? That damn brat already left when the magnanimous me is generous enough to take him as my disciple!?" old man Khang said."Di-disciple!?" one of the veterans said.This is a piece of news to everyone. They know that Old Man Khang never took a disciple. For him to want Can as his disciple then Can must be truly something! Unfortunately, now that Old Man Khang wants Can, none of the other veterans would try to get Can anymore. If they are to make a comparison between their strength and him, even if they combined their power, they are no match to Old Man Khang.For Can to become Old Man Khang's disciple will truly make everyone envious! They would expect Ae to be likely more of his disciple but this is truly unexpected. Although Can's friends were a little disappointed that they were not also chosen by Old Man Khang, they were extremely delighted that Can was chosen personally by him. Besides, they already have their own masters!"Tsk! That damn brat! I'll have to personally discipline him!!!" Old Man Khang said while he felt annoyed. He then looked at the dean of the university in the eyes."When he comes back to this university, tell him to come to my office immediately," he continued."Y-yes..." the dean answered as he stuttered."Hmph!" the old man said as he walked away with his two suitcases.He is truly a crazy old man.Meanwhile, the man in question sneezed."Are you okay?" Tin asked while driving."No, nothing. Someone must be talking about me," Can jokingly said as he chuckled.Can was in a good mood today. He was looking in his small pouch and checking the various materials he got from the competition. He never saw these much materials in his life! Can also seemed to forget about Tin's misdeeds the other day. Somehow after Tin explained to him that he has no relationship with Pannin, it made him a little happy. The heavy feeling that he felt was gone."I could get those materials for you if you want," Tin said. If this cheap stuff could already make him this happy, then he would be happier if he gets high-quality material for sure."No. You know how I feel when you buy me expensive things. Besides I like to earn things with my own power," the little beast summoner said as he continued checking the pouch.Tin just shook his head as he smiled. So adorable.Little did Can know that as they slowly approached Tin's mansion, the closer he is to the tiger's den where the predator consumes its prey.
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As Tin's car was about to enter the gate of his luxurious mansion, Can's eyes and mouth immediately widened from the view of the elegant and enormous building."Th-this is where you live?" Can stuttered due to his amazement as he checked out the surrounding area of Tin's place. It was so huge that Can would think that if Tin had a dog, its room would probably bigger than Can's house! He cursed at Tin in secret for being filthy rich and making him feel bad for being poor!"We are here, Cantaloupe," Tin said to the little beast summoner who seemed to be mumbling to himself.When he heard the name 'Cantaloupe,' Can who was already a little displeased at Tin made a frowned face. Tin only gave him a slight smile as he pulled the keys out from the keyhole of his car as if he did not see Can's reaction. He knew how Can hated it when someone calls him 'Cantaloupe' but he could not help it since it is fun to tease him. The more that Can tells him to stop calling him by that name, the more that Tin wants to tease him."I was trying to get your attention earlier, but you seemed to be in deep thoughts, so I had no choice but to say Cantaloupe," Tin continued as he opened the door of his car.Can's mouth twitched. So in the end, it was his fault that he was teased! He pouted as he got out of the Tin's car.As they approached Tin's mansion, there is a lovely garden that is home to different beautiful and lovely flowers surrounding the building. They were fully blooming as different insects happily gather around them. These flowers were still being maintained by the old gardener of Tin's family.This garden was actually built by Tin's grandfather and would usually tend to them regularly. Shortly after his death, the old gardener who was his friend took the responsibility to maintain them.As the two passed by the garden, the fragrance of the flowers flowed through the air. The fragrance, according to the old gardener, could calm people's hearts and keep one's mind in peace. It must be true since Can, who was frowning and pouting earlier, seemed to have calmed down. His mind has forgotten Tin's actions earlier as he admired the flowers around them.While the two were walking, Can who seemed to be absorbed by the garden's beauty was stopped when Tin held a mysterious blue flower in front of him."What is it?" Can asked curiously."It's the Celestial flower. It will help restore a person's spiritual energy and gradually increase your level. I want you to have it," Tin said indifferently. "Are you sure? " Can continued. He has heard several flowers that have different properties that could help an individual in some ways, but this is the first time he heard about the Celestial flower."Hmm," Tin nodded with a quick smile as he looked into Can's eyes which made the latter blush a bit."I have a lot of them in the garden. It would be wasteful if I don't use them in some way other than for decoration," Tin continued.Can looked at the blue flower and asked "Th-thank you. Is there a way to take care of this flower?""It's a special type of flower since it wouldn't wilt. It gathers its spiritual energy from its surrounding. As long as there is an abundance of spiritual energy, it will live. You don't have to worry about it. Just put it in a vase and place it somewhere in your room," Tin explained as he continued to walk."I see. I'll take care of it. Is there anything you want in exchange?" the little beast summoner asked as he held the blue flower in his hand. Can did not like the fact that Tin always give him something and he could not repay him some way."I'm hungry," Tin said casually.In reality, Tin has already been listing the things that he gave to Can so that he can use them as an excuse to 'tease' him later. Even though he gives Can a lot of things, this does not mean that Can is not obligated to pay him back. He is not giving things away for free. Of course, Tin does not want his money as a form of payment. Can does not have money to begin with. Everything has a price and Can will find soon enough what that price he has to pay.When the two entered the mansion, Can was immediately astonished by the grand decorations that were displayed inside aside from the high-quality pieces of furniture and modern appliances. There were a lot of rooms that seemed to be endless. It was really huge that probably an entire people of a village could probably fit in here. Everything seemed to be perfect. The only thing that bothered him is the emptiness and somehow lonely atmosphere inside. He suddenly remembered Tin's childhood memories. Now, in this huge mansion, only Tin and his father live here. Can wanted to ask about Tin's family but he did not want to open his old wounds."The kitchen is this way," Tin pointed to the direction of where the kitchen is.As they started walking towards the kitchen, Can seemed to realize that there was no one in the mansion aside from the two of them. With this huge mansion, someone is supposed to maintain and clean it. Tin would not be the one doing that obviously. He just thought that it was probably his maids' day off and just proceeded to follow Tin behind. He was right about the fact that the maids have a day off, but he missed the detail that today is not their official day off. Tin gave them a day off.Inside the kitchen that the two just entered, every appliances and kitchenware were of high-quality. Of course as if a habit, everytime he sees something expensive, Can's eyes would glimmer and his mouth would widen due to admiration. All the kitchenware that he dreamt having are all here.When Can started cooking for his family after his father died, he thought of trying to become a chef one time. In the beginning, he did a lot of research not only on simple and cheap food recipes but also different kitchen appliances and kitchenware. Since he was poor, he could not afford any of the high-quality kitchen items so being in this kitchen seemed to fulfill that silly dream of his when he was younger."You can use anything here," Tin said as he stood by the simple customized stainless steel food prep table.Can became really happy all of a sudden. He nodded at Tin and then placed the Celestial Flower on the dining table. He then stood next to him by the food prep table. He took out a small special brown pouch which has all the ingredients he needed to prepare the food that Tin seemed to like so much. One-by-one he took out the ingredients. Before he began preparing the food, he turned to Tin and asked: "Are you sure you just want ham and cheese hot pockets and other simple dishes?"Tin nodded. To be honest, Tin did not care what kind of food Can will prepare. As long as the food was made by him, he would eat it happily."Hm. Okay," Can smiled as he immediately started creating what he thinks is the best pastry dough for the ham and cheese hot pockets. When he was about to mix the necessary ingredients for his pastry dough, Tin stood behind him and enwrapped his hands around Can's waist. His face was close to Can's face to his right side. The rich prince's mouth almost touched Can's reddening ear. The breath he exhales sent tingling feeling to Can's whole body. It startled Can and made him stop what he was doing. When he looked down, he saw that Tin was just wrapping the apron around him. Did he have to be this close to him!?"You don't want to mess up your clothes," Tin whispered to Can's ears. Those words somehow made Can close his eyes in fright. His heart started beating fast. He became quite nervous all of a sudden. He tried to calm down and told himself that Tin is just teasing him. He knew Tin likes to tease him and whenever he reacts, this filthy rich ice prince will continue to tease him. The thing that he must do is to show that he is not affected. He tried to pretend to not be affected by Tin's actions toward him.Tin, who saw Can trying to endure and pretend that he was not affected by his actions, just smirked. He could clearly see Can's closed eyes and blushing face. How cute.Tin could not help but tease him a bit more, so after wrapping the apron around Can, he tightened the ties of the apron. This action made Can jump in fright and let out a gasping voice."Ah!" Can uttered. He immediately felt embarrassed that he covered his mouth.Tin just continued his somewhat evil smile and proceeded to put an apron to himself. Can regained his composure and looked at Tin. Is he going to cook too!?With a puzzled expression on the little beast summoner's face, Tin could not help but say, "I could help cook.""You can cook?" Can asked as he slightly frowned in confusion."No," Tin answered indifferently.Can somehow felt satisfied that this seemed to be "perfect at everything" type of person has other things he is not good at. Now he is curious how this rich prince will fail miserably at cooking!"Then?" Can continued as he tried to hide the grin on his face as he imagined Tin failing at cooking."You can teach me. I know the basics of how to use knives at least," Tin gazed at Can proudly."If that's the case, cut the ham into smaller pieces," Can suggested as he placed the fresh piece of ham on the table in front of Tin.Tin stared at the piece of meat in front of him and took one of the knives from the knives holder in an elegant and cool way. Can's mouth just twitched. Let us see how you miserably fail and cut yourself! Hmph!Tin started cutting the meat in a way as if he has been cutting meat for years! Every cut was precise and smooth. Is he just pretending that he does not know how to cook?"Tss!" Tin uttered as pulled his left hand that was holding the meat. It seemed that he cut himself with the knife.Can reacted quickly and took Tin's left hand to take a look at the cut. His face suddenly became full of worry. (A/N: What happened to your evil plan Can!?)Tin raised his eyebrows in curiosity. Can seemed to really worry about him. He could not help but chuckle.Can saw Tin's reaction and found out that he was fooled."You! Why did you do that!? You made me worry for nothing!" Can angrily said as he pushed Tin away."You're the one who assumed that I was hurt. I didn't ask for you to grab my hand and check it," Tin retorted as he went back to cutting the ham.Can could not say anything back to counter Tin. Once again, in the end, it was his fault! Fine! If something were to happen to you, do not ask me for help! Hmph!The two continued to cook food. Even though Can was a little mad at Tin, he still taught him how to cook properly. This time, Tin did not tease Can anymore and seriously listened to the master chef. Towards the end of the cooking session, Can was not angry anymore after seeing that Tin was serious about learning how to cook. He somehow felt accomplished because he never thought that Tin would actually depend on him to teach him how to cook.After the cooking session, the two placed the food on the dining table and started eating. The two enjoyed their meal especially Tin who has been craving Can's delicious food. He is now thinking of ways to make Can cook for him. Even if he does not ask, Can is already thinking of an excuse to use his kitchen to cook food.When the two finished the food, Can excused himself to use the restroom. He grabbed the Celestial Flower that was on the table and went to the direction that Tin gave him. Since the mansion was huge, Can got lost immediately. He did not know where to go so he decided to just enter one of the rooms in hopes that he will find the restroom. The little beast summoner stood in front of an old wooden door with unknown carvings on it.Suddenly, the Celestial flower that he was holding glowed. Little blue orbs came out of it and went through the door. Can was curious about what was inside, so he decided to go in.When he went in, he just saw a simple room with simple pieces of furniture. Unlike the things he saw around the mansion, this room seemed ordinary and out of place. There were a plain white bed, a wooden table with a flower vase and a picture frame placed on top of it. In the flower vase, there was a fresh white flower.The little blue orbs were going to the direction of the wooden table that was next to the bed. They started surrounding the picture frame on the table specifically. Can slowly approached the table and observed the picture frame. It was Tin and his family. There was him who was a still a kid, his parents, and an old person. As more little blue orbs gathered around the picture frame, they started to form a male human figure appearance above it. This figure, even though he was transparent and blue, could be recognized. He looked like a ghost, but even though he looks skinny, weak, and old, he has a dignified aura surrounding him. He has long beard and long hair. Can was able to recognize this ghost immediately. It was Tin's grandfather!
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(unedited)As soon as Can recognized Tin's grandfather, he performed a wai. He slightly bowed as both of his palms were pressed together in a prayer-like fashion. His demeanor changed instantly into a respectful tone.Tin's grandfather slightly raised his eyebrows as his curious gaze focused on the kid. He put his palms together to wai back.
(A/N: I'm not familiar with Thai culture but I did a quick research on it so I included 'wai' greeting in the story.)"Who might you be little one?" Grandfather Phiravich asked as he slowly stroke his beard."I-I'm Can Rathavit. I'm Tin's friend. I was just trying to go to the bathroom but got lost...," Can scratched his head from the embarrassment that he felt."Tin's friend?" Grandfather Phiravich said with satisfaction as he slightly smiled."You probably already know who I am?" the old man said asked."Yes, you are Tin's grandfather," Can answered without hesitation as he nodded enthusiastically.The moment the old man heard 'Tin' once more, he felt a sense of guilt, regret, and hope. He felt guilty about not being with his grandson more when he was still alive. If he knew he was going to die at that time, he should have spent more time with Tin.Looking at Can, his grandson has most likely turned into an adult already! He is probably a remarkable and more handsome person now. The old man is confident that Tin is a good-looking and a talented elementalist because naturally, these traits run in their blood. Thinking about these things about his grandson made the old man quite happy and proud. He just wished he was alive to see Tin's progress from childhood to adulthood.Now that he had the opportunity to be awakened, he wants to see his family once more. He was curious about what happened to his troublemaking son and grandson after he died.While reminiscing about his family, grandfather Phiravich realized the illuminating blue flower that Can was holding. It must be the reason why he was able to awaken.After he died, his soul was placed inside a special necklace by his son. This necklace where he was in was put inside the picture frame of his family.Even though he has no physical body anymore, grandfather Phiravich can still be considered alive. The only possible thing that he could do is communicate in a ghost form just like right now with Can. Doing this requires a high volume of spiritual energy around him. It was a good thing that Can held the Celestial Flower which has an abundance of spiritual energy.Speaking of the Celestial Flower, he wondered why Can is holding one of the rarest treasures that his family possesses. For him to be holding such treasure meant that someone from his family gave it to him or he stole it deliberately. If a family member were to give this to him, then that means that Can holds great importance to that person. If that is the case, then he would not make a move against Can. If he stole the Celestial flower, then he would not be able to leave this place unscathed. Even if he could only communicate, he could alert someone in the mansion and make an action towards Can."That flower who gave it to you?" the old man asked as he frowned with curiosity.Can looked at the Celestial flower that he was holding. It was still emitting small blue orbs of spiritual energy."It was a gift by Tin. He said he didn't want this type of flowers to be put on display in the garden, so he gave one to me. He said it would help me with increasing my level and spiritual energy restoration," Can said as he smiled slightly. Tin is really kind to him."That's all my grandson told you about this flower?" the old man continued to investigate. One must know that the Celestial flower is one of its kind. It only appears once every one hundred years. With how rare this flower appears, it could be considered a miracle for one to actually find it. Due to its rarity and the beneficial properties that it provides, it could already be categorized as a legendary item. Although not a lot of people are aware of its existence because of how rare this flower is, there are still some people who would covet such an item. In Can's case, he does not seem to know the importance of the Celestial Flower to begin with. Other than its beneficial properties, the Celestial Flower holds other meanings. It symbolizes unity and eternity for a couple. When a man who possesses the flower gives it to his other half, it means that the two of them will be together until the end of time. This could be equivalent to a wedding ring in a proposal of marriage. The old man did this when he proposed to Tin's grandmother. He knew for sure that he told Tin about this story and the Celestial Flower's meaning and its importance when he was a kid. Did he already forget? It should not be the case since he remembered the glimmer in Tin's eyes and the excitement that he had after hearing the story. He even promised to him that when he finds someone that he wants to be together until the end of time, he would give that person the Celestial Flower just like how this old man Phiravich did.So for Tin to casually give this flower and even lie about its existence, what did it mean? Are these two in that kind of relationship already? This kid said that he is a friend of his grandson though?As Tin's grandfather tried to put the pieces of the puzzle together, he could somehow figure out what was happening between the two. His two conclusions made him chuckle a bit. If they are only friends and his grandson is only helping Can to level then he would not mind. In any case, the Celestial Flower was already handed to him by his parents before. He could do whatever he wants with the flower.The only thing that bothered the old man is the other conclusion that he had. It seemed to be that his grandson likes this kid and it's a one-sided love?Now, Tin's grandfather does not care who his grandson likes as long as he is happy. The thing that bothers old man Phiravich is Tin's inability to actually get this kid's heart. One must know that the proud Phiravich family members are not only known for their capabilities as prominent elementalists but also their skills to seduce the person they like. It would be a shame to him, Tin's father and their ancestors if Tin could not get this person in front of him. For Tin to actually even use underhanded method by giving Can the flower without explaining the meaning of the flower is a sneaky and cowardly move! That rascal grandson of his deserves a beating. How shameless!Can, who was standing as he stared at the old man who was thinking of ways to help his son to seduce a person, needed to go to the bathroom. He did not want to interrupt Tin's grandfather, so he awkwardly just stared at him."That's why it's taking you so long," Tin just casually said as his arms were crossed while he was leaning against the wall next to the door.Can just stared at him with a clear sign on his face that says "I need to use the bathroom!"Tin just smirked and nodded at him."Can could you please give my grandfather and me a moment to talk?" Tin asked as he walked forward towards Can.The moment he heard another voice, Tin's grandfather immediately faced the source of the voice. It was his grandson who he wanted to see and talk to."Tin, my grandson," grandfather Phiravich said happily and excitedly as he saw Tin who is now an adult."Okay," Can calmly said to Tin. He was thankful that Tin saved him at that moment.Can faced Tin's grandfather and said goodbye to him. Before he left, he gave the Celestial Flower to Tin so the spiritual energy will continue to flow in the room. When he was about to walk out, Tin grabbed his arm and whispered to his ear, "Bathroom is three rooms away to your right."The closeness made Can embarrassed and blushed as he left the room. Tin, once again, had this pleasing look on his face.His grandfather, who saw his grandson not paying any attention to him even though Can already left the room, became annoyed. They have not seen each other for several years. He was expecting that this grandson of his will be very delighted to see him just like back then when he was still a cute kid."Did you tell him?" Tin's voice changed more into a more cold tone. His grandfather immediately felt goosebumps. Even though he is already dead, he still felt the sudden coldness from his grandson. Why is he talking this way towards his grandfather! What happened to his cute grandson!? His tone was way different when he talked to Can."Is that how you greet your grandfather after not seeing him for years?" the old man said as he raised his voice playfully.Tin just frowned at him and was not answering. This made the old man disappointed. Just like his stubborn grandson, he frowned and looked at him. If you think you are stubborn enough, then you will meet someone who is far more stubborn than you!The two started a childish staring competition. After a few minutes of silence and staring, grandfather Phiravich became impatient finally gave up in annoyance."You rascal! Why are you this cruel to your grandfather!?"Tin just repeated what he said earlier still with a cold tone."Did you tell him?"
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(Unedited)"Did I tell him what?" grandfather Phiravich asked in annoyance.Tin did not answer, but he raised the flower that he was holding a little bit."The Celestial flower? Or do you mean how you deceived Can with the flower?" he continued while smirking as he revealed Tin's underhanded tricks.Tin changed his tone of voice from cold to indifference as he stared at the flower he was holding."It would be unfortunate not to see grandfather anymore when this flower is gone," Tin casually said as he created a small fire on his index finger of his left hand."You ungrateful grandson! Why are you this cruel to me!?" the old man said as he felt the sweat started to form on his forehead. If the flower gets destroyed, unless there is someone or something that is willing to provide a huge amount of spiritual energy then he would not be able to be awakened in a ghost form. Even though he mentioned that Tin could do whatever he wants with the flower, destroying such important treasure that has sentimental value to him is not part of the deal. That would be horrible for him if the flower gets destroyed. Surely, his grandson would not dare put such important treasure on fire, right?As if Tin sensed what his grandfather was thinking, he slowly closed the distance between the flower that he was holding on his right hand and the fire on his left hand."I didn't say anything," Tin's grandfather finally yielded as he tried to stop his grandson.Tin slowly extinguished the fire on his left hand which in turn gave the old man a sigh of relief. That grandson that he used to spoil became a cruel and evil adult."What do you want?" Tin asked indifferently as he stared at the door while waiting for Can to come back already. In the bathroom, Can felt sudden goosebumps as he sneezed. Someone must have been talking about him!Tin's grandfather seemed to notice his behavior. He realized that Tin had changed significantly. He is not the same Tin anymore who always tried to bother him and tried to get spoiled whenever he could. He wondered what happened when he was gone for several years. With the changes in Tin's personality, old man Phiravich did not know how to start a conversation with him."You really like that kid huh?" old man Phiravich calmly asked. Since his grandson likes Can so much, they could start talking about him. It is good to know about his future granddaughter-in-law if Tin is really serious about him. He also wanted to know more about the person who made his grandson head over heels that even this old man's existence does not seem to matter or compare to him."He saved me," Tin's indifferent attitude immediately changed as his expression became more sincere and soft.Tin's expression made his grandfather's eyes widened from the astonishment. He figured that his grandson must be truly in love with Can. He knew this expression very well. Back then when he was young, he had this same expression when he fell in love with Tin's grandmother. It is as if that person is the only one that matters in this world. If this is the case, then he understands Tin's situation more. He would not be able to compete with Can for his grandson's attention. Still, this is no reason for Tin to disrespect and ignore his grandfather whenever he pleases!Old man Phiravich relaxed while he put both of his hands behind his back as he continued talking to his grandson."Where did you meet him hmm?" he continued as he calmly asked his grandson.Tin faced his ghost grandfather and surprisingly started talking with a soft smile on his face. He mentioned about how the two of them met as if it just happened recently with how vivid Tin's description of Can has become. His description is at that point that old man Phiravich realized that his grandson is truly obsessed with Can. With this sudden realization, he is now more concerned about Can rather than his grandson. Of course, he was unable to say his concerns to Tin since he was just able to talk to his grandson properly right now. He did not want to ruin this grandfather and grandson moment too early. He just wished Can good luck.The two family members continued to talk passionately as Tin's grandfather continued to ask about Tin's life where the majority of the questions involved Can. Eventually, Tin became more open and the way he acts towards his grandfather slightly changed. His grandfather thought that as long as he mentioned Can in their conversation, his grandson would open more to him. He was right!After some moments as he became comfortable talking to Tin once again, Tin's grandfather started asking about his son and the status of E.A. The relaxed atmosphere that the two had has turned into a serious one. Tin did not hesitate and told his grandfather what happened about his father who was in jail and the change in E.A's administration. As Tin continued to speak, his grandfather had a brooding expression.The last moment that he saw before he died in his deathbed was the scene of his son crying next to him. He remembered his son who kept mentioning how he was sorry about what happened to him and how he would avenge his family from B.S.G.When the accident struck his family, old man Phiravich was already weak due to the incurable curse that he received towards the end of the last war decades ago. When his son blamed B.S.G for what happened to his wife, he wanted to declare war once again. Of course, as the leader of the group back then and the one who forged a peace treaty successfully with B.S.G, he could not just let his son do what he wanted. He did not want another war to erupt because he knew how cruel and devastating it is. Aside from this, there was no clear evidence that it was the B.S.G that took his son's wife away. Even if it is the case, they cannot necessarily declare war. No matter how heartbreaking it is for his family, he could not sacrifice his people for one loss of a family member. But no matter how much reasoning or persuasion he tried, he could not stop his son from avenging his wife. Due to this, he had no choice but to restrain him. At that point in time, Tin's grandfather grew weaker as his resistance to the unknown curse became less. (A/N: refer to the incident in Tin's family on Chapter 8.)One day, Tin's father broke free from his restraint. He was about to storm the B.S.G headquarters on his own when the sudden news about his father's health deteriorating rapidly became known. Immediately Tin's father went to his side to check on him. Even if he held grievances towards his old and sick father, he is still his family who he loved and cared so much.Tin's grandfather, in his last moments, told his son how much he loved him. At the same time, he attempted to stop him one last time. Yet, the only things he got in return were apologies and more intense anger towards B.S.G."This is their fault! This is their fault! I'm so sorry father... I'll avenge our family. I'll make sure of it."In the end, he could not stop his son. After he died, his soul was put in a necklace by his son and placed into a picture frame. His son just left him in there and never bothered to summon or awaken him. What was the point of putting him in a necklace then if you are not going to talk to me! The moment he died, his son naturally became the next leader of E.A.Now, according to his grandson's story, his son became worse as the years passed by. It was just a good thing that his son was not successful with his plan, but he still felt sorry for him. Old man Phiravich heaved a huge sigh as disappointment and sorrow in his heart remained. That son of his is truly an idiot and a troublemaker! He even dragged his grandson to his evil schemes and turned him into an evil and cold person!Tin's grandfather composed himself while he maintained his serious expression as he continued to listen to his grandson. The moment he heard "Gloom Under Night," his expression turned dark. Tin saw his reaction and became aware that there might be something big that is about to happen.(A/N: Refer to Chapter 10)"I'm afraid that your father is not wrong about the existence of Gloom Under Night.""What do you mean?" Tin slightly frowned."When I first heard about the real existence of this beast, I also found it ridiculous. Unfortunately, this beast is real."Tin's grandfather paused for a second as he recalled the mission he had during the last war."During the last war, our group raided one of B.S.G's hidden underground bases. It only looked like a normal library, but the contents were from ancient times. I happened to find a scroll about the beast coincidentally. I wanted to report this to my superior, but we were ambushed. In the end, the entire place was burned down including the scroll. Even if I told anyone about the beast, no one would believe me, so I decided to just disregard it. Tin, my grandson, I have a question for you," the old man said.Tin slightly nodded."Tell me, these past few years, were there any unusual incidents that happened while I was gone?" he continued.Tin tried to recall the unusual events that happened these past several years and remembered a specific event that even his father thought was crucial."We had instances where people from different clans mysteriously disappeared. We don't know what exactly happened to them, but I believe they are connected to the case of the son's death of the family head of Diverse Spirit Clan. His life force was taken away," Tin explained. He then remembered how devastated his childhood friend became.Tin's grandfather scratched his beard as he tried to recall the contents of the scroll he read."Hmm...they have initiated the first step..." old man Phiravich whispered.Tin heard his grandfather's whispers."First step?" Tin asked."If I'm not wrong, the people behind these abductions are currently performing the first step to release the king of the beasts. There are three steps of release: strengthening, unbinding, and releasing. The first step requires the beast to be strengthened first. To be able to do this, the beast needs life force from strong individuals. The stronger the person is, the stronger the life force of that person will become."Tin's grandfather continued to explain all the contents that he read from the ancient scroll."Does this mean B.S.G is plotting against us?" Tin asked as his heart suddenly filled with worry. He was worried about Can's safety."Not necessarily. I'm sure that the majority of B.S.G's members don't know the existence of the beast in the first place. Even if they knew, they would not take the risk of trying to control such terrifying beast. They would surely condemn this act. I'm quite confident that there are some B.S.G members who are trying to release the beast behind its organization's back," the old man continued."What should I do? No one would believe us," Tin said. His father already tried, but no one believed him. Not even his own son supported him back then. Tin regretted not helping his father, but it is too late now."The people behind this will surely make another move. No matter how perfect their plans might be, they're bound to make mistakes. When that happens, then we make our move," Tin's grandfather reassured."In the meantime, I want you to become stronger. Speaking of which, what is your current level?" old man Phiravich changed the tone of his voice into an excited one."I'm currently at peak Orange level," Tin calmly said. (A/N: Refer to Index)"Hmm..not bad. Still, you need some improvements. Now that your father is in jail, no one is supervising your leveling?" Tin's grandfather continued to ask as he stroke his ghostly beard."No one," Tin answered.Tin's grandfather was happy. He will have time to bond with his grandson! Although he feels guilty that his son is currently in jail, he knew that his son is as stubborn as him. He will surely survive on his own. After this mess with Gloom Under Night unfolds, his son will be able to find a way to get out of jail. In the meantime, he will teach his grandson the right path and help him level up to become a stronger elementalist."Don't fret my grandson because the strongest elementalist of his generation is here to help and guide you," the old man immediately became energetic and enthusiastic as he gave his grandson a thumbs-up."There's no need. If there's nothing else you want to talk about, I'm leaving," Tin indifferently said as he faced the door and slowly walked away.The old man clicked his tongue as he furiously said "Tsk! You ungrateful brat! Come back here! Do you think with your current strength, you can protect Can?"Tin immediately stopped. His grandfather seemed to strike Tin's chord. When it comes to Can, Tin would do anything for him. If there is a war to be fought, then he needed to prepare and to make himself stronger to protect Can. The old man's grandson, once again, turned and approached his grandfather."Now you're thinking! Take the necklace inside this picture frame," Tin's grandfather ordered as he pointed at the his family's picture frame.When Tin looked at his family's picture frame, he immediately recalled the happy moments he had when his family was still complete. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was all in the past now. What matters to him now is Can only.Tin opened the wooden picture frame and took the necklace out."Good, now put a small amount of your spiritual energy into the necklace. By doing so, I could communicate with you even without this ghost form or relying on a huge amount of spiritual energy anytime," the old man continued to explain.Tin followed his grandfather's orders and put a little bit of spiritual energy in the necklace. Afterwards, the ghost form of his grandfather disappeared as the Celestial flower's spiritual energy was depleted completely. Tin wore the necklace and left his grandfather's room while still holding the Celestial flower.The wooden picture frame was left standing on the simple wooden table. The once happy family that was captured in the picture was still being illuminated by the natural light coming from the opened door. As the light slowly fades, darkness gradually grew inside trapping the happy memories of the past. As it completely enveloped the room, a pure petal of the white flower fell, signaling that its beauty is slowly fading and starting to wilt.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(unedited)In the bathroom, Can just received a phone call earlier from her mom."Cantaloupe, our house is infested with termites! It will take two days to remove them by pest control. I already asked Tin earlier if you could stay in his house for two days. He already said yes," Can's mother said in a faked panicked state."Y-you already asked Tin without consulting me first!? Where are you staying then? How about Ley? I should stay with you!" Can worriedly asked. He wondered how their house became infested by termites in one day. He never saw a single termite in the house earlier in the morning. Probably he was not paying attention at all because of the competition that is why he did not notice? That must be the reason."Don't worry about us we are fine, just stay there for now. Be a good kid and don't make any trouble for Tin. Got it?" she continued talking in a more calmer tone."How about my clothes and other personal items?" Can asked nervously."They will be sent there in a bit, so relax," his mom replied."O-okay. Then take care mom. Also, tell Ley to take care too. If you need me with anything, just call me," Can answered. Since her mom already took the time to ask Tin for him to stay, then he might as well stay.While talking to her mother, he heard someone else's voice on the other side of the phone."Ma'am, would you like some more green tea?" the unknown voice of a polite lady said."Who is that?" Can curiously asked as his eyebrows furrowed a bit.Her mom immediately panicked and made up a scene on the spot."Can, what? I-I can't hear you. There-the reception here... b-bad. I'll..later....bye..." Can's mother immediately ended the call.She took a deep breath and faced the Japanese server who was holding a teapot full of expensive green tea infused with other herbs. She was lying in a massage bed faced down while being continuously massaged by a great big masseuse."Yes, more tea for me please," she said as she smiled while her face was covered with an exclusive herbal face mask.Her daughter who was also lying in a massage bed next to her was sipping her hot green tea."Mom, do you think we could still extend our stay here? I don't want to leave this place," as she pats the face mask on her face.Her mom could only sigh."Even if we want to, we can't. Just enjoy it as much as we can for two days. Also, don't worry about Can too much. He's going to be fine. Tin will take care of him." her mom said as she lets out a satisfying breath from being massaged from the back."I'm not really worried," Ley said as she continued to pat the face mask on her face."You're really a brat to your brother," her mom blurted."I got it from you," Ley sarcastically said.The two stared at one another and laughed as they continued to sip their tea.Meanwhile, Can who just went out from the bathroom felt goosebumps as he once again sneezed. Why does he feel that a lot of people are talking behind his back today? Or is he getting sick?Can proceeded to go to the kitchen and wait for Tin to finish his conversation with his grandfather. When he finally arrived at the kitchen, he was surprised to see that Tin was already in one of the seats near the dinner table staring into space and in deep thoughts. Initially, Can thought that Tin's conversation with his grandfather would be longer since it has been a long time when they last saw one another. He guessed they were probably done already.Slowly, the little beast summoner approached Tin to talk to him about staying in his mansion for two more days. As he approached Tin, the ice prince seemed not to notice his existence at all. Can felt that something was off with him. He wondered what Tin and his grandfather talked about."Umm Tin?" Can softly said.Still, Tin did not budge.Can decided to tap his shoulders but when he did, his arm was caught by Tin. He immediately flinched because of the sudden movement made by Tin and felt a slight pain from the firm grasp on his arm. When he looked at him, Tin's face showed a slight expression of paranoia. Can became scared of Tin as his body shook a bit.When Tin came back to his senses, the first thing that he saw was Can being scared. It made the ice prince's heart ache. He did not mean to scare Can. He was in deep thoughts about the future and how he has to become more powerful to be able to protect his loved ones. He did not want the tragedy that happened to his family to occur once again. He cannot let that happen. Not anymore."Tin, my-my arm...it hurts..." Can uttered softly as he lightly hissed in pain.Hearing Can's request, Tin released the little beast summoner's arm."I'm sorry," Tin said as he avoided looking at Can. He felt guilty and somehow could not bear to see him in that state.Can caress the arm that Tin grabbed. Even though he was surprised by his actions, he knew that Tin must be worried about something and did not mean to hurt him.There was a sudden awkward silence between the two.After a few moments, Can took a deep breath and calmly started a conversation with a fresh topic. Can knows that Tin is not the type of person to share his problems with other people, so he decided to just let Tin talk whenever he is ready to share his problems with him."About my mom?" Can embarrassingly asked.Tin expression became softer when he saw that Can tried not to be affected and bothered by what happened earlier. He appreciated that Can was able to understand his situation even if he did not share his thoughts with him."Yes, we've talked. You can stay here for two days or live here as long as you want," Tin said as he initiated to tease Can.Can was glad that Tin went back to his usual self. Still, he is not used to getting teased by him!"Ahh, no...no I don't want to trouble you!" Can answered."There's no problem. I'll be alone during the weekends so I would not mind that you're here to accompany me.""Just the two of us for two days?" Can somehow felt nervous all of a sudden."Is there a problem hmm?" Tin asked in a seductive tone as he closed the distance between the two of them.Can instantly panicked and started stuttering."No, there's no problem. Um..where-um where am I going t-to stay then?"Tin pointed at the room not far from the kitchen."That would be your room, but you are free to stay in my room if you want?" Tin whispered in his ears.Can's neck shrunk like a turtle going back inside its shell as he tried to avoid Tin's advances. Unfortunately, he was unable to avoid blushing slightly."Stop joking with me!" Can decided to walk away, so he can calm down. He also wanted to check the room he is going to stay in."I'm going to check the guest room. Before I go, do you want anything for dinner?" Can continued as he faced Tin once more after he calmed down a bit."I'm afraid I can't join you for dinner. You can eat without me," Tin said as he plastered a small smile on his face. Although the smile was sincere, he still looked a little sad.Can somehow felt some tightness around his heart."Oh okay. Hmm, how about breakfast?" Can asked."I'll join you for breakfast," Tin answered still maintaining eye contact with Can."Alright, I'll see you later then."The little beast summoner waved his hand as he went back to his room. As he walked away, he put his right hand on his chest to check what was wrong with his heart."It's for both of your own good. This is nothing but a small sacrifice," the voice of Tin's grandfather coming from the necklace filled Tin's head."I understand," Tin replied."The sooner we start training, the better the results," old man Phiravich said firmly.Tin looked at the room where Can would stay one last time before he walked away outside the mansion.As soon as Can entered the room where he was staying, he was blinded by how elegant the room is that he even needed to cover his eyes to exaggerate his reaction.
(A/N: You know how in anime when a character see something gorgeous or expensive, there's this light that just blinds that character XD This is Can's reaction.)In the middle of the room was a king size bed with neatly adjusted white pillows and a soft comforter. There were black sofa chairs, two detailed floor lamps, two small dark wood tables on both sides of the bed, wooden cabinet, small refrigerator, video game consoles, etc. There was a personal bathroom too! It is basically a place where everything you need in a house is all in this one room. It makes you not want to leave the room at all!Suddenly, Can wondered if he is in the wrong room!"This is not the master's bedroom is it?" Can asked himself. He knew for sure that Tin pointed at this room as the guest room, so he should not be mistaken. In any case, Can decided to just settle down in this room.He started exploring and touching the expensive pieces of furniture that he would only be able to witness once in his lifetime. He then went ahead and sat on the comfortable bed. With both of his hands, he started caressing the sheet that covered the luxurious bed. So smooth! He wondered if he sold this piece of bed sheet, how much money would he get?Before he could think of anything bad, Can immediately shook his head."Can you can't do that! That's illegal! No matter how tempting these things are, you can't do it! Your parents raised you correctly!" Can scolded himself.The little beast summoner seemed to forget and ignore the small conspiracy in this room. Earlier when he asked for the location of the bathroom, Tin did not direct him in this guest room, but instead the other bathroom. The reason for this is so that Can would not be able to find out that some of his belongings including clothes and skin care products were already placed neatly in the cabinet before they even arrived at the mansion that late morning. When Can saw his belongings in the room later in the evening, he did not have any kind of suspicions. Can's simple-mindedness saved his family and Tin from being exposed!Can lay in the quite comfortable soft bed and decided to take a nap. When he woke up, it was already 7:00 p.m. He got out of bed and went outside of his room. If someone was to see him at that moment, that person would probably laugh. Can's hair looked like a cow licked it with how messy it was and how it stood straight as if hair gel was applied to it. But since no one is there, Can did not notice his messy hair. Since Tin is not going to join him for dinner, Can quickly made himself some food. While he was eating alone at the dinner table, he looked around to see if Tin was there. Although he knew that he is not going to join him, Can could not help but hope that Tin would join him for dinner. He was not used to eating dinner alone since usually, he would eat with his family. Can thought of summoning Gucci to accompany him, but the gelatinous beast is currently under transformation. His other beasts are also busy training and doing their own things in their dimension, so he did not want to disturb them unless it is necessary. They might just laugh at him for asking one of them to accompany him for dinner. He did not want that.With Tin's situation, he wondered how Tin dealt with being alone at the dinner table. Speaking of Tin, where did he go?In the training field not far from the mansion, Tin was currently in a meditative posture. Currently, beads of sweat are forming around his forehead as his face showed a sign of pain. His eyebrows that were furrowed started twitching. His eyes were closed as he maintained his focus."Now, slowly release your elemental orbs," old man Phiravich said as he is strictly guiding his grandson.Following his grandfather's pointers, Tin slowly released the elemental orbs that he possessed one-by-one.Each of these particular orbs represents an element that Tin currently possesses.There are twelve known elements: Air, Earth, Water, Fire, Wood, Ice, Lightning, Metal, Blood, Light, Darkness, and Void. Generally, a normal elementalist could harness three to four elements. Having five elements could already be considered above average. A person who can harness six and above elements can already be considered rare and a genius. One has to know that as you gain a new element, the harder it is to gain another one which is why the average elementalist could only get three to four elements. In the history of the elementalists, the only known person who managed to possess the twelve elements is the founder and the first elementalist in history.The cold wind started to blow smoothly allowing the short grass of the training field to sway. Aside from the illuminating stars of the night sky, the only other source of light in the training field was the various brightly colored elemental orbs that started to appear and float around Tin. With all of his current elemental orbs present, his trial will now officially begin.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The next day on a Saturday morning, Can got up early to prepare breakfast. It was 6:00 a.m. Usually, at this time, he would be asleep until noon, but since he is currently under Tin's roof, he has no choice but to get up. In any case, Tin wanted to eat breakfast so he cannot make him wait. Besides, Can also wanted to use the magnificent kitchen anyways.Firstly, before anything else, Can texted his mom to check on her and his sister, Ley. After texting, he went to the kitchen and prepared food for breakfast. Since he forgot to ask Tin what he wanted for breakfast yesterday, he just decided to cook several dishes, so Tin would have some options to choose from. When he finished cooking, he was thinking whether to knock at Tin's door or to text him that the food was now ready. He chose the latter.
Can: "Breakfast is ready." (sent at 6:50 a.m.)
After sending the text, Can put the food he prepared on the dining table. He was in a good mood. This was evident with his constant humming. When he finished placing the dishes on the table, he sat down on one of the chairs and waited for Tin to reply.Five minutes have passed, but he did not get any reply from Tin. Still, the little beast summoner continued to hum. He thought that Tin was barely waking up, so he waited. Ten minutes turned into thirty minutes. That thirty minutes turned into an hour. Still, no reply from Tin.The food grew cold but Can did not seem to notice it because his mind was filled with Tin. He decided that instead of waiting for Tin to reply, he would just knock on his door. Standing up from his seat, he walked towards Tin's room. As he stood in front of the door, he started to become nervous."He said he would join me for breakfast, so it's okay if I knock on his door," Can told himself as he tried to motivate himself to knock on the door.He slowly raised his right hand and formed a fist. Using his knuckles, he knocked on the door."Tin, I made breakfast," Can said as he slightly raised his voice.There was no reply or movement that can be heard on the other side of that door. Was he still asleep?Can repeated knocking and calling out to Tin, but this time it was louder. Still, no reply or any movements inside the room.The little beast summoner felt lost. What is he supposed to do then? After a few moments of thinking, he decided to go inside Tin's room to see if he is actually inside or not. Slowly turning the doorknob and opening the door, Can peeked inside the room. Unsurprisingly when he saw the contents of the room, it truly befits a person from a royal family. It was fully furnished with items only the rich could afford. Although Can would like to admire the rich prince's personal room, he was there to look for the actual owner. When his head turned to look at Tin's bed, no one was there. Where did he go?"Tin? Are you here?" Can made sure one more time that the rich prince was not inside his room, but he still did not get any reply in return. He decided to take his phone out and call him. As his phone rang, another phone started to ring inside Tin's room. Looking for the source of the sound, Can found Tin's phone on the small dark wood table next to his bed. Why did he leave his phone?The little beast summoner scratched his head as he was contemplating what to do next. He was thinking of checking each room to see if Tin was inside of one of those rooms, but he thought that by the time he checked every room, it might already be afternoon. As he became frustrated, he decided to check outside the mansion to see if he was there somewhere. He would like to check the garden and feel the fresh morning breeze anyways.When he got out of the mansion, he started wandering around the garden. The garden's pleasing appearance gave the little beast summoner ease and peace of mind. As he further explored the surrounding of the back of the mansion, he found a small stone path.Curious where this path ends, Can decided to follow its trail. At the end of the trail, he stumbled upon what seemed to be an open grass field. As he looked around, he noticed an individual surrounded by colorful orbs. Immediately, Can recognized that individual. He wanted to get closer to him, but he realized that Tin was going through a trial.Can knew things about elementalists, since they were part of elementary school history class. If he remembered correctly those are the elemental orbs. The only time they would come out was usually during a trial to strengthen an elementalist's power or to gain a new element.The little beast summoner observed the elemental orbs surrounding Tin. His heartbeat suddenly rose as he started counting the elemental orbs. Tin has eight of the twelve elements! Even if he is not an elementalist, Can is well aware how rare for someone to even have six elements, let alone eight!One by one, Can tried to identify the elements that Tin possessed. Since elemental orbs have their own unique color, they were easy to identify."Air, Earth...Water, Fire, Wood.....Ice, Lightning, and Metal," Can gulped his own saliva because he could not believe what he was seeing. He did not know how powerful Tin was to begin with. If his estimation was correct, Tin should be able to break through the highest realm: the rainbow realm. Of course, this should be expected from the heir of E.A., but to see his power in person, it instantly made Can feel inferior. The gap between him and Tin's strength is like the gap between heaven and earth. It will surely be terrifying and interesting to see when he uses his full power.Not wanting to bother Tin, Can went back inside the mansion with some uneasiness trapped inside of him, but he did not let it bother him too much. In the kitchen, he ate a portion of his food and wrapped the rest of the leftovers with a plastic wrapper he found in one of Tin's kitchen cabinet. He then put them in the refrigerator. Before he went back into his room, he decided to write a message on a small piece of paper on the dining table.
"Food is in the fridge. If you want more food, call me or knock on my door."
It was already afternoon and was lunchtime. When Can came out of his room to eat a quick snack, the food he left in the fridge for Tin was left untouched. It seemed that Tin was still not done with the trial.Since there was still food left in the fridge, Can did not cook food for lunch. He went back to his room after getting some snacks. Because he could not train in order to level up since there was no open space to train with his summoned beasts and could not bother Tin for a space to train, he started playing some video game on his phone to distract himself. He was so consumed by the game he was playing that by the time he finished, it was already dinner time. When he came out of his room once again and checked the fridge, the food he made for Tin was still untouched. Can scratched his head. He knows that a trial takes a long time to finish, but he had no idea it was this long!The little beast summoner does not know whether he should cook dinner or not since there was still food in the fridge. Finally, after some contemplation, he decided to cook dinner for Tin. The leftovers in the fridge will just be eaten by Can instead. After finishing cooking dinner and eating the leftovers, he once again wrapped Tin's food in a plastic wrapper and put them in the fridge. Not waiting for Tin to come back, Can went back to his room to take a bath then go to sleep.In the training field behind the mansion, Tin's face has slowly regained its natural color after going through hardship during the first phase of the trial where he almost fainted.Tin raised his left hand and satisfaction showed on his face. There was a dark red colored orb floating above his left hand. Through his grandfather's teaching, he managed to gather a new element: blood. At the same time, he finally broke through the rainbow realm. With newly acquired power and strength, he would be able to perform a mix of more powerful and devastating spells."I won't be too cocky if I were you. Your powers are not even as half as good as mine. You can only brag when you surpass me," the voice of Tin's grandfather from the necklace said smugly."I'm well aware of that, but I assure you that I will surpass you and father," Tin said as the dark red orb disappeared from his left hand.Grandfather Phiravich is considered as one of the best elementalist in history. He was a tier 6 rainbow level elementalist who was able to harness eleven of the twelve elements. His son, Tri, was tier 3 rainbow level elementalist who was able to harness ten out of the twelve elements. Even though breaking through the rainbow level at Tin's young age could be considered as a heaven-defying miracle, it was still considered as unsatisfactory to his grandfather."If our ancestors were here, they would just mock at your small achievement. If you remember...," Tin's grandfather started talking about the most remarkable elementalists in history. It is as if it is elementary history lessons all over again. Tin knew what his grandfather was talking about. He knew that his current abilities are still not enough."Now go on and take some rest. Tomorrow morning we'll continue the second phase of the trial," old man Phiravich said to his grandson.During the second phase of the trial, Tin has to attempt to control the newly added element into his elemental core which holds all of his elemental orbs. He also has to attempt to create a balance between the newly acquired element and the rest of the elements that he owns. If he fails the second trial, there will be a turmoil inside his core that would cause instability. This could lead to the destruction of his core and even death.Tin understood this very well since he already did several trials already. He also knew that as he gathers new elements, the higher the risk he has to take.As soon as Tin stood up, he fell immediately. Since he used most of his spiritual energy during the trial, he was fairly weak. It was just a good thing that the training field naturally accumulates a lot of spiritual energy from its surroundings. Gradually, Tin got enough amount of spiritual energy to move without too much difficulty.When he came back inside the mansion, he went to the kitchen to drink some water since he was dehydrated. While he was drinking, he saw a small note on the dining table. As he read the note, an instant smile was carved into his face. He proceeded to walk to the refrigerator and took out the different dishes that Can prepared for him. After reheating them from the microwave, the nice fragrant smell of the food spread into the air which caused Tin's appetite to be stimulated. Without wasting time, he started eating after finding a place to sit. With every bite that he took, it just made him crave for more.After finishing all the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher, he went back to his room satisfied as he quickly took a bath and cleaned himself. When he came out of the bathroom, Tin checked his phone that was on the bed and saw notifications of messages and missed call from Can. Wanting to see Can, he decided to visit the room next to his.Tin opened the door slowly as to not make a sound and sneaked inside the little beast summoner's room. He saw that Can was already asleep in his bed while his phone while still turned on playing some music. As he sat down on the edge of Can's bed, he took Can's phone and turned it off. He then turned on the lampshade that was next to the bed in order to see Can's sleeping face and posture."Stupid Tin...You said....breakfast with me....liar..." Can who was still asleep started to sleep talk and mumble.Tin could not hide the small chuckle that he revealed. He did promise him that he would join him for breakfast, but the trial took longer than expected. He did not know that Can would actually hold a grudge on him on his sleep. How cute.Using the back of his right hand, he slowly caressed Can's cheek. With every stroke, a comforting yet exhilarating sensation was felt by Tin.Slowly and carefully, Tin leaned his face forward and closed the distance between him and Can who was still sleeping soundly."I won't break my promises next time, but in return, you should be aware that you only belong to me," Tin whispered as he proceeded to leave a warm kiss on Can's forehead."Goodnight, Cantaloupe."The next day on a Sunday morning, when Can woke up, he heard some light movements in the kitchen. He immediately got out of bed and went outside of his room. Unfortunately, it was not the person who he was expecting that was in the kitchen. It was Ae and Pete."Can, good morning!" Pete happily said. For some reason, every time Can sees Pete, he keeps noticing this certain glow on his face. What is his skincare secret?"We made breakfast, come," Ae said as he tapped the seat next to him."Why are you guys here?" Can asked as he sat down next to Ae."Ohh, Tin asked us to come here to accompany you," Pete replied as he placed down the simple dishes that he made on the dining table."That Tin only asked Pete to come, but I insisted on coming. Did he do anything to you while you were here?" Ae asked with a concerned look.Can stared at the food that Pete made. They were slightly burned."No, he didn't do anything. Where is Tin by the way?" Can asked as he took a piece of slightly burnt hot dog from the plate and ate it. It tasted quite bad.Ae looked at Can straight into his eyes and gave him the signal not to complain about Pete's food. The little beast summoner could not do anything, so he ate and swallowed the burnt hot dog with no complaints as he awkwardly smiled at Pete who seemed to be waiting to get praised."Good..." Can said as he drank some water."Thank you. Tin is doing the second phase of the trial. It would most likely take him the whole day to finish," Pete said happily as he puts another hot dog on Ae and Can's plate."Why didn't Tin tell me anything?" Can asked. Tin should have woke him up and talked to him when he went back to the mansion."He didn't want to disturb your sleep," Ae said as he took a bite of the hot dog. When Can saw Ae eating the hot dog, it seemed that he was already used to the taste when he did not show any weird reaction at all."I see," Can felt a little sad. He has not seen Tin for a day already."Was he alright when you met him?" Can continued asking."Yeah, don't worry about him. He's fine," Ae replied.The little beast summoner heaved a huge sigh and nodded. Ae and Pete, who noticed his reaction, looked at one another.The couple decided to distract Can by discussing about the events that happened during the award ceremony and helping them prepare Shrimp Rice Soup for lunch.Thankfully with Ae and Pete, Can was able to distract himself that day. When the night fell, it was time for Can to pack up the stuff that was brought in the room that he stayed in. Ae and Pete helped him out at packing. Before he left, he made sure to cook dinner for Tin. When he placed the food inside the fridge, he realized that the food he made yesterday was gone. He asked the couple if they ate Tin's dinner food, but the two said no. He then noticed the note that was stuck on the fridge.
"They were delicious."
Can took the note and smiled as he reread its contents. Since he could not disturb Tin, he took a piece of sticky note that he found and wrote the same message he wrote yesterday with some additional notes.
"Food is in the fridge. If you want more food, call me or knock on my door. Thank you for letting me stay here. I appreciate it."
As he left the mansion with his friends, Can, once again, started humming.
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(Unedited)When Can finally arrived home, the first thing that he did was check the structure of the house to see the damages that were caused by the termites. Surprisingly, nothing has changed. Everything looked the same. It was like there were no termites to begin with. The pest control company that exterminated the termites must be really good!The only thing that was different in the house was his mother and sister. They seemed to be dispirited as if they were done living in this world."What's wrong with the two of you?" Can curiously asked as he placed his suitcase near the stairs."Nothing, just wished we stayed longer in that....." Before Ley could finish her complaint and slip of her tongue, her mom immediately nudged her."We are just tired that's all," Can's mom glared at Ley. The latter closed her mouth and tried to change the topic."How was your stay with Tin?" Ley asked as she started imagining different scenarios in her mind.Can reminisce the things that he did while he stayed in Tin's mansion. He definitely had a good time. "It was good," he said as a quick smile formed on his face.Can's mother and Ley looked at one another. They knew something good must have happened between the two, but they decided not to ask.The Rathavit family continued to catch up on things that happened to them especially Can's competition last week. Of course, the mother and daughter duo excluded to talk about their trip to Japan. On the way back to their house, the duo already created a perfect story for Can if he started asking what they did during the weekend. Can, of course, believed them. Overall, the happy, loving, and warm atmosphere in the house once again returned.The next morning after making breakfast for his family, Can went to the university as usual. The only difference this time was that he has to meet his self-proclaimed master in his office. Can is well aware of this person. Frankly, everyone should know Old Man Khang the moment his name was heard. He is one of the few Tier 6 Rainbow leveled individuals in the world.The little beast summoner was a little nervous but excited to meet Old Man Khang. Can did not know why such a celebrated person wanted him to become his disciple, because other than the fact that he could form unlimited contracts with beasts, there is nothing else special about him. Surely, he could have picked someone who is way stronger and more special than him. Of course, he would not complain why Old Man Khang chose him. This is actually a perfect opportunity for him to expand his knowledge and learn new things about Beast Summoning from the best master he sort of knew!Following the directions that were given by his friends, he managed to get in front of the office of his new master on time.When he was about to knock on the door, a voice from the inside was heard."Come in!"Can was startled but he was sure that it was his new master who just spoke.When he opened the door, he saw the old man in his seat with a serious expression on his face as he was writing something on a piece of paper on his desk. The first impression that Can had about his new master before meeting him for the first time was that he was a very dignified and honorable figure as opposed to the ridiculous rumors surrounding him. Yet, the moment that he saw him though, he felt that those rumors about him were true. Wearing a wool fedora hat, brown leather jacket, long sleeve tactical shirt, khaki pants, and a whip, he resembled Indiana Jones! Compared to the other lecturers of the campus who usually wear formal attire in the university, his master definitely looked ridiculous. The rumor about him wearing ridiculous outfits was true! Now he wondered if the other rumors about him were also true."What are you staring at? Close the door," the old man said who was almost done with what he was doing.Can stopped trying to remember about the other rumors about his master as he closed the door.The old man quickly stole a glance at the little beast summoner then went back to what he was doing earlier after Can turned around to face him."Come here quick," Old man Khang demanded.Can approached the old man, not knowing why he suddenly called him quickly.The old man took the paper he was working on and showed it to Can."What do you think of this art that I just drew?" he asked.Can was dumbfounded. He thought that his new master was doing something serious, but in reality, he was just drawing a weird symbol. In any case, he still observed the drawing. In the drawing, there were parallel lines and in between those lines was an "X" mark. There was also a zigzag line on each side of those parallel lines.
"I've never seen this kind of symbol before, but it looks interesting," Can answered.The old man nodded as he placed his artwork on the wall behind him with a piece of tape. Can who was staring at the artwork could not help but label his master as bizarre."You probably already know who I am and I already know who you are, so there's no need for an introduction. You just have to know that from now on, I'm your only master. Whatever I tell you to do, you have to do it. I don't want any complaints coming from you. Do you understand Can Rathavit?" the old man said as he faced his new disciple with an authoritative tone. Can felt the sudden change in the atmosphere as his master became serious all of a sudden."Yes, I-I understand," Can replied without any hesitation as he stuttered a bit."Call me master from now on," the old man said still with a stern voice."Yes, master," Can answered as his adam's apple bobbed."Haha! Good, now time for our first field trip as a master and disciple!!" the old man said as his sudden tone of voice changed into a playful one. When Can saw this, he could not help but become confused. Was his master playing with him?"Tao Gunka show yourself!"
(A/N: This is Tao Gunka from Ragnarok Online.)In an instant, a giant stone totem with four unique faces showed up in the middle of Old Man Khang's office.Tao Gunka is a legendary beast that could teleport an individual or a group of people in different parts of the world or its owner's dimension in an instant. This particular beast is considered one of the best miscellaneous beast when it comes to transportation.Can could not help but admire this legendary beast. Aside from Thanatos, this is the only second time he was able to actually see a legendary beast in person.Old Man Khang saw the glimmering eyes and admiration of his disciple, so he could not help but feel smug.He scratched his nose as he said, "Alright, Tao Gunka, teleport the two of us to Phoenix Garden."Facing his disciple, he warned him about first-time teleportation with Tao Gunka."You might feel nauseous since it's your first time teleporting, but you'll be fine."Before Can could even nod, his surroundings just turned white. The blinding light caused him to close his eyes reflexively. The moment he opened them, he was not in the office anymore, but in a huge garden. When he tried to walk forward, he felt nauseous. He felt like vomiting, but thankfully he did not vomit. After a few minutes, he felt better. It definitely did not feel good teleporting."HAHA! Don't worry you'll get used to it after a dozen times," Can's master reassured.Does that mean I will be teleported a lot of times?"Now, follow me and I'll show you around my precious garden," Master Khang said as he started walking and describing the garden.Master Khang's Phoenix garden can only be accessed through teleportation by Tao Gunka. The garden covers a huge area of land as far as the eyes could see. This garden is home to different plants of common to even mythic rarities. Since the garden is quite vast, the workers that maintain and nourish the garden are the old man's contracted beasts. Just like Can, Old Man Khang also has the ability to form unlimited contracts with beasts. These workers are also divided from common to legendary rarities. This place could be considered as one of the most valuable places on Earth due to the resources that are found here. Even though this place could only be accessed through Tao Gunka, it was still heavily guarded by several legendary beasts.As Can started looking around, he could not help but further admire the garden and his master. This magnificent place could not be even compared to the Magic Beast's Garden of the university, which was already considered one of the best source of various rare plants in the country. It was just astonishing since it surely took an incredible amount of effort to even build such place and gather all these various plants.While Can was admiring his master's garden, Old Man Khang was instructing one of the workers to gather a small pouch of Uncommon level seeds of Singing plant. The tiny worker devil type beast named Dokebi immediately nodded and went to the seed storage room to gather the seeds. After getting the seeds and putting them in the pouch, he quickly went back to his master.
"Can," Master Khang called Can as he grabbed the pouch from Dokebi.The little beast summoner faced his master and saw a pouch flying towards him. Thankfully, he managed to catch the small pouch in time."Do you see that vacant plot of land over there?" Master Khang pointed at the direction of the said plot."I want you to plant those seeds that are inside that pouch. You used to work in the Magic Beast's garden right?"Can nodded as he opened the pouch to look at its contents."Now go on and start while there's still sun," Master Khang said as he sat on a beach chair next to an opened huge beach umbrella that was set up by Dokebi. He then wore black sunglasses and fell asleep.So his master is just going to rest while he does the labor?Without any complaints, Can walked towards the empty plot of land and started digging. In this world, planting seeds are not as easy as one would think. When a person plants seeds, he or she has to do certain steps to successfully allow the seeds to grow smoothly.A seed in its initial stage is dormant or asleep. In order to activate it or to wake it up, a person must provide a specific amount of spiritual energy. If the person provides too much or too less, the seed's development into a mature plant could be easily destroyed. This is the reason why it is important for an individual to know what kind of seeds he or she planting. In Can's case, his master did not provide such information.The planter must also know that the purer the spiritual energy that is being transferred to the seed while activating it, the faster its growth rate and the better its quality could become.The spiritual energy's purity is affected by a person's state of mind, natural ability, and the core that is the main source of spiritual energy.Since planting seeds deals with spiritual energy manipulation and precision, it could help with a person's leveling. Master Khang knew that his disciple is at the peak of level Green and about to break through to level Blue, so this could help him level up. This is, of course, not only the reason why he made Can plant those Uncommon level seeds. It is a test.Master Khang is currently testing Can's spiritual energy's purity and capacity. Through this test, he will be able to determine whether Can is truly gifted and not just another one of those mediocre beast summoners of the university.Can went on and started sensing the seeds in order to help him identify the amount of spiritual energy they required. Even though he does not know what kind of seeds they are, he has the capability to sense what the individual seed's requirements. When he finished sensing the seeds' requirements, he started pouring a specific amount of spiritual energy in each individual seeds as he placed them in the small holes that he dug earlier. After using all the seeds from the pouch, he covered the seeds with soil. He then proceeded to water the seeds. By the time he finished, it was almost 6:00 p.m.! It took Can ten hours to plant all the seeds. Even if that was the case, Can still had half of his spiritual energy, so he did not feel tired at all. After seeing the seeds become small sprouts already, there was this feeling of joy inside of him since he worked really hard today to plant them. Somehow, planting felt refreshing and satisfying for him even though he was covered in mud. He wiped the beads of sweat that he had on his forehead with the back of his hands as he went back to meet his master. Although Can felt happy and satisfied, his master felt the opposite. During the whole time that he was observing Can, he felt that his disciple's performance was too poor. Uncommon level seeds of the Singing plant should have taken Can a maximum of one hour to activate and plant the seeds. Even an average beast summoner would only take four hours to do it. Since it took him ten hours to plant the seeds, Master Khang at least expected that those seeds turn into mature plants already, but they did not. They were only sprouts. Did he overestimate Can?While contemplating if he should keep Can as his disciple or not, Dokebi came back running to him as if in a hurry."What's wrong?" Master Khang asked as he looked down at the small devil worker.Dokebi started uttering indistinguishable sounds that Master Khang was able to understand."You meant to say that we did not give him the uncommon level seeds but the legendary level seeds of the Heavenly Dark Thunder Fruit?" Master Khang asked to make sure that Dokebi was not mistaken.Dokebi nodded repeatedly.Master Khang suddenly received a striking and disturbing realization that gave him a moment of chills all over his body.For Can to only take ten hours to activate those amount of legendary level seeds and even allow them to grow into sprouts are something that even Master Khang himself could not accomplish within a week.This is truly terrific!Master Khang could not help it but laugh loudly and obnoxiously. This sudden strange action of the old man did not only make Can feel disturbed but also workers on the field. Their master is truly weird!
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Even though Can is truly gifted and has a great future ahead of him, Master Khang still believes that his disciple has a long journey ahead of him. Right now Can is still weak. If only Master Khang was able to take Can as his disciple much earlier when he was a kid, Can would most likely have been a rainbow level beast summoner by now. Although Old Man Khang regrets not being able to find Can sooner, it was still not too late to properly train and teach him. With his heaven-sent gift, he should be able to level up with much more ease. As long as he properly trains, he will be on the right track."Master, I finished planting the seeds." Can, who did not seem to be bothered that he was covered in mud and sweat, approached his master who was already standing up from his seat."Good work my disciple!" Master Khang happily and proudly praised Can. He quickly glanced at Dokebi by his side and gestured the small devil to grab the empty pouch from Can's hands."Thank you." Can somehow got embarrassed from being praised just for planting some seeds. When he saw Dokebi approaching him, he quickly squatted down to return the pouch, but his sudden action startled the small devil causing him to flinch."Sorry, if I startled you." Can regretted scaring Dokebi, so this time he slowly handed the pouch to him. The small devil hurriedly took the pouch and went to hide behind his master's leg. Can could not help but find the little beast's action quite adorable."He is not used to strangers." Master Khang chuckled while looking down at the shy beast behind his right leg."Since you're going to be here more often, I would recommend that you start knowing my beloved contracted beasts that are working here," he continued. Master Khang crouched down a bit as he encouraged the shy Dokebi to meet Can. At first Dokebi was hesitant, but eventually, he gathered his courage to approach the stranger. When Can saw the small devil beast walking towards him shyly, his mouth started to curve up from pure joy. Can is weak and soft-hearted when it comes to beasts especially the small kind like Gucci for example."My name is Can Rathavit. I'm your master's new disciple." Can extended his arm to try to shake the small beast's hands. When Dokebi saw Can extending his arm towards him, he was slightly confused as he tilted his head. He looked back at his master to ask for assistance, but he only got a nod in return. Dokebi decided to put both of his small hands on top of Can's left hand."Do-ke-bi," the small beast said as he looked into Can's eyes.Can looked at his master who smiled in return."You two are now friends. Congratulations on making your first friend here," Master Khang as he scratched his nose."Alright, let's return to my small villa. Can, you shouldn't go home like this. I don't want anyone to think that I'm mistreating you," he continued as he started walking towards the direction of his villa. Can did not know that his master actually cares about his own image even though there were a lot of rumors surrounding him.When they entered the villa, Master Khang handed his disciple new clothing before Can took a bath. At first, due to his master's odd sense of fashion, Can thought that the clothes that his master would give him were also odd. Surprisingly, they were decent and new.The clothes that he wore earlier, which are the expensive clothes that Tin bought, were currently being washed in a washing machine. Since it would take some time to remove the mud stains, his master suggested to just pick them up tomorrow when comes back in the morning.Before being returned to the university, Master Khang handed Can an Epic grade Summoning Control training manual that is appropriate to his current level. This manual teaches a beast summoner to control a large number of contracted beasts at once like Old Man Khang.Being able to summon and control a huge amount of contracted beasts at once is not an easy feat. Depending on the rarity of the beast and the capacity of one's spiritual energy core, it could be difficult to have a lot of summoned beasts to be present at the same time. With the training manual, if Can could understand and master its contents, he would be able to summon all of his contracted beasts without his spiritual energy being depleted immediately just like his old master."Learn the contents tonight. Tomorrow when you come to my office in the morning, you'll apply what you've learned." After discussing some pointers about the training manual, Master Khang once again called Tao Gunka and transported Can back to the university.When Can was transported outside Phoenix garden back to the university, it was already dark. It was almost 7:00 p.m. Immediately the phone in his borrowed jeans vibrated from all the notifications that accumulated the whole day. In his master's garden, although there were electricity and technology, there was no reception at all.After the nausea that he felt was gone, Can took out his phone and saw some of the messages from his friends. As he continued to scroll down, his brows started to furrow when he saw that there were unread messages from Tin. At the same time, most of the missed calls were also from him. There were 30 missed calls! Was there an emergency!?While he was quickly checking the unread messages, he got a sudden call from Tin."Tin? What's the matter?" Can slightly became nervous."Where are you?" When he heard Tin's voice, he sounded angry. Why is he angry? Did he do anything wrong?"I'm in front of the Beast Summoner building," Can quickly answered."Stay there."Before Can could even reply and ask what was wrong, Tin already ended the call.It did not even take Can a minute to process everything when Tin arrived."Why were you not answering your phone? Your last class should've ended at 2:00 p.m.?" Tin asked as he stared at Can's new clothes. Displeasure suddenly took over him.How does Tin know his class schedule? He never told him about it."I was with my master the whole day," Can answered."Your master was generous enough to give you new clothes?" Tin was unhappy to see that Can was wearing clothes that were not from him."Umm, I was helping out in the garden. My clothes got dirty, so my master gave me a change of clothes." Even if they were from his old master's goodwill, Tin was still unsatisfied.Seeing that Tin was in a bad mood for some reason, Can tried to change the topic."By the way why were you trying to contact me?" he asked."I wanted to take you out to eat," Tin said without any hesitation while still slightly displeased. The more that he see Can with those clothes, the more he gets irritated. It does not help that he is still in the process of balancing the blood element that he just recently acquired with other elements inside of him. This particular element, if not controlled completely, could intensify the owner's emotional state. Suddenly, the color of Tin's eyes turned red, but they immediately returned to their natural dark brown color."How long have you been waiting for me then?" Can slightly gasped. If Tin was already on campus since 2 p.m., then he has been waiting for him for five hours already!"Not too long," Tin answered.Now Can felt bad for Tin."Have you eaten?" Can asked.Tin did not answer, but he shook his head as a reply."How about I treat you this time? I know a place that sells cheap but delicious food," Can said as he suddenly became enthusiastic. This time he decided that he will be the one buying things for Tin. Besides, he is craving for the cheap food that he was recommending."Okay," Tin replied shortly. Seeing that Can happily wanting to treat him this time, he did not decline his invitation. His displeasure gradually decreased.The two of them went back to the parking lot and drove to the place that Can directed Tin to go to. When they arrived at the place, Tin parked in one of the parking space inside a building. Before they got out, Tin took out two blue caps and two black face masks. After the competition last week, Tin and Can's popularity exploded. In order not to attract unnecessary attention, they have to hide their faces.The place that Can suggested was the bustling night market. This is a place filled with a lot of colorful tents standing next to each other. For every tent, there would be different kinds of cheap products such as clothes, accessories, and food that are being offered. Because of this, the night market is usually filled with a lot of people who are looking for a good time and cheap items. For Can, this place could be considered as his favorite spot to spend his money. Since he has been here multiple times, he knew the locations of the most popular food tents and their respective owners. Because he is a regular customer in those food tents, he easily formed a special connection with those owners. So every time he would visit these tents, not only he would get bigger portions of food but he will also get discounts and free food tasting.Knowing Tin, the filthy rich prince, he has probably never been to this place before. In any case, Can will try his best to give Tin a good time while he is with him.As the two walked around the night market, Can started babbling about the place as if he was an excited little kid. He showed Tin the most popular and cheapest places in the night market. When he saw that Tin was smiling while listening to him talk, Can thought that he succeeded at making the rich prince interested in the night market. He had no idea that Tin was actually smiling because of him. He is not in any way interested in this filthy and crowded place, but he will tolerate it because Can liked this place.Finally, the two arrived at the food tent that Can liked the most. The handsome owner, who was in his mid-twenties, easily recognized Can even though he was wearing a mask and a cap. How can he miss his favorite customer? The owner knew what kind of food Can wanted, so he already reserved a portion for him."Can! I got the food ready for you," the owner enthusiastically said.Can was surprised that the owner was able to recognize him even though he was wearing a face mask and a cap. In any case, he still approached the owner happily. As the two started to have a lively conversation, Tin's attitude turned cold as he looked at the owner of the food tent. His eyes once again turned red. Tin tried to calm himself down and control the blood elemental orb that is further intensifying his anger. While doing so, sweat started forming on his forehead as he slightly shook."Could I have another order? The same as mine please," Can asked the owner."Is this for your boyfriend who came with you?" the owner asked as he teased Can.Can immediately felt embarrassed."No!" he denied as he lowered his head. The owner started laughing. This scene just made Tin's temper worse.After paying, Can took the two plastic bags that contained Tin and his food. When he returned, Tin took the two plastic bags that Can was holding."Oi, Cantaloupe, you forgot your change!" Can immediately turned his head around not seeing that the guy in front of him was already filled with coldness and anger as if he was about to murder someone.When Can looked back after taking his change from the owner, Tin was nowhere to be found. The little beast summoner got worried all of a sudden, so he quickly went outside to look for him. As he looked from left to right, he saw Tin's figure going to a remote corner. Without any hesitation, Can rushed to the direction where Tin went. When he finally turned to the corner, he saw Tin continuously walking at a faster pace with the two plastic bags."Tin! Wait! Walk slowly or the soup is going to spill!" Can said as he started running to catch up to Tin."Why did you leave? Are you in a hurry?" Can asked as he went in front of Tin to prevent him from walking.Thankfully by the time Can catched up to him, Tin somewhat calmed down. The color of his eyes returned to their natural color. When he heard the owner called Can by his real name, it almost caused Tin to lash out at the owner. Of course, he could not let that happen. He did not want to scare Can. He decided to immediately leave the food tent in order to calm himself down and not do something he might regret. In reality though, he really wanted to kill that owner."Are you angry with me? I'm sorry for forcing you to come here with me." Can felt bad. Tin probably did not like the night market at all but forced himself to be here because of him."Ahh, you're sweating! Come here and I'll wipe it for you. Do you have a handkerchief?" Can was immediately filled with concern after seeing Tin with so much sweat on his face.Tin did not reply. He was still a little mad."You don't have one?" the little beast summoner asked."It's in my pocket." Finally, Tin answered, but he refused to look at Can. He might remember that owner from the food tent once again and become angrier."Which side?" Can continued."Left," Tin slowly looked at Can."Left..." Can quickly turned around to see which is the left side in Tin's point of view. After figuring out Tin's left side, he quickly extended his hand to pull the handkerchief from Tin's left pocket."Watch your hand," Tin said in a serious tone."I am," Can said as he pulled the black handkerchief from Tin's pocket. He then cleaned a part of a concrete cement for Tin to sit down.Trying to lighten the mood, Can tried to joke with Tin."Please have a seat, rich prince Tin." As he spoke these words, he slightly bowed and gave way for Tin to sit down.Surprisingly, Tin obeyed as he sat down."Come. Your servant will wipe your face, rich prince," Can said as he started wiping the sweat from Tin's face."You're so sweaty." At this moment, Can's caring attitude towards Tin made the rich prince's mood better."Why are you so angry. We already bought so much food."Can stopped wiping Tin's face for a second as he speculated why was Tin angry."Is that why you are angry? You would've preferred a restaurant that has air conditioning?" Can continued to ask Tin questions as he resumed wiping his majesty's face.Tin's smile became more apparent as Can became more playful and nicer with him. He could not help but shake his head."Are you happy now? That's good." The little beast summoner finally stopped wiping."You have to be cheerful when you're with me. I like cheerful people and I'm cheerful! Wah!" Can showed off his cheerful expression with Tin."Including that guy?" Tin said as he became serious once again."Hmmmm you mean the owner? Yes, the owner is a cheerful person. Even though he gets irritated with me and teases me at times," Can explained.At this moment, Tin felt like he has to make Can understand how he really feels about him. It might be himself or the blood elemental orb that is stirring his emotions and telling him to confess to Can. In any case, Can has to realize his feelings sooner or later."I like you, Can."
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(Unedited)Can froze immediately after hearing Tin's words. Tin likes him? Did he mean that he likes him as a friend? To begin with, Can actually never understood what kind of relationship they have. Was it friends or master/slave or something else? In any case, he thought that Tin's 'like' and his own interpretation of Tin's words were the same."We wouldn't be talking if we hated each other right?" Can chuckled a little bit not thinking that Tin was actually serious this time.Tin could not help it but to close his eyes while he took a deep breath. The guy he liked so much to the point he would murder anyone who would get close to him was this actually dense. Of course, Tin would not give up immediately. Besides, Can's stupidity is part of his charm.To make this naive beast summoner understand how he actually felt, Tin pulled Can's head with his right hand gently and kissed him on the lips without hesitation. The little beast summoner was caught off guard as he was unable to react quickly at Tin's sudden action. His eyes widened from this sudden surprise yet he did not move or resist him. His heart felt like it stopped beating as his brain stopped processing. The only thing that he could feel and focus on was the warm kiss.After a few seconds that felt like an eternity for Can but too short for Tin, their lips parted."This is what I meant by I like you, Can," Tin replied. He hoped that this time, Can would understand him. If not, he could do other methods that would make the naive boy understand.Can was still frozen in place. Touching the part of his lips with his fingers, Can tried to figure out if he was actually kissed by Tin.At that moment, the little beast summoner started contemplating the meaning behind Tin's words more seriously. The more that he thought about it, the more he got confused.For Tin to like him that way sounds ridiculous to begin with! But thinking about it, these past few weeks, Tin's behavior has been bothering him more lately. At first, he thought that the rich prince was just teasing him just to play and make fun of him. Yet, if Tin was only teasing him, would he go that far and kiss him multiple times? Also, in the very beginning he thought that since he owes Tin his second life, he would be his personal slave and serve him for eternity. He also thought that he was going to be mistreated because of the stupid mistakes that he did back then towards Tin, but the exact opposite happened. Tin would buy him things without asking anything in return. He would treat him with all delicious and expensive food. Overall, Can just never felt mistreated at all. Except for the occasional teasings, Tin was really good to him. So Tin really likes him that way?Tin seemed to achieve his goal as he sensed that Can was actually using his brain and taking his time to process everything.After a short moment, Tin slightly raised his eyebrows as he softly and tenderly said, "Do you understand now, Cantaloupe?"Even though Can is dense, he did understand what Tin meant this time. He just could not believe that Tin felt this way towards him. It is just surreal!"I understand," Can answered as he looked down."Good," Tin continued. He did not ask Can how he feels about him since he knew that Can is still trying to figure out his feelings. There was no need to rush him for an answer. As long as he knows how he feels, it was good enough, for now at least. Still, it did not stop him from stating the things he dislikes."I like you, so I'm unhappy seeing you with other guys, especially that owner of that food tent." Tin's voice had a trace of dissatisfaction and jealousy."But that's just the owner of the food tent. I'm just a regular customer." Can was a little shocked about Tin's statement about his friend. The owner only treats him like his little brother. That is the only kind of relationship the two have, so what is with Tin's dissatisfaction all of a sudden?"...." Tin did not continue his complaints further since it might just make him angrier.Meanwhile, Can continued sorting out his feelings. As he tried to process how he felt after Tin's confession, his brain started showing signs of overheating from the confusion that he felt."Here." Tin handed the plastic bag that has Can's food.When he saw that one of his favorite food was being handed to him, Can immediately stopped thinking and worrying about the confession and his feelings. He put those thoughts behind his head for now. In any case, Tin did not seem to continue asking him about his feelings towards him. Right now, Can is hungry and his brain stopped working. Food is the only thing that matters to him at this very moment.As Can started eating, Tin was thinking whether he should try the food that was made by the owner of that food tent. Because Can was enjoying the food, Tin decided to try it also. He wanted to know what is so good about it. After taking the first bite, Tin just shook his head from disappointment. The food was not even that good. Surely, the five-star restaurants that he owns are much better than this pile of trash. He looked at Can who was almost done with the soup that he ordered. If the only reason why Can goes to that trashy place was for food, then Tin will make sure that he would feed him with the best kind only. By doing so, Can's taste for food would be of a higher standard. When that happens, then Can would not go back to this trash of a place anymore. Also, Tin has started sharpening his cooking skills with the help of one of the best-renowned chefs in the country. When his cooking is up to a higher standard, then he can also cook for Can. His food would be way better than that food tent owner's food.This is only part of his long-term plan for Can. He wants Can to depend on him so much that he would not be able to live in the future without him.After finishing eating his portion of food, Tin offered him his portion. The little beast summoner did not decline his offer and finished his food. When the two finished, Tin took Can back to his home.On their way back, Can continued to read the Epic level training manual that his master gave him. Thankfully, the contents of the manual were not a lot. Although reading the contents were easy, understanding them was quite difficult."I'll take you to school tomorrow morning," Tin interrupted Can."You don't have to do that." Can quickly looked up to Tin."I want to do it," he continued. Tin will not take 'no' as an answer."Oh...alright then." Can agreed since he could not argue with Tin. He needed to study anyways.Can refocused his attention on the training manual.The little beast summoner did not know that his simple agreement with Tin would cause a commotion tomorrow.When they finally arrived in front of Can's small house, Tin did not do any weird actions towards Can when they separated. He just let him go back to his house and reminded him once again about taking him to the university in the morning. That night, Can focused on understanding the contents of the training manual.When morning arrived, Tin was already waiting for Can in front of his house gate. Can stayed up late the previous night, because he was trying to master and absorb the techniques of the training manual. He did not have enough sleep and his spiritual energy was depleted quite a bit, so he was exhausted and sleepy. Dark circles under his eyes became evident.Tin who saw Can's tired expression furrowed his brows."You should get some rest," Tin suggested as Can went inside his car."No, I can't. I have to meet my master," Can responded as he tried to force himself not to fall asleep.Tin could not help it but click his tongue with dissatisfaction. He cannot do anything about Can's situation. He knew that he has been working really hard with his current assignment. It is just that he did not like the fact that Can has to suffer.As soon as Tin started driving, Can could not fight the urge to fall asleep any longer. As he closed his eyes, his head tilted towards the left where Tin is currently seated. Tin who saw that Can was about to fall from his seat, grabbed his neck and put him back in his seat securely. The two of them was in this position until Tin arrived at the university's parking space.Before he woke up Can, Tin focused his gaze on the boy's sleeping face. With his right thumb, while still holding Can's face in place, he caressed the small boy's right cheek. It was quite soft and smooth. Taking the advantage that the fact Can was asleep, Tin then proceeded to pinch the boy's cheek which left a small red spot on it.Knowing that Tin could transfer spiritual energy to Can without any problems, he started pouring his spiritual energy to the little boy with his hand that was still caressing the boy's cheeks."Warm," Can whispered while he was still asleep. Unconsciously, the little beast summoner held Tin's hand securely on his face using both of his hands. Eyes still closed, the expression of his face quickly changed into a happy one.When Tin saw Can's unconscious reaction, he had the uncontrollable urge to kiss him. He was about to lean forward to give the defenseless sleeping boy in front of him a sweet kiss when the boy suddenly woke up.As Can woke up, the first thing he noticed was the hand that he was holding. Realizing that it was Tin's hand, he immediately let go of his hand as he started to blush. Why was he holding his hand!?"You seemed to have a good nap. You even started to sleep talk," Tin said as he smirked. It was still early in the morning and Tin already started teasing Can."I-I was talking? What did I say?" Can knew that he has this unnatural habit of talking while sleeping. His family already complained about it many times."You mentioned how badly you wanted to be with me in bed and do a lot of fun things." Tin shamelessly said those lies to see how Can would react."What!? I wouldn't say those words!" Can further blushed as he tried to deny Tin's accusations. He was so sure that he would not say those things in his sleep at all!Seeing the flustered reaction of the boy, Tin started laughing."I knew it! You were just making fun of me!""Alright, let's go and meet your master." Tin's laughter decreased into a chuckle as he got out of the car.Can could only pout after he got out of the car. One of these days, he will be the one making fun of Tin.As the two started walking, the little beast summoner realized that he felt more energized. Earlier he was too tired and sleepy. He only took a quick nap and now he was already fine! It also seemed that he regained more than half of his spiritual energy! This is what you really call a "power nap"! The only problem that he had was that he did not have breakfast, because he was in a hurry and was too tired to cook. His stomach started grumbling as it tells its owner to feed it. Can immediately tried to cover his stomach with both of his hands to hide the grumbling noise, but it was useless. The person next to him noticed the noise coming from his stomach."Let's go get food from the cafeteria before meeting your master," Tin said as he walked towards the direction of the cafeteria. Since he was hungry, Can could not refute his request and proceeded to follow him.After eating breakfast, the two went straight to Master Khang's office. As the two entered, Master Khang was already waiting inside tapping his fingers on his table. He was thinking about why his disciple was late. Now he knows."Is this the reason why my disciple is late?" Master Khang asked with displeasure as he started scrutinizing Tin. The old man knew Tin. He also knew that his disciple and this man were in that kind of relationship. He did not mind it, but if their relationship will affect Can's training then he would be displeased. Can already wasted a lot of time not being able to enhance his skills so Master Khang could not afford to waste any more time."So Can's new master is this old fart?" asked by Tin's grandfather as he woke up from the sudden familiar voice that he heard.Master Khang seemed to hear what Tin's grandfather said."I could sense that your grandfather is here." The old man started to focus his gaze on Tin's necklace."I'm impressed that this old fart could sense me," grandfather Phiravich said as he continued to make fun of Master Khang."You're already dead yet you still spout nonsense. Hmph!" the old man who was wearing a green military uniform this time retorted."You're still alive, but your sense of style is still ridiculous! Hah! What's with this costume that you're wearing today?" Tin's grandfather said as his voice became livelier."YOU!!! At least I'm not trapped in some necklace!" Master Khang continued to argue.The two old nemesis-turned-friends started their childish arguments once again. Back then when the two friends would meet in person, they would always start their conversation with this kind of childish argument. People who surrounded them would always facepalm and shake their heads in discontent. How can some of the most powerful and respectable figures in this world be this childish every time they would meet?Even though they have not seen each other for several years, the first thing that they did for their reunion was fight instead of reminiscing the past. Sparks of lightning started to show as they glared at one another.
(A/N: This is what I meant by sparks of lightning XD)When Master Khang heard that this old friend died several years ago, he was not too emotional about it. He learned way before that his spirit and consciousness were transferred into a necklace by his own son. He wanted to visit his old friend, but Tri's attitude towards B.S.G and beast summoners changed for the worse, so he was unable to. Now hearing his old friend talk and still acting the same, he was glad. Also, since Tin has the necklace now, he should be able to visit him from time to time.As the two were bickering with one another, Can started to worry. At first, he was not sure whom his master was talking to, but then he just found out right now that the necklace that Tin was wearing contains his grandfather's spirit. The only thing that he did not know was that the argument between the two was natural and not too serious. Tin knew how the two old men interact since he had seen them together before when he was a kid."Ehem." Tin purposely coughed in order to interrupt and stop the two from their pointless argument. Thankfully, the two realized the meaning behind Tin's gesture, so they decided to stop.Clearing his throat, Master Khang asked why is Tin with his disciple."What time will his training end today?"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(Unedited)Master Khang just stared at Tin while he tried to figure out the meaning behind the young man's question. He then went back to look at his disciple who seemed to be confused on why Tin would ask that question. Do they have a date today?"It depends on how well he performs today," Old Man Khang answered as he scratched his nose. He gave his disciple a training manual that is difficult to master, so he will not be expecting any grand performance today. Besides, he only gave his disciple one day to learn the contents of the training manual. Even if he is a gifted child, he will not be able to easily learn everything. Still, Can might do something that would surprise him like yesterday."I understand, thank you," Tin shortly replied to Master Khang as he faced Can.He patted the little beast summoner's soft hair gently with a smile on his face."Contact me after you finish," he continued as he reminded the boy in front of him.Can quickly nodded."Good." After getting the confirmation from Can, Tin took his leave. Before he left, his grandfather and Master Khang talked a little bit more and concluded with the two meeting some other time in the future."Alright, my disciple! We'll begin our official training today. Are you ready?" Master Khang raised his voice enthusiastically as he pointed at Can."Y-yes!" Can unconsciously saluted his master who was in the military uniform. When he realized what he did, he got embarrassed. He knew that his master is not an actual soldier. He just likes wearing different costumes every day! Now he is becoming weird just like his master!"Good job soldier! Now let's teleport back to Phoenix Garden!" Master Khang saluted back to Can before he called Tao Gunka to teleport the two of them to Phoenix Garden.At the garden, they were greeted by Dokebi who was also wearing a small military uniform with small sunglasses too! Can found it ridiculous but at the same time adorable. He wondered how Gucci would look like in that kind of military uniform. When he thought about it, Gucci would just look ridiculous, so he dismissed the idea immediately.Dokebi directed the master and disciple duo to the training field. The little devil was tasked earlier by his master to prepare the training field that was located not far from the small villa.After they arrived at the training field, which was actually at the top of a small hill, Master Khang started Can's training."Now, I want you to show me what you've learned so far from the training manual I handed to you," the old man instructed as he put both of his hands behind his back."I want you to summon all of your contracted beasts at once and try to keep them here as long as you can," the old man continued. Aside from seeing how Can could handle the pressure of summoning all of his contracted beasts at once, he was also curious about his beasts' development. He already investigated Can beforehand. According to the report that he got, Can has five contracted beasts in total. It would have been six if it were not for that incident when he was a kid. (Refer to Ch. 6 towards the end when Tin recalled Can's memories.)Can followed his master's order. He started to become nervous because if his spiritual energy becomes fully drained after summoning all of his contracted beasts, he could die. Finding a way to calm down and look for inspiration for courage, he remembered Tin. Back in Tin's mansion, he witnessed how Tin went through the trial to become stronger. If Tin could risk his life to become stronger so can he! With the newfound courage and inspiration, Can took a deep breath and started summoning his contracted beasts.He recollected the spiritual energy that was spread out around his body and concentrated them back to his spiritual energy core. Afterwards, he started summoning his contracted beasts one by one. As he called each one, his spiritual energy in his core started decreasing rapidly. The pressure on his core and body also increased. This pressure can be compared to a piece of rock. Each rock represents a contracted beast that needs to be carried by a beast summoner. Depending on the rarity of the beast, the rock could weigh less or more. The higher the rarity, the larger the rock and vice versa.At first, Can summoned the Uncommon beast that he contracted when he was a child: Vocal. This Uncommon beast is a defensive insect beast that specialized in allowing its enemies to fall into sleep after listening to its music.
(A/N: This is a picture of Rocker from Ragnarok Online. I used Vocal instead of Rocker cuz it sounds cooler.)Next, Can summoned a Rare possessive beast: Mysteltainn. This rare type of beast has the ability to possess an object to increase its strength. The sword that it possessed was found by pure luck somewhere in the beasts' dimension where all the beasts lived. No one knows whose sword it was and no one tried to reclaim it.
(A/N: This is Mysteltainn from Ragnarok Online.)As Can continued to summon Beholder, Gucci, and Valkyrie Randgris, the consumption of spiritual energy and pressure started to gradually increase. Now Can feels like he is carrying a huge boulder. His body started shaking and sweat formed on his body. He gritted his teeth as he tried to withstand the pressure. When he tried to move, he could not move at all. He was stuck in place. His spiritual energy is now decreasing at an alarming rate. All of his summoned beasts who looked at him became concerned. (A/N: Beholder's information can be found on Ch.3.)Gucci, who just transformed and developed into a semi-mature beast, was the first one to express his concern to his master."Kyuuuuuu!" ("Master! You can do this!" )The rest followed Gucci and cheered their master to boost his morale.Taking a deep breath, Can recalled the contents of the training manual. The trick that the manual taught him is to gather spiritual energy from the surrounding. Through this method, Can could mitigate the amount of spiritual energy that he is losing and the pressure that he is getting. In short, the more that he could absorb spiritual energy, the better. If he could have a higher rate of spiritual absorption than the rate of his spiritual energy decreasing, then it would be even better!As he replicated the techniques from the manual, he tried to gather the spiritual energy from his surroundings. Last night, he made sure that he could replicate the techniques, so he practiced outside with his contracted beasts. It took some time, but he was successful at gathering enough spiritual energy to mitigate the negative effects of summoning his beasts.Right now when he was trying to gather spiritual energy on his surroundings, there was little to none! This realization quickly made him panic.Seeing Can's reaction, Master Khang was filled with an evil smile. This specific training area only held a small amount of spiritual energy. The reason why Master Khang chose this place was that he wanted to see how long his disciple can endure such harsh condition. Also, he wanted to know if Can could come up with a plan to fix this shortage of natural spiritual energy at all. Now, this is the real first training for Can.Realizing that he would not be able to gather enough spiritual energy in this place, Can was now in danger of collapsing at any time. He was on the verge of depleting his entire spiritual energy in his core. Suddenly, an idea came to his mind. The only nearby source of abundant spiritual energy is his master. He looked at his master with a pained expression. Old Man Khang thought that Can was about to give up, but then he saw that his disciple was once again replicating the techniques from the manual. He could not help it but close his eyes as he shook his head. It is futile.All of a sudden, Master Khang felt like his spiritual energy is being extracted from him. When he opened his eyes, strings of faint blue light started to come out of his body and are going towards Can. His disciple is absorbing his own master's spiritual energy! Can does not stop from surprising his master.Although not impossible, absorbing a person's spiritual energy is quite difficult and dangerous. If the person absorbing the energy is not compatible with the other person, it could damage his or her body. For his disciple to risk his life to absorb his master's spiritual energy, Can is truly an audacious young man.Master Khang did not stop Can from absorbing his spiritual energy. He wanted to see how Can's body will react. Interestingly, there was no rejection. Can was able to absorb the energy without any problem.Since his source of spiritual energy is a tier 6 rainbow level beast summoner, Can immediately mitigated all the negative effects quite easily. His muscles finally relaxed and could freely move with ease. There was no pressure at all; his spiritual core is full. Overall, he feels light."Not bad," Master Khang said with satisfaction that could be seen on his face.He approached his disciple who was still absorbing his spiritual energy."But." Before he could finish his sentence, Master Khang hit Can's head with his fist.Can immediately hissed in pain as he covered his head with both of his hands."Who told you that you could just absorb someone's spiritual energy hmm? It could've damaged your body." the old man scolded Can."But master gave me no choice!" Can retorted as he caressed the part of his head that got hit."I gave you no choice? You had the choice to give up," he once again slapped his disciple's head but Can manage to dodge this time."I didn't want to give up. I don't want that choice at all! Not anymore!" Can complained as he stood his ground.His master had flashbacks as he saw himself in Can. He could not help but sigh and laugh. He was naive back then just like Can."Alright, I get it." With Can's stubborn attitude, it would be hard to change his thoughts immediately.Master Khang continued assessing Can's performance while also giving him new pointers. After their discussion, Master Khang examined his contracted beasts. Unfortunately, he was not too impressed with his current group of contracted beasts.According to Can's master, Gucci was too spoiled and too carefree. Valkyrie seemed to be dealing with personal issues that were affecting her performance. Beholder is too small to even carry a person to his or her destination. Mysteltainn seemed to be having a problem with its control of the sword. Vocal's music is irritating rather than pleasing to the ears. How can it make someone fall asleep?Hearing the criticism from his master, he felt like several knives of hurtful truth stabbed him which is causing him to bleed to death. His master made him feel that he was a failure as a beast summoner. The contracted beasts who heard the criticism immediately put Master Khang at the top of their "most hated person" list. Their eyes started to burn in hatred as they looked at Can's master. The old man, of course, did not mind them. What could these weaklings do against him?"Can, tomorrow you will train with your contracted beast. You're dismissed." Master Khang reminded Can."Yes, master," Can answered as he stopped absorbing his master's spiritual energy. One by one he returned his summoned beast back to their own world."I'll transfer you back to the villa so you could get your clothes from yesterday," the old man said as he summoned Tao Gunka."After you get your clothes, just tell Tao Gunka to transfer you back to the university," he continued."Thank you master, I'll see you tomorrow."Master Khang gestured Tao Gunka to teleport Can back to the villa. When they arrived at the villa, Can took his expensive clothes that were washed and dried yesterday. Before he left, Can became really thirsty. Seeing that there was a wooden jug with clear liquid inside, Can thought it was plain water. Getting a cup from his master's kitchen, he pours himself the liquid that he thought was water. When he drank it, the taste was different. It was rather sweet. Can thought that it was just specialized water. After drinking from the cup, he turned to Tao Gunka and asked him to teleport him back to the university.When Can returned in front of the Beast Summoner building, he felt nauseous once again. He thought it was because of the teleportation but in reality, he was nauseous because he was drunk! The liquid that he drank was not water, but it was a strong alcohol!As soon as Can tried to walk, he immediately fell. When he fell forward, his right hand got scraped against the rough ground, so it bled. Can did not seem to notice that he was bleeding as he got up from the ground. His face was red as a tomato; his actions became similar to a drunk person.Can took his phone and dialed the number of the first person that came to his mind: Tin."TIN! Hehe...I'm done. Pick me up, you rich bastard!" Can who was drunk started spouting at Tin. On the other side of the phone, Tin already figured out Can's current state."Stay there." Without wasting any more time, he immediately went to go to find Can."Alright, I'll wait for you here, you pervert," Can said as he continued to chuckle.It was not even a minute when Tin arrived in front of the Beast Summoner building and found Can."Aiya, you're here so fast! hehe...," the drunk little beast summoner started to walk towards Tin, but as soon as he made his first step forward, his legs became uncontrollable and wobbly. He fell once again, but this time, he was caught by Tin.Can, who was currently being embraced by Tin, moved his head up and looked into his eyes. With his right hand that was filled with blood, Can caressed Tin's cheeks."I like you too, Tin! hehe," After saying those words, Can lost consciousness and fell asleep.Tin was frozen in place. He did not know whether he should believe the words that came out from a drunk Can or not. Although they could be true, Tin wanted to hear it from Can when he is actually sober. Still, it made him happy since Can said it.As the smell of Can's blood started to invade Tin's nostrils, the blood element inside his body started to react. As if being possessed by another person, Tin's attitude change. When his eyes turned red, his concerned attitude change into serious lust.The blood that was smeared on his cheeks as it dripped down to his lips was licked. The red-eyed man did not stop there. Grabbing the bleeding right hand of the unconscious boy, Tin started licking and sucking the blood out of it.
"Blood Pact"
Blood Pact is a spell that allows elementalists to use the blood essence of their victims to locate them wherever they might be as long as they are both in the same world or dimension.With Can's blood mixing with Tin, the Blood Pact has now been officially established between the two.Tin would now be able to locate wherever Can would go."Now, there's no way for you to hide from me, Can."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Can woke up that morning with a headache. When he got up, his head started throbbing in slight pain. What happened to him!?The last thing that he remembered was that he was in his master's villa to pick up his clothes. He then got thirsty, so he drank some sweet water. Then he was teleported back in front of the Beast Summoner Building. Then...what happened after that?Can then realized something was not right. When he looked around at his surroundings, the room that he was in was not his! He was not in his own bedroom! The king size bed that he slept in was too comfortable and looked too expensive to be his own bed. The decorations in the room were too foreign to him. The room is just too big and too extravagant. Where is he!?As he was trying to figure out where he was, a voice of a girl from the outside echoed to his room."Mommy! Mommy! I'm hungry. I want breakfast!" Can heard it and he was confused. Whose child is it outside? (A/N: Uggh this girl is so cute. I don't own the picture btw.)The slightly opened door became wide open all of a sudden by a small girl who seemed to be at least four years old."Mommy!" a small girl wearing a pink dress ran towards to Can who was still in bed."Mommy? Is this little girl referring to me? Am I dreaming?" Can asked himself.The girl who was barefoot jumped to the bed and embraced Can."Mommy, I'm hungry," the girl said in an adorable manner.Can was in shock. He must be dreaming or is this some prank? There is no way that he has a daughter.The little girl looked at her parent who seemed to be in a daze. She waved her hand in front of Can's face to get his attention, but she failed. Holding Can's cheeks with both of her small warm hands she said, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"Can regained his focus as he stared at his 'daughter.' Looking at her eyes, Can felt a sense of familiarity. Her small delicate face looked familiar too. She looks so similar to him! But there is no way he could have a daughter!At this point, Can thought that he must really be in a dream. If this is the case, then he will just need to wake up from this dream, but how will he do that?While thinking of how to wake up from this dream, the little girl's stomach started grumbling. Can looked at the little girl who was touching her tummy with a sad face. Seeing that she was really hungry, Can felt bad. He finally decided to play the role of a mother and cook for her.He questioned himself why he is called 'mommy' in this dream when he is a guy. Yet even though he was curious, he did not ask his 'daughter.' What's important is how he will wake up.Holding the little girl carefully with his two hands, Can got out of his bed and went to find the kitchen. Before he went out, he asked his daughter about his father."Daddy took older brother to school then went to work. He said not to disturb mommy in the morning, but I'm hungry," the little girl explained.Can was amazed. He has another child? This is truly astonishing."I see," Can answered. As soon as he went out of the room, the surrounding became familiar to him all of a sudden."That is Tin's kitchen.....I'm in Tin's mansion?" Can whispered to himself. He was confused all of a sudden.His daughter heard the first part of what he said."What about daddy's kitchen? It's right there mommy." The little girl pointed at the direction of their kitchen. She thought that her mom is acting weird.Can just looked at his daughter with his eyes and mouth wide open. He could not believe what he just heard. There is no way Tin is the father of his kids in this dream?"This is only a dream Can, so calm down! Nothing here is real!" Can told himself.Composing himself, Can walked towards the kitchen.He placed her daughter on one of the seats of the dining table."What do you want to eat for breakfast?" he asked his daughter with a smile on his face. He might as well pretend to be an actual parent while he is at it.Can had experience babysitting children before. His aunt, who lives next door, has two children. When she has to go to work, she would ask his mom to babysit them. Usually, it was him who would end up taking care of the two kids. Also, he has experience taking care of a troublesome kid like Gucci."I want ham and cheese hot pockets!" the little girl excitedly blurted out her favorite meal of the day. Can could not help it but chuckle. His daughter likes the food that Tin likes."That's too early for breakfast. It will also take some time to make," Can said tenderly as he stroke his daughter's soft hair gently."I can wait!" the little girl said with a smile on her face. She really wants to eat her mother's hot pockets."But you're really hungry...," Can tried to convince his daughter to wait until lunch to eat those hot pockets that she wants."How about I'll help mommy make them? It's going to be faster!" the little girl insisted.In Can's judgment, this little girl would not take 'no' for an answer. She has a similar personality like Tin. He could only sigh in defeat."Alright, how about you help me make some dough?" Can asked his daughter as he patted her head."Okay!" The child cheerfully and excitedly clapped.Can held her kid who in returned embraced his neck. He then placed her on the top of the kitchen table. Getting all the necessary ingredients to prepare his special ham and cheese hot pockets, the two started cooking. Can patiently and enthusiastically taught her daughter how to make a proper pastry dough. During the entire process of creating hot pockets, there was a lot of laughter that can be heard in the kitchen. Although the two made a mess in the kitchen mostly because of the little girl's naughtiness, they were able to finish the things they needed to do. In the end, there was a batch of perfectly cooked hot pockets and a batch of burnt ones. By the time they finished, it was already lunchtime. Can thought that time passes by really fast when you are having fun. He did have fun cooking with his daughter.After cooking, Can placed his daughter back to one of the seats by the dining table. He put the perfectly cooked hot pockets on the table and gestured his daughter to eat. The little girl immediately grabbed two hot pockets and took a bite on each one."Eat slowly, there's still a lot on the plate," he said as he put a glass of water on the table. Seeing that his daughter is eating more carefully, Can went back to the kitchen table and started cleaning.While he was cleaning, the door to the mansion was opened. The little boy who was a little taller than Can's daughter entered and went straight to the kitchen when he smelled the fragrance of the hot pockets."Mommy! I want some hot pockets too!" the little boy with a backpack who suddenly appeared loudly demanded as he embraced Can. This little boy must be Can's other child. The boy's facial feature has a mixture of his and Tin's look. He was shocked and amazed at the same time when he saw his other child.
(A/N: Another cute kid I saw on Instagram. He was the one that the fans were referring to as MeanPlan's child. I don't own the picture.)"You already finished school?" Can asked as he resumed the role of a mother. He took one of the warm hot pockets that were on the kitchen table to his other child.The little boy nodded as he took the hot pockets from his mother's hand."We only have school until noon today. Dad took me home." The boy took a huge bite on the hot pocket."Dad...Tin?" Can asked his son. If Tin took him home then that means, he is here too. Thinking about it, Can became nervous. How is he going to face him? How is he supposed to act around Tin?"Umm yes. He just parked the car. He should be here in a bit." The little boy answered.Knowing that he would be here any minute, Can's heart started to beat faster."Mom, you're acting weird. Are you ok?" the little boy asked as his eyebrows furrowed due to his curiosity."Yes, I'm ok!" Can replied as he put a nervous smile.His son shrugged as he proceeded to sit down next to his little sister to eat more hot pockets.As more seconds passed by, the more nervous Can became. He tried to calm himself down as he resumed wiping the kitchen table. As he became too focused on cleaning, he did not notice the man he was nervous about was behind him already."You seem a little tense," the man behind Can whispered as he slowly wrapped his arms around him. The man's deep and seductive voice that traveled to Can's left ear caused an immediate shivering effect on the wife's entire body. Can's heart started to beat faster uncontrollably as his breathing became irregular. His face became red like a tomato."Did our daughter gave you a hard time? I told her not to disturb you because I know how tired you were from last night," Tin continued using his seductive voice as a smirk on his face became visible.Can tried to remember what happened last night, but he could not recall anything at all. What happened last night?"N-no, it's fine. I don't mind," Can answered nervously. His nervousness was immediately detected by Tin."Why so tense then?" Tin asked as he started becoming more intimate. He started nibbling Can's reddening left ear as his hardening member was rubbed against Can's buttocks.Can did not know how to react so he resumed wiping the table once more. What's with Tin right now? It so early for him to be this horny! Besides, there are kids in front of them! How can he be this indecent!"I-I'm a little tired th-that's all." Can started stuttering with his answer as his mind went into disarray. He tried to figure out why everything seemed so real all of a sudden."Then how about I give my wife a massage in our room." Tin slowly inserted his right hand inside Can's shirt which touched the delicate skin of the boy. The sudden intrusion of Tin's rough hand made Can gasp loudly."AH!" Can uttered as he immediately closed his mouth with both of his hands. The two kids who were eating the hot pockets suddenly looked at their mother."Mommy is being weird again!" the little boy said as he went back to eat."Your mom's a little tired that's all," Can replied as he tried to calm himself down once again. He took a deep breath then gathered the courage to glare at Tin."Not in front of the kids!" Can whispered as he complained. He immediately used this excuse to escape from Tin as he checked and approached his kids.Failing at his advances, Tin felt disappointed. Yet being married to Can for several years already, Tin knew some tricks on how to subdue his wife.That night when the kids were asleep peacefully in their room, Can went straight to his bed where he lay in the morning. Throughout the day, he wondered why he has not woken up in real life yet. Was it because the time in his dream is different in reality? In any case, he actually felt tired today so he wanted to go to sleep. He thought that he might wake up after tonight so he was not too worried.As he was about to go to sleep, he heard the creaking of the door as it opened. Can immediately opened his eyes and became alert. After a few moments, he heard the door creak once again as it closed. He then heard a clicking sound from the doorknob, indicating that it has been locked.Before Can could move to check who it was, he was already embraced from behind."The kids are asleep now, how about we continue where we left off," Tin whispered to Can's right ear as he started licking the exterior of his ear.Can unconsciously gasped and immediately covered his mouth to prevent it from making more sexual noises. He noticed that Tin would always start teasing him by playing with his ears. Every time he would whisper or do these kinds of things to him, Can would always react. He realized that his ears are his weak spots.Can was thinking whether he should shove Tin away from him or not. He never had sex before and doing it intimidated him. He decided he did not want it! Yet before Can thought of shoving Tin away, he realized that this was only a dream. Even though he was still a little hesitant, he thought that trying sex for the first time in his somehow realistic dream should be the perfect way to experience it? In any case, this might help him determine if he liked Tin or not.Since it is like this, Can finally decided to let Tin continue. Since he already knew his fate in this relationship, he prepared himself mentally. He took a deep breath and tried to relax. Sensing that Can did not refuse him, Tin continued his advances.Tin went on top of Can and initiated a passionate kissing session. He started kissing his forehead then each side of Can's cheeks, then finally sealing his lips. As he slowly removed the buttons of his shirt, he kissed Can deeper with his tongue invading the other's mouth without getting any sort of resistance. As his tongue explored his lover's mouth, Can tried to also have a taste of the other man, so he sought the other tongue with his. As the two tongues clashed in passion as they became entangled and their saliva mixing together, moans that tried to come out of Can's mouth became suppressed.Not thinking straight anymore as lust took over both of the men's minds, their actions became rougher. Can wrapped both of his arms around Tin's neck locking them together. Tin whose toned chest was already exposed, proceeded to take off Can's shirt. He quickly grab the hem of Can's shirt and pulled it off from its owner who obediently obliged. The two took this opportunity to catch their breath."Now it's your turn to remove the rest," Tin whispered as his eyes, filled with desire and lust, stared at his beloved.Can, who was charmed by those eyes, immediately obeyed. He hurriedly removed the button that kept Tin's pants together and unzipped it. Now that the only thing that was left on Tin was a thin layer of fabric that contains his hardened member. It was in a hurry to be unleashed.Can did not waste any more time and pulled down Tin's brief. Tin's exposed and erect manhood made Can's eyes widened in amazement. It was huge! This did not stop Can from wanting it, but it rather ignited his lust further.Holding his man's hardened part with both of his hands, he started teasing Tin by kissing and licking the tip. Heavy breathes from Tin came out as he caressed Can's head. When he looked down to see his wife's indecent but seductive act, it made him want to devour him whole. Yet this form of lovely torture is like an appetizer before the main course. One should not rush and just let things flow on their own.After some moments, Can took off the rest of his clothes where his hardened part and buttocks were exposed. Becoming a little impatient, Can first tried to measure his lover's penis by licking the tip until he reached the base of the shaft. A trail of warm and wet saliva was left on the area that was licked. Now becoming bolder, he put Tin's pulsating manhood in his mouth slowly. He let his tongue explore and taste the warm rod that is full of manliness and ravaging energy. Feeling that he was not getting enough taste of the whole thing, Can selfishly went deeper but unfortunately, he gagged. It was just too long for him to have."Don't worry my wife, there's another method that we could use for you to feel it inside you," Tin reassured as he proceeded to push Can back to bed.Starting from the top, Tin slowly worked his way down as he kissed every part of Can's body. He then started playing with Can's already perked up red nipples. He pinched both of them with his rough fingers which sent sudden exciting electricity to Can's already shivering body. Tin then let his mouth taste the two tempting nubs as he gently nibbled and licked them. After savoring them, he continued to explore down still not missing to kiss Can's small body.Now, it is time for the main course. When Tin reached Can's lower body, he repaid his wife's services by doing the same thing. He held Can's hardened part and an up and down jerking motion was delivered repeatedly. Moans of pleasure instantly came out of Can who tried to suppress it but failed. Tin then proceeded to put Can's penis inside his mouth and sucked it as its juices started to leak out. Both of Can's fingers and toes curled up from the intense pleasure he was receiving from his lover. Not wanting for Can to cum too easily, Tin had to stop.Tin flipped his lover, so that Can's buttocks was facing him. Licking his lips with his tongue, he put his index and middle finger of his right hand in his mouth. The saliva that covered these fingers will be used as a lubricant. Spreading one of Can's butt cheek with the other hand, Tin inserted the saliva-covered index finger inside Can's opening. Since they have done sex multiple times, Can's opening was already used to this kind of probing. Knowing the location of Can's good spot, Tin immediately looked for it. As soon as he located it, Can immediately let out another moan as he grabbed a pillow to prevent himself from becoming too loud due to a more pleasurable experience. Using the middle finger along the index finger, Tin's movement of his right hand became rougher and faster as it explored Can's opening. From time to time, he would spread his two fingers to stretch Can's hole. For every time Tin would hit Can's good spot, it would be exchanged with muffled moans.Feeling that Can was ready, Tin removed his fingers from the opening and replaced it with his enraged rod. He slowly played with Can's entrance for a little bit then slowly penetrated it. When half of his penis was inside, he removed it then entered again. He did it a couple of times to make sure that Can gets used to it."Hurry put it in, don't tease me anymore," Can pleaded. He is not only losing his mind but also his patience due to his selfishness and newfound craving."If that is what my wife wishes, then his husband will happily fulfill it." As soon as he finished his sentence, Tin suddenly thrust his entire sword without any warning. Can immediately gasped as Tin initiates an all-out attack. The bed started moving and creaking as it follows the rhythm of Tin's motion. As for Can, he was drowning in so much pleasure. He feels so good that he thinks he will get addicted.As the Tin's movements become faster and louder, the intensity of delight intensified for both of them. Without even his hardened part being touched, Can's penis started to release a small amount of white liquid."I'm about to cum," Tin whispered to his lover who was also about to cum.Can could not seem to focus on Tin's words as he continued to moan.Tin started grunting which indicated that he was about to cum in a second. His movements became faster and rougher until finally, he released all of his stored white sticky liquid inside of Can. Not too long, Can also released his semen on the white bed sheet.Now covered in sweat and sticky liquid, both of them finally calmed down. Catching their breath, Tin embraced his lover tenderly once again."I love you, Can," Tin softly said as he caressed Can's cheeks. When Can saw Tin's loving and happy expression, he could not help, but utter the same thing to him. He wants to make Tin happy. He wants to always see him smile."I love you too, Tin," Can said lovingly as he proceeded to kiss Tin once more.The two felt the warmth of each other's passionate love.Before they slept, the two snuggled together as Tin covered the two of them with a blanket.When Can was about to close his eyes, he heard voices in his head.
"C....!"
"Can...!"
"Cantaloupe wake up!"
"CANTALOUPE!!!!!"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(unedited)"Cantaloupe!" Ley said loudly as she pulled Can's blanket.Cantaloupe immediately woke up with a quick gasp which surprised his sister."Are you okay?" Ley worriedly asked as she stopped pulling his brother's blanket. It was already morning. She knew that her brother has a class today, so she had to wake him up. Also, she was interested in what happened yesterday between him and Tin.Can surveyed his surroundings to see if he was still dreaming. He was not dreaming anymore. Somehow this made him feel weird and disappointed. After realizing that he was not in a dream anymore, he calmed himself down as he got up.He looked at his sister, who had a confused gaze, and answered, "I'm okay.""Why were you drunk yesterday?" Ley asked as she crossed her arms. Seeing that Can was fine, Ley went back to investigating what happened to Can and Tin yesterday. Did they do something interesting? When she saw that they came home late last night while she was watching television, she immediately started thinking about different scenarios that might have happened while the two were together. She currently has a writer's block and needed some inspiration to continue writing her popular fanfiction so asking Can some questions about their relationship development might give her new ideas."Drunk?" Can furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to recollect the events that happened yesterday. The last thing he remembered was being transferred outside his master's Phoenix Garden. Before that, he was in his master's villa. As he remembered the things that happened yesterday, he finally realized that the sweet water that he took must have been the cause for him to be drunk. He put a note to himself that he should be more careful with the things that he put in his mouth next time."Yes! Tin had to take you here to your room. Thankfully, it was me who saw you and not mom," Ley continued."Huh!? Tin took me home!?"When he heard his name, Can immediately remembered all the things that they did in his dream especially in the bedroom. The little beast summoner felt embarrassed all of a sudden as his face blushed. His heart was like a huge drum that is being beaten simultaneously as it produced loud sounds.He immediately covered his reddening face with both of his hands."Calm down. It's just a dream, Can! It's just a dream," Can whispered to himself repeatedly as he tried to calm his heart.Ley, who saw his brother's reaction, became enthusiastic as her eyes started to glimmer. Something interesting must have happened between the two!She grabbed his brother's shoulder and shook it due to her excitement."Tell me! Tell me what happened!? Did you guys do anything fun last night?" Ley delightedly asked as her smile became bigger and brighter.Can knew what her sister was thinking, so he tried to dismiss her thoughts. If he does not do anything about it, her sister will keep pestering him about it. He tried to compose himself as he put the R18+ event that happened in his dream aside for now."Nothing happened," he calmly answered his sister. He saw what time it was, so he got out of bed and fixed it.Ley frowned. She knew that his brother was trying to avoid the subject."Suspicious...." Ley whispered as the smile on her face and glimmering eyes were gone.Can heard her sister's whisper but he ignored her."Don't you have school today? You should get ready," Can told Ley as he continued to fix his bed.Ley quickly looked at Can's wall clock. It was almost 8:00 am. She is going to be late if she does not prepare herself for school immediately. But before she left, Ley looked at his brother."I'll find a way to know what happened. If you're not going to say anything, I might ask Tin myself," Ley threatened as she smirked.Can shot her a glance."Ley! Don't cause unnecessary trouble for other people. Hurry and go to school!" Can said in a displeased tone."Bleeh!" Ley stuck her tongue out to mock her brother as she left his room."You!" Can annoyingly uttered. Now he is worried that Ley might say something to Tin. Speaking of Tin, the things that Can tried not to remember came back. Those memories from that dream especially the bed scene made him blush once again."It felt so real..." Can muttered as he unconsciously touched his butt. There was nothing wrong with his butt. The problem was the front. When Can checked, the front side of his pants was wet. Thankfully, it was black so his sister did not notice the wet spot. Now thinking about it, he was not wearing black pants yesterday! Who changed his clothes? It could not be his sister or his mother for sure. Then, it must be Tin! Once again, Tin managed to change his clothes when he was unconscious! Why was this happening to him! (Refer to Chapter 7 when Tin changed his clothes when he was unconscious.)Can rushed to the bathroom to take a bath and change clothes. In any case, he could not alter what already happened, so he just needed to accept it. After getting out, he took his phone to check any messages. As expected, he received messages from Tin last night.
Tin: "I won't be able to take you to the university and back home. I have some business to attend to." (sent at 10:56 p.m.)
Tin: "You have to explain to me what happened yesterday when I come back." (sent at 10:58 p.m.)
After reading the messages from Tin, Can was a little relieved. He was not ready to face him because of what happened in the dream. He would just feel awkward and uncomfortable. At least now, he has some time to think about his feelings for Tin.Can put his phone back in his backpack and summoned Beholder to take him to the university. When he arrived, he went straight to meet his master to train once again.====Somewhere around Tin's mansion, the owner seemed to be satisfied that Can was able to get to the university without any problem. Thanks to the Blood Pact, he has the ability to locate Can wherever he might be in this world."Are you paying attention?" Tin's grandfather who is in the necklace asked. He knew that his grandson was thinking of Can."Hmm." Tin nodded. A small fireball was surrounding him. It was the only source of light in the dark place that he was in. As the fireball moves around as if it has life, its flame flickered. Tin who was covered in dirt and sweat continued to walk.Currently, Tin is in an unknown underground cave. He has been here since midnight exploring and trying to find a specific place of the cave. This cave is surprisingly large and has complex paths. If one does not know the right path, one could get lost in here easily. Thankfully, Tin's grandfather was here to guide him.Clearing his throat, Tin's grandfather continued."We're almost there, just continue walking through this narrow path."Towards the end of the narrow path, there was a red wooden door. As soon as they arrived at their destination, Tin's grandfather said with a satisfied tone, "This is it."It has been a long time since he has been in this place."Stand in front of the door," he instructed Tin.Tin followed his grandfather. As soon as he stood in front of the red door, his surrounding area started to shake and rumble, but he stood firmly.After some time, when the door opened, the shaking of the ground stopped."Here it is, my grandson! Our ancestors' dimension," Tin's grandfather said excitedly.Inside the room, there was a huge ball of pure white light standing in the middle of that room. The blinding light immediately caused Tin to cover his eyes with his hand. The fireball that helped him navigate through the cave disappeared.The place that they just found was the teleportation room. The huge ball of pure white light is a way for them to teleport to their ancestor's dimension."Now approach the light," Tin's grandfather instructed.Still covering his eyes, Tin slowly walked towards the ball of white light. As soon as he made physical contact with the ball, the intensity of the light grew as it completely swallowed Tin.When the bright white light disappeared, Tin slowly opened his eyes."We're finally here," Tin's grandfather said as he heaved a sigh of relief.Tin surveyed his surroundings, but it was foggy and windy. He was unable to see that far due to the thickness of the fog, but he knew he was in a forest area. He could hear the rustling of the leaves of the trees and grasses."Where are we exactly?" Tin asked calmly."I'm uncertain since the fog is too dense. This dimension is quite vast, so we could be anywhere. Also, I have only been here once, so I'm not quite familiar with this place anyways," his grandfather answered.The reason they came here in the first place was to find a way to help Tin to become more powerful. Since the beginnings of time that this dimension was created, the Phiravich family has been using it to train, to expand their knowledge, to bury their dead family members, to hide their important and powerful items and etc. By going here, his grandfather was hoping to find something that would help his grandson level up faster.The problem was that they do not know where they were to begin with. Even if they have the map of the dimension, it was useless due to the thick fog that even hides the sky.Tin was about to remove the fog with his spell when sudden giggles were heard. Tin immediately looked at the direction where the sound came from but due to the fog, he could not see who it was. By the sounds of it, the chuckle came from a child."Who's there?" Tin calmly asked.There was no answer except for continuous giggling."Grandfather, do you know who it is?" Tin asked.He did not get any answer from his grandfather. There seemed to be something that was preventing his grandfather to talk."Let's play a game!" the voice from the unknown girl was heard."If you can catch me through this thick fog, I'll help you find what you were looking for!" the unknown child said as she started chuckling once more."Who are you?" Tin continued to ask."Catch me first! If you can! Hehe," the child playfully answered.Tin was in no mood to play catch, so he raised his right hand in the air.
"Absorption."
All the fog that was covering his surrounding area was sucked rapidly back to Tin's right hand. Immediately, the area became clear. The sky became bright and blue. Tin now knows where he was; he was on the top of a mountain.When the unknown child saw this. She could only gasp in anger."THAT'S UNFAIR! YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" The unknown child stomped her feet to the ground revealing her location.Tin acted quickly.
"Root Shackles."
Roots under the girl's feet emerged and attached themselves to them. The girl, who was wearing a white yukata, did not notice the roots that were attaching themselves to her feet. She tried to remove them but she could not. While struggling, Tin approached her without any hurry.
"Now tell me who you are and what are you doing here?" Tin continued to ask with coldness in his eyes.When the girl looked up and met his gaze, she immediately felt chills. She was scared all of a sudden."I-I don't know! I-I'm lost just like you." Thinking that the young elementalist will hit her, the girl covered her head with both of her hands as she ducked for cover."Liar. You just said you would help me find what I'm looking for when I catch you," Tin replied."BUT YOU CHEATED!" the small girl complained. She then gathered her courage and stood up once again."You didn't say I can't use my powers," Tin smirked."YOU! Hmph! I won't help you anymore," she continued as she crossed her arms."Have you seen a child getting burnt slowly?" Tin asked as a small fire emerged from his right hand. His smile became more sinister."N-no..." the girl started to become nervous once again as she stared at the small fire on Tin's hand."I haven't either. Do you want to see it then?" Tin looked at the child directly into her eye as the fire on his hands grew bigger."O-Okay! I'll tell you whatever you want! Just don't kill me. Jeez! You're the most annoying elementalist that I've encountered," the unknown child blurted out. Her last sarcastic words became fuel which caused Tin's fire to grow bigger."I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It won't happen again. Please have mercy!" the small girl ducked again as she shivered in fear.Tin extinguished the fire on his hand."Now tell me everything that you know," he demanded the child. Tin knew that the little girl was not ordinary. His grandfather said that there should be no one currently living in this dimension aside from its twelve guardians. These twelve guardians represent the twelve elements. According to ancient history, they were originally elemental orbs owned by the first head of the Phiravich family. After the first head died, the twelve elemental orbs inside of him manifested themselves as humans. They pledged themselves that they would become guardians of this dimension that was created by their late owner. This little girl must be one of them.After letting the little girl talk, Tin's assumption about her was true. The little girl was the wind guardian, Amihan. (A/N: I'm using Philippine mythology. Amihan is the goddess of the northeast winds in the Philippines.)The little girl said in an annoyed tone, "I'll guide you to your ancestors' tomb, you'll find what you're looking for in there but remove these roots first!"Tin silently removed the roots from the wind guardian. Out of the twelve guardians, Amihan is the weakest and the most mischievous. Even if this is the case, she is the fastest out of everyone. Tin was not afraid that the wind guardian would trick him since he has a map. As long as he has a map, he should be able to locate this tomb of his ancestors. This place that he was going to is not only a place where his ancestors rest in peace. It is also where their important valuables were kept for the next generation to use. This is actually a good place to start.Composing herself as she breathed a sigh of relief, she jumped high and landed on one of the branches of a tall tree."Follow me!" the little girl said as she jumped once again to another tree.
"Flight."
A force of wind swirled around Tin and lifted him up in the air. He then started following the small guardian as she continuously jumped from one tree to another.====Somewhere in a secluded area.A group of people wearing black masks and cloak came into a room where their old master was waiting."Sir, we got our target," one of the masked men pulled a young man in specialized iron shackles. The young man, who was blindfolded and gagged with some piece of fabric, tried to struggle."Why am I only seeing one? Where's Tin's father?" the old man, who was holding a fan with a dragon snake embroidery on it, asked with a confused look. (Refer to Ch. 17 about the enemies )One of the masked men, who seemed to be the captain of the group, stepped forward."Sir, we were able to infiltrate E.A's prison with ease thanks to our allies. Unfortunately, when we were trying to transfer Tri Phiravich out of the prison, he somehow managed to get out from his restraints and escaped. He was too fast; we were unable to pursue him," the captain said concisely.The old man's eyes started to turn green as they transformed into a snake's eyes. He started hissing like a snake in anger."You let our main target escape! How could you let this happen!? I put so much faith in your capabilities, but you still disappointed me!" the old man with the fan loudly blurted as he pointed his fan towards the direction of the captain."I'm sorry, sir," the captain said still with a firm but sorry tone.The old man took a minute to calm himself down. He spread his fan and covered his mouth while staring at the young man who was lying on the floor struggling. An idea came to his mind."Our plan will continue with or without Tri Phiravich. As long as we get Tin Phiravich, everything will go back to what we originally planned."The old man slowly approached the young man as an evil smile started to form on his mouth that was hidden by the fan. If someone was to see the old man's reaction, fear will immediately be felt."If Tin Phiravich cares about you, he will come and save you."The old man proceeded to lean down. He took out the blindfold and the fabric that was inside the young man's mouth."Don't you think so, Can Rathavit?"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(unedited)"Who are you? W-what do you want?" Can asked as he was breathing heavily.Earlier this afternoon, after he left his master's office, Can decided to go straight home. As he left the university, he summoned Beholder to take him back. As he was lifted through the air and started flying towards the direction of his house, he was immediately intercepted by an unknown group of people who were wearing black masks and cloaks. Without any explanation, all of them immediately formed a restrictive barrier in which he was unable to break through no matter how hard he tried. Before he could summon Valkyrie, a needle was sent flying to his neck. As it made contact to his skin, Can immediately felt sluggish and eventually lost his consciousness. He fell from Beholder's back where he was seating, but he was caught by one of the masked men. Without its master's constant flow of spiritual energy, Beholder was sent back to his dimension with distress on his face."Since you will die sooner or later, I'll tell you," the old man folded his fan revealing his evil smile."I'm Master Shin of the Black Snake Clan. As for my purpose?" the old man lifted Can's chin with his fan."I want vengeance for my clan members who were killed by that despicable elementalist!" As the old master thought about his fallen clan members, his composed evil attitude changed into displeasure. He gritted his teeth and gripped his fan firmly with his hand as it shook due to his anger."Killed clan members by...Tin?" Can thought about the words of the old master Shin and remembered the three malicious people who tried to harm Tin in the forest. Was it not those three people's fault to begin with? They were trying to harm Tin. Of course, Tin had to defend himself!"Why are you blaming Tin? It was natural for him to defend himself," Can said with a firm voice."You foolish kid... You don't know anything about the person you're siding with," the old man scoffed as he shook his head. It was true that he wanted to harm Tin. Part of the reason was to eliminate competition for the Friendly Faction Competition, but the major reason was the deep grudge of the Black Snake Clane towards the Elementalist Association from the past. (A/N Chapter: 5 if you want to remember )"If I tell you that the Elementalist Association massacred an entire clan in the past, would you believe me?" The old man asked as his heart trembled from sorrow.Can just froze as he stared at Master Shin. He was not sure whether to believe the old man or not.Can is quite knowledgeable about history since he is fascinated by how the world came to be the way it is today. So back then when he was young, he would read a lot of books about it. In history books, details about different wars were mentioned quite often, but this was the first time he heard about a massacred clan by E.A. If Master Shin was not lying, why would this incident not known or in the history textbooks? Unless, it was covered up?"It doesn't matter to me if you believe me or not. I will repay E.A hundredfold this time, starting with Tin Phiravich," the old man stood up straight and started chanting. A burst of power was released in the room as Master Shin made different hand seals.
"Witch Prison"
After finishing his hand seals, Can was lifted into the air and was put inside a huge transparent white bubble. The Witch Prison spell acts as a defensive barrier against any kind of attacks, but this is not its specialty. This ancient forbidden legendary spell allows the person who cast it to be immune to specific kinds of attacks. The reason for this is because the attacks the caster will receive will be transferred to the person who was inside the transparent bubble prison. In this case, if someone attacks Master Shin, the ones who will receive these attacks would be Can. Since this spell requires sacrifice, it was considered forbidden by the Black Snake Clan.Although they are known for their expertise on poison, the Black Snake Clan was also well known for creating powerful barriers and sealing spells. Due to this, they were once considered a powerhouse in the country during the ancient times.Even though the Witch Prison spell is quite powerful, it did not mean that it does not have its weakness. Since Witch Prison is a legendary spell, casting it requires a tremendous amount of spiritual energy. Master Shin knew this, so he prepared multiple high-grade recovery potions. In any case, he has a lot of stored spiritual energy since he is currently a Tier 2 Rainbow Witch."Those traitors from E.A should already be moving to get Tin Phiravich by now," the old man's subordinate with glasses stated."Now, we wait," Master Shin said as he nodded in satisfaction.In the Phiravich ancestors' dimension, Tin just arrived at his ancestors' tomb. At first glance, the place looked like a small palace. Mostly built by red sandstone with marble decorations, this tomb was surrounded by gardens and other small buildings. It was not evident that this place contains the remains of dead people. (A/N: This tomb is called the baby Taj Mahal in India.)"Alright, let's go in!" Amihan said excitedly as her hands were behind her head. She already forgot how Tin threatened to burn her while traveling. She was solely focused on getting into the tomb herself. Even though she is one of the guardians of this dimension, it did not mean that Amihan has access everywhere. This tomb was one of the restricted areas that she could not access. She thought that it was unfair that the other guardians could go in and she cannot. Now with an elementalist by her side, she could try her luck to go in and see how the inside truly looks like. Her plan all along was to bring Tin inside the tomb instead of guiding him first to the hall where the other guardians would meet him. If they find out, she might get in trouble, but because she has a mischievous nature, she does not care about the consequences of her actions to begin with. Also, the reason why Tin could not communicate with his grandfather was because Amihan restricted the necklace with a spell. If she let the two talk, then his grandfather, who came here before, might know something was wrong.Tin tried to talk to his grandfather once again, but there was still no reply. This made Amihan nervous. Yet, after seeing Tin giving up and continued following her without a suspicious look on his face, she felt relieved.As the two entered, the barrier that would usually prevent the wind guardian from entering has disappeared. The torches that were attached to the walls were lighted causing this dark place to be illuminated. Inside the tomb, there were different small opened rooms alongside a seamlessly endless stone pathway. When the two took a step forward inside, an immediate powerful pressure was felt. This made the wind guardian shake in fear as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. As her legs weakened, she was forced to fall on her knees. She had to cover her body with both of her arms as goosebumps covered her entire body. What's with this overwhelming pressure inside?When he looked back, Tin saw the wind guardian sitting on the floor."What's with you?" Tin asked casually.Amihan looked back at Tin and was confused."A-are you no-not feeling that overwhelming pressure?" the wind guardian asked as her teeth started to chatter."No." Tin frowned."If you're too scared, you can leave," he continued as he turned around and continued walking.Although she did not want to admit it, she actually felt scared to move further inside. This might be the reason why she was restricted to go inside the tomb. This pressure that she was feeling could be from the lingering power of Phiravich family's ancestors. Since the dead who reside this tomb is considered the most powerful elementalists, it could explain why there was an overwhelming and suffocating pressure. In any case, Amihan could not stay in the tomb any longer, so she decided to leave the place immediately and wait for Tin to come out.Tin ignored Amihan and continued exploring the place.Suddenly, he heard whispers in his ears telling him to follow the voice. The young elementalist looked at his surroundings and found no one. After hearing more whispers from the unknown person, Tin decided to follow its instructions.After a series of walking and turning, he was led to an unknown room. When Tin was exploring the tomb, each room would have a wooden sign with the name of the dead ancestor written at the top side of the entrance. This particular room where Tin was currently in did not have a wooden sign with a name. Why would this particular ancestor not have a name?"Enter..."Tin heard another whispered instruction from the unknown person and followed it. The owner of that voice must be the dead ancestor in this particular room.As he entered the small room, the torches inside lighted up. Tin immediately furrowed his eyebrows as he surveyed the contents of the room. Unlike the other rooms which were fully decorated with a lot of things, this room did not have any. The only thing that it contained was the simple stone casket that was covered with a lot of paper talismans. It seemed the casket was sealed for some reason. "Open it..."When Tin heard another whisper from the unknown person, he was unsure whether he should open it or not since it could be a trap."For Can..."Hearing Can's name caused Tin to become more alert as he looked around to survey the room. How did this unknown person know Can? He never mentioned anything about him when he entered this dimension."Who are you?" Tin finally asked, but he did not get an answer. After waiting for some time, there were no whispers from the unknown person anymore.Taking a deep breath, Tin decided that he would open the stone casket. He went closer and slowly pushed the top cover of the casket. As he was moving, the paper talismans that covered it were burned off. Tin did not let them bother him and continued removing the cover. Once the cover was removed, Tin checked the contents of the casket.Inside, there was the skeleton of the nameless ancestor wearing a simple black robe. By the looks of it, the ancestor was a male. On his skeletal hands, he was holding a staff.
A staff was used to enhance the power of spells of an elementalists during ancient times. In truth, the power does not come from the staff itself but the power crystal it possesses. The power crystal contains an essence that allows magical attacks to become more powerful. The staff only acts as a vessel to contain the crystal. In the modern era, elementalists use different kind of items to contain their power crystals such as watches, necklaces, bracelets, etc. Tin currently does not possess any power crystals because he could not find a proper one and he does not need one to begin with. Now, with the uncertain future, he has no choice but to actually look for one. Thankfully, in this tomb, there seemed to be plenty of power crystals from his ancestors that he could choose from. The only problem was finding the right one.Examining the staff that this ancestor was holding, there seemed to be something odd about it. The head of the staff was covered with several small power crystals. At the very top, there was a hole in it. It seems that it was missing the main power crystal. Yet, even if this is the case, the power that the staff holds seemed to be abundant.For some reason, Tin could not help it but be attracted to the staff as if it was calling him to grab it.As he slowly grabbed the staff, a small black mist appeared and slowly covered Tin's hands. Tin tried to remove his hand from the staff, but he could not do it. Soon, the black mist started to expand as it continued to crawl to Tin's arm; it then spread towards his entire body. He tried to struggle, but he could not move at all. Tin suddenly hear someone laughing in his ears. He looked around, but no one was there. He thought it might be the unknown person, but it sounded different from that person who had an innocent tone to his voice. This person who was laughing had a sinister tone.Now that the black mist is covering his entire body, the only left to cover is Tin's face. As it continued to slowly cover Tin's face, the person's sinister laugh became louder.
"Evil Suppression!"
Tin turned his head and saw someone covered in a wizard cloak while holding an opened book with his hand. Under his feet was some sort of magical formation. The black mist that covered Tin slowly retreated and went back to the staff. The laugh that was somewhat deafening to Tin's ears finally stopped.
(A/N: This is how I see this character. Picture is not mine.)Tin was finally able to move freely, so he removed his grasp from the staff."The staff has chosen you as its master, but you're still too weak to wield its full power, so it tried to control you instead," the handsome man with pointed elven ears said as he closed his book."If Amihan didn't inform me about you, the staff might have full control of your body. When that happens, there's no way for you to come back and we'll have no choice but to kill you...," the handsome man said as he smirked. He turned around and started walking away. Tin formed a fist on his right hand. He was too careless. If something were to happen to him, what will happen to Can?"I've already suppressed its possessive nature and power for the meantime. Take the staff with you and come with me outside of this tomb," the handsome man said as he left the room. Tin took a deep breath and calmed himself down as he picked up the staff. He then quickly returned the top cover of the stone casket back to its place and followed the mysterious man.When they came out, Amihan was waiting for the two anxiously. When he saw that the two were fine, she heaved a sigh of relief."Beelzebub, what happened inside?" Amihan asked with curiosity."He got what he needs," Beelzebub said casually as he continued to walk towards the hall.Hearing his name, Tin confirmed that this mysterious man is the Dark Guardian. He wields the power of the darkness which explains why he was able to suppress the evil black mist. He is considered one of the most powerful guardians in this dimension.Amihan looked at the item that Tin was holding. She wanted to touch it, but her instincts are telling her to stay away from it, so she did.The three of them walked towards the hall. When they arrived inside, Beelzebub explained and answered the questions that were in Tin's mind. As of now, the only guardians that are available was Beelzebub and Amihan. The other guardians were busy doing other things around the dimension.According to Beelzebub, the owner of the staff was from a demonic elementalist. Tin knew the details about demonic elementalists.In the ancient times, the elementalists were divided into two groups: those who practice the righteous arts and those who practice demonic arts. The main difference between the two was their source of spiritual power. For the righteous elementalists, they relied on natural and pure spiritual energy. For the demonic elementalists, they have to rely on evil energy which came from the impurity of the Earth itself. Having differences meant that there are oppositions and disagreements between the two groups. Even before the war between E.A and B.S.G began, these two oppositions within the group of elementalists were already escalating. But when the war broke out with B.S.G, they had to put their differences aside and unified themselves to fight the beast summoners. Yet, after peace was established after the King of the Beasts was sealed away, war within the righteous and the demonic elementalists occurred.Even though demonic elementalists are more powerful than the righteous ones, using impure spiritual energy have their consequences. The more that the demonic elementalists use this kind of energy, the more that their health deteriorates. Due to this, their numbers which were small to begin with grew smaller. Towards the end, they were mostly eradicated by the righteous elementalists. Those who survived hid somewhere far away and never came out.For the nameless ancestor in the tomb, no one knows who it was. Even the guardians who resided the dimension since ancient times do not know who it was. The only thing that was certain was that this nameless ancestor was a demonic elementalist who was a part of the Phiravich family.As for the staff, its origin is unknown. Beelzebub told Tin that the staff was forged with immense impure spiritual energy. This particular energy within the staff was suppressed by powerful seals. Those powerful seals were created by using a person's soul. With a huge number of seals embedded in the staff, thousands of people might have been sacrificed. The missing main power crystal of the staff was apparently destroyed when its former owner died. Even if the main power crystal was destroyed, the immense spiritual energy plus the other small power crystals would increase Tin's power greatly. Tin was advised that he should wield the staff in moderation because if he used it too much, he might deviate or lose control of himself.As a Dark Guardian, Beelzebub knows the demonic arts, so he handed Tin a training manual called <Demon's Heaven>. If Tin decides to use the staff, he must then start practicing the demonic arts. Of course, Tin was aware that when he takes the path of the demonic arts, there will be risks involved."I'll let you decide whether you want to go through this path or not, but according to my assessment, your body is a better fit at performing demonic arts. You can easily gain power and level up to an astronomical degree," Beelzebub casually smiled as the fangs of his teeth were shown. Something tells the Dark Guardian that from now on, interesting events will start happening.After their talk, Tin put the staff and training manual inside his infinite storage small pouch. He was then teleported outside of the dimension and back somewhere nearby the mansion. His grandfather was finally able to communicate with his grandson after the restrictive spell was removed. He witnessed the events that happened in the dimension especially about the nameless ancestor and the staff that Tin has."I wouldn't support you performing the demonic arts, but knowing your stubborn personality, you wouldn't listen to me!" Tin's grandfather said annoyingly."Whether you decide to continue the righteous arts or do the demonic arts, you just have to be careful. Don't be too careless," he continued."I understand. Thank you, Grandfather," Tin said with a small smile on his face.For the first time, Old Man Phiravich heard his grandson thanking him! He was truly blown away. He never thought that his cold-hearted grandson would thank him with a genuine smile on his face. It made the old man quite happy."That's good to hear my grandson," the old man said in a satisfied tone.When Tin returned inside the mansion, something did not feel right immediately. The door of the mansion was unlocked; there seemed to be a commotion inside."Where is he? Did he already know our plans?" one of the unknown men said."That's impossible, our plan was confidential. Only us from E.A, those higher ups of the Black Snake Clan, and the Phurin family from B.S.G should only know," the other taller man explained.(A/N: If you guy's don't know, Trump Phurin who was defeated by Can is part of the Phurin family. Chapter 15 if you want to remember.)The other guy hit the taller man in the head."Don't say those words casually! Continue searching the mansion!" the captain instructed."Hmmm.....these idiots just spilled the people involved in this conspiracy. What's there plan, I wonder?" the old man asked as he contemplated why they would look for his grandson.Tin felt a bad premonition. Immediately Can crossed his mind. By this time, Can should be home.Using blood magic to try to locate Can, he soon realized that he was not where he was supposed to be. Eventually, Tin found Can's location. It seemed that he was held captive.Without any hesitation, he left the mansion and proceeded to go to the location as fast as he could."Tin, where are you going?" the old man worriedly asked.This time, it was him who did not get an answer.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(unedited)Arriving at the secluded fortress where Can was held up in a faraway forest, Tin hid in the tall bushes while observing his surroundings. Currently, the huge ominous fortress was surrounded by a shield barrier. Tin cannot attack the barrier impulsively since he knew that it was not just any ordinary barrier. Whoever created it must be at least at a Rainbow level."Tin, what did I tell you about being careful! You just came right in front of the snake's mouth without thinking first! I hope you're not thinking of going in by yourself without any assistance!" Tin's grandfather angrily and worriedly said.Tin was not paying attention to his grandfather, but he was aware of his current situation. Even if he was to call assistance, it was already too late. Tin's location was already known by the enemies. As soon as Tin entered the forest which was already under control of the Black Snake Clan, he was already being tracked.Five experts wearing black masks and cloaks from the Black Snake Clan were already on the move. They carefully and slowly surrounded Tin to capture him by creating a barrier to trap him. Unbeknown to them, Tin already sensed their presence thanks to his Blood Element. After gaining this element, his senses became sharper. Even if a person was hidden, as long as blood flows within that person's body, Tin would be able to detect that person if they were in a certain range.Manipulating his spiritual energy, he cast a spell mixed with water and blood elements.
"Frozen Blood"
As one of the experts took another step closer to Tin, his movements suddenly stopped. Somehow he felt that his feet started to become heavy and cold. That feeling started to spread upwards to his body. Unfortunately, it was too late when he realized that he was already under Tin's spell as he became numb. He tried to warn his other comrades, but he failed. His internal organs and blood had been frozen solid. He was stuck in a standing position as he failed to struggle to survive. None of his comrades noticed his silent death."Do the five-person restrictive barrier now..." one of the experts said to her comrades through telepathy.The others who surrounded Tin immediately followed the instruction of their female captain. Yet, for some reason, the barrier was not successfully built. The experts were confused. What happened?All of a sudden, Tin moved from his hidden spot and ambushed one of the remaining experts. Now the table has turned. The hunter was being hunted. Tin's footsteps with the assistance of a speed-increasing wind spell made the expert unable to react on time to defend himself.
"Drain Blood!"
Tin grabbed the expert's masked face with his right hand and crushed it with great force. The cracking of the skull could be heard clearly as blood and brain matters of the expert burst out. That was not the end for the expert though. The blood and spiritual energy inside his body was still being absorbed by Tin. Like bottled water, as more was being absorbed, the body of the dead expert wrinkled. His body continued to shrink until his entire blood inside of his body was completely absorbed. Seeing this shocking and terrifying death of their comrade, the others were hesitating to attack Tin."How can he kill him instantly? What's his level? Aren't we supposed to be able to take him down with our combined power?" one of the remaining experts said as he slowly moved back. The experts who were tasked to capture Tin were Orange level. With Tin's current level, these experts were nothing but ants that can easily be crushed. Even if the gap between Orange and Rainbow is one level, the difference in power was still tremendous. Since the experts underestimated Tin, they were the ones who suffered the consequences of not being thoroughly prepared."Tsk!" the female captain clicked her tongue. She finally realized the reason why the five-person barrier did not work. One of his comrades already died before they could even form the barrier. With this realization, there was no way for the three of them to go against Tin. Thankfully, they received an order from Master Shin to retreat.Using a spell, the three remaining experts escaped. Tin who was filled with anger and murderous intent the entire time did not bother pursuing the others. He once again faced the fortress. Suddenly, the shield barrier surrounding the place was gone. What was happening?"That's a trap Tin, don't go! We don't know how dangerous it is inside yet!" Tin's grandfather warned.His grandson did not listen. Tin has been thinking of ways to penetrate the shield barrier since he got here. Now that it was gone, he cannot let this opportunity go. Even if it was a trap, it did not matter to him. He had to save Can as soon as possible. That's what matters to him the most.Without any hesitation, he went inside the fortress and directed himself where Can was held captive through Blood Pact. As soon as he entered, the shield barrier of the fortress returned. Navigating the place, Tin did not meet any enemy forces. It was obvious that there was a trap, but it did not let Tin bother him. Still, he raised his guard up in case something unexpected happened. After some time, he finally found the room where Can was held hostage. He blasted the door with his wind magic causing the old detailed designed wooden doors to fly out inside the room."Is this how the heir of the E.A. acts in someone else's home? How rude," Master Shin whose fan was hiding his evil smile said. Next to Master Shin was the transparent bubble prison where Can was currently struggling to get free."Tin! It's a trap," Can screamed as he hit the prison that he was in a couple of times, but nothing happened.Although Tin could not hear Can's words, the concern on the little beast summoner's face was clear. Tin's angered heart calmed down for a bit when he saw that Can was okay and he did not suffer any fatal injuries. Now that he knew that Can was okay, he needed to focus on saving him by defeating this old man. Eyebrows frowning as his anger returned, Tin raised his hand to cast a spell.
"Strangling Wind!"
A gust of powerful wind surrounded Master Shin and concentrated around his neck."You're not even going to ask who I am? I'm offended," Master Shin said as he sneered."I already know who you are," Tin said with a tone full of hatred."Although it wouldn't matter anymore after you die," he continued."Let's see how long that arrogance of yours will last...." the old man replied as his evil smile widened.Forming a hand, the hand-like wind strangled the old man's neck with great force."AHHH!" Can instantly felt the pain around his neck. He felt as if someone is strangling him and it was suffocating. He touched his neck with both of his hands shakily as he tried to gasp for air, but he failed.Seeing that Master Shin was not affected and still seemed to smile, Tin looked towards the person inside the transparent bubble and immediately stopped his wind spell. After the spell ended, Can started to gasp for air as he fell down. A mixture of red and purple marks surrounded Can's neck. His eyes were blood red. He felt like he was going to die at that moment. What exactly happened to him?"Hahaha! Why stop all of a sudden Tin Phiravich?" the old man said sarcastically as he fanned himself with his antique fan."What did you do?" Tin said as he worriedly and nervously looked at Can who was choking and breathing heavily."Let me answer you using the words you just told me,'It wouldn't matter anymore after you die'," the old man casually said as he approached Tin unhurriedly and calmly.Tin mostly figured out what was happening. If he tried to harm Master Shin, the one who would suffer would be Can. If that was the case, then he would just destroy the barrier.
"Lightning Palm"
Tin disregarded Master Shin who was approaching him and focused on the barrier instead. Sparks of thick white lightning covered Tin's right hand as electricity covered his body. Increasing its power to maximum, the brightness of the lightning was blinding that Master Shin had to close his eyes which emphasized his wrinkles around them.After reaching its maximum power, Tin charged towards the transparent bubble.As soon as the powerful lightning attack made contact with the bubble, it was instantly absorbed by the bubble. It was as if nothing actually happened. There was no damage to the bubble at all. He tried using other offensive spells, but they were useless.Tin could only clench his hands firmly as he gritted his teeth. Can was right in front of him, but he cannot do anything to get to him due to this barrier. He truly underestimated his opponent."Tin, no matter what you do, physical or magical, you won't be able to destroy this type of barrier," Tin's grandfather said with a serious tone. He was able to figure out what kind of spell that was being used by Master Shin. After telling his grandson the details about the Witch Prison spell, Tin realized that he could not do anything against Master Shin. He could only wait until the old man loses his spiritual energy, but surely this person had already planned about maintaining his spiritual energy. Tin wanted to drain the old man's spiritual energy with his spells, but he was afraid that Can would get hurt in the process, so he disregarded the idea."Why did you stop attacking Tin Phiravich?" Master Shin smirked. Tin did not reply, but the hatred in his face intensified. Seeing Tin's reaction, the old man became happier and he became more enthusiastic at mocking him."Why are you the one getting mad? This humble old me is giving you the chance to save your lover. Shouldn't you be happy?" the old man asked sarcastically. Once again, Tin did not reply as he stood not too far away from the white bubble.Sighing, the old man folded his fan. He had enough of playing with Tin. He wanted to seek his revenge immediately before he had to replenish his spiritual energy. He was not too worried though since he has a couple of high-grade spiritual recovery potions in his special ring that has a huge amount of storage.Folding his fan, Master Shin started doing complicated hand signs.
"Spirit Core Seal"
From a mocking attitude to a serious one, Master Shin prepared to attack. Beads of sweat started to form on his forehead. Activating and maintaining the Spirit Core Seal requires a huge amount of spiritual energy. Since Master Shin is maintaining the Witch Prison and the Spirit Core Seal, his spiritual energy was decreasing more rapidly. He never tried performing and maintaining two legendary spells at once, but he knew how energy consuming they are. He was just thankful that he has potions with him.As he activated the Spirit Core Seal, unknown symbols revolved and floated around the old man's wrists like a bracelet."Don't let him come near you, Tin! If he hits you five times while the Spirit Core Seal is still activated...Your spiritual core will break..." Tin's grandfather warned worriedly. The spiritual core stores and releases spiritual energy. If the core is sealed or destroyed, there would be no way for the person to use magic.Without magical powers, the person is nothing but useless. In this world, magical power is the main source of strength. Without it, the person is nothing but trash to society. That how it has been since the beginning of time. Death would be considered a better option for those people who were unfortunate to lose their spiritual cores.Master Shin immediately rushed forward to land his first hit on Tin's chest. Thankfully, before the old man could land a hit, Tin was able to dodge as he floated in the air. Although he missed, this did not discourage Master Shin, so he continued attacking Tin. As he continued to attack and the other continued to defend, both of them became quicker with their movements instead of slowing down. The battle intensified, but it was clear who had the upper hand. Since Tin could only defend, it did not take long for him to be cornered in the room. Trying to escape from the old man's attack, Tin faced the wall. He decided to destroy the walls of the room to go to another location in the fortress. Unfortunately, the concrete walls he tried to destroy were still there standing still without any damages. What was wrong with the walls?Before he could figure out that there was a barrier placed around the room after he entered, Master Shin took this opportunity and hit Tin's back with his palm. First hit."Ack!" Tin spewed a mouthful of blood. His spiritual core has received damage instantly causing Tin to experience excruciating pain. Knowing that he cannot escape the room, Tin immediately formed his own defensive barrier as he breathed heavily and beads of sweat formed around his forehead."TIN! How are you feeling?" Tin's grandfather worriedly asked."I'm okay," Tin whispered as he put his hand on his chest to check his spiritual core. There was a small crack on it."JUST SAVE YOURSELF! JUST GET OUT!" Can screamed loudly knowing that doing so will only hurt his quite bruised neck. No matter how much he screamed and pleaded, Tin was not able to hear him. Even if Tin heard him, he would not dare leave Can and save himself.Not seeing any reaction from Tin after his attempt to get his attention, Can could not help but feel helpless. He could not do anything for Tin because of the Witch Prison. If it were not for him, Tin would not be here suffering. The guilt inside Can started to grow. He felt useless. He realized that Tin could not attack the old man since it will hurt him just like what happened earlier. He knew that Tin cares so much about him(Can) that he(Tin) would risk his(Tin) life just to make sure he(Can) would not be the one suffering. This was all his(Can) fault. Thinking all of this made Can frustrated. His heart trembled from pain seeing Tin's bad situation. This kind of pain was way worse compared to when he was being strangled earlier. He was unable to summon his contracted beasts to help Tin since the Witch Prison was restricting him. The only thing he could do is to watch and hope that Tin survives and win the battle."You're truly underestimating my capabilities Tin. Barriers are my clan's specialty," Master Shin said mockingly as he used the palm of his right hand to touch the barrier that Tin created.
"Crash Barrier!"
The defensive barrier that Tin formed was destroyed immediately. Without wasting any time, Master Shin continued his offensive. Another hit was landed on Tin's chest causing Tin to spew another mouthful of blood. Second hit.Another crack appeared on Tin's spiritual core. Before Master Shin could land another destructive attack, Tin quickly cast another spell shakily.
"Flashbang!"
A spark of bright white light covered the entire room. This took Master Shin by surprise as he was blinded momentarily. Tin used this chance to move in the middle of the room in order to get enough space to defend himself and not get cornered once again.
"Mist!"
After the bright white light disappeared, Tin cast another spell that caused the entire room to be covered in thick mist. With this, he hoped that it would be harder for the old man to locate him. He was wrong."You have a lot of tricks up your sleeve Tin, but they won't save you. As long as I have your weakness, you can't do anything." The old man said as he laughed conceitedly. Master Shin knew very well that Tin would not attack him at all. Also, since this very room that they were in was under his control, he knew Tin's exact position even with this thick mist.As his spiritual core took heavy damage, Tin's senses became less sharp. His spiritual power was decreasing at an alarming rate. If this keeps up, he would be the one losing this battle. If he loses, he does not know what would happen to Can. This caused Tin to feel fear. This fear was something he never experienced for a long time that it became foreign to him when he felt it right now. If he loses Can, Tin would not know what he would do when that happens. Instantly, the pain in his heart intensified when he thought about this scenario. He started to become more nervous as his body shook. Tears were starting to form on his eyes as he became more paranoid. His breathing became heavier. He does not want to lose another important person in his life."TIN! FOCUS! TIN!" Grandfather Phiravich continued to call his grandson, but he was not responding.Since Tin's senses became less sharp, he was unable to detect Master Shin's quick movements, so it was too late when he realized that the old man was about to hit his chest again.One palm strike followed by another, Tin was unable to block. After landing the remaining necessary attacks, the Spirit Core Seal has been completed. Master Shin could not help it but smile evilly as he was able to achieve one of his plans which was to destroy Tin's spiritual core. He cannot kill Tin yet because he wanted to lure his father, Tri Phiravich. Now that Tin's spiritual core broke, Tin is nothing but trash. This was a better punishment than a quick death.After receiving destructive simultaneous blows, Tin spewed more blood from his mouth. His shaking body became weak as he experienced more excruciating pain than before. Slowly, his vision started to blur. Now that his spiritual core has been destroyed completely, the heavy mist in the room disappeared immediately. The last thing that Tin saw before he collapsed on the ground was Can's horrified face."I'm so-r-ry, Can...." Tin softly uttered to Can as he finally falls on the floor.There was a moment of silence in the room, but it was replaced by a triumphant laugh and an inaudible struggling scream.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(unedited)Master Shin's spiritual energy was almost depleted, but he was not too worried. Now that Tin's spiritual core was destroyed by him, there was nothing that Tin could do at all. Lowering his guard, Master Shin unhurriedly took a high-grade spiritual recovery potion from his storage ring. The transparent bubble that Can was in started to fade. This moment would have given Can a chance to escape, but he was too occupied and devastated about Tin who was unconscious. The little beast summoner had stopped screaming a while ago because his throat became too worn out and swollen. Even if he wanted to speak, he would not be able to. His body shook; his legs suddenly became weak as he kneeled. Can was staring silently and lifelessly at Tin's unconscious body as his tears kept falling. It felt like a part of him was destroyed. He felt hopeless and useless. Tin has been helping and saving him. Now that it was Tin who needed his help, he could not do anything. Can felt miserable.As Master Shin was opening the potion bottle, his shadow behind him silently started to grow as it took a form of a physical human. When Master Shin felt that something was wrong, it was too late for him to react.
"Molten Punch."
A very hot and glowing red hand covered with lava and flames penetrated through Master Shin's chest where his heart was located. As his chest was penetrated, his heart was easily removed from its place. Still throbbing in his hand, the mysterious shadow crushed it. Before Master Shin drew his last breath, he shakily turned around. When he saw the person who sneaked attack from behind, his eyes widened as they started to blur."I should've known...Tri...Phi-ravich....you ba-stard.....," Master Shin weakly said as he coughed up blood.By being too careless for a moment, Master Shin was the one who truly suffered in the end. How did Tri manage to infiltrate the fortress? He should have been able to detect his presence as soon as he entered. That was unless he was able to somehow bypass the surveillance around the fortress and killed his entire team that was guarding this entire room without getting attention? If that was the case then....Tri, who seemed to figure out what the dying old man was thinking, only gave him a cold murderous smile. This reaction confirmed Master Shin's assumption. His body was filled with goosebumps as tears slowly fell from his eyes.Tin's father was a Tier 3 Rainbow Elementalist while the strongest fighter, Master Shin, in the Black Snake Clan was a Tier 2 Rainbow Witch. This gap of power could be compared to heaven and earth. With Tri's power, he could easily kill those who were below Tier 3 without too much of a problem."You...monster..." Master Shin quietly said as his eyes filled with regret slowly closed. His breathing immediately stopped afterwards.His death was the end to his plan of avenging his clan members. He promised that their enemies would pay hundredfold, yet why was it that their clan was the one suffering once again? Life and fate were truly unfair.Tin's father who had an unkempt look due to his time in jail did not reply. He removed his left hand from the old man's chest as he kicked him to the floor.
"Memory Absorb."
Master Shin's corpse floated into the air, as his memories were being absorbed.Now that Master Shin was dead and the guards of the fortress were either killed or escaped, the Witch Prison had completely faded. When Can realized that Master Shin had died by the hands of the unknown savior, he did not hesitate to go to Tin's side.He forced to himself to speak so that Tin would hear him."Tin...Tin...wake..up," Can weakly and hoarsely whispered as he caressed the face of the unconscious man in front of him. His tears once again flowed intensely. After seeing Tin up close, Can was able to see the pain that Tin was feeling even if he was unconscious. Tin's forehead was covered in beads of sweat as his brows frowned from the pain. His breathing was weak."Don't die..." Can plead to the unconscious boy as he wiped the sweat from Tin's forehead with his hand.After absorbing the memories and stealing the storage ring from the old man, Tri went towards Can and his unconscious son."We have to leave now. Reinforcements are coming," Tri said with a serious tone as he grabbed his son to his right side and Can to his left side.
"Shadow Mist"
A black mist covered the three and within seconds, they disappeared from the room. After some time, the black mist that covered the three dispersed.When Can looked around, he saw that he was in a quite luxurious bedroom. This time he did not focus on the expensive decorations in the room but to Tin who was still unconscious.Tin's father immediately took his son and placed him in a huge bed in the room. Can followed and stood up next to the mysterious man by the bed.Checking Tin's current situation, Tri could not help it but be furious as his hand formed into a fist. That damn old man destroyed his son's spiritual core!He calmed himself down since there was no point of being angry in this situation. In his own storage bag that was on the table next to the bed, Tri took out a potion bottle and poured it into Tin's mouth. Can did not ask or protest since he knew that this mysterious man was their savior. After pouring the entire contents of the bottle, Tin's facial reaction seemed to have calmed down. He did not look that he was in pain. His breathing finally stabilized and his pale color returned to normal."He's going to live," Tri calmly but seriously said."Thank you." Can forced himself to talk but he finally lost his voice. Still, he did not mind it and smiled at the mysterious man. If it were not for him, the two of them would have probably died already.Tri nodded. Seeing the bruises on his neck, Tri took another potion bottle from his storage bag and gave it to Can."Drink it," Tri said as he handed the bottle to the little beast summoner.Can nodded and slowly started drinking the potion. As he drank the liquid, the pain he felt around his neck was gone.While he was drinking, Tri once again faced his unconscious son and noticed the necklace that he was wearing. He removed it from Tin and put a small amount of spiritual energy in the necklace."Go get some rest."Now that he felt better, Can properly thanked the mysterious man."Thank you.""I should be the one thanking you for taking care of my son," Tri said facing the door before he left.Son? This mysterious man is Tin's father? He has never seen him before. Not even in his mansion! He wondered where he has been the whole time?Taking care of him? He was unable to do anything to save Tin. He was the reason why Tin was in this current state in the first place. He risked his life to save him. It was all his fault. If only he was stronger. Can hated himself for being weak.Sitting on the side of the bed, Can started caressing Tin's face."I'm sorry, Tin. If only I was stronger," Can whispered as he leaned closer to Tin. Tears in his eyes once again formed as they were on the verge of falling.Can owed Tin his life, so it was right for Can to also sacrifice himself for Tin.With this reminder, Can was determined to protect Tin. Now that he was sure about his true feelings for him, he would be more careful not to hurt or abandon Tin.As he thought about the things the unconscious man did for him, Can's eyes started to feel heavy due to him being tired. He tried to fight his sleepiness, but in the end, he fell asleep next to Tin."I understand now," Tin's grandfather said in a serious tone. When Tri went outside of his son's room, he communicated with his father and explained briefly the things that happened to him throughout the years and changes he experienced while he was in prison. Although it could be considered a long-awaited sweet reunion between father and son, Tin's grandfather still scolded Tri for neglecting Tin. After his father(Tin's grandfather) expressed the grievances that his son(Tri) has committed towards Tin, Tri explained the necessary details about Master Shin and his plans after his(Master Shin) memories were absorbed by him(Tri).According to the absorbed memories, the Black Snake Clan collaborated with some of the high-ranking elders from E.A who wanted to get rid of Tin permanently in order to control E.A themselves. The clan also collaborated with the infamous Phurin family from B.S.G who wanted to capture and experiment on Can.Since this collaboration involved powerful groups, tackling this matter would not be easily resolved. Now that Tri and Tin are considered fugitives and without political power in E.A., they had to rely on someone that they could trust and with high authority. This discussion led to the involvement of Tin's grandfather's old friend and Can's current master, Old Man Khang.After communicating with Old Man Khang through a secured communication device that was used only for emergency between him(Khang) and Tin's grandfather, Can's master responded quickly. He arrived the moment he heard that his disciple was in trouble."Where is Can?" Old Man Khang angrily asked Tri."He's alright. He's inside with my son. Let the two rest," Tri calmly said.At first, when he heard Tri's voice through the secured communication device, Old Man Khang was quite shocked. Who would have thought that Tri would actually seek him? Tri hated the people from B.S.G so much that seeing one of them would make his blood boil! But when Tri explained the entire situation and asked for his assistance, Old Man Khang was even more shocked! It seemed that Tri somehow changed.Hearing that Can was alright, Old Man Khang, who was wearing a luxurious black suit, heaved a sigh of relief."Thank you for saving my disciple."Tri nodded and replied, "He's important to my son. I know how it feels when someone you love so much was taken away from you. I don't want him to experience that." After he absorbed the memories of Master Shin, he was able to figure out the relationship between Tin and Can.Not only was Old Man Khang was speechless, but also Tri's father. He did change! The two wondered what happened to him while he was in prison. "How should we deal with this problem?" Tin's grandfather asked as he changed the topic."This is not a simple matter. Even if we know who collaborated with the Black Snake Clan, we cannot rashly root them out. Since many powerful groups are involved, handling this case could cause disorder in both E.A and B.S.G. It is possible that the entire country of Thailand would plunge into chaos. If this happens, civil war and invasion from foreign countries that wanted to control our country's precious resources could happen. This would be a great opportunity for those who would like to seek trouble. We cannot risk it," Old Man Khang explained as he thought about the consequences if they acted to catch the culprits. What a headache! Who would have thought that Tin and Can could easily plunge the world into another war! Truly problematic!After discussing their next plans, Tin's grandfather asked about his grandson's spiritual core."Hmm...there is a way to recover Tin's spiritual core but..." Old Man Khang said as he scratched his nose.After hearing that there was a way, Tin's grandfather became excited. Of course, he knew it would not be that easy at all. But as long as there is a way, there is hope!"But what?" Tin's grandfather asked curiously."No one has found it.""What do you mean?" Tri said as he frowned."I believe you know about the existence of soul fire?" Old Man Khang asked.Tri nodded. Both he and his father knew about it. A mysterious core covered in mythical fire, the Soul Fire is said to be a Mythic grade item that allows a person who lost his or her spiritual core to be repaired or replaced with a better and powerful core. People knew that the soul fire existed, but no one knew where this item could be found. Since this was the case, a lot of people accepted that the existence of the soul fire was not true.
(A/N: This is from Ragnarok Online.)"I happened to stumble upon an ancient scroll about the soul fire and where it could be found," Old Man Khang said as he took out an ancient scroll from his personal storage ring. When he opened the old scroll, a map was shown."This is the complete map of the Beast Gods' Dimension."The Beast Gods' Dimension was said to be the place where the Beast Gods once resided and where the first Beast Summoner learned the arts of contracting beasts. After the Beast Gods left the dimension for an unknown reason, the first Beast Summoner was the one who managed the place. This dimension is equivalent to the size of Thailand itself. It was vast and consisted of different environmental ecosystems. Throughout his entire life, the first Beast Summoner contracted thousands of different unique beasts. Aside from this, he tried to learn more and explored the secrets of this particular dimension. After he died, no one was managing the dimension, so it became unstable. Due to this, the instability caused it to reappear in a specific area of Thailand every fifty years for one month. After hundreds of years have passed, various Beast Summoners have entered this dimension to loot unknown treasures and resources. They also attempted to make contracts with the powerful beasts that were living in the dimension. Since most of the resources and powerful beasts were already taken, this dimension only serves as a challenge and competition for Beast Summoners of top universities around the world today. Even though the dimension was mostly explored, the current maps about it are mostly incomplete. The one that Old Man Khang held seemed to be complete."If my years of research about the map is correct, the soul fire should be found towards the South, where the Beast God Suzaku, the Vermillion Bird, used to live," Old Man Khang said as he pointed the Southernmost part of the map .
(A/N: This is a picture of the mythical creature called Vermillion Bird. Not mine.)"We're in luck since the Beast Gods' dimension should reappear next week. Unfortunately, since there's a restriction on who can enter, only those who are students of the select universities and below the Rainbow level could enter. In our case, since the dimension only reappears in our country, we have the privilege to send 10 students. Other foreign universities could only send 5.""How do you select the students?" Tri asked."The Beast Summoners who are currently in the top 10 will automatically be sent," Old Man Khang answered."Then that means...," Tin's grandfather said as he became more hopeful as his expectations become higher. How lucky!"Yes, Can would be part of it."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(Unedited)"Tin wake up!" The sound of an enthusiastic woman echoed inside the room where Tin was lying down in his bed.The voice of that woman sounded familiar. That very voice was exactly like hers."Mom?" Tin asked as he got up from bed immediately. When Tin saw that it was indeed his mom, he did not know how to react at all. It has been a long time since the last time he saw her. That last time was when she was taken away by the mysterious group of people. Now seeing her in person once again, Tin could not help but to feel nervous. The last thing that he knew was that he was trying to save Can, but that old man managed to defeat him. He was not quite sure what happened after. Was Can okay? Was this whole thing just a dream or a trick? While he was trying to figure out the answers to his questions, his gaze did not leave his mom."What's wrong? You look at me like I'm some sort of ghost," Tin's mom said as she crossed her arms while chuckling.Tin could not help it but gulp. How should he act or talk to his mother? Should he say "I miss you? How are you? Where have you been? What happened to you exactly?"Thinking about these questions, his mother approached him and sat next to him in his bed.Touching Tin's forehead with her right hand, Tin's mother asked "You don't seem to be sick?"That touch on his forehead felt warm. It was the warmth that he never felt for a long time. His eyes suddenly became watery as the expression on his face softened. He reached out to his mom and hugged her tightly."Mom," Tin shakily said.His mom was confused. She was not sure why Tin was acting this way, but she hugged his son back as he caressed him. He must have had a bad nightmare."You're already a college student, but you still act this way. What would Can say when he sees you like this hm?" Mrs. Phiravich said as she tried to calm his son by teasing him."Can?" Tin immediately looked at his mom confusedly. How did his mother know about Can?"You silly child, didn't you promise Can that the two of you will have a movie date today?" Mrs. Phiravich looked at her son, also confused."Date?" Tin asked. This event was becoming strange. He did not recall asking Can for a date."Don't tell me you forgot?" Tin's mother's eyebrows rose due to her amazement. She could not believe that her son would forget such an important matter. Tin's obsession towards Can is quite well-known. When something was related to Can, Tin would not fail to know it. All the things that would come out from Tin's mouth would be mostly about Can. So for Tin to forget about their date was rather surprising. Is it the end of the world?Tin just looked at her mom. He was not quite sure how to respond, so he was silent.His reaction caused his mom to laugh hard that she almost fell from his son's bed. She almost cried as she held the sides of her body from too much laughter."I...didn't...haha...would see....hahaha... the day that my son would be forgetful! Hahaha!" Tin's mom said as she continued to laugh. She tried to calm herself down from the laughter, but when she remembers his son's reaction, she couldn't help it but laugh more. This was just too good!Seeing his mother's hysterical reaction, Tin could not help it but to laugh too."Why are you guys having fun without me?" the voice of another familiar man was heard in the room.When Tin looked at the direction of the source of the voice, he saw his father wearing an expensive black suit. Looking at him, Tin's father seemed different from the father he knew. The person who he saw right now looked young, handsome, calm, and truly dignified. The other thing that he noticed was his bright genuine smile which he had never seen for a long time.After the tragedy of his family, his father acted differently for the worse throughout the years. He never once smiled. Even if he did smile, it was with malicious intent. He never cared about anything aside from seeking revenge. In this 'dream', his father was different."Omg, honey! Your son did the most unbelievable thing right now! puhahaha!" Tin's mother started laughing once again. This time she fell on the floor. Tin's father came immediately to his wife's side and helped her stand."Are you okay?" he asked with concern."Yeah, yeah I'm fine! But your son! There seemed to be a problem with his brain!" Finally, Tin's mother calmed down as she wiped the tears from her eyes while she continued to chuckle.After mentioning the entire situation to her husband, Tin's father could not help it but also laugh. Because of this, a chain reaction was created. Tin's mother once again started laughing then Tin himself started chuckling. This was something that Tin never expected to happen. There was just pure happiness."Well, what are you waiting for son? You still have enough time to prepare. It wouldn't leave a good impression on Can. Remember, as your grandfather would always say, our family is very well-known at getting our partner's heart. If you truly love someone, then you would do everything to gain that person's heart completely. Don't let our family down," Tin's father reminded as he hugged his wife lovingly. The two of them were actually going out for a bit for a quick business meeting. They will be back at night."I understand," Tin said as he immediately got out of his bed. He quickly grabbed his phone that was on the table next to the bed and went straight to the bathroom. The first thing that he did was looked at the messages that he sent to Can. After reading, he now knew that he did ask Can for a date today.Quickly, Tin took a bath and cleaned himself. After taking a bath and picking out a proper outfit for their date which will actually take place in the mansion itself, he called Can."Hello, Tin?" Can asked calmly but there was a hint of happiness."I'm going to pick you up from your house in a bit," Tin said as he smiled."Hmm..Okay. I'll wait for you then," Can replied.After some moments of talking, Can ended the call. Tin excitedly took the key of his car and headed out to pick up Can. He seemed to slowly forget the truth.As he arrived in front of Can's house, the little beast summoner has already been waiting for him in front of his gate. Can immediately smiled when he saw Tin's car approaching his house.Can waved at Tin as he went inside his expensive car.Before Tin could say anything back to Can, the little beast summoner reached out to him and kissed him on the lips.Tin froze as he looked at Can who was blushing."You...you said that my kiss will be my payment every time I ask for a ride.....there..I-I paid you...," Can said as he stuttered. He looked away and stared outside the window. He did not want to look at Tin because he was quite embarrassed. Even though they have kissed multiple times, it would usually be Tin who would initiate the kiss. This was the first time that Can initiated the kiss. He did not know if he would be able to get used to it.Seeing the embarrassed and adorable reaction from the boy, Tin could only have a huge smile on his face. Today is going to be a great day.When the two arrived at the mansion, Tin made food for both of them. At this point, Tin was already considered proficient at cooking so the food that he cooked could be considered delicious. Can would always finish whatever Tin made. In any case, Can would always finish any kind of food whether it was made by Tin or not.The three brunch dishes that Tin cooked were simple and easy to make. These were breakfast burrito, omelettes, and pancakes. (A/N: Brunch means BReakfast + lUNCH.)
(A/N: Omelette) (A/N: Burrito) (A/N: Pancake)When Tin finished cooking, the two took the food into Tin's personal movie theater. The two of them will watch Avengers: Endgame.Throughout the entire movie, Can was really focused on watching. Tin, on the other hand, would occasionally look at Can to see his expression as he eats while his eyes became watery due to some sad parts of the movie.At one part of the movie, Tin held Can's right hand and it stayed that way the entire time even after the movie. Can did not really notice that he was grabbing to Tin's hand tightly since he was too focused on the movie. Not that Tin minded it. He liked having physical contact with Can."That was a really good movie," Can said happily as he looked at Tin to see his reaction about the movie."It was." Tin smiled as he looked at the enthusiastic boy. Not too bad for a date. As long as Can is happy, this date is already considered a success."So what do you want to do next?" Can asked.In Tin's mind, when Can asked that question, he could only think of something indecent. Knowing Can, he was not thinking about that. He was wrong."Is there anything you want to do?" Tin curiously asked.Suddenly, Can became embarrassed all of a sudden as he fidgeted and played with his hands. He could not say it after all! He thought that he would gather his courage to ask Tin to have that kind of 'fun'.When Tin figured out what Can was trying to tell him, he did not hesitate and pulled him from his seat. The two headed into Tin's room and did their adult exercise.After doing their exercise inside Tin's room, the two snuggled together even though the two of them were sweating.Even though he felt tired, Can still felt energetic as he continued to discuss the contents of the movie that they watched. Apparently part of the reason why he wanted to have sex with Tin was that he felt sad because of the movie. According to their friends, Ae and Pete, having sex usually would cheer you up so Can wanted to see for himself if it was actually true. It did work!"This felt unreal," Can said as he looked into his lover's eyes that still have a spark of lust and passion."Unreal huh?" Tin smirked as he started kissing Can's neck and nibble it."Ah!" Can gasped when Tin unexpectedly bit his neck which will surely leave a hickey.After some struggling as Can tried to stop Tin from leaving love marks all over his body, they took a nap. When they woke up, it was almost night time already. The two took a bath together and Tin let the little boy borrow his clothes afterwards.When they came out of their room, Tin's parents have already prepared dinner. His grandfather was also present."Come..come! Let's eat!" Tin's mother said as she energetically lays down the food that she made. When she saw the hickeys on Can's neck, she whispered to her husband. The two of them started chuckling.The young couple look at one another and nodded as they ignored the old couple. The two sat next to each other by the table. Tin's parents were on the other side of the table chatting to one another. His grandfather sat in the main seat of the table happily eating.All of Tin's family members and his lover were all present at the dinner table as they chatted and laughed. This was the thing that Tin wanted the most. His family.The warmth of the delicious food and family created a huge genuine smile on his face. He did not want this to end.After dinner, Tin took Can home. The two were unwilling to let go of each other, but after promising that they would see each other again, they finally let go.When Tin came home, he saw his mother at the balcony of their mansion looking at the star-filled night sky. Tin went to check on her. "Mom? It's already night, why aren't you in bed yet?" Tin asked with concern."Hmm...just enjoying the view one last time," Tin's mother said as she smiled gently."One last time? Mom, what are you talking about. This view won't go away," TIn jokingly said.His mom turned around and looked at her son."Ahh you've grown so much, Tin," Mrs. Phiravich said as she hugged Tin tightly."Mom...are you okay?" Tin asked with confusion seen on his face."I'm alright. I'm okay." Mrs. Phiravich sighed as she caressed his son's hair to comfort him."You're a smart kid. You should already know the truth," she continued.Tin knew figured what she was talking about, but he refused to accept it."No..no...this...this is the reality that I wanted. I don't want to let it go," Tin said as his mouth started to shake as fear and sadness took over him. He knew that this entire thing was not his true reality. It was fake, but he could not help it, but to want this fake reality instead."You stubborn kid," Tin's mother said as she wiped the tears from Tin's eyes."Mom, please don't go," Tin pleaded his mother as he hugged her tightly.His mother did not stop Tin and hugged his son once again."Even if I don't want to leave, I cannot stay." Finally, Mrs. Phiravich who was trying to act strong the entire time finally broke down too. She started crying once again.After Mrs. Phiravich died in reality, she used her remaining spiritual energy to visit her husband and Tin in their dreams. She created their dreams based on the things they truly wanted. In this case, both of her husband and son, wanted a complete family. It was hard for her emotionally because it has been a long time since she has seen them. At least before she leaves this world, she would visit them and talk to them."Now, listen to me, Tin. Even if I'm not here for you and your father, remember that you two are the most important people in my heart," Mrs. Phiravich said as she tried to calm down. Slowly, she started fading as she became translucent."No...no...mom...stay..," Tin pleaded even though he knew it was not possible. He started to cry even more."Tin, you should let go of the past and focus on the present. Right now there are people who need you. Especially, that person you just had sex with when your father and I were gone," Mrs. Phiravich said without any hesitation. This supposedly touching and sad last moments between mother and son became...awkward."I didn't see anything though I promise!" she said as she scratched her head awkwardly after realizing her mistake.Tin who was crying earlier was now chuckling.When she saw her son's reaction, she felt at ease. She knew that his son was not alone on this journey anymore. Even if she was gone, there were people around him who would take care of him."Tin," Mrs. Phiravich said as she looked at his son happily. Slowly, she put her right hand against her heart then moved it against Tin's heart.
(A/N: Let me visualize it for you guys. This is what I meant when "she put her right hand against her heart") (A/N: This is what I meant when "..moved it against Tin's heart." Her hand was on Tin's chest. )Immediately, Tin understood what that familiar gesture meant.
"I'm always here to support you, so it's going to be okay. I might not be with you physically, but you will always be in my heart..."
Finally, Mrs. Phiravich completely faded as her body turned into small orbs of blue light. Those orbs slowly flew away into the sky."Thank you, mom," Tin whispered as he looked at the night sky.=====When Can woke up from his sleep, the first thing that he saw was Tin's smile as he was staring at him."You look adorable when you sleep, Can."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(unedited)When Tin's father and Old Man Khang came back to Tin's room, the two were already awake and seemed to be lively. The other one was smiling while the other was blushing. It made Old Man Khang's mouth twitch. Do these two know how serious the problem that they have caused at all?Sensing the presence of his father and Can's master, Tin returned to his normal serious expression and faced them. When Tin's eyes met his father's gaze, the two of them just nodded to one another. Even though Tin's father seemed to have changed after meeting Mrs. Phiravich for the last time, it did not mean that their father-and-son relationship would also easily change just like that. The two of them needed time to adjust, but they do not need to rush at all. As of now, they knew that they understood one another to a certain degree and that was good enough."How are you feeling?" Tri asked while still maintaining his serious expression."Better," Tin replied although he knew that his spiritual core was destroyed since he cannot feel any flow of spiritual energy throughout his body at all. Now he is what the society calls 'trash'. Without any power, he is no one. Looking at the situation, Tin knew more or less what happened. Still, he did not hesitate to ask his father what happened. Without wasting any time, his father retold only the information that was necessary for him to know."Can will try to retrieve the soul fire from the Beast Gods' Dimension in order to restore my spiritual core?" Tin looked at Can as he formed a fist with his hand as it shook with intensity. He did not want Can to suffer and to sacrifice himself for him. If only he was not weak, then this whole thing would not happen at all.On the other hand, after learning what happened to Tin, Can was more determined to save him. It is now his turn to return the favor. He will sacrifice himself, even if there is a small chance of the soul fire actually existing. He will do it for Tin.Old Man Khang nodded. "The Beast Gods' Dimension will open next week. This is the perfect opportunity for us to check whether the soul fire truly exists.""I'll do it," Can said with a determined expression.Tin wanted to stop Can, but he knew that the little beast summoner has already decided to go. There was no way to change his mind."As for the enemies who are involved in this case, we'll have to make sure to expose them where they would not be able to fight back," Old Man Khang continued as he rubbed his nose.Taking the ancient scroll that contains the map of the Beast Gods' Dimension from his storage ring, Old Man Khang gestured his desciple to come with him to another room to talk about the place where the soul fire could be found. In any case, this kind of information is unnecessary for both Tri and Tin. The father and son seemed to also have something to discuss privately.Before the two left the room, Can turned around to look at Tin."I'll do my best," Can said with a serious tone.Tin smiled and said, "I know you will."Can nodded and his expression relaxed a bit as he smiled. As long as Tin believes in him, he felt that he would be able to accomplish anything. He was more fired up than before.As the two left to discuss their plan, the room became silent."How was your mother when you saw her?" Tri asked as he broke the silence."She was still the same. Cheerful, funny, and a loving mother," Tin said as a small smile was plastered on his face. There was a mixture of happiness and sadness in his smile."I wished she stayed longer," Tin continued."I wish that too," Tri said as he reminisced the time that his wife and he were together in the dream."It was thanks to your mom that I realized the mistakes that I have made especially towards you," he continued.Tri approached his son who was still in the bed."I know that this wouldn't be enough to make for everything that I did and I don't expect you to forgive me, but this is a start. I'm really sorry, my son. I wished I could go back in time and fix my mistakes. I was too focused about your mom's disappearance and revenge that I forgot my family that was left behind." Tin's father who never expressed himself finally told his son what he was feeling. His eyes became watery, but he tried to maintain his strong image for his son.When Tin heard his father call him son once again after a long time, he felt that his emotions were going to burst out of his body. Although he felt this way, just like his father, Tin suppressed his emotions and kept his strong image even though he was teary-eyed too. His grandfather who was silent the whole time was actually the one crying with the sounds of sobbing from the necklace. His son and his grandson have now reconciled once again! This was truly beautiful! It was thanks to his daughter-in-law!The moment of reconciliation was interrupted when the two talked about the kidnapping incident of Mrs. Phiravich. When she talked to Tri in his dream, the two discussed about what happened throughout the years that she was gone. According to Mrs. Phiravich, she was kept in a small unknown secluded field that has a barrier. Unlike the thought of being tortured, the mysterious people actually took care of her. The field where she resided looked way luxurious. It had a small house, a small pond, and a garden. They gave her special treatment like she was some sort of royalty. She even had personal servants. She was able to do everything she wanted except for wanting freedom. At first, she did not know why she was kept in that place at all, but after hearing the gossips from her personal servants that she befriended, she learned that she was the key to unlock a seal that would change the balance of the world. She did not understand at first what they meant by key, but she knew it did not mean any good. She tried so many times to escape, but she failed.During this week, for the first time after so many years, she was let out from the field and was led to a mysterious cave. Before she could even enter the cave, she already felt a terrifying pressure inside. It caused her to tremble that it made her body weak. The mysterious people that took her away in the beginning, carried her inside the cave. It was cold and dark. The only source of light was the torches that were carried by the mysterious people. As they went deeper in the cave, the stronger the pressure has become. That pressure felt evil that it gave her goosebumps.When they finally arrived at their destination, the mysterious group surrounded her in a circle and performed some sort of ritual. It was then that she realized that her life would end there. From a distance in the darkness, two giant red eyes emerged and looked at her as if it wanted to kill her. She was scared. She wanted to get away from that place as much as possible, but she could not do it at all no matter how hard she tried.After the ritual was completed, a mysterious red circle formation with unknown symbols lit up on the ground and surrounded the cave. It was then when she saw a terrifying beast that was sealed. Witnessing the giant beast, she did her last struggle. But before she could even think of struggling, her spiritual energy was already being taken away which caused her to weaken. It was at that very moment her life ended. Thankfully, when she died, her soul contained a small trace of spiritual energy. She used it to find and talk to her family one last time which she was successfully able to do.When Tin heard his father explain what happened to his mother, he could only grab the blanket that was covering his body intensely. His father tried to comfort his son by placing his(Tri) hand on his(Tin) shoulder. He then proceeded to caress his son's back."Your mother is in a better place now. She doesn't have to suffer anymore," Tri said gently to his son.Tin looked at his father. He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he nodded."I know.""Did she talk about who could possibly be behind this or the location of the place?" Grandfather Phiravich, who was sobbing, finally asked. The three already knew that the beast in that cave is the King of the Beasts: Gloom Under Night.
(A/N: Source from Ragnarok Online)"No, not at all. But she said that it was a mixture of different unknown clans and groups. It was not only B.S.G. When she died, she could only use the spiritual energy to find us," Tri answered."Hmm by the looks of it, the second step of releasing the beast has been fulfilled. Our situation is becoming more problematic." Not only do they have to deal with the people who wanted to harm Tin and Can, but they also have to deal with a bigger threat, the king of the beast. What a headache!(A/N: Check Chapter 25: Upcoming War for reference about the King of the Beast)"We'll deal with the beast later since we still don't have any clues about its whereabouts. The group behind this is truly elusive," Tri calmly said but there was a hint of anger and frustration in his tone. Tin and his grandfather agreed.While the Phiravich family were discussing, Old Man Khang was giving careful instructions to Can on how to navigate the Beast Gods' Dimension. Since the journey here was quite dangerous and not easy, careful planning was necessary. Can listened intently to his master's words and took notes of the places he had to be careful about when he enters the dimension. After giving him instructions, Old Man Khang gave Can a warning."Not only do you have to deal with the dangers of the dimension itself, but also with the foreign students from different universities. Even in students of our university who are going with you, you have to be careful with them."In the past events in the Beast Gods' Dimension, there were instances where a group of students will mysteriously disappear. The initial reason for the disappearance would be due to the powerful beasts, the sudden change of the environment, or some other accidents. Of course, everyone knew the reason behind this disappearance. Other groups must have killed them. One has to know that the students who were sent to Beast Gods' Dimension were not there just for a field trip or a friendly competition. Aside from looting items and taming beasts that were left, they were sent there to prove themselves they were the best. Killing other students is one way to prove it. Although it is prohibited, the students still do it in secret. Who would be able to prove that a student killed the other? One could easily blame the beasts or some sort of accident to get away from killing other students. Since there is no high authority who could accompany the students inside the dimension due to restriction, the people with high authority could only rely on the students' statements. After hearing these words, Can realized that he was in a more dangerous position. Still, he was not discouraged at all. He would do everything in his own power to overcome these obstacles and save Tin.Seeing his disciple's dedication, Old Man Khang felt satisfied. He believes in his disciple's ability to succeed. If he did not believe in him, would he be his disciple in the first place?The days passed by quite peacefully and fast. It was already the day of the event. All of the preparation necessary for Can's trip was prepared. The ancient scroll and other useful items were given to him by his master. Before Can left for the trip, he went back to Tin's room to say his goodbye.When he entered the room, he could see Tin sleeping in his bed. As he approached Tin, his heart started to beat faster. Should he say it before he leaves, just in case?The little beast summoner's footsteps became heavier as he became slower. He was really nervous. When he was at the side of Tin's bed, he observed the person's facial features. He looked peaceful despite what he had been through. Can wanted to get closer to his face. He thought that it was now or never. Even if he was just sleeping, he thought this was the perfect time to do it! Although it would be better to tell him when he was awake, he thought that Tin would just tease him and Can was not prepared for any of that yet.Taking a deep breath to calm down, Can closed the distance between his mouth and Tin's ear."I...I like you too..." Can whispered. His heartbeat suddenly sped up that it felt that it was going to burst. Still, he felt satisfied that he was able to convey his feelings to Tin even if he was sleeping. In any case, he would tell Tin how he feels when he is more confident about himself after he returns from his journey. This confession right now was more of a practice to him.He did not know that the moment he entered the room, the person who was in bed was already awake and just pretending to sleep."I know you do," Tin whispered smiling as he pulled Can to his embrace.Can was startled. This prince was actually awake the whole time! He felt betrayed!Can felt embarrassed all of a sudden. He wanted to escape and hide somewhere, but the person in front of him is not willing to let him go.Before Tin finally let Can go, he gave him a kiss on the lips. This action gave warmth to their hearts. The kiss was not too long, but it was not too short either. It was just right."Be careful and come back safely," Tin said gently and lovingly as he looked directly into Can's eyes."I...will..." Can said with conviction."I'll make sure of that," he continued with a serious tone.Tin smiled at him, which caused Can to realized what just happened. When Tin finally let him go, Can turned back and got out of the room as fast as he could. He scratched his head as he grabbed a piece of bread from the kitchen and ate it. That was embarrassing!As soon as the door was closed, Tin could not help it but grin and chuckle. He put both of his hands behind his head as he recalled the confession by Can.Finally, Can is his now officially.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(unedited)Seeing his disciple in an embarrassing state, Old Man Khang could not help it but shake his head. His disciple seemed to be already caught by that sly beast inside the bedroom. "Ehem!" Old Man Khang coughed.The deliberate loud cough caused Can to momentarily set aside what happened in that room. He needed to focus on the event right now."Mastew, I'm rewdy," Can said as he finished eating the last piece of loaf bread on his hand."You ill-mannered kid! Finish the food that's in your mouth before you talk," Old Man Khang said as he scratched his head. This disciple of his is a glutton who likes food! If it is not related to Beast Summoning or Tin, he would start talking about food! In any case, Old Man Khang made sure that his disciple has enough delicious food for his entire trip in the storage ring that he gave to his disciple.Can nodded and swallowed the bread in his mouth. He took a glass full of water and drank it."I'm ready!" Can said as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand."Good! Now, since the media from all over the world will be gathering by the entrance of the teleportation area to the Beast Gods' Dimension, I have to showcase my disciple!" Old Man Khang mischievously smiled as his eyes were filled with glitter in them.
(A/N: His expression was like this.)Can could not help it but feel like something horrible was about to happen as he gulped.In an instant, Old Man Khang showed a customized uniform identical to his, but smaller. Can immediately froze and his mouth twitched.His master was wearing traditional South Korean attire: hanbok. It has a deep brown colored Jeogori with floral patterns, pure white sokgui, black baji and kkotsin with different colored flower embroidery.
Although there was no dress code for this kind of event, why would his master wear such ridiculous attire? There should be a limit on how ridiculous he should dress! Even if Can was bad in fashion, he still knew what was considered appropriate to wear. His master was in a different category of being bad at fashion. Also, why do we have to wear an attire from South Korea? Are we not representing Thailand? Also, we are supposed to keep a low-profile during this event! This attire will just grab everyone's attention! The more Can thought about this, the more he became confused. His master is truly weird! He hoped that there was an actual dress code!"Master this...you want me to wear it?" Can asked as he felt that the sweat on his forehead forming."Yes! This is high-quality that has good protection against physical attacks. Aside from its defensive properties, it will look really good on you! You wouldn't mind wearing it right?" Old Man Khang said with an implied threatening tone.Even though Can would like to argue about the attire with his master, he knew he would not be able to win against him. In any case, his master put a lot of effort in this quite expensive outfit with high defensive capabilities. The only thing he could do was not to let the appearance bother him too much and just accept his fate.After taking some time to properly wear his own hanbok with the help of his master, the two of them were teleported by Tao Gunka in front of the entrance to the portal.To be exact the two of them landed in front of the entrance of one of the most famous temples in Thailand: Wat Chaiwatthanaram. The hundreds of years rich history of the ancient temple were evident by its magnificent unique structure and decay. This temple is still well-preserved and thousands of tourists would come to visit. Aside from its historical significance, people would come and hope to witness a quite important event that only occurs once every fifty years: the emergence of a portal to Beast Gods' Dimension. Inside the temple, there is a red portal that would emerge when the appropriate time comes for the Beast Gods' Dimension to appear.
(A/N: Try to google Wat Chaiwatthanaram and look at its beauty!)As of now the entrance to the temple are packed with people from the media, foreigners, participants, and tourists. The students from different countries who were going to enter the dimension were being interviewed by different reporters. It was a quite lively atmosphere in the early morning.As soon as Master Khang and Can appeared in front of the entrance of the temple, like a herd of sheep, the reporters immediately stopped what they were doing and ran towards the master and disciple. Thankfully, the special security force of L.B.C University easily blocked everyone who tried to get near the two of them.Everyone must know that Master Khang could be considered as an international celebrity. He is one of the most powerful people in the world after all and only a fool would not know this fact. Aside from his power, he is also well-known for his oddities such as his sense of fashion and not having an interest at recruiting a disciple.Looking at his attire, as usual, Master Khang did not fail to impress everyone. But this was not something that the reporters were interested right now. They were interested in his disciple who was wearing the same attire as him!A tall beautiful female reporter asked, "Master Khang, could you tell us about more you disciple?""How did you prepare Can for this event!?" another reporter asked."Can do you feel nervous!?""Can how do you feel about the attire that you are wearing today? Do you feel proud!?"All the reporters who were surrounding the master and disciple simultaneously asked different questions. The continuous bombardment of questions to both Can and his master made Can feel like he would have a headache. Thankfully his master was able to answer in his stead.The foreign students and the people who were with them had mixed emotions after seeing the two. There were people who were jealous and angry for stealing their spotlights. There were people who seemed to have bad intentions who were smiling. Others were just indifferent about the situation.After some time, Master Khang gestured the security force that was surrounding them to start moving the reporters away from the two of them.As the two moved away from the crowd and went inside the temple, they eventually met with the rest of Team Thailand. The top 10 beast summoners of the L.B.C university were present and waiting for them. Naturally, Ae, Techno, and Kengkla were there. Aside from Team Thailand, other teams from other countries were already there and prepared to enter.When Ae saw Can and Master Khang going inside the temple, he immediately ran towards them."Can!" Ae shouted as he stood in front of Can. When he faced Master Khang, he immediately performed a wai as a sign of respect. The old man reciprocated as he also performed a wai with a smile."What happened to you? I haven't seen you these past few days?" Ae asked curiously. Even though he was worried about Can for not communicating with him these past few days, seeing that he looked fine, his worries lessened. Speaking of Can, why was he wearing a traditional Korean costume? He wanted to ask Can about his attire, but seeing that his master was wearing the same thing, he did not dare ask. He knew that Can's master has an odd sense of fashion, so it was most likely that Master Khang wanted Can to wear the same attire as him. How unfortunate for his friend.Master Khang looked at Can. The master and disciple had an agreement not to mention the events that happened these past few days as to not endanger his friends' lives. The lesser people who knew this situation, the better. As of now, only a few people knew the truth. Tin's situation of him being a fugitive just like his father was only known by the higher-ups of E.A aside from Master Khang, Can, and the fugitives themselves. The reason for this was because, if E.A. lets the public know the truth, it would make the E.A. in Thailand seemed weak and unstable. Other E.A. branches from other countries might take this opportunity to take over and control E.A. in Thailand. The higher-ups of E.A. here in Thailand could only rely on themselves to solve this problem."My master took me to secluded training in his own dimension. I was unable to contact anyone from the outside. Sorry," Can said as he scratched his head. He did not want to lie to his closest friend at all, but it was necessary. He cannot let anyone who is close to him to get involved."Ahh, I see. Hmm, how about Tin? Pete was trying to contact him, he wasn't answering either," Ae continued to ask. He didn't care much about Tin's well-being, to be honest. It was just that Pete was worried about him."Ohh Tin is currently in secluded training at the moment too. Don't worry he's okay," Can said smiling as he pretended that everything was fine.Can tried to change the topic as he asked about the whereabouts of Kengkla and Techno. Ae pointed towards the direction where he came from earlier. Before joining the others, Master Khang told Can that he would not be able to join them since only the participants could stay inside the temple."Good luck," Master Khang said as he confidently smiled while he patted Can's head."I'll do my best master," Can said with determination.Joining his other teams, Can immediately noticed the hostile stares from two people in the team. Those two people were none other than Trump and Pannin. After their humiliating defeat during the first day of the Beast Summoner Ranking Competition, the two of them vowed to take revenge on Can. After they recovered thanks to the expensive medicinal potions that they took, they were able to compete on the fourth day of the competition. They managed to defeat the beast summoners who were in the top 9 and top 10 back then. During the awarding ceremony, Can did not see them since both Pannin and Trump had some sort of emergency.Knowing that Trump was involved with his kidnapping, Can would need to be more careful around him. He also needs to be careful around Pannin too since the two of them seemed to join forces as they were standing next to each other."Can, we haven't seen you in a while! You albino monkey!" Techno said as he started teasing Can."Pffft! What's with that costume by the way?" he continued as he started laughing.Can tried his best to ignore Techno's teasing."I was in secluded training with my master. He wanted me to wear this. It doesn't look that bad," Can said."It doesn't look bad, but you look out of place," Kengkla answered.Can looked around and saw that everyone else was wearing clothing that is appropriate for the event. He was the only one...cosplaying. He noticed that everyone was looking at him with mixed feelings. When he looked at Team South Korea, he could see that the entire team was frowning at him. He was not sure whether they were angry about the fact that he was wearing their traditional clothing for this event or it was solely because of him or probably both. Once again, Can tried to ignore those stares and focused on the event.As Can continued chatting with his friends and to the other people of the team, the veteran beast summoners who were in charge started to officially initiate the event. They talked about the rules and the dangers that lurk in the dimension. Of course, the participants already knew all of these before they came here. They would not come here in the first place not knowing what was at stake. Most of the participants were quite confident about their skills; they could not wait to show the results of their hard training on the real battlefield. Even though this was the case, a lot of them never experienced being on the real battlefield. The difference between an amateur and experienced beast summoners would immediately show during the entirety of the event.The veteran beast summoners, who were standing on a tall stone platform, looked and assessed the students. Some of them could not help but shake their heads. Based on their assessment, some of the students would not last for one day at all. A bunch of weaklings! They wondered how these students were allowed to participate!Thankfully, a lot of the other students looked very exceptional, especially from the teams of U.S.A, Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, etc. They were particularly interested in Team Thailand and wanted to know how well this team would perform. They were also interested in how Master Khang's new disciple would survive the entire event. Although this was the case, they did not expect too much from Can to begin with, so their expectations on him were quite low. A lot of the students participating here have done exceptional things that could be considered superior to Can. To them, Can was just an overhyped student because he was a disciple of Master Khang."The portal is now stable! Each team could now proceed and be teleported to the Beast Gods' Dimension!" one of the veteran beast summoners shouted from the platform.As soon as the veteran beast summoners finished talking, different teams rushed towards the huge red portal in order to get to the dimension first. But just because a team got into the dimension first, it did not mean succeeding, so Team Thailand and other powerhouses stayed behind and let the other teams go first. When the crowd lessened, the other powerhouses proceeded to get teleported. The last one to enter was Team Thailand.When Can entered the portal with his team, his surroundings started to blur then it turned dark all of a sudden. When he opened his eyes, his five senses were still trying to recover from the strain of being teleported. As soon as he regained his senses, he was unable to check his surroundings when a sudden piercing scream was heard not too far from where they were standing. Something does not feel right already. There seemed to be a fight between two teams."What's the meaning of this, Team U.S.A? For you to deliberately attack our group in the open and with everyone else here to witness? Have you lost your minds?" the leader of Team South Korea screamed in anger."I.. I don't know what's happening. My contracted beast just started attacking on his own!" the team leader for U.S.A shouted back as the sweat on his forehead formed. The other members of team U.S.A did not know what to do since their leader has already started attacking the other team. Whether their leader was lying or not, the fact that he attacked meant that the other team would retaliate. If that's the case, then they would also initiate to attack the other team. Even though there were rules established by the organizers of this event, no one would really follow them when they enter the dimension. Power is considered the only rule here!In an instant, the entire team U.S.A has decided to fight team South Korea.There was a sneer from the leader of Team South Korea."We get it, you want to get rid of us! If that's what you want then we will not hold back! Everyone! Do a short-range attack," the leader of South Korea said as he rushed forward with his other teammates. As they rushed forward, they immediately transformed into their contracted beasts form. The leader of South Korea transformed into a Legendary grade offensive type beast while his other four teammates transformed into Epic grade offensive type beasts. Team South Korea is a powerhouse that is well-known for its powerful coordinated short-range attack. Their combined power and precision could be considered one of the best in the beast summoning world.Even though they are powerful, Team U.S.A is also another powerhouse. Unlike Team South Korea, Team U.S.A is well-known for its long-range attacks and strong defenses. With one Legendary grade defensive type beast and four Epic grade offensive type beasts, the members of team U.S.A also transformed into their contracted beasts. They disregarded the fact that the Legendary beast of the leader of team U.S.A, lost control a minute ago.With two powerhouses colliding with one another, the other teams who witnessed the fight could not help it but be amazed and feel lucky. With every attack from Team South Korea and defense from Team U.S.A, a huge tremor on the ground could be felt. It just showed how destructive these two powerhouses are!None of the teams would want to break up the fight. Why would they? They could easily die from the impact of the battle if they intervened. Besides who did not want to get rid of their competitors? If these two powerhouses managed to kill or injure one another, then it would benefit the other teams who are not as powerful as them. Knowing this, the other teams started moving in different directions to start looking for materials and beasts to tame.The event has barely started and there was already a huge commotion happening already.Meanwhile, Ae, who is the acting leader of Team Thailand, took his entire team to the mountains far away from other teams. He suggested to his team that they would go find resources in the mountains first. Everyone agreed.Can, on the other hand, has been thinking of a way to separate from his team in order to get to his actual destination in the southernmost part of the dimension.The two people not too far away from Can has also started to execute their plan. They looked at one another and nodded as they quickly gazed at the little beast summoner with wicked and sinister smiles on their faces. Can Rathavit must die in this place!
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(unedited)After a few hours of traveling, the members of team Thailand was able to arrive at the foot of the mountain thanks to their contracted beasts that flew them. At the mountain that is found in the eastern part of the map, there is a river. The people who went there before said that there was an abundance of resources that could be found on the surrounding of that river. Since team Thailand has ten members, it would be beneficial if they go there first since all of them would like to get some type of materials that would help them for leveling, contracting a beast, or creating precious equipment. Even though this was the case, the journey was not considered an easy task. They have to be careful about the dangers lurking around the river since apparently there is a beast that guards the river. Aside from this beast, there are also other teams that might ambush them. Since this is the case, Ae decided that they should not fly directly to the river and instead start at the foot of the mountain. This way, they would not attract unnecessary attention from other teams and powerful beasts. Also, they would not be too vulnerable to surprise enemy attacks."We should be able to get there in three hours by foot," Ae said as he looked at his incomplete map.Everyone nodded. The members of the team have confidence in Ae's capabilities as a leader since he is the most powerful in the team. Besides, he will be the one leading B.S.G in Thailand! Who does not want to be on his good side? Also, he is very capable, charismatic, intelligent, and courageous! Everyone felt safe and confident that the entire team will succeed at surviving this event for a month. They felt like they could do everything!Meanwhile, Can was waiting for an opportunity to separate from the team. But he realized that since it is just the first day, it would be better if he sticks with them for now as he tries to adapt to his environment. Traveling to the South will take a few days and Can has around four weeks to execute his plan. He also wanted to grab some resources while he was here anyway since a lot of rare materials could only be found in this dimension. Can would not miss this opportunity.While they were walking, some of the members found some rare plants along the way which they happily took. Thankfully none of them fought over these rare plants. They had an agreement that the first one to find and collect a material will be his or hers.Unbeknownst to the members of team Thailand, when they collected these rare plants, they did not think that there was a beast guarding them.As they continued to walk up the mountain and kept collecting rare plants, there were thick black vines full of thorns that were slowly following them. Since the forests of the mountain are currently being covered in white mist, no one has noticed that the vines on the ground were actually moving.When they stopped for a moment to allow other members to collect materials, Ae heard rustling sounds around the grasses. Thanks to Ae's sharp senses, he made everyone stop what they were doing."Everyone! Form a circular defensive formation! NOW!" Ae commanded as he took a defensive talisman from his infinite storage bag. He unsealed the talisman with a drop of his blood from his thumb that he bit. Unfortunately, he was a step too late. The vines noticed the sudden changes in the team's movements and immediately grabbed one of the members of the team."AHHH! Help me!" Trump shouted. A vine wrapped itself around Trump and immediately retreated far away from the team deeper in the forest. The rest of team Thailand could only look pitifully at Trump who was taken away. Some sighed in relief. They were thankful that it was not them who were taken away."Tsk!" Pannin clicked her tongue. It is always the weakest one who gets in trouble.After Trump was taken, a defensive barrier was quickly formed and surrounded the entire team. This barrier would only last for 3 minutes but it was enough time for Ae and his teammates to summon their offensive and defensive type beasts. After they deal with the vines, they would rescue Trump.Quickly, summoning his Seven Deadly Sins Beasts, the rest followed and summoned their fighting beasts.The other vines started attacking. Thankfully the team did not let these vines distract them. After 3 minutes, everyone in the team was able to summon their beasts.As they defended themselves from the attacking thick vines, the vines kept on coming. With every strike of their beasts' weapons and magic attacks, the vines just kept on multiplying and attacking. For every second that they stay there, the more dangerous the situation has become. If this continues, the vines will overwhelm them and they might not be able to save Trump in time. As they continued to fight, Can noticed that the vines were moving away from Valkyrie. Currently, Valkyrie is holding her lance that is covered with purple flame. As she moves forward to pierce the pesky vines, those things would move away from her as if they were avoiding the fire. That's it!"They are afraid of the fire!" Can shouted.Ae immediately understood. In the team, only three people have beasts that have fire elements: Can, Techno, and Ae. Both Ae and Can's fire elemental beasts could only do a single attack. Techno's beast, Kasa, could do an area attack. The problem was that Techno did not summon Kasa. He summoned another beast instead. In any case, no one knew that these type vines were weak against fire.
(A/N: This is Kasa from Ragnarok online. Just learned that you can add GIFs here.)"Techno! Quick summon Kasa. Can use Valkyrie's Holy Dome to protect us for a bit" Ae shouted. From Ae's assessment, if the vines could easily overwhelm them like this, the beast that must be guarding this area could be around a middle Legendary tier. Currently, the most powerful beast in Team Thailand is Ae's Seven Deadly Sins Beasts that is in the lower Legendary tier. The rest of his teammates have Epic grade beasts. If only Can could summon Thanatos, they might have the upper hand. Unfortunately, they do not have a contract. Thankfully, these vines are weak against fire so they might still have a chance.Can quickly formed a huge defensive barrier around his team. With the training that he had with his master, his spiritual energy control has improved tremendously, so if he wanted to, he would be able to maintain the barrier as long as he wanted. The only problem was that if the barrier is hit by strong Demonic attacks, the barrier could break. Thankfully, these vines seemed to only have the Earth element which is weak to fire. He was wrong.When the Holy Dome was created, the vines suddenly became more aggressive and fierce. They started hitting the barrier simultaneously. These fierce attacks immediately caused the defensive holy barrier to have cracks. This only meant one thing."These vines don't only have the Earth element, but also the Demonic element! What kind of beast are we actually facing?" one of the members of the team shouted as he became more nervous.Can attempted to repair the barrier, so he used more of his spiritual energy. Although he was repairing the barrier, he could not keep up with the powerful attacks of the vines. Unfortunately, not even a minute has passed when a hole in the barrier was created. The hole was enough for some of the vines to get into. Knowing that one of the members of the team was about to summon a Fire element beast, they quickly tried to kill Techno. Kengkla saw that one of the vines was about to attack Techno from behind, so he quickly blocked the attack with his body. At the same time, Techno successfully summoned Kasa.
"Fire Storm!"
Kasa flew above the sky leaving bits of fire on the ground. It opened its mouth and a strong powerful fire came out that covered the pesky vines. Instantly, those vines that were burned turned into ashes. Those that did not get hit by the fire immediately retreated from the direction they originally came from."Quick, we have to save Trump!" Pannin shouted angrily as she ran towards the direction of the vines. Her beasts, Naght Sieger and Entweihen Crothen, followed her.
(A/N: Naght Sieger and Entweihen Crothen from Ragnarok Online respectively. Reference from Chapter 18. )"Don't rush!" Ae shouted, but Pannin and some of the members were already gone."These idiots!" Techno said in annoyance. He looked behind him and saw that Kengkla was not moving from his position."Kengkla, what's wrong?" Techno asked as he grabbed the man's shoulder. When Kengkla faced him, the color of his face seemed to pale. There was blood gushing out from his mouth. He was holding the upper part of his chest that was bleeding with his other hand. He was hit."KENGKLA! What happened to you!?" Techno nervously and worriedly asked. Beads of sweat started to fall from Kengkla's forehead as his vision started to blur. Although it seemed that he did not lose a lot of blood, he suddenly fainted. His body fell, but Techno caught him on time as he embraced him. Techno lay Kengkla down. It seemed that he was most likely poisoned."No..no..Kengkla wake up." Techno was on the verge of crying as he patted the unconscious man's face.Ae grabbed his bag and took out different antidote potions. He had to check what kind of poison that Kengkla got first before he provides him an antidote. This process can take some time."Can, take Kasa with you and helped the others out. We'll follow you in a bit," Ae said as he checked Kengkla's pulse. Can wanted to stay, but he knew he would only be in the way, so he could only agree.Can left his other friends and ran towards his other teammates with Valkyrie and Kasa.
(A/N: Just wanted to show Valkyrie gif.)As he arrived at the scene where the vines originally came from, some of his teammates were already grabbed by the other vines. Those who were not grabbed were fighting. Some were already injured.Looking at it, the area was truly chaotic. In the middle of this mess was a huge plant, the size of a tall tree. The head of the plant had a huge mouth with large teeth that were similar to humans. This plant was the beast that controls the vines.
(A/N: Flora from Ragnarok Online.)Can remembered this beast. It was mentioned by his Master when they were talking about the different beasts that can be found in this dimension. This beast is the man-eating plant: Flora. Flora is considered a Legendary beast with Earth and Demonic elements. This beast used to only have Earth element, but since no one maintained the dimension after the First Beast Summoner died, it naturally absorbed impurities. As it absorbed more impurities throughout the years, the Demonic element became part of it naturally.Even though this beast is considered Legendary, it is not quite known for its power. It was labeled as legendary due to its capability of revival. After Flora has been defeated, another Flora will grow. It was one of the only known few beasts that could regain life after it died. Aside from this, when one defeats Flora, a rare seed would come out. This rare seed called the Seed of Flora could help a beast transform and level up. This rare seed could only be used by a specific type of beast: collector beast. Gucci was the only collector beast in Can's contracted beasts. If he gets the rare seed and let it grow into a plant, it would allow Gucci to transform into a human. In his human form, Gucci would have an easier time collecting resources and level up faster. Before he could even think of this, he must defeat Flora first.
(A/N: This is how I picture the seed. Original name: Mysterious seed -Ragnarok Online)Can instructed Kasa to use Fire Storm once again. The bird, once again, flew up in the sky and made a rain of fire towards the vines and Flora. Sensing that fires from the sky will hit Flora, it recalled all of its vines to form a thick barrier. The vines that were holding his teammates including Trump who was unconscious, were finally let go.The fire hit the thick barrier made of vines. As the vines turned into ashes, Flora kept adding more new vines to the barrier to reinforce it. If this continues, Kasa would get exhausted. Since Can could not transfer his spiritual energy to Kasa since it is not his contracted beast, he had to quickly end the battle. All he needed to do was to find an opening to destroy Flora.Can instructed Kasa to only concentrate its attack in a specific part of the barrier to create an opening. This plan has its risks. If Kasa only concentrates its attack in one place, there is a potential that other vines would try to attack Kasa from other sides. Thankfully, it was not the case.Flora decided to concentrate adding vines to the part of the barrier that was being attacked by the bird. Due to this, some parts of the barrier became vulnerable to attacks. Can used this opportunity to attack. With his spiritual energy, Can poured most of it to Valkyrie.
"Cannon Spear!"
With a tremendous surge of spiritual energy, Valkyrie's power multiplied. She concentrated the spiritual energy to her lance. The purple flame that covered it became bigger and the color became deeper. Valkyrie positioned herself to gain momentum as she focused on her target. With a swift and strong motion, her lance was thrown with so much power. As it flew, a huge force was left behind that even made Valkyrie move backward as she stood her ground."SSSSSHHH!" Flora screeched in pain from the impact. The lance pierced its head that caused it to be engulfed in purple fire. Not long after, its body fell to the ground as it burned to ashes. The only thing that was left behind by the man-eating plant aside from the burned ashes and lifeless vines was the rare Seed of Flora."Th-the beast is dead..." one of Can's teammates said."Can you did it!" the other teammates shouted happily.Can sighed in relief when all of a sudden, a group of five people emerged from the shadows."Not so fast, team Thailand," a buff man with a scar on his face said while he and his team sneered.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(unedited)Earlier when team Thailand engaged in fighting with Flora in the deeper parts of the forest, an enemy team that was not too far away from their location sensed them. This foreign team from the Philippines followed and observed the battle from a safe distance as its members waited for a perfect opportunity to attack. Specializing in reconnaissance, assassination, and concealment skills, team Philippines managed to get ahead of everyone with ease in the beginning. Just like team Thailand, this team would also like to get resources from the river located at this mountain. According to the intelligence that they have gathered before coming to this dimension, there was an ancient blue gemstone in the river that could be used to summon a legendary water elemental beast.
(A/N: You already know where this is :) Ragnarok Online)Although team Philippines was great with reconnaissance and concealment skills, the team lacked strength. The leader, who was the most powerful one in this team, only had a High Epic grade contracted beast. The rest of his teammates had a mix of Epic and Rare grade beasts. This was the reason why they would like to attain the ancient gemstone from the river.Coincidentally, on their way to the river, they learned about team Thailand's presence in the forest. Team Philippines could not fight them directly since they knew there was a huge gap of strength between their teams. Thankfully, the legendary beast Flora seemed to notice the powerful presence of team Thailand and decided to attack them. Knowing the capabilities of the legendary beast, the leader of the Philippines team concluded that even if team Thailand managed to destroy Flora, the damage to their team would not be small. Right after the battle between the two sides, team Philippines would immediately seized this opportunity to finish off the entire team as soon as possible. They were confident that they would be able to defeat them, so they did not decide to hide themselves further from team Thailand.Can and his teammates, who believed that they were safe, would now have to face another threat. How could they be so unlucky!Most of the members of team Thailand were injured and exhausted. Can just also used all of his spiritual energy. Unfortunately, it would take some time for him to regain enough spiritual energy to fight his enemies. Ae and the others have still not arrived and their current situation turned for the worse."Your team did a great job at defeating this legendary beast," the team captain of the Philippines team said as he smiled while applauding them. Meanwhile, one of his teammates took the Seed of Flora on the ground and examined it.Pannin clicked her tongue. It was easy to tell that these people were hiding and waiting for an opportunity to attack them. They are a bunch of cowards!A short-haired female member of the Phillippines team heard Panin's insulting gesture."You b*tch! Where are your manners?" the irritated short-haired girl said."Puhaha!" Pannin laughed condescendingly. Even if she was injured, she would not back down easily, especially with those people who think they have won."Manners? Why should I respect an ugly b*tch like you and your sly trashy team? Don't pretend that we don't know that your entire team hid somewhere and waited for us to defeat Flora," Pannin continued as she spat on the ground."Who are you calling ugly!? YOU!!!" the short-haired girl screamed. She was about to attack Pannin with her contracted beast when her captain blocked her with his hand."Don't fall for her trap," her captain said.After hearing her captain's words, the short-haired girl looked at Pannin. She realized that Pannin currently has two Epic grade beasts by her side. If she went to attack with her Rare grade beast without thinking, she could have been killed in an instant. This made the short-haired girl felt goosebumps all over her body and immediately became silent. Still, she would not forgive Pannin's rudeness. Just you wait and see!Pannin could only roll her eyes after the enemy team figured out her plan. Assessing her teammates and the enemy team's strengths, it seemed to be that they were both equal in power. Still being injured and spending a lot of their spiritual energy, team Thailand was still in a disadvantage."We should finish this quickly. We're going to attack them as a team. The items that they have will be separated equally amongst us afterward," the captain said as his expression became serious as he licked his lips."Hmph! Don't be too confident that you'll defeat us that easily," Pannin said as she smirked. This statement made everyone in team Thailand feel somewhat confident as they took a defensive stance. Can, on the other hand, was thinking of a way for his team to defeat the enemy team and escape. He then suddenly realized something.The captain of the Philippines team issued a command to his team. The other four members of the team understood his command as they nodded. Immediately, they turned invisible as they disappeared into thin air."Wh-where did they go?" one of the members of team Thailand asked in confusion."Form a circular defensive formation," Can commanded his team. The five other members did not hesitate and followed Can. Everyone in the team owed Can their lives, so they felt that they could trust him.
(A/N: This is what I mean by Circular Defensive Formation.)Pannin quickly dragged the still unconscious Trump inside the circular defensive formation. The outer part of the defensive formation was guarded by their contracted beasts.Everyone felt that Ae should have been here to lead. Where was he when you actually need him! It felt like they were abandoned. Even if Ae did not purposely abandon them, the fact that he was not present during crucial times could impact their opinions about his leadership. Right now, they have to put their fate on Can."Everyone, please listen to me carefully. I would need to borrow most of your spiritual energy. With that energy, I should be able to use Holy Dome to protect us for a little bit," Can said in a serious but calmed tone.His teammates looked at one another with questioning gaze."You have the skill to take spiritual energy from other people? " one of the member's said in admiration and amazement. For someone to be able to have this sort of skill, that person must be exceptional. Well, Can is exceptional, but he did not know that he was this amazingly exceptional!"Isn't that dangerous? Also, wouldn't we have more chance of winning if we fight them directly?" another member asked worriedly."I could purify other people's spiritual energy, so it could be compatible with me and I could prevent negative effects of the absorption to my body. Also, the enemy team seemed to be skillful at assassination. They would most likely attack at unexpected places while still hidden. It would be hard for us to attack our enemies blindly, so it would be better if we have the Holy Dome in place since it would protect us from all sides," Can continued. His teammates were continued to be amazed by Can's capabilities and quick analysis of the situation."But wouldn't they just attack the Holy Dome directly and aggressively since there would be a point where you would not be able to keep it up? Knowing that we all have exhausted our spiritual energy, they would most likely try to break it as soon as possible and murder us," Pannin responded. Even if she hated Can, her life still matters more, so she had to make sure that she cooperates in order to survive.Although Can was surprised about Pannin's response, he did not hesitate and said, "You guys already know that Flora is considered a legendary beast because it has the ability to revive itself, correct?"Everyone in the team nodded, but they were not sure where Can was going with this conversation."Yes, that's true. It would take Flora about a month to revive itself," the other member said.Can nodded as he added, "That's actually not true. None of you guys might know this, but Flora could revive itself quickly within minutes depending on the amount of pure spiritual energy present in the area. A new Flora would not have the demonic element, so it would rely mostly on pure spiritual energy around it."Can received this information from his master. Since he has the ability to absorb people's spiritual energy and purify them, he thought that he could speed up Flora's revival. Still, he was not sure if this would work, but he has to try."When the Flora finally revives and regains its consciousness, it will try to sense for the nearest powerful source of spiritual energy to feed on. Since all of us will have exhausted all of our spiritual energy because of the Holy Dome....,""Then the other powerful source of spiritual energy would be from the members of the Philippines team!" Can was quickly interrupted by one of the members after finally figuring out his plan. Can is truly a genius!Can nodded."Alright, let's finish this quickly. Your plan might not work, but it seemed to be the only chance that we have for survival," Pannin said as he looked at Can. Pannin's view about Can slightly changed. He seemed to be really capable. Everyone else agreed except for Trump who was still unconscious. They just decided to ignore him at this point."I'll do my best," Can said as he closed his eyes. He needed to concentrate and locate everyone's spiritual core, which is the main storage for the spiritual energy of an individual. This would be the first time that Can would try to absorb such energy from multiple people at once, but he trusted himself that he could do it. His teammates are trusting their lives on him, so he could not let them down.Meanwhile, the members of the Philippines team were just observing. They were not sure what was happening, but they knew it was not good.Quickly, the captain of the team gestured the rest of his teammates who were hiding in the shadows to concentrate their attack directly at one person at a time. After getting the command, everyone in the team and including their beasts headed towards team Thailand. Their first target was Can.Unfortunately, they were a step too late.
"Holy Dome!"
After successfully absorbing and purifying the spiritual energy from his roommates, Can was able to recover fifty percent of his spiritual energy. He believed it should be enough.When he created the Holy Dome through Valkyrie, the Philippines team was pushed back. Still, it did not stop them from attacking the defensive barrier. The members of the Philippines team knew very well that their enemies would not be able to keep up such a huge barrier for a long time, so they started attacking simultaneously to speed up the process of removing the barrier.The powerful constant attacks on the barrier have caused the ground to shake. None of the members of the Philippines team knew that the shaking of the ground did not only come from their attacks but also from the revival of Flora.Can's enemies were focusing mostly on destroying the barrier since it was about to break. Unfortunately, they did not notice the fast approaching thick black vines full of thorns from the underground. When they realized the existence of the vines, it was too late.The vines were very fast. They were able to wrap themselves greedily and hungrily around each of the members of team Philippines completely. The members who were wrapped by the vines were unable to resist as they started screaming for help. The powerful force of being wrapped around by the vines caused the members to start bleeding profusely. The force from the vines was so severe that one of the member's hands was cut off. The owner of that arm could only scream in pain. Hearing that sound of the owner of that voice caused everyone to shudder, but not Pannin. She was smirking. She immediately knew that the owner of that arm and voice was from that short-haired girl."Let's retreat into the woods and meet with Ae and the others while Flora is busy," Can said. Everyone in the team agreed. None of them wanted to be Flora's next meal anyways. Before team Thailand retreated, Pannin commanded his beast to grab useless Trump back into the woods. At the same time, Can took this chance to grab something on the ground that fell from one of his enemies: the Seed of Flora. He quickly put it in his storage ring that was on his finger.As team Thailand retreated back to the forest where they came from, the sound of the loud struggle of the other team gradually faded. What was left in that area were the man-eating plant that was enjoying its first meal and a piece of an arm on the ground which was a reminder of the cruel reality of this world.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(unedited)After meeting with the rest of the members in the woods, team Thailand has decided to rest for the night instead of continuing to travel. With most of the members getting injured and their spiritual energy being depleted, it would not be advisable to go straight for the river. It would just turn into a suicide mission.Camping in a fairly flat land that did not have too many trees on it, the members quickly found their spots to rest. As not to gain attention from other teams, they decided not to create a campfire. Their only source of light was the bright twinkling stars and the full moon. Since it was cold that night, some of the members of the team took out their portable heater to keep themselves warm.Meanwhile, some of them took guarding positions as requested by their leader: Ae. The rest of the members decided to sleep while the others, like Pannin, took this chance to train themselves through meditation. Everyone already took out health potions to help them recover quicker from their injuries. They also drank spiritual energy recovery potions to regain their spiritual energy. Since everyone, except Can, was from well-known and rich families, they obviously have what could be considered the best of items that prominent beast summoners could have. Most of them have high-quality potions for quick recovery. In this trip, most of them have everything that was necessary for survival. This includes high-quality beast catching devices, traps, and weapons. In addition, they also brought things that would give them comfort such as food, spare clothes, a portable heater or air conditioner, sleeping bags, lotion, insect repellant, etc. These people would be the future pillars of B.S.G, therefore, it was obvious that they would get the best treatment as much as possible. Can, on the other hand, did not have any of these luxurious things that would give him comfort like his other teammates. The things he had in his storage ring were food, potions, the <Summoning Control> training manual, and the complete map of this dimension that were given to him by his master. When he took out the lowest quality potion that he has for his injuries, which was a high-quality potion, he could not help whether if he should drink it or not. Knowing that he was the poorest out of everyone in his group, if he decided not to use this high-quality potion on his hand but sell it instead, then he would surely fetch a huge amount of money. Thinking about it more carefully, he would not want to be a burden to his teammates due to his injuries, so he reluctantly drank it.Earlier the team encountered a pack of Uncommon Grade beasts called Steel Chonchons. Individually, dealing with one of these beasts would not be a problem, but a pack of them was a different issue. Since they were attracted to the scent of blood from miles away, they were able to locate Can's group immediately. From hundreds of Steel Chonchons to thousands, they came and attacked endlessly. The only way to defeat them was to destroy their pack leader. The problem was that the pack leader looked the same as the other Steel Chonchons. Thankfully, Ae had sharp eyes and was able to eliminate the pack leader. When the leader died, the Steel Chonchons became disorganized and started to flee. In the process of fighting these beasts, Can got injured. He was not injured because he was careless. He got injured protecting one of his teammates from the attacking beasts. This selfless act earned more admiration from his teammates. Of course Can did not do it for the sake of getting admired by his teammates. He did it because he thought it was the right thing to do.
(A/N: Steel Chonchon from Ragnarok Online. Cute..)Currently, those who took the guarding positions were Ae, Techno, and Can. Trump was supposed to also take part in guarding since he did not participate in anything since he was mostly unconscious the whole time. Yet, after being asked to guard after he woke up without any injuries or issues with his body, he still complained that he felt pain inside of his body and needed some rest to recover. Although everyone felt that he was lying, they could not prove that he was not in pain, so Ae could only let him go and rest. Trump happily accepted Ae's decision and quickly took out his sleeping bag with his portable heater to rest. Still, this did not mean that the other members would just let it go. In their hearts, Trump was just a useless bastard. He never did anything except for whining. It just made their hatred towards Trump increase, but they could only shake their head in response."How's Kengkla?" Can asked."He's out of danger now thanks to Ae's antidote potion, he just needs rest and he should be back to normal tomorrow," Techno responded as he looked at Kengkla who was sleeping on the ground inside a sleeping bag. He was relieved that he was alright."That's good to hear then," Can responded with a weak smile on his face. He knew that Kengkla cares a lot about Techno. This was the reason why he would always stick with Techno all the time."Enough with this sad talk," Techno said as he faced Can with a proud look on his face."Can, you did really well today, I've heard it from the others," Techno teased Can as he pinched the side of his body."Ah!" Can slightly jumped from the pinching as he chuckled slightly."You defeated Flora with just one shot! That's really amazing!" Techno continued.The two immediately started a childish fight with one another as one tried to pinch and the other tried to dodge. Doing this as if there was no care about the dangers in that world might not be necessarily a bad thing, at least for this moment. It allows the two to just be free of worry and find something entertaining even for a little bit. They know what they have been through today, so it was necessary to find ways to support and encourage each other. This childish activity was just one of them. True friends indeed!Meanwhile, not too far away from the two, Ae was staring at the two idiots under the moonlight and the illuminating stars. Still, a small chuckle left his mouth. He was thankful that even if he was not present earlier to help Can and the others at dealing with Flora, they managed to successfully defeat it. He was mostly thankful that Can was there to help out. If it was not for him, he would not know what would have happened to the others.A moment later, a black raven perched on one of the branches of a tree not too far away from team Thailand. Although it looked normal, its eyes were red. None of the members of the team noticed the bird that just flew to a branch.Ae who was observing the area suddenly heard some whispers in his ears.
"Can is really great! Unlike Ae."
Ae quickly turned around to see who whispered in his ear behind him. There was no one. He looked back to his members and saw that everyone was in the same position as before.It must have been his imagination, he thought, so he ignored it.
"Where was he when we needed him?"
"We shouldn't rely on him. For all we know he would abandon us."
Once again Ae heard another whisper that echoed and looked back. Again, it was the same situation. No one was behind him. Something was not right. Was he actually hearing things? Was he just tired?Thinking about it, what he heard was not wrong at all. Can was the one who led and saved everyone from danger. If only he was able to get to them faster. It was just that the process of identifying the poison and the proper antidote potion to save Kengkla took a lot of time. He was not a medic in the first place.Ae became anxious all of a sudden. In order to calm down, he closed his eyes, but at that very moment, he felt someone was behind him."Yeah Ae, why did you abandon us all of a sudden?" This statement came from a very familiar voice that it made Ae tremble a bit due to the coldness of how it was mentioned.When Ae turned around he saw that Can was smiling evilly behind him."C-Can what are you talking about?" Ae slightly frowned. His heartbeat pounded faster. What was happening exactly?When Ae looked around for the other members, he suddenly felt a chill on his body. Everyone was just looking at him with a devious smile on their faces."Ae wake up!"Ae opened his eyes as he blinked due to the bright sunlight. When he faced the person who woke him up, he saw that it was Can. He was not creepily smiling, thankfully. By the looks of it, he fell asleep.Still, he felt a little uncomfortable, but knowing what happened, he felt at ease. It was just a bad dream after all."Techno saw you falling asleep last night. He said to just let you be. He knew that it took a lot of your strength and spiritual energy to save Kengkla," Can continued.Ae looked at the direction towards Techno who was checking Kengkla's condition. Kengkla was already standing up and happily smiling as he was being checked by Techno on his current condition. By the looks of it, it seemed that Kengkla recovered completely.Ae got up and looked at everyone who also just woke up and currently eating breakfast."We're heading towards the river after breakfast," Ae said to his members.Everyone nodded as they continued to enjoy their meal and became recharged. After breakfast, the team continued heading to their destination. As they traveled, they continued collecting resources and fighting beasts that tried to eat them. Instead of two hours, it should take them about three hours to get to the river due to some delays from fighting beasts. Yet, as they continued, the estimated time became four hours. That four hours then turned to five hours. That five hours turned into more hours. At this point, everyone felt something was wrong. They should have been at their destination a long time ago, but it seemed that the path that they were talking was endless."I believe we are in some sort of trap," Pannin said. She took a piece of ribbon from her storage ring and placed it on the ground."If my suspicion is correct, we triggered an Endless Trap set up by an enemy team," Pannin continued with a serious look on her face."An Endless Trap!? Isn't that illegal? Only those with high reputation and connection with the black market could get one of those traps," one of the members of the team said as he became worried.The Endless Trap, when triggered, would cause a person or a group of people to be put in a never ending maze.When team Thailand started traveling to test if Pannin's suspicion was correct, they ended up at the same spot where Pannin's ribbon was placed."We are really trapped! Doesn't this trap also absorb more spiritual energy the longer we stay here? Oh no.... we're going to die in this pitiful place! Uggh!" Trump suddenly cried out.Pannin looked at him with disgust on her face. The more that she spent time with this idiot, the more she felt hopeless and angry at him. When Trump saw her furious reaction, he immediately shut up."There is a way to break this maze," Pannin said as she changed her facial reaction to a serious one when she looked at Can directly into his eyes ."What is it?" Can asked. He felt a little uncomfortable when Pannin just looked at him all of a sudden."We need to overflow this maze with spiritual energy," Pannin explained."But that requires a ton of energy! The larger the maze, the larger the amount of its capacity to absorb spiritual energy. By the looks of it, this is one of the largest types of a maze!" one of the members said nervously."With that spiritual energy-rich guy, we have a chance to break it," Pannin said as she casually points at Can.Can gulped as everyone looked at him. He was not sure if he could do it, but he knew he must try and help his teammates."Can, do you think you...""I'll do it!" Can said without hesitation as he interrupted Ae."Alright then, we'll rely on you Can," Ae said as he tapped Can's shoulder.Can nodded as he took a deep breath. Thankfully, his spiritual energy has been fully restored. In addition, after defeating beasts especially the legendary man-eating plant, Can was able to level up into a High-Level Orange Grade Beast Summoner. He was now a step closer to being a High-Level Rainbow Grade Beast Summoner, if he gets the opportunity to become one. At the moment, other than Can, the other top 5 in the team have also reached High-Level Orange Grade.Reaching a new level means a larger capacity to store spiritual energy. With Can's already insane amount of capacity to store spiritual energy, Pannin thought that Can should be able to break the Endless Trap without a problem.Controlling the spiritual energy that circulates in his body, a sudden burst of a tremendous amount of such energy came out of Can's body. Those who are a grade below him could not help but shake and fall on their knees due to the sudden pressure that came out of Can's body. It was terrifying, but a beautiful scene to be held as the pure blue spiritual energy flowed into the air. Even the people of the same grade as Can could not help but shake slightly too. In everyone's view, Can could be considered a true powerhouse alone. If in the future he managed to become a High-Level Rainbow Grade Beast Summoner, they would not want to mess with him at all.The sudden burst of spiritual energy immediately overwhelmed the maze that caused it to vanish into thin air."Can you saved us!" Techno said as he messed Can's hair as he put his arm around his neck. Everyone in the team happily praised him except Trump and Pannin. Trump refused to acknowledge Can. Pannin, on the other hand, was not the type of person to praise anyone."I just wanted to help," Can said as he became embarrassed."You really are the best! You saved us multiple times already!"
"Can is really great!"
When Ae heard this phrase, he suddenly remembered the dream that he had last night. His fist tightened as his sight suddenly blurred for a second. He told himself that it was only a dream multiple times but somehow his heart felt heavier the more he thought about it. He does not feel good about the situation.Not far from the group was the same black raven with its shining red eyes perched to a branch as it silently observes a particular person.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(unedited)After the Endless Trap was destroyed, the group continued their journey until they reached their destination.As they got closer, the steady sound of the flow of water could be heard nearby."We're close to the river, be careful," Kengkla said while walking next to Techno."Stop! Get down," Ae, who was in front of everyone, said to his teammates."What's wrong?" one of the members whispered."There's an ongoing battle," Ae replied as he looked at the surrounding area.When team Thailand became quiet as they slowly approached the river while hiding behind tall bushes, sounds of swords clashing could be heard."Another team got here before us," Techno whispered as he observed the ongoing battle by the river.At the moment, the sound of the graceful flow of water of the river was quickly replaced by more powerful sounds of clashes of weapons and explosions from magic spells. Ignoring the battle momentarily, the team observed the rich resources surrounding the river. Filled by a lot of rare resources of plants, stones, and ancient small creatures, the place was truly a magnificent rare treasure to be beheld."We should get them, while the other team is distracted!" Trump excitedly said as he got up from his hiding place. Ae immediately pulled him back."If it was that easy to take these resources, this place should've been already plundered cleanly," Ae explained as he frowned at Trump."Don't just go impulsively without assessing the area, you idiot," Pannin said as she clicked her tongue in displeasure."If you want to get killed, don't include us," she continued.Trump felt humiliated and felt bitter. He could only shut his mouth while biting his lips as a response. You'll see! I'll have my revenge later!As the team continued to observe, they realized something odd."....6...7...8..9..10, two teams? They're not fighting each other but rather it looks like they're fighting that one beautiful lady!" one of the members said in sudden amazement.At the scene of the fierce fight, two teams were coordinating a planned attack against a beautiful lady who has a solemn expression on her face and seemed to be detached by what was happening in front of her. Wearing a long light pink colored skirt embraced by a smooth turquoise colored sash, a beautiful sleeve, and a cross-collar that exposes her alluring thin physique, the beautiful lady gracefully blocks the attacks with ease. Anyone who would witness such gracious yet powerful movements from her would be immediately captivated.
(A/N: Bacsojin from Ragnarok Online)The straight men in team Thailand could not help it but admire the beautiful lady. They started having daydreams about her."Don't get fooled by her graceful appearance, she's the guardian beast of this river: Bacsojin," Can said causing the straight men of the team to immediately remove their indecent thoughts towards the beautiful lady."That...that's Bacsojin? I thought Bacsojin is a huge white snake?" one of the members asked. He dare not believe that the beautiful lady is the infamous white snake that killed anyone who dared take any resources by the river that it is guarding."That's the white snake's human form," Can continued.Immediately the member who asked could only be silent due to disappointment and disgust that he felt.Bacsojin is considered a Legendary Grade Earth Element beast that has been guarding the river for thousands of years. Although she was known for her form as a white snake, she prefers her human form. She is quite strong in close and group combat due to her high agility. Her Earth element allows her to perform massive Earth related magic. In the entire history of beast summoners going to this dimension, no one has ever defeated Bacsojin before, so she was categorized as legendary.According to a story about Bacsojin, the reason why she was guarding the river was that she was waiting for her lover to come back to her. Apparently, this place was quite special to her because the two met here on accident and fell in love. Since then, this area became the place where they would always meet. One day, the man told her to wait for him in this area the next day as usual. The lovely and beautiful lady happily agreed. She excitedly waited for the man by the river the next day. Unfortunately, the man did not come. Still, Bacsojin believed that her lover would come back for her, so she stayed by the river to wait in order not to miss him if he did come back. Yet, days turned into weeks then weeks turned into months then those months turned into thousands of years. Still, never once did she think of leaving this place because she was still holding onto that hope. "Team Japan, try to surround her from all sides while my group performs a beast sealing spell," the long-haired woman who was the leader of team Taiwan commanded the other group."Tsk! Damn woman!" the team leader of team Japan who was holding a sword whispered to himself in annoyance. If his team was the one in charge of dealing with the blows from Bacsojin, then it was also his team that was going to suffer the most damages.Team Japan and team Taiwan were able to reach the river at the same time. They were about to fight one another the moment they saw one another, but they realized that it would be to their disadvantage if they fought Bacsojin later, so they decided to cooperate and defeat Bacsojin first. What happens after defeating the guardian of the river will be decided later.The leader of Team Japan reluctantly agrees since Team Taiwan is really strong at using beast sealing spells."My team! Surround Bacsojin and attack her on all sides! Don't let her get near the other team!" the Japanese leader said to his teammates."UNDERSTOOD!" Everyone in team Japan shouted in unison. With their sharp weapons and contracted beasts, they attacked Bacsojin relentlessly. The guardian of the river seemed to be unaffected as she maintained her solemn expression while she defended herself from the attacks on every side.Now that team Taiwan felt more secured, they focused on creating a strong group magical spell that would seal Bacsojin's power for one minute. Since Bacsojin is considered a middle tier Legendary Grade beast, it would take entire team Taiwan's spiritual energy to just seal her powers for a minute. Even if it is only one minute, it should be enough to defeat Bacsojin with team Japan's help."Sh*t! She's too fast," one of the members of the Japanese team complained."Keep your formation and keep attacking!" the Japanese leader ordered as he continued to swing his sword with more power. If they manage to defeat Bacsojin, it would mean that the entire resources by the river and fame would be theirs. Aside from this, Bacsojin has the blue gemstone that could help them contract a legendary water elemental beast. Just thinking about these rewards gave both teams more motivation to fight.Within five minutes of fierce battle, team Japan successfully kept Bacsojin from moving. Team Taiwan, on the other hand, was ready to release the beast sealing spell.
"Beast Chain!"
Team Japan immediately moved away from Bacsojin as white chains appeared and twisted around her. The guardian tried to break free, but she could not do it. She fell on her knees after her power was suppressed by the white chains. Her smooth red hair covered her face. Her expression at that moment was hidden as she continued to struggle."Now, let's eliminate her!" the leader of team Taiwan shouted.As they approached her, one of the members from team Taiwan, said arrogantly "How unfortunate for you. You've been waiting for your lover who would never come back for you. You're beautiful, but you're too stupid."The members from team Japan would like to scold the rude member of team Taiwan, but it was not time to discuss such things.The captain of team Japan immediately tried to stab her heart but he missed. He stabbed her shoulder instead. Immediately, Bacsojin's shoulder bled which tainted her pink colored skirt with blood.The Taiwanese leader was surprised that the guardian was still able to move despite that powerful beast sealing spell they invoked against her.When the captain of team Japan was about to stab Bacsojin with his blade again, the female guardian, for the first time since the beginning of the battle, started talking."Shut up..." she whispered with hatred in her tone. Her expression was still hidden due to her hair.Everyone became surprised when she talked."You know nothing...." she continued.At that moment, the ground started to shake violently that caused the entire mountain to shake. These sudden shaking of the ground caused two teams to lose their momentum of attack and balance. Team Thailand also lost their balance as they clung to the trees next to them.Bacsojin slowly stood up and the chains that bound her were broken in an instant. Her fists tightened as the pressure of her actual power was released. Those beasts nearby could not help it but move away from the source of pressure as much as possible. As for the beast summoners, they were already shaking."Do-does that mean that she has not been using her full power since the beginning?" the leader of team Taiwan said as her mouth trembled. If this is the case then there is nothing that they could do. They are finished.The female guardian whose expression was still hidden by her hair, made a slashing movement with her hand. In an instant, three members of team Japan became headless as the blood started spurting out like a fountain.Before the violent earthquake stopped, the female guardian trapped the remaining members of both team with chains made of strengthened soil.She then continued to kill the members one by one in silence."AHHHH!!!!NO! NO! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!! Please have mercy," the female member of team Japan cried as she pleaded, but the female guardian did not listen. Grabbing her neck, Bacsojin strangled her to death until her eyes rolled back as her face turned purple. She then threw her body in the river so the beasts that live there would feast on her.As the massacre continued, Bacsojin killed everyone from both teams except for the one who insulted her. Now, the river's clean and transparent water was tainted with filthy blood."I-I di-didn't me-mean wh-what I sa-said...Ack!" Before the last remaining member of team Taiwan could finish his excuse, Bacsojin already grabbed him by the neck."All the things that come out of your mouth is filthy. We should clean it." Bacsojin opened his mouth and pulled his tongue out forcefully that caused it to bleed."Aackk!" The Taiwanese member tried to struggle, but he could not break free.After pulling his tongue out. Bacsojin continued as she said, "Now that your filthy mouth is cleansed, we shall cleanse those eyes that deceive you.""SHAA!" The man in her grasp shouted in pain as his eyes were pierced by her fingers. He cried in pain but instead of tears, there was only blood that flowed.He wished he just died quickly like the rest of his teammates instead of experiencing such torture. He also wished that he did not say those insulting words towards her if this was going to happen."Now, we shall cleanse those ears that allows you to hear lies," she continued.Bacsojin threw the miserable guy on the ground forcefully causing his face to deform and bleed more immediately. To make sure, he would not escape, Bacsojin broke both of his arms and legs. Once again, the miserable guy cried in pain.
"Gaea's Judgement"
Bacsojin's hand was raised as a huge sharpened stone that looked like a spear's edge appeared above the man lying on the ground. Then in an instant, Bacsojin put down her hand that was raised earlier causing the sharpened stone to fall and pierce his head and entire body. The body twitched for a second before it stopped moving. When their owners die, all the contracted beasts would return to their dimension and become free once again. Of course, seeing their owners die in front of them was hard for them to accept, but they knew the rules of life and death. As they returned back to their dimension, they must once again wait until someone would want to take them, but the death of their owners will always be remembered.Witnessing such a scene, some of the members of team Thailand could not help it but vomited. It was just too cruel for them to handle."That Bacsojin is truly a cruel monster," Trump whispered as he vomited. "We should eliminate her and give those people who died from her hands some justice." one of the members said angrily.Unlike everyone else who wants to eliminate Bacsojin, Can had the urge to help her. He felt that she was trapped and could not get out from it. He firmly believed that it was not her fault that she had to defend herself from beast summoners that tried to kill her for her blue gemstone and plunder the place that was quite important to her heart. He wondered, if he was in her position, would he be the same?After releasing her full power, Bacsojin fell on her knees as she covered her bleeding shoulder with her hand. After finally being able to defeat her enemies, it was then that her true emotions that she tried to hide for thousands of years finally came out."Puuu...," Bacsojin tried to suppress the tears in her eyes but her emotions were overwhelming her. Her beautiful face that was covered by blood were being slowly washed by her pure tears of sadness. At that moment for the first time in thousands of years, the lonely lady by the river started crying.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(unedited)Hidden by the tall bushes, team Thailand was discussing their plan on what to do with the injured beast.Having sharp senses, Bacsojin was able to determine that there was another team that would like to cause her harm and attempt to take the precious resources surrounding the river. She knew that these people came here only for that reason. This is why she hated all of them. They want to take what is not theirs, but she would not let them achieve what they wanted that easily.Bacsojin stopped crying as she suppressed her emotions.
He will return. One day, he will surely return to me.
This thought was the only thing that motivates her to continue to live and to persists in protecting this area from beast summoners. She wanted to make sure that when he returns, this area would be the same as before. As long as she kept those beast summoners away from coming here, this area will remain the same.With a little bit of strength that she still had, she shakily stood up. With her injured shoulder giving her constant stinging pain, Bacsojin could only hiss while the blood continues to flow. If this continues, then she would die from losing too much blood. However, she would not be able to tend to her wounds since she might have to fight another team that just intruded in this area. It was most likely she would die this time.To be honest, looking at her situation right now, she thought that it would probably be better if she dies right now, so she does not have to feel the pain and loneliness anymore. Dying would not be such a bad thing compared to clinging to a hopeless dream. Yet, thinking how far she had been protecting this place, she decided that she would continue defending it.Hardening her heart once again, she thought that she still should not give up and not let these pests take everything as they please. If she dies, then so be it! She would die defending what is quite precious to her and she would not regret it! She would do this over and over again if given another chance in life.With strong determination, she bravely shouted while breathing heavily, "Go on! I dare you steal everything from me and I'll promise you that you'll meet your creator from the other side!"The members of team Thailand knew that they were found out, but they were not too worried about Bacsojin fighting back. Looking at her situation, she was already weakened.Quickly, everyone summoned their contracted beasts."We should finish her quickly since she's already weakened," Trump quickly said with an evil smile.Almost half of the members agreed with him which made Trump felt happy since he thought that he had some actual authority. While the other members were continuing to discuss their next step, Ae was thinking about the benefits and consequences of killing Bacsojin. Just like what most of his members were thinking, Ae also thought that the benefits outweigh the consequences.The female guardian just sneered at the beast summoners in front of her. Those looks on their faces were quite familiar. Just like the other teams before them, they were also full of greed and malice. Nothing has changed, these people were all the same. It was only her lover who was the exception."We should help her," Can declared as he interrupted the discussion of the other members. Everyone was surprised including Bacsojin. His teammates thought why they should save a beast that killed two teams mercilessly? They initially thought that Can was only joking.Bacsojin, on the other hand, felt sudden chills on her body. Those words that the little beast summoner said were very familiar. Where did she hear it before?"What did you say? Help her? HAH!" Trump chuckled at what he considered was an idiotic comment. This person is truly naive."She's gonna die sooner or later anyway, so why not kill her already? Don't tell me you sympathize with this merciless beast?" Trump continued as he pointed at the injured river guardian."This has been her home for thousands of years and we're the ones intruding. Naturally, she has the right to defend it," Can continued as he looked directly into Trump's eyes with determination.
"This has been her home and we're the ones intruding. Naturally, she would defend it..."
When Bacsojin heard this, she suddenly remembered where these familiar words came from. It was at that moment her memories from back then where she met the love of her life began. She looked at the little beast summoner as her feelings became complicated all of a sudden.Ae who heard Can's plea was thinking of his next step when all of a sudden he heard a whisper.
"Don't let him....."
Ae looked back to see who it was, but there was no one. Seeing that there was no one behind him, he thought that it was just imagination and refocused on the current situation of his team. He already made a decision after some thinking."Can, even if we let her live, some other team would come here and eliminate her. By then, those people would take everything from this place. Wouldn't it be beneficial if we do it ourselves? We would make it quick for her, so she doesn't have to feel any pain," Ae explained as he sympathized with Can's feelings."I refuse," Can responded without hesitation.Everyone's mouth twitched. They knew very well about Can's soft spot for beasts. He was well known in the L.B.C. campus as someone who has an obsession for beasts."I'm sorry, Can. Please understand. Move aside," Ae asked Can politely. In any case, even if they helped out Bacsojin, this beast could take this opportunity after she recovers to kill all of them. They do not know Bacsojin personally, so as a leader who is responsible for everyone's lives, Ae would not take any chances. They must eliminate her. Ae understands Can's nature very well, but he does not understand how he could just trust Bacsojin and protect her without second thoughts? Was he not worried that she could also kill him?When Ae stepped forward towards Bacsojin, Can immediately went in front of him to block him. Raising both of his hands to the side, he firmly stood and directly looked into his eyes."No, Ae, please don't do this," Can said stubbornly as he pleaded to Ae."Can, I'll ask one more time please...move aside....," Ae continued being patient with Can.Can did not move. He continued to stand firmly in front of Ae.Everyone in the team could feel the building tension between the two. This did not mean any good."Why do you want to help her Can? For all we know after you help her, she would not only kill you but also us! I'm not going to take that risk. Besides you don't even know her," Ae explained as he started to feel frustrated."...."Can was not sure how to respond to Ae's question. He did not know how he would explain it. He just felt that he had to help Bacsojin. He knew that she needed help. His other teammates might not care about her, but he does.Since Ae did not get an answer, he went around Can, but the little beast summoner grabbed his shoulder."SHE WANTS TO LIVE!! SHE WANTS TO CONTINUE TO LIVE BECAUSE SHE'S WAITING FOR SOMEONE PRECIOUS TO HER TO RETURN!!! WHY SHOULD WE TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY AWAY FROM HER!? WHO ARE WE TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM HER!?" Can shouted as his mouth trembled. To continue living this way for thousands of years, it just meant that she had hope that the person she was waiting for would come back. As long as she has that hope, then it does not matter what other people think.The river guardian's heart softens while still trying to remain strong when she heard Can's words loud and clear. He was just too similar to 'him' who was also quite stubborn."You actually believe that ridiculous made-up story? You're an idiot if you believe it!" Trump continued to hurl an insult at Can.Techno and Kengkla looked at Trump with a murderous look which caused Trump to shut up as he suddenly felt goosebumps all over his body.Without hesitation, Can declared, "If you want to eliminate her then you have to go through me!"When Bacsojin saw the stubborn determination of the little beast summoner, she realized that he would just endanger himself and get the risk of his teammates scheming against him. It already happened to 'him' before because of her. She decided she would not let it happen again."Hey! The kid who shouted earlier!" Bacsojin shouted as she finally interfered."Just let it go! Don't bother trying to save me. Sooner or later, I'll die anyways. It's fine. Take everything if..." Before she could finish, Can interrupted her short speech."Do you still have hope?" Can looked directly at Bacsojin with a serious look on his face.When she met his gaze, she saw Can's determination and sincerity. Why are you so stubborn? Why are you doing this? You have nothing to gain from saving me at all?"I..," she whispered to herself."I...." she continued as she tried to gain strength in her voice.It was at this point that she realized that she did not want to let go. Just like the little beast summoner, she was also stubborn. She still has that hope. Her eyes, once again, were filled with tears as she shouted with all her might, "I DO! I STILL HAVE HOPE!!"She started to breathe heavily as she started sobbing. She knew that he will come back for her, no matter how long it might take. She just knew that he would come back. This is her source of strength to live and her hope."Then that's all I needed to hear," Can smiled as he nodded to the river guardian.When everyone heard of this, some of them felt guilty. They remembered how Can saved their lives twice already. It was him who gave them hope when they were about to die in this place. So their opinion about eliminating Bacsojin changed.The first one to go to Can's side to defend him surprised everyone."Pannin, what do you think you're doing?" Trump asked. He was confused about why the person who hated Can the most when they came here would be on his side?Pannin ignored Trump's question and looked at Can."I owe you," she said as she went to Can's side.It was true that Pannin did not like Can, but she was a person who sticks to her principles. She believed that debts must be repaid. Can saved her life, therefore, she should do something equivalent. She hated being indebted to other people.Throughout this short journey that she spent with Can, she realized that Can was truly special in a way, even though she did not want to admit it. This could be the reason why Tin liked him in the first place. She thought if she could try to become like Can, would Tin like her? Thinking about it made her want to vomit. She could not force herself to be like him because she was not him. As Pannin looked at Can from the back, she could only shake her head. What has happened to her?One by one the other members who were saved by Can went to his side except for Trump. For Kengkla and Techno, they could not decide. They did not want to choose sides between their two close friends.Meanwhile, the black raven nearby started to react.
"Don't let him...."
Ae once again heard the same whisper earlier. This time, he did not ignore it. When he listened to the contents of the whisper, those words suddenly continued to echo loudly and fill his head with them.Now only filled with those words that seemed to command him, Ae's personality quickly changed."Then die with her," Ae muttered softly.Can who was next to him was not sure if he heard what Ae said correctly."Those who want to defend her shall face the consequences! If you die during the process, then you could only blame on your misfortune!" Ae spoke with seriousness and without hesitation. He stepped back a few steps from Can as he waited for the other members to change their minds.When the members heard their leader say those words, they did not believe them at first. Yet, with the way Ae's attitude change into a serious one, they thought that he was not joking at all."Ae, you're not seriously thinking of fighting Can?" Techno worriedly asked. There was no way Ae would fight him."If you want to join him, you're free to do so," Ae responded without removing his gaze from Can."If we let him do what he wants, then in the future that we are here in this dimension, he could endanger everyone's safety. I'm not going to let that happen. What I'm going to do will serve as a lesson for him and to other members who would try to disobey me," Ae continued with authority in his voice.All of a sudden, the members who went to Can's side slowly went back to Ae's side except Pannin. Even if Can saved their lives, they could not dare offend the future heir of B.S.G no matter what. It would be truly problematic, not only to them but also to their families. Besides, thinking about it, why should they defend a life of some beast that was going to die eventually? It was not worth the risk at all! They were thinking that they would just compensate Can in some other way. It was just not this way where they would offend Ae.When Pannin saw this, she could not help but sneer. A bunch of ungrateful cowards! These people were saved by Can not too long ago and this was how they were going to repay him? Just some empty words from Ae and they would act this way? Truly despicable!Kengkla and Techno remained neutral even though Techno would want to go to Can's side. It was just that Kengkla was holding him back.Can understood the other members' situation, so he could not blame them.Can knew what he was getting into. He knew the risks. He knew he was stubborn. He knew that he could die, but he would sacrifice doing what he thought was right. That is the kind of person he is.He believed that Ae has his own principles too, but he did not expect that the situation would escalate this way."If you're willing to defend her, then you must be willing to sacrifice yourself."With that being said, Ae quickly summoned his strongest contracted beasts without wasting any time."Come out! Seven Deadly Sins Beasts!"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
(unedited)One by one, Ae's Seven Deadly Sins Beasts who possess the Dark Element were summoned.The first of the Seven Deadly Sins Beasts was the one who represents Wrath."Rune Knight Seyren..."
(A/N: Rune Knight Seyren from Ragnarok Online.)Rune Knight Seyren is the leader of the Seven Deadly Sins Beast. He is a powerful master swordsman who is good at dealing damage in close combat.The second to be summoned was the one who represents Sloth."Archbishop Magaleta..."
(A/N: Archbishop Magaleta from Ragnarok Online)Archbishop Magaleta is the support healer of the group. If someone gets injured in her group, she could heal him or her immediately."Guillotine Cross Eremes..."
(A/N: Guillotine Cross Eremes from Ragnarok Online)Representing Envy, Guillotine Cross Eremes is the fastest attacker in close combat in the group. His favorite weapon of choice is his daggers dabbed with deadly poison. When it comes to sneak attacks or assassination, Eremes would be the perfect choice for the job."Warlock Katrinn...."
(A/N: Warlock Katrinn from Ragnarok Online)The powerful warlock Katrinn who could control different basic elements with the dark element represents Gluttony. She is proficient at dealing high damage in a long-distance group attack."Royal Guard Randel..."
(A/N: Royal Guard Randel from Ragnarok Online)As the protector of the group, Royal Guard Randel is in charge of defending the members of his group from enemy attacks. With his shield, he is capable of deflecting different kinds of attacks all at once. He represents Pride."Ranger Shecil..."
(A/N: Ranger Shecil from Ragnarok Online)This beast, who represents Lust, is another long-range attacker who specialized at using bow and traps."Minstrel Alphoccio..."
(A/N: Minstrel Alphoccio from Ragnarok Online)Lastly, Minstrel Alphoccio is another support for the group who specializes in enhancing his group's capabilities. With a strum of his magical guitar, he could strengthen the power of his teammates or weaken his enemies.With the Seven Deadly Sins Beasts now present, the atmosphere of the area around the river became more tense and sinister. Everyone could feel the pressure of Ae's contracted beasts that have a combined power of a low-tier Legendary beast. They could not help it but shiver and gulped from the pressure that the Seven Deadly Sins Beasts were emitting. They thought it was a good decision that they changed their mind and went to Ae's side the last minute. They knew very well that they have a small chance of winning even if Can was on their side. Although Can is quite amazing for having great control and abundance of spiritual energy, if he does not have the power then he would lose. After all, power is power. This world is ruled by those who are powerful and the weak will be trampled by them. At the moment, Ae is the strong one and Can is the weak one.Yesterday when team Thailand was dealing with Flora, the members were unable to see the full power of the Seven Deadly Sins Beasts due to the fact they were too focused on how to defeat Flora and that Ae was not present the entire time during the battle. Even before, during the Beast Summoner Ranking Competition, they did not see Ae fight with his Seven Deadly Sins Beasts since no one dared to challenge him in the first place. This would be the actual first time that they would see Ae fight with his Seven Deadly Sins Beasts. Now, without any distraction, they would witness how truly powerful Ae's treasured beasts are.On the opposite side of the field were Can and Pannin. The two might be powerful but if they were compared to Ae, they still both lack the strength. How would they deal with Ae?"What's our plan?" Pannin initiated while looking at the Seven Deadly Sins Beasts not too far away from her. Even she could feel the pressure of Ae's beasts and could not help it but slightly shiver. The only chance that the two of them could win is when Can could somehow summon Thanatos. With him on the battlefield, Thanatos could easily give them the upper hand. Just remembering how Thanatos was able to defeat her beasts during the Beast Summoner Ranking Competition with just a snap still amazes and scares her at the same time."Pannin, thank you but....this is my battle," Can said as he gazed at Pannin with a smile on his face. "...." Pannin got goosebumps all over her body. What was this idiot thinking?"Don't be too arrogant! You know that you wouldn't win against him with just Valkyrie?" Pannin became irritated immediately."I have a plan. I can manage it without your help," Can replied."Are you sure that this plan of yours would work?" Pannin asked.Can only nodded while still smiling gently."Fine!" Pannin shouted as she clicked her tongue. She did not ask what was his plan as not to expose him, so she could only hesitantly believe and agree with him. If this idiot has a plan that would actually let him win, then so be it. In any case, Can already did so many things that were unexpected. She thought that the little beast summoner might have an actual winning strategy in this battle, so she was not that worried.Walking away from Can, Pannin went to her other teammates' side. When the others tried to tell her that she made the right decision to leave Can, Pannin immediately gave them an angry and disgusted look. She still has not forgiven them for leaving Can that easily without any hesitation. If she could only beat them up, she would do it."No one shall interfere!" Ae shouted to his teammates with an authoritative tone."Ca...Can just...just let it go...You could still surrender!" Techo shouted in his last desperate attempt to stop the fight, but Can only shook his head. It was useless. Can has already decided to defend Bacsojin and no one could change his mind. He is truly a stubborn person!"Can, you had your last warning. I hope you're prepared to face the consequences of your action!" Ae frowned as he slightly became angered while pointing towards Can. He thought that Can would surrender when he released his Seven Deadly Sins Beasts, but Can did not back down. Was Can underestimating his power? Was he not afraid? The more that Ae thought about Can not surrendering to him, the more he felt angry. If Can thinks that he could just underestimate him, then he would teach him a lesson that he would never forget! He would make sure to crush this little beast summoner's confidence and destroy him completely! He would make sure that he would beg for mercy and forgiveness.At the moment, Can only had Valkyrie on his side. He did not summon any other of his contracted beasts since he thought that they are no match to the Seven Deadly Sins Beasts. He did wish that Thanatos was here, but he knew that he would not come to the rescue."Kid, do you really believe that you can win?" Bacsojin asked with hesitation shown on her face. Based on her assessment, the little beast summoner's contracted beast is only an Epic Grade beast while his opponents are at the Legendary Grade category. One must know that a difference of grade means a huge gap in power. A Legendary grade beast could overwhelm an Epic grade beast. Looking at the situation, it was clear that the little beast summoner is at the disadvantage.When Can heard the question from Bacsojin, he could only give her a gentle smile in return.
"Holy Dome!"
Valkyrie swiftly retreated next to Can as she struck the ground with her enchanted left hand and formed a defensive holy barrier around them including Bacsojin."Kid, your enemies have the Dark Element. Your barrier would be broken easily," Bacsojin warned."I know..." Can said as he turned around and approached Bacsojin.Meanwhile, Ae started to order the Seven Deadly Sins Beasts to destroy the Holy Dome.Strumming his magical guitar, Minstrel Alphoccio, boosted his groupmates' strength and speed. As the fastest one of the group, Guillotine Cross Eremes dashed towards the barrier and started slashing it with his poisoned daggers. Small cracks were already showing on the barrier where Eremes struck, but still it was not enough to destroy it.While Eremes was continuing his attacks, the other members of the group such as Rune Knight Seyren, Warlock Katrin, Ranger Shecil, and Royal Guard Rendel started their offensive strikes as well. With the combined attacks from piercing arrows, poisoned daggers's slashes, explosive magical spells, destructive sword swings, and shield bashing, the smaller cracks on the barrier became wider. By the looks of it, the Holy Dome would not last any longer.Still, thanks to Can's improved control of spiritual energy, he could still somehow manage to maintain the barrier. While the barrier was being bombarded by aggressive force of attacks, Can circulated his spiritual energy and slowly transferred it to Bacsojin."What...what are you doing?" Bacsojin was confused as she asked."I'm transferring my spiritual energy, so you can escape," Can said as he continued to focus on transferring his spiritual energy."ARE YOU AN IDIOT!? THAT'S DANGEROUS! Your body could be damaged easily!" Bacsojin scolded.For someone to transfer their spiritual energy, that individual must be compatible with the other individual in terms of purity of spiritual energy level and power. This does not only apply to humans, but also to beasts. In any case, Can could easily bypass such requirements, therefore, there would be no problem at transferring his spiritual energy to Bacsojin. The only problem was that since Bacsojin is a Legendary Grade beast, the required spiritual energy to regain her power is immense. She was not sure whether Can could even give her enough."It's not a problem. Just worry about your safety for now," Can continued."Then what about you?" Basojin worriedly asked. Even if they just met today, Bacsojin felt a sense of trust towards the little beast summoner. She knew that he genuinely cares about her safety."I'm fine," Can replied as sweat on his forehead started to form. It was then when Bacsojin realized something."You don't really have a plan to win do you?" Bacsojin asked as her eyes widened in disbelief."...."When the female guardian did not get any answer, it just further confirmed her suspicion. This truth just made her angry."YOU KNOW YOU COULD DIE RIGHT!? ARE SERIOUSLY AN IDIOT!? DON'T YOU CARE ABOUT YOURSELF?" Bacsojin told Can angrily."How can I let someone suffer when I know that I can help out?" Can finally answered.When Bacsojin heard this, her anger instantly diminished. She could not say anything in return. She thought that this kid was just too similar to 'him'. Just like the little beast summoner, 'he' would also not hesitate to help someone in need even if it could cost him his life and even if there was nothing to gain in return. It was idiotic for someone to do this, but at the same time, it was truly admirable. It was most likely the reason why she fell in love with 'him.' This was also the reason why she was willing to wait for him to return because he was truly worth it.Can, who was next to Bacsojin, suddenly felt a hand on his head."You remind me of him so much," Bacsojin said tenderly."Thank you," she continued.Can smiled happily as he said, "No problem. I'm glad I could help you."He was almost done at transferring enough spiritual energy for Bacsojin to escape when all of a sudden, the holy dome that was protecting them shattered immediately."Hurry! Escape now!" Can demanded as he turned around to face the entire team of Seven Deadly Sins Beasts with Valkyrie."How about you?" Bacsojin immediately asked worriedly. Even if she was injured and weakened, she could still somehow fight."We have no time! Go! I'll be fine. They would not kill me." Can replied.Bacsojin could hesitantly agree with him. She could not let him waste his efforts.
"Mud Tunnel!"
Suddenly, a small tremor on the ground could be felt as a small opening on the ground under Bacsojin opened that swallowed her."Don't let her escape!" Ae shouted. After hearing this command, the Seven Deadly Sins Beasts quickly moved towards Bacsojin to catch her, but they were blocked by Valkyrie.Instantly, Royal Guard Randel ran towards Valkyrie to clash with her. When the angel thrust her lance that was covered with purple flame towards him, the paladin quickly deflected it with his shield causing the angel to be forced to move backward. Unfortunately, when she moved backward there was already a trap set up by Ranger Shecil. The trap was triggered causing Valkyrie to become immobile.
"Dark Smoke!"
A spell performed by Warlock Katrin created a dark thick smoke that covered Valkyrie which caused her to feel like she was being strangled. Slowly she felt that she was unable to breathe then finally, she lost her consciousness as she slowly fell to the ground.With that, Can did not have anyone to defend him. Thankfully, Bacsojin was able to escape successfully by giving her some time to escape.Yet, Can's fight did not end there. Furious by Bacsojin's escape, Ae was filled with hatred and extreme displeasure. How dare Can betray him! How dare he let that beast escape! Truly unforgivable!"KILL HIM!" Ae shouted to his Seven Deadly Sins' Beasts.When everyone from team Thailand heard this, they were not sure whether to believe Ae or not. In the beginning, they thought that Ae only said those words in order to intimidate them and Can. They would not think that Ae would actually kill them or Can if they decided to defend Bacsojin. It seemed that they were wrong. Ae seemed to be serious about killing them if they actually defended Bacsojin. When they thought about this, sweat on their foreheads started to form as fear took over them. It was a good thing that they changed their mind the last minute."AE, CAN ALREADY LOST! LET HIM GO!!" Techno shouted towards Ae anxiously.Unfortunately, Techno did not get any response from Ae.Can, who heard Ae's shout about killing him, could not believe that his friend would actually kill him. Would Ae actually do this to him? He dare not believe it. They have been friends for a long time and he knew what kind of person Ae is. He is one of the nicest and most caring people he ever met.While thinking about Ae's odd behavior, an arrow was shot and pierced Can's shoulder.Can slowly looked at his bleeding shoulder. He was not sure whether he was actually shot by Ae's beast. Yet, when he touched it, he felt immediate stinging pain. He was indeed shot."Ae...won't...do this...kind of thing." Can refused to believe it. He slowly faced Ae when another arrow was shot. This time on his right leg.Can could only hiss as he felt that the bone of his right leg seemed to be broken by the powerful force of the arrow."AE! STOP IT!!!" Techno continued as he tried to struggle from Kengkla's strong grip. Everyone else in the team seemed to be scared to stop Ae as they witnessed the horrifying scene. Pannin, on the other hand, was anxiously waiting for Can to do something unexpected. Now, she was wondering whether Can had an actual winning strategy or not.Can, who was shot twice, still stood firmly but then another arrow was shot. This time it went straight to his heart."Ack..." Can's body suddenly started to shake as he lost his balance. His eyes gradually became blurry as it became harder for him to breathe. As he looked around, he could somehow sense his teammates screaming in horror. Finally, looking at the direction of Ae, he saw the sudden change in his expression from anger to horrified look on his face. It was then that he knew that Ae would not do it to him. Something must have happened. Yet, even if he wanted to say anything, his body did not let him as he fell to the ground. Before he completely lost his consciousness, he remembered his family and Tin.
"I'm sorry if I failed you. Please don't get angry at me."
Afterwards, Can's eyes slowly closed."He... didn't have any plan in the beginning...did he?" Pannin whispered to herself as she felt dumbfounded. Can must have known that they were not going to win in the beginning, so he tried to save her? By saying that he had a successful plan, it would make her trust in Can's capabilities that he would actually win, when in reality....."YOU'RE AN IDIOT! YOU'RE TRULY AN IDIOT!! LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU NOW!!! Huu-uh" Pannin screamed in anger as tears from her eyes started to fall. Can already knew that they were going to lose in the beginning, yet he did not back down at all. Why? What will you get in return anyways? You would get nothing in the first place! Look at where you are right now!Pannin should feel happy that Can was supposed to die. This was Trump and her plan since the beginning, so why? Why is his misfortune making her sad all of a sudden?As everyone in the team felt a mixture of emotions, another tremor underground was created. Next to Can's body, a hole on the ground appeared and a slender hand dragged Can back inside the hole. After Can was taken, that hole on the ground gradually disappeared.When the battle was over, the black raven from the distance flew away as it made its low and gurgling croak."Wh..what exactly happened here?" Ae shakily faced his teammates while tears on his eyes fell after witnessing that one of his Seven Deadly Sins Beasts shot Can dead.
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(unedited)People say that the moment you find your soulmate, there would be this invisible bond that would be created. When that bond is created, it cannot be broken since it is fate that dictates it to be so. Fate cannot be changed, therefore the bond that it dictated to create between two people could not be broken. This bond forms a deep connection on a level that only these two people would understand. It reflects great compatibility between them and shows that their inner spirits are harmonious together. This then apparently meant that they would have an everlasting true love and happiness."Mother, how would I know if that person is my soulmate?" the naive boy Tin from the past asked."Well, you listen here," Tin's mother said as she pointed to Tin's heart."But it doesn't talk? How would it tell me? Is there some sort of magic?" Tin curiously asked as he looked at the part where her mom touched."You don't have to understand right now, Tin. In the future, it will guide you. Fate has already made its plan for you. You just have to wait," Tin's mother said while laughing after hearing his child's silliness. She gently took him to bed and tucked him in with a blanket.
"Goodnight, Tin."
"Goodnight, mother."
====
"I'm sorry if I failed you. Please don't get angry at me."
Tin woke up from his sleep after having a nightmare about Can. In his dream, he witnessed Can dying in front of him. For some reason, when he tried to get near Can who was already lifeless and bathing on his own blood, he was unable to approach him. It was truly horrifying and the dream just felt real to him.Even though Tin was used to seeing blood and death, it was different when it comes to Can. He could just not handle it. He did not want to think about that possibility. He does not know what he will do if something bad were to happen to Can."Can will be okay. I believe in him," Tin comforted himself as he took a deep breath. It was only a bad dream. That is all. He will come back safely. It has only been two days since Can left, but Tin already misses him. To him, his life does not feel complete if he does not see him or touch him every single day. Knowing that he would not see him for a month only makes it more unbearable for him. He will make sure that he will get his fill when Can comes back. In addition, since Can already confessed to him, they could take their relationship to the next level. This made Tin really happy since he does not have to hold back anymore. This also meant that he has to prepare for their first "papa" experience. Just like Can, Tin has never been in a relationship before, so he never had any sort of romantic experience. As the dominant person in the relationship, it was natural that Tin should know how to lead and do the "papa" properly when they do it. So, Tin has decided that he would study the right way of how the male-to-male relationship does it before Can comes back from his trip.Feeling more relaxed, Tin left his bed and went to the kitchen to make breakfast. Since Tin lost his powers, he has been devoting his time on learning new recipes and cooking. He knew that Can loves food so much so he decided that for the meantime, he would sharpen his cooking skills. He did believe in the saying, "A way to a man's heart is through his stomach." This describes Can quite well. In the future, he wants Can to depend on his cooking so much that when he tries other people's food, he would just puke. That is right, he wants Can to just depend on him. If Can becomes useless because of depending too much on him, then it would be better for him (Tin). He wanted to make sure that Can would not be able to live without him in the future, so that he would not even think of leaving him.At the kitchen, however, the smell of burnt food spread in the air. Finding the source of that smell led him to the dinner table. In the middle of that table, there was a plate that was covered with a metal dome plate cover. Yet, even if that plate was covered, the smell of charred food still escaped. Tin knew very well who made this mess: his father.
(A/N: Metal Dome Plate Cover)Since Can was gone, his father took the initiative to do the cooking in the house. Even though he could not cook at all, he still insisted on cooking for the both of them. Tin did not protest. He knew that his father was trying to make up for the lost moments of being a father figure to him. Still, it felt like he was suffering since he has to eat the food that his father made. Of course, he would not want to get stuck with this kind of routine from his father. Eventually, he has to tell his father to either stop cooking or start learning how to cook properly.Removing the metal cover, he sat down and observed the charred food. When he looked at his food, Tin was not sure what it was that his father cooked in the first place. With a knife and a fork, he cut what seemed to look like meat as it was held in place by his fork. Then, quickly he observed the meat. From inside and out, the meat looked more like coal than food. As he prepared himself to try his father's so-called food, his adam's apple bobbed. Hesitatingly, he put it in his mouth and chewed it. As soon as he had a taste of this meat that has charcoal texture and taste, he decided to spit it out on the plate. It tasted quite horrible. Why did it seem that the more his father cooks, the worse the taste of the food becomes?At that moment, Tin has had enough of his father's horrible cooking. He has decided that he would be the one cooking for them. Taking the plate, he threw away all that trash in the garbage can. Why would he even call it food if it is not edible at all? Calling his father's food trash is more appropriate.Tin immediately grabbed a glass of water. He did not use it to drink but rather used it to rinse his mouth from the aftertaste of his father's horrible food. After going through that ordeal, he went to the huge refrigerator to get some eggs, scallions, mushrooms, and some condiments. He wanted to make Mushroom and Egg White Omelet for breakfast. (A/N: You can find the recipe online, just search Mushroom and Egg White Omelet.)While preparing his food for the morning, he turned on the expensive high definition flat screen television to listen to the current news. These past few days a lot of things have happened.First, someone has leaked the information to the public about him and his father being fugitives. When it was leaked, someone tried to add fake information to make his father and him look worse in the eyes of the public. When this issue that should have been small, suddenly became huge and widespread. The entire country and the international community immediately joined the hunt. With the increased pressure and support from the public to catch them, it became harder for his father and Old Man Khang to communicate with their allies. In addition due to the leak, it became easier for his father and grandfather's close allies to be taken away and sent to prison. Slowly, their enemies are taking over E.A. in Thailand.The problems do not end there. With this public leak and the growing issue of changes in E.A's leadership in the country, there would be a problem of instability. This instability was used by other foreign branches of E.A. to interfere to make sure that stability in leadership in Thailand's E.A. was maintained. Of course, it was only an excuse. Foreign countries main goal is to control E.A. in Thailand since it is the main source of power and control over all elementalists in the world. Abundant and rare resources that are necessary for an elementalists power were mostly found in this country which was controlled by E.A. in Thailand. If the foreign countries could control this country's E.A., then they would have more advantages and upper-hand in terms of wealth and power. It was for this reason that his father's enemies in the country were trying to cover up this issue to the public. They do not want to drag the sly foreign countries' E.A. to their problems.Lastly, there is a problem with the emergence of a new cult. Within the span of two days, cultists who called themselves the "Worshippers of the New World" were gaining popularity around the world. The reasons for the cult's popularity were due to its members' ability to see the future and the promises that the cult offered to its members. According to a report, the cult will offer a safe place for its member for the upcoming "new beginning of the world". The report also mentions that in order to become a member, a person must have to go through a mysterious ritual performed by a senior member of the cult. After the ritual, that person will apparently gain the ability to see the very same future that everyone else in the cult could see: the prophesied new world. Whatever that new beginning of the world is, no one really knew what it meant. What was more disturbing and mysterious was the fact that despite its growing popularity, the origin of the cult and the people behind it were still unknown. The major factions such as E.A and B.S.G seemed not to be bothered about this new emerging cult. Most likely they think that this cult, just like any other cults in the past, would not last, so they were not bothered by it at all. Tin thought that something else was going on behind the scenes, but he could not confirm his suspicions at the moment. In any case, he does not have the power to do anything at all. He could only gather pieces of information to see what might the future could become. Despite his uncertainties, one thing was for sure, things would get more complicated. Although it was like this, he thought that as long as Can was there for him, he would be able to overcome whatever was on his way.After cooking and eating his breakfast, he continued listening to the news as he sat on the couch.Out of nowhere, Tin's father entered the living room without making any noise."You already ate?" Tin's father casually asked his son.Tin nodded as he took a glimpse of his father."How did it go?" Tin asked with an unbothered expression as he fixed his gaze on the television once again."One of our remaining allies mentioned that our enemies are going to send a team to assassinate us," Tin's father answered with an unbothered expression just like his son. He went to the kitchen to see if his son ate everything. To his surprise, he did not see any leftover on the table like yesterday. This made him somehow feel satisfied and proud of his son. Even though he was not good at cooking to the point that he himself would not eat his food, his son still ate the food he made. It seemed that despite the things that he did in the past, his son still cares about him. He thought that he should strive harder to take care of his son from now on.With the papers that contained messages from his allies on his hands, Tin's father burned them and threw it in the garbage can. Yet, as soon as he opened the garbage can, he saw the familiar cooked food that he made earlier.Tin's father: "....."When Tin saw the disappointing reaction from his father through the living room, he could not help it but chuckle.Since Tin's father has sharp senses, when Tin chuckled, his father caught him. THIS BRAT!!!However, when he saw his son's happy expression, his heart softened. In the past, his son would never show such emotion. It was only cold and serious. Of course, he would not blame him for it. Mostly, it was his (Tin's father) fault to begin with that he grew up that way. If only he did not become such an insane person who only cared about revenge, he thought that maybe Tin would have a better and happier life. He could only blame himself for his child's misfortune. If only he could return back in time to fix his mistakes, he would do it in a heartbeat.All of a sudden, the blue necklace on Tri's neck moved."Tri! Quick! We have company!"
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[Beast Gods' Dimension]In a rainforest, far away from the mountain, a tremor on a muddy ground became apparent as nearby low-level beasts scattered for safety. Slowly, a hole was created on the ground.From that hole, an unconscious person was pushed out and lay to the muddy ground carefully by a beautiful lady. It was raining quite hard in that area, but the lady was not bothered as she quickly performed simple seals on her hands.
"Nature's Heart"
A warm red light surrounded the three arrows that were stuck at the unconscious boy's body and removed them all at the same time. The deep wounds and broken bone caused by the powerful piercings of the arrows were slowly healed."Come on!" Bacsojin became more anxious. She checked the boy's pulse, but there was no sign of life.It was then that she realized it was too late. She could not save him. She did not have any spiritual energy left inside her to do any healing magic. Even if she did, she does not have powerful and complex healing magic.At that moment, the only thing she could do was cry in silence. Another good person disappeared. Bacsojin asked herself if being saved by Can was useless and hopeless after all. Why does this happen to her? What did she do to deserve this? Was she cursed?"I'm so-rry. I was too late to save you. I'm s-orry, Can." Bacsojin covered her face with both of her hands as she cried even more. While she cried in sorrow, the rain seemed to respond too as it became stronger.When Bacsojin covered her face as she mourns Can's death, she did not notice a slight yellow glow on his chest. That yellow glow then formed into a mysterious symbol. After that mysterious symbol was formed, the yellow glow disappeared leaving the symbol behind on Can's chest.Momentarily, strong violent lightning appeared in the dark cloudy sky as it produced strong sounds of thunder throughout the rainforest where the two were in. Since it was dark due to the ongoing storm, the lightning in the sky was the only source of light.When lightning was formed that struck the parts of the rainforest, a huge bird seemed to appear in the sky as it encircled the rainforest. It seemed that it was looking for a prey. When it suddenly noticed Bacsojin and Can, it immediately encircled them and let out a terrifying screech.Hearing the screech, Bacsojin instantly recognized the beast as she looked up. It was the Gryphon.Gryphon is an Epic Grade level beast that has the head and wings of an eagle as its body is a form of a lion. Instead of two legs, it has four legs that have an eagle's claws.
(A/N: Gryphon from Ragnarok Online)By the looks of it, the Gryphon seemed to find the two of them as its prey. If it was before, Bacsojin could easily kill Gryphon without wasting a breath. Unfortunately, she does not have any spiritual energy left in her. There was no way she could win against this huge bird. Still, she would not give up without a fight.As the Gryphon quickly flew towards the direction of the two, Bacsojin turned into her original form: a huge white snake. She was stronger in this form rather than in human form.The Gryphon's target was actually Can, who was still lying down on the ground. Based on its observation, the person lying was dead. For the big bird, it was easier with dead prey than a living one. With its open large claws, the Gryphon tried to get Can as it disregards Bacsojin.Knowing that the bird will take Can, Bacsojin used this as an opportunity to attack the bird."You think I'd just let you take him that easily!" Bacsojin opened her mouth which revealed her huge fangs. As soon as the bird got close to Can, she bit the Gryphon's neck as she encircled its body with hers.When the Gryphon was bitten, it immediately screeched. It attempted to break free from Bacsojin as it grabbed parts of the white snake's body with its sharp claws. The two struggled and fought each other around the rainforest."Ack!" Blood flowed out from the white snake's body where the claws were attached. Since she was stubborn, Bacsojin did not let go and continued to fight the bird. Still, the gap of power between the two still showed.Since the Gryphon has the Lightning element, it immediately covered itself with lightning.It was too late when Bacsojin attempted to let go of the bird from her grip. She was shocked by the powerful lightning that was covering the bird that caused her to fall on the ground. Her beautiful white scales were charred. Her once proud appearance as a white snake was replaced with ugly black burn scales and deep wounds. This was not her concern at the moment as she looked at the bird that was approaching Can. She tried to move, but she was unable too. It was too painful to move and she lost all of her strength.Soon, the storm was clearing up as the sunlight pierces the dark clouds. The destruction that was left behind in the rainforest became evident. There were fallen trees that were destroyed by the powerful lightning in the sky, but most of them were caused by the fight between the two giant beasts."C-Can...." Before she lost her consciousness, Bacsojin saw the Gryphon grab Can as it flew away leaving her behind.Now that it has its prey, the Gryphon decided to go back to its nest to feed its young. Located at the top of a cliff in the desert, the bird flapped its wings faster in order to get to the nest as fast as possible. While flying, the bird did not notice that its prey seemed to be moving slightly.Can's eyebrows were twitching as they formed a frown while his eyes were still closed. Slowly, his cold body started to regain its warmth and color. Then his heart started to pump blood as it regains its natural flow of heartbeat. Eventually, all of the necessary parts of his body started to react and move.When he opened his eyes, the first thing that Can saw was a huge vast desert below him."Is this heaven?" Can asked himself as he looked around. He quickly noticed a huge claw that was grabbing him. As he looked up, he saw the huge bird flapping its wings. He managed to recognize the bird. It was the Gryphon."Why would heaven have a Gryphon and a desert?" Can was confused. The last thing that he knew was that he was shot in the heart and died. It would be impossible for him to live unless there was some sort of magic that was used in order for him to be alive. Even if that was the case, how did he end up in this situation with the Gryphon?While thinking about his odd situation, the Gryphon finally reached its nest on the side of a high cliff that has a small cave in it. It immediately let go of Can's body to the nest for its young. Thinking that its prey was dead, it flew once again to find another prey. Even though it was slightly injured, taking care of its young was more important, so it did not let its injuries bother it as it flew away.
(A/N: How imagine it would look like. Photo is not mine.)"Ouch!" Can hissed in pain when his head hit the sturdy branches that made up the huge nest. Patting his head, he quickly looked at his surrounding. The moment he saw skeletons around the nest, he tensed. At that moment, he knew that this was not heaven. Was he in hell then?"Chirp! chirp!" Can turned around and saw three small chicks staring at him. One of the chicks seemed to be curious as it moved its head from left to right. The other one was licking its beak. The other one seemed to be cautious around Can.
(A/N: Picky from Ragnarok Online)Observing the three chicks, they were half the size of Can's height. Thankfully, they seemed to be only a couple of months old, so they have not transformed yet and were not quite powerful like their parent. Still, Can had to be cautious after seeing the skeletons around the nest."Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!" The three chicks looked at one another. They huddled together as they seemed to be discussing their plan after seeing a living food for the first time in their nest. When they finished their discussion, the bravest one of the three chicks, who licked its beak earlier, slowly approached Can. It opened its mouth and tried to eat Can."Bad bird!" Can immediately hit the chick's head. For some reason, the chick's actions resembled Gucci's characteristics when he was still in his infancy stage. When Gucci would badly behave, he would discipline him. Although, it was natural for this chick to act this way, Can just felt disciplining it. He must have missed Gucci so much. He thought that he should summon him later and see how he is.When the chick got hit in the head, it used its wings to pat its head. It was the first time that it got punished. Its mother never punished it, so when the living prey hit its head, the little chick cried.When Can saw the little chick cry, his obsession with cute small beasts kicked in. His heart softened as he approached the small chick."I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to hit you that hard." Can petted the little chick's head to comfort it.When the little chick looked up, it stopped crying as it felt sudden comfort from being petted by the living prey."Chirp! Chirp!" The other two chicks immediately went to their sibling's side as they tried to protect him from Can.When Can saw how the two reacted, he could not help it, but to reach to their heads and pet them too."So cute!"Can wished he brought a camera with him and took pictures with these three chicks. It was unfortunate that he was too poor to afford one.Feeling the sudden comfort, the other two chicks immediately relaxed.The three chicks looked at one another and thought that this living prey should not be eaten. As they nodded to one another, they competed with each other as they tried to get Can's attention to pet them."Hehe. Okay, I know. Don't fight each other." Can smiled as he tried to pet the three chicks at the same time. Eventually, he was able to tame the three chicks who were lying down next to him.When he had the chance to look at the surrounding area of the nest more intently, he looked down to see how high he was from the bottom of the cliff, but he could not see the bottom at all. The bottom of the cliff stretches out quite as far as the eye could see and was covered in white mist, so it was hard to determine how high he was. It seemed that climbing down the cliff was not an option for him. The only way out of the nest was to climb up. As of now, he could not summon any of his contracted beasts since his spiritual energy has been depleted completely and still recovering. (A/N: How I imagine the bottom of the cliff. Not mine.)When Can looked up, although the top of the cliff was not too far, climbing up seemed to be dangerous. There were hardly enough stable places where he could position himself if he climbs up. The stones of the side of the cliff were also sharp.Still, if he stayed here, the adult Gryphon could come back anytime to kill him so he must come up with a decision as soon as possible. He also wanted to go back to his team and Bacsojin. He wanted to know how they were. He hoped that all of them were safe, especially Bacsojin.Standing up slowly as not to wake up the little chicks, he once again looked at the bottom of the cliff. There was something odd about it, how could there be white mist at the bottom of the cliff that was surrounded by a hot desert? Can thought about and concluded that the white mist was not ordinary.While he was observing the white mist at the bottom of the cliff, a loud screeching sound could be heard. It startled, not only the little chicks that were sleeping but also Can. Due to being startled, Can accidentally slipped and fell from the nest. He tried to grab to the strong branches of the nest, but he failed, so he continued to fall to the bottom of the cliff. Does this mean he was going to die once again!? What bad luck he has!As he plunged down, the last thing that he saw was the heads of three chicks at the edge of the nest where he fell from. They were chirping in distress.Slowly, Can lost consciousness as the mysterious white mist covered his body. The mysterious symbol on his chest, once again, glowed. Then Can's body was covered by a yellow barrier and did not allow the white mist to penetrate it. When Can finally reached the bottom, he was slowly laid down on the ground. At the very bottom, there was no mist at all. There were just ordinary ground soil and cliff walls. Surprisingly, there were torches on the cliff walls which help illuminate the bottom of the cliff.Not too far away from Can's body was a mysterious person who was also carrying a torch. When he saw a person lying down, he suddenly felt excited. He thought that he was not alone in this horrible and lonely place finally. Quickly, he approached him.Seeing that there was no sign of blood on the ground, it seemed that this unconscious person was still alive. After confirming that he still has a pulse, the man tapped Can's cheeks with his dirty hand."Hello, Stranger! Wake up!" The man did not get a response, but still, a smile on his face finally showed up after what seemed to be an eternity since the last time he smiled.
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In his unconscious state, Can heard a mysterious voice instructing him."You are my new successor," the voice of man said as it echoed in Can's head."Successor? What do you mean? Who are you?" Can replied."That symbol on your chest shall be your proof and guide. You must find the last Beast God of this dimension. He will help you," the mysterious man said.Can wanted to ask more questions since he was confused with what this mysterious man was saying, but he was woken up suddenly.Opening his eyes, he saw a mysterious man on his side carrying a torch."Young man! Hello? Are you okay?" asked by the mysterious man who looked quite dirty. His voice was different from the other man who talked to him when he was unconscious.Sticking the torch to the ground, the man held Can's head carefully."Wh-who are you? Where am I?" Can asked while scanning the area that he was in. There were torches in this place, so he was able to see the area more clearly. Still, aside from the mysterious man and the torches, there were only stones, dirt, and a cloud of dense white mist above them."I'm Xu Xian and you're in the Clouded Mist. What's your name and how'd you get here? Do you feel pain anywhere?" the mysterious man with mud on his face asked as he smiled excitedly.(A/N: If you guys don't know Xu Xian is from the Chinese legend, "Legend of the White Snake".)Can observed the person in front of him, but It was hard to determine his facial structure due to the dirt on his face. When he looked at his clothes, although they were also covered in dirt, Can could determine that they were old and full of tears. He wondered how long this guy was stuck in this place."I'm Can Rathavit. I'm alright. I-I fell from the cliff by accident. The last thing I remembered was the white mist," Can replied. When he got up, he felt a little dizzy and he staggered. Thankfully, Xu Xian supported him."Ahh, I see. It's a good thing you didn't get injured when you fell here," Xu Xian happily said as he took the torch on the ground."Thank you. Umm, I've never heard about the Clouded Mist." When Can was studying the complete map that his master gave to him, he never encountered Clouded Mist on the map. Does this mean that the map he had was incomplete?"That's to be expected. This place was not supposed to exist in the first place. Also, I'm the one who named this area "Clouded Mist". Haha," Xu Xian proudly declared.Can's mouth just fell. Was this guy being serious?"I don't quite understand what you're saying Xu Xian."Xu Xian coughed as he changed his expression to a serious one."Let me explain. Are you familiar with the story of how the Beast Gods' Dimension came to be?" Xu Xian faced Can.Can nodded. "Yes, according to my master, the Beast Gods created this dimension for them to live until for some unknown reason they left. Then, it was the First Beast Summoner who managed this dimension. After he passed away, no one else managed it."Xu Xian nodded his head in satisfaction."You're right, but you're missing another important detail," Xu Xian replied as he pointed his finger towards Can.The little beast summoner frowned as he became curious. "What's missing?""Not all of the Beast Gods left this dimension. There was one who stayed, but not by choice. To be exact, that Beast God was imprisoned," Xu Xian answered."An imprisoned Beast God? How's this related to the Clouded Mist?" Can asked as his eyes widened in curiosity.Seeing the young man's eager look, Xu Xian did not let the suspense extend any longer."The said Beast God was imprisoned underground somewhere that was surrounded by a special white mist that sucks spiritual energy," he explained."Initially, when this story spread in the human world, every Beast Summoners wanted to come in this dimension in hopes to free the Beast God and attempt to make it a contracted beast. Yet, hundreds of years have passed and none of them found the underground prison. Eventually, this story died down."Looking that Can was still paying attention patiently, Xu Xian continued."Even though everyone has forgotten about this story, my team back then believed that the underground prison exists. So when the portal to the Beast Gods' Dimension opened, my team immediately entered and looked at different places to find the underground prison. I was assigned to search the southern part of the dimension. While I was traveling in this desert region, a huge crack on the ground suddenly appeared which created this area. When I saw the white mist from above, it was then I realized that this place could be the underground prison. I immediately reported back to my team and we decided to come to this place. When we arrived at the cliff, my teammates' attitude changed as if they became a different person. They all attacked me at once which caused me to fall in here. To this day, I still don't know what happened to them to act that way."When Can heard about Xu Xian and his teammates attacking him all at once, he remembered the situation that happened to Ae. He then also remembered when team Thailand entered the dimension, he heard about the leader of Team U.S.A explaining that his contracted beast started attacking on its own. It seemed something or someone was controlling them, but who or what?"Anyways, on how this crack on the ground came to be, I suspect that this dimension is starting to break. Without someone controlling and maintaining this dimension, it's becoming more unstable. As it becomes unstable, the dimension's foundation weakens. I'm afraid that this dimension would be destroyed eventually," Xu Xian speculated."You're very knowledgeable of this place, Xu Xian," Can praised.Xu Xian scratched his nose. "Hehe. I know I am! Just ask me anything about this place and I'll have the answer.""If that's the case, do you know how to get out of Clouded Mist?" Can quickly asked.When he heard that question, Xu Xian suddenly became stiff."Umm...I'm sorry Can, but there's no way out of this place," Xu Xian scratched his head apologetically."What!? H-how could that be? The-there must be a way?" Can anxiously said loudly causing echoes in the area. There must be a way out of this place. He cannot stay here! He has a family and friends to go back to!"I understand how you feel, but you see....I've been in this place for a long time. I've traveled this area multiple times already, there's no way out. You might already know it, but this place does not even have spiritual energy due to the white mist above us. If you try to climb, the force of the white mist will bring you down no matter how hard you tried. Believe me, I've tried different ways to get out. None of them worked." Xu Xian attempt to comfort Can as he caressed his back."I'm sorry, Can."Can was momentarily stunned, but he remembered the voice of the mysterious man earlier when he was unconscious.The mysterious man said something about the symbol on his chest as proof and guide. Quickly, he pulled down the upper part of his traditional Korean clothing. With the light provided by the torches, Can looked at his chest. To his surprise, he found a symbol that was quite familiar to him. There were parallel lines and in between those lines was an 'X' mark. There was also a zigzag line on each side of those parallel lines. That's right! It's from the sketch that his old master drew!
(A/N: Refer to Chapter 28 - Field Trip.)Meanwhile, when Xu Xian saw that Can was undressing, he immediately looked away."Can, I know that we just met and even though you're the only person I know in this place, I-I consider myself as a straight man. I-I am also taken and still loyal to the person I love," Xu Xian nervously replied.Can: "...."Can recognized what Xu Xian was thinking, so as he shook his head, he replied, "I'm not going to do anything with you at all. I just had to confirm something." Besides, he has a person who he loves too, but he does not have to announce it to him.Xu Xian faced Can once again and immediately saw the symbol on his chest. It also looked familiar to him."I have seen that symbol somewhere in this place. How come you have it on your chest?" Xu Xian's eyes widened in surprise and wonder.Fixing his clothes, Can explained to Xu Xian the short conversation he had with the mysterious person when he was unconscious."Ah! If what you're telling me is true, then could it be that the mysterious man is the First Beast Summoner? The-then if he chose you as his successor....." Xu Xian immediately hugged Can. His eyes started to form tears."I-It means that we have a chance to get out of this place! I-I could meet Bacsojin finally!" Xu Xian happily shouted as his voice echoed. After getting stuck in this place for so long and losing hope, he finally has a chance to get out."You-your Bacsojin's lover?" Can asked with a surprised expression.Xu Xian faced Can and grabbed his shoulders with both of his hands with some force. "You know her?""Ye-yes, she's been waiting for your return," Can replied. The coincidence to see Bacsojin's lover in this place is truly amazing."Hold on, it doesn't make sense. Bacsojin's lover is a human and she's been waiting for you to return for thousands of years. How's it possible for you to still be alive?" Can was confused. In the mortal world, the longest living man in history was about 500 years old. That person was a powerful and renowned alchemist. In any case, for a mortal to live for thousands of years, that's not possible at all."Bacsojin has been waiting for me that long? I didn't know that it was already been thousands of years since the last time we saw each other." Xu Xian did not know how long exactly he has been stuck in this place since it is impossible to tell and track time. The white mist above them did not allow anything to penetrate it, so whether it was daytime or night, he could not tell."Bacsojin, you really waited for me." Xu Xian looked up and sighed. While clenching his hands into fists as his tears from his eyes fall, he promised to himself that he would see her no matter what it takes. With a new hope of escaping this prison, Xu Xian's dream of being with his lover was once again ignited. Just like Can, he was determined to get out."To answer your question about my lifespan, I've consumed the Soul Fire. Aside from giving me a more powerful spiritual core, it also granted me immortality. Hehe, I'm cool right?" Xu Xian bragged as he returned to his enthusiastic self."What? You've already consumed the Soul Fire?" Can was dumbfounded. His body suddenly felt weak as he kneeled. The main goal of his trip to the Beast Gods' Dimension was to find and obtain the Soul Fire for Tin so that he would get a new spiritual core. Without it, then he came to this place for no reason."Wha-what's wrong Can? Did I say something inappropriate? Are you okay?" Xu Xian caressed Can's back to comfort him.What should he do now? Without the Soul Fire, how would Tin return his powers?Can then thought what the mysterious man said. If he could find the imprisoned Beast God, then maybe there's another way to help Tin!He hoped that there was another way to help him.Standing up, Can said, "I'm alright."His journey has barely started and he should not give up too easily. Giving up means he has already lost. He does not want that."Xu Xian, please lead me to where you found the mysterious symbol."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
After spending an unknown amount of time of traveling somewhere in the Clouded Mist, Xu Xian told Can that the two of them will rest for a bit. Since his new companion was tired, it was better to let him rest."No, I'm okay. We can keep on going," Can said as he was huffing.Although Can was reluctant to rest due to his determination to get to their destination as soon as possible, his body did not listen. The moment he stopped moving, his body that was covered with sweat and dirt somehow felt heavy which forced him to sit down.Seeing that Can looked determined to still continue to move despite how exhausted he was to the point that he was about to collapse, Xu Xian insisted on making him rest."I know you want to get to our destination as soon as possible, but it would be useless if you're dead when we get there. You have to take care of yourself. We still have a long way to go," Xu Xian said with a smile while sitting down.Can could only sigh as he nodded towards Xu Xian. Since there was no spiritual energy flowing in the Clouded Mist, it was quite easy for him to get more tired than usual. Meanwhile, Xu Xian seemed not to be tired at all. Is this one of the immortal's powers?While wiping the sweat on his face, he took out food and water from his storage ring. It was a good thing that his master gave him a lot of food for this trip, although the amount of food that he gave him could last for 3 years. Isn't this a little bit too much master?Sticking the torch to the ground, Xu Xian faced Can when he saw him taking out food. Even though he is an immortal who does not require basic human necessities, it did not mean that he disliked food. So the moment he saw food, he started salivating as his Adam's apple moved up and down. He wanted to try Can's food, but he felt guilty since he did not want to reduce his (Can) ration of food.Immediately, when Can noticed the intense look in the eyes of his immortal companion on his food, he offered him a simple fried chicken with ketchup from his hands."Xu Xian, here try some," Can said as he handed his fried chicken to Xu Xian."I-It's ok, Can. Since I'm already an immortal, I don't have to eat or drink at all," Xu Xian explained. Still, the expression on his face deceived his words."I have a lot of food in my storage ring, I don't mind sharing. Please take it," Can insisted.Finally, Xu Xian did not resist and took Can's fried chicken."Ish dericious. Thangs Can!" ("It's delicious. Thanks, Can!")Can chuckled as he said, "No problem."Suddenly, Can remembered that scene when his family ate breakfast with Tin. He definitely remembered when Tin ate an entire plate of ham and cheese hot pockets. This particular memory was truly precious to Can. He wished he could just go back in time and experienced it once again."Remembering someone?" Xu Xian asked while chewing the bones of the fried chicken.Can faced him as he nodded. He suddenly felt sad. He missed his loved ones already."You'll be with them. Don't worry." Xu Xian reassured as he gave a thumbs up to his little companion.Can returned to his spirited attitude as he continued to eat his food. I will surely return home!Soon, the two talked to one another and got to know each other more. Can found out that Xu Xian was born in China. Growing up in a powerful and renowned family of beast summoners, he was considered as a prodigy in the country. Still, he was pushed by his family to become stronger so they encouraged him to train. Due to the strictness and the pressure given by his family, he felt isolated. It was only during special events where he could interact with others, but even then, everyone feared him. Those who were close to him just wanted to use him for selfish gains. In reality, despite being given so much attention and admiration from people, he was unhappy with his life.When he was tasked to enter the Beast Gods Dimension in order to find the imprisoned Beast God, it was there where his pitiful life changed. While he was traveling, he was momentarily lost in the mountain. He found a river in the mountain and decided to go fishing. Then he saw her, the love of his life.At first, the two fought after seeing each other."I fell in love with her after our first encounter," Xu Xian chuckled as he recalled their first meeting.====
Bacsojin saw that a mortal was in her territory. She initiated an attack to the human, but to her surprise, she failed. It was the first time that a mortal managed to dodge her sneak attack, but she did not easily back down.
"You're in my territory! Get out or I'll kill you!" Bacsojin shouted.
Xu Xian faced at the beautiful woman not too far away from him.
"I don't see your name around here. It just means that this area is not yours," Xu Xian said undisturbed as he continued fishing.
"This is your last warning mortal! Get out!" Bacsojin continued. She was annoyed.
Xu Xian just ignored her.
Bacsojin was lost for words. How dare this human ignore her! In this dimension, she is well respected by other beasts, even the powerful ones. For a human to do this to her, he needs a beating.
In an instant, Bacsojin quickly initiated an attack against him. Luckily, Xu Xian was prepared. His contracted beasts already lent their powers to him before his encounter with Bacsojin.
Xu Xian took out his two swords from his storage ring and traded blows with Bacsojin. The two of them were on a stalemate, but after fighting until the evening, he managed to defeat Bacsojin.
"Hah! I win young lady," Xu Xian said with a triumphant look on his face while the edge of the sword was on Bacsojin's neck.
For the first time in her life, Bacsojin lost a fight. She lost to a human at that. Suddenly, her pride as a powerful and unbeatable beast was crushed. She thought that everyone will now make fun of her. At that moment she could only cry.
"Uwaah!" Bacsojin rubbed her eyes that were full of tears while she lied on the ground.
"Aiyah! what are you crying for?" Xu Xian put back his two swords to his storage ring.
"I-I lost! I lost to a weakling! Uwaa!" Bacsojin replied.
"You're not cute," Xu Xian scratched his head as he felt offended. He just defeated her! Who is the actual weakling here?
Bacsojin stood up and looked at Xu Xian into his eyes. Trying to toughen herself up while still crying, she shouted, "I'll be back!"
This was the first time someone did not fear him and even managed to threaten him. He thought that the young lady would leave after being defeated. Who would have thought that she was bold enough to say that she will come back for revenge. Xu Xian felt rather happy after hearing what she said. In addition,
the angry crying expression that she had back then was actually cute. It somehow made Xu Xian want to tease and bully the young lady more.
"I'll be waiting for this young lady then" Xu Xian winked as he smiled to Bacsojin.
"Hmph!" Bacsojin retreated back to the woods to plan her revenge.
The following days continued with similar results. Bacsojin would be defeated and would cry, but she would always return to the same place for revenge. As the days passed by, from time to time, the two would talk to one another. This allowed the two to know and understand one another. After some time, the two felt more comfortable with one another as they decided to stop fighting. Xu Xian would offer Bacsojin food and teach her about his culture. Every time Bacsojin would get food or learn new things from Xu Xian, she would always smile like an idiot. As they got to know each other more, love just blossomed like a flower unexpectedly.
=======After their talk, Can went to sleep. Meanwhile, Xu Xian just looked above him that was filled with white mist. He was recalling all the happy memories he had with her. Living for a very long time, those moments were the only ones he truly treasured.When Can woke up, Xu Xian was already awake although Can did not know whether Xu Xian also fell asleep. Still, judging by his expression, he looked happy and hopeful.The two continued to move after Can prepared himself.After doing several rounds of traveling and resting, the two finally reached their destination."Can, we're here," Xu Xian said as he used his torch on his hand to show the mysterious symbol that was engraved on the stone wall. The symbol was huge which was approximately the same height as Can himself.When he looked at the symbol, Can's chest suddenly felt hot as a yellow light appeared. Then, the symbol on the wall also glowed with the same color.Suddenly, the ground shook. Both Xu Xian and Can moved away from the wall as it began to crumble which gradually exposed a tunnel inside.When the shaking stopped, the two looked at one another."This would probably lead us to the Beast God," Can said while holding a torch on his hand."Let's check it out then," Xu Xian replied as an excited smile left his face.As the two went in the dark tunnel, the white mist in the Clouded Mist gradually disappeared. With its disappearance, the natural spiritual energy seeped slowly in the dark tunnel."Heh......this f*cking prison finally collapsed....I'm now free......Hehe." Collecting spiritual energy from his surroundings, he managed to stand up. He took a step, but he staggered and fell. After thousands of years of being trapped in this place, his body has become weaker. It will take some time until he fully recovers his full power. While he tried to stand up, he suddenly sensed two unknown individuals coming towards the direction of this dark cold room made of magical black stone that once suppressed his powers. With a wave of his hand, a small orb of light illuminated the huge room where he stayed."This Beast God of Mischief shall have his feast first....."A small mischievous smile showed on his cracked lips as he licked them.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
When Can and Xu Xian went further into the tunnel, they eventually found a room that was made of black stone.Before they could enter the room that was already illuminated, sounds of low gurgling croak and flapping of wings from the outside could be heard. As the sounds get closer, the louder they became. Soon deep inside, aside from two torches that lit the dark tunnel, multiple red menacing eyes glowed."Black ravens?" Xu Xian asked with a confused expression as he saw multiple black ravens going inside the room made of black stone."Why would they suddenly go inside that room?" Can immediately crouched as the flock of birds continuously flew inside the room."We will find out soon enough. Be careful, Can," Xu Xian warned.When there were no more birds going in, the two got up and slowly entered the room."Huh? It's empty? Where did those birds go?" Xu Xian scratched his head in the mystery. Aside from a small orb of light on the ceiling of the huge room, there was nothing inside. It was completely empty.Can observed the walls of the room. "Could there be another passage? A hidden passage perhaps?"Xu Xian nodded. "That could be it."As the two discussed and observed the walls of the room, they did not notice the growing black raven shaped shadow behind them. This shadow seemed to be absorbing the shadows of small black ravens in silence.After completing the absorption, the black raven shaped shadow suddenly turned into a human. With both of his hand, he instantly grabbed both of Can and Xu Xian's neck."GOT YOU! Haha!" the Beast God of Mischief ecstatically shouted as he lifted the two from the ground. As the two struggled to break free from his grasp with their weak strength, the beast god could not help it but smile in delight. It has been a long time since he was able to catch prey to feed on. Although it was not necessary for a beast god like him to catch or eat preys, he finds satisfaction at seeing them die with his own hands."Ack!" Dropping both of their torches, Can and Xu Xian could not remove the hands of this mysterious person on their necks. This person was too strong!"Interesting, a mortal and an immortal," the beast god slightly move his head to the side with wonder."I'm curious how both of you would taste! Let's start with the mortal!" the Beast God looked at Can with a menacing smile. As he opened his mouth to suck Can's spiritual energy, the mysterious symbol on Can's chest suddenly glowed. Within a few moments, the Beast God found itself lying on the ground as a huge crack where he fell formed.Coughing a mouthful of blood, he got up.The beast god looked up at the two who also just stood up. "What the f*ck just happened?"Immediately, he noticed Can and the faint yellow glow on his chest that was covered by his clothing. While looking at the little beast summoner, he also noticed a mysterious figure covered in yellow light.At that moment, the beast god's body shook. It was the spirit of the First Beast Summoner!"You...you're supposed to be dead al-already," the nervous beast god said as he pointed with his pale and wounded hand at the direction of the spirit of the First Beast Summoner behind Can.Remaining on guard as they caught their breath, Xu Xian and Can look at the mysterious person. They did not know exactly what happened earlier, but it seemed that the mysterious symbol on Can's chest protected both of them.When they saw that the mysterious person in front of them was shaking in fear, they were mystified.Earlier the beast god called its servants, the black ravens, in the dark tunnel.Before he was imprisoned for eternity by other more powerful beast gods, he commanded his black ravens to find a way to free him in the future. It seemed that they succeeded...or so he thought.When he absorbed all the information that the black ravens have collected throughout the thousands of years in this dimension while he was in the underground prison, he thought that he was finally free. One of the crucial information that he received, aside from the annoying beast gods leaving this dimension, was the death of the First Beast Summoner. According to his servants, after the annoying beast gods left this dimension, the ownership was transferred to the First Beast Summoner. This meant that the First Beast Summoner had control over the entire dimension. This ownership even included the beast god himself!Yet, when he died, no one assumed control over the dimension, so naturally, the dimension would start to become unstable and to crumble. Still, the beast god was kept imprisoned even after the owner's death.When the beast summoners started entering and exploiting the dimension, the instability of the dimension seemed to have increased. Soon, the black ravens found out that manipulating and allowing the beast summoners to kill each other would spread impurities and evil energy in the dimension which would replace the pure spiritual energy in the dimension. Such type of energy would cause this dimension that relies on pure spiritual energy to be ruined at a much faster rate.When the beast god thought that he was finally free after the seal of the underground prison was destroyed, the spirit of the First Beast Summoner would suddenly show up with his new successor. This just meant that this little beast summoner has control over the dimension and the beast god himself! Why was this happening to him? Didn't he already spend thousands of years in this prison to pay for the crimes he committed? Would it have been better if he just died after all?Looking at the person that seemed to be in a state of fear, Can suddenly heard a voice behind him. It was the First Beast Summoner.Listening to him carefully, Can found out that the person in front of him was the Beast God of Mischief: Pond. Amongst the other beast gods, Pond ranked the lowest. Apparently, since birth, he was ridiculed and bullied by the other beast gods for being the weakest. Due to this, Pond went to a crooked path and became evil. In the end, his evil deeds were suppressed after the emperor of the beast gods imprisoned him and sentenced him to eternal imprisonment. Towards the end, Pond was the one who still suffered. When the First Beast Summoner found out about this, he thought that there might still be a chance to change Pond. He did not choose himself to guide Pond since he thought that he was not the right person to do it and because he knew he was about to die. Not choosing to become immortal in order to be with his loved one finally, the First Beast Summoner died eventually. Before he died, he performed a powerful magical spell to create a spiritual replica of himself. The goal of the spiritual replica of himself was to find a suitable successor that would take care of the dimension and Pond. After thousands of years, the First Beast Summoner was able to find his new successor: Can.
(A/N: I've been thinking on how I would use Pond in this story. I decided that he would become the Beast God of Mischief (Trouble/Naughty) since he was truly a naughty person XD)"I have to kill him before he could assume control over me," Pond whispered to himself as he looked on the ground. "I'm not going to let you take my freedom again!" Pond screamed as he moved forward to attack while wearing only a black cloak that was full of rips."Pond, sit!" Can said with a firm voice.Halting his attack, Pond felt that he was being controlled as he was forced to sit down.Pond attempted to get up, but he was unable to. He was really angry and frustrated. "F*CK YOU! ALL OF YOU SHOULD DIE ALREADY!!!""Pond, silence."Pond's mouth was forced to close. "HMMFFF!"Although the beast god tried to talk, it was useless.Knowing that his actions were pointless, Pond stopped struggling.Once again, he failed. He thought that he will be imprisoned again. In his mind, he could hear everyone ridiculing him. Although at this point, he was already numb from it. Yet, no matter how much he tried to forget, those memories from the past would still show up.Staring at the black stone wall, his eyes were once again filled with emptiness and loss of hope.Suddenly, he felt something on his head.When he looked up, he saw that he was being patted gently on the head by the successor."Eh?" Pond asked himself as he became dumbfounded. All the painful memories from the past seemed to vanish as his mind was filled with the questionable actions of the person in front of him."Good!" Can said with a smile as he continued to pat the head of the beast god. It was surprisingly soft, so he continued to pat his head."What are you doing?" Pond whispered while looking up at Can."Hmm...well my father used to tell me that when a beast does something good, you pat their head and praise them," Can replied.Pond just continued to stare at Can. As he continued to pat his head, he felt surprisingly warm."What a good boy! Just like an obedient dog," Can continued.Realizing that he was being compared to a dog, Pond suddenly became angry and aggressive."Who are you calling a dog, you dumbass! Don't compare me to that stupid Beast God that looked like a dumb dog! Dumbass," Pond yelled while still sitting down."Haha! You are similar to him but more expressive!" Can continued to tease Pond. He was referring to Tin.Xu Xian, who witnessed the whole interaction between the two, could not help it but be confused. Didn't the person who was sitting down just tried to kill them earlier? What's with this sudden weird turn of events?"Xu Xian, do you want to pat Pond's head? It's surprisingly soft" Can asked as he looked at the direction of Xu Xian.Xu Xian's mouth just twitched. Just what exactly is happening right now?"Can, what are you doing with him? We don't even know him," Xu Xian commented while seeing that Can continued to tease the restrained person."The First Beast Summoner said that he is the Beast God of Mischief: Pond," Can replied."He's an actual Beast God?" Xu Xian's eyes widened as his mouth dropped from surprise."Do you have a problem with that, you gorilla looking immortal?" Pond said as he insulted Xu Xian."Go-Gorilla looking immortal!?" Xu Xian's mouth continued to twitch."Pond, behave," Can instructed."Tch!" Pond clicked his tongue as he looked away.After seeing that Pond did not resist his patting anymore, Can thought that he was able to establish a friendly connection with Pond even if it was small."Pond, as the new successor of this dimension, I won't lock you up in this place anymore, but..."Hearing Can's words, Pond faced him and paid attention carefully."But what?" Pond asked as his heart started to pound faster from the anticipation."You have to become my contracted beast," Can calmly said.Not thinking about his choices, Pond immediately replied."I'll be your contracted beast even though it's shameful for a beast god like me to do so. I have no other choice. I don't want to be in prison!"In secret, Pond was plotting a way to kill Can. Being a contracted beast could be a great opportunity to kill him.Can decided to form a contract with Pond, so that it would be easier to look after him and control his actions. The power given to him by the First Beast Summoner could only apply in the Beast Gods' Dimension and not in other dimensions. Since Can would not stay in this dimension permanently, it would be better to form a contract, so that he could summon Pond in an instant wherever he is.After the two formed a contract, Can immediately asked Pond for assistance to find his teammates.Pond faced him and casually answered him, "Your teammates? They already left this dimension 7 months ago."
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"7 months ago? That long already? It felt like we've only been here for a week!" Can was shocked. He knew that it was impossible to determine the time in the Clouded Mist, but it was hard to believe that he was stuck in this place for such a long time. If this was the case, then everyone back in their world must have thought that he was already dead! Everyone that was close to him must be in so much pain and sorrow, especially his family. Knowing his mother and sister, they might feel quite miserable after they received the news of his death. To lose another family member would crush their hearts once again. His old master would probably be disappointed at him. His friends would be heartbroken.And the moment Can thought about how Tin would react to his death, he was not quite sure how Tin would handle it. He could not imagine what Tin could possibly do.Thinking all of this, he must return back to his own world as soon as possible.Seeing the worry on Can's face, Xu Xian comforted him as he said "Can, don't worry. Since you're the new owner of this dimension, you should be able to open a portal back to our world."Can faced Xu Xian and nodded. "You're right.""Yes, as the new owner of this dimension, you have the ability to open a portal but..." Pond teasingly said towards his new owner."But what?" Can asked as he became anxious.With a malicious smile, Pond replied, "You must be at least a High-level Tier 4 Rainbow Beast Summoner. By the looks of it, you just recently leveled up to a High-level Tier 1 Rainbow Beast Summoner thanks to me. Who knew you were such a weakling? I wonder what that idiot First Beast Summoner found in you to choose you as his successor."When he heard the requirement to create a portal, Can could only pale.Entering the Rainbow Grade is already quite difficult, but upgrading to higher tiers is more difficult. Only truly exceptional and lucky individuals can upgrade to higher tiers.Can just leveled up into a High-level Tier 1 Rainbow Beast Summoner after making a contract with a beast god. He was just lucky this time that he was able to make such a break-through in a very short time. Usually, it takes many years for Orange Grade individuals to enter the Rainbow Grade. Those people who are Orange level would rely on their exceptional talents and extreme luck to become a High-level Tier 1 Rainbow individual. In Can's case, it was a miracle he became one immediately.(A/N: You could refer to Index about levels.)To upgrade to higher tiers, the requirements are much more difficult. Most of the High-level Tier 1 Rainbow Grade individuals, who are already rare to begin with, would never be able to move up to a higher tier and sometimes would even die trying. For the exceptional ones, usually, it would take decades to upgrade to Tier 2. One could only imagine how rare it is for someone to upgrade to higher tiers. This is one of the reasons why people who are Rainbow Grade are well-respected and sought for.Thinking about this, if he needs to become a High-level Tier 4 Rainbow Beast Summoner, then it could mean that there was a possibility that he would not be able to return at all! What should he do now?Sensing the gloom and frustration of his new master, Pond could not help it, but get irritated. He was waiting for Can to ask him for his help, because he knew a way to allow his new master to become a High-level Tier 4 Rainbow Grade Beast Summoner. Who knew that he would just stand there and not move at all!"Why don't you ask me about a way to solve this problem?" Pond finally lost his patience waiting for Can to ask for help.Can looked up and faced Pond with a glimpse of hope on his face. "You have a way?"Smirking, Pond replied, "Of course! I know everything! I'm a beast god!"With a quick cough, Pond continued, "This dimension contains a lot of treasures of different rarities that would help you upgrade to a Tier 4. Even though a lot of beast summoners have been coming to this dimension to steal treasures, there are still a lot of them that haven't been taken. You still have luck on your side. Based on my assessment, with the help of those treasures left behind by the First Beast Summoner, you should be able to become a Tier 4 Rainbow Grade Beast Summoner within a year."Can's attitude suddenly changed after hearing the good news. His emotions became mixed, but he was mostly happy and hopeful. Even though it would take a year, it was still better than taking decades or lifetime to achieve Tier 4. Spending a year in the dimension was only a small sacrifice. At this point, he was just truly lucky!The sudden happy feeling that he felt from the news made him approach Pond and hug him."Thank you, Pond! You saved me!" Can said while smiling sincerely as he patted him.When Pond was hugged and patted by his new owner who was smaller than him, he once again felt warm inside. No one has ever thanked him with such sincerity. It was the first time.Being able to interact with different individuals before he was imprisoned, Pond could guess what goes in their mind, so he knew that Can was actually quite sincere. There was no hidden malicious meaning behind his action. It made Pond wonder if he should still kill him. Yet, he thought that he still wanted his freedom. He still had to avenge himself from the other beast gods who imprisoned him, although he was still unsure where they all went. He would not be able to accomplish this if someone was controlling him. But on the other hand, being praised and patted by this sincere idiotic weak mortal was not too bad. In the end, Pond decided that he would just kill Can later.Returning to his arrogant manner, Pond said "Hehe! I'm a beast god, what do you expect? I'm the best!""You're really great!" Can continued to pat Pond's head which the beast god did not deny.After some time, the three left the underground prison. Before finding the rest of the treasures in the dimension, Can asked Pond to help Xu Xian find Bacsojin. Within seconds, they were able to find her location. She was back by the river where Can first met her.As the three flew towards the river using Pond's gigantic black raven, they saw how the beauty of the area surrounding the river was destroyed. According to Pond, after Bacsojin left this area, different teams of beast summoners plundered and fought over the resources by the river. What was left was only devastation. Xu Xian who witnessed such tragedy of this area that was special to him felt heartbroken. But now that he has returned, he would surely make this area beautiful once again!After a few moments, the three spotted a lady who was planting beautiful flowers by the river. They immediately knew who it was. The first one to react was Xu Xian. He jumped off from the gigantic black raven and landed right next to the lady.When the lady looked up, the flowers on her hands fell as tears formed in her eyes."Bacsojin, I'm back....I'm finally back," Xu Xian whispered as he cupped his lover. It has been such a long time since he has seen and touched Bacsojin. Aside from small scars and dirt on her face, nothing much has changed. She looked the same. She still has those lovely features. He truly missed her terribly!"Welcome ba-ack..... Xu Xian..." Bacsojin stuttered as she cried. All those years she waited for him to come back finally paid off. The loneliness that she felt for thousands of years are now gone instantly. Her lover is back. Xu Xian is back finally!Wiping his lover's tears, Xu Xian hugged Bacsojin tightly. Now, they have connected once again. He swore that he would not leave her alone anymore.As the two were busy showing affection to one another as they tried to make up for the time that was lost, they did not notice Pond and Can behind them."Ahem," Pond coughed in an annoyed manner as he interrupted the two.Both Xu Xian and Bacsojin suddenly stopped what they were doing as they looked behind them.Xu Xian scratched his head embarrassingly as he said, "Uh Bacsojin, you must already know Can. He's the one who saved me.""Kid, you're alive!?" Bacsojin said with a surprised expression. She really thought that Can was dead.Can happily replied, "Yes! Thank you for your help that day. I'm sorry for the trouble I have caused. I'll make sure to..."Before Can could even finish his sentence, Bacsojin rushed towards him and hugged him."It's great that you're alive! Ahh! I don't know what exactly happened but thank you! Thank you for saving Xu Xian! I'm eternally grateful!"Can suddenly felt embarrassed, "I-I just got lucky....but you're welcome. You should also thank him. He led us to you."Can pointed at Pond who was playing with his gigantic black raven pet.Bacsojin nodded and approached Pond."Thank you," Bacsojin said as she smiled sincerely.Pond, once again, felt warm inside and it made him feel happy and satisfied."It-it's nothing. I'm a beast god after all! This is a piece of cake for me!" Pond said as he tried to sound arrogant."Eh, a beast god?" Bacsojin asked as he faced Xu Xian and Can.Grabbing the hands of his lover and kissed them, Xu Xian started explaining the entire situation that happened while they were in the Clouded Mist.After some time had passed, Bacsojin took time to process everything that Xu Xian said."This is truly a miracle!" Bacsojin exclaimed."Indeed," Xu Xian replied."Ahh!" Bacsojin suddenly thought of something as she took her precious blue gemstone from one of her pockets. She approached Can and took one of his hand."Here Can, take it. With this, it would help you summon a powerful legendary water elemental beast. If you successfully make a contract with it, it can speed up your leveling," Bacsojin explained as she put the blue gemstone on Can's hand."I-I can't possibly take something that's really important...""Nonsense! My family just stole this from somewhere else. I just know that it can summon a powerful beast, that's all. Just take it," Bacsojin replied with displeasure as she closed his hand that has the blue gemstone."O-okay. Thank you, Bacsojin," Can replied as he looked at the blue gemstone."Good, you better use it well," Bacsojin said. As soon as she turned back away from Can, sadness on her face became apparent for a second before she returned back to her usual joyful self.That blue gemstone was indeed important to Bacsojin. It was a family heirloom that was given to her by her mother. Although it holds sentimental value to her, if it is compared to what Can did for her, giving up the blue gemstone was nothing much. In order for Can to accept it without any hesitation, she had to lie about it not being important.As Bacsojin returned to her lover's side, Pond stood next to Can."That blue gemstone was the first treasure that I was going to recommend that you should steal, but I didn't know she'd give it away that easily. Anyway, we should head to another location of the treasure," Pond said casually."Pond, be nice," Can said as he faced the beast god."Hmph!" Pond expressed dissatisfaction before he went back to his pet.Can could only shake his head as a response as he put the blue gemstone in his storage ring. When he looked at the direction of the happy couple, Can remembered Tin.He wondered what he was doing right now.[7 Months Ago]It was the moment where different teams of Beast Summoners from different universities would return from Beast Gods' Dimension.Once again, the entrance to the dimension found in the Wat Chaiwatthanaram temple in Thailand was full of different kinds of people who were nervously and excitedly waiting for the participants to return. The families, reporters, teachers, and bystanders were all present. The atmosphere was quite lively and also tense. What kind of treasures and beasts were obtained during this one month trip in the Beast Gods' Dimension? Who survived? Who died? Which team was the winner of the competition? These were some of the questions the people who were present and watching at home would like to know.Soon different teams started coming out to the entrance of the temple. There were mixed reactions from different teams. Some teams were cheering happily because they were able to tame several powerful beasts and take rare treasures. Some teams were unhappy and depressed for various reasons. Some got a small amount of treasure and beasts. Some did not get anything at all. The saddest was that some of them lost their teammates.As teams got out of the portal, they were being interviewed by the reporters while their college representatives and families tried to take them away."Where's Can and the others? I still don't see them?" Ley said as she stood on her toes to look for his brother."Don't be impatient, Ley. Your brother will come out any minute now," Ley's mother replied."Yes, my disciple and his teammates will come out in a bit. Don't worry too much," Old Man Khang reassured Ley. The old master invited Can's family in order for them to be able to see Can immediately as soon as he comes out of the portal. The three were currently located at the very front of the entrance and surrounded by the L.B.C University's special security force for protection."I wonder what he got from the dimension? I'm really excited to see him! Ahh! It's been more than a month already since the last time I saw him!" Ley said with enthusiasm."Me too! Our Can must have gotten something amazing. A legendary beast or a rare treasure perhaps. In any case, as long as he is safe and sound, I'm still happy if he didn't get anything," Ley's mom happily said while anticipating excitedly for her son to come back.Ley nodded happily.As more teams came out as more time passed by, there was still no sign of team Thailand. It was then that Can's family and Old Man Khang started to feel odd. Their excitement was slowly replaced with worry.Every time they would see a team come out of the portal, they would pray that it would be Can's team. Yet, every time this happens, they would just be met with disappointment and anxiousness."What's taking them so long?" Ley asked. There was an obvious worry in her tone."They probably got delayed. Yeah, that must be it. They were probably just delayed," Ley's mom replied. Still, she could not hide the worry from her face."There's no way that our Can would not come back...He will come back to us....," Ley's mom whispered to herself as he held her hands tightly. She suddenly thought of her dead husband. His death devastated her. She somehow managed to move on, but if her son gets taken away, she does not know what she will do. She cannot handle it if her son would be taken away from her too. It would be too painful for her to handle. After long hours of waiting, the members of team Thailand finally came back. Yet, when they came out, Can was not there. Observing the team, she noticed their depressed and defeated look. What happened? What happened to her son?"Where's my son? Where's Can? Ae, Where's my son?" Ley's mother suddenly shouted. She had a bad feeling. She was now desperate to know where her son was. Unfortunately, she did not get an answer from them. They all lowered their heads.It was then she realized that the thing she feared the most became the truth."I'm sorry....," Ae said to Mrs. Rathavit as his already swollen eyes started forming tears once again. The other members of the team also started crying.After hearing Ae's reply, Ley's mother suddenly felt weak. It became too much for her that she passed out."Mom! Mom!" Ley started shouting and crying as she tried to wake up her mother. She tried to believe that this was only a nightmare. Yet, as her tears fell which left a warm trail on her face, the sorrow that she was feeling was too painful to be considered fake. Can's gone. Her older brother was gone.When the reporters saw that team Thailand was incomplete, they immediately tried to surround the entire team to ask what happened to Can. Old Man Khang immediately ordered the special security force to clear a path for Can's family and team Thailand in order to get to the university's hospital.Meanwhile, back in an unknown new location, Tin has been watching the entire event since the beginning. At first, he was excited just like Can's family as he anticipated for Can to come out from the portal. But the moment he saw that team Thailand came out without Can, he knew that something bad had happened.At that moment, the only source of light and warmth in his lonely dark cold life vanished.Slowly sitting down in his chair, he looked at the television lifelessly.Why is this happening to him? What did he owe the world to receive such punishment? Why did it have to be Can? What did he do?As he started questioning himself, the tears on his eyes started to form. His emotions then blew up. At first, there was sadness but eventually it was replaced with anger.With the sudden surge of anger, Tin started breaking the expensive things in his new room."Who did it!? Someone must have purposely got rid of him! Why was it only Can who was gone? There must be someone who did it! I'll kill that person! Whoever did it, I will surely kill that person! That person must pay! Even if it's a group of people, I'll kill them!" Tin shouted as he broke a sturdy table in half causing his hand to break also. Still, it did not stop him to destroy other things. The physical pain that he was feeling was nothing compared to the emotional pain that he was feeling. He vowed to destroy anyone who dared do this to his Can. No matter what it takes, he will kill those who were connected to Can's disappearance.When Tin's father heard the commotion in Tin's room, he thought that someone broke in to assassinate them. Not too long ago, assassins were sent to their previous location to kill them. Thankfully, they were able to escape and find another hidden location.Opening the door to Tin's room, he did not feel any presence of anyone aside Tin. Then what was happening?Observing his son's violent action, he then realized what had happened. Quickly going to his son's side, he grabbed one of his son's hands."Son, breaking things won't solve your problems," Tin's father tried to calm him down."I SWEAR I'D KILL THEM!" Tin shouted as he struggled from his father's grasp.As he tried to calm his son down, the more Tin became violent as if he turned crazy. Without any choice, he made his son fall asleep with a spell. He laid him on his bed carefully as he sighed."Father, what should I do?" Tin's father asked as he looked at the necklace he was wearing."I'm not quite sure too, my son. I just hope he won't turn like you just like before.""I hope so too."
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When Tin woke up from his sleep, the first thing he remembered was Can.Instantly, his lips trembled as his already red eyes became watery once again. Every time he breathes, it becomes painful. It just hurts.He wanted to believe that everything was just a nightmare, yet he knew the truth. He knew that Can would not be with him anymore.When he thought that his life was back on the right track, fate decided to play a painful trick on him.Aside from this, he hated the fact that he was powerless. He was angry at himself for being one.Looking at his bandaged wrapped hands that were still painful to move, he felt weak and useless.Tin was once again shrouded with darkness. It was a type of darkness where it seemed that there was no way out. He felt falling endlessly in a hole where no one could save him."You promised that you'd return.... you lied to me....." Tin whispered to himself."You lied to me...." Tin continued as there was a hint of bitterness and sadness in his tone.He closed his eyes, but his tears continued to flow. The exhaustion that he felt physically and emotionally caused him to fall asleep.The moment he woke up, it was already night. It was dark inside his room, but the night sky that was filled with stars and full moon helped illuminate it through his room's window.Tin was calmer now compared to earlier. Still, he was heartbroken. His eyes were filled with emptiness.The silence in his room was suddenly disturbed when two unknown individuals appeared outside his windows. Tin sensed the two, but he chose not to do anything. There was no reason to do so. He thought that these two could just kill him on the spot.Not seeing any movements from the person inside the room, the two mysterious people who were wearing straw hats and a combination of white and black colored monk robes pushed the windows open and entered inside.
(A/N: What I imagine them wearing. Photo is not mine.)Walking to the front of Tin's bed, they bowed their heads as they kneeled with respect."You're not here to kill me?" Tin asked with indifference while still lying down in his bed.The two mysterious people looked at one another then looked down on the floor again."No. Master Tin, I'm Type and this is my sister Cha Aim. Our master sent us to relay a message to you," Type said.
(A/N: Type. You guys know him.)
(A/N: Cha Aim.)"What is it?" Tin asked."My master would like to assist you," Type continued.Tin looked outside the windows to gaze at the moon."Can your master return a dead person back? If not, then I don't need your master's assistance. Besides I'm powerless," Tin replied as he sighed.Type and Cha Aim looked at one another. They felt troubled. If they could not convince Tin to come with them, their master would get angry. Coming to an agreement, the two of them nodded at one another."There's a possibility, master Tin," Cha Aim said without hesitation.As if given a sudden glimpse of light in a dark tunnel, Tin got up of his bed."Tell me more," Tin said unhurriedly.Type and his sister stood up and started explaining their objective. After some time, Tin seemed to slightly regain his hope.Type and his sister were both from the remnants of Demonic Elementalists. According to their old master who believed in the ancient prophecy of the demonic elementalists, a descendant of the First Pure Blood Demonic Elementalist would come and change the fate of the almost extinct and struggling clan of Demonic Elementalists.According to the prophecy, there were two criteria to find the real descendant of the most powerful Blood Demonic Elementalist in history. First, that descendant will come from a prominent family of Righteous Elementalists. Second, that person would also lose his spiritual core.Type's old master has been sending people to observe the different prominent families of Righteous Elementalists to find the descendant. When she learned the news about Tin and his spiritual core being destroyed, she was convinced that it was Tin who is the descendant. She immediately sent her disciples to try to convince Tin to come and further discuss their plans right after.Tin was still in doubt, but since he had nothing to lose, he agreed immediately. Whether the prophecy was a lie or not, these people say that they know a way to help him get Can back. He would just go along with them.Without losing any time, the three traveled back to a hidden old temple that was surrounded by small huts that were located at the foot of the mountain. At first glance, Tin thought that the place that they were going to was an underground area because there were only trees to where they were landing. Yet, as they descended slowly, Type and Cha Aim threw two talismans which revealed a barrier. That barrier then created two small holes where people could fit in. As they entered the small holes, an old temple was revealed. Tin realized that the barrier hid the huge old temple.Observing the huge temple, there were only standing lit torches that surrounded it. There was no sign of technology. The structure of the temple was simple but magnificent. Of course Tin was not there for sightseeing, so he ignored the scenery completely as he focused on his objective.As they landed in front of the entrance of the temple, the three walked inside where the old master was waiting for them."Master Ya Janya, we're back with Master Tin," Type said as he bowed towards his old female master.
(A/N: This is the old master. She is the English teacher in the LBC series.)"Welcome, master Tin. I hope you didn't have difficulties on your way here?" the old master, who was wearing similar clothes as her disciples, said with a graceful manner."I was told that this old master can assist me to return what I've lost and have my revenge?" Tin asked with a dignified tone.The old master Ya Janya nodded with a smile. "Indeed."Since it was going to be a long explanation, the old master gestured Tin to come with her for some tea in the temple's simple kitchen. Tin and the disciples quickly followed her.Bringing a gas lamp on a wooden table, old master Ya Janya started to tell Tin about the prophecy and the things that he must accomplish while she poured him green tea on his cup.In summary, Tin must first regain his spiritual core. In order for him to regain it, he must absorb the left-over spiritual energy and core of the corpses of his ancestors that were in his ancestor's tomb. Absorbing corpses' spiritual energy and taking their spiritual cores were forbidden because of the risks involved.When one dies, usually his or her spiritual core would still be intact. The stronger the person is, the higher the chances that the spiritual core would be intact when that person dies. The problem is that the moment the person dies, his or her spiritual core would slowly become impure and turn corrupted. If Tin decides to absorb the spiritual energy and core of his powerful dead ancestors, there is a chance that he could be also corrupted which could kill him in the process if he could not control it. On the other hand, if he succeeds, he would become a pure Demonic Elementalist. As a pure Demonic Elementalist, he would solely rely on the impure spiritual energy and practice demonic arts.One must know that there is a huge difference of power between a pure Demonic Elementalist and a normal one. A pure Demonic Elementalist possess a corrupted spiritual core. A normal Demonic Elementalist has a non-corrupted spiritual core. The more corrupted the spiritual core, the stronger the power to wield demonic magic.Naturally, everyone is born with non-corrupted spiritual core. Those who possess a corrupted spiritual core are mostly non-existent because of how rare they are. Usually, one becomes a demonic elementalist by relying on impure spiritual energy. Because non-corrupted spiritual core naturally accommodates pure spiritual energy, if one decides to absorb impure spiritual energy instead, there would be instability. This instability could cause serious health problems, which is why Demonic Elementalists have shorter lives compared to Righteous Elementalists.The case is different with someone who has a corrupted core to begin with. If a person has a corrupted core and absorbs impure spiritual energy, there would be no problem at all. Because there is stability, the health of the person would not deteriorate and would even strengthen that person's health and magic power. This explains why pure Demonic Elementalist have more powerful magic than normal ones.Since Tin has no spiritual core at the moment, if he could absorb the impure spiritual cores and energies of his ancestors successfully, he could be granted with a corrupted spiritual core. With this, he would become a pure Demonic Elementalist.Second, after he becomes a Demonic Elementalist, he must become High-Level Rainbow Grade Tier 4 Demonic Elementalist if he wants to summon the spirit of the dead. This method could then allow Tin to summon Can's spirit and communicate with him."You seemed to be eager to assist me. Are you quite confident that I'm the chosen one in your ancient prophecy?" Tin asked calmly.Old master Ya Janya smiled. "I'm confident that you're the chosen one to represent the Demonic Elementalist clan, Master Tin.""What is it that you want in return?" Tin sipped the hot green tea from the cup as he stared at the old master."It's quite simple. Whatever you do after you become a Demonic Elementalist will help us out. It's part of the ancient prophecy," the old master explained.Tin nodded. Still, he noticed that the old master would like to say something else."Go on, tell me," Tin said.The old master was surprised slightly, but she continued to smile. "Master Tin is truly perceptive."She poured Tin more green tea after seeing his cup was empty. "I must trouble you with this old woman's request. I have reached my limit and soon I will die and join our ancestors."Both Type and Cha Aim were stunned. They did not know that their master's health has gotten worse."Master, I thought you're getting better? Have you been taking your medicine?" Cha Aim asked worriedly.The old master waved her hand while she still continued to smile. "Medicine or any form of healing doesn't work for me anymore.""There must be another way, there must...." Before Type could even finish his explanation, his master stopped him."Enough, Type," the old master said to her disciple.Type wanted to say more, but he was stopped by Cha Aim as she grabbed his hand while shaking her head." Master Tin, due to my worsening health, I could no longer fulfill my duty as the leader of our Demonic Elementalist clan. I'm asking master Tin to become our next leader. I know that it might be a huge responsibility but...""I accept," Tin answered as he sipped his tea without hesitation."Thank you, Master Tin." The old master bowed and continued to pour Tin more green tea.With the person from the ancient prophecy leading them, the old master was relieved. Her clan would surely once again rise. There was no doubt in her mind at all.Although it was like this, the two disciples were hesitant. How could their master just instantly rely on Tin and give him such heavy responsibility already? They just met him tonight! The two siblings would like to voice out their opinions, but they did not want to offend both Tin and their master.On the other hand, Tin accepted the old master's request not because he pitied the old woman. He simply wanted more power and people to control. He does not exactly care about the prophecy or the people in the clan. All he wanted was the power to fulfill his plans of revenge and getting Can back by all means. The Demonic Elementalist clan would help him fulfill that.After their discussion, Tin asked Type and Cha Aim to transfer him back to his ancestor's dimension. Before he left, the old master handed Tin a dark wooden bottle with mysterious symbols on it. According to her, the bottle is an ancient legendary treasure that could contain spiritual core and energy. It has infinite capacity so if Tin decides to take the spiritual cores and energies of his entire dead powerful ancestors, there would be no problem. The only problem was once again absorbing the corrupted spiritual cores and energies of the dead.Thanking the old master, Tin and the two siblings left the mountain. When they arrived at their destination, they immediately entered the secret underground cave nearby Tin's mansion. Spending hours of traveling inside the cave, they finally found the portal to Tin's ancestor's dimension. The three entered the portal and were immediately transferred to the dimension.(A/N: Refer to Ch. 32 about the Tin's ancestor's dimension.)Sensing that a Phiravich family member came, Tin was greeted by Beelzebub, the Dark Guardian. By the looks on Beelzebub's smile, he seemed to be expecting them."It's been a while, Tin."
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[Present time - 1 year and 7 months after Tin entered his ancestors' dimension]The world was entering a chaotic phase. The cult, the Worshippers of the New World, had gained so much power and expanded in such a short time that it stood at the same level as B.S.G and E.A. Such unexpected growth of the power of such cult had caused E.A and B.S.G to become worried. The two groups sent elite operatives to investigate who was behind the cult and the true purpose of its existence, but they all failed. The cult was too secretive.As the two groups cooperated to prevent the continuous rise of the cult, their plans to do so would always fail. The cultists were always a step ahead of them. Somehow the cultists would be able to counter their plans easily.The more that E.A and B.S.G provoked these cultists, the more that the cult gained followers. It got to a point where the allies of both E.A and B.S.G also started joining this cult, which further weakened both groups. Thankfully, the battle between the Worshippers of the New World and the two groups did not escalate to an all-out war. It was mostly provocation and small fights between them.As time passed by, after a series of failed attempts to subdue the cultists, both E.A and B.S.G started turning on each other. The two groups believed that there were spies amongst them. Due to accusing and blaming of one another, the once strong bond between E.A and B.S.G weakened significantly. In the end, their cooperation stopped and they became hostile to one another.Now, the old hatred that began from the ancient times has once again appeared between E.A and B.S.G. With the addition of the growing power of the Worshippers of the New World, the tension could only continue to intensify. Only time could tell when a large scale confrontation between the three major factions would erupt and plunge the world into chaos."Father, the auction is about to begin! If we don't hurry up, we might miss the opportunity to grab wonderful rare treasures!" Trump sounded irritated while talking to his father on the phone.Today is the launch of the most important and exclusive auctioning event of the year. In this event, all of the rarest items were gathered in one place to be auctioned. Because the items presented in the event have the rarities starting from Rare up to Mythic, only those with power and money could attend. These kinds of people, who could only come from the top elite part of society, were given a special invitation to get in."I can't go. I have an important meeting to attend. I'll let you handle it," Trump's father said in a serious manner as he ended the phone call in a hurry."You should've said that sooner you old fart!" Trump screamed at his phone.Trump was in his luxurious room looking at the reflection of himself in the huge mirror to admire himself.Adjusting his tie, he said arrogantly, "I look so handsome in this black suit, hehe. The ladies would surely fall in love with me when they see me."While he was busy admiring himself in the mirror, he did not notice three people that showed up in his room. The leader of the group, who was wearing a beautiful and flashy red suit, was sitting down in one of the chairs while the other two was standing behind him.When Trump turned his head, he saw the three figures. All of a sudden he felt a chill in his body. For the elite guards that his father recruited and for him not to detect their presence could only mean one thing. Their power was above Rainbow Grade Tier 1.(A/N: Refer to Index about Grade and Levels.)The first thing that he looked at was the two people who were wearing straw hats and a combination of white and black colored monk robes. The two were looking at him with disgust. Who were these people?As Trump moved his gaze at the person in the middle who was sitting down, his heart suddenly stopped beating for a second. His body involuntarily shook as sweat started to form on his forehead."Wh-what is he doing here?" Trump said to himself.The guy in the middle seemed not to pay attention to Trump as he was staring at the window outside looking at what he considered an ugly scenery of the place. Tapping his index finger on the arm of the chair, he heaved a small sigh. This place is disgusting."T-Tin, why are you here? This is my family's private area. Y-you can't be here. Also, you're a fugitive! Don't make me call the authorities on you! Leave while you still can," Trump attempted to sound confident and strong as he threatened Tin.Immediately, Trump took his phone out of his pocket as he approached the door for exit.Tin faced Trump and waved his hand. In an instant, the phone flew away from Trump's hand."Eek!" Trump got scared as he tried to open the door. How come Tin can still wield magic? Did he not lose his spiritual core already?Trump started panicking as he started screaming for help. He tried to open the door, but he could not do it."Someone help me! Tin's here! SOMEONE HELP ME!" Trump was slamming the door while screaming for help. Someone should be able to help him. There are a total of one hundred elite security personnel that his father recruited. As long as he could alert them, he should be able to get some help. Yet, after some time, no one came for him. What did this mean?Suddenly, a scary realization hit Trump."Th-there's no way that he killed all of them in such a short time?" Trump told himself as his eyes suddenly widened from this thought while facing the door. Slowly, his legs weakened and he collapsed. His father's top elite security forces of the mansion should at least be High-Level Purple Grade rank. The leader of the security forces was a Rainbow Grade Tier 1 Beast Summoner. There was no way that Tin and the other two killed all of them? He did not hear any noise from some kind of battle outside to begin with!Even if Tin and the other two who were with him were above Rainbow Grade Tier 1, it was impossible to kill all of the security forces in such a short time and without making any noise. What's happening?"Are you done?" Tin asked calmly and indifferently while looking at his black leather shoes that had a stain of blood and mud on it.Trump faced Tin. He was not quite sure what he did to him, but he has to survive. "Wh-what do you want? If you want money, I have a lot. Name your price, just please don't kill me!""I don't need your money and I'm not going to kill you," Tin replied while still looking at his dirty shoes."My shoes are dirty, clean them for me."Type and Cha Aim who were beside Tin were about to move and clean Tin's shoes when they were stopped by him when he slightly raised his hand."You," Tin pointed at Trump."...clean them for me."Trump did not hesitate as he approached Tin. He shakily took a handkerchief from his pocket, but he was suddenly stopped by Tin."Clean my shoes with your tongue," Tin instructed. He looked at Trump as if he was some sort of insect."Wi-with my tongue, bu-but..." Tin's gaze turned cold before Trump could continue to complain.Trump felt more scared than before after seeing Tin's expression that could kill. Other than fear, Trump felt humiliated. What did he do exactly to deserve this?Even if Trump was hesitant and was full of pride, when it comes to his life, he would sacrifice anything to survive. So slowly, he leaned down to lick Tin's dirty shoes that smelled like a mixture of blood and dirt. It made him almost vomit because of how the smell of blood became stronger as he leaned closer to one of his shoes.As he slowly revealed his tongue to lick Tin's shoes, Tin's expression was mixed with further disgust and coldness.When Trump's tongue was about to touch his dirty shoes, Tin immediately stomped on Trump's head with force."Ack!" Trump felt pain and dizziness when his head hit the floor. Within a second, blood from his head flowed on the floor.With his right foot on Trump's head, Tin tried to remove the dirt and blood on his right shoe by continuous rubbing and stumping on Trump's head."Pl-please have mercy on me! Please don't kill me," Trump cried. A mixture of blood, tears, and mud formed on the floor where Trump was lying down."There's still dirt on my shoe," Tin said as he continued his cruel act. Type and Cha Aim just looked away. They were used to their new leader's cruelty on his enemies.Trump continued to plead to Tin to stop, but every time he would talk, the harder the kicks on the face he got, so he stopped talking.After some time, Tin stopped kicking Trump even though he was still unsatisfied.When he stopped, Trump was in an unpleasant state. His entire head was covered in blood. His face was mostly destroyed that his family would probably not be able to recognize him when they see him. He was in so much pain that he felt, that he would rather experience death than experience this continuous torture.Breathing heavily through his mouth irregularly when his nose was clogged with blood, he tried to get up. Unfortunately, his body could not move. Whether it was due to severe injury or fear, his body refused to obey him."I want you to tell me what happened to Can back in the Beast Gods' Dimension, if you still want to live," Tin asked as he sat down in the chair, still with a frosty expression on his face.When Trump heard the name Can, the anger that was already buried in his heart emerged once again. That damn Can! He is already dead, yet he still makes trouble for me! Why was it him that was suffering!?Yet, no matter how bitter or angry Trump felt, it was useless. There was no way he could resist or struggle against Tin. It was either his life or death.Slowly while struggling to breathe and to explain properly, Trump told what exactly happened back in the dimension. He told Tin that it was Ae who killed Can. He also mentioned how Ae explained that he was manipulated back then. After the explanation, there was silence. Not only did Trump's heart suddenly beat faster and became more fearful, but Type and Cha Aim also felt the same. The two siblings knew how important this 'Can' was to Tin. Every time Can's name was mentioned, Tin's temper would become terrible. It has gotten worse as time passed by.The reason for his worsening temper was due to his absorption of corrupted spiritual cores and impure spiritual energy from his powerful dead ancestors in such a short time. Because of his desire to become powerful, he was unable to completely control the corruption of the spiritual cores that he absorbed to create a new corrupted spiritual core. His new corrupted core was leaking impure spiritual energy inside his body. This leak could have a bad effect on Tin's body and mind in the future if he does not fix it as soon as possible. But since Tin was too busy becoming powerful and planning his revenge, this problem with his core would only worsen.Still sitting, Tin broke the arms of the chair when he heard Ae was the culprit. He felt angry but at the same time, he felt satisfied."So it's him," Tin whispered as he smirked. If the people in the room could see Tin's face, they would surely be unable to move due to his terrifying expression. Of course, no one in the room would dare oppose Tin. If they did, they might as well commit suicide.Finally, the silence in the room was broken."Where's Ae?" Tin asked as he went back to his calm expression. There was odd happiness that can be sensed in his voice.Cha Aim wanted to answer, but she felt afraid. She looked at his brother for help. Her brother simply nodded nervously."He should be at the auction house, grandmaster Tin," Type said as his mouth trembled."Well, let's meet him there," Tin said as he stood up."Grandmaster, we need a special invitation to get inside the auction house," Type replied.Tin faced Type and said, "I'm aware. Luckily, this trash will be willing to grant us an invitation."Type understood what his master meant, so he quickly searched Trump's pockets for the special invitation card. When he found it, he handed it to his master.Before they left, Tin looked at his dirty shoes."I need a new pair of black leather shoes before we get there."His two subordinates quickly nodded.Tin then faced Trump once again and put a spell on him.
"Hellfire Curse"
The two siblings looked at one another as they became stunned. The Hellfire Curse was a forbidden spell in the demonic elementalist clan. This powerful Epic rarity spell was meant to use to torture people. It was a spell that would put a targeted person in a coma. Of course, this was not the only reason that it was forbidden.After a person enters a coma, he or she would feel being burned alive repeatedly and endlessly. This person in a coma would not be able to struggle or shout for help. In addition, that individual could not even end his or her life even if that individual wanted to, because there was no way to move at all. The physical body would not be exactly harmed. It was the mental state that was being harmed. The spell creates a simulation that makes the feeling of being burned alive real. Such spell could only be broken by the person who chanted it. Usually, when the spell was finally broken, the victim would lose his or her sanity. If that individual was lucky enough to survive, then that individual would unfortunately become a slave of the person who chanted the spell. Such cruelty was the reason why this spell was forbidden."I'm not going to let you die since it would be a waste if you did," Tin said as he waved his hand to perform teleportation.Soon the three vanished in an instant, leaving the massacred bloodied victims on the floor inside and outside the mansion.Without any form of physical struggle, Trump silently wished he could die already. This kind cruelty that Tin imposed on Trump and his victims was his retribution and a warning to all of his enemies: no one can escape.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Somewhere in front of an abandoned building that was far from the nearest civilization, a small black hole was created. As it expanded, its color changed from light red to a darker red. The size of this red hole was as big as an average door of a house when it finally stopped expanding.From that red hole, two people came out."Good job, Can. You finally created a portal from the Beast Gods' Dimension to the human world," Pond said with satisfaction as he nodded."Ahh, Thanks Pond. It took me a while to create one. I would've not done it without your guidance," Can said as he breathed heavily.After reaching Rainbow Grade Tier 4 not too long ago, Can immediately attempted to create a portal. Initially, he failed multiple times. Thankfully, Pond guided him properly and eventually he was able to create a portal."Such a small matter. It's nothing," Pond said arrogantly as he looked away, but deep inside, he was happy and satisfied. Seeing Can happy made Pond smile.Throughout the time he spent with his master, Pond initially made plans to kill him. In the end, he failed, so he decided to just give up. It was not because his master treated him really well and cooked delicious food for him that he decided to give up. It was not the reason at all. Definitely not the delicious food!Can could see through Pond's thoughts and feelings, so he himself was happy and proud that he managed to change Pond's personality in such a short time. He wished Pond would continue to behave this way.Looking back at the portal, Can waited for Xu Xian and Bacsojin to come out. When he was trying to create a portal, the couple was always there with him to support him. Earlier the couple mentioned about traveling Xu Xian's hometown to visit his family. Although it has been a very long time, Xu Xian would like to know what happened to his family and at the same time visit their graves to pay respect. In addition, he would like to introduce Bacsojin to his ancestors. After that, the couple might explore the human world and visit wonderful places and see the changes that happened. They wanted to experience new things together."Why haven't they come out?" Can asked Pond.Pond only shrugged.When Can approached the red portal, his body suddenly began to hurt. Within a second, he coughed a mouthful of blood."Can!" Pond quickly went to his master's side and checked his vitals. He quickly looked at the red portal to confirm his suspicion. Based on his observation, the situation was bad.Creating and maintaining a portal required a tremendous amount of spiritual energy. Since Can attempted to create a portal multiple times within a day, his spiritual energy was already depleted. When he was able to successfully create a portal, Can seemed to pushed himself at maintaining the portal even though he knew that he did not have enough spiritual energy. This created instability with the portal and caused problems with the owner.Can was truly a stubborn person! He was so persistent of going home that he did not consider his safety! What happens if he dies!? If anything happens to master then who would feed Pond and pat his head?While transferring his master some pure spiritual energy, the portal began to fade. Aside from this, Can's left hand started to partially fade.When Can's vitals became normal after Pond transferred some of his spiritual energy to him, Can finally calmed down.Can patted Pond's head. "Thanks, Pond.""You were too reckless, Can," Pond sighed as he supported his master to stand up properly.Can looked at the position where he created the portal as he wiped the blood from his mouth. "What happened to the portal?""You depleted your spiritual energy, so you couldn't maintain the portal. Worry about yourself for now. Look at your left hand." Pond pointed at Can's fading left hand while shaking his head.The moment Can saw his fading left hand, his heart momentarily stopped beating, "Wh-what happened to my left hand?""Because the portal suddenly became unstable, part of your hand was transferred somewhere in the Beast Gods' Dimension. If we don't create a stable portal as soon as possible, parts of your body will start to fade as well."Can faced Pond in horror and panicked. "What should we do? How can we fix this?""Calm down. It's quite simple. We just need the <Emperium>," Pond answered."The <Emperium>? What's that?" Can asked as his eyes squinted in curiosity."It's a magical item that could help you to easily create a more stable portal while using little spiritual energy. The next time you create a portal with the assistance of the <Emperium>, your left hand will come back automatically," Pond explained.
(A/N: Emperium from Ragnarok Online.)"Where can we find this <Emperium>?" Can continued."I'm on it. Surely, this world of yours possess such item," Pond smirked.Without wasting any time, Pond released thousands of black ravens in the sky from his hands. The sky immediately turned black as if a storm was brewing, then in a moment all of the black ravens disappeared.Voices of different people suddenly entered Pond's consciousness. Closing his eyes, he processed and organized those voices and focused on those that were relevant to what he was looking for.The moment he opened his eyes, a huge smile on his face was shown."We're in luck. There's a huge auction today and the <Emperium> is one of the items being auctioned," Pond happily reported as he faced Can."An auction? But I don't have money," Can replied with instant sadness as he felt powerless. He just remembered how poor he was. Why was he so poor!?Pond, who has absorbed the culture and the structure of this world in an instant, understood what Can was talking about. "Although, we could steal the item, it would be too problematic and it would attract too much attention. It won't be good in the long-run," Pond contemplated as scratched his chin.According to the information he gathered from his black ravens right now, the auction event today was huge and only the powerful elite families in the society around the world were only allowed to participate. The security would be tight and the organizers of this auction event were not the type of people who should be offended easily due to their strength and abilities. Thankfully, he found out that for the <Emperium>, the person who was auctioning it did not want money. Instead, they were asking for an item or items that have the same value as the <Emperium>. Of course, one must know that the <Emperium> is a Legendary grade magic item, so item or items that have the same grade could be exchanged. Since Can and the others gathered all the treasures in the Beast Gods' Dimension, they naturally do not lack Legendary treasures. He knew the person who auctioned the <Emperium> and Pond was quite sure that he would not be able to resist what they would offer in exchange.After explaining the information that he has gathered and their plan during the auction, Can understood and agreed with Pond.Extending his hand, a special invitation card showed up out of nowhere in Pond's hand. It was definitely stolen."We should disguise ourselves, so we don't attract unnecessary attention and protect our identities."Can nodded. Quickly, Pond made a sign with his hand and both of their appearances changed. Pond's appearance changed into an old man who has a white hair and wrinkled face. Meanwhile, Can was transformed into a six-year-old boy young master. His height only reached Pond's waist. In addition to the changes to their appearance, they also covered themselves with a mask and a black cloak."Pond, are you sure these won't attract attention?" Can asked with a voice of a young boy.Pond nodded as he massaged his white beard. Summoning a huge black raven, Pond also transformed his pet bird that is considered a Mythical grade beast into an Epic grade Gryphon. When his pet bird looked at its appearance, it became instantly irritated."I know that you hate your appearance, but this is just temporary," Pond tried to calm his pet bird that was full of pride.Pet bird, "Hmph!"After the bird calmed down, the two hopped on its back and flew to their destination. Less than fifteen minutes has passed and they managed to find the auction house.As expected, the auction house was quite huge and truly fancy looking. Surrounded by a lot of securities and different people from elite families, the event was truly worthy to be called the auction of the century. Knowing about the fantastic event, people from different backgrounds and the reporters surrounded the entrance of the stadium.When people from the elite family would come, they would be surrounded by their own security guards to prevent the reporters and unknown people to approach them. Most of the invited guests would usually have a cover in their face or a complete disguise to protect themselves from being discovered by potential enemies and from being tracked down. In the past auction events, when a person would obtain a treasure, there would always be someone who would try to steal that person's treasure. It got to a point that murders would occur after the auction event. So to minimize the possibility of being tracked down and potential murders, people who would attend have decided to wear disguises. Of course, there were those people who did not wear disguises, because they think no one would dare offend them.After sending his pet away, both Pond and Can went straight to the entrance. Since they were in disguise, no one from the media bothered asking the two of them since they knew that the people in disguise would not reveal anything. They were usually protective of their identities. Besides someone was already making a commotion at the huge entrance."Do you not know me!? I'm the young master of the Great Shaman Clan!" a furious young man screamed at one of the guards of the entrance."I'm telling you. No invitation, no entry!" the guard persisted with an authoritative voice."You low-life bastard! I told you, my invitation was stolen!" The young man whose face was already red due to fury continued to argue with the guard."You think you're the first one to attempt to do this kind of deception? Besides most of the people here are wearing disguise, how would I know that you're the person you claimed to be?" the guard snorted.Hearing this kind of disrespect from a mere guard, the furious young man wanted to fight him but his attendant stopped him."Even if you're the young master, the invitation card is your responsibility to protect. For you to lose such an important item, what does that tell you?" the guard asked with a sarcastic tone."YOU DARE TO MOCK ME!?" the young master pushed his attendant to the side and started fighting the guard in front of him. With such commotion, the atmosphere became tense and lively at the same time. The reporters immediately started recording while the people started betting who would win from the fight.Meanwhile, on the other side of the entrance, both Pond and Can were able to enter with ease from the stolen invitation card.Inside the stadium, the seats were already almost taken. Everyone was chatting to talk about the kind of treasures that were going to be auctioned.In the middle, there was a simple stage made of stone. There were huge screens attached to the ceiling that would allow these people to see the items much closer. Even though the stadium was much simpler, the participants did not care. Their goal here was to get treasures!Finding the seats according to the invitation card, the two waited for the event to begin. Looking at his left arm, Can noticed that it also started to fade. Sighing, he distracted himself by looking around. He noticed that there were servers who were handing out fancy-free snacks.Since Can and Pond have not eaten food since yesterday, Can decided to call one of the servers to get free food.Instantly, both Can and Pond's eyes glimmered in delight when a tray of snacks headed their way."What would you like to have, dear honored guests?" the polite young lady who was wearing a formal waitress attire asked.When she was about to explain what was inside each of the snacks, the two people in front of her grabbed all the snacks from the tray.Server, "....""Thank you, you may go," Pond said as he waved his hand and instantly ate one of the snacks he grabbed.The waitress bowed her head and went away.Can also started munching snacks as he said, "We shourd gwab sowm mow fow Xu Xian and Bacsowjin. These fancy snacks are sow goowd!" ("We should grab some more for Xu Xian and Bacsojin. These fancy snacks are so good!")Pond nodded as he waved one of the servers to come to them. Suddenly, Pond realized something."We should save some for the future, in case we get hungry," Pond said to Can.Can immediately nodded. Back in the Beast Gods' Dimension, he got worried when the food in his storage ring was almost finished. Due to that, he promised himself, he would restock food in his storage ring as much as possible in case he gets trapped for a long time again somewhere just like before.One by one, both Pond and Can asked the servers with trays full of snacks to come to them. As soon as the servers would come to them, the two would take all the snacks from the trays.Servers, "....""Did you notice those two?" a random guy who was not too far away from both Pond and Can asked."Yeah, I noticed. Aren't all the people here from elite families? Why do they act like their parents don't feed them? Is this their first time eating such kind of food? A bunch of classless gluttons," the random guy's friend asked.Hearing the two talk, the person in front of them who was wearing a red suit and a black mask curiously looked at the direction of these "classless gluttons."He noticed how these two were just shamelessly grabbing the snacks from the trays of the servers."Grandmaster Tin, the auction is about to start," Type who was sitting next to Tin whispered.Tin nodded as he turned his attention back to the stage.Earlier he found out that the reason why Ae was here was to get a certain item that would allow him to create a portal back to the Beast Gods' Dimension. He wanted to search for Can to see if he was still alive. If not, he would want to find his body and retrieve it back to the human world.When team Thailand returned, the real reason for Can's disappearance was concealed. During the funeral last year, both Ae and Tin did not attend at all. According to a report Tin just received, Ae refused to believe that he has killed Can, so he promised that he would return to the Beast Gods' Dimension to get him back. In Tin's case, he did not attend the funeral because aside from being a fugitive, he thought it was unnecessary. He believed that he would get Can sooner.Now that he found out Ae's plan, why would Tin let him do what he wanted? Ae did not have the right to get Can back. It was not his responsibility to return Can, because he was incapable. The only responsibility that Ae has was to suffer and die. That was all Ae needed to do.In the middle of the stage, a representative with a microphone just walked and greeted everyone. It was the beginning of the event."Ladies and Gentlemen! The auction event will now start!"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Everyone in their seats was ecstatic when the speaker has officially initiated the auction event. While the speaker continued his introduction, the guests started talking to one another more energetically."Apparently, the items being auctioned are truly exceptional. Some of them are never seen before at all! With all the elites here, the competition for the items must be extremely harsh," one of the female guests said to her friend.Her friend replied, "Ahh, I wish I could get an item, but the chances are too slim. Compared to others, my family is nothing much.""Ohh, do you know that the French royal family prince is here too!" the friend continued as she pointed at one of the V.I.P seats that were close at the stadium."That's Prince Axel Auriant! He is soooo handsome!" The two friends squealed and giggled as they talked about the French royal family member.The person who is the topic of their discussion was calmly sitting down in his seat with his trusted advisor next to him. Unlike everyone else, Prince Axel did not wear a disguise which showed his fearlessness and great confidence. Wearing a white military general uniform with high-ranking medals of recognition that adorned it, the blonde and blue-eyed prince who has well-defined facial features was listening to the speaker in a proper manner.
(A/N: What I pictured him to be, but this is a different prince. Prince Harry of Great Britain.)As a prodigy of the French royal family, Prince Axel showed exceptional talent in the military in such a young age as a strategist and a soldier. Winning countless battles and finally putting an end to what seemed to be an endless rebellion in the country, the prince earned the title of Magic Knight General only at the age of 21. No one in the history of the French military has ever done such an achievement. Due to this, Prince Axel is well-known and respected throughout the entire world. No one would dare offend him. (A/N: That name is from one of the cast members of French drama titled: SKAM France. Check it out, if you have time. There is a gay storyline about him.)Not too far away from Prince Axel is the future heir of B.S.G of Thailand.Facing the slightly tense person next to him, a soft whisper with a tone of concern was uttered. "Ae."When he heard his name, he looked at Pete with a slight smile on his face. "I'm alright Pete."He momentarily paused and took a deep breathe shakily as he continued, "I hope to get the <Emperium> without much competition."Then Ae looked down as if trying to prevent Pete from seeing his expression while his lips trembled and his eyes were forming tears, "If not....I don't...I don't really know what I'm supposed to do...."Pete quickly caressed Ae's back and used his powers to transfer soothing and calming energy to him.Comforting him, Pete whispered repeatedly with tenderness and care to his partner, "You'll get it......you'll get it....."Ae has been through a lot since he came back from Beast Gods' Dimension. Every time he would remember anything related to Can, Ae would start to cry and blame himself. Back in his residence, he refused to leave his room and eat. He even refused to see anyone even Pete. His health quickly deteriorated as a result and his depression became worse. When he was sent to the hospital after collapsing one day, he was in critical condition. Pete rushed to the hospital and witnessed Ae's poor state. Thankfully, he managed to survive.Since then, Pete would always be by his side, no matter what. He would take care of him and nursed him back to health. Gradually thanks to him and support from family and close friends, Ae became better. After a few months, Ae has slowly recovered. Still, the pain in his heart and guilt was there. In the end, he decided to stick to his belief that he would not give up until he saw with his own two eyes that Can did die. With this reason, he decided that he would go back to the Beast Gods' Dimension and find him.Earlier this year, he was informed that there was a magic tool called the <Emperium> that would grant him the ability to create a portal to another dimension. After persuading his parents, he was given a Legendary item that he could use in exchange for the <Emperium>. Currently, he was worried that someone else would take the magic tool and his chance to travel back to Beast Gods' Dimension. He did not want this to happen.With Pete comforting him by his side, Ae calmed down a bit. He looked at Pete again and with a smile, he said, "Thank you, Pete. Thank you for being here with me."Pete gently smiled back as he nodded while he continued pouring warm and soothing energy to Ae, "En."When the speaker finished his introduction, he gestured a young beautiful model who was wearing a shimmering red silk dress and black high-heels to come to the stage while bringing the first item to be auctioned.As the model pushed a cart that was covered with black fabric to the middle of the stage, the speaker enthusiastically said, "Alright everyone, now here's the moment that you've been waiting for!"Everyone who was close to the stage looked intently and tried to guess what kind of item was behind that black fabric. Similarly, those who were seated far away from the stage like Pond and Can had to look at the huge screen while guessing.Since this was just the beginning of the auction, Rare grade items were being auctioned first. The items later would be of higher grades. Of course, the best ones would always be showed last. Still, everyone was excited about what items will be uncovered throughout the event.Without further delay, the speaker uncovered the first item. Most of the guest was filled with awe at the first auctioned item.Based on their reaction, they knew what was the first item.
(A/N: Moonlight Dagger from Ragnarok Online.)"Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see the first item is the <Moonlight Dagger>. This Rare grade weapon with sophisticated craftsmanship is meant to deliver quick decisive and fatal blows to the enemies. This dagger has the ability to drain 8% of the person's overall spiritual energy with one slash! Aside from this, it has survival capabilities as well! You'll have the ability to have short-distance teleportation three times before its one-hour ability cooldown.After explaining the capabilities of the <Moonlight Dagger>, more people became interested in the item. Soon bidding started.The speaker continued, "The starting bid for the <Moonlight Dagger> is $300,000." Although this price seemed to be expensive for those who did not have wealth, for the elite, this price was not too bad.One by one, the guests started bidding and outbidding the others."$350,000""$400,000""$500,000""$650,000......"Some time of intense competition has passed and the bidding ended for the first item. The auctioned item fetch a whopping $900,000. It was almost three times the original bidding price. The lucky one who got the item was hidden due to the green robe that he was wearing, but it was evident that he was happy about getting the item.Seeing how the people here just casually threw money, Can just dejectedly sighed. He could buy his family a brand new home and car with that amount of money. Thankfully, Pond found a way for them to earn actual money. The two of them were also auctioning several items in this event. Earlier, Pond ordered one of his black ravens to manipulate one of the staff members of this event and slip some of their 'useless' treasures to be auctioned. Now, Pond and Can's job was to make sure that the items that they auctioned would get as high amount of money from the bidders as possible.After waiting for some items to be presented and auctioned, it was now time for one of the 'useless' treasures that Pond and Can auctioned to show up. To be honest, after getting countless treasures in the Beast Gods' Dimension, all the items that were auctioned here so far were ordinary. So, unlike everyone in the audience, both Can and Pond were more interested in trying the free snacks that they got. They would then compare which snack was better and why.When the 'useless' treasure was uncovered, everyone including the bored French prince became excited.
(A/N: Golden Ornament from you know already!)"I present to you, the <Golden Ornament>! This wonderful and beautiful intricate Epic grade bracelet with the Worldly Green Emerald Stone as its decoration was created by a nameless craftsman. It has the ability to teleport a group of people in any area around the world within 15 minutes. The teleportation ability of this item can be used twice before its 3-hour cooldown. After being teleported, the bracelet will create a huge group defensive barrier for 30 minutes. The good thing about this item is that it does not even require spiritual energy. The only condition to use it is that you must be above Rainbow Grade Tier 2." Listening to the explanation, everyone was tempted to get the item. Now that the world seemed to be becoming more unstable, each powerhouse needs to gather as much power as possible. This item could be used to turn the tide of a battle due to its group teleportation ability that can be used as a surprise attack and its defensive barrier that could save people's lives. With these reasons, even though the requirement to use it must be above Tier 2, everyone would like to get it in any way possible.The tension in the atmosphere seemed to increase as everyone looked at the item with much desire.Smiling, the speaker faced the audience and said, "The starting bidding price for the <Golden Ornament> is $30,000,000!"Can quickly looked at Pond in disbelief. This item is worth $30,000,000!? Then the next other items that they have could fetch more money! Then does this mean that he would be a millionaire!?Immediately Can's heart started beating fast while his breathing became irregular. Now, he did not have to borrow money from his family and friends. He could also repay Tin, if he wanted to! Can become really happy that his moneyless life would be finally over!Raising one hand, a person in the V.I.P. seat said without any hurry, "$30,000,000."Suddenly, everyone became quiet. When they looked at the person who said it, they could only dejectedly look at one another as they sighed. It was Prince Axel.No one would dare bid against the powerful French royal family prince. According to rumors, when one bids against a French royal family member, that person would disappear. Even though it was only a rumor, no one would dare risk it and offend the most powerful royal family in Europe. This entire family of Magic Knights is all in the Rainbow Grade. Prince Axel was the second most powerful in his family next to his father. Currently, he is a Rainbow Grade Tier 3 Magic Knight. Would someone dare provoke him? No one will. Only an idiot or someone who does not want to live in this world anymore would do it.With the chattering around the stadium, no one seemed to be brave enough to outbid the French prince. Expecting such outcome, Prince Axel was satisfied as he looked at the speaker.Seeing that everyone became quiet after a minute, he decided to end the bidding for the bracelet.Yet, all of a sudden, he heard a loud conversation from a child and an old man from the audience."Grandfather, that bracelet looks really nice. Can you buy it for me?" the voice that came from a child wearing a black cloak said. This child was then grabbing the black cloak of a person next to him as if nagging."Aiya! why do you want an ugly bracelet? You have a way more beautiful bracelet that you can wear at home," the grandfather loudly said as he patted his grandchild's head helplessly while he seemed to ignore everyone's stare at them.Everyone, "....""I'm not going to wear it grandfather, I'm gonna use it for my Ring Toss Game Set that grandfather gave to me for my birthday."
(A/N: Ring Toss Game Set)"That's good then! My lovely grandchild could only wear the best kind and not mediocre ones. If my grandchild really wants it, then this old man will buy it for you! But promise your grandfather that you'd only use it for your game and nothing else?" the old man happily explained as he continued patting the child.Everyone, "....""Yes! My grandfather's the best!" the child gave his grandfather a warm hug.Everyone, "...."As the old man continued to pat the head of his grandchild then squeezing him with a hug, he faced the speaker and said with a sort of condemning tone, "$31,000,000. Hmph!"Everyone, "....."
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When everyone heard the old man and his grandchild's conversation, they could not help, but sneer."Who does this old man think he is?" a male guest whispered with a sarcastic tone."To offend Prince Axel means death. They're clearly seeking death," another guest whispered.Everyone seemed to have the same opinion towards the two that they were seeking their own death due to their arrogance.Suddenly, the trusted advisor who was slightly older than Prince Axel spoke with confidence, "This good sir, are you aware of what you're saying? This item is not meant to be played with by a child. As an advisor to the French royal family, I humbly ask that this good sir give us and the audience some respect."Hearing such words, the audience agreed."Yeah, why would you use such an important item on a ridiculous game? Are you mocking us?" one of the audiences who wanted to be on the French royal family's good side said.Similarly, everyone who wanted to be on the good side of the French royal family started saying the same thing towards the old man and his grandchild. With this, like a domino effect, almost the entire audience in the stadium was against the two.Looking at the situation, the advisor smirked. These low and sly kinds of people who wanted to get on their good side have their good use. This should stop the old man from bidding."Pfft! Hahahaha!"Everyone stopped their conversation to one another and looked at the direction where that mocking laugh came. It was from the old man."What's it to you people how I want to use this item? If that Prince of yours can't outbid me, then that's his lost and not mine."Pointing at the trusted advisor of the royal prince, Pond who was disguised as the old man continued, "You don't need to ask such people who wanted to be on your good side to turn against me and my grandchild. Such a tactic doesn't work on us."The audience immediately became silent. The trusted advisor suddenly became infuriated from embarrassment as he looked at the old man who was hidden by a black cloak and mask."YOU..."As the trusted advisor was about to lash out, he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. It was Prince Axel.With a calm face, Prince Axel slightly shook his head at his trusted advisor as he continued to focus on the item that was on the stage.Fighting during the auction event was prohibited. When the trusted advisor realized this, he bowed his head towards the prince and apologized to him.Nodding, the prince continued to bid."$32, 000, 000."Everyone was amazed at how the prince calmly and gracefully handled the situation. Truly worthy to be part of the royal family."Prince Axel, don't let this old man take the item! Teach him a lesson," one of the female guests who was clearly a fan of the prince shouted with enthusiasm. One by one all the female fans in the audience started cheering Prince Axel. The male audience, although reluctant and jealous from not having such attention from the ladies, also cheered."Good! Good! This prince seemed to be worthy to be my opponent," Pond said as he caressed his white beard."Can he outbid me though?" Pond continued while smiling."$35, 000, 000.""$36, 000, 000.""$40, 000, 000.""$45, 000, 000."The trusted advisor whispered, "Prince Axel, I don't think it would be advisable to continue to bid on this item."Prince Axel replied, "We'll get this item, no matter what it takes."The trusted advisor nodded, "We're not quite sure who these people are, but if the prince truly wants this item, then so it'll be."Prince Axel continued to bid, "$50,000,000."Using telepathy, Can who was in the form of a child asked, "Pond, how far are we going to bid?""A little bit more. This prince could bid until $60, 000, 000. Until then, continue doing your part," Pond happily replied using telepathy.As the bidding war continued between the prince and the old man, the audience could not help, but question who the old man really was. For someone to attempt to bid against the prince, only those with the same or higher status could do so. Even B.S.G or E.A would be careful not to offend the French royal family. Who were these people exactly?The trusted advisor seemed to sweat when the bidding was about to reach to $60, 000,000 which was already doubled the initial value of the <Golden Ornament>.If it was before, this amount of money was not a problem to the royal family, but since the royal treasury has been used to fund the war against the rebellion in France, the royal family could be considered broke.Prince Axel's attitude slightly changed. He knew how his family did not have the wealth it had before, but this item was truly important for future military operations. He had to take it no matter what.Forming a fist while maintaining a calm face, Prince Axel continued to bid. "$60,000,000."This amount of money was all the treasury gave to him for this event, if the old man continues to bid, then he would lose. Prince Axel does not want to resort to violence afterwards.When both Can and Pond heard the amount of money the prince offered, the two smiled wickedly. The trusted advisor seemed to have sensed their wicked smile, so he quickly turned his head towards them. Unfortunately, he was unable to catch them. Even if he did, what could he do? He does not know who these people were to begin with.Thinking about their current situation, the trusted advisor could not allow the royal prince to lose face from losing this bid. Without asking for the prince's permission, the trusted advisor released a suppressing pressure from his Rainbow Grade Tier 3 Magic Knight's spiritual core. Instantly, everyone below tier 3, felt fear and sensed suppression. They were unable to move due to the overwhelming pressure from the trusted advisor. Unlike those from below tier 3, those who were the same tier only felt slight pressure. Those who were above tier 3 were unaffected.Although violence was prohibited in the auction event, threatening was not. This was the reason that the trusted advisor was willing to release such oppressing pressure.When Prince Axel realized what his advisor did without his permission, he became unhappy. Yet, even if the advisor noticed the unhappy expression of his prince, he continued releasing his aura to let the old man know that provoking the royal family was not a smart choice."I hope that this good sir would give the French royal family some face," the trusted advisor said with a provocative tone."Pfft! I didn't know that the Prince keeps an untrained dog by his side. I thought that the royal family has high standards, I guess I'm wrong," Pond replied with sarcasm.Instantly, the trusted advisor became more furious."Do you want to take this outside, old man?" the advisor challenged as he gritted his teeth.The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Everyone knew that the trusted advisor to the prince had a bad temper and was cruel to his enemies. If one was not careful, offending this person was similar to having a death sentence."How dare you disrespect my grandfather, you untrained dog!"Everyone, "..."The audience looked at the source of that voice. It was the old man's grandchild. Why does it seem that he was unaffected by an oppressive aura? Also, are you not being disrespectful also?"Hey, kid. Don't get involved or..."Releasing an oppressive aura, Can said with his child's voice, "Or else what?"Everyone suddenly gasped."Tier 4!? The kid is a Rainbow Grade Tier 4.....Who...Who are these people!?" one of the audience shakily said as he became more frightened.Those who were unable to stand the pressure from Can passed out all of a sudden. With such oppressive power, everyone including Ae, Pete, Tin, and his subordinates were observing in great interest.The trusted advisor could not believe that the child was more powerful than him. He soon realized that he has offended a powerful person. Why did he do such a stupid thing!?With sweat forming on his face, the trusted advisor seemed not to be able to talk back due to fear.Finally, Prince Axel made a move. First, he gestured his advisor to stop releasing his aura. Second, he faced Pond and Can and apologized on behalf of his advisor."I would like to apologize for the rudeness of my subordinate."The trusted advisor tried to stop the prince from apologizing, but the prince ignored him."I'll make sure to discipline him properly, please forgive him," the prince continued as he bowed.Can stopped releasing his oppressive aura."You better put a leash on him," Pond continued.Prince Axel only nodded and returned to his seat.The audience was stunned. Prince Axel seemed to have lost to the old man.Such a scene was truly unexpected. Yet, the audience could not help but hate the old man and his grandchild more for being rude and ruthless towards the prince.Suddenly, the grandchild of the old man started talking to one another."Grandfather, I don't want the item anymore. Looking at it, it looks really ugly. It's just going to ruin my mood when I play the Ring Toss Game with you," Can said as he hugged Pond once again.Everyone, "...."Patting Can's head, Pond shook his head, "It couldn't be helped. If you don't like it then we're not going to buy that ugly bracelet."Everyone, "...."Since Pond and Can achieved their goal of doubling the bidding price of the <Golden Ornament>, there was no need to further provoke the prince. The two of them were quite happy about the results. They are now millionaires! Although they wanted to keep a low profile throughout the auction event, the amount of money that they could get here was too tempting to avoid. Whether provoking a prince or someone with higher authority, when it comes to money, Pond and Can would not mind offending people to get what they want.Spending time in the Beast Gods' Dimension, Can seemed to be influenced by Pond's foolish and evil behavior. This could explain why Can was willing to cooperate with Pond in his scheme to get more money."The prince can get that ugly bracelet," Pond declared.The speaker who was silent and tense the entire time waited if someone else would bid. After some moments of silence, he declared Prince Axel as the winner of the item."The <Golden Ornament> is now sold for $60,000,000 to Prince Axel!"The entire audience including the prince and his advisor were silent. They realized that they seemed to have been fooled by Pond and Can.Looking at the prince next to him, the advisor felt terrified after seeing the prince's reaction. He was smiling.Being together in battle with the prince for a long time, Prince Axel would only smile when he finds something interesting and that kind of interest usually shows when he finds a prey. Swallowing his saliva, the advisor could only shudder at what the prince might do to the old man and his grandchild.Soon, bidding resumed. One by one, the items of higher rarities were auctioned. When auctioned items that both Can and Pond would come out, the two would try to interfere to increase the bidding price, but they found out that they did not have to do it since the people would continue to bid higher than Pond's expected bidding price. Everything went smoothly, until the final item that everyone was waiting for finally showed up."Ladies and gentlemen, for the last item of this event!"As he spoke, the speaker quickly removed the black fabric and showed the item that was on the cart."I present to you, the <Emperium>!"
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The speaker did not even have to tell the audience what the item was called. The <Emperium> was not a secret to anyone attending this event. Everyone knew what it was and its superb capability."It seemed that everyone is well informed about our last item. Very well then," the speaker looked at the other side of the stage where the owner of this item was waiting. Everyone looked at the direction where the speaker faced.Soon, an elderly man with black long hair wearing a black suit walked towards the middle of the stage with his wife next to her who was wearing an exquisite beautiful purple dress while adorned with lovely pieces of jewelry."It's Mr. and Mrs. WangXian. The organizers of the event itself," one of the male audience members said as he admired the elderly couple.(A/N: You guys know where WangXian came from? Hint: GDC)One of the female audience members said with a trace of happiness, "They're so lovely! Ahh, I'm truly envious of them!"The elderly couple was popular not only because of their long-lasting wonderful marriage but also due to their influence and power all over the world. As the owner of the most famous auction house in the world, these two were obviously not from a normal background.Mrs. WangXian is a Rainbow Grade Tier 5 Alchemist. She could be considered as the current top alchemist in the world. Her specialty as an alchemist is to create miraculous pills such as pills that could allow a person to level up quicker, control powers, recreate a part of an organ, etc. Since she is considered the best alchemist, her services are naturally very expensive.Mr. WangXian, on the other hand, is a Rainbow Grade Tier 5 Craftsman. Just like his wife, Mr. WangXian could be considered as the current top craftsman in the world. His specialty is creating powerful pieces of equipment that could shake the balance of the world. As the top craftsman, his services are also quite expensive.Most of the items that were auctioned today were created by the old couple. Due to their status, everyone would not dare offend them. Even Can and Pond would not dare offend such people. It would be unwise to become their enemies."I'd let the esteemed owner of this auction house and also this item to explain his demands for the exchange," the speaker said as he bowed to Mr. and Mrs. WangXian.After giving the microphone to Mr. WangXian, the speaker promptly left the stage.Everyone became silent as they listened to Mr. WangXian talk."As you may know, this Legendary magic tool <Emperium> is one of a kind treasure that I painstakingly collected during one of my expeditions during my youthful days. This magic tool would allow a person to help create a stable portal to another dimension. Of course, such an important magic tool that I'm going to exchange naturally needs to meet an item that has an equivalent value. If you have an item that you think is worthy to be exchanged, then I'll be the judge of it. Let's begin."Concise and straight to the point, that was Mr. WangXian's way of dealing with his business. The audience could not help but admire him more. So cool!Immediately, one by one, the representatives of the elite families started showing their prized possessions that were of Legendary rarities in exchange for the <Emperium>, but they were easily rejected by Mr. WangXian.No matter how amazing the items that were presented by the audience, Mr. WangXian was not at all impressed. In the end, he felt that there was no interesting worthy item to be exchanged with the <Emperium>."I would like to exchange the <Emblem of the Sun God> with the esteemed Mr. WangXian's <Emperium>."Hearing about the <Emblem of the Sun God>, everyone including the old couple became piqued with interest all of a sudden as they looked at the owner of the voice from one of the V.I.P seats. Although the person was wearing a disguise, Mr. WangXian knew who it was."The <Emblem of the Sun God>, a necessary material to create a Mythical rarity weapon," Mr. WangXian said as he stroked his beard."Mr. WangXian is truly insightful. Indeed, this material could be used to create a Mythical weapon," Ae said while he showed the glowing golden sphere with his left hand.
(A/N: Emblem of the Sun God from Ragnarok Online!)One must know that mythical weapons are considered the most powerful weapons in this world. In the entire history of humanity, only three mythical weapons were known to be created. Unfortunately, the origins and their current locations were unknown. This caused many people to believe that probably such weapons do not exist after all. Yet, if someone was to yield such a mythical weapon, that person has the capability to rule the entire world.Creating a mythical weapon requires a lot of rare resources. If Mr. WangXian could create such a weapon, then he could easily become the true powerhouse of this world. Of course, the creation of such a weapon is quite expensive and has a quite high risk of failure no matter how experienced or great a craftsman might be. Due to this, even if the <Emblem of the Sun God> seemed to be a good item to exchange for the <Emperium>, Mr. WangXian was still hesitant. If he fails, then the consequences would be bad for him. He could die if he fails. He did not want that. He did not want to leave his wife alone.Someone suddenly interrupted the two."I'm exchanging the <Symbol of the Nine Realms> for the <Emperium>," the man who was wearing a red suit and black mask said with an unhurried tone as he showed the deep purple emblem that was covered with a black aura.
(A/N: Symbol of the Nine Realms from Ragnarok Online.)Everyone including the couple gazed in awe and fear as they saw the Legendary item."The <Symbol of the Nine Realms>, the only item that is capable of removing and implementing any type of powerful curses. It also has to capability to kill up to nine people instantly in a mysterious way as long as the user speaks the name of whom that person wanted to kill," Mr. WangXian explained as he stared at the purple emblem that emits a dark and ominous aura."Mr. WangXian is worthy of his name as the top craftsman," Tin said as he smirked.If compared to the <Emblem of the Sun God>, the <Symbol of the Nine Realms> was a safer choice to exchange with the <Emperium>. Mr. WangXian does have enemies who he wanted to kill. With this item, he could easily destroy them without him being blamed for his enemies' death.When looking at the satisfied reaction of Mr. WangXian, Ae could not help it, but become more anxious. He really needed the <Emperium>.Once again, Ae's heart started to beat uncontrollably fast as he began to shake. He did not want anyone to take the <Emperium>. He has to get it no matter what. When he looked at the direction of the man who was holding the <Symbol of the Nine Realms>, his heart stopped momentarily. The mysterious man in a red suit and mask was smiling at him. It was as if this mysterious man was enjoying his miserable state. Who was this guy?Seeing that Ae started to become anxious once again, Pete immediately transferred calming energy into Ae."Mr. WangXian has not decided yet. You haven't lost yet," Pete whispered to Ae.Taking a deep breath as he looked away, Ae said "I...I don't know....""Is there anyone else who would like to speak up?" Mr. WangXian asked. By the looks of it, it was clear that he has decided to take the <Symbol of the Nine Realms> as an exchange."Hold on esteemed Mr. WangXian! My grandfather would like to speak!"Everyone, "..."That voice was quite familiar to them. It must be those two again. What kind of trouble were they going to do now?Mr. WangXian looked at the direction of the two. He knew that these pair of grandfather and grandchild were not the original owner of the special invitation card that they own just like the guy in the red suit. Although he knew this, he did not exactly care. He cared more about what it was that they could bring. He knew that he would not be disappointed.Raising his eyebrows, Tin looked towards the direction of the pair. These two could not possibly possess a better item than his?"My grandchild is bold for speaking up for his grandfather," Pond said as he petted Can's little head."Good child," he continued.Facing Mr. WangXian, Pond continued his act, "My lovely grandchild is a shy kid. For him to be able to speak up in front of many people deserves praise from his grandfather."Everyone in their heart, "These two were still acting shameless!"Coughing once, Mr. WangXian went straight to the point, "What would this elder like to exchange?""This!"Quickly, Pond raised his right hand that held an old tattered book with a proud look on his face.Everyone looked at the item that he was holding. An old book?"Is he joking? It looks like trash," an audience whispered."There should be a limit on how much a person can joke," another person said."First it was Prince Axel, now even Mr. WangXian. They're shameless. Aren't they afraid of dying?" another person asked.Everyone in the audience had doubts in their heads about the book that Pond was holding. Even Mr. WangXian was a little hesitant."Could this elder explain what this item is?" Mr. WangXian asked.With a smile, Pond teased Mr. WangXian, "I'm surprised that this esteemed craftsman doesn't know. Well, I don't expect anyone to know about it in any case.""This book is called the <Book of the Celestial Craftsman>. Mr. WangXian must've heard about such a book, I presume?" Pond continued.When Pond saw the shocked expression on Mr. WangXian, he knew that the deal was already sealed."I've only heard the existence of such a book in ancient texts. I didn't know that such a thing existed," Mr. WangXian replied with a hint of excitement.The audience looked at one another, they do not know exactly what the two were talking about, but based on the reaction of Mr. WangXian and his explanation, it just meant that the book must truly be valuable."Then Mr. WangXian knows what is contained in the book?" Pond asked enthusiastically."Yes, it contains all ancient blueprints to create Epic and Legendary items. Even the blueprints for Mythical weapons were listed on the book," Mr. WangXian answered. Even though he was the best craftsman, Mr. WangXian still lacked a lot of blueprints to create Epic and Legendary items. Having this precious ancient book will surely increase his knowledge about craftsmanship. This book is way more precious and valuable than the Legendary items that were presented by the entire audience combined. Even compared to the <Emperium>, this book had more value. There was nothing to discuss anymore. He must get it!Mrs. WangXian saw the look on the face of her husband. Whispering to him, she said, "Don't you think it's quite suspicious that this person is willing to exchange such priceless item for an <Emperium>? For all we know, the book is fake. Do you have a way to prove that this book is not fake?"When Mr. WangXian heard his wife, he nodded. "Yes."Facing Pond, Mr. WangXian asked, "Do you have the key to open the contents of the ancient book?""Naturally," Pond said as he threw the key towards Mr. WangXian."This key could only be used by a craftsman of your caliber. If you transfer your spiritual energy into the key, you should be able to sense its secrets and power of the original craftsman who created the book and the key itself," Pond continued to explain.Catching the golden-colored key, Mr. WangXian observed it. Made from an unknown gold material with mysterious symbols engraved on the key, Mr. WangXian could tell that this key was not fake and out of this world.Transferring his spiritual energy into the key, a faint glow on the key showed up. Based on the satisfied and excited expression from Mr. WangXian, it confirmed that the key was authentic which meant that the book that Pond was holding was also real."It's true. This elder does possess the authentic <Book of the Celestial Craftsman>!" Mr. WangXian nodded.Immediately, he decided to stop the bidding for the <Emperium> even though there were still people who wanted to try their luck. It was then that the auction event officially ended.Everyone talked to themselves and tried to guess who the old man and the child were, but in the end, they were unable to guess. The two became a mystery and a topic of discussion to everyone.Since it has been decided that Mr. WangXian would take the book, Ae felt weak as tears fell from his eyes. How would he go find Can now?Thankfully, Pete was there to support him.Meanwhile, Tin's mood became horrible and menacing. Those pair of grandchild and grandfather dared to take his treasure, so he decided to take the <Emperium> no matter what it takes.Ignoring Ae and Pete, Tin gestured the siblings to leave with him to ambush the two outside.Prince Axel calmly stood up with his advisor as they went to the exchange room to get the <Golden Ornament>.Similarly, both Pond and Can went to the exchange room to collect the money and the <Emperium>. In total, they managed to get about $250,000, 000. Both of them were happy from how much money they have earned."Can, how's your condition?" Pond asked as he put the <Emperium> and cash in his storage ring.Can looked at his body. It was getting worse. His left arm faded completely. Now, parts of his body and head were gradually fading."Not good," Can replied."We're leaving immediately," Pond replied.The two quickly left the exchange area.Before they left, they managed to encounter Prince Axel and his trusted advisor.Pond mocked the prince by saying, "Thanks for your contribution, Prince Axel. We're now richer thanks to you."After patting the shoulder of the prince, the two then dashed out from the exchange area.Both Prince Axel and the advisor, "...."Mr. and Mrs. WangXian wanted to talk to them, but seeing that they already left, they could only sigh. They thought it would be great to know these people.When the pair came out, the path that they took was lead to a crowd less area that was close to a forest where Pond's pet was relaxing.Before Pond could call his pet, his movements were stopped. He could not move.Looking down with his eyes, he saw shadows that were holding him back."Who is it!?" Pond shouted in anger. Who dares attack this God Beast!In front of him, two people who were wearing monk robes showed up.Meanwhile, Can was already grabbed by the guy wearing a red suit and mask.At this point, Can's eyes and ears were losing their functions. He was unable to hear or see anymore, yet he knew that there was trouble."Hand over the <Emperium> or I'll kill him," Tin said threateningly as black lightning covered his right hand."Bastard!" Pond said angrily. He tried to communicate with his pet bird, but he could not do it. His spiritual energy was restricted by the shadows. By the looks of it, this person with the red suit was way more powerful than Can himself. Who was this bastard?Suddenly a powerful arrow was sent flying towards Tin's direction. Tin managed to destroy the arrow before it could even touch him.Looking at the source of the attack, Tin smiled. He knew very well who it was."Leave those two alone!"Tin thought it was great. He could get the <Emperium> and at the same time destroy Ae.Licking his red lips, Tin whispered, "Truly great."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Within a short distance, the Seven Deadly Sins Beasts showed up and surrounded Tin and his subordinates."Trying to become a hero to save these two?" Tin asked as he focused on Pond."Or do you also desire to get the <Emperium>?" he continued with a smirk.Ae who was standing not too far away from the mysterious masked man suddenly stopped his movements as he said, "I'm not like you who would resort to killing people to get what he wanted!"Hearing his words, Tin could not help it but laugh. "Ahahahahaha!"Tin repeated the words that Ae said unhurriedly, "'I'm not like you who would resort to killing people to get what he wanted!'"He shook his head in disbelief and then faced Ae, "Can you hear yourself saying those words? How can you have the conscience to say this phrase, hmm? Have you forgotten the crime that you committed?"At first, Ae did not know what the guy in the red suit and mask was saying, but then he realized what he was talking about. The news about Can was supposed to be a secret, so how did this guy know? Who could he be?Yet at that very moment, Ae felt a sudden chill on his body. It cannot be Tin? No, that cannot be, the voice of this person was different from Tin."Who...who are you?" Ae said as he became defensive, yet there was a trace of fear on his face. He was not afraid of Tin. He was afraid of guilt when he meets him."You're asking me who I am? Well, I'm the one who will end your life!" Tin declared threateningly as he pointed to himself.
"Nine Realms' Black Lightning"
With the black lightning on his right hand, he directed a surprise attack towards one of the Seven Deadly Sins Beasts without moving from his position. With a deafening crackling sound from the black lightning, Archbishop Magaleta who was the healer of the group was hit. Instantly, she fell down as her entire skin on her body was a crispy charcoaled color while being bathed of her blood. With one attack, one of the proud Seven Deadly Sins Beasts was removed from the battle and went back directly to her dimension.Ae did not expect that one of his beasts would be in such a sorry state in such a short time, yet he knew he must continue fighting.Quickly, Royal Guard Randel went into a defensive position.
"Royal Guard Protection!"
With Ae's command, Royal Guard Randel performed a spell that gave the rest of his teammates a protective barrier.
"Ultimate Group Single Attack!"
Hearing another order from their master, the remaining Six Deadly Sins' Beasts performed all of their most powerful single attack towards the masked man in a red suit.Royal Guard Randel, "Guardian's Terror!"Ranger Shecil, "Rain of Arrow!"Minstrel Alphoccio, "Sleep Curse!"Guillotine Cross Eremes, "Bleed!"Rune Knight Seyren, "Destructive Slash!"Warlock Katrinn, "Elemental Blow!"With the combined power of the Six Deadly Sins' Beasts, Ae was confident enough that he could damage the guy in the red suit. Yet, as if mocking him, he saw that the mysterious guy was yawning like he was bored. He did not even bother moving from his position.As the powerful attack spells were released, Tin slowly raised his hand.
"Absorb!"
Immediately all the released powers from Ae's beasts were absorbed. A small sphere of black light then hovered on top of Tin's right hand. It was the size of a small coin.When Ae saw how this mysterious guy just casually absorbed his beasts' ultimate spells, he knew at that point that he would not be able to fight back. It seemed that this mysterious person was playing with him since the beginning."This is all that you can do? Pathetic," Tin scoffed."Let me show you true power!" he continued.
"Amplify!"
In such a short time, the small black sphere that contained the powers of the combined attack of Ae's beasts became bigger. The ground shook and the atmosphere surrounding Tin became darker. As the black sphere got bigger, its size grew as big as a basketball."This much of strength should be enough to deal with your prized beasts," Tin said with a wicked smile.
"Release!"
The black sphere split itself into six smaller black spheres. Then they dispersed and rushed to Ae's remaining beasts. As soon as the black spheres touched the beasts, they all exploded and engulfed each of the beasts with black flames.Each of the beasts was screaming in agonizing pain as they tried to remove the black flames that were covering them. Unfortunately, no matter how much they tried, the flame just continued to grow and burn them.Being restricted by black shadows, Ae was unable to do anything as he just watched his beasts being burned by the black flame. One by one, each of his beasts fell down as they slowly turned to ashes. As they helplessly asked for their owner to assist them, Ae could only stare at them while tears on his eyes kept falling. He could not do anything at all."So...sorry....everyone...," Ae stuttered as he broke down.When the last beast finally turned into ashes, Ae was finally released by the shadows that restricted him earlier. Right now, he was lost at what to do.Yet, slowly he approached the ashes of his comrades in silence.Seeing his miserable state, Tin could not be happier. With a wide smile on his face, he approached Ae while still holding the kid on his hand."How does it feel to lose someone important to you, Ae?" Tin said as he removed the mask that he was wearing.When Ae looked up, his body shook in fear. His lips trembled as he whispered, "Ti-Tin? So, it's really you.""Why does it look like you just saw a ghost? You thought I was dead?" Tin teased."I didn't kill Can. I-I was ma-manipulated. I wouldn't dare kill a friend and a brother to me," Ae explained as he started sobbing. The pain and the guilt that he tried so hard to hide finally erupted once again. In addition to the death of his beasts, the pain that he was feeling became worse. He was truly useless.Anger surged in Tin's heart as he kicked Ae in the stomach, "You killed him because you were jealous of him! You wanted him to die because you felt threatened. Blame yourself for being weak and insecure. Why does it have to be him who had to suffer huh!?"As he continued to kick Ae, Tin became angrier. The blows of those powerful kicks were not enough payment for the pain and suffering that he had caused. As Tin's anger became more severe, the corruption of his body due to the impure spiritual energy was taking over. Tin's eyes gradually turned black. His breathing became irregular and the veins on his body became black too."Tin, stop!"In an instant, Pete showed up in front of Tin and shielded Ae with his body."Please Tin, spare Ae. Don't kill him," Pete said as he started crying while hugging Ae who was already unconscious and bloody on the floor."Move Pete! I'll kill him for what he did!" Tin shouted as he momentarily stopped from kicking."Please stop it. Can would not want to see you doing this. Please Tin, I beg you!" Pete pleaded as he grasped Ae tightly.Tin did not listen to Pete."Move Pete while I still have my patience!" Tin shouted.Being persistent, Pete did not move, "No, if you're going to harm him, then you have to go through me!""Then so be it!"When Tin was about to kick Pete away from Ae, the child next to him suddenly collapsed. Momentarily, Tin became distracted as he looked at the kid still covered in a black cloak.Pond who was unable to hear their entire conversation, but could see what was happening witnessed Can collapsing.With sudden fear that he felt, Pond screamed on the top of his lungs, "CAN! CAN! CAN YOU HEAR ME!? MASTER!?"When he heard what Pond said, Tin stopped his actions immediately. The name 'Can' echoed in his head and his heart which somehow caused the corruption in his body to become tamed. His eyes and veins suddenly returned to their normal colors. Still, his breathing was irregular. This irregularity was not due to anger, but rather from sudden anticipation."What did he say?" Pete asked with shock on his face as he looked at the person who collapsed next to Tin. "Ca-Can?" Tin looked at the person next to him who was wearing a black cape. His eyes were suddenly filled with tears. He hoped inside him that he was not being tricked. Yet, observing the body, Tin did notice that the height of this child changed. It was evident that the original appearance of this person was not of a child, but an adult.Slowly, Tin removed the black cloak that was covering the person. Although there was still a mask on his face, Tin was quite sure who it was. As he shakily removed the mask. His suspicions were confirmed. It was Can! Can is here with him, finally!"Can, thank god. You're alive... You're alive...." Tin whispered with joy evident on his face.When Pete saw this, he was speechless, but just like Tin, he was overflowed with happiness. If Ae knew that Can was alive, he would not have to suffer anymore.Although Can was unconscious, he was still breathing. Still, both Pete and Tin noticed the fading appearance of Can."What's wrong with him?" Tin asked worriedly.As soon as Tin let his guard down, the shadows that were restricting Pond were gone. Whistling, Pond called his Mythical pet. Within an instant, his black raven pet swooped down from the sky and took Pond and Can.Because everything happened within a second, Tin was unable to react immediately. When he finally realized that Can was taken away once again, it was as if Tin's world was destroyed once again. It was as if fate was playing another cruel joke on him. Looking at the direction of where the black raven escaped, he did not notice that he was missing an arm."Grandmaster Tin, you're bleeding! We have to treat your wound quickly!" Type said as he took Tin away and disappeared with Cha Aim."Wait!" Pete shouted, but it was too late. They were all gone. "Can is alive, but why was he fading? Who was the guy with him? Also, what happened to Tin? Who were those people with him?" These were the questions that were on Pete's mind at that moment.Shaking his head, he looked at Ae who needed immediate medical attention. He would worry about those things later. He has to help Ae as soon as he can. Still, there was a weak smile on his face. He knew that Ae was incapable of killing Can.In the location where Can initially created a portal to this world, Pond lay him on the ground. This area would be much easier to control since a portal was already created before. Looking at Can's state, almost 50% of his body has faded. Pond has to act fast as soon as possible.
"Body Manipulation!"
The spiritual energy in the form of strings on Pond's fingertips was attached to Can's different body parts. Then with movements of his hands, he was able to control Can's actions sloppily.Taking out the <Emperium> from his storage ring, he put it on Can's right hand. With slight manipulation of Pond's fingers, he was able to instruct Can's body to create a portal.
"Create Portal!"
With Pond's spiritual energy and using Can as a vessel, Pond managed to successfully create a stable portal with the assistance of the <Emperium>.With the portal finally opening up, Can's body returned to normal. Aside from this, both Bacsojin and Xu Xian were able to come out of the portal. The moment that the couple saw both Can and Pond in a such a state, they immediately went to check the two of them. Thankfully, they were only exhausted.Seeing that everything went well, Pond collapsed after depleting his own spiritual energy.When the two woke up, a few days had passed already.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was a peaceful night. The moon and the stars were up in the sky where they give the world a glimpse of light from the total darkness. These bodies of the universe were once used for navigation as not to get lost and to be able to find one's way back home.Looking up above the familiar sky, Can knew that he was home.In front of him was a white gate that was next to an old light post. It has already lost its pristine white color, since it was already covered with rust. Can must remind his mother that they have to repaint the gate.As he was about to touch the lock of the gate to open it, he hesitated all of a sudden. How was he supposed to greet them? Would it be better to visit them in the morning after all?In the end, after contemplating, Can still decided to go inside. He wanted to meet them as soon as possible and tell them that he is still alive. He knew that his family has suffered enough.Opening the lock of the gate with his key that he kept in his storage ring, he entered. Slowly, he took his time as he looked around and reminisced the moments he had at the small front yard that they have. His parents used to plant their own vegetables in this small area. Ley and he would help out from time to time to help nourish the plants. It was a fun bonding activity for the entire family. Yet, after their father died, somehow planting and nourishing vegetables were not as fun as they used to. It was suffocating even. In the end, the plants died and the front yard became empty.Now approaching the door to his house, Can suddenly became nervous. As he took a deep breath to calm down, he took out the house key from one of his pockets. When he finally unlocked the door and came inside the house, he turned on the light of the living room. Surprisingly as he looked and walked around the room, there were no changes. Their old television was still there. The small green sofa, the small wobbling wooden table, and the cheap shelf with a bunch cheap decorations were still there.When he walked towards the shelf, the picture frame that was on the top shelf of his still complete family caught his attention. He grabbed it and looked at it for a great while. This was the picture of him with his family when he was still young. It was taken when they went out to the mall to celebrate Ley's birthday. It was the last picture that they have taken as a complete family."I'm home," Can whispered with a weak smile on his face as he softly touched the picture of his father.Putting back the picture frame to the shelf, he decided to go to the kitchen. He looked around once again. There were no changes. The kitchen was still the same.Suddenly, Can's stomach grumbled. He was unable to eat normally today due to the nervousness of going home. It was unexpected of him since when there was usually a problem, he would eat until he felt better. It was not the case this time. Thankfully, Xu Xian, Bacsojin, and Pond were forceful enough to make him eat. Speaking of them, the three decided to roam around Thailand and visit wonderful places at night while they left him to deal with meeting his family. Talk about supporting a friend...Those three might have gone to the night market and eating great food.Quickly, Can opened the refrigerator and saw some leftover home-cooked food. When he checked the contents of the plastic container, his eyebrows slightly frowned. There were ham and cheese hot pockets."Who made these?" Can whispered with confusion evident on his face.Usually, he was the only one who would prepare this kind of food in the house. Was it Ley? It would be impossible if their mother made them since she did not know how to cook.Taking a piece of the already cold food, he took a bite. They were less flavorful compared to the ones he made. Still, they taste good. Actually, it could be that he was too hungry, which could be the reason why they taste good. In any case, he would eat them since he was hungry.While eating food from the plastic container, he decided to go upstairs to go check his room. He wanted to go check on Ley, at first, but he was curious if there were any changes in his room.As he was about to open the door to his room, the door was somehow already opened slightly. Can did not put much thought about it as he entered.Turning on the light of the room while chewing on another piece of hot pocket, he noticed that his room did not change either. It was still the same. He thought that his mom would sell his stuff away and move Ley's bed in here since she liked this room due to the better air ventilation from the window in the room. It was great that it did not happen. He liked this room.Speaking of the window, it was open. Why would someone leave a window open? Are both Ley and his mother not worried that someone might sneak in and do something bad?"Did you like the food that I made?" A whisper behind Can's left ear could be heard after the door to his room was closed.It was then when Can realized that he was not alone in his room. The moment he turned around, he was pushed to his bed. As he was pushed, the plastic container and the food in his mouth were dropped."Ti-Tin!?" Can whisper in surprise as his eyes widened in disbelief when he saw Tin. When did he get here!? How did he know I was here!?While being pinned to his bed, Tin said, "You came back without saying anything to me? Why are you being cruel to me, hmm? Do you want me to chase after you?" Tin gripped both of Can's arms while on top of him, so he would not be able to escape. His expression was filled with suffering and slight anger as if he was wronged.When Can looked at Tin, he looked scary as if he was mad. Can became uncomfortable as he slightly struggled. "I-I had trouble coming back, so I had to....What happened to your arm!?"Seeing the missing left arm that has a huge bandage that was dyed with blood, Can was suddenly filled with worry.As if he did not hear him, Tin continued to complain. "This time, now that I have you cornered, I won't let you escape. If I have to, I'll lock you up in my room and never let you out!""Tin, listen to me! You're bleeding!" Can finally raised his voice as he stopped struggling. "Can, do you know how much I've suffered when I learned that you were gone?"While Can was focusing on the bleeding bandage on Tin's missing left arm, he did not realize that Tin's eyes were filled with tears. As those heartfelt warm tears fell to Can's cheeks, Tin finally broke down and sobbed.The sounds of Tin's cry finally caught Can's attention. When he looked up, his heart soften. As soon as he had the chance, he managed to remove one of his hands from Tin's grasp.Slowly, he touched Tin's cheeks that were filled with tears."I'm back," Can whispered tenderly as he wiped the tears from Tin's eyes."Can...Can....Can....You're back...finally....," Tin whispered as he finally smiled.Suddenly Tin collapsed on Can. Based on Can's observation, it was most likely from fatigue and continuous bleeding. It seemed that Tin escaped from a hospital since he was still wearing a blue patient gown. What a troublesome person! He was going to visit him next after he checked on his family, but he did not expect that Tin would be the one visiting him.Carefully pushing Tin to his bed, Can quickly took a powerful healing potion from his storage ring. After removing the cap off the potion, he poured the red liquid inside Tin's mouth.Soon, Tin started to sweat as his eyebrows frowned due to discomfort. Yet, within a minute, he was stable once again. The bleeding has stopped and healed the wound completely.Looking at his missing left arm, Can wondered how Tin lost his arm. In the end, Can decided that he will ask him later when he wakes up. Can was not too worried about his missing left arm because he has a way for Tin to regrow it back.With sweat covering Tin all over his body, Can grabbed a small towel from his storage ring. Softly, he wiped the unconscious man's face."He's still the same, except for the eye bags," Can whispered as he admired while at the same time feeling sorry about Tin's current state. He really did miss Tin terribly.Thinking about it, he wondered what Tin did the entire time when he was gone. He wondered how would he react if he learned that he did not have the <Soul Fire> that he promised. Would he be upset?Although Can has spent a long time looking for treasures in the Beast Gods' Dimension, he never found a tool that would allow for an individual to regain one's spiritual core.Patting Tin's forehead with his towel, Can said, "You wouldn't want to be immortal in any case, right?""I bet you'll be sad if I'm gone....," he continued.Immediately, Can realized what he just said and blushed."Ahh! Can don't be arrogant!" Can covered his face from the sudden embarrassment.When he regained his composure, Can continued wiping Tin's face. In a little while, Can wanted to take this opportunity to examine Tin. Being a curious person and due to Pond's influence, Can became a little naughty.With his index finger, he tapped Tin's red lips multiple times. Although they were a little dry, they were still seductive enough to tempt Can to touch them.Shaking his head, Can snapped out of his daze. He should not take advantage of Tin's unconsciousness. Besides, the two of them were inside his house! How can he be this disrespectful to his family?As soon as he finished wiping the sweat from his head, Can realized that he had to remove Tin's clothing and wipe the sweat on his body. His heartbeat quickly rose as he was filled with nervousness."I'm only wiping his sweat and nothing else. If I don't do this, he'll get sick. Right, there's nothing wrong with me wiping his body.....I can do this," Can reasoned as he took a deep breath once again as he swallowed his saliva.Slowly, he carefully removed the top part of the patient gown which exposed Tin's well-defined and toned abs. When Can saw such a scene, he could not help it but blush even more. This guy was too damn attractive!Refocusing, Can shakily but firmly grabbed the towel. He started wiping Tin's lower body then upwards. Since he was struggling a little bit at wiping his upper body, Can leaned closer to Tin where his face was close to his hardened chest.At that point, the door of his room was suddenly swung open. Can did not move from his position at all. From that moment, he realized that there would be a huge storm coming.When Can faced the door, he felt that his life was doomed. He wished that it was his mother who saw him, but it had to be the worst person possible. It was his BoyXBoy loving sister, Ley. His sister was just staring at him and the unconscious man in the bed with her eyes and mouth wide open.Looking at Can's current position, it implied that he was going to do something provocative to Tin who was half-naked and unconscious. It looked like a defenseless man was being taken advantage of! This was not what he expected he would meet his sister! What kind of reunion was this!? This was a nightmare!Can was about to explain what happened, but Ley suddenly chose to close the door. This action of his sister made Can confused. She just walked out without hearing his explanation?Can's expected loving and tear-inducing family reunion became an embarrassing and nightmarish reunion.Would it have been better if he did not come tonight after all?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Am....I....dreaming?" Ley whispered.She was shocked and confused at the same time. She witnessed something unexpected. His dead older brother and Tin were together in a bed. They looked like they were doing something intimate and it seemed that she interrupted them. Wait. Could this be due to her not being able to read boys' love novels anymore which was why she was hallucinating? This should be the reason, right? There was no way that his brother was alive and currently being lovey-dovey with Tin who has been missing for a long time now. This should be all an illusion!As Ley started to question her reality, she heard footsteps on the floor inside Can's bedroom. Startled, Ley looked at the closed door behind her.Building her courage, Ley decided to confirm whether what she saw inside was just an illusion or not. After swallowing her saliva, she carefully opened the door.To her surprise, as soon as she opened the door, Can was already in front of her."Ah..mmmfff...!" Ley screamed, but a hand covered her mouth as she was pulled inside Can's room. The door was then closed."Ley, don't scream! Calm down! You're gonna wake up mom and give her a heart attack!" Can whispered in panic as he made a shushed gesture towards his sister.Ley, who was still shocked and scared, immediately nodded.After a few moments, Can asked, "Are you calm now?"To be honest, Ley was not calm, but she wanted to ask so many questions, so she nodded quickly.When Can released his hand from covering Ley's mouth, his sister instantly bombarded him questions."How are you still alive? When did you come back? Why did you not contact us? Why is Tin in your bed unconscious? Do you know how worried mom was? Do....."Yet, before Ley could continue asking his brother more questions, Can went closer to her and hugged her tightly."Where's my 'welcome home' first?" Can whispered with a mixture of happiness and heartache to his words. He was happy because now he was with his family. His heart aches because his family must have suffered a lot after they thought that he was dead. But at last, he was home.Ley was stunned at first because she could not believe that his brother was still alive. Yet, the warmth she felt from the hug felt real. As this warmth wrapped her entire body and penetrated her heart, the sadness and the feeling of incompleteness that she felt since Can died somehow disappeared at that moment. It was then she realized that everything was real. The person in front of him was truly her older brother. He is alive!With her trembling lips and watery eyes, Ley shakily hugged Can and said, "Welcome back to our home."As she said those heartfelt words, Ley let out all of her emotions that have been stored within her. When she learned that her brother died that day, she only cried once. She realized that since it was only going to be only her and her mother, she had to be strong or at least pretend to be one. If she showed a sign of weakness, then her mother would also suffer. She did not want that, so throughout the entire time that her older brother was thought to be dead, she held all of the sadness and weaknesses inside her.Now, she did not have to pretend to be strong."You did really well, Ley. Thank you," Can whispered as he caressed his sister's back to comfort her.Can understood Ley's personality. He was thankful that his sister was able to endure this period of hardship in the family, especially for their mother who must have it the hardest. Now, Can owed his sister once again.The two stayed in their position for some time. After Ley finally calmed down, Can looked at her sister and wiped her remaining tears."How are you and mom?" Can asked calmly.Ley took a deep breath and looked into Can with her red eyes, "After we found out your death, we didn't really know what to do. We were devastated. But compared to me, mom had it worse. She was depressed. She would always cry in her bed every night. Her health quickly deteriorated and I had to take her to the hospital. Thankfully, she recovered, but she's not the same anymore."Can's heart ached more after hearing Ley. He never wanted to hurt his mother this way. He knew how fragile his mother was when it comes to their family. When their father died, their mom went through depression also. When she recovered, she became more attached and protective towards the two of them."We should go to her room right now and tell her you're alive!" Ley grabbed Can's hand."Ley, let mom rest first. I'm sure she was tired from work today. Let's just surprise her this morning when she wakes up, hm?" Can suggested with a gentle smile.Ley thought it was a great idea so she nodded and finally let go of his brother's hand."I'm going to explain everything during breakfast. And about breakfast, I'm going to cook, but help me out," Can continued."Ohh...Ok," Ley happily smiled.Can, out of habit, patted Ley's head.After the conversation between the two, Ley's attention was diverted to the person lying in her older brother's bed."What were you doing earlier with Tin? How is he in your bed?" Ley asked as her mind became filled with sudden inappropriate thoughts.Sensing that his sister was thinking something ridiculous, he immediately replied, "It's...It's not what you think. He knew I was coming, so he visited me. I-I was just helping him right now because of his injury."Truth to be told, he was not sure how Tin knew that he was going to visit home tonight.Ley felt that Can was being defensive, so she continued to investigate, "Clearly, I saw that you were on top of him. How would that help him with his injury? What kind of help are you giving him?"Can suddenly became embarrassed as he suddenly remembered some indecent thoughts about Tin while he was unconscious, "I-I'm just wiping his sweat. The potion that he took was strong, so he sweated a lot...so...I had to wipe..I didn't do anything aside from wiping....""Why are you turning red then?" Ley teased as her smile became bigger."It's hot! Yes, that's it. It's hot. I need to turn on the electric fan, so we have more cold air in the room," Can hastily replied as he went to turn on the electric fan that was close to his bed.Ley shook her head. This brother of his surely did something to Tin.When she approached Tin, who was still unconscious, she saw his missing left arm.In horror, she looked away and asked, "What happened to his left arm?"After turning on the fan, Can replied unhurriedly as he looked at Tin's more relaxed expression, "I'm not sure."Can then faced Ley and said with reassurance, "Don't worry, he'll recover.""Re-really?" Ley asked in disbelief.Can nodded with a smile.After their small talk, Can asked his sister to rest for now so that she would have the energy to help him cook."How about you?" Ley asked as she was hesitant to leave."I'm okay. I still need to look after Tin," Can replied.Ley misunderstood Can's reply. She thought that Can wanted to have some time alone with Tin, so that he could continue whatever it was that they were doing earlier."Ah...yes. I get it, I'm leaving now. I'll help you out later." Ley quickly left the two and went to her room to sleep. For the first time, she was able to sleep soundly and peacefully without any worry.As soon as Ley left the room, Can returned to Tin's side. Wanting to check his health condition, Can took out a magic tool that allowed him to scan a person's health condition. This magic tool looked quite simple. It was like a magic wand made out of wood.With a flick of his wrist as he held the magic tool, a glowing green colored dot came out from the end of the wand. Scanning Tin's body, Can found that Tin was stable. Although as he continued to scan, he found something incredible and unexpected. Tin has a spiritual core!Observing closely, Can saw that the spiritual core was different and it has cracks in it. Also, impure spiritual energy seemed to be leaking from the spiritual core.How did he get a new spiritual core? Why is it damaged?At the moment, the cracks on the spiritual core were minimal and the impure spiritual energy was somewhat controlled. Still, it has to be fixed. He must ask Tin how he got this kind of spiritual core and help him fix it.Yawning, Can did not see other problems with Tin after scanning him. Returning his magic tool back to his storage ring, he now realized another dilemma. Where was he going to sleep?There were no other beds in his room. Of course, he would not dare sleep next to Tin even though he was on his bed. The bed was too small for the both of them even if he decided to sleep next to him. Eventually, he decided that he would sleep downstairs in the small green sofa.Yet, before he opened the door, he heard Tin's voice. He was talking in his sleep."Don't go...don't leave...." Tin said as he became unrelaxed. He felt suffocated while still unconscious.Quickly, Can sat on the floor next to his bed and held his hand. He realized that Tin was having a nightmare."I'm here, it's alright now. I won't leave," Can whispered softly.Tin tightly grasped Can's hand and with those soothing and reassuring words, Tin became calm once again. The warmth of Can's hand gave Tin security.Can sighed. Although he was tired, it was nothing compared to being able to help Tin and bringing him comfort. Fearing that Tin might have another nightmare, Can decided to stay by his side the entire night. Nevertheless, fatigue took over and he silently fell asleep while still grabbing onto Tin's hand tightly. Just like Tin, Can did not want him to leave and let go.When morning came, both Can and Ley were busy cooking food. Tin was still asleep and recovering in Can's room. Meanwhile, their mom was just about to wake up.As soon as the siblings finished preparing food, Ley called her mom to eat breakfast."Ley, what's with the sudden energy that you have? Did something good happen?" Mrs. Rathavit asked as she yawned.Arriving at the dinner table, she saw different dishes that were quite familiar to her. These dishes were usually prepared by her son: avocado toast with fried egg, ham and cheese hot pocket, omelet waffle, and pancakes. She also noticed that there was an additional plate added to the table. This scene suddenly brought back sad memories. Did Ley make this?"Do we have a visitor?" Mrs. Rathavit asked Ley as she slowly grabbed one ham and cheese hot pocket from the plate."No, not really. Mom, go ahead and eat it," Ley smiled happily.Mrs. Rathavit looked at her daughter and was baffled. Nonetheless, she took a bite of the hot pocket. When she tasted the flavor of the food, she could not help it, but remember her son. Soon, tears were building up in her eyes."How are they, mom?" Can said gently as he smiled behind his mother.Mrs. Rathavit froze for a moment as she put the piece of hot pocket back to her plate. She quickly turned around and saw Can. Seeing her son once again, Mrs. Rathavit could not believe it at first. Yet, when she looked at Ley and saw her nodding and crying, it was then confirmed that Can was actually alive."Ahh Can! My son! You're alive! Thank God!" Mrs. Rathavit could not contain herself as she started shouting in joy. She then quickly grabbed Can and hugged him tightly."I missed you so much!" Mrs. Rathavit said with so much enthusiasm."Me too, mom. I missed you so much," Can replied with indescribable happiness.Ley shortly joined her family and the three did a group hug for a long time. There were tears, but they were tears of happiness. That moment was quite precious for the three. A priceless treasure.When the three calmed down a bit, they happily and unhurriedly continued their discussion as they ate breakfast. It was as if that they went back to normal like nothing bad has happened at all.While they were catching up, they did not notice a person was coming downstairs to join them.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
As the three were having a lively chat while eating, Tin was slowly walking downstairs.Earlier when he woke up, Tin panicked when he did not see Can by his side. Even though he was still unwell, he quickly jumped out of the bed to look for him. After getting out of the room, he then realized that Can was having his first breakfast with his family for a very long time. It was then Tin calmed himself as he decided to approach them.With every step that he took downstairs, he could hear the genuine laughter and love of the family that he desired to be part of. He truly missed it.After reaching the first floor, he looked down at the blue patient gown that he was wearing. He thought that it was not appropriate to show up like this.With a wave of his hand, his attire changed in an instant. He now wore an elegant black suit and black shoes. He thought that this should be appropriate enough to wear. Whether it was too extravagant or not, he did not think too much about it, since it was better to wear a black suit than a hospital gown.When he was approaching the kitchen where the Rathavit family was eating breakfast, Tin hesitated. He realized that he was a fugitive. Everyone knew about this.Thinking about this, Tin did not want to ruin Can's family's reunion even if he wanted to join them.As he turned around to return to Can's bedroom to wait for him, his footsteps due to his shoes were heard.Hearing it, Ley was the first one to react, "Is that Tin?"Not waiting for Can to reply, she immediately came out of the kitchen to look for Tin. Seeing that Tin was about to go upstairs with a subtle unhappy expression on his face, Ley approached him."Huh? wait, Ley!" Can said in a surprised tone as he stood up from his seat and followed his sister."Ley! Can! Where are you going?" Mrs. Rathavit asked with confusion.Their mother did not move from her seat while she continued chewing on the hot pocket on her hand."Tin, why are you going upstairs? Join us for breakfast," Ley said with enthusiasm as she was mesmerized by the black suit that he was wearing although the missing left arm was odd to look at.Tin saw Ley looking at his left arm with a dispirited look. He then thought that Ley must have known that he was here last night. He had no recollection of what happened that night, but he knew Can was there to take care of him since he felt way better afterwards."I don't want to disturb your breakfast. I know that this is a precious moment for your family. I'm only an outsider," Tin said. Those words he uttered hurt him, but it was the truth."Who said you're an outsider?" Can said as he gazed at the man wearing a black suit."Can..?" Tin whispered as he looked back at the male youth. His eyes widened in surprise. He still could not believe that Can was still alive and well. Seeing the person whom he desired so much, no one could not imagine how much Tin would like to just take Can away and keep him to himself. Unfortunately, he could not convey these feelings with his family around."Yeah. yeah. That's right! Aren't you part of our family already? I mean...you and Can have done it right?" Ley said happily as she tugged Tin towards the kitchen.Both Can and Tin were confused. What does she mean by "They have done it?"Still, Tin continued to protest."Aren't you afraid? I'm a fugitive?" Tin interrupted."A fugitive?" Can asked. How did Tin become a fugitive?"Mother and I knew that you're innocent. We know that you have a lot of enemies who try to destroy you, but we trust you," Ley explained as he continued to pull Tin to the kitchen. She still remembered how Tin used to buy expensive gifts for them. She also remembered how Tin made it possible for her mother and her to have a vacation trip to Japan. More importantly, she knew how much Tin cared about them especially towards Can. Overall, he was a nice person despite how other people see him.Yet, even if the Rathavit family does not trust the words of his enemies, it did not mean that Tin has not committed a crime. He wondered how would they react if they knew the horrible things that he did in the past. Would they still accept him?Not resisting anymore, Tin let Ley drag him to the kitchen. There was a smile on his face while still staring at Can. "Wait, Ley. Don't be rude. Don't pull him!" Can worriedly said.Unfortunately, Ley seemed to ignore him while she continued to drag Tin.When they arrived, Mrs. Rathavit, who was listening to the conversation that her children had with Tin, immediately stood up. She quickly approached Tin and hugged him."Ahh Tin, you're back too. It's been a long time! It's nice to see you!" Mrs. Rathavit joyfully said.Tin was not sure how to react, but he felt the same as Mrs. Rathavit. It was nice to see them too.Despite what happened, Can's family still welcomed him with open arms.Mrs. Rathavit noticed the missing left arm on Tin, but she did not ask him as not to make him uncomfortable."Here sit! Sit! There's plenty of food. Can cooked food for us." Immediately, Mrs. Rathavit placed another plate, a glass full of water, spoon, and fork on the table for Tin. She then told her children to sit too.Ley and Can nodded and went back to their seats.Tin still felt some doubts within him, but somehow Mrs. Rathavit sensed it."I know a lot of things have happened, but for now let's just enjoy this meal together," Mrs. Rathavit said softly.Tin looked at her with a smile. "Thank you.""Alright, let's eat, let's eat before they get cold," Mrs. Rathavit continued as she went back to her seat.Everyone resumed eating. Sitting next to him, Can asked Tin, "How are you feeling Tin?"Tin faced Can with a smile on his face, "Never felt better."He suddenly leaned closer to Can as he whispered seductively, "I'll make sure to reward you handsomely in return."Can who was eating fried egg suddenly choked from what he heard. He quickly grabbed a glass full of water and drank it. Both his mother and sister looked at one another silently. Their relationship was already at that point?Tin grabbed some hot pockets and slightly smirked as he took a bite. Still, he continued to direct his gaze towards Can.Calming down, Can attempted to ignore Tin as he continued to eat. He was going to ask about how Tin became a fugitive, but he thought it was inappropriate at the moment."Ohh, I just remembered. Tin how did you know Can was here?" Can's mother asked.When they heard this, Can was curious as well. Last night he explained to Ley that he(Tin) knew that he(Can) was here, but in reality, he(Can) did not even know how Tin knew the fact that he(Can) was visiting his(Can's) family last night.As Can, Ley, and their mother started drinking water simultaneously while waiting for Tin to reply, the man in question said without any hesitation as he continued to smile, "We're connected, so naturally I knew where he'd be."While he was saying this, he moved his right hand to Can's left thigh."PUUUHHHFFFTT!"Tin looked at the three who spit the water from their mouth. After spitting the water, the trio started choking for a few seconds.Mrs. Rathavit was the first one to reply, "Ahh I," coughs again, "I see."She tapped her chest multiple times to calm down.Meanwhile, after coughing, Ley seemed to have a nosebleed. Tin's way of saying that he and Can were together was so freaking cool! He was so cool that it made her nosebleed.As not to worry everyone about her nosebleed, she excused herself to go to the bathroom.Can seemed to have the best reaction so far. He could not hide his embarrassment as he became uncomfortable from his seat. He tried to hide his discomfort by putting more food on his plate. Yet, he did not realize that he was as red as a tomato and his actions were clumsy.Tin, on the other hand, was amused at seeing everyone's reaction especially Can's reaction.Taking this opportunity, he further teased Can by squeezing his thigh."Eep!" Can jolted from his seat as if some snake bit him.Tin then removed his hand from Can's thigh and resumed eating his hot pocket."Are you alright, Can?" Tin asked with a concerned face.Can, all of a sudden, became displeased. He looked at Tin with slight irritation. This was your fault! Why are you acting like this? Stop it!"Can? What's wrong?" Mrs. Rathavit continued."No, nothing. Everything's alright. I was just surprised. That's all," Can smiled as he faced his mother.There was a light chuckle that left Tin. Can heard this and although he was slightly annoyed, the moment that he saw Tin smile again, it made him happy too.Still, throughout their breakfast meal, Can could not help it, but notice the unending stare from Tin. He tried to ignore it at first, but somehow, the more that he tried to ignore it, the more he got affected. Tin's gaze was penetrative. It was as if he did not want him to leave his sight at all.When Can would look at Tin back, Tin would not say anything and he would just continue to stare at him. It was like a staring contest, but Can would always lose.Can would ask "Is there anything you want?" or "What is it?" to make Tin stop staring at him or ask what it was he wanted from him. Unfortunately, Can would only get a shake of the head from Tin. His stare was driving Can crazy, but he could not do anything about it!Soon, after the wonderful and somewhat awkward breakfast, Mrs. Rathavit was the first one to ask, "Can, could you explain what exactly happened to you back in the Beast Gods' Dimension?"When Tin heard this, he could not help it, but slightly tense. He wanted to figure out the truth from Can himself. Aside from this, he wanted Can to tell him himself the people involved in his disappearance, so that he could avenge him.Taking a deep breath, Can tried to calm himself down, but he was still slightly nervous. He did not want to worry everyone when he explained what happened.Similar to what others have already said to Tin and the Rathavit family, Can mentioned how Ae was manipulated and attacked him. In Can's narrative though, he did not mention that he was killed as not to further complicate things for Ae and his(Can) family. He just mentioned that he was heavily wounded and Bacsojin helped him recover. Then from there, he mentioned the flying beast Gryphon that took him away, Xu Xian, the Beast God Pond, the ownership of the dimension, and the treasures that they took. He also mentioned the amount of money that he received during the recent auction.Ley and Mrs. Rathavit were amazed as their jaws drop at Can's story that seemed to be a dream. Of course, they were happy that Can did not die and was able to survive and thrive. They did not expect that Can would have such a once in a lifetime wonderful encounter. Can is truly gifted and lucky!Meanwhile, Tin's reaction was still the same. He thought that Can was hiding something.He interrupted, "Do you know who or what manipulated Ae to do such a thing to you?"Even if Can said that it was not Ae's fault, he was not remorseful of what Tin did to him. He thought that the repayment that he did was not even enough.Can faced Tin and answered with a weak smile, "I...I don't know."Tin judged Can's reaction and knew that he was lying. Can knew who or what it was that did the manipulation, but he was not saying the truth. This made Tin annoyed and angry, but he did not let these feelings show. He just tightened his fist. Why would Can hide the truth from him? Does he not trust him?"Then that means that the culprit must be still around?" Tin continued as his anger increased. Due to this, his mind became unstable which caused the impure spiritual energy inside him to be, once again, slightly out of control."That..that's true, but don't worry. I have Legendary to Mythic rarity defensive and offensive treasures. I also recently became a Tier 4 Rainbow Grade Beast Summoner. It would be impossible for the culprit to harm me that easily," Can explained.The little beast summoner knew who it was that did the manipulation, but he thought it was not his place to confess. He would let the culprit decide instead.Quickly, Can tried to change the topic, "Speaking of Legendary and Mythical treasures, let me show them to you! I'll also show you the portal to the Beast Gods' Dimension too!"Thankfully, he was successful at diverting his family's attention as he showed Legendary and Mythic magical tools at his hands. Yet, he did not know that Tin was still stuck on the topic of the culprit that Can was trying to hide.Tin's eyes were slowly being coated with black color as he stared intensely at Can."You'll tell me the truth, Can, even if I have to force you," Tin said to himself.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Later that day, Can and Tin went back to Can's bedroom. Ley and Mrs. Rathavit were currently trying to test the magic tools that Can has given them. There was a lot to test, so it would take some time for the two to finish.In Can's room, the little beast summoner wanted to check Tin's current status and asked him[Tin] about him[Tin] being a fugitive, yet before he[Can] could even touch him[Tin], his[Can] arm was grabbed."Tell me, who was it?" Tin who was sitting in Can's bed asked with a deadly serious face. This sudden change of behavior from Tin surprised and slightly scared Can.The atmosphere in the room became tense in an instant.Can gulped his saliva as he said stuttering, "W-What do you mean?"Tin's mood became more bitter when Can was trying to avoid the topic and feigning ignorance once again."I know that you're hiding something from me. Spit it out now!" Tin gripped on Can's arm more firmly as he demanded the little beast summoner.Can winced from the sudden pain, but it was ignored when he saw that Tin's physical features were changing.His eyes were turning black and the black veins were starting to show throughout his body. His condition was getting worse all of a sudden! He was just fine this morning!Breathing heavily and shakily, Tin continued to say loudly, "Tell me! Tell me who was it? Are you scared? I'm here, I'm here to protect you. No one will dare harm you! So, tell me Can, tell me who was it that made you suffer!?"Tin gripped Can's arm harder without realizing it. At this point, Can felt like his arm was going to break."Tin, you're hurting me," Can weakly said as he struggled to pull Tin's hand away from him. Unfortunately, Tin has too much strength, so he was unable to remove his hand away! This damn strong man!Although Tin's mind was clouded due to anger and the uncontrolled impure spiritual energy flowing in his body, as soon as he realized that he was hurting Can, he stopped.The black color of his eyes disappeared, but now they were red as if he had sore eyes. Most of the black veins disappeared. His breathing was still unstable as he tried to gasp for air.His expression of anger has also changed. He felt regretful. It felt quite horrible for him that he hurt Can without even realizing it. He hated the fact that he could not control his emotions. He was well aware that his body and mind were being affected by the impure spiritual energy.When he released Can from his grasp, he saw the purplish bruise on his arm. His eyes widened in guilt. How could he do this to him?Can quickly stepped back a few steps. With Tin's worsening condition, it would be hard to determine what would happen next.Seeing that Can was moving away from him, Tin felt a sting in his heart. He would not blame Can for acting this way. It was his own doing that this happened.Unexpectedly, after seeing his sorry expression, Can was unable to resist and slowly moved forward again. It was hard for him to ignore Tin after all.From his storage ring, he pulled out another red health potion for Tin to drink to help him recover."Here, drink this first," Can took the cap off the potion and helped Tin drink it.Caressing Tin's back softly by his bed, Can said, "This should help you calm down."After drinking the potion, Tin felt dizzy. In a short moment, he had the uncontrollable urge to vomit. It was as if something was trying to get out of his body. He tried to stop it as not to make a mess in Can's bedroom, but he could not do it. At that point, he puked.Thankfully, he managed to puke on a plastic bag that Can handed him on time."It's alright. It's normal. The red health potion help removes excess impure spiritual energy," Can said softly as he held the plastic bag.After puking, Can took away the plastic bag that contained black blood."You have to rest since the potion that I gave has quite a strong effect on the body," Can explained.Wiping the black bloodstain on the side of his mouth with his right arm, he nodded willingly. The potion made his body numb.Yet before his movements stopped completely, he stood up with all his might and embraced Can."Can, I'm sorry," Tin whispered with guilt.Can was a little surprised that Tin still managed to have the strength to do this. Still, hearing him said sorry was more surprising.Softly, he replied as he embraced him back tightly, "I know."There was a subtle smile on Tin's face.Slowly, he stared at Can directly into his eyes, he could not help it but have the urge to give the little beast summoner a quick kiss on his lips.Yet, the moment he kissed him, he did not feel the warmth physically because he felt numb already. Even if this was the case, seeing Can's flushed face, it was enough to give him happiness and satisfaction in his heart. Also, this kiss would not be the last. That was something he would make sure.Before becoming unconscious once again, he weakly replied as he brushed his thumb against Can's reddening right cheek, "You should trust me more, Can. You're the only person I care and desire the most."Finally, Tin slowly lied down in Can's bed and fell unconscious.Can, who seemed to be in a trance while still staring at the unknown for some time, just realized that Tin was already unconscious in bed. This person just kissed him without his permission! Well, he did not hate it, but that was too sudden! Also, the words that he said before he became unconscious were too straightforward! Is he not embarrassed saying those words?Calming down, he took a deep breath. Right now was not the time to be bothered by this. He must check Tin's current condition.Pulling out the magic wand from his storage ring, he started scanning Tin's body. Based on his assessment, he was already getting worse. Some of the black veins were not disappearing despite the red health potion. The cracks on his spiritual core have increased to an alarming rate. The impure spiritual energy was flowing slowly but excessively inside. If this continues, it would be harder to solve later on. He must do something, but he was not too quite sure how to help Tin."Can?"Can paused as he seemed to have heard a familiar voice. He quickly turned around, but he did not see anyone."Can, can you hear me?"Once again, Can heard the voice in his head."Pete? Is that you?" Can replied with excitement.There was a short silence before Pete replied, "Th-thank god, you're alive!"It was evident in Pete's voice that he was on the verge of crying."Yes, yes. It's me, Can! I've been trying to contact you for the past few days and finally, I was able to contact you," Pete replied as he started crying happily.Can suddenly frowned confusedly, "Past few days?"It has been bothering him for a while now, but how did these people know that he was back?When Can asked this, Pete immediately replied of what happened after the auction house incident with Tin and Ae."What!?" Can was shocked as he looked at Tin. "So, this was what Pond was talking about."When he woke up the other day, Pond explained to him about the attack that happened after the auction house. He did not have time to know who those people were because he was in a hurry to save him.Tin lost his hand because Pond's Mythic pet, the Great Black Raven, grabbed his[Tin] hand accidentally when it tried to take Can."How are you, Can? Are you doing well? You mentioned that Tin's with you too? How is he?" Pete asked worriedly. It has been a long time since he last saw Tin too. When they finally met a few days ago, it was quite brief. However, in that short meeting, he knew that Tin has changed completely.Meanwhile, when Ae learned about the news that Can was alive, he was quite happy despite losing most of his Seven Deadly Sins Beasts. Pete knew how precious the Seven Deadly Sins Beasts were to Ae, so he knew that deep inside, he was truly regretful. Still, despite his losses, Ae somehow did not get angry at Tin. He thought that this was his retribution for what he did to Can.Ae was still in his family's hospital for recovery. He was still recovering from the severe damages in his spiritual core.One must know that when a contracted beast dies, it would damage the owner's spiritual core. Contracted beasts are considered as the life and blood of a beast summoner, so damages that these contracted beasts would receive would also reflect on their owners in some form.The damage on the beast summoner's spiritual core depends on the rarity of the contracted beast that died. In Ae's case, he lost six of the Seven Deadly Sins Beasts which were equal to the Legendary tier. This meant that the damage on Ae's spiritual core must be truly severe to the point it would have been destroyed. Yet despite this, Ae was still lucky that he managed to keep his spiritual core. It was also thanks to his family's renowned Beast Summoner specialists and the assistance of the Diverse Spirit Clan for saving Ae from becoming a useless heir. It would cause a great blow to B.S.G if the heir loses his spiritual core, especially in these chaotic times.With the tension increasing between the three major superpowers of the world, different groups from left and right started defecting and joining one of the organizations that would give them a higher chance of winning when chaos would soon consume the world. One example was the Diverse Spirit Clan. Although the clan was neutral, its clan leader knew that his clan would be eventually dragged into chaos. Neutrality was not an option anymore. In the end, he would have to pick a side or else their clan could be annihilated. Knowing that E.A was already unstable due to the conflict of governance within its members, the D.S.C leader decided to forge an alliance with B.S.G. Choosing the cult, the Worshippers of the New World, as an ally was out of the question. Even if this new cult became a superpower that had an equal amount of strength that could compete to B.S.G and E.A., its ideas were too unconventional and extreme at times.For now, Pete would like to know how Can and Tin were doing. He finally had the chance to connect to Can through his telepathic powers after failing multiple times these past few days."I'm doing well, Pete. I'm sorry for worrying you. I'm at my family's home right now," Can paused as he looked at Tin worriedly, "About Tin, he's getting worse.""Worse?" Pete asked.Can nodded and started explaining Tin's current situation."I see," Pete said as he continued with deep thoughts, "I've read about this on a medical book about spiritual energy. I have to check Tin's current situation personally and assess the level of severity of spiritual energy imbalance.""Thank you, Pete, but how about Ae?" Can asked."Oh," Pete paused as he looked at Ae who was sleeping soundly while he was still recovering in his bed, "I'm not exactly leaving. I'll go there by your side spiritually.""Spiritually?" Can whispered to himself.Suddenly, he felt someone tapping his shoulder. When Can turned around, he immediately jumped from being scared after seeing Pete's ghost form."Ah..I'm sorry for scaring you," Pete said as he looked down. He was a little embarrassed for scaring Can."It's okay. I was just surprised that's all," Can replied with an awkward smile on his face. He actually got scared.Quickly, he was embraced by the translucent green-colored ghost form of Pete."I'm really happy to see you, Can! I'm glad you're alive!" Pete said as he started crying once again.When Can heard this, his heart softened."I'm happy to see you too, Pete."Unfortunately, when Can tried to hug Pete, he could not do it.Immediately, Pete apologized as he stepped back. "In my ghost form, no one could touch me, but I have the ability to touch others."Can was amazed. "Is that so? That's a cool ability!""Th-thank you, Can," Pete whispered as he slightly blushed as he once again looked down on the floor from the embarrassment.Momentarily, he focused his gaze towards Tin. As soon as he saw the black veins on Tin's neck, he almost ran as he approached him. He was truly getting worse. Tin's skin was getting paler as his lips becoming drier.Can quickly went to Pete's side with a worried and anxious expression.
"Ruwach."
A small blue spirit ball made of specialized spiritual energy started to rotate around Tin. This spirit ball would check the locations where the source and the blockage in the body caused by impure spiritual energy were found.After finding the source and blockages, Pete noticed the trace of the red potion that Can gave to Tin. Those traces of the red potion inside Tin that was helping him recover were being destroyed by the impure spiritual energy.Pete must stop or at least calm these impurities inside Tin from going out of control.
"Impositio Manus."
The small blue spirit ball went inside Tin and spread out into his body. Closing his eyes, Pete started concentrating. Right now, he was on a battlefield. It was a spiritual war.As he controlled the specialized spiritual energy inside Tin's body to destroy some of the blockages, he was met with resistance from the impure spiritual energy.Sweat formed on Pete's forehead as he shakily continued suppressing the impurities, but their strength was too overwhelming.Pete was currently a Tier 3 Rainbow Grade Spirit User. He knew that Tin was Tier 4, so suppressing the impurities would be difficult, but he did not realize that it was almost impossible to suppress them in his body. He was lucky that Tin consumed the red health potion, so his chances of succeeding at suppression were a little higher.The battle was not only a spiritual battle, but also a psychological one. Since Tin's spiritual core was seemed to be forged by multiple spiritual cores, the impurities would naturally become powerful. It was powerful to the point that they created a consciousness. This kind of occurrence was rare.That being said, the consciousness that the powerful impure spiritual energies have created was tormenting Pete while simultaneously purging the traces of the red potion and the specialized spiritual energy inside its host.Somehow, it managed to find Pete's memories. With this, it created horrifying images of the death of his loved ones to Pete.Pete knew what this consciousness was trying to do, yet the moment this evil entity showed him an image of Ae's death, he faltered a bit. At that moment of Pete's recklessness, the evil entity dealt a heavy blow to the specialized spiritual energy inside Tin. With such a strong attack, Pete received internal damage. Although it was not serious, it was enough for him to cough blood."Pete!" Can exclaimed."I'm okay, Can. Don't worry," Pete replied with a smile."Just give up, Pete!" The evil entity formed an image of Ae as it spoke to Pete.Pete tried to convince himself that it was the evil entity and not Ae. Still, the more that he resisted, the more that he was tormented by the evil entity."A little bit more," Pete said to himself. Since the evil entity was too strong, he could only do 'that' method.The evil entity managed to destroy the traces of the red potion and slowly suppressing the specialized spiritual energy. Soon, it was already invading Pete's body."It's useless Pete! You'll die at this rate! Haha," the evil entity in Ae's form arrogantly said."Pfft..." Pete chuckled.The arrogant evil entity was startled by the sudden chuckle of the enemy. Is he not losing this battle?"What's funny, hmm?" the evil entity paused for a moment."You're trapped," Pete said with a wicked smile."What? What do you mean I'm trapped?" the evil entity became anxious after hearing his words.
"Lex Divina!"
Suddenly, the evil entity's power was cut in half. Half of the impurities were transferred in Pete's body while the other half remained in Tin's body. With this, the damaged that the impurities could do would weaken. Now, that the power has decreased, the evil entity lost its capability to have control and to have consciousness. Unfortunately, this was not the end.It was only a matter of time before it could spread again and regain consciousness. This time in both Tin and Pete's body.Breathing heavily, Pete faced Can, "He's safe for now.""How are you feeling, Pete?" Can asked."I'm alright," Pete said with a weak smile. Inside Pete's body, the impurities inside him were starting to slowly invade parts of his body. The only way to destroy them was for Tin to be able to control the flow of his impure spiritual energy and fix his spiritual core."Can, the impurities in Tin's body are too powerful. With my current level, I'm afraid it's not enough to suppress them, but there's another way," Pete said as he tried to remember some of the details in the medical book about spiritual energy."What is it? I'll do whatever it takes," Can said without any hesitation."Aside from the cracks on his spiritual core, the impure spiritual energy inside him gains its power from a person's mentality. What I mean by this is that there's some kind of strong motivation or desire inside Tin that allow the impurities to gain power from. If we could find this motivation or desire and help Tin fulfill it, then there wouldn't be a strong source for the impurities to gain power from," Pete explained."Now, the problem is... What is it that he truly desires the most?" Pete contemplated for a brief moment.Meanwhile, Can suddenly become more nervous. He remembered what Tin said before he fell unconscious.
"You're the only person I care and desire the most."
When Pete looked up at Can, he saw that the Can was red as a tomato."Can?"
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"Here's the package for you as instructed by Young Master Pete," a masculine man wearing a black suit and black glasses said with seriousness in his voice."Ah, Thank you," Can said awkwardly as he took the box.With a poker face, Pete's trusted security guard only replied with a nod and left.Closing the door, Can quickly but cautiously went upstairs to go to the bathroom. It was already night, so everyone was already asleep. Still, he held the small brown box carefully and protectively as if he was guarding some secret.When he reached the bathroom, he quickly went inside and closed the door.Arriving at the bathroom sink, he laid the seemingly innocent box and grabbed scissors to open it.The moment he saw the contents of the package, he was hesitant to touch them at first. Yet, he knew these items were necessary for preparation, especially for first-timers. That was according to Pete. He knew this kind of stuff.Can took a deep breath then he swallowed his saliva to prepare for the upcoming ordeal that he had to face.Slowly, he took the smallest piece from the pile of items that were in the package.Observing the 4-inch hotdog looking pink-colored item, Can said with curiosity, "This...this should be the dildo that Pete told me to start with?"He checked the bottom of the dildo and saw a switch. As soon as he flicked the switch on, the dildo started to vibrate which momentarily startled him. This reaction caused him to drop the dildo back in the small box."I was wrong, that was the vibrating dildo," Can said as he took a step back.Closing his eyes, he took a deep sigh. How did this happen?Earlier that day, Can explained to Pete what was Tin's true desire which was Can himself. Pete did not doubt him since he knew how Tin treated Can. He knew that the huge changes in Tin's personality had something to do with Can."I'm not quite sure what kind of desire he wants from me," Can whispered. He was still a little embarrassed at mentioning how Tin desired him.Pete did not really have to think too deeply about this matter. He immediately thought that Tin just wanted to have Can for himself.Now, the only thing was how can Can prove that Tin was only his and fulfill his desire?Giving it much more thought, Pete could only think of 'that' option. By doing this, it was like killing two birds with one stone.(A/N: kill two birds with one stone = to succeed in achieving two things in a single action.)First, by having intimacy between the two through sex, it would show that Can entrusts himself to Tin. This would then fulfill Tin's desire of wanting Can for himself.Second, as Can fulfills Tin's desire, the source of power of the impure spiritual energy would decrease. Since Can has an abundance of pure spiritual energy, he could then directly transfer it to Tin and overpower the impure spiritual energy inside of him.Overpowering the impure spiritual energy would then allow Can to repair Tin's damaged impure spiritual core. According to the medical book about spiritual energy, the only way to fix cracks and hold down the oppressive nature of the impure spiritual core inside a person's body was through the transfer of pure spiritual energy. This was the only solution that was presented in the book.Of course, this option was Can's choice. There could be other ways to solve this problem, but in Pete's assessment, they would be less effective and chances of succeeding would be much lower. This option would be considered the best one.When Pete explained this option, Can, as expected, was somehow unable to handle it. He had to hide his embarrassed reaction in front of Pete by covering his face with both of his hands. Feeling that the temperature of his body increased, Can started to sweat. He sort of expected this kind of answer, but hearing it from someone else was just too embarrassing.Although, they have only spent a short time together, Can knew that Tin has been hinting his sexual desire towards him. Can tried to ignore it because he thought it was not appropriate to happen yet and Tin was also recovering. Nonetheless, it was somehow becoming harder for Can to resist Tin. He knew that one of these days, he would be unable to resist him. At that point, his purity and innocence would surely be stained.(A/N: Refer to Chapter 59: Stop Staring! )"Can, I'm not going to force you to do this. We have other options," Pete comforted the seemingly more anxious Can.The little beast summoner waved his hand, "No, no. This option is our best shot."With a sudden pause, he then whispered, "We're going to do it eventually anyways. We might as well use this opportunity.""Can what did you say? I couldn't hear your last words," Pete replied worriedly.Can moved his hands away from his face and looked into Pete's ghostly looking eyes stuttering as he said, "I-I'm going to do it.""Are you sure?" Pete asked.Can nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. It's just that," Can paused for a moment, "...I'm not really sure how it's done."Growing up Can understood the concept of how sexual reproduction works from school, but it was still limited. When everyone else was figuring out and experimenting about sex, Can was busy reading books about beasts and taking care of his contracted beasts. The subject about sex did not particularly interest him as he grew up. The only time he had thought about it was when he had a dream about him and Tin. From time to time, his thoughts of him and Tin having sex would come up to the point that he could not ignore it. Of course, he liked Tin, so he would not hate doing it. The only problem that he had was the pain during sex.(A/N: Refer to Bonus Chapter 2.)Can already knew what was his position in the relationship. He was the receiver. Knowing this, he did a quick research about it before and found out that it could be painful doing it the first time. Apparently, the way the receiver or bottom handles the situation could determine whether the sex was good or bad.Even though Can has gone through painful situations to the point he 'died', he was somehow afraid of the pain in his butt. Probably, it could be also attributed to his lack of confidence to perform and concrete knowledge about sex. He never had any kind of sexual experience and he was embarrassed that he would not do great.Seeing the troubled expression on Can's face about this matter reminded Pete of his first experience with Ae."I-I can help you," Pete answered as he approached Can and gently patting his shoulder."Thank you, Pete," Can replied. He once again thought that Pete was indeed an angel in disguise.(A/N: This is bottom helping another bottom.)Currently, in the bathroom, Can was checking the other items that Pete sent. There were four different sizes of black-colored dildos, a vibrating dildo, bullet vibrator, water-based lubricant or lube, condoms, enema, and handcuffs for roleplay according to Pete.It was overwhelming for Can to see how many things Pete gave him, but he said these were basic things that were used for preparation and spicing up sex.The first thing that Pete told him to do was to use the enema to douche or clean his inside.Grabbing the black enema bulb, he removed the nozzle and poured warm water inside the enema bulb. He then took the water-based lube and put a small amount on the nozzle. Afterwards, Can removed his pants and underwear. He then went and sat down on the toilet bowl and inserted the nozzle that has lube inside his anus. Next, he squirted warm water inside by squeezing the enema bulb. Can felt uncomfortable doing this, but he must do it so that there would not be any accident during sex. When 30 seconds passed, he released the warm water. He looked down and checked the water. Surprisingly, the water was quite clear. It meant that he was clean. Still, just to be sure, he repeated this process twice. (A/N: Enema)After douching, he stood up and cleaned his enema. Then he took the smallest dildo that was 4 inch in height and 1 inch in width. According to Pete, he must start with the smallest first. By doing so, he would allow himself to adjust and become used to being penetrated. When he feels comfortable, he could then move on to a bigger size dildo.Can took a medium-sized condom and put it on the 4-inch dildo. With the lube, he put a generous amount and smeared it all over the dildo. He also put some around and inside his hole. According to Pete, saliva is never a good source of lubricant. Only in fanfiction, anime, and manga does this happen.(A/N: This is true by the way. Saliva is not good as a lube.)The crucial part of inserting something inside was that the person must be relaxed. Can, of course, was slightly nervous because it was his first time. He was also worried about the pain. Still, he tried to relax as he took a deep breath a couple of times. When he felt relaxed, he went back to the toilet. He put down the toilet seat and sat down.Spreading his legs, he first started stretching his opening with his fingers. One by one he inserted his fingers inside and out slowly and carefully. He inserted only up to two fingers. He was slightly surprised that the first and second finger went inside smoothly and without any pain. Although he did not feel any pain, he did not feel any pleasure. He rather felt uncomfortable. In addition, the squelching sound from the penetration due to the lube was rather loud, so he was unable to concentrate due to the fear that someone might hear him. Eventually though, he did not worry too much because Pete explained that this was normal and also the bathroom was far away from his family's bedrooms, so he continued stretching until he got used to the shape of his fingers.When Can felt confident, he took the 4-inch dildo that was covered in condom and lube. Slowly, he inserted it inside him and did the same thing. He pushed it in then pushed it out in the same motion. Once again, he did not feel anything, but it was more comfortable than before.After a while, Can decided to slightly tilt the dildo towards the location of his prostate or what Pete called a 'g-spot'.As soon as he hit his prostate with his dildo, he suddenly felt a good kind of electricity all over his body."Ah!" Can yelped. Immediately, he covered his mouth shakily as his heartbeat suddenly increased. He managed to find his g-spot!Relaxing once again, he resumed his experiment as he inserted his dildo inside of him. Now that he knew where his prostate was located, he pushed the dildo towards it with gradual increasing intensity. He could instantly feel the pleasure of hitting his prostate. Soon, he was hard and he was letting out very arousing moans. His twitching hardened member was already overflowing with slightly clear precum. At that moment, he thought that he could cum without even touching his hardened member.The feeling felt really good. The pleasure was addicting. The more that he put force into pushing, the more he felt good. His legs uncontrollably shook from the intensity as his toes curled up.Not only was his movements and the flow of sticky precum became uncontrollable, but his mind also seemed to be unrestrained. While the intensity and speed increased, Can was already starting to lose his mind. The constant repetition of the image of Tin's beautiful and sexy naked toned body as he[Tin] penetrated him[Can] with his[Tin] pulsating hard cock further intensified the pleasure that he[Can] felt. Can was hot and sweaty, but he could not somehow stop himself. His sticky saliva was trickling from his mouth and to his already precum stained shirt. If Tin was going to see him in such a vulnerable and seductive state, he[Tin] would probably be unable to control himself[Tin] and he[Tin] would surely ravaged him[Can]."Tin...," Can breathed heavily as he called out Tin's name repeatedly with lust.As Can was immersed in his own pleasurable activity, he did not realize that the very person who he was calling was about to enter the bathroom to check on him.When Can took a quick short break, he was still in a sort of dazed state. He was breathing heavily and his sight was slightly blurred due to the watery mist in his eyes. As he looked up momentarily, he saw an image of Tin by the door. Can thought that this must be from his strong desire to have Tin which was why he was seeing an illusion of him. He knew that he locked the door, so there was no way the real Tin would go inside."Oh?" Tin whispered amusedly at the wonderful sight that he was seeing.Seeing that Tin's image was not disappearing, Can somehow felt odd. He completely stopped what he was doing and regained his focus as he looked at Tin who was standing by the door smiling. With his back against the door, while his right arm was crossed, Tin softly said with a devilish smile, "Why did you stop all of a sudden, hmm?"It was then that Can knew he was doomed. This was not how their first time was supposed to happen!
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"How...how did you get here?" Can anxiously asked as he pulled down his stained shirt to cover the lower part of his body. The lube inside his hole was dripping down to his legs. Tin could see it clearly due to the shimmering reflection of the lubricant from the light of the bathroom. He thought that Can must be really wet inside. Such thought caused him to become more eager to devour Can.With a teasing smile, he replied, "I heard you calling my name several times."Tin's senses have become more sensitive as he became more powerful, so the mere whispers that Can uttered in the bathroom while Tin was in his bedroom could be clearly heard."I thought at first, you were in trouble, so I came here to check on you," Tin slowly started to approach Can as he calmly continued to say, "I didn't know that you were actually doing something indecent."Can could only gulp. Was he that loud? At this point, he was not quite sure how to respond after being caught."Still, shouldn't you knock?" Can asked with a sort of irritated voice. It was rude for Tin to just go inside the bathroom without knocking first!Tin ignored Can's complain as his attention was directed at the package that was full of erotic things."You like these sort of things?" Tin grabbed the handcuffs and observed it."No, not in particular. Pete gave them to me," Can explained. He tried to get up to get those items, but the moment he stood up, his legs felt weak. Once again, he tried to stand, but he could not. It seemed that he spread his legs up for too long that they had become weak.Tin's eyebrows were raised. He was slightly surprised. "Pete? Why would he give these to you?"Since Can thought that he was already exposed, he might as well tell him what it was that he was doing. He must proceed with the plan to help Tin no matter what.He took a deep breath real quick to relax, but he seemed to have become more nervous."Well, I-I'm trying to prepare myself," Can stuttered.Tin was amused by Can's reaction. "Prepare for what?"Can could not directly look into the other man's eyes because he was too embarrassed to say the truth. Tin should already have an idea already! Was he just teasing him?Somehow the words were stuck in Can's throat that he could only whisper the truth. "I'm preparing myself to have sex with you," he momentarily paused as he complained subtly, "What other reason could there be for me to do this? Idiot."Tin could clearly hear what Can said, but he wanted to tease him more."I didn't hear you," Tin said with a subtle smile.Feeling provoked, Can quickly replied without any hesitation, "I said I'm preparing myself to have sex with you!"As soon as he said those words, the color of his already flushed cheeks expanded all over his face and to his ears."Oh?" Even Tin was actually moved when he heard Can being this expressive and direct towards him."If that's the case, you should've told me sooner." Tin took the small brown box that contained the things that Pete gave to Can with his right hand.He looked at Can and said, "If you wanted to prepare yourself, why not ask me directly?"Tin then engulfed the package in black flame and burned it until it turned into thin smoke.He then continued to say, "Wouldn't it better to have the real thing inside you? Those things are unnecessary."Seeing the items that were given to him turn into smoke while he was about to pick up his underwear and pants on the floor, he suddenly became regretful and irritated. Those items were sincere gifts by Pete! They were also quite expensive and top quality! How could he just burn them!?Can complained as he said, "You! That was a gift for me by Pete!"As he was complaining, Tin was already in front of him."Listen, Can," Tin paused as he directly looked at Can with sort of threatening gaze, "I don't like any other men or anyone, in general, giving you things that are not from me. I despise it.""But that's Pete," Can responded."I don't care." Tin grabbed Can and pushed him against his chest. "You must be punished.""Huh?" Can felt wronged. Why was he the one who was going to be punished? He was not the one who came in without knocking and he was not the one who burned those expensive things! Why does it seem that it was his fault?"You should be the one who must be punished. You barged in without my permission and you burned those things," Can protested.Unfortunately, Tin ignored Can's protest once again.Suddenly, both of them were teleported back to Can's bedroom. Tin let go Can from his grasp as he slightly pushed him to the bed.Since Can's legs were still weak, he easily fell without being able to resist. The things that he was trying to cover were fully exposed with the help of the light from the lampshade on the table next to the bed. He was in a crawling position where his butt was slightly raised which showed his precious opening that was still covered with lube. It was still twitching as it continuously expands and contracts. One thing was for sure, it was a sight to be beheld. It was like a ripe fruit that was ready to be eaten. Of course, Tin was the one who was going to ravage this delightful treat.When Can looked back, he saw that Tin was already removing his[Tin] clothes while not taking away his[Tin] fiery gaze on him[Can]. Can was just stunned as he stared at Tin's naked body. He was quite masculine but not overly buff. Can could tell that those toned abs were hard. They were enticing and seductive. Truly they were a feast for the eyes. These were also exactly what Can had imagined in his dreams about Tin, except for his lower area. It was bigger than he anticipated. It was truly huge. Will that even fit inside of him?Seeing Can's shocked expression, Tin could not help it but feel proud of himself."Can, I'll be the one who will personally prepare you," Tin said with a devilish smile. He then went to join Can in the bed and whispered in his ears as he held his neck gently, "I'll f*ck you so hard that you won't be able to walk tomorrow."Can immediately felt goosebumps as the warmth from Tin's low and seductive voice traveled throughout his body.Before Can could even respond, he was immediately attacked by Tin."Ah!" Can moaned softly. Tin was nibbling and licking Can's right ear while he[Tin] held him[Can] against his[Tin] chest. Can could already feel Tin's hardened twitching member poking his behind. Now that he was defenseless against Tin's actions, he could only comply with him as he continuously moans. Soon, his penis that was way smaller in comparison to Tin became hard too.Tin continued to tease Can. He slid his pulsating manhood on the already wet middle side of Can's buttocks. The little beast summoner could hear the faint squelching sound and felt the warm sensation behind him. Before he could even react further, Tin grabbed Can's cock. With his thumb, he rubbed its head that was flowing with precum. The roughness of Tin's thumb and the addition of the influence of the heat-inducing lubricant made the sensitivity that Can could feel to be multiplied."Look at you Can, you're already this wet," Tin whispered as he kissed Can's back part of his neck and then willingly bit hard on it. He wanted to mark Can as his and this one of his ways to show it.Can felt the slight pain on his neck, but with Tin's constant movement of his hand and his cock, the pain was overcome by pleasure.As soon as Can could feel that he was about to cum, he reached and held onto Tin's neck with his right hand and slightly faced him, "Tin, I'm about to..."Before Can could finish, Tin quickly stopped his movements as he softly clicked his tongue multiple times to tease the man, "No, not yet Can. You'll only cum when I tell you to."When Can heard this, he felt like he was being tortured, but somehow he could not argue or protest. He was under Tin's control right now."It's unfair that you're the only one having fun, don't you think so too, my dear Can?" Tin continued to whisper on Can's sensitive ear.Continuing to kiss Can's lower back, Tin's hand moved to the wet opening. With two of his fingers, he invaded and probed the inside of the contracting hole that was swallowing Tin deeper. When he was able to detect Can's prostate, he initiated an attack that would then cause Can to moan louder at the point that the little beast summoner had to cover his mouth with both of his hands.After inserting two of his fingers, Tin added another finger. Thankfully, it went on smoothly without any problem. Repeating the process, Tin made sure that as he thrust his fingers, he was hitting the prostate accurately to make sure Can would not complain and would only reply with a delightful moan.When Tin felt that Can was ready for the main course, the lube that was smeared on his three fingers were applied to his huge cock that was eager to penetrate Can and fill him[Can] with his[Tin] seeds.At this point, Can regained his senses and thought about the plan of transferring pure spiritual energy to Tin. Now that he was able to fulfill Tin's desire, he would now proceed with transferring."Ack!" Can quickly covered his mouth. Tin's huge cock was already inside of him!"Good, Can. Keep your voice low or else your family might hear us," Tin softly said as his devilish smile remained."But will you be able to keep it low?" Tin continued as he started thrusting his seemingly powerful cock inside Can. With every thrust that he made, Can would always moan and it would become louder as the thrusts intensified. Licking his lips, Tin would kiss and at the same time leave bite marks on different parts of Can's body. Meanwhile, Can could only continue to let Tin dominate him as he continued to go much deeper inside of him. He was just too good. Compared to when he used the dildo in the bathroom, Tin's cock was much better. Its warmth, rage, throbbing sensation, and the size was perfect. Can already knew that he would get addicted and there would be no way out of it.Although Can could not somehow prevent himself from moaning, he was still able to properly transfer pure spiritual energy into Tin. As the pure spiritual energy flowed inside Tin, the already weakened impure spiritual energy was being oppressed. With this, the pure spiritual energy could mend the cracks on Tin's impure spiritual core and reinforce it.Now reaching the climax, the speed and intensity of Tin's thrusts increased. As for Can, he did not have to touch himself in order to cum. Only Tin's actions were enough."I'm gonna cum inside you, Can," Tin grunted. He was already dripping with sweat.As the two continued their passionate sexual activity, Can was able to finish fixing Tin's impure spiritual core. In addition, he felt that his power seemed to have increased. Why was that ?Unfortunately, he could not dwell on this mystery because he too was about to cum.Finally, both of them released together. The hot thick sticky white liquid from Can was shot to his bed that was already tainted with sweat, saliva, and lube. In Tin's case, his load was shot inside Can which overflowed and trickled down to his legs.Both breathing heavily, Can could only lie flat in the bed and on top of him was Tin.Can actually thought that what Tin said might be true. He might not be able to walk tomorrow."Can, I love you," Tin whispered lovingly and softly to his right ear.Can who was underneath him replied back in the same manner, "Me too, Tin. I love you."Everything went well tonight despite some unexpected happenings. It did not go the way Can wanted it to happen, but he still succeeded.Both of them, once again, kissed each other before they fell asleep soundly and peacefully together. It was truly a great night for the couple.Mission complete.
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(unedited)(**Before you read this chapter, you might want to refresh your memories by reading Chapters 28 and 29. **)It was a peaceful morning at Phoenix Garden. The sun was shining brightly as it provided warm sunlight and delight to everyone. As the wind blows softly, the plants slightly bent willingly while giving those who work at the garden a refreshing and cooling breeze. The pleasing sound of the flowing yet undisturbed clear water of the nearby stream gave them ease of mind as they continued to work. It could be considered as a perfect day for everyone, although it has been like this since the beginning.As the contracted beasts' workers of Old Master Khang were chatting and laughing as they tended to their master's crops, the guardians that were in charge of protecting the garden were leisurely patrolling the area as if they were just walking to a park. The atmosphere was harmonious."Dokebi, could ya get me more of the Yggdrasil seeds from the seed storage room?" one of the elder beast workers in the form of a brown goblin asked.
(A/N: The elder goblin. From Ragnarok Online.)
(A/N: Yggdrasil Seed from Ragnarok Online.)Tilting his head in confusion, Dokebi asked, "Do-ke-bi?" ("Again?")The elder beast goblin scratched his head, "What can I do? Our master insisted on planting more of them. Just get them for me will ya, kid?"Dokebi quickly nodded and ran towards the storage room that was a little far away for him to reach. He was quite small, so his steps were too small.Meanwhile, the elder beast goblin turned around and continued to plant more of the beautiful round green Yggdrasil seeds. Half of the garden was already filled with these plants. Although the elder goblin was unsure what was the purpose of Yggdrasil plants, he knew that these were related to his master's disciple. It has been almost two years since he last saw that disciple. With his master's sudden change of behavior, he knew something unfortunate must have happened to the disciple. The old master had somehow become a more of a serious person rather than his usual goofy and crazy attitude. The elder goblin thought that the disciple must have died."How unfortunate. That kid was kind and helpful," the elder goblin said as he shook his head to express his regret.Finally reaching the storage room, Dokebi grabbed two empty small pouches that were at the corner of the room. He then went to one of the containers in the wooden cabinets that contained the Yggdrasil seeds. As he filled each of the pouches with the seed, the young little beast thought about the words that his master told him.
"I'll bring him back."
At first, Dokebi was not quite sure whom his old master was talking about, but when his human friend Can did not come back for a while, he knew it was him. For Dokebi, Can was the kindest and his closest friend. He would accompany and help him every time that he would visit Phoenix Garden. When there were moments that he would make mistakes while working in the garden, Can would be the first one to comfort him. He would even give him delicious food as he cheered him up. For Dokebi, his favorite food was the ham and cheese hot pockets that he would always bring. They were soft, creamy, and delicious. Although he did not need to eat, he somehow craved the food that Can makes.During Can's last visit, the little beast summoner visited Dokebi to bid goodbye to him and to give him more hot pockets.
"I'll be back soon."
Those were his last words.Still, up to this day, Dokebi has kept and preserved one of Can's special hot pockets in his own special pouch. He thought that he would save the last one until Can returns and share it with him. He thanked himself that he did not eat every hot pocket that was given to him that day. This piece was the only physical remembrance that he has of Can.Once again, Dokebi's eyes were filled with tears, but he quickly took a deep breath as he wiped his tears away. "Do-ke-bi...." ("He'll come back....")Before, Dokebi would always cry at night in this very room on his own when he would think and miss Can. He did not want to bother anyone, especially the old master, so he would always come into this place to let out his sadness. If he cried in front of everyone, it would just make them sad. If he did this in front of his old master, it would just make him more upset since it must have been more painful for him to lose a disciple. Yet, the old master himself found him when he cried. Instead of being upset, the old master was kind enough to comfort and encourage him.
"Don't cry. I'll bring back Can, so don't be sad anymore."
He said those words to him and that gave him a sense of hope that his friend would come back. That very next day, the old master ordered everyone to start planting Yggdrasil seeds. Dokebi thought that it must be related to bringing Can back, but he was still unsure what these plants do. In any case, he believed in his master since he always made things happen. So, there was no reason to cry and be sad anymore.After filling the entire two pouches with seeds, Dokebi went outside the storage room. As soon as he looked up, the sky's bluish color and white clouds were already replaced by the dark rumbling sky and ominous heavy clouds. Ignoring the weather, he rushed to the area where the elder goblin was planting.To make his trip shorter, he went through the thick grasses that were way taller than him.Shortly, it started raining heavily. Due to the harsh loud sounds of the rain and thunder, Dokebi could not hear anything else. In addition, the tall grasses blocked his view, but he was well aware of his current location. He was close to the elder goblin.
(A/N: If you want a more dramatic effect, you can listen to this piece.)Knowing where to go, Dokebi enthusiastically skipped along as he went through the tall bushes. Unfortunately, as soon as he left the grassy area, he slipped and fell to the muddy ground with the seeds spilling out from the pouches he carried.Being covered with mud after his face hit the ground, Dokebi immediately wiped his face with his hands to remove it. When his vision cleared, he noticed that his hands have a mixed color of brown and dark red."....R...un...."Slowly, Dokebi raised his head. His eyes widened in shock as his enthusiasm earlier was replaced with fear. The elder goblin was lying on the muddy ground. There were many cuts on his body as blood flowed continuously. His head was being crushed under an unknown person's foot."Oh another coworker of yours?" the unknown person asked with an amused tone in his voice.The unknown person was wearing a blood-covered white robe with a black stole. The wrinkly old face of the unknown person was menacing and murderous as he smiled creepily. (A/N: I don't own this picture. )"L..eave....him out of this...," the elder goblin said as he tried to gasp for air. Regrettably, his efforts were useless. The gaping holes inside him that were caused by the unknown person cannot be healed by him. It was too late. He was going to die.Grabbing the head of the elder goblin unhurriedly, the unknown person whispered, "Heretics and their supporters must all die. This is God's desire for a new world." With a sudden huge smile on his face, the unknown invader quickly crushed the skull of the elder goblin. He then threw the rest of the body to the ground as if it was some kind of trash.(A/N: Heretic means a person who does not believe in a particular religion or faith.)Turning his head, the old man said, "Little one, let me free you of your sins."Dokebi could not somehow move due to shock as he stared at the lifeless and headless body of the elder goblin. What was happening? It was not supposed to be like this. How did this happen?"Good boy," the old man smiled as he slowly approached the shaking little beast.
"Banish"
Momentarily, the unknown person's right hand was covered in mysterious red symbols inscribed on a halo. When his spell was completed, he pointed his right palm towards the direction of Dokebi. As soon as the color of the symbols intensified further, a beam of light exploded on the ground where Dokebi was located.The old man tilted his head from disappointment. "Hmm, there's no end of you is there?" Someone interfered and saved the little beast."Go to the evacuation shelter immediately," one of the legendary guardians of the garden commanded.Dokebi was startled as he looked at the guardian. It was Stormy Knight, the ice element beast guardian. He has a wolfish-deer hybrid look with skin that was made of bluish colored hardened ice crystals. Wearing a wooden sturdy human-faced shield and specialized crystal sword, he was one of the strongest contracted beasts of the old master.
(A/N: Stormy Knight from Ragnarok Online.)"Hurry!" Stormy Knight reminded as he turned around to face the unknown invader. Realizing that he would become a burden on the upcoming battle, Dokebi hastily ran away from the scene to get to the evacuation shelter."You dare invade this place. Who are you? What's your purpose?" Stormy Knight asked as he gritted his teeth in anger. All of a sudden some unknown invaders managed to enter Phoenix Garden earlier. For someone to manage to get here forcefully meant that these invaders were no ordinary individuals. They were extremely dangerous.According to the report he received earlier, twelve unknown invaders came in and started murdering the old master's beasts."Oh, my apologies," the invader lightly tapped his head as he continued, "Where are my manners."Spreading his arms as he looked up to the sky with admiration, "I'm God's 1st Apostle, Adam! The other apostles and I are appointed by God to fulfill his desires for a new world."(A/N: An Apostle means a chief disciple of Jesus Christ. In this story, they're used differently.)He was suddenly interrupted with a scoff by Stormy Knight, "So you're part of that cult, the Worshippers of the New World. I'm afraid you're in the wrong place to preach, old man."Adam was speechless for a second, but with a weak smile, he said, "It's alright to be lost. This is the very reason we're here. To guide those lost lambs like you to their proper path.""I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to guide me. I'm not a lamb to begin with," Stormy Knight shouted as he dashed forward to initiate an attack."I'll help you realize the truth," Adam softly said as he started casting explosive spells.Far away from the battle, Dokebi was trying as fast as he could to get to safety. He was covered in dirt and pieces of plant materials. Furthermore, he received several wounds from falling several times due to the slippery wet ground and the sharp plants he had to get pass through. The explosions and screams in different areas echoed as they were mixed in the harsh rain and thunder.After a few moments, Dokebi finally managed to find the evacuation shelter. Breathing heavily, he approached the secured building with a sigh relief. He was safe. Or so he thought.
"Butcher's Piercing."
Dokebi did not realize that another apostle came. From behind a string of chain with a blood-covered sharp blade at its end flew straight to Dokebi's heart.The moment Dokebi realized that he was attacked, the blade already made a hole through his body. Looking down, Dokebi shakily saw his own blood dripping. Moments later, it was harder for him to move or breathe. He fell to the ground immediately. As he fell, the special pouch that was attached to his belt which contained his friend's tasty food also fell.As breathing and moving became harder, he tried to crawl to safety. He did not want to give up yet. Sadly, he was too weak to move. It was too late.With the little life that he had, he breathed one last time as he touched the piece of food while he uttered, "Do...ke....bi...." (I'll join you now, friend.)Seeing that the little beast stopped struggling, Feedler, the 6th Apostle, who was wearing heavy huge armor and holding two chained blades continued to go on inside the barricaded evacuation center. To help him penetrate the barrier was his sister, a powerful witch and the 7th Apostle: Mercym. (A/N: The 6th Apostle. Not mine.) (A/N: The 7th Apostle. Not mine.)The bloodthirsty siblings initiated powerful attacks on the barrier for some time without too much of a problem.Those who were inside the evacuation center felt trapped and helpless. None of them stood a chance against them since they cannot fight at all. At this point, they were just innocent lambs waiting to be slaughtered.Soon enough the barrier was destroyed.As the heavy rain poured and thunders roared, the screams of the helpless victims echoed inside. Gradually, the number of screams decreased. Those who fell silent were lying down on the floor bathing in their own blood while the horror on their faces remained.When the last life was taken inside, there was complete silence.Peace was maintained again, but a different kind; it was a bloody and eerie one.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
As chaos swept the dimension, destruction and helpless cries followed. It was a truly horrifying scene. Buildings and crops were destroyed as if a deadly plague broke out all of a sudden. Piles of dead bodies were scattered everywhere.Those who managed to survive continued to flee, but not until they were caught by the emissary of death itself. When someone dared resist, a more cruel and brutal fate awaits. Soon, the glorious Phoenix Garden that everyone envied was nothing but a place of rubble. It was a mere graveyard for the unfortunate.
"Do...ke....bi...." (I'll join you now, friend.)
At that moment, Can woke up from his nightmare. He quickly gasped as he felt anxious all of a sudden. Yet, when he saw that he was only in his room as he lied in his bed, he realized that it was only a bad dream. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He should visit Phoenix Garden soon."Glad that you're awake. I made you breakfast," Tin said as he closed the door from behind with a spell as he held a tray that was full of seemingly delicious and fancy food.Seeing that Can seemed to be in distraught, he laid the tray in front of Can and kissed his forehead.Can looked up at Tin as he snapped out of his daze from his nightmare."Was I that bad in bed that it looked like you had a nightmare?" Tin teased Can in order to lighten up his mood."Wha-What are you talking about?" Can felt uncomfortable all of a sudden as his thoughts about his nightmare were put at the back of his head. When he tried to move, it was then that he felt a pricking pain from his lower body. He hissed as he stopped moving."Don't move. Just rest," Tin said as he placed the eating utensils properly in their places on the tray.There were three breakfast dishes on the tray. There were roasted poblano rice grit and egg bowl. Another one was an omelet with bacon, mushrooms, and ricotta. Then there were pearl sugar waffles with bacon and plums. As for the drink, it was a glass of water filled with various cut fruits that contain antioxidants such as strawberries, blueberries, red apple and with the addition of citrus flavor: lemon. (A/N: roasted poblano rice grit and egg bowl ) (A/N: pearl sugar waffles with bacon and plums) (A/N: omelet with bacon, mushrooms, and ricotta)Looking at his late-breakfast meal, Can was speechless. They looked quite extravagant and well-thought-out. They were appetizing that would make one drool. Still, Can felt that these were too excessive. Also, where did Tin get these ingredients and fancy looking tray and eating utensils? Knowing his family, they would not spend so much on this kind of things.With a fork on his hand, Tin grabbed a piece of omelet and raised it slightly closer to Can's mouth."Eat."Once again, Can was speechless. Tin feeding him? It felt weird for a filthy rich man like him to feed him."I can eat on my ow..!" Before Can could finish his sentence, Tin shoved the food into his mouth."How is it?" Tin asked amusedly.Can was going to scold Tin for what he did, but when he tasted the food in his mouth, his attention was already focused on eating more of the omelet."Ish good!" Can said as he chewed. He wanted to eat more. Grabbing the spoon on the tray, Can quickly ate. One by one, he tried each of the dishes. It was like he was in heaven. The bells above were ringing as the angels play the harp around Can. The food was extremely delicious!It has been a while since he tried something this great. Back in the Beast Gods' Dimension, Can did not have the luxury to eat fancy and tasty food for a long time. Who knew that within weeks, after becoming the new owner of the Beast God Dimension, his food ration that was prepared by his master would quickly disappear. He did not know that the appetites of Pond, Xu Xian, and Bacsojin were much bigger than his! In addition, there were no modern kitchen appliances and the source of food there was different in the human world. Since it was like this, Can had to create his own appliances and food recipe. Although he was successful at making decent food in the dimension to survive, it was nothing compared to the food in the human world."Who made thish?" Can asked while his mouth was full. His behavior had become unrestrained."Who else would treat you like this?" Tin said with a sarcastic tone in his voice."You cooked all of this?" Can was unable to believe him. Is it not hard to make food with just one hand?Tin chuckled. "You idiot," Tin said softly, "Just because I have one hand, it doesn't mean I couldn't use magic to cook."Can thought it made sense. Speaking of Tin's missing arm, Can grabbed a magic pill from his storage ring."Here, take thish," Can handed the magic pill to Tin as he continued to chew and eat food."Finish chewing your food," Tin instructed as he examined the magic pill that has an intense dark purple light glowing from the outer shell. Based on his observation, this pill could be considered a top-grade magic pill.After quickly chewing the food in his mouth, Can grabbed his fruit-infused water and drank it. Refreshing!Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he explained, "That is the Top-grade Body Regeneration magic pill. If you absorb its contents, your left arm would regrow within a minute."Tin's eyebrows were slightly raised. Depending on the grade of a magic pill, the effects would vary. It was the first time hearing a top-grade Body Regeneration Pill. Currently, only low-grade Body Regeneration Pills were being sold on the market. Due to their scarcity, they were quite expensive. Even then, their effects were too minimal to be very effective."Where did you get it?" Tin asked as he faced Can."The First Beast Summoner seemed to be interested in collecting rare treasures. This was one of them," Can explained."I see," Tin replied as he swallowed the magic pill. As soon as the magic pill dissolved inside Tin's body, Tin's left arm slowly regenerated to its original state.Looking at his new left arm, he moved it for a moment until it felt natural.Can was happy to see that Tin was in a better mood and had returned to his normal state.When Can noticed that Tin was wearing formal business clothes, he asked, "Where are you going?"Tin stopped what he was doing and faced Can, "I have unfinished business that I must attend.""Didn't you mention that you're a fugitive? You haven't explained to me your situation," Can continued since he could not help himself."Don't worry, Can," Tin said softly as he whispered while caressing Can's right cheek, "It was a misunderstanding. This business that I'm attending was for me to clear my name.""D-do you want me to come?" Can worriedly asked.Tin smiled as he slightly shook his head. "This is only a trivial matter. There's no need for you to come with me. Besides your body needs to rest from last night."Can suddenly became embarrassed as he quickly replied as he looked down, "Then if that's the case, you should get going so you won't be late to your business."As Can looked down, he then realized that he was already dressed up casually. His clothes were different. He did not remember him dressing up last night. He knew that he went to sleep after the two of them did it."You were sleeping soundly earlier. No matter how hard I tried to wake you up, you just won't wake up," Tin smirked as he teased Can, "So I took care of cleaning you in the bathroom.""You what!?" Can was actually surprised. Was he that tired that he was unable to wake up to any disturbances such as this?"Why act surprised? It's not the first time I did it. Besides, I've seen everything already. No need to be shy with me," Tin explained which made Can remember what Uncle You explained to him from when he was unconscious after his intense fight with Tin. When Tin said these things, it just made Can more embarrassed.(A/N: From Chapter 7.)"Master Tin, everything's ready." A message was relayed to Tin through telepathy by Type, which interrupted Tin's fun."Alright, I've teased you too much. I'll return as soon as possible," Tin approached Can much closer and kissed him on his lips, "Don't stray too much since we have things to discuss later.""You won't be able to escape from me anymore in any case," Tin told himself. Earlier he put a sleeping spell on Can as he formed another Blood Pact. This time the contract was way more powerful than before. Tin conducted quick research on the Blood Spell then he tweaked it in order to be more beneficial to him. With the upgraded version of the contract, Tin could track down Can's position anywhere including in other dimensions and he could instantly teleport himself wherever he was in. One must know that not anyone could just change an already established spell and make it better. Only those with great capabilities, ingenuity, power, and determination could accomplish such a thing. Tin could be considered as one of the great Elementalist geniuses.Can was in a daze after the warm and loving kiss on his lips. At the same time, Tin stood up and turned around. The genuine smile on his face was now replaced with a menacing one. With a wave of his hand, he disappeared into thin air.As soon as he reached his destination, he said with chillingly yet calmly, "Good morning, gentlemen," Tin paused as he sat down at the chair that used to be his father's seat, "Shall we begin?"All of E.A's elders who were present in the room felt the intense pressure that Tin displayed. They were truly intimidated. It was as if they were being sentenced to death. They thought that they would rather die than to stay in the same room with him.After Tin left and the daze was gone, Can took a magic pill that would help him remove the pain that he was feeling in his body. Unexpectedly, Pete once again showed up through his ghost form, which scared Can again."I'm sorry if I scared you again Can," Pete scratched his head timidly."It-It's fine, Pete. Could you please let me know next time when you would come, so I'd be more prepared?" Can asked as he tried to calm down his very fast-beating heart after getting scared."Yes, I understand. I'm sorry," Pete nodded.Changing the topic, Pete wanted to talk about the plan last night, but somehow he was too shy to ask. He just stood there as he fidgeted with his hands while smiling awkwardly.Can seemed to notice Pete's awkward action and thought that he must be thinking of what happened last night. Without hesitation, he said, "Don't worry Pete. It was a success. I managed to fix his impure spiritual core."Pete excitedly faced Can, "Really?"Can smiled and nodded."That's good to hear then," Pete replied. He quickly scanned his own body for traces of impure spiritual energy. Indeed, the problem was fixed. He was relieved. His body was able to eliminate the traces of the impure spiritual energy. "Still, I wonder where he got his impure spiritual core," Can asked as he scratched his chin while he furrowed his brows."Can, when I was scanning his core, I found out that it was forged through multiple impure spiritual cores. Other than that, I'm afraid you have to ask Tin yourself," Pete explained. He somehow felt useless in this situation."I understand. In any case, thank you Pete for your help. I could have not done it with you," Can smiled which showed his pearly white teeth.Pete was somehow speechless, but after regaining his composure and confidence, he said as he smiled back, "You're welcome, Can.""Oh, by the way, Pete," Can paused as he got up from bed with the tray, "How's Ae? Can I visit him?"Pete replied with enthusiasm and glimmer in his eyes, "He's in a much better condition now. Yes! Of course! He'd love to see you!""Alright, I'll clean up and change real quick then leave. Could you tell me where you guys are?" Can asked.After Pete's explanation, Can got ready. When he told that he would visit Ae, both Ley and his mother wanted to come too. Of course, Can could not say 'no' to them, so he let them tag along with him.Before they left though, Can communicated with Pond, Xu Xian, and Bacsojin if they wanted to come with him. Since it has been a while since he last saw them, he wanted to see and introduce them to his family and friends. He knew that there might be tension especially with Bacsojin and Ae, but he thought that he would clear up the misunderstanding.For Pond, at first, he hesitated, but eventually, he did agree on going with him. Can was thankful that Pond accepted since this meeting would be hard for him. In any case, this was necessary. When he meets with everyone, whether he decides to speak the truth or continue to run away from it would be up to him."Mom, can I borrow your phone?" Can asked as he approached his mother. Can's phone was destroyed back in the Beast Gods' Dimension when he handed it to Bacsojin to check it out. She held it strongly that it broke into two pieces.Handing the phone, his mom asked, "Why?""I'm going to call my master," he replied.Can dialed his master's phone number. Unfortunately, no one answered. Can tried multiple times, but the results were the same."He could be busy. You know him. He likes to do a lot of things. He could be traveling somewhere. Try to call him later," Can's mom comforted her son. Can nodded as he returned the phone back to his mom.He did hope that his old master was just busy traveling.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
[unedited]When Pond, Xu Xian, and Bacsojin arrived shortly at the Rathavit residence, Can introduced them to his family.At first, when Can saw the three for the first time after a few days, he thought they were different people because of their style and appearance. They looked like rich superstars. They honestly all seemed to enjoy disappearing from his side!Looking at the three who were wearing beautiful and fashionable clothes, both Ley and her mom could not help it but admire and flatter them endlessly.Pond, Xu Xian, and Bacsojin did not mind Can's family's behavior towards them. At this point, they got used to it. These past few days, when they left Can, they were traveling around different places in Thailand and bought a lot of things that they have not seen in their lives. Since Can earned a lot of money from the auction, the three naturally used that money to buy things they wanted. Whether the items that they saw were useless, they would buy them. Of course, buying clothes was part of their trip. Who knew that their sense of fashion was way more incredible than that of Can? Due to this, they became a hot topic in social media. When someone would see them in the street, that person would go to them and ask for pictures. It got to the point where a crowd of people would surround the three to get pictures of them. They were even pursued by the media, but thankfully with their powers, they were able to escape them every time.As of now, Bacsojin was wearing a wonderful green dress that emphasizes her slender figure. To complement her green dress, she wore bracelets with white crystals on both hands and a necklace that has shiny blue diamond crystals attached to it. In addition, she wore a beige-colored high-heels. Anyone who would see her would consider her as their very own Greek Goddess of Earth: Gaea. If such a goddess would ask them to kneel before her, they would gladly do so. For Bacsojin, she chose this outfit because of her inclination to the Earth element. Green represents nature. Blue represents the body of water. Beige represents soil. White represents purity. Indeed, she was the Goddess of Earth.To accompany her lover's outfit, Xu Xian wore a simple classy black suit with a black tie. He looked a well-refined serious yet gentle man despite his carefree personality. He was a man worthy to escort a goddess like Bacsojin.For Pond, he looked like a rock star idol due to his rebellious style of fashion. With a quiff hairstyle and a simple earring on his left ear, he wore a black leather jacket, white dress shirt, slim-fit black pants, black leather shoes, and a cool sunglasses that have a dark red tone on the lenses. With his bad boy look, girls and guys would always flock on him like birds.
(A/N: This is a quiff hairstyle. Not mine.)"Omg! These people are so gorgeous," Can's mother exclaimed as she was starstruck by Can's friends and his contracted beast god."Not only that! They're famous on social media right now too! I couldn't believe that they know Can," Ley said without thinking that she was being sarcastic to his brother as she shook hands with Bacsojin. She thought that Bacsojin was an angel that flew down to Earth from heaven.Ley then grabbed her phone and asked for a picture with Xu Xian, Bacsojin, and Pond individually, so she could brag to her friends. Of course, everyone gladly let her took pictures of them. They said to themselves that Can's family was also their family.Can felt embarrassed by his family's behavior. At the same time, he thought that the three, Ley, and his mother were too extravagant for a hospital visit. They all looked like they were going to some fancy party.As for him, he was wearing casual clothes that were bought by Tin when they went to Heaven's Gold Mall. Because he does not have a sense of fashion like everyone else, he chose a set of clothes that was specifically chosen by Tin himself before. He was wearing a vertical striped design short sleeve dress shirt, striped pants, and converse shoes. Although the clothes were expensive and high-quality, they do not look too extravagant for a visit to a hospital.
When Ley and Mrs. Rathavit were done taking pictures and talking to the others, Can asked Pond to summon the Great Black Raven to transport them to Ae's family-owned hospital.With a whistle, a huge black bird from the sky dived ferociously and landed swiftly with elegance on the ground.Both mother and daughter were amazed when they saw the monstrous and majestic black raven. Of course, they took this opportunity to take pictures with the raven. Being a smart and proud bird, the Great Black Raven allowed the two to take pictures of him as he made different poses with them.Can, "..."Soon all of them rode behind the Great Black Raven's back. With another whistle from Pond, the bird flew into the sky and became invisible.Within a few moments, they arrived in front of Ae's famous family-owned hospital in Thailand for beast summoners. After they came down from the Great Black Raven, the bird flew up in the sky and disappeared into thin air.At the entrance, they were then greeted by Pete and some of his bodyguards for escort."Can!" Pete exclaimed as he waved towards Can."Pete! Long-time ah!" Before Can could greet Pete, his mother and sister accidentally shoved him when they saw Pete. It has been a long time since the mother and daughter saw him."Pete, how are you? It's been a long time!" Mrs. Rathavit happily said as she hugged the young man."I missed you too, Auntie," Pete said as he happily hugged Can's mother. He looked at Ley and smiled at her.After the mother and daughter talked for a little bit to catch up with him, Can greeted Pete then introduced Xu Xian, Bacsojin, and Pond to him. When the introduction was finished, Pete escorted them inside the huge hospital and the room where Ae was currently staying.Before they entered Ae's room, they were greeted by familiar people who were waiting outside by the door."Can! It's really you, buddy!" Quickly Can was pulled and hugged by this person.It was Techno. This person who considers Can as his younger brother was shaken the moment that Pete told him that Can was alive. He was just here to visit Ae after hearing that he was allowed to have visitors.After the incident in the Beast Gods' Dimension, Techno could not somehow bring himself to talk or to look at Ae. Whether Ae was manipulated or not, the fact that he killed Can was unbearable for him. He did not want to see Ae because it would just remind him of the incident that happened. Yet, when he learned that Ae was hospitalized the other day, Techno could not bear it anymore and wanted to visit him. He did not want to lose another important person in his life. Who knew that the day he would visit Ae, he would see the person who he thought was already dead."Ah, Techno you're squeezing me too tightly!" Can said as he gasped for air.Techno was not listening. He further squeezed Can tightly as he shakily sobbed."I'm glad....I'm really glad.....," Techno whispered repeatedly.Thankfully, Kengkla was behind Techno. He pulled him away from Can and calmed him down."Techno... Can is really alive, but don't hug him tightly or you'll kill him," Kengkla softly whispered as he caressed Techno's back.Kengkla then looked towards Can and nodded as he smiled. He was glad that he was alive too.After calming down, Techno, once again, hugged Can. This time it was more controlled and not too tight."I'm happy to see you again, Can," Techno paused as tears in his eyes fell once again as his voice started to crack due to sadness, "You have no idea how much we've suffered when we thought you were gone."It was then when everyone, once again, felt the pain when they lost Can. It was truly saddening especially for Can's mother and sister. At that point, they felt like crying too."I'm sorry," Can whispered as he smiled weakly. He now felt guilty for making the people around him worried and sad."I won't go anywhere.....I'm here to stay," Can reassured Techno and everyone else. That was his promise. He would not leave them behind anymore.After the heartfelt reunion, Can and everyone else, entered Ae's spacious room.The moment Ae saw Can in person, he could not believe it at first. As his heart started to beat faster, the tears in his eyes started to flow."Can, I'm sorry. It was my fault. Please forgive me," he weakly said while his voice cracked as he looked down and cried.When Bacsojin saw Ae, the one who tried to murder Can and her back then in the Beast Gods' Dimension, she was immediately filled with murderous fury. She wanted to yell and fight Ae for what he did. Yet, she was stopped by Xu Xian as he held her hand and slightly shaking his head. He then faced Can's direction which Bacsojin also did. When she saw Can approaching his murderer, she was surprised as she became speechless."Why would he...do that...," Bacsojin asked herself. Was he not the one who tried to kill him?Can slowly went to Ae's side by the bed to comfort him as he said, "It wasn't your fault Ae. I don't blame you for what happened."Ae broke down as he wept while hugging Can. It was intense and heartfelt. Ae shakily and anxiously gripped Can's shirt as if not wanting to let his friend go. Can did not stop Ae. He knew that Ae suffered a lot. He knew that blamed himself for what happened.As the two were reconnecting with one another, Can's mother and Ley put the fruit basket and flowers that allows a person to relax on the table not too far away from Ae's bed. Afterwards, they approached Ae and told him not to blame himself anymore. They hugged him and told him that it was time to move on and leave the incident behind. Can then started to tell everyone how he survived and his adventures. Regarding the culprit, he said that it was not Ae for sure. At that point, everyone, including Bacsojin felt somehow calmer and relieved. Although the incident was painful, they knew that there should be a point where they should move on. Even though none of them knew who was the culprit and most likely it would remain a mystery, they could not let themselves dwell and get lost in the past. Justice should prevail, but at what cost? There was no reason to remain angry, hateful, regretful, and sad forever. Everyone was a victim of the tragedy, but it was Can who ultimately decides how to end such a tragedy. Whether someone would still hold this pain was up to that person to bear.As for Pond, he felt suffocated. The moment he saw Ae, it reminded him of the evil deeds that he has done before.
"You are pure evil."
"Your evil deeds will haunt you! Remember that!"
"There's nothing good about you! You should just perish!"
"No one cares about you! Even your parents abandoned you!"
"You don't belong here...."
The longer he stayed in the room, the harder for him to breathe. He felt like he was being strangled by something, but he did not know what it was. As he started sweating, he started to feel uncomfortable staying in the room. He suddenly felt that he did not belong there. He needed to leave. He needed to stay away from this place. He needed to stay away from them."Ex..excuse me...," Pond said as he walked outside the door. The moment he came out of the room, he rushed towards the exit.He did not stop there and ran to a place where no one was present. When he finally stopped, he reached an empty grassy area that was located behind the hospital. He kneeled on the grass as he gasped for air. It was then his own tears fell. As he looked above the blue clear sky, he thought to himself that he must be really destined to be alone and to suffer alone.With his shaking lips, he whispered, "I...I tried to change.....I tried to be a better person....but I guess it was pointless."Covering his face with both of his hands, he cried by himself. Remembering the hurtful words of the beast gods from the past, Pond felt more alone and hurt."I j-just wanted someone...to accept me.... That's all I wished my entire life...." Yet his past haunted him. He thought he would have another chance in life when he met Can. He thought that as long as he did not tell him the truth, everything would be fine, but it was not the case at all. In that room, he suddenly felt guilty. He remembered all the evil actions that he did that he tried so hard to bury and forget in his heart. It seemed that it was that guilt that made him suffocate and feel horrible in that room.If he told Can the truth, would he then abandon him just like everyone else? When he thought about it, he somehow could not handle it. If he then chose not to tell the truth, the guilt would always be with him. It was somehow unbearable too. If he kept it, he would just be betraying the only person who trusted him. He did not want that.As Pond cried and blamed himself for what happened, a hand touched his shoulder."Pond?"When Pond heard his voice, he could not somehow face him. There was this shame inside of him that he could not show to him."You can tell me everything, Pond," Can said as he caressed Pond's back."I won't abandon you, no matter what happens," he continued as a weak smile on his face showed.Hearing those words, Pond nervously faced Can slowly. There was this fear inside him that was restricting him to say something. It was as if there was this lump in his throat that made it hard for him to talk. Even so, when he saw the sincerity and care from his master's eyes, he knew that he had to force himself to say it. He hesitated for a bit, but decided as he mustered his courage to say, "It was me, Can. I was the one who manipulated Ae to kill you."With the truth being said, he proceeded to cry further as he wheezed. It was the end for him.Yet instead of being abandoned or punished by his master, Can petted Pond's hair then hugged him.Can whispered, "I know."======Another update. :)
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[unedited]"Y-you know?" Pond expressed shock as he stuttered.Can nodded, "Yes."Looking into his master's eyes, Pond asked while tears were still flowing, "Why didn't you say or do anything?""I wanted to hear it directly from you," Can whispered as he petted Pond's head gently with a faint smile."Pond, since you were born, you were only taught cruelty and hatred from others around you. Those who were supposed to protect and love you have abandoned you instead," Can paused suddenly as he reminisced the words and the pictures that the First Beast Summoner showed him about Pond's life as he continued with such care, "You, being deprived of such warmth and care from others..... have learned that in this life, there was only evil. And so, you became as such. Hateful and cruel."As he cried harder, there were hiccups as Pond talked weakly, "Why then....w-why then forgive me for my crime?"Taking a deep breath so that he would not break down, Can answered, "I understood your position after getting a glimpse of your life. When you manipulated people and other creatures back in the Beast Gods' Dimension, you did what you had to do to survive. Selfishness was your only choice and savior. I couldn't blame you for your actions."His lips shook slightly as he continued, "Although I'm not certain why you had to receive such treatment when you were born, Pond, I know that deep inside you, there's goodness in it. That I'm certain.""Do I re-really?" Pond asked as he wanted reassurance.Can nodded as he replied, "Yes," with a quick pause he said with a genuine smile, "Pond, I forgive you."As if he received a second chance in life, his teary eyes widened as his lips trembled uncontrollably due to disbelief. He hugged Can tightly. During that moment, he did not say anything because he was too overwhelmed with a mixture of emotions. Mostly, of course, from happiness.Can just silently comforted Pond. He was satisfied that he was able to change Pond and accomplish what the First Beast Summoner has wished.After some time, Pond asked, "How about Ae...and the others?"Can replied facing Pond, "I'll let you decide. Whether you tell them or not is up to you."Can did not want to pressure Pond to tell the truth to everyone immediately. He knew that Pond would not run away from the truth anymore. He just needed to find the right moment to confess."Thank you, Can," Pond said with a wide smile on his face. Suddenly, the heavy feeling that he felt became lessened. It felt liberating. Although there were still fragments of guilt and regret, they were not to the point where they were overwhelming. He thought to himself that he must find a way to remove the rest of these feelings and burden soon.Before the two came back inside the hospital, Pond looked at himself in the mirror from his storage ring. Seeing that his eyes were a little swollen, he quickly wore his red-toned glasses. He did care about his appearance as a bad boy star after all."Let's go back?" Can asked as he stood up.Taking a deep breath and smiling, Pond nodded. "Yes."The two left the grassy area of the back of the hospital and went inside to be with the others.When they came back, the people inside Ae's room were already eating."Pond! Can! Come and eat. Xu Xian and Bacsojin ordered a lot of food. They even got a discount," Mrs. Rathavit twirled from the happiness that she felt. Being surrounded by gorgeous and amazing people gives her so much joy. Ley acted the same way just like her mother. Even though the duo did things that were not considered embarrassing by others, Can could not help it but feel the embarrassment instead.Seeing such behavior by his family, Can had to momentarily ignore them as he ate food with the others."Can, when are you coming back to our university? Are you even thinking of going back?" Techno asked while sipping his juice drink.Facing Techno Can nodded as he happily said, "Yes. I'll stop by later in the university and inform my master about me being alive, hehe.""You want it to be a surprise?" Kengkla spoke."Well, I still haven't been able to contact my master until now. I suppose that it's going to be a surprise," Can replied."That's good to hear then. We haven't seen your master since you were gone. I heard he mostly stayed in Phoenix Garden," Techno answered."Ahh, is that so? I hope to see Master Khang when I visit Phoenix Garden then," Can continued."Tension has been rising everywhere," Techno said as he shook his head in displeasure."Thankfully everything is still in order at the university thanks to our dean," Kengkla pointed out."Still, I heard that the three major forces are already having their battles against one another in secret. None of them seemed prepared to start an all-out war yet," Techno explained with a serious tone.With a gulp of his juice drink, Techno continued the gossip, "I've heard that the Elementalist Association (E.A.) has weakened significantly after Tin..."Techno stopped himself as he weakly slapped his mouth. He did not know whether it was right to talk about Tin or not. He knew they had a very special connection with one another.Can was surprised and confused at first about Techno's behavior, but he knew that it had something to do with Tin being a criminal."Were you referring to Tin being a criminal?" Can asked.Techno could not deny it and felt sorry about it. "I'm sorry. It must be hard for you.""No. It's okay. I was told that it was just a misunderstanding. Tin told me that he was going to fix it," Can calmly said."You've talked to him?" Techno was surprised.Can nodded as he continued to eat."You seemed calm about it," Kengkla added."I believe in his capabilities. If he wanted something, he'd get it no matter what it takes," Can plainly said.Both Kengkla and Techno looked at one another. It seemed that Can trusts Tin that much. He did not seem to be worried about him at all! The two knew that E.A.'s leadership was being fought over by strong foreign and local powers. Simple negotiations and talk would not be effective at all. Bloodshed would most likely be the answer if Tin wants to gain leadership. Besides, it would be unlikely that Tin would be able to clear his name through a proper process since everyone in E.A. seemed to have already agreed to remove him from power. It was rumored that E.A.'s elders unanimously decided to send an elite team to eliminate him and his father. If Can was this confident, then it could mean that Tin had enough power to do what he wishes. It was terrifying thinking about how powerful Tin might have become.After a few more hours have passed, visiting hours for Ae was over. Although everyone was reluctant to leave, Ae had to continue his recovery. Specialized doctors have come to check on him and perform complex spells. According to them, it would be soon until Ae would be able to recover completely.As they said their goodbyes to one another and went their separate ways, Can asked his family to go back home without him. He would like to check and visit Phoenix Garden to see if his master was there. Aside from that, he would like to visit his friends there particularly Dokebi.Before they left, Can was accompanied by Pond. Meanwhile, Xu Xian and Bacsojin were asked to escort Can's family back home.Summoning four Rare grade Gold Acidus dragons by Xu Xian, the rest sat on the dragons back.
(A/N: Gold Acidus from Ragnarok Online.)"Can, don't come home too late. Greet your master for me will you?" Mrs. Rathavit said as she steadied herself at the back of a Gold Acidus. She then asked Ley to take a picture of her while riding the golden dragon. Similarly, Ley asked the same thing from her mother. The two of them giggled as they flew away in the sky with Xu Xian and Bacsojin.Now that everyone left safely, it was time for Can and Pond to go. With a whistle, the Great Black Raven came down from the sky once again and landed in front of Can. It lowered its head as if asking to be petted by Can. Without any hesitation, the little beast summoner gladly obeyed and gave the huge black bird gentle touches and pats on the head. Such warmth and pleasant feeling made the black bird create a rattling caw sound.Seeing that the two were having a good time, Pond felt irritated. He interrupted them as he shamelessly said while shoving his pet bird's head away from Can, "Pet me too."Can was somehow speechless. Yet, after seeing that the powerful god beast was fighting with a Mythical grade beast for simple affection, Can could not help it but laugh.Hearing the laughter of their master, both Pond and the Great Black Raven stopped fighting and joined the laughter too.With both of his hands, Can petted both Pond and the Great Black Raven. He said as he chuckled, "There's no need to fight."After some time, Pond and Can rode the big black bird. They then flew into the sky and became invisible once again. As the bird flapped its wings continuously, the sound of laughter followed.
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[unedited]Arriving at the university late in the afternoon, Can scanned the area while flying above in the sky. He noticed that there were not a lot of changes since he left. The golden statue of the founder of the university still stood proudly. Tall and large buildings that represented its prestige were still standing. There were new constructions that were being implemented as part of the university's ongoing expansion. Students come and go as they talk and laugh with one another. Still, observing closely, he did sense a divide amongst the students as they walked using separate paths. The beast summoners walked only with the other beast summoners and their allies. Similarly, elementalists walked with their own and their allies. For those who joined the Worshippers of the New World, he could not tell.Descending from the sky, the Great Black Raven landed in front of the building where the office of Master Khang was located. With Pond by his side, Can went in after saying farewell to their ride.Soon the two reached their destination. Can was nervous. He was not sure how he would react when he sees his master. He hoped he would not be too emotional although he expected that he would be once they meet. At the same time, he was not even sure how his odd old master would react when he sees him.Taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes momentarily, Can knocked on the office door of Master Khang."Master Khang, it's Can. May I come in?" Can said with a nervous tone in his voice.After waiting for a few moments, no answer came inside. There was only silence. Can tried once again, but it was the same result.He looked at Pond then looked at the doorknob. Gripping the doorknob slowly, Can turned it and pushed the door.As he entered the room, as expected, Master Khang was not there. While he looked around at the unchanged room, he noticed the dust that already accumulated on his master's desk as Pond slid his index finger on it and a black mark became apparent on the finger. It seemed that what Techno told him earlier was true. His master must be spending most of his time in Phoenix Garden.Without wasting any time, Can asked Pond to move aside from the center of the room in order to call Tao Gunka. Reaching for the small totem similar to the appearance of Tao Gunka from his storage ring, Can would use it to summon the beast. It was a gift by the old man before he went to the Beast Gods' Dimension.
(A/N: Tao Gunka from Chapter 28. )Loading some of his spiritual energy on the totem, Can summoned Tao Gunka.As the small totem illuminated the entire room then faded within a blink, a giant totem appeared in the center of the room."TAAAAOOOO GUNKAAAA," the giant totem beast happily exclaimed as if excited to see the person who summoned it."Tao Gunka?" ("Eh? Where is that boy?")With a smile on his face, Can said with enthusiasm, "I'm over here Tao Gunka!"Since Tao Gunka was facing the door, it did not see that Can was standing behind it. At every turn it made, Tao Gunka said repeatedly, "Tao..Tao...Tao."When it was able to finally face Can, Tao Gunka happily said, "Tao Gunka!" ("It's nice to see you, kid.")"It's nice to meet you too! It's been a while, Tao Gunka," Can said as he chuckled."Taooo Gunkaaa." ("Master would be glad to see you.")"I hope so too. How is he?" Can asked with anticipation that his master was hopefully okay."Tao Gunkaa. Gunka." ("He hasn't summoned me for a while now, but I know he has been staying in Phoenix Garden at the moment.")Noticing another presence of a person, Tao Gunka turned to Pond and asked, "Tao Gunkaa? Tao?" ("Who is this? New boyfriend?")Immediately, Can shook his head. He was about to say something when Pond interrupted him when he said "Yes, you're right." As he glanced at Can, he winked at him as he introduced himself to the giant totem."I'm Pond. I'm his contracted god beast.""TAO GUNKA!? Taooo Gunkaaa!" ("YOU'RE A GOD BEAST!? You must be really powerful!")Thumping his chest with his one hand, Pond arrogantly said, "Yes and I'm the strongest beast god.""TAO GUNKA!" ("Oh you're amazing then!")"You flatter me too much," Pond said as he scratched his nose.As the two suddenly seemed to have found a new comrade, they started having an enthusiastic fun conversation with one another. Meanwhile, Can's mouth twitched. It seemed that the most talkative beasts that he has known had become best buddies in an instant that they met. If they continued with their conversation, there would be no end to it.At the same time, Can forgot to clear up the misunderstanding between the two after getting distracted by their unending conversation. This would be proven fatal for him later.Thankfully, Pond realized sooner why he came here with Can. Finishing up his conversation with his new comrade, Pond said, "Sorry, Can. We should go already and meet your master."Can nodded with a chuckle and asked Tao Gunka to transport them to Phoenix Garden.Soon Tao Gunka released its ability as it illuminated the room with white light which blinded the two visitors momentarily."TAO GUNKA!"Arriving at Phoenix Garden, the two landed in an unknown part of the dimension. The spot was different from where Can would usually land when he was with Master Khang.As soon as Can opened his eyes, he suddenly felt goosebumps all over his body. The atmosphere has become intense and chaotic rather than being peaceful like before.Looking around, he was frozen from his position. He was shocked and speechless. Right now, the scene that he was witnessing was very similar to the nightmare he had last night. The only difference was that this nightmare that he was in was real.Instead of being greeted by fresh air, the smell of blood and smoke that was mixed with burning flesh, buildings, and crops wrapped around their noses. The garden that showed rare beauty as a blooming flower has now decayed and rot. The heavy rain has already stopped, but the sky was still shrouded in darkness. The ground that was a source of life has now become a filthy place full of corruption and a resting point for the dead. Those voices of helpless cries gradually lessened, but they continued to echo throughout the now miserable place."What the f*ck has happened here?" Pond could not believe what he saw. There were dead beasts everywhere he looked."Is this still the Phoenix Garden you spoke of?" Pond asked as he looked at Can. He did not receive an answer. His master was just staring at the direction of a burning building not too far away from the two of them.All of a sudden, Can ran towards the direction of the said burning building then he stopped in front of a dead beast not too far away from the entrance."Can, be careful! It's dangerous. We don't know the current situation," Pond worriedly said. Still, it seemed that he was not heard. Can abruptly kneeled which scared Pond for a moment because he thought he was hurt."Can, what's wrong? Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" Pond asked as he became anxious and scared about Can's well-being. Still, he did not get a response.As Pond looked down at the dead beast that was in front of Can momentarily, he noticed the item that laid next to it. It looked quite similar to the ham and cheese hot pockets that Can have brought in Beast Gods' Dimension. Does Can know this pitiful small dead beast?"Do...kebi...., I-I'm back now. Your fri-end is h-here now," Can was on the verge of crying as he mentioned with a muffled voice the name of a very close friend of his. With his shaking hands, he carefully held Dokebi to his chest. There was no more warmth in him. Can was in denial at first and thought that Dokebi might be just cold after playing in the rain and mud. He just needed some warmth. That was all he needed he thought.Yet, Can could not feel any movements that were full of energy and eagerness from his friend like before. There was only the flow of blood and a cold silence."I'm sorry, Can." Pond was heartbroken when he witnessed the sadness in his master's eyes.Can looked up to face Pond and anxiously whispered while his slips quivered, "No..no...no...the-there might be some..something in my storage ring to help....him. There must be so-something," Can paused for a moment as he carefully handed Dokebi to Pond, "We...we gathered a lot of things in Beast Gods' Dimension....there should be something useful."As if becoming hysterical, Can quickly grabbed and checked every item in his storage ring. Seeing such behavior by his master, Pond could not seem to handle it. He knew that there were no items that could help revive the dead little beast."Can....I'm really sorry." Pond kneeled and tried to comfort Can, but his master refused."No, no, Pond. There must be something useful....," Can said as he breathed more rapidly and becoming clumsier as he grabbed more items from his storage ring."There must be something...," he repeated this phrase a couple of more times. As the more unhelpful items were being taken from Can's storage ring, the more frustrated Can has become.Pond could not take it anymore, so he told Can softly, "That's enough Can. He's gone."Can stopped what he was doing as he faced Pond. Finally, the tears from his eyes could not be prevented anymore from the cruel truth. It finally occurred to him that his friend was gone. He, once again, took Dokebi from Pond's hands and hugged him tightly."I'm sorry Dokebi," Can whispered.Pond felt powerless as he hugged Can.Far away from them, the twin apostles reported that there were two intruders."Any information about our guests?" the first apostle, Adam, asked while dragging the body of Stormy Knight from the muddy ground to a certain location.The tenth and the eleventh twin apostles named Jasdero and Devit said calmly in unison, "It's Can Rathavit and his contracted beast. Recently became a Rainbow Grade Tier 5. Threat level is moderate."
(A/N: Jasdero and Devit. They're twins so they should look the same. Picture is not mine.)"Ahh, Isn't that Master Khang's dead disciple? He came back from the dead?" Adam smiled as he faced the twins. His interest was piqued. At such a young age, Can already reached Tier 5. He knew very well that only exceptional ones can attain such level. Can was certainly one of those. Still, it was a mystery how he lived despite the reports of him being dead.The twins looked at one another then nodded at Adam."Interesting," Adam continued as he said while he slowly scratched his chin , "Since the two of you are already Tier 5, you could handle them without a problem, but if you may....try to recruit the disciple to our side. Include the twelfth apostle, Prince Axel, in your trip for backup."Once again, the twins nodded. Before they left they said with complete reverence, "May the new world be in everlasting peace."Adam nodded as he repeated the phrase, "May the new world be in everlasting peace."
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[unedited]Specializing in tracking and observing movements of the enemies, Jasdero and Devit were able to pinpoint where Can and Pond were located within seconds. With the help of the numerous hair-raising eyeballs that were attached to their bodies, the twins dispatched them to track down enemies in the dimension. Later on, the twin apostles, including Prince Axel, reached the still burning shelter. Of course, they were not the only ones who have sharp senses. Pond had already sent countless ravens all over the place to get information about what was happening. When the twin apostles and Prince Axel finally reached the area, Pond also just finished setting up invisible traps around him and Can. Meanwhile, Can was not fully aware of what was happening due to the grief that he was feeling from his friend's death. He was crying silently.Not too far away from the two, the twin apostles approached them slowly. Prince Axel did not move from his position momentarily to observe Can. The moment he saw him, he felt that he had seen him before. Unfortunately, he could not determine where and when he met him. Pond ignored their presence as he continued to comfort Can."You shouldn't grieve. Instead, you should celebrate," said by the twins in unison as they observed Can who was hugging the dead little beast.Forming a fist on his hand, Pond shouted with anger in his tone, "What did you just say!?" He then stood up as he stared at the twins with chilling and threatening gaze, "Celebrate? What nonsense are you saying!?"The twins looked at one another and together, they said calmly, "His death was mercy."Hearing those words, Can faced the twins and said with such sorrow as his tears fell, "How is killing an innocent creature, mercy? What was it that he did wrong to deserve this?""He doesn't have to continue to suffer in this filthy corrupted world anymore," the two said as they continued to approach Can and Pond slowly."We are God's instruments who are given a daunting task to help create a new world. This new world in which there would be forever peace and freedom." As soon as the twins finished their sentence, they stopped in front of one of the invisible traps that were built by Pond."The death of your friend and the others is part of cleansing this world from suffering and filth. It is a necessary sacrifice for the greater good."Both twins put their palms together as if praying and started chanting a spell.
"Clarity."
As soon as the mysterious chant was finished, the twins touched the muddy ground where the invisible trap was built. Grasping a black tentacle looking trap on their hands, they easily crushed it and turned it into white dust.Pond saw how one of his traps was easily found out and destroyed. It seemed that it would not be an easy fight. His traps were set up initially to determine the power of the enemies. Since they were detected by the two, it meant that they were already at Tier 5. The traps that he set up were undetectable by anyone who was Tier 4 and below. He stayed calm despite this. He thought that they still had a chance to win."Those who don't believe in our faith and the new world would only continue to suffer. We are giving them God's mercy," the twins said as they continued to approach them.Absorbing the information gathered by the ravens, Pond spat on the ground to show disgust while maintaining eye contact with the enemies, "You're only using God as an excuse. In reality you fake religious cultists were aiming to extract Master Khang's spiritual core for your master."As they heard those words, the twins looked at one another for quite a bit. They were surprised about how Can's contracted beast was able to get hold of such information. This was supposed to be a secret and only the apostles knew this."Heh!" Pond scoffed. "So I was right that you're just saying a bunch of sh*t? There was no such thing as a promised new world after all. You were fooling people to follow you and your ideas in order to gain power. It was a coverup. This God that you're talking about don't really exist. Even if he is, you must be referring to your actual master."Once again, the twins were unable to reply. Their silence could only confirm Pond's suspicions. These apostles were tasked to extract Master Khang's Tier 6 spiritual core. If Pond's conclusion was correct, the extracted spiritual core would be used to increase the power of the user. It could be that this individual was trying to ascend to Tier 7, the supreme level.One must know that if someone becomes Tier 7, that individual becomes the absolute power and law of the world and dimensions. The fate of the world lies within that person's palm. With a quick snap of a finger, that person could create life or impose death on the world. The only known people who became Tier 7 were the legendary First Beast Summoner and the First Elementalist. They ruled the world in ancient times once. Yet after they left the world, no one has ever become the Supreme Ruler.Becoming Tier 7 was an almost impossible task to accomplish. Only those who were bestowed with special gifts and favored by the true Gods could only become Tier 7. Forcing oneself to become the Supreme Ruler goes against the flow of nature. Such a forced attempt to ascend to Tier 7 could only end in a disaster. Whoever it was who wanted to consume Master Khang's spiritual core was someone who was going against nature and true Gods' wishes.At the moment, Master Khang was still fighting against two apostles who were also Tier 6. The area where it was taking place was scorched and full of huge holes. It was as if the land split in half. Every blow of attacks from the three would send earth shattering shock waves that each corner of the dimension would feel. It was quite intense and if someone below Tier 6 were to join the fight, that individual would only be sent to death instantly. Judging the battle, they were in a stalemate. Pond admired that Master Khang could fight two Tier 6 on his own. He was truly amazing just like Can."Don't you want an eternal peaceful world?" Prince Axel who has been on stand by while staring Can asked sincerely.Can faced the guy. He knew him. It was the guy from the auction house event whom they fooled to bid higher for the Golden Ornament. What was he doing here?"If we allow the master to ascend and to become the Supreme Ruler, he promised to bring everlasting peace onto the world. Don't you want that?" Prince Axel continued as he weakly smiled. He hoped that Can would understand.Pond who also knew Prince Axel from the auction house could only shake his head. Based on the information he gathered about him through his ravens, Prince Axel was in a desperate attempt to find a way to achieve everlasting peace in Europe. When he thought that the rebellion in his country ended already, another one came out recently. This time, the rebellion started spreading throughout Europe against the monarchies. Tired of seeing bloodshed and suffering, he turned to the Worshippers of the New World for guidance. At first, he was reluctant, but when he met the master, he was promised eternal peace on the world. So, Prince Axel decided to join the cult. Interestingly, the first thing that he was tasked to do was to hand over the <Golden Ornament> that he obtained from the auction house. This item allowed a group of people to be transferred to any parts of the world while being given a defensive shield during the teleportation. The prince could not do anything but agree. He later found out that the <Golden Ornament> was upgraded, so that it would allow them to teleport to other dimensions too. With this, it allowed Prince Axel and the apostles to invade Phoenix Garden."How could you be so sure that this master of yours would fulfill his promise to you?" Pond asked with irritation in his tone."He...wanted... a peaceful world...too...," Prince Axel looked down all of a sudden. Somehow, he could not answer Pond properly. He felt unsure about his answer. When he looked into his hands that were covered in blood, he gasped as his body shook. The blood on his hands was from the innocent beasts that he killed. Was it quite necessary to kill the defenseless and the innocent? Was this the price to pay for an everlasting peaceful world?"Twelfth Disciple, don't let his words poison your mind," the twins said as they faced Prince Axel momentarily. They then went back to face Can and Pond.Prince Axel had a disoriented look on his face. He was not too sure anymore. What was the right thing to do? What was wrong?Carefully laying Dokebi on the ground, Can first wiped the dirt on the little beast's face. When he was finished, he smiled and caressed Dokebi's right cheek.Wiping the tears on his face as he took a deep breath, Can stood up and with a determined tone he said, "If you're master wants to achieve everlasting peace in exchange for bloodshed and the death of the innocent, then I don't want to be part of it."The twins looked at one another again, then said in unison, "Then we have no choice but to eliminate you."
"Killing Gaze"
Jasdero slightly raised his right hand while Devit raised his left hand. Within seconds, numerous eyeballs surrounded both Can and Pond. As more eyeballs came, they started forming a huge lump as they squeezed the two.
"Inner Explosions"
Both Jasdero and Devit closed their hands that were raised. A sound of multiple explosions inside the lump of eyeballs could be then heard. When they thought they had already killed their targets, the twins dispersed the lump of eyeballs. Unfortunately, they failed at killing their targets.They saw that they were unharmed. Seeing that the contracted beast was equipped with a rusty looking shield, the twins used their observation skills to analyze and gather information about the equipment. After being unable to learn the secrets of the shield due to its complex hidden spells embedded in it, the twins looked at one another silently. Shields with such complex spells could only be Legendary or Mythical grade. In any case with such equipment in their hands, it would be harder to suppress Can and Pond. There was a higher chance that they possess other unknown powerful equipment too. They need to call for backup."Prince Axel, since you are no help to us, go ask the First Apostle and the others to aid us. Can's threat level is now high," the twins said in unison.At first, Prince Axel was reluctant, but in the end, he followed their orders. He quickly used an emergency teleporting talisman in order to get to the First Apostle to ask for assistance."This piece of junk is truly amazing after all! It was able to absorb magical damage from the enemy," Pond said as he smiled."We need to buy ourselves some time," the twins said in unison.If they cannot use direct magical spells then they would try using physical attacks.Not wanting for other contracted beasts to be summoned or other items to be used, both twins dashed and tried to land a blow as fast as lightning towards Can and Pond. Thankfully, the little beast summoner and the beast god were fast to react and were able to evade the powerful punch by their enemies. Since Pond was carrying a heavy shield, he was slightly slower than his opponent. At the same time, since close-range battle was his weakness, his opponent was in the upper hand. The physical attacks from the opponent were too fast that it was hard for Pond to keep track of. From time to time, he would receive some punches on different parts of his body. He must create a safe distance between him and the opponent as soon as possible.On the other hand, Can was able to wear the Legendary grade <Valorous Battle Fist> on time with his right hand. This brown sturdy battle glove increases the user's speed and physical power by multiple times without consuming any spiritual energy. Unfortunately, there was only one glove, so its full potential could not be used. Still, he was able to deal decent swift blows to the enemy. Just like Pond, Can was unable to defend himself from quick strikes of the opponent.
(A/N: Source from Ragnarok online)As the battle continued for more than 30 minutes, it was quickly coming to a conclusion. With the help of the Legendary grade battle glove, Can was seemingly winning the battle even though he was covered in wounds. Unfortunately for Pond, he was losing. The enemy knew his weakness, so he continued maintaining a close-range battle. Thankfully, due to his enemy's carelessness about the surroundings, he was caught in Pond's trap. Soon hands made of black shadows grabbed the feet of Jasdero. This particular apostle did not struggle at all as he stood calmly. Pond found it odd, but he did not pay attention too much since he thought that he[Jasdero] was finished. He spoke too soon.When the hands made of shadows ripped Jasdero's body in half, they then dissolved. Meanwhile, the ripped body of the apostle started to vibrate as they seemed to be struggling to survive. Soon, the two ripped bodies regenerated on their own. They had their own complete sets of legs, arms, feet, organs, and everything else. Now, two Jasderos were created. These two Jasderos got up, but they did not fight. They retreated.Pond was suddenly confused with their movements. Ignoring them momentarily, Pond wanted to help Can finishing up his battle. Sadly, as soon as he tried to move, he vomited blood. What was happening?Quickly scanning his body, he found out that the roots where spiritual energy flows were completely paralyzed. He looked towards the direction of the enemy he fought earlier. They seemed to hear their silent mockery and laughter. It seemed that this was their goal after all. With his roots being paralyzed, he would not be able to use spells or move at all. He did not know how long this condition will last, but the situation seemed to be getting worse. Soon he fell to the ground. Mud covered his body. Some even went into his mouth. He was unable to do anything anymore.When Can saw Pond's figure falling, he became distracted. Such moment of distraction became his disadvantage, Devit, who was his opponent dealt another blow on Can's back which paralyzed his movements. Since the roots in his body were not completely paralyzed yet, Can struck the ground with as much power as possible with his right hand before he fell completely. This attack caused a powerful explosion in which pieces of large rocks flew in different directions. In addition, huge smoke of dust spread out in the area. To avoid the flying debris, Devit jumped back next to the two Jasderos.At his paralyzed state, Can's eyes glowed white. Since only his movements were paralyzed and not his spiritual roots, he would still able to summon his other contracted beasts to help them out. This was the perfect moment that he must seize.Since Can started summoning, the now triplets sensed him. They did not move from their positions at all. They just observed Can instead. Moments later, the triplets said in unison, "Can Rathavit is now achieving Tier 6 power. It must have come from the 30 Legendary contracted beasts that he was about to summon. Threat level: High to Severe."All of a sudden, Can's power return to Tier 5. The trio was bewildered at first. Then they realized that in that huge smoke dust, four people emerged as one of them dragged the unconscious Can. The other one was dragging the unconscious Old Master Khang.It was the First, Second, Third Apostle and Prince Axel. The first three apostles were the most powerful among the twelve apostles since they were all Rainbow Grade Tier 6."Now, now, our mission here is complete, hehe," Adam said while smiling creepily as he dragged Can.Yet, before the rest could celebrate their success, Adam felt sudden fear in his body. His smile was replaced by sudden horror as he threw Can's body away from him."What's wrong?" the Second Apostle asked. The second apostle was named Tryde. Nicknamed as the "fallen ghost angel", Tryde wore Legendary grade solid light-plate armor, two swords and other equipment. She was a powerful Dark Knight who mastered the forbidden Dark Arts and a great weapon master.
(A/N: Tryde. Picture is not mine.)Moving forward, the third apostle seemed to have sensed danger from Can. He quickly moved Master Khang's body on the ground and slowly approached Can. Nicknamed the "False God", Joyde was a magic user who specialized at support and debuff magic spells. The unique features about him were six strong bulging arms and the mysterious blue eye at the center of his bald head. Apparently, the mysterious blue eye is used to see the future actions of the enemy. Holding three different Legendary grade staffs at the same time, he could use three spells at once. Quickly, he quickly chanted different defensive spells on the other apostles.
(A/N: Joyde. Pic is not mine.)Meanwhile, a dark-red portal from the ground appeared next to Can's unconscious body.As the unknown person finally emerged from the depths of that portal, he calmly took Can with his arms and kissed him. Suddenly, all of Can's wounds and blockages in his roots were removed. He was able to recover completely. It was just that he was kept unconscious by Tin."I was only gone for a bit, but looked at the state that you're in," Tin said with sadness in his eyes."I should just really lock you up....," Tin continued as he kissed Can on the forehead. He was not paying attention to the dangerous situation that he was in.Not too far away from him, the triplets said in unison, "Tin Phiravich. Rainbow Grade Tier level: Unknown. Threat level: Unknown."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
[unedited]Tryde, the second apostle, was in an offensive position when she heard the triplets mention about Tin's unknown threat level. She gripped one of her Legendary grade swords that were still in their sheaths that were tied to her waist. As a knight, she must be prepared for the unexpected. She cannot belittle any of her enemies even if they might seem weaker than her. This was how she was able to survive until now.With a calm yet serious expression on her pale and cold face, she asked the triplets while her gaze was fixed at Tin, "Unknown? What could that possibly mean?"The triplets' silence for some moments was somehow bothersome that even Adam could not help it but be on guard too."Well?" Adam asked the triplets as he maintained a creepy huge smile. On the palms of both of his wrinkly hands placed behind his back, there were purplish gooey liquids that were coming out. It was the same liquid that came out of Stormy Knight's mouth when he died after the battle with him. They seemed rather toxic by the way the bubbles on the purple liquid release hot gases as they popped.After their sudden silence, the triplets then said in unison," Rainbow Grade Tier level: 4. Threat level: Low."When he finished casting all the defensive spells, Joyde turned to the triplets and asked, "Are you sure this time?"The triplets paused for a moment then they nodded unitedly.Adam was speechless. If what the triplets was saying was true, then what was that fear that he felt earlier? Was he just truly getting old that his instincts now betray him?He faced Tin's direction and observed how the elementalist seemed to ignore them as he tended Master Khang's disciple. This youth was rather calm. Was he not scared of facing three Tier 6 powerhouse? Was he faking not to care? Does he even understand the situation that he was in at all?Adam's smile widened further. "Interesting."Meanwhile, after seeing that nothing was wrong with Can anymore, Tin laid him down on the ground with such tender care. He carefully did this action in such a way that it made Can looked like he was fragile and could break at any time from slight carelessness.Standing up, his expression that was full of love and care was changed instantly. It was cold and threatening. He slightly raised his right hand towards the huge smoke dust that was slowly spreading out.
"Whoosh."
Pond, who was paralyzed and laid on the muddy ground, was lifted into the air and sent flying towards Tin's direction."Ahh!" Pond shouted. Unfortunately, he was unable to do anything due to his current powerless state.As soon as he was about to crash into Tin, he was grabbed by the collar of his already dirty white dress shirt with Tin's right hand in an instant."Yo-you?" Pond said as he struggled to move. He knew who Tin was since he was a wanted criminal in Thailand. Although this was the case, he only knew basic information about him. He did not know his relationship with Can.Not even glancing at him, Tin formed a fist with his left hand while holding Pond on his right hand. Swiftly, he threw Pond up in the air then gained momentum to meet him with his left fist. As Pond was about to hit the ground, Tin punched the Beast God's stomach with such force that caused Pond's body to shook. Once again, Pond spat a mouthful of blood. After he was hit in the stomach while he was in the air, Tin proceeded to throw him to the ground.The apostles who saw such a scene were confused at first. They thought that Tin was trying to kill Can's contracted beast, but looking at it more closely, it was not like that at all. Tin was removing the blockages on the beast's spiritual roots."What was...that...for?" Pond wheezed as he guarded his stomach with both of his hands. Was he trying to murder him? He does not even know him personally!"You're not only useless, but you're stupid too," Tin said as he faced the direction of the apostles."What did you say about me!?" As soon as he stood up to attack Tin, Pond realized that he was not paralyzed anymore. The blockages inside his body were gone. He looked at Tin and became speechless."Don't let Can out of your sight, pet," Tin said with seriousness and a tone of sarcasm towards Pond.The moment he heard the name of his master, Pond quickly went to his master's side to check him up. Examining Can's condition, Pond found out that everything was fine. It was as if he never entered a battle at all. There were no wounds on his body. His spiritual energy was stable. He was clean too!Even though he was okay, Can was unconscious. When Pond checked him again, he found out that he was put into sleep by Tin. Why would he do that?As Tin moved forward slowly to the apostles, he took out the staff that he gained from the nameless demonic elementalist from his ancestors' tomb. Before, he was unable to wield and use this staff that he now was calling "Staff of Sacrifice" due to its uncontrollable and powerful nature. In addition, his impure spiritual core inside him was unstable, so there was no way for him to control it. Still, now that he realized that his impure spiritual core was fixed most likely due to Can's doing, he could wield the staff for the first time. He wanted to use it to see how powerful it was.
(A/N: Reference Chapter 33: Demonic Elementalist)"Unknown staff grade: Rare. Threat Level: Low," the triplets said calmly in unison.There was an unnoticeable smile on Tin's face.By this point, the rest of the apostles currently present were at ease."Suddenly showing up out of nowhere, aren't you afraid young master?" Adam said politely, but there was a sense of sarcasm in his words.Tin replied, "What should I be afraid of?"Joyde could not help it but wonder where the source of arrogance was coming from. It was clear that he was outnumbered and outpowered. "There's no point in pretending, young one. We know that you're only Tier 4."He pitied Tin for trying to become a hero who would save the day. In this world, those who try to be heroes die early."Young master Tin," Adam said as he started to move forward closer to Tin. "I'm afraid that your former position as a heir of E.A won't help you."Tin raised his eyebrows, he was amused. "Oh?"Since Tin was still unafraid, Adam's interest increased. He wanted to see for how long this young man could handle torture until he begged for mercy. Just having such thoughts further excites Adam to the point his smile was stretched from ear to ear. "I wonder how long can you keep up such a pretentious attitude. Would you be the same as your mother as she screamed for help?"When Tin heard Adam mentioned his mother, his killing intent suddenly intensified. Such intent could be seen in his face that was murderous. If looks could kill, Adam was surely dead by now. His body would be cut in thousands of pieces while his soul was being burned for eternity. Still, Tin was not careless as before when being provoked.With such intense expression from Tin that he failed to hide, Adam could not help it, but continue to tease him. "Ohh yes! At that fateful night, your mother was taken by us. You were so young back then."Tin's body slightly shook from anger. He formed a fist with his left hand then it started to bleed due to the applied strong force that caused his nails to go deep in his skin. So, it was them who took his mother."How does it feel to see the one who destroyed your family, hmm?" Adam continued. "The suffering that you're mother has to go through was something I truly enjoyed witnessing."As Adam got closer, he revealed the truth about the cult, its connection with B.S.G, and importantly the horrible things that Tin's mother has gone through during the sacrificial ritual to free God's ultimate weapon: Gloom Under Night!
(A/N: Picture of Gloom Under Night. Refer to Chapter 36 about Tin's mother and Chapter 10 about Gloom Under Night.)Hearing this, Tin managed to connect the pieces of information that he, his grandfather, and father were trying to solve from the beginning regarding his mother's abduction. Now that it was revealed that the Worshippers of the New World and the Beast Summoner Guild were truly conspiring together to destroy Elementalist Association permanently, it made more sense why the cult was created.To release the Gloom Under Night, there were three steps: strengthening, unbinding, and releasing. For the first step, sacrifices were needed to strengthen the beast. For the second step, unbinding requires a key which was the role of Tin's mother. For the third step, a continuous huge flow of spiritual energy was necessary for easier control of the beast. In this case, to fulfill the third step, Ae's father must have founded the cult in secret to gather followers and gain their spiritual energy.From the information that Tin gathered, for someone to become part of the cult, one must donate a small amount of concentrated spiritual energy from time to time to the cult as part of that individual's allegiance. Such a small amount of spiritual energy from one person was nothing to be concerned about. Yet, as the cult grew around the world, the amount of spiritual energy that it could gather would be tremendous. Although it was odd, at first Tin thought that it must just be for ceremonial purposes only. Now it was clear to him that the spiritual energy that was collected from its members was used for step three of releasing Gloom Under Night. Since only a beast summoner could control Gloom Under Night, the cult must be connected with someone powerful in B.S.G.In Tin's opinion, Ae's father was the prime suspect. He might seem a nice and peaceful person, but in reality, he was greedy and ambitious. That was what he found out from controlling and ordering Trump around B.S.G. It was no wonder his father hated him since the beginning. Ae's father was a truly clever and cunning man. He planned everything carefully and meticulously. He made it seem that B.S.G and the Worshippers of the New World were enemies when in reality they work together. Who knew that they still had a notion of destroying E.A. and become the dominant force in the world? Unforgivable. Truly unforgivable!As Tin figured out the truth, his body started to shake further as he lowered his head that made it hard for the apostles to see his expression.Adam who saw Tin's reaction was delighted. Making others suffer and break them down was truly something enjoyable for him to watch. Humans are such emotional creatures!When Adam thought that he succeeded at tormenting Tin, he suddenly heard a laugh from the youth. Everyone was stunned."This is great! Hahaha! This is truly great!" Tin was laughing and shouting as if he lost his sense of reality. It was as if he was the one who was truly delighted. His laugh did not have any trace of weakness. It was pure wickedness. It was like a laugh of a devil.Tin was glad that he has not killed and pulverized these cultists the moment he faced them. If he did so, then he would not have fun making them suffer and pay for what they did.Realizing that there was no point in talking with Tin, Adam's mood became sour. He spat on the ground and dashed forward to attack Tin. He wanted to finish everything as soon as possible to help Mr. Tanapon, the leader of B.S.G, to ascend and become the Supreme Ruler of this world.With toxic purple liquid covering both of his hands, he swiftly hit Tin's chest. With high toxicity of the purple liquid, it instantly made a hole inside Tin's chest. Still, Adam knew there was something wrong. He tried to retreat a few steps, but he was unable to when his hands became stuck inside Tin's body.It was then when sweat on his forehead started to form as he realized something horrifying. A mere tier 4 should not be able to stop him like this so easily! Did the triplets make a mistake about their observation?At that moment, he slowly looked back to consult with the triplets once again. When he looked at them, his eyes widened as that feeling of fear came and intensified.He saw the triplets' intense gaze. They looked like they were somehow restricted. It was as if they were trying to say something, but there was a force that was not allowing them to. As he looked closely, the eyes that were attached to their bodies were bleeding. What was happening?Finally, one of the triplets looked at Adam. "E-escape...Mythical weapon....true level Tier Sev.."Before one of the triplets could finish what he was saying, a hand was placed on the back of his head which caught the apostle off guard."Shhhh," Tin smiled, "Don't tell my secret yet."After Tin said those words, he crushed the head of one of the triplets.As his lifeless body fell to the ground, the regeneration spell was about to take place once again. Yet, before he could even perform this, his soul was taken out from his body and was put in a special container by Tin. Since there was no soul on the body of one of the triplets, there was no way for him to regenerate and reproduce anymore. After murdering one, Tin continued to murder and collect the souls of the other siblings.Seeing such a scene made Pond have goosebumps all over his body. He suddenly felt fear of Tin. His fear was not due to how powerful Tin was, but rather it was how he was killing his victims. As the blood of his enemies was splattered to the ground, Tin was smiling. It looked like he was enjoying such an act of cruelty. He was seemed to be worse than a monster. He was the devil. No, he was the god of death.Was this the reason he put Can to temporary sleep? In order not to see this side of him?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
[Unedited]The triplets died within less than a minute. Their one hundred years' worth of cultivation to become tier 5 was ended completely within seconds.The other apostles were shocked at the instant death of their comrades but they remained composed and careful. Even though they were unable to hear what one of the triplets said, it was clear that Tin was above Tier 5. Exactly how powerful he was? They had no idea, but they cannot let this person escape or else he might become a thorn to their plans.Tryde looked at Joyde while she took out her second sword from its sheath. She was preparing for an all-out attack to end the battle as soon as possible. Joyde understood her and quickly started casting multiple supportive spells.
(A/N: Joyde.)
(A/N: Tryde.)
"Speed Increase. Strength Increase. Magic Reflect. Health Up. Shield Barrier. Absorb Energy. Life Steal. Increase Armor. Weapon Accuracy Increase..."
After casting successive supportive spells, he went on to cast debuff skills on Tin.
"Curse. Break. Blind. Bleed. Bind Feet. Slow. Low Health. Low Defense. Low Power. Freeze. Stun...... "
When Joyde finished casting all the necessary spells, he was quite confident about his team being able to defeat Tin. With a mixture of higher tier debuff and support spells, their strength would be multiplied. Tin's power should be weakened significantly where it would be easy to defeat him.Tryde felt the power within her increase. She felt amazing and confident. It was as if she could defeat anyone with one swing of her sword. Since the support spells cast on her have a time limit, she had to make a move. So without wasting any more time, Tryde dashed towards Tin with her two legendary swords on both of her hands. As soon as she stepped forward, the ground behind her cracked. There was a powerful blow of violent wind left behind as she moved. She has such a terrifying pressure and power compared to before that made Prince Axel shiver as he fell unconscious on the ground.Meanwhile, Adam still had this fear that he was feeling. He was not quite sure what one of the triplets said about Tin, but he knew that those words seemed to be very crucial. Yet, since there was no way to find out what they said, it continued to bother him. (A/N: Adam.)The possibility of someone to be way stronger than him and the other apostles was mostly impossible. There was no way that a mere youth like him can achieve a power that would take someone decades or more to get. It was just impossible. Adam reassured himself that even though the triplets were gone along with crucial information about Tin, there was no way for the young elementalist to compete with three experienced tier 6 powerhouses. With these thoughts, he finally calmed down as he took a deep sigh of relief. His fear was replaced with a huge threatening smile. Tin must die today!As Tryde approached Tin within less than a second, she was a little unsure why Tin seemed to be unbothered at all as he stared at the clear container that has the souls of the triplets and other people. Still, she did not let her guard down as she decided to use her full power in one attack.
"Blade Fury!"
Tryde's legendary swords released a terrifying darkish red aura as her speed further increased. When she was about to make a slashing movement at the speed of light, she suddenly felt goosebumps as her body slightly shook. It was the very first time she felt something like this. Her opponent managed to just casually turn his head to face her which was supposed to be impossible. Her speed at this point was as fast as the speed of light. For the young elementalist to just turn and pinpoint her position could only mean one thing: her death.With a smile on his face, Tin instantly grabbed her neck causing her to drop her legendary swords and stopping her ultimate skill."That was it?" Tin mocked. "I waited for your support to finish casting all his spells, but it didn't make a difference at all.""TRYDE!!!" Joyde shouted. There was a trace of fear and panic in his voice."What a useless monstrous freak," Tin said as he continued to smile.The moment she heard the word 'freak' from Tin's mouth, Tryde suddenly felt angry. It triggered the dark past that both she and Joyde shared together. Even though she felt powerless as she struggled to break free from Tin's grasp, she would not let someone mock Joyde."WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?" Tryde shouted in fury. "How dare you call him a freak!"Joyde, who was the topic of the conversation, seemed to be indifferent about it. He cared more about Tryde's safety. Focusing on casting several defensive and attack spells, he tried to stop Tin, but they were useless.Tryde continued to shout as she defended Joyde. "Do you think he chose to have such an appearance? You and the others are all the same! This world should just perish with people like you who mocks us!"There was a deep sense of hatred inside Tryde. It was rooted in the harsh environment in the orphanage where she and Joyde grew up when they were young. Everyone would mock and beat them up because they were different from the normal kids. Joyde got bullied more often because of his unique appearance. Every time the other children would see them, they would usually pull his six arms as hard as possible to the point they would break. The adults would just stand by and laugh on the sidelines. When they would stop the other kids from bullying her and Joyde, it was not because they cared. It was not because of pity neither. They were disgusted. They did not want the other kids to play with the 'freaks.' Even after they grew up, all they received was mistreatment from others just because they were different. They have not done anything wrong yet they were already treated like animals. Their unique gifts were more of a curse for the two of them. Whether they tried to be good or not do anything, no one accepted them. They only had one another to support each other.Thankfully, they were able to endure and to persist in surviving. Having one another in this harsh world allowed them to be in a position where no one could bully them anymore today. As the two went through a lot of hardships together, their bond became stronger. Although Tryde does not understand herself why she was so attached to Joyde, she could not help it but have this sense to protect him from harm.When they heard about the Worshippers of the New World, they were promised a world where there would be no discrimination and eternal peace would exist. Although the Tryde was skeptical about such promise, when she saw Joyde's hopeful expression, she could not make herself decline the invitation to join the cult. She did not care about the people around her anymore, but it was different for Joyde. There was this sense of justice and heroism inside of him. He wanted to protect those who were considered freaks in the society. Thinking about this, Tryde thought that there was nothing to lose if they joined the cult. In addition, joining other people in the cult who have the same goals as them did not seem to be a bad idea. Yet, at this point where she was at the entrance of the gate of death, she thought that she would not witness the fulfillment of the goal of peace. She would not be able to see Joyde's smile anymore. Having these thoughts, she felt regretful not being able to say the feelings that she has been hiding for a long time for Joyde. Why did she hide her feelings in the first place? It seemed that it did not matter anymore."Are you done?" Tin said with indifference. Tryde did not listen as she continued her futile struggle. "Y-you're t-the mon-ster," she said as she struggled to speak while her neck was restrained. She was having a hard time breathing.Looking directly into her eyes, Tin smirked, "Indeed. I am." He paused as he pulled her in as he whispered in her left ear, "But I'm the worst kind."Instantly, Tin threw Tryde to the ground with such power that caused a huge hole on the ground in the shape of the female knight. As soon as she hit the ground a mouthful of blood came out of her mouth. Bone breaking sounds could be heard as she immediately lost consciousness. Her eyes turned white from the impact as traces of blood could be seen falling from her eyes. A tier 6 powerhouse was now destroyed completely with one physical attack."Tryde!" Joyde worriedly shouted. He quickly went to her side without thinking about his own safety. This impulsive move by Joyde just made Adam angry. Still, he was angrier by the fact that he made a miscalculation about Tin. He did not think of the possibility that Tin was likely to be stronger than them. Just how powerful was he?Since the situation for the apostles was getting worse with four of their members already down, Adam decided to retreat so that there were no more casualties. In any case, their goal to get Master Khang was already fulfilled. Although it was humiliating for him to retreat, his power would not be enough to destroy Tin based on his assessment.Although he could try to finish Tin off, it is quite risky. If Tin was able to stop Tryde's ultimate move in an instant and destroyed her, then the chances of him defeating him would be slim. He cannot take that risk. At least, not at this moment. He must ask Mr. Tanapon, the leader of B.S.G, for assistance.Looking on the unfortunate condition of Tryde as he held her, Joyde's tears started to fall. With those tears, his resentment towards Tin further ignited. Slowly, he laid down Tryde on the ground carefully and stood up to face Tin. Although it might be futile for him to fight Tin one-on-one, he could not ignore what he did to the person he cared the most.Concentrating his power to his fists while his mysterious eyes glowed intensely with white light, he prepared his ultimate move.
"Asura Strike!"
Each of his six fists was covered in some kind of hardened dark steel as they emitted vibrant lights that changes color every second. As he used most of his spiritual energy, the explosive power of his fists grew.Tin noticed that this apostle's power seemed to be way fiercer and powerful than the female knight. That being said, his interest was piqued. With his now considered Mythical grade staff, he prepared himself.Although Joyde's power was impressive that even made Tin become interested, there was an unfortunate cost at using his ultimate skill. Asura Strike would sacrifice a part of his life which meant that his lifespan would be much shorter. Of course, Joyde knew such risks, but at this moment, he wanted to avenge Tryde.Jumping from the huge hole in the ground, Joyde struck Tin consecutively with his fists.
"Increase Barrier Defense"
A barrier surrounded Tin before Joyde attacked him. It was then strengthened by his mythical weapon. Soon, some tremendous earth shattering explosions occurred in the dimension. With every punch that Joyde would execute, it would completely shatter Tin's defenses. The young elementalist was at ease as he recreated new barriers.
"Asura Strike!"
"Increase Barrier Defense!"
It was obvious who was winning as the fight between the two continued. As Joyde sweat profusely and a trickle of blood came out of his mouth, his attack speed has decreased gradually. His spiritual energy was also at its limit. Meanwhile, Tin seemed to be calm as he continued replacing his broken barriers."Fight like a man! Don't hide behind your defenses!" Joyde shouted angrily as he continued punching Tin's barrier."Alright," Tin said calmly and without a rush.As soon as his protective barrier was broken, Tin dodged the next punch that was going to land on him by lowering his head. When he lowered his head, he used his right palm and hit Joyde's chin. Unable to dodge the attack, Joyde flew for a few moments as he then crashed into the ground not too far away from Tin.Although Tin did not use a lot of strength to Joyde, it was enough to create a killing blow to him. Yet, to Tin's surprise, Joyde was still alive. In the dense smoke of dust that was created after Joyde crashed into the ground, he was back on his feet almost immediately. Although this was the case, it was obvious that he had suffered quite a lot from Tin's palm strike. His entire head was dyed with his own blood even in his eyes. As he shakily stood while breathing heavily and with difficulty, the fierceness in his eyes did not falter.
"Hardened Body!"
Joyde cast a spell that allowed him to maintain and extend his power for a bit. With this, he pushed his body that exceeded his limit. This was dangerous, since it could cost him his life, but with his stubborn nature to accomplish what he started, it did not matter at this point.
"Asura Strike!"
Once again, Joyde dashed forward to attack Tin. At this point, seeing that the six-armed man was still alive made Tin's opinion about him more positive. He thought that this apostle would be killed with one blow. Who knew he would survive? Now the question was would this man survive after giving another him another palm strike?When Joyde reached Tin, he executed multiple punches which Tin easily dodged. As the two resumed their fight, Adam just finished casting his ultimate skill too.He rushed forward while the two were busy fighting. Taking the opportunity of Tin's distraction, Adam sneaked behind him. At the moment Tin turned back to look at Adam, he was too late to react.
"Illusion Storm"
Within a moment, Tin was trapped in an illusion. He was in a world where his parents and Can were all in front of him. They were having a picnic by the tree that was giving them shade from the bright sun. As the peaceful blue clear sky surrounded them, the grass on that field swayed willingly at the gentle wind."Son, come! The food is ready," Tin's mom enthusiastically said as he took out the food from the basket that Tin's father carried.At the same time, Can was staring at him with a huge smile on his face while sitting comfortably on the huge lovely red colored chess patterned picnic blanket. He then tapped the space next to him with his hand to communicate with Tin to sit next to him.The scene was beautiful. It was something that Tin would love to attain. Yet, he knew that it was impossible. This was all an illusion. He could not stay here.With a wave of his hand, he quickly broke the illusion. Before he left this world, he saw the sadness in the eyes of his loved ones."I love you," Tin said with a bitter smile.When he returned to reality within seconds, Adam and the other apostles already escaped dragging Master Khang with them. Tin was not bothered by this as he went back to check on Can.Next to Can, Pond has been carefully guarding him, so thankfully nothing bad happened. Seeing that Tin was approaching them, Pond was not entirely sure how to react to him. He was still shocked by his overwhelming power to overcome three tier 6 powerhouses by himself.Tin quickly leaned down to take Can with his arms. Meanwhile, Pond could not say anything at all. He was clueless about Tin's relationship with Can. He does not dare offend this person since he now knew that he was way more powerful than him.Before he could come up with something to say, Tin dismissed him."You did your job, pet. You're dismissed," he said without looking at Pond.With a wave of his hand, he teleported Pond back to Master Khang's office.As he gradually faded from the dimension, Pond could only utter, "Wait, what are you going to do with mas..."With the pests gone, Tin removed the sleep spell on Can. As the little beast summoner gradually woke up, Tin was removing some of the dust that was on Can's face."Tin, wha-what are you doing here?" Can asked with a confused expression on his face."How are you feeling?" Tin asked with a caring smile."I-I'm okay," Can paused for a moment as he turned around to look where he was. He was still in his master's wrecked dimension. Quickly he panicked as he asked, "What happened? Where's my master? What happened to Pond?""Pond is safe. Unfortunately, your master was taken away. I'm sorry," Tin said with sympathy as he comforted Can by caressing his back.Hearing the news of his master being taken away, Can was even more devastated. As he faced the direction of the already destroyed evacuation shelter, he remembered his dead friends especially Dokebi. With the tragedy that he was experiencing right now, he could not help it but feel powerless. He was feeling so much pain and sadness within him.Having these negative emotions, Can cried hard as he grabbed onto Tin's clothes."What do I do, Tin?" Can asked with a muffled voice."How can I bring everyone back!?" He paused as he took a deep breath, "I want everyone back! I want them back!!! I want those cultists to pay!!"He repeated those words to Tin even though he knew that there was no way everyone would be brought back and he was not quite sure if he would be able to find the cultists that invaded this dimension.Hearing Can asking something selfishly from him made Tin's heart soften more. This precious and genuine reaction from Can made Tin feel much more special. He knew that Can was the type of person who will put others before him. He would not ask anything from anyone. Yet, his reaction right now to get everyone back and revenge was a selfish wish he wanted for himself. Such reaction and demanding side of him were not seen before so it just proved Tin's importance in Can's heart. Tin was happy to see such selfishness from Can. He wanted to be the only one who could see Can's vulnerable state including his honest feelings just like right now."I'll bring them back for you," Tin promised.When he mentioned those words, Can stopped crying as he looked into Tin's eyes."You would?" He asked in disbelief.Wiping the remaining tears from Can's red eyes, Tin reassured him as he kissed his forehead, "I'll do anything for you."With a smile, Tin looked up in the sky and raised his hand.
"Restoration!"
Now as a tier 7 elementalist, Tin has access to the Void element. This meant that he could control the space or dimension that he was in at will. If he wanted to alter, destroy, or create a dimension, he could do it with just a quick wave of a hand.As soon as he casted Restoration, the dimension went back on time where it claimed its former beauty and glory. It was as if the dimension was never invaded and destroyed by the apostles. The structures, plants, and the land itself were restored completely except for the scattered dead bodies everywhere.Can was astonished that Tin had this power to restore the dimension. He felt that Tin was in another category in terms of strength. He was like a god!After the completion of restoring the dimension, Tin looked at Can and said, "I'll bring back your dead friends, but it will take some time.""You could really do that?" Can asked with a hopeful tone.Tin smiled as he nodded, "Of course. There's nothing impossible if I want to make it happen. I'll do anything to make you happy."Can was dumbfounded as he added, "How would you do that?"Tin looked behind him and pointed at the fully grown Yggdrasil plants on the field. "Do you see those plants? They are meant to be used for resurrection. Your master seemed to have predicted this scenario and planted them. He was already prepared."Looking at the Yggdrasil plants, Can thought about his old master. His master was someone who truly cared about others. He wanted to see him badly. It was just unfortunate that he could not meet him in person and tell him that he was well and alive. Having such thoughts, he promised to himself that he would save him. He would make those cultists pay.Seeing the aggrieved expression on his face, Tin asked, "Do you trust me?"Can quickly looked into Tin's eyes and without hesitation, he said, "I do. I trust you, Tin."Such a straightforward answer from Can made Tin even much happier. As he stroke Can's soft hair gently and lovingly, he said, "Then I want you to believe in me that I'll bring back everyone for you. Could you do that for me?"For Tin to say those things and promise him to accomplish what seemed to be an impossible task caused his heart to be moved."En," Can nodded."Good." Tin whispered softly. He then proceeded to kiss Can on the forehead as he caressed his cheeks. As soon as he parted his lips from his lover's forehead, Can fell asleep once more. As his head leaned on Tin's shoulder there was a hopeful smile on his sleeping face.Seeing such expression, Tin promised to protect and maintain Can's smile.That being said, Tin transported the two of them in his bedroom back in his family mansion.Laying Can down in his own bed, Tin whispered with such conviction, "I won't let anyone hurt you anymore."At that moment on, Tin has decided something he has been thinking of since the moment he wanted Can. He was going to lock him up in this mansion.Having the title of the new Supreme Ruler, Tin's power was already at the pinnacle. This meant that he could do whatever he wanted. No one could oppose him anymore.Not worried that the mansion was going to be attacked due to the powerful defenses and restriction he placed, he went outside his bedroom and called his subordinates: Type and Cha Aim."You already know what to do," Tin said with a serious and authoritative tone."Yes, grandmaster," both Cha Aim and Type said in unison as they bowed.With that being said, Tin waved his hand and disappeared. Meanwhile, Cha Aim and Type stood by the door of Tin's bedroom with a serious expression.Returning back to Phoenix Garden, Tin took one mature Yggdrasil plant from the field and absorbed its content. With a wave of his right hand, a dead beast's body flew rapidly from the ground towards Tin's direction. As it reached Tin, it started floating in front of him. Tin then took the special container that has the souls of the three apostles and other slain enemies.With the three key ingredients present, Tin started his session of resurrection.Taking out one soul from the container, he used the essence of the Yggdrasil plant and transferred the soul into the dead beast.
"Resurrection!"
The dead beast's body started to shake intensely as it floated in the air. The soul inside it seemed to be rejecting the body, but thankfully with Tin's power, he was able to suppress the rejection and forced the soul to be trap inside the dead beast. After completing his first resurrection, the beast opened its eye. The first thing it did was to look at its body, then to its surroundings and lastly, to his new master."Do-ke-bi."There was a smile on Tin's face. He was successful.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
[unedited]Can woke up after a few hours in Tin's bed. As he opened his eyes, he looked around confused but he immediately sensed familiarity of the room. To the table by his side, he saw the picture of the person he loved and his family. He knew that he was in Tin's bedroom.This was Can's first time being in Tin's bedroom. As he got out of bed and walked around, he observed the items around the huge room. Surprisingly, it was simple compared to the room that he stayed before in Tin's mansion.How did he fall asleep here? Where is Tin? Why did he fall asleep in the first place? Having these questions in his mind, he tried to recall his memories. The last thing he remembered was that....kiss on the forehead. How could he fall asleep with that? Can contemplated that last moment. Did Tin put a spell on him? But why?Of course, the man in question was not currently present, so Can decided to go out and ask him. Yet, as soon as he opened the door, he was greeted by two unfamiliar people. These two were wearing monk robes."Good evening, Master Can," both Cha Aim and Type said politely in unison as they bowed with grace.Being called 'master', Can suddenly felt embarrassed."My name is Type and this is my sister, Cha Aim. We're Grandmaster Tin's subordinates and we are instructed to serve you," Type continued.At the same time, Cha Aim started to fidget excitedly. She could not seem to contain her excitement as she wanted to talk to the person who caught the heart of their cold-hearted and ruthless grandmaster. She considered herself as a diehard fan of Tin, so she would like to know everything about him, even his love life.
(A/N: Fidgeting)Seeing Cha Aim's embarrassing behavior as she fidgeted her hands, Type could tell what she was thinking. To stop her, Type quickly coughed.Hearing his brother's cough, Cha Aim knew what it meant, so she changed her attitude and behaved."I..um nice to meet you," Can said politely as he bowed his head too.Suddenly, both Type and Cha Aim became pale as if they were about to lose their lives. How could they let their grandmaster's wife bow before them!? If the grandmaster saw this, the two of them would probably die in an instant."There's no need to bow, master Can," Cha Aim said as she waved her hand and shook her head repeatedly. She did not want to die yet. Type also agreed."Oh, ok," Can felt a little troubled. He thought that he offended the two, so he said, "I'm sorry if I offended you.""Eek!!" Both Type and Cha Aim felt that the gates of hell were in front of them already."No, no. You didn't do anything wrong Master Can," Type explained while he tried to calm down."Yes, we don't deserve your grace, master Can. We're nothing but faithful servants to the grandmaster!" Cha Aim added as sweat formed on her forehead."Please, there's no need to call me master. Calling me by my name is fine," Can explained. He felt awkward being called 'master'.After he said those words, he just saw that the two monks kneeled all of a sudden."We're so sorry if we offended you! We'll do anything! Please spare us!" Cha Aim said as tears formed in her eyes. If they offended Can, it would be the end of them!"Please have mercy!" Type said as he started praying.Seeing this scene, Can's mouth started to twitch. What was going on with these two?After some time, the two monks have calmed down and went back to their usual selves."Where's Tin? I would like to talk to him," Can asked.Both Cha Aim and Type looked at one another. Type then said, "He's fulfilling his promise to you. He said not to worry."Hearing those words, Can's worries about Tin were erased immediately. His heart softened. He thought to himself what would happen to him if he didn't meet Tin? He could not imagine it.Suddenly, he remembered his family. "Ah! I should let my mom know where I am."He looked on the two monks and asked them if he could borrow one of their phones.Cha Aim was the first one to offer her phone. "Here, please use it as long as you can."Can nodded as he took the phone, "Thank you, Cha Aim.""No problem!" Cha Aim happily said. For her, it was an honor to serve the grandmaster's wife, so she was glad to lend her phone to him.After dialing his mother's phone number and getting connected to her, instead of hearing his mother's worried voice, Can could hear the sound of ocean waves and laughter between his mother and sister."Hello, who is this?" Mrs. Rathavit said in a relaxed tone."Mom, this is Can. What's happening? Where are you and Ley?" Can was confused. His mother and sister were supposed to be at home."Oh Can, it's you! How are you?" Mrs. Rathavit paused for a second as she asked one of the servants for more wine while she sat merrily in a relaxing chair. They were currently in a huge private yacht that was cruising around Tin's private island that was on the other side of the world, so it was morning. She and Ley would go on an island-hopping later."I'm good, mom where are you? Aren't you supposed to be home?" Can asked straight away wanting answers."Well, son you see, Tin called us earlier when you left. He asked me personally for permission to spend some time with you alone. Of course, I wouldn't refuse and said yes," Mrs. Rathavit calmly said. Yet, in reality, it was because of the fact that she was offered to go to a private island that she and Ley agreed. Who would want to let go of this opportunity? Besides, she knew Tin. She knew that he will take care of Can, so there was nothing to worry about. Although they could be already considered millionaires due to Can's earned money from the auction, they could still not compare to Tin's wealth. Even with the money that they have, they could not possibly afford to buy a private island like this at all!"How's everything with Master Khang? Is he doing well?" Mrs. Rathavit asked as she sipped her wine while being massaged.Remembering the horrors in the Phoenix Garden, Can shivered as he paused for a moment."Can? Is everything ok?" Mrs. Rathavit asked.Not wanting to worry his mother, Can said, "Everything's well, mom. Master Khang is still the same person. He was happy and excited to see me.""Is that so? That's good! You should invite him over for dinner next time," Mrs. Rathavit happily suggested.Inside his heart, Can felt bitter because of the lie that he just said. Still, he would not accept such a fate. He promised himself that he would bring everyone back. At the same time, Tin was there by his side to help him fulfill this."Of course, mom! I'll promise," Can said as he formed a fist on his right firmly while saying enthusiastic and lovely words to his mom.After some time of mother and son bonding, their call ended. Can went back to his normal and cheerful self. Since worrying would not do anything, Can decided to continue having a positive attitude.Feeling hungry as his stomach grumbled, he asked both Cha Aim and Type if he could use the kitchen to cook food. Without hesitation, the siblings nodded. They knew that this mansion was not only for Tin and his family, but also for Can. That was already obvious.After he gained approval, he went directly to the kitchen. To have a lively atmosphere, he summoned Gucci and Pond.In an instant, the two appeared in front of him."Master! I miss you!" Gucci exclaimed as he jumped forward to hug Can."Ack!" Can fell on the floor when he caught Gucci. "I miss you too, Gucci," Can said as he caressed the head of the young teenager.Gucci has now taken a form of a human after consuming the mature plant of <Seed of Flora>. To describe Gucci's transformation, he now has blond hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. Wearing a Victorian era attire with his brown vest, black coat, big bow tie, knee-high socks paired with saddle shoes, and a hat that resembles his former form of a gelatinous beast. He definitely looks like a cute young master.
(A/N: This is the outfit that I'm seeing for Gucci.)
(A/N: His headgear.)Pond quickly went to Can's side to remove Gucci from his master since the gelatinous beast likes to stick itself to Can."Ahh, no! Stop, Pond! I want master!!" Gucci said as he clung to Can harder."You stupid kid!" Pond said as he pulled Gucci harder. After a few tries, he was finally able to pull him away. The two then started fighting."You stupid crow!" Gucci was pissed as tears in his eyes started to flow. Forming a fist on both of his hands, he tried to hit Pond. Unfortunately, due to their height difference, he was unable to reach and punch Pond. His head was being held against Pond's hand.While teasing Gucci, Pond turned his head to look at Can. Observing his master, he saw that nothing was wrong with him. Still, he asked him, "Can how are you? I was unable to contact you earlier. I was worried.""I'm sorry for worrying you, but I'm alright now," Can smiled."Is that so? Did Tin do anything bad to you?" Pond worriedly asked.Can shook his head, "No, not really." Why would Tin do something bad to him? He has been really nice to him.Soon, Gucci was able to find an opening when Pond was distracted. Quickly, he opened his mouth and bit Pond's hand."Ouch!" Pond turned around and saw that Gucci bit his hand. "You little sh*t!"The beast god smacked Gucci's head as revenge, but this made Gucci angrier. In addition to this, Gucci felt wronged, so he started to cry and whine. "Uwuuu....""Calm down. Pond and Gucci," Can said as he tried to stop the two from getting into a heated fight. He was used to seeing this scene and in the end, it was always him who had to stop the two of them. When the two would always fight, they would end up destroying things. Since they were in Tin's mansion, Can would have to stop both of them from further fighting. He knew where this would be heading and he felt troubled about it. Right now, if he does not stop them, the situation would go from bad to worse."Gucci, please don't call..." Before Can could finish his sentence, Gucci already summoned the beast who has one of the worst tempers: Thanatos.
(A/N: Thanatos from Chapter 20.)In an instant, the atmosphere became tense as Thanatos appeared. Can's mouth twitched. He felt a headache coming.Gucci went to hide behind Thanatos and told him about Pond's atrocities in an exaggerated way. Knowing how much Thanatos cares about Gucci, the atmosphere became more tense as his already cold gaze went down to another few degrees while he looked at Pond in contempt.Pond was not scared of Thanatos. What can a mere Legendary grade do against a Mythical grade beast?Another fight was seemed bound to happen and Can had to act fast or else the mansion would be pulverized. If that happened, he was not quite sure how he would face Tin."Moonlight Flower help me!"Summoning the Legendary grade water elemental beast, Moonlight Flower acted quickly the moment she appeared and saw the familiar situation. With a huge yellow bell hanging at the end of the wooden stick that she held, Moonlight Flower shook it once. As the bell shook, the sound wave that produces calmness echoed in the mansion. This skill allowed everyone to forget bad things momentarily and put them in a good mood. Thankfully, Moonlight Flower's ability worked.... for now. The atmosphere was not hostile anymore.With a sigh of relief, Can thanked Moonlight Flower. The legendary beast nodded happily, "No problem!"Moonlight Flower was Can's new contracted beast after using the <Blue Gemstone> that was given to him by Bacsojin. Just like Bacsojin, Moonlight Flower also wore revealing clothes. Her clothing that barely covers her chest was made of golden fur. At the same time, she was also wearing a headgear that was made of a golden fox's head. As her companion, she has a golden nine-tailed fox by her side. Her abilities were mainly used for support. She could use healing, support, and debuff spells. One of her distinct spells was her ability to teleport people in a protected dimension for a short amount of time. When Pond and Thanatos would fight, Moonlight Flower would teleport both of them in the protected dimension that she could control. When they would finish their fighting, she would then let them out from the dimension.(A/N: Chapter 39 about the Blue Gemstone.)
(A/N: Moonlight Flower from Ragnarok Online.)Now that everyone was calmer, Can proceeded to continue what he was supposed to do in the kitchen in the first place: cooking. Since there were more people present, he had to cook a huge batch for them which he did not mind. Thankfully, Tin's refrigerator was full of ingredients."Ahh I'm really hungry, what will master cook today?" Gucci said excitedly."What do you want?" Can asked with a smile. Seeing Gucci happy did not only make his mood better but everyone else too especially Thanatos."Anything you cook is really good!" Gucci said as he jumped multiple times."Alright, alright," Can chuckled as he took different ingredients from the refrigerator."I'll help."Everyone faced the person who said those words. There were a complete shock and surprise expression on their faces.Thanatos did not mind the stares that he was getting as he helped Can with getting the ingredients."He's not serious, is he? That guy can actually cook?" Pond whispered at Gucci.Gucci was surprised as well, he did not know that Thanatos could cook."I didn't know either."Even though Can was shocked, he did not stop Thanatos. The two of them have interacted a couple of times before. Every time that they do interact, Can would learn a few things from him. This side of Thanatos was new to him."I want to help out too!" Pond and Gucci said in unison as they both raised their hands.Yet, before they could stand up from the sofa where they were seating, a frosty gaze from both Can and Thanatos could be seen. One must know that Gucci and Pond could not cook very well. Every time the two would volunteer to help at cooking, it would end up in a disaster. At that point, as much as possible, Can promised not to let this two help out in a kitchen, ever.With such a hateful gaze, both Pond and Gucci went back to their seats and felt defeated. Seeing this, Moonlight Flower just started laughing out loud.Meanwhile, both Type and Cha Aim silently observed while reporting the current situation to their grandmaster.Wanting to include the siblings, Can invited them to join him in the kitchen. The first one to react was Cha Aim. She quickly sat down with the other summoned beast and started talking with them. Type could only shake his head as he felt ashamed about his sister's behavior. Still, he did not refuse Can's invitation. Because later they were amused and absorbed in the conversation with the summoned beasts, both Cha Aim and Type forgot to continuously give a report to Tin.Speaking of Tin, he was still in the Phoenix Garden. He was about to finish resurrecting everyone when an unknown totem looking beast showed up."Tao Gunkaaa!" ("Oh it's Can's ex-lover!")Tin quickly stopped what he was doing as soon as he understood what the beast was saying. He faced the beast and asked, "What did you say?""Tao, Tao Gun-ka? Tao Gunka." ("Yeah, you're Can's ex-lover right? I shouldn't be mistaken because I always see you.")"Ex-lover?" Tin asked. He suddenly felt the urge to smash this ugly looking beast into pieces."Taoooo Gunka. Tao Tao Gunka!" ("Yeah, my best friend Pond is the disciple's new lover. Can was even there too when he said it.")Tin was silent, but it was clear how he felt. The clear sky was soon enveloped with darkness as lightning crackled. His new followers including Dokebi, cowered in fear. Are they going to die again?Meanwhile, the oblivious beast who was at fault just stared at the sky."Tao Gunka?" ("What's with this weather?")Tao Gunka shook his head in disappointment not knowing that it was Tin who created such phenomenon. "Tao Gunka." ("Tsk. Tsk. Master Khang should move somewhere else. This place is not what it used to be.")Facing the 'ex-lover', Tao Gunka adviced him, "Tao Gunka. Tao Gunka. Taaooo Gunkaa. Tao Tao!" ("It must be hard for you to accept the fact that you guys are not together anymore. I mean I can't blame Can for choosing Pond. My best friend is really good looking, funny, and kind. Anyways, I'm sure you'll be able to find another one.")Tin only replied in silence. Thinking that Tin was truly heartbroken, Tao Gunka continued to comfort him."Tao Taoo. Tao Guunka! Tao Gunka. Taooo Gunka?" ("It's okay friend. Now both of us are single! We can help each other and find a new lover, although I've been single since the beginning. Ohh how did you get here by the way?")Before Tao Gunka could continue talking, Tin already waved his hand and made Tao Gunka disappear to another dimension.In silence, Tin continued resurrecting. The sky was still dark, gloomy, and threatening. None of Tin's followers dared to look at their new master's facial expression. They thought that if they did, they would probably disappear completely. Still, Dokebi could not help it but look at his facial expression. The moment he gathered his courage and looked up at Tin, he immediately regretted his decision. Their new master had a murderous smile on his face!Back at the mansion, everyone was having the time of their lives. It was lively, loud, and fun. It was just like a party. From time to time, Moonlight Flower would show some wonderful tricks which would amaze everyone. Later on, as they eat happily, Pond would crack some jokes and make everyone laugh... of course except Thanatos. Still, it was evident that Thanatos was satisfied seeing that Gucci was having fun. The rest were happily conversing with one another.As the party continued, Cha Aim and Moonlight Flower became close friends instantly. Knowing that Cha Aim loves to pair guys, she introduced BL (Boys' Love) to her. Moonlight Flower's interest was piqued, so she was hooked. Seeing his sister trying to influence Moonlight Flower with her rotten hobby, Type could not help it but feel ashamed. Unfortunately, he could not stop her since he did not want to spoil their fun. He also felt guilty because he knew that Cha Aim did not have friends. When they were kids, they were already destined to be the disciples of the old master, so most of their lives were dedicated at cultivation of power. Making friends was not considered part of their cultivation. Seeing that his sister was happily interacting with her new friend, Type was happy too."You're by yourself? You alright?" Pond stood next to Type as he offered a glass of special alcohol to Type.Type accepted Pond's offer and grabbed the glass. "I'm alright," Type smiled as he took a sip of alcohol."Is it okay for a monk to drink alcohol?" Pond asked with a smirk."Are you going to tell anyone?" Type teased. The two of them looked at one another then they started laughing. Soon they continued having a casual talk as they drank alcohol.Witnessing everyone was having a fun conversation with one another, Can felt pleased. He stood up from where he was sitting and went to the counter to drink some water. When he arrived at the counter, there were multiple cups with different liquids in them. Not knowing which drink was his, he took what seemed to be water and drank it.As he finished the drink with one gulp, Can thought that there was something odd about the water. "Hmm. This water tastes different."There was sweetness to it then there would be a lingering bitter aftertaste. Despite the bitter taste, the water was somehow addicting to drink. Finding the container that had the water, Can poured himself another cup and drank it. Still, he felt that it was not enough as he continued to pour himself some more.When Pond caught a glimpse of Can, he suddenly panicked. He stood up as he rushed quickly to Can's side. Seeing that panic on his face, Type followed him. Now with these two rushing towards Can, everyone could not help but stop what they were doing and stare."How much did you drink!?" Pond asked as he grabbed the cup that had the special alcohol away from Can.As soon as Can faced Pond, it was evident that he was drunk already. His face was as red as a tomato.He pointed at the container of the special alcohol. "I was just drinking this," Can paused as he had a hiccup, "water."Pond grabbed the container and checked the amount left inside. There was nothing left! How could Can drink all of this at once? The effect of the alcohol was very strong!He has encountered Can being drunk before. Every time he would get drunk, it would always be by accident. When he goes into this state, he would act like a little kid and start whining. He would act worse than Gucci!"Alright, that's enough. You're going to bed!" Pond told his master. The drunkard Can refused. He turned his back as he pouted and crossed his arms. "No! I don wanna!"Just like a little kid!Pond facepalmed himself. He was an idiot for leaving the container on the counter.
(A/N: Facepalm.)"Can, you're going to bed right now." Pond grabbed Can's shoulder."No!" Can got away and started running around the kitchen counter."Don't be stubborn!" Pond shouted as he started chasing Can.The others were unsure of what to do, but seeing Can acting childish as he ran away from Pond made them laugh.With the loud laughter echoing in the kitchen, they did not notice that someone just came back.As soon as that person entered the kitchen, he saw that Can was being princess carried. (A/N: This is princess carry.)He stopped his movements and stood there silently.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
[unedited]Pond struggled as he tried to maintain balance while holding his drunk master in his arms. With Can becoming more stubborn when he gets drunk, he would try to push Pond as hard as possible to get away from his grasp. In the end, as the two struggled while they attempted to overpower one another, both of them ended up falling on the floor. Thankfully, Pond was fast to react. Hugging Can firmly, he made sure that he was the first one to fall to receive the impact from hitting the floor instead of Can."Ack!" Pond exclaimed closing his eyes briefly. As soon as he opened his eyes, he witnessed something rather cute. In his arms, his master seemed to be a little shaken as he grabbed his clothes firmly. He looked quite vulnerable and it made him feel that he needed to protect him.Ignoring the sudden silence and tense atmosphere in the kitchen, Pond put his right hand on Can's head and petted him. This was Pond's way of comforting him. It was just like how Can would pet him in order to comfort him.Seeing Can this way where he showed vulnerability was rare since he was the type of person to hide his weaknesses in order not to be a bother to others. Even if he could be considered strong, deep inside Can was quite vulnerable and sensitive. Having these thoughts, Pond promised to protect Can at all costs! Even from God of Death (Tin) himself!Speaking of God of Death, Pond suddenly felt the deadly silence in the kitchen. What happened to the fun atmosphere earlier?As he slowly got up with Can still being held in his arms, he somehow felt a sudden surge of fear and goosebumps all over his body. That sense of fear was quite familiar. When he looked around at the others, he was shocked to see all of them paralyzed as they faced the entrance of the kitchen. There were obvious terror and panic on their expressions as sweat formed on their foreheads.Gucci was unable to handle the pressure as he hid behind Thanatos shakingly. Even for Thanatos, the pressure was overwhelming and suffocating, yet he remained calm.As for Moonlight Flower, she was not quite sure who was the mysterious person who was standing by the entrance, but she knew he was not someone to mess with. She wanted to use her golden bell to produce calming waves, but she thought that it was no use. The mysterious person was too powerful. Even if she wanted to, she was too afraid to act. If she offended him, it would likely she would lose her life in an instant! She was barely summoned to existence, so she cannot die yet! There were a lot of things she still wanted to do here!For the two siblings, they could just see the gates of hell opening in front of them. Cha Aim tapped her brother's shoulder worriedly."I don't want to die yet, Type," Cha Aim shook her head as tears started to form in her eyes. Based on the look of their grandmaster who was standing silently by the entrance, their dear lives were like fire on an already short candlestick. They could die anytime soon.As for Type, he did not know how to respond to the grandmaster. He failed to continuously report on him about Can's activities since he became distracted at having fun with the others. Surely, Grandmaster Tin would not forgive him! He would deserve whatever horrible punishment Grandmaster would give him.When Type was about to talk to Tin about the mistake that he committed and taking responsibility, he was completely ignored."Gr-gra-grandmaster, I'm sorry...I'm sorry if I neglected my duty," Type stuttered as he explained himself to Tin. While explaining himself, he suddenly stopped as Tin walked past by him without even glancing at him. No one moved from their position at all except their eyes that followed Tin. With every footstep that Tin made, it was like every tick of a time bomb. Those footsteps were very clear as they were the only sound that echoed in the kitchen aside from the fast-beating hearts of the others in the area. As he got closer to them, the closer they felt of being transferred to hell.Looking at Tin's facial expression, although on the surface he looked calm and indifferent, everyone knew that they did not reflect his true feelings. What were those feelings you may ask? They were most likely brutal and hateful feelings. Just thinking about these made them shiver.Soon, Tin stopped his footsteps. This sudden stop of movements, made everyone think that it was time for the bomb to explode.Standing in front of Pond, Tin said indifferently while looking straight into beast god's eyes, "Give him to me."Everyone in the room looked back and forth at Tin and Pond.With such overwhelming pressure, how could Pond resist him? Still, Pond already made an oath to protect Can. He was still unsure about their relationship, but he knew that Tin was a dangerous man. As his contracted beast, he must fulfill his duty to Can even if he was weak compared to Tin.Struggling at speaking, Pond said, "N-no. You can't." He held his drunkard master firmly.Being rejected and seeing how Can's pet acted, Tin's gaze became cold as they became murderous."Know your place, pet," Tin said with a threatening tone.Pond shivered, but he remained to be stubborn. "Wh-who do you think you are? How da-dare you thre-threaten this Beast God!?"Scoffing with a mocking smile, Tin retorted, "A god? You don't sound convincing at all."With a quick wave of a hand, Pond could not somehow control his movements as he let go of Can."What are you doing?" Pond angrily asked. He tried to use spells, but he was restricted by some unknown force.Can floated briefly into the air and flew towards Tin slowly without struggling. When he got closer to him, Tin carefully embraced him. Since Can was drunk, he was not aware of the situation that he was in even though he was the center of everything that was happening. Somehow when he saw Tin's face, the tense and shaky feeling that he felt were erased. He felt comfortable and happy in his embrace.Putting both of his hands on Tin's cheeks lovingly, Can said with a smile, "Welcome back."With such sweet and loving expression of Can, how could Tin not feel affected at all? Instantly, his murderous cold-hearted expression softened. It was as if the reasons for why he was mad just disappeared."I'm back now," Tin smiled as he kissed Can's forehead.With such intimacy, everyone was able to confirm the relationship between the two. For Pond, he already had an idea of their relationship, but he did not want to accept it. Unfortunately for him, what he saw was already the hard evidence that he must accept. It was painful for him to see how his master looked so happy being with Tin. It was not the same happiness that Can felt when he was with him. At this point, Pond realized that he should have already give up the feelings he had been hiding for him. He has not even said how he felt about Can, but he was already turned down. He was the loser once again. He could only bite his lower lip as he looked down in sorrow.Fully satisfied, Tin turned around while holding Can in his arms like a princess. Briefly, he looked to the side to face Pond."You're only a pet that obeys orders. Nothing else," Tin said with a cold and harsh tone.Such cruel words from him made Pond angry and unhappy. In any case, Tin was right. He should not have assumed things and made a fool of himself."If you do something stupid again, I won't be too merciful," Tin continued. He was referring to the jokes that Pond made about having a relationship with Can. This person, whom Tin was holding, is only his. Anyone who would dare take Can away from him would die.Pond knew what Tin was talking about. He suddenly felt more ashamed and stupid for mentioning those things about him and Can to Tao Gunka even if they were a joke.After saying those threats, he told everyone to leave. Afterwards, he left with Can to go to his bedroom. As for everyone else, they knew very well that they cannot mess with Tin at all. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief especially the siblings. They somehow managed to survive! When Tin commanded them to leave, everyone started to transport themselves to their own safe places immediately. Pond was reluctant to leave at first, but he knew that he was not needed here anymore, so he left with the others.In the bedroom, Tin laid Can in his bed. Knowing that he was drunk, Tin took out a magic pill from his storage ring that would remove Can's drunkenness.With a gentle smile on his face, Tin asked Can to open his mouth. Of course, Can did not decline and slowly opened his mouth. Can's obedience made him quite happy. Why can't he be like this always?Still, as soon as Tin tried to put the magic pill inside Can's mouth, the drunk youth closed his mouth playfully. He was tricking Tin. It was a child's play indeed.Shaking his head as he laughed, Tin decided to put the magic pill in his mouth. His hands then moved quickly as he grabbed Can's head. As he leaned forward, he kissed Can on the lips. Can reciprocated but he refused to open his mouth. Tin was not in a hurry, so he slowly weakened Can's defenses by kissing him more passionately.Soon, Tin used his tongue and started prodding Can's mouth. Having a hard time breathing as kissing intensified, Can's resistance towards Tin's advances have weakened. He opened his mouth and let Tin's tongue slip in and tangled with his tongue. Afterwards, he wrapped his hands around Tin as if not wanting him to let go. Meanwhile, Tin managed to slip in the magic pill inside Can's mouth successfully. Of course, just because he succeeded at putting the magic pill inside his lover's mouth did not mean that it was the end of their fiery passion.As soon as Can swallowed and absorbed the essence of the magic pill, he regained his usual self. Although he was confused at first since he was not able to remember what happened after he got drunk, he did not stop what he and Tin were doing.After a few moments, the sounds of intense love could be heard in the room. Those sounds would last for a couple of hours. It lasted that long since it was Tin's way of punishing Can for being careless. He would make sure to mark Can and let him know that he is the only one for him. For Can, no matter how much he begged for Tin to stop since he felt like he was about to pass out from ecstasy, he was not allowed to do so. Tin's stamina was quite frightening! He was not even sure what he actually did that made Tin act this way! Where did he get this much energy?When their session was over, Can was unable to move from the bed since he was sore all over his body. It was estimated that his recovery would take a few days to even a week! Although he had a magic pill that would help him completely recover in an instant, he was afraid that if he did recover, Tin would do another intense love session with him again. Besides that, even if he recovered, where would he escape to? He was trapped in this place. He does not consider it a prison, but it was restrictive. He wondered how long was he supposed to stay here?Another thing, he felt that his power have increased tremendously. He was currently at the pinnacle of Tier 5, but now, he just transitioned and leveled up to Tier 6! He felt his spiritual core expanding and his already insane spiritual energy recovery has increased further. How could he make such a smooth transition? Even for the most gifted individuals, the transition from Tier 5 to Tier 6 was an almost impossible journey. According to legends, only those favored by the true Gods themselves could have such transition. Usually, this transition would require that individual to fulfill a quest from the Gods themselves. Unfortunately, the quest has to be uncovered by that individual. Mostly those who try to uncover their quest in order to transition to Tier 6 fail. They would end up being stuck at Tier 5 until the day they die.Thinking about it, the last time that he and Tin made love, he would feel a surge of power filling him. It was interesting since he was able to transition to Tier 5 afterwards. Now, after making love with Tin last night, he transitioned to Tier 6. Did that mean that the quest he received from the true Gods were to make love with Tin? That could not be possible! That's ridiculous! Why would the true Gods give such a perverted quest? Are they some kind of pervert?True Gods: "..."(A/N: I'm one of the true gods! I gave him this quest.)Having such deep thoughts, he did not notice that Tin was already right next to him and was just enjoying staring at him.When Can realized that Tin was right next to him, he immediately put his thoughts at the back of his head."What were you thinking?" Tin smiled."No-nothing. I'm just hungry," Can said. He could not tell him what he was thinking earlier since Tin might have a good excuse to make love with him later on. Besides, he was actually hungry."I knew you were going to say that, so I prepared something special," Tin continued. He turned around and looked at the entrance of his bedroom."Come."Can looked at Tin then faced the entrance. As he tried to move, he felt sore. He should have taken the magic pill instead!Still, he was somehow curious who was coming so he forced himself to get up from the bed.As soon as he looked up, a small figure holding a piece of ham and cheese hot pocket came in.
(A/N: I feel this background music would help set the mood. I hope. )When Can saw the familiar figure, his lips started to tremble as tears in his eyes started to form.Slowly, the small beast walked towards Can while making sure that he was holding the delicious and warm hot pocket on both of his hands carefully.Finally reaching Can, the small beast happily offered half of the hot pocket with him. He promised that when Can comes back, they would share a hot pocket."Do-Ke-Bi."Can was speechless. He was unable to form words at all due to shock. Thankfully, Tin was there to support him.Tin faced the youth as he caressed his back. When Can looked at him, Tin nodded which was meant to reassure Can that all of this was real.Getting the other half of the hot pocket, he quickly took a bite and said while stuttering as he wiped his tears, "Wel-welcome b-ack."
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(Unedited)In an undisclosed cave where the light never reaches and where darkness permanently stays, a group consisting of ten individuals waited outside. They were the 10 of the 12 Apostles that were sent to invade Phoenix Garden and take Master Khang. Within the group, Master Khang who was unconscious was being dragged behind by Joyde. At the same time, he was holding Tryde in his arms carefully as if she was some kind of glass that would break if dropped. Despite his serious and fatal wounds, his facial expression was somewhat calm and soft. He gazed at the peaceful and beautiful face of the unconscious woman he loved so much in his arms.As for the other Apostles, although they looked indifferent and calm on the outside, they felt troubled. With the twins dead and the most powerful apostles in their group were in critical condition, it was natural that the rest of the weaker apostles felt concerned. For someone to be able to do this much damage to them, they were afraid that the enemy could be already in the pinnacle of Tier 6, if not Tier 7.Even though they refused to believe that Tin Phiravich was a Tier 7, it could not be denied that he could destroy all the Apostles and compete with Master Tanapon, who is Ae's father. Now with such a powerful threat, they could only rely on their master himself.As the already exhausted Adam finished opening the invisible gate of the huge cave that was covered with multiple layers of protective barriers, he gestured the rest of the apostles to go inside. As they navigated deeper inside the dangerous and complex pathways, the sound of the wails from the helpless and tortured individuals who opposed their leader echoed louder. It made the dark cave that was only lit by the green torches that were attached to the walls even more frightening. For the Apostles, this did not bother them at all. They were used to it. They even partake in torturing the victims inside.Finally, after some time, they arrived at their destination. They stopped In front of a huge mirror-like wall that had small ripples on them. Seeing that there were visitors, the small ripples intensified as it then merged to form a huge face."Well?" A husky voice within the mirror-like wall was heard. His voice that has a tone of anticipation slightly echoed in the dark shrouded cave.The apostles were momentarily silent as they bowed before the man in the mirror."Master Tanapon," everyone said respectfully in unison.Adam was the first one to talk. "We managed to invade Phoenix Garden and take Master Khang in one piece."After hearing those words, it became silent again. Yet, there was an evident satisfaction from the man in the mirror-like wall. With a smile, he said, "That's good news."Still, the man noticed that there was something odd among the attitude of the apostles. It was also evident that some of them were severely wounded especially Joyde and Tryde."Old Master Khang was this powerful to deal such blow on you and your subordinates?" Master Tanapon asked in curiosity. Only someone at the pinnacle of tier 6 or above could do such damage to Joyde and Tryde who were also tier 6. But according to the information he gathered, Master Khang should only be a lower-level tier 6.Adam looked at his master with a serious face as he said, "It wasn't the old master. It was... Tin Phiravich."As soon as Adam mentioned Tin's name, the cave suddenly shook. Small rubbles of stones and dust fell on the ceiling of the old cave."Tin? How could this be? There's no way that brat is capable!" Master Tanapon was furious. He hated elementalists the most since the beginning."He showed up unexpectedly after Master Khang's disciple, Can Rathavit, came. We were able to repel Can, but when it came to Tin, we only managed to escape by luck," shaking his head as he continued, "We could've been wiped out completely."Remembering that scene, Adam could still feel the terrifying pressure he felt from the youth. It was even stronger than Master Tanapon. Similarly, just like everyone present in the cave, he was still wondering how Tin could already be such in a powerful state capable of defeating the Apostles."Where did he get that source of power!? Ahh!" Mr. Tanapon grunted. He did not pay attention when Adam mentioned Can due to his anger towards the elementalist. He thought that it was impossible for such a youngster to already have such power."It doesn't matter anymore. We need to get rid of him as soon as possible. I don't want him to ruin our plans in the future," Mr. Tanapon continued.All of the Apostles agreed. As he nodded, Adam asked with sudden worry, "How are we going to deal with him? Even with the combined power of all the Apostles, it would still be impossible to kill him."Looking at his master, he said, "In addition, you're still in the process of taming the King of the Beast. You're incapable...." Before Adam could finish his sentence, he was already interrupted by Mr. Tanapon."Silence!" Mr. Tanapon shouted with fury. The shout was powerful enough to shake the cave that they were in. Still, the Apostles did not waver as they calmly continued to bow their heads. They were used to their master's constant anger."Even if I'm currently trapped inside this cave as I tame the beast, it doesn't mean that I'm incapable! I can still break your neck if I wanted to at this very moment," Mr. Tanapon threatened as his brows furrowed.For a few months now, Mr. Tanapon has been trying to control the King of the Beast that was trapped inside this cave since the ancient times. He managed to bypass the cave's defenses and enter the portal inside the cave that would lead him to the King of the Beast. This process took him a long time, a lot of resources, and human sacrifices. All of the immoral things that he has done up to this day, he never once regretted doing. This was all for power and destroying the Elementalist Association once and for all. It was his destiny to do so. He would do anything to achieve this.As for Adam, he remained calm and silent to his master's threat. He knew he would not do it because he needed him to fulfill his plans. In any case, he apologized to appease him and get it over with."I'm sorry, master. I crossed the line this time," Adam bowed indifferently. It was a good thing that Mr. Tanapon did not pay attention to his expression or else he would be more infuriated."Hmph!" Mr. Tanapon uttered."Based on how I see it, that youth is at the pinnacle of Tier 6. He is at the same level of power like me." Acknowledging that Tin was at the same level of power as him was somehow odd to the Apostles since their master was self-conceited.Suddenly, a smirk from Mr. Tanapon showed. "However, even if it's the case, he does not have much experience on the battlefield as much as me. Also, he doesn't possess a mythical weapon like me!"Hearing that their master possessed a mythical weapon, everyone became surprised. Everyone knew about mythical weapons, but they did not believe that they existed since they never heard of anyone actually wielding them."A mythical weapon? Does such a thing exist? How could you obtain such an item?" Adam asked with an expression of disbelief on his face.(A/N: Refer to Chapter 55 - War of Emperium about Mythical weapons)With a mocking smile as if the people in front of him were mere insects, he said braggingly, "As I was traveling inside the dimension, it seemed that the people who sealed the King of the Beast inside also left one of the three-known mythical weapons: the Honglyun's Sword. They even left a scroll about the description of the weapon itself which further confirmed my suspicion about the sword being one of the mythical weapons."
(A/N: Honglyun's Sword from Ragnarok Online. I know it's small. Can't find a decent picture.)The known three mythical weapons were the Honglyun's Sword, Soul Staff, and the Guyak Shield. Forged with the strongest metal from a meteor of an unknown origin mixed with the soul of the Beast God of Fire, Ifrit, the Honglyun's sword would be covered in a dark blue fire which is the holiest form of fire when wielded. Such power could cut and destroy any kind of defenses or spells with one swing with the exception of the other mythical weapons. For the Soul Staff, the person could create new spells and amplify them easily. As for the Guyak Shield, it could repel any damage it would receive. The first one is used for destruction, the second one is used for creation, and the third is used to maintain a balance between the two other mythical weapons.Hearing their master's explanation, the Apostles became speechless and astonished about their master's new treasure. With such a weapon, Mr. Tanapon could already fulfill his destiny without much resistance. In addition, with his current plan to defy the heavens to become tier 7 in order to be the new Supreme Ruler and control the King of the Beast, he would truly be unstoppable. This gave everyone a sense of fear which was way worse compared to when they faced Tin. There was also a boost in their ego knowing that they picked the right side.Now that the existence of mythical weapons was proved, Mr. Tanapon, who has the Honglyun's Sword, would like to find the rest to increase his power. With the scroll that he found inside the dimension where the King of the Beast was being imprisoned, he discovered a clue to which the other mythical weapons could be located. In the scroll, it was mentioned that the Soul Staff that was forged by the First Elementalist was taken by a demonic elementalist back to his ancestral home. As for the Guyak Shield, it was kept hidden in the Beast Gods' Dimension by the First Beast Summoner. Of course, Mr. Tanapon would not reveal such information to his subordinates. He does not trust any of them completely. Thinking about this, he has decided that he would collect the other mythical weapons himself after he tamed the King of the Beast. At this point, he was not quite worried about reaching Tier 7. With the combined power of the Honglyun's Sword and the King of the Beast, he could already be at the same level as a Supreme Ruler. Of course, he would still want to attain the actual level of a Supreme Ruler. He believed that he was not too far from getting to such a state.Changing the topic, he mentioned as he looked at Master Khang's unconscious body, "Take him to me so that I could absorb his spiritual core."Adam quickly turned around and took the unconscious Master Khang from the ground. As he picked him up, he got closer to Mr. Tanapon and offered Master Khang.Mr. Tanapon cast a spell. It then made Master Khang's body float in mid-air. As he floated, blue-colored dust started coming out of his body. It was the essence of his spiritual core being taken away and absorbed.Since absorbing the essence might take a while and thinking that his essence might not be enough to increase his strength, Mr. Tanapon ordered Adam, the other Apostles, and the entire Beast Summoner Guild to initiate the first offensive against Elementalist Association.The Apostles were not worried about dealing with E.A. itself, but they only worry about Tin himself. Once again, Adam asked about what to do with Tin. Immediately, Mr. Tanapon replied, "Ambush E.A.'s headquarters as soon as you can. Take the victims you get and take them here, so I could absorb their essence. If by any chance Tin shows up, retreat. In any case, if you die, I wouldn't worry about it. I would become the Supreme Ruler soon, so reviving dead beings could be easily done with a wave of my hand."When he heard about how his life and the others could be considered disposable by his master, Adam felt certain anger and bitterness. Still, he remained calm. What can he do against his master anyways? He was too weak compared to him. All he could do was obey and nod."I understand. I'll prepare everything immediately by the end of this day," Adam bowed with a slight smile on his face. Afterwards, he turned around and left with the Apostles."One more thing," Mr. Tanapon said. Adam stopped his footsteps as he slightly turned around."Bring my son, Ae, here.""As you wish, master," Adam replied.As he started walking out, another voice of despair and helplessness was heard inside the cave.Later that day, In Tin's mansion, Can was busy catching up with Dokebi and with the other beasts of Master Khang in the living room. They were talking as if there were no ongoing problems.Meanwhile, Tin was just by Can's side watching him over with much satisfaction. This was what he wanted, just seeing Can happy.Soon, their peace was interrupted when Type came to report to Tin.Standing up from his seat, he told Can that he would come back in a bit.Can looked up to him and curiously asked as he was petting Dokebi, "Is everything okay? Do you need my help with anything?"With a smile, Tin shook his head, "No, it's a just trivial matter. I'll be back in a bit." He then proceeded to pat Can's head before he left with Type who seemed to have a serious and worried expression on his face.Inside his own office in the mansion, Tin was in a bad mood. Type knew that it was his fault since he interrupted Tin's bonding moment with Can. In any case, what was he about to report was quite urgent!"What is it?" Tin said as he faced Type with contempt. He still has not forgiven Type for his negligence of his duty yesterday.Type suddenly felt scared, but he maintained an undisturbed expression as he told his grandmaster about an emergency that needed action."According to the reports that I received from our operatives, the cult and B.S.G are making preparations for war. Sir, we need to take action to defend since it's obvious that they're going to attack us soon!"After saying such news, Tin did not seem to be bothered at all as he replied with, "That's it?"Type was shocked hearing this indifferent reaction from his grandmaster. Was he not worried at all?"Pardon?" Type asked just to clarify Grandmaster Tin's intentions."Are you deaf? I said, is that all?" Tin said with slight irritation."Um, yes," Type replied quickly."Alright. Keep observing them and report to me," Tin said as he started walking out the room to join Can."Grandmaster Tin. Are we not going to prepare for war?" Type shouted as he worriedly asked. This was an emergency and it required urgent actions!"No," Tin replied. He then faced Type once again so that he would stop from asking more questions. "Let them attack E.A. Even if the leadership has been replaced by us, Demonic Elementalists, the majority of the members of E.A. still do not accept it. It's embedded in those Righteous Elementalists' mind that the Demonic Elementalists couldn't be trusted at all. If that's the case, then let them suffer and let them handle the entire situation. It's when they're begging in front of our doors would only be the time that we would act. If they do decide not to accept us, well...." Tin did not finish his sentence and started walking away. But as he left, there was a wicked smile on his face. If Type were to see his reaction, he would not be able to maintain a straight face at all. Still, he felt that Tin was too cruel to leave E.A. and its people to suffer. Even though Type knew how the Righteous Elementalists hated their kinds, he was not the type of person to hold a grudge against them. In addition, he was not the kind that would not do anything knowing that countless lives would be lost during this upcoming war. So, for Tin to have such a decision, it was just too cruel. Yet, would Type dare to disobey the grandmaster? No, he was not capable.Sighing, Type could only shake his head from dismay. With a wave of his hand, he quickly disappeared into thin air.As he returned back to the living room, Tin regained the genuine smile on his face. The only thing that gives him happiness was Can. No one else matters.Returning back to his seat, Tin once again patted Can to get his attention. Can, who was busy playing with Dokebi, looked up with a joyful smile. "That was fast," he said."I told you, it was a trivial matter," Tin said."I see," Can replied as he went back to play with Dokebi. He was truly naive of the problems ahead and Tin wanted him to stay that way.Can did not notice that the moment he looked down, Tin gave Dokebi a signal to continue distracting Can, which the beast agreed to. Tin did not want Can to think about leaving this mansion anytime soon. If Can started thinking about leaving the mansion, then Tin might have to resort to force."Do-ke-bi...," Dokebi said as he rubbed his stomach. ("I'm hungry....")With a chuckle, Can grabbed Dokebi with both of his hands, "Alright."Before he went to the kitchen, he faced Tin, "Join us?"Standing up, Tin happily answered, "Of course."The two then went to the kitchen. If someone were to see this scene of these two people who were lovingly and happily talking with one another as they walked into the kitchen, that person would certainly be envious.That night, as darkness covered the sky, a disturbance was created. Multiple purple-colored portals in the sky were opened. With those portals, the gates of hell allowed powerful beasts to set loose and wreak havoc among the population. Those who were associated with E.A. tasted the wrath of the said atrocious beasts. With the amount of summoned beasts, the surprised and unprepared elementalists were quickly overwhelmed. Screams echoed as blood painted the streets.Seeing such a marvelous scene and not getting a lot of resistance from the enemy, Adam, who was leading the crusade against the elementalists, was satisfied. With the combined forces of the fully controlled B.S.G and the cult, they could easily destroy E.A. in no time as long as Tin never shows up which was highly unlikely. Due to this, Adam was quite observant to make sure that everything goes smoothly. Yet, even after their successful raid that night, Tin never showed up. Why was that? What was he planning?Unbeknown to him, Tin was leisurely observing the chaos while tending to Can's needs in the kitchen. It was as if he was an immortal who was uninterested with worldly matters. The only exception was the person in front of him who was busy baking and talking. He was the only thing he thought was quite important.
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(Unedited)There was a story that was already forgotten about the First Beast Summoner who became a Supreme Ruler. According to that story, after he ascended to the most powerful position in the world, he felt rather isolated and lonely. As everyone worshipped, admired, and feared him, he did not feel exceptionally honored or happy about it.Before he ascended to become the Supreme Ruler, he was considered and treated just like everyone else: a normal person. The people around him would treat him normally and they would willingly say whatever it was that was in their mind. Yet, after his ascension, no one even dared approach or talk to him casually.Afterwards, he was slowly surrounded by those who thirst for power as they try to manipulate and ask him for help to gain an upper hand. Everyone did not see him as a human with personal feelings or with a soul, but rather a godly being that was a mere tool for power. It was then the Supreme Ruler realized the selfish human nature of those who surround him. The people he thought were close to him changed completely into schemers who thought of how they could benefit themselves. It was unbearable and unfortunate for him to witness, so when an opportunity was presented to him by the accidental discovery of another dimension, he did not hesitate to leave the mortal world. By going to the unknown other dimension, he hoped to get away from his previous life and try his chance to have a new start. As luck would have it, he met those great beings who treated him fairly as one of them: the Beast Gods. There he learned a lot of things and he even managed to create the art of contracting beasts which made him the First Beast Summoner.Eventually, when the Beast Gods left the dimension for an unknown reason, he was asked to take care of the dimension and those beasts who lived in it. Since he was given the chance to live with the Beast Gods peacefully and harmoniously even finding true love with one of them, the First Beast Summoner did not refuse. In the end, he still lived and died in isolation. Although he could have lived as an immortal, he decided not to become one. Before he died, there was a certain trace of happiness that left him. He thought that death itself would allow him to feel free from the burden of isolation and loneliness.In the end, before he closed his eyes and rest for eternity, his last words were, "I wonder if it was worth it?"In the middle of that very night, Tin woke up from his sleep. As the Supreme Ruler of the mortal world, his connection with it was becoming more solidified. This meant that the matters of the world could be easily perceived or felt. In this case, the living things and their deaths in this world were all connected to him. The mixture of true emotions and the inner nature of these people were constantly flowing in Tin's head. Before, he would only have this problematic situation for a brief moment, but now it was just a constant bombardment of voices in his head for a longer period of time. He could not somehow stop these voices from entering his head rather it just became more obvious. It seemed that waiting for it to stop was not working anymore. It was like an endless night of the storm.Getting up from his bed with a painful headache, he went outside. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he swayed shakily when he walked. Not knowing what exactly what to do, he aimlessly walked towards the room that was next to his. As he opened the door slowly, he checked if the person inside was sleeping still. After the confirmation that the person was asleep, he entered the room.With the lamp by the bed still on, the light illuminated the youth sleeping in the bed. There he was covered by a blanket as he was sleeping peacefully with faint steady and calm breathing.Tin decided to approach him to check on him closer. When he saw the messy hair covering the youth's forehead, Tin slowly and carefully fixed it to the side."Much better," Tin whispered with a smile.He did not notice that at that moment, the voices in his head were gone.Still, it was replaced by a threatening premonition. Whether it was a curse or a blessing, another power that was bestowed to a Supreme Ruler was the power to peer or to have a glimpse of the future. Of course, he did not completely have the full power to see what the future would be or whether the premonition that he saw was even true. Nonetheless, it was something that he wanted to prevent from happening at all costs. That premonition had something to do with the dream that constantly replayed in his head since he became the Supreme Ruler.In that dream of an unknown future, he was in this undisclosed location. It felt real. He felt cold. He felt blood dripping on his hands. When he looked up with blurred vision, he could distinguish a somehow horrified look of the person in front of him who was also covered in blood. He knew that it was Can. The blood and that grim situation meant something unpleasant could happen to Can. This situation was mainly the reason he wanted to keep Can inside the mansion. He wanted to protect him at all costs even if it meant imprisoning him. He was afraid to lose him again.Once he calmed down and felt reassured, he kissed Can's forehead and left. Outside the door, Dokebi was already waiting for Grandmaster Tin."How was he?" Tin asked as he looked down on Dokebi."Do-ke-bi," the little beast politely said as he bowed. ("He seemed to be worried.")"About what?" Tin raised a brow.Scratching his head, Dokebi replied, "Do-Do-Ke-Bii. ("He wanted to go outside and visit his family and friends.")"Then let his family and friends visit him instead," Tin said flatly.Hearing this, Dokebi wanted to say something, but he was somehow hesitant to voice out his opinion about this matter."What is it?" Tin asked. "Don't waste my time."Feeling threatened, Dokebi voiced out his concern, "Do-ke-bi-bi?" ("How long will you keep master Can in this place?")Before he could finish what he wanted to say, Tin already started walking towards his office. "As long as possible. Do part of your job to make him stay.""Doh," the little beast said. ("But.")"Do as I say or I'll rip that soul of yours into pieces with your body," Tin threatened without looking back as he entered his office."Do-ke-bi....," Dokebi whispered as he shook his head. ("This is not even my real body.")Inside the office, both Cha Aim and Type were together discussing the reports that they have received from their operatives. There was another person with them who was impatiently waiting.When they heard the door opening, the two siblings immediately bowed. "Greetings, Grandmas...," both Cha Aim and Type said, but before they could even finish, they were already disrupted by Tin's father."Explain to me why you let B.S.G and that Cult make the first offensive!? If you already knew that they were making a move against us, why didn't you strike them first? You are letting innocent people die! You have the power to stop this bloodshed from happening in the first place! You and your people should have done something!" Tin's father furiously shouted at his son. Who would not be angry in this situation? Knowing something that this was about to happen, yet not doing anything was the same as letting such senseless carnage to happen."Calm down. Shouting won't solve this problem," Tin's grandfather, whose soul was still in the necklace worn by his son, shouted.Tin knew that his father would act this way, but he did not let his emotions get to him as he continued to walk to his chair."Father, there's no 'us' in E.A. You and grandfather, of all people, should know this," Tin said calmly as he implied something to his father and grandfather.Of course, the two knew what he meant. During their youthful days, they joined campaigns at eradicating the remnants of Demonic Elementalists. It was part of their dark history that they would not forget. To this day, the hatred towards the unorthodox faction of Elementalist was still quite high."You want me and my people to sacrifice ourselves for those Righteous Elementalists?" Tin asked sarcastically as he raised an eyebrow."What did they do to us to deserve such a blessing? Do I have to remind both father and grandfather about the history of both factions within the Elementalist history? Besides, you do know what happens to those who associate themselves with Demonic Elementalists, correct?"There was a moment of silence. Tin made a clear point. Even Cha Aim and Type knew about how the Righteous Elementalists tried to hunt them down like wild rabbits."So you're just going to stand by and let those people get slaughtered?" Tin's father asked with a heavy heart. It might be the case that there was discrimination against the Demonic Elementalists and there was no way for him that they could change the past, but would they just let this killing continue? Innocent lives were being taken away as this war continues."I know that I've made mistakes in the past. I've regretted that part of me my entire life," Tin's father said as he formed a fist. He was angry and frustrated at himself."No matter how many apologies I'd say, the lives that I've taken away, I cannot bring them back. If you want to punish me for it, go ahead, I won't stop you. I only wish that you'd help our people who didn't want to get involved in this. They're innocent."Looking at his son with teary eyes, Tin's father continued, "Son, if only I was capable, I could've gone to help them myself, but your grandfather and I are too powerless. We could only rely on you."Turning back from his son, he started walking towards the door, "It seemed that it was a mistake for me to come. I'll just go and try my best to help out...Ack!"As soon as Tin's father was about to touch the knob of the door, he suddenly fell unconscious."Tin, what's the meaning of this?" Tin's grandfather asked in surprise."I'm sorry grandfather, but it would be safer if you and father stay here," Tin said while carrying his father as he teleported to his parents' room."What are you going to do then?" Tin's grandfather continued to ask.Laying his father in bed, he said, "I'll end this."After saying those words, he disappeared back to his office."Tin!? Grandson!? You stubborn kid!! Youth these days are truly troublesome!!!" Tin's grandfather ranted, but he never got a reply back."Go on," Tin said as he went to his office chair and sat down.Seeing as if there was no incident that happened earlier between family members, both Cha Aim and Type discussed their findings to Tin."We now have different leads of the Cult and B.S.G's main base of operations," Cha Aim said as she laid down a map on the office table.Pointing at different sections of the map, Cha Aim explained the possibility that one of the three suspicious locations that were discovered could be where Mr. Tanapon was hiding."We were unable to send people to investigate since they're heavily guarded and there's a lot of intricate barriers that are hard for us to infiltrate," Cha Aim said with a serious tone."I'll visit them personally," Tin replied.Both Cha Aim and Type looked at one another. They were skeptical at first, especially when their grandmaster has decided not to engage with the enemy in the beginning. They thought that it was cruel for him not to help out, but they understood the reason more clearly now. Having the entire team of Demonic Elementalists specialized in covert operation at Tin's disposal, they were able to focus on gathering necessary information that allowed them to manage to find the holes where the enemies hide more quickly. Although it was unfortunate that the first day of this war costs many lives of the Righteous Elementalists, Cha Aim and Type knew very well that they were not accepted by them. It might sound cruel, but those who considered them enemies would eventually make a move against them, so would it matter if these Righteous Elementalist were eliminated now or later? This was the harsh reality they faced. They do not think that it was their Grandmaster's intention to eradicate all of the Righteous Elementalists since he came from a family of one, but this situation could be an opportunity allow them to behave in the future. At the same time, this could be called karma. It was a retribution.From ancient history up to the present time, they knew that there was no such thing as an everlasting peace between the two factions within the Elementalists. They knew that the Righteous Elementalists tried to eradicate them from existence since ancient times and they would do that again after knowing that they survived. They knew that Demonic Elementalists and Righteous Elementalists were like oil and water. They cannot integrate or mix together. They had to realize and know this fact from someone who was a Righteous Elementalist not too long ago.Secondly, by allowing the Righteous Elementalists to be the bait, the Demonic Elementalists were able to observe in peace behind the scenes. During their silent observations, they figured that the slain victims' spiritual cores were being taken using specialized containers. Those containers then were sent to the three heavily guarded locations that Cha Aim had discussed with Tin. They figured that one of these places must be Mr. Tanapon's current hideout. Their grandmaster has mentioned that Mr. Tanapon was gathering huge spiritual energy in order to control a terrifying powerful beast. It seemed to them that Mr. Tanapon was in a hurry to control it. This was a huge mistake on his part since he exposed his locations. Still, they had to be careful. It could be a trap. If they managed to find the right place where he could be hiding, then they could cut the head of the snake. This could end the war at that point.Of course, the aftermath would be something that needed to be dealt with. It would not be easy, but the number of deaths would be less compared to a continuous war. This was still a long way to go, but they hoped that this war would end soon."We would go assist you, Grandmaster," Type said politely."No need. I want the two of you to guard Can and the rest," Tin said as he looked at the locations of the map.Before the two siblings could voice out their concerns, Tin already replied, "My decision is final."Not having the authority to resist, Cha Aim could only ask, "When are you planning on going, Grandmaster?""Tomorrow at night," he said plainly."That soon!?" Type asked. Both him and Cha Aim were surprised and worried at the same time."The sooner we end this, the better," Tin said."U..understood, Grandmaster," the siblings said in harmony.With a wave of his hand, Tin said, "You're dismissed."Both Cha Aim and Type looked at one another, then bowed slowly and disappeared.After he was left alone, Tin closed his eyes. Due to fatigue that he felt, he quickly fell asleep in his chair.When he woke up, it was already close to noon. As he stood up from his chair, he suddenly heard metallic weapons clashing outside. No one should have been able to penetrate the mansion, so he knew it was not an enemy. Looking outside through his office window, he saw Can holding a shield while Pond was holding two daggers. The two of them were currently sparring together.As his interest was piqued, Tin decided to join their practice.Showing up behind Can, Tin asked with a smile, "May I join your practice?"Suddenly getting surprised while in the middle of a practice, Can fell forward. Thankfully, Tin was able to catch him on time."Ah!" Can said as he looked up at Tin.Meanwhile, Tin just winked at Can which was something that the little beast summoner never expected.Quickly, Can slightly pushed away Tin to get away from him.Satisfied at teasing him, Tin let him go."Master Can!" Pond went to his master's side to check on him."I'm fine Pond," Can patted Pond's shoulder to reassure him.Refocusing, Can tried to calm down. Since he was teased, he thought to himself that he needed to teach this man a lesson."Sure! You can join us!" Can smiled confidently and energetically. The little beast summoner seemed to have forgotten the gap of power between him and Tin, yet it was Tin's arrogance that has made Can forget this fact momentarily."Don't hold back, give me your best will you?" Tin said as he smirked."I will, but I won't pay for the damages in your place," Can reassured as he went into an offensive position with his shield. Now, with his newly gained power as a Tier 6, Can was still in the process of controlling his upgraded spiritual core. This fight against Tin should help him with this process and allow him to evaluate the strength of his abilities. This was the first time he would go all out, since the last fight against the Apostles.Taking a deep breath, Can started to gather the power within his spiritual core and the spiritual energy in his surroundings. Seeing him in such concentration, both Pond and Tin knew that he was quite serious.With his staff on his right hand, Tin gathered power within his impure spiritual core. Already, before the fight even started, the surrounding area already started to shake. Everyone including those who were in the mansion could feel the pressure from the two. As the two continued to gather and concentrate the flow of spiritual energy within their bodies, the strong barrier that was covering the mansion was starting to fade. Eventually, it became weak all of a sudden that it faded completely. Within a minute of the barrier being gone, it was enough time for two intruders to get in perfectly on time without any problem. Those other intruders who saw the two going in did not hesitate to get in too. Unfortunately for them, the barrier showed up once again. Those unfortunate souls who tried to get in when the barrier was up were vaporized completely. Their other subordinates stopped their movements from going in.Knowing that their primary targets managed to get away and slipped inside the mansion, they decided to leave to report back to their master."A-are you sure that C-Can's here?" the man said struggling with his injuries that he just received from a fight earlier."Yes, Ae. He should be here," Pete who was sweating profusely and still in the state of panic said as he helped Ae from walking. ======Hello Everyone! I just finished my finals, so I will update more frequently.Anyways, do you guys watch Until We Meet Again? Cuz TinCan are guests in the show. It's funny to me to see them in other shows.Alright, see you later!
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<unedited>After charging up a huge amount of spiritual energy, Can was the first one to attack.The still mysterious shield that he was holding started to react on its own as it absorbed the spiritual energy from him. This surprised the beast summoner. It was as if the shield had its consciousness.Somehow, Can did not feel threatened by it rather, he felt compelled to allow the shield to absorb his spiritual energy. After the shield finished its absorption, it was gradually covered with deep bluish fire. When Can saw it, he thought that he would be burnt, but he was wrong. The fire on the shield was just harmless and was warm.Both Pond and Tin were mystified by the sudden changes with the shield. Still, it was not something that Tin was too alarmed.Soon, with quick speed, Can dashed forward with his shield up towards Tin. As for his opponent, he just stood there to meet Can's attack. When the distance between the two of them was only a few meters away, Tin concentrated a good amount of impure spiritual energy on his left hand to block Can's shield.
"Shield Bash!"
Can jumped forward to hit Tin with his shield. Unbothered, Tin met Can's shield with his left hand to block it. As soon as the two collided, the area around them once again shook. They stayed in their position for a few seconds. With Can up in the air, he looked at Tin with such seriousness. As for his opponent, well, there was only a smile.Seeing such arrogance, Can thought that his move was useless against Tin. To his surprise, the shield was reacting oddly.Tin felt that something was wrong, but it was too late for him to retreat. The bluish fire from the shield traveled to Tin's left hand and slowly enveloped his entire body. He tried to use a spell, but he cannot do so. It seemed that the fire was restricting him.Can was worried all of a sudden, since he was not quite sure about the effect of the fire on other people.Can shouted as he went to his side, "Tin!"As the fire engulfed Tin, the elementalist did not feel any pain at all. It felt odd. What was this blue flame intended to do to him? Was it only to restrict using magic spells?Slowly, the fire extinguished on its own.Tin tried to use a random spell and it worked normally."I'm fine, Can," Tin said. There was nothing wrong with him after checking himself."Are you sure?" Can asked for reassurance.Tin just smiled back at the youth and nodded."Do you know what that blue fire was for?" Tin asked curiously.Shaking his head, Can said, "No, I'm not sure myself. It was the first time the shield acted that way.""I see." Looking at the shield that Can was still holding, Tin asked, "May I check your shield?"Without hesitation, Can handed the shield that he was holding to Tin. As he started observing the shield while still holding his staff on his right hand, Tin did not notice anything remarkable about the appearance of the shield itself. It looked quite simple, unappealing, and rusty."What's this shield?"Seeing that Tin was curious about the shield, Can answered him quickly. "I'm not quite sure either. This shield was left by the previous owner of the Beast Gods' Dimension. The only thing that I know is that this shield is a Legendary rarity. I use it since I consider myself proficient at handling shields compared to other weapons."Tin nodded. "How about that Beast God of yours, does he know anything about the shield?""I don't think he knows," Can said as he turned around to look for Pond for confirmation about the shield."Eh? Where did he go?"As soon as he looked for Pond, the man in question appeared. This time he was not alone."Master, you have visitors," Pond said as he assisted Ae and Pete.Tin was surprised. How did these two manage to enter his mansion? Thinking about it, he was able to figure out the reason. Thankfully, after checking his surroundings, it was only these two that managed to pass by and not the enemies. Still, how could he be too careless?Seeing two of his friends who seemed to be wounded, Can ran towards them. "What happened to the two of you!?"There were a lot of bruises and wounds all over their bodies, but it was Ae who seemed to have it worse."We're fine. The wounds could be treated in an instant. We just need a safe place," Pete said with a positive yet sad smile. Ae's current weakened state just further breaks Pete's heart, but he knew that Ae was strong. He would not give up easily with this kind of minor setback. He has been through different kinds of hardships already, so he would be alright."Let's bring them inside first and treat their wounds," Pond said worriedly. Despite Pete's reassurance that Ae would be alright, Pond was still worried. He promised that he would pay Ae for what he did to him back in the Beast Gods' Dimension. He cannot let Ae die. He still has to confess his crimes to him and make up to him.Can turned around to look at Tin as if asking for permission. Despite the hostilities Tin held against Ae, he could not refuse Can, so he nodded."Pete, you already know where the medical room is," Tin said as he looked at Pete.Pete nodded and said, "Thanks, Tin."The last time that Pete saw Tin in person was when he was at Can's home. Since Tin looked fine already, Pete was satisfied. Still, he felt that Tin became more distant than ever.As they went inside the mansion and into the medical room, Pete quickly asked Ae to lie down in bed as he then performed his healing spells and created potions for him. Since Ae was still suffering from minor damages on his spiritual core, he must continue his recovery.When Ae felt much better, he held Pete's warm hands and said, "Thank you, Pete. Thank you for staying with me."Despite the fatigue that he felt, Pete felt somehow refreshed as he smiled back to Ae, "No problem, Ae. I'm always here for you. No matter what happens."As for Can, who was also with them, he felt happy that the two were okay. Still, he wondered what happened to the two of them to be in such a state."What happened?" Can asked with worry.Sitting down in a chair next to the bed where Ae was resting, Pete said with a heavy heart and sorrow, "It's becoming more horrible out there since the war broke out yesterday.""A war!?" Can was shocked."You didn't know? Did Tin tell you anything?" Pete asked who was also surprised. Why would Tin hide such an important event from Can?Can shook his head. He was somehow confused. He thought that everything was going smoothly, but he realized that he was a fool. Of course, it was not going well. It was his own thinking that everything was going well!Forming a fist, Can wanted to know more. He was angry because he believed that everything was going well when it was not the case at all. Why would Tin hide this from him and act like nothing was wrong?"Could you tell me more? What's happening out there exactly?"He wanted to know if Tin was hiding other important information from him.Pete thought that Tin must be hiding this information from Can in order to protect him. Knowing how much Tin cares about Can, he did not want Can to involve himself with the war. As for Can, Pete knew that he was not the type of person to stand by. The two of them were both stubborn.Thinking about this gave Pete an incoming headache. He also felt stuck. In any case, Can would know about this sooner or later."Yesterday at night, the Cult and B.S.G. teamed up together to raid E.A.'s main headquarters. With the combined powers of the two, E.A. and its allies were easily overwhelmed. Today, the Cult and B.S.G has continued its raid on E.A.'s headquarters in different parts of the country. As for the international community, they remained silent about this."Taking a deep breath, Pete looked at Ae who was already asleep after taking his medicine, "This morning, I was taking care of Ae as usual at the hospital. Then all of a sudden, Ae's bodyguards came in. They said they have to take Ae back to be with his father. Ae refused. He didn't want to go with them, so there was a short fight between us. Thankfully, I have some magic tools with me and we were able to use to escape. I have no idea where exactly to go, but the only place that I thought was the safest was this place."Can was taken aback from what Pete told him. How can B.S.G team up with the Cult and suddenly declare war with E.A.? When he asked this to Pete, he was not sure about it too. Can turned to Pond, but even Pond did not know. The beast god mentioned that his powers have been somehow limited and restricted since he entered this mansion which disabled him from gathering information outside the mansion. The only culprit who could do this to him was none other than Tin himself."What did Tin do? He's the new leader of E.A.!" Can asked as he frowned."Well, I'm not exactly sure," Pete answered.At that moment, the door to that room opened. The person in question suddenly appeared."Tin," Pete said as he panicked. Has he been listening to their conversation the entire time?Can quickly approached Tin and asked, "Why didn't you tell me what's happening out there? Why were you acting like everything was fine when it wasn't at all?"Tin faced Pete with a cold gaze. Seeing this, Pete shivered as he felt threatened. Can saw what Tin was doing and interrupted him, "Look at me in the eyes, Tin. Tell me, when were you going to tell me about this?"Tin was hesitant at first as he looked down. This was the thing he feared. He thought that he could hide the truth from Can until he finished dealing with the situation. He was wrong. It seemed that fate has already decided.Finally, looking at Can's eyes, Tin replied with a mixture of fear and anxiousness while he put his right hand on Can's right cheek, "I'm only trying to protect you from harm.""So, keeping me here and cutting me off from the world is your means to protect me?" Can asked. Was he that weak? Was he that useless? Was this how Tin sees him?"Can't you trust me, Can? I'm doing this for your own good," Tin said as his heart trembled.Slowly reaching for Tin's hand that was touching his right cheek, Can held it tightly then let it go. "I trust you Tin, but I thought you trusted in me too," Can said with a feeling of disappointment in himself. "But Tin, I can't stand by doing nothing anymore. Knowing that the Cult does not only hold my master but are also killing innocent people, I have to do something about it. I'm involved in this situation and I can't turn a blind eye from my problems. Please don't try to stop me," Can said with seriousness and determination in his eyes.Suddenly, Tin's nightmare momentarily appeared. The horrified look that Can had in that nightmare was something that Tin did not want to see happening. It is something that he must prevent from happening at all cost! At that moment, he decided that he would rather have Can hate him instead of him getting harmed.Even though Tin could resurrect the dead, he was incapable of performing resurrection perfectly. There were many complications involved in this process, especially for those individuals who possess a lot of power. If Can were to die, resurrecting him would be difficult and chances of success would be slim. Tin cannot take those chances."No. no...no... You're going to stay here. You're not going anywhere!" Tin demanded as he somehow became paranoid all of a sudden. Such behavior shocked everyone in the room, especially Can.Tin tried to use spells various spells such as Sleep, but somehow they were ineffective on Can. He looked at his hands as he questioned himself. "What was happening? Why can't I use spells on Can?" he told himself.Suddenly, he remembered the blue flames from earlier. He then realized that the blue flames were restricting him on using spells specifically against Can. "Damn it!" he angrily said to himself. He would destroy that pesky shield!As he thought for other alternatives to make Can stay, he decided to use magical tools to restrain Can. Unfortunately, they even failed to work on the beast summoner. Tin even called his various servants to restrain Can, but there was a force that restrained them."YOU USELESS BUNCH!!!" Tin shouted angrily with frustration.He looked around in the room and made eye contact with Pete. "Pete, do something! Restrain Can! Don't make him go away like this! I've saved you! You owe me, so do something."Pete just froze as he stared at Tin whose eyes were reddening from desperation. Even with Tin's plea, there was nothing that he could do. Pete knew that he was powerless to do anything. Seeing that Pete was unwilling, Tin started breathing heavily from his powerlessness at this point. Slowly, he faced Can."Can, I can't lose you. I can't," Tin whispered with desperation in his voice as he hugged Can tightly. His lips trembled as the tears from his eyes fell."Please stay....," Tin continued. His sad and miserable tone makes one feel pity for him.Can's heart softened for Tin. What happened to Tin for him to have such an emotional state?"Tin," Can whispered as he pulled Tin away from him slightly. "I'm not exactly sure what happened to make you feel this need to keep me here away from everyone else, but this is not right. I don't agree with this and this can't go on.""But that nightmare....it felt so real... I...I must prevent it...," Tin whispered as he looked at Can into his eyes as if pleading.With both of his hands, Can touched both Tin's cheeks tenderly. "Tin, that's only a nightmare. Whether it's something that foretells the future, at the end of the day, it's still up to us who would ultimately decide our fate."With Tin still being a little hesitant, Can asked him, "Do you trust me?"Calming down, Tin thought about his words. What Can said made sense. In the end, it was up to them to decide their fate and not some unreliable dreams. In any case, it seemed that he cannot use force to make Can stay in the mansion anymore. Besides, was he not the most powerful person in this world? He should be able to protect Can without imprisoning him in the mansion. Although imprisonment seemed to be the best method, it was not applicable anymore.Finally, Tin nodded. Of course, the nightmare that he had would not be easily forgotten and it was something he would keep in mind. Although the current situation in the medical room has become a little relaxed, there were still issues that needed to be unfolded.
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<unedited>After the atmosphere in the medical room has calmed down, Can proceeded to ask Tin more questions regarding the matters of the outside world."Tell me Tin, what are you planning to do to end this?" Can asked with seriousness and worry in his voice.Since there was no point to hide everything, Tin confessed.Taking a deep breath, he said "I was going to the three different locations where Ae's father could be hiding and destroy him. Your master could be also in one of those locations."Both Can and Pete's eyes widened. Both of them were surprised. "What? Why are you looking for Ae's father?" Can asked. He has met Ae's father before when he would hang out with Ae in his mansion. Although they would rarely meet, every time they would interact, Ae's father would show kindness towards him. There was no sense of wickedness or malice from him. With Tin's implication on what he said about him, Can was now questioning about Ae's father's true nature.Pete was shocked the most. He seemed to have figured it all out. Although he had suspicions before, he never thought that it was all real. He looked at Ae who was resting soundlessly and thought how would he handle this truth about his own father: Master Tanapon.Tin did not hesitate and explained about Ae's father's connection to the cult, the missing people, and the King of the Beasts. After his revelation, both Can and Pete somehow felt lost. They just could not believe that Master Tanapon could be so wicked."So, the death of my close friend was his own doing," Pete said with anger building up inside him. With a scoff, he continued, "That means that him going to the funeral to send his condolence was just an act. How despicable."(A/N: Refer to Chapter 4.)As for Can, he continued to ask another question. "The death of many righteous elementalists, you could've prevented it from happening. Why didn't you act?"Tin replied, "It was necessary.""Necessary?" Can asked. "They were innocent."Looking into his eyes, Tin explained, "Would you believe that in the future, they would cause another war? They would call it 'Pure Cleansing'."Having the power to see the future, the Gods seemed to give Tin a quite clear vision regarding the future of this world. In that vision, the world was thrown into a world war that would cause massive destruction at a point that there was no recovery. It was considered to be the last war, because, at the end, no one would be left. As for the culprits, it was none other than the Righteous Elementalists. After the current war with B.S.G and the cult, the Righteous Elementalists would form new alliances and conduct cleansing or pure removal of those that they deemed 'evil' from this world. This meant that B.S.G, the cult members, Demonic Elementalists and different minority groups would be eliminated completely.Although Tin was the most powerful person, he knew very well that he would be severely weakened or he could die after the fight with Ae's father. When that happens, he would not have the capability to stop the Righteous Elementalists from its mission to annihilate other groups.So, in order to prevent another future war that would jeopardize the entire peace and life on earth, he has decided to sacrifice the Righteous Elementalists.In the end, who would the public blame for this current war? It would not be B.S.G or the cult. It would be Tin. Why? It was because he was the leader of E.A and he did not do anything to prevent it. He was the most powerful person in the world, yet he stood by and did not do anything.Another thing, with Righteous Elementalists' held negative views about the Demonic Elementalists, Tin's indifference just proved how Demonic Elementalists were bringers of chaos and should not be trusted. It was all to be blamed on him.When the Righteous Elementalists become severely weakened to the point that being called a major power would only now become part of their history, there would be no future for them to rise and cause future wars again.As for the Demonic Elementalists, they would certainly trade places with the Righteous Elementalists. They would become the major power that other factions would fear. Even if this was the case, no one would dare go against them with Tin being their leader. The only thing that would not change was bad opinions toward them. This was something that Tin was willing to take. He would rather have everyone hate and scorn his name instead of the full destruction of the world. Not that he cares about being hated by others. As for the people of the Demonic Elementalist faction, they would surely not care either. They were already used to being hated by others. They would just ignore them.This could be the reason why the Gods gave him the task to solve this problem of preventing the last war. Of course, Tin personally did not care about this world since he has the power to create a new dimension for himself. The only reason he took this vision from the Gods seriously was because of Can. Knowing Can, he would not want this world to be destroyed. So, the Gods were not giving him a gift, but a burden. They could be so cruel at times too.(A/N: I have no idea of what else to write, so Tin, you have to deal with it!!! KEEP FIGHTING!!)Hearing this, Can could not believe it. Even though, he trusted Tin, hearing this kind of future was still unimaginable."Th-there was no other way?" Can asked. Even though it was foolish to ask since he knew that what Tin did was the best way to fix the problem, he just could not help it. He felt sick knowing that the Righteous Elementalists had to die without knowing the reason they had to die. They were still innocent at this point.Tin shook his head. With a small smile on his face, he said, "This is the only way, but it will be okay."Even though he said that it was going to be okay, Can was still worried. At the same time, he felt guilty. If Tin was willing to sacrifice himself for the future's peace in the world, then he would do the same thing. He would carry this burden with him."Let me help you end this. Please, Tin," Can said with seriousness.For Tin, he did not want to put Can in danger at all. Yet, it seemed that it was inevitable. Those Gods truly wanted to punish him as they sit down leisurely in their thrones.The Gods: *whistles*"Even if I say no, you would still insist right?" Tin asked as he gave up. He leaned his head on Can's shoulder as he hugged him tightly. It was tiring although he cannot exactly rest yet.Can could only utter, "I'm sorry." Then he hugged Tin tightly.The two became connected once more. This bond that was forged by fate and strengthened through hardships will be once again be challenged.Pete sighed a relief after seeing the two make up. Even though he still felt overwhelmed by the revelation, he was not completely dispirited."I want to h-help out too," Ae said weakly in the bed."Ae?" Pete quickly checked Ae's health."You heard what we were talking about?" Pond asked. Seeing Ae in such a miserable state made Pond felt more guilty. He knew that Ae was going through a lot of hardships and he knew very well that he contributed to that hardship. He promised that he would redeem himself and pay for what he did."I could hear everything even if I was asleep," Ae replied as he struggled to get up from the bed. Pete carefully assisted him as he said, "You're still recovering, you have to rest."Ae looked at Pete into his eyes, "All I've been doing is rest. I've had enough being useless."Afterwards, Ae looked at Can as he nodded then faced Tin. "If you want to face my father, you would need me."There was a moment of silence in the room."You must be aware of what will unfold when we find him?" Tin asked as he faced Ae."I'm fully aware," Ae replied as he nodded with a heavy heart. Deep inside, there was sorrow that could be felt since he was close to his parents. Although he was not that close to his father compared to his mother, he knew that he was loved by him. Yet, Ae knew that his father must be stopped. In any case, he thought that he could possibly persuade his father to stop. There might be a chance to save him."If you want to find him, you would need me. I know where he is exactly, Tin," Ae said.Tin raised his brows slightly."But to get even near that place, there are three defensive structures that must be disabled first. Thankfully, Tin saved me the trouble of figuring out those three locations since he already found where they are," Ae continued."Why not go straight to where your father is hiding?" Pond asked curiously.Ae looked at him and said, "It's almost impossible to destroy the defenses of the cave. Those three locations that Tin found are fortifying the security of the cave where my father is currently in. Those defensive structures were said to be built by the former Elementalist Supreme Ruler in ancient times to increase the security of the cave in case that the King of the Beast comes out from its seal. So, if we want to enter the cave, we must disable those structures first.""But.... you don't have the strength, could you just tell them where that cave is?" Pete asked worriedly."No, I still have to go. They would need a key to disable the defensive structures and enter the cave," Ae replied."Then could you hand it over to them?" Pete continued as he insisted Ae to stay behind. At this point, if he let Ae go, he might lose him forever.Ae slowly faced Pete who was next to him. He held his hand and said, "I'm the key."During the sealing of the King of the Beast in the ancient times, it was decided that the leader of Beast Summoners would take the responsibility to maintain the cave even though it was their faction that summoned the beast. Although it did not seem to be the right thing to do, everyone knew at that time that using King of the Beast would only bring harm and destruction to the world. They thought that the beast summoners would not dare use such beast again, so they decided to hand the responsibility to them. Who would have thought that in the future, a beast summoner would have an intention to use the King of the Beast once more?In any case, the key was not just any ordinary key. It must come from the family of beast summoners who helped seal the King of the Beast at that time. The descendants of that family are now Ae and his family. They were the key.Pete's red lips that still had a small cut on them from the battle earlier trembled. He was on the verge of crying, but he tried not to cry and show weakness."It's going to be okay, Pete. If the Gods wanted me dead, I should have died a long time ago already. I must have a purpose. It must be this one," he said as he hugged Pete.His statement did not exactly reassure Pete. He thought that this purpose of his would be his end. Although Pete would like to make Ae stay, it seemed that fate has also decided. It seemed inevitable.When Pete, more or less, calmed down, Ae asked Tin, "When should we act?"Tin did not exactly like Ae since the beginning, but he still admired his will and strength. Despite what could happen to him and his father, Ae was still willing to uphold his righteousness and sense of justice.As of now, Tin has fulfilled the necessary actions that he must do towards the Righteous Elementalists in order to prevent a more destructive war in the future. In addition, through this method of using the Righteous Elementalists as baits, he was already able to find three important locations immediately. Now, it was time for him to act and end this bloodshed. As for the aftermath, it was yet to be determined."We act tonight." ==========Hello everyone. Long time no see. I've been busy these past few weeks, so I was unable to update. Well, I had time this week and wrote this chapter. By the way, we are almost reaching the end, so please hang in there.Anyways enjoy and I'll see you again when I have time XDThank you for you patience!
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<Unedited>Nighttime has begun. As the sky was filled with darkness, the twinkling stars and the full moon attempted to brighten up the chilling silent night.
Near an undisclosed location, a seemingly abandoned old tower was overlooking the group of cultists camping and guarding it. Almost over a hundred cultists were surrounding it. They were worshipping it even though the tower was only but a pile of crumbling bricks. Yet, although it might seem nothing but an odd attraction in the middle of nowhere, it was a quite valuable relic. This old tower is one of the three defensive structures that is protecting the cave where the King of the Beast and Master Tanapon are hidden.
As the cultists chanted their unusual eerie prayers to the tower with such conviction, they became unaware of the danger coming their way. Although they knew that there was a constant threat from the enemy, they were confident that nothing bad would happen to them since they were winning in all of the battles against E.A. The war would be over soon and the New World would take its place, at least that was what they were promised.
"How stupid are these people?" Pond asked sneering as he was overlooking the cultists from the top of the tower.
"They've been brainwashed from false promises," Ae replied who was being supported by Pete.
"Tsk...tsk....," Pond clicked his tongue as he shook his head. What a pity.
Pond and the others have just arrived at the top of the tower not too long ago. They were observing the cultists' actions before they made a move.
Tin, who was at the back watching silently and unbothered, moved forward. He slightly raised his right hand to cast a spell, but he was suddenly interrupted by Can.
"What are you doing?" Can asked curiously. Knowing Tin, he would most likely want them dead!
"Kill them," Tin replied indifferently.
The others sighed. They knew it.
Can shook his head while looking at Tin. He knew this was going to be his answer.
"Killing is not always the answer. Just like what Ae said, these people are brainwashed," Can reasoned. "Knocking them unconscious should be enough," he continued.
"They would be a nuisance if not taken care of," Tin replied.
Not wanting to waste more time, Pond said calmly as he looked down at the cultists below., "I'll handle them. You guys go in. I'll follow in a bit."
Since his powers were not being restricted anymore by Tin, he could confidently show off. In addition, he wanted to be part of a battle.
"Are you sure?" Can asked worriedly. The little beast summoner knew that other powerful enemies were guarding the tower.
Smiling, Pond said as he reassured Can, "Master, who do you think I am? I'm a Beast God. I'm not that weak. Trust me will ya?"
The power of these cultists was quite low. The only small challenge was the 'people' who were leading them. These 'people' were part of the Apostles, the two siblings: Mercym and Feedler. These two awful and bloodlust-filled siblings were both Rainbow Grade Tier level 5. With Pond's master being a Tier 6 powerhouse meant that the gap of power between him and the siblings was quite immense. Still, judging by the situation, it seemed that the siblings were quite experienced with battle. Even though Pond has lived for thousands of years and has been in battles, he has not fought anyone seriously after being imprisoned. This could mean that if they fought in a battle between, the three of them could be on a stalemate. This did not discourage Pond, but rather made him excited! Let us see who wins!
(A/N: Mercym from Ch. 63)
(A/N: Feedler from Ch. 63)
Before jumping from the top of the tall tower, Pond told the others not to interfere. This would be his own battle. Although everyone was hesitant, except Tin, they still agreed since Pond said he could handle them confidently.
"Finish it quickly," Tin said without looking at Pond.
Despite Tin's coldness towards him, Pond still nodded since Tin acknowledged him at least. Pond still hates him though.
"Be careful. If you need help, just let me know," Can said worriedly.
"I'll be fine, master," Pond smiled as he put a brave face.
When he turned around, he quickly jumped off from the top of the tower and gracefully glided down with ease. As for the others, they also jumped down.
After some time of what seemed an endless fall from the tower, Pond finally landed on the ground right in front of the cultists who were worshipping in front of the tower.
Seeing an unknown visitor, the cultists were first stunned. Quickly, they realized that he was not an ally. As they scattered to apprehend him and sound the alarm, Pond did not give them any chance.
"Mind Paralysis!"
Within a second, everyone surrounding Pond was unable to move. Soon they fell by the numbers.
When Tin and the others finally came down, they went directly inside the tower.
As for the remnants of the low-level cultists they did not somehow become afraid. Rather, they became angrier as they saw intruders entering the tower. Oddly, they started chanting their prayers intensely. When they tried to go in to pursue the intruders, they would be blocked by Pond. Without having a choice, they had to kill Pond first.
One by one they attacked Pond with physical and magic attacks but they were useless. Pond swiftly knocked them out easily.
The beast god found it disturbing how deeply these cultists were brainwashed. It was truly an unfortunate situation.
As the low-level cultists' numbers continued to decrease, Pond was increasingly becoming bored. Soon, he was able to defeat those low-levels without moving from his position or even sweating.
"Alright, where are you ugly siblings hiding? It's time for you to show up," Pond yawned.
Within a second, two enemies approached at a lightning speed at Pond's each side. Having quick reflexes, Pond was able to evade the attack.
There was a huge explosion in the position where Pond was initially standing.
"That's a nice way to surprise a visitor," Pond smiled mockingly. "I hope you weren't offended when I called you guys ugly," he continued.
As for the siblings who just attacked him, they were unbothered by the insults.
"Hisssss.....A nimble prey...," Mercym whispered with her unnatural wide creepy smile. With her shark-like teeth and her snake-like long tongue. As for her brother, he just stood there silently swinging his sickle from the chain it was attached to.
Pond just had goosebumps by how Mercym just smiled. It was truly creepy!
Without letting Pond go, the siblings disappeared in an instant. The beast god tried to look for the direction where the siblings might be hiding but before he could even find them, they would already reappear in a different direction. Thankfully, with his good reflexes, Pond managed to dodge their attacks. As he released spiritual energy, he converted them to increase his speed, defenses, and to create invisible traps on the ground. Of course, he knew that he could not continue dodging the entire time. After multiple successful evasion from the siblings' combined attacks as he set up the traps completely, he started being on the offensive.
"Raven's Mark!"
From both of his hands, two darkish-purple ravens in a spiritual form flew and headed directly to the siblings who were approaching Pond. As those spiritual birds became closer to the enemies, the siblings tried to block and destroy those birds. Unfortunately, their attacks were of no use as the raven spirits entered their body. The siblings stopped their movements for a second, but after not feeling any pain or damage to their bodies, they continued their attacks. This time their attacks became more intense.
"Hell's Plant!"
Mercym cast a spell. Within a second, a huge plant that looked like the carnivorous venus plant that was covered in blood and corpses sprouted from the ground. This plant that is as tall as a mature tree opened its mouth and shrieked horribly.
"Binding Chains!"
After Mercym's spell, her brother also acted. The chains that were attached to his weapon started to extend. They began to move as if they had their own lives. At such lightning speed, they moved toward Pond. Even though the beast god tried avoiding those chains, the chains that were chasing him were just too fast. This time he was caught.
The siblings smiled as they licked their crooked mouth. They would have a tasty meal tonight!
Both Mercym and Feedler knew that their enemy was one tier higher than theirs, but they did not care about it. It made them more excited instead since they liked the prey that struggles.
After catching Pond, Feedler pulled the chains hard that caused Pond to fly away. He was redirected to the mouth of the carnivorous plant!
Knowing that he would not be able to get out of those chains quickly, Pond chanted a summoning spell.
Before he went into the bloody acidic mouth of the plant, a huge black raven swooped in and destroyed the plant with its sharp claws. It was Pond's legendary companion, the Great Black Raven!
Seeing her creation destroyed, Mercym cast another spell.
"Acid Goo!"
As the plant was being destroyed, sticky acidic green substances started to spurt out of it. That sticky substance glued itself to the Great Black Raven. Suddenly, the huge bird felt a painful burning sensation from its skin. Gradually, he felt that the painful sensation was starting to spread. He knew that the acidic substance got onto him, so he tried to cast a spell to prevent the spread of the acid. Unfortunately, it did not work out. It was surprisingly quite powerful.
"Poor little bird. Any attempts to remove it would only worsen your condition. Accept your excruciating painful death. Hissss," Mercym smiled. There was no particular spell to remove this type of acid, she made sure of it. This acid for this spell took decades of development to be perfected and to be this potent.
Without having the ability to remove the acid from his body, the Great Black Raven screeched in pain as it flew up in the sky aimlessly then falling to the ground struggling. As for Pond, he was able to finally free himself from the chains. Seeing his companion in pain, he attempted to go to his side, but he was stopped by Feedler, who showed up right in front of him out of nowhere. Due to distraction, Pond was late to react against his enemy's attack. In addition, it seemed that Feedler was using a version of spell similar to his sister.
"Decay!"
Feedler's sickle weapons started oozing with a black liquid. Yet, before he kills his prey, he wanted to play with him. So, as he cast his ultimate skill which boosted his speed and strength, he started punching Pond simultaneously at great speed with his huge knuckles that made his opponent unable to defend properly. Pond was receiving heavy blows which made several of his bones break as he vomited blood.
After a few minutes of dealing heavy blows at Pond, Feedler seemed to be satisfied as he made a cut on Pond's flesh from his sickle then ending his attack with a powerful kick. That kick made Pond land right next to his companion bird who was still struggling from the pain due to the acid on his body.
Weakened as he breath heavily while covered in blood, Pond did not check his current decaying state and instead put his effort to reassure his friend that everything was going to be alright.
Patting the bird's head, he said in such a pained tone, "Sorry... sorry for making you suffer. It will end soon my friend."
The bird struggled to looked at Pond. As he did, he just stared into his eyes. The bird stopped struggling as he then slowly closed his eyes.
As for the siblings, they also would like to end their battle with Pond so that they could pursue the other intruders who entered the tower.
"Hunting ends now," Mercym said as he faced and gestured her brother to finish the two dying partners. With the two sickles on both of his hands, Feedler raised both of them in order to gain momentum to cut the two of them cleanly in half.
Before he was about to slash them, Feedler stopped as he uttered, "Hmm?"
Mercym was suddenly curious about why Feedler stopped. "What is it?" she asked.
When she looked back at Pond, she became puzzled.
Why was the enemy smiling?
=======Hello everyone! It's been a long time since I updated. In any case, I was able to write one this week.Thank you guys for your patience and support. Until next time!
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Hello everyone. Long time no see. Well I'm back. I hope everyone is doing well despite of what is happening out there! We're going to be fine for sure XD Also, I'm thinking of making a new fanfic but I'm not sure which ship I should go for. Suggestions? =======The moment Mercym saw that Pond was smiling, she knew something was already wrong.Without waiting for him to react, she quickly demanded her brother to kill Pond."Finish him!"Her brother, Feedler, nodded. Unfortunately, as soon as he was about to cut Pond, he could not move. Similarly, Mercym was unable to move too. What was happening?
"Raven's Revenge!"
With this spell, Pond and the Great Black Raven were able to recover their health within seconds. As a result, it was as if they didn't just receive heavy blows from their enemies at all earlier.When the two finally recovered while their enemies were still unmoving due to the spell, they stood up.Seeing the situation that they were in, the siblings were stunned about the fact that Pond recovered that quickly. The situation was turned around so quickly that the siblings could not comprehend it. Was this person playing with them since the beginning? Were they the actual prey?"Well, that was a quick turn of events," Pond said in a satisfied and playful tone.Meanwhile, the Great Black Raven let out a mocking caw to the siblings, "Ke-ke-ke-kek!"The master and pet duo started laughing to show how foolish the siblings were."O-ho-ho-ho-ho," Pond mockingly fake laughed as he harmonized with his pet's laugh. The two would do these for more than a minute or so.Mercym: ಠ_ಠFeedler: ఠ_ఠ "Sister, I'm a little scared....."Mercym: "It will end soon...."Of course, the siblings were unable to do anything about the ridiculous act of the two, so they could only stare. No matter how much they struggled, they were unable to free themselves from the spell. They wish at that point that Pond could just end their lives already instead of watching this torturous, lame, and cringy show."Do you two really think that you could overpower a Beast God like me? O-ho-ho-ho! You're wrong!"Pond circled around the two siblings while boasting about his power."You guys are beneath me! You're no match to my power," Pond continued to say proudly."Ca-Caw!"The Big Black Raven circled around the two siblings as he followed his master behind. He would always add "Ca-Caw" at the end of Pond's sentences. The siblings could clearly tell that "Ca-Caw" means "that's right!" in bird language.Finally, after some time of mocking the two siblings and how Pond was the best Beast God, he finished the two siblings. Before he silenced them permanently, Pond asked the two, since he was in a better mood."Do you guys have any last words?"Mercym was the first one to say something. With no regrets, she said, "You have a lot of insecurities to work on."Bullseye!When he heard those words, Pond's mouth started to twitch. He did not like anyone telling him how to deal with his insecurities. Now, his mood became sour."Yeah, you do have issues. Even my sister and I don't have insecurities," Feedler replied as he nodded.Hearing the other sibling mention his insecurities, it just added salt to his wounds. How dare these two say such things to him!He looked back at his pet to get support, but the Big Black Raven just turned his back as if he did not hear anything. He even started whistling.This angered Pond so much. How do they know about his insecurities? He did not reveal any kind of personal information to them at all.Big Black Raven in his head: "Master, everyone could tell...."Without giving the siblings any more moment to talk, he waved his hand, which instantly killed them. One of Pond's secret abilities that was used in this battle was to absorb damage and return those damages to the enemy.Earlier, as he and his pet took the attacks from the siblings, they were just accumulating the damages they received. Afterwards, the absorbed damages would be returned to the enemies. Naturally, Pond and the Big Black Raven would have their health back.Mercym and Feedler holding hands as their spirits ascend: "Thank god. We don't have to suffer anymore from that person...."For some reason, Pond seemed to have sensed what the siblings said even after they died, which just made him angrier.As to vent his anger, he started kicking the dirt on the ground.He shouted, "DAMN YOU! YOU TWO UGLY SIBLINGS BETTER NOT COME BACK TO THIS WORLD OR I'LL BEAT YOU UP BADLY YOU'D REGRET COMING BACK!!"The Big Black Raven did not know what to do about how to comfort his insecure master.Meanwhile, as Pond was busy venting and his pet trying hard to comfort him, an unknown individual managed to enter the tower without their knowledge.As for Can and the others who went inside the tower earlier, they were just about to encounter a dilemma.It was surprising to see how deceptively large the inside of the tower is compared to the overall size of the tower. It was as if that Can and the others were in a new dimension. There was just a huge field of grass that seemed to be endless with the bright sun displayed with the clear blue sky."This must have been created by at least a Tier 6 Rainbow Grade Elementalist," Pete said as he looked around at the endless space of grassland while assisting Ae.One must know that in order to create a new dimension, an Elementalist with the Void element is necessary for the process. Those Elementalists who can become Tier 6 Rainbow Grade are the only individuals who can possess the Void element.Everyone nodded and was amazed except for Tin. He thought that he could make a way better dimension than this."What must we do to disable this tower?" Can looked at Ae."We must find the source of the power of this tower," Ae replied."Where is that source of power?" Pete asked.Ae shook his head, "I'm not sure myself."With dissatisfaction after hearing Ae's answer, Tin suggested, "I should just destroy this entire place and move on to the next one."Can was quick to disrupt him as he shouted, "Tin, NO!"Hearing him shout, everyone was shocked, especially Tin. It was their first time hearing Can shouting at Tin that way. Still, it was quite effective as it stopped Tin from having thoughts of destroying this tower to ashes. He thought that if Can insists on not destroying this place, then he would not do it.Seeing that everyone was looking at him in surprise, Can became a little embarrassed as he scratched his head."I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout."Tin just smiled and slightly ruffled Can's hair."It's fine. I understand," Tin replied. He seemed to have realized that he was too extreme when it came to the way he handled things. It was also a mistake on his part for being too rash."What is it Can? You wanted to say something else?" Pete asked after feeling that something had been bothering both Can and Ae when they entered the tower.Observing his surroundings, Can said, "I've been hearing voices the moment we entered this tower. They're asking for help. Don't you guys hear that?"
"Free us...Help us...."
Both Tin and Pete shook their heads. As for Ae, he nodded."How come only the two of us could hear it?" Ae was somehow confused after seeing that it was only him and Can that could hear the helpless voices.Within moments, a small bushy area near them started rustling restlessly. Afterwards, like a domino effect, the entire surrounding thick grasses also started rustling.Everyone put up their guard to prepare for the unknown danger that they might have to face.Soon, a wave of different ferocious looking beasts came out and started attacking Can and the others without warning. By the looks of it, there were thousands of them!
"Barrier Up!"
Pete was fast enough to respond as he set up a defensive barrier against the attacks.Unfortunately, the barrier did not last as long as the combined attacks of the beasts were too strong and continuous. Thankfully, it gave enough time for Can to summon his entire team of contracted beasts. When he assessed the level of the enemy beasts, he realized that they were at least at the Epic Rarity. If he wanted to eliminate them as soon as possible, he must use his entire team of contracted beasts.One by one, his contracted beasts came out: Valkyrie, Gucci with Thanatos, Moonlight Flower, etc. His team quickly dispersed as they attacked and defended him and other companions from the enemy beasts. Since they were all well-coordinated, they were able to smoothly destroy the beasts that were attacking them. Still, the moment they destroy an enemy, another one would show up. It seemed to be an endless fight.As for Tin, he quickly reinforced the barrier and started attacking the beasts with his magic. Yet, to his surprise, none of his magic spells were damaging the beasts."They keep coming back after they are killed," Pete became anxious.It was then when Ae realized that they were not facing ordinary powerful beasts. They were facing a much more problematic type of beasts.It was then that a sudden surge of nervousness was felt by him."They're Spiritual Beasts," Ae said.The moment Can heard Ae about the Spiritual Beasts, he shuddered from the sudden discovery and disgust. He felt like vomiting.Tin went next to him as he supported Can."Who could do such a cruel thing to these beasts and on a massive scale too?" Can asked as he slightly swayed to stand up.Both Tin and Pete were clueless, so they looked at Ae for answers.With pursed lips due to anger, Ae explained about the Spiritual Beasts.Long ago, there were little to no regulations regarding the welfare of contracted beasts. The owners did not regard them as a friend or family or even a companion. They were treated as tools for power. As such, different experiments that could be considered cruel were conducted to find out how to maximize a beast summoner's powers further. One of the results of those cruel and bloody experiments was the creation of Spiritual Beasts. This type of beast came from the forceful sacrifice of a healthy normal beast. After it was sacrificed, its spirit would be forcefully taken and put into a special container for future use.It was also worth mentioning the necessary preparation needed for this ritual of sacrifice to create a spiritual beast. This preparation would require more sacrifice of low-level beasts. This would mean that the higher tier a spiritual beast is, the higher the number of low-level beasts that were sacrificed. For instance, for an Epic tier spiritual beasts to be created, it would have required hundreds to thousands of low-level beasts to be sacrificed first. This was truly a costly and bloody trade for power.This method became popular due to the immense benefit of having spiritual beasts. For instance, their power would instantly jump to another tier (Ex: Epic -> Legendary). Another thing was that they were immune to other magic attacks from other classes (Ex: Elementalist) except for other beast summoners. Still, the only way to defeat them is to find and destroy the source power in which these spiritual beasts are contained.Thankfully, this practice has been banned a long time ago as the welfare of the contracted beasts has improved tremendously.For Ae and Can to see thousands of spiritual beasts roaming in this place was hard for them to accept. With this amount, it could mean millions of beasts were sacrificed.Those voices that they heard earlier could very well come from these poor spiritual beasts that were forcefully trapped in this place. These Spiritual Beasts were forced to follow the instructions of their owners even if they were against them. They have no say since they were merely puppets now."How cruel...," Pete could only reply after hearing such horrifying truth about the Spiritual Beasts. No wonder Can acted that way earlier. Everyone understood how much Can love and care about his contracted beasts. He was even willing to sacrifice his own life to save one!"We have to free them," Can said with determination in his eyes. Everyone, of course, agreed to do the same. Still, It was easy to say this, but it would be hard to accomplish. With thousands of powerful spiritual beasts continuously attacking them with only Can capable of attacking to allow them to move, it might take them forever to look for the special container where these spiritual beasts were held. With such a huge endless field, it would be seemingly impossible to find it. They were not even sure where to start.While they were trying to figure out their plan, a loud explosion was heard from a distance.Afterwards, a shout could be heard as that mysterious person who snuck in the tower earlier came out of that huge smoke from the explosion."I know where to find it!"When they turned around, Can was the first one to react with a confused look on his face."Pannin?"(A/N: Pannin from Ch. 18 and in Ch. 37)
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Being quarantined gives you time to do things.===="Pannin? What are you doing here?" Can was bewildered. He would never expect to see Pannin in this place. The last time he saw her was back in the Beast God Dimension.(A/N: Refer to Ch. 43 Ae vs. Can)Running towards Can's group while blasting her enemies away with her contracted beasts, she shouted, "I'm here to help obviously stup...!"Before she could finish her insult, she immediately shut her mouth when she suddenly turned her gaze to the person next to Can. There was a sudden shiver due to fear as she witnessed the murderous stare of Tin towards her. Still, she did not stop rushing towards them."I know how to find the Spirit Beasts container," she continued."Ohh," Can replied with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Since none of them had an idea where to find this particular container, it might take them a long time to find it. It was great that Pannin came to help them out.As Pannin reached them, she bounced back and fell to the ground. Tin, who was controlling the defensive barrier that they were in, did not let her pass."How could you just trust her?" Tin could clearly remember the atrocities that the woman did during the Beast Summoner Guild Ranking Competition. Just thinking about the horrible things that she did to Can at that time further reignited his hatred towards her. He has not paid her back personally yet, so this could be a good time to do so. Killing her would only require one breath from him.(A/N: Refer to Chapter 18: A Losing Battle.)Can was quite unsure about Tin's sudden aggression towards Pannin. Unlike him, Can seemed to have forgotten about the gruesome competition between the two. In any case, beating someone up was inevitable and part of the competition.Seeing the distrust on Tin's face, Can had to explain the situation. As he was about to explain to Tin that Pannin was not an enemy, he was interrupted by her."I have a debt that must be repaid. A life for a life," Pannin answered with seriousness in her tone as she locked eye contact with Tin.There was silence for a moment as sweat on the forehead of the female beast summoner formed. Then with a smirk on his face, Tin replied, "Very well then."An air of relief came to the members of Can's group who felt the tension calmed down.Creating a small opening of the barrier for a person to fit, Pannin was able to enter.When she met the gaze of the others, she only nodded to acknowledge them. There was no time to waste."Let me heal you," Pete said as he approached Pannin. Although he did not have a good impression of her, it was still his duty to help those in need. In addition, since Can seemed to trust her, then there was no reason not to help out.
"Heal"
A soothing green light covered Pete's hands and put them close to Pannin's left shoulder. Gradually, the small wounds on her body recovered.While being healed by Pete, Ae asked, "Where can we find this Spirit Beast container?"Before she answered Ae, she turned to Pete."Thank you," Pannin said."No problem," Pete smiled as he stood back next to Ae to support him."That Spirit Beast container is actually a huge black obelisk," Pannin continued.
(A/N: An example of an Obelisk. I chose this picture because it has the sort of environment that I want you to imagine for this chapter. Not mine.)"Hold on. How do you know about this?" Can asked.Pannin was quick to answer, "My family was in charge of protecting this particular tower, but it was taken over by the Cult as instructed by Ae's father. Before you say anything, I never had an idea about the relation between the Cult and B.S.G. I just found out when the war broke out. Trust me. I mean no harm."Ae asked with hesitation about Pannin's intention, "So, where is this black obelisk?""The black obelisk travels from place to place every hour in this dimension. It would've taken you an eternity to find it if you didn't know that fact," Pannin replied. From her storage ring, she took out an old looking scroll."This ancient scroll that I stole will help us locate the black obelisk. After locating it, we need to get there and disable it...obviously," she continued.As she unfolded the ancient scroll, everyone saw that it was empty. Yet, they did not question Pannin when they saw her performing some kind of incantation.Biting a part of the skin of her thumb that caused it to bleed, Pannin poured a droplet of her blood on the empty scroll. As soon as the blood made contact with the scroll, mysterious symbols showed up.With a calm yet serious expression on her face, she started chanting. After she completed her chant, her eyes closed as they started to bleed. Then, a symbol of an eye tinted in blue showed on her forehead.Pointing at her third eye, Pannin explained, "This third eye would guide us to the black obelisk."She continued, "I would need your help, Can," as she pointed precisely at Can."Disabling the black obelisk would require a huge amount of pure spiritual energy. Since you have plenty of that, you have to come with me," Pannin demanded without asking for any kind of negotiation."Everyone must stay here including our contracted beasts. This way, the spiritual beasts would only concentrate their entire forces here."With that being said, Pannin took two of <Invisibility Pills> and another two of <Increase Speed Pills>."Here, take one of each pill," she said to Can. Quickly nodding without hesitation, Can took the pill."The <Invisibility Pill> would help hide our presence from the spirit beasts for at least 45 minutes. The <Increase Speed Pill> would help us get to the black obelisk. They're specially made by my family to deal with the spiritual beasts. They're the last ones, so we better succeed," Pannin explained as she started removing her storage ring."We also have to remove any form of items that are of Epic rarity or higher. Even if we have the <Invisibility Pill>, the Spirit Beasts could still detect us if we have such powerful items."After the explanation, Pannin completely changed her attire to more casual and comfortable clothing. Similarly, Can removed the powerful items that he has on.As for the others, they were quite worried due to the high risk involved in the plan except for Tin, who was reinforcing the barrier. He seemed rather calm."This is our only chance if you want to free these poor souls. Don't worry, we're going to be fine," Pannin said as she tried to bring guilt to others."Like what she said, we're going to be fine," Can said with a smile. Even if Ae and Pete were worried, they knew they could not do anything, so they reluctantly nodded.As for Tin, before the two left for their mission, he approached Can and hugged him."Everything's going to be fine. I'll be with you as soon as this is over," Tin reassured Can."Thank you, Tin," Can replied as he hugged Tin back.For Pannin to see this situation, it would be considered a lie to say that she was not affected. The reason why she met Can, in the first place, was due to her jealousy over Tin. Of course, she already realized that there was no chance anymore for her to compete. She already accepted this fact. It was just that there were still remnants of her feelings towards Tin, though, they do not matter anymore she supposed.When the two were prepared to leave, they swallowed each of the pills. Tin opened up a part of the barrier and allowed the two to leave. The moment the two left, only particles of dust were seen."We should get there in 30 minutes as we head North. The black obelisk would change location in 45 minutes. We just need 10-13 minutes to disable it," Pannin said while running."Understood.....Umm...," Can said."What!?" Pannin asked as she was somehow irritated by Can's indirectness."Does it hurt? It's temporary right?" Can asked with concern while he pointed at his own forehead."Don't worry about me, focus on our mission," Pannin answered with a mean tone."Yes. Yes. Understood," Can sighed. He was trying to make a conversation with her, but it seemed she was not interested at all.Pannin actually wanted to say something, but it was stuck in her throat. She only bit her lip slightly as a response. Shaking her head, she told Can something else instead, "Can. Whatever happens, you must follow whatever I told you to do. Am I clear?"When Can heard what she said, it sounded more of a plea instead of a demand. It somehow betrayed what Pannin was trying to convey as a bossy and mean person.In any case, Can nodded. "I understand.""Good," Pannin replied with a weak sigh of relief.After 30 minutes have passed, they arrived at a wide muddy swamp. The black obelisk was somehow weirdly standing in the middle of a stable grassland that was located in the middle of the muddy swamp."Sh*t. Why does it have to be here!?" Pannin shouted in irritation and frustration. Even though she did not expect this place where the black obelisk would be, she had no choice but to go in."We can't waste time. Let's go," Pannin said as she quickly entered the muddy water.Following her was Can. Thankfully, with the <Increase Speed Pill>, they were able to still get to the black obelisk with relative ease.As they reached the small plot of grassland, they hurriedly approach the black obelisk that was as tall as a two-story building."All you have to do is to transfer your spiritual energy to me until I tell you to stop. I'll do the rest," Pannin firmly mentioned to Can as she positioned herself in front of the black obelisk."Okay," Can replied."Let's begin." Pannin touched the black obelisk as she started chanting mysterious words. Simultaneously, Can sent her a supply of pure spiritual energy.The two of them were silent as they were focusing on their tasks. Mistakes were not permitted since there was no second chance.A minute has passed. The clear sky suddenly became restless as clouds started accumulating while they darkened in the process. Still, the two were focused.Another minute has passed. It started to pour slightly. Then after another minute, it started raining quite hard.Five minutes have passed; there was a powerful storm. The sky rumbled as thick bolts of lightning were hitting some of the areas of the swamp. Still, the two were unbothered.At the ten-minute mark, there were no serious problems aside from Pannin noticing that the black obelisk seemed to be shaking as if trying to struggle and to defend itself from being disabled. She still continued.At the eleven-minute mark, Pannin was almost done with her incantation, when at her peripheral vision, she sensed a spiritual beast that seemed to be roaming around the swamp. A spiritual beast on its own."An oddity," she said in her mind. She was not worried since she knew that the <Invisibility Pill> would still be in effect for about 4 minutes. She just needs 1 minute to disable the black obelisk.Yet, somehow the arm-length sized spirit beast that was in the form of a white leech with two wings was approaching them slowly. She knew what it was. Although it was a low-level spiritual beast, it has the power to drain a lot of spiritual energy from its target. It would be dangerous and problematic if it attaches itself to either her or Can.(A/N: If you don't know what a leech is, just look it up. I didn't want to show it here XD)"There's no way....it could sense us," Pannin said to herself. Another 30 seconds were needed.Making sure that the leech was not heading their direction, she quickly turned her head.It was gone! "Don't tell me the black obelisk called it?....Sh*t...," she said to herself.All of a sudden, the leech came out of nowhere with a screeching sound. It flew straight to Pannin and attached itself to her left arm. The impact that it made caused Pannin to be thrown far away into the muddy water of the swamp.''PANNIN!!" Can shouted worriedly."DO WHAT I TOLD YOU TO DO AND NOTHING ELSE!!" Pannin shouted back as she tried to fight the leech that was attached to her left arm."But!" Can wanted to help, but he still continued supplying her with pure spiritual energy.Due to the rain, the water level on the swamp was higher. Since the leech was a water type spiritual beast, it has an advantage over Pannin. It would not let her go that easily until she drained her spiritual energy completely. So, the leech further dragged Pannin at the bottom of the swamp.As for Pannin, she was struggling as she tried to fight off the leech attached to her. With the supply of pure spiritual energy, she quickly formed a spiritual sword with her right hand. When she cut the leech in half, the leech did not die. Instead, it multiplied into two. They again attached themselves to her left arm.At this point, if this continued, the two leeches would drag her further down. A minute has now passed. There were only two minutes left before the black obelisk changed its location. She was running out of time and out of breath.There was only one way.Gathering her courage as she frowned and grunted underwater, she raised her sword and quickly cut down her left arm that the two leeches were attached to. She did not scream nor whine.Now with her left arm cut-off, the two leeches dragged it down to the bottom. It should give Pannin enough time to escape.She swam as quickly as possible to get to the grassland. When she made it, there was a relief in Can's eyes, but it was changed into a horrifying look when he saw the sorry state that she was in.Gasping for breath, she ignored the horrified look in Can's face as she swayed while walking to the black obelisk with such resolve to finish the task."Pan-!""Do....what....I....told you to do.....and nothing....else," she wheezed as she tried to stabilize her breathing while not minding her bleeding left part of her shoulder.Putting her right hand on the black obelisk, she finished the rest of the incantations needed to disable it. Before the black obelisk could transport itself to another place, the incantation was already done.The black obelisk suddenly stopped from shaking as a stroke of white light formed until it reached the sky, then disappearing afterwards.Pannin turned to Can. With a weak smile, she said, "We did it."After the moment she uttered those words, she fell to the ground. Thankfully, she was caught by Can."Yes, we...did it...," Can stuttered as her lips trembled. "Let me ask Pete to....""There's no need for that," Pannin weakly said as she coughed blood while pointing above.When Can raised his head, he saw a spiritual beast. It was not the leech from before or any other spirit beast that he saw in the dimension. It was a human form type of spirit beast. It was just a white human figure with no face or any defining figure. Just plain white human figure."I thought that all of the spirit beasts would be gone?" Can was somehow confused.Pannin chuckled softly. "This is the guardian. The 'debt collector' is the more appropriate term to call him actually."She paused as she looked at his former competitor, "Can. There's something I haven't told you about disabling the black obelisk."Can looked down. When he saw the blood on her mouth, he carefully wiped them."What is it?""There are two requirements needed to disable it. One is an abundance of pure spiritual energy, which comes from you," Pannin paused as she pointed at Can's forehead."The other one is a person's soul, which is from...," Pannin pointed at herself with a bright smile that was somehow fake, "me."Tears were forming in her eyes, but she was trying her best not to let them fall."In order to discourage people from disabling the black obelisk, the person who created it added this mechanism to it. My soul in exchange for the other souls. That debt collector is here to collect my soul.....Well, I suppose it's a win-win situation."She jokingly said as she continued, "I suppose one arm was not enough payment, hehe."Can's tears started to fall, "Why didn't you tell me?""Come on now, Can. I was just doing what you did back then in Beast Gods' Dimension. Remember that time? You tricked me into thinking that everything was going to be fine. I'm just doing what you did to me. This is my payback for that. The only difference is that...I'm...," Pannin paused as she took a deep breath, "I'm going to...perish. I mean who knows...I might survive too like you did heh."(A/N: Please refer to Ch. 43. Ae vs. Can)At that point, Pannin could not hold it anymore. She broke down. Her lips trembled as the tears in her eyes finally fell. She knew that there was no going back. She knew that this was her fate.Can could feel Pannin's pain and struggle. He said, "It might not have to be that way. We could ask this guardian to save y-!"Pannin put her right hand and covered Can's mouth as she shook her head."Don't be ridiculous, Can," Pannin chuckled once again. "Don't think that everyone will have a happy ending. Sometimes people just end up with a sad and sh*tty ending. That's just the way life is. It's unfair, I know. But unlike others, I think my sad ending, for me at least, is worth it."She paused as she took a deep breath. Grabbing Can's hand, she whispered, "Can, my greatest debt has been repaid. A life for another life."Can was crying heavily at this point. He was overwhelmed with emotions because he was going to lose another friend. He was reminded of the situations where he lost important individuals like his father and contracted beasts in the past."D-don't....go...," Can plead while he stuttered.It surprised Pannin as her eyes widened in amazement. Although it was cold from being soaked in the muddy water and rain, she felt the warmth inside her heart. It was a lovely thing to feel. It was somehow similar to the warmth of her family."It's okay, Can. At least I would be with my parents," Pannin softly said as she caressed Can's muddy cheeks. Yet, instead of calming down, Can cried harder. Pannin though that he was such a crybaby!Another reason that Pannin wanted to do this was because of her promise to her dead parents. Long ago, her parents tried to disable the black obelisk after the moment they heard about the cries of the trapped spiritual beasts. Unfortunately, they failed in the process. It was exactly, at this place, where they also died. After Pannin learned about the truth of the death of her loving parents, she vowed that she would finish what they started.She finally fulfilled it. A life for another life. Death for another death. The debt has now been fully paid.The guardian of the black obelisk walked towards them. Slightly bending down, he offered his hand to Pannin."It's time," the guardian said calmly and with an encouraging tone.With a bittersweet smile, Pannin took the hand of the guardian.Carefully the guardian pulled her and led her towards the portal that was attached to the black obelisk.Before they entered the portal, Pannin turned around. Yet, when she was about to say something to Can, she saw Tin appearing next to him and comforted him.With a smile as she finally entered the portal, she said, "He still has a lot of debts to repay." After the portal closed, the black obelisk disappeared. It was then replaced by a white-colored sphere.
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How's everyone right now? I've been stuck at home for a couple of weeks now. I'm becoming crazy XD====<unedited>Inside the cave where Ae's father was hidden, the first of the three defensive barriers that were protecting it was starting to disappear.This sudden change was felt by Master Tanapon. He was quite surprised at this current development as his anger surged."How dare he!"As he shouted, the cave shook for a quick moment.Earlier, he learned from Adam that a group led by Tin entered the first tower. At first, he was not worried since he knew that Tin was incapable of disabling the tower without a key. Yet to his surprise, he was informed that his son has decided to join forces with them.For him to betray his own father, this was certainly unforgivable! How could his son join his enemies!?Now having his son join his enemies, what could he do? How could he prevent him from helping Tin disable the rest of the towers?"Yes...that's it....," he whispered repeatedly as an idea appeared in his head.Adam looked at his master's expression that was reflected on the huge-mirror like wall in front of him. He noticed the sudden change in his master's temperament as soon as he mentioned his plan about his son."Yes....that's...it...I just have to kill my son...that's it...that's it....," Master Tanapon continued to whisper as his smile grew more wickedly.Adam raised his eyebrows while maintaining an indifferent look on his face. Although it was surprising to hear that his master would consider killing his own son to assure that Tin would not succeed, it was somehow expected.Since the moment Master Tanapon started to tame the King of the Beasts, his behavior has somehow changed. He has become more obsessive for power, more sinister, and more devoid of empathy. The only thing on his mind was destroying E.A. Whatever or whoever it was that would prevent him from doing so would make him insane. Just like right now.It really seemed that his master had truly gone insane to a point where there was no return.Continuing to shout, Master Tanapon said, "Kill him...kill that bastard son of mine! KILL AE!""Understood," Adam said as he bowed.Personally, Adam did not care about who he had to kill. As long as it fulfills his goal for the creation of a new world, he would kill anyone. Indeed, it seemed that he was as insane as his master. He has no sense of remorse.As he turned around, he disappeared into thin air.Currently, inside of the first tower, Ae was almost done disabling the source of power of the beast tower. The white-colored sphere that was in front of him was gradually disappearing.As he was being supported by Pete, Tin was helping Can bury the items that were left behind by Pannin. When he turned to ask how Can was feeling, he saw that he was much calmer compared to earlier."I'm alright," Can said as he wiped the remaining tears on his cheeks.Of course, Tin knew that deep inside, Can was not alright. Although this was the case, he did not want to argue how he truly felt.Standing up after burying Pannin's items in the ground, Tin pulled Can's face towards him slowly and carefully."This was the path she wanted to take," Tin said softly as he wiped the tears and the dirt that was on Can's face. Looking straight into his eyes, Tin saw the sadness that still remained in him."I know," Can said as he lowered his gaze for a moment.Tin could not help it but be bothered. He hated seeing Can this way, but he knew that he could not exactly do anything about it. This was something that Can must accept fully. Only time would heal him and allow him to move on. If he wanted to, Tin would have erased his memories, but he knew it was not right.He embraced him and caressed his back. Afterward, he gave him a tender kiss on his forehead in hopes to cheer him up.If Pannin's death had such an impact on Can, Tin wondered how would Can react if he was the one who died instead?"Thank you, Tin. I appreciate it," Can whispered as he embraced Tin firmly while finally showing a weak smile."No problem," Tin said. His method of cheering him up seemed to have worked out fine.After Ae finally disabled the source of power, the white-colored sphere disappeared completely."It's done," Ae said as he wiped the sweat on his forehead with satisfaction."How are you feeling?" Pete asked with concern."I feel fine. Disabling it only took some of my spiritual power. That's all," he reassured Pete as he caressed his cheeks lightly."How's Can?" he asked as he turned around to look at Can's direction. Since he was too focused on disabling the source of power, he was unaware of what was happening."He seemed to be much calmer now," Pete replied."I see. We should pay respects to Pannin and her family, then leave immediately," Ae said with a feeling of a bad premonition."Immediately? Is there something wrong?" Pete asked worriedly."Since we have disabled the tower, my father would be much more cautious now. He might have sent reinforcements," Ae explained."It seems that the situation is getting worse. I'm worried about what might happen to us... Ae," Pete said as he looked at his partner fearfully. He started becoming scared as he slightly grabbed onto Ae's arm more firmly. He did not want to let him go because he was afraid that he might disappear suddenly.Seeing that Pete was nervous and scared, Ae tried to comfort him."Don't worry, Pete. We'll get through this," Ae uttered.After hearing those words, Pete suddenly realized that he was grabbing Ae's arm too firmly. When he let go of him, he said, "I'm sorry, Ae. I was just too worried.""I understand, but we can't stop what we've already started. I don't think my father would forgive me for betraying him," Ae explained with a pain in his heart. He hoped that his father would forgive him for betraying him. He also hoped that his father would soon realize his evil deeds and force himself to stop."The only thing we could do is to move forward," he continued.Nodding, Pete said, "Okay."The two then walked towards the other two and told them about moving to the next tower. After a moment of paying respects to Pannin and her parents, the team left the tower.At the entrance of the first tower, they met with Pond, who had been waiting for them. The moment Pond saw Can's slightly swollen red eyes, he knew something bad must have happened to him.He ran towards him and worriedly shouted, "Can, what happened? Who made you cry?"Quickly he turned to Tin with irritation on his face. This bastard must have done something to his master!Tin raised his eyebrows, but he did not say anything."You're mistaken, Pond. He didn't do anything wrong to me," Can explained."Are you sure? Then what's wrong?" Pond calmed down a bit as he softly asked Can."I'll explain it later. Right now, it's a little inappropriate, but I'm okay now," Can replied.Somehow, there was a pain in Pond's heart. When Can felt troubled, he wanted his master to rely on him. When something is bothering him, he wants Can to go to him. He wanted to be the person that Can would depend on. He wanted to know whatever it was in his master's mind. Unfortunately, there was already a person to fill that role."Ah, I see," he said somehow bitterly.Seeing this, Tin smirked. He turned to Can and asked, "Ready to leave?"Facing him, Can nodded, "Yes."With that, Tin transported everyone to the second tower. A quick flash of light covered them, then disappeared in a second.Arriving in front of the second tower, they were already met with enemies. The entire force of the Apostles led by Adam was present with the exception of Joyde and Tryde since they were still recovering from their serious wounds.With a smile, Adam said with confidence as he bowed, "We've been expecting you!"Tin was the first one to react. With a mocking tone, he said, "You seemed to be rather lively?""Ahh, Grandmaster Tin. Who wouldn't be ecstatic when they see such wonderful guests?" Adam replied.Tin knew that Adam was hiding something. Of course, Tin also knew that Adam could not harm him in any way. As for the rest, they were vulnerable. He should finish the rest of the Apostles as quickly as possible."I have no time for your nonsense, so let's just finish this," Tin said as he set up a defensive barrier around him and the others."Straightforward as ever," Adam whispered with a smile as he fixed his glasses."You know very well that even with the entire force of the Apostles, we won't be able to go against you," he bluntly said.Tin smirked, "Knowing this fact, you still want to face me?""Well sooner or later, we would have to face one another." With that being said, Adam started walking towards Tin.Everyone in Tin's group prepared themselves for an attack.Seeing that Adam was somehow unafraid of approaching them, Tin knew something was off.Creating a small fireball, he threw it towards Adam. Yet, somehow, when the fireball came into contact with Adam, it did not burn or exploded on him. It just went through him."An illusion," Tin said.The entire Apostles currently present were all illusions."Quite perceptive. As expected from Grandmaster Tin," Adam applauded.Getting irritated, Pond shouted, "What do you sh*theads want? If you want to fight just fight!"Slightly turning his face towards Pond, he said, "Indeed, we will."After a quick pause, he once again fixed his glasses as he continued, "Although, we wouldn't fight here."Pointing at the tower, he said with a sly smile, "I won't waste your time, so I shall see you inside."As he was about to disappear when he turned around, he was interrupted by Tin."I could just destroy the entire tower and not waste our time," Tin replied threateningly.Facing them once again, he cautioned Tin."I won't recommend that, Grandmaster Tin. The person in charge of the third tower would not take that offense lightly."After saying those words, Adam disappeared."Person in charge of the third tower?" Can asked as he turned to Ae, "What is he talking about?"Ae started pondering about the words behind the leader of the Apostles."I'm not quite sure myself. No one has ever entered the third tower, so I don't know what he was talking about," Ae answered."Could it be that he was lying then?" Pete asked."He wasn't," Tin said as he started walking towards the entrance of the tower that was similar to the appearance of the first tower while he held Can's hand."Eh? How do you know?" Can asked curiously as he let Tin pull him."Vision," Tin quickly replied.Everyone else looked at one another in confusion. "Vision?"
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I entered a writing contest, so if you have free time please support me by reading and leaving a like: https://www.sofanovel.com/index.html#/detail/1_0c2183fd-589c-43b7-be55-d776f6315356(You can also enter the contest if you want by the way.)Also, I think there are just be 6-7 chapters left for this story. Yeah, we're almost there.=====As Tin and his team went inside the tower, they were transferred to another dimension.When they entered the dimension, they immediately noticed a floating white palace in the sky. It looked like those typical castles found in Europe. The only difference was that it floated.Since it was the only unique feature in this dimension, Tin and the others decided to enter the castle.To get there, Pond summoned the Big Black Raven. He then urged everyone to ride his magnificent pet bird."Come on guys. Hop on!" he said as he gestured to themBoth Ae and Pete nodded. When they approached the black bird, it first scrutinized them as it frowned. It was as if it was trying to see if these people were worthy to ride on its back.After its scrutiny, the Big Black Raven let out a small caw. "They can ride me," it said to Pond.Pond patted his bird's head, "Thank you."He then turned around at Pete and Ae. "Go on."Pete nodded as he supported Ae first to get to the bird's back. Afterward, he went next.When the two got on Pond's pet back, the beast god asked Can to go next. Unfortunately, before he could say anything, Tin already grabbed Can to his side."We'll see you at the entrance of the castle," Tin said indifferently as he flew towards the castle with Can. Since Can knew it was useless to tell Tin to just ride the Big Black Raven with the others, he just made a quick sigh."Be careful," Can told the others before he and Tin disappeared.Pond knew that Tin was deliberately making him annoyed. What's wrong with flying together with them? The Big Black Bird had enough space on its back to accommodate all of them. Aside from that, it was quite fast too!Not having the chance to argue with Tin, Pond just shook his head in annoyance. He jumped at the back of his raven pet."Hold tight," he said to his passengers.Pond then tapped the head of the Big Black Raven and said, "Let's go."The bird nodded and it flapped its wings. Within a minute or so, they reached the entrance of the castle.When they met with Tin and Can, Tin was observing the gates of the castle. It had a strong defensive barrier. In any case, according to Tin's assessment, it should not be too hard to destroy."Move back," Tin told everyone. He stretched his right arm forward that faced the gates.
"Spirit Bombardment"
A small ball of white light that was the size of a coin appeared on the palm of his right hand. It may look deceiving due to its small size, but it could be considered as one of Tin's most powerful magical attacks.Within that small ball of white light, tentacle-like arms came out of it and started pounding the gate's defenses. Each punch from the tentacles would create a small shockwave. Since these tentacles were pounding the gates a thousand times per second, those small shockwaves created a horrifying powerful earthquake that shook the entire castle.Small cracks and metal bents could be seen showing up on the gate. Despite the seemingly massive force of Tin's power, it would still take some time to destroy the huge gate. With this situation, Can decided to step in and help out.Tin noticed Can's movement from the back. He was going to tell him to stay back, but Can seemed to already know what he was going to say as he shook his head as an answer.The little beast summoner stood behind Tin. He then put both of his hands at Tin's back."I'm sending you spiritual energy," Can said. By sending Tin more spiritual energy, it should increase the strength of Tin's magic. In addition, Tin's spiritual energy would be easily replenished.As soon as Can's spiritual energy was transferred, the ball of white light on Tin's hand grew bigger to the size of a basketball. The tentacles grew larger and multiplied. The attacks on the gates by the tentacles grew fiercer, more powerful, and faster. The shockwave's power multiplied that it caused the entire dimension to shake. Thankfully, Pond put up a defensive barrier, so the force would not send him and the others flying.A few more minutes have passed. The gate was already showing signs of being completely destroyed as its metal structure was being bent and cut into pieces.Seeing such a spectacle, Ae and the others could not believe just how powerful Tin and Can have become. It was amazing. They knew that these two have not truly shown their true potential of power, but if that were to happen, it would be a quite frightening scene.Finally, the gate in front of them collapsed in a pile of smoke."Thank you," Tin smiled as he turned back. He thought that Can was truly a wonderful person. When this was all over, he would surely pour him with a lot of affection.Can nodded with a smile, "No problem."The two managed to display public affection without them noticing. For Pete and Ae, they were happy about the two being together. As for Pond, well, he just ignored them."We're heading in," Tin announced. "Be on guard."With that being said, Tin's team went inside with caution. When they went in, they were greeted by a structure filled with mirrors. Wherever they turn, they would just see a reflection of themselves in a mirror. The ceiling was a mirror. The walls were mirrors. The floor was full of mirrors. Every side of that place was filled with mirrors that reflected thousands of figures of the people who entered the castle."What's this?" Pond asked as he looked at a mirror that reflected multiple clones of him. He waved his hand and those hands in the mirrors would do the same."They looked just plain mirrors," Pete answered. "Why would they construct them though?" he continued."Not entirely sure. A maze perhaps?" Ae said as he looked at his own reflection in the mirror."We should continue walking and find the source of the power of this tower," Ae suggested.Everyone does not seem against the idea, so they carefully navigated through the castle. From time to time, Pond would crash into the mirrors since there was no clear distinction of which direction to go. As for the rest, with Tin's guidance, they were able to navigate the place with ease.Still, it seemed too peaceful in this castle. That peacefulness made the others feel uneasy."Where could those Apostles be? They went inside the castle too right?" Pond asked as he scratched his head after bumping into another mirror."Could it be that they tricked us? This could be a trap!" Pond's eyes widened by this notion.He was interrupted by Tin. "They're here."Soon, a voice echoed. "Welcome! Welcome!"It was Adam.Can and the others prepared themselves as they put a defensive barrier.In those mirrors that surrounded them, Adam's figure was reflected."Do you like this maze so far?" Adam said coldly with a smile."Bastard! I hit my head too many times," Pond shouted in anger. He quickly responded as he threw spirit raven towards one of the mirrors that reflected Adam. As it came in contact with the mirror, the spirit raven exploded that caused it to shatter into pieces."Haha," Adam mocked.Pond was going to throw another spirit raven to one of the mirrors, but he was stopped by Tin."Don't waste your time," he said.Soon, the rest of the Apostles showed up one by one. They only appeared in the mirrors. Since the mirrors would reflect infinite numbers of figures, it was hard to detect where the real ones were located."You had your chance to attack, now it's our turn!" Adam enthusiastically shouted.With that, a rain of magical attacks came from all sides. The combined attacks of the Apostles were enough to create small cracks on the defensive barrier that Pond created. The mirrors did not take any damage from the enemies despite their powerful attacks. They seemed to be assisting the Apostles rather. By not allowing Tin and the others to pinpoint the apostles' location, they would not be able to do anything. Of course, Tin and the others would not let them take advantage of this situation.Being in such a predicament, Tin would have to shatter all of the mirrors in this castle. He thought that it should not be too hard to destroy them.Meanwhile, Can decided to reinforce Pond's defensive barrier by releasing more spiritual energy.Seeing that Tin was about to retaliate, Adam widely smiled. The trap succeeded.
"Earth Shatter!"
Tin stomped on the floor that caused the mirrors on the floor to crack. That crack quickly increased in size as it reached to different mirrors in the castle. All of them shattered instantly.As the mirrors shattered, an empty black space revealed. It was dark, so Pete had to cast a spell that summoned multiple flames of light to illuminate the castle.When the entire castle was illuminated, a shuddering finding was revealed. On the opposite side of the room, the rest of the remaining Apostles were present. They were all smiling. The reason behind this was that next to them were clones of Tin, Can, Ae, Pete, and Pond."Do you like this surprise of ours?" Adam asked as he fixed his glasses shakily. He was shaking not because of fear, but from the surge of happiness.The power of the second tower lies in the castle. This castle that they were in has consciousness. It was aware of what was happening outside and inside the castle. So with what Tin and his team did on the castle gates and the mirrors, they were known by the castle itself. In the end, they were labeled as the enemies of the castle. When someone has been labeled by the castle as its enemies, it would certainly retaliate. As for its form of retaliation, it would be through cloning. This meant that the castle would recreate the enemy. That clone that was created would then have to fight to the death with the same person it was cloned to."A great thinker once said, 'the worst enemy that you could meet would be yourself'," Adam lectured calmly as he walked a few steps forward."Well, as you can see," Adam paused as he pointed at the clones, "they're here to destroy you. You'll have to fight with yourselves! Isn't that amazing?"The leader of the Apostles started to laugh so hard that it echoed through the castle walls. He thought that this would be the end for Tin and the others. Since the castle can clone the enemy and match that person's power, the chances of defeating Tin and the others would be 50%. Because the Apostles would also join the fight, the chances of winning would be at 80%. This was definitely a good opportunity that cannot be missed.Adam looked around the castle confidently as he snickered, "This is not a bad place to die in."Suddenly, a bolt of lightning was aimed directly at him. It was too fast that he was unable to react quickly. When he braced himself for the impact, Tin's clone went in front of him and deflected it as he slapped it away with his hand.Tin's brows rose after seeing that the clone of himself was able to respond quickly and deflected his attack. Everyone was quite surprised. Those clones could not be easily underestimated.There was sweat that formed on Adam's forehead, "Haha! Did you see that!? Truly marvelous creation!"Adam quickly turned around to his comrades and said with glee, "Let's finish this shall we?"The remaining Apostles nodded. Among them was Prince Axel. Although he was reluctant to go at first, he was pressured by Adam. He had no choice.(A/N: Prince Axel from Ch. 53)Of course, Tin and the others paid him no mind, since the clones were considered as bigger threats.There were only six of the twelve Apostles currently present. Adam was the only Tier 6 in his group. Everyone else was Tier 4 and below."I'll support Tin's clone. Everyone else will help the other clones," Adam declared. Everyone nodded in agreement.As for the real Tin and the others, they just had a quick discussion."I'll fight them, Can stay and put up a strong barrier," Tin requested with a serious tone.Ae was stunned. "You're going to fight them on your own?"Tin replied, "I want to assess their fighting power. If they're lying, then I could defeat them on my own. There's no need for you guys to get involved if that was the case."Can wanted to join him, but Tin already disappeared. Although it was understandable that Tin decided it that way, he should still allow others to voice their opinions. Can and the others knew that they were weaker than Tin, but that did not mean that they could not help him in some other ways.In any case, they still followed Tin's request. Can put up a strong defensive barrier. In addition, he also distributed Legendary offensive and defensive magic tools to others. These items should help them win this battle.When the clash finally started, Tin once again initiated the attack. This time he went against his own clown.
"Total Blindness"
Tin's eyes were illuminated with a red light. Then a shockwave was created towards the direction of the clone. With the <Total Blindness> spell, the clone would be deprived of all of his senses. He would be unable to know where the real Tin would be. Now that the shockwave hit the clone, Tin cast another spell.
"Blood Poison!"
Standing in front of his own clone, Tin made a horizontal slashing gesture with his right hand. The <Blood Poison> spell would poison the person's blood and make the flesh rot instantly.Having the clone's senses removed, Tin was sure that the clone would be finished. To his surprise, the clone made a counter move by casting a spell.
"Magic Crush!"
Tin's clone held his right hand which prevented him from performing <Blood Poison> spell. The clone then cast another spell.
"Stun"
An electric shock was sent to Tin's body causing him to be stunned. He was unable to move for a second. Even though it was such a short duration, it was enough time for the clone to retaliate.A strong kick was executed by the clone towards Tin's head. It was such a heavy blow that it sent Tin flying towards the castle wall."TIN!" Can shouted worriedly while still reinforcing the barrier. Although he wanted to get to his side to help him out, he and the others were surrounded by the enemies. They were trapped.At the castle wall where Tin crashed, Adam did not take any chances and cast another spell.
"Acid Pool!"
Adam opened his mouth and a gush of green acid goo came out. That stream of acid was then directed to the pile of smoke where Tin was sent flying. With the serious power of the acid, it should melt Tin instantly.After he thought what he did was enough, Adam closed his mouth. He wiped the residual acid on his mouth.When he was about to turn around, he saw that Tin's clone reacted as he went in front of him in a defensive position. It meant one thing. Tin was still alive.Adam gritted his teeth in anger as he once again prepared himself to fight.From the smoke from the acid, Tin's figure showed up. After he came out of that smoke, Tin was bathing on his own blood. Although he was in a sorry state, everyone who looked at him only felt a shudder.Tin was smiling as he laughed wickedly."Tin?" Can whispered. He felt something ominous was about to happen.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
There was a momentary silence from everyone. As the sound of a wicked laugh could be heard as it echoed throughout the castle, a sudden terrifying pressure was being displayed that seemed to hammer everyone in their position. They were unable to move at all.
Such pressure was enough to make everyone shake in fear as well. Sweat on their foreheads formed as they felt nauseous. They felt that they were about to pass out, yet they tried to remain standing and calm.
Even for the clones, they were unable to move except Tin's clone. Although they were at the "same level," Tin's clone still shook. Whether it was from fear, no one could possibly know as the clones do not show any emotion.
The sudden silence was interrupted as Can shouted repeatedly in concern, "TIN! TIN!"
Despite how loud he shouted, Tin did not seem to hear him at all. He was continuously laughing so wickedly as he locked his gaze with his own clone.
"What's wrong with him?" Ae asked as he also trembled from the sudden heavy pressure released by Tin. The pressure was truly intimidating!
"Could it be that his corrupted spiritual core was damaged again?" Pete furrowed his brows.
"Corrupted spiritual core?" Ae gulped. He had knowledge regarding corrupted spiritual cores. He knew that they are mainly possessed by demonic elementalists. With this particular core, they would gain extreme power, but with harmful side-effects.
(A/N: Corrupted spiritual core from Chapter 51)
Can looked back to face Pete in surprise, "Haven't we fixed those cracks already?" The little beast summoner could clearly remember what he had to do in order to fix Tin's corrupted core. He blushed all of a sudden when he suddenly thought about it.
(A/N: Ch. 60 - 61)
Pete replied as he agreed, "Yes, you're right. It would be impossible for those cracks to come out since you've already fixed them."
Pete paused as he looked at Tin more properly. As he examined him, he shuddered. He took back what he just said earlier. Tin's eyes were dark as night.
With just one glance, he was able to figure out that Tin's corrupted core was truly damaged once again. There was no mistaking it. This just meant that impure spiritual energy was spilling from the core, which was causing Tin's sudden change of behavior. By the looks of it, the impure spiritual energy was spilling at such a rapid rate within his body!
"Impossible," Pete whispered as he covered his mouth with his shaking left hand. His heartbeat sped up faster after having a sudden realization. He then looked at Can in fear.
"What's wrong Pete!?" Ae asked as he supported Pete who was about to fall backward.
"...ne," Pete whispered with his quivering lips. He could not believe it, but with what was happening to Tin currently, his seemingly impossible diagnosis about Tin must be true.
"What did you say, Pete?" Ae asked worriedly.
"He has gone insane," Pete answered as he tried to regain his normal breathing.
"Gone insane? What do you mean?" Can asked as he directed his gaze towards Tin nervously. He was stunned when he realized that his eyes were covered in black.
"F...for him to damage his corrupted spiritual core again and becoming like this, it meant that he was holding such unhealthy and extreme desire towards something or someone to the point that the impure spiritual energy inside him was disturbed. That extreme desire was somehow triggered earlier."
Impure spiritual energy gains more power from a person's mentality. Although this problem with Tin was already fixed with Can's help by taming this energy inside him, it seemed that Tin's mentality has gone through sudden extreme changes to the point that it was causing the impure spiritual energy to regain power once again. This would then result in Tin having a further obsession with that desire. Unless that desire was fulfilled, Tin's health would continue to deteriorate.
(A/N: Refer to Chapter 60)
"Extreme desire?" Can's mouth twitched. Did he not fulfill that "desire" already? Now, Tin's "desire" has become more extreme?
(A/N: "desire" = sex)
"Well," Pete replied. He understood Can's implication about Tin's extreme desire.
He shook his head. "I..I don't think you'll be able to fulfill it in the situation that we're in anyways," Pete stuttered. He was slightly embarrassed as his ears turned slightly red.
Both Pond and Ae looked at one another as they were clueless about what this "extreme desire" meant.
It became somehow awkward all of a sudden. Still, Pete tried to come up with a possible solution to Tin's situation.
"We need to try to calm him down by sending him pure spiritual energy," Pete suggested. Yet, seeing that they were being attacked on all sides by the enemies, it would be difficult to do so.
Can nodded firmly, "I understand, but we have to defeat them first."
Not being able to be at Tin's side made Can frustrated. He pursed his lips as he could only look at him from a distance.
As for Tin, despite his crazed attitude, he was resolute to kill his enemies, especially his clone. When he charged his clone, although his attacks have become powerful and his speed increased, he would be quite clumsy and without control. Because of this, his clone was able to retaliate without much problem.
This exchange between Tin and the clone would have repeated results. Tin would attack and he would then be sent flying back crashing into the castle walls by his clone. This cycle would continue with Tin obviously losing to his clone with every exchange of blows. Despite the devastating blows and wounds that he would receive, Tin would keep on going as he maintained his wicked smile with his deadly stare on his enemies.
Due to the loud noises that came from magical spells and attacks from all sides in the castle, no one could hear the chilling whispers under Tin's breath.
"Protect Can at all cost. Protect Can at all cost. Protect....," Tin would repeatedly say. This was his extreme desire. This was his trigger.
Earlier, when he noticed the blood on him, he thought about the nightmare that he had about Can. It was that nightmare where there was blood on Can. He was unsure whose blood it was, but he was not going to take any guess. What only mattered was to protect Can at all costs. That was his desire.
(A/N: Tin's nightmare in Chapter 74)
Despite Tin's stubbornness, Adam was satisfied knowing that Tin was unable to retaliate without any comprehension of how to do it properly. He was just attacking aimlessly without restraint like a madman. Judging by the situation, after several rounds of exchange of blows between Tin and his clone, the fight should be able to end soon. He kept himself on guard just in case Tin decided to attack him since Tin was using more powerful attacks compared to the beginning.
On the other side of the battle, Can has told his team to use the tools that he gave them.
He was currently holding a Legendary grade offensive tool called <Destruction Scroll>. This scroll contained the remaining power of the former Beast King of the Underworld. With it, Can would be able to borrow the power of this king to attempt to disrupt and get the opportunity to take his enemies down.
Throwing the scroll in the air, it unfolded itself.
"Release!" Can shouted.
Staying midair, the scroll with mysterious symbols and letters enveloped itself with dark purple color. People who were near it could hear the echoes of chants of some unknown language coming from it. Those chants were ominous and evil. Within seconds, the chants stopped. Afterwards, a purple mist came out of the scroll with monstrous spiritual beasts coming out of it.
Those spiritual beasts looked similar to rhinoceroses. The differences were that those spiritual beasts were much bigger, more terrifying, and they have longer horns. They started running towards their enemies fiercely without hesitation.
Yet, Can and his teammate did not expect that their clones would do something incredible.
Can's clone threw another scroll in midair. It was similar to the <Destruction Scroll> that he just used. From that scroll, spiritual beasts in rhinoceros form emerged and faced the opposing spiritual beasts.
"That's impossible," Pond shouted as he pointed at Can's clone. "There's only one <Destruction Scroll>. It's impossible to have two at all!"
Can looked at him in wonder, "Are you sure?"
Pond nodded as he proudly thumped his chest, "Of course. I would know because I made that scroll you used! I only made one!"
"Ohh," everyone uttered.
Pete came in front of Can to try to confirm something. With a serious expression on his face, he held an Epic grade defensive scroll called <Concentration Scroll> that was given to him by Can; he unraveled it and read the contents. After reading the contents, a powerful golden aura covered the spiritual beasts that were attacking their enemies. At this moment, the stalemate between the two opposing forces came to an end as their spiritual beasts’ power multiplied that overwhelmed the opposing spiritual bests. In addition, Pete hurled three <Spiritual Bombs> that he invented towards the enemies. These bombs were capable of cutting spiritual energy sources from the enemies.
Ae thought that Pete was cool and badass right now.
Although Pete did these, as expected, Pete's clone did the same thing. Golden auras covered their spiritual beasts and three <Spiritual Bombs> were thrown and destroyed Pete's <Spiritual Bombs> in midair.
Another stalemate.
Pete angrily clicked his tongue as he explained, "Tsk. Not only do they imitate each of our movements, but they also have the items that we have at their disposal."
The enemy apostles in charge of defeating Can and his group sneered as they mocked them. One of them who was wearing a black cloak all over confidently said, "It's no use. There's no point in struggling! Haha!"
Pond became furious. How dare this low-level apostle mock them!
Still, there was some truth to what that apostle said. At this moment, whatever they do would be imitated. If Legendary grade items were being imitated and used by the enemies, what advantage do he and the others have against them? Pond suddenly hated this feeling of a frustrating struggle.
As they were thinking of a strategy, Can looked at Tin's direction to see how he was doing. Fear suddenly crept on him as he witnessed Tin crawling on the floor while he approached his clone. Examining his situation, Tin was covered in blood and serious fatal wounds. Despite this, Tin continued to struggle to fight to fulfill his desire to protect Can.
Next to Tin's clone was Adam. He was enjoying Tin's struggle. Seeing that Tin was in no capability to fight anymore, he walked leisurely in front of him.
With a sneer, he slowly stepped on Tin's right hand that was trying to reach out to his clone.
Sighing, Adam said, "I admire your resolve to fight."
He put more pressure on his foot as he continued, "Unfortunately, it ends here."
Tin did not complain about the pain; it could be that he was already numb to it. All he was whispering was to protect Can at all costs.
"Hmm, what did you say?" Adam asked as he bent down.
"Protect Can at all cost," Tin whimpered. All of a sudden, he was coughing black blood.
Since the impure spiritual energy was triggered to respond to Tin's desire to protect Can from the beginning, it has slowly invaded and clouded Tin's judgment. He was doomed from this fight at that point.
Adam did not bother examining the black blood that stained his white coat when he heard what Tin just uttered.
"Can...hmm?" Adam smiled maliciously after thinking of a wicked idea in his mind.
Turning around, he saw that Can was staring at him with fear clearly expressed on his face. Adam shuddered from happiness seeing someone suffering and became fearful of what could happen.
Knowing that he was in control of Tin's life, it certainly gave Adam more pleasure. He waved his hand to greet Can as he tried to put a sincere smile on his face. Of course, his efforts were futile as his evil intentions were seeping out from that smile of his.
He mocked Can as he started scratching his chin calmly while pretending to think of something.
Witnessing such mockery, Can became anxious and angry. His breathing became irregular. He started thinking of what to do in order to save Tin.
"Aha," Adam said with a smile while still looking at Can. He moved back a few steps away from Tin. Suddenly, he moved forward and kicked Tin in the stomach.
From the impact, Tin flew and hit the castle wall.
"Tin!" Can shouted. He was about to get out of the barrier he created to help him out, but he was stopped by Pond.
"Don't think too recklessly, Can!" Pond shouted as he grabbed Can by the shoulders as he tried to give Can some sense.
Can was restless as he looked at Pond, "POND! TIN NEEDS MY HELP!"
As Can turned once again to Tin's direction, he saw that Adam was casting a spell. He was about to kill Tin!
Not wanting Adam to succeed, Can pushed Pond; he then summoned his shield. As soon as he summoned the shield, the barrier was further reinforced. No one noticed as everyone was trying to stop Can from making a reckless move.
"I WON'T LET YOU KILL HIM!!!!!" Can shouted as he rushed forward. The shield he was holding started to absorb more of Can's spiritual energy as it emitted deep bluish fire. Somehow, Can's speed increased astronomically that when he reached Adam, none of the enemies noticed.
"Shield Bash!"
Can jumped forward and hit Adam with his shield at full force. Since he was unable to notice Can's presence, it was too late for Adam to avoid his attack. He flew and crashed to the other side of the wall, which formed a pile of smoke and rubble that shook the entire castle. From that single attack, Adam was completely knocked out.
Fueled with anger as he was filled with the desire to save Tin and protect everyone, Can then faced Tin's clone. He was not even aware of the overwhelming power that he had while using the mysterious shield. He was only thinking of protecting those who were close to his heart.
Yet before he could exchange blows with Tin's clone, the person behind Can started whispering as he used his remaining willpower to stand up. Then he once again fell, but this time on Can's back. As if instinctively knowing it was Can, Tin embraced him from the back while still whispering weakly, "I need to protect Can at all cost."
"Tin," Can turned as he faced Tin who was in a miserable state.
Quickly he said softly, "I'm here. Don't worry. I'll protect you."
"...must protect Can at all cost," Tin continued to say. His mind was still clouded.
"I'm here," Can repeated as he caressed Tin's bloodied cheeks while his eyes were burdened with tears.
At that point, Tin's clone used this opportunity to attack. Raising his hand, he cast a spell. Soon, metal spikes appeared and were hurled towards Can.
"CAN WATCH OUT!!!" Pond shouted worriedly.
Immediately, as the spikes were about to hit Can, the little beast summoner tapped his shield. A barrier was formed and absorbed the metal spikes.
Pond and Ae, who witnessed the barrier being formed, heaved a huge sigh of relief.
As for Pete, he somehow noticed something. Can's clone did not have a shield!
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Back again with another update.Also, quick shameless plug here. Support my new story: https://www.sofanovel.com/index.html#/detail/1_0c2183fd-589c-43b7-be55-d776f6315356===="That's odd," Pete pointed out as he observed Can's clone.Both Pond and Ae looked at him then quickly redirected their gaze at the said clone."He doesn't have Can's shield!" Ae said in a surprised tone. "Why is that?" Ae continued to wonder.Pond started contemplating about this odd situation as he redirected his gaze towards his master, who was focusing on helping Tin. Witnessing how Can was eager to sacrifice himself earlier to save Tin just showed how much he really cared about him. Despite knowing the fact that there was no point in pursuing him, it still stung Pond's heart. It was another slap of reality for him.Shaking his head, Pond put this heartbreaking thought behind him. Even though it hurts him to think that there was no chance between him and Can since the beginning, as long as his master is happy, then he would be happy too. He would move on eventually and be numb from the pain.Going back to the topic about the shield, Pond was rather mystified about the true nature of the shield. He knew that it was a treasure from the Beast Gods' Dimension left by the First Beast Summoner, but it was the only treasure he did not really know anything about. Although the shield looked quite rusty and unappealing, it was ranked as a Legendary grade defensive tool. To Pond's assessment, it would be definitely at one at the top ranks of best defensive tools. Yet, even though this was the case, how was it that Can's clone was unable to imitate it? These clones could clearly imitate Legendary grade tools easily with a simple wave of a hand.(A/N: Ranking: Common -> Uncommon -> Rare -> Epic -> Legendary -> Mythic (from Index))As he thought about this situation more, a sudden realization came to his mind. This realization that he thought was something that seemed to be impossible to happen at all. Goosebumps slowly appeared on the entirety of his body. He was momentarily stunned."Unless?" Pond whispered as he took a closer look at the shield that was being held by Can.Although his whisper was soft, both Pete and Ae were able to hear him properly."What did you find out, Pond?" asked by Pete with anticipation in his eyes."If I'm not mistaken....," Pond paused as he cleared his throat, "...that's the Guyak Shield." There was still some hesitation regarding the identity of the shield, especially since the appearance of that shield was nowhere close to the infamous Mythical grade defensive tool. Instead of a rusty looking shield, it should have a shiny polish that could reflect the face of the person that looks at it. Aside from that, it also has a huge leaf-like white pattern on its front.
(A/N: Guyak shield and other mythical weapons info on Chapter 73. The picture is small, can't find a better picture.)Both Pete and Ae looked at one another. They did not know anything about this "Guyak Shield," so they could only ask Pond to enlighten them. Still, they could guess how important and powerful that shield must be based on Pond's reaction."Wh-what's special about the shield?" Pete asked quickly as if anticipating whether this shield would save them from this horrible situation.Pond faced them with a dumbstruck expression. How do these people not know about the Mythical grade Guyak Shield!? Then suddenly, Pond figured that not a lot of people knew about the existence of the only three Mythical grade weapons.Heaving a huge sigh, he explained as he pointed towards his master, "That shield that Can is holding could be a Mythical grade weapon.""A MYTHICAL GRADE WEAPON!" Both Ae and Pete shouted in unison. They were shocked. They never knew such things could exist! If that was the case, then they were safe! One must know that a Mythical grade weapon was such a powerful weapon that the person who would wield it could potentially rule the world with ease.When the two examined Can's shield, they did not see it as something to be considered as a mythical weapon due to its dull appearance. Yet, based on the performance that the shield displayed when used, and the fact that it could not be imitated by the clones meant that there was a possibility that it was a mythical weapon!"If that's truly a mythical weapon as you said, then Can wouldn't have a problem defeating our enemies, correct?" Ae asked enthusiastically with hope evident in his eyes. Can could be considered as truly a lucky person to wield such a weapon."Well...," Pond suddenly scratched his head, "it depends.""Huh? What do you mean?" Ae suddenly stopped his celebratory feeling of happiness."If Can is truly using the Guyak Shield, then he could only utilize it for defensive purposes mostly. The shield was only meant to absorb any kind of damage. If Can wants to use the shield as an offensive weapon, then he would have to rely on his capabilities and skills," Pond explained.Pond's explanation had implications. Even if Can could absorb the damages from the enemies using the Guyak Shield, if he could not retaliate offensively, then the situation would be similar in the beginning. Another stalemate it seemed.Although Can could choose to let the enemies attack them endlessly to exhaust their spiritual energy, there was no guarantee of how long it would take for them to deplete their energy. In addition, the castle seemed to have an unlimited amount of spiritual energy stored in itself. Since it controlled the clones, the castle could sustain them as long as possible. So, attempting to deplete the castle's spiritual energy would be problematic and a waste of time.With Tin down, the combined offensive power of Can's group decreased tremendously. Overall, they were still at a disadvantage compared to the combined offensive power of the enemies. It was only thanks to Can's shield that they were still able to survive up to this point after Tin fell.If Can were to fight Tin's clone, it would most likely result in a stalemate. Can was still stuck at Rainbow Grade Tier Level 6. Meanwhile, Tin was a Tier Level 7, which meant that his clone would be at the same level as him. One must know that a difference in level meant that the power gap was huge. The difference could be compared to earth and heaven. So, even if Can could absorb Tin's clones attacks, he did not have enough power to severely damage him.Currently, Can was transferring spiritual energy to attempt to soothe and suppress the corrupted spiritual energy inside Tin as instructed by Pete. While doing so, Tin struggled immensely as he squirmed. It was as if he was being burned by fire. His face paled as he showed discomfort while he was covered in sweat. Inside his body, the corrupted spiritual energy was trying to resist Can's pure spiritual energy. Although this was the case, the fact that Tin's body was already familiar with Can's spiritual energy, it became easier for Can to suppress the corruption inside Tin. Can devoted and focused himself entirely on Tin. The attacks from Tin's clone did not bother him. He instinctively trusted his shield to help protect him.Some time has passed and Tin was breathing at a steadier pace. He stopped struggling and he was much calmer now. He looked peaceful as if he was taking a comfortable nap.Despite solving the issue with Tin, this solution was temporary. Since the cracks on Tin's spiritual core were still present, the corrupted spiritual energy that was suppressed could spread inside Tin's body and mind again. Since Can knew that to fix the cracks on Tin's core, he must fulfill his desires first. Of course, he knew that Tin's desire was related to him. That desire was to protect him from harm. With this being the case, Can had no choice but to finish the battle with the clones and apostles as soon as possible. Since Tin was in no condition to fight and his teammates did not have enough fighting power to attack, Can could only rely mostly on his own power.Can must end this battle soon since Tin's condition could worsen at any moment.With a weak smile on his face, he caressed Tin's slightly dirty right cheek."I'll be back," Can whispered tenderly as he kissed Tin's forehead. As soon as Can turned away to face his enemies, Tin's face scrunched up as he formed a fist with each hand. Still, he remained lying down on the floor as he was unable to move.When he stood up, Can took a deep breath while closing his eyes. When he opened them, his face showed a serious expression while still being calm.He opened his mouth and shouted, "Pond, with me!"In an instant, Pond teleported right next to Can. Seeing the seriousness in Can's tone and expression, Pond also became serious. He thought that Can's personality went through a dramatic change. He was somehow more frightening compared to earlier.With a smile, Pond said politely, "At your service, boss."Locking his gaze with Tin's clone, Can said, "We'll finish off the others before we tackle Tin's clone."Can already realized the power of the shield. Even though he was not sure to what extent of power the shield possessed, he was confident that it would not fail to protect him and the others. He also knew that going against Tin's clone could result in a stalemate, so he decided to deal with the others first.With that in mind, Can would have to use his full-power to fight.Having the protection of the bluish-colored translucent barrier provided by the shield, Can summoned his entire army of contracted beasts. Valkyrie, Thanatos, Gucci, Moonlight Flower, and the others showed up at once. Regardless of their rankings, they were all called by Can. Each of them was covered with a bluish barrier after they showed up.Gucci happily and energetically waved at Can, "Master, hello! Long time no see!"Can's heart softened. He looked at Gucci, who had a child form, and nodded, "Nice to see you Gucci." Then he looked at Thanatos and nodded. Thanatos knew the situation that they were in and nodded back as to acknowledge Can's goal.Not wasting time, Can shouted, "Everyone! Please lend me your strength in this battle!"Valkyrie softly reassured, "Of course. We'll help you, master." At the same time, every Can's contracted beast also reassured him with either a nod or some sort of cheer.Witnessing his contracted beasts who he considered part of his family agreed, he said with a huge smile, "Thank you, everyone!"After the short conversation with his contracted beasts, Can cast a spell.
"Merge!"
With this spell, all the contracted beasts, except Pond, were transformed into some kind of equipment or specialized skills that were then attached to Can. For instance, Valkyrie became a lance. Gucci became a pouch. Moonlight Flower became a gold earring. The other Legendary ranked contracted beasts became part of Can's armor. Some gave him the power of invisibility, speed, and additional strength. At the end of the Merge Spell cast, Can was covered from head to toe with equipment. He looked like a knight with his shining dark purple armor.(A/N: Moonlight Flower made an appearance in Chapter 71)There was a benefit when a beast summoner used the Merge Spell. Contracted beasts could turn themselves into some kind of equipment or specialized skill that would further enhance their owner's strength and skills while providing additional protection. Also, this would allow the beast summoner to have a smoother control on the contracted beasts' actions. Since Can have thousands of followers, it would be inconvenient to control each of them to do a task. It would be better to have them merge them into either equipment or as a specialized skill.Of course, Can's clone did the same thing. Although this time, he would fail.As soon as he summoned cloned contracted beasts, they were shut down by Can and Pond. Since Can's clone did not have the shield, he was unable to provide a barrier for the summoned cloned beasts.When a cloned Valkyrie showed up, Can used the lance that he was holding and hurled it to the clone.
"Valkyrie's Fury!"
The lance that was hurled was covered with purple flame and bolts of lightning. Due to its speed and strength, the cloned Valkyrie was unable to see and defend herself from the impact. Instantly, she was reduced to ashes when she got hit.As she defeated her enemy, Valkyrie whispered with such indignation towards her defeated enemy clone, "Hmph! B*tch."She uttered a word that an angel like her should not have in her vocabulary. If Can and the others heard her, they would probably get scared of her.The lance that was hurled returned to Can's hand. "Good job, Valkyrie.""No problem," Valkyrie said with such politeness.Knowing that summoning cloned contracted beasts was useless, Can's clone stopped. At that point, the direction of the battle tilted. Can told himself that there was a chance for them to win after all.Now, it was Can's turn to do the offensive. Communicating with Pond about their plan, Can then moved forward and attacked his own clone.The apostles that were close to Can's clone moved away from them. They knew that they were no match from him. They decided to just let Can's clone deal with him.Of course, Tin's clone did not let Can's clone fight alone, so he joined the battle. It was two against one. Thankfully, despite being inferior in terms of fighting power, Can was still protected by his mysterious shield.With the two clones fighting him simultaneously, Can then faced Pond's clone in order to drag him into their battle. When he found an opening, he changed his lance into a whip.
"Whip Strike!"
The whip on his hand extended and went straight to grab Pond's clone. Unable to avoid, the clone was entangled by the whip. Can then pulled the clone close to him.With the three clones now focused on Can, the little beast summoner cast a spell.
"Prison Dome!"
Hitting the castle floor with his shield, a bluish dome was created and trapped the four of them inside."Pond, now!" Can commanded.With a wicked smile, Pond said enthusiastically, "Understood."Now that the most powerful clones were trapped inside the Prison Dome, Pond could deal with the others easily without any trouble.
"Sign of the Raven!"
With a wave of his hands, hundreds of black ravens were summoned and flew towards the enemies.Being able to figure out what Can was trying to do, Tin's clone tried to help the other clones. Unfortunately, he was unable to get out of the dome that Can created. Before he even tried to destroy the dome, he was already being attacked by Can with his whip. When the whip was about to hit him, he held it with his hand in order to pull Can towards him. Unfortunately, when he did so, Can's whip has changed into a huge black sword. It was Thanatos' sword. Before Can could slash Tin's clone with the sword, the clone evaded him. Only a pile of rubble and a huge dent on the floor was left behind.Meanwhile, one of the apostles tried to destroy the black ravens. Before he could do so, a black raven with its red eyes looked into the apostle. In a second, the apostle stopped struggling. He turned to another apostle and started attacking him without hesitation.One by one, the apostles started fighting with one another and with the clones.Pond's wicked smile grew larger. "Yes, fight amongst yourselves and see who would survive!"Meanwhile, Ae and Pete understood Can's strategy. Although they wanted to help, they knew they did not have the capability to do so. They could only watch while they were being protected by the barrier that was built by Can.When Ae was observing Pond from a distance, it was the first time he saw how he summoned the ravens and used them to manipulate the apostles to do his bidding. It was then at that point that he realized something. His eyes suddenly widened as tears seemed to build up. His body slightly shook, then attempted to calm himself.He was sure about it. He was sure that it was him.Pond was the one who manipulated him to kill Can back in the Beast Gods' Dimension.(A/N: Refer to Ch 40 - 41 about the manipulation)
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Hello! I'm back. I'm sorry about the delay. I was really busy XD Anyways here you go!=========It was him. Ae was certain that it was Pond who manipulated him. Why? What was his reason for doing that? Why did he act that he was some kind of innocent person when he was around him? Does he not feel guilty? Does Can know about this?A lot of questions were filling his mind, but he did not let these stop him from thinking rationally. It was not the right time to question and vent his frustrations and anger towards Pond.Suppressing the almost erupting mix of emotions, he formed a tight fist and closed his eyes. He took multiple deep breaths to calm down and let the tension from his body go away.When Pete sensed Ae's uneasiness, he caressed his back and with a comforting smile, he said, "It will be okay. Just believe in them."Ae gazed at him and forced a smile with his true feelings buried inside of him. He only nodded back and did not say anything else. At that point, Pete would notice a sudden change in Ae's behavior. Although it was a subtle change, Pete could certainly sense it.On the battlefield, Pond was gaining the upper hand over the apostles. His enemies were starting to fall one by one as they fought among themselves. Seeing how this battle unfolds, Pond was quite satisfied. He was somehow enjoying the misery of his enemies. Of course, he would enjoy such a sight since he was unable to let go of his grudge against them. This was a payback when he lost in a fight with them back in the Phoenix Garden. Yet, when Pete and especially Ae saw how he was having fun in this situation, it somehow looked like they were witnessing another side of Pond. It was an ugly one. Unfortunately, they did not know the truth about why Pond was happy being this ruthless. They did not bother to ask later anyways.On Can's side, his battle against the clones was still in a stalemate. Despite the overwhelming power of the three clones against him, Can still managed to exchange blows aggressively and confidently with the protection of the Guyak Shield. The little beast summoner knew that he could not prolong the fight. It was almost impossible to defeat the clones by himself after all.Quickly, he glanced at Tin who was still unconscious on the ground to check on him. A wave of relief went to his being after knowing that Tin was resting peacefully with stable breathing. Unfortunately, this second of carelessness and not paying attention to his enemies would soon put him in a much more difficult situation.Tin's clone used this moment of Can's carelessness to try to remove the shield away from him. He knew very well that the shield was the only thing that was obstructing him from eliminating the enemy.
"Earthquake!"
He stomped the ground causing a strong wave to spread on the floor of the palace. With his signal, the other clones used their magic spells to attack Can. This sudden strong earthquake and burst magic attack spells from the clones made Can lose his footing.Now, lying on the floor, the three clones unendingly sent a wave of attacks. Fortunately, the clones' plan to remove Can's shield failed, but Can was unable to get up because of the unending attack from them. He could only protect himself by holding his shield up. He was stuck.Panic suddenly engulfed Can. He knew he would be safe, but the feeling of helplessness and being stuck felt quite terrible. He quickly tried to find a way to deal with the situation as he thought of a solution. The source of power for the clones came from this entire castle. Destroying it would be the only solution. Even so, it was easier to say than doing it. The problem was that the castle walls were too strong to penetrate since they were supported by spiritual energy. If Can could somehow disrupt the spiritual energy, even for a moment, then the castle could be easily destroyed."A spiritual bomb!" Can exclaimed. A spiritual bomb has the capability of cutting off and dispersing spiritual energy from the user. Without any hesitation, Can shouted while still holding up his shield, "Pete!"Pete, who heard his name, immediately replied, "What is it Can!?""Do you still have spiritual bombs with you? How many do you have?"Pete was quite unsure of what he planned to do with the spiritual bombs, but he looked into his storage ring. "There's only two left!""Too little....," Can whispered with disappointment. Two spiritual bombs were not enough to disrupt the flow of spiritual energy in the castle. They would need hundreds to achieve some disruptive effect. He must think of another way.It was then he realized a method. He could potentially absorb the spiritual energy to a certain extent and then make himself a spiritual bomb. With his ability, he could certainly disrupt the flow of the spiritual energy within the castle. After disrupting the flow of spiritual energy in the castle, destroying the castle would be much easier.Can once again shouted, "Do we have explosives!? The stronger the better!"Pond, who just finished eliminating the remaining apostles and crushing the weaker clones of Pete and Ae, replied curiously, "We do have explosives, but for what reason?"Can thought about whether to tell everyone about his plan or not. In the end, he decided not to reveal everything. If he said his plan, they might not agree to it.He suddenly remembered his old master and his warning. Old Master Khang mentioned that he was not supposed to just casually absorb spiritual energy as it could damage his body and spiritual core. Can knew this, but there seemed to be no other way."I want you guys to plant the explosives here. After that, leave the castle and I'll handle the rest," Can explained."Leave you here? What are you going to do?" Pond worriedly asked."Trust me on this one. Just do what I say. It's going to be okay," Can reassured everyone.With the enemies defeated leaving only the clones inside the Prison Dome, Pond and the others hesitatingly acted. If Can said to trust him, then they have to do so. Pete went to Tin's side first in order to check his current situation. With relief, he found that Tin was somewhat more stable compared to earlier. Using his healing abilities, he tended Tin's wounds and supplied him further with calming magic. Meanwhile, both Pond and Ae were placing explosives hurriedly.When Pond tried to get close to Ae, the latter would walk away. He would not even look or talk to him. What was his problem? Does he look dirty? Does he smell bad? Pond came up with possible scenarios on why Ae was acting differently but never thought of the possibility regarding him exposing himself. Pond thought that there was no way Ae would know that since it was only Can who knew the truth. In the end, he thought that it could be about his father. After all, he betrayed his family. Not that it was a bad thing since his father was a bad person who wanted to dominate the world.Of course, Pond was not the type of person without guilt. He knew the wrongdoings that he did. He would surely pay Ae back for the crime he committed against him. It was just that, he needed a perfect time to do so."Done," Pond said."Great. Thank you. Now, please take Tin and leave. Go far away from this place, as much as possible. I'll look for you after," Can firmly said."U-understood," Pond said with much hesitation. He did not want to leave Can by himself while dealing with enemies on his own. Yet, when the two of them locked their gaze, Can nodded with a smile.Pond was dazed for a moment as he replied, "Got it."He went to Tin and lifted him. For Pete and Ae, they could only worriedly say, "Please get back to us safely."Before they left the castle, Can's teammates looked back one last time. "Promise you'll be back safely," Pond shakily said."That's a promise," Can nodded.When his teammates left, Can started initiating his plan. Surrounded by dead apostles and piles of rubbles while being simultaneously pinned to the ground by magical spells of his enemies, Can concentrated his power.
"Spirit Tree!"
A burst of pure blue spiritual energy came out of Can's body. It then integrated itself within the castle as it took the form of a tree root. Those roots expanded until it covered the entire castle. After enveloping the entire castle within minutes, the roots started pulsating as if they had life. They then began absorbing the spiritual energy of the castle. Gradually, this absorbed energy was being transferred directly to Can.What Can was doing was extremely dangerous. The absorption of spiritual energy has to be smooth and without interruption. If this process was interrupted, it could damage Can's body. It was only due to his trust on the protection of his shield that he was able to actually dare do this despite being overwhelmed by the attacks from the clones.As he continued to absorb the energy, he did not let the clones distract him as he focused on the important task at hand. He cannot make a mistake and fail.When the capacity to hold spiritual energy inside his spiritual core was already at its limits, Can continued to push himself further. He had to make sure that the disruption of spiritual energy would be impactful.Soon, his core was being overfilled with energy that it hurt Can physically. It was as if he was about to explode inside. Unfortunately, his shield was unable to protect him from such pain. Can could only endure, until he thought it was enough.
"Spirit Explosion!"
From within Can's body, bluish veins covered his entire body as his eyes glowed brightly white. His body bent upward as he was lifted on the ground. Then an expanding white sphere came out of him and covered the entire castle within seconds. There was a deafening silence within those seconds, then afterward, a huge explosion.Faraway from the crumbling castle, Pond and the others could only stare."He would be okay. He has the shield. The shield will protect him from harm," Pond said confidently."That-that's right," Pete said as he reassured himself. Ae said the same thing as he looked at Tin who was still unconscious.They waited for a while. Ten minutes passed. It then turned into thirty minutes then to an hour."Should we look for him after all?" Pete became worried all of a sudden.Can said that he would look for them, so they waited for him to come back. Pond tried to communicate with his master after the explosion, but he was unable to get any response from him."Let's go back to the castle," Pond said as he summoned his pet Great Black Raven. Quickly, he lifted Tin and secured him on top of his pet. Then, both Pete and Ae followed.After some time, they reached the remnants of the fallen castle on the ground. They ignored the white-colored sphere which was the source of the power of the second tower. They would not disable it until they find Can. Everyone immediately searched."CAN!? CAN!?"They shouted and searched for him for a long time, but they did not find him."W-where could he be?" Pete started shaking as his eyes turned red. His tears were about to fall.Ae went to his side and comforted him, "We'll find him.""We'll find him," Pete said again as his body tensed.While the three were anxiously looking for Can, the unconscious person resting behind the Great Black Raven woke up.He did not move his body. He was not panicking nor angry. He was just calmly staring at the empty blue sky.
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Another update. Also, I updated a new chapter on the new story I'm working on: https://www.sofanovel.com/index.html#/detail/1_0c2183fd-589c-43b7-be55-d776f6315356 (Check it out if you have time.)======"CAN!? WHERE ARE YOU!" Pond shouted in anger and frustration. His breathing became more rapid as a result."You said you'll come to find us," he whispered as his worry about the situation of his master intensified.He shouted a couple of more times as he circled the remnants of the once-mighty floating castle not too long ago. His summoned ravens searched far and wide around this dimension, but they did not find Can's shadow."Sh*t! Sh*t!" He stomped the ground with his right foot, which left a huge hole.Both Pond and Ae were silent. They were not sure how to react at all. Did Can disappear? Is he...They did not want to think about it. They did not dare think about losing him again. They already lost him once.As mixed emotions and silence filled them, they did not notice the struggle and the uneasiness of the Great Black Raven. It was scared stiff!As for what reason, it was clear that it was due to the person resting behind its back. If Pond saw how his pet bird, a Mythical grade beast, could act in such a shameless manner, he would probably think of disowning it.The moment Tin took a deep breath, the Great Black Raven began shivering."Could you stop shaking, you're going to give me a headache," Tin said coldly.After finishing his sentence, the Great Black Raven gulped and stood without moving, just like a statue.Tin then closed his eyes and concentrated his power as he stabilized it. He could sense that his corrupted core has cracks. So, within a few moments, he fixed it.He was unaware of what happened when he lost control earlier, but he knew it had something to do with his corrupted core. Fortunately, he was able to learn more on how to fix his core after he first lost his control back in Can's small house. Still, he did not expect that he would lose control and let his emotions get into him at a very critical moment. It was surely a lesson to be learned. He has to further control his strong emotions, especially when it comes to Can.Although he was unaware of what happened earlier, he knew that Can helped him stabilize his corrupted core with his spiritual energy. He would know since Can's spiritual energy was unique and pure. He felt it a couple of times before.Checking his current surroundings, he immediately noticed the black smoke and ashes that came from the demolished castle. He could see the white-colored sphere floating above it. That was the source of power of the second tower.In a distance, he could hear the shouting. He was not paying attention at first due to his concentration on fixing his corrupted core. Once he heard what Can's pet and the others were shouting, he tensed immediately then calmed down. If it was before, he would certainly be overwhelmed with emotions, which would cause his corrupted core to take control of him once again. Now, it was not the case.Tin got up and jumped down from the Great Black Raven's back. He took a deep breath and used a spell to search for Can.
"Blood Pact: Search!"
(A/N: Blood Spell Ch. 31)Since he has implemented an improved Blood Pact with Can, Tin could easily locate his whereabouts anywhere without any problem. Whether he was dead or alive, he would be able to find him.Relaxing, Tin's body became less tense. Can was alive, but his current condition was still unknown. The most concerning matter currently was that Can was in the third tower. It seemed that the guardian of the third tower took him. As for the reason, he was unsure of it.For now, they must disable the source of power of this place, then travel to the third tower."Ae, disable the source of power. We're moving to the third tower," Tin said as he walked towards Ae and Pete."Tin! You're awake? How do you feel?" Pete said worriedly.He locked eyes with Pete and with a sincere smile, "Yes. I'm well. Thank you for helping me out earlier."With a nod, Pete said, "N-no problem."Both him and Ae were not sure what to say next. They were not sure how Tin would react when he finds out that Can was missing."Disable the source of power. We're leaving immediately," Tin repeatedly said with an odd calmness.Finally, Ae decided to say something, "Can is still...""He's in the third tower. The guardian took him."Hearing this, Pond, who was not too far, looked at Tin's direction. "Wh-How do you know? Is he alive? Is he okay?"Tin did not spare Pond a glance. "He's alive...Don't worry."Surprised and weirded out by Tin's sudden comforting words, Pond with a hopeful tone said as he stuttered, "T-then we should head out soon and find him."Although Tin did not answer on how he knew what happened to Can, they did not ask him further. They were rather dumbfounded that Tin was somehow calm in this situation. They thought that he would be angry at the point that he would lose his control again."Why would the guardian take him?" Ae frowned.Tin did not answer. Instead, he created a portal that would directly allow him and the others to travel straight to the third tower.Hurriedly with Pete's help, Ae went to the white-colored sphere floating above the destroyed castle and disabled it.After disabling the source of power, Tin and the others headed to their destination.Before they entered the third tower, no enemies were guarding it. Since most of the Apostles were defeated, no one powerful enough could defend the last tower. It was left abandoned.As they entered the portal of the third tower, they were transferred to another dimension.When they checked the surroundings of the new dimension, they were all rather speechless.Pete with a shocked expression on his face as he pointed at a familiar place said, "That's...Can's house....""How? What does this mean?" Pond asked anxiously. He knew this place was only an imitation to Can's real house in the real world. Still, even though they were similar, there were some distinct differences."Tin, do you know what's happening?" Ae asked."We're going in. Be careful," Tin replied without facing him.Without any choice, Tin and the others could only move forward. The front gate of the house was painted white in contrast to the current rusty gate of Can's real house. It looked rather new.They opened it, then headed inside. As they passed by the small front yard, they saw the various vegetables that were being grown there. They were ready to be harvested. This was again another contrast to Can's original empty front yard.(A/N: Reference at Chapter 57: The Long-awaited Reunion)It was weird. Why were there such small differences to the original house? Although curious, they did not entertain themselves to find the answer.They entered the house and immediately looked for Can."Can! Where are you?" Pond shouted. Immediately, the group separated to look for Can in the house. It was a small house, so they should be able to search the place thoroughly and easily.Meanwhile, Tin headed up straight upstairs. Slowly, he turned to look at the direction of Can's room. He was there, although he was not alone.When he opened the door to Can's room, he was stunned momentarily."Is Can in there?" Ae said as he approached Tin. The rest of the group followed.Not hearing any answer from Tin, Ae became worried. He immediately went inside and saw something unexpected.Ae was speechless, but he managed to utter a word. "You?"Everyone else had the same expression when they saw the guardian sitting next to Can who was lying in bed peacefully. It was Can's father!"Shhh. Let him rest for a bit more. I'll answer your questions in a bit," the guardian weakly smiled at Ae and the others as he continued to caress Can's head.Soon, the guardian got up and led the others downstairs."You gentlemen want some green tea? I grew them personally from that small garden in the front," the guardian said politely as he started boiling green tea leaves and gathering small cheap-looking cups."Erm...I...," Pete was hesitant. He was not sure whether to trust this guardian or not."Don't worry. It won't be poisoned. If I wanted to harm all of you, I could easily do so without lifting a finger," the guardian remarked jokingly.That was true. Currently, Tin and the others' powers have been depleted. Even if they could still fight, they could sense that the guardian's power could easily overwhelm them in a fight."Go on take a seat," the guardian said politely although it sounded rather demanding.When he was done serving hot green tea to his guests, the guardian sat down next to Tin. The table was quite small, so everyone was close to one another."Ae, you've grown up quite well," the guardian smiled as the small wrinkles on his face showed."Uncle, is this really you?" Ae asked. He still could not believe that the guardian of this tower was Can's father."Yes. Surprising right? Hehe," the guardian joked."How? Yo-you're supposed to be....dead," Ae replied hesitantly.Scratching his head, the guardian sighed and started explaining. "I did not die to be exact. I was unable to maintain the connection between my human form and my spirit form together."He then looked at the floating small pieces of leaves on his cup of hot tea."True, I am the guardian of the third tower. I was created by the First Supreme Ruler to guard this tower and oversee the other towers. It has been thousands of years since then."With another sigh, he continued, "Spending that much time guarding the towers without anything happening for thousands of years has become difficult for me. It was boring.""So, I decided to leave the tower from time to time to venture into the human world. It was then I finally found that my life could be much more interesting than just guarding this stinking place!"Another weak smile formed on his face. Sorrow was evident in his smile, "That was the time I met the love of my life.""Auntie," Ae whispered."That's right. I fell in love with her and had a family." Thinking of his wife and Ley, he asked Ae, "How's my wife and Ley?""They're..."Before he could finish, Tin interrupted him, "They're fine. They're in a safe place. You can be rest assured."Quickly glancing at the handsome youth, "Heh. So, this is Can's boyfriend huh? You look quite capable. Very handsome too... Thank you."Tin nodded, "No problem. Can's family is my family." Tin already accepted the fact that this guardian was Can's dad.When he said those, everyone got goosebumps, except Can's father. They did not know that Tin could be this thick-skinned!"HAHAHA! Very capable indeed!" Can's father said as he was slamming the table repeatedly. He had not laughed this hard for a long time.Everyone just looked at Can's father. "..."Seeing that everyone was judging him, he coughed fakely and stabilized himself. He then returned to his normal serious tone. For a few minutes, he talked to everyone to get to know them more."Alright. I'm quite satisfied knowing that everyone is doing well so far and that my son has people to rely on. I know that you guys are busy, so I won't make our conversation too long."Taking a deep breath, the guardian continued to speak. "I know that my son could be reckless at times, but I didn't know that he was that capable."He looked at everyone then said, "After he self-exploded using his spiritual energy, his spiritual core was damaged badly.""What!?" Pond panicked."It's okay, Beast God, I fixed it. He's fine with a little rest," he nodded.Standing up, he cleared the table. "I'm aware of what's happening in the cave. It's not going too well. You must hurry and stop him."The guardian looked at Ae and shook his head, "Your dad is an idiot."Ae could only fake his smile, "He is.""It'll be hard on you, but you must do what is right. It's the only way," the guardian continued.Ae did not say anything. Pete could only comfort him as he held his hand firmly."I'll meet you guys upstairs," the guardian said as he cleaned up.Tin and the others agreed and went upstairs to Can's room.When they reached his room, Tin was the first one to approach Can. Caressing his cheeks, he whispered, "I'm glad you're okay."Everyone heaved a sigh of relief.As soon as the guardian entered the room, everyone could see that he was fading."Uncle!? What's wrong?" Ae became worried."My power is already fading rapidly. I transferred most of it to help fix my son's core.""W-what can we do?" Pete asked as he stuttered.Shaking his head weakly with a comforting smile, the guardian said, "There's nothing you could do. Besides, the moment you disable this tower would be the moment I disappear."Ae's eyes became watery. Can's father was another father figure to him, so seeing him in this state bothered and broke his heart.Approaching Ae, the guardian hugged him caringly, "Ae, you must stay strong."The guardian looked at Pete as he mentioned, "Take care of him for me, will you? He's like a son to me too. Hehe.""I will, Uncle."The guardian then locked his gaze at Pond and nodded. Pond understood what he was trying to convey and firmly nodded back.When it came to Tin, the guardian took his hand and shook it. "I'll have to ask you to take care of my family. Don't spoil them too much, especially my wife and my little girl. They might depend on you too much, but seeing you're a super filthy rich young master, I won't be too worried. Hah! Can did hit a jackpot."=====Both Mrs. Rathavit and Ley, who were in Tin's protected private island, sneezed in unison. "Achoo!""Someone's talking about us," Mrs. Rathavit said as she took a sip of her pineapple juice that had some alcohol in it."It's probably older brother, he probably misses us," Ley said as she also sipped her fresh pineapple juice."He's with Tin. I won't be worried too much. They must be having fun," Mrs. Rathavit replied as she happily walked at the beach.She looked at the clear blue sky with her eyes twinkling with tenderness."We're doing great, love," she whispered with a big smile on her face as she raised her glass as if making a toast.Seeing her mom making a toast at the sky, Ley became suddenly concerned, "Mom, did you put alcohol in your drink again!?""Hahah! No! Why would I do that?" After she said that, Mrs. Rathavit started running away from Ley while still holding her drink.Knowing her mom was guilty, she shouted angrily. Of course, she was not truly angry."Get back here!""Catch me if you can! Hahaha!" Mrs. Rathavit shouted.==========With a proud smile, Tin promised, "I'll take good care of them. No need to worry.""That's reassuring," the guardian nodded.His gaze then fell to Can. He approached him by the bed and kissed him on the forehead. "I'm sorry son for hurting you. I hope you forgive me. Even if I'm not with you physically anymore, please know that I love you so much. I love you and our family. If....if... only I could stay and spend more time with you much longer..."The guardian's eyes became watery, but he did not let himself cry. He could not let himself cry from sorrow. He must leave this world with positivity.After saying his last words to Can, he stood up. He stabilized his breathing and calmed himself down."Uncle, why don't you wait until Can wakes up. Surely, he would..."Before Ae could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by the guardian."My son is too attached to me, you see. I'm afraid if he sees me then I disappear again, he would be heartbroken once again. It must've taken him a long time to move on. I don't want to see him crying again, so it's okay," he reasoned.Gradually, he started fading further. "Everyone, thank you and good luck."He looked at his son one last time until he faded completely.Ae could not hold back his tears and cried. By his side, Pete hugged him as he comforted him.As soon as Can's father vanished, the setting of the dimension changed in an instant. The imitated house and its contents faded slowly. Then a white colored-sphere showed up where the guardian disappeared. It was the source of power in the third tower.Tin carried Can with him. "Disable it. We're leaving after."Ae nodded. Even if it hurts him, he must keep moving forward.When the source of power was disabled, they left the third tower.Reaching the real world, Can then woke up."How do you feel," Tin softly said as he wiped the tears from Can."I-I'm okay. I just had a dream...," Can replied. He was surprised that he cried over a dream that he had about his family."How about you? What happened to the castle?" Can said as he tried to divert the discussion."We're fine. We disabled all the towers," Tin replied with a loving smile."Even the third?" Can asked as he looked at everyone."Yes," Ae said with a faltering smile. Thankfully, Pete was there to help him maintain his emotions."Oh! That was fast! I must've fallen asleep for a long time," Can felt embarrassed."You did quite well, so you deserve some rest," Tin chuckled."Yeah, that's right! You did really well," Pond exclaimed.Everyone started complimenting and encouraging Can. Although Can certainly felt weird about how everyone was acting, he was quite happy about the seemingly lighthearted atmosphere."Thank you."
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Since it was already dark, Tin and the others decided to settle down, not too far away from where the third tower stood. Now that all Apostles were defeated, no one would dare attack them openly. As for Ae's father, he was most likely still in the process of gathering and concentrating spiritual energy to control the King of the Beast. The team could not act rashly and attack the cave as their spiritual energy has been depleted completely.Tin built a campfire while the rest sat on wooden chairs that came from Pete's storage bag."Here, this should help you absorb spiritual energy much faster," Pete said as he handed out high-grade potions to Tin, Pond, and Can. As for Ae, he did not need one. He was still in the recovery phase as his core was still trying to heal. Giving him a potion might overburden his core and cause a disturbance inside."Thank you," Can said with a smile. "Umm...Pete.""Hmm, what is it, Can?" Pete faced the little beast summoner."Well, I feel some sort of discomfort around my core. Something feels different after I woke up. I wonder if it was after that incident in the castle," Can explained as he scratched his head."It-it doesn't hurt!" Can quickly added as he looked at Tin. He did not want him to overreact about this.Pete awkwardly looked at everyone. It must be related to Can's father fixing his core. When both Pete and Tin looked at one another, Tin gestured Pete to check on Can's current status with a nod."Alright, I'll take a look." Pete hurriedly went behind Can. Putting both of his hands on Can's back, Pete checked the current status of Can's physical health. When he sensed that there was nothing wrong with Can physically, he moved on to check his spiritual energy level and its flow inside him. Other than Can's spiritual energy being somewhat depleted, there was nothing wrong with the level of spiritual energy inside of him. Afterward, he went to check on his spiritual core.Pete sensed his core's vast capacity to contain spiritual energy. He knew that Can was special as he could gather and contain spiritual energy at an abnormal rate, but being able to sense its vastness was amazing and frightening at the same time. Moving on, he checked for the core's condition. There was nothing wrong with it. The only peculiar thing he noticed was that it was rather stronger. He knew that Can was a tier-6 Rainbow Grade Beast Summoner, but the current strength of his core seemed to exceed that of a tier-6...A realization slowly crept on Pete. His eyes widened as goosebumps on his body intensified.He shakily said as he removed his hands from Can's back, "Im..possible...""What's wrong? Is my core seriously damaged? I mean I don't feel any pain at all?" Can became nervous all of a sudden as he came up with possible reasons for Pete's scared reaction.Pete looked at Tin."What is it, Pete?" Tin said calmly.Swallowing his saliva, Pete tried to calm down, but his voice betrayed him when he stuttered."His c-core... It's at tier-7..."At that point, everyone became silent. Their eyes widened. There was a mixture of doubt, amazement, and fear."Are you certain?" Pond asked as he looked at Can like he was some sort of god."I'm sure. The discomfort that Can was feeling was due to the core's upgrade. He needs to stabilize it first," Pete replied."Then....are you saying that...there are two Supreme Rulers?" Pond continued to ask.Having one Supreme Ruler was already considered a rarity. In all history of humanity, at different points of time, there were only two people who became the Supreme Ruler in the past. Now, there was Tin, which made him the third Supreme Ruler. To have another addition of Supreme Ruler to exist at the same time as Tin, this phenomenon would be considered as something that was too abnormal! Weren't the gods too partial towards Tin and Can? Were they too bored that they have decided to grant extreme power to two people who were lovers to boot!? Would Ae's father even have a chance to lift a finger against them?"This is too insane," Pond was dazed. He could not believe it. Two Supreme Rulers in one location where one was his current master! F*cken unbelievable!"Congratulations," Pete said with a smile. One thing was for sure, Tin and Can were extremely favored by the gods. Although the responsibility of being a Supreme Ruler was quite heavy, this could be considered as a good thing.Ae said the same thing happily. "Congratulations, Can.""But you must replenish and stabilize your core first. We don't want accidents to happen in the future," Pete added."I understand. Thank you, Pete," Can replied. Can could not believe that he became another Supreme Ruler. To begin with, he never thought of ever becoming a Tier-3 at all! All it took for him to become a tier-7 was to self-explode? It was somehow hard to believe."Go on and drink the potion," Tin said not too far away from him.Even though he was in deep thoughts about his current level, he still followed Tin without realizing it. He took the cork off the potion bottle and drank its contents. The glowing and shining blue liquid inside the bottle was gone within seconds. As Can absorbed it, he felt his spiritual energy increased significantly. Still, he thought it was not enough."It tastes like pine...apple?" Can was quite shocked about the aftertaste of the potion that it managed to divert his attention away from the fact that he was now considered as one of the most powerful people in the world. He thought that the liquid would taste bitter just like any normal medicine."Ohh! Yes. These particular potions that I made would taste depending on what you crave. So Can, you were craving pineapple juice when you drank it, correct?" Pond asked to see if the potion that he made had accuracy at determining the user's craving. He intended to sell them in the future."Yes! That's right! This is amazing, Pete." Can showed was amazed at Pond's creativity at inventing things."Is that so? That's good to hear then," Pete slightly blushed. He then observed both Pond and Tin about their reaction. He wanted to know what they were craving."Hmm, it tastes like those expensive red wine that you guys have here on Earth," Pond replied happily as he drank the potion."This doesn't mean that the potion has alcohol right?" he curiously asked."No, not at all. Do you want it to have alcohol then?" Customer feedback is necessary if one wants to be successful in the business field. Pete would like to take this opportunity to get as much feedback on the trial products that he has from his friends."I would like to have that option," Pond sincerely said as he took another sip from his bottle."Ahh, I see," Pete replied as the two then went into a full discourse of what could be added and improved on the potion.As they were talking, Can moved his chair closer to Tin when the latter was drinking his potion."How does it taste? What were you craving?" Can asked curiously.After drinking the contents of the bottle, Tin locked gazed with Can."Cantaloupe," Tin uttered with a devious smile.Can just looked at him dumbfoundedly. He did not know how to act or how to rebut him.Soon, the heat reached his cheeks and ears, which caused them to redden.Tin wanted to tease him more, so he got closer to Can and whispered to his left ear. "It's still not enough. I want more...."After saying those words, the breath of air that came out of him seemed to intensify the heat on Can's left ear as it remained for some time."W-what are you saying? No-not here. Not with people around us," Can stuttered as he covered his reddened left ear."Can, what were you thinking? I was referring to Pete's potion. It wasn't enough to completely recover my spiritual energy. You...," Tin's smile widened further."Well, that's... I thought..."Can became embarrassed and looked away. He thought that Tin was talking about him. Now Tin would think that he was some kind of pervert!Seeing the flustered and embarrassed look of the person next to him, Tin let out a chuckle. He softly grabbed Can's chin firmly and directed his gaze towards him. He then leaned and kissed his lips.As he parted with the boy's lips, Tin whispered lovingly and seductively, "Of course, I'm talking about you. You're the only one I need. And I just can't get enough of you."He released him from his grasp and gently ruffled Can's hair. "Go and stabilize your core. I'll look after you to make sure nothing happens. Once the sun rises, we'll leave."Can nodded. He was speechless for a moment. For Tin to tease him like that, he thought that he must retaliate somehow."I love you, Tin," Can said without hesitation. The seriousness of his tone was also reflected on his face as the campfire's light flickered in the darkness.Tin stopped moving from his seat. He turned around and looked at the youth. A smile spread on his face.Gently reaching out to Can's left cheek and caressing it, Tin replied, "I love you too. I love you so much, Can."After uttering those words, he leaned once again and kissed Can. This time their kissing session became longer and more provocative.Can lost this time again. He was supposed to make Tin blush, but it was he who blushed further. It was supposed to be Tin who should be swept off his feet, but it was he who got his feet swept off. It was he who still suffered the consequences. In any case, he did not complain. He liked this intimacy, after all. It has been a while too since they have become this much closer with one another.The liveliness of the couple and discussion of improvement in Pete's business was contrasted by Ae's gloominess. From the side, Ae felt somehow terrible as he witnessed the others having a good time. While everyone else seemed to be acting normally and happily, he felt stressed and overwhelmed all of a sudden. The issue with his father, his uselessness in battle, the death of his uncle, and Pond's betrayal were bothering him all at once. It seemed that the more he got closer to dealing with his father, the more problems he had to deal with. It was suffocating him. Why did it have to come to this? Did he deserve this?Frowning as he pinched the bridge of his nose, Ae's mind slowly descended to a dark pit. He was being swallowed by despair and suffering. He was exhausted. How long will he have to deal with this? How long does he have to suffer?"Is everything alright?" A hand gently touched Ae's arm, which gave him sudden warmth and that pulled him out from the deep dark pit that he was in.Ae looked up and forced a smile, "I'm...I'm fine.""Ae," Pete tenderly said. He was aware that something has been bothering Ae. "You know that you can tell me whatever it is that's in your mind."Ae hesitated. He shook his head as he looked down.Pete whispered once again as he reassured his lover that everything was going to be fine, "Ae..."Slowly hugging his waist, he continued. "I'm here. You can talk to me."Ae felt Pete's concern and love for him. He looked up and faced him. Suddenly, the feelings that were bottled inside of him overflowed.When Pete locked gaze with him, he could see the exhaustion and grief on Ae quite clearly. He looked miserable."I'm overwhelmed and I feel quite useless."Hearing those words, Pete cupped Ae gently with both of his hands and whispered, "I understand about being overwhelmed about everything. As for being useless, I have to disagree."Ae moved his gaze down. He doubted Pete's words. He knew that he was just trying to make him feel better.Pete knew what he was thinking, so he explained further. "You think that you're powerless, but you're not. Your role is as important as everyone else. Without you, we wouldn't have the chance to learn and gain the necessary experience of truths and hardships in this journey."Ae slowly looked into Pete's eyes once more. He sensed the sincerity within him and his words."If we went with Tin's idea of just destroying the towers without entering them, would we learn about Can's dad? How about the opportunity for Can to become another Supreme Ruler? Would we learn about Guyak Shield too? Would we be able to fulfill Pannin's wish? Would we be-"Before Pete could finish all the words he wanted to say to make Ae feel better and more confident about himself, he was stopped by Ae's sudden kiss.There was a hint of satisfaction and relief on Pete as he kissed Ae back.When the two parted, Ae whispered gently as he held his lover's hands and caressed them lovingly. "I understand now. Thank you. I'm really grateful to have you with me, Pete. Thank you for not leaving my side."He then hugged Pete firmly as he rested his head on his lover's shoulder. "You always make me feel better...Thank you...""You're welcome. For me, you're the strongest person out of all of us," Pete whispered lovingly and softly as he kissed his forehead. He then proceeded to hold him. As he was about to use a calming spell to allow Ae to get some rest, Pete could already hear Ae's slow breathing. He was already asleep.Lightly chuckling, Pete whispered, "Goodnight."Pete looked at the people around him. Can was calmly concentrating at stabilizing his power while Tin was guarding him with such a serious yet tender look on his face. As for Pond, well, he was drunk. It seemed that he mixed alcohol to the potion that he gave. He was now quietly sleeping.Once the sun rises, they have to face the most difficult challenge of this journey. Despite the overwhelming positive revelation they had tonight, it did not mean that there was a certainty that they would easily win against Ae's father. Still, he could only rely on himself and the capabilities of the people around him. He must believe that everything would end up in their favor.Yawning, Pond closed his eyes to sleep as he continued to hold Ae in his arms. "Everything's going to be okay."====== I recently created a Youtube channel. It's mostly about roleplay/arts&crafts, so if you have free time, check it out. Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl1KpNwEjC6HxQgh3VIbDNA Aight later
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Hello, I'm back. Happy 4th of July!Anyways, I also updated the fiction I'm working on, so check it out if you have time. Link: https://www.sofanovel.com/index.html#/detail/1_0c2183fd-589c-43b7-be55-d776f6315356
Also, my youtube channel too, if you have time to waste: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl1KpNwEjC6HxQgh3VIbDNA
Almost there.=====The decisive battle for the fate of the world had begun as the sun rose. The calmness and peace that Tin and everyone felt would be now replaced with a certain uneasiness and subtle chaos.While everyone was asleep earlier, Tin was fully awake. Even after Can finished the process of stabilizing his core, Tin still continued to guard the perimeter. Earlier he contacted both Type and Cha Aim to see the progress of what was happening with the ongoing war between B.S.G and E.A. As expected, without the support of the Apostles, E.A. was able to crush B.S.G and the remaining cult members in no time.Of course, the righteous elementalists were not the ones who crushed the enemies but the demonic elementalists. After being overwhelmed during the initial stage of the war, the righteous elementalists' power and dominance were severely weakened. They did not have enough force to create much disturbance and tilt the balance of power to their side. Due to this, E.A. was easily managed and controlled by the demonic elementalists despite the opposition from their righteous counterpart. What can these righteous elementalists do after all? They were just a bunch of flies that could make noises, but could not harm anyone. If it were not for Tin's instruction to let the rest of the survivors live, would the demonic elementalists put up with them? For a very long time, the demonic elementalists were the ones who suffered. They were massacred mercilessly and were driven into hiding with shame. Anger was built and revenge became a motivation to survive.Now, it was the righteous elementalists' time to hide. It was their time to feel the shame, frustration, and resentment of being powerless. This was their consequence. An eye for an eye. Their karma. Still, if atrocities between the two clans were to be compared, the righteous elementalists were the most vicious. They should be grateful that the Grandmaster and the Supreme Ruler of this world, Tin Phiravich, showed them kindness and mercy.This particular world war was the shortest as it would end within a month. Without the support from the Apostles who were leading the war, B.S.G and the cultists were only snakes without fangs and poison. As for their main leader, Ae's father, he was nowhere to be found and had been missing in action since the beginning. The war was already a lost cause. With this reality, it was clear who would pay such a heavy price."Time to move," Tin said as he cast a spell to open a portal that would lead to the entrance of the cave."Ready?" He looked at Can. The little beast summoner had been restless since he woke up.Locking his gaze with Tin, Can took a deep breath. The little beast summoner could feel Tin's concern due to his behavior.With a serious tone and with courage, he replied, "Yes."Tin looked at everyone else. They nodded in unison.Pete took Ae's hand and squeezed it tightly. "I'm prepared to face my father. I won't falter," Ae reassured.Pete smiled as he nodded. "En."Soon, everyone entered the portal. When they got out, they were in front of a large cave. Ae's eyes widened as he looked at the surrounding area of the huge unadorned cave. It was different from what his father described it as. The ground that was supposed to be filled with greenery and life was filled with death and cracks. It was black and purple. It was as if the land was poisoned with the scattered dead animals and dried plants and trees. The sky was dyed with red as it rumbled. It shook that even the gods in the heavenly realm could feel. There was an upcoming storm. As the heavy droplets of the rain turned into what seemed to be blood, the atmosphere became something that implies the future: complete chaos and apocalypse.The beast god felt a shiver in his body as he examined the area. "The power of evil is so intense here!""The dark energy inside has become uncontrollable and more powerful that it has started seeping out and causing a disturbance," Tin explained.The grip on Ae's hand became tighter. Ae comforted Pete as he also squeezed his hand tighter. Even though it seemed difficult, they knew they would overcome this together.The cave had no one to defend it, so everyone went inside without encountering trouble. According to what was known regarding the cave, it was constructed with a complex maze. This was made as another form of defense, so the outsiders could not easily get in the depths of the cave. Unfortunately, those who constructed it did not think about countermeasures when the one it tried so hard to hide and seal would attempt to get out.With the dark energy seeping out of the cave, the complex maze that was filled with different magic arrays were lifted. The path inside was nothing more but a walk in the park for the others. Although this was the case, the others did not feel that it had become easier for them. On the contrary, the more that they ventured and stayed inside, the more intense and concentrated the dark energy has become. It was suffocating even.As they continued their journey in the dark cave with only orbs of white light guiding them, they passed by vacant jail cells. Observing more closely, the door to their cells were forcefully ripped open. Inside one of those cells, blood was splattered everywhere. On the solid ground, a trace of struggle could be seen. The person inside dug his nails into the ground as if trying not to be taken away by whoever or whatever it was that was trying to get him. The blood that splattered everywhere was still fresh as it dripped on the ceiling. It was quite a disturbing find.Tin and Can looked at one another. Everyone in that cell knew very well who did such a gruesome crime. Although by the looks of it, the way the prisoners were dragged seemed to be done by a wild animal. Was the King of the Beast finally released? It would hardly be a surprise if Ae's father successfully released it."We must hurry," Ae said worriedly. They must face his father and end this as soon as possible before he could wreak havoc.Everyone agreed and hurried towards the end of the cave. Wearing the Guyak Shield, Can already formed a barrier to protect them from any surprise attack as soon as they entered the portal to the cave.Tin, on the other hand, took his magical staff casually. Either he was not aware or he had decided to ignore it, but Pond had been examining it since they went inside."That staff. How'd you get it?" Pond asked. He had been suspicious of its existence for a while."My ancestor," Tin replied without looking back."Who is your ancestor?" Pond continued to pester as he walked behind Tin."Go straight to the point. What do you want to know?" Tin said as if getting irritated by Pond's indirectness."That staff. If I'm not wrong-""It's the Soul Staff," Tin replied indifferently.Pond gasped. "It's really the Soul Staff!? What's with your f*cken luck?"Everyone stopped from moving as they became startled at Pond's reaction.With everyone's questioning gaze on him and thinking as if he was some kind of lunatic, Pond explained to his ignorant audience, "Just like the Guyak Shield, the Soul Staff is another mythical weapon!"Everyone except Tin gasped and shivered."What!? You mean to say that we possess two mythical weapons all this time?" Can replied with a dumbfounded expression. When he woke up, he was told about the identity of the Guyak Shield that he obtained from the Beast God Dimension. He could not believe it at first, but when he thought about it, this shield was quite phenomenal and powerful during his battle in the second tower. It could not be denied that it was worthy to be called a mythical weapon with its overpowered defense capabilities."Yes, that's right! What's with both of your luck? You both have the title of Supreme Ruler. That was already considered lucky, but then you guys possess mythical weapons too. Aren't you two too blessed by the gods!?" Pond explained while being angry. How come he was not favored as much as this couple?"Tin, you already know the identity of your staff?" Pete asked curiously."Yes," Tin replied. He asked about the unnamed ancestor who held the staff in his family's ancestor tomb to his grandfather earlier. It was then confirmed that it was truly the mythical weapon, Soul Staff. When Tin found out about it, he was not the type of person to jump in joy. It would be weird and definitely out of character if he did. This staff was a burden to him as it carried the souls of the dead. It was also covered in dark energy as it was forged with the blood and lives of people. Because of this, the Soul Staff has consciousness. If Tin was not careful, as he did before, the Soul Staff would have consumed him to become part of it. Thankfully, Tin could grasp its power without a problem. With it, Tin's power could easily multiply by a lot in an instant; powerful and complicated spells could be easily cast within less than a second without consuming too much spiritual energy. It was a perfect weapon for a demonic elementalist."Why didn't you tell us?" Pond asked."It wasn't worth mentioning." After saying that, he moved on and continued walking."Wasn't worth mentioning?" Pond whispered with frustration, "That's a mythical weapon for f*cks sake!?"Everyone just looked at one another at how Tin just casually revealed about the Soul Staff as it was some kind of ordinary item.Shaking his head, Pond just continued walking as he pondered about the gods' unfairness.Finally, they reached their destination. As the spirit orbs that gave light traveled around the surrounding area, the team witnessed the huge mirror-like wall not too far away from them. They also noticed the different individuals floating unconsciously above them as their spiritual energy seemed to be going towards one particular direction.As they looked closely at the individuals, Can immediately noticed the person he has been searching for: Master Khang."That's Master Khang!" Can shouted as he pointed shakily at his unconscious master. He could finally see his master!Can was about to fly and take his master away when Tin prevented him from doing so. "Hold on. Don't act rashly."Can was going to ask, but when he saw that Tin was pointing at something, he stopped. When the beast summoner looked up, he immediately shivered. Tin was pointing at one of the Apostles who was floating mid-air and currently being eaten by someone. It was the leader of the Apostles: Adam. How was he able to get here? He was supposed to be dead among the other Apostles who attacked them in the second tower.While Adam's inside was being eaten by an individual who was on top of him, the others also noticed that the other remaining members of the Apostles, both Joyde and Tryde, were also unconsciously floating in the air. The two of them among the other prisoners of war were all unconscious. In addition, Can also noticed that these people's spiritual energy was being absorbed and directed in one direction. Following the direction of the flow of the spiritual energy, it led to the mysterious individual who was devouring Adam.Seeing the mysterious individual cannibalizing made Pete almost throw up. Meanwhile, Ae was fixated at observing that mysterious cannibal."Father!?" Ae finally realized that it was his father who has been devouring Adam. It was hard to notice that it was him at first since he was covered in blood and dirt, but Ae recognized him."Th-that's him? Are you certain, Ae?" Pond was stunned. When he looked up again, an incredible fear and disgust overwhelmed him. What has Mr. Tanapon become?Filled with anger, Ae shouted, "Father!"His shout echoed. His father who was busy indulging himself with more power from his former comrade stopped all of a sudden."Is that you, my son?" Ae's father looked down and directed his gaze to his son. His tone of voice, although it was somehow soothing due to its clarity and tenderness, made him more frightening. Was Ae's father even sincere?All of a sudden, there was a sound of crying from his father. "Son, help me! I'm being controlled by this monster. He's inside me. I can't stop. Help me! Please don't kill me! Help!"He continued to cry, "I'm sorry for what I did. I was selfish. I regret everything that I did. Please. Help me. Ugh...Everything's painful.""Father!" Ae shouted. He was not sure whether to believe his words, but there was still a feeling of concern about his father."Help me, son. Help me get free. Don't kill me," Ae's father pleaded for help as he cried more from the pain.Letting go of Pete's hand, Ae ran forward. "Come down here father. Let us help you! We're not going to kill you. Please surrender yourself."Ae thought that his father could still have some control on himself to surrender. This could be a chance to save his life!He knew also that there was a chance that it might be a trap, but what if there was a chance that he indeed needed help and wanted to be saved? What if they could end this without much bloodshed? Just what if?"Ae come back here, it's not safe," Pete shouted. He did not trust what Ae's father said at all."It's going to be okay, Pete. Can cast a protective barrier on me," Ae replied as he continued to look up at his father's direction."Son, are you sure? Will you be able to help me?" Ae's father anxiously asked."Yes! I'll help you. Please come down father and let us help you. You're going to be safe," Ae shouted with optimism."Son, that's wonderful to hear. Thank you," Ae's father replied as he let himself fall from the sky."Thank you, son. My....treacherous son," he whispered as he summoned his Honglyun Sword and pointed its tip towards Ae.Before he fell down, Mr. Tanapon removed the spirit orbs that were the source of light in the darkness with a spell. Soon, the cave was consumed by darkness. Yet, thanks to Pond's sharp observation, he was quick to act when he noticed that Ae's father was holding the third mythical weapon."Sh*t! He's holding the Honglyun Sword!" Pond shouted as he moved forward towards Ae in a panic. Pushing Ae away, Pond took the wrath of the Honglyun Sword's power. Unfortunately, the barrier that was cast on him cracked within seconds of impact. How was this possible? Even with the Honglyun Sword, the barrier created by the Guyak Shield should not fail.And so, with the unexpected turn of events, the barrier that covered Pond was destroyed within seconds. The Honglyun Sword then directly penetrated Pond's chest.When Pete summoned the spirit orbs once again to light the cave, he gasped immediately at the revealed scene in front of him."POND!" Can shouted.Tin felt the dark energy increasing within the dimension of the mirror-like wall. The King of the Beast was trying to get out."Can, we must prevent the beast from going out of the dimension. It might escape and gather more spiritual energy outside," Tin explained."But...Pond," Can could not just leave Pond in that state."GO! Just go damn it! I'll be fine," Pond shouted as he tried to stabilize his breath."You pest," Ae's father angrily uttered as he removed the sword from Pond's bleeding chest with a single kick. Pond flew towards the cave's walls, but still managed to get up within seconds."I still have tricks up my sleeves. You should already know that. I'll survive!" Pond continued as he heavily breathed while maintaining to stand.Trusting Pond's words, Can said hesitatingly, "Understood."Without wasting any time, Tin did not let Ae's father make another move. He quickly cast a spell with the help of the Soul Staff.
"Teleport!"
Within less than a second, both Tin and Can were transported inside the dimension of the mirror-like wall. Ae's father suddenly felt himself being transported too and with a blink of an eye, he was back in the dimension with Tin and Can. He also noticed that the gate to get out of this dimension disappeared. It must be Tin's doing!Back in the cave, Pete went to Pond's side to heal his fatal wound. "You'll be alright, Pond. Just hang in there," Pete said in haste as he cast a healing spell over the gaping hole on Pond's chest."Don't worry too much, Pete. I could still reverse my condition," Pond forced a reply with an arrogant smile on his face.
"Raven's Revenge."
With this spell, Pond's current situation would be reversed in which his health would have recovered completely. Unfortunately, It did not happen."Wh-what's happening? It's not working?" Pond panicked as he repeatedly cast Raven's Revenge multiple times."Ra-raven's Revenge! Raven's Re-"Pond started coughing blood."Pond!" Ae who was in a dazed ran towards to Pond. Despite what Pond has done to him, he could not see him suffering. He saved his life after all."Sh*t. That Honglyun Sword is tru-ly something." It seemed that the Honglyun Sword penetrated his beast core, which was his source of power. He was unable to cast a spell to save his pathetic life.Pond continued to wheeze. Sweat on his forehead formed and trickled down. He was becoming dizzy and his consciousness was wavering. Was this how it ends for him?"Pete? What's happening to him?" Ae became sickly worried."His core. It was damaged. His wounds too... I-I can't...Why is my healing not working?" Pete was at a loss as he continued to use his healing magic on Pond. As he used more spiritual energy to strengthen his skills, Pete's lips began to shake. His eyes became watery. His powers were not working!Taking and holding his hands to make him stop, Pond said weakly, "It's fine, Pete."
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"It's not okay at all, Pond. You're...you're...," Pete worriedly said as he was unable to continue. It was frustrating and painful for him to see that he could not help Pond in his situation when needed the most.Pete shook his head. He refused to accept this grim situation. Once again, he tried to be optimistic. There must be a way. It cannot just end like this.Carefully removing Pond's grasp on his hands, Pond said in a caring manner, "Let me try healing you once more. Yeah, that's it. I just probably need more spiritual energy!"Pete forced a smile as he gripped his storage bag firmly. He started frantically looking for Spiritual Energy Recovery Potion and other potions that might be proven useful. His forced smile and calmness could be easily seen through by both Ae and Pond. They both could see the tears falling from Pete's eyes as his lips trembled. They could even hear his hiccups that he tried to suppress."Pete," Pond weakly whispered.Pete did not listen. He was avoiding the sad truth."Don't worry, Pond, you'll be okay. It's going to be alright now. Just give me a few moments," Pete refused to acknowledge defeat. No, he just could not let it happen to a close friend.Pond looked at Ae. He shook his head slightly as if telling him that there was no point. This was the end for him. The beast core inside of him was his life source. With it being heavily damaged, there was no way for him to survive. The Honglyun Sword was too fierce. Aside from damaging his beast core, any spell that would allow him to recover would not work. A mythical weapon of destruction indeed.Based on Pond's estimation, he only had about a few minutes.Ae understood Pond's meaning. He grabbed and squeezed Pete's arm to get his attention.Pete momentarily stopped as he exchanged glances with Ae. Shaking his head slowly, Ae gestured Pete to stop. It was the end.Pete was taken back to reality. But how could they just give up that easily?He closed his eyes. "It can't be. We just can't give up...""Pete," Pond said once again with a much sincere and natural smile. His fate was already sealed and he knew that a day would come where karma would hit him.Pete turned and looked at Pond whose condition was becoming worse."Thank you," Pond said with such tenderness as he nodded. He never felt such care and love from anyone aside from this group of people. This short period of being with them was worth the thousands of years he spent waiting alone. It might sound crazy to some, but it was definitely worth it."I'm really sorry," Pete finally surrendered. His emotions that he tried to suppress were finally let out. "I'm sorry... I'm really sorry..."Ae took him into his arms and tried to comfort him. "You did your best.""Ae...," Pond continued."What is it?" Ae looked at him with a sad expression.Pond coughed another mouthful of blood. He did not let it bother him as he wiped it off. "I have a confession.""I already know," Ae interrupted as he looked down.Pond was taken aback. How could he possibly know? It was then at that moment, he realized what he did. It seemed that Ae found out when he manipulated the Apostles with his ravens back in the second tower. That was why Ae acted differently afterward."I... I was waiting for the right time to tell you. Heh." Pond let out a small chuckle."I didn't expect that you would know already and I didn't expect it would be at this point where it would end." Pond looked up at the dark ceiling. He felt cold. He could smell the foulness of death and rotten flesh of this cave. The ground was pure dirt mixed with his blood. This was a sad place for his death. It just reminded him of the prison that he was in back in the Beast Gods' Dimension.Stabilizing his breathing, Pond continued to joke around. "Well, I suppose this is not such a bad place. For the things that I've done, I deserve it. It's also more dramatic this way."Once again, Pond coughed another mouthful of blood. His sight was becoming hazier. His consciousness was weakening."Ae, I don't know if you're going to believe me or not," Pond paused as he swallowed the blood that was trying to come out of his mouth."When I was trapped in the Beast Gods' Dimension, all I ever knew was revenge and selfishness. I...I never cared for anyone. I would use whatever necessary to get what I wanted at the expense of others if necessary. You were one of those people, unfortunately."Ae formed a fist. He did not say anything back."But... I've changed. I regret doing those wicked things that I've done to you and other people." At this point, Pond could not hold it back anymore as his eyes were filled with tears of sadness.He disliked dying after all. Not at this place. Not at the place where he could not see everyone that mattered to him. Not at the place where he could not get a final glimpse of Can.Pond tried to move his body, but he could not do it anymore. It was a fruitless struggle. He hoped that this situation of his was a joke. He wanted to defy death, but he could not do it. He was not a true God after all."It's thanks to Can and to you guys that my views have changed. I'm grateful to have you all coming to my pathetic life. I-I'm sorry, Ae. I'm really sorry for giving you so much pain." As he said those heartfelt words, Pond cried. His tears were mixed with his blood as they fell to his cheeks.This confession from Pond allowed the bitterness inside Ae to gradually lessen until none of it existed. Ae could sense Pond's sincerity. He even risked his life to save him.Ae thought that it was enough for him. It was good enough."I forgive you, Pond," Ae grabbed Pond's hand. "We're here for you. You don't have to feel alone again."Pond momentarily stopped crying. The heavy feeling that he had for his guilt was gone.Staring at Ae, Pond smiled. "Thank you."Pete could sense the end of Pond's life and could not help it but cry harder. He would mumble Pond's name as if wanting him to stay longer. "Pond...Pond...""Please take care. Take care of my master. You know how he is, heh," Pond said softly as he joked.Finally, taking one last breath. He looked up at a space as if reminiscing everything within that moment."I wish I could see Can one last time. Ahh, I wish... I wish I met you guys much sooner...probably in another lifetime?...that would be..."The beast god slowly closed his eyes. His breathing finally came to a halt.That was it. It was the end of the road for him. No more pain. No more suffering. No more feeling of regret. He was free."Pond!" Pete shouted.Ae's tears finally fell as his heart was broken. "Pond..."In the dimension where Tin and Can were in, the little beast summoner felt a part of him disappearing. The string that connected him and Pond was suddenly cut. Their contract was dissolved, which could only mean one thing.Can did not move for a moment. Thankfully, Tin noticed his reaction and covered him from Ae's father's attacks."Can, focus. We can't afford mistakes." Tin figured what was bothering Can, but the two of them must continue to coordinate if they wanted to succeed."Pond's dead...," Can trembled.Not letting him get distracted, Tin said with urgency, "We'll go to him as soon as we finish this."Can held a tight fist as his anger and sorrow became mixed. Then he took a deep breath trying to calm down. He was in a quite crucial moment. He could not let himself get distracted by emotions as the fate of the world lied on both of his and Tin's hands. He could not waste the sacrifices that Pond and the others made at this point."I understand," Can said in a serious tone as he raised his Guyak Shield to cast another barrier. A single tear fell from his eye as his concentration towards his goal remained."I'll avenge you..."At this moment, the three strongest people in the world were about to engage in a catastrophic collision. These three who managed to reach the pinnacle of power and wielded the most destructive weapons known to mankind. The Honglyun Sword that brings destruction was held by Master Tanapon. The Soul Staff that grants creation was possessed by Tin. And the Guyak Shield that maintains balance was equipped by Can.If the overall battle power was going to be measured, the combined force of both Tin and Can should allow them to have the tide of the battle be favorable on their side. Unfortunately, this was not the case at all. Aside from becoming another Supreme Ruler by defying nature and the will of the gods, Master Tanapon had successfully tamed the King of the Beast. Standing right next to him, the giant King of the Beast had its horrifying long black claws out. Its ugly ragged wings were spread out and ready to pounce. Its skinny body and limbs were uncomfortable to look at as it seemed that it was starved to death. The head did not have facial features aside from its red evil eyes. It was like a solid-white blob.
(A/N: Gloom Under Night aka King of the Beast. Source: Ragnarok Online)There was another problem. The King of the Beast had also become a Spiritual Beast! This meant that it was much more powerful than before and that it was immune to any magical attacks except for Beast Summoner related spells. The King of the Beast was already considered a Mythical grade beast, which was considered as the highest grade given to any beast. So, for the King of the Beast to turn into a Spiritual Beast, it meant jumping to another grade. A God grade beast. As for its container, Master Tanapon made himself a vessel. He was truly a despicable person.(A/N: More info about Spiritual Beast on Ch. 78 - Endless Spiritual Beasts)"I'll deal with the King of the Beast, Tin deal with Master Tanapon," Can said. Since the King of the Beast was immune to elementalist's magic, it would make sense that Can would deal with it. Although the only way to destroy the spiritual beast was to eliminate its vessel, it would be impossible to only deal with Master Tanapon without the King of the Beast interfering.Tin agreed with a nod. Can, once again, summoned every contracted beast that he had and merged with them.
"Merge!"
Initiating an attack, Can swiftly moved towards the King of the Beast and dealt an explosive blow with Valkyrie's lance.
"Holy Fire!"
He thrust his lance covered with holy fire forward directly to the spiritual beast's body. It baffled him that the beast did not move, but he soon found out that it was more powerful than he initially thought. When he was about to pierce its body to delay its movement, the beast disappeared and reappeared behind Can's back. With its black claws, it made a slashing gesture and hit Can. Thankfully, the Guyak Shield protected Can, but the force was still powerful enough to send him flying and crashing into the ground."Can!" Tin shouted.To Tin's surprise, Can was already back on his feet as he flew back and exchanged blows with the Spiritual Beast. Despite falling and failing every time, he would stubbornly continue to attack."Go on, Tin!" Can shouted. "I'm okay!"Seeing that Can was fine, Tin faced Master Tanapon. He cast a spell and amplified its destructive power with the assistance of his Soul Staff.
"Heaven's Purple Lightning!"
Quickly the strongest pure form of lightning ever known descended from the sky and struck Master Tanapon."Heh!" Master Tanapon mocked. With one sweeping motion of the Honglyun Sword, he deflected the lightning and redirected it away from him with ease. As the lightning struck an area far away from the main battle, a huge explosion was created which sent waves of forceful wind throughout the dimension.Licking the still scalding blade of the sword with his tongue, Master Tanapon expressed his arrogance. "As you can see Mr. Phiravich, I don't need the King of the Beast for protection. I can deal with you by myself just fine."=======We're almost there. I know this one is short. I'm not sure how many more chapters, but there would be bonus chapters. Please be patient with me. Thank you once again for supporting this fanfiction. I can't believe how I managed to do many chapters up to this point. I'll surely continue writing even after this, because I enjoy it.Alright, see you later!Check out my new novel and youtube channel on my profile when you have time to waste.
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Master Tanapon examined the blade of his sword with such admiration. He worshipped it like a god."Now, my turn."He whispered to his sword with a weak and wicked smile on his face, "Blade's Fury."The dark energy in the dimension intensified; black orbs suddenly appeared out of nowhere. These orbs were swiftly converging and collected by the Honglyun Sword. When a few moments had passed, the sword was shrouded in thick black mist.
"Sonic Wave!"
Master Tanapon acted and made a slashing movement with the sword. A strong wind gust was created. It was then followed by a strong wave of force.
"Teleport!"
Tin avoided the fatal attack and teleported behind Master Tanapon. With his hand, he quickly cast another spell.
"Hellfire!"
A burst of huge flame came out of his palm and burnt the entire area that was in front of its way. As for the enemy, he just laughed."Haha! This is rather ticklish," Master Tanapon arrogantly shouted while still in the flames.
"Break!"
Master Tanapon made another slashing move, which caused the fire to be extinguished. Once again, Tin teleported out.
"Sonic Wave!"
In a successive move, another powerful wave was created. Tin was not aware that the powerful wave created by the sword that he was avoiding was being redirected to Can.Boom!An explosion hit Can. With a strong impact, he flew away. Yet, in mid-air, he was hit by the beast with its claws and he was slammed to the ground. Despite these beatings, he was still safe because of his shield. Still, chunks of his spiritual energy were gone. He had to compensate a large amount of his spiritual energy for using the shield to protect him and Tin from powerful attacks.Can continued to stand and attack, but he always ended up getting slammed into the ground. This could not be kept up for too long.On Tin's side, after realizing Master Tanapon's tactics, Tin decided to face him in a much shorter distance. This, of course, would be to his disadvantage. At a long-range battle, Tin would have an advantage since he could use stronger and more eruptive magical abilities. If it was short-range, the set of spells that he could use would be limited. Thankfully, although he was at a disadvantage, he still had a barrier that could protect him.When it came to speed, Master Tanapon was much faster. His attacks were swift to the point it was invisible to the naked eye. With each attempt of piercing Tin with the Honglyun Sword, there seemed to be thousands of swords that would come out per second. Fortunately, Tin was skilled and was able to block most of them. It was also thanks to the barrier cast on him by the Guyak Shield that he was unharmed or so he thought.At one point, Master Tanapon was able to penetrate Tin's protective barrier and shattered it completely. As soon as he noticed this capability of the Honglyun Sword, Tin confirmed that the sword could shatter Guyak Shield's barrier. Still, could it penetrate the shield itself?"Can, another barrier!" Tin requested.Can nodded and cast another barrier on Tin. Before he could do so, the beast was already in front of him and prevented him from casting. He was again slammed into the ground.Tin witnessed what happened, so he increased the distance between him and Master Tanapon. He could not keep up with his speed, so if Master Tanapon managed to pierce him with his sword, it would be quite fatal. Of course, the moment that Tin increased his distance from his opponent, Master Tanapon used his Sonic Wave once again and redirected it to Can.Boom!Being bombarded by attacks, Can was getting hurt. He was getting bruises and his spiritual energy continued to deplete. Although it was not at the point that it was fatal, it would be catastrophic if this cycle continued.Tin had no choice, but to close his distance once again with Master Tanapon. This time he was much more careful since he had no barrier protection from the Guyak Shield."How long do you think you could keep this up, hmm?" Master Tanapon teased. He was quite pleased with his tactics. If he could continue this, then these two would soon fall. Their Mythic weapons and cores would be his. He would be the strongest Supreme Ruler in the history of mankind! Ruling the world would be easy with a quick snap of his fingers!As if being able to read his thoughts, Tin curled up his lips while continuing to deflect his opponent's flurry of attacks.Master Tanapon frowned, "What's funny?""You are," Tin mocked. "You think just because you reached the power of a Supreme Ruler, you'd be considered as one?"Master Tanapon sneered, "Does it matter if I'm considered as one or not? If I could kill both of you, it wouldn't matter at all! I'll still be considered as the only superpower!"At that point, it could be from the rise of his intense anger that he suddenly saw changes with Tin. The elementalist's eyes were painted with bright white light. His voice would change into different people speaking all at once. It was like he was possessed."You defied the will of the gods and forced yourself to change your fate. You must pay."Master Tanapon's grip on the sword became tighter."What kind of tricks are you playing?" he asked.Tin was just trying to trick him in order to doubt himself. Yet, deep inside, Master Tanapon had a hunch. Of course, he did not believe in the existence of real gods. He believed in one's own power. Anyone could proclaim themselves as a god if they wanted to. He was one. He believed he was one."We, the gods, will sentence you the highest form of punishment. You will die and your soul will be scattered. You will never reincarnate.""SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Master Tanapon shouted as his attacks intensified. The cracks and the vibration on the ground became more prominent."YOU ARE NOT A GOD! THERE ARE NO GODS! I WILL BECOME THE ONLY GOD!" The veins in his body darkened as he was consumed by so much anger. His eyes were already covered in blood as he gnashed his teeth.Whether it was a moment of carelessness or deliberate action on Tin's side, Master Tanapon was able to injure Tin. A long cut was made on his chest and blood spurted out. It made Master Tanapon much more confident. If the gods did exist, why were they this weak then?As soon as he was seriously injured, the white light in Tin's eyes disappeared. The voices also disappeared. He flew and fell on the ground far away from his opponent."Ahahahahaha!" Master Tanapon laughed madly. He did not notice that his nose was bleeding with black blood."I am the true god!" he shouted. "I'm the strongest!"The King of the Beast stopped attacking for a moment and turned around to face its container.Can immediately noticed what happened. Getting a chance to get away from the King of the Beast, he quickly went to Tin's side.
"Create Barrier!"
A small field of barrier enveloped both Can and Tin.Seeing the bloody mess on his chest, Can used one of his contracted beast's skills and healed him.
"Heal Touch!"
Although the wound on his chest was serious, it disappeared within a few seconds with Can's help. As long as the sword did not penetrate and hit Tin's core, then everything should be fine."Tin, how do you feel?" Can asked worriedly.Tin smiled as he caressed Can's cheek. "I won't die that easily. I'm okay.""That's good to hear," Can replied as he helped Tin stand up. Tin wavered for a bit, but he was able to stand firmly.As they faced the direction of their enemy, they saw how Master Tanapon was coughing blood. The King of the Beast was already next to him standing idly."What's happening?" Can asked while preparing to enter the battle again.Tin knew very well what was happening. "He tried to reach this level unnaturally, so his power is becoming unstable."One cannot simply defy the gods. Fate could not be changed. Any attempt to change it would only bring calamity."He's still powerful," Can glanced at Tin. "What's our plan?"Even if Master Tanapon was becoming much unstable, he was still quite powerful. If the two of them were going to do the same tactics like earlier, the results would most likely be the same.Thinking about their situation, Tin turned to Can."Can you use your Merge skill with me?"Can raised both of his eyebrows. He was stunned momentarily. "I've never seen anyone use the Merge skill with another person. Why?"Tin redirected his gaze at the King of the Beast. "If I had the capability to damage the King of the Beast, it would be easy to kill. Unfortunately, since I'm not a Beast Summoner, I couldn't do it. For Ae's father, I believe that you have a better chance of dealing with him in close combat since you have the Guyak Shield personally."Can nodded. "I see. If we could merge, then I could lend you the power of a Beast Summoner and the Guyak Shield."Still, Can was a little hesitant. "I'm just wondering about our compatibility to merge.""You're worried about us being incompatible?" Tin smiled. "We're a perfect match. Don't doubt it."Can did not know how to respond. Were they even at the same train of thought?"I meant that no one has done it before. Merging with another person, especially with a different class of power," Can replied."It could be our only chance to win," Tin whispered in a serious tone.Can thought about what he said. It was true that they had to change their tactics since they were unsuccessful earlier. Also, just because Tin's idea was never done before, it did not mean that it could not be accomplished. They should at least try it and take that risk.Can held Tin's right hand and directly looked at him into his eyes. "Let's do it," he firmly said.With his other hand, Tin held Can's left hand. "I believe in both of us."Can nodded with a confident smile. Of course, they could do it. They must believe that they could do it."When I use the merge skill with you. I will have to turn myself in as some form of equipment. I need to become something that would give you much more advantage. I wonder what it could be?"Tin thought about Can's question and immediately looked at his Soul Staff. Despite his Soul Staff being a Mythic grade weapon, it was not entirely complete. It was missing the main power crystal on top of it. Tin did not find it as an issue with it before since the staff was already quite powerful. Yet, if the main power crystal was included in it, it would surely be much more devastative. When he thought about it, Can would be the perfect candidate to become the main power crystal for the staff. Somehow, it felt like it was meant to be. It felt like this was deliberate. If Can turned himself as one, then the King of the Beast would not be immune anymore from Tin's spells. With that, they could defeat the King of the Beast and could deal with Master Tanapon much easier.(A/N: Refer to Chapter 33 - Demonic Elementalist about power crystals)Tin told Can about the missing main power crystal of the Soul Staff. Can immediately understood what he wanted, so he concentrated the spiritual energy in his body. Before he used the merge spell, he handed his Guyak Shield to Tin.
"Merge!"
In an instant, all the contracted beasts that turned themselves into equipment and skills were transferred to Tin. He was covered from head to toe; he was now a knight with shining dark purple armor.Afterward, Can struggled for some time but managed to turn himself as the main power crystal of the Soul Staff. He actually did it!Floating in the air, Tin carefully grabbed the crystal and attached it to the hole of the Soul Staff. As soon as it was attached, the Soul Staff shook intensely. It seemed that it was vibrating from joy.Tin could feel his strength multiply in an instant and his source of spiritual energy was limitless. Their merge succeeded.He checked himself out. It was not that bad. Wearing a full-plate armor, the Guyak Shield was on his left hand while the Soul Staff was on the other."How do you feel, Can?" Tin asked as he rubbed the main crystal of the Soul Staff.Although Can turned himself into a crystal, it did not mean that he did not feel anything. When Tin rubbed him, he noticed that he had become more sensitive."It's a little uncomfortable here, but I can manage it," he replied awkwardly."We'll finish this as soon as we can." Tin's smile changed into a much serious expression."Understood."Meanwhile, Master Tanapon has somehow regained stability. He told himself that he must finish Tin and Can sooner. Because he was busy stabilizing himself earlier, he did not notice that the two already merged. When he noticed that there was only one person who was facing him, he was confused at first. Another thing was that he noticed that the person wearing the plate armor was increasingly more powerful.After seeing that his opponent was wearing the Guyak Shield and Soul Staff, Master Tanapon then realized that both Tin and Can merged. Although he was surprised that the two managed to pull it off, he was not scared. If he was able to beat them earlier, he would not have a problem beating them again!"Bring it on!"====Check out my profile and check my other work, if you have time.Alright later!
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As he took his last breath, Pond felt himself getting detached from his physical body. He floated and slowly ascended. Checking himself, he was sure that he was dead as his body was somehow translucent. When he looked around him, he saw both Pete and Ae crying over his cold dead body that was lying on the ground.Pond wanted to move to try to get back to his body. He wanted to know whether he could still go back and live. If that would happen, then he would surely scare both Ae and Pete. Unfortunately, when he tried moving back to his body, he could not do it. He continued to float in the air."That's too bad," he whispered to himself with bitterness.Soon, his spiritual body slowly disappeared. Thinking that it was the end for him this time for sure, he closed his eyes.When he thought that everything for him ended, he would then hear sudden noises around him."Don't ever go near her. She's a traitor.""What is she doing here? Isn't she supposedly banished by the Beast God Emperor?"Pond finally opened his eyes. He found himself standing amongst the crowd of people. He looked around and he became stunned. He was back in the Beast Gods' Dimension. Why was he here?As he further examined his surroundings, he seemed to see other beast gods and other normal beast residents. What was happening? The beast gods were supposed to be gone? They were supposed to have left the dimension a long time ago.As the row of people continued to show their contempt on a supposedly considered a traitor that was walking in the middle of the unpaved street, the baby that was held by its mother started crying."Shh...shh... It's okay, little Pond. You'll be okay," the mother of the baby who was covered in dirt and ragged clothes said with a cheerful weak smile. Her once great strong reputation and beauty were nothing more but part of her past. She was unbothered by the hateful comments of the crowd.Pond's eyes widened at the sudden realization. It seemed that he was back in the past. The baby must be him and that the person who held him was his mother.He never knew or saw his parents since he became an orphan at such a young age.Knowing that it was his mother, there was a mixture of feelings within him. Yet, overall he was somehow happy to see her. Although he was not quite sure why he was back in the past, with the current situation, he wanted to go and help his mother.Unfortunately, even though he seemed to have a physical body, he was like a ghost. No one could see him nor hear him. Pond could not touch anyone nor communicate with anyone. He was dead after all.Not being able to do anything to help his mother, Pond felt pained. Although he was unsure why she was treated this way, no one would like to see their parents suffer.The residents began calling her names and threw things such as stones at her."Traitor! Go away!""You don't belong here!""How dare you still show your face here!"Pond, although it was unreasonable, tried to shield her mother from the things that were being thrown to her. Sadly, it did not work.When a stone hit his mother's head, she started bleeding. She seemed unaffected by it. It did not let it bother her, although the safety of her son concerned her.As the atmosphere became more tense and violent, the traitor started to run towards the Beast God Emperor's palace. Pond followed her with a heavy heart.After successfully arriving in front of the palace gates, she was prevented from entering the gates by the palace guards. It was a place that was once her home. Now it was the place she detested the most. The person who betrayed her family currently reigns the entire land."I would like to have an audience with the Beast God Emperor," she said in an exhausted manner.The two guards standing in front of the palace gate scoffed. "The Beast God Emperor wouldn't want to see you, traitor. You should already be grateful that he let you live. You even brought your child here. Don't you feel bad already?" one of the guards said.Pond's mother still insisted as she looked at her baby. "Please, I would like to see the emperor.""I already told you, the Beast God Emperor wouldn't want to see you woman!" the guard shouted at her. He pushed her to the ground due to irritation.Pond, who was standing right next to her mother, was angered. He punched the guard in the face, but he was only hitting air."Is that how you treat a defenseless woman?" A man with an ancient scholarly white robe asked in disdain to the guards.The guards became nervous all of a sudden. "Th-that is...""Enough," he said as he approached Pond's mother.When Pond's mother looked up, she saw that it was the emperor's advisor. He was a good friend of hers."I'll let the emperor know that you're here, Athena," the advisor said as he helped her get up."Thank you," she said with a trembling smile. To meet her childhood friend in this state, it was somehow humiliating. This was not the life she wanted for her family.Hearing her mother's name, Pond cracked a bitter smile. He finally knew his mother's name."Athena... Athena... Mother...," he whispered in front of her mother. Tears were starting to form in his eyes as he was seeing his mother's unfortunate state.Athena waited for a few hours until finally, she was permitted to enter the palace and meet the emperor. As she crossed different paths, everyone would throw malicious comments about her. She did not let them bother her. She was used to it at this point.When she entered the palace's main hall where the emperor was currently in, she could not help it but feel resentful. This was rightfully her husband's palace. If it were not for her son's curse, they would not agree on giving up their claim to the throne. Although she thought that everything would be fine afterward, for some absurd reason, they were accused as traitors. Her husband was sentenced to death while she was banished from the palace. She was never to return. She wondered what went wrong? They just wanted to live in peace, but they ended up in this horrible situation."State your business," the Beast God Emperor said indifferently. There was no one in the main hall aside from the emperor.It all made sense to her now. She was betrayed by him. The beast god who she thought was going to help remove the curse from her son was the one who created this situation on her family. Yet, what can she do now? She could only beg to this emperor and hope that he would help them."You already have the throne. Now, it's your turn to fulfill your side of the bargain," Athena said firmly."I did promise that I would remove the curse on your son... but I changed my mind," the Beast God Emperor said with coldness."What? What do you mean, you changed your mind?" Athena became infuriated as she expressed the grievances that she suffered trying to fulfill her side of the bargain."You promised! Without us, you wouldn't be sitting on that throne! We suffered enough! My husband is dead. I'm banished from my own home because of lies. Y-you promised that you'd help us!""Mind your tone. And what can you do? Hmm?" the emperor slyly smiled. "I could have you killed right now if I wanted to. In any case, the curse of your child is quite formidable. I don't want to risk my life for some child."Athena looked fiercely into the emperor's eyes. "Why would you do this? We've been nothing but good to you! We trusted you! How could you treat us this way?" Athena's lips trembled from her hatred and feeling of defeat."You should've known what kind of person you're dealing with. That was your fault for trusting me. Now, as you can see, I'm the emperor! Hahaha!"After a few moments, the emperor calmed down. "I've had enough of this. I'll let you live and your cursed child. Killing you would be rather an easy way out for both of you. So, it would be better to let you suffer. I wonder with all these things that happened to you, what would you do?"With a chilling smile, he shouted, "Guards, throw them away! Don't ever let them near the palace grounds!"Athena was dragged away while she carried her child firmly with her arms while the emperor's laugh echoed throughout the hall."You'll pay for what you did! I swear you'll pay!" she shouted endlessly until her voice became hoarse.Pond now knew part of the truth of what happened to his parents. He was part of the royal family and they were betrayed by the emperor.At that moment, everything disappeared. He was then transferred to another point in the past.Currently, he was in a small dilapidated home in an unknown place. In the only one room of the house, the baby version of himself was crying. He was much thinner compared to before. As for his mother, she seemed to have changed for the worse. It was as if she had turned crazy as she was murmuring to herself."Those beast gods...will pay...especially the emperor. If you want this land then die with it," she whispered. Her appearance became much more horrible. She was much thinner and her appearance was unkempt. On the floor, there was a mysterious symbol that surrounded her. It was drawn with blood. Her own blood.She started chanting. "All beast gods will be cursed! The unfair fate that my son befell to, shall be also the fate of the beast gods in this land!"Soon a black cloud of smoke appeared from the mysterious symbol on the floor then dispersed in different directions. After that, Athena fell. She was never to get up. And so, her baby was left by himself.Thankfully, an accidental passerby came. It was an elderly beast in a turtle form. Despite being a turtle, she could proudly say that she was one of the fastest in the land. At first, she wanted to see if there were any treasure inside that she could steal, but by the looks of it, there was nothing to steal inside. It was a small home that was poorly made by wooden materials found nearby in this secluded forest.Just to make sure, she went to check inside. As soon as she entered, she stumbled upon a dead woman on the floor with her blood flowing still. She freaked out and wanted to leave, but then she heard the cry of a baby. The elderly beast quickly went to the baby's side and took him. She then looked around to see if there was anyone else at home. She realized that it seemed that it was only the dead mother. Before leaving she checked if there were any other valuables worth taking. There was none.She left before anyone could see her and accuse her of murder. As she examined the baby wrapped in a cloth, she asked, "I wonder what your name is?"She checked the cloth and saw that there was a sewn name on it."Pond.""Well, I'll be your parent for now. Although, I'm too old to be one already," she told the baby as she sighed. For a baby to already experience hardships was quite cruel.Of course, as Pond was cursed with misfortune, the elderly beast would not live that long. Pond would grow up alone and would become infamous for being evil. As for the curse brought to the beast gods by Athena, it became known to them. They figured out later that it was her who cursed them. To save themselves from the curse, the beast gods have decided to leave the Beast Gods' Dimension for good. Athena's curse was only empowered in the dimension. Although it was hard for the beast gods to leave, they had no choice, and so they left. The only beast god who remained was Pond as he was imprisoned underground. No one knew his relationship with Athena, but if the other beast gods knew, they would certainly find it funny on how fate played with them. In the end, the one who continued to suffer was Athena's son.That was Pond's story. A life full of misfortune and tragedy.Pond was somehow speechless. Why was life unfair to him?As he was contemplating and grieving, his surroundings turned dark. A voice echoed throughout the emptiness."Would you like to have a chance of rebirth?"======Got sick last week so I was unable to update. Anyways, if you have time, please check my work by visiting profile. Bye!
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Wh-who are you?" Pond wiped the tears in his eyes.
"I am the God of Rebirth. One of the many true gods." The voice echoed throughout the empty dark space.
Pond looked around and tried to find the source of the voice. Unfortunately, he could not find this God of Rebirth. He could only see darkness.
Since he accepted that he was already dead, it was easy for him to also accept that this God of Rebirth was real.
"Is that my actual past? Why did you show me my past?" Pond was confused.
"What you witnessed is real. Your truth. As for the reason why, well, I want you to know your identity before giving you a choice."
Pond slightly frowned. "A choice?"
The God of Rebirth was quick to answer. "A choice of rebirth, of course."
The beast god thought about the concept of rebirth silently. He looked up, "What would happen if I do choose this path of rebirth?"
"Your current memory will be erased, but you will return to the mortal realm with your friends as a newborn. Erasing your memories is part of the standard procedure for rebirth. As for returning you to the mortal realm with the people who cared for you and you cared for, I'm willing to do that because of the accumulated unfairness that was done to you throughout the time you lived. You have already paid more than enough for your mistakes, so I'm willing to forgive and to grant you such a good offer."
"Good offer, my ass!" Pond told himself as he sneered. What was the point of going through a rebirth and being with the people he cared for, if he was not going to remember anything at all?
"And if I decided not to go through rebirth?" he looked around.
"Well, you'll keep your memories and you can enter paradise," the god of rebirth replied in a casual manner.
Pond's interest was piqued. "A paradise? What kind of paradise is it?"
Would it be a place full of booze? Can he be with his parents? His friends? Can?
"It can be whatever you want it to be. Whatever it is that you would consider a paradise, it would appear and be yours. Whether it be booze, your parents, your friends...Can."
Pond suddenly decided to cover his mouth as his eyes widened. Did he say his desires out loud?
"So, what would it be?" the god of rebirth asked.
"But that paradise, it wouldn't be real. It's just an illusion." Pond somehow hesitated to choose.
"Does it matter? You can make it your reality if you want to. It would be an illusion if you decided it to be such."
Pond was speechless. There was truth to what the god of rebirth said. For the majority of his life, he suffered from cruelty and hatred from people. He only experienced happiness for a brief moment. Would it not be great to continue that happiness in the paradise that he could create? It would not matter if it was not real as long as he was happy. That was the only thing he wanted in life: happiness.
Before he decided his path, Pond whispered, "What path did my parents choose?"
There was a moment of silence.
"What do you think?"
Pond could not answer the question since he did not know them personally. Yet, he wanted to know if he would have the same choice as them. He wanted to know if he would have the right choice as their parents.
"I can assure you that they're happy with their choice," the god of rebirth said, not wanting Pond to dwell too much on the question.
There was a sudden smile on Pond's expression. If they were happy, then it seemed that there was no need to answer the question.
"I've decided."
Back in the dimension where Tin and Can were fighting with Master Tanapon and the King of the Beast, the tide of the battle was gradually changing. With the combined and unified power of Tin and Can, they were slowly able to suppress their enemies.
The area of the dimension was heavily damaged. Huge holes and cracks covered the majority of the area. The mountains were flattened and the greenery was long gone. The destruction was so intense that the dimension was on the verge of collapse. If the battle would not end soon, those who were inside would be eaten by the powerful crushing pressure of the collapsing dimension.
As the battle came to a sudden halt, it could be seen who had the upper hand.
Wheezing, Master Tanapon tried to steady his breathing once again. "Impossible."
He coughed black blood while staring intensely at Tin. Meanwhile, the King of the Beast could feel that its container and also master was becoming much weaker. If this continued, he would perish permanently. That could not happen.
The King of the Beast stood in front of its master. Despite its weakening power, it still moved forward to attack Tin. With its strong horrifying claws, it made a slashing gesture towards its enemy. Unfortunately, now that it was much weaker and slower, it was easier for Tin to dodge and inflict a devastating attack.
"Stone Curse!"
With a wave of his Soul Staff, a cloud of brown dust appeared and enveloped the King of the Beast. The beast tried to get out, but the more that it moved, the faster its movements slowed down until finally it was turned into a stone statue.
Meanwhile, after stabilizing himself for a moment, Master Tanapon used this opportunity to attack behind Tin. Since he knew that he could not prolong the battle any longer, he decided to use his entire spiritual energy on this attack.
"Force Blade!"
The Honglyun Sword that he held created a much intense black mist that did not only cover the sword but also Master Tanapon himself. He was slowly being devoured by the black mist.
Not even a moment passed when Master Tanapon appeared behind Tin. Using his sword, he attempted to penetrate Tin's armor and pierced his heart.
When he did so, he noticed that Tin did not seem to notice him. He thought that he managed to successfully perform a sneak attack. And so, piercing Tin's armor and directly to where his heart located, Master Tanapon rejoiced.
"HAHAHA! I did it! You're dead! You're dead! I won!" he shouted as he continued to bleed black blood as the black mist was slowly eating his body.
His laugh and happiness only lasted for a moment when he realized something was wrong. His enemy never moved and he seemed to melt. Witnessing such oddness, he tried to remove his sword from Tin who was melting slowly like ice cream in the hot sun.
It was at that moment he realized that he was in a trap. He suddenly felt fear as droplets of sweat came down from his forehead. His already bloodshot eyes widened further from disbelief as his lips trembled. Slowly, he turned around.
"It's over," Tin said firmly. He raised his Soul Staff so that its tip would reach Master Tanapon's forehead.
For his last resort, Master Tanapon cast a magic spell towards Tin, but it was useless. Tin raised Can's Guyak Shield to receive the weak attack spell. The offensive magic evaporated as soon as it made a contact with the shield.
"Core Break!"
As soon as this spell was cast, an inner explosion inside Master Tanapon happened. Every root that allowed spiritual energy to travel in his body was torn down. Master Tanapon felt immense pain from the process. It was as if he was being crushed and burned at the same time. It was too painful that he was unable to think anymore. He could not shout any more. He only muttered nonsense. His eyes rolled back that only the whites of his eyes along with black blood could be seen. His mouth was wide open as black blood spilled continuously. Without the spiritual energy, the black mist that was eating his body dispersed, leaving exposed bones and deep wounds. He fell down since he was unable to support himself. It was the end for him.
As he was trying to suppress the pain, somehow Master Tanapon heard the voices of the gods once again. He wanted to ask for forgiveness now that he was defeated and on the verge of death, but he could not. He tried to speak, but he could only mutter noises.
"Eee....aaaa....eee."
"You defied the will of the gods and forced yourself to change your fate. You must pay.
" This would echo inside Master Tanapon's head endlessly and it would only grow louder.
"Is it over?" Can, who was still in the form of a crystal, asked with a serious tone.
"It is," Tin answered as he looked at the crumbling King of the Beast that turned into a statue.
Suddenly, the dimension shook vigorously. The sky was falling apart like a mirror shattering. The ground began to collapse as it started to disappear. While this was happening, Master Tanapon's core was expanding. This meant one thing: it was going to explode.
Master Tanapon violently thrashed around. He could feel that his beast core was pulsating. He knew that he was going to explode if he did not do anything about it. Sadly, he would not be able to do anything.
"We have to leave this dimension now," Tin said as he grabbed the Honglyun Sword.
"What's going to happen to Master Tanapon?" Can asked with a conflicted feeling. He was worried about how Ae would react.
"It's too late to save him. His core is rapidly expanding inside him. He would soon cause a huge explosion. It would be better to leave him here so as not to cause more damage. Ae should already be aware of the outcome," Tin said.
Can did not say anything.
Tin then quickly teleported himself and Can back to the cave. As soon as he did so, the dimension immediately collapsed and shrunk quickly. With its complete collapse, a huge explosion followed. Although it was powerful, the crushing pressure of the collapsing dimension was enough to overpower the explosion. Soon, the dimension was no more.
Inside the cave, Can transform himself back to his human form. Tin's armor disappeared as Can's contracted beasts returned to their respective dimensions.
After transforming, Can looked for the others. He immediately recognized Master Khang. He was standing next to Ae and Pete.
He ran towards them with his eyes already filled with tears. "Master! Everyone!"
Old Man Khang turned around and finally saw his disciple for the first time after what seemed to be forever. With open arms, he joyfully said, "My favorite disciple!"
The two hugged tightly.
"Well, I'm still alive, would you look at that? Hahah!" Old Man Khang joked around while rubbing his disciple's head.
"I'm glad. I'm really glad that you'll alright, master," Can whimpered. He was already exhausted from the fighting, but knowing that his master was alive made him feel so much better.
"Alright, alright. Enough of this for now. We can do this heartfelt reunion later," Old Man Khang said as he pulled away from Can.
Old Man Khang sighed sadly and he faced both Ae and Pete.
Pete ran towards Can and embraced him tightly. "I'm glad that the two of you are okay."
"I feel the same, Pete."
"Can," Ae softly said.
"I'm sorry, Ae. About your father..."
"I know, Can. I understand." Ae stopped Can from continuing. He knew his father's fate. Whatever it was that was necessary to stop him must be done. Knowing that he was not with Tin and Can, Ae knew that he was already gone. He did not want to know the details of how he died. He was not sure if he would be able to handle the truth.
Can understood Ae's meaning and did not speak further about his father. He then noticed the huge white egg that Ae was holding.
"Can, about Pond," Ae gulped.
"W-what happened to him?" Can suddenly felt weak. He felt his connection with Pond disappear earlier, which meant that Pond died.
"I'm not sure how to explain it. We thought that he died, but he turned into this egg earlier," Ae explained as he handed over the egg.
Before taking the egg, Can noticed that the egg was emitting a faint red light. It would emit light every second then it would be gone after. It was like some kind of a person's heartbeat. Within that red light, Can could see a baby inside the egg. Did Pond become a baby?
Can touched the eggshell and felt the warmth. Somehow, he instantly felt a familiar connection with the egg. Sure enough, it was Pond.
He took the egg to try to embrace it. Can was unable to be with Pond when he was dying. He wished he was there with him to help and comfort him.
“Pond, I’m sorry if I couldn’t be with you,” Can whispered in sorrow.
As soon as he took the egg away from Ae's hands, the egg stopped from emitting light. Can was unsure why the egg did that, but he felt that it was not right. He decided to immediately return the egg to Ae. The moment Ae touched the egg, the faint red light showed up, once again.
"It seems that he chose you," Can weakly smiled as he patted and caressed the egg. If Pond decided to choose Ae, then he would not compete. He would accept it willingly.
Ae did not say anything. He only looked down as his lips quivered. His eyes were already red from crying earlier.
"Please take care of him for me," Can said as he looked directly to Ae.
"A-are you sure, Can?" Ae asked. There was hesitation to take Pond away from Can since the two were together from the beginning.
"I'm sure," Can nodded.
Pete looked back and forth trying hard to say something. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but we must leave. Some of these people need serious medical attention," Pete said worriedly. Most of the prisoners were alive but unconscious.
"I'll create a portal that would directly lead us to your family hospital, Pete," Tin said as he began casting.
"Thank you, Tin."
Tin smiled and gave him a nod.
Soon, everyone was evacuated from the cave and received medical attention. When they finally got out of the cave, Can and the others, especially the prisoners, were very happy as soon as they became conscious. They thought that they would never get out and that they would die without seeing the sun. Yet, here they were. They were very much alive! As for the last living members of the Apostles, both Joyde and Tryde, the two would be watched and would be sentenced to imprisonment. For the two, they were not worried about the consequences anymore. As long as they were together, they were okay with it.
Because of consuming too much spiritual energy, as soon as Can changed clothes and lied down in the hospital bed in a private room, he fell asleep. Sitting next to him, Tin took care of him.
Tin was about to take care of something outside when his hand was grabbed firmly by Can.
"Stay with me," Can whispered. He was half-awake.
Tin held his laughter. "Will do," he said as he caressed Can's hair.
Thankfully the size of the bed was enough for the two of them to comfortably move and embrace each other.
Within moments, Can went back to sleep as his breathing slowed down. In his embrace, Tin could not help it but also be infected with sleepiness. Before closing his eyes, Tin kissed Can on his forehead. Then he finally relaxed and fell asleep.
==== We're not exactly finished yet. More to come. Anyways, what bl series have you been watching? The last thing I watched was Gameboys the series. It's a Filipino BL and I say it was really good. There are a lot of Filipino BLs popping out lately, which is a good thing to be honest XDAlright later!
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
A year passed and the world was much more stable after the short "Demonic War." It was called as such since it was the turning point for the Demonic Elementalists. They were able to overthrow the rule of their counterpart: the Righteous Elementalists. And despite this frightening change that people thought that would start the end of the world, nothing huge happened. Of course, there were exceptions. Both Righteous Elementalists and Demonic Elementalists were ruled by Tin himself. Even though the Righteous Elementalists believed that Tin betrayed them, they were unable to resist him since they were weakened. Who would even dare go against him? He was the pinnacle of power in this world. So, the Righteous Elementalists could only obey his wishes. As for Tin, even though the Righteous Elementalists community did not accept him wholeheartedly, he was still merciful enough to treat them as equal with the Demonic Elementalists. He wanted to erase the division between these two factions. At the moment, it seemed to be impossible, but he wanted to try.As for the Beast Summoners, Ae, naturally, was the appointed leader. There were some who opposed him since his father began the war and created a massive cult to harness the power of the King of the Beast. Also, the B.S.G would be solely responsible for the reparations of destruction for starting the war that not everyone was willing to join, to begin with. If it were not for Ae's father, this would not happen at all! Now, not only was their reputation and power ruined, but they were also losing money! Still, for the majority, they chose Ae. He went against his own father because he knew that it was the right thing to do. Besides no one would dare directly go against him as he was backed by the two most powerful individuals in the world: Tin and Can. In addition, he held the Honglyun Sword.It would certainly seem tyrannic to know that these people were being governed by fear even if it was not the intention both Tin and Ae wanted. If only these people knew the full truth and accepted the truth even if it was painful, they would change their opinions about their new respected appointed leaders. Yet, in this world, emotions tend to govern most people and not through reasoning. So, although it might be harsh, wielding power was a necessary tool for both Ae and Tin to bring authority to these people. It was necessary if they wanted to promote peace and stability in this ever changing world.While these two were busy reforming their organizations for the better, Can was busy planting Mythic level seeds in his master's garden. This process of planting was quite complicated as it required a complete concentration of spiritual energy. Everything must be done perfectly, so any forms of distraction could cause the seed to explode and turn into a puff of smoke."Are you done yet!?" Master Khang suddenly blurted from a distance with Dokebi holding coconut juice above his head.This sudden disturbance caused Can to jolt from surprise, which resulted with the seed that he was holding to explode on his face. Thankfully, the explosion was not something to be concerned about as it was harmless. The only unfortunate thing was that Can was now covered in white powder. Some of it went inside his mouth."Ack!" he coughed as he tried to remove the powder inside his mouth. It was so bitter!"You lost your focus again. How many times I told you not to get distracted?" Master Khang shook his head in disappointment."Mas-" Can paused as he coughed. "You were the one who distracted me!""What I'm hearing are excuses," Master Khang replied as he slurped coconut juice with a bamboo straw."Go on. Do it again. You've already graduated from the university and you're still like this. At this rate, this garden wouldn't flourish when I die knowing my disciple isn't attentive enough," he continued in an unbothered tone.Can faced his master with his face full of white powder while scratching his head, "Come on, master, don't say that. I'll do it again."Even though his master was just making fun of him, he did not want to hear him joking about death.Seeing that he made his disciple sad, he jokingly said, "I won't die yet. I'll live for another thousand years. Now, go! I won't distract you anymore."With Dokebi by his side, Old Man Khang left.When Old Man Khang went back to Phoenix Garden after being abducted, he witnessed the devastation that was left. It was thanks to both Tin and Can that he was able to restore his garden to its former state. The only thing that did not go back to its former state was his contracted beasts. When he noticed the changes from them, he knew that Tin must have done something with them. Later on, Tin confessed to him about the new souls inserted to resurrect his contracted beasts. Although he was not surprised, it still devastated him. He was not at all disturbed with what Tin did. He was thankful even because he would not know how he would react if his contracted beasts disappeared completely by his side. Even if they were not his real contracted beasts anymore, he still would want to pretend that they were still the same. He knew that it was selfish, but it did not matter to him. In return for helping him, Tin asked Old Man Khang not to reveal the truth to Can as not to reopen his wounds from the past. The old man clearly understood this, so he agreed.Several hours had passed and it was already about to turn dark. After changing to more comfortable clothes, Can rushed outside of the Phoenix Garden after he bid goodbye to his old master. Tao Gunka, as usual, was talkative as he transported Can back to the university."Thank you, Tao Gunka! I'm sorry, I'm in a rush. Talk to you later!" he explained as he ran outside of the university. Hopefully, he would not be late for his appointment.Outside the gates of the university, there was a black car waiting. When Can saw it opening the door behind it, he immediately went in. He knew that it was Tin's old driver."Sorry for making you wait," Can said while huffing."No, worries sir. You're on time," Tin's driver said. As soon as Can got in, they drove to the location of his appointment. Can personally did not know where he was going as this was too sudden, but Tin just told him to be prepared.Taking out his phone, he texted his mother.
"I won't be home today."
The moment he sent it, he received a reply immediately.
"Okay."
Can frowned. Usually, when he would go out, his mother would ask where he would go. This time she did not ask at all.He texted his sister, Ley.
"Are you at home?"
Just like his mother, as soon as he sent that message, he received an answer immediately. "Yep, with mom. What's the matter?"Realizing that he was overthinking, he replied back. "Nothing. I won't be home tonight."Ley texted back. "I know. mom told me. LOL!""...."Can turned off his phone. Since he was a little tired, he could not help it but take a quick nap. He trusted Tin's old driver, so he leaned back to his seat and closed his eyes. The moment he opened them, he was drooling."We're here, sir," the old driver smiled in the front mirror."H-how long have I been taking a nap?" Can was embarrassed as he looked outside his window to see where they were while wiping the drool from his mouth."About an hour," the old man replied."That long? I'm sorry!" Can turned to face him in shock."It's alright. The drive to get here took about an hour. Go on Mr. Rathavit. Grandmaster Tin is waiting for you.""Ah. I see. T-thank you." Can got out of the car.He looked around once again and noticed the string of yellow lights attached to the huge concrete stairs that seemed to lead somewhere. It was a little dark as his view was concealed by a huge mansion in front of him, so he was not exactly sure where he was.Following the string of lights upstairs, he was led to the beautiful scenery of the sea. The beautiful night sky was clear and filled with wonderful illuminating stars. It was a full moon too, so the scenery was much more evident. Can realized that he was in some kind of resort. The fresh cold sea breeze embraced him, which woke him from complete sleepiness. The sounds of the calm waves were quite soothing to hear. What a wonderful feeling!Realizing that the yellow lights led to a wooden gazebo near the sea, he removed his shoes and walked barefoot. As he continued, he could feel the fine white sand.
(A/N: Example of a gazebo. Pic not mine.)Checking the wooden gazebo, he noticed a man wearing a white long sleeve shirt and white shorts standing in front of it. He was silently waiting while smiling."You should've told me that we're going to be on a beach," Can shouted excitedly as he approached Tin."Then it wouldn't be a surprise," Tin replied as he offered his hand to Can."You're right," Can lightly giggled as he grabbed Tin's hand. He was then led to his seat.The setting of the inside of the gazebo was simple. Aside from the yellow lights that surrounded them, there were two chairs and a table set up.A lot of dishes were laid down on the table. They were all Can's favorite food."You prepared all of this? That must've taken you a while," Can said with much admiration."I'll do anything to make you happy and make this night perfect," Tin replied.Can directly looked into Tin's eyes. "Eating at your place would've been also perfect. Anything that you make would automatically give me happiness.""A change of atmosphere shouldn't be bad," Tin said as he gestured to Can to eat. "Go on and eat. I wanted to show you something later,""What are you going to show me?" Can became curious all of a sudden."Can," Tin whispered as he put food on Can's plate."Oh..okay. Later. Eat first," Can scratched his head.Tin only smiled as he served Can more food.As they ate, aside from the sound of the waves, there was laughter and talk of love mixed in. It was just a special happy moment for the two. After what they have gone through and dealing with the aftermath of the war, they were finally able to spend time together alone without thinking of their problems. There were only the two of them together in this small beautiful world that they were in.After eating, Tin held Can's hand and led him towards the sea. With the guidance of the light from the sky, the two were able to navigate the area smoothly."Where are we going exactly, Tin?" Can asked as he looked at the wonderful sky."Here, take this," Tin said as he handed Can something."A stone?" Can examined what it was that Tin gave him, but he was sure that it was only an ordinary stone.Tin only kept his smile. "Throw it in the ocean."Can faced Tin, but he did not say anything. With the stone on his hand, Can threw the stone in the water.As soon as the stone hit the calm waters, a ripple was created. With that ripple, a blue light came with it.
(A/N: Pic not mine.)Can's eyes widened, "Woah! What was that?"Tin gave Can another stone. "Go ahead," Tin said.Can nodded happily and threw the stone in the water. The beautiful blue light showed again when a disturbance was created with the water."It's bioluminescent," Tin said as he continued to explain this wonderful phenomenon.(A/N: I'm not gonna go into details, but if you want to know what I'm talking about: Search "Bioluminescent Bays" on Youtube. Definitely beautiful!)"That's quite amazing! It's beautiful." Can's smile widened as he threw stones in the water that were given to him by Tin. He could not get enough of this great view.While giving Can stones to throw in the ocean filled with planktons, Tin took out a small red box from his pocket with his other hand. He took a deep breath and slowly brought this red box closer to Can. As he was about to kneel, Can took the red box, thinking that it was another stone, and threw it in the ocean."Ahh! That made a bigger ripple! Awesome!" Can shouted in delight."...."=====Hello everyone! I'm back. Here you go. More to come, if I have more free time!
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AHHH! LBC2!!!!======When he turned around once again to get another stone from Tin, Can noticed that he was kneeling. He was stunned momentarily then became worried after."Tin? Is something wrong? Are you okay?" Can kneeled to check on him.Tin did not reply as he observed the love of his life worry about him. It felt wonderful to him when Can worries about him."Say something, Tin?" Can frowned.Without worrying him further, Tin proceeded to pull Can and embraced him."T-Tin?""I'm alright. Nothing's wrong, Can," Tin replied softly with a smile. He embraced him more tightly.Can felt something weird was happening, but he was not sure what it was. As he was about to ask Tin, the man pulled away from him and looked directly into his eyes."Can, I love you," Tin whispered with tenderness.When he said those words, the things that Can wanted to ask were stuck in his throat. His suspicions disappeared with it."I love you too, Tin," Can replied.Not saying any more words, Tin initiated a passionate kiss. Both of them closed their eyes as they focused on one another. It was full of love and warmth that the cold night could not even cool down. The two have done this multiple times, but for Can, tonight was somehow much more intense and exciting. He could not get enough of it, so he did not let Tin let go quite easily.Meanwhile, while focusing on kissing Can to distract him, Tin stretched his left hand towards the ocean. Using his magic power, the ocean began to sway more slightly, causing a disturbance to the planktons living in it. So, the ocean glowed much brighter and illuminated the night further with gorgeous blue light. From the shallow depths of the water, the red box that was thrown before began to float to the surface then flew towards Tin's hand.When he got the red box, Tin slowly pulled away from Can, which caused disappointment to the latter. The moment Can opened his eyes, he was distracted by the wonderful blue light from the ocean and its waves.He turned to Tin and said, "It's lovely."With a bright smile that seemed to be brighter than the light from the ocean and the sky, he continued, "Thank you for bringing me here."It was certainly a precious and perfect moment for the two.Tin was silent, but he was smiling. As he took a deep breath, he kneeled once again. He then showed the red box to Can and opened it."Can, we've been through a lot of things and overcame it together. Before I met you, all I ever cared about was revenge and fulfilling my father's wishes. I was full of hatred and anger. But I changed because of you. I changed for the better because of you. When I think about you, I know that no one else will ever hold my heart the way you do. My life will never be complete without you next to me to share it. You deserve the very best, someone who will back you up without limits, let you grow without borders, and love you without end. Will you let me be the one?"Can was already teary-eyed as he listened to Tin's words of love. Rubbing his eyes to wipe his tears, he took a deep breath to try to calm down. Quickly, he nodded."Yes!"The smile on Tin's face became much more vibrant. He predicted that this would occur, so he was already prepared to hear Can's "Yes." Still, hearing it physically and personally from Can himself gave him a wonderful feeling. He felt like he was bursting from so much happiness.Taking out the diamond ring from the box, Tin firstly kissed Can's left hand then inserted the ring gently to his ring finger.When Can observed it, he could not help it but feel the weight of it. Surely, it was quite expensive, but how much did he pay for this?"Don't worry about that kind of detail," Tin replied as he caressed Can's ring finger.He then embraced his now official fiance and kissed him once again. "I'm very happy, Can.""Me too," Can held Tin much tighter and kissed him back.After spending some time by themselves near the glowing ocean, Tin held Can's hand and pulled him towards the direction of the mansion."Where are you taking me?" Can asked.Tin did not turn around. He answered, "To our new home."The little beast summoner's eyes widened. He thought that this was a resort owned by someone else. How much was this property?With Can being silent, Tin responded while checking his phone. "Don't worry about that kind of detail. You should already know how wealthy I am."Can knew that Tin was quite rich, but he wondered just how rich he was. From the first time he met him until tonight, he never figured how vast his wealth was. In the end, he just accepted that Tin must have infinite wealth."This will be our new home?" Can examined the entirety of the mansion. It was quite huge for two people. How many rooms were there even? It seemed much bigger than Tin's family mansion where Tin grew up. "Isn't this too big for the two of us alone?""It won't only be the two of us living there, of course," Tin answered as if stating an obvious fact. The two reached the door that led to the main hall of the mansion."Hmm? What do you mean?" Can was unclear of what he meant."We'll create our own family here," Tin explained as he caressed Can's cheek.Before Can could ask for clarification, Tin opened the door and blaring joyous shouts and applause from multiple people could be heard."CONGRATULATIONS!"When the two went inside, Can was quite surprised to see both of their families and closest friends to be present. He now knew why his Master Khang, Ley, and his mother were acting suspiciously today.He looked around and saw that behind these people, there was a huge sign that was attached to a wall that says "Congratulations! Mr. and new Mr. Phiravich!" There were circular tables that were covered with white table cloths. On top of them, there were plates of food and drinks."Your brother is finally engaged!" Can's mother shouted repeatedly as she grabbed her daughter who was next to her and shook her."Mom! Calm down!" Ley tried to get away from her mother's grasp, but she could not do it. Her mom was too excited that her strength seemed to multiply. Now Ley was sure where she got her fangirling trait from.The crowd gathered around the two and congratulated them one by one."I'm so happy for both of you," Can's mom said as she clapped her hands. Her happiness could not be concealed as she hugged the two of them together.As for Ley, she looked at Tin, "Congrats to future, Mr. and," then turned to her brother with a sarcastic tone, "Mrs. Phiravich.""T-thank you," Can said embarrassingly. He was not aware that there was a planned engagement party right after Tin's proposal to him.After exchanging heartfelt messages, the mother and daughter pair then excused themselves to get to their seats and to taste luxury."Congratulations my son and my son-in-law," Tin's father said while still maintaining a dignified attitude as he held a glass of wine."Thank you." Holding his own glass of wine, Tin made a toast with his father. When Can looked at this pair of father and son, they looked so cool.Still wearing the necklace where his father's spirit resides, Tin's grandfather spoke, "Ahh! I can't wait to see this place being livelier with your children! Make sure to make a lot of them! The more the better, yeah?""Why are you dictating them you old fool," Old Man Khang interrupted."Huh? Why do you care, you old man? You look like you're attending someone's funeral with that outfit!" Tin's grandfather shouted."What did you just say about my outfit!? At least I'm wearing something unlike you being stuck in some jewelry that looks like a knock-off!"As usual, Tin's grandfather and his old friend were as shameless as before, which made the atmosphere much livelier. Tin's father had to stop the two and excuse themselves.During the entirety of the short war, Tin locked his father and grandfather inside the family mansion. Of course, this made both of them mad since they wanted to assist Tin. When the war ended, even though there were hard feelings for what Tin did, the two eventually forgave him.Can looked at Tin. He was going to ask him again about earlier. Unfortunately, he was interrupted by their friends."Wow! Time passes by rather quickly! The two of you were just enemies before, but now you're engaged!" Techno raised his glass of wine. As usual, he was still hyper."Thank you," Can said happily as he made a toast with Techno and Kengkla.Seeing an old-time friend, who he considered his little brother, becoming engaged was somehow saddening for Techno. It felt like his responsibility as an older brother was over."Are you okay, Techno?" Can asked after seeing the sad expression on his friend's face.Nudging Techno with his elbow, Kengkla congratulated both of them. "He just had too much alcohol, I'll handle him. By the way, Congratulations. I'm glad it was the two of you," he smiled as he dragged Techno away from the two."Kengkla, what should I do now? My little brother doesn't need me anymore," Techno said as he pouted.Kengkla turned to him, "I'm still here." He then continued to drag his partner back to their table.These two, although they were not directly involved with the Demonic War, they still helped with identifying locations of cult bases and high-ranking members to end the war much faster."We're here to congratulate you too, Tin and Can," Bacsojin bowed. She was wearing an elegant white dress that was inspired by the fashion of ancient China. Next to her was Xu Xian. He was wearing a white tuxedo. They certainly are a match made by heaven. They were very eye-catching together. It was to be expected as the two of them were now well-known international models.Compared to them, Can looked quite out of place with his casual clothing. Tin, despite wearing a beach outfit, he still looked good. Tin should have mentioned something about a party so that he could have prepared in advance!Bacsojin then proceeded to hug Can. "I'm really happy for you.""Thank you, Bacsojin," Can replied. Both Xu Xian and Tin just looked at one another and made a toast."You found someone worth waiting, please take care of him," Bacsojin said as she turned to Tin."I know," Tin nodded.After saying a few more words, the couple left. The two of them also were part of the war effort. They used their fame to spread real information in order to decrease misunderstanding and the intensity of hatred of the people."Ae! Pete! The two of you came!" Can shouted after seeing the two entered the main hall. With them, a baby who was struggling and crying was held by Ae. Can had been looking for them earlier. He thought that they were not going to show up.Approaching the newly engaged couple, both Pete and Ae apologized while chuckling. "We're sorry for being late. Our baby Pond just developed a new skill: Invisibility. He fell asleep while using it, so it was hard for us to find him at all in the house.""It's alright. No worries. We just started," Can shook his head. He then looked at baby Pond. He was much bigger compared to the last time he saw him. Since he came out of his eggshell about six months ago, his growth became much faster compared to ordinary babies."By the way, congratulations. We have our gifts for you two, but we'll send it to you later," Pete said while fixing Pond's baby mittens."Thank you," Tin said while staring at the baby. He then quickly sneaked a peek at Can as he drank his wine.As soon as baby Pond saw Can, he stopped struggling. He stretched out both of his little arms while chewing on his pacifier. His chubby cheeks would jiggle as he chewed, which made him cuter.Knowing what baby Pond wanted, Ae handed him over to Can. Of course, Can could not say no, so he happily carried baby Pond."You're so cute! I want to pinch your cheeks!" Can said in a loving and joking manner.When Tin saw this scene, he grabbed his wine glass firmer at the point where he was about to break it. He gulped the last drop of wine in his glass."I'll grab some more drinks. Would you want some?" Tin asked as he tried to compose himself.Can, Pete, and Ae looked at one another."I-Im good," Can replied as he tended the baby.Both Pete and Ae refused too as they were with their baby.Tin nodded and quickly excused himself. The couple and Can continued to talk as they played with baby Pond.Later on, while everyone was happily celebrating and talking amongst themselves, Can whispered to Tin's ear. Clearly, Can was a little drunk as his face was flushing. With the help of alcohol, he gathered courage. He wanted to ask Tin what has been bothering him since earlier when he mentioned about creating their own family."We can't create children of our own, you know."Tin turned to Can with a stunned expression. "Of course, we can."Can frowned. "Really? How?"The two had sex multiple times already and he never got pregnant.Tin smiled mischievously as he got closer to Can's ear."Then would you like to make one after everyone leaves?"
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I know it has been a long time. I was really busy with life XD But here you go. I'll keep updating as fast as possible but please understand I have other priorities. Thank you for the wait!=====Can already has red cheeks from drinking alcohol, but Tin's suggestion made his face even redder and hotter."What are you saying? There are people around us!" Can looked around if people heard Tin's embarrassing and vulgar phrase. Thankfully, everyone chatted continuously to one another as if they did not hear what Tin mentioned. Of course, they heard what Tin said. Most of the people here were very powerful individuals. Whispers, even the sound of a fly could be heard clearly as if someone was speaking on a microphone. When they heard what Tin wanted, everyone became a little embarrassed. Some coughed and ignored it. Some chuckled while hiding their faces.Can, who was slightly drunk, seemed to forget this fact. Seeing that everyone did not look like they heard their conversation, Can turned to Tin.Before he could scold his future husband, Tin only smirked. "So?"He was unbothered if people heard him. To him, this was a good opportunity for his visitors to leave early.From under their table that was covered with white table cloth, Tin slowly pressed his right hand on Can's thigh, which made Can jolt.Tin leaned closer to Can, "You didn't answer my question."He then asked once again, "Would you like-"Can acted quickly and covered Tin's mouth."I heard! I heard!" He whispered grumbly.After a few seconds of silence between the two, Can removed his hand from Tin's mouth. He then thought about his question about having a baby. Even if they do have the ability to have children, Can was wondering whether he was ready or not.Tin smiled and patted Can's head. "I'm not rushing you. I was just teasing you and also informing you that it's possible for both males to have children."Can looked at him silently."If you don't want children, that's fine too. As long as I have you by my side," Tin continued.When Tin realized that their glasses of wine were already finished, he stood up and took them. "Would you like some more?""Yes, um-""Alright," Tin nodded as he walked away while holding two wine glasses.Can was stunned. He wanted to say something but Tin already left. Somehow, there was a trace of sadness within Tin. Can wondered what it was. Did he actually want to have children?"Can, what's the matter?" Mrs. Rathavit softly said as he patted his shoulder."Mom?" Can answered as he shook his head. "N-nothing.""Hmm." Mrs. Rathavit nodded. She turned her head and found that Tin was held up by visitors.She decided to sit down next to her son. "I know if something's bothering you, Can.""Huh?" Can was surprised. "How do you know? Does it show on my face?""This is how I know," Mrs. Rathavit as she pointed at Can's forehead, "You could be easily tricked.""Ohh," Can slightly laughed afterward.Mrs. Rathavit patted her son's head as she drank her expensive wine. "So, what's bothering my son?"Can scratched his head and turned to glimpse at Tin who was still talking to his father."Did you know that males could have children?" Can became intrigued about this subject.Not bothered or surprised, Mrs. Rathavit continued drinking. "What about it?"Can frowned. He was confused.Seeing his reaction, Mrs. Rathavit replied with a dumbfounded expression. She was more surprised that her son did not know about males being able to reproduce more than the fact that males reproduce! "You didn't know?""It's really possible?" Can was more startled."Of course it's possible. What kind of cave have you been living in?" Mrs. Rathavit replied."Still, I feel that's not the main thing that you're worried about?" she continued."Well." Can thought that her mom hit the mark."It looks like Tin wanted to have a child," Can whispered as he felt a little embarrassed."And what seems to be the problem with that?" Mrs. Rathavit raised her eyebrow."I don't know if I'm prepared to have one."Resting her head with the palm of her hand on the table, Mrs. Rathavit smiled. "Can, you can't ever be prepared when you become a parent. No matter what happens, there would always be these things that would show unexpectedly. That's just natural. That's part of being a parent."She closed her eyes and remembered the days when she just had Can. "When we had you, it was mostly your dad who took the initiative to take care of you even though he didn't have any idea of how to do it. I had to teach him how to carry you, how to change your diaper, how to feed you, how to give you a bath, and other things. It was hard for the both of us because we were not used to it, but it was one of the best moments we had. Having you was surely a blessing for both of us. Certainly more for your father. He loved you so much that he never left your side. It's the main reason you stuck to him even until you grew up."Mrs. Rathavit took a deep breath as she tried not to cry on this very special occasion for his son."I'm not telling you to have a baby already. I'm telling you that you can't always be prepared when you become a parent," she patted her son's reddened cheeks."Still, even if you want to have a baby now. It wouldn't be a problem. You have Tin by your side. He's the richest man on Earth and the most powerful at that! And he has you, Can. The two of you were able to achieve the impossible, so I believe that the two of you could do anything even if it becoming parents. You also have us, your family, you know, if you need help," she laughed quietly.Can nodded. Her mom was right."Mom, thank you for the advice," Can said with a smile.His mom shook her head. "Anything for my son."After a few moments of conversation with her son, Mrs. Rathavit stood up when she saw Tin coming back."Alright, I'll leave the two of you to discuss your own private matters," she said as she faced Tin and patted him on his shoulder.Tin turned back for a second to greet Mrs. Rathavit then sat down next to Can."Is everything okay?" Tin asked as he put their wine glasses down."Yeah. Everything's okay," Can replied as he grabbed his wine glass. He then turned to Tin. "I asked her about being a parent."Tin stopped his movements momentarily. He did not expect that Can would be this straightforward about what they talked about."You wanted to have a child right?" Can asked with a serious tone.Tin did not deny it. "I do. But it's not something I'd like to rush and pressure you.""Why do you want a child?" Can continue to question him.Tin looked at the baby that both Pete and Ae was holding. He then thought about his upbringing as a child."It's hard to say," he turned to Can. "It could be that I'd like to see our child being brought to this world and let that child experience the unconditional love that the two of us have for one another. It could be that I thought it would be interesting to create and to raise a child with you. It could be that I want to prove that I could raise, love, and give everything to our child. It could be also that I like the idea of someone calling me Dad or Papa. Or that I would like to squeeze a baby's cheeks. It could be all of them or it could be for another reason. "Can took a deep breath as he took a sip of his wine. "I'd like to have a child too. The reason I was hesitant was that I wasn't sure if I'm prepared to have one."He turned to Tin. "Then I realized that as long as I have you by my side and our family, I'm much more prepared to handle anything. A baby shouldn't be too bad. Hehe.""Do I take that as a yes?" Tin asked.Can smiled and did not hesitate. He replied with a slight nod. "Yes."Still, there was a question in Can's head. How do males make babies?As he became curious about the idea and already wanting to know the answer, he was excited that he blurted, "Tin, how can we make a baby?"Although it was not too loud, it was enough for everyone to hear very well. After hearing what Can said, everyone became silent as they looked at Can. They were seriously thinking why this person who was already an adult did not know anything regarding reproduction with males.Can could feel the judgment from everyone and could not help it but lower his head. Tin only coughed as he tried to suppress his laughter. He gestured for everyone to go back to their usual conversations, which everyone did."It's simple really," Tin leaned closer and hugged Can.When he calmed down a little bit, Can faced Tin. "How?""This." Tin showed a green pill in front of Can."This is a pregnancy pill especially made by Mrs. WangXian herself. You take this before we make love with one another," he said.Can took and examined the pill. "That simple?"Tin nodded. "Yes, although the success varies.""What do you mean?" Can smelled the pill."Depending on the grade of the pill, we might have to make love multiple times to successfully make you pregnant," Tin answered.It was not surprising that Can would be the one to bear their child. There was no way that Tin would bear the child for both of them, so Can simply accepted his fate.As he examined the green pill, he noticed that it does not seem to be high quality as it looked ordinary and it did not have the glow that a high-quality pill would have. Could it be that it was an exception?"This pill must be high-quality since it was made from Mrs. WangXian herself right? But it doesn't show that it's high-quality. It looks like a low-quality pill," Can said with a baffled expression.Tin smiled with hidden ill intention on his face. "Because it's indeed a low-quality pill."
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Thank you for waiting.
===
Can was baffled at first as to why it was a low-quality pill. It then dawned on him.
Looking at Tin with disbelief as his face was beet red, "You..."
He could not finish what he wanted to say because he was too embarrassed when he realized Tin's intention.
With a satisfied smile, Tin rubbed his nose on Can's reddening ear.
He whispered in a low-tone voice, "Can, I hope you're prepared to take responsibility."
Slowly, Tin took Can's hand underneath the table and put it on a hard surface.
Figuring out what it was, Can jolted as his eyes widened. It was Tin's hard member.
Trying to keep his cool, Can stared at the surrounding to make sure no one would notice Tin's display of pervertedness.
He struggled to remove his hand from Tin's crotch, but it was kept in place by Tin. The husband seemed to want to tease him still.
"Tin, this is not the right time for this," Can could only mutter while trying to show his anger. Yet, at the same time, he could feel his body getting warmer. He thought that it must be due to the alcohol and not from Tin's constant perverted teasing towards him. At least that was what he wanted to believe.
Tin did not answer. This man did not only put Can's hand on his crotch, but also moved it to wander around the area.
Can bit his lower lip as he panicked. Tin was not being obedient! Doing this sort of thing in public, was he not ashamed? Is this some sort of kink of his?
Not having any other options in order to get away from Tin's grasp, Can squeezed Tin's bulge with some pressure.
When he did that, Tin was momentarily stunned. Can initially thought that Tin would finally let him go, he was wrong. Can only put more fuel into the flame that made the fiery passion and lust inside of Tin ignite further.
Aside from the changes with Tin's expression, the size of his bulge also changed. It certainly became bigger. It was as if it could not hold itself from the restraints of its owner's pants and underwear.
Can knew it was too late. He let the dragon awake from its long slumber.
What he did was certainly considered to be teasing too!
Finding a way to get out of the situation, Can mumbled. "Tin...erm...husband..."
Another fatal mistake. Tin wanted Can to call him husband for a long time, so hearing Can say that word only triggered Tin not to hold back anymore.
Tin waved his hand which caused the surroundings to change instantly. It was their new huge bedroom. Before Can could observe and marvel at the grandness of their bedroom, Tin already pinned him down in their white bed.
He held Can's head closer to his and went for a kiss. Can stopped him quickly.
"T-the pill?" Can asked. Since they were going to do it and he could not push Tin away, they might as well try to conceive a child.
Tin, while kissing and biting Can's lips, waved his hand. Then a pill with lackluster green color was then put inside his mouth then straight to Can's mouth.
As soon as it got to Can's mouth, Can had a hard time swallowing it as he was gasping for breath while he was entangling his tongue and kissing with the other man.
He did not feel any different after swallowing the pill. Perhaps it was due to it being low-quality or perhaps he was too busy kissing and tasting the more intoxicating remnant of sweet alcohol from both of his and Tin's mouths.
From the passionate kissing, Tin began to serve the love of his life. He removed his clothes, kissing the exposed skin. With every kiss left by Tin's lips on his body, Can could feel the lingering warmth and passion of those marks. In return, Can did the same as he removed the clothes from Tin. As his well-toned body was exposed, Can wanted to already take a bite on such delicacies. Although Can has already seen everything that has to be seen on Tin, he still could not get enough of them.
With this new chapter of their lives, Can thought that he should also try something new. He wanted to lead.
After all of their clothes were thrown on the ground, the unsuspecting Tin was pushed down to the bed. His eyes widened with surprise along with a glimmer in them.
"I..I'll lead," Can said. He was not used to this as he usually let Tin control their actions in bed. He was still shy about the one trying to assume control at this moment.
To Tin, he found it rather cute that Can would take the initiative to do this type of thing. It was certainly adorable and exciting.
Can was sitting on top of Tin's crotch. He could feel the twitching hard piece that was sliding and teasing Can's entrance. Can could already feel the impatience of his husband as it was already dripping with precum.
Can made him wait. First, he began kissing Tin from his forehead, to his lips, to his toned upper body, then continued downwards. He ignored the throbbing member of his husband as he kissed the man's thigh down to his legs. He was leaving his marks everywhere making Tin know that this body was his and only his.
As he looked up, he could see the towering proud erection. At this point, it was Can who seemed to be the one being teased. Who was exactly teasing who?
It was enormous and it made Can wonder how this thing made it inside him without him dying.
Not waiting any longer, Can moved up and wrapped Tin's member with both of his hands. With the tip of his tongue, he let himself wander around the tip that was dripping with precum. He could taste the sweetness of it. As he was enjoying himself, he started stroking the base and put the exact pressure that Tin liked around it. He could hear the groans of the man receiving pleasure. It was only the start.
After licking the tip, Can slowly put Tin's twitching member in his mouth. Although it did not fit his mouth entirely, he was still skillful at giving the man more pleasure without gagging.
For some time, after stroking, twisting, and other display of service, Tin came. Before he did so, he accidentally shoved Can's head further. This made Can slightly choke. Nonetheless, the juice that overflowed in his mouth was swallowed.
The remnants that were on his hands and mouth was licked clean. Can did not want them to go to waste.
Of course, this was not the end. It was merely an appetizer.
After he came, Tin was hard once again. One was not enough for him. He wanted more. Besides, Tin has not penetrated Can from the back.
Can knew this, so he continued working. Noticing the lube and other interesting items on their bedside table, Can took the lube and put a good amount on his hand. He smeared on Tin's very excited erection with it and then to his own entrance.
After some preparation, he slowly took Tin's member and began to move. Meanwhile, Tin also started moving while he stroked Can's throbbing member.
The action between the two was slow and tamed at the start, but the pace gradually became faster and more intense later on.
The moans of the two grew louder inside the room as the bed shook harder. Thankfully, there was a strong barrier around the room. None of the guests would hear them or feel the strong vibrations within the room. Still, when the guests found out the two were gone, they had an idea of what happened.
"They're gone too soon," Ley clicked her tongue as she shook her head. They were doing it. They could not wait until the guests were gone!
As for Can and Tin, the guests would be forgotten throughout the entire night and the next morning as they would continue expressing their love for one another.
With the two most powerful people in the world, it was a mystery how the bed was still able to withstand the continuous intensity of fiery passion from the two.
Round after round, they did not stop as their sweat and other secreted liquids from their bodies mixed with the smell in the air of their room.
At the end of their act of heat, Can somehow felt a cooling sensation inside his stomach. He stopped Tin for a moment and told him, "I feel something in my stomach."
When Tin was about to reply to him, the two of them could see a faint green light that was emitting inside Can's stomach. It only lasted for a moment, but both of them seemed to know what it meant.
Can looked at Tin speechlessly as he touched his stomach. With a tender smile, Tin held Can's hand while caressing his head.
"You're pregnant, Can," Tin said while kissing Can's forehead.
When he heard those words, Can was suddenly overwhelmed with emotions. He could not believe it. He was now going to be a parent!
His eyes were filled with tears.
"Tin, you're going to be a father...," Can hugged Tin as he cried to him from happiness.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Thank you for waiting. Busy. Busy.
====
A month has passed and the news of Can getting pregnant spread within his and Tin's family and their close friends.
"So, quick?" Ley looked at his brother up and down trying to figure out if the news was true. She did notice that there were changes in his brother's appearance. Can has certainly become bigger. She thought that these changes were only due to the fact that he just got engaged with Tin exactly a month ago.
"Is something wrong with that?" Can happily asked as he continued to chomp on the somehow fragrant fried chicken in his hand while grabbing other food with the other.
"No, of course not. It was just all of a sudden, you know." It was just surprising for Ley for his older brother to get pregnant early. That was all.
In any case, she was sure that both Tin and Can would be able to provide for their child. Even if they had dozens of kids, she would not be worried that these two would not be unable to provide. After all, they are the strongest and the wealthiest in the world. What was there for these two to be afraid of?
"Don't worry. Tin and I would make sure to be the best parents to our kid," Can said as he ate another piece of fried chicken.
"I know the two of you would...," Ley continued to observe his older brother then at the empty plates on the dinner table. His appetite for food seemed to have increased to a size of a black hole. It was only lunchtime, but it also looked like that it was also breakfast and dinner time too. It was a lively feast, but only for one person. Perhaps it was due to his pregnancy. As for the person preparing the food, well, he was unbothered as he served Can with all the things he asked for. There was a nonstop flow of food coming from the kitchen. A spoiling husband indeed.
"Ley, why aren't you eating? Tin would bring us more food. Don't be shy now, haha," Can gestured Ley to eat more.
Ley's mouth twitched. Of course, she wanted to eat, but before she could even pick up the food she wanted to eat, her brother would take it. The rate of how fast Can consumes food was just too fast. When Ley would take a bite of her fried chicken, Can would already be on his third one!
Ley did not say anything as she scratched her head. She only fake laughed and continued eating.
"Here's more Can. What else would you like to have?" Tin asked as he laid a few more dishes on the table. He was in such a good mood that Ley could see glitters floating around Tin. Ley had to rub her eyes if she was actually seeing those glitters.
"I'd like to have seafood this time," Can said while slurping his chicken noodle soup.
"Slow down. You're making a mess." Tin shook his head with a smile when he saw this little glutton making a mess. Flicking his wrist, a blue handkerchief appeared out of thin air. Tin then carefully wiped Can's mouth.
"Can't help it. I'm too hungry," he then continued eating.
As for Ley, her eyes widened.
He's still not full!?
"I understand. I'll make more in the kitchen." Tin caressed Can's smooth hair and kissed his forehead.
Before he left, he asked Ley if she wanted anything. Her response, "I'm...okay."
With her brother eating too much, it made Ley feel full.
"Alright. Just let me know if you want anything," he replied with a nod as he went back to the kitchen.
"Ahh thank you," Ley smiled.
That afternoon after lunch, Ley accompanied Can to go to Heaven's Gold Mall to buy items. As for Tin, he had to attend an important meeting, so he was unable to accompany his loved one.
As expected, Can would go to different fancy restaurants and food stalls in the mall and eat.
"What are we here exactly for?" Ley was confused seeing that they were mostly visiting food-related establishments.
"I have a problem. Could you help me?" Can replied as his mood suddenly changed into sourness.
The sudden change of Can's mood was unexpected. Perhaps it was part of his pregnancy?
For his older brother to tell her his problems was certainly rare. Usually, it would be Ley telling him her problems, but not the other way around. As an older brother and her best friend, Can was certainly someone that she could trust. So, for Can to consult with her about a problem was a change of pace. It gave her a sense of pride that his older brother who was renowned, respected, and feared by the entire world would be asking for her help.
"What's the problem?" She asked in a serious manner.
Can looked around the mall to make sure that no one was looking or listening. Just to be safe, he set up an anti-sound barrier. He then gestured to Ley to come closer.
Noticing that Can seemed rather wary, Ley thought that his brother would like to talk to him on something that must be quite serious. So, Ley got closer to him.
Can whispered, "I have this weird craving. Any kind of food doesn't seem to fill me completely."
Ley was trying to be understanding as she nodded. She let Can continue as she replied with, "Uhuh, go on."
"Don't laugh."
"I won't. I promise."
Taking a deep breath, Can finally confessed, "I couldn't tell Tin because it's somehow embarrassing."
When Ley heard this, it was just truly surprising. So, there were things that Can could not say to Tin.
Can scratched his head and lowly said, "I'm craving... gemstones..."
There was a delay in Ley's reaction. She was unsure whether she heard what his brother was telling him or if he was joking with her.
When there was no continuation on Can's part, Ley had to face his brother. "Umm...what?"
"I'm craving...gem...gemstones..."
"You're...joking right?" Ley was in a state of disbelief.
Can shook his head. With a serious tone, he said, "I don't know the reason, I just want gemstones. I have this craving to eat one."
Once it was clear that Can was not joking, Ley had to confront him.
"YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT SOME TYPE OF DRUG ARE YOU? If mom finds out you're doing drugs, she'll beat you! How could you-"
Can covered her mouth hurriedly.
"You misunderstood! I'm not talking about drugs! gemstones...like those in pieces of jewelry..."
"Isn't it even worse!?" she thought.
Ley then somehow calmed down as she remembered the stories their mother told her from a long time ago.
There was a moment of silence between the two.
"Have you calmed down?" Can was still covering Ley's mouth despite knowing very well that no one would hear their conversation. It was just instinct at this point.
Ley quickly nodded as she took Can's hand away from her mouth. Can had to wipe the saliva from her sister against his pants.
"I know it sounds ridiculous that's why I talked to you about this," Can sighed. He thought that it was a mistake to tell his sister about his weird craving.
Meanwhile, Ley was going through her new expensive leather bag and took out something. It was her phone. She dialed a number and waited for the other person on the other line to pick up.
"What are you doing? Who are you calling!?" Can was going to stop Ley thinking that she might tell Tin about his weird craving.
"I'm calling mom to confirm something," Ley said as she stepped away from his brother.
"Wh-what? Why?" Can was worried.
"Don't worry. I'll handle it," she said.
When Mrs. Rathavit picked up the phone, Ley immediately told her the situation. After a few minutes of talking, Ley turned around to his brother and asked him something.
"Could you teleport mom here from our house? It's urgent." Ley's tone was serious.
As for Can, well he was unsure why their mom was involved with his issue, but he agreed.
Using the Emperium, he was able to create a portal from their family house to the inside of the mall.
Soon, Mrs. Rathavit came out of the portal while holding a small wooden treasure chest with both of her hands.
"Mom? What's that?" Can asked.
As the portal behind Mrs. Rathavit slowly disappeared behind her, she opened the treasure box.
"I'll explain later. Here Can, what do you feel?"
Can looked inside the treasure box and saw different pieces of small glistening blue objects. It made him suddenly drool. He wanted to eat them.
Seeing Can's reaction towards the blue gemstones, it confirmed both Ley and her mother's intuition.
"Just like your father," Mrs. Rathavit smiled.
Can looked at both of them. "Just like dad?"
Mrs. Rathavit looked at Ley then back to her son. "Yes. Just like your dad."
She took a piece of blue gemstone and handed it to Can. "Try it."
Can was surprised as he willingly took the blue gemstone. "Is this edible?"
"You'll see," Mrs. Rathavit replied.
Although he was hesitant at first, Can's craving to consume the blue gemstone was quite intense that he immediately put it in his mouth.
The blue gemstone inside his mouth melted and turned into a cotton-candy-like texture. It was sweet. This indescribable sweetness was not overwhelming. It was warm then it was cool. It was soothing like some kind of mint. It tasted wonderful that it was somehow addicting and filling.
"It tastes delicious! Is this some kind of candy? Where did you get it? I want more," Can said as he wanted to take another one from the old treasure box.
"It's from your father. It's not candy. It's a real gemstone," she pointed at the gemstones in the box, "They're aquamarine gemstones."
Mrs. Rathavit then explained Can's situation. "Your father has a unique ability that seemed was passed on to you, surprisingly. He has this ability to eat different kinds of minerals and gemstones and absorb them like they're some kind of candy. According to him, it doesn't harm the body. It's more of an expensive type of candy. I didn't expect that you'll develop it too. It seemed your pregnancy triggered it."
Can felt a sigh of relief. So, it was like that. It was just an ability that was passed down by his father and was triggered during pregnancy.
For Ley, well, since she was a child, she has been fascinated by gemstones too. She collected some of them and would put them in a safe place. It was possible that she also gained this fascination from his father.
Wanting to check if she has the ability like his father and Can, Ley took one of the aquamarine gemstones and put it in her mouth.
To her disbelief, the aquamarine gemstone melted in her mouth too and she could taste the somehow addicting sweet flavor of the stone.
"It's really good! Where can we get more of this?" Ley asked as she wanted to take another one from the box. Quickly, her mother slapped her hand.
"We have multiple stacks of this back at home," Mrs. Rathavit suddenly got a headache as she figured about the brewing trouble coming in the future.
"What! Where?" Both Ley and Can asked their mother.
"They're inside your dad's belly!"
Mrs. Rathavit suddenly became annoyed when she remembered how her husband single-handedly ate an entire room filled with aquamarine gemstones without consideration of their future financial stability. He could have left more of them, so that they did not have to live in poverty, but he was a glutton and carefree person.
Her annoyance was then quickly replaced with a reminiscent smile. Despite her late husband's expensive cravings, he was still the best person and the best father for her kids that she could ever ask for. Despite being poor, they had a wonderful and happy life together. That was something that could never be exchanged with any expensive material.
"Your father has expected that at least one of you would inherit his expensive ability at some point in your life, so your cheapskate dad left some blue gemstones for you. But I did not expect that the two of you would have it all of a sudden. I suppose to be fair, we'll split it evenly between the two of you."
"But that wouldn't be enough...," Can was sure that he could finish the entire box within a day.
"Besides...," Can was saddened momentarily as he thought about his father. "This came from dad. We should treasure it."
The trio became silent as they looked at the old wooden treasure box. Indeed, once these gemstones personally given from their father were consumed, then that was it. There was no way to return.
Now, all of them held sentimental value on the box and the gemstones contained in it.
"I understand," Mrs. Rathavit nodded. "Still, this is a gift from your father. If you want to eat them, then that's up to the two of you."
"It's okay, mom. I don't really have to eat them. It's not like I won't be able to survive without them," Ley chuckled.
As for Can, well, he was craving to consume the gemstones. He just knew that he could not eat his father's gemstones.
Since his craving was overwhelming and he could not eat his father's gemstones, then he had no choice but to use that "thing."
"Can?" Mrs. Rathavit turned to her son.
From the pocket of his jeans, he slowly took out a black credit card and raised it in the air.
When both Ley and Mrs. Rathavit saw it, they were blinded by its potential and power that they had to cover their eyes with their hands.
"Tha-that's...." Ley had to take a deep breath before forcing herself to look at the black credit card. It was under Tin's name.
As for Mrs. Rathavit, her hand slightly shook as she could feel the vibration of power that the black credit card held.
"Tin gave it to me. He said that I could spend it on whatever I want." Can had to calm himself down while holding such a valuable piece as if his life depended on it. Growing up poor seriously affected the way they consider money. They were not rich and they were still adjusting to this kind of lifestyle. So, seeing this black credit card that would allow them to spend money without worrying was certainly incredible.
The three looked at one another and somehow through intuition, they turned their heads towards the jewelry store to their left.
Inside the said jewelry store, the workers suddenly felt shivers in their bodies.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Back for another one.===Inside the most renowned jewelry store inside one of the most renowned and exclusive malls in the country, a group of three people was making a commotion among the other customers and the staff. They look rather suspicious with the way they were dressed. Although they seemed to wear expensive clothing with the two women wearing glamorous dresses and the man wearing a black suit, their faces were covered. The three were wearing face masks and sunglasses. For the two ladies, they were wearing absurdly large fedoras. Definitely suspicious!Although this was the case, knowing that they were able to enter the mall without the security stopping them meant that they were wealthy members who were allowed to come inside.As for the group of people in question, they have decided earlier to hide their identities from the public to prevent gossip from these people. According to Can's mom, this was quite important since Can was now with Tin. With the entire world paying attention to them, it was important to keep a good image. If they were seen in the jewelry store taste testing and buying a huge amount of pieces of jewelry and precious gemstones, what would the public say? Since eating this kind of stuff was only exclusive to Can's family, how would they explain it to the public? They would just be made fun of! They could not afford to ruin Tin's image!So, before they entered the jewelry store, they quickly changed to their most expensive attire, at the same time, covered their faces. Although they could have chosen to change their appearance with magic, they would get in trouble as there were security measures against people who were using disguise spells.Although the intention was to blend in and not to make a scene in public, the opposite happened. The three were not even aware of this fact."Do you have aquamarine gemstones?" Can said in a muffled tone.The staff member, although suspicious, kept his polite and friendly attitude towards Can. "Yes, we do. What kind of jewelry does our dear guest want?""Just gemstones. Do you have them?" he continued.The staff member frowned slightly as he did not understand why Can would only want a piece of stone as the place they entered only sell pieces of jewelry.Sensing that he was being judged because the staff probably thought he did not have money, Can reassured him as he waved his husband's black card with confidence, "I have money. It's not a problem."The staff member's mouth twitched. That's not what I meant!Still, the staff member had become much less vigilant knowing that the guests have money to pay."I understand. I would talk to my manager about this. Please give me a moment," the male staff member said as he bowed slightly and left to get the manager.Ley stood next to Can and whispered, "Our cover seemed to be working. Everyone's minding their own business. I think it would be better to act rich too, so we blend better."She said this while everyone in the store was side-eyeing them as they tried to figure out these people's identities.The three nodded at one another.Now, that they were filthy rich thanks to Tin, they should try to act like him. Well, Can did have the money saved from the auction event, but Tin said to keep it and so he did.Soon, the staff member returned with the manager who seemed to be rather more judgemental than the others. His actions of scrutiny towards the three were certainly more obvious."I'll handle these three. Prepare the viewing room and make sure that the security cameras and the security team itself are prepared in case something happens," the manager said. This bald man with a black mustache in his mid-40s would consider himself as someone who was good at judging his customers' characters. In his view, these three were definitely suspicious! They were up to no good!"Dear guests, I was told that you would like to check our gemstones collection? Are the pieces of jewelry not to your liking?" the manager asked as he tried to look for their motives."They're small and they don't look tasty- I mean they're not my taste. I like big ones. The bigger the better," Can replied with forced arrogance. This pregnant man then looked back at his family and gave them a thumbs up. Did I do it right?His mother and sister approved as they nodded.With a forced smile, the manager, although not completely convinced about the motive of these people, had no reason to refuse to serve the three. If they did have the money to buy the expensive gemstones then that would be the end of it. It was just that he could not get rid of the feeling of trouble that he felt about these three and when it came to his intuition, he was always right."I see, well my subordinate has prepared the viewing room for you, if you could please follow me?" the manager maintained his pleasant and polite attitude as he directed the three towards the viewing room."Why thank you and we shall," Can's mother replied as she imitated the arrogant rich aunt persona she saw from k-drama while walking slowly towards the viewing room with her children. She encouraged the two to do the same thing.Not wanting to look like they did not have class, both Ley and Can imitated their mother.The three were certainly eye-catching but for the wrong reasons.Everyone in the jewelry store: "Who walks like that?"The manager, "...."When the three arrived at the viewing room, they saw a line of various gemstones inside multiple pedestal cases. They were very eye-catching as their various colors shine from the reflection of the lights in the room.
Both Can and Ley were amazed and tempted. The gemstones seem very tasty that the two drooled a little. The more colors the gemstone reflected, the tastier they look. As for their mom, she wanted to see how the gemstones would look in different pieces of jewelry and see which one would match her clothing.As they approached one of the displayed gemstones, the manager explained what was inside of the case."This, our dear guests, would be one of our store's most valued gemstones. It's a red diamond, the rarest form of diamond in the world. Certainly one of a kind!" the manager said with great enthusiasm."I want to hold it," Can said while looking at the glass closely with the two. They looked like a flock of kids when they check the inside of a candy store for its tasty candies."This gemstone is around 7 mil-"Can interrupted him mid-sentence accidentally since he was too focused on how the diamond would taste. He waved the black card that he was holding. "I have the money. It's not a problem."When the manager saw the elusive black card that only the richest of the rich could afford to have, he silenced himself. Although the attitude of these people did not match that of the rich, he would not deny that they were holding a black card. Or...was it?Not wanting to be rude, he carefully removed the small red diamond from the case with gloves and showed it to Can.Can quickly grabbed the gemstone with his right hand and inspected it much closer. This action made the manager's jaw fall as he considered the gemstone, not only a rare precious stone but a baby that he took care of for a long time. For this person to just grab it without care, how dare he!?To add to the manager's heartache and heart attack, Can, without shame, lowered his mask which exposed a part of his nose, and tried to smell the gemstone.The manager: "!!!"Can noticed after closer examination that the red diamond has a certain fragrance that the aquamarine gemstones did not have. It has that sweet smell of some kind of flower. It was very alluring.Ley then took away the red diamond from her brother and inspected it herself.The manager: "!!!"After Ley, then it was their mother. She was still maintaining the rich aunt persona and looked as if she was not interested in the stone itself. She then returned it to Can by throwing it at him.The manager: "!!!""Looks alright to me," she said with nonchalance.The manager could tell that these people did not have class at all! He was furious at how they handled the gemstone, but he immediately calmed down when he heard that they wanted to buy it."I'll take it. Do you have more of them? I want five more," Can said as he handed his husband's black card. After that, he went over to check the other cases of different gemstones.As the three did that, the manager asked some staff members to assist and monitor the guests while confirming the validity of the black card. This was to figure out the real identities of these people just to make sure that they were legitimate customers. He was not doing anything wrong since this was for the protection of the integrity and image of the store. It was a necessity as the guests were certainly acting suspiciously.As the manager got into the register and swiped the card for the red diamond, he saw the details of the owner of the card: Tin Phiravich.All of a sudden, the manager tensed. Those three were using boss Tin's black card! Who really were these people!?Tin Phiravich was, of course, very well known to the entire world. There was no need to mention who he was.If this was the case, then who were those three people? How could they use Boss Tin's card?Although everyone knew who Tin was, Can's identity and his family were still not that known. Part of the reason was that Tin wanted privacy for his family as much as possible so that they could have the freedom to go to places without public attention and scrutiny. This was also the reason he gave Can his black card. In addition, he just wanted Can to just depend on him as much as possible. Whatever he had was also Can's property. Still, since the manager did not know this kind of information, he would consider the three as some sketchy people. He would have to contact the owner and confirm the transaction and the identities of these people in the store.Not wasting any time, the manager took his phone and contacted the real owner of the black card.After waiting for a few tries of calling, the other side finally picked up.The manager shook as he began to speak, "Um..Mr. Phiravich?"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The other side was silent for a moment that it made the manager somehow more nervous.
Did he get the wrong number?
The manager was about to repeat his words again when the other person on the line replied.
"What is it?" he asked. There was a certain hint of irritation on his tone as the manager heard the faint scribbling on the paper from Mr. Phiravich’s side.
Gulping nervously, the manager said as he held his phone firmly, "I would like to inquire about three suspicious individuals using a black card under your name."
There was sudden silence on Mr. Phiravich's side as the scribbling stopped.
"Go on," Tin said.
Thinking that he now had his full attention and that it seemed that he did not know the three individuals in question, he started reporting and exaggerating. The manager wanted to see how Mr. Phiravich would handle these three individuals. If they did find out that this group of people was using Mr. Phiravich's black card without the owner's permission, then they would get in serious trouble. If the jewelry store staff and the mall security were able to take these three down and return the black card to Mr. Phiravich, surely the reputation of the mall and the jewelry store would only go up. Perhaps, Mr. Phiravich would also give him a huge reward! Who would not want that?
Still, the manager forgot how these three suspicious individuals even got a hold of a black card from the most powerful individual on Earth. It was a fatal mistake on his part for not thinking.
"These three dare to even hide themselves with fancy clothing to try to blend in with the other guests. As if they could easily get class by doing so! Hmph! I tell you Mr. Phiravich, they even look at our pieces of jewelry with disdain! They even dare to ask the staff to take them to get the most expensive gemstones in our viewing room! They tried hiding their faces with these obnoxious pieces, they look ridiculous! As if we would not find them suspicious! They even wanted to buy 6 red diamonds. I knew they were up to no good." At that point, the manager spilled his frustration and anger towards the three suspicious guests.
Again there was silence for a moment on the other line although this did not bother the manager as he became confident. In fact, he was confident in himself that these three people were not in any kind of relationship with Mr. Phiravich. With that being the case he has decided to send in the security team to take the three immediately with a simple click of a red button underneath his desk.
"What are they doing now?" Tin asked.
With a smile, the manager said, "They're most likely on their knees by now or tackled to the ground. We're handling the situation for y-"
BOOM!
The entire mall suddenly shook as if a great earthquake hit it. The electricity was cut off immediately. All the activities within the mall went to a halt. The people were shocked and afraid of what just occurred.
As the lights went off, the manager who was still on the line did not notice that the person he was talking to was already gone.
"What just happened?" the manager looked around in the dark confused.
Then without any warning, he felt the sudden heavy pressure. It was heavy as if an entire weight of a mountain was put on him. Everyone else in the mall also felt the heavy pressure. Those who were unable to withstand such power fainted.
"What's this?" the manager asked as he started sweating. His fear covered his entire body as he quickly fell to the ground. Still, as someone who has pride in himself, he did not let this stop him from confronting whoever it was that released such tremendous pressure. He was a Tier 3 Rainbow Level Alchemist after all. Everyone respects and fears alchemists especially those in the higher tiers. For someone to do something so disrespectful, that person deserves a beating!
"Who dares make a commotion in the Golden Heaven?" he shouted. He tried to struggle but he had no strength at all!
"Guards! Guards! Someone!" he continued.
Soon, the lights came back and the tremors stopped. The heavy pressure was still in the air, which stopped everyone from moving.
In front of the jewelry store, a man appeared. An immediate gasp could be heard from everyone when they got a glimpse of him. Of course, they knew him. Who would not know about the strongest person on Earth!? It was none other than Tin Phiravich himself! Yet, why was he here? More importantly... his expression... It was really scary. If one's stare could kill, with Tin, it would be slicing a person thousands of times before getting killed.
Everyone could only avoid looking at him as they either pretended to faint or deliberately looked down at the floor.
Everyone in their head: "We don't exist. Please don't kill us."
As for the manager who spouted awful words, he looked like as if he lost his entire blood from his body as he turned white.
What did he just do saying those things to Mr. Phiravich?
When the manager was about to explain himself, Tin flicked his index finger up. Slowly, the manager floated in the air.
"M-Mr. Phiravich... What's the meaning of this?" the manager asked nervously.
Ignoring the manager, Tin, with the use of Blood Contract, tried to locate Can. When he found where Can was specifically located, he began to walk to the viewing room.
Even though he was powerless, the manager who dares not want to be humiliated was bold enough to lecture Tin. "This is an abuse of power."
Tin immediately stopped moving but did not turn around to face the manager who was still in the air.
Seeing that Mr. Phiravich stopped from his tracks, the manager continued to lecture him. He thought that even if it was Mr. Phiravich, he would not dare kill him in front of many people. So, with the regained confidence despite his fear, he was going to continue. He wanted the people to hear him and get on his side.
"And? What are you going to do about it?" Tin asked calmly as he turned around. He was rather expressionless when he faced the manager.
Even with that poker face, it certainly contained malicious intent almost towards madness, but the manager did not stop. He was already in this position, he might as well continue. He would not back down that easily.
"D-do you think the United Nations would let you freely do whatever you want?" he continued to ask as he added more fuel to the fire.
"I see." Tin flicked his index finger once again. Soon, the manager flew forward in front of Tin.
"Do you think I'm afraid?" he asked while looking at something insignificant. "Do you think I don't have the capability to destroy the entire world if I wanted to? Whoever it might be, even the United Nations and the entire forces of the world go against me, I would easily crush them," he whispered.
"Abuse of power, you say? So? What if I did abuse my power? If I kill you right now, no one would bat an eye... Look around you," he continued.
The manager could not believe what this man in front of him said. He was certainly mad. Still, he looked at his surroundings and saw that everyone was trying to avoid staring into the store. When the manager realized this, he thought that these people were cowards! Now he really regretted talking that way earlier.
"Everyone should be grateful since I don't kill senselessly anymore, especially those who have offended me," he said that as he looked straight into the eyes of the manager.
The manager said in his head, “‘Anymore?’ What does that mean!?”
"Don't think you could get away from this. Even if I don't kill you, I'll make sure that you suffer," Tin said as he flicked his index finger once again.
The manager thought that he was about to die when he was released from the air and fell to the ground, yet he was fine.
"You arrested individuals and used the power of the security of this mall without proper authorization and evidence. This is considered abuse of power and I used my magic as an emergency measure to defend those who were unrightfully accused."
Before he continued walking towards the viewing room to get Can and his family, he turned to the manager one last time and said, "You'll be hearing from my lawyer about this."
The manager further paled when he heard his statement. Knowing that he would lose his job and he might even go to jail, he fainted.
Inside the viewing room, Tin saw that the security and the staff of the jewelry store were lying on the ground. They seemed to have fainted.
"Is everyone alright," Tin asked as he went straight towards Can and caressed his hair with concern.
"Tin!? How did you know we're here? What's happening?" Can was shocked as well as his sister and mother.
"Someone tried to harm my family, so I came here to make sure everyone's fine." He immediately hugged Can.
"What? W-we're alright. These people tried to tackle us for some reason, then they fainted all of a sudden. What's happening really?" Can was now truly concerned.
Although the entire mall felt the huge pressure coming from him, Tin made sure that Can and his family would not feel it.
After a quick explanation from Tin on what happened with the exception of his interaction with the manager, Can and his family became embarrassed. They actually made a huge commotion! Their plan of being low-key did not work at all!
"Ahh, I'm sorry for troubling you. I know you're busy with work," Can felt bad for his husband.
"It's not a big deal, besides I need to take a break," Tin smiled.
Can also smiled. "We're done here. We should head home." In all honesty, Can did not want Tin to question him about buying gemstones in the jewelry, so he wanted to leave immediately. He forgot that since he was using Tin's black card, he would know all of his purchases.
"So, what were you trying to get here?" Tin asked with an infatuated smile. The fact that he had this smile made it far more suspicious for Can and the others. It was scarier than having a poker face.
"W-well, we were just trying to find a piece of jewelry that would umm my mom would like. It's almost Mother's day on Sunday, you see. Right, Ley?"
When he turned to Ley, he could see the fear in her eyes. Tin was looking at her with the same smile.
Ley's lips started quivering. She wanted to help his brother with his lie, but she could not withstand the stare from Tin.
Ley looked at Can, then to her mom. She was asking for help.
Can's mom felt the same as Ley. She feared Tin the most. With a quick gulp as she tried to calm down, she put the pressure back on her son. "Can, as an official couple, the two of you should be honest with one another. Am I right, Tin?"
Can's mouth twitched.
I'm your son! You should be on my side!
Tin nodded with satisfaction.
"Alright, Ley and Mrs. Rathavit are excused," Tin then handed out two black cards under Ley and her mother's name. "Please go ahead and buy whatever it is you wanted around the mall."
The mother and daughter tandem got the hint and took their priceless gifts of cooperation from Tin. With that, both Ley and Mrs. Rathavit quickly scattered. The two decided to go to other stores in the meantime.
Before they left, they gave Can a thumbs up. "We believe in you, Can!"
Within seconds, they were gone.
"Now, your excuse?" Tin asked Can while hugging him tightly from the waist so he would not escape.
"!!!" Can.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
This is a short chapter but I wanted to make sure I have something this week. Alright, bye.
====
Doctor: "There could be expected changes such as mood swings, cravings, and sometimes irrational overthinking. Although these are common occurrences due to hormonal changes, these are more intense with male pregnancy as time passes, so please make sure to keep that in mind. Be more understanding and patient with your partner, Mr. Phiravich."
As Can got much closer to Tin, he felt rather tense and uncomfortable. He was quite unsure why, but he did not like it. Tin's innocent smile was seriously somehow concerning to him. It was menacing. It made Can feel like he did something wrong! Tin is mad is he not? Why would he be mad? He did not do anything wrong? Did he really do something wrong? Did he find out his weird craving? It was that, for sure!The more he thought about it, the more Can got upset. He was quite unsure why he seemed to be overthinking things, but he could not control himself. Soon, his uncontrollable thinking made his emotions uncontrolled as well. His eyes well up and he was on the verge of tears. He decided to look down to avoid Tin's gaze while he struggled to get away from him.Of course, Tin was well aware of what was happening to Can. As Can tried to wipe the tears from his eyes without Tin noticing, his husband adjusted his smile to a more sincere and compassionate one."What's wrong, Can?" Tin asked as he lifted Can's head and wiped the tears falling from his eyes."Are you mad at me?" Can avoided to look into Tin's eyes.Calmly, Tin replied, "Why would I be mad at you?""Well, I don't know. It looks like you are," Can said weakly."I'm not at all mad.""You're not?"Tin's demeanor became much more caring and loving when he replied to Can. As he lifted Can's chin, he said, "Look at me Can."At first, Can was hesitant, but as he calmed himself down, he encouraged himself to look directly into Tin's eyes."I was just worried about you. If I made you uncomfortable in any way, I'm sorry, but please don't try to avoid me," Tin explained.There was a sudden pain inside Can's heart when Tin said those words. It made him feel some sort of guilt. Tin did not do anything wrong to him, so why was he trying to run away? Thinking it more, the way he acted was truly stupid. Would this man leave him if he finds out that he craves expensive gemstones? Highly unlikely!Having this realization, Can's mind became much clearer and calmer."It's not your fault. It's my stupid head just overthinking," Can replied. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to avoid you."When he finished explaining himself, Can tightly hugged Tin. "Thank you for being here with me. Again, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."Tin was taken aback momentarily before his mood became much better. "I understand. You know that you're the only person I love the most, right? "Tin then proceeded to kiss Can's forehead and caress the back of his head."So, could you tell me why you decided to come here?"With a gulp, Can finally explained himself to Tin"Umm, I inherited my dad's ability." Can paused before proceeding. "I could umm eat gemstones."From that statement, Tin was able to connect the dots. He has met and remembered Can's father as he was the guardian of the third tower. Surely, judging from his true form, Tin was not surprised that Can would gain some unquestionable ability from his father."I see," Tin examined the room filled with displays of gemstones that the two of them were in. "Do you already have a favorite?"Can was stunned. He thought that Tin would question or laugh at him at least. He did not expect that he would just accept what he just said. Was that really it?"You're not going to question me? Even laugh? If I heard someone saying that they could eat gemstones, I would be surprised at least," Can explained."I know that you're being honest with me. And when you tell me things about yourself, I take them seriously," Tin said.Finally smiling, Can asked jokingly, "If I said I wanted to top you, would you take that seriously?"Tin immediately cringed at the thought of it. He changed the subject as he patted his lover's head. "So, did you have a chance to look around?"Now, in a much better mood, Can nodded. "I did. I wanted to take all of them, but they're too expensive.""Would this be enough for you?" Tin looked back at Can for confirmation.Can scratched his head. He knew that all the gemstones in this viewing room would not be enough at all. He could finish all of them within a month. "I don't... I think it should be okay."Tin knew that Can was just being shy. Money was something that has always been considered a thorn in his heart. With a reassuring tone, Tin said, "I'll take all of their stock just in case."Can's eyes were filled with glitters of admiration. He still could not believe that Tin was willing to spend so much money for him!"Are you sure? That's a lot of money!" Can tried to protest even though inside he was already drooling over the gemstones. He could not even hide his excitement while trying to show concern on how much Tin would have to spend.Tin could not help it but suppress his laugh. Can was bad at showing how he felt about the things that he wanted. All of Can's selfishness, Tin would be the only one to witness and fulfill them."The price is negligible, Can. Don't worry about it," Tin replied. He then raised his hand slightly gesturing Can to hold his hand, which the latter did immediately."Do you have anything else you want to get from this mall?""Yes, I actually do. I could go on my own. I know you're busy," Can answered.Tin nodded. "I see." He quickly then grabbed his phone and made a quick call to his office.Afterward, he asked Can, "Where to?"Smiling from ear to ear, Can replied, "To the winery. I received a text from Techno and Kengkla not too long ago. They wanted to make an important announcement and they're inviting us to come over to their place. I'm not entirely sure what the announcement would be about, but I wanted to make sure I'm prepared when I go there." Can looked up to Tin, "Or we, if you wanted to come with me, of course."Tin slightly frowned. It seemed that Can was not even aware of the relationship of his close friends at all. Was he this clueless about romantic relationships? With those two, it was quite obvious.Shaking his head slightly with a smile, he replied, "I'll let you and your friends have your own get-together.""Are you sure?"Tin nodded. He had other plans in mind. "Come, let me help you with choosing the best wine here."As they headed to the winery of the mall, Can could not help hide his admiration towards the establishment, "Wow! It's huge!"(A/N: Not the only thing in the mall that is huge....eheh...)"Do they offer taste testing?" Can asked."Of course.""Then is it okay, if I try?"Tin's mouth twitched. "Can, you're pregnant."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Here's another chapter. Quick clarification, I'm just uploading bonus chapters. The story sorta already ended at chapter 92. I'll move on to work on other stories soon after.====="Are you sure you don't want to come with me to the party?" Can asked his husband. Today was the day for his close friends' party at Kengkla's place, in which both he and Techno have an announcement to make. Can was still wondering what the announcement was about."No, I'm fine. Send my regards to both of them," Tin said as he gave Can a loving kiss on the lips. "There's only the four of you, correct?" He asked after parting their lips.Can smiled while nodding and fixing his husband's tie. Tin has to head to work again in the office. "Me, Kengkla, Techno, and Ae.""I wonder what the announcement would be about. There's only me and Ae at their party," Can wondered.Tin slightly shook his head at Can's denseness. Patting his head carefully, Tin said, "You'll find out when you get there."Can looked up, "You seemed to know something?"Tin could only chuckle. He kissed Can's forehead. "Have fun alright? Remember not to drink alcohol.""Not even a sip?" Can teased as he put his arm around Tin's upper arm."Oh, is that a threat?" Tin lifted Can's chin to face him. His smile was teasing as well."And if it is? What are you going to do about it?" Can continued to play along.Tin got closer to Can and whispered to his ear, "Well, you know I do have a special way to implement punishment just for you. It's harsh you won't be able to get out of bed for a long period of time. I'd surely say that the two of us would certainly enjoy it."Slightly getting red, Can refuted, "Then it's not a punishment since I'll be enjoying it as well."Clearly interested, Tin pulled Can closer with a firmer grip around Can's waist, "Why don't I punish you right now then you can judge?"Tin proceeded to nibble Can's earbud, which caught the other person by surprise."YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE!" Can instantly squirmed as he tried to push Tin away. He thought that he could win with this teasing game. It seemed that it was still early for Can. He was still not used to Tin's dirty tactics.Finally having his fill of teasing Can, Tin finally let him go. "Have fun. I'll call and text you to check on you. I'll see you later..... I love you."Calming down, Can replied with a nod and a smile, "I'll see you later, too. I love you too." He then followed with another kiss on Tin's lips. This time it was a few seconds longer.With that lovely goodbye, Tin turned and left.As for Can, since the party was set in the afternoon and it was still morning, he decided to finish his morning meal. In addition to that, he would also grab some millions worth of gemstones and put them in his mouth until they dissolved.Later, he would have Gucci and some of his other cute summoned beasts around to play with him. Somehow, Can has been increasingly fond of cute and small things. Of course, everyone around him who knew he was pregnant attributed it to his pregnancy.Speaking of Gucci, this gelatinous beast who transformed into a teenager last year was now considered a full-fledged adult in beast years the other day. To celebrate his adolescence, Can made a huge and extravagant celebration in the Beast Gods' Dimension with other of Can's thousands of contracted beasts. Although Gucci's party was for him becoming an adult, Can did not seem to be able to wrap around such a concept that he made the theme of the party more kid-like. Cartoon characters were plastered on the decorations for the party. The huge cake was molded into his favorite character: Spongeblob. The mascot entertaining the guests was also Spongeblob. The party was certainly more of a kids' party rather than that of an adult. Every summoned beast who attended the party was confused, especially when they got an invitation of Gucci's debut as an adult. It was filled with cartoon characters and glitters. The message was clear, but the execution was not exactly what they hoped it would be. Of course, they were unable to say anything since their master put so much effort into making such a huge event happen. In addition, it was certainly fun and festive. So, all was well.As for the main person of the event, Gucci was happy but bothered at that time too. He was happy because he never experienced such a huge celebration for his debut as a full-fledged adult. He did not mind the kid's themed party. He loved it, especially since his own master took the time to plan such a massive party. Everyone gathered and gave him gifts from small to large and from cheap to expensive items. They had fun and so did he.It was just that... well... Thanatos.This man has become somehow distant to him. During his birthday, Thanatos talked to him, congratulated him, gave him his gift then disappeared. He did not stay or chat with him longer. He just vanished into thin air. A few days have passed since then, Thanatos has not shown up. Gucci wondered if Thanatos has issues with him. He tried contacting him to see what was wrong, but Thanatos would avoid the topic. He would then make the conversation brief and leave again. Gucci knew something was wrong.Back in the present, while in Can's new home, Gucci would sigh every minute while opening his gifts from the party."You've been sighing for quite a while now. Don't you like the gifts?" Can asked as he put another gemstone in his mouth while sitting down on a sofa next to Gucci."No, I like them," Gucci replied as he sighed once again."Then? What's bothering you?" Can faced Gucci as he put another gemstone into his mouth. As to how many gemstones he already consumed at this moment, he was not aware. Certainly, multiple."Well, it's Thanatos. He's been avoiding me since the party. I tried talking to him about it, but he avoids the topic."Can slightly frowned, "Did you do anything to him?"Gucci immediately refuted him as he waved his hand, "No, not at all. We've been fine before the party. I don't think I've said anything weird or offensive to him.""Are you sure?" Can asked again."I'm quite sure," Gucci reassured.Grabbing a small fluffy rabbit beast playing on the floor, Can then asked, "So, you mentioned that he started acting differently during your birthday?"The rabbit on his hand started wriggling around."Yes. I wonder why?" Gucci asked."I see," Can replied as he put the fluffy beast on his lap while gently caressing it. The rabbit finally stopped moving around."You know the reason?" Gucci leaned towards Can from sudden excitement."No, not really," his master said.The two of them were certainly clueless."But I could help you find a way for him to talk to you."Widening his eyes, Gucci replied, "How? Master, please tell me.""Join me later at the party. Perhaps, he'll show up too."Gucci was confused. "Huh? How?"Can smiled, "You'll see."For the full-fledged adult beast, knowing that his master would help him solve his problem with Thanatos gave Gucci hope. At the same time, he noticed that his master has become more cunning. Was this from his pregnancy too or just because of Master Tin? In any case, Gucci was happy.That afternoon, Can teleported at Kengkla's mansion with Gucci. Although it was a party, Kengkla told Can to just dress casually and comfortably, so Can did that. He was just wearing a plain shirt and jeans. It was different for Gucci. As an adult, he wanted to look more mature, so he wore a beautiful red suit tailored just for him that was given to him by Can himself. It certainly made him more handsome rather than cute. Although with Can and the others attending the party, they would still consider Gucci as a child as they all took care of him at some point in the past.Inside the owned basement bar of the mansion that was especially created for Kengkla's wishes, Ae was already in there chatting with Techno as Kengkla mixes alcoholic drinks.They clearly have started the party already. The instrumental music was already on. It was not loud and it was rather calming music. Still, this kind of atmosphere was drowned by the sound of the three laughing.Can immediately joined them as he grabbed Gucci's hand. "Hey everyone! What's up?""Finally, you're here," Techno shouted happily. "Come, sit next to Ae. Ohh Gucci's here too?"Gucci waved, "Uncle Techno! Hi!"Techno shook his head still smiling, "I told you not to call me uncle! I'm not that old, you brat."Gucci refuted rather proudly, "Then don't call me brat. I'm considered an adult now.""Oh?" Techno was intrigued.He approached the two new visitors and put his arm around Gucci's neck and messed up his hair."Not my hair! No!" Gucci tried to struggle from Techno. "Master! Can! I'm being bullied by uncle!" he asked for help."Techno, let him be," Kengkla interrupted."Just a little bit more. This brat needs a lesson," Techno added as he softly bullied Gucci.Can just chuckled as he walked and stood next to Ae by the bar stand. He first gave the expensive wine that was bought by Tin and handed it over to Kengkla. "Gift from me and Tin."Kengkla nodded and looked at the brand of the wine. "Impressive. Thank you. Send my thanks to Tin too.""What brand is it?" Techno suddenly approached the bar as he dragged Gucci with him while his arm was around Gucci's neck.Patting him on the back, Ae said while holding a glass of wine, "Take a seat."Can nodded, "How are you, Ae?"Ae replied as he sipped, "Doing well. Pete's at home taking care of Pond. You should visit our home when you have time. Baby Pond is still learning new words. Very cute." He took out his phone and showed pictures and videos of baby Pond doing different cute things.Hearing that Pond was well being taken care of as Ae continued to outline what has been happening in his life, Can was happy and satisfied."I'm glad Pond is doing well. I'll visit you guys soon," Can could not help it but look at the wine that Ae was drinking. He wanted to take a sip."How about you and Tin? Are you adapting well?" Ae turned to Can.Can suddenly remembered the teasing that happened in the morning. He became embarrassed all of a sudden. "I'm getting used to it...more or less."With a nod and a chuckle, Ae replied, "That's good to hear.""So, do you have any idea what Kengkla and Techno wanted to announce to us?" Can asked as he was somehow able to grab a glass of alcohol. He could not help it."Yes, I do have an idea of what it is," Ae replied.Finding his chance as he wanted to take a sip due to curiosity and perhaps another craving, Can put the glass close to his mouth. Although before he could take a sip, all of his friends immediately gathered around him and stopped him."NO! YOU CAN'T DRINK ALCOHOL AT ANY COST!" Ae immediately said as he panicked while grabbing Can's hand that was holding the glass. It was not only Ae holding his hand but also Techno and Kengkla.Can was somehow speechless as he looked at them. Why do they look so afraid? It was not like the drink was poisoned. He just wanted to try a sip, that was all."I'm sorry, Can. You can't drink any kind of alcohol," Kengkla said."Tin called us and told us not to let you drink alcohol," Techno added."Sorry," Ae regretted as he took the glass away from Can and replaced it with something else."This is better for you," Ae smiled fakely."What's this?" Can looked at the glass filled with greenish liquid."Vegetables and fruits mixed juice," Ae replied.Can: "...."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Can thought that he would be able to sip some kind of alcohol this time without supervision. He was wrong. He was being supervised from the beginning.
"Why are you suddenly siding with Tin? Am I not your friend? I've been your friend longer than him," Can grumbled as he drank the vegetable mixed fruit juice. It was actually not that bad and he finished all of it in one gulp surprisingly. Of course, he did not let others see the satisfaction of drinking this concoction.
Kengkla, Techno, and Ae looked at one another. Is Can not aware of how scary and powerful his husband is? He does not need to use his magical power to crush them altogether, he could use his influence and wealth to destroy their families’ businesses and cause them to be in serious destitute. Even if Can was their dear friend and brother, they could just not afford to lose everything from offending Tin!
"Can, it's not like that," Techno tried to comfort Can. "It's for your own good alright? Think of the baby inside you," he added.
"That's right, Can. You can still have fun with us without drinking alcohol," Ae said as he nodded.
Kengkla poured another juice mixture of vegetables and fruits into Can's glass. "Here, have another one. You can pretend it's liquor."
While the trio was trying to cheer up Can, Gucci wanted to try the alcoholic drinks. He never tried drinking this sort of liquid made by humans since apparently it was only meant for adults. Now that Gucci considers himself an adult, he thought he could drink liquor without a problem. Not asking for permission, he went ahead and poured himself some alcohol. He did not know what he should drink first so he decided to just grab the closest bottle of liquor to him on the table. It was vodka.
Pouring himself a glass of vodka, he went ahead and smelled it first. Since the smell of alcohol was faint, Gucci thought that it meant that it was weak. So, he decided to drink everything in one gulp.
As a collector type of beast, Gucci could be considered as someone who has great expertise at measuring and judging the value of items. Unfortunately, this great skill of his could only be applied to his world and not in the human world. With that gap of skill, he would not notice the strength of the effect of vodka on his small body.
Putting the empty glass back to the table, he suddenly felt a burning sensation from his mouth through his esophagus. It tasted quite horrible.
How can humans enjoy this thing?
The warm sensation immediately spread through his face and his body causing him to turn red. As the effect of alcohol tends to affect beasts easier and earlier than humans do, Gucci could already feel his head turning.
Of course, for the humans in the bar, it was too late when they realized that Gucci went ahead and drank a glass filled with vodka.
"Ai! Gucci! You brat!" Techno shouted as he immediately went to Gucci's side.
"H-he-he...," Gucci looked up to Techno. "Uncle Techno, I feel light. I feel like I could easily fly."
"Are you already that drunk?" Techno asked as he grabbed the glass that Gucci drank with. He smelled it to figure out what the little adult drank.
Looking at everyone else, Techno expressed amazement, "Vodka. Full glass."
"Is he an idiot? He drank that much in one gulp?" Kengkla was in disbelief.
"Is this his first time drinking?" Ae asked Can who was already next to Gucci.
Can scratched his head as he nodded. This was not part of the plan!
Can wanted to invite Thanatos in the bar and imprison them here in the meantime so that he and Gucci could discuss their issues with one another. With Gucci drunk, how could they even talk at all? What a pain! Can already called Thanatos to come with them earlier and he would come within minutes!
He should perhaps tell him that he does not need to come here. It would probably turn into a disaster since Gucci was not exactly in the right state of mind. Unfortunately, it was too late.
Gucci stood on top of the bar table and attempted to fly by jumping. As soon as he jumped and dived forward, which surprised everyone, a swoosh of wind came so suddenly.
"Weeeee!" Gucci shouted in a silly tone.
Before Gucci fell to the floor, he was caught by an unexpected guest.
"That was fun! Again! Again!" he said.
"Thanatos?" Can was hoping that Thanatos did not come here. Now, what to do with this mess?
"What's wrong with him?" Thanatos asked while cradling Gucci in his arms. Meanwhile, Gucci suddenly became quiet when he noticed this man carrying him. He was just mesmerized by the looks of it.
"He drank a glass of strong alcohol. He did it without us knowing. This brat," Techno shook his head as he sighed.
"I didn't expect him to drink. I'm sorry. That wasn't my intention," Can explained.
"It's fine. I'll take him back with me," Thanatos replied without breaking his gaze on Gucci.
"A-are you sure? Do you know how to take care of a drunk person?" Techno worriedly voiced.
"Yes. My old master was an alcoholic." Before he left, Thanatos gave Can a nod and the latter did the same.
"Please take care of him for me then," Can said.
As soon as Thanatos turned around, Can added, "One last thing, please try to talk to Gucci. Whatever issues you might have with him, please tell him. He has been sad these past few days because you were ignoring him. It's hard to see him not being himself."
Thanatos did not say anything as he disappeared into thin air with Gucci.
"Still the same huh?" Techno smiled.
"Will the two of them be okay?" Ae turned to Can.
"I trust Thanatos. He has been taking care of Gucci. He's truly good to him."
It was then Ae, Kengkla, and Techno realized something. "Ohh so it was like that," Techno said.
Can was, of course, clueless. He sipped his vegetable mixed fruit juice and said, "Yeah. They're very good friends and very close."
Techno, Kengkla, and Ae just looked at one another.
Is Can this clueless?
"May I have more of this please?" Can raised his glass as his other close friends were thinking just how dense he was.
Inside Thanatos' castle, all of his trusted aides and maids were aligned to welcome him. As soon as they saw that Thanatos was holding Gucci in his arms, everyone wanted to start gossiping. This was such an unexpected development for their lord. For him to bring Gucci in such a way was just out of his character.
Lord Thanatos' aides and maids already knew the closeness of their lord and Gucci. Gucci was the only one who could dare barge into the castle without any kind of invitation from their lord. Even Lord Thanatos' own family would have to make an appointment with him before they could even set foot inside the castle. So, they knew that Gucci was certainly important. Although, as for their relationship, the status was unclear.
"Lord Thanatos, how could we serve you?" the beautiful maiden, who has two large horns and wearing a black maid dress, said as she showed respect to her lord with a bow.
"I'll handle everything. You're all dismissed," he said without making eye contact with anyone. He went straight to his main chamber while still holding Gucci.
As soon as he disappeared from everyone's sight, the aides and the maids started gossiping.
"Oh my god! I knew it! I knew it!" the beautiful maiden squealed to her coworkers. Her name was Linda. She was the leader of the ThanaGucci Fan Club within the castle. Of course, this fan club was a secret.
"Did you see how our lord held him? He was so cool and f*cking cold!"
"The cold prince finally learning what true love and care are! Ahh! What a time to be alive!!"
The Castle of Gloom has now become a lively place of discussion.
Inside the Lord Thanatos’ chamber, Gucci was being placed gently on his bed. For all this time, Gucci has just been staring silently at Thanatos. He seemed to be mesmerized by him still.
"You've been looking at my face. Is there something that bothers you?" Thanatos asked as he handed a glass of water.
"You're quite handsome. Have I told you that before?" Gucci replied.
Thanatos stopped his movements momentarily then proceeded to hand the glass of water. "You're drunk. You're speaking nonsense."
Thanatos dismissed Gucci's words as they were words of a drunk person.
"Yes, I might be but I said the truth," Gucci spoke softly as he obediently drank water.
Thanatos did not say anything after. He turned towards the door, "I'll be back. Take a rest."
"You're leaving me again?" Gucci's tone changed. After he uttered those words, he covered his mouth as he felt like he was about to throw up.
Thanatos was quick to react. In an instant, he was already by Gucci's side holding a wooden bucket.
"Got you," Gucci shouted in anger as he pushed Thanatos down on his own bed.
Thanatos, "...."
Coincidentally, the president of the ThanaGucci fan club opened the door of her Lord Thanatos' bedroom, "Lord Thanatos, I'm sorry for intruding but we have an emergen-"
She could not finish her sentence. The moment she had a glimpse of what was happening inside, she slowly closed the door. Then from the inside of Thanatos' bedroom, Linda's footsteps could be heard as she ran down the hall.
Thanatos, "..."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Inside the grand hall where Lord Thanatos receives his visitors, the atmosphere was full of tension with the guests.
"What's taking your lord, my son, this long? I'm growing impatient!" said by Lord Odium with irritation apparent on his face. Wearing formal clothing of that of an aristocrat, it showed his arrogance and nobility. Despite the horrible scar across his left eye and weariness due to current political affairs and old age, he was still strong-willed and stubborn just like in his youth. He was the former general now turned as one of the closest advisors to the king of Niflheim. With his influence, Thanatos has now taken the position of a general within the king's army. Of course, it was mostly due to Thanatos's great military achievements and charisma towards the people that he was able to achieve the title of being a general. Lord Odium was a Legendary ranked beast like his son, which meant that their family was well-received, envied, and hated by different kinds of people in the country and other nations as well.
"My dear, calm now. Our son has been busy lately with other affairs. Be a bit more understanding," said calmly by the woman next to Lord Odium. It was Thanatos's mother: Lady Maero. With one glance, it could be easily determined where Thanatos got his looks from. Gloominess radiating from her, yet her beauty was striking that no one could forget. Despite her gloominess, she was the calmest and the kindest within the family. No wonder everyone respected her, especially Thanatos.
"Hmph!" Lord Odium uttered as he then turned silent.
"Mother, Father, when are we leaving? I don't like being here," said by the little pretty child that was next to them who seemed to be fearful. Her name was Lady Despera. If no one knew her, no one would connect her to be part of Thanatos family. The contrast of their personality and looks were like heaven and earth. Lord Thanatos was gloomy while Lady Despera was full of life and radiance. Her brother did not like to talk while she would like to talk non-stop. Her brother likes to be in the dark while she likes to be exposed to different light colors, which was the reason for her pink polka dot dress. So, with these stark differences, the two of them were never close. In addition, Thanatos was busy doing the king's biddings, so even if he wanted to bond, there was no time.
Both her parents comforted their child. "Don't worry. We won't be long,"
Lord Odium, who was initially irritated by his son's tardiness, patted his little daughter as his mood became better.
"Don't be scared, my child. You're safe," Lady Maero bent down to reassure her.
Little Lady Despera nodded as she felt the comforting gestures and words from her parents, although still deep inside, she held fear of the place and her sibling who she rarely sees.
Finally, a commotion happened. From the long staircase towards down the hall, Linda's rushed movements could be heard as she came running down.
"L-L-Lo-Lord Th-Thanatos i-is cu-currently in the middle of some-t-thing," she stated as the blush on her cheeks expanded all over her face. She tried to maintain her usual welcoming attitude with her guests but with her breathing becoming erratic, she was unable to. As the founder and president of the ThanaGucci fan club, she was already lucky that she did not have a nose bleed after seeing such a scene of her lord and Gucci. She must tell the others in her fan club about this exciting good news!
"He's in the middle of something?" Lord Odium's hand curled into a fist.
"He should already be aware that his family is coming to his castle," His voice now gradually rising. "What's so important that he's letting us wait!?" His patience could not hold him anymore as he exploded in anger. As he was about to go look for his son while Lady Maero attempted to calm him down once again, the man in question showed up.
"I'm here. No need for your anger, father," Thanatos walked down the stairs without hurry.
"Hmph! You ungrateful child making us wait here," Lord Odium stated with a displeased tone.
"Mother," Lord Thanatos nodded without any expression.
"Son," Lady Maero nodded as well without showing any expression.
This was their form of greeting. Despite such an exchange, it was heartfelt. No wonder the two of them were the closest. Like mother, like son.
Thanatos then turned to his little sister who was staring at him behind her father. As he was about to greet her when their eyes met, Lady Despera turned and hid. Thanatos could only throw the words he wanted to say at the back of his head.
"What's your business?" Thanatos turned to his father.
Raising his brow, "Hmph! You don't even welcome us inside? What's this important matter that you made us wait this long?"
Lord Odium then changed the subject as he shook his head, "No matter. I have important news for you."
Thanatos turned to Linda, who has seemed to be much calmer compared to earlier.
With a nod from him, Linda understood, "Dinner shall be prepared, my lord."
She then led Thanatos's family to the dining hall. Soon, the hall was filled with food. After the maids had put them on the table, they then immediately left, so that the family could have a private moment. Although the food served was extravagant, no one seemed to focus on eating except for little Lady Despera. She did not want to eat a full dinner exactly. She just wanted to eat ice cream, which the servants gladly gave her.
Meanwhile, Lord Odium did not go roundabout with what he wanted to discuss with Thanatos so he went straight to the matter.
"You're aware of King Novus' daughter, Princess Dmitry, correct?"
Thanatos did not answer. That usually meant "Yes."
Lord Odium did not find this lack of answer as rude. He was used to his son's gloominess and unresponsiveness.
"The king is looking for an eligible bachelor for his daughter. With that being said..."
"No."
Lord Odium frowned, "What do you mean?"
"I don't want to meet her," he replied without trouble.
"This is for your sake or have you forgotten our arrangement?"
Thanatos did not reply back.
Lord Odium gradually calmed down. "Hmph. Good."
The atmosphere in the food hall descended to quietness as the short discussion finished. Although it seemed awkward for the outsiders, it was quite normal for this family. They were used to it.
Thanatos glanced at his little sister. He noticed that she already finished her ice cream in her small bowl. He could tell that she wanted more as she looked around for the servants.
When he was about to ask her if she wanted more, little Lady Despera tugged their mother's dress. "C-can I have more ice cream, mother?" she whispered.
Lady Maero smiled as she softly spoke, "Of course."
Before she could ask her son for more ice cream, Linda had already appeared with a tub of strawberry ice cream.
Lade Maero was slightly surprised. She faced her son and said, "Thank you." She then thanked Linda.
Thanatos only gave her a nod as he resumed eating.
After dinner, Thanatos's family left. It was certainly a rather quick meeting with the family.
Before leaving, Thanatos was given an official invitation to a party from the royal family by his father. All of the nobles and important officials in the country as well as the representatives from other nations that were close to the crown were also invited.
With the family affairs done for now, at least, Thanatos went back to his bed-chamber to check on his drunk companion. When he went in, the person, who was bold enough to pin him down in his bed, had now fallen asleep peacefully.
Earlier, while Thanatos was pinned down to his bed by this now considered adult, Gucci was spouting things he never expected he would say.
"How dare you avoid me! What did I do wrong? Tell me!" Gucci said angrily.
Thanatos did not reply. He did not know how to reply to him exactly.
"I don't like it. I don't like it when you avoid me," Gucci continued as he took one of Thanatos's hands and put it on his chest. "It hurts here, you know."
Tears were building up in his eyes as he spouted, "Please tell me. Talk to me. Don't avoid me."
Perhaps it was from exhaustion but after Gucci said those words, he finally fell to the side of the bed. Of course, Thanatos caught him gently and put him in bed properly.
If anyone else did what Gucci did to him, they would already be sent to their graves. Yet, the fact that it was Gucci, Thanatos felt powerless to move. It was a shock to him. He was shocked not because he was unable to move against Gucci but due to Gucci's sudden behavior. He knew that he was drunk, but the fact that he did that was still surprising.
Approaching this feisty person now sleeping soundly in his own bed, Thanatos could not help himself but feel certain things towards Gucci. These feelings that he never noticed before but now have become more apparent to him. They were harder to control now. Towards Gucci, Thanatos would not know for how long he could keep himself together.
"You said those things to me... but would you truly accept someone like me if I reveal the truth?" Thanatos softly spoke as the back of his calloused hand was brushing against Gucci's smooth cheeks.
Gucci, who was sleeping peacefully, scrunched his face. It seemed he did not like it. This dislike was not because of Thanatos but from the suffering he experienced from his master and his friends. They used to pinch his cheeks when he was in his gelatinous form. As for the reason why they pinched his cheeks, well, they found him really cute. As he grew up, his cheeks became more sensitive and he began to dislike people touching his cheeks. This information was something that Thanatos was already aware of. Unfortunately, like Can and his friends, Thanatos was also unable to help himself. Gucci was just that cute.
With a smile, he retrieved his hand. Still, as soon as he retrieved his hand, whether it was reflex or not, Gucci took Thanatos's hand and kept it close to his neck.
"Cold," Gucci whispered as his face relaxed.
Indeed, Thanatos's overall temperature was lower than the others. So, the touch of his skin would tend to be cold as ice.
Yet, despite its coldness, Gucci seemed to like it.
With Thanatos being stuck, he was thinking whether he should remove his hand or just let Gucci have it. With that slight smile on Gucci's face, it was then that a decision was settled.
"Only for a little bit," he whispered as he sat down next to Gucci.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Back at Kengkla's bar...While everyone was having fun and catching up with one another, Techno slightly turned to Kengkla and nudged him, who was right next to him. Techno was telling him to do something. With both of them standing behind the bar while serving both Ae and Can of drinks, Kengkla was clueless, at first, of what Techno wanted him to do. Well, he was not exactly clueless, he just wanted to tease him."What?" Kengkla whispered while pouring the small blender with fruits and vegetables for Can. It was not surprising that Can would have such a huge appetite. This pregnant person who was, in the beginning, not trying to showcase his enjoyment towards fruit and vegetable juice was now being more deliberate and obvious with it. Can was now trying different blends of fruits and vegetables to see what he would like the best. He thought that he could then perhaps replicate it later at home."Ummm... I want to try mango....cherries....and umm dragonfruit," Can pointed at the huge refrigerator filled with different fruits and vegetables. It was not a coincidence that there was a huge refrigerator filled with such items. It was deliberate as it was personally requested by Tin himself. Of course, as someone with power and influence, no one would make a fuss or oppose such a request. In addition, it was such a small request. Saying "no" would certainly be more harmful. In any case, in this particular friend group, Can was the youngest out of the four. So, it was natural that they would agree and spoil him.With the fruits peeled, sliced, and the unwanted parts removed, Kengkla placed them inside the blender and began to mix them. Getting slightly annoyed, Techno whispered and leaned forward, "Tell them our announcement."Perhaps Kengkla wanted to tease him further or the sound of the blender was too loud, he replied, "I'm sorry, what?"Finally out of patience, Techno shouted, "I said tell them about our engagement!"Before he said those words, Kengkla was quick to stop the noisy blender, so everyone could hear the revelation from Techno clearly.Soon, the bar descended to momentary silence. It then changed to confusion, well, mostly with Can."Engagement?" Can asked as he held up his empty glass to Kengkla for more juice.Meanwhile, Ae, who was slightly buzzed, began to clap. "Congratulations to both of you!""Thank you, Ae," Kengkla nodded as he poured the juice into Can's glass.As for Techno, he quickly forgot how Kengkla tricked him. It was supposed to be Kengkla who was going to announce that they were engaged. Anyways, it was surprising and somewhat expected that Can would be confused about their relationship together."We've been together for a while now. Are you even aware of our relationship?" Techno asked as he scratched his head."I was never aware. You never told me that you guys were both together. This is actually news to me," he did not sip his glass as he was shocked by this sudden revelation.Ae scrunched his face, not from the drink, but the fact that Can was shocked about the relationship between the two. He was so sure that both Kengkla and Techno were obvious about them being together."You didn't really know about the two?" Ae could not help it but ask.Can shook his head."Seriously Can, are you, my close friend, that dense?" Techno asked in disbelief.As for Kengkla, he tried to suppress his laughter.Can could only scratch his head feeling rather disappointed at himself for not knowing, "I-I'm sorry." Was he the only one who did not know about this?Quickly, to change the topic, he went ahead and raised his glass and cheered. "Well, congratulations to the both of you. I'm really happy for the both of you!"The rest looked at one another and could not help it but laugh. Deciding to let Can go with his denseness, they followed along and raised their glasses as well."Thank you. Thank you," Techno happily said."Cheers," Kengkla added as he turned to Techno. He then winked at him, which made Techno awkwardly feel giddy inside.Both Ae and Can saw Kengkla's small gesture towards the other and made them turn their heads to one another. They felt like they were intruding with the two."Cheers, Ae," Can said."Cheers, Can."As they happily celebrated, the conversation continued."So, are we the first ones to know of this?" Ae asked the newly engaged couple.Ignoring Kengkla's inappropriate flirtatious gestures towards him, he turned to Ae with a couple of nods. "Yes. Our family doesn't know yet. We want to hold a more official announcement for both of our families.""Do they know about your relationship?" Can asked as he wiped some juice residue from his face with his hand. Kengkla noticed this and he was nice enough to give him a paper napkin after."They know. They're quite supportive about it since both of our parents are good friends and business partners," Kengkla answered.After that, he let out a quick laugh, "They're actually worried since we're the only child in the family. They had a talk before that when they have children, they would get them together to strengthen the bond of both families. So, here we are.""Heh, That's good. When's the official announcement?" Ae asked. His face had become red from the wine. Still, he could hold a conversation. He was not drunk yet.Techno and Kengkla looked at one another. Kengkla answered, "Not sure but soon.""I see. Well, again congratulations on your engagement!" Can said as he offered another toast to the newly engaged couple."Cheers!" everyone said."Hehe. Everyone's getting engaged these days. All of us are!" Can was quite happy. Everyone was moving forward. He realized that they were not the teenagers who only cared about having fun without any worries anymore. Times have truly changed but certainly for the better."How about you Can, when's your wedding? How about the baby inside you?" Kengkla asked as he mixed another combination of fruits and vegetables for the pregnant boy."Um," Can paused. "I'm not really sure when's my wedding. Tin told me that we should wait until our baby is born. He doesn't want me to get into unnecessary stress and he said he's not in a hurry at all."Kengkla agreed."Makes sense. Your husband is really caring," he said. Techno and Ae agreed as well. They still could not comprehend the way Tin treats other people like they are some kind of insect compared to the meticulous care towards Can and his family. Could he not be nicer to other people too? Treat Can's friends better, at least."Is it a boy or a girl? When are you due for labor? Have you thought of the name?" Techno bombarded Can. He was invested in Can's matters since he considered him as his younger brother. And, usually, with any older sibling, they tend to be nosy about their younger sibling's personal matters.Since Techno's nosy behavior towards him was already normal, Can naturally answered him. "My doctor doesn't know. Apparently, because my power exceeds her, even with technology, they couldn't examine me and my child. Aside from that, I was considered healthy. Nothing's abnormal."He paused to take a sip of his juice before he continued."Since they couldn't determine the state of my child, my doctor doesn't know. But, if it follows normal pregnancy, I should be due in 8 months. As for the name...hmm.."Can suddenly remembered the dream he had a long time ago.(A/N: He's referring to Bonus Chapter 2: Can's Nightmare)In that dream, he had two wonderful children: a boy and a girl. Yet, throughout the entire dream, he never knew their names. If he had another chance to see them in his dream, he would ask for their names, so he would not have to come up with them when it came to his real children.At that moment, he had a realization. Was that actually his future? He would have two children?That could not be since it was just a dream, but what if it was his future? Thinking about it now, that would be perfect. If it was before Tin and he became together, he would find that dream ridiculous. Now, he had an inclination of wanting that dream to come true."I'm not really sure about the name yet. Tin and I haven't figured it out," Can continued."I see," Techno answered. "There's no rush. You have time."Can smiled and nodded. There was no rush since he did have time. He was not due until 8 months or... so he thought.When he was about to stand up to go to the restroom, he suddenly felt some kind of movement inside his stomach. He stopped his movements as he looked down and examined his stomach."Can, are you alright?" Ae asked as he saw that Can stopped moving.Can did not answer. He did not mean to ignore him. It was just that his senses suddenly weakened as he focused only on his stomach.In a moment, he could feel the throbbing pain in his stomach and the increase in temperature. It was suddenly getting hot. Slowly, his stomach had a faint glow of blue. Then the next second, the light was becoming apparent to the point it was somewhat blinding.At that point, everyone's attention was on Can."Can? What's happening?" Techno voiced out with concern as he went to Can's side immediately.Can started to pant as he gasped for air. He was sweating. He was not sure what was happening but he could feel that his spiritual energy was being depleted at a very fast rate.Then, a burst of light from Can's body was emitted. It was so powerful that it created a tremor inside Kengkla's mansion. The glassware, bottles of expensive liquors, and other things fell from their cabinets. The light was blinding that everyone lost their vision momentarily. They had to step away from Can, since the pressure from him was somewhat overwhelming.It only lasted for a minute. At the end of it, after the three were able to regain their vision and made sure that they were all safe, they immediately went to Can's side to make sure that he was also fine."Can! Can! Do you hear me?" Techno became worried as he patted Can's cheeks.Can was unconscious. His face was pale as if his life was taken out from him.Kengkla checked his heartbeat. It was faint, but it was unstable."He's still breathing, but we need to take him to the hospital," Kengkla frowned. The situation had become serious."I-I'm calling now," Techno became restless as he grabbed his phone and dialed for the emergency hotline."I'll call Tin," Ae said.Yet, before he could call him. A sudden burst of energy came inside the bar out of nowhere.From the overwhelming pressure, they could tell that it was from another powerful individual. It was Tin.The expression on his face was not the typical look that he would have. He was not angry nor cold. He was filled with obvious concern on his face. His body was shaking and seemed to be afraid as he approached the man lying on the ground."Tin! We have to take him to the hospital," Ae shouted.Tin seemed not to be paying attention as he was in a state of shock.
No... Not again.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Edit: Lol my bad about the Pond and Pete mix up. This happens when you write at night tired XD Thank you for letting me know!==="TIN!" Techno shouted as well. He was not sure why Tin was not moving from his position and helping Can!As for the man in question, he already closed his eyes with a deep frown. A darkish-blue light was coming out of Tin as he was concentrating his spiritual energy to be transferred to Can. Since Can lost almost his entire spiritual energy causing him to be unconscious and extremely weak, the necessary first aid that could be done at this very moment would be the transfer of spiritual energy. Tin has done this before when this mysterious condition would occur randomly. Usually, when this condition would happen, it would not cause Can's spiritual energy to be depleted to the point that it would be this fatal. It would usually only take half of Can's spiritual energy and that would be it. This would only cause Can to be tired all of a sudden. Just a little bit of rest and he would be okay.In addition, Tin could easily sense if there were fluctuations in Can's spiritual energy. If this unknown condition would be triggered, Tin would be by Can's side immediately to transfer his spiritual energy to him. Afterwards, Can would be fine. The condition was not considered life-threatening, at least, even though it was still considered a mystery. Top doctors who checked Can were sure that it had to do with his pregnancy. As for the exact reason, they were still unsure.The problem with why this condition remained a mystery was that the doctors did not have enough powerful medical tools to observe and examine Can. Since Can had tremendous power, as he was a Supreme Ruler, ordinary medical tools would not work with him. The doctors tried and those tools broke down instantly! In addition, It was the first time in history that a Supreme Ruler would get pregnant. Can's case was certainly a special one, so it would take time to find a way to somehow examine Can's condition. Leading a scientific research to help Can's case of unique pregnancy and its effect on his body, Pete has established a group of elite medical doctors. They were yet to make a breakthrough with his case.At this moment, Tin was now transferring his spiritual energy directly to Can through his hands. When the others saw this, they stopped voicing out their concerns. They understood what was happening and they did not want to disturb the process. They knew that the two had compatibility in terms of transferring spiritual energy.As soon as the dark blue spiritual energy coming from Tin made contact with Can's body, an unexpected incident happened.Tin felt the sudden danger and he quickly warned everyone, "Take cover!"It was too late.
Boom!
A huge explosion of overwhelming pressure that was more powerful and aggressive compared to earlier shook the entire mansion until it collapsed. Those who lived in the mansion, its attendants and owners, were unable to escape its wrath. Thankfully, these people were high-level and they were able to survive the mansion's collapse with light injuries. Furthermore, protective barriers were put up around them, so they had extra protection. They did not know that most of the explosive power from Can's body was blocked by Tin himself. If it were not for him, the mansion and its people, perhaps even the city itself, would have collapsed or pulverized.In the huge piles of rubble and thick smoke, Tin used his ability to put up a shield around the people in the mansion. So, with the debris cleared around the people, the residents were able to escape to safety without too much trouble."Puuhh!" Tin threw up blood from his mouth. The impact from the explosion that he absorbed was quite strong. From the intense pain that he was feeling, he knew that he received serious internal injuries. Such injuries did not matter to him. He was focusing on Can's situation. He would rather lose his life than losing Can.As for the sudden explosion, Tin realized that Can's body rejected his spiritual energy. Due to this rejection, there was a sudden backlash from Can's body. Tin was unsure why this was the case. When he usually transferred spiritual energy, there would be no problem. Why was it that Can's body rejected him now?He did not know what else he was supposed to do, but he knew that a backlash would happen again if he tried to transfer spiritual energy. Although Can was still breathing, Tin was quite unsure what state he was in exactly.Not having any choice, he took Can to his arms and turned to others."I'll take him to Pete."Ae nodded while still in shock. "I'll go with you."As for Kengkla and Techno, well, they have to deal with the aftermath."We'll visit as soon as we're done here," Kengkla said."I'll take care of the damages," Tin answered as the blood flowed continuously from his mouth. He staggered as he cast a teleportation circle around him."Worry about yourself and Can first. We're fine!" Techno shouted with worry despite receiving some injuries.In the teleportation circle, Ae quickly stood next to Tin who was carrying Can. Within seconds, they were transferred to the new state-of-the-art medical facility that was built by Tin's company.Coincidentally, as soon as they teleported, Pete and his team just made a breakthrough with their research on medical technology that might help with Can's case.As Pete was just about to take a break from the laboratory to eat something, he felt Tin and Ae's presence. Something must have happened!When he met them at the entrance of the laboratory, he was filled with shock and worry seeing the state that Tin and Can were in. It looked like they went and fought something or someone."What happened!?" he approached them as he called his medical team to come and provide aid."Can's mysterious condition was triggered earlier. I was doing the usual procedure, but this time there was a backlash," Tin answered as his breathing became unsteady."Please help me," he said desperately while looking at Can.His tears began to fall. His true feelings and his weakness were showing.It was a scene both Ae and Pete did not expect to witness, but they understood."I'm not sure what's wrong? I don't want to lose Can. Please Pete, please help me." Tin continued as he approached Pete while he coughed blood."We'll take care of you, don't worry," Pete reassured. Even though he was quite nervous as he was unaware of what exactly happened, he could not let fear take him. He must be strong for these two.Soon, the medical team came and took both of them to the emergency room. The impression that the medical team had the moment they saw Tin and Can was serious. In Tin's case, he suffered from serious internal injuries. With powerful magical medicinal pills at the hospital's disposal, Tin should be able to survive without a problem. It was just that they have to make sure to administer the right pill and conduct a further diagnosis to make sure that nothing too damaging would happen. If his spiritual roots were damaged, then that would be way more serious.As for Can's condition, Pete and his team were unsure. Although they made a breakthrough with a powerful medical instrument that could help examine Can's condition, they were not sure about its safety, especially in Can's condition because of his delicate pregnancy. They did figure out that Can was in a state of coma. The backlash came from Can's body's natural instinct to defend itself. Tin's spiritual energy was identified as a threat by Can's body, so it attacked him. As backlash normally occurs with powerful individuals who were in a state of coma, it would not be recommended to transfer spiritual energy casually. Of course, Tin was not aware of this."What do we do now, Dr. Pete? We cannot transfer spiritual energy to him since it might cause a serious backlash. We also haven't tested the scanner yet, it's too risky for him and for us," one of the medical doctors said with a serious tone in her voice. From the statement they gathered from Tin, they were unsure if any form of examination on Can could also result in a backlash. If a backlash were to happen, it would be quite dangerous for the staff.A life or death situation was in Pete's hands. His decision could lead to the death of people. It was a difficult process to think, but Pete must act quickly as lives were at stake.Deciding quickly, he told his staff. "We have no choice. Bring Can to the laboratory for scanning."He then turned to Tin who was in the hospital bed trying to heal himself. Seeing that he was still alive, Pete was not too worried about him.He turned to his associate and said, "As for Tin, administer the <Purple Life Saving Pill>. After that, everyone should evacuate the facility immediately."He went to Tin's side and said, "I'll take care of Can. Worry about yourself for now. Concentrate your spiritual energy to heal yourself and use the pill to assist you. You'll be fine."Tin did not answer but he understood what Pete said to him.Not waiting for Tin to reply, Pete went back outside of the room."What? What are you trying to do?" the female doctor asked."I'll perform the laboratory examination myself," Pete answered as he hurriedly ran to the laboratory where Can was lying in a bed inside a machine."Dr. Pete, this is dangerous!" the female doctor warned."I'm aware of the situation which is why I want you all to evacuate immediately! Now, Go!" Pete demanded."How about Mr. Phiravich?" she asked."He's not going to leave Can behind, so don't bother," Pete shook his head."I- I understand. Please be careful," she said.Pete nodded, "Thank you. Now, hurry and go."With that, as soon as Pete's instructions were followed, everyone in the facility evacuated. Except for him and Ae, there was no one else to assist."Are you sure about this Pete?" Ae could not hide his worry for Pete."It's my duty to save people Ae. I'm a doctor. You.. you don't have to be here, Ae," Pete said as he started turning on the scanner in the laboratory."I'm your husband. Why would I leave you?" Ae frowned while assisting Pete."We'll be fine. I believe in your abilities Pete. Alright?" he reassured.With a nervous smile, Pete nodded. "We'll get through this."Switching the power on of the machine, the scanner began its examination and probing on Can.
Starting to scan...
10% Scanning Complete...
30% Scanning Complete....
While Pete and Ae were nervously looking at the monitor screen and hoping for successful results to come out, there were banging sounds inside the machine. Pete was hoping that it was not coming from a backlash. If this was the case, then Can's body recognized that something was trying to probe it and perhaps it was already trying to attack the machine.
40% Scanning Complete....
50% Scanning Complete....
As the machine continued to probe, the sounds coming from within the machine were becoming louder.
60% Scanning Complete.... 70% Scanning Complete....
The loud sound all of a sudden became quiet. Pete thought that was the end of it and everything would go smoothly. To his surprise, the machine was losing power.
20% Spiritual Energy Remaining....
"How could that be? All of a sudden? It was in full capacity earlier," Pete contemplated. The machine was specially designed to be used for Can. With this being the case, they have to use a strong energy source. It was also hypothesized that if the energy source that would be used to probe Can would be the same as his pure spiritual energy, the chances of successful probing would be much higher. So, when they were creating this machine, they had to borrow a lot of Can's spiritual energy for the batteries of the machine.Could it be that Can's body that was depleted of spiritual energy was now absorbing the spiritual energy from the specialized batteries? This was not good as the results might not be completed.While figuring out what was happening, the machine continued working.
80% Scanning Complete...
10% Spiritual Energy Remaining...
90% Scanning Complete....
99% Scanning Complete...
1% Spiritual Energy Remaining...
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Sweat from uncertainty and nervousness filled Pete as he stared at the computer screen intensely. He hoped that the machine would at least finish scanning before it shuts down completely. Thankfully, after a few moments and luck being on his side, the scan was completed and the results were sent to the main computer.
100% Scanning Complete...
Sending File to Main Computer...
Task Complete...
0% Spiritual Energy Remaining...
Shutting Down...
With that, both Ae and Pete sighed in relief. Still, their jobs were not complete. Pete hurriedly went to the main computer to check the results.
As soon as he read the file, his heart stopped for a second from the findings. Can's condition was quite serious. The more that he read it, the more afraid he became.
"What did you find out?" Ae asked as he stood next to Pete. He saw Pete’s stunned expression from reading the file.
Before answering, Pete made sure that he read the file correctly. Then slowly, he turned to Ae.
"Can's situation is worse than I expected," Pete replied as he then looked in the direction of where Can was currently lying down.
"What do you mean? What's wrong with him?" Ae's eyes widened as worry for his friend took over.
"The complete depletion of his energy was due to the twins inside of him," Pete answered as he went to approach Can.
"Twins? I thought he only had one?" Ae was puzzled by this new information.
"Yes, we thought so too. Even Can himself could feel that there was only one child in him," Pete removed the restraints from Can and checked if his condition was better compared to earlier. If his body did absorb the energy from the batteries that contained his spiritual energy, then that should help calm Can's natural defense.
"So, how is this related to Can's condition?" Ae assisted in removing the restraints.
"Can did only have one child in his belly in the beginning. His mysterious condition showed up due to his pregnancy. According to the report, the child absorbed half of Can's spiritual energy for it to form its spiritual roots. That's what has been happening with Can these past few weeks. His body could handle it without much problem, but this time, his entire spiritual energy was depleted," Pete paused for a moment as he was still trying to gather his thoughts regarding Can's unique case.
"Somehow, the second child emerged in his body and took half of his energy at the same time with the first child which caused complete depletion of Can's spiritual energy."
"Emerged? You mean to say that the second child emerged all of a sudden? How's that even possible?" Ae was truly dumbfounded.
"I'm still unsure how, but as I said, Can has a unique case of pregnancy. We don't know much what could go on with a Supreme Ruler getting pregnant," Pete explained as he checked Can's body's condition. This time seeing that Can regained color on his skin and that his breathing was much more stable, Pete gathered the courage to examine Can personally.
"What else do you know? What could be done?"
"The scanner did not pick up every information it was supposed to get from Can since there was interference from his body's natural defense mechanism. I would need to rerun the scanner, but that would require Can's spiritual energy and we can't do that at the moment. Still...," Pete began thinking.
Since Can's body has absorbed spiritual energy from the batteries, then that would mean that his body has more or less calmed down and was much more stable. From Pete's estimation, Can should have probably regained at least 5%-10% of his total spiritual energy. Even though Can was stable now, he was still weak and unconscious. For Pete, this could be a great opportunity to use his spiritual energy to quickly glimpse Can's current true state. He could pick up information that the scanner was unable to do. As for the chances of backlash, it would be much lower and Pete was willing to take this chance. It was now or never.
"Ruwach”
After casting this magic spell, a small blue spirit sphere made of specialized spiritual energy began to rotate around Can rapidly. With the spirit sphere, Pete would be able to identify areas of anomalies within Can's body.
"Anomalies within the brain... and the twins themselves...," Pete said as he split the spiritual sphere into two and hovered them on Can: one on his head and the other on his stomach.
After identifying where the anomalies were found, Pete wanted to further examine to find out what exactly was happening. Perhaps, he could come up with a solution to help Can with his condition.
Casting another spell, Pete made complicated hand signals that caused him to consume 90% of his own spiritual energy.
"Impositio Manus!"
Pete had to match Can's current level of spiritual energy in order to have more success with his in-depth probing. 5%-10% of Can's total spiritual energy was already equivalent to Pete's entire capacity of spiritual energy! In the university and the medical field, Pete was listed as one of the top ten who had a huge capacity for storing a high amount of spiritual energy. He was grateful that he was blessed with such capacity since it was very useful at this very moment with Can's situation.
Closing his eyes, the two spirit spheres slowly descended inside Can. Pete began concentrating while those spheres inside Can began to expand as they tried to pick up pieces of information and to create a complete picture of what was going on.
As the spheres traveled inside Can, Pete began to hear voices. They were children's voices: one boy and one girl. They seemed to be fighting.
"No! Mommy gave it to me! It's mine!" the girl said.
When those words were told, the girl began to cry.
"I got it first, so it's mine! Hmph!" the boy argued angrily as he held the ball that was pearly white with both of his hands firmly.
With that, the girl began to cry louder as she shouted repeatedly, "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!"
Pete was unsure at first of what was happening, but he was able to pick up the current situation inside Can's head. As he was continuing to observe the two children, a person emerged to handle them. It was Can.
"What's wrong? Why are you two fighting?" Can calmly asked as he stooped down.
"Uwah! Mommy!" the girl uttered as the snot on her nose began to drip. She quickly embraced Can with her arms around his neck and started complaining.
"He's not giving me the ball! I know it's for me but he took it!" she said.
Can began to comfort her while caressing her hair. "Don't cry."
He then faced the boy.
"I- I- got it... fi-first..." the boy also complained but he started stuttering. He tried to maintain a straight face, but he began to cry as well.
Can, now have two children crying. What a disaster!
With his other hand, Can grabbed the boy and embraced him along with the girl. "I taught the two of you about sharing, didn't I?"
"She wanted to keep the ball to herself!" the boy answered.
"Because you don't want to share!" the girl got even more mad as she started pulling her brother's hair when she got the opportunity.
"Ouch!" the boy cried louder.
Can’s mouth started to twitch. Truly, what a disaster!
As Can tried to solve the situation between the two children, Pete approached Can and tried to communicate with him.
"Can! Can you hear me? Can!?" Pete tried to get his attention, but he failed.
Soon, Can was able to calm down the two children. He stood up then turned around while holding the them.
"Can! Wait! Come back!" Pete was next to Can and he tried to tap him to get his attention.
Somehow, Can turned around where Pete was standing.
"Can. Yes! Can you see me? Can you hear my voice?" Pete began to gain hope. Unfortunately, it was a false hope.
"Mommy, what is it?" the boy asked while patting Can's cheeks.
Can turned to his son and shook his head. "I thought I heard something. It was nothing."
Then with a smile, he said, "Alright, let's go home shall we?"
"Mommy, I want to have hot pockets!" the girl was filled with sudden excitement.
"Of course. Anything for my children."
Soon, Can began to walk away with the two while holding each of their hands. As they were talking happily, their voice and their existence echoed as they slowly disappeared.
With that, Pete's surroundings turned black. It signaled that he could not conduct probing inside Can anymore. He was automatically kicked out from Can's body as he returned to reality.
Because the spell took 90% of Pete's entire spiritual energy, he already felt sudden extreme fatigue that he fell forward. Thankfully, Ae caught him on time.
"Pete! Pete!" Ae thought he lost Pete. He was so scared that his heart felt that it was ripped apart.
Breathing heavily, Pete reassured him, "I'm okay Ae. I used most of my spiritual energy, but I'm okay."
"I'll carry you," Ae immediately carried Pete in his arms.
"Just take me to that seat by the main computer and could you please grab me one bottle of spiritual energy regeneration potion from that cabinet?"
Ae quickly nodded. "I'll do that."
He scattered and did what Pete told him to do in a hurry. He was so worried about Pete that he stumbled a couple of times.
After getting what he needed and replenishing his energy, Pete compiled the findings that the scanner found and combined them with his own findings. He called his elite medical team back after observing that Can was in a much more stable state despite being still in a coma. Can was put back in the Intensive Care Unit for further observation.
When the compiled report was completed later that evening, Pete, along with Ae, discussed his findings with Tin in his private room in the facility.
At this point, Tin's internal injuries were still healing but he could manage to listen to Pete's report regarding Can's condition.
"Can is stable for now. As for the twins, they're healthy. We're still unsure how the second baby emerged, but it was determined that it should not cause any sort of complication within Can or the other baby aside from the problem of energy absorption. For the condition of spiritual energy absorption by the twins, we were able to determine that it would not get triggered anytime soon. Since the twins were able to absorb a huge amount of spiritual energy from Can, they would not absorb energy from him for a few months. Also, even if we are to surgically remove the twins or use medical magic, the guaranteed survival rate would be close to 0% for both Can and the twins."
Pete paused for a second to see Tin's reaction. He could see that there was so much conflict and sorrow from Tin despite not showing his emotions.
"Continue," Tin whispered. It was evident he was not trying to show his true emotions compared to earlier when he arrived at the facility.
Pete did not comment as he continued reading the report. "The depletion of Can's spiritual energy caused him to enter a state of coma. And within that state, somehow his body managed to create a world of its own. He's stuck in a dream that his brain manifested. If we could take him out from that dream, we could potentially wake him up. We've already developed a technology for this, but we need to make significant changes since Can's magic is too powerful for the machine to handle."
Pete faced Tin uncomfortably, "Tin, you're the only one powerful enough to overcome the magic that was used to create the world inside Can's brain. We could only help you get to that location inside Can, but the rest would be up to your ability. It's going to be very dangerous for you, so I suggest that you-"
"I'll do it," Tin opened his eyes with a determined expression. There was no hesitation in his answer. "Even if it costs my life."
Pete and Ae looked at one another. They did not say anything.
"You still have to heal from your internal injuries. In addition to that, from our medical examination, your spiritual roots received heavy damage. It would take a year for you to completely recover."
The implication of what Pete said was completely understood by Tin. If Tin waited for himself to heal completely, Can could potentially lose his life if the spiritual energy absorption by the twins would get triggered again within the next few months. Removing the twins from Can’s body was impossible too. If Tin decides to help Can as soon as possible, he could potentially lose his life. For Tin, the last option was the only logical way to help Can.
"When can we start?" Tin asked. He went straight to the point. He did not want to take any chances with Can’s condition being triggered again.
Pete had to compose himself for this situation. He knew that whatever path of action that they took, there was a potential loss of life between his close friends. He paused for a bit as he tried not to show his weakness as he was on the verge of crying. He needed to act professionally.
Thankfully, Ae was behind him caressing his back. "Take your time, Pete," he whispered.
Pete closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. He only turned to Ae quickly with a nod then returned to discussing with Tin.
"We're still working on the machine, but we should be able to make the necessary changes and tests within a month."
Tin nodded as he looked down. "I want to see Can."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Although Pete wanted Tin to rest, he knew that once this man made up his mind, he would push through it.
"He's next to this room," Pete pointed.
"Thank you," Tin said. "Thank you for helping us."
Pete nodded, but he insisted, "Save it for later."
Tin got out of bed, but he had some struggle. Pete and Ae wanted to help him out, but Tin refused. It was just like him: very stubborn and refused to rely more on others.
They got out of his private room slowly since Tin had to take breaks in between. His spiritual injuries and internal injuries were still serious that every movement felt like he was being cut by knives. Through it all, Pete and Ae never heard him complain or grunt. They have heard about how awful and painful it was when a person's spiritual roots are damaged. No amount of any kind of medicine could help with the pain from such damage. The fewer movements and the sooner the person heals from this kind of injury, the less painful it would be.
Soon, they reached the specialized room dedicated for Can. As Tin entered the room, he felt a mixture of emotions. He felt angry seeing different instruments and tubes stuck to Can's body while these doctors were observing him. He felt like Can was being considered some kind of attraction to fill their curiosities. What infuriated him the most was that there was a nurse wiping Can's face with a washcloth. Even if that was the case, he did not blurt out his dissatisfaction or used his magic to make these people disappear from his sight. He understood why they were there or why things were attached to him. He just could not help it. He was not used to it.
As for Can, seeing him lying unconsciously crushed Tin's heart. It was much more horrible and painful than the injuries he received.
When Pete sensed that Tin felt uncomfortable seeing other people, he gestured his medical staff to leave for the meantime.
The medical staff did not need their team leader to tell them to leave, they would leave anyway as soon as they saw Tin was in a bad mood.
They did not say anything at all aside from a respectful bow towards Tin before they left.
As soon as they left, Tin felt less suffocated. He took a moment to compose himself before he proceeded to walk towards Can's bed. Withstanding the pain while moving and breathing, he reached the unconscious man and held his hand.
"We'll be right outside if you need anything," Pete said as he took Ae's hand and dragged him outside immediately. He did not want to invade the privacy of the two.
When the door to the room was closed and only the sound of the constant beeping noise from the pieces of equipment attached to Can could be heard, Tin let out a bitter smile.
"I'm here now, Can," he whispered gently as he lightly kissed his forehead.
He then carefully caressed his cheeks with his thumb as if he was some kind of delicate flower. "You'll be fine."
He then reached out to Can's belly. " They'll be fine too. Don't worry. I promise."
At that point, Tin let out his suppressed tears. With his lips quivering from the pain of seeing Can in such a state and his hand turning into a fist from his frustration, he made an oath that he would make sure that Can and his children would be fine no matter what it takes to do so.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and attempted to calm himself down. A few moments later, he tended Can. He grabbed the washcloth that was used earlier by the nurse and wiped down the sweat that was on Can's face gently. Afterward, with the small washbasin that has lukewarm water by the table, he started wiping Can from head to toe with another washcloth. He did this without complaints as his every movement caused tremendous pain to him. He was gentle and caring with his task with a weak smile on his face.
After the task, Tin did not return to his room, he grabbed a chair and sat next to Can while holding his hand. He did not want to leave him. He wanted to be with him as much as possible.
A few weeks have passed and Pete's team has worked tirelessly to make the machine that will be used to enter Can's mind to work. In addition, they constantly made sure that both Can and Tin were up to the best condition that they could be in order to make their goal of saving Can and his children possible.
“Tin, are you ready?” Pete said with a little nervousness in his voice. Today was the day for Tin to go and save Can.
Tin nodded. He has been hoping for this day to happen since after the incident. He has been anxious ever since.
Now, it was time for him to act after waiting. He stood up steadily and went to the operating room where the Dream Machine would help transfer him into the world that Can created in his mind.
Outside of the operating room, Tin noticed his family, Can’s family, and his close friends waiting for him.
The incident that happened between Tin and Can were informed to their family and close friends by Pete. Of course, Pete did this with the consent of Tin. At such a vulnerable state, Pete was not sure if it would be a good idea to inform other people about their conditions. Since Tin has a lot of enemies, if they get a hold of this information, it would be dangerous. So, the fewer people who knew such delicate information, the better. Although this was the case, Tin insisted on letting his and Can’s family and close friends know about the situation. He said that they have the right to know. Pete did not say anything and did what he said.
“Tin,” Tin’s father called with worry. This time, his father approached him and hugged him.
Tin did not refuse this intimate hug from his father. Although Tin was not someone who tend to hug people except if it was Can, he made an exception.
The necklace around Tin’s father’s neck glowed slightly. “How are you feeling?” Tin’s grandfather whose spirit still inhabits inside the necklace asked with seriousness.
Tin looked at the necklace and replied, “I’m ready.”
Ley and her mother approached Tin, both of their eyes were red from crying.
“T..Tin…, please… save my son,” Mrs. Rathavit weakly said with a hoarse voice. Ley had to support her mother so that she would not fall.
Tin went ahead and hugged both Ley and Mrs. Rathavit.
“I’ll do whatever I can, within my power and life, to save him,” he reassured them.
It was then that Mrs. Rathavit cried further. Ley had to take her away from Tin so that they would not further delay the operation.
Can’s close friends were there: Ae, Techno, and Kengkla. The couple Can saved at Beast Gods’ Dimension were there too: Bacsojin and Xu Xian. Tin’s personal assistants from the demonic elementalist sect, Type and Cha Aim, were there as well. Of course, Can’s master Khang was also present.
Everyone briefly talked to Tin and said words of encouragement and pleading to save Can. Tin thanked them and went ahead in the operating room.
For those who were not part of the medical team, they were left outside of the operating room to wait. As for Pete and his medical staff, they have begun the preparation for this crucial moment for the operation.
Entering the room, the doctors who were busy chattering simultaneously became silent when they saw Tin. They immediately bowed to him and greeted Pete.
Inside the room, there were two beds next to one another. One was filled by Can and the other was empty. Behind those two beds was a huge machine with a monitor used to see Can's vital signs and other important aspects of his health. There were different cables connected to it that were attached to Can's head and body.
As for the patient himself, he was still lying peacefully as if contented in life.
When Tin saw such expression again, he could not help it but still feel a massive heartache. He gathered his strength and mustered up his courage as he took a deep breath.
"It'll be fine," he said to himself.
"This way, Tin," Pete gestured Tin to go and lie down to the empty bed next to Can.
Tin nodded and did what Pete told him to do. Afterward, Pete began to attach cables from the Dream Machine and injected him with a special chemical in order for him to be in a relaxed, dream-inducing, and sleepy state in an instant. By doing so, it would help him connect with Can much faster. Then from that, after Tin's vital signs and other significant factors regarding his health were confirmed and displayed on the Dream Machine, the medical staff began to do their work. The Dream Machine began confirming that both Can and Tin were stable enough to form a connection within one another in their current health state. After the confirmation, the machine transferred Tin's mind and allowed it to travel to Can's consciousness specifically where the world he created was found.
"Transfer complete…"
Meanwhile outside the medical facility as soon as the operation began, multiple portals from different directions surrounded the outside of the building. One by one, different kinds of people wearing masks came out of the portal with weapons and magic tools already in their hands. They were preparing for an attack.
"Create a suppressing barrier now! We can never let them escape or allow them to seek assistance! This is our only chance to destroy them!" shouted aggressively by an old man wearing a mask that covered his entire face.
As soon as that was announced, the people who specialized in barrier creation quickly cast the barrier and covered the entire medical facility with darkness from the black barrier.
From inside the building, Master Khang and Tin's father were the first ones to react. "It has begun," Master Khang said as he looked outside as if it was expected.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Shameless bastards," Tin's father, Tri Phiravich, said as anger filled him. He knew very well who they were.
The enemies outside who had the assignment of eliminating everyone within the medical facility were part of the United Nations’ peacekeeping force. A secret security council meeting was held by the major powerful countries such as the United States, China, Russia, Great Britain, and France. As for the reasoning for the extermination of two supreme rulers? They were considered a threat to the balance of power and stability in the world. Since both Tin and Can were both together, whatever it was that they wanted to do, they would be impossible to be stopped. They were considered as an unstoppable force. They pose a threat to the other major powers and their national interests in world affairs. If these two decided to disclose and punish them in regards to the matters of corruption, hidden secrets, and scandals within the United Nations, then the organization itself would lose its reputation and cause discord among the members. It took time for the major players within the organization to have control and spread great influence within it, so they were not willing to waste all of their efforts that took them to be in the highest positions of power that they were in right now. They cannot let the two of them make a move against them at all!
Of course, the major players within the organization would never dare make a move against the two supreme rulers. They knew what was at stake and the possibility of destroying them was just impossible. Still, they did not lose hope and kept their surveillance for any opportunity that they could use to eliminate the two. When they received the news that there was a major incident that happened to both the supreme rulers, it was certainly a once-in-a-lifetime blessing for these members. It was perhaps the only chance that they could defeat these two. So, with such crucial information that they received, the top player for each major country quickly met for a secret security council meeting and created an intricate plan. It was now or never.
These schemers put a lot of effort into their extermination plan until it was considered perfect as the risk of failure would be catastrophic. Failing was not permitted as death would be the price if it did happen.
All available resources and most powerful soldiers under their disposal were called for active combat. They knew that the other side had intelligence agents within, but so they were as well. Gathering intelligence and countering the others' moves were their specialty. How could have they survived with their atrocious evil deeds for this long?
Soon, the plan was executed and the mobilization of forces was done in utmost secrecy that the other party was left speechless and surprised.
"This was something to be expected, but they came here too soon," uttered with annoyance by the necklace that contains the spirit of Tin's grandfather.
"What's happening?" asked by Ae with confusion evident on his face. Not only him, but the others as well were unaware of what was happening.
"Someone must have told them," Grandmaster Khang frowned. They have planned carefully for this day, but someone has leaked their plans. Now, they were in a much more dangerous situation in such a period of a delicate operation. Who could be the traitor?
Grandmaster Khang looked around the building and momentarily judged all the individuals currently present. It was hard to determine at this moment. He could not waste time for interrogation.
"All long-range magic users, get in position and start the siege! Defense team, make sure not to allow targets inside to blow us off!" one of the commanding officers shouted.
"YES SIR!" the soldiers shouted back. Soon, the layers of defenses of the U.N. Peacekeepers were put up as the long-range mages began chanting hard-hitting magical spells.
"Meteor Fire!"
Simultaneously, within different groups, huge balls of roaring red fire appeared and flew towards the medical facility. With the amount of firepower from these elite soldiers who are above Rainbow Grade Level 1, the building should turn into ashes. Even if they were unable to kill those inside the building, it would cause a disturbance within the operation which could potentially be more harmful to the two main targets: Tin and Can.
Unfortunately, the U.N. Peacekeepers were not the only ones with surprises. Within the smoke and impact from those huge fireballs, the medical facility stood still without any damage or scratches. There was not even a smudge on it. It was still good as new.
The long-range mages were shocked. "How was that possible?" they asked as they looked at one another.
As for the senior officers in the task force, they could only frown. Their organization's intelligence did not tell them about the material or magic that the building was made of. It seemed that the other side created considerable effort for protection as well.
The commander who initiated the extermination gestured to the long-range mage units to continue bombarding the building with different heavy impact offensive spells. He wanted to see if the building could withstand a continuous assault from magic spells.
Although the structure of the medical facility had strong resistance to magical spells, it would not be able to withstand continuous bombardment. They were not sure if this building would still be standing before reinforcements arrived. They must act as well.
Master Khang was the only strongest person available in the building. With his rank as Beast Summoner Rainbow Grade Level 6, he should be able to handle most of the troops himself. Based on his assessment, he saw that there were four Rainbow Level 6 among them. Then there were eight Rainbow Level 5. From the initial intelligence that Tri received, there were only supposedly two officers who were at Level 6. Master Khang could handle both when it came to it, but having four at the same time would be quite problematic. Not to mention the number of Level 5s, just the combined number of level 6s would be enough to handle them. Master Khang and the people inside the facility could be overwhelmed in a short time. If only either Tin or Can was awake, they could easily destroy them. The U.N. did do their homework.
There was no choice and Master Khang could not stay here and do nothing. He faced Tri and said, "We'll stick to our plan and hold out as much as we can."
Tri agreed. Master Khang then turned to the others present and told them what could be done. Currently, no one knew in this room about U.N's extermination plan. In any case, these people were targets as well.
"We're being attacked by the U.N. Peacekeeping forces to eliminate us. There's no time for further explanation and...well i'll try to explain everything if we manage to survive. But one thing is for sure, it's either them or us. So, whatever available tools you might have...," he looked at Can's mother briefly, "...or hidden power, this would be the right time to use it. Your very lives would depend on it."
Can's mother tensed up as she frowned towards Master Khang.
"What did he mean by those last words? Does he know her? Her true identity?"
Tri continued with coldness in his voice and glint on his eyes that were full of ruthlessness, "Your task is very simple. Make sure you don't let anyone get in. If there's one insect that comes inside, crush it by all means."
The intensity and nervousness that everyone felt were further expressed right after. Xu Xian and Bacsojin were already busy looking through their weapon stash from their storage ring. Both of their powers combined could be considered as Rainbow Level 5 and they could par with Rainbow Level 6 if they must.
Kengkla, Techno, Ae, and Ley began summoning their most powerful beasts. For Kengkla, Techno, and Ae they were all Rainbow Level 4. Ley was merely a Rainbow Level 2, but she would not be considered the weakest. Knowing that she might hinder everyone, she has decided to take the support role that would provide buffs or strengthening abilities as well as heal. Since the medical staff was busy inside the operating room, they would not be able to help out in the battle. Ley took upon himself to also take the healer role. Although she has participated in battles before, at university, she was not considered a fighter. Her real-life battle experience was close to zero.
Soon, both Master Khang and Tin's father head out for an ambush as they hid their powerful aura from the enemies. With the cover of thick black smoke from the continuous bombardment, they began targeting high-level officials who were distracted. Master Khang silently released the small but terrible multiple numbers of rainbow-colored scorpions.
Passing through the defensive barriers without the soldier knowing, the small scorpions that had the sizes of a coin attached themselves to the soldiers' clothes then crawled up to their necks.
As his little minions were in target position, Master Khang who was making a full show of distraction for the soldiers suddenly disappeared.
"Mind Control Sting!"
When the command was initiated by the old master, the scorpions stung the nerve on the neck of their victims. Immediately, the soldiers began feeling sudden sharp pain then the next second, they could not control themselves.
Master Khang went on and gestured to the controlled soldiers to attack the other soldiers. Within those minutes, chaos descended upon different units. Those who could not withstand the mind control began killing the others.
The scene was filled with confusion. They did not know what happened and were unsure why their comrades were killing each other all of a sudden. Soon, senior officials figured out the reason and sent the medical team to handle the scorpions.
One could not just remove the scorpions from the victims as they could kill them instantly. It would have been simple for the expert medical team to handle one, but with multiple cases happening while in the middle of extreme fighting, it was simply almost impossible to resolve. Not only that, but they were risking their very lives as well as they were not sure who had the scorpions!
Meanwhile, amidst the chaos, Tri has begun ambushing multiple Rainbow Level 4 soldiers as they were easier to kill. Hands covered in some kind of black smoke, he punched the air towards his targets. The black smoke from his hand would form into a solid invisible force and kill the target instantly. At times, he would also ambush some Level 5s, but it was more difficult to accomplish. Still, he managed to kill a lot within 45 minutes.
Of course, the officers who were Level 6s and Level 5s would not allow them to continue their ambush, so they went ahead and focused on defeating them first.
"Continue the bombardment! Call reinforcements!" the old commander-in-chief of the troops shouted with displeasure. It was expected that a lot of these soldiers would die anyway, but seeing that these elite soldiers were handling themselves poorly was a horrible sight to see.
"All other Level 6 commanding officers, with me! We're taking Master Khang down! All level 5 commanders, take Mr. Phiravich," the commander-in-chief continued. He knew that the only powerful people who were considered problematic were the two. The rest of the people inside the medical facility should pose no problem at all. With that, his team swiftly moved and attacked Master Khang putting him at a serious disadvantage. As for Tin's father's situation, it was the same. They were now being overwhelmed and had no idea how to proceed forward. Unless, of course, another powerful level 6 would come in to join them...
"Mom, is everything alright?" Ley asked. Her mom has been silent this entire time while sitting down. Ley knew that her mom must be afraid since both her children were in danger. Of course, Ley was also afraid. Her mom was not as powerful as the others. She would not be able to defend herself if anything happens.
"It's okay mom, we'll survive this," Ley said, but even her voice betrayed her. Looking at the situation outside, she could tell that Master Khang and Tin's father were getting overwhelmed. Meanwhile, she and the others could not do anything because they were too weak to go out and participate. They could only observe inside the safety of the medical facility which would not last from the continuous siege.
"I must go," her mother whispered to her while her eyes closed.
"W-what do you mean?" Ley became worried as well as confused by her mother's words.
"I'll join the fight outside," she said as she faced her daughter with a solemn expression.
Ley was shocked to see her mother's personality changed as well as the physical attributes in her eyes and hair. One of the eyes was violet and the other blue. Her hair turned platinum white.
Then without further explanation, she disappeared.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Outside the medical facility, Master Khang and Tri could not move further from their positions. They were stuck fighting the enemies from all corners. With every inch of their moves countered, they were closer to defeat.
"This is nothing personal, Master Khang. Only a duty," the commander-in-chief of the U.N. Peacekeeping force said with a much calmer voice. Earlier, he was troubled by the devastation caused by Master Khang and Tri earlier, but now everything was under control. He felt confident that they would be able to fulfill the goal of their mission. These two were the only ones that were in their way.
Master Khang, still maintaining his proper posture and dignity, coughed a mouthful of blood. "I understand very well, Commander Bran. You want to get rid of us so your superiors would continue their rule with no obstruction. I completely understand," he said out loud, so everyone could hear.
Of course, the soldiers present were well aware of what Master Khang meant. Still, although the U.N. was certainly corrupt, it managed to keep the peace and stability of global society. On the other hand, the two supreme rulers were the ones who had the potential to create instability. It was just and necessary to get rid of them.
Not at all offended, Commander Bran just simply nodded. "That's right."
He could not afford to waste any more time by chatting further. He was afraid that reinforcements would come out earlier and it would be harder to finish the mission.
Gesturing the others to move, Commander Bran and his three other co-commanders continued the fight. With victory on their hands, the four Level 6 commanders focused on battling Master Khang; they did not realize that another opponent would be showing up in the fight. Despite having four Rainbow Level 6 people fighting Master Khang, they have to exert a lot of their spiritual energy to make him retreat a few steps.
The weakest of the Level 6s was already reaching his limit and wanted to end the battle as soon as possible. With his might, he went ahead and initiated more explosive attacks on Master Khang.
"Black Frost!"
As this level 6 commander closed the gap between him and Master Khang, the small land surrounding them was instantly covered with black frost trapping the old master. With his feet stuck with a layer of frost, Master Khang knew he would not be able to escape on time, so he went on a defensive position. The only problem was that if he used any magical spell, his spiritual energy would drain faster and his spells would be weaker. The use of magical tools would also be useless since he was restricted. He was in a spider's web as he was unable to move and resist. This was the specialty of this particular level 6 frost mage commander with the Black Frost spell.
"Death Icicle!"
Thinking that he was about to win, the frost mage quickly used most of his spiritual energy on this offensive spell to kill Master Khang.
A huge sharp icicle formed above him and when it was ready, it shot straight toward Master Khang. Preparing for the end, Master Khang gave all he got by forming a fading scrap shield that did not look like it was enough to defend him. He frowned as layers of sweat formed on his forehead. He tried. He really did try to protect everyone.
As the icicle was about to penetrate Master Khang's heart, a figure appeared right in front of him. This figure, a woman, was none other than, Can's mother: Mrs. Rathavit. Although her physical appearance and demeanor changed, Master Khang was able to recognize her with one glance. Afterall, she was his first unofficial disciple.
Mrs. Rathavit raised her left hand and grabbed the very tip of the huge icicle and crushed it with ease within less than a second. A huge force of powerful winds was produced from the crushed icicle that the Level 6 frost mage commander had to retreat a few steps. Yet, the surprise did not end there.
As the frost mage commander retreated, Mrs. Rathavit showed up in front of him in an instant. Before the frost mage commander could react, an icicle similar to the ones he just created from his Death Icicle spell appeared out of thin air and stabbed him through his chest.
It was so quick, he was unable to determine that he was hit in the chest. As soon as the icicle hit him, the frost commander himself was turned into a block of ice then broke apart into pieces. The vapors from the broken block of ice became cover for both parties. It was enough for Mrs. Rathavit to take Master Khang away and retreat a good distance from the enemies.
The other two level 6 co-commanders as well as the commander-in-chief Bran had to regroup to assess the situation that just happened.
"Who? Reinforcements are here already?" Commander Bran frowned as he looked around to see if there were others hiding somewhere.
"Reinforcements would be here within an hour and 30 minutes," the female co-commander said as she formed a defensive barrier around them.
"Then who's that person?" Commander Bran asked with irritation in his voice. That person was able to take one of his elite Level 6 soldiers with one blow!
Could it be Tin or Can? Or both of them? No, that could not be since they were still in the operating room. Their agent inside confirmed it. Then who?
As the vapor disappeared, the unbelievable truth was revealed.
The commander-in-chief and his co-commanders were shocked by the scene. From shock, the commander's expression changed to anger. There was another troublemaking pest.
The identity of the woman who joined the battle, although it was hard to comprehend as to why she showed up all of a sudden, could be determined quite easily. Platinum white hair with one eye tinted with violet while the other red, there was no denying who it was. It was the infamous former chief spy leader of the Beast Summoner Guild: Aurora.
Two decades ago, when there were still strong remnants of distrust and schemes between Beast Summoners Guild and Elementalist Association, both groups have their own spying agencies. In this time period, these different agencies would compete and try to outsmart one another. Although both sides were equally powerful that caused them to be in a stalemate, it changed when the new leader of the spy agency for the beast summoners came to be. The legendary well-known hidden figure was nicknamed Aurora. From the details received, aside from obvious physical attributes that make her stood out from the crowd, which was something that already fails basic spying rules, she was considered strong that she was rumored to be the next potential candidate to become a Supreme Ruler. It was even told that she would have even rivaled or surpassed Master Khang himself, the strongest in the Beast Summoner Guild. She was also rumored to be a descendant of the Beast Gods, which could explain her terrific control of beast summoners and terrifying skills. None of these were proven as they were only rumors. In addition, she was not well known for these physical attributes and rumors, but she was known in the world for how she handled her enemies: with coldness and precise death.
Everything that was assigned to her was completed with no mistakes whether it be an assassination, espionage, and other important missions given to her agency. She never had any difficulty fulfilling her tasks. Due to this, she tipped the balance of power towards the favor of the B.S.G.
This continued for several years until she was tasked to enter the Beast Gods' Dimension to assassinate a woman participating in a competition inside. Aurora was able to track her and take her down without a problem, but as soon as she was about to kill her, she noticed that her hand was on her belly. She then realized that this woman was pregnant and that Aurora's mission was not to eliminate the woman, but the child who was inside of her.
Aurora was the kind of person who listened to the orders that were given to her without any question, which was why the higher officials of the B.S.G liked her and gave her special treatment. Yet, this time, it was different. Aurora knew what truly her mission was and she was lied to about the details. In the end, she decided to let go of the woman and her child.
It was also at that point, where she began to truly question her choices. She knew that this failure of her mission would mean being removed from her position and potentially killed as well. She did not want to go back and deal with such trouble. So, Aurora told the woman that she would spare her if she would lie about getting killed. Of course, how could anyone easily believe that a powerful level 6 beast summoner could be killed in the Beast God Dimension? Unless there was a strong beast that could rival her, which there was such an existence. To make it believable, Aurora would make an uproar in the entire Beast Gods’ Dimension and challenge the known strongest beast inside. Of course, this considered strongest beast she challenged was something she could deal with without much trouble. With that, Aurora told the woman an elaborate lie and gave her the ring that was proof that she was the commander of the B.S.G's spies. By going on with her story that she was killed in action by a strong beast and the ring as proof with blood on it, everyone would believe that she was dead. In return, Aurora gave the names of who wanted to kill the pregnant woman, which shocked and angered the woman. The deal was sealed and Aurora was never to be seen ever again.
Of course, there was speculation that she was still alive, but no one could prove that she was actually alive and what happened to her, so she remained a mystery to everyone.
Right now, before the eyes of the other commanders, Commander-in-Chief Bran could easily confirm that Aurora was back. As for the reason and her relations to the U.N.'s mission were a mystery. Certainly, the U.N. Peacekeepers knew that the tide of war could turn against them with her sudden appearance. Although her display of power earlier was evident, they were not sure if she was still at her prime or weaker. Of course, they could not take any chances! They must move completely and eliminate these threats.
"Welcome back, Chief Aurora," Master Khang grunted as he could still feel some of the restraints on his spiritual energy although gradually his powers were returning.
"I never wanted to," she said with some kind of pain in her voice. After she left the organization, she vowed never to use her powers to kill anyone and to forget the bloody past she had. That was the promise she made to herself and to her late husband. Now, she broke that oath.
"It's unfortunate, but we're in a life and death situation. No time for a heartfelt reunion. We have no choice," Master Khang expressed.
The former chief Aurora did not refute his words.
Focusing on the task at hand, she said, "We have to take them out soon."
"I must agree," Master Khang nodded.
With that, Aurora focused her eyes on her next target.
"Cursed Eyes Activate!"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
As the battle raged outside, the team of medical experts in the operating room of the medical facility had their challenges that were being faced as well.
Aside from making sure that both Tin and Can were stable, they have to be on guard, as well, of one another. They realized that there was a fight going on outside despite the medical facility being a secret and this crucial operation being the biggest secret. For there to be a battle at this very moment meant that someone might have leaked the information to the enemies. Who could it be, but the people currently in the medical facility itself! Someone was working for them, but who?
Although on the surface everyone was calm, it was obvious that there was tension in the operating room. It felt rather more intense than the fight that was happening outside. Pete knew that the members of his medical team were suspecting one another. They were not focusing on the tasks they were assigned as they were staring closely at one another. They wanted to make sure that the other would not make a move against them.
It was a serious headache for Pete, not only did he have to make sure that Tin and Can were stable, he had to make sure that his medical staff would not kill one another!
He thought about a solution to his current situation. Since he could not determine who could be the traitor in his team or if there was one, to begin with, he had to just take extreme measures.
"Everyone listen up!" he said with seriousness in his voice.
"I understand how you're feeling at the moment with what's happening outside, but we have to focus on the task at hand. I have confidence that we'll be able to get through this situation together if we cooperate."
He paused and looked at everyone in the room.
"So, I've decided, to reassure that everyone would feel safer, I would have to restrict your spiritual energy. Does anyone have any objections?" he said with firmness.
Of course, the moment the five other staff members heard this, they felt troubled. Restricting their spiritual energy would mean making them powerless. They understood what Pete wanted to achieve. By restricting their spiritual energy, they would be unable to go against one another. If someone did, Dr. Pete would be able to stop them quickly with his power. But what if someone from the outside broke in? What then? Could Dr. Pete reassure their safety?
As if knowing what they were thinking, Pete answered, "I understand your doubts, but let me make this clear. If we couldn't save both Tin and Can, you can forget about surviving at all. Decide now!"
Quickly, the staff understood the meaning behind Dr. Pete's words. In other words, it was only through the survival of Tin and Can would the lives of those within the medical facility could survive. So, if they failed to keep them alive, then they might as well kill themselves.
Beads of sweat formed on the foreheads of the staff as nervousness further kicked in.
Were they going to die after all?
Soon, one of the staff members stepped forward. It was the vice-leader of the medical facility: Dr. Christy.
"I trust your judgment, Dr. Pete," she said with dedication and seriousness in her voice.
Pete nodded with a subtle smile. "Thank you, Dr. Christy "
Without wasting any more time, Dr. Pete went ahead and chanted a spell.
"Spiritual Restriction!"
Invisible shackles were formed and entered Dr. Christy's body. Instantly, she felt herself weakening and her powers restricted.
The others soon followed and everyone then became unable to use their magic powers even if they wanted to. Until Dr. Pete decided to release these shackles, then these doctors would have no other way to release themselves except if Dr. Pete died or some other powerful Spirit User come and free them.
With that, they became more or less felt secure about the people inside the operating room.
"Critical Alert!"
One of the staff members saw that the screen monitor that he was assigned to was giving critical notifications. "Dr. Pete, Tin's spiritual energy is fluctuating."
Dr. Pete frowned, "He must be having trouble entering Can's mind."
Afterward, Tin's expression turned from calm to a frown as well. He looked as if he was struggling. His body started shaking, he seemed to be suffering from extreme pain but he was unable to voice it out.
"Grab the Spiritual Energy Stabilizer," Pete said as he gestured to Dr. Christy to get this particular injection. Dr. Christy immediately nodded and took the injection that was on the operating table tray.
Meanwhile, inside Can's mind, Tin was still struggling at trying to enter Can's own world. He could clearly see the inside of the dimension. The mansion he bought by the beach for him, Can, and their future children were displayed with the bright sun radiating while the clear blue sky was reflected by the transparent ocean. It was certainly a sight to behold. It was an offering sight for Can to see with their children.
Since he was unable to enter with ease, he had no choice but to forcefully enter the dimension with the use of spiritual energy. Although his spiritual roots were crippled and still healing, he had no time to waste. He had to give it all since it could be his last chance to save Can.
So, without wasting any more time, he used almost all of his spiritual energy despite knowing the consequences of doing so. Raising his right hand, he collected the spiritual energy that his body could gather and let it flow directly towards his right hand. When Tin felt that he had sufficient power and that he could not gather any more spiritual energy, he quickly made a strike with his palm directed to the entrance barrier of Can's world.
As soon as he hit the barrier, at first, there was no reaction. Then within moments, a small crack appeared then boom!
Like a mirror, the entrance barrier that was the size of an average door was destroyed which further revealed the beautiful false world within.
With Tin using much of his strength, he could not help but feel the severity of pain within his body as if being cut by thousands of knives. His lips quivered and a mouthful of blood was vomited. Tin tried to suppress this pain and the blood from further oozing out. It was not because he wanted to pretend to be strong, he wanted to make sure that when Can sees him, he would not get worried or get scared.
Unfortunately, he reached his limit as he overdid it. When he entered the false paradise, his vision blurred as he panted weakly. He tried to prevent himself from falling as he staggered walking towards their mansion with his strong will to save Can. His body did not listen. He collapsed with his body falling forward.
“….”
"...K-"
"Hm?" Tin uttered as he seemed to have sense noise and a heavy feeling on his chest.
He would also sense two people giggling: two children.
"Hehe, go on Gucci," the boy said as he stood next to the bed where Tin was lying down.
"Shh," the girl next to the boy gestured to him to stop talking.
Both of them quieted down as they watched their harmless prank on their father continue.
"Kyuu. Kyuu," Gucci called Tin as he jumped up and down on his chest.
"Kyuu?" Tin found that noise familiar. The heavy feeling on his chest would be momentarily felt for a second and then it would be gone for another.
Tin was unsure what was happening, but as soon as he opened his eyes, he could see Gucci was just jumping in joy like some kind of a dog. Tin was confused at first but then when he heard the giggling of the two children, he knew what was up immediately.
As for Tin's reaction, of course, he would not get mad or irritated. It was his children doing a harmless prank towards their father. That was all.
Still, who said he could not prank back?
With a monotonous voice like some kind of emotionless robot, he said with a smile, "Oh no. What is Gucci doing here in my room? Who let him inside?"
The two children did not seem to understand that their prank on their father did not work as they giggled louder while hiding from their father beside his bed.
When their father did not say anything after and silence ensued, the two siblings looked up to jump to their father's bed to surprise him, but to their shock, he was not in the bed anymore! There was only Gucci smiling like an idiot.
"Where did daddy go?" the little girl, wearing a red dress, asked.
Her twin brother, wearing a dirty white shirt and pants, only shrugged.
"GOT YOU!"
"AH!"
Behind the two, Tin popped out of thin air and grabbed both of his children fast but with a certain gentleness.
"AH! No!" The twins giggled as they struggled playfully from their dad so that they could get away from him.
It was too late. Tin cast a "spell."
"Dual Kiss Attack!"
Going back and forth as he held the children with each arm, he began kissing their cheeks.
"Eeww! Dad stop!" the two children said, but even though they expressed disapproval, they could not help but laugh and giggle.
"My children dare prank me, but couldn't handle being pranked back?" Tin showed a satisfied smile as he continued kissing the two.
"What's happening here? So early in the morning and already this energetic?"
This distinct voice. It was certainly none other than Can.
Tin stopped immediately from his actions after hearing Can's voice. He suddenly remembered something, but it was somewhat vague. What was it?
When their dad stopped momentarily, the little girl squished her dad's cheeks.
"Dad?"
Snapping back to reality, Tin put the thought at the back of his head. If he could not remember it, then it must not be important.
Putting on his affectionate smile, he whispered something to both of his children, and the three of them started giggling.
As for Can, who just entered their bedroom, he began to frown and slowly backed away. When the three of them giggle together, it means something bad.
"Umm breakfast is ready. Tin take them to the kitch-"
Before Can could finish his sentence, he felt a presence from behind.
"Triple Tickle Attack!"
"Tin! No!" Can exclaimed in dread. Before he could let himself escape, Tin already tickled his weak spots: both of his sides!
With that, Can started uncontrollably laughing as he struggled to get away from Tin. Yet, as soon as he was about to use his powers, his two children joined as well at tickling him!
"Mommy! Tickle! Tickle!" the little boy happily expressed.
"You can't get away from us! Hehe," the little girl playfully laughed.
"Hahaha!" Can's legs weakened and he slowly fell on the floor. With his defenses weakening, his opponents continued their barrage of attacks.
After a few minutes of offensive attacks towards the defenseless Can, the trio finally stopped.
Can finally relaxed. "You three. I'll remember this."
Tin kneeled and faced his children, "Alright, you two, go and eat breakfast in the kitchen. Mom and I will follow."
The two, who were really hungry at that point, immediately nodded their heads and ran to the kitchen still giggling.
Still lying on the floor, Tin smirked. "You threaten us while you're on the floor."
"Hmph! I'll certainly settle my score with you especially," Can threatened with a provocative smile.
Tin raised one of his eyebrows while lending Can a hand, "Oh? Are you now? How?"
When Can stood up with his apron still attached to him, he changed his tone to a more provocative one as he leaned closer to Tin.
"Tonight...when you get home... you'll see."
"Oh...well," Tin licked his lips devilishly. "I'm looking forward to that then," he whispered to one of Can's ears.
Whispering closely to his ear that the warm breath could be felt and the tension from Tin's deeper voice have been one of Can's weaknesses. Yet, at this moment, Tin noticed that Can was trying hard not to get embarrassed which certainly surprised Tin. Although, when Gucci announced his presence in the room with a loud "Kyuuh," it was at that point that Can became seriously embarrassed.
"When did he get here!?" Can reddened. He did not notice that Gucci was present and he said embarrassing things in front of this child! It was very humiliating! Can could only cover his face as he turned around to head straight to the kitchen. Although he knew that Gucci was still a kid and unaware of the words he said, it was still inappropriate and shameful!
"???" Gucci was somewhat confused.
Tin could only scratch his head as he tried to suppress his laugh. When he finally composed himself, he turned to Gucci and gestured to him to come to the kitchen.
"Don't mind what we said... You must be hungry, come. Can made delicious food."
As soon as he mentioned food, Gucci instantly became fired up as he started jumping off the bed and then headed to the kitchen. Whatever it was that was mentioned earlier by Tin and Can were already forgotten.
"Simple-minded just like his master," Tin told himself.
When Tin was about to leave the bedroom, he heard a cracking sound outside then a buzzing sound. Immediately, he walked and looked around to see what it was and found nothing.
Noticing that the window was open and the gray drapes began to flutter lightly, he decided to close it. Yet, as he was about to close it, he noticed something outside.
There was a black hole the size of an average door outside floating in mid-air.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The crack in space certainly did not look normal. It was odd. A contrast addition to the otherwise perfect view of the clear ocean and blue sky. Although this was the case, Tin somewhat finds this oddness rather normal. It was as if it was meant to be there like it was just part of the view. In his head, it felt that there was nothing wrong with it.
So, with that being the case, he ignored the obvious black hole and proceeded to close the window despite the fresh breeze of the ocean water.
Turning back, he walked towards the kitchen to eat breakfast with his family.
Can was just finished putting the plates of food on their dining table. There were different delicious dishes, but of course, the most notable and most popular one, as usual, was Can's hot pockets.
The moment that the plate of hot pockets hit the table, the two children became somewhat like a ferocious beast as they grabbed one with each hand. Gucci, in his gelatinous form, wanted to jump on the table and grabbed hot pockets as well for him to taste, but he knew better. As Can taught him, one must have table manners! Even though this was the case, seeing the two children just standing from their chairs to grab hot pockets, Gucci felt that it was unfair. The two children did not look like they had table manners. They were like wolves ravaging their prey without any consideration of their image.
The little gelatinous beast wanted to join as well and was tempted to jump on the table to grab one, but he knew that Can would probably scold him. Still, an idea came to his head. He was just as naughty as the two children who were his friends.
From his chair, Gucci looked back to see if Can was occupied with something back in the kitchen. If he was, then Gucci would take this opportunity to sneak and jump on top of the table and grab some of the remaining hot pockets. It was a very simple plan.
So, as soon as Gucci found the opportunity when Can was still occupied in the kitchen, he immediately jumped from his seat and onto the dining table filled with mouth-watering and still hot dishes.
Unfortunately, since he was in a hurry, Gucci was unable to calculate his jump from his seat towards his target meal. With that being said, as he jumped from his seat, he realized that his landing would not be on a free space on the table, but on a still somewhat boiling fish soup. The two children did not notice that their pink gelatin friend was about to get burned alive as they were busy messily eating their hot pockets.
"Kyuuu!" Gucci cried in despair.
Before Gucci could fall into the soup and make a mess on the table, he began floating. It took him seconds to realize that he was out of danger as he continued making sounds of commotion.
After the realization, he looked around and saw that Tin was making some gestures with his hand. Soon, Gucci floated then landed back on his seat. Afterward, two floating hot pockets came into his view. Gucci faced Tin to see if they were for him. Tin smiled and gave him a nod.
"Kyuuu!" Gucci happily expressed as he jumped in joy. The next second, he jumped again to catch the two hot pockets in the air with his mouth.
Crack!
Coming outside from the kitchen, Can put the remaining dishes he cooked on the table.
Seeing that his two children were making a lot of mess on the table, he could only shake his head as he told them, "The two of you should eat slowly. It's not like I'm not feeding the two of you properly. What's with the rush hm?"
"I warnt mow op mom's howt powckets," the boy said with his mouth still full of food. (A/N: "I want more of mom's hot pockets.")
"Shame!" the girl said. (A/N: She meant to say "Same!")
"You two, seriously, eat slowly. Don't talk when your mouth is full," Can sighed as he patted the heads of his two children.
"Well, yow asked us a question. We hawv to answer," the girl continued as she took a huge bite on another hot pocket.
Can's mouth twitched. He really wondered where she got this sarcastic attitude from.
"Listen to your mom," Tin said as he hid the smile on his face with his hand.
"Ahh, that's where she got it from," Can whispered as he frowned while staring at the man opposite of him.
Tin noticed the stare from Can so he coughed once and behaved himself. He pretended that he did not read what was on Can's mind and asked with an affectionate smile, "What is it?"
Can only snorted with the addition of a, "Hmph." Then, he composed himself as well as he sat down on his chair.
"How cute," Tin said in his mind. He used a magic spell to transmit those words he just mentioned to himself for Can to hear. Of course, Can got caught off guard and could not help it but somewhat choked on the hot pocket that he was eating as well.
Crack!
After that small teasing, Tin began eating as well. Can, although he was slightly annoyed at himself for choking, kept his calm and began to eat as well.
It was rather a peaceful breakfast except for the clinking and clanking of spoon and fork on the plates and the children's giggling as they threw food at Gucci when their parents were "not" looking at them.
After breakfast, it was time for Tin to go back to his office to deal with some worldly affairs. As the Supreme Ruler, he was now unofficially tasked to intervene regarding issues such as interests and disputes between nations. He was only there to keep the peace between involved parties, but he was not part of the decision-making process exactly. He was to remain neutral.
After giving everyone goodbye and kisses, a more passionate one for Can for sure, Tin waved his hand and opened a portal outside the mansion. Before he left, his children let go of Can's hands and went up to him to try to stop him from leaving.
Crack!
"Dad, can't you really stay and play with us?" the boy hugging Tin's thigh asked sadly.
His twin sister who was on the other side of Tin's thigh nodded and pleaded as well.
Tin smiled and patted the head of the two gently.
"Dad must work hard to make sure that our family would be safe and happy. It's the parents' duty to protect you and your future. Right now, you might not understand what I mean, but you'll see. I'm doing all of this for our family. I'll be back before you know it," Tin said as he went ahead and kissed his children's foreheads.
Although Tin said this, the two were still unhappy to see their father go.
"Your dad won't be gone for too long, don't worry," Can reassured as he bent down and hugged the two lovingly.
Can then nodded at Tin to signal him to go. "You're going to be late," he whispered.
Tin looked at Can with a smile and nodded as well.
"I'll be back," he said as he kissed them all one last time.
With that, he turned back and entered the portal. Moments later, he was already in his office. The portal behind him then disappeared.
Crack!
Before he could even sit down on his chair, he heard a buzzing sound. At first, it was very faint, but slowly it was getting louder. He wondered what it was to see if the sound was coming from his office or in his head. Before he could even determine the origin of the buzzing sound, the telephone of his office rang. Tin thought that perhaps the buzzing sound came from the telephone.
Since he became a Supreme Ruler, aside from his abilities becoming more powerful and his senses becoming sharper, he also discovered new things about being a Supreme Ruler. The most recent one was somewhat being able to decipher the immediate future. Although he has this ability, he has no way of controlling it, at least not yet. Perhaps, the buzzing sound that he heard did come from the telephone that was going to ring within the next minute. He was not sure, but right now it was not important.
With the telephone ringing, this very early meant that something urgent must be happening.
Picking up the telephone, the person on the other side hurriedly reported, "Good morning, President Phiravich! I apologize for this early call, but we have an emergency!"
Tin did not respond as he kept his cold attitude. The man on the other side was his secretary. He was already used to the coldness and aloofness of the President at this point.
Continuing, the secretary told the president that a meeting held by well-known powerful monarchs were being disrupted by rebels. To the monarchs, they consider them more of terrorists, so that the world would consider these people evil.
The powerful heads of the states were talking about the usage of nuclear weapons infused with magic spells against the growing rebellion against the monarchies. They wanted to eradicate these pests and instate fear for those who would dare go against them. As they were having a meeting about whether they should use such weapons, the rebels managed to infiltrate and held them hostage. Because this matter was of great importance since there were very powerful individuals in the room and that their deaths could cause a chain reaction of violence that could lead the world into another senseless war, Tin was urgently needed. The United Nations had to go to a process to intervene and that would certainly take a long time, so they could only resort to Tin.
"Understood. Give me the location," Tin responded.
"Y-yes!" his secretary answered.
After giving all the information needed, Tin teleported to the said location.
Crack!
When he arrived, he released the pressure of a Supreme Ruler to let everyone know that he was present.
Crack!
When everyone felt the immense pressure, the monarchs, although they felt scared, were relieved. They were going to be saved and these terrorists would surely die!
As for the rebels in question, they were scared but not surprised at the arrival of the Supreme Ruler. They were expecting him to come.
"Release them," Tin commanded with a cold voice.
The leader of the rebels who was a powerful Rainbow Grade Level 6 gestured to his comrades to release their hostages.
As soon as the monarchs were released from being bound and gagged, they immediately went to Tin's side and shouted as they pointed towards the rebels, "Kill those terrorists! Kill them!"
Tin kept his cold attitude. "Silence."
"W-what? Do you not see the situation? They held us hostage!" one of the bold monarchs said in anger.
Tin only looked at him as if he was some kind of ant ready to be squished.
With that look, the one who complained shut his mouth.
"Indeed, the Supreme Ruler is worthy of his name," the leader of the rebel group clapped.
Tin, of course, shot this person a cold glance as well. He was not amused by this worthless bickering.
The rebel leader could only swallow the words of praise he wanted to say and stopped clapping.
Tin did not want to waste time and drag this situation any longer. He was already aware that everyone knew what his role was when a huge conflict arose, so he simply said, "You all must know my position to assure that there is stability and peace in this world. If anyone dares disturb those, they shall be punished accordingly."
With that, he grabbed a chair nearby and sat in front of the entrance of the large meeting room. He did not say anything else and silently observed.
"..."
Everyone felt tense and uncomfortable about the Supreme Ruler's presence and silence in the room. Still, everyone must do as he says.
With the Supreme Ruler present, the monarchs were guaranteed that the rebels would not kill them and vice versa. As to why the rebels were not punished by the Supreme Ruler since they caused a scene in the meeting room and held the monarchs hostage, the monarchs could only speculate.
The meeting continued and the monarchs tried to ignore the pressure from the Supreme Ruler. They went ahead and discussed their plans of using nuclear weapons. They decided that if a huge disturbance would undermine the rule of any monarchy, hence destabilizing the country, the use of nuclear weapons infused with magic would be utilized without question. They were quite aware that the rebel leader was present, so they emphasized clearly that they would and they had proper authorization to do so. It was a warning from them.
Of course, when the rebel leader heard this, he was unable to keep his cool.
"You bunch of tyrants! You don't care about the people at all! You only care about maintaining power for yourselves!" he shouted in fury as pointed at them.
"How dare you! You're the one trying to destabilize our countries by inciting rebellion from the people. It's you who doesn't care about the people. You're using them for your own selfish gain. Stop acting like some kind of hero, you're just a hypocrite who also wants power," one of the monarchs said with a smug expression.
"You piece of sh*t!" the rebel leader shouted.
The atmosphere in the room became much more intense as the words being thrown were becoming fouler.
Soon, with everyone forgetting that the Supreme Ruler was present as anger and irrationality took over, they started fighting. It was not just some petty physical fight, but a dangerous and fatal one. Since everyone in the room was above Rainbow Grade Level 4, if the fight got too serious, the consequences would be unimaginable. They did not exchange light blows but instead used almost 90% of their strength. As for the reason, well, they were each others' targets! If the rebel group could eliminate the monarchies present, most of their problems would be gone. This was the truth as well with the monarchies.
As the scene unfolds in front of him, Tin could only close his eyes and sigh.
What a bother.
Tin snapped his finger and the entire room became silent all of a sudden.
The monarchs and the rebels tried to use magic, but they were unable to.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
"What happened to my powers?" one of the monarchs said worriedly as he faced Tin.
Tin did not say anything. It was obvious that he tried to stop the violence. It was both the monarchs and the rebels' fault for not paying closer attention and letting their emotions get the best of them. They became fearful of Tin as they realized just how powerful and easy for him to make them disappear if he wanted to.
With that realization, the rationality from both parties regained although there was still anger that would be expressed towards one another. They had dialogues with each other and discussed what would be the best for both parties to resolve their issues.
As they were doing that, Tin was hearing buzzing sounds once again. This time, it became clearer. It turned into a voice.
"T-"
Crack!
"Tin!"
Crack!
"Listen... Remember your mission... Save..."
Tin remained calm while figuring out where the voice came from and what that person was trying to say. He could not even determine who was the owner of that voice. Was it his ability to foresee the future just randomly showing or was it something else?
"Mission? What mission? Save what or who?" he said in his mind as he frowned.
Tin then began contemplating. He felt like he was missing something. There was something that was bothering him at the back of his head but somehow it was shrouded by mist. He just could not figure it out. Was it just his misconception?
Tin became worried. Could it be related to his family? Were they in imminent danger? Although he knew that Can was a Supreme Ruler as well, Tin could not help but be worried. The voice in his head sounded quite serious.
As he contemplated more, he decided to leave this critical meeting by placing a substitute of himself without anyone knowing.
Soon, he arrived inside the mansion and checked his children first. They were in their bedroom taking a peaceful afternoon nap with Gucci being squished by the boy. After making sure that they were okay and that they were not in danger, he then checked on Can.
Before he could enter the bedroom, he heard Can muttering something. He seemed to be distracted by something. Thankfully, with his sharp senses, the words that were coming out of his mouth were clear as glass.
"Listen Can! Remember your mission! You'll be the dominant one tonight! You have to show Tin who's the boss in this house. Do this or you won't be able to save any ounce of your pride as a man!" Can encouraged himself as he slapped both of his cheeks.
"I got this!" he continued as he was fired up.
Tin, "..."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
A/N: I've been busy lately with work and life in general so that's why I'm late with the updates. In addition, I've been working on other stories that I wish to self-publish in the future. In any case, I would like to thank you all for the continuous support for this fanfiction. Alright, see ya later!
===
Tin clearly heard the words that Can spoke. They matched some of the incomplete phrases that he heard earlier in his head. Yet, hearing the entire thing made him want to laugh. So, it seemed to be that his foreseeing ability was referring to this scene? Why did it do that? Could it perhaps be triggered by the desire of the user?
These questions that Tin had in his mind were dismissed when Can realized that there was another well-known presence behind the door. Can realized that Tin must have heard the words that he memorized and blurted out earlier.
Running towards the door and opening it, Can stammered as he faced Tin.
"What're you doing here? Aren't you supposed to come home much later?" he asked with clear panic and embarrassment painted on his face.
Tin cleared his throat with a smug face. He tried to hide the fact that he heard Can, but the subtle gestures of hiding his expression made it too obvious that he did in fact heard him.
Seeing that he was exposed, Can could not help it but look down, close his eyes, and frown from the embarrassment.
"I just want to make sure that everything’s alright, so I came home and checked," Tin returned his expression to a more sincere and loving smile as he caressed Can's hair. He does find teasing Can too fun.
Hearing what he said, Can calmed himself down then faced Tin once more.
With a questioning gaze turning into a serious one, Can asked, "What happened? What would make you think something wasn't right?"
"Nothing to worry about," Tin replied as he continued to pat Can on the head.
"It's just..."
"It's just what?" Can was somewhat bothered.
"You know this very well, but the two of us are the Supreme Rulers. Aside from our powers multiplying, we gain new abilities as well."
Can nodded. "Yes, that's right."
His expression from serious changed into that of anticipation and excitement, "Did you gain a new one?"
Tin widened his smile. Somehow, Can looked like some kind of puppy waiting for some treats. He could not help it but pinch this man's cheeks.
"I did get one, but I'm still unable to fully control it."
"That's amazing! What is it?" Can did not seem to be bothered by his husband's cheek pinching.
Since Tin thought that Can was not bothered by his teasing, he went ahead and pinched the other side of Can's cheek as he answered him. "I gained the ability to foresee the future."
Can was amazed, but he then became worried, "Did you foresee that there was some kind of danger that was about to happen? Our children..."
Tin interrupted him. "No, it's not what you're thinking. Don't worry. Our family is not in any kind of danger."
Can eased up a little, but he still asked for reassurance. He could not help it since he wanted to make sure that his family, especially his children would be safe. "How can you be sure? You said to yourself that you're unable to control it. It might be telling you something very important. What did your ability tell you anyway?"
Tin, of course, understood Can's concern. It was a parental instinct to protect the family and the children. With this in mind, Tin was patient and continued his reassurance towards Can. He would tell him the truth. It was just that he was unsure if Can would handle it well since his ability somewhat picked up the words that Can said earlier.
"Well, I was able to confirm what this new ability told me when I was standing behind our bedroom door," Tin replied as he looked directly into the person opposite of him with a teasing smile.
At first, Can did not understand what Tin was implying, but after a momentarily paused... he covered his mouth with his hand.
He was unable to compose himself from the embarrassment, once again.
"You mean to tell me... that speech I've had earlier..."
Tin closed his eyes briefly as he nodded. "Yes. Although my ability only picked up some words and the voice was somewhat different from yours, I was still able to confirm that it came from you."
Can was speechless. He was unsure how to react.
Tin shook his head and pulled this "little wife" of his to his embrace.
"Don't be embarrassed," he whispered as he caressed his back gently.
"Well, you're not the one who said those words, so you wouldn't feel embarrassed," Can refuted.
"Besides..." Can continued as he looked up to his husband, "You're quite shameless, you know."
Now, what to do in this situation in which the two of them were this close and there was no seen problem at all? Their children were sleeping soundly and the problematic matters of the world were being handled by Tin's clone. Of course, that.
"I’m not at all ashamed of being shameless," Tin whispered to Can's left ear. As usual, he went for the offensive and initiated their intimate act.
Can did not show any resistance. His plan of an act to be the dominant one seemed to disappear in an instant by just a mere blow of hot air and words on his ear. Who could blame him? It was his weak spot after all.
With Can caught in a charm, Tin took the opportunity to sweep him off his feet and carry him to their bed.
As they started kissing and expressing their lovely passion with one another, Tin waved his hand and the door behind them closed quietly. A sound barrier was implemented as well as to make sure no noise disturbance would be created. Can tend to be rather expressive during such acts after all. He would cover his mouth with his hand to prevent himself from moaning, but Tin would like to hear him, so he would usually hold Can's arm up with one hand. With their children in the house, just to make sure, Tin would now put up sound barriers inside their bedroom to prevent any form of disturbance.
In contrast to the peaceful atmosphere of the view outside, from the calm waves arriving at the sandy beach and the clear blue sky, the inside of the bedroom was surely messy and steamy. It has been a while since the two have such a time for themselves. It was unexpected to happen all of a sudden, nonetheless, they craved it. They were like beasts in heat. Holding one another and doing perverted acts in such aggressive movements. Bite marks all over the place to assure they have established some kind of evidence of ownership. They were covered in sweat, saliva, and that certain juice that Can would like to have a taste. That juice that has such a strong scent that he could not help but cover himself with. Of course, he would not let them go to waste and he would wipe his abdomen that was filled with Tin's semen with his fingers then straight to his mouth and savor the taste. He was certainly hungry for it.
Tin was certainly happy to oblige to cater Can's cravings. There was no problem with the supply as he could pump as much as Can wanted. He was a stud of a husband, that is for sure. Although this might be considered such an abnormal amount, one must remember that they were not exactly normal. This could be attributed perhaps due to them being the Supreme Ruler, their power, or genes that they were able to do multiple sessions without any problem. For certain, being able to do multiple rounds was something to be envied.
As Tin would finish once again, Can would be prepared to receive the load in his mouth. As it enters and fills him inside, he would lick his lips and wipe them with the back of his hand. He would then lick that part of his hand to make sure that the remnants would not be wasted. The taste was sweet and the texture thick. This was expected from someone who exercises a lot and has a healthy diet. The entire act was wild but loving.
After the lovemaking session which lasted for a couple of hours, they rested for a bit. The only reason they stopped was that their children were about to wake up from their afternoon nap. They would be looking for Can for some snacks before they start playing again. They would certainly be surprised to see that their father was home early.
The married couple in bed would begin to tell one another sweet nothings, while at the same time, they would also talk about the present and the future.
"Alright, we need to get up now. They're awake and for sure hungry," Can whispered as he was being held and kissed by Tin.
Tin had another thing planned in his mind. He shook his head.
"How about you take a day off as well and let me take care of them?" he said.
"A day off? Haha. I don't need it. I like what I do... and you know, I'm very well capable of doing my job as a parent. No problem at all," Can patted Tin's head playfully.
"I know," Tin replied. "But I've been so busy with work that I rarely get time to be with my kids, so I'd like to use this opportunity to bond with them and take the responsibility of being a parent to them."
Can chuckled softly. "You know handling the affairs of the world to ensure that our children have a safe future is considered a responsibility of a parent. You have it hard, but I know you can't exactly take a 'no', so I'll grant it to you."
"You know me well," Tin nodded with a gentle smile as he planted another kiss on Can's forehead.
With that, Tin got up from the bed still naked.
Of course, Can would be staring as Tin cleans himself and wear his clothes with a spell. He would do a quick whistle to show that he liked what he was seeing. Tin, who was shameless, had no problem with this. If Can enjoys the view, then so be it.
After he was done changing, Can asked Tin for a favor.
"Tin, could you open the window and let the fresh air in," he said.
"Hm," Tin nodded as he walked towards the window.
As soon as he opened it while simultaneously removing the sound barrier in the room, a blaring ringing sound could be heard. Tin immediately covered his ears, but the sound was deafening that he could not focus on anything except for the black hole that was in front of the house. His body started shaking as he started to bleed on his head orifices: mouth, nose, eyes, and ears.
Something changed.
That black hole has expanded!
Crack!
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
A/N: Been busy with life but here you go. Thank you for your patience.
"Tin! We don't have much time!"
"Listen Tin! Remember your mission. Save Can!"
"You have to get out of there!"
"Tin!"
"We might lose both of you!"
"Tin!"
"TIN!"
All of a sudden, the ringing sounds were mixed with a loud voice. That voice, it was clear who it came from. It was clearly from Pete!
Yet, why was Tin hearing his voice? What was happening?
Slowly, as the bombardment of Pete's words continued, the thoughts that were hidden behind his head were creeping back in.
"Listen Tin! Remember your mission. Save Can!"
**
That specific phrase echoed in his head.
He suddenly had a realization and was able to connect the dots.
The ringing sounds and that mysterious voice that he had heard earlier actually came from Pete and not from Can or anyone else.
Tin was shaken as everything finally came back to him.
Everything made sense. Slowly, the loud ringing noise has quieted down.
Yet, Tin wondered why did he not remember his task earlier when he entered this dimension?
He did not remember anything when he fell down after entering the entrance to Can's world. Could it be that...
Tin, with his true memories back, mustered much of his strength to turn around and face Can.
For his significant other, Tin could see that Can looked shocked.
"Tin, what's wrong? What's going on? Why are you bleeding?" Can asked frantically. He got out of bed and rushed to get to Tin to help him out. He was still naked, but he did not mind it. Truth to be told, he did not notice it because he was too worried about Tin's condition.
"Let me help you. I have a health potion. Don't worry, you'll be fine," Can said as he turned around. "Lie down first. I'll get my storage ring right now."
Can held onto Tin's shoulder gently to lead him to their bed, but when he tried to pull him, Tin did not budge.
"Tin? Are you not able to move at all?" Can asked. He was more worried than before.
Tin shook his head. With his left hand, he grabbed Can's arm firmly.
"We have to leave this place Can. This is not the real world," Tin said gritting his teeth while he was still in stinging pain.
Can was stunned. He wondered if Tin was hallucinating due to his injury. It seemed to be rather more serious than he initially thought.
"Tin, we're in the real world. You're here...at our home."
Tin shook his head, the pain that was feeling was becoming more unbearable. His damaged spiritual roots have become worse which was possible due to him using his powers. Tin forgetting his memories and his body not feeling any pain throughout that time was still a mystery to him. In any case, because of this, he was able to use magic without a problem until his real memories returned and the backlash on his body occurred which made his condition worse.
The black hole was continuously expanding. The foundation of the dimension was weakening, therefore it was about to collapse.
"You don't understand, everything in this world was created by yourself. They're not real."
"Tin, you're seriously injured. Let's help you out first," Can insisted as he refused to believe what Tin was saying. He thought that he might be hallucinating due to his injury. He wanted to walk towards their small wooden cabinet to once again attempt to get his storage ring, but to no avail. Tin held on to him firmly and pleadingly said, "Can, you made this world."
He wanted Can to realize the truth and soon.
Can stopped from his tracks and turned around frowning in more confusion. He was about to refute him, but he got interrupted by him. "Your spiritual energy was drained to our unborn children almost completely when you went into a state of coma. As a result, your consciousness created this world to protect you and give you a sense of safety."
Can found that ridiculous and hard to believe. "That cannot be true Tin. Our children are right here. They're in their bedroom napping. I'm fine as well." Can could not take it anymore and shook his head. "Now, please let me go and let me get the health potion," he said as he grabbed Tin's hand that was firmly holding him.
"Our children haven't been born yet! If we don't leave this dimension, you and them could die," he said with desperation as well as frustration. They did not have much time. His eyes were covered in blood as well as tears.
Can still could not believe his words because he knew very well that this was their real world. Since Tin was hallucinating and not letting him go, Can had no choice but to use some force.
"It's going to be okay, Tin. You'll be fine. You'll be safe," he said as he lifted Tin's hand away from him gently with relative ease after using spiritual energy. Tin, on the other hand, struggled as he wanted to keep Can in place. He wanted to drag him away from the dimension as soon as possible since the black hole was continuously expanding at a rapid rate. If the dimension collapses, both of them could die. He could not let that happen.
Meanwhile Can, free from Tin's grasp, hurriedly went to the cabinet and grabbed his storage ring. Before he could take the health potion from the ring, he immediately was stunned after hearing Tin spoke.
Tin with his hands forming into fists, "Do you even know our children's name?"
Can thought that such a question was ridiculous. Of course, he would know their names! He was the one who gave birth to them after all. What kind of parent would not know the name of their children?
"Their names? Of course, it's..."
As he was about to answer Tin who was clearly hallucinating to hopefully put him at ease, Can was somewhat dazed as he stared at the cabinet with the storage ring in his hand. For some reason, he could not state the names of their children.
He frowned. "Their names...," he repeated softly.
Doubt suddenly crept into his mind. There was no way that he did not know their names. How else does he call them when they have to eat, bathe them, put them in bed to sleep, and do other things?
Can went down for a quick memory lane of the time he spent with his children and found out that none of those moments he spent with them did he once call them by their names.
He finally realized, he doesn't know. Yet, how could that be? They have been living here for a long time with their children. There was no way he would not know!?
The black hole further cracked and expanded even faster. The fantasy world was breaking. Slowly the truth was seeping in.
Can then suddenly remembered the scenes at the bar. He was unsure where that memory came from but he remembered he was struggling with coming up with the names of their children as he was drinking with his friends. That event happened very recently. Then after that, he remembered his body was depleted of spiritual energy.
Can dropped the storage ring which was his marriage ring on the floor. It rolled down outside the door of the bedroom until it hit one of the little feet of the twins who were standing outside not too long ago.
It all came back to Can now. He remembers everything now.
"Tin, I remember everything now," Can turned around and ran towards his husband.
"How did you manage to enter this dimension? How did you get hurt this badly?" Can asked worriedly.
Tin shook his head, "We have no time. We have to get out now. The entrance is right outside of this mansion. Let's go quickly, Can."
Can agreed. He could now feel that the dimension was about to collapse and that they needed to get out as soon as possible. Maintaining and controlling it was quite risky and almost too late. The two of them have no choice but to leave immediately.
"Mommy, you dropped something!"
By the entrance of their bedroom, the boy was approaching the couple with one hand holding the storage ring up high. He was happily smiling.
Tin was fast enough to act and covered Can with a blanket despite knowing that the boy was a mere illusion.
Following behind him was his twin sister. As opposed to his brother who was smiling, she was silent. Her head was hanging low. It was obvious that she was sad and something was bothering her.
For the couple, although they realized that this was not real and they were ready to leave, the moment they heard the voice of these children, they could not help but hesitate.
"Here mommy," the boy said as he grabbed and pulled the blanket that covered Can.
It could be that he was so immersed in being a parent that Can had a hard time refusing the boy, so he bent down to take the ring. "Thank you."
As Can was about to take the ring, Tin had to close his eyes and looked the other way as he pulled Can to his side. "They're not our children," he whispered.
The boy heard what his father said. It was the first time that he was refused and rejected by both of them.
"What's wrong mommy and daddy? You don't like me anymow?" There was already tears building up and his snot was running down his nose as he grabbed onto Can more firmly.
The dimension was shaking further that it was becoming harder to stabilize oneself.
Can was unable to say anything. He wanted to comfort the boy but he must seriously go. Before he could leave, he must have to force himself to remove the hands that were holding him. He could not do it as his heart would feel broken if he did so.
On the other hand, Tin was about to take the boy away from Can as he told himself repeatedly that the boy was not real when the sister came forward and took the boy away from Can. Although there was some resistance from the boy initially, the girl was able to pull him off. She went on to hug him since the boy wanted to stick to Can.
Of course, the couple was surprised by this movement by the girl. Yet, they did not have time to think about why the girl decided to do this.
"Let's go!" Tin softly said as the pain was more unbearable that it was hard for him to move. Thankfully, Can was there to assist him.
Soon, they managed to get to the entrance of the portal. Before they entered as the world that they "lived" in for a moment was about to shatter, they looked back at the two children who were staring back at them. One was crying and the other comforting. It was certainly tragic to see.
"I'm sorry," Can could only say as he stepped forward and helped Tin moved to the entrance.
Boom!
When they entered the portal, the dimension cracked and shrunk. There was no explosion. Just silence.
With the success of Tin's mission, Can's consciousness returned almost immediately. Unfortunately, as for Tin, he was the one who became unconscious.
Pete's team scrambled to check on both to make sure that both of their conditions were not life-threatening.
While Can was being checked by one of the medical professionals, Can woke up.
At the same time, the people within the hospital received an announcement.
"The hospital's defenses have been breached!"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
As part of the defenses of the hospital slowly crumbled causing a breach on its walls, Commander-in-Chief Bran ordered his soldiers to enter and neutralize the targets.
"Kill them!" he shouted.
Quickly one of the brave soldiers tried to get in, but before she could get in, she was shot by a powerful magic attack. That soldier looked at the gaping hole in her stomach and turned around. She saw the woman with platinum hair's finger pointing at her. That finger has white steam coming out of it. It was Aurora who killed her.
"Anyone next?" Mrs. Rathavit threatened. Despite fighting several high-ranking officers herself, she still managed to sneak an attack.
"Take them down!" Commander Bran blurted out that saliva came out flying from his mouth. His face was tinged with red from his fuming anger.
With that, the attack against Mrs. Rathavit continued. This time it was more intensified. Not only with her but with Master Khang and Tin's father, Tri, as well. Commander Bran wanted to prevent, at least, the three of them from creating more interruptions. By doing so, the soldiers could have an easier time infiltrating the hospital and accomplishing the mission.
Now that Tri, Mrs. Rathavit, and Master Khang were occupied with fighting Commander Bran and the other higher officials, they were unable to prevent the soldiers from going in. Although they managed to keep the high-level soldiers busy, the number of low-level soldiers going inside the hospital was still a good amount. They were not sure if the people inside would be able to hold out that long. With the amount of manpower of the U.N. Peacekeepers, they could only hope for a miracle. They hope that Can or Tin would wake up already to help them out. If not, then they would be doomed.
"They're coming...," Ley whispered as her lips quivered. Her heart rate rose fast like horses wildly galloping in the field. Her body trembled as there was a very tight feeling in her stomach. She looked at everyone who was standing firmly in a defensive position waiting for the enemies to come. Beads of sweat were forming on their foreheads. Their bodies were tense as their heads move around looking for the incoming enemies. She knew that everyone in that room must be nervous as well, but they try not to show it unlike her.
Looking down at her shaking right hand, with her left hand, she gripped it to attempt to stop it from further trembling. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. It was then she began to summon her strongest contracted beasts as well as those that would be able to provide the others with great support.
"We have to get to that breach and barricade it! We have to prevent them from going inside as much as possible," Ae said.
"We're going to head there first," Bacsojin said firmly while holding her spear with the sharp point painted in emerald green. Everyone could feel the strong pressure from the spear itself but at the same time, it was calming to look at. If one gets close to it, one would feel some kind of fresh breeze that seemed to come from the top of a forested mountain. The scene from that mountain was great scenery to behold. It was alluring. It was tempting. Everyone seemed to be in a trance.
"Don't look at it. You'll fall in a trance," Basojin said as she hit the floor with the handle of the spear causing a crack on the tiles. Kengkla, Techno, Ae, Cha Aim, Earth, and Ley immediately looked away.
In contrast, Basojin's partner, Xu Xian, pulled out a blood-red sword. Of course, since humans were naturally curious the team wanted to take a look. Similarly, just like with Bacsojin's spear, they could feel the strong pressure coming from the sword. Unlike her spear though, when they looked at it, they immediately had to look away. They thought that they were being dragged by dead people in a river of blood and death where they were unable to get out. It was frightening.
Xu Xian only smiled as he hid the sword by putting it behind him.
"Be careful," Ae said.
"There would be more potential breaches coming, so don't let your guard down," Xu Xian replied.
With that, the couple headed towards the first breach. It was in the big hall on the first floor. The moment they reached the area, two soldiers saw them and rushed towards them. The other one was wielding a blade and the other was using a crossbow.
The soldier with the crossbow shot an arrow towards Xu Xian, but it was easily dodged by him. The soldier with the crossbow slyly smiled as the arrow that was dodged turned and divided itself into multiple arrows. Like a strong rain, they poured down on Xu Xian and Bacsojin. Like lightning, they struck with great power.
Thankfully, the two were fast to react. Bacsojin immediately cast a spell.
"Gaia's Vines!"
Green thick thorny vines emerged from the floor and covered both Xu Xian and Bacsojin. As the arrows came down they hit the thick vines but they did not manage to penetrate them.
The soldier wielding the crossbow was stunned. That attack already consumed half of his energy and the two were unscathed.
When the rain of arrows finished, Xu Xian who was closest to the enemy soldiers initiated a counterattack. He tore the vines that were protecting him with a slash of his sword. Fast as the wind, he managed to be face-to-face with the soldier wielding a knife. The two fought, but it was quick.
It did not take several rounds of exchanging moves; Xu Xian got the upper hand. The soldier wielding a knife was taken aback as soon as he saw the sword that Xu Xian was holding. He got distracted by the river of blood and death that was trying to grab him. That distraction cost him his life. Xu Xian did not hesitate and thrust his sword through the soldier wielding the knife.
As for the soldier with the crossbow, Bacsojin did not let him use it as she immediately threw the spear towards him.
Before the soldier could react, he witnessed the scene at the top of the mountain. He thought it was beautiful, then all of a sudden, he blacked out. His head was already pierced by the emerald green spear.
Blood splattered on the floor as the two soldiers fell down.
"More coming. I'll cast a barricade to temporarily blockade them. We need to give everyone as much time as possible," Bacsojin said as she stepped on the body of the soldier with the crossbow and took her spear that was stuck in his head. She did not show any emotion as she did it. She was used to the bloodshed.
Seeing this scene, although Xu Xian was somewhat stunned when he saw just how cold-blooded Bacsojin was, he did not say anything. He understood as to why she was like this. She survived alone for centuries. Throughout that length of time, she had to kill in order to protect herself.
This time, he will be the one protecting her.
"Understood," Xu Xian nodded. He went in front of Bacsojin to protect her.
Meanwhile, Bacsojin began casting a long spell to put up a barricade on the hole in the wall.
"Gaia's Pearled Wall"
Slowly, the hole in the wall was being covered by chunks of white strong substance.
Still, the soldiers still went inside. Yet, as they went in, they were met with resistance from Xu Xian who would slash with his sword and use fire spells to stop the soldiers from going in.
"Breach on 2nd Floor Room 215."
"Another breach," Ae whispered.
Kengkla and Techno stared at one another and nodded.
"We'll cover that area," Techno said.
Ae was hesitant at first, but he thought that there was no choice.
"I'll leave it to the two of you then," Ae replied. "Be safe."
"We'll try," Techno said jokingly.
"Let's go, Kengkla." he continued as his expression changed to a more serious one.
"Good luck," Kenkla told everyone, then he left with Techno to go down to the second floor.
When they arrived in room 215, there were three soldiers already inside. Two were Rainbow Level 2 and the other was Rainbow Level 3. Both Kengkla and Techno were Rainbow Level 3, so they already have an advantage. So, with the summoned beasts that they have, they did not hesitate and initiated an attack.
As for the soldiers, they were prepared as well. The two opposing forces began to clash in that huge room. At first, it was noticeable that both Kengkla and Techno have the upper hand. Unfortunately, since they were taking a lot of time to take down the enemies, more soldiers were going in. The increase in numbers of soldiers began to overwhelm the two. It was evident at this point that they were losing, but they were not giving up. They knew the risk and they were willing to take it together.
"Breach on 3rd floor Dr. Christy's Office."
This time it was Cha Aim and Earth who moved to create a barricade. They did not say anything when they left. As the two were demonic elementalists and were personal bodyguards of Tin, they were very competent at fighting, so they were able to overwhelm the enemy soldiers smoothly. After defeating the present soldiers in the office, they began to create a barricade using a forbidden technique. They have no choice, but to do it as they were in a critical situation. Sacrificing some of their life essences, they were able to build a strong barrier. Those who tried to touch the barrier would turn into ashes until their bones were the only thing remaining.
As for Ley and Ae, who were the only ones remaining to guard the entrance of the emergency room, they both remained vigilant.
Ae noticed that Ley was slightly shaking as she was gripping her hand to stop it from shaking.
"We're going to be okay, Ley," Ae said calmly as he touched her hands.
Ley, although not all of her anxiety disappeared, she felt a little better by Ae's comforting words and gestures. Her shaking lessened. "Thank you."
Ae smiled and nodded.
Soon, another announcement blared out.
"Breach on 1st Floor Room 101."
Both Ley and Ae looked at one another. "We need to get there."
Closing her eyes and taking a quick deep breath, Ley replied, "Got it."
As the two made a quick plan of what to do, they heard another announcement.
"Breach on 2nd Floor, Room 243."
They were shocked, yet before they could recover, more announcements were heard.
"Breach on 1st Floor Room 105."
"Breach on 1st Floor, Room 109."
"Breach on 2nd Floor, Room 250."
"Breach on 2nd Floor, Room 268."
"Breach...."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Happy Belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone
===
T
he breaches in the walls of the hospital have increased. As the flow of the soldiers became steady like a river flood, it was certain that it was impossible for the defenders to stop them.
From the first floor, both Xu Xian and Bacsojin were already cornered by the soldiers. Thankfully, due to their experience in battle and strong will to fight and survive, they were still managing to hold on, although barely.
The two were covered in the blood of their own and their enemies. They could be easily distinguished from the crowd as their stench of blood and the dripping redness from their body was too evident to miss. The pile of dead soldiers on the floor that became a pool of blood was horrifying. Just entering the first floor would make one's hair crawl and feel the chill of death.
In the middle of it all, one could hear the clash of metal, magic, and grunts.
"Gaia's Floras!"
From the pool of blood and corpses on the floor, a strong vibration like the beating heart could be felt was occurring on the ground. The soldiers were uncertain as to what kind of spell it was, but they remained vigilant and continued to fight.
All of a sudden, the pool of blood and the corpses began to move and dragged in one direction. They were heading in the middle of the huge hall. An opening on the ground then emerged and swallowed the splatters of blood and the corpses.
"What's happening?" one of the soldiers said as he slowly backed away.
The process of swallowing the dead and their essences was rather quick. The vibration on the ground then stopped after the corpses and their blood were sucked into the hole.
From that hole, thick red vines sprang out and spread around the hall. They quickly targeted the soldiers closest to them and gripped them. As for the soldiers who were caught, they tried to break themselves free, but the more that they move, the tighter the grip on them. They were unable to breathe and eventually lost consciousness. For those who were able to break themselves free, they would be caught once again by more vines.
The more that they fought and struggled, the more that the vines grew angrier as they multiplied. With every enemy caught they would go straight to the hole in the ground which hid the horrifying head of the man-eating plant: Flora. That horrendous plant like a Venus flytrap with a huge mouth and sharp and long teeth like a shark would tear the flesh of the soldier and consume their spiritual energy.
With this monster of a plant that was eating the flesh of the soldiers, it grew stronger. It was perfect for Xu Xian and Bacsojin to retreat as they were badly wounded. They had to go back since soldiers were coming from different places. They had to make sure that no one could get into the emergency room where Can and Tin were contained.
For Kengkla and Techno, they tried hard to fight back and slow down the enemies, but they were unable to do so. Their contracted beasts were overwhelmed and the two of them were exhausted from using their spiritual energy. They rushed back huffing to the 4th floor where the emergency room was located.
On their way back, they met with Cha Aim and Earth. The two were looking lifeless. The color of their skin was as pale as a cold corpse. Blood dripped from both of their mouths as they held one another staggeringly.
Earth shakily moved his chin up gazing at the two.
"We managed to cover most of the holes, but we can't take them all," he said with hoarseness in his voice. The blood in his mouth and throat were in the way. So, he spat them out to the side.
Kengkla and Techno, although they were not familiar with one another, still rushed to their side and supported them.
"We're meeting back with the others," Techno said.
Cha Aim wanted to retort since she wanted to continue fighting, but she collapsed the moment she tried manipulating her spiritual energy.
Kengkla was nice enough to carry her back to the emergency room.
When they reached their destination, they met with Ley and Ae. They were guarding the premises.
After seeing Techno and the others, Ley rushed to them to help them out and provided necessary aid. Since she was the only one currently available who has medical knowledge, she went to heal and give them potions. With the assistance of her contracted beasts, they were able to attend to everyone's medical needs. Ley put all of her efforts into helping everyone. She knew that she could not effectively assist in battle like everyone, but at least, she could help save them. She frantically went back and forth bandaging everyone, giving health and spiritual energy recovery potions, and telling her contracted beasts what to do exactly.
As for Ae, he was putting up protective barriers around the 4th floor. He also resorted to using forbidden techniques despite knowing the backlash that could potentially occur on his body. He did not want to resort to this, but he did not have any choice.
Soon, the soldiers flooded into the hospital through the breaches that were newly created and those that Ae's team could not cover. 90% of the building was already under their control. Only the 4th floor remained.
Eventually, Xu Xian and Bacsojin joined them. They were certainly a mess.
Catching their breath, they said, "They're coming."
Ley was back on her feet and rushed towards the two to treat them. She gestured some of her contracted beasts to help her out as well.
"Thank you," Bacsojin said as she smiled while supporting her husband next to him. Both of them were hurt badly with blood covering both of them that only the whites of their eyes were free from red stain.
"What happened to the two of you," Ley asked as she could not help it but cover her nose from the strong stench of metallic blood covering the couple.
"Too many soldiers," Xu Xian looked at her apologetically.
Suddenly, strong tremors could be felt over the 4th floor.
"What is it?" Kengkla asked as he looked around trying to find the source of the tremor.
"They're trying to destroy the barriers I've created," Ae replied.
The tremors became louder and stronger. Ae's power was already diminishing and his barriers were failing. Soon, Tri, Master Khang, and Can's mother retreated back into the 4th floor. They were unable to stop the overwhelming forces of the soldiers. Fresh reinforcements have arrived earlier sending stronger soldiers. They were exhausted and could not prolong the fight anymore.
Since they could not enter the battlefield anymore, Tri, Master Khang, and Can's mother resorted to reinforcing the barriers instead.
As they were reinforcing those barriers, the soldiers busied themselves at destroying them. Since there was no exact threat anymore, with the strongest enemies having been defeated, the entire U.N. Peacekeepers including the reinforcements that just came focused their strength on destroying them. As soon as those barriers were destroyed, then it would certainly be the end for those inside the hospital. If Tin and his associates' reinforcements come, then it would be much more problematic. Inconveniences cannot be permitted anymore!
The bombardment of the hospital further intensified with the entire force of the peacekeepers were combined. The sound was so deafening that the soldiers' ears were bleeding. The closest civilization of a small village that was closest to it which was more than hundreds of miles could hear it faintly. The strong shockwave shook those inside the hospitals and those outside of it as well that they were about to fall. Of course, despite this somewhat dangerous offensive from the soldiers, they were not allowed to stop. They must make sure that they finish their mission cleanly.
Soon, the layers of barriers began to crack like mirrors, then...
Boom!
With the huge explosion from the destruction of the barriers, the force that it created was like that of a nuclear bomb. The soldiers within the vicinity who wanted to escape were caught from the blast. They evaporated quickly into smoke.
The commander-in-chief was about to order a retreat outside the radius of the explosion as it was expanding quite fast, when all of a sudden, the explosion itself was retreating. It was becoming smaller then disappeared like it did not happen. Still, it left behind a huge gap within the ground where the hospital completely crumbled.
The commander thought it was odd at first, but he did not think about it. He wanted to know if there were survivors within the hospital.
"Place a barrier around the hospital. We can't let the enemies get out."
Soon, multiple layers of strong barriers were put up around the rubble.
"Start searching! If there are any surviving soldiers, let the medic handle them. We need to find Tin and Can! We have to make sure they're dead!"
The peacekeepers saluted their commander-in-chief and began searching the rubble.
Not even a minute has passed, the ground began to shake. The dust within the rubbles began to rise. The hospital's remaining standing foundation fell and almost killed some of the soldiers.
The commander-in-chief and his higher-ranking officers became wary of the surroundings as they looked around frantically as they tried to find the source of this quake.
Then in the middle of the rubble, slabs of huge stones began to float then flew in different directions as fast as lightning. Those who were unable to move on time were killed on the spot. Blood and their body parts splattered and painted the ground red.
"Who!?" one of the high-ranking officials shouted as chill crawled to his body. He could feel the sudden intense pressure, but who could it be?
Forming a fist as it shook, Commander-in-chief Bran muttered, "Damn it!"
Sweat formed on his forehead as he gnashed his teeth.
In the middle of the rubble, a man stood up. His eyes were glowing in white. He was frowning and fuming in anger. There was a white barrier surrounding him. Inside that barrier was everyone he held dearly. They were alive but almost all unconscious. Only those in Pete's staff was conscious. Pete himself was lying on the ground. He used his spiritual energy to protect everyone from the collapse of the building. The power of the explosion was too strong to handle that he almost used his spiritual energy.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Commander Bran muttering turned into a shout. He knew that they were in trouble.
"Kill him now!" he commanded as he pointed towards Can.
The soldiers although they could feel the intense pressure from Can that caused some to faint and vomit blood, cast an offensive spell towards him.
As those powerful spells crashed into the barrier, they realized that their attempts were futile. It seemed as if they were just absorbed. The barrier started glowing much brighter and the soldiers could feel it getting stronger. What was the meaning of this?
When they realized that using spells was useless against Can, the soldiers thought of using physical strength and advanced techs such as powerful guns and droids.
One brave soldier, who was quite buff and wanting some kind of recognition for being brave, rushed in, and with his fists, he used all of his might to make a dent or break the barrier. Unfortunately, it did not go as planned. His fist went through the barrier.
Because he used a lot of strength when he went for a punch, he went inside the barrier. At first, the buff brave soldier thought that he succeeded at breaking the barrier giving himself further confidence. He did not know that it was merely a trap and that Can let him do that.
So, as the brave soldier got closer to Can in order to kill him, he was unable to see Can's quick movement. By the time he realized, he could see Can's palm touching his forehead. He felt the chill crawling on his body as he looked at his enemy's glowing white eyes. He could feel how small he was compared to him. He felt like an insignificant ant in front of him. Fear enveloped him as he started shaking. He could not say anything to beg for his life as tears fell from his eyes. It was too late.
The soldier's spiritual energy flowed outside of him completely within seconds. He felt like he was some kind of empty juice box that was being crushed after the juices were sucked out completely. He was still conscious and it felt painful when his spiritual energy was being forced to be removed from him. After his spiritual energy completely drained, he felt his spiritual roots aching and then deforming as well.
"What did you do?" he asked with disbelief in his eyes.
Can did not answer. His cold eyes were eyeing another person. It was commander Bran.
One step forward and he was gone. He left behind the white barrier.
As for the buff soldier, he lost consciousness.
Commander Bran was quick to act and put himself in a defensive position. His eyes were focused like an owl waiting for the prey to make its move.
When he suddenly realized that he was going to be attacked from behind, he turned around swiftly to face Can. As Commander Bran used most of his spiritual energy to counterattack, he did not predict that there would be another person sneaking behind him once more. It was another Can!
"A clone?" he wondered.
Commander Bran wanted to avoid the one behind him, but he was too late. The Can behind him was fast to act. He grabbed both of his arms.
Commander Bran struggled to free himself, but he was unable to. He realized that the attack that he used right now was absorbed by Can himself as well.
The commander's spiritual energy was quite low already. If only his comrades could help him, but he knew that it would be hard to achieve. Thinking of this, he found it quite odd that his soldiers were not moving. He could not hear any kind of movement. It was too quiet.
So, when he looked around, he could only shake in fear. A lot of the soldiers were lying unconsciously on the ground. A lot of them were trembling in fear. A lot of them where afraid to move or could not even move.
"What did you do?" his breathing became much irregular.
"Took their power," Can admitted.
"You bastard!"
"And so the same will happen to you." Can did not talk anymore and used his power to absorb the spiritual energy and his core. The process did not take a long time as the blue energy flowing through Commander Bran's vein was removed completely. All those decades of hardship and experience in order to become the strongest and respected were turned into dust.
"GAAAAHHH!!" he shouted in pain. His muscles tightened as they further shook. His knees bent as he lost his strength. His sight blurred.
"We... failed?" he whispered as he then lost his consciousness.
Can then threw the commander to the side and turned around to the rest of the soldiers. Those who witnessed what happened cowered in fear and attempted to flee. Unfortunately due to the potent pressure that was being released by Can, the soldiers were unable to move at all. They felt this huge boulder placed on them. They could only move their eyes. They could not even speak even if their lips quiver from fear. Their hearts rose to an unreasonable rate that it felt like they were about to explode. It was an awful feeling that they wanted to just die at that very moment instead of anticipating what was going to happen to them. Seeing that their commander was easily handled and defeated, the soldiers knew that no one could stop Can now.
"You better stop or I'll kill him!"
Can quickly turned his head towards the direction of the shout.
It came from one of Pete's staff members. It was that female doctor: Dr. Christy.
She was holding Tin, who was still unconscious, by the neck with both of her bare hands. They were trembling as she threatened Can, yet she stood firmly. She knew that Tin was Can's weakness.
"I assure you that I'll kill him if you make a move," she threatened again.
Can rolled his hands into fists. They were so firm that the nails dug into his skin. They bled.
At that very moment, the ground began to shake as if the world was about to collapse. The sky was shrouded with darkness. Heavy wind and clouds gathered as they were about to brew a huge storm to destroy the land. Rocks, plants, buildings, equipment, and even the people began to float.
Putting his hands behind his back, Can walked towards the barrier that he created with leisure like he was having a stroll in a beautiful garden.
"Dr. Christy, you dare threaten me with my own husband?" Can cracked a smile with such sinister that even the god of the underworld would shiver.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
A severe chill was sent to the very bones and soul of Dr. Christy. She never expected that Can could show such a sinister smile. As an agent, it was important to know the people she would be involved with. She has extensively researched about Can and the others before joining Dr. Pete's medical staff. She concluded that Can was filled with reasoning, moral justice, and that he was merciful. That was part of his weakness.
So, with how things worked out up to this point, this was a great opportunity to fulfill her mission and perhaps escape alive.
She was thinking of just pretending to be just Dr. Christy and not act at all. Yet, the reward of fulfilling this mission was too great to be denied.
As Can approached the barrier, Dr. Christy slowly backed away. She did this until she hit the barrier that was created by Can himself. She was unable to go through it.
When Can got much closer to the barrier, his demeanor somewhat changed. From sinister to a serene expression. The air around him changed. He looked somewhat refreshing like he was surrounded by beautiful flowers and lovely animals. Dr. Christy could not help it but look twice at him. Was it just an illusion earlier?
The storm that was brewing did not occur. The wind and dark clouds dispersed and silenced.
"Well, Dr. Christy? How would you like to bargain?" Can asked amusedly.
There was no sign of fear or hurry in his voice. He was rather calm as if casually talking. It was weird for him to act like this when Tin was in danger of dying by the enemy.
Dr. Christy kept her guard as she focused on Can looking into his eyes. She took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself but she was unable to. "I want you to restrict your powers. Let the soldiers put restrictive bands on you."
"Granted," Can said. "Is that it?"
He did not hesitate as he said those words. He was willing to accept the terms.
Dr. Christy was lost for words. She was stunned. That was it? He was willing to accept her terms just like that?
It felt wrong, but what could she do exactly?
She could only trust his words.
"I shall release Mr. Phiravich. I can assure you that," she said as she gulped. Although she could at least do this, she was not sure what would happen after. Afterall, it was the goal of the United Nations to kill them both. Was Can even aware of this fact? What was he thinking?
"Okay. Then I shall trust Dr. Christy to keep her words," Can's smile widened from ear to ear. His eyes crinkled. Just joyous.
If it was not for the situation that they were in, Dr. Christy would consider this a normal occurrence for Can. It was somewhat uncomfortable seeing him acting this way.
And with that, Can cast a spell on himself.
He took a deep breath, still keeping a serene smile as he cast "Spiritual Energy Lock."
The overwhelming pressure that he was emitting suddenly disappeared.
With the overwhelming pressure gone, the soldiers were able to move freely. Although this was the case, caution and fear were still there in their eyes.
"The restrictive bands! Put them on him," Dr. Christy commanded the soldiers. The grip that she has on Tin's neck has loosened.
The restrictive bands were not ordinary shackles. They were created by top scientists, weaponsmiths, and spiritual users. They would be used for the sole purpose of catching Can and Tin if this option became a possibility. Of course, it was a priority to kill them first when it comes to it. Yet, if there was a chance that they could catch them, they could study their powers and the secrets of becoming a Supreme Ruler. If they could attain that power, who would dare question the power of the United Nations?
For Dr. Christy, somehow, she just could not calm down. Was it that simple? Did she actually win?
The soldiers approached Can defensively. As for Can, he lifted both of his hands offering them willingly to the soldiers. As soon as they bounded Can with the restrictive bands, the soldiers sighed in relief in their hearts. They somehow managed to catch a Supreme Ruler.
Cheers suddenly erupted from the soldiers.
"We did it!" One of the soldiers shouted.
"We're able to catch a Supreme Ruler!" Another one shouted.
While the soldiers were cheering, Dr. Christy pulled out a restrictive band with one hand while still holding Tin's neck with the other. If there was a sudden movement from Tin, she would not hesitate to kill him. She cannot afford any mistakes anymore. Besides, even if she did kill him, as long as they have Can under restriction, everything would work out perfectly. They were ordered to kill them both anyway, so it would not matter.
Feeling triumphant of her achievement, she could not help but crack a smile. The tension she felt earlier disappeared and was replaced by excitement. While thinking about the recognition and rewards she would obtain from catching the two, she did not realize the change of atmosphere. It became dead silent.
As soon as Dr. Christy pulled the restrictive bands, she raised her head to check on Can. When she saw the scene in front of her, her heart stopped beating for a moment. Her eyes widened as cold sweat broke all over her body.
Can was staring right back at her with a wicked smile.
Dr. Christy's breathing suddenly became unsteady. The soldiers around him were just standing silently looking at her as well.
What was happening?
It felt like she was some kind of prey cornered by a bunch of lions.
Something was wrong.
Dr. Christy was quick to think and put the restrictive bands on Tin and held his neck with both of her hands.
"What's the matter Dr. Christy?" Can said. "I thought we had an agreement that you'll let my husband go when I follow your orders. You seemed not to follow your side of the bargain."
"What are you doing?" Dr. Christy said. "You're not complying!"
"What do you mean?" Can frowned as if confused. "I did what you said, did I not?"
"You told me to take down my power and so I did. I let your soldiers put restrictive bands on me. That's what we agreed on, did we not?" Can smiled.
Dr. Christy knew something was not right. Although she could not sense any of Can's oppressive power, she could tell that something occurred.
"I know you're doing something, Can. You better stop what you're doing. You must be aware that your husband's life is under my mercy!" she threatened as her grip on Tin's neck tightened.
Can's smile disappeared as it was replaced with that of seriousness. "Now, you dare ask for more? You dare break our agreement and threaten me?"
The temperature went down, at least, that was what Dr. Christy felt as chills penetrated her body.
She tried to maintain her posture and arrogance, "And what would you do about it? You dare sacrifice your husband?"
Can retorted, "You seemed unafraid of the consequences Dr. Christy? You're going against a Supreme Ruler, you know this, yes?"
"Even the strongest has its weakness," Dr. Christy mocked.
Can calmly smiled. "Do you then consider yourself as the strongest? At least in the situation that we're in?"
Dr. Christy frowned. "What are you trying to get at?"
"You're the one who has the bargaining power. I have no say exactly," Can said as if it was a matter of fact.
If that was indeed the case, Can was certainly implying something?
She surveyed the surroundings. Can's families and allies were still unconscious. The soldiers were stuck in the position but their focus was now on her. Of course, Can would not dare do anything since he knew that his husband could die.
"You still don't get it huh?" Can chuckled as he shook his head.
Dr. Christy frowned as her heart rate rose to a notch.
Can stood up and without saying anything, he approached the fake doctor somewhat limpingly.
"Are you certain of what you're doing, Can? You want to sacrifice Tin!?" Dr. Christy said. There was a tone of anger and fear in her voice. The grip on Tin's neck became tighter in which her nails have dug in that caused Tin to bleed.
Can did not reply. The smile on his face remained as he did not break contact looking directly at Dr. Christy.
Not seeing that Can was hesitating, Dr. Christy's eyes widened as her lips quivered.
Does he not care anymore? Was he not worried anymore?
"Do you really think I wouldn't dare do it!? I'm warning you Can. This is your last chance!"
Can did not respond. When he was about ten feet away from Dr. Christy, he just raised his shackled hands and separated them which broke the bands.
"You've already lost since the beginning Dr. Christy," Can's smile widened as he mocked her.
Dr. Christy was confused at first. She replied with hesitation, "What?"
No, that could not be. Can was most likely playing with her mind.
Thinking this way, she laughed nervously. "I see what you're doing. It's not going to work at all! I'm not stupid."
Can sighed. "Fine. I'm getting bored with this anyways."
Can suddenly made a horizontal slashing gesture with his hand towards Tin.
Dr. Christy was caught in surprise. Thinking that it was an offensive magic spell that was targeted at her, she was about to retreat. Unfortunately, she realized that the spell was too fast and that it was too late for her to move. She really did underestimate the power of a Supreme Ruler.
She thought that it would be the end of her and she closed her eyes. She could only use Tin as her own shield as she stood behind him while still grabbing his neck.
Yet, moments passed and she did not feel anything. Only that she felt something that splattered on her face and body. When she opened them, she touched her face and looked at what it was. It was blood.
Her hand shook and she immediately looked at her body. She was not hit. No wound nor injury of any sort. She realized it was not her blood at all.
She looked down and her scalp went numb. It was Tin who was hit! Can was careless enough to hit Tin on his chest! How could he be this careless?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
What was happening? How could Can be so careless? To even risk his husband's life?With how fast he Can could act, she was sure that his magic spell would hit her. It was simply not logical!Looking at Can with fear in her eyes, she saw that Can was just standing in front of her. He was not moving and rather unbothered as he stared at her with a poker face.A thought came to her. Was it possible that Tin that she was holding was a clone? A fake?Her lips suddenly quivered. Now it made much more sense. Can had control the entire time since the beginning! Did that mean she never had a chance to begin with!?Thinking about her choices, she wanted to regret but it was too late.Yet, why would Can do this? Why wait this long to act? He could have finished this in the beginning. What was he planning?It did not matter anymore!What could she possibly do in the position that she was in? Could she try to escape?With that in mind, she was quick to act, grabbing the fake Tin, she threw him towards Can. As soon as she threw him towards Can with such ferocious force that a wave of strong wind followed, she took a red wooden talisman and broke it and half. It was a teleportation tool. A one of a kind. Its grade level would be considered as a Legendary grade. Even a Supreme Ruler should not be able to stop it once used, at least in theory. It was her family's sacred treasure that was passed down to her.When the talisman was broken, a red gelatinous liquid came out and covered Dr. Christy in a bubble immediately. It worked!With a crazed smile, she looked at Can who was holding Tin with his arm. She could not decipher Can's expression since he was looking down observing Tin.In any case, she felt triumphant. Although she failed at containing the two, her survival was rather more important. In the end, she was still the winner!When she was completely covered by the gelatinous material, it would then expand then disappear. This all happened within less than a second.As for Can, well, there was a wicked smile on his face as well.A few moments have passed. In front of Can, a red gelatinous material was slowly materializing into existence.Can raised his hand as if he was strangling someone and when the red gelatinous completely materialized, it then turned into a human figure. It was Dr. Christy. Fear and surprise were clearly expressed in her face."H-how is th-i pos-ble," she said as she struggled to breathe. She tried to remove the hand that was holding her throat, but she failed."No.. No.. No... this can't be.""It's quite fascinating that you have such a tool," Can said as he chuckled slightly."Being able to teleport and manipulate the dimension... Unfortunately, you're not the only one capable of doing it," Can paused for a bit as he moved Dr. Christy closer to his face."Remember, I'm the Supreme Ruler. The only one for that matter, if we're being honest," Can said as he side-eyed at the still unconscious and bleeding Tin.Somehow, with those terrifying words, something clicked with Dr. Christy that she could not explain."Who are you?" she asked as her eyes widened.Can only frowned. "You hit your head Dr. Christy?""You're not him!" she said while struggling."Enough," he calmly said.He looked down at Tin and then gently put him down from his grasps. Then with his left hand, he tapped both of his index finger and middle finger on her forehead. A white light came out from those fingers."Ahh, I see.""That's your goal? To attain the power of immortality?" Can asked with a smile on his face."Curious for certain. A lot of mortals want to attain it, but as for what goal?""Hmmm.... Ahh, I see. Afraid of death. Indeed very curious, Dr. Christy."Removing his fingers from the woman's forehead, he asked curiously, "Yet you involved yourself in such a job?"Of course, Can understood that sacrifices usually tend to be necessary to gain one's want."So they promised you the Elixir of the Phoenix. No wonder you're so willing to work for the United Nations," Can smiled."... But you know I can grant you immortality, that thing, you so seek so much," he enticed.For a moment, Dr. Christy's grip on the arm that was strangling her loosened a bit."Oh, you're interested?" Can continued. "But of course, there's a price to pay."Dr. Christy thought why would he grant her a wish of being an immortal."It's not that you have a choice. Your life is at my mercy. I could kill you now and be done with it. But what's the fun of it? It's too easy."Dr. Christy had no say. Even if she wanted to refuse, as Can said, she had no choice. It was not like she could even speak to begin with as her throat was restricted. She could only weakly nod.If what he was saying was true, then was he not just granting her the gift she wanted? As for the price to pay, it did not matter. Perhaps, she would become some kind of servant to Can. It was not that bad as long as she could live and maintain her youth forever!"Then we have an agreement," he smiled as he waved his left hand. A small opening appeared from thin air. It was a small portal that a hand could fit.After putting his hand inside of it, Can pulled a potion bottle out of it. It was brimming with red luster. There was a phoenix bird around it that was made of silver. It was easy to know what it was by one look by those who were familiar with it."He was able to pull it with ease!?"** Dr. Christy eyes widened when she saw the Phoenix Potion.Waving it in front of her, Can asked, "Your Potion of the Phoenix."Not wasting any more time, Can released Dr. Christy from his grasp then opened the bottle.As soon as she was released, Dr. Christy gasped for air. There were purple and red marks surrounding her neck. Before she could even composed herself, she saw that Can was about to pour the red liquid from the bottle."Here, drink it. Quickly, before it runs out," he said as he started pouring the potion slowly to the ground.Seeing this scene of Can wasting the potion, her heart stopped for a second. Without regard to her dignity, she jumped and let the remaining liquid from the potion flow in her mouth.After the bottle was empty, Can just tossed the bottle in front of her. Dr. Christy quickly catched it and licked it as much as she could. When she was sure that there was no more liquid inside the bottle, like a deranged woman, she then licked the muddy ground that has some of the red liquid. She did not care about her reputation at this point. As long as she could have immortality, she would not care.After a few moments, she felt something inside her change. She felt invigorated. She felt alive. She felt the power. She felt her strength increase. She felt a sense of rebirth like that of a phoenix rising from the ashes.The red liquid inside of her glowed faintly as they directed in every of her vein."Congratulations, Dr. Christy. You're now an immortal," said Can with a quite innocent smile.Dr. Christy seemed not to pay attention as she observed her veins glowing. She was relishing that she was now an immortal."Well, let's try it out shall we?" Can continued.Before Dr. Christy could react, Can made a slashing move.Within less than a second, Dr. Christy's neck sprayed blood opening her neck. There was horror in her eyes as she felt the drip of the blood and the inability to breathe.She fell down on the muddy ground twitching.Can then waited for a few moments, then let out a sigh. "Too slow."Suddenly, Dr. Christy came back to life as she gasped for air. She touched her neck with her hand shakily to see how awful the gashing wound was.There was nothing! No wound at all aside from the blood!She lifted up her head and looked at Can in awe and fear. A god. That was what he was. At this point, she would not mind being his servant."Why do you look at me, like I'm some benevolent god, hmm?" he said mockingly.Dr. Christy jolted. Did he read her mind?"Now, that you have received the gift of immortality, you must pay the price," Can said with a smile."Anything...," Dr. Christy whispered as she kneeled. She was surrendering."Of course. You have no choice. You merely gained immortality and nothing else. You're still the coward weakling from before who didn't follow our agreement," he said.With that he raised his hand and waved it slowly.From the muddy ground, a black coffin appeared and stood.Can waved his hand once again and the lid of the black coffin made from an unknown metal opened.Dr. Christy turned her head slowly at the coffin that was next to her. A chill was sent to her spine. Her breathing slowed then when she realized what was going to happen, it felt that her heart stopped beating once more."I-I ca-n be your servant!" she explained. There was a tone of fear and desperation as she spoke."P-please!"Can shook his head. "There's a price that you must pay. Besides, you dared threaten me with my husband. That's the greatest offense you can make."He did not waste any more time to listen for Dr. Christy's cries and pleading.Waving his hand, Dr. Christy was thrown with an invisible force that put her in the coffin. Immediately, chains appeared and covered her body which secured her inside. After those chains were secured, Can walked up to the coffin."You shall live in agony for the rest of your life that you wished you never gained the gift of immortality and that you should have died today," Can said while maintaining his smile."P-please Can. I'll do any-"Before she could continue pleading, Can turned around. The lid of the coffin was put back in its place, closing the coffin. Then the coffin itself submerged back into the muddy ground.Inside the coffin, Dr. Christy could only see the darkness. There were holes in the coffin, but she could not see anything when she tried to peer into them."Help! Somebody! Can! Please!" she cried.Suddenly, she felt that there was cold water coming from the holes of the coffin. She was afraid and unsure of what it was. Slowly the water began to flood in.Dr. Christy tried to use spells but she realized that her spiritual energy and spiritual core were restricted!She was able to smell and taste the water. It was ocean water. She was in the ocean!With certainty, she could feel that she was sinking further slowly.When the water has reached up to her neck, it was harder for her to breathe. Her heart was beating fast as she was panicking. She tried to struggle but she could not. The only thing that she could do was to shout senselessly and desperately for help."Help Me! Can Please! Just kill me! I don't want this!" she cried.Yet, no one rescued or heard her.The ocean water finally filled the entire coffin drowning her. It filled up her lungs. She was unable to breathe. It was agonizing. It was painful. It was torture.As soon as she thought she would die, the gift that was now a curse from the Potion of the Phoenix would revive her only for her to drown again. She would be in agonizing pain. She would try to shout but the water would only muffle her as she drowned. The cursed cycle would repeat itself at the bottom of the ocean... for eternity.Back at the now crumbled hospital, Can was still standing while looking calmly at Tin who was still lying unconsciously on the ground bleeding."Your husband is going to live," he whispered to himself.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"You hit him! Why did you attack Tin instead of Christy!"
"Where's the fun with that. It would be too easy.""Besides it was not exactly offensive magic. I was trying to save him from death, so get off my back and stop getting mad. Parts of his spiritual roots were blocked from some medicine. Seems to be a side-effect."
"You're not lying?"
"You don't believe me? After the things I've done? You're quite ungrateful!" Can's voice rose further. Temperature around him rose as well."Fine!"From the somewhat comedic argument within himself, the mysterious person inside Can refocused himself. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. Then extending his arms as if some kind of bird about to take a flight, he whispered mysterious incantations."Divine Healing," he said.Within a second, the flow of green light surrounded and covered Can's body. A deep breath was then exhaled. Afterward, the flow of powerful and soothing green light flowed through his veins and concentrated on Can's hands.While this ancient magic was being performed, Pete, his associates, and friends became conscious. As for this sudden waking up, it could be attributed to the healing magic being performed.At first, Pete was confused regarding the current situation. Yet, he was quick to snap out of it to assess the danger and the current situation of everyone. His senses suddenly felt the soothing unknown powerful magic from his back. He turned around and to his surprise — Can was using the most powerful healing magic spell that only existed in legends."I learned this from the elders of the Spiritual Users clan. Well, not exactly. I stole it from them haha! They developed it but they were not capable of using it since they did not have the massive spiritual energy that we Supreme Rulers possess. Aren't you lucky?"Such powerful healing magic that even the strongest Spiritual Users who were adept in this art could not even perform was such a feat!Since the green light was blinding, Pete had to cover his eyes.Soon, the light faded. Pete raised his head to look as his eyes widened. That was Can, but how was it possible to know such a spell that only existed in legends?"Mmm..."Pete snapped from the shock and amazement. Although he was unsure how Can was able to be in such a condition, he was glad that he was fine. He turned his head and saw that Ae was trying to get up. Not only him but everyone else was waking up.Pete got up shakily and helped Ae. As for the others, although they were not aware of what happened, they assessed the situation and kept their vigilance.That flow of a huge amount of soothing and healing energy was directed and transferred to Tin. The green light was channeled to him, which made him float in the air.Can frowned."Hmm.""Interesting"As the healing continued, "Can" was noticing something."I have healed the phsyical wounds that he has and fixed his spiritual roots and core... but they're empty. Hollow. No spiritual energy seemed to flow inside," he remarked."He's safe at least, that I could guarantee."After the healing, the green light that contained healing energy evaporated, putting Tin back to the muddy ground."From my personal assessment, I don't think he'll be able to wield magic anymore," he said calmly.Turning around, he examined his surroundings."Now that's dealt with and every one of your family and friends is safe, how would you like to deal with the enemies? Torture them like that audacious woman? Or would you like to give them mercy and kill them instantly?"There was a pause as he then looked in the beautiful clear slate-blue sky. He stared at it with delight as if it has been a long time since he saw it. It was somewhat exciting to see, not due to its beautiful scenery- but that he could change it to that color of blood. He yearns for it just like the old days.His sudden delight and dazed were interrupted."Let them live..."There was another pause. "Can" shook his head. His old habits did not seem to disappear even though he was gone for a long time.He smiled putting his dark past at the back of his head."Ahh, it does makes sense. Not having the spiritual power to wield magic could be considered as torture and the worse way to live. It's unfortunate that your husband would have the same fate, but no matter...no matter... there should be ways to help him out, although not guaranteed."Not letting the real Can reply, he said, "I might be a renowned powerful Supreme Ruler of my time but that doesn't mean that I have vast experience in terms of breaking the law of nature. It's complicated and it's not always definite. Only in some aspects would you be able to do that. If the gods permit it, then they would allow you. If not, well, tough luck.""Can" snorted."Perhaps your husband not having his powers could be some kind of retribution for his evil deeds from his past or present life - or that the gods are bored and wanted to play with his life. Who knows? I don't communicate with them."He then grinned."Well cheer up now. That doesn't mean that we just give up. You seemed to be the type to always get up when you fall. Am I right? Can?"Soon, the reinforcements from Elementalist Association and Beast Summoners' Guild came. They came just on time that they were supposed to come, but still too late. When they saw the aftermath, they sighed in relief. The carnage that was left was too brutal. Aside from the ruined hospital that was now in rubble and dust, the ground was painted in blood and body parts. In the middle of it all, Can was standing looking at the sky. To see him standing in the midst of a bloodbath was frightening and something to be beheld.Meanwhile Tin woke up from - what seemed to be his death in its finale. He was prepared to die to save Can. He accepted this fact, yet, here he is, alive and well.As soon as he woke up, the first thing that was on his mind was Can. Looking around him and ignoring the carnage and the people, he found Can standing not too far away from him. This person seemed distant as he looked at the sky.Tin staggered as he stood up."You're awake," Can said as he faced him. Just by the tone of his voice, there was estrangement."Can?" Tin asked. He approached him."I'm borrowing his body at the moment. I need to talk to you," Can said. The tone of his voice became much more low and rough like an old man. His hands behind his back like some kind of ancient scholar. His body relaxed and carefree. Quite unlikely to be Can."Who are you?" Tin frowned with knuckles tightened. Another problem. It was unpleasant to hear that someone seemed to have possessed Can."I understand your anger and irritation but hear this- I saved your life," "Can" answered then continued. He examined Tin from head to toe while circling around."Hmph. Not bad," he said as he stroke his non-existing beard. His gesture was ridiculous to look at nonetheless. Such contrast in a scene of horror."The new generations aren't disappointing as I'd expect it to be," he continued."Who are you really?" Tin interrupted as he was getting irritated. Trying to gather his spiritual energy, he realized that he could not feel the power inside him. His spiritual energy roots and his spiritual core- just empty. His eyes widened from the sudden realization. He lost his powers but how?There was a momentary pause. Perhaps his body was just trying to recover. Realizing this current problem within him, he stood firmly and looked at Can with fierceness. He could not show his weakness."Hmph. A fierce lion without teeth.""Can" turned around and observed the surroundings of his doing, proudly and arrogantly said, "Why are you angry when I saved the lives of you and your family and...." touching his belly, "children at the right moment, hm?"He faced Tin and continued as he pointed a finger at him, "I don't even get thanks for my hard work and contribution? You would stay dead if I didn't act, let me tell you that."Tin did not reply back. He was silent.Annoyed, "Can" could only sigh. "I'm Khaul, the first Elementalist, the great master of the twelve elements, the second Supreme Ruler, the first ruler of the universe, the emperor of heaven on Earth, the chosen one by the gods...."It took him about a minute to express all of the titles he have achieved during his lifetime. There was pride as he proudly announced, not only to Tin but to those present at the moment.Of course, it was shocking and there was disbelief that everyone currently present had to digest all the things that were mentioned.Whether Can has become insane or this Khaul was actually the truth, they would rather believe what he says. No one wants to be on the bad side of a Supreme Ruler."If you were back in my day, you would be kneeling. Your arrogance would have gotten you killed."Khaul took a deep breath, "But, I'm in a different era and I'm only borrowing this body, so I shall let you all go for your impudence.""Why are you in his body?" Tin asked. There was a trace of distrust in his expression.Khaul put his hands behind his back as he walked towards Tin."You may or may not know but being a supreme ruler has its problems as well. There is a price to pay. A power to rule the entire universe would be that to be considered equal to that of the power of the gods. I'm afraid to tell you but the gods are very fickle and selfish beings."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"But that story is for another day… Something to be discussed later. Right now, I shall leave since your husband wants to talk to you," Khaul said as he closed his eyes.
"Wait," Tin said.
"What do you mean? You're coming back? Are you going to possess Can again?"
It was too late. Khaul already disappeared.
Can then took control of his body once more. He felt a little nauseous that he was about to fall down. Thankfully, Tin managed to catch him.
When he stabilized himself, Can looked up. Immediately, he hugged Tin.
"I'm so glad that you're alive, Tin!" he began crying. His normal voice returned.
Tin's eyes softened as he hugged Can firmly. "I'm glad as well. I'm very grateful that nothing horrible happened to you."
Tin gave a peck on Can's forehead. "I'm here. I'll take care of you."
At that moment, the two were just like in their own world. Ignoring the disaster around them. They were just glad they survived another calamity together.
"How are you feeling Can?" Tin asked.
"I'm just tired, that's all." Can replied with a smile.
"Are you sure? How about our children?"
Can gently patted his belly. "They're alright as well.'"
As for the others present, well, they went to tend on one another to make sure that they were okay. They did not want to bother the couple's moment. Besides, they have to make sure that everyone was okay. The two looked okay.
For the backup, they went ahead to arrest the people involved in the attack.
After rounding up the rest of the army, Tin and Ae headed towards their respective associations: Elementalists Association and the Beast Summoners' Guild.
Tin and Ae both came to the commander-in-chief of the U.N. Peacekeepers. He was shaken and afraid when Tin approached, especially when Can came with him as well.
"Are you aware of your situation, commander?" Tin asked. No reflection of weakness in his eyes. Fierce as always.
Commander Bran tried to speak but his legs quivered as well as his lips. He was afraid. Never in his life would he sense such fear as he considered himself as a courageous man. He was feared and admired by all in the army and around the world. Now, he was pathetic. He was like a wet puppy.
"I-I have nothing to say," he paused as he took deep breath to relax. He was still the commander of the U.N.'s peacekeeping, so he must act like it and accept his responsibilities as one.
"I know what I did and I'm aware of the consequences," he said.
"Then make sure you and the entire U.N. are ready," Tin said. His tone was piercing cold.
Commander Bran could only bite his quivering lips as his eyes reddened from fear. It was over for him and he knew it.
"Take him away," Ae said as he gestured his head to one direction.
"Yes, sir!" the captain of the elite members of the security team for B.S.G said as she bowed gently.
Eventually, the soldiers, dead or alive, were rounded up. Dozens of soldiers dead. Dozens more were critically injured. Overall, their morale was very low.
Some of the soldiers could be seen crying as one of their close comrades was lifelessly lying on the cold ground. They knew what was at stake, but they thought that the mission would go smoothly as planned. They did not know that they would be grieving for losing and the irreversible loss that was made.
In the middle of it all, the captain for the elite security team of B.S.G. who was the one leading the arrests of the U.N. Peacekeepers cleared her throat.
With a document on her hands, she said with firmness in her voice and authority, "Under the War Clause created by the association between the Elementalists Association and the Beast Summoner Guild, any form of unsolicited attack from an organization or grouped entities to any member, especially those at the top, would be considered as a provocation that attempts to undermine the power and authority of these two associations. Hence, it would be considered as an invitation for war and these two associations would respond accordingly...."
The captain continued reciting what was on the documents. The more that the U.N. Peacekeepers listened the more that their heart sank. It was as if they were hearing their verdict -- the sentence of their lives and how it would end.
One did not want to be part of the imprisonment that was mentioned and shouted shakily, "But we were just ordered by our superior! We have no choice but to follow!"
The captain briefly paused. She gave the man a sharp look with the latter cowering in fear.
"Under War Clause Section 4, all those involved in the attack will be punished accordingly. There are no exceptions."
The captain continued where she left off without batting an eye to the soldier who asked earlier. There was deep regret and resentment towards his commander and the higher-ups.
F*ck them!
Of course, this feeling was felt by the other soldiers. They were not at all expecting this outcome, so they were regretful and resentful. There was a horrible miscalculation.
As for commander Bran, he was aware of the consequences. It was just that he felt ashamed that what he considered as his elite soldiers would act foolishly and shamelessly.
What happened to their honor as soldiers?
It was pathetic.
Meanwhile, Can and Tin's family and friends were tended by the medical team. Some of them were seriously injured, but thankfully it was not life-threatening.
When Pete made sure that everyone was safe, he went to both Can and Tin to check up on them. "How do you feel Can?"
"I feel fine," he then touched his belly as he looked down. With a smile, he said, "They're fine too."
Pete nodded, "We'll still conduct exams just to make sure, is that okay?"
Can nodded. "Thanks Pete."
Pete sighed with relief as he turned to Tin.
"I'm fine."
That was it. He did not mention about his condition that he cannot conjure his magic powers at all. His spiritual root and spiritual core were now empty. From a Supreme Ruler to a mere mortal. Although it was somewhat shocking for him and certainly took a blow on his mentality, he thought if this was the prize he had to pay for saving Can, he would do it again without hesitation. He was willing to die for him and being alive right now was a true blessing.
Pete then remembered that Can conjured the legendary healing spell, that even his ancestors could not perform, onto Tin!
His excitement went through the roofs, but he kept himself calm. "We should still perform examinations to make sure nothing's wrong."
Tin nodded once.
With that being said, Pete went back to help the others and check up on them.
After the cleanup and arrests, the defeated U.N. Peacekeepers were put to prison. Within weeks, the members would be tried and sentenced. Commander Bran was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. Without the support of the military and the losing confidence of people in the U.N. after the news spread regarding the indiscriminate attacks on the two Supreme Rulers. There was, of course, the exposed corruption. The U.N. was reformed and it removed those who were involved. Although, it was B.S.G and the E.A. that were considered as the strongest organization compared to the U.N. the two did not interfere or control it.
A few months would then pass. Everything was somewhat stable and went back to normal. Of course, not everything was the same.
In the mansion that was by the beach, inside the kitchen where cooking was happening, Can could feel them kicking in his stomach that was the size of a basketball. He certainly looked odd-looking as a pregnant man. He thought it would just be any other day so he did not mind it. He continued to stir the pot. He was making some ancient medicinal soup that apparently would help with Tin's condition. Different healing methods, ancient recipes, and magic were used to attempt to return Tin's natural magical state. No avail.
Of course, Can was hopeful. He cannot give up his husband who has sacrificed a lot for him. He wished that he could do more for Tin.
Sighing, he tried to taste the soup that was in the pot as he rub his belly.
"Bleh!"
"That was really bitter," he complained. He continued adding more ingredients into the concoction to balance the taste. Then he would stir.
The kicking continued, but it was becoming more persistent, and it started to hurt more.
Finally, a loud thump!
Can's breathing became irregular. The stirring spoon on his hand was dropped as he tried to stabilize himself by putting both of his hands on the table counter.
He thought that he might be going into labor.
"TIN! TIN!" he shouted. "I'm going into labor!"
Tin, who was in his office, heard the shout echoed. He was in a meeting online. Quickly, he dropped everything, not even saying goodbye to those in the meeting.
With the phone in his hand, he called Pete.
"Hello, Tin. What's the matter?"
"It's Can. I think he's going into labor."
There was panic in Tin's voice.
"I'll head there immediately!"
"Thank you," Tin said as he hung up.
Running towards the kitchen, Tin held Can by the shoulders to support him.
"How are you feeling?"
"It hurts Tin," Can winced as he clenched his hands. Beads of sweat came falling down from his forehead.
"It's alright, Pete would be here in a bit. Lie down first," Tin said gently hiding his own panic.
Can just nodded as he held onto Tin.
Automatically, Tin carried Can and laid him down in their bed.
"Take deep breaths," he said.
Can listened and he did as he was told while holding Tin's hand. He looked him straight into his eyes as he did so.
"I'm coming in, Tin and Can!" Pete shouted as he hurried to go inside the bedroom. There was an instant teleportation device dedicated to emergencies given only to Pete.
"Alright, just as what we have practiced, Can, and we'll be fine, alright?" Pete said as he laid down his instruments and other necessary equipment for labor.
Taking deep breaths Can nodded.
The pregnancy for men occurs differently from that of a woman. In Can's case, well, he was certainly a unique case. He was a Supreme Ruler and he could break natural law with the wave of a hand. It was not a surprise that the way he would go into labor would be different. Thankfully through various tests, Pete and his medical team were able to have a glimpse of what could potentially happen in the laboring process.
In men's case of pregnancy, they would usually develop extra organs that would help them facilitate their pregnancy. As where the baby usually comes out? The anus.
For Can, on the other hand, it was not the case. The twins inside of him were enveloped in a somewhat malleable crystalized substance. It was like jelly but the texture was like that of a crystal.
During the past weeks, Pete and his team have observed that these jelly-like crystal structures would pass Can's stomach then go back in. There were no holes or wounds whatsoever that could be seen on the stomach after. It did not really hurt according to Can. This would happen a couple more times and more frequently as his predicted due date became much closer.
From their observations, they could assume that the jelly-like crytal structures that were covering the twins would bring them by passing through Can's belly itself.
"Just take a deep breath Can and let your spiritual energy gently push the structures," Pete said as he utilized a soothing magic spell to ease the pain for Can.
It was no help as Can kept crying in pain as he grunted.
Why did no one tell him that giving birth would be so much painful in person! This would be the last time he'll give birth!
Slowly, those pieces of structure would come out of Can's belly. With it, one of the twin's feet would appear and wiggle.
"You have to keep pushing Can. Take deep breaths," Pete said.
Can would do as he was told. For Tin, he was unconsciously doing the same thing as Can. He was taking a huge air and then exhaling.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
It was somewhat a funny sight, but the only witnesses were too focused on the birth that was happening. They did not have the chance to witness this comedic expression from Tin.
From the outside, the once beautiful blue skies were filled with a brewing storm.
In front of the mansion, there was a distortion in the air: a portal.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The storm was ominous. The sky was painted in endless darkness like a black hole ready to swallow the entire earth and leave nothing behind. The gust of wind was howling like those of thousands of wolves, ready to devour anything on its way. Lightning comes down with ease like a normal rain but destructive as the bolts of the God Zeus. From calm to disturbed, the waves of the sea rose like mountains as they are about to swallow the land although as soon as they were about to hit the beach where the mansion stands, they would calm down as they got near the portal. That portal was in a shape of a solid sphere. It was white and small, but enough for a normal adult to fit in. As the storm began its destruction in the sea and the area surrounding the beach, the portal at its center was floating without care. It was not affected by the natural event. It was perfect and without specks. The situation with the mansion was similar. It was undisturbed by the storm's rambling. It was after all made of special materials able to withstand powerful attacks from Rainbow Grade Level 5. The storm was not even a mere tickle to it. From the portal, a white human figure would appear. As this "human" stepped out from the portal and began to set foot on the white sandy beach, her appearance became more apparent. The first thing that would be instantly noticed would be her long beautiful red hair floating freely and elegantly unbothered by the strong gust of winds. She has beautiful crimson eyes, red small lips, and petite stature. She was wearing a glossy red robe around her body. Her expression calm. Another figure showed up right next to her. "Maririn, are you sure about this?" sounding bored by the figure. It was a man. Same height and similar facial features as Maririn. Unlike, his twin sister, he has blonde short hair and blue eyes. He was slender but he certainly has more muscle compared to her. A handsome as well as beautiful just like his sister. A black cloak covered him. "It has to be done, Marco. Father's order," Maririn said as she began to walk towards the mansion. Marco sighed as he shrugged. "Whatever father wishes, we follow." He followed her twin sister with his arms around his head while whistling to a tune that was inaudible with the storm raging on. Inside the mansion, in contrast to the destructive storm outside, there was no sound to be heard. It was only Can making pained noises as he concentrated his energy on pushing the jelly-like crystal structure that covered the twins inside of him out. Although Can had gone through difficulties and various degrees of pain, this was on a whole new level. As he pushed, he glared at Tin. That bastard. Why could he not share his pain with him? They both made these two babies! It was just fair! Thankfully, the process did not take that long. Soon, the entire jelly-like structure including the twins came out from Can's stomach. When it floated in the air, Can slumped in bed. From frown, his brows finally relaxed. His breathing was normal but he felt tremendous fatigue that his eyelids felt so heavy like a brick that he wanted to close his eyes. He wanted to rest. The twins took a huge amount of spiritual energy from him that almost did not leave even a single drop of it. It was a good thing that Can has the ability to recover fairly quickly. In addition, Pete was there to help by providing Can with a spiritual energy potion as soon as he gave birth. While flying in mid-air, the jelly-like crystal structure began to shrink. It was absorbed by the twins themselves. After the structure was gone, the twins began crying as they slowly descended. Tin immediately raised both of his arms to get both of his babies. He could not explain his feelings as soon as he held them. The anxiety that filled him earlier were replaced by tremendous joy but at the same time fear. They seemed very fragile. Cute but fragile. Both of the twins were quite plump. Chubby cheeks. Chubby arms and legs. Their bellies are just as big as Buddha's belly himself. It was no wonder Can struggled so much. His kids could certainly devour a lot of energy, no question! He suddenly remembered the kids from Can's dimension when he was in a coma. Would they look the same as them? He shook his head and put it back of his head. They were only created by Can's mind. It was not real. "I want to see them. Both Kit and Kat," Can said as he raised his arms. Kit and Kat. That was the name that the two of them decided. Kit for their baby boy and Kat for their baby girl. "They're beautiful and healthy... and heavy," Tin said as he carefully handed both of the twins to Can. Since he lost his powers, his strength was just that of a mere human. The twins were heavy as a rock, but that did not prevent Tin from holding them both close to him and checking on them. He went to bed and lay next to Can. With Kit to his left and Kat to the other, Can began to cry with happiness seeing his twins finally up close. They were certainly wonderful little creatures. As his maternal instincts kicked in, he began to soothe them. He has experience of being a parent before since he had contracted beasts he took care of since their birth. An example would be Gucci. He grew up into a fine young man. Can let out a hymn and the twins stopped their cries. It was a beautiful picture. Both the parents and their newborn twins. They were all happy. Pete went to Can's side to check on the babies. With a drop of his spiritual energy, he checked the overall health and spiritual roots of the twins. Pete was worried about the twins since he was quite unsure how complicated the labor would be. He sighed in relief with a smile on his face afterward. They were fine after all. "Thank the gods...." Boom! The door to the bedroom opened with a powerful force. With it, a sudden burst of spiritual pressure was felt that even Can, the Supreme Ruler, felt chills. The effect was immediate for those who could not withstand the pressure as both Pete and Tin fell unconscious. The twins then began to cry. Can did not even feel their pressure in the beginning. As a Supreme Ruler, his senses would be, by far, the most superior compared to anyone in the world. He should have been able to detect them coming, but he was unable to. This was bad. It could mean one thing...They were perhaps stronger than him. "Sorry, for the intrusion in your very intimate family moment!" Marco said with a slight bow. There was a smile on his face. He felt awkward all of a sudden as he scratched his head. Can held both Kit and Kat tighter. His eyes both looked cautiously at the intruders. He knew that both Tin and Pete were mostly unconscious due to the pressure from them. He was quite surprised that his twins were unaffected by the sudden release of pressure. Perhaps these two intruders only targeted him and the others. His breath stayed still. What did they want? "Who are you and what do you want from us?" Can said while eyeing the two. They looked uncannily similar with both of their facial features. Twins?
He did not have time thinking about these things as he spilled pressure as well into the room. He was not someone who could be easily intimidated. At the same time, with a bit of spiritual energy, he covered Tin, Pete, and the twins with a protective barrier to prevent the pressure from affecting them. When the pressure was released by Can, both Maririn and Marco also felt chills. They put themselves on guard although they did not make any changes in their movements. They stood still. They cannot show weakness as their father taught them to do. So, this was the Supreme Ruler. "I'm Marco and this is my twin sister, Maririn," Marco said as he pointed at Maririn. "Well... we're here too..." Marco could not say it. He was not actually sure how to say that they were here to steal their newborn children. He could only side-eye his sister hinting her for help. "We're here to take our land back," Maririn said. Her face devoid of emotions unlike her twin brother, Marco. "And what does it have to do with me for you to rudely barge into my house?" Can said. His brows frowned. "It has nothing to do with you, but with your newborn children," Maririn said as she pointed at the twins. "What?" Can jolted. His heartbeat rose. What do they want with his children? Who the hell are these people?This was a quite dangerous situation. He could fight them but he was not sure how long he could last. Based on his initial observation, these two could be on the same level as him. He was barely recovering, so he was already in a disadvantage. In addition, if Can did fight them, he would endanger his family who was in this room. "We will be taking them." Maririn continued. "The God Beast Emperor decrees it."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It felt like a bolt of heavy lightning striked Can throughout his entire body. Goosebumps was felt all over.
"The Beast God... Emperor?" he stammered.
The beast gods were powerful beings that existed way before human civilization has begun. They were the ones that taught the first beast summoner of magic skills and onto the humans. They were the ones that created magic itself. They were magic itself.
Everything was rooted from them. They were gods. And they were ruled by the Beast God Emperor.
To this day, their very existence was still a mystery. Everyone thought of it mostly as a myth, but Can knew. He knew the truth. The First Beast Summoner told him the story of their existence although he did not reveal why the beast gods left the dimension. It would only be the First Beast Summoner; the imprisoned God of Mischief, Pond; and other beasts would be left. Eventually Can became the dimension's guardian.
Seeing how Can reacted, the twins realized that Can knew of their existence. They gave a meaningful gaze at one another.
"So, you're already aware of his existence?" Marco asked curiously.
Can slowly nodded.
"Then you must be aware of what HE is capable of..."
"But what does he need from my children?" Can asked holding Kit and Kat tighter.
"We need to harness their power to destroy the curse created by an evil traitorous witch of ours," Maririn answered. At least she thought that this person deserved to know what they were going to do with them after taking them away.
"A good cause," she said.
Those words triggered Can.
"What do you mean... a good cause!?" he whispered. He was shocked by those words. That emotion changed into rage.
"You want to take away my family from me for your own gain? You just expect me to let you do that!?" Can shouted. He found it ridiculous and infuriating how these two just barged in and thought that he was just willing to take his children away willingly.
Maririn pointed at Can. "We gave you humans our essence. The gift of magic that helped you grow into a powerful and successful society. We handed it to you, for the betterment of your kind. Now, we're asking for help. A small sacrifice on your part."
"You just expect me to agree? Are you insane?" Can roared. He did not care about the gift of magic they gave the humans. They could take it away for all he cares! His spiritual pressure further burst, but it did not affect the twins, at least they did not show that they were affected.
Can's anger filled him. Just because they were beast gods did not mean he would let them do whatever they wanted.
Maririn calmly stated, "We're not expecting you to agree at all, Can Rathavit. We'll take them by any other means possible."
"You have to go through me then," Can said. He had no choice but to fight. Although he knew that he might lose, he has to give it all. Why was there always problem after problem?
Can knew that he could not fight in this mansion. It was too dangerous. He needed another location to fight.
"I thought so too," Maririn whispered.
The twins moved. As they were about to approach Can with a step forward, their surroundings changed. In a blink of an eye, they were in a different area. Another dimension.
Lush greenery. Ancient buildings. Beasts of various forms living in harmony. Strong spiritual energy. A quick glance and they knew. They immediately felt familiar and connected to it. It was Alethran. Their home. The homeland that was forced to be abandoned due to a powerful curse that even their father could not destroy.
Marco shivered. "Maririn!"
"I know!" Maririn said with irritation.
They could not stay here. This place they call home was now cursed. Any beast god who entered and touched by the black mist would be cursed which would lead to misfortunes and ultimately death. It was described that as soon as the black mist touched a part of your body, it would mark the end of your doom. That curse would slowly consume the life force and spiritual energy of the victim until nothing was left. A curse that must be avoided at all cost even by the most powerful beast god.
But Maririn was given an important mission by his father. He could not fail him or else it would cause the beast gods their lives. They may or may not have another chance to take the children. This was a golden opportunity since Can was at his most vulnerable.
"We'll have to take him down with our full power," Maririn said. They have to do it as soon as possible. The moment they were detected by the curse, it would be disastrous. It was a gamble. If the two of them use both of their full power, they could overwhelm Can immediately.
"But...," Marco hesitated.
"We have no choice and very little time Marco. We can't go home empty-handed," she said. They have to complete their mission. They must!
In front of them, Can was standing up. He was not holding his children.
"Where..." Maririn frowned.
Can has decided to let his summoned beasts hide them somewhere within the dimension where they could be safe. He separated them both as well just to make it harder for his enemies just in case he failed. He could not just leave them in the mansion in case these two had backups. There were too many risks in doing so. Tin could not fight anymore. Pete would only be overpowered within seconds. No one that he knew could match them. It was just him and his summoned beasts.
With him, he summoned his most powerful beasts and integrated their skills and pieces of armor onto him: Valkyrie's spear, Satan Morroc's armor, Amdarias boots, Detale's helmet, etc. Of course, he wore the strongest shield known to mankind: Guyak Shield. He still was not sure if this was enough.
"They're here. Both of them scattered in the opposite direction," Marco said. There was a mysterious symbol that illuminated a blue color as clear as the vast ocean on his forehead. It was a "V" sign that has a dot in the middle.
"Change plans. I'll distract him, find them," Maririn said as she eyed Can within his helmet.
Marco opened his mouth and closed it again. He then firmed himself and went away to find the children.
Can was about to give chase when Maririn came close. Her cloak flutters and her flaming sword with her right hand. She made a vertical slash. Can raised his shield and blocked. She was quick!
Marco got away quite fast like a whirlwind.
"Damn it," Can muttered angrily.
With his spear, he went ahead and traded blows with Maririn. He did not think he could easily slip away from Maririn. So, he went ahead and fought her.
Unfortunately, as they went on Can could certainly feel that he was losing. It was expected since he has not fully recovered yet. Although this might be the case, he was not the one to easily give up.
Wherever the two of them land, huge explosions of debris, cloud of dusts, and tremors were felt. The beasts were shaken in fear as they flee the battle. Can was a Supreme Ruler. He was the most powerful in the world. As for Maririn, she was considered the strongest fighter among the beast gods. Although Can was putting a fight, Maririn was not breaking a sweat. Her full might was staggeringly strong. Stronger than anyone Can have faced. It was only thanks to the Guyak Shield that he could still stand this long. If it were not for it, he was certain to die a long ago.
On Marcos's side, he sensed where one of the babies was located. It was inside of some cave filled with defensive and offensive spell traps. Luckily, this was his expertise. Still, he cautiously entered and disabled them one by one. The devil minion beasts called Deviruchis inside the cave panicked. They were all experts in spell traps and for someone to easily remove them, they felt shamed and fear. The three small devils with their small pitchforks the size of a normal fork made a promise to Can that they will protect the child no matter what. And so they will.
Soon, Marco reached the end of the cave without even sweating. He found the three small devils. Small wings like a bat behind their backs fluttering. Their pointy ears wiggling. Small hands that were even shorter than the baby they were protecting. The pitchforks they held were pointed at him. They were certainly cute and he would not even think that these three would be the ones who created those complex spell traps that he unraveled.
The three devils made a move against him trying to penetrate Marco with their pitchforks but the difference in their powers was like heaven and earth. With a wave of Marcos's hand, the three devils fell. They were not dead. Only knocked out. Marco was not the murdering type, unlike his sister. They were polar opposites. He was the kind one, Maririn as the cruel one. He was the more casual one, his sister as the serious one. Even though this was the case, they were very close. They care for one another. His sister cares for him too much that she would shield him from anyone who tries to harm or criticize him. She would carry the burden for both of them. No wonder father was always disappointed in him. He tried to be like his sister, but he was not like her. He was comfortable with the way he was.
With the three devils out of the way, Marco picked up the baby who was covered in now a dirty piece of white linen. The baby cried.
Marco observed the baby and felt guilty. He tried to calm the baby, but he could not do it. Although he felt awful about this, it was a necessary thing to do. This was for the survival of the god beasts. His people.
He left the cave, but before he could move to track the other baby, he felt a sudden chill behind his back. With sharp reflexes, he jumped away and looked behind him while keeping the baby in his arms. It was the black mist!
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----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Where did it come from?" Marco frowned. His body shook from fear. He only heard the black mist from the stories. The black mist destroyed everything. The mist that the goddess of curses created. The traitorous witch. Athena was already dead, but her power lingered still striking fear in the living beast gods.
All of the hatred and power that Athena put into the curse could be felt in its dark clouded form. Within it, endless darkness. No light could pass through it. Anything on its way seemed to be eaten whole. It was slowly expanding on the ground towards Marco. Somehow, Marco could hear the voices of agony. The voices of helpless souls who were in damnation.
Someone help! Help us! Kill me! End it!
Were they just tricks in his head or were they actual real voices? Were they the voices of the fallen beast gods?
Soon, the black mist stopped. It retreated and then formed itself into a human form but it was just pure blackness. The inside was like smoke flowing in many directions. No facial features or any that made it look human. Just the form itself.
The black mist just stood up in Marcos' direction. It did not move. Although there were no visible eyes, it seemed to stare directly at him. Judging. Looking deeply into his sins.
Marco felt chilled.
There was no time to think. He must get away. No time to confirm how powerful the black mist was or if it was the black mist. If he get caught by it, if it was the infamous black mist, then that was it for him.
From the stories, the cursed black mist has the power to devour the power of the Beast God eventually killing the victim. It liked to play on the victim's emotions by showing the most painful memory or anything that the victim fears the most. The more that the victim felt agony, the longer the torture; the more the black mist has its fun. Marco would not want to experience it.
Although Marco wanted to leave the dimension immediately, he still has to find the other baby. How fast was the black mist? Marco was decently fast. One of the top five fastest beast gods. He was not quite sure how fast he could escape but if the situation became worse, then he would have to leave.
After a quick glimpse at the black mist still in its human form and that it was not moving, Marco left and sped up to locate the other baby. The baby in his arms did not stop crying.
"Sorry, little one," Marco whispered bitterly. He thought that this would be one of the worst things that he had done in his life. Unfortunately, his guilt was overcome with resolve. It must be done no matter what.
Through the use of his spiritual energy, he was able to pinpoint where the other baby was located. He left spiritual marks on both of them back at the mansion the moment he saw them since he has determined that the separation could happen. Can was certainly not the one to be underestimated. Still, the supreme ruler of this world was no match to Maririn. If it was during the era of prime for the beast gods, the supreme rulers would be considered as jokes. Too bad, the beast gods were now in an era of decline.
They must return to their homeland as soon as possible.
As he passed by different terrains, although it was vague, he could certainly sense the familiarity and connection with the land. The lush greenery, the high mountains covered with white clouds, the pure lake of the water dragon, the river of the sacred vermillion fish, and many more landmarks important to the beast gods. They were all there. They were filled with other beasts but no beast gods to guide them. How did these lowly beasts feel when their gods have left them? Were they saddened? Happy? Angry? Perhaps it did not matter anymore. It has been thousands of years since the beast gods left their lands. How would they react if they see him, a beast god? Would they revere him and welcome him back? Or would they consider him as an invading foreigner?
The beasts that live here were not immortals like the beast gods. They must be the new generations of beasts living here. Most likely they have forgotten about their existence.
Shaking his head, Marco continued as the beasts around him scattered. His presence was too strong that it caused fear to the nearby beasts that they could only run away from him.
Soon, he has arrived at the location where the other target was located: the heavenly palace.
Memories came flooding in. His first time entering the palace. His father took his sister's hand while his mother took his. Father's ascension to the throne. The lively activities within the palace with beast gods of different ranks came in. The lavish gifts, parties, and games during his childhood. All the happy memories before everything fell apart were in this palace.
What was in front of him now was only the remnants of that glorious era. The buildings were abandoned and dilapidated. The gates already have fallen apart and were covered in vines. The once adorned buildings next to the palace were now empty and only filled with holes and destruction. The vines and other plants have invaded the palace halls and pillars.
As he entered the palace, he could not sense a living soul within. Perhaps the beasts already felt his presence and left. Sensing his surroundings, he could pinpoint that the baby was within the palace. Perhaps, the caretakers of the baby put a spell on themselves so that they would not be detected. It was unfortunate to them since they were going against a beast god. Spells beneath his level could be easily detected and dispelled.
With a wave of his hand, he searched for traps and spells that might be used around the palace. He found them easily and destroyed them.
He continued his search with the baby still in his arm crying.
"You'll meet your other twin soon enough," he said with a smile while patting the baby's cheek.
After securing the palace, he proceeded deeper inside where the twin was located. Finally, he arrived at the center of the palace. The center of the rule of his father. Just like the outside, the condition of the inside was nothing better. It was somewhat dark inside but the daylight has penetrated parts of the ceilings of the main palace hall. The vines and other plants have destroyed the wooden flooring and the pillars could not be seen as they were covered by these vines. The same goes for the throne. From the red cushioned seat and sturdy wooden throne chair made from the rarest material, it was nothing more but a piece of old wood. Its former self was destroyed and only a piece of its leg was left.
The baby was there in front of the throne seat surrounded by another three devilings.
He was going to approach them when all of a sudden, from his peripheral, someone was standing by one of the vine-covered pillars. Although it was somewhat dark inside, Marco could still sense the form within the shadows. It was the black mist.
Marco maneuvered and flipped back away from the shadow. His calmness outside was betrayed by the feeling inside. He was unable to feel its presence. What did that mean? It could mean that there was no spiritual energy present within the mist or that it was stronger than him. The first reasoning was impossible since the black mist itself was magic. Magic uses spiritual energy. That was fundamental.
It could only mean the second and that truly frightened him. Should he leave right now knowing this fact or should he continue with his mission and then leave?
He side-eyed the baby. Just within reach. It would only take less than 5 seconds to do so. Take out the devilings then snatch the baby.
From the baby, he looked at the human form of the black mist. It has not left its position by the pillar but he could feel it looking at him.
Was it... protecting the baby? No, there was no way. The black mist was created to curse the beast gods the moment it touched them. That was its only purpose and nothing else.
There was no time. He must take action now and leave!
While being wary of the existence of the black mist, Marco acted and took out the three devilings with a wave of his hand. Afterward, he was going to snatch the baby.
As soon as he was about to grab the baby with his hand, the black figure was bending right next to him as well as mimicking him as if also grabbing the baby.
Marco's eyes widened as he backed away quickly. The black mist stayed in the same position. It was bending and looked as if grabbing the baby. It did not move any further.
Marcos shook as his breath became irregular. He raised his shaking right hand and observed it.
He was sure that he was touched by the cursed black mist.
===
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----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter 126 - Twin's Curse and Gift
Marco was sure that the black mist touched him. He felt it. The darkness that would consume him, it was there.
His body trembled. Was it the mark of his end?
He shook his head flicking the beads of sweat. No one has encountered or seen the cursed black mist in a long time. Perhaps it has weakened since curses feed on its host or goals. Since Alethran was abandoned by every beast god after the curse was unleashed, the curse itself should have been destroyed after a long time without a host to feed on. For it to survive this long, it must be certainly a powerful curse but it should have weakened by now. Still, it should have died a long time ago... unless there was a beast god living in this dimension. That was impossible. Only low-ranking beasts lived here and the supreme ruler is not a beast god.
Marco took a deep breath, he felt a little better with his conclusion. He clanged to that idea and ignore the other possibility.
As for the situation that he was in, how was he to deal with it? The man of the black mist was not moving. He was still in a bending position over the baby. As for the baby, well, it was still crying.
He must get the other baby no matter what. He already have one. Completion of the mission was a top priority.
Slowly he walked towards the baby and the cursed mist. Every step he took somewhat echoed in the already haunting palace main hall.
Still, no movement from the mist. What was it planning?
This time, Marco took a precaution. From his surroundings, he took in spiritual energy. It was wonderful. Absorbing spiritual energy in this dimension was much easier compared to the dimension that the beast gods went to. It was also plentiful compared to the ever-so drying spiritual energy resource from the other dimension. No wonder the beast gods were dying!
The spiritual energy in this dimension was very pure. It gives life to the very veins. It what gives power. To have life. It was so natural and it made him feel powerful.
With the refreshed power, he covered himself with magical barriers. He would hope that this would allow him to repel any of the cursed mist's attempts to touch him. Although he was touched already earlier, he did not feel any form of retaliation from the mist. There was a sense of much relief in him doing this.
Soon he was a step away from the shadow. Still, no movement from the shadow.
Marco did not say anything. He did not want to. He was afraid that the moment he says something, it could trigger the black mist to do something. There was even something sinister if this black mist in its human form start talking.
He bent right next to the human shadow and was careful not to touch any of its parts. His movements were quick. Bent then grabbed the baby then jumped away from the shadow. He was not paying attention to the twins that he now has but to the shadow that still bent. No movements from it.
Sighing in relief, he stepped away slowly as he still observed the shadow. As soon as he turned around, he began to run speedily to the exit of the main hall and away from the palace to meet his sister. He did not know that as soon as he left the main hall, the shadow has disappeared as well.
On the main battlefield, Can was huffing badly. Cuts, bruises, and a few broken ribs were received from the battle against Maririn. Even with the Guyak shield, Can was still in an unfortunate state. The Guyak shield requires a lot of spiritual energy and Can was barely supporting it. This woman was also just too strong.
Another round of exchanging blows happened and this time Can was thrown off balance. He flew and landed on the ground causing tremors in the surrounding area. Piles of dirt splattered causing a vast dust smoke.
Can still managed to stand up but barely. It was becoming much harder to trade blows with his opponent. Aside from minor wounds, Maririn did not seem to break a sweat at all.
Thankfully for Can, the abundance of pure spiritual energy in the Beast God Dimension allowed him to recover at a faster rate and still hold the Guyak shield. If it was not for Maririn's delays of attack, he would have probably been defeated already.
He could not give up yet. He still had to protect his newborn twins. There was no way he would allow them to take his kids!
Can grunted. With the skills he absorbed from his contracted beasts, he reapplied defensive spells on himself. He noticed that Maririn was able to dispel all of his defensive spells with her sword. As soon as her sword touches any part of his armor or weapon, except for the Guyak shield, Can's defensive spells were gone. This made him more vulnerable causing him to get more serious injuries. Unfortunately, he could not fully avoid the sword even with the help of the Guyak shield. Maririn was very adept at using that sword she possess. He wondered if it was a mythical weapon.
Every attack Maririn makes, the Guyak shield had to absorb more spiritual energy from Can to protect him. Can could not afford to give the shield a sudden burst of spiritual energy or else he would risk losing every ounce of spiritual energy in his body. That could be very dangerous for him.
Raising his Valkyrie's lance on top of the Guyak shield on his left arm, he gained momentum and flew straight to Maririn to pierce her. He was desperate. Reasoning was fading. Weary from the battle against a strong opponent. Tired from not having peace and constant battle. It was only his determination that was firm. Determination to protect his family.
"Are you stupid?" Maririn was slightly surprised by Can's action. They both know that this direct tactic would not work anymore as it was already tried before yet why would Can attack her this way again?
Whatever deception it was, it would not work on her. She was not worried at all. She was more worried about her twin. Does Marco require her aid? Was he in some kind of trouble?
Can's lance met with Maririn's fiery sword. She easily deflected the attack as she twisted to slash Can's head. Can was fast as he raised his shield to block the attack. Maririn frowned. Too fast.
How was it that Can's reaction has not slowed but became faster?
This person most likely had some kind of trick up his sleeve. Still, this did not stop Maririn from her offensive. With an opening created within less than a second as the sword clanged against the shield and the lance extended upward, Can's torso was exposed. With her right knee, she hit his stomach. Since she managed to dispell the defensive spells on Can when she hit his lance with her sword, just the raw power of Maririn's hit from her knee managed to make a dent in Can's body armor.
She looked at Can in the eyes. She suddenly shivered.
Those eyes... Very similar to him. Like a lion about to feast on its prey. It was too fierce just like the former beast god emperor. It felt like he was willing to sacrifice everything to kill her. That was the most dangerous person one should be afraid of.
Maririn retreated quickly from a safe distance. She composed herself as the person in front of her threw up blood and began to fall to the ground again.
It was an illusion. There was nothing to be afraid of from this person. He already lost.
As soon as Can hit the ground, Maririn thought that it would be the end of it. She sheathed her sword and faced the direction where his brother went. As she was about to leave to locate his brother, she sensed something behind her.
Instinctively, she drew her sword Dragon's Breath, and met the opponent's weapon. It was Can. He was fast. Quite fast for someone in his condition.
How was he able to do it? How was he adapting? Too fast. He was on the ground just a minute ago. She looked down. There was someone still lying on the ground in the smoke of dust. She could still distinguish that it was Can.
Was this a decoy?
She snorted. "Do you think this petty trick of yours would work?"
As she clashed with "Can" another person came behind her to attack. From her peripheral vision, she could confirm that it was another "Can."
Clones.
She turned. As she did so, she made a slashing action with her sword horizontally. The force was powerful that the first clone in front of her flew a few steps back in the air.
The second clone reacted quickly as he raised his shield but Maririn could read his movements so she teleported behind him and then thrust her fiery sword through his chest. The second clone jolted after being pierced by the sword's end.
The clone looked at the other one and whispered inaudibly, "brother...."
He fell to the ground. Dead.
The first clone stopped moving for a moment and then charged.
Meanwhile, Maririn was still figuring out as to why the clone has not disappeared. Usually, they will disappear into a puff of smoke after being defeated.
It did not matter. They were annoying but could easily be dealt with.
The attack of the first clone was fierce but Maririn could see that it was sloppy. There was full of openings that could be easily exploited.
She did not want to waste any more time, so she increased the amount of spiritual energy in her sword to overwhelm the first clone.
"Ahh... another Beast God."
Maririn shivered once again. It was not from fear but from the sheer creepiness of how the words were said. Was it another clone?
She reacted fast, she turned and made a slashing movement behind her.
There was nothing. No clone.
Who was that?
"Maririn! I have them both. We should leave now!" It was Marco. He stopped in his tracks as he raised both of the twins for Maririn to see.
Maririn’s eyes widened. It was not because of the twins. It was due to something more sinister. She did not even budge when the other clone was about to pierce her with his lance.
Standing beside Marco, there was a black mist formed into a human.
It was smiling at her.
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----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
A white smile. A grinning wide smile from the human mist. Maririn was sure that it was the cursed black mist. It was Athena's revenge against her own people.
The traitor's sacrifice.
It was behind her brother waiting and mocking. Challenging her.
The black mist in a form of a man has its hands behind its back. Was it truly the cursed mist that the gods feared? Has it already have its brother under its curse? Does she even understand how the curse works?
Her focus on the black mist was quite intense that she did not even realize that she was stabbed and that she was bleeding from it. It was not a terrible wound since her opponent was below her level. It was nothing but a mere scratch.
The 1st clone of Can stopped from his tracks when he saw that his attack did not do much even though he put a quarter of his overall spiritual energy into his it. He quickly retreated a good pace away. This person was certainly on a different level. She did not seem to be bothered as she just stood in mid-air.
She did not look at him. It was as if he was insignificant. A passing wind. Noting. Invisible.
Still, that did not stop him from attacking. If a quarter of strength was not enough, then he would be using almost all of his spiritual energy. He quickly collected his remaining spiritual energy into one offensive attack. He could die from this attack, but this was his only opportunity. While this woman was distracted, he would kill her.
As the spiritual energy flowed from his body into his lance, his surroundings seemed to vibrate. The intensity was immense like a mountain about to break. The lance felt heavy in his arms due to the amount of spiritual energy he infused it with. It was also due to the fact that almost all of his spiritual energy within his body was gone.
He must act now while he has a chance.
Taking a deep breath as beads of sweat fell from his forehead, he leaned back and stretched his right hand behind him that was holding the lance to gain momentum. Like an arrow released from its bow, he threw his lance to his target. It was as fast as lightning with a force so destructive that it could shatter any landscape. It was so fast that even he could not even track it.
"For my brother," he said.
The lance hit its target. It did not miss, but it did not kill.
Eyes widening, the first clone could only whisper, "Impossible..."
The girl with the red hair has her left hand extended. She was gripping the pointy end of the lance with it. The power and force of the lance that was imbued with most of the first clone's spiritual energy were still raging. Yet, even if this was the case, Maririn was holding it like it was some kind of toy.
As soon as it was held, she then easily redirected it away from her. Like a passing wind. Harmless. Nothing but a mere breeze.
When the lance was redirected, it landed in one of the mountains. Its thunderous intense strike caused the mountain to be flattened. All of the creatures living on it were now ashes.
The first clone was unable to speak. He was shocked. Just what kind of monster was she?
The fatigue finally sat inside him. As the last drop of his strength disappeared, he fell to the ground. He was conscious but he did not have the strength to get back up. It was only thanks to his will that he was still awake.
Tears fell from his eyes. He failed his brother. He failed to avenge him. They were mere flies to a predator.
"I'm sorry...," he whispered.
Maririn did not care about the state of "Can." She was not bothered by him to begin with. It was the black mist that bothered her.
The black mist was certainly planning something. She was not even aware that this curse has consciousness, to begin with.
She must eradicate it, if she could even do that to begin with.
The black mist stood there behind her brother still smiling.
How was his brother unable to realize its presence?
No time for discussion, his brother was in trouble!
"Marco!" Maririn shouted.
Marco did not question her. It was like an instinct to him as they both switched places instantly. She must have noticed something was wrong. They have a special trick unique to both of them. If in trouble, they could easily switch places if they are within close range with one another.
When they traded places, Maririn was facing the black mist that was still smiling already facing her. Was it able to determine that they were actually switching places?
"Phoenix Fire!" she raised her hand close to the mist's face.
The strongest and the purest form of fire: Phoenix Fire. It was a Mythical grade technique that could cleanse any form of evil. That includes malicious curses.
This technique was handed down to her from her father. She was considered as the sword of the empire.
From her hand, a small phoenix formed. It's color vibrant grayish blue. Despite its grayness, it was blinding like the sun. Extending its wings, the phoenix grew larger to the point in which it could engulf the evil black mist. It was roaring like it was about to devour everything on its path. As it began to spread, its power grew stronger. For Maririn, this purest form of fire was the hardest spell to control. Even his father was unable to master it in his prime. The Phoenix Fire was raging ready to devour everything. Yet as it spread its fire and consumed a large portion of the land around it, the trees and other plant materials remained. They did not turn into ashes, for the Phoenix Fire's purpose is to destroy evil. Maririn's target was the malicious black mist.
The fire engulfed the man in clouded black mist. It was vicious.
Maririn felt some kind of relief for a bit. She was going to put an end to the curse that plagued her people for too long. The purest fire that was past down to her would be destroying the curse of the traitorous witch.
Her father warned her not to engage with the black mist if ever she meets it. He tried to destroy it but he was unable to. The curse was just too powerful. His failure in this mission became one of his biggest shame. It just caused a further rift in an already fragile empire of Beast Gods. His supporters were dissatisfied. His enemies became much bolder.
Maririn would put an end to this curse then unite and save her people.
After some time, she finally let go. The amount of spiritual energy that was consumed was just tremendous. She had to take deep breaths as if she was gasping for air. Blood dripped from her mouth. Sweat covered her entire body. She felt somewhat weak. Still, the relief was there.
That curse should have been destroyed by now...
"He..he...he..."
It was a slow forced inhuman laugh.
It made Maririn weak. She shivered.
"That's not possible," she whispered.
Immediately, Marco stood next to her.
"We must go now! I've opened the portal," Marco said while holding the twins in both arms.
Maririn was in shock still, so Marco had to drag her.
"It should've disappeared, Marco," she said as she stared at the black figure still smiling at her. The black mist was left unscathed as if nothing happened.
"We got what we need, Maririn. Let's leave."
As soon as they were about to enter the portal, the man of the mist disappeared and reappeared just behind Marco. It was so quick that Maririn and Marco were unable to react.
The grin on the man of the black mist grew wider. His hand extended and touched Marco's right arm.
As soon as Marco's right arm was touched, he stopped from moving another step forward. The arm flailed down letting go one of the twins. It was Kat. As soon as Kat fell to the ground, a small hole in the ground appeared. It swallowed Kat then the hole disappeared.
"No!" Maririn shouted.
Unfortunately, she has no time to think about the baby. Her twin brother was in trouble. She must help him.
She saw it. The touch of the black mist that could kill.
"Marco!" she shouted.
"I... I can't move...," Marco said as he tried to struggle.
They were next to each other.
Maririn would just have to drag him to the portal with the twins.
Maririn dragged his brother by another arm. To her surprise, she could not move him at all. She used more spiritual power to drag him. No avail.
"No..no. You're coming with me!" Maririn panicked.
Seeing the situation that they were in, Marco could only weakly smile. It seemed that the black mist did get him.
"Take the other baby and leave," he said.
"No...," he whispered. "You're coming with me."
"Take her now! There's no time. Just leave me!" He was growing desperate, if she doesn't take this chance, she might also get dragged and get cursed.
Maririn shook her head as she increased the use of her spiritual energy to a dangerous level. Still, nothing.
Both of them began to cry.
"Leave me and take the baby," Marco just looked down.
"Marco..."
The man in black that was holding Marco's arm was just smiling.
"Go on, Maririn. Leave your twin brother to his suffering and ultimate death," it spoke.
"Or must I keep you both here?"
The twins shook. Was the black mist toying with them?
"Go on. I'll let you leave, while I still am in the good mood, but I'll keep your brother here for safekeeping. He...he...he," the black mist said tightening his grip on Marco.
Marco winced in pain, but he did not show it to his sister.
"Take the baby now and leave."
Maririn's lips quivered but she knew that she could not do anything against the black mist, "Take me instead of him."
"Ah!" the man of the black mist said amused.
"The heroic sibling! The protector and the sword of the Alethranian empire. Truly magnificent indeed... unlike the brother."
The smile on its face grew larger to inhuman size, "The useless one. The weak one. The disappointment. The one who would not amount to anything... he...he...he."
The black mist could use its victims' memories to stir their emotions. That the twins knew.
"Your father emperor despises the weak. You constantly wonder when he would approve of you or would it even matter if you prove yourself to him?"
"'My son is a disgrace. Why couldn't he be like his sister...'
"
"'If only Maririn was a man too, I wouldn't have any of this problem. I would have less gossipers behind my back and undermining my rule.'"
It was spoken by a familiar voice both Maririn and Marco knew. It was their father: the emperor.
Was it true? Or was it only a manipulation?
"Your father emperor only cared about his image and rule. You are merely tools. You already knew this deep within, yes? You just refuse to accept it."
"Liar!" Maririn shouted.
"Maririn, please. Just leave me here and take the baby," Marco interrupted with obvious pain he was trying to hide.
Was he in pain because he was being tortured physically or was it what the black mist said to them?
"He's clearly lying... father wouldn't say..."
"Maririn! There's no time!" Marco felt frustrated. He just wanted to, at least, protect his sister once. Whether what the black mist said was true or not, it did not matter to him. He just wanted to save his sister and fulfill the mission to save their empire. That was it.
Maririn bit her lips. She took the baby from his left arm and turned. "I'll return for you."
"Good! That's good! That's what I want you to do!" the black mist jumped in joy still holding Marco by his arm.
She glared at the black mist with a fist tensing and bleeding from the nails digging inside.
As soon as she entered, the portal closed.
Marco was left by himself. Alone with the curse to suffer.
"He...He...He..."
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As soon as Maririn left the Beast Gods' Dimension, she was teleported back to their world, Prontera, and landed in front of the palace gates through the portal. The night had now taken over and the sky was filled with bright twinkling stars. The Golden Dragon, the constellation of the northern sky, was especially bright tonight. Marco named it after their late uncle, a famed war general who died from the wrath of the Black Mist. Marco thought it befitting to honor his uncle in this way."One among the stars and heaven. Brighter and more honorable than the others," he said, pointing at the northern sky, his eyes reflecting the brightest stars among them."Even more than father?" she side-eyed him.Marco pursed his lips and remained silent."I want someone to name me after a constellation," he said, changing the topic. He stretched his arm towards the sky and turned around to scan all the stars."Why don't you do it yourself?" she asked, looking at the dark sky sprayed with dots of lights. She slowly pointed at the southern part of the sky."That would be my own constellation.""It's not the same," he replied, making some shape in the sky."A... tortoise shape?" He mumbled to himself, shaking his head, and then faced his sister with a bright smile."Someone who’d revere and respect me for my great accomplishments to the point that they would dedicate naming a constellation after me. That's how I want to be named.""They’d probably name you after some rock because you're as dumb as one," Maririn snarked.Marco's eye twitched. He spat on the grass and pointed at his sister. "Oh yeah! Well, at least, I'm named after something. Unlike you! Someone wouldn't even attempt to name you for anything."The two of them would bicker endlessly, ending up with bruises from fighting, not out of spite, but as a form of bonding with siblings."Open the gates! The princess is here!" shouted by one of the watchtower guards.The huge purple palace gates, marbled with the Fireborn clan's crest that has a huge purple phoenix with its wings spread out, opened. It took a couple of palace guards just to open the gates. Such display of power, ambition, and arrogance, much like her father, the Beast God Emperor.Gripping Kit by the blanket covering him, Maririn paused, closed her eyes, and a tear fell, streaking dirt down her face. A clear line from her left eye down to her cheek was visible."A sacrifice for the betterment of the kingdom," a mantra that Maririn told herself when faced with difficult challenges and her judgment being swayed.“A sacrifice for the betterment of the kingdom.””A sacrifice for…”Two soldiers in armor and spears approached her with hurried footsteps. They halted within a few steps from the princess. Rather than asking about the princess's well-being with her tattered clothing, wounds, bruises, and disheveled look that did not really befit a normal princess, they glanced at the baby she was holding. Their eyes widened as they let go of their spears."Princess.... is this the Savior?" one of the soldiers said as he stretched one of his arms towards the baby.The princess glared at him that it made the soldier quivered in place."My apologies princess," the other soldier bowed as he pulled the other soldier away from the baby.It was hard not to be distracted and be out of line from seeing the Savior.It was said according to the Beast God of Fate that a pair of twins from powerful beings in the mortal realm would save their kingdom from ruin. So the beast gods with the Beast God Emperor leading, made it their top priority to find these twins from different mortal realms. It's been more than a thousand years since the Fate made this declaration and the hunt for the Saviors. After hundreds, possibly thousands, of attempts, the Beast Gods have not found these saviors. Everyone started to wander if the Fate lied to them. Was it just a scheme for the current God Emperor to keep everyone in line and prevent rebellion?From unity in the kingdom, to a slow descent of chaos. Like a clear mirror showing the subtle wave of cracks after being used constantly until finally it would shatter. This was the current state of the kingdom of the God Beasts. A verge on collapse and chaos.Still, the god beasts still hoped. Everyone still hoped, to a degree, that they could have these saviors, so they could return to their own homeland and not this forsaken prison that was slowly killing them."Tell the God Emperor that I'm here with the true savior," she said gripping the baby tighter as Kit began to wail.---Beast Gods' DimensionCan groaned. There was an immense headache that had overcome him as he got up with shaking hands. When he opened his eyes, it felt like heavy boulders kept them from opening. His vision swayed and blurred. He wiped blood from his forehead and found a minor cut slowly healing on it. Everything felt slow. He was hearing a ringing sound with mumblings mixed around him.Blood soon dripped from his mouth. He was disoriented, but his body unconsciously tried to regulate his breathing and the absorption of spiritual energy. The abundance of spiritual energy in the Beast Dimension helped immensely with Can's slow recovery.Gradually, Can's senses came back. Around him, wounded little devils, Deviruchis, gathered, holding one of the twins: Kat.Can released a gasp from horror of seeing his child. The white blanket that covered her was spilled with blood. Can got up, but he has not recovered completely, so he fell on the mud and dirt that already covered his entire body. He didn't get up anymore but rather crawled towards her. He needed to be with her."Master, she's safe. Baby Kat is safe," one of the Deviruchi said as he handed the baby to Can.Can stretched his hands and took the baby in an instant. He held her close to him as if guarding him from those who would try to take her from him. Still, he enveloped her with his warmth.Tears fell from his eyes and despite the intensity of holding his baby, he was still gentle as he caressed the Kat's muddied cheeks. "My baby! My baby! My sweet baby. I'm glad you're safe. I'm really glad."Then it dawned on him.He looked around. His heart pounded in terror and eyes widened as he would flick his head from different directions to search for his other baby: Kit.The Deviruchis gave each other a glance as they bowed for the failure that they have brought their master."We're so sorry, Master. We tried to protect your babies, but they were too strong."Can let out a sudden burst of spiritual energy and it spread throughout the entire dimension in hopes to find his other baby. This was dangerous as his body was still not in a proper condition to move or use strong spells, but he did it anyway.The tears on his eyes were now tainted blood red. His eyes twitched from the strain and were being forced by his brain and body to stop and close them. He refused. He must find his other child or else...Or else what?His anger rose as his hope to find Kit in the dimension fell. The other feelings of frustration and defeat were further felt.They will pay...They will pay...They will pay...For the first time, a particular emotion that eluded inside Can has become prominent. His eyes glinted with pain and sorrow were enveloped with a killing intent. It was a sight that the beasts who had slowly gathered around Can did not want to see but to be expected with what had happened in the dimension.After he finished his worldwide scanning spell, his body almost gave out. His spiritual energy once again depleted and he spat out blood. He heaved in pain as he began regulating and absorbing spiritual energy. His baby began to cry.Soon, the beasts living within the dimension slowly gathered but maintained distance from Can. They were terrified. They could sense, for the first time, the killing intent of Can. It was only momentarily and stopped when Kat began to cry for his parent. Still, they could not help it.Within moments, the unknown creature of shapeless form appeared that terrified every beasts close by. It made them ran away."Let me help you with your pain," a voice echoed
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"I can help you with your pain."A heavy darkness of pain and emptiness of losing a child in his heart loomed over Can. That emptiness was so huge that it felt like a blackhole that could consume worlds and still that would not even be enough to fill it.Can raised his head. His vision was blurred and dark. He was unable to focus. Still, he held his child as if his life depended on her. Anger sipped and flooded him.Another enemy to finish the job?"I understand your pain," the man shrouded in black mist said with flashed teeth. The black mist that shrouded this person seemed to vibrate vigorously as compared to earlier."Who are you?" Can said with his jaw clenching and quivering.The black mist slowly bowed."I am not your enemy. I am your ally," he said.Can didn't say anything and gripped his baby much closer to him. The baby began to cry from being tightly wrapped by her parent."I understand the hesitation," he stood up straight, still maintaining that bright smile.Can wanted to use a defensive spell, but he was completely depleted. Regeneration was slow."To show you my sincerity, I have a small gift for you," the black mist said.His hand extended in the air and a portal was created.Reaching inside the portal it created, the black mist pulled a person from within. It was the beastgod Marco.Like some kind of trash, the black mist threw Marco on the floor right in front of Can. He was already unconscious but he was muttering incoherently while his brows frowned."He's..." Can whispered. His eyes were piercing cold towards the unconscious beastgod."Yes. One of your enemies," the black mist interrupted. "He's my gift."Can looked at the black mist. "Who are you and what do you want from me?""I am a curse meant to kill evil beast gods. I am the reason why all of them left."The black mist vibrated intensely once again as it pointed to itself. "I am the bringer of justice and death."Can did not understand what the black mist meant exactly."I need to fulfill my duty at punishing these beastgods but I am stuck in this realm. I need your help. I want you to bring me to them through him," he said pointing at Marco."I can help you bring justice to you. I can bring those who wronged you and your family. I just need a vessel." It was such a good opportunity to fulfill what he was created for.Can frowned as he looked down on his baby. He will get his revenge. Id did not matter how. Those beastgods will pay. His judgement and morality clouded."What kind of vessel," he whispered. They will pay.Another portal opened from thin air.The smile on the black mist's face grew larger as it faced the portal."An empty one."The black mist vanished but a voice echoed in Can's ears. "I'll be back when he's ready..."Tin rushed outside of the portal and looked for Can. As soon as he saw him in such a sorry state, his heart raced as he shouted, "Can! Can!"Following him were Pete, Ae, Kengkla, Techno, Tin's father, Master Khang, Can's mother and Ley. All of them were cautious and on guard.At the destroyed mansion where they left, a select force of elite members of the Beast Summoners' Guild, Elementalist Association, and allies were investigating and on standby.Tin did not know what to say at that moment as he went on his knees and wrapped his hands around him shakily.There was silence for a few moments. A small pause to take everything in.They both knew the awful news that would come next."Can? How are you feeling? What do you need from me? How's our twins?" Tin panicked especially when he heard Kat's muffled crying.As he looked towards Kat, he realized that she was suffocating! Can was holding her too close to his chest!"Can, let me hold her for Pete to check," Tin said with softness in his tone.Can did not answer. He was still tense.Tin looked into Can's eyes and reassured him. "I'm here, Can. It's okay."He reached out towards Kat but Can jolted holding Kat tighter."It's okay now Can. You're safe with me. She's safe," Tin reassured. In his mind, there was this sinking feeling that his other child had gone missing.Can although tensed, listened to him and let go of his tight grip on Kat."They took him... Tin... They took Kit," he said with lips quivering. Tears began to flow again."They took him..."Fist clenching, Tin pursed his lips momentarily with his eyes watery. "We'll get him back Can. I promise that. No matter what it takes, we'll bring him back."Pete rushed to their side and immediately checked on Kat to make sure that she was okay. He sighed with relief. There was nothing wrong with her aside from the dirt she got on her face.He nodded at Tin. "She's fine."Pete turned towards Can to check on him. He was certainly beaten up awfully by the looks of it."Can I'll be checking on you to make sure you're okay," Pete said softly as he touched Can's chest. Pete frowned. His right hand was on Can's chest while the other on his back. Both hands glowed blue and that light spread throughout Can's body.Beads of sweat began to form on Pete's forehead."Can, your spiritual core is damaged."
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"Can... your spiritual core is damaged severely," Pete said as he withdrew his spiritual energy from Can's body.The spiritual core is the foundation of one's power and status in society. In this world, it meant being accepted or scorned by society. It is what determines the strongest and the weak, who succeeds and who fails.There was a tinge of dread and worry within Can. He knew that he overdid it, but what was he supposed to do?Let these beast gods take his children from him?He was willing to sacrifice his life for them and it didn't matter what would happen to him as long as their safe.Can looked down at the still unconscious beast god.Marco was surrounded by Master Khang and Tin's father, Tri.Can's family was not safe. Not at all.Maririn did mention that they needed to take both of the twins back to their dimension. She was able to take Kit but left her brother and Kat in this dimension. She would likely be back. He knew she would be back for them.Would she bring reinforcements? How many would there be? Just how strong are they? What are they going to do with Kit? Is he still alive?That scared Can. It scared him further that he might not be able to get Kit back, especially now that his spiritual core was damaged.Can stood up wobbling towards the unconscious beast god. Tin assisted him by grabbing him by the side and holding one of his hands for support."Can how are you feel-""That's one of the beast gods who took my Kit," Can said as he interrupted Tin when he pointed at Marco.Everyone gave each other a look.Ley and Can's mother rushed to his side to check up on him, but Can wanted to reassure or at least fake them that he was okay, but he was not at all. He was not okay at all."I'm so sorry for what happened," Can's mother said as he hugged with tears falling. Ley did not say anything and hugged him as well.Although there was physical warmth to their comfort, Can felt quite empty. He did not need comfort. He wanted his child back."Indeed, the report is true. It's a beast god's doing," Master Khang began contemplating as he brushed his white beard with his fingers.An actual beast god. The beast gods were the ones who introduced magic to humans and how to use the spiritual cores. Before they found Pond, the existence of beast gods was considered a myth. With that myth debunked, everyone just thought that Pond was the only last one of his kind. To see another one unconscious on the ground and that there were other beast gods, well, that changed everything.There was a sense of awe, fear, confusion, and anger among the current people in the dimension.Still, everyone felt that a much more dangerous path was ahead of them."What did they want from your children exactly, Can?" Master Khang continued. On a more interesting note, How did Can even manage to defeat a god?"His other twin... Maririn’s her name. She said that they wanted to take their land back," Can replied."Land? Do they mean this land? The Beast Gods' Dimension?" Master Khang frowned.According to Can's story, the first supreme ruler who was a beast summoner said that there was an unknown event that led the beast gods to leave the Beast Gods' Dimension. The first supreme ruler himself didn't know the reason.And now, out of nowhere, these beast gods came back and attacked Can to take their children.It must have something to do with that time when the beast gods suddenly left the beast gods' dimension. Something awful must have happened for them to all leave. What was the reason?Now, many questions were flying around them. Who are these beast gods who attacked? What's their true purpose? Where are they located?Are they to chase such powerful beast gods? To even dare fight a beast god? If Can could barely hold a fight against one..."You managed to hold against two beast gods by yourself?" Master Khang looked at Can from top to bottom. If he was not wrong, a beast god could be compared to a Supreme Ruler perhaps even surpassing one. For Can to fight both?Can shook his head, closing his eyes. He was helpless against one. He used his full force and the resources of the Beast Gods Dimension, he could only manage to prolong the fight and defend the entire time against one."No, I got help from the black mist," Can said as he proceeded to tell them what occurred in the dimension."Hmm...a vessel," Tri said looking at Marco who was bound by a rope made of unknown material."What does that entail? There must be some kind of catch?" Tri asked."The origin of this black mist, we have no idea. We don't know what we're dealing with," Can's mom said."It managed to take one beast god and present him to you in good faith, we should certainly entertain the proposal of this black mist," Master Khang said as the buzzing of discussions as to what to do next occurred.As the discussion became heated, Tin leaned down to Can and whispered "I'll be its vessel." ====Visit my etsy shop: boboethewhale.etsy.com
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"We don't know what it's capable of yet. We can't fully trust the black mist," he said."I'm willing to take the risk, Can. For our children... Besides," he grabbed one of Can's hands and placed it on his chest. "My spiritual core is gone."Can's eyes widened. He tapped his husband's chest and inserted his spiritual energy.It was one thing after another.His body shook as there was no spiritual core to be found."When did this happen? How did it..." Can asked, staring intently at Tin.Tin could only look at Can as his lips were tied together. He did not want to say it.The realization then hit Can. Fist tightening, he said, "I see... So, it was my fault."Tears filled Can's eyes. It was just failure after failure.First was losing his child, and now this."Was it during my coma?" Can asked as he looked at him.Tin paused but didn't deny it. He weakly nodded at him.A headache ensued. It felt like tremors of the Earth just slowly creeping in before a major earthquake. Like the trembling of the sky by its rumblings before the thunder. The wave of fatigue and defeat weighed him down even further.What else did he mess up on?Just like a dam overfilled with flowing and raging water, Can eventually broke down.At that point, he realized just how his position of being a Supreme Ruler was a giant boulder that would keep him sinking until it reached the bottom of the dark ocean never to emerge again.He was supposed to be at the pinnacle of strength and model that would help humanity, but all he was doing was creating chaos and problems for everyone.This was not at all a blessing. It was certainly a burden.He wanted to control his emotions and not make an outburst, but he was unable to do it.Panic set in. His breathing felt constricted as if someone was strangling him. His heartbeat rose while trying to gain air. Tears fell from his eyes continuously while trembling. He was not sure what to do anymore.Tin immediately embraced him and attempted to soothe him. He himself wanted to break down as well, but one of them has to stay strong or else they both fall apart. He must stay strong for Can and their children."I can't save everyone, Tin. The people I love... I just keep... failing..." Can whispered, trying to regain his normal breathing. He cowered and tightened his fists.Keep it in, don't let anyone see your weakness.Keep it together, Can.Can expressed himself as he held him tightly, "It's true that you can't save everyone, no one can. But you always do your best to save people. You always keep trying."Can, of course, knew that. It was just hard to accept it."We'll overcome this. You don't have to do this alone."Can's breathing slowly stabilized."You have us. Please don't feel that you have to have this burden on your own," Tin continued.Can turned and embraced Tin."Thank you. Thank you for being by my side. I'm sorry for what I did to you, Tin," he whispered.Tin gently looked down at Can while holding the side of Can's cheek, "I'll do anything for you. That includes our children. Anything for our family."Can appreciated such conviction and gesture. He would do the same as well."Thank you, Tin. Thank you..." he said, still crying.Tin continued to caress and soothe him.Pete approached the two while holding the baby as she cried and was agitated, "Kat is stable now, but she's hungry. She requires spiritual energy from you, Can."After making studies of Can and his baby while it was still inside him, Pete and other doctor scientists made discoveries. Unlike normal babies, Can's twins require spiritual energy to grow. It was their form of food. It was baffling to accept that it was the case but since they were dealing with a Supreme Ruler who could break the natural law, it was not too surprising. Wiping his tears, Can took Kat and embraced her.He let go of his problems momentarily and focused on this intimate moment of taking care of his baby. Patting the baby in his embrace while moving her gently from side to side, Can slowly poured spiritual energy into her.Although his spiritual core was severely damaged and he was not sure how long it would take to be repaired, he still could manage to store some spiritual energy.Kat finally calmed down. By the time Can was done feeding her, his spiritual core was already depleted. Another small crack showed.Can could feel the dizziness and the weakness again. Blood from the orifices coming out again for abusing his unstable spiritual core. Any more and it would be fatal.Knowing this, Pete stood next to Can and made him sit as he checked on him. "I'll tend to your wounds, Can, but you have to refrain from using your spiritual energy as much as you can. Your spiritual core is already damaged."Pete used his spiritual energy and healed Can the best he could. Ae was there by him holding Kat and rocking her to sleep."You should rest for now," Tin took Can's hand and caressed it."I'll take care of things here and let you know our findings when you're in a much better condition," Tin said as he gave Pete a nod."But..." Can mumbled. He was too tired. Still, he wanted to keep pushing himself so he tried to keep his eyes open, but they felt heavy like a huge boulder. Eyes now closed shut, he faltered back and Tin caught him.Meanwhile, a certain Beast God woke up."How dare you! Remove these restraints immediately!"