《My Mystique Hunting System》


 Chapter 1 — The Red Haired Lady

    INTERFACE..


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    .


    Ghosts.. Demons.. Monsters.. are they real?


    You might''ve heard about them from movies and tv shows. Hell! you might''ve sensed them under the covers of your sheets.


    Scared, you might''ve reported this to your parents as a child who only dismisses this as a childish tantrum and told you that it was going to be alright.


    Told you to not be afraid..


    However should you?


    Hell no! You should be afraid! because these monsters are not just a figment of your imagination.. they are real!


    Believe me, I know this because I hunt them down myself!


    I am Jason Chris.. A Mystique Hunter!


    .


    .


    .


    Vroom!


    A black sedan pulls over at the entrance of a night club glowing with brilliant neon light, making it extremely conspicuous in the darkness of the night.


    Three teenagers alright from the sedan as they stare at the night club before them.


    "J.C, I don''t think coming here is a good idea" after eyeing the two unfriendly looking bouncers at the entrance, one of the teens couldn''t help but develop second doubts.


    Her name was Aletta and she was the only female among the group.


    "Don''t worry. The dude I bought the ID from swears it''s a fake legit. Not even the FBI would be able to tell" the teen at the middle patted his chest with a confident expression.


    Jason Chris.. he was the spoilt trust fund brat of the multi billionaire tycoon Simone Chris. Sporting raven black hair and a well chiseled body, Jason appeared to be a lot more developed than the average teenager.


    "Why don''t you ease up Aletta? today is our last day at highschool. We should at least have some fun?" the last teen in the group shrugged his shoulder.


    Stephen.. sporting a build far more muscular than Jason, Stephen appeared to be only a tad bit inferior to the two mean looking bouncers.


    However compared to his build, his chubby face made his appearance more comical than domineering.


    "Your brother is right Aletta. You should ease up a little bit " Jason licked his lower lips, anticipation flashing in his eyes.


    "Fine. But I am only going to have one shot!" Aletta finally gave in.


    "Suite yourself"


    Swaggering towards the night club, the two bouncers stationed at the entrance moved, blocking Jason''s path


    "This place is strictly on invitation" the one at the left grunted.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "Here" Jason flashed a decoratively looking card before their eyes. Only after sternly inspecting and confirming it was legit did they nod their heads.


    "You can go"


    "Uhm. Those two came with me as well" Jason pointed towards Aletta and Stephen who were behind him. Aletta was already starting to fidget anxiously.


    Boom!


    The trio had just stepped into the nightclub when the loud noise of dj disco music almost blasted their ear drums into a bloody mush. Staring at the bustling scene before him, Jason chuckled with excitement as he screamed at the top of his lungs.


    "Let''s have some fun!!"


    .


    .


    Clop. Clop. Clop.


    A pair of red heels collided gracefully on the ground as a lady in red cocktail dress cat walked towards the night club. A white fox furred coat was drapped loosely over her, slightly exposing her fair and supple neck bones.


    Her lips were painted fiery red and her ginger red flowy hair was drapped over her shoulder.


    When the two bouncers saw her approaching, they reacted for a moment before regaining their composure.


    "Show us your invitation" although they were attracted to her beauty, they didn''t allow that to come in the way of their job.


    They were strictly told not to let anyone through the door without them showing proof of invitation.


    "Ah.." the ginger beauty covered her small lips as she let out a small yelp of surprise.


    "I seem to have forgotten it back at my place. Can''t you let me in without it?" while speaking, a pink glow flashed in her eyes for a split second.


    The Bouncer at the left made to deny her request when his colleague besides him beat him to the punch.


    "Sure!" his lips split into a fawning smile as he gave way.


    "What are you doing buddy? you can''t just let her pass without an invite!" his colleague stared at him, appearing puzzled.


    "I did. Because she said so!"


    "You''re crazy man " the bouncer at the left made to block the path of the ginger haired beauty.


    "Deal with him now would you ?" the gingered haired beauty flicked her fingers as she walked past the shocked bouncer.


    "Hey--" before the bouncer could finish his sentence, his colleague rushed towards him, tackling him to the ground.


    "What are you doing buddy? get the hell off me!" he demanded angrily as he attempted to push the other man off him.


    "I will deal with you because she said so!" his colleague seemed to be hypnotized as he fished out a pocket knife from his back pocket.


    Splurt!


    Gurgle!


    The bouncer underneath choked on his blood as he held his slit up throat while his hypnotized colleague slowly dragged his dying corpse away.


    While all this was happening, the ginger haired beauty had already made her way into the nightclub.


    .


    .


    "You lose again amigo"


    "Damnit!" downing another shot of vodka, Jason cussed as he glared at the tattooed man who chuckled while packing stacks of cash off the poker table.


    This was the third poker game he had played so far, which ended in his loss, like the two games before it.


    Just as Jason made to down another shot, he heard an alluring voice sound from behind him.


    "You really suck at this"


    Looking over, he noticed a gingered haired beauty in a red cocktail dress staring at him, with an amused smile.


    "What do you know? I always beat my poker instructor at every game. He''s a renowned grandmaster" Jason snorted with annoyance.


    His voice was already starting to slur, thanks to the alcohol in his system.


    "Hmm. Is that right? then it is either your instructor is a sham.. or he just likes letting you win" the ginger haired beauty chuckled as she occupied the vacant spot of the sofa, next to Jason.


    "I''m Alicia" she smiled sweetly at him.


    "Tch. Not interested. As you can see I gambled away all the cash on me so.. except you offer free service" Jason hiccuped.


    "Whoa. What does a seventeen years old like you know? you think I am a hooker?" Alicia giggled with amusement.


    "What the f ck! how do you know my age?! who the hell are you?!" Jason shot up to his feet, glaring at Alicia warily.


    "Hehehe. I know so many things about you.. Jason Chris.." seeing the current expression on Jason''s face, Alicia licked her lower lips.


    "Jason?" just then a surprised voice rang from behind them as Aletta and Stephen made their way over.


    When they saw Alicia, shock and panic flashed in their eyes. However they quickly covered it up.


    "J.C who is this hottie?" Stephen patted Jason on the shoulder as he nudged towards Alicia who currently had an amused smile on her lips.


    "Dunno. She suddenly approached me and knows both my age and name.. we have to get out of here now guys, before we get busted!"


    "Yeah. Yeah. I think that''s a good idea J.C" Stephen nodded like hen pecking on grains.


    Giving Alicia one last look, both siblings supported Jason''s drunk figure through the backdoor of the nightclub.


    "What a surprise. Looks like some nosy people beat me to the punch " Alicia mumbled in amusement as she watched the trio leave.

 Chapter 2 — System Activated!

    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    The sound of sneakers colliding against wet mushy grass echoed in the silence of the night as Jason stood before the gigantic gates of the Chris Manor.


    Currently the large gate was left ajar. Lying a few feets away was a corpse who Jason identified as one of the Manor''s Security Guards.


    "What the hell?!" an ominous feeling couldn''t help but creep into Jason''s heart as he sped towards the large Manor Building.


    Along the way, he ran past more than ten corpses carelessly laying around. However Jason was too worried about his parents condition to pay the corpses any heed.


    "Mum! Dad!" Aiden cried with hints of dread as he hurriedly pushed open the Manor Entrance door.


    Looking over, his face became ashen when he spotted a corpse at the foot of the staircase. It was the corpse of the Manor''s Head Maid.


    "No!" Jason''s lips trembled.


    Miss  Nicholas. She was his Nanny and also his wet nurse when he was a little baby. She was like a second mother figure to him. Yet here she was before him.. a cold corpse.


    "Mum! Dad!" forcing back the torrent of tears building up within, Jason literally flew through the flight of stairs. Along the way he ran into the corpses of the Manor Maids and servants.


    The repulsive smell of blood hung thickly in the air. Ignoring the sickening smell, Jason finally arrived at the Kings Room of the Manor.


    Pushing open the door, he found a figure standing in front of the window. A few meters away were two corpses on the ground.


    Identifying them as his parent''s corpses, Jason attempted to rush towards them only to run into an invisible force field that flung him slamming to the wall.


    "Don''t tell me you are ignoring my presence boy?" a sneer rang out as the figure in the room turned around.


    "Uncle Ben??!" Jason''s eyes flashed with confusion.


    "Hello Nephew. I take it that you are doing alright?" Uncle Ben snickered as he slowly began to walk towards Jason.


    "Uncle we have to take my parents to the hospital or  they won''t be able to make it. I don''t know what happened but it would seem that the Manor was attacked. We have to hurry now Uncle!" Jason cried anxiously.


    "Oh.  I know that.." Uncle Ben chuckled as he pointed towards  Jason.


    "That''s because I was the one who did this"


    "You--"


    Jason suddenly felt an invisible grip on his throat as he got swept off his feet, floating in mid air as the invisible grip choked him.


    "It would seem you were late.. like always dear Nephew. You are always late. Whether it was the duration of your pregnancy, your first time to talk or walk.  You were always late. This isn''t good though. You missed the fun part of how your parents screamed in agony while I killed them. It was quite refreshing. The look on your parents eyes as I ripped out the life out of them while in this meat suit. It was quite refreshing actually.." Uncle Ben snickered evily as he arrived before Jason, patting his cheeks.


    "Don''t despair though. You are going to join them very soon.. however you just have to do something for us.." Uncle Ben reached for Aiden''s forehead.


    "Unfortunately this is the end of the road for you!" a feminine voice suddenly rang, followed by a quick chant.


    "Eugua!"


    Boom!


    A searing hot ball of red flames shot towards Uncle Ben. Judging by the intensity of the heat, he would be burnt into black crisp if the ball of flames collided with him.


    "Tch. Nosy Hunters!" Uncle Ben snickered as he calmly side stepped, dodging the ball of flames.


    "Jason! duck!" the warning had only just rang out when a figure dropped down from above, a large axe chopping towards Uncle Ben.


    Splurt!


    An arm flipped through the air as Stephen appeared in front of Jason. In his grip was a large axe that was glowing a brilliant golden color.


    "Stephen?" Jason felt the invisible grip vanish as he gave Stephen a puzzled look.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "Eugua!" another chant rang out as Aletta walked into the room. A  glowing Tome was floating mid air in front of her.


    A strange pattern suddenly appeared in the air as another ball of flames shot out from this pattern, slamming towards Uncle Ben.


    "Damnit" Uncle Ben cussed as he dodged the fireball yet again.


    He seemed to be moving like a phantom.


    "Till we meet again Nephew" dropping these words, he suddenly raced towards the door, breaking past it and disappearing into the dark of the night.


    An awkward silence suddenly ensued as Jason gave the siblings before him a look.


    "What the hell is going on?!"


    .


    .


    Rustle. Rustle. Rustle.


    Jason calmly stood before a burning altar as he watched his parent''s corpses gradually burn into ashes. It was unknown what was going on in his mind.


    "How are you holding up?"


    Looking over, he saw Aletta staring at him intently.


    "What do you think?" Jason''s lips broke into a mocking smile.


    "I came home to see my favorite Uncle murder my parents. My friends are ghost hunters undercover and I am currently targeted by Demons. What do you think?"


    "Sigh. I don''t really expect you to digest everything all at once. However we have to move now" Aletta''s tone was filled with urgency.


    "What the hell are you talking about? my parents just died.  Am I not allowed to mourn them?" Jason frowned with displeasure.


    "I don''t mean to come off heartless, but I am afraid you don''t have the luxury to do so"


    "You see that demon who possessed your Uncle Ben? we only scared him temporarily and he won''t stop until he has you.. we have to take you to a safe sanctuary "


    "What would a demon want from me anyways?" Jason was starting to grow frustrated


    Things just didn''t make sense to him at this point. Although he was a spoilt rich brat and a jerk, he never ever recalled pissing off a demon.


    "We don''t know. I and my brother were just tasked to protect you and take you away once you clocked eighteen. We never expected the demon to make a move so fast " Aletta sighed.


    "So the friendship we shared.. it was all fake?" Jason gave her a deep look.


    "I..." Aletta didn''t know how to reply.


    "That''s okay. Where are we going to anyways?" Jason asked.


    "Washington DC "


    "That''s pretty far from here. I don''t suppose we are going to use a private jet?"


    "No. Its going to be a long road trip.."


    "That works fine. I can use that time to have my revenge!" Jason clenched his fist.


    "Don''t start talking crazy now. We were asked to protect you from the demon. Not mark you as a target!" Aletta firmly disagreed.


    "Hmpfh. If you were in my shoes, don''t tell me you are going to sit back? since this demon took the people most important to me, I''m going to have my revenge no matter what it takes" Jason  vowed icily.


    At that moment the hate he was feeling was so intense.


    "How? I mean you don''t even know where this demon is!"


    "Hmpfh. Didn''t you say your brother and you are Mystique Hunters or something? I am going to be one too and I will slaughter any ghost or evil creature that I set my eyes on till the time I have the head of that hateful demon on a plate"


    Jason had only said this when he heard a robotic voice in his head.


    ¡ª[Congratulations! Host has successfully awakened the Ultimate Mystique Hunting System!]


    ¡ª[Host can earn Mystique Coins by annihilating Mystique Beings..]


    ¡ª[Mystique Beings are beings who belong to the Supernatural lore. They include Witches, Wizards, Angels, Demons, Werewolves, Vampires, etc]


    ¡ª[Host has been chosen to be the Ultimate Hunter, ridding the world of all mystical beings]


    ¡ª[Host can use Mystique Coins to upgrade and purchase the Mystique Hunting Armors, purchase and upgrade weapons as well as other miscellaneous tasks which the host would discover with time]


    ¡ª[Happy Hunting!]

 Chapter 3 — I Dont Believe In Angels

    "You''ve been silent since we hit the road. Is something going on your mind?" Aletta glanced at Jason through the rear view mirror as she controlled the wheels of the car.


    Besides her was Stephen who was busy scrolling through the screen of his phone.


    "Well..I don''t know" Jason shrugged with a helpless sigh.


    "I remember a certain someone complaining to me how it was difficult to move the wheels of a car. Yet here you are twirling it around like a seasoned expert "


    "Look, I''m really sorry for those years of lying. We were just doing that to protect you okay?" Aletta sighed apologetically.


    "Yeah. Yeah. Protect me by lying directly to my face all this time. You guys should definitely win the award for best friends of the decade " Jason snickered sarcastically.


    "So, where are we going exactly?" he asked after a pause.


    "To restock. Our supplies are running dry. Without them we cannot protect you and do our jobs" Aletta replied, her eyes fixated on the road ahead.


    "Supplies? yeah that reminds me, what''s up with that flying fireball you created? are you a witch or something?" Jason asked as he seemed to have remembered something.


    "No. I am a Saint. While my brother is a Knight" Aletta giggled as she shook her head.


    "There are four kinds of Mystique Hunters.. Saints, Summoners , Knights and Xpers" she added, noticing the look of confusion on Jason''s expression.


    "Look Jason.. what do you think of Vampires? I mean the one you watch in the movies and tv shows?" she suddenly asked.


    "Huh? they have pale skin.. super strength, super speed, tough bodies and they drink blood. Uhm, their weakness is direct sunlight, a stake to the heart and holy water. Oh.. they can die as well if their heads is sliced off" Jason easily answered.


    Of all the lores in the movies, the Vampires were the most renowned. There were a lot of movies and series centered around them after all.


    "Unfortunately, Vampires are nothing like those shows and movies depict them to be. Sure they have their supernatural abilities, they don''t fear sunlight, decapitation, a stake to the heart or holy water"


    "Seriously? aren''t they invincible then?" Jason gave Aletta and Stephen a suspicious look.


    "To regular humans yes. However not for we  Mystique Hunters. Only a Mystique Hunter can battle these kind of supernatural creatures, however not everybody can be a Mystique Hunter. We possess a unique gift that was either awakened through us when we were babies or after an accident" Aletta took a pause to catch her breath before she continued.


    "Saints like me have the unique ability to enter a contract with a Patron Angel, allowing us to channel an esoteric force called Hallow. This gives us the ability to recite Hexes. What you saw me do yesterday was reciting a fire Hex  off my Hex Tome . However Hallow is a powerful force so we need a conduit "


    Dipping her hands into her bossoms, Aletta held up a rosary. Unlike other rosaries, this one was pure White like snow and depicted an angelic being  clasping both hands together in a prayer like manner. The figurine wore flowing robes and has a bright halo like ring floating above their head.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "I thought Angels have wings" Jason commented when he saw the rosary.


    "That''s just rumors. Angelic wings is a sign of power. Only the top three Angelic Orders possess one. I am contracted to the lowest order.  The Watcher Angels" Aletta replied.


    "His name is Nephi. And although he belongs to the lowest Angelic Order, he''s very strong. I can barely use ten percent of his power without destroying this holy rosary "


    Peering closer, Jason noticed fine but thin cracks along the surface of the rosary.


    "So this Rosary is kind of like a conduit to possess angel energy? and you are telling me that you have a guardian Angel sitting across your shoulder?" Jason mused.


    "Although it''s not that simple, but it pretty much sums it" Aletta shrugged.


    "That''s crap.." Aiden snickered.


    "Huh?"


    "Guardian Angel? I don''t believe that make believe kids tale. If Angels really do exist, they wouldn''t have sat back and watch a demon massacre through my home and murder my father"


    "I.." Aletta made to reply when Stephen tapped her shoulder lightly before whispering.


    "Just give him some time to grieve "


    .


    .


    After that conversation with Aletta which went haywire, the car ride plunged into an awkward silence. Stephen kept himself occupied with his smartphone, Aletta had her focus on the road ahead while Jason...


    Well, he was staring at a panel screen that only him could see.


    .


    .


    ¡ª[You have two Unread Notifications]


    A string of words appeared on the panel screen. Mentally clicking on this floating tab, a new row of words appeared.


    ¡ª[Congratulations on Awakening the Ultimate Mystique Hunting System. Host has received a starter pack!]


    ¡ª[Stater Pack Includes three essential Items that would assist Host in his early days of Mystique Hunting]


    ¡ª[First Item in the Starter Pack is the Void Vial]


    ¡ª[Second Item is the Sprite Pupils]


    ¡ª[Third Item is the Klypt Daggers]


    ¡ª[The Void Vial is a rare treasure that has been long lost to the annals of ancient history. Forged by the genius forge master Saluma in the Forges of Xectate, this Vial possess the unique ability of unlimited space and can hold any non sentiment matter property. This includes Liquid, Solid or Gas. Since the space is unlimited, there is no limit to how much matter the vial can handle]


    ¡ª[However like everything that exists, the Void Vial has a weakness. It can only store up a single matter at once. To store up another matter, the previous matter must be emptied out of the vial]


    ¡ª[The Sprite Pupil is a cheap knockoff item.. another treasure forged in the Forges of Xectate. It is said to mimic the unique ability of the occular technique; Eye Of the Dragon. This artificial pupil gives the bearer the ability to see through invisible objects, invisible being and the true nature of all things that belongs to the supernatural world. In front of this eye, all forms of disguise is laid bare as long as it is related to anything supernatural]


    ¡ª[However like everything that exist, the Sprite Pupil has a weakness. Using it for a long span causes huge headaches on the bearer, followed by drowsiness and unclear vision. If the Bearer doesn''t allow the effect to cool off, they would end up permanently going blind]


    Jason instinctively shivered when he read this information. Unlike the Void Vial, the Sprite Pupil sounded more like a hot potato to hold on to. Trying his best to bury his fright, he continued reading.


    ¡ª[The Third Item is the Daggers Of Cain.. Unlike the previous two items, this is Hell''s number one protected treasure. Said to have been forged out from the Wings of all the fallen Angels along with Lucifer in the fiery flames of Purgatory, this Twin Daggers has the unique ability to kill all supernatural beings in existence]


    ¡ª[However the Daggers Of Cain currently possess a weakness.. they are damaged. In their damaged state, the effect of their absolute death inducement is limited. The daggers can regain their full strength by absorbing the essence of all supernatural beings slained by it]


    After reading these info on the panel screen, it immediately refreshed, before a new display appeared on the panel screen.


    .


    .


    ¡ª[HOST INFO]


    ¡ªName: Jason Chris


    ¡ªAlias: J.C


    ¡ªTitles: None


    ¡ªRace: ¡é¡ì%¡ê~£¤€^¡é£¤¡Ì¡ê€^^¡é£¤¦Ð¦Ð¡Ì€^£¤


    ¡ª[COMBAT]


    ¡ªCharm Stats: Locked


    ¡ªARMOR


    ¡ªLocked (100,000 mystique coins to unlock)


    ¡ª[Missions]


    ¡ªNone


    ¡ª[Mystique Coins]


    ¡ªNone


    ¡ª[Tools]


    ¡ªVoid Vial (fully awakened)


    ¡ªSprite Pupil (fully awakened)


    ¡ªDaggers Of Cain (lv1) +


    ¡ª[Inventory]


    ¡ªVoid Vial


    ¡ªSprite Pupil


    ¡ªDaggers Of Cain

 Chapter 4 — Running Into A Malevolent

    "Why did we stop?" Jason was forced to close the system panel screen when he noticed the vehicle come to an abrupt halt.


    "We are just going to grab some stuffs. Till then make sure you wait in the car. Whatever you do don''t step out alright?" Aletta warned Jason sternly as she got down from the car.


    The car was currently parked in the parking lot of a convinence store.


    "Hm" Jason merely hummed.


    "Let''s go " Stephen gave Jason one long look before leaving the car as well. Jason watched silently as both siblings made their way into the convinence store. It was currently late noon and the inflow of customers was very high. As such both Siblings were instantly drowned amongst the large crowd of people making their way in and out of the store.


    Only after Jason had confirmed their departure did a sly grin grace his lips. Opening his palm, a strange object suddenly materialized, landing on his palm.


    It was a pair of crimson colored pupil lenses . This was one of the three items of the starter pack that Jason received from the system; The Sprite Pupil.


    "Let''s see if this stuff really even works" with skeptism, Jason brought the pupil lenses closer to his face. Pasting them into his cornea, he suddenly gasped in shock.


    That was because his vision underwent a ridiculous transformation. Whether it was the walking pedestrians, the moving vehicles, the thick walls of the various stores lining the walkway, Jason could clearly see through them, kind of like an x-ray vision. He could see through the skeletal structures of the walking pedestrians, the inner working mechanism of the vehicles, what was happening through the thick walls of several stalls.. he could see through everything!


    "Arrgh!!" a raspy groan escaped Jason''s lips as he tightly clutched his head. The sudden switch in vision caused a tsunami of headache to flow into Jason''s brain. It was a stinging feeling.


    However after blinking rapidly and shutting his eyes for a few moments, the feeling dispersed.. However Jason had now learnt his lesson and didn''t dare to look around carelessly.


    Just as he was about to put away the Sprite Pupils, he suddenly received a notification from the system.


    ¡ª[A Malevolent has been detected!]


    "Malevolent?" just as Jason was musing about what the terms meant, another row of words appeared on the system panel screen.


    ¡ª[After the physical body dies, a living entity is left with a soul. At this stage, there are two options.. either the soul gets taken away to Hell by the Grim Reapers.. or they become Hermits..]


    ¡ª[Hermits are wandering souls who still retains emotional attachment to the world of the living, unwilling to move ahead. After a long time, these Hermits tend to become corrupted by the seven emotions and six desires, transforming them into a shadow of their original selves.. transforming them into Malevolents]


    ¡ª[The power level of a Malevolent broads down on two things.. the accumulated intensity of their corruption and the number of Hermits they have absorbed into themselves]


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡ª[You are 300 meters away from the Malevolent]


    .


    .


    Tap. Tap. Tap.


    A teenage girl with twin pigtails clad in snow white denim jackets and shorts underneath a lace leggings panted heavily as she was engaged in a sprint along the main road.


    However the most puzzling phenomenon was that although she was running through the main road, the moving vehicles always seemed to move past her while the pedestrians walking by the sidewalk seemed to be ignoring her impulsive and suicidal efforts.


    It was like she didn''t exist in their eyes.


    "Ah. Ah. Ah" panting heavily, the strange girl leaned against the entrance wall of an alley way as she seemed to be in the process of catching her breath.


    "You.. You are a ghost?" a startled voice suddenly rang out from behind her.


    "Huh?" turning back, the strange girl noticed a teenage boy staring at her, with slightly shaky feet.


    "You can see me?" she pointed her chest as she appeared shock.


    "Yeah?" currently Aiden was putting on the Sprite Pupils, as such he didn''t know that he was the only one who could see the invisible ghost girl.


    Fortunately for him, they were at a slightly abandoned alleyway, or passerbys would''ve started giving him strange looks for talking to thin air.


    "Thank goodness! I thought I was going crazy already!" the ghost girl appeared relieved as she inched closer to Jason, only for the teen to take two steps back.


    "Don''t worry, I am not like the others" she smiled sadly when she saw his cautious behavior.


    "The others? what do you mean?" Jason inquired suspiciously as he took another step back.


    "I remember dying after three months in coma. Then this guy in black suit asked me to follow him. Naturally I refused. However.. after he left I noticed that everybody around me seemed to not have the ability to see me. Not to mention anything I touch goes past me. Just as I was feeling confused, this strange man came along and said he could see me and take me to a better place"


    " When I refused, he and another lady suddenly attacked me. And that''s how I ran until I met you. Are you dead like me too? " the ghost girl spoke so fast that of it was a regular human, they would already be choking for breath.


    "No.." Jason shook his head when suddenly his eyes lit up in realization.


    "Uhm.. when did you say you died again?"


    "About three hours ago?"


    "Eh? then you must be a Hermit.. you can''t be the Malevolent then.. however if you are not it... then where is it?" Jason was in the midst of mulling over this when the ghost girl suddenly cried as she pointed behind him.


    "Watch Out!"


    The warning had just come out when Jason suddenly felt a wave of icy air overwhelm him. Without even thinking, he jumped to the ground . He had only done so when a couple of broken bottles flew past his head, smashing into the walls. If he hadn''t reacted quickly, his head would''ve already been smashed into a bloody pulp.


    "Huh?" looking over, he saw his attacker through the Sprite Pupils.


    It was a middle aged bald headed man sporting dirty t shirt and khaki shorts. His eyes were currently silver in color and through the Sprite pupils, Jason could spot a crimson halo surrounding him. From afar, Jason could sense a bone chilling cold sensation from this crimson halo. It reeked of death and malevolence.


    Without even checking a text book, Jason instantly recognized the other party.


    "Little Girl, better give up trying to escape. You cannot escape from me" the Malevolent spoke in a weird voice that resembled teeth grinding against each other in the cold nights of winter.


    Just then, Jason received a series of notifications from the System.


    ¡ª[A Level 2 Malevolent has been spotted!]


    ¡ª[You have unlocked Two Missions]


    ¡ª[Main Mission; Defeat the Malevolent]


    ¡ª[Malevolents are wicked creatures who terrorize the innocent folks and gives them nightmares. A large majority of them were terrible sinners while they were alive. As a Mystique Hunter and the Host of the Ultimate Mystique Hunting System, it is your job to rid the world of these vile creatures]


    ¡ªMission Reward: +200 Mystique Coins]


    ¡ª[Side Mission; Protect the Wandering Damsel In Distress]


    ¡ª[The Malevolent before you wishes to absorb the Hermit Ghost Girl behind you. As the Host of the Ultimate Mystique Hunting System, uphold your honor by serving as her Knight in shiny armor]


    ¡ª[Mission Reward: +20 Mystique Coins]

 Chapter 5 — Amy Wormwood

    "Good afternoon, what can I get you both?" the female shop assistant smiled at two Siblings from behind a booth.


    Aletta silently fished out a strange azure colored card. When the female shop assistant saw this card, a mixture of surprise and shock flashed in her face as she bowed her head respectfully.


    "I had no idea. My boss had been expecting you" she said while standing up.


    "Don''t bother. We know our way around" Stephen coldly said as he began to walk deeper into the convinence store.


    Moments later, the siblings arrived at a wall; a dead end. However, Stephen suddenly slit his thumb with a pocket knife, rubbing his bleeding finger across the surface of the wall.


    Click. Clack.


    The sound of mechanical gears whirling, echoed like a groaning nagging old hag as the wall split open, revealing the elevator door behind it.


    "Tch. I don''t get why she has to go through all this security protocol. She''s just a pawn shop runner" Stephen rolled his eyes as he slid the azure card into a small slit. With a mechanical beep, the elevator door part open.


    "Brother, what are your thoughts about Jason''s earlier words?" Aletta turned towards Jason after they boarded the elevator.


    "You mean how he wants to be a Hunter like us? don''t tell me you took those words serious?" Stephen snorted.


    "He was just raving because he was mourning the death of his dear daddy. Once he encounters a ghost or two, he would have no choice but to piss off his pants. I have spent time with Jason and I know what he''s capable of. He''s a selfish and narcissistic rich brat who plays naughty tricks and hides behind his dear daddy for protecting. He don''t have the stomach to face what we face.. the world of the paranormal "


    Aletta fell silent for a bit as she gave her brother a deep look.


    "Wow. I wonder how Jason would feel hearing just how low his friend thinks of him "


    "It''s because I am his friend that''s why I don''t want his life to be as messed up as ours " Stephen retorted.


    "If it isn''t messed up already " Aletta shook her head.


    "Don''t forget brother.. Jason''s current situation reminds me of what --" Aletta''s words was cut short when the elevator door parted open, revealing a spacious hall.


    The hall was strangely a mixture of a bar, restaurant and pawn shop. Lining the walls were strange talisman, weapons, rosaries and other items each encased in a see through glass. There was also a bar section, filled with shelves of exotic kind of drinks.


    There was also a large booth where various delicacies and junk food were served. The whole hall appeared to be in a bustling mood, with several people either checking out the show glasses, chatting amongst themselves while they drink or eating their food calmly.


    The siblings arrival instantly made them the center of attention.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Wassup kiddos. You both aren''t dead yet?" a fattie with worn out sun glasses hanging across his forehead guaffed as he chugged down on a large bottle of bear.


    "Hmpfh. If an old bastard like you isn''t dead yet, what monster would be blind to strike the killing blow?" Stephen grinned, causing the Hunters gathered in the hall to burst into a fit of amused laughter.


    "We heard you siblings took out a Siren last two weeks.. did you manage to steal some mermaid tears of riches before you sent her to hell?" a middle aged Hunter whose bushy beard was stained with alcohol, chuckled as he wrapped his thick arms around Stephen''s shoulder, appearing merry.


    "Sly bastard. Keep your hands off my pocket!" Stephen snarled as he pushed the other party away, drawing another fit of laughter from the Hunters in the hall.


    "It''s rare to see you kids drop by, come, I''ll buy you lunch" a female Hunter who was dining on three cheeseburgers and coke, patted at the empty chair besides her.


    "Thanks. But we''ll take a rain check. We are currently on an assignment and we came here to refill our supply" Aletta declined with a small smile as she led her brother deeper into the hall.


    Passing through a dimly lit hallway , they arrived before a door. Pushing it open, they walked into an office.


    The office was well arranged and a slender lady in black office suit and a pair of specs hanging lazily atop her nose seemed to be reading an old looking book from behind her well arranged desk.


    "Aletta.. Stephen.. you kids made it" the office lady smiled in relief when she saw the Siblings.


    Amy Wormwood.. she was the owner of the AW Pawn Shop and also the Siblings paternal aunt.


    "Why does everyone think we should be dead?!" Stephen groaned in frustration.


    "Why you said? you went against against a Red Witch. You should be lucky you came out alive.. have a seat" Amy pointed at the two seats facing her desk.


    "So, how is the boy?" she asked after the siblings had made themselves comfortable.


    "He''s with us.. safe"


    "And.. Simone?" Amy''s voice shook a bit.


    "Dead.. we are really sorry but the Red Witch acted ahead of schedule.." Aletta apologized when she saw a hint of pain flash past her Aunt face before disappearing.


    "Did she bring her entire coven along?" Amy asked.


    "We''re not sure" Stephen shook his head.


    "She didn''t?" Amy appeared puzzled.


    "Although the Red Witch is powerful, Simone was one of the most powerful hunters in the Hunters database.. although he was forced to retire, I don''t think he would go so rusty that a single Red Witch would be able to take him down"


    "Well..." Stephen trailed off as he seemed to be hesitating.


    "Spit it out!" Amy scowled at him.


    "The Red Witch didn''t make a move. When we arrived, it was Ben who made the move.." Aletta confessed.


    "He must''ve held back. We all know just what kind of relationship he shares with his younger brother. I mean he chose to abandon you because of.."


    "You brat! nobody abandoned me!" Amy angrily cut her niece up with a frustrated expression. Gradually calming down, she bit her lower lips as she seemed to be suppressing her rage.


    "That b*tch! how did she know Ben was an Hell spawn? only a few Hunters know about that! damnit! that crafty bi*ch. To think she would pit both brothers against each other.. that''s a new low even for her "


    Sucking in a deep breath, Amy managed to calm down her raging emotions.


    "Can I see him?" she suddenly asked meekly.


    "Are..Are you sure? I mean he''s that WOMAN''S son.. " Aletta asked with a complicated expression, emphasizing heavily on the ''Woman'' part.


    "What? you think I am going to kill him? although he''s the son of that b*tch, he''s still Simone''s son " Amy huffed, sounding offended.


    "Alright. I''ll go get him " Stephen stood up, exiting the office.


    .


    .


    Arck!!


    Jason vomited a mouthful of blood as an invisible force raised him high up in the air before viciously slamming him against the wall.


    Although his back bones didn''t break, Jason knew it was only matter of time before it did.


    Whisk!


    The Malevolent appeared besides Jason, stomping heavily towards his belly. Fortunately, Jason quickly rolled away.


    "I have to use it or I''m going to die" Jason bit his lower lips anxiously.


    Due to the headache the Sprite Pupils brought him, Jason had been forced to put them away. Without them, his ordinary eyes couldn''t track the invisible movement of the Malevolent.


    However now that his life was in critical danger, he figured whatever headache came along, was far better than suffering death at the hands of a ghost.


    Hurriedly putting the Pupils on, Jason''s vision instantly changed.

 Chapter 6 — First Kill!

    After putting on the Sprite Pupils, Jason''s vision experienced a change. His view of the whole world went red and the X-ray vision effect kicked in. However apart from that, Jason was now able to see the Malevolent''s invisible body clearly.


    "My left" stomping heavily on the ground, he lurched to his right, dodging an incoming bike that smashed against the wall behind him.


    Leveraging on the Sprite Pupils, Jason discovered that the crimson halo encasing the Malevolent suddenly transform into multiple tentacle like serpents that lunged towards him. Their movement was so fast that before Jason could have any thoughts of escaping, they had already arrived before him.


    Smack!


    However to Jason''s puzzlement, he didn''t feel any sharp stinging pain. Instead he felt an invisible but heavy force smash against his chest, throwing him against the wall.


    "Koff. Koff" wiping off the blood trickling out from his mouth, he side rolled just in time to escape another crimson tentacle from the Malevolent.


    Bang!


    A large dent appeared on the wall behind Jason, causing the  teen to suck in a deep breath of gratitude. That would''ve been his head if he was only a tad bit late.


    "We have to run!" the Hermit Ghost Girl attempted to grab Jason''s wrist, only for her hands to phase right through him.


    "No" Jason shook his head stubbornly as he glared heatedly at the Malevolent in the distance.


    According to the system, defeating this Malevolent came with a reward; Mystique Coins. He wouldn''t leave until he completed the mission and received the reward.


    A pair of silver colored curved daggers suddenly appeared in his grip. This was another item that came with the system starter pack; The Klypt Daggers AKA the Daggers Of Cain.


    Breaking off into a sprint, Jason dashed towards the Malevolent. Fortunately for him being the son of a multi billionaire Jason had the privilege of having many mentors; a sportsman athlete was one of them.


    Whallop! Whallop! Whallop!


    The crimson tentacles moved rapidly as they either wrapped themselves around nearby objects which was hurled at Jason, or directly smash towards him. In the blink of an eye, Jason''s view was filled with falling obstacles and a large web of crimson colored tentacles.


    "Humphh!" recalling the physical fitness lessons he took in the past, Jason skillfully maneuvered his way through these obstacles. Leaping towards a vehicle flying towards his way, he initiate a front flip while in mid air, slamming the bonnet with both palms , his wrist twisted in an agile manner while his body flipped all over, shooting forward.


    Initiating a side flip, he avoided the webs of crimson colored tentacles and finally landed in front of the Malevolent, stabbing one of the Klypt Daggers towards his chest.


    "Hmpfh. Stupid brat. That toy won''t work on--" the Malevolent was leisurely snickering in mockery  when his whole body suddenly stiffened.


    "No! Impossible!!" he suddenly shrieked a Jason drove the dagger further into his chest.


    The body of the Malevolent suddenly began to glow brilliantly before exploding into brilliant specks of light that flew into Jason''s forehead.


    ¡ª[Congratulations! Host has Completed System Main Mission; Defeat the Malevolent]


    ¡ª[Host has received +200 Mystique Coins]


    ¡ª[Congratulations! Host has Completed System Side Mission; Protect the Wandering Damsel In Distress]


    ¡ª[Host has Received +20 Mystique Coins!]


    "That''s it?" Jason stared at the spot where the Malevolent had been previously standing on.


    He only just needed to stab the other party and they vanished like a poof? Jason''s confidence instantly rose all the way to the moon. He had previously thought that Malevolents were going to prove tough opponents but this...


    They were far weaker than he would''ve ever imagined them to be!


    He had only just returned the Klypt Daggers back into the System when he heard approaching footsteps from behind him. Looking over, he saw Stephen staring at him with furrowed brows.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "I said you should strictly stay in the car"  Stephen fussed as he scanned Jason with his sea green eyes.


    "Are you hurt?"


    Sensing the unexpected concern in his voice, Jason cringed. If it was a lady that was fine.. but a fellow guy like him? it just felt weird hearing it from Stephen''s mouth.


    "What are you? my mum? I just came here to hunt a Malevolent" Jason threw his arms in the air as a proud grin etches on  his lips.


    "You what?!" horror flashed in Stephens eyes as he hurriedly reaches towards his back pocket. Feeling a small manual still safely tucked in, he gave Jason a strange look.


    "How do you know about Malevolents? did Aletta  tell you that?" he questioned sharply.


    "Is that necessary?" Jason grunted with a proud smirk.


    "I had my first kill today. And I did it so easy. Humphh, aren''t I awesome?" Jason''s expectant eyes fell on Stephen, as he waited for a huge wave of praises.


    "Now isn''t the time to joke around Jason " doubt flashed in Stephens eyes. Naturally he didn''t believe Jason''s words.


    Of the myraid creatures in the world of the paranormal, the creatures Hunters hated to tangle themselves with were the Malevolents. This was because they had the ability to turn themselves invisible. Only a select few Hunters had the ability to see them and this required years of honing their skills. As such Stephen wouldn''t believe a complete novice like Jason could survive the assault of a Malevolent. As for killing it, that was nothing but a pipe dream.


    Malevolents were completely immune to physical attacks. Only Saints and powerful Items could exorcise and destroy them.


    Just as Stephen was about to drag Jason away, he suddenly noticed something on the ground from the corners of his eyes.


    "What are you doing?" Jason pursed his lips in confusion as Stephen suddenly knelt on the ground, scooping a silver colored dust that was mixed with earthen dirt.


    "Ghost Ash!" utter disbelief flashed in Stephens eyes.


    Ghost Ash was something that was left behind after a Malevolent had been successful destroyed. Every Ghost Ash was unique and could not replicated. As such Stephen was confident that the Ghost Ash trapped in between his fingers was the real deal. However didn''t that mean Jason was correct when he claimed to have killed a Malevolent.


    "How did you do it?" he stuttered, his voice still hasn''t recovered from the shock and surprise from the discovery.


    "Wait.  Your eyes.. they are red" Stephen finally noticed Jason''s pupil color was different than normal.


    "Really? you must be overthinking things" panicking, Jason swiftly removed the Sprite Pupils, returning it back to the system. Luckily for him he could do this either manually or mentally.


    "Maybe" Stephen mumbled when he noticed Jason''s pupils had returned back to normal.


    "So, how did you kill the Malevolent?" Stephen repeated his earlier question.


    "I am a natural. That''s how" Jason lightly puffed out his chest.


    Stephen fell silent as he  gave Jason a deep look before releasing a sigh.


    "I have to admit, I really underestimated you. I am sure Amy and the other Hunters would be shocked when they hear about this" Stephen chuckled as he patted Jason on the shoulder.


    "Since you killed a Malevolent, you better gather the Ghost Ash before they disperse. Without them you won''t be able to get your reward" he advised, tossing Jason a small vial.


    "What''s this?" although the vial shared a slight semblance with the Void Vial, Jason pretended to be oblivious.


    "That''s a Storage Vial. It is the only thing that can prevent a Ghost Ash from dispersing. After you gather the Ghost Ash I will take you to meet someone. At the same time you can submit the Ghost Ash. Your reward would depend on the power level of the Malevolent " Stephen explained, before walking ahead.


    "I really wonder how he did it. For a moment I am confident his eyes were red " he mused to himself.


    "Looks like Jason has a secret of his own "

 Chapter 7 — Lets Go To Sallyville

    "Is it just me? or is the car awfully quiet?" Jason forced out a chuckle.


    Since the trio hit the road after making that stop at AW Pawn Shop, the ride had been heavily ladden with stifling silence. At first Jason didn''t mind the silence as he busied himself with observing the azure colored card he was given after submitting the Ghost Ash of the Malevolent he had killed.


    However after training his eyes on the card for a whole hour and counting, Jason''s eyes were already starting to water and the immensity of boredom crashed heavily on him.


    "I don''t see how that''s a problem.. we didn''t speak much on the car ride earlier today" Aletta clicked her tongue..


    This time it was Stephen behind the wheels while she scrolled through her phone in a relaxed manner. Jason snickered inwardly. How couldn''t he tell the reason for the silence.


    "Somehow I have a feeling that you both are not ready to acknowledge the fact that I can take care of myself. I mean, I killed a Malevolent. And according to Amy it was a rank two Ghost Soldier. No matter how you put it, that''s an amazing feat" Jason couldn''t understand why he was the only one feeling impressed..


    Even if they were no longer friends, couldn''t the siblings at least shower him some praises just to keep on appearances?


    "Heh. That''s just beginner luck" Aletta snorted.


    "Don''t start having an inflated ego just yet" she added.


    "Although a rank two Ghost Soldier is impressive, it is nothing before the Demon who slaughtered your father" she warned sternly.


    "Tsk" Jason merely clicked his tongue. He obviously didn''t take her words seriously.


    Recalling how the Daggers Of Cain had easily killed the Malevolent from earlier, his ego truly became inflated.


    "According to the System, the dagger can kill anything it touches. Once I encounter that demon, I just have to stab it and its dead " Jason comforted himself with these words.


    To him, as long as he possessed the Klypt Daggers, he was invincible as long as the world of the supernatural was involved.


    "So, when am I going to get my reward money any way? thanks to you I didn''t leave my signature behind to claim my inheritance" Jason grumbled as he tapped both of his fingers across the surface of the azure card in his palm.


    After he had submitted the Ghost Dust, he had been given the card. According to Amy, this was the identification badge of the Mystique Hunters as well as a special kind of bank card. With it they could cash out on the reward money they get from slaying supernatural creatures.


    "The Ghost Ash has already been sent to the Headquarters in the Country. They''d have to document it first before sending you your payment" Aletta responded.


    "I know. Amy told me that. However how long is that going to take? I need to change my wordrobe thanks to a certain someone who dragged me away without giving me time to pack my stuffs!"


    "Sheesh" Aletta rolled her eyes.


    "I never realized this but you sure whine like a lady" she mumbled underneath her breath.


    "Expect your reward money in two days tops.. However I doubt if it would last half a day in that card " she said the last part in a whispery tone.


    "Shoot!" Aletta suddenly cried out in surprise as excitement flashed past in her eyes..


    "I found a gig that''s close to our current location " she explained to her brother when she noticed him giving her a curious look.


    "According to the reports of the locals, there has been seven body counts over the last one week. One each day " Aletta eyes were firmly planted on her phone screen as she read this out..


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "And you think its our kind of gig?" Stephen raised a brow.


    "Remember that our number one priority is to get Jason to Washington DC? We can''t afford to let anything come in the way of the assignment" he   alluded.


    "You know that I can hear you right?" Jason remarked from behind the siblings.


    Ignoring him, Aletta sighed.


    "But have you forgotten that above everything else we are Mystique Hunters. Seven people have already died and more would die. Don''t tell me you are going to just sit back and let that happen?"


    "We are not the only Mystique Hunters in the world. Others would take care of it.. how many times are you going to learn that no matter how much you try, you cannot save anyone?!" Stephen scowled as his fingers clenched tightly around the steering wheels.


    It was like saying this statement brought up bad memories that he didn''t want to remember.


    "But we are the ones who are closest. Unlike you I can''t just sit back and watch people die while I know I can do something to prevent that!" Aletta pouted stubbornly.


    "Eh.. you can''t watch people die if you are not present at the scene so get your grammar right" Jason''s voice rang out from behind the siblings.


    "You are helping matters here!" Aletta shot him a glare.


    "Fine. But on a more serious note I think you guys should take the gig" he said in a more serious tone.


    "That''s not going to happen" Stephen stubbornly shook his head.


    "Heh. You siblings are Mystique Hunters and from how Aletta put it, what we do help save people''s lives "


    "We?" Aletta sneered..


    "Just because you killed one ghost and received that card, that doesn''t make you a Mystique Hunter!" she retorted sharply.


    "Tch. Aren''t we on the same side?!" Jason''s lips twitched. However he continued speaking.


    "I don''t want to stand in the way of you both helping people. Not to mention with your both serving as my protectors, I feel like the safest person on earth "


    "Wow. I never knew you were this selfless. To think you would care about a life that isn''t your own " Stephen sounded surprised.


    "Actually you are right. I am only interested in the reward money. According to Amy, it is going to be split among the three of us if we do kill any supernatural creatures" Jason giggled maliciously.


    "Now, that''s the J.C I know" Stephen chuckled.


    However what the duo didn''t know was that Jason''s reasons were far more complex than he made it seem. Only Jason who was the Host of the Mystique Hunting System knew the true reason.


    "So, where is the location?" Stephen asked


    "Sallyville. It is seven miles away from here" Aletta responded as she took a quick glance at the map on the vehicle dashboard.


    .


    .


    Whoosh!


    Soft breeze whooshed past the several moving cars along the road as a silhouette arrived before the entrance of a an alleyway. A few distance away,  were broken bottle shards. Although someone took the effort to sweep away the broken vehicle parts, they seemed to have missed the shards of broken bottles.


    "This was where he was last seen" the Silhouette squatted down as they scooped up a palm full of dirt.


    The Silhouette blew softly, blowing away the dirt as a small amount of ghost Ash was revealed.


    "Hunters" the Silhouette said in a whisper, filled with immense hatred.

 Chapter 8 — Voices From The Dead

    ¡ª[TITLE CARD: A NIGHT AGO]


    "Double Kill!"


    "Headshot! Bravo!"


    The sound of an electronic announcement followed by loud gunshots rang out as two male teenagers sat before a plasma TV, their fingers clenched tightly around the game pad they were holding.


    The room they were currently occupying was dimly lit and littered with snack wraps and dirty clothes. It was the total definition of a messy hygiene.


    "Dude. What''s up with you huh? your Kill rate is less than normal" one of the teens sneaked a glance at his companion.


    He sported a head full of copper colored hair and appeared chubby.


    As for his companion, he had a slender build with a wavy cut sleek black hair.


    Ignoring the question, the black haired teen sneaked a glance at his phone resting on the nearby stool. His jaws clenched nervously.


    "Dude" his companion caught his body movement.


    "Don''t tell me you are seriously waiting for that phone call from your mum?" he chuckled, his tone laced with mockery and amusement.


    "I mean, she''s been dead for three years now, her medical reports proves it. Are you sure you were not just hallucinating?"


    The black haired teen gave his companion a look of disbelief.


    "We''ve been best buddies since we were kids Harry. Have I ever been the the impulsive type who loves pulling pranks?"


    Harry hesitated a bit before replying with a deep sigh.


    "I know. That''s why I think there''s something fishy here. You seriously need help, after all we both know how much of a deep relationship you shared with your mother Chris. This must be you still grieving over her death "


    Bang!


    Chris smashed his game pad against the wall as he glared icily at Harry.


    "I have stopped grieving over my mother!"


    Pain flashes past his eyes as he continued.


    "I.. I have moved on"


    Harry made to move his lips, only to be interrupted by the sound of a phone ringing. Chris swiftly snatched his phone from off the desk, hurriedly answering the call.


    "Mum!" he cried emotionally through the phone.


    "I know you were going to call!"


    .


    .


    The sound of crickets making their noises and the leaves of plants rustling rang out as two figures weilding flash lights, weaved their way through a series of tombstones.


    A twig suddenly snap, causing Harry to shiver as he gave Chris a look.


    "Shouldn''t we have come here tomorrow morning? I heard rumors that sniffing through a cemetery at the late hours of the night is a bad omen" he spoke in a whisper, mixed with dread.


    Ignoring him, Chris gingery continued walking. After passing through a series of tombstones, both boys arrived before a tombstone that read;


    IN THE MEMORY OF SILVA MONROE


    "When you said your mum wanted to meet you, you didn''t mention it was her tombstone" Harry nervously sucked in a deep breath.


    "Shut up and let me speak to her" Chris  icily shunned him up before kneeling before the tombstone.


    "Mother, I did as I promised. I came to see you"


    Whoosh!


    Harsh winds suddenly began to blow, causing Harry to instinctively look behind him. Seeing no one in sight, he sighed in relief.


    "Dude, you''ve seen your mum already, I think it''s time we start.." Harry''s words hung within his throat as he witnessed a scene that caused him to release a cry of horror.


    "Ahhhhhh!!!!"


    .


    .


    "Jason, just how long are you going to spend in the bathroom? not even Aletta takes that long" Stephen''s mockingly sneered as he sat behind a table, reading from a newspaper while sipping a steamy cup of early morning coffee.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "You do know I can hear you right?" Aletta giggle rang out from within the kitchen of the private hotel room the trio were occupying.


    "Tch. Those two bastards " Jason cussed from within the bathroom as his foamy figure stood before the running shower, adopting an hesitating stance.


    "What kind of stupid hotel room lacks a water heater huh?" he cussed as he felt his whole skin cringe just imagining the scene of him bathing in the shower''s cold water.


    As the son of a multi billionaire, Jason''s life was privileged. He always had his maids ready to heat his bath. The only times he had ever took a bath under a shower was during a camping trip. Jacuzzis were his daily plug!


    Damnit! Damnit! Jason was starting to miss his old life. If only that darn demon hadn''t come along!


    "You''ve been staring at the shower for half an hour now. You are even worst than those spoilt Disney princesses" Jason suddenly heard a familiar voice in his head, causing him to nearly trip.


    "Hello. We meet again" a figure appeared in his head.


    It was that Hermit ghost girl he encountered the previous day.


    "You! what the hell?!" Jason cried as he hurriedly covered his little ''bro'' with both hands and laps.


    "I''ve been watching you for a long time, so don''t bother trying to hide what I have already seen already" an amused voice rang out as the Hermit Ghost Girl appeared before Jason.


    She was still clad in the same outfit the last time they met; snow white denim jackets and shorts underneath a lace leggings. Her pigtails swayed softly even if there was no wind as she eyed Jason with a look of intrigue.


    "What the hell?! I just saw you in my head" Jason cried out as he inched back.


    He couldn''t help but cuss  the hotel architects for making their bathroom extremely small.


    "That''s because I entered a Soul Contract with you" the Hermit Ghost Girl chuckled.


    "You.. You possessed me?" Jason''s expression sunk.


    Thinking of how he was going to be possessed by a female Ghost and start acting lady like caused him to cringe.


    "No. I would never do that to my benefactor. If not for you I would be dead already" the Hermit Ghost Girl shook her head as her twin pigtails swayed.


    "A Soul Contract is kind of like a Symbiotic relationship where we both benefit from each other. Possession is different.. it''s a parasitical.."


    Jason swiftly cut her off


    "Even though I wasn''t the brightest at my biology class, you don''t have to treat me like a layman. You said we benefit from each other.. how?" Jason frowned, an ominous feeling welling up in his heart.


    "I.. I kinda stole your Mystique Coins " the Hermit Ghost Girl twisted her fingers nervously as her eyes faced the bathroom floor.


    "You what?!" Jason''s expression froze.


    Checking the System Panel screen, he discovers that the 220  mystique coins he had previously earned had been wiped clean. The Hermit Ghost Girl wasn''t lying.


    However Jason was more puzzled than angry.


    "How the hell.. wait! can you see the system?" Jason stared at her pointedly.


    As far as he could tell from the short span he gained the Ultimate Mystique Hunting System,  it was only visible to him.


    "The Soul Contract allows me to share the same body and soul with you. Although this System thingy of yours is hidden deep within your soul, I can see it" the Hermit Ghost Girl nodded.


    "However I can sense deep danger from it. From what I can tell, it isn''t good news. I think it is shackling something. As for what that thing is, I don''t know but I can sense the immense power from it" dread flashed in the astral face of the Hermit Ghost Girl as she said this.

 Chapter 9 — Cannibalistic Goat?

    "So, what''s our game plan right now?'' Aletta stared at Stephen deeply as she munched on her sauce coated fries.


    The trio were currently having breakfast together at the dining table.


    "I just finished reading the testimonial of a victim who according to him survived the strange incident" Stephen replied as he patted the newspaper on the table.


    "According to him, what ever happened, it happened so fast. One second he was looking behind him and the next, his room mate was a cold corpse with a half eaten heart besides him "


    "Blergh!" Jason suddenly covered his mouth as he seemed to be on the verge of puking..


    "Sorry Princess, is something wrong?" Stephen smirked.


    "If you want to be a Mystique Hunter like us, forget gory talks, you''ll see much worse" he added as he sipped from his glasses of milk.


    "So, what do you think we are dealing with here? a Malevolent?" Aletta pursed her lips.


    "There''s only one way to find out"


    .


    .


    "Sorry kiddos, but this is a crime scene. Only authorized personnels are allowed entry" James, Aletta and Stephen were about to charge into the cemetery grounds when a police officer blocked their path.


    The whole cemetery ground was wrapped with restrictive perimeter tapes. The whole place was swarming with Police officers as well as CSI officials.


    "Don''t worry Alfred, they are investigative reporters" the Sheriff arrived before the police officer blocking the trio.


    "Yeah. We''ve heard about the strings of murders happening in these parts so we are here to write an article about it" Aletta nodded as she showed the Officer a Journalist badge.


    Inspecting and confirming its authenticity, the trio were allowed access. The Sheriff nodded at them before returning back to his police vehicle in the distance.


    "Investigative journalist?" Jason gave the siblings a look.


    "What? we can''t just tell them we hunt Monsters for a living" Stephen snorted.


    "Does that Sheriff know the truth about you guys?" Jason noticed that the Sheriff happened to be strangely cordial and cooperative.


    "You can say he has some business dealings with the higher ups. People like him makes our job much more easier"


    Approaching a particular tomb stone, the trio noticed a group of CSI officials inspecting the corpse of a teenage boy. There was a large gaping hole in the middle of the corpse chest and besides it was a half rough eaten heart.


    "You can look away if you want" Aletta nudged at Jason when she noticed his cheeks turning green.


    "Nah..I''m good" Jason forcibly swallowed the puke down his throat. His resilience was quite impressive.


    "Hello, my name is Carol G, I am an Investigative Reporter for the Avalanche Forum. On the record can you tell me what you think of this corpse right here?" Aletta approached one of the CSI officials who happened to be an approachable lady.


    Seeing her speaking so formally, Jason almost fell for the act.


    "Judging by the clotting of the blood, this happened about ten to eleven hours ago.. whatever killed the victim, it moved very fast, judging by the way the victim offered zero sign of resistance. If not for the gory method the vic died, I might even say the victim knew the assailant " the female CSI replied with furrowed brows.


    "Do you perhaps know what did this? a lion? a tiger? a monkey perhaps?" Aletta asked.


    "Actually, my team noticed something peculiar and at the same time strange " the female CSI suddenly squatted, scooping up a handful of dirt.


    "We noticed that there were two kinds of prints on the ground when we first arrived.. one belonged to human, and the other belonged to a cloven foot "


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "You think a goat did this?" Aletta''s brows rose up in disbelief.


    "Don''t be ridiculous. Judging from the faint prints, the speed of the assailant was fast.. I might guess a deer. However..."


    "Judging by the eaten heart and how it was ripped out from the victim chest, I would say it was done by a row of sharp teeth. Have you ever heard of a deer with sharp teeth who feeds on the heart of humans?" the female CSI forced a laugh.


    "Indeed. It is really strange " Aletta nodded in agreement, an unknown glint flashing past her eyes.


    While she was discussing with this female CSI, Jason and Stephen were at another corner of the cemetery ground.


    "What age you doing?" Jason creased his brows in confusion when he saw Stephen raising up a silver colored orb the size of a tennis ball, while walking around like he was looking for something.


    "This is an ecto reactor. If it glows red, that means there had been an ectoplasmic activity " Stephen hesitated a bit before replying.


    "Speaking of which, you killed a Malevolent right? what was your experience battling it?" he suddenly asked Jason with a crafty smirk.


    "You still  think I was lying when I said I killed that Malevolent? that ghost ash proves it!"


    "I didn''t say anything " Stephen shrugged his shoulder.


    Staring at him deeply, Jason shrugged as well.


    "I don''t know, he had this strange ability that made him lift things up without touching them, kind of like telekinesis "


    "That was ectoplasm"


    "What?"


    "Ecto.. it is the unique energy weilded by Ghosts. It is invisible to the naked eye and what keeps them invisible as well. By extending ecto into a domain, whatever is within that domain gets influenced by their telekinetic ability. Knights like me are weak when we go against Malevolents because of their ecto domain. It''s a wonder how you managed to slay one "


    Listening to Stephen''s words, Jason recalled seeing a red miasma around the Malevolent he fought the previous day while he was wearing the Sprite Pupils. That must''ve been the ectoplasm Stephen was referring to.


    After parading around the whole of the cemetery ground  with the ecto reactor not glowing at all, Jason and Stephen regrouped with Aletta.


    "This wasn''t done by a Malevolent" Stephen shook his head as he informed Aletta.


    "Like I thought" Aletta held her chin as she seemed to be contemplating deep about something.


    "I think I have a guess regarding what monster we are hunting" she suddenly said after a while.


    "However we would have to pay a visit to the sole survivor for me to confirm my guess" she added.


    "That means we are paying Harry Stewart a visit... the room mate of the victim.. did you manage to get his address?" Stephen asked.


    "What do you think?" Aletta smiled before turning towards Jason.


    "Your face is more rosier compared to the first time we arrived here " she teased.


    "Hmpfh. I don''t break easy. Let''s go meet this Harry guy and nab this evil monster " Jason balled his fist, his eyes literally spitting out flames of conviction.


    "He sure is pumped up. I wonder if he''s going to remain that way when he encounters the monster for real " Stephen folded his arms on his chest as he whispered to his sister.


    "He killed a level two Malevolent without any prior Mystique Hunting training. He''s a natural so I am sure he will do just fine.. however I hope he doesn''t get too complacent and overestimate his abilities " Aletta muttered the last part.

 Chapter 10 — The Reverse Flash Killed My Friend!

    "Are teenage boys always this lazy?" Aletta held her nose as she stood in front of an old looking bungalow, whose lawn had already transformed into a thick bush of green that was threatening to swallow it up


    A few distance away, a large swat of flies happily danced around ten filled up garbage sacks oozing with nauseating goo. Forget Aletta, even Jason and Stephen were scrunching up their noses as well.


    "Do we really have to come here?" Jason rubbed his stomach with an ashen expression.


    He was starting to regret eating breakfast. First it was that corpse at the cemetery, now this garbage dump of a house!


    "Sorry Princess, but this is in the job description. You want to be a Mystique Hunter like I and my sister? get used to it!"


    Patting Jason on the shoulder, Stephen arrived at the porch of the bungalow, landing two successive knocks on the slowly rotting wooden door.


    Creeerak!


    Like the slow whining of an old lady, the door slowly slid open leaving just a small gap that allowed a chubby head to peek through.


    "Who are you?" Harry demanded, in a slightly shaky tone .


    "Are you Harry Stewart?"


    "Yeah?"


    "I am Daniel Johnston.. an Investigative reporter for the Avalanche Forum.. we would like to discuss your room mate death with you. It''s for an article we are currently working on if you don''t mind " although Stephen was saying this, his arms said otherwise.


    Pushing open the door, he nearly puked.


    "Is that rotten cheese?" he gave Harry a strange look.


    "Well... " Harry scratched his head.


    . Walking into the apartment, Jason immediately felt dizzy as well. The whole place was in a mess, with dirty clothes laying carelessly about. There was about thirty chips wraps packed and in a corner, a box of half eaten but now rotting pizza and game poster cards.


    A hell lot of them!


    "You are a gamer?" Jason noticed the play station console.


    "I and Chris were gamers.. we became one to escape the harsh reality of the real world.. only through gaming did we find our solace" Harry sniffed back the snot that was about to drip down from his nose.


    "Have a seat please" he pointed at the only four seater sofa in the apartment.


    "Don''t bother, we won''t waste much time" Stephen quickly rejected as he forced a smile.


    He couldn''t wait to leave this smelly dump. How could he afford to make himself comfortable?


    "So you claim to have been there when Chris died correct?" Aletta whipped out a pamphlet as she pretended to be jotting down notes.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Can you describe what happened? the more vivid the better for.. the article "


    Sucking in a deep breath, Harry began recounting what happened the previous night, starting from the call Chris got from his late mother, to them visiting the cemetery, then how Chris had mysteriously died.


    "So you are saying Chris got a call from his mother? and how long has she been dead?" Stephen asked after Harry finished speaking.


    "Fourth of November.. last three years ago.." Harry suddenly seemed to have recalled something..


    "Wait! yesterday was the fourth of November! do you think its the ghost of his mother who really killed him?" his face went pale with fright.


    "I escaped. Would she also come for me tonight?" he shrieked.


    "What a coward" Jason huffed underneath his breath.


    What was so terrifying about ghosts? he killed one a day ago and currently shares a Symbiotic contract with another!


    "Calm down, I am sure that''s all just a coincidence. After all.. ghosts aren''t real" although Aletta was saying this, a crease had already appeared between her brows.


    "You said your friend received a call from his mother? did you overhear their conversation? did the voice sound exactly like his mother''s?" Stephen asked, to which Harry nodded positively.


    "Maybe it might have been a voice changer who knows. So how long has he been getting those calls from his dead mom?"


    "Eh.. about a week ago.. specifically on Tuesday, at least that''s what he told me" Harry thought for a while before replying.


    "And you said you didn''t see the assailant?" Stephen narrowed his eyes.


    "Like I told the police, I didn''t.." Harry nervously clenched his fist. Although he hid it, Jason managed to notice it.


    "He''s lying " he sneered.


    "What?!" both siblings gave Jason a look.


    "I am a liar myself and I know one when I see one . You discovered something that night didn''t you? however you were to cowardly to spit it out " Jason smirked.


    However it was filled with disdain. The other party''s cowardly attitude seemed to be strangely infuriating him more and more.


    "It wasn''t that. Even if I said it, nobody would believe me!" nervously biting his lower lips, Harry finally admitted.


    "What did you see then?" Aletta put away the pamphlet.


    Harry''s next words were going to be the climax that would determine whether her guess was wrong or right.


    "While I was standing at that tombstone, I could swear for a moment that I felt a presence behind me. When I turned my back I only heard a whoosh sound from behind me and then Harry was killed. I think whatever killed my friend was the Yellow Flash from the comics!"


    .


    .


    "What an idiot. How can a fictional character kill his friend?" Jason scoffed as he walked into the private hotel room, tiredly slumping on one of the sofas.


    Today''s trip had been one hell of a ride!


    "You shouldn''t blame him. After all he doesn''t know what we know" Aletta brought out a laptop from a red backpack.


    Sitting on her bed, her fingers began furiously dancing around the keyboard.


    "Are those medical records?" Stephen took a peek at the computer screen from behind Aletta.


    "Yeah. I hacked into this Town''s hospital online database. Their security system is really lax" Aletta shrugged, her eyes still fixed on the computer screen.


    "You are a hacker? how come I never knew?!" Jason jumped out of the sofa as he rushed over.


    "Cause I didn''t write that skill set on my face dumbass"


    "Ah! I get it now!" she suddenly exclaimed as she punched her bed out of excitement.


    "Here, the first victim of the killing was a man named Solomon Jensen.. and guess what, his wife died of premature labor on October twenty eighth last three years ago.. and guess what, the first victim died last week Monday "


    "Last week Monday was October twenty eighth " Jason connected the dot.


    "The second victim was a surgeon who lost his son during an operation he was in charge of , on October twenty nine last three years ago.. you boys can guess the rest already "


    "So there''s a connection here. All the victims lost a family member three years ago and they happen to be dying on the day the deceased family member died?" Jason wriggled his brows with a clueless expression.


    He was still far from understanding what Aletta was driving at.


    "I am guessing they also received a phone call like Chris because they were all found dead before the tombstone of their deceased loved one.. with their chest ripped out and a half eaten heart besides their corpse " Aletta added.


    "Alright, the same Modus Operandi. However how are we going to find our mystery killer?" Jason finally got tired of guessing Aletta''s thought process.


    "We already know. This M.O. There''s only one monster who sticks by it " Stephen suddenly chimed in.

 Chapter 11 — Punishing Jason

    "A Cro..Crocotta?" Jason intently stared at the image of a strange beast on a large old looking tome that Aletta had taken out from her red backpack. The beast had the body of a muscular deer with golden stripes, a neck covered with silver colored lion like mane. Its face resembled that of a wolf, with terrifying looking fangs protruding out from its mouth. However unlike regular wolves, there was a purple colored horn protruding out from the middle of its forehead like a pony. As if that was not enough, it possessed four pair of golden colored hooves and a bunny like tail.


    Jason''s lips twitched when he saw the strange appearance of the beast named the Crocotta.


    "What kind of sick scientist did this crazy cross breeding?"


    "You mean mother nature right?" Stephen smirked when he heard his words.


    "Huh?"


    "The Crocotta is part of a race of beings known as the Yokais. Nobody knows where they came from except from the fact that they have been existence since the dawn of time. We Mystique Hunters like to call them freaks of nature.." Stephen explained.


    "Yokais huh.." Jason muttered.


    "Are Vampires Yokais as we''ll?" he suddenly asked.


    "Yup.. it''s kind of a broad term actually. Wendigoa, Lycans, Sirens, they are all classified as Yokais.."


    "So how do we find this Crocotta?" Jason tapped the beast image on the old looking tome.


    "More like how do we kill it. The Crocottas are a very powerful breed of Yokais. They possess immense speed, strength and special abilities locked in those pony horns. If we charge in carelessly we are going to lose our lives before we even know what happens " Marie shook her head.


    "Plus, not only can they mimic voices, they can also take on human appearances and blend themselves. Finding this Yokai isn''t the problem. The problem is dealing with it so it doesn''t hurt people against " Aletta added with a grim expression.


    "Don''t worry. If we find the Crocotta I am confident I will be able to kill it " Jason patted his chest. He was confident in the ability of the Klypt Daggers.


    Unfortunately, the two Siblings were not aware of his hidden trump cards, causing them to give him skeptic looks.


    "J.C this isn''t a joke. Perhaps you might''ve killed that level two Malevolent by fluke but luck isn''t actually our finest suite in our line of work. I think you need to sit this one out " Stephen warned.


    "Like I am going.." before Jason could finish his sentence, Stephen landed a sudden punch on his face, easily knocking him unconscious.


    "I''m really sorry Jason, but this is for your protection" Aletta sighed apologetically as she brought out a pair of police handcuffs from her red backpack. After shackling Jason to the bed, the siblings left, locking the door behind them. After who knew how long, a groan escaped Jason''s lips as he slowly regained consciousness.


    "Those bastards!" he cussed when he noticed the cuffs around his wrist.


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    Recalling how his martial arts mentor had once taught him how to break free from cuffs, he felt goosebumps travel all over his body.


    "There''s no way in hell I am going to dislocate my fingers!" he hastily dispersed that line of thought.


    "Hey Ghost Girl who is inside me... It''s time to work your magic now" he called out with an eye roll.


    "Ghost Girl inside you? you do know I have a name right? Oh wait! you''ve never bothered asking me about that because you don''t care! " a sarcastic voice rang out as a teenage girl with twin pigtails clad in snow white denim jackets and shorts underneath a lace leggings appeared before Jason, with her hands folded on her chest.


    "Like you said, I don''t care. So get these cuffs off me so I can go kill that Crocotta before those two beat me to it" Jason commanded.


    "No"


    "What did you say?!" Jason''s brows shot up in fury.


    "If you don''t help me I won''t be able to kill that Crocottta. If I don''t kill it, hehehe.. no juicy mystique coins for you!" Jason smirked.


    "I know" the Ghost Girl smiled.


    "Then release these cuffs from me damnit!" Jason cried with impatience.


    "No. I hate your bossy tone. Although you might''ve been a rich spoilt brat before, you''ve lost your privileges. Right now you are just a chained barking dog so if you need my help, you have to ask calmly " the Ghost Girl smirked.


    "You!!!!" Jason''s eyes almost exploded with fury.


    However he had no words to refute. It was true that after that demon annihilated his home, he lost his old life. Hell! The only thing he owned was the T-shirt, shorts and sneakers he was currently wearing. Taking a deep breath, his lips twitched as he muttered with much difficulty.


    "Please?"


    "Eh? what did you say? damnit after turning into a ghost my hearing almost became impaired so I didn''t catch what you just said?" the ghost girl tilted her right ear at Jason''s face.


    "I said please!!" green veins was already lining all around Jason''s neck.


    This was the first time somebody had humiliated him and he had no choice but to sit down and swallow it.


    "I think I heard you say please.. what for?" the Ghost girl grinned.


    "Please can you free.. me.. from my shackles?" Jason''s heart and eyes were already on the verge of exploding. He knew the other party was intentionally messing with him however he had no choice but to play along.


    "Now that''s better. See? you spoke like a sensible person and you didn''t die " the ghost girl clapped.


    Seeing the victorious smirk on her face almost made Jason vomit blood. If only his father was still alive.. he would''ve had his bodyguards teach her a really good lesson!


    "You do know I am a ghost right? even if dear daddy was alive there''s nothing he would be able to do" she taunted.


    Splurt! Jason''s eyes bulged as he vomited a mouthful of blood. He could no longer contain the rage within him. The other party was just too hateful!


    "Alright, I will stop teasing you now. It wouldn''t be pleasant to have your ghost haunting me when you die" the Ghost Girl giggled as she suddenly transformed into Silver smoke that shot into Jason''s eyes.


    "Hey! what the H--" before Jason could finish his sentence, he suddenly noticed that a strange party seemed to be sharing the same space with his consciousness.


    "Don''t resist if you really want my help" he heard the voice of the ghost girl.


    Craaack! After relaxing his nerves, Jason quickly realized that the cuffs around his wrist were slowly compressing like they were being melted within in a furnace. Although the process was awfully slow, the cuffs finally loosened around his wrist.


    "Ahahaha" silver smoke shot out from Jason''s eyes, transforming into the form of the Ghost Girl as she knelt on the floor, panting heavily.


    "Are you alright?" Jason noticed that her figure was beginning to flicker like it was on the verge of disappearing.


    "How nice of you.. I thought you were going to turn on me after I help you out of your cuffs" the Ghost Girl sounded surprised.


    "Hmpfh. Although I want to do that, I have my pride. Although you might be annoying, I know you are going to make a useful asset so I will tolerate this little partnership of ours. Half"


    "Half what?" the Ghost Girl managed to stabilize her breathing.


    "Half of any Mystique Coin I earn. Although they are useful to you, they are also useful to me" Jason explained.


    "That''s fine.." the Ghost Girl slowly nodded.


    "Since we are Partners officially, it''s only right that I know your name " Jason''s lips twitched.


    "Don''t misread me trying to start a friendship. This is strictly business, got that?!" he hurriedly added.


    "Whatever you say Princesse Jay. My name is Sofia.. partner "

 Chapter 12 — Hunting The Crocotta

    ¡ª[TITLE CARD: A Copule Hours Ago]


    .


    "Did you really have to knock him unconscious?" Aletta mused to her brother as they slowly exited the hotel building.


    "You saw how adamant Jason was back there and you know that right from a small age he has always gotten what he wanted. Did you seriously expect me to try talking reason with someone like that?" Stephen scoffed.


    "If I didn''t know any better I''ll say you still haven''t gotten over that silly crush. As much as I don''t like being a pessimist, Jason isn''t worthy of your affections. He is a narcissistic bastard who won''t mind using you to achieve his aims " Stephen spat coldly.


    "Look at who is talking? who is it that always winces at the mere mention of Jason becoming a Mystique Hunter huh? no matter how many times you badmouth him, you cannot stop caring about his well-being. You don''t want him to go down this wretched path we took " Aletta smiled.


    "You think of him as a little brother.. don''t you?"


    "Shut up " Stephen rolled his eyes.


    "If we have time for gossip, why don''t we channel it into something more useful? say how to identity this Crocottta of ours? according to its M.O somebody is going to die tonight but if we don''t nab it in time "


    "Yokais are crafty bastards. Unlike we regulars, they can freely change their appearances. Who knows if they possess four different identities in Sallyville?"


    Aletta paused to let her question sink in before she continued.


    "In this town we are known as Investigative reporters.. although this gives us the free pass to snoop around and ask bizzare questions, if we overdo it we might expose our true identities and intentions. Crocottas are cowards. Once they catch wind of the presence of Mystique Hunters, they won''t mind laying low for years. We can''t afford to stay in this small town for long.. after all they are many more souls who needs saving from the jaws of the terrifying monsters that lurks in the shadows"


    "So, what is your plan? you''ve always been the one with the brains in the family" Stephen grunted.


    Although he could argue with his sister almost over everything, her genius intellect was something that he couldn''t argue over.


    "I am going to need a cafe computer" Aletta replied, causing Stephen to wriggle his brows in confusion.


    "What happened to yours? don''t tell me you''ve destroyed it after running into a violent firewall virus again?"


    "Far from it and that happened just once, I have learnt my lesson and erected effective counter measures for such kind of situations again" Aletta rolled her eyes before clicking her tongue.


    "I am to utilize a public domain for what I am about to do. Although I am a little bit confident I won''t be traced if I Use mine, it doesn''t hurt to be safe"


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    After asking around a couple locals, both siblings located the only Computer Cafe in Sallyville. Staring at the cafes premises littered with tenacious weeds , Stephen''s brows twitched.


    Opening the entrance door, both siblings quickly took a step back, just in time to avoid a wave of dust from splattering on their heads. Alerted by their entrance, the shop keeper glanced towards their direction from behind a counter..


    The Shop Keeper was actually a frail looking old man with a bald scalp, clad in well ironed black oxford suit. His neat appearance was a sharp contrast to the unhygienic environment of the Computer Cafe.


    "How may I help you young ones?" the old man sounded both gladdened and shocked.


    It had been a long time since he saw customers walk through that door.


    "We want to use your computers for some time.. that is if they still work of course" Stephen coughed out the last part.


    From what he could see from the seven grey cloth covered computers in the cafe, it had been a really long time since they had been handled by human hands. Their grey cloth coverings had already turn white like snow from the thick layer of dust coated around them.


    "My computers are strong.. even if nobody gives them that credit" the Old Cafe Keeper sighed.


    "I remember those times when people would kill just to get past the line. Now, this shop is as desolate as a graveyard and these town folks enjoy the internet from the comfort of their homes.. it is really sad "


    "Well.. technology advancement isn''t such a bad thing" Stephen shrugged.


    Now, the only cafes worth looking at were gaming cafes and arcades. As for Internet cafes, they were stuffs of old legends. It was bizzare while this particular Internet cafe hadn''t even closed up shop.


    Removing the covering from one of the computers, Aletta coughed when she mistakenly inhaled some amount of dust. However to her surprise, the computer went on when she switched the power button.


    "So, what are you looking for?" Stephen asked, leaning behind her.


    "All the deaths were not connected to the same hospital in this town.. hell, some of them were transferred from hospitals outside of Sallyville and buried here" Aletta whispered.


    "They were all locals then?" Stephen whispered back.


    "Indeed.. however this Crocotta isn''t primitive.. it kills its victims following an accurate set pattern.. except it has the ability of omnipresence, there''s no way it was able to accurately record the death date of the victims fallen relatives.. even if they died outside of Sallyville " Aletta''s fingers furiously punched a series of codes that Stephen didn''t understand.


    "According to the lore and other Mystique Hunters notes, Crocottas aren''t Omnipresent.. however who said you needed to be a Yokai to be one, when the Internet is at your beck and call?" a grin slowly graced Stephen''s lips.


    "Looks like after spending enough time with me you are starting to catch up" Aletta gave her brother a thumbs up.


    "So, you mean this Crocotta is an internet predator like you? that''s a really big upgrade " Stephen whistled in amazement.


    "The world is changing.. Yokais are known to adapt the best.." Aletta nodded absent mindedly.. her fingers still furiously dancing around the keyboard.


    "I plan on running an algorithm that would calculate the number of casualties within and outside Sallyville. Then I will have it cross check to those who were transfered to Sallyville morgue before further narrowing it further down till we manage to locate the tonight''s unlucky soul "


    "You can do that?!"


    "Although it''s more difficult than it sounds, yep. However I am not a god so it is going to take some time. You can go readea book or something while I do my stuff " Aletta shoooed Stephen away.


    "Smartass " Stephen cussed inwardly..


    However it was true that watching those series of strange codes playing out on the computer screen was very frustrating.. especially since he didn''t understand what they meant.


    While the both siblings were unaware, their whole conversation even if it was done in whispers were heard by a particular someone as a pair of venomous eyes glared fixedly at them from the shadows, followed by an annoyed growl that sounded like the howl of a wounded wolf and the grunts of an annoyed horse.


    "Damn Hunters!"

 Chapter 13 — Exposing True Face

    "Hello, what are your orders please?" a female blonde waitress stopped before a particular table as she flashed its occupants one of her sweetest smiles.


    "Uhmm.. you must be Stephanie correct?" Stephen scanned his eyes around the restaurant before they fell on the waitress.


    "As you can see on my badge" the waitress lightly tapped the name badge on her chest.


    "Yeah. You are right. Would you mind sparing a few minutes of your time? we would like to discuss something with you" Aletta nodded with a smile, exposing her cute set of dimples.


    "We are record label scouts.. we happened to have come across your cover songs on YouTube.." Stephen hurriedly lied when he noticed the other party was about to decline.


    "R--Really?!" the waitress named Stephanie glanced at the watch around her wrist.


    "My shift ends in five minutes.." she informed them, the pace of her breathing suddenly accelerating.


    "Alright. Meet us outside then " Stephen nodded as he and Aletta stood up, exiting the restaurant.


    "Record label scouts? really?" Aletta punched her brother on the shoulder as soon as they left the restaurant.


    "What did you expect me to say? she was about to decline" Stephen justified.


    "What if she never had a cover song uploaded on YouTube then?" Aletta sneered.


    "I took a guess.. I mean she''s pretty.. someone with that kind of looks won''t be content with just being a  restaurant waitress" Stephen grinned coyly.


    A couple minutes later, Stephanie the waitress joined the siblings. This time she got rid of her official waitress apron and had a nervous expression on her face.


    "I really don''t know what to say. When I released those covers on YouTube, I never expected them to catch the eyes of any record label.. after all the recording quality was very low since I merely recorded it on my phone In-built voice recorder" Stephanie wriggled her fingers nervously.


    "Uh.." Stephen''s corner lips twitched. Fortunately, Aletta had his back.


    "Our record label is out for individuals with  pure and raw talent.. and we feel that you are one of such individuals.. with an angelic voice like yours and our label''s strategic PR, you are going to be dominating the billboard charts in  no time "


    "You really think so?" Stephanie broke into a wide  ambitious grin as her eyes flashed with excitement.


    "However before that, we need to ask you some personal questions.. say for example your date of birth, your heritage and the likes.. these information is going to be crucial in setting up your Wikipedia page" Aletta brought out her palmphet.


    "Alright. Ask away!"


    .


    .


    ¡ª[TITLE CARD ; NOW]


    .


    .


    "Can you track down the Crocottta?" Jtas mentally asked Sofia as he exited the hotel building.


    Looking towards the sky, he noticed the sun was about to set.


    "You want me to sniff out your prey? sorry try a Werewolf" Sofia scoffed.


    "Although I am a Ghost, Yokais are different from us" she added.


    "That means you can see other ghosts right?" Jason caught on the implied meaning in her words.


    "Affirmative "


    "When you took control of my body.. if it wasn''t possession, what was it?" Jason asked after hesitating a bit.


    "Union.. it''s a state were both of our souls becomes molded as one.. it''s like our souls become entwined. In that state you can use all my abilities. However that form consumes a hell lot of my energy since you don''t have even the slightest rudimentary control over it, causing an excessive amount of my ecto to leak out.. I''ll say we don''t ever use that form until you learn proper control" Sofia replied.


    "Hmm.. I wasn''t counting on it in the first place " Jason wriggled his nose as he put on the Sprite Pupils.


    His vision instantly changed. However he didn''t receive that notification he was hoping for.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "Am I took far from it?" he frowned while removing the Sprite Pupils.


    "However if you are looking for a Crocotta, I''ll think I can give you a few clues.. they are proficient in patience, capable of lurking in the shadows as they await their preys to walk right towards their maws"


    Realization suddenly dawned on Jason.


    "The Cemetery!"


    .


    .


    Rustle... Rustle. Rustle.


    A silhouette made their way through several tombstones before they finally arrived at a particular one. Stephen scanned his eyes around.


    "The Crocottta is yet to arrive" he spoke through the wireless Bluetooth communication bud.


    Whoosh!


    Just then, a violent breeze brushed past his face as a figure shoved him against the surface of the tombstone. Stephen who was about to struggle suddenly stiffened when he felt a cold but sharp object kissing the flesh of his throat, followed by a voice filled with the stench of rotten flesh.


    "Move an inch and you won''t be able to do so again"


    "You.. you are the old man from that abandoned internet cafe?!" Stephen''s brows shot up in astonishment as he recognized the voice of the other party from such close proximity.


    "Indeed. As soon as you and that girl walked into my shop, I knew who you were" the Crocottta sinisterly chuckled, not bothering to deny the allegations.


    "Why didn''t you kill me then?" Stephen bit his lower lips nervously as he felt a small amount of his blood slid down his throat.


    "Hmpfh. Old man Jones is the best alias that suits my taste perfectly. He''s the secluded type who hardly socializes.. I wasn''t ready to risk losing that identity"


    "I take it the original Old man Jones is dead?"


    The Crocottta snorted.


    "No. He''s alive.. in my stomach, hahahaha"


    "You are disgusting" Stephen clicked his tongue.


    "You weren''t the first Mystique Hunter who has told me that.. and you won''t be the last either"


    "Heh. Too bad this is the end of the line for you" Stephen strangely smirked as he suddenly screamed at the top of his lungs.


    "Now!"


    " Singi Areahps  Xelpud Esod!" a chant suddenly rang from behind the Crocottta, followed by a brilliant glow as two flying fireballs shot towards him.


    "Bastard! you were intentionally stalling for your colleague!" sensing the danger from the fireballs, the Crocottta slammed its feet on the ground, exploding in a burst of unnatural speed as it evaded the trajectory of the fireballs.


    As for Stephen, his forehead shot out a brilliant light which transformed into a glowing axe that landed on his grip. Swinging it towards the fireball at the lead, he borrowed the collision force to flip through the air, just in time for the second fireball to blast the tombstone into ashes, while setting the cemetery field grass ablaze.


    The once slightly dark atmosphere instantly became bright like it was at  the peak of noon, exposing the appearance of the Crocotta to be the old Shop Keeper the siblings encountered at the Internet Cafe earlier in the day.


    "You!!!" the Crocottta glared at Aletta who was standing in the distance, a glowing tome floating behind her as she held up a snow white rosary with her left hand while her right hand weaved through a series of finger seals.


    "Like I am going to let you!" Crocotta  recognized her intentions, causing it to charge  towards her, his claws aimed at her chest. Although there was a large distance between the two of them, the Crocotta covered it within a few seconds. This was a speed that the ordinary human legs couldn''t hope to achieve.


    "You nosy Mystique Hunters.. always making feeding difficult for my kind!" Aletta was still in the midst of weaving through her hand seals when the Crocottta arrived in front of her, his claws seven inches away from stabbing right through her heart.

 Chapter 14 — Everyone Has Secrets

    Bang!


    The claws of the Crocottta came to a halt as it crashed against the flat surface of a glowing golden colored axe.


    "Scram!"


    A swift kick sent the Crocottta staggering back, just in time for Stephen to leap towards it, chopping his axe at his head in an attempt to decapitate it.


    "Nice try" the Crocotta regained its footing at the last minute. The muscles on his left arm flexed tightly as he blocked the descending axe with it while sending out a jab towards Stephen''s chin with his left arm.


    "Tch" stomping his right foot, Stephen flicked his wrist, loosening his grip on the axe as he initiated a well executed front flip, landing behind the Crocotta.


    Unstrapping a small dagger, he threw it towards the back of the Crocotta''s head. The daggers swiftly struck their mark, bringing about a pained howl.


    "I.. hate.. hunters!" the Crocottta snarled angrily as it jumped back, drawing enough distance between itself and Stephen, while his left hand snaked around his head, pulling off the two small daggers, eliciting another howl of agony.


    "Blessed daggers!" It snarled regretfully as it tossed the two daggers into the distance.


    "You are going to pay for that!" He lurched towards Stephen.


    The Young Mystique Hunting couldn''t react quickly to the sudden movement, causing the Crocotta to ruthlessly slash him on the right side of his face while his fangs moved towards Stephen''s throat.


    "Singi  Erecrac!"


    The Crocotta cussed regretfully as it abandoned Stephen, leaping towards the sides, only for a wave of searing hot flames to wash towards it, craftily condensing into the shape of a four pillared prison with barbs made out of searing hot flames.


    "Done " Aletta sighed in relief after seeing the flame prison successfully bound the Crocotta.


    "Let me go now!" the Crocotta snarled angrily, however it didn''t dare approach the flamy barbs of the flame prison.


    "Heh. Are you stupid or do you think I am stupid?" Aletta jeered.


    According to the lore, Crocottas had an innate fright when it came to fire. As such this flame prison Hex was their true trump card all  along!


    "Are you okay?" she rushed towards Stephen who was holding half of his face that was bleeding profusely.


    The Crocottta didn''t hold back one bit in its previous claw slash.


    "I would live" Stephen picked up his glowing axe which was sprawled carelessly on the ground.


    "We have to kill this monster quick.  Your ring of flames isn''t exactly insconspicious" he added as he nudged towards the grass in the cemetery ground that were ablaze.


    Nodding, Aletta approached the Crocottta trapped within the flame prison.


    "Are there others like you in this town?" she questioned him.


    "Heh.." the Crocotta sneered sinisterly as it suddenly transformed into a little girl.


    "My mummy is going to make you pay" it spoke in a childish tone.


    " Singi Erecrac Mullegalf"


    Following the chant, a portion of the flame prison transformed into a flamy whip that ruthlessly whipped the neck of the Crocotta disguised as a little girl.


    "Argh!!" the Crocotta cried in agony as it was forced to revert back to its original form.


    "Go to hell b*ch!!" it snarled hatefully at Aletta.


    "What do you think?" seeing the other party refusing to talk, Aletta turned towards her brother.


    "Kill it. Although Crocottas move in Herds, they are cowardly. Once they learn of his death, his companions are going to flee out from this town" Stephen replied icily.


    "Alright" the floating Hex Tome behind Aletta glowed brilliantly as her fingers began to weave through a series of hand seals.


    "Singi Erecrac Xserpmoc--"


    Aletta was suddenly interrupted when an intense cold air blew past them. Stephen suddenly sensed the ecto reactor inside his pocket start glowing brilliantly.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "A Malevolent!" he cried out a warning.


    Whoosh!


    James who was currently invisible thanks to the *Union* form, completely ignored the flamy prison as he arrived before the Crocotta.


    "Eh?" the Crocottta seemed to have sensed his presence however before he  could react, Jason whipped out one of the Klypt Daggers from the system in built inventory, stabbing it right through his head.


    Bang!


    A brilliant light exploded from within the body of the Crocottta, turning him into nothing but ashes. Following the death of the Crocottta, Jason received a notification from the system.


    ¡ª[Congratulations! Host has Completed System Main Mission; Defeat the Yokai]


    ¡ª[Host has received +150 Mystique Coins]


    .


    .


    Meanwhile the siblings watched in disbelief as the Crocottta suddenly explode into ashes.


    "Was that your doing?" Stephen turned towards his sister, his brows raised..


    "No. Didn''t you sense the presence of a Malevolent? maybe it was it?"


    Stephen swiftly reached into his pocket. However seeing the ecto reactor completely blank, his expression was quite unreadable.


    "It''s no longer glowing?"


    "That means the Malevolent is gone? looks like a Malevolent stole our kill" Aletta sighed as she waved her hand, dispelling the Hex Tome. Naturally the flame prison instantly crumbled into bits of ash.


    "You are saying a Malevolent helped us kill a Yokai? since when were Malevolents besties with Mystique Hunters?" Stephen felt there was something at play. However he just couldn''t wrap his fingers about what it was.


    "Maybe the Malevolent is the guardian spirit of this town or it had a score to settle with the Crocotta.. either way the Yokai of dead now and our business in Sallyville is done so just let it go"


    Stephen suddenly gave his sister a deep look. Although Stephen wasn''t confident in his in intelligence, he was confident in his sharp intuition that had been heightened after battling with countless Yokais and Malevolents over the years. And his sharp intuition now was telling him that his sister knew something relating to the bizzare death of the Crocotta.


    However she was trying to intentionally hide things from him.


    .


    .


    "How was your hunt yesterday without me?" Jason grinned as he and the two siblings walked out from the hotel after they just finished checking out.


    "Even if you were with us, you would''ve ended up getting hurt as well" Stephen softly brushed the claw mark on the left side of his face that had yet to heal.


    "Trust me J.C and take this from a guy in this biz for quite some time now.. no Mystique Hunter is completely invincible. The slightest carelessness and you would lose your life. This life isn''t something you want to be tangled with " after dropping these solemn words, Stephen opened the driver door of their vehicle parked at the parking lot of the Hotel.


    "Heh " Jason clicked his tongue as he wiped off the small drop of early morning dew that had just fallen atop his nose.


    "He''s wrong yunno? I think you are more than capable of taking care of yourself " Aletta whispered to Jason as they made their way towards the car.


    "So you are throwing your support now?" Jason lips curled up into a half assed smile.


    "Well.. I''ve become more convinced after witnessing you kill that Crocottta" Aletta flashed him a smile as a sharp twinkle flashed past her eyes.


    "What are you saying? didn''t you and your brother chain me up while you went to hunt the Crocottta yourselves?" Jason clicked his tongue as he hastened his footsteps, leaving Aletta behind.


    "As expected.. the apple doesn''t fall far from the tree" Aletta grinned inwardly as she silently watched Jason board the car.


    What the trio didn''t know was that a pair of venomous eyes was silently watching them from behind one of the many stationary vehicles in the hotel parking lot.

 Chapter 15 — Speak Of The Devil

    ¡ª[Title Card; Five Days Ago]


    .


    .


    "And then, the old witch killed the two siblings and cooked their hearts into delicious stew!"


    "So scary!"


    A group of teenage girls still in uniform sat around a table inside a dimly class room. The windows of the classroom were opened wide ajar, allowing the rays of the half moon in the sky to wash over.


    On the table were about a hundred candles within hundred blue colored  Japanese styled paper lanterns. Ninety nine of the candles still had smoke residue floating above their wick, while the last one was still brightly lit.


    "And that''s the last horror story" the teenage girl who was the one telling the horror story pursed her lips as she attempted to blow off the flames on the last candle wick.


    "Club President, are you sure this spell is going to work?" one of the twelve teenage girls present couldn''t help but question as the corner of her lips twisted skeptically.


    "Heh" the Club President patted an old looking tome on the table.


    "My grandma was a Wiccan. I can vouch its authenticity " the Club President spoke with much confidence.


    "So you mean as long as you snuff out this candle you would be able to summon a ghost? like a real ghost?" another girl pursed her lips skeptically.


    "Gosh. How many times are we going to go about this?" the Club President let out a frustrated hiss while rolling her eyes.


    "Well, we just want to be sure. If we don''t summon this Ghost and prove the paranormal world is real, the School Dean is going to assign this classroom to another better club with promise " the teenage girl placed much emphasis on the last four words.


    "And disband the Broom Witch club!" another teenage girl chipped in.


    "Just shut up and let me do my magic" the Club President hissed.


    Softly blowing away the flames on the last candle within the Japanese paper candle, she brought out a small plate filled with darkish blood.


    "Cat blood" she informed after noticing the strange looks those around her were giving.


    Placing the cat blood besides the hundred Japanese paper lanterns, the Club President brought out spray paint can, drawing a papa emeritus symbol around the hundred Japanese paper candles. Tossing the spray paint, the twelve girls flinched when they heard the sharp sound of it crashing on the ground.


    "Heh" the Club President chuckled when she saw their frightened reaction. Bringing out three red candles fastened together, she immersed them completely into the bowl of cat blood before she began reading off from the old looking tome.


    "In Conspectu Lunae, stellae et noctis. Anna ego centum terrores noctis condensat omnes. Effingere et radios lunae perfusa nasci. Sic erit!!"


    The whole room suddenly began to tremble as a vast suppressive pressure washed in, forcibly smashing the glass on the window panes into broken shards. The smoke residues floating above the hundred candles began to slowly fly towards each other, mixing, thickening..


    Right before the eyes of the thirteen members of the Broom Witch club, the smoke gradually began to change shape. At first it was unrecognizable but it one peered closely, the form resembled that of a humanoid.


    Siiii


    The sound of someone sucking on a deep breath rang out as a figure slowly stepped out from the fog of smoke.. or to be more precise, float out since their feet barely made contact with the floor.


    "You girls summoned me?" a beautiful angelic like voice rang out as the newly emerged figure noticed the presence of the Broom Witch club members.


    She was a beautiful female with blue colored flowy hair that reached all the way to her lower butts. A stylish flower crown was plaited across her forehead. She wore  a pink kimono and had a beautiful belt wrapped around her waist. One look at her and the only word that could come to mind was..


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Breathtaking!


    "You are a ghost?" one of the teenage girls couldn''t help but have her rate of breathing suddenly accelerate.


    "That is a crude way of putting it.. I am a Tulpa, created from the intense amalgamation of your fears.." the beautiful kimono wearing lady sucks in a deep breath as a pair of cat like ears popped up at both sides of her head while a long cat tail swung around excitedly behind her.


    "And geez! your fears are so tasty!!" the eyes of the kimono lady suddenly transform into slits as an  invisible force suddenly lift up one of the teenage girls, dragging her towards the kimono lady.


    Naturally the  captured teenage girl shrieked in fright as she flayed her arms around. However seeing her struggle so intensely seemed to have stroked the sadistic tendencies of the Kimono lady.


    "Yes! continue struggling! the more frightened you are, the more tastier your flesh would taste!" the kimono lady suddenly clenched her right fist, causing the captured teenage girl to explode into mangled pieces of flesh .


    "So delicious!!" a pair of blackish fangs protuded out from the mouth of the kimono lady''s mouth as she licked off the blood and mangled pieces of innards that happened to have landed on her face..


    "This is going to be a feast! thank you! thank you!" she grinned maliciously at the remaining members of the Broom Witch club who were screaming at the top of their lungs as they struggled to open the door out from the classroom.


    A couple minutes later, a series of agonized screams soon rang from within the school building. Unfortunately there was nobody present who could come to their aide, considering it was at the peak of the night.


    .


    .


    ¡ª[Title Card: Present]


    .


    .


    "Your card is peculiar. I have never seen anything like it before" the female cashier couldn''t help but muse curiously as she held up an azure colored card with strange designs on its surface..


    "Why do you care? as long as it works" Jason scoffed as he tapped his foot on the ground impatiently.


    "Sorry" the cashier apologized as she immediately slipped Jason''s Hunter card into the atm machine to process the payment for the goods in his Cart


    "Wow. Those are a lot of clothes" Jason soon heard Sofia''s voice ring in his head.


    "Mind your business"


    "You really are a Princess"


    Veins exploded on Jason''s forehead. However he managed to grasp onto a little shred of self control. The other party was an annoying ghost. He just had to treat her words as passing fart.


    "You just received your payment a few minutes ago and you''ve already squandered more than half of it on one round of.. shopping?" Sofia''s annoying voice rang out again.


    "Payment done. Thanks for patronizing Oyeba Boutique.. Sir?" the cashier smiled sweetly at Jason as she handed back his Hunter card to him.


    Nodding, Jason grabbed the six bags of clothes he just bought from the boutique, walking out from the boutique when suddenly he heard Sofia''s voice ring in his head again.


    "You are being watched"


    "Is it the same Malevolent from Sallyville?" Jason asked her mentally as he continued walking forward like there was nothing wrong.


    "No. The previous one had a very strong presence. This one is weaker. I am sure you would be able to handle it" Sofia tried, but how couldn''t Jason sense the excitement in her voice?


    "Alright. Let''s farm some mystique coins then" Jason grinned as well.


    Although he felt killing ghosts and that Crocottta came too easy, that didn''t mean it wasn''t satisfying. He couldn''t wait to experience that euphoric feeling again!

 Chapter 16 — Completely Stomped!

    Jason was half way through the alley way path he had taken when he suddenly felt a cold presence brush past his back. Without thinking too much, he flung the bags of boutique clothes into the air, whipping out the Daggers of Cain from the system in built Inventory as he stabbed one of his daggers behind him.


    Whoosh!


    A powerful invisible force suddenly crashed against him, knocking him against the wall of the alleyway. Ignoring the slight back pain, Jason immediately whipped up the Sprite Pupils. Following the change in vision, he finally saw his assailant.


    It was a female Malevolent clad in red robes made out from ectoplasm. When compared to the previous Malevolent Jason encountered, the ecto aura surrounding this one was much more potent.


    "Die!" the female Malevolent was oblivious to the fact that Jason could now see her as she sent three ecto threads in an attempt to wrap around his neck.


    Snorting coldly, Jason backed up a bit as his wrist flexed skillfully, cleanly slicing off the three ecto threads.


    It wasn''t that he was an expert in this, but that the Klypt Daggers were just too sharp. It was like there was nothing in the world it couldn''t slice!


    "Eh?" although the three ecto threads Jason sliced off were nothing to the Malevolent, that didn''t lower the astonishment she felt when she saw  them being dealt with easily.


    She had encountered a fair share of Mystique Hunters and never had encountered something like this.


    As if to test something, she attacked Jason with five more ecto threads, only to have them cleanly sliced off, just like the earlier three!


    Her theory was proven!


    "Y-You can see my ecto threads?" she became visible while sporting a shocked expression as she scanned Jason sharply with her eyes..


    Or to be more precise, the Klypt Daggers in his grip.


    Ignoring her question, Jason broke off into a sprint, arriving before her as he sent a slash towards her neck. Thanks to Jason closing the distance, the Malevolent couldn''t utilize her ecto threads in time, causing her to lean back.


    Discovering the other party evaded his attack, Jason sent a kick towards her stomach, only to have his leg pass right through her. Having not expected this, Jason lost his footing, causing the Malevolent to slap him flying with five of her ecto threads.


    "Idiot. Although she''s visible, that doesn''t make her tangible. Normal physical attacks don''t work on her" Sofia''s berating rang in Jason''s head.


    "What? then how do I kill her?" Jason slowly stood up on his feet.


    Luckily he had been close to a wall or that earlier smack would''ve broken his back completely and not just give him a stinging pain on the cheeks.


    "Use those daggers of yours. I have noticed they seem to completely ignore intangibility" Sofia replied flatly.


    "What the hell are you boy? at first I thought you  were just a random spunk in dire need of some haunting.. but it would seem you are quite something. No wonder you caught that person''s attention" the female Malevolent said as she conjured up about a hundred ecto threads, forming a barricade like domain around herself


    If would seem she had sensed the danger the Klypt Daggers posed to her.


    "Someone sent you after me?.. why?!" Jason caught the hidden meaning in the Malevolent''s words.


    "I can on one condition.. that you gift me your head hahaha!"  the Malevolent suddenly shot towards Jason at an insane burst of speed, the ecto threads barricade domain moving along with her as she sent twenty of them slamming towards Jason from four directions.


    "Sofia, I need your help!" he hurriedly called out, only to receive no reply..


    "Bi*ch!" cussing spitefully, Jason stabbed towards the five ecto threads coming from his left, when suddenly his knees buckled, looking like he was about to fall face flat to the ground. However this quick reaction of his caused the five ecto threads to shoot past him, smashing into the five ecto threads coming from behind him.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Boom!


    An invisible burst of energy exploded outward from the unexpected collision, knocking trash cans into the air. As for Jason, he was helplessly swept off feet, skidding across the surface of the ground as the force of the friction peeled off some of the skin on his limbs. As for the Klypt Daggers, they flew out from his grip.


    "Kekekeke" Jason heard a malicious laugh. He tried standing up to his feet, only to discover that his knee bone had been dislocated.


    "Die!" the Malevolent appeared before Jason, sending out ten ecto threads pumelling towards his head with the intent of turning Jason''s head into squashed watermelon.


    "Hey Ghost lady. Why don''t you pick on someone your own size huh?" a lazy voice rang from behind the Malevolent, causing her to halt her actions.


    Looking behind her, the Malevolent suddenly gasped when she saw the owner of the statement..


    It was actually a seven years old looking boy clad in bright purple trench coat and sporting a long raven black hair tied in a ponytail. Strangely, the features of the boy was quite feminine. If his chest wasn''t so flat and his chin pronounced, he might''ve passed off as a girl.


    "Miss me?"  the eyes of the boy glowed brilliant purple as an invisible force suddenly swept the Malevolent off her feet, smashing her against the wall of the alleyway. Strangely even though the Malevolent was intangible, the force of the shove caused a deep fissure to appear on the surface of the wall


    Ignoring James who was sprawled on the ground, the little boy levitated as he calmly floated towards the female Malevolent, who was still pinned to the wall, completely weak in the face of the invisible force.


    "You!!" the Malevolent trembled as her whole body suddenly began to glow brilliantly like the sun.


    "Self detonation? keep dreaming" the little boy yawned while lazily snapping his fingers, causing the glowing figure of the Malevolent to revert back to normal.


    The expression of the Malevolent became warped in unspeakable terror.


    "You work for Starlet, correct?"


    "I work for Queen Starlet.." the Malevolent corrected in a shaky tone.


    "Whatever" the little boy rolled his eyes, sneakily giving Jason a look.


    "I have been watching you both altercation"


    The Malevolent stiffened when she heard the confession of the other party. To think he was watching and she completely had no clue!


    This newcomer was too terrifying!


    "Why would Starlet be interested in a weakling such as him? after centuries has she grown so bored?" the little boy clicked his tongue.


    "I-I don''t know what the Queen intentions are. She told us to harass him with intent to kill " the Malevolent whimpered.


    "Hm? you were not going to kill him for real?" the brows of the little boy rose in surprise.


    "Those were the orders "


    "How many of you were given this task?" the little boy asked.


    "A-All of Us"


    The little boy grinned.


    "Interesting.."


    Giving Jason one last curious look, he immediately lost interest as he focused his attention back on the Malevolent.


    "Enough talking about that weakling. I have no interest in Starlet latest toy to satisfy her amusement. Who I am interested in today is you" an evil smirk appears on the face of the little boy as he snaps his finger, causing a purple colored portal to form besides him.


    A cold and deathly aura wafted from the portal, as well as agonized walling.


    "P-Please I will tell you everything you need to know. D-Don''t.. D-Don''t take me there please" the face of the Malevolent went ashen when she saw the portal.


    "Don''t worry. We both are going to have so much fun together. I just hope you survive it though" with another snap, the purple portal swallowed up the both of them before slowly dispersing into the wind.

 Chapter 17 — Types Of Mystique Hunters

    "Can''t you go any softer?!!" Jason let out a hiss filled with anger and a mix of agony.


    The teenager was currently bare chested, seated on a rumpled queen sized bed. Seated besides him was Aletta, who was dabbing at the injuries on his body with a cotton wool soaked with ethanol.


    "Quit whining like a babe. It isn''t helping" Aletta grunted as she softly brushed the cotton wool across a peeled section of skin on Jason''s left rib.


    The latter stiffened reflexively before gnashing his teeth.


    "So let me get this straight, you wanted to hunt down a Malevolent? who then trashed you but right before it could go for the kill, a little boy with telekinetic abilities came to your rescue and left with the Malevolent through a portal?" Stephen who was playing a video game on his laptop, gave Jason a fleeting look..


    Although he tried to conceal it, Jason could tell he was only a small step away from breaking into a smug grin.


    "Why do I get the feeling that you are more delighted at my setback than the fact that I got my sss beaten by a ghost?" Jason scoffed.


    "I don''t know.. I mean after that first kill of yours, your ego seemed to be more inflated than the heavens itself. Maybe encountering this setback wasn''t such a bad thing. Like I told you two days ago,  in the line of work we do, Invincibility isn''t our greatest forte--"


    "Yeah. Yeah. And the slightest carelessness can have us killed " Jason cut in with a sarcastic expression.


    "We? I thought after encountering this setback you''d have a rethink about your career path?" Stephen was taken aback when he saw Jason still interested in being a Mystique Hunter.


    The Jason he knew wasn''t the dedicated sort. Once a path didn''t go according to his direction, he would simply ditch it for another. To be still dedicated even after suffering such a defeat was both bewildering and puzzling to Stephen.


    "Are you serious here? being a Mystique Hunter allows me to help those in need.. plus the rewards aren''t bad. Just killing a level two Malevolent earned me five thousand dollars.. imagine if I kill four, five, twenty.. just this little setback wouldn''t be enough to stop me"


    "Looks like someone is motivated " Aletta''s lips curled as she intentionally placed more pressure.


    "Hey!" Jason snarled angrily at her.


    As for Stephen, he gave Jason a deep look. He knew the other party too well. The only way he was still motivated to be a Mystique Hunter even after such a setback was because of one  single thing..


    There was benefit for him!


    And it wasn''t that he could save people considering Jason was a selfish narcissistic, or the reward money considering he was once a spoilt trust fund brat.


    As for the true benefit, Stephen had no idea what it was. This intrigued him deeply and stroked his curiosity.


    "So, who the hell was that guy? although I was only defeated by that Malevolent because I was careless, it was stronger than the one I killed. However that little boy easily dealt with it.  Is he a Witch or something?" Jason''s curiosity was far from satiated.


    "A male who is a Witch? that''s funny.." Stephen slowly shook his head .


    "From your description, what you encountered was an Xper Mystique Hunter.. they are terrifying people to say the least"


    Noticing the cautious look in Stephen''s expression, Jason became even more curious.


    However before he could move his lips, Aletta beat him to the punch.


    "Remember how I told you there are different classes of Mystique Hunters? Xpers are one of them and are terrifying"


    "Saints enter a contract with a Patron Angel to tap slightly into their power, allowing them to weild Hallow. Knight class Mystique Hunters are more of less regarded as Champions of their own Patron diety. You can think of them as Semi-gods, capable of tapping into the abilities of their Patron diety. However doing so causes a serious strain in their physical body so Knights normally utilize blessed Items during combat. However there''s a way for Knights to refine their physical bodies to the point where they could endure using the abilities of their Patron diety without having their bodies implode. Stephen is the champion of Sango, the Yoruba Pantheon diety of lightning and fire "


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.  Aletta took a pause, seemingly waiting for the effects of her revelation to sink in before she continued speaking.


    "Xpers are another class of Hunters. Rumors has it that their mothers managed to survive an assault from a Malevolent, effectively altering the physiology of their unborn infant. As such, Xpers are kind of like Malevolents in some way apart from the fact that they are not yet dead. They can tap into psyplasm, a variant of ectoplsm that can only be found in the Phantom Plane. So in simple words, they are capable of tapping into the Phantom Plane and weilding it''s energy "


    "Next on the list are Summoners and this is where things get interesting.. they are actually Hell Spawns "


    "Hell Spawns?" Jason''s brows knitted.


    "You mean like Scorpion from Mortal Kombat?"


    "No. Those are just fiction and Hell Spawns are not like that. At most Scorpion was similar to a Wraith. Hell Spawns are special humans capable of fully serving as the vessels of Demons"


    "You mean like possession?"  Jason cut in, appearing intrigued.


    "I thought demons could possess whatever body they choose?"


    "Yeah. For the lower classes of demons. If a higher class demon tries doing so, I am afraid the host won''t be able to contain their vast presence, causing them to implode.  As potential vessels for Demons, the Summoners has a small connection with the Arcane plane, allowing them to forcefully subjugate beings from the Arcane Plane.. for example curses, Hell Wraiths, Hell Creatures and even demons, depending on the mental fortitude of the Summoner "


    "So, was my Uncle an Hell Spawn?" Jason seemed to have remembered something, causing intense hatred to almost explode out from his eyes.


    "Indeed. However he wasn''t a Mystique Hunter so he couldn''t resist the possession. I am sorry"


    "It''s fine. Do you perhaps know the name of the Demon responsible?" Jason asked as he silently balled his fist.


    "Unfortunately, no. However I know the mastermind.. it was a powerful Witch"


    "A Witch?"


    "Yeah. There''s another class of Hunters known as Witches and Warlocks..  however unlike us, they are more.. selfish. Although they hunt mystical creatures, they only do so if there''s benefit for them. In a way, they are similar with Saints"


    "Like you?"


    Aletta nodded slowly.


    "Indeed. They are contracted with their own patron entities known as Empryeans. Not much is known about the Empryeans.. at least that''s information a Hunter on my level can''t access. However the basic knowledge about them is that they live at the farthest corner of the Arcane Plane"


    "So they are demons?"


    "No.. they are Hell''s neighbours"


    "So Jason.. what class of Hunter are you?"


    It would seem Stephen was also curious because he also stopped the game he was playing and focused his attention on Jason as he and his sister awaited his response..


    Sensing the four eyes gazed intently on him, Jason sighed..


    "A Knight class"


    This was the only reasonable expression he could give.. considering his trump cards were actually a set of daggers.. according to Aletta''s earlier explaination, that fitted the M.O of Knight class Mystique Hunters right?

 Chapter 18 — Urgency To Get Stronger

    "You mean you are a Knight?"


    Although Stephen managed to hide it, Jason could sense the disappointment in his tone.


    "Were you expecting something more? Considering you hate the idea that I should be a Mystique Hunter?" Aiden snickered.


    Just as Stephen made to reply, the sound of a notification bell  rang from his computer. Clicking on the floating notification tab, a strange expression appeared on his face.


    "What is it?"


    "This is an assignment from Headquarters... It wants us to deal with a job.." Stephen replied.


    "Really? I thought they wanted us to strictly bring Jason straight to the Bunker?"


    "Well.. except someone just hacked into their database, this is an assignment from them " Stephen shrugged his shoulder.


    "What did it say then?" If Aletta wasn''t busy treating Jason''s injuries, she would''ve rushed over. For Field Hunters like them, a direct assignment from the Headquarters meant higher rewards and even a chance at a promotion!


    Just like every other occupation, there was a ranking amongst Mystique Hunters. Apart from the prestige, higher ranked Hunters enjoyed some rewards like guaranteed weekly payment for life. A free vacation ticket every six months and many more benefits that lower ranked Hunters like her and her brother didn''t know about.


    To climb up the ranks, A Hunter had to amass enough Achievement points. The simplest way to do so was completing missions from the Mission Wall on the Headquarters restricted website that could only be accessed by regulated Hunters registered and updated in the database.


    These missions in simple terms were to hunt down and kill mystical beings. Apart from the reward money, completing these missions  came with achievement points. For example, after submitting that Ghost Ash four days ago,  Jason earned five thousand bucks and ten achievemen points.


    However this amount was completely meager, considering the siblings had earned achievement points in the hundreds, yet they were only an inch close to the middle class of Hunters.


    As for those high ranked Hunters, they had amassed achievement points a million and above!


    However another fast way to farm achievement points was to receive and complete an assignment from the Headquarters. For example safely escorting Jason to Washington was a direct assignment from Headquarters and if the Siblings managed to complete it, they would rise up exponentially in ranks.


    They had barely recovered from that one when another assignment fell on their laps. They didn''t know whether to be excited at their luck, or suspicious.


    "According to the gig description.. there has been constant killing in a town a hundred miles from our current location.. Garner Falls?"


    "Stolen hearts? ripped out throats? is it a M.O that we recognize?"


    "Scattered everywhere "


    "Huh?"


    "According to what I am reading, the twenty victims all exploded.. both flesh, blood and bone "


    "Do I even have to close my ears now? thanks for the heads-up " Jason scoffed as his face scrunched up.


    He couldn''t quite understand how Stephen and Aletta could calmly discuss gore without much of a reaction.


    "How long has it been going on?"  Marie asked, finally wrapping up with treating Jason''s injuries.


    "About six days ago. The first target were a group of highschool girls from one  the Town''s three high schools "


    "Three? that''s much even for a single town " Jason mused with an upturned brow.


    "Is that what you find peculiar? " Stephen rolled his eyes before giving his sister a deep look.


    "You are the geek here. What do you think?"


    "Many things. I can''t really go into a final decision without looking through the CSI reports of the victim.  Did they implode or explode? without that, it would be difficult to just predict the foe we are going up against "


    "Then we are going to Garner Falls?" Jason attempted to stand on his feet.


    "The hell no. I and Aletta can handle this.." Stephen immediately disagreed.


    It was like he had been anticipating this statement.


    Stolen novel; please report. "What are you going to do to me then? shackle me up?" Jason knitted his brows in a provocative manner.


    "I think it''s not a bad idea for Jason to come with us " Aletta suddenly spoke up.


    "You are on his side?! can''t you see that he''s injured?" Stephen glared at his sister disbelievingly.


    "And our assignment is to protect him. How do you expect us to do so if we leave him all to his self?


    .


    .


    "Are you sure you are in the right shape for battle?" Jason was in the midst of enjoying a silent and serene car ride when an annoying female voice rang in his head.


    "So..Fia!!"


    "You are angry? why are you angry?"


    "Why am I angry?" James inwardly laughed self mockingly


    "If you hadn''t ditched me back there, I wouldn''t have had my ass handed over to me. Oh wait! I also would''ve been in peak condition if a certain coward with a big mouth hadn''t turn tail and fled like a little mice!"


    Although this was a mental communication, Jason''s body was throbbing intensely, almost at the verge of exploding physically.


    "What did you expect me to do huh? that terrifying Xper was around. If he had sensed my existence, I would be done for!"


    "You were able to sense the presence of that Xper?!" Jason was taken aback.


    Although he was beaten down, he had still witnessed what transpired between the little Xper kid and the Malevolent


    Not even a powerful Malevolent like her managed to sense the presence of the Xper.. yet Sofia managed to do so?!


    "I heard his footsteps okay?" she added after a while.


    "Plus you shouldn''t start blaming me now. I remember how a certain someone boasted they were not counting on receiving my help.. oh wait! you were that person Princess!"


    "I gave you half of my mystique coins! how dare you eat my meal and just wipe your mouth clean?!"


    "You call four hundred a meal? I barely recovered from using Union twice, even after consuming that four hundred mystique coins. If anything, I am the one losing out in this little partnership of ours!" Sofia retorted.


    "Don''t you dare complain! you shouldn''t even be asking me for any renumeration considering I saved your ass from that Malevolent. If anything you should be grateful and swear your life to me!" Jason harrumphed.


    "Hello?" he suddenly sensed Sofia go silent. No matter how many times he called out to her, she never responded.


    "B*tch!" he cussed inwardly


    "The day I am going to stop depending on her would be one of great celebration!" he sighed helplessly as he stared at his current stats on the System Panel screen..


    ¡ª[HOST INFO]


    ¡ªName: Jason Chris


    ¡ªAlias: J.C


    ¡ªTitles: None


    ¡ªRace: ¡é¡ì%¡ê~£¤€^¡é£¤¡Ì¡ê€^^¡é£¤¦Ð¦Ð¡Ì€^£¤


    ¡ª[COMBAT]


    ¡ªCharm Stats: Locked


    ¡ªARMOR


    ¡ªLocked (100,000 mystique coins to unlock) (99,600 more Mystique Coins to unlock)


    ¡ª[Missions]


    ¡ªNone


    ¡ª[Mystique Coins]


    ¡ª400


    ¡ª[Tools]


    ¡ªVoid Vial (fully awakened)


    ¡ªSprite Pupil (fully awakened)


    ¡ªDaggers Of Cain (lv1) +


    ¡ª[Inventory]


    ¡ªVoid Vial


    ¡ªSprite Pupil


    ¡ªDaggers Of Cain


    .


    .


    "Ninety nine thousand six hundred? with the rate at which I gain Mystique Coins and my current abilities, It would take years for me to achieve such a milestone"


    As much as Jason hated to admit, the current him was weak. For example he had been silently observing the siblings battle with the Crocotta back at Sallyville. Even with the Klypt daggers, Jason wouldn''t get the chance to stab it into the Crocotta before the other party ripped out his throat!


    He had to increase his physical attributes if he wanted to have a real fighting chance against mystical beings like the Crocotta and Malevolents and Jason had an innate feeling that the system''s armor was his biggest shot..


    However unlocking it right now was a pipe dream. He needed to find one way or the other to temporarily level the playing field and as much as he also hated to admit, Sofia and the Union transformation was his only shot!


    Damnit! Why was getting strong so frustrating?! why couldn''t he be like those light novel MCs who could just level up after killing their first monster?!

 Chapter 19 — No Sense

    "Uhm, Aletta?" Jason hesitated a bit before asking..


    "What do you guys know about Union Transformation?"


    "Union? where did you hear that from?" it was Stephen behind the wheels who replied first.


    "I kind of know about it. What''s your knowledge about it? considering you are the expert here" Jason heavily placed emphasis on the last six words..


    "It''s a spell.. no, a technique used by Summoners to merge their souls with their contracted demons. Why are you asking about it?"


    "Nothing. I was just curious. How do one learn this technique?"


    "Well.." Stephen exhaled deeply.


    "Summoners are mysterious introverted freaks while Xpers are arrogant dickbags. They love hoarding all their secrets to themselves so much isn''t known about them sorry "


    Jason bit his lower lip as he hesitated for a moment.


    "Can a non Summoner learn the Union transformation technique?"


    "Alright, that''s enough vague questions. What the hell are you driving at J.C?" Stephen gave him a deep look through the rear view mirror in the car.


    "Nothing. I just figured since I am now a Mystique Hunter, It is natural I know these stuffs. Considering knowledge is what differentiates real experts from amateurs "


    "You --" Stephen''s brows twitched.


    .


    .


    .


    "You three are what again?" the Sheriff of GHPD questioned Jason, Stephen and Aletta as they walked down a winding corridor within the interior of the police department building.


    "Investigative reporters for the Avalanche Forum and he''s our assistant and photo boy"  Stephen flashed his fake Journalist badge as he pointed towards Jason who was trailing behind them, a camera slung across his neck.


    "Avalanche Forum? I''ve never heard of a paper around town that goes by that name" the Sheriff replied skeptically.


    "Well.. the Avalanche Forum is a special information center that works in tandem with federal special ops. We are located in Washington and our jobs is to gather as much Intel as we can to assist the FBI and CIA in their several investigations" Stephen replied fluently.


    Jason couldn''t help but admire how the other party could so smoothly lying through his teeth.


    "And this particular case caught your eyes because?" the Sheriff still wasn''t sold.


    "According to the info we''ve gathered, all the victims exploded. Now,  we''ve analyzed this might be a federal threat. Say for example if this is a biological weapon or could spell another covid 19 virus, lasa fever, etc. However if this was the result of a hardware, then we have to gather Intel to assist the FBI in locating it''s source so it doesn''t fall into the wrong hands. Say for example.. terrorists?" Stephen smirked when he heard Aletta''s words..


    As expected.. his little sister was quick witted! even he was nearly convinced! And just as he anticipated, the Sheriff was finally convinced.


    "I and my department will be honored to serve in the preservation of the nation''s security. I''ll take you to the morgue right away "


    Under the lead of the Sheriff, the trio were led towards the cold room. Stepping into the morgue, the sudden wave of cold caused him to shiver. As for the siblings, they were completely unfazed..


    After being Hunters for so long, this little bit of cold was nothing to their body system. Considering they had faced even worse..


    "And they are?" the Forensic technician who was actually a black American lady clad in white lab coat gave the Sheriff a curious look when she saw the three foreign but young faces.


    The Sheriff then explained their origins before taking his leave. Unlike some certain folks, he wasn''t too cozy in such an extreme cold habitat.


    "My name is Jesse" the female CSI smiled at them.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "I would''ve shook your hands but.." she flashed her hands wrapped in surgical gloves stained with blood.


    "It would seem you were busy? Perhaps we should come another time?" noticing the dissected corpse on the operating table, Jason had the urge to vomit his intestines out, considering he had in his infinite cautiousness decided not to risk taking breakfast.


    "It''s no problem. Unfortunately there was no full corpse to recover at all the crime scenes. I only managed to gather and preserve bits" Jesse walked over to one of the lockers, pulling out a series of containers..


    Seeing their contents, Jason''s face went green.


    Brain matter.. slightly mashed up fingers.. Jason feared he was really going to puke out his intestines out if he continued looking.


    "What kind of camera boy is afraid to see blood?" she chuckled in amusement when she saw Jason''s reaction.


    "He''s a little green.. both literally and figuratively.." Aletta squatted down as she observed the containers.


    "What do you think Jesse?" she gave the CSI a deep look.


    "A Psycho killer on the loose?"


    "Oh? and why would you think so? I mean.. what kind of killer uses bombs?"


    "Well.." Jesse exhaled as she used one of her apparatus to scoop out a mangled piece of flesh that resembled a skull.


    Placing the skull on the operating table, she placed a lens type apparatus above it as she beckoned Aletta to take a look.


    "Internal pressure wounds?" Aletta asked.


    "You catch on fast. This skull belongs to the tenth victim. At first instance, it would seem like they exploded from an explosion.. however I think it is far more complicated. This internal pressure wound signifies that the victim either got hit on the head by something.. or they hit their head on something "


    "Not to mention, a neuro scan was conducted on two other victims brains that managed to survive the assault and our diagnosis is that they all suffered from high levels of cortisol. The amount of cortisol reading.. it even exceeded that of an insane patient. We have a feeling that this also played a part in their death "


    "A part?" Aletta raised a brow.


    Jessie nodded sharply.


    "We thoroughly combed through every nook and cranny in the locations where the victims were found.. there was zero burnt marks to be found nor did we discover any high level of heat. Whatever exploded these people, it wasn''t an explosion. However what kind of hardware can explode people like that without possessing heat? I have been studying corpses for like half of my life lol and I think I have seen a lot of weird. But this.. this.. it is on another level"


    "What if the victims were not necessarily exploded?" Aletta folded her hands on her chest.


    "You think they imploded? how is that even possible?"


    "Do you have an even better explaination?" Aletta smirked.


    "B-But that''s insane. Forgetting the fact that majority of our innards are mostly liquid, fat or similar incompressible liquids, what can bypass the toughness of the bones to make them all liquified while possessing zero heat? that goes against all the known and established laws of science!". "Welcome to my world " Stephen muttered.


    "Well.. that''s the only liable explanation no matter how unbelievable it might sound. However I feel something happening like that is also unlikely"


    Aletta fished out a card from her trench coat.


    "You should continue studying the body parts. Incase you discover something, please give me a call.." Aletta handed Jesse her card before giving the two boys a signal with her eyes.


    "A-Alright" Jesse watched as the trio left before shaking her head.


    "The human body imploding? why not just tell me witches and flying monkeys are real" she scoffed while shaking her head.

 Chapter 20 — Dracula Rises!

    "So what do you think?" Aletta gave both boys a look as they walked out from the police department building.


    "So, the victims imploded, one of them hit their head on something and they had a mental breakdown before they died?" Jason listed while counting with his fingers.


    "A Malevolent.. and a powerful one" Aletta replied solemnly.


    "Eh?" Jason was taken aback.


    "Malevolents can make someone implode? how is that even possible?" Jason was taken aback..


    Unlike the Siblings, he could see the ecto threads that gave Malevolents their telekinetic abilities. Although they were visible, that didn''t mean they were not tangible!


    "We are looking at a potential level 9 Malevolent or even level 10. Compared to the level 2 Malevolent you dealt with.. this one is the real deal, capable of killing within the blink of the eye.. not to mention it can influence the mind as well.. that is something that only high level Malevolents can achieve"


    "Do you think we should ask for backup?" Aletta gave her brother a look.


    Level 10 Malevolents were terrifying existences, even for them!


    However, Stephen shook his head stubbornly.


    "Since the Headquarters trusted us with this mission.. it means they have confidence in our skill. We shouldn''t betray their faith in us "


    "But there''s a high chance we are going to die! and you are a close ranged type of fighter.. and perhaps Jason as well. No matter what angle I look at this from, you both have a high chance of not surviving "


    Stephen smiled calmly.


    "Which is why we are going to increase our chances. I''ll call Jimmy to send us blessed Guns. At the same time we''d set up a trap made out from mountain ash. Once trapped, the Malevolent would be completely vulnerable whether it is at level 10 or 100. Once we complete this assignment, think of the amount of achievement points we are going to earn. I see a bright future ahead of us where we spend our time in fine beaches once every three months!"


    While the siblings were arguing amongst themselves, Jason was trapped in his own line of thoughts.


    "That Crocotta I killed was a level 4 Yokai and killing it earned me 800 mystique coins. If this is a level 10 Malevolents, I wonder how much mystique coins I am going to earn? A thousand? Two thousand! damnit! I can''t wait!"


    The trio spent a couple minutes indulging in their personal fantasies before they snapped back to reality. Although they all wished to take down the level 10 Malevolent, each one of them for their own separate reasons, there was something they all agreed on; The Malevolent was a lot more terrifying than the foes they''ve faced in the past.


    As such, they all decided to prepare precautions to enable the smooth execution of the operation kill Level 10 Malevolent. Stephen volunteered to prepare the artillery.. blessed Guns, bullets, mountain ash and the formation they were going to trap the Malevolent in.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    While he did this, Jason and Aletta were going to cross check and discover enough clues that could give them the ability to predict where the Malevolent was going to strike next. If they didn''t know where the Malevolent was going to strike next, they would lose the element of surprise. That would lower their normally low fighting chance..


    After going through their game plan, Stephen rode off with the car to get the supplies, leaving Jason and Aletta standing at the walkway as they watched the car vanish into the distance.


    "He''s gone now" Aletta suddenly became solemn.


    "What''s it?" Jason asked when he noticed her sudden countenance switch.


    "Dealing with this Malevolent isn''t as easy as it might seem. For example, he forgot to check for ectoplasmic activity while at the morgue"


    Aletta brought out an ecto reactor.


    "I did"


    "And?" Jason tilted his head.


    "I found nothing.. nada. I am afraid what we are dealing with isn''t a Malevolent.. I think it is something much more worse!"


    .


    .


    "My name is Dracula and I claim you as my blood slave.. hisss!!"


    "No!! Ahhh!!"


    Inside a fully packed cinema, more than half of the audiences shrieked in horror as they watched an horrifying scene off a newly released movie; Dracula Tales Of Fangs.


    "Mommy.. I don''t want to watch anymore. Let''s go" a little boy amongst the crowd of audiences, tapped his mother on the shoulder, while sporting an uncomfortable expression.


    "D-Don''t be scared G-Gary.. it''s just a movie.. yeah.. just a movie" although this was what the mother was saying, her teeth were rattling terribly while her legs underneath her skirt was trembling as well.


    "But I want to go!" the little boy named Gary cried, this time increasing the volume of his voice.


    "A-Alright. But this is going to be the last time you are ever going to the movies!" Gary''s mother became embarrassed when she felt the stares she was receiving..


    Standing up, she and her son were just about to step out from the cinema hall when the exit door suddenly slammed shut.


    Boom!


    "It''s so cold mummy" Gary cried out as he hugged his chest with his arms.


    "Huh?" the several audiences began to notice something was wrong when they began exhaling cold mist.


    "Why did the temperature suddenly drop? is it snowing outside?"


    "Idiot. Winter is still a month away "


    "Then why the hell is it cold in here smartass?"


    While the audiences began musing amongst themselves regarding the change in the temperature, someone among the crowd suddenly screamed.


    "Look! the screen!"


    Following the shriek, many eyes trailed over to the cinema huge screen. Lo and behold, the Dracula character slowly stepped out, inhaling deeply as he spread his arms apart like he was trying to embrace the world.


    "My name is Dracula and I claim you all as my blood slaves!!!" He cried out his iconic phrase before suddenly disappearing.


    Only to appear besides one of the audience who happened to be a chubby man whose face was stained with pop corn powdered milk .


    "D-Dracula?"


    Before the many could react, Dracula slit his throat with his sharp claws before dashing towards another target. It was only after Dracula killed five more people did the others finally snap out from their daze.


    "Run!" it was unknown who screamed out this suggestion, but the entire hall broke into a stampede, with people knocking away chairs as they raced for the door, while enduring the screams behind them as Dracula flashed around the hall like a ghost, slitting the throats of the slow ones.


    "F*ck! the damn door is locked!" Someone finally arrived at the door with a relieved smile, only to discover that no matter how hard he pushed, the door refused to budge.


    "We need to get out of here before that monster kills us!"


    "Idiot! someone intentionally locked the door from outside! we are doomed!"


    "No!!"


    "If I ever escape, I will burn all my Dracula collections!!"


    While the crowd were struggling to break out of the hall, Dracula rapidly blitzed around the hall. Who ever he passed had their throats ruthlessly slit. In under a short span, the whole hall was already filled with a river of blood and corpses with slit throats.


    While all this chaos occurred, a silhouette watched all this from the shadows

 Chapter 21 — Encountering Past Acquaintances

    "It''s you guys? where is the other guy?"


    Aletta and Jason had just walked past the barricade tape when they heard a voice.


    Looking over, they noticed Jesse the Forensic CSI waving towards them. She was surrounded by two of her assistants.


    "What happened here?" even Aletta was forced to wriggle her nose uncomfortably  when she saw the gory sight before her. As for Jason, he could no longer hold back, puking heavily.


    "Here" Jesse who was putting on a clinical nose mask tossed two towards Jason and Aletta, who quickly put them on


    The disgusting smell of blood in the atmosphere was sickening to the stomach.


    "The PD received a distress call from this Cinema. However when they arrived, they were met with this sight.." Jesse used one of her apparatus to pick up a mashed up piece of bloody flesh.. one of the many that were sprawled carelessly within the large pool of blood in the Cinema.


    "It''s just like the Victims at the Mourge.. the bizarre explosion?" Aletta knitted her brows.


    "Indeed. However this is on a much larger scale.. about a hundred people died here" Jesse exhaled sharply.


    "That''s horrible. You are still yet to discover what causes these strange explosions?"


    "I think we might have a lead.." Jesse hesitated a bit before finally confessing.


    "There is a little boy who claims he knows what was responsible for this.. however his story is bizzare as well. The Sheriff thinks he''s suffering from post traumatic stress. The poor kid lost his mother today, so I really don''t blame him "


    "Oh?" Aletta''s interest was stroked when she heard this..


    A bizzare story? that worked just fine for her!


    "Where can I find this little boy then? we like to be completely thorough"


    .


    .


    "What do you think? Dracula rose from the cinema screen and slaughtered all who were present? why do I find that hard to believe even with all what I''ve seen?" Jason pursed his lips disbelievingly as he and Aletta exited the cinema building.


    "That''s because it''s not true.. if Dracula really ripped out their throats, how come their corpses looked like they exploded?" Aletta shook her head as she disposed the clinical mask she was wearing.


    Jason followed suite as well.


    "So what do you think really happened?"


    "Fear manipulation "


    "Apart from telekinetic abilities, Malevolents can use their ecto to achieve a myraid number of feats, depending on their level of control and expertise. To use their ecto to influence the mind of their victims, trapping them in an illusionary world where their greatest fears are manifested.. only a Level 10 Malevolent  and above can achieve that level of control"


    "But you made it clear that there was no ectoplasmic reading around the vicinity"


    "Indeed.." Aletta nodded.


    "However this kind of feat isn''t exclusive only to Malevolents. There is another kind of being who can achieve this..  Demons!"


    Jason balled his fist tightly.


    "Is it the one responsible for my father''s death?" he asked, in between clenched jaws.


    "I have no idea. However now that we have a clear clue what we are hunting is, we need to confirm our hypothesis.. According to the police reports and the mission info, the strings of killing began back at Jonaz School for Girls right?"


    Aletta gave Jason a naughty look.


    "How do you feel about cross dressing eh?"


    "Not ever going to happen!" the teenager hurriedly rejected.


    "Dumping this camera on me is one thing.. but me playing dress up? never going to happen!!''


    .


    .


    "I hate you!" Jason gritted his teeth as he and Aletta walked towards the entrance gate of Jonaz School For Girls. Currently the both of them were clad in black blazers and skirts, with Jason sporting a make up ridden face and an artificial brunette wig that covered the left part of his face.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "You look cute though" Aletta giggled teasingly as they arrived at the gate, only to be stopped by the security man who happened to be on duty.


    "We are the Feminist Activist Counselors.  Our head office already booked an appointment with the School Dean" Aletta stepped forward as she flashed the other party a fake card.


    Giving her a look, the eyes of the Security Personnel fell on Jason.. Although he tried concealing it, Jason saw his lips twitch.


    "Your partner is.. beautiful?"


    "Yeah. I know. She gets that a lot " Aletta grinned as she gave Jason an amused look.


    After confirming with the school Dean, the both of them were led into the school building. The whole environment was currently bustling with high school girls either carrying trays of lunch to their tables, or walking around in groups as they gossiped amongst themselves. Once in a while, Jason would receive strange looks from them. It couldn''t be helped since his current appearance was quite.. peculiar.


    "Thank you for coming. Dean Melissa appreciates your efforts" they were soon approached by a petite female teacher, who seemed to have been waiting for their arrival.


    "So, where is the girl?" Aletta didn''t mince words and straight away got down to business.


    "Follow me please" the teacher lead the duo down a winding hallway littered with more high school girs making their way towards the cafeteria.


    After a while, they arrived at an empty classroom. Just judging from the atmosphere, Jason felt a weird kind of familiarity.


    "I take it that this must be a frequently used detention center?" he didn''t forget to force his voice to sound feminine.


    So embarrassing!


    "Indeed.." the teacher nodded before pointing towards a figure who was the only soul in the empty class. The other party had their head buried underneath the desk, making their appearance unclear.


    "She''s the one. Please you have to talk to her. The School Dean fears that she might be thinking of committing suicide" the teacher told them, her face wrecked with worry.


    "We will do our best"


    The Teacher nodded before leaving. Once she was gone, Jason hurriedly slammed the door shut, tossing the wig away like it was some kind of hot potato.


    "Huh?" the disturbance caused the other party to raise their previously buried head.


    "Aletta?" surprisingly, the other party seemed to recognize Aletta.


    "Daisy?" although her face was filled with eye bags and swollen lips, Aletta still recognized her.


    "You guys know each other?" Jason instantly felt like the third wheel.


    "Her name is Daisy. Her mother was a retired Hunter and a Wiccan.. a powerful one at that" Aletta replied.


    "Who is that?" the girl named Daisy gave Jason a strange look.


    Although he had abandoned his wig, his feminine code of attire and the makeup made him appear more like a low budget clown.


    "His name is Jason.. he''s a Mystique Hunter like me"


    Jason smiled inwardly when he heard the last part in Aletta''s statement.


    "Oh.. although I figured one of you would come, I never thought you would be the one" Daisy seemed to have recalled something as she quickly wiped off the tears in her eyes.


    "Stephen is running an errand.." Aletta gave her an ambiguous smile, causing a red embarrassed blush to appear on Daisy''s cheeks.


    "One of us?" Jason''s brows raised as he caught the implied meaning in Daisy''s statement.


    "She isn''t a Mystique Hunter?" he gave Aletta a look.

 Chapter 22 — Dark Wraith

    When Daisy heard Jason''s sudden question, her previously sad eyes dropped even further.


    Aletta noticed this, causing her to release a depressed sigh.


    "Let''s just say her grandma was the I know what''s best for you type of parent"


    "Oh.. I can''t relate to that" Jason shrugged.


    Right from childhood, his father never interfered in any of his business. He gave him all the freedom he wanted and whatever he requested, his father always provided without asking.


    Others might think his father spoilt him rotten but Jason could argue with anybody that his childhood was the sweetest moment of his life. Until a darn Demon came along and ripped it apart!


    "I take it Nora was one of the thirteen girls who .." although Aletta paused, the meaning in her statement was more than clear.


    "It''s all my fault" Daisy sniffed as her eyes went misty.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Before my grandmother died--"


    "Wait a minute! the old lady is dead?!" Aletta cut her off.


    Although she knew the old lady was retired, she had no idea she had already kicked the bucket!


    "Well.. Nana insisted she wished to die a silent death. Not to mention unlike regular people, she couldn''t risk a proper burial"


    "A Hunter burial" Aletta clicked her tongue sadly.


    "Unfortunately that''s one of the prices we pay "


    "A Hunter''s burial?" Jason gave her a questioning look.


    "What does that mean?" for some unknown reasons, Jason''s had a feeling a Hunter''s burial was anything but pleasant.


    "Once you die.. it won''t be too late for you to know what it means.. oh wait a minute! you would already be dead by then!"


    "Not funny " Jason huffed as he decided to ignore Aletta totally.


    Why did she always take delight in teasing him at every opportunity she had?!


    "Before Nana died, she had me promise two things to her at her dying bed. One was that whatever happens neither I nor my sister should ever choose to be involved with Mystique Hunters. The second was that I should burn all of her hunting stuffs.."


    "And let me guess.. you couldn''t bear to part with her  stuffs " Aletta gave her a knowing smile.


    "You are right. And it  was selfish of me. And now because of my selfishness, Nora is dead..uwaah!" Daisy burst into tears..


    Seeing her bawling her eyes out like a toddler whose gelato fell on the ground, Jason rolled his eyes as he clicked his tongue.


    "That''s a nice sob story, but I still don''t get how all this is your fault "


    "Hey!" Aletta gave him a sharp pinch on the shoulder.


    "Can''t you be a little nicer?"


    "What? you expect to hand her a tissue paper or  a shoulder to cry on? she obviously knows something so the faster she stops beating around the bush and tell us, the less people are going to die "


    "He''s right.." Daisy sniffed back as she wiped off the tears on her face.


    "Nora is.. or was the President of one of the school''s extracurricular clubs.. the Broom Witch club.."


    "Broom Witch club? what a lame name" Jason cut in with an amused snort.


    "Ignore him. He''s a jerk" Aletta gave Daisy an apologetic smile.


    Nodding as if in agreement, Daisy continued speaking, explaining how Nora had stolen a spell book so she could summon a ghost and prove to the School Dean that the Broom Witch club wasn''t just a gathering of lazy minds, but the real deal.


    "What an idiot. Even if she managed to summon a Ghost? so what? it''s not like she was going to control this said ghost" Jason sneered after hearing the full story.


    "Plus how the hell was she able to successfully cast a spell of she -- wait a minute.. are you and your sister Wiccans as well?''


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Daisy shook her head.


    "Nana taught us a few tricks.. some rituals that can aid in successfully casting a spell even if you are not a Wiccan.. she  taught us for self defensive purposes.."


    "Then if youe Nana hadn''t taught you both a few tricks your sister would still be alive.. so in simple words, it''s your Nana''s fault that your little sister is dead.. not yours " Jason flatly said.


    "How dare you!" Daisy glared angrily at Jason.


    She could endure anything.. but someone talking down on her grandma who was now dead.. that was an offense she couldn''t take lying down!


    "What is it? aren''t I telling the truth?" Jason smirked provocatively.


    The whole classroom suddenly tensed up as two pairs of eyes were engaged in a tightly locked glaring combat. If looks were a weapon, the whole classroom would''ve already be transformed into a chaotic war zone!


    "Wait a minute guys! something doesn''t add up here!" Aletta''s voice rang out promptly, breaking the tensed atmosphere.


    Once she got both of their attention, she continued speaking.


    "I have checked the crime scene and the corpses of the victims.. at least what is left of them.. however I wasn''t able to discover any ectoplasmic activity"


    "So it isn''t a Malevolent then?" Daisy furrowed her brows.


    "I am afraid so.." Aletta paused a bit before she continued.


    "Perhaps we would have to take a look at the spell she casted.. that''s the only way we would know what we are up against"


    .


    .


    .


    "You really didn''t have to miss school.. you could''ve just given us directions"


    Inside a small study, three teens ransacked through a shelf, piled up with books. Each of the books were both thick and antique looking.


    "Are you kidding? how do you expect me to focus in class with the guilt of my sister''s death weighing down on me.. I have to do this" Daisy replied stubbornly as her fingers snaked across a section of the shelf before they wrapped around a particular book.


    "Found it! The night Nora died, this book was the only one missing from the shelf" she placed the book.. or rather tome on the nearby study desk.


    "There are a lot of spells here" she knitted her brows as she  flipped through a series of pages, each page filled with characters and pictograms made out from blood red ink.


    "Stop!"


    "Huh?"


    "Flip back three pages"


    "This one?" Daisy did as Aletta told her.


    "Yeah..," Aletta tapped on the title on the particular page.


    "Can you read this crap?" Jason squinted his eyes.. the characters on the pages were something he had never seen before.


    "No. However I recognize this symbol for Spirit.. and no, this isn''t crap.. it''s one of the oldest language to have ever existed" Aletta retorted sharply.


    "It''s Empryeanochian.. the language of the Empryeans.. only a Witch or some one taught in the art can read it.. my grandma happened to be a Wiccan and she taught us how to read Empryeanochian" Daisy explained.


    "What does it say?" Aletta asked curiously.


    "Mauq Eressecra Eari Easorbenet"


    "English please? I don''t understand whatever Latin crap you are saying " Jason clicked his tone.


    "It''s the title of this particular spell " Daisy seemed to be taking Aletta''s earlier advice pretty well, choosing to ignore Jason''s annoying statement.


    "What does it say?" Aletta asked.


    "How to Summon a Dark Wraith" Daisy replied before suddenly pursing her lips.


    "Although the characters for Hell Wraith is similar to a Friendly Spirit, it''s also like a parallel version.. although the difference between them is miniscule.. I can tell"

 Chapter 23 — Do You Trust Me?

    "Dark Wraith? you mean like Hell Wraiths? those ones from hell?"


    Daisy took another glance at the spell tome before shaking her head negatively.


    "No"


    "According to the lore in this tome, Hell Wraiths are different from Dark Wraiths. Hell Wraiths are basically corrupted damned souls. As for Dark Wraiths.. they are the collective amalgamation of negative energies. However they are very powerful and they would continue to grow powerful the more negative emotions they absorb. Their rate of absorption is even more monstrous than Malevolents. Once they are attracted to a particular region, they would not rest until they suck out all the negative emotion, leaving it in desolation.."


    "So how do we kill it then?" Aletta''s expression was grim.


    The Dark Wraith had barely spent a week in Garner falls and a hundred and twenty people had already died. Although the Dark Wraith fed on the negative emotions in people, it was merciless and hardly left any survivors after feeding.


    Aletta was anxious to take this Dark Wraith down before it began feeding again and stewning more imploded corpses!


    "The Dark Wraiths have no none weaknesses. According to the lore once they finish feeding off a city, village or town, they go into deep hibernation, awaiting the day they will be summoned again"


    Aletta scoffed.


    "What? so you expect us to just sit this out and watch as this whole town becomes a slaughter fest?"


    Daisy shrugged.


    "Don''t look at me. I wasn''t the one who penned down those statement"


    "That won''t work" Alett shook her head as she began pacing around.


    "There''s nothing in existence that is completely unkillable. If we just calm down an--and think w-we.. "


    "It seems to me that you''re the one in need of taking a breather " Jason who had been silent all this while finally spoke up.


    "Why are you so calm? a lot of lives are at stake!"


    Jason was taken aback. He had been friends with Aletta for years and although she seemed to have recently developed an habit of teasing him, she always tolerated him even when he screws up. Today was the first time he had ever seen her yell at him with that kind of annoyed look.


    "Why bother about their lives anyway? it''s not like you know them personally " he grumbled.


    "What did you say?!" Aletta glared at him sharply.


    "I said I think I might have a way to kill this Dark Wraith or whatever you call it" he lied.


    "This isn''t the time to mess around Jason" Aletta didn''t even take his words seriously.


    She had been a Hunter far longer than Jason. If even her didn''t know how to kill a Dark Wraith.. what kind of suggestion could Jason possibly propose that could work?


    "Look Aletta I really don''t have the time to explain.. do you trust me or not?" he gave her a deep look.


    "Pft. Are you honestly asking me that? I seem to recall trusting you when you told me we were going for shoplifting three years ago. According to you, it was all just to get your father''s attention once the police took you out in. But apparently when the police came, alarms blazing, you made a run for it, leaving me to carry all the blame. Oh! before I forgot.. that wasn''t the only time I trusted you only to get played in the end. Can''t you see what you are? a narcissist who only cares about himself!"


    "Are you done?" Jason grinned calmly.


    It was like all of Aletta''s earlier words had nothing to do with him.


    "You want to save this people.. I respect that even though I think it''s stupid after all the mission was to kill this Dark Wraith, not rescue some unknown misers. But since you want to play heroine, have it your way "


    Jason confidently tucked his hands into his pocket as he began making for the study exit.


    "However you have no way to stop this threat while I on the other hand, I do. So if you want to play hero, then you have to trust me. The same way I didn''t force you to trust me in the past, I''m not forcing you right now. It''s your choice though I already know what you are going to choose " dropping these words, Jason left the study, leaving both girls in silence.


    "How do you even put up with that jerk?" Daisy gave Aletta a baffled look.


    "What do you mean!"


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Isn''t that the Jason you''ve always sung to me about? your crush?" Daisy replied with an ambiguous smirk.


    "We are not having this discussion " Aletta clicked her tongue as she attempted to chase after Jason.


    "Don''t tell me you are going to run back into his arms? the jerk is totally all for himself. From the little I heard just now, how sure are you that he''s capable of defeating this Dark Wraith? what if things go south and he abandons you, like he always does?"


    "Don''t act so self righteous to me" Aletta hissed with annoyance.


    "If our roles were reversed and Jason was my brother, wouldn''t you do worse?"


    "There''s a difference " Daisy retorted.


    "Stephen is a caring person. He is empathetic and selfless.. unlike the jerk that just walked out of that door "


    "Tch. You don''t know Jason " Aletta was about to leave when Daisy grabbed her by the wrist.


    "And you know him better.. yet why are you acting so stupid just because of some cru--"


    "I have no feelings for Jason" Aletta cut her off before she could complete her sentence.


    "Yeah right. And I hate Wiccans "


    Aletta rolled her eyes.


    "Think what you want. Perhaps Jason is just bluffing.. perhaps he isn''t. However I have seen what he''s capable of and If he has a shot at this, then let''s take the risk. At least it would be better than just standing at the sidelines and watching the residents of this town being slaughtered "


    .


    .


    A couple hours later, Stephen finally returned from his little trip. Parking the  vehicle the corner within the large premises of Daisy''s house, he had just alighted when he saw Jason doing a round of pushups.


    "What are you doing?" his lips curled up as he approached the latter.


    "What do you think?" Jason scoffed, in the middle of thrusting his upper body up before leaning or back down on the mat sprawled across the ground.


    "I know what you''re doing" Stephen noticed the large amount of sweat continuously rolling off Jason''s skin.


    "Did you get injected with chicken blood while I was away? J.C the party monger doing pull ups?"


    "I was a party monger yep. But.. I ..ahah.. wasn''t a softie alright? just go away and stop distracting me"


    "Fine " Stephen raised both hands in surrender while laughing in amusement as he walked into the house.


    "Aletta?" he called out.


    "I''m at the study!" Aletta''s voice replied, her voice sounding distant.


    Running through the flight of stairs, Stephen arrived at the study, to see Aletta flipping through the pages of an old looking Tome.


    Scattered around her feet was a heap of tomes.


    "What''s up with J.C? I saw him doing pushups " he asked suspiciously.


    "Jason  is unpredictable.. I have no idea what his intentions are " Aletta chose to keep her earlier arrangement with Jason a secret.


    "Alright" Stephen looked around.


    "Where is Daisy? I passed by her school and it was already closed for the day"


    "She went to purchase some necessary Items we are going to use to kill the Wraith" Aletta replied.


    However inwardly she knew it was one of Daisy''s tactic to avoid seeing Stephen.


    "We are not hunting a Malevolent?" Stephen scratched his head.


    "Nope. It is a Dark Wraith. Apparently it was summoned by Nora" Aletta gave Stephen the full gist of the situation.


    Of course She  left out the part where the Dark Wraith couldn''t be killed.


    "If we are facing a Wraith.. doesn''t that mean my supply run was meaningless?" Stephen exhaled regretfully.


    "No. With the Blessed guns and the mountain ash trap, we would be able to weaken the Wraith while we strike the killing blow"


    "You guys found a way to kill it?" Stephen was relieved.


    The weakest Wraith was equivalent to a level 10 Malevolent. Although Blessed items could cause some damage and a trap formed from mountain ash could weaken it, Stephen wasn''t overconfident to think he or his sister had the ability to kill it for good.


    Perhaps they might have a shot at exorcising it had it been it was possessing a foreign item or a corpse. But battling a Wraith in its true body.. forget fighting chance.. the percentage of their survival was slim!


    "Yes.." Aletta nodded to Stephen''s earlier question.


    "Daisy found a spell to annihilate it for good "

 Chapter 24 — Ranking Of Monsters

    "Your sister recently died... shouldn''t you still be in your mourning phase instead of.. hosting an all girls sleep over?"


    A brunette covered in a multi colored embroidered duvet gave Daisy a curious look.


    The other seven girls seated across the ground sofas in the living room all nodded in agreement. Sighing deeply, Daisy who was about to switch on the plasma TV replied.


    "I just thought it was better this way. Nora is dead and no matter how much I try mourning her, she''s never going to come back. I''ve been secluding myself lately and a doctor advised that I socialize more for my mental health"


    "Is that so.." one of the girls pursed her lips, while another one clapped gleefully.


    "Thank goodness. Seeing your like that, many of our classmates and teachers thought you were considering suicide. Fortunately those strange Feminist Activist Counselors came on time and talked you out of it " the name of the speaker was Bonita.. she was part of the cheerleading club.


    Infact all the girls including Daisy were all members of the cheerleading clubs. One wouldn''t even have to guess it, considering they were all top notch beauties.


    Especially the brunette.. Sally; she had a subtle bossy demeanour as well... a clich¨¨ trait of all Cheerleading club Presidents.


    "You told us you wanted to host a sleepover.. I don''t see any party kits nearby" Sally huffed.


    "I thought about it a bit and I thought we should watch a movie.. a horror movie "


    "I think I''ll pass " Sally made to stand up.


    "Whoa. Don''t tell me the almighty President is scared of a little horror movie?"


    Sally''s expression went frosty in the face of this provocation. Tilting her head, she noticed the others were staring intently at her. Some of them were even trying their best to conceal their amused smiles.


    "Hmpfh. Don''t be ridiculous. Watching a horror film is for savages and ugly hags. Its not ladylike yunno?" although Sally tried to act calm, her words came out shaky.


    Right from childhood, she had a peeve for three  things..


    Ants.. Pimples and horror movies!


    "Then let''s play a game then?" Daisy shrugged.


    "What game?" the speaker this time was a girl named Lovett..


    "Truth or dare"


    .


    .


    "Truth or dare?" after playing about three rounds of the game, the bottle finally pointed towards Sally.


    Seeing the crafty smile on Daisy''s lips as she asked this question, Sally didn''t even have to think twice before replying.


    "Truth"


    "Are you screwing the Maths teacher to get full grades?"


    "What?!" Sally almost choked on her spittle.


    "You heard me" Daisy smiled calmly.


    "We all know how much you suck at just rudimentary calculations yet during the algebra and calculus test you got full points.. and that wasn''t the only time. So?"


    "Sally don''t tell me you''re really screwing Mr. Peterson, that fat ugly toad?" one of the girls giggled.


    Her name was Tess.


    "Well, so what if he''s ugly? she won''t feel a thing if the lights go out "


    "Eww.. just thinking of his fat stinky flesh rubbing against mine.. I wonder who can survive that "


    Listening to the goading around her, Sally''s expression went frosty. Of course she was guilty of Daisy''s accusations but wouldn''t confessing sully her public image?


    As the President of the School''s Cheerleading club, she was regarded as a fairy. Many of the popular boys would give anything just to date her for a day and utilizing this, she had many of them wrapped around her fingers.


    No doubt if she confessed right now, her ''Friends'' wouldn''t mind spreading the news the next day at school. She couldn''t have that!


    "I choose dare!!" she clenched her eyes as her face flushed with embarrassment.


    "Then, I dare you to watch a horror movie from the beginning to the end" Daisy grinned victoriously.


    "Fine. You win. Crafty B"tch"


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Smirking, Daisy stood up as she inserted a DVD case into the DVD console before switching on the television.


    "Dracula Tales Of Fangs?"  Bonita cried in shock when she saw the title card of the movie.


    "You know about it?" Daisy gave her a look.


    "Yep. I saw it on a forum. Apparently it''s a really scary movie.. and I mean really.." saying this, she intentionally gave Sally a look.


    "Hmpfh. So what if it''s scary? its just a movie" Sally snorted as she pretended not to notice the amused smiles around her.


    .


    .


    "Are you done?" Stephen gave his sister a questioning look as he sat on the bonnet of the car while Aletta approached him.


    "The whole house has been warded against all spiritual beings. The Dark Wraith won''t be able to get in"  Aletta nodded.


    "Good. We just have to wait for the Dark Wraith to show up. Then we kill it " said Jason who was standing a few feet away from the car, with his arms folded across his chest.


    "What about Daisy? without her we won''t be able to kill this Dark Wraith" Stephen couldn''t help but grow nervous.


    Monsters and mystical beings were all graded according to the level of danger they posed.


    C-rank


    B-rank


    A-rank


    S-rank


    SS-rank


    SS-rank


    The C-rank was the lowest level of threat and the SSS-rank was the highest level.


    Aletta was a 10 stripes C-rank Mystique Hunter while Stephen was a 8 stripes C-rank Hunter. Working together, they could just barely manage to kill a level 10 monster. Level 2 all the way to level 10 monsters were all classified as C-rank threats. A level 10 monster held so much power that they could turn a small town into a land of desolation!


    Above them were level 11 all the way to level 20 monsters and they were all regarded as B-rank threats. Before even the weakest B-rank Monster, the strongest C-rank monster would be forced to take a swift detour if they ever encountered each other.


    And the weakest Dark Wraith were classified as Level 11 monsters minimum. That made them B-rank threats!


    For a 10 stripes and 8 stripes C-rank Hunters to dare attempt at Hunting down a B-rank Monster.. This was akin to courting death!


    "Don''t worry. She would make an appearance once the Dark Wraith shows up" Aletta sneaked Jason a look before she lied.


    "Uhm.. I think it is here already " Jason suddenly called out to the siblings already wearing the Sprite Pupils as he stared at the new row of words that had just appeared on the system panel screen..


    Something only he could see..


    ¡ª[A Dark Wraith has been detected!]


    ¡ª[A level 13  Dark Wraith has been spotted!]


    ¡ª[You have Unlocked two Missions!]


    ¡ª[Main Mission #1: Defeat the Dark Wraith]


    ¡ª[Dark Wraiths are a class of beings stuck between the Phantom Plane and the Terra Plane. They are the accumulation of negative energies and they delight in feeding off the negative energies from the residents of the Terra Plane. Of all residents of the Terra Plane, the human race possess the ability to generate potent negative energy, however stealing this from them would temper the scales of balance, causing the most basic structure of their souls to explode, killing them in the process]


    ¡ª[As a Mystique Hunter and the Host of the Ultimate Mystique Hunting System, it is your job to rid the world of these vile creatures]


    ¡ª[Mission Reward: + 27,120 Mystique Coins]


    ¡ª[Side Mission: Survive This Altercation]


    ¡ª[The current you with your base battle ability is comparable to a 3 stripes C-rank Mystique Hunter at maximum. Going up against a B-rank Dark Wraith means certain death. However you are unlike any regular Mystique Hunter because you have something they don''t.. The Ultimate Mystique Hunting System!]


    ¡ª[Leverage on your special abilities at your arsenal and survive this altercation with the Dark Wraith]


    ¡ª[Mission Reward: +2712 Mystique Coins]


    ¡ª[Good luck! and don''t die!]

 Chapter 25 — Trapping The Dark Wraith

    Whoosh!


    The trio suddenly felt a gust of cold wind brush past them, causing shivers to run through their spines.


    "Uhm.. I think it is here already " Jason suddenly called out, as his shoulder length raven black hair danced according to the rhythm of the wind.


    He had only just said this when a silhouette appeared before him, however thanks to the heads up from the system, Jason wasn''t surprised.


    A dagger, Silver in color and slightly curved slipped into his grip as he calmly stabbed towards the silhouette before him.


    However to Jason''s astonishment, the Klypt dagger stopped a few inches from striking its target.


    "No way!" Jason noticed that a thick halo of ecto was  obstructing the Klypt dagger. No matter how much forced he pooled in, the Klypt dagger couldn''t break past this halo of ecto.


    Bang!


    An ecto tendril shot out from the Dark Wraith''s ecto halo which snacked  Jason directly on the face, sending him flying back through the air. Thanks to their current exchange, Jason unknowingly stallled the Dark Wraith, giving the siblings enough time to make their move.


    "Hey!" a voice suddenly rang out, causing the Dark Wraith who was about to chase Jason to pause.


    They had only just looked over when Stephen finally released the trigger. Thanks to the silencer, the gun shot wasn''t resounding. Unfortunately, the Dark Wraith dodged the bullet


    And they did it so effortlessly!


    "Hunters!" an annoyed voice erupted from the Dark Wraith as they sent out a series of ecto tendrils slamming towards Stephen, who was engrossed in taking another perfect aim, completely oblivious of the invisible threat.


    "Watch Out!" Jason had only just cried out this warning when the ecto tendrils slammed into Stephen''s chest, sending him flipping through the air, causing the blessed gun to slip out from his grip in the process.


    Two more ecto tendrils shot towards Stephen, only to be suddenly blocked by a silver dagger.


    "What the hell are you doing?" Stephen furrowed his brows as he watched Jason suddenly rush in front of him, waving a silver curved dagger in empty air.


    "Saving you!" Jason clicked his tongue as the Klypt dagger danced in the air, slicing off the two ecto tendrils. Before they could fall on the ground, the two chopped up ecto tendrils transformed into a red mist which got silently absorbed by the ecto halo around the Dark Wraith.


    "Oh?" the Dark Wraith was slightly taken aback, sending out ten more ecto tendrils rolling towards Jason.


    "Run!" seeing the barrage of ecto tendrils Jason knew he couldn''t slice them all with the Klypt daggers, as such he decided to make a run for it.


    However Stephen who was completely oblivious to this kept on standing on the same spot. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Jason grabbed his wrist as he pulled him along.


    "Wh--" Stephen was forced to choke down on the question as the previous spot they were standing suddenly got flattened by an invisible force..


    "You! your eyes-- You can see ectoplasm?!" Stephen finally noticed Jason''s eyes were glowing red, seeming to connect the dots.


    "I''ll explain later!" glancing behind him, Jason''s expression sunk.


    The ten ecto tendrils seemed to have merged together, transforming into a giant palm made out from ectoplasm that was now slamming towards them.


    "It can change shape too?!" his pupils dilated as he tried his best to increase the running pace of his legs.


    Whoosh!


    A Silhouette suddenly blocked their path as a pale skinned palm wrapped in ectoplasm slammed towards Jason''s chest who happened to be at the vanguard.


    Splurt!


    Blood shot from his mouth as he felt a cold but powerful force travel around his body, rattling his innards as the force caused him to tumble in the air briefly before roughly slamming back on the ground.


    "You!" a brilliant glow erupted from Stephen''s left arm as a golden axe appeared in his right grip, which he swung towards the Dark Wraith.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.  "Oh?" the Dark Wraith yelped lightly as they tried smacking the golden axe away, only to realize it was impossible.


    Bang!


    The axe slammed into the ground, causing a deep crater to form as dust flew into the air. Unfortunately, the Dark Wraith managed to escape at the last minute.


    Oof!


    Stephen had just scanned his eyes around when the giant  ecto palm that had been silently hovering above him slammed against his back, pummeling him into the ground, the force crushing his back bone.


    "You are weaker than the last Mystique Hunter I fought thirty years ago. The current me has made more progress than the me from thirty years ago. Going against me was the biggest mistake of your life "  the Dark Wraith appeared before Stephen who was weakly sprawled on the ground.


    Clenching their fist, the   floating ecto palm transformed into a giant axe. It was just about to descend when a chant rang out.


    "Ginppart Menoitututisni Etelpmoc Ipac!"


    Vroom!


    A surge of powerful energy suddenly erupted, throwing dirt into the air as a silver  colored translucent circular  barrier became visible, surrounding the four of them.


    A series of strange sigils and symbols seemed to be dancing around the surface of this circular barrier like happy fishes in water.


    Once this translucent circular barrier was formed, an irresistible force weighed down on the Dark Wraith, causing them  to become visible, revealing their true appearance.


    The true appearance of the Dark Wraith was a beautiful female with blue colored flowy hair that reached all the way to her lower butts. A stylish flower crown was plaited across her forehead. She wore  a pink kimono and had a beautiful belt wrapped around her waist.


    "What is this?!" the Dark Wraith shrieked as she glared angrily at the other female party in their four people group.


    "Heh. This is a barrier formed from mountain ash. Once formed, spiritual beings like you tend to lose your edge. Don''t tell me you haven''t heard of a mountain ash barrier?" Aletta smirked, her Hex Tome floating behind her, while her fingers were already busy weaving through a series of hand seals.


    Mountain Ash was a rare ingredient that had a restraining effect on Monsters. When used against a Yokai, they would find it difficult to move past the boundaries of the barrier. As for spiritual beings like Malevolents, the barrier had a weakening effect on them, temporarily stripping them of their invisibility ability. It was thanks to this that regular Mystique Hunters who couldn''t see their invisible ectoplasmic halo could finally level the playing field.


    However although a mountain ash barrier was amazing, constructing it wasn''t the problem.. luring the monster in was the real headache.


    For Yokais who possessed unnatural senses, they could smell the mountain ash from afar, considering it gave off a repulsive stench. As for spiritual beings, they could sense the energy fluctuation as well. As such the trio all agreed on a game plan..


    Jason and  Stephen were going to be the bait. Once the Dark Wraith was lured in, Aletta was going to activate the barrier.


    Fortunately, this little scheme of their worked. However this resulted in Stephen breaking his back.


    "Tch"  the Dark Wraith was silent for a while before she scoffed.


    "So what if this barrier slightly weakens me? weak children like you would count yourselves lucky if you touch a hair off my head, talk less of killing me.."


    "As for the punishment for tricking me.. your deaths are going to be slow.. especially you!" the Dark Wraith fixed her Malevolent gaze on Aletta.


    "I am going to slowly peel off  the skin of your face.. you are going to scream in excruciating pain till you die"


    Listening to the threats of the Dark Wraith, Aletta was lying if she claimed she didn''t feel any goosebumps.

 Chapter 26 — Union Transformation

    "Where is Daisy? I think now''s the time for her to do her stuff" Stephen groaned as his fingers dug into the dirt in an attempt to rise up on his feet.


    "Daisy won''t be coming" before Aletta could fork out a reply, somebody else beat her to it.


    "Just sit back and watch me take care of her" Jason grabbed the Klypt Dagger lying on the ground as his right foot stomped heavily, leaning his body forward like a pouncing predator, he charged towards the Dark Wraith.


    Snorting, the Dark Wraith waved her right hand dismissively as she sent out an ecto tendril slamming towards Jason. Just when the tendril was a few inches away from him, Jason''s outburst of speed suddenly came to a sudden halt as his body leaned back to the left, causing the ecto tendril to miss him.


    Whilip!


    The ecto tendril lashed against empty air. Grunting with displeasure, the Dark Wraith made a grabbing gesture as she attempted to recall it, only to suddenly feel a sharp sense of danger as a silver curved blade stabbed towards her stomach.


    Bang!


    A pale skinned hand slammed against the flat side of the Klypt dagger, causing a cold but powerful force to transmit into Jason''s bones that almost made him loose grip of the Klypt dagger. With the webbings on his right palm splitting apart, Jason ignored the momentary pain as he put in more force, stabbing right through the palm of the Dark Wraith.


    Pop!


    Like an over swollen balloon, the hand which the Dark Wraith used to block the Klypt dagger exploded, causing her to stagger back while shrieking in pain. As for Jason, the ecto tendril slammed against his back, causing him to vomit blood as he flipped through the air, crashing roughly on the ground.


    Tasting blood leaking from his jaws and teeth gum, Jason winced in discomfort..


    "You bastard!! you are going to pay for that!!" the Dark Wraith shrieked hatefully as her exploded hand recovered.


    However through the Sprite Pupils, Jason could tell that the ectoplasm halo around her seemed to have experienced a sharp decrease in intensity.


    "Singi Erecrac!" a chant suddenly rang out as a wave of searing hot flames gushed towards the Dark Wraith.


    "Spirit Gun" pointing at the approaching wave of flames, the Dark Wraith pressed her thumb against her Index finger, causing a steady stream of visible ectoplasm to gush out, swiftly condensing into the shape of an orb.


    First the size of a sesame seed.. then a bean seed.. then a tennis ball.


    Just as the searing wave of flames was about to transform into a flame prison to trap the Dark Wraith, she finally released a flick.


    Whoosh!


    The condensed ectoplasm tennis ball seemed to have vanished into the wind, only to reappear in front of the approaching wave of flames under the next split second.


    "Not good!" witnessing both attacks about to collide against each other, Aletta''s expression went ashen with fright as her fingers swiftly weaved through a series of hand signs.. the Hex Tome behind her releasing a brilliant glow, while the rosary around her neck throbbed rapidly.


    Bang!


    Both attacks finally met. A crimson colored tennis ball and a wave of flames. Under normal circumstances, a stream of flames under such magnitude would be able to effortlessly swallow up such a small tennis ball.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    And indeed, it did. However a few seconds later, a pooping sound exploded from within the stream of flames as it suddenly imploded.


    Following this sudden implosion, a loud explosive noise echoed, disrupting the peaceful and silent atmosphere of the night as it''s residue shockwave spread about, flattening any physical matter it passed.


    .


    .


    Bang!!


    Daisy and her friends were all huddled together watching the horror movie on the plasma TV when they suddenly heard a loud explosion that violently rocked the core foundation of the building, causing the walls to quake intensely.


    "What was that?!" Sally stammered weakly.


    It was taking every fibre in her being not to ditch this scary sleepover. The horror movie was one thing.. and now an earthquake?!


    Could the night get any worse?!


    .


    .


    Koff. Koff.


    Coughing dryly, Aletta crawled out from a large ditch on the ground, completely covered in dirt and dust. She didn''t even get the chance to complete her Hex before the residue shockwave struck.


    "Stephen! Jason!" her pupils dilated as she noticed an unconscious body besides her..


    Stephen!


    Just like her, Stephen was completely covered in dirt and was bleeding on the head as well. She hurriedly checked his pulse and released a sigh of relief when she discovered he was still alive..


    The shockwave must''ve knocked him out cold.


    Sucking a cold breath, she almost had an heart attack when she didn''t see a familiar figure nearby.


    "Are you guys okay?" her clenched heart finally relaxed when she heard his voice.


    "Jason?" lifting her chin up, her gaze fell on a rigid back that was trembling intensely, with blood oozing out from his bare back while his raven black hair swayed with the wind.


    "You.." she was completely stunned.


    Judging from his current posture and the fact that she and her brother were still alive, Jason managed to block a majority of the residue shockwave with his body!


    But how was that possible?!


    "I.. I''m fine.. I''ll draw this Dark Wraith away" Jason replied in a slightly weak tone.


    .


    .


    ¡ª[Title Card: A couple Moments Ago]


    .


    .


    "Spirit Gun" pointing at the approaching wave of flames, the Dark Wraith pressed her thumb against her Index finger, causing a steady stream of visible ectoplasm to gush out, swiftly condensing into the shape of a ball.


    Watching the Spirit Gun attack rapidly take shape and form, Jason suddenly heard a voice in his head.


    "That is a dangerous move. Your friends won''t be able to survive the impact"


    "Then we have to use the Union Transformation right?" Jason''s jaws clenched.


    "That''s impossible. We tried it this afternoon, you always end up getting the process wrong" Sofia scoffed.


    A few hours ago, Jason had rummaged through the library collecting of Daisy''s grandmother and found a spell book about how to initiate the Union Transformation. According to the instructions, there were three crucial aspects to bring about the transformation;


    A fit body


    Accurately follow the set hand seals and the spell recitation


    A Demon or Demonic creature.


    Perhaps it was due to the fact that Sofia wasn''t a Demon, but anytime Jason tried initiating the Union Transformation earlier, it always ended up in failure.


    Thinking it was because of his physique, he had spent half a hour on a workout regime.. press ups, push ups, squats, etc.


    However even with all that, he still couldn''t get the Union Transformation right.


    Taking a deep breath, Jason replied.


    "Maybe andrenaline would do the magic. If I don''t try I am going to die, If I try and it ends up successful, I get to live. I''m not going to die today.. not today.. not before I kill the demon responsible for my father''s death" he spat icily.


    Sofia fell silent a bit before replying with a helpless sigh.


    "You have my support"


    By now, the Spirit Gun attack had almost taken full form.


    Nodding his head, Jason''s fingers weaved through a series of hand seals. After many failed tries, he was already familiar with the process of the hand seals to the point that they were fluid like breathing to him.


    Halfway through the hand seals, he began chanting..


    "Los te Anul, auqa te Singi . Ni cnys son sumus. Ni aretats sumegiv. Noinu!!"


    Boom!!


    Jason''s previous red eyes under the effect of Sprite Pupils briefly went back to normal before suddenly taking a shade of silver.


    At the same time, a burst of invisible ectoplasm halo erupted from within him, wrapping around his figure. Unlike regular ectoplasm that was crimson red in color, Jason''s ectoplasm halo was actually a deep shade of silver. At the same time, a visible but intangible cape made out from ectoplasm appeared behind him, as well as a full body armor, completely silver in color. The left part of his face became covered in a scary bony skull looking mask. His previously shoulder length hair grew twice its previous length and their previous raven black color became a deep shade of silver.


    Bang!


    And then, the collision finally occurred.

 Chapter 27 — Battling The Dark Wraith

    "I.. I''m fine.. I''ll draw this Dark Wraith away"


    "W-What?.. y-you are going to die!" Aletta stuttered, unable to understand Jason''s sudden chilvariousness.


    She was the highest ranked Mystique Hunter in their group and yet, her Hex had been easily broken through by the other party.


    "Remember when I asked you to trust me earlier today? this is the time " Aiden replied as he glared fixedly at the Dark Wraith that was slowly rising up on her feet..


    Not even her had been able to ignore the after effect of that collision.


    Giving Jason''s back one last look, Aletta nodded as she dragged her brother''s unconscious body away. Thanks to the collision, the Mountain Ash trap had been completely destroyed.


    Although she had no idea how Jason was going to defeat such a powerful opponent, she could only bit her lips and trust him.


    "Interesting" the Dark Wraith giggled as she slowly rose up.


    Although Aletta was unable to see Jason''s bizzare transformation, she was able to.


    "What are you boy?" she could vaguely sense a spiritual presence from him. But at the same time, it was fleeting. Although this particular Dark Wraith might''ve faced off against a variety of Mystique Hunters, this was the first time encountering one capable of the Union Transformation with a Ghost.


    "The person who is going to beat you black and blue" Jason clenched his fist as he felt revitalized. Sensing the powerful ectoplasm congealed around him, he felt like he could literally do anything.


    "Hurry up and kick her ass.. this form is only temporary" Sofia''s voice broke him away from his fleeting line of thoughts.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I don''t know. Although you got the process right, something within you is restricting you from completely undergoing the Union Transformation with me. Right now, you are using an incomplete version of the transformation, so it has a time limit before the effect wears out" she explained grimly.


    "So, how long do I have?"


    "Three minutes. Tops "


    "That works!"


    While Jason was conversing with Sofia, a wicked glint flashed in the eyes of the Dark Wraith as her ectoplasm transformed into a gigantic snake that shot into the air, diving down as it barred it fangs, intending on biting Jason''s head off.


    "Hmpfh" just when the snake was a few inches away, Jason''s suddenly swung his right arm, wrapped in Ectoplasm as he smacked the chin of the  snake.


    Bang!


    It shattered into mist that was about to be swallowed up by the Dark Wraith when a figure suddenly appeared in front of her.


    "So fast!" Jason was taken aback by his sudden movement speed, giving the Dark Wraith just enough time to draw more distance between them.


    "Spirit Gun"


    Seeing the Dark Wraith making that hand sign, Jason''s expression became serious.


    "Not happening" spreading both of his arms apart like he was about to embrace the whole world, Jason suddenly smashed both of his palms together.


    This was a move he''d seen the fictional Character named the Hulk do.


    "Spirit Smash!"


    Bang!


    A loud head piercing whistling sound rang out as a crescent wave of ectoplasm slammed into the Dark Wraith, disrupting the Spirit Gun technique she was about to cast.


    Whoosh!


    Appearing before the Dark Wraith before she could regain her footing, Jason jumped up, twisting his body as he slammed his right foot on her head. For some reasons, his body felt very light. It must be the effect of Union Transformation, he guessed.


    Bang!


    The ground beneath the Dark Wraith cracked, however she remained standing, managing to block Jason''s kick  with her left arm arm just at the last minute.


    "Shit!"


    Channeling Ectoplasm into her left arm, she hurled Jason into the air, while her right arm made a particular hand sign.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Spirit Gun!


    Bang!


    Streaking through the air, Jason crossed both arms against his chest in an attempt to block the spirit gun attack. However once the attack collided against him, it felt like he had slammed into a heavy truck. The concussive force slammed him into the ground.


    Bang!


    He had barely stabilized himself from the fall when he saw the Dark Wraith descending, or to be more exact, riding a large avatar made out from ectoplasm whose giant leg was currently slamming towards him.


    "Shit. I''m going to die!" he cussed.


    "Use the Spirit Gun attack!" he suddenly heard a scream in his head.


    Sofia sounded pissed at that moment.


    Bang!


    The giant feet slammed down on the ground, creating a wide crater . However the expression of the Dark Wraith went frosty when she didn''t see any trace of Jason within the crater.


    She suddenly heard a whistle from behind her as Jason who was wrapped in ectoplasm flew through the air, landing a punch on the right chin of her avatar, causing it to quake.


    However the Avatar didn''t break.


    "What the hell are you doing?" he heard Sofia''s voice in his head.


    "My bones.. they were not broken?" instead of replying, he asked a question of his own.


    Before Sofia could reply, the Dark Wraith Avatar sent out it''s swift counter attack, slamming its large palm against Jason''s chest as it swatted him into the distance.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Jason didn''t know how many building rooves he smashed through before he finally crashed on the granite surface of a road..


    "I''m not freaking bleeding?!" he cried in amazement as he jumped up on his feet..


    Apart from the pain, that was it. His body was completely fine!


    "Idiot. Of course you are!" Sofia cussed him.


    Jason could sense the rage in her voice..


    "We are currently melded together. Although you get hurt, your physical body bears the pain while I bear the causality effect. However once this transformation dies down, you are going to feel both the pain and the casualty effect. So unless you are so eager to die, keep on allowing yourself to get beaten"


    Bang!


    The hulking avatar of the Dark Wraith landed before Jason, grabbing towards him. Dodging to the side, Jason clasped thumb finger on top of his index finger as he sent out a flick.


    Spirit Gun!


    However nothing happened


    "What?!"


    Before he could react, the Dark Wraith Avatar grabbed him by the leg, slamming him twice on the ground before bringing it closer to its face, where the Dark Wraith levitated from within.


    It was probably the cock pit or something.


    "Brat, although I don''t know what you are.. you are going to die for daring to go against me!!" her eyes went pitch black as she fixed them on Jason.


    "What?!" however the next moment, they went back to regular silver in color as she gave Jason a puzzled look.


    "Where is your fear? why can''t I sense it? Why can''t I devour it?!!" she howled angrily.


    "Go to hell bitch" Jason took advantage of this momentary carelessness as he summoned the last Klypt dagger from the system inbuilt inventory, hurling it towards the Dark Wraith.


    Puchi!


    The dagger easily stabbed into the throat of the Dark Wraith, causing her to glow brilliantly before exploding into brilliant specks of light that flew into Jason''s forehead.


    Following the death of the Dark Wraith, her avatar crumbled into mist, dispersing with the wind, causing Jason to fall back to the ground.


    "I.. Did.. It" he didn''t even have the chance to read the System notification that had just popped in when the effect of the Union Transformation died down, causing a wave of intense pain to overcome him.


    The last thing he heard was the fleeting sound of someone calling out his name before he lost consciousness.

 Chapter 270

    "Treasure? what treasure?!"


    Bang!


    The Earthen spikes binding the Void Horned Lightning Winged Wyrms finally gave way, shattering into sharp fragments as two of the Void Horned Lightning Winged Wyrms sprang towards Aiden, opening their wide mouths as they revealed their set of sharp fangs.


    Puchi!


    A Sharp sword beam pierced right through one of the Void Horned Lightning Winged Wyrm, causing its head to instantly explode.


    "Gosh. You are really adamant on protecting your secret aren''t you?" Oge clicked her tongue as she raised her saber into the air.


    Void Piercer!


    Boom!


    A powerful saber image shot into the air, slicing apart the Tribulation Clouds in the skies before descending down. The movement of the saber image was neither fast or slow. It was like it was following the natural rhythm of the world. At that moment it was like a powerful diety had descended upon the mortal world. Wherever the sword beam passed, space shattered like fragile glass. The Void Horned Lightning Winged Wyrms didn''t even have the chance to defend themselves before they were all annihilated by that single saber image.


    Boom!


    After destroying the Void Horned Lightning Winged Wyrms, the power within the sabre image seemed to have reduced a little bit as it landed on the forest ground. Many tree life that stretched out for hundreds of meters instantly exploded from the shockwaves as the entire landscape was cleanly cleaved into two equal halves.


    Beastial roars echoed loudly in the air as a myraid number of Feind Beast started a stampede. Just like the Crimson Moon Phyton, these feind beasts had previously set up their various territories within the forest. However thanks to Oge''s attack, their homes ended up being destroyed.


    "Ah. Ah. Ah" for once, a look of exhaustion appeared on Oge''s face as her knees gave way, with cold sweat sliding down her cute face like a stream.


    "What.. What the hell was that attack?" Marie gulped nervously as she looked at the exhausted Oge and then the desolate landscape that stretched into the distance.


    The once lush forest was now a desolate field with scarred soil, fragments of exploded trees and destroyed rare herbs.


    Even the tribulation clouds had been forced to disperse.


    "Are you okay?" Aiden helped Oge up on her feet.


    "If you call seeing triple you at once, as fine.. then I''m sure as hell in my prime" Oge''s legs wobbled as she almost tripped.


    Fortunately, Aiden was there to support her.


    "That''s an Asfotedia Crown flower and the infamous Blood Mary Rose. There''s even the Sapphire Dew Lotus! damnit! we would''ve struck it big if we brought all these to an auction!" Marie''s eyes nearly cried blood as she recognized about a dozen of rare herbs


    Unfortunately many of them were either too damaged to be used, or mashed up. If not for the fact that she had witnessed Oge''s terrifying Saber attack, Marie was sure she would''ve electrocuted the other party to death for ruining such a good opportunity to make it big.


    "You sure you are okay?" Aiden couldn''t help but ask when he saw just how pale Oge was.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    It would seem using that previous technique placed a serious strain on her.


    "I''ll live. Unfortunately I am not sure I will be in the right shape to engage in any battles.. for like a week!" Oge groaned.


    "However I had to do it. At your current level, you are not ready to face a real tribulation. It was only through sheer coincidences that you managed to reach this far. I had to do something or you were going to die like that snake" Oge pointed towards the motionless corpse of the Crimson Moon Phyton.


    "Eh? Rin, what are you doing there?" she finally discovered that Rin was silently standing in front of the corpse, seemingly lost in thought.


    "Aiden, can I have the corpse?" Rin requested with a serious expression, while doing his best to conceal his excitement.


    "If it''s important to you, then sure " Aiden didn''t ask any questions.


    Instead, he observed their surrounding.. or at least what was left of it.


    "That move of yours.. I am confident it must''ve caused quite the disturbance. An army of Winged Panda Men might come storming this place anytime soon"


    "This time when they do.. let''s keep some of them alive for questioning " Oge weakly advised as she gave Marie a slight warning glare.


    About ten minutes later, the group suddenly heard loud tremors on the ground.


    "They are here " Aiden who had alerted the group.


    A pair of lightning wings appeared behind Marie as she held Oge before shooting into the air, concealing the both of them behind the clouds.


    A tunnel appeared on the ground, which Aiden jumped into, along with Red Rose. As for Rin, he was inside the corpse of the Crimson Moon Phyton. Ten minutes ago, he had forced his way inside and had since not stepped out.


    A couple moment after the Blood Dragon Legion dispersed, an army of Winged Panda Men came into view. The army consisted of about twenty Silver Rangers, led by a Silver General. However unlike the previous armies the group had encountered, this one was more laid back


    It was like they were small fragment of an even larger army that were on patrol duty.


    "Stop!" the Silver General gave a stern command as he halted before the corpse of the Crimson Moon Phyton.


    The troop behind him instantly stopped right on their tracks. The collective instantaneous stomp of so many Silver Rangers with large bodies caused the ground to shake.


    Aiden and Red Rose who were hiding underground were affected by this disturbance. However there were wise enough not to make any sound.


    Approaching the Crimson Moon Phyton, the Silver General ran his finger along the bloody surface.


    "The foolish beast was killed by its own tribulation" it sneered mockingly, speaking in the native tongue of the Winged Panda Men.


    "However this is no good. The Medicine Garden was destroyed in the process. How am I going to explain myself now?" it grumbled.


    "Huh?" the Silver General suddenly noticed movement within the giant corpse. Just as it instinctively whipped out the large club behind his back, the ground beneath them split apart as rows of earthen spikes shot out like worms, entrapping the troops behind him.


    Flexing his burly muscles, the Silver General attempted to smash the Earthen Prison apart when a pale but handsome looking fellow silently appeared before him, blocking the club with one hand.


    "You are mine " Aiden smirked as his eyes glowed red.


    Bang!


    The Silver General was sent flying back by a single lighting kick from Aiden. Although Aiden failed to completely refine the lightning seed, his efforts didn''t go to waste.


    Although none of his lightning based skills experienced any level up, his mastery over them had become more refined. It was like archery. In the past Aiden was like a beginner archer when it came to his lightning skills. Although he could pull the bow strings, he solely depended on the quality of the bow, strings and arrows.


    Now he was like an expert marksman, capable of controlling how efficient his shots were, even when using low grade or top grade arrows.


    A pair of lightning wings appeared behind Aiden as he sped after the Silver General like a lightning bolt.


    The Silver Rangers who were trapped within *Earthen Fangs* were still mulling over their next course of action when a lightning bolt dropped from the skies.


    "Howdy!" the *lightning bolt* was revealed to be Marie as her fist became wrapped in a layer of lightning gauntlet, grabbing the closest Silver Ranger and running her hands through his skull.


    "Aiden said to leave survivors" a slit appeared on the neck of an unsuspecting Silver Ranger as a pale hand grabbed his head, easily uprooting it.


    "So, watch yourself" Red Rose silently stepped away from the headless corpse as she tossed the head into the distance. Green blood slowly slid down her sharp claws that were even sharper than an Omega level enchanted dagger.


    With Aiden leading away the Silver General, Oge recuperating and Rin busy doing ''who-knows-what'' inside the Crimson Moon Phyton corpse, the two female Vampires were left to deal with the troop of Silver Rangers by themselves.

 Chapter 271

    A gigantic figure suddenly dropped from the skies, smashing a large and deep ditch through the ground. A sonic boom soon erupted as another figure moving like a lightning bolt chased after the first figure, landing before the ditch.


    "Battling a Silver General seems way more easy now" Aiden chuckled in amusement as he clenched his fist wrapped in a layer of Lightning Gauntlet.


    Wrapped around his heels was a pair of lightning boots and behind him was a pair of lightning wings. The only thing missing was a lightning breastplate and Aiden would fully resemble a fully clad lightning warrior.


    However if one looked closely, they would notice that unlike other lightning, Aiden''s lightning was a deep shade of blue and had a domineering layer of annihilation. However it would have to take a seasoned expert of the Lightning mojo to discover this minute changes and recognize that Aiden''s lightning shared some resemblance with tribulation lightning.


    Hell, Aiden was completely oblivious to this changes, thinking that it was only his control of lightning that had improved.


    Bang!


    The ground burst open with a loud explosive sound as a Silver General burst forth. The Silver General glared at Aiden, his eyes filled with rage.


    "Die!!!" a huge club smashed towards Aiden''s chest. Although the trajectory movement of the Club was so fast, Aiden casually sidestepped, leaving an afterimage behind as he appeared besides the Silver General, landing a powerful smack on his face.


    Bang!


    The club ended up smashing into the ground while the face of the Silver General twisted in a grotesque manner. Aiden suddenly shot into the air as a large tail missed him, smashing into the spot where he was previously occupying.


    "This feels so amazing! my reaction speed has improved greatly!" Aiden shot out two bolts of lightning from his wings which smashed towards the Silver General who managed to dodge one, while blocking the other with his club.


    However the force caused the Silver General to stagger back. Suddenly feeling a tap on his shoulder, he quickly swung his club behind him, only to strike empty air.


    "I''m right here dumbass" a lightning streak whizzed past the Silver General as a powerful kick landed on his left cheeks. He furiously smashed his club in front of him, only to strike empty air.. again.


    "Are you frying an egg or what?" Aiden''s voice rang out from behind the Silver General as another kick landed on his back, sending him flipping through the air.


    Bzzzt!


    While in mid air Aiden suddenly appeared before the Silver General, stomping heavily on his chest.


    "The only reason I haven''t killed you yet is because I''m using you as target practice right now. So bear with me!" Aiden clasped all ten fingers together, pounding both fists against the chest of the Silver General.


    Bang!!You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    It was like a giant had just beat a gong, followed by the descent of a comet as a large figure dropped from the sky. A loud shockwave erupted as the ground instantly flattened, revealing a wide crater. Within the crater was a miserable looking Silver General, whose chest was being stomped by a teenage looking pale skinned Vampire.


    Besides them were broken shards of armor and a large bone club.


    "That should be enough. I now know what I''m capable of now" Aiden retreated his foot as he gave the Silver General a deep look.


    "Too bad you can''t speak my language. I wanted to have a little talk with you" Aiden clicked his tongue, appearing sympathetic as he unleashed his claws, preparing to rip out the heart of the Silver General.


    "Wait!'' the Silver General suddenly cried out.


    "Huh?" Aiden appeared astonished as he put away his claws.


    "You can speak my language?"


    Of all the Winged Panda Men Aiden had encountered, this was the only Silver General he had seen that could speak the human language. Not to mention it was very clear and fluent.


    Although Aiden had encountered an Azure Ranger who could speak the human tongue, it wasn''t fluent.


    "Ah. If you promise not to kill me I swear to tell you everything you want to know!" the Silver General begged.


    "Hmm... Supposing I let you go, you are just a Silver General.. that means you rank in this place isn''t that high... " Aiden wriggled his brows, appearing like he was having second thoughts.


    "How did you know that?" the Silver General appeared astonished when Aiden stated its military rank.


    ''Duh. Aren''t you wearing Silver Armor '' Aiden wanted to reply with a snig remark but held himself at the last moment.


    "You haven''t answered my question yet. In your current position I don''t want any questions. Only answers, or I''ll rip out your heart right before your eyes" Aiden suddenly unleashed his claws as he flashed them before the other party''s eyes.


    "Yes! Yes!" the Silver General shivered when he felt the intense sharpness being emitted from Aiden''s claws


    Aiden smirked in satisfaction when he saw this reaction. He had watched many thriller movies about torture. Normally the Torturer usually adopted the clich¨¨ condescending attitude to make the victim talk.


    "I know everything about this Hidden Realm because I belong to the Royal family.. at least I once was in the past before I got kicked out " the Silver General grumbled the last part


    "Oh?" Aiden appeared surprised.


    "Hmph. Don''t think royalty and nobility only exists among your human race " the Silver General snorted when it saw Aiden''s expression of disbelief.


    "Do you wish to die?!" Aiden threatened icily, causing the Silver General to cower in fright.


    Taking in a deep breath, Aiden looked at the Silver General skeptically.


    "If I spare your life, how am I sure you would hold out to your own end of the bargain?" Aiden asked.


    "I will enter a Blood Oath with you then "


    "You can do that?" Aiden was slightly taken by surprise.


    The Blood Oath was a topic that was once thought in the Academy. To enter a Blood Oath usually required two or more people. Usually if one of them went against the Blood Oath, they would be destroyed by the world. At first Aiden didn''t know how this was possible until he learnt about Cosmic laws from Oge.


    However Humans rarely entered a Blood Oath because the Oath itself was regarded as a sham by many. As one of the three races favored by the cosmic laws of the world, they could find loopholes within these Blood Oaths and escape punishment if they went against the terms.


    However, this didn''t apply to the Vampire, Myraid Beasts and Feind races. As races who were on the bad side of the Cosmic laws of the world, they couldn''t find such loopholes. This was why anytime they entered into a Blood Oath, they were forced to abide by its rules.


    As a Vampire Progenitor, Aiden was also affected. However what he didn''t understand was how this Silver General was going to do so.


    "My Xuan Beast race is like the alternate version of your Myraid Beast race. Blood Oaths are holy contracts that we must abide to or we would suffer the wrath of the world" the Silver General explained when it sensed Aiden''s skeptism.


    "You know about the Myraid Beast race?" Aiden was astonished.


    "We once attacked a world occupied by the Myraid Beast race in the past. However we ended up suffering a drastic defeat" the Silver General replied.


    "Are you saying my human race is weak?" Aiden gave the Silver General a death glare.


    "I.. I dare not!"

 Chapter 272

    "Hmm? I don''t tell any different?" Aiden gave the Silver General a skeptical look.


    They had just performed the blood oath however apart from the slight stinging pain when he bit his wrist with his sharp fangs, Aiden didn''t feel any different.


    "Wait till you go against the terms of the Blood oath. However by them I am sure it would be too late for any regrets" after performing the Blood oath with Aiden, the Silver General courage was once more rekindled.


    "Hmpfh. The terms of the Oath claims that we share a partnership relationship. That won''t stop me from ripping out your heart if you dare step out of line" Aiden warned sternly before flashing the other party a cheerful smile.


    "Now that we are Partners, we should put all forms of animosity behind us, what do you say?"


    "O-Okay " the Silver General gave Aiden a strange look.


    Just now the other party appeared to be on the verge of slaughtering him, yet here he was smiling at his face like the both of them had been friends from childhood.


    "Just like the history records claims.. Humans sure are shameless " he mumbled underneath his breath.


    "Sorry? did you say something?" Aiden gave him a sharp look.


    "Nothing " the Silver General hurriedly shook his head negatively.


    "Now that we are Partners, it would look bad if we don''t even know each other''s name. Here, I''ll go first.. my name is Aiden Skyfall. I look forward to a healthy partnership with you" Aiden extended his hand for a handshake.


    "Skyfall? that name sounds familiar" the Silver General mused to himself before accepting Aiden''s handshake.


    "My name is Prince Eragon"


    "So, Prince.. Eragon? why the hell do you want to snitch on your people? I get it that I was about to kill you, but betraying your own kind? that''s pretty low" Aiden chuckled as he began walking back to the area where the rest of the Blood Legion were.


    Prince Eragon slunk the large bone club on his back as he hurried after Aiden. Due to his huge size, the ground rumbled loudly whenever he ran.


    "What does snitch mean?" Prince Eragon asked Aiden curiously.


    "Well, it''s a slang for people who betray their kinsmen. Either directly or indirectly" Aiden shrugged


    This was a slang that he had picked up during his childhood. The town where Aiden lived for most of his childhood happened to be a ghetto area. Although it wasn''t a war zone, there had been cases of gang wars over the years. It was only natural that Aiden picked a few gangster slangs and terms.


    Not to mention he belonged to a gang as well.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    "Snitch huh? you humans sure are a creative race" Prince Eragon chuckled in amusement.


    "Well, my reason for being a snitch is simple. I want to end the war and liberate my people" Prince Eragon sighed.


    "Huh?"


    "Do you know why my people are raiding your world?" He suddenly asked Aiden.


    "Because your world is in a bad shape?" Aiden shrugged.


    "Very smart. This Hidden Realm is merely a broken fragment of a real Planetoid. The cosmic laws in this place are scrambled and it lacks a planetary core.. my people are in desperate need of a Planetary core " Prince Eragon stated sadly.


    "Honestly, I don''t think your world is in a bad shape. I mean, I once ran into a forest filled with exotic collections of rare herbs and elixirs.. those herbs and elixirs are rare as a real life dragon back in my world. If anything, I''ll say you lot should have some gratitude and appreciate what you have "


    However contrary to Aiden''s expectations, Prince Eragon burst into a fit of amused laughter.


    "What? did I say something funny?" Aiden''s expression darkened.


    "No. It''s just that you reminded me of my father" a gratified smile graced his lips as his eyes flashed with reminiscence.


    "He taught me how to play the flute and all kinds of instruments.. taught me how to speak the human, elf, fairy, yao.. all kinds of languages that exists in the world of Utopia and Dystopia.. he was a man of peace who believed that everything could be solved without involving violence.. he was the kind of man that I had aimed to be like. For years he has researched how to solve the problem of this Hidden Realm.."


    "Was?" Aiden caught the incoming implied meant on Prince Eragon''s statement.


    "Yes. He was killed by General Jazz.. his younger brother. According to him, the only way to fix the problems was invade other worlds and make them ours. Unlike my father, General Jazz is a war monger who delights in violence. When my father refused to do things his way, he rallied all the military forces loyal to him, marched to the King City, laid a coup and right before everybody''s eyes, he beheaded my father the King, along without the rest of his scholarly officials. Since then, we have been under a military regime and every youth must be enlisted into the army or their whole family is enlisted. Ninety Percent of this Hidden Realm''s residents are enlisted to the military. We have been forced to wage war with various worlds, however each and every of our raids ends up leading to our defeat. Our only advantage is that we tend to reproduce a lot faster, however every time we raid a world, thousands die. Honestly I am fed up and want this to end. Many people share this same thought with me but we are completely helpless. General Jazz rules this Hidden Realm with an iron fist. So even if he commands us to jump into a fiery pit. We can only clench our fist and obey "


    "That really sucks dude .I am guessing that the reason you were enlisted into the army is because your Uncle wants you far away from power as possible right? he feels threatened about your existence however he cannot kill you without any just cause because that would incite suspicions and possibly a rebellion. So he cast you into the army so you can die in the battle field?"


    "You humans are really smart. However over the years I have accumulated a lot of battle credits and rose all that way to a Silver General. I am merely a leap away from joining the Azure Troops " Prince Eragon nodded.


    "Well, good luck with that. However from the little I have heard about this General Jazz.. he must be very powerful if he can rule this Hidden Realm with a fist of iron. However with this paltry strength of yours. You won''t last ten moves before an Azure General, talk less of the Big Boss" Aiden stated bluntly.


    He had once fought with an Azure General. Although he ended up coming out victorious, it was all thanks to him taking advantage of the environment. If they had a fair open battle, Aiden didn''t know who would come out on top.


    "I know that. However I have a plan. And I hope you would help me with it "


    "And what''s in for me if I help?" Aiden stopped walking as he gave Prince Eragon a look.


    "I will regain power over this Hidden Realm and have the troops stop invading your world?"


    "No. I need more incentive" Aiden shook his head as he made a neck slashing movement with his finger.


    "I get to kill this General Jazz of yours!"

 Chapter 273

    "What the hell?" Aiden stared at the corpses of the Silver Rangers on the forest ground before giving Red Rose and Marie a questioning glare.


    "Heh. Let''s just say your little baby girl here wanted to please daddy" Marie shamelessly pointed at Red Rose, who blushed furiously.


    "Shameless! we had a bet and I obviously won!" she retorted before giving Aiden an apologetic look.


    "I am sorry. I should''ve obeyed your instructions"


    "Sheesh. What a suck up" Marie rolled her eyes when she saw Red Rose acting so subservient and obedient in front of Aiden.


    However as an Adult Vampire, she knew that all this was the effect of Aiden''s bite. As the one who sired Red Rose, Aiden was like a father figure to the newly turned Vampire. As such, Red Rose had an innate subservient attitude and desire to please Aiden, like a child would want to please their parents.


    "It''s okay" Aiden didn''t mull over this for too long. After spending some time with Marie, he was already used to her shameless and trouble seeking attitude.


    "What a shame. Your people have successfully reduced my loyal troops by twenty soldiers.. I hope this partnership is going to be worth it" Prince Eragon clicked his tongue as he appeared behind Aiden.


    "Aiden watch out!" Marie instinctively cried out a warning while Red Rose instantly teleported, appearing behind Prince Eragon, her claws pressed against his neck.


    "No! Wait! he''s on our side " Aiden suddenly called out, causing Red Rose to retract her claws.


    "What the hell are you talking about Aiden?" Marie questioned, appearing confused.


    "Let''s just say we''ve got ourselves a top notch informant and our sure ticket in stopping the war in the outside world " Aiden hurriedly recounted Prince Eragon''s story to the two female Vampires.


    "Heh. I''ve heard that the Royal family is fvcked up.. but a Prince who is a snitch? no matter how noble you put your reasons, that''s a new kind of low " Marie sneered as she gave Prince Eragon a mocking thumbs up.


    "Since you trust him.." Red Rose teleported back to Aiden''s side.


    "Uhm? where''s Rin?" Aiden noticed they were still missing a team member.


    "He has yet to come out from that snake corpse.. what exactly is he even doing inside? taking a shit? I mean --" Marie suddenly stiffened as she looked back to see Rin staring at her with limpid eyes.


    "What took you so long?" Aiden couldn''t help but ask.


    Currently Rin was drenched in blood. However Aiden could sense a heavy pressure being emitted from the blood. Not to mention he could sense a slumbering powerful presence from Rin. Perhaps it was due to the System Skill ''Danger Sense '' but Aiden could sense a serious threat from Rin.


    He had only felt this kind of threat from three people around his age; Akira, Oge and now Rin!


    To crown it all, Aiden felt that Rin had experienced a huge transformation.


    "I absorbed all the spirit blood of the Crimson Moon Phyton " Rin replied, his voice coming out raspy in the beginning before slowly stabilizing.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Spirit Blood can be absorbed?" Aiden and Marie chorused at once.


    According to public knowledge, Spirit blood was something exclusive and couldn''t be stolen. This was why there was a clear distinction between Nobles and regular folks. If Spirit Blood could be stolen, then the power vacuum in the upper echelon of the society would''ve changed hands over the years.


    As such, Rin''s claims sounded unbelievable.


    "It''s his mojo" a voice rang out from behind the duo as Oge slowly approached Rin.


    "Would it hurt if you don''t speak in circles for once please? how old are you? thirteenth? fifteen?" Marie rolled her eyes when she saw Oge ''intentionally'' acting mysterious.


    Ignoring the snig remark, Oge turned towards Aiden.


    "Rin has a unique class of mojo.. Beast type.. and an even rarer type of Beast type mojo.. The Dragon mojo"


    "Don''t you both still get it already?" Oge sighed helplessly when she saw Aiden and Marie''s clueless expressions.


    "With his mojo, Rin is like a half dragon race member.. this Crimson Moon Phyton is a descendant of the True Dragons.. this means Rin can absorb its spirit blood, strengthening his mojo. If he''s lucky he might even convert his own spirit blood into Dragon spirit blood " Oge gave Rin a questioning look when she reached the last part.


    "I didn''t completely convert my spirit blood into Dragon spirit blood. However even if just a small trace, I feel way more stronger. Although my beta force reserve is still the same, I feel an explosive power pulsating within my veins" Rin clenched his fist tightly.


    "That''s good right?" Aiden asked with a gratified smile.


    If he wanted to dominate this Ancient Realm, each and every member of the Blood Dragon Legion had to be as powerful as possible.


    "Maybe" a strange glint flashed past Oge''s eyes, like she was withholding some information from Aiden and the others.


    "Alright. Now that the Team is all together, we have an Ancient Realm to dominate" Aiden gave Prince Eragon a look.


    As for the corpse of the Crimson Moon Phyton, with its spirit blood gone, it was nothing more than trash now. Almost all its scales had been ripped away thanks to the Lightning Tribulation and with its spirit blood gone, its bone and marrow quality had decreased by more than fifty percent.


    Perhaps only its flesh was useful, however Aiden felt too lazy to take its corpse. They didn''t have where to store such a large corpse.. not to mention he didn''t see any thrill in eating the flesh of a slightly large giant snake.


    It could be said that Rin had literally sucked away all the good parts and left the trash.


    .


    .


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Afterimages of a huge figure flashed in the air as Zion blocked a series of powerful fist images, while gradually skidding across the ground, leaving a long row of deep footprints bend him.


    The OD Silver General let out a beastial roar as it suddenly sent out an upper cut jab towards Zion. Flicking his wrist, Zion made to cushion the blow with the tip of his sword, when suddenly a large tail came from his left, heavily slamming towards his stomach.


    Zion hacked out a mouthful of blood as he flipped through the air. Although he had managed to block the tail of the OD Silver General with his left wrist at the last moment, the force of the strike completely crushed all the bones in his left arm.


    Although the pain was excruciating, Zion struggled to fight it back as he waved his sword in front of him, blocking a powerful fist.


    Bang!


    The webbings on Zion''s fingers finally split apart as his sword flew out of his grip. With his weapon lost, Zion was about to fish out a Glyph Talisman when a long tail trickly wrapped around his waist, smashing him towards the ground.


    From such kind of height and the powerful trajectory momentum, Zion would be smashed into a meat patty.


    "Nature Annihilation Spear!


    An large Hex pattern suddenly lit up on the ground, springing out a multitude of giant tree roots that swiftly merged into the form of a giant sized javelin.


    Puchi


    The Wood Javelin suddenly elegonated, moving through the air like a lightning bolt as it stabbed through the skull of the OD Silver General. After entering Overdrive, all the physical stats of the Silver General experienced a monstrous leap. Yet in front of the wooden giant sized spear, the thick physique of the OD Silver General was nothing more than soft butter in the face of a blazing hot knife.


    "Nature Rebirth" it was unknown where this chant was coming from but the OD Silver General began to slowly glow brilliantly before its whole body exploded, revealing giant sized tendril plants as they sprung out from within its body, greedily absorbing the flesh and blood of the OD Silver General.


    Whether it was Zion, or the spectating Femme Silver General, they both felt shivers as they witnessed the gory death the OD Silver General suffered.

 Chapter 274

    Boom!


    A loud explosive sound suddenly rang as the Femme Silver General broke into a swift sprint towards the Ruins Gate behind them. After witnessing the tragic death of her colleague, she no longer cared to stick around any longer.


    As for dominating this Planetoid? she figured those at the top would handle that matter.


    "Ah. Leaving without saying goodbye? you can''t do that in a foreign land or that would be considered rude" a light chuckle that sounded like the melodious jingling of bells rang out as a long wooden vine shot out from the ground, wrapping around the Femme Silver General.


    Ting!


    Sparks flew as the Femme Silver General attempted to chop off the vine with one of her twin axes, only for both weapons to fly out of her grip. It was like her axes were made of grass and the vine was made of thick metal.


    Splurt!


    A fountain of green blood burst forth as the Vine moved like a crafty serpent, piercing right through the Femme Silver General, skewering her like grilled meat.. well, expect more of a bloody version.


    "You fought well Zion. An accolade won''t be enough to thank you for your selfless actions" a soft string of claps resounded as a graceful looking female appeared before Zion, standing on the branch of a huge tree like humanoid, whose thick roots was moving it forward.


    "Lieutenant Barbara!--- Arck!!" recognizing the newcomer, Zion attempted to stand straight in salute, however he suddenly hacked up a mouthful of blood as his body collapsed to the ground.


    However a wooden vine suddenly shot out, wrapping around him as he got hoisted up to one of the many branches on the wooden tree humanoid.


    "Good Soldier.. you didn''t let me down. Thanks to you, all the civilians in the town have been successful evacuated" Lieutenant Barbara gave Zion a thumbs up as she beamed with pride.


    Zion''s position was a crucial spot since it just happened to be the town''s entrance gate. If he had failed to hold off his position, the number of casualties suffered would have been tragic.


    Lieutenant Barbara knew just how powerful Zion was. With his abilities, escaping with his life wouldn''t have been difficult, after all, a Sword Warlock like him excelled in quick foot works. However he still chose to stay behind and endure so many life threatening injuries. Seeing one of her subordinates in this condition made her feel bad.


    She blamed herself for not providing backup earlier. Unfortunately her hands were tied. The Royal Sentinels were known as the Nation''s private armies whose duty was to protect the territories they were assigned to. However that was just a modest way to put things. In actual fact, they were the dogs of the Noble Families.


    Take for instance the Ruins Rift and the sudden Raid. Lieutenant Barbara should''ve led the Eagle Squad to evacuate the civilians and defend the town. Yet, she was forced to compromise because she was too preoccupied trying to bring the members of the Noble Houses in Yellow Peach Springs to a safe house. The part that made her vexed the more was that the members of the Noble Household had robust Cultivation and powerful battle abilities. While the ordinary civilians who needed her help died like flies, she was busy sucking up to the Nobles..


    This vexed Lieutenant Barbara deeply, however she couldn''t go against their orders. Doing so would mean offending one of the Noble Houses, and that meant the end of her career in the military.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Fortunately, she had a diligent subordinate like Zion.


    "You should rest up. The third wave won''t start any time soon. We should use this as an opportunity to catch a breather" after saying this, the tree humanoid borrowed into the ground, disappearing from sight.


    When it did, it appeared above ground in front of a tall building. This was the Town Watchtower.


    Every Fiefdom had one. It was intended to be the the most fortified place and also the highest spot so in case an enemy launched an attack, the Sentinels at the Watch Tower would know firsthand and warn the Fiefdom residents.


    "Lieutenant!" two Sentinels who stood in patrol at the entrance instantly saluted when they saw Lieutenant Barbara.


    "Take him to the Healers. He is in critical condition and I want him patched up as quick as possible" dispelling the tree humanoid back into a large hex pattern, Lieutenant Barbara handed Zion''s unconscious body to the two Sentinels before making her way into fortified watch tower.


    The Watchtower was a large and tall structure that consisted of twenty floors. On the first floor, what greeted Lieutenant Barbara''s eyes were several Sentinels and Sentries patrolling around in a busy manner. Each one of them numbered around twenty, gathering whatever weapons they could and appeared ready to engage in battle.


    "Lieutenant! you''ve returned!" a handsome looking man in the attire of the Royal Sentinels approached Lieutenant Barbara as he saluted.


    His name was Benjamin, her trusted confidant and a member of the Eagle Squad.


    "Are these the people who can fight?" Lieutenant Barbara appeared disappointed as she scanned her eyes around.


    "I am afraid so.." Benjamin sighed as both he and Lieutenant Barbara continued walking forward, with him being a small step behind her.


    This was basic etiquette that was taught to all young Sentinels during their early days at the Boot Camp.


    "No Thanks to the War at the Capital City, the strongest manpower of the Sentry Guilds have been sent off there to provide reinforcement. Yellow Peach Springs is a small town, that means the manpower of our Platoon is slightly above average.. not to mention that we were hit with seven sudden level two Ruins Rift.. with all these setbacks and this town''s military statistics, it is a real miracle that we managed to survive two waves " Benjamin chuckled.


    "We? what did the Eagle Squad do? Oh right! we were too busy sucking up to those arrogant SOBs!"


    "Ah Lieutenant, I didn''t hear that " Benjamin shook his head with a wry smile, realizing who Barbara''s taunts were directed at.


    "Hm. Don''t you feel there''s something weird about all of this?" Lieutenant Barbara suddenly asked with a serious expression.


    "Do you have an insight to share?" Benjamin became attentive.


    It was unknown whether he was genuinely interested, or just doing so as a sign of respect.


    "I am not a Sentry, however my Uncle was one. Growing up, he taught me a thing or two. According to him, a Ruins Rift is often preceeded by symptoms that poins to a Rift happening.. according to him, it is an action done by the world to warn its residents .. however this Ruins Rift just happened all if a sudden, catching all of us by surprise " Lieutenant Barbara frowned suspiciously.


    "Maybe the symptoms were there but the Sentry Guilds were to lax to discover it?" Benjamin shrugged.


    "There''s another reason why I feel something strange. If I didn''t know better, I would say we were attacked by the Xuan Beasts "


    "What?!" this time, Benjamin become genuinely frightened.


    Although the Kingdom of Nightshade was cut off from the rest of Utopia, History studies taught about the other races that existed alongside the Human race. However many of the regular folks treated them as things of myths.


    However as a member of the Royal Sentinel Corp who worked closely with the Noble Households, Benjamin knew a thing or two. Although he had no idea the Kingdom of Nightshade was sealed away, he knew that the other races truly existed and were not myths created by delusional old folks. And according to the way the history books depicted them, they were BAD NEWS!


    "However, I have read a lot of books. These monsters are not listed there in the hierarchy of the Xuan Beasts " these words caused Benjamin to sigh in relief..


    However he couldn''t help but give his lieutenant a strange look.


    "But why would you have that kind of suspicion in the first place?"


    "Well, I encountered one of them.. using Overdrive. Have you ever heard of a Feind Beast using Overdrive with that little intelligence they possesses?"


    .


    .


    .


    ¡ª[Author Note: SOBs means Sons Of B*tches. It is a crude insult. I happened to learn it while watching a TV show lol. Happy Reading!]

 Chapter 275

    "One of them was using Overdrive? are you sure?" a look of disbelief appeared on Benjamin''s expression when he heard his Lieutenant''s shocking statement.


    "Are you doubting my words now?" a dangerous grin appeared on the corner of Lieutenant Barbara''s lips, causing the temperature in the hall to suddenly plummet.


    Gulp.


    Benjamin swallowed hard as he cussed himself for being too casual. Even though he doubted the words of the other party, he shouldn''t have allowed it to show!


    "Arrange a meeting with the higher ups of the Three Sentry Guilds. We need to start discussing the next battle stragem" Lieutenant Barbara suddenly snapped her fingers bossily.


    "If my suspicions are correct, the next wave is going to be even more bloody"


    "We are going to attack them head on?" Benjamin hesitated for a little while before asking with a confused pout.


    The Nobles were safely tucked in the most fortified section of the Watchtower. Wasn''t it best for them to endure till reinforcement arrives?


    Lieutenant Barbara seemed to have seen through the thoughts of her subordinates. A mocking sneer appeared on her lips.


    "The Nation Capital isn''t as tight knitted as you think. Even without the intervention of the Four Dukes, the hearts of the Nobles are filled with greed and ambitions. So what if Yellow Peach Springs falls? that would just mean an owner less territory up for grabs.. do you seriously think any one of those selfish jerks would be risk their forces to come to our rescue?"


    Benjamin gulped nervously.


    "They.. They can''t do that right? I mean.. I mean it''s not right "


    "Heh. If you spend enough time with those greedy and arrogant jerks, you''d realize that the concept of good and bad doesn''t apply to them. To them everything that exists is just a fat juicy meat. They would go through every kind of schemes and threats to carve out a piece for themselves"


    "So I am sorry but right now.. we are on our own!"


    .


    .


    Smoke rose atop the the mid section of a mountain peak as a group of Winged Panda Men numbering about twenty gathered around a camp fire, roasting the flesh of a large mouse type Fiend Beast.


    Two of them were clad in rusty armors belonging to a Sliver General, while the rest of the group consisted of young Winged Panda Men. The two Silver Generals seemed to be on guard duty.


    Staring at the cooking roast, many of younglings tails wagged with excitement. Suddenly one of the Silver Generals heard movement, causing him to swiftly grab his club.


    "It''s okay Zahab" Prince Eragon appeared before the group with a calm smile.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "Prince?" the vigilance of the Silver General waned.


    However it had barely done so when the Blood Dragon Legion led by Aiden appeared as well from being Prince Eragon.


    "Calm down. They are allies" Prince Eragon patted the shoulder of the Silver General, whose name was Zahab.


    "Yes my Prince" Zahab nodded respectfully as he went back to his previous post.


    "Prince Eragon, where are the rest of your troops? did the evil Tyrant General Jazz annihilate them?" one of the younglings asked Prince Eragon, in the native tongue of the Winged Panda Men.


    "Huh.. we met an unfortunate accident " Prince Eragon replied in his native tongue, but not after giving the Blood Dragon Legion behind him a look.


    "Meat for friends" the Youngling in charge of the grilling directly tore off a lap, pushing it towards Aiden respectfully as it spoke in a broken human tongue.


    Staring at the large fleshy lap oozing with grilled oil, Aiden felt tempted to accept it. However thinking about how it came from a huge rat, he felt nauseous.


    Just as he was about to reject, somebody beat him to it.


    "Why. Thank you" Oge accepted the huge lap, unceremoniously taking a large bite, causing the grease to cover her mouth.


    "Why are you looking at me like that? I need to recover my lost energy and meat is an excellent nutrition..


    Oge took another big bite, chowing down without the slightest lady like courtesy.


    "Aiden was going to reject it anyway " she flatly justified.


    Trying his best to block out the loud chomping noises Oge was many, Aiden scanned his eyes around. Apart from the grilling camp fire used for barbecue, there was a large pile of dried up bones and torn skins..


    And that was all there was.


    "Where''s your army?" Marie flatly asked, as if reading Aiden''s mind.


    "You are looking at them" Prince Eragon grunted.


    "The hell?!" Marie''s fury was stroked.


    "After all your boast about being the Prince and reclaiming your kingdom blah blah blah, this is as much as you count for? what are we going to do with these weaklings? forget about taking back your kingdom.. I doubt if they would survive ten seconds before a Garrison!"


    "Well.. you guys are guilty for killing my troops earl--" Prince Eragon tried to retort, only for Marie to angrily shut him up.


    "Even if they were alive, they wouldn''t make any difference!"


    "Sheesh. Marie, you need to calm down " Aiden patted Marie on the shoulder.


    Perhaps of everybody present, he was the only one who she would listen to. And he guessed right.


    Feeling such close skin contact with Aiden, Marie felt electrifying tinglings travel across her body, causing her anger to subside.


    Stepping forward, Aiden sighed.


    "As much as I hate to admit it, my colleague is right. With this little man power of yours, I am afraid you don''t stand a chance "


    "Yeah. I know. Like I told you, My uncle is a Tyrant who rules this Hidden Realm with a fist of iron. Nobody dares go against him. As for those two " Prince Eragon pointed towards the Two Winged Panda Men in rusted Silver General Armor.


    "They were my father''s former Kingsguard. However Don''t underestimate them. Although they''ve grown old with age and were demoted to the rank of a Silver General, that was just a sign of punishment. They can battle three Azure Generals each without breaking a sweat " Prince Eragon vouches confidently.


    "They are that powerful?" Aiden sneakily balled his fingers into a fist.


    According to the system, a Single Kingsguard was worth 800k kill points. Wouldn''t killing two mean 1,600,000 kill points? that was a lot of zeros!


    For a moment, Aiden felt tempted to turn on Prince Eragon and kill the two old former Kingsguard. If he timed his attack perfectly they won''t be able to react in time.


    However this idea was immediately squashed by the reality of reason.


    Doing so would mean going against the agreement of the Oath he made with Prince Eragon, causing him to suffer the punishment from the cosmic laws of this Hidden Realm. Although the cosmic laws of the place was broken, Aiden wasn''t stupid as to take this gamble


    Not to mention since the two Kingsguard had been demoted to the rank of Silver General, he doubted if the System considered them as bonafide Kingsguard. It would be a shame if after going through all the trouble to kill them, he would end up receiving the kill points befitting a Silver General.


    All these possibilities made Aiden have a rethink.

 Chapter 276

    "Earth to Aiden!" Aiden suddenly noticed Marie pointing three of her fingers in front of his eyes..


    "What is it?" he asked, snapping out from his momentary daze.


    "Our great prince here just said he knows a way to level the playing field" Marie patiently repeated.


    "Unfortunately you were too busy fantasizing about your busty maid at your mansion to hear what he was saying" she added with a teasing grin.


    "I wasn''t!" Aiden hurriedly shook his head as a red sheen appeared on his pale cheeks.


    Although he wasn''t doing what Marie accused him of, his current reaction made him appear guilty.


    "Hmpfh. What is your game plan" Aiden harrumphed coldly as he faked seriousness.


    He was going to punish Marie later for putting him in such a difficult situation.


    "There was something my father once told me as a kid.. according to him, before our world collapsed, our Winged Panda Man race was a powerful clan amongst the Xuan Beast race. We were once the vassals of the great Ogres"


    "Tch. Here we go again. Another good old day tale " Marie snickered, however a single glare from Aiden caused her to shut up.


    "The Ogres were a race of warriors and as their vassals, my Winged Panda Man race adopted this culture. My tribe was one of the many tribes that made up the original Winged Panda Man race. Once every hundred years, the first born son of the tribe chief goes through a holy ritual where they receive the blessings of the Ancestors who were original members of the Ogre race. Upon receiving this blessing, the spirit blood of the recipient becomes purified, allowing them to inherit some haxes that are exclusive only to the Ogre race "


    "So, you are confident that if you receive this holy blessing you would be strong enough to take on your evil uncle?" Aiden questioned skeptically.


    "Yes. The Holy Blessing of the Ancestors is a legendary ritual. All the greatest warriors in the past who came from our Winged Panda Man race were product of this ritual.." Prince Eragon nodded. He appeared immensely confident.


    "What do you think?" Aiden gave Oge a look.


    She was the only person whose judgment he fully trusted. This matter was a huge deal and unless she gave the go ahead, he wasn''t going to rashly place his bet on a mythical ritual ceremony.


    "The Myraid Beast race has such kind of practice. If the Xuan race shares some similarities with them, then what he says is accurate " Oge nodded.


    "So, where is this ritual ceremony hosted. And correct me if I''m wrong but your evil Uncle won''t allow you to take this ritual right under his nose, right?" Aiden smirked.


    "Indeed. The Ritual ceremony takes place within the Ancestral Tomb and it is located in the heart of the Capital City. However I have a little bit of influence there. With you guys in addition, charging into the Ancestral Tomb won''t be a problem.."This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    "I sense a but coming" Aiden grimaced.


    "The Ritual can only be commenced by the Maester"


    "Where is this Maester then? are they dead or what?"


    "Hardly. The problem is, the Maester is the wife of General Jazz.. she''s an evil woman who is completely devoted to her husband. Getting her to consent is far more difficult than talking reason with General Jazz" Prince Eragon sighed helplessly.


    For so long he had attempted to undergo the ritual ceremony. However this was the stumbling block that always barred his path. There was no way the Maester was going to support him taking the ritual since it would spell the downfall of her husband.


    "That''s tricky. But don''t worry about that. We can deal with this Maester of yours " Aiden guaranteed confidently.


    "What are you going to do? seduce her with your blood?" a naughty grin appeared on Marie''s lips.


    "Can my blood do that?" ah evil grin appeared on Aiden''s lips.


    Marie suddenly stiffened in the face of this sudden question. Seeing her reaction, Aiden chuckled maliciously. As for Oge, she face palmed.


    This was the case of lifting a stone only to smash your own foot.


    "I.. I... It only works on other Female Vampires. Not.. Not me!" she stuttered as her face went red like cherry.


    "Heh. I seem to recall you are the only Female Vampire who has drank my blood. And you just so happen to always stick around me like a magnet " Aiden smirked.


    He wouldn''t miss out on this opportunity to have his revenge. Don''t you like teasing me a lot? Have a taste of your own medicine!


    "I.. I hate you!" to everybody''s disbelief, two Lightning Wings appeared on Marie''s back as she soared into the sky, vanishing from sight.


    "What just happened?" Aiden''s lips twitched.


    He was expecting a huge comeback from Marie. He actually didn''t expect the older Vampire to flee out of shame.


    After a couple minutes, the group realized Marie was yet to return, they decided to make their plans without her. Not that it would matter any way since anytime she came around, they would just brief her.


    Under the short span of twenty minutes, they finished their plans. As the son of the authentic Chief, even though he was banished, Prince Eragon still had a small level of influence. However due to the tyranny of General Jazz, his secret supporters wisely chose to stay low.


    The Capital City was heavily fortified by General Jazz loyal followers, however by leveraging on his influence in the city, Prince Eragon was confident that he could sneak his way in through some back channels.


    After they get in, they would head over to a secret hideout within the city, then Red Rose was going to intentionally cause trouble so she would get arrested and taken to the dungeons. This was where prisoners was kept and was close to the Chief Manor. With her mojo, Red Rose would be able to escape the dungeon, sneak her way into the Chief Manor, grab the Stubborn Maester, teleport back to the hidden hideout, force her to consent into commencing the ritual ceremony and the rest was going to be a jolly ride.


    Even after going through the plan three times, there was no single loophole found that could make things go strong. As such, the group decided to wait for the cover of the night to carry out their operation into sneaking into the Capital City.


    .


    .


    "Hmpfh. How dare that little Vampire tease me like that. He isn''t even regarded as a toddler in the Vampire community. So what if he''s unnaturally powerful and his blood is the most.. no, just a little bit sweet. To think he''s got the balls to tease me! argh! how am I going to punish him? stop drinking his blood? no! I would just be punishing myself!" Marie mumbled to herself in an extremely fast pace as two lightning wings behind her flickered brilliantly, propelling her through the air like a comet.


    She was in the midst of musing to herself when a ball of flames suddenly blocked her path.


    "Who dares?" Marie was too pissed, to think clearly.


    Throwing a punch towards the ball of flames, she attempted to blast it out of her way when it suddenly changed shape, transforming into countless flame serpents that trickly surrounded her, entrapping her in a flame prison.


    "Fvckers!" a lightning gauntlet wrapped around Marie''s fist as she tried to punch her way out


    However to her horror, the flame prison was thick like the strongest rock, barely budging. She released three more punches however it was a fruitless effort. The flame prison barely released a ripple.


    "What the hell?!" realization finally dawned on Marie.


    She was officially screwed!

 Chapter 277

    Aiden and the rest of the Blood Dragon Legion had lost count of how many times they had glanced at the skies, when the sky finally became dark. Prince Eragon who had been quietly waiting at a corner, stood up when he saw this.


    "Due to the broken cosmic laws in this Hidden Realm, the concept of time is chaotic. Nighttime can last briefly, while sometimes it can last for a very long time. We have to make our move now"


    Aiden clenched his jaws as he looked around, however he couldn''t find Marie in sight. It had been a long time since she left, yet she had yet to return. This caused Aiden to develop some worries.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll stay back and wait for her to return . You guys should go on ahead" Oge volunteered to stay behind.


    "Are you sure?" Aiden was reluctant to leave her behind


    He would rather have her by his side as he valued her unnatural scope of knowledge.


    As if sensing the reluctance in his gaze, Oge smiled.


    "My energy is far from restored. In my current state, I can barely do much, so me staying behind to wait for Marie is the best choice we have"


    After weighing the pros and cons, Aiden finally agreed. As such, the Dragon Blood Legion began to descend the mountain range, following the lead of Prince Eragon and his small group of followers.


    After watching them vanish out from sight, Oge''s fingers softly stroked the hilt of her sheathed saber.


    "I sure hope there are enough Feind Beasts nearby" she muttered.


    .


    .


    The journey down the mountain range was one filled with silence. Although the group were still far from the Capital City, they did their best to act stealthily as possible. For Red Rose who was a trained Assassin, this was as easy as breathing. Aiden didn''t find this difficult as well. Although he wasn''t a trained Assassin like Red Rose, he possessed the skill *Monarch Departure*


    However the ones who found this difficult were the young warriors in Prince Eragon''s group. The Winged Panda Men possessed huge physiques naturally and coupled with their little to no combat knowledge, it took them a long time before they barely managed to learn how to adopt the stealth mode of movement.


    The group finally descended the mountain range, arriving before a clearing. There were seven wagons pulled by strange Feind Beast mounts that Aiden found difficult to identify.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    "Prince Eragon!" one of the wagon riders nodded at the Winged Panda Man Prince when the group arrived.


    "Is everything set?" Prince Eragon asked.


    Unlike when he spoke to Aiden, the current Prince Eragon appeared more dignified. Aiden chuckled inwardly. It would seem haughtiness ran in the blood of Nobles from all kinds of races.


    However recalling how Xavier never put on airs, Aiden figured there were still some exceptions. Without asking questions, Aiden and the Blood Dragon Legion boarded the wagon. As soon as Aiden got in, he almost puked from the thick bloody smell wafting from the Feind Beast corpses that filled the back of the wagon.


    Although a Vampire, Aiden had a strange repulsiveness towards the blood of already dead corpses. It reminded him of the stench of rotten food while he was a human. It wasn''t just Aiden though, Rin and Red Rose happened to share in this allergy as well.


    "Although you said the ride was going to be uncomfortable, I didn''t think it was going to be this terrible. Remind me why we have to endure this sickening travelling condition?" Aiden questioned Prince Eragon with a sly chuckle.


    "Your Human race has a distinct energy signature. Although not everyone can sense this, there are going to be Sensory type Warriors posted at the entrance gate. We are going to be instantly busted before we even arrive. However by staying inside this wagon mixed with dead corpses of Feind Beasts, it will be enough to mask your original energy signature. I am sorry but this is the only option we have "


    Aiden clicked his tongue after hearing this explaination. He could only ''mingle" with the corpses, endure the stench while praying that the journey was going to be quick.


    After Aiden consented, Rin and Red Rose followed suite, each occupying their own separate wagons. With the three Vampires successfully boarding the wagons, their riders whipped the beasts pulling them, causing them to start moving.


    .


    .


    "Uhh" a soft groan escaped Marie''s lips as her eyes flickered open, taking in the scene before her eyes.


    She noticed that she was currently in a large chamber, decorated in a royal style. She tried to get up only to realize that her both wrists were shackled to the wall.


    "What the hell is this?" she muttered in shock when she noticed that the shackles wrapped around her wrist seemed to possess a weakening effect on her.


    This frightened her. Vampires were known to be Immortal Beings, rivalling the Elf race. They boasted of a tough physique and although they could be killed, that didn''t bring much pain to the Adult Vampires, considering the fact that the concept of death was just a mere long sleep to them. Something that they would awaken from after some time pass.


    However to Marie''s fright and disbelief, the shackles around her wrist possessed a weakening effect on her. She knew that if she struggled too much, she might lose her life, something that she felt was strange considering the shackles were not sharp in any way.


    Just as she was musing over the strange shackles, she heard the sound of approaching footsteps as a figure appeared before her. Strangely, it was an Insect humanoid that resembled Bee, flanked by two Winged Panda Men.


    "She''s the one?" the Insect Humanoid asked one of the Winged Panda Men body guards behind her when she saw Marie.


    "Yes, Lady Beelar"


    "Hmpfh. Tell me, is she more prettier than I am?" the bee humanoid who was addressed as Lady Beelar asked with hands akimbo.


    A funny expression appeared on Marie''s face when she sensed the jealousy and competition in the other party''s tone.

 Chapter 278

    "Hmpfh. Tell me, is she more prettier than I am?" the bee humanoid who was addressed as Lady Beelar asked with hands akimbo, while glaring sharply at the Winged Panda Man bodyguard.


    "Of course it is you Lady Beelar. Your beauty is one of legend that eclipses all the known stars in the Titan Star Field " the bodyguard sprouted a series of flatteries.


    However to Marie''s disbelief, the insect lady whose name was Lady Beelar seemed to be enjoying the praises as her antennas buzzed with excitement.


    "Why don''t you look yourself in the mirror? isn''t it obvious that he''s lying to you?" she sniggered, causing Lady Beelar to suddenly stiffen.


    "What did you say?!" a single flap of her wings and Lady Beelar was standing besides Marie, her sharp stinger pressed against her neck, just a small inch from piercing right through.


    "Why don''t you kill me then?" Marie smirked provocatively.


    It was unknown whether she was counting on her immortality as a Vampire or she was in her *Crazy* mode.


    "Hmpfh. You should be lucky you found favor in the eyes of my husband or I''ll have your face peeled and grilled into burnt flesh " Lady Beelar spat coldly as she distanced herself from Marie..


    "What does your husband want with me?" a frown appeared on Marie''s expression as she suddenly thought of something.


    Before Lady Beelar could reply, seven Winged Panda Men stormed into the chambers. They were clad in Gold colored armor and unlike the other Winged Panda Men Marie had come across since they entered this Hidden Realm, these seven appeared more dignified and less barbaric.


    However she could sense a powerful pressure from them


    Although it was well concealed, Marie trusted in her Vampire intuition.


    "The Crown Prince wishes to see his new concubine at his chambers" the Kingsguard at the lead announced coldly.


    The antennas on Lady Beelar''s head buzzed sharply as she shot Marie a glare.


    "We are not done yet!"


    After dropping these threats, she stormed out of the chambers with her bodyguard. The Kingsguard at the lead gave a hand sign, causing two Kingsguard behind him to approach Marie as they attempted to loosen her shackles.


    "Hmpfh!"


    A pale feet swung through the air, smashing into the chest of one of the Kingsguard as he was sent flying. Marie slammed both palms on the bed, borrowing the force to propel her into the air as she attempted to dash out of the chambers.


    However before she could reach the exit, a large figure blocked her path. It was the Kingsguard who seemed to be the leader of the group.


    "Scram!" a boot condensed out of lightning wrapped around Marie''s heels as she sent a roundhouse kick towards the chin of the other party.


    However to her horror, three strong fingers caught her powerful kick, easily ignoring the volatile force they packed.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    "What the hell!" an pair of lightning wings appeared behind Marie as she attempted to shoot up to the skies, however something thick but flexible wrapped around her left leg before she could succeed.


    It was a tail.


    Bang!


    Marie smashed down to the ground, creating a wide crater.


    "Get her " the lead Kingsguard retracted his tail to his sides as he gave the command, speaking in the dialect of the Winged Panda Man race.


    Bang!


    Lightning arcs appeared on the ground as Marie shot towards the closest Kingsguard, weilding a lightning spear as she stabbed it towards his eyes.


    A ruthless move


    After consuming Aiden''s blood for some time now, Marie''s metabolism seemed to have gradually transformed. Vampires were naturally regarded as the enemies of the world, alongside the Feind race and Myraid Beast race, as such certain rules didn''t apply to them; for example; performing an Hex instantaneously without prior formation of an Hex pattern. This was an ability that only experienced Vampires, Myraid Beasts or Feinds could tap into. Although that meant the power within the hex decreases by five to ten percent, there was the advantage of speed.


    Bzzzt!


    The Kingsguard targeted by Marie rose his left arm, the golden arm protector he wore buzzed lightly as it managed to block the lightning spear.


    Shing!


    A sharp whistle suddenly rang out, prompting Marie to leap into the air as a sharp golden sword stabbed right through her previous position.


    "So fast!" Marie bit her lips as she eyed the seven Kingsguard in the chamber.


    She didn''t have any desire to fight them as she just wanted to escape. Unfortunately these bastards were trying her hand. Well, snakes were stubborn creatures and the only way to stop it once and for all was to strike the head!


    Moving like a bolt of lightning, Marie appeared before the lead Kingsguard as she smashed her lightning spear towards his head. She attacked so fast, not giving the other party room to whip out their weapon.


    Bang!


    However to Marie''s horror, her powerful lightning spear broke into lightning fragments as a powerful force travelled through her arms almost breaking her bones as she skidded across the room.


    "How?" a look of disbelief appeared on her face as she gaped at the Lead Kingsguard who had actually blocked her attack with a single fist!


    "Weak" the Lead Kingsguard spat in the human tongue as he flexed his fingers.


    It was like he hadn''t done anything major but had simply swatted a stubborn house fly. Veins exploded on Marie''s forehead. She wasn''t going to accept this blatant mockery.


    Bang!


    Marie left a deep footprint behind as she dashed towards the Lead Kingsguard, sending out three swift punches that superimposed on each other. Leveraging on her speed as a Hunter attribute Vampire, Marie was more confident in her physical offense than even her lightning Hexes.


    Bang!


    Although her punch managed to rattle the lead Kingsguard, that was it. A strong arm suddenly snaked around Marie''s wrist, grabbing her shoulder bone as a powerful force invaded into her bones, slowly breaking them.


    "Bastard!" Marie cussed. Although having your bones slowly broken was a painful experience, Marie''s endurance was something honed from combat that she had been doing with her brother for almost all their lives.


    Her eyes went blood red as a pair of snow white fangs erputed. Rocking her head back, she suddenly clamped her jaws down on the thick arms of the Lead Kingsguard.


    The Kingsguard released a pained cry as Marie''s fangs broke through the thick layer of his armor, skin and right into his bones. Unfortunately for him and the Winged Panda Men, they had no idea that Marie was a Vampire.. whose fangs were one of their most terrifying weapons.


    Shrip!


    Green blood splashed on Marie''s face as she ruthlessly tore off the right arm of the lead Kingsguard. Sending a quick but ruthless lightning kick his way, she managed to dislocate his jaws, sending him skidding away from the entrance he was blocking.


    "Clean up dirty f*cks. As much as I love to rip out your hearts for daring to capture me, I''m going to take a rain check on that!" dropping these words, the lightning wings behind her back glowed brilliantly as she shot out of the chambers, vanishing into the winding passage.


    "Sir! what do we do?" a Kingsguard asked as he helped his leader up.


    "Hmpfh. Have the whole castle be placed in tight lockdown, I am not going to let that darn human woman escape after what she did to me!" the lead Kingsguard spat icily as he glanced at his bleeding right shoulder that was now missing an arm.


    "But Sir, the human is the Prince new bride " another Kingsguard made to protest.


    "Just say she killed herself because she refused to be the Prince''s bride. I heard the human race like doing that a lot.."

 Chapter 279

    After escaping the clutches of the Seven Kingsguards, Marie broke off into a sprint... well more like a winged sprint..


    Passing through a winding long passageway, she suddenly came across Lady Beelar who was just about to enter a chamber at her left.


    "You!!" Lady Beelar hooted icily as soon as she saw Marie.


    "Bitch!" Marie hissed as she arrived before the other party, sending a palm strike towards her ugly insect face.


    "Hmpfh. Nobody is going to protect your now" Lady Beelar''s wings flapped as she easily dodged Marie''s palm strike, appearing behind her as a sharp stinger pierced towards the back of Marie''s neck.


    "Hmpfh" Marie merely sneered as the earlier palm strike changed into an eagle claw strike.


    Twisting her waist like an agile serpent, Marie easily switched from her earlier trajectory, grabbing one of the wings of Lady Beelar as she gave it a powerful pull.


    "How dare you touch my pretty wings?!!"


    To Marie''s surprise, her tug wasn''t able to rip out the wings of the other party. Clicking her tongue regretfully, her lightning wings glowed brilliantly as she vanished, appearing many meters ahead.


    Escaping this castle was her number priority. The only reason why she attacked earlier was to teach the other party a lesson by pulling off one of her wings. When that failed, she didn''t bother tangling with her any longer.


    A few moments after Marie left, one of the Seven Kingsguards from earlier arrived besides Lady Beelar, his eyes scanning around vigilantly.


    "Lady Beelar, have you seen that previously captured Human lady?" he asked her after seeing no sign of Marie.


    "You mean the ugly hag? she attacked me however after scaring her off, she fled like a miserable old wench" the antennas of Lady Beelar swayed.


    "What direction did she go?" the Kingsguard asked urgently.


    "That way" Lady Beelar pointed towards the direction Marie took.


    .


    .


    The wheels of seven wagons slowly trodded across the rocky surface of a road path. A large swath of flies seemed to be acting as entourages for these wagons as they buzzed happily.


    After minutes of a silent travel, the seven wagons finally arrived at before a large gate. If Marie was present, her eyes would start shining like the most brilliant stars because this huge gate was literally a treasure trove in the outside world. Seventy percent of the gate was made out of Purple Willow wood, twenty percent was made out of reinforced Silarian steel and the remaining ten percent were finely cut genesis orbs that were scattered around the huge gate.


    Whether it was the Purple Willow wood or the reinforced Silarian steel, they were top notch treasures in Nightshade Kingdom. The amount of them used to craft this towering gate was enough to make two Noble households wage war against each other.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    As for the genesis orbs, they were relics that were basically extinct to the regular folks. The only genesis orbs in existence could only be found in the Capital City of Nightshade Kingdom and was already crafted into the Imperial Throne of the reigning king. Not even the four Dukes possessed one


    Rumors had it that genesis orbs were rare relics that could aid in the comprehension of Arcane. However this rumor was only known to the upper echelons amongst the Noble Households.


    Yet these rare relics were forged into an entrance gate. It could be seen how deep the heritage of the Winged Panda Men ran. Unfortunately although they had this wealth, it wasn''t enough to fix the broken cosmic laws of their Hidden Realm.


    Just as the seven wagons were inching near the towering gate, a powerful snort suddenly rang out. It was like the rumbling of thunder.


    "Halt!"


    A large beast suddenly blocked the path of the seven wagons. Although it was a Winged Scorpion Beedozer, the previous one ridden by the Azure Ranger the Blood Dragon Legion encountered was like a toddler when compared to it. The seven wagons were like insects in the presence of this particular Winged Scorpion Beedozer.


    It was like a single sneeze from it could blast the seven wagons into smithereens.


    From within one of the seven wagons, Aiden suddenly stiffened as he received a notification from the system.


    ¡ª[Danger!]


    "I wonder what a Kingsguard of the King would be doing occupying the little post of the city gate watchman?" the lead Wagon driver commented with disbelief when he saw the person riding the powerful Winged Scorpion Beedozer.


    It was actually a Kingsguard!


    "Are you questioning the judgement of the King?!'' the Kingsguard suddenly released another powerful snort, causing blood to trickle out from the nose of the lead Wagon driver.


    "I dare not!'' the other party whimpered as he bowed his head subserviently.


    "Better..." the Kingsguard snorted as he dropped down from his mount.


    Waving his hand, a series of runic symbols weaved across the air, merging into a runic row of stairs which he slowly descended before they vanished into thin air.


    "The King has cause to believe that there is a coup in place, as such the whole Capital City is under strict surveillance. Anything that goes in or out must be strictly inspected. To improve the efficiency, I as a Kingsguard of the King was tasked to lead the City watch" the Kingsguard smirked arrogantly.


    "So start offloading the goods for inspection" he demanded sharply.


    "That.." the lead Wagon driver gulped nervously as he rubbed both sweaty palms against each other.


    "The wagon is stocked full with dead corpses that will serve as food for the Army. Offloading them here isn''t.."


    "Shut up" the Kingsguard icily cut the other party off.


    "You say the corpses are the food for the army? that is enough reason for it to be strictly inspected. If somebody somehow poisons those corpses the many valiant soldiers in the army would be affected. That would give those usurpers the galls to carry on with their nefarious schemes. So unless you are hiding something, start offloading the items in those wagons for inspection " the Kingsguard smirked as he calmly folded his arms on his chest.


    As for his giant mount behind him, it was starting to hiss impatiently. The atmosphere immediately became tensed as cold sweat slid down the backs of the Seven wagon drivers.


    If it was another day, they wouldn''t mind doing as they were told, however today was different!


    Although they were carrying corpses of dead Feind beasts, that was all just a cover. Their main goal was to smuggle in the main usurpers themselves.


    If they were caught in the act, that would spell certain death. They could neither advance nor retreat. Seeing the looks of hesitation, the Kingsguard sneered as he silently sent out a secret emergency signal that only Kingsguards like him could use.


    "If I didn''t know any better, I would suspect that you lot are smuggling something illegal.. you are not doing that now are you? after all you seven know the penalty for treason" he stared sharply at the seven Wagon drivers.


    "Of course.. we are just distributing raw meat for the army''s nutrition" one of the Wagon drivers replied in a stutter.


    "Hmm.. that good. After all the Prince and his escorts caught a Human lady snooping around. They think she is aligned with that traitor named Eragon and there are going to hold a public execution once the sun is up. It would be a shame to join in her punishment "


    When Aiden heard the words of the other party through the System in built translation, his eyes immediately transformed into a shade of blood red, filled with immense rage.


    "They have Marie?!!"

 Chapter 280

    The silence at the entrance of the city gate was both suppressive and stiffening, until finally one of the Wagon Drivers could no longer take it..


    "Have Mer--" choking sound interrupted his words as a fine bloody slit appeared across his neck as a pale skinned palm grabbed his decapitated head.


    Grunting, Red Rose tossed the head into the distance as she suddenly vanished into thin air, appearing besides the Kingsguard as she swiftly stabbed towards his throat. Her movement was both silent, quick and brutal.


    "Nice try, but you shouldn''t have exposed yourself earlier" the Kingsguard who had already been expecting this move chuckled as he stopped the movement of her dagger with two fingers..


    It was unknown whether it was due to the armored pair of gauntlet he wore, or the raw toughness of his physique. However Red Rose maintained a calm expression as the dagger fluidly slipped away from her grip, just in time for her to silently teleport away.


    "Hm?" the Kingsguard suddenly swung flicked his wrist, grabbing the dagger as he swung it above his head.


    Bam!


    A shockwave erupted as the dagger blocked a descending blood colored crescent. However before the Kingsguard, this shockwave was merely like a small brush of breeze as Aiden''s *Essence Swipe* was easily broken through.


    "That was your plan all along? an Assassin acting as bait... Now that''s something " the Kingsguard grunted as he stared at Aiden with interest who was hovering above him, a pair of Lightning Wings behind his back.


    "You are quick for somebody your size " Aiden commented with a touch of amazement.


    Thanks to the System Skill *Link* he and Red Rose had shared a mental communication. The earlier strings of attacks had been perfectly planned and executed. Even if it wasn''t enough to bring down the foe, it would''ve at least stunned him.


    However the Kingsguard had completely seen through them, easily countering. Aiden was impressed with such kind of battle adaptation.


    "Is this your master plan Eragon? sneaking into the city with these puny human companions? although the General figured you were starting to grow desperate, sneaking into the city is just you rushing over to your death" the Kingsguard mocked Eragon who could only ball his fist.


    "Unfortunately for you, your coup won''t be happening tonight. . Or ever. However it is commendable that you tried " the Kingsguard scoffed.


    "I have met your kind more than once, but none of them were as cocky " Aiden''s voice rang out as he swooped down towards the Kingsguard, a punch wrapped with a lightning gauntlet slammed towards his face.


    "We Kingsguard are excellent soldiers personally handpicked by the General. In front of weak worms like you, I have every reason to be arrogant " the Kingsguard tapped his feet on the ground, vanishing from his original position as he appeared behind Aiden..


    Blink!


    "Taste my weapon " a wrathful draconic roar erupted as a crimson colored halberd appeared in the Kingsguard''s grip. Heaving his chest, he slammed it towards Aiden''s head in an extremely crude and barbaric manner.


    "A Warlock?" vigilance flashed in Aiden''s eyes when he saw the faint crimson halo wrapped around the descending halberd. Raising both arms, he held it before his face.


    Bang!


    Aiden swallowed back the blood that was about to escape his mouth as a powerful force transmitted through his arms, viciously rattling his innards as he got thrown through the air, smashing roughly on the ground.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Impossible!" he cried unwillingly as his numb arms slowly healed themselves, at the expense of all his accumulated HP finally running out.


    He couldn''t withstand a single attack from the other party?! Aiden''s pride refused to let this just slide. Just as he was about to charge forward, Eragon''s next words stopped him right on track.


    "Stop. This one is on our side"


    "What?!" Aiden gave him a bewildered look.


    "Calm down human.. I was just testing your capabilities and you are not that bad.. at least you won''t be a liability once the rebellion begins" the Kingsguard chuckled as the crimson Halberd transformed into a ray of light that shot into his forehead, taking the appearance of an unremarkable tattoo.


    "However if that''s all what you can offer then I am afraid you are not going to offer much help.. however she''s a real trump card if used wisely" his eyes trailed over to Red Rose.


    "You think I am weak?" Aiden''s brows twitched.


    "No. Just stupid. You prefer using flashy techniques over real offense.. it''s like you are intentionally marking yourself as a target for the enemy" the Kingsguard replied bluntly before pointing towards Red Rose.


    "However she''s different.. she''s more direct"


    "Now.." the Kingsguard pointed towards the seven wagons, shooting out seven crimson beams that blasted the wagons into smithereen, along with their drivers.


    As for the corpses within them, they were cleanly ground into dust. Luckily Rin had exited his wagon earlier.


    "What was that for?" Aiden gave Prince Eragon a confused look.


    Weren''t those six Wagon Drivers his supporters?


    "I never actually thought that we would run into Syrus. However now that we did, the plan has to be tweaked a little bit.." Prince Eragon replied with a sigh.


    "He has to make it appear there was a huge battle before he managed to bound us" he further added, noticing Aiden''s still confused expression.


    "We are still going to be captured? I thought he was on our side?!" Aiden frowned when he saw the Kingsguard shackling up the two former Kingsguards Prince Eragon brought with him.


    "It''s just for appearance sake you toad. Prince Eragon is regarded as an enemy if he access the city without prior authorization and I can''t just go around announcing my involvement with him.. the General would have my head" the Kingsguard snorted as he shackled Aiden''s wrist.


    ¡ª[Alert!]


    ¡ª[Host Has been exposed to Venusten!]


    ¡ª[All of Host stats will be temporarily operating at 30%]


    "What kind of cuff is this?" Aiden mused when he felt a wave of weakness suddenly overcome him, followed by the system''s notification.


    "We have no idea. A large amount of these cuffs was something we managed to obtain during one of our many failed invasions.. it temporarily blocks the various meridian channels, shutting down the flow of energy. Whether you are a Magi, Warlock or Runelock you are completely powerless while you are in these cuffs" the Kingsguard explained while he cuffed Red Rose.


    Noticing the other party''s eyes suddenly dull as she winces lightly, Aiden''s brows knitted.


    ¡ª[Are you okay?] He communicated with her using the system skill *Link*


    Unfortunately it was still stuck at the first level, limiting him to communicating with a single participant at once.


    [I can''t use my mojo.. although I have been in meridian blocking cuffs, this is different.. for some unknown reason I feel very feeble and weak] Red Rose reply rang within Aiden''s head.


    "I see.. so it wasn''t a problem with the system?" Aiden nodded inwardly.


    ¡ª[How are you feeling?] he communicated with Rin.


    ¡ª[I feel weak.. this is the second time I have felt so since I became a Vampire] Rin responded mentally.


    The secret of the *Link* skill was something that only he and Red Rose knew about.. well it made sense since they were one of the few people who could communicate with it anyways.


    ¡ª[What do you mean?]


    ¡ª[Some days ago while I was at a gathering for the top execs of the Red Sharks gang, the big boss revealed a peculiar axe.. according to him it was made of Venusten. Quoting his words, it is a a newly discovered ore and has been making waves in Utopia, off late]


    ¡ª[Venusten? are you sure?] Aiden''s eyes lit up when he heard Rin''s reply.


    ¡ª[Yeah. One of them decapitated me with the axe. That was the day I knew I wasn''t invincible. It was like as if my flesh had suddenly transformed into soft cream in front of that axe.. I have never felt so vulnerable before that incident.. and I am getting that weak feeling from these cuffs so it has to be made out from Venusten]


    ¡ª[The Boss of the Red Sharks gang.. did he mention how he got his hands on the Venusten Axe and where it is right now?] Aiden''s brows furrowed as he asked this.


    If Venusten was like a kryptonite to Vampires, then this was a huge revelation. Aiden wanted to locate the Venusten Axe and have it destroyed.


    ¡ª [You want it destroyed?]


    ¡ª[Do you have a problem with that?]


    ¡ª [No. Only that the Red Sharks possess ten such weapons and I doubt if they are going to be out on open display. According to the Big Boss, they were given to him by an envoy from the alien invaders attacking the capital city. According to the envoy, those Venusten weapons can permanently kill Vampires if used right. The Big Boss of the Red Sharks plans to use these weapons to win the gang war] Rin replied solemnly.

 Chapter 281

    "We received your signal.. where are the traitors?" a beam shot out from within the city, appearing at the entrance city gates in the blink of an eye.


    This beam was actually an object... A silver colored sword and standing on its flat surface was a Kingsguard, with his hands behind his waist.


    If he didn''t have a bulky build and a large tail swinging behind him, he would''ve passed off as a dignified scholar.


    "Lord Commander?" the Kingsguard whose name was Syrus appeared stunned when he saw the other party.


    "When I sent out the signal, I never expected the Commander of the Kingsguard would personally make an appearance " Syrus probed.


    "The whole castle is in a mess.. apparently the human woman we captured managed to flee from her chambers. The Kingsguard over there are doing their best to capture her before she escapes the castle completely. In his infinite wisdom, the Crown Prince instructed that I personally deal with this problems myself. So where is the traitor Eragon and his goons?" the Commanding Kingsguard gave a brief recount.


    "Over there " Syrus pointed towards Aiden and the others who were shackled up together. Seeing Prince Eragon in chains caused a satisfied grin to grace the lips of the Commanding Kingsguard.


    "My Prince" he gave a mocking bow towards him.


    "Tch. Keep on acting smug.. I wonder if you would still be able to do so after I reclaim my lost throne and have your traitorous head on a spike!" Prince Eragon spat icily.


    "Heh. You still haven''t given up haven''t you? so what if you managed to become a low class Silver General? it means nothing in the vast host that are at the beck and call of the great General Jazz" the commanding Kingsguard sneered.


    "What do you think you were going to do huh? sneak into that city and murder the General in his sleep? supposedly you managed to succeed? what next? you unify the Hidden Realm? let me tell you the bitter truth.. you are still a far way from leadership if you think that pipe dream of yours is happening "


    "Why did you think many people.. many soldiers such as myself flocked over to General Jazz when he raised the banner?" the Commanding Kingsguard clicked his tongue while shaking his head.


    "Sure the previous king was a virtuous man.. he was a scholar who wanted peace. But at the end of the day, he was something that we Winged Panda Men were not.. a weakling.."


    "Our race were one of the vassals of the great Ogres.. we were their blades and their shields.. in our glorious days going into battle.. spilling blood.. that was a duty.. an honor. But your father? he saw that as something to avoid.. he would rather we rot in this damnable place than take matters into our own hands.. that went against our principles and we could no longer take it "


    The Commanding Kingsguard dropped from the sky as his flying blade sheathed itself into the scabbard strapped over his back.


    "So even if this stupid rebellion of yours ends up succeeding.. you would never be king.. somebody would inherit the fire of General Jazz.. because war.. to conquer.. that is in our blood.. that is what makes us the Winged Panda Men"This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Prince Eragon fell silent as his head slumped down. It was like the other party''s words had completely sapped off all the conviction brewed within him. Seeing this reaction, the Commanding Kingsguard chuckled gleefully.


    "It''s useless telling you all this since you are going to be a dead man pretty soon. Those years the General had no reason to put you down for good. But thanks to your foolishness, you just made things convenient for him "


    The City gates parts open as about a dozen of Silver Rangers marched towards where Aiden and the others were shackled up.


    "Take them to the dungeons "


    "At once.. Ser Lord Commander "


    .


    .


    "You have no means of escaping human lady. Obediently follow us to the Prince''s chambers and you won''t have to get hurt " a Kingsguard said to the female figure before him with a grim expression.


    "That isn''t happened" Marie''s lips curled into a half assed smile as her eyes scanned the eleven Kingsguards surrounding her. She was utterly trampled whether it came to numbers or manpower.


    "Don''t think of this as weakness. The Crown Prince said to bring you to him in one piece. However if you continue proving stubborn then I am afraid we would have to use a show of force" another Kingsguard said.


    He happened to be the one whose arms had gotten ripped off by Marie. Although he tried to hide it, how could a seasoned Vampire like Marie not notice the hate hidden within his gaze..


    She chuckled inwardly as a crafty scheme popped up in her mind.


    "You want to kill me?" she peered deeply at that particular Kingsguard.


    "What do you mean?" the Kingsguard snorted.


    "I mean.. I ripped out your arm. Isn''t it obvious that you would like to have your revenge?" Marie smirked as an Hex pattern slowly took shape at the back of her palm.


    "The hell are you talking about?" the face of the Kingsguard went frosty.


    "Don''t bother denying it. I overheard how you wanted your revenge. Quoting you for your words, didn''t you say.. Have the whole castle be placed in tight lockdown, I am not going to let that darn human woman escape after what she did to me!.. oh and after one of your colleagues tried talking you out of it you replied with..Just say she killed herself because she refused to be the Prince''s bride. I heard the human race like doing that a lot.."


    Although Marie''s feet had been busy while fleeing, her sharp Vampiric ears were not fooling around either. Although she had been far away, she managed to pick up the last conversation they held before they gave her chase.


    Who would have thought eavesdropping was going to play out useful one day?


    "You schemed to kill the Crown Prince new bride?" one of the Kingsguard who had been absent earlier at Marie''s temporary chambers focused his attention on the guilty Kingsguard who was missing an arm.


    "She took my arm! it was only natural that I take hers " the one armed Kingsguard retorted sharply.


    "That''s treason! we members of the Royal Kingsguard swore an oath to protect the members of the Royal Family.. not bring harm to them in any way!" another Kingsguard sharply chipped in.


    "But they are not yet officially married according to our traditional customs. She is not yet a member of the Royal household!" one of the one armed Kingsguard''s supporter spoke up.


    "Didn''t the Crown Prince made it clear when the human lady was captured? he claimed her as his lady! are you trying to rebel?!'' the first accusing Kingsguard whipped out a long sharp spear.


    The one armed Kingsguard made to reply when a certain someone beat him to the punch.


    "Lest I add, he also claimed the Crown Prince is a disgrace who loves whoring around and increasing his harem. He said the Crown Prince isn''t fit to be a member of the Royal Household and is instead tarnishing the Royal family''s name " Marie smirked evily.


    Along the way she had ran into several chambers whose occupants were females from different races. Putting one and two together, she figured this mysterious Crown Prince was a womanizer.


    Although the one armed Kingsguard never bad-mouthed the crown prince, Marie felt it wouldn''t hurt to turn up the heat by a notch.


    She still needed some time for the Hex pattern she was sneakily constructing to take shape. Her escape depended wholly on its success and completion.

 Chapter 283

    Monarch Departure was a skill that allowed Aiden to blend into that shadows. In this state, he could go completely invisible without revealing even the slightest energy fluctuating. However for normal Magis, this didn''t make them completely go  invisible considering the fact that utilizing this Hex consumed their beta force, and no matter how they tried, they couldn''t perfectly mask the fluctuations of their beta force energy signature.


    As long as someone or something had a trace of beta force, weapon force or rune force, they possessed a distinct energy signature.


    However Aiden was an oddity. He could neither weild beta force, weapon force or rune force. In his base form he was merely an artificially made Vampire thanks to the system. On a normal basis he barely emitted the slightest energy signature and now coupled with a skill like Monarch Departure, he was like he didn''t even exist in the plane of existence!


    However unlike popular belief, the Shadow Magis could cast their Hexes both during night and day time. However their Hexes tended to receive a sizeable boost under the cover of the dark.


    Under the effects of Monarch Departure, Aiden easily made his way through the city. Just like he was informed, the whole place was like a military base, reeking with patrolling Winged Panda Men soldiers. He also came across their Weaponsmiths, healers, etc.


    To put everything in simple words, Aiden was surprised to discover that the Winged Panda Men were not complete savages as he thought. Apart from the fact that they lacked the technology the Human race back at Nightshade Kingdom had, they were not any much different from them.


    "This must be the castle" Aiden stared at the tallest building structure in the whole of the City. However more then half of the structure was nothing but a pile of rubbles, with the premises buzzing with Azure Generals and Azure Rangers.. and there was a lot of them.


    A bleak aura hung over the atmosphere as they seemed to be engrossed searching for something.. or someone.


    "Marie..." Aiden sensed a familiar presence.


    "She did this?" he could still sense her energy signature from the bleak state of the Castle building.


    "Wait.." he was about to head into the Castle building when he suddenly paused.


    "She''s not far away from here.." although he could hear the faint beating of heart from a distance, he could tell from her slow rate of breathing that she was in a really bad shape.


    .


    .


    "Damn it. There''s no human in sight" Marie cussed weakly as she hid in between two huge slabs of rock.


    The Capital City of Hallowmere was actually built at the foot of a huge mountain while the Castle was built at the very peak. Whether it was as a sign to show off the power of the Royal family, Marie didn''t really care.


    Infact she was happy, considering it was these huge slabs of roughly shaped rocks that was concealing her. However judging from how almost half of the mountain was now crawling with Azure Generals and Rangers, it was only a matter of time before she was discovered..


    Although that previous attack of hers packed a lot of power and helped in her swift escape, it had completely sapped both her beta force reserve and her latent energy.


    As if to make matters worse, she was a Vampire.. one of the races hated by the world. This meant the time it took for her to naturally recovered her lost beta force was far longer than the average Magi.


    However being a Vampire also came with its benefits. She could speed up the process by consuming blood.. however life always loved playing dirty tricks. The reason Vampire were hated in Utopia apart from the fact that a majority of them were Mercenaries was actually because of their diet.. Humans were their diet.. their blood cows. Although they could consume the blood of other races, it barely had an effect on them. Infact, it tasted extremely unpleasant.. only Human blood could satisfy them.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Unfortunately or Fortunately, the Human race were populous, more than enough to satisfy the appetite of the Vampires, however that also meant the Humans had the advantage of numbers and their golden finger (being blessed by the world).


    So although Vampires depended on the Human blood for survival, they were also hunted down by these same humans who were their food. It was a ridiculous twist.


    Just as Marie was mulling how long it was going to take before she starved to death, she suddenly felt a cold palm brush against the skin on her shoulder.


    "Shh.. it''s me" Aiden''s voice rang besides her as he switched off the effect of Monarch Departure, appearing visible.


    "I knew you were going to come looking for me" Marie smiled in relief when she saw Aiden.


    "Tch. Unfortunately you were a last minute priority. My real target is still inside the Castle" Aiden clicked his tongue as he observed Marie sharply..


    Although Vampires had pale skin, it was mixed with a touch of beauty. However the current Marie was extremely pale, with dried skin that almost looked like the slightest wind could peel them off her bones.


    "You need blood" he grunted.


    Although she wasn''t showing on the outside, Aiden could tell that she was undergoing her own Bloodlust. However as an Adult Vampire, Marie had the self control not to show it on the outside..


    "Isn''t that obvious. As if to make matters worse,  there''s no Human amongst our group.. " Marie hissed angrily.


    "Well, there''s Oge?" Aiden''s lips curved.


    "Tch. You want me to feed on a child? she''s so  small I don''t even know where to start!" Marie rolled her eyes before giving Aiden a puppy eye.


    Except in her current state, it came out extremely wretched.


    "That''s not going to happen!" Aiden swiftly shook his head, already seeing through what she was thinking.


    "I have already drank your blood. Its no big deal " she pouted.


    "Oh are you going to just let me die? I thought we were friends " she added, feigning a sad expression.


    "Think again " Aiden glanced briefly at the Castle in the distance before sighing deeply.


    "However I won''t deny the fact that you''ve proven useful up to this point. But I can''t be your blood cow. In your current state, it would be a miracle if you don''t suck out all the marrow in my bones "


    "That''s if you were a regular person. However as a Progenitor your blood is more potent even if it''s in small amount "


    "Is that so? then how much do you need?"


    Marie paused a little bit as she greedily licked the tip of her left fang which was already protruding out from her teeth gums.


    "Thirty drops" she held out three fingers.


    "Ten drops then " Aiden nodded as he rolled up his sleeves.


    "I said thirty!" Marie whined.


    "And there''s no way you were going to give a honest reply. Ten drops or you get nothing " Aiden held up his right fist.


    Taking a look at his pale skinned wrist, Marie gulped heavily before greedily sinking her fangs into it. Aiden winced a bit as his tough physique offered not even the slightest resistance against Marie''s fangs.


    Vampires fangs were even more deadlier than their claws.


    "We''re done here" Aiden forcibly yanked his wrist after three seconds..


    "I just barely started!" Marie scowled as she licked off the blood stains on her fangs.


    "I''ll consider the extra five drops as your future renumeration of our earlier deal " Aiden rolled back his sleeves, covering up his bleeding wrist that was  refusing to heal.


    "I need to stock up on Health Points or I am not going to survive this place " he mused to himself, completely ignoring Marie''s whining besides him about how he had cheated his way through  their deal.

 Chapter 284

    Although Aiden''s blood managed to boost Marie back to full health, she still needed time to recuperate her lost beta force reserve. Perhaps it was due to the fact that she was in a foreign world whose cosmic laws were different from those back at Nightshade Kingdom, but the rate at which Marie recovered her beta force was extremely slower than normal.


    As such, Aiden left her behind to go fetch the Maester from within the castle. Although her beta force was depleted, Marie still had her physical abilities as a Vampire. Even if she wasn''t at full strength, Aiden was confident she had the ability to escape if the situation became dangerous for her.


    Activating Monarch Departure again, Aiden transformed into his shadowy form, moving silently past the several Kingsguards and Soldiers at the Castle Premises.


    "This would''ve been a really good opportunity to farm some kill points" he bit his lower lips in regret as he passed yet another Kingsguard, finally arriving at the lowest floor of the Castle.


    He just happened to notice a rather slim looking Winged Panda Man looking around cautiously like a thief.


    Unlike the ones he had encountered, this one was clad in ash  colored robes.


    "A servant?" thanks to some earlier insider info from Prince Eragon, Aiden recognized the attire the other party was wearing.


    The unsuspecting Servant was still engrossed with vigilantly observing his surroundings as his fingers sneakily snaked across the ground, grabbing a piece of jewelry that had mistakenly fallen from.a Kingsguard.


    This particular jewelry was rhombus shaped and had a faint purple glow around it. Although the Servant couldn''t identify what he was, it had to be worth a fortune.. something that belonged to a Kingsguard wasn''t going to sell for cheap.


    Just as the Servant sighed in relief after successfully hiding the jewelry into the inner part of his robes, he suddenly shivered as a cold but powerful grip slammed against his shoulder bones.


    Bang!


    A powerful force slammed him against a corridor wall as a young, pale and expressionless face appeared before his eyes.


    The Servant made to scream when Aiden ruthlessly smacked him on the lips, shutting him up.


    "Stay still.. or you die" he unleashed his claws, pressing them against the neck of the Servant, who nodded while whimpering in fright.


    Aiden had strategically slammed him into one of the hidden corridors that led to the higher floors of the castle. It just so happened that this corridor was one of the least popular ones. As such the Servant wisely chose to play along since he valued his life.


    He had just managed to steal a rare jewelry. It would be a shame if he became a corpse before he had the chance to cash in on his stolen fortune.


    "Who do you serve?" Aiden asked him coldly.


    "Consort Darla" the servant whimpered.


    "Consort?" Aiden grimaced with disappointment.


    The Maester was the wife of General Jazz, making her the Queen. It would seem this servant wasn''t going to be much use.


    As if reading Aiden''s thoughts, the Servant quickly added.


    "I have been laboring within the Castle since birth. I know all the pathways of this castle like the back of my palm. If you want I can lead you to the Supply room"


    "What supply room?" Aiden''s brows twitched.


    "Aren''t you an Alien Rebel who wants to steal supplies for the upcoming Battle Rambo?"


    "Battle Rambo? you know about the Battle Rambo?'' Aiden was stunned.


    The Battle Rambo was an illegal sport back at Nightshade Kingdom. He never would''ve expected that this sport still existed in this Hidden Realm.


    "Quick. Explain what your earlier statement meant? why did you think I am a rebel?" Aiden pressed his claws an inch further, causing green blood to slowly trickle down the neck of the Servant.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Under this threat, the Servant broke into a speedy fit of explaination, not bothering to catch a single breath along the way.


    Apparently, Nightshade Kingdom wasn''t the only Planetoid that had been invaded by General Jazz and his army. After he stole the throne from his brother, he had waged war on five different Planetoids. Three of them had been dominated by the Myraid Beast race, one by the Human race and the recent one was surprisingly ruled by a Mafia family of Vampires. Although all five of General Jazz conquest ended in his loss, he still managed to capture some captives as spoils from war and to compensate his damaged ego. These captives were then forced to serve as their fighters for their amusement. They would be forced to battle with meridian blocking chains on, against Winged Panda Men armed with powerful weapons. Although the use of Hexes, Matrixes and Weapon Arts was banned, it was still a large handicap, considering the Winged Panda Men fighters were armed, while the combatants were not.


    "What is the highest cultivation rank among the captives?" Aiden asked as a crafty glint flashed past his eyes.


    "They''ve been in meridian blocking chains ever since they were captured, but there are rumors that some of them would not necessarily lose in a fair battle against Azure Rangers. There was even a Myraid Beast race member who managed to block an attack from a Kingsguard even with meridian blocking chains on.. naturally General Jazz executed that captive, but rumors have it that there are others strong like him as well.. however they choose to remain hidden lest they pay for insolence with their lives "


    "Is that so?" Aiden''s lips were trembling. He so much wanted to burst into a fit of laughter.


    "Unfortunately for you, I am not here for supplies.. however I don''t mind putting that on my bucket list "


    Bringing the face of the Servant closer to his, Aiden used the Eye Of Nebula on him


    Although the level of the skill was quite low, the mental fortitude of the Servant had already been crumbled thanks to the claws pressed against his neck, as such the skill was effective on him.


    Under the effect of the Eye Of Nebula, the Servant revealed all the knowledge he had on the map of the Castle, ranging from all the chambers, to the treasury and even all the way to General Jazz quarters where he was currently in secluded Cultivation.


    Splurt!


    Aiden''s claws sharply tore through the throat of the Servant. Feeling the warm blood flowing down his wrists, he grunted.


    "Although you were no longer useful.. your blood would do just fine" under his mental command, the green blood transformed into seven small daggers which he stowed into the System''s inbuilt inventory, along with the corpse of the Servant, easily covering up his tracks.


    "This system inbuilt inventory is really handy " he couldn''t help but comment to himself as he activated Monarch Departure, stepping back into the shadow as he began making his way through the path leading to the chambers of the Maester.


    "Have I been wrong all this time?. I prefer using my fist to engage in direct confrontation.. but what if it isn''t the true essence of the system?" he mused to himself.


    Although the system inbuilt inventory couldn''t store living entities, corpses were a different case. Not to mention with the Blood Weapon Chart skill he could control even the smallest drop of blood in his surrounding. Then there was Monarch Departure and the fact that he lacked the affinity to wield beta force, rune force or weapon force, granting him the ability to completely mask his presence from Magis, Runelocks or Warlocks.


    With all these buffs, didn''t that make him potentially the most terrifying Assassin that would or have ever existed?

 Chapter 285

    "This must be it" from within the shadows, Aiden silently observed a particular exquisitely carved chambers door. Flanked at both sides were two Azure Rangers who seemed to be on guard duty.


    According to the info he forced out from the Castle Servant from earlier, this was the chambers of General Jazz Queen; the Maester.


    "Who goes there?" one of the Azure Rangers spoke in the tongue of the Winged Panda Man race as he seemed to have heard something.


    Ting!


    The sound of an object dropping on the ground rang out as a crimson colored ball slowly rolled towards them.


    "What is that?" the Azure Ranger at the left sought the advice of his colleague as they both watched the crimson colored ball slowly rolled towards them.


    The ball appeared harmless, considering it was merely the size of a tennis ball.


    "A servant must''ve mistakenly dropped it. Sloughtful lot" the Azure Ranger at the left stepped forward as he attempted to pick up the tennis ball when suddenly..


    Splurt!


    The tennis ball transformed into a curved dagger, flying into the air as it easily slit the throat of the oblivious Azure Ranger. Before his companion could sound an alarm, the dagger transformed into liquid, before transforming into multiple pins that shot into various parts of his body.


    In under a short span, the Azure Ranger resembled a giant Porcupine.


    Bang!


    A pale figure suddenly materialized behind him as two palm smacked him on both sides of the head, smashing his skull into a bloody mush.


    Aiden repeated his earlier actions, tossing the two corpses into the system inbuilt system before he sucked all the blood on the ground, condensing them into twelve more daggers which he tossed into the system inbuilt system as well.


    "Damnit!" he suddenly cussed as he sent a kick towards the door, blasting it into smithereens.


    Rushing into the chambers, he couldn''t bother to admire the interior as he focused his gaze on a particular figure.. the only person present in the whole chamber.


    Seeing her appearance, Aiden was stunned. He had been expecting to see a hulking individual with a large tail swinging behind them. However instead, he ran into a fairy like beauty!


    She was clad in a purple dress that screamed of royalty. There was a red colored flower crown wrapped around her head and her silver white hair that reached all the way to her lower butts swayed even though there was no wind.


    Her face was milky white and flawless. Although Aiden had encountered beautiful Vampires with pale beautiful skin, the beauty before him was a different case entirely! Her eyes were a bright forest green and on her left cheek the symbol of a red crescent, further accentuating her beauty.


    However as much as Aiden wanted to stand there and keep on staring at the beautiful masterpiece before him, he couldn''t because her beautiful set of fingers were currently weaving through a series of hand seals as a dozen of runic symbols circled around her.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    The beautiful Maester was actually a Runelock!


    "As if I''m going to let you" unlike regular Magis, Aiden didn''t need to create a Hex pattern .


    Bzzzt


    A blood red laser shot out from Aiden''s eyes, smashing into one of the floating rune symbols, easily destroying it. With it destroyed, the Rune Matrix the female Maester was about to cast got disoriented.


    "Damn you!" although the voice of the Maester held a certain allure that could stroke the heart strings of any man, it was currently wrought with fury.


    Dispersing the remaining eleven rune symbols that were just about to merge together, she whipped out a dagger from within her dress, tossing it towards Aiden''s forehead.


    "She''s strong!" just from the velocity of the moving dagger, Aiden was shocked to discover that the physical strength of the other party was nothing to scoff over about.


    With the Klypt Gauntlet wrapping around his right arm, Aiden caught the dagger, however he soon regretted it afterwards.


    Bllzzt!


    An object that moved as fast as lightning appeared before him, twisting around craftily as it smashed against his right cheek, tearing right through his tough flesh.


    Skidding across the floor, Aiden forced himself to come to a halt as he glared at the female Maester.


    "You are strong" he touched the half of his face that was now missing a layer of flesh and skin. From up close, the skeletal frame of that half could be clearly seen.


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t heal it up because had already run out of HP.


    "You are not bad yourself. You should''ve been a decapitated corpse by now" she flicked her wrist, causing the blood red whip in her grip to release a heart piercing crackle.


    "I don''t want to hurt you.. just come with me" Aiden warned sternly as a pair of lightning boots wrapped around his feet.


    "Oh? what are you?" the Maester pursed her lips in astonishment and intrigue when she saw him cast a Lightning Hex without a prior Hex pattern.


    Bzzzt!


    Aiden shot towards her like a cannon ball. The Maester snorted as she twisted her wrist, causing the red whip to twist towards Aiden''s right leg. Shockingly she was able to react to his speed at such a close distance!


    This shocked Aiden, considering he was using both his Vampiric speed and the one that came with the Lightning Boot skill.


    "Fast!" even though Aiden was the first to make a move, the whip arrived even faster. Abandoning his earlier intentions, he leapt into the air, raising his right arm before swinging it down.


    Essence Swipe!


    Seeing the descending crimson arc, the Maester flicked her wrist calmly, causing the red whip to dance at it shot towards the Essence Swipe, in an attempt to block it.


    Snap!


    However, in the face of Essence Swipe, the blood red whip snapped in half like a soft twig. Although it got destroyed, it still managed to cancel the skill out.


    Ignoring the system notifications ringing within his head, Aiden made a grabbing motion.


    "Come!"


    About six shadowy vines silently shot out from the darkest corner of the chambers, shooting towards the Maester without her being aware.


    Chains of Erebus.. this was one of the skills Aiden was confident in. Nobody had ever escaped being bound by these shadow chains. However casting this skill seemed to suck up quite the amount of his energy.


    "What?" however he soon furrowed his brows in confusion when he saw the Maester leap for the door as she chose to make a quick run for it.


    The Chains Of Erebus didn''t work?!


    "I won''t let you!" the lightning boots around his feet flashed brilliantly as he gave chase. At the same time, green energy began to condense around his right arm, taking the shape of a spear.


    As the Syphile Spear formed, Aiden winced regretfully when he saw his energy reduce to half its original amount.


    "I hope this is worth it" noticing the Syphile Spear had successfully taken form, he tossed it towards the fleeing figure in front of him.


    Syphile Disc!


    Sensing the intense wind energy fluctuation behind her as well as the piercing power the spinning wheel held, the Maester opened her mouth, revealing a set of two fangs that ruthlessly bit into her lower lips.


    "Forbidden Art.. Blood Louts!"


    A single drop of blood dripped from her lips. Before this drop of blood could land on the ground, something that Aiden considered bizzare and impossible occurred.

 Chapter 286

    When Aiden woke up, the first thing he felt was..


    The itch.. followed by the burn..


    And then the pain!


    ¡ª[Your Bloodlust Rises!]


    ¡ª[57/100]


    Sure enough, this system notification was the first thing he saw. Groaning dryly, Aiden noticed he was laying on a bed in an unfamiliar room. He tried rising up, only to discover that apart from the looming hunger pang, every fibre in his body hurt like hell!


    It was like a huge truck had just run right through a cricket.. and he was that cricket.


    "What the hell happened!"


    "Argh!" a searing headache hit Aiden when he tried going down the memory lane.


    "Am.. Am I sick?" Aiden was wrought with confusion when he noticed his vision slowly grow fuzzy.


    ¡ª[Your Bloodlust Rises!]


    ¡ª[87/100]


    Aiden was taken aback by the sudden sharp increase. He swiftly consumed a hundred blood drachmas, causing his stock to reduce all the way to three hundred.


    However even after he did this, it took about twenty minutes for his fuzzy vision to go back to normal, same went for the pain..


    However when Aiden tried recalling what happened after he was attacked by that Kingsguard chasing him, the searing headache resurfaced. It was like there was a barrier in his mind. The more he tried pushing past it, the more pain he inflicted on his psyche.


    After realizing this, he decided to forget about it. He could just ask Marie about it. But first he had to figure out where he was.


    "Don''t tell me we got captured?"


    "No. That''s not right. I kidnapped their queen. I should be locked in a dungeon" although the chamber he was in wasn''t extravagant, it''s living condition was okay.


    Aiden had just stood up on his feet when the door opened up, revealing Red Rose as she walked in, with a napkin, immersed inside a bowl of cold water.


    "Eh? you are awake?''" Red Rose was slightly taken aback when she saw Aiden already on his feet.


    The last time she saw him, he was unconscious, with a burning body temperature that could roast seven eggs in a pan. A Vampire with a burning temperature.. that wasn''t a luxury that Vampires enjoyed.


    As such, Red Rose tried cooling his body temperature with cold water. She had just gone to get a refill when she saw him already awake and on his feet.


    "You wanted to cool me down with that?" Aiden tried forcing down the laugh already bubbling in his stomach.


    "I.. it was Marie''s idea" Red Rose justified with an embarrassed expression.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Just a week ago she was an Assassin. Nursing the sick back to health wasn''t part of her CV!


    "Marie huh.." Aiden sighed in relief.


    Although Aiden knew Vampires had the ability of self healing and regenerate lost limbs.. he had no idea that they were immortal. There was still a lot of stuffs about Vampires that he was still oblivious about.


    "Where in the hell are we?" he asked, still unable to recognize the unfamiliar environment.


    The last thing he remembered was falling from the sky after the Lightning Wings skill was forcefully dispersed.


    "What do you mean? a couple hours ago, you stormed into this hidden hideout with both Marie and the Maester unconscious. Your whole body was drenched in green blood and honestly, you were pretty terrifying.. especially your eyes.. they.."


    "My eyes? what happened to my eyes?"


    "They were red"


    Aiden''s brows twitched as he gave Red Rose a look, like her was looking at an idiot.


    "Vampires all have red eyes. Don''t tell me you don''t know that?"


    "Yeah. I know. But there was something different about your eyes.. I don''t know how to explain it but I could feel a large threat from you.. real danger " Red Rose said with a solemn expression.


    "What do you mean by that? are you trying to say you don''t feel threatened by me?" this time, Aiden''s brows and lips were twitching all together.


    "In our group.. you were the second to weakest after Rin. After Rin absorbed all the spirit blood of the Crimson Moon Phyton, his magnitude of danger far eclipsed yours. If I were to rank our current group, Oge comes first, Rin comes second, Marie comes third and you come last. Oge is a Warlock with sharp senses so my Assassination arts won''t work on her. As for a direct confrontation with her, I have a twenty percent confidence of coming out victorious. As for killing her, I am not sure "


    "As for Rin, I haven''t fought the current him so I am not sure about his real strength and abilities. As for Marie, although she is powerful, I am confident in ending her with three well timed moves. As for you.. after observing you a bit I have accurately guaged your style of fighting.. you love bombarding your opponent by leveraging on the speed your lightning skills grants you. Also, you prefer using your fist. Although you possess other powerful bizarre abilities, you hardly use them and prefer your lightning wings, lightning boots and lightning gauntlet. Although you are fast, I am faster and I am confident in ending your life with one single well timed blow"


    "The hell! can''t you consider my feelings when you put things like that? in a way, I am kind of like your boss " Aiden furrowed his brows.


    "I didn''t mean to offend you. I was just stating the facts.."


    "Then, why haven''t you killed me yet?" Aiden gave her a curious look.


    "I can''t.. You are my father "


    .


    .


    Walking out from the chamber alongside Red Rose, the duo walked through a dimly lit passageway before arriving at a hall.


    "Oge?" Aiden was surprised to see a familiar, petite individual in the hall.


    "You are awake. Good.. now we can move on to the next phase" Oge nodded her head after giving Aiden a look.


    "Huh?" thanks to her words, Aiden finally noticed that there were others present in the hall.


    Apart from familiar faces like Oge, Rin, Prince Eragon and the two retired Kingsguards, there were other unfamiliar faces.


    For example, Aiden spotted seven Silver Generals, three Azure Generals and three elderly Winged Panda Men race members.


    "What''s going on?" Aiden gave Rin a look.


    "They all all the forces still loyal to Prince Eragon. Those three Elders were once his father''s advisors and they still possess some level of influence within the city" Rin explained.


    "Your companion is right" Prince Eragon nodded curtly at Aiden, conveniently speaking the human tongue.


    "These are the key people that will assist in my dethroning General Jazz"


    "It would seem I was late then. For that I apologize" Aiden shrugged.


    Although he said this, he didn''t actually mean it. This was something he learnt from Butler Nicholas.. according to him it was called etiquette.. a facade the Nobles often loved using.


    "Don''t be. We should commend your effort. After all you managed to escape the most fortified place with the Queen, whilst killing three Kingsguards in the process " one of the retired Kingsguards behind Prince Eragon said, not bothering to hide the amazement in his tone.


    Just like Prince Eragon, he was speaking in the human tongue..


    However when compared to the Prince, his accent was kind of rough around the edges.


    However he wasn''t the only one who was amazed. Aiden was as well!


    "I did?!"

 Chapter 28 — Summoning A Warlock

    "Are you sure this will work?" Aletta bit her lower lips nervously as she stood behind Daisy.


    Currently, Daisy was kneeling on the cold tiles, seven candles were arranged together to form a circular shape which surrounded a sigil on the floor. Only after she had finished lighting up the last candle, did Daisy finally reply.


    "I hope so. This is my first time doing this as well"


    She paused before releasing a sigh.


    ".. However this is our only choice. Jason is yet to wake up and you just can''t take him to the hospital and tell the doctor he fell unconscious because he was battling a Wraith right?"


    "Calm your nerves sister" Stephen approached his worried looking sister, softly squeezing her finger.


    "Jason has been in a coma for a whole week. As much as I would love to take him to a hospital, I am afraid this isn''t a natural case. It''s a supernatural one and as such supernatural measures has to be taken to heal him"


    Humming softly, Daisy grabbed a bread knife, slicing it against her thumb.


    Splurt!


    Red blood flowed out, dripping onto the sigil on the floor. Seeing this, Daisy grabbed the spell tome as she began chanting.


    "Rep meniugnas te rep murref. Em los te Anul rutnetset, Oge munu rotset; Andrea Saxtonus suie sinimon suitret, te Warlock Nolanus Coven, Cis Meicaf maut sednetso!!"


    Boom!


    The flames on the wick of the seven candles exploded into a brilliant light that threatened to extend all the way to the rest of the study and burn down the whole building structure. At the same time, the sigil on the floor began to slowly rotate in an anti clockwise manner. As it rotated, it began to give out a yellow glow, same went for Daisy''s eyes.


    Boom!!


    A yellow pillars suddenly shot out from the sigil on the floor. The pillar of light was so eye blinding that the three teenagers were forced to shield their eyes. When the light finally cleared, there was a new addition in the study room.


    It was a lady who seemed to be in her late twenties. She sported pink colored hair that was currently covered by a white towel. Judging from the water sliding down the night robes she was wearing, it was obvious she had just come out from the bathroom.


    "Who dares summon me?!" the Summoned Warlock seethed angrily as she attempted to step out from the sigil she was standing on, only to encounter an invisible barrier that stopped her from advancing.


    "What were you going to do about it? kill us to satisfy your rage? tsk. tsk. Not happening today " Aletta smirked as she observed the female Warlock.


    "You rude child. Let me out now!" it was only thanks to Aletta''s response that she discovered she wasn''t the only person in the study room.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "First, you would have to promise not to hurt us and as well help us " Daisy refuted.


    "Fine. I promise!"


    "Heh. And you think we are just going to take your words for that? rumors has it that you Witches are the most dishonest folks in the world. There''s no way we are going to trust the integrity of your words " Stephen sneered with mockery.


    "Fine. I swear by my Patron to not bring any harm to you children and help you if it is within my capabilities. Happy now?" the Warlock swore solemnly.


    "Better " Stephen nodded in satisfaction.


    Although Witches were dishonest folks, their Patron Empryeans were people of worship to them. If a Witch swore by the name of their Patron and went against that oath, they would forever be shunned by that Patron.. that meant losing their connection to magic.


    A Witch who couldn''t do magic? that was a situation worse than death to Witches.


    Holding the Spell Tome close to her chest, Daisy''s eyes glowed yellow again as she chanted.


    "Ettimid!"


    A soft sound of shackles breaking resounded as the Warlock finally stepped out from the the sigil on the floor. The first thing she did was send a hateful glare towards Daisy''s way.


    "You brat. Count yourself lucky that I didn''t bring my Wand along or you''d be rolling on the ground in excruciating pain!" she spat hatefully.


    "Tsk. Tsk. Keep on shooting threats, however we know you can''t do anything to us, unless you want to suffer the wrath of your Patron. So why don''t you just shut up and listen to what we have to say huh?"


    The Warlock fell silent upon hearing these words. Witches were essentially regular humans who managed to forge a connection with other worldly dimensional beings known as Empryeans, granting them the ability to channel the energy the world knew as magic. However this made them completely at the mercy of their Patron Empryean. For a Witch to suffer the wrath of their Patron meant one thing; To be Shunned!


    "Fine. What do you want from me?"


    Aletta sighed in relief when she saw the other party tactfully express their cooperation. Although the Warlock couldn''t harm them in the current circumstance, it would be very stupid to offend an existence such as a Warlock!


    Following Aletta''s lead, the Warlock was led through a wide corridor in the house. Along the way, the Warlock gave Daisy a look before speaking.


    "How did you know the spell to summon me?"


    "My grandma did. Before she died, she told me that you owed her a favor" Daisy replied with a shrug.


    "That''s strange. I don''t recall ever owing a Human any favor " the Warlock mused.


    "Her grandmother was a Wiccan, you meanie " Aletta snorted in Daisy''s defense.


    The group finally arrived at a door that lead to a dimly lit room. The only source of light were seven blood red candles that surrounded a mattress. On the mattress was the unconscious body of Jason.


    "Can you heal him?" Aletta gave the Warlock a deep look.


    "Hmmm " the Warlock curved her red lips as her eyes roamed over the blood red candles. Although others couldn''t see it, these blood red candles were strategically placed to form an invisible barrier pulsating with an energy that wasn''t from the mortal plane.


    "You casted a Soul Barrier. Although it''s crudely casted, it is barely enough to contain his soul from dispersing "


    "Tch. Tell us something we don''t know already " green veins appeared on Aletta''s forehead.


    "I can sense that his soul experienced serious damage and is slowly decaying. Just what the hell happened to him? this is a serious damage on the soul " the Warlock squinted her brows.


    "Can you heal him? yes or no?" now, even Stephen was beginning to grow impatient.


    "Why of course. However I would need to retrieve my wand. This young man''s soul experienced serious damage. If your crude Witch didn''t react quickly to cast a Soul Barrier around him, I am afraid his soul would''ve already dispersed. However this Soul Barrier was crudely casted and I can spot some holes within it. Give it a day or two and this young man soul would be completely dispersed "


    Aletta nervously flicked off the drop of cold sweat rolling down her forehead.


    As a Mystique Hunter, she knew what a soul dispersing meant.. and it was very terrible!


    The Warlock curled her lips when she saw the expression of worry on the Trio. She continued, while hiding her smirk..


    "However I am a powerful Warlock. Although the state of this young man is critical, I will be able to fix him up in no time. However it would require a sizeable amount of magic.. so, I need to retrieve my wand "

 Chapter 29 — Strange Mark

    "Those brats!" only after looking over her shoulders and noticing she wasn''t been followed did the Warlock whose name was Andrea, explode into a fit of cussing.


    It was only after she assured Aletta that she was going to fetch her wand, did the other party finally let her go. Witches were split into several classes depending on the level of their magic control. Magic was an infinite energy which they siphoned from the Empryeans. If a weak Witch tried siphoning more than they could handle, their bodies would explode from the pressure. As such, weaker level Witches had to use external items to draw out magic from the Empryeans.


    These items included wands, stones and grimoires.


    As a Warlock, Andrea wasn''t powerful enough to channel magic without the use of a wand. However that didn''t mean she was a low level cannon fodder witch after all one had to know that the Empryeans were universes level existences!


    Snapping her fingers,  a wand magically appeared before her, silently floating in the air.


    "Let me see if they dare talk disrespectfully to me again" she grinned maliciously.


    Since she had swore by her Patron to help Aletta, she couldn''t renege on that oath without suffering drastic consequences. However that didn''t mean she couldn''t make things difficult for them?


    Say for example placing a curse on all of them after she was done treating Jason.


    "That''s actually a nice plan. However you''d be dead before you carry it out" Andrea felt goosebumps when she heard this calm voice from behind her.


    Hurriedly turning around, she found the culprit, staring at her calmly.  It was actually a seven years old looking boy clad in bright purple trench coat and sporting a long raven black hair tied in a ponytail. Strangely, the features of the boy was quite feminine. If his chest wasn''t so flat and his chin pronounced, he might''ve passed off as a girl.


    If Jason was currently present, he would recognize the boy as the powerful but young Xper he encounterd at the alleyway


    "What are you?!" vigilance flashed in the eyes of Andrea as an indigo glow appeared on the tip of her wand.


    For someone to sneak up on her without her being able to sense them was either they had an item concealing their presence, or they were ridiculously powerful.


    "You are not worthy to know my name. However what you should know is that.." the eyes of the Xper glowed purple as an invisible force suddenly lifted Andrea into the air, dragging her towards him..


    No matter how the Warlock struggled, she couldn''t break free from the grip this invisible force had on her. Her expression instantly transformed into one of dread as cold sweats slid down her face.


    ".. You are to do as you are told. If any harm falls on Jason or his friends.. you are going to suffer a fate worse than death"


    Bang!


    The invisible force slammed Andrea against a couple of trash bins in the corner. Crawling back on her feet, Andrea scanned her eyes around, however the Xper was now nowhere in sight.


    "Just what kind of trouble have I landed myself in?" dabbing the sweat rolling down her cheeks, Andrea sucked in a deep cold breath.


    .


    .


    Aletta glanced at the wall clock in the sitting room before she resumed pacing around, occasionally biting her nails. Daisy who was also present, shook her head.


    "If you are worried about Jason''s soul dispersing, then don''t be. I am confident that my Soul Barrier will be able to last through the day " she tried reassuring her.


    "What if Andrea doesn''t return?" Aletta retorted sharply.


    "She will. After all she made an oath. I don''t think she would be so stupid to renege on that "


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "But --"


    "Gosh Aletta!" Daisy clicked her tongue.


    "I know you have a crazy crush on the guy but can you stop being paranoid? Andrea has only been gone for fifteen minutes.. she''s going to come back okay?"


    "You.. you don''t understand " Aletta replied, almost like a whisper to herself.


    She couldn''t help being paranoid because she felt guilty. She was the only one who knew of Jason''s bizzare ability. Although she had no idea what the source of the ability was, she knew how it worked. If only she had dissuaded Jason and warned him of the danger that came with using that ability, she felt he wouldn''t be currently in his comatose state..


    Just as she was about to glance at the wall clock for the thousandeth time, the entrance door slid open, revealing Andrea who stylishly cat walked in.


    "You came?!" Aletta sounded both relieved and surprised.


    "Were you expecting otherwise?" Andrea rolled her eyes.


    "There''s no time to exchange words. Hurry up and do what you do best" Stephen''s voice rang out with urgency as he descended the stairs.


    "What happened?" Aletta instantly sensed the implied meaning in her brother''s words.


    "You would have to take a look at it yourself" Stephen replied with a solemn expression.


    .


    .


    "When did this happen?" Daisy mused as she asked Stephen.


    The four of them were currently gathered around the Soul Barrier, observing Jason''s half corpse. Currently there was a new mark on his forehead. The mark was pitch black and depicted a burning star hanging above a crescent moon shaped bowl. Surrounding this mark was a red series of padlocks numbering five. One of such padlocks seemed to be slowly erasing. From even outside the Soul Barrier, the group could sense a bone chilling cold from this mark.


    "I-I it happened about five minutes ago" Stephen replied.


    "Five minutes? that long? why didn''t you come and inform us?" Aletta berated her brother sharply.


    "I wanted to.. but.. when this strange mark appeared, I was frozen in place. It was only half a minute ago that things went back to normal"


    "This mark.." while both siblings argued amongst themselves,  Andrea squatted down, observing the mark on Jason''s  forehead with rapt attention, her eyes bulging with excitement and delight.


    "What is it?" Daisy sensed something fishy.


    "N-Nothing. It''s just that I have seen this mark before" Andrea snorted, her expression going back to normal.


    "You have?"


    "Yep. And the last person who had this mark died after an hour it appeared.. this mark signifies that your friend''s soul is on the verge of collapsing and dispersing"


    "That''s impossible!" Daisy was the first to retort.


    "My Soul Barrier--"


    "You call this half assed garbage a Soul Barrier?! You are not even a real Witch, what the hell do you know eh?" Andrea cut her off.


    "If I don''t heal your friend in time, I am afraid this is the last time you are going to see him warm "


    "Then do it! what''s the delay?!" Aletta bit her lower lips, almost on the verge of losing it from the paranoia.


    "I need to be alone. I don''t like disturbances "


    "Just help him please " Aletta grabbed her brother by the wrist, pulling him away from the study room.


    "I said I want to be alone!" Andrea snorted impatiently when she noticed Daisy still standing on the same spot.


    "You talk a big game.  Although I am not a real Witch, I consider myself an Apprentice and since you carry yourself like an expert, I''ll like to observe your craft.. that is if you don''t mind of  course?" Daisy smirked.


    "Tch. Bitch " Andrea cussed underneath her breath. She could tell that Daisy was suspicious of her.


    "Fine. Suite yourself!"

 Chapter 30 — The Phantom Plane

    "Wake up. Wake up"


    The only sound Jason could hear was the echo of this voice. He didn''t know how long it took him, but he finally lifted up his lazy eyelids, the image of a familiar but annoying face instantly appeared in his point of view.


    "S-Sofia?" his vision was initially foggy however with time they became more clearer. So was the laxness he was feeling


    "Sofia?" Jason repeated, jumping up on his feet.


    "The sleepy head is finally awake" Sofia who was previously squatting besides Jason, smirked as she rose up.


    "Where the hell are we ? What the hell are you doing? why does my body feel so.. funny and different?" Jason had so many questions in urgent need of answers.


    "One question at a time " Sofia placed her index finger across her lips in a shushing manner.


    "We are currently trapped in.. The Phantom Plane "


    "The what now?"


    "The Phantom Plane?" Sofia frowned in disappointment when she didn''t see the reaction she was expecting.


    "That was supposed to make you gasp in shock and fear.. gosh, you are no fun " she rolled her eyes.


    "What the hell is the Phantom Plane?"


    Boom!!


    Before Sofia could reply this question, they were interrupted by the sound of a heavy collision.


    "Don''t worry about that. It''s a common occurrence here" Sofia shrugged her shoulder.


    "Is that supposed to comfort me?" Jason scoffed as he glanced around..


    His current environment lacked a certain vibe he usually felt back at his original world. The atmosphere was very bleak and the soil was charred while the vegetation appeared malnourished. It was like the place was cursed with pestilence and famine.


    "What exactly is this Phantom Plane?" Jason mused.


    "Think of it as the place where all Spirits of the dead go" Sofia replied.


    "You mean Heaven?" Jason''s eyes dimmed.


    "Shouldn''t it be more cloudy and bright with little babies with wings playing harps and blowing trumpets?"


    "Funny. This isn''t heaven at all.. there are some things that is better you don''t know. C''mon we have to keep moving " Sofia beckoned to Jason.


    "Why?"


    Boom!


    A fast object suddenly dropped from the sky in front of them, creating a large crater as well as a cloud of dust. Loud footsteps echoed slowly as a large figure stepped out from the cloud of dust.


    The newcomer was of a towering height with the physique of a Bigfoot monster, except its furs were like shadowy stylish flamy congealed ectoplasm. There was a pair of purple colored horns protruding from both sides of its head and when it''s crimson colored eyes fell on Jason, it released a beastial growl, pouncing towards him.


    Bang!


    The ground underneath the strange monster split apart as it reached Jason in almost an instant, stabbing it''s claws towards his chest. Strangely, Jason suddenly felt an extreme cold sensation grip him. He could no longer move his body!


    Just as Jason closed his eyes in defeat upon noticing the claws of the other party was merely a few inches away from his chest,  a petite figure suddenly appeared in front of him, smacking the strange monster on the chest.


    Bang!!


    A clear and deep palm print appeared on the chest of the strange monster as the force of the collision knocked it flipping through the air, vanishing from sight.


    "You!!" Jason stared at Sofia in shock.


    "Don''t look so surprised. We are currently within the Phantom Plane brimming with ecto. I''m like a freed fish within the ocean " Sofia clicked her tongue as she wriggled her fingers, observing the wisp of ectoplasm dancing on the middle of her palm.


    "Now you see why we should make a move? the Phantom Plane is a completely lawless place with several desolate souls running around. Since they trapped in an eternal boredom, they''ve grown this habit of devouring each other, doing so increases their connection with the Phantom Plane, allowing them to weild more power " Sofia explained.


    "What the hell was that monster just now?"


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "That was  Liath. Liaths are usually the deceased souls of Yokais.. you know what Yokais are right?"


    "Tch. I killed one remember?" Jason clicked his tongue when he suddenly thought of something.


    Closing his eyes in concentration, he suddenly opened them up, his lips curled into a relieved smile.


    "I can still connect with the system " as soon as he said this, he suddenly noticed that a particular item was no longer present in the system inventory.


    "If you are looking for your daggers, they are in the outside world" Sofia informed him, causing memories of his battle with the Dark Wraith to flood into Jason''s brain.


    "Wait a minute.. am I dead? shit! I''m dead! that must be why I am in this Phantom Plane!"


    "More of less. However I can tell that your friends are trying to bring you back.. you just have to survive till then " Sofia was taking every bit of control to not burst into laughter.


    The paranoid look on Jason''s face when the realized he was dead was so.. priceless!


    "Wait! does that mean I am a Ghost now?" Jason''s suddenly held up his hands in front of his face.


    However to his disappointment, they were not translucent like Sofia''s. Apart from the slight nauseousness and the floaty vibe he was currently feeling, his body didn''t seem to have experienced any change.


    Before he could move his lips, Sofia suddenly grabbed his wrist as a cloud of Ectoplasm appeared underneath them, bringing them into the skies that were literally clouds of materialized Ectoplasm.


    "You can make contact with me now?!" Jason blurted in shock when he noticed he could feel Sofia''s touch on the skin of his wrist.


    "Duh. Like I said, my connection with the Phantom Plane experienced  a boost--"


    "Now that you are in the Phantom Plane. Got it " Jason scratched his head as he began observing the scenery below them.


    His eyes suddenly fell on two Liaths duking it out. After a long time of an intense physical brawl and causing large pitholes on the ground, one of the Liaths finally got the upper hand, grabbing his opponent by the neck before smashing his head on the ground.


    Before his opponent could recover, the winning Liath stomped his right foot on the neck of his opponent, pinning him to the ground while a pair of ectoplasmic clawed gauntlets wrapped around his meaty arms. Grabbing the two horns of his opponent, the Liath gave it a strong pull, ripping off the head of his opponent, causing his corpse to transform into a thick purple colored mist that was about to disperse.


    However, the victorious Liath suddenly opened its mouth, sucking in the purple mist before letting out a victorious roar.


    "Wow" Jason whistled as Sofia''s floating ecto cloud passed that region.


    Jason didn''t know how long had passed but if he were to make a rough count, he had watched about twenty battles. One thing he found in common was that after one side won, they would kill the other side, watch them transform into a purple mist before sucking them into themselves..


    According to Sofia, this purple mist was actually something called Soul essence. Thanks to Sofia''s floating cloud, they were also able to observe these battles without being spotted.


    "Huh?" just then, Jason suddenly noticed that his body was slowly beginning to fade. Before he could yelp in alarm, Sofia beat him to it.


    "Relax. Your friends must''ve found a way. You are returning back to the  real world"


    "Finally" Jason breathed in relief.


    Although he enjoyed the front row seat he had observing the battles in the Phantom Plane, the whole place was just too bleak and hopeless. Not to mention, he didn''t quite feel comfortable with that nauseous sensation and floaty vibe he was feeling..


    "However I must warn you that returning back from the Phantom Plane is going to result in some changes.. so brace yourself for that" Sofia suddenly warned ambiguously.


    "W-Wha.." before Jason could ask what she meant, his whole body eventually faded, returning back to the real world.

 Chapter 31 — Suspicious Intentions

    "Ugh.." Jason released a dry grunt as his eyelid slowly lifted up.


    "Now that I think of it.. your singing voice is even more horrible than a frog"


    Aletta who was kneeling besides the mattress suddenly stopped humming when she heard that familiar snig remark.


    "J-Jason?!" she stuttered as her eyes widened like saucers.


    "Tch. Why are you getting so emotional? it''s not like I died or anything.." Jason grunted when he noticed Aletta''s eyes go misty.


    However a frown soon appeared on his lips.


    "Why can''t I feel my body?"


    Before Aletta could reply, she was interrupted by the loud noise of approaching footsteps as a hulking figure arrived at the entrance of the room.


    "Finally. You are awake. I was beginning to think that crafty witch scammed us" Stephen heaved in relief when he saw Jason conscious


    "I have to text Daisy. I''m pretty sure she''s anxious in her classroom " Stephen nodded curtly at Jason before sauntering away from the room.


    "Now, you have to tell me what the hell happened " Jason demanded in a serious tone.


    .


    .


    "Thank you " Andrea alighted from the yellow taxi.


    After paying her fare, she glanced sideways in a rather cautious manner before cat walking straight across the sidewalks and into a narrow alleyway.


    "Hm?" Andrea suddenly  waved her wand behind her, causing a sharp gust of wind to knock a couple trash bins into the air, revealing a couple of black cats who quickly scampered away.


    "Hmpfh. Cheap tricks" Andrea sneered as her grip on her wand tightened even further.


    "Quit acting like a coward and show yourself.. except you are now afraid of me because I''m no longer defenseless?" a provocative smirk graced the corner of her lips.


    "Although you say this.. I can sense your dread. How dishonest" a boyish voice echoed close to Andreas ears, causing the Warlock to swiftly jump back in an effort to create a distance between her and her stalker.


    "What''s wrong?" just when Andrea attempted to sigh in relief, she suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder.


    Looking over, she saw a familiar smallish figure silently floating mid air, staring at her with innocent eyes. However in Andreas perspective, those two innocent looking eyes were anything but innocent.. it was like she was staring face to face with the abyss..


    "H-How?!" Andrea''s expression sank.


    Without her wand, she was just a regular frail human. However armed with her wand, she was a Warlock!! a very powerful existence who held a powerful position in her Coven''s Council.


    Yet, the other party had easily snuck up on her with her being completely unaware. One had to know that apart from a select few Yokais, the Witches boasted of the most powerful sensory capabilities considering they regarded themselves as Servants of Nature.


    "Tch. I am not scared of you, strange little boy. Not anymore". Andrea tossed her wand into the air as she made a quick hand seal while she chanted.


    "Setnalov Deliat Maitseb!"


    The wand exploded into a burst of eye blinding light that wrapped around Andrea like a curtain, emitting a powerful pressure that spread towards the four corners of the alley, knocking dirt into the air.


    "Interesting" an amused smile appeared on the lips of the young Xper as he silently levitated into the air, observing the curtain of eye blinding light from above.


    Bang!


    The curtain of light suddenly imploded, revealing a long whip like flail that shot into the air, slamming towards the young Xper. Unlike normal flails, this one was enshrouded in a brilliant glow like  indigo sheen. Its body consisted of only ten percent one hand hilt while the remaining ninety percent was its chain like body with a spiky ball at the tip.


    Bang!


    The Young Xper disappeared from his previous position, causing the flail to miss him, instead smashing right through a wall, almost destroying half of the wall''s building.


    "You don''t want to cause too much destruction.. after all it''s still the peak of noon and it would be strange in the public eyes to see a lady swinging such a.. a crude weapon like that" the voice of the young Xper rang from behind Andrea.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. "Hmpfh!" Andrea tugged, reining the flail back as she did a side flip, slamming it behind her.


    However, before the flail could reach its target, the Young Xper was already gone.


    "Bastard. I''ve got you!" Andrea suddenly smirked victoriously as the trajectory of the flail suddenly changed, slamming above her left.


    "Oh?" the young Xper had only just reappeared at that spot when he noticed the flail smashing towards his chest. However he remained completely unperturbed in the face of the incoming attack.


    "You have commendable sharp senses. Not bad " the young Xper flexed two of his fingers, pressing his thumb against his index finger before suddenly releasing it.


    "Spirit Gun"


    A pale green energy gushed out from within the body of the Young Xper like a rapid torrent as it swiftly began to take shape.


    Like a rolling snowball, it rapidly increased from the size of a sesame seed into the size of a tennis ball. However unlike the Spirit Gun casted by the Dark Wraith Jason faced, this one was the color of pale green and throbbed with more power.


    Bang!


    The Spirit Gun attack catapulted towards the approaching flail. Andrea who was observing this from the ground squinted her pupils in horror as she gave a powerful tug, giving up attacking the Young Xper as she instead attempted to rein the flail back towards herself.


    Bang!


    However the Spirit Gun moved so fast that it blasted its way through the flail, continuing towards Andrea, its velocity remaining intact.


    Splurt!


    The backlash of having her spell forcefully broken caused Andrea to vomit a copious amount of blood as her wand reappeared, floating besides her.


    Ignoring the backlash, Andrea weaved through a fresh hand seal as she hurriedly chanted another spell.


    "Mulucniv Mutangis Rodirroc!"


    Bang!


    The Spirit Gun attack finally arrived before her. The collision resulted in a sharp explosive noise that rocked the alleyway, destroying the granite floor as a wave of dust rose into the air.


    Crack. Crack. Crack


    Fine thin lines appeared on the ground, extending all the way to the road behind the alleyway, creating a rift and causing several vehicles to collide against each other. The road instantly became chaotic as the cries for help and drivers exchanging harsh words echoed in the air.


    Meanwhile at the alleyway, the young Xper continued floating mid air as he observed the cloud of dust that was slowly dispersing.


    "Tch. The coward escaped" his eyes released a pale green sheen as his peered right through the obstruction of the cloud of dust.


    However Andrea was already long gone. He figured she must''ve used the cover of the cloud of dust to make her escape.


    It was a basic and cliche way to flee. However the young Xper never would''ve anticipated Andrea borrowing such shameless antics. He thought someone of her level would stay and fight to the end, than flee like a frightened dog with their tail behind their legs.


    "Witches are shameless.. what was I  even thinking.." he face plamed himself, chastising himself for the momentary carelessness.


    "However.." his gaze became serious.


    "Her attacking me right off the bat confirms my suspicion.. she must''ve discovered something while treating that Kid named Jason and was willing to fight me just to keep the secret all for herself" he mused.


    The greediness of the Witches wasn''t something new in the Mystical Community. There was no way the young Xper was going to believe that Andrea was trying to keep the unknown secret for the sake of chilvary.


    That only meant one thing..  it was immensely beneficial for her!


    "First, a Ghost King shows interest in this Kid, now a Warlock as well. No doubt her Coven would begin making their move.. Jason.. Jason.. just what the hell are you?"