《Asura Conqueror》 Rankings Rankings Ranking list for the novel. Each stage goes from rank 1 to 9. And has lower, middle, upper, and peak Ex. Asura Warrior rank 5, Asura Elite rank 8 Mortal stages for now. Asura Cultivation Ranking: Asuraling ( below 100 years lifespan without medication) Asura warrior ( Lives up to 200 years ) Asura elite ( lives up to 300 years ) Asuramander ( Lives up to 500 years ) Asura Preparation (1000 years) Asura transformation ( Lives up to 3000 years ) Enlightened asura ( lives up to 5000-10,000 years ) Universal Cultivation Ranking: The lifespan varies between races. Humans have shorter lifespans Spark ( children who start practicing with mana. avg human lifespan without medication ) Recognition (lives up to 200 years old) Elite ( lives up to 300 years old ) Commander (lives up to 500 years old ) Preparation stage ( 1000 years old ) Transformation Stage (3000 years) Enlightened Stage (5000 - 10000) ---- Items, pills, and weapons whatsoever will be ranked from 1-12 for simplicity. ---- Mastery of of a technique: Prying stage Novice Intermediate Advance Master ----- Alchemists go from rank 1-12 ----- Chapter 1: Asura Royal Family Chapter 1: Asura Royal Family In the royal courtyard of a certain empire, in the heavenly realm. Under the moon, there stood a boy who looked no more than 16 or 17 years old and around 5''8 feet (172.592cm) tall. The surrounding was filled with unique flowers and decorations. The green grass on the boy''s feet was well trimmed. The high grey walls were etched with weird markings. A table and 4 chairs were situated near a tree at the corner. Sitting on one of the chairs was a woman who looked no older than 30 sipping tea, or so it''s what it looked like. She has silky reddish-orange hair that goes down to her shoulders, sharp brows, a bit pointy but small nose, and vermillion round eyes that looked at the boy in front of her with care. She wore a vermillion-colored dress that had a slit on the left side that ran up to her upper thigh, showing more of her snow white skin. She ced the teacup down, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and asked, "have you read all the books? are you wearing the ne? and have you prepared everything?" The boy only nodded, his eyes, misty. He had dozens of things that he wanted to say. But he held himself back, for he knew that those things were just going to burden his mother a lot more. This boy is Marcus Kauffman, has vermillion hair which was cut short on the side, and his hair on top wasn''t that long but enough to make a quiff. He has round sharp eyes, sharp brows, square jaws, a slightly pointy nose, and a lean build. Not so skinny not so buff. one could say that he''d grown up to be a pretty handsomed. Marcus knew that their empire in the heavenly realm is in a pinch. He knew that if he stayed here he''ll be a liability. He is too weak, too fragile to even go on a battlefield in this realm. There were herbs to make his strength rise up to new heights, but that doesn''t change the fact that he is only 17. Too much of those herbs will only be detrimental to his future. He looked to the side. There, a clear blue pond could be seen. Beside the little pond, a chubby girl was ying. Vermillion hair that ran down to her waist, a small pointy nose, sharp brows, and round eyes, and those cute chubby cheeks you just want to pinch. The ssic Kauffman trademark. This was Marcus'' sister which he will be bringing with him to the mortal realms. Carmen Kauffman was a girl around 11, her hair tied into a ponytail and she was throwing stones at the pond. Marcus turned back to his mother. He looked at her and said, which sounded like a strong deration "Mom wait for me. Wait for me and when I''ll get stronger, I''ll raze their empires to the ground! Hell, I''ll raze all the empires and make ours the only one standing!" Leia Kauffman, his mother looked at him and smiled "Baby don''t let your asura bloodline control your temper, always remember to be calm and collected no matter what, or else whatever ns you made will crumble." she didn''t forget to lecture him. she continued "Besides, you don''t want to make all the worlds and their empires in the heavenly realm your enemies do you?" Leia was amused by what his son said, but was worried that without her guiding him, he might make some horrible decisions. Marcus calmed his thoughts. Being an asura didn''t only give you a lot of powers, but it also gives you a massive side effect which is an erratic temper and prideful nature, especially when you''re below Asura Commander. This is one thing all Asuras have and even the royal family isn''t exempted. This is probably one of the reasons why other empires in other worlds are wary of them. They arebeled as sinners. Called out as one of the demons of the Heavenly Realm alongside the Empire of Darkness. This was because they once destroyed a middle-ss empire. The said reason was that the prince of the asura at that time wanted the princess of the empire, but they refused. Hearing the refusal made the prince angry. He rallied an army and decimated the said empire. It was of course unproven how it really happened. In the heavenly realm, each world is ruled by an empire, this particr one is ruled by the Asuras. One of the most feared out all the worlds for their abilities. Asuras are blessed with both physical strength and magic. The Asura Royal Family is currentlyposed of Empress Leia, Marcus, Carmen, Leia''s sister, and 3 ancestors. As for the other members? They died. The only reason the Asura Empire is still standing is that it still has allies who are pretty powerful. But you cant always depend on other people. God knows when they might bite you. This is why Leia decided to let Marcus go to the mortal realms. At least if things get a lot worse, she could be at peace knowing her children are safe. The mortal realm is huge with dozens of different races and worlds. "It''s time" Leia looked at Marcus, stood up, and embraced him. Marcus hugged her back as if he didn''t want to let go. Carmen saw this and ran towards them, she saw tears falling down his brother and mothers face. She used her illusion magic and made two copies of herself using the illusion technique ''basic mirage'', which can create a copy of the user but can''t use magic, skills, and can easily be destroyed. She hugged both of them together with two of her illusions. This made the mother and sonugh. Knowing that she cant hug both of them properly at the same time because of her short arms. Leia picked the little girl up, rubbed her back while embracing her "You and your brother will have to go on a vacation for a long while. Mommy has to stay here and work, okay?" Carmen hugged her mom back, nodded her head, and made a little "mmm". She too was crying. Her brother exined everything to herst night. He said all they could do right now was go to a faraway ce. Leia gave Carmen to Marcus and said "I won''t see you off, the spies in the pce might notice. Gary is waiting for you at the spot. Since you''re already prepared, directly go to that ce. And onest thing, never let that ne leave your body." "Yes, this will be my edge in the mortal world." Marcus said. ''with this, I''ll be able to rapidly increase my strength and make it back here." Leia hugged them onest time and watched them go. When they were a dozen or so meters far, she turned her back, went through the door, and straight to her room. The pce is something you could never see in the mortal realm. From the red carpets which were made from high-level beasts, expert guards that could decimate a human country in the lower realm singlehandedly. And every corner was damn clean. Leia was close to the door of her room when a woman who looked quite simr to her appeared. She looked to be around 40 years old, with the ssic Kauffman looks, but her eyes shone wisdom that could not be attained even after 100 years of living. The woman looked at Leia, patted her head, and said "It''s for the best. We don''t know what the future holds. The further they are from here, the safer they will be. And if things go bad, the Kauffman blood will continue" With a lifeless nod, Leia continued to her room. In front of people, she always had the bearings of an empress. But that''s not the case when she''s with her children, she always has the care of a mother in front of them. And in front of this ancestor, she seemed like a child. Now that they have gone off, she can only pray, pray to whoever gods are listening that they''ll be safe. --------------------- In a certain part of the forest. In a wooden house. "Tell our men to prepare. The signal has been sent." said a man with a scar on his left cheek and a sunken face. He had a bald head, holding two beautiful naked women. His hands were roaming around their bodies while a third girl is kneeling in front of him. The man he ordered had lust on his face upon seeing the girls but made sure to listen and follow the orders first, or else he might never get to experience the touch of a woman again. He went out of the room, down the stairs, and shouted at the men to prepare, there were over 30 of them, which, from the aura alone were experts. Each of them were Asuras. Though they looked human right now, that is only because they haven''t transformed. Chapter 2: Journey to the Portal Chapter 2: Journey to the Portal After using the secret passage. Marcus and Carmen found themselves outside the royal city. The moon, hanging high in the sky. The cold breeze which made the green and red leaves on the branches of the trees dance. Marcus turned to look at the royal capital. He clenched his fist and dered "I''ll be back. When I do they''ll all be sorry!" Carmen tugged her brother and handed him a piece of clothing. He patted her head and received it. Marcus donned the ck hooded robe and then helped his sister to put hers on. These were exalted treasures. With these, they have an addedyer of protection. Once they wore it, the markings that were etched in the robes glowed for a few seconds and then faded. They walked to the spot where they were supposed to meet their escorts and guardians, who will be going with them to the mortal realm. Once they''ve reached their destination, the two saw 2 middle-aged men. The one in front had short ck hair with white streaks. His face looked like he was 35 years old. He has bushy brows and has wide-set eyes which had a deep ck color. He was wearing a white robe with a mark on the left side which signified him being a royal guard. The mark is circle-shaped with a face that had small diagonal slits for eyes, with a banner of the royal family at the back which is a stylish K. This is Gary Lain. One of the captains of the royal guards. He has served the army ever since he was a child and has risen in ranks for his meritorious deeds. He is Marcus'' mentor in spear arts and also taught him a lot about social interaction. Marcus, being a prince of an empire doesn''t really have many friends to talk to and can''t go out of the pce as much. He is a lot more mature for his age, well only if his asura blood doesn''t react. Gary also taught him the ways of being a gentleman. Saying things like "you can have a lot of wives as long as you love, treat, and fuck them right." The one beside him who looked like Gary is Nick. He is currently one of the vice-captains of the royal guards. Gary and Nick bowed and said "Your Highness." Nick had a sharp glint in his eyes, but no one noticed. Marcus nodded. Marcus is not really in the mood to talk. He is still feeling down. Gary would usually joke around with him. He wouldn''t even call him "Your Highness" usually during training or whenever they are not with other people. Gary also had a pretty good rtionship with Carmen, but she was just too shy to talk to people. Gary would also tease him about the beautiful geniuses in the capital. Telling him about how perky their boobs were. Marcus would just shake his head and change the topic. Not because he was not into girls, but he was more of an ass man. Plus his mother usually listens secretly. Gary summoned a t yellow-colored board. It is 7 meters long and 4 meters wide. It''s amon vehicle in the heavenly realms that are used for flying at extremely high speed. Marcus hopped on while Carmen was in his arms who was starting to cry knowing that they would really be leaving. They all went on their way to the portal. ----- After nonstop traveling for two days, they were only a few minutes away from the portal. The board they rode was still streaking in the sky at maximum speed. Gary went to Marcus and asked "Your Highness, we will be arriving in a few minutes. Have you read about the mortal realm?" Marcus nodded"Yes, I started reading all about it four years ago. As I was told, the data gathered were all updated yearly so I''ve gathered a lot of information about the races and their society and a bit of their technology. I''ve also prepared everything needed for our stay there." " That''s good Your Highness. The mortal worlds is extremely different from us here but also the same. They are still driven by greed and will go to war for what they believe in." Gary touching his chin and continued " Although, they are pretty fragile so you don''t have to worry about anything." " Have you picked which race and world you''re going to go and visit first when wend in god knows where Your Highness? I hear that there are a lot of beauties in the elven race." Nick butted in whileughing. Hearing this, Carmen covered her brother''s ears, thinking that it would entice him. She looked at him with her clear vermillion eyes. Marcus rubbed her head " No, I already have race in mind." "Oh" Nick didn''t ask which one. Clearly, the prince doesn''t have any intention of telling him. Marcus looked at his surroundings. Mana in the heavenly realm was a lot purerpared to the lower realm. Hopefully, it won''t slow down his progress. In these past two days, Marcus hasn''t been cking off. He has been cultivating his body and also practicing his spells. For raising ranks as an Asura, one needs to be strong physically and skilled in magic. To learn specific spells or powers, one needs to read skill books. The basic ones are usually generalized or heck you don''t even need to read skill books/magic books to learn the basics of the basics like conjuring a simple fireball. But once you go in-depth and find the specific type for you, you will need skill books that cover that type of spell. Things like how to perform them are written there. For example, there are different kinds of lightning magic, which is why there are different types of lightning skill books. The same goes for most other elements and types. I said most since there are special cases like gravity, where there is only one type of gravity, there''s no red gravity, blue gravity, or shit like that so it only depends on the contents of the skill book/magic book on what kinds of skill/spell it covers. Training in different types ismon in the Heavenly Realm. But they pick the ones that are the mostpatible with, or just better ones and they focus on that and then upgradeter when they find better skill books/magic books that they arepatible with. There are different skill books that teach different styles. For example, Marcus trains in the arts of lightning which is called "Godly Vermillion Bolts". He got the skill book from the ne he wears. Carmen was at the side practicing her illusion arts. She is currently making illusions and trying to teleport to them and then leaving an illusion where she was once at. The illusion art she practices is called '' Confusion of 1000 Deities.'' "Brother, watch this!" she called out, seeing that his brother looking at her, she wanted to show off. She tried teleporting to her illusion about 3 meters away, She seeded but she couldn''t chain her magic and ce an illusion on the ce where she was once standing. This teleporting spell is called ''mirage port'' coupled with the ''basic mirage'' spell to ce a mirage where she once was standing. "That was amazing baby, you could already use mirage port." Marcus praised. "mm, but I still can''t chain my spells consistently."Carmen dejectedly said. "hahaha, you are still 10, don''t be in a rush, even when I was at that age I could hardly perform those kinds of spells."Marcus went to her and wiped her sweaty forehead. Carmen shooked her head saying."That''s a lie brother, you''re the most talented person in the universe." What Marcus said was true, although he was a prince, he wasn''t a genius. at most he was way above mediocre but not at the level of a genius. His sister on the other hand was. She''s 10 but a rank 8 Asura Warrior. "Your Highness we''re only around a few kilometers away, but I have a bad feeling about something." Gary said, who was currently standing at the edge checking the surroundings. But he couldn''t really find anything unfamiliar. Nicks left eye twitched upon hearing this. "Hmmm? Did you catch anything amiss nearby?" Marcus furrowed his brows while asking. "Not really but, those peo-" When Gary was about to point at a group of people who looked like traveling merchants, a javelin with a tip that burned blue was aimed at him. "AMBUSHHHH, stay behi-" Gary felt a stinging pain on the left side of his lower back. He turned his head and saw Nick, his devil smile and the bit of blood on his right hand said it all. Gary had no time to wonder why because people started flying towards them. No, more like Asuras were flying towards them. Asuras have red skin, muscr and have markings on their body depending on their rank. The one with a scar on his face shouted and looked at Nick and nodded, " Boys surround them and take their treasures." They were mercenaries, and were told by the man in brown that he was with people who were escorting treasures. Gary grabbed the two kids, he etiquette doesn''t matter right now. He looked at Nick and growled, "Whats the meaning of this?!" "Rx, I didn''t tell them anything about the prince being here. Hell, I''m not that stupid, if they tell the other empires, or if other empires caught wind of this then the spies nted by the Asura Empire would know and report. I only told them that were escorting a priceless treasure that could topple lesser kingdoms. Smart right?" Nick said in a whispering voice, with a lewd smile at the end. He made sure that no one heard what he said aside from Gary and the two kids. When Nick finished talking, Gary already took a round item from his pocket dimension and blinded the asuras around. He then dashed towards an opening. Chapter 3: Jealousy Breeds Hatred Chapter 3: Jealousy Breeds Hatred "Marcus, I''ll throw you and your sister in the portal. No buts!" Gary held the two kids and said with extreme urgency. "That wasn''t the n! You have toe with us. That''s an order!" Marcus shook his head. He knew that Gary would get killed if he stayed here. "Remember kid, things don''t always go ording to n. What''s with you? I thought you read these kinds of things. You know that you must always have a n b. Well in our case, this is the closest thing to a n b. My job was to be your escort in the mortal realm, but we''ll have to cut that short." Gary smiled. Gary heard a yell from behind which was clearly from Nick. "Looks like they''re close. Get ready, I don''t know where you''ll end up. But that''s for the best. Since our whole point ining here is to use portals that aren''t configured." The portals in the capital were configured to ces controlled by the Asura Empire in the dark. This goes for other empires too. They have portals in their capital which was set to a certain destination. Changing the location of the portal would take weeks and would need joint cooperation in both people from the heavenly realm and mortal realm, alerting other empires in the process. Thest option was to use an unconfigured portal which was just pretty close to the capital. The reason it took them two days to reach it is that the vehicle they were using wasn''t that fast. It was a vehicle used bymoners. Well, formoners, it can be considered fast. Unconfigured portals can send you anywhere to the mortal realm. In each empire, they usually only have one. The destination cant be set. So no one would know where you''llnd. Gary looked back and continued " Kid, don''t forget to be a gentleman, and of course build a good ass harem. hahaha adios!" He covered them with a protective thin barrier to make sure they won''t get heavily affected by the abrupt entry to the portal. The robes they wore were most likely going to get ripped though. With that, he threw them to the opening which was circle shaped made of metal with a blue colored center. Thest thing Marcus saw was Gary''s smiling face with blood dripping from the side of his mouth. ---------------------------------------- "Bastard where are they?!" Nick yelled at Gary. Gary turned towards Nick. His vision was a bit blurry, He could guess that the dagger that was still stuck to his lower back wasced with a pretty strong poison. "Was it for money?" Gary just asked. Nick snorted, he looked at the portal andughed maniacally " You threw them to the portal? You might as well kill them. They''ll probably be crippled after the trip." Gary sighed in his mind, remembering that he ced a barrier around them. He looked at him fiercely "Better cripple than being sold and killed to other empires. For them being crippled, brother, you''ll have to pay!" Nick keptughing " Always the goody goody aren''t you. Always the best! Always the one picked. Why do people think you''re always better than me?! You even ruined my chance of bing a high-ranking officer in another empire! AHHHHHH" He transformed his fist into an asura and threw a punch at his brother. Gary dodged "Me being poisoned doesn''t mean I can''t fight you. You are, after all, one stage lower." "Me alone can''t. But what can you do faced with dozens?" Nick threw another punch. They went and exchanged blows. Nick coated his with fist poison using his spell. Gary tried to block, but noticed that 3 javelins with blue ming tips were thrown at him. He knew that he couldn''t use any spells or else it would decrease the mana stored inside his body. He just used Nicks''s punch to propel him back to dodge the javelins. Both Nick and Gary were standing in the air. Around 30 men wereing close. They didn''t get too close though. Their power ranking doesn''t even measure to the two in front of them. They could just aim long-ranged attacks and throw the high ranked treasures they bought at the man wearing white. Gary''s vision was getting a lot more blurry by the second. He dashed to the men at the back, Nick followed close behind. He took all the hit from the projectiles thrown at him. Once he was close to the 30 or so men who were grouped together, he turned towards his brother "Brother, in your next life, don''t be ruled by jealousy, or else it will breed hatred in your heart which you cant quell." Gary opened his arms. His mana inside his body was starting to grow erratic. Seeing Nicks''s current trajectory going straight at him, he smiled onest time and shouted " All of youe with me! We''ll all have a drink in the underworld. I''ll be drinking wine while you will be drinking my piss." Nick went straight into his arms. With thest ounce of strength he had, Gary constricted him tight with his two arms and transformed into an Asura. "Bastard let me go, what are you trying to do?!"Nick went wide-eyed as he panicked because he had a feeling that he knew what Gary was nning. "Brother I forgive you." were thest words Nick was ever going to hear from his brother. Better yet, thest words he was going to hear ever in this life. Gary moved a little bit closer to the 30 or so men who kept moving backward little by little. He stopped when he was around 300 meters close to them. He could see the confused look in their eyes, their leader was finally about to shout something. But it was toote. With a loud ''BOOM!'' Things around a kilometer radius exploded. Turned into nothingness. The people near the portal were shocked but weren''t really affected by the shockwaves. First, because there was a protective barrier set around it. Second, they were fighting in a forest a bit further away around 5 kilometers. Lastly, Gary made sure that he would make a concentrated detonation. This means that he would only affect a smaller area but the damage would be a lot stronger. The people who were near the portal were rmed. Mostly guards and traveling merchants who took a rest in the outpost close to the portal. The guards immediately called their superiors and told them what happened. They told them that a flying object went in streaking to the portal and there were men fighting a guy in white. They hardly had the time to do anything because the events happened way too fast. The guards went near the ce to have a closer look, and all they could see was a barren ce with arge hole on the ground. Hardly any parts of the bodies were seen. Even the mushie parts can hardly be seen. ---------------------------------------------- In the Royal Capital When the Empress heard the news, she became restless. The three ancestors had toe out and calmed her down. ''Will they be okay?'' ''Once I make a breakthrough let''s see if your empires will still stand!'' The empress''s thoughts were murderous. All she could think about was how her two babies were doing. She has already lost way too much, she can''t lose them too. "Get yourself together. Don''t let people see you anxious. We already made a perfect cover for the prince and princess 2 years ago. That they are being trained by us which is why they don''t get seen by the world that much. This time we will tell the people that we''ll heighten the intensity and they wouldn''t be seen for a while." Said one of the ancestors. "Don''t let the past years go to waste. Focus on improving your strength. I''m sure they''ll be fine. He has that weird stone anyway and she has her brother. Marcus won''t let anything happen to little Carmen. I believe that fate will bring them back to the empire." Leia took a few deep breaths, wiped the tears from her eyes, and stood up. For the next few years, she''ll fully focus on improving her strength if anything doesn''t go wrong. She walked straight to the door to deal with the matter about the portal. The ancestors looked at each other and sighed. They disappeared without a trace. ----------------------------------------------- Arriving at the other side, Marcus was currently tightly hugging Carmen. He had no time to check his surroundings. All he knew was that they were in a body of water. His eyes were fixed on Carmen. Marcus yelled at the object on his chest."You dumbass cat let us in!" It was oval-shaped, thin, with strange markings on its surface. It didn''t emit any presence and one could think it was a normal amulet or even a piece of junk. Carmen looked like she was in deep pain. Her irregr breathing and a nosebleed that''s like a dam that broke said it all. "Someone once told me they didn''t trust me, and that they wouldn''t want to go anywhere in here again." a male voice inside the stone said with a snort. It sounded like a man around 20+ years old. "Stop ying and let us in or else I''ll throw you here. Heaven knows I''m not bluffing." Marcus said. If anything happens to his little sister on his watch, he wouldn''t have any face left to go back to his mother. "Jesus, alright! Fucker can''t even take a joke. It not like she''ll die right away." The stone grumbled "And I have a name. Its Nexus, remember that if you want to get in next time." Chapter 4: Inside the Stone of Destruction Chapter 4: Inside the Stone of Destruction The stone sucked them in. He could also send his will or thoughts to the stone and could go in and bring anyone but the stone was blocking it awhile ago or more like the voice inside was blocking it. They were transported to what looked like a living room. It looked like the interior of a modern wooden house Marcus once saw in a book. The room has an area of about 15 square meters. It has walnut flooring and decoration around the ce. On the middle part of the room was a white couch with a red floormat below it, and a cherry wood coffee table just right in front of it. Marcus went to the door at the side going to the bedroom. He ced the unconscious Carmen on the white-sheeted bed. Got a towel from his pocket dimension and used basic water magic and wiped the blood off her face. The bedroom he was currently in has an area of 12 square meters. Beside the bed is a cab made of cherry wood with amp, and a cat on top who was silently watching. "How is she?" Marcus turned to the cat. The cat yawned, "You''re getting worried over nothing. She just needs a couple of weeks or years of rest, recuperation, and she''ll be as good as new. I''ll get some medicine over the alchemy roomter so you can rest your ass that she''ll be fine. With that settled, let''s get down to business." The cat floated up in front of Marcus, who was still caressing his sister''s cheek. "You need to assimte with the stonepletely now that you''re all alone with no protection. You know it''s good for you, just take the fucking leap." The cat got closer to Marcus and sat on his shoulder. Marcus shrugged the cat off and said with his voice breaking"This wasn''t how it was supposed to go. Are the gods really that cruel? Would it be so hard to give a bit of sunshine and rainbows in my life?" Nexus, the cat stayed silent for a while. Nexus is a ck cat with yellow marks on his forehead and has a bit of white at the end of its tail. After a few minutes of breaking down, Marcus got up, he looked at Carmen and went to the door with Nexus on his shoulder while saying, "How do I start? And get off my shoulder." Nexus was a bit insulted when he heard thest part but was still happy since Marcus was finally going to assimte with the stone. They went to another room, which was empty. An area of 20 square meters. This was where he makes his breakthroughs. He sat on the center and crossed his legs. "That ''stone'' will attach itself to your soul. Just send your will to it and don''t resist once it starts assimting with you." Nexus distanced himself a bit from Marcus. "So what will happen to this space inside the stone?"Marcus asked. "Well, after assimting, it will be inside your soul, since the stone is there. Were you even listening? And I will also be fine, thanks for asking." Nexus said. "Now hurry up, the faster you finish the faster we can explore the mortal realm. Maybe we evennded on a world with catgirls, hehehe, those furry babes..." Nexus was lost in thought after that. Marcus already stopped listening halfway through. He closed his eyes and did what the cat told him. --------- Beads of sweat pouring down his forehead. The stone already disappeared and is currently trying to embed itself in his soul. He felt like his soul was being pounded by a warhammer. Seconds passed like hours and minutes passed like days, and with hours feeling like weeks. He just gritted his teeth and persevered. ------- Marcus opened his eyes. He is currently drenched in sweat. There is a puddle just right below him. Breathing heavily, heid back and started to check the information that was given to him by the stone. He started mumbling. " With the Stone of Destruction in my soul, I wouldn''t have to worry about illusion magic, ve seals, poison, curses, aura suppression as long as the disparity isn''t too big, and I won''t get affected by divination magic. I can even mask my mana and appear weaker or stronger than I seem to be. Shouldn''t this be called Stone of Protection instead? I could even heal someone who is poisoned with my blood. My soul is also a lot stronger." Marcus was still lying down, checking for information on the benefits the stone gave him. " Holy nuggets, my attacks will be a lot more powerful than normal. Both physical and magical. It will also give me an aura of destruction." Marcus'' eyes went wide when he got to this part. He startedughing maniacally while raising his hand and balling his fist. "What other secrets do you hold little stone?" Nexus at the side was staring at him like how you would stare at someone who has gone crazy. "Finally! with this, the dawn of their destruction won''t be too far. Mom, wait for me. We''ll get our revenge and I''ll personally kill those assholes!" Marcus shouted while his hands were still balled into a fist. After a few seconds, Marcus got up and started walking to the cat near the door. "I''ll go check on Carmen and get myself cleaned, then we could start exploring the mortal realm." Nexus nodded with satisfaction, he was excited to go out. Before going out he looked at the cat and asked, " how long have I been in here?" "Almost 2 hours I guess." Nexus replied. Marcus was dumbfounded. He felt like he was tortured for days. He sighed and continued to the room where Carmen was sleeping, with Nexus walking beside him. He made sure there was nothing wrong with her, then he went to take a shower. After a good ass bath, he went to the living room and sat on the couch. He started thinking about things and how they happened so fast. ''I really should make backup ns next time'' he thought while opening his pocket dimension to grab some food. He was sad about his mentor dying coupled with his mom having no one to lean on in the heavenly realm. Seeing the food, Nexus who was in front of him perked his body up. He started meowing and licking his lips. Marcus grabbed a piece ofrge roasted meat from his pocket dimension and threw it at the cat. After that only chewing could be heard. "You know, you should name the stone, Destrucstone. Get it? hahaha, and it''s a lot shorter." "No." Marcus curtly replied. The cat the said."You should really learn some sense of humor. Did you know that--" "You don''t have to fill these silences." Marcus still kept munching the food he''s holding. After a few more minutes. "Honestly I can really picture us being best bros. Here in the mortal world, you are not a prince. And let''s face it, you''re not that handsome, yes you''ll probably pass as an 8 or an 8 and a half but not a 10. That is why you''re going to need a wingman." Nexus licked his lips after finishing the meat. "What in god''s name are you talking about?" Marcus was getting a bit irritated. He wanted pure silence right now. "I''m talking aboutdies, Marcus. Hurry and finish up. Eat your depression while you''re at it. You keep wallowing in that and keep being unstable, you''ll go nowhere."Nexus leaped off the coffee table and jumped to the couch. A few seconds of silence followed after that. "I''m in a new world. My mom is fighting up in the heavenly realm alone. Empires are currently conspiring against us, and I can''t do anything about it! " Marcus yelled. "Precisely, you can''t do anything about it. You asuras and your temper. Chill the fuck down. The heavenly realm is currently out of your reach. Focus on what''s in front of you and move one step at a time. If you keep thinking about the heavenly realm and the problems there, how are you going to focus on what''s in front of you and on the present? It''s just like fighting with someone, and you see him throw a punch, but then you also see a vehicle speeding right behind him that''s headed towards you. Which one will you deal with first?" Nexus sat on the sofa, licking his paws while lecturing the kid beside him. He hated these kinds of sessions. Marcus was in deep thought. From the time he left the empire, he always felt down and he gets irritated easily. What the cat said was right. If he doesn''t learn to take things one step at a time and keep thinking about leaping a thousand steps a time to reach the heavenly realm, he might not even make it halfway there, he''ll either die or lose his humanity. He also still has a sister to take care of. With a deep sigh, he nodded and said "Your shitty speech was good, but you need to work on the ending. And if we ever pick up chicks in the future, make sure to act cute." "That''s better." The cat said. "Hop on my shoulder. We''ll let Carmen rest here for the time being and we''ll go explore the world where wended. I seem to remember wended on a body of water."Marcus stood up and got ready to port out. "Please be catgirls, please be catgirls, please be catgirls" Nexus prayed. With a thought, they were out of the room and back to the mortal realm. Chapter 5: Levi City Chapter 5: Levi City *Plop* Marcus and Nexus were currently floating and were a few dozen meters away from the seashore. They looked around and they could see high-rise buildings pass the white sand beach. Marcus was excited, he already ced those unreachable problems to the back of his mind. While Nexus, not so much. He looked at the people swimming at the beach at could see that they were not catgirls. They were humans. "Dang!" Nexus cursed. They started swimming towards the shore. As they got closer and closer to where he could already stand, and the water was already at the lower waist level, he noticed people staring at him. He looked at them and just gave them a slight nod. Then he dried himself using magic as he stood on the sands. The people were wondering what psycho would go swim with clothes on, and with a cat. "Nervous?" Nexus asked, telepathically. "No, you''re nervous. I''ve already learned and mastered the humannguage awhile back."Marcus bragged. He is currently holding the cat with both his arms. He looked around again and could see stairs that would lead closer to the buildings. He went up and could see wide streets with cars and tons of people passing by the sidewalk. Yes, he was nervous, reading books and being here is totally different. He already changed his clothes when hended on the water awhile ago. He''s wearing a in white shirt, blue-colored pants, and some brandless shoes. ''So...check the lights before crossing the street. Explore the ce. Fit in. Find a decent hotel. These all sound easy'' Marcus thought. "Let''s go find a restaurant and gather information."Nexus suggested. Marcus nodded, Still looking at the surroundings and at the advanced technology. He could see holograms, flying cars, and he could hear people talking about their powers while walking. There are also technologies that were incorporated magic. Asuras were technologically advanced but they didn''t focus on these kinds of technology. They crossed the street and started walking around. They stopped outside a building that said "Myriad Hotel and Restaurant". "Two in one, nice!" Marcus walked straight to the entrance. The doors were automatic. When he got in, he looked around and saw chandeliers hanging on the high ceilings. Smooth white marble floors. Straight ahead was the reception desk and to his left were tables and chairs where people are currently sitting. People seeing him looking around with a shocked expression looked at him with disdain and scoffed. Marcus noticed this but didn''t really mind. He went straight to the receptionist. He was greeted by a woman who had ck hair, well-formed t eyebrows, round eyes, and a pretty smile. Her body looked extremely sexy with her big boobs. She was wearing the hotel uniform which was a color red and white. She looks to be around her mid-twenties. Nexus stared at her. Marcus smiled back at her. "Good morning, could I ask which I am in, country, and city?" Marcus asked. The woman''s smile froze for a second but sheposed herself right away. "Were on Loira in the Ker Republic. Are you lost? Do you want me to call your parents? Oh, and for the city, it''s Levi City." The woman had a gentle tone. She thinks that the kid in front of her is either lost or just ran away from home. And judging from his clothes and how he looks at his surroundings, she could guess that the kid is probably from a smaller and less luxurious city. This was after all Levi City, the closest city to the capital of the country, Ker City. She was also in no ce to judge though. Her magic is only a little below average so she couldn''t find a good job rted to magic, on top of that her family was not rich so she could only afford at most rank 2 magic books, "No need. And no, I''m not lost. How much is a room here?" Marcus asked. The didn''t ring any bells and neither does the country. He could guess that they were in a 3rd rate state Eva, the receptionist was shocked. The kid was asking for a room. "ahem, sir, the rooms here go from 400,000 thousand D Dors up to 3 million." Eva said. Marcus nodded and confirmed that they were in a 3rd rate country. The currencies are divided into 3 for the human race. For 3rd rate countries, they use D Dors. For 2nd rate countries, they use S Dors. 1 S Dor if converted is 1000 D Dors. Lastly, Z Dors, which are mainly used in the 1st rate countries. 1 Z Dor if converted to S Dors is around 1000. "Sir, how bout this, why don''t I refer you to a more affordable hotel which is close by, and if you''ll be short on cash I''ll help you pay. And we''ll have to call your parents too." Eva told the boy. Marcus was dumbfounded. Although he was touched, he didn''t let his guard down. Eva was just worried since she too had a little sister who isn''t so little anymore, and if years ago when they were kids and her sister wandered around alone, she''d be worried. But a bigger reason was she felt a slight familiarity with the two. Marcus shook his head, got the money needed in his pocket dimension, and handed it to her while saying "I would like to take the cheapest room, thank you." Now Eva was astounded. Not only did the kid have money but also had a pocket dimension. She looked around and checked if people were looking in their direction. Seeing that no one paid attention to them, she sighed in relief. They continued the process. Marcus gave his ID which showed that he is 17. Once they finished Eva reminded him, "Don''t casually use your spatial ring in public. There are a lot of people who mighte after you." Marcus thanked her and went to the elevator. He was told that the restaurant was on the second floor. Of course, Marcus didn''t have a spatial ring. That was a pocket dimension provided by the stone. Eva looked at him go shook her head and sighed. Nexus was just silent. ------ "She doesn''t have any malice. No evil thoughts or such when you pulled the money out" Nexus said. ''She''s here'' "That''s rare. 3rd rate countries don''t have a lot of pocket dimensions unless you''reing from a rich family. I''m shocked that she wasn''t enticed by it. I also felt a strong sense of familiarity. But that''s impossible since we have never met her before."Marcus pressed the button for the 2nd floor. "Rare indeed. Her talent in magic is pretty subpar so I could tell she wasn''t from a well-off family. She is cute though. Let me rephrase, she is charming, but she just looks pretty overworked" The cat smiled, but then he got sad when he said thest part. "Before you have any thoughts, I think she''s engaged" Marcus chuckled. "Engaged my ass. She''s single."Nexus licked his paws. "Alright, we can continue this conversation some other time. Let''s head to the restaurant and taste some human food." Marcus walked out of the elevator once the doors opened. He headed to the left and through the automatic doors. He could see a few dozen people eating. He could also see teenagers wearing some kind of cheerleading shirts. Marcus could guess that these were students from a nearby university. He looked for a seat and found one on the left side of the room. The room had white marbled floors. Lanterns hanging on the ceiling. ck chairs, golden-colored table cloth covered the tables, and serene music ying in the background. "It''s not half bad." Nexus telepathically praised. A waiter came and took his order when He and Nexus finished reading the menu and picked a few dishes to try. Pets were allowed inside as long as they aren''t noisy and they don''t cause a ruckus. While waiting for their food, they overheard a conversation from a nearby table. A group of students. They looked like they were around 18 years old. 4 boys and 5 girls. "Dios will definitely win, no doubt. He''s currently a rank 8 Recognition, while Greg is only rank 7" A spiky-haired teen said. "Nothing is ever set in stone. I personally think Greg is pretty strong. Though he is only a rank 7, he is at the peak of it." said a guy a hair tied into a bun. "I''m betting my whole month''s allowance on Dios. That''s how fucking confident I am on him winning!" Said another. "I''ll be doing that too. I''ll support my baby all the way." A girl who was clearly a die-hard fangirl of this Dios guy said while scrolling through her phone. "Fighting aside, we could all agree that Dios has a lot more fans. The ice prodigy is only 19 and is pretty good looking after all." Said a teen with sses. Marcus and Nexus were listening at the side. "Should I join the tournament?" Marcus asked. "No dumbass. It will be like ying with children if you do. What you need is real experience. As you said we''re in a 3rd rate country. Crimes and Corruption are rampant here, simr to lesser Empires in the Heavenly Realm. So, the first thing on our agenda would be to look for trouble with some criminals." Nexus casually exined what they were going to do telepathically. The cat continued "We''ll do it tonight, more crimes are bound to happen at night. I''ll just use my senses and vi. You my friend also need to kill. You need to get used to the sight of blood on your hands and you need to get used to taking lives. You keep talking about taking revenge and whatnot but your hands are still too clean." "Once we''re done here, we''ll rest up in our room and wait for the moon to rise. Then we''ll start piling a few dozen bodies." The cat finished with a devil''s grin. Marcus has been thinking and talking a lot about revenge and killing but he had never killed before. Sure he fought a lot of times but that was during practice. He would only injure his enemies and slightly at that. He was never allowed to go out and temper himself, so he only fought with people who, he knew were holding back in fear of them getting punished by his mother, the Empress. He clenched his fist and said, "Killing huh...Alright, I agree." He''s both nervous and excited. "Here''s your order sir." The waiter approached him and Nexus with their food. Baby back ribs, honey garlic pork chop, lemon chicken pata, and baked salmon with parmesan herb crust. Nexus was drooling. Once the food was set on the table, he immediately pounced on the one he ordered, which is the lemon chicken pata, and began to chow down. Marcus did the same. The surrounding people stared at his cat and shook their heads, seeing how he did not control it very well in a sophisticated ce. But it wasn''t against the rules. As long as pets don''t cause disturbances to other customers then it''s fine. "Although the food can''tpare to the ones up in the heavenly realm, It is still extremely delicious. I can''t believe some people are vegan." Marcusmented. "These are probably meat from what they call rank 2 beasts. Nice subtle attack on vegans by the way." Nexus said while chewing on the bone. They continued eating and already decided to go straight to their rooms. As both of them got closer to the door, they were called by the waiter. Marcus forgot to pay. He was damn hell embarrassed. He went back and pretended to get money from his pocket which was actually from the pocket dimension. He gave it to the waiter, he didn''t forget to tip him. The waiter checked the amount and confirmed it. Marcus then dashed away from the restaurant and went straight to the elevator. He was kind of red from embarrassment hearing the scoffs and murmurs that were thrown at him. "Pshh, teenagers. So what if you forgot to pay. It''s not like you did it on purpose." Nexus chuckled. "Shut up, you don''t know how it feels like you old man!" Marcus cursed at him. "Ha? old man? Bastard, how dare you?! My aging stopped when I got trapped in the Destrucstone. It resumed only when you awakened me. So case and point I''m not even 5000 years old yet!" Nexus eximed. They arrived in front of the elevator. Marcus pressed the button. After a few seconds... *Ding* The elevator door opened. He froze on the spot once he saw the sight in front of him. Chapter 6: Nice Butt Chapter 6: Nice Butt A woman who looks to be in her early twenties went towards the entrance of the hotel. She''s wearing a white sweater, denim jeans, and white shoes with blue lines. She has round eyes, t exotic thin eyebrows, cupids lips, and white skin. Her hair is cut short, only until her lower neck which brushed her shoulders a bit. She''s 5''7 feet(173.736 cm)tall. She has long slender arms, slightly big boobs, and a well-shaped butt. She could not be called a heavenly beauty but she''s way, way above average. If Nexus were here he would give her a 9 and a half. Because he would give heavenly beauties way a score of above 10. Her eyes looked straight at the girl who was working as the receptionist. She approached her and greeted "Hey Sis!" The receptionist smiled at her and asked if she was here to visit her friends. She nodded. The girl was about to dash to the elevator but she first went to the side of the receptionist booth where the entrance was. She called her sister. The girl in a sweater proceeded to hug her older sister tight and went off smiling. Eva''s smile was pretty big too. She then proceeded to go back to work after seeing her sister get on the elevator. ----------------------------------------------------- Marcus stared at the woman in front of him before getting on. He''s staying at the back left corner, while the woman''s staying closer to the buttons of the elevator. Marcus positioned himself here because he was afraid she might hear his heartbeat. Nexus surely noticed this and he startedughing and teased him telepathically "Oh oh oh, the prince of the asura empire has got the hots for some random girl?" "Shut up you stupid cat. I just find her beautiful that''s all." Marcus denied. "There are a lot of beautiful women in the heavenly realm. I don''t recall you getting married or even taking them to your bedroom."Nexus still keptughing. Marcus stayed silent. He thought that this was the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. And seeing her made a warm feeling deep in his heart and soul. He just kept looking at her back. That''s when his eyesnded on her butt. Marcus suddenly blurted out, "Nice butt." Marcus regretted it the moment it came out of his mouth. He felt like the walls were closing in on him. Nexus facepalmed himself. The elevator facepalmed itself. Marcus just wants to find a hole and hide. The woman turned and looked at Marcus with an icy expression and asked "What did you say?" "Help! Nexus do something, anything!" Marcus was shouting practically shouting at Nexus. "I seem to recall a word uttered awhile ago and some derogatory remarks." Nexus licked his paws. "No, no, no, you''re a god, a modern-day messiah, a deity who is respected by all cats, em, all races." Marcus bootlicked to the best of his abilities. ''This kid actually knows how to bow his head and bootlick'' The cat thought. Nexus jumped off this shoulder and went straight to the woman''s legs. He brushed himself to it. The woman''s icy expression melted seeing the cute thing. She picked up the cat and started petting it. Marcus could hear the ''cute'' purrs. He suddenly found himself jealous. Nexus was in the arms of the woman. Marcus is a normal boy who gets attracted to beautifuldies. But he would just look at their beauty and done. Had he ever have this kind of reaction? No. Does he understand why? No. But when he saw her, for the first time, everything was blurry, and all his focus was on her. "I''m sorry for what I said. I didn''t mean it." In the end, Marcus just apologized and made a slight bow. ''If those big shots from the heavenly realm saw this, they''d probably dig their eyes out.'' Nexus thought. The cat was currently enjoying himself in the arms of a beauty. "So you''re saying I don''t have a nice butt?" The woman asked while petting the cat. Seeing a kid getting flustered was kinda cute. And there was something in her soul that was stirring. The boy in front of him cant be considered an extremely good-looking guy but still. "No, you do. The best I''ve ever seen. I''m even extremely tempted to touch it. I mean not touch. But.." Marcus''s voice faded in the end. ''What the fuck is the right answer'' Nexus shook his head, ''No wingman should have to go through this.'' *Ding* Nexus jumped off the woman who was slightly red from Marcus''ment. ''I''m 24. Why am I getting affected by a teenager''s hornyment?'' The woman thought. She walked out of the elevator and didn''t cast ast nce at the boy. But there was something in her soul that wanted to stay. The elevator door closed and it continued to ascend. ----------------------------------------- "HAHAHA, saved by the fucking bell! ''tempted to touch your butt'', Damn it''s a miracle she didn''t punch you." Nexus''s rolling on the floorughing his ass out. "It wasn''t that bad right?" Marcus asked. "Not that bad? not that bad? Bro even the elevator tried its best to save you." Nexus jumped on Marcus'' shoulder and kept talking bout how he messed up. Marcus''s mind was still on the woman. Her scent lingered in the elevator room. He''s hoping to see her again. A few secondster they arrived at their floor. They headed straight to their hotel room. Marcus went to see Carmen while the cat went and watched tv. ''Red strings are really hard to avoid and so are promises. I hope in this lifetime it''ll be different for the two of them and for the two of us, Eva.'' Nexus thought. -------------------------------- Marcus saw Carmen sleeping. Her rosy chubby cheeks were still as pinchable as ever. Marcus sat beside her and fixed her pillows and nket a bit. "Baby sister you have to hurry and wake up. The mortal realm is one hell of a tourist attraction. Though, don''t expect anything luxurious. They can''tpare to the heavenly realm. I also met this girl today. I don''t know why but I feel drawn to her. But I made a mistake. Well, a lot of mistakes but hopefully I''ll see her again. Anyway, I''ll be tempering myself tonight. Soon we''ll head back to the heavenly realm. They want to conquer our empire but we''ll show them who the real conquerors are!" with that, Marcus kissed her forehead and then ported back to the hotel room. ---------------------------------- "Told you nothing bad will happen to her." Nexus said with his head glued to the tv. "Can you spread your sense and find us our first target?" Marcus ignored the cat''s previous statement. "Chill, go and cultivate, get used to the mana here in the mortal realm. It''s still around 12 p.m. noon. We have around 10 hours before we head out." Nexus said. "I did just breakthrough Asura Elite Rank 5 a few weeks ago in the heavenly realm, might as well stabilize the mana in my body. Advancing in the mortal realm will be a lot harder and not to mention slower." Marcusid down on the bed and started circting his mana. "The potions and pills in the alchemy stock room might be able to help. You did stockpile all kinds of medicine and enhancers." Nexus walked to the bathroom while speaking. "A lot of those are unusable for me at my current level of power. I''d probably explode. I''ve already ingested all the ones that needs to be ingested back at the heavenly realm. I could take them again and raise my power but it''ll be detrimental to my future growth." Marcus said while feeling the mana around him. "We could build a business, selling those in some way. Letting those rot in inside that room would be a waste." Nexus came out of the bathroom with a tissue paper stuck to one of his hind legs. Marcus and Nexus looked at each other for a second. "Then we''ll slowly build an empire out of it. It''s going to be one hell of a rocky ride but we could probably make it work. I just need to raise my power level first. Probably when I''ll be able to use my ''Army Maniption'' " Marcus caught on to his idea. "Exactly! Just as I said, one step at a time. We''ll not limit ourselves here. We''ll expand to the other races." Nexus happily daydreamed. "No. Most of the areas in the other races are tightly controlled. Humans on the other hand arent since the people from the heavenly realm already had fun with them a long time ago." Marcus exined. "But we''ll still explore those ces. We''ll just need to be low-key. Executing this n would need a lot of blood to be spilled." Marcus ended with a sigh. "Every strong empire was built on piles of bodies. How bout this, just choose who deserves to be killed, it''s easy." Nexus was pretty excited about the idea. "We''ll see. Though, I do wanna see that girl again." Marcus opened his eyes and sat down. He still couldn''t stop thinking about the woman. "Shit I forgot to ask her name!" Marcus cried. "You forgot a lot of things, sigh" Nexus as he continued to watch tv. Chapter 7: Tempering While Piling Bodies Chapter 7: Tempering While Piling Bodies 9:55 P.M. Marcus stretched. He just had the first decent sleep since he left the Asura Empire. Nexus was still watching shows on the tv. Changing channels from time to time. With the tissue paper still stuck to his hind leg "Red or ck?" Marcus got a rank 2 robes from his pocket dimension and asked Nexus. "Whichever works for you." Nexus didn''t even turn his head. Marcus settled with the red robe. He went to the bathroom to check out how it looks on him. "Have your mother ever taught you how to flush?!" Marcus''s voice echoed from the bathroom. "You have no proof!" Nexus yelled. "If you wanna stay in this room, learn to be civilized!" Marcus went out of the bathroom removing his red hooded robe. He just wanted to see what he looked like. He got the clothes we wore this morning and put them on. He ced the rank 2 red robe back inside his pocket dimension for now. Nexus banned him from using strong magical items. What''s the use of tempering if one is being too dependent on magical items. Plus, all the items he brought were past rank 12. And most of them were defensive items. He couldn''t use any of the offensive items since he''s not strong enough. These are things you wouldn''t see in the Mortal Realm. Except for a few rank 2 hooded robes and rank 2 masks. ''Toys'' that he casually threw in. ----------------------------------------- Marcus went down to the lobby with a cat on his shoulders. Nexus looked at the receptionist''s desk but got disappointed. The receptionist already changed, it wasn''t Eva anymore. Marcus noticed this and poked the cat''s belly. "I thought you were more into catgirls?" "Hmm...There is nothing really happening nearby. We should walk around. The city is pretty big, a lot can happen down dirty alleyways." Nexus changed the topic. "It''s like I didn''t even notice." Marcus went straight to the door and to the sidewalk. There were still a lot of people and flying cars roaming around. "So we just walk?" Marcus asked telepathically conversed with Nexus as usual when they are in a public ce. "Simple as that. Or we could ride a cab, it''s not like you''re broke." The cat looked left and right. They have a soul connection. which means they can talk in their heads. The nightlife in the city is pretty good. Being one of the biggest cities in the Ker Republic, it''s a given. ------------------------------------ Around 30 minutester while riding the cab, Nexus told him that there were targets close to the docks. 4 people were currently trying to break into the ce where the crates were stored. Nexus''s senses can only spread up to 3 kilometers. Nexus might not be at the Commander stage but he could already spread out his senses. The stronger Marcus gets, the stronger he, the cat gets. Or more like the chains in his body will start to loosen. "3 are at rank 3 Elite and thest one is a rank 4 Elite. Grab a vehicle in your pocket dimension and full speed ahead." Nexus said. "Dude we''re going to continue taking the cab." Marcus then asked the driver to head to a location close to the docks. It took around 2 minutes to arrive. Once they got there, Nexus informed Marcus that the robbers are already inside the building. He hurriedly paid the driver. Waited for it to drive away, and then proceeded to go to the docks while taking out his red robes. "Alright, have fun. But not too much fun." Nexus said while flying off Marcus''s shoulder. Marcus turned into lightning which is a technique called "Lightning Form". Right now he could only travel short distances since his mastery over the technique is still at Prying Stage plus his rank is still low. At most he could travel around 80 meters at a time. No cooldown and it''s totally dependent on mana. Marcus arrived close to the storage room for the crates. Vermillion lightning coursing through his arms and then his whole body. He dashed inside the storage room hungry for battle. -------------------------------- The men were currently opening crates as if they were looking for something specific. "Damn it we''re running out of time. Where the fuck are those diamonds?" One of them cursed. These kinds of boxes block senses. No one wants people prying in their belongings. The thing with senses is that, if you''re not subtle with it you''ll get caught. Especially if you use your senses to investigate other people or belongings close to them. "If you use your hands and eyes more instead of your mouth, we might have found it already." Said another. "Someone''sing." The ranked 4 Elite stopped searching. "That was faster than I expected." The first guy turned to look at the entrance. Followed by the rest of them. They saw a person in a red hood standing about 5''7 feet tall. His hands were being danced around by what looked like red-ish colored lightning. The person waved his hands. Vermillion colored bolts of lightning were suddenlying right at them. "Rank 4 Elite? No way! We were told the strongest ones guarding here were rank 3." One of them cried in rm. The 4 of them were all wearing masks of the same color and clothes of the same color. All ck. They mistook Marcus for a rank 4 Elite. ------------------------------------- One guy was to the left of Marcus, one to the right, and two in the middle. He dashed straight towards the center. One of them was skilled with the earth element and made a wall in front which he used to defend. But Marcus used ''Lightning Form'' to sidestep and quickly went behind them. The other one who was also in the center turned towards him and attacked with a spell called ''Fire Pir'', A pir of mes rose from the ground. The rank 4 who was on the right side can control metal. He gestured to the metals that were hanging on the ceiling and it suddenly came off. Loud sounds could be heard, but he didn''t care, he just wanted to finish this fight and run as fast as possible. Thest one uses water. He''s currently aiming waternces at the person with the red robes but couldn''t get a clear shot. Marcus made sure to stick close to his enemies. Unless their teammates at the side didn''t care about the ones in the center then they wouldn''t dare rashly attack and would just patiently wait for an opening which Marcus is trying his best to not give them. Marcus kicked the one who could use mes, he turned around and shot a lightning bolt at the one that could use earth magic who was only around 3 meters away from him. He immediately zipped towards the fire guy after he saw the lightning bolt knocking the earth user who had earth armor on. This was the difference between magic books. Although the earth guy is also a rank 3 Elite, his defensive spell could notpare to godly offensive spells that were provided by the Godly Vermillion Bolts. Marcus continued harassing the one who could control fire when suddenly arge metal pole was headed straight towards his back at extreme speed. He tried transforming but it was toote. He was trapped in a water bubble together with the guy who controls fire. He could still try to break out of it, but the metal pole was speeding in. He underestimated how unscrupulous these people can be. The one who can control earth magic is still down, he just received a hit in close quarters. It was Marcus''s turn to receive a direct hit. "Fucking rat." The ranked 4 metal guy cursed at him. The rank 4 Elite controlled other metals too. He started hitting and throwing them at Marcus. The cat who was high in the air was currently enjoying his popcorn while this was all happening. "Better hurry up, people areing." Nexus sent a telepathic message to Marcus, seeing that people from the docks were alerted by the noise. Marcus who was currently wobbly tried to block and dodge to the best of his abilities. He transformed into lightning when saw an opening and went close to the entrance. "Bite off more than you can chew?" The ranked 4 Eliteughed together with the water user. The one who uses earth magic stood up and fixed his earth armor. While the fire user is still having a hard time standing up. ''I was actually loosing to a bunch of mortals, fuck I still have a long way to go!'' Marcus was mad at himself. He does still have a long way to go. His eyes vermillion eyes glowed and his arms turned red. He then activated the Stone of Destruction which is embedded in his soul. He and his attacks now gave an aura of destruction. The 4 people who were in front of him could feel the sudden changes in the air. Part of the roof already copsed. Under the pale moon, the men''s focus was on the glowing vermillion eyes of the person in front of them. Marcus activated ''Lightning Form'' and went straight to the one using water magic. He transformed back and sent a fist which was covered in lightning to the guy''s head. The water user could not move a muscle. He could feel an aura heavily oppressing him. He could feel that whatever he''s going to do will be all for naught because it will still lead to his destruction. The fistnded and his head exploded. The remaining ones were shocked. The dude who could control fire started shooting fireballs. Marcus just dodged every time and poured lightning bolts on him. The earth user tried cing an earth armor on him but it was useless. He got fried and turned into a crisp. Everything in Marcus''s path was destroyed. Marcus proceeded to the guy with the earth armor on. The same thing happened to him. Now all that''s left is the metal user. He showed fear in his eyes and tried running away. But Marcus easily caught up. "Sir I believe we have not done anything to you. Why would you want to make an enemy out of us?" The guy asked shaking seeing the person''s eye and arm colors. "Because I''m tempering myself, and you''re the first ones I saw," Marcus replied. He then proceeded to rain lightning bolts at the guy. Marcus looked around and saw everything was destroyed. He looked at the ones he just killed and before any emotions could surface a shout was heard from the entrance. "FREEZE!" Around 10 people arrived. Before they could do anything, Marcus already zipped away. All they saw was a person in red robes and glowing vermillion eyes. ----------------------------------- A few kilometers away from the docks. Marcus was sitting on the ground looking at his hands and muttered "I killed someone, I mean, I killed some people." "There''s always a first. Don''t think too much about it." Nexus replied while going back to his shoulders. "That''s not it. What I mean is I killed them but I don''t feel anything. No pity for them, no nothing. But it still feels heavy thinking that maybe they have a family who relies on them." Marcus looked at the cat beside him. Nexus chuckled. "Are you even listening to yourself right now? You said you were going to conquer the heavenly realm, raze empires, and shit. But after killing a few mortals, that''s your reaction? Man up!" Marcus just stayed silent. He stared at the ground for a few minutes then looked at the sky and released a sigh. After a few more minutes of silence, Marcus said "You''re right, my path is going to be bloody. I just need time to get used to it, that''s all." Nexus nodded " That''s good. But, don''t forget about your humanity. Know when to kill and know when to stop. Know who to kill and who to spare. If people treated you or your family like shit then double that when you get the power to. When people treated you kindly when you''re down or just treated you kindly, go the extra mile to repay them. It''s that simple." Marcus nodded "Let''s go." The night went on and more bodies kept falling. Chapter 8: A Rich Kid in Trouble Chapter 8: A Rich Kid in Trouble Marcus changed back into his old clothes. He just depleted around 40% of his mana awhile ago. Nexus suggested for them to go to and grab ate-night snack, to which Marcus agreed. They both went to a 24-hour donut ce. *Cling* Marcus opened the door with Nexus perched up on his shoulders. "I would like to have 4 pieces of your zed donuts and," Marcus looked at the cat. Nexus was practically drooling. He looked at every single one of the donuts on disy. "and two pieces of everything you have avable. Oh, and arge iced tea." Marcus finished his order which shocked the guy standing behind the counter. Marcus handed the money and went to find a seat near the window. They had to wait for a bit for they ordered quite a lot. Well, a lot. It''s currently 11:30 pm, but there were still around 3 other people here. Marcus sat down and Nexus jumped off his shoulders to sit on the other side of the table and began licking his paws. "We should go to the capital of this country." Nexus said. "We''ll discuss thister on. We just arrived here this morning and it''s our first day in the mortal realm. Also, you need to read more about humans." Marcus said while tapping a finger on the table and looking outside the window. "So it''s about the girl?" Nexus knew his idea would be shut down. "Partly I guess. But I should stick around for a bit." Marcus said. "And excuse me, I do read about humans. I know that right now we''re like cops. Eating donuts after a job. Oh, and we should totally buy a stakeout van, or maybe just a car." Nexus bbered. While they are conversing telepathically, something big was happening a few blocks away. ------------------------------------------- A male teen who looked no older than 21 is sprawling on the ground. He is Leo, the heir to a big corporation that sells beast cores at 2nd rate countries. He hasBlond hair, straight brows, monolid eyes, and has a diamond-shaped face. His hair which could have been tied to a bun was disheveled. A handsome guy. Around 30 minutes ago he and his security detail were ambushed. His guards wereposed of 4 Commanders who were in middle-rank 3 died. Leo could guess that one of his brothers sent these assassins. There were around 8 rank 1 peak Commanders and around 10 or so early to peak rank 9 Elite. Leo''s guards did their best. They threw out different kinds of magic items to aid them. But it was all useless. The number of skilled assassins overwhelmed them. Plus the assassins had magic items of their own. Even the people guarding Leo in the dark were also killed before they could call for help. The Ker Republic sent people to guard Leo. If anything happens to him in their country, they''ll most likely have to answer to the ones behind him. The assassins of course paid a heavy price. To kill the people guarding Leo they lost almost all of their group. Only 2 of themanders remained. Plus one was heavily injured. The assassins'' orders were to take the young master of the vus Corporation. "My brother really wants my seat aye? Even go as far as hiring Commander assassins from Spider Den." Leo looked at the two remaining assassins. They both have masks on with a blue spider draw on the forehead part with a red mark on its butt. Spider Den are notorious in 2nd rate countries. Assassinations, kidnapping,rceny, you name it. "Andre bag this boy up!" Said the man who had no top left, only tattered pants. He''s drenched in blood and cuts. The guy could hardly stand up, and there was a deep cut on his back. He''s the guy who''s heavily injured, and also the guy who activated a magic item that surrounds a certain area so that the sound of the fighting was contained. Andre, the guy wearing a sleeveless ck shirt, who was in front of him, got something from his spatial ring. In 2nd rate states, it wasn''t really hard to get spatial rings, nes, and stuff. All you need is money. Suddenly Andre heard the guy behind him scream. ----------------------------------------- When the fight was going on, around a few blocks away on a certain donut shop. "Did you know that this is one of the oldest donut shops of the human race. And the main shop is located in the 1st rate state?" Said the guy who delivered the donuts to their table. Guessing that its probably their first time. "Yes, I believe this originated when the human race all still lived on Earth. Krispy ---" Marcus was about to have a conversation with the water but Nexus cut him off. "Hurry up and stop yapping." Nexus said. "Rude," Marcus said while grabbing a tissue and a donut then proceeded to munch it. The dude who delivered the donut already walked away. They munched and munched until around 25 minutester they finished eating. Well, Marcus finished his earlier since he only ordered a few. "Why''d you make me rush?" Marcus got a tissue and wiped his mouth. "Come, they''re almost done." Nexus jumped onto his shoulder and told him to go and run in a certain direction as fast as possible. Flying can only be learned when you reach the Asura Preparation for Asuras and Preparation Stage for other races. Or if you''re skilled in wind magic you could float a few meters above the ground before the said ranks. "Could you at least make me float and help me speed up if we''re really in a hurry?" Marcus asked while running. "Now what''s the fun in that? And we still have time. Oh, and do you really think I can make you float?" Nexus floated beside him. Flying in certain parts of cities is prohibited but floating isn''t. As long as you don''t use it to peep on building windows or disrupt other people. A few minutester they arrived at a ce where they could see a lot of people on the ground. hid in a nearby alley from a building that was still standing. "Quick, activate your Destrucstone and hide your presence." Nexus reminded. Marcus nodded and did what the cat told him. One by one Marcus watched as the people who were fighting in front of him fall. "Fuck, onlymanders are left standing. You want me to fight them?" Marcus asked. "Just wait, we''re the fishermen here." Nexus said. A few secondster, someone teleported behind a guy and used a spell before dying. It left a deep cut at that person''s back. Only two were left standing. "Don''t be careless, though those two are injured, they''re stillmanders." Nexus reminded. Marcus circted his mana, he then made vermillion colored lightning course through his arms. He dashed to where the field of battle was. Marcus raised his hand to the sky and brought it down. Lightning with an aura of destruction appeared in the sky and was dancing towards the man a meter in front of him. "AHHHHHH" the man screamed in pain. He hardly had any strength left to stand, much more dodge. He fell down, it was unknown if he was dead or alive. Marcus was not satisfied with that. He smiled, raised both his arms and this time did it with gusto. Vermillion colored lightning crackled in the sky which was heading straight to the man. Lightning boltsnded on the man''s body. He died. The other one who''s the only guy left standing looked at Marcus in shock. Marcus already changed into his red robes in the alleyway. ''There is still one more? How sly of them.'' Andre thought. Andre had t top hair. He was wondering where this peak rank 9 Elite was hiding. Marcus transformed into lightning and zipped in front of the guy. He then punched Andre. But his fist went through. Marcus looked at the guy and was confused at first but then he remembered the power where people could pass through things. Perfect magic for assassins. Andre, though he could be seen, was intangible. When people with powers like these activate their skills they fade away a bit but not totally invisible. They then bepletely intangible. The blond guy at the side looked at the two who were fighting. Thinking that he was saved, he stood up and ran towards a building that was still left standing in the area. Marcus released a bolt of lightning from his palms and shot it out to Andre. Andre once again activated his skill. He got closer to Marcus who was trying his best to keep a certain distance. He''s not stupid enough to fight this guy in close quarters. Marcus kept moving. Andre would often disappear from the battlefield and go through the streets and appear close to Marcus. Marcus''s eyes glowed vermillion, he once again released a bolt from his hands. He also tried summoning lightning from the sky. But it all missed. ''Fuck, no wonder this guy survived the battle that happened awhile ago.'' Marcus thought. They both fought crossing a few blocks in the process. Marcus got careless. Andre, who was closing in,nded a punch. Marcus got propelled upwards to a motel room. There he saw a man and a woman doing ate night fuck. The guy had slick-back hair. He looked at Marcus whonded close to the bed. The girl quickly got the nket to cover herself. Marcus looked at them for a second. He stood up and went back out. "Damn you suck." He heard a familiar voice that sounded in his mind. "Fuck off!" Marcus'' irritated voice sounded in the cat''s mind. "Is that all you Ker''s got. HAHAHA" Andre mocked seeing Marcus''s state. Marcus''s hooded robe got close to being destroyed so he made sure to grab a mask from his pocket dimension. Marcus looked at the guy. He clenched his fist. His asura bloodline is boiling. He wants to rip this guy to shreds. Marcus tried his best to calm himself down and think straight, his mother always told him not to let emotions take control of his judgment. He began to remember a few details from the fight. Andre would use the skill/technique which would turn him intangible and then would deactivate it after a few short seconds especially after going through walls and roads. He also remembered how Andre could havended a lethal blow if he didn''t deactivate the technique awhile ago. Andre''s hand could have gone through his body instead of propelling him backward. ''It''s not that he didn''t want tond that lethal blow, but he couldn''t. He ran out of time. He managed to survive the fight which happened before this so that means his mana is running low. '' Marcus analyzed. "Let''s see who runs out of mana first!" Marcus yelled and jumped off the motel room. He began throwing spells after spells which Andre easily dodged. Andre got worried now. It''s true that he couldn''t maintain his intangible state for long periods of time. And every time he does it, a prettyrge portion of his mana would be used by the second. Marcus continued to barrage him at a distance. He created a lightning javelin and threw it at Andre, one after another. He too was running out of mana. But he didn''t care. He could still fight in closebat after this now that he figured out the guy''s trick. After a few seconds. Marcus zipped forward, he transformed into a vermillion colored lightning, and arrived in front of Andre. He punched Andre but he once again turned intangible. "Stupid!" Andre mocked. "Die!" Marcus yelled. Lightning covered the ground close to him. It kept dancing below him which was enough to affect the person standing close to Marcus. Anywhere around 1 meter close to him will get affected by the lightning that was dancing on the ground. Andre ran out of time. He''s now standing on lightning which was dancing on the ground at the will of Marcus. He was already injured from the fight before, although he was not badly injured, he still took a couple of hits from magical items which had an aoe effect. Marcus took advantage of this and proceeded to punch him to the head. His fist was covered in dancing lightning. A few more hits and Andre died. Marcus breathed heavily. That took a lot out of him. He only had around 5% of mana left. "Go to the blonde kid and tell him that he''s going to owe you a favor which you would collect in the future. He must be some son of a big shot if lots of Commanders are involved. We just saved a rich kid in trouble, we should at least get somepensation in the future for this." Nexus said. Marcus nodded. They were going to do business in the future and having some backing might help. Marcus arrived at the ce where the blonde guy was hiding. "Sir thank you for saving me. My name is Leo and I swear on my name to repay you." Leo bowed. "Just remember you owe me a favor." Marcus zipped away after saying that. Leo looked at the vermillion lightning with tears in his eyes. He survived. Now he''s going to let the person who was behind this, pay! Chapter 9: Nexus and Eva Chapter 9: Nexus and Eva Nexus and Marcus rendezvoused away from the battlefield that was now littered with cops. They arrived at a secluded part near the bay area. Marcus wasn''t that bloody. He only received a few hits. But the robe was destroyed. "I should probably buy some proper gear that''s crafted by humans." Marcus said while burning the red robes. He then proceeded to clean himself up and grab a new set of clothes from his pocket dimension. "How was your first night fighting in the mortal realm? Good yes? Satisfying?" Nexus asked. "Yes, and the rush during a real fight is amazing. When you''re fighting for your life and your opponent is fighting for his. Especially when nearing the end and you see the helplessness in your enemy''s eyes." Marcus experienced a lot tonight which were all new to him. These were things he didn''t get to experience in the heavenly realm. "That''s why you don''t have to go to a university. They don''t teach these kinds of things there. Real experience can only be gained on a true battlefield. Universities will just dump schoolpetitions on you or maybe let you temper once in a blue moon. That''s not what you need." Nexus said as he happily rolled on the ground. "Won''t I get better connections if I go to universities?" Marcus asked. "Connections smections, this is a third world country. Simr to the heavenly realm, there are a lot of ways you can make connections in these parts of town." Nexus went in front of Marcus and continued "Besides we got to talk about your fights tonight." "Lay em on me." Marcus didn''t mind being lectured as long as it would help him improve. Also, the cat already proved himself to be useful a couple of times ever since he got the ''Destrcstone'', and he also epted him as a friend ever since he gave him the advice when they were in the stone. "First, don''t forget that if you could perform a sneak attack like the one you did on the injured Commander, which of course only worked because he could hardly stand and he had little to no mana, then do it. What you did when fighting with the people in the storage room was total garbage and that means you''re garbage! What''s with the shy entrance? There were two low ranked dogs in the middle which you could have easily killed right away if you were more subtle." Marcus''s eyes twitched. Lecturing was okay, but being called garbage was another. He, a prince of a leading empire in the heavenly realm, was called garbage. "Alright, shut up!" Marcus kicked the cat which easily dodged. "I''m not done. Second, use your fucking brain! It took you forever to realize that intangible guy''s weakness. You were just throwing attacks here and there. I know you''re hungry for battle bute on man, what''s the use of your brain if you don''t use it in a fight. As your mother said, don''t let your emotions take the wheel. Can you really be a conqueror? With that kind of fighting, you won''t be able to help your mother and help your empire from its predicament. " Nexus again started lecturing, making sure to poke his soft spots "I said shut up!" Marcus shouted. His vermillion eyes glowed. The destructive aura started to leak out of his body. "See, that''s what I told you. Control your temper. Jokes aside, just keep fighting and learn to adapt." Nexus finished with that and jumped on Marcus''s shoulder "Let''s go get a cab." Marcus tried to calm down a bit. He did three long breaths. "You''re right." They walked towards the street to grab a cab and head straight to the hotel. -------------------------------- The next morning, Marcus woke up. He sat up and saw Nexus watching television. His body still felt sore. He didn''t drink any healing potions because Nexus and people from the Heavenly Realm advised him not to. He didn''t have any severe injuries so heplied. He stood up and went to the bathroom. "News report. Last night a group of people were killed at the docks. The police identified them to be a part of a gang. The guards at the docks said that they saw a man wearing a red hood and had red glowing eyes who most likely stopped the men from the gang. For what reason they don''t know. The police are now looking for clues on who the person is." A female reporter said. The reporter continued "Later that night, another killing incident happened. This time one could call it a full-blown massacre. There were more than 20 people dead on the scene. Leo vus the heir of vus corporation was said to be the victim of an assassination attempt that the people who are on the groundmitted. He also said that he was saved by a man who was wearing red robes. Who is this man? Where did hee from? And what will he do next? Back to you." "Thank you, ra, and next up, the police chief of Levi City has something to say about this vignte." A middle-aged man sitting on a backless chair said. The camera changed its view to the tv beside the man and zoomed in. It had no video, only a voice of a man could be heard. "People are now starting to call him a vignte on social media. I, however, disagree. He is currently in the city, the events that happened were in the city. That makes it the job of the police. He is no more than a killer. So don''t start calling him a vignte or else it wi---" Nexus changed the channel. "I''m famous," Marcus said while going out of the bathroom. "We''ll be at this for a couple more days. I would love to see their reaction then. Oh and we''re going out. Didn''t you say you wanted to explore the city?" Nexus said while switching channels. "I was nning to hole up here until tonight. I thought you were enjoying some tv?" Marcus asked. He did want to go out but his body was sore. "Yeah but the good stuff I like aren''t gonna show up until this afternoon." Nexus said. "Who told you that? You haven''t even seen whates on before lunch." Marcus picked his shirt up which was on the floor. "It''s called the ''The Inte''. They got all kinds of stuff there." Nexus said "I know what the inte is. Fine, I''ll go and take a bath, and check on Carmen, then we''ll head down." Marcus went to the bathroom again. He was in a pretty good mood today, factoring out the fact that his body was sore. The events that happenedst night and how much experience he gained was still fresh in his mind. -------------------------------------------- Going down to the hotel lobby they saw Eva again. Marcus saw Nexus dashing straight towards her. Eva seeing Marcus again waved her hand. She could already guess that this young man is from a wealthy family who just ran away from home. Well, she was partly right. She also saw a cute cat running towards her. The cat jumped on the table and looked at her. She petted the cat and it purred. The cat went closer to her so she embraced it. "Aren''t you a cute one?" Eva rubbed her face against the cat. "Thank you," Marcus replied. Eva giggled at what he said. "I''m Marcus by the way, and that''s Nexus. It''s good to see you again Ms. Eva." Marcus greeted with a slight nod at the end. "It''s good to see you again too Marcus" Eva smiled at him. *meow* "And you too Nexus." Eva hugged the cat a bit tighter when she said that. Seeing that Nexus had no ns to go yet, Marcus conversed with Eva "Ms. Eva are you a cat person?" "Well, I like almost anything that''s cute. Except for lizards. I can''t stand lizards. I mean, some people think that lizards are cute but I guess I''m just not one of those. Pretty much the same with my sister." Eva said. "I bet your sister is as pretty as you Ms. Eva" Marcus said. "Aren''t you a smooth talker? Yes, she is extremely pretty, even prettier than I am." Eva said. Praising her sister''s beauty. Eva could have been a lot more beautiful but she had dark eyebags beneath her eyes. Marcus could guess that these are due to her working too hard. If she weren''t working too hard and stressed all the time then she''d be one hell of a beauty which Nexus would rate 9 and a half. Though Nexus would probably rate her above 10 no matter what. If she would rest a lot more and be less stressed, then she''d totally be on par with her sister. "Leave me here." Nexus telepathically said. "Wait, don''t tell me that you actually like Miss Eva? You shit show of a cat. What the fuck happened to, exploring the city?" Marcus really can''t connect the dots. He thought this cat only dig catgirls "Miss Eva looks like Nexus wants to stay with you. I''ll be leaving for a while." Marcus waved his hand and started walking to the door. "Are you sure you want to leave him here? Oh and also call me Big Sister." Eva said while hugging Nexus. She did feel a slight familiarity with the cat and with Marcus. It''s like she doesn''t wanna let go. She just doesn''t know why. "I''m sure. Cya!" Marcus went through the door and Eva stood there looking at Nexus. Their eyes met and there was a look of mncholy in the cat''s eyes. Chapter 10: Shopping Chapter 10: Shopping Marcus walked on the sidewalk. The sun is high up bright in the sky. This isn''t something Marcus was used to, he also didn''t like it. On the where the Asura Empire was situated, they do have a sun but it wasn''t as bright. On that, the weather gives you a gloomy vibe if you''re a tourist since it''s dark and cloudy during the day. It''s a lot more beautiful during the night though. Today Marcus made a to-do list in his mind. He has to buy clothes, explore human buildings that he only saw in books, and hopefully know more about the human race first-hand. Marcus walked around and saw a variety of things. This is only his second day in the mortal realm so his curiosity still needs to be filled. He saw people passing by, using different kinds of technologies while some conversed with their friends. ''I should also buy those types of technology where I can call people at a distance, simr to the ones used in the heavenly realm.'' Marcus thought. He added it to his to-do list. He continued to walk around and found a building that sells clothes. He looked at the huge sign outside that has a huge ''LV'' sign. He went in and saw different types of clothes, bags, and other things that were crafted by humans. Marcus went to check shirts and long sleeves first. He went to the aisle and started picking things out. But he was having a hard time looking for the things he wanted. Which colors humans think goes with which. A salesdy went up to him and asked, " Hi sir, how may I help you?" Marcus paused for a bit when he looked at her. ''There''s that feeling again.'' "Uhmm, which colors work well together? I mean which should I pick? or which would look good on me?" Marcus asked, holding a bunch of long sleeve polos with different colors. The saledy became puzzled a bit on how to answer but sheposed herself and said, "Sir it would be best if you choose something that would fit your taste. But in my opinion, a goodbination would be dark blue long-sleeved polo and faded khaki pants. That would look good on you sir, but what would look even better would be ck long-sleeved polo and ck smart trousers. It also matches perfectly with your hair." The saledy ended with a professional smile. She has straight ck hair, straight brows, and almond-shaped eyes that are color green. She also has a petite body with huge tits. One could say that she''s sexy and her face looked pretty young. Around 21 years old. Marcus touched his vermillion hair and thought '' Damn, I need to cut my hair again.'' "Thank you, would please you give me 20 of those long sleeves and 20 pants, please". Marcus smiled. "20 sir? of those dark blue and ck long sleeves, khaki and ck smart trousers?" The saledy''s eyes went a bit wide. These kinds of orders weren''t something you see every day. "No, just the ck long sleeves and pants, thank you". Marcus said, turning his back to look at other stuff. He stopped and turned his head to the saledy who was about to walk and said "On second thought, please include the blue long sleeves and khaki pants, and yes, 20 of those too." Thedy went to get the clothes he requested while Marcus looked at different kinds of bags, belts, and shoes. After a few minutes, the saledy came back and told Marcus that she ced the things near the counter. Marcus thanked her and proceeded to pick up a couple of belts, ck shoes, and brown shoes. He went to the counter. still looking around if he missed anything that he wanted to buy. The saledy saw this and suggested, "Sir, maybe you want to buy a zer?" Marcus thought for a while. He remembered that these things were the ones you ce over your clothes. He nodded and asked for the color ck. The salesdy suggested other things and Marcus said no to most of them except for a tux and a perfume. He might need it in the future. Marcus asked how much everything was but the saledy said that she didn''t know and it would be shown at the counter. In front of the counter, Marcus waited for the woman to finish. A few secondster, she told him the price and was expecting to be handed a card or for Marcus to use a phone or watch and just scan. Since you can connect it with your bank ount. But was instead handed a pile of cash. "I have yet to buy those kinds of stuff. Would you happen to know where I could get them?" Marcus turned to the saledy. "You can buy mobile devices and smartwatches across the street, and you would need a bank ount to use your phone or watch to pay." In this era where a watch has the same function as a phone people now prefer watches since a UI would spring up when you turn on the watch. "Thank you so much for your help" Marcus bowed his head slightly. He then grabbed the numerous bags that were filled with his new clothes and stuff. He didn''t ce them in his pocket dimension since there were a lot of people. He proceeded to walk away. Before he went out of the entrance, he nced at the bulletin-like thing at the side and continued. "He didn''t tip you?" The one on the counter asked. "No, but it''s fine" The saledy smiled and went back to her work. Her mind though was still on the guy she helped. She wanted to grab him and hug him for no apparent reason. -------------------------------- 2 hourster Marcus went out of the bank. He ced tons of money in his bank ount which alerted a lot of people. ''That took a while damn.'' Marcus thought. He got a bit impatient at the bank for being so slow. It only took him a few minutes to get a watch. Yes, he settled with a watch. He then asked the guy to teach him how to use it and how to send money. "Now for that thing". Marcus mumbled. He operated the watch and went to the LV website. After a while of tapping, he smiled and thought ''Why do I feel attracted to her too? Are these just hormones?'' The warm attitude he experienced from her was different from other people which made him look at her a bit differently. He continued in his way holding a bunch of things from LV. ------------------------------------- Trina, the saledy was shocked. She just received a message that said she got tipped arge amount of money. Enough for her to lord around any 2nd state and could make her a rich woman in a 1st rate state. She checked the bottom of the message and checked the message attached which said ''Thank you for your help, I hope we could see each other again if fate allows it.'' Her legs went shaky. She already knew who tipped her. She just helped him pick a few clothes and got this in return. Her mind is still processing what happened. In this era, if you want to tip someone, especially people who are working in bigpanies, their info is on the door and how to tip them. When you tip them thepany will not know directly unless they ask the bank and the bank snoops through the records. She of course kept quiet about this. After her mind calmed a bit, she began to grow excited. Trina though was very happy right now, hoped to see the vermillion-haired teen again. -------------------------------------- Marcus who was walking around felt hungry. He stopped by at a nearby restaurant and ate a couple of dishes. The bags are starting to be a problem. So after the meal, he looked for a good ce to throw them in his pocket dimension. ''I should probably buy a car. Those magazines I''ve seen have a lot of good looking ones. Plus I don''t even need to learn how to drive, It could drive by itself. Hmmm, maybe next time.'' Marcus thought while walking. His hands were finally free. He keeps using his new watch and searching for a lot of stuff. Marcus kept walking and ended with a group of people. They looked the same age as him. The group of teenagers wore the same jacket and the same mark on the left side. Marcus could guess that these were students. "Our next stop is a museum, for those who need to go to the bathroom they have on there." A middle-aged man with sses said. Marcus heard that and looked at the building that was close to him. He smiled. He wanted to know more about the human race, so museums are actually one of the best ideas. The group was huddled together and Marcus just situated himself at the back. The outside part of the museum was white and there were a fewrge pirs. The tiles outside were grey and the entrance was wide. Marcus followed them inside while maintaining a short distance. The inside part had an antique vibe. The floor was brown, some parts of the walls were covered with oak wood. And the space inside was huge. A few paintings, inventions, sculptures could be seen once you go in. But there were holographic signs that point out specific ces where the more important designs were situated. Marcus looked around. This was the history of humans. He heard that people from the heavenly realm went down and interacted with the humans a long time ago. He wanted to see the records and the marks they left behind. Chapter 11: Rebellious and Prodigal Son Chapter 11: Rebellious and Prodigal Son "Please be careful and don''t touch anything. If one of you ever destroys something here, although you will be held liable, the school''s reputation is still on the line." Said the one who was leading the group of students. Marcus looked at the paintings and inventions. These were things he saw in some of the old books that were in the Heavenly Realm. "Are these things here the original?" A student asked. "No they are not, but they are still made by famous artists. You best be careful." The middle-aged man warned. After the middle-aged man said that, Marcus separated himself from them. He walked on the smooth brown flooring. One could see that they were really well cleaned. Marcus could guess that this was one of the tourist attractions of this ce since they put in a lot of effort to maintain it. He continued walking towards the ce where there were only paintings. These were not the originals and are only copies. They still do ce them in museums for both a tourist attraction and it is also educational for the students. Marcus walked towards a painting. In the painting, a humanoid figure could be seen standing. It was colored red. It had 6 arms and 3 heads. All of those heads have faces. There was also a small description at the bottom. "Asuras are beings with 3 heads and 4 to 6 arms. They are seen to have the color red all over their body. In legends, it said that Asuras are extremely evil. They seek power and do whatever they can to get it. They are also both sinful and materialistic. These beings cannot be trusted. They''re total opposites of Devas." Marcus read. ''What in god''s name did my rtives do when they came here? Don''t tell me they actually tried to destroy humanity or something? They probably got into a fight with the Devas. Damn, if this is how people see Asuras I''d best hide the fact that I''m one for now. But as soon as I get stronger, hehehe'' Marcus thought to himself and started to daydream. Marcus moved on to other paintings. They depicted a lot of different stuff and a few of them were pertainings of legends. After a few more minutes he decided that it''s time to go to the other parts of the museum. While going back, he saw the group of students again. They were crowing over a painting. He went closer to look at it. In the painting, he could see a group of people on a long table who were sitting. There was food and drinks on the table. It also shows people talking to each other. "This is thest supper. The painting in which depicts thest meal Jesus had with his apostles." A museum guide said, who was standing next to the middle-aged man who was most likely the teacher of the students. "Would anyone want to tell me who Jesus was and who his apostles were?" The guide asked. No one raised their hands. There was only silence. After a few more seconds a hand was raised from the crowd. The guide adjusted his sses and pointed at the person who raised his hand and asked"Yes, you. Would you like to share some of your knowledge with us?" "Well, for starters he was dubbed as the rebellious child of the heavenly realm. The pressure his father put on him was too much so he went away and ran towards Earth where he almost destroyed a happy couple''s rtionship. He then went and built his own harem with around 12 members when he grew up. But it was time for him to go back so he made a grand exit." The guy who raised his hand, Marcus said. The people were looking at him. Both the teacher and the guide''s eyes twitched. Most of the students however wereughing so hard towards the end of his sentence. The others were trying their best to hold it back in. "Y-you!" The guide was quite angry. He never met a person like this in his life. Not to mention this one was a teenager. He turned towards the middle-aged man and asked "Is he one of your students?" Before the middle-aged man could answer Marcus butted in "No I''m not. I''m just stating facts that''s all. Anyway, thank you for listening. It''s your choice if you want to believe me." After he finished talking, he walked away towards where the sculptures were disyed. This was also the ce where the students would go next. The sculptures were mostly white but there were some sculptures that were not properly preserved or it was probably damaged before it got to the museum. There different sculptures doing different poses. One was spreading its hands, another had one hand on his chest while the other hand was holding a book. ''I remembered the titans also came down to the mortal realms. They should have left behind some tracks.'' Marcus thought. Marcus stopped and searched the inte. The group of students, their instructor, and the guide were not too far behind. They were slow since the guide was bbering about stuff that most of the students didn''t really care about. They passed by Marcus and the instructor looked at him with angry eyes but didn''t say anything. He had to remain professional. Marcus didn''t really mind. He just had a slight smile on his face. He began waking again but stayed at the back of them. Hearing all the wordsing out from the guide''s mouth, Marcus felt sorry for the students here. They had been listening to him babble for a while now. They turned a corner and saw sculptures neatly assigned in rows at the side. A few meters forward there was a guy holding a bolt of lightning. He stood tall, bare-chested with a wreath above his head. He looks to be around 30 in the sculpture. This sculpture''s pose was like he was going to throw the lightning bolt he was holding, forward. Marcus looked at the sculpture, he already knew who it was since it had a name ced below. He still felt weird because thest time he saw the guy he didn''t look like this. "This is Zeus." The guide said. He looked at the people in front of him and continued, "He is not only the god of lightning, thunder, and sky but also the ruler of all gods who were at Mount Olympus. He also has brothers, one was the ruler of the sea and the other was the ruler of the underworld." When the guide finished speaking, he fixed his clothes slightly. ''The prodigy of the titans.'' Marcus was looking at the Zeus sculpture with awe. Not because of how good it looks or how it looks simr to the actual titan because it was not, but because he''s thinking about the heir of the titans who''s thousands of years older than him. Zeus was considered a prodigy ever since he was only a few dozen years old. His strength and way of thinking was something that made the titans rejoice. They have been blessed. They wouldn''t have to worry about their future. Marcus has also seen Zeus a couple of times when he was younger. The titans and asuras are allies and his mother and Zeus'' mother were pretty tight. He looked at the other sculptures. There was Poseidon, an extremely talented water magic user, and innovator. Hades was also there, he was portrayed as someone gloomy. ''Damn I feel sorry for Hades. I guess Zeus and Poseidon yed a prank on him.'' Marcus thought. Marcus just stayed silent and just followed them until the end of the tour. He felt like his ears were bleeding listening to the guide. But still, not only was he observing the antiques, but he was also observing how the people around him acted. He needed to learn more about humans. What''s normal and what''s not. He did read a book but, you could say those were all theoretical. ---------------------------------- Marcus went out of the museum and went to a nearby shop to find something to drink. He saw a coffee shop after waking a few minutes and went in. He waited in line for a bit and ordered something that caught his eye. It was a drink, called milk tea. He bought arge one and went to thest remaining window seat which had 2 chairs. He began sipping and was satisfied with what he ordered ''It''s pretty damn good.'' He went to the inte and searched for stuff. News, ces, and he also began formting. He needed a concrete n on what to do from here on out after he finished tempering in this city. He can''t stay here forever. ''Things are a bit harder without Nexus telling me what to do'' Marcus sighed. Marcus was casually sipping his tea and using the inte that he didn''t bother looking up when a dude who looked to be in his early twenties with ck hair and ck eyes and a long nose came to him. The ck-haired guy said in amanding tone "I want this seat." Marcus finally looked up and frowned. He scrunched his brows. Chapter 12: Tiny Commotion Chapter 12: Tiny Commotion "Didn''t you hear me?" The ck-haired guy raised his voice quite a bit seeing Marcus who was still sitting there and not at all moving. The people around looked in their direction. A lot of people were staring at them with interest and a few already started taking videos. "That guy is the heir of Ker Core Traders. They are the biggest business in anything rted to beast cores in the Ker Republic." One of them "tried" to whisper to his friend, but his voice was actually loud enough for people nearby to hear him. His friend asked, "How can you be so sure? Have you been looking at his picture a lot? I mean to actually recognize a guy easily who I''m pretty sure you haven''t interacted with is quite something. And it''s not like he''s a celebrity. I mean if it was a girl then it is totally understandable." The one who first spoke punched his friend''s shoulder and said "No you idiot. The news said that he would being here to Levi City to meet a bigshot from the 2nd rate countries. In that news, the guy who''s standing by the door was with him. So after looking at that guy''s face properly it was easy to identify him as Nikolo Krimz. You can praise me now." "Hooray." his friend sarcastically said while slow pping. The other people who heard what the guy said, were surprised. Ker Core Traders were an absolute behemoth not only in the Ker Republic but also in nearby 3rd rate states. They mainly do business in beast cores and have sponsored a lot of events making them have a lot of connections. Well, they are not the biggest business in Ker but still one of the behemoths. Nikolo is currently 22 years old and has done a lot of crimes that were wiped off. From vandalism, all the way to viting women. Being rich has its perks. The bodyguard of Nikolo just stood near the door. He already saw that the red-haired teen is a lot weaker than the one he''s guarding so he didn''t need to interfere. This will just be another one of those things where Nikolo would abuse citizens. Marcus of course made his aura feel like he''s only at 6th rank recognition/warrior to avoid unnecessary trouble. Nikolo''s rank is currently at rank 1 elite so the bodyguard rxed a bit and began focusing a lot more on the ones surrounding Nikolo. "I said, I want you out of this seat." Nikolo once again said. "I might have missed your name when I sat down, oh wait it wasn''t here. Scram!" Marcus made a shoo sign with his hands. ''Of all the people here why me? Honestly just when I started to really dig this milk tea.'' He thought. The people around already know who the guy standing is. Marcus of course heard them but how could he care. A business behemoth in a 3rd rate state is nothing more than a bug. "Hahaha, are you sure you want me to scram? You know I could probably make you disappear from this world in less than a minute. Now if you don''t want that to happen, I suggest you move." Nikolo now looked at Marcus with a threatening smile. Marcus wanted to send him to his grave. Every part of his body was telling him to do it. His asura blood was boiling. He gritted his teeth but in the end, he stood up. It''s not time yet. If he fights him here then it would only end up in him killing this ck-haired bastard it will ruin a lot of his ns. This is the human race, where the big guys can easily trample on the small guys when they like to. It is a race where thews are treated like shit by the guys above while the little guys turn into a pile of shit when theymit something that goes against thews out in the open. Marcus stood up and went towards the door with his head hung low ''Just wait. I''ll let you experience pain you''ve never experienced in the near future.'' His vermillion eyes glowed for a second. "A, why are you hiding your face? embarrassed? Are you going to cry? hahaha, fucker get out and don''t show your face to me again." Nikolo mocked. This was just his usual attitude, he looks for someone and messes with them because he enjoys having the power to. The people around were thinking different things. Some were thinking about how this rich bastard is disgusting, some were thinking how cool it would be to have that kind of power, and some felt pity for the guy that walked away. ------------------------------ ''Soon,'' Marcus tried his best to calm himself down. It''s already around 6 p.m. and it''s getting pretty dark, he also still has to go and hunt tonight. He went back to the hotel and when he was close, he saw a woman holding a cat. Marcus approached them and saw that a man was trying to talk to the woman. The woman was of course Eva. She was holding Nexus in her arms. The cat was annoyed at the guy. Marcus went closer and said, "Hi Big Sister Eva." He then looked at the guy who was trying to talk to her and widen his eyes. He has seen this guy before. During the fight when he got flung to a motel. Hended in one of its rooms and this guy was the one he saw in there with another girl. Only now, he has more clothes on. "He''s your first target tonight, don''t kill him. We''ll send him to the chamber and lock him up. I''ll y with him tomorrow." Nexus sent a telepathic message to Marcus. Marcus shook his head andughed a bit. Fate is really cruel to some people. "Eva, I''ve been pursuing you for a couple of months now. Don''t you think it''s time to give me your answer?" The guy who had slickback hair narrowed his eyes. "I''ve already given you my answer, haven''t I? I said no before, and I''ll keep saying no in the future. Now buzz off so I could go home." Eva said with an impatient tone. "The only answer I want is yes. You''re not allowed to say no! Can''t you see my devotion to you" The guy asked, inching closer to Eva. Nexus seeing that he was getting closer was getting really ticked off. "If you want to cause some drama don''t do it here. There are a lot of people passing by and it''s a public ce" Said someone passing by. Eva looked around and saw people were looking at them. Nexus snuggled closer to her very big boobs and purred. "Eva I swear if you won''t say yes to me I''ll make you regret it!" The guy with slick back hair said in a frustrated tone. Nexus'' killing intent almost leaked out when he heard that. "I said I don''t like you Krieg and I never will." Eva turned and walked and stopped beside Marcus. "Mark my words you lowly slut! I''ll make you beg soon!" After he finished saying that, he turned around and walked away. Now it was Marcus'' killing intent that almost oozed out too. Not only because of this incident but because he recalled the one that happened in the shop earlier. He really wasn''t okay at being threatened nor was he okay if people close to him were. Although he just met Eva, the slight familiarity he could feel from her is already enough to make her a close friend and even a Big Sister. ''Weak people really have it rough huh. But I''m sure nothing will happen to Big Sister Eva since Nexus is already attached to her. Hmmm, could it be she is a reincarnation of someone close to both me and Nexus. Nexus in particr. Haha, What am I even thinking? Even a coincidence like meeting after justnding in the mortal realm is already like fantasy. The probability of that is prolly extremely close to nil.'' Marcus thought. Eva looked at Marcus and apologized " I''m sorry you had to see that. He has been bothering me for a few months now and no matter what I do I can''t get rid of him." Marcus looked at her and said with a smile "Don''t worry Big Sister Eva, I''ll resolve this for you, or else my cat won''t let me sleep." Eva shook her head replying " No, it''s my problem I should be the one taking care of it." Marcus countered "How about this, I''ll be busy for a long while and I need someone to take care of Nexus. Big Sis, you take care of Nexus for me and bring him wherever you go. In return, I''ll deal with that guy. Deal?" Eva thought for a few seconds. She looked down and saw Nexus who was making cute eyes at her and meowed. "Alright. But can I ask what you''ll do to him? You might get in trouble with the authorities if you are caught beating him up." Eva asked with concern while petting Nexus. "It''s nothing big, just let me worry about it. Also, could I ask where you live Big Bis?" Marcus asked. Chapter 13: The Eastside Chapter 13: The Eastside "I live at the Eastside at a shabby apartmentplex since the rent is really cheap. But it still suits my needs." Eva said. Marcus shook his head and said. "That won''t do. Since you''re officially my Big Sister now and my cat seems to really like you, it is only right to get a better home. Big Sis you''re not allowed to say no and you better start packing stuff tonight and inform your sister that you will be moving." Before Eva could say anything, the cat nudged her left boob and nodded at her then meowed. ''This cat understands human speech? Does that mean it''s a high-level beast and this is its tiny form or is it always tiny?'' Eva thought for a bit but didn''t really care. She felt really close to the cat. "mm," Eva nodded seeing that she wouldn''t be able to do anything. ''And I don''t think Nexus would even let you stay there any longer. The eastside apartmentplex huh, that ce was a dump. Speaking of Nexus, I really need to know what is up with this tiny turd.'' Marcus thought back to the night he went hunting and passed that ce. They chatted for a while and finally at the end, Marcus asked for Eva''s bank ount and IM ount so he could wire some money and could send her a message. Eva, of course, didn''t agree at first about the bank ount thing but Marcus was being persistent and the two of them separated ways. Marcus and Nexus were 100% sure that Krieg would go to Eva''s house tonight. Marcus went back to his hotel room. He took a showerid down on the bed for a bit and went inside the ''Destrucstone''. He wanted to visit Carmen and see how she was doing. He arrived at the living room with a white couch and red carpet underneath. He went towards the room where Carmen was in. Marcus opened the door and saw his sister lying peacefully on the bed. He smiled and went beside her. "Hey baby, you remember that time in the heavenly realm when I told you that I know an annoying cat, well I think he has grown on me. Also, you''ll have someone to call big sister when you wake up." Marcus lightly pinched her cheeks and kissed her forehead. ---------------------------- A few years ago in the Heavenly Realm "Big brother look I can already make a copy of myself," Carmen said while initiating the basic mirage spell. A person identical to Carmen appeared beside her, but soon vanished after a few seconds. which made her frown and dropped her head. A few pink butterflies were flying at the ce where her illusion vanished. ''Why is it that when I try to impress big brother, my thing hardly works, ughh'' Carmen thought and pouted. Marcus walked towards her and carried her in his arms. He then said " Baby do you know that you are much more talented than I am. You''re already doing a lot of great things with magic so take it slow and don''t pout like that because it makes me want to pinch your cheeks a lot more." Carmen ced her arm around her brother and pecked his cheek with her lips. After that, she said, "No, brother is the most talented person in the universe of the universe of the universe." Marcusughed "That''s a lot of universes." Carmen stayed in Marcus''s embrace then she suddenly asked in a low voice "Big brother what will happen in the future? Is it something bad? I know that you and mother aren''t really willing to tell me what''s going on but I''m also a Kauffman. See I have round eyes and vermillion hair." Marcus stroked her hair and then her back, after that he softly said "Nothing will happen baby. And if there ever is, I''ll protect both you and mother." "Promise?" Carmen looked at him with her big round eyes. "Yes of course, and has your brother ever broken his promise to you?" Marcus sat down while Carmen was still in his arms. "No, brother is the best!" After saying that, Carmen went to sleep using Marcus'' chest as her pillow. "Good night baby." Marcus softly said. ----------------------------------- After an hour or so of sitting beside Carmen, Marcus went out of the ''Destrucstone''. He went to the side of the room where the window was and looked at the dark skies where the stars shone brightly. He thought about a lot of things. He looked at the time and turned his back. He changed his clothes to the ones he bought when he went shopping. ck long-sleeve polo, smart trousers which were also a color that''s a shade of ck and then shoes. He didn''t button the first button on his polo because he was advised by the cute girl who helped him not to if he was going for casual. He looked at the mirror and fixed his hair. He then sat down and searched the web for a while before going down. He first wanted to eat dinner. Marcus went out of the hotel lobby and looked around. He started walking in a certain direction where he saw the restaurant he passed by earlier this morning. It wasn''t really a high-ss restaurant where everything was overly formal. He chose a seat and made himselffortable. A waiter then went to him and took his order. A few girls in the restaurant found him handsome and were looking at him from time to time but Marcus just ignored them. He was having fun searching the inte for random stuff. He even found something that made his eyes go wide when he was in the hotel room awhile ago searching. There he saw them. Women naked! He kept scrolling and he felt that something below him started to get bigger. He then turned it off or else he might be tempted to do something. A prince like him would never result in touching himself. So he hurriedly went out and down to the hotel lobby. His food finally arrived. He gobbled it up and ced his money on the table after finishing. He went towards the door and started walking around again. Marcus looked up and there was a gigantic tv that was ced on a huge building. It wasn''t ced that high up so people could see properly without tilting their heads too much. The big screen was showing a fight that was happening on a grey circle stage. A teen with brown hair, his hands were surrounded by frost was trying to defend against a vine that was rushing to him. The teen with brown hair raised an ice wall from the ground which made the sharp vines pierce through it a bit. The brown-haired teen touched the vines that went through his ice wall. The green vine slowly started to turn into ice and traveled its effects to the body of the vine. The brown-haired teen jumped and walked on the vine that was now covered in ice. His opponent threw sharp projectiles at him but you could see the exhaustion on his face while painting the strength and speed of the projectiles thrown. ''And that''s a win for the ice guy. That''s probably the guy who the students were talking about yesterday.'' Marcus thought. The guy with brown hair already won. The crowd apuded the match. Someone went to interview the brown-haired guy, Dios. "Congrattions on your win. How do you feel aboutpeting tomorrow against one of the geniuses of Levi City and even, Ker Republic?" The reporter asked. "I feel extremely excited. In my mind I already defeated him. I think people just overhype him which makes me sick. Him being called a genius is a disgrace to us true geniuses." Dios calmly said. "Those are big words. Everyone is most likely going to have their eyes glued to your match especially your fans. Do you have any words for them?" The reporter looked at Dios who had a proud look on his face. "First I would like to say thank you for supporting me. I''ll make sure to represent Levi City to the best of my abilities after winning tomorrow''spetition." "Thank you for your time Dios." The reporter said and then he looked at the camera and continued, "There you have it, folks. Make sure to watch tomorrow''s championship." Marcus kept his eyes on the big screen. ''It won''t hurt to watch I guess. I''ll see how people my age fight up close.'' He bought a ticket on the inte and went to get a ride. After a few minutes, the scene changed. From good looking buildings into a few old and rundown ones. One could say this is the true face of 3rd rate countries. The Eastside was not a popr ce to hang out for most people at night. The crime rate here is pretty high. Marcus didn''t pick this spotst night because although the crime rate is high, the people doing the crimes are pretty weak. His whole reason for tempering is to get stronger which means he needs to hunt stronger people. As the cab got closer to their destination, he could see people gambling on the side, drinking,dies without tops dancing getting touched all around while getting money from the men. ''Big Sister needs to get out of here as soon as possible.'' As he thought of that, an imaginary light bulb lit up in his mind. He smiled for a bit and thought of a n for the future. He asked the cab driver to drop him off in front of an apartmentplex. He then heard a voice that sounded in his head "There''s a noodle shop nearby. Just wait there. People are already observing the ce" "Alright, I also need to get some information about this ce. I just thought of a great n" Marcus walked towards a noodle shop across the street. Chapter 14: Eastside Gangs Chapter 14: Eastside Gangs Marcus looked at the list of avable dishes on the board. The shop was open-air, with no door whatsoever. It only had 3 walls and the fourth one was a huge entrance. Tables were not only ced inside but were also ced at the side of the streets. A lot of people were being rowdy. Laughing, shouting, getting into little fights. The chairs and tables that were being used were clearly old and had been broken a lot of times before. ''This is a noodle shop? Fucking looks like a bar. Hell, I wonder what the bars here look like.'' Marcus thought Marcus looked around. He felt like he was back in the Heavenly Realm, Asura Empire. People cursing and shouting at each other and brawls happening here and there. Well, it kinda felt like the Asura Empire minus the shitty tables, chairs, and the rundown building. Marcus looked back to the time when he first roamed their empire. He didn''t get to visit a lot of ces but he still enjoyed it a lot. When Marcus was younger, his mother went to another for a meeting. His uncle took him out for a small adventure around the empire for a week. That was Marcus'' first step outside the pce without a guard. He broadened his horizons. Aside from breathtaking ces, Marcus also saw half-naked girls dancing, Bar brawls, and people drinking kegs of wine upside down. When Leia finished her meeting and arrived back at the empire, she heard everything that happened. She thrashed her brother until he was ck and blue in the throne room with Marcus at the side watching. When Leia finished beating him up, she turned around and that''s when Marcus'' uncle smiled at him and winked. Thinking about all this made him miss home and this made Marcus'' mood sullen. A few people noticed Marcus walking in and just standing at the entrance. A drunk middle-aged man called out to the one who was inside the counter and said" One order to that kid standing over there" He pointed to the red-haired kid standing at the entrance. Marcus looked for the voice of the man and saw him sitting with a girl on hisp. He then heard him say "Kid this is no ce for you...right now since you''re not drunk. Go drink, hahaha, the first round is on me. " ''The first round? Is this guy expecting me to drink a second and a third one?'' Marcus'' eye twitched. The one serving drinks and food looked at him, raised a drink, and said "Beer." He doesn''t want to get drunk tonight. He is the person who easily gets drunk. One bottle of beer is enough to make him turn red. Not drunk but will make him turn red and gets him a bit tipsy. "I''ll have to decline. I actually just want to try some of your dishes. Maybe I''ll start with 2 orders of your burger." Marcus said while walking towards a stool in front of the counter which was not upied. "Ordering burgers at a noodle shop? Hahaha, Comin right up." The person behind the counter turned around and started preparing. "You''re actually rejecting my generosity?" The middle-aged man looked at the teen. Marcus looked at him and said, "Yes." and continued to the stool. The crowd went silent and looked at him. Some of them were even wondering how much money he has when he walked in. Seeing a teenager alone in the Eastside at 8 pm in the evening, that teen should be weing them to rob him. But a lot of them were patient. Noticing that no one made the first move they just waited. "Hahahaha good. I''m currently busy right now, but watch how I''ll make you regret those wordster. You think you can make me look bad?" After saying that, the middle-aged man went back and fiddled the youngdy who was sitting on hisp. Marcus can''t start anything funny until he catches Krieg. "You''re a brave kid but you should be careful, he''s the head of a pretty big gang in these parts." The barkeeper said. "Thanks for the warning but I can take care of myself. I have a few questions though. First, how many gangs are there in the Eastside?" Marcus didn''t really care who these people were. Sooner orter they''ll end up under his thumb. So he asked the guy in front of him a question while he lowered his voice and dropped a few bucks. The barkeeper was surprised at how the young man is so calm about all this. "Well, there are 2 gangs that control the Eastside. One is the Heller Mafia. They run a lot of shops out here and have most of the lower gangs working for them. The other one is the Dwindler Gang, although they have lesser shops, it is rumored that they practically own 100% of the underground fights. The rtionship of the two is pretty bad." The barkeeper stopped talking after this. He just kept wiping the sses. Marcus scrunched his brows. He soon understood it and threw a couple more bucks down. "The Heller Mafia is headed by a man named Sod, he is bald but people don''t mention anything about that in his presence because he is salty about it. Though their gang earns quite a sum of money, regrowing hair that will not fall off in just a couple of weeks or months is expensive. This is something I heard the members of their gang talk about when they are here getting drunk. Next, the leader of the Dwindler Gang is named Duke, who has long hair that reaches his shoulders. If you''re smart enough and I think you are, then I wouldn''t need to exin why they''re fighting." The barkeeper spit in the ss he just picked up and then started wiping it with a towel. ''Fuck that''s gross'' Marcus lost his appetite after seeing that, he tossed his half-eaten burger to the side. The barkeeper once again stopped talking so for thest time he ced money on the table. This did not go unnoticed by a lot of people in the ce. The barkeeper took the money and sighed. "The ce where no one would rarely touch is the apartmentplex over there," The barkeeper pointed towards a building in front and continued "That ce is owned by a bigshot businessman, so no one wants to ruffle it up. But there are certain cases in the past though." The barkeeper ced the ss to the side. "Talk about the gangs," Marcus said. Now he knows why Eva was pretty safe although living in this forsaken ce. He could guess why she had those giant eye bags under her eyes. She could not sleep well because she had to be alert in case someone barges in her door. "Ahem, The Heller gang are close with the gangs in the south part of the city, where the docks are located. While the Dwindler Gang is tight with the people from the north." The barkeeper finished speaking. Marcus received a transmission from Nexus so he got up and left. The people still didn''t move, they just waited. The first one to move is bound to lose. Until Marcus turned and was out of their vision they no one still moved. The people who were sitting outside also didn''t see him anymore after he turned a corner. Marcus didn''t directly head straight to the apartmentplex. He still had to change. "Oh for the love of god, go and get him!" The middle-aged man toying with the girl shouted. A few of his subordinates stood up first and then followed by some other people. When they turned the corner they didn''t see the teenager who was wearing a ck long sleeve polo. A few secondster lightning crackled in the sky. A bolt suddenly came running down towards the group of people. They were only rank 1-3 Elites. They looked up but failed to dodge. They circted the mana inside their body and tried to use their powers to create a shield, but before it could even form, they already turned into a crisp. Marcus zipped towards those that were not hit. He began barraging them with punches and threw bolts of lightning at some. The people who were still at the noodle shop/bar heard screams and shouts. They stood up including the "generous" middle-aged man. As they stood on the streets they could see charred bodies. The middle-aged man was furious when he saw around 20 of his men were on the ground and a few were still trying to run away. Lupin, the "generous" middle-aged man looked at the people fighting in front. He focused his eyes on the one wearing red. His eyes went wide. He clearly remembered the news. He was a bit scared but when he thought about how much a certain big gang in the south were offering for his head or even just information about his whereabouts. He greedily smiled. He was not going to call them right away. He was going to fight the ''vignte'' for a bit and maybe get a few scars to prove how hard he worked for it. They might even take him in. Since most of his subordinates were dead and the few are about to die, why not jump into another ship. He is a rank 7 elite himself so he could probably take him on with a little help. He turned his head to the sides and inspected their strength. ''rank 4 and 5 elites. Not bad. Hehehe'' Lupin was delighted, they were not too strong nor too weak. He was worried they might steal his spotlight from him. "Do you know who that is?" Lupin asked the people around him Hepletely forgot about the boy that disrespected him. There were around 10, him not included. They nodded, while some said yes, and a few just looked at him. "I suggest that we team up and take him down. There is a bounty on his head and if we can take him down then we''ll be sitting on cash tomorrow. We''ll split bounty evenly between us. What do you say?" A lot of them had greedy looks in their eyes while only 3 backed off and moved away. They didn''t want to be involved in this mess. "That''s okay we don''t need ''em anyway. Go!" Hemanded. Marcus who was just about to finish up zipped towards the neers. ''What the fuck? I''ve never seen this kind of lightning user before. Since when can people who train lightning magic turn into lightning at this stage?'' Lupin wondered. "Die!" Marcus shouted. He activated the ''Destrucstone''. He has no time to waste. He was told that Krieg and his men areing. He doesn''t know how strong they were but if he had to deal with them and also with these people in front of him, that would be a nightmare. He was pretty sure Krieg won''t bring weak ass men when they want to take someone from the apartmentplex here. Krieg could have taken Eva and kidnapped her when she was not in the apartmentplex. But he chose to do it when she was there. Of course, Eva is not the only thing that Krieg was after tonight. His boss Duke. had a friend who had a falling out with the businessman who owned this apartmentplex. So he was ordered to smoke it a bit. It turns out that Eva also lived here which is why he went to Eva earlier. Two birds with one stone. Marcus conjured lightning javelins and threw them at the bastards in front of him. Every single javelin had an aura of destruction. They easily pierced their defense. A guy tried to sneak up behind him and used ''wind de'', an offensive wind technique. Another one was in front of him who was fighting him head-on. The guy concentrated his mana on his fist and threw a punch. He chained it with another punch but this time it was coated with mes. Lupin equipped his double daggers and was waiting for a perfect opportunity. He had to let both of these sides wear each other down. Marcus zipped towards the guy who''s skilled with wind magic and took him down first. Lightning danced in the sky, hitting the people down below whenever hemanded. ------------------- "What the hell happened to Krieg being the first target?" Nexus staring at the fight below. Eva was standing outside her door and asked Nexus who was floating by her side "Is that Marcus?" "Yes, but save your questions forter. Krieg and his men are getting close." Nexus said. Chapter 15: You Can Talk? Chapter 15: You Can Talk? A few minutes ago in Eva''s apartment. Nexus sat down on a couch and looked at Eva who was currently cooking. He walked towards her and meowed. "Hello there, just wait for a while and I''ll be finished with this," Eva said as she stroked Nexus'' head. They already ate at a restaurant before going home. But if she doesn''t cook this one, it''ll spoil. Eva happily hummed while Nexus just watched her. ''Sometimes, the stars just align themselves and fix everything up. I met you again and he met her. This time I''m going to do it right.'' Nexus thought. Long ago, Nexus was taken in by the God of Destruction when he was still young. Nexus loved women. He would indulge in all kinds of activities with them. Of course, this is with their consent. As he matured, Nexus met a woman. A stunning woman that captured his heart. He fell into the abyss of love. He dedicated himself to that person. But sadly the woman didn''t love him back. The woman only treated him as a friend. Fate, as always, was cruel. When the woman was dying on the battlefield, she told Nexus the reason why she didn''t want to love him. It was because she was afraid that Nexus would grow tired of her after a while since she knew of what Nexus did in the past. Nexus cursed himself. He vowed to find her no matter what it takes. But disasters kept piling up. *pshh* "And, done." Eva finished cooking and grabbed 2 tes. Eva prepared the food on the te and asked Nexus toe to the couch with her. She also got a few bottles of beer. She usually never gets to enjoy drinking since she uses her money to support her sister in the past and to buy necessary stuff. She has no tv. Her apartment was pretty small. Her kitchen and living room were pretty much the same ce. Eva gave one of the tes to Nexus. She then started eating. "Nex, I don''t know if you understand me but I feel like I''ve known you for a long time. I mean, I feel that you''re familiar somehow. It''s crazy right?" Eva stopped eating and looked at Nexus. Seeing that Nexus didn''t react, she continued "I''ve never had any guests in this apartment, hell I''ve never had guests before. It was only me and my sister after my parents died. I''ve never really socialized after that since I''ve worked for both of our sakes." After saying thest part, she had tears in her eyes. The cat who saw this finally reacted and jumped towards her. He then proceeded to snuggle in her chest. Seeing the cute cat in her arms she smiled "Well, things happen and we just have to move on. People lose people every single day. We were just unlucky we were one of those people. Oh, and I am also proud of my sister, though she didn''t really have a proper job in the past, she finally got epted as a teacher in a 2nd rate country close to our. I''m really proud of her. She already left yesterday, ahh I''m already starting to miss her." Eva chugged a whole bottle and continued, " On another note, I really wish I could get stronger. Be someone who people can''t push around and find out who killed our parents. Be someone who can protect the people I care about no matter what kind of stormes." Nexus just listened to her but after a while, he couldn''t take it anymore so he suddenly blurted out "Don''t worry everything will be fine." ''Fuck'' Nexus shut his eyes. Eva shivered. She looked around and then looked at the cat. Her eyes went wide. "Dd-di-" She dropped the cat out of shock. "I tried tofort you by talking and you dropped me?" Nexus said with a sad tone. But of course, he''s only jesting. ''No, it can''t be, right? I must be dreaming. Yes, that''s it. It''s a dream. It must be.'' Eva thought. Her mind was a mess. "What? Cat got your tongue?" Seeing that she didn''t answer Nexus joked. "How are you? What are you? Why are you?" Eva never heard of talking beasts before. Sure she heard about smarter than normal beasts who can understand your emotions but she has never once interacted nor seen a beast who could talk. "Well, as you can see I am a talking cat. I can also dance. Sing maybe. And a lot of other things too." Nexus bragged. "Are you sure I am not dreaming?" Eva cupped her face. "No, you''re not and I am 100% sure. And I''d bet a piece of the mortal realm on that." Nexus said. "Mortal what?" Eva''s mind was spinning. "It must be ufortable speaking to a cat. Let me revert back to my other form." As Nexus said, he glowed white, and then his height and shape began changing. He assumed the shape of a human. He has ck hair, with yellow strands in the middle. He was around 6.2 feet tall and was wearing a ck robe with a yellow slim diamond mark on its left side. One look at him and you could already say that he looks quite charming. Eva didn''t even have time to check what she was feeling when suddenly, she passed out. A few minutester Eva opened her eyes. She was sure that she was lying down. But she couldn''t see the ceiling. Instead, she saw a handsome young man who looked to be in his mid-twenties. He had a slight smile. Eva then heard him say "You''re finally awake. It''s been 2 years you know. You''ve been sitting on myp for 2 years. Do you realize how numb it is right now?" "What?!" She immediately sat up but she bumped her forehead into his face and cried a bit in pain. But she didn''t mind, she checked the time and date but saw that the date didn''t change. "You bastard!" Eva raised her voice a bit. She forgot her shock. "I was kidding, I was kidding. You were only out for a few minutes." Nexus raised his hands up beside his head. He continued "See, you''re not that shocked anymore. What I said surely helped didn''t it?" Eva blinked. He was right, she wasn''t as shocked as before. But still is for the most part now. She took deep breaths and after that, she spoke "Actually I''m still shocked. This is a lot to take in. I just literally met you guys yesterday. Talked with you guys a bit and now I see a cat talk and then transform into a human. So could you at least exin some things to me?" Nexus nodded, they sat cross-legged facing each other, and then Nexus began talking, "So first to answer one of your past questions. What am I? I''m a half-beast and half-human. Second, the thing you feel about familiarity with each other, I feel it too. I can exin it but you''ve had way too many surprises for today. Third, Marcus doesn''t know I can turn into a human yet. You''re the first one to know. I''ll be telling himter though. Fourth we''re not from around here. I''ll be exining this one in the future too. It''s something pretty big so I''ll just casually slip it in sometime in the future." Eva just stared at him ------------------------------------- When Eva was unconscious The things going on inside Nexus'' head at that time ''Oh god, what do I do. Fuck this couch isn''tfy. Myp yes,p. Nexus, get yourself together. You are more than hundreds of thousands of-- No, you are around five thousand years old, keep it together. Okay, so when she wakes up I gotta ease up the air. I should tell her a joke. Hmmm no not that, not that too that''s inappropriate. Hey door, do you know any jokes? fuck what do you know, all you tell are knock-knock jokes. hahaha, I''m funny. How the hell do I begin exining all this to her. Shit, what if I freak her out more than she already is. Sigh, why am I always such a mess when you''re around.'' ------------------------------------ Nexus exined quite a few things to her. Nexus'' heart was beating pretty hard while she was intently looking at him. "So you''re saying you''re a hybrid?" Eva asked. "In a way, yes I guess you could put it that way. But I prefer the term special. Doesn''t it sound better?" Nexus said. Eva looked at him, and then she suddenly blushed. She remembered how she hugged Nexus and how he touched her boobs. She even walked around the room with only her towel awhile ago. And also she''s only wearing a thin pajama, no undies and a thin white shirt with no bra. Nexus looked at her cute appearance. He didn''t even have time to be a pervert. The heavenly beauty he always longed for in his sleep is in front of him blushing. ''In this life, It''s my turn to protect you'' Nexus inwardly promised. It is not time and it''s not god to rush things. Eva''s mind is still filled with new information. Things that can''t be digested easily. "So if you''re ''special'' then does that mean Marcus is too? Are you of the same species?" Eva curiously asked. "Oh, gods no. We''re different but he''s also different from you people.Ahhh, I haven''t been in my human form in a long time. It''s good to finally stretch." Nexus said as he stood up and did some squats. "Aren''t you afraid that I would tell people about this?" Eva also stood up and got the tes. "No, because you''re one of us, in a way." Nexus casually said. "What? I am quite sure that I am 100% human" Eva was surprised by what she heard and almost dropped the tes. "Oh yes of course. Remember our connection? How we''re familiar with each other. It has something to do with that. And didn''t you want to get stronger? Protect the ones you care about? This is your chance. We won''t be stopping here though. We''ll go pierce our way through all the way to the first-rate countries. After that, we''ll aim higher." Nexus said while staring at her. Eva stayed silent for a while. She washed dishes and then dried them. After cleaning up the sink and everything she went back to sit beside Nexus who finished stretching. She thought about how bloody and thorny the path will be. Especially when Nexus said they''ll pierce through 1st rate countries and beyond She is not naive. She lives in the Eastside for petes sake. Although she has never killed anyone, she has seen her own share of blood and violence. She stared at Nexus for a few moments. "I''m in" Eva smiled. She thought about it a lot. It made her feel excited. Being able to go on adventures, bing stronger, being able to protect the ones she cares about and being close to Nexus which she still had no idea why she feels this way. That brought a wide smile to Nexus'' face. "Looks like Krieg and his crew are here," Marcus said as he then sent a telepathic message to Marcus. "Will you fight them?" Eva asked while standing up. "Oh please, Marcus needs to train. Do you know the guy with the red hood? yeah, that''s him. We''ve somewhat devised this training." Nexus said. "This has been a roller coaster night. I don''t even feel that surprised about that anymore." Nexus looked at her and spoke "Tomorrow you gotta quit your job at the hotel. Book the best suite there and rest for a few days. You deserve it since you clearly overworked yourself. After that, we''ll start with training. Mana here is pretty bad but we''ve got medicines and other things that''ll help you. And I know just the one that''s right for you" Before Eva could reply, Nexus already went out and then turned into a cat. Eva then changed into a set of clothes which are more appropriate. Chapter 16: Fighting Krieg Chapter 16: Fighting Krieg Marcus activated the spell ''lightning field''. He zipped towards an opponent and stopped right in front of him. ''lightning form'' can also be used to put a hole into his opponents but he wasn''t strong enough yet and so was his mastery of the skill. Marcus threw a punch that collided with his opponent''s shield. It easily broke and the punch went through his skull. Marcus kept fighting and tried to speed things up. But he didn''t use too much of the ''Destruscstone''s'' power. He doesn''t want to be weared down. His main target has yet toe and this is only the appetizer. A few minutester, only 2 people were left, and Lupin. The middle-aged man was still waiting. There are only 3 people left in front of him and that includes the red-robed man. "Why don''t youe in and help us fight?" Said one who was panting heavily. Clearly, it''s not one of his subordinates, as all his subordinates died. The other one didn''t speak because he got hit by a lightning javelin straight through his heart. Marcus then zipped towards thest but this time he held out his arms and grabbed the guy''s head. lightning coursed around his arms. The guy screamed until he turned charred. Marcus sighed. These people were too weak for him to push his limits. Although there were a lot of them, they''re still he weak. He looked to the side at the smiling Lupin. To Lupin that sigh was like a sigh of exhaustion. "You look tired, why don''t I make you rest in peace" Lupid chuckled at his own joke. "Trash!" Marcus yelled. He dashed towards Lupin and turned into lightning. He appeared in front of him, Lupin shed with his dagger, bolts of blue lightning danced around it. "Hahaha, cheap lightning you got there" Marcus mocked. He then zipped up in the sky, he transformed back into his human form and was now free-falling. Marcus raised his arms. Lightning crackled in the sky. Lupin raised his head and looked at the red-robed man. He felt danger. he dropped the daggers. and started channeling lightning. Mana started to gather around him. Marcus who was free-falling made the lightning hit him a number of times. He turned himself into something like a conduit. Vermillion lightning gathered around his arms and his vermillion colored eyes glowed. Lupin finished channeling and shot both his arms up towards the free-falling red-robed man. Blue lightning shot towards Marcus. Marcus also did the same. He thrust his arms forward and Vermillion colored lightning rushed out of it. ''Vermillion st'' The two bolts of lightning shed. But how could the cheap lightningpete? Marcus'' lightning easily devoured the blue lightning and went straight to Lupin. This all happened in under 10 seconds. Marcus zipped down and transformed into lightning. He went to the limping middle-aged man who was lying on the ground. His body kept twitching. "No, please spare me. I pro-promise not to bother you anymore. Remember how I tried to buy you a beer. See, I''m a good person" Lupin said. Marcus conjured another thin lightning javelin. He was standing only a meter away from Lupin. He threw the javelin straight at his head. The middle-aged man could still not believe that he was going to die right here. He tried to move but the projectile already arrived and demolished his head. Marcus looked at the apartmentplex. He already knew that Eva and Nexus were watching. Nexus kept chattering in his head the whole time. He also told him about what happened inside. But only the specifics though. Marcus waited for a while until 3 cars arrived. He looked at them and thought ''Finally, the main dish has arrived.'' They stopped in front of the apartmentplex. 6 guys went out and they looked at Marcus. They were already told by their people who were observing this ce that a fight was taking ce. They all wore purple colored gear that looked like a bulletproof vest. ''They could have gone with ck, or red, or green. But purple? Do all humans have this kind of fashion sense?'' Marcus shook his head. One of them who had slickback hair looked at Marcus. He already spected that this was the person who was being called a vignte. He didn''t do anything untoward to him since his gang was not affiliated with anyone from the south. Hell, the south backed their biggest opponents. He doesn''t know what the hooded red-robed man''s beef with the south was but he was sure that his gang doesn''t want anything to do with that as they are currently handling a few other problems. Krieg saw the bodies, or what was left of it, on the ground. He respectfully nodded at him and said nothing. He then signaled hisckeys and went to the entrance of the apartmentplex. The security finally acted. They never involve themselves in fights outside as long as it doesn''t reach the apartmentplex. They have even grown used to seeing people fight in front of them. "Stop!" One of the three guards said. The other two who were close to him put their guard up. Krieg looked at them and then at the apartmentplex. His eyes moved to a figure on the second floor of the building who was holding a cat. Nexus of course had to stop floating now that there were other people around. Krieg smiled at her. He couldn''t wait. Just a little more and she''ll be below her. Two people who were hiding in the dark appeared. Now there were 8 of them. Marcus saw that they were all rank 7 Elites and Krieg is a rank 8. The guards however only had 1 rank 7 Elite on their side and the two were rank 6. ''As expected of a gang that holds a piece of this city. Why are the guards weak? Shouldn''t that businessman send stronger people to guard this ce? Is he that confident that his name could repel the bastards here?'' Marcus thought. "Do you know who owns this building? One step inside this ce and we''ll immediately call for backup." A guard said. "You can try. But I''m not so sure if they have time for you." Kriegughed at the end. With this apartmentplex out of the way, the Eastside will be in total control of the two gangs. Krieg and his men approached. The guards were already ready to fight. One of them tried to call for help but no one responded on the other side. The guards looked at each other. They had no choice but to attack. Marcus seeing this smiled. Vermillion colored lightning danced around his arms. Krieg suddenly halted. He turned around and saw a lightning javelin headed towards one of his men. A scream of pain could be heard. But he wasn''t dead, he only got knocked down. Marcus didn''t activate the ''Destrucstone'' which is why it wasn''t an instant kill. If he did then he could scale his power all the way to the peak of rank 9 Elite and if pushed a little more he could even hit rank 1 Commander. The power Marcus can dish out can also be heavily influenced by emotions when the stone is activated. Marcus zipped towards the enemy he just hit. The guy''s head was face down on the ground. As he was just about to raise his head, Marcus'' hand mmed him back down and smoked his head off. Marcus didn''t give them any time to recover from their initial shock. He pointed at Krieg and then zipped towards him. This time he activated the stone. Krieg wondered how he offended this person. However, there was no time to ask since a bolt of lightning was headed towards him. He tried his best to block. The aura from the attack he just received was scary that it made him shiver. After blocking the attack he shouted, "Sir, no senior how have I or we offended you. I''m sure we have never done anything that could displease senior in any way." Marcus didn''t reply; he just kept attacking. The guards were quite happy seeing that the number on the other side lessened. They fought with the remaining crooks taking two each. Eva and Nexus started to go downstairs. Eva brought all her things. Pictures, clothes, and other personal things that were owned by both her and her sister. ''Will I be able to do those things in the future?'' Eva thought while looking at the fight from a distance. Her talent wasn''t good. It''s mediocre at best. Nexus looked at her. Seeing that she stared intently at the fight, he said "Don''t worry, in the future you''ll be able to destroy these people with just a pinky." Eva chuckled and looked at the cat in her arms withplicated feelings but didn''t say anything. She then went back to looking at the fight. The fight reached its climax. Marcus never used his full strength. He used this chance to obtain proper experience. He knows that he will have to head to the 2nd rate countries very soon and that only makes it a lot more crucial to gain experience. Marcus raised his arms and then brought it down with one quick motion. Lightning in the sky danced and struck towards the limping Krieg which made him scream in utter pain. Marcus walked towards to him. "Pl-please do--n''t kill me, please." Krieg cried. Legit tears in his eyes. He already wet his pants. "Kill you? Hahaha," Marcus removed the hood. His rank 2 magic item can hide the person''s face because it has shadow magic ced on the hood part of the robe. But he would still sometimes use a mask for double protection. "Man, someone still wants to have a word with you so sit tight." After saying that, his vermillion eyes glowed and he turned towards the remaining guys and shot bolts of lightning at them filled with destructive aura. ---------------- A/N : You might be wondering why his opponents are too weak. Please bear with it for now. Thank you Chapter 17: Chamber Chapter 17: Chamber Eva and Nexus went out of the gate. Unfortunately, the guards didn''t live to tell the tale. They were all sprawling on the ground. Dead. Krieg looked at Eva. The lustful look in his eyes faded. There was only fear, sadness, and resentment. "Let''s go in." Nexus said. Marcus nodded and began to walk. "But first let''s find an alley. There might be people crowding when we get back and they''ll see us. But I''m sure the people inside the apartmentplex are too afraid to look at their windows." "Don''t worry about that, I''m 100% sure no one saw," Nexus assured him. "In? In where?" Eva looked at them with a puzzled expression while walking to an alley. After saying that she found herself in a room. There was a couch nearby and with a red carpet underneath and a coffee table close to it. The room was decorated pretty well and most of them were wooden furniture. "Wee to our sweet abode." Nexus said while floating at the side of Eva. "I''m sure this is all new to you and it might take some time adjusting to everything Nexus said and proposed." Marcus who was currently holding Krieg by the hair said. Eva just nodded and looked at the ce. She was amazed, to say the least, and also had a few questions. Nexus smiled seeing her like that then he turned towards Marcus and said "Oh, and tada." Nexus glowed, he assumed the shape of a human. Who had ck hair, with yellow strands in the middle. He looked pretty handsome with his square jaw. "Since when can you turn into a human? Did you make a breakthrough?" Marcus asked. "Hold your horses there kid. No, I didn''t make that kind of breakthrough if that''s what you''re thinking. My strength is totally dependent on you for now. If you grow stronger then I grow stronger. Even though my perception is powerful, that doesn''t mean I''m magically strong or something. And I know what you''re going to ask and it''s a no. My perception is strong not because my soul or spirit is strong. It''s just a race thing." Nexus exined. "Well, that''s still pretty amazing. Oh damn, what are we gonna do about this guy? Bring him to the chamber then what?" Marcus asked since it was getting pretty tiring clutching this guy''s hair. "I''ll take him off your hands." Nexus smiled in a devilish way. "I''ll tour Eva around then," Marcus said, tossing Krieg over to Nexus. Krieg couldn''t process what they were saying. His head was currently in a mess. First, they were on the streets then they appeared in a room. He felt that these people were part of a cult. Nexus caught him and walked away, he paused and turned to look at Eva and said "I''ll be back in a few minutes." Eva nodded and said "mm" Nexus then kept walking ''Fuck Nexus say something better next time, or cooler. I''m 5000 years old. I should at least be able to do that.'' Eva found what he did kind of weird but right at the same time. "Big Sis, Nexus will have to take care of that. In the meantime, let''s look around the house. We won''t be sleeping here tonight though and will be going back to the hotel." "Alright little brother, lead the way," Eva said. "It must have been quite shocking," Marcus said while walking. Eva shook her head "Quite is an understatement. Especially when that cat turned into a human. It''s just gonna take some time to get used to that''s all." Marcus nodded. This was one mature woman who knows how to adapt pretty quickly. he stopped outside of a door and opened it and they both went in "This is the ce where potions, pills are crafted. To that side are where they are stored. You will be taking a lot of these in the next couple of days." Eva got intoxicated by the aroma of the room. Even the smell alone can make the mana inside her body tranquil. "You should also call your sister," Marcus suggested. "We won''t be able to contact her right now. She''s on her way to a 2nd rate country and will be teaching at a university. Though she won''t start right away since she has to do a bit of training first." Eva proudly said. Marcus and Eva went out of the Alchemy Room and headed towards where the bedrooms are located. There are plenty of bedrooms and Marcus wanted his new sister to pick a room where she would be staying when they need to be in here for long periods of time. "You must be really close with your sister," Marcus asked "Yes, she''s the only family I have left," Eva said. Marcus slightly smiled, arriving in front of a door, he opened it. On the bed, there was a cute girl with chubby cheeks and vermilion hair who''s sound asleep. "This is one of the two who I have left. My little sister Carmen." Eva''s eyes lit up upon seeing the cute girl. They both walked into the room. "Good evening baby. Remember when I told you earlier that we have a big sister now. Look who I brought." Marcus said while standing beside the bed indicating that Eva should be the one sitting down. Eva who sat down beside Carmen looked at her peaceful sleeping face and smiled beautifully "Looks like I now have two sisters and one rascal of a brother." "Hey what rascal are you talking about?" Marcusughed. He missed having a family. The kind of which you can talk to them, cry with them, y with them, andugh with them without any restraints. ----------------------- Nexus dragged Krieg and entered one of the doors. They went inside a poorly lit ce. It looked like a dungeon with cells ced at the side. There were also ces where deep holes are ced and not cells. Nexus got a rope and tied him. "What are you gonna do? You bastards do you know how powerful my gang is? If they find out about thi--" Nexus threw Krieg down an empty hole before he even got to finish what he had to say. "You talk too much." Nexus said as he went to a nearby lever. Snakes suddenly appeared in the hole. "Listen, and listen well you little shit. Those are called Topaz Snakes. They are not lethal but they do damage your body little by little making you feel a world of pain. After always getting ''gnawed'' by them, your soul will start to slowly get damaged. But that''s not the fun part. The fun part is, that hole has a mechanism that heals you every 24 hours. Your soul, however, won''t get healed, and only your body. Also whenever it feels that you are about to die, it heals you again. That means you''ll experience the whole ride until your souls disappear." Nexus slowly while having a smile stered on his face. Krieg''s eyes went wide and shouted "No, you can''t. If you want, just kill me. Please just kill me. NOOO!" "You should have thought twice before having those thoughts about Eva! Now you want to beg for an easy death? Rot! rot in there and hope that I won''t be bored ande back to make things a lot more fun." Nexus raised his voice a bit and then walked away Nexus shut the door. ------------------------------ "I would like my room to be this one since it is just in front of Carmen''s bedroom," Eva said. "Alright," Marcus replied. Nexus strolled in "It''s taken care of." Eva got curious and was about to ask but Nexus cut her off. "No, you don''t need to know right now." "Now that everything is settled here, let us go back to the hotel. Big Sis, you need to book one of the most expensive suites and enjoy life. Money is not a problem anymore." Marcus said. "You also don''t have to be reserved anymore in spending. Order whatever you want and of course, you have to resign tomorrow since we have to start training. I already a great technique that will fit you well." Nexus didn''t turn back into his cat form. Eva smiled when she heard those. Fate really turns things around when you least expect it. With a thought, they all arrived back in the alley where they left. Sure enough, there were people crowding the ce where the apartmentplex was. It was already 11 at night so there weren''t that many people but it was still a few dozen. Marcus and the other two went on their way and hoped to find a ride right away. "See this is why we should get a car." Nexus said. "We''ll be leaving for the 2nd rate countries soon, let''s just buy there." Marcus agreed to buy one. He really needed a ride. Eva just quietly walked beside Nexus. There were a lot of things going on in her mind. ----- A/N : Please read the thoughts down below Chapter 18: Bank Alerted Chapter 18: Bank Alerted Three people arrived back at the hotel. One had vermillion hair, the other had long ck hair, and thest one also had ck hair but it was cut like a textured crop with a heavy fringe and streaks of yellow in the middle. As they went in, the current receptionist saw them, her eyes were on the only woman in their little group. She hasn''t had many interactions with her, just an asional greeting when they change shifts. ''Right, that''s Eva. Did she sell her body to those two guys? Aya what people do for money these days.'' The receptionist thought. These people were of course Marcus and the gang. Nexus went to the receptionist and asked "Are your best suites avable?" ''Rich'' The receptionist thought. She made herself look more seductive. Squeezing her breasts while speaking "Yes, we only have 3 left avable since there is a big match tomorrow and a lot of rich people from other cities came." "One room." Nexus said. He followed what Marcus did when they first came here. "Two actually. Here''s my id. I would also like to cancel the other room I stayed in before." Marcus stepped forward. The process only took a little while. Their rooms still need to be prepared. The receptionist would often look at Eva who is slightly blushing knowing what the receptionist was thinking. "Here are the key cards. Enjoy your stay. If you need anything, you can just ring any time of the night. Services are always avable." said the receptionist as she handed 2 white cards to Marcus and winked. Marcus smiled and thanked her before heading to the elevator with hispanions. ---------------------- Marcus and Nexus first apanied Eva to her room. "Wow" Seeing the luxurious room she couldn''t help but be amazed ''So this is how the rich people live'' She thought. "You should get used to this." Nexus said as he walked around the room making sure everything was alright. Marcus stopped using his watch and smiled "This is only the beginning Big Sis. Soon we''re gonna conquer the whole human race." "Hahaha, little brother let me get used to this first before you start rambling about conquering the human race." Evaughed. Her simple life is about to change. "Right, right I''m going back to my room first and get some sleep" Marcus didn''t show it but he felt like he just lost a million bucks. His body was heavy. "Mm, you should get some rest, I''ll let the cat apany me," Eva said teasing a certain someone in the room. "Cat? What cat? Who''s the cat?" Nexus had a slight aggrieved look on his face. Marcusughed and went away. Nexus looked at Eva who''s on her way to the bathroom. The luxurious bathroom had a circr bathtub, heck it was a jacuzzi with shower heads on top aiming at it. She had a really pretty smile on her face when she went back to the living room where Nexus was standing. Seeing her smile made Nexus'' heart skip a beat. ''How long has it been since I saw her this happy. Oh ya, it was at that time.'' Nexus got lost in the clouds as he stared at the other person inside the room. Eva noticed this, looked at him and asked while touching her face, "What? Do I have something on my face?" Nexus shook his head and brought himself back. He just smiled "No, I was thinking what human food should I eat first in this form tomorrow" "I know the best ce in the city! Though it isn''t luxurious, it is still one of the best, and I''m willing to bet on that" Eva excitedly said. "Great we''ll eat there for lunch. You should get some sleep. You''re going to be learning new things first thing tomorrow." She was already told that she would learn better magic and will have to swallow lots of enhancing pills. so she vigorously nodded. "Good night" Nexus walked to the door and said before going out. "Night night" Eva responded. She went to the ce where the liquors were ced and thought ''I badly need a drink'' Nexus went to Marcus'' room, well, their room. "Do you want to exin things to me?" As he got into the room, he heard Marcus'' voice. "It''s best if the stone does it. It''ll be easier to understand." Nexus replied as he went to the couch and turned on the television. "Okay" with a long sigh, Marcus went to his bedroom to cultivate for a few hours. He badly needs to breakthrough. -------------- At a mansion in a second 2nd rate state. A man who looks to be in his 40''s got up from his bed where he wasying down with a beauty. He has ck hair and stood around 6 feet tall. He has bushy brows and a long nose. He got a watch from the bedside cab and went to a nearby window before answering. A screen popped up. "What is it?" The man asked. "Sir we received a call from one of our branches in the third rate country the Ker Republic and they said that someone deposited an extravagant amount of money." Someone on the other end respectfully replied "Oh? Did you wake me up because of this? How much could it be?" The man was not mad or irritated. To get to his position he had to learn how to listen and understand people. He also knew no one would disturb him unless it''s really important. The guy on the phone said the amount which made Owen''s eyes, the middle-aged man who looks to be around 40, wide. "I see. Make sure to amodate his every single need when he visits the bank. He has to be first, make him the number 1 priority. If I''m not wrong, he must be a scion from a 1st rate country" Owen said. ''Ahhh, rich people, they just go wherever they want. What if he actually ends up destroying that country if someone offends him there.'' Owen was rich but people from the 1st rate countries are something you can''t reach. The people from there are the spearhead of humanity. Not to mention the mana there was a lot denserpared to other ces. When 1st rate countries are going to war with each other, the 2nd rate countries can only stay quiet, how much more 3rd rate countries. But that is a story for another time. "Y-yes, sir." The man on the phone vigorously nodded. "Is that all?" Owen asked, now that he was awake, he wanted to ravage the prettydy who was on his bed. But on second thought he didn''t want to wake her. "Yes sir, I''ll contact the branch in Ker right away." The said and then heard Owen hang up Communicating from to can be quite costly. You will be needing an upgraded version of a watch that is not sold in 3rd rate countries. Though there are of course rich families who are an exception. In 2nd rate countries though, most average families have one. --------------- Morning came and Marcus woke up. He opened his eyes and thought about his agenda for today. He got up and walked towards the bathroom to take a bath. He wore the same kind of clothes though they were not the ones he put on yesterday. ck long-sleeved polo and smart trousers. Marcus went out of his room and saw that the tv was on. Nexus on the other hand was asleep on the couch. Marcus continued to the kitchen. He looked for anything that could be cooked and found eggs. Marcus looked for a recipe online on how to cook simple dishes. He found one that says ''Basic Scrambled Eggs for the Family''. He clicked on it and got the needed ingredients from the fridge and some others were on a cab. Marcus followed the recipe closely. Eggs, butter, salt, etc. As he finished, Nexus woke up from the smell. He got up from the couch and went to the kitchen. He didn''t even get to take his morning piss yet. "OHHH food. Scrambled eggs? let me try." Nexus said as he greedily looked at the food in front of him. Though it was slightly burnt, it still looked good. "Go for it," Marcus nodded. He was proud of his work. He then went to look for other things he could try. As a Prince, this was his first time cooking. Hell, it was his first time in the kitchen. Nexus tried it, and as the fork with the egg went into his mouth, his eyes went wide. He ran to the sink and hurriedly spat it out. "Are you trying to kill me?" Nexus looked at Marcus as if he was a monster. "Fuck do you mean? You didn''t like it?" Marcus was puzzled. He followed every single step. "Didn''t like it is an understatement! You should never cook in a banquet unless you want all of them to die." Nexus went to the bathroom to take a leak and also he needed to take a bath. "Rude bastard!" Marcus cursed. A few minutester Eva buzzed. She still felt a little hungover from all the drinks she drowned. Marcus went and opened the door. "Big Sis, try my this," Marcus said as she handed her a te and a fork. Eva tried it and ced it in her mouth. After doing that she made a weird face and also ran to the sink. "Little Brother, you shouldn''t ce that much salt," Eva said as she coughed a few times. Now she''s fully awake. "What do you--" Marcus went through the recipe in his watch, a screen popped up in the air and he began scrolling. He finally saw it. He ced too much salt. Chapter 19: Alchemist Eva Chapter 19: Alchemist Eva After that horrible tasting egg incident, Eva cooked breakfast and after that, the trio went to the ''Destrucstone''. They didn''t opt for buying food. "I have the perfect magic for you. Oh and profession too." Nexus in his human form said as they walked towards the alchemy room. Potions, cauldrons, different kinds of apparatus, and scattered papers on the floor could be seen. The scent from yesterday is still there. Nexus went to a shelf at the side of the room and opened it. He grabbed 2 heavy looking tomes and ced them on a nearby table. Marcus and Eva went closer. "Alchemy for dummies? Is this for me? I know nothing about alchemy." Eva said as she shook her head at the end. "You don''t know anything yet. But read the title, it says ''for dummies'' so it''ll basically teach you everything about the basics. It probably covers until rank 6 potions and pills. Once you''re done with that then there''s another book which will cover more advanced topics." Nexus said as he went to the other side of the room where there was a wooden door. All the doors in the house are made of wood. Oakwood He continued, "This is where the ingredients are stored. They are separated by sections and names are alphabetized. Neat right." Eva opened the alchemy tome and checked its contents. Each page has a different ingredient which was exined in a detailed manner. From how to use it, how to look for it, its effect, and things that aren''t seen on normal alchemy books even in the heavenly realm. Eva gulped. "So much knowledge in one book." "So, are you interested?" Nexus moved closer to them after he finished shutting the door where the ingredients were ced. "Yes! when I came here yesterday and was really curious. Getting the chance to actually learn how to make them is a blessing." Eva smiled as she hugged the book. But she thought of one thing that turned her smile upside down. "I heard that people need to be talented in magic to be good at alchemy." "Hey, hey, hey, where did you get that from? You don''t need to be talented in magic, but skilled and you need to mix in hard work. Oh, and who told you that you don''t have talent in magic? You have an extremely strong affinity for both alchemy and holy magic. Speaking of which" Marcus pointed at the other book that was still on the table. Eva looked at the book that was still on the table. It has a white cover and has big yellow words that said ''Shining Holy Scriptures'' Eva ced the alchemy book down and picked the other one up. She caressed it with her fingers. "ahem, with this you''ll be able to conjure fire, ''Holy me''. In alchemy, you''re going to need to have mes that you can easily control. From what I know ''Holy me'' is one of the best out there. Of course, it''s not only used for alchemy. You can use it to fight. There are other techniques in the book, well a lot actually. Basically, to end my mouth from talking, It''ll help you get stronger." Nexus exined. "These are amazing!" Eva eximed with a smile as her eyes began to tear up. "Big Sis, you''re going to be the best alchemist they will ever see. They''ll all kneel and beg in front of you when they need something," Marcus said. Evaughed and said, "Little bro, I wish my sister were here, she''ll surely love you." Marcus grinned "Should I also call her Big Sister too?" "Well, she is older than you," Eva smiled as she thought of how her sister was doing. "I can''t wait to see her." Marcus said as he turned towards Nexus "You know which potions and pills to give Big Sis?" Nexus nodded "Bastard of course. I''ll be staying here and apanying Eva." Eva looked at him. She still doesn''t understand her feelings. Well for the most part she is still confused. "I''ll leave you guys then." Marcus disappeared. "Let''s start practicing light magic with that tome. Once you can cast ''Holy mes'' properly and control it well, we''ll start with alchemy. Although you can try and start making rank 1 and rank 2 pills with just normal fire, it''ll be of low quality. Since you''re still a rank 1 Elite, you''ll have to gobble lots of medicines that will help you speed up a bit and will cleanse your body''s impurities. Don''t worry though these potions and pills won''t harm you in the long run." Nexus exined. He then continued "Oh and I won''t be much of help when training alchemy and light magic since I hardly know anything about them." Eva nodded. "Alright, how do we start?" ----------------------- Marcus went out of the hotel. His body is still quite sore. But his mana is already back to full. Nexus, well not only Nexus but also the trainers in the heavenly realm and including his mother told him that if you''re only at the Elite rank and below, you should not use potions or pills that heal sore bodies, you should also not use mana replenishment pills or mana replenishment potions when tempering. Let mana get used to going in and out of your body. Because that''s when your body is still growing and developing. And also it''s at that stage when your body is still adapting to mana. This is of course only when tempering. But when you''re in a life and death situation and have no other choice, well if you don''t take something that''ll help you live then, good day sir! When you reach rank 1mander and beyond, it means your body already adapted so you can use those pills and potions without restraint. It is currently 9:00 am and the championship that Marcus''ll watch will start around 10. He is in no hurry since he already bought a ticket online when he saw the scene yesterday. As usual, the streets are as busy as always. Marcus happily walked on the side. After cultivatingst night he is now finally close to a breakthrough. He already nned on trying out a spell. Something that only the Asura Royal Family can do. The reason why a lot of races in the heavenly realm are wary of them. Marcus ordered a cab on his watch. He only waited for a minute. The championship today will determine who will be representing Levi City at the main stage, in Ker City, the capital of Ker Republic. Marcus immediately got off the cab after he arrived. Levi City Arena was packed. The dome like arena is where the city holds most of its important matches. Most of the people were with their friends, family, or loved ones. Street vendors were selling all kinds of things which attracted children. Marcus made his way to the entrance and showed his ticket which was on his watch. The guard then scanned it. After confirming its legitimacy, the guard let him pass. Marcus strolled in and is now looking for his seat. There was a small performance on the ring in the middle of the arena where the championship will be fought. A band was currently ying a song that Marcus has never heard of before, but the crowd sure did. They all sang with the vocalist of the band. Marcus looked at the surroundings while also looking for his seat. ''I don''t know why but I really hate crowds. Maybe because I didn''t really interact with people that much. I mean 30 to 40 people are okay I guess or even a bit more as long as they''re not noisy. As an asura how do I not like this kind of ambiance? Mom, how did you even raise me.'' Marcus finally found his seat after talking to himself. Although he was a prince, he was mostly kept at home in the pce. He still goes out and attends parties and gs on others and races though. He was the heir so it was only natural. He sat down and waited. He also intently listened to the music the band yed and he asionally tapped his foot without him even noticing. A few minutester the music stopped. The band made their way out of the ring and few people wearing ck helped in getting the instruments and apparatus down. A woman who looked to be in her 30s went up the stage wearing professional attire. "Ladies and gentlemen" She started. "It has been one long road to get to this part. Every year we let the new generationpete and whoever wins will get to go and join the other geniuses in Ker City for an even bigger tournament. Whoever wins that will receive a schrship and will be able to study in a 2nd rate state. You can see why they are so eager. I''ll not keep you waiting anymore and introduce our two finalists." The crowd cheered. There were signboards with the contestant''s names on them. Some people were wearing something on their hand which had the index finger pointing upward. The woman waited for a second. The crowd quieted down a bit then she continued talking "The first one who we''ll wee is proficient in closebat, he was termed as the ''Young Powerhouse'' by his fans. Let''s wee Greg." Fireworks shot in the air. Though it was morning, they still have to be as grand as possible since people from other ces are watching. A young looking tall person who was bare-chested walked in from the side. He had an extremely muscr body with a bald head. He had green colored lower fighting pants and he walked in, barefooted. One could say that he looks like your boy, Johnny. Greg made his way up to the stage and slightly bowed at the cheering crowd. Not all were cheering though, especially most girls. "For the next one, I really don''t have to say much. He has been dubbed as the ice prodigy,dy killer, and ''the one'' by a lot ofdies. Ready your cheer for Dios." The crowd went wild. "Marry me Dios." "Dios I love you" "The one sitting beside me just pissed his pants" "Dios you''ll definitely win" "My mom gave us her blessing Dios you can have me" All kinds of noises were in the air. Soon a brown-haired handsome teen appeared. He was wearing a snow-white robe. He stopped his steps and waved to the crowd. He then pointed at Greg, after that he slid his index finger sidewards on his neck. He continued walking. The smile on his face never disappeared. Chapter 20: Watching a Boring Fight Chapter 20: Watching a Boring Fight ''He might be good-looking but I can beat him up.'' Although Marcus never sought attention, he still felt a bit envious. He is of course a teenager and a prince on top of that. On the rectangr stage, the two finalists stood a few dozen meters away from each other and looked at each other''s eyes. You could see from their eyes that they were hungry for battle. There was still a minute before the match started so Greg initiated a conversation "You are a cocky one aren''t you?" "That''s because I can back my cockiness. Didn''t you know? A true genius should always be confident." Greg shook his head. *ting* A sound could be heard that indicated the start of the fight. Greg circted his mana, his eyes turned simr to that of a reptile. His hands and then his arms transformed into the color brown. His skin hardened and turned into scales as he dashed towards Dios. The people are still not used to seeing this as they couldn''t help but feel a bit uneasy. Dios wasn''t standing idly by, he already conjured an ice sword and two icicles were floating beside him. He stomped his foot and a 2-meter tall ice rail went towards Greg. Greg didn''t seem to mind this. He punched his way through without any care. As he got closer he heard a sound, an object zooming towards him. He jumped back right on time as a 4-meter long icicle pierced the ice rail. Dios didn''t give Greg time topose himself and shot a few more icicles towards him. Greg jumped and then rushed at him again. This time an icicle was able to graze a part of his scale that he usually used as a shield. His scales had little scars on them that was enough for blood to ooze out. "I''ll show these people that I am not afraid to fight you in close range!" Dios yelled as he charged forward with his conjured ice sword in hand. Magic weapons weren''t allowed in tournaments like these. Most official tournaments don''t use magic items. Dios swung his sword at the bald man in front of him. Greg intercepted it with a punch using his right hand. He then swiped at Dios using his left. The ws that appeared were where the nails used to be. Dios dodged but Greg anticipated it. He chained his attack once more and kicked Dios. Dios fell down but he hurriedly covered himself in a 1 meter radius ball of ice. Greg threw a punch and tried to destroy it but spikes suddenly appeared on the surface of the ice. The spikes that appeared aren''t only for defense though. Dios fired the spikes as itunched in different directions. Dios removed the ice ball that was covering him and dashed towards Greg who got hit a few times but only 2 managed to pierce through his scales. Greg made his whole body turn brown. Hard smooth scales were what the ice sword of Dios hit when he swung his sword. Greg grabbed the sword and crushed it with his hands. His reptilian eyes were intently staring at Dios. Marcus who was in his seat was pretty disappointed. They were pretty good for recognition/warrior ranked teens but they were pretty sloppy. Though he thought of this, he didn''t say it out loud. Marcus got a little bored in watching their fight so he looked around. His eyes went towards the VIP box to his left. The windows were slid down so he could clearly see the person inside. Marcus could not forget the humiliation he faced. As a Royal and as an Asura, he would never let it slide. He was taught to be patient. When you can''t do things right now, that doesn''t mean you can''t do itter. Learn toy low. Stay silent and let sess make the noise. This was what one of his uncles taught him when he was training and kept crying because he couldn''t aplish something at that time. He was also taught that this applies to other things and not just training. Revenge is one of those. Marcus looked at the smiling person in that VIP box who had a woman on hisp. ''Target locked'' Marcus didn''t mind him anymore and ced his focus back on the stage. ----------------- While Marcus was in the arena Eva and Nexus were inside the ''Destrucstone''. ''Learning the Shining Holy Scriptures will not only give me the ability to master the Holy arts but also will also teach me light maniption. With holy magic, I''d be able to unleash an aura that can expel demons and creatures of the dark. With light magic, I can make my body one with the light and can teleport at distances. There are a lot more but I really should focus on learning and mastering ''Holy mes'' so that I can start learning alchemy.'' Eva said to herself as she was reading the ''Shining Holy Scriptures'' tome. Eva tried a lot of times to conjure one but it''ll only spark for a bit and then die out. Though Eva was tired, she didn''t want to stop. She honestly thought that alchemy was a wonderful thing. Something deep inside her wants to learn it. She practiced a few more times. She then heard Nexus''s voice saying "Take a few hours of rest and consume these." Nexus handed her a few pills and bottles of potions. He continued "It would be best if you are in a bathroom before taking most of these. As for the others, those are things needed to advance faster without any side effects. Lastly one of those will help you awaken something in your body. Something that''ll help you in learning " "Why do I need to go to the bathroom?" Eva curiously asked. Nexus smiled "Just trust me. You are not gonna want to stay in front of me when taking those." Eva nodded and didn''t say anything anymore. She went to her bathroom leaving Nexus in the Alchemy room alone. ''With those, she''s gonna look even more beautiful'' ------------------------- *boom* The fight reached its climax. People were no longer sitting on their chairs. They all stood up shouting the name of who they wanted to win while others were just shouting. "Hahaha, what happened to the genius?" Gregughed not caring that his body was hurting every time he did. The satisfaction was worth it. A bloody brown-haired teen that now had streaks of red was standing in front of him. Frosts were covering his wounds. The robe he wore was already a mess. He looked like a homeless man who got chased by dogs. Greg was of course also bloody. A lot of his scales had holes in them and a few had chunks ripped off. His left eye could not see anymore as it was oozing out blood. "Don''t talk like you''re not looking like a pile of bloody shit," Dios said as he moved forward. He conjured a big ice ball in the air as he raised his arms. Greg dashed out of the area where it was going tond. He tried his best. His leg weak, his arms are heavy, blood on his mouth, it looked messy. Dios roared as he tried to move forward, betting on thisst sh. Greg also charged towards him. His left arm fully stretched out. Dios conjured a sword before shing forward, he also made spikes appear on the ground. Greg tried his best to dodge the spike, he seeded but was hit by the ice sword. A direct blow to his shoulder. Though his reptilian skin reduced the damage, it still doesn''t mean it ain''t painful. It just means his arm didn''t get chopped off. He fell sidewards as Dios stabbed his ice sword forward. But Greg kicked his leg which made him off bnce, missing the stab. Dios didn''t fall down from the kick. But the same couldn''t be said for Greg. He didn''t get to stop from falling sideways. Greg tried his best to stand up. He managed to get to a kneeling position. He suddenly felt something cold touch his forehead. "Do you yield? Hahaha, seeing you like this is pretty satisfying. You, kneeling in front of me. This clearly depicts the truth of how inferior you are." Dios mocked. ''Idiot'' Marcus thought. Greg''s reptilian eyes glowed. He grabbed the de of the sword with his right hand and he thrust his left arm forward. He used thest ounce of strength he had to make this attack possible. Dios dropped the sword and managed to create a shield in the nick of time while backing away. Greg fell down face first on the floor as he missed. Dios looked at him for a second then to the crowd. He raised his right hand and balled it into a fist. He was tired and felt like falling. But he won''t show it in front of the crowd. He put a smile on his face and roared. Most of the crowd cheered. The fight they saw was amazing, to say the least. Marcus already made his way out of the arena. ''If people my age, Geniuses my age here in this country are all like that...'' He just sighed at the end. Provoking someone who was at the end of the stick. If he did that in a life and death battle he would have been minced meat. Marcus already learned not to underestimate his opponents. ''They are no genius'' Marcus thought. As he got out of the dome, he looked for a secluded ce and made sure no one was looking. A secondter, he disappeared. Chapter 21: We Should Run a Bar Chapter 21: We Should Run a Bar Eva went to the bathroom as Nexus instructed him to. ''What''s the big deal? Why the bathroom?'' Eva wondered. She began drinking the potions first. 1 potion every 2 minutes. As the liquid entered her body, she still couldn''t feel any changes. But after a while, she could sense her mana was starting to react. She felt a grumble in her stomach. A few secondster steam wasing out of her body. Eva didn''t stop and continued to ingest them. Her body started to smell bad and her stomach started to churn. An explicable feeling could be felt all over her body now that she''s taking the pills. She directly sat on the toilet. Her skin had ck oily substances going out of them. This went on for a good while. -------------------- Marcus arrived at the living room inside the ''Destrucstone''. He went to the alchemy room to check on his twopanions. Nexus stood beside the shelves, reading. "How was her progress?" Marcus strolled in. Nexus ced the book back on the shelf and looked at Marcus "It''s only been like what? An hour or two and you''re already asking that? She''s in her room right now ingesting the needed medicines." As Nexus finished what he said, Eva strolled in. Her hair tied into a bun. She already changed her clothes. Eva was now wearing white clothing, something simr to a Hanfu. Nexus was the one who ced this in her room. She liked it so she wore it. Nexus looked at her, spellbound. She no longer had eyebags. Her skin looked a lot whiter and smoother. Also, the Hanfu-like clothing could not hide how big her boobs were. The models on billboards shown on buildings which weredies from 2nd rate countries could hardlypare to her body. Eva''s currently embarrassed. What happened in the bathroom was something she never wanted people to know. It was mixed with happiness too. A while ago, when she looked in the mirror, she could see that she looked more beautiful. "Ahem" Marcus coughed bringing Nexus back. "Big Sis you look extremely dazzling. Look, my cat can''t take his eyes off you." Eva blushed as she looked at Nexus who was currently ring at Marcus. "I didn''t know that those pills and potions could also enhance beauty. It''s just that process..." Eva''s voice trailed off at the end. "That happens to all of us who take those on our first time. In the second round, it won''t be as much as the first. On the third andst round would just be the oily substance that wille out. Those things are what block the pathways where mana travel." Marcus exined trying to make himself sound like a profound teacher. "I still have to do it two more times?" Eva asked. The tribtion she went through on that toilet was insane and if possible, she didn''t want to experience it again. "Don''t worry Big Sis, not only will mana be able to enter your body a lot easier, but you''ll also be a lot more beautiful. That means you''ll be making this cat beside me drool." Marcus poked fun at Nexus who was beside him. Marcus already feelsfortable being around these two. Unlike the first day he came to the mortal realm where his mind was in utter turmoil. He didn''t even trust the cat back in the heavenly realm. Though he was useful by giving him the technique back then, he still didn''t trust him. "You!" Nexus raised his voice. "What me? You messed with me a lot of times and now we''re even." Marcus recounted the time''s Nexus messed with him including the ones in the heavenly realm and the one when they just arrived in Loira. Nexus countered with a few defenses. Saying that it was Marcus'' fault for not trusting him. Evaughed seeing the two arguing. She went to the table to grab her skill book. "Big Sis, how is it? Is holy magic to your liking?" Marcus and Nexus stopped and went close to her. "Mhm, I love it. It''s like holy magic is calling me to practice it. Light magic is also really interesting. Being able to bend light at will is something I look forward to." Eva slightly smiled. "You probably have an extremely strong affinity to it. Ohh, or you could have a physique that is rted to holy magic." Marcus searched for things in his head. "People with lots of potential can be found in different ces. I wouldn''t be surprised that there is a true genius anywhere in this country or any of the close countries." Nexus grabbed an alchemical apparatus that had liquid inside and began shaking it. "By the way, while I was reading the alchemy book a while ago, I had an idea," Eva looked at both of them. That got the attention of the boys. "So I got a degree in something rted to business, and I was thinking that potions can''t only be used for curing or strengthening people. So why don''t we ce it on drinks like beer, wine, and others? I know that there are a lot of businesses that do these but as you said, this is a unique book. The things that could be concocted by our business will be of higher qualitypared to the others. I already thought of ideas, something like people should buy both a drink and pill and take it together to make it taste good and have better effects." Marcus and Nexus'' eyes went wide. They once talked about making a business but both of them had no idea how. They''d probably bankrupt the ce. They thought of waiting for Marcus to breakthrough and use ''Army Maniption''. But now that they have Eva, things will be a lot smoother. Plus now they know what business to go into. "We should run a bar," Nexus eximed. Marcus grinned and said, "We should totally run a bar." "I have to study about business a lot more and freshen up my memories so don''t get too excited yet," Eva said seeing the two boys in front of her getting excited. "Eva, there''s no rush. Take your time. You''re learning a lot of things right now so it would be best if you take it slow. You could have even rested today." Nexus didn''t want Eva to be overworked again. She''s only an Elite. Marcus nodded, "Nexus is right Big Sis. We never said that we would start right away. We''ll be building one when we reach the 2nd rate state." Eva smiled at them. Touched by how caring they were. It''s like she finally found a family other than her sister. They talked for a while about the future until Eva insisted that she had to start practicing. Nexus would stay here by her side. Marcus on the other hand has to find someone. ----------------------- 9 pm Outside a luxurious vi. Marcus tailed the bastard the whole day. He asked Nexus to check how strong the people guarding him were and he confirmed that they were at rank 1 Commander, two of them. The other guards were just Elites. With the Stone of Destruction, he didn''t have to worry about getting found out by the two Commanders. It was like there was a veil covering him. Marcus in his red robe is now standing beside a tree in a vi. Nikolo Krimz, the heir of Ker Core Traders and the one who Marcus is following. The vi was only two stories. It had an air of luxuriousness to it. Nikolo is currently having a party. There were people outside by the pool but Nikolo wasn''t one of them. He was also told by Nexus that the 2manders were high on alert. The elites weren''t there. They had to pick up important guests. Marcus of course has no ns on fighting them. He is currently in no position to mess withmanders head-on. Soon a ck-haired man with a long nose who looked to be in his early twenties walked out and went near the pool, where the jacuzzi was at. Marcus eyed him. He then activated the ''Destrucstone'' and used ''Lightning Form'' and zipped towards Nikolo. As he got closer the Commanders noticed the disturbance in mana. Marcus thought he was so slick but he underestimated the Commanders as they reached by the side of Nikolo. Marcus deactivated ''Lightning Form''. He was now in a pinch. If he fights, it''ll be like digging his own grave. Fighting one injuredmanderst time was already tough. Now he has to fight 2 fully healthy ones. He could at most reach rank 9 Elite with the stone. This is without adding emotions to the equation. If he runs away, it''ll hurt his own pride. ''I could still turn this around. My spells and techniques are of higher rank than theirs.'' Marcus thought. He could only bet that the difference in the quality of spells taught in skill books would give him something to work with. Both themanders stared at the red-robed man in front of them. News that a vignte has been roaming around Levi City has already spread and naturally, these two knew who this person in front of them was. The people by the side already ran away. Nikolo on the other hand didn''t. He wanted people to see how brave he was. ''His target is clearly the young master. If he dies, we''ll surely get hanged.'' Thought one of themanders. The other one attacked right away. He gathered mana to his hand and conjured a water spear. Themander then dashed towards Marcus. He stabbed his spear but missed. The red-robed man turned into Vermillion lightning. Marcus conjured a vermillion colored javelin and threw it at the one who attacked him. ''I''ll just try my best to enjoy fighting with these guys. To push my limits.'' Chapter 22: Fighting Two Commanders Chapter 22: Fighting Two Commanders The fight went on for a while. Nikolo stood at the back. Marcus'' n was to try his best and grab him but now he had an idea to temper himself. The twomanders were of course extremely difficult to deal with. "What do you want? Money?" Nikolo asked from afar. Marcus didn''t reply. He is currently fending off attacks on two fronts. Vermillion colored lightning crackled in the sky as Marcus roared. He threw everything he had at the two Commanders. The fight was only short but right now Marcus was covered in blood. The cloth covering his arms were tattered. His vermillion eyes glowed, his arms transformed into that of an Asura. "What is that?" One of the Commanders who uses water magic asked. "Transformation magic?" The other one who uses Earth magic guessed. Marcus'' speed and strength multiplied. Lightning danced around his now red arms as he dashed towards themanders ready to sh. Nikolo was scared but there were still people far behind looking. If he runs now then it''ll be bad for his reputation, especially with thedies. He has twomanders here, why would he run. "You''re doing great. Quick reminder, don''t die, or else it''ll just be me and Eva." Nexus''s voice sounded in his head. Marcus snorted. He didn''t respond. More like he couldn''t respond. A barrage of spells flew towards Marcus. Marcus didn''t back down; he faced it head-on. The Stone of Destruction started to glow in his soul. His aura magnified. Marcus punched the water torrent that was heading towards him. A punch filled with the aura of destruction. The water magic came in contact with Marcus''s fist and dispersed. The mana dissipated from the spell. He did not stop with a single spell though. He went and did the same to the other spells that they aimed towards him. The twomanders were shocked at what happened. Their spells got destroyed with the use of fists. Marcus however felt like arge chunk of his mana was just used. He also didn''t know what happened. He just felt like doing it and, bam! He destroyed the spells that wereing towards him. But he put it at the back of his mind for now. He doesn''t have time for it. He used this chance to dash towards Nikolo. Themanders snapped out of their initial shock and chased Marcus. With the Stone of Destruction plus his Asura form the speed at which he is traveling could barely match a rank 1 Commander. But he still pushed. He was done tempering for the night. That unexpected chunk of mana that was used by him in destroying those spells was enough to make him go home. Marcus was only a few more meters away from Nikolo. He didn''t transform into lighting to save a bit of mana just in case he gets forced into bad situations. A proof that his decision making improved. Nikolo tried to run, he already wet his pants when he saw the red-robed man''s vermillion colored eyes. Seeing the bloody figure that was dashing towards him was thest straw. He could not understand how the Commander''s his father assigned failed to put this guy down. But how could he evenpare to Marcus'' speed? Twomanders that were tailing him close behind was enough motivation for Marcus to push his limits. Themanders only had a chance to throw out 1 projectile spell each to which Marcus both dodged. Marcus got closer and closer. He stretched his hands out. When he finally grabbed the 22 year old in front of him, he changed his trajectory and rushed out of the vi. He dashed like crazy out of there. The Commanders panicked. They couldn''t use any spells for the fear of hitting their young master. Now that Marcus obtained his target, he didn''t care about conserving his mana anymore. Marcus threw Nikolo forward as hard as he could and then he transformed into lightning. He did this multiple times before both Commanders lost track of him. Marcus'' mastery of ''Lightning Form'' isn''t enough for him to bring people with him yet. He then went to the Stone of Destruction with Nikolo in tow. ------------ Inside the Stone of Destruction Nikolo was shivering "Pl-please don''t do anything to me. I can give you money. beast cores. Anything you want." Marcus dragged him by the hair as he went to the Chamber. "I did some searching on the inte about you. I saw a lot of nasty stuff. You bashed a guy''s head for slightly damaging your car, put a hit on a teacher because he failed you, vited tons of women who you saw were helpless. Damn the list goes on. Long story short you''re a terrible human being and you disgust me. I would never have bothered with you if we never crossed paths. But you just had to provoke me and most of all humiliated me." Marcus said. He continued, "Well, look on the bright side. I now have the chance to get rid of a scum of society like you." Marcus opened the door to the chamber and walked in. He hummed the song that was yed by the band this morning. Krieg is still screaming inside the hole. "Don''t mind him. He''s just another one of our patients who has a different doctor." Marcus said. "WAIT! I think you got it all wrong. I''ve never even offended you." Nikolo squirmed like crazy. He doesn''t know why he can''t use magic. "Don''t waste your time. I already drug your ass when we came in" Marcus said as he chained him to the side, both arms and legs. He then went to a nearby cab. "Did you ever think that this would happen to you? That some kind of retribution would happen after you killed and vited all those people?" Marcus calmly asked as he got a jar with a few leech-like parasites inside. Nikolo didn''t respond. He was just crying and begging. "Oh, how rude of me." Marcus removed the mask that was under the bloody hood. Nikolo''s eyes went wide. He still remembers the face. This was someone he humiliated in a restaurant. Marcus walked towards him. He dropped one of those leech-like parasites in Nikolos mouth. and began to exin. "That was called a ''ck limp parasite''. It''ll dissolve in your body after 24 hours and spread the dormant poison. Once it does, it begins to work its magic. First, it''ll make your reproductive part lose its function and yes it''s excruciating. After a few days, the dormant poison that was spread all over your body by the parasite will start working. You will feel like something is eating every single part of your body and that includes your teeth that will soon fall off. At most, you''ll have 1 month to live. Don''t worry though, I''ll be returning you to your family in a few days." "Please don''t! I''m begging you! I''ll change!" Nikolo yelled. Marcus didn''t mind though as walked out humming to the song that was yed in the arena. ----------------- Marcus went to the alchemy room where he saw both Nexus and Eva. He said, "Big Sis, don''t you think it''s time to rest? You''ve been at it the whole day." Nexus shook his head, "I already told her that." "Just a little bit more then I''ll go back to my room to cultivate." Eva flipped to the next page as she looked up and saw Marcus'' bloody figure. She said "You''re asking me to rest but it looks like you''re the one who needs it. Are you okay little bro?" Marcus grinned, "Yes, I''m also going to breakthrough tonight." Eva and Nexus congratted him. "We''ll be going somewhere tomorrow. You and Big Sis need to go shopping too" Marcus went out and headed towards his room. He has to clean himself up and then breakthrough before he''ll go and see Carmen. "We''ll also go to the restaurant Eva rmended tomorrow. It looks like today was a busy day that we forgot to go out." Nexus reminded. "Before all that, I have yet to resign at the hotel." Eva smiled. Marcus went to the bathroom to take a good ass shower before heading towards the room where he makes his breakthroughs. If his guess is right then he could use ''Army Maniption'' to an extent after the breakthrough. ''Once I get to use ''Army Maniption'' I''ll be able to control a few people to work for the business.'' A simple thought crossed Marcus'' mind. Although he could guess that the ''Army Maniption'' that he''ll be able to use can''tpare to the genuine ''Army Maniption'' that can be activated at the Commander Stage, it is still extremely useful. ''Holy nuggets, I forgot to ask Nexus about that weird thing I did where I destroyed that spell.'' Marcus facepalmed himself. He put it at the back of his mind for now. What''s important is his breakthrough. Marcus sat and crossed his legs. He threw a couple of mana stones in front of him and then he controlled his breathing. Marcus could feel the stone reacting. shaking a bit as soon as he started. An aura of destruction leaked out of his body. But he didn''t stop it. Soon the aura reached every single part of the room. Marcus could feel his mana getting a lot purer and his soul getting clearer. The stone also started to dig deeper into his soul. Chapter 23: A Peek Into the Past Chapter 23: A Peek Into the Past A man with vermillion hair and a man with ck hair with yellow streaks in the middle stood in the air, together with a few heavenly beauties beside them. They were currently surrounded by a couple of people who were looking at the man with vermillion hair as if he was a treasure. They were above a lush green forest with tall mountains at a distance. The clouds were few and the sky was clear. The ce they were in had extremely dense mana but it was only normal for the people who were here. This is the density of the mana they were used to. One of the men in the crowd called out. "Lord of Destruction, have you thought about it? some of us are getting impatient." Another chimed in "That''s right. We can''t wait forever. You are already the master of destruction. What you found is something new. It''s only right for you to share your discovery with us." "Shameless!" One of the girls standing beside the vermillion colored haired man cried out. "This is the fruit of his hard work. He discovered it so all of you can just fuck off!" "That''s one poisonous tongue you got there." A man looked at her withscivious eyes. "Why in your bald head are you even asking me to share it. I never said anything about sharing it with you bastards. This new type of magic is something Iprehended. Have you ever helped me with this? No! So as my wife said, fuck off!" The vermillion haired man''s eyes glowed. This was something he worked so hard to create, toprehend. He would never share it with anyone aside from his close friend and his wives. Augh came from one of the crowd. "It''s funny how you think you have a choice." "Why don''t I just smash your big nose you piece of cow shit! You call yourself a Lord, but you look like someone with severe mental disease. What? Why are you looking at me that way? Have you ingested a divine poison?" The man with ck hair with yellow streaks in the middle mocked. He turned his head and looked at another person in the crowd. He continued, "And you, I''d like to tell you to get your head out of your arse but it''s too far deep that it goes out of your top and back up again in an infinite loop." A few people wanted tough. This guy has always been known for having this kind of mouth. But they controlled themselves. The person who got pointed out looked at his surroundings. He red daggers at the man who just insulted him. This was extremely humiliating. "You!" He shouted. "What me?" The man had a proud look on his face. "Alright, that''s enough." A middle-aged man who had a kind expression on his face spoke. "If you''re going to ask me about this new spell then you could just fuck off. You aren''t fooling anyone with that kind face of yours. We all know how disgusting you are!" The man with vermillion hair smirked. The eyes of the man beside him lit up. He hurriedly added, "Yes we all do. We all know how you like to get it down with horses. And yesdies and gentlemen ''horses''. Not one, but plenty." The people could no longer hold it in and started chuckling. The man''s kind face disappeared. There was a rumor that had spread about him and horses when he was seen naked in their area. Though it''s not true, no one would believe him. "Remember, we tried to make this peaceful but you just had to choose the hard way." The ''kind'' faced man said before stepping back. They were all wary. No one wanted to attack first. A few hours ago they all saw a pir of scarlet-colored light shed in the sky above the Lord of Destruction''s pce. It was a spell they have never seen before. They came to the conclusion that the Lord of Destruction invented or discovered something. This is why they all gathered around. Another reason is that they are not stupid enough to get into a fight with the Lord of Destruction. They were Lords themselves but they were still afraid of what the Lord of Destruction can bring to the battlefield. "If you''re really going to be adamant about this, then we''ll have no choice but to fight!" One person in the crowd yelled. The Lord of Destruction looked at his wives. They smiled at him and nodded. He also looked at his buddy and the woman beside him. He turned his head back towards the crowd and shouted one word with a thunderous voice. "COME!" ------------------ Marcus was no longer sitting in a cross-legged position. He was clutching his head. Voices of people were ringing in his mind. He could not see their faces as it was shrouded. He felt like voices of higher beings were shouting at him, but in reality, they were only talking. He had already finished his breakthrough. He skipped a level and was now a rank 7 Elite. As he finished though, the stone was now closer to his soul. He felt like it was trying to be one with it. Unclear images started flooding in his mind like a waterfall. He suddenly found himself in the body of someone else, though he was purely a spectator. He couldn''t do anything but watch. Time went on. The talking stopped and the fighting started. Spells were thrown that even Marcus had never seen in the Heavenly Realm before. Someone turned into a gigantic dragon that overshadows the dragon race in the heavenly realm, another called on the stars, and more which he could hardly exin. As the fight reached its climax, Marcus felt his heart tearing when he saw the scene where the people around him were drenched in blood. He couldn''t see their faces, but somewhere deep in his heart, he longed to be with them again. The fight ended. The group of people managed to escape and everything dimmed. Marcus was out of breath. His head was in pain. He clutched it as tears unconsciously rolled down his face. This was not due to physical pain but emotional. This went on for a few minutes before Marcus stared at the ceiling. He brokethrough but he wasn''t as happy as he thought he would be. Marcus didn''t know how much time had passed but he finally stood up and went to his room. ''As Nexus said, one step at a time. I''ll get my answers about this sooner orter. There''s no point in racking my brains for one. I''d better cultivate some more after this.'' Marcus thought as he hopped into the shower. Taking a bath is something he always likes to do. ---------------- The next morning Marcus got out of bed. He didn''t sleep and just cultivated. Sleep isn''t something most people in the Heavenly Realm need. Once you reach Asura Preparation stage you could go on for days without sleep. For lower rank, there are pills which one can talk to be able to stay awake for long periods of time. But still, if they had the chance to sleep, then they will. Marcus used those pills. They were nothing special and only usedmon ingredients. Plus there was a stockpile of them in the storage room. He went to the living room and saw Eva drinking tea with Nexus. "Morning guys," Marcus said as he walked towards them. "Thank you for the breakthrough." Nexus smiled. He is now a rank 7 Elite too. He would grow stronger as Marcus grows stronger. Once the chains are broken that''s the only time when Marcus'' cultivation won''t affect his and he would have to start training independently. "I prepared tea. Try it, little bro." Eva said as he handed a cup with a tter below to him. "Big Sis, when will you make your breakthrough? I feel like you''re already at the peak of rank 1." Marcus sat down on the couch. "Yes, those pills and potions helped a lot. I can also see that I''ve gotten a lot prettier too." Eva cupped her face. Which girl wouldn''t want to look more beautiful if they had the chance. "There will be a lot of handsome men who''ll be courting you in the future." Marcus joked. Eva smiled as she looked at Nexus who was suddenly whistling. "So Big Sis, where''s the restaurant?" Marcus asked. "It''s close to the hotel. The food isn''t expensive and it''s not that ssy but it''s incredibly delicious. But before I forget, let''s first go to the hotel." Eva happily said. It''s been quite a long time since she has eaten there. ------------------- While the three were happily chatting, 2manders are currently in a pinch. They still hadn''t called their boss. They knew that this news was bound to spread right away, since a lot of people at the party were famous. One of them had thoughts of running away. The other finally steeled himself and started dialing the father of Nikolo. They knew that there is a huge chance that they would get killed. "Hello." A man from the other side sleepily answered. "Sir, there has been a slight mishap." One of the Commander said. The man rubbed his eyes "What? What did my son do this time? If it''s one of his usual activities just cover it up. You know what to do." Themander cleared his throat "Actually sir, your son was kidnapped." Chapter 24: Jerichos Diner Chapter 24: Jericho''s Diner "What did you say?!" The man shouted. His initial drowsiness was nowhere to be seen. The two Commanders on the other side flinched. They could clearly see the man who was on the screen in front of them explode. Nikolos''s father might not be strong, but he has a lot of connections. He could make them disappear if he wanted to. The Commanders breathed for a bit but the silence only infuriated the father even more. Rowan Krimz, the CEO of Ker Core Traders shouted, "You two are Commander stage powerhouses! How can there be anyone who wouldmit something like that there?! Was it ourpetitors?" One of the Commanders exined. "S- sir the young master had a partyst night. He, he invited a lot of important people so he sent the Elites to pick them up. But before they could return, a man wearing red-robes came and attacked. Not really attacked but had the intention of kidnapping the young master. We instantly moved as we were on high alert. But in the end, he was still able to get the young master into his clutches. He didn''t state his reason, sir." Rowan Krimz, a short, chubby man who looked to be around his early forties and had bushy brows with a long nose was pacing around his room. His wife at the side was listening to the conversation while crying. Rowan was corrupt. He did a lot of things under the table for money, more and more money. But he had always been loyal to his wife. Rowan seldom wondered where the boy got his attitude of viting women. "The red-robed man? Do you mean the one that suddenly sprung up in Levi City? What did he want? Money?" Rowan stopped. The two Commanders looked at each other. They remembered that the young master had asked the red-robed man if he wanted money, but he didn''t respond. One of them answered. "He didn''t mention anything about money sir. The red-robed man didn''t even speak. He was clearly only here for the young master." Rowan stomped his feet. "Useless scums of society! Find him! Cooperate with the police. Search every single spot in the city. I don''t care how you do it!" "Yes sir!" The two said in unison. In the mansion of the Krimz family. Rowan went to his wife and hugged her. "Will they find him?" Asked his wife. Rowan stayed silent for a while. "Yes, I asked them to cooperate with the police and they will surely be able to find him. Plus I''ll also send people there to help. Once I get my hands on the person who kidnapped him, he''s going to pay!" ------------------------ Marcus, Nexus, and Eva walked into the hotel lobby. Marcus wore his same outfit. Nexus wore a shirt and shorts. He still has to shop. Eva wore a white sweatshirt and tight jeans with her hair tied to a bun. Her round eyes were sparkling and her sweet smile dazzled the people at the side. The receptionist saw her. Well, the receptionist that subbed her because she was absent again today saw her and called out "Eva! Where have you been?! Do you know that they are talking about firing you? You didn''t even call or send a notice that you would be absent yesterday." Eva smiled. "I''m actually here to resign." "Resign? You want to resign? Are you crazy? I thought you lived on the Eastside? How are you going to afford rent?" Asked the receptionist. Eva chuckled. "You don''t have to worry about that." Without waiting for the receptionist to reply, Eva went directly into the office leaving the two boys to stand idle in the lobby talking and arguing about whateveres into their minds. Normally you would need a resignation letter but since they were already talking about firing her, then why not just stroll in and ask to resign. She won''t need a job anymore anyway. She bumped into Ben, the manager. Ben looked at her and thought she looked a lot more beautiful. His eyes stared at her wless skin. It changed its target and was now on her boobs. He had always imagined touching them. Eva coughed which brought him back from the clouds. "Eva? Where were you? Do you even know how much trouble I had to get into just to get you a job here? And that''s how you pe--" Ben was suddenly cut off. "I quit. I resign. It''s been nice working with you!" Eva went back to the entrance but she suddenly stopped. "Let me take that back. It wasn''t nice working with you. I know how you look at my boobs every day. Your sexualments that you aim at me and all those idental bumps. Mark my words I wille back. When I do, you better hide." Eva red as she spoke. If Nexus heard this, the guy in front of Eva would probably be his second patient roommates. Ben was shocked. She remembered that this woman didn''t really talk much to people unless necessary. It seems like she changed somehow. But as Eva walked away he just stared at her butt. Eva only remained a quiet woman because she knew she had to. She was only an employee with no backing whatsoever. But she wasn''t as innocent as she seemed. A girl who lived in the Eastside for quite some time, how can she be innocent? "It''s done" Eva walked towards the boys while smiling. Nexus went beside her and said. "That was quick." There was still a bit of a barrier between them but they did get a bit closer. Only a tiny bit. Eva is still adjusting to her new life and Nexus didn''t wanna rush in. They also don''t talk about that stuff much and only focus on things like magic, alchemy, and other things that are rted to advancing in power. Marcus and the gang went towards the restaurant that Eva kept praising. It was no fancy restaurant. On top of the entrance, a board was hung that said ''Jericho''s Diner''. The trio went in and Marcus asked "Isn''t this ce what you humans call retro?" Eva had a wry smile on her face as she heard his question. Not because of the question itself but the ending part of it. She still wasn''t used to them saying ''You humans''. Eva nodded. It didn''t bother her, it just felt weird. They sat in one of the booths with red-colored chairs. Soon a waiter came and took their order. "Three of your chicken nuggets, c, and fries," Eva said. "Is that all?" Asked the waiter. Eva nodded. "So what''s with all the mystery? Are their nuggets really that good or is it their fries?" Marcus asked. "Don''t worry, your Big Sister hyped it, so that means it''s that amazing!" Eva smiled. "I just hope my first taste of human food in this form is good," Nexus said. Marcus suddenly remembered something. He made sure that no one was listening to them. After that, he looked at Nexus and said in a low voice. "Last night when the two Commanders threw different kinds of spells at me, I destroyed them." Nexus weirdly looked at him, "Are you bragging? I mean, if you n on bragging you could at least make it sound cool." Eva chuckled. "No, you dumb cat. Listen, Their spells wereing at me and the stone suddenly started reacting, and then I felt my whole aura changed. Every punch I threw destroyed their spells." They already told Eva about the Stone of Destruction. Eva both felt weird and touched that they trusted her that much. The stone alone was already a big secret and the things inside. "Little bro, does that mean you could destroy spells with just your fists?" Eva asked, obviously surprised. "I don''t really know how it works yet but what I do know is that it took a big bit off my mana every time I use it," Marcus said. "Marcus look at me, right here." Nexus pointed both his index and middle fingers to his eyes and then pointed them to Nexus'' eyes. "Let''s start with the stone name, Destrucstone--" Nexus started to exin but was cut off. "Stone of Destruction, continue." Marcus took a sip of water. "As I was saying, the Destrucstone, from the name itself we can get the word ''destroy'', will allow you to destroy spells. Well, you do have a price to pay a price for it. You use up mana depending on how powerful the spell is. Though technically it''s not the stone." Nexuspleted his exnation. "That''s awesome!" Eva eximed. Marcus grinned. "Holy nuggets, that means I could destroy spells as long as I have the mana. But I''m guessing there is more to it right?" "You guessed it. But it is best to tell you once the stone is already one with your soul as it would be easier to exin." Nexus said. Their food finally arrived. Marcus picked up the chicken nugget. "The moment we''ve been waiting for." Nexus also picked one up and raised it. "Cheers!" "Wait" Eva stopped them. "Dip it in this sauce first. It''s actually their sauce that makes it taste really good. Go try it." Both the boys stopped. They dipped it and then began eating. Nexus'' eyes lit up "It''s actually a lot better than I expected. The sauce! I could just drink the sauce alone. Wait, no, the chicken nugget needs to be there too." Nexus didn''t really have much expectation since it''s human food. But it was a lot better than he expected. "Big Sis, it''s delicious. I have to agree with Nexus, I thought you were just overselling it, but the sauce is actually driving me insane, in a good way. I just wanna lock up the one who made this and let him make this all day. Why isn''t this ce on the map yet?" Marcus munched. Eva grinned after hearing their reactions. "See! you should never doubt a native." She was d that they liked it. Eva continued "Actually you could see that this isn''t really the ce where people in this era go. It looks old so not everyone would be willing to eat here." "So they''re judging based on what they see? Damn" Nexusmented. The boys were eating like crazy. Eva had to reprimand them and remind them of table manners. Chapter 25: Balance things out Chapter 25: Bnce things out As they were about to leave the trio heard the news. "Good Morning Levi City, it is currently 9:30 am in the morning. And now for our first and hottest news. Last night, the vignte who has been dubbed as ''Red Lightning'' appeared again. Histest target was the son of Rowan Krimz, CEO of Ker Core Traders. Last night the 22-year old had a party at his vi when he was visited and kidnapped by the ''Red Lightning''..." "Red? Seriously?" Marcus scoffed. Marcus, Eva, and Nexus didn''t stay to listen. They had other things to do. "Shopping or bank?" Marcus asked. Eva already had a bank but it''s only a local one and Nexus, well, he doesn''t even have money on him right now. Eva looked at him and directly answered. "Shopping. When you have a girl with you, it''s always shopping." Nexus who was at the side took note of it in his mind. Marcus called a cab with his watch and a few minutester they arrived at the ce where they''ll buy clothes. Marcus didn''t need to buy any though. Nexus needs help with picking so Eva offered to help. "It''s best if we buy smartwatches in 2nd rate states as we can directly buy the ones where you canmunicate with people from another," Marcus suggested. The other two had no problems with that. Nexus tried some clothes on with the help of Eva. He chose a few shirts, sweaters, smart trousers, a suit, a zer, a trenchcoat, boots, and a couple of shoes. "Why not just buy the whole store?" Marcus suggested. "We have plenty of rooms, we could use a couple of them as a closet." Eva shook her head. "We''ll do the main shopping once we''re in the 2nd rate state. That''s when we buy a lot of stuff all at once. This is only pre-shopping." "Pre-shopping?" Marcus''s eye twitched. He looked at Nexus who was holding a bunch of clothes. "I don''t think I''m even gonna wear most of these. I''d probably pick one or two outfits at most, clean them with magic, the use them in a loop." Nexus had a helpless look on his face. "It''s always good to have a few spare clothes just in case," Eva said. They went to the women''s department after they paid for the products that were ced in paper bags. Spatial rings or spatial items aren''tmon in 3rd rate countries. Eva chose a few simple yet elegant clothes. She also picked a few footwear. She didn''t buy anything formal though. She said she''ll buy it in the 2nd rate state together with her sister. They went to the part where she had to buy her undergarments. Marcus stood as far away as possible while Nexus wanted to follow her. Seeing the girl of your dreams choose underwear in front of you and asking for your opinion is the one true dream. The money they had spent today was enough to make a few hundreds of people rich. Marcus and friends finished their shopping. They went out and headed towards the bank. Marcus and Nexus were carrying tons of paper bags while Eva''s hands were free. That''s because Marcus once read that when going shopping with a woman, men had to be the ones to carry the shopping bags. He also remembered the words of his trainer before he died. He ryed it to Nexus who happily did it with no hesitation. Eva was embarrassed at first. But due to the feeling of familiarity towards each other, a few minutester she didn''t mind anymore. She was not used to this kind of shopping. All she did in the past was buy clothes in cheaper stores and that''s it. They could already be considered as close friends. But that doesn''t mean Eva is finished adjusting. There are still certain things that she isn''tfortable talking about. Like the topic with Nexus. They went inside Humanity Bank. One of the biggest, if not the biggest bank, and widely used bank by the human race from 1st rate countries, all the way down to 3rd rate countries. The interior was luxurious. White marble flooring, high ceiling with a tinted skylight, leather waiting seats, people were the ones processing things and not robots. They were here to open an ount for Eva and Nexus. They would soon open a business so it would be best to have bank ounts ready. They would just connect it with their watches when they get one. They went to get a number and waited. The manager was already notified when Marcus arrived. The guard and a few people called him. When Owen, the manager of Humanity Bank in the whole 2nd rate country told them to show the utmost respect to Marcus, the manager made every single worker memorize his face. When they were working, Marcus'' picture was there, when they were eating, Marcus'' picture was there, the manager said if it was possible they should also dream of Marcus. This is how they were able to recognize Marcus right away. The manager who was in a meeting tried to hurry it up. He skipped a lot of things just to finish early. The trio were currently sitting on one of the leather couches. A few secondster the entrance opened. A teen with two of his friends came in. The teen was wearing a white in polo shirt that was tucked in his grey pants. His hair was tied into a bun. "Trust me, we just need to go there and boom you''ll get your ount just like that and then we can go get ready for tonight''s party." The teen said. "Speaking of parties, have you heard about what happenedst night?" One of his friends asked. "Yeah it, was a good thing I was busyst night, or else I''d also be there." Said the teen as he walked towards the counter where they''d make your ount. He didn''t even get a number. To make a bank ount, you just have to bring your id, and go to the counter. Once they receive it, you''ll be scanned and your data on the will be checked. After a few more processes and a few signatures, you''re good to go. A frail-looking granny who''s using a cane for support walked towards the counter. Her steps were slow as to not trip. But once she arrived, she got nudged at the side and fell. She could feel that a bone got dislocated. Marcus'' brows furrowed as he saw this. Eva was about to stand up and give him a good beating, but the manager arrived. The people all turned to look at him including the teen. He thought that the manager was here for him. He''s the son of a senator after all. So he smiled at him. Managers of Humanity Bank are special people. They have connections to different types of organizations. It''s extremely useful to have one as an acquaintance if you want to start a business as there would be no problems with the bank. The teen''s smile froze when the manager went past him. Marcus looked puzzled, he could see a man in his early thirties with a big nose and a messy top cuting towards him. As the manager arrived a few meters away from him, Marcus heard him speak "Young master Marcus it''s good to see you back here again. I''m Harv the manager of this branch. I know that the young master has no time for people like me so would it be fine to ask what the young master is here for today?" Nexus and Eva looked at Marcus, He also looked at them, equally puzzled. "y along. You''re a prince, it won''t be that hard." Nexus said telepathically. Marcus looked back at the manager and spoke "My purpose ofing here was to open a bank ount for my friends." He tried testing the waters. He showed an aura of a prince. Harv smiled "That''s a very simple thing, follow me to the counter and we''ll finish it right away." Eva hurriedly walked and quickly arrived beside the granny, whose face was scrunching in pain "Hurry, call the ambnce. Or do you have healers here?" Eva has no pills or potions. The teen looked at Eva who was kneeling on the floor helping the granny in any way she can. He felt something between his legs react. His eyes staring intently at her boobs. This however did not go unnoticed by both Marcus and Nexus. "No, you can''t call, ahem, healers. I have no money to pay for them. I need to use these to put my grandchild to school." Said the granny. "Granny take this." Marcus pretended to get a pill from his pocket and gave it to the granny in front of him as he also knelt. "This? Isn''t this a medicine pill? This is too precious. I won''t be able to repay you." The granny kept coughing. Marcus gave the pill to Eva and made her handle this matter. Marcus stood up and looked at the teen near him with disdain. He turned towards the manager and seriously said "The granny can go first. I also hope that you can kick this guy out. I don''t like the way he looks at my friend. Oh, kick his buddies too." The manager nodded. He could feel that Marcus was someone who was high and mighty. He didn''t even care who the person he was going to kick out. ''You may be a bigshot in the 3rd rate state but you''re nothing more than pisspared to this guy.'' The manager thought. "What? Who do you think you are?! You can''t do this to me. I''m the son of a senator. Do you hear me? I swear if you touch me I''ll get you fired!" Shouted the teen. He was almost always treated with respect. The manager smirked. "Fired? Your father won''t even darey a finger on me. Guards take him away." He was taken away while the granny was finally cured. ''I miss being a prince'' Marcus thought. "Granny are you okay?" Marcus asked. "Thank you!" The granny was about to bow but Marcus stopped her. "It''s fine. He was scum and although I''m no saint and I don''t go around exterminating bad people, I do take care of them when I see one." Marcus smiled. "Don''t go around exterminating bad people huh?" Nexus asked. "I only do that for tempering. I could go fight good people at night but I won''t be able to fight to the death with them. You know what I mean." Marcus said. The manager apologized to Marcus for the inconvenience. The process went on without a hitch. The granny came first and then Eva and Nexus. Marcus then thanked the manager for his help As they were about to leave Marcus deposited money to the old granny''s ount. It was more than enough to live an extravagant life in the 3rd rate country. It was admirable seeing someone that old do these things for their grandchild. He also asked the manager to protect them for a few years. The manager happilyplied. ''I hope that bnces out all the killings I''ve done'' Marcus thought. When he was a kid he read something about someone keeping track of all the things everyone has done in their life. Aside from following this kind of principle, he also tries his best to follow histe mentor''s teaching on ways to be a gentleman. Although what Gary taught him was slightly twisted. He had killed a lot these past few days. Not to mention he was keeping people in the ''Chamber''. He didn''t seem to be disgusted about the killings but more like his Asura bloodline wanted to fight some more bloody battles. But he also had to be careful not to lose himself along the way. Chapter 26: Recruiting? Enslaving? Chapter 26: Recruiting? Enving? Harv paced around his room trying to contact Owen, the Humanity Bank manager of all 2nd rate countries. Owen answered and Harv began chattering "Sir, sir you were right. He surely is someone from any of the 1st rate countries. When he gave me an order it felt like I was standing in front of a prince as his loyal subject." "Wait, wait, slow down." Owen who was eating didn''t know what to do with the random information. Harv breathed and slowly said. " Sir, the person named Marcus came. I think you were right about him being from a 1st rate country. He had the air of a prince not only when he talks but also when he moves." Owen chuckled "Keep up the good work. Make sure to do what he told you." "Yes sir," Harv said before Owen cut off the call. ------ Both Marcus and Eva were in a hurry to train. Eva is still far behind which is why she is determined to work hard. They decided not to check out and just stay in the hotel until they leave for Ker City. Eva wasn''t embarrassed going back. She was no longer an employee but a customer. A customer at their most expensive suite at that. They went into the lobby and soon the employees saw Eva. Some of them had a few weird looks on their faces, wondering what she was doing here. The others thought that her senses finally came back and wanted to work here again. But there is one thought that ismon in all the male workers. They felt like flirting with her. Eva paid them no heed and just walked beside Marcus, while Nexus who was to the right of Marcus had a proud look on his face. If you read his shameless face correctly you could see a few clear writings on it that says ''That''s right she''s with us. She''ll be my woman soon.'' The gang arrived at Marcus'' room. The cleaningdy who saw them go in shook her head. A woman going in a room with two men, most people with half a brain could already guess what was happening. Eva went directly to the alchemy room, followed by Nexus. Marcus had to go and cultivate. He has to advance his spells and see if he could use ''Army Maniption''. ---- In the alchemy room. Eva immediately trained, leaving Nexus at the side spectating. Nexus would never get tired of this scene. Seeing her so close in front of him. Nexus shook his head and sat cross-legged. He too had to cultivate. Even if he doesn''t really need to, he still loves the feeling. ---- 9 Pm Marcus already made ns for tonight. He had improved his mastery over ''Lightning Form'' and is now at the Advance stage. He got up. He went out of the stone of destruction and headed towards the streets. The Dwindler Gang hosted fights every night somewhere in the Eastside where they own 100% of the earnings. He was already told where it was held. His agenda for tonight is to use ''Army Maniption'' to use as guards. Because of the ''Desctrucstone'', he could already use ''Army Maniption'' to some extent. Something that people in the heavenly realm dread. He practiced it on both the patients in the chamber. Though It didn''t work on Krieg, it worked on Nikolo. This means that he could only use ''Army Maniption'' on people who are weaker than him. He also needs to test how many people he can control with his current ''Army Maniption.'' He arrived at the building where the fight would happen. Marcus went to the side where no one would see him and donned a mask and a ck robe. He walked straight to the entrance where a huge muscr man was standing. As Marcus drew closer the man looked at him and asked. "What''s the password?" Under the robe, Marcus''s hand turned red. Then on the tip of his index finger appeared a short intangible vermillion colored string. It started to grow longer as it went straight towards the muscr man. The bouncer of course had no idea. He was not strong enough to see the vermillion-colored string. It disappeared as it went in the center of his chest. His eyes shone vermillion for a second but turned back to normal afterward. He didn''t look lifeless. He just stood there, waiting for his master''smand. "Stand here and do your normal bouncer routine. But If I call, you have toe right away." Marcusmanded. This was his first time using ''Army Maniption'' out in the open. The feeling was exhrating. Right now he only has one person in hismand but in the future, he could have thousands, and then millions. Once the stringtches into the person''s soul, both the master and the thrall canmunicate with each other at a pretty long range. This kind of magic on the battlefield is dreaded by the enemies of the Asuras. Marcus went through the door. On the surface, it looked like a normal party that usually happens in clubs. The one thing that''s noteworthy is that the music seems to be a little louder than normal. As he walked around, he asked the bouncer where the true entrance was via soul link. The bouncer gave Marcus the answer without hesitating. Marcus went through another door. On the other side of it had luxurious-looking stairs that had a few dozen steps. He could already hear loud shoutsing from below. At the bottom of the stairs was a booth where tickets are sold and a few meters away from that is another booth where you ce your bets. "I would like to get a VIP room if you have one avable," Marcus said to the man who sells tickets. He hated crowds and wanted to avoid them as much as possible. The man nodded and used his watch to contact someone. Soon a man dressed in a suit approached. He greeted Marcus with a smile. "Come with me sir." Said the man. Marcus followed him. He looked towards the ring where a fight was happening. It wasn''t a 1 vs 1 fight but a battle royal. "Have you made your bets for the next match sir?" The man in a suit asked. "I''m new here," Marcus said. He already altered his voice to sound a bit more mature. "I see. The next fight will feature a 10 man royal rumble and aside from the rule that we always have which is ''No magic weapons allowed'', it is 100% no hold barred. These are the participants in the next match." The man handed a paper to Marcus as they arrived in front of the door. Marcus received the paper with one of his hands and paid for the room with the other. He just randomly chose a contestant and casually ced a bet on him. He gave the money to the man wearing a suit before going into a room. The VIP room didn''t look that luxurious. It has a gray mat covering the floor. 4 small lights on each corner and a bigger light in the middle. The couch was close to the window where you could see the fights clearly. Beside the couch was amp and device with a few buttons which you would use for services like calling to ce bets. Marcus sat in the middle and watched the show. ----- Eva''s practice finally bore fruit. She could cast ''Holy mes'' easily with both hands. Her control over it is still pretty rough though. Eva smiled. Her white Hanfu clothing was drenched in sweat. You could see from her pale face that she worked really hard in these past few hours. She had been casting the spell time and time and again. Eva tried her best to improve her control after she could cast ''Holy mes'' without fail but there were only slight improvements. She could already use it for alchemy but who would have guessed that she was hard-headed and wanted to greatly improve her mastery of the spell''s control. "You should rest for now. Use these mana stones and start cultivating." Nexus said as he handed her a few mana stones. Eva''s stopped her actions and looked at Nexus. Her pale face could be easily discerned. "I''ll do it in a few minutes. I can already feel the improvement. I don''t want to stop now." Nexus shook his head and walked towards her. "A few minutes was an hour ago. Pushing yourself over your limits is good but you should also know when to stop. Oh, and who said you would stop training. I just asked you to rest from practicing that spell and do something else. You''re now ready for a breakthrough." Eva breathed heavily and stared at Nexus before nodding her head and taking the mana stones. "Thank you for the advice." Eva walked out of the room but as she reached the door, she turned her head and said "Thank you for everything. I wouldn''t know where I would be if it wasn''t for you guys. I''ll also thank Marcuster on when he gets back." Nexus chuckled and had a silly smile on his face. "Between us, there is no need for thanks. As I said before, you are one of us." ------ Marcus was sitting on the couch while looking at fighters who were entering the stage. Thest match already ended a few minutes ago. ''I wish I could at least recruit 10. Hmm, enve is probably the word I''m looking for. I also need to fashion uniforms for them like mom''s elite hidden guards.'' Marcus used the device that allows him to contact the management. "Once the match is over, bring the winner to me." Chapter 27: Love, is that you? Chapter 27: Love, is that you? Marcus waited until the fight was over. The Elite that he ced his bet on, died. But Marcus didn''t care. That was only a small amount of money. The fights that happen here aren''t always to the death but a lot of people pay good money to see it. Soon, a knock on his door could be heard. "Come in," Marcus didn''t stand up and turn his head to them. He just faced the window and waited for the neers to stand in front of him. Two sets of footsteps could be heard walking towards the couch. As the two arrived in front of Marcus, one of them, the man who showed Marcus the way to the VIP room spoke as he gestured to the man beside him "Sir this is the winner of tonight''s match." The man stood over 5''10 feet (1.55 meters) tall. He already changed his clothes that were drenched in blood. He wore a simple in green t-shirt and shorts. He wasn''t muscr but lean. He has undercut hair, short brows, and arge nose. "I want to talk with him alone," Marcus said in a t tone. The man in a suit nodded and left. Marcus brought both his hands together and interlocked his fingers. He then brought it below his chin. He asked, "What''s your name?" "Ley." The man, Ley said. "Alright Lay, why do you join these fights? To feed your family? buy drugs?" Marcus asked. "I don''t do drugs and I have no family" Ley didn''t know why the man in front of him asked these questions. He did have a feeling that the man would probably recruit him. "Perfect." As Marcus said that, his right hand turned red. A short intangible string came out of his index finger. It grew longer and shot towards Ley and disappeared. He didn''t care if thig guy did drugs or not. Marcus just needs to make sure he has no family. Ley stood there motionless. Marcus smiled. The smile of the devil could be seen, the smile of an Asura who is on the path of revenge. Marcus asked Ley a couple more questions and Ley answered them smoothly. He found out that Ley is a criminal. The authorities set him free forck of evidence. Marcus already told himself that he would only control people who were not ''upright citizens''. But truth be told, he is extremely tempted to just get anybody no matter who they are as long as they are talented. But his mother''s teachings always went through. Marcus sighed ''With this power, the temptations multiply'' Ley gave Marcus his number and Marcus told him to hole up in a hotel near his. After that, Ley went out as if nothing happened. The night is still young and there are still a couple of fightsing up. Marcus isn''t satisfied with just having one minion. So he waited. As each fight finished, the winners would go to Marcus'' room. ''Only four?!'' Marcus scrunched his brows. He couldn''t believe he could only control four people. ''I guess it''s only proper. I''m not even a Commander yet'' When the max number of people can be controlled by ''Army Maniption'' is reached, the string that woulde out would be extremely short and would just go back in after a second if the caster wants to control someone new. He told the two who went in after Ley to do the same thing "Go to the hotel and wait". As for the fourth one, it was the bouncer. Marcus was nning to release him and only make him remember that he said the password. He is of no use and Marcus wants to leave one spot open just in case. After obtaining 3 fighters, he left the ce. Marcus had no targets tonight so he went back to the hotel. ----- Arriving in his room Marcus went straight to the ''Destrucstone''. He made his way to the alchemy room and saw Nexus sitting cross-legged cultivating with a couple of mana stones in front of him. Marcus was about to turn around when he heard Nexus'' voice "She could finally conjure ''Holy mes''" Marcus halted and went inside the alchemy room. "That sounds great. It''s good to see Big Sis take a breather too." Nexus chuckled "She''s in her room right now. If my guess is right, then she should have broken through already." Marcus suddenly remembered something, "Do you know what stage I need to reach to open the locked rooms in this ce?" Nexus nodded "I do. Only one though and that''s when you reach the Commander rank" "I''m inquisitive as to what''s on the other side," Marcus sighed. When he first got here there were a few doors that couldn''t be opened. He wanted to break them down. He even used powerful treasure. None of them worked. He even brought his mom over and asked her to break it down. Yes, his mom has been here. Not the ancestors though as Nexus advised him not to. "I''m going to go and cultivate." Marcus stood up and went towards the door. "Wait, did you go back to the hotel?" Nexus asked. "No shit sherlock, I wouldn''t want to port here from an alleyway when I have the option toe back to the hotel," Marcus said. "Good, I miss watching tv. I still have to buy a smartwatch too. But I would not like to use that to watch shows," Nexus mumbled. After he finished saying that, he disappeared. Marcus went to his room andid in the bathtub. These past few days were insane. He had to fight people while he was suffering from the soreness of his body. He knows that this is just the beginning and the road ahead is going to be a lot harder to traverse. He couldn''t just parade around casually. Which is why he just gritted his teeth and pushed. He had to endure everything that woulde. Now he could rx even just for a little while. Marcus fell asleep. ----- Marcus stood beside ake. Green grass below his feet. Clear blue skies above his head. He looked around and saw a cabin behind him. He scrunched his brows and tried thinking where he was. He looked at the trees nearby and saw that there were tiny beasts chasing each other. It''s really a serene and peaceful ce. A ce where you will want to stay forever. He looked back towards the cabin. The first thing he needs to do is get information. He walked towards it, ttening the grass on each step. Marcus arrived at the front door. As he was about to knock he heard a voice. "Love, is that you? You''re back already?" The sweet voice of a woman could be heard. It was a normal question but to Marcus, it sounded like a symphony. His heart skipped a beat. He remembered that he heard this voice once but he also thought that he heard this a thousand times before. Marcus didn''t answer. He quickly opened the door. As he did, water gushed out. ---- *plop* Marcus'' head fell into the water. a secondter he lifted his head up panting. ''A dream. It was a dream. But why does it feel...'' Marcus touched his heart. It took a few minutes before he couldpose himself. He got out of the bath and went to the living room. Marcus checked the time and saw that it was already around 8 in the morning. ''That was one good sleep. I should really double up on those pills'' He thought. He visited the alchemy room and saw Eva training. Her control over the ''Holy mes'' has improved. The rate at which Eva is improving is monstrous. "All she needed was some rest. Her mind could hardly focus yesterday due to her being overwhelmed with fatigue." Nexus who was at the side of the room said. "She could make geniuses look like utter trash" Marcus proudly smiled. "Good job Big Sis." "Thank you and good morning to you too little bro." Eva put out the ''Holy mes'' that were zing around her hands. "Hehe, good morning. By the way, Nexus, give her one of the rings." Marcus turned towards Nexus. "Way ahead of you," Nexus said as he pointed towards the table where a ring was sitting on top of a book "It''s really convenient how I can go in the ''Destrucstone'' as long as I am close to you or close to the ce you disappeared to and it can also function as a spatial ring. Also, thank you for everything. I wouldn''t be here without you guys. I wouldn''t even know what would have happened to me if I haven''t met you." Eva slightly bowed at the end. But Marcus stopped her Marcus shook his head. "Big Sis, although we''ve only met I can feel that we''ve been friends for a long time. I can''t even exin it. Plus remember you''re also my Big Sister now so you don''t have to say thank you for these kinds of things." "See what I tell you. Marcus wouldn''t mind this kind of stuff. Now let''s go grab some grub. " Nexus said. "Ahem" Marcus cleared his throat. "Before that I''d like to tell you guys that we''ll be going to Ker City today." Chapter 28: Lux Chapter 28: Lux "We''re finally going to a 2nd rate country?" Nexus asked. Marcus nodded "Yep, I also have to drop off someone when we get to Ker City." "Which 2nd rate country are we traveling to?" Eva asked. Marcus grinned. "The one where your sister is in. It''s a win-win situation. Speaking of, which of the 2nd rate countries is she in?" That brought a big beautiful smile to Eva''s face. "She said her job is in Estra City of the Estra Country in Ovisa." "Alright let me get us a ticket for that." Marcus tapped on the holographic screen that was floating above his watch. "And, done. Our trip will be 3 days from now, 8 am." Nexus walked to Marcus'' side and said as if he was in a dramatic scene."It''s only been a few days, but I feel like this city has yed a huge role." "Not gonna miss it?" Marcus turned towards Nexus. "Nope, not even one bit." Nexus tly said. "Before we leave I have to visit my parents first." Eva''s eyes moistened as she said this. She grew up in this city. Her parents'' graves were here too. Knowing that she wouldn''t be able toe back anytime soon, she wanted to spend some time with them. "We''ll go with you." Marcus smiled. "That''s right. We also want to meet them" Nexus wanted at least to meet them. Although they couldn''t hear or anything, he still wanted to say something. "We better have breakfast first" Eva dryly chuckled. ------ Sitting on one of the booths in Jericho''s Diner, the trio ate as they talked. "Marcus, are you not gonna tell us why the manager in that bank was respectful to you? He was probably the first mortal who treated you like a prince?" Nexus munched on a bunch of nuggets dipped in sauce. "I have a hunch but I''m not really sure. I only visited there once and that was only to make an ount and deposit money." Marcus was equally puzzled that day. Nexus casually slipped in a few things when he was with Eva during her training. Like things about the Heavenly Realm, Marcus being born there and was asked toe down due to some crisis, and some other stuff. He did forget to mention that Marcus was a prince. "Little bro, you''re a prince?" Eva had a shocked expression on her face. She wasn''t expecting him to be one. Marcus wryly smiled, "Is it so hard to believe?" Eva chuckled "It''s not that, it''s just yesterday when you were eating, you looked like you were anything but a prince." This made Nexus on the side cough up the food in his mouth,ughing. Marcus was a bit embarrassed hearing this. "Actually, when I arrived on this I tried to act a lot freer. In the Heavenly Realm, I had to act formally in almost everything I do. When I got here it felt amazing doing stuff without any restraint." Evaughed seeing Marcus embarrassed. "I do have a spection for the actions of the manager yesterday. They probably thought you were some bigshot from the 2nd rate state due to the money you deposited." "Mhm" Marcus nodded. "That was also my initial guess. I wonder when I could get that kind ofwork." "One bite at a time man, one bite at a time." Nexus said as he grabbed another nugget. Eva grabbed the same nugget. They looked at each other. After a few seconds, Nexus removed his hand and Eva got the chicken nugget. ------ After a delicious breakfast, they went to visit Eva''s parents. They were dropped off in front of a ck gate. They made their way through a couple of turns and arrived in front of the two graves. Well-trimmed grasses and trees that looked like they were well taken care of. Two butterflies were perched on top of the headstones, one each. Rea Lux Maynard Lux These are the parents of Eva Lux and her sister. Eva stood in front of the tombstones and ced her hand on top of it. "Mom, Dad, I hope you guys are happy wherever you are. Dad, I know how much you loved mom so I hope you find each other again out there. These are my friends. The one with ck hair is Nexus and the one with the reddish colored hair is Marcus. They have helped me a lot. My little sis is already in a 2nd rate state which I''m sure she already told you when she visited before she left. I came here today to tell you that we''ll also be leaving and I might not be back for a long time. When I doe back I''ll find the people who killed you, and I''ll make them pay. I love you guys so much." Eva broke down crying. Tears dropped from her eyes like a rainy November. Nexus rushed towards her and ced her in an embrace. He hugged her tight as her tears poured on his chest. He could feel the emotion in her heart. It pained him to see her like this. Thissted for a couple of minutes. After everything settled down Nexus looked at the tombstones and said "You don''t have to worry about anything. We''ll take care of them." "I also promise. As an Asura, I don''t break promises." Marcus bowed his head a bit. Eva''s teary eyes squinted as she heard these and her mouth arced upwards. They sat on the grass for a few minutes before deciding that it was time to leave. Nexus told them to go first because he needs to fix hisce. As he saw them both walked further away, he turned to the tombstones. "I''ll love and take care of Eva until the day I stop breathing." Nexus turned his head back towards the two "Hey walk slower! Don''t leave me behind. I heard that there are ghosts in cemeteries" ------- The trio arrived at the airport. The trip will only be around 40 minutes by ne which is the fastest transport avable to them. "Have you been to Ker City?" Marcus turned his head to Eva as they walked. Eva shook her head. "No, only my sister." "Then let''s tour the city tomorrow," Marcus said, wearing his usual outfit. "Actually there are better ces close by. There''s a hot spring close and people say it''s amazing." Eva searched the ce on her watch and showed it to Marcus. She was wearing a yellow-colored sweater, denim jeans, and stylish sses. Marcus nodded, "It''s settled then. I also need to rx." They walked by a ce where a tv series was ying. "The movie stars I see on tv are all from 2nd rate countries. I hope we can see one up close when we get there." Nexus who was walking beside Marcus said. He''s wearing a ck long sleeve, a khaki-colored coat, and ck jeans. "Why not just be an actor when we get there," Eva suggested. Nexusughed "Me an actor? I just want to watch and criticize. I would also want them to speed up production in their series. I mean why release 1 episode per week when you have magic and can speed up production. They could take pills and reduce their ''tiredness'', ''fatigue'', or whatever. Have they ever thought about that?" "Have you ever thought that you talk too much?" Marcus shook his head listening to the guy rant. Evaughed. "It actually has something to do business. Short exnation, if they air 1 episode per week, the series will run longer, more chance for it to get hyped, hence more money." Nexus'' eyes lit up. "If it''s just money then that''s pretty easy to solve, hehehe" "How might you be able to solve it?" Eva asked. "I''m gonna pay them money to release more episodes per week. Better yet I''m gonna fund something I find fun and let them release daily." Nexus'' mind was floating around. Eva chuckled "Well, you could try." They boarded their ne. The trio flew business ss while Marcus'' subordinates were in the economy ss. The space was massive and there were only a few chairs. The seats could be turned into beds. You could also move your seats around if you wanted. If you want food you just need to buzz. The only time you need to stand up is when you need to take a piss. The three of their seats were of course beside each other. Marcus sat at the center. He looked to his right and saw Nexus watching movies. On the other, he saw Eva who looked nervous. "First time flying?" Marcus asked. Eva nodded. Marcus chuckled "You should get used to it. Sooner orter you would be able to fly without the help of tools like these." ------- "Do you have any news about my son?" A middle-aged man who was currently in his room asked. 2 holographic images of men could be seen in front of him. "N-No, sir." One of them replied. "What am I even paying you for?! Double the men, use everything you have! Just make sure you can find him!" The middle-aged man, Rowan Krimz shouted. The two simultaneously nodded. They know that if they couldn''t, their head would be separated from their bodies. They have not found any clues as to where the red-robed man went. Even with the help of the police they still came out with nothing. Especially since there were no sightings of himst night. Little do the Krimz know that there would be a package delivered to them in a few hours. Chapter 29: Kellar City Chapter 29: Ker City Theynded, called a cab, and went to their hotel, while the ones under the effect of ''Army Maniption'' did the same and are not too far behind. Marcus already told Eva about ''Army Maniption'' and the ones under it will act as their bodyguards. He exined to Eva that ''Army Maniption'' is like a racial ability and only the ones with royal blood can use it. Aside from being a royal, The child should undergo a ritual when they are born or at least when they are below the Commander stage. Marcus already underwent the ritual right after he was born because his mother had no problems with it. He also told her that once the person is affected by ''Army Maniption'', he or she is totally under the control of the caster. They follow anymand they were ordered to do. Though they still do normal things like eating. One of the biggest perks is that they could never disobey their master and they could never betray their master. The caster can also read their thoughts if they are close enough. They could alsomunicate via mind link. Eva was amazed by what it can do, "Little bro, that spell, I mean ability is mindblowing. I mean, for other people they look just like normal citizens." Marcus nodded whileughing "It sure is." "But you should also be careful in using it, little bro. You might lose yourself in it and start doing atrocious acts." Eva reminded. "Don''t worry Big Sis. I keep reminding myself every day not to stray from my initial path." Marcus doesn''t want to get lost in power. He is a teen on the path of revenge. The temptations that whisper in his head are numerous. They talked and checked the things around them as they rode in a car. It''s not much different from Levi City. It looks pretty much the same, aside from good-looking cars being a lot moremon. The same with Levi City, only cars are allowed to fly in most areas. They arrived in front of their hotel at around 6 pm. They''ve already booked 2 rooms online so there is no more hassle. It is also close to the spaceport which makes it ideal. They went to Marcus'' room. After going in the door and stepping inside, Eva went directly to the stone to continue cultivating, training her ''Holy mes'', and finally doing some alchemy. The hotel was luxurious, to say the least. It was equipped with a lot of the best furniture avable in third rate countries. Nexus turned to Marcus "I think she is getting addicted to training. She should also rest." "She already set certain goals for herself. Wait, you''re older, shouldn''t you understand these things better." Marcus went to the kitchen. He has time to spare before going to the Krimz mansion so he''s going to practice cooking. Nexus sighed. "I think my emotions are getting the better of me." He walked towards the couch and turned on the tv. "Nexus," Marcus who was holding eggs called out "So about you and the catgirl thing," "Nope. No catgirl can evenpare to Eva" Nexus said while switching channels. Marcus chuckled, "I really thought you could only fall in love with cats or cat-like creatures." "Hold it right there carrot hair!" Nexus turned his head towards Marcus. "That''s just racist, pure racist." "Is racist really the word?" Marcus cracked the eggs and dropped the whites and yolks onto the pan. "I believe so. If I''m wrong, may the Asura Empire smite me down, or what''s left of it." Nexus grinned. "Before you get mad, remember you poke fun at me too." Marcus stopped as looked towards Nexus. His vermillion-colored eyes glowed. "Jesus, you''re easily ticked off. I''m sure as a prince you''ve been taught how to control your temper. To not show your true emotions on the surface and stuff like that. What''s with the outburst." Nexusughed. "I know. It''s just, that topic isn''t something I want to hear." Marcus red at Nexus before going back to what he was doing. Nexus didn''t bother Marcus anymore as he continued to watch tv. ---------------- Marcus changed his outfit and put on the ranked 2 red robe together with the mask. He walked towards the door and slowly opened it. Loud mumblings could be heard together with a few one-word screams every now and then. The room looked like a dungeon made of stone. Uneven flooring, steel bars stood erect at the side to service the cells. Deep pits could be seen in some areas. Marcus calmly walked towards a person who was chained. The person looked up, his hair disheveled, eyes swelling. He looked pitiful but Marcus looked at him with disdain. "It''s your lucky day. You''ll get to see your family again." Marcus walked towards the table and flipped through the pages of the book that wasying there. He stopped at a certain page and then headed towards the cab. He grabbed a few things and went back to the table. "You-you''re letting me go?" Nikolo, the pitiful-looking person asked. There was a slight tinge of happiness in his voice. "Yes." Marcus tly answered as he shook a tube that had liquid inside and ced a needle through the opening. Nikolo''s eyes lit up. "Thank you!" He was already thinking about how to tell his father about this man. "You''re wee. Now before I let you go, I need to do a few adjustments." Marcus spilled a few drops of liquid in the tube to a bucket that had normal water. The color started to change. He ced the tube on a tube rack and carried the needle and bucket as he slowly walked to Nikolo. "What? What do you me-- AHHH!" Nikolo didn''t get to finish his question. Marcus grabbed his tongue and stabbed the needle on the dorsal surface. It easily pierced through. After a few seconds, the tongue started to turn grayish. Nikolo couldn''t speak properly anymore. Marcus ced the needle aside and dipped Nikolos hands and feet in the bucket. The skin also turned grayish. Marcus isn''t a big fan of doing these kinds of stuff unless a person really angers him. But after seeing what this guy did, the atrocities hemitted, it made him want to throw him into hell. The emotions of an asura are really something. Nikolo didn''t feel any pain. He just felt numbness on the parts that turned gray. Marcus wasn''t done. He had to make sure there were no loose ends. His hand turned red. A vermillion colored string shot out of Marcus'' index finger. It went straight to Nikolos''s chest and disappeared. "You will not remember my face. All you''ll remember is that you were experimented on by someone wearing a ck cloak." Marcus slowly spoke. Nikolo nodded. He had to do this in case someone who knows how to pry into a person''s memories appears. Marcus knocked him out and broke the bond. The vermillion colored string in his soul disappeared. He stood up, grabbed the bucket, and burnt the needle. Then walked towards the table to get the tube. After that, he went to one of the holes and poured the contents of both the bucket and tube in there. A loud scream could be heard. ------ ''I really need to get someone to manage the chamber'' Marcus said as he went out of the hotel, wearing his usual ck long-sleeve and smart trousers outfit. His next stop is the Krimz Manor. It''s currently 10 in the evening and he was 100% sure that there are a few rank 1 Commanders in their family mansion. He rode a cab and stopped at a shop that was pretty close to the ce. He first went in and had a cup of coffee. Then he started walking towards the mansion. --------- Somewhere on the first floor of the mansion. "Mrs. Krimz, we can''t do this. Your husband might find out." A muscr man said. Mrs. Krimz, the mother of Nikolo seductively smiled. Her bare body alluringly gestured to the man in front of her. "You don''t have to worry about him. He''s asleep, I drugged his water. Even if you ram me hard and make me shout, he still won''t wake up. Someone has to really shake him if they want to wake him." The man could barely stop himself. When he heard her say that she drugged her husband, he immediately pounced. -------- Marcus who was going around the mansion stopped. His red robes were not really the best for sneaky operations like these. He heard voices in one of the rooms. He already bypassed the 3manders guarding. They couldn''t sense him unless he made some loud noises. You could say that they were not well trained. He looked through the window and saw a man and a woman naked. Marcus heard them talk. When the woman finished, the man immediately dove towards her. ''This is just sad.'' Marcus said as he went to get Nikolo out of the stone. The 22-year-old man appeared beside him, he nced at Marcus, but Marcus made him look forward. His eyes froze. He could clearly see who the woman was. But before he could react, Marcus already ced him back in the stone. Chapter 30: Returning Nikolo Chapter 30: Returning Nikolo Marcus went to the front door. He made a quick trip to the Stone of Destruction and looked for a ribbon. He found one and went to grab Nikolo. He ced it on his chest and carried him out. Chain marks were still fresh around his legs and arms. Nikolo didn''t even try to move. His head was just facing down. His mind''s in utter disorder. Marcus went back to the outside world with Nikolo in tow. He loudly knocked on the door and zipped away as fast as he could, activating the stone of destruction in the process. The guards immediately reacted while the adulterous pair also stopped what they were doing. If they were found, their heads would probably be rolling, well for the guy at least. As the Commanders arrived at the front door, they saw a man sitting on the floor. Tears were flowing down his cheeks. He couldn''t talk properly, he only made weird noises. The door opened and the mother who got interrupted from having a good time had a frustrated look on her face. But it drastically changed as Mrs. Krimz looked at the person on the floor. Her eyes went wide. The man behind him also had the same shocked expression. "Nikolo?" A name came out of her mouth as she began crying. She went straight to the boy and hugged him. As she got closer she saw Nikolo''s condition and immediately called a healer. "Call my husband right away." Mrs. Krimz ordered. Nikolo nced at the man who was doing his mother. His eyes were shaking as he hastily looked away. Rowan Krimz came dashing from his room. He saw his son and the state he was in. He blew up. "Where''d you find him?!" Rowan angrily looked at the Commanders. "Sir, we found him sitting outside. We also saw a bolt of reddish lightning streaking away." One of them reported. "Fuck! Why didn''t you chase after him? you''re supposed to be Commanders!" Veins could be seen bulging out of Rowan''s forehead. Another of the Commanders was brave enough so he said "He was too fast sir. We couldn''t chase him." "Useless bums!" Cursed as they brought Nikolo to a room. Marcus made a breakthrough to rank 7 Elite. Plus his lightning form is now at the Advance Stage. Rank 1 Commanders won''t be able to chase after him especially if he went all out. --------------- In the alchemy room. Eva wearing white hanfu, stood in front of a green-colored cauldron with her eyes closed. She raised both hands below chest level, palms facing her. She breathed and started to cast ''Holy mes''. White-colored fire zed around her hands. You could feel that when you touch it, the fire won''t hurt. She lit up the cauldron and put the white mes around her hands out. Now she grabbed the ingredients. One by one she ced them in careful order. She adjusted the mes ording to what the book said. As time went on, beads of sweat were gathering on her forehead. She continued carefully, trying not to make any mistakes. The color of the liquid inside the cauldron changed. A few minutester 3 light green circr objects floated. "I did it!" She shouted and looked towards the side of the room. But there was no one there. She dryly chuckled and shook her head. Eva was used to Nexus being beside her when she''s training so by habit, she looked to the side. She turned her head back to the pill which she already got from the cauldron. She brought it close to her and said "You are the first of the millions I''ll make.". After that, she kept it in her spatial ring. The journey of the woman who will have both gods and demons beg outside her pce has finally started. -------------- Marcus arrived at the hotel. A wide smile adorned his face. The mission was a sess. He was also proud of his speed. He actually nned to just rush outside their front door and leave Nikolo there. But he was thankful that he sneaked around a bit. The satisfaction of making the guy see that was over the top. He went inside the hotel room and saw Nexus sitting on the couch who turned his head towards him. They both went in the Stone of Destruction and found out about Eva sessfully concocting three pills which she showed them. Though it was only a peak rank 1 pill, they were still both really proud, especially Nexus. He was just a bit upset that he wasn''t there. After a few minutes of talking, Marcus went to Carmen''s room. He sat beside her bed and lightly pinched her cheeks. "Baby you''re missing out on all the fun. You should wake up soon. Do you know I could already use ''Army Maniption''. We''re now one step closer to attaining our goals. Hahaha, what am I talking about, It''s a good thing you''re asleep. I wouldn''t want to talk to you about this if you are wide awake." Marcus didn''t stay long. He headed to his room and started cultivating. He ced mana stones on the floor in front of him and closed his eyes. ''I need something else other than lightning in my arsenal. But I can''t seem to pick something that I like.'' Marcus thought. He needed to add something to spice up his firepower. ''On second thought I think I''m being too greedy. I haven''t even learned a lot of spells from the book yet. Hmm, I should just learn a new one.'' --------------- The next day. The sun was high up in the sky. Busy streets and noisy people surrounded the trio. Marcus already called a ride and now they were outside the hotel waiting. "Hahaha, I can''t wait!" Eva was holding a brochure. Her loose white shirt and knee-length floral skirt attracted quite a lot of onlookers. "What was this ce again?" Nexus asked. He''s wearing an unironed white shirt, simple shorts, and slippers he got from the hotel. Marcus wore the same outfit as always. ck long-sleeve and smart trousers. Eva was shocked by their fashion sense at first butter she just shook her head. She told herself that she would teach these two about fashion when they arrive at Estra. Holding the brochure she said. "We are going to Helia Hotsprings. It''s not the best in the whole Ker Republic but it''s the best one that''s close to the capital. It''s just outside the city in the forest. The reviews are amazing too. They say that Helia Hotspring serves one of the best tea they ever tasted. ording to them, the atmosphere at night is invigorating and the breathtaking view of the stars is worth the money. You guys excited now?" Marcus nodded "I really just want to rx and soak." "Do they have TVs avable?" Nexus scratched his head. He had the appearance of a man who''s close to being homeless. "Why are you addicted to television?" Marcus could not understand the phase this cat is going through. "Hey! I was in a stone for a long time, okay? The istion I felt when I was inside was unbearable, It felt like I was suffocating. Now I''m finally free, I deserve this." He said in an upset tone, trying his best to act. It was pretty lousy though. "Right, so what''s the real reason?" Marcus tly asked. "The story they dish out is just so good. I''ve never seen stuff like these before. Especially when they leave you hanging. It''s like, dude show me more, or immacerate you and your entire production. Hey, why don''t you tell your mom to make this popr in the Heavenly Realm?" Nexus'' turned back to normal. "Fuckin drama queen. Oh and about that idea of opening something like that in the Heavenly Realm, I have to let my Empire survive first." Marcus dryly chuckled. "Drama queen? You dare call me a drama queen? Heh, not to brag but I was known as a King quite some time ago!" Nexus posed. "Ahem, boys let''s go" Eva interrupted as their ride arrived. They rode all the way to the hot springs. The trip went smoothly and they soon arrived in the town where Helia Hotsprings is located. It was indeed a tourist attraction. There were no huge buildings in contrast to their nearby neighbor, Ker City. The houses only have 2 floors at most and some houses were even made with both wood and stone. "It''s not a poor town, it''s actually pretty rich. The houses here are like a tribute to the past. Touristse here every day. Not only are they attracted by the hot spring but also by the simplicity of the town." The driver said. It was clear and concise. It was as if he had said it a thousand times before. They just listened as they looked at the peaceful town. It didn''t take long to reach Helia Hotsprings. The gang went out as the cab stopped in front of the entrance. Chapter 31: Helia Hotspring Chapter 31: Helia Hotspring The entrance didn''t look anything grand. It just had a 2 meter tall gate and walls that surrounded the entire ce. Marcus, Nexus, and Eva entered. The guard at the side asked if they had a reservation to which Marcus said yes and showed it to him. The hot spring also functioned as an inn for visitors who wanted to stay the night. The guard contacted someone inside the building and after that, he let them pass. They proceeded to the house which was a few dozen meters away from them. Their little group walked under the clear blue skies and on a narrow pathway made of stone. Sitting beside the pathway were well-cultivated monkey grasses. The few trees further away had harmless beasts that looked like squirrels on a few of their branches. The nearby pond had fishes jumping up in the air from time to time. As they arrived in front of the door Eva whispered "It truly is a rxing ce." The tranquility of the ce affected not only Eva but also the other two. The Helia Hotspring wasn''t that big and the building was mostly made of wood. The group went in and a woman came to them. She has long dark hair, piercing ck eyes, and a sweet smile. Her white skin highlighted the ck hot spring uniform she wore. "Good day! and wee to Helia Hotsprings. You can follow me to your room." The woman greeted them. She looked at Eva''s fair skin. Her gaze, envious. But it onlysted for a second. Though it onlysted that long, It did not escape from Nexus''s senses. Marcus slightly nodded and thanked her. As they walked down the hall, the woman began talking about the history of Helia Hotsrping "A few years ago, a woman named Helia who was from a rich family came home after a hard day of work. Traveling, meetings, and other activities. Helia who was sprawling on her bed suddenly thought of an idea. To make a ce where she and other people could rx. And so the Helia Hotspring was born. Not only is this ce peaceful, but the hot spring can also rejuvenate your skin and make it look younger." ''boring'' Nexus thought. Eva''s eyes lit up "Really?" She had already taken her 2nd round of the awful treatment yesterday. For thest round, she''ll be taking it when they reach the 2nd rate country. "A lot of people have imed so, yes." The woman smiled. "Is Helia still alive?" Marcus asked. The woman stopped walking and turned towards them."There are rumors that she still is but those are only rumors though. Here we are. There will be a free dinner tonight for all the guests. We would love it if you guys coulde." After making sure that they had no more questions, she left. The group went into their room. The wooden sliding door smoothly opened as Marcus slid it. A small table was ced in the middle. Unlitnterns hang on four sides. They took off their footwear and felt the smooth hardwood flooring. "You guys really want to stay here? It''s not toote to go back to the hotel you know?" Nexus suggested. "What are you talking about? We''re already here. Why turn back now?" Eva wondered. "He probably wants to go back to the hotel and watch the series he''s been following." Marcus chuckled. Guessing that this must feel like torture for the cat. Nexus sat in front of the small table and rested his head. "Suit yourselves." Eva pointed to the right side of the room."There''s a futon in that cab over there. I''ll be going to my room first." She went to the left side of the room where the room separator was located. "Do you wanna head to the hot spring?" Marcus eagerly asked. "You dragged me out here, might as well let me rest first." Nexus grabbed a futon andid it on the floor. "Why don''t we go around the town?" Eva quickly came back after checking her room. "I guess the hot spring could wait." Marcus didn''t mind. They''ll be staying here until noon tomorrow anyway Nexus had no choice. He stood up and left the futon there. ------ The gang headed out going through the same scenes they went through a while ago. "Don''t you guys think it''s too peaceful?" Marcus looked around. For a ce tourists go to, there weren''t that many people on the streets. "Is there really such a thing as ''too peaceful''? I think you''re just not used to this kind of environment little brother." Eva chuckled. "Mm, maybe." Marcus brushed it off. He wanted to enjoy this ce. They found a store that serves noodles and went in. They wanted to try out unique dishes in the town. The stools were right in front of the counter where they''d eat. "Boss, 3 of your most ordered dishes" Eva called out. She was used to these kinds of restaurants. "Coming right up." A chubby man behind the counter said as he started working. He was wearing a white shirt with no sleeves. His arms wiggling every time he moved. Marcus tapped the long table with his long fingers while waiting and then asked "Are there any good sceneries nearby town?" "Not really. Though there is a ce here where you shouldn''t go." The chubby man answered. This piqued the group''s interest. The man continued, "The nearby forest north of here is a ce where everyone avoids. That''s the ce where people disappear. Actually, there are already a lot of reports about this. Not only the people who live here but also tourists disappeared." "Did they venture to the forest?" Eva asked. "No. Most of them didn''t. It was said that they were just here in town." The chubby man finished up and served them their noodles. "I guess that exins why it''s so ''peaceful''" Marcus scrunched his brows. Nexus was quietly slurping his food while Eva and Marcus conversed about the topic with the boss. ----- In a dark stone square, body parts littered the floor. A woman stood in the middle. "Clean this up!" She ordered. The doors opened. A group of people with ck hooded robes and red stripes moved quickly as they went to pick up the bloody bodies that were lying on the floor. Most of these people were alive just recently and now their skin looked grey as if they have been devoid of life for a long time. Most of their body parts were also missing. "Madam we have a lot of customers today." A man strode towards her. The Madam looked at him, her piercing eyes were looking at him. "I know. I already have my eyes set on someone. She''s going to be my first meal tonight." The Madam had an urge awhile ago to feed when she felt envious of the woman whose beauty overshadows her. She wondered how that woman achieved it. The Madam was beautiful but she had to work hard to get that beauty. The danger of being caught by the authorities was usually in her head. Even her money wouldn''t be enough to get her out if they ever caught her. The spell she practices was taboo. It''s not something society can ept. She has never been talented with magic. It''s more appropriate to say that there was a deficiency in her body. It took her quite a lot of time to be able to advance to the next stage. As days, weeks, and years go by, she started to look older. In her time of need, someone came to her and gave her a spell. It allows her to transform into a monster that could feed on humans and make her look younger. Though, it didn''t make her breakthroughs easier. But this was not for free. The person told her that she would have to give them a few people every month. Not only that, but she also has to give them every single Commander ranked subordinates she has. She hurriedly agreed not even thinking caring about anything else except for retaining her youth. Thus that''s how she got here. "Prepare the banquet for tonight." The Madam walked out of the room. The man bowed and went to work. This had been their routine on how to get people to reach the quota and also to feed the Madam. With this routine, they have never missed a single delivery before and their boss was always satisfied. ------- Going back to their rooms they finally decided to soak in the hot springs. "Little bro, should we find out about what''s happening here?" Eva asked as they walked down the halls. Marcus shook his head"Big Sis we came here to rx. I''m sure the authorities can handle that. And please I''m not so little anymore so just call me Marcus." "Alright baby brother." Eva teased. "Please don''t." Marcus had a helpless look on his face. "I think it suits him well." Nexusmented. Eva grinned "Then it''s settled." They separated as the hot springs were different for males and females. Chapter 32: Leias Version of the Sun and the Moon Chapter 32: Leia''s Version of the Sun and the Moon Marcus and Nexus took a shower before diving in. The hot spring had an area of 20 meters. There were small terraces built where the water would flow. The water was around 5''5 feet deep and there wererge boulders in a few ces in the water. A high bamboo wall partitioned the men and the women''s springs. The sun was now setting. Pastel colored skies were decorated by the seemingly thin clouds on the horizon. The two men were now rxing in the hot spring. Their head rested on the side as they were looking up. Naturally, there were other people there. "There is something going on in this ce." Nexus spoke. "Oh? Is it about the forest up north?" Marcus who was closing was quite curious about this topic. But that doesn''t mean he wants to go there. Nexus shook his head"No, I''m sure the forest is clear. What I''m talking about is this ce." Marcus opened his eyes "This ce?" "Yep, this ce." Nexus began telling Marcus about what''s happening. He saw the woman who greeted them devour the people underneath. He also had a suggestion. "This ce is devoid of any Commanders. The strongest one they have is the female I told you about and she''s only rank 8 Elite. Her subordinates are ranging from rank 1 Elite to rank 4 Elite. There''s also a special one that''s rank 5. We''ll let Eva take out the ones who are rank 3 and below. I''ll take care of the rank 4''s and 5. You fight the rank 9. Simple as that." "These people are messed up. I do agree with you that Big Sis needs to train. The 2nd rate country is going to be a lot more roughpared to this ce." Marcus had no idea about the woman being like that. Nexus sighed. His deep ck almond eyes stared at a distance. ------ The gang was back in their rooms after a few hours. Nexus and Eva sat by the table and he told her about everything that''s going on and also his suggestion. "It''s a good chance to temper. What do you say? Don''t worry, if anything goes wrong, I''lle right away." Nexus looked straight into Eva''s eyes. Marcus went to the small terrace that each room had to not disturb the two. Eva nodded. "This is a chance for me to get stronger. I know that since the moment I followed you guys and abandoned my mediocre life, I would need to work hard and strive. Why would I not want to take this chance?" Nexus smiled. "It''s settled then. Take this." Nexus handed her a pill. Eva took it "What is this?" "You wouldn''t be affected by poison, aphrodisiac, toxic, drugs, and other rted liquid or pill in the mortal realm." Nexus was worried about things that might happen in the future. At least with her taking this, his worries will lessen. Eva''s mouth went wide, such a miraculous pill. This means she doesn''t have to be wary of her drinks or food that anybody might have spiked drugged it. "What about you guys?" She asked "For me, I don''t think any poison will affect me down here, I would pity the poison that would go into Marcus''s body. That pill is really no big deal. Pills that make you immune from poisons mortals create are numerous in the Heavenly Realm. Please save your thanks. There''s no need for it." Nexus stood up and grabbed a futon toy on. "You really are a sweet guy." A beautiful smile was on Eva''s face as she said that to Nexus. Too bad he was not looking at her or else he would''ve had to grab her and take her into his arms. Eva swallowed the pill. Her body started bing hot. But that''s it. Nothing really major. Eva went to the terrace where Marcus was standing, leaving Nexusying on the futon, grinning ear to ear. ----- Marcus looked at the moon that shined brightly in the dark sky. The stars twinkled as they surrounded her. It seemed as if they were asking for her favor. "Missing home?" Eva slid the door open and stepped out. "Yes," Marcus nodded "When I was younger my mom would tell me stories around this time to make me fall asleep. You see, I was a kid who hated sleep back then, so my mom had to stop her work ande to my room and give me a bedtime story." Eva chuckled " Nexus was right. ''Baby Brother'' does suit you. If you don''t mind me asking, what stories were they." Marcus had a mncholic smile on his face. "There were lots. As time went on, she even made her own versions of my favorite ones." "Name one." Eva ced her hand onto the railings and looked up. "Hmm, the story about how the sun loved the moon so much that he kept sacrificing himself every day for her. It''s actually just a silly bedtime story. Mom''s version is a lot happier since I hated how sad the other one was." Marcus tried to remember her mother''s words. "I''m all ears." Eva looked at him. She could see the bit of sadness in the boy''s eyes. Marcus took a deep breath and tried to remember how his mother told it. "Once upon a time..." ------- Years ago in the Heavenly Realm in a grand bedroom. A child was a throwing tantrum. "Mom, tell me a story!" A young Marcus who wasying on the bed shouted. "Alright, settle down." Leia sat down at the bedside. Her vermillion-colored hair cascaded down her shoulders as she tucked Marcus in. "Which story do you want this time?" Leia asked as she pinched the boy''s nose. "The sun and the moon!" The boy giggled. "That again?" Leia sighed. "Alright, but you have to sleep after this." "Once upon a time, the sun fell in love with the moon. A love that was unattainable, for he knew that the moment he leaves, the moon appears. But he didn''t stop hoping. Every time he was about to set and would catch a glimpse of the moon, he''d say, ''Maybe this night, holds a little hope for us.'' Every night he would see the stars surrounding her, singing silent lubies. How he wished to be one of them. So he prayed, he prayed to the gods. To every single god that there could possibly be. On one normal day, a voice sounded in his head. It told him that it could fulfill his wish but only if he would give some of his life force to the voice. The sun immediately agreed. So the voice granted him his wish. The moon found out that they could be together was naturally overjoyed. The voice both transformed them into humans. For the first time in forever, they could finally touch. Their hearts have never been this close. They could feel each other''s warmth. He, the sun, never thought this day woulde. He finally got his wish. The day ended and they finally have to go back up in the sky. The sun once again implored the voice. The voice however warned him that sometimes, it''s best to learn to let go. However, the sun rebutted that that''s not how love works. The voice shook his head and did the same deal. The same thing happened day after day. But the moon finally noticed how the sun did not shine as much. He finally told her about the deal he made with the voice. This made the moon feel all kinds of emotions. She told him that what he did was stupid and should never do it again. ''Everything will be alright in time.'' She said. Her voice, full of sadness." Leia finished the story. "This is also the reason why our sun doesn''t shine brightly anymore." She added. Young Marcus however, was already down for the count. Leia kissed his forehead and went back to work. ------- Marcus finished telling the story and Eva was already tearing up. A sniffle could be heard from behind them. They turned their heads and saw Nexus''s eyes were moist. "Are you crying?" Marcus asked. Nexus shook his head. "No! My eyeballs are just sweating." Evaughed at the side. "Should we get ready? The ''free'' dinner will soon start." "Speaking of which, do you guys think there is something bigger to this?" Marcus asked. "I hope not," Eva muttered. They went back into the room to get ready. Tonight was Eva''s first fight, her first field battle. They had to remind her of a few techniques. --------------- In the room where dinner is served, people already started to arrive. On the far side of the room, a woman and a man stood beside each other. The woman turned her head to the man and asked, "How many people do we have in total?" The man bowed slightly and reported, "14, we have 14 delicacies for tonight." The woman smiled, her eyes were on the crowd. Chapter 33: Eva in Action Chapter 33: Eva in Action The trio walked into a rectangr room. They were most likely thest ones there because when they stepped in, the host walked up the mini stage upfront. He wore a ck suit and a tie. His ck hair was wet, most likely from all the styling. He looked at the people in front of him. The room has an area of 120 meters. Rednterns were hanged on the sides and lights were lit up on the ceiling. The rectangr tables were ced at the side and slightly connected to each other, leaving the center of the room empty. The stage in front was slightly elevated around 1 meter high. The smooth hardwood flooring had no creaks every time you step on in. The host began speaking, "Ladies and gentlemen, wee. I know that this was an abrupt event. But please understand us as we would like to treat the guests, you guys, here to the finest cuisines Helia Hotsprings could offer. I hope that everyone here is hungry, because we have spared no effort in preparing all these. Enjoy." After his short speech, a group ofdies walked in. They brought with them trays and pitches. Thedies went from table to table to ce the food. After that, thedies went to the corners and stood straight. "If you need more or if that does not satisfy your appetite please just call the girls and tell them about it. Once again enjoy!" The host walked down the stage at went to the backroom, disappearing from everyone''s view. Marcus, Eva, and Nexus were sitting near the entrance. They looked around and everything seemed normal. Though Nexus knew better since he could see what''s happening at the back with his sense. "Damn, it''s like you can chow up now and she''ll chow you downter." Nexus joked in a very low voice. Eva chuckled but she felt somewhat guilty afterward. She justughed at people who are most likely going to die. Marcus just kept eating. Poison shmoison, he doesn''t care about that. What he does care about is good food. "Nexus wanna have a contest?" Marcus ced his spoon down and looked to the side. "As long as it''s not about who has the shorter temper then I''m in." Nexus teased. "Shut up. Imma thump you." Marcus raised his fist. To this, Eva shook her head. The people around them were chatting happily and the atmosphere was lively. ''Ignorance is truly bliss.'' Eva thought "Now about that contest. Let''s eat as much as we can and whoever gets poisoned first wins." Marcus grinned. "What''s the winner''s prize?" Nexus didn''t back down. "If you win, I won''t tell Big Sis what you said when we first came here. If you don''t, then I will." An evil smile was stered on Marcus''s face. "Fuck off!" Nexus didn''t want Eva to find out about it. Not until they were closer. "Tell me what?" The curious Eva asked. Nexus shook his head, "Nothing! It was just some stupid thing. It''s really nothing." Eva tilted her head "It doesn''t sound like nothing." She didn''t force it out of them though. She''ll be able to find out sooner orter anyway, considering how they were always together. Nexus looked at Marcus and pointed at him. "You! Your temper is really short but you''re really good at messing with people." Marcus raised his hands up to the side of his head, "Hey, it''s not my fault I''m a young Asura." And so an argument began. ----- An hour or soter The host came out. He had a really big smile on his face as walked to the stage. The smile even became bigger as he saw few people in the crowd looking all drowsy. Even Marcus and the gang looked drowsy. Nexus in particr looks like someone who just had 7 shots of vodka. Seeing this Eva wanted tough. ''I guess this is what you get from always watching tv.'' But she held it in. This was part of their n. Marcus on the other hand already ced his arms on the table and his head on top of it. ''I need a nap before all this bullshit starts.'' Marcus closed his eyes. The host cleared his throat. "I hope everyone is enjoying. Now here''s some music to help you rx." A woman with ck hair and piercing eyes came out. She smiled as she went to the center and began ying the flute. Thedies who served food started to go out and were ordered to leave the ce and return home. The people inhaled as if they were inhaling rxation itself. She yed for a good 6 minutes before she stopping, seeing that all guests were down. They were not dead though. Just fast asleep. A few people came into the room from the backdoor near the stage. They wore a ck robe with a few red lines. It looked like something cultists would wear. "Go!" The woman with piercing eyes ordered. "Fuck that was some good music!" a man yelled. The woman froze. She turned her head and saw a man who had ck hair that had yellow streaks in the middle. His square jaws and ck almond-shaped eyes coupled with him looking like someone who was in his mid-twenties. "Would have loved if it was actually a minute longer." another voice sounded. The Madam transferred her gaze. She saw a teen with vermillion colored hair yawning while scratching his head. "Any female could tell you that a minute difference doesn''t mean anything." The man with ck hair with yellow streaks said. A faint giggle could be heard as he finished saying that. The woman once again changed her gaze. She looked at the woman who was wearing a white shirt and sweatpants. She looks like someone who''ll be hitting the gym after work. The woman stood frozen for a bit as she stared at them. A few breathster sheposed herself "How?!" she looked at the host and asked "Did you perhaps make a mistake? You know I hate mistakes." Before the host could reply, Marcus butted in "No he didn''t. it''s just that the ''Madam'' really has to be careful next time when fishing for prey. You might just identally catch a shark." "Nice! Damn, did you rehearse that?" Nexus looked at him. "I just thought about it a while ago actually." Marcus humbly smiled. Nexus nodded "It was only decentpared to my acting though." Marcus didn''t agree though, "Fuck your acting. It was horrible. I don''t know how that host didn''t even catch you." "Now you''re ming the host? He might be stupid, but I don''t think he''s mentally disabled. Look at him." Nexus pointed at the host. Eva''s giggle already turned intoughter. The host''s forehead vein bulged. He yelled "Men! Restrain them!" Nexus pointed at the rank 1 to rank 3 Elite."Alright, you take those three, I''ll take the others." Eva nodded. She was nervous, excited, and maybe even a bit scared. She slowly casted ''Holy mes''. ''I can do this!'' She only had determination on her face. She raised her hands and threw it to one of her opponents. The white-colored mes traveled across the room and shot straight towards the cultist. Sadly, It didn''t hit and they soon surrounded her. But one of them suddenly had a hole in his chest as a vermillion colored lightning passed through it. "I think three is a bit of a stretch." Marcus appeared near one of them. Eva didn''t stop after her failure. She shed with the two that were near her. Although the book taught her how to fight, she had no real battle experience nor did she have any hand-to-hand scuffles with anyone. Nheless, she still did her best. She was fighting against a fellow fire user and an earth user. The fire user dashed and went closer to her, his hands were zing with red mes. Eva did her best and threw a white fireball at her opponent. It finally hit but she couldn''t follow up because brown colored spikes appeared below her. She managed to dodge but her outer right arm was badly grazed from the forearm to the bicep. She gritted her teeth asrge amounts of blood trickled down the wound and continued to fight. Multiple white mes surrounded her, floating in the air looking like wisps. Nexus already finished with his batch of cultists and was now in front of the host. His right hand was bloody as he used his short sharp ws that extended from his fingernails To thrust into his opponent''s chest. Although he was in battle, his sense was always on Eva. If she is in an extremely dire situation, he would immediately jump in. The Madam''s blood was boiling for this has never happened before, not even once. She looked at the woman who she was envious of. The white mes Eva controls looks dazzling as there were a few floating in the air behind her. The Madam could no longer hold it in as she dashed towards her. The Madam wants to learn that power. "Nope. I''m your partner. Just so you know though, I don''t really like fighting with women." Marcus zipped 5 meters in front of her. "Who are you? Were you sent here to investigate?" The Madam growled. Her eyes were on the woman behind Marcus. Marcus shook his head. "We came to rx. But you just had to eat us. Well then, shall we?" Vermillion colored lighting danced around Marcus''s arms. He dashed forward with his fists pulled back. Chapter 34: Moonsplorers Chapter 34: Moonsplorers Eva couldn''t take it. She now had a look of anxiousness as she tried her best to dodge. Her skills weren''t up to par for this just yet. Thankfully Nexus came to the rescue. His clothes fluttered as he dashed to the two people who were engaging in battle with Eva. He thrust his hand forward to each of their chests with astounding speed. Eva looked at the ground, She didn''t raise her head to look at Nexus. She was embarrassed that she could not hold her ground. She didn''t even contribute anything. As for seeing dead bodies, she has no problems with that since she once lived in the Eastside of Levi City. Nexus walked towards her and softly said, "You should drink that potion now." Eva lifelessly nodded and got a potion from the Destrucstone ring. She drank it, and after a while, the wounds she had were starting to heal. "What''s wrong?" Nexus asked, wondering what might have happened. Eva had her head low "I didn''t get to do anything. I just released a few spells and got beaten up." Nexus chuckled. He went in and hugged her. He didn''t even think, he just did. Eva jolted. Surprised by the sudden intimate action. Nexus embraced her for a few seconds before eventually letting go "It was your first fight. To be honest, it was my mistake, I thought it would have been good for you but it was actually detrimental." ''That cat is extremely shameless.'' Marcus yelled in his mind. In front of him stood a beast, no, a monster that''s around 7 feet tall. Dark brown slimy skin, thin eyes, a wide mouth that''s full of sharp teeth, wide-body, and 2 long arms, with around 4 inches long silver ws. It had backward bent satyr''s legs that also had 4-inch ws on the toe area. This was the Madam. "Too ugly," Marcusmented. This seemed to have infuriated the monster as it roared and rushed towards him. "Alright, I''ll y with you for a little while." Marcus didn''t use any of his magic nor did he use the stone of destruction. His hands turned red as he shed with the monster throwing his right fist at it. Blow after blow, brutal hits were exchanged. The once well-maintained room was no longer there. The stage was destroyed, there was arge hole on the floor and 2 drugged civilians died. The monster soon flew across the room as it received a direct blow from Marcus in the stomach. Marcus didn''t follow up his attack. He stood still and asked. "So I guess you''re Helia?" The monster slowly rose back to its feet. It made a sound, something like a low growl. The monster looked at Marcus then it opened its mouth as it grabbed the people beside it and started biting their heads off. Marcus furrowed his brows as he dashed forward. The monster threw the headless bodies to Marcus as went to get more. It managed to munch another head before Marcus arrived in front of him. Marcus''s fist punched a hole in the dead body that the monster used as a shield. It kicked Marcus, trying to use the spikes on its feet to injure him. Marcus dodged, but as he did, the monster was able to swing its arms, scratching his face. The pain made Marcus squint. 5 deep scratch wounds appeared on Marcus'' face. ''Fuck this'' Marcus inwardly cursed. He now wanted to end it. Lightning coursed around his arms. He activated the stone of destruction, and then he raised his arms. Bolts and bolts of lightning were shot towards the monster. It couldn''t dodge. It screamed in pain until it died. Soon the monster shrank and turned into a woman. The madamid on the ground, her body, charred. "What was that?" Eva asked as she and Nexus walked towards Marcus. Marcus shook his head. "I don''t know. All I know is that she used cheap magic to transform into that thing." Nexus looked at the body "Either that or it was a lesser version. Anyway, we should pretend to be asleep. Enforcers areing." The three went back to their spot and soon enough the police arrived. They entered the destroyed room and took the people to the hospital where they will be treated. They found out that the food was poisoned and decided that the Helia Hotspring would be closed down for further investigation. Marcus and the gang didn''t spend the night in the hospital. They chose to go back to their hotel which they did after a quick check-up. Marcus wanted to get some rest, Eva wanted to learn new spells, and Nexus wanted to watch his favorite series. ------- Hours after the incident. A man stood under the moonlight in the forest, his brown hair blown by the running breeze. He looked at the building of Helia Hotspring. The man raised his arm and contacted someone. He spoke a few words before walking away. ------- The sun rose up on the horizon. Cars were already in the air and on the streets as the people inside them were headed to work. Marcus and the gang were in one of those cars. It''s already 7:10 and their ship takes off at 8:00 am sharp. Marcus wore his usual outfit. Nexus wore a white polo shirt inserted into his ck pants. Eva wore a white-colored turtleneck and ck tight jeans. Both Nexus and Eva didn''t n it though. It was purely coincidental. Momentster they arrived at the open area where they would board their ship. Marcus looked around. There were a lot of passengers and there still moreing. In front of them was a grey colored ship. It was around 2000 meters long. On the side, there was something that said ''Moonsplorers-0023''. ''I want one. Something that''s better looking.'' Marcus thought. ''Once we board this ship, we''ll be out in space.'' Eva was nervous. She''s afraid that something might happen, like scenarios where their ship blows up. Eva already recovered and was now looking as healthy as could be. ''Can''t they hurry up? I just want to go to the room and watch tv.'' Nexus scratched the side of his head. The three of them had different thoughts. While they stood there quietly waiting for the ship to allow boarding they heard people talk about a certain topic. "Hey did you know? The heir of Ker Core Traders has returned." One said. "Really? I haven''t heard of anything in the news about that recently." The other asked. Not believing what his friend just said. "I''m not lying. My friend''s father works as the gardener of their vi. He told his son and his son told me. He also said that the heir is crippled." The one who first spoke said. "Bitch that''s retribution! I''m sure he felt like he got suddenly run over by a truck. Or maybe he asked a starfish for directions, ended up in the wrong ce, and got whacked on the streets." The other said. "Thats..." He has no words. He cleared his throat, "Ahem, there''s another news, Helia Hotsprings closed down." "What? Isn''t that ce one of the best hot springs in Ker?" The other wondered why such a ce would close. "There was no report on why. But..." The two kept talking back and forth. The three who were nearbyughed. Nexus already told Eva what happened. Eva''sment was that Marcus can really hold a grudge. They didn''t talk about what happened in Helia Hotsprings. They just agreed yesterday that next time, they should pick a ce a lot more carefully. Soon the ship finally allowed people to board. The line was long but it didn''t take too much time for them to get on the ship since passengers only needed to sh their tickets on a machine. The ship''s even gigantic on the inside. The people who bought tickets for the economy only sat on chairs that could be turned into beds. While as always Marcus booked for the highest one, VIP. The room they booked had 4 bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room and all kinds of things you''ll find in a luxurious hotel. It doesn''t even feel like you''re on a ship after the takeoff. The 3 ''bodyguards'' were standing by the door, in the room. Nexus immediately went to and sat on the couch while turning on the voice recognition tv. Eva went to the kitchen to see if she could cook something up. While Marcus thought back of all the things he had done in this country. He was only here for 7 days but those 7 days were really eventful. "I can''t wait to arrive in Ovisa," Marcus said as he sat on a chair near the kitchen beside a table. "I can''t wait to see my sister in Estra." Eva grinned. "That reminds me, I really think we should have bought a few defensive magic items. We had so much time yesterday." Marcus said. "Rx. We can buy one when we reach Estra. I mean, what''s the worst that could happen to us on this trip?" Nexus chuckled. Chapter 35: Space Pirates 1 Chapter 35: Space Pirates 1 The ring sound of the rm continued. Their once well-lit room now only had a red light illuminating it. Shouts and screams filled the air outside. Soon a loud banging could be heard as someone mmed their door. Eva slightly panicked. Her hands were tightly clutching Nexus'' arms. "Still doesn''t work?" Nexus asked. "No!" Marcus shook his head. "Then why''d you bring it? Don''t you have anything that''s rank 12 or below?" Nexus wondered why this carrot head only brought magic items that are above rank 12. Marcus shook his head"Why would I bring something that I can buy here?" The people outside were relentless. They didn''t stop in trying to knock the door down. Nexus sighed. "We''re screwed." Marcus scrunched his brows and said, "This, this, you stupid cat is the worst thing that could happen!" -------------- 48 hours earlier "How long is this ride going to be again?" Nexuszily asked. His head glued towards the tv. "one week." Marcus replied. "one whole week of peacefully watching tv. This is the dream." Nexus grinned. Eva finished cooking. Marcus ate and Nexus of course stood up and paused the show he was watching. After the scrumptious meal, Eva went to the Destrucstone, Nexus continued to watch tv, and Marcus went out to explore the ship. He left the guards in the room. He didn''t need people tailing him all the time. Marcus made sure he looked neat before going out. He walked into the well lit blue and white painted hallway not really knowing where to go. He didn''t properly think this through. His steps on the dark-colored floor were slow as he tried to remember where the entertainment ces were located on the ship. He soon saw someone who worked for the ship and asked for directions to which the person said he didn''t know. He seemed to be in a hurry. Marcus found it weird but he kept moving until he found someone else. This time the person told him where to go. Marcus arrived at the entrance. As he opened it, he could see beasts fighting on stage. People were shouting at the side. There weren''t a lot and he could guess the reason, and that''s because the beasts are low ranked. No one wants to watch low ranked beasts fight. it''s not like Moonsplorers doesn''t want to make bigger beasts fight, it''s just that the ship won''t be able to handle it. Marcus watched for a while until he lost interest. ''Damn, I really hope something interesting happens'' He went back to the room and straight to his bedroom. He needed to learn a new lightning spell. ----------- 2 hours before the big event. In a certain location on the ship. A man wearing an employee''s outfit took off his clothes. He changed into a bulletproof suit and ced a helmet on. This was a rank 3 defensive item. He raised his watch and dialed someone. Soon a screen appeared above it. "Everything is set, sir. The power will go off and we''ll soon be able to make this ce ours." The man said. The one on the screen who was bald and had deep sunken eyes spoke "We''ll start in a few hours. Don''t make any mistakes" "Yes sir" The man replied. They have nned this for a long time and even go so far as use a lot of resources for infiltration. Even their bossbored to get to this moment. --------------- Marcus opened his eyes. He finally learned ''Vermillion Lightning Rune''. He got up and decided to take a nice long bath. Nexus never moved an inch in thest 48 hours. Eva went out of the stone a few hours ago. She has been both concocting pills and practicing her holy and light magic. She was given pills that will allow her to skip sleep for her to continue her endeavors. Marcus noticed hering out but he didn''t react. He has been too engrossed with the contents of the book and specifically the spell he was currently learning. Marcus went out of his room. His hair, wet. His clothes are still the same. "A few more days left and we would finally arrive. This godforsaken ship is too damn slow. I believe that there are way faster ships than these!" Eva chuckled "Keep your cool baby brother. Just keep cultivating and you won''t even notice that we''d arrive. Even I can''t wait to see my little sister. Although it''s only been a week or so it''s still hard to be away from family" "I don''t know about you guys bu--" Before Nexus could finish, a loud explosion could be heard. *Boom* The ship shook. "Holy nuggets!" Marcus shouted as he tripped forward. Eva lost her bnce and fell butt first. While Nexus also fell sideways on the couch. The guards who also hit the ground stood right back up and faced the door. "No need to go out. Just guard the door!" Marcus ordered. The trio stood together, the guards in front of them intently looking at the door. The rm sounded. The lights soon dimmed in their room as it was reced by a single bright red light in the middle. They soon heard loud noisesing outside. Shouts and screams from passengers filled the air. "Space pirates! They''re probably space pirates." Eva announced. There were no words from the captain. Eva could guess that the bridge has been infiltrated. "Fuck! They have some balls, let theme!" Nexus said. "Hold on. The strongest one here is the captain of the ship who is probably at the Commander stage. That means they brought their own firepower to contend against that." Marcus guessed. "Marcus is right. I have heard a lot of stories about raids done by them. Pirates are tricky, they wouldn''t just walk in and offer themselves." Eva nodded. "Marcus, take those magic items out!" Nexus urgently said as the banging became louder. Marcus suddenly remembered about his stash of magic items. He went through his pocket dimension and got a defensive magic item. This magic item was something that can only be seen in the Heavenly Realm. Something that surpasses rank 12 items mortals use. But after getting the item out, he knitted his brows "What''s up with this?" Nexus saw it and felt that the item was something ordinary "What''s happening? Are you sure you brought the right thing?" "I did," Marcus answered as he took another one out. *boom* Another explosion could be heard. Eva tightly held on to Nexus'' arm. "Still doesn''t work?" Nexus could feel that Eva''s grip was getting tighter by the second. Marcus shook his head "No!" "Then why''d you bring it? Don''t you have anything that''s rank 12 or below?" Nexus asked. Marcus shook his head"Why would I bring something that I can buy here? And how would I know these things wouldn''t work?!" "Didn''t your mom tell you?" Nexus also didn''t know that these items don''t work here. "She probably thought I brought lower ranked items too" Marcus replied Nexus sighed. "We''re screwed." Marcus scrunched his brows and said, "This, this you stupid cat is the worst thing that could happen!" Chapter 36: Space Pirates 2 Chapter 36: Space Pirates 2 "Shut up! Alright. Eva and I will go in the stone. Just call for me when you need help." Hurriedly said as he disappeared. Marcus seriously nodded at Eva who still stood there. Eva wanted to help. But she also knows that she is too weak. After a few seconds, Eva nodded back and disappeared. Marcus changed into a normal ck hooded robe. He also wore the rank 2 mask. He couldn''t use vermillion lighting for now. He faced the door and took a deep breath. "Alright boys since they''re not gonna stop, show them hell!" Marcus yelled. He zipped towards the door and opened it. His arms turned red and an aura of destruction started leaking out. He proceeded to punch the person in front of him. His guards followed. He has to coordinate with the other people from the VIPs. He''s sure that they also have strong bodyguards. The hallway was littered with pirates. The once lit hallway now only had red lights coupled with the ring sound of the rms. They wore a ck bulletproof vest and a helmet. His eyes glowed when he saw them. He was hungry for battle. Marcus sent his fists to wherever he could see a pirate. His guards also helped but they had to work together to take one down as the lowest rank the pirate had here is rank 6 Elite. This didn''t mean that the pirates didn''t have members who have lower ranks though. There were 2 early rank 1 Commanders which Marcus took quite some time to dispose of. The people he saved in the process were grateful towards him. He directly rushed out of the hallway and found a ce to change his ck robes into red ones. He knows that the cameras were down but there were still people around which was why he wore the ck robes first and didn''t use lightning magic when he went out the door. He immediately rushed back into the fray. His guards weren''t holding up very well as 2 of them were bloody including Ley who was on his knees. He gave them 3 pills each and 3 mana potions. They took one of the pills and a mana potion right away. He also handed them a light-red potion "Drink this too." The guards quickly emptied the bottle that was handed to them. Veins suddenly bulged on the sides of their forehead. They exhaled out hot air. Marcus nodded "Good! Now you''ll at least hold out against Rank 7 Elites." They just drank something that could enhance their capabilities for an hour. Though they would never be able to get past the early Commander stages in return and their lifespans would shorten. Things you have to pay for a small boost in power for a limited time. They encountered a few low ranked pirates along the way and one of those pirates was a Rank 2 Commander on his mid-stages roaming by himself. ''Time for some fun'' Marcus dashed towards the man. He ordered his guards to go-ahead. He wants to fight head-on with this one. Marcus'' hands were still red. Vermillion colored lightning danced around it as he rushed forward. The pirate turned his head. He was shocked by the sudden attack. Someone actually initiated a fight against him. He waved his hands and spiky vines appeared on the walls as it tried to pierce Marcus. Marcus zipped towards the man. He threw a punch but the man''s arms were covered in thick vines with spikes at the tip. The pirate used this as a weapon against Marcus. He stabbed a few times before he was able to graze Marcus. He tried chaining it but as he moved forward the floor exploded. Lighting struck him from below. This was Marcus'' new spell ''Vermillion Lightning Rune''. Marcus of course chained his attack as he casted ''Vermillion Javelin''. He threw it to the man who was still under the effect of ''Vermillion Lightning Rune''. But the man wasn''t done yet. A wall of vines appeared from the ground as it wrapped around the rank 2 Commander. Marcus'' ''Vermillion Javelin'' was only able to pierce it a little. Marcus now had a severe expression on his face. There was only a bit of an opening at the center of the wrapped vines. Marcus concentrated his mana on his hands as he dodged the green whips that wereing towards him. He tried to overload himself to cast ''Vermillion Burst''. This was one of the strongest spells in his arsenal as of the moment. The man continued his uninterrupted attacks. Green colored vines appeared on ces and tried their best to constrict, m, and even pierce Marcus. But most of it failed. Marcus only got hit a few times but they were all futile strikes. It only made him bleed at most. He now finished preparing and is ready to throw ''Vermillion Burst.'' His eyes glowed vermillion. Marcus raised his arms and directed it at the man who was turtling. A burst of vermillion colored lightning shot out of Marcus. Bolts and bolts of lightning struck the green vines that wrapped him. It soon broke down. It couldn''t take all the hits. Seeing this, Marcus zipped forward. This was an opening. He turned back to his human form as he arrived close. His red arms were stretched forward ready to punch. The man''s arms turned green again as it appeared with the intent to block. Blood dripped from the side of his mouth. Marcus didn''t stop. He continued to be on the offensive. He would sometimes turn into lightning, would sometimes throw a punch, he would also throw a couple of javelins. "What are you?!" The man was shocked. He was the third strongest of the crew and he''s reduced into this kind of state. ''Why is the ship carrying this kind of monster?'' "Your worst nightmare!" Marcus shouted as he threw the finishing blow. Destroying the man''s head. He once heard this sentence being spoken in one of the books he read and thought it was cool, so he tried it out. Marcus breathed heavily. But there was a smile on his face. He won fair and square against a rank 2 Commander. His first fight against one. He saw that the man had a spatial ring so he grabbed it. Marcus might not be able to use it but he could give it away to his subordinates or as a prize in the future. Marcus felt a bit exhausted but he could not just hide in the stone because if he did and they blew this ce up, he''d be as good as dead together with Nexus and Eva. This is because wherever Marcus is standing, that is also where he''lle out. For example, if Marcus enters the stone in a moving car and when hees out, he''ll still be in the moving car. That means if this blows up, he''ll never be able to go out again. He looked in the direction where his guards went and heard the sound of fighting. Angry shouts, yells, and all sorts of profanities are being thrown. Marcus'' ordeal has only started. Chapter 37: Are you even worthy? Chapter 37: Are you even worthy? Marcus continued on his way in the direction where his guards were fighting. "Need any help?" Nexus asked from the stone. "No. I am still quite confident in being able to take them. For the fightter, I might need to band with other people." Marcus said. "Where''s Big Sister?" "She''s in the alchemy room. She''s even a lot more determined to catch up to us now." Nexus wryly smiled. "You know this might be retribution. You didn''t finish tempering for seven days so the gods brought the fighting to you." "So you''re saying it''s my fault?" Marcus asked as he was running. "Nope, I didn''t say anything like that. It was implied." Nexus grinned. "Fuck! Says the one who jinxed us!" Marcus scowled. "Now you''re ming me?!" Nexus raised his voice. He was only watching tv the whole time, he didn''t remember doing anything. "No, the me was implied." Marcus tly said. ''Fuck!'' Nexus silently cursed. Marcus arrived in front of a scene where his guards were on the ground sprawling. They weren''t dead nor were they close to it but it looked like they couldn''t take their opponents. In fairness, they were able to take quite a few down. Marcus finished the rest. His guards stood up and ingested another pill and drank a potion. "Go and change into these outfits," Marcus ordered pointing towards the clothes the pirates wore. He made sure to do as little damage as possible when he attacked them a while ago. Since his men are not strong enough to deal with the fights head-on then he''ll just fight together with them, trickster style. He would want stronger people but right now the max rank he could control are rank 5 Elites. He proceeded to go to where the economy ss is. ''Fucking hell. All I wanted was to go to a 2nd rate country. Why send pirates my way? Is what Nexus said true? Is this really retribution?" Marcus cursed and started to wonder at the end. As he arrived, Marcus saw people being taken as hostages. They were currently grouped up in the middle. Marcus halted his steps at a distance. He could see 8 people guarding. The captain was also there but he was separated from the people. Marcus nodded at his guards. They understood what he meant so they went to him. Two of his guards grabbed his arms while Ley walked in front. "We''ve found someone who tried to act like a hero," Ley said. They walked towards the 4 people who came to greet them. Of the 8 guards, the two who were at the Commander stage were with the 4. The pirates have never heard of the red robed vignte of Levi City yet. They were pretty busy nning and practicing for the raid. "Who''s this?" One of the two Commanders asked. "We saw him killing our men in the hallway," Ley said. He nodded at his two mates. The two guards of Marcus pushed him forward. Making him stumble in front of the two Commander stage pirates. As he was about a meter close, his hands turned red. Vermillion colored lightning danced around his arms as it went through the chests of the two pirates. They were totally caught off guard. His three prized guards were not just standing. They went and fought the other two who were standing close. The remaining guards were ready to rush in and help but two people from the crowd jumped in and joined the fun. Spells filled the air as they shed. Marcus helped in finishing off the other two that were fighting with his guards. He ordered them to help in taking care of the rest. Marcus went towards the Captain and wondered why he wouldn''t move. The Captain just smiled and said "You can take care of the hostages first. They are the priority." Marcus nodded and turned his back. He walked a step before the back of his head started to hurt and his vision started to get blurry. He looked back and saw the smiling face of the bald captain. ''I thought Asuras are supposed to be smart. Looks like their prince is pretty dumb.'' Nexus thought. -------------------- Inside the stone. In the alchemy room that''s littered with papers on the floor stood two figures. One was in front of a cauldron and the other standing at the side. ''Oh damn looks like that guy is in trouble.'' Nexus thought. Eva grabbed the pills that were in the cauldron and then looked at Nexus "How is he?" "He''s doing great. Amazing even." Nexus did a two thumbs up. "I really wish we could help. I need to speed up my training." Eva said with determination. Nexus shook his head. "A good foundation is more important. You don''t have to rush. You will have a lot of chances to join the battlefield in the future." Eva stayed silent for a while. She eventually nodded. The tome ''Shining Holy Scriptures'' is already in Eva''s mind. She can ess it anytime. She thought that she already practiced enough alchemy for now and wanted to train her holy and light magic. Nexus stared at her for a while before going back to what he was doing before. --------- Marcus slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry for the first few seconds. He thought back to what happened before he got knocked out. He remembered that he killed a few Commanders, saw the hostages, and he remembered how the Captain attacked him from behind. He could not react. His guard was down and plus he was not a legit Commander so his senses weren''t truly awakened yet. Marcus groaned. He looked around and saw that he was in a parab shaped room. Him being in the corner, sitting on the floor. There was a chair in the middle that had controls near it. There were also controls close to the edges of the room. Wide windows were situated around 1 meter above the ground where you could see the vast space. The light blue colored room had 5 people in total. He has already seen 2 of them before. The 3 people who look like hostages were tied up bloody. One was the Captain. His deeply sunken eyes looked toward Marcus. The other was the man he saw in the hallway. His helmet was worn. He has brown hair and downturned eyes. "You''re awake." The Captain. He was standing near the wide window. The other man turned his head towards him. Marcus didn''t reply. He just stared at the guy. "Do you know what you did?" The captain asked. His tone had a hint of frustration. "I Killed your men?" Marcus was nonchnt. He didn''t give a rats ass. His mind was not here right now. He''s currently thinking about how he was fooled. He''s angry at himself. He didn''t even have a clue of what was going on. ''If only I were stronger! If only I were wiser!'' He thought. He''s also thinking of a way out. He could sense that the two in front of him were strong. The one beside the Captain is as strong as the one he recently fought. A rank 2 Commander. The Captain looked at him. Rage was evident in his eyes. "You killed dozens of my elites and two of my Commanders! Do you know how valuable they are? " The Captain waved his arms downwards in front of him. He doesn''t know that Marcus also killed a few more of his Commander staged powerhouse and that he killed the third strongest in his crew. Marcus felt something heavy pressing down. ''Is this his aura? No, it''s different. Gravity magic? Oh, fuck me!'' Marcus tried to use magic. But as he moved his arms, he could feel that it was chained. He smirked. He then transformed into lightning and fled a few meters away. Both the Captain and his subordinate were shocked. They have not seen anyone do that before. If they did, they would have used something else. As for the 3 hostages they were unconscious. "Brat! who are you?!" The Captain yelled. Marcus had a puzzled expression. He then touched his face and found that he did not have the mask on. His face was out in the open. He shook his head. He thought he was really being careless. He was not worried about them seeing his face. He''s worried about how he didn''t even notice that he was not wearing his mask. This is why the Captain didn''t suspect Marcus killing his other Commanders. "Brat! I have a deal for you. Join my crew." The Captain proposed, but it sounded more like an order. Marcus furrowed his brows. Join his crew? He doesn''t even want to stand beside this man. Marcus was tricked by the bastard. He just wants to kill him. "You know you only have two options. Join our crew or die" A sharp glint in the eyes of the Captain shone as he said this. He needed people to fill in his dead crew "Join your crew? Hahaha, are you even worthy?" Marcus mockingly looked at the Captain. Chapter 38: No Longer a Sheltered Prince Chapter 38: No Longer a Sheltered Prince The Captain''s eye twitched. Worthy? This brat is extremely arrogant. Of course Marcus is arrogant. The arrogance of an Asura Prince is flowing in his veins. "Hahaha, so be it." The Captainughed. He patted his white uniform seemingly trying to remove dust. The Bridge, the ce where Marcus is currently located. It''s totally different from the outside. The lights were normal. The space was huge and there were only a few things here and there. But those few things were all important. They wereputers and machines that are used to operate the ship. Though they were not being used at the moment. The ship is currently at rest. Not only that, but they''ve also jammed anymunication device that could be used. Rescue won''t being any time soon. Marcus looked at two figures standing in front of him. He already concluded that he won''t be able to fight both of them at the same time unless one of them charges at him like a rabid dog. Right now, all he could do is find an opening and do a strategic retreat. He could zipp straight to the door but he needs more information. He can''t be careless anymore. "You said you wanted me to join your crew but I have never even seen or heard of you guys before. Are you even topnotch? " Marcus inwardly smiled. He needs to learn more about his enemies. If ever things don''t work out and he is forced to flee, he''ll know where to knock. The brown-haired man named Bill Bones had a disdain look on his face as he spouted "Of course a little kid like you would never know who we are. We, The Space Jewel Pirates are one of the top 3 pirate groups in these parts. Now you know how prestigious it is to be invited by our Captain." The middle-aged bald man smiled. He was proud of what he built. "So you''re saying, you''re only strong in 3rd rate countries?" Marcus had a look of confusion on his face. Bill Bones'' face froze, and so did the Captain''s. This touched a nerve on both of them. They''ve never been able to expand. More like they can''t since no one wants to join them. Their strongest fighter is their Captain and he is also only an early stage rank 3 Commander. His magic is pretty unique though but that also goes for the other pirate leaders, which only makes him less special. "You''re already proud of this? Do you think this is enough to make me join your tiny pirate group? Oh, I''ll let you in on a little secret. I killed more than two of your Commanders. Hmm, I forgot how many though. Wait, wait, I do remember fighting with a rank 2 Commander. But he died pretty quick." Marcus tried to make them angry. Though inside he was nervous. He''s still not sure what the true capabilities of the Captain are ''Damn I think I got infected by that stupid cat'' Marcus thought. ''Did I just spread a disease?'' Nexus wondered. He was in the stone listening. As Bones heard this he didn''t believe it "You?! A kid?! Don''t make meugh." Bones and the guy were the strongest aside from the Captain for a couple of years now and he could say that he was pretty powerful. Especially when he turtles. That''s the one thing that Bones really hate when fighting against him because even his mes have a hard time burning through the thick vine''s defense. However, the brows of the Captain furrowed. The third inmand should have been back a long time ago. At first, the Captain didn''t mind as he thought that he was messing around with a woman. But as time went on, the Captain felt that something might have happened. ''That guy can neverst this long.'' The Captain thought. He knows his crew pretty well. Especially people who are pretty high up on thedder. He also treats them well when splitting the spoils. "Call him, let''s see if he''ll answer." Marcus had a carefree attitude which angered the two pirates in front of him. He was proud of being able to defeat that pirate. He thought it was a big achievement. They want to but they can''t. They can''t call him because they jammed all kinds ofmunication devices, even theirs. They don''t want a scenario where one of their guys dies and the one who killed him calls for help. This had been their style ever since and they have rarely failed in their raids. As for the two Commanders'' senses, it can only reach 5 meters at most. Once you''ve reached the Commander stage that''s the time you can spread your senses. Soul sense. The two looked at each other. There was worry in both their eyes. They can''t lose more Commander staged powerhouse. If they did, then they won''t be able to hold their own against other pirates. The Captain was the first one to calm down but only a bit. "Captain, he''s lying! That guy must be out sleeping somewhere or probably grabbed something to eat." Bones said. He couldn''t believe that their 3rd strongest member died to a little brat. The Captain raised his hand "There''s no use in talking about this. There is no way to verify the information." The Captain''s said. Showing that he has confidence in his men. His Captain''s calmness affected him so Bones tried to breathe in and out in and out in a systematic manner. Marcus smiled "So you guys still won''t believe me. How about if I show you this" He showed them the spatial ring. Precisely the one he got from the rank 2 Commander. The Captain stared at it. "There are a lot of spatial rings around the gxy and maybe you just stole that one. But now that you showed that to us, hand it over!" he raised his hands. Marcus felt an entity was pushing him down. He''s now 100% sure that this is gravity magic. ''It looks like the Captain can only use basic gravity magic where he could push a person down. If he could use other spells then he would have already pulled me towards him. There''s still hope. I can''t stay here for now. I just need to find out what the other guy''s magic is before I make a swift exit.'' Marcus thought of a few ns and a few backup ns. Bill Bones'' hands zed as fire surrounded it. ''Psh fire.'' Marcus mind scoffed. But he soon regretted it. A methrower like attack rushed towards him. He dodged it but it followed him wherever he went. Bill still had his arms out and he''s still releasing mes out of it. The gravity was badly affecting Marcus'' speed. It felt like he was carrying piles of boulders. ''That guy''s control over fire is pretty good. Fuck my mana is not enough! If this were a one versus one, I''d probably be able to win. These trashes should be thankful that there are two of them. Hmm, This is enough. Time to run.'' Marcus then turned to lightning and zipped away. Bones shouted, "Running are we?" Bones was about to follow, but the Captain stopped him. "Don''t! He might be nning to lure us away from here. That kid seems to only know how to flee." Bones nodded "You really are smart Captain" The Captain smiled "That''s why I''m your Captain." He loves the feeling when peoplepliment him. He could not have been more wrong. --------------------- Marcus zipped away as far as he could. The mana in his body is already below 50%. He has not taken mana replenishment potions and has no ns in doing so. All he could do now is take out smaller guns then rest for a while. ''Looks like my guards are still alive. I should really find a proper name for them.'' Marcus thought. Him being able to sense andmunicate with them is different since they have a connection. And if they ever died, he would also feel it wherever he is. He arrived at a ce where there was no living being around. Dead bodiesy on the ground. Blood sttered everywhere. He looked at them and felt a slight pain in his heart. He stood still, unmoving. Remembering a painful past. He has seen this in the Heavenly Realm. It was when the bodies of his dead rtives wereid on the floor when they were delivered back to the pce. Though he was never close to most of them, he still felt the incurable bruise that''s etched in his heart, bleeding, whenever he thought of that scene. His mother and his mother''s sister were beside him that time, trying to hold back their tears. He knew that the pain they felt was much more than he did. After that, the once rowdy pce became silent. Marcus sighed while painful memories shed his eyes. Seeing this in front of him made him more resolute in not only gaining power but other things as well. He has to change, to be smarter, be more attentive, and other things if he wants to survive in this campaign. ''I want to be able to take care of the people I care about! To not be pushed around like this. I am no longer a sheltered prince!'' Chapter 39: FutureX Chapter 39: FutureX Marcus put his robes back on and grabbed another mask inside his pocket dimension. His mood was sullen. He looked at the dead bodies onest time before he started walking. His guards were all tied up in the area where the hostages were. ''I really wish I could spread out my senses.'' Marcus thought. He wants to look for pirates around him and slowly make his way to where the hostages are. He also needs to vent the seething rage he''s barely able to contain. "I could always help." Nexus'' voice sounded in his mind. "I can still handle it." Marcus tly replied. "You know, it doesn''t have to be a one man crusade. Two heads are better than one. Am I right?" Nexus advised. "mm" Marcus nodded. "So is that a yes?" Nexus was ready to go out. He wants to stretch. "Yes, and no I can still handle it." Marcus still sounded unemotional. "Damn, someone''s gloomy as hell. I thought you said you were going to call me when you needed help" Nexus lightly chuckled. He didn''t speak anymore after that. The red light in the halls was still bright, the rms had already turned silent, and only Marcus'' footsteps could be heard echoing as walked through the piles of bodies thatid on the floor. A group of pirates soon came to his sites. They were robbing the dead. The pirates checked every single pocket so as to not miss a single penny. Marcus walked towards them. They looked at him and one of them shouted "Hey! Looks like we still have a live one here. I''ll skip the --" A hand pierced his chest. The pirate spat out a mouthful of blood. The others were shocked, they quickly assumed a stance, preparing for battle. ''I''ll kill your whole crew while you stay in the Bridge.'' Marcus evilly smiled as dashed forward, his hands turned red as he threw punches to their soon to explode bodies. These were only rank 7 Elites. The Captain and his number 1ckey who was in the bridge were trying to get information from the three people. Marcus does not know who they were nor did he care. He strode forward killing everyone with only physical attacks. He finally reached the ce where the hostages were being kept. They were still huddled up in the middle. Everyone was sitting down not even daring to raise their heads. The ones who finished were picking girls from the groups. "I like this one." A pirate said as he pointed to a beautiful and elegant woman. "I saw her first so I get to have her." Another said. "You can have her once I''m done with her!" The first pirate who spoke strode forward. He grabbed the woman by the arms and started to undress her in front of everybody. She screamed and screamed but no one helped. Marcus arrived. ''These people are disgusting.'' Marcus zipped andnded behind the man. He thrust his red hands through the man''s back upper left chest. It pierced through and grabbed the heart and crushed it. The people who he thought were disgusting were not only the pirates but also the onlookers. No one helped. Some even had an excited look on their faces. Marcus dropped the heart. Everyone''s eyes were on him. Including the woman who was trying to cover her body. Marcus got another one of his cloaks and draped it around the woman. Gary, his mentor, had taught him how to be a gentleman. Even though his version is kind of twisted and a few were just downright wrong, some were still upright, equitable, virtuous, and well, valid. The dark blonde, brown-eyed woman thanked Marcus multiple times, her body never stopped shivering. Marcus looked to the side. The pirate trembled. He backed away but Marcus was too fast. There were only 2 remaining pirates here. One of them seized a hostage and said "If you move I''ll blow this man''s brains up." Marcus looked at the hostage. Marcus zipped forward and blew the pirate''s brains up. "You could have killed me!" The hostage yelled. Anger and fear were evident in his eyes. Marcus didn''t respond. He didn''t even look at him because when he heard him say that, his Asura blood boiled. His thoughts were, ''I should have killed you in the process.'' He didn''t care if the person lived or died. Marcus thought he had no fault over the matter. The person was just unlucky that he was picked. Marcus moved towards thest pirate and killed him. The hostages were thankful that they were saved. Marcus proceeded to free his guards. Once they could move their hands, the three immediately took the pill and drank the potion. The effects of the power enhancer Marcus gave them already wore off quite some time ago. The hostages still didn''t move. They were all huddled in the center. Marcus went to a corner and contacted Nexus "You wanted toe out right?" "Now you need help?" Nexus scoffed. "Not really. I just need you to babysit." Marcus said. His mood already lightened since he already vented most of his anger out. "Are you fucking serious right now? You want me to take care of those hostages? Over my dead body!" Nexus raised his voice. "Are you really going to leave Big Sister out here alone?" Marcus chuckled. "You wouldn''t" Nexus narrowed his eyes. "Come on. I also need to bnce things out. Big Sis also wanted to help so it''s a win-win situation." Marcus was ready to go into the stone. "Bnce things out? Are you talking about your good bad acts bullshit?" Nexus who was in the stone stood up and ryed what Marcus said to Eva. The woman of course nodded. "Fuck off! That''s how I operate." Marcus cursed. Soon two figures appeared in front of him. Marcus gave Eva and Nexus red robes and masks. Though Eva wore a robe, it couldn''t hide her sexy curves. They went out of the corner and surprised everyone. The males were looking at one of them. Their eyes glued towards the bulging parts. Eva surveyed them with a look of disgust but soon her eyes focused on the woman who wore the same robe as them and was shivering. She looked at her intently and whispered to Marcus "If I''m not mistaken that''s the rebellious daughter of the CEO of FutureX. The number one techpany in Estra. She''s also the only child. Her name is Zoey." Nexus looked at Eva "How do you know this?" Eva smiled at him "I read Business Insider every day." Marcus chuckled. "That''s great I guess. I just saved another heir of argepany, just another Tuesday for me." Eva shook her head "Baby Brother we can use this to our advantage. You said that you saved her, which means she''ll be grateful to you. I''ll go there and bring her somewhere quiet, let her cool down andfort her. She''ll trust me because I''m with you guys. Of course, I''ll be removing my mask so that there will be no barrier. I''ll casually slip in my name in the process. When we reach Estra, she''ll be able to hear my name when we open our business. The rest you can already figure out." Eva''s exnation dumbfounded the two. Nexus didn''t care about these stuff so he didn''t even think about that. Marcus wasn''t thinking anything rted to business right now. How to defeat the Captain is currently on rey in his mind. "Big Sis can be scary sometimes. You might get manipted like that in the future." Marcus looked at Nexus. "Hell, she can do whatever she wants. I too, can do whatever I want to her, hehehe," Nexus chuckled. Eva patted Zoey''s head, told her something, and then they headed towards a nearby ce away from people''s eyes. "Can you tell me what the Captain and hisckey are doing in the Bridge?" Marcus wanted to fight. But he still has to wait. He''s worried that his mana is not enough. Nexus justughed and looked at him. Marcus sighed "Alright, I was being controlled by my emotions and couldn''t think straight awhile ago. You were right, I should not go on one-man crusades and yes, two heads are better than one." "Finally! Hmm, they''re currently interrogating three people. Asking for their money. Those people must be smoking rich!" Nexus had dors appear on his eyes. "Once they get what they want, they''re most likely going to leave. They might even blow this ce up. We have to stop them!" Marcus clenched his fist. "Ahem, so what you said was, you wanted to stop them because the Captain tricked you?" Nexus yfully said. "Shut up!" Marcus cursed."Tell me where the remaining pirates in this ship are. I''ll take them all down and when I do I''ll head towards the Bridge. You stay here and guard the hostages." "Fuck, all I heard was ''babysit the hostages''" Nexus grumbled as he spread his senses. He told Marcus where the remaining pirates are located. Chapter 40: Never heard of an Asura? Chapter 40: Never heard of an Asura? Marcus shook the blood off his hands. His bloody figure stood there in its lonesome while pirates adorned the ground. There were no charred bodies as Marcus only used physical attacks. It''s been 1 whole hour of fighting and his mana is only up to around 60%. ''Those bastards blinded everyone here by jamming theirmunications but they''ve also blinded themselves. That means if I destroy their ships, hehehe'' Marcus asked Nexus where their ships were. "They came here in small ships, so I think their bigger ships aren''t here," Nexus told him where they were. Marcus went there and saw 5 small ships lined up. They looked pretty old. Rust could clearly be seen in some of its areas. Marcus went wild and destroyed it, he destroyed them all. "Marcus, I think they got what they wanted. They are starting to leave." Nexus informed. "I''m on my way." Marcus dashed out of there and went straight to the Bridge. ''This is gonna take a lot out of me.'' --------- "We''re going to be filthy rich. It was all worth the wait. All the weapons we could get, the skill books, thedies," Bone''s smiled ear to ear. "We''re gonna get those and more. Let''s meet up with the crew and leave this shithole, hahaha" The Captain is in a swell mood. Once they find a, he''s gonna withdraw a load of money. They just got out of the bridge. This ce also had normal lights on. As the two walked, they encountered a figure in red robes. "You again? Kid, aren''t you just looking for death?" The Captain already knows who this person is. Marcus removed his mask. "What crew?" The two furrowed their brows trying to understand what he meant. Marcus smiled "They''re dead. All dead. The only ones left in your measly little pirate group are you and your lowly dog. Oh, by the way, I destroyed all your ships." "Damn you! Who''s the dog?!" Bones yelled. mes zed around his hands. His distorted angry face looked at Marcus. His fiery temper was famous in the crew. The Captain didn''t stop him. He wanted to see how Bones would deal with this child. For what Marcus said that he killed his crew, he didn''t believe it even for a second. Bones made his move. mes erupted from the ground where Marcus was standing. Marcus zipped towards him. He casted ''Vermillion Lightning Javelin'' while activating the Destrucstone. The aura of destruction leaked out of his body. His attacks too were filled with the same aura. Bones raised his hands. Continuous mes came out like a methrower as it headed towards the direction of Marcus. The lightning and mes collided. The winner of the sh was clearly the lightning as it passed through the mes and straight to Bones. Marcus didn''t stop. He casted more spells and went closer. His hands turned red. He was ready to finish this as swiftly as possible. The Captain who was watching this was astonished. He thought back to all the things the boy said. His mind went nk for a second. His crew, his third inmand, his ships. He felt like he was going to have a heart attack. "You! You! I''m gonna kill you!" Johnny Jones the Captain released his fury. His aura of rank 3 Commander burst out. He raised his hand forward and brought it down. Marcus who was about tond the finishing blow felt his feet getting wobbly. His speed significantly reduced. Marcus smirked. ''He finally made his move. But it''s toote!'' Marcus turned into lightning and shot towards Bones who could barely stand. His face was bloody. The battle suit he wore was torn. He looked like someone who entered a den of lions. Soon, Marcus who was in his lightning form arrived and pierced his chest. Note that his ''Lightning Form'' spell was now advanced and he made a breakthrough which is why he could pass through a rank 2 Commander stage powerhouses. A huge hole appeared on Bones'' chest. His face was filled with disbelief. He didn''t even have any time to react before he died. All he saw was a vermillion colored lightning that was zooming towards him. "How?!" Jones shouted at the top of his lungs. He was sure that he used the spell on him. His eyesnded on Bones. His heart went heavy as his blood boiled. He red daggers at Marcus. If that re could kill, then Marcus would have already died 10 times over. That was thest member of his crew. He now knew that the kid wasn''t lying. "Hey, I have a joke. You wanna hear it?" Marcus asked as he zipped around the ce. He didn''t dare go and try that stunt on a rank 3 Commander who''s not even bruised. Captain kept casting the same spell. Just trying to slow Marcus down by every single time. "So here''s the joke. Why didn''t the pirate want to y poker?" Marcus felt like his mana was going down pretty fast. The Captain didn''t answer, he just kept casting his spells, It was as if he had no care for the world. His eyes, bloodshot. "Because he lost his crew. Get it?" Marcusughed at his own joke. "Oh,e on If you don''tugh it''ll just sound mean." This was thest straw. The Captain yelled to the top of his lungs. Marcus had a smug look on his face before using ''Lightning Form'' again. He went straight to Jones. He transformed back into his human figure and was about to destroy the spell that the Captain used. But he was surprised when he didn''t feel any heavy pressure. He saw the Captain take out a long sword and shed forward. ''Is that a rank 4 magic weapon?'' Marcus wondered. They shed. Marcus ced a lightning rune which The Captain stepped on. While Marcus also got hit by the longsword that the Captain used coupled with his gravity spell. ''Thank god he only knows this one spell.'' Marcus sighed in relief. The fight went on. The Captain still had a few surprises left. He took out a couple of clear sphere objects that had a red tinge in the middle. Marcus noticed this so he kept his distance. Marcus furrowed his brows trying to guess what Jones is holding. Jones strode forward as he cast the gravity spell whenever Marcus was off lightning form. Marcus already stopped casting other spells aside from a few lighting bolts and ''Lightning Form''. He was running out of juice. He zipped one more time but he fell short. The Captain noticed this and knew this was his chance. He threw the sphere objects straight towards Marcus. He made sure to use the gravity spell on him so that the chances of hitting Marcus are high. And it did hit. The spheres were bombs. They had fire magic on the inside and once itnds, it''ll immediately explode. The ship shook from the explosions. Nexus who was watching from afar furrowed his brows. Marcusid on the ground. He inhaled through his mouth. He opened his eyes, exhaled from his nose, stood up, and wiped the blood that wasing out from the side of his mouth. He didn''t look like Marcus anymore, aside from the vermillion hair and eyes. The once 5''7 (1.73m) feet tall is now 6''5 (1.83m) feet tall. His body is dyed red with a few tattoos all over. There''s one special tattoo on his left chest that only Royals have. His muscles bulged. He looked like a herculean athlete with steriods standing there with no clothes on. The reason Nexus furrowed his brows is because he didn''t want to watch Marcus'' butt. Not only were the robes destroyed but also the pants! The Captain stood in front of Marcus. He felt like he was in front of someone important. He also felt he was in front of a demon who could kill him easily. "I did not expect that," Marcus said as he spat towards the side. His voice, deep echoed in the silent atmosphere. His red skin masked the blood trickling down from therge cuts that adorned his body. His demonic vermillion eyes looked at Jones. A strong aura of destruction emanated from him, leaking out like steam. The Captain''s heartbeat quickened. He wanted to shout but he couldn''t. He readied himself as Asura Marcus dashed towards him. The speed and strength of an Asura is being put to overdrive. Jone''s movements were stiff. He used the gravity spell which slowed down Asura Marcus a bit. It only slowed him down but didn''t stop him. They shed. Sword versus fists. The rank 4 magic sword made Marcus bleed even more. The sh might not be able to cut off his limbs but they were enough to go an inch or two down. Marcus is having a hard timending a direct hit because of the Captain''s gravity spell. He has no more mana to transform into lightning and is now only relying purely on physical strength. The fight went on as Marcus sent the Captain flying back near the door of the Bridge. Jones coughed. Both his nose and mouth were bloody. One of his eyes can barely see and the other started to get blurry. Nheless, he stood up. He doesn''t want to die here. He dashed forward and once again hacked at Marcus. His physical attributes were impressive. He is a pirate after all. sh after sh, blow after blow, they exchanged as they were now in the Bridge. Then finally, the Captain ran out of mana. Marcus''s relentless and brutal attacks were too much for him to handle coupled with the aura of destruction that seemed to be suffocating him. His face could not be considered normal anymore. His nose is broken, one of his eyes is pushed back, his sword shattered, and his butt is on the floor. Marcus stood there in front of the Captain in an awe imposing manner looking down on him like an ant. "Wha-What are you?" Jones asked. He''s finally able to speak when a lot of his teeth already fell off. His vision, blurry as he raised his head to look at Marcus. "Never heard of an Asura?" Marcus had a devilish smile on his face. Chapter 41: Nexus, Player King of Marcus City Chapter 41: Nexus, yer King of Marcus'' City Marcus''s towering image is already embedded in Jones''s mind. The red bloody figure has his hands balled into a fist. The Bridge took a few damages. The windows cracked, theputers destroyed, and the floors were turned uneven. The three people who were there other than the two of them were already dead. Jones and his diseased 1st mate killed them before leaving. The Captain''s heart is erratically palpitating. He wanted to run but he couldn''t. His legs could no longer stand firm like a father who lost his job unable to pay child support. He wanted to shout but no words woulde out. No, wait, words came out but he couldn''t hear them. His ears were ringing. He no longer has any way out against the mountain in front of him. Marcus who''s standing firmly was not feeling all that well on the inside. He felt like he''s going to copse at any second. The stone in his soul was vibrating rapidly. He doesn''t know why but his head started hurting. He felt like the sword awhile ago would hurt a lot less if that was the one being used.He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. ''I can pass out, but let me finish this guy first.'' Marcus strode forward. He was now in a hurry to finish this. He threw a punch. All his strength was in thatst strike. Jone''s felt like his heart was going to explode as he saw Marcus walk towards him. When he saw something close in on him, he flinched and closed his eyes. Tears rolled down his face. He waited for his death to arrive. One second, two seconds, three seconds, nothing. *Thud* Jones felt the ground shake. He opened his eyes, his blurry vision can''t clearly see what''s happening. But the towering being who was once in front of him was no longer there. He looked down and saw a body that was a few inches away from him. A red body that was bing smaller. Soon, the asura features were no longer there. What was left was a boy who looked human, covered in blood. It was unknown if he was alive. Jone''s chuckled, the chuckle turned intoughter, aughter that sounded hysterical. "Hahaha, I escaped the jaws of death! I, Johnny Jones survived an encounter of the devil him--" He didn''t get to finish as a hand pierced through his chest. His eyes opened wide. Thest scene he saw was a blurry figure wearing red robes, face covered with a mask. He finally died. "Alright buddy let''s go" Nexus sighed. He looked at Marcus and carried him back to their room. His senses were of course spread out and were locked on Eva, in case something happens to her. They arrived in the room, the lights still red. He went near the couch and into the Destrucstone. --------- He opened his eyes. He couldn''t see anything ''I guess, I''m dead'' He looked at his hands and touched his face. He could still feel them. There was still heat in his body. He looked around but he couldn''t see anything. He took a step forward. He suddenly got sucked in the ground. ------- A man and a woman stood over the air above a clear blueke. Trees danced as the cool wind breeze blew. Firefly like creatures gathered at the flowers below. The moonlight shone over the woman as if it was fawning over her. "You!" The woman shouted. Marcus was once again inside of someone else''s body, the man''s body. He''s once again a mere spectator. But this time the face of the woman was as clear as day. She has round eyes, t exotic thin eyebrows, cupids lips, and white skin. Her white hair is cut short. Her figure is devastatingly deadly to anyone who looks at her. The man did just that. He stared at her, seemingly bewitched by her appearance. "What did you say?!" The woman once again shouted. "Mydy I haven''t said anything wrong. I just admired your beauty and my tongue suddenly slipped" The man said. Their voices disrupted the beautiful atmosphere. They looked at each other. Marcus studied the woman thinking where he has seen her before. The woman raised her arms. Moonlight gathered around it as she aimed at the man in front of her. The man stood, unmoving. ''Fucking move! Are you trying to kill us?!'' Marcus shouted as loud as he could, seeing that the man was just staring at her. He could read the man''s thoughts and know what he feels. So he was sure that this man wouldn''t move. The man also has a crazy idea. "You won''t move?" The woman asked. She had a puzzled expression on her face. "I know you''re famous for being powerful and cocky but I''m not sure if you''ll be able to survive if you take a direct hit from this. Even a few World Eaters died from this st. Heck, we''ve fought for years, you know you might die from this" She subtly bragged at the end. "Then let''s make a deal! If I survive we stop fighting and then let me pursue you. If I don''t, then it''s just my bad luck." The Lord of Destruction said. He finally had the guts to confess. Even if it was this kind of confession. The Lady of the Moon mockinglyughed "So I guess you''re just one of them too. Hungry to have me to get more power. From the stories I heard, I thought the Divine Conqueror was different. I guess I was wrong. Oh, and weren''t we enemies?" She finished gathering moonlight but she didn''t fire it yet. The Lord of Destruction smiled " I feel ttered that you think of me. And no that''s not my reason for wanting you. Also, I have never considered you an enemy. How could I consider my future wife an enemy?" The Lady of the Moon''s brows furrowed. ''What a shameless man. What is he talking about?'' "I already told you the reason, Mdy. I like your butt." The Lord of Destruction grinned. This of course was not the real reason. He just wanted to lighten the heavy mood. The Lady of the moon swung her arms and released her spell. The Lord of Destruction was true to his words, he never dodged. ''Bastard!'' Marcus shouted. But he realized he didn''t feel any pain. He drylyughed. A second ago he was scared shitless. The manid on the ground. There were deep wounds around his chest. ''Hahaha, she held back. She''s not as ruthless as other people make her out to be'' "Stupid! Why didn''t you dodge?" The woman cried out. "A deal is a deal." The man slowly stood up and took a pill. Soon, most of the damages have been healed. "You should leave." The woman said. "I will, for now. If I''m seen in these parts of town I''ll get hunted. Goodbye, my future wife!" The Lord of Destruction ran away. The Lady of the Moon finally blushed. She looked at the direction where the Lord of Destruction went and shouted some profanities. After a while she went back to a wooden house close by, her cheeks still red. They have been fighting for a long time. It all started when The Lord of Destruction made ament about her butt with thousands of people around. Thus began their 100 year long war. It would be a lie if she says she didn''t enjoy the fights. The Lord of Destruction never tried to hurt her, it just seemed like they were having a casual spar. Although sometimes she would go overboard. ------ ''Why does this all seem familiar.'' Wondered Marcus who was still inside the man''s head. The man soon arrived above a luxurious city. He went straight to the pce and sighed. "Did you ''visit'' her again?" A man on the side asked. Marcus'' eyes went wide. This man had ck hair with yellow streaks in the middle. ''Nexus?!'' Marcus couldn''t believe it. "I did. I''m finally going to pursue her. I don''t care which faction she may be in. Hell I''ll just raze it to the ground!" The Lord of Destruction raised his voice. Nexus shook his head. "Marcus you should calm down. Pursuing her right now is like having a death wish. Work on the new magic you discovered. Don''t even think about fighting a whole faction. Are you trying to get yourself killed? I''m supposed to be the immature one! Remember that!" ''Marcus?'' Marcus who was the spectator couldn''t believe what he was hearing. ''What the hell is happening?'' "I know. I''m not stupid. I''m years older than you so don''t start lecturing me. Once I get better at Chaos magic I''ll definitely decimate the holes where they live." Lord Marcus clenched his fist. He continued "Ahem, I heard some talk in town. Also, I haven''t seen you bring any womentely. And I heard you were outside the Holy Maiden''s pce again. Are you ready to settle down? I thought you were, ''Nexus, yer King of Marcus'' City''? " Nexus shook his head. "Don''t call me that. I want to strangle my past self honestly. Right now I have eyes dead set for her. At least this someone is from our faction." "Factions smactions. Good luck buddy. A reminder though, the Holy Maiden is as old as I am and also a really close friend of mine. So be more mature and try not to lose your head in the process." Lord Marcus checked the wounds he received in a nearby mirror and then walked away. --------- Marcus opened his eyes. He was back in the dark room again. He clearly saw the man''s face. They had close to identical features. So close that it''s uncanny. ''Does that mean I was reinc--'' Marcus didn''t even get to finish what he was about to say when he was once again sucked in. ------- Marcus was back to being the spectator. He doesn''t have to guess who this person is. Lord Marcus sat on the foot side of the bed. In front of him was a woman with ck hair and green eyes. She only wore a green satin cloth which covered her boobs and a very short green see through skirt. ''Was I a two-timer in my past life? Then what happened to the first girl?'' Spectator Marcus wondered. He was already 90% sure about his reincarnation guess ''Or did I build a harem?'' Chapter 42: A Free Fall Down Memory Lane Chapter 42: A Free Fall Down Memory Lane The woman with green almond shaped eyes began dancing. Her dance was so intoxicating that Both Marcus''s were staring at her, unmoving. They were both captivated. Her movements were wless. Her silky hair danced together with her. Her curves were perfectly clear. She looks like a woman that Empires are willing to go to war for. The dance soon finished. Marcus looked at her and she looked at Marcus. Lord Marcus smiled and she went towards the bed and sat beside him. "I love seeing your awestruck expression whenever I dance. The Divine Conqueror having a face like that is something people would pay to see. Even Big Sister said that you look stupid." The woman chuckled. "Anyone who will ever see you dance will have that reaction. Hahaha, she is just mad because I keep eating her" Marcus smiled as he kissed her cheeks and touched her body. "Big pervert!" The woman pinched Marcus'' side. Marcus pulled back and looked into her eyes "Every time I see you dance, I fall for you all over again." The woman looked at him "Then I will forever dance for you. Not only in this lifetime but in the lifetime''s toe. And, and, even if I forget you, I''ll still dedicate every single one of my dances to you." "Silly girl." Marcus pulled her closer and passionately kissed her. ------- In the dark room, Marcus appeared once again. He looked to be in a trance. Trying to digest everything. ''Was I from the Heavenly Realm in my past life or somewhere higher. Is there even a higher realm? How dense could the mana there be? Who was I? What happened? Marcus didn''t have to wait. He was once again sucked. But this time it was different. He was speeding down. He feels being shot by a rapid-fire spell, only this time, the ammunitions were memories. The feeling of someone feeding you but every second they''d put a spoon back in your mouth with more food. ------ Marcus went on a trip down memoryne. It started with Marcus who already had the title ''Divine Conqueror'' take in a cat. They soon became best buddies and although the cat isn''t strong enough to fight, he still manages the ces Marcus conquered. Nexus, not only had a glib tongue but also loved to sleep with beautiful women. But that soon changed when he got to meet Marcus'' close friend the Holy Maiden. In another memory Marcus discovered a new type of magic. A magic that could split reality. A spell he called Chaos magic. He was intoxicated by it and soon studiously studied it. In another one, Marcus met a woman from a different faction. He of course only found her beautiful at first but after seeing her actions and hearing her speak, he fell in the abyss of love. He was determined to make the woman his wife. So he worked for her love. It didn''t start well. She had a lot of suitors and plus as was stated she was from another faction. They fought a lot but that''s only because Marcus wanted to get close to her. It took Marcus around 100 years or so to finally confess. It was when they both stood on top of ake, under the moonlight. She of course initially refused but Marcus persevered. Soon they became acquaintances, and then they became friends. The people who were in the same faction as her and are pursuing her found out and they came to a deal that they would all take her. They went to her house when Marcus wasn''t there. How could Lord Marcus not be wary of lusty bastards like them? He dashed forward to The Lady of the Moon''s house and ughtered the invaders. The person he loved soon joined his faction after being betrayed. Marcus was once again thrown into another memory. He was in thend where the dead reside. A ce where death, poison, pestilence, and other types of magic rted to the things in which most people call taboo are being practiced. Here Marcus got severely injured. He was seen by the Empress. She took pity on him and brought him to be healed. He was eternally grateful to her. They soon talked and became friends. He found out that she was still single. Their friendship started to go deeper. Marcus however tried to put up barriers. But the heart yearns for what it couldn''t have. Soon she became his second wife as she left her godforsaken empire where a lot of people wanted to destroy her. They thought that a woman should never be allowed to rule. He was kicked out of the memory right after that. He was soon in a ce where he and a few people close to him were surrounded. He scoured his mind and found out that he has seen this scene before. This was when everything turned bloody. From his new memories, he remembered that this was after he made a breakthrough in practicing chaos magic. They fought hard against hundreds. Marcus and the gang of course couldn''t win against them so Marcus used a chaos spell and teleported everyone away. Everyone aside from Nexus who didn''t fight was severely injured but only two of them were close to death. It was Marcus and the Holy Maiden. Marcusid on the bed. He was using hisst moments to create something using a few parts of his soul. A wooden house with a few rooms. As he felt that he was only a few seconds away from the grasp of death he smiled at them and said "If I have but one regret in this life, it''s that I couldn''t protect you. I just hope that you didn''t regret choosing me." The Lady of the Moon shook her head "I''d choose you; in the lifetimes toe, I would always find you and I''ll choose you." The Empress nodded "Death has to first give up on us before I stop choosing you." Marcus smiled, he turned his head to the ceiling and closed his eyes. ''To the gods, if ever there are any, kindly grant my wish for I have never asked you any before. Please let me remember them. I don''t care about anything else.'' ''In the next life, I''ll once again be a conqueror. But I won''t be alone. I''ll find the people I love and together, we''ll make our way up to take back what''s ours.'' Marcus and the Holy Maiden died and his wives followed him to the wheel of reincarnation. Marcus ced Nexus in his new invention that was in his soul and made him sleep before he passed away. --------- Marcus was finally back inside the dark ce, standing. He confirmed that there is a ce higher than the Heavenly Realm. His head was spinning from all the memories he recovered. Though what he noticed was that he only remembered things about four people and few events. His wives, the Holy Maiden, and Nexus. Nothing else other than that. He sat on the floor. Tears rolled down his face. He could remember the pain, love, joy, and other emotions he felt in his past life with them. He did his best to calm down. ''I think Big Sis is the Holy Maiden. No! I''m sure of it!'' Marcus thought. He was trying to organize the information in his mind. Nexus who suddenly fell in love with her was the biggest clue. ''I''m gonna find the people I love. This time, I''m going to protect them!'' His determination soared the skies. -------- Eva and Nexus stood side by side in the Destrucstone. While Marcus is lying on the bed. Eva excused herself a while ago and left Zoey with the guards. "Is he okay?" Eva who was back to wearing her white sweater asked. Nexus nodded "He just pushed himself way too much this time around." "You should have helped him." Eva sighed. "You want me to damage his pride?" Nexus wryly smiled. Marcus suddenly moved. He slowly opened his eyes. He looked at the other two people in the room. His eyes turned moist as he smiled. Eva and Nexus walked up to him and asked how he was. Marcus told them he was okay. Eva left and went back to their room in the ship where Zoey was. Now only Marcus and Nexus were in the room "I know," Marcus said in a low voice. Nexus still heard it but was slightly confused. "About?" "I remember." Marcus looked at Nexus. Nexus opened his mouth but no words came out. His legs were shaking. He went to the side of the bed to sit. "All of it?" Nexus asked in a hoarse voice. Marcus shook his head and began telling him what he remembered. His wives, his two close friends, and the chaos magic, some events, and a few things he has done in hisst life. Nexus was silent the whole time. In the end, he took a deep breath. And asked, "Do you want to remember everything?" "I would be remembering everything anyway because this stone is part of my soul so there''s no need to tell me. That was my old life. I don''t need to remember everything right away because I know that from your reaction, I have already remembered everyone and everything important. I am on a new road. Forging a new path. In my past life, I fell short. But in this life, I swear I will reach new heights. Let the people who schemed against us wait. I''ll let them suffer once I see them again." Marcus vowed. He might not have remembered how to cast chaos magic but he''s willing to learn again. His notes are in the stone after all. Nexus chuckled "Well, you know I''m always on your side" Marcus suddenly remembered something and asked, "Is Big Sis the Holy Maiden?" Nexus nodded, "Now you know why I''m like this." Marcus stood up and he stretched "I can''t believe you were that lucky. How long was I asleep?" "2 years." Nexus seriously said. "What?! Where''s Carmen?!" Marcus yelled. "Jesus chill. I was kidding. You''ve been asleep for 2 days. The crew who were in the hostages found and disabled the jammers, with my help of course and we contacted Estra. We also got the power back on so things are running swell. Though we can''t move and the ship is only stationed in space right now. They areing to get us and will arrive in a week. Damn, 2 and half weeks in space. Fuck, how do people even live with this?" "Didn''t you like it here because you can always watch tv?" Marcus asked. "No, I mean yes, no I mean there''s a big difference. You see at first I thought we were only going to be here for a week so yeah I was like ''Being here is pretty cool. There''s nothing to worry about and all''. But knowing that we will be here for" Nexus yapped. Chapter 43: Good Natured Fight Chapter 43: Good Natured Fight Marcus sat on his bed, in his room, on the ship. His back against the headboard with a pillow in between. The lights were now back to normal and so was everything else. His handsy on the white bedsheet as his mind was lost in thought. It has been one whole week since he recovered a few of his memories. He could never stop thinking about it. In these 7 days, his mind has been going back to all of the events that happened to him in the past. He doesn''t mind not remembering everything right away as he would slowly be recovering his memories. The path in front of him is dark and right now he wants to traverse it as Marcus Kauffman. He already retained the important parts and he also retained a couple of useful pieces of information that could make him advance faster and the people around him. He breathed out. Although his mana was back to full, his body was sore. The ordeal he faced wasn''t easy and he had given all his got. Marcus stood up. His feet touched the cold wood flooring. He wanted to take a shower and go out. He has never stepped out of this room after the incident. He stayed here and tried to organize his thoughts. He only cultivated and hoped that he could breakthrough. Sadly, he was still a few steps off. After a quick shower, he went out. The room was pretty much the same since no one broke in when the pirates attacked. Though aside from Eva, Nexus, and the guards, there was one more person in the room. It was Zoey. Eva invited her to stay with them. Zoey hastily agreed. She doesn''t want to be alone in her room. The rtionship between the girls improved this past few days. At first Eva''s intent was only to make her owe them a debt. But soon, she realized she was not cut out for these kinds of acts yet. They have now be friends. It felt refreshing that she could finally talk to someone else other than the two boys who were always with her. Plus the one who she could talk to was a female. She, as a woman, also liked to talk to other women about topics only they could understand. Thest time she was able to do this was when her sister was around. Marcus walked into the living room. Nexus was on the same spot as always. On the couch, watching tv, not caring for anything else. He wore a ragged shirt and boxer shorts. He is also hugging a pillow. ''I can''t believe that guy actually stood together with powerful beings.'' Marcus had a drowsy look as went to the couch and waved at Eva and Zoey. Eva smiled at him and while Zoey respectfully tilted her head downwards. Eva already told her that this was the person who saved her from being vited by those pirates. Zoey was really thankful for what he has done. She couldn''t imagine what would have happened if she was not rescued. Marcus looked at her and smiled. Her in red shirt was pretty fit. She had long dark blonde hair, almond shaped chestnut colored eyes. Her cute and pointy nose coupled with her thin seductive lips made her look quite foxy but her aura was that of an elegantdy. Marcus was a prince so he could easily identify someone who was raised in a rich household. He might not always be right but most of the time he is. After that short exchange, the girls went back to sipping their tea and continued their conversation. Marcus sat beside Nexus. He wanted to talk about a couple of topics. Topics that were bothering him in the past 48 hours. His butt touched thefy seat. Nexus didn''t look at him. His eyes were still on the tv. "So how long were you in the stone?" Marcus asked. He ced his arms on the sofa back. "I don''t know. You made me sleep, remember." Nexus replied. He didn''t even turn his head. Marcus also turned his head to the tv. "I guess your thoughts were on revenge all this time huh." Nexus finally looked at him. "Not a single day goes by where I don''t imagine a scenario in my head where I killed them in many different and gruesome ways." Marcus smiled, "You''ll get your revenge and so will I. It''s just as you said. One step at a time." "On another note, thank god a few of your memories are back, now you wouldn''t be so dumb. I really thought Asuras were smart? They build advanced technologies and stuff. But why in god''s name are you dumb?" Nexus provoked. "Fuck did you say?!" Marcus red at him. His shout made Zoey jump a bit. Eva only shook her head. "You got fooled by that Captain good time. Hahaha, the way you got bashed as you turned." Nexusughed. "Shut up! I had no idea about what was happening behind the scenes. But that won''t happen again." Marcus had a smug look on his face as he continued in a low sounding voice "Because of the memories I retained, I''ll be doing the tricking." "You are still a kid no matter what." Nexus joked. The Lord of Destruction Marcus would say this to him all the time in the past. This was payback. "That''s it!" Marcus grabbed Nexus''s shirt and threw a punch straight to his face. Nexus ducked down and tackled him. The couch fell backward as a brawl began. Zoey couldn''t believe her eyes. These people were the ones who saved everyone on the ship and now they looked like children. ''These two were the ones who rescued everyone?'' Zoey was dumbfounded. How could she understand that Marcus who just recovered a few of his memories missed doing this? She turned to look at Eva who had a calm expression as if nothing was happening and just casually drank her tea, looking at them from time to time while smiling. "Aren''t you gonna stop them?" Zoey asked. Eva shook her head. "It''s only a good-natured fight. There''s nothing to worry about." Zoey slowly nodded. She looked at the two who continued fighting. "Let''s not even get into the fact that you brought useless magic weapons." Nexus dodged Marcus''s fist. "How would I know they wouldn''t work?" Marcus said as he tried to m Nexus'' head on the floor. The fight continued for a little while before they finally stopped. There were a few holes on the ground, damaged walls, and a few broken pieces of furniture. They both ced the sofa back to where it was and sat on it. "Damn! I missed a lot of scenes." Nexus said as he ced his focus back on the tv. "About the weapons, it''s a waste that they don''t work." Marcus sighed. "Jokes aside, I think it''s better this way. You''d be dependent on those weapons if they did work." Nexus his pillow that fell on the floor. Magic weapons needed you to be strong enough to wield them. For example rank 4 magic weapons first need you to be amander before you can truly use them. This is of course only for offensive weapons. For some defensive weapons, you just need them to be on you for it to work. As for the other defensive weapons, they follow the offensive weapon rule. There is still thest one. Which are trinkets. They can be used no matter how low your stage is. As long as it is not broken of course. Marcus shook his head, "I wouldn''t need them. We could have at least given them to Big Sis so that she''ll have an addedyer of protection" Nexus dryly chuckled, "The heavens probably wanted her to train without it. I just need to keep an eye on her. And hey, whoever said I can''t protect her. I''m an addedyer of protection myself." "The heavens huh." Marcus stared at the tv for a while. A few secondster he asked, "What happened to the pirates? Didn''t they still have their ''mother ship'' close by? Did they send reinforcements?" "The remaining crew of the ship ced them in the hangar and wrapped them in stic. They had no idea that the Captain of the ship was a pirate so I guess the owners of Moonsplorers have a lot to answer to. There are still pirates who are in their main ship close by. They probably think that their mates are still here, alive and kicking." Nexus answered. Marcus nodded, "We just have to wait for the ships to arrive." "They should be arriving soon but those bastards sure are taking their sweet time." Although Nexus likes to be in here and just watch tv, he also wants to have the option to go out and not be stuck in some ship. "They probably aren''t taking fast ships knowing that we''re safe." After saying this, he stood and walked towards Eva and Zoey. The girls looked up and saw him slowly walking towards them. Marcus smiled and sat down. He wanted to ask Zoey a few questions. Chapter 44: I Heard Youre Rich Chapter 44: I Heard You''re Rich "Hi, Big Sis!" Marcus greeted Eva. "Well hello Baby Brother, you guys really made a mess." Eva looked at the broken furniture on one side of the room. She wore a white loose shirt and had her hair tied to a bun. Thankfully no one else is around or else they''d probably get nasal hemorrhage from looking at her cleavage. "Give me a break. I was alone for one week and I needed to stretch." Marcus turned his head to Zoey and smiled. Eva who saw this teased him "Don''t tell me you''re actually here to flirt with my new friend." Zoey who heard this raised her brows a bit. She doesn''t want to date anyone at the moment. But if the one who saved her asked her out, she doesn''t know how to decline. Marcus chuckled, "Big Sis stop joking. You''re gonna scare her. I''m only here because I want to ask a few questions. Please don''t call me ''Baby Brother'' in front of other people" Marcus now knows why Nexus once said that Eva calling him that sounds right. Eva strongly and slowly shook her head. Marcus sighed. He continued while looking at Zoey, "But if you don''t like to answer them then you don''t have to. If you also feel like you''re being interrogated then just tell me right away. I don''t want to make you ufortable." Zoey was relieved that Marcus was not here to try and court her. It would have been really awkward otherwise. Maybe she might even have been forced to say yes. Zoey nodded. She thought that it was the least she could do. Marcus ced both his hands on the table. "So, uh, I heard that you''re rich." Zoey tilted her head. ''Does he want money?'' She misunderstood where this was going. She cleared her throat. "If you want money I can totally give it to you. We just need to reach Estra first since I don''t have that much money on me. I swear that my dad won''t be stingy." Eva giggled. She could not believe what she was hearing. Marcus had ck lines on his forehead. "No, no, no, that''s not where I was going with this. I was gonna ask why you''re traveling alone?" It was Zoey''s turn to be embarrassed. She had her head down. She''s quite a proud girl. A woman from a rich family, it''s only quite normal. Zoey raised her head. "It''s nothing personal. I even told Big Sister Eva already. I ran away from home." "Alone?" Marcus titled his head a bit. Zoey nodded, "You don''t know what it''s like to be in a rich family, the pressure it gives you. Sometimes it gets overwhelming and you just want to run away." Marcus had a wry smile on his face. How could he not understand? He even wanted to go back to his empire and protect it. But he didn''t say anything. He only listened. Eva also didn''t say anything. He already knows about Marcus''s situation. Seeing that Marcus isn''t saying anything, she too kept her mouth shut. She looked at Marcus and met his gaze before moving away from it. "You might think I''m an irresponsible and rebellious princess-like what most media say." Marcus shook his head. "I never thought of anything like that. What I think is that you are entitled to have your own choice. I''m sure you humans can do whatever you like when you reach a certain age. Am I right?" "Yeah, we c--" Zoey didn''t even get to finish her sentence when she noticed something from what Marcus said. Her heartbeat quickened a bit Marcus only smiled. No other expression was on his face. Eva lightly tapped her forehead with her palm. Nexus who heard it was silentlyughing. "I meant ''we humans''. I''m sorry I might have sustained a few brain injuries from the fight awhile ago." Marcus slightly bent his head forward. Eva did a secret thumbs-up. Nexus sent him a telepathic message "Your ''clumsiness'' astounds me." "Piss off!" Marcus replied. Zoey sighed in relief. "For a second there I thought you guys were aliens." Her hands were on her chest. The thought of being in a room together with aliens is just in horrifying. Stories about the cruelty of aliens have already spread across the human race. The constant war against them fors and resources has been going on for decades now. Nexusughed. He couldn''t take it anymore. He turned his head and said to them. "I''m sorry the scene was really funny." The three who were on the table looked at the tv and saw someone murdering a bunch of people. ''He is crazy.'' Zoey thought. Marcus and Eva shook their heads. "Stupid." Marcus sent a telepathic message to Nexus. Nexus didn''t mind. He already turned his head away. "You were saying?" Marcus now had his focus back on Zoey. "Uh," Zoey still somewhat had his mind on the crazy person. "Oh yeah, my freedom is only limited whenever I''m there in Estra. But when I''m out roaming, it feels like I can do whatever I want. Not confined by the chains of expectations." "Is that why you ran to Ker?" Marcus asked. A woman venturing out alone is quite dangerous, especially if they are not strong enough. This actually goes for both men and women. "Mhm," Zoey nodded. "Thest straw was when my father announced my engagement with someone. I just woke up that day, got out of bed, and thought that it was going to be one of those normal days. I went down to the living room and that''s when my father dropped the bomb. He said I had no say in it and that it''s final. So I ran. I ran as far as I could, boarded a ship, and then ended up in Ker. This all happened right after the school year. I really thought I''d have a good vacation on a rxing and not Ker. No offense Big Sis." Zoey finished her rant. Eva shook her and smiled "None taken. I also think my country is not the best ce to be in." "Big Sis if you want, I could go and ask my father to investigate what happened to your parents." Zoey looked at her. Eva was the one whoforted her and she has gotten really close to her this past week. "No, I want to do it myself. I want to use my own power in the future" Eva was determined to dish out the revenge herself. ''Boy her problems are, well, tough I guess'' Marcus listened to Zoey. These kinds of problems for him are quite inconsequentialpared to the ones he''s carrying. ''I guess it''s a big deal for women. I do think that people shouldn''t be forced to do what they don''t want to. If they did then isn''t it close to very? In the end, it all boils down to power.'' Marcus was lost in thought. "I never got your name. Big Sis also didn''t tell me." Zoey finished her conversation with Eva. "Oh," Marcus extended his arms and positioned it for a handshake "My name is Marcus, Marcus Kauffman. You are?" "I''m Zoey, Zoey Xalia. Once again, thank you for saving my life." She too, extended her hand. Marcus could feel her soft and smooth palm pressing against his. It onlysted for a second or two before they let go. "Heir of a techpany right?" Marcus ced his hands back on the table. Eva finished her tea so she stood up and excused herself. "Well, cars, games, spaceships, and even energy drinks. But we''re well known for our watches all over the 2nd rate countries." Zoey sounded proud. "I guess now we know where we''ll buy our watches when we get there." Both Eva and Nexus still didn''t have watches that couldmunicate to yet as the three of them agreed to buy one when they reached Estra. "Are you also from Ker?" Zoey asked. Marcus shook his head, "I''m from a ce far away." "Sounds mysterious. Girls dig that. Will you be enrolling in a university in Estra? I''m sure a lot of prettydies will want to get their hands on you." Zoey giggled. Marcus ced his hand below his chin. "I thought hum--girls dig creepy guys? As for enrolling in a university, I currently have no ns. Just so you know, I''m only 17. I don''t think they''ll even ept me. Oh, and do you also want to get your hands on me?" Zoey''s eyes went wide. "You''re 17? No way! And you''re already that strong? Hahaha, I''m 22 and in my third year in college. Don''t you think I''m too old for you" Marcus touched his face, "People actually say I look young. I was only kidding, I already have women in my heart. For how strong I am, I hope you won''t tell anyone about it, about us three." Zoey nodded "Big Sister Eva already told me to keep it a secret so you don''t have to worry. As for going to a university at your age, you only need the right amount of money. I still couldn''t believe you''re only 17." ''Women? Plural?'' She thought to herself. Eva came back to her chair which was beside Zoey''s. She just listened to them talk. "I''m just talented in magic." Marcus had a smug look in his face. "I''m not going to argue with that." Zoey smiled. Marcus stood up. "I''ll go check the ship for a while." Zoey nodded "The people who''lle to get us will probably be arriving soon. I''ll also be telling my dad what happened here so that Moonsplorers can give us a good answer." "That sounds great!" After Marcus said that, he walked away towards the door. before he could step out, he heard Nexus''s voice in his head "I guess you''re finally back!" He chuckled when he heard Nexus''s words. Chapter 45: Enforcers Chapter 45: Enforcers After recovering a few of his memories, he has be a lot more mature. So how could he make a silly mistake like that? Marcus only wanted to know how humans feel about other races firsthand. As for his fight with Nexus, it was something friends do when they haven''t seen each other in a long time. Also to remind Nexus that even in this life he, Marcus is still the alpha. Now that he has recovered some of his memories, he should be able to make better decisions, for the most part. Marcus walked through the hallway. It was devoid of people. To be fair, there weren''t a lot of people left on board. Bloodstains were still sttered on the walls and floor and what makes it worse is that it already smells horrifying. ''Looks like they didn''t even bother to clean it.'' Marcus fixed his ck long sleeve. If someone saw Marcus walking here, they''d thought they were in a horror movie. It didn''t take long before Marcus arrived in the cafeteria. It had a few windows at the side where you could look at the vastness of space. A few people sat and talked quietly. The atmosphere was as gloomy as could be. Marcus chose a seat that''s by the window. ---- Nexus sat on the sofa. His eyes were on the tv but his mind was somewhere else. When Marcus threatened Zoey, no one noticed other than him. Even Zoey who was being threatened only thought it was a simple reminder. ''Their destruction is near.'' Nexus raised his head, ''You old coots up there, you better enjoy your life to the fullest. We''ll crush you! I''ll have all you as my patients and the chamber will be full of wonderful screams.'' Nexus focused back on the tv and ced his arms on the back of the couch. ''Life is good. I can finally stop being the mature one.'' ---- Sitting on the green-colored chair while cing his forearms on the white square table, Marcus, faced the window. He imagined what''d be like to float in space. To be able to go from to without the need for ships. ''On second thought, I think it''s a lot better to ride ships. It''s a lot more ssy.'' Marcus turned his head away and looked at the people around him. Their faces looked sullen. It was like they had the chance to get hit by a truck but they got squashed by a spaceship instead. Marcus turned to a neer. It was the person he saved. ''The ungrateful bastard'' Marcus thought. But he didn''t do anything. He wouldn''t kill someone just because they were ungrateful. ''Looks like I''ve gone soft.'' Marcus thought. Marcus just sat there listening to people talk. "So they were businessmen?" A person with ck hair close to him asked his friend. "Yes, they were really rich people who came from Ker. It''s really unfortunate." His friend who had blond hair sighed. "What is it to you?" The person didn''t understand why his friend looked disappointed. Yes, disappointed, not sad. The blond looked at his friend. "The money, they had lots of money but in the end, they died just like that. If there is any chance we could actually get that money, we don''t have to work anymore and our families could live a good life." The ck-haired man dryly chuckled "That is true. But the chance of that happening is like Finding Nemo in space." "Nemo?" The blond had a confused expression on his face. "You never heard of Nemo?" The ck-haired man had a shocked expression on his face. The blond shook his head. ''Fuck even I''ve heard of Nemo. Does that mean I''m more human than him?'' Marcus wondered. *Ting* "All passengers please get ready. The Estra Rescue Team has arrived. I repeat passengers get ready. The Estra Rescue Team has arrived." An announcement sounded. Marcus stood up and went back to his room. ---- Estra Rescue Team ship "Mitz you takemand, I need to take care of business first." The Captain said as he went to the bathroom. Mitz chuckled and nodded. "Sir a pirate ship is still stationed close to the Moonsplorer ship." A man who operated aputer said. He looked at the person who wore a white thin spacesuit. He looked like someone who''s ready forbat. The suit he wore is for those who are Space Enforcers. In other words, they are space cops. These are one of the 4 types of enforcers. The others are City Enforcers who are basically cops who are at a high level and they wear dark blue uniforms. Next are theary Enforcers who usually wear dark green uniforms, they are tasked with guarding an entire. After that are Space Enforcers who guard outer space, they wear white uniforms and white battle suites. They should not be confused by Space Patrollers which are controlled solely by higher-ups of the human race. Thest one is called Special Enforcers and they are only deployed in times of crisis. The one who wore a white suit nodded and said, "Prepare smaller and faster ships. Engage right away and don''t let them escape." He has short blond hair, wide-set eyes, and a short nose. He looked to be around 35 years old. But he is actually around 80. "Yes, sir!" The personnel saluted and went back to work. Mitz looked at the two nearby ships. One of them already started to fly away a long time ago. It was Jones''s pirate ship. They have never left the ce and thought that maybe their crewmates are still inside. But now that a ship from Estra arrived, they had no choice but to turn tail and run. "Prepare to fire a short st when they get further away from the Moonsplorer ship!" Mitz ordered. "Aye aye!" The personnel shouted. Small ships came out of their big blue-colored spaceship and went straight towards the pirate ship. "Wait, wait, wait, FIRE!" Mitzmanded. The cannon that was situated up front and was charging fired a yellow-colored beam. This was a cannon that fired beams of light magic. This was made possible because the core inside their ship that was used for firing their weapons, is light-based. That means their cannons fire light attributed attacks. The back of the pirate ship exploded. The smaller ships surrounded it and started firing. But they also made sure to keep a safe distance away. "Start extracting the passengers and take them to their rooms. They must have been through a lot. How many people are left alive in that ship right now?" Mitz asked. "Reporting sir, there are only around 80 people left. As for the others, they all died. That includes the vice captain of the ship." A man who stood close to him reported. Mitz nodded. His hands were ced on his back. When the Moonsplorers ship contacted the Estra government for help, he was the one assigned to do the task. He was not surprised about a ship getting attacked by pirates. What surprised him was that a pirate got the captain''s position on the ship. A Bridge that''s been infiltrated by pirates is already a disaster but having a pirate as a captain in disguise is worse. ''Moonsplorers should know something about this.'' The Captain thought. Chapter 46: Evas Dream Chapter 46: Eva''s Dream Marcus walked inside the room. Eva and Zoey were already prepared to leave and were standing near the table together with Nexus, while his guards were waiting by the door. Marcus strode towards them, "You guys all set?" The three nodded. Zoey noticed that Marcus seemed to be the leader of the three or at least the one who calls the shots even though he calls Eva, Big Sis. ''Who is this boy?'' Zoey wondered. She''s not carrying anything. None of them were since they all have spatial rings. Marcus turned towards his guards and nodded. They walked ahead while Marcus and the gang walked behind them. There was no rush since there was hardly anyone left. They arrived at the ce where they''ll ride a small ship and head to the Estra Rescue ship. The ce where they were standing right now was not that spacious. But the ce on the other side of the window was. Right now, ships are stillnding and areing in so they have to stay on this side and wait. As soon as everyone was gathered, the one who was leading the Moonsplorers crew stepped forward and cleared his throat. The man started speaking "Everyone, I know that it''s been hard for all of you these past few days. It''s been hard on all of us." He surveyed the people. There were people crying, people clenching their fists, and a few who had just had hatred in their eyes. He continued "For those of you who lost someone, we are deeply sorry. We can''t deny that this is also Moonsplorers fault. I pray that on your next trip, you''ll all be safe." He went back to the side after saying that. "Dumb speech. They should at leastpensate these people." Nexusmented. Marcus nodded. "That we can agree on." They soon boarded the small ships. It had a length of about 120 meters, dark purple color with 5 spider-like legs below on both sides. When the side doors open it releases a narrow staircase that''s enough for one person. The inside of the cargo-like ship only had seats at the side and could house only 40 passengers at a time. It also had a single small cannon. They found themselves a seat and waited. After everyone was aboard the small ships, it started floating. Later, it swooshed out of the Moonsplorers ship and went straight towards the Estra Rescue Ship. The Rescue ship was huge. It had a length of around 5000 meters. Blue colored ship with 2 not so long fins on the side. You don''t have to walk as they have bots that can take you anywhere on the ship that you have ess to. The butt part of the ship opened downwards and the small ships went in. The passengers were properly amodated and were sent to their rooms. Marcus and the gang requested a room with 4 bedrooms. They also asked for a futon. He also needs his guards to sleep somewhere. As they stepped into their room, Nexus immediately jumped on the couch and got the remote. Eva on the other hand went directly to her bedroom "I think I need some shut-eye. My head hurts." Marcus nodded. He also wants to rest. Zoey had no choice but to go to her room too. She doesn''t want to be left alone in the living room with a madman who thinks that killing people is funny. ---- As Eva slept, she dreamt of something unexinable. Inside a huge pce, in the garden, she sat. In her dream, she was the owner of the said castle. She sat on a cushioned seat, tea in front of her, and all kinds of beautiful flowers were in the surroundings. The clear blue sky couldn''t be seen as it was cloudy. She didn''t mind though as she continued to sip the cup of tea. Eva wondered where she was, she felt like she was looking at the scene in front of her through another set of eyes. Hurried footsteps could be heard. The woman sitting on the chair turned her head to the iing person. "Mistress, he''s here again." A maid said as she slightly bowed. The woman wryly smiled. "I''ll go see him in a while. Tell him to wait for a minute." The maid bowed and left. The woman retrieved a mirror from her spatial ne and fixed her hair, although everyone would argue it was already perfect. Eva''s eyes went wide. ''Is this, me?'' She couldn''t speak nor could she move. It felt like she was tied to a chair and was forced to watch a show. "Marcus, can''t you tell him to juste here once a week?" The Holy Maiden chuckled as she turned her head to the man who was casually poking the pistil of a flower. "You say that but, the first thing you do when you find out he''s here you fix your hair. You''ve never cared that much for appearance before right, Big Sis?" The Lord of Destruction stopped poking the tiny flower and faced her. The Holy Maiden blushed a bit. Eva however was not. She was stunned, confused, befuddled. ''Marcus? No, this one looks a lot more mature.'' Eva thought. Eva evilly smiled"Baby Brother you should leave if you''re just here to tease me. The Lady of the Moon and I might not be in the same faction but we still talk quite a lot. Every day even. If you do--" "I''ll leave! Big Sis, I was only joking around with you, hehehe" The Lord of Destruction disappeared. If any other person tried threatening him like that, they''d definitely lose their heads. But since it''s The Holy Maiden he didn''t mind. She was the one who took care of him when they were children. Now it was his turn to make sure that she would live afortable life. Present Eva was just quietly listening ''This dream is quite vivid. Why have I never had this kind of dream before?'' Eva thought. The Holy Maiden sighed and stood up. She walked through the grand corridors. Eva, who was watching this, was struck by awe. White carpets with gold colored stitches at the side. White silvery walls with numerous paintings hung on them. She arrived in front of a wooden door that was adorned with gems and opened. The inside had an area of 80 square meters. A table was situated in the middle and there were varieties of dishes on top of it. On the far side of the table stood a man who was smiling. He stood around 6''2 feet tall. He had ck hair with yellow streaks in the middle. The man wore a ck suit with a diamond mark on the side that was colored yellow. His ck almond eyes stared at the woman. "Thank you for agreeing to see me." He said. The smile on his face never disappeared. "Of course, Nexus. You don''t need to thank me. Between us, there is no need for thanks." The Holy Maiden smiled back at him. Eva who saw this froze. When she heard what the Holy Maiden said, her heart skipped a beat. Chapter 47: Telling Eva Chapter 47: Telling Eva Eva clutched her head as she screamed. The pain first started in the middle of her temple but it soon spread around her head. Nexus immediately called Marcus. They dashed into her room and asked Zoey who also heard the loud scream, to stay outside. Marcus and Nexus saw Eva on the bed who looked to be in utter pain, sweating profusely while clutching her head. Thankfully, it onlysted a few seconds after Marcus and Nexus came in. Eva woke up. Her breathing was heavy. Her mind''s in a mess. She remembered a couple of things. Interactions with people close to her. She also saw thest scene before her death, but most of the faces were blurry except for Marcus and Nexus. Her eyes were on the ceiling. Nexus slowly walked towards her bedside and stood there with a worried look. Marcus slowly followed. Eva turned her head towards them. She stared at them for a long time. Not knowing what to say. The room stayed silent. You''d probably even hear a pin drop. "What happened?" Nexus asked as he knelt down. Eva stared at him. Her heart, chaotic. She looked at Marcus who also had worry in his eyes. Eva tried her best topose herself. She opened her mouth twice but nothing came out. On the third time, she cleared her throat and began retelling her dream. The two boys quietly listened. They often looked at each other but they didn''t say anything and were silent until Eva finished. "Should I or should you?" Marcus asked. "I''ll do it." Nexus''s eyes didn''t leave Eva''s face. ''So they really know something.'' Eva thought. She was excited to know what this was all about. She wanted to clear all this up because right now. It felt like memories were injected into her brain. "So, oh god, where do I start." Nexus paused for a bit. "Those were your past memories. She was you in the past. Wee back. Oh, and you''ll be remembering other parts of your memories soon." Eva felt something in her head explode. Silence once again descended upon the room. None of them talked. Marcus and Nexus both gave Eva some time to think about it. "So," Eva raised her head. There was no more confusion. Only anxiousness among other things. "Reincarnation is real?" "You have all the evidence you need." Nexus smiled. Eva took a deep breath and looked at Marcus. "Then," Marcus nodded. "I also recovered a few parts of my memories of my past life." Eva exhaled. "Well, this surely lifted my confusion. Thank you for telling me about this, instead of keeping it a secret." Nexus chuckled. "Why would we keep it a secret? As I said before, you are one of us. It won''t be fair if we keep this tiny matter a secret. It might even be disastrous to your cultivation if we keep this from you and wait for you to find out." The three talked for a long while before the two boys went out. They were immediately reced by Zoey. Both Marcus and Nexus don''t know what Eva did to her but they could now be considered good friends. ---- Marcus went into the Destrucstone andnded in the living room. White couch with the red carpet underneath, smooth wooden flooring, and a couple of antique furniture. Nothing changed, and there was also no speck of dust on the objects. Marcus made his way to the area where the rooms were. He went into one of them. A cute littledyy on the bed of the room, peacefully asleep. Her cute rosy cheeks have long regained their color. Eva had been taking care of her from time to time. "Hey baby, Big Sis has been the one taking care of you these past few days since I''ve been busy and, well, unconscious, hahaha" Marcus tried fixing her pillow. He continued, "How do you think mom and auntie are right now? I do hope they''re okay." Marcus pinched her cheeks, stood up, and left the room. ---- In the Bridge Mitz was standing near the window. The captain of the ship, who sat on the captain''s seat, called him. Mitz turned his head and walked towards him. Wondering what happened. ''Could there be an attack?'' "Enforcer Mitz, I just received the list of survivors, and your niece is here." The captain said. When the Captain was going through the list of people who survived, he saw Zoey''s name, Enforcer Mitz''s niece. Daughter of his younger brother. Mitz Xalia''s eyes went wide and hurriedly asked. "Sir, what room is she in?!" The captain told him her room and he hurriedly left. ''Damn, I hope she''s alright. My brother is going to have a heart attack if something happened to her.'' He thought. A minute or twoter he arrived in front of Marcus''s room. He knocked thrice before Ley opened it, one of Marcus''s guards. Mitz scrunched his brows seeing that a man opened the door. ''No! Could it be?'' Mitz coughed. "I''m here to see my niece. A woman with dark blond hair." Ley nodded, "Pleasee in. Miss Zoey is currently inside." Mitz heaved a sigh of relief. ''Oh thank god!'' He went in and saw a teen with vermillion colored hair and a man with ck hair and yellow streaks in the middle. Nexus told Marcus toe out of the stone a while ago because he sensed someone outside the door. Someone beyond the Commander stage. Marcus already masked his aura. Right now people will only see him as a rank 3 Elite. "Please sit." Marcus offered as he gestured towards the nearby seat. The man smiled "Thank you." Nexus didn''t say anything. He stood there quietly. Studying the person. "Uncle!" Zoey cried. She came into the room together with Eva. Mitz looked at them. His eyes fell onto Eva and thought she was beautiful. But that''s it. He just thought she was beautiful. His eyes went back to Zoey and started talking "Little girl, how did you get yourself into trouble this time? What would have happened if the pirates got you?!" Zoey grinned, she really was an outgoing woman "But nothing happened in the end. We were saved, remember?" Mitz raised his hands and began shaking it "Yes, yes, you people were saved by the strangers wearing red robes. But still, this would have happened if you didn''t run away from home." Zoey shook her head "How could I not run away from home? Father forced me to get engaged to someone I don''t like. I should get to choose who I want to marry!" Mitz sighed, he already heard this argument before from the father and daughter. "But Leo is a good kid." Mitz tried to convince her. "Good kid, bad kid, angel, devil, people from the heavens, they''re all the same. If I don''t like them they could just piss off" Zoey crossed her arms. "Ayayay. Anyway, it''s you and your father''s fight. Just make sure to think about it a little" Mitz had a bitter look on his face. Nexus chuckled and sent Marcus a telepathic message. "I guess this one is out of the selection." "I need to find my wives first before even thinking of getting new ones," Marcus replied. Chapter 48: Arriving in Estra Chapter 48: Arriving in Estra Mitz looked at the Vermillion haired kid and the ck-haired man. He thanked them in a sincere tone. "If you people didn''t take Zoey in, who knows what the other people might have done to her." "It was nothing. We also needed to ask a couple of things about Estra." Marcus politely smiled. Mitz noticed an air of royalty from the boy. He couldn''t help but ask, "I''m sorry if this question is quite blunt but, are you from a royal family?" Mitz has lived for more than 90+ years. He has traveled across different countries that were ruled differently. As someone from a high-ss family, it is only normal for him to apany his father when he was younger during business trips. It was all to prepare him to lead theirpany. He didn''t like it though so he gave up the position and passed it to his younger brother. Having to smile at different people every single day even though you don''t want to does not feel like life for him. He likes to be out more on the field. Zoey was shocked by his question. She too had doubts about the boy''s background. Being absurdly strong at that age is close to impossible, neigh, impossible. Even the strongest and richest family in Estra, the Strongwald''s does not have the talent nor resources to grow this kind of monster. Eva and Nexus looked at Marcus, wondering what he''ll say. Marcus nodded, "Yes, I am. My name is Marcus, Marcus Kauffman." Marcus extended his right hand. A proper human greeting. Zoey, though she quite expected his answer, was still shocked. ''Kauffman? Kauffman? Have I ever heard that before?'' Mitz thought while he too extended his right hand. "No one knows about it though." Marcus smiled as they shook hands. Mitz unconsciously swallowed his saliva that was gathered in his mouth. He doesn''t know why but he felt threatened just now. Not by the words but by looking at the smile, by the aura the kid brings out. He could clearly feel that the kid is only a rank 3 Elite but the sense of danger never left his body. It sent shivers down his spines. One thing was etched into his mind though and that was to never tell anyone about this boy. He doesn''t know that someone might be guarding him in the dark. Marcus pulled his hand back and went to stand beside his friends. Mitz was about to bow his head before he managed to stop. He shook his head. ''Why the fuck was I just about to bow my head to a kid.'' ''You don''t have to be ashamed. People who are mightier than you even kowtowed for 500 years in front of his gate once.'' Nexus thought as he looked at Mitz who was about to bow his head. Mitz looked at the other two but they didn''t say anything. The woman just smiled and the other one who wore boxer shorts and a sleeveless shirt didn''t even bother smiling. He just tly looked at him. "I have to go back to the Bridge. I can''t be away for too long." Mitz said as he looked at Zoey, "Once we arrive in Estra you''reing with me. We''re going to see your father right away." Zoey nodded. She didn''t mind seeing her father as she would tell him to go put the engagement in his ass. Mitz left. leaving only the four original people in the room and the guards. "You''re from a royal family? Which country?" Zoey asked. Marcus nodded, "I already told you I''m from a far away ce haven''t I." "No wonder you''re that powerful." Zoey stared at him. "Alright, why don''t you tell us about Estra first." Eva interjected. Zoey already told her but she hasn''t told the boys yet. "Oh, okay. Let''s see, where do I start? Oh, uh, Estra has 8 big cities. Its capital is Estra City. The eastern part of the city is the sea where the boulevard is located. It''s something Estra is famous for. Morning exercise and rxing are a few of the activities you could do there. There are also restaurants just right across the street. The food tastes delicious and Estra specialties are seafoods. The best street foods can also be found at the northern part of the boulevard." Zoey began introducing Estra to the three. Marcus, Nexus, and Eva just listened. She continued "There are 4 big schools in the city. The most prestigious one is Estra University. It''s where rich families usually go and study. A lot of people here are party animals which is why there is one part of town where bars and nightclubs are all built. But for the more luxurious and prominent bars, they could be built anywhere in the city. Though, there are only a few of those. I think that''s it" Zoey tried to recover the air she lost after her long dialogue. "Where can we buy a house?" Marcus asked Zoey tilted her head a bit and looked up, "Oh, here. She''s the best broker I know." Zoey gave Marcus a business card. Marcus thanked her and went back to his room. ''A prince huh?'' Zoey thought as she followed Eva back to her room to continue talking. ---- Inside the Destrucstone Marcus is in the training room. It has an area of 3000 square meters and it also has some ready built-in moving dummies which you could adjust the speed in the entrance. Marcus stood in the center. His breathing was calm. He''s surrounded by a couple of dozen dummies right now which are at rank 1te-stage Commander. They don''t really attack, they just bash you. Marcus opened his eyes. Lightning coursed through his arms as he dashed forward. He activated the stone of destruction as he quickly punched a nearby dummy. They all moved. He casted lightning rune on the ground and then quickly transformed into lightning as he pierced through one of them. The one who stepped on the rune was badly damaged after the explosion. The ones near it were damaged as well. The dummies chased Marcus around as he ran. Killing a few from time to time. He zipped upwards and channeled ''Vermillion Burst''. He canceled ''Lightning From'' and aimed his arms towards the dummies below him. His mana is being used up at an unimaginable rate. After a second when he was a bit closer to the ground he fired it. Vermillion colored lightning gushed from his palms. It destroyed every dummy underneath him. They were already really close to Estra. Only an hour or so away. He was so excited that he needed to get some of it out of his system. So he trained here for a little while. He stood in the pile of charred dummies lying on the charred floor. ---- Marcus took a long bath in the ship before going out of his room. They were only a few minutes away fromnding as they arrived in Ovisa quite some time ago. The ce was where the Country Estra was located. They went out together with Zoey since there were no windows that could get a good view of the outside. They found a spot and looked at the city that was below them. Situated near the body of water, plenty of buildings stood really tall that you think it''d touch the sky. Marcus had a smile on his face as he watched the scenic view ''Estra City, here Ie!'' ---- Estra University In a meeting room, there were a few dozen professors seated. They were talking about what activities to do when the school year opens. They are also introducing new profs. A woman stood up. She slightly bowed her head, which made her short hair cascade downwards. She introduced herself. "Hi, my name is Emily Lux." Chapter 49: Dancing Man Chapter 49: Dancing Man The blue ship slowlynded on a spaceport. A massive plot ofnd where you could see other ships parking andunching. "Passengers please make sure that all your belongings are with you. We will not be held responsible for any lost or misced objects. Please enjoy your time in Estra. Assistance will be given to you once you arrive inside the spaceport building." An announcement sounded. Marcus and the gang were waiting for the doors to open like everyone else. Marcus wore his usual outfit, Nexus already changed his clothes and was now wearing denim shorts and a white shirt, Eva wore a white shirt tucked in her pink skirt that only reached above the knee, and her hair cascaded down her shoulders. Zoey wore a dark blue shirt and pants, her hair tied up to a ponytail. "I swear to the heavens that the first thing I''m gonna do when I get that watch thing is imma give Moonsplorers 1 star. It took us forever to arrive because of their carelessness." Nexus stood beside Marcus, crossing his arms. Marcus who was leaning against the wall while his hands were in his pocket, chuckled. "I was kind of thankful for what happened. It''ll make the progress of me directing my fist to the Heavenly Realm a lot faster." Nexus looked at him "You should do something grand here. Something to celebrate the return of your memories." Marcus slightly smiled. "We''ll see." Zoey, who was talking with Eva, turned to Marcus. The vermilion-haired teen noticed her and raised his brows a bit as he looked at her. "So you guys are going to build a bar here?" Zoey asked. Marcus smiled and nodded his head. "Bar or a Nightclub." "Do you guys need an investor? You know how big ourpany is in 2nd rate countries, especially here in Estra." Zoey offered. "Yes, we''d love that," Marcus said. Zoey had a bright smile on her face. She''d be able to pay her debts this way. "Hey, move! Make some room. Damn! Can''t you see I''m trying to pass through?!" A man shouted. He was currently pushing people aside and trying to get in front so he could go out first. It was the same man that Marcus saved. Finally, the door opened. It was already connected to the port building. All they needed to do was ride a robot car to arrive faster at the entrance. Running here is of course prohibited. It didn''t take long for them to arrive outside the port together with the other people. Marcus looked at the man he saved. His hand which was in his pocket turned red. A vermillion colored string appeared and it flew towards the man which made him freeze on the spot. Marcus smiled and then went on his way with his friends and their guards. The man dropped the luggage he was carrying. This was not the only thing he dropped though. He also dropped his pants and took off his shirt then he began dancing. Dozens and dozens of individuals were taking a video of this. Every move he made was with gusto. Every sway of his hips made the surrounding people die ofughter. Zoey told Marcus that she already called one of his father''s drivers and he''ll being to fetch them. Zoey looked at Marcus. "My friend is already waiting in one of the houses." Marcus, Eva, and Nexus wanted to get a house first before anything else. So while they were on the ship Zoey already contacted her friend. The car arrived and they all got in. The three of them sat at the back and Zoey sat in front. His guards followed behind as they called a cab for them. Marcus and the gang admired the city as the car made its way and was headed towards their destination. Wide streets, big and tall buildings, skyways, and not to mention, the mana here is a lot denserpared to the one in Ker. It looked a lot more advancedpared to Ker. "There really is a big difference between 3rd and 2nd rate countries. It''s no wonder people here breakthrough a lot faster." Marcus said as he looked out the window. Eva nodded with a slightly worried look on her face. "I wonder how my sister is doing?" Nexus smiled at her. "She should be fine right? I mean she should be under the protection of the ce she''s working for." "I hope so." Eva sighed. "Ahem." Zoey cleared her throat. "Actually there''s some pretty heavy discrimination in this country. People in 3rd rate countries are usually looked down upon. Sometimes people even go overboard." She had a shy expression on her face. Although she never once looked down or bad-mouthed someone from a lower country, she''s still an Estranian. This made Eva nervous. "Big Sis, don''t worry, I''ll just kill whoever tries to do that to your sister." Marcus casually said, as if killing was as simple as walking. This made the other people in the car shocked for a bit except for Nexus. He already knows that a couple of Marcus''s memories are back. For Eva, she''s still adjusting which exins her surprised look. For Zoey, after the initial shock, she had a wry smile on her face and shook her head. Lastly, as for the driver, there were a few beads of sweat on his forehead. He knows how much discrimination there is in this country. A few of his friends are from 3rd rate ces and they''ve suffered quite a bit in their first few years here and even until now. ''Is this kid serious?'' However, the driver didn''t say anything. He knows his ce. In the end, Eva smiled "Thank you Baby Brother." Marcus grinned, "Let them try and let them bring a Preparation Stage expert too." ''There goes the cockiness of the Divine Conqueror.'' Nexus didn''t turn to look. His eyes were on the view outside. Marcus was of course just joking. He still stood no chance against a Preparation Stage expert, for now. "We''re here," Zoey announced. They got out of the car and stood in front of a tall ck gate that was attached to columns on the side. The columns hadmps hanging on them. The walls were decorated with nts below. Inside the gate, they could see the pathway and in the middle of it was a fountain. Behind it was arge modern house. A woman was waiting for them outside the gate. She walked towards the four of them and smiled. "It''s good to see you again Celia." Zoey gave her a hug. "It''s good to see you too. I heard you ran away this time." Celia embraced her back. She was around 5''6 feet and looked to be around her early 30s. Her long blond hair was tied to a bun and she wore formal attire, with a pencil skirt and everything. ''I guess I''ll be wearing those kinds of clothes soon.'' Eva thought as she looked at her. Celia however had a different thought when she saw Eva. She thought she saw a supermodel. She turned her head towards Nexus, and then Marcus who slightly smiled at her. Chapter 50: Buying a House Chapter 50: Buying a House "Hi, I''m Celia. You must be the ones Zoey told me about." Celia extended her hand. Marcus shook her hand and nodded. Celia smiled. "Trust me, you''ll love the houses that I''ll be showing you guys. Shall we?" Celia gestured for them to go inside as she opened the gate. She walked beside Marcus. Then, Zoey, Eva, and Nexus followed behind. The guards followed closely after them. They walked on the stone pathway. On the side were well-trimmed bushes and behind them were neatly cut green grass. In front of them and just before the entrance was a working fountain. They continued towards the front door. The house was built like a modern house. t roof with big ss windows. Celia opened the dark-colored door and went inside. They stepped on the white oak hardwood flooring and a few stepster they arrived in the living room. White and grey colored couches were facing the tv. In front of the couch was a small coffee table made of ss and wood. "This house has 2 floors, 7 bedrooms with bathrooms in them and there is also 1 near the living room. There''s a pool outside with a jacuzzi beside it. And garden, over there." Celia pointed in a certain direction. "This ce looks great." Eva looked around and was awed. These were the inside of the house she would see in magazines. Now she was standing inside of one. "Looks good." Nexus jumped on the sofa. "I guess we''ll take it." Marcus turned to Celia. "Are you sure? You haven''t looked around the house yet and I haven''t shown you the other houses too." Celia thought they were too hasty in deciding. She sometimes had clients like these and would sometimes regret their decisions afterward. But she also knows that this was the best house on the list since Zoey told her that her clients this time were bigshots. Celia just wanted to make sure. "Well, they love it and I can see that there are no problems with it, so we''re sure." Marcus tapped his watch a few times and so did Celia. Celia told him how much the house was. Eva, who was close by admiring the ce, widened her eyes. "And, sent." Marcus ced his arms back down. Celia checked it and was puzzled. "Sir I think that you paid a little bit too much." Marcus shook his head. "That''s both the payment for the house and your tip. I just rounded up" ''Tip? I don''t even need to work after this. Wait, does he want me to?'' Celia totally misunderstood. Celia took a step back. "Sir, although you look quite handsome, I have a husband and a child. You also look quite young. Don''t you think it''s inappropriate?" Before anyone else could react, Nexus already bawled outughing. Heughed so hard that he fell off the couch. Marcus had a puzzled expression. ''Did she think I tipped her that much was so I could sleep with her?'' Zoey looked at Marcus and asked "Marcus, did you perhaps want to pay Celia to sleep with you?" "It''s a misunderstanding. He had no hidden agendas." Eva smiled. Both Zoey and Celia sighed in relief. Other than sighing in relief, Celia was now overwhelmed with shock. She didn''t expect to receive this kind of money in her life. The tip that was given to her was close to the price of the house which means that even if she didn''t work for the rest of her life and spend extravagantly with her family, there would still be plenty of cash left. But of course, she wouldn''t spend it this way. Like any other person, she would invest. Marcus looked at Zoey "If I was that kind of person, wouldn''t I have eaten you a long time ago?" Zoey blushed from embarrassment. Celia turned to Zoey wondering what Marcus meant. She just shook her head and didn''t say anything. After the quick misunderstanding, Celia thanked Marcus and left. Zoey also followed after a few minutes of talking with Eva. Marcus, Nexus, and Eva went to the garden. The scent of roses and other types of flowers entered their noses. The ce looked like an expensive florist shop. They saw a circr table near the entrance. The three sat down and enjoyed the fresh air. The sky was clear, blue as could be. The sun was high up in the sky, something that Marcus didn''t really like. ''I would never get used to bright ces.'' He thought. "Big Sis, how is your cultivation?" Marcus asked. These past few days he has been busy training by himself. Trying to get ready in case something happens here in Estra. He also thought about what to do in the near future. "I might not have advanced in my cultivation but my skills in alchemy improved exceptionally." Eva grinned. Marcus smiled. "Congrattions Big Sis. Should we go and visit your sister tomorrow?" Eva shook her head and sadly said. "I would love to but Zoey said that professors in Estra University might be having an activity tomorrow since school starts on Monday." They arrived in Estra on a Friday morning and the school year opens next week for all Universities and not only Estra University. "I guess we should put that on hold. We''ll just buy some stuff tomorrow." Marcus said. They couldn''t do anything about it since they could not just barge in the school and ask to see her sister. They still have zero influence in this ce. Marcus can''t also afford to be careless. There are numerous Preparation Stage Experts in 2nd rate countries and he still doesn''t have the power to contend against them in a fight. Nexus ced his hand under his chin. "We should empty out their best magic items here. We should also ce a formation around the house. The stronger the better." "From what I remember you suck at making formations." Marcus teased. Eva chuckled. She also remembered this. Aside from retaining alchemy knowledge, she also remembered other events in her past life. ----- Zoey arrived in front of her house. Before she could even go in, her dad already opened the door. He directly went to her and gave her a hug. He pulled out of the hug and looked at Zoey and angrily said. "Why did you have to run away?! Thank god nothing happened to you!" He grabbed her hand and hurriedly pulled her inside the house. "Youngdy you are grounded!" His father, Rey Xalia said. "Grounded? You can''t ground me! I''m not 12 anymore. I can do whatever I want!" Zoey shouted at his father and then hurriedly ran to the 2nd floor, straight to her room. "You!" Rey felt like his head was going to explode. He had been terrified to death when he was told by his brother about her situation. He couldn''t eat properly, he couldn''t work properly, and he even wanted to rush towards Moonsplorers headquarters and wreck it. What kept him from doing it was knowing that his child was safe. ''Ahhh, dear, why did you have to leave so soon. I don''t know anything about raising her.'' Rey sat on the couch with a drink on hand. Chapter 51: Buying Essentials Chapter 51: Buying Essentials The moon was high up in the sky. In a luxurious modern house, three people were having dinner on a rectangr table. They talked while enjoying their scrumptious meal. "Baby Brother, what do you think of Zoey?" Eva asked. Marcus ced his utensil down and wiped his mouth with a napkin that was close to his te before speaking. "She''s a good woman. Very carefree and from what I saw, talented. She''s pretty young but she''s already rank 7 Elite. She must be one of the geniuses here. If not then I''d look forward to actually meeting their geniuses." Eva pouted. "That''s not what I meant. Compliment something other than her strength or talent or whatever." Marcus thought for a second and said, "She''s very gorgeous. Any man would be lucky to have her." Eva chuckled. "It''s too bad you already have wives. She would have been good for you." "We don''t know, maybe Marcus''s wives might be okay with having a third sister." Nexus didn''t stop munching on his food. Nexus had always been the child in their group. He was the youngest which was why he wasn''t allowed to fight in the past. The strength that he umted for 5000 years made it impossible for him to contend against demons and lords. Mana might have been dense out there but experience also mattered. Eva swallowed the food in her mouth and said. "Speaking of, why haven''t I seen their faces in my dreams yet?" "You just need to wait, Big Sis. The first time it happened, I didn''t even get to see anyone''s face." Marcus finished eating. "Mhm," Eva nodded. They finished up, and a bot cleaned the dishes. Nexus went to the couch, Eva went to the Destrucstone to practice alchemy, and Marcus went to his room to cultivate. Marcus sat cross-legged on the bed. His breathing became systematic as he started circting the mana in his body. Marcus also activated the Stone of Destruction. Not long after, a destructive aura filled the room. He felt at home when he''s in the arms of this kind of aura. The feeling of being able to destroy anything in your path. He reveled in it! ---- The bright morning sun rose on the horizon and soon the birds started chirping. Marcus got up and immediately went to the shower. A few minutester he went down and saw Eva preparing food while Nexus was sitting on the couch still watching shows. Eva of course is not cooking. The food she is preparing is from the spatial ring since they have not gone to the grocery yet. Marcus sat down and greeted Eva with a good morning. He then called out Nexus and asked. "Did you even sleep?" Nexus stood up from the couch, changed the channel to the morning news, and went to the dining table where Marcus and Eva were. He looked at Marcus and said. "Sleep is overrated." Marcus chuckled. "I guess Big Sis also didn''t sleep." Eva shook her head. "I support Nexus''s im." The three had a delicious breakfast. Nuggets and sauce from Jericho''s Diner. Soon after, they went out to fulfill their agenda for today. They called a cab since they hadn''t bought a car yet. As for the guards, they left them at home. There was no need to bring rank 5 Elite fighters with them. Marcus just made them cultivate and also, they were the ones testing Eva''s creations. The drive didn''t take long as they soon arrived in front of a huge FutureX tech store. Marcus walked in the middle while Nexus and Eva were beside him. The gray building stood tall. Wide sliding doors and a mat that cleans itself outside. They went forward and made their way past the door. As soon as they went in, they were greeted by one of the employees. The male employee politely greeted"Good morning, sir, ma''am, might I be able to help you?" Marcus looked at him. "3 of yourtest smartwatches, please. The employee nodded "Right this way sir." The trio followed him and arrived close to the counter. He showed them theirtest model. The process was quick and they all got the white-colored smartwatches. "Now we could contact each other even if we were located on differents." Marcus put the new one on. The other two also did and configured everything with the help of the employee. The trio left and went to their next destination. They''re going to find needed materials for making formations. There are also materials in the stone but with Nexus'' level of cultivation, he won''t be able to use those. They made their way to the central part of the city. Marcus chose where to buy the materials. A ce where both formation materials and magic items are sold. The trio went in and looked for materials on the first floor but they were all of the low quality. So they made their way up the second floor but were still disappointed to see that nothing of the ones being disyed were good enough. They made their way to the highest floor where there was barely anyone. It was deathly silent. Aside from them, only 2 other people were there. They walked on the dark blue marble floors and checked each of the items out. "Thank god these ones are good!" Nexus eximed. He called for assistance and asked how many of the materials he had chosen were in stock. All and each of the materials was ced in a ss box. Only one would be disyed and the others are in the stockroom. The employee told Nexus how many they have in stock, to which Nexus nodded. He asked to bring out everything, shocking the employee. He stood there frozen for a few seconds thinking that he might have heard it wrong. But, Nexus repeated himself and so the employee left. The employee however, didn''t retrieve the items. He made sure to go to the manager. This was way above his pay grade. This, of course, is what Marcus hoped for. Marcus was currently looking at the defensive items and Eva was looking at a few pieces of jewelry. They looked exquisite. Nexus approached Eva and stood beside her. "Which one do you want?" He asked. "That yellow-gemmed ne looks pretty." Eva stared at it. It was not only a piece of simple jewelry but it''s also a trinket. Though it''s not really a strong trinket, it was what Eva liked. "Then let''s buy it." Nexus said and was about to open the ss box. Eva shook her head. "It''ll be a waste of money. There are stronger trinkets out there that could be a lot more helpful." Nexus chuckled. "Remember that money is never a problem. We can even buy everything here. Marcus wouldn''t mind and you know that." Eva looked at him and smiled. "Hey! You like that ne?" A man who looked to be in his mid-twenties walked towards Eva, smilingly. He had been staring at her for quite some time now and his eyes could not move away from her tits. He had the urge to squeeze and suck on them. The man could not take it anymore so he approached. Both excitement and lust in his eyes shone as he got closer. Chapter 52: Waypons Chapter 52: Waypons He already thought of what he would do to her. He would take her to his house and do her all day long. His family is rich, so no one would bat an eye if she was going to go missing for a few days and someone went looking for her on their doorstep. He wasn''t worried about her being someone important too. Seeing that she didn''t buy anything only made him 100% sure that she was not from an influential family and is only here for window shopping. He hurried his steps when he saw someone else approaching her. As he got closer, he yelled "Hey! You like that ne?" Both Marcus and Nexus already noticed his stares, Eva did too. However, she simply didn''t mind because she didn''t want to make any ruckus. How could she know that he was actually bold enough to talk to her? The reason why Nexus hurriedly told the employee about getting the materials was precisely because of this. He wanted to stand beside Eva as soon as possible. The man named Kleid was now only half a meter away from the woman. He stood there for a while, not saying anything. He shamelessly stared at Eva''s cleavage like there was no tomorrow. This only made Nexus''s blood boil. The thought of strangling this man and drowning him in the sea entered his mind. Kleid finally looked up and was now looking at Eva''s face. The bat between his legs was already up. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva. "Do you want this ne? I could buy this for you." Eva shook her head. "I''m sorry, I don''t need you to buy anything for me." "Are you sure? You seemed to like it." He couldn''t take it anymore so he extended his arm, and tried to touch Eva. His hands inched closer and closer. His excitement, peaking. However, a hand grabbed his wrist. Nexus wanted to crush it right here and now. But he held himself back. Kleid looked at Nexus "You darey a hand on me?! Fuck off you plebeian!" Kleid shook Nexus''s handoff. Too bad he couldn''t. Nexus was like a shark. Once a shark bites something, it would hardly let go. Kleid scoffed. He looked at Nexus in disdain. Nexus wore a shirt, shorts, and slippers. An indication that he was but a meremoner. "Not here," Marcus''s voice sounded in his mind. Nexus really did not want to let go, But he listened. He tried to control his temper and released Kleid''s arm. Kleid smirked. "It''s good that you know your ce. If you didn''t let go I would have been forced to call security." Marcus at the side didn''t interfere. He knows that Nexus would take care of it and he''s also sure that Nexus wants to take care of this one. "So, beautifuldy, how about I buy you this ne and let''s go out for a drink. I promise you won''t regret it." He smiledsciviously. "Once again, I decline. I might be interested in this ne but if you were the one who''ll buy it for me then I would never wear it." Eva stepped back. Moving closer to Nexus. Kleidughed. "Hahaha, good, good. I like hard to get women. It really makes me a lot more excited. You don''t exactly have a choice. I was just being polite a while ago but seeing that you''re acting this way, I don''t mind forcefully taking you with me. Do you even know who I am?" "No, I don''t. But please stop bothering me." Eva turned her head and didn''t mind him anymore. This action infuriated Kleid. "You bitch! You think you lowly slut have a choice?!" Marcus''s eyes glowed. If he could, he would have used ''Army Maniption'' on this man. But he couldn''t. His rank was a little too high for him to control right now. Nexus almost couldn''t hold himself back, but thankfully Eva clutched his shirt from behind. Nexus could see the look on Eva''s face. She was not hurt by thement. After her memories came rushing back, she slowly started to change. She doesn''t really see herself as part of their society anymore. A mortal''s opinion is moot to her. Eva looked at Nexus and shook her head. She knows that this person might have a backer that they probably could not fight against yet. Before anything could happen, a round man came in, jogging towards them. Kleid''s eyes lit up. He walked towards the round man and greeted him. "Uncle Loo, it''s good to see you here." Loo, the fat man who had bushy brows and short hair looked at him and hurriedly said. "Ah yes, yes, fuck off will you!" Loo had no time for this man. He heard that someone wanted to buy their whole stock of materials for making peak grade formations. Loo didn''t even wait for the employee to finish as he immediately dashed out of his office. He''s currently the manager of Waypons. His father was busy with their other businesses, so he was assigned here. Waypons is currently the number 1 in Estra when ites to selling high-quality pill and potion ingredients, formation materials, weapon and armor crafting materials, magic items, trinkets, and more. That means everything here is quite expensive, especially on the top floor. Loo arrived in front of Nexus. He slightly smiled. Loo wasn''t tall, he is around 5''6 feet and is quite fat. He has a round nose and bushy brows. He is surnamed Minser, one of the 5 strongest families in Estra, the country. He looks to be around 30 years old Loo didn''t practice magic to be powerful. He practiced it to increase his lifespan. What he does all day is sit on his desk, count the money that wasing in and smile. Loo lives for money. ''Why be strong when you can hire strong people.'' This was what Loo said to himself all the time whenever he sees his acquaintances who are fit and stronger than he is. "Were you the good sir who wanted to buy every peak grade formation material on this floor?" The round man asked. His employee already told him that the man had a few strands of yellow hair. Nexus was already looking at the round man since the moment his heavy footsteps sounded. Nexus nodded. "Yes all of them. That carrot head will also buy things too" Nexus pointed at Marcus who heard what Nexus said and raised his middle finger. Loo chuckled. He didn''t mind their attitude. He thinks that these people must be tourists who are on vacation. Marcus looked at Loo and told him which items he would get. Marcus also added alchemical ingredients. Loo gulped after listening to what Marcus listed out. ''Who are these people?'' Loo asked himself. Never had he experienced in his time in Waypons that someone bought stacks and stacks of materials plus magic items and trinkets. This was far too extravagant. "Right away!" Loo nodded like a chicken pecking on grains of rice. He looked at Kleid nearby and thought of the blunder he made. He heard a few of the words Kleid said which made him frustrated. These customers were people who you couldn''t afford to offend. Chapter 53: Baited Chapter 53: Baited "Guards," Loo shouted and pointed at Kleid. "Escort him out of here fast! Don''t let him in here again!" Kleid didn''t get to listen to them talking. His ears were still ringing when he was told to ''fuck off''. He couldn''t understand why he got cursed at by the round man. However, he was quickly brought back by Loo''s shout. The guards took him by the arms and walked towards the elevator. He squirmed and squirmed, but how could an Elite like him fight against guards like these. "Uncle Loo, what did I do? Uncle Loo, you can''t do this to me! Ahh, I''m telling my father about this!" Kleid kept shouting until the elevator door closed. "I''m sorry for his behavior. I assure you that he won''t be stepping in this building ever again." Loo apologized. He didn''t care about the rtionship between their two families. They might be rich, but they are not part of the 5 big families of Estra. "It''s fine. No harm done. If you would please get all the items that we''ve asked for, that''d be great." Marcus waved his hand. "Yes, right away." He excitedly nodded and went straight to a nearby door. "Don''t you think it would be bad if a lot of people find out we have a lot of money?" Eva asked. "Who''s going to tell them? Him? Trust me, he won''t." Marcus looked at Eva. Eva nodded and didn''t talk about it anymore. Nexus was silent on the side. He''s currently using soul sense on Kleid. "Mortals and immortals are truly the same. Asshats can never resist beauty. At least when I was like that, I had the decency to ask for a woman''s consent." Nexus scoffed. "Don''t generalize. Not all mortals are like that. Sometimes, you just have to look at the good side of humanity." Eva smiled at Nexus. "Good side of humanity huh?" Nexus chuckled. "So you asked for women''s consent in the past? How many were there?" Eva asked in a teasing way. She already knew about this but she just wanted to tease Nexus a bit. Nexus froze. He stopped chuckling and shut his mouth. Not long after, the round man came back with a couple of spatial rings. He handed it to them and said "All the items that you''ve asked for are here." Marcus extended his hand and received it. He checked every single one of them, and he then passed the one with the formation materials to Nexus for him to check if all the items he requested were there. Nexus checked everything for a few seconds and then nodded. "Ahem" The round man cleared his throat and took out a badge from his own spatial ring. "On behalf of Waypons, I would like to tell you that you''ll have a 50% discount every time you buy in our stores. Just show them this." Loo handed a small grey circr badge with an M in the middle to Marcus. Marcus looked at Eva and Nexus as he happily said "With these, we can start our business!" Eva was puzzled ''We needed this to start our business?'' Unlike Eva, Nexus knew what to do. "It''s good to be away from our family for a while, and build something with our own hands." "Mhm" Marcus nodded "All the people who want to curry favor from our parents would immediately try to boost us if we tried to build one there." Eva finally figured it out so she went along and said in a sad tone. "Speaking of, they must be worried about you right now." "Hahaha," Marcusughed. "Worried? I don''t think so. I''m sure dad sent a few experts to tail us so that even if dozens of peak Preparation Stage expertse, we''ll still be safe." Loo who was about to walk away stopped. He listened to their conversation. When they said they would start a business, he heard a ''cha ching'' sound in his head. When he heard the second part of their conversation, he gulped and felt chills all over his body. ''Peak Preparation would not be able to defeat their guards?'' Loo thought it was ridiculous at first. But then again, they were not afraid of buying all these things and revealing their wealth. ''Dad is going to be so proud of me.'' Loo formted a n to befriend them and not let other families know. "Ahem, I couldn''t help but overhear you starting a business here in Estra. I''m looking to invest in new and uing businesses. I know you guys are rich but it''s always good to have a strong backer am I right?" Loo hurriedly pitched in. The three of them were silentlyughing. ''Time to reel it in.'' Marcus smiled and said. "Hmm, as you can see, we''re already splitting the business in three. Also, we already agreed to hand the Xalia family a piece of the cake." Marcus sounded like he wasn''t that interested in making a deal with Loo. Loo cursed. ''Fuck, the Xalia''s are fast.'' Loo hurriedly said. "Don''t, don''t worry I''m not asking for something big. How about 10%? Sounds good right?" Marcus wrinkled his brows. Before Marcus could decline, Loo changed his offer "How about 5%?" Marcus looked at Eva and Nexus who seemed to be deep thought. Marcus sighed. "Alright 5%. How much will you be giving us?" Marcus didn''t want to ept the 10%. It was too big of a share. Other than that, he also doesn''t like to ept right away. He holds all the cards, why be hasty? Loo told them the amount. When Nexus and Eva heard it, they could hardly hold theirughter. Loo didn''t mind spending this much. He also thought it was worth it. His family plus the Xalia''s, this business would easily grow and expand. Marcus, however, only had a straight face. He extended his arm and said. "Deal." Loo sighed in relief and he, too, extended his arm. ''Yes!'' both of them thought in their minds. Loo gave him his contact information and watched them leave. Marcus, Nexus, and Eva stood outside of the building with bright smiles on their faces. "He shoots, he scores." Eva praised as she stood to the left of Marcus. "You y basketball?" Marcus asked. He has watched a few games himself but he wasn''t that interested in ying it. He was more interested in football (ser). "I only watched a couple of times when my dad was alive." Eva smiled with a tinge of sadness. "Hey, hey, we just made a killing. We almost got all our money back. We should be celebrating." Nexus didn''t want to see Eva being sad. Marcus shook his head "We can hold the celebrationter. There are still a few ces we need to go to." Their ride arrived and they went to the ce where they could buy their own rides. Eva bought a white colored car and Nexus bought a ck one. Marcus chose a vermilion-colored sports car. Permits can be given in the store but they did have to wait for a while. The cars can drive by themselves, and you just need to input the destination, so there''s really no hassle on driving permits and such. Marcus asked the people to deliver the cars to their ce since they still need to shop for food. ---- A few hourster, they finally arrived home. Chapter 54: Kleids Demise Chapter 54: Kleid''s Demise The trio finished eating their dinner and went to do their own activities. Marcus went to his room to cultivate since he wants to find a way to train Chaos Magic, Eva went into the Destrucstone, and Nexus, well, Nexus is not on the couch. He''s not even in the house. He''s currently making his way on the streets of Estra. The bright moon hung in the sky and the cold wind breeze made his robe sway. There were only a few people left on the streets and even fewer cars. Nexus''s steps were slow as he walked on the stone pavement. His soul sense is currently locked in on Kleid, the person they met in Waypons earlier today. --- Kleid just like this morning has no bodyguards. He thinks that no one would touch him here in Estra because of his family and his family''s connections. He''s currently staying at a nearby motel. Yes, a motel and not a hotel. The woman he was going to fuck right now was an actress and she asked if it would be okay if they go to a secluded motel near the sea instead of a fancy hotel. She doesn''t want to be seen by other people. She, of course, didn''t want to do this. But she had no choice as she needed her acting career to improve so that she''ll be able to feed her brothers and sisters. Kleid started stripping first and was already on the bed. The actress asked to first go to the shower and take a bath, but in truth, she just wanted to cry. A few minutester, she calmed herself down and went out of the shower, wearing only the lingerie that Kleid ordered her to. She was so nervous and she wanted to run away. She cursed her life for being so unfair. She opened the door. To her surprise, there was no one there. She went closer to and stood at the side of the bed and found a spatial ring on top of a note. She picked it up and read it. ''I loved Fancy Cops. It was a good series. The money in the ring is a little something for keeping entertained. Uhm, go into business and invest in a new bar that''ll open soon just beside the boulevard. Hmm, or it might be a nightclub. The owner''s name is Eva. The reason I''m saying this is because you''re not good at acting, to be more honest, you suck at it. Anyway, I''ll be borrowing the bastard who was on your bed for a while. Wait, I mean taking. You won''t be seeing this guy anymore. Go fuck someone you love. P.S. Burn the letter after reading or else I''ll also be taking your head next. I''m just kidding, or not.'' Maya finished reading the note. She couldn''t exin what she was feeling right now. Just a moment ago she was sure that she''d have to give up her purity to the man who brought her here. Calming down her emotions she read the note one more time. At the bottom of it was a single word which was ''-Nexus'' She bound the spatial ring and checked the contents. Before she could react to anything else, she began crying on the floor, weeping. She was one of the main actresses of ''Fancy Cops'', an indie film that didn''t really make it out there. A few minutester, she stood up, changed, ced the note in her pocket, and went out of the hotel room. --- On a yacht, Nexus stood on the starboard. There were a few people who were unconscious on the floor. There was also a naked man with a terrified look on his face, his shaking eyes locked on Nexus Nexus already removed his mask and was now only wearing his ck robes. Under the pale moonlight, Nexus looked at the man. The stationary yacht swayed as the waves crashed on it. "You?!" Kleid shouted as he tried to get back on his feet. He couldn''t believe what he was seeing. This was the man who he saw in Waypons earlier. The man who he thought was a pleb. "Before the pain starts do you have anyst words?" Nexus asked as he walked towards the man. Nexus was holding a stic half filled with salt. "Don''te any closer! Or else, I swear to god I''ll make you regret doing this!" Kleid was able to stand back up. He slowly stepped back. But where could he go? They were in the middle of the vast sea, and there''s no one around for miles and miles. Nexus was not worried he would scream, because even if he would, not a single soul would hear him. Nexus chuckled and shook his head. "You just wasted your words with empty threats!" He dashed towards Kleid. His nails turned into ws and he scratched Kleids face a couple of times before cing his head in the stic. There was absolutely no resistance. None whatsoever. Kleid already started screaming. Nexus grabbed one of his legs and floated about a meter. He made sure not to waste the salt just yet. As Nexus moved closer to the edge of the boat, he began scratching parts of Kleid''s body before dipping both head and body in the sea. He stopped floating andnded back on the boat''s floor. Nexus stood there looking at the horizon while holding Kleid''s leg. A few secondster, he raised him. His bloody body was drenched in seawater. The salt was sticking to the w wounds that Nexus inflicted on his face. "Did you know that a long time ago, a human fisherman survived at sea for 14 days straight by just drinking his own pee?" Nexus dropped him again. A couple of secondster he raised him back up. "Well, that was him having a boat. I wonder how many days it will take you before you''ll die. Hmm, I don''t wanna y that game. I''d rather y this." Nexus once again dipped him in the ocean. Thissted for a couple of hours before Nexus ced Kleid back on the ship. He removed the stic from his head. Kleid was weakly breathing. He stopped screaming a long time ago. Nexus made sure Kleid would not die. He was very careful about it. "You know, mortals are quite fun. They''re delightful beings. I personally like the movies and series they make. Hell, I even have a mortal friend. Wait, no, she''s my wife''s friend and she''s pretty cool. Anyway, the point is, some mortals think they''re already bigshots but in truth, they are just frogs in a well. Kudos to you though, you entertained me quite a bit tonight. The anger I felt this morning has subsided and I''ve got no use for you now." As Nexus finished speaking he thrust his right hand up Kleid''s chest and crushed his heart. Nexus threw the heart in the sea and washed his hand afterward. He checked his watch. ''Damn, I already missed a couple of minutes, I gotta hurry.'' ---- Inside the house. Nexus turned the tv on as he sat on the couch while hugging a pillow. He was now wearing a thin grey long sleeve and boxer shorts Chapter 55: Chaos Magic Chapter 55: Chaos Magic While Nexus was having his fun, Marcus went to the Destrucstone. He wanted to check the study if there were notes or books on Chaos Magic. He couldn''t sit around and wait for his memories to hand it to him. Right now, he''s just hoping that he could find something in the study. Something that could finally help him cultivate Chaos Magic. He didn''t need a guide with Destruction Magic as he is a natural with it. Marcus opened the door. The room had an area of 200 square meters. On the backside of the room, there was a window in the middle. In front of that window is a rectangr wooden table with one cushioned chair. On the table, there were different kinds of papers and books. Marcus already read them and they were topics that were not important right now. On the walls, there were several maps of ces. He had no idea where some of those ces were so he didn''t mind it. He walked to one of the dozen cabs that were ced on the side and opened it. His bare feet stepped on the cold wooden flooring. He tried to rack his brains on where he ced the books in his past life. The cabs might not look like they could hold a lot of books on the outside, but if you check inside, the space it held was huge. Marcus searched for the notes he made pertaining to Chaos Magic. He has not fully remembered how to train in this type of magic. What he does remember are those things past the beginner stage. Something he couldn''t use. Marcus arrived at the fourth cab and opened it. "Eureka!" He shouted as he finally found the book. He looked at it with a grin on his face. On the cover, it said ''Chaos Magic - The Basics''. Marcus opened it. There was something written on the first page. He read the writing. "No one is truly a conqueror unless they have mastered both Destruction Magic and Chaos Magic." It was written by him in the past. This was when he first came in contact with chaos magic and started practicing it. Marcus chuckled. "This sounds really dramatic now that I read it." Marcus took a deep breath and started flipping the pages. Before he got lost in it, he left the study and went to the training room. Marcus sat crossed-legged as read the notes. ''A person can only cast chaos magic by having chaos mana in his or her body. The more chaos mana you have, the more spells you can cast. The purer your chaos mana, the stronger and more effectual your spells will be.'' Marcus silently read. He continued ''To get chaos mana in your body, you first have to create chaos essence. It may sound like a lot of work, but it''s not. To create chaos essence you just need to gather them from the mana around you with ''Chaos Gathering Spell''.'' Marcus could no longer contain his excitement as he happily swayed left and right. From his memories, he already saw what Chaos Magic can bring to the battlefield. Though he was excited, he still kept reading. ''What can Chaos Magic do? On the very, very basic level, it could empower your attack. You can infuse chaos mana in your spell and make it stronger. The more, the stronger. Next, on a higher level, you could manipte the minds of both the living and the dead.'' Marcus''s eyes lit up as he read this. "This can totally go with ''Army Maniption!" Marcus shouted. He calmed himself down and continued reading. ''If the person is too strong for you to fully manipte, you can just control their emotions. Yes, there is a spell that can let you control your opponents emotions. You might not be able to control their actions but you''ll have influence over their emotions. On a higher level, you could use this kind of spell on a lot of people and cause mass hysteria. You will also be able to summon natural disasters. Heavy Rain, Tsunami, and Earthquakes are examples of the different types of disasters. You can also tear space and open another one a few meters, kilometers,s away. That means you can teleport.'' Marcus liked these ones too. With the first spell, he could have the people support him and for the second spell that was mentioned, he could make it rain as much as he wants. He detests sunny ces as he could never get used to them. He''s more of a rainy, gloomy surrounding kind of guy, something he''s much more used to. Marcus stopped reading. He already knew a few of them since he saw his past self use it. With a bright smile on his face, he started cultivating. The mana he gets in the Destrucstone is from the outside world. Marcus slowly did what the book instructed and started using the ''Chaos Gathering Spell''. Marcus couldn''t feel anything yet. Time went on and a scarlet-like fog surrounded him. The scarlet-colored fog got thicker and it slowly spread around the room. Marcus finally did the second step of the spell. The scarlet fog around the room slowly went towards him, condensing in the process. It also changed color. The once scarlet color changed into vermillion. Hourster, after taking all of the condensed chaos essences, inside his body, he now has a bit of chaos mana separated from the normal mana he has. Think of oil and water in a container, something simr to that. Marcus opened his eyes. The bright smile that''s stered on his face said it all. He casted lightning javelin and tried injecting a bit of his new chaos mana in it. He could feel his spell getting unbnced, he could feel it starting to go on a frenzy, and a bit more powerful He sighed and slowly made the spell disperse. ''One step closer!'' He thought as he stood up and stretched his body, a lot of his bones cracked in the process. Marcus then went out of the Destrucstone and arrived back in his room, inside the house they bought in Estra. His bed had white sheets, ck foamed headboards, and ck oak flooring. There was amp near his bed and a few pieces of furniture around. Marcus looked at the window and saw that the sun was up. He checked his watch and saw that it was already 10 am. He took a deep breath and went to the shower. After that, he went downstairs, refreshed and happy. Marcus made his way to the dining area and saw that no one was there. ''They probably went to meet Eva''s sister. Damn! I hope Big Sis is not mad about me not being able to go with them.'' Marcus thought. He went to the table and saw that there was food. So he sat down and turned the tv on. He also checked his watch for messages and saw that Eva sent her one. It precisely says that she''s going to meet with her sister today. ''I guess I''ll just have to finish the list. Hmm, I already have the Xalia''s and Minser on board. Onest family left.'' Marcus evilly smiled. Chapter 56: Leo Flavus Chapter 56: Leo vus Marcus left the house and rode his new car. The vermilion steed flew in the air and passed a few tall buildings before it finally went down and stopped. Marcus got out of the car while squinting a bit. The zing sun was high up in the sky and no clouds could be seen. ''I swear to god if I could use that spell continuously, Estra would hardly ever see the sun again,'' Marcus swore as he walked to a grey-colored building with a globe on top. He checked his watch. Thinking that the person he wanted to meet was most likely already here, Marcus went through the ss sliding doors and directly to the receptionist desk while passing by a few people in business attire. The receptionist saw himing and readied a professional smile. Marcus also smiled and politely said. "I''d like to meet with Leo vus. I believe he should be here right now." He ced both his arms on the dark marble desk. His long-sleeve touched its cold surface. This was the headquarters of the vus Corporation in Estra. One of the best beast cores sellers in 2nd rate countries. This is also where Leo works during the summer. "You must be one of young master Leo''s friends. He is currently in his office." The receptionist respectfully said. It wasn''t weird for Leo''s friends to visit him during this time of the day, even if they knew he was in his office, working. After all, he just came back from Ker after his fruitless search for his fiance. "I''d like to see him if it''s possible," Marcus said. His polite smile never left his face. The receptionist nodded. "Okay sir, hold on one second." The receptionist walked to the side and contacted someone while Marcus looked around the ce. The floor had an area of 1500 square meters. 4 white square-shaped pirs stood erect from the entrance to the receptionist desk, two on each side. There were a lot of people going in and out. Sofas, cushioned chairs, and tables with magazines on them were also present on the left side of the room. This was not the ce where they sell beast cores, no. You coulde here to order but people do that online nowadays. This ce was where negotiations would be held. The receptionist finally turned her head back to Marcus. "Floor 30 sir. Young master Leo is waiting for you. The elevator is right over there." She pointed towards the right side of the room where a ss elevator was. "Thank you." Marcus slightly bowed his head and made his way to the elevator. He got on and said, "Floor 30". Marcus already did his research and he also did this yesterday in the elevator of Waypons. *Ding* Marcus arrived on the 30th floor not long after. A man who looked to be 40 years old was waiting for him Once he saw Marcus, he immediately said, "Come with me." Marcus quietly followed, but his brows were scrunched. He is still wondering why Leo let him in right away. He''s not really worried since he didn''t do anything wrong and can leave this ce whenever he wants. If ever there is a problem, he would dash to where Nexus is or the ce near them, and thenmunicate with Nexus and tell him to go in the stone with Eva, and if they''re with Eva''s sister, they''ll just bring her. They arrived at a furnished wooden door and the man opened it. "You can go in." He said, before leaving. Marcus nodded and walked into the room and stepped on the gray carpet. There was one table near the windows on the backside of the room. There was a dark blue couch near the door and a circr light in the middle of the ceiling. Marcus looked at the other person in the room. He has long blond hair that could be tied into a bun, straight brows, monolid eyes, and a diamond-shaped face. He stood in front of the table intently looking at him. Leo cleared his throat. "Can I ask who you are?" When he heard someone was looking for him, he asked who it was. His secretary said that it wasn''t one of his usual friends. Leo asked to see who it was. His secretary sent him footage of the lobby. There he saw a vermilion-haired teen who he had never met before or even seen. He got curious, that''s why he made Marcuse up. His secretary tried to talk him out of it at first but Leo was adamant. He just hopes that this is not one of the assassins his brother sent. Marcus raised his right hand. Leo assumed a defensive stance right away and was about to call out his guards. "Rx," Marcus said, as vermilion-colored lighting danced around his hand. Leo''s eyes went wide with shock. "Yo-you are...Him," Leo stuttered. Marcus nodded and moved forward. "It''s time for you to pay your debt." ''He looks a lot younger than me. Is he only a teenager?'' Leo thought. There were two seats near the table. One was ced behind and the other was in front of the table, where clients and such usually sit. Marcus went to the chair that was behind the pedestal-like desk and sat down. "Sit," Marcus said in a low butmanding voice. Leoplied. This was the one who saved him. He''s just wondering why he looks so young. "I don''t know what to call you yet." Leo already sat on the chair. "Marcus, Marcus Kauffman." Marcus introduced himself. He had to y his cards right. Marcus had to take advantage of him being Leo''s savior and Leo''s confused emotions to take lead in the conversation. That''s why he''s acting like this, like a haughty prince. Well, minus the disdainful part. "I''ll be opening a business in a month. Actually, erase that. I''ll be opening apany in a month and I want you to invest." Marcus immediately cut to the chase. Leo was properly trained in talks like these so he was able topose himself a bit. "You saved my life, that''s the least I can do. Would you mind me asking what yourpany will do?" "Hmm," Marcus thought before saying, "We''ll first start with opening a bar or a nightclub." Leo nodded. "Hahaha, I''m totally on board. For a second there I thought it was something illegal. We might have a fewpetitors though." Marcus chuckled. "I don''t mind. Are there any avable buildings beside the boulevard?" Leo thought for a few seconds and then responded. "There are a lot, but I only know one that can be turned into a perfect nightclub. There''s also a good building close to it that could be turned into a good office." "Sounds great. I won''t be the owner though, you''ll be meeting with her soon. Purchase both buildings as soon as possible. The ce will be named ''The Corner'', so start making signs and such." Marcus finished speaking and got 2 shot sses and a ss bottle from his spatial ring. He poured the drink into both sses and gave one to Leo. He raised his and said. "A taste of the future products." Leo nodded and raised the shot ss in the air. "Cheers!" They drank the contents. Chapter 57: Marcuss Plan Chapter 57: Marcus''s n For Marcus, the drink only tasted like the drinks he usually drank. But it was different for Leo. His eyes shone after it went down his throat. He savored everyst bit of taste that remained in his mouth. "That is the best drink I''ve had!" Leo eximed. Leo''s shock wasn''t over. He felt his body was more rxed. His mana started to flow a little bit better. "This?" Leo could feel tiny changes in his body. "That will be one of the drinks that will be served in the nightclub." Marcus finally made up his mind and chose a nightclub. He, Eva, and Nexus already talked about this in the past two days during dinner. Eva was fine with either, Nexus wanted to go for a nightclub that''s close to the boulevard, and he, Marcus was the one who had not decided yet, until now. Marcus casually ced his shot ss and the bottle back in his spatial ring. "The ones we will be serving will have lesser effects than this but a lot morepared to ourpetitors and our prices won''t be as expensive." Marcus''s hands were on the armrest of the chair. Leo looked at his ring and then he looked at Marcus and said, "Aren''t you worried about me telling my family or any other people about this?" "No," Marcus chuckled. "Because I''m the only one who''ll give you the chance to get rid of your brother." Nexus was the one who told him that Leo and his brother were not on the best terms with each other. Leo froze. His brother, Krey vus, has been a bane to him ever since he could remember. He wanted him to disappear from this world forever. "You''re someone whocks support in your family. The reason is most likely because you''re too soft, am I right? Your family needs a better and more ruthless leader and that makes your brother a priceless treasure." Marcus calmly spoke. A few seconds of silence descended upon the room before Leo sighed. "You''re right. Don''t worry, I won''t say a word about this." ''Of course, you won''t, or else I''m going to activate the poison you just ingested.'' Marcus inwardly said. On the outside, He smiled. "That''s great." Marcus thought of something and changed the topic. "Why were you in Ker that day?" Leo wryly smiled. "I was looking for my fiance." Marcus had a slightly surprised look on his face. "You mean the youngdy from the Xalia family? You must really love her." Leo nodded. "Don''t get me wrong, I have no feelings for her. We were friends when we were children but slowly started to drift apart in our teens. I heard she ran away when her father told her of the engagement. I felt guilty so I looked for her." "You have no feelings for her?" Marcus asked. Leo dryly chuckled "How can I have time for love when I have a target clearly painted at my back. But I actually nned on loosening up a bit." "Work hard for thepany and your brother will be 6 feet below courtesy by your own hands in the near future." Marcus smiled. "Are you really capable?" Leo asked. He''s still quite pensive about trusting Marcus. Marcus released an aura of destruction in the room. Vermilion mixed with ck like steam could be seening out of his body. "Just do what I told you. Remember, you owe me a debt." Marcus said as he stood up. He and Leo exchanged numbers. Marcus didn''t stay long and left after his business here was finished. Leo stood up, looked around, and noticed that he was actually sitting on this side of the table. ''Did I just fall into a trap?'' ----- Marcus walked out of the building. He was as happy as a m. He''s finally finished with his list. After Zoey asked to invest in their business, he did a quick search on the other big families in Estra. There were five. They were the Strongwald family, Frey family, Xalia family, Minser family, and the vus family. Ranked from greatest to least in terms of power and influence. Marcus thought that it would be best to have a few of them invest in his tinypany. He would leave out the top two and take the lower three. That way, when they grow, the 3 families that were on their boat would also grow. That would make the power bnce of the 5 families shake. Marcus would not have to fight right away as the first ones to sh would be the five families. He also read that the Frey family and the vus family have a good rtionship, while the Frey family and the Strongwald family are enemies. Marcus thought that there is a good chance that the Strongwald family will get dethroned. When they will be fighting amongst each other, Marcus and the gang will silently grow. ----- In a white colored car, a man who rarely wears pants, and a woman who wore a mustard sweater and gray and white checkered skirt were sitting on the back seat. The atmosphere wasn''t awkward since they are pretty much used to being alone together. Nexus cleared his throat and asked, "Did you call your sister?" Eva shook her head. "I want to surprise her. I hope she isn''t busy though." Nexus chuckled. "It''s a Sunday, humans are supposed to rest on this day, so how can she be busy?" It didn''t take long before they finally arrived in front of Estra University. There stood a huge blue gate and two guards. Nexus and Eva got out of the car. They stepped on the stone pavement and walked towards the gate. It was open, so they proceeded to go inside. On the left was a guardhouse. The guards looked at them. One of the two asked, "The school office is closed, you cane back tomorrow." "I''m actually here to see someone. Her name is Emily Lux, she''s a new professor here." Eva spoke. Her voice had both excitement and nervousness in it. The guard who Eva spoke to, nodded. This wasn''t weird. Visitors usuallye during the weekend. "Wait one sec while I try to contact her room. Do you want to give your name?" The guard pressed a few buttons. Eva shook her head. "Just tell her that it''s something urgent." The guard nodded. ---- In a bedroom that had an area of 150 square meters, a woman was sitting on a cushioned chair in front of a wooden desk. On the table, there were a few pieces of paper that are neatly filed, and amp. There was also a gadget that looked simr to aptop in the middle which was currently being used by the woman. She yawned and stretched her arms upwards which lifted her shirt. It showed her belly button and sexy hips. She had just woken up and nned to finalize how she''s going to open her ss tomorrow. She slowly and drowsily typed a couple of words. Not even 5 minutes in, a small thin box that''s beside her door rang. She hurriedly stood up, walked towards it, and pressed a green button. "Miss Emily Lux?" A voice on the other side checked if he got the right room. "Yes, this is she," Emily answered. "There is someone looking for you here at the gate. She says it''s urgent." The guard said. Chapter 58: Blanco Restaurant Chapter 58: nco Restaurant "There is someone looking for you here at the gate. She says it''s urgent." The guard said. Emily found it weird, but nheless she answered. "Tell them I''ll be right there." Emily was curious as to who her visitor was since she had no family here in Estra. She went straight to her closet and changed into a more appropriate outfit. All her clothes were old and they were all the ones she used in Ker. She had used most of her money on medicines that could help her cultivate faster. Of course, those were medicines that were safe to use and not detrimental to her in the long run. Emily looked in the mirror and checked her appearance. She was around 5''7 feet tall. Her short ck hair touched her shoulders. Although she just woke up, her ck round eye looked tired. She has t exotic thin brows, cupid lips, and white skin. ''Who could it be?'' She wondered as she walked out of her bedroom and out of the apartment. The hallway had a long maroon carpetid in the middle. Lamp-like objects were hung on the sides, powered by magic. Her steps were neither slow nor hurried, but her white sundress still swayed with each step. Emily walked towards the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor. She''s currently living in the university where rent was free for the teachers. The building where she stays is simr to a hotel, other teachers live there too, just in different rooms. The silent campus apanied her as she walked towards the main gate. She never stopped wondering who the person was. Feeling anxious, she hurried her steps a bit. A minute or soter, she was now a few meters from the main gate. She slowed down and walked at a normal pace. Emily walked towards the guards and asked, "Where''s the person looking for me? Oh, I''m Emily Lux." "They''re just outside to the right." The guard faced the gate and pointed to the right side. Emily thanked them and kept walking. "Her sister probably." A guard whispered to the one beside him. The other guard nodded. They were stunned by the beauty of Eva and when they saw Emily, they thought the two didn''t look simr, or maybe just a little bit which was quite unnoticeable. Emily walked out of the main gate. She looked to her right and there stood a man and woman. She had never seen the man in her life. It was different when she looked at the woman though. She blinked a couple of times, rubbed her eyes, and shook her head. Emily stared at the woman for a while before her eyes started to moisten. Emily ran towards her, crying. This was the woman who took care of her since she was young. The woman who stopped cultivating just so she could work and feed them both. Her sister Eva. Eva hugged her back. Tears also flowed down her cheeks as she began crying. They both missed each other even if their separation onlysted for a couple of weeks. Nexus who was sitting on the hood of the car, stayed silent as he watched the two of them talk incoherently. Eva wiped away her sister''s tears and then her own. "Big Sis, how did you get here? Why are you here?" Emily asked. Eva smiled. "It''s a long story. Come let''s go and grab a bite to eat." Emily nodded but is still in a daze. She couldn''t believe her sister was here in Estra. Eva slowly walked towards the car "Emily, Do you know a good ce to eat near here?" Emily shook her head and followed Eva. "I don''t. I never eat outside since they serve free food in school." ''You won''t need to eat those kinds of food anymore.'' Eva inwardly smiled. Eva opened the door, got in, and told Emily to do the same. "We''ll just go and find one," Eva said. The bewildered Emily didn''t know what was going on anymore. She didn''t expect her sister to go in the ssy white car where a guy who wore ck polo sat on the hood. ''Is that guy, sister''s boyfriend?'' She started trying to solve her puzzled mind. This only happened for a short while before Emily followed her sister in. Nexus who hadn''t said a word, sat in front and said, "I''ll look for a good ce nearby, Or just anywhere around the city." Eva thanked Nexus and introduced Emily to him. "Emily, that''s Nexus. He''s a good friend of mine." ''Good friend?'' Nexus coughed. Emily''s eyes widened a bit. "Big Sis, he''s not your boyfriend?" Eva lightly nudged Emily with her elbow and said in a low voice. "Silly girl, what have you been thinking in that head of yours." Emily chuckled. "Can you at least tell me what is going here so that I won''t make stuff up in my head?" Eva sighed. "This is going to be pretty long so bare with it." Emily nodded. "No problem, I love a good story." Before Eva could start speaking, Nexus''s voice sounded. "I think you girls better wait for a while. We''re here." They stopped in front of a white and green building. It had a sign that says ''nco Restaurant''. "I heard they serve rank 6 beast meat here. It''s the closest one to a good restaurant." Nexus got out of the car after it parked itself. "Rank 6 beast meat?" Emily''s eyes went wide. "I think the first thing I should tell you is that we don''t have to worry about money anymore." Eva chuckled. "Wh-what?" Emily had a stupefied expression on her face. "Yep and many more." Eva grabbed Emily''s wrist and pulled her out of the car. They made their way into the building and were greeted by an employee. "Good morning," The employee greeted. Nexus cleared his throat and said, "Do you have private rooms avable?" The girls are going to have a private conversation. It would be best for the three of them to stay in a room where there aren''t any other people. The employee nodded. "Yes sir, right this way." They walked on white and green tiles. The ce was pretty huge. The chairs were furnished, and the tables had green tablecloths made of special materials. They were escorted to a room on the 2nd floor. It had an area of about 90 square meters and there was a table in the middle. They sat down and checked their menu. "I''d like all of your rank 6 beast meat dishes. One of each. Bring in 5 orders of fries too." Nexus ced the menu down. Eva chuckled and told the waiter what she wanted. Emily sat there dumbfounded while looking at the prices. "Em, which ones do you want?" Eva asked. "Uhm, I''ll just have what you''re having, Big Sis," Emily answered. She''s never tried any of these dishes so she doesn''t know which ones were good, and she was also shy. Even Eva didn''t, she just ordered what looked good. Nexus looked at Emily andughed. "Your sister was shy like you for about a week or so. Now she''s slowly starting to adjust." Eva chuckled, while Emily remained puzzled. Chapter 59: Discrimination in Estra Chapter 59: Discrimination in Estra The three started eating. Emily and Eva finally had the chance to talk properly. Eva wiped the side of her mouth with a napkin. She then looked to her side where Emily was and said, "Fire your questions away." Emily grabbed a ss and drank its contents. "Just start from the very beginning I guess, and I''ll ask from time to time." Emily faced Eva. Eva took a deep breath. She looked at Nexus who nodded at her and began retelling Emily parts of the story. About how she met Marcus and Nexus in Ker and how they helped her when Krieg tried to go to her apartment. "That guy did that?! Where is he right now? Is he still roaming Ker?" Emily asked. Eva blinked and looked at Nexus. "Well, he is--" "He is currently my patient," Nexus spoke. Emily turned towards him "You''re a doctor?" Nexus thought for a while and then he proudly nodded. "Hmm, I''d like to think of myself as one. Justst night I saved someone from drowning by lifting his head up the water a couple of times." Eva tilted her as if asking what he didst night. She knew that Nexus would hardly go out of his way to save someone. Emily just nodded. She didn''t really understand what Nexus meant. "Big Sis continue." Emily enjoyed the story her sister was telling her. Eva went on with her story, she didn''t hide anything as Nexus already told her not to, except for the part about reincarnation. ''Could my sister also be someone like me?'' Were Eva''s thoughts when she was conversing with Nexus at that time. She didn''t ask it out loud though. The story went on. To the part about her resigning, learning alchemy, learning magic, going to Ker City, the events in the hot spring, the pirates, and how she made friends with the youngdy of the Xalia family. The story went on for a couple of hours and it was already 4 pm when Eva finished telling the story. "That''s about it." Eva smiled. Emily has alreadyposed herself. Throughout the story, she asked a few questions from time to time. Eva would also pause for a bit to give her a couple of minutes to take it all in. Listening about how your sister who worked in a hotel had that kind of adventure was a bit too much for one sitting. "So, you''re in Estra to start a nightclub?" Emily asked. "We start with a nightclub. Expand to other thingster on. I don''t know much about business so why am I even the one talking." Nexus answered. Eva chuckled "What he said was basically it." "I''m so happy for you Big Sis." Emily smiled. Her sister can finally live a better life. Eva hugged her sister. "Shouldn''t you be happy for the two of us? We''re on the same boat you know." "Mm," Emily nodded as she was in the embrace of Eva. After their short moment, Emily turned to Nexus, bowed her head, and said, "Thank you." Nexus, who was savagely viting the dish he just ordered, stopped. He looked at Emily and shook his head and changed the subject. "What subject are you teaching in that University?" Emily blinked. She was not expecting this question. She cleared her throat. "I''ll be teaching ''Magic - The Basics''. It''s only a minor subject and is taken by all first-year students. Basically, it just reviews them on what they''ve learned thus far and a few other topics." "Magic The Basics, Magic The Basics, alright." Nexus nodded. Eva thought Nexus was making small talk and she also thought that he was pretty bad at it. Emily checked the time on her watch. "I think I have to go. I still need to prepare for my first ss tomorrow." Eva agreed "That''s right, and you still have to set up your room at home." "Ye--What?" Emily didn''t quite understand. Evaughed seeing her sister''s face. "You didn''t think I''d let you stay there in school and let you eat their ''free'' food did you?" The trio went out of the restaurant and headed straight to the Estra University. Their table in the restaurant had piles of tes stacked up. Nexus, was of course, the culprit. While the girls talked, he was busy munching and ordering dishes in a loop. Their little group arrived in front of the main gate. Eva followed Emily to her ce. Nexus stayed with the guards. The sun was already setting on the horizon. Nexus stood there by the gate and watched the twodies walk side by side. ''Marcus would be thrilled to see her again.'' He thought. Nexus went towards the guards and tried to spark a conversation. "You guys watched any action seriestely?" He asked The two guards looked at each other. One of them spoke, "I watched a House of the Watchers, Azure Lightning, Mystic Hospital, Fancy Cops, and John da Doe recently." "Hmm, John da Doe? Is that new?" Nexus has not seen this one before. "It''s pretty new, it''s simr to Fancy Cops. It''s not really famous." The guard responded. Nexus nodded a few times. "I''ll be adding that to my list then. Speaking of Fancy Cops, that was nice right?" "Erm" The guard had a hard time answering. "Well, it''s mediocre for me." "Bad taste." Nexus scoffed. He continued to converse with the guards and soon Emily and Eva came back. They weren''t holding anything since it''s all in Eva''s spatial destruction ring. They rode in the car and went straight home. Emily was shocked at seeing how big the house was, and not only that, there was also a pool and a jacuzzi right outside. She happily toured the house with Eva while Nexus sat on his favorite spot. After that, Emily and Eva went to the garden to sit and talk. "Emily, how has Estra treated you?" Eva asked with concern. She already noticed Emily''s tired eyes. She also noticed how her sister is a lot thinner. Most of all she saw the greenish bruise on her left arm which angered Eva when she saw it. Nexus also saw it but since Eva didn''tment about it in the restaurant, he also didn''t say anything. Emily dropped her head a bid while touching the bruise. Surprisingly Nexus stood up from his couch, went to them, and leaned on the sliding door close to the table where they were sitting. He could use his soul sense to listen but he''d rather listen like this. "You don''t have to hide anything. Just say it." Eva softly spoke. "It''s nothing big really. Discrimination here in Estra is quite rampant. If they know you''re from a 3rd rate country, they''ll hardly see you as a human. At first a few of the people from work just threw a couple of disgusting words at me. It then escted to idental bumping, which was pretty hard. This bruise was the one I got yesterday. I got ''identally'' hit by another professor''s magic because I didn''t agree to go out with him. Last night, I was really close to breaking down. I couldn''t do anything. I was so powerless, so I just kept my mouth shut." Emily poured her heart out. Chapter 60: Brawlrena Chapter 60: Brawlrena Nexus scrunched his brows as he listened to the story. Eva''s heart felt heavy as she heard everything her little sister experienced in Estra. Her eyes already turned misty. Emily had her head tilted downwards as she was talked. She didn''t want her sister to see the sad expression on her face that''s mixed with anger. Her short stay here in Estra has been one of the worst times of her life. Emily continued with her story. It took about a few minutes before she finished. "Then grow stronger," Nexus spoke. Emily looked at him. Nexus continued "Grow stronger and no one will disrespect you." Emily dryly chuckled "It''s not that easy." "Correction, it wasn''t that easy. It''s different now." Nexus threw a single mana stone on the table. Emily curiously looked at it. She could feel the mana stored inside,rge amounts of mana. Her hand moved to touch the stone. As it reached closer, she could feel the mana rushing towards her body? Her eyes went wide "This? This is?" "It''s called a mana stone. I''m not sure if you humans have it. This stone makes cultivating a lot easier. You just need to be near it." Nexus exined. He continued "Don''t say thanks or anything of the sort. Just train, breakthrough, and you''ll understand." Emily stared at the stone for a while and then she looked at her sister. Eva smiled and nodded at her. Emily took the stone and ced it on her new spatial ring which Nexus and Eva gave her in the car when they were on their way here. It was precisely the Destrucstone spatial ring. Eva was astonished at how Nexus nonchntly decided to hand her sister the Destrucstone spatial ring. That was not a normal spatial ring. That ring worked simr to a portal that could send you directly inside the stone! Her astonishment onlysted for a few seconds before it turned into genuine happiness. Her sister now doesn''t need to carry cumbersome objects. But they haven''t told her about the space inside the tone though. "About that ''colleague'' of yours that attacked you, what''s his name?" Eva asked. She wanted to know who the bastard was. She might not be able to do anything now, but with the speed of cultivation now, she won''t even need years. Emily thought for a while before she answered "His name is Ohario. He''s also a new teacher like me but he''s from Estra and his family has a bit of influence." Eva nodded a couple of times. Nexus went back to the couch after hearing that. ---- 9:00 pm Marcus got out of his car and walked towards a building that''s only 3 stories. This building, although it only has two floors, is spacious. There were 3 entrances close to each other, and there was a sign that said ''Brawlrena''. Marcus read about this online. This ce is somewhat like a gym, but aside from training, it also has a ranking board where people could challenge each other. By the end of the month, the top people who were ranked in the top 10 would be in the news. Ranking boards for Elites and Commanders are also different to make sure thepetition would be fair. You can challenge anyone at any time as long as they and the ring are avable. Fights are only valid if you are fighting in one of the official rings of Brawlrena, which was located on the third floor. Marcus walked inside. He stepped on the gray floor and looked around. To his left were two rings that were rectangr in shape. They had an area of about 800 square meters and were elevated by about 2 meters. To his right were people training with a dummy or with other human beings. There were only a few people left, but these people were really hard on training. Marcus walked towards the side where the receptionist was. He greeted him and asked, "How do I participate in the leaderboards?" Marcus wanted toe earlier but he had to settle a few things. Before Marcus arrived here, he first went to the Minsers to finalize a few deals and told Loo about him investing in apany and not a nightclub. He also asked Loo to coborate with Leo with the two buildings beside the boulevard and to meet with Nexus and Eva there tomorrow. He also got a text from Nexus telling him about their fifth board member. Nexus sent Marcus her picture and showed it to Loo. Marcus told Loo to find her and tell her to contact Nexus''s number. Marcus could not understand why Nexus would send her to the boulevard and wait for the ce to open up. Nexus was of course in a hurry which was why he didn''t really think about it when he left that note to Maya. Marcus didn''t care who they''d find as a fifth member of the board as he could easily rece them if he had any problems. After all, idents happen all the time. Lastly, Marcus called Zoey and told her about the few changes. Marcus arrived in front of the employee who also greeted him "Good evening sir, if you want to participate you have to register first." Marcus nodded and asked a few questions about how everything here works. The employee carefully exined "This is Brawrena and it functions as a ce where people could train and also where people could fight for fame. You might think that those two rings are for the ranking match but they are only used for casual sparring. The ones for the ranking are on the 3rd floor. The 2nd floor is pretty much the same as the first floor. The rings are firste first serve and only one match per person unless they are challenged by someone new. Reservations for the rings are also valid, but for a certain price. The area of this building is around 1 hectare so you could imagine how many people are training here in a day. If you are training on the side, you don''t have to worry about stray spells since all the rings have barriers around them. Killing is absolutely prohibited inside the arena and if your opponents give up, you should immediately stop attacking." The employee finished. "Thank you, but please hurry and make me eligible for ranking matches." Marcus is already itching for a fight. The employee nodded and asked Nexus to stand in front of a camera. He also asked for his name and confirmed his rank. Marcus answered truthfully. As for his rank, he doesn''t have to hide it anymore. The employee was shocked. He guessed that this kid isn''t even 22 yet. ''This must be one of the geniuses.'' He thought. The process finished without a hitch. Marcus paid a certain amount that would make hime here without needing to pay any fees for one year. Marcus checked the website where the rankings were shown and saw his picture, name, cultivation stage, and leaderboard rank which was currently marked as ''Unranked''. "There are still a few matches going on up on the third floor if you''re interested in watching." The employee said. Marcus nodded and hurriedly walked towards an elevator nearby. He hoped that there''s another person up there who could fight with him. Although this could not be considered real tempering, he could still fight with geniuses in this country. Chapter 61: Aura of a Rank 5 Elite? Chapter 61: Aura of a Rank 5 Elite? Marcus arrived on the 3rd floor. He stepped out of the elevator and immediately saw two rectangr rings lined up. They had an area of around 1500 square meters, Bigger than the ones on the lower floors. There were also a few VIP boxes ced on the sides above the seats. There was a fight going on in one of the rings, it was the ring on the left side. Marcus walked towards a nearby seat and watched. He also looked at the nearby people. There were only a few left, and they were also focused on the fight. For Marcus though, it looked pretty dull. Nheless, he just kept watching since it looked like everyone had their focus on it. If he asked to challenge someone now, he might be brushed off, so he just waited. The fight onlysted for a couple of minutes before a winner was decided. The people around him began chattering. Marcus stood up, walked towards the ring on the right, and stood there. The few people around looked at him. From what they could see, he looked pretty young. One of them asked, "Fight?" Marcus looked at the man who seemed to be around 21 years old. "What''s your rank?" The man stood up. "I just joined," Marcus announced. A lot of peopleughed. They could already guess that he should still be at the early Elite stage. The man chuckled, "Are you trying to waste my time? Go home kid. It''s prettyte." "I''ll give you this if you win." Marcus got a few hundred bucks from his spatial ring. The man grinned from ear to ear seeing the money. "Alright, I''ll y with you." The surrounding people were a bit envious. They missed the chance of what seemed like, free money. Not all of them though. A few thought that maybe the kid has something up his sleeves. In Brawlrena, a person who had a lower rank in the leaderboards can challenge anyone who''s higher than him. If the distance of their ranking is too far, the person with a higher leaderboard ranking can decline, example if one person is ranked 10 and the one who challenges him is ranked 100, then the one who is ranked 10 may decline. But if a person is rank 10 and the one who challenges him is around rank 20 or 21, then a valid excuse must be presented before the person can decline the challenge or else the ranks will be switched. A way of fighting someone whose rank is way higher than yours is through bribing. Making your way up through thedder step by step is pretty damn tiring. The man walked towards the ring. He had short dark blond hair and brown eyes. He looked to be around 20 and is pretty tall about 5''10 feet. "There''s no more turning back. If you lose, you have to hand over that money." The man said. "I keep my words." Marcus readied himself. As the man stepped in, the barrier activated. The ring was now surrounded by what looked like a clear bubble. Marcus looked at his opponent. He already knew what this man''s rank was. The man raised his arms to the side "Pleasantries first, my name is Ned." He then began floating in the air. It wasn''t so high up, only around 3 meters. "I''m Marcus." Marcus tly said. The people were intently watching and listening. There were no other fights that are happening so all the attention was on Marcus''s bout. "You know, I could probably defeat you in one minute. Hell, I think one minute would already feel like forever when taking you down." The man''s voice was loud. His green robes fluttered in the air. Marcus shook his head "I pity the girl you end up with if you think one minute is forever." The people around startedughing. The ones taking videos had to pause it for they were currently shaking. They wanted to release the video on the inte and show how a kid got beaten up by being too cocky, but now it looks like they found better content. "You!" Ned pointed at Marcus. There were women in the small crowds. He wanted to look manly, but instead, he was humiliated. "Just start and stop talking." Marcus''s eyes glowed vermillion. He didn''t activate the Stone of Destruction nor did he use any chaos magic. "You''re gonna have to pay for embarrassing me!" Ned yelled as he casted wind des and threw them towards Marcus. He chained it with ''Twister''. Gusts of wind started blowing and headed towards Marcus. The wind des arrived first, to which Marcus dodged. The Twister was speeding in fast but it was not enough to evene close to Marcus as he zipped away with ''Lightning Form''. Ned wasn''t finished though. He kept throwing wind des but now he chained it with a fireball. "Is that all you got? What happened to ''making me pay''?" Marcus mocked. None of them even came close to hitting Marcus. Ned was only a rank 4 Elite, not even strong enough for Marcus to take seriously. The crowd was bewildered. Marcus looked like he was ying with his food. He didn''t even attack yet. In the crowd, one asked, "Does anyone know who that person is?" Another answered "I have no idea, I have never seen him in my life." A woman chimed in "I think that a person with that kind of hair color and eyes would be easily recognizable by any of us if we''ve seen him before, so maybe he''s from a different." The first person who spoke nodded, "That could be possible. He might be a high school student who transferred here in Estra." "High school? Don''t you mean college?" The woman also thought that he might be a transfer student. The first person thought for a while and then nodded his head "Hmm he looks pretty young. Heh, we''ll know when the ss opens tomorrow. We can just send our friends a message to keep a lookout for someone who looks like him in our school." The others nodded. "He must be one hell of a genius. Look! He''s releasing an aura of a rank 5 Elite!" One of them shouted. The crowd turned their focus back on the fight. Ned casted Twister together with methrower. It''s not that strong since his cultivation is low but there were still 2 ming tornadoes on the ring that functioned as a homing missile. It followed wherever Marcus zipped. The whole fight he had never attacked even once. "Alright, you''ve had your fun!" Marcus shouted. The ming tornadoes were closing in on him. His vermillion eyes glowed. He zipped towards Ned with ''Lightning Form''. Marcus''s aura of a rank 5 Elite exploded, which made Ned move backward. His eyes went wide. He couldn''t believe it. ''Wasn''t he only a kid?'' He wondered as a fist was currently closing in on his face. Heposed himself and casted an earth spell, ''Earth Armor'' which covered his body. Marcus scoffed. ''Learning those many kinds of magic. It would have been okay if you were in the Heavenly Realm, but here in the mortal realm? Big mistake.'' Chapter 62: Nightmare Pill Chapter 62: Nightmare Pill It''s not bad to learn multiple types of magic, but Marcus noticed that Ned''s spells from each discipline had the same level of power. His me spells were just as strong as his wind spells. His earth spell is most likely the same level as his two other spells. He was focusing on all three of them at the same time. It would have been somewhat okay if it was in the Heavenly Realm, but here where the mana is thin and people had no ess to mana stones, it would be better to just focus on one. Marcus'' fistnded on Ned''s head. It wasn''t that strong of a blow since killing was not allowed here. Right from the start, Ned already stood no chance against Marcus. When Marcus went in a while ago he checked everyone''s aura. They were no rank 8 Elites and above so Marcus changed his initial n. He now only wanted to get a ranking in the leaderboards. "What a boring fight." Marcus walked down the stage and headed towards the elevator. "Wait!" A shout came from the audience behind him. Marcus turned to look. It was a man who looked to be around his early 20s and has blond short hair. "I''m not going to fight anymore." Marcus said and started walking again towards the elevator. He jogged as he slowly got closer to Marcus. "I''m not here to challenge you. I''m a rank 6 Elite, it would be useless to fight. I just wanted to ask if you''re new in town." Marcus didn''t stop and continued walking. "Yes I am." "If you''re looking for a job, my family can offer you one." The man said. Marcus stopped and turned his head. Seeing that Marcus stopped, the man thought he was interested. He immediately continued "You can work as a guard or someone who does missions on others." Marcus inwardly scoffed, but he didn''t show it on the outside though. "What''s your name?" Marcus asked. He already had a guess as to which family this manes from, but wanted to make sure. The man scrunched his brows. Marcus''s slight disrespectful tone triggered him a bit. He calmed himself down and answered "I''m Krey vus." ''I knew it. Hahaha, my luck is really good.'' Marcus''s thoughts were right, this man was rted to Leo. He was just not expecting it to be Leo''s brother. Leo told him about his Krey. Just a bit though as Marcus wasn''t really interested. ''Rank 6 Elite, hmm, I still can''t use ''Army Maniption'' on him.'' His chaos magic might not be able to help yet, as he just started collecting chaos essences and turning them into chaos manast night.. "I don''t know. How much are we talking about?" Marcus asked. "There''s a bar downstairs, men should negotiate with whiskey on the table, don''t you think?" Krey chuckled. He wanted to recruit talented people. A person who looked to be this young and is already this strong is a gem here in Estra. Marcus nodded. They went to the elevator and arrived at the bar on the first floor and sat on the brown stools. Kley tapped the bar table and ordered a drink. Marcus ced his right hand in his pocket. The hand turned red and a short vermillion colored string came out of his index finger. It soon passed through his pants and went straight to the bartender. The bartender paused slightly, his eyes turned vermillion but it disappeared after he blinked. That pause onlysted for a second before he started preparing the drinks again. "So how about it?" Krey grabbed the ss that the bartender handed to him. He just finished telling Marcus about his offer. To work for his family and he will get paid handsomely. The family will also give him a schrship to study in Estra University. Marcus did the same. "Why should I work for your family? Other families can also give those kinds of offers don''t you think?" "You see, I''m an honest and upright man. If you work for other people, other big families here in Estra, they''ll get rid of you when they''re done using you." Kley downed the contents of the ss and signed the bartender for one more. "Let me think about it a bit more. Let''s taste another one of their drinks." Marcus did the same, he drank the contents of the ss, but he snuck a pill inside his ss and carefully handed it back to the bartender. The bartender got both their sses and retrieved the pill from Marcus''s ss and ced it in Kley''s new ss. The brown pill slowly dissolved and got mixed in with the drink that the bartender poured. Marcus received his drink, raised it a bit, faced Kley, and said "Salud" He drank the contents and ced it back on the table. "Cheers" Kley replied as he did the same. Marcus stood up "I''m sorry but I can''t ept your offer." Krey looked at him, brows furrowed. "Why?" Marcus began walking towards the door "I don''t need it. I''m rich." Kley looked at Marcus''s back. He blinked a couple of times before shaking his head. He''s not going to do anything to the guy, but he is wondering why he agreed to have a drink. ''Could it be?'' Krey checked the ss. He chuckled ''I must be getting paranoid. He''s only a kid.'' He paid the bill and went back to the third floor. ---- Marcus sat in his car, face slightly red. He''s finally on his way home. ''Those two brothers are really the same.'' Marcus tapped his index finger beside the window. He just gave Kley a ''Nightmare Pill''. Once a person ingests this pill, the person will experience horrifying dreams for the first 3 months. Dreams that will make you not want to sleep. The nightmares that''s being experienced by the person does not disappear unless it''s treated. After 3 months, other effects start toe in. Stinging pain around the body during cultivation, slow loss of eyesight, and drowsiness. ''I just hope that guy survives the first three months.'' Marcus thought. He arrived at the house around 10 pm. He got out of the car and headed towards the living room where Nexus was still sitting watching tv. "You and Big Sis will check the building beside the boulevard tomorrow." Marcus strolled in. "Mhm" Nexus nodded. "You''ll also be attending Estra University by the way." Marcus paused and looked at Nexus "I was also going to suggest the same thing." Nexus turned towards him and tilted his head. "We need concrete identities. You and Eva will both be my adopted parents. I, your adopted son, will enter Estra University and be a normal student. It''s a perfect cover for the three of us." Marcus exined. Nexus nodded and turned his attention back to the tv. Marcus walked towards the kitchen, grabbed a ss, and poured a drink. He unbuttoned the top part of his ck long sleeve polo, showing the middle part of his chest. He then went outside in the direction of the pool with a drink in hand. ''I think I forgot to tell him something.'' Nexus thought as hezily sprawled on the couch. Chapter 63: The Lady Moon Chapter 63: The Lady Moon Marcus stepped on the well-trimmed grasses. He took a deep breath and enjoyed the evening breeze. He looked at the pool and tilted his head a bit. He noticed that there were some ripples. ''Is Big Sis having a night swim? It''s a miracle that she''s not in the stone.'' Marcus sat on a nearby seat. Not long after, a person''s head popped up. A woman wearing a thin white one-piece slowly made her way out of the rectangr pool. Marcus, who was at the side, stared at her. This was not his Big Sis Eva. She had short hair, thin brows, cupid lips, white skin, and a breathtaking figure that could dazzle anyone. Droplets of pool water dripped from her hair to her wet bikini. A clear cameltoe between her legs made the value of her outlined nipples fall. Marcus doesn''t know how she got here but he didn''t make a sound. He was afraid that this is all a dream and one wrong move, he''s going to wake up. She stood there. The scintiting stars seemed to have dimmed in her presence. The bright moon illuminated her figure. Marcus''s eyes were glued to the mesmerizing picturesque in front of him. This was her, this was the woman who appeared in his memories. His first wife, The Lady of the Moon. The woman, Emily, felt like there was someone staring at her. She looked to her side and saw Marcus. Her heart skipped a beat. The lovely atmosphere would have been perfect for stargazing but instead, their gazes were at each other. No one spoke. A silence that felt like an eternity followed. Soon, footsteps could be heard heading towards them. Their short staring contest was finally put to an end. Eva walked in wearing a peach-colored sweatshirt that went down to her ass and sky blue shorts that''s meant for sleeping. "Emily, are you finished yet?" Eva called out. She neared her sister and finally noticed Marcus "Baby Brother you''re finally home." Marcus chuckled "It''s been a fun day for me, I forgot about the time." Eva smiled "You can finally meet my sister." She walked toward Emily and grabbed her wrist pulling her towards Marcus who was now standing up. "This is my sister, Emily. Emily, this is Marcus, the one I told you about." Eva introduced. The two individuals were now only a meter or two away from each other. Marcus did his best to make his eyes behave. He tried his best to calm down andpose himself. He cleared his throat and said, "It''s nice to finally know your name, Emily." Emily opened her mouth once, twice, but nothing came out. "Oh? You two met before?" Eva had a surprised look on her face. Marcus nodded "We did, back at the hotel in Ker. I just didn''t have the chance to get her name." Eva looked at Emily "Why didn''t you tell me about this?" "It was only a brief encounter. I also didn''t think that we''d meet again." Emily finally spoke. Eva looked at them. She felt there was something off. He stared at Marcus for a while and then smiled. "You two should catch up, It has been a long time after all." Marcus never acted like this when he met Zoey and plus he Marcus now has his memories so he should be able to interact with people a lot easier. This was why Eva thought there was something weird. Marcus was somewhat stunned ''A long time? Did she finally see the other faces?'' Eva walked towards the living room, leaving Marcus and Emily together with the humming sounds of the night that apanied them both. "Marcus right?" Emily looked at Marcus, her eyes clear. Marcus nodded. He wanted to hug, tell about everything, and tell her that they would storm the upper realms together. Marcus already learned his lesson. In his past life, he tried to do everything by himself. Sometimes he would fall short and even downright fail. Nexus wasn''t strong enough to help him. Come to the tragic ending where they all fell and no matter how strong Marcus was at that time, he couldn''t protect them. In this life, he would no longer try to do everything alone. "Do you want to sit?" Marcus offered. There was another chair beside his. "Yes, I would love to." Emily didn''t want to leave for some reason. Marcus smiled. He waited for her ass to touch the chair before sitting down. "Oh, there''s my hairpin." Emily bent sidewards and grabbed a ck hairpin. "It''s funny how sometimes you think you''d never see it again, but in the end, everything works out." Marcus ced his empty ss on a nearby table. "I know right. I''ve lost dozens of these before and never found them. It''s not like you could rte. Have you lost anything before?" Emily''s voice sounded a lot more natural now. Marcus chuckled and looked at her eyes "I have actually, and they are both irreceable. I''ve already found one of them with the help of fate and I won''t ever let her go this time. As for the other one, fate will help me find her too, I''m sure of it." ''Her?'' Emily had a curious look on her face. "May I see who?" Marcus thought for a while and then nodded. He took out an object from his spatial ring and handed it to Emily which she received with her left hand. The handle and the sides were ivory in color. Emily looked in the mirror and saw her current self. "The mirror?" She asked as she handed it back. Marcus received it andughed, but he didn''t say anything. "For thements, I''ve said during that day in the elevator, I''m sorry but I won''t take it back. Especially after seeing you today like this." Marcus teasingly smiled as he stood up, raised his head, and looked at her before leaving. Marcus won''t rush it. This is only their first proper interaction after all. Emily sat there and looked at his retreating back. She was somewhat flustered by hisment. Deep down though, she liked it. ---- Eva went to Nexus. "My sister is someone important in Marcus''s past life?" Eva asked. Her hands were situated at the back of the couch. Nexus nodded. Eva sighed "Something is really wrong with me. I''m not even shocked." Nexus faced her "That''s normal, you''ve already recovered a bunch of your memories after all." "I''m guessing, she''s his wife." Eva walked towards the front of the couch. Nexus smiled and nodded. "You really are smart. Just like you were back then." Eva leaned her head to his shoulders "It''s good you know I''m smart." ---- Marcus went back into the Destrucstone. He needs to continue cultivating Chaos Magic. He walked towards the training room and sat cross-legged. He controlled his breathing and soon started turning the mana around him into chaos essence. As Marcus was doing this, he recovered a few of his memories, but that didn''t stop him from cultivating. He didn''t want to waste any more time. Especially since tomorrow, he''ll have another busy day. He endured the stinging pain he felt in his head. Chapter 64: Going to Estra University Chapter 64: Going to Estra University Marcus opened his eyes and sighed, his body drenched in sweat. It wasn''t easy cultivating while memories were being injected into your head. He stood up and clenched his fists. The chaos mana inside his body is starting to rapidly multiply. Once he fully reces his normal mana into chaos mana, he''ll be recovering chaos mana and not normal mana anymore. To recover chaos mana he doesn''t need to cultivate chaos essence for it again. It just functions the same as the traditional mana. Though, Marcus still needs to gather chaos essence to turn his chaos mana purer. Marcus went out of the destrucstone and arrived in his room. He went to the bathroom for a quick shower and then went straight down. He wasn''tte for breakfast, well, he made sure not to bete for breakfast since they need to go somewhere. His feet touched the wooden flooring in the dining room as he walked towards the table where they would eat. Nexus already left the couch and changed the channel to ''Daily News''. Eva and Emily sat beside each other. Eva wore a peach-colored sleeveless cocktail dress and Emily wore a simple pantsuit. Marcus went ahead and sat beside Nexus. Marcus finally wore his blue long sleeve and khaki pants. Nexus just wore a ck shirt and white shorts. The atmosphere was awkward for a few minutes as they ate their food silently. "The food is really good." Marcus decided topliment the food so that the atmosphere would ease up a bit. Eva smiled "Emily whipped up these dishes today. She''s an amazing cook." Emily shyly smiled. "She''d make a great wife, don''t you think Marcus?" Nexus nudged Marcus with his elbow. Marcus, who was about to swallow the food in his mouth, coughed. He grabbed a tissue on the table and wiped his mouth with it. Emily chuckled when she saw this. Marcus looked at her happy face. He just smiled and didn''t say anything. "Ahem" Eva coughed. "We should hurry up. Nexus already told me about the n." "Sounds perfect right?" Marcus thought that going to Estra University here was a good n, but when he found out that Emily teaches there, it made it even better. Eva nodded "So Nexus and I will be your parents and we''ll say that we adopted you. That would also make Emily your aunt." Emily paused from bringing food into her mouth. Marcus slightly bowed towards her and said "Nephew greets aunt." "Don''t call me aunt. It makes me feel like I''m an olddy." Emily spoke in a slightly irritated tone. Her shyness was gone. Eva giggled "Girls really hate being reminded of their age." Nexus was silently listening to their conversation. His mind was off somewhere remembering the past that looked simr to this. ''There is only one person left Marcus has to find then this table would finally feelplete.'' Nexus casually yed with his food as he listened to their conversation. A few minutester they finished eating and headed to Estra University. The guards were, of course, left at home. They only took the white car. Marcus and Emily sat at the back while Nexus and Eva sat in front. "Emily are you excited?" Eva asked. Emily nodded "Both nervous and excited." "Nexus, what happened to Emily''s arm?" Marcus asked via soul link. "She said it was done by a colleague of hers named Ohario. Emily didn''t agree to go out with him so he threw a spell at her." Nexus'' voice sounded in Marcus'' mind. "Ohario huh?" Marcus already noticed the greenish bruise on Emily''s armst night. He just didn''t ask her directly. Nexus chuckled "I''ve got a couple of ideas if you want to hear it." "Go shoot," Marcus replied. They arrived in Estra after a few minutes. The car could now be parked inside the school parking lot, unlike yesterday where they had to park outside. The guards did a quick check on their car to see if there were any dangerous objects. The inspection quickly finished and the car went straight to the parking lot. There were lots of luxurious vehicles around and most of them were driven by students. The students walking around already had their own groups or cliques. ''How the hell do I even fit in?'' Marcus thought. They got out of their car and started walking to the main building. "Nexus, why don''t we both enroll in the university," Marcus suggested as he walked beside Nexus. Nexus shook his head "Are you kidding me? I''d feel like a narc if I''ll group up with young-looking drug dealers like you." Both the girls chuckled. Nexus learned this from a show he watched. "I''ll be heading this way," Emily said goodbye to them and made a turn. They were now in the lobby. Emily already told them where to go. The ce was close by so it only took them a minute or two to arrive. They spoke to a woman who was working there and inquired about enrolling. "I''m sorry but you''ll have to wait for a while." The woman said. Marcus had no patience for this so he used ''Army Maniption'' on her and asked her to notify the dean about them being important visitors. Not long after, someone came to get them and they were escorted to the dean''s office. Marcus retracted the vermillion string before they left. ---- The person who guided them opened the door. Marcus, Emily, and Nexus went in. A clean-looking office came to view. There was only a single table at the center back portion of the room. Near the door were sofas where Nexus immediately sat. On the chair behind the table sat a man who looked to be in his 40''s, ck hair and well-formed brows. He looked at the people who just arrived. "What can I do for you?" He asked. Marcus and Emily sat on the chairs in front of the table. Eva spoke first "I would like to enroll my son here. We werete due to some inconvenience and we just arrived in Estra. We chose this school because my sister works here." Eva didn''t forget to slip thest sentence in even though it had nothing to do with the whole thing. It was something She and Marcus nned on. The Dean looked at them "I''m not the one who you''re supposed to talk to about this. You can go to the office and they''ll process everything." He could not understand why they woulde here, but he is a man with great patience which is why he''s not angry. Eva had her hands on herp and a smile the whole time "You see, this one is a special case. My son is currently 17 years old. He had also never been to school before, so there is really not much to process." "I''d also only like to take 2 of your subjects. I won''t pick any majors and such." Marcus chimed in. The Dean was bbergasted. He couldn''t process what they both said. Eva chuckled "I hope you understand." "Ahem" The Dead cleared his throat and looked at Marcus. "I believe that you should be in highschool and not here." Eva got a spatial ring from her pocket and handed it to The Dean before Marcus could reply. Chapter 65: Dean the Dean Chapter 65: Dean the Dean In modern universities, majors correspond to magic or powers individuals mainly use. It is somewhat like their main discipline. So people who use water magic will take a water major and the same with others. The dean received the ring and checked its contents. There was money inside, but it wasn''t a lot. Although Marcus and the gang were rich, they all didn''t want to just go around and waste money. "You''re bribing me?" The dean ced the ring on the table. The money was clearly not enough for him. Marcus inwardly scoffed. "Isn''t it clear? You''re a dean but you seem stupid!" Nexus said in an irritated tone. The dean furrowed his brows. He wasn''t used to being called stupid. He took a deep breath and looked at Eva "Your husband seems to have a--" "What my husband seems to have is not what we''re talking about. Let''s get back on track. I want my son to be enrolled here." Eva cut the dean off. Nexus had a proud look on his face. "I''m sorry but there is really nothing I can do." He looked at Marcus. The boy''s face looked pretty young, but there was an air of maturity around him. Something that the dean found weird. "Looks like we have no choice." Marcus raised his wrist and used his watch. He called someone and soon a person answered. The dean had a curious look on his face. "Loo I''m going to enter Estra University. Put in a good word for me with the dean. This is important, so do it right away." Marcus said to the man on the screen. Loo Minser, who was in his office, didn''t mind Marcus''s tone. They already had a long conversation yesterday and were now quite acquainted. "No problem, I''ll call him right away," Loo replied. "Thank you, I''ll be seeing you soon." Marcus hung up after that. He ced his hand down, looked at the dean, and smirked. A second or two after the call, the dean''s phone rang. The Dean answered it and found Loo Minser on the other side. Loo stared at the dean''s eyes and said"Dean If a teen with vermillion hair enrolls in that school let him in. Don''t ask any questions." Dean, the dean had a surprised look on his face. He couldn''t believe it. ''Who are these people?'' He wondered. Deanposed himself before answering "Yes, don''t worry. There won''t be any hups" After hearing Dean''s reply, Loo hung up. He looked at them and slightly bowed his head "I apologize, it looks like there is actually a way, It just slipped through my mind a while ago. Just let me scan your id and you''re good to go." The other three in the room softly chuckled. Dean faced Marcus and said, "Tell me the 2 subjects that you want to take." "Magic - The Basics, Weapons Training" Marcus answered. "Alright, I''ll tell the professors to add you to their ss" Dean looked at Eva. "I heard you mention that you had a sister who works here." "I do, she''s a new teacher and she teaches Magic - The Basics" Eva answered. Eva and Emily didn''t really look alike which is why people can''t identify them as sisters right away. They do, look a lot like their past selves. "Oh, might I ask who she might be?" Dean couldn''t remember anyone who looked like Eva. "Her name is Emily Lux," Eva was not surprised that the dean couldn''t find any resemnce. "Emily Lux?" Dean tilted his head a bit and suddenly his eyes lit up. "Oh, now I remember, the one from a third-rate country." Eva calmly nodded. Dean then remembered a scene from yesterday where she got hit by a spell and was humiliated. He was of course there for the gathering, and he was also present when the ''ident'' happened. ''Oh no,'' He inwardly groaned. This is going to be a pain to deal with if the three in front of him bring it up. Thankfully none of them did. The conversation went on for a short while as Marcus and Eva inquired for a couple of information. Marcus was now a student of Estra University. The three of them were back in the parking lot. Nexus and Eva will go to the site near the boulevard while Marcus would enter ss. "Big Sis, Leo will meet you there so that you can choose how to design the ce. I don''t really mind how it looks as long as the nightclub can serve our drinks." Marcus stood outside of the car while Nexus and Eva were already inside. "Mhm," Eva nodded. "We''ll also be meeting with Mayater." "Big Sis make sure to tell Leo that we won''t distribute our products to other ces yet." Marcus looked at the building where he was supposed to go. Eva giggled "Hahaha, of course, we''re going to want to jack up the demand before we start distributing." After their short exchange, Marcus went on his way. Eva and Nexus also have a long day ahead of them. They will both check out the building for the nightclub and for their headquarters. Eva already nned for the factory to be under their headquarters so that things would be a lot easier to monitor. Trucks used for delivery could also ess the underground factory and retrieve the bottles that are ready. Magic makes a lot of things possible. Marcus made his way through the halls. A staircase and a few turnster, he arrived in front of his first ss. The opening event of the school year was cut short since the dean was not there to give his speech, so the students had to go back to their ssrooms. Marcus knocked and turned the knob of the wooden door. "Good morning" Marcus greeted. There were 4 rows of curved long tables in front of a whiteboard. Students who wore different types of clothes sat there using the built-inputers that the tables had. Emily, who was typing something in theputer in front of the ss, looked at him and so did the other 20 or so students. There are only 20 or so in a ss because they are divided into different sections to ensure that the teacher can amodate each and every one of them properly, especially when they have questions. "Good morning and wee to ''Magic The Basics''. Please choose a seat." Emily couldn''t understand why Marcus chose this ss. She actually had a guess but she didn''t want to believe it. Her feelings keep telling her that Marcus is someone important. Emily did her best to remain professional even and not let her thoughts affect her appearance on the outside. Marcus nodded and walked to the left side of the room. He chose a seat beside the window on the 2nd row. The students around him were staring at him. They thought he looked too young to be 19. ''Probably just someone who has a baby face'' One of them thought since Marcus'' body was pretty lean. "Alright everyone, please look at the board as I project and introduce our first topic." Emily stood up and walked to the center. She fixed her ck-rimmed sses and looked at her ss. There''s no need to introduce herself anymore as she already did a while ago when Marcus wasn''t here. Marcus who promised himself to be a good student was ready to listen. Chapter 66: Common, Uncommon, Rare Chapter 66: Common, Umon, Rare Emily pressed a button on her watch. Arge picture was then projected on the whiteboard. It had five words that said, ''Common, Umon, Rare Magic'' in bold. "Can anyone give a few examples ofmon magic?" Emily asked. A few students raised their hands, others were quietly using their watches, and Marcus had his right hand below his chin. "You" Emily pointed to one of the students. A girl with short hair a ck hair tied into a ponytail stood up and said "Fire magic, water magic, and earth magic" Emily nodded."You are correct. Although they aremon magic that doesn''t mean they are weakerpared to other magics. Especially if you advance in them or if you find a good magic book that can turn them frommon magic to umon magic, and even to rare magic. Can anyone give me an example of this?" A few hands were once again raised. Most of them were the same people who raised their handsst time. "You" Emily pointed to another student. A male student stood up and answered "A fire magic book that tells you how to cast ming meteors and manipte them." "Good" Emily nodded. Although Marcus found it boring, he still listened. The discussion that they were having was not new to Marucs. The terms may be different but the contents were the same. Fire magic and such were justmon magic. How to cast fireballs, how to cast a wall of mes, and others were basic magic that all fire magic books teach. Another reason why fire, water, and earth aremon is that there are a lot more people who have a good affinity with itpared to umon and rare. The better your affinity with it, the easier it is for you to train in that type of magic. However, there are fire magic books that have extraordinary spells taught in them that other fire books do not have. These kinds of fire books can turn yourmon fire magic to umon, and even rare. This also goes for othermon magic. Just like Marcus''s lightning. Without the Vermillion Lightning Bolts, his lightning would only be umon, but because of his magic book, the lightning he uses is now considered rare and some would argue that it''s legendary. If ever Marcus wants to train in another lightning book in the future, he could just ce all the contents in his mind once he reaches Enlightened Stage, but that doesn''t mean he already knows everything about the spells in the said book. It just means that he doesn''t need to read the book anymore as everything is already ced inside his head. "Let''s now go to umon magic. Anyone?" Emily changed the image on the board. "Ice, metal maniption, wind, and, lightning, um, that''s all I know." A guy stood up. "Mhm," Emily nodded. "There are also a few transformation magic that can bebeled as umon." A student raised his hand and asked "Is there a transformation magic that can turn you into a dragon?" "A transformation that could turn you into a dragon? Well, I myself have never heard of such magic before but it could probably exist somewhere." Emily answered. ''Dragons huh?'' Marcus chuckled. He just remembered that he has a dragon pool inside the Destrucstone. It was made from the blood of the mightiest dragon in the realm when he was the Divine Conqueror. Emily pped her hand "For thest one, rare magic. Anyone?" Once again a student rose "Psychic powers, gravity maniption, and holy magic. That is all I know" "Good" Emily nodded "Those are just a few examples, but there are a lot more. Next, let me ask you this, do you thinkmon magic is better than umon magic?" "I think that being able to cast umon magic makes you more special, but it doesn''t necessarily mean thatmon magic is a lot better than umon magic." The girl who had short hair that''s tied into a ponytail answered. "Really? In my opinion, people who can only castmon magic are in and a lot weaker which makes them mediocre. Unless of course, they get a good spellbook." A guy who sat near Marcus argued. Thus began a debate. The short-haired girl shook her head "in, yes, but a lot weaker? That''s debatable. I''ve seen people with the same rank fight, one usingmon magic and the other umon magic. The person withmon magic had stronger attacks and he also won." The guy scoffed "Are you sure he didn''t use a special magic book?" "He was using in mes, I''m quite sure." The girl didn''t want to back down. Soon, a few of their ssmates joined. Marcus, however, sat on his seat quietly. He''s thinking about how hot Emily is right now. Especially with those sses on. There was even icing on top. She was wearing a pantsuit that highlighted her ass. Marcus'' teenage body could hardly take it. He might be a lot more mature now that his memories are back, but the same can''t be said for his body. ''Damn! Control! Control! You''re no longer a ducking teenager!'' Marcus berated himself. Emily listened to them without interrupting. As long as it won''t escte and turn into a fight, a healthy debate is fine. Her eyes would also unconsciously move to Marcus from time to time and she could feel her heartbeat getting faster from his gaze. It seemed like Marcus was eyeing herlike how a predator would on a prey. Emily was not imagining it as Marcus'' teenage body right now would dly do her on the table in front. ''How old am I? How old is he? Ahh, what''s going on with me." Emily sighed. When other people would look at her body like what Marcus is doing right now, she would feel sickened. However, when Marcus does it, she doesn''t mind. "Everyone, settle down!" Emily raised her voice quite a bit. She turned her attention back to the ss. She continued "That would be all for today. Your little debate took up most of the time. I will see you guys again in our next meeting. Goodbye." Everyone stood up and said goodbye while walking towards the door. Marcus stayed behind. He approached her andplimented "Great lecture" Marcus couldn''t think of anything else to make it less awkward. He could go for his old lines which he used in his past life but the current circumstance told him not to. Emily, who''s now sitting in front of theputer, smiled "Really? I thought I was too stiff." Marcus twitched ''Stiff? You wanna know what stiff really is?'' He didn''t blurt it out. Instead, he cleared his throat "Your movements were actually pretty stiff at the beginning." Emily dryly chuckled "I felt it too, but I couldn''t do anything about it. I think it was all because of the stress that''s bottled up." The awkwardness was somewhat lifted as they continued to converse. "This is why you shouldn''t work too hard. You also need to rx. Like what you didst night." Marcus now stood beside Emily. "I needed to work hard so that I could give my Big Sister a better life. She sacrificed a lot of things for me. I really didn''t like teaching but it was the only option avable." Emily''s had hints of sadness in her voice. "You know you don''t need to anymore right? You could maybe focus on cultivating." Marcus softly said. "Maybe, but not now. I already started teaching, why not stay a while longer. I also want to experience it a bit more." Emily raised her head and looked at Marcus in the eye. Marcus moved closer "Actually I know a magical technique that could shave off stress." "Oh," Emily had a wondering look on her face. She then smiled "Okay let this teacher get a taste of your magic." Marcus now stood behind her and massaged her shoulders. Soft moans could be heard escaping from Emily''s mouth. A few secondster, Marcus stopped. Emily looked up and wondered if it was over. Before she could even speak, she noticed that her lips couldn''t move. Marcus gently and passionately nted his lips on Her''s. Emily''s eyes were open. All she could see was Marcus'' neck and the slightly protruding adam''s apple. Chapter 67: However, he is Marcus Kauffman Chapter 67: However, he is Marcus Kauffman "Marcus," Emily''s voice rang in Marcus'' head. Marcus snapped out of his fantasy. He stood straight, slightly clutching Emily''s shoulders. A while ago, he imagined viting Emily''s lips. His hands calmly navigated around her heavenly body like an experienced captain traversing an unknown sea. But as stated, it was all in his imagination. Marcus chuckled and went back to massaging her shoulders "I''m sorry, I was thinking of that show Ist watched." "What show was it?" Emily asked. The reason why Emily called him out was that she could feel a hard object poking her upper back. As an adult, she already knew what it was, but to avoid an awkward situation, she didn''t bring it up. "It was nothing really, just an action film." Marcus quickly answered. Emily checked the time "Shouldn''t you head for ss?" "Ahem, you''re right. By the way, how many sses do you have left?" Marcus removed his hands from her shoulders and backed away. "Onest ss and then I''m free to go. I also have the same schedule for tomorrow." Emily looked towards her side where Marcus was. "You''ll only be teaching two days in a week right?" Marcus asked as he walked towards the door. "Yep, after Tuesday, I''m free. I''ll be able to focus on cultivating by then." Emily happily said. Marcus gave a thumbs up "We''ll just go home together since I only have one ss left. You are not allowed to say no!" "Don''t you think it''s inappropriate?" Emily thought that if people would see them together, rumors might start circting. She isn''t really worried about herself but of Marcus and his image as a student. "What? It''s not like there''s anything happening between us, yet." Marcus stepped out of the room after finishing his sentence. Emily sat there. Dumbfounded by his response. Eva didn''t reveal any big secrets yet so she still doesn''t know that for Marcus, the mortal realm is akin to a yground. Though he does value life here and is still respectful to its inhabitants. Emily sighed as she ced her hands on her chest. "What is this?" ---- Marcus arrived at the ce where his next subject would be taught. To his surprise, they were not in a ssroom, nor were they in a ce where there was a roof. His next ss was on a wide-open field. He wasn''t expecting ''Weapons Training'' to be taught here. He thought they''d be somewhere surrounded by four walls and a ceiling. ''Fuck it''s hot!'' Marcus walked towards his ssmates. These people were the same ones he was with during hisst ss. The sun was burning on the horizon. The in field had a few dummy humanoids used for practice. There were also drones already flying a few meters up in the air. On the side was arge shed-like structure where people could grab their preferred weapons. They just have to say what weapon they want and it would appear from the ground. If they want to return it, they just have to ce it in the bin beside the shed. Everyone was already lined up in a few rows and columns. The instructor was in front looking at them, judging their appearances. Marcus who was walking towards the back attracted the Instructor''s gaze. He pointed at Marcus "You! Why are youte?!" Estra University is one of the best, if not the best, university in Estra. Discipline is an important factor if a student wants to remain studying here. A personte for ss on the first day is not something that can easily be epted by most of the professors or instructors who have been teaching here for a long time as they were used to having students who were ''properly raised''. Marcus stopped. His steps halted as he looked at the Instructor whose index finger was pointed at him. The man has blond long hair that was split in the center and a long chin. He looks to be around 35 years old, is around 6 feet tall, and has quite a muscr build. This was the teacher of this course, Hedi Mn. Hedi Mn already had a couple of students who were alsote in the past, but never on the first day. For him, this was a clearck of discipline. Marcus took a deep breath to calm himself down. His Asura Bloodline was boiling. This was anger that can''t be prevented even though his maturity has reached another level. "Good morning," Marcus calmly spoke, "I had to talk to someone about an important matter." Marcus is not going to announce that he waste because he wanted to make his way with Emily inside her ssroom and on the table. The instructor shook his head "I don''t see that as a valid excuse to bete. Come here in front and squat." Marcus'' Asura blood went into overdrive. If he had not recovered his past memories, he''d be rampaging right now. Marcus scoffed "I''m sorry, but I won''t be able toply. I don''t see why I should squat in front just because I waste." When Hedi heard this, veins started to bulge out at the side of his forehead. "What did you say?!" Hedi yelled. He was a military man and valued discipline above all. This kind of attitude was something he couldn''t tolerate. Marcus'' ssmates were looking at him, well, staring at him. They couldn''t believe what they just heard. Disrespecting a teacher like that in a prestigious university such as this was just simr to kicking yourself out. Enrolling in Estra University isn''t easy. Well, for most people. For the five big families, it''s pretty much like walking in the park. The student''s around were sure that this student who had vermillion hair, was not a scion of any sort from the big families. His features and everything didn''t match them. Some of his ssmates had a look of admiration, mostlying from the male poption. Most of the females however, were repulsed by his attitude. Most, but not all. "You heard me loud and clear." Marcus stood calmly. He''s usually polite but he could not ept this kind of treatment Marcus knew he was in the wrong as he waste and being a student at Estra University, this is a big ''NO''. However, he''s Marcus Kauffman. Hedi, whose brows were furrowed, asked, "What''s your name?" "Marcus, Marcus Kauffman" Marcus replied. "You''re not from Estra?" Hedi has never heard of Marcus'' family name before. Marcus shook his head "We just transferred here." Hedi smiled "Alright, do you know why we offered this subject?" Marcus didn''t answer. He just looked at Hedi indicitaing him to continue. "To help you learn how to handle different weapons, and of course, the weapon of your choice. I am here to teach you and I am serious about my job. So unless you''re already skilled at handling even a single weapon, then you should attend my sses on time!" Hedi spoke like he''s talking to a young boy. Marcus scoffed "If I can show you that I''m proficient in a single weapon, would it be okay for me to bete for your ss?" Chapter 68: I Only Need Three Chapter 68: I Only Need Three What Marcus said shocked both his ssmates and Hedi. Who would believe a young-looking teen like Marcus could wield a weapon properly? Hedi sneered "Go ahead, but if you can''t, I''ll go to the office and get you expelled." Hedi hated being challenged like this, but thinking how the kid would be humiliated and would be able to learn his lesson, he yed along. Marcus sighed. He already made sure not to release an aura of rank 7 Elite to not attract unnecessary attention, but now he got himself into this mess. He''s not afraid of people finding out, it''s just that he wants to first let the nightclub open. "Remember, no use of magic whatsoever." Hedi gestured to the nearby shed and told him what to do to receive a weapon. The young adults nearby were conversing amongst themselves. Among them was a male teen who had hair that reached his shoulders. He was talking to his friend who had wavy blond hair. "Hey Reno, you think he can pass?" The ck-haired teen asked both himself and his friend. Seeing someone challenge the teacher on the first day was not something you see every day. These two have been friends since high school, and they have never once seen this kind of thing happen before. They have seen someone shit their pants in public, they have seen people eating each other out in public, but this was something new. Reno shook his head."He probably has a n. If not, it''d be such a waste. The dude just got in and he has to be kicked out on the same day. Nedo we should do something as cool as that." Nedo shook his head "That''s not our style. You can hardly talk normally to people, how much more like that in front of a crowd." "Fuck!" Reno cursed at his friend "I didn''t mean we should do something that big right away. What I meant was we should get off our asses and go around town during the weekends. Go drinking, hang out with girls, or even do a bit of sport and not just hang out at home ying video games all day. Look at that guy, now wonder how many chicks he already banged." Nedo and Reno had been friends since they were young. They were somewhat cut from the same cloth. Both of them were bad at socializing, they both love ying video games, and they only have a very small circle of friends. For short, they''re introverts. Nedo Lavan and Reno Xalia were both nerdy-looking in high school. Most of the time they would just stay on the side and talk aboutics, games, and animated adult videos. Both of them were also pretty chubby when they were in high school. Because of all these traits they never had a girlfriend before. However, a truck known as puberty hit them. They now looked pretty handsome, but they were still a pair of introverts. Seeing Marcus stand up like that to the instructor made Reno want to change himself. He wants to have that confidence. "Alright, this weekend let''s do what people our age usually do." Nedo thought about it for a while and figured that it was time for some changes. "Hahaha" Renoughed. "Perfect, my cousin told me that there might be a bar opening this weekend. Let''s level up and finish that campaign so that we won''t have anything on our minds this weekend other than having fun." --- While Nedo and Reno were talking Marcus was making his way towards the nearby shed. There was a rectangr box-like machine ced in the center. Marcus did what Hedi told him and said what kind of weapon he wanted. "Bow and arrows!" Marcus shouted. He doesn''t really know how this works so he just made his voice loud so that the machine could hear him. A portion of the rectangr box-like machine slid open. A normal looking bow and a couple of arrows were gently spat out andnded on the side where there was no hole. Shortly after, the portion of the rectangr box-like machine that was open, closed. Marcus grabbed a bow and the given arrows. He then slowly walked his way back to where the instructor and the others were. The bow was on his left hand and he was clutching the arrows on his right. His vermillion eyes shone under the bright morning sun. Hedi''s brows rose a bit. He was not expecting the kid to use this weapon. Normally, he would see a lot of students wield swords at the beginning of the course. A lot, but not all since there are students who prefer other kinds of weapons. "I hope you won''t go back on your words." Marcus now stood a few meters away from Hedi. He wanted to have the option to go to sste so he could chat with Emily after everyone goes out. This is a chance we would never let go of. "I don''t go back on my words." Hedi never nned it to escte like this. He was not serious about expelling Marcus if he failed this test. For him, Marcus was somewhat like a rebellious teenager who probably has problems. So Hedi wanted Marcus to learn a lesson. Marcus did a quick nod. "What''s the test?" "It''s simple" Hedi pointed towards the nearby drones "With no help from any spells, you have to hit targets that''s 140 meters, 240 meters, and 450 meters far." The students who heard that had their mouths agape. This was just in insane for a teenager. Hedi thought that Marcus had some skill in wielding a bow since he was pretty confident. It''s the reason why he upped the level of difficulty quite a bit. Marcus looked at the drones. They were the size of a grown man''s hands. He turned towards Hedi and nodded. "Seems doable. Let''s start, I hate being under the sun." Marcus stuck four of the five arrows on the ground while holding thest one. Hedi''s eye twitched after hearing what Marcus said. He thought his ears were ying tricks on him. Marucs'' ssmates had different kinds of reactions. "It was fun at first, but now he just sounds cocky." One said. "I know right. Sometimes people just don''t know their limits." Another said. "If he wants to show off, I think that he chose the wrong ce to do so." a woman said. "Who cares about him, I need to go to the bathroom." A guy who stood behind them whispered. While the others were talking Nedo and Reno were too. Reno pointed at the guy "See that! We should ask him to share a bit of his confidence with us." Nedo chuckled "All I see is someone who might get expelled. I have no hate though, I would want to see how he could pull this off, if he could pull this off." "Since you brought 5 arrows with you then you''ll have five chances." Hedi set the drones up with a controller and they soon began to fly at a distance. He also made a line where Marcus is not allowed to cross. Marcus walked forward and stopped just in front of the white line. "I only need three." Chapter 69: Hitting All Three Shots Chapter 69: Hitting All Three Shots Hedi scoffed "Your cockiness astounds me. Make sure to back it up with your actions." Marcus took his stance and readied his weapon. His breath, steady. He drew the bowstring and aimed. The people on the side were quietly and intently looking at him. Marcus fired. The arrow streaked in the air and soon found its target. The first part of the challenge,plete. Marcus pulled an arrow from the ground as the crowd recovered from their slight amazement. He nced at Hedi before taking a stance and did the same thing all over again. The arrow once again pierced the target that was being carried by the drone. This time it was 240 meters. The crowd''s slight amazement turned into bewilderment. "Dude!" Reno smacked Nedo''s upper back. "Shit!" Nedo cursed as he not only felt the strong impact from the p but also from the slight stinging pain that followed. Hedi''s brows furrowed. He was pretty calm when Marcus made the first shot, but now he felt making this deal was a bad mistake. ''There''s still thest shot, there''s still thest shot." Hedi repeated the same sentence in his mind like it was a mantra. Marcus got another arrow that was perched on the ground, thest arrow he''ll use. He did the same thing all over again, but this time he closed his eyes for a brief moment before firing. He and his weapon were one. As Marcus was about to release the arrow, the crowd gulped. Hedi''s still repeating the same mantra in his head. Marcus didn''t wait for the arrow to find its target. He already faced Hedi and said, "I guess I passed your test." The arrowhead pierced the center of the target as he finished his sentence. "Holy balls of Christ." Nedo and Reno were awed. A full 450-meter distance. This was not something normal teenagers could do. Of course, Marcus is far from normal. He is, after all, an Asura. Asuras have an innate talent for using bows and arrows. This weapon was practiced by every Asura ever since they could properly stand up and talk. Marcus, as a royal prince, was trained by the best royal archers of the empire. Before he even held a spear, he was already skilled in archery. "I guess I passed your little test." Marcus walked towards the others. Hedi stood, frozen. He couldn''t believe it. He didn''t want to believe it. The crowd stared at Marcus, they were looking at him like he was a monster. "You''re not going to go back on your word are you?" Marcus asked. He didn''t like people who won''t fulfill their end of the bargain. Hedi sighed. "Don''t worry, I might be strict but I am a man of my word." Marcus smirked and went to the back of a column just behind Nedo and Reno. He looked at the two of them and chuckled having heard a couple of their exchanges. What caught his attention though was what Reno said about a new nightclub that''s opening this weekend. ''I guess news already spread around quite a bit.'' Marcus didn''t really mind, it can even be considered a blessing getting this kind of free publicity. "Ahem," Hedi moved to the center, in front of the students. "Now that our little intermission is over, let''s start our ss." The crowds immediately quieted down. Hedi surveyed the students "As you know there are seven known cultivation ranks. First, we have Spark, then followed by Recognition/Warrior, after that we have Elite. Let me ask you, what follows after Elite?" A couple of students raised their hands. Hedi shook his head "Put your hands down. I''ll be the one to call you." This was all quite basic so none of them were afraid to get called. Actually, they want to get called to receive a couple of points, if Hedi was giving. "You" Hedi pointed. A tall student spoke, "There is Commander Stage, Preparation Stage, Transformation Stage, and the legendary Enlightened Stage." Hedi slightly nodded indicating that he was correct. "What stage are you able to use your own mana to fly?" Hedi asked another question and threw it to a nearby student "Preparation Stage, sir". He answered. The ss went on and the students just stood the whole time. They were not even given any weapons to practice. ---- While Marcus was under the heat of the sun, Nexus, Eva, and Leo were in the building where ''The Corner'' will be established. "We could probably finish everything by tomorrow afternoon. I already have workers ready and all that''s left is to choose the suitable furniture." Leo, who was standing in front of Nexus and Eva, said. He wanted to repay his debt to Marcus for saving his life which is why he has no qualms in cing a bit of effort into this. Eva looked around. They already nned everything. There will be four ces where drinks would be served. By going in the front door, the ces would be to the east, north, west, andstly a circr bar in the center of the dance floor. A couple of meters away from the front door were stairs on the left and right side. They still have to destroy the flooring on the 2nd floor so that people who''d stay there could overlook the 1st floor. "Are you sure everything will be finished by tomorrow?" Eva was quite doubtful. This was a 4 story building, and each floor has its functions. "Yes, but since we won''t be opening tomorrow, we don''t need to do the finishing touches right away," Leo replied. Eva nodded "That sounds great. I guess our meeting with the others tomorrow afternoon will proceed as nned." Tomorrow, not only will there be a lot of important papers to be signed so it would be best if everyone was present. "I won''t have sses tomorrow afternoon so I''ll definitely be avable." Leo is still in his third andst year at Estra University. He only had a few sses left that''s why he''s free today. "Oh? You''re still a student?" Eva asked. "Yes, but I feel more like an employee due to me having to work in my father''spany." Leo dryly chuckled. Eva suddenly remembered something. "Marcus did tell you that you and your dad will be the only one investing and not vus right?" Leo nodded "It was me and my dad''s own money. I am also quite sure that my family won''t invest in unknown businesses." Marcus didn''t want the whole vus family in on hispany due to their situation. For Loo and Zoey, it was different since they didn''t have any internal struggles. Marcus did make sure that Leo''s dad will be part since he is quite a big yer. After settling things pertaining to the nightclub, they went to their headquarters and told Leo everything about building a factory underneath. Leo thought for a while "That''s fairly simple. Around one and half days before it''ll be fully functional. We could order the machine now." The three finalized everything and went their separate ways. Nexus and Eva got contacted by Maya so they went to meet her. Leo had to deal with other matters so he already went back to his family''spany. ---- Hedi pped "That will be all for today. I''ll see you tomorrow." ''Too bright'' Marcus sighed as he turned towards the building where Emily was teaching. Chapter 70: Your Table is Really Tabley Chapter 70: Your Table is Really Tabley Marcus stood outside of the ssroom door. He hurriedly walked here and didn''t even give his ssmates a chance to interact with him. Seeing that there were no more students, he knocked twice and opened the door. He then looked at Emily sitting in front of her desk, using herputer. "Busy?" Marcus asked. Emily stopped typing and looked at him. She fixed her sses and said, "I might need a couple more minutes, I''m sorry." Marcus chuckled "What are you sorry for? I''ll check this school''s cafeteria out, just ring me when you''re finished." "Mhm," Emily nodded and watched him walk out of the room. --- ''She''s working pretty hard on mundane things.'' Marcus thought as he made his way through the halls. The pathway was well moped almost every hour since robots were the ones doing it. There wererge photos hung on the walls and trophies inside pedestals. Marcus did a couple of quick turns and arrived in the cafeteria, It was a prettyrge ce. The one''s doing the cleaning were machines but the ones serving were people. In this era, one can know if arge restaurant or a luxurious hotel is of top quality when there are lots of people working there and not machines. This does not mean that there are no top quality restaurants that''s mostly reliant on machines though. In a first rate state there is a 12 storey building where they mainly serve drinks and you just need to tap a button on the table, pronounce your order clearly, then the drink will pop up from the table. Marcus ordered a burger with a rank 2 beast meat and normal fries. He found himself a seat and leisurely munched down the tasty burger while using his watch. A minute or twoter, footsteps could be heard moving towards him which made him look up. Marcus recognized these two. He didn''t mind thepany so he pushed the fries towards the center of the table and said, "You can sit as long as you don''t take too much of it." Nedo and Reno looked at each other and sat down. Reno spoke first. "That was pretty cool back there." Reno, who was from a rich family was a bit more sociablepared to Nedo, just a bit though. "Thank you" Marcus stopped fiddling with his watch and looked at them. He thought that it might not be polite to use it while conversing. "Have you practiced archery for a long time?" Nedo asked. "Yeah" Marcus nodded. "I''ve been practicing it ever since I can remember." "Awesome indeed" Nedo was awed. Aside from casually practicing the sword from time to time when his parents of grandparents told him to, he never held any other weapon. "Are you both into archery or any other weapons?" Marcus asked. The two shook their heads and Reno spoke "We hardly do any sports. We''re what people call nerds, geeks, and weebs." "That''s an interestingbination, I guess." Marcus didn''t know how to reply. "But we''re actually going to try something new. Do you know that club opening this weekend? We''ll try that ce out." Reno had an excited tone. "I''ve also heard that they''ll be serving the best drinks not only in Estra but in all of the 2nd rate states." Marcus tried to market. The two looked at Marcus before they looked at each other andughed, but then Reno tilted his head. "You''ve heard of it?" Reno was sure that not a lot of people know about this. "I have, from the owner himself." Marcus smirked. "That must have been quite an experience meeting someone of that caliber." Nedo, who also heard of this news from Reno, said. "Mhm, he''s incredible." Marcus didn''t even have a tiny bit of shame on his face. "Are you on any social media?" Nedo asked. Marcus shook his head. "No, although I think it''s time for me to make one." He never had time to make one since he was usually busy or engrossed with cultivation. He quickly made an ount on ''IceBerg'', the famous social media app, and set his ount to private. They followed Marcus and Marcus did the same. The three continued talking until Emily sent him a message. Marcus bid them goodbye and made his way back to the ssroom. He didn''t mind making a couple of acquaintances here in school as long as he can vibe with them. "Shall we?" Marcus asked, seeing Emily still on theputer. "Mhm" She turned it off and grabbed her coat. Emily looked towards Marcus and felt that the atmosphere wasn''t that awkward. They made their way out of the building and straight to the gate, attracting a lot of eyes in the process. Marcus already ordered a cab since he didn''t bring his car to school today. Emily wasn''t that shy, she is course, an adult. She''s just worried about Marcus'' reputation in school. Seeing that Emily had a look that he knew all too well, Marcus smiled "Don''t mind them. They''re just jealous that I get to go home with a teacher." Emily looked at him and giggled "That''s a weird way to phrase it, don''t you think?" They got in the cab while Marcus was remembering how Emily not only hated being around people but also hated talking to them. Now, she''s a teacher. ''I bet this attitude will once again revert when she gets back her memories.'' Just like Eva, Marcus thought that Emily will slowly revert back to her past self once she gets her memories. --- In a restaurant two women and a man were talking, actually it''s just the two women. The man, Nexus sat there devouring meat dishes. "Thank you so much. It really means a lot." Maya bowed her head. Her eyes were teary. Eva politely smiled "No need to thank me. How does it feel to be both a big investor and model for apany." She thought of having Maya be the face in one or two of their drinks in the near future. It won''t only be Maya though, they''ll find others too. "An emotion mixed with thrill and nervousness. I didn''t even expect to be here." Maya wiped the side of her eyes. "Forget about your past failures. You''re now going to start a brand new journey." Eva wanted to have a close rtionship with Maya since she''s going to be a board member. Thepany will be growing rapidly, and it''s always better to have more people on your side. Maya smiled hearing what the kind woman said. She considered herself to be extremely lucky to have found herself in this position. She looked at the man beside Eva and was about to say something but Nexus raised his left hand and shook his head. He didn''t even look up. Nexus swallowed the food in his mouth and said, "It''s better if you don''t ask about what happened to the guy. You won''t be able to stomach it." Maya slowly nodded. A waiter approached them. He looked at Nexus and the tower of tes near him. "Sir, I would like to do a quick survey. What do you think of this restaurant?" The waiter asked. "Uh," Nexus looked at him. "I guess, your table is really tabley." Chapter 71: The Next Level Chapter 71: The Next Level Marcus and Emily arrived home. Stepping inside, Emily went straight to the kitchen while Marcus followed her. "Do you know how to cook?" Emily asked. Marcus shook his head with a tinge of embarrassment. Even in his past life, he would just burn the meat then eat it right away if he were out on an adventure. "I could teach you if you want." Emily offered. Marcus smiled. Although he wanted to train right away, he doesn''t mind spending a bit of time with Emily. An hour or soter, there was one dish that looked inedible while the other two looked delicious. "Not bad for you first try." Emily chuckled. Marcus wryly smiled. It was not his first try. "What are you going to do after this?" Marcus inquired as they both ate. "I''ll immediately go and cutivate. I can already see Big Sis catching up to me." Emily answered. "Here." Marcus ced a tome on the table. Emily looked at it. Her eyes rested on the tome that''s blue and grey in color. She slowly extended her hand and brushed its cover. Marcus, who sat in front of her, smiled. This might help her retain her memories. "What''s this?" She asked. Emily could feel a connection with the object in front of her. "A magic book, ''Moon Shine''." Marcus stood up. "Why are you going so far to help me?" Emily couldn''t understand. This was clearly a legendary book just from the aura alone, but for the teen in front of her, it seemed like he was giving a piece of candy. "Don''t you feel it?" Marcus looked into her eyes. Emily blinked "Feel what?" "Feel that we''ve known each other forever. That something in you keeps calling out for me?" Marcus didn''t want to tell any more than this because it''ll just confuse her. "Actually, yes. I feel certain emotions that I hardly understand. When you stare at me, I don''t feel ufortable. When I''m with you I feel safe." Emily spoke, her voice soft with a tinge of shyness. She was a lot older than Marcus but feels that when she''s with him, she''ll be protected. "Does that mean I can stare at you anytime I want?" Marcus'' eyes were already roaming around her body. Emily tried to cover it and blushed. "That''s not what I mean! You should show respect to your elders." ''Watch how I punish you when you get your memories back. You won''t be able to walk for an entire day.'' Marcus thought. Emily stood up and brought the dishes to the sink and had the machine take care of them. She went back to the table and grabbed the book. "Thank--" "Between us, there is no need for thanks." Marcus cut her off. Emily brightly smiled at him and went up to her room to start cultivating. --- Marcus sat on his bed in the outside world. He didn''t opt to go to the training room. A scarlet-colored mist started to float around him, it soon turned vermillion and was sucked inside his body. He could feel his chaos mana growing, multiplying. The speed of which was sadly slow but he could already feel a few changes. He could feel the chaos mana harmoniously lived with the normal mana in his body. His normal senses also improved a lot which was why he heard Nedo and Reno''s conversation during ss. Over thest few weeks, he also grew taller. He now stood around 5''10 feet tall. Marcus stood up, he raised his arm forward. A vermillion-colored ball slowly formed. It was not made of normal mana but pure chaos mana. The vermillion-colored ball floated a few inches away from Marcus'' palm. The size of it was quite small, the same as a baseball ball. Marcus grabbed and gripped it hard. The soft vermillion ball shattered. Remnants of the ball floated in the air, glowing in the darkroom. Marcus controlled it and made it turn into a spear. He made a couple of movements before dematerializing it. ''Amazing'' Marcus was filled with wonder at what chaos magic can do. His practice wasn''t even a month yet but he could already summon an armament with it. Marcus wasn''t done experimenting yet. He raised his left hand forward. This was a spell he wanted to try ever since he practiced chaos magic. Creating a portal. With his breathing controlled, he practiced the spell. The range would probably be only a few meters away since his chaos mana is still quite inadequate. A vermillion-colored slit appeared in front of Marcus. It was small and probably only a hand could enter. Around four hourster Marcus was still hard at work, practicing the spell. Though he had to stop for a couple of minutes from time to time, he didn''t give up. His hard work bore fruit as the opening could now fit more than half of his body. ''Almost!'' Marcus inwardly yelled. ---- Eva and Nexus got out of the car and made their way to the house. "This was an eventful day." Nexus knew that they were now one step closer to their goal. The closer they are the faster their little gang can get out of this ce. Eva smiled "Tomorrow will be a more important day." Nexus nodded. "You''ve been hard at work, don''t you think you should rest for a night?" Ever since they arrived here, Eva had been training nonstop. Always taking those pills that will allow you to work without sleep. Of course, there were massive improvements not only in alchemy but also in her cultivation. She doesck practicalbat experience though. Eva thought for a while. "We could go swim in the pool." Nexus suggested. "Alright, I guess I could get a night off." Eva, although she didn''t show it, felt exhausted. They walked towards the side of the house where the pool was. Nexus took his shirt and pants off. No one else is around so he doesn''t really care what he wears while in the pool. He then looked at Eva who took proper wear from her destruction ring. Eva took her upper and lower clothes off with Nexus on the side staring. Herrge tits bounced as she moved. The smooth skin all over her body could make plenty of women jealous. Her white, almost see-through panty was making Nexus'' general, stand. Eva who already recovered her memories didn''t mind changing here since there was no one else other than Nexus. "Don''t you think it''s time for you to tu--" Before Eva could finish, Nexus already grabbed her and fiercely nted his lips on hers. Eva''s eyes went wide. Nexus'' hands were already roaming around her body. Eva, though shocked, didn''t pull back, she went with it. Soon, Nexus'' fierce and dominant kiss, slowed, it was now a lot more passionate. His kiss may have been slow, but it was unyielding. Like an old man backing his Lincoln town car over a handicapped sign. He lifted her up and held the bottom of her upper thighs. Eva could feel the hard pole-like object pressing against her lower belly. "AHHHH!" A loud scream from inside the house disrupted their intimate activity. Nexus ced Eva down and smiled as they went inside. The moment was now over but he didn''t mind. He already waited for so long, he didn''t mind waiting for a while longer. Chapter 72: Chaos Portal Chapter 72: Chaos Portal A portal about 7 feet could be seen hovering a few inches above the ground in Marcus'' bedroom. The vermillion colored pathway inside was mixed with ck and a few white streaks moving around. Marcus stood in front of it. His face, filled with happiness. He slowly walked into the portal. From the notes he read, if the caster does not open a ''point b'' then it''ll randomly open one close by. That''s exactly what he did. He didn''t open a point b. He dived into the portal, everything inside was vermillion in color with a few streaks of ck and white appearing from time to time. A second or twoter, he exited the portal and arrived at another ce. *plop* He dropped in a rectangr container filled with water. His hands were clutching on to two soft and chubby objects. He opened his eyes underwater and saw the gates of Venus with a couple of grass above it. He looked to the sides and found out that the ones where his hands were ced were actually thighs. Marcus slowly raised his head. --- After a few hours of cultivation Emily decided to rx in the tub. Not long after she soaked in, water sshed all over her face. She then felt her thighs being clutched. A second or twoter, a head slowly bobbed out of the water. Emily blinked a couple of times, her breathing unsteady, she was nervous. "AHHHHHH!" Emily screamed. Her voice, loud, which could be heard all throughout the house. "It''s me." Marcus'' head was now fully out of the water. Emily halted her screams. She looked at Marcus, her brows furrowed. "You! What are you doing here!? How did you get here!?" Marcus stood up. His eyes on her body. "It''s a long story, but I swear to you it was unintentional." Seeing Marcus'' stare, Emily hastily covered her twin peaks while angrily looking at Marcus. Marcus looked away and said, "I didn''t see anything." Too bad his body betrayed him. It was not only Marcus who stood up, but his junior did too. With his pants wet, Emily could clearly see the soldier that stood erect ready for battle. "Get out!" Emily''s face heated up. Marcus chuckled as he slowly jogged towards the door. Water dripped from his clothes and footprints were left on the floor. Before he could even reach for the handle, the door opened. Nexus and Eva dashed towards Emily''s room as soon as they heard a scream. Nexus would never spread his senses and spy on the people he''s close with. That''s something he was taught ever since he was a kitten. He was actually about to spread his senses out towards Emily''s room but he felt Marcus'' presence there so he just smiled and followed Eva. Nexus looked at them. His eyes went towards Marcus'' lower body and he chuckled "Looks like you guys aren''t finished yet. Eva, we should leave them alone for now." He closed the door. Eva who was holding back herughter, walked beside him as they went out of Emily''s room. ''Shouldn''t Big Sis ask why Marcus is here with me? Why was she cool with it. She even looked amused.'' Emily thought as she looked at Marcus who was still facing the door. She thought that Eva would be angry seeing her naked with a man. Contrary to her expectations, Eva didn''t seem to mind. "Don''t even think of turning your head!" Emily spoke as she got out of the tub and grabbed a towel nearby. Marcus chuckled. "Do you really see me as someone like that?'' "What do you think? You appeared here out of nowhere, and not to mention right in front of me." Emily slowly wiped every part of her body. Starting from her head down to her rosy nipples and it slowly made its way to the temple between her legs. Marucs raised his hand and ced it half a meter away from his head. "First, I was doing an experiment, second, you know that this body at this age is always horny. If it has the chance to stare at such heavenly beauty with a figure that could make empires fight over one another, why wouldn''t it?" Of course, Emily''s current body isn''t that heavenly, yet. She hasn''t taken the pills and potions that Eva took. Marcus however, was never short inplementing his wives. He loved his wives not just because of sex but because of how he was attracted to them in many different ways. Emily wrapped a towel around her body and asked, "Why aren''t you going out yet?" "I thought you wanted us to go out together?" Marcus answered. He was still facing the door. "Just go out!" Emily softly shouted. It was hardly a shout, her face was read due to what Marcus said about her body. Marcus grinned as he made his way back to his room. ''Holy nuggets, ,my first use of a chaos portal could be considered a sess.'' ----- The dinner table was awkward. Marcus sat beside Nexus and in front of him was Emily who was beside Eva. "Ahem" Eva cleared her throat. "So the meeting is set. All four of us will be seeing them at our brand new headquarters tomorrow afternoon." "I can''t wait to see their faces when they try our drinks out tomorrow." Marcus excitedly said. All the investors of theirpany will be meeting with each other tomorrow afternoon and they''ll be tasting the drinks that will be served in the nightclub. Emily turned her head to the woman beside her. "Four of us? I''ll be going with you?" "Of course you will. There is certainly someone who won''t agree if you won''t." Eva smiled at her. Emily slowly looked at Marcus who was leisurely eating his meal. Eva didn''t state the name of that certain someone but she had a feeling it was Marcus. "Will you be frequently going to the nightclub?" Emily casually asked Marcus. Marcus shook his head. "I hate crowded ces. Well, battlefields are okay actually, but if it''s ces like that, then no. If I do go there I''d make sure to stay in a VIP room." "I see." Emily just wanted to make a bit of small talk to ease up the awkwardness between them. She still couldn''t forget what happened a while ago but she didn''t want to ruin dinner so she ced it somewhere at the back of her mind. Nexus stood up and stretched. "I''m going to go and get started on the formations." He carried his te towards the kitchen and came back. As he slowly made his way out of the house, he turned his head and said. "It would be best to tell Emily about the stone and everything. It might help with her recovery." Marcus and Eva nodded, leaving Emily confused. With a wry smile, Marcus looked at Eva and said, "Big Sis I think it''s best if you do it." Their bond as sisters would make everything a lot easier. Digesting everything, however, would still take time. Eva nodded. She pinched Emily''s cheeks. "I would also like to try being on the other end of the conversation." To Emily who was listening on the side, their sentences made absolutely no sense. Chapter 73: Brina and Pia Chapter 73: Brina and Pia The bright morning sun rose on the horizon. The gang got in a white car and made their way to Estra University. Emily, who was told by Eva about every single detail about Marcus and Nexus except for the reincarnation part, was still in the process of digesting the information. Being told that there were higher and stronger beings was simply too great to take in. She kept ncing at Marcus and Nexus. Thetter, who sat on the front seat, didn''t mind her. On the other hand, Marcus who was beside her looked at her with a yful smile on his face and said, "Don''t you think you should pay your respects to the prince sitting beside you?" Emily red at him "Prince or Pervert?" She didn''t get to cultivate properlyst night because of all the things that were circting in her head, so she went to a room in the Destrcustone and slept. Yes, Eva gave her a ring and told her about the Destrucstone. She turned and turned but she couldn''t sleep, which is why she''s quite cranky right now. Marcus chuckled. He missed teasing this woman, in more ways than one. Eva looked at them through the rearview mirror. "Emily, I remember you had a lot of questionsst night. Why don''t you ask Marcus?" Emily blinked once, twice. Why does it feel like her Big Sis was pushing her towards Marcus? ''Why didn''t she even react yesterday when she saw us together?'' Emily wondered. "Ask away," Marcus ced his thigh on the seat and turned his body, facing in Emily''s direction. "What''s the heavenly realm like?" Emily, with a soft voice, asked. Although she believed it since it came from her sister, it still felt vague. Marcus took a deep breath. "It''s not so different from the mortal realm. The density of mana, is, of course, a lot better up there. Inhabitants of the heavenly realm are also keen on making themselves stronger. We do have entertainments like zither performances and such but tv-series and movies aren''t really our thing." Marcus continued to speak about the heavenly realm. The group soon arrived in front of the school. Emily and Marcus got off while Eva and Nexus went towards theirpany building. "You will soon be able to wrap your head on the fact that there are higher beings." Marcus smiled. "Mhm," Emily gave an absentminded nod. They were only a few students in the ssroom as it was still early. Marcus went towards his seat from yesterday and checked the social media app. Nedo and Reno rmended a couple of people and ces to follow, the school included. He ended up checking all of them and only followed a few. He checked the school''s recent posts, one of which was a picture of the dean posted a minute ago. Seeing that there was no one whomented on it yet, he decided to add one. "First" Marcus typed in a single word. He then turned his watch off since Emily is about to start her lecture. ---- It didn''t take long before the students who had no sses and followed the school''s ount saw the post and the solement. They checked the ount named Marcus Kauffman. He had no posts and only had 2 followers. His bio didn''t say anything about him, it only stated that he is the "Eiffel Tower King". Students of Estra University had mixed feelings after seeing thement. Some thought Marcus was a troll, others thought it was disrespectful, the one thing they had inmon right now as they were waiting for the university to respond. However, it wasn''t the university that was the second toment. Leo, who was bored in ss, opened the social media app and saw the post on top of his feed. He didn''t mind it at first, but as he was about to scroll down, a name caught his eye. He saw Marcus''ment, its likes were only around 3000 but that''s still a lot considering it was a school''s post. Leo added ament that said, "Estra University, this is the most traffic your ount received ever since that scandal. You should be thankful." He liked Marcus''ment, followed him, and turned his watch off. ---- Marcus stood under the heat of the sun together with other students. He was now in Hedi''s ss. Although Hedi was finished with the lecture, there were still questions that he would ask which was why Marcus is still here. Hedi, who stood in front, looked at his students. "I have onest question to ask before I dismiss you." The students had an excited look on their faces. "Do you believe in immortality? Why or why not?" He asked. The students looked at each other. They couldn''t understand the point of asking the question. It seemed irrelevant. Nevertheless, a few students raised their hands. "You" Hedi pointed. "I don''t believe in Immortality and that is because I believe in thew of entropy. Someday, all of us will just die." A student answered. Hedi slowly nodded a couple of times before saying, "Alright, you''re all dismissed." ''Finally.'' Marcus walked towards the building where Emily was, and the same as yesterday, she still had a couple of things to do. He wasn''t in a rush since the meeting is still this afternoon so he went to the cafeteria and saw Nedo and Reno. They sat together and were soon joined by twodies. "Hi, mind if we sit?" A woman, who had short dark blond hair tied to a ponytail, greeted. She has brown eyes and a good figure. This was one of Marcus'' ssmates, Brina vus. The woman beside Brina, who had blond hair that reached her shoulders is her best friend Pia Minser. She had hazelnut-colored eyes and a good figure. Both girls were pretty sporty which exins why their body looked, for theck of another word, hot. Nedo''s heartbeat quickened when he saw Pia, the same goes for Reno when he saw Brina. Marcus, who saw the reactions of the two, inwardly chuckled. "We''d love thepany." Marcus smiled. Pia sat beside Nedo and Brina beside Reno while Marcus sat at the edge of the rectangr table. "You must be Marcus, am I right?" Brina began eating. Marcus nodded. "What are you two doing here?" Reno turned to his side. "You and Nedo are the only ones we know in our ss. We aren''t eager to make new friends so we have no choice but to be here," Brina answered. Pia looked at Nedo, "We haven''t been properly introduced yet, I''m Pia Minser, you can just call me Pia." Nedo quickly wiped his sweaty hand and extended it. "Nedo, Nedo Lavan." Pia chuckled seeing Nedo flustered. She had seen him a couple of times before but they have never interacted. Marcus looked at them and suggested, "Why don''t you two invite the twodies this weekend to go with you." Brina and Pia looked at the two boys beside them. Brina thought it was a miracle that they would step outside during a weekend. Reno, Brina, and Pia might not be close but they would still see each other from time to time at parties. The two women knew of Reno''s personality. Chapter 74: The Board Chapter 74: The Board Nedo and Reno looked at him as if he was insane. Reno might have been from one of the big families of Estra but so were the two women in front of him. Even if they weren''t, his balls are still not big enough for this. As a gamer, he of course has dated a lot of women, NPC women. Real women, however, he was still sitting at zero. Nedo on the other hand thought that the one sitting beside him was out of his league. His family and the Minser family were quite close which was why he would see Pia from time to time. He, however, would just look at her from afar. Though it''d be a lie if he''d say he was not tempted to go and strike a conversation "Oh, where?" Brina asked. "These two said they would want to visit the nightclub that''ll open this weekend. You guys chill, it''s not like it''s a date or something." Marcus calmly said while Nedo and Reno were shaking their heads telling him to shut up. Marcus wasn''t keen on making close friends, but a few acquaintances wouldn''t hurt. He doesn''t want to get attached to anyone here as he knew he''d have to leave in a few years. Both Brina and Pia were shocked. They looked at Reno who they knew was never a fan of going out at night. "You''re going to a club? Booze and all?" Pia asked him. Reno nodded "I think it''s time for some change." The girls looked at each other. "You guys talk, I have to go." Marcus slowly stood up. "Will you be going this weekend?" Nedo asked. Marcus raised both his arms up, his hands were on the same level as his head, and his palms facing upwards which indicated he doesn''t know yet. ---- Ex-actress Maya stood in the lobby of Marcus'' soon-to-bepany building. She looked around and saw that it was devoid of people. The ce looked tidy and professional. There were sofas to the side and a counter facing the entrance. The entrance opened, startling her. She turned to see who arrived. A man with blond hair walked on the white marble floor and walked towards her. He has straight brows and monolid eyes. The man looked at her, his brows scrunched. "Are you lost?" Leo asked. The beauty in front of him was slightly familiar. Nervous, Maya quickly answered, "No, I''m supposed to meet with a woman named Eva and a man named Nexus here." The furrowed brows disappeared as Leo''s expression was reced with shock. "You must be Maya." Leo remembered that this was one of the five ''parties'' that will meet. Maya nodded. "Yes, I am." "Either we''re both early, or we''re bothte. Come." Leo led the way as he could see that Maya didn''t know where to go. They walked towards the elevator and went to the highest floor, 20th floor. "Were you the actress who was in fancy cops?" Leo broke the silence. They got out of the elevator and slowly made their way to where the meeting would take ce. "Yes," Maya meekly said. "It was funny. Really, you don''t have to be shy about it. I mean, if anything you were the star there." Leo thought that his question might have offended the ex-actress. Maya shook her head. "You don''t have to say all those things." "Hey," Leo looked at her and smiled. "What I said, I meant it." Thest sentence brought a smile to Maya''s face. "Thank you." The two arrived and went into the board room. The two were actually early. Nexus and Eva turned their heads. They both knew that Leo and Maya wereing thanks to Nexus'' soul sense. "Good afternoon." Leo greeted as he fixed his grey suit. Nexus gave a slight nod to Leo while the two girls hugged. They sat down and talked for a little while before the next person arrived. Loo Minser together with three people from his family, followed by Zoey who was apanied by Mitz Xalia, her uncle, and two more people. The individuals the two brought were all Preparation Stage experts. Zoey sat beside Eva and is getting acquainted with Maya. Loo was talking with Mitz while Leo remained silent while sitting beside Maya. The door once again opened. A vermillion haired teen walked in together with a woman. They both looked heavenly. The teen wore a ck long sleeve that highlighted both his hair and eyes. The woman wore a white dress. There were no specific features that stood out, but that didn''t mean she wasn''t gorgeous. ''Let the games begin.'' The teen smiled at each and every person in the room and went to find a seat. Eva who sat at the edge of the rectangr table, cleared her throat as she stood up. "Everyone, you might have some doubts about throwing your good hard-earned money to thispany which you hardly know anything about. So I would like to start with being as transparent as possible. I am someone who came from a 3rd rate country, but that doesn''t mean I''m not a hard worker." What she said at the end shocked quite a few people in the room, Loo in particr. The Holy Maiden nced at each of the one''s seated. "Marcus and Nexus, on the other hand, came from a faraway ce. A ce where most of us can''t even imagine existed." As Eva was about to continue, a man from the Xalia family spoke. "I''m sorry but, should we just believe what you said because it came from your mouth?" Loo scoffed after hearing the man. He was already convinced about Marcus being from a powerful 1st rate country, he was just not expecting Eva to be from a 3rd rate country. "Here''s proof," Marcus calmly said as he released his aura. "Are your 17-year-olds as strong as I am?" "Rank 7 Elite?!" Loo''s eyes went wide. A 17-year-old who has this kind of cultivation is something Estra couldn''t foster. Marcus retracted his aura and smiled, leaving a few people''s mouths agape. Nexus looked at the man who cut Eva off. "Save your questions after she''s finished speaking." Killing intent rose after he finished his sentence, but it faded as quickly as it came to be. Loo looked around, he thought the killing intent came from one of Marcus'' bodyguards. He was scared stiff together with Mitz. The one below Preparation Stage didn''t get to feel it, but for the experts in the room, they couldn''t imagine having that kind of killing intent. It felt like you needed to send thousand upon thousand of bodies to hell before you could achieve it. Eva slightly smiled. "Thispany, Asura, will first open up a nightclub where our drinks will be sold. Once the demand rises, that''s when we''ll start to distribute. It''s as simple as that. Today we have prepared the 8 drinks that will be released this weekend. I hope that you will find it to your liking as you will be the first in Estra to ever try this." She got the drinks which were already in bottles and ced them on the table. Chapter 75: Truth Potion Chapter 75: Truth Potion The people around the room had an excited look on their faces. Eva took out a couple of sses, ced the first drinks in it, and passed the sses around the table. Zoey emptied the ss. Her eyes shone as mana smoothly circted around her body. "This is simply amazing!" The others had the same reactions. Only one of the drinks had a high dose of alcohol, others were only around 4%. The people in the room drank until they finished tasting every single one of the bottles. A person from the Minser family stepped forward. "Don''t you think we might get targeted if we release this?" Loo was about to berate the person but Marcus raised his hand and condescendingly chuckled. "Let them try." "Ahem" Mitz cleared his throat, "I think everyone just wants to know if thispany has what it takes to survive. It would be best to give concrete proof to ease everyone here." Marcus kept his poker face. "As I recall correctly Eva promised transparency. Mitz, I believe you have a truth potion with you?" The room descended into silence as everyone looked at Marcus. Truth potions, as the name suggests, could make the person tell the truth. That is, only if he doesn''t try to kill himself. Truth potions are just mild poison coupled with magic where once a person drinks it, he or she will have to tell the truth. The person can of course resist or try to lie, but it''s painful. The pain would travel all around that person''s body. Mitz nodded. He ced both the truth potion and its cure on the table. He could guess where Marcus was going with this. "You can ask me two questions about how strong the people behind me are." Marcus received the potions as it was passed around until it reached him. He continued, "Which among you will ask me?" "Mitz should do it." Loo already believed what Marcus said about him having a strong background, this is just for further confirmation. Marcus nodded. "Two questions that are rted to my background. I won''t answer any more than that." Emily didn''t notice it but she had a look of worry on her face. Zoey, who was also staring at Marcus, noticed Emily''s reaction. ''Is she his girlfriend?'' Zoey wondered. Marcus emptied the potion and ced it back on the table, the smile on his face was impable. "Fire away." "How powerful is your background, and how important are you?" Mitz asked. "Ie from a powerful empire. An empire that could easily wipe 2nd rate powers by sending only a few people. Dozens of 1st rate powers would never antagonize the ce I''m from if they were alone. Oh, if my empire ever finds out that I, the heir to the throne, gets hurt in any way, armies will be deployed en masse. This, is the truth." Marcus'' voice was calm as the stream in a deep forest. Nexus inwardlyughed while Eva had a bright smile on her face. The people from the families sucked in a cold breath. They couldn''t believe what they heard. This kind of power was something beyond their wildest imaginations. They had a hard time believing it, but they had to. Marcus already ingested the truth potion which is why they knew he wasn''t lying. ''This could only mean that he''s from one of the two strongest powers of the human race.'' Loo thought. Marcus drank the cure, threw both the empty bottles to Mitz, and sat down. Eva nced at the people seated. "Now that that''s done. Let''s proceed to other matters." The board signed a few papers, talked about the Maya being the model for the 8 drinks, and a few other topics. "I would also like to remind you people that to the outside world, I''m Marcus Kauffman, a normal student at Estra University," Marcus said as the meeting ended. Emily went towards Eva and met Maya. Loo and Mitz left together with the people who were with them. Leo, who was ncing at Maya from time to time, stood beside Nexus. Zoey walked towards Marcus "Thank you for the free bottles you gave us. It''ll really help a lot of people in our families." Before everyone left, Marcus gave them a few bottles that would help Elites, Commanders, and even early rank Preparation improve. This was essential not only to his n of shaking the power bnce of Estra but also to his future and bigger n, to turn Estra into a 1st rate country. He''s going to turn this ce into his personal fortress. Marcus looked at her and smiled. "It''s nothing much. I make sure to take care of my followers." "That''s a very princely thing to say." Zoey giggled. "I just think that it is how all leaders should be. By the way, isn''t Leo your fiance?" Marcus asked. Zoey nodded "Mhm, but we don''t have feelings for each other. It''s just something both our families agreed to." "I see." Marcus and Zoey headed towards Nexus and the others. "Marcus, is she your girlfriend?" Zoey nced at Emily. Marcus chuckled. "No, she''s one of my two wives." "Shameless," Zoey nudged Marcus'' ribs. She then went towards Eva and joined the conversation of thedies. Marcus went to Leo and showed him a picture. "I want you to find this person. Cooperate with Loo or with the Xalias. I just want this woman found and be invited to Estra. Make sure she is not harmed." Leo nodded. "What do you want me to tell her?" "Hmm," Marcus thought for a few seconds. "Just tell her that the person who she helped buy a couple of ck clothes wants to see her." Marcus knew that she was no longer in Ker. He gave her a ton of money after all. "This might take a while, but we''ll definitely find her." Leo guessed that this was someone important to Marcus. Marcus just showed him the picture of his second wife. He has been worried about her ever since his memories came back. They soon headed back home after Eva gave Maya and Zoey a few beauty products. She also didn''t forget to remind them where to ingest these products. ---- Inside the Stone of Destruction. Marcus, Emily, Eva, and Nexus were standing in the alchemy room. Three people stood in front of them. These were the ones affected by ''Army Maniption.''. "How are they doing Big Sis?" Marcus asked. Eva smiled "Their bodies are responding well to the potions and pills I gave them. In a month they''ll be able to reach rank 1 Commander and will continue to rise until rank 5. Sadly, they will only have less than 50 years to live." Marcus nodded. "That''s enough time." "What are they for?" Emily wondered why they were keeping these people inside the stone. "There might be a few scuffles in the future with one of the big families. We''re going to need them for defense." Marcus looked at her. "We should employ more people." Nexus, who was standing beside Eva, spoke. "Don''t worry, I''m close to my breakthrough. I have a surprise for you guys when I reach Commander Stage." Marcus said in a mysterious manner. Chapter 76: Octopi Chapter 76: Octopi "3000 dead on both sides today as the people and the government of Ladya continue to fight. The ones leading the riots have been identified, one of which was a person that''s been missing for more than 5 years. The fight is showing no signs of stopping soon and is even predicted to intensify." An Estranian news anchor reported. Marcus and the gang sat at the table eating breakfast. The four of them had a productive night of cultivating. Emily who''s still trying to ept everything is actually taking it well. She had a talk with Eva and Nexusst night and they tried to ease her in. "There was a slight chance that we could havended there if we didn''t choose Estra." Nexus chuckled. "Isn''t it weird that a person who disappeared for years suddenly showed up out of nowhere and is now part of a rebel group?" Eva''s brows were scrunched. Nexusughed "He probably got tired with all the bullshit his government spouts." "I also find it weird." Emily chimed in. Marcus shook his head. "That''s their problem." "On another news, the body that was found a few hours ago floating by the boulevard has already been identified." The anchor switched to local news. Eva looked at Nexus. "What?" Nexus turned his head. "He deserved it." ---- In the country of Ladya, far away from Estra. In a well-lit room, three individuals sat on throne-like chairs. The floor had dark-colored tiles and grey-colored pirs lined up on the side. The ce is currently devoid of any outside interference as neither the sun nor the moon''s light can prate to therge weird curtains that are hung by the window. A man wearing a suit stood in front of the three. He had ck hair and a well trimmed beard. "That is what they had to say." The man bowed to the three individuals. "I''ll take my leave." He then went to the door behind him and made his way out. When he had gone, the three leaders of Octopi turned to one another.Two of them had excited looks on their faces. As for thest one, it was mixed with worry. "It is fair. It is actually little to give for what they are offering us." The only woman in the room softly spoke. She has shoulder length brown hair, thin brows, and a slim body figure. "Such control." Murmured the one sitting in the center. He looked to his left. "You are right Zee, it is quite fair. We''ll be able to speed up every single one of our operations with less worry." The third one was silent. What they said was true. This was an opportunity that doesn''te often, or even at all. Still, there was something about them that he found distasteful. Zee, the only woman, looked at her other colleague who hadn''t spoken. "Miel why are you so silent?" Miel dryly chuckled. "You and Paul are right, but there is something that doesn''t sit right with me. You clearly know their family and you know how far their connections reach. We''re going to be treading in dangerous waters once we get to bed with them." "Miel the vignt one. You have always been so cautious. We are now stronger than we were, our organization is now stronger that it was. There is no need to always be wary." Paul tried to ease his friend''s worries. The three of them had been together for a long time ever since their early teens. They have had it with the maltreatment of the government and so they started an organization. What was once so tiny, now stood on par with both the top1 and 2 second rate statesbined. Miel smiled. "I may be cautious but you two know all too well that it has saved us a lot of times." He was warmed by the care he received from his friend. "Sigh, I guess we can agree. It would be good to have another powerful force on our side of the board." Miel stood up, followed by the other two. They bid each other goodbye and walked towards different directions. ----- Marcus took a deep breath. The trees swayed and the pool rippled. This was his kind of day. A windy and extremely cloudy day. As long as the sun was hidden, his day would brighten. He took a sip of heavenly realm coffee and sighed with rxation. The training he hadst night was perfect, and he was now close to breaking through, a few levels at that. Not long, hurried footsteps could be heard walking toward him. Eva and Emily who were properly dressed, Nexus who followed close behind wore grey checkered smart trousers and a ck shirt. Marcus looked at him. "Someone stole your shorts?" "I was told to wear this or I wouldn''t be able to live until tomorrow." Nexus slowly shook his head. Marcus smiled. His Big Sis''s attitude is slowly starting toe back. It means that she''s been slowly recovering her memories all this while. He asked the two girls "Where are you two beautifuldies going with your bodyguard?" Eva pointed towards him "You areing with us. We invited Zoey and Maya to shop since the papers are going to take a while." Marcus looked up at the sky and back at them. "Alright." Eva giggled and walked together with Nexus to the white car. Before she got in, she turned her head and said, "Baby brother take your car, and Emily you ride with him." Marcus nodded and strode to his car. ''Big Sis seems to be a better wingman than Nexus.'' Emily followed him closely. They both got in and went straight to the mall with Eva''s car leading. Marcus looked at the silent Emily "How''s the book? Good right?" "Mhm" Emily turned her head. "It was amazing, especially when I train under the moon." "Now that you mention that, your movements were truly gracefulst night." Marcusplimented. "You!" Emily''s eyes went wide. "You were spying on me?!" Marcus chuckled. "Spying is such a strong word. I was only checking up on the house and managed to see you outside." "It was bad, wasn''t it?" Emily didn''t feel ufortable about what Marcus said. She just felt embarrassed. As a novice, she''s pretty conscious about how she moves and tries to be careful but that doesn''t mean she''s not stiff. Her spell casting is still quite horrible too. Marcus stared at her clear eyes. "As I said, your movements were graceful. Anyone whoid their eyes on you that time would have fallen for you instantly." Emily''s heart skipped a beat when hse heard the second part of the sentence. "Don''t you think it''s inappropriate to say that?" Emily asked. Her voice, meek. Marcus shook his head "From the ce I came from, there are individuals who have one thousand plus gap in their age but are still madly loving each other." He continued. "If I am attracted to you, no one will be able to stop me, except you." His soft words were ringing loudly in Emily''s ears. It resonated with her heart and made her temple wet. Chapter 77: Children of Chaos Chapter 77: Children of Chaos "Are you even listening to yourself?" Emily''s cheeks reddened. "We''re here." Marcus opened the door. " Why don''t we continue this conversation over dinner?" They both got out of the car as it finished parking. Zoey and Maya who rode in Zoey''s car arrived first. They were not alone though. The twodies had Leo with them. "I invited him too." Eva, who stood beside Marcus, spoke in a soft voice. Marcus didn''t mind. He, Nexus, and Leo walked behind as thedies led the way. "Marcus, what made youe here to Estra?" Leo asked. They passed by a couple of stores along the way, grand looking at that. "I want to get away from all the responsibilities back home." Marcus replied. "Oh? Are there also other people vying for the throne?" Leo wondered how empires and such operate. Though he had been to ones, never had he stayed there for more than 3 days. Marcus shook his head. "I do have a sister, but I would never let her run a bloody empire." Marcus doesn''t want that burden on Carmen''s shoulders and after what she has been through, he just wants her to live a happy life. The empire''s court is one of thest ces he wants his sister to be in. "You''ve got hots for that Maya girl over there?" Nexus chimed in. Leo coughed. Nexus'' question made the girls, who were in front of them, giggle. "Could you, may you, could you please keep your voice down when asking that kind of question?" Leo had the look of imploration. Nexus chuckled. "You''re a guy. What''s there to be shy about? So, do you?" Leo checked if the girls are facing them. Seeing that they are not, he nodded. "Isn''t it weird, still being engaged with Zoey and all?" It was Marcus'' turn to ask. Leo shook his head. "No, we treat the engagement like air. She doesn''t see me as a partner and I don''t see her. We''re friends, nothing more." "I see." Marcus murmured. They soon arrived at a clothing store that also sells footwear. It was Eva''s treat so they went all out. The 3 guys also bought a couple of shirts and pants but thedies had bags and bags filled with them, footwears too. Marcus and the group had a tasty lunch and went on to a few more stores. This continued for a couple more hours and soon it was already 5 in the afternoon. Thedies were not a lot closer but the three guys ran out of topics to talk about right after lunch. They bid their farewells. Marcus, Emily, Nexus, and Eva arrived home and went straight to the Destrucstone. Nexus will spar with both Eva and Emily while Marcus has something to do. --- Ley and the two guards stood in front of Marcus. They had been training to increase their ranks, gobbling dozens and dozens of pills everyday. ''Let''s see if this works.'' Marcus raised his arm forward. Vermillion colored fog was then released from his hand and went towards Ley. The three guards were now surrounded by the chaos spell that Marcus recently casted. ''Children of Chaos. Let''s see if it really works.'' Marcus had a smile on his face as he watched Ley and the other two take in the spell. Their eyes turned vermilion. They knelt down and shouted with vigor "Glory to the Conqueror!" Marcus chuckled "Continue training. You are now the sons of chaos. Your worth will be proven very soon." He started walking out of the room and went towards where Nexus and the girls are. The ones affected by the spell ''Children of Chaos'' can now incorporate chaos mana into their attacks. It makes their attacks more powerful, their bodies sturdier, and chaos mana destroys harmful poisons and toxins in the body until it runs out. The stronger Marcus is, the better the effects of ''Children of Chaos'' and it may even have more benefits. Marcus made his way to the training room, he opened the white door and saw Nexus, Eva, and Emily duking it out. ---- "Are you ready?" Nexus asked. He already changed into his ck robe with the yellow mark. Wearing her white hanfu, Eva nodded as white mes erupted from her hands. Three yellow-colored axes lined up behind her. Weapons created by light magic. "Hahaha," Nexusughed. "Here I go!" Nexus dashed. His speed exploded right there and then. He led with his right hand, the fingernails were now ck colored ws. His eyes glowed purple and his lips curved into a smile. Eva scoffed. The yellow-colored axes that were floating behind her shot towards Nexus, matching his speed. She raised her arms and the mes on her hands made a wall in front of her. ''This much mana is so difficult to work with.'' Eva''s could clearly notice how her mana is going down at an rming rate. Nexus changed his trajectory multiple times to avoid the axes that relentlessly followed him around. He got close but was intercepted by a wall made of fiery white mes. Nexus smirked. "Can I get anything special if I beat you by matching your rank?" "No," Eva created light javelins that streaked towards Nexus. Nexus isn''t spreading his senses right now. He''s currently matching Eva''s rank. Dashing forward at extreme speed, he went through the fire and mes. His hands glowed purple as he raised it. The projectiles that were streaking towards him stopped, both the axes and javelins. He turned his palm facing towards him, the movement made the javelins flip and the axes were now aiming at Eva. He flicked his finger forward, sending the javelins back to whence they came. The weapons made of light, however, stopped a few meters away from the woman in white. Evaughed. "My will is still stronger than yours." Nexus'' control over her spell broke. Eva made the light javelins disappear and they now looked like tiny particles floating in the air. She coated it with a holy spell and with a flick of her hand, the light particles that were coated with holy magic charged forward. One after another exploded as they got close to Nexus who was trying his best to dodge. Emily who channeling her spell called ''Lunar Beam'' fired it. She timed it just right. The white-grayish colored beam burst forward. Nexus, who had always been wary of her standing behind Eva, dodged it. Projectiles rained down on him as he made his way through the hail of light, holy, and lunar magic. Emily had been waiting for her time to attack. She knows that Nexus is skilled in terms of realbat so she followed Eva''s lead. Though they were not talking, there was still teamwork. It was teamwork that stemmed from their souls. The fight went on and soon Marcus arrived and sat to the side watching the exchange. Nexus of course didn''t go all out, but this didn''t mean that he went easy on the twodies. They haven''t evennded a perfect blow, there were actually a few close calls. Nexus'' speed was astounding, even wind magic users won''t be able to keep up. As they say, nothingsts forever. Eva, who retained her memories, is already knowledgeable about Nexus'' tactics. Chapter 78: Do You Go Around Doing This? Chapter 78: Do You Go Around Doing This? "I forget how ruthless she can be," Nexus mumbled under his breath, running around while being bombarded by spells. Nexus was talking about Eva, the one who single-handedly raised the Divine Conqueror, Marcus. Marcus and Nexus might not have been real siblings but Eva, who was fifty or so years older than Marcus at that time, took care of him. She might not have been from a wealthy family, but she shared everything she had with the little boy that she took in. The young Marcus vowed to give his Big Sis a pce once he grows up. However, his tiny dream turned massive, as not only had he given her a pce, he helped her obtain the title ''Holy Maiden''. "Emily, move to the side and cast another offensive spell on my signal!" Eva yelled. She didn''t turn her head as her eyes were intently looking at Nexus'' movements. If this was the Eva who fought in Helia Hotsprings, she would definitely have destroyed her puny opponents. Emily nodded and moved a few meters to the left of Eva. Her dark blue battle dress fluttered as she sprinted. The dress she wore right now sent out all kinds of emotions that were deep in Marcus'' heart. It may not be exactly the same as the power the dress emanated was not even close to the one she wore in the past. Aside from the power though, everything else was the same. He could guess that Eva gave this to her. Well, Emily''s room right now was the same as the one her past self had. Her dresses were still there, but the one she''s wearing right now is something Eva crafted herself. Nexus turned, he faced the iing spells with his arms raised towards them. His hands, coated with a purple hue. "I call this ''Spreading A Woman''s Leg!''" Nexus shouted as he moved his arms to the sides as if he was spreading a woman''s legs and getting ready to dig in. The light particles covered in holy magic changed their flight path. Some moved to Nexus'' left side and others to his right. They do have one thing inmon, they all missed. None of the spellsnded on him. As the dust settled, Nexus could be seen staring into Eva''s eyes. ''I feel like a damn third wheel!'' Emily inwardly cursed looking at the two. "I guess we can call it a day. Amazing session" Nexus tiredly sighed as he stretched. He hadn''t fought it a while. Eva nodded "My mana was also running out." "I hardly did anything." Emily wryly smiled as she walked towards them. "You''re still learning. Believe it or not, I was in your position a couple of weeks back." Evaforted her sister. The three walked towards Marcus who was pping his hands. "You guys were amazing." Marcus'' eyes had a tinge of nostalgia in them. He turned to Emily and continued. "So, dinner?" Nexus coughed and made his way out of the stone together with Eva. "Dinner? I thought we''ll have it with them?" Emily had a puzzled look on her face. Marcus chuckled. "Nope, we''ll be having dinner alone, just the two of us." "Wait, you mean a date?" Emily''s eyes widened. Marcus smiled. "Yes, it could be termed that way. I''ve already somewhat confessed to you earlier, so why not I just take you out right away." "Hold on," Eva raised both her hands. "How are you so sure I would even agree." "I just do." Marcus stared at her eyes which were now starting to turn blue. "Go freshen up. I''ll wait for you outside the house." Marcus disappeared from the training room and went back to his room inside the house. Emily stood there, dumbfounded. "Why didn''t I say no?" She mumbled. --- Emily went out of the shower and stood in front of the mirror, naked. She looked at herself. Eva told her about the medicines that could not only make you stronger, but prettier too. She took the first batch this morning and she could clearly see the changes. Emily smiled. The bruise on her arm already faded and didn''t leave any marks. She then went to the closet and got a dark blue cocktail dress that went down to her lower thighs, put it on, and then applied light makeup. After her preparation, she walked out of the room and went straight outside, her heels sounded as it stepped on the wooden flooring. Marcus waited outside. He already asked Leo for information about the best restaurants to go to on a date. Leo asked his friend and told Marcus about the ce. Leo then called the restaurant for a reservation. ''Tanaw'', one of the best ces to take a girl on a date. ''Tanaw'' mainly serves seafood but they do serve other kinds of food. Emily walked towards him, her eyes sparkling. Marcus smiled and opened the car door for her. "Thank you." Emily said as she went and sat in the back seat. Marcus went to the other side of the car and he too went in. He then set the destination to ''Tanaw''. "You look pretty in that dress." Marcusplimented. Emily shyly looked at him. "You don''t look so bad either." Marcus wore a ck zer, ck long sleeves with the top button left open, and ck pants. His hair was also styled properly. "You know there are other colors that fit you aside from ck, right?" Emily softly chuckled. She usually sees him dress like this, minus the zer. Marcus nodded. "I know, but I kinda like this one." "It does suit you." Emily patted Marcus'' suit. Not long, the two arrived at their destination and were led to a table on the second floor which was open air. Tanaw is just right beside the boulevard, so the sea breeze could reach it. The ambiance made it perfect for a romantic dinner. The two sat down and pressed a button that was located at the edge of their table. A digital screen popped up, this was the menu. Emily''s eyes went wide as she looked at the prices. "This?" "Hmm?" Marcus looked at her. "The prices." She pointed. The few people around the two stared at them. This was a grand restaurant, prices being this much is only normal. "You don''t have to worry about that. Order what you like." Marcus assured her that there is no need to worry, especially about measly money. Emily slowly nodded. She wasn''t used to this kind of lifestyle. She was a lot more reserved and conservative. Even the kind of shopping that they did this morning felt surreal. The people''s stares turned into murmurs. Marcus didn''t mind them. Emily, however, was embarrassed. She finished choosing her food and then inclined her head downwards. "You don''t have to mind them." Marcus gently spoke. He forgot to tell Leo about reserving the whole floor. Now they both have to deal with this. "Can I ask you a question?" Emily raised her head. "Fire away." Marcus grabbed the ss filled with water that the waiter just delivered. Emily looked at him. "Do you go around doing this? Dating girls, you''ve just met? Chapter 79: Tanaw Chapter 79: Tanaw Marcus coughed. He ced the ss back on the table and looked at Emily. He raised his right hand that was balled to his mouth and cleared his throat. "Do you see me as the person who does those kinds of activities?" Marcus chuckled. Emily tilted her head. "Well, you are a prince." "Hey, not all princes are like that. I, for example, am a gentleman." Marcus proudly puffed his chest, but there was a tinge of mncholy in his eyes. Emily who noticed this, asked, "Are you okay?" Marcus shook his head. "I''m fine." "Good evening, here is your order." The waiter handed out Emily''s food first and then Marcus''. Emily took a bite of the sweet and sour fish that she ordered. The fish was of course not a normal fish. It was a rank 5 beast. Though it''s only around 6 inches long, the sharpness of its teeth could prove deadly to early-stage Commanders. Emily swallowed. The fish slid down her throat, the taste lingered in her mouth. "It''s delicious!" She eximed. It really was top-quality food. She also didn''t have to worry about the bones, as they have already been removed in the kitchen by the chef. "Indeed." For Marcus, this tasted prettymon. His definition of top-quality is quite different after all. Still,pared to other mortal realm dishes he tasted so far, the shrimp and fish he''s eating right now are one of the few that sits on top. Emily paused as the sea breeze blew. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Marcus smiled. The big reason why he chose this restaurant was that it was beside a body of water. His Emily loved being close to one. Emily opened her eyes. "You must think I''m weird." "Nope, we all enjoy a rxing breeze, but some of us enjoy it much more than others. Simr to Nexus and his addiction to watching series and movies." Marcus knows that Nexus loved almost all kinds of entertainment in hisst life, he just didn''t expect him to be addicted to mortal kind of entertainment. "Speaking of Nexus, are he and my sister dating?" Emily wondered about their rtionship. Both Nexus and Eva never showed direct intimacy when she was around so she''s not sure if they were in a rtionship. "I don''t know. It might beplicated so it''s best if you leave it to them." Marcus had seen them dance like this ever since during his past life. "Is he a good person?" Emily didn''t want her sister to end up getting hurt. She wanted to make sure that Nexus isn''t the type of person who would leave right away after eating. "Your question is pretty broad. Could you narrow it down?" Marcus took a sip of the wine beside his te. Emily thought for a second. "Would he leave my sister?" Marcus ced the wine ss down."The universe would first have to run out of mana, and even then, he would still not stop loving your sister. So you don''t have to worry. She''s in good hands." Emily sighed with rxation. That''s one less thing she had to worry about. "Now that we''re on this kind of topic. Do you have any ns on having a rtionship?" Marcus smiled. Emily''s jolted. The underlying meaning of this question was clear. She nodded. "I am actually. Now that I am no longer living a harsh life, I wouldn''t mind being with someone. I am a woman after all." "Are you sure that meeting me is not the reason why you now want to be in a rtionship?" A yful smile arced up Marcus'' face. "Shameless!" Emily''s cheeks turned red. A person who sat behind Emily around 2 meters away, loudly scoffed. Emily slightly turned her head to look at the person, but in the end, she just turned back. Marcus also didn''t want to waste his energy dealing with those kinds of people, as long as they don''t go overboard of course. Emily looked at the sea, not minding the person anymore. "I''m already starting to miss Ker." "We can go back soon after the school year ends. I''m also starting to miss Jericho''s Diner. The dishes we brought from that restaurant were already gobbled up by Nexus." Marcus tried tofort her as he could tell that Emily was quite homesick. "So Big Sis brought you two to that ce." As Eva''s sister, Emily knew where Jericho''s Diner is. She, just like her older sister, also loves that ce. "I was genuinely surprised that their food tasted that good." Marcus was not lying when he said that he liked the sauce with nuggets there. "The reason that ce has a really big spot in my sister and I''s heart is because when we were in our early teens, the owner of Jericho''s Diner would give us free breakfast in the morning and dinner in the evening. I''m not sure how we would have survived those tough times if it weren''t for that." Emily had a bright smile on her face as she recalled those times where her sister and she were hardly making enough for themselves. Marcus was surprised by the revtion. For him, this is a debt that must be repaid. Marcusposed himself"I never imagined it to be like that. I thought Big Sis just bumped randomly bumped into that restaurant and decided to try it. Like how we randomly bumped into each other in the past, the only difference I haven''t tried you yet." "Aren''t you embarrassed? People might hear you. I''m not as shameless as you are." Emily shyly spoke. Marcus chuckled. He was done with waiting for Emily''s memories toe back. His n now is to make her fall for him again. He was sure that it would be a lot easier than the first time. "Didn''t you use to have a cat?" Emily changed the topic. "Of all the things Big Sis told you, she didn''t mention that even once?" Marcus thought Emily knew and she just ufortable talking about it. Emily tilted her head, clearly puzzled. "Nexus was the cat you met a while back. Come to think of it he has never changed back into one for quite some time now." Marcus did know that Nexus wasn''t a fan of turning into a cat unless it''s absolutely necessary. "Nexus? You mean he has magic that can transform him into one?" Emily wasn''t new to the concept of Transformation magic, she has actually seen quite a few. She also studied about this in the past. "Hmm, not exactly." Marcus lowered his voice. "He''s half beast." Emily''s mouth was left agape after hearing Marcus'' second sentence. She couldn''t believe what she just heard. "Not something you encounter everyday huh?" Marcus fixed his spoon and fork. He just finished his food and was now stuffed. "There really are a lot of things I still need to know." Emily shook her head as she took in the fact that Nexus is an offspring of a human and a beast. "Aren''t there human myths where beasts bred with humans?" Marcus read a lot about these. Hell, he has seen a couple of said beasts in the heavenly realm when parties would be held in their empire, and guests from other ces woulde and visit. Chapter 80: [NSFW] The Holy Maidens First Time Chapter 80: [NSFW] The Holy Maiden''s First Time "They are myths for a reason." Emily wiped the sides of her mouth. "I''ll let you meet them soon when we''ll arrive in the heavenly realm." Marcus fixed his zer. "You''re talking like you''re one hundred percent sure I''m going with you." Emily ced her right hand under her chin. Marcus chuckled. "That''s because I am." "To be honest this dinner wasn''t as awkward as I thought it would be." Emily was expecting a quiet dinner with not much conversation. The two continued talking for a couple more minutes before they decided that it was time to go. Before the two even got the chance to stand up. A middle-aged man wearing a suit came to them. Marcus turned his head. He looked at the man who''s slowly making his way towards them. The middle-aged man who had well-trimmed blond hair arrived in front of Marcus and Emily. Emily was curious as to what this man wanted. "Good evening, sir and madam. I am the owner of this ce and I''d like to thank you for choosing to eat in our small restaurant." The manager slightly bowed his head. Marcus stood up. "Well, we chose wisely. Both my wife and I loved the food." Emily fixed her utensils, went to Marcus, and pinched the side of his waist making the Asura Prince slightly wince. The two chatted with the owner for a minute. The people who ate here a couple of times before knew who this man was. What shocked them was that he was extremely respectful to the two individuals in front of him. "It''s gettingte and we still have a lot of things to do." Marcus wanted to go home and cultivate. "I see," The owner of Tanaw nodded. "I do hope you guys will eat here again soon." Marcus and Emily went out of the restaurant and headed home. ---- Nexus and Eva sat on the sofa with the tv on. Eva, who was not allowed to take anything to ease the pain she felt all over her body, ced her head on Nexus'' right shoulder. "You don''t know how thankful I am that you and Marcus got your memories back already," Nexus spoke. "Oh? Why is that?" Eva didn''t turn her head. "There are actually a lot of reasons, but one is that I don''t need to be the mature one anymore. You have no idea how hard it was giving life lessons and bullshit." Nexus dryly chuckled. "You did a great job." Evaplimented. "You''ve also grown quite a bit as a person." "I have?" Nexus scratched his head. "Yep, a tiny bit." Eva giggled. "Better than nothing right?" Nexus didn''t mind being lightly teased by her. Eva stared at the movie being yed and asked "Do you still think about it?" "Hm?" Nexus half nced at the woman whose head was on his shoulder. "About what happened in the past." She softly spoke. "Almost every single day ever since I woke up." Nexus clenched his left fist. Eva moved her right hand to his chest, the part where the heart was located. Nexus moved his left hand and held hers. He turned to look at Eva who now raised her head. Their eyes met. Nexus leaned forward and went straight for her lips. His tongue slowly made its way out of his mouth and into hers. Eva didn''t reject his advances. Nexus removed Eva''s loose white nightgown and started moving his hands all over her body. He then slowly pushed her downwards until her back touched the sofa''s seat. His lips move south. To her neck, to her tits which his hands were caressing, and then to her belly button. Eva softly moaned as she felt overwhelmed by the pleasure given by Nexus. Nexus didn''t stop and his lips now started to move towards her wet temple. He didn''t go straight to it though. Nexus nted his lips on her inner thighs. His hands lightly squeezed her ass and traveled to her lower hips. As Nexus finished with her thighs, he now slowly extended his tongue towards the gate of heaven. Eva''s hands were clutching Nexus'' hair, her legs started stretching. Nexus continued his job making Eva''s hip lift up from time to time. "I''m, I''ming." Eva''s soft voice sounded, her legs fully stretched. "I''m sorry." Eva''s currently embarrassed. Nexus shook his head. "You don''t have to apologize." He wiped his face with his arm and said. "That was actually my first time doing that." "You don''t have to lie." Eva knew what Nexus was in the past before he fell in love with her. "It''s the truth. I only go down on the person I love and I never loved any other woman besides you." Nexus smiled. "You just earned yourself a little something by saying that, you little cat." Eva moved down from the couch, her hands pulling down Nexus'' pants as she knelt in front of him. Nexus was surprised by her action. He wasn''t expecting her to be doing this. Eva pulled his dick out of his boxers. "Little was the wrong adjective I see." In all honesty, she was nervous. Eva was nervous but still, she kept going. With his dick in her mouth, she started working as Nexus held her hair. A few minutester, Nexus cummed. They. however, were not done yet. Nexus grabbed her hand and made her stand up. He made her sit on hisp, legs spread. His hands which were under Eva''s ass, slowly moved it downwards. He made sure to be careful when putting it in. Eva was both a virgin in this life and in thest, she was a ''Holy Maiden'' after all. Nexus'' dick slowly went in. Eva closed her eyes and pulled herself closer to Nexus. Her breast squeezed against his chest. "It''s fine, I''ll be gentle." Nexus softly whispered. Hot air tickled Eva''s ear arousing her even more. They both moved. They found their rhythm and soon soft moans and low grunts could be heard from the moving couch. Nexus started pping Eva''s ass, his lips on her nipples. He then stood up, ced Eva on the coffee table, and continued thrusting. "Mhm," A sound escaped Nexus'' mouth as he ced his hands on the coffee table. "You pussy is so tight." Nexus wasn''t rough, but passionate. Eva and Nexus soon climaxed. Their hearts pounding. Their naked bodies had just intertwined and there is no going back from that. Nexus carried her. Heid her on the front part of the sofa and then he proceeded toy on the back part, his hand around her waist. "I love you." Nexus whispered. Eva blushed "I love you too." "I promise, this time, I''ll protect you." Nexus vowed. Eva got a nket from her spatial ring and covered their two bodies. She then spoke. "You mean, we, we will protect each other. It''s only a matter of time before I get my strength back." Nexus smiled. "Yes, we." He moved closer to her and snuggled her towards his chest. ----- While all that was happening, Marcus and Emily were on their way home. Chapter 81: The Corner Chapter 81: The Corner 3 dayster. Marcus sat in the Destrucstone training room alone. His legs, crossed. Chaos essence swirled around his body. He took a deep breath, and soon, the scarlet-colored fog turned vermilion as they were absorbed by him. Marcus opened his eyes. With a smile on his face, he went out of the stone. Back in his room, Marcus took a quick shower. After his date with Emily, he directly went to the Stone of Destruction to train, Emily too. In the past 3 days, he never exited the stone. He wanted to make use of the free time he had to the fullest. Marcus changed into formal attire and proceeded to go downstairs. His ck tux fit perfectly with his body. Eva, Emily, and Nexus were already waiting downstairs. Eva had been working hard concocting the potions and pills. Nexus managed the factory where tiny drops of those potions would be mixed in with liters of alcohol and would then be ced in bottles. Leo apanied Maya on her shoots. She was after all the only face of the club, for now. The Xalia''s and Minser''s focused on advertising. Because of all the ads, ''The Corner'' is being talked about right now in Estra. People just thought that this was a new pet project by the big families. They however were shocked when they heard who the owner was. During a live interview, Eva was asked all kinds of questions. ''How did youe up with this idea?'', ''How can youpete with other businesses?'', and one of them was ''Where were you from?'' Eva''s answer shocked not only the interviewer but all the people who were watching. Someone from a 3rd rate country established a business in one of the main districts of the city and backed by 3 of the big families at that. Nevertheless, preparations went smoothly, and no one came to cause any trouble. Marcus walked towards them. Emily who''s currently speaking with Eva, wore a blue sleeveless dress that only reached her upper thighs, showing a lot of her wless white skin. Marcus stared at her from her head all the way to her plump ass. "You n on melting Emily with that stare?" Nexus fixed his bow tie as he walked towards Marcus. Marcus chuckled. "Fuck off you cat." Eva gestured to them. She wore a long white dress with spaghetti straps. It also has a long center strip that reached her lower thighs. "We should get going." She said. Marcus nodded and went to his car, but he didn''t forget to walk towards Emily and grabbed her hand. Eva and Nexus rode in the white car while Marcus and Emily rode on the vermilion colored one. The cars rose to the air and moved towards the club''s direction. Street lights lit the roads, illuminating the busy road filled with people. "How was your cultivation?" Marcus asked. His eyes on her figure. He can''t help it. His body was, after all, that of a teenager. A horny teenager. The woman who sat to his right turned her head towards him. "It was short but I could already feel the improvements. The potions and pills also helped a lot." She touched her face. Which woman wouldn''t want to gain more beauty? She already finished all three of the treatments and she now looked like a goddess. Emily noticed Marcus'' stares but she didn''t mind. They were now closer to each other. After they went out of the restaurant 3 days ago, they didn''t immediately go home. The two strolled the boulevard and went around town. As much as Marcus wanted it, nothing happened. It was their first date in this life and Marcus thought that it would be better to take it slow. Unless of course Emily suddenly retains her memories. They soon arrived in front of ''The Corner'', their nightclub that will opened tonight. The car stopped right in front of the red carpet. Dozens and dozens of people were already lined up on the side. Bright lights shed as the photographers kept taking shots. Zoey, Leo, Maya, and Loo were already there outside the building, standing and waiting. Zoey wore a red high-neck short cut-out dress. Her dark blond hair cascaded down her shoulders. Her cherry red lips curved into a smile as she saw the figuresing out of the cars. They could finally start. She wanted to stop standing as soon as possible. Leo wore a gray tux, Maya wore a ck dress, and Loo wore a green one. Eva and Nexus led the way. Marcus, the ''son'' of Eva walked hand in hand with Emily. There were rails on the sides to keep people at bay. The more you get closer to the building the more important the people are standing at the side. On the left side of the building, two random people were talking. They both stared at the two captivating beauties walking on the red carpet. "Dude, look at those girls dressing up like sluts, they must be wanting it, hehehe." One of the two spoke. He had slightly long blond hair. The second one pped the back of his friend''s head. "Are you stupid?! Look at how good-looking they are. If they wanted it, they could simply ask for it, and all of us men will be on the ground, begging." The first one rubbed the back of his head. The p hit pretty hard. "It must be great being that rich, having those kinds of women. Now that I think of it, I''ve never seen women as beautiful as they are in any magazines I''ve been reading every morning." The second one sighed. "That''s why we need to work hard. The harder we work the better our life will be." Marcus and the gang were now close to the front of the building where Zoey and the others were. From the corner of Marcus'' eyes, he saw four people. He told Emily to go with Nexus and Eva and he walked towards his right where his four ssmates stood. He neared the railings and waved his right hand in their direction. The four of them weren''t expecting him to be here, much more walk on the aisle. The twods tried to contact him in the past few days but he never answered. He was busy so how could he have time to bond with acquaintances? Marcus greeted them with a smile. "It looks like you guys made it." They didn''t need to move forward as they were already right at the back of the railings. "You? You own this ce?!" Reno''s eyes were still wide from disbelief. In the past 3 days, ''The Corner'' has been the main subject all over town. It''s not every day that you see a club being backed by three of the five big families. There''s also the fact that it''s owned by a newly establishedpany ''Asura''. "My parents own it. Call me when you guys get in. I''ll get you guys a room." Marcus could just let them go with him and skip the line, but he''ll be having lots of enemies in the future. Reno and the rest might get implicated if hispetitors think they''re close, especially Nedo who isn''t from any of the big families. "Is that even allowed?" Nedo asked. Marcus smirked. "My parents own this ce. Anything I say is allowed." Renoughed "Hahaha, spoken like a true young master." Chapter 82: Shes My Future Wife Chapter 82: She''s My Future Wife "It looks like you managed to get the girls toe with you." Marcus smiled, waved his hand to thedies, and greeted them. Brina, the one who kept asking questions during ss waved back. "These two started to cry in front of us so it left us with no choice." Pia nodded. "That''s right." Reno quickly turned his head to thedy who stood to his right. "You! We didn''t even beg. Both of your families asked you toe so you decided to juste with us!" Brina giggled. Reno the virgin boy, blushed as he stared at her face. Pia who stood beside Brina, locked arms with Nedo who stood to her right. "That''s how they became our date for the night." "Ye-yes, that''s right." Nedo stuttered. Marcus chuckled. He then saw that they wanted to ask something "I know what your question is. Save it for when we talk inside." How could they not be curious about Emily? He then walked towards Nexus and the others who were waiting for him in front of the building. Nexus who was conversing with Eva turned his head towards the vermilion-haired teen. "Fucker! I thought you were going to make us wait for an hour." "Shut up! I don''t like this any more than you do." For Marcus, this wasn''t the kind of atmosphere he wanted to be in. He hated crowds, something that would never change. Marcus turned his head to Zoey, Leo, Maya, and Loo. He greeted them one by one and went to stand beside Emily. The opening went smoothly, after the ribbon was cut, they went inside. Marcus didn''t forget to tell a guard about Reno and the others. He told the guard to lead Reno to the VIP room beside theirs. The guardplied. Marcus and the board arrived inside. In the middle, there was a dance floor with a bar situated in the middle. To the sides, seats, and bars. The first floor had a huge area that could fit around 500 to 600 people. The group made their way to the second floor. "It''s amazing," Emilymented as she looked around. "They really did a great job," Marcus said. Eva, Nexus, and the others really did a great job. He of course had no hand in this as he was busy cultivating so he too was surprised to see the ce. The group arrived on the second floor. To their right side, they could see the first floor. Railings were ced to prevent drunk people from falling. It would not kill them, but it would still hurt. They continued to the VIP room, passing by guards that were lined up on the sides. None of them were below Preparation Stage. Though they were only at the early stages, it is still quite grand. They went in, sat down, and ordered their drinks. Drinks don''t have to be delivered by anyone in VIP rooms. One just needs to tap the table and a menu will pop up. All the avable drinks will be shown there. The drink chosen will then be traveled into a pipe and pop up on top of the table, something on the table will slide in the process when the drinkse out. There were also couches on the side, tv on the wall, and a billiard table on the far side of the room. "It''s been one massive sess!" Loo raised his beer. "Let''s just hope that this will continue". Leo, who sat beside Maya, downed his drink. Maya''s picture was on the side of every beer bottle. As for other drinks, they just ced their logo, but she is seen holding them on billboards and doingmercials for every single offered drink. Leo and Maya''s rtionship was still unknown as none of them wanted to make a move. Leo was with her all throughout her shoots. Bothte nights, and early mornings. Zoey turned to Marcus who sat at the edge of the rectangr table. They all knew who the real boss here was. It was not Eva nor was it Nexus, but the vermilion-haired teen Marcus. They did wonder who Nexus was as he didn''t like to talk much. Zoey was about to say something but Marcus managed to speak first. "You look gorgeous as always." Marcus still remembered every lesson Gary taught him. How could he not? Every time he''s practiced his spear arts in the heavenly realm he had to recite Gary''s teaching like a mantra. One of them was to alwayspliment a girl. Although he retained his past memories, Gary''s teachings were still extremely useful. Not the part about fighting, but the part about women. Zoey unconsciously smiled when he heard hispliment. Emily pinched Marcus'' thigh which made him wince. "A toast!" Loo raised his voice matching his drink. "To the prosperity of thepany." Marcus stayed there for a couple of minutes before he went out. Before he exited, he turned his head towards Zoey. "We can talkter, if you want." Zoey shook her head. "It''s fine, I just wanted to congratte you." "Alright then." Marcus nodded and made his way out. He proceeded to go to where Reno and his other ssmates were. He fixed his suit, knocked on the door, and opened it. Nedo, Reno, Brina, and Pia sat on the couch, conversing. The four looked at the vermilion-haired teen. "So? Come on, tell us." Reno intently stared at Marcus. The others did too. They wanted to find out his rtionship with Emily, their teacher. "Ahem," Marcus coughed. "Can''t we talk about something else and then build up to that?" "Come on, why drag it? Tell!" Brina ced her elbows on Reno''sp and her hands under her chin. Pia didn''t say anything but her eyes said it all. She too wanted to know. Nedo didn''t say anything and had a look of ''if you tell us, okay, but if you don''t, then it''s fine.''. He thinks that bugging someone who they just met about their personal life is not proper. ''Kids.'' Marcus sighed. "Alright, Emily is my future wife." The room turned silent. Their mouths, agape. "Wi-Wife?" Nedo stuttured. "Future wife." Marcus corrected. "Dude! That''s amazing!" Reno was basically shouting, making Brina remove her elbows from his thigh. "How did you two meet? Have you guys known each other before she was our teacher?" Pia asked. "Long story short, she''s my mother''s sister and I like her. Let''s leave it at that." Marcus didn''t want to go into detail. It felt weird talking about it. Reno stood up. "Holy shit! It''s like one of those hen-." Reno swallowed the word, he cleared his throat, and continued. "It''s like one of those anime videos I used to watch." Nedo chuckled. "How are the drinks?" Marcus changed the topic. "They are out of this world. It''s nothing like the ones I tasted before, plus they''re less expensive." Brina''s eyes sparkled. Pia nodded her head. "I agree with Brina. I could already feel the changes that are going on inside my body." Nedo, who heard this, stared at her figure. "Pervert!" Pia pped Nedo''s forehead. "Hahaha, that''s good to hear. We will be constantly releasing drinks that will aid in the cultivation of us young adults." Marcus calmly said. Chapter 83: Strongwald Meeting Chapter 83: Strongwald Meeting "Does that mean we''ll be able to breakthrough faster?" Reno wanted to reach Commander as quickly as possible. As someone from a big family, he knew that he''d get more resources if he were a genius. In the past, he never worried about these kinds of things. All he wanted was to y video games. Now, however, he wants to change. "In theory, it should. We haven''t actually tested it yet." Marcus lied. He just didn''t want to release those drinks yet. "You''re going to be sitting on mountains of cash if you could make something like that!" Reno eximed. ''Out of all the rewards I''d reap from this, money is by far the least valued.'' Marcus didn''t say it out loud, he just inwardly chuckled. ---- While the grand opening of ''The Corner'' was happening. There was a meeting in the Strongwald estate. There were four people in a well-lit room. They all sat at the round marble table. Four white pirs that reached the ceilings were ced in the corners. "Should we do anything about it?" A thin man who looked to be around his early forties with short blond hair spoke. A bald muscr man who sat beside him scoffed. "What''s there to do? It''s just a tiny business. Are you worried about your investments in other bars and want to bring the whole family into this matter?" The bald man, Pald Strongwald was someone who''s not afraid of individualsing from 3rd rate states. He thought that those people were bottom feeders and would most likely stay that way for most of their lives. Pald continued. "What we should set our eyes on is the alliance agreement with Octopi. Wasting our time discussing shit isn''t going to help us!" The first one who spoke, Senator Bong red at him. "Yes, we might not need to worry about them right now, but if you let weeds grow they might cover up the whole." Pald looked at him with disdain. "You think that making yourself sound smart makes them more dangerous?!" "You are clearly doing this out of spite!" Senator Bong raised his voice. Pald shook his head. "That''s not true. I just want to focus on the more important matters at hand." "Alright, two of you that''s enough." A man with long blond hair with white streak sighed. He knew that these two never got along. The man with long blond hair, Vice President of Estra, Merts Strongwald looked to be around 40 years old. He was of course a lot older than that. When Merts heard about ''The Corner'' and ''Asura'' he didn''t mind it, but when the reports said about it being backed by three of the big families his brows began to scrunch. All kinds of thoughts were running in his head. Thankfully, the Frey family was not part of the three, or else he might have really thought that there were some conspiracies going on. "Pald is right. We have more important matters that we should tackle. Thepany ''Asura'' is located here in Estra, our home. If weeds grow in our backyard, we could always cut them any time we want, no matter how much they epass the yard." Merts gave his stance. He believed that this was their turf and no one is allowed to grow unless they say so. "Hahaha, I also agree with Pald. However, Bong, if you want to deal with them you can always do it by yourself." A fat man and the only one who hasn''t spoken also took his stance on the subject. The fat man, Vid Strongwald, had a huge nose and well-trimmed blond hair. He, too, looked around 40. Vid continued. "Bong, you have to set your sights on bigger things. Worrying about local business isn''t our job." Pald had a smug look on his face as he turned his head towards Bong. He tapped the table thrice with his index finger and slowly said. "Merts agrees with me, the fat man who hardly cares about the family agrees with me. Hell, even your wife agrees with me at night, all the time. Looks like nothing is going your way these days." "YOU!" Senator Bong stood up, his eyes filled with anger. "Oh," Pald chuckled. "My bad. I meant ''ex-wife''." He made sure to emphasize thest part. Bong had bullied him when he was a kid. This time, he now has the power to stand against him, and it felt good, it felt really good. "That''s it you son of a bitch!" Senator Bong roared. "Hahaha," Pald didn''t mind the raging senator. "I''m just stating facts. You know that your wife left you because you couldn''t please her, sexually. I, on the other hand, do." Pald was calm, he sat on the chair as if everything was okay. Vin wasughing. His balled fist kept mming the table while his other hand was ced on top of his stomach. ---- After drinking with his ssmates, Marcus went back to where the members of the board were. He wobbled a couple of times. His alcohol tolerance had always been low, even in his past life. He opened the door, the only ones left were Nexus, Eva, Zoey, and his beloved Emily. Maya had to go home since no one would take care of her younger siblings. Leo insisted on going with her and Loo met with important people in other rooms. Marcus walked in, his face flushed. He didn''t transform into an Asura but his face was red all over. Marcus didn''t want to sober up. He had no reason to. You could actually flush the alcohol out of your system with just your mana or with the help of pills or potions. That, however, also removes the important parts of the drink which will help you get stronger. Another is that, what''s the point of drinking if you don''t want to get drunk or even tipsy. Nexusughed. "You should sit down before you fall t on the floor, weak shit." Marcus didn''t respond. He went to the couch andid down. "Emily!" Marcus called out. Eva shook her head and turned it towards her little sister. Emily chuckled. She stood up, went towards the couch, sat down, and ced Marcus'' head on herp. She then began ying with his hair. Zoey looked at the two, silently. "Some things never change." Eva giggled. Nexus fixed his chair. "I wonder how the people who''de to greet us react once they see that lump of carrot on the side." "Is he like that when he gets drunk?" Zoey asked. She wanted to know more about Marcus. Eva nodded. "Yes, after drinking he usually goes to bed. That is, as long as Nexus doesn''t tempt him to do something stupid." "Something stupid?" Zoey tilted her head. "Destroyings, stealing valuable objects, and one time, Marcus went to a woman''s house shouting all sorts of lewd sentences. He, of course, got sted to a nearbyke where Nexus picked him up." Eva''s had a smile on her face as she recalled those times in the upper realm. She''d be lying if she said she didn''t miss that kind of life. Chapter 84: Takes Care of His People Chapter 84: Takes Care of His People Zoey blinked. She didn''t expect Marcus, her savior to be that kind of person. It sounded like Marcus was a typical young master whoes from a powerful family. When she heard about him destroyings, she felt like it was a waste.s are valuable resources to the human race as all kinds of minerals can be mined there. Those minerals can be used to craft items or even aid in cultivation. If lucky, treasures can also be found ons. Seeing Zoey''s look, Eva once again spoke. "You don''t have to worry, there were no humans on thoses. They didn''t kill anyone." Zoey slowly nodded. "How did your father react after you got home? Also, how''s your engagement with Leo?" Eva noticed that Leo and Maya are getting closer and closer. Although Maya kept cing barriers up, Leo always tried to break it down. "My father started shouting like everything wasn''t his fault. As for my engagement with Leo, he already broke it off. He was afraid that I would run again." Zoey giggled. "That''s a relief. It looks like you''re now a beautiful singledy" Eva took a sip of the drink in her hand. Zoey nodded. "I was exhrated when he announced it." "I wonder how Leo''s family reacted when they found out about Maya." Nexus joined in. "Actually, Big Sis," Zoey spoke. "I''m worried that the vus family might do something to Maya. They think that my father broke the engagement because of her." She was there when her father and a few old coots from the vus family met. Leo''s dad was fine with it, he didn''t really mind who his son marries. However, the other leaders of his family weren''t. They wanted this marriage to happen to strengthen the ties of their families and together they could overtake the Frey and Strongwald. Leo''s father, Ronald vus, couldn''t do anything but stay silent. "You don''t have to worry." Eva smiled. "Marcus takes care of his people." "You guys really put that much trust on him?" Zoey found it hard to believe for a teenager prince to be thatpetent. He did save her, but going against the vus is a different matter. Eva chuckled. "Once you start hanging out with him for quite some time, you''ll know what I mean." Zoey looked at the drunk Marcus. He was not asleep. He just snuggled in Emily''s thighs. Not long, a couple of people starteding in. They greeted Eva, gave gifts, exchanged a couple of pleasantries, and then went away. The Eva who now retained her memories found this tiresome. In her past life, there were people who would receive the gifts and entertain the guests for her and she would just either stay in her room or in the garden. The Holy Maiden would onlye to see important people. She didn''tin though. The smile on her face never left as she continued greeting iing guests. The guests would often look to the side where Marcus was. Their gaze would shift to the mesmerizing beauty who was taking car of the vermilion-haired teen. They would of course hastily remove their eyes and turn it to Eva. This does not solve anything as Eva too was gorgeous, her massive cans made the insides of their mouth water. Zoey, who looked like a seductress in her red dress also sat nearby, making their already difficult to control urges, harder. They started day dreaming of having these beautiful maidens on their bed. "Thank you for this wonderful gift. We from Asura really appreciate it." Eva smiled as she received a box of choctes. "It-it''s nothing big. The drinks you serve here are heavenly." Said the man who handed the gift. "We try our best to keep the customers satisfied with their drinks." Eva smiled. --- This went on for a couple more hours. Eva tiredly sighed. Having to meet those kinds of people was exhausting. All of them clearly wanted to suck up to her. "Hahaha, It''s finally over. We can go home." The board Nexus fixed his tux and stood up. He had been silent all this time, looking at the people entering, and taking note of each and every one of them. "People say it''s great being rich, but they have no idea how much bullshit they have to deal with." Zoey''s head was on the table. As the heir to arge family, she''s had this routine multiple times. Smile, exchangeplementaries, and repeat. She never got used to it and even hated going to big events because of it. "Marcus, Marcus let''s go." Emily whispered. Marcus who already sobered up quite a bit, wrapped his arms around her waist. He then inhaled her scent. After a second or two, he stood up. His face wasn''t as red as before. "You two should get a room." Eva chuckled together with Zoey. Emily had a shy smile on her face. She then went to stand beside Eva. "Should we go home?" Marcus stretched. He didn''t take a nap, he just enjoyed the soft pillow which was Emily''s thigh. "Let''s go, you don''t know how bored I was." Nexus grumbled. "Alright, we should apany Zoey home first." Marcus walked towards the door. "No," Zoey hurriedly shook her head. "There''s really no need. If you''re worried about my safety, you really shouldn''t. I have Preparation Stage experts guarding me in the dark." Eva who was right next to Zoey whispered. "I told he takes care of his own people." "It''s only a quick drive to your ce so it isn''t a hassle." Marcus walked out together with Nexus. Emily grabbed Zoey''s hand and nodded as they walked together with Eva. ---- In the Strongwald estate, inside the meeting room. The once neat room was now in shambles. Cracked floors, destroyed columns, and the marble table was cut in half. Pald was near one of the pirs. His bloody figure stood straight. Cuts and bruises were spread all throughout his body. He didn''t seem to mind. The smile on his face was evidence to how he enjoyed this. Senator Bong, however, was no longer fit for battle. His knees were on the ground. Not only were parts of his hair torn off, but also his right arm. Vice President Merts and Vin Strongwald didn''t interfere. They just watched them fight and made them release all the frustrations bottled inside them. "Hahaha," Paldughed like a maniac. "Is that all you could do? Is that all you amount to? You''re not fit to be one of the leaders of this family!" Pald mocked his nemesis. They have fought before but it didn''t end as badly as this. Senator Bong didn''t look at him. His anger filled eyes were staring at the ground. He was unwilling to believe that he lost. How could someone who was once weak that he once pushed around be this strong? Questions filled his mind as he slowly raised his head. He raised his only arm and pointed towards Pald. "This is not over. Mark my words that this is not the end. You just got lucky." Senator Bong carefully stood up. He picked his arm and walked towards the door to his left. Chapter 85: All About Magic Items Chapter 85: All About Magic Items The weekend quickly went by and soon Marcus and Emily had to go back to school. Under the heat of the sun, Marcus stood with his ssmates. Humid air, brushed their skins as the mid-morning breeze blew. In front of them, as usual, was Hedi. He wore a sleevelessbat suit and held two long daggers. "Alright, I''ve already taught you the concepts ofbatst week, now let''s move on and discuss all about magic items." Hedi paced in front of his ss. He looked at each and every one of them. Hedi raised both daggers. "These two weapons look identical, but there is a difference, a big difference. Can anyone tell me what that is?" Brina raised her hand, followed by a couple of other students. "As I said before, I''ll be the one to choose. Put your hands down." Hedi surveyed the students. He looked for the ones who seemed to be hiding their faces. "You!" He pointed. A male student looked at him. "Uhm, I think that, uh, their sharpness is different." "Hmm, sharpness? Could be. There might be a difference in sharpness but that''s not what I''m looking for." Hedi proceeded to look for another one. This went on for a few minutes before he finally called the student who ponytailed her hair. Brina, who also wore sleeveless ckbat gear, like all the other students, spoke. "The difference is their rank." Hedi nodded. "Good!" He hid the aura of the daggers to make the question a lot harder to answer. Of course, other students also knew the answer, but Hedi made sure that he chose the dumb ones. The ones he thought that didn''t know the answer he was looking for. "These two have different ranks." Hedi continued. "One of these is only rank 3 while the other is rank 4. What stage do you need to reach in order to be able to wield anything above rank 3?" "Commander and above!" the students incoherently answered. Some were wondering why Hedi was teaching this. All of it seemed to be basic. "Correct!" Hedi nodded. "You can use rank 4 to 5 magic weapons when you reach the Commander Stage. Rank 6 to 7 when you reach the Preparation Stage. Rank 8 to 10 when you reach the Transformation Stage. Lastly, rank 11 to 12 magic weapons when you reach the legendary Enlightened Stage. A stage only for those who are loved by mana." A lot of students'' eyes sparkled when they heard thest part of his lecture and they started talking with each other. That''s everyone''s dream, reaching that stage where people would have to respect you. Marcus inwardly scoffed, but then he thought for a second. Individuals who reached the Enlightened Stage here in the mortal realm would have to be extremely talented. ''Future captains of my army, wait for me.'' His scoff turned into a smile. Hedi asked everyone to quiet down. "This applies to both offensive weapons and defensive items." Hedi asked. "Do you know why I asked you if you could tell the difference between these two weapons?" A few students answered but Hedi kept shaking his head. "People would tend to mask the aura of their weapons, making it look weaker. This is a famous method that''smonly used by assassins." Hedi exined. He then questioned. "Have all any of you heard of Spiders Den?" The students nodded, Marcus unconsciously did too. "They are extremely proficient at doing this. This is why I urge you to practice discerning the true rank of a weapon. Manuals are located in the library, you are free to take it after ss or during your free time as long as you return it afterward without any damage." Hedi pointed in the direction to where the library was. "Ahem," Hedi stood straight. "Now, grab a weapon in the shed thene back here right away." Hearing this, every student excitedly ran towards the ce where the weapons were kept. Marcus jogged. Not because he also wanted a weapon, but because he wanted to get some shade. The students already knew what weapons they wanted so it didn''t take long before everyone got back to their lines. Marcus retrieved a bow and a couple of arrows. Hedi once again surveyed his students. Almost everyone was holding swords. "This morning we''ll be havingbat practice. However, there will be no use of magic." Groans came out of almost every student''s mouth. They were not used to fighting without magic. Hedi didn''t mind their reactions, he continued to exin. "I know that in mostpetitions, weapons are not allowed to be used. In real life, however, it''s different. Sometimes, after fighting for a long time, you''ll run out of mana. You won''t be able to release your favorite spells or do your favorite move." Hedi paused. "When that happens, if you don''t know how to properly fight without the use of your mana, you''ll die. When you don''t know how to wield weapons properly without mana, you''ll die. Do you get my point? Magic weapons are stronger when you inject your mana in them, that''s a fact, but you won''t always have mana on the battlefield." He received slow nods from the students. "We''ll have two battles at a time. I''ll be choosing your partners." Hedi then started calling out names making two students stand beside each other Hedi looked at Marcus. "You won''t be taking part in this. Go and sit down." Hedi thought that it would be unfair for Marcus'' partner. "Excuse me, sir." A blond teen who stood 6 feet tall with pompadour hair raised his hand. His wide-set eyes stared at Marcus. Hedi turned his head. "Yes, Mr. Ed?" "Why shouldn''t he join us?" Ed asked. Hedi narrowed his eyes. "If you want to be his partner then be my guest. Just remember that this is graded based on performance. If you perform well, even if you don''t win, you can still get a perfect score. However, if your performance is only mediocre, then your grades will be too." "I''m not afraid of taking him on. Just because he hit those shotsst week doesn''t mean he''s skilled. He''s just good at shooting while standing still." The people beside him chuckled. Nedo, Reno, Brina, and Pia shook their heads. For them, no one could beat Marcus in this ss. "Both you go." Hedi didn''t really care about Ed. This would serve as a good lesson for him. Marcus held his bow with his left hand and three arrows with his right. He walked towards the open field together with Ed. ''This asshole just had to challenge me.'' Marcus grumbled. He felt relieved when Hedi told him that he didn''t have to take part. Hedi reminded. "The two of you will have to fight without magic. Anyone who even attempts to cast a spell will fail. Begin!" Marcus gave a slight nod. Ed smirked as he raised his sword and pointed the tip towards Marcus. "You make the first move." Marcus shook his head. "If I do, this match won''tst any longer than 5 seconds. To give you a chance, I''ll let youe at me. I won''t even shoot right away." Chapter 86: Celebrity Chapter 86: Celebrity Ed charged forward. His sword arm stretched to the side. Marcus stood there, unmoving. He didn''t mind having a bit of fun with this ssmate of his. The other pair of students already shed, but no one really paid much attention to them. All eyes were on Marcus and Ed. They wondered if Marcus is also good at actualbat. Ed shed his sword as he arrived close to Marcus. He has been diligently training for more than 3 years and if he were to evaluate himself, he''d say that he had no rivals among his peers. Marcus threw two of the three arrows a couple of meters behind him, leaving him with one arrow and a bow. He then rolled back while pulling the bowstring with the arrow loaded. *woosh* The arrow streaked in the air as it aimed towards Ed''s right leg. Ed scoffed. He easily deflected the iing projectile. For him, that was child''s y. "Ahhh!" Ed yelled. Pain coarse around his left thigh. Marcus who was kneeling smirked. He had just fired the second arrow. "You are still too green." He picked up hisst arrow and made his way towards Ed. His steps, slow. Ed didn''t remove the object that was stuck to his leg. He just cut the shaft off and steeled himself. ''Smart.'' Hedimended in his mind. ''Too bad that boy is up against a monster.'' "Continue?" Marcus stopped a meter or two away from Ed. "Raaa" Ed roared. He rushed forward whilst ignoring all the pain. With all his might, he shed his sword sidewards. It was embarrassing, truly embarrassing. He was the one who issued the challenge but was the first one to take a hit. Marcus blocked it with his bow. Their sh went on for a while. Hedi had to admit that he was pretty impressed by Ed''s swordsmanship. He saw Ed as a potential swordsman. Though that''s not how the students see it, all they could see was Ed missing all his attacks. Not a single onended. They were either blocked or dodged by Marcus. "How is he that good?!" One of the students couldn''t help but blurt out. "Don''t you know? Marcus is the son of Eva, the one who owns ''The Corner'' and thepany ''Asura''. He must have been properly trained ever since he was young." The person beside him spoke. The pictures of Marcus, Emilly, Eva, and Nexus walking on the red carpet were already all over the inte. A lot of people have of course seen it. A lot, not all. There were people who usually don''t care about these kinds of things. Weekends are also the time when some go on short two-day seclusions. So it makes sense that several people still have no idea who Marcus is. Hedi also knew who Marcus was. He was present at the grand opening. The first person''s eyes widened "No way! I heard their drinks are amazing." "It sure is, I tasted it myself. There''s also a rumor going around between him and our first-period teacher." His friend whispered. Reno and his little group didn''t say anything. They just stayed silent, watching the ongoing fight. Marcus jumped back making the sword wielded by Ed, miss. Ed wobbled as he strode forward. He had been enduring the pain for some time now. Because of pride, however, he refused to give up. How could he when all his friends are watching? It''s going to badly damage his already damaged reputation. Before Ed could even attack, Marcus ducked and swept his legs with a bow making the blond fall. Ednded sidewards, the injured thigh directly hit the ground. Marcus wasn''t finished. He stabbed thest arrow he had to the undamaged leg. He didn''t mind the screaming out of Ed''s mouth as the arrowhead dug deeper and deeper. "Stop!" Hedi shouted. He raised his hand. "Marcus wins." The students at the side had mocking expressions on their faces. "That''s all he amounted to? He didn''t evennd a single hit" One spoke. The one in front of him nodded. "He should have just kept his mouth shut." Ed''s friends all had their heads down. They were too embarrassed to look at anyone right now. "I''ve already called the nurse. He''ll be here in a minute." Hedi stood next to Ed. Hedi looked at the students. "Why hasn''t anyone else started fighting. I''ve already assigned your order. Go and start!" The students whose turn it was to fight scrambled right away to an open field and began sparring. Edid on the ground, gritting his teeth. It didn''t take long before the nurse came. He healed Ed and decided to let him rest in the clinic for the rest of the period, longer if needed. The ss soon ended. Reno, Nedo, Pia, and Brina won all their matches. Not every pair got a chance to fight as time was limited. As always, Emily had a couple of things to do. Marcus went with his acquaintances to the cafeteria for a little snack after they changed their clothes. "You downright humiliated that guy a while ago. You''re insane!" Reno eximed. Nedo scoffed. "He deserved it." The five of them found a seat after ordering a couple of dishes. "Why aren''t you taking any other sses aside from the first two?" Brina asked. "It''s a waste of time, for me. You could guess why I chose to take part in the first subject. As for Hedi''s ss, I just wanted to check it out. I might be dropping it though." Marcus found both subjects boring. He could only survive the first subject because Emily was the one teaching it. Pia adjusted the sleeves of her sweater and picked the burger up which was on her te. "I wish I could also do that. Most of the subjects I''m taking are useless. The only reason I''m still here is that my parents want me to get a diploma." Both Reno and Brina nodded. They could rte to what Pia said. "Overly rich people." Nedo shook his head. "You''re talking like you aren''t rich." Reno took a sip of juice he held. Brina nced to her sides. She could see that people were looking at their direction. People were staring at their group, some were even taking pictures. Reno turned to Marcus. "It looks like Mr. Celebrity has tons of fans around the campus." "Don''t forget the ruckus he made when hemented on the Dean''s photo. That adds to celeb points." Nedo chuckled. "The amount of guts needed to do that." Brina giggled. A few people soon approached them. "Uhm," A woman walked towards Marcus. "Would it be okay if we take a picture together? Oh, and my friends too." Marcus wryly smiled. "Sure, I don''t see why not." He stood up and went beside the woman who then asked her friends to take a picture. Marcus didn''t make any weird poses. He just smiled like how a normal person would. After taking a picture with the woman, her friends followed. Soon a couple of other people joined in. It took quite a while before Marcus asked if it was okay to make it a group photo. The people agreed. It''d be weird to say no. Marcus walked back to the table where Reno and the others were. "We should ask for dozens of your autographs and start selling them!" Pia enthusiastically said. Chapter 87: Ohario Chapter 87: Ohario "You guys don''t even need money." Marcus didn''t mind actually doing it. "Of course we don''t. The money won''t go to us but to charity." Pia wiped her mouth with a napkin nearby. "That''s actually a bright idea." Marcus thought that it would be great for Asura to own one or something simr. It would not only raise their prestige but it would also bring them closer to the people. ''Now is not the time for that.'' Marcus told himself. Asura still needs to solidify its ground in Estra. "Hey Reno, do you want toplete that dungeon tonight?" Nedo asked. Reno nodded. "Su-" "Are you boys back to ying those video games? Didn''t you stop?" Brina asked. "Woah, stop is a strong word. More like lessen the hours of ytime. Right, Nedo?" Reno nudged Nedo''s rib. "Ah," Nedo didn''t get to dodge. "Yes, that is absolutely right." Pia sighed. "Boys." "Why don''t you two y with them and see if you''ll like video games?" Marcus asked. He then looked at Reno. Brina shook her head. "I''m not sure if those kinds of activities are for me." "Ahem," Reno got Marcus'' signal. "How bout this, you try ying video games and we''ll try out any sport of your choice." "That sounds fair," Pia told Brina who sat beside her. "How about tonight?" Nedo hurriedly asked. Brina helplessly nodded. "Alright." Pia stood up together with Brina. "We''ll be seeing you guys tonight at Reno''s home then." "Or we could go to Marcus''?" Reno suggested. "You guys are discussing like we have no sses tomorrow." Brina sighed. The girls slowly walked away. "Thanks for the assist" Reno bowed his head to Marcus, followed by Nedo. "Are you two even getting closer to them?" Marcus chuckled. The two shook their heads. "I might have someone that could help you. Now if you would excuse me, I have to go somewhere." Marcus stood up, walked away, and slightly waved his hand to the two. Nedo and Reno also started going to ss. ---- Marcus walked into an almost empty hallway. In front of him was a man with short blond hair that stood around 5''10 feet tall. Marcus had been following this man from the canteen. When Reno was talking with Brina and Pia, he overheard a conversation from a table adjacent to theirs. Marcus heard a name that struck a violent chord in him. ''Ohario'' He was the person who had been harassing Emily and went as far as to hit her with a spell. Albeit it didn''t leave any serious damage, Emily was still hurt. Marcus would have let Emily take care of Ohario, but her memories aren''t back yet. She might only dish out a soft punishment and set him free. However, Marcus doesn''t want that. He thought that giving Ohario light punishments was not enough. Ohario made his way to thefort room. Marcus followed while using his watch, trying to avoid suspicion. The two stepped on white clean tiles. There was not a single stain of any kind and the light green wall was free of vandals. On the ceiling were four white bulbs powered by magic. There were around 8 stalls lined up and a row of faucets on the other side with a mirror on the wall. Ohario went into one of the stalls. Marcus proceeded to lock thefort room door. There were no cameras inside here as it was prohibited by the government to ce one. Even for a school as grand as this they still have to follow the rules set by the government of the country. Marcus waited for a while. He walked towards the sink and began turning on every single faucet. If detectives ever search for prints, they''ll never find a match as Marcus'' prints weren''t on their database. Not long after, Ohario went out. His brows scrunched seeing all the running water. He looked towards his left where a vermilion-haired teen stood near the entrance door. "Did you do this?" Ohario asked. His thin brows scrunched. He didn''t recognize Marcus. He had been trying to breakthrough the Commander Stage for months now, and every weekend he''d go into short seclusion. After he left his room this morning, he finalized his lesson n and then hurried to school as he had to teach two consecutive sses. He hadn''t even read the news or opened any social media apps. Ohario still has no idea that the woman he tormented is now a bigshot. "I''m just as shocked as you are." Marcus lifted his shoulder. "A student went in, turned on all the faucets, and ran out, closing the door in the process." Ohario nodded. "That exins the low-sounding m I heard a few seconds ago." He went to the faucet to wash his hands. "Rich kids these days, you know what I mean?" Ohario guessed that the one who must have done it was someone from the big family, who else would have such guts? "I do," Marcus chuckled. He then asked. "Aren''t you also rich sir? I''ve seen you before and also heard your name from my fellow ssmates." Ohario smiled. "Yes, my family is quite rich, but not the type of rich where I can do anything I want here at Estra University. You said you heard of me from your ssmates? What did they say about me?" "They only told me how great of a teacher you are and one of the best new teachers this year." Marcus didn''t want to give too manypliments as he already felt disgusted saying this. Ohario, who dried his hands with magic, had a smug look on his face. "That sounds about right. I probably can''tpare to those female teachers which is why they said ''one of the best. I mean females are always better at handling kids." ''Either that or you just suck.'' Marcus smiled. "Probably." Ohario walked towards the door. He grumbled in a low voice. "Yeah like that slut Emily." Marcus'' Asura blood boiled. He nned on letting Ohario be as close as possible before attacking, but hearing thest sentence that Ohario uttered, he changed his n. Seeing that Ohario was close enough, he made his hands transform into that of an Asura. He dashed with his left hand forward. Ohario opened his mouth. He was about to react, but it was toote. Marcus'' hand was already in his mouth, clutching his tongue. Marcus destroyed Ohario''s watch just to make sure. "What did you say?" Marcus slowly asked. Ohario wiggled out, he tried to cast a spell, but all of it was for naught. Marcus destroyed each and every one of them before they could even deal damage. "Answer me!" Marcus raised his voice, it wasn''t so loud that it would attract attention from the outside. "Ahh!" Ohario couldn''t speak. A hand was still in his mouth, not letting go of his tongue. "If you don''t answer, I''ll cut off your arm." Marcus threatened. The kneeling Ohario couldn''t understand what was going on. His eyes were full of both anger and disbelief. They had a civil conversation just a while ago and suddenly this happened. "Still not going to talk?" Marcus created a portal with chaos magic. An oval with a vermilion-colored opening appeared. Chapter 88: Theres No Way Out Chapter 88: There''s No Way Out Ohario''s eyes widened as he saw what Marcus casted. ''What is that?'' He thought to himself. For a second, he forgot about everything else as he looked at the vermillion opening. Marcus was now able to freely cast portals if he wanted to, but the range of porting is still quite short. He then opened another one before cing Ohario''s hand into the first portal he made. Ohario couldn''t believe what he was seeing. The first portal was located to his right while the second one materialized in front of him. What stupefied him was that part of his hand appeared out of the second portal that Marcus created. These events all happened in under 8 seconds, but those 8 seconds were one roller coaster ride for Ohario. Marcus wasn''t finished. He then closed both portals, cutting part of Ohario''s arm in the process. He picked up Ohario''s arm and made it touch the nearby window. Marcus went into the Stone of Destruction together with Ohario, he then threw Ohario in one of the cages in the chamber and went out. Marcus'' day isn''t over yet so he''ll just have to deal with Oharioter. ---- Ohario ass was on the cold ground. His breathing, erratic. He looked to his left, then to his right, and all he could see was the dark-blue stone walls. In front of him were a dozen or so vertical bars. He was trapped inside this poorly lit dungeon. He stood up and tried sting it down with spells, but nothing worked. Ohario dropped back down feeling weak. All he could think about was the vermilion-haired teen. Hatred bottled up inside him. "Could you quiet down?!" A shout sounded. Ohario jerked. He quicklyposed himself, crawled forward, and held tightly to the dark silvery bars. "Who''s there?!" He was d that someone else was here. He hoped that maybe, just maybe, this someone knows a way out. "Sit down and stop acting like a kid on a tantrum." The voice once again sounded. "What?" Ohario had a confused look. "HAHAHA," The voiceughed "There''s no way out. So just sit down and wait. He''lle back soon enough." The hystericalughter echoed inside Ohario''s mind. It gradually fueled the fear he already felt. ---- Marcus thoroughly cleaned his hand, making sure to scrub it with soap for a minute or so. He dried his hands, fixed himself, and went out of thefort room looking as if nothing happened. He proceeded to meet with Emily and take her home. "Finished?" Marcus asked as he opened the door. Emily nodded. "Should we go home?" Marcus shook his head. "We can have a quick lunch first. Both Eva and Nexus are pretty busy so I don''t think they''ll have the time to join us." Emily chuckled. "Is that your way of asking me out on a lunch date?" Marcus wryly smiled. "I thought I was being subtle." The two went on to have lunch at a fancy restaurant. After lunch, Marcus dropped Emily off at home as he still had to go somewhere. Before Emily got out of the car, Marcus reminded "If something happens, call me right away. You could also use the ring." "Take care." Marcus smiled. Emily dumbfoundedly went out of the car. She waited until Marcus drove off in the air before walking inside, her lips curved into a smile. --- Marcus, who already changed his attire into something more appropriate, walked into Brawlrena. There were a good number of people inside. He looked around. The rings were being used, people were training with partners. Marcus walked towards the elevator. It''s been a week since hest visited Brawlrena and he nned on raising his rank on the leaderboards today. Marcus arrived on the top floor. The rings were currently being used. Rows and rows of seats were upied. Most of these people, however, were only here to watch the fights. Marcus went to the left side of the room and sat on one of the chairs rtively close to the ring. "Marcus." A man who looked to be around 21 years old called out. Marcus looked towards where the voice came from and nodded. "You have no more sses?" Leo, the one who called him out, proceeded to sit next to him. "I only took two subjects," Marcus answered. His eyes on the two people fighting in the ring. Before Leo could respond, Marcus asked. "Shouldn''t students in theirst year of school be busy?" Leo shook his head. "We''re actually free almost all the time. I for one only need to meet a few more requirements before I can finally graduate." "So that''s how it is." Marcus perched his elbows on his thighs and ced his interlocked hands beneath his chin. "How about Zoey?" "Uh," Leo tried to recall what she majored in. "Zoey probably is on the same boat as me, she just needs to finish a couple more things before she can finally graduate." Leo looked around, seeing that the ce looked quite rowdy from all the cheers, he offered. "There are unused VIP boxes, we can continue watching there." "It''s fine, I''ll be fighting in a while so it''s quite inconvenient to transfer now." Marcus declined. He already made a reservation to fight in the ring. "I see." Leo was surprised to know that Marcus would be fighting. "How''s the situation in your family? Anything thepany has to worry about?" Marcus asked. "Surprisingly no," Leo sat straight, a smile could be seen on his face. "My older brother is suffering from some kind of illness. Actually, I''m not sure if it can be considered an illness. It''s something simr to what soldiers go through after fighting in a war but worse." Marcus slowly nodded his head as he listened. Now he only had to worry about 3 families, namely, Strongwald, Frey, and Minser. He doesn''t fully trust Loo yet as he knows he only follows the money. The Minser''s could betray him at any point in time if his enemies would offer the right price, at least that''s how he saw it. "My condolences." Marcus softly spoke. "He isn''t even dead yet." Leo dryly chuckled. "Marcus Kauffman, please proceed to the unused ring. Fighter Marcus Kauffman, please proceed to the unused ring. Thank you." A female voice sounded throughout the room. Leo looked at Marcus who stood up "Can this be considered bullying?" "As long as I''m not enjoying it, then probably no." Marcus made his way down. The crowd looked at him. A lot of them recognized who he was. They soon started taking pictures of him while others told their friends who knew nothing about the vermilion haired teen. Marcus arrived at his side of the ring. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, waiting for his opponent to arrive. A man wearing a blue soon approached. He had a calm expression on his face like there was no pressure at all. He stood 50 or so meters away from Marcus. "Begin!" A referee on the side shouted. Vermilion colored lightning danced around Marcus'' arm as he charged forward, rushing towards his opponent. He had no time to y games as his time was limited. Chapter 89: Interview Chapter 89: Interview The crowd cheered as Marcus finished casting ''Lightning st''. The ring now looked nothing like it was a few hours ago when Marcus just started fighting. Dark ck stains could be seen all over the ground where the dozen or so consecutive battles took ce. To add to that, Blood and torn clothes littered the ground. Marcus stood in the middle. He of course had to act tired. He looked like someone who had just gone through hell and back. Cuts could be seen all over his body. The upper part of his battle suit had been torn, disying his upper body to all thedies in the ce. Marcus had battled 30 individuals, all were older than him. He made sure to make it look as though he was having a hard time. For the people watching, Marcus was someone who overcame all obstacles in his way. He braved through all the spells that were thrown at him and won every single match. Though Marcus asked for a five-minute break every after a fight, no one criticized him for this. Especially after his 20th match. They were also awed at how Marcus conserved his mana and how he was skilled in hand-to-handbat. At first, there was only a normal amount of crowd. But almost every person called their friends who were currently avable and invited them toe and watch. Even the media who needed a good follow-up scoop about ''The Corner'' and ''Asura'' came. The news nowadays is filled with content on rebellion, kidnappings, and other sorts of awful activities. Some would say that it''s pretty normal for stations to be covering those kinds of news. It probably is, but a lot of the people in Estra wanted something else. Marcus and hispany arrived in the nick of time. The media could now cover something fresh for the people. "End of the match!" An announcement sounded. "Would you like to fight again?" The referee asked for the thirtieth time. For thest 6 or so hours, he had been repeating this same question. Marcus had reserved the ring to be used by him for 10 hours. He, of course, paid good money for it and asked Zoey for a bit of help whose family owns Brawlrena. Marcus shook his head. "I''m done for the day." He didn''t n on finishing the whole 10 hours. He still has to meet up with his acquaintances back at his house. The referee sighed in relief. He was the closest one to the battlefield and was awed at Marcus'' conviction to carry on after every fight. He also thought that this teen was punishing himself which is why he felt relieved when Marcus said that he''s done. Before Marcus could even reach the staircase, he was already crowded by several reporters. He already saw theming towards him, but he didn''t stop their approach. Instead, he weed each and every one of them. As for the questions they''ll ask, he only nned on entertaining the ones pertaining to hispany ''Asura'', and his club ''The Corner''. "Mr. Marcus, there are a lot of people who are guessing your age, could you please confirm it to everyone?" One of the female reporters asked. "I am 17 years old," Marcus answered. He didn''t mind telling them his real age. The reporters were shocked but that didn''t stop them from asking questions. "A while ago you defeated two rank 7 Elites. Someone your age shouldn''t be that strong. Is there a secret behind your strength? If there is, are you open to telling this secret to everyone?" Another reporter asked. Marcus nodded. He looked at the camera and ced his mouth closer to the microphone held by the reporter. "It''s no secret really. I''m sure that you guys have heard of the new club that my parents own. I drink the beverages there daily. Of course, the ones I drink have zero alcohol." "So you''re saying you can credit your strength and current cultivation to drinks that your club sells?" Another reporter with a skeptical look on her face questioned. "Yes," Marcus answered. "As I said, what I drink are non-alcoholic beverages and not exactly the ones sold in ''The Corner''. They do have simr effects, it''s just that the ones I drink don''t make me drunk." A few reporters chuckled. Some sounded genuine while others sounded forced. "Will we be expecting those non-alcoholic drinks sold and distributed to other ces and not just in ''The Corner''? Or will all the drinks be exclusively sold only at your club?" The first reported who spoke, inquired. "Uh, from what I hear," Marcus replied. "It depends on the sales of ''The Corner''. If it''s doing great then we''ll probably start distributing in a month or two." "And if it''s not?" The same female reporter asked. "What''s the point of distributing it if it isn''t a hit right?" Marcus chuckled. Another reporter shoved a microphone near Marcus'' mouth. "Just to make it clear, you will be releasing new drinks in the near future?" "Yes, we will." Marcus nodded. "''The Corner'' is rtively new and the range of drinks it offers is still few. So expect that there will be a lot of new drinks with different kinds of effects released from time to time." Before anyone could even ask another question, Marcus hastily spoke. "I''m sorry but I still have to go somewhere. I probably won''t be seeing any of you again, so goodbye." Marcus walked towards the staircase where he initially nned on going down before he got swarmed by reporters. The ones left on the stage didn''t mind, he already answered a few important questions so there was no need for them to pester him. Marcus walked towards the exit. He got his watch from his pocket dimension and saw that Reno texted him 20 minutes ago. Reno stated that they didn''t know where his house was. Marcus chuckled and sent him the location. He also texted Nexus to let the four of them in. Before he got on the elevator, Leo came jogging towards him. Leo halted in front of Marcus "I forgot to update you, I''ve already started searching for the person. I have thousands of people looking for her. Zoey also offered to help. She asked her father to send around ten-thousand people and inquire about the whereabouts of the woman you showed me." Marcus was warmed by what Zoey did and thankful for Leo''s hard work. "Thank you," Marcus sincerely said. "If you have any news about her, send it to me right away." Leo nodded. "Don''t worry, I will. Just give it around 2 or 3 months, we''ll definitely find her." Given how widespread human civilization is, 2-3 months is a pretty short time. "Good luck Maya." Marcus proceeded to enter the elevator. Leo smiled. He wasn''t expecting the ''serious'' Marcus to also know how to say things like that. Leo also didn''t ask who the person he was tasked to look for or how important the person was to Marcus. He focused on looking for her and finding out when the timees. ---- Nedo, Reno, Pia, and Brina arrived in front of Marcus'' house. "We''re actually neighbors, kinda." Pia looked at the fountain that ced a couple of meters behind the gate. Nedo chuckled. "All three of you are. I mean, this is where families of your caliber live." "Enough of that." Reno walked towards the column beside the gate. "Marcus said someone will let us in and that he''ll be here in a few minutes." Chapter 90: Evas Hospitality Chapter 90: Eva''s Hospitality 4:30 pm Nexus sat on the couch, his eyes glued to the tv. Both he and Eva had been managing thepany the whole day and his ass had just recently touched the soft sofa. Not long after he started rxing, their doorbell sounded. He didn''t mind as he thought that one Marcus'' minions would go and let the guests in. It sounded again, twice. Nexus then remembered that only he and Eva were here. Ley and the other guards were in the Stone of Destruction. He sighed before standing up. Nexus made his way out and strolled to the gate. As he got closer he saw four individuals standing outside, waiting. -- Nedo, Reno, Brina, Pia curiously looked at Nexus. They had seen this person stand beside Eva during the opening of ''The Corner'' and guessed that this was Eva''s husband. "Good afternoon." Nexus greeted as he opened the gate. He then regarded each of them. The four teenagers greeted back. "Marcus will be here in a few minutes." Nexus checked his watch. "Follow me inside." "Are you Marcus'' dad?" Brina asked as they were led to the house by Nexus. "Yes," Nexus answered. "Why? Don''t we look alike?" Brina shook her head and then nodded mid-way. "You look young and your hair is different." The group chuckled. Nexus touched his head. "You''re right. Who looks more handsome?" They arrived outside the front door. Reno and the gang nced at each other not knowing what to say. Both Reno and Nedi were men so it''d be weird to answer the question. They just waited for the girls to give their answer and they''ll ride with it. "You, sir" Pia spoke first. Marcus was good-looking, but there was something about Nexus that made him stand out. An innate charm. The only reason why Nexus looked better than Marcus as of the moment was because Marcus is in a new body, a teenager''s body who hasn''t even made it past Enlightened Stage. There was still no heavenly charm of some sort unlike what Nexus had. It doesn''t mean that Marcus wasn''t handsome. He is, but not as much as Nexus as of the moment. "My answer is simr to Pia''s." Brina didn''t need to think long enough before she answered. The boys chimed and had the same answer. Nexus smiled. "Let''s go in shall we?" Nexus walked inside. The four teenagers followed. They all felt excited. Each one of them wanted to meet Eva. Nexus led them to the living room. "You guys can wait here." He then went to the nearby couch and resumed watching his favorite shows. The group dumbfoundedly looked at each other. They thought there would be maids of some sorts here but it turns out the house looked pretty empty aside from expensive furniture. The group quietly conversed, trying not to disturb Nexus. Not long after, a woman came downstairs. Eva wore a pajama and a loose white shirt. She looked at the kids who were seated and smiled. She then shifted her head to look at Nexus. "Didn''t you at least give them something to eat?" Eva asked as she made her way to the kitchen. Nexus paused the show he''s currently watching, but before he could even reply, Eva once talked, now facing the teenagers. "Have you guys been waiting here long? I''m sorry, my husband can be quite inconsiderate sometimes." Brina cleared her throat. "Good afternoon Ma''am Eva, It''s fine. We also just arrived recently." She stopped Reno''s foot whose eyes were staring at Eva. "Ow." Reno reacted in pain. It was different for Reno, he already looked away the moment he saw Eva so Pia didn''t need to do anything. "I''ll whip up something for you guys to eat. Just sit tight." Eva started getting ingredients from the fridge. Seeing that they couldn''t stop her from preparing something for them, Brina spoke. "Thank you for your hospitality." "You are my son''s friends after all." Eva nced at them wearing a bright smile. Nexus unpaused the show but he made the volume lower. "She looks like a goddess just like our teacher, Emily," Reno whispered. "That''s true, but please control your eyes. It''s embarrassing." Brina pinched his waist. "Okay, okay okay, sheesh." Reno also didn''t want to be caught staring. He doesn''t want to be that perverted guy who stares at his friend''s mom. As if that wasn''t enough, Emily came down wearing white dolphin shorts and a blue shirt. She stretched her hands up in the air showing her deep belly button and tasty curves. Nedo swallowed hard. His breathing became faster. "I wouldn''t do that if I were you," Nexus casually warned, his eyes still on the tv. Nedo immediately shifted his eyes and looked somewhere else. Emily''s eyes widened when she saw them. "I didn''t expect to see you guys here." Emily had a surprised look on her face. "Hi ma''am, we''re actually here to meet Marcus." Brina greeted. "Oh," Emily walked towards Eva as she spoke. "He''ll be here soon." "And, done." Eva delivered the dishes she made to the four teenagers after being hugged by Emily. "Thank you!" The four said in unison. "Oh, I almost forgot." After cing the tray on the table, she got a few drinks from her pocket dimension. She then said. "These are drinks that will be released next week. Tell me what you think of the taste." Nedi, Reno, Brina, and Pia were stunned. Eva then walked away. "Marcus'' mom is amazing. Holy cow!" Reno was careful not to raise his voice. Pia giggled. "This means that we are the first ones to taste this in Estra." "Hahaha," Renoughed. "Take that Strongwalds." --- Marcus made his way home. He already changed into his ck-long sleeve and ck pants. He felt tired pretending. The effort he had to put in and the time he wasted just to raise a couple of ranks. But he didn''t regret any of it. This was all for the future. Marcusnded his car beside Nexus''. He went out, fixed his shirt, and walked towards the ce where the pool was since there was a side entrance there. The people inside already heard a car parking so they all guessed that Marcus had arrived. A few secondster Marcus walked into the living room. He looked at his ssmates. "You guys said ''night'' so I thought that you''de here when the sun was down." Reno chuckled. "ss finished early so we decided to head here right away." "Where were you anyway?" Nedo asked. Marcus greeted Emily and Eva before replying "I went to Brawlrena and had some fun raising my rank." "I think you''re the only person who thinks that ranking matches in Brawlrena is fun. If we were as strong as you, we''d probably feel the same." Brina sighed. She too wanted to be strong. People only see the outside of how it looks to be in a big family, but in reality it''s a lot more different. "Make sure to train daily and drink our beverages, you''ll grow stronger in no time." Marcus walked towards them. Brina turned her head to Eva who stood nearby. "Mrs. Eva, thank you for the food, it was delicious." "Hehehe," Eva giggled as she looked at her. "Do you want to learn how to make them?" Chapter 91: Nexus Wisdom Chapter 91: Nexus'' Wisdom Pia and Brina didn''t respond right away. They looked at each other. "It is a lot better than hanging out with the boys." Pia chuckled. "Alright," Brina nodded as she turned to Eva. "We''d love to learn." Eva smiled as she led them to the kitchen. "Have you had any experience in cooking before?" Both teenage girls shook their heads. They bothe from rich families. They didn''t have to worry about cooking as they could just ask for food whenever they were hungry. "Not even once?" Eva tilted her head. "Well, there was that one time where we had to cook because of a subject we had years ago," Brina recalled. Pia vigorously nodded indicating that she too had one. Eva giggled. "It''s fine, I''ll just teach you the basics then." --- While the girls were in the kitchen, Marcus, Nedo, Reno were left in the living room with Nexus. "Oh right," Marcus remembered something. "You two had trouble getting those girls right?" Nedo and Reno had an embarrassed look on their faces. "I didn''t say that to insult you." Marcus chuckled. "As I said before, I know someone who can help. He''ll be able to give you tips and such." This caught the two nerds'' attention. "Are you serious?" Nedo was quite skeptical about it. "You''re not ying with us are you?" Reno looked desperate. ''Bunch of horny teenagers.'' Marcus thought. "Just go to that guy." Marcus pointed to Nexus who yawnedzily as he sat on the couch. "Him?" Nedo and Reno''s brows twitched. "Hey, remember who he bagged?" Marcus looked towards where the girls were. The four girls, yes Emily joined them, happily conversed in the kitchen while cooking. "Alright, but will he even teach us?" Nedo asked. "Try, I don''t know myself." Marcus chuckled. He then sent a voice transmission to Nexus. "Teach them a thing or two about women." "Why did you even bring these two here? They''re just crowding up the house." Nexusined. "At my age, it is important to have acquaintances," Marcus said. He read that this was normal behavior of teenage humans. He also didn''t mind having people here from time to time. "By the way, we''ll be hosting a party this weekend here at home. The Strongwald and Frey are both invited. There are also other big people who are invited." Nexuszily spoke. Marcus smiled. "Make the party grand, as grand as we possibly can." Nedo and Reno arrived beside the couch where Nexus sat. "What do you two want?" Nexus pretended as if he didn''t know. A lengthy silence followed his question as the two teenagers looked at each other waiting for either one to speak. In the end, Reno cleared his throat. "Uhm, so, sir, uh, we were told by Marcus that you could maybe help us with our problem." Nedo then followed. "The problem isn''t that big, it just involves women." "Hahaha!" Nexus loudlyughed. Thedies in the kitchen halted what they were doing, but Eva just shook her head and told them that it was nothing important. Nedo and Reno looked at the floor. "Alright," Nexus breathed. "I''ll stop messing with you two. I''m guessing you want me to teach you how to make those two fall for you" The two teens nodded. "To be honest with you," Nexus turned to them. "I don''t exactly know-how. I usually just go to a woman and ask them to fuck." Nedo and Reno blinked a couple of times. They couldn''t believe that someone could get a girl by just going up to them. "I''m guessing you have doubts." Nexus chuckled. The two teenagers stayed silent. Fuck doubts, they downright thought he was lying. Nexusposed himself. "Don''t be too eager." Nexus adopted a serious attitude. Nedo and Reno began to listen seeing as Nexus wasn''t ying anymore. Nexus continued. "You''lle off as a creepy asshat otherwise." The two teens nodded. Nexus continued to instill wisdom unto them. He taught them about what to do and what not to do. Nexus reminded them to be watchful of their movements and reactions. Nexus also added a tip at the end when the two will be in a rtionship. He said that when fighting with someone with who you''re in a rtionship with, make sure to make it clean. The dirty parts will be done in the bedroomter on. "Dirty parts, sir?" Nedo didn''t get what Nexus meant. "Choking, pping, hair pulling, and other simr acts. You get my point." Nexus rified. The two nodded. "That''s all I can teach you. In all honesty, I''ve only done all those things to one woman. The ones who came before, well, I just drilled them after asking for their consent." Nexus smugly said. "Uh, how many women have you had sex with, sir?" Reno had been wondering halfway through Nexus'' lecture. "How many huh? Hmm," Nexus thought for a while. "Would you believe me if I told you that I''ve fucked over a million women?" The two were dumbfounded at first and then beganughing a secondter. "Sure you did sir." Nedo chuckled. "Thank you for the lessons that you''ve given us today." Reno bowed his head, followed by Reno. "There''s no need to be so formal. Now buzz off, you''ve already taken up so much of my time." Nexus shooed them away. The geeks walked towards Marcus. "How was it?" Marcus asked as he saw them neared him. "Profound." Reno summarized it in one word. "You guys think you''ll be able to make those twodies fall for you now?" Marcus chuckled. Nedo nodded. "Chances are probably higher now that we know all these things." Thedies soon finished cooking. They then served dinner and ate. After everything was over Reno and the others got ready to go home. The girls thank Eva and Emily before leaving while the boys thanked Nexus. As they were about to leave, Reno spoke. "What happened to us ying video games?" "I actually forgot about our main purpose ofing here." Nedo shook his head. "We still had fun though. I mean, I don''t know with you guys, but we two had fun." Brina interlocked her arms with Pia. --- Marcus'' ssmates left leaving only the original residents in the house. Marcus called out. "Big Sis, we should prepare for this Saturday." "Don''t worry Baby Brother, Nexus and I prepared a couple of countermeasures," Eva assured Marcus. Emily who was listening to their conversation was shocked at how much her sister changed over the past month or so. Eva was not like this. Before she, Emily, left Ker, Eva was still quite meek and a pretty silent woman. Hearing that, Marcus smiled at Emily. He then went back to his room. His unfinished business is still waiting for him. --- Marcus went into the Stone of Destruction. He appeared in the living room where the white couch and red carpet were located. He slowly made his way to the chamber where he kept Ohario. Marcus walked opened the door and walked inside the poorly lit room. He took a deep breath and stopped in front of the cell where Ohario was located. "How''s the cell treating you?" Marcus asked. His eyes staring at the powerless-looking man whose ass is on the floor. Chapter 92: Emotion Manipulation Chapter 92: Emotion Maniption "How''s the cell treating you?" Marcus asked. His eyes staring at the powerless-looking man whose ass is on the floor. The man shivered. He slowly looked up, his blond hair dangled in front of his face. Shaking his head, he moved his hair to the side. Marcus silently looked at the man. This was the person who mistreated Emily. The one who ''identally'' hit her with a spell. Marcus thought of what Emily must have gone through in her first few days here in Estra. She had no one to look after her, she had no one to turn to, and she had to constantly look at her back while working hard to earn a living. Thinking about all these things only made Marcus'' Asura''s blood boil. He unconsciously made his eyes glow. In the poorly lit chamber, Ohario stared at the teen whose eyes lighted up. He mustered up the courage inside him. He doused the mes of fear as he shouted. "Let me out! You freak, let me out!" "I will," Marcus calmly spoke. Ohario snapped out of his rage. He looked at Marcus,pletely stupefied. He thought his ears were ying tricks on him. Marcus continued. "You just have to answer a few questions then I''ll let you out of that cell." Ohario sat back down. He sighed in relief. For hours he had been scared of what might happen, what these people will do to him. He didn''t prepare for the worst, he couldn''t ept it. He, a talented son of a rich family could not ept dying here. He still has a lot of ambitions, dreams that he wants to aplish. Dying at a young age wasn''t part of his n. "Will you answer each and every one of my questions?" Marcus took out a stool from his pocket dimension, ced it on the ground, and sat down. He then ced his right leg on top of his left thigh. Ohario nodded, looked at Marcus for a second, and dropped his head down. He didn''t say anything as he was afraid that he might snap. His eyes were still full of anger. If his re could kill, Marcus would have died a dozen times over. "Why did you choose to be a teacher at Estra University?" Marcus asked. His right hand moved around, a thin vermilion colored fog appeared around it. He had just casted chaos magic ''Emotion Maniption''. The spell stayed around his hand, it wasn''t time to release it yet. "To gain connections," Ohario answered truthfully, his eyes on the ground. "If I help talented children grow, they''ll feel indebted to me. Also, there are hot chicks in Estra University, teachers and students." Ohario had no reason to lie. He also thought that Marcus had something up his sleeve to detect if he was lying. If it were to happen that he lied, he''d have to kiss freedom goodbye. That is, of course, what he thought. "So you''re somewhat like investing, gambling that they''d turn into big shots." Marcus slightly shook his head. This kind of attitude was shit in his opinion. Ohario nodded. "That''s right." "I heard that you like to harass your female co-workers. Is that true?" Marcus'' voice was cold as ice. "I can''t think of any incident of me harassing a co-worker, so no," Ohario answered, his voice was quite resolute as if he truly believed in what he said. "Emily Lux," Marcus uttered a name. Ohario beganughing. "Oh, that? She''s from a third-rate country. There is absolutely no problem with doing anything you want with them. Defiling them is even fine since no one will fight for them. You can also pay the authorities if ever you get caught." Looking at Marcus'' irritated face, Ohario hurriedly added. "So this was about Emily? If you want her, you can totally have her man. I mean, I''m sorry for damaging her but don''t worry, I didn''t hit her too hard. But a word of advice, that slut is hard to get." Marcus could no longer hold back the boiling blood of an Asura inside of him. He stood up, extended his right hand, and shot the chaos spell towards Ohario. "Fuck you!" Marcus shouted. The Asura blood inside him was going out of control. Every breath that came out of him was hot. He thought about what would have happened if he hadn''t met Eva right afternding in the mortal realm. If they hadn''t immediately gone to Estra. If something would have happened to Emily, this will be the second time where he couldn''t protect the people dear to him. He couldn''t ept that, lighting the rage inside of him. The thin vermilion fog shot towards Ohario. It then went into his nose, eyes, pores, and other parts of his body where it could prate. Ohario, who wanted to dodge, couldn''t. When he tried to move left, the thin fog followed him. As it went inside his body, he started to prepare for the worse. His eyes red at Marcus. A second or twoter, nothing happened. He was still in one piece. "What did you do to me?! What is it that you want?!" Ohario yelled. He couldn''t understand why this person is doing what he''s doing. He answered every single question truthfully and he also offered the woman which he had his eyes on. Marcus didn''t answer, he lifted his other hand and did the same. A thin vermilion fog swirled around it and it immediately went straight towards Ohario. He tried if it was possible to double the dosage, if it would work then great. If it wouldn''t, then it''s fine. Marcus controlled Ohario''s emotions with his mind. First, he made Ohario feel happy. "What is this?! Why do I feel...content, joyful even." His voice trailed at the end before he finished his sentence with a smile on his face. There were still traces of anger in his eyes but aside from that, he looked like a happy person. "I should really work on this some more. I still suck at it." Marcus mumbled. There weren''t supposed to be any traces of anger left after being affected by the spell. "Time to practice lightning magic imbued with chaos." Marcus created a lightning javelin. He held it in his right hand as he tried to inject it with chaos magic. The vermilion-colored javelin soon started to wiggle erratically. Marcus threw the javelin, hitting the smiling man in front of him. Ohario had no reaction. He just stood there and took it. His smile never wavered. ''This is probably what happens if I overdose individuals with ''Emotion Maniption''.'' Marcus thought as he conjured another lightning javelin. ''What happens if I mix in excitement too.'' Marcus controlled Ohario''s emotions and mixed in a bit of excitement. "Or better yet," Marcus mumbled. Once again, thin vermilion colored fog swirled around Marcus'' left hand, he thenmanded it to enter Ohario''s body. Not long after Marcus configured the emotions the man in front of him would feel, Ohario beganughing. Heughed like a mad man. Tears flowed down his eyes as more and more javelins hit his body. Though he experienced this, hisughter that echoed all throughout every corner of the room never stopped. Chapter 93: Impaled Chapter 93: Impaled "As promised, I will be releasing you." Marcus finished practicing his ''Chaos Lightning Javelin''. Right now it still felt nd and he''s still thinking of ways to make it better. Marcus opened the cell and stepped inside. The smell of burnt hair grew stronger as he neared Ohario. He had nned on practicing his chaos spells on live targets for a while now, and he finally had the chance. Marcus felt exhrated that everything went well. He could now cast ''Emotion Maniption'' albeit he still needs to work on it and improve his control over the spell. Marcus didn''t mind that. Practicing wasn''t tiring for him as he would benefit a lot from the results. Ohario couldn''t move. His body, limp. His clothes, torn. However, there was one thing that never changed ever since Marcus started throwing ''Chaos Lightning Javelin''. The smile never disappeared from his face. Crooked as it may be, it was still a smile. His maniacalughter turned into light chuckles that would pause from time to time. "You wait here." Marcus proceeded to leave the Stone of Destruction. --- Marcus'' vermilion steed flew into the air. Nexus wondered where Marcus was going. Eva and Emily weren''t in the house anymore as they were currently in the Destrucstone. Marcus passed by the downtown area as always. He slightly looked down and could seerge numbers of people illuminated by the streetlights, building lights, and the bright digital billboards. The vermilion car streaked in the air moving straight towards the direction of Estra University. Marcus didn''t have to wait long. He made his car stop a couple of hundred meters away from the school entrance. He got out of the car and breathed the Estra night breeze brought in by the nearby sea. His steps were slow as he moved towards a dark alley close by. Seeing that no one was here, he started casting a spell. A slit opened in front of him, its vermilion colored outlines made it glow. The slit started growing in size and soon it was as tall as Marcus. Marcus with his other hand started opening another portal, before he even finished doing so, he already went in the first one. He smoothly entered it without any problems. Marcus, who was now inside the first portal, finished casting the second one. He walked out and was now outside the main school building. He stood on the stone pavement, in front of him was a staircase and a few meters in front of that was the entrance. On the sides wererge stone white pirs that went to the edges of the building. Marcus looked up and then turned around. He was looking for the right ce to dump Ohario. As Marcus found the spot, he went back to the Stone of Destruction and fetched the man. Marcus held him by the back of his neck and dragged him to a nearby two-tiered fountain with a spike on top. Marcus went to stand on the firstyer. He slowly took a pill out of his pocket dimension and fed it to Ohario. In case Ohario wouldn''t die, Marcus made him ingest a pill bomb, a ticking pill bomb. That pill bomb would make Ohario explode but it wouldn''t affect the ones near him. They would, however, be sttered by his insides. Marcus lifted Ohario up and made him lie down in the second tier. Although the spike pierced through his stomach, Ohario made no sound. He neither screamed nor did cry for help. He just faced the dark sky, his vision blurry as asional tears flowed down the side of his face. Marcus washed his hands with magic. He went down the firstyer and touched the ground. Now that his business here was over, it was time to leave. He nced at Ohario onest time and then proceeded to open a portal back to his car. ---- The birds chirped as they were woken up by the bright light on the horizon. Emily, Eva, Nexus, and of course Marcus sat at the dining table to have breakfast. "Casualties have increased in our neighboring Layda as the rebel group forcefully took the capital. The military, government, and a few daring civilians worked hand in hand to defend the first and second waves of attacks done by the rebels. As one of the civilians stated, Layda, was their home and they had to do everything to defend it. This ignited the patriotism of some people as a number of them marched out of their houses and helped defend the capital from the threats of the rebel group. However, not everyone shared the same sentiments. A lot of the people in Layda already joined the rebel groups and are fighting upfront. That is all for today''s International News. Back to you there in the station" A reporter slightly nodded at the end as the camera switched back to the news station. The reporter who was reporting the news of Layda was of course only here in Estra as the Estra government prohibited any of its citizens to go into the bloody war zone that is Layda. The anchor who sat on an adjustable desk chair smiled. "Thank you for bringing us the International News every morning Karen. Now let''s talk about ''The Corner''. The most sensational topic in Estra" Nexus had the habit of switching to a news channel every morning. This was of course useful so he just kept at it. "Baby Brother I just saw an article of you when I was fixing my hair a while ago" Eva fixed her utensils. Marcus smiled. "Is it about how I demolished my opponents yesterday?" Eva chuckled as she nodded. "Because of that stunt you pulled yesterday, we need to double the production of drinks." "That just makes us a step closer to our goal." Nexus chimed in. Emily nced at each one of them. "Goal?" Eva looked at Emily. "You''ll know soon." Emily didn''t pester them. She just nodded. The four soon headed off. Marcus and Emily rode in one car while Nexus and Eva rode in another. "Can you apany meter?" Emily spoke. They were now close to Estra University. Marcus looked at her. He felt warmed that she asked him that. ''This is a lot easierpared to the past.'' Marcus inwardly chuckled. Two weeks after he and Emily met in his past life they were destroying valleys and turning them into ins. "Sure, it''d be my pleasure." Marcus of course agreed. "Where will we be going? A motel? I mean if you want to, we could just do it at home." Marcus scanned her body. She wore a ck pencil skirt and a suit jacket. Her ck short hair was still slightly wet. Emily''s face turned red. "You! I was just going to ask if you coulde with me to buy a dress. The ones I have probably won''t do for the party this weekend." When they went shoppingst time, she had bought quite a lot of clothes and footwear. However, none of them would fit for the asion this weekend where big names all over Estra would be visiting their house. "Oh," Marcus nodded. "That''s fine, we can go right away after ss. Or we can also do it tomorrow." Emily shook her head. "I want everything done by today. I''ll be going into short seclusion and I won''te out until Friday." "You''re close to a breakthrough?" Marcus asked. Emily nodded. "Just a bit more push. The ones I''ve been drinking and the pills I''ve been taking helped a lot." The two got out of the car as it finished parking in the parking lot. They walked side by side, their steps slow. They didn''t need to hurry as it was still early in the morning. "The faster we get to Commander Stage, better yet, the faster we get to Enlightened Stage the better." Marcus softly spoke. Emily''s eyes widened. "Hold it. Thinking of reaching the Enlightened Stage is too much." "I''m not pressuring you or anything. Just wait, I have a surprise for you guys once I reach the Commander Stage. It''ll help us cultivate faster. It''ll help us reach Enlightened in just a few years." "Really?" Emily thought Marcus was bluffing. That kind of speed was horrifyingly impossible. "Don''t tell me you''re doubting me?" Marcus looked at her and smiled in a yful way. "N-no that''s not it. It just seems impossible. I''m not doubting you." Emily stuttered. She shyly looked back at Marcus who was now staring at her. "Good," Marcussciviously smiled "I would have eaten you otherwise." Emily pinched his side. They continued walking towards the main building. The two stopped as they saw a small crowd around a two-tiered fountain. Emily could clearly see a person on top of it, impaled by the sharp metal rod. The two walked closer. Emily narrowed her eyes to see better. She gasped as she recognized who the person was. Chapter 94: The Famous Zoey Chapter 94: The Famous Zoey "Is that, Ohario?" Emily turned to Marcus. "Yes, it is," Marcus whispered. "Let''s keep walking. That''s none of our business." Emily nodded and continued to walk beside Marcus. She thought about how sure Marcus was when he answered her question. ''Could Marcus have done this?'' Emily asked herself. They walked into the halls and soon arrived in the ssroom where there were only a few students inside. Marcus went to his desk near the window under the gazes of his ssmates. Marcus nced at them but didn''t interact. He began fiddling with his watch as he went on to social media. His ssmates were still staring at him. They''ve all seen the pictures, videos, and articles going around social media about his streak in Brawlrena. They were all awed at his ability to do battle. ''I feel sorry for Ed.'' One thought in their head. ''If I could be that strong, I''ll definitely have dozens of hot asses beside me.'' Another of Marcus'' ssmates daydreamed. ''I should start asking my parents to buy drinks from ''The Corner'' when their non-alcoholic beveragese out.'' Another of the students thought. It didn''t take long before the ss had to start. This time, all of the students knew who Marcus was. Ed, who was also present, didn''t look at Marcus in the eye. He just stayed behind his friends quietly observing the ss. "Alright everyone, settle down." Emily stood from her desk. ---- The crowd that circled around the fountain now dispersed. A few had to leave for ss, some had to eat breakfast, others were grossed out the longer they stayed here, and the ones who werest to leave were sent away by campus security. The dean has now arrived together with a few officers. Dean, the dean, looked at the corpse. Its whole body couldn''t fit on the tier two fountain so its head and legs were hanging. Dean slowly moved towards where the head was. What he found was a horrifying sight. Ohario''s lips parted as it formed a crooked smile, His tongue slightly protruded out. Stains of blood were found all over his body. It was as if he was beaten to death. Dean sighed. He had an idea of who might have done this act, but that didn''t mean he''s going to start pointing his finger. Especially since the person he suspects is a rising star in Estra. "He must have died in a painful death." One of the officers spoke. Dean looked at the officer. Dean had been asked toe here early because of this, his sleep interrupted. Since he can''t do anything about it, why not just listen to what the officers had to say about the death. "He didn''t die right away after he was impaled and before that, it looks like he was tortured, badly tortured." The officer turned his watch on and began taking pictures of the corpse. "I see." Dean just nodded. He might have to deal with Ohario''s family but as long as it wasn''t one of the five big families of Estra then he''s fine with it. "We''re going to have to take this body with us and have it examined. We''ll see if we can get any leads as to what or who did this." The other officer said as he began to remove the impaled body from the tier-two tform of the fountain. "Do what you have to do," Dean responded as if he didn''t care. The officers didn''t mind. They thought that the dean saw the dead man as someone who was receable. --- Dean arrived at his office. He sat down on the chair behind his desk, sighed, and massaged his forehead with his fingers. "Those people are dangerous." Under his breath, he muttered. Dean suspected Marcus of Ohario''s death. How could he not when Ohario harassed Emily and it was reported that Emily Lux was the sister of Eva Lux. There was also a rumor going around the campus that Marcus and Emily were dating. He, of course, had no ns of interfering. Students and teachers having a rtionship is no big deal. Dean started nning on how to exin things to Ohario''s family since he won''t say that Marcus or anyone from Marcus'' family did it. "I''ll just leave that be, let everything run its course." He ced it at the back of his mind and turned on theputer in front of him. ---- "My arms are sore," Brinained as they walked into the cafeteria. "Shouldn''t you guys be the sporty ones?" Reno asked as he flexed his nonexistent muscr bicep. "Shut up." Brina walked faster, her arms drooped. "My arms don''t hurt as much as my legs." Pia tooined. Nedo chuckled. "Just go to the clinic and have them ease the pain." Pia nodded. "Will do once we finish eating. A lot of our ssmates are still there right now. Plus, I''m already starving. I might pass out if I still keep standing." Marcus walked behind the four was busy with his watch. He didn''t bother telling them about not going to the clinic and to not ease body pain with potions or pills if it isn''t needed. Reno looked at Marcus. "Dude your streak yesterday was insane." Nedo stopped walking and patted Marcus'' shoulder. "You didn''t even brag when you arrived at your house yesterday." Marcus humbly smiled. "That was nothing. It wasn''t that big of a deal, really." The five quickly found a table that''d fit them. They ordered and started eating. Not long, Zoey walked in. All eyes in the cafeteria were now on her. The male poption immediately halted. Whatever it was they were doing they immediately stopped. "She looks even prettier now," Brinamented. She has seen Zoey plenty of times before and she had always thought of her as a goddess of both beauty and power. "It''s also said that she''s a lot stronger now too. Our school might be able to win this time in the internationals." Pia''s voice had a mix of admiration. "Looks like youdies admire Zoey." Marcus looked at the two. He of course knew how famous Zoey was. He had seen her profile on ''IceBerg'', the social media app, and she has over a million followers. There were only a very few pictures though but that didn''t stop people from following her. That is also where Marcus learned that Zoey likes to read books. "Who doesn''t? She''s really talented, beautiful, and she''s being idolized by hundreds of thousands of people!" Nedo eximed. "Too bad she''s camera shy or she would have been a great model." Said Reno. "Maybe the reason she looks more dazzling is because she''s in love." Pia sped her hands together. Reno shook her head. "How can that be? Her engagement has just been broken up." "Speaking of," Brina spoke. "I just hope our families won''t go to war because of it. After you Xalia''s canceled the engagement, the older people in the vus have been discussing things and the inner turmoil in the family is also rising." "They don''t love each other, why force things?" Reno thought that it''d be unfair for Zoey to be married to someone she doesn''t like. "Reno, why not you and Brina get married?" Marcus suggested right off the bat. "It solves everything doesn''t it?" The table went silent. Reno and Brina nced at each other. Reno could see Brina''s cheeks turn red and Brina also saw Reno''s cheeks turn red. Nedo and Pia chuckled as they saw this. Zoey who was together with her friends saw Marcus. She looked at him and waved her hand. Marcus smiled and waved back. Zoey wore a sleeveless white shirt and a dark red skirt. Her dark blond hair cascaded down her shoulders. She excused herself from her friends and walked towards and arrived in front of the vermilion-haired teen under the gazes of everyone in the room. The crowd already knew who this was. How could they not know the heir of ''Asura'', the newly builtpany that''s owned by Eva? "Hi." Zoey greeted. "Are youing this weekend?" Marcus asked as he looked up from his watch. Nedo, Reno, Brina, and Pia were shocked at how casual Marcus and Zoey were talking. They seemed to be friends. "Mhm," Zoey nodded. "I kinda have to right?" She chuckled at the end. It wasn''t a joke that she had toe this weekend, she was part of the board after all. "Wear something red." Marcus stared into her eyes. "You look really beautiful in red." Nedo choked on his saliva and began coughing. Zoey blushed as she giggled. "Emily is going to beat you up if she hears you say things like that." Marcus didn''t say anything, he just smiled. "I see that you''ve already made friends here." Zoey looked at the gang. She recognized all four of them, especially Reno and Nedo. Marcus nodded. "These are my acquaintances, I''m sure someone like you already knows who they are." "I sure do." Zoey then turned her head to where her friends were sitting. "If you will excuse me, I have to go back to them. It looks like they''re pretty curious about our rtionship." "See you this Saturday." Marcus slightly waved. Chapter 95: Octopi And Strongwald Chapter 95: Octopi And Strongwald Emily held two dresses in hand, both blue. She nced at the one on her left and then the one on her right, her brows scrunched. "Why not take both?" Marcus, who stood in front of him, asked. Emily shook her head. "It''d be a waste if I do. I''ll probably only use it this Saturday." Marcus looked around. He called out ady who was working here and asked her to bag both dresses. Before Emily could even react, Marcus already moved his index finger in front of her lips. "Just don''t argue," Marcus asked thedy who worked at the store to carry on. The employee nodded and carried both dresses. Emily already tried fitting both a few minutes ago so the dresses already have the right sizes. "Let''s look around, maybe something else will catch your eye," Marcus suggested. There were no seats so might as just walk around while waiting. The two walked side by side. Emily would asionally check the clothes, essories, and footwear on the sides. They both reached the lingerie section of the store. Emily was about to turn back but Marcus tapped her shoulder. He went closer to her ear and whispered. "Some of these would look great on you, why don''t we buy a few for, for the future?" Emily looked at the lingerie being disyed inside a ss, one of which was crotchless. Emily punched Marcus'' chest and walked back to the counter where they would pick up the dresses. She turned red as the image of her wearing it in front of a naked Marcus in her bedroom appeared in her mind. "Think about it will you." Marcus followed behind, chuckling. The two walked towards the counter. The woman behind the counter gave them two ck bags with the store''s logo on them. Marcus essed his watch and paid. He then received the bags and said ''thank you'' together with Emily. They immediately went home after stopping for ice cream which Emily wanted. ----- Strongwald estate. A plump man walked towards the meeting room, the same meeting room where two of their family leaders fought. Vid Strongwald, the plump man, walked into the room. The four white pirs were fixed, the round marble table looked as good as new, and so was the floor. Before he sat, he first changed the table, turning it into a rectangr one. He then sat on one side and faced the big screen that was a few meters away from him. He was usually the early one and was never tardy. How could he be tardy when he almost does nothing the whole day? Vid fixed his tight ck suit. His body could hardly get any air whenever he wears this. Not long after he arrived, Pald Strongwald came walking in. His bald head shined as he entered the well-lit room. He greeted Vid and sat beside him. Pald and Vid had a good rtionship and had never gotten into a fight, mostly because Vid doesn''t have that much ambition. What Vid only cares about is his weird hobby. Vid, who sat at the edge, stood up. "It''s best if you sit here." "I think that''s for the best." Pald agreed. Vid suggested so as to keep Pald and Bong as far away from each other as possible. They switched seats and now Pald sat at the edge. "You two should make up. We don''t want to end up like the vus family." Vid spoke in a low voice. Pald scoffed. "Easy for you to say, you''re not the one he tormented." Vid sighed. "That was all in the past. Oh, and didn''t you already steal his wife? Isn''t that enough?" In all honesty, Vid didn''t care much about the family. He had no children and no wife. But since he was on the same boat as them, might as well help. He also needs funds for his experiments, so the more money the family earns, the more resources he can get. "Stole?!" Pald raised his voice. "I didn''t steal her away from him, she was mine to begin with, he was the one who snatched her from me!" "Calm down," Vid raised his hand towards the bald man. "I''m not your enemy." Pald took a deep breath and nodded. He sat back down and closed his eyes. What Vid said was true, and also, Pald doesn''t want to cross des with Vid. He knows that Vid is powerful, but he doesn''t know to what extent since the round man usually stays in hisb. "Looks like you guys are early." Vice President Merts Strongwald opened therge double doors and strolled in together with Bong. Merts went to sit to the right of Vid and Bong sat beside him. Both Pald and Bong never nced at each other even once. "All three of you know what to say." Merts looked at each of them. He fixed his ck suit. "Start the call." Bong nodded. The giant screen in front of them lit up. It then partitioned into three, and a ring sounded throughout the room. It didn''t take long for them to get an answer. The four of them looked at the three people who picked up the call. On the left side of the screen was a woman who wore a white-colored robe. She had brown curly hair that reached to her shoulders, thin brows, and a slim body figure. She looked to be around her mid 30''s. Her eyes surveyed the four Strongwald men. On the right side of the screen was a man with blond army-cut hair. He wore no robes, but what he did wear was a camo tank top. He sat on a chair with arge straw in his mouth that''s connected to the giant keg beside him. He also looked to be around his mid 30''s. On the middle of the partitioned screen was a bald man who had a slight smile on his face. He sat on a throne-like chair with a tter of fruits beside it. He looked to be around his mid 40''s. These were the hearts of Octopi, the ones leading and funding the rebel groups across multiple countries. There was silence and nothing else. They looked at each other and nothing more. Pald couldn''t take it, so he spoke. "Do you agree? We can''t wait for your answer anymore. You people are dragging it every day." The Strongwald family wanted to ally themselves with these people. With the help of Octopi, the Strongwald wouldn''t have to worry about the other big families anymore. The only groups they had to be wary of are the ones from other countries, but with the connections they have, it can easily be handled. "We have no problems with the alliance that you are talking about. We also have no problem with the rules and such. However, now is not the time. Our men are already stretched thin on the battlefield. If we start another one there in Estra our organization might crumble." Paul calmly spoke. To say that Octopi would crumble was only Paul exaggerating. The chances of that happening is very low, but still, Paul doesn''t want to exhaust their resources. Paul also didn''t say anything about Miel, the blond with the army cut, not agreeing. He doesn''t want these people to see that Octopi wasn''t one hundred percent united. "How long then?" Bong asked. He too wanted for this little project of theirs to start. Especially now that apany called Asura that owned The Corner is getting more and more traction. He had invested quite a lot in nightclubs, if The Corner would grow much more than it is now, it''ll be disastrous for him. "Two or three months, probably. I''m sure you people have read or even saw the news of how many countries are under our influence." Zee spoke. She continued. "There is no hurry, we have all the time in the world. I mean, don''t you want preparations to be perfect? You don''t want a rush operation do you?" She giggled at the end. Pald was about to speak but Merts stopped him. Merts nced at the three leaders of Octopi. From the reports he gathered, these people were orphans and had to w their way up to the upper echelons of society. They were also extremely talented individuals. When he heard about this, he was truly impressed. "How about this," Merts spoke. "Two months, two months from now we should cause something big in Estra. You don''t have to send your precious soldiers as long as we can cause a disaster that would make us, the Strongwalds, heroes." Merts thought that there was only a very low chance of Octopi sending their rebel troops to Estra. He, as the Vice President of a country, knows of the events that are taking ce on neighborings. "Hmm," Paul thought for a while. "That sounds doable. Let''s do that. In the third month, we might be able to start sending troops if needed." Everyone had smiles on their faces. Bong, although he wasn''t too happy about it, he didn''t really mind. He could just ask someone to disrupt the business of The Corner for now. Chapter 96: Emily vs Marcus Chapter 96: Emily vs Marcus "What do we get in return?" Paul asked. Paul wanted a fair trade. If ever he thinks that the other side is fucking with him then he would just back out. "Thousands of Elites, hundreds of Commanders, tens of early Preparation Stage experts, and maybe one or two middle stage Preparation Stage experts. Does that satisfy you, organization leader Paul?" Merts spoke. Paul stared at them for a good while before nodding. "That settles it, goodbye." Miel turned off his camera. Paul wryly chuckled. "I''m sorry for his behavior. He''s usually like that, so don''t take it personally." "It''s fine," Merts didn''t mind. "We also have someone of the same personality here." Pald looked at Merts. No name was mentioned but the four Strongwald men knew who the Vice President was referring to. "We''ll be seeing you." Paul nodded before ending the call together with Zee. As the screen dimmed. Merts sighed. "We should not waste this chance. Prepare the number of troops to be sent off to Layda. Make sure they wouldn''t be recognized." Bong nodded. This was the type of job he was usually tasked to do. "I''ll be going now." Vid stood up from his chair. He had to move half a meter away from the table to stand up or else his stomach would get stuck. "Not yet." Merts raised his hand. "I know you''re excited to get back to your experiments, but we still have one agenda left." "Oh?" Vid sat back down. "What might that be?" Merts touched his lower chin "The CEO of Asura agreed to host a party at her home, which is scheduled to happen this Saturday. I want the members of our family to be on their best behavior as not only will members of the five big families be present, but so will the manager of the Humanity Bank." The other three nodded. "Alright," Merts stood up. "Let''s go." ---- Marcus stood in the training room with Emily. Their distance was quite far apart. "Are you ready?" Marcus asked. His voice echoed. "If ever you can''t handle it anymore, just say something." Emily nodded. She wore blue hanfu like clothing. A few strands of her hair already turned white and the color of her eyes was also starting to turn dark blue. Emily ced her hands close together, palms facing each other. She closed her eyes and soon, between her hands appeared a small circr bright white light. She slowly lifted her hands up and threw the bright white light up in the air. The circr light soon dimmed as it took the appearance of a moon. It floated around 10 meters above Emily. "Ready," Emily extended both her arms to her sides. Two circr throwing ives soon appeared on her hands. It had three sharp des and a circr handle in the middle that had a color of royal blue and whitebined. She had just casted the spell ''Moonive''. Her mastery over the spell was only at the very basic level as of now which made the ives look dull. Marcus smiled seeing as he remembered the past. He then transformed into lightning and streaked towards her. Marcus made sure to match her rank. They were both Elites but Marcus was stronger than normal Elites so he had to properly control his strength. If he did not, this wouldn''t be called training. Emily threw her ive towards the streaking lightning, but she missed. The vermilion-colored lightning dodged both her ives. She once again casted ''Moonive'' to summon two more ives to her hands. As he got closer, he transformed back to his human form and threw a lightning javelin as fast as he could. However, before he could throw it, a bright greyish-white beam grazed him. The greyish-white beam came from the stationary moon above Emily. The reason why Marcus wanted to strike as quickly as possible was precise because of this. He wanted to throw the javelin and turn into lightning after to escape the lunar beams. Marcus'' aim went awry as the javelinnded pretty far off from Emily. He hurriedly backed away after casting a ''Lightning Rune'' and cing it on the ground. Emily once again threw two more ives towards Marcus. One of the ives passed by above the lightning rune. As it did, Marcus made the rune explode. There are two ways of making the lightning runes detonate. One was to step on it and the other was if the caster willed it. Marcus just did the second one. As for the other ive, Marcus easily dodged it. Emily rushed towards Marcus, clutching a new set of ives. She threw the one on her left, but she still missed. "You don''t always have to throw your ive, you can use them to fight close range." Marcus lectured as he dodged a lunar beam that wasing towards him. "I still haven''t practiced much in that department." Emily spoke, casting a spell called ''Lunar Tether''. With this, she''ll be able to know where Marcus is even if she isn''t looking at him. This only works at a certain distance, but it would keep her safe from attacks that woulde from behind her. ''Lunar Tether'' had other effects, but Emily wasn''t strong enough to put them in effect, so as now, tracking an opponent at a certain range is all the spell could do. "Thene," Marcus made a simplence appear in his hand. "We are training after all." Emily nodded. She casted ''Moonive'' once again to regain a weapon for her left hand. She rushed towards Marcus, her right arm in front and her left on the side. Marcus stepped forward and stabbed hisnce, aiming at Emily''s abdomen. The tip of thence hit the center of the ive as Emily blocked. Marcus didn''t stop here. He used the other end of thence to sweep Emily off her feet. A lunar beam hit thence before it could even deal any damage. Emily swiped with the ive she held in her right hand towards Marcus while thrusting the one on her left. Marcus sidestepped, thence he held was in a fully upright position. He then swung thence sideways but stopped midway. Emily''s front was fully open as she used the ive to block her sides. Marcus, who had just pulled back hisnce, stabbed it forward. Emily was able to cast a mana shield around herself but was still thrown backward. Shended on her ass. Her arms on the floor, still clutching her weapons. Before Marcus could even react, a volley of lunar beams rained from the sky. He transformed into lightning and moved back, the tiny ball of light tethered to him followed closely. Emily stood back up and dashed towards Marcus. She threw six or so ives before she arrived close to him. One or two lunar beams would shoot towards Marcus every second. They weren''t strong but they would still do damage if every beam would hit him. "How''s your mana?" Marcus asked. "I can still go on," Emily answered. She once again ced her hands close together and summoned a circr white ball of light. She then proceeded to lift her hands up in the air, throwing the small ball of light up as itnded beside the moon. The white ball dimmed as it expanded. It slowly turned into a moon with a greyish white color. "Are you sure you can handle having two moons up?" Marcus worriedly asked. "Mhm," Emily nodded. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. She rushed towards Marcus with ives on both hands. "Alright," Marcus transformed into lightning. As he went closer to her, he transformed back into his human form, with ance in hand. They exchanged blows. Marcus had to deal with Emily''s weapons and the two moons up above her that would asionally cast lunar beams. Parts of Emily''s blue hanfu soon got torn. Marcus didn''t leave unscathed too. He also got grazed by the beams and slightly by one of Emily''s ives. It didn''t take long before Emily fell to the ground. Shey there unconscious. The ives in her hand soon disappeared together with the two grey-white moons above her. Marcus walked towards Emily and picked her up. He then noticed that more and more of her hair were turning white. He kissed her forehead and bridal carried her out of the Destrucstone as he proceeded to go towards his room. Marcus wasn''t worried about the fact that her hair is turning white. It was the side effect of training the arts of the moon. He also knew that the color of her eyes would soon turn dark blue. Marcus dropped Emily on his bed. He caressed her cheeks before walking into the shower. ---- Emily opened her eyes. Her vision, blurry. It took a few seconds before it turned clear. The first thing she saw in front of her were people whom she had never met before. Emily couldn''t turn her head, but just from what she could see, she was in arge room with green colored marble-like floors. Chapter 97: Did You See The Way He Looked At You Chapter 97: Did You See The Way He Looked At You "What is taking him so long?!" A man in front of Emily spoke in an irritated tone. He had long blue hair and wide-set eyes. He looked to be around his mid-twenties and stood around 6 feet tall. His green robe was etched with weird markings on the sleeves. Around his neck hung an aquamarine-colored ne. "Probably took a quick stop at a brothel." A man standing beside the blue-haired man sneered. He looked to be around fifty years old with short ck hair. He wore a in white robe that reached down his feet. His face appeared to be amicable and kind, like a caring grandfather. A scoff sounded beside Emily, then a woman''s voice followed. "You think someone like him would need to go to those ces. Have you ever seen him up close? A whole brothel would probably run towards him and not the other way around." The body of which Emily was in, turned its head to the left to look at the woman who spoke. Emily''s eyes widened. To the side of the room was arge mirror. She could clearly see the face of the body she was currently in. They looked exactly the same. Well, not exactly, but the resemnce was uncanny. This woman whose body she was in right now looked a lot more beautiful than she. Full white hair, sparkling blue eyes, and rosy cupid lips. It''s almost impossible for any mortal to resist her charm. Emily couldn''t move, she had no control over the body. It was as if she was tied down, mouth taped, and forced to watch the scenes happening in front of her. "Emily," The woman''s voice called out. Emily, the one who couldn''t speak, looked at the woman who seemed to be around her early mid-twenties. She had dark blond hair that went down to her lower thighs. Her deep ck eyes seemed to have an effect, it seemed as if it could suck someone in. "Hmm?" A voice came out of the body that Emily was in. "It''s your first time meeting him. Are you expecting anything? I''m sure you''ve heard stories right?" The blond woman giggled. Her beauty wasn''t any less than the one beside her. The gorgeous white-haired Emily just smiled. "Yes, I''ve heard a lot of people sing his name. Have you met him before? Isn''t this also your first time?" "Nope," The blond hair woman raised her index finger. "We met once before." "I see." White-haired Emily slightly nodded, looking as if she wasn''t interested in the conversation at all. "Can you show some more excitement?" The blond woman sighed. "Zoe, hearing is different from seeing." Emily shook her head. "We don''t know, he might not be what the people say he is." "You should really be more positive." Saya, the blond-haired woman, said. "He is scum," The blue-haired man muttered. "Oh, jealous are we?" Zoe giggled. "Fuck no!" The blue-haired man raised his voice. "He is nothing but a lucky shit show!" "Burnel, calm down." The old man with ck hair lightly scolded. "We are not brutes here, you don''t need to shout." "Buzz off!" Burnel looked at the old man with disdain. The four quieted down. Not long after, loud shouts of amazement and awe came from outside as the sky darkened. Thunder sounded as vermilion colored lightning appeared in the sky, shooting towards the ground. "Looks like he''s here." The kind-faced old man said. Therge double doors opened. A man walked in, the bright light of the sun on the horizon made his figure dazzling. The doors immediately closed after the man stepped inside. He had uncut vermilion hair. He has round and sharp eyes, it was as if his eyes could perceive his opponent''s every move. His steps on the dark green floor were light. He passed by several jade-colored pirs before arriving in front of the four individuals, their eyes fully focused on him. Although he wore a full te of vermilion and gold armor, it never nked. His steps were silent all the way up to them. "Wee, ''Oh Divine Conqueror,''" Zoe giggled at the end. "It''s great seeing you again Zoe," Marcus, the Divine Conqueror, smiled at her. He continued as he looked at each and every person present. "I''m sorry for being slightlyte. When I heard Gravador would be here I left my mount behind, I mean, it insisted on staying behind." Emily, Zoe, and Burnelughed. Both the girls only gave out lightughter, but Burnel burst outughing, clutching his stomach. Everyone in the middle and upper echelon in this realm would be able to understand what the Divine Conqueror meant. Gravador, the kind-faced old man, stared at Marcus. His brows scrunched. "Don''t take it to heart. I was only joking with you." Marcus gave an amiable smile. "It''s best if we start." Gravador let it pass. "Shall we get down to business?" Marcus didn''t answer him. His eyes were on the women with blue eyes. Emily, the one who couldn''t speak or move, had been observing this whole time. Her shock kept rising to a new level, especially after Marcus arrived near her. ''Am I dreaming? No, it couldn''t be this vivid can''t it? Why do I feel that all of this is familiar? It''s as if it already happened to me before.'' Emily, the one who couldn''t speak, thought. White-haired Emily nced at him with a questioning look. "You must be the Lady of the Moon, right?" Marcus walked closer to her. Gravador''s eye twitched. He just got ignored, and by a junior at that. White-haired Emily nodded. "Yes, I am. If you would stop staring at me like that, it''d be great." Marcus chuckled "I''m sorry." He turned his head to Gravador. "You were saying? Oh right, business." Gravador swallowed his anger. "Ye-yes. There''s a seat waiting for us up ahead." "Why can''t we just stand up?" Marcus suggested. "It would make this a lot faster, don''t you think?" Burnel turned to Marcus. "Although I don''t like you, I do agree with you on this." Marcus had a puzzled look on his face as he looked at the blue-haired man. "Have we met?" Zoe chuckled and so did Emily, but only lightly. "Yes!" Burnel roared. "We''ve fought before on the battlefield. You probably don''t remember me because I had a helmet on." "Oh," Marcus nodded. "People who wear helmets on the battlefield aren''t usually important." Veins bulge on Burnel''s forehead. "You really should watch your tongue," White-haired Emily spoke. "You are far away from home and if you anger people like what you just did now, something might happen to you." Marcus smiled as he heard her voice. "Thank you for being caring mdy, but I can take care of myself wherever I am." Burnel scoffed. "So this is the famous cockiness of the Divine Conqueror." "We''re never going to get anything done if you boys keep going on like that." Zoe shook her head. "Alright, I''ll stop." Marcus chuckled. "Oh, right, my faction offers this as a gift." Marcus handed a small brown hand-sized box. It had no decorations whatsoever. It was as in as could be. However, the wood itself was already something that no mortal could destroy. Gravador received the box. "Thank you." His gratitude sounded sincere. The group talked while standing as per Marcus'' request. Their conversation was about the treaty about the factions. How to conduct themselves in the borders, and the sharing of resources. They also talked about the invading creatures and how they should deal with them. Marcus of course only listened and would only seldom talk. His eyes would shift towards Emily from time to time. "I guess that''s it." Marcus yawned. "I still have a long journey home. I''ll ry everything you said to the leaders of my faction." "Thank you for taking your time oning here." Gravador hurriedly said. "I''ll be taking my leave first." Gravador walked away, a few secondster, he disappeared like a gust of wind. Gravador could hardly stand Marcus'' attitude which made him want to leave as soon as he could or else he might not be able to hold his anger. "I''ll also head off first, I still need to check on my mount." Burnel too disappeared after a few seconds of saying that. "Ladies," Marcus smiled at them. "It''s been nice seeing you again Zoe, and it''s been a pleasure meeting you, Lady of the Moon." Marcus then turned around and headed towards therge doors. Zoe turned to Emily. "Did you see the way he looked at you?" Emily looked at Zoe "Yes, and I admit, it''s different from how other guys do it. However, he probably looks at every girl likes that." "I did hear he was single," Zoe giggled. Before Emily could reply. Marcus'' loud voice echoed in therge room. "By the way, Emily, nice ass." Marcus then turned into vermilion-colored lightning. The sky darkened and a booming thunder could be heard. Emily''s face turned red while Zoe giggled at the side. "I take back what I thought about him, he and the other guys are all the same!" Emily hmped as she turned to leave. "Hey, wait for me," Zoe continued to giggle. Chapter 98: Memories Recovered Chapter 98: Memories Recovered Emily and Zoe walked side by side in a courtyard. Fleeting clouds up high under the clear blue sky. Blue-colored birds with four wings perched on tree branches and some circled around flowers. Squirrel-like animals with a third eye on their foreheads chased each other as they entered into a green bush. "Does their faction have no one else to send? They have people like the Holy Maiden, but they sent him." White-haired Emily''s brows furrowed as she thought of Marcus''ment about her ass. "He did conduct himself well, I mean, pretty well I guess." Zoe chuckled. Emily stopped and turned to her friend. "You don''t like Marcus do you?" Zoe hastily shook her head. "Of course not. I''m just saying that he did pretty well in the discussion earlier. He didn''t give out too much and made our side talk." White-haired Emily began walking again made her way to a gate together with Zoe Emily, the observer, was befuddled. The events that happened were too much for her to take in. ---- Marcus hopped out of the shower and went back inside his room. He stepped on the dark floors and sat on the side of his bed, where a beauty was currently lying. Marcus stared at her for a few seconds before standing. He went to the side of the room and began cultivating. Taking a deep breath, he started gathering the mana around him. Emily soon woke up. She stared at the ceiling for a good while before blinking a couple of times. Her whole body was covered in sweat. She got up, sat down, her back against the headboard. She looked to her right and saw Marcus sitting cross-legged, peacefully cultivating. As she was about to stand up, her head started hurting. She fell on the floor, hitting the side of her body to the bedside cab. She felt no pain from the fall, but what did hurt was the inner part of her head. The stinging pain didn''t stop even after she clutched it with her hands. Her light groans gradually turned into screams of pain. Marcus opened his eyes. He had just finished absorbing the chaos essence and was about to start making new ones. However, before he could even begin, Emily''s scream alerted him. Marcus quickly stood up. He rushed towards the screaming Emily and checked up on her. He noticed that this was exactly the same thing that happened to Eva a few weeks ago. Emily was now recovering her memories. Marcus carefully pulled her into his embrace. He slowly lifted her up from the floor and ced her on the bed. He sat beside her as he got a few potions and pills in his pocket dimension just in case. Marcus silently waited until it was over. --- Emily could feel the pain in her head worsening. Memories were pumped into her, injected into her head. No, more like they were already in her head but were only just unlocked. She saw a lot of events sh in front of her and Emily knew that this was her, what she was seeing was herself. She stood, there as a young girl together with her mother and father. These, however, were not her Kerian Parents. This scene made her feel happy, sad, and frustrated altogether. She also saw a scene where she was now a teenager. Alienated by society, she stayed at arge pce for the reason that she''s special. Her attitude soon turned cold as she grew used to being alone. Soon she met a blond-haired woman and they became friends, this was one of her extremely few friends. In another memory, she was crowned as Lady of the Moon, one of the few grand titles. She then moved to a small wooden house beside ake. This went on for a while. Memory after memory, events after events. Soon she met Marcus. A young powerhouse whose name resounded throughout their realm. He had given the faction she was part of, a gruesome and punishing defeat in numerous battles. Anyone who is in front of him would only face destruction. Her seeing Marcus became more frequent, albeit their meeting was not peaceful. They fought day in and day out. She would receive light injuries while Marcus would receive slightly heavier ones. She soon noticed that Marcus had no ns of truly hurting her. What they did was more like two people sparring, getting better at fighting. She would return home after every battle with the Lord of Destruction with a hidden smile on her face. In another memory, She was fucking Marcus. Furniture destroyed, the bed crumbled. Her loud moans sounded as the Divine Conqueror conquered every part of her heavenly body. Beads of eager sweat rolled down her eager bosoms as Marcus nted his lips all over her pleasurable spots. The memory soon concluded and other memories soon appeared. Towards the end, a battle took ce in which she was part of, and Marcus died. ---- Tears rolled down Emily''s face as memories flooded in her head. Happiness and pain mixed in all together. Marcus didn''t utter a word. He stayed silent as he sat beside her. Emily soon opened her eyes. Her vision, blurry. She turned to her side and saw an unclear figure. She proceeded to wipe the tears off her eyes and looked at the figure again. There she saw Marcus, tears once again gathered in her eyes as she went in to hug him. Marcus hugged her back. He whispered. "I''ve waited for quite a while you know." Emily sobbed as she held him tighter as if she would never let him go. ''So remembering memories is different for every person.'' Marcus thought, embracing Emily. This went on for a few minutes before they finally separated. "How much do you remember?" Marcus asked. "A lot, but not all," Emily replied. "Some events are still foggy." "That seems normal." Marcus smiled seeing that there is nothing wrong with her. "I still need to wrap my head around this concept. So reincarnation is real?" Emilyid back down. Marcus nodded"You, Eva, and I are proof of it. Did you feel something when we first met?" Marcus asked. "I felt your stare." Emily looked at him. "Can you me me?" Marcus smiled as he leaned in closer. He slowly took off his clothes. "What are you nning on doing?" Emily''s brows scrunched. She, however, already had an idea as to what Marcus was nning. "What do you think? I''m going to pleasure my wife." Marcussciviously smiled as he pounced towards her. Emily tried to resist. "I just came back and that''s the first thing you want to do?" Marcus put on a sad face. "Can you me me for having a teenager''s body?" Emily sighed and didn''t resist. Marcus ravaged her lips and soon their tongues intertwined. After that, Emily went down and helped him take off his pants. Marcus held Emily''s hair as she did this, something everyone should learn to do. Emily took Marcus'' rod and ced it in her mouth. Marcus groaned in pleasure. He then started to control the speed at which Emily was sucking. Ten or so minutester Marcus whispered. "I''m cumming." He then released it in her mouth and wiped his rod on her cheeks. Emily''s face was flushed red. "Open your legs," Marcus said as he removed her clothes. She did as she was told. Her pink pussyy there, wet and waiting. Marcus started kissing her inner thighs. He made his way up to the gates of heaven and began doing his job. Emily who was slightly embarrassed couldn''t hold herself back as she shouted. "More, ah" Marcus did. He prated the gate with his tongue. "It''s time for this." Marcus'' erect rod came into Emily''s vision. "Do it slowly." Emily reminded in a shy voice. Marcus nodded. "Of course." He slowly inserted it into her pussy. Moans of pleasure and slight pain came out of her mouth. This went on for a while. "You can go faster now," Emily whispered. "With pleasure." Marcus pounded her wet pussy harder and faster, blood already flowed down to the bedsheets. The bed shook after every thrust. "Hands on top of the headboard." Marcus wanted to fuck while she wasy on all fours. Emily nodded and followed. Marcus once again inserted and began pping her ass with his hands. ---- Emilyy on top of Marcus'' bare chest drawing circles on it with her fingers. Their naked bodies touched under the nket "I''ve finally let it out." Marcus happily said. "You wanted it that bad?" Emily chuckled. They had done that activity a lot of times before which made her less reserved about doing it with him. Marcus nodded. "You have no idea how hard it was for me to control it. This body is only seventeen after all." Emily giggled. She then looked at the ceiling and spoke. "We should find Erika." "I''ve already asked for help. They''ll be able to find her soon." Marcus had Leo find his second wife and was promised with results two months from now. Emily stood up. Herrge tits bounced as she moved. Marcus too stood up. "Where are you going?" Emily stopped as she asked him. Marcus smiled. "Aren''t you going to take a shower? I''m going with you." Chapter 99: President Of Estra Chapter 99: President Of Estra Days passed, and soon Saturday night came. Everything was now prepared. Both Eva and Emily worked together to make sure that everything wasd perfect. Nexus upgraded the formations around the house, but it was only improved a bit due to his cultivation being low. Emily, who retained most of her memories happily bonded with Eva and they could now talk more openly. There were no more topics that Eva needed to avoid. Emily was also looking forward to this party as she would be able to see an old friend of hers. The tables were set outside under the illuminated dark sky. Grasses were of course, properly trimmed. They hired the best people to both cook and serve the food. They made sure that this party would fit the asion where all the big names of Estra woulde. Emily stood beside Marcus as they waited near the gate for the guests to arrive. Eva was inside together with Nexus. As the ''son'', Marcus should be the one to greet the people first. As the clock on Marcus'' watch hit 8, a grey-colored carnded in front of the gate. Marcus fixed his ck-colored tux and Emily fixed her long dark blue dress. Leo and Maya came out of the. Leo wore a grey-colored suit while Maya wore a green-colored cocktail dress. "Wee," Marcus greeted. "You two are the first ones here." Leo chuckled. "Maya wanted toe here early, I had no choice. My family is close behind." "I see," Marcus told him to look for the vus family sign ced on top of the tables and sit at one of them. Leo and Maya went inside and walked towards the area where the tables were located. Next to arrive was the vus family led by Ronald vus, the father of Leo. There were only 8 of them including Krey vus who sat on a floating wheelchair. Krey stared at Marcus as his wheelchair moved closer to him. Marcus'' face was not new to him. He had also learned who Marcus really was. Krey also suspects Marcus for his sickness. He could hardly sleep at night, no, he doesn''t want to sleep at all. The reason he''s sitting in a wheelchair is that his body could hardly support itself. If ever he stands up and takes a few steps, he''d just fall back to the ground. Marcus greeted Ronald first. He smiled at him and shook his hand. "Good evening sir. Both my mother and father would be delighted to find out that a prestigious figure such as you came to attend." Marcus'' ttery didn''t go uselessly down the drain as it made Ronaldugh. "Good kid, your mother raised you well!" Ronald then turned to Emily. "This must be your woman." "Yes," Marcus replied. Ronald nodded. "You two are perfect for each other." Emily just gave a small smile. Now that she has recovered her memories, a mortal''spliment hardly matters to her anymore. The others also greeted Marcus. A few of them had their eyes on Emily the whole time, but they did try to avoid staring. The few would look at her then shift their eyes away andnd it on her again after a second or two. However, there was a set of eyes that never looked at Emily as they were locked in on Marcus. After the short greeting, Ronald and hisckeys walked inside leaving Krey behind. Marcus went forward and extended his hand. Krey too did the same. As they shook, Marcus leaned closer and whispered. "How are the nightmares treating you?" Marcus stood up straight, fixed his suit, and turned to his side to greet the arriving gates. Krey''s eyes widened. He was about to say something, but before he could do so, Ronald called him out and told him to hurry. Krey listened to his father. He slightly bent his downwards, his hands balled into a fist. For the past two weeks or so, he had nightmares, horrifying nightmares. Due to this, hecked sleep, then it led to ack of concentration, and soon he had lost a lot of people who once sided with him. They all thought that he had turned into an ipetent person. Around 60 percent of those who sided with him, left. They saw no more future in him. Marcus greeted a few more important people whom he hadn''t met. He just smiled at them and exchanged typical pleasantries. A ck-colored FutureX car stopped right outside of the gate. Zoey came out of it together with her father, Rey Xalia. Emily smiled as she saw her, Marcus too. The Xalia father and daughter walked towards Marcus and Emily. Rey greeted Marcus. "You must be the boy named Marcus." "Yes," Marcus then greeted, "Good evening sir. Both my mother and father would be delighted to find out that a prestigious figure such as you came to attend." Emily lightly chuckled, but Rey genuinely smiled as he heard this. They exchanged greetings and soon went in. However, Zoey stayed behind for a while as Emily called her out. Zoey looked dazzling under the dark sky with her long red dress. Zoey had a puzzled look on her face. "Hi?" She and Emily weren''t that close. They''ve interacted a few times, but they still could not be considered as friends, more like acquaintances. All kinds of thoughts began racing in Zoey''s mind. ''Is this because Marcus and I have gotten friendlier with each other?'' Over the past week, the interaction between Zoey and Marcus greatly increased. They soon started talking a lot more casually than before, but they were, of course, only friends. Marcus nced at the two but looked away as more guests started to arrive. Rey Xalia was of course followed by members of his family. They greeted Marcus and went in. As Marcus was greeting different people. Emily stared at Zoey. She then pulled her into a tight hug. Zoey''s eyes widened. Nheless, she hugged Emily back. That''s when she started to feel a connection like they''ve known each other for a long time. Emily backed away and then nodded at her. After that, Emily didn''t mind her anymore as she began looking in Marcus'' direction. Zoey also turned his head towards Marcus, but Marcus just raised his shoulders pretending that he didn''t know. Emily also didn''t say anything, but she already concocted a n for this friend of hers. Zoey walked away, confused as hell. "Are you nning on bringing her with us?" Marcus found the opportunity to ask as there were no guests who passed by. Emily nodded. Marcus turned towards her "What if she won''t be able to regain her memories?" Emily stayed silent. "What if she''s happy here?" Marcus once again asked. "Then we should just make sure that she''d be safe." Emily softly finally spoke. Marcus smiled, nodded, and went back to greet iing guests. "You''re not thinking of leaving her behind and not even trying to get her memories back are you?" Emily''s voice, soft. "You got that from me asking you those questions?" Marcus chuckled. Of course, he wouldn''t leave Zoey behind, if he could do anything about it. He has grown quite close to her these past couple of weeks, and he was thankful for her being Emily''s confidant in the past. "Looks like the round man ising." Emily noticed that a big figure came out of the car. Marcus lightly chuckled as he turned towards Loo Minser who was walking towards him. In front of Loo was a thin man who looked to be around 50 years old. "I believe this is the first time we''ve met." The thin man who looked like an older version of Loo spoke. "I believe so too." Marcus looked at him. "My name is Doo Minser, I''m Loo''s father," Doo announced. Marcus nodded and then greeted. "Good evening sir. Both my mother and father would be delighted to find out that a prestigious figure such as you came to attend." He also greeted Loo right after. Doo smiled, satisfied with the ttery. Marcus didn''t want to construct something new. He''d rather say these things over and over again. Doo went in together with Loo, followed by people from their family. A few seconds after the Minsers got in, a bunch of cars arrived. Four people who wore ck and white came out of a car. One of which opened the door of another car that was in front of theirs. The other three hastily lined up behind the person who opened the door. A middle-aged man who had blond hair with a few white streaks came out of the car. He wore a white-colored tux. A middle-aged woman came out after him together with a man who looked to be around 20 years old. Soon people wereing out of the cars near theirs. The middle-aged man with blond hair led the way as they all walked towards the gate. Beside him were the middle-aged woman who also had blond hair, and the twenty-year-old man. Marcus smiled as he turned his head towards the group. He looked at the middle-aged man and greeted him. "Good evening Mister President. Both my mother and father would be delighted to find out that a prestigious figure such as you came to attend." This was the President of Estra, Frieg Frey. Chapter 100: Dinner With The Five Families Chapter 100: Dinner With The Five Families Marcus greeted the president. A respectful smile showed on his face. The presidentughed. He was amused by the vermilion-haired teen''s ttery. "You must be Marcus, right?" The President, although he already knew the answer, he still asked. Marcus nodded. "Yes, I am the son of Eva." The President, Frieg Frey, looked at the woman beside Marcus. "This must be Eva''s sister, am I right?" Marcus once again nodded. "I heard that she''s also your girlfriend, is that true?" The President asked. He didn''t mean to pry, but this was notmon in Estra. Emily coughed. She turned to Marcus. The vermilion haired teen chuckled. "Mister President as you''ve already noticed, my mother Eva and I don''t look simr in any way possible. I do hope this makes things clear." Marcus knew that Frieg was fishing for information, so he just gave it to him. However, the information that Frieg was trying to fish wasn''t something that needed to be kept hidden. ''What a dangerous boy,'' Frieg thought. "How rude of me, I haven''t introduced you to my family yet." The President then gestured to the individuals beside him. He held the waist of the woman beside and lovingly said. "This is my wife, Lovlie Frey." Marcus greeted her and said a few pleasantries. Emily did too. "Next, this is my son Luten, Luten Frey. He also studies at Estra University and is in his second year there." Frieg proudly introduced his son. Luten Frey was somewhat fit, but not so much. He had blond hair and a somewhat mature bearing, like all the other children from the five big families. "It''s nice to meet you Marcus." Luten free extended his hand. Marcus shook his hand as they exchanged greetings. Frieg and his family went in after a minute or so of talking. Marcus and Emily then went back to greet iing guests. It didn''t take long before thest family arrived. The Strongwald family brought 10 people, including the four known leaders of their family. Led by Merts Strongwald, they strolled towards the gate and arrived in front of Marcus who was currently observing each and every one of them. Senator Bong''s eyes immediately darted towards Emily. He had never seen such a beautifuldy. ''I guess it''s good that I''m single. Hehehe, you can take my wife Pald you bald bastard, but I''m taking this.'' Senator Bong inwardly smiled. He was the only one of the four who had those thoughts. Merts had his eyes set on business and getting to know who these people really are. Although he felt that something was happening behind the scenes, he just couldn''t put his finger on it. Pald already had a loving wife and he was already content with her. He did find the woman beside the vermilion haired teen beautiful, but that''s it. As for Vid, he didn''t even want toe here. He had no interest in women, nor men. What he did want was to stay in hisb, get the resources that he needs, and continue with his experiments. "Good evening," Merts spoke first as he and the members of his family arrived close to the gate. Marcus respectfully greeted. "Good evening Mister Vice President. Both my mother and father would be delighted to find out that a prestigious figure such as you came to attend." ''Respectful, either that or he''s just acting'' Merts, though doubtful, still had a smile on his face. "It seems like your parents raised you well." Marcus nodded. "They did their best sir." "You must be Emily, am I right?" It wasn''t Merts who asked this question, but Senator Bong. He already knew the answer as he heard that Eva has a sister named Emily. Emily nodded. She had already noticed his stares and was disgusted by them. "I''m Bong Strongwald, one of the spearheads of the Strongwald family." Bong extended his hand. Emily, however, only smiled. "It''s nice to meet you." She said this, but what she truly felt was different. Emily wanted to strike this man down with lunar beams. Now that Emily has regained her memories she''s no longer meek. Senator Bong froze. Vid chuckled and shook his head. He couldn''t believe someone as old Bong would still try to do this. Pald, however, didn''t merely chuckle. He bawled outughing. "Hahaha, You old bastard, do you even know shame?" Senator Bong had ck lines appear on his forehead as he dropped his hand and went behind Merts, his head slightly down to the ground. Senator Bong''s son who was also in the group of Strongwald''s that came, looked weirdly at his father. Merts cleared his throat. "I was about to introduce each and every one of them to you but looks like you''ve already met Bong." Marcus just smiled. He didn''t mind toads who lusted for swans flesh, as long as that toad knows how to keep his distance, a great distance and the said toad wouldn''t go overboard, even if it''s only slightly "This is Vid Strongwald and that is Pald Strongwald" Merts introduced the two remaining leaders of Strongwald who were together with him. Marcus exchanged pleasantries with them and soon the Strongwald family went in. "Are you okay?" Marcus asked in a low voice. Emily nodded. "You know how strong I can be." Marcus chuckled. "Were those everyone? I don''t see anyoneing anymore." Emily looked outside their gates. There were only cars neatly parked. No one else seemed to be arriving. Marcus shook his head. "No, there''s still one more. There were only 59 who arrived." "Oh?" Emily tilted her head. "There''s actually someone who would arriveter than the Strongwald''s?" Before Marcus could respond. A white car streaked in the air andnded outside their gate. "Speaking of, he''s here." Marcus turned to his body, facing outside the gate. A man exited the car and walked towards Marcus and Emily. He looks to be in his early forties. He has short ck hair, bushy brows, long nose, and he stood around 6 feet tall. "It''s good to finally meet you Marcus." Owen, the head manager of Humanity Bank in the second rate countries walked closer to the gate. "Have we met before, sir?" Marcus tried to sound respectful. "Oh you don''t know me, but I know you," Owen arrived in front of the two. Marcus'' brows scrunched. "What do you mean?" Owen chuckled. He then exined the events that happened in the past. How he thought Marcus was someone from a first-rate state. He then told Marcus how he instructed the people who worked for ''Humanity Bank'' to treat him with respect. Marcus slowly nodded. He now understood why that incident at the bank ended that way. Marcus looked at Owen. From the list of people who wereing, Marcus saw that there was someoneing here whose importance is on par with the five great families of Estra. ''Head managers of ''Humanity Bank'' should be people from first-rate countries.'' Marcus thought. "Wee, you cane inside. Individuals who have no affiliations with the five big families will be led by someone to their table." Marcus gestured to go inside. He neither confirmed nor denied if he was someone from a first-rate country. Owen wryly smiled. He could guess that Marcus was not open about discussing his origins. Owen nodded, thanked him, and went in. "That''s everyone." Marcus then closed the gates and proceeded to go inside. ---- Eva and Nexus were inside the house. They waited for all the guests to arrive. "Are you nervous?" Nexus asked. "Facing a bunch of mortals? Nope." Eva shook her head. Nexus chuckled. "Let''s just hope that everything thing goes smoothly tonight." Eva took a deep breath and fixed her white long dress. "Do we have any countermeasures if anything goes wrong?" "The only real countermeasure we have against them right now is to go into the Destrucstone." Nexus sighed. "That doesn''t sound so bad. We can go in, train, ande back out once we get stronger. Wait, Marcus still needs to find his second wife." Eva thought that going into seclusion inside the stone of destruction would give them an excellent boost in their cultivation as there would be no distractions of any kind. Nexus fixed his ck tux and peered outside. "Looks like they''re all here. We should probably start as not to keep them from waiting any longer." Nexus also wanted this party to start as soon as possible so it could end early. Eva nodded. She and Nexus walked out of the house together. Their feet touched the grass, and soon, everyone''s gazes were on them. Eva walked to a slightly elevated tform where there was a small floating circr microphone. She neared the circr microphone in her mouth and began to speak. "Everyone, thank you foring here tonight. Being in the same ce together with five of the greatest families in Estra is truly an honor." She paused as she looked at each and every person in the room. "Aside from that I didn''t prepare anything else to say to you. However, I know that you didn''te here to hear me speak about nonsense. So we''ll talk about business, but not with our stomachs empty." Chapter 101: Dinner With The Five Families 2 Chapter 101: Dinner With The Five Families 2 People wearing white long sleeve shirts and ck vests came in. They brought food and drinks to each and every table. The drink was, of course, special and was not alcoholic. The food and delicacies, however, were only normal. Everyone talked with members of their families as they ate. Most of the words that came out of their mouths were praises, they all praised the effects of the drinks. Only the Elites in their family felt the effects, as for the ones with higher ranks, they hardly felt anything. Still, if Elites who had just recently brokethrough would drink this every day, they''d reach the Commander in no time. Eva, who was seated at a round table together with Marcus, Emily, and Nexus, stood up. "The beverages that you''re drinking right now will be released within the first week of next month. It will be avable at ''The Corner'' so that everyone will be able to enjoy and benefit from the effects of the drink." Eva smiled and sat back down. "It only took us a week to attract the attention of the two strongest families in Estra. We can proceed smoothly from here." Marcus nodded. "There will be a lot of suggestions thrownter about how we''ll move forward and I''m sure someone will bring up the distribution of these drinks to stores all over the country." "Should we agree?" Emily asked. Marcus nodded. "Seeing that we''re advancing fast in thedder, we should also advance our ns, skipping a few steps." Eva smiled. "We''ll see if we can get good offers." ---- While Marcus and the rest were discussing their future ns at their table, others were also conversing with their families. On the vus table. "Maya, are you okay?" Leo asked as he ced his hands on the round table. He noticed that Maya didn''t seem like herself. She was shy, but not this shy that she would hardly lift her head. Maya wiped the sides of her mouth with the provided napkin and then whispered. "This gathering is for people with grand statuses, I feel quite out of ce." Leo chuckled. "What are you talking about? You are part of ''Asura''. That''s already something prestigious." Maya smiled and looked at him. "I guess you''re right." The rtionship between the two was currently undefined as no one wanted to make the first move. Leo was still on the fence as he didn''t want her and her sibling to be caught up with his family''s mess. Ronald vus nced at Leo and Maya. He was proud of this son of his and he''s also happy that his son finally found someone. Ronald never forced Leo into that engagement with Zoey, but he couldn''t do anything against all the elders of the family. Now, however, all the old coots seemed to have forgotten about the engagement and didn''t pester Leo about marrying the young miss of the Xalia family. Ronald could guess that it''s because of Leo''s move on investing in ''Asura''. Sadly for them, their family isn''t part of Asura. Ronald knows this but he didn''t say anything. "Leo," Ronald called out. "When are you nning on introducing her to your old man?" He has already noticed Leo hanging out with this woman for quite a while, and from the reports he received from the guards that guarded Leo in the dark, he could tell that there was something between them. Maya blushed. "Dad!," Leo raised his voice. "Why can''t you ask this question when we''re alone and not here where there are other people?" Ronald chuckled as he nodded. Maya''s face turned bright red as the people around her began looking in her direction. She had never liked Leo when they first met. It wasn''t love at first sight. However, as time went on, they both gradually became close, mostly because Leo would always be there for her. During her photoshoots Leo was with her, making sure that the cameraman or anyone for that matter won''t take advantage of her and let her do unnecessary poses. Leo was also good with her siblings and would y with them when she was busy. Still, she''s wondering why Leo hasn''t made any moves a guy would usually do in this situation. Maya turned her head to Leo who was already looking at her, smiling. Krey who was sitting close to them had anger, jealousy, and exhaustion in his eyes. ---- At the Minser table. Loo, who looks to be around 30 years old, is still sitting beside his father. "You must not let the Strongwald get any piece of the cake. I tell you, if they do, they''ll only grow stronger." Loo''s father Doo spoke in a soft voice. "I know dad, and I believe Eva isn''t nning on giving out more of thepany since it''s currently on the right track," Loo spoke as he munched the food on his te. He seemed like a kid when he''s with his father. "Eva is smart, but the Strongwald family is scum. They''ll do everything they can to remove obstacles in their way." Doo''s brows were scrunched as he talked about the strongest family in Estra. The public, of course, knew nothing about any of it. Only a few of the upper echelons knew some of their heinous activities. Loo nodded. "What about the Frey? Will we expect any movements from them?" His father knew more about the five families than he does, so it''s always best to ask him when ites to issues rted to them. Doo shook his head. "They won''t stoop that low if they don''t have to. Frey and vus also have an extremely good rtionship so they won''t be targeting ''Asura'' any time soon." "I see." Loo continued eating. ---- At the Xalia table. "Zoey," Rey Xalia looked at his daughter. "What''s the n of Asura moving forward?" Zoey lifted her shoulders. "I don''t know and I don''t need to know. Whatever it is that Eva has in mind, I''m sure it''ll make Asura grow." Rey nodded. "How did you get close to these people anyway?" He and Zoey hardly talk. They hardly eat breakfast together, which is why he never had the chance to ask this. Zoey thought for a while. "As you know, we met while traveling. Eva and I became friends and vi." "That''s it?" Rey wasn''t really interested in how she met with Eva. What he was interested in was conversing with this daughter of his. "There''s nothing else I can say, we just clicked." Zoey continued to give short answers. "What about that kid Marcus?" Rey casually asked. "What about him?" Zoey tilted her head to the side, not understanding what his father was trying to ask. "You two seemed to be close." Rey continued. "Well, we kind of are. We''ve been spending more time with each othertely." Zoey smiled. When Marcus would stop cultivating and go downstairs, he would see Zoey there together with Eva and Maya. That''s when Marcus'' interaction with Zoey started to increase. "He seems to be taken." Rey took a ss on the table and downed its contents. "What are you even thinking?! We''re friends, nothing more." Zoey red at her dad. "Alright, alright, whatever you say." Rey chuckled. ---- At the Strongwald table. "We should take these drinks for ourselves. Let Eva work for us." Senator Bong spoke. Although the drinks had no effects on him, he could still feel that it was better than any of the drinks served by bars and clubs in Estra. "Patience Bong. You know that we can''t make a move yet. We''ll have to y along for now and see where this goes." Merts spoke. Senator Bong nodded. "I never said we would do it now." They currently can''t waste any of their resources. If they make a move on Asura now, they will have tons of casualties. They can''t handle having that many now that they are in an alliance with Octopi. "Or just let the business run" Vid suggested as he gobbled down dish after dish and drink after drink. "Are you stupid? If our family can get a steady supply of this, we''ll be able to reach new heights. Geniuses in our family will be given an opportunity to break through faster." "Hey Bong," Vid wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked at the person he had just called out. "I was only suggesting. Calm your shit down." Pald then chimed in "The only reason you''re trying this hard to convince us to take the drinks that ''Asura'' create is because of your own gain and not of the family, so stop making it sound like you actually care." "You!" Senator Bong pointed towards Pald. "I''ve been ignoring you all this time to avoid trouble, but you still want to fight?" "I''m just saying the truth. If you''re offended then that''s on you." Pald chuckled. "Alright, both of you stop. You can fight when you get home, but right now, it looks like things will get interesting." Merts turned towards the table where Marcus was sitting. Everyone then saw Eva standing from her seat going back to the ce where the microphone was. Chapter 102: Evas Offer Chapter 102: Eva''s Offer Seeing that everyone was finished with their food, Eva stood up. She made her way to the slightly elevated tform and went in front of the circr microphone. "I hope everyone enjoyed tonight''s meal." Eva surveyed the audience. The only person left eating was Loo. However, he stopped as he saw Eva made her way to the small stage. Eva continued "Now we all know why you are all here. A lot of you want to know when we''ll start distributing the drinks and not just sell them at ''The Corner''. We''ll do it by the start of next month. We''ll be distributing both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Juste to my table if you have something to say or if you want to discuss business." With that, she left and went back to the ce where Marcus and the others were. Her steps were graceful and never hurried. She calmly walked back under the stupefied gazes of everyone in the vicinity. The leaders of the Strongwald family couldn''t believe what they heard. People had to go to her. They won''t be ced in a room or anything, but they just had to walk up and stand in front of her. "Is she out of her mind?" Senator Bong looked at each and every one of the Strongwald family members. He continued. "She wants us to go to her? Does she n on humiliating us?" Everyone at their table remained silent. They all thought that the owner of Asura was being all high and mighty. The Frey family also had the same thoughts. Frieg''s brows were scrunched as he imagined himself, a president walking up to a woman from a third-rate state who had just recently received attention. He couldn''t swallow his pride to do that. However, the other three families had no problem as they didn''t need to walk up to Eva. A few minutester, a man stood up. He slowly made his way to the table where Marcus and the others sat. All eyes were now on him. Lopard, the man walking, swallowed his pride as he walked under the gazes of not only the five families but other important people. ''What can pride get you?'' That is what he thought as he arrived in front of Marcus and the others. For the first few seconds, no words were uttered. Only the sound simr to that of cricket could be heard. Marcus, Emily, Eva, and Nexus stared at the man. Lopard cleared his throat. "Good evening, my name is Lopard and I have an offer that would be beneficial to both yourpany and mine." His eyes were on Eva, it slowly went down to her tits but he immediately retracted it. "Oh, An offer?" Eva ced both of her hands on the table. "It''s not about getting a share of mypany is it?" "No, it''s not that." Lopard dryly chuckled. "You said that you would start distributing the drinks to different stores and such all over the country. I would like for Asura to first distribute their drinks to my shopping malls." "Continue," Eva gestured. Although what Lopord said sounded absurd, she still wanted to listen. The surrounding people who heard this were shocked. Some genuinely think he''s stupid, others think he''s smart. "As a businessman, I, of course, knew what you were doing." Lopard continued. "You didn''t distribute your products to stores so the demand will rise, especially since ''The Corner'' only opens around 8:30 pm." Eva smiled. "A lot of people know that, but go on." Lopord took a deep breath. "Don''t you think the demand will once again rise if you only distribute it to my shopping malls first? After a month, that''s when you start openly distributing to other ces." "Alright, for the first month, I want fifty percent of the profit from the drinks that were sold." Eva calmly said. Lopard''s eyes widened. "That, that, don''t you think that''s too greedy?" Eva raised her right hand. "I''m not finished. I also want fifteen percent of your business." The people who were listening couldn''t believe what they were hearing. At the Minser table, Doo''s mouth was hung agape. "That woman is insane." Loo chuckled. "I told you, the Strongwald won''t be getting a single piece of thepany." At the Xalia table, Rey Xalia''s brows twitched as he heard what Eva said. The families and the unaffiliated individuals were taken aback. They never expected Eva to be like this. "So? Do we have a deal?" Eva asked seeing that Lopard turned silent. "Imagine all the customers flocking at your mall every day. I''m sure the reason for you suggesting this is because you want more people to visit your mall. Not only would they buy these special drinks but other products too." Lopard''s heart began racing, his thoughts colliding. Marcus, Emily, and Nexus were all happily smiling on the inside, but outside they had their poker face on. "Deal!" A word came out of Lopard''s mouth. The same as before, some people thought he was stupid, others thought he was smart. Lopard owned the biggest malls all over the country which were named Gelin. These were created through blood and sweat, but now fifteen percent of it was no longer his. Eva smiled. "Good choice. We''ll see you at the office on Monday." Lopard nodded. He got a handkerchief from his pocket and walked back to his seat while wiping off the sweat that''s running down his forehead. Eva turned to Marcus who gave her a double thumbs-up. No one else talked to Eva about business after that. The families interacted peacefully with each other throughout the whole dinner, and the Frey and Strongwald showed no signs of hostility towards each other. An hour or soter, everyone started leaving. Owen talked with Marcus for a few minutes before leaving. Zoey stayed for the night per Emily''s request, she immediately asked to use thefort room inside the house. Leo and drove Maya home, and Loo went home together with his dad. Frieg stood in front of Eva together with his wife and son. "Your drinks were amazing, I''m sure that it could help a lot of people, especially those who are stuck at the Elite Stage. In the future, maybe you can even create a drink that can help Commander''s and higher stages in their breakthrough." Luten chimed in. "Thank you so much for making these drinks. For Elites like us, it truly means a lot." Eva smiled. "Of course, I made these drinks not to make money but to help people." President Frieg''s brow twitched. The Frey family soon bid their goodbyes after a minute or two of small talk. Thest to leave were the four leaders of the Strongwald family. They walked towards Marcus and the others who were currently saying goodbye to the guests. Eva looked at the iing Strongwald men. "We haven''t had the chance to talk a while ago, let me introduce myself. I am Merts Strongwald, Vice President of Estra." Merts spoke as he and his family neared. Senator Bong''s eyes were darting between Eva and Emily. Seemingly unable to choose which one to stare at. "Yes, we haven''t," Eva replied. "Actually we''re not here to say goodbye. We want to talk to you about something." Merts wanted to find a room, sit down, and talk. Eva nodded. "Alright." Silence descended after that. "Shouldn''t you guys say something?" Marcus asked. The four Strongwald men looked at each other. Pald cleared his throat. "I think it would be best if we could discuss this while sitting down." "Sitting down, standing up, it''s all the same thing. Since we''re now, why not just say what you have to say." Marcus didn''t want to waste time by entertaining these people inside their house. Bong lightly scoffed. "You know kid, when adults are talking, you should shut up!" "Just say what you have to say." Eva red at Bong. Vice President Merts lightly chuckled. "Alright, we''ll cut to the chase." Before Vice President Merts could even finish, Bong already spoke. "We want a share of Asura." Eva shook her head. "It''s a good thing that we didn''t go in, it would really have been a waste of time. My answer is no, and will forever be no so don''t try and ask that question again." Merts brows furrowed as he heard her disrespectful tone. They knew the chances of getting it was low, but they did so anyway since Bong kept pestering them. Bong changed his mind, he couldn''t wait for two months, he wanted a piece of the cake as soon as possible, so he asked Merts to support him on this. "Fine," Merts nodded his head. He looked at the people with him and led them away. Before leaving, Senator Bong nced at Eva and said in a low voice but still audible to everyone present. "You''re going to regret this. Just wait and see." ---- Marcus and Nexus sat in the study room inside the Stone of Destruction. The girls were outside, in the house together with Zoey. "We should do something," Nexus spoke. Marcus nodded. His face, slightly red. "We could let the Strongwald family move their crosshairs away from us." Marcus took a sip from the ss on his hand. "Do you think something was off in one of the Strongwald leaders?" Nexus thought for a short while. "The round man looked in a hurry to leave." Marcus poured himself a drink. "He also looked quite disinterested. It was as if he didn''t want to be here." Chapter 103: Kin Strongwald Chapter 103: Kin Strongwald "Any ideas on what we should do?" Nexus poured himself a drink. Marcus, who sat on a chair behind the desk, slightly looked up. He then sighed. "We''ll let them make the first move. I''m sure they won''t do something big." Nexus nodded. He downed the drink in his hand and poured himself another one. "Should we join the girls?" Nexus asked. "You can if you want," Marcus stood up. "I need to go cultivate." He walked out of the study and headed towards the training room. His mind was ying the scene where Bong threatened them. It nted a seed of worry in him. ''Just what are they nning?'' Marcus thought as he sat cross-legged in the training room. As Marcus closed his eyes, he mumbled. "Whatever it is, we''ll be able to handle it." ---- The sky brightened. Bird-like creatures flew in the sky and the smaller ones were perched up on trees, chirping. Eva, Emily, and Zoey were all seated at the dining table. They chatted about the events that happenedst night. About how Eva ruthlessly made Lopard a deal. "What will you two do today?" Eva asked as she ate breakfast. "Why don''t we train?" Emily suggested. Zoey thought for a while. "I do have apetitioning up in a couple of months. Alright, let''s do it." Eva smiled. "We could do it in the backyard and ask Nexus to set up a formation around the ce where we''ll fight." Emily nodded. She thought that by making Zoey will recover her memories once she breaks through. Zoey had been one of her closest friends in her past life and she wants her to go with them back to the realm above the heavens. There was also one thing that she wanted to ask once Zoey got her memories back. Emily wanted to ask how Zoey died. After Emily got together with Marcus, their rtionship was still the same, they were still really close friends, albeit they didn''t see each other physically all the time. The reason why Emily was sure of Zoey being the same as the one in her past life is because of the connection. The slight connection she felt was simr to how it was with Marcus. Eva stood up. She brought her tes to the sink and went back to the table. "Should we start?" Emily, who was lost in thought, was brought back by Eva''s voice. She then slightly nodded and turned her head towards Zoey who was already standing. ---- Nexus finished setting the formation. He touched his lower back with his hands and pushed it forward. "Youdies shouldpensate me for this." The women chuckled. Eva walked towards him, cupped his face, and nted her sweet lips on his. Nexus moved his hands to her ass. He squeezed with his left and pped with his right. Eva backed her head as the p hit her tightened ass, a soft sounding yelp came out of her mouth. Nexus chuckled. He let her go and began walking away. Eva slightly red at him. She then went back to the twodies who were amused by what they saw. ---- Inside arge two-story mansion. "Damnit!" Senator Bong''s voice echoed throughout the living room. He stomped his right foot on the dark-yellow carpet, His gold-colored robes swayed "Call my son, tell him toe here right away!" He roared. One of the two people who were standing inside the living room sprinted towards the ce where the son of Senator Bong is staying. Senator Bong''s brows furrowed. He had to do something since he already threatened the owner of Asura. He already read the reports about how thepany that he invested in is doing ever since ''The Corner'' opened. His head was filled with anger when he saw it. What would happen two months from now? What would happen if Asura starts distributing? The drinks and clubs he invested in would fall apart. Asura''s would turn into the staple provider of drinks in Estra. Everyone would turn to the cheaper and better drink. Two sets of footsteps came rushing towards the living room. The man who left came back together with the person who looks to be around 20 years old. The man bowed his head and walked back to where he stood before. Senator Bong looked at the person who the man brought. Kin Strongwald, the son of Senator Bong Strongwald is a second-year student at Estra University. He had been notorious for going in and out of multiple clubs in one night ever since he turned 18. Kin Strongwald fixed his short blond hair and walked towards Bong. "Dad, what is?" "Put your fame to good use. I want you to go to ''The Corner'' and ruin their reputation." Senator Bong spoke to his son. Kin''s eyes widened. "''The Corner''? Do you mean the one owned by Asura? That''s, not going to be easy." How could he easily ruin a ce that''s being covered by every single news channel right now? He''s famous, yes. However, how can his famepare to apany that''s being backed by three of the five big families. Senator Bong red at his son "I don''t care how you do it, just finish the job! It''s the least you can do for all the years I''ve fed you." "But Dad," Kin wanted to argue. "It''s just not possible!" "Use that troublemaking brain of yours." Senator Bong pointed at Kin''s head. "Make your move as soon as possible. Bring your friends, I''ll reward them handsomely after you mutts pull this off!" Senator Bong had blind faith in his son, he knew that Kin could pull this off. Kin Strongwald hopelessly nodded. He couldn''t fight against his father. Thest time he did, he was grounded for a week or so. Kin sighed "I''ll see what I can do. Just give me time to prepare." Senator Bong nodded. "You have twenty-four hours." ''Fuck!'' Kin strongly cursed his father in his head. On the outside, however, he just nodded and walked away. "Make me proud!" Senator Bong shouted from behind. ---- Beads of sweat rolled down Marcus'' head. There were five portals close to him that were open. They slowly moved around the room, going further and further away from him. He created one that was close to him and then jumped into it. He then exited to one of the moving portals in the room. Marcus continued this until he finished jumping into each and every one of the portals. With this, he''s able to practice control and he''ll also be able to get used to the spell at faster speeds. Marcus took a deep breath. He had been fully focused on getting stronger, losing track of how long he''d been training. He got his watch from his pocket dimension and checked the time. ''It''s already Monday. That was quick.'' Marcus thought as he exited the stone and entered the shower in his room. He went down and saw Emily, Eva, Zoey, and Nexus. Zoey was currently having a conversation with Nexus and Eva. "Good morning," He greeted. Emily smiled and signaled him to take a seat beside her which he did. "What were you guys doing yesterday?" Marcus asked as he ced food on his te. "Fun things," Emily curtly said. Marcus chuckled. "Oh, like what?" Emily took a sip from the ss of water near her table and spoke. "We trained the whole day and at night we went out to eat at a restaurant." "Was Nexus with you?" Marcus began eating. "What do you think?" Emily looked at Marcus. Marcus thought for a second before shaking his head. Emily chuckled. Marcus turned to Zoey. "How was your stay here?" Zoey, who was chatting with Eva and Nexus, looked at him. She then told him about how wonderful it was having people to talk to. "Big Sis Eva and Emily treated me as if I was their sister." Zoey showed a bright smile. Marcus nodded. He pieced together what Emily was nning to do. "Will you still teach at Estra University?" Marcus turned his attention back to his woman. Emily immediately shook her head. "Never again." She had always hated interacting with people with whom she had no connections. Marcus was happy with her answer. Now she can focus on cultivating. The faster she and everyone get stronger, the better. Their real fight was not here in the mortal realm but in the two realms above it. They have no business in staying here once they get stronger. Marcus also had to hurry as his empire was in danger. Marcus finished his food just like everyone else. Zoey had to go home so she said goodbye after eating breakfast. Nexus and Eva went to thepany. Marcus and Emily stayed home. Marcus didn''t want to go to school today. He thought that he''ll just return when he feels like it. Alone in the house, Marcus turned to Emily. With a smile on his face, he asked. "Want to do ''fun things''?" Chapter 104: Kins Plan Chapter 104: Kin''s n Kin Strongwald walked out of the house. He lowered his head as the bright morning sun hit his face. He went to his car and got in. "Meet me at the restaurant. Bring your friend with you." Kin said to the person he was calling. He had been given a hard task by his father to which he had racked his brains all night to find a way to perfectlyplete. The worst thing is that he had to do it by today. "That bastard!" Kin cursed as he looked down from the window of his car. He and his father were never close. His father, for him, was just an ATM that he could use to withdraw money at any time of the day. Not long, Kin arrived at the restaurant where he would meet his chosen aplices for this mission. He fixed his clothes as he got out of the car and started walking towards the door. He entered, walked to the second floor, and entered a room. There sat two individuals. One of which was his friend and the other one was a friend of his friend. Kin sat down and surveyed both of them. He focused on the person his friend brought. "Do you know what you have to do?" Kin asked. He had been explicit about the instructions. Once they are there, turning back is no longer an option. The person Kin asked, nodded. The money offered was enough for him to take this risk. After this n seeds, he would be rich. "Good, what should I call you?" Kin asked as he ordered a few dishes from the pop-up menu. "Ned, you can just call me Ned." The person beside Kin''s friend replied. Kin nodded. He then looked at his friend. "It''s amazing how you found someone so quick." His friend, Pete, smugly smiled. "Of course, that''s just how good I am and my connections are." Kin lightly chuckled. "You''ll also have a part to y in tonight''s act. Make sure you do it right." Pete ced his right hand on his chest. "You already told us how important this is. So how could I not be serious with the preparation?" "Show me the drug," Kin spoke in a low voice. Pete took out a circle white pill from his spatial ring and handed it to Kin. He had gone through a lot just to get this pill. He had exhausted a few connections here and there. However, for him, it''s worth it. He owed Kin quite a lot so if he could help this friend of his then it doesn''t matter. Kin studied the pill. "This will do." He then showed it to Ned. "Remember to ce this into your drink right after you arrive at your table. The cure will be handed to you after everything is over. I''ll be giving you this tonight." Ned nodded as he saw Kin keep it in his spatial ring. "How did you even get into this Kin? ''The Corner'' isn''t something you should mess with right now." Pete, his short haired blond friend, asked. "Just don''t ask. It''s none of your business." Kin spoke with an irritated tone. Pete raised his hands. "Woah, easy there. If the reason is private, you could have just said in a less aggressive way. What''s gotten into you man?" Kin nodded. He doesn''t want to talk about how his father forced him to do this. If this fails, his reputation would go down the drain. He of course didn''t want to do it this way, but with his dumb brain, this is all he could think of. ---- Marcus woke up. Beside himy a very naked Emily whose right hand was on his bare chest. He opened the curtains and saw that the sun had already set. He kissed Emily''s forehead and stood up. He made his way to the bathroom, but as his feet touched the cold floor, arms were suddenly wrapped around him from behind. "You were awake?" Marcus softly asked as he held the back of her hands. "No, but I am now." Emily tightly held on to him. Marcus turned towards her making Emily loosen her hold. "What are you doing?" Emily asked. Marcus bridal carried her up. "I''m going to take a bath and you''reing with me." He nted his lips on her nipple and used his tongue to y with it. A soft moan came out of Emily''s mouth as she ced her hand behind Marcus'' head. ---- Kin, Pete, and Ned arrived at the location where ''The Corner'' was in. Kin wore a ck zer and a white shirt inside. Pete wore a grey-colored long sleeve which he rolled up. Ned wore a blue polo shirt. Kin walked in front, his two aplices followed close behind. They skipped the long line of people waiting to get in. ''The Corner'' was packed and it couldn''t amodate everyone in Estra. For Kin, however, this was not a problem. As someone from the five big families, he could do whatever he wants, especially since his father is one of the main leaders of the family. Kin approached the guards and showed him his id. The guard checked it, and with a shocked expression on his face, he let Kin and his friends in. "Why can he get in?!" A person who was in line shouted. "Yeah! He just skipped us" Another one chimed in. "We''ve been standing here for quite some time, howe he gets to go in first?" One close to the front asked with an indignant tone. "Hahaha," The bounderughed. "Anyone who is born from one of the five big families cane in right away." The bouncer paused as he looked at the people in front of him. He continued. "Come on, if any of you are from the five big families step up. I''ll let you in right away." The people in line looked at each other. They all turned silent. None of them were from any rich families, how much more the five big families. Kin and his little gang of misfits strolled in the club. He checked his zer if there were anything wrong with it, seeing that there was none, he proceeded forward. His group found a table on the sides with sofa seats and sat on it. "How do we start?" Pete asked. Kin didn''t answer Pete right away. He first spoke to the person beside him. "Ned, go order a few drinks and then bring it back here. We''ll wait for a while, make it seem like we''re having a great time, and then we do it." Ned nodded. He stood up and went straight to the bar. There were numerous people around. The dance floor was stacked and most of the tables were taken. "Are we really gonna go with this? Don''t you think this n is stupid?" Pete asked. "Fuck you! You don''t know what I''m going through so just shut up and do this job, and do it right!" Kin''s eyes angrily looked at Pete. He, of course, knew that this was not a good n. However, he was not given time to n. His father only gave him until tonight to actually do something about it. He thinks that the reason why he couldn''t make up a good n was that his father hadn''t given him much time. "What''s with you today? Sheesh," Pete scratched the back of his head. He couldn''t understand why this friend of his wouldsh out twice, in one day. "We just need to do this by tonight. Don''t ask any more questions." Kin started bouncing his right leg up and down. Pete nodded and ced his hands on the back of the couch. Ned came back with three beverages. He passed it to the two people and sat down. "Here goes," Ned mumbled as he received the white-colored pill from Kin and ced it in his drink. "Good, after you finish with that, go with Pete and dance in the sea of people over there until that drug works." Kin pointed to the ce where the dance floor was. "Got it," Ned stared at the drink before asking. "You are going to give me a cure, right?" "Of course, what do you take me for? I''m someone from the five big families. I keep my word." Kin smiled as he assured Ned. Ned nodded "And the money?" "I''ll send it right after we do this. Just go there, copse, and we''ll take care of the rest." Kin took a sip of his drink. The three talked about mundane topics for ten or so minutes until Kin told Ned that it''s time. Ned breathed out. ''I can do this. He''ll just feed me the cureter on. Drink, dance, copse, money. Simple.'' "Alright, alright, "Ned chugged his drink. Every single drop traveled through his throat and went all the way down. "Let''s go. I want this to be over as fast as possible." Ned stood up. He looked at Pete and gestured to him toe. Pete followed him after Kin patted his shoulder twice. Chapter 105: Explosion At The Corner Chapter 105: Explosion At The Corner Ned walked towards the dance floor. The music, earsplitting. He made sure that he was in a spot where there are a lot of people who could see him. Pete who was already grinding it with a woman was close by. Only his dick was focused on the hot piece of ass. He had to remain alert. Kin told him that Ned would pass out and that he had to help the guy. He would then have to yell for help. People would surround the two of them and they''d start taking pictures. Kin would thene to them and tell the people that Ned passed out because of a drug inside the drink. There was, however, a huge doubt in his mind. ''How would this even work? Will the people even believe him?'' Pete thought as he grinded with the woman. He had no idea where his friend''s confidence came from. ''Ah, what the hell, let''s just get this over with.'' Pete kept ncing at Ned who was currently dancing alone, in the middle of a few people. ''What''s taking so long?'' Pete wondered. He thought that from how Ned is dancing, he should have passed out by now. He slowly slowed down, until he stopped moving his hips. Pete tiptoed to look at the ce where they sat a few minutes ago. He then slightly squinted to see better. "Hey! Why''d you stop?!" The woman whom he grinded with slightly shouted. The music was loud so she thought that it was necessary to do this. Pete raised his hand. "Give me one second. I''m trying to look for a friend." His squinting eyes were on the booth where they sat, but no one was there. Kin disappeared. The booth was now upied by a group of people and none of them looked anything like Kin. Pete stopped tiptoeing. His brows furrowed as he turned to Ned. "What th-" *Boom* Before he could even finish, a loud explosion sounded. Fire soon followed as the bar in the middle got caught in the explosion. It hit almost everyone on the dance floor including Pete. Bodies flew, blood sttered everywhere, and screams of fear sounded throughout the air together with the loud disco music. The people at the sides were rtively safe and the building showed no signs of crumbling. However, that did not stop the people in the club from panicking. A tsunami of people rushed to the entrance as fast as quickly as they could. The people who were in the VIP rooms rushed down. They were all scared shitless. VIP rooms might be soundproof but they are not tremor-proof. The building might not have been destroyed but the explosion made it shake. There were a number of people who thought that the terrorist groups they have been hearing in the news havee to ---- Kin sat in his car as he watched the people dashing out of ''The Corner''. There was no smile on his face. He only had a look of seriousness as he watched the peopleing out, tripping, being trampled, and sliding down the short staircase with their asses. He had a look of seriousness, yes, but there was something else deep in his eyes which he tried his best to hide but couldn''t. It was guilt. There was guilt in his eyes as he watched the building. He was never a killer. This was the first time he had a hand in killing someone. Still, he steeled himself. He hadn''t thought of anything else that could possibly stop people from going to ''The Corner''. ''Dad should be ''proud'' after he sees this.'' Kin thought that his father, Senator Bong would be satisfied with the results. As for the n he told Pete and Ned? It was all bullshit. He had never intended on giving Ned money nor was there even a cure pill of some sort that he would feed him. ''I could always make more friends if I wanted to.'' He then drove off. Ambnce and police cars came streaking in the air not even 3 minutes after the explosion. Healers and police immediately went to work. Healers tended to the people while the police stormed into the club. --- Eva who had just finished having dinner with Marcus, Emily, and Nexus received a call. She epted it and the voice on the other side, Leo began speaking. He told her about the explosion at ''The Corner'' and how it killed dozens of people. He also told her that the media were already there. Marcus who was nearby scrunched his brows as he listened to Leo talk. Nexus mmed his fist on the table. "Fucking scums!" "I''m surprised at how early they made their move." Marcus calmly spoke. He had expected the Strongwald to do something any time this week, but he didn''t expect them to actually do it on a Monday. "That Senator probably couldn''t hold it anymore," Emily remembered that the Senator was the most aggressive one of the Strongwald present that night. Eva nodded. "Nexus and I have done a bit of research on that person. We found out that he owns two drinks and invested in a few clubs all over Estra." "To actually use explosions, don''t you guys think that it''s too much for an opening move?" Emily was not a master in these kinds of activities, but she has been with Marcus for a long time in her past life to know that this wasn''t a good move. Nexus shook his head. "You did describe him as someone who is aggressive. Maybe this is how aggressive he can be and he''s trying to show us that." Marcus nodded. "It''s either that or this was someone else''s n. Someone who had little experience in these kinds of dealings." Marcus thought that the Senator was smarter than this. Bong was, after all, one of the leaders of the Strongwald family. "We should go. The others are waiting for us there." Eva stood up. ---- Kin arrived back home. He got out of the car and walked towards the front door. A smile was stered on his face. He had just aplished a job without the help of his father, or anyone for that matter. This was his achievement. He did a pretty damn good job at it too, in his opinion. He walked on the stone pavement and passed a few bushes before he arrived at the small staircase. He walked up and proceeded to the front door. He opened it, and before he could even step inside, a fireball wasing straight towards him. With no time to dodge, he took the hit and flew a few steps back, tumbling down the stairs. "You fucking idiot!" A loud shout sounded from the inside. Senator Bong who wore golden-colored robes floated in the air and arrived outside the main door. His eyes red at Kin who was on the ground. "Do you even know what you''ve done?!" Senator Bong''s shout reverberated throughout the vi. He was called by the person who was tasked to guard Kin in the dark. The person told him that Kin went in ''The Corner'' and left after a few minutes. Senator Bong was happy when he heard that his son was doing the task he ordered him to do, and a bit excited too. He couldn''t wait to hear what his son did. However, what the person said next didn''t bring him joy, only anger. He couldn''t believe how stupid his son can be. He clenched his fist and stored his furiousness as he waited for Kin toe home. Kin slowly looked up. The pain in his body started to worsen. "What?" He managed to speak in a low voice. He slowly continued. "I did the job. You asked." "Stupid!" Senator Bong loudly shouted. "I asked you to damage their reputation, not start a war." He''s aware that right now, the owner of Asura knew that the Strongwald family did this. Hell, he thought that the owner of Asura was thinking of him as the main culprit. He was, after all, the one who threatened them. "I did ruin their reputation!" Kin tried to raise his voice. He couldn''t understand why his father reacted like this. The task that was given to him was perfectly aplished. He raised his head. He had never felt this indignant before. His eyes met the ring stare of his father. "I gave you such a simple job, but you still found a way to mess it up. Wasn''t this what you''re good at? Causing trouble? Why can''t you put that to good use?" Senator Bong''s hands were balled into a fist. "Hahaha," A weakughter came out of Kin''s mouth. "A simple job? A simple job you say, father? If it were that simple then why didn''t you do it yourself? Or hired someone else?" He had been wondering why his father gave him this task when he could have hired people from the outside. "Hmp, I don''t need to exin myself to you!" Senator Bong once again casted a fireball, sting Kin a few meters away. Chapter 106: The Angry Senator Chapter 106: The Angry Senator Senator Bong, of course, knew that he could hire people to do this job. There were people who could do a better job than his son, and he can very much afford their services. He could, but he didn''t. After the dinner,st weekend, the leaders of the family strictly told him to not make any moves to which he nodded and agreed, but inside, he already came up with a n. His son has made countless clubs close down which is why he chose him to do the job. If the family ever suspects him andes knocking on his front door, he''ll just tell them that he had nothing to do with it, and it was all done by his son. For him, it sounded more concrete than saying things like, ''I don''t know who hired those gangs'' or ''I didn''t send them to do all those things.'' However, he didn''t expect his son to actually pull off something like this. Senator Bong walked over to his son who flew a few meters away from him. "You have to answer to the family about what you did, and you are not to say anything about me ordering you to do it. Remember to confess right away in front of them and don''t wait until they use a truth potion!" Senator Bong turned his back and unhurriedly walked away. Even if the family will suspect him, as long as his son will confess, he''ll be somewhat off the hook. Kin lied on the ground. He groaned in pain as he slowly opened his eyes filled with anger and grievances. He came home expecting a reward but he ate two fireballs in the end. The worst part is that he still doesn''t know what he did wrong. From what he remembered, he did the job right with no errors whatsoever. Kin carefully stood up. He then checked his body for any serious injuries and sighed after seeing there were none. He then walked to the house, limping. Every step he took he could feel the anger inside him heighten. ---- Marcus and the others arrived at ''The Corner''. They got out of their cars and proceeded towards the building surrounded by people. Everyone noticed the neers. The people around would have loved to stare at the two women, but they were not in the mood to do so. Themanding officer in the scene saw the four individuals and recognized two of them, so he made his way to them, passing by a few healers and cops in the process. "Good evening," The officer greeted. Eva nodded at the cop. "Can you tell me what exactly happened here?" Themanding officer shook his head. "I''m sorry but the team is still on it. We also don''t have ess to the cameras inside so we could only check the whole first floor to look for evidence." "Follow me." Eva walked towards the door of the building followed by the others. They soon met up with Zoey, Leo, Maya, and Loo. Marcus nced at the people in the surroundings. He looked at the few injured individuals on the ground and the healers tending to their light injuries. ''Looks like the explosion wasn''t that strong, but why?'' Marcus couldn''t understand why the Strongwald''s didn''t just blow the ce up to the ground. ''Could it be that this is just a warning?'' Marcus thought as he followed behind everyone. Soon they arrived at the room where you could see and rey the camera''s in ''The Corner.'' Eva permitted the officer to check the recordings. They all went through each camera one by one to find the person who did it. After one loop, they have now seen the explosion. "There!" The officer backed it up a bit, paused, and pointed. He then zoomed in to that part of the screen and enhanced the image. They were now focused on the person shown on the screen including Nexus who was ying with his watch a while ago. Now they could all see a person who seemed to have been dancing just like everyone else. "Now look," The officer yed the video showing Ned dancing. Not long after the video was yed, the explosion happened. "Was he with someone?" Eva asked. "One second," The officer zoomed out. The screen now showed a totally different scene. It was no longer inside the building, but outside. Themanding officer continued. "He should go in right about now." "Why don''t I see him close to the line?" Emily asked. She remembered the face of the person but as she looked at the people who were close to the entrance, the person wasn''t there. "He''s probably with someone important," Marcus answered. He could already guess the family name of the person he came with. A minute or twoter, three figures walked beside the line. A blond who looked to be around twenty years old walked in the middle. As they came closer to the camera, the officer paused the recording. The cop stood up and sighed. "That person leading them is from the Strongwald family, Kin Strongwald. He''s also known to be quite a troublemaker." As someone with a high rank in the corps, he of course knew the important people to look out for. "Thank you for your help officer." Leo showed his gratitude. Themanding officer slightly nodded and walked out of the room leaving only the members of the board in the room. "I could call my father right now," Loo suggested. "We could ask him for help and get some answers from the Strongwald family." "My father can also do the same." Although Zoey didn''t ask yet, she knew that his father would agree. "Leo can you tell me more about this person named Kin." Marcus turned to the vus man. Leo nodded. "He goes to Estra just like the rest of us and he''s a year lower than both me and Zoey. He''s known for going in and out of bars even during school days and he''s also quite the scum of society. His father is named Bong Strongwald, one of the senators here in Estra." Leo paused. "Hmm, he''s also ssmates with the son of the president. Though I heard they hardly talk to each other. I think that''s all I know about him." Marcus nodded. "That''s enough. You can all go home. There''s no need to let your family get into this." "Why?" Zoey couldn''t understand Marcus'' line of thought. Wouldn''t it be better to work together and force an exnation out of the mouths of the Strongwald''s? "Just trust me. Go home, get some rest." Marcus smiled at them. Zoey, Leo, Maya, and Loo looked at each other, puzzled. They eventually nodded and left. "What are you nning?" Emily asked. "Nothing big, it''s just something that could potentially keep the crosshairs of the Strongwald''s off us." Marcus now understood why the events didn''t make sense. He could now guess that Senator Bong ordered his son to do something to ''The Corner'', but the explosion was all Kin''s idea and he didn''t run through his father. The four walked out of the building and headed to where their cars were parked. "I''ll see you guys back home." He kissed Emily and drove off. ---- Bong stood in his bedroom. In front of him were holographic images of two Strongwald family leaders, Pald and Merts. "Where''s Vid?" Senator Bong asked. "In hisb," Merts knew that Vid wasn''t interested in these kinds ofte-night meetings. "We just received the news of an explosion that happened in ''The Corner''. Did you have anything to do with that?" Bong was the most aggressive of the Strongwald leaders, he was also the one who hated ''Asura''pany the most. This is the reason why Merts'' first suspect is Bong. Senator Bong chuckled. "How could I? You already told me to stay put didn''t you? So that''s exactly what I did." Senator Bong immediately denied. He would never confess to ordering his son. "Hahaha," Paldughed. "Why are we even asking? Merts you know deep inside that Bong did it!" Pald wasn''t buying it. He has known Bong for a long time after all. "Shut up!" Senator Bong yelled. He knew that Pald would do something like this. "What? You should be thankful that we don''t have truth potions that would work on you!" Paldughed at the end. He then continued. "If we did, you''d be losing your seat right here right now." Senator Bong red at him. His blood boiled as he heard every word that came of Pald''s mouth. "That''s enough!" Merts spoke. "Bong, do you absolutely swear that you had no hand in this?" Senator Bong nodded. "Merts, I would never go against your orders. You know that I put this family above all else. Also, if I wanted to do something to ''The Corner'', why would I use explosives?" What Bong said made sense to Merts. However, Pald wasn''t convinced. "Alright," Merts nodded. "We''ll talk more about this tomorrow." Bong turned off the holographic images of the two and went to lie down on his bed. He sighed as he cursed his bastard of a son. Chapter 107: This Is A Dream Chapter 107: This Is A Dream Marcus'' car streaked in the air. "Where does Kin live?" Marcus, who was talking to Leo on his watch, asked. Marcus now has the chance to make the next couple of months peaceful for him and the others. He was right in waiting for the Strongwald family to make the first move. Now that they did, it was time to retaliate. "I sent you a message of the location." Leo wasn''t sure what Marcus was going to do, but he didn''t ask. He knew that it wasn''t his ce to. "Thank you. That will be all." Marcus ended the call after giving a quick nod to Leo. Marcus arrived a kilometer of two away from the vi where Kin and his father lived. He got out of the car and took a deep breath. He surveyed the surrounding area devoid of people. There was no one else around. Marcus was only apanied by the trees and flowers on the sides. Marcus carefully walked towards the direction of the house. The tree leaves would asionally rustle from the blowing night breeze. Marcus now stood at a patch of neatly cut green grass close to a wall. ''Damn, I should have brought Nexus with me.'' Marcus thought it would have been easier to locate Kin if Nexus was here with his senses. "I''ll just do this the hard way." Marcus mumbled as he opened a portal in front of him. He stretched his hand forward, a small slit suddenly opened. Marcus closed his eyes, concentrating. The portal soon grew bigger and bigger until it could fit Marcus inside. He had been practicing this spell rigorously in the Stone of Destruction, trying to master it as he knew that this spell would soon be useful, not only in fights, but other activities too. Marcus ced his hand back down. He jumped into the portal and opened a second one just outside the house. Marcus appeared in front of arge window. Close to his feet were well trimmed bushes lined up. He could guess that there were only a few Commander Stage experts guarding this ce. Marcus looked at the dark room on the other side of the window. He once again opened a portal and ported inside the room. Hended on the carpet close to the window. His eyes darted around the ce, making sure that there were no cameras. Marcus slowly walked towards the stairs, thinking that maybe his target''s room is on the second floor. ---- Kin sshed his face with water. He ced his hand on the side of the sink, raised his head, and looked at his face in the mirror, his eyes red. Tomorrow was the day that he would have to face the members of the family, the leader and his father included. He could already imagine the humiliation that he''s about to endure. The shouts and hateful words. They would look at him with judgemental eyes. All these things ran like a simtion inside Kin''s mind. "Should I just tell them that my father ordered me to do it?" Kin thought as he stared at his own face. He clutched the sides of the sink with his hands as his blood began to boil. He tried to sleep, but he couldn''t. Twisting and turning around the bed, nothing worked. His thoughts were all on the events that would happen tomorrow. Kin took a long deep breath. He let go of the sink and stood straight. "I just have to go through a few scoldings and it will all be over." Kin tried to think positive as he walked out of the bathroom. He made his way to the bed and dropped down, stomach first. "It''s all his fault. If he didn''t order me to do this then I would never have blown those people up. He should be the one punished!" Kin mumbled as used his right hand to punch his bed, imagining that it was the person he hated the most. "You''re right, you know." A cold voice sounded from the corner of the room. Kin shivered. He quickly looked up. "Who''s there?!" A chuckle was heard from the corner where the voice came from. "You are now asleep, dreaming." "Stop messing with me! Show yourself or else I would send out an rm that would send people here to end your ass!" Kin threatened. However, he made no rash movements. This person came in here without alerting any of the guards, meaning that the person in the dark could snap his neck or throw a spell in just a second and he would immediately die. "You don''t believe me?" The cold voice asked. "I couldn''t even sleep, much more dream. You''re not fooling anyone." Kin scoffed. He thought of himself as someone who would trick someone and not the other way around. "Then how do I know that you made someone explode inside ''The Corner''?" The voice sounded. Kin looked at the figure engulfed by the shadows. He was shocked to say the least. No one else knew what he did aside from himself and his father. "Now do you believe that this is all a dream?" The figure asked. Kin nodded. "Are you really going to take all that shit from your father? To be his scapegoat? You are worth more than that." The figure who was on the couch at the corner of the room took out a bottle and two shot sses from his spatial ring. Kin stared at the figure. "Yes, yes! I am worth much more than just being his puppet." The figure poured himself a drink and ced his shot ss on the table near the couch. He then threw the bottle and the other ss towards Kin who caught it. The figure once again spoke. "Of course! You were born to lead the Strongwald family to greatness." Kin strongly nodded. The sadness and anger that dwelled in his heart was overshadowed. He too poured himself a drink and passed threw the bottle towards the figure at the corner. "What should i do?" Kin asked. He thought about standing at the top of Estra, where no one could push him around, not even his father. The members of his family had to bow to him. Nodies would deny him. These fantasies slowly sprouted in his heart and it wasn''t just slowly growing. "What you should do? Don''t you think you know that already?" The figure asked. Kin paused. He racked his brain but he couldn''t think of anything. What he did think of was a good excuse. "I am too tired tonight. I don''t think I can think properly." Kin massaged his temple seemingly having a headache. The figure nodded. "That''s only right. Your father did give you a hard time." Kin clenched his fists. The figure paused for a while as he downed the drink in his hand and poured himself another one. "Who is your greatest enemy?" "The Frey family!" Kin, of course, knew the answer to this. The Strongwald and Kin have fought for a long time. The feud between their two families hadsted generation after generation without stopping. Though they looked friendly with each other on the surface, the undercurrents were rough. "Yes, and who is the high-ranking Frey family member that''s within your reach?" The figure questioned. "Luten Frey" Kin answered. He still couldn''t understand what the voice wanted him to do. "That''s right!" The figure nodded. "Tomorrow bring him to thefort room near the library at ten in the morning. Make sure you''re notte." Kin tilted his head. "Why?" "You still haven''t asked who I am yet." The figure poured himself another drink. "I thought you were just someone in my dream." Kin had a puzzled look on his face. He had read this before in a book. People would sometimes make individuals appear in their dreams, and they would talk to them about all kinds of topics. The person they would make up can sometimes be someone in real life, or maybe just someone whom they have not met. It can even be someone who has never even existed. "No my dear boy." The figure chuckled. "I am someone who transcends the human race. Someone who can peek into the future and see what would happen even if it has never happened yet. I have had my eyes on you for quite a while. Do you know why?" "Why?" Kin asked. Getting more interested in the topic. "Because you are special. You are someone who will not only rise to the peak here of Estra but in all of humanity. You will soon see rows and columns of people bowing down in front of you. They will worship and treat you as their god, as the almighty being." The voice spoke like an all-knowing prophet. Kin gulped. His heart raced as he listened to every word that came out of the figure''s mouth. To have that kind of power was every mortal''s dream. The voice continued. "To achieve that, all you have to do is to bring Luten Frey to the bathroom near the library." Chapter 108: Madness Chapter 108: Madness "I''ll definitely do it!" Kin hurriedly said. His heart raced as he thought of himself as somewhat the chosen one. The figure in frontughed. "Good, good, I was not wrong in choosing you." Kin had a bright smile on his face, but the smile didn''tst long. He then felt dizzy and fell down on his bed. The figure slowly emerged from the shadows. He poured himself one more drink and said in a soft voice. "Salud." He then walked towards the bed and grabbed the ss. The figure, Marcus, walked towards the window and scoffed. "Dumbass." ---- Marcus arrived home. He had just seeded in fooling Kin. When he was having a conversation with him awhile ago, he could hardly stop himself fromughing a few times, but he controlled himself and released a few chuckles. Marcus thought that the best way for them to get out of the Strongwald''s crosshair was to throw in the Frey family. The two are not on good terms with each other, so Marcus just had to drop a few gallons of oil to the fire, in this case, use the president''s son, Luten Frey. Marcus walked into the house feeling happy. He could not forget the look on Kin''s face. It proved to be quite a challenge finding Kin''s room, but it was all the tiptoeing was worth it. Marcus went inside the Stone of Destruction and found Eva and Nexus inside the alchemy room. Nexus was sitting cross-legged while Eva was practicing her alchemy skills. Nexus opened his eyes. "How was it?" "Tonight was a sess. We''ll still see how everything goes tomorrow." Marcus had to go to school tomorrow for this n to work. He has to be there when Luten and Kin meet, "Baby Brother what are you nning?" Eva stopped and turned towards Marcus. Marcusughed. "Hahaha, you''ll find out tomorrow Big Sis." "Look at you acting all mysterious." Eva smiled. "We just finished visiting Carmen a few minutes ago. It looked like she''s doing fine." Marcus nodded. "That''s good. I''ll go and visit her right now." Marcus left and went to Carmen''s room. ---- The night didn''tst long. Soon the sun rose and the birds started chirping. Marcus opened his eyes. He took a deep breath. The chaos mana inside his body multiplied every single day. He stood up from his cross-legged position and went out of the Stone of Destruction. He took a quick shower and went down. As always, Eva, Nexus, and Emily were already there sitting at the dining table. Marcus walked towards the three and greeted them good morning. "I have to go to thepany early today," Eva said as she stood up. She decided to pay the families of those who diedst night. Marcus nodded. "I''ll also be going in a while." Nexus and Eva proceeded to their car. "Looks like you''ll be the only one who''ll be left here," Marcus spoke to Emily who sat beside him. Emily already quit her job at Estra University after she got her memories back. She felt that she wouldn''t do a good job if she goes there and teaches now that she hates interacting with people. "I don''t mind." casually said. "I can focus on cultivating, unlike yesterday." Marcus grinned as he stood up and started to go to the door. "It was good though, right?" Emily rolled her eyes and continued eating. "Be home early," Emily said before cing the food in her mouth. ---- Marcus arrived at school. He wore his blue long-sleeve outfit. Walking on the stone pavement, he passed by the ce where the fountain was located. The water was now changed and the spike on top was now clean. He hasn''t heard anything about the news covering Ohario''s death. He thought that it must have been covered in a channel that was much more local. Marcus continued to walk towards his first-period ssroom, but in the end, he changed his mind. Thinking that he''d just fall asleep in ss, he turned and went to the library. --- Kin walked into his ssroom. He could hardly contain the excitement that he felt, but he calmed himself down. ''Nothing good happens to those who don''t wait.'' Kin reminded himself. The things said by the figurest night still echoed in his heart. It budded an ambition he never knew he even had. He wanted to stand on top of the world. To be above everyone so that no one would tell him what to do. Luten was already in the ssroom. Kin walked to his seat which was a row away from Luten''s. This was only a one-hour ss so he didn''t have to wait long before he could finally find out why he had to bring Luten to thefort room near the library. ''I''ll lead my family to glory. I''ll be the reason why we''ll be able to defeat the Frey family.'' He happily thought as he tapped his desk with his finger. The ss didn''t consume the whole hour. The professor only covered one topic and immediately rushed out of the ssroom. Kin stood up and walked towards Luten who was talking with his friend. "Hey, Luten!" Kin called. Luten turned around and was surprised to see who called him. The people around turned silent. They all knew about the situation between the Strongwald''s and the Frey''s. "Yes?" Luten felt awkward talking to someone from the Strongwald family. Especially since the one, he''s talking to right now is a son of a leader. "Can I talk to you in private? I have to tell you something and it is really important." Kin''s voice sounded in the silent room. All eyes were now on Luten and Kin. Luten had a puzzled expression on his face. He and Kin were never close to begin with, so why was there suddenly something important that they''d have to discuss? "Can''t we just talk here?" Luten asked. Kin shook his head. "It''s not something that these people should hear." Luten thought for a while before he nodded after telling his friend something. "Lead the way," Luten said. He wasn''t worried about Kin doing something to him as he was the son of the current President of Estra Kin smiled and left the room together with Luten under the gazes of twenty or so people. "Do you think they''re going to fight?" One asked. "Are you stupid?" Another responded. "If they do fight and something goes horrible, what do you think will happen? Luten is the only son of the President as of the moment, if something happens to him, I''m sure his reaction won''t be pretty." "You''re right." The first one who spoke nodded his head. "Should we follow them?" A few people turned their heads towards him. "What? I know all of you are interested." The one who suggested chuckled. In the end, a lot of people slowly followed behind, they were careful not to be too close. ---- Kin and Luten arrived at thefort room near the library. Luten turned to Kin as they arrived inside. "Why here?" "Where else? As I said, I wanted to talk in private." Kin said. "Alright, you brought me here, now spill." Luten still has another ss and he doesn''t want to bete since people will think that he''s abusing his privilege as the son of the President. "I''m getting to that." Kin looked around, waiting for the magic to happen. Marcus, who was in one of the stalls, started casting chaos magic. Vermilion-colored fog floated around his hand, he then sent it straight towards Kin. Marcus just casted ''Emotion Maniption''. He wasn''t finished. Marcus once again casted ''Emotion Maniption'' for a few more times and threw it all towards Kin. Excitement, bliss, joy, interest, and lust. Marcus pumped it all into Kin''s system. Kin''s heart raced from all the emotions he suddenly felt. He looked at the person in front of him and he suddenly turned into a full-on predator. Marcus who was in one of the stalls chuckled as he opened a portal and went back to the library. Luten who saw that Kin was rushing towards him moved back. "What the hell are you doing?! Are you trying to start a war?!" Kin didn''t answer, saliva dripping from his mouth. His eyes shone with lust as he jumped on Luten. Luten tried firing a spell but was blocked by Kin. "Help!" Luten shouted as Kin ripped his clothes off. The students who were outside by the door panicked. The one who was currently taking a video of Kin and Luten turned to everyone. "Go call one of the professors. Hurry!" Two students dashed towards the library to see if there was a professor staying there or even the librarian would do. The events happening inside thefort room turned intense. The students couldn''t bear to watch. They turned their heads and some of them walked a few meters away from thefort room. "Holy shit the Strongwald''s and the Frey are going to war!" One of the students couldn''t keep it in anymore. "This is madness! What the fuck is Kin thinking?" Another spoke. They didn''t want to go in and implicate themselves with whatever was happening inside, so they just stayed outside where it''s safe. ----- Marcus hummed as he got out of his car and walked towards his house. ''Now those bastards will leave us alone for a while.'' Marcus opened the door and went towards Emily''s room. Chapter 109: We Found Her Chapter 109: We Found Her 2 monthster. Marcus, Emily, Eva, and Nexus'' lives had been peaceful these past 2 months. No trouble came knocking on their door. The explosion that happened at ''The Corner'' didn''t affect their business in any way. Leo got the insides of the building fixed, bought new furniture, and hired a few new employees. After all that, ''The Corner'' was back in business as if nothing happened. Customers came rushing in the same as the past nights. This was, of course, two months ago. Recently, ''The Corner'' has changed quite a bit. The families that received money from Eva were grateful as some of those that were killed were breadwinners of the family and most of the people in their lives depended on them. Although Marcus'' life was peaceful, Estra wasn''t. Skirmishes happened from time to time between the Strongwald family and the Frey family. The video of Kin molesting Luten went viral not only in Estra but also in other countries. Views reached billions and the incident was even covered by every news channel. The Frey family tried to contain it but they had no control over the other countries. For the Frey, this was an absolute humiliation, they now see Kin as an abomination. Luten who never expected Kin to act that way was demanding an exnation together with his father. He thought that Kin and he would have a civil talk and walk away. It was difficult for him to understand what Kin was thinking at that time. He also cursed his ssmates who just stood by the side and watched. However, he didn''t really me them. He understood what they were thinking. The Strongwald family was in an even more chaotic state. When they heard of what happened, the family immediately called Senator Bong who was, at that time, in a meeting. When Bong heard the news he immediately left the meeting without saying anything, shouting all the way to his car as he talked to the family on his watch. The people who were at the sides made sure to keep a safe distance away from him. Kin was neutralized and was brought back home by a professor. When he woke up, he was already sitting on a chair, surrounded by high-ranking family members of the family. His hazy head started to remember what happened, what he did to Luten. His eyes widened as he kept shouting, saying that it was not his fault and that he couldn''t control himself. But, they didn''t believe him and his disgusting lies. One member of the family said that the reason he couldn''t control himself was because of lust. What was even more disgusting is that it was with a man. As a rich and prestigious family, they do not ept people of the same sex being together. For them, men should be with women and women should be with men. Kin, too, believed in this. He kept defending himself but nothing worked. The family decided to put him somewhere to atone for his sins. They were also considering turning him into a eunuch to give the Frey family an exnation. Senator Bong, who was one of the crowd, stayed silent. --- Marcus together with Emily, Eva, and Nexus sat in a room with arge glowing white ball in the middle. At one side of the room was a bed, where a little girly, sleeping. The mana in this room wasn''t the same as the one outside. It was purer, even a lot purer than the mana in the heavenly realm. After Marcus brokethrough the Commander Stage, a room was opened. It had an area of around 3000 square meters. There was a ball ced at the center of the room that released mana. Eva, Emily, and even Nexus were shocked. The purity of mana here was what they were familiar with. This was Marcus'' surprise for the three. In his past life, he had ced this ball in here just in case. For the people in the realm in his past life, this glowing white ball is quite expensive. Not because it can store mana, but because of the amount of mana it can store. Marcus opened his eyes, stood up, and stretched. He had just hit rank 5 Commander Stage and his chaos mana is growing at an astonishing rate every single day. With this, he''ll be able to go back up to the heavenly realm quicker. Although he had retained his past life memories, in this life, the Asura Empire is his home, and Leia is his mother. He has the duty to keep both of them safe and make his empire rise back to its former glory. "Closer, "Nexus sighed in rxation as he stood up. He clenched his fist and his eyes turned purple. Emily and Eva soon followed. They walked side by side with bright smiles on their faces. Emily brokethrough rank 4 Commander Stage recently and so has Eva. "Sometimes you just don''t notice the time." Eva checked her watch. They still go out from time to time to show their faces, but the one mainly managing thepany was Leo and Zoey. Eva would onlye out a few times for meetings and interviews. Marcus nodded. He goes to ''The Corner'' once or twice a week at night just to show his mug to the paparazzi. News about him dropping out of Estra University was covered by a few stations. Some people now saw him as a typical young master from a rich family. However, he didn''t really drop out from Estra University, he just told the dean that he woulde back from time to time and attend sses if he wants to. Marcus went out of the Destrucstone together with the other three and went to eat breakfast. "Our new drink wille out today," Eva spoke as they sat at the dining table. "Is that the one where we coborated with FutureX?" Emily asked. She has been the one who rarely came out of the house in thest two months. She holed up in the Destrucstone after the room with the white glowing ball opened and would onlye out when Zoey and Maya came to visit. She''s also the one who''s usually taking care of Carmen. Eva nodded. "Our advertisement was already up two days ago." "Maya is a lot better now in front of the camera." Nexus chuckled. "Leo brings her to a lot of parties, that''s a lot more suspensefulpared to facing a camera." Eva had observed the rtionship between Leo and Maya grow these past two months. The two lovebirds were getting closer by the day. The four soon finished eating breakfast. Eva and Nexus went back to the stone together with Emily. Marcus stayed behind. He answered the call from Leo. "Have you found her?" Leo nodded. "Yes, we have, we finally found her." Leo and Zoey had sent people who worked for their family to find Marcus'' second wife. For two whole months, they scoured tons of countries both second rate and third rate. Marcus broke into a smile. "YES!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. "Is she safe?" Marcus had been worried about his wife all this time. If he had the power to scour the gxy by himself he definitely would. "Yes, she also agreed toe with us without any hesitation." Leo showed a picture of his men meeting Trina. Leo continued. "She also changed her name to Erika." ''Could it be?'' Marcus was quite shocked by what Leo said. "She''ll be arriving tomorrow in one of the best ships we have, escorted by thousands of guards just like you ordered." Leo made sure everything went ording to what Marcus wanted. "Good, you and Zoey did a really great job, and for that, I am really grateful. I''ll make sure to repay this favor in the future." Marcus slightly bowed his head. For him, this was a big deal. Marcus'' wives are more important to him than anything. He already achieved greatness and he hardly cares for those things anymore. What he did care about are his wives, his mother, his two sisters, and, well, Nexus. Leo shook his head. "You saved my life, this is the least I can do." ''Well, my wives are more important than your life.'' Marcus thought. "Still, you''ve done me a great favor. I''ll be going to the spaceport tomorrow to meet her together with the others. Around what time should I be there?" "They''ll be arriving around seven or eight in the morning." Leo already asked the captain of the ship about this. Marcus nodded and ended the call. "Finally, we''ll beplete," Marcus mumbled as he went into the Destrucstone to tell everyone the good news. ---- Erika sat cross-legged in her room on the ship, cultivating. Small emerald-colored sprites floated around her body. They swayed left and right. Erika opened her eyes, showing her emerald-colored eyes. Her ck hair went down to her shoulders. "I''ll finally be able to see them." She stood up and went to bed. Chapter 110: Chaos Brings Disaster Chapter 110: Chaos Brings Disaster Erika lied down on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She wanted the ship to move faster. Her excitement could hardly be contained making it difficult for her to cultivate. Erika, Marcus'' second wife had retained her memories for more than a month now, and she too, was looking for Marcus and she''s also keeping a lookout for people she might know in her past life. Her search brought her to different ces. But, she was only one person and ships were incredibly slow making it feel impossible to find them. She even went back to Ker, but she achieved the same results. No signs of Marcus in any ce she went to. Until one day, she was approached by a group of people. Her guard was immediately up. However, she didn''t expect them to actually sh her a picture of Marcus. The same Marcus whom she interacted with in Ker. She followed them, her guard remained up. Now she was on a ship setting sail for a ce the people call Estra. "If I sleep now, when I wake up, the ship willnd," Erika spoke to herself. She tried to convince herself to think of something else for her to fall asleep, but she couldn''t. ---- Marcus threw a ''Chaos Lightning Bolt'' to Nexus, traveling at extreme speed. Marcus had been practicing inducing his spells with chaos mana. Once a spell gets introduced to chaos mana, it bes a lot more powerful, more destructive. Nexus lifted his arms towards the direction of the ''Chaos Lightning Bolt''. He then moved his arms to the side making the ''Chaos Lightning Bolt'' move a few meters away, missing. Nexus smirked as he showed how fast he was. He dashed towards Marcus, his ws out. He then jumped into the air and controlled his body to boost himself forward. Marcus moved back after cing a lightning rune on the ground. Nexus who was up in the air, controlled his body once more and threw it forward, making the lightning rune useless. As inched closer, Marcus rolled back making Nexus fly forward. Marcus stood back up. His hands turned red and so did his arms. He rushed forward as he casted ''Emotion Maniption'' on Nexus. He pumped Nexus'' veins with emotional exhaustion. Nexus, who was standing up, felt his shoulders turn heavy. He didn''t feel like fighting anymore. He looked at Marcus. "Fuck! Stop ying dirty!" Marcusughed. "It''s a spell, it''s not considered cheating." Marcus had more control over his ''Emotion Maniption'' now that he brokethrough Commander Stage. He had ess to more kinds of emotions and not just the basic ones. He could pump it deep into a person and make them really feel the change in their emotions. Nexus, however, was strong-willed. He didn''t back down even after being injected by the chaos spell that Marcus threw. His obsidian-colored ws swiped forward as Marcus'' right fist came charging towards him. Their attacks met, sending shockwaves inside the training room. The twodies at the side calmly watched the fight happening in front of them. "Are you excited to see Erika?" Eva asked. Emily nodded. "She and I have been through a lot together, knowing that she''sing here safe and sound makes me feel happy." "It''s too bad she didn''te here earlier." Eva sighed. Erika would have also reached Commander by now if she was with them when the room with the glowing white ball opened. Emily shook her head. "She''s still strong either way." Emily had experienced Erika''s strength first hand when they first met. The two girls weren''t on very good terms with each other when they were first introduced. Well, mostly because Emily, at that time, couldn''t ept Marcus having another woman. Erika had no qualms with Emily being the first wife, but since Emily wasn''t told about this whole harem situation first, they fought. They stopped after a few days of fighting after agreeing that Marcus was the one who''s scum. Emily realized that she wasn''t really angry about Marcus getting another woman, but she was mad because Marcus didn''t consult her about it first. She and Erika got closer after the fight. They became like true sisters. Marcus, who was called scum by both Emily and Erika, had to kneel in front of his own pce for close to a month. A few of the faction members would visit and look at him. They wouldugh and call him out but Marcus didn''t listen. He continued to kneel on the ground, not sparing them a single nce. Nexus who was inside the pce at that time threwrge blue and white eggs at him. Heughed as he saw Marcus drenched with egg yolks. Emily chuckled as she remembered that time they had in the past. "I can''t wait to see her again." "You don''t have to wait long and I''m sure that she too is excited tond here." Eva smiled. As the one who raised Marcus, she, of course, has met Erika and is close with her too. Eva turned to look at the battle that was happening right in front of them. "Marcus probably proposed this battle to get the excitement off his system. Emily nodded. Nexus jumped sidewards avoiding Marcus'' fist. He raised both of his arms forward and aimed them towards Marcus. He tried controlling him. "Hahaha," Marcusughed as Nexus'' spell failed to work on him. "You cat, your tricks won''t work on me." Nexus furrowed his brows as he kept moving back, dodging the barrage of punches and kicks that Marcus threw. Lightning coursed around Marcus'' arm. It then traveled to his hands and turned into a javelin. He slowly induced it with chaos magic and threw it towards Nexus. Once again Nexus controlled it and made it miss. "When are you going to learn? None of your spells willnd on me." Nexus smiled as the lightning boltnded a few meters away from him. Marcus smirked. He raised both his hands. Three vermilion-colored balls appeared in front of him, spinning. Marcus gestured his hand forward making the balls fly towards Marcus. Nexus scoffed. He controlled them and made themnd away from him. However, the vermilion colored balls didn''t just hit the ground, it exploded. The explosion reached him and made him fly backward, blood dripped from his mouth. Marcusughed as he saw Nexus slowly standing up. "That''s it for today, we still need to wee Erika to Estra." Nexus nodded as he wiped the sides of his mouth. "You were lucky. I also didn''t know what that spell was." Marcus tapped the side of his own head. "You need to be smarter." "Fuck you!" Nexus cursed. He knew that Marcus was just provoking him. This happens every time he messes up. Marcus looked at the twodies. "Looks like both of you are ready to go." "You should hurry, for all we know, Erika is already there." Emily walked towards him together with Eva. "Leo said he''ll just call when the ship is near." Marcus leaned in and gave a short kiss to Emily. Nexus, who saw this, turned to Eva who also walked towards and gave him a kiss. "The pain around my body faded," Nexus smiled. ---- Marcus went out of the shower and changed into his ck long-sleeve outfit. He fixed his hair which was now pretty long. His height also grew and he''s now 6 feet tall. He went out of his room and went downstairs where everyone was waiting all dressed up. Emily wore a blue and white sundress, Eva wore a skirt and a sleeveless shirt, and Nexus wore shorts, a in shirt, and slippers. The four went out of the house. Marcus rode with Emily in the vermilion-colored car. Nexus and Eva rode in the white one. Dark clouds covered the sky together with thunder asionally sounding. People would think that this was natural, however, it was from it. This was the effect of Marcus'' chaos spell ''Chaos Brings Disaster.'' "Her ship will be arriving in thirty or so minutes," Marcus spoke. Holding Emily''s hand who sat beside him. "Thankfully her ship arrived safely, unlike what happened to the ship you were on." Emily giggled. Marcus pinched her nose. "I almost died you know. You would have never seen this face if something happened to me on that trip." Emily removed Marcus'' fingers from her cheek. "I''m sure they stood no chance." ---- Heavy rain poured outside as Marcus and the others waited inside the building of the space station at the area where Erika would exit her ship. Marcus felt as if he was over the moon when he found out that he could already cast ''Chaos Brings Disaster''. Now the sun would hardly shine on Estra. Marcus looked in a certain direction. A few dozen shipsnded together with a big one at the center. Therge ship''s entrance was slowly attached to a tube on the side of the building where there was a pathway. Not long after, a woman came out. She had long ck hair, straight brows, and emerald almond-shaped eyes. Her petite body and c cup breasts made her look seductive. She exited the tube pathway and looked up. Her eyes widened as she ran towards the people in front of her. Chapter 111: [NSFW] Life and Nether Chapter 111: [NSFW] Life and Nether Erika ran towards the people in front of her. She carried no luggage whatsoever as she owned a spatial ring. Her short skirt fluttered and her tits bounced with every step. Marcus who was on the other end was ready to receive the hug. He stretched his arms out waiting for Erika to dive into his embrace. However, he didn''t expect Erika to hug the person beside him first, Emily. "Here I thought you missed me." Marcus turned to his wives. "Everyone knows one should greet the first wife first." Erika giggled. She was just trying to mess with Marcus. Emily tightened her embrace. "In this life, the ranking still doesn''t matter much. It''s good to have you back." Erika then rushed towards Marcus after Emily let go. "How are your memories back?" Marcus asked. He thought that the people should at least have toe in contact with him before they retain their memories, but it looks like he was mistaken. Erika who was now slightly sobbing. "I was at my hotel room one day, cultivating. A few hours in, I felt a stinging pain around my head. That''s when scenes appeared right in front of my eyes. was really confused at first, but then I gradually caught on after a few more of my memories came back" Marcus kissed her passionately on the lips and whispered. "Let''s go home. I''ll show you something that''s familiar to you." Erika blushed. "That already?" Marcus tilted his head. "What are you thinking?" Erika hurriedly shook her head. "Nothing, it''s nothing." There were no other people in these parts of the spaceport as it had been closed with the help of three of the big families. Eva then talked with Erika and so did Nexus. Erika and Nexus weren''t that close so he opened his mouth a few times and shut up. Eva and Erika on the other hand were. Especially since their magic was somewhat opposite to each other. Marcus, Emily, and Erika rode in the vermilion-colored car while only Nexus and Eva in the white one. "Why is it raining so hard here?" Erika looked at Marcus. "Is this you?" She checked the weather forecast yesterday and saw that Estra should be sunny all day long. It is almost always never wrong. Marcus nodded. "I''m already practicing chaos magic. Although I''m not as good as I was in the past and things are a lot slower, I''m still making good progress." "That''s better than nothing, in this realm I''m sure no one will be able to stand against your magic." Erika knew that this realm was lower than theirs in the past, much lower. The mana alone could make her puke. The five soon arrived at their house. "Wee home." Marcus gestured as he opened the front door. He was in an extremely good mood. They didn''t stay long inside the house. Erika did a quick tour and drank tea together with Emily and Eva, while Marcus and Nexus sat on the sides. Marcus asionally sipped the cup of tea in his hands. Nexus, however, didn''t. He hated tea. The five soon went inside the Stone of Destruction, shocking Erika in the process. "This is a ce I made before I died." Marcus walked together with Erika. Emily and the others already went to the room with a glowing white ball. They decided to give them some time together. "I thought you''d have to be a master of space to make these kinds of ces." She touched the wooden wall and tried pushing it, checking how sturdy it is. Marcus chuckled as he saw this. "Those walls would repair itself whenever it gets damaged." "This must have been the greatest creation in your past life." Erika was awed by this wooden cabin. Marcus nodded. "We''ll go back up there." Marcus hugged Erika from behind. He kissed the side of her neck. "I know we will." Erika smiled. "Knowing you, you''ll definitely not let what they did to us, pass." "Mhm," Marcus nodded. Still embracing her from behind. "Why is that?" "Because you love us." Erika already blushed as she felt something poking her lower back. Marcus then started to address her and softly said. "That''s right" He took off her shirt and then her skirt. "Not here, they might see us," Erika whispered. "Okay," Marcus then carried her to the study, wearing only her undergarments. Their tongues danced with one another with every step that Marcus took. Marcus dropped her on the table. He immediately ripped her panties off. He held the top part of her thighs and pushed her pink pussy towards his mouth. He didn''t stay there though. Marcus also kissed her inner thighs as Erika crossed her legs behind Marcus'' neck. Marcus'' right and moved to the top of her pussy while his left middle finger prated her ass. Erika''s audible moans echoed throughout the room as she felt both her temple and ass being pleasured. Erika''s hands were already clutching Marcus'' hair, holding on for dear sanity as she felt his tongue working its way deep inside her. "Yes, yes," Erika''s soft voice sounded. It felt like music to Marcus'' ears. He then inserted one more finger inside her rear, making her hips tilt upwards. It didn''t take long before Erika cummed, but her emerald eyes looked at Marcus as she wanted more. Erika stayed at a lying position facing up, but instead of seeing the ceiling, she was staring at Marcus'' dick. Marcus had already crawled up her body. His knees were on the side of Erika''s upper arms. He slowly ced his left hand behind Erika''s head. "Open wide." Erika opened her mouth as Marcus'' dick entered. Marcus controlled the speed at which she was sucking with his left hand. His right hand was ying with her pussy. Erika''s arms couldn''t move as it was tightly locked by Marcus'' knees. This was, of course, what Erika liked. Marcus hasn''t forgotten what his wife''s favorites were. Marcus soon cummed inside Erika''s mouth who swallowed everything down. Marcus then inserted it inside her holy temple. ---- Erika lied together with Marcus on the table in the study, panting. Marcus caressed her hair as she ced her head on top of his chest. "Let''s go," Marcus softly spoke. "I still have to show you something." They both got dressed, cleaned up, and left the study. "What''s with the surprise?" Erika asked. "It''s better if you see it for yourself." Marcus smiled. "So mysterious," Erika pouted. They two arrived in front of a door with an emerald engraved above the doorknob. Marcus opened it and the two walked inside. There was a glowing scepter on the middle-backside of the room. Beside it was two dresses. If mortals saw these, they would immediately think that they came from the ancient ce known as Egypt. One was a short sleeveless emerald-colored dress that only reached up until the upper thighs. Spaghetti strips traveled from the upper boobs and touched behind the neck. The dress wholly showed the belly and most of the legs. The other dress looked as if it was made for battle. It had a mixed color of emerald and gold. If mortals were to see this they''d think it was worn by an Egyptian goddess to battle. The scepter on the middle was the most eye-catching of the three. It was only 16 inches long with a gold-colored handle and an emerald-colored gem floating on top. "Big Sis made it. It''s only a replica of the one you had in the past life. Well, the one you had a long time ago is also here, but It''s in one of the rooms I can''t open." Marcus scratched the side of his head. He continued. "Since Big Sis doesn''t really know much about your magic, that''s only around 10 percentplete." Eva used the weapon they bought from Waypons, an emerald-colored gem that had a tinge of life and death aura, and a bit of alchemical magic. Sadly, her knowledge in life andher magic was only limited, making it hard for her to replicate the weapon Erika used in the past. Erika walked over to it and shook her head. "She did an amazing job with this." She looked at the dresses, but couldn''t feel any aura that was familiar to her. "Those are just normal defensive magic items that we asked to be made." Marcus gestured. Erika felt nostalgic as she saw the clothes. These looked like the ones she wore in her past life. Erika turned her attention back to the scepter. The emerald-colored gem glowed as she injected her magic into it. Marcus looked at his wife. The Goddess Death, Empress of theher. Erika caressed the scepter in her hand. She looked at Marcus. "We should go see Big Sister Eva, I need to thank her for this." Marcus chuckled as he nodded. He led the way going to the room where the others were currently cultivating. Chapter 112: Octopi Sending Troops Chapter 112: Octopi Sending Troops Marcus and Erika arrived at therge room. Emily, Eva, and Nexus sat cross-legged around the glowing ball. "This, this, the mana." Erika could feel that the mana inside was different from the outside. It was the quality of mana that she was used to feeling. Marcus proceeded inside. "This is another surprise for you. Now you know why our cultivation is much, much higher than yours." It was true, Erika had been wondering how they''ve already reached Commander Stage in this god-forsaken realm. She felt that it was impossible to reach Commander Stage at their currency age. However, she didn''t ask, as she knew that Marcus would tell her sooner orter which he did. "How about we cultivate first? You can thank Big Sister." Marcus sat cross-legged close to Emily. Erika nodded and sat close to him. She also wanted to cultivate under these conditions. She could already feel her mana reacting wildly to the ce they were in right now. ---- In the Strongwald Estate, inside their meeting room. The four leaders of the Strongwald family sat on one side of a rectangr white marble table. They faced the dark screen as they waited for it to light up. "What''s taking them so long?" Vid asked in an irritated tone. He was so close to making a breakthrough with his experiment, but he was called at thest minute by Merts and was told to go to the meeting room. Merts Strongwald shook his head. "You don''t have to be so impatient, it has only been fifteen minutes." He knew how Vid can be when ites to activities such as this. Vid prefers to be left alone in hisb. He also knew that Vid didn''t see anyone in the Strongwald as family. But, he didn''t mind, as Vid is someone useful. As long as they give him enough resources for his experiments, he''ll remain here. "They didn''t forget did they?" Senator Bong spoke. His brows furrowed. He already told the family about his son being responsible for the explosion, cleaning his hands in the process. Senator Bong had also been extremely obedient to Merts these past few months making Paldugh at him in disdain. "I don''t think they are that irresponsible, like you." Pald chuckled and nced at Senator Bong mockingly. "You can provoke me all you want but I''m not in the mood to fight." Senator Bong calmly brushed off Pald''s taunts. Pald knew that this Senator had a hand in the explosion. He also suspected Senator Bong to have orchestrated what Kin did to Luten. "You two can fightter after the meaning, but right now both of you have to be on your best behavior." Merts calmly spoke as he stared at the dark screen. What Octopi is doing right now is on purpose and he knows that, so he remained calm. "Vid I heard your experiment is doing great." Senator Bong initiated a conversation with Vid to grow closer with him. He and Vid were family but never friends. They hardly talk. To be fair, Vid hardly talks to any of them. Vid raised his right hand, palms facing Bong. "Please don''t try and make small talk with me." Pald chuckled. "Go lick someone else''s ass!" Senator Bong red at Pald. "We''re sorry we''rete." The screen lit up. This time it was not partitioned into three. The screen showed three individuals sitting on throne-like chairs in a room. They nced at each of the Strongwald family leaders. A female voice sounded. "We were busy cleaning a few of the messes our troops made." Zee, the one who just spoke, wore a white-colored dress that had a long slit that started from the top of her breast to her belly button. Senator Bong''s eyes stared at the woman on the screen. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva as his imagination started to run wild. "It''s fine, we also just arrived." Senator Bong spoke with a smile on his face. "Shut up!" Pald nced at the Senator and turned to the screen. "You people should show some respect and arrive when on time." Miel scoffed. "We''re not like you people who are always on your asses all day." "It''s best if you both don''t talk to each other to avoid fights from breaking out." Paul calmly spoke. He had heard of Pald being someone who loves to fight a hot-headed individual simr to Miel. He thought that these two should not be ced in the same room together during a discussion or else no topic will be covered. "When do we start?" Merts have been patiently waiting these past two months. He didn''t try to pester Octopi to speed up their operations as he knew it would be useless to do that. "A few of our men will be arriving there in a few days." Paul had just finished checking all the things they had to do. In these past two months, they have taken over a few third-rates and a few lower second-rates. The ones leading the countries are the politicians under their control so there seemed to be nothing wrong on the surface. "In a few days?" Merts furrowed his brows. "Be more specific!" Senator Bong loudly said. Paul chuckled. "I alright, two days from now, I can send a few men so that we can start the first phase of the operation." Merts nodded. "The first phase will be easy to do. Just send us at least five Preparation Stage experts. " "We''ll just send back five of the Preparation Stage experts that you sent us. You know you can also do this by yourselves right?" Mielughed. "Don''t send those men back." Merts shook his head. "Send your own." Paul smiled. "Miel here was only joking. Of course, we would send you our own Preparation Stage experts." The Strongwald family had sent troops to aid the crusade of the Octopi. The Strongwald''s were not at all stingy about the troops sent. Some of those were even geniuses by their own right. Geniuses but not so much. They were of course not stupid to send Octopi their true geniuses. With the aid of the Strongwald''s the Octopi was able to upys a lot easier. But, they were not finished. They still have a few more that are left on their list before they can put their resources in Estra. They knew that Estra wouldn''t be easy to take over which is why they needed the Strongwald''s help. Without the Strongwald''s, taking over Estra would just be a faraway dream. This is also why they didn''t listen to Miel''s warnings at the beginning. After a few minutes of discussion "We''ll try to finish everything here as quickly as we can, hopefully before the first phase ends." Merts nodded. "It''s also a good time to start our operation, as heavy rain started falling here in Estra recently." The leaders spoke for a bit before the screen dimmed. Senator Bong turned to Merts. "Should we at least get more Preparation Stage from them?" Merts shook his head. Massaging his temples, he spoke. "It''s fine, unless there are multiple powerful monsters down there, we won''t have any problems." The three soon stood up. Vid, who had been silent the whole time, dashed out of the room to return to hisb. ---- Marcus, his two wives, Eva, and Nexus sat at the dining table, eating dinner. "Thank you so much for the scepter, Big Sis." Erika slightly bowed her head. "It''s no big deal." Eva raised her right hand. "I had a bit of free time and Marcus told me a few months ago that he sent people to look for you, so I prepared this as a present." Eva continued. "However, I couldn''t do anything to the dresses. My knowledge of your magic is too shallow." "The scepter is already enough." Erika smiled. Marcus who was silently eating turned to Nexus. "Has the Strongwald made any moves?" Marcus tasked Nexus, who didn''t really need to cultivate, to check the Strongwald''s from time to time with the use of his soul sense. Nexus shook his head. "Aside from the leaders meeting frequently, there''s nothing." "Meeting frequently?" Marcus'' brows scrunched. "Do you think they''re nning something?" "What''s the worst they could do?" Nexus scoffed and continued to munch on the food on his te. Eva, who sat beside him, giggled. "Last time you said that, pirates invaded our ship." Nexus turned to her. "That was coincidental. It''s not like water pirates are going to invade this ce tomorrow." Emily, who sat to the right of Marcus looked at Nexus. "I think they''re just called pirates." Nexus thought for a while before munching his food again. "Oh potato tomato. They soon finished their dinner and went back to the room with the glowing ball in the center. Erika, who had the lowest rank, was the most eager one to cultivate and catch up. She doesn''t want to be a burden when the timees. Marcus also needed more spells which he could use for the future. Chapter 113: Please Dont Let it be Pirates Chapter 113: Please Don''t Let it be Pirates "See nothing happened." Nexus who wore business attire said to the woman beside him. Eva, who was wearing a pencil skirt, chuckled. "You should really stop that." The two were in a car on their way to work. Marcus and the others, were, as always, at home. "Now that we areplete, should we leave this ce?" Nexus asked in a serious tone. He looked down towards the streets full of people. Eva turned towards him. "You''re not enjoying Estra?" Nexus shook his head. "It''s not that, I think that it would be better for us to find a quiet ce and cultivate until we reach the needed rank, then we go up to the heavenly realm, after that we go up again and take our revenge." "I don''t think Marcus is finished with his business here." Eva knew about Zoey. Her memories of her have returned and Emily told her that she wants to bring Zoey with them and she also wants to know what happened to her. Nexus nodded. He didn''t really mind. As long as he''s together with the people he''s with right now. He doesn''t want to be separated from them again. "I''m sure that it won''t be long before we actually leave this ce." Eva was told by Marcus that he too wanted to go somewhere else. He told her that he wants to get a ship and travel space, and maybe even meet other races. Nexus nodded. "Now that sounds like Marcus, always wanting an adventure." Eva chuckled. "That is how he met Erika, maybe he''s going to meet more this way." "Emily and Erika might skin her alive." Nexus still remembered the time when the twodies fought. "They probably will, if he doesn''t ask for their permission," Eva remembered how Marcus knelt in front of his own pce. ---- Later that night. Zoey who was once again invited to the house met Erika. They talked for a few minutes before Erika went back in the Stone of Destruction. Zoey turned to Emily who sat on a couch with her. "So she''s also Marcus'' wife?" Emily nodded. "Is it weird?" Zoey thought for a while. "I guess it''s weird for us Estranians, but for someone from a kingdom, I guess it''s normal." She has read a lot of books about harems and how it''s usually a prince or simr. She also read that harem members usually don''t get along. "Are you okay with Marcus having another wife? And is she also okay with it?" Zoey asked. What she saw a while ago was different from what she read. Emily and Erika seemed very close with each other, people might even mistake them for sisters. But then again, she also thought they were acting since they were in front of people and Marcus too. "We both have no problems with it. Although I was mad at him at first for bringing Erika home without telling him." Emily chuckled. "What if he gets another one?" Zoey asked. Emily looked at her in the eyes. "We''ve already agreed on it with him. Erika and I have to ept the woman first." Zoey was quite shocked by her answer. She didn''t expect Emily to be this calm about Marcus adding members to his harem. Marcus, who was talking with Nexus, walked towards the twodies. "Congrattions on a sessful coboration." Marcus smiled at Zoey. "Ourpanies are close, so it''s only natural for it to go well." Zoey chuckled. Marcus''pany, ''Asura'', already started distributing about a month ago. Asura only distributed it to the malls owned by Lopard, in return, Eva gets fifteen percent of his business. After the first month, Leo had to triple the workers because of the massive list of orders they received from all over the country of Estra. Marcus also gave the three families special drinks that would make their cultivation faster, but they would have no chance of reaching the middle stages of the Transformation Stage. Marcus told them to build a secret army and let them take all of the medicine. The three families, of course, agreed. None of the leaders of the families wanted to take this type of medicine as they all dreamed of reaching higher the middle stages of the Transformation Stage. Asura has also started distributing to neighborings which made thepany expand once again. ''The Corner'' has also seen a major changest week. You will now need a member''s card to enter, renewed every four months. The price is not something normal people can afford making ''The Corner'' somewhat exclusive for rich people. Of course, the interior was also upgraded. All the furniture now came from a first-rate country. "Will you be staying for the night?" Marcus asked. He stood beside Emily who was sitting on the couch, her arms around his hips. Zoey nodded. "Eva and Emily invited me to stay the night." Marcus nodded. "Both Emily and Eva had been hard at work and cultivation these past two months, and I''m sure you''ve been too. It would be great if you girls could do something rxing" Emily and Eva cultivated their hearts out after the room with the glowing ball opened. Marcus thought that it would be great for them to unwind. "Actually," Zoey turned to Emily. "We''re nning on training with each other, but we will dive into the pool afterward." Marcus chuckled and shook his head. "I guess that''s fine too. I wouldn''t want to bete for your second activity." Marcus slowly walked away after kissing Emily on the forehead. He went up the stairs, proceeded to his room, and dove into the Stone of Destruction. "Do you want to start?" Zoey asked. "Mhm," Emily nodded. She was currently hiding her true cultivation. "I''ll go and change." Zoey walked towards where thefort room was. ---- As thedies were training, Nexus watching tv, and Marcus cultivating inside the Destrucstone together with Erika. The Strongwald family got busy. Dozens of kilometers away from the boulevard of Estra. The There were fifteen people standing in the air, illuminated by the moon''s light. They floated on top of the calm blue waters of the sea. One of which was Bong Strongwald. "Alright, the n is simple. We rough them up and leave. No one, and I repeat, no one is to stay behind a second longer, no matter what you see. Understand?!" The other fourteen people nodded their heads attentively. Five of these people were the ones Octopi sent, and the others were elite troops of the Strongwald family. "Be swift and don''t die. Go!" Senator Bong yelled as he dove into the water. He was then followed by everyone floating. Not long after they dove in, ripples started appearing near the area where they entered. Soon, a column of water erupted from the sea, reaching a few meters up, it was then followed by another one, and then more followed after that. Whirlpools were then formed in some of the areas. Under the water, Senator Bong and the other Preparation Stage experts andte Commander Stage experts fired at the barrier in front of them. All of them gave it their all, they threw their spells as if there was no tomorrow. On the other side of the barrier, there seemed to be a city. Humanoid figures swam around as if they were in a panic. Senator Bong stopped firing. He sent a message through soul sense and hurriedly went back up to the surface. The waters above raged as pirs of water erupted and tried to reach the sky. "Go!" Senator Bong roared. They all swiftly flew to safety. Not a single person tried to look back. ---- An hour or so before the events at the sea. Emily blocks Eva''s flying holy weapons with her ives. She ran to the sides and blocked a few more attacks before throwing the weapons in her hand. Eva blocked it with her light barrier spell. The bright white-colored fire appeared around her hands, She then threw it towards Emily while constructing new light weapons. Emily, who had just finished summoning the moon that floated a few meters on top of her, rolled backward. The lunar beam hit the light constructs, destroying them. The fight ended in a stalemate and the two stopped fighting. Both were out of breath as they drank a tube of mana potion. They have now reached Commander Stage making it okay for them to take mana potions and such to recover their lost mana. Zoey who watched everything was astounded by the level of the fight she just saw. ''Are these two really from a third-rate country?'' She just saw some moves that even she couldn''t dodge. She was also shocked by their magic. Both had just used magic that is for her, a higher tier than rare. Zoey looked at Emily. "So you were going easy on me?" Emily nodded. "Our fight wouldn''t be any fun if I did any of that in our battle." Zoey wryly smiled. "Looks like I still have a lot of things to learn." ''You just need to remember your memories and you''re good to go.'' Emily thought as the three changed into their swimsuits and jumped into the pool. They swam while drinking wine that they ced on a tray that floated on the pool water. Not long after, an announcement sounded throughout the city. "Emergency. Everyone please evacuate the city as fast as you can. This is not a drill. Leave your homes and go to the west side of the city. I repeat, rush to the west side of the city. I repeat, rush to the west side of the city." Nexus, who sat on the couch, looked up. "Please don''t be pirates, please don''t be pirates." Chapter 114: Sea Monsters Chapter 114: Sea Monsters Nexus went to get Marcus and Erika inside the Stone of Destruction. He dashed towards the room with a glowing ball in the center, but Marcus and Erika weren''t there. He went to the training room and there he saw both of them were about to start firing spells. "Marcus!" Nexus yelled. "There''s something going on outside. I''m not sure what it is, but an announcement sounded all over town telling everyone to evacuate. Marcus turned his head and nodded. "Let''s check it out. If it''s anything we can''t handle, just go straight inside the stone." Erika walked towards Marcus. "What''s going on?" Marcus looked at her. "An invasion probably." "Or leaky pipes." Nexus didn''t want this to be pirates. "It could just be leaky pipes for all we know." Marcus didn''t listen to him. He grabbed Erika''s hand and exited the Stone of Destruction. Nexus followed shortly afterward. --- Marcus ran towards the area of the house where the pool was located. Emily was wearing a stunning swimsuit. He admired it for a second or two,plimented her, and then he finally turned to Zoey. He, tooplimented her before getting down to business. "Do you have any idea what''s happening?" "I called my dad, he said that the sea monsters are attacking." Zoey hurriedly said. "Sea monsters?" Nexus tilted his head. He then startedughing. "Hahaha, it''s not pirates, oh thank god it''s not pirates." Zoey turned her head and looked at Nexus with a puzzled expression. "Don''t mind him." Eva chuckled. "He just sometimes does this." Zoey nodded. She continued, "The sea monsters are usually friendly when they are not provoked. I have even met a few of their leaders in the past when my father brought me with him." Marcus thought for a while. "If they are as friendly as you say they are, then that means the humans must have provoked them first." "We should start thinking of a n," Nexus spoke. "There arerge waves hitting the eastern part of the city." With Marcus breaking through Commander Stage, Nexus'' soul sense has also improved by a lot. His soul sense can now reach up to 10 km. Nexus continued. "Those waves aren''ting alone though. There are humanoid creatures riding on top of it." "What should we do?" Emily asked. "This is perfect." Marcus grinned. "Now we don''t have to go anywhere to temper ourselves. Tempering, instead, walked right into our front door." The others nodded while Zoey was befuddled. She couldn''t believe the words that came out of Marcus'' mouth. "You''re going to temper? Under these conditions?" Zoey wanted to rify. Marcus nodded. "This is not something thates often. Opportunities like these should be cherished. However, if it is something we can''t handle, retreating is always an option." Zoey turned to the others. She saw that they were all okay with it. She also saw a mix of excitement in their eyes. ''An opportunity like this? So the reason Big Sister Eva and Emily are strong is that they train like this?'' Zoey saw both Eva and Emily fighting, and she thought that their prowess in battle overshadowed the experts of her family. "I''ll join if it''s okay." Zoey stepped forward. Marcus nodded. "The more the merrier." Emily had already convinced him of bringing Zoey with them. Making her experience fights like these might help her remember. "What do we do?" Nexus asked. His body was already eager to battle. "Spread out." Marcus looked towards the east side of town. "Nexus you roam alone." He then sent him a message that only the two of them could hear. "Don''t kill any of them. Bring all the creatures you catch back to the stone and ce them inside the chamber." Nexus nodded. He nced at thedies. "I''ll see you, girls,ter." Before he left, Nexus walked to Eva and gave her a short kiss. "The four of youdies stick together. Remember to keep yourselves safe and don''t try saving other people if the situation seems impossible." Marcus knows that it''ll be safer for them when they have each other''s backs. Also, it is safer for Zoey. Erika scoffed. "I don''t think there''s a need to save anyone. Humans can reproduce quickly, even if a million dies, a million will rece them after a short while." A week or so after recovering her memories, she found herself looking at humans as if they were nothing more than livestock. Not all humans though. There were some who have helped her in the past that she wanted to repay. Eva nodded. "Erika is right, we should focus on tempering ourselves. But, we should also save people if wee across them." Erika and Emily nodded. Zoey looked at them weirdly. They seemed to be indifferent to human life. ''Are they aliens?'' She thought to herself. But she immediately shook her head. ''These people were kind to me. It doesn''t matter what they are.'' Zoey nodded a second or two after Emily. "I''m off, be safe." Marcus bid them farewell and left. Before leaving, he turned to the four and sent a message to Emily, Erika, and Eva through the watches they wore. "Don''t kill any of the creatures. If you can, throw them inside the Stone Destruction. If this isn''t possible then just leave them on the ground." The threedies slightly nodded. ---- Underwater. "Attack! Send our first wave in! They want a war, let''s give them one" A female voice shouted. She had the upper body of a human while a lower body of a snake. She had dark blue skin all over, while the lower part of her body had a darker shade of it. Roars echoed from the humanoid and snake-like creatures in front of her as they turned their backs and began to charge to the surface. They had stayed quiet for so long as their species and other species that lived under the water didn''t want to fight. In truth, it''s not that they didn''t want to fight, but they couldn''t, humans had a lot more bodies to spare. But, now they were suddenly attacked. How could they ignore a provocation like this? In a meeting in the past, they agreed to have peace and to respect both sides. "The humans broke their words. Make them pay!" Another human with a snake''s lower body sounded in the crowd of rushing sea monsters. ---- Nexus walked on the wet road. He looked left and right at the deserted houses. His soul sense was spread so he knew that there were creatures a few hundred meters in front of him. "Late-stage Elite? Are they fucking kidding me?" Nexus was expecting some challenge and not just some fodders. "At least I''ll be able to send the first batch of these uglies inside the stone." Nexus swiftly moved. He nned on attacking them from the right. A short whileter, the creatures neared the ce where he was hiding. Nexus studied them. "Interesting" He has seen these kinds of creatures before, albeit stronger and quite bigger. The ones he saw before also had an air of royalty. One of the creatures in front of him had a green upper body that of a human while a darker shade of green lower body of a snake. It stood around 8 feet tall. Another also had a green color but this one was a humanoid. It stood and walked like a human. However, it had webbed hands and feet. It also has fins on some parts of its body. Thest one was a short green-colored creature with a shell on its back. It had slightly webbed hands with sharp small ws. It only stood around 5 feet tall. Nexus who was sitting on the roof studied them. These creatures all looked familiar to him as he had already seen their stronger rtives up in the realm he once lived in. The one that was half snake was identified by Nexus as a naga, the green 6 feet humanoid was identified as a siyokoy, and the shortest creature of the three was identified by him as a kappa Nexus stretched. "Alright, time to do this." He jumped off the roof. His eyes glowed purple as he controlled his body to make it move faster. His hands now had ws as he neared the three creatures. The one with a snake''s lower body noticed first as he brandished the naginata-looking weapon in his hand. The other two were then alerted. The three looked up to see a man with ck hair with yellow streaks in the middle. They also saw the obsidian-colored ws. Before they could even react, Nexus already pierced the chest of the naga, he then swiped the lower leg of the siyokoy, andstly, he mmed the head of the kappa to the ground. "I can''t believe I was once beaten up by your rtives." Nexus felt bitter as he remembered how he was trashed by a naga in the past. Nexus took three of them to the chamber inside the Stone of Destruction and began hunting once again. He made sure to heal them in case they might identally die. After an hour or so, Nexus already bagged thirty creatures. Chapter 115: The Twins Koga and Kogo Chapter 115: The Twins Koga and Kogo Nexus sat on the rooftop, bored. The skies were dark and the sea by the boulevard was raging. The clouds covered the brilliance of the moon and the twinkling of the stars. Almost all the opponents that he faced were onlyte-stage Elites. There were some early-stage Commanders but those still proved to be of no challenge. "I''ll be meeting stronger opponents, I''ll be meeting stronger opponents," Nexus mumbled. He thought that it''ll improve his luck in findingpetent enemies. He jumped from rooftop to rooftops, but all he could sense nearby werete Elite stage creatures. Just as he was about to sit and wait for the nagas and other creatures toe to him, he sensed two powerful kappas around 10 kilometers away from him. The kappas were currently still in the sea, but they were nearing the boulevard at high speed. ''Finally, something good came out of the water.'' Nexus smiled as went to the boulevard. His eyes glowed purple as he sped up. He made sure to meet them a bit further away from the boulevard as he doesn''t want reinforcements that came out of the water to interrupt their fight. Nexus waited. He looked in the direction where the kappas were currently speeding. His face remained calm. It was as if he wasn''t going to fight. The two kappas soon jumped out of the water. The Kappa who jumped out first was blue in color. He stood around 4 feet tall. On his right hand was a thin straight de. The blue kappa looked to the water, his shell faced Nexus. Rippled were then formed from the water and soon a figure jumped out of it. A green-colored kappanded beside the blue one. He also wielded a sword on his right hand and stood around 4 feet tall. "So these are the ones I have to face?" Nexus thought. ----- Koga the blue kappa looked around after the green kappanded beside him. "Kogo, let''s just keep moving forward, we need to help the others," Koga spoke. The part of the city they were in right now was already deserted. Though there were a few people hiding as they failed to evacuate, most of those who didn''t evacuate already died. Not everyone could take down early-stage Commanders andte-stage Elites "Let''s just run towards the center of this city, wherever it is. I''m sure that ce has more people." Kogo spoke as he followed Koga who began walking. "We can''t be sure that no one is here." Koga''s eyes were still darting around the ce, making sure that there were no traps whatsoever. Kogo was about to say something but was stopped by Koga who saw a streaking figureing towards them. They both jumped back and readied their stance. They lifted their swords and eyed the ce where the figurended. Glowing purple eyes stared at the two. "You two want to fight? That''s what you''re here for right." The figure, Nexus, asked. The purple glow in his eyes faded. The two kappas looked at each other. "Yes, we dide here looking for a fight, but that''s only because you despicable humans started it," Koga spoke first. Kogo, who stood to the left of Koga, nodded. "If you didn''t attack us, we would have never stepped foot here in your domain." "Don''t lump me in with those mortals." Nexus scoffed. Both kappas scrunched their brows in confusion. To them, Nexus definitely is human, and what did he mean by ''those mortals''? They both thought that this person was weird. "You must be one of the city''s guards huh?" Koga knew from experience that people would turn the other way when they see kappas unless they are city guards. Nexus shook his head. "I told you I''m not human." He then looked at their swords. "You two swordsmen? Or are those just for show?" Kogo smirked. "We are known as the twin myrmidons. Do you still think that these two swords are for show?" Nexus dashed towards the two. He had enough small talk for the day. All he wanted now was to have a good fight against these two rank 6 Commander Stage kappas. The two never even bothered to hide their real cultivation stages. Nexus'' obsidian-colored ws went straight to Kogo. Koga, who stood beside his twin, shed his sword forward with his right hand. He changed his stance and stepped forward. His left hand wasn''t idle. He aimed it forward as he casted a spell. Water appeared from his palms. He shot it forward to the concrete below Nexus'' feet. Kogo wasn''t just standing either. He already jumped up in the air and tried doing a 360 degrees sword sh. Nexus lifted himself to avoid the water below. He doesn''t know what it is but he knew it''s best to keep away from it. With his left ws, he blocked Koga''s thin de. He then pushed himself forward with his telekinesis spell. His eyes glowed as his body moved a meter or two behind Kogo. "You''re pretty fast." Kogamended. "Pretty fast?" Nexus'' left brow twitched. "I''ll show you what real fast is." Koga dashed towards Nexus. "Kappa''s blessing"Kogo casted a water spell. It covered the ground with water, speeding up every action of Koga as long as he was stepping on the area where the spell epasses. Koga''s sword was ready. He ran towards Nexus at extreme speed. The ground was wet, but for Koga, it wasn''t the least bit slippery. He moved like a fish in water, swift. Nexus was slightly surprised. He didn''t expect to see this kind of spell here. "Good spell," Nexus slightly nodded. He then moved back. His hands crossed as he casted a spell to control Koga''s movement. He wanted to slow it down, even if it''s just a bit. Nexus did seed, but Kogo now joined in. The kappa rushed forward, hungry for battle. Nexus moved. His eyes glowed purple as he tried to speed up. He controlled his body and threw himself forward towards Kogo. It was fast, fast enough to make Koga pause. Nexus just passed by him and rushed to his twin who was behind him. Kogo shed forward as the man with ck hair with yellow streaks in the middle neared him. His thin sword shed with Nexus'' ws. Kogo smirked. He casted a water spell where he conjured three thin water needles that floated right in front of him. He then released it towards Nexus who was still gripping the de of his sword. Nexus controlled the water needles. The outer part of the needle was then coated with the color purple. He let go of the de and turned to Koga. He threw his right hand forward making the water needles streak towards Koga. While he did this, he bent a little and swept Kogo with his right leg. One of the water needles grazed Koga''s right thigh. The others missed as he moved to the side. "Who are you?" Kogo asked. He stood a few meters away from Nexus. His eyes stared at the man with obsidian-colored ws. Koga also wanted to ask the same question. They can both sense that Nexus was a whole rank lower than them, but the man with ck hair with yellow streaks in the middle could not only keep up with their speed but also with their strength. "You don''t have to know who I am." Nexus barely used any of his mana in that first round of sh. He mainly used his physical attacks to strike. His mana was only used when he defended and moved at faster speeds. "Without that spell, your speed would be nothing." Kogo scoffed. He noticed that Nexus'' movements were faster whenever his eyes would glow. "I wouldn''t be using the spell you mentioned if you didn''t start throwing yours first." Nexus chuckled. As Nexus and Kogo spoke. Koga retrieved 5 daggers from his spatial ring and threw them towards Nexus. Nexus evaded to the side. His speed, astounding. The daggers missed their target and they all hit the ground. "You bastards are quite unscrupulous." Nexus shook his head. "This is a fight, nothing is unscrupulous." Koga calmly spoke. Nexus didn''t mind him anymore. He once again dashed towards Kogo. His eyes glowed purple as his whole body was covered in a purple outline for a second before it disappeared. Nexus now moved faster. His strikes, quicker. Nexus swiped Kogo a few times. Koga, who was still behind Nexus, rushed in to help. However, he was toote. He couldn''t make it in time. As Nexus swiped forward, the knives on the ground to his right, glowed purple. They slowly floated and streaked towards Kogo who was fully concentrated on fighting Nexus. As the knives neared, Kogo noticed. But it was toote, the knives that Koga threw a few seconds ago now pierced Kogo''s left arm, left upper hip, and thest ones were struck to the thigh. Kogo groaned in pain as Nexus pushed the knives, which were still coated with purple, deeper into his body. Chapter 116: Against Two Nagas Chapter 116: Against Two Nagas While Nexus and the two kappas fought. The fourdies were together roaming the deserted city. They passed by broken buildings that looked to have been hit by waves. Corpses littered the ground. They weren''t that many, but there were still a good number of them. Deep cracks on the roads were also all over the ce. "I can''t believe we''ve already defeated thirty of those creatures." Zoey tiredly sighed. They have fought for an hour or so. The ground was wet and the sky was dark. However, the dark sky didn''tst long as Emily raised a moon on top of them, illuminating their surroundings and attracting a few creatures in the process. Emily made sure not to raise her conjured moon too high, as to keep themselves a bit safer. Eva nodded. "They served quite a good temper exercise for you. How are you feeling?" Most of those monsters they fought werete-stage Elites. They made Zoey fight almost twenty-five of those monsters, while they fought the remaining five. "Tired, mostly." Zoey softly chuckled. She fought waves of monsters. Her prowess did improve over time as she identified her mistakes. She now realized why this type of training was one of the best ways to improve. "That''s normal after what you have gone through. You''ll feel the effects of this tempering exercise after." Eva was the one who suggested Zoey take on all of those creatures. The twodies Emily and Erika agreed. Since they would bring Zoey with them, she needs to start training hard. Tempering like this was one of the quickest ways to make her get stronger. They were also hoping she would retain her memories. Erika might not have been close with her in the past, but they would still see each other and do a bit of small talk. "Do you also do these kinds of things often?" Zoey asked. She couldn''t imagine training this way all the time. It felt like torture. The three women looked at each other and then turned to Zoey as they nodded. They did this often in the past when they were young. However, this kind of training stopped as they grew stronger. "No wonder you three are powerful." Zoey stared at them. "You''ll be as powerful we are if you just keep pushing yourself too," Emily assured her. Zoey nodded. "I know, nothing is ever free in this world." The four soon walked on the wet cracked roads. "There are a fewing this way." Eva stared at the broken buildings in front of her. "How many?" Emily asked. She turned in the direction where Eva was looking. Erika readied her scepter. She held onto the emerald-colored 16 inches long handle. At the tip of the scepter was a floating emerald-colored gem. It glowed as it waited for its wielder''smand. Emerald-colored energy closely roamed around the emerald-colored gem of the scepter. Erika pointed the scepter forward and mumbled. "Nether''s Warding Eye." On the ground, a ck inked drawing started to form into an eye. An emerald-colored orb materialized and floated on top of it. "Is that, the Eye of Horus?" Zoey stared at the drawing on the ground with an emerald-orb floating on top of it. She, as a human, of course, knew what the Eye of Horus is shaped like. "That''s just for added protection for us." Erika turned her head towards her and smiled. Zoey nodded. She knew quite a bit of history which is why knew that the Eye of Horus was a symbol of protection, among other things. "They are getting closer. Zoey, stand behind us. The onesing right now are too much for you to handle." Eva spoke. The onesing right now are middle-stage Commanders and no Elites. "How about you three?" Zoey still doesn''t know about Eva and Emily being ranked 4 Commanders. "We''ll be fine, just stay back." Emily smiled. "Oh, and whatever it is you''re going to see, don''t tell anyone." For this fight, they had to go all out, or else they wouldn''t evenst longer than two minutes. Zoey was quite puzzled but nodded nheless. She moved a few meters behind the group. Erika was also ate-stage Elite, but she will also be fighting. She''ll be supporting Eva and Emily from behind. It didn''t take long before they could see two figures slithered towards them. Emily and the others soon identified them as nagas, two female nagas who had dark blue skin. Emily, Eva, and Erika could guess that the nagas cultivation was around rank 5 Commander Stage. "I told you there were still humans in this direction." One of the nagas who held a trident, spoke. The other naga shook her head. "Diabel, that was only a lucky guess." Diabel, the one who first spoke turned her head to the naga who stood beside her. "Arielina, what should we do with these people?" Arielina, the naga who was clutching a sword in her right hand, softly chuckled. "We kill them of course." "Sounds like a great n." Diabel smiled. Their voices weren''t soft at all. It was a hundred percent audible making Emily and the other girls hear every word they said. "Can I ask why you attacked the city?" Eva asked. Since these were Commander-ranked nagas they are bound to know something. "Why? You''re asking that question after you humans bombarded our home with spells?" Diabel scoffed. Eva scrunched her brows. ''Someone attacked them first?'' Emily summoned her ives. "Ready for battle are we?" Arielina chuckled. "Alright, we''ll y with you before ending your lives." "Try, if you can." Emily readied her stance and so did Eva. Erika from behind summoned another ''Nether''s Warding Eye'' just right beside the old one. Diabel and Arielina closed their eyes for a second. Their lower body started to change. It was no longer that of a snake. They now have legs, human legs. Their skin turned white and they were now blue revealing battle outfits. Diabel dashed forward with her trident in her hands. She went straight to Emily. Arielina brandished her sword as she ran towards Eva. Emily didn''t stand idle. She threw one of her ives forward. Itnded on the ground as Diabel jumped. However, Emily wasn''t finished yet. She threw her other ive forward and followed it with a lunar beam from her palms. Diabel blocked the ive with her trident. She then casted a water barrier in front of her. None of the attacks thrown by Emily hit, but Diabel still received damage. She felt a stinging pain after casting the water barrier. She then saw emerald-colored energy released from her body and went straight towards the floating emerald-colored ball behind her enemies. ''What was that?'' She wondered. Erika who was behind Eva and Emily smiled. That was the work of her ''Nether''s Warding Eye''. She would lock the eye onto the targets and whenever they cast a spell, a few of their life energies would be sapped and be ced inside the emerald-colored ball. The life energy that was sapped could either be taken in by her or be given to the people around her. Only one of the two eyes would work whenever the target casts a spell. So it would be whichever eye gets to activate first. Eva conjured light weapons to float around her. Yellow-colored axes, swords, spears, and other kinds of weapons. They all hovered near her. Eva gestured her hand forward making the weapons made by light magic move forward. They rushed towards Arielina who was running towards her. Arielina shed every weapon that came her way. She didn''t even stop rushing. She then casted a spell. Water covered the ground where she was dashing. She now moved faster than before. However, she too felt a stinging pain after she casted a spell. She then saw an emerald-colored energy flow out of her and went straight to the emerald orb. She wondered what happened but she didn''t let it distract her. Eva moved back as she made tiny balls of light float around her. She then covered it with holy mes and once again gestured with her hands forward making the balls of light fly towards Arielina. Arielina, who had no idea what the small balls could do, jumped back a few times. The fiery small balls made of light exploded, creating deep holes on the road. Arielina scrunched her brows. She actually nned on slicing those balls. ''Thankfully I changed my mind.'' Arielina thought as she readied herself to attack once more. Diabel and Emily''s fight never stopped. Diabel felt that every time she cast a spell, she became a bit weaker. She figured that it had something to do with the emerald orbs that were ced behind her enemies. She then told Arielina about it through soul sense. To which they agreed to try to destroy it before casting any spells again. Diabel and Arielina rushed their opponents. Zoey was behind watching everything. She could feel the aura of Commanders fighting in front of her. The shocked expression on her face stayed for quite a while as she saw Emily and Eva fight. Chapter 118: Nexus Playing With The Twins Chapter 118: Nexus ying With The Twins Nexus ran towards the side of a building to take cover. He stood there, catching his breath. He had been fighting extremely fast kappas, Kogo, and Koga. Their water spells could both increase their movements and heal them making it difficult for him tond heavy damage, and if he doesnd one, the injured kappa would just retreat and heal. Kogo even jumped back to the sea after getting some injuries and jumped back up after half an hour looking all new. Though, he did get berated by Koga. He was told that he left too long. Kogo did take his time underwater while healing himself and ying with the fish. Nexus made his body float. His eyes glowed purple and his body was outlined by the floating spell he casted on himself. He went into the rundown building and spread his soul sense. He could now see the two kappas walking in his direction. "Half a block away," Nexus murmured. "I won''t fuck with those tiny shits head-on." It wasn''t hard, and he is not using his full strength yet. But, it was tiring doing things over and over again when they would just heal. --- Koga and Kogo walked side by side as they surveyed the surroundings looking for Nexus. "Can you sense him?" Kogo asked. His head turned left and right. "If I could, I would have already told you," Koga said in an irritated tone. Kogo had left him by himself for half an hour, and in that half an hour it had been him and Nexus fighting head-on. The fight was intense, for him. Nexus'' speed was fast and his ws were sharp. Koga was worried that his de might break from it. They exchanged heavy blows and before anyone couldnd the finishing blow, Kogo came back, running towards Nexus and Koga. "I told you, I was healing up. My body was badly damaged." Kogo didn''t tell Koga about him ying with the fishes under the sea. "You should have only healed enough!" Koga raised his voice as he turned to Kogo. "Sheesh," Kogo ced an index finger vertically in front of his lips. "Keep your voice down. The man with the ws might hear you." "I''m sure he is watching us right now, waiting to strike," Koga spoke as he nced at the buildings near them. Before Kogo could say anything, A figure came zooming in towards them. "Shit!" Kogo raised his sword. Koga did too. They readied their stance and waited for the person with obsidian-colored ws to arrive. Nexus threw his own body towards the two kappas. He locked his sights on Koga. His ws aimed at one of the sword-wielding kappa. As he neared the two, he swiped his right hand. Koga defended. Nexus swiped a few more times. Kogo wanted to help, but Nexus'' left hand was currently stretched towards him. He couldn''t move. All he could do was stand there and watch Koga fight with the human. ''He seems faster.'' Koga thought as he defended a barrage of attacks from his opponent. ''Could it be that he wasn''t using his full strength before?'' As Nexus wasn''t strong enough yet, he needs to use his hand to direct his spells which is why he couldn''t use his left hand to fight. After a few seconds Nexus once again swiftly retreated. Kogo who was about to follow him was stopped by Koga. "What?" Kogo turned to his twin. "We''re not going to chase?" Koga shook his head. "He might beying down traps. It''s best if we tread slowly. This isnd after all." Kogo slowly nodded and began to walk together with Koga. --- Nexus smiled as he once again stood at a rooftop of a run-down building. He didn''t want to fight long battles. He''d rather just split it into smaller ones and strike his opponent down when he gets the chance. With this tactic, he would be able to make the enemy wary, nervous, and the opponents have no choice but to go with it. The two kappas couldn''t escape his soul sense even if they run away. "This is going to be fun." Nexus once again jumped down and rushed towards them, this time he didn''t bind Kogo, but instead, he raised his left hand towards Koga. Nexus, of course, could only let this spellst for a short while especially since these two were of higher rank than he. "Coward, why don''t you fight us both!" Kogo road as he fought Nexus with impressive speed. Nexus didn''t answer. He jumped backward as Kogo swung his sword. The two stopped fighting as Kogo''s angry eyes stared at Nexus. "Are you ying with us?" Koga spoke. This was embarrassing. It was as if they were being treated like toys. He couldn''t move. He tried his best to walk, but the only thing he could do was talk. Nexus thought for a second before saying, "Not really, no." Although he wasn''t taking them that seriously, he still used a lot of his avable strength. "Then release me." Koga squinted his eyes. Nexus nodded. "Alright." He lowered his hand and released him. After that, he ran towards a building and floated. "What''s the point of running?" Kogo asked. He couldn''t understand what the human was trying to do. "I also don''t know." Koga thought there was a trap set by the person with obsidian-colored ws, but this time the human ran in a different direction. Nexus who was not on a rooftop. He was currently facing a few nagas and siyokoy in front of him who was at early stage Commander. He had time to spare so he came here to have some fun. His opponents this time weren''t a rank or ranks higher than him so he raised his hand and towards one of the nagas. He did a squeezing motion with his hand. The naga dropped his weapon and ced his hands in front of his neck, moving it. It was as if he was being choked and he tried to remove the hands that were clutching his neck. Nexus who was meters away with his arm raised squeezed harder. His purple eyes glowed. He rushed forward, his eyes set on the naga he used a spell on. He avoided a few opponents and wed a few others. His focus was on the one naga behind them. As he arrived in front of the said naga, his ws began dancing. He swiped left and right. The naga fell on the floor, twitching. Nexus didn''t kill it. He was just testing out his spell. He then proceeded to terrorize the other creatures around using his telekinesis spells. He didn''t stop as he began to clear the area around the ce where his two kappa friends were. Nexus wanted to make sure that there would be no distractions in their fight whatsoever, so he began clearing out the weeds on the side. As Nexus finished, he made his way back to the ce where the kappas were. He stood on top of the building as he looked at them. The two kappas remained vignt. Their eyes kept shifting from one ce to another. Nexus, this time, didn''t attack from the front nor the sides. He attacked from the back His eyes glowed purple as he made himself speed up. His right w extended towards his target, Kogo. He noticed that Kogo is slightly faster than Koga, but Koga''s battle prowess is better. Nexus didn''t use any spells to stop their movement. This time he wasn''t pulling back. Though he was not going all out, Koga was the first to notice. He turned back and shouted. "Look out!" Kogo turned around and blocked sideways with his thin sword. Nexus swiped with his left hand. He aimed this attack towards Kogo''s hips. The kappa avoided the w but was still grazed by it. Nexus moved sideways, dodging Koga''s strike from behind. He jumped back as Kogo stabbed his sword forward. Nexus shed with Koga. He clutched his sword with his left hand and swiped with his right. He once again moved sideways, still clutching Koga''s sword. He had just avoided another one of Kogog''s attacks The battle raged on. Every minute that passed by Nexus'' speed increased. He was now much faster than before, something that the two kappas noticed. The two kappas jumped backward and Nexus did too. "Koga, he was hiding his real strength," Kogo spoke. Koga shook his head, disbelievingly "That can''t be. I can still sense that he is one stage lower than us." He actually noticed the man with obsidian-colored ws be a lot stronger and faster, but he couldn''t understand how. "It''s probably another one of his spells." Koga tried catching his breath from the intense sh that just happened. "If he wants to get serious then let''s do too. He''s not the only one who could increase his speed." Kogo loved speed more than Koga did. Koga nodded. The two started casting a spell. From their feet, water starteding out. Nexus watched the two. "You guys can take your time." He also wants a better challenge to help him improve. Chapter 119: Marcus And The Three Nagas Chapter 119: Marcus And The Three Nagas Marcus walked around town. His ck robe covered in the blood of the enemies he had encountered. He didn''t kill a single one of the creatures, but he threw them all into the chamber inside the Stone of Destruction. He hadn''t met a single enemy that matched his power. All the nagas, siyokoy, and kappas from before were either early-stage Commanders orte-stage Elites. He wandered around close to the boulevard in hopes to find powerful opponents. "What started all this?" Marcus asked himself as he sat at a table outside a cafe. After his encounters with the enemy, he learned that the humans attacked first. He was told by a naga that their home was bombarded by spells and it was done by humans who came from this city. Marcus'' brows scrunched as he thought about it. ''Could it be done by the Strongwald?'' He couldn''t understand what the end game is if it was truly done by them. Marcus sighed as he stood up. "I''ll just think about this shitter on." He then began walking around. His soul sense wasn''t as powerful as Nexus'', so he had to walk around and hope that there were powerful opponents nearby that he could sense. He arrived at the northside of the boulevard, close to where he ate with Emily. He looked around and still could see no signs of any powerful opponents. He did bag a few more nagas and siyokoy along the way. Marcus went back. He wanted to check if maybe there were enemies who jumped out of the water. Not long after his ''patrol'', he saw three tall figures a few hundred meters away from him. He rushed towards the three figures and smiled as he got closer. Marcus could now discern their ranks. All three of them were at rank 6 Commander Stage. The three figures slithered on the ground holdingrge gold tridents. The three figures, all nagas, turned their heads to the direction where they heard a noise. There they saw a vermillion haired human who was running towards them. Marcus arrived a few meters in front of them after a short while. He looked at the three dark blue nagas. ''Finally, some challenge'' Marcus thought as he stopped running. "Is this human trying to greet us? Ergetse, what do you think?" The naga who stood to the left spoke. He had one horn in the middle of his head. Ergetse the naga who stood in the middle studied Marcus. "I don''t think any humans would try to greet us, Ralma. He could be looking for a swift death." Ergetse was also a dark blue naga with two horns in the middle of his head. "What are you guys talking about? Can''t you see, he is here to fight us." The naga who stood to the right chuckled. Unlike the other two nagas who had two-inch horns on their heads, this one had none. The other two nagasughed. How can a human who looks young be a match for the three of them together? Ergetse, the naga with a single horn turned his head. "If that''s the case Iko, This human must be very brave." He stayed silent all this while and just listened to their conversation. Marcus'' aura of a rank 5 Commander suddenly erupted from his body. Without waiting for their reaction, Marcus moved. His eyes glowed vermilion as lightning danced around his arms. He stared at the naga with no horns. "Die you, hornless bastard!" Marcus roared as he used ''Lightning Form''. Vermilion lightning streaked towards the three nagas who were shocked by the events that happened. They could clearly feel the aura of this human. It was an aura of a Commander. Iko moved his trident to defend. He also casted a water barrier in front of him. The lightning swiftly sidestepped the barrier and traveled to the side, making its way behind the nagas. Marcus had then transformed back into a human. His hands turned red, his eyes glowed vermilion, it turned into that of an Asura. He punched forward while lightning still danced around his arm. However, Marcus'' punch did not hit Iko''s body, but his fist hit Ergetse''s trident. Ergetse extended his trident in front of Iko to block the iing blow of Marcus'' punch. However, Marcus wasn''t finished yet. His balled hands opened and his palms facing Iko. A st of vermilion lightning came out of hit. Iko flew a few meters back, his right hand clutching his trident. Ralma was still overwhelmed with shock and was toote to react while Ergetse trident couldn''t block Marcus'' ''Vermilion st''. After firing his spell, Marcus quickly used ''Lightning Form'' to move back. He watched as the naga he just sted stand up. The ''Vermilion st'' spell he just fired was induced with chaos mana making it more powerful. Iko stood up, coughing. "You! You''ll pay for this!" Iko transformed himself into a human. His serpentine lower body was reced with human legs. Ralma and Ergetse did the same. The color of their skin also changed, it was no longer blue. Their hair, ck. They still stood around 8 feet tall, clenching theirrge tridents. The horns on their heads were still there. The nagas in their human form wore skin-tight armor-like clothing that covered their body. Ralma was the first one to move. He rushed towards Marcus while casting a spell. Water erupted from the ground, but unlike Emily, Marcus jumped backward, dodging the torrent. He then retrieved the spear they bought from Waypons from his spatial dimension and thrust forward. The other two nagas weren''t standing idly by. They went to help Ralma who was currently exchanging blows with the vermilion-haired teen. Marcus swung his spear to the left forcing Ralma to move back. Marcus condensed casted a spell, summoning three vermilion colored balls floating around him. He gestured the balls forward, one for each naga. Ralma rolled away, he didn''t try toe in contact with it. Ergetse covered himself in a water dome, he made sure to make the barrier thick. Iko, on the other hand, tried to hit the barrier away with his trident. He swung his trident forward and tried to flick it away. Marcus chuckled as he saw this. The three vermilion balls exploded. Ralma was knocked back quite a bit, but there were no serious injuries whatsoever. Ergetse waspletely safe inside his barrier, as the explosion didn''t get to prate it. As for Iko, he flew back a few meters. Ralma and Ergetse looked at their fellow naga who was on the floor. They both couldn''t believe he did that. Of course, Iko didn''t exactly do that by himself. There was an outside influence involved. Marcus used ''Emotion Maniption'' on him. He pumped excitement, entrancement, and other positive emotions. ''So that actually works.'' Marcus thought as he saw Iko lying on the ground, bruised. Ralma dashed towards Marcus while Ergetse hurried to Iko''s side. Ergetse knelt beside Iko and asked, "What the hell were you thinking?" Iko opened his eyes. Ergetse could see that he was in pain, his pride and body have both been damaged pretty badly. "I can still fight." Iko coughed as he tried to stand up. He refused to go down like this. He had mocked the human but he was the one who got beaten up. "Heal up and rest for a bit, leave the fighting to us." Ergetse tapped the nagas shoulder. Iko shook his head. "I''m going to heal and fight." Ergetse sighed and stood up. He turned his head to the fight. "Suit yourself." Marcus threw a vermilion lightning javelin induced with chaos towards Ralma who hurriedly ced a water barrier in front of him. Marcus rushed towards Ralma to fight in close range. He wanted to make use of this time where he could fight one versus one with this naga. Ralma wasn''t a pushover. He mmed his trident on the ground. He cast a spell and spikey torrents that were attached to the ground went towards Marcus. Marcus easily transformed into lightning and streaked towards Ralma, evading the water torrents in the process. The two once again exchanged blows. Ralma wasn''t backing down one bit. Marcu thrust his spear forward. Ralma blocked it with the trident''s handle and countered. Marcus jumped back as he readied another ball of chaos. Ralma who saw this readied and put up a barrier with the use of a water spell. He made sure the barrier was thick enough and he then braced for impact. To his surprise, the vermilion ball wasn''ting towards him, it went past him and zoomed straight to Iko. Ergetse, who was just about to leave Iko''s side, scrunched his brows as he moved in front and created a water dome. Both he and Iko were inside. "Fuck! Why is he always targeting you?" Ergetse ced his right hand on the ground while his left was clutching his trident. Iko was currently healing himself with water magic. He turned his head towards Ergetse. "Could it be something I said?" Chapter 120: To The Stone You Go Chapter 120: To The Stone You Go Under the cloudy night sky with no stars could be seen, the fight continued. The two nagas, Ergetse and Iko looked at each other. The chaos balls already exploded and Ergetse lowered the barriers. "He can''t be that petty can he?" Ergetse thought that someone like the vermilion-haired teen in front of them who is strong despite looking really young wouldn''t mind a trivial joke. "Different individuals, different personalities. A lot of humans are like that." Iko spoke as he stood up. He had just finished healing himself in exchange for a prettyrge amount of mana. His injuries before might not have been fatal but it wasn''t negligible either. Iko knew quite a bit about humans as he had ventured to the surface after turning into a dark blue naga. "Let''s go." Ergeste began dashing towards Marcus who was currently exchanging heavy blows with Ralma. Iko nodded. He followed Ergeste. "Do you think he''s older than he looks?" Ergeste shook his head. "I don''t know, but I have never seen a human this powerful and looks so young. He is probably one of those people from the first-rate countries, as what the humans call it." Iko quietly listened. He then began focusing on the fight in front of him. With his trident ready, he overtook Ergeste and rushed forward as if he had no care in the world. He casted a spell, making a pathway made of water in front of him. As he stepped on it, his speed increased. Marcus who was currently blocking a Ralma''s attack, transformed into lightning and moved a few meters back. He was amazed at how fast the nagas could heal. ''But, Erika''s is definitely faster." Marcus thought. He knew the capabilities of his wife. Healing is one of the main things she does aside from killing people with herher spells. Marcus brandished his spear as he noticed Iko had no ns on stopping. Ralma was about to tell Iko to stop, but in the end, he just shook his head and closely followed. Ergeste too was behind them, waiting for the right time to strike. Marcus smirked. He dashed forward with his spear and a ''Chaos Lightning Javelin''. He first threw the ''Chaos Lightning Javelin'' towards Ralma, and followed it with another one, making the one-horned naga stop to defend and evade. Iko went to sh head-on with Marcus. Iko first raised his arm forward, casting a spell. Puddles of water appeared from the ground near Marcus. He then dashed forward with his trident readied. Iko thrust his golden trident forward. Marcus swung his spear sidewards making the trident miss. He then counter-attacked with another swing, but as the spear shed Iko''s right chest, Marcus could feel a stinging pain from his left leg. He tried to move and continue his attack, but he couldn''t. Marcus looked below him and saw that a water spike pierced his leg. He then remembered the puddles of water that appeared when Iko casted the spell before they shed. Marcus had no time to take a breather, Ralma wasing straight towards him, Ergeste too. He then transformed into lightning and moved a few meters back. Marcus shook his head. "Your n was to exchange blows?" Iko smirked. "I can heal, but I am pretty sure you can''t." Marcus nodded. "You''re right, I have no spells that could be used to heal me right now. That doesn''t mean I won''t be able to take you three down." This was an opportunity to temper his body. He needs to get stronger and not only cultivation-wise but in other areas too. His body right now couldn''t do the favorite moves he used to do in his past life, so he thought that training like this in actualbat would help him. Plus, these nagas are trying to kill him, it ups the pressure even more. Marcus ced a lightning rune on the area where he was standing right now and zipped back in his lightning form. He would stop from time to time to cast ''Lightning Rune'' on the ground as he moved back. Marcus checked the amount of mana he had left. ''This will do. I might need to finish this quickly.'' Ralma who had no idea what the mark on the ground was, avoided it. Marcus didn''t wait for him toe close, but he zipped towards him. Ergeste, who was just behind Ralma, casted a spell. It was a pathway made of water. He dashed on the pathway making his speed increase and shed with Marcus first. Iko followed closely behind, healing the wound on his right chest made by Marcus'' spear. Marcus, who was shing with Ergeste, noticed Ralma closing in. He did a quick swing and a thrust before zipping back. He returned the spear back into his spatial dimension. He then grabbed a bow and a few arrows inside. He hastily shot the arrows towards Ralma who was behind Ergeste. Marcus wasn''t finished. He got a few more arrows and fired them all at Ralma who was now defending. Ergeste dashed forward. He once again casted a spell, making a pathway made of water. Marcus retrieved a few more arrows from pocket dimension and fired them towards Ergeste, somewhat slowing him down. Marcus zipped back and continued this for a few more minutes. After a while, both Ergeste and Ralma were hit multiple times all over their body. Marcus totally ignored Iko who had been relentlessly chasing him. Marcus could feel his mana depleting as he abused the use of ''Lightning Form'' and ''Lightning Rune''. Marcus kept shooting arrows at them while zipping around in circles, leading them to where he wants. He also switched to his spear from time to time, as he exchanged blows with three of the nagas at the same time. He got hit a few times and now had wounds around his body, but he didn''t care. Before the nagas even noticed it, they were now surrounded by lighting runes. They couldn''t take a single step or else one would explode. Marcus looked at each of the nagas who were standing a short distance away from each other. He then shot an arrow towards Iko. The naga raised a barrier in front of him. He made sure that it wouldn''t touch the rune that''s surrounding him. Marcus didn''t stop, he kept shooting arrows at Iko, ignoring the other nagas who were idly watching. Iko couldn''t me them. Both Ergeste and Ralma could do nothing right now aside from watching him suffer. Ergeste tried removing the runes through magic, but Marcus didn''t allow them to explode. His mastery over this spell has been raised, making it so that the runes could either automatically activate or be controlled by him. Marcus kept shooting until Iko finally ran out of mana. The naga stood there like a fish out of water, defenseless. Marcus smiled as he shot an arrow to the naga''s legs making him kneel. "Iko!" Ergetse and Ralma yelled. They couldn''t believe that their friend would die like this in front of them. Ralma turned to Marcus. "Don''t kill him!" Marcus released the arrow loaded in his bow before turning to Ralma. "Why not?" Marcus was, of course, not going to kill the naga. He hasn''t even killed the weaker ones he encountered before. "You humans started this whole bullshit and now you want to kill one of our kind?!" Ralma had an aggrieved look on his face. He had already lost a few of his friends because of the humans. He was not yet prepared to lose any more. Marcus scoffed. He then started firing his arrows towards the two nagas. They too tried their best to defend, but in the end, they ran out of mana and were now in a simr state with Iko. "Why don''t you just kill us right away?" Ergetse asked. He knew he had no way out. Piles of vermilion-colored runes littered the ground around him. He already saw what would happen once his feet would touch that, and it did not look pretty. Marcus chuckled. "Why would I? Whoever said I would kill any of you?" The three nagas scrunched their brows as they looked at Marcus. They couldn''t understand what he wanted out of them. "They say shark soup is delicious, I wonder what naga soup tastes like." Marus smiled. "You dare!" Ralma shouted. Ergetse dryly chuckled. "So that is why you kept us alive all this time? You, humans, do have such weird tastes." Marcusughed. "I agree that humans have weird taste, but I wasn''t serious about what I said before. Although, you three areing with me." Marcus dashed towards Iko first. His right hand turned red as it punched Iko straight to the face, knocking him out cold. The lightning rune would of course not activate if Marcus walks over it, which allowed him to safely tread them. A few secondster Marcus came out and dashed to Ralma, and once again disappeared. He reappeared one more time and went to Ergetse. "What did you do to them?" slight fear with a lot of confusion was etched in Ergetse''s face. "To the stone, you go," Marcus spoke, he just punched the naga and brought him into the Stone of Destruction chamber. ---- As Marcus finished cing them in the chamber and got out of the stone. A blond-haired womannded inside the Stone of Destruction living room. Chapter 121: Finishing The Twins Chapter 121: Finishing The Twins Nexus shed with his left. He then moved sidewards as a fast thin de swung vertically from behind him. He turned around and plunged his right hand forward. Under the cloudy night sky, his eyes glowed purple. Koga, the kappa who attacked Nexus from behind, blocked the attack with his sword. He then jumped back. His body was full of w marks, all of which he received from Nexus. There was also a thin would from a de he received from Kogo. Nexus faced Kogo who was speeding towards him. He wanted to continue fighting Koga and totally wear him out, but with Kogo around, it wouldn''t be possible unless he goes all out. He, of course, would not want that. Kogo ced his free hand behind his de, he casted a spell. Water started to surround the de after a few seconds. Kogo neared Nexus and shed the sword forward. The water that surrounded the sword was released and was now rushing forward in an arced shape. Kogo didn''t stop there, he casted the same spell again and again, he did make sure not to use up too much mana. Kogo shed forward every time he finished the spell. He was no longer running, but he slowly walked towards Nexus'' direction. Nexus did a 350-degree turn to the side. As for the next arc-shaped water that''sing towards him, he raised his hand, his eyes and the hand that he raised glowed purple. He then balled his hand into a fist and flicked it sidewards. The second arced water spell that came towards him was turned into a sttered water and was thrown sideways. Nexus then dodged the remaining few water spells that came towards him. Noticing that Koga was starting to move, he turned to the naga and rushed to him. Kogo, who had just finished throwing his spells, followed. Nexus raised his hand and aimed it at the ground below Koga''s feet. He did a crushing gesture and the ground started to crack, making Koga lose his bnce. Nexus rushed towards him. His speed, incredible. With his left hand, He then shed Koga''s body diagonally, from the kappa''s right chest to the lower hip. He proceeded to punch Koga''s abdomen, making him fly a few meters back, mming into a run-down building in the process. As Koga hit the grey-colored building, rubbles started to fall from the top. They weren''t thatrge, but they weren''t that small either. They fell on the areas around Koga and thest fewnded on him. "No!" Kogo halted as he yelled. His hand tightly clutched his sword as he dashed towards his friend. However, Nexus blocked his path. He stood in front of him, making sure that Kogo would not be able to reach his twin. "Out of the way!" Kogo roared as he dashed forward. He shed his sword and aimed it towards the human in front of him. Nexus didn''t jump back, he faced the raging Kogo head. With his ws ready, he swung his right hand shing with Kogo''s sword. Nexus raised his right hand forward, casting a spell. Kogo tried to move, but he couldn''t. Nexus walked closer and thrust his right hand to Kogo''s left rib. "Raaa!" The kappa screamed in pain as the human''s ws dug into the upper side of his body. He tried to wiggle out, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t move. Nexus moved his head closer and whispered. "That is how easy it was to defeat the two of you." He had never gone all out for the sake of training and stretching his body. Although he did get to fight with two extremely fast kappas, he wasn''t satisfied. Koga who was covered in rubble already started to stand up. He cracked a few of his bones and casted a water healing spell on himself. He then lowered his body to pick up his sword. Koga looked at Nexus. "We''re not finished yet." Although he had taken a few dozen hits, he could still fight. Nexus ignored Koga and continued to fight Kogo. Kogo stabbed his thin sword forward making Nexus jump back. He followed it with a sh and a punch. None of the attacks hit. Kogo''s movement now seems sloppy. Kogo couldn''t concentrate as the word Nexus said, got to him. ''That is how easy it was to defeat the two of you, easy it was to defeat the two of you, easy.'' It rang inside Kogo''s head affecting his mentality in the process. He couldn''t think straight anymore as his mind was filled with Nexus'' mocking voice. ''He was just ying with us all this time?'' Kogo had a hard time believing it. Nheless, he was happy to see his twin stand up and ready to join the fray. Kogo continued his barrage of attacks while Koga, who arrived behind Nexus, joined in. Nexus stepped sidewards as Koga plunged his sword forward. Together, the two kappas casted a spell, making a water torrent below Nexus'' feet. Nexus jumped backward, his brows scrunched. They then casted another spell. Arge puddle of water appeared on the ground. It slowly turned into a box, trapping Nexus in a water cage. Bars lined up as Nexus stood in the middle looking defenseless. Kogoughed. "What happened to all that talk a while ago." He had recovered his confidence after seeing the human trapped inside their spell. Kogo pointed at Nexus. "You fucking human, you made me doubt myself." After Nexus told him how easy it was to fight him and his twin, he felt useless. It seemed like all the training he had put in was a waste. He felt that the world was unfair. But now, after seeing the person in the cage, he slowly regained his nerve. He now thought that what the human said was just to mess with his mind. Kogo walked up to Koga and told him about what the man in the cage said. Koga chuckled. "He was just trying to get to you. Why would you even listen?" Kogo shook his head. "His spells, if he were to activate it all the time, wouldn''t we be dead?" Koga patted his twins'' shoulder. "If he could, he would have done it already, but he didn''t which means he doesn''t have the ability to do so." Kogo nodded and walked towards the cage, but after his first step, he was stuck. He scrunched his brows as he struggled to free himself. Koga was in the same boat as the other kappa. He tried to cast a spell, which to his surprise, actually worked. He then strengthened the cage made out of water magic in front of him. Kogo followed his lead. Nexus, who had his left hand aimed at the twins,ughed. "Your party tricks are useless against me." He then raced his right hand in front of his chest and balled it into a fist. The cage started to shake, the water turned wavy. Nexus tightened his fist, and finally, the cage made out of water fell. Nexus closed his eyes as the cage copsed. "I''m sorry for cutting our fight short, but I am getting bored, and I can sense other humans in the surroundings. If they see me, I would have to kill them." Nexus walked towards the two. Koga and Kogo threw water spells at him. However, the spells all missed. "Save it, I''m not here to kill you." Nexus hurriedly said. On the outside, he looked fine, but he was currently using massive amounts of mana to keep these two tied down. If it were just to kill them, it would have been a lot simpler, but Marcus told him to take the creatures alive, especially the strong ones. "Alright, in we go!" Nexus arrived in front of them and dragged the two inside the Stone of Destruction. --- 3 humansnded on the area where Nexus and the nagas fought. The one in the middle had short blond hair. He looked to be around 40 years old. The person beside the man with short blond hair spoke. "Senator, there was a fight that happened here very recently." The Senator, Bong, nodded. He surveyed the area. Cracked roads, broken buildings, areas filled with puddles of water. Nexus'' soul sense was wider than Bongs'', which is why Nexus knew when to fight and retreat out of this ce. "Widen the search. Remember to capture every single one of those creatures." Senator Bong ordered. "Yes, Senator!" The two people beside him nodded and flew off. Senator Bong smiled as their ns had not suffered a single bump. After a short while, he flew up in the air and started looking for more sea creatures. ---- Nexus arrived in the stone with two kappas in tow. He walked to the chamber and ced Koga and Kogo inside one cage. As the bars closed, he stopped using his spell and fell onto the floor, breathing heavily. That took a lot out of him, but he made sure not to show any weakness in front of the kappas. If they saw him this tired a while ago, they would have struggled a lot more and his spell might have been destroyed. "You two stay here." Nexus turned towards the door, ignoring the yells and shouts of the two kappas. As he got out of the chamber, he scrunched his brows, someone else was here. He then spread his senses and was astonished. Chapter 122: Beating Arielina And Diabel Chapter 122: Beating Arielina And Diabel Erika and Arielina now stood close to each other. They looked at each other''s eyes as two were surrounded by emerald-colored mes. Erika had just sent Zoey into the Stone of Destruction. She didn''t even have the time to think, she just grabbed Zoey and tossed her in. With a furious look on her face, Arielina kicked Erika with her right foot. Erika was about to cast a spell, but she was too slow. Arielina was a Commander Stage naga and she was only ate-stage Elite. She flew backward and bounced on the concrete roads. She thennded on a nearby table outside a cafe. Blood trickled down the side of her mouth. Eva who had just arrived in front of Arielina with ''Lightportation'', fired a methrower-like spell towards the naga with the use of the holy spell, ''Holy mes''. This time, Arielina was the one who couldn''t dodge, her whole upper body ate the white mes. She stepped a few steps back, screaming. Diabel who was about to rush and help was stopped by Emily. Diabel casted a spell and created a pathway made of water. "Not so fast!" Emily yelled as she threw one of her ives towards the Naga. Diabel faced her for a second deflected the iing weapon. Emily wasn''t finished, she threw another ive and casted a spell which summoned another moon. She then dashed forward creating new weapons for both her hands. The moons shot ''Lunar Beams'' making it hard for Diabel to speed up. Emily, who was still behind the naga, shot a few lunar beams from her hands. Although she was holding her weapons, it didn''t make it impossible for her to dish out spells. Diabel weaved every spell. She would change the direction in which she was running and weave, her head was constantly turning back to check what was happening behind her. Her soul sense wasn''t enough for this kind of task as the two moons created by the woman she was fighting with relentlessly fired out whitish-greyish beams. ''What kind of magic is this.'' Diabel wondered as she kept running. Her goal was to reach Arielina and maybe even destroy the emerald-colored balls that floated on top of the eyes that seemed to be painted on the ground. While Emily was busy chasing Diabel, Eva continued to barrage Arielina with light and holy spells. She summoned light weapons that floated around her. Eva moved forward,manding the weapons to streak forward and attack Arielina in the process. She then casted ''Holy mes'' and aimed the spell at the naga. The yellow-colored weapons danced around Arielina as they took turns to strike. The sword shed, the spear plunged, the ax hacked, andstly, the ''Holy mes'' came flying in. Arielina, who still had burning white mes around her body, tried to defend as best as she could. However, most of the attacks stillnded. She did her best to put out the fire with water magic, but nothing worked, it still kept burning. ''Holy mes'' was not a normal type of fire. This spell not only burns your body, but it also damages the soul, if the caster is strong enough. But right now, Eva still has no capabilities of damaging someone''s soul with the use of ''Holy mes''. Arielina angrily looked at Eva as the mes subsided, ck marks could be seen all over her body. Arielina then ced herself inside a ball of water and constructed a water barrier outside of it. Eva now stood in front of the water barrier, she could clearly see Arielina inside, slowly recovering her injuries. The light weapons that floated around slowly dissipated. Seeing that the barrier might be too hard to break, she turned her sights to the sole naga left on the ying field. She smiled as she rushed towards Diabel. Eva and Emily now sandwiched the naga. From behind were lunar beams while in front were light and holy spells. Diabel tried to avoid the barrage of attacks. She swung her trident, casted defensive water spells, and threw a piece of rubble at one of the iing spells. She tried her best, but like what every mother from the eastside of the gxy says, it was not enough. It was simply not enough. As Diabel got closer to where Arielina was, Eva increased the speed at which she threw spells and Emily once again created another moon, giving her a total of three moons floating ten or so meters above. Emily''s mana was slowly getting eaten away after every lunar beam being released. However, she didn''t mind. They now had to finish this fight as she was sure that people are starting to notice them here because of how bright her moons are. Diabel, after being bombarded by attacks on two sides and being drained of life energy every time she casted a spell, finally fell. She wasn''t dead but definitely injured, badly. Shey on the ground belly first. Her grip on the trident in her hand slowly loosened as her consciousness began to fade. Arielina, who was healing and had her eyes closed inside a ball of water, moved. She opened her eyes and nced at the three figures who were near each other. One was on the ground while the other two were standing nearby. Her eyes widened as she hurriedly took down the spells she had around her. The grip she had on her sword strengthened. She calmed down a bit after seeing Diable breathing, albeit faintly, it was better than dead. She furiously looked at the twodies standing near her friend. "You will pay!" With a sword in hand, she dashed forward. A sphere of water floated a few inches above her hand. She threw it to the side where Erika was currently trying to stand. Eva was about to use ''Lightportation'' to arrive quickly beside Erika, but she noticed that she didn''t need to. Erika casted a spell. Her image slightly faded and her skin now had the color emerald. She could still be seen, but now her image was more of like a ghost and not that of a human. The spell went straight through Erika''s body and hit the ss window behind her. The area where the spell hit made an audible sizzling sound, making Erika sigh in relief. She then turned back into normal right after. Arielina, shocked as she was, had on time to show her expression. She ran straight to the two female humans in front of her and targeted Eva first. Emily already started firing ''Lunar Beams'' while Eva created a few light weapons. Both of them were starting to run out of mana. It wasn''t easy fighting against opponents who have a higher rank than you. Arielina danced around as she skillfully evaded the spells thrown at her. She shed her sword forward. Eva who was at the other side of the de jumped to the side. She raised her hand as she casted ''Holy mes'' and aimed it at Arielina. Emily who was nearby wasn''t casting any more spells after equipping two moon ives. She has officially run out of mana. The moon ives she has equipped right now also need mana to equip and has a timer before it disappears depending on the casters cultivation and mastery of the spell. Emily rushed forward, ready to fight closed range as the three moons above already disappeared. Arielina, who had just finished dodging Eva''s spell, noticed the bright moons disappear. She smiled as she rushed towards Emily. The two shed. Eva didn''t interfere as she saw that this was a good form of training. Emily swung her right moon ive which was blocked by Arielina. She followed up with a few more attacks, hitting the naga a few times. Emily, who had retained her memories, was not the same as the Emily with who Marcus recently fought with. The Emily who was fighting right now had an extremely incredible battle prowess. Although she was still adjusting to the body she was in right now, she could still dish out skillful moves. ---- Senator Bong who was currently on the air had already noticed the three bright spheres in the sky that looked like the moon. He was currently making his way to see what it was. Senator Bong was not alone, there were also other people who wereing from different directions to get a closer look at the bright spheres. To their surprise, it suddenly disappeared. Senator Bong who was casually flying, sped up. The Commander Stage experts on the ground did too and so did the other Preparation Stage experts who were on the air. As the Senator got there, it was devoid of people. Well, almost devoid of people. There were two figures on the ground. One was standing while the other one was quiterge and was sprawling on the ground. He squinted his eyes and descended. As he got closer, he somewhat recognized the face of the woman standing. But before he could react, the woman already vanished together with the sprawling figure beside her. "Could it be her?" Senator Bong murmured. Chapter 123: Dragon Pool Chapter 123: Dragon Pool Emily went into the Stone of Destruction, dragging with her an unconscious naga, Arielina. She fought with Arielina for about ten seconds before Eva came in to help. They both quickly finished neutralizing the naga and proceeded to go inside the Destrcustone. Emily walked inside the chamber where Eva and Erika were. "There was probably someone who saw me," Emily spoke as she threw Arielina inside a cell. Diabel was also inside together with her. "Who?" Eva asked. She looked exhausted. Her face, pale. Emily shook her head. "I didn''t get to see the person''s face. I just sensed that someone was nearby watching. But considering how dark it was, I think the person didn''t recognize me." The night sky was covered with dark clouds, making it impossible for the twinkling stars and the bright moon to shine over Estra. Eva nodded. "He probably only saw your figure, but if he did see you, that still won''t be a problem. What''s he going to do? Tell everyone?" Erika and Emily chuckled. After the battle, Erika fully healed herself and the other twodies. She then retrieved the ''Nether''s Warding Eye'' and ced the remaining life energy inside the scepter''s gem forter use. The three walked into the living room to have some tea. They agreed to rx until this was all over, as their mana also needs to recover. Emily had just used up her mana and drank a single mana potion to restore it a bit. But since there is no immediate need to fight, she didn''t drink more. She thought it would be a waste of mana potions. Erika still had quite a bit of mana left, she hardly casted a spell in the fight a while ago as her spells were still quite weak, even her ''Nether Warding Eye'' only sapped the life energy of the nagas by a small amount every time they casted a spell. The three arrived at the living room. Emily and Erika sat on the white couch together on one side, while Eva sat on the white couch on the other side. Eva retrieved the tea and the cups from her spatial ring and served it to the two, she then served herself afterward. "You think Marcus is okay?" Erika asked as she sipped from the cup in her hands. Eva chuckled. "These kinds of opponents are nothing." Emily sighed. "I just hope he won''t overreach like he always does." Erika nodded. She too knew how Marcus could be sometimes. Emily ced her cup down and stood up. "I''ll go look for Zoey. It''s good that she didn''t wander into the chamber" "I''ll go with you." Erika took onest sip of her tea and ced it down. Eva also joined in. The house inside the stone was quite big and their soul sense can''t reach every corner of it yet. The three walked around and checked every room they passed by. "Ahhhh!" Not long after they began walking, they heard a high-pitched screaming towards a certain direction. ----- Zoey''s feet touched the hardwood flooring of the wooden house. She looked around and saw white couches and a coffee table in the middle. There were shelves on the sides with decorations on top of them. A red carpet was also ced in the middle of the room underneath the couches and coffee table. ''Where is this ce?'' Zoey wondered as her curious eyes darted around the room. She remembered getting touched by Erika, and after that, she found herself here. Zoey was confused, afraid, and curious. The ce was quiet, eerily quiet. Only the sound of her breathing could be heard. She slowly walked out of the living room while surveying the ce. Every step she took was careful and wasn''t rushed. Zoey kept walking around. She touched the walls, opened a few rooms, and in the end, she shouted. "Is anyone here?!" Her voice echoed throughout the stone, but there was no response. What she received was silence. Zoey proceeded forward. As she went on, she went into a room filled with books and maps. "A study?" Zoey thought as she walked closer to the only table in the room. The books were neatly piled up. It seemed as if someone had just arranged them recently, either that or it hasn''t been touched in a long time. She grabbed a tome on the table and checked the title. ''The 221 Positions; A guide'' With her curiosity, she opened the book, and what she saw made her cheeks turn red. She hastily put the book back on top of the pile and turned around. ''What did I just read?'' Zoey quickly walked out of the room and calmed herself down. Walking down the small corridor, she had so many questions in her mind, she couldn''t understand how she got here. ''Was Erika the one who sent me here?'' Zoey wondered. She knew Erika was only an Elite, and if this ce was a treasure, it would have been impossible for her to obtain it. Zoey stopped in front of a door. There was something written on top, a writing which she couldn''t understand. She slowly opened the door and entered inside. She turned her head left and right, but all she could see was an empty room. On the backside of the room was a glowing red pit and on the wall in front of it were a bunch of writings which again, she couldn''t understand. She went closer to it and saw a small rectangr pool with red liquid inside, glowing. It had an area of around 7 square meters. Zoey knelt down and checked the red liquid closer. "Is this, blood?" She asked herself as she stared closely beside the pool. For some reason, she couldn''t take her eyes off the red liquid. Not because she has a connection with it, but because it felt magical. "Hey!" A voice close by sounded. Zoey panicked. She looked around for a ce to hide but she found none. Then her eyes turned back to the pool with the glowing red liquid. She nced at the door one and slowly moved backwards. Her fear of what''s on the other side of the door grew by the second "Ahhhh!" Zoey reached the edge, slipped, and fell into the pool. Nexus who had just reached the entrance, rushed towards the small rectangr pool. "Oh no," He muttered as he pped his forehead. When he was ''depositing'' the nagas inside the chamber, his senses picked up someone inside the stone, after finding out who it was, he was surprised and wondered how she got here. He hastily made his way to the room where Zoey was in and question her, but he wasn''t expecting her to fall into the pool. Nexus sighed. "I guess that solves one of Marcus'' problems in finding a sessor. Someone literally dove in." Not long after, the threedies arrived. "What happened?" Eva asked. "Where''s Zoey?" Emily could guess who screamed a while ago, as the only other female here was Zoey. Erika didn''t say anything, she just silently watched the glowing poo at the back of the room. Nexus looked at the three. He wryly smiled as he pointed at the deep red pool. Thedies turned their heads. "What did you do?" Eva scrunched her brows. She stared at Nexus who arrived here first. "Woah! I''m as innocent as amb. I just got here too. When I arrived she dove into the pool. Well, actually she slipped into the pool." Nexus dryly chuckled. His soul sense was out the whole time which was why he saw Zoey''s foot neared the edge and slipped. Nexus continued. "I called out but she didn''t know it was me, I felt her fear rising so that''s probably the reason why she went closer to the pool." Eva sighed as she shook her head. "Zoey falling into the dragon pool could be considered a blessing. I just hope Marcus will feel the same." Emily nodded. "Someone has to be the sessor soon enough, and Zoey is an amazing choice." ---- Zoey held her breath as she opened her eyes, but to her surprise, she wasn''t in the pool. The ce she was in right now was dark, however, there was white light that shined in her direction. It seemed as if she was being spotlighted. Her eyes darted around but everything else was pitch ck. She turned around and there she saw a throne, with a woman who sat on it. Unlike the surrounding areas, the throne with the woman on it was illuminated. She could clearly see the gorgeous woman staring at her. "So Marcus chose you." The woman with blood-red hair and eyes spoke. Zoey couldn''t speak. No words woulde out of her throat. She was scared, confused, terrified even. "I don''t have much time, let us start immediately with the trails." The woman stood up and pped her hands once. The ce was no longer dark. There were trees and beautiful flowers on the ground, weird looking creatures perched up on trees, seemingly chirping. ''Where am I?'' Zoey asked her bbergasted self. Chapter 124: Against A Preparation Stage Expert Chapter 124: Against A Preparation Stage Expert Marcus continued to look for more ''sea monsters'' to fight with as he still has enough mana left in him and he had already finished sending three of the nagas into the stone. ''Should I dive into the water?'' Marcus asked himself as he saw no enemies nearby. He tried avoiding the weak ones who wouldn''t prove to be a challenge. He suddenly stopped as heard chattering nearby. Marcus opened a portal and ported near the area where he heard the voices. "Trust me the Strongwald''s did this." One of the voices spoke. "Shut up!" A second voice spoke. "You can''t say things like that or else you''ll get yourself killed. Marcus looked to where the two voices came from and saw that they were two humans wearing ck robes. Both were at the early stages of Commander. The first one who spoke, a man with a mohawk, shook his head. "It''s not like there are people around. You see if the Strongwald''s weren''t in on this, then why did they make us prepare for battle a few hours ago before all of this." "I was suspicious too, but we''re soldiers. We are not allowed to ask questions, just do your job." The man with short hair sighed. As a soldier, they just have to follow orders no matter what it may be. The man with a mohawk looked at the night sky. "Don''t you ever want to be something more." "A dreamer are we?" The man with short hair chuckled. "Don''t worry, those dreams of yours are going to vanish sooner orter." Marcus quietly listened to the two men who were sitting by the side of a building. ''So the Strongwald''s had a hand in this?'' Marcus thought. ''Should I thank them?'' He, his wives, his older sister, and Nexus benefited a lot out of this whole fiasco. He got a chance to train and push his body. The same goes for the others. "We should get going. Someone just sent me a message, telling me about three bright objects hovering in the sky." The short-haired man stood up, drank a bottle, and started walking. The man with a mohawk closely followed. Marcus scrunched his brows. He tailed them and soon saw what they were talking about. Those were the summoned moons of Emily. However, not long after, the moons faded and slowly disappeared. Marcus rxed as he saw this. He thought that she might have gone into the stone. "I need more information about what happened." Marcus ported away from the area. He was sure there were a lot of people crowding here, wondering what the light might have been. He arrived near the boulevard where he began his search for a Preparation Stage expert. Commanders wouldn''t know much about the current situation, but he was sure that the Preparation Stage experts would know more, if not all, about what is happening. ''If the Strongwald did do this, what was their motive. Do they want to own the sea?'' Marcus could not understand what the humans were thinking. There were quite a number of people who died in this whole mess. If the Strongwald did do this then they are showing not only dominance, but also ruthlessness. ''They truly are the number one family here in Estra if they were the cause of this.'' Marcus jumped from building to building. It didn''t take long before he finally found a rank 2 Preparation Stage person, who seemed to be patrolling an area and tying up nagas, kappas, and siyokoy. Before Marcus engaged, he first surveyed the surroundings, he had to make sure there were no others around. His senses only had a very small range, so made use of a few portals from time to time to make his job a lot easier. Seeing that there was no one except for a few Commanders that he cleanly took out along the way, he proceeded towards the Early Preparation Stage expert. Marcus didn''t dally. He immediately transformed into lightning and zipped forward. The Preparation Stage human turned his head. He noticed the iing lightning right away and erected a barrier of mes around him. He readied his stance and prepared for the lightning to strike. To his surprise, the vermilion lightning changed its direction and is now stopping a few meters in front of him. Marcusnded on the ground, the opponent who had short ck hair, ced his barrier of mes down. ''A foreigner?'' Marcus examined his opponent. The Preparation Stage expert was about 6 feet tall, short ck hair, and has wide ears. "Kid what are you doing here? Can''t you see there are monsters in the city? Go away and run back to the shelter" The man asked. He could see that the person in front of him was only a teenager. Marcus didn''t reply. His hands turned red, lightning danced around it. He dashed forward towards the man with ck hair. The Preparation Stage expert scrunched his brows as he saw the actions of the teenager. "Hmp" The man stomped his feet in the direction of Marcus. The fire was raised from the ground in a straight line. Marcus turned into lightning and zipped. He didn''t let the line of fire stop him. As he got closer to the man he turned back to his human form and delivered a powerful punch. However, the simple punch didn''t do much. "A Commander Stage expert pulling stunts like that?" The manughed. But then he stopped as noticed something. The person in front of him looked too young to be a Commander. "Who are you?" The Preparation Stage expert asked. Marcus now confirmed his suspicion of this person not being from Estra. This meant that this man was not working for the Strongwald family, either that or the man went into long seclusion. Same as before, Marcus didn''t reply. He went on with his attacks. Punch after punch, kick after kick, they were all blocked. "Kid, you let me educate you. Commanders should not be fighting with Preparation Stage powerhouses, do you understand?" The manughed. He had formted a n of recruiting the vermilion-haired kid and sending him to Octopi, the organization he''s part in. "Shut up so I can concentrate on beating your ass!" Marcus casted ''Chaos Lightning Javelin'' and threw it towards the man, he followed it with a chaos spell, ''Emotion Maniption''. He then went back to using his fists. The Preparation Stage expert felt tired, exhausted even. He felt that he was carrying thousands of heavy bricks on his back. The man furrowed his brows. He then began casting fire spells and aimed them towards the vermilion-haired teen. Marcus zipped back as he dodged the barrage of fiery spells thrown at him. All his vermilion lightning attacks infused with chaos didn''t deal that much damage and almost all of his physical attacks were blocked. "Really hard to deal with," Marcus muttered. The Preparation Stage expert is still throwing all kinds of fire spells. Marcus jumped back as a methrower-like attack was thrown at him. Seeing that there was no other choice to speed this fight up, he slowly transformed into an asura. His face turned red, his muscles bulged and he gradually became taller. The robe he wore expanded in size as he grew. The Preparation Stage human was dumbfounded by what he''s seeing. He swallowed hard as he looked at the vermilion-haired teen turn into a monster. "An alien? Here?" He couldn''t believe it. Soon his surprise turned into greed. He wondered what kind of treasures the being in front of him brought. Marcus finished his transformation. ck tattoos appeared around his body, but they weren''t shown as his clothes weren''t ripped. Marcus breathed out. He then casted a chaos spell. Vermilion-colored spheres appeared around him. Marcus ordered them to hit the man who''s a few meters in front of him. The chaos spheres streaked in the air as they locked on the target. The Preparation Stage Expert floated and raised a wall of mes in front of him. He then surrounded his hands with fire as he was preparing to attack. He was determined to find out what treasure this alien was holding. Alien goods have always been the talk in the market, the prices they are sold for are quite extravagant, especially if the goods are seen to be important. Marcus smirked. Seeing that the human in front of him didn''t dodge, he emptied his chaos mana and summoned more chaos spheres. They all streaked in the air, aimed at the Preparation Stage expert. The balls weren''t stopped by the wall of mes, they all passed through. The man behind the wall of mes shot a methrower-like spell at the vermilion colored spheres, however, as his fiery spellnded on the vermilion ball, it exploded, knocking him back a few meters. The other balls soon followed and they all exploded in front of him. The many on the ground, coughing. He wasn''t expecting a Commander Stage to have those powerful attacks. One of the ball hitting wasn''t really a problem, as he was only slightly damaged. But there were more than thirty of the chaos spheres. Marcus dashed towards him. He lifted him up and started beating the man, throwing him to a nearby building in the process. Chapter 125: Lazula Chapter 125: Laz Zoey followed the woman wearing a red long dress. She still had no idea what was happening and why the woman uttered Marcus'' name. As she could see right now, they were in a forest. The sun was high up in the sky and there were a few clouds near the sun. They walked on the grassy pathway, passing byrge trees which had vines coiling around some of them. "Where are we? Who are you?" Zoey asked. Her puzzled mind couldn''t take it anymore. She wanted to receive some answers about what was going on. She expected tond inside a pool with red liquid inside but was sent to a forest instead. The woman stopped walking. She turned her head, squinted her eyes, and asked. "Did he not exin it to you?" Zoey had a confused look on her face. She didn''t know who the woman was pertaining to. The woman continued walking, "Didn''t Marcus choose you?" Zoey tried to catch up. "I didn''t get chosen for anything." "But do you know someone named Marcus?" The woman didn''t stop walking nor did she turn her head. "Yes," Zoey nodded. "Vermilion hair and eyes." "That''s him," The woman smiled. "You wouldn''t havee in contact with my blood if Marcus didn''t allow you." Zoey''s eyes widened. "That-that-that red liquid inside the pool, that was your blood?" She couldn''t believe she dove into a pool of blood. "Marcus didn''t tell you anything?" The woman asked as she stopped walking. "He didn''t send me here. I fell," Zoey spoke as she now stood the talldy in red. "You what?" The woman shook her head. "Where did Marcus ce my blood anyway." She coughed and continued. "Nevermind that. Since you''re here, let us proceed. I''m sure Marcus wouldn''t have you close to him if you weren''t special." Before Zoey could even respond the woman in red already snapped her fingers. ---- After three bright spheres disappeared from the sky, Senator Bong flew at high speeds towards the ce where the other Strongwald leaders were. Hended at a courtyard. Neatly cut grass, with well designed bushes on the side. Bong hurriedly walked towards Pald and Merts who were sitting at a round table. "I saw her!" Senator Bong spoke in an excited tone. Pald already noticed Bong''s arrival but he just didn''t spare him a nce nor a greeting. Merts on the other hand, turned his head and smiled at his family member. "Saw who?" "The sister of Eva, I saw her on the battlefield but she suddenly vanished." Senator sat down and poured himself a cup of tea. Pald who was treating Bong like thin airughed. He mmed his fist on the table making the tea in the Senator''s cup spill. Bong red at the bald man. Paldposed himself. "Are you going insane? Now I know where your son went crazy." Pald once again startedughing. Senator Bong roared. "I know what I saw! It was definitely her. She was under threerge bright spheres that looked like the moon." "Ahem," Merts cleared his throat seeing that there is a chance a fight might happen. "Are you absolutely sure that it was her? We have already sent people to investigate on the moon like spheres you are talking about, but when the team got there, they didn''t see anyone." Senator Bong removed his hand from the cup. "Actually, I didn''t clearly see the person''s face. Still, I was quite sure it was her." Merts sighed. He didn''t believe the Senator, but he still indulged him as Bong is going through a tough time. "Let''s stop with that useless talk." Pald chuckled. "Where were we, oh yeah, the nagas, kappas, and siyokoy that we captured were less than we expected." Merts slowly nodded and indicated Pald to continue. "Around Two hours after the nagas attacked the Eastside of the city, we sent a team of both Commanders and Preparation Stage people. They swiftly caught the creatures of the sea, but some of the creatures were already badly injured, and the number of creatures caught were less than a hundred. We expected to have captured around five hundred." Pald reported. Merts quietly listened as he sipped from the cup in his hands. He then turned to Bong. "Did you attack their city properly?" Senator Bong nodded. "We did. The whole team I brought sted the barriers together with me. Although we didn''t break it, we still caused a slight panic inside their city." The barrier was clear, making him see what was going on inside. He saw the creatures swimming in a panicked manner. "It doesn''t matter." Merts shook his head. "As long as we have something to show for, then that''s enough." Bong and Pald nodded. Bong then asked. "Where''s Vid? Is he in hisb again?" Merts had a slight smile on his face. "Where else would he be. You know he''s not interested in any of the activities we''re doing." Bong sighed. He could never understand whatever was going on inside Vid''s head. "Contact Octopi, tell them the n was a sess." Merts stood up and left, leaving the two other leaders of Strongwald sitting. "Yes sir," Bong answered. He flew away, not wanting to interact with Pald. The bald man remained seated as he continued to drink tea. ---- Marcus in his aura form had a few heavy bruises and charred skin all over his body, but the man who''s sprawling on the ground had it worse. The Preparation Stage Expert he had just fought, lost an arm. Marcus'' robe was torn from the fight, the tattoos could now be seen. There were morepared to thest time he had transformed. Marcus walked towards the man. The Preparation Stage expert who was sprawling on the ground, lifted his body, then raised his remaining arm and tried to cast a spell. Marcus scoffed. He flicked his hand sideward, destroying the spell. The Preparation Stage expert looked at his hand. A fireball was supposed toe out and he was sure that he still had enough mana to cast one. "Stay down!" Marcus threw a ''Chaos Lightning Javelin''. The chaos spell hit andnded on the man''s chest as he had no strength nor will left to block. He couldn''t understand how it all happened. He didn''t expect to be beaten by a Commander Stage alien. At one point he wanted to transform, but every time he tried to cast the spell, it would fail. The Octopi would teach their members to transform into monstrous beings that would not only enhance their strength and defence, but also their speed. Marcus, of course, would not allow the person to do any weird transformations. So he would destroy the spell every time the Preparation Stage expert would try it. Marcus picked up the person and went into the Stone of Destruction. Hended in the living room near the white couches. Nexus, Emily, and Erika were there. Eva was in the room with the dragon pool as she was concocting a potion that Zoey would need to drink just in case. Marcus looked at the three. He smiled, and said. "Look what I bagged." He raised the bloody one armed human up. Emily chuckled. "Don''t you think you should change first?" Marcus nodded. He then reverted back to his human form. "I''ll be right back." He then proceeded to the chamber and locked the person up. The three looked at each other after Marcus left. "Nexus you tell him. It was partly your fault for scaring her." Emily smiled. Erika nodded. The cat wanted to protest, but in the end, he sighed and nodded. "I''ll tell him when hees back." The two girls giggled and left, they went to the room with the blood pool. Not long after, Marcus came back. He wore his ck-longsleeve outfit. "Damn I need a bath." Marcus spoke under his breath as he entered the living room. Nexus stood up from the white couch, and took a deep breath. "Marcus, something bad happened." Marcus immediately focused his attention on Nexu, he then remembered that the only ones here were Erika and Emily. "Did something happen to Big Sis and Zoey?" Nexus shook his head, before nodding, and then shaking again. "Eva is okay, she''s perfectly fine. Zoey on the other hand, fell into Laz''s blood." "What?!" Marcus'' unconsciously raised his voice. He then dashed towards the room where the pool was located and saw the three other women there. He hurriedly walked to the side of the pool and furrowed his brows. "She''s a good candidate, I mean, it''s bound to be someone in the future, so why not her?" Nexus who was hurriedly following Marcus, hastily said. He thought that Marcus was displeased. Marcus shook his head. "You don''t understand. I agree Zoey is a decent sessor, but she isn''t ready. The trials may scale depending on ones strength but even then, Zoey will still have very little chance in passing everything." "So you''re not mad?" Nexus asked. Marcus shook his head. "Laz has been waiting quite a long time for a sessor. I''m just worried about what will happen to Zoey." Chapter 126: Short Reminisce Chapter 126: Short Reminisce Both Emily and Erika had worried looks on their faces. Not only was Erika worried, but she also felt guilty, as she was the one who sent Zoey here. They might not have been close, but she still felt bad and slightly mes herself for the events that happened. Emily held Erika''s hand as they watched the pool made of dragon''s blood. "She will be fine, I''m sure of it." Emily smiled. "I''m sorry, this is all my fault." Erika turned to Emily. "If I didn''t send her here, she wouldn''t have been in this situation." Emily shook her head. "It wasn''t your fault. If you didn''t send Zoey inside the stone, she might have been killed by the naga." Erika slowly nodded, slight guilt still remained in her eyes. The twodies then proceeded to go towards Eva, who was standing in front of a cauldron near the blood pool. Nexus also stood near her. Marcus sat by the blood pool, his eyes staring at the red liquid, but it seemed as if he''s looking at something far away. ---- The past. In a realm, higher than the heavenly realm. Under a red-themed pce. A man with vermilion-colored hair stood in front of arge being, a dragon. The vermilion-haired man looked tinypared to the being in front of him. The man, Marcus, wore a vermilion ted armor, its edges designed with gold. He wasn''t the least bit afraid of the dragon in front of him. Instead, his eyes were full of concern. "How are you feeling?" The Lord of Destruction asked one of his closest friends. The dragon lightly chuckled, a female voice then sounded. "I told you already, didn''t I? It is only a matter of time before I will leave this world." The dragon, Laz, was one of the few beings that Marcus called a friend. She had two dark horns on her head, her whole body was blood red, but at the bottom part of her figure, there were silver-colored streaks. She was onerge dragon, her height alone when standing up reached around 3000 meters. However, right now she shrunk herself. She could also turn into a human, but she wasn''t in the mood to do so right now. "There is a way to revive you." Marcus forcefully spoke. Laz shook her dragon head. "It is not that easy. I would also have to start as an egg, and would not retain my memories until I grow up, if I get to grow up." Dragons like her have to be well taken care of at a young age. It is just as everyone says, ''An emperor or empress was once a defenseless child.'' "That sounds simple." Marcus scoffed. He felt confident that he could do the task as Laz already told him how to aplish it. Laz chuckled. Herrge red eyes gazed at Marcus. "You are wee to try after I die." That doused Marcus'' mood. He clenched his fists as he said. "I''m going to theher realm, take down theher emperor, and take revenge. I''ll make sure to make him suffer!" Laz sighed, hot air came out of her nostrils. She didn''t try to stop Marcus, as she knew that nothing could change Marcus'' from storming theher. "You should be careful, he isn''t an easy opponent." She was a bit stronger than Marcus, not to mention older, which means she knew more about the beings in the multiple realms here. Marcus nodded. He walked closer and hugged the dragon''s snout. Laz looked at him. The powerful Divine Conqueror who now looks vulnerable. She chuckled and said. "My time is near, you should go." Marcus nodded. "I will be seeing you soon, I''ll find the right candidate to take your legacy and revive you." Laz nodded. "I know you will." --- Inside the Stone of Destruction. Marcus stood up, did a long sigh, and walked towards the others. One thing he didn''t tell them was that he wasn''t only worried about Zoey, but he was worried about the whole thing failing, as this can only be done one time. This is the only chance Laz can be revived. Marcus, who was now standing before Emily and Erika, hugged them. "How was your training a while ago?" Marcus asked. "I am still trying to get used to this body, but overall it was good." Emily spoke first. "I, on the other hand, didn''t really get to do much." Erika dropped her head. Marcus smiled. "That''s fine, you were fighting against Commander Stage experts weren''t you not?" Erika nodded. "You just need to raise your cultivation, and you''ll be able to wipe out every enemy you''re going to have here in the mortal realm." Marcus held their hands and looked back to the pool. "I sent Zoey here." Erika softly spoke. Marcus nodded. "I know, Nexus told me." Erika turned her head. "You''re not mad?" Marcus chuckled. "Why would I be mad? Is there a reason for me to be mad?" "She''s now bathing in Laz''s blood because of me." Erika still felt guilty. Marcus let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist. He pulled her closer and said. "You did the right thing, so don''t beat yourself up, okay?" Erika slowly nodded as she looked into Marcus'' vermilion eyes. ---- Inside the chamber. The naga, kappas, and siyokoy were all chattering. Their voices were loud and most were panicking. "What do you think they are going to do to us?" Kogo asked as he sat in the corner of his cell. Koga, who stood by the bars, spoke. "I don''t know, but we should prepare for the worst." Kogo sighed as he remembered the events that happened recently. "Are we really that weak? We were beaten to the ground and that human was hardly injured." Koga didn''t answer. He silently stood there watching the other creatures in their cells. "Should we try to escape?" Kogo already started healing his body. Koga shook his head. "I don''t think there is any way out of this ce." Kogo dropped back down. He was exhausted from the fight, both physically and mentaly. In another cell, three male nagas sat together. "Are we going to wait for our deaths like this?" Iko spoke, his wounds have yet to heal. After being captured they were immediately thrown here, they didn''t know where this ce is but they could see hundreds of their brethren locked up. "Do you think he was serious?" Ralma spoke lifelessly looking at the ground. Ergetse turned his head. "About what?" "About turning us into soup." Ralma softly said. Iko shivered. Ergetse lightly chuckled. "There is no stopping him from doing such a thing." Ralma punched the ground with his right hand. "Humans! We would have been happily living in this world if it weren''t for them." Ergetse sighed. "We are actually quite lucky. The scouts that we sent to other worlds reported that other races were enved by the humans, we on the other hand only have to live alongside them with a few skirmishes from time to time." In another cell, two female nagas sat beside each other. One of the two was crying. Diabel, who was in the arms of Arielina, cried. She wasn''t ready to die yet. Her talents were superb and she knew that she had a bright future ahead of her. "Shhh," Arielina tried to calm the crying naga in her arms. "If they wanted to kill us, they would have done so by now, but look, they are keeping us all alive. They must have a different purpose. We still have a chance to escape." She herself knew that there was no escape, but for the sake offorting Diabel, she lied. ---- Zoey sprawled on the ground, her body covered with cuts and bruises. Parts of her clothes were torn, freeing her left boob. Zoey tried to stand up, blood flowed down from her nose and mouth. It has been hours since she left the lush green forest. Her legs slowly moved after gaining a bit of bnce. She looked in front of her and all she could see was a pathway made of dead trees and nts. Skeletal birds perched up the dead branches intently looking at her. Zoey didn''t even turn her head. Her legs just kept moving forward. "Congrattions, I never expected you to pass the fourth trial, for a second there I thought you were going to die." The woman in red appeared. She now stood in front of Zoey. "Is it over?" Zoey was told that the pool was important to Marcus. The woman in red, Laz, told her that Marcus would be devastated if she wouldn''t be able to finish all the trials. Laz was, of course, not lying about this. What she said was a fact. Marcus promised to bring her back, and she knew how Marcus hates breaking his promises, from all the years she has known him, he would always try his hardest to fulfill one. Chapter 127: Zoey And The Blood Red Egg Chapter 127: Zoey And The Blood Red Egg When Zoey heard about Marcus how he would be devastated, she steeled herself and dove into the trials. She made herself feel numb to the pain around her body. Her soul was screaming after every trial she aplished. "Is it over?" Zoey once again asked. She looked at the stunning woman in a red dress in front of her. Laz shook her head. "You still have onest trial ahead. Should we begin?" Zoey dropped her head. Her body wanted nothing more than to give up, but something in her soul asked her to continue. With a tired and weak sigh, she said. "Let''s get this over with." Laz smiled and snapped her fingers once more. Zoey''s legs began to tremble as she fell to the ground. She couldn''t control her body anymore. Her eyes started to close and her body started to fall. Laz walked away. ''This trial will determine if we''ll see each other again, my friend.'' She wasn''t worried about Zoey failing. Deep down she already epted her fate a long time ago. After she reached a few dozen meters away, she stopped and turned to watch the ongoing trial. The so-called trials are only Zoey epting her power, the power to control blood. After each aplished trial, Zoey will be imparted with the knowledge of her magic, everything about her magic. Laz calmly stared at the convulsing Zoey who was on the ground. Right now Zoey is seeing her worst fears while her soul is being tested. ---- Marcus and the others waited inside the stone. They all didn''t care what was happening outside anymore. As for now, their focus was on the pool. They were all waiting for Zoey toe out. "If Zoey passes the trials and Lazes back, wouldn''t we be invincible," Nexus spoke. Marcus shook his head. "It''s going to take some time before Laz grows back to the powerhouse she once was." "Still, once we get back to the higher realms, we''ll crush those old bastards!" Nexus balled his hands. He could never and would never forget about what happened in the past. Marcus chuckled. "We''re gonna get there, but right now, we have to focus on regaining our strength and surpass our limits." They now have the advantage of cultivating faster and being more knowledgeable about it. Marcus knew that this would prove important in theter stages of cultivation. Erika, who was standing beside Marcus, had her eyes on the pool the whole time. She had never met Laz before, but she knew that it was the dragon his father killed. She, of course, had no familial feelings towards her father, even until the time when she was crowned as the empress of theher realm. Her father, after fighting the dragon Laz, was gravely injured, which meant that she had to take the mantle as her father''s sons were all ipetent and she was the only right choice. However, she wasn''t happy, the court controlled everything and she was only Empress by name. Although she had some say, it didn''t feel like she was important at all. She now understood why her brothers never wanted the role of Emperor. Thankfully Marcus came and took her away. She sheltered him back to health after he failed to kill her father. They then became friends and lovers afterward. Erika sighed. "I need to go and rest. I''ll be in my room." Marcus nodded. "Me too," Emily tiredly said. They both have gone through a lot tonight and they were exhausted, their bodies were exhausted. All they want right now is to sleep. Marcus kissed his two wives and watched them leave. He then turned to look at the pool. ---- Outside in Estra. "Secure everything, make sure there are no more of those creatures hiding in the city, make it known that the Strongwald family was the vanguard in capturing these abominations!" Senator Bong loudly shouted as the people in front of him. Other families also did their job, but they didn''t send a lot. Most of the soldiers owned by the families were guarding them in case something happens. "Yes, sir!" The Commanders and Preparation Stage experts in the crows responded. They all soon departed and began cleansing the city for nagas and other water creatures that may still be lurking in the dark waiting for a prey toe. "Excuse me sir, there is a call from the President." A man who stood beside the Senator respectfully spoke as he handed a circr device. Senator Bong nodded and received it. He tapped a button and a small image of President Frieg Frey hovered in the air above the circr device. "How are the operations?" The President asked. "Good sir, we have already started cleaning the city, searching for remnants of those creatures." Senator Bong respectfully reported. "Have any of you found out why they attacked us?" President Frieg asked. He too had no idea how this all happened. From what he knew, these creatures were supposed to be peaceful and they have even agreed to live on the same peacefully. "No Mister President," Senator Bong shook his head. "We will still try to interrogate them one by one and see if we can get something out of them." "Good, keep up the great work." The President''s image vanished. He didn''t like to talk with Bong any longer than needed. Senator Bong scoffed as he handed back the circr device to the person standing beside him. The only reason he had to be respectful to the President was that, he was only a Senator. Also, although he is one of the leaders of the Strongwald''s, he wasn''t really the true leader. So he had to remain respectful to Frieg. The Strongwald''s were the ones who volunteered to spearhead this operation for one simple reason, they want all the credit, they need all the credit to regain their lost reputation. Kin''s scandalous act badly damaged their reputation not only in the country but also in the neighboring ones. ---- Zoey slowly opened her eyes, she could feel her heart heavily pounding. She slowly tried to stand up. This whole thing had been a roller coaster ride for her. She wasn''t expecting to experience any of the events that had just happened to her in the past few hours. Laz had a bright smile on her face as she floated towards Zoey. "You passed!" Zoey had no strength left to celebrate. A few seconds after she nted her feet on the ground, she fell back down and slowly lost her consciousness. Laz chuckled. "I never expected you to actually pass." She then bowed. "Thank you so much!" Zoey had a slight smile on her face before she finally cked out. ---- "You think she''s fine?" Eva asked. She had already finished the potions an hour or so ago and it was sessful. "I am hoping she is." Marcus sighed. "Shouldn''t the blood shake or something if anything bad happens to her?" Nexus asked. As he finished his question the water began to show ripples on top, the pool soon became erratic. "You really shouldn''t talk at times like these." Marcus hastily ran towards the side of the pool. "Fuck!" Nexus followed. He now thinks that he is cursed. Eva wanted tough, but her brows were scrunched as she followed the two. "What do you think is happening to her?" Nexus asked. Marcus also had his brows furrowed. "No clue." The dragon pool shook and soon they could see a figureing out, hugging something. Marcus smiled. "She did it. She actually did it." Nexus blinked a few times. "No way! No way! I didn''t bring any bad luck. She''s alive!" Nexusughed maniacally. It wasn''t known if he was happy because Zoey is alive or if he was happy because he wasn''t cursed. Nexus then controlled Zoey and made her float forward towards the hardwood floor. Eva hastily covered Zoey''s naked body, she then noticed that Zoey was clutching, to what looked liked, an egg. "Could this be?" Eva looked at the blood-red egg. "That should be Laz." Marcus grinned. He didn''t grab the egg, but he let it peacefully rest in Zoey''s arms. Eva looked at Nexus. "We should let hery on a bed. She must have gone through a lot." Nexus nodded and lifted her up with his spell. They soon went to a room and ced Zoey inside. Marcus sighed in rxation. "She definitely surprised me this time." It felt like a huge burden hade off his shoulders. He had been looking for a candidate in his past life, but none seemed to be the perfect one. His standards were, of course, high. "Now that this is all over, we should head home, or at least know what is happening outside," Eva said as she finished tucking Zoey in. Marcus nodded. "Nexus can do that, I will be going in the chamber to get some answers from the person who works for the Strongwald''s" Nexus agreed and immediately left the stone, Zoey went to the alchemy room, and Marcus proceeded to the chamber Chapter 128: Marcus Finds Out Chapter 128: Marcus Finds Out Marcus entered the chamber. He slowly walked towards the cell where he threw the Preparation Stage expert. He passed by a few of the sea creatures in the process. The nagas, kappas, and siyokoy all looked at him. Some had anger in their eyes, a few had looks of fear. They still didn''t know what this vermilion-haired teen would do to them. Marcus nced at every single cell. He just looked at them and didn''t say anything. A few secondster, he arrived in front of the human''s cell. When he looked at the person inside, he was surprised. His eyes widened as he stared at the figure. This was not human. The figure in front of him somewhat looked like the one they fought in the hot spring on the Ker Republic. It had dark brown slimy skin with a wide mouth that''s full of sharp teeth. It had a backward ben satyr''s legs that also had 5-inch ws on the toe area. With his hand raised, he fired a ''Chaos Lightning Javelin'' and followed it up with a few more. Marcus furrowed his brows as he saw the monster in front of him not transforming back into its human form He fired a few more and said. "I have some questions for you, if you don''t talk, I''ll make your life a living hell." The creature didn''t answer, it just kept banging the bars of the bars. "You are not going to escape no matter how hard you try," Marcus calmly spoke. "So you better follow my words instead of wasting both of our time." The creature growled, it stared at Marcus before slowly transforming into a human. "Good," Marcus nodded. He had other things to do and didn''t want to use up a lot of his time dealing with this. The human sat on the floor, ring at Marcus. "Did the Strongwald have anything to do with what happened?" Marcus asked. The human didn''t answer. He stayed silent as his eyes focused on Marcus. "I''m going to repeat my question one more time." Marcus readied a spell in his hand. "Did the Strongwald have anything to do with these creaturesing to the city?" Seeing the human still had no ns on answering his question, he threw a lightning javelin and used a chaos spell, ''Emotion Maniption''. The human slightly flew back. He was already injured to begin with, and almost had no power left after transforming. Marcus sighed "Your loyalty impresses me, I am not going to lie about that. But even the most strong-willed men talk" Marcus went ahead and threw a barrage of spells and threw a healing potion from time to time. "So, were the Strongwald''s part of this?" Marcus asked once again. The human, who now had a few charred spots on his body, nodded. Marcus smiled. "What was their motive?" "I don''t know." The person spoke. "Don''t you work for the Strongwald''s?" Marcus furrowed his brows. "Initially, no. I was sent here by Octopi to work for the Strongwald''s." The human replied. "Octopi?" Marcus tilted his head. The Preparation Stage expert then began telling Marcus everything. About Octopi and the cooperation with the Strongwald''s. Though thest part wasn''t that clear, he still knew quite a bit of it. Marcus closed his eyes as he listened. "So that''s how it is. There were a lot of things going on in the past two months for them." He now understood. His past two months were peaceful, he expected the Srongwald''s to be scheming something as they have been so quiet. He just didn''t expect them to be scheming like this, working with a big organization that''s been taking over countries ands for the past few years. Marcus began walking away. "Don''t I deserve a reward?" The human asked as crawled near the bars. Marcus didn''t answer, he just continued to make his way out of the chamber. ---- A day after the incident. Marcus and the others were inside the house in Estra having breakfast. "They are actually going to execute those creatures in front of everyone." Eva sighed. "Are we going to do something about it?" Erika asked as she turned to Marcus who was beside her. Marcus shook his head. "There is no need for us to do so. We could do something else" Marcus remembered something his ssmate said, something about charity. He told his n to the group and they all thought it was a great idea. Emily smiled and said. "We would also gain the trust of the people if ever something happens in the future." Marcus nodded. He then stood up and said. "I''ll be checking on our guest." "We should really try and wake her up. The Xalia family is already looking for her." Nexus said before Marcus disappeared. ---- Marcus went into the Stone of Destruction. He walked into the bedroom where Zoey was in and sat on a chair beside the bed and proceeded to cultivate. An hour or soter, Zoey opened her eyes. She touched the side of her head and tried to blink a few times to clear her blurry vision. She groaned as she felt a slight pain inside her body near the center of her chest. Marcus took a deep breath and turned his head, opening his eyes in the process. He stopped cultivating and stood up. Zoey heard him and sat up as she looked at Marcus who was wearing his ck long sleeve outfit. "Where am I?" Zoey rubbed her head with one of her hands. "Technically, Estra." Marcus answered as walked to the side of the bed. "I just had the weirdest dream. I met a woman who wore red and told me to do trials." Zoey shared. She couldn''t keep her vivid dream to herself, everything she felt was way too real. "At the end of it all, I was given an egg." Zoey sighed as she finished her story. Marcus listened. He had the chance to hear about Laz making him smile. "What you experienced, was not a dream. It was all real." Marcus calmly spoke. Zoey paused her breathing. She then remembered Erika rushing to her and soon she was sent to a ce, a house of some kind. She walked around and fell into a pool. She looked down and saw an egg in her arms. It wasn''trge, her one arm was enough to wrap around the egg. "How could this be?" Zoey uttered. Marcus chuckled as he sat at the bedside. "You did great out there." Zoey turned her head towards the vermilion-haired teen. "You should be able to use her magic now." Marcus knew that Laz shared her knowledge of blood magic with Zoey. Zoey nodded, remembering what the woman in red told her. She then looked at the egg and said. "She told me to ce this near her blood." "Let''s go together." Marcus walked to the door, Zoey quickly stood up and followed him. The two made their way to the room where the dragon pool was located. "Can you exin everything to me? Because I''m racking my brains and I can''t understand why." Zoey asked. She had a lot of questions bottled up inside her. "I can probably answer some of them." Marcus sighed. "Go shoot." "Where are we?" She was wondering about this for a long time. "A ce I created, next question," Marcus spoke as they both walked towards the blood pool. Zoey didn''t understand his answer, but before she could speak, Marcus held up his hand. "Next question, you''ll understand more about this ce soon." Marcus didn''t turn his head, his steps continued. "Okay," Zoey thought of the next question. "What is with the pool, and everything?" She didn''t know where to start asking. "Laz was the woman you met. She was a dragon, a powerful one at that." Marcus and Zoey arrived at the door. Marcus pointed to the writing above the door. "Those characters spell out ''Laz''. She has the power to control blood." Zoey gulped. "A dragon? Dragons are real?" After everything she has experienced, she didn''t think Marcus was lying. "The one you are holding right now is Laz, why do you think she wanted you to ce the egg near the pool of dragon''s blood?" Marcus chuckled. Zoey slowly nodded. She started to feel dizzy from all the grand information that Marcus just shared. "You don''t have to worry." Marcus carefully took the egg off Zoey''s arms. "You''ll understand more of this sooner orter." Marcus then ced the egg on the pool where it hovered above it. The red pool glowed more brightly than before. "There, now we just have to wait." Marcus turned around and started walking towards the door. "When is it going to hatch?" Zoey asked. "It depends, I guess. Ten years, a hundred years, or even thousands of years. But if we''re unlucky, a million." Zoey''s eyes widened, she quickly followed Marcus out. ''What is this?'' Zoey could still feel her head pounding from all the things she heard Marcus say. "Let''s go out." Marcus stopped walking and grabbed Zoey''s hand. Chapter 129: Memorabilia Chapter 129: Memorabilia Marcus and Zoeynded at the living room inside the house in Estra. No one was there. "Looks like they''ve left." Marcus has been in the Stone of Destruction for quite a while. Eva and Nexus had to visit the office and check if everything had been repaired. Emily and Erika were inside the Stone of Destruction to cultivate. Zoey looked around. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Still thinking that this is a dream?" Marcus chuckled. He thought that Zoey''s reaction right now was not out of the ordinary, especially since she got introduced to the stone, and most of all, Laz. Zoey nodded. "At the back of my head there''s something telling me not to believe in all this, and that I''ll wake up soon." "That''s your mortal self speaking to you." Marcus began walking. He nned on visiting the school today. Zoe followed. She tilted her head. "Mortal se-" "Remember, the events that happened before, never happened. You are not to tell anyone about the things you saw. You are also not allowed to use the new magic that you learned when there are people who know who you are." Marcus cut her off. He didn''t turn to look, his steps continued as he went towards his car. "Mhm," Zoey nodded. "I won''t tell anyone. If I did, no one would even believe me. Also, I have caught a glimpse of this magic''s power. I don''t want to trouble my family." She knew that if the other families would see the magic Laz gave her, it would be disastrous. Marcus smiled as he opened the door of the front passenger seat. "Get in." He too did this with Eva and Erika. Zoey halted. She looked to the side and said. "I have my own car parked right over there." Marcus shook his head. "Just get in, tell your father you''re okay. You''ll be living with us starting today." Zoey blinked a few times, her heart skipped a beat. "What? What? What do you mean?" Zoey found Marcus a bit too forceful, but something inside her soul didn''t want to say no. "You are going to be learning new magic and you will be needing a ce to stay. The safest would be here, don''t you think?" Marcus smiled. Zoey nodded and went into the car. Marcus closed the door and went to the driver''s seat. The vermilion car soon flew towards Estra University. "Who are you, really?" Zoey broke the silence. "Still not finished with the questions?" Marcus turned his head. "You are not ready for the answer to that just yet." Zoey nodded, but she noticed that Marcus was still staring at her. "What?" She asked. "You know you are one amazing person right?" Marcus casually spoke. Zoey blushed at the suddenpliment thrown at her. Marcus continued. "Not everyone can pass Laz''s trials, as strength is not the only basis for passing it, but also heart, will, and motivation to aplish them." Marcus has seen Laz do simr trials when she was alive, though the price was not her knowledge of blood magic but just some weapons that normal beings in their realm would kill for. Marcus continued. "I just wonder how you managed to do it." Zoey smiled, her cheeks still blushing as she lowered her head. The car soon arrived at the university. The two got off and separated. Zoey went to the third-year building while Marcus went to the main building. He was not here to attend ss. But, before Marcus proceeded, he took a turn and went to the ce where Nedo and the others are having a ss right now, under the heat of the sun. He looked at the four of them for a few seconds. He chuckled and then left. Marcus didn''t expect to have acquaintances, or so he calls them, here in the mortal realm. He had bonded with them for a bit, something he had never done in the past with people. ''Have I also changed after reincarnating?'' Marcus thought as he made his to the main building. Marcus already nned on leaving Estra after dealing with a few unfinished businesses. His n on making this his fortress was already removed, for the simple reason that he lost interest and he badly wants to rush to the heavenly realm. He didn''t want to make a base in the mortal realm. Not yet, at least. He also wanted to see what the Strongwald''s are cooking. If he leaves now, it would be like admitting defeat. Marcus walked into the hallway of the main building. When he came here the first time together with Nexus and Eva, he saw a door that had a sign on top that said ''Memorabilia''. Marcus turned the knob, opened the door, and stepped inside. He walked while surveying the room. It had an area of around 500 square meters. There were trophies on the sides and photos that were framed on the walls. These were all the awards that Estra University received inpetitions, and the photos were the students it had before. Marcus looked for ones that had anything to do with the leaders of the Strongwald family. Although no students woulde here often, the room wasn''t dusty. Everything inside was well maintained. He carefully checked every photo and looked at the names on the bottom. After a few minutes of looking around, he finally found a few. One was pretty formal. It had all the Strongwald leaders lined up together with other students. He looked at the names below to match with their positions on the photo, as the instructions ced beside the entrance of the room said. Merts, Vid, Pald, and Bong. They were all in the photo, all line up looking neat. He then turned to another one. This one only had three of them, Vid wasn''t present. He checked the rest and it was all the same. "Does he hate photographs?" Marcus scrunched his brows. "You mean Vid?" A voice came from the door. Marcus turned his head and saw Dean, the dean of the university. "How did you know I was here?" Marcus asked. He already felt Dean watch him for a few seconds at the entrance. "Not many studentse in here." Dean walked towards Marcus. "If one does, someone would immediately report it. When I heard it was you, I came down here." Marcus nodded. "Yes, I was talking about Vid." The Dean arrived in front of Marcus. "He''s, how do I say this, not that good with people. Although he tries, interaction isn''t his best suit, even with his family. He was also disdained by his family because of his weight. This is also one of the reasons why he hardly hangs out with them in any of the photos you see" Marcus stayed silent as he listened. The Dean continued. "What he is interested in are his experiments. He has won quite a lot of awards for this school a long time ago. His research on medicines and herbs has also proven quite useful. But rumor has it that he does experiments on humans and beasts too." Marcus nodded after the Dean finished. "However, I think he still cares a lot about his family. Blood is thicker than water after all." Dean chuckled. He then walked to the door and said goodbye as he still had a few paper works to finish. Marcus thanked him and looked at the trophy Vid has won for the school. "This should be the person I''m looking for. Now I just need to be a hundred percent certain." He mumbled as he began walking around the room for a few minutes before heading out. He wasn''t badly worried about the n that the Strongwald is brewing together with Octopi. He was worried that it might slow down his n with the creatures of the water. Now that he knew there was a weak link in the family leaders, he''s going to try his luck. He''s also going to offer Vid something else, which he hoped for Vid to agree to. ----- Zoey sat in ss, sleepy. She has yet to make a call to her father as she is still listening to the professor''s discussion. As for everything she has gone through the past 24 or so hours, she wasn''t able to digest it yet. Dragons, a strange magic, a wooden house where she and the others could teleport to. ''I need to calm down.'' Zoey thought. Her eyes were heavy as she had not received enough sleep. She still needs more time in bed for her mental and physical self to rest. "Alright, ss dismissed. Remember to pass those papers on time next week." the professor walked out. Zoey sighed as she stood up. She then proceeded to the door and went out. Seeing that there aren''t a lot of students nearby, she called her dad. The two had a good talk, her father was, of course, worried about her. He had been calling Eva and Nexus a lot over the past hours asking where his daughter was. Zoey told her father she was okay and would be staying at Eva''s house for the time being. His father agreed and she then hung up. Zoey arrived at the parking lot where Marcus sat in his car, waiting. Chapter 130: Strongwald Villa Chapter 130: Strongwald Vi Marcus and Emily arrived home and immediately went into the Stone of Destruction. Zoey who stood beside Marcus was still adjusting to going in and out of the stone. Her eyes darted all around the ce. Marcus began walking. "Let''s go see the others." Zoey closely followed, her eyes were still roaming around the room. She still couldn''tprehend how they could teleport here or how this ce was even built. They soon arrived in front of a door. Marcus opened it and gestured to Zoey. Zoey nced at him and stepped inside the room. She could see Erika and Emily sitting cross-legged. However, what surprised her the most was the quality of the mana. She gulped as the mana in the room danced around her. Zoey has been to a first-rate country a few times, but she had the quality of mana there couldn''t evene close to this one. If she were topare, the mana in the first-rate country is trash. She turned her head to Marcus who also stepped inside the room. "This room''s mana, how?" Zoey could feel the mana circling close to her. Marcus chuckled. He pointed to the glowing orb. "Just sit and cultivate close to that ball in the center, or anywhere you like and start cultivating." Zoey stared at him. "You really do trust people easily." ''You are basically one of us.'' Marcus inwardly chuckled. "That is not true. I''ll be going out, see you threeter." With that, Marcus disappeared. Zoey blinked a couple of times before walking near the glowing orb. She then sat cross-legged and started cultivating. ---- Marcus furrowed his brows as he got back in his car. The vermilion-colored car floated and streaked in the air. Marcus sat inside the backseat with his eyes closed. He had no idea where to find Vid. He knew where therge mansion of the Strongwald''s was located, but he has no idea if Vid or Vid''sb is there. Marcus opened his eyes and out of the car window. The people of Estra seemed to be back to normal. The buildings and roads were fixed. The shops and malls were opened. ''That evacuation n seemed to have worked.'' Marcus thought. He then checked his watch and called someone. It rang for a few seconds before an image of a blond man popped up. "Hello, Marcus?" Leo, who was on the other side, spoke. "Good morning," Marcus greeted. "Do you know where Vid is staying?" Leo had a puzzled look on his face. He didn''t understand why Marcus would look for someone from the Strongwald. Nevertheless, he still answered. "I don''t know myself, but I''ll ask my father. I''m sure he knows where." Marcus nodded. "I will be waiting." Leo hastily dropped the call and contacted his father. He knew that Marcus wouldn''t call him if it wasn''t important, so he didn''t dare dally. Marcus sat in the car and sighed. He looked straight to the horizon. His thoughts weren''t on any mortal troubles right now, but it was on the heavenly realm. Even after his memories returned, he had never stopped thinking about the heavenly realm and how his empire and his mother were faring. He knew that after he left, nothing was holding his mother back anymore, she wouldn''t pull any of her punches and might even face the might of the other races head-on. Marcus sighed. ''Strength, strength is what one needs to protect the people around him.'' He never wants to experience the despairing events that happened in the past ever again. Where he could not protect the people he loved. He then noticed something. His hands slowly went towards his chest and slowly spoke. "I need to fix this, or else my opponents can use it against me." Right now his heart fears a lot of things. He knew that he is quite vulnerable if ever his opponents target the ones he loves. ''I need them to grow stronger too.'' He never wanted to reach the peak alone. He knew that he and loneliness were never good friends. He knew that Emily, Erika, Eva, Nexus, and maybe Zoey had what it takes to reach greater heights together with him. Zoey had just passed Laz''s trials, and she was a mortal while doing so. The difficulty of the trial might scale, but still, Zoey had no experience like those individuals in the higher realm. ''I need to get back to the heavenly realm as soon as possible.'' Marcus clenched his fist. His thoughts were interrupted as his watch began ringing. He answered it and Leo''s image popped up. "Do you know where he is now?" Marcus asked. Leo nodded. "He should be at the main vi of the Strongwald family. My father said that he loves to spend a lot of time in hisb, and thatb is there." "Thank you," Marcus smiled and ended the call. Marcus after hearing where Vid was, still didn''t rx. He could guess that the main house is well guarded and is not a ce where he could just waltz right in and go straight to Vid. One bigger problem was, he had no idea where theb was located. Marcus turned his car around and headed in a different direction. Soon he arrived outside the building of hispany. He exited his car and went straight to the top floor. He was, of course, not stopped. Everyone here knows who he is. Vermilion-colored hair and eyes weren''tmon here in Estra. Someone who had those features would definitely be easily recognizable. Marcus went straight to the office where Eva and Nexus were staying. He opened the door and greeted, "Big Sis, cat, how''s thepany doing?" Nexus, who was reading a bunch of papers, didn''t raise his head. He just kept doing his work as if he had not heard anything. Eva on the other hand faced at Marcus and smiled. "What brings you here Baby Brother?" Marcus grinned. "I''m here to borrow Nexus for an hour or so." Eva nodded. "Where will you two be going?" Marcus walked closer to her. Nexus ced the pieces of paper in his hands and looked at Marcus. Marcus took a deep breath. "During the party that we had at our house, one of the Strongwald''s didn''t seem to be interested in being there that night. He hardly reacted during the deal. So I did some digging and found that he hardly cares about the Strongwald''s, and when he was a child, he was bullied by them. He was the round man named Vid." Marcus followed up by telling them about what the Preparation Stage expert told him. He told them both all about the Octopi and how the Strongwald''s are cooperating with them. About how all of what happened with the sea monsters were done by the Strongwald''s Eva sighed. "No wonder they were so quiet." Marcus nodded. "We''ll be leaving Estra soon, so you guys don''t have to work hard for thispany anymore." Nexus smiled. "Finally, we can leave." Eva chuckled. "I have also been feeling a bit boredtely." The three chatted for a while. Marcus and Nexus soon left together with Eva. They separated ways as Eva went home after she finished an important agenda in the office. Marcus and Nexus on the other hand were on their way to the Strongwald family vi. "What do you need me to do?" Nexus asked. The two sat in the backseat of the car. "What else?" Marcus spoke. "Search him, find where hisb is, better yet, find where he is." Nexus smirked. "That sounds simple." "Which is why I gave you that job." Marcus mumbled. "What is that supposed to mean?" Nexus narrowed his eyes. "Nothing," Marcus smiled. "We''re almost there. Go search for him." Nexus then used his soul sense to locate Vid. "Hm," Nexus closed his eyes. "Not here, not here, not here, hm, found him." "Where?" Marcus asked as the carnded a few kilometers away from the Strongwald vi. "Around forty meters below the main house." Nexus replied as he got out of the car. "You mean therge house?" Marcus too got out of the car. "If that''s not the main house then I don''t know what is. Now do your hocus pocus and send us in." Nexus walked forward. "We''re too far, I need to get closer to open a portal," Marcus spoke as he headed towards the vi The two walked side by side and were soon closer to the walls of the vi. "There are a few Preparation Stage experts guarding, all of which are rank 4," Nexus reported. He then continued. "Vid is in what seems to be in a--" Nexus stopped. With his soul sense, he knew what Vid was doing. He turned his head to Marcus and asked, "You''re not nning on making him manage the chamber are you?" Marcus chuckled. "He looks to be the best choice we have." Marcus only nned on finding the weak link to gather information, but when he found out about Vid and his experiment, he thought that Vid would be a great choice for the chamber. Chapter 131: Vids Lab Chapter 131: Vid''s Lab Nexus sighed. "You are ambitious as always. Do you really think he is just going to jump over to our side?" "In all honesty, I still don''t know our chances." Marcus dryly chuckled. "But, I do know that there is. That is enough for me to try this." Nexus nodded. "Alright, there''s no rush. It looks like he has no ns on leaving theb." "I want this to be over as quickly as possible." Marcus arrived in front of the wall. "Is this enough?" Nexus asked. He didn''t know the range of which Marcus can open a portal. Marcus shook his head. "Too far, we need to get closer. I''ll port us nearer to the house, and when we''re there, I''m sure I can send us to theb where Vid is." "We need to be quick," Nexus was slightly worried about the Preparation Stage experts in the surrounding, and also about the fact that they are doing this in broad daylight "Fine," Marcus opened a portal in front of him. Vermilion-colored sparks were seen dancing inside of it. "Go," Marcus gestured to Nexus. Nexusplied and jumped into the portal. This wasn''t his first portal jump. Marcus followed. As theynded, their feet touched the soft green grass. Well-trimmed bushes stood erect on the sides with a few flowers blossoming close to them. A few meters away from them was the main house and right now they were close to one of its windows. "Open another one." Nexus scanned the surroundings, checking if any of the guards were alerted. Marcus once again opened a portal in front of them, a vermilion-colored slit started to appear. It then grewrger andrger. He then opened a portal a few meters below the house. --- Vid, the round leader of the Strongwald family, looked at the table where a man was strapped. He walked to the table with a book in hand, his brows scrunched. "The Octopi created powerful soldiers by letting them train in the forbidden arts, but they still have the chance to betray the organization they are in," Vid mumbled. His voice was low but it resounded throughout the room. "What the hell are you talking about?" The man who was strapped on the blue metallic table red at Vid. "My dear nephew, you should keep your mouth shut when I''m thinking. You should never interrupt my thoughts." Vid calmly spoke as walked towards the man whose arms and legs were tied to the table. He continued. "Now, how do you think are the Octopi''s Java soldiers loyal to their organization?" Kin stayed silent. He didn''t reply to Vid''s question, as he knew that the round man wasn''t really asking him. Vid was asking himself. "Is it money, power, fame?" Vid sighed. "If I could just get my hands on one of those Java''s and I''ll be able to understand." He ced the book down. On the top page was the word Java, below it was a drawing, a clear drawing of a monster. It had dark brown slimy-looking skin, thin eyes, a wide mouth that''s full of sharp teeth, wide-body, and two long arms, with long silver ws. It had backward bent satyr''s legs that also had ws on the toe area. "No that''s not it." Vid once again talked to himself. "It can''t be power, nor can it be fame and money." "A goal?" A voice sounded from the entrance. Vid furrowed his brows. He didn''t hear the doors open, and he knew that no one was here but him and Vid. "It can''t be a goal, some of their soldiers were kidnapped." The voice continued. Footsteps quietly sounded. Soon the round man could see a teen who had vermilion colored hair and eyes. ---- Marcus and Nexusnded on a grey-colored flooring. The walls were painted with a light blue color and there were shelves on the side, filled with jars, cylinders, and tubes. All of which had something inside. They both made sure they were hidden. They didn''t have to try hard as the room wasn''t exactly well lit. "This guy is insane." Nexus'' mouth didn''t move. He sent the message telepathically. "This, this is our guy." Marcus enthusiastically said, telepathically. The two continued to look around. They could see opened booksying around, pieces of paper on the floor, and a human strapped to a table. They also saw Vid who was quietly reading a book while standing up. They both quietly listened as Vid began speaking. ''So this is where Kin was thrown off to, rough.'' Marcus thought as he got a clearer look at the man on the table. "So what we foughtst time were Java''s?" Nexus spoke, telepathically. "In the hot springs, yes. It looks like the Octopi have their hands in a lot of ces." Marcus answered. "No that''s not it." Vid once again talked to himself. "It can''t be power, nor can it be fame and money." As the two heard this, Nexus tapped Marcus and said. "Quick, say something smart and go in." Marcus nodded. He then slowly walked over to Vid. "A goal?" Marcus asked. He could see Vid looking in his direction. Marcus continued. "It can''t be a goal, some of their soldiers were kidnapped." He could see the slight shock in Vid''s eyes, as the round man saw his face. "How did you get in?" Vid spoke, his eyes narrowed. He, of course, knew who this person was. "That doesn''t matter, does it?" Marcus stopped a few meters away from Vid. "I could trigger an rm just by using my watch, or better yet, I''ll just deal with you myself." Vid clenched his fists. He couldn''t understand how this kid got here. His senses didn''t catch anything and his doors didn''t even open. "I wouldn''t be too hasty if I were you," Marcus smiled. He wasn''t the least bit afraid of the round man in front of him. Vid quietly looked at Marcus, he didn''t say a word. "You don''t need to be envious of the Octopi soldiers. They are the reason why I found out about your family''s n, and how your family was the main culprit of the sea monster event that happened recently." Marcus chuckled. "Your point?" Vid''s brows were still furrowed. "Wow, it is true. You really don''t care about the Strongwald''s." Marcus walked closer. Vid was stupefied at how calm Marcus was. It was as if the vermilion-haired teen didn''t see him as a threat. "What if I tell you that there is a chance to make better soldiers. Soldiers that will not betray the master. Greed, lust, pride, and everything will be wiped out of their systems." Marcus now stood beside the blue table where Kiny. "You!" The man on the table, Kin, red at Marcus. "Quiet, the adults are talking." Marcus ced his left hand on the table. Lightning danced around his arm. It then slowly flowed to the table, electrocuting Kin. Marcus turned his head to Vid, who was standing close to him. "Now, where were we? Oh, soldiers being loyal, yes." "What are you talking about?" Vid was enticed. This was one of the areas he had been researching on. "Hahaha," Marcus got a tube from his spatial ring. He held the top part of it with his right hand and showed it to Vid. There was a paper ced on the tube close to the top. And on that paper, there was something written. ''Excitement'' The round man looked at the tube with a puzzled expression. He was wondering what the vermilion-colored mist inside was. There was nothing else inside aside from the vermilion-colored mist floating around. There wasn''t even liquid inside. "What is that supposed to be?" Vid asked. It was as if he had already forgotten that Marcus was an unwee visitor in hisb. Marcus ced the tube close to Kin''s mouth who was now slightly weakened and very much angry. He took the round cover on top of the tube and made Kin inhale the vermilion-colored mist. Kin had no strength left to move, he justy there with his arms and legs bound to the table. Vid carefully watched. He then noticed a figure standing beside him. He jumped back as he turned to face the figure. "You don''t need to jump like a cat, I''m here with Marcus." Nexus smiled as he looked at Vid. He then turned his back to Marcus who was still standing beside Kin, waiting for the chaos spell in a bottle to work. Vid coughed. He too turned his head back. "I don''t see any changes." All he saw was Kinying down, it was the same as before. "You have to wait for a bit, It usually takes a few seconds for this to work." Marcus ced the tube back into his pocket dimension. It didn''t take long before they heard faintughtering out of Kin. Theughter gradually became louder and louder. Chapter 132: Emotion In A Bottle Chapter 132: Emotion In A Bottle Marcus ced the spell ''Emotion Maniption'' in a bottle with the help of Eva and her alchemy skills. Marcus wanted to make these just in case he runs out of mana, he also thought that this would be helpful when there are a lot of enemies in the field he wants to hit. He can''t always waste his chaos mana on spells like ''Emotion Maniption'' in a battle. His chaos mana was very limited at the moment. Dishing out a few dozen chaos spells was enough to greatly deplete his tank. "I call it ''emotion in a bottle''. Patent pending." Marcus spoke as Kin''sughter grew louder. Vid''s eyes widened. Aside from this, he didn''t know how to react. His legs slowly moved towards the table. He never took his eyes off Kin. He arrived in front of the table. His breathing erratic as he checked Kin''s pulse. As he ced his fingers on Kin''s wrist, he could already see his nephew sweating profusely. "Wha-wha-what the hell did you do to me? Hahaha!" Kin loudly spoke. He couldn''t control what he''s feeling right now, he also has no idea why he felt the urge tough. But, arge part of himself knew that it was done by the vermilion-haired teen. "How is this possible?" Vid turned to Marcus. His eyes filled with disbelief. He was certain that Kin was normal only a few minutes ago. His nephew wasn''t rxed but it wasn''t as bad as this. "I''ll make this quick, as I still need to spend some time with my wives. Vid, one of the leaders of the Strongwald family," Marcus smiled as he looked at the round man. "What is your dream? Your goal? What makes you want to get up every morning and do what you do?" He asked. Marcus wanted to start roping Vid into his team Vid furrowed his brows, he didn''t understand why the heir of the Asurapany would ask him such a question. Nevertheless, Vid answered. "I want to learn the truth about the human race, us, and every other species that lived on the Earth. Until now, the two theories Darwinism and Lamarckism are still in the fray, battling it out. No one has ever found our real origins." Marcus quietly listened. He didn''t interrupt even though he thought what Vid was talking about was boring. The round man continued. "That is only the first tier goal. Next, I want to see if a person could stop feeling pain, greed, and such things. It was said that there was magic in the olden times helping warriors be numb when going into battle, however, it was never really proven, as magic at that time was only a myth to all of us humans." Marcus nodded, still not saying anything. "I also want to create a monster, simr to that of the Octopi. Creatures that could destroy any country. Don''t get me wrong, I have no ambition in taking over anything, I just want to see my creations in action." Vid spoke. Marcus, however, heard it. "I can help you achieve all of those." Silence followed as Vid stared at Marcus. In all his life he had never seen a teen so confident and daring. Coming to hisb acting all high and mighty. He then noticed something. "You know about Octopi?" Marcus nodded. "I can help you achieve your current goals and more. Don''t you want to see your creations conquer not only the mortal realm but the higher realms as well?" Vid had a puzzled expression on his face. "Higher realm? You mean the first-rate countries?" He didn''t envy the lifestyle of those who live in the first-rate countries, what he did envy is their knowledge. It was said that if you have a high rank in the human council, high-level books will be avable for reading at any time. Marcus chuckled. He shook his head. "Your current goals are very small. You should think bigger." "Just say what you want to say." Vid already had an idea where this conversation is going, and it would be a lie to say he wasn''t tempted. "Join me," Marcus released an aura of a prince, an asura prince. This was his chance of roping in someone who can work in the chamber and build an army for him. "How can you help me?" Vid asked. "Resources, aren''t those the most important thing for a person like you," Marcus said. "I already have resources here, what makes you think I still need to ''join you''?" Vid was enticed, but he wasn''t dumb. He wouldn''t just jump into a boat if he thinks it isn''t worth it. Nexus who never spoke until now,ughed. "You areparing our resources with the ones you humans use? Are you stupid?" Vid immediately assumed a fighting stance after hearing Nexus speak. "Aliens?" Vid spoke as he raised his arms, readying a spell. "Would you fucking calm down!" Nexus raised his voice. "What is it with you humans and your aliens bullshit. They, or we, are just other races." Vid shifted his eyes to Marcus and Nexus. He then lowered his hand and canceled the spell. "I don''t discriminate against aliens. I just know that they can be quite violent at times which is why I immediately put up my guard." He was an outcast of society and a scientist, he is open to talking with aliens. "Good, that makes things a lot easier." Marcus sighed. "What Nexus said was true. Your trash, I mean your resources couldn''tpare to ours. Why do you think the drinks we create are tastier?" "Also," Marcus released his aura. He revealed his true cultivation. Vid''s eyes widened. "Command--Commander Stage expert." He couldn''t believe what he''s seeing right now. His heart raced as he thought of the resources this boy might have used to reach this stage. Marcus retracted his aura. "Join me, and achieve your goals." Vidposed himself. "What makes you sure that I won''t tell the Strongwald''s about this?" "You have no familial feelings towards them, they might be your blood, but have you ever seen them as your family," Marcus asked. In his past life, he had already dealt with multiple cases simr to these. Vid chuckled. "You''re right, blood isn''t always thick as people deem it to be." "Great," Marcus grinned. "Now let me ask you, what are the Strongwald family nning?" "Not so fast," Vin raised his hand. "I need to make sure that everything you said is real, that you can really help me." Marcus nodded "I have already shown you one of the things you will be using in the near future." He then took out a few tubes from his pocket dimension and threw it towards Vid. "Experiment on those. You will see how powerful our resources are." Marcus didn''t mind giving a few of his ''emotion in a bottle'', as he could still make more of them. Vid received it. "I''m quite sure that you know about us and Octopi having an alliance." Marcus nodded. He already heard this from the Preparation Stage expert who was in the chamber inside the Stone of Destruction. Nexus just stayed quiet on the side, listening. Vid continued. "Octopi will take over Estra. They will send their main forces here and maybe one or two of their leaders, I am not sure, as I hardly ever join meetings. Once their main forces start attacking, we will act as the hero. However, Octopi won''t be targeting us Strongwald members. They will be targeting the other families. Once the other families start to weaken, that is when the Stronwald and Octopi ''fight''. The Octopi retreat and we will be crowned as the heroes, while weakening the other families in the process." Vid finished. He told Marcus and Nexus the truth as if he wasn''t selling his family out. Marcusughed. He didn''tugh at Vid''s betrayal, but heughed at how the n of the Strongwald would fail even if he didn''t intervene. In the past two months, Marcus continued to pump potions and pills to the three families under his employ. Of course, for the vus family, the members were carefully chosen, as they are known to split into two factions. He gave them potions and pills to make their Commanders and Preparation Stage experts stronger. Tons of their Commanders brokethrough. As for the Preparation Stage, only a few of them did since only higher members of the families were chosen for this. "That was some useful information. Join meetings , and let us keep in touch." Marcus and Vid exchanged numbers. "If you need more of those tubes, just call." Marcus walked towards Nexus. He turned to Vid, slightly nodded, and left together with Nexus as he opened a portal. Vid stood there dumbfounded. The tubes in his hands had a paper somewhat pasted on them. ''Joy'' ''Sadness'' ''Excitement'' ''Rage; Vid shook his head. He checked each one of the tubes with a smile stered on his face, as he walked closer to Kin. Chapter 133: Your People Are About To Be Executed Chapter 133: Your People Are About To Be Executed Marcus and Nexus got back into the car. The sun, high up in the sky. Marcus couldn''t manipte the weather, as he had just used up his mana an hour or so ago making ''Emotions in a Bottle''. As Nexus'' butt touched the seat, he asked. "Was that really the right move? Opening a portal right in front of that round man? I mean, I do get that we hold all the cards." Marcus chuckled "He can''t do anything, nor can he tell anyone. Even if he does, will someone really take him seriously?" He paused for a bit, as the car flew into the air. "You''re right about us holding all the cards, we''ll be throwing them soon, too." "What happened to making this a first-rate country? To making this ce our stronghold?" Nexus looked down at the people below, walking. "We have no time." Marcus stared straight ahead. "I have been thinking about the heavenly realm quite a lot these past two months, and I badly want to go back there as quickly as possible." "Remember what I said?" Nexus asked. He once lectured Marcus about being too hasty. Although he, too, wants to go back all the way up to their realm in the past, he knew that doing so quickly will yield bad effects. "I know," Marcus spoke. "But that was in the past. I now have the experience. All I need now is just to temper my body and increase my cultivation." Nexus sighed. "You do have a point." "Plus didn''t you want to leave here too, cat?" Marcus didn''t turn his head. His eyes were on the sky as if he was looking straight to the heavens. Nexus nodded. "I was getting bored. It''s too peaceful here. Well, the sea monsters were fun to y with, but I need more fights, more knowledge of battle. Compared to the four of you, my experience is quite low. Nexus was still young when Marcus and the others died. He also has not experienced a lot of battles as he lived a life of a typical young master. "We''ll only be here for a month or two more, and then we''ll leave." Marcus already had it nned out. He just hopes that nothing goes wrong. "What happens if one of the leaders is a Transformation Stage expert?" Nexus changed the topic. He wasn''t really worried about this as he knew that all of them could safely escape. "If a Transformation Stage expert shows up?" Marcus chuckled. "We''ll run, what else can we do against one right now?" "You''re not going to try and fight?" Nexus knew Marcus'' personality. He knew how the Divine Conqueror likes to push his limits. Marcus shook his head. "When the timees, we''ll know. As for now, we have to set our eyes on the next step." Marcus was also worried about one of the Octopi leaders being a Transformation Stage expert. He already knew that Merts was the strongest one in the Strongwald family, but the Vice President wasn''t a Transformation Stage expert. "What''s the next step?" Nexus asked. Marcus thought for a while. "Do you know how many of the sea creatures were captured?" Nexus shook his head. "I have no idea." He heard that the races of the sea are about to be executed, but he didn''t really care as he knew that it wasn''t his problem. Marcus nodded. "Save at least three." Nexus stopped looking at the people on the streets. He turned his head to Marcus. "What''s the goal?" Nexus sighed. He didn''t protest as he knew that Marcus wouldn''t make him do this if there was no good reason. "Simple really," Marcus'' eyes still looked at the horizon in front of him. "Make them part of our army." "Ambitious as always," Nexus chuckled. He expected Marcus to build one soon enough, he just didn''t expect him to gather people here in the mortal realm. The car soon arrived at their home. It hovered for a few seconds in the air. "I''ll check in on our captives after I visit my wives and tell them everything about our discussion," Marcus spoke, as the carnded on the ground. He got out together with Nexus. "I''ll go see Eva and tell her about the n, if she''s not cultivating that is." Nexus knew how busy Eva was with both her cultivation and alchemy. The two went straight into the Destrucstone. ---- Marcus arrived outside the room with a glowing orb. He walked inside and felt the mana around change as it danced around him. Near the orb, was Erika. She sat cross-legged, cultivating. Marcus looked to the side of the room and saw Emily and Zoey sitting together, talking in a hushed voice. He went to them. His steps were quiet as he didn''t want to disturb Erika. He knew that his second wife wants to catch up, which is why she''s cultivating hard. She was, after all, behind for more than a few ranks. Marcus sat beside Emily and held her hand. He turned his head to Zoey and greeted her. "How are you holding up?" Marcus asked. This must have been a shock for Zoey, as even he didn''t expect that she would get dragged into this whole thing this early. Zoey sighed "I was confused, shocked, and felt other things I couldn''t understand. Thankfully Emily helped me. She exined a few topics I don''t understand." Emily turned to Marcus. "You should really exin to people better. She hardly knew anything after you threw her here." Marcus kissed Emily''s cheek. "I''m sorry, I was in a hurry to finish something." He once again looked at Zoey. "This ce is amazing for cultivation don''t you think?" Zoey vigorously nodded. "Yes, I am so close to breaking through. Just a bit more and I''ll be able to reach the next rank." Marcus smiled. "With this room, you''ll be able to hit Commander Stage in no time. How about the blood spells? Did you start learning them." Zoey didn''t answer. She just took a dagger the size of a pocket knife from her spatial ring. She held the dagger and slit a bit of her left forearm. The tiny weapon was immediately returned into the Blood flowed from the open wound. Marcus and Emily calmly watched. Zoey moved her right hand close to her forearm. The blood that dripped stopped in midair. She then made it float around her, moving her index finger in the process. Her finger then pointed towards Marcus. The blood slowly moved towards the Asura Prince until it was just half an inch away from his nose. However, as she was about to pull it back, she lost control. Her blood proceeded to move forward andnded on the center of Marcus'' face. Emily giggled. Zoey''s eyes widened. "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to do that. I lost control over my spell. In all honesty, I haven''t learned a lot of what Laz passed on to me." Marcus chuckled. "You really don''t have to say sorry like that, It''s not like you did something bad." He removed the blood that sttered on his face. "Take your time. You don''t learn these things in just a day." "Marcus is right. But it is going to get easier when you grasp the concepts of the spell." Emily added. "Mhm,"Zoey nodded. "I''m going to keep working hard." She stood up and walked towards the glowing orb and began cultivating. Marcus and Emily went out of the Destrucstone. He told her what happened and he also told her about his ns for the future. "The n sounds great. I also can''t wait to go up to the heavenly realm." Emily has never been to any other realms aside from theirs in the past. "We won''t have time to sight see when we get there." Marcus sighed as he thought of his mother and empire. He knew that once he gets to the heavenly realm, he''ll have to start working right away. "Everything is going to be alright. We can brave through it." Emily stopped walking as he hugged Marcus. Marcus embraced her back. He moved his hands to her face and cupped it. His lips slowly moved to hers. "I have to go," Marcus chuckled as he pulled back. Emily smiled. "I''ll go make tea and head straight back to the cultivation room." Marcus nodded and made his way to see the creatures he got. ---- Marcus opened the door. His steps, slow, as he entered the chamber. He passed by a few cells with nagas, kappas, and siyokoy in them. Some red at him, a few had hid in the corners, some had fear in their eyes as they watched him pass by. Marcus didn''t pay them any mind. Those were all Elites, low ranked creatures in the food chain. He stopped in front of a cell with three nagas inside. These were exactly the three nagas he fought with. "Your people are about to be executed." Chapter 134: Civil Talk Chapter 134: Civil Talk "Your people are about to be executed." Marcus'' voice wasn''t soft in any way. It was enough to reach the ears of a few nagas in nearby cells. Ergetse, Iko, and Ralma, who were in their naga forms in front of him, widened their eyes. Followed by res as two of the three charged towards the bars of the cell. The once silent room was now rowdy. Shouts, thumps, bangs sounded. They all came from the races of the ocean. Ralma tried to rip open the dark metallic bars. "You fucking humans, despicable!" "You attacked the city, don''t you think it is only right for the humans to do this." Marcus chuckled. He calmly watched Ralma and Iko use whatever means to try and break the bars. It didn''t matter what they did, his tranquil gaze wouldn''t change. As he knew that even the strongest of the heavenly realm couldn''t escape from this, how much more mortals? His eyes shifted to Ergetse who remained seated. "You''re not going to join in?" Ergetse dryly chuckled. "I have already epted my fate. I am going to die soon, and I know that there is little to no chance of escaping this hell." Marcus slightly nodded. "You are right, but let me correct you. The chances of you escaping is not ''little to no chance'', but no chance at all." "Raaa!" Iko roared. "Don''t listen to him, he is just trying to get into our heads! There is no such thing as impossible, even breaking these bars." Marcus sighed. "Suit yourself, I was actually here for a civil conversation." Before anyone could shout anything, a female voice shouted. "You awful humans attacked us first, we didn''t even want toe here if you didn''t bombard our city!" Marcus turned his head to where the voice came from. It was only two cells away from where it stood. His eyes turned to the cell. Inside were two nagas, clearly female. He wasn''t sure which one talked as the two were huddled together. "It is because humans have the power to do so. To live peacefully with someone else on the same, you must first have the power to protect yourself, and kill whenever necessary." Marcus wasn''t angry at the naga who shouted at him, his face remained calm and so was his voice. In Asura history, the on which the Asura Empire stands wasn''t originally theirs. It was owned by another race. Their race and the original inhabitants, lived peacefully at first, but it didn''t take long before the Asura''s of that time wanted to own every single part of therge, so they captured the inhabitants and forced them to be ves, as for the lucky and rich ones, they now live likemoners. This was one of the things he wanted to change when he arrived back up in the heavenly realm. It wasn''t that Marcus didn''t like the idea of envement, he even ns on having a few ones himself. Of course, he picks the ones who to enve carefully, making sure that they have no family and have done evil deeds. If they do have a family, he makes sure if the person abuses them or not, if not then he lets them free, but if yes, he would take them and make sure the family of the said person was properlypensated. The situation in his empire was different. Every single member of the captured race, including children were enved. He didn''t want to run an empire such as that. Marcus cleared his throat. "I am not here to scare you." He looked turned back to the three nagas in front of him. "I too am not human, I might look like one, but I am not." Some were shocked while a few didn''t believe him. Marcus chuckled as he watched them. He then slowly turned red. First his hands, followed by his arms, and then other parts of his body. The creatures stared at him. Marcus'' ck long-sleeve tore and so did his pants. Every single part of his body was shown. ck tattoos streaked around his chest, back, lower body, and arms. ''I really need to find pants that won''t rip.'' Marcus thought. He now stood around 7 feet tall. His vermilion eyes shifted on each of the creatures in nearby cells. "Now do you believe me?" Marcus'' deep voice echoed. "Why did you fight us?" Ergetse was the first to speak from the side of the creatures of the sea. "Training," Marcus smiled. His once perfect teeth were now sharp. "I wanted to grow stronger, so I fought with the three of you. Same goes for the others." He then told them about Emily, Erika, Eva, and Nexus. "Our little group has never killed a single one of your brethren." Marcus slowly transformed back into a human, buck naked. "So why did you capture us?" This time it wasn''t one of the male nagas, nor was it one of the female ones. The question came from a kappa in a nearby cell. "You two must be the ones Nexus fought." Marcus turned his head. The Kappas nodded. Though they didn''t want to admit that they lost, the two thought that the fight was honorable, so they just nodded. "I captured you for different reasons, and one of which is to bring you back to the ocean." Marcus wouldn''t be able to go in their city if these races won''te with him. "So you will release us just like that?" Airline the female naga asked. Marcus looked at her. "Yes, I would." He then took a deep breath. "But aren''t you fed up with all this? Being afraid of humans? Always hiding in the ocean not being able to go anywhere you want." Marcus received silence from. The creatures quietly stared at him. They didn''t say anything but that is exactly how they felt. All of them were tired of feeling caged on this. Trapped by a race who weren''t even inhabitants to begin with. Marcus continued. "I tell you that if this goes on, you will soon lose your home and the humans will take everything you have. You all know that the human race isn''t only based on this. They are spread all throughout this gxy. If they ask for help to eliminate you or to enve you, your races wouldn''t stand a chance." Their blood boiled. The thought of being enved angered them to the core. Ralma and Iko clenched their fists, The two Kappas that Nexus fought with tightly held onto their swords. One of the female nagas was embracing her friend as tears rolled down her eyes. "There is always a solution." Marcus spoke in a loud and clear voice. "If you follow, we can destroy the humans who are making your lives hard, and I know exactly who they are." "Then let''s go and destroy them!" Iko angrily banged his fist on bars. He now had no more qualms with the vermilion haired teen. "We will, in time, we definitely will. However, I still have to save your friends who are about to be executed, and we''ll head back to the ocean." Before Iko could say anything, Ergetse spoke. "Is there anything we can do to help?" Marcus shook his head. "With your strength, you will only be a heavy burden. Sit here and cultivate." Marcus then began throwing a few pieces of pills and food into each and every cell. "For the next few days all of you will focus on cultivation. If you ever want to beat the humans who attacked you and are nning on executing yourrades." The nagas, kappas, and siyokoy couldn''t believe it. They were handed "How long do we have to wait?" Ralma asked. His voice now sounded a bit more respectful. He couldn''t believe that they were just given resources for cultivation, plus food. "I am not sure, but not long. After your friends are saved, they will be sent here and we will immediately head out to the ocean." Marcus slowly walked to the door. He still had to prepare for other events that will and might happen. "Will we be able to see the man with bits of yellow hair?" A kappa asked. Marcus halted. He turned his head to look at the kappa and chuckled. "You definitely will. You can even have your rematch with him soon." Marcus proceeded to exit the chamber. ---- Emily sat close to the glowing orb, she was also near Erika and Zoey. "She suddenly thought of something and got a few stones out of the ''Destrucstone Spatial Ring'' that Marcus had given her quite some time in the past. These stones were exactly the mana stones. She carefully ced a few dozen close to Erika and another few dozen close to Zoey. Lastly, she too ced mana stones in front of her. An hour or soter. "It actually works," Emily could feel that the speed of her cultivation has risen up a bit. None of them thought of doing this before, as they have been upied with a lot things Chapter 135: The Execution Chapter 135: The Execution "And that''s what Marcus ns to do." Nexus stood by the door. He wore his ck robe with a yellow diamond mark on the left chest side. His right arm was leaning on the doorway as he looked at the woman in front of the cauldron. Eva nodded. "How many can you save from the execution?" She wore her white-colored hanfu. She didn''t stop cing herbs into the cauldron. The liquid inside the cauldron changed its color as her hands moved. Nexus had just told her about what happened, what is going to happen, and what they n on doing in the future. "They will be beheading those creaturester, when the sun is about to go down. I won''t be working in the dark, so I''m not sure about how many I can grab." Nexus calmly spoke. He was told by Marcus not to strain himself. He just has to save a few. Eva attached the side of the cauldron with a long tube. The liquid traveled through it. Below the tube were empty vials where the liquid dropped. Eva rxed as she finished. Her focus then turned to Nexus. "Don''t endanger yourself, Marcus already told you to just save a few of them." Nexus chuckled. "You know me. I am not the hero type." He then moved with extreme speed and arrived in front of Eva. His hands slowly wrapped around her waist. He pulled her close to him and leaned for a kiss. Their tongues soon intertwined. Nexus''s hands moved from her waist down to her ass. After a few minutes, Eva pulled her head back. "You have to go." Nexus wryly smiled as he nodded. "I''ll go and cultivate." Eva kissed Nexus onest time before leaving the room. He waited before she reached the corridors before he jumped out of the stone. "Mask, I need a mask." ---- Marcus went out of the chamber and walked straight to his study. He casually stepped inside and headed to the ce where the books were ced. In the heavenly realm, he had ced a few books here. Not only was there knowledge about the realm above the heavens, but it also contained a few bits of knowledge about the heavenly realm. Of course, he didn''t ce a lot. He only threw in things about the Asura and information about the other races. Marcus neared the books and hovered his index finger close to them. Book after book, he searched, shaking his head every single time. A minute or soter, he finally found it. A thick blue-colored book, with only one line of writing on its cover. "Finally," Marcus mumbled under his breath as he picked it up with his left hand. He then walked to the nearby and only table in the room and went to the seat behind it. As his ass touched the cushion, his hands started flipping the book. Page after page, he flipped. It was as if he had no ns on reading the book. He stopped flipping the page when he saw the word ''Naga'' written in a differentnguage on it. His eyes darted to the words below it as he began to read. ''Nagas are snake-like creatures with human bodies. They both live deep underwater andnd close to arge body of water. The strongest Naga empire stayed onnd, they built shrines, houses, pces, and other infrastructures all onnd. However, this didn''t mean they don''t have houses underwater. They are quite extremely fast when underwater, and only a few can beat their speeds. An example would be the Kappas. The nagas value the people of their tribe, people of their empire.'' Marcus kept reading. He wanted to know more about what he is dealing with right now. He chose the heavenly realm as a reference since the nagas in that realm are most likely the ancestors of the ones here. After he finished thest chapter about the nagas, Marcus once again flipped through a few dozen pages. He then went on to read about the kappas and siyokoy. It stated a few details about their lifestyle, how they lived, and how they fought. Marcus shut his eyes as he closed the book. So far, there was no red g. There was also a slight difference in the races of the sea here, and the heavenly realm. In the heavenly realm, the nagas, kappas, and siyokoy are split. But here, they seem to live in one ce, together in unity. "Their bond makes them stronger." Marcus said as he opened his eyes. If all these races work together, they will be an unstoppable force in ocean battles. This goes for both defense and offense. He scratched the back of his head. "I should study more about the Strongwald and their connections instead of this." These past few days, he had been worrying about the heavenly realm more and more. He didn''t know why. "One step at a time." Marcus sighed. This feeling that''s wanting him to rush to the heavenly realm, makes him want to hasten his ns. But he knew that being hasty would be dangerous. He had to act carefully. Marcus stood up, the book clutched in his left hand. He went to the side and returned it. "Nexus should be starting right about now," Marcus mumbled as he checked his watch. He proceeded to go to the cultivation room to cultivate with his wives. ---- Nexus stood on top of a building near a za. The bright orange sky was already starting to turn dark as the sun on the horizon began setting. His eyes were on the 3-meter tall tform in the za, with green-colored grass underneath it. Right now, the tform was currently empty. But he knew that the dark-colored stage is where the races of the sea will be executed. "Why is it taking so long just to transport a few dozen fishes out of the water, fuck!" Nexus cursed. He had been waiting for quite some time, and he had other ns which make it even more frustrating. He wanted to call Vid and ask where the creatures of the sea were, but it would be dangerous to do so right now. Nexus slowly paced around the rooftop as he waited. His eyes shifted to the stage and the people on the ground from time to time. There were a lot of people in the crowd. Nexus couldn''t me them, he has seen the destruction that the races of the sea did to the city a few days ago. He also thought that the people who were wildly shouting in the crowd were the ones who lost loved ones during the attack. "You people should be ming the Strongwald''s," Nexus scoffed. Not long after, a fewrge van-like vehicles streaked in the air towards the za. "Took those bitches long enough." Nexus ced a mask on his face. This was one of the masks Marcus had, saving him the time to go to a store to buy one. The ck vehiclesnded on the green patch of grass close to the stage. Figure after figure came out. First were the humans in battle suits, followed by the races of the sea. It took a minute or two before everyone managed to exit the vehicles. There were almost a hundred of them. The crowd threw all kinds of objects towards the races of the sea. Nagas, Kappas, and the Siyokoy had varied emotions. Some were ring at the humans, a few had their heads down, looking at the ground whilst trembling. There were also some who were already crying as they guessed what would happen. They weren''t told about the execution, none of them were. All of them were just taken out of their cell and were ced in the vehicles with no knowledge of what''s going to happen. "Move!" One of the humans shoved a siyokoy. A person in a white uniform with badges on the chest area slowly made his way to the stage. A circr object hurriedly floated towards him as he arrived at the center. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have all experienced the attack that happened here in Estra done by these creatures. You were all forced to evacuate your homes, you lost a few of your precious things, and you even lost your loved ones." The person in uniform spoke. The crowd nodded, while a few of those who had suffered a loss, teared up. Nexus who stood on top of the building scoffed. "Son of bitch." The person continued. "However, today, you will all see the ones who terrorized this city, killed in front of you. None of them will be spared. The Strongwald family has spent a lot of resources to capture these creatures to appease all of the souls that were lost and to sate your anger." The person turned his head to the side and gave a quick nod. The man at the side saluted and instructed his fellowrades. "Ten of these creatures will go up at a time." Nexus watched as he stood on top of the building, looking for the right time to make a move. Chapter 136: Sheeps Chapter 136: Sheeps "Looks like we did get to capture a lot," Nexus muttered. There were more races of the sea inside the chamberpared to the ones in the za. Nexus extended his soul sense and smiled. "This makes things easier." All of the powerful fighters were deployed and stationed near the boulevard, and only a few Commanders were stationed here. With his soul sense, Nexus could see dozens and dozens of troops in formation a few meters away from the sea, preparing for an assault that they are not even sure woulde. The shouts became louder as a few nagas and kappas made their way to the stage, escorted by a few humans employed by the Strongwald. None of the races of the sea tried to fight back. They were all weakened beforeing here to make sure nothing awry happens. All they could do was re, their eyes showed their anger. "Kill them! they destroyed my home!" A citizen with blond hair yelled. He then threw a stone towards one of the nagas. "They don''t deserve to live! Exterminate their kind!" A woman''s cracking voice sounded. She had tears in her eyes as she looked at the stage. Nexus sighed. "People without power will always be the sheep." Most of the people who have no connections would just follow the crowd. Sometimes, even pointing their swords toward the wrong enemy. While the real mastermind sits at the back, having a ss of wine, watching the scenes unfold. ---- Close to the boulevard. At the same time Nexus was on top of a building near the za. "It is surprising that you''re here." Senator Bong scoffed as he saw a round mannd close to him. Vid looked at the Senator as his feet touched the earth. "I am part of the family after all. It is only normal for me to be present at these events. Also, I have already finished my experiments for this week." Senator Bong looked at the sea close by and changed the topic. "Will those creatures really attack? The sun had already set, and there seemed to be no movements whatsoever." Pald Strongwald scoffed. "So what if the sun had already set? If there is no sun, can''t they still attack? Do you think the moon will burn them?" The Senator red at the bald man who stood beside the Vice President. "Ahem," Merts Strongwald cleared his throat. "We are not sure, but we still need to be prepared. Right now they have two choices. One is to strike hard. Bring a lot of their troops and try to rescue the ones captured. This will result in multiple deaths, both on their side and on our side. The second choice that they have, is to abandon the ones captured and stay in their city." Pald Strongwald tilted his head. "Why would they abandon the ones here?" Merts sighed as he looked up to the darkening sky. "They might think that it is not worth it." Merts continued. "If theye here, members of their race will die, they are not even perfectly sure that they could seed in their rescue mission." "Dumbass." Senator Bong scoffed as he nced at Pald. "That means we should send more troops here. If those creatures break this line of defense, they''ll be able to gain momentum. Also, we don''t know how many they will bring." Vid spoke before Pald could even say anything to Bong. The round man slowly walked to the side of Merts. "The za is safe, we have a mob of angry people there. Those creatures won''t be able to escape. They have also been weakened, remember?" Merts thought for a while. Sending more people here would be a safer choice, as that would mean more firepower in case the races of the sea send their big guns. However, that would leave the za with fewer troops. Right now there are only a very few people who are stationed there, if he tries to remove a couple more and something happens, it is going to be disastrous. Vid tapped Merts shoulder. "We can''t let the nagas and those other creatures get past us. The people know that we, the Strongwald family, are the ones guarding this area right now. If those creatures charge right through us and destroy the town likest time, the image that we tried to regain, is going to crumble once more." "Sigh," Merts nodded. As he raised his hand and tapped his watch. "Good choice." Vid smiled. He removed his hand from the Vice President''s shoulder and turned to the sea. He closed his eyes as he felt the fresh strong breeze. ''I hope this whole fiasco will be over soon.'' Vid badly wanted to go back to hisb and experiment more on the bottles filled with different emotions. ''I can''t believe the man behind Asura is only a teenager.'' Vid opened his eyes. He raised his head and looked up at the darkening sky. Vid thought of the vermilion-haired teenager, and how he would be brought to a bigger stage by him. A ce grander than Estra. "I definitely saw her." A voice interrupted Vid''s thoughts. Without even looking, he knew who spoke. "It was her, I swear. Why won''t you all believe me?" Senator Bong asked hisrades. During the attack, he told them that he saw Emily. Although it was quite dark, he was close to a hundred percent sure that he saw her. The four of them had gone silent so he brought it up Pald scoffed. "You''re bringing this up again? You fancy her, we get it. It may sound cute to you when you mention that you randomly saw her in a ce where there are dozens of predators, but in all honesty, you just sound in crazy." The Senator''s eyes were filled with anger as he looked at Pald. But before he could say anything, Vid spoke. "Pald is right. As much I don''t want to take any sides whenever you have these childlike quarrels, you do sound like a child, Bong. It is fine to fantasize about women, but, you have to set some limitations." However, this isn''t what Vid thought. He knew that the woman named Emily was close to Marcus, which gives a high chance of her being actually there on the field. The reason, he doesn''t really know, but he does have some guesses. Bong didn''t let it go. "I am not fantasizing anything. She stood under a bright sphere that shone like a moon, looking like a blessed maiden." The other three leaders of the Strongwald family sighed. ---- "People of Estra, these are the ones that destroyed your homes, murdered your family, killed your friends, and destroyed the city." The man who wore a white uniform stood at the center of the stage as he looked at the civilians below. He had just finished sending more men to the boulevard, thinning the number of guards here in the za even more. The man in uniform continued. "Thankfully at that time, the Strongwald family decided to help. They spearheaded the operation and sent their forces to take the city back, with a little help from the other big families. A round of apuse to the Strongwald family." The crowd roared as they pped their hands. "Long live the Strongwald family!" A random person in the middle of the crowd shouted. It was then followed by another one until every person in the za chanted the same sentence. "Long live the Strongwald family!" Nexus, who was standing on top of a building, sneered. "Sheeps, damn sheeps." He turned his head to the boulevard. "I should really thank Vid the next time I see him, never knew that bouncy man could be helpful this early." He was never on board with bringing a mortal with them, a pure mortal. Now, it changed, just a bit though. Vid just made his job a lot easier, he would be able to grab three and head straight to the Destrucstone without any problems. Nexus readied himself. He scoffed as he saw the ranks of the ones executing the weakened races of the sea. Nexus jumped down from the building. He softlynded on the ground and went to the crowd. All he had to do now was wait for the right time to make his move. The man in uniform cleared his throat close to the floating circr device close to his mouth. He waited for the crows to quiet down before he spoke. "I know that you all didn''te here to listen to me talk. You came here for this!" As he finished his sentence, he nced at the people standing beside the kneeling nagas, kappas, and siyokoy. The man in uniform nodded at them. The executioners readied their weapons. Some had swords, others had axes, all of which were extremely sharp. "Ready!" The man in uniform shouted. Nexus, who already had his white mask on, hurried his steps as he tried to make it to the front. As he arrived closer, he shoved the people in front of him as he dashed forward. "Kill!" Chapter 137: Repayment Chapter 137: Repayment Nexus shoved the people in front of him as he hastily made his way to the stage. His hand began changing into ws. The man who wore a white uniform already ordered the executioners to do their job. However, with Nexus'' speed, he arrived in front of a kneeling naga and thrust his right obsidian colored ws straight to the executioner''s heart who was standing beside the naga. Thete-stage executioner didn''t even have the reaction time to sense the iing danger, how much more to block the attack? Nexus clutched the executioner''s heart. *thud* *ng* The crowd was wide-eyed as they saw someone getting killed on stage. They didn''t expect for someone to actually have the audacity to do such a thing. "Capture him!" The man in uniform roared. He then got a de from his spatial ring and dashed forward. "Run! They are here! The creatures of the sea are attacking again!" A person in the crowd yelled as he made his way out of the crowd. Others followed until everyone was running around like headless chickens. Chaos ensued as people shoved, kicked, and grabbed people who were blocking their way. All they could think of was getting out of this ce alive. Nexus, who stood on the stage, dropped the heart. He then grabbed the naga and dashed towards a kappa close by. The executioner that tried to block his way stood no chance. The human was killed in one blow. After killing another executioner he continued to go to the kappa. The man in uniform drew closer and closer by the second. He, however, couldn''t beat the cat''s speed. Nexus ced his hand on the kappas shoulder and ported into the stone where Eva was waiting. Hended in the living room and handed the races of the sea to Eva. "Thank you for helping out." Nexus smiled as he prepared to go back out. Eva giggled as she walked over to the creatures that Nexus brought in. "I don''t have to manage thepany anymore, so I got a bit of free time on my hands to help you with these kinds of tasks." Nexus went out of the Stone of Destruction to rescue more of the creatures. The man in uniform was dumbfounded when he saw the man who had just disappeared, reappearing in front of him. "Fuck off! I''m in a rush!" Nexus raised his ws. They glowed purple as he attacked the man. The man blocked with his de, but Nexus didn''t just stop with one attack. He followed it with a dozen or so more swipes with full-on fury. Sweat trickled down the man''s forehead as he tried his best to defend the iing blows. "You would never be able to save your brethren. Soon, we will destroy your city and kill your people!" "Shut up and let me kill you already." Nexus thrust his ws forward. This time, a sharp illusory purple spearhead appeared and wrapped around his ws. With extreme speed, rained down a barrage of attacks. His other w too was wrapped around with an illusory purple spearhead. Nexus jumped back, his ws were now back to normal. The man lifelessly looked at Nexus. Blood flowed down from therge holes around his body. A few secondster, his legs gave in. He dropped to the ground, Dead. He then turned to the other executioners who were now hesitating to fight. They have lost their leader, the strongest one here. If he couldn''t beat the person with a mask, how much more them, who were onlyte-stage Elites. One of the executioners ran as he contacted someone on his watch. "Coward!" An executioner turned his head to his fleeingrade. He dashed towards Nexus without any fear in the world, swinging his ax as he drew close. Nexus scoffed, as he went on a spree, killing everyone who stood in his way, both executioners and soldiers. "Ladies and gentlemen, you areing with me." He hurriedly transported the races of the sea to the stone. Nexus knew that reinforcements would being soon Inside the stone, Emily and Zoey came to help. Erika was still cultivating, trying her best to catch up. ---- The boulevard "Sir, someone is attacking the za. We need immediate assistance." The watch of a tall burly man who was close to the sea sounded. "Can you identify the enemy? Is he one of those creatures?" The man asked as he made his way to meet the leaders of the Strongwald family. "I am not sure sir. He doesn''t look like one." The voice in the watch panted. "But it looks like he is nning on releasing the captured ones." "Soldier, go back and hold. We will be sending troops right away." The burly man arrived near the four leaders of the Strongwald family. Senator Bong was the first one to look at the iing soldier. "Vice President," The soldier looked at Merts. "There has been an attack at the za." He proceeded to tell the leaders the little information that he was told. Merts scrunched his brows, Pald clenched his fists, Bong started floating in the air, and Vid inly looked at the soldier. "You said that there is only one enemy there?" Merts asked. "Yes sir," The man nodded. Merts then ordered. "Send ten Commanders to deal with it. When they are finished disposing of the threat, order them toe back here right away. There is a chance that the event in the za is only a bait, luring us away from the sea." "Understood," The man bowed and dashed away. Bong, who was in the air, looked at Vid. "If we didn''t pull out the men we had there a few minutes ago, this wouldn''t have happened." Vid calmly spoke. "Don''t act like you knew what was going to happen. And didn''t you hear? There is only one person there. What could a single individual do to rescue dozens of those creatures?" Pald nodded. "Vid is right. This was unexpected." Merts scratched his chin with his left hand. "Who could it be?" "Probably just a naga who transformed into a human." Pald turned to the Vice President. Senator Bong scoffed. "No water magic was used during the fight. How could it be one of those creatures?" "Maybe the attacker purposely didn''t use any water magic, to cover itself." Vid joined in. They were told that the one who attacked the za had a mask on, they were also told that the eyes of the attacker were purple. "Could it be from another country?" Merts asked again as he looked at the dark sky. Having a lot of connections from others and countries also gave them a number of enemies. Vid nodded. "That could be. They must be using the recent events as an opportunity to mess with our country." The Senator shook his head. "We don''t have to worry about threats from other countries with the Octopi on our side." Pald clicked his tongue. "You are trusting that organization way too much. We don''t know, they might be in on this, and are working with other countries. Have you ever thought about that?" The Senator scrunched his brows. "Do you think we should go there?" The Senator asked. He felt unsettled about all this. A feeling that came from his gut. "Hahaha? Are you crazy or stupid?" Vidughed. "I thought Pald was supposed to be the ''less smart'' of all of us. We don''t know if the creatures in the sea are watching. One of us going there could be what they are waiting for." The Senator red at Vid. His hands balled into a fist. "What do you mean by ''less smart''?" Pald turned to Vid. Vid chuckled. "Don''t worry, that doesn''t mean dumb. It''s just that we are a bit smarter than you are." Pald slowly nodded. Merts cleared his throat. "Alright, we''ll let them deal with it. Right now our main priority is still the ocean, and the creaturesing out of it." In the end, one Preparation Stage expert was sent together with three Commanders. Ten or so minutester the same burly man dashed towards the leaders of the Strongwald family. "Was the enemy really that strong?" Pald asked. It took longer than he expected. The burly man hastily nodded. He turned to the Vice President. "Sir, the creatures that were captured, they all disappeared. The one who attacked the za is also nowhere to be seen." Silence followed. The fresh breezeing from the sea lightly whistled. "What did you say?!" Pald shouted. The burly man trembled as he looked at the bald leader of the Strongwald family. "Cut him some ck." Vid walked forward and patted Pald''s shoulder. He then turned his head to look at the burly man. "Tell us what happened." The man nodded. "The troops we sent shed with the enemy right away after they arrived. They stated that the enemy kept disappearing from time to time" The man reported the details that were said to him by the troops they sent. As the burly man ended. Merts took a deep breath. "Let''s go. There is no use of guarding this area anymore." "But sir, what if the attack will still happen? A lot of people will die." The man knew that it would be a disaster if an attack would happen and no one was guarding. "Let them die, I don''t care. Pull back the troops, you all have the time off." Merts flew to the direction of the Strongwald vi. ---- Nexus stood in the living room inside the Stone of Destruction with his right arm missing. Cuts and bruises riddled his body. He lifted his head and looked at the ceiling, his eyes hardly open. "Old man, consider this as a repayment." He coughed and fell onto the floor. Chapter 138: He Is Amazing Too Chapter 138: He Is Amazing Too Marcus sat cross-legged inside the cultivation room together with Erika. His eyes closed and his breathing calm. The mana swirled around him as he tried to turn it into chaos essence. ''More power,'' Marcus took a deep breath and opened his eyes. He looked to the side where Erika was and smiled as he saw her peacefully cultivating. Marcus stood up, fixed his ck long sleeve, walked to the door. He raised his hand and looked at his watch. ''Nexus should be done by now.'' The task Nexus was supposed to do was fairly simple, so he didn''t really worry about the cat''s safety. He soon arrived in the living room, and there he saw, a bloody figure with one arm sitting on the white couch, being assisted by Eva, Emily, and Zoey. "What the hell happened? Did you have a run-in against a Preparation Stage expert?" Marcus asked as he hurried his steps. He wasn''t expecting to see Nexus in this state, especially here in the mortal realm. Thedies looked at him, and so did Nexus. "He rescued every captive the Strongwald had in the za." Eva spoke. The cat lightly chuckled. Blood dripped from both sides of his mouth. "I had to repay a debt. And I am sure that rescuing all of those counts as me being cleared." Marcus sighed. "There is always a right time and a right ce for doing that." "This was the right ce. I won''t die here, no mortal can kill me no matter how much they want to." Nexus coughed. "All right, take it easy." Marcus walked towards Emily and stood beside her. Nexus raised his hand. "It was a good call bringing Vid to our side. Without his subtle help, I wouldn''t have been able to rescue everyone." "He cooperated with you?" Marcus asked. Nexus nodded. "In a way. I called him and asked if he could provide any assistance. A few minutester a lot of the guards in the za transferred to the port." Marcus smiled. "See, though he is a mortal, we can use him. Both sides benefit in this rtionship." "What about in the future?" Nexusid back to the couch. Marcus chuckled. "Worry about the future after you heal up. We still have a lot of things to do. With only one arm, you won''t be able to do much in the future." "Fuck off," Nexus lightly scoffed. "Even with no arms, I could still beat up those Strongwald bastards." "Okay, that''s enough." Eva sat beside Nexus and took a pill from her spatial ring. "Take this, you''ll feel a lot better afterward." Eva ced the pill inside Nexus''s mouth. "Isn''t there anything better?" Nexus asked. He wanted something that could fully heal his body right away. "Do you want to explode?" Eva squinted her eyes as she looked at Nexus. Nexus sucked in cold air. "I''m sorry and thank you for taking care of me." "Do you need help going to your room?" Marcus asked. "No need. I''ll heal in a few hours and regrow my arm in a few more." Nexus closed his eyes. Though he didn''t say it, fighting against a Preparation Stage expert while rescuing a dozen fishes out of the water wasn''t an easy task, even for him. He had to struggle hard not to get hit by any fatal blows or else he''d have to retreat. Marcus, Emily, Zoey walked away. The three-headed towards the chamber. Marcus slowed his steps and looked back. "Did you n on saving everyone there from the start to repay your ''debt''?" "No," Nexus'' eyes remained closed. "If I did, I would have called you. I decided to rescue everyone after calling Vid and seeing that there were only a few guards left, I went for it." "I see," Marcus continued on his way together with the twodies. Eva stayed beside Nexus as the cat started to doze off. ---- "Are we going in there again?" Zoey, who was standing to the left of Marcus, asked. She had already gone to the chamber to deliver nagas, kappas, and siyokoys into their cells. Emily nodded. "You don''t have to go if you don''t want to. I know this must have been a lot to take in, plus the things that happened before." Zoey shook her head. "I have already been there a couple of times today, there is no point in getting overwhelmed now." Marcus, who stood in the middle of the twodies, chuckled as he looked at the blonde beside him. "How are you feeling?" Zoey thought for a while. "My cultivation is rising at extreme speeds, but my mind is still a little shaky." Emily giggled. "That''s totally understandable." They arrived in front of the door. Marcus slowly opened it and the three proceeded inside. Therge room was filled with noises, and although there were a lot of creatures here, the cells don''t look crowded in any way. It was like if a cell was full, a new one would magically appear. And if a hole was filled, a new one would suddenly be dug up. Marcus didn''t mind the stares of the creatures inside the cells. But he did look to his left and saw Zoey clutching his sleeve. "Don''t be scared. They won''t be able to do anything to you." Marcus whispered. Unlike Zoey, Emily was calm as she held Marcus'' right hand. They soon arrived in front of a cell with three nagas inside and inspected their faces. Ralma, Iko, and Ergetse transformed into their human forms, knelt down, and bowed their heads. They were then followed by their brethren. "All the captives were rescued." Marcus spoke. "We know, we know." Ergetse had tears flowing down his eyes, and so did the two nagas beside him. "Thank you!" Iko said in a loud voice. Gratitude filled the air. Zoey looked around the room and saw how harmless the creatures were. It wasn''t like the one during the fight in the city. Her eyes then darted to two females inside the cage. She recognized these two. She smiled at them and the two females smiled back. "You won''t be staying in those cells for long. We''ll be heading to your city in a day or so." Marcus started walking back to the door. He didn''t n on staying long and just wanted to see how these guys down here were doing. ---- Estra. In the living room outside the Stone of Destruction. Marcus sat together with Eva and Zoey. "They didn''t look anything like the ones we fought a few days ago." Zoey took a sip of tea. "Less violent? Less destructive?" Marcus asked. Zoey nodded. Emily stayed silent as she looked at the shimmering night sky from the ss window. Marcus calmly spoke. "They didn''t attack this city because they are violent wild creatures. They attacked this city because of what the inhabitants of thisnd did to them. Some of them might have even grown up hating humans, maybe some lost their loved ones because of humans." Zoey didn''t say anything. Her eyes were glued to Marcus as she listened to his words. Marcus continued. "There would be fewer deaths if the races of this world knew how to coexist." Thend he ruled in the past had all kinds of races living peacefully. A lot of them even married members of the other race. "You''re young, but it seems like you have already gone through a lot." Zoey finally spoke as she noticed that Marcus wasn''t going to say anything anymore. Marcus smiled but didn''t say anything. Zoey would retain her memories soon enough, there is no need to fill her head with more confusion right now. "When will we head to their city?" Emily turned her head to look at Marcus. "First thing tomorrow. Once we get there, we''ll meet their leaders and try to convince them to fight." Marcus took a sip of tea from his cup. "Against all the humans here in Estra?" Zoey is still human. She doesn''t want a war to happen. Marcus shook his head. "No, not against all of Estra. Just the Strongwald''s. We''ll draw in the Octopi at the same time. Once we have those two on the fray, we''ll join forces with the other family as we show the true face of the Strongwald''s." Zoey stared at Marcus with awe. She couldn''t believe that this teen was ying with the five families and arge terrorist organization in front of her. Marcus continued. "Big Sister Eva will stay here together with Nexus, as they still have one more n they need to initiate. As for us, we''ll head to their city." He looked at Zoey. "Do you want toe with us?" The college girl immediately nodded her head. She wouldn''t miss this kind of experience in the world. "Good," Marcus chuckled. "I''ll head to the cultivation room and cultivate." He kissed Emily and went straight to the stone. Emily watched her husband disappear. "He really is in a rush." "He''s really amazing too." Zoey blurted. Emily giggled. "Don''t tell me you like him?" Zoey vehemently shook her head. "No! No! No!" She grew up knowing that a man should only have one wife, and Marcus already has two. Chapter 139: To The City Underwater Chapter 139: To The City Underwater The next day. At the Strongwald mansion, inside the room with four pirs. The four leaders of the Strongwald sat at a round table. Merts wore a ck and white suit, Pald wore a green sleeveless shirt, Senator Bong had put on his grey suit, and Vid wore a blue shirt with a whiteb coat over it. There was silence in the room ever since they entered. Not even Bong and Pald quarreled. They never expected to loose the captives. How could one person even aplish such a feat? Merts sighed. He pressed a button on the table with his right index finger. Individual screens appeared in front of the four leaders. It yed the events that happened in the za. A lone person jumping onto the stage. The figure had obsidian ws with glowing purple eyes. The masked individual shed everyone that stood in his way, and if that weren''t enough the person used magic that could stop Commander Stage experts from moving. "Have any of you seen the spells he used before?" Merts asked. In all his years, he had never encountered the magic being used by the individual on the screen. Deep inside, he wanted to have that magic. The other leaders shook their heads. "Maybe this guy is someone from a first-rate state. Look how he does battle. It''s like he has been fighting for years, and he''s not only throwing attacks, but he''s using his brain too." The Senator said. Even if the evidence was right in front of him, it was still hard to believe the feats that the individual in the video. ''If only I had that magic, I would be the one truly leading the Strongwald family.'' Bong thought. "How sure are you that the person on the screen is a guy?" Vid asked. He already knew that this was Nexus. They have been contacting each other during yesterday''s events. Bong scoffed. "No woman is that smart and strong." Pald turned his head to the Senator. "Well, your wife was. She was smart enough to leave you." "YOU!" Veins bulge on the Senator''s forehead. He didn''t want to be reminded about his failed marriage. Especially not from the bald man in front of him. Laughter erupted from Vid as he tapped the table with his palm while his other hand was touching his round belly. Merts merely chuckled. He had no energy to be happy. Their one chance of regaining the people''s trust and more went down the drain in one night, done by one person. "Just stating facts, not sure why you''re mad." Pald smiled as he went back to look at the video. *Ring* "Looks like they finally called." Merts pressed another button on the table. The video of the man on the screen disappeared and was reced with the faces of three individuals. Two men and a woman. "It''s good to see you three again, on the screen." Merts calmly spoke to the leaders of Octopi. "It''s good to see that the Vice President of Estra is doing well." Paul slightly nodded. He continued. "I heard you have had some sort of mishap, and that all the captive creatures escaped." Paul didn''t care about those creatures as it wouldn''t affect his ns on Estra, but he knew how important those were to the Strongwald family. Merts scrunched his brows. "Let''s proceed to business, shall we?" "Of course," Paul smiled. "That''s why we''re here." The other leaders of both groups stayed silent. They quietly watched Merts and Paul. "I heard you have taken another state." Merts stared at Paul. "Does that mean you can alreadye here soon?" Paul nodded. "We''ll be there in three days. Although not all of our forces will be focused on Estra, the three of us will be present there." What Paul said put a smile on Merts'' face. He had been waiting for quite a long time for this. To lord over Estra. To have the other families bow to him. "Oh, and we also want a lot of money." Miel finally spoke. "You will get the money that we discussedter on." Pald didn''t like Miel''s demanding tone. He also thought it was quite disrespectful of the bulky Octopi leader to just speak like that. "That is not what I mean. We want more money, a lot more." Miel didn''t mind the bald man''s attitude. He had no problems shing with a rich bastard any time of the day. "Ahem," Zee cleared her throat. "What my friend here means is that we used up a lot of resources to speed ourst operation. The reason for this is because of you people. So he thinks that it is only right if youpensate our organization for that. Don''t you think he is right?" Both Pald and Bong scrunched their brows. They were used to being overbearing to other people, and not the other way around. "How about we''ll talk about it when you get here? For now, let us focus on the main agenda." Vid suggested with a smile. "I agree with Vid." Merts was thankful for having Vid on the table today. It wouldn''t have been easy meeting the Octopi leaders with just Pald and Bong. Zee giggled. "You''re pretty smart, Howe I don''t see you often on this table? If you leave international dealings to the two over there, your family might crumble." Vid shook his head. "They are my family, and I trust them. I''m sure that they won''t do anything to endanger this family in any way." Miel merely scoffed. From what he had seen. Both the bald man and the thin man were ipetent. "We''ll strike the tourist owned by Estra first, and then we''ll be building our base of operations there." Paul went straight to the point as he noticed that things had quieted down. "That is a good n. I''ll see what I can do to lessen the guards there." Merts had already been impressed by Paul before. Someone who started from being a nobody and soon reached the top. "Neighboring countries would probably take weeks before they could assist you. That gives us enough time to set the base and all the defenses." Miel was already keeping an eye on two countries that were close to Estra. One usually only has one country, which makes the other countries far away from each other. Merts shook his head. "You don''t have to worry about other countries interfering. We have a few connections there that could start a civil war." Paul nodded. "Good, chaos will soon descend upon Estra. I hope this goes well. We''ll talk more once we arrive at the tourist." The leaders of the two groups exchanged goodbyes and soon the screen went off. "I still don''t think we can trust those people." Pald furrowed his brows as he thought of Miel. The person got under his skin simr to Bong, which makes him trust the guy even less. "They won''t try anything funny any time soon." Merts knew that the Octopi couldn''t pull this operation on their own, and they would need as much help as they could. "That person who rescued those creatures, you guys think we will expect to see him soon?" Bong asked. "Most likely,". Merts touched his chin. "He might even be nning something right now. You don''t just release dozens of captured sea creatures and justy on a bed and do nothing." ---- Nexus satzily on the couch in the Estra house living room. He shoved chips into his mouth as he switched the channels. "Achoo" He rubbed his nose and continued watching the show in front of him. "Nexus we''re leaving now," Eva called from behind. Nexus stood up, he walked towards Eva while still facing the tv. ---- Marcus and Emily stood by the boulevard. The sun was nowhere to be seen. The sky was covered with dark color clouds. It was as if a storm wasing. The couple looked at the horizon Marcus'' arm was wrapped around Emily''s waist. "We could either ride a boat or just find a discrete location and start swimming there." Marcus wanted to swim, to see the life underneath the sea. "I don''t mind swimming there." Emily smiled. Marcus leaned in and nted his lips on hers. Marcus pulled back. "Let''s go." He grabbed her hand and went to find a ce where no one could see them. A few minutester they started swimming. They wrapped their bodies with mana barriers so as to not get wet. The nagas have already told them where the city was. It wasn''t really far off from the coast of Estra and is only a dozen or so minutes away. The couple casually swam and enjoyed the sights. Large corals and hundreds of marine animals adorned the sea of Estra. Although Emily has seen better up in her realm, this was still mesmerizing. "I wish Erika and Zoey could see these attractions," Emily said. The twodies, Erika and Zoey insisted on cultivating. Zoey said to just get her when they arrive at the city, while Erika said she doesn''t mind missing it at all. Chapter 140: Leviathan Chapter 140: Leviathan Marcus and Emily swam underwater while stopping a few times as Emily wanted to enjoy the underwater attractions. Her blue colored hanfu swayed as it was being covered by a mana barrier to prevent it from being wet. Marcus still wore his ck long sleeve outfit. He swam beside Emily, watching her smile. "We should be close now, right?" Emily asked. They have been swimming for quite a while now and she thought that it was about time that they arrived at the city underwater. Marcus nodded. "Let''s go get the other nagas, We''ll let them lead the way from here on out to avoid misunderstandings." The two then went into the Stone of Destruction. ---- Nexus and Eva went into the Asura building. "This will probably be thest day we''ll being here." Nexus spoke in a soft voice. Eva nodded. "I was getting bored of it anyway. I''d like to focus on cultivation and alchemy now." "That''s great." Nexus smiled. "We all need to get stronger before we can go step into our realm again." "With Marcus'' cultivation room, we don''t have to worry about our cultivation speed." Eva walked into the conference room as Nexus opened the door for her. Leo, Maya, and Loo sat at the table. They were all surprised to get a call today. Thepany was doing great and is already exporting internationally. Eva has been managing it together with Loo and Leo in the past two months, Maya has also created new internationalmercials and advertisements. "I know that all of you are busy and that this meeting was not scheduled." Eva took a set at the rectangr table. Nexus sat to her right, he then began fiddling with his watch as if the meeting didn''t concern him anymore. "Big Sis is there something new that we should urgently do?" Maya didn''t mind stopping her work for Eva, as she knew that the owners of the Asurapany were her savior. Eva smiled at her. She then nced at the other two and said. "So we all know about what happened in the past few days. Estra has be a lot more chaotic. Recently we have been invaded by creatures from the sea and a lot of families have been affected. Children were left homeless as their families died." Maya, Leo, and Loo quietly listened. They, of course, knew what happened. Maya and her siblings were safe as Leo kept them safe. The Lavus household now became a lot more peaceful and united as Leo''s brother became a useless and crippled young master. Though there are still older leaders behind the scenes, they can''t do much. None of them are fit to lead anymore. They also can''t choose any of the young vus flock as none of them were smart and talented enough to be the future leader. As for the Minser''s, their united family was even a lot safer. Eva continued. "I want to shelter those children and educate them to be proper individuals." "You want to build an orphanage?" Loo asked. He felt that it was weird for Eva to do this. The money that will be used on children can instead be invested back into the business which would in turn help thepany grow even more. Eva nodded. "I want an orphanage that can house not only the children who were victims of the recent cmity, but also the ones who were living on the streets before. We''ll take all of them in and help them be part of society." Maya, who wasn''t from a rich family, smiled. "That would be great Big Sis. I have seen a lot of children living on the streets, even during the winter, they''d still stay huddled at the alleys covering themselves with whatever they could find." "I guess money has blinded me quite a bit." Loo scratched the back of his head. "Your idea is great, it''ll also make them feel indebted to us." "Exactly." Eva wanted to foster the future of Estra into believing that the Asurapany and the owners were their saviors. They would be leaving soon, and it would be hard to tell if thispany would still be standing when they are gone. The first rate countries have already caught wind about the drinks they have been selling and were already interested in the products. She knew from experience that with power, you can take whatever you want. Getting caught up against the first rate countries right now isn''t something the group needed, as they still have to go into seclusion and cultivate. "They would not only feel indebted to thepany but also to your families who are part of it." Eva, of course, didn''t forget to throw this sentence. She needs to make sure that they knew the benefits they would get in the long run. Eva continued. "We''ll have them educated inside the orphanage walls. We''ll give them the best magic training Estra could offer. Once they grow up, they would be thankful to us." Loo vigorously nodded. He, a businessman, hasn''t thought of doing that. In all fairness, his sights were only on money and not power. Leo too was excited about the n. His position of bing the next head of the vus family was already finalized, and in the future he would need all the fire power he could get to protect his family. And no, not the vus family, but the family he''ll be making with Maya. "The media would want to get in on this." Loo said. Eva smiled. "Call them, I''ll go freshen up." She stood up from her chair and went straight to the door. Nexus followed beside her. ---- Marcus and Emily were no longer swimming alone. Zoey and all of the captured creatures were with them. Ergetse and the other Commander Stage experts led the way, while Marcus, Emily and Zoey were behind them. The others were at the back, all of which were happy to once again be free. "It has only been a while, but I can''t believe how much I missed the touch of water brushing against my skin while I swim." Arielina spoke. She and Diabel had already thanked Marcus a lot of times after being released. Marcus, the gentleman that he was, said that it was nothing and it didn''t really matter much as he would need something from them too, and that is to get in their city and talk with one of their leaders. Diabel, who was swimming beside Arielina, nodded. "I do too. I have nothing against going tond from time to time but water is still the best." "Where''s the guy with the yellow hair in the middle of his head?" Kogo the kappa asked as he turned his head to face Marcus. "He is currency busy. As I said, you will have a chance to y with him soon." Marcus chuckled. He knew that Nexus would find it boring to fight against these two again after only a short time of doing so. "Do you all live in the same ce? Or do your races live separately?" Emily asked. "We live in one city." Ergetse answered. "In the past, our races couldn''t ept each other, but now, that has changed. The current leaders thought that we would be stronger together instead of going at each other''s throats while the threat of the humans surrounded us." Ralma nodded. "The humans have a big advantage in which they could ask for more reinforcements from other ces. Us on the other hand do not have that kind of luxury." Iko spoke. "We also can''t risk lowering our poption even more. A lot of the male poption died in the past wars, having more females, which is why you can see Arielina and Diabel fighting. I''m not saying that there is anything wrong with women fighting." Zoey, who was born in Estra, looked at the Commanders in front of her. "I''m wondering, and I hope this question isn''t too offensive, how are you all still standing, your race, I mean. What stopped us humans from raining spells down your ce?" She was curious as to why Estra agreed with the peace treaty that was signed a few years ago. From her history lessons, she learned that humans take what they can, especially if you have the strength to do so, in this case, Estra could ask reinforcements from neighboring countries to help and take out the creatures in the ocean. Ergetse chuckled. "We are not the strongest fighters of the sea. There are more powerful fighters than us. Also the three leaders of our bigmunity are quite strong, however those three aren''t the strongest. I am sure that the higher ups of this know about this." Zoey had a curious look on her face, and so did Emily. Marcus was also quite interested so he stayed silent and listened. The other Commander Stage creatures didn''t stop Ergetse, as they knew that the humans they were with meant no harm to them. Ergetse continued. "He is a creature known as the leviathan. Chapter 141: The City Underwater Chapter 141: The City Underwater "He is a creature known as a leviathan." Ergetse didn''t stop to turn his back. He kept swimming together with the other Commanders. "A leviathan? Here?" Emily was sure that if a leviathan lived here, this world would have already been destroyed and would be ruled by the creatures of the sea. Marcus shook his head and said in a low voice. "It''s not the leviathans we''re used to seeing in the realm above the heavenly realm. But still." He too was sure that if a leviathan that had the characteristics of the one that was in the realm above the heavens, the humans would have turned into crisps. Also, even if it were only a leviathan from the heavenly realm, it could still decimate humanity. Marcus continued. "It is probably one of the mounts of that god who sent his son to the mortal realm. Question is, why did he leave it here?" Although he wasn''t a hundred percent sure that it was owned by the said god, he still had an inkling feeling. "They might have been sent to scout ahead, or protect the son of that god in the dark and one of them got left behind." Emily guessed. "I agree with Emily." Zoey spoke. Although she still wasn''t used to these kinds of conversations, she still wanted to try her best and adjust to it. Marcus nodded. Could it be that the holy bastard would leave one of his pets down here? "We''re almost there." Ralma swam a bit faster. The other Commanders followed. Marcus wryly smiled as he saw how excited the creatures of the sea were. He looked at the two women beside him and sped up. Thedies understood and they too increased their speed. It didn''t take long before they saw dome-like structures surrounded by jade colored walls. "Erika would have loved to see these walls." Emily lightly chuckled. "She sure would have." Marcus smiled as he knew how much his wife loved the color green, or anything that was simr. Erika didn''t want to leave the cultivation room and only wanted to keep cultivating. She was still far off from Marcus and the other''s cultivation. Thinking about this made her only want to work hard even more. The thought of being left behind because she wasn''t strong enough scared her. Ergetse stopped as they all floated a few meters above the walls. Ralma turned to Marcus and said. "That''s our one and only city where we all live together in harmony." "It looks great. I thought you would be living in wooden houses and such." Marcus thought the living ce of these creatures would be straws and woods. And the leviathan would be living inside of a cage. "It''s not 2020 anymore." Ergetse chuckled. "So you guys did live in wooden houses before?" Zoey asked. Ergetse nodded. "It''s the same with you humans. Didn''t you all live in caves and such a long time ago?" "From what we studied in our history, yes." Zoey couldn''t imagine living in a cave, with no food and water ready. "It''s the same with us. We also evolve." Ralma spoke. Marcus and the creatures of the sea swam towards the city. It didn''t take long before nagas and siyokoys came rushing out, wielding tridents. They all seemed as if they were ready to fight. "These must be the guards." Zoey said in a low voice as she looked at the leading 9 foot naga swimming towards them. "Halt!" The naga shouted. He already noticed that a lot of the new arrivals were one of their own. However, he thought that there might be a trap somehow as he recognized a few of them to have been the ones who went up to the surface and got captured. "It is us." Ergetse has seen this naga before, but they weren''t really close. "I know," The 9 foot naga scanned the group in front of him. "How did you escape the clutches of the humans?" He knew that there were no reinforcements sent nor was there a rescue operation done to free the captured ones. He heard that it would be too risky and they might end up losing more. "It is with the help of these people here." Ergetse gestured to Marcus and the twodies beside him. "A human?" the naga scrunched his brows while the ones behind him readied their weapons. "They are not our enemies! Without them all of us would have already died." Ralma swam about a meter or two forward. He was helped by the teen named Marcus, so it was only to protect him, especially here in their turf. "How can you be sure that it isn''t a trap made by the humans?" The naga wasn''t convinced. The humans, from what he knew, were cunning creatures and would do anything they could to achieve what they wanted. Marcus, Emily, and Zoey didn''t speak a word. Marcus didn''t bother telling them that he wasn''t human. It would just create more mess. ''I''d rather tell themter when we get in.'' Marcus thought as he watched the events happening in front of him. Arielina swam forward. "Look at the ones with us. These are the nagas, siyokoy, and kappas the leaders abandoned. But they were all saved by a human." The Commanders and guards continued arguing. Emily, who was beside Marcus, lightly chuckled. "Do you think Nexus wanted toe? He would probably have a good time talking to those two kappas." Marcus shook his head. With a wry smile, he spoke. "You know Nexus. He would only speak to random people and enemies if he had something bad to say to them. You should have been there when we went to the Dean of Estra University." "I just thought Nexus changed after ten thousand or so years of being alone." Emily knew how childish Nexus can be. She also knows how childish her husband can be when he is with the cat. "Well, sometimes, no matter how long, there are things that never change." Marcus looked into his wife''s eyes. Emily blushed as she smiled from ear to ear. "We can go in!" Ergetse turned his head and looked at the vermilion haired teen. They were given the permission of the higher ups to pass, which was quite surprising. Marcus nodded at him. He swam closer to Emily and held her hand. Zoey, who was swimming beside Emily awkwardly looked at them as they went to the gates together. "Stay close to us." Ergetse slowed down together with the other Commanders. "Our kind aren''t the biggest fans of humans." Arielina knew a lot of the inhabitants of the city hated humans, especially most of the old ones as they have gone to war against thend dwellers. "Don''t worry, I''m sure no one would actually try to harm you." Ralma tried to assure Marcus'' group. He didn''t want Marcus to think that the creatures of the sea are savages. "We''ll be in your care." Emily smiled. She wasn''t the least bit afraid. They could escape no matter how big the danger they''d meet inside. They arrived in front of therge green colored gate with gold colored outlines. It didn''t look that majestic but if any mortal would see it, the gate would look breathtaking. It slowly opened. The creatures on the other side were watching the gate. Some were floating, others were on the sea bed. Marcus andpany went inside. A lot of thee creatures shouted in excitement when they saw arge number of their brethrene back alive, there might have been some who died, but at least most of those who went to the surface, came back alive. However, the rowdiness slowly quieted down as they turned their eyes to the humans. Marcus was surveying the ce as his feet touched the sandy sea bed. Emily looked at the creatures. Zoey checked the houses. She made sure to stay close to Emily while doing so. The dome-like houses weren''t big, they looked simple. Most of the houses could definitely fit a dozen or so nagas. Marcus andpany continued. The families of those that were captured rushed towards them. They didn''t mind the humans, all they thought of was that an important member of their family was safe. Nagas, kappas, and siyokoys cried as they swam towards their family members behind Marcus. When the leaders said that they wouldn''t be saving the ones who went to fight with thend dwellers, a lot of them were frustrated and wanted to go and kill humans. However, they were all stopped. Someone tried to make them understand that saving the prisoners would only do more harm than good. So, even if it is hard, they just have to ept it. This was one of the sentences that was said to them. Never in a million years did they expect that they would see their loved ones again. Wives kissed their husbands, children embraced their fathers and mothers. It was a hearty scene. "The leaders would want to see the humans that saved our people." The 9-foot naga spoke as he looked at the vermilion-haired teen. Marcus nodded. "It would be our pleasure to meet them." Chapter 142: Fostering The Future Chapter 142: Fostering The Future "Follow me and stay close." The naga guard turned his head to Ergetse and Arielina. "Your presence is also requested by the three high leaders." The two nagas nodded. Ergetse expected to be called as he knew he''d be the one to make a report about what happened. Marcus, who was still holding Emily''s hand, started moving forward. Zoey, followed beside Emily. The rescued creatures were now reunited with their families, however they were not allowed to go home just yet. There was still a worry of an explosion spell that might be nted inside each of them. This was already none of Marcus'' business. He knew that the ones he rescued would be safe as he didn''t nt anything that could harm themselves or the races underwater. The Commanders who have fought with Marcus and his group were free to go after a quick check. They all went in the same direction. "What are the leaders like?" Emily asked Arielina who was in front of her. "Hmm," Airline thought before answering. "The leaders right now are a lot betterpared to the ones we had in the past. The present leaders don''t stick to those boring and rough traditions that past leaders implemented. The present leaders are also the ones who agreed to have the peace treaty and even fish trade with the humans." Emily and Zoey listened while Marcus thought of the things he would sayter to the leaders. He knew that convincing them wouldn''t be an easy task. Going to war against a race who could reproduce as fast as you kill one of their kind if rough to them who needs to control their poption. He was told by Ergetse that the sea might be big, but the humans are still taking up most of it with underwater mining and resource gathering from sea beds. "So they are more open minded." Emily spoke as Arielina finished. "In a way, yes." Arielina nodded. "But they still do stick to a few traditions that are pretty important to our race and the other two races." "How about the leviathan?" Zoey asked. She had never seen one before. However, as a human, she had heard of stories, a lot of stories about the said creature of the depths. There was a really old series that her father watches, where two brothers would hunt monsters, angels, demons, and other creatures that lurk in the dark. In theter seasons, the two brothers fought against leviathans. She, of course, has only seen bits and pieces of it. But in the series that her father watched, leviathans had extremely sharp teeth. Which was quite scary considering she was still a child when she saw it. In another story, she heard that it was written in a holy book of a certain religion that was still active until today. And in that book, it was said that leviathans came first, even before humans. It was said that they served as pets for the god of that religion. "The leviathan that you speak of doesn''t show himself much. He prefers to stay alone inside his home. From the few times I have seen him, he was never a scary person, so you don''t have to worry." Arielina has only seen the true leader of the races twice. "I see," Zoey imagined the creature to be a tyrant. From what she heard, the leviathan was powerful, which made her think that the creature would lord over the inhabitants of this city. "You saved the dozens of our people. The leaders will be thankful." Ergetse spoke seeing that Zoey looked a bit worried. Zoey, who was red at by the onlookers actually was. As a human, she was worried of the things the leaders would say. However, she also wondered why Emily and Marcus looked calm. "There is nothing to be worried about. They can''t do anything to us." Emily smiled at her past life best friend. Zoey nodded. Though deep inside, she was still quite worried. "Were your people originally from this, or did youe from somece else?" Emily asked. "From what we have been taught, our races have lived here ever since, even before the humans came. Of course, the question of how we came to be is still not answered." Ergetse knew quite a bit of the history of his race. He, like all other inhabitants of this city, knew that the humans were the invaders, and their race lived peacefully on this. Well, the rtions between the races before the humans came was quite awry and blood shed from small skirmishes, but they had the to themselves, and it never escted torge scale wars. Unlike when the humans arrived. "I see," Marcus nodded. He, who was from the heavenly realm, had a slight idea of who ced them here, but he was still confused of how the leviathan arrived on this. Marcus knew that the leviathans were only sent to Earth, as that was where the ''Holy God'' sent his son. ''This is probably someone who rebelled and ran away.'' Marucs knew that the ''Holy God'' was powerful, but his powers didn''t allow him to scan the whole mortal realm, which meant that a leviathan could run as long as the escape n was well crafted. "Were here," The guard, who had been ignoring them, stopped. Marcus andpany stood in front of a temple-like building. There were rows of pirs surrounding the building, with snake-like creatures coiling around them. On top of the buildings were three statues painted with a dark blue color. One was tall and had a humanoid body with a lower body of a snake. It''s arms were raised in the air while its head was looking towards the surface of the ocean. The other was significantly shorter than the first. It had sharp ws, with a shell on its back. It stood there looking as if it was ready to fight. The third andst statue had the figure of a human. There were fins on top of its head and on its ears. It held a trident with his left hand and its head looked towards the horizon. "Those symbolizes the three races that are now united." Ergetse looked up. "Let''s hurry. The leaders are waiting." The guard led them to the entrance. ---- In a room with a lot of reporters and cameras. Eva sat at a table covered with white cloth. She wore a long sleeveless dress that looked elegant. Her right hand grabbed the water bottle in front of her and started drinking. Nexus sat beside her. He wore navy blue shorts and a green shirt. His eyes revealed how he hated to be here. He bounced his leg up and down as he waited for this whole thing to finish. The show he''d been watching for thest two or so weeks would air its finale in a few hours, and he wanted to be home before that to feel morefortable. Eva ced the water bottle back onto the table and surveyed the people sitting in front of her. These individuals were from different news channels of Estra. She spoke. "I know that you might be curious as to why I set this up out of the blue." Some of the reporters nodded. In thest two months, no one really got to interview the CEO of Asura. All thepany said was that she was busy and couldn''t find the time. Now, however, they were all surprised to find out that Eva initiated inviting the media. Their stations immediately sent out the best of the best, which would make every one of these individuals here, veterans. She continued. "As you know, Asura has been doing really well. In such a short time, it expanded. I know that this wouldn''t have been possible if it weren''t for the people of Estra. Without them, Asura wouldn''t have grown this quickly." The individuals in front of Eva stayed silent. Though they had no idea where this was actually going, they still wanted to listen. "A few days ago, a disaster hit Estra, and it was devastating." Eva paused. Her eyes darted around the people. A few of the reporters were puzzled, while some nodded their heads in agreement. "There were a number of people that died, countrymen that were left homeless, and children motherless. Which is why mypany, Asura, would be making an orphanage that offers free education to homeless children. The orphanage won''t only take in street children from this city, but from the whole country. We all know that the children are the future of a country. I believe that saying. To give something back to Estra and its people. Mypany would like to foster the future of this country, and make them an asset to society." Eva took a deep breath. She once again grabbed the water bottle on the table and began sipping. Only the first few parts of her lines were rehearsed. The others were sentences that she came up with midway through her speech. Chapter 143: Meeting The Three Leaders Chapter 143: Meeting The Three Leaders Marcus andpany stepped on the dark blue stony flooring. There were nagas, siyokoys, and kappas walking around. They looked at the newers in a weird way. There was no ounce of sea water inside the building. It was as if a barrier kept the water out. All of them were not used to seeing visitors, and thest guest they would expect was a human. They could not understand why their leaders would invite thend dwellers here in their sanctum. Marcus didn''t mind the stares, and so did Emily. Zoey stepped a few inches closer to Emily as she could feel their cold res aimed directly at her. Marcus could see doors at the side being opened, as creatures came out to look at them. Most of which have never seen humans up close before. "You don''t have to mind them." Arielina turned her head and smiled. She could understand the reaction from her brethren. It would take time for them to understand that the people she is with aren''t bad, and that they have saved a lot of theirrades. "It''s fine. I don''t mind being admired." Marcus smiled back as if the atmosphere didn''t affect him. The threedies giggled. Zoey wasn''t expecting Marcus to joke around at a time like this. The group continued walking until they reached a parab shaped doorless doorway. "This is where I''ll leave you." The guard had to go back to his job as he was not invited inside. "Thank you," Marcus slightly nodded his head. The guard left with a weird look on his face. He didn''t understand why the vermilion haired teen was still polite to him although all he showed was slight hostility. ''Humans are weird.'' The guard went on to return to his post. Marcus andpany walked inside. They could already see three individuals sitting cross legged on an elevated tform at the back side of the room. There were also white colored cushions underneath their bottoms. Marcus could see that they were all dressed in dark blue robes, all three of them were in their human form too. To the left was a female with long ck hair. She had a pointy nose and thin brows. Her eyes shone blue as they darted to each one of the humans. In front of herid a sword just within arms reach. It was a meter long thin straight sword that seemed to value speed. To the right was a bald man with a siopao like face. He had deep ck eyes and a long nose. His figure was slightly chubby with a bit of his stomach bulging out. On top of his legs was a brown stick that was about half a meter long. From his shoulders down to his waist were vertical straps, it seemed as if he was carrying a backpack. His eyes were also curiously looking at the humans. He didn''t even spare a nce at the familiar faces of Ergetse and Arielina. Lastly, the one who sat in the middle also had his eyes on the guests. He has short hair, blue eyes, and a long nose. Beside himid a gold colored trident. Zoey leaned her head closer to Marcus and Emily. "Can you guys discern which race each of them belongs to?" Emily shook her head. Marcus looked at Zoey, "I''m sure that the one with no hair is a kappa." "Obviously," Emily and Zoey said in unison. "Ahem" Ergetse cleared his throat. He moved forward and bowed. "Leaders, you requested to see us and the humans." He was slightly nervous. Although he was already at the Commander Stage, he still wasn''t that high enough to interact with the high leaders directly all the time. The sole female smiled at Ergetse. "Thank you for bringing the humans here. We would like to hear your experiencester, but for now, we would want to hear a few things from the humans." They have heard that the humans were the reason why a lot of their people were saved. They were already prepared to lose everyone who went to the surface as they knew that it would be hard to escape from the clutches of thend dwellers. Ergetse nodded. Marcus let go of Emily''s hand, and stepped forward. "It would be an honor to speak with you three." Ergetse and Arielina''s eyes slightly widened as they looked at Marcus. Addressing the leaders as "you three" was slightly disrespectful. The two were worried that it might upset the leaders. Marcus, of course, didn''t know this. Now that he was here, he wanted to see the leviathan. His interest in the three different races and leaders were lowered as the question of ''where the leviathan came from?'' kept repeating in his head. ''Maybe he knows where a portal is located.'' Marcus hoped. He wouldn''t go to the heavenly realm right away, but at least he wouldn''t have to worry about transportation in the future. The one in the middle stared at Marcus. "Human, why did you do it?" "I beg your pardon?" Marcus asked, pretending as if he didn''t understand. "Why did you save the captured ones. You humans are supposed to hate us, correct?" The blue eyed man who had a trident beside him was confused when he was told that a human saved his people. From what he remembered, humans did not have the best impression of them. No matter how badly they tried in the past to do things peacefully, it still ended up badly. "I''m not a human." Silence followed Marcus'' sentence. Zoey, too, was dumbfounded by what Marcus said. She had been running around with aliens this whole time. Any other race besides humans were called ''aliens'', and she was taught to stay away from them, just like how she was taught to stay away from the nagas, kappas, and siyokoy. "Are you going to tell us you''re a naga?" The sole female giggled. Marcus shook his head. His skin started turning into a different color. His height increased and the muscles around his body bulged. Everyone watched as Marcus grew taller. His once white skin now turned vermillion. The clothes he wore were ripped. He of course made sure to wear better pants so the lower part of his body was not exposed. He had already learned his lesson from before. ck colored tattoos started appearing around his body. There was now, what seemed to be, unfinished tribal tattoos on arms. "I am an Asura." Marcus spoke in a deep voice, different from the one he had in his human form. The leaders were silent as they observed the being in front of them. Zoey brought her hands to her mouth. The transformation shocked her to her core. After a long period of silence, the bald leader spoke. "This isn''t some sort of magic?" Marcus shook his head. "I also have no reason to lie to you." The female leader nodded her head. "That makes more sense." "I guess it is time for a formal introduction." Marcus took a step forward. "My name is Marcus, Marcus Kauffman. As I said before, I am an Asura." "I am Peroy, the leader of the Kappas." The bald chubby man with a siopao faced shape introduced himself first. "I am Synthei, the leader of the naga." The female leader followed. "And I am Dokoy, the leader of the Siyokoy." The man with short hair spokest. "Can I ask why you saved our people?" Dokoy asked. He wondered why Marcus would go out of his way to save people who he didn''t even know. Marcus slowly changed back to his human form. His skin started to turn back into white. His muscles returned to normal and the tattoos around his body started to fade. "I am currently not in a good rtionship with one of the big families of Estra. So, your people being captured gave me the chance to mess their ns up." Vid already told him about the whole thing, so he knew what the Strongwald family was up to. "I see, and here I thought you were going to give a speech about helping the ones in need." Dokoy chuckled. "Don''t get wrong," Marcus smiled. "If I do pass by people who are in dire need, I do help them. Like you for example." "I thought you helped our people escape because you had a grudge with the Strongwald?" Synthei had a puzzled look on her face. As one of the leaders, she of course knew who the five strongest families in Estra were. Marcus shook his head. "That is not what I meant." "Then what?" Synthei asked. "Help you with your big problem, the threat of the humans." Marcus needed their help to take down the Strongwald''s. He wasn''t too worried about the allies of the number 1 big family, as he knew that those allies would not stick their necks out if they found out that the Strongwald would crumble anytime soon. The other big families are no problem, as he already has slight control over them. The Frey family has not been making any problems for him as ofte, so he didn''t have to worry about them. The Strongwald family on the other hand, he wanted them out of this ce, this. Chapter 144: To The Library Chapter 144: To The Library "Help you with your big problem, the threat of the humans." Marcus nced at each of the leaders who were sitting cross legged. ''This kid,'' Dokoy slightly scrunched his brows. He wasn''t going to believe that the problem they have had for generations is going to be fixed by a red headed teenager. He thinks that it is more likely a trap or maybe the teen wanted something in return. The other two leaders had slightly the same thoughts. They have gone to war with the humans and in recent years there were even a few skirmishes. A lot of their people have already died, but they haven''t even thinned the numbers of the humans. "Look, we are grateful that you rescued our people, we want you to know that. However, you are going to need something bigger to deal with the threat of the humans." Peroy, the siopao faced slightly chubby man spoke. "Peroy is right, Marcus." Synthei followed. "You live on the surface so you must know how they control everything over there. Large movements can not escape their sight. We are like fishes in an aquarium, and we have no choice but to stay here and be silent." Zoey quietly listened beside Emily. She was already told that the target for this is only the Strongwald family and no one else. Of course, if the Frey family would like to cause a ruckus, they''d be thrown into this too. "I get that you three leaders do not trust me. How could you, when you have only just met me? And all I did was save dozens of your people." Marcus calmly spoke. His eyes shifted to each of the leaders seated on the cushion. He continued. "What if I tell you that in the near future, in a few days, your race might be wiped out. That a group of powerful magic users who have been collecting forces and strengthening them to take over worlds areing here. The worst part is, they are in an alliance with the people who want you gone." Marcus took a deep breath as he finished. He needed the help of the races underwater to take down the Strongwald and fend off the Octopi. He could feel that the leaders in front of him were powerful, he could use them to fight against the three leaders of the Strongwald family with Vid assisting on the side, or if a leader of the Octopi will being, Vid will be the one to take that one on. Peroy the kappa, Synthei the naga, and Dokoy the siyokoy looked at each other. Could they trust the words of someone who is from an unknown race? For all they know, the asuras could be worse. "I know that to lead the people here, one must be intelligent." Marcus spoke once more. "So I hope you make the right decision on believing me and taking the chance on tackling this problem head on. Because if we don''t strike first, your race might notst until the end of the month." "Look here you red head. How are you sure that this is going to happen?" Peroy asked. He was now slightly convinced. But ''slightly'' was not enough to make him believe in everything the red headed teen was spouting. "Actually, it''s vermilion. Nevermind." Marcus touched his now long hair. He looked like one of those idols he has seen on television a few times. Marcus continued. "I have someone from the inside. Oh, and the attack that the humans did to you recently, it was all done by the Strongwald family, with the help of the organization named Octopi." "And you trust whatever the person is telling you?" Dokoy lightly scoffed. He needed a more concrete proof. Marcus scrunched his brows. He thought it was going to be a lot easier to convince them. Without their help, he''d have to abandon thepany and watch it get destroyed, which he wasn''t willing to do. He had to leave a mark here in the mortal realm before leaving. Having thepany here and leaving it to grow kinda made him feel good. He also thought that this being a big decision, they would have to call out the leviathan. "The person I have on the inside is someone with a grudge against the Strongwald, a grudge so great that it made him switch sides. That is why I trust whatever it was that he told me. Oh, and without the help of the inside guy, we wouldn''t even be having this conversation, because all of those that were captured would already have died." The leaders stayed silent, no one of them wished to speak first, as they knew that this was a very big decision. Seeing the three leaders like this, Marcus suggested. "You don''t have to answer right away, I know that this is something that will change a lot of things going into the future, so take your time. We don''t mind exploring the city while you do." It looked like the leviathan wasn''t nning on making an appearance, so Marcus suggested something else instead to kill time, and maybeter the heavenly beast might show himself. Synthei nodded. "That would be for the best. We''ll call you when we have made a decision. In the meantime, please enjoy what our humble city has to offer." She stood up, herrge breasts bounced as she smiled at the guests and then at the two nagas. She then walked to the side where a closed-door was situated. The two male leaders followed after saying a few things. Dokoy looked at Ergetse and Arielina. "You two, make sure to keep our guest safe and entertained." Dokoy knew how much the inhabitants here hated humans, having two nagas guarding them would make them safer, but that is only from physical things, verbal on the other hand was still an issue. "I do hope you can understand that the people might shout vulgarities at you." Dokoy stopped in front of the door. He turned his head to Marcus. "Say no more," Marcus raised his hand. He can understand the amount of hate the individuals here have on humans. "Thank you." Dokoy slightly nodded his head and went into the door. "So, where do we go first?" Emily asked Arielina. "The shopping district isn''t the best ce where I should bring you, so," Arielina knew that there was a significant difference in clothing between them and thend dwellers. "I don''t mind checking out the library," Marcus spoke. He thought that there may be something there that could tell him more about the leviathan. "I would also like to see the temples." Zoey knew that the races underwater had their own religion. He wanted to see it for herself. "Me too," Emily thought it wasn''t a bad idea to see who these creatures worship. "That settles it then," Arielina pped her hands. "Ergetse will go with Marcus and I will go with these two to the temples." "Great n." Ergetse grinned. "Maybe we can even grab a few beers after." "Pass, no offense, but I''m not the biggest fan of drinking." Marcus knew that although he had resistance to poison, toxic, and such, he was still affected by alcohol, which is why he tried to avoid it whenever he was working. "Suit yourself." Ergetse wasn''t offended when his invitation was turned down. The two began walking together with thedies. They split when they reached outside of the building they were currently in. ---- In a room with a bunch of reporters sat on white-colored chairs, Eva sat on an elevated tform looking at them and answering their questions. "What prompted you to make this decision?" A male reporter with blond hair asked. He wore a blue long sleeve shirt. The pen he held was ready to write on the paper. Eva turned her head towards the reporter. "Well, there are a lot of people having a hard time out there. People with no homes, no education, individuals who are not part of society. People who live an average life and have average pay don''t see it, and giants who live a luxurious life definitely never notice those individuals. Of course, there are already charities, foster homes, full schrships to magic schools, and such, but the ones we have right now aren''t enough. That is why thepany is having this project to help integrate those people back into society and help them live a normal life with proper roofs on their heads." "Thank you," The reporter sat back down. "Did your son really drop out of school, and is it true that it was because of his bad grades?" A female reporter asked as she stood up. Eva shook her head. "He didn''t drop out because of his grades, but because he wanted to help in the business. As you know, the Asura experienced a lot in the past two months, so we needed every help we can get. Also, my son, Marcus was also the one who came up with the project I mentioned before." It wasn''t only the female reporter that was shocked, but everyone else in the room as well. For a teenager to think of other people like this and spend massive amounts of dors was rare. They were also amazed at Eva for agreeing to this. ''Our image just keeps getting better and better, but I just keep getting bored by the second.'' Nexusined in his head as he nced at the people in front of him. Chapter 145: Abandoned Chapter 145: Abandoned Nexus wasn''t thrilled by the fact that he had to sit here and listen to the ''dumb'' questions being thrown by the reporters in front of him. What kept him going was Eva being here. He was just praying that this whole thing is almost over. "Does the project have a name?" One of the people stood up and asked. "Hmm, it will be called Project Future." Eva thought of the name on the spot. The person, having his question answered, sat back down. A few more questions kepting and Eva calmly answered everything. Thirty or so minutester, it was finally over. Eva and Nexus walked out of the room and went out of the building. The two nned to go home. Eva had to check on the three people that Marcus turned into the ''Children of Chaos''. This whole time those three had been training with minimum time to rest. Their cultivation, however, didn''t rise by much, but their fighting prowess surely did. The three were now rank 3 Commander Stage, and the boost that they took beforeing to Estra is already showing its negative effects. Cultivating was now a lot harder. Reaching new heights now seemed close to impossible. One of Eva''s side projects was to develop a cure to this, which she was close to doing. It was only a simple negative effect for her who has been one of the best alchemists in the realm above heaven. "The people should be on our side in the near future," Nexus spoke as they got in the white-colored car. Eva shook her head. "We can''t be sure yet. The Strongwald have extremely long and sturdy roots in this country, it may even epass the whole. Getting the people to fully side with us when the timees would take more than just this." She leaned her head on Nexus'' shoulders and sighed. "Tired?" Nexus asked as he stroked her face. He smilingly looked at the goddess beside him and thought of how precious she is. "Mhm," Eva slightly nodded. She closed her eyes and began to drift away. Nexus removed his hand from her face. He then changed the course of the car and made it circle around the city a dozen or so times to give Eva some time to sleep. ''Reys are always avable on the inte.'' Nexus thought. His eyes now shifted to the mortal city below him. ---- Marcus and Ergetse stood outside of an oval building. Multiple while pirs with jade on the outside supported the building. A round dome-like gold-colored roof shined as the two looked at it. "This is our library, the one and only. Our history is ced here and also spectacr events were logged. Novels and such about the people in the past and their heroic deeds were made and ced here too." Ergetse told Marcus as the two began to walk inside. "I see, the structure looks amazing." Marcus followed Ergetse as he looked around the ce. "This was adapted by works our ancestors caught a glimpse of in the past." Ergetse happily told the thing about the nagas. Marcus just nodded as he listened. They walked closer and closer to the door of the library. Ergetse opened the door and led Marcus inside. The nagas, siyokoy, and kappas all looked weirdly at the only human in the room. Even beforeing here, the inhabitants were already giving weird looks towards Marcus, but he didn''t mind. He knew that it must be hard for them to ept having someone like him in their city. "What are you looking at? Go back to minding your own business!" Ergetse slightly raised his voice. He didn''t care if there were people with higher ranks than him as he was told to keep the vermilion-haired teen safe and entertained. Having people look at them this way would only make the teen feel ufortable so he told the people to duck off in a nice way. "It''s fine, they are probably just curious." Marcus lightly chuckled. "Now lead me to the history of your people." Ergetse nodded. He nced at the ones around and continued walking. There were dozens of rows of shelves lined up. There were alsorge shelves situated on the walls. Books filled the brown-colored shelves. There were a few spots thatcked books but that is not because the books are lost but because someone who was in the library borrowed them. Ergetse led Marcus towards a certainrge shelf. "These are the books about the history of our races. They talk a lot about how we lived in the past and how we worshipped gods." Ergetse spoke as he tapped the side of the shelf. Ergetse asked. "Are you going to read each and every one of these?" There were dozens and dozens of books on this shelf, and this isn''t the only shelf that had their history in it, there were more. Reading all of those would probably take a month. "Does it also talk about the leviathan?" Marcus asked as he walked closer to the shelf. He used his index finger to hover a few inches of the books and chose which one he would read first. "Yes, there are a few things written about him." Ergetse''s eyes shifted around the books on the shelf and a second or twoter he grabbed one. He opened it and did a quick scan. "Yep, this is the one. This talks about the leviathan you are so fascinated about." Marcus ced his index finger down and received the book that Ergetse handed him. "Thank you. Aren''t you also fascinated by the leviathan?" Marcus wouldn''t believe it if Ergetse would say no. How could he, when the leviathan was the protector of this ce? Ergetse grinned. "Of course I am. Hell, I am fascinated by him. But me being a naga exins why I feel that way. You, on the other hand, aren''t a naga, nor are you a siyokoy, certainty from what I saw you are not a kappa, so I''m wondering why you are fascinated by the leviathan." For him, It wasn''t normal for an outsider to be this fascinated by their guardian. It felt weird having someone do this. "Him being mysterious probably what makes me curious about him," Marcus answered as he began reading the book in his hand. Ergetse stayed silent on the side, picking out another book for him to read. He wanted to suggest grabbing a seat, but as he looked at how concentrated Marcus was at reading, he didn''t say anything and just picked a book to spend time on while waiting. Marcus read the book in his hand and didn''t mind his surroundings, he flipped page after page after letting his index finger travel on the surface of the page. The ones written so far didn''t answer his question so far. Where the leviathan came from? "Are there other books about the leviathan?" Marcus asked as he closed therge book in his hand. He just skimmed from page to page, while reading a few of them in the past Thirty or so minutes, but he could not see the answer to his question. "This one I''m holding." Ergetse looked up. He wasn''t too engrossed from the book he read. He was already taught about most of these when he was still a kid and he was just reading right now to pass the time. Marcus and Ergetse switched books. ''Hopefully, this one has it.'' Marcus said to himself as he once again skimmed through every page of the book. Looking for keywords and such. A few minutester, Marcus found what he was looking for. ''Abandoned when he was young, the child roamed the wilderness, the mountains, and the seas looking for his family. Having found none, he went to take a deep slumber in the ocean, and that is how he found us many yearster.'' Marcus read the words in his head. "Abandoned when he was a child?" Marcus mumbled. He couldn''t understand this part. He knew that the ''Holy God'' would not send young nagas into missions. He was told that only the Elites of the nagas would go on faraway missions, the young ones would either train at home or take up simpler ones. This was because the said god valued his leviathans so much, he didn''t have that many leviathans and breeding was quite difficult. Not impossible, just difficult. Ergetse looked up. "What? Oh, you mean the leviathan being abandoned as a child? That is actually true. The leviathan said so himself. He said to the writer that he remembered seeing a slightly blurry face of a female with long ck hair that held him in her arms, which he theorized to be his mother." Marcus scrunched his brows. "So the leviathan here is quite young?" Ergetse shook his head. "He''s old, well. Well in human terms he is old. But in beast terms, he is still quite young." Marcus nodded but didn''t say anything. He closed the book and ced it back on the shelf. Chapter 146: A Chef Chapter 146: A Chef Emily, Zoey, and Arielina walked towards the temple. They could swim, but Emily and Zoey felt morefortable with walking. "How many gods do you worship?" Emily asked. Her eyes shifted around the ce they were at. The entrance was wide with no doors. Two green-colored siyokoys stood guard outside. They looked like statues. The two guards stood still not even ncing at the guests that were close to them. "At least they are not ring at us or looking weirdly at us." Zoey chuckled. On the way here, almost all of the inhabitants of the city were staring at them. Some even had anger in their eyes. Arielina their guardian, of course, assured them that the people in this city wouldn''t dare do anything, as the leaders already treated them as guests. "Come," Arielina walked forward. No humans have ever seen the inside of their ce of worship, well, not that she knows of that is. So for her, this was a pretty big thing. Zoey and Emily followed. On the outside, the temple had a golden dome-like roof. The building was oval shaped and the materials that were used to build it was white in color. The gold and whitebination made it look majestic. The three arrived inside. Just like the ce where they had a talk with the three leaders and the library, there was no seawater. It was dry. Their bare feet walked on the dark green floor with stars drawn on them. The walls had pictures ced on them, drawings of nagas, kappas, and siyokoys. There were three rectangr pools on the left and three rectangr pools on the right. Both had clear blue water in them. In each pool, there were a fewdies bathing. They looked to be women in their twenties. Emily and Zoey noticed that these were creatures in their human forms. "You must be wondering why they are bathing in the pools and in the temple at that." Arielina saw the puzzlement in the face of Emily and Zoey. She has heard that religions are sacred to humans and the ce of worship is too. Zoey nodded and Emily just slightly. Arielina then exined. "These are all pure women. Women who have not yet felt the touch of a man. They bathe in here to receive the blessing of the water goddess to strengthen their magic power and their capabilities to break through. It is hard to further exin to you humans as you don''t have the connection to water like we do." Zoey slightly turned red while Emily nodded as she understood. In the realm above the heavens, there were also people who prayed to her, The Lady of the Moon. The people who practiced the arts of the moon and moon magic would prostrate themselves and pray. She would hear their cries and she would sometimes give guidance to the ones she found worthy. "Do the water goddess actually give these women her blessing?" Zoey asked. Her cheeks were still slightly red. Arielina nodded."Actually, yes. It has happened a few times before. The female leader that you saw was one of those who received the blessing." "How about the male poption? Do they also receive the water goddess'' blessing?" Zoey asked. "No," Arielina walked forward. "Only the females can receive the water goddess'' blessing." The twodies followed Arielina. ---- "Can we really trust them?" Dokoy asked. He and the other two leaders sat at a round table with food on top of it. "What he said was enticing, and he doesn''t seem to be lying." Synthei lifted the cup in her hand and slowly drank the drink inside. "Synthei is right, the ''Asura'' doesn''t seem to be lying. However, what can he get after all of this? No one will work without pay, and no one will go this far without getting something in return." Peroy grabbed a few dishes on the table and began munching. He believed that it was their chance to act against the humans and that this was the chance for them to destroy the problems that they have been worried about for years. Blood after blood, bodies after bodies, all of which were wasted on meaningless war and skirmishes. Now that they had a chance to end it, how can they not take it? "If we do agree, it wouldn''t be an easy road ahead." Dokoy sighed. He understood that there will be reinforcementsing and that those people will side with the humans, and from how the vermilion-haired teen said it, the reinforcements of the humans were strong. Powerful enough to take ons. "I don''t think it''ll be too hard. Remember what that ''Asura'' said. Only one of the human faction is against the peace of our races." Synthei ced the cup back down. "Yes, one. But the strongest one." Dokoy let out another sigh. "What are you so worried about? Aren''t you the one who always wanted to go up on the surface whenever you can?" Synthei giggled trying to lighten up the room. Peroy stopped eating. He wiped his mouth with his right arm and spoke. "Yeah, didn''t you say you wanted to roam thend and sea freely without restraint?" Dokoy wryly smiled. "That was before I grew up. Now I have to think about the people, my people." Peroy shook his head. "Then think of the children right now who have the same dream as you back them. Think of all the siyokoys, nagas, and kappas who want to explore the world but are kept here inside the city walls, hiding in fear of the terror." When they were kids, they too dreamt of exploring the surface. They wanted to pick fruits from trees, try running on fields, and othernd activities. "There will be blood that will be shed, there is no denying that, but if the future can live a better life, the sacrifices that we''ll be making today are worth it." Synthei stood up. Peroy took onest bite of the food on his te, wiped his mouth, and looked at Dokoy. "The blood that will be shed will be the foundation of everyone''s future. Think about it, our people will no longer be hiding in fear inside this cramped ce." Dokoy closed his eyes and nodded. "Alright, let''s call our guests back in and tell them of our decision." He prayed that he was making the right decision, as this will forever change the future of not only the siyokoys but of the other three races as well. "Should we call him in?" Synthei asked as she walked towards the doorway with no door. Dokoy shook his head. "I''m sure he knows what is going on right now. He might have been listening to all this time ever since we talked with the Asura." Peroy nodded. "He''ll appear when he wants to appear. For now, let''s talk with the human to find out more about the situation." ---- Marcus ced another book back on the shelf. He has learned quite a few about the inhabitants here already and the so-called leviathan that guards them. "You finished?" Ergetse asked. They have been standing in front of a shelf for quite some time already. Not once did the vermilion-haired teen in front of him ask to sit. Marcus nodded. "I''d like to try your food here." "Well, if you like raw kinds of seafood then you are surely going to fit in." Ergetse chuckled. "You eat everything raw?" Marcus asked. He thought that they would cook in ces where water seawater couldn''t go in. "Not really, no. But we could if we wanted to. To get cooked meals, you just have to get the fish or whatever food you like and send it to a chef. As long as you give him or her part of your food then he''ll cook the fish or whatever it is you gave him and send it back to you. The way he cooks it is of course depends on you, the customer." "That''s a really good style of living." To Marcus, it sounded like this was a peaceful society. Ergetse smugly smiled. "It is since we don''t really have to worry about money. The sea provides everything we need. We also keep our own fish hunting grounds to help fish breed safely, and once the breeding season is over, we just hunt a few at a time." "I see," Marcus inwardly chuckled as he thought of adapting this kind of system in his Asura Emire in the heavenly realm. However, he knew that it just wouldn''t work. "Chefs should be the most sought out jobs here then?" Marcus asked Ergetse as the two started walking out of the library. "Uhmm, actually no" Ergetse shook his head. "The majority still wants to be warriors. Sure they learn the very basics of cooking, but that''s it. After learning the basics they go back to focusing on being warriors." "How about the females?" Marcus didn''t find it weird for the men to be like this, especially in a ce where they don''t need money. "I was referring to both males and females actually." Ergetse chuckled. Chapter 147: Dokoys Questions Chapter 147: Dokoy''s Questions "With the male poption decreasing, wecked power. The females had to join in the fray and fight together with the men." Ergetse had seen how the parents of the young females forbid them from practicing to fight in wars. Ergetse couldn''t me them, he himself knew the horrors fighting brings, especially on the field where there are a hundred spells being thrown at a time. But it is not like they also have a choice. Without people defending the city, it will crumble, even when there is a powerful guardian backing it. Before Marcus could say something, a naga came slithering towards them. He nced at Marcus and then looked at Ergetse. "The leaders have called the guests back. They said that they have made a decision." Ergetse nodded. "We will be there right away." The naga once more nced at Marcus before it slithered away. "I guess we will try the meals here next time. We don''t want to keep the leaders waiting." Ergetse turned his head to Marcus. He was slightly surprised that the leaders made a choice this quickly. He just hoped that they made the right choice, for the good of everyone here. If they don''t take their enemy down now when they have the chance, they might not have another one in the future, which makes him side with Marcus. Sacrifices may be made, but he already epted that. Nothing good everes free. Marcus and Ergetse headed towards the ce where they met the leaders before. They stood outside as they waited for thedies. It didn''t take long for Emily, Zoey, and Arielina to arrive. The three seemed to be in a good mood. "Did you have fun?" Marcus asked as he walked towards Emily. "Mhm," Emily nodded. They didn''t only talk about the races who lived in this city and their religion, but they also talked about girl''s stuff. "Emily told us a lot of things." Zoey giggled as she slightly nudged Emily. Arielina too slightly giggled. Marcus looked at Emily with a wry smile. "Don''t worry, it was nothing personal,ish" Emily nted her lips on Marcus'' lips. Ergetse pped his hands. "Alright, let''s go in and pray that they want to go with your n." "Your leaders are smart. They know the best thing to do in this situation." Marcus patted his back. "Hopefully," Ergetse mumbled as he and Arielina led the group to the room they went into before. The inhabitants of the city who were in their human form inside the building still had weird looks on their faces as they looked at Marcus andpany. There were even whispers. "What do you think they are talking about in there?" One man with short hair asked. He had round eyes and a short nose. He stood around 6 feet tall. He wore a green-colored robe. "I heard that that person saved a lot of our kind. Maybe the leaders want topensate him for what he did." A female with long ck hair spoke. She had a pointy nose and wide lips. She wore a blue-colored robe that had weird etchings on them. "No, that can''t be right. Why would our leaders everpensate a human? For everything they have done to us, saving a few of our kind isn''t enough. A lot of our people have died trying to fight those invaders. Compensating even one of them is like bowing our heads down. Think of all those who suffered under the brutality of thend dwellers, of people like him. Compensating my ass, he should be sent back to the surface instead of getting to enjoy this city that our ancestors built to keep the humans out!" A long-haired man spoke. He tried to keep his voice low but sadly his emotions betrayed him making him speak loud. "Yes, they shouldn''t be roaming our city. I heard that two humans went to the sea goddess'' temple. If no one gets blessed by the sea goddess this year, then it is their fault." A bald man who had his arms crossed spoke. His brows furrowed as he thought of not having any blessed ones this year. The blessed ones are extremely important as they will have a chance to reach the Transformation Stage. They individuals worthy of fostering. A lot of the inhabitants of this city thought that having Transformation Stage experts fight together with them will give them an edge against the humans who invaded their. "You are a bunch of bastards. They saved a lot of our brothers and sisters. Don''t you think that they deserve more credit than letting them go back to the ce where they belong. Think of all the families that are happy right now. Have you all ever thought of that? Have you all even for a second thought of the children that are happy to see their fathers, their mothers, their brothers, and sisters?" A femaleshed red at the people who spoke earlier. She had short ck hair and a pointy nose. She stood around 5''9 feet tall and she wore a green-colored robe. "I, uh, uh, ahem, I think, uh." The bald man stuttered. No proper words came out of his mouth and so did the other three. "What she said is right. Also maybe not all humans are evil, some just don''t have a choice but to fight." A male with short hair softly spoke. He had a bony cheek and arge forehead. He wore a blue colored robe. "Maybe not all humans are evil? That they don''t have a choice? Are you even listening to yourself? Have you forgotten how much blood has been spilled? How many bodies we burned in thest few years? How many of our people were tortured? Have you forgotten?" A female with long hair had tears in her eyes as she looked at the man with short hair. The others were silent. They knew that the woman who spoke right now lost her husband and two of her sons consecutively. She only had one daughter left who is forced to train for a war that will surely being in the near future. "Not all of you have lost someone you love dearly, thrice. If you feel that they aren''t evil then think of all the sacrifices the people made in the past trying to protect you. If they were not here, we would all be dead by the hands of the humans." The same female spoke. "What''s going on here?" A woman wearing white came walking into the building. She heard bits and pieces of what the woman said so she was wondering what was going on. Fighting was prohibited in this building and she knew that all of those who are present knew that, so she wasn''t really worried about them starting a ruckus as all of the ones here are adults. She, the woman in white arrived in front of the group and listened to what they had to say. She just nodded her head and didn''t interrupt. "And that''s thest of it." The bald spoke as he finished telling thedy in white the things they talked about. The woman chuckled. "The guests we have are not asking for anypensation. They want us to go to war with the humans, and they will help us." Silence followed after the woman''s sentence. Seeing that there wouldn''t be any more trouble here, she continued walking to the room where the meeting with the three leaders and the guests are taking ce. ---- Marcus, Emily, Zoey, and the two nagas stood in front of the leaders who were sitting. The air was pretty tense as both Arielina and Ergetse were nervous. They wanted to fight the humans and end all of the sufferings of the inhabitants of this city. "If we go with your n, whates next? If we fight against the humans and seed, what are the next moves? Because from how I see it, if we destroy one of thergest families, that will leave us with four more to deal with. " Dokoy calmly spoke. From his point of view, humans and the races of the sea could never co-exist, not in a million years. "As I said before, you don''t have to worry about the other big families of Estra. The real enemy is only the Strongwald family." Marcus smiled. "After we destroy the Strongwald''s do you think we can live together with humans? Our people can go onnd, explore the mountains, caves, ins, and other areas that a lot of our people only dream about? Do you think that the humans would ept that?" Dokoy asked. "It will work like a modern society. One part of thend is yours and the other part is for the humans, same goes for the seas." Marcus wasn''t expecting them to ask this question. From what he remembered, he made sure to say persuasive things. "So there will still be no interacting with humans? Wouldn''t that breed fear?" Dokoy has seen it before. Fear of the unknown can lead to brutal things. Chapter 148: Marcus Plan Chapter 148: Marcus'' n "So there will still be no interacting with humans? Wouldn''t that breed fear?" Dokoy questioned Marcus. If the races of the sea and the humans would still not interact, then it will all be the same as before. It won''tst long until the fighting will once again start. Marcus shook his head. "Separating your people and the humans is not the n I have for the end. I agree with you that it would be bad for both sides if everything was the same as before." Marcus paused. He took a deep breath and nced at the three leaders. Dokoy had a straight and stern face as he waited patiently for Marcus to continue. The other two were pretty calm. Marcus continued. "I n on letting you leave this." The two calm leaders now had wide eyes. They thought they heard wrong so they didn''t say anything. Dokoy was also shocked by what the vermilion-haired teen said. Seeing that their reactions were within the boundaries of his expectations, Marcus chuckled. "It is either that or we build a city of trade. A city where humans and your people could live together in harmony. Interact with each other and see how it goes." "The thing you said before, the thing about leaving this, are you serious?" Peroy didn''t listen to the second option that Marcus said. He was too taken aback by the first one and could only focus on that. How could he not when all of his life he had been on this and would be told to depart? "That is an option. In my opinion that is a lot better than the second one." Marcus calmly spoke. "Do you think we can leave that easily?! What kind of n is that? This is where we live and this is our rightful ce. The humans are the ones who are supposed to leave, not us. This is ours by right and we would never think of abandoning it." Dokoy red at the teen in front of him. He was furious at the thought of giving up the to the humans. He would never bow his head to them and admit defeat. Leaving the absolutely feels the same as surrendering. "That is not what I meant. If we destroy the Strongwald family and the people they are in partner with, others would just find trouble in the future. How long can your guardianst to protect you when the human civilization thinks that you are a nuisance and they would bring in the big guns to wipe you out?" Marcus asked. He didn''t want this to escte, and he also didn''t want them to misunderstand. As much as possible he wanted this to be a peaceful discussion. "Are you saying we can''t protect ourselves?!" Dokoy angrily scowled. He. of course, knew that if the humans would send more powerful forces, they would die. He doubted that the leviathan that acted as their guardian could save them. However, how could his pride as a leader just say that they were weak, that the race he leads is weak? "That is the truth, isn''t it? If you think about your people then you should follow me, I will bring you to new heights, and you will see new things. Soon the problems you have here would seem meaningless. In the future, you could even destroy everyone here with just a pinky." Marcus wanted to bring them to the heavenly realm. His ns on building a powerful and massive army start with these races. They would be what he needed to fully conquer the realm above the heavens. "Is that true?" Synthei slightly gasped. "I have no reason to lie to you. Why would I when were all in this together. Were going to go up against the strongest family on this and probably the strongest and most influential group in this area of the gxy." Marcus looked at the three leaders with his calm face. He didn''t look nervous at all. "We''ll cross this bridge when we get there." Dokoy didn''t want to talk about the end of this n anymore. It was too much of a decision to make, especially since the leviathan was not showing himself. "Does that mean you and your people are on board with my n to take the Strongwald''s and the Octopi head on?" Marcus smiled. He didn''t mind having to hold off the conversation about the final parts of the n. He knew that the decision must have probably rest on the guardian, the leviathan. The leviathan was the one leading these people, he had been the one protecting them. So he probably has the biggest say in this. "Yes!" Synthei smiled. She was excited to fight against the humans. The bastards who were the bane to their existence ever since. "Our race will also join the fight. We''ll take them on and take them down like the shits they are!" Peroy clenched his right fist and raised it high. Marcus turned to Dokoy. "The siyokoy will join the fight. The races will stand united against the humans!" Dokoy dered. The three leaders then nced at each other. Seeing that their guardian, the leviathan had no reactions, that meant he agreed with them. Synthei stood up. "We should probably find a ce to sit properly and discuss the initial stages of the n." Marcus nodded. "That is for the best. I also wouldn''t want my wife and my friend to stay standing the whole time." He looked at the twodies that were a few meters behind him and smiled at them. "Let''s go," Dokoy stood up, followed by Peroy. ---- Marcus, Emily, Zoey, and the three leaders sat at a wooden round table. The square room had four pirs on every corner. They all had markings on them and all of which were different from the other. "Those pirs, well actually, those marking will reduce the chance of people from the outside from over hearing what we say in this room. Those were created by our ancestors a long time ago, and since then, this room had been used for meetings." Synthei waved her hands as she gestured towards a pir. "There was that one time in the past where this room was used by one of the leaders for his own personal use." Peroy grinned. Dokoy and Synthei chuckled. They have heard of the story before. One of the leaders used this room to be with his mistress. It, of course, didn''t end well. The leader was thrown into prison not long after the incident happened. "Personal use?" Zoey asked. Before Marcus or the leaders could exin. Zoey''s cheeks already turned red when she realized by herself what it meant. "Shall we get to it?" Dokoy asked. He wanted to know what the teenager had to offer. To him who was a warrior. He only properly respected people who can not only talk but can also throw down on a battlefield. "Alright," Marcus nodded. "On the side of the Strongwald family, they have three Preparation Stage experts who are at rank 9, only a rank below Transformation Stage." The three leaders calmly listened. They were not worried about fighting against Preparation Stage experts. Marcus continued. "They have a prettyrge army employed. I don''t know the exact number but expect that there would be around twenty or so Preparation Stage experts." "Don''t you have someone on the inside of acting as a spy?" Peroy asked. If someone had a spy, wouldn''t they know the exact numbers. "I didn''t ask, because the number of their soldiers won''t matter as we have our own army. What we have to worry about are the leaders. I was told that all three of them are cunning, especially the head." Marcus was told by Vid how powerful the Vice President of Estra was. Vid had no problem taking on the other two leaders of the Strongwald family one on one. It would take a lot out of him and injure every single part of his body, but he was sure that he would win. However, he said that against the Vice President of Estra, he would lose. "How about the Octopi? The organization you told us that was working together with the Strongwald. How many troops do they have? And how many Preparation Stage experts are we expecting?" Dokoy asked. The number of Preparation Stage experts that the Strongwald family had was already quite a lot. It would be a problem if the Octopi would have a lot more. "That, I have no information aside from their leaders being rank 9 Preparation Stage experts, or even stronger." Marcus was a bit ashamed of how weak his intelligence gathering was. He had no resources to work with right now and the one he had captured inside the chamber didn''t really know much about the organization he hailed from, which he found weird. People who are already at that stage, the Preparation Stage, should know a lot about their organization and would have a lot of ess. Chapter 149: The Drink Chapter 149: The Drink "That, I have no information aside from their leaders being rank 9 Preparation Stage experts, or even stronger." Marcus knew that this was not really his fault. He didn''t really have anyone on the inside of Octopi and he had no time to ce someone inside to gather information as everything was moving way too fast. "How sure are you that they have no Transformation Stage experts? For all we know all three of their leaders might even have reached that stage already." Dokoy''s brows were scrunched. He had no chance of beating a Transformation Stage expert. How much more if the opponents have all three of their leaders at the Transformation Stage. "I told you before, I am not sure about their ranks. We just have to prepare for the worst. We have the leviathan on our side. He should be able to take a fewte Preparation Stage experts alone." Marcus has seen the prowess of leviathans before back in the heavenly realm. It was powerful, more powerful than the other creatures he has seen living in the heavenly realm. He thought that if he could teach the leviathan who lives here a thing or two, they might be able to gain a certain advantage, a big one. He only has two or so days which was short, but he''ll try his best to let the leviathan learn. Soon, he''s going to bring the leviathan back into the heavenly realm and let it fight against the Holy Empire. He had a few things nned for when he gets back up there. This was one of them. "How do you know that our guardian can take care of it? You have never seen him fight. You have never even seen him at all." Peroy found it weird that the vermilion-haired teen in front of him spoke confidently about their guardian, the leviathan. The leviathan hardly shows its face to the people of the city, how much more to outsiders. "I read the books in the library that you have. You also told me that he is the reason why this city is still standing. This just points that the leviathan is powerful, powerful enough to take on the leaders of either Octopi or Strongwald, of course, with the help of you three." Marcus took a sip of the drink that was in front of him. The three leaders nodded and smiled as they listened. Their guardian beingplimented like this is quite satisfying. "You must be wondering where he is, right?" Synthei asked. She looked at Marcus who was still drinking. She couldn''t believe that someone as young as the teen in front of him could n something like this. Marcus ced the cup down and swallowed the warm fruit juice in his mouth. He slightly breathed in and spoke. "Quite a bit, yes. I was hoping to see him and talk to him about all of these. Because I know that a lot of the decision pertaining to your moves will depend on him as he was and is the guardian of your people." "He should be listening right now. He had just awoken from his slumber a few days ago because of an attack done by the humans." Synthei had a bit of anger in her voice. Although a lot of the ones who went to the surface were sessfully rescued and are now with their families, there were still those who died, quite a few actually. Those deaths, although small, were still big enough to damage their troop poption in the uing war. Synthei took a deep breath as she thought about those who were recently killed and didn''t make it back. She then asked Marcus. "What is in this for you?" "I beg your pardon?" Marcus thought he already answered this question before. "I want to know what you get out of all of these. There must be something more if you are this motivated to actually destroy the Strongwald family of Estra. So, what is in this for you?" Synthei once again asked. The question was simple so she expected a quick answer. Marcus sighed. "The Strongwald''s need to be put in their ce. One of their people tried to destroy my business recently. I am sure that they are all itching to kill me and they just need one good blow to do it. As a teenager, my rank and my skills in battle are not really on par with any of their skilled fighters. I am a lot weakerpared to them. Don''t get me wrong, I do train hard, but no matter how hard I train, I am still quite greenpared to their fighters." The leaders nodded. They were amazed at how a teenager could openly say his shortings. Marcus continued. "So all I can do is make up a n. A n that could destroy them, permanently. Not just destroy a few of their troops, but all of them. I need to strike first or else they will be able to hurt not just me, but the ones I love." Marcus continued to spout reasons why he was doing this. But, of course, he didn''t bring up anything about the three races following him afterward. He thought that that would just spoil the mood that they have right now. "Those are are not really the best reasons to start a war. A lot of people would just run away and never return to where they could be killed." Peroy slightly chuckled. He was amused by the teenager in front of him and the teenager''s mindset was like he was no longer a child. Synthei nodded. "What Peroy said is right. There is no shame in running away, especially since you are still a child." "But fighting is also good, the glory and the taste of victory after the war feels great. Especially when you see your enemiesying on the ground." Dokoy''s blood boiled as he thought about going to war, to avenge the death of his people. Marcus smiled. "You are right that I have a choice to run away. But I would not want that. I want to face those bastards head on and destroy them permanently. I also have a business here that I wouldn''t want to leave behind." "Can I know more about your business?" Synthei asked. She was quite curious about what people on the surface do, and doing business is one of them. "Selling drinks that could make you more powerful." Marcus proudly spoke. "All of which was made by my older sister." "We also have those kinds of drinks here." Dokoy had a few of them which he saved for the uing geniuses. "Yes, but what I have are special and more powerful. I''ll let you all have a taste soon. I''ll have all of those who are fighting to take in the drinks that were made by mypany to boost their cultivation." Marcus knew that the drinks that Eva made would be helpful to power up the little army he had. He''d have to ask Eva to use the ones that are more potent so the ones here could easily breakthrough consecutively without many side effects. The three leaders were then curious about the drink Marcus talked about. The drinks they saved up were in short supply. Well, not exactly short, but they could not afford to give it to every single member of the army they have. They thought that would be a waste and the drink they have should only be saved for geniuses who have a chance of reaching the Transformation Stage. "Can we get a taste of these drinks you speak of?" Peroy asked. He wanted to see which one was better. The ones they have or the ones the vermilion-haired teen have. "Yes, you can." Marcus nodded. "But it would not really affect you much. It might not even affect you at all as you are already a rank 9 Preparation Stage expert." Marcus would never give the ones here better drinks. Not until they join him or he could also give it to them as ast resort. He wouldn''t waste hundreds of liters of his drink on people who would not fight with him in the long run. That is, of course, what he thought right now. "I see. So the drinks are still in the capital city of Estra?" Synthei asked. I actually have one with me." Marcus decided to hand them a single bottle that was around 250ml. He knew that this was enough for them to share it with each other. He ced his right hand close to the ring that''s on his finger and soon a bottle with blue-colored liquid was in his hand. He then ced it on the table and waited for the leaders to take a sip. "Ladies first," Dokoy spoke calmly. He was not in a rush to taste the drink that was handed by the "Asura". He had already tasted one a long time ago as he was considered one of the few geniuses that the siyokoy tribe had. Chapter 150: Tasting The Drinks Chapter 150: Tasting The Drinks "Ladies first," Dokoy calmly sat as the drink was being poured by Marcus. "This should be enough. Remember that, it wouldn''t have that many effects on you as the drink is meant for beings at lower stages. You are already at the Preparation Stage, so don''t be quick to judge that this drink isn''t effective." Marcus slid the ss with the drink inside towards Synthei who had quite an excited look on her face. Synthei tasted this once before when she was a youngling, a naga who who was considered to be one of the next generation front liners. Synthei ced her hand on the cup and breathed. She then slowly lifted it up closer to her mouth and soon she started sipping. Her eyes closed as she enjoyed the taste of the drink entering her mouth, traveling down her throat. She ced the cup back down on the table and opened her eyes. They sparkled. It was as if her eyes saw her favorite thing being sold on a a huge sale. Synthei turned her head to the two other leaders of the water races and then towards Marcus. "Amazing. It truly is amazing. I can''t even begin to describe it. The taste, the effect, everything about it is truly something our drinks could notpare. I couldn''t really feel its effects but I know that if I had a lower rank, even at the middle stages of Commander, I would rank up within a day or so after secluding myself. How much more if I were an Elite, I would probably hit Commander in no time." "Is it really that good?" Peroy asked, eyes filled with curiosity. He could not really believe how big Synthei praised the drink brought out by the vermilion-haired teen. He too had tried drinking the drink that was. "Extremely. Go and try it for yourself if you don''t'' believe me. I would dly make a bet." Synthei grinned. She was in a totally good mood after tasting the drink that Marcus brought out out. She now could feel that they stood a chance. In the next two or so days, they would let the army drink all of the drinks that Marcus could provide. After two days, the army would grow stronger, faster, and overall, more powerful. They could now take down the humans who have been attacking them for years. They could get their revenge. She was excited, she was excited to roam thend freely after being in the waters for a very long time. It''s not like she hated the water, she was a naga for pete''s sake. she just wanted to explore other ces and not be confined in small waters. Yes, the ocean was too small, as most of the areas were still taken over by humans. They built artificial inds and nts all over the ocean. They, the races of the sea could do nothing but watch. They could not do anything about it as they had no power to do so. A lot already died in the war some time ago. They do not want to add any more bodies to that growing list knowing that it would go nowhere. Even with their guardian, the leviathan, it was still quite scary. "Alright, let me try it out. Let us see what the fuss is all about." Peroy picked up the bottle and poured his empty cup. Marcus watched quietly together with the twodies, Emily and Zoey, who were whispering to each other. He took this drink out precisely because it could affect the three leaders in front of him, although its effects were very little, they could still feel it even with their ranks so high up. They could feel how beneficial these drinks are and they would see that he isn''t just blindly going to war against the Strongwald just because he hates them. He has a n, a n that could lead to victory, and he even has the items needed to attain that victory. Peroy brought the cup close to his mouth and started sipping slowly. Synthei and Dokoy looked at him and waited for his reaction. Dokoy in particr as he had not tasted the drink yet. He too was curious if it was as good as what Synthei described it to be. ''Hopefully, hopefully,'' Dokoy said in his mind as he thought of hope for his people, for the future generations, for everyone in the three races to be free from all the constraints that that the humans have ced on them. He had hope that in the future, the kids would be able to roam freely on this, in their without being hunted every time they go out. Peroy''s eyes lit up as he downed the drink. His slow drinking became fast as he hurriedly gupled the contents of the cup. He had not expected the drink to be this good. It was not like the ones they had in the past where you have to wait for a few hours to feel the effect, this needed no wait. All you needed was to just drink and you could feel the hot sensation in your chest. "Amazing, truly amazing!" Peroy couldn''t contain the excitement inside him. He lost the bearing of a leader and shouted. How could he not when this was extremely unexpected? Never in his million dreams would he expect that in one day, a vermilion haired teen would appear who says that he is from a race known as Asuras and would say that he wanted to go to war with one of the human factions above water in Estra. What''s more is that he didn''t expect to actually drink something so amazing, so mystical. He could feel that if he was a lot weaker, the drinks would have massive effects on him and his cultivation. "I can''t wait for the soldiers to drink this. This is our trump card against those Strongwald bastards." Peroy clenched his right fist as he thought of all the kappas that have died in the hands of the humans. His father, his mother, his brother, and his sisters. The only one left was him, alone. "Shouldn''t I get to try it first?" Dokoy chuckled as he looked at how happy his friend was. He knew the hardships that the kappa beside him has been through, so he was happy seeing his friend smile like this. "Oh, yes, of course, I meant that after you try the drink, we give it to the shoulders, I mean soldiers." Peroy poured the contents of the bottle to the cup of his friend. Peroy continued. "This drink will not fail you. This is now the start to a better future, to a more progressive and dominant future where we would not have to hide in fear of the humans, of thend dwellers that made our lives difficult." Dokoy nodded and slowly brought the cup closer to his mouth. Zoey who was watching was feeling a little guilty. Although she had never hurt the nagas directly, she was still a human. And she has done nothing to actually make them feel less pain and it bothers her quite a bit. She thought about all those nagas, siyokoys, and kappas being ughtered by her kind. It made her feel bad at how those people actually did all those things to the ones who lived here first. She knew that the ones who came here first weren''t the humans but the ones living in the ocean. They were here first but were the ones being treated badly. Emily looked at Zoey. "You okay? You seem dazed?" Zoey nodded. "I''m fine, I just feel kinda bad about how the humans treated the races here. Why can''t we all just live peacefully and prosper together? Sigh." "You have no fault in this, so don''t beat yourself up. Living together with another race on the same is quite difficult. There are always things like greed that wille into y and ruin the alliance or rtionship between countries or different races, unless of course there was an emperor of some kind." Emilyforted her friend and made her understand why beings of different races couldn''t really live together unless they were ruled by someone much higher than them. This was simr to the realm above the heaven where kingdoms were ruled by an Emperor, powerful emperors that could keep wars at bay, and quarrels nil. They would not tolerate in fighting in their country, and all the kings should show respect to each other. This was something emperors in the realm above the heavens implemented. Not just one of them but almost all of them. Even the emperor of the underworld which was the father of Erika. Who is also the one who killed the blood dragon, Laz. "We now have hope." Dokoy smiled as he finished the drink. He then turned to Marcus after cing his cup down and mmed his head on the table. "Thank you!" Dokoy said with a loud voice. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!